Clouds and Silverlinings (Chapter 16)
Author: ext_4137531
Title: Clouds and Silverlinings (Chapter 16)
Rating: Mature (some previous chapters are NC-17/R)
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur Pendragon, Morgana, Uther Pendragon
Summary: (Continuation of my Victorian AU WIP) Merlin and Arthur’s Clandestine meetings get a little bolder as Uther voices his approval of their blossoming “friendship”.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1354
Prompt: #494 - Protest
Author's Notes: Sorry it’s so over, I couldn’t bear to cut anything!
You can find the previous parts of this story on AO3 here.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15
Merlin and Arthur’s quiet relationship started to blossom, and whilst it did not have the whip neck pace of their first attempt; it lacked none of the passion. Initially they had clandestine meetings in abandoned rooms in the house with Arthur firmly locking the door behind them, as they kissed and kissed as if their lives depended on it. Each mapping out the other's mouth as though exploring new territory.
One morning, Arthur watched Merlin walking down the hallway, probably intending to catch that maid Arthur had seen him talking to. He’d seen them before. Sometimes they’d chat for a while, laughing or Merlin would give her small sketches torn out of one of his sketchbooks. Jealousy burned in his gut whilst his mind whispered; One day, Merlin will leave you. One day he’ll marry a girl like that. He’s not a freak like you. He won’t stay with you forever.
He shivered, pushing away the ghost of Merlin with a wife and children. Morgana was right, if these were the only moments they could have, then selfishly, Arthur would seize them with both hands.
As Merlin approached, Arthur reached out. He grasped him by the collar, pulling him into the room.
For a moment, it appeared as though he was going to yell and give them away, until a look of recognition flooded his face and he smiled in the darkness. Arthur stared at him for a moment, jealousy still simmering for something that hadn’t even happened. Roughly, he hauled Merlin in by the lapels and Merlin made a startled noise as Arthur captured his lips with his own.
He kissed him fiercely, sucking Merlin’s lower into his mouth and biting at it as he ran his fingers up the long, lean tendons of his neck until he was cupping Merlin’s jaw with his hands. He pulled him closer still as he possessively pushed his tongue into his mouth.
Merlin groaned, his arms finding their way around Arthur’s waist, another cradling his back.
Shoving Merlin up against the wall, Arthur wanted to press into him until he was imprinted on Merlin’s soul, so that anyone who saw him would know that Merlin was his.
None of their other kisses had been like this. Normally they were slow, leisurely affairs where they eked out every moment of pleasure, making kissing almost an artform.
But this time Arthur was determined to make sure Merlin was his. He pinned Merlin against the wall, groaning at the feel of Merlin’s hardness against his thigh, mirroring his own state of arousal. They still hadn’t moved beyond kissing yet-apart from their first time-Arthur had told himself they wouldn’t rush things. But now that he’d let himself have a taste of Merlin, a taste of what things could be like; with possessively coiling tightly in his chest, he wanted more.
He slid his hands down Merlin’s sides, until he reached the waistband of his trousers and dipped his fingers underneath, they brushed against Merlin’s skin, which felt warm to his touch. Merlin hissed at the contact. Arthur’s hand quested further, his fingers teasing at the top of Merlin’s arse, ready to cup it when the morning gong for breakfast rang through the house.
Arthur growled with frustration, sharing a quick flurry of kisses with Merlin as he withdrew his hands and they both did their best to make sure they were presentable.
“That damn gong,” grumbled Arthur.
He swore when this house was his that would be the first thing to go.
***
As Arthur grew bolder and more open about their relationship, he and Merlin started spending more time together without the buffer of Morgana. Uther seemed pleased, and probably with some prodding from Morgana, noted at breakfast how much happier Arthur seemed now he had the company of a friend at the house.
“Perhaps we should invite Merlin to stay here permanently,” he joked.
Arthur almost choked on his breakfast. Little did Uther know, if Arthur had his way, he’d keep Merlin with him forever.
“I agree,” proclaimed Morgana. “Merlin’s presence suits you, Arthur. We should extend his stay, Father. Perhaps Merlin could paint your portrait. Then Arthur’s.”
“That’s a splendid idea,” agreed Uther. “Merlin?”
Merlin looked back and forth between the three Pendragons. “Oh, I- Um, I couldn’t possibly- I mean…”
He looked helplessly at Arthur.
“Nonsense. I insist. You shall be our family artist,” said Uther.
After breakfast, Merlin and Arthur escaped to the garden where spring was in full swing. The flowerbeds a riot of flowers and all the trees in bloom.
Arthur smiled as they strolled along a path together, taking in the morning air and wondering if life could possibly be more perfect.
They meandered through the grounds until they reached a summer house, tucked away from peeping eyes. They paused there and Merlin looked knowingly at Arthur. Slowly he walked him back into the summer house until Arthur’s back hit the masonry.
He pressed a soft tentative kiss to Arthur’s lips and smiled as he pressed their foreheads together.
“So this is good, right?”
“Hmm?”
“That your father wants me to stay longer.”
“Of course.”
“You’re not mad then?”
“No. If I had my way, you’d stay here forever.”
