[Fic] These Boots Were Made For... - for faeryqueen07
Title: These Boots Were Made For...
Author/Artist: Anonymous
Recipient: faeryqueen07
Rating: Oh so very NC-17
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Morgana, little bit of Gwaine/Leon
Word Count: 4,700
Summary: Modern AU. When Merlin looses a bet to Morgana, she gets to decide what he wears to the office Christmas party. Funny. Arthur never even thought the sight of Merlin dressed as Mrs. Claus would do anything for him, but you learn something new every day.
Warning(s): Little bit of cross dressing and a teeny bit of shoe fetish-ism. Also, rimming.
Notes: n/a
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction - none of this ever happened. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
"Oh, you are evil," Arthur said as he looked from the outfit in Morgana's hands to the unholy glint in her eyes. "One hundred percent, pure evil."
"Thanks," she beamed, strangely complimented by Arthur's complete faith in her lack of morals. "I had Gwen get his measurements so it would fit just right. And ok, it did involve me holding him down while she did it, but I swear, by the end, he was beginning to like it. Don't worry," she said, seeing Arthur's dismayed face. "It'll be worth it in the end. It won't be hanging off him like a rag, for one thing."
"Yes, because that would be the detail that would make this whole thing ridiculous," Arthur sighed, pushing himself from the wall where he was leaning, arms crossed. He pitied his boyfriend, but honestly, if he was going to bet against Arthur's sister… He took the hanger from Morgana's outstretched hands, tracing his fingers over the delicate white fur trim that contrasted sharply with the deep red velvet of the… dress.
It was a dress. Short and girly, and no matter which way Arthur looked at it, it remained a dress.
"Dad's going to have a fit," he warned, handing the hanger back.
"I know," Morgana said gleefully. She even bounced on her heels a little. "Nothing like a little cross-dressing to liven up the ‘Official Camelot Corp. Office Christmas Party'." Arthur could hear the capitals as she spoke, and wanted to scold her, but he had to admit, the whole thing was pretty pretentious. "Especially when the cross-dresser is the significant other of the Vice Chairman," Morgana continued, smirking evilly.
"Oh God, I hate you," Arthur groaned, burying his face in his hands.
This had the makings of a disaster. Uther had just begun to accept Arthur's sexuality; he'd given up on trying to ‘straighten him out' around the time he and Merlin hit their third anniversary, but he was still a long way from accepting Arthur's working class boyfriend. He was just glad Merlin was a pharmacist, and therefore not employed by Camelot Corp. His father would have done his best to fire him after this stunt, Arthur was sure.
Not for the first time, Arthur wanted to throttle both Merlin and Morgana for putting him in this position.
"I know. Poor baby," Morgana mocked. "Now run along. I've got to finish up here and then get ready for the party. We'll be at yours at seven to help Merlin get ready."
"I'm pretty sure Merlin can put on a dress without your help," Arthur argued.
"Oh Arthur," Morgana said pitiably as she ushered him towards the door, ‘it's not just the dress. It's the accessories" With that, she closed the door behind him, and Arthur shuddered in fear before beating a hasty retreat to his office before Morgana got any ideas about matching their outfits.
*****
When asked later, Merlin would swear blind that he didn't shriek like a girl when Morgana presented him with his outfit for the party. Arthur, however, knew he was a dirty liar, and intended to tell everyone how his ears were still ringing from the shout that he was sure had reached decibels that only dogs could hear. Morgana had shown up over half an hour ago, Gwen in tow, seemingly innocent grins on their faces, garment bags in hand. Merlin had paled at the sight and had audibly gulped as they herded him into their bedroom and shut the door.
Arthur was sitting in the living room, alternating between checking his work email and shooting anxious glances down the hall to where muffled voices were speaking behind the closed door. He was just waiting for the moment that someone pushed either Merlin or Morgana too far, and there would be tears, or bloodshed. Possibly both.
At one point, Arthur heard Merlin shout ‘You are not shaving my legs!' and half rose from the sofa to go help him, until he heard a muffled thump and remembered that Morgana was in there with a blade in her hand, and wisely re-thought his decision. He wasn't scared of her. No. He was just… wary. He'd been on the receiving end of a stiletto heel in the toe one to many times not to be. He loved his half-sister, but when she thought she was right, it was best stay out of her way.
He checked his watched and saw there was just over an hour to go until the party. He shut down his laptop and grabbed his own garment bag from where it was hanging in the closet in the hallway, and took it into the spare room to get ready. As he passed their bedroom door, he paused, but could only hear the sound of running water. Good. At least no one was weeping yet.
And by no one, he meant Merlin.
He'd just finished dressing for the party, his new grey Armani suit looking sharp against his favourite black shirt, and was running some gel through his hair in the bathroom when he heard Morgana calling him from the living room.
"Arthur? Where are you?"
"Coming," he called back, tousling his hair one last time and nodding in satisfaction. He padded back down the hallway to the living room to where Gwen and Morgana were waiting. At first they didn't notice him. They were standing in front of the fire, speaking in low tones. Morgana's eyes were sparkling with happiness, and Gwen's cheeks had a delicate rosy hue, brightening her already cheerful face.
They looked so happy together, and Arthur suddenly found himself glad of the stupid bet Merlin had made with Morgana, and was even happier that Merlin had lost. It had been just the push she needed to finally admit how she felt.
Morgana gave a low whistle when she saw him.
"Looking sharp, little brother," she sing songed, and Arthur gave her the finger, making Gwen laugh. He hadn't had the chance to greet her properly when they arrived as they'd gone straight to torturing Merlin.
"Hello, Guinevere," he said, crossing the room to kiss her on the cheek. "You look beautiful." And she did. The floor length dress was a rich shade of copper that turned brown and gold when she moved. Her hair was piled up on top of her head, and messy, purposeful tendrils of curls spilled from their place and down onto her shoulders.
