Never a Night Off, for Elirwen

Dec 24, 2021 09:32

Title: Never a Night Off
Recipient: elirwen
Author: archaeologist_d
Rating: NC-17
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: After Arthur breaks both his arms, Merlin, his ever-suffering flatmate, has to help. With everything.
Warnings: sexy times
Word Count: 3760
Author's Notes:
I used three of your prompts (listed at the end of the story). Unfortunately, I’d already had this written and betaed when merlin holidays came out so you get two stories with the same prompt! But they are quite different, and I hope you enjoy them both. 😊
Betaed by gwyllion (gwylliondream). She’s been a star getting back to me so fast and cheering me on. I also want to thank gilli_ann for being such a help and great support behind the scenes.
And many many thanks to the mods for running this. I’m always so grateful to them for all the hard work they do running a comm and dealing with issues. You are truly inspiring!
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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"Not again! It was supposed to be my evening off," Merlin grumbled, putting down his laptop and reaching over to answer his cell. He’d just come off a shift at the hospital-being a nursing student was sometimes hell on steroids-and he was sure they had told him he didn’t have to come in again for a week. Besides, he had papers to write and tests to prep for.

He couldn’t seem to catch a break. He was tired, he was cranky, he needed to go out on the pull, if for no other reason than to forget about his fuckingly gorgeous flatmate. Never mind that Arthur pranced half-naked around the flat most of the time.

Merlin wanted to shag him senseless.

Not that it was going to happen. Arthur was straight, and Merlin wasn’t going to go down that road. It would only end in heartbreak.
Looking down at the number calling him, he scowled. Fucking hell, it was the bloody hospital. Damn them all.

A woman’s voice-Merlin didn’t recognise it-came online. “Mr Emrys, Mr Merlin Emrys?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Although I’m telling you straight out that I’m not doing a second shift. I’m knackered,” Merlin grumbled. “I’ve a paper due tomorrow and-”

“Mr Emrys, this is Guy’s Hospital calling. It’s about Arthur Pendragon. You are listed as his primary contact. Is that correct?”
Sitting up then, his heart began to race. Shit, it was never good when a hospital called. “Yes, I’m, yes, what happened?”

“Mr Pendragon was hit by a car, but he’s doing as well as can be expected. He’s asking for you. Could you please come down and fill out paperwork in order to…?”

He didn’t hear the rest of it. He was already shoving on trainers and coats and hurrying out the door. “I’ll be there in ten.”
He was there in nine.

-------------------------

Both arms broken. Arthur was loopy, too, with the meds.

Some drunken arsehole had side-swiped Arthur, and when Arthur hit the pavement, his arms took the brunt of it. His face was bloodied and there was a rather spectacular bruise on his stomach but no head injury as far as they could tell.

The arms, on the other hand, were splinted, and he’d get a cast as soon as the swelling went down. Merlin supposed it could have been far worse. Stable fractures were not great but there was no need for surgery and there was less healing time, but Arthur would be pretty helpless about taking care of himself. He’d not even be able to pee in peace, and as for feeding himself, well, that wasn’t happening any time soon, either.

The worse of it was that Arthur’s sister was in Japan with his father, doing some kind of long-term company thing. Merlin thought that maybe one of them could come back and take care of Arthur, but after talking with Morgana, it didn’t seem likely. They said something about arranging home care, and that was about it.

Arthur was on his own.

Except he wasn’t. Merlin would take care of him.

---------------------

Getting Arthur back to the flat was a bit of a nightmare. He was out of it with his meds, incredibly tactile-well, as much as he could be with splints covering both arms-and Merlin had to keep pushing him away just so he wouldn’t fall on Merlin and maybe make his broken arms worse.

“Umm, your hair is pretty,” Arthur murmured, nosing into Merlin’s throat. “Shh, don’t tell anyone but I like your ears. They have little swirly things right there.” He tried to reach up and touch them, but Merlin just pulled away. Arthur frowned at that, then slumped against Merlin, staring up at him as if Merlin had won a gold star. “You smell like Merlin. Sometimes I go into Merlin’s room and just lay on his bed. But don’t tell him. Shh. Sometimes I want to fall on him and not get back up. Do you think he likes me?”