“Really now?” Merlin teased. “You’d have me as your kept man, hmm?”
“Well,” said Arthur. “You’d have to earn your keep.”
Merlin laughed. “Would I now? Well, I suppose I should start as we mean to go on.”
His hands went to the buttons on Arthur’s trousers and Arthur sucked in a breath, his cock twitching with interest as Merlin’s fingers made nimble work of them. His hand was warm as it slid against Arthur’s abdomen and inside his trousers. He cupped Arthur’s cock through the thin material and with his other hand, Merlin started undoing the buttons of Arthur’s underwear too.
Arthur kissed him impulsively, his heart thundering in his chest at being so brazen.
Merlin dropped onto his knees in front of him and he looked up, smiling seductively. Arthur bit back a moan at the sight.
His fingers tucked into Arthur’s underwear as he drew it down and Arthur’s cock bobbed free, springing to attention.
“Merlin,” Arthur protested, placing his hand on Merlin’s head as his eyes darted around. “I don’t think that this is such a-”
Arthur lost all train of thought as Merlin’s tongue, warm and wet, licked a strip from the base to the tip of his cock.
He bit off a moan as Merlin did it again, wrapping his hand around the base as he liked his lips. He looked up again as he licked at the head of Arthur’s cock, red and weeping, and then he opened his mouth, staring at Arthur as he wrapped his plush, soft lips around him. He sucked tentatively before he started to move his mouth up and down together with his hand that worked Arthur’s length at the base.
“Merlin-” Arthur tried again. He should stop this. He should tell him no. It was too dangerous. “Merlin, we-”
Merlin paused, glancing up again and Arthur found himself biting his fist, as he buried his hand in Merlin’s hair.
“Fuck…” he gasped. “Fuck, Merlin. That’s so-”
Merlin pulled off and grinned.
“Good?” he asked. “Do you want me to stop?”
Arthur groaned, covering his face with his hand. “We should… Merlin… if anything happened to you because of me…”
“I’m not afraid, Arthur. I want this. Let me.”
“Okay,” Arthur decided. “Okay, yes.”
Merlin beamed and licked the length of him again. He started working with a fervour, his enthusiasm compensating for his lack of technique.
“Ah,” Arthur muttered. “Shit, I’m-”
He closed his eyes, his hand tightening in Merlin’s hair as his body tensed.
Merlin moaned around him, sending Arthur spiralling over the edge as he throbbed out his release.
He slumped back against the wall, panting and trying to regain his senses as he huffed out a laugh. And then he hauled Merlin to his feet, kissing him and shoving his hand unceremoniously into his trousers, working his hand until Merlin too had reached completion.
Title: Clouds and Silverlinings (Chapter 16)
Rating: Mature (some previous chapters are NC-17/R)
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur Pendragon, Morgana, Uther Pendragon
Summary: (Continuation of my Victorian AU WIP) Merlin and Arthur’s Clandestine meetings get a little bolder as Uther voices his approval of their blossoming “friendship”.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1354
Prompt: #494 - Protest
Author's Notes: Sorry it’s so over, I couldn’t bear to cut anything!
You can find the previous parts of this story on AO3 here.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15
Merlin and Arthur’s quiet relationship started to blossom, and whilst it did not have the whip neck pace of their first attempt; it lacked none of the passion. Initially they had clandestine meetings in abandoned rooms in the house with Arthur firmly locking the door behind them, as they kissed and kissed as if their lives depended on it. Each mapping out the other's mouth as though exploring new territory.
One morning, Arthur watched Merlin walking down the hallway, probably intending to catch that maid Arthur had seen him talking to. He’d seen them before. Sometimes they’d chat for a while, laughing or Merlin would give her small sketches torn out of one of his sketchbooks. Jealousy burned in his gut whilst his mind whispered; One day, Merlin will leave you. One day he’ll marry a girl like that. He’s not a freak like you. He won’t stay with you forever.
He shivered, pushing away the ghost of Merlin with a wife and children. Morgana was right, if these were the only moments they could have, then selfishly, Arthur would seize them with both hands.
As Merlin approached, Arthur reached out. He grasped him by the collar, pulling him into the room.
For a moment, it appeared as though he was going to yell and give them away, until a look of recognition flooded his face and he smiled in the darkness. Arthur stared at him for a moment, jealousy still simmering for something that hadn’t even happened. Roughly, he hauled Merlin in by the lapels and Merlin made a startled noise as Arthur captured his lips with his own.
He kissed him fiercely, sucking Merlin’s lower into his mouth and biting at it as he ran his fingers up the long, lean tendons of his neck until he was cupping Merlin’s jaw with his hands. He pulled him closer still as he possessively pushed his tongue into his mouth.
Merlin groaned, his arms finding their way around Arthur’s waist, another cradling his back.
Shoving Merlin up against the wall, Arthur wanted to press into him until he was imprinted on Merlin’s soul, so that anyone who saw him would know that Merlin was his.
None of their other kisses had been like this. Normally they were slow, leisurely affairs where they eked out every moment of pleasure, making kissing almost an artform.