"Thank you, Arthur," she smiled. "You're looking very well yourself."
"What about me?" Morgana mock-pouted after a long moment. Arthur rolled his eyes and grinned, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.
"You look gorgeous, as always, Morgana." It was true, after all. Her emerald green dress contrasted beautifully with the paleness of her skin and her dark hair. The two women looked like they had stepped out of the pages of one of the fashion magazines he'd seen lying around Morgana's flat, but it was the aura of happiness around them both that made them really glow. "Stop fishing for compliments."
They all laughed, and Morgana reached up to straighten the open neck of Arthur's shirt.
"We're finished with Merlin," she said excitedly.
"So I gathered," he replied dryly. "Where is he?"
Gwen drowned out Morgana's reply of ‘still cowering in terror' with a more diplomatic "He's still in the bathroom. We took they key so he can't lock himself in. He looks… Well. Go see for yourself."
"Because that's not worrying in the least," Arthur said, glancing towards the door of their bedroom.
"You'll be fine." Morgana placating-ly patted his cheek. "We will see you at the party, whenever you manage to pry Merlin out of the apartment."
Arthur waved distractedly as they let themselves out and walked down the short hallway to the bedroom. The normally tidy room was a bit of a mess; Merlin's clothes were scattered all over the bed and the empty garment bag and store bag were thrown haphazardly onto the chair. A damp towel was draped carefully on the radiator (thank you Gwen) and was that makeup on the dresser?
Merlin was no where to be seen, probably, as Morgana so charmingly put it, cowering in terror in he adjoining bathroom. He strode to the door, ignoring the mess through sheer act of will, and knocked on the polished wood.
"Merlin?"
"Oh God, go away!" Merlin pleaded from behind the door, and Arthur smiled at his dramatic tone.
"I told you not to make that bet with Morgana," he said smugly, leaning a shoulder against the cool door.
"I was drunk!" Merlin protested. "I was drunk and she was telling me, for the fiftieth time, that I was dressing like a hobo."
"Still, you should have been more specific," Arthur told him. "You shouldn't have just said ‘if you tell her, I'll wear whatever you want me to at the Christmas party', then go and insult her fashion sense in the next breath. It was just asking for trouble."
"To be fair, I didn't think she would actually tell Gwen how she felt. How was I supposed to know she'd grow the metaphorical balls to ask her out?"
"I think all she needed was the push," Arthur said softly. "They look really happy together."
"They do, don't they?" Arthur could hear the smile in Merlin's voice. "Even when they were threatening me with razors and eyelash curlers, I could see that. So technically, I did them a favour. I should be wearing Ralph Lauren, not dressed like a Christmas elf."
"Well, it is the season, or so you've been telling me for the past two months. Come on, Merlin. This is ridiculous. I'm coming in," he said, reaching for the door handle.
"No!" Merlin yelped, and Arthur resisted the urge to bang his head against the wood. He heard Merlin sigh through the barrier.
"I have to come out at some point, don't I?"
"You do," Arthur confirmed.
"Morgana will come back here and drag me by the ear if we don't show up of our own volition, won't she?" he sighed again.
"She will," Arthur confirmed. "Come on Merlin, it won't be that bad. I'm sure you look… pretty? Morgana's evil, but she won't make you look like a complete idiot."
"I'll do that by myself, won't I?"
"That you will," Arthur grinned.
"Alright, I'm coming out."
"Good."
Arthur backed away from the door, sorting through the dresser for his favourite cufflinks and after a moment, he heard the door open behind him. He turned, hands at his cuffs, and froze.
Merlin was nothing short of a vision as he stood in the doorway, framed by the brighter light from the bathroom. The dress that had looked soft on the hanger seemed to take on the texture of silk as it skimmed over Merlin's skin. The collar was just low enough to reveal the shadow and dip of his wonderful collarbones, but was high enough to cover his chest hair. His eyes were framed by dark kohl, and his already sooty eyelashes seemed elongated. A Santa hat as pinned at a jaunty angle to his dark hair that looked curlier than usual. The skirt of the dress came to the middle of Merlin's thigh, and a quick look confirmed that yes, Morgana had gotten her way and Merlin's legs had been shaved, and he was wearing tights.
Arthur took in all that in the blink of an eye, as the second he saw the boots, he was lost.
Merlin was wearing black, shiny leather boots. They had a low, pointed heel and a buckle on the ankle. They came to a stop just below his knee and Arthur felt a lurch of arousal low in his stomach at the sight of them. This had never been a thing for him, but seeing Merlin in that dress, with those boots…
He wanted.
"Don't laugh," Merlin warned, oblivious to Arthur's stunned silence. "I didn't want to do any of the make up or anything, but your sister is scary! I feared for my masculinity if I said no."
Under normal circumstances, Arthur would have followed that with a witty ‘What masculinity?', but as it was, he was too turned on to speak. It was the lack of sarcasm from Arthur that finally clued Merlin in.
"Arthur?"
"Hmm?" he replied distractedly, finishing with his cufflink and making his way towards his boyfriend.
"Arthur, I can't believe this! You're getting off on this." Merlin sounded torn between indignation and reluctant arousal, and Arthur reflected that they had been together too long when he could read such specific emotions in his voice, before he reached Merlin. His fingers took the same path they had before, tracing the sort white fur of the collar. Merlin was motionless beneath his hand, barely even breathing.
"Merlin," he said huskily and leaned in, taking his slack lips with his own. His hands drifted over the soft velvet and Merlin's own arms came up to clutch at his shoulders. He deepened the kiss, tracing Merlin's teeth with his tongue and Merlin groaned. Reluctantly, aware of the time, he pulled back.
"It's not my usual thing," he admitted, breathing heavily, "but God, Merlin. This really works for me."
"Really?" Merlin quirked an eyebrow and dropped one of his hands for a proper grope of Arthur's arse.
"Really"
"Well then," Merlin ghosted a kiss over Arthur's lips, "I think we may need to do something about that."