“Merlin likes you very much,” Merlin said, not sure if he should laugh or cry because it was obvious that this wasn’t real, that Arthur was just strung out on drugs.

“Mmm, wonder what he tastes like. I bet he’d babble my name when he comes. I like it when he babbles,” Arthur whispered, then started snoring.

Shit.

Maybe Arthur wasn’t as straight as Merlin thought.

------------------------

“Merlin, I need you to fluff my pillows,” Arthur bellowed.

Never mind that Merlin had been working non-stop since Arthur came back to the flat. At least Merlin’s hospital supervisor and uni understood that he’d have to cut back on his studies. Shutting down his laptop, Merlin poked his head into Arthur’s room. “I fluffed them ten minutes ago, you prat. You’re just bored, aren’t you?”

“I can’t even pee by myself.” Arthur lifted up both arms, scowling at the casts. “It’s humiliating.”

“Well, it’s not exactly a thrill a minute for me, either,” Merlin said. “Although if you’d stop making crude comments while I’m cleaning you up, it would be a help. I know what I’m doing. You know, nursing student and my mum was a nurse, too. Lots of practice.”

“Cleaning my cock and balls takes a delicate touch. You just dive in and grab them without a by-your-leave.” Arthur gestured down toward his groin, trying and failing to look horrified. Mostly he just looked like he thought Merlin was an idiot.

Merlin wasn’t having it. “I’m in a hurry. I have papers to write. I’m sure your cock and balls will survive a bit of man-handling.”

“The only man that should be handling my bits is me,” Arthur said, sounding all huffy, as if he were much maligned.

Trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it, Merlin said, “Well, once the cast is off, I’m sure your bits will be thrilled to have you tugging at them again.” With that, he turned to go. “Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”

“Keep me company,” Arthur whinged.

“God, you are such a prat.” Merlin rolled his eyes at him, then nodded toward the door. “Look, come out into the lounge. I will bring your fluffy pillow and we can watch something on the telly while I work, okay?”

Arthur seemed to perk up at that. “Make me hot chocolate?”

“Okay, okay. Just use the straw this time. Cleaning chocolate off the sofa was a nightmare.”  Merlin really needed to get a life. Cleaning up after a whiny prat and loving him anyway just was too ridiculous.

-------------------

They mostly watched Doctor Who, Merlin with half-an-eye on the telly and mostly watching Arthur enjoying himself. Merlin made penne pasta for dinner, something that Arthur could handle on his own if he was careful, then it was time for showers and bed.

That was always a problem. They had to wrap up Arthur’s casts so they wouldn’t get wet, and Merlin would crawl into the shower with Arthur. The first time Merlin had tried to help Arthur get clean, there was water everywhere and Merlin was soaked, too, so they agreed that they’d just take a shower together.

Huge, huge problem for Merlin. It was a struggle not to get turned on what with lathering up the man of his dreams, washing all that golden skin down with soap and a wet flannel. More than once, Merlin had to turn away and think about pustules or the A&E on a bad day to keep from embarrassing himself. It worked most of the time.

Then he had to dry Arthur off. Once he considered taking a hair dryer and blowing Arthur dry, but when he suggested it to Arthur, Arthur looked at him as if he’d lost the plot, then rolled his eyes and told him to get on with towelling him down.

At least, Merlin could hide his erection by draping a bath sheet over his own bits while rubbing Arthur dry. But although he was sure Arthur saw, he never said anything.

---------------------

Then, the following week, things got sticky. Literally.

It was nearing midnight. Merlin was working late-thankfully at home-on his latest research paper. He had been getting further and further behind at uni, and it hadn’t sat well with his professors.

Arthur had been morose and tetchy all day, and to Merlin’s relief, finally had gone to bed. Not really paying attention, it took a while before Merlin realised that Arthur was groaning.

Merlin was on instant alert. Rushing over to the door, a little worried about just barging in what with Arthur and privacy and all, but something could be wrong. Arthur could have tried something that damaged his broken arms, he could have fallen, he could be sick. A thousand things went through Merlin’s head and to hell with privacy.

Big mistake. Arthur was lying there, mostly naked, the bedsheet covering the lower half of his very large cock, his fingers brushing against the tip, and he was pulling on the sheet as if trying to get more friction across his skin. It was pretty damn clear that Arthur was… err… exploring his options.

