Seek to Find
Title: Seek to Find
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: R
Content notes: None
Word Count: 750
Summary: Arthur is searching for the face that haunts his waking hours, driven to delving inside his dreams to find him.
Link: Read it on AO3
Notes: Written for summerpornathon 2013's 'Sleep' challenge.
The secretary looks up from her paperwork to give him a dismissive once-over. “You’re here for the 1 o’clock appointment?”
Arthur settles the brim of his hat lower over his brow. He straightens his tie and sets his shoulders back. “Yes,” he says. Nothing more.
She eyes him again before picking up the telephone receiver. “There’s a Mr. Penn here to see you,” she says into it primly. She listens for a moment, then hangs up. She nods at Arthur.
“Miss Le Fay will see you now.”
*
Miss Le Fay sizes him up with sharp green eyes, artfully blowing smoke from her cigarette as she studies him. “Why are you here, Arthur?” she finally asks.
Arthur tries not to show his surprise. He left a false name to schedule the appointment, and dodges the blinding bulbs and clicking shutters of his father’s press as much as he can. Perhaps Miss Le Fay is not the charlatan the papers make her out to be.
Before he can respond, Miss Le Fay leans closer. “And I don’t mean Uther’s campaign to end-what is his slogan again-” she pauses to wave a gloved hand through the air, “hoaxes, shams, and swindlers, was it?” She smiles at Arthur, cat-like. “I mean, what are you doing here?”
Arthur swallows hard. “I want to remember.”
*
The pendulum swings slowly in front of him. Arthur struggles to follow it with his eyes.
“Listen to my voice,” Morgana says. She insisted Arthur call her by her given name, meeting him on equal ground. “The pendulum is only a tool.”
Arthur takes a deep breath and nods. If his father knew-but he doesn’t, can’t. He pushes all other thoughts out of his head and concentrates on Morgana’s voice.
“I will count backwards from three.” Morgana’s voice takes on an other-worldly quality, full of power and grace. “You will go back to the place you seek. If at any time you want to stop, you need only say my name and I will wake you. Do you understand?”
Arthur nods slowly, feeling his eyelids slide closed. It’s a strange feeling, letting go, following instead of leading.
Morgana swings the pendulum thrice more, the golden object flashing before his eyes. “Three, two, one.”
Arthur sleeps.
*
He dreams.
His head rests comfortably in someone’s lap, a hand carding idly through his hair. A bit of sunlight shines through the leaves, and he looks up to see the face that haunts his waking moments smiling down at him. Arthur lazily reaches up for a kiss and-
-rips a strip off his shirt. Arthur ties it carefully around a strong, wiry arm that’s bleeding, bleeding because of him, and Arthur has to make this right. Too many risks have been taken in his name, especially by the one whose arm he’s binding. He’s someone familiar, Arthur knows him, he does, but can’t place his name. But that doesn’t matter right now, right now they need to get back home to the castle where it’s safe, where they-
-tumble into bed, hands and limbs everywhere, touching, tasting, and reaching for one another. Arthur can’t keep his hands in one place for long, roaming all over pale skin and sharp planes. His mouth follows, tracing the patterns his hands make. Arthur takes him into his mouth, the taste bitter and strange but welcome, soothing an ache he carries in his heart. Arthur never gets tired of this, of learning all the secrets of their bodies, or of making new ones together. They move like shadow and light, one unable to exist without the other. Arthur sinks into him, moving sharply, wanting to feel every inch of him until he remembers-
-saying thank you to the one person who was with him always, who was his everything and more, an indelible presence even after a lifetime apart.
He wakes.
*
“Merlin.”
The name is on his tongue when Arthur awakens. He brushes impatiently at his eyes, clearing the sleep from them. His hands come away wet.
He turns to Morgana, who looks pale and drained. The pendulum is in her lap, the folds of her gown crumpled around it. Her hands tremble as her fingers clasp it tightly.
Arthur stands, straightens his tie, sets his shoulders back. He leans over and brushes a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Morgana.”
Morgana looks at him, her eyes unfathomable. “I hope you found what you were looking for.”
“I’m going to,” Arthur says, and heads out the door.