"Oh you do?" Arthur smiled.
"I do," Merlin nodded decisively. "After the party."
Arthur groaned as Merlin stepped back out of his arms. His boyfriend grinned cheekily at him and turned, a little unsteady on his heels, and sauntered out of the bedroom.
When the hell had the tables turned?
*****
Arthur stood in the ballroom of the hotel they'd rented for the Christmas party, glowering across the room at his boyfriend. Merlin had caused quite a scene when he arrived, shocked silence filling the room before the chuckles and laughter began. It seems Morgana had spread the word that Merlin had been at her not-so-tender mercies for the evening, so people were prepared for something much worse.
Merlin was a friendly person, too friendly sometimes, or so Arthur thought. He was now holding court, surrounded by a bevy of office girls and some of Arthur's co-workers as he regaled them with his tale of torture. His scowl deepened when he saw Gwaine, who had hardly left Merlin's side all night, laugh at something Merlin said and wrap an arm around Merlin's thin shoulders and hug him in sympathy.
"Oh Arthur, stop scowling," Morgana scolded as she passed, a champagne glass in her hand. "You'll get premature age lines." He scowled even harder, transferring the focus of his ire to his sister. It was her fault, after all.
"Morgana," he warned.
"Oh hush. You're acting like a jealous fool. Everyone knows that Merlin is crazy for you, though what you ever did to deserve such a nice, genuine guy, I'll never know."
"The same could be said about you, you know," Arthur retorted, hating that he seemed to regress to his childhood habit of taunting back when cornered by Morgana.
"As I was saying," Morgana spoke over him, "Merlin loves you. He's not going to run about with anyone else, especially not Gwaine."
Arthur flushed at being so easily read.
"Aside from the fact that Leon would rip Gwaine's heart right out of his chest if the even thought to look at another man, not that Gwaine would, because he's pathetically devoted to Leon, but even if he did, Merlin wouldn't take him up on it. You know this, Arthur. Stop being so stupid and go over there and spent time with your boyfriend." She slipped a Christmas card into the pocket of his jacket and gave him a little shove. "Go."
As much as he hated to admit it, Morgana was right. Merlin loved him, possibly as much as Arthur loved him and would never even look twice at anyone else. He was a sociable person, and was friends with most of the people around him. Arthur needed to get over his desire to lock Merlin in his room and do unspeakable things to him right now, get his head out of his arse and go spend time with his boyfriend.
His father glowered at him as he crossed the room to Merlin's side, but Arthur ignored him in favour of slipping an arm around Merlin's waist. He was sure to get yelled at tomorrow, but he would deal with that when the time came. Right now, he intended to spend the evening with his boyfriend. Merlin smiled over at him, resting his hand on Arthur's shoulder, pressing himself into Arthur side. He could feel the fabric of the skirt brushing against the trousers of his suit, and he forced himself not to look down at the expanse of thigh and the leather of the boot.
Later.
Merlin's hand slipped down his back and gave Arthur's arse another thorough fondle.
Maybe not too much later.
****
They left the party as soon as they were able to. Merlin had been a tease all night; discreetly groping at every opportunity, leaning into his personal space and not leaving his. As soon as they got into the back of the taxi, Merlin attached himself to Arthur's lips, trying to climb into his lap despite the seatbelt. The taxi driver huffed in irritation, but Arthur didn't care, choosing to run his hands down the smooth (so smooth) expanse of Merlin's silk covered thigh to the crevasse of his knee and the top of his boot. Merlin moaned and buried his hands in Arthur's hair, holding him steady and kissing the life out of him for the rest of the journey.
The taxi screeched to a sudden halt with a shouted ‘We're here!' and Arthur blindly reached into his wallet and handed the man a note. He was sure he over paid him by a good 20 quid, but he didn't care. He slammed the door of the taxi and followed Merlin to the glass door of their building, his eyes taking in his every move. Merlin, having spent several hours in the boots, had adjusted to the heel and was walking with the rolling, confident gait of someone who wore such shoes all the time. How he was doing so despite the several drink's he'd had at the party, Arthur didn't know. Usually he was as clumsy as the day was long, but for some reason, he was not only staying upright, he was working it.
Arthur followed him inside (Where the hell had he kept his keys?) and hurried towards the lift. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Merlin was on him, pushing him up against the wall, grinding himself into Arthur's thigh. Arthur went from aroused to rock hard in two seconds as he grabbed handfuls of Merlin's arse, hitching him higher against his thigh and attempting to devour him.
When the door opened at their floor, it took several seconds for the open doors to register with both of them. Arthur slammed his hand against the door to prevent it from closing, grabbing Merlin's hand with his other hand and dragging him down the hall to their apartment. As he fumbled with the key to the door, Merlin pressed up behind him, pressing his erection into Arthur's arse, which really didn't help matters. He finally got the door open, practically fell inside and took Merlin with him.
They stumbled to a stop just inside the door, their movements frantic as they took each other in. Merlin was a vision with his lips kiss bruised and his hair tousled, the Santa hat forgotten on the floor in the hallway. Arthur didn't know what Merlin saw when he looked at him, but whatever he did see softened his expression and he held out his hand to Arthur.
He stepped into Merlin's embrace, kissing him softly. His momentum pushed them both up against the closed door and Merlin hitched himself up, wrapping both legs around Arthur's waist, bringing him closer. Arthur braced his knees and pressed Merlin against the door, sharing the weight and leaning in to kiss him hungrily.
Merlin's skirt hitched up and Arthur ran his hands up Merlin's thighs as he ground his cock against his boyfriends. He froze and looked down to ascertain the fact that yes, Merlin was in fact wearing panties and, instead of tights as Arthur originally though, was in fact, wearing stockings, complete with lace frill. He groaned, burying his face in Merlin's neck, willing himself not to come there and then as he fought to bring himself back under control. He set him down as gently as he could in this state before pulling him down the hall and into their bedroom. Merlin raced ahead and bounced onto the bed, settling himself right in the middle, watching Arthur through lowered eyes.
