Wrap Your Arms Around Me (merdred)

9. The Bitter Taste of Jealousy

    MERLIN WAS ALLOWING Mordred to speak to him now. Whatever had been going through his head had vanished, or at least diminished. The rest of the week after the hunting trip was a lot better than the previous week. Merlin was letting him in again they were starting to form a connection of sorts.

The night after they'd come back from the trip, Merlin found himself outside Mordred's door. He didn't care anymore, he had to let go of his fears. He opened the door and barged inside without. Mordred looked up from the book he was reading, surprised to see him there, "Merlin? What are you doin-"

Mordred barely had time to finish his sentence when Merlin climbed onto his bed and slipped himself under the covers. He turned his back to him, expecting him to wrap his arms around his waist like he had been doing. Mordred chuckled softly and did as Merlin was silently alluding to. He pulled him close so they were touching and rested his own head on his hand supported by his arm. He watched as Merlin began to doze off into a dreamless sleep and smiled to himself at how peaceful he looked in his arms.

The next night Mordred showed up at Merlin's door and knocked softly. A moment later a sleepy, shirtless Merlin opened the door. Mordred smiled and slipped his hand in Merlin's. He dragged him to the warlock's bed and pulled him to his side, his back pressed to Mordred's stomach like it had been many times before. But Merlin slowly removed Mordred's arms from around his waist. The knight thought he'd done something wrong but then Merlin turned to face him instead and pressed his body closer to his. The raven-haired man clung to his neck and pressed his face into his chest. His leg went beneath Mordred's, to be intertwined. The knight smiled at this and wrapped his arms securely around his waist. The way Merlin's breathing hit his neck made him get chills down his spine. He could tell from looking at the warlock that his cheeks and the tips of his ears were flushed.

And the rest of the week was spent just like that.

Merlin still felt a little bad for getting so close to the knight, but he wanted to follow his heart. And what his heart wanted was to be in Mordred's arms. So he let it be.

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Arthur sent knights in all directions, ordering them to look anywhere the sorceress could've gone. He sent nearly all the knights in Camelot after her and he wouldn't stop sending more until she was found and imprisoned. Merlin was following him as he tore through rooms in the castle, trying to calm him down. Arthur wasn't normally an eccentric person like his father had been. But this was one of the few times he felt so strongly about capturing someone. His father had always dealt with those in treason of sorcery. And since his death, Arthur hadn't yet faced someone who broke those rules. He was not prepared, nor did he know how to deal with something like this. All the other times he had magic encounters, he was in the forest with his fellow knights, secluded from the court and the laws.

Merlin raced down the halls to catch up with the anxious king. He caught him in the middle of a heated conversation with one of the servants. "What do you mean she passed through here! You didn't try and stop her?!" He shouted angrily.

"I-I'm sorry, Sire," the man stuttered hopelessly. "I'm only a servant-"

"She was a scared woman running for her life. You could've easily stopped her in her state!"

"She has magic," the servant retorted with a small frown. He took a small step back away from the annoyed king.

"Arthur, leave him alone," Merlin stepped in, resting a hand on his shoulder. "He's right, she has magic and there was nothing he could've done," he tried to explain.

Arthur ripped his shoulder away from Merlin's hand and scoffed. "Merlin, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me what to do. Might I remind you you're nothing but a servant," he snapped.