Kink Me! #17

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Kink Me! #17
Closed to new prompts - go to the newest meme!Welcome to Kink Me! Merlin #17!

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enough of this. 2/3, general S3 spoilers?

[anonymous]

(oops, accidentally pressed post while changing something. first line in previous part should be: blunt object thrown at one's head before they've had well enough.)

"Damn sturdy door," Arthur mutters, rubbing his shoulder. "I'll be back for you later! Get the guards to come take this door down and drag you to the dungeons for disobeying me!"

"Go on then!"

"Don't think I won't," Arthur says, kicking at the door one last time before leaving.

~

Arthur's back not an hour later.

"Merlin, you have one last chance. Come out now and help me get ready for bed and we'll forget this nonsense."

"Brought the guards, have you?" Merlin says from just on the other side of the door.

Arthur humphs then slumps down to sit with his back to the door. "You knew I wouldn't, really."

"I did, yes."

"This is ridiculous. Why won't you come out?"

"Because I'm tired, Arthur."

"How can you be tired? You don't do anything."

"See! See! Everything I do for you and you're blind to it. No gratitude, just a flying plate to the head."

"Merlin, you change my sheets and help me dress. It's your job." Arthur clears his throat. "The plate throwing was perhaps a bit rash, I'll concede. But it's not like you don't need to exercise your reflexes, you're practically useless when we're being attacked."

Arthur can hear Merlin moving away from the door, sighing harshly. "Go away, Arthur."

"I won't," he raises his voice, "I'll just stay here until you come out."

"Have a good night's rest then, sire," Merlin calls.

Arthur, though determined at first, doesn't stay all night. When Gaius comes back, tired and worn and one eyebrow raised at finding Arthur there, he feels silly sitting by Merlin's door like a petulant child and goes back to his own rooms.

~

The next day Arthur has the full day scheduled with princely duties, Merlin knows, so he feels safe to come out of his bedroom and sit down with Gaius for breakfast. He hadn't planned on Gaius eyebrowing him into talking about yesterday in detail.

"He was the same with his nursemaids, if I remember correctly. Poor Helena got a wooden block to the eye and had to be sent away, Arthur was inconsolable for weeks."

"I'm not his nursemaid, Gaius."

"No. But I dare say you are the closest he has to someone truly caring for him, day and night, since he was a child. It's possible he doesn't know how to act around you at times so he regresses back to his boyhood's ill manners. Perhaps he'll restrain himself now that you've brought it to attention."

Merlin snorts, poking his spoon through congealing porridge.

"Meanwhile, the threats against Camelot and Arthur's life won't let up just because you have decided to stage a protest," Gaius says with a pointed look.

Merlin shoves the bowl of porridge away and rest his elbows on the table, taking his head in his hands. "I know, Gaius. I just need a day to myself."

Gaius tuts then pats Merlin on the arm. "You can have one day, but then you go back, no arguments."

Merlin nods into his hands.

~

It's dark when Merlin wakes, torn from sleep by a troublesome dream that he quickly forgets. He can't go back to sleep, his body tense and his mind alert. He sits up in bed, running his hands through his hair, then gets up with a slow exhale. He might as well go and check the damage of Arthur's rooms now that Arthur's bound to be asleep.

He doesn't bother changing from his nightshirt to a tunic, just drags on his trousers and jacket then sneaks out. The castle is quiet and cold, though there's some stirring of life from the kitchens when Merlin passes close by.

Merlin pauses when he gets to Arthur's rooms, a hand resting on the wood of the door for a moment before he quietly opens it and slips inside.

It's dark and still in the room. There are no embers glowing in the grate so Merlin has to fumble for a candlestick and go light the candle on the lit torches out in the hallway. Merlin re-enters, carefully shielding the light so it doesn't reach Arthur's eyes where he lays sprawled on his back on the bed. He's surprised to see that the room isn't the mess he had expected it to be. There's still random articles of clothing on the floor but that's the extent of it.