He took his time undressing in front of Merlin, draping the suit jacket over the chair, sliding his shirt slowly off his body. Merlin's cock was now as hard as it had ever been, standing straight up from his thighs, bunching the material of the skirt up around his waist. The panties, (red panties, Arthur didn't think he'd be able to survive this) were riding low on his thighs, covering absolutely nothing.
When Arthur was finally naked, he crawled up the bed between Merlin's legs, brushing light kisses over the points of his toes, his knees, his cock and his chest as he made his way to his lips. Merlin was groaning beneath him, and whimpered when their naked cock's brushed together. Arthur pushed at the dress, pulling it up a wriggling Merlin's body to take it off. Merlin probably thought he was helping as he wriggled out of the dress, but he was just being really, really distracting and it took longer than it should have.
Finally, they were both mostly naked. Arthur leaned back and sat on his heels as he slowly peeled the panties down Merlin's long legs, past the boots and threw them over his shoulder. Merlin was running his hands over every inch of Arthur he could reach, and Arthur groaned, leaning into the touch. He fell onto all fours over Merlin, kissing him, deep and filthy. Merlin kissed him back, again wrapping his legs around Arthur's waist, and the touch of the cool leather against his sides sent shivers down Arthur's spine. He moaned into the kiss, clutching at Merlin's waist, almost dizzy with desire.
He pulled away, gasping, determined to make it last as long as possible. Merlin lay beneath him, looking thoroughly debauched, legs akimbo with the stockings and boots still on. Arthur reflected briefly that Morgana was right; he was one lucky bastard to have Merlin in his life and in his bed. Then he resolved to never, ever again think of Morgana while doing this to Merlin and ran his hands up his legs, from the heel of the pointed boot to his skinny hips. He urged him forward onto his stomach, shifting so Merlin could turn without kicking him in the face (With their luck, it was a distinct possibility.)
Merlin settled on his stomach, hugging a pillow close to his chest as Arthur kissed his way down Merlin's spine. He reached the curve of Merlin's arse and planted a kiss in the middle of each cheek, causing Merlin to squirm and laugh. He spread the cheeks with his hands and licked a single stripe over Merlin's hole, then blew lightly across the damp skin. Merlin cried out, clutching the pillow and squirming in his grasp. Arthur simply transferred his hands to Merlin's hips, holding him down as he licked broader and stronger stripes over and around Merlin's opening.
Without warning, he stabbed his tongue inside as far as it would go, and Merlin screamed his name, back bowing in pleasure. He began pumping his hips as much as he could in Arthur's grip, trying to fuck himself back onto Arthur's tongue. He managed to get one of his own hands beneath him and fisted himself in time with Arthur's strokes. Arthur managed to release one hand and pushed a single finger inside the loosening hole. It brushed over the little knot of nerves, and Merlin came, shooting all over the covers and his own hand. He sobbed his release, Arthur's name mixing with incomprehensible mumbles and swear words.
Arthur grabbed the base of his cock to keep himself from coming and rested his sweating forehead on the base of Merlin's spine. They both lay there panting for several long minutes before Arthur got the energy to push himself to his knees. He nudged Merlin over onto his back, and he went willingly, looking up into Arthur's eyes and spreading his legs invitingly.
"God, I love you," Arthur breathed and Merlin smiled up at him.
"I'm kind of fond of you too," he whispered as Arthur reached for the lube and wrapped his legs around his waist.
Within moments, Arthur was gone.
****
Arthur woke in a bundle of duvet and limbs as his phone rang in the pocket in the trousers of his suit across the room. Merlin groaned and buried his head further into his chest as Arthur blinked against the sunshine creeping in beneath the blinds. The sheets smelled of come and lube, and the patch he was lying in was decidedly damp, even after the night's sleep, but Arthur didn't care. He simple tightened his grip on Merlin and let the phone ring out, ignoring everything except the man in his arms. The rest could wait.
****
Arthur woke to the very pleasant sensation of Merlin's mouth on his cock, and by the time they had both finished, the sun was edging towards early afternoon. Arthur found that he didn't care in the slightest. Merlin was stretched out beside him looking very pleased with himself, and, considering how loudly Arthur had just screamed is name, it was entirely justified.
Eventually, nature, and duty called, and Arthur dragged himself out of the bed. On the way back from the bathroom, he dug into his trouser pocket for his phone. As he draped it on the chair, he caught sight of the white envelope sticking out of the jacket pocket. He pulled it out and tossed it in Merlin's direction as he checked his phone.
One missed call and three texts from his father. Wonderful.
"What's this?" Merlin asked, sitting up and picking up the envelope.
"Card from Morgana," Arthur explained as he put on a pair of boxers and settled against the headboard. He couldn't read a text from his father while naked. He just couldn't. "You can open it if you like."
He opened the first text from his father and had gotten as far as the second sentence written completely in capitals when Merlin's burst of laughter drew his attention.
"What?"
Merlin waved the card at him, still giggling to himself and looking entirely too devious. Arthur plucked the card from his hand. It was a nice card, generically seasonal but expensively made. Inside, Morgana had written her own greeting.
Dear Arthur and Merlin,
Merry Christmas! I hope you like your present. The Mrs. Claus outfit needs to go back to the shop, but the boots and stockings are all yours.
No need to thank me.
I'll be over later to pick up Merlin's outfit. (There better not be any suspicious stains on it that I need to explain away, or I will end you, Pendragon.)
Have fun!
Love Morgana, and Gwen.
Arthur laughed and collapsed back against a still giggling Merlin.
"So," Merlin managed between laughs, "those boots are ours to keep, are they?"
Arthur took one look at Merlin's open, happy features, threw the phone over his shoulder onto the carpet and tackled his boyfriend down onto the bed for round two of that morning.