Merlin stood there, watching, too startled to move. Also too aroused to walk away easily. Fuck, the man was gorgeous in the moonlight, his eyes closed in pleasure, his cock shifting as Arthur rotated his arse, his soft moan of desperation and desire.

Coming to his senses, Merlin turned to go, but Arthur murmured, soft and quiet as if talking to himself, “I need, fuck… fucking arms. Where is Merlin? Fuck, I need him. I want him so damn much.”

That stopped Merlin in his tracks. Arthur wanted Merlin? Was it possible that maybe Arthur wanted him as much as Merlin wanted him back?

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Not thinking much beyond desperate to see Arthur naked and aroused, Merlin crept in, then leaning over, whispered, “What do you need, Arthur?”

As Arthur’s eyes flew open and he started to blush-well more than he already was, Merlin glanced down at Arthur’s cock.
“Because I’d love to help you with that.”

Arthur jerked up the sheet, not easily as the fabric was sticking to Arthur’s wet cockhead, and his fingers were still clumsy. But he tried to pass it off as nothing. “Oh, shit, umm, Merlin, how much did you hear? I mean, obviously I wanted you to get me something. Water or maybe some crisps?”

Arthur often told him that he was a bit of a berk, but it was pretty clear than Arthur wasn’t talking about food.

Gazing down at the line of Arthur’s still hard cock, Arthur’s hands trying and failing to cover it, Merlin grinned. “Sure, I could get you crisps, or I could tug at your bollocks instead. You’ve whinged enough about it. Or since, according to you, I babble too much, I could bring you off with my mouth. He reached out, hovering his fingers over Arthur’s, feeling the heat there. “I’m offering you a chance to shut me up for once. Maybe twice.”

Looking like a bit of a fish out of water, Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again, staring up at Merlin. “Are you fucking with me?”

“I hope so,” Merlin said. “But it’s your choice. I can bring you crisps or make you shout my name as you come.” He leaned down, whispering into Arthur’s ear. “I hope it’s the latter.”

Merlin wasn’t sure that he’d gone too far, that he’d ruined a friendship, but finally Arthur just gestured toward his still hard cock. “Well, get on with it then. Don’t take all night.”

Merlin didn’t need to be told twice.

Searching first through Arthur’s bedtable, finding lube and condoms for later, then stripping quickly because if he was going to do this, Arthur wasn’t going to be the only one shouting, Merlin pulled the bedsheet off, and exposed Arthur in all his glory.

Motioning Arthur to budge over, Merlin sat down. Letting the silence between them grow, hoping to put Arthur off-guard, he smiled at the feast before him, then began to touch Arthur, not hard and rough but light touches along Arthur’s chest, scraping a nail over hard nipples and pebbled skin.

Arthur looked surprised, as if he had expected Merlin to give him a fast hand job and be done with it. “I’m not a girl, Merlin. Just get on with it.”

Grinning, Merlin said, “Eager, are we?”

When Arthur sputtered at that, Merlin leaned over, capturing Arthur’s mouth with his own, shutting him up. Thrusting his tongue into Arthur, exploring, teasing, testing just how far he could go, even as his hands were busy skimming across Arthur’s chest. Arthur started to surge up then, trying to chase Merlin’s touch, but Merlin pushed him down again. “Don’t move. You could hurt yourself.”

Another passionate kiss that left them both breathless. “I’ll make it good for you, but you have to be still. Can you?”

Arthur glared up at him and Merlin thought Arthur would tell him to fuck off, but then Arthur nodded.

With that, Merlin grinned, then moved Arthur’s broken arms over and above his head, pillowed them there, so that if things got energetic, Arthur would still be okay. As he let go, Merlin scraped at the softness of Arthur’s arms, trying to get a reaction out of him. Moving down, down to the joint between cock and hip, licking, biting, he sucked bruises into Arthur’s skin.

Arthur seemed to enjoy it from the noises he was making. But Merlin wasn’t about to give Arthur a quick release.

Teasing him, Merlin’s tongue following the lines of Arthur’s cock, tasting the desire there, then leaning back, he coated his fingers with lube, letting Arthur see just what he was doing.

