Fic (Arthur/Merlin, Dean/Cas): Means to an End (otherwise known as craptastic Merlin_Land fic)
There was a time, not so long ago, before the words Arthur and Merlin became a basic part of my vocabulary, when 2k was a long fic for me… I blame Merlin, and Arthur, but mostly Merlin. *nods solemnly*
Title: Means to an End
Author: heavenlyxbodies
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin, Dean/Cas
Rating: PG
Spoilers: don’t think so for either
Feedback: Makes me happy, just play nice
Disclaimer(s) can be found here
Warnings/Squicks: none that I know of, save for my slapdash writing
Summary: Someone thinks it’s taking too long for Arthur and Merlin to admit their feelings, so takes it upon himself to help them along. Oh and he’ll get to torment his brother and favourite Winchester while he’s at it.
AN1: In my world Cas isn’t being a dick and Gabriel is alive and creating mischief, or it could just be somewhere in the midst of S5 take your pick, but I like to think of it as post-Apocalypse and before Gamble got her Raphaelean hands on them. :)
AN2: This is what happens when you force my brain to follow the words “crossover” and “Merlin” (written for Merlin_land’s crossover challenge)… I would apologize, but you asked for it. And just so you know, I haven’t actually finished anything for SPN in, gods, over six months, so, yeah, don’t hit me too hard, k. And sometimes I think my Gabriel sounds like Q, sorry. I know my spells aren’t conjugated/declined properly, please forgive me. Also, I reallllllllllllly didn’t mean this to be this long, I was aiming for like 100-500, not pushing 4.5k, but then the boys started demanding explanations and refused to make with the snogging until they were satisfied, which really, shouldn’t they be snogging in order to GET satisfied??? :/
AN3: By the by, I pretty much think this is crap, maybe I’ll change my mind when it’s not the middle of the night, but I doubt it, lol. Okay, so in the light of day (and a bit of sleep) it's not as bad as it felt like, not top form, but I wasn't expecting it considering, lol.
~~~~~~~~~
“Cas?” Dean said warily.
“I don’t know, Dean,” the angel answered just as confused.
“Hello, boys,” an entirely too cheerful and familiar voice greeted.
“Gabriel,” Castiel all but growled.
“Nice to see you too, little bro.”
“What do you want, Gabriel? Where the Hell are we?”
The archangel leaned back against a tree absently examining his fingernails. “The question isn’t so much ‘where’ as ‘why’.”
“Why, Gabriel?” Cas glared through half closed, angry eyes.
“Let’s just say the two idiots who’d normally deal with these things, save the day and all that, are a bit preoccupied and not likely to be available anytime soon- at least if they keep up like you two did.”
Dean ignored the jibe and growled, “What kind of ‘things’?”
“Good question. Maybe you’re not as dim as I thought, then again probably not.” Gabriel raised as eyebrow and pointed behind them, “That kind,” and snapped himself out of existence. He popped back in a moment later to add, “Oh, and I’d be careful with the angel powers, little bro, they don’t take kindly to magic around here, ‘punishable by death’ I believe is the term they use. Look out,” and he vanished again.
Castiel turned around to see what mess Gabriel had popped then into. His eyes widened as the creature came towards them.
Dean took one look at his angel’s face and closed his eyes trying to calm down, “Do I want to know?”
“No, Dean, you don’t.”
He turned around anyway, “Oh, shit.”
Cas grabbed Dean’s shoulder and they disappeared.
******
“What the…” Arthur looked around at the strange surroundings, noting that thankfully Merlin was here with him. “Where in gods names are we?”
Merlin stood, wiping his hands over his butt as he did so. “I don’t know, someplace with a lot of dirt.”
Arthur rolled his eyes, “Yes, Merlin, your powers of observation are astounding. Help me find something to tell where we are.”
“How about we ask him?” Merlin suggested, looking suspiciously at the man he was certain wasn’t there a moment ago.
Arthur instantly drew his sword and stood between the man and Merlin.
“Please. I’m not going to hurt your precious sorcerer. And don’t act like you didn’t know, it’s annoying.”
Arthur’s jaw set, he didn’t carefully didn’t react to the news about his manservant being a magic user. “Let us go.”
“Umm,” Gabriel tapped a sarcastic finger against his lips as if he were considering the demand. “Ah, no.”
Arthur snarled, he wasn’t in the mood, especially with Merlin shaking behind him.