And round three.
And round four.
Finis
Author/Artist: Anonymous
Recipient: faeryqueen07
Rating: Oh so very NC-17
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Morgana, little bit of Gwaine/Leon
Word Count: 4,700
Summary: Modern AU. When Merlin looses a bet to Morgana, she gets to decide what he wears to the office Christmas party. Funny. Arthur never even thought the sight of Merlin dressed as Mrs. Claus would do anything for him, but you learn something new every day.
Warning(s): Little bit of cross dressing and a teeny bit of shoe fetish-ism. Also, rimming.
Notes: n/a
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction - none of this ever happened. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
"Oh, you are evil," Arthur said as he looked from the outfit in Morgana's hands to the unholy glint in her eyes. "One hundred percent, pure evil."
"Thanks," she beamed, strangely complimented by Arthur's complete faith in her lack of morals. "I had Gwen get his measurements so it would fit just right. And ok, it did involve me holding him down while she did it, but I swear, by the end, he was beginning to like it. Don't worry," she said, seeing Arthur's dismayed face. "It'll be worth it in the end. It won't be hanging off him like a rag, for one thing."
"Yes, because that would be the detail that would make this whole thing ridiculous," Arthur sighed, pushing himself from the wall where he was leaning, arms crossed. He pitied his boyfriend, but honestly, if he was going to bet against Arthur's sister… He took the hanger from Morgana's outstretched hands, tracing his fingers over the delicate white fur trim that contrasted sharply with the deep red velvet of the… dress.
It was a dress. Short and girly, and no matter which way Arthur looked at it, it remained a dress.
"Dad's going to have a fit," he warned, handing the hanger back.
"I know," Morgana said gleefully. She even bounced on her heels a little. "Nothing like a little cross-dressing to liven up the ‘Official Camelot Corp. Office Christmas Party'." Arthur could hear the capitals as she spoke, and wanted to scold her, but he had to admit, the whole thing was pretty pretentious. "Especially when the cross-dresser is the significant other of the Vice Chairman," Morgana continued, smirking evilly.
"Oh God, I hate you," Arthur groaned, burying his face in his hands.
This had the makings of a disaster. Uther had just begun to accept Arthur's sexuality; he'd given up on trying to ‘straighten him out' around the time he and Merlin hit their third anniversary, but he was still a long way from accepting Arthur's working class boyfriend. He was just glad Merlin was a pharmacist, and therefore not employed by Camelot Corp. His father would have done his best to fire him after this stunt, Arthur was sure.
Not for the first time, Arthur wanted to throttle both Merlin and Morgana for putting him in this position.
"I know. Poor baby," Morgana mocked. "Now run along. I've got to finish up here and then get ready for the party. We'll be at yours at seven to help Merlin get ready."
"I'm pretty sure Merlin can put on a dress without your help," Arthur argued.
"Oh Arthur," Morgana said pitiably as she ushered him towards the door, ‘it's not just the dress. It's the accessories" With that, she closed the door behind him, and Arthur shuddered in fear before beating a hasty retreat to his office before Morgana got any ideas about matching their outfits.
*****
When asked later, Merlin would swear blind that he didn't shriek like a girl when Morgana presented him with his outfit for the party. Arthur, however, knew he was a dirty liar, and intended to tell everyone how his ears were still ringing from the shout that he was sure had reached decibels that only dogs could hear. Morgana had shown up over half an hour ago, Gwen in tow, seemingly innocent grins on their faces, garment bags in hand. Merlin had paled at the sight and had audibly gulped as they herded him into their bedroom and shut the door.
Arthur was sitting in the living room, alternating between checking his work email and shooting anxious glances down the hall to where muffled voices were speaking behind the closed door. He was just waiting for the moment that someone pushed either Merlin or Morgana too far, and there would be tears, or bloodshed. Possibly both.
At one point, Arthur heard Merlin shout ‘You are not shaving my legs!' and half rose from the sofa to go help him, until he heard a muffled thump and remembered that Morgana was in there with a blade in her hand, and wisely re-thought his decision. He wasn't scared of her. No. He was just… wary. He'd been on the receiving end of a stiletto heel in the toe one to many times not to be. He loved his half-sister, but when she thought she was right, it was best stay out of her way.
He checked his watched and saw there was just over an hour to go until the party. He shut down his laptop and grabbed his own garment bag from where it was hanging in the closet in the hallway, and took it into the spare room to get ready. As he passed their bedroom door, he paused, but could only hear the sound of running water. Good. At least no one was weeping yet.
And by no one, he meant Merlin.
He'd just finished dressing for the party, his new grey Armani suit looking sharp against his favourite black shirt, and was running some gel through his hair in the bathroom when he heard Morgana calling him from the living room.
"Arthur? Where are you?"
"Coming," he called back, tousling his hair one last time and nodding in satisfaction. He padded back down the hallway to the living room to where Gwen and Morgana were waiting. At first they didn't notice him. They were standing in front of the fire, speaking in low tones. Morgana's eyes were sparkling with happiness, and Gwen's cheeks had a delicate rosy hue, brightening her already cheerful face.
They looked so happy together, and Arthur suddenly found himself glad of the stupid bet Merlin had made with Morgana, and was even happier that Merlin had lost. It had been just the push she needed to finally admit how she felt.
Morgana gave a low whistle when she saw him.
"Looking sharp, little brother," she sing songed, and Arthur gave her the finger, making Gwen laugh. He hadn't had the chance to greet her properly when they arrived as they'd gone straight to torturing Merlin.
"Hello, Guinevere," he said, crossing the room to kiss her on the cheek. "You look beautiful." And she did. The floor length dress was a rich shade of copper that turned brown and gold when she moved. Her hair was piled up on top of her head, and messy, purposeful tendrils of curls spilled from their place and down onto her shoulders.
"Thank you, Arthur," she smiled. "You're looking very well yourself."