Staring into Arthur’s eyes, challenging him, he swallowed down Arthur’s cock, letting the head brush against the back of his throat. His fingers were busy, too, circling Arthur’s entrance, following the ring of muscle before one finger dipped in and out again.

Arthur gave a little groan. Merlin pulled back, leaning up to give Arthur another hard kiss, letting him taste himself on Merlin’s tongue. All the while, his finger was pushing further inside, and Merlin’s other hand was busy, too, circling one of Arthur’s nipples, then the other, pinching them. A mixture of pleasure and pain.

Arthur started to say something, but Merlin surged up again, biting on Arthur’s lip, sucking and worrying at his mouth, pressing Arthur down with his free hand. When Merlin sat up, Arthur’s lips were puffy and sore and perfect. A quick lick across those red lips, and as Arthur lay there panting, Merlin went back to sucking on Arthur’s cock, trying to draw out bliss even as he plotted his next move.

He could feel Arthur swelling, but as he continued to lick and suck at Arthur’s cockhead, he reached over, pressing down in just the right spot to stave off climax.

“Shit, Merlin… I…,” Arthur groaned but Merlin smiled.

“I’m not done with you yet, clotpole.” With that, Merlin’s finger pushed in further, searching for that wondrous spot inside Arthur, and when he found it, Arthur was already cursing him.

It was perfect, Arthur was perfect, and Merlin wanted to sink into him and never come out again.

But that wasn’t his plan. Not this time.

Instead, Merlin finger-fucked Arthur for a while, watching him moaning, listening to Arthur begging him to just finish him already. But Merlin was eager to make it last, sucking at Arthur’s cock, applying just the right pressure to keep him on the edge but no further, even while he was thrusting more fingers inside.

Under Merlin’s tongue, he could feel Arthur growing impossibly hard, on the knife-edge of bliss.

Arthur moaned again. “Merlin, I’m… I can’t… hold off. I’m going to come.”

Instead of sucking harder, instead of using his tongue and throat to push Arthur over into ecstasy, Merlin let go, removing his fingers, too. Letting Arthur hang there with a wet cock and sex-hazed eyes.

When Arthur shouted at Merlin to finish him off, Merlin merely smiled and shook his head. Then coating his fingers with more lube, instead of shoving them back into Arthur, he began to breach his own hole, quick and sharp, enjoying the too-fast stretch of it.

Arthur stared at him, open-mouthed, clearly realising that it wasn’t going the way Arthur thought. Moving his broken arms forward as if to grab Merlin-he had been so good up until then, Arthur cursed at him, yelling at him for making him wait.

But Merlin grabbed both arms, gentle but firm, and pushed them back into the pillows, scowling at him. “Keep them there. I promise you we are almost done. Unless you want me to stop?”

The glare Arthur sent him should have burnt Merlin to a crisp. “I want you to… fuck, just fucking finish, you arse,” Arthur rasped out.

Shaking out a condom, wiggling it in front of Arthur’s face, enjoying the fury there, Merlin smiled, a rather lascivious one, as he slid the condom over Arthur’s cock. Straddling him then, sinking down until Merlin’s arse could feel the roughness of hair on Arthur’s groin. Enjoying the too rapid burn, Merlin began to move.

He wasn’t fast. He was enjoying the fullness, of Arthur’s cock hitting his own nub deep inside, of pushing up and dropping down, each time sending spikes of pleasure sizzling through his spine and back down again into his cock.

There was white heat growing inside Merlin’s chest, movement and dazzling pressure, the music of Arthur’s heavy groans and the wonder in Arthur’s eyes as Merlin’s own rapture built and built and built.

Under him, Arthur came with a shout, calling out Merlin’s name as his body grew rigid with ecstasy. It seemed to last forever, that sound of pleasure and pain, until Arthur sunk down into the bed and lay there, breathless, looking at Merlin as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

But Merlin was still hard, was still on the cliff, waiting to fall into bliss. And with Arthur helpless beneath him, a prisoner of broken arms and the heaviness of Merlin straddling him, Merlin took himself in hand and started thrusting into his lubed fingers, all the while watching Arthur watch him. It was brilliant and exciting and so breathtakingly glorious that Merlin’s chest seemed to burst with it.