“Watching you two pine is worse than my brother and Dumbo. At least they finally figured it out.” Gabriel watched as Arthur’s tense posture changed from attacking to contemplative, he knew the warrior was still ready to defend at the slightest provocation, but he was listening, so he continued, “Here’s the deal, you two straighten,” he snorted lightly, “yourselves out and I’ll make sure you get back to where you belong. But don’t take too long, I’m not sure how long those two can keep their heads what with how your father is about anything magical.” With that Gabriel disappeared.
“Can you get us out of here?” Arthur asked without turning around, he wanted another minute to wrap his head around having Merlin’s secret exposed as well as the fact that he already knew about it.
“I can try,” Merlin answered quietly. “Frígnes útweard,” Merlin whispered, but nothing happened. “Aberstan,” he tried again. The process repeated itself twice more, before Merlin’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m sorry,” he said, not sure whether he was apologizing for not being able to get them out of here or for not telling Arthur himself.
“It’s alright, Merlin,” Arthur’s own absolution meaning more than it seemed.
“Are we…” Merlin started, stopping short when Arthur finally turned to look at him.
Arthur shook his head, “Like he said, I knew. I just wish you had told me.”
“Arthur.”
He clapped Merlin’s shoulder with a slight smile, “Getting out of here and back to Camelot is what we should be focusing on.” ‘Not would of’s and should of’s,’ he thought.
Just then an passage appeared in the side of their prison, opening up into the mouth of a large cave. “Some light, maybe?” he asked Merlin.
Merlin nodded, silently creating a familiar blue orb to light their way.
Smirking Arthur shook his head and headed into the cave.
Merlin was smiling at Arthur’s back as he passed, after everything they’d been through, he knew they’d get through this.
******
“What was that?”
“I believe it was a chimaera.”
“A chimaera? Like the myth? What is it with you guys and the myths? Why can’t it be a nice ghoul or skinwalker or even a witch? Did you hear me, Cas? I said it would be better if it was a witch!”
Castiel gave his lover a sardonic look in response.
“Fine.” Dean snapped. “Tell me you at least know how to kill it.”
“According to the myths a lance tipped in lead either down the throat or through the stomach,” the angel recited.
“Alright,” Dean tilted his head considering this, “so where do we find a lance around here, or there.” A thought struck him and he squinted an accusatory eye at the angel, “Where are we, and if your mojo’s working why can’t you get us out of here?”
“I tried, Dean.” He turned away looking sheepish and apologetic, “It seems Gabriel has inhibited my powers somewhat.”
“Great.” Dean rubbed his temples with one hand. “I’m guessing that means you can’t just angel away that thing?”
Castiel nodded once. “In answer to your other question, we are merely over the ridge from where we were.”
“You mean that thing is just over that hill!”
Calmly, ignoring Dean’s agitation, “I was afraid to take us much farther until I knew more of our surroundings.”
Dean rubbed his forehead and ran his hand through his short hair, “Sorry.”
Cas smiled, “I know, Dean.” His smile turned cheeky, “I have gotten used to you.”
“Smartass.”
The angel’s smile widened and his sky blue eye twinkled.
“So where do we find a lead tipped lance?”
******
“I’m starting to think this doesn’t actually lead anywhere,” Merlin mused.
“It has to go somewhere. Caves don’t just go nowhere,” Arthur argued.
“They could if they’re magical, and they did kind of appear out of solid rock.”
“I’m trying not to think about that, Merlin.”
Merlin changed tactics. “What do you think he was talking about, ‘straightening ourselves out’?”
Arthur drew up to a stop, turning to face his servant. “I don’t know, Merlin. If I did we’d be doing it to get out of here.”
“Then shouldn’t we be trying to figure it out, rather than running through endless caverns that may not go anywhere?”
Arthur huffed; he hated it when Merlin was right. He hated it even more when he had to admit it to him. Still, he leaned back against smooth face of the cave wall, the ball of light hovering a few feet from his head- he tried to ignore the fact that the ball followed him rather than staying between Merlin and himself, he knew Merlin had tripped up several times already before he realized he was leaving him in the dark. “Alright, Merlin, what do we do? We don’t even have the slightest idea where to start.”
“Well, is there anything bothering you?”
“Other than pretending I don’t know my best-friend is a magic user? No,” he added sarcastically.
Merlin smiled sweetly, “I’m your best-friend?”
“I never said that.’
“Yes, you did,” his smile grew at Arthur’s denial.
Arthur grumbled and pushed off the wall starting off down the cave, not waiting for Merlin to catch up.