"What about me?" Morgana mock-pouted after a long moment. Arthur rolled his eyes and grinned, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.
"You look gorgeous, as always, Morgana." It was true, after all. Her emerald green dress contrasted beautifully with the paleness of her skin and her dark hair. The two women looked like they had stepped out of the pages of one of the fashion magazines he'd seen lying around Morgana's flat, but it was the aura of happiness around them both that made them really glow. "Stop fishing for compliments."
They all laughed, and Morgana reached up to straighten the open neck of Arthur's shirt.
"We're finished with Merlin," she said excitedly.
"So I gathered," he replied dryly. "Where is he?"
Gwen drowned out Morgana's reply of ‘still cowering in terror' with a more diplomatic "He's still in the bathroom. We took they key so he can't lock himself in. He looks… Well. Go see for yourself."
"Because that's not worrying in the least," Arthur said, glancing towards the door of their bedroom.
"You'll be fine." Morgana placating-ly patted his cheek. "We will see you at the party, whenever you manage to pry Merlin out of the apartment."
Arthur waved distractedly as they let themselves out and walked down the short hallway to the bedroom. The normally tidy room was a bit of a mess; Merlin's clothes were scattered all over the bed and the empty garment bag and store bag were thrown haphazardly onto the chair. A damp towel was draped carefully on the radiator (thank you Gwen) and was that makeup on the dresser?
Merlin was no where to be seen, probably, as Morgana so charmingly put it, cowering in terror in he adjoining bathroom. He strode to the door, ignoring the mess through sheer act of will, and knocked on the polished wood.
"Merlin?"
"Oh God, go away!" Merlin pleaded from behind the door, and Arthur smiled at his dramatic tone.
"I told you not to make that bet with Morgana," he said smugly, leaning a shoulder against the cool door.
"I was drunk!" Merlin protested. "I was drunk and she was telling me, for the fiftieth time, that I was dressing like a hobo."
"Still, you should have been more specific," Arthur told him. "You shouldn't have just said ‘if you tell her, I'll wear whatever you want me to at the Christmas party', then go and insult her fashion sense in the next breath. It was just asking for trouble."
"To be fair, I didn't think she would actually tell Gwen how she felt. How was I supposed to know she'd grow the metaphorical balls to ask her out?"
"I think all she needed was the push," Arthur said softly. "They look really happy together."
"They do, don't they?" Arthur could hear the smile in Merlin's voice. "Even when they were threatening me with razors and eyelash curlers, I could see that. So technically, I did them a favour. I should be wearing Ralph Lauren, not dressed like a Christmas elf."
"Well, it is the season, or so you've been telling me for the past two months. Come on, Merlin. This is ridiculous. I'm coming in," he said, reaching for the door handle.
"No!" Merlin yelped, and Arthur resisted the urge to bang his head against the wood. He heard Merlin sigh through the barrier.
"I have to come out at some point, don't I?"
"You do," Arthur confirmed.
"Morgana will come back here and drag me by the ear if we don't show up of our own volition, won't she?" he sighed again.
"She will," Arthur confirmed. "Come on Merlin, it won't be that bad. I'm sure you look… pretty? Morgana's evil, but she won't make you look like a complete idiot."
"I'll do that by myself, won't I?"
"That you will," Arthur grinned.
"Alright, I'm coming out."
"Good."
Arthur backed away from the door, sorting through the dresser for his favourite cufflinks and after a moment, he heard the door open behind him. He turned, hands at his cuffs, and froze.
Merlin was nothing short of a vision as he stood in the doorway, framed by the brighter light from the bathroom. The dress that had looked soft on the hanger seemed to take on the texture of silk as it skimmed over Merlin's skin. The collar was just low enough to reveal the shadow and dip of his wonderful collarbones, but was high enough to cover his chest hair. His eyes were framed by dark kohl, and his already sooty eyelashes seemed elongated. A Santa hat as pinned at a jaunty angle to his dark hair that looked curlier than usual. The skirt of the dress came to the middle of Merlin's thigh, and a quick look confirmed that yes, Morgana had gotten her way and Merlin's legs had been shaved, and he was wearing tights.
Arthur took in all that in the blink of an eye, as the second he saw the boots, he was lost.
Merlin was wearing black, shiny leather boots. They had a low, pointed heel and a buckle on the ankle. They came to a stop just below his knee and Arthur felt a lurch of arousal low in his stomach at the sight of them. This had never been a thing for him, but seeing Merlin in that dress, with those boots…
He wanted.
"Don't laugh," Merlin warned, oblivious to Arthur's stunned silence. "I didn't want to do any of the make up or anything, but your sister is scary! I feared for my masculinity if I said no."
Under normal circumstances, Arthur would have followed that with a witty ‘What masculinity?', but as it was, he was too turned on to speak. It was the lack of sarcasm from Arthur that finally clued Merlin in.
"Arthur?"
"Hmm?" he replied distractedly, finishing with his cufflink and making his way towards his boyfriend.
"Arthur, I can't believe this! You're getting off on this." Merlin sounded torn between indignation and reluctant arousal, and Arthur reflected that they had been together too long when he could read such specific emotions in his voice, before he reached Merlin. His fingers took the same path they had before, tracing the sort white fur of the collar. Merlin was motionless beneath his hand, barely even breathing.
"Merlin," he said huskily and leaned in, taking his slack lips with his own. His hands drifted over the soft velvet and Merlin's own arms came up to clutch at his shoulders. He deepened the kiss, tracing Merlin's teeth with his tongue and Merlin groaned. Reluctantly, aware of the time, he pulled back.
"It's not my usual thing," he admitted, breathing heavily, "but God, Merlin. This really works for me."
"Really?" Merlin quirked an eyebrow and dropped one of his hands for a proper grope of Arthur's arse.
"Really"
"Well then," Merlin ghosted a kiss over Arthur's lips, "I think we may need to do something about that."
