Merlin: M/A: a small world (after all)
Title: a small world (after all)
Series: Merlin
Rating: PG
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Disclaimer: dis- (not); claim- (mine); -er (no, really)
Summary: Merlin is weird. That's probably why nobody but the King blinks twice when he ends up pregnant. Sequel to i (put a spell) on you.
It’s a bit of a shock, Arthur discovers, that every ounce of love he literally poured, pumped, and thrust into his manservant has indeed taken root and formed into a little ball of life that is growing in Merlin’s manly makeshift not-womb. He only calls it that because he doesn’t know what to call the woman inside the man he loves that’s evidently carrying their child.
Uther had actually looked proud, and momentarily smug, when Gaius told him that his son, Crown Prince of Camelot, Once and Future King, and overall git-prat-jerk, had impregnated a man. And then he seemed to realize that that was impossible, sorcery was at hand, and that the as of yet unborn child would no doubt be an abomination and someone had to be punished. Gaius slipped the King a sleeping draught, calmly explained that the sorcerer had been promptly dealt with when the curse was cast, but aside from the womb, the child was conceived, carried, and would be birthed without the aid of magic, so really there’s nothing to worry about, Sire.
Morgana, the mouthy bint, seemed to know before it even began, what with the whole pep talk about men being unable to multiply by themselves, hence his subsequent act of making a Merlin-shaped mark in his bed, followed by her smug grin following them until Merlin couldn’t hold down his breakfast and had to pee on wheat. Arthur thinks he might kill her someday, but Merlin likes her too much. Besides, it’s almost worth it to see her blush when Gwen gets it into her mind to whisper into her Lady’s ear.
Leon had blinked and then laughed and clapped them both on the back. “Only you, Merlin.”
The ladies and maids constantly dragged Merlin into their circles, petting his growing belly and asking increasingly embarrassing questions Arthur pretended not to hear for the sake of his own sanity. He honestly doesn’t know how Merlin did it.
Besides, the spell hit Arthur, and unless the curse carried through into Merlin, Arthur doesn’t understand how it’s possible. He goes to Gaius first, knowing that he’ll tell Merlin he was questioned. His ever-raised eyebrow answers back with a look that tells Arthur too much and not enough, all at the same time. It takes a moment for Gaius to shrug and sigh. “I’ve never had children with a woman, Arthur. Don’t ask me how to make children with a man. I can guarantee I’ve never done it.”
Merlin is with Gwen and Morgana all day, possibly touring the markets, probably torturing the knights, and Arthur wants to feel proud, knows that he should, and he would, were Merlin a woman and married to him. But Merlin is a manservant - and the images that still creates - and he can’t marry Arthur. He’s still not even sure Uther is going to be okay with it. It’s been weeks since Gaius told him and he’s seen neither hide nor hair of his father, which only makes him wonder if it was a simple sleeping draught Gaius slipped him or something a bit stronger.
Arthur can hear Gwaine in the hall outside his chambers, laughing uncontrollably and no doubt escorting Merlin because he looks like he’s going to explode. At least he looks well fed, Arthur thinks, but only to himself. Merlin’s not a woman but that doesn’t mean he won’t slap Arthur silly for calling him fat and then withhold sex like it’s not the bloody prince he’s sleeping with but just some bloke named Arthur.
“-didn’t think the princess had it in him. Don’t you know Merlin there’s a reason I call him the princess? Now I have to call you princess because it’s quite obvious he isn’t. You should have turned it around on him halfway through.”
Merlin laughs with him and seems to actually accept the bloody nickname. He’s Merlin, of course he will.
Merlin greets him with a smile and behind him Arthur can see Gwaine and Lancelot, neither of whom look all that surprised.
They both nod at Arthur and then retreat with the excuse of checking in with Leon. Gwaine’s probably the only one going to Leon, and Arthur highly doubts it’s to check in.
Arthur loves the way Merlin says hello with an openmouthed kiss, the way little feet kick at his stomach when they get too close, the way Merlin’s mouth follows after his when he pulls back. He hates himself for asking, but he has to know.
Merlin looks pained, but he nods and scuttles his way to the bed, leans into the mountain of pillows, and begins. “You weren’t the only one hit with the spell, but you did take the brunt of it. It made you want to breed and it made my body make it possible. It wasn’t supposed to last this long, but… magic made it last.”
Arthur narrows a look at him and crosses his arms.