******
“This makes no sense,” Dean said trudging through the forest with a long heavy lead tipped spear. “Why would Gabriel leave us here, make sure you couldn’t get us out of here or magic this creature away, but let you be able to angel up the weapon we need to kill it?”
“I don’t know, Dean. Gabriel has always been a bit of a mystery. He doesn’t think like other angels.”
Dean stopped and looked at his angel. “Cas, you don’t think like other angels.”
Sighing, “Gabriel really doesn’t think like other angels… or humans.”
“Just wish we at least knew how long we’re going to be here. I don’t like it, and I don’t wanna think about what Sammy’s doing to my baby.” He stopped suddenly, placing fingers to lips, “Shh.” He crept forward through the brush, pulling a branch aside to look out towards the sound that had grabbed his attention. “Fuck.”
The chimaera clammoured past them growling, and thrashing its great tail as it moved. Abruptly it stopped, feline head rising, turning slowly, eyes intently scanning as if looking for prey. Dean only hoped he and his angel weren’t on the menu, or that Cas’ angelic reflexes were fast enough to get them out of its jaws if they wound up there. The creature’s head turned toward the brush where they were hiding sniffing and snuffling; a crack echoed from the far side of the beast and its attention instantly flew towards it. It roared, fire spouting in a huge puff out of its mouth, engulfing the low branches and undergrowth.
“Cas? Tell me you have an idea on this one.”
“As you have so often told me strategy is not my strong suit.”
“Now, you decide to listen to me,” Dean hung his head.
“Perhaps a strategic retreat would be in order?” the angel suggested.
“Ya think?”
******
Arthur continued to studiously ignore Merlin as they wandered through the never-ending caves.
“Arthur, how long are you going to keep this up?”
“Indefinitely,” he muttered under his breath.
“You, Arthur Pendragon, should change your name to Winchester, you cause me as much trouble.” Gabriel’s voice trickled down to the two men, “Hmm, wonder if you’re related? I’ll have to look into that, doubtful considering,” he shrugged and turned his attention back to Arthur and Merlin.
“We’ve caused you trouble!?” Arthur demanded. “We aren’t the captors here.”
Gabriel waved his hand dismissively, “A technicality. It’s not like I’m doing this for my sake.”
Merlin could tell Arthur was losing his temper, he knew the signs, and just managed to reach him as he started to growl. “Arthur, don’t. He’s just trying to rile you up.”
“Listen to him, Pendragon, he’s the smart one.”
Merlin glowered, stepping in front of Arthur as he spoke, “Áscúfan.” Nothing happened.
Gabriel glared, adding, “…usually. Now, if you would stop being idiots for a few minutes. I thought I should help you along, otherwise it will be centuries before you figure it out.”
“Figure what out?” Arthur hissed.
“Figure out that you’re barmy over each other.”
‘Barmy?’ Merlin and Arthur mouthed at each other.
Gabriel rolled his eyes, “Sit.” He snapped two chairs and a love seat into being and with a finger flicked the two men into the chairs. “You,” he pointed at an astonished Arthur, “need to stop being obsessed about being ‘Prince’ and what is and isn’t allowed by your dufus of a father. You will not always be Prince and once you are not, you can say what is and isn’t allowed. And I know he,” he bent his forefinger to indicate Merlin, “has told you that more than once- listen to him.”
Merlin tried not to snicker.
“Oh, no, you’re not off the hook here. You’re just as much of an idiot as he is. You have everything you want right in front of you, but won’t let yourself see it or take it.” Gabriel shook his head disparagingly, and took and exaggerated breath. “Sometimes I wonder why I bother,” he held up an authoritative finger, “then I remember how annoying you are when you’re imitating the forests of Caledonia. So,” he clapped his hands together, “sit and talk amongst yourselves, write each other sonnets or love letters or whatever it is you do in the ass end of the Dark Ages, and I’ll go see how your replacements are getting on with the little toy I left them.” Another snap and Gabriel was gone.
******
“Last Starfighter,” Dean declared.
“Dean?”
“I really need to expand your education.” Dean shook his head at his own shortcoming when it came to his angel. “That’s how we get it.”
“I’m afraid my ‘education’ still needs expanding, Dean,” Cas replied patiently, used to not following his lover and his cinematic references.
“In the movie, they had to destroy a turret on the belly of the mother ship; instead of attacking it head on, they hide until it passed overhead and blew it up from behind. That’s how we get this chimaera; we come up from beneath it.” Dean smirked at his ingenuity.