"Oh you do?" Arthur smiled.
"I do," Merlin nodded decisively. "After the party."
Arthur groaned as Merlin stepped back out of his arms. His boyfriend grinned cheekily at him and turned, a little unsteady on his heels, and sauntered out of the bedroom.
When the hell had the tables turned?
*****
Arthur stood in the ballroom of the hotel they'd rented for the Christmas party, glowering across the room at his boyfriend. Merlin had caused quite a scene when he arrived, shocked silence filling the room before the chuckles and laughter began. It seems Morgana had spread the word that Merlin had been at her not-so-tender mercies for the evening, so people were prepared for something much worse.
Merlin was a friendly person, too friendly sometimes, or so Arthur thought. He was now holding court, surrounded by a bevy of office girls and some of Arthur's co-workers as he regaled them with his tale of torture. His scowl deepened when he saw Gwaine, who had hardly left Merlin's side all night, laugh at something Merlin said and wrap an arm around Merlin's thin shoulders and hug him in sympathy.
"Oh Arthur, stop scowling," Morgana scolded as she passed, a champagne glass in her hand. "You'll get premature age lines." He scowled even harder, transferring the focus of his ire to his sister. It was her fault, after all.
"Morgana," he warned.
"Oh hush. You're acting like a jealous fool. Everyone knows that Merlin is crazy for you, though what you ever did to deserve such a nice, genuine guy, I'll never know."
"The same could be said about you, you know," Arthur retorted, hating that he seemed to regress to his childhood habit of taunting back when cornered by Morgana.
"As I was saying," Morgana spoke over him, "Merlin loves you. He's not going to run about with anyone else, especially not Gwaine."
Arthur flushed at being so easily read.
"Aside from the fact that Leon would rip Gwaine's heart right out of his chest if the even thought to look at another man, not that Gwaine would, because he's pathetically devoted to Leon, but even if he did, Merlin wouldn't take him up on it. You know this, Arthur. Stop being so stupid and go over there and spent time with your boyfriend." She slipped a Christmas card into the pocket of his jacket and gave him a little shove. "Go."
As much as he hated to admit it, Morgana was right. Merlin loved him, possibly as much as Arthur loved him and would never even look twice at anyone else. He was a sociable person, and was friends with most of the people around him. Arthur needed to get over his desire to lock Merlin in his room and do unspeakable things to him right now, get his head out of his arse and go spend time with his boyfriend.
His father glowered at him as he crossed the room to Merlin's side, but Arthur ignored him in favour of slipping an arm around Merlin's waist. He was sure to get yelled at tomorrow, but he would deal with that when the time came. Right now, he intended to spend the evening with his boyfriend. Merlin smiled over at him, resting his hand on Arthur's shoulder, pressing himself into Arthur side. He could feel the fabric of the skirt brushing against the trousers of his suit, and he forced himself not to look down at the expanse of thigh and the leather of the boot.
Later.
Merlin's hand slipped down his back and gave Arthur's arse another thorough fondle.
Maybe not too much later.
****
They left the party as soon as they were able to. Merlin had been a tease all night; discreetly groping at every opportunity, leaning into his personal space and not leaving his. As soon as they got into the back of the taxi, Merlin attached himself to Arthur's lips, trying to climb into his lap despite the seatbelt. The taxi driver huffed in irritation, but Arthur didn't care, choosing to run his hands down the smooth (so smooth) expanse of Merlin's silk covered thigh to the crevasse of his knee and the top of his boot. Merlin moaned and buried his hands in Arthur's hair, holding him steady and kissing the life out of him for the rest of the journey.
The taxi screeched to a sudden halt with a shouted ‘We're here!' and Arthur blindly reached into his wallet and handed the man a note. He was sure he over paid him by a good 20 quid, but he didn't care. He slammed the door of the taxi and followed Merlin to the glass door of their building, his eyes taking in his every move. Merlin, having spent several hours in the boots, had adjusted to the heel and was walking with the rolling, confident gait of someone who wore such shoes all the time. How he was doing so despite the several drink's he'd had at the party, Arthur didn't know. Usually he was as clumsy as the day was long, but for some reason, he was not only staying upright, he was working it.
Arthur followed him inside (Where the hell had he kept his keys?) and hurried towards the lift. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Merlin was on him, pushing him up against the wall, grinding himself into Arthur's thigh. Arthur went from aroused to rock hard in two seconds as he grabbed handfuls of Merlin's arse, hitching him higher against his thigh and attempting to devour him.
When the door opened at their floor, it took several seconds for the open doors to register with both of them. Arthur slammed his hand against the door to prevent it from closing, grabbing Merlin's hand with his other hand and dragging him down the hall to their apartment. As he fumbled with the key to the door, Merlin pressed up behind him, pressing his erection into Arthur's arse, which really didn't help matters. He finally got the door open, practically fell inside and took Merlin with him.
They stumbled to a stop just inside the door, their movements frantic as they took each other in. Merlin was a vision with his lips kiss bruised and his hair tousled, the Santa hat forgotten on the floor in the hallway. Arthur didn't know what Merlin saw when he looked at him, but whatever he did see softened his expression and he held out his hand to Arthur.
He stepped into Merlin's embrace, kissing him softly. His momentum pushed them both up against the closed door and Merlin hitched himself up, wrapping both legs around Arthur's waist, bringing him closer. Arthur braced his knees and pressed Merlin against the door, sharing the weight and leaning in to kiss him hungrily.
Merlin's skirt hitched up and Arthur ran his hands up Merlin's thighs as he ground his cock against his boyfriends. He froze and looked down to ascertain the fact that yes, Merlin was in fact wearing panties and, instead of tights as Arthur originally though, was in fact, wearing stockings, complete with lace frill. He groaned, burying his face in Merlin's neck, willing himself not to come there and then as he fought to bring himself back under control. He set him down as gently as he could in this state before pulling him down the hall and into their bedroom. Merlin raced ahead and bounced onto the bed, settling himself right in the middle, watching Arthur through lowered eyes.