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: R
Content notes: None
Word Count: 750
Summary: Arthur is searching for the face that haunts his waking hours, driven to delving inside his dreams to find him.
Link: Read it on AO3
Notes: Written for summerpornathon 2013's 'Sleep' challenge.
The secretary looks up from her paperwork to give him a dismissive once-over. “You’re here for the 1 o’clock appointment?”
Arthur settles the brim of his hat lower over his brow. He straightens his tie and sets his shoulders back. “Yes,” he says. Nothing more.
She eyes him again before picking up the telephone receiver. “There’s a Mr. Penn here to see you,” she says into it primly. She listens for a moment, then hangs up. She nods at Arthur.
“Miss Le Fay will see you now.”
*
Miss Le Fay sizes him up with sharp green eyes, artfully blowing smoke from her cigarette as she studies him. “Why are you here, Arthur?” she finally asks.
Arthur tries not to show his surprise. He left a false name to schedule the appointment, and dodges the blinding bulbs and clicking shutters of his father’s press as much as he can. Perhaps Miss Le Fay is not the charlatan the papers make her out to be.
Before he can respond, Miss Le Fay leans closer. “And I don’t mean Uther’s campaign to end-what is his slogan again-” she pauses to wave a gloved hand through the air, “hoaxes, shams, and swindlers, was it?” She smiles at Arthur, cat-like. “I mean, what are you doing here?”
Arthur swallows hard. “I want to remember.”
*
The pendulum swings slowly in front of him. Arthur struggles to follow it with his eyes.
“Listen to my voice,” Morgana says. She insisted Arthur call her by her given name, meeting him on equal ground. “The pendulum is only a tool.”
Arthur takes a deep breath and nods. If his father knew-but he doesn’t, can’t. He pushes all other thoughts out of his head and concentrates on Morgana’s voice.
“I will count backwards from three.” Morgana’s voice takes on an other-worldly quality, full of power and grace. “You will go back to the place you seek. If at any time you want to stop, you need only say my name and I will wake you. Do you understand?”
Arthur nods slowly, feeling his eyelids slide closed. It’s a strange feeling, letting go, following instead of leading.
Morgana swings the pendulum thrice more, the golden object flashing before his eyes. “Three, two, one.”
Arthur sleeps.
*
He dreams.
His head rests comfortably in someone’s lap, a hand carding idly through his hair. A bit of sunlight shines through the leaves, and he looks up to see the face that haunts his waking moments smiling down at him. Arthur lazily reaches up for a kiss and-
-rips a strip off his shirt. Arthur ties it carefully around a strong, wiry arm that’s bleeding, bleeding because of him, and Arthur has to make this right. Too many risks have been taken in his name, especially by the one whose arm he’s binding. He’s someone familiar, Arthur knows him, he does, but can’t place his name. But that doesn’t matter right now, right now they need to get back home to the castle where it’s safe, where they-
-tumble into bed, hands and limbs everywhere, touching, tasting, and reaching for one another. Arthur can’t keep his hands in one place for long, roaming all over pale skin and sharp planes. His mouth follows, tracing the patterns his hands make. Arthur takes him into his mouth, the taste bitter and strange but welcome, soothing an ache he carries in his heart. Arthur never gets tired of this, of learning all the secrets of their bodies, or of making new ones together. They move like shadow and light, one unable to exist without the other. Arthur sinks into him, moving sharply, wanting to feel every inch of him until he remembers-
-saying thank you to the one person who was with him always, who was his everything and more, an indelible presence even after a lifetime apart.
He wakes.
*
“Merlin.”
The name is on his tongue when Arthur awakens. He brushes impatiently at his eyes, clearing the sleep from them. His hands come away wet.
He turns to Morgana, who looks pale and drained. The pendulum is in her lap, the folds of her gown crumpled around it. Her hands tremble as her fingers clasp it tightly.
Arthur stands, straightens his tie, sets his shoulders back. He leans over and brushes a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Morgana.”
Morgana looks at him, her eyes unfathomable. “I hope you found what you were looking for.”
“I’m going to,” Arthur says, and heads out the door.