“Exactly how are we supposed to know where it’s going to be?” Castiel questioned nervously, he didn’t like the glint in Dean’s eye.
Dean smirked.
---
They found a spot where a fallen tree trunk had years ago started to collect dirt creating a natural bunker, Dean hunkered down almost on his back lance positioned so he could thrust into anything that passed overhead.
Out in the open, Castiel searched for the chimaera flitting here and there hoping his angelic movements didn’t call the wrong kind of attention. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the part too accustomed to human thought, he considered whether trying to attract the chimaera wasn’t in fact ‘the wrong kind of attention’.
It took almost two hours, but eventually he located the beast. It was curled on itself asleep in a clearing. If Castiel hadn’t known what it was capable of and hadn’t almost been claimed as one of its victims, he would’ve considered the creature peaceful and almost cute. Getting it to follow him was simple, all he had to do was get in its line of sight or smell it seemed. Cas appeared and disappeared quickly luring the beast closer and closer to where Dean lay in wait.
“Dean, I would suggest you be ready!” Cas called, vanishing just as the wave of heat from its fiery breath enveloped the spot where he had been standing.
A moment later a shadow fell across the ground in front of Dean and the creature lopped over him. He spared a moment to wonder at how slow the animal seemed, before raising the weapon and driving it as hard and firmly as he could into the chimaera’s belly.
******
“What do you think he meant by that?”
“Which part, Merlin? You ask me, most of it was a load of drivel.”
Merlin considered this. “I was thinking about the love letters and sonnets.” If this was going to be drug out of him by some miscellaneous sorcerer he was going to bring Arthur with him.
“I don’t know, Merlin, maybe he thinks we were meant to become bards.” Arthur stood and began walking around the cave they were in, a cave notably without any entrance or exit.
“Doubt that, bards have to be ingratiating and friendly, they don’t have people thrown in the stocks the instant they meet them.”
“You were being an insolent ass,” Arthur defended, even if he silently admitted that he was being a rather monumental git at the time.
“And you were being a prat. Some things never change.”
“Yes, you’re still insolent.”
“Yet, you keep me on?” was Merlin’s sarcastic response.
Arthur, snickered as he examined the rock of the wall he was leaning on. “Why do you stay? It’s not safe for you.”
“Because someone’s got to keep you safe, gods know you can’t do it yourself.”
“Is that the only reason?”
Merlin jumped up angry, “No, Arthur, I stay so I can find the perfect opportunity to kill you or your father and take revenge for all those he’s killed.” He stopped against a corner of the large cavern and shook his head, Arthur would never understand that it was more than duty or destiny that made him stay.
“Merlin,” Arthur almost purred.
Merlin wondered if he did it on purpose or if it was just another of his inborn prattish abilities, either way it made his stomach do strange things.
Arthur’s hand reached out and rested on Merlin’s shoulder. “Merlin, I’m sorry. I just don’t understand you.” He sighed and plopped down on the ground. “You know why I never said anything, about your magic, to my father, I mean?”
“Why?” he mumbled.
“Because I knew how much you risk every day, and I have a feeling don’t know even half the times you’ve saved me and my father. Someone who would do all that is either an utter fool, or the most loyal and dearest friend a man could have. And despite my declarations to the contrary I don’t think you are an utter fool.”
Merlin managed to smirk, “You did it again.”
Arthur looked at him questioningly.
“Called me your friend.” He slid down the wall until he sat beside Arthur.
“No, you must’ve been mistaken, I’m a Prince I don’t have friends,” he said arrogantly.
Merlin bumped his shoulder, “You have me.”
“I already told you,” Arthur tried to sound less playful than he was feeling; it felt good to let Merlin know he did consider him his friend, even if he hadn’t told him how much more than that he meant to him.
“And Lancelot,” he continued ignoring Arthur as usual.
“He’s not likely to return while my father’s alive.”
“And Gwen.”
Arthur got quiet at the mention of the young woman everyone thought he had feelings for and most assuredly had feelings for him.
“What is it? You can’t doubt that she considers you a friend.” Merlin asked as he watched his friend play absently with his bottom lip, a habit Merlin had long ago realized Arthur did when nervous or upset.
Arthur shook his head, “I don’t doubt her feelings towards me, but,” he was about to jump off a cliff and hoped to all the gods there was more than jagged rocks at the bottom, “I worry that I would lose her friendship if she found my feelings were drawn to another.”
“Another?” Merlin asked, truly confused; he’d never known Arthur to show any interest any anyone except for Morgana’s maidservant.