He took his time undressing in front of Merlin, draping the suit jacket over the chair, sliding his shirt slowly off his body. Merlin's cock was now as hard as it had ever been, standing straight up from his thighs, bunching the material of the skirt up around his waist. The panties, (red panties, Arthur didn't think he'd be able to survive this) were riding low on his thighs, covering absolutely nothing.
When Arthur was finally naked, he crawled up the bed between Merlin's legs, brushing light kisses over the points of his toes, his knees, his cock and his chest as he made his way to his lips. Merlin was groaning beneath him, and whimpered when their naked cock's brushed together. Arthur pushed at the dress, pulling it up a wriggling Merlin's body to take it off. Merlin probably thought he was helping as he wriggled out of the dress, but he was just being really, really distracting and it took longer than it should have.
Finally, they were both mostly naked. Arthur leaned back and sat on his heels as he slowly peeled the panties down Merlin's long legs, past the boots and threw them over his shoulder. Merlin was running his hands over every inch of Arthur he could reach, and Arthur groaned, leaning into the touch. He fell onto all fours over Merlin, kissing him, deep and filthy. Merlin kissed him back, again wrapping his legs around Arthur's waist, and the touch of the cool leather against his sides sent shivers down Arthur's spine. He moaned into the kiss, clutching at Merlin's waist, almost dizzy with desire.
He pulled away, gasping, determined to make it last as long as possible. Merlin lay beneath him, looking thoroughly debauched, legs akimbo with the stockings and boots still on. Arthur reflected briefly that Morgana was right; he was one lucky bastard to have Merlin in his life and in his bed. Then he resolved to never, ever again think of Morgana while doing this to Merlin and ran his hands up his legs, from the heel of the pointed boot to his skinny hips. He urged him forward onto his stomach, shifting so Merlin could turn without kicking him in the face (With their luck, it was a distinct possibility.)
Merlin settled on his stomach, hugging a pillow close to his chest as Arthur kissed his way down Merlin's spine. He reached the curve of Merlin's arse and planted a kiss in the middle of each cheek, causing Merlin to squirm and laugh. He spread the cheeks with his hands and licked a single stripe over Merlin's hole, then blew lightly across the damp skin. Merlin cried out, clutching the pillow and squirming in his grasp. Arthur simply transferred his hands to Merlin's hips, holding him down as he licked broader and stronger stripes over and around Merlin's opening.
Without warning, he stabbed his tongue inside as far as it would go, and Merlin screamed his name, back bowing in pleasure. He began pumping his hips as much as he could in Arthur's grip, trying to fuck himself back onto Arthur's tongue. He managed to get one of his own hands beneath him and fisted himself in time with Arthur's strokes. Arthur managed to release one hand and pushed a single finger inside the loosening hole. It brushed over the little knot of nerves, and Merlin came, shooting all over the covers and his own hand. He sobbed his release, Arthur's name mixing with incomprehensible mumbles and swear words.
Arthur grabbed the base of his cock to keep himself from coming and rested his sweating forehead on the base of Merlin's spine. They both lay there panting for several long minutes before Arthur got the energy to push himself to his knees. He nudged Merlin over onto his back, and he went willingly, looking up into Arthur's eyes and spreading his legs invitingly.
"God, I love you," Arthur breathed and Merlin smiled up at him.
"I'm kind of fond of you too," he whispered as Arthur reached for the lube and wrapped his legs around his waist.
Within moments, Arthur was gone.
****
Arthur woke in a bundle of duvet and limbs as his phone rang in the pocket in the trousers of his suit across the room. Merlin groaned and buried his head further into his chest as Arthur blinked against the sunshine creeping in beneath the blinds. The sheets smelled of come and lube, and the patch he was lying in was decidedly damp, even after the night's sleep, but Arthur didn't care. He simple tightened his grip on Merlin and let the phone ring out, ignoring everything except the man in his arms. The rest could wait.
****
Arthur woke to the very pleasant sensation of Merlin's mouth on his cock, and by the time they had both finished, the sun was edging towards early afternoon. Arthur found that he didn't care in the slightest. Merlin was stretched out beside him looking very pleased with himself, and, considering how loudly Arthur had just screamed is name, it was entirely justified.
Eventually, nature, and duty called, and Arthur dragged himself out of the bed. On the way back from the bathroom, he dug into his trouser pocket for his phone. As he draped it on the chair, he caught sight of the white envelope sticking out of the jacket pocket. He pulled it out and tossed it in Merlin's direction as he checked his phone.
One missed call and three texts from his father. Wonderful.
"What's this?" Merlin asked, sitting up and picking up the envelope.
"Card from Morgana," Arthur explained as he put on a pair of boxers and settled against the headboard. He couldn't read a text from his father while naked. He just couldn't. "You can open it if you like."
He opened the first text from his father and had gotten as far as the second sentence written completely in capitals when Merlin's burst of laughter drew his attention.
"What?"
Merlin waved the card at him, still giggling to himself and looking entirely too devious. Arthur plucked the card from his hand. It was a nice card, generically seasonal but expensively made. Inside, Morgana had written her own greeting.
Dear Arthur and Merlin,
Merry Christmas! I hope you like your present. The Mrs. Claus outfit needs to go back to the shop, but the boots and stockings are all yours.
No need to thank me.
I'll be over later to pick up Merlin's outfit. (There better not be any suspicious stains on it that I need to explain away, or I will end you, Pendragon.)
Have fun!
Love Morgana, and Gwen.
Arthur laughed and collapsed back against a still giggling Merlin.
"So," Merlin managed between laughs, "those boots are ours to keep, are they?"
Arthur took one look at Merlin's open, happy features, threw the phone over his shoulder onto the carpet and tackled his boyfriend down onto the bed for round two of that morning.
And round three.
And round four.
Finis