“We don’t actually know if the spell broke,” Merlin hurries on with a flurry of hands. “I mean, how do we know that as soon as this one’s born it won’t start all over again? You are a bit insatiable.” He takes a deep breath. “That’s not what I meant by magic though. I was kind of… born with magic. I’m not evil though! On occasion I suppose I can be though, but you certainly deserve it! Most of the time. Didn’t think I could make a baby, though.”
That last part is more to himself, and there’s more mumbling that Arthur’s trying not to laugh at. Merlin’s in a pitiable state and it’s not funny. Not really.
“-talk to bloody dragons-not girls-n’t matter anyway-prat junior-my luck-his bloody fault…”
Arthur sighs. “You do know what this means, don’t you, Merlin?”
Merlin will always have magic, but he won’t always looks this sad, eyes downcast and hands petting the stomach Arthur helped to create. It’s endearing, and Arthur figures it’s his job to help Merlin smile again, so he presses his lips to the shell of Merlin’s ear whispers everything he’s going to do to Merlin after the baby is born, regardless of magic or spell or curse. Regardless of meddling women, leering knights, and angry father.
If he can watch the golden glow of Merlin’s eyes rolling in lust by words alone, then he figures that… Merlin’s hand is gripping way too hard for simple lust. Arthur’s eyes widen. He was so not prepared for this.
“I’ll have you know…!” Uther is standing in the doorway, finger raised to deliver a lecture but he must see the pain written all over Merlin’s face, the panic on Arthur’s because suddenly he’s not a father anymore, not a King. He’s a man. And he has no idea what to do.
It’s Gaius who saves the day, hurrying into the room with a murmur of being owed broken vials and the next thing Arthur knows is his hand is wrapped in a bandage and Uther his holding his first granddaughter. He glances over a Merlin and despite how tired he looks he has this little grin, but Arthur, being Arthur, can only say one thing: “When did you get boobs?” Mysteriously, the bed falls out from beneath him, but he laughs and then says, “Morgana’s going to be jealous.”
In the silence that follows, broken only by the noises of the baby girl blinking bright blue eyes up at the King, the name comes to Merlin, floats down to him on a sliver of sunlight and he wonders if there was ever a choice in it.
“Ygraine. Her name is Ygraine.”
And it’s like the world is right again.
Series: Merlin
Rating: PG
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Disclaimer: dis- (not); claim- (mine); -er (no, really)
Summary: Merlin is weird. That's probably why nobody but the King blinks twice when he ends up pregnant. Sequel to i (put a spell) on you.
It’s a bit of a shock, Arthur discovers, that every ounce of love he literally poured, pumped, and thrust into his manservant has indeed taken root and formed into a little ball of life that is growing in Merlin’s manly makeshift not-womb. He only calls it that because he doesn’t know what to call the woman inside the man he loves that’s evidently carrying their child.
Uther had actually looked proud, and momentarily smug, when Gaius told him that his son, Crown Prince of Camelot, Once and Future King, and overall git-prat-jerk, had impregnated a man. And then he seemed to realize that that was impossible, sorcery was at hand, and that the as of yet unborn child would no doubt be an abomination and someone had to be punished. Gaius slipped the King a sleeping draught, calmly explained that the sorcerer had been promptly dealt with when the curse was cast, but aside from the womb, the child was conceived, carried, and would be birthed without the aid of magic, so really there’s nothing to worry about, Sire.
Morgana, the mouthy bint, seemed to know before it even began, what with the whole pep talk about men being unable to multiply by themselves, hence his subsequent act of making a Merlin-shaped mark in his bed, followed by her smug grin following them until Merlin couldn’t hold down his breakfast and had to pee on wheat. Arthur thinks he might kill her someday, but Merlin likes her too much. Besides, it’s almost worth it to see her blush when Gwen gets it into her mind to whisper into her Lady’s ear.
Leon had blinked and then laughed and clapped them both on the back. “Only you, Merlin.”
The ladies and maids constantly dragged Merlin into their circles, petting his growing belly and asking increasingly embarrassing questions Arthur pretended not to hear for the sake of his own sanity. He honestly doesn’t know how Merlin did it.
Besides, the spell hit Arthur, and unless the curse carried through into Merlin, Arthur doesn’t understand how it’s possible. He goes to Gaius first, knowing that he’ll tell Merlin he was questioned. His ever-raised eyebrow answers back with a look that tells Arthur too much and not enough, all at the same time. It takes a moment for Gaius to shrug and sigh. “I’ve never had children with a woman, Arthur. Don’t ask me how to make children with a man. I can guarantee I’ve never done it.”