It was Arthur’s voice that did it, though, whispering Merlin’s name. He couldn’t help but fall then, the ache of it filling him with light and joy and dazzling intensity.

When Merlin was himself again, he looked down to see Arthur brushing his fingertips against Merlin’s legs, playing with the hair there. Smiling up at Merlin, Arthur looked a bit of a prat, satisfied, triumphant, possessive.

There was a puddle of come across Arthur’s skin, Merlin’s desire made manifest.

Nodding toward the mess, Arthur’s smile turned lascivious. “Next time, just blow me, then fuck me. Same result, but less clean-up after.”

Merlin rolled his eyes, thinking about how ridiculous it all was, that the flatmate he’d loved for ages was ready to do it all over again but was still complaining about clean-up. Typical.

And brilliant, too. Merlin had been worried that Arthur would ignore the whole thing or pass it off as nothing. Now, the prat was planning on more, and Merlin was absolutely fine with that.

Still straddling Arthur, Merlin reached around and pulled off Arthur’s used condom, deftly tying it, and then jiggling it, still gleaming with lube, in Arthur’s face.

Arthur’s scowl was brilliant. He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon and didn’t know where to spit it out.

“What? You think I’d want to keep it? Or better yet, swallow your ehm… discharge?” Merlin snickered, as he threw the used condom in the trash.

Huffing annoyance, Arthur lifted one eyebrow and said, “You should pay me for the privilege. After all, it’s rich in protein and I do keep myself fit. Better than the finest dishes at the Ritz.” Then when Merlin scowled at him, he started laughing. “You should see your face.”

Still straddling Arthur’s hips, Merlin leaned over, scooping up a bit of drying come onto his fingers, and waving it in front of Arthur. “Protein, huh. Ready for a midnight snack?”

“Don’t you even think it,” Arthur snapped.

Smiling, Merlin popped the bitterness into his own mouth, licking off his fingers, then leaned down and capturing Arthur’s face with his hands, gave him a thorough kiss. Sharing the goodness, as it were.

For a second, there was a struggle, Arthur’s fingertips scrapping at Merlin’s skin-wherever he could reach considering the casts, but then he relaxed into it, giving back as good as he got.

When Merlin was done, they were both panting as if they’d run a race.

“Not bad,” Arthur murmured. “But I think you need practice. Lots and lots of practice.”

“And are you offering to help me out with this… practice?” Merlin wagged his eyebrows a bit for effect.

“It’s the least I could do.” Arthur grinned. “You never know when you need to shag someone with two broken arms. And I’m willing to sacrifice myself for the cause.”

With that, Merlin got up, making sure not to jostle Arthur’s injuries. He reached down, scooping up his t-shirt, then wiping away the rest of his come, and throwing the shirt on the floor. “You are ridiculous, you know.”

“But you love me anyway,” Arthur said, then stopped abruptly, realising what he’d said. “Umm….”

Merlin blinked down at him for a second, his mind going through so many wild scenarios that he couldn’t really think how to make a joke of it, to brush Arthur’s words aside. Instead, he realised that this was perhaps the only time to tell the truth about how he felt, that Arthur might not reject him out of hand for it. Even if they remained only just friends, even if Arthur didn’t love him back, at least Merlin was going to be honest for once.

Merlin leaned over and gave Arthur another quick kiss. “Yeah, anyway.”

Arthur’s grin was the biggest Merlin had ever seen. “Yeah, me, too.” Then he nodded down toward his cock, already half-hard with eagerness. “Ready for more practice?”

“Always,” Merlin said, reaching into Arthur’s night table and pulling out a string of condoms. And smiled. “Always.”

The end.

Prompts used: 1) "Not again! It was supposed to be my evening off..." and 2) Arthur breaks both of his arms in an accident. Merlin is his best friend and flatmate and because his mother is a nurse and he learned a lot from her, he helps Arthur in his day-to-day life. Including bathing. And of course, physical reactions and feelings happen. 3) picture prompt (safe for work): 2 guys in bed cuddling https://gayeverday.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/tumblr_m5orinourn1rsziamo1_500.jpg

*c:archaeologist_d, rating:nc-17, c:merlin, !holiday exchange fest 2021, type:drabble, p:arthur/merlin, c:arthur

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