But this time Arthur was determined to make sure Merlin was his. He pinned Merlin against the wall, groaning at the feel of Merlin’s hardness against his thigh, mirroring his own state of arousal. They still hadn’t moved beyond kissing yet-apart from their first time-Arthur had told himself they wouldn’t rush things. But now that he’d let himself have a taste of Merlin, a taste of what things could be like; with possessively coiling tightly in his chest, he wanted more.
He slid his hands down Merlin’s sides, until he reached the waistband of his trousers and dipped his fingers underneath, they brushed against Merlin’s skin, which felt warm to his touch. Merlin hissed at the contact. Arthur’s hand quested further, his fingers teasing at the top of Merlin’s arse, ready to cup it when the morning gong for breakfast rang through the house.
Arthur growled with frustration, sharing a quick flurry of kisses with Merlin as he withdrew his hands and they both did their best to make sure they were presentable.
“That damn gong,” grumbled Arthur.
He swore when this house was his that would be the first thing to go.
***
As Arthur grew bolder and more open about their relationship, he and Merlin started spending more time together without the buffer of Morgana. Uther seemed pleased, and probably with some prodding from Morgana, noted at breakfast how much happier Arthur seemed now he had the company of a friend at the house.
“Perhaps we should invite Merlin to stay here permanently,” he joked.
Arthur almost choked on his breakfast. Little did Uther know, if Arthur had his way, he’d keep Merlin with him forever.
“I agree,” proclaimed Morgana. “Merlin’s presence suits you, Arthur. We should extend his stay, Father. Perhaps Merlin could paint your portrait. Then Arthur’s.”
“That’s a splendid idea,” agreed Uther. “Merlin?”
Merlin looked back and forth between the three Pendragons. “Oh, I- Um, I couldn’t possibly- I mean…”
He looked helplessly at Arthur.
“Nonsense. I insist. You shall be our family artist,” said Uther.
After breakfast, Merlin and Arthur escaped to the garden where spring was in full swing. The flowerbeds a riot of flowers and all the trees in bloom.
Arthur smiled as they strolled along a path together, taking in the morning air and wondering if life could possibly be more perfect.
They meandered through the grounds until they reached a summer house, tucked away from peeping eyes. They paused there and Merlin looked knowingly at Arthur. Slowly he walked him back into the summer house until Arthur’s back hit the masonry.
He pressed a soft tentative kiss to Arthur’s lips and smiled as he pressed their foreheads together.
“So this is good, right?”
“Hmm?”
“That your father wants me to stay longer.”
“Of course.”
“You’re not mad then?”
“No. If I had my way, you’d stay here forever.”
“Really now?” Merlin teased. “You’d have me as your kept man, hmm?”
“Well,” said Arthur. “You’d have to earn your keep.”
Merlin laughed. “Would I now? Well, I suppose I should start as we mean to go on.”
His hands went to the buttons on Arthur’s trousers and Arthur sucked in a breath, his cock twitching with interest as Merlin’s fingers made nimble work of them. His hand was warm as it slid against Arthur’s abdomen and inside his trousers. He cupped Arthur’s cock through the thin material and with his other hand, Merlin started undoing the buttons of Arthur’s underwear too.
Arthur kissed him impulsively, his heart thundering in his chest at being so brazen.
Merlin dropped onto his knees in front of him and he looked up, smiling seductively. Arthur bit back a moan at the sight.
His fingers tucked into Arthur’s underwear as he drew it down and Arthur’s cock bobbed free, springing to attention.
“Merlin,” Arthur protested, placing his hand on Merlin’s head as his eyes darted around. “I don’t think that this is such a-”
Arthur lost all train of thought as Merlin’s tongue, warm and wet, licked a strip from the base to the tip of his cock.
He bit off a moan as Merlin did it again, wrapping his hand around the base as he liked his lips. He looked up again as he licked at the head of Arthur’s cock, red and weeping, and then he opened his mouth, staring at Arthur as he wrapped his plush, soft lips around him. He sucked tentatively before he started to move his mouth up and down together with his hand that worked Arthur’s length at the base.
“Merlin-” Arthur tried again. He should stop this. He should tell him no. It was too dangerous. “Merlin, we-”
Merlin paused, glancing up again and Arthur found himself biting his fist, as he buried his hand in Merlin’s hair.
“Fuck…” he gasped. “Fuck, Merlin. That’s so-”
Merlin pulled off and grinned.
“Good?” he asked. “Do you want me to stop?”
Arthur groaned, covering his face with his hand. “We should… Merlin… if anything happened to you because of me…”
“I’m not afraid, Arthur. I want this. Let me.”
“Okay,” Arthur decided. “Okay, yes.”
Merlin beamed and licked the length of him again. He started working with a fervour, his enthusiasm compensating for his lack of technique.
“Ah,” Arthur muttered. “Shit, I’m-”
He closed his eyes, his hand tightening in Merlin’s hair as his body tensed.
Merlin moaned around him, sending Arthur spiralling over the edge as he throbbed out his release.
He slumped back against the wall, panting and trying to regain his senses as he huffed out a laugh. And then he hauled Merlin to his feet, kissing him and shoving his hand unceremoniously into his trousers, working his hand until Merlin too had reached completion.