Merlin is with Gwen and Morgana all day, possibly touring the markets, probably torturing the knights, and Arthur wants to feel proud, knows that he should, and he would, were Merlin a woman and married to him. But Merlin is a manservant - and the images that still creates - and he can’t marry Arthur. He’s still not even sure Uther is going to be okay with it. It’s been weeks since Gaius told him and he’s seen neither hide nor hair of his father, which only makes him wonder if it was a simple sleeping draught Gaius slipped him or something a bit stronger.
Arthur can hear Gwaine in the hall outside his chambers, laughing uncontrollably and no doubt escorting Merlin because he looks like he’s going to explode. At least he looks well fed, Arthur thinks, but only to himself. Merlin’s not a woman but that doesn’t mean he won’t slap Arthur silly for calling him fat and then withhold sex like it’s not the bloody prince he’s sleeping with but just some bloke named Arthur.
“-didn’t think the princess had it in him. Don’t you know Merlin there’s a reason I call him the princess? Now I have to call you princess because it’s quite obvious he isn’t. You should have turned it around on him halfway through.”
Merlin laughs with him and seems to actually accept the bloody nickname. He’s Merlin, of course he will.
Merlin greets him with a smile and behind him Arthur can see Gwaine and Lancelot, neither of whom look all that surprised.
They both nod at Arthur and then retreat with the excuse of checking in with Leon. Gwaine’s probably the only one going to Leon, and Arthur highly doubts it’s to check in.
Arthur loves the way Merlin says hello with an openmouthed kiss, the way little feet kick at his stomach when they get too close, the way Merlin’s mouth follows after his when he pulls back. He hates himself for asking, but he has to know.
Merlin looks pained, but he nods and scuttles his way to the bed, leans into the mountain of pillows, and begins. “You weren’t the only one hit with the spell, but you did take the brunt of it. It made you want to breed and it made my body make it possible. It wasn’t supposed to last this long, but… magic made it last.”
Arthur narrows a look at him and crosses his arms.
“We don’t actually know if the spell broke,” Merlin hurries on with a flurry of hands. “I mean, how do we know that as soon as this one’s born it won’t start all over again? You are a bit insatiable.” He takes a deep breath. “That’s not what I meant by magic though. I was kind of… born with magic. I’m not evil though! On occasion I suppose I can be though, but you certainly deserve it! Most of the time. Didn’t think I could make a baby, though.”
That last part is more to himself, and there’s more mumbling that Arthur’s trying not to laugh at. Merlin’s in a pitiable state and it’s not funny. Not really.
“-talk to bloody dragons-not girls-n’t matter anyway-prat junior-my luck-his bloody fault…”
Arthur sighs. “You do know what this means, don’t you, Merlin?”
Merlin will always have magic, but he won’t always looks this sad, eyes downcast and hands petting the stomach Arthur helped to create. It’s endearing, and Arthur figures it’s his job to help Merlin smile again, so he presses his lips to the shell of Merlin’s ear whispers everything he’s going to do to Merlin after the baby is born, regardless of magic or spell or curse. Regardless of meddling women, leering knights, and angry father.
If he can watch the golden glow of Merlin’s eyes rolling in lust by words alone, then he figures that… Merlin’s hand is gripping way too hard for simple lust. Arthur’s eyes widen. He was so not prepared for this.
“I’ll have you know…!” Uther is standing in the doorway, finger raised to deliver a lecture but he must see the pain written all over Merlin’s face, the panic on Arthur’s because suddenly he’s not a father anymore, not a King. He’s a man. And he has no idea what to do.
It’s Gaius who saves the day, hurrying into the room with a murmur of being owed broken vials and the next thing Arthur knows is his hand is wrapped in a bandage and Uther his holding his first granddaughter. He glances over a Merlin and despite how tired he looks he has this little grin, but Arthur, being Arthur, can only say one thing: “When did you get boobs?” Mysteriously, the bed falls out from beneath him, but he laughs and then says, “Morgana’s going to be jealous.”
In the silence that follows, broken only by the noises of the baby girl blinking bright blue eyes up at the King, the name comes to Merlin, floats down to him on a sliver of sunlight and he wonders if there was ever a choice in it.
“Ygraine. Her name is Ygraine.”
And it’s like the world is right again.