“Gods, that ass is right about one thing Merlin, you don’t see what’s right in front of you.” He turned so he could looked directly into Merlin’s face, his eyes, trying to will his feeling’s to show. “Do you?”
Merlin was captivated by the shear emotion in those sky blue eyes. “Oh.”
Arthur smirked, “Yeah, oh.”
“Does that mean you wouldn’t call me an insolent servant and throw me in the stocks if I did something incredibly stupid like this?” Hesitantly, he watched Arthur’s lips as they twitched and his tongue licked along them nervously. He couldn’t tell you when he moved forward, but he knew when their lips touched. It was like when his magic worked on its own, the tingle of nature running through him, of knowing he was a part of something greater.
They were broken apart by the slowing echoing sound of clapping. “It’s about time. Though I have to admit when you finally do it, you do it well. If I was a different kind of person I could’ve watched that all night. Who am I kidding, I am that kind of person, but it seems my brother and Tweedle Dee managed to take care of the little problem your disappearance left them to take care of without too much trouble. Cas really is getting better at identifying these things, too much time with the Winchesters and their lot.”
With a snap Arthur and Merlin were standing in the woods outside of Camelot, a large horrific looking creature lay dead in front of them, a long spear sticking from it.
“Gabriel!” An angry voice snarled. “I don’t care what game you’re playing, but get us out of here and back to where we’re supposed to be!”
“Touchy, touchy.” Gabriel chastized. “Looks like you and Cas got along just fine, heads and lives still intact.”
“Gabriel,” another man warned.
“Come on, Castiel, didn’t you have fun, spending some alone time with Deano?”
Castiel cocked his head, “If that had been your true intent then perhaps I would have, as it was, no.”
“See what I have to work with?” Gabriel turned to Arthur and Merlin as if they would understand.
“What is it? Was it?” Arthur asked.
“I don’t know, Gaius might.”
“It’s a chimaera,” Cas offered.
When the two men just looked at each other, “Nasty, mythical, fire breathing monster,” Dean explained.
“You defeated it?” Merlin asked.
“We did.” Dean pointed between himself and his angel. “No thanks to Monkey Brains over there,” he gestured to where Gabriel had taken up residence on the log he’d used to hide beneath.
“What?” Gabriel asked, feigning innocence. “I made sure you had the tools to defeat it.”
“You didn’t have to call it into existence,” Castiel countered.
Gabriel did look honestly shocked, “I wouldn’t have created such a boring beast for you to play with, something a bit more challenging, harpies maybe, less ground based, always adds a bit of excitement.”
“Gabriel,” Dean growled again, ready to lunge at the mocking angel; Castiel’s firm hand on his arm the only thing holding him back.
Gabriel pouted, “Fine, fine,” he snapped his fingers, “There now you can get yourselves back whenever you want.” Another snap and the angel vanished once again.
“I’m going to kill him,” Arthur growled.
“Don’t bother, he just comes back,” Dean sighed. “He’s worse than a cat.”
“Dean,” the angel gave him a stern look.
“I know he’s your brother, doesn’t make him any less of a pain in the ass.”
Cas noticed their companions looking at them oddly, now that Gabriel was gone they had time to take in their appearance. “We should be going, Bobby and Sam will be concerned,” he said hoping to coax Dean into leaving sooner rather than later. Yes, he had his mojo back in full swing, but he had spent the afternoon being chased by a large lion-goat-dragon creature and would rather leave on his own terms.
Dean looked up anxiously, “My baby!”
“I’m sure the Impala is fine, Dean.”
Arthur and Merlin shared a concerned look. These two men were making little sense, yet they had defeated some mythical beast intent on wreaking havoc throughout the countryside, so Arthur felt they owed them a debt of gratitude. Arthur was at a loss for anything else to say as they two men delved into a quiet conversation that they only caught parts of, things like ‘angel’ and ‘apocalypse’ and ‘eternally grateful’, words that made Arthur’s head swim and Merlin’s eyes bulge.
Arthur cleared his throat loudly and the two men started as if they had forgotten they weren’t alone in the small clearing.
Dean stared at the long sword Arthur’s hand instinctively rested on. “Cas is right we should be going.”
Arthur inclined his head in respect. “Then we wish you a safe journey. Are you certain there’s nothing I can do to reward you? Slaying that beast could not have been easy, are you sure neither of you are injured, or require rest?”
“I have healed his injuries,” Castiel informed them matter-of-factly, though Dean could hear a hint of indignation beneath it.
“Of course,” Arthur answered slowly, looking over to Merlin to see his reaction. Merlin merely looked on, studying the man in the strange longcoat as if he were some unknown curiosity, rather than the sorcerer Arthur took him to be.
“Really, we must be going. Dean?”
“Thank you, again,” Merlin finally said as the shorter man shuffled nervously.
“Yeah, uh, nice meeting you, I guess.”
Castiel placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder and they were gone.
“What a strange pair,” Arthur said once he found his voice again after the two strangers disappeared right in front of him just as the sorcerer who abducted them had.
“I don’t know,” Merlin said lightly. “I thought they were rather sweet.”
“‘Sweet’?” Arthur asked incredulously, shaking his head at Merlin’s inexplicable comment.
“Didn’t you notice how they kept protecting each other, and the way they talked? Or how the one in the longcoat kept tempering the other’s anger with a simple word or touch.”
Arthur thought he felt himself blush remembering how it had been Merlin’s gentle touches and simple words that always grounded him and kept his temper and anger from running away with him. “Merlin, I may have admitted my feelings for you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going soft.”
“No one said you had to.”
“Good.” Arthur was taken aback by Merlin’s easy answer, feeling like he was missing some important point. “Not as if I needed your permission,” he added quickly.
“Of course not, Sire.”
“Merlin,” Arthur warned, stalking towards his manservant. He stalked the young man right up against a tree, placing his hands firmly against the bark on either side of Merlin’s head. “Shut up,” he said against his lips, kissing him slowly until they were both heady.
“Yes, Sire.” Merlin beamed from ear to ear.
.
Title: Means to an End
Author: heavenlyxbodies
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin, Dean/Cas
Rating: PG
Spoilers: don’t think so for either
Feedback: Makes me happy, just play nice
Disclaimer(s) can be found here
Warnings/Squicks: none that I know of, save for my slapdash writing
Summary: Someone thinks it’s taking too long for Arthur and Merlin to admit their feelings, so takes it upon himself to help them along. Oh and he’ll get to torment his brother and favourite Winchester while he’s at it.
AN1: In my world Cas isn’t being a dick and Gabriel is alive and creating mischief, or it could just be somewhere in the midst of S5 take your pick, but I like to think of it as post-Apocalypse and before Gamble got her Raphaelean hands on them. :)
AN2: This is what happens when you force my brain to follow the words “crossover” and “Merlin” (written for Merlin_land’s crossover challenge)… I would apologize, but you asked for it. And just so you know, I haven’t actually finished anything for SPN in, gods, over six months, so, yeah, don’t hit me too hard, k. And sometimes I think my Gabriel sounds like Q, sorry. I know my spells aren’t conjugated/declined properly, please forgive me. Also, I reallllllllllllly didn’t mean this to be this long, I was aiming for like 100-500, not pushing 4.5k, but then the boys started demanding explanations and refused to make with the snogging until they were satisfied, which really, shouldn’t they be snogging in order to GET satisfied??? :/
AN3: By the by, I pretty much think this is crap, maybe I’ll change my mind when it’s not the middle of the night, but I doubt it, lol. Okay, so in the light of day (and a bit of sleep) it's not as bad as it felt like, not top form, but I wasn't expecting it considering, lol.
~~~~~~~~~
“Cas?” Dean said warily.
“I don’t know, Dean,” the angel answered just as confused.
“Hello, boys,” an entirely too cheerful and familiar voice greeted.
“Gabriel,” Castiel all but growled.
“Nice to see you too, little bro.”
“What do you want, Gabriel? Where the Hell are we?”
The archangel leaned back against a tree absently examining his fingernails. “The question isn’t so much ‘where’ as ‘why’.”
“Why, Gabriel?” Cas glared through half closed, angry eyes.
“Let’s just say the two idiots who’d normally deal with these things, save the day and all that, are a bit preoccupied and not likely to be available anytime soon- at least if they keep up like you two did.”
Dean ignored the jibe and growled, “What kind of ‘things’?”
“Good question. Maybe you’re not as dim as I thought, then again probably not.” Gabriel raised as eyebrow and pointed behind them, “That kind,” and snapped himself out of existence. He popped back in a moment later to add, “Oh, and I’d be careful with the angel powers, little bro, they don’t take kindly to magic around here, ‘punishable by death’ I believe is the term they use. Look out,” and he vanished again.
Castiel turned around to see what mess Gabriel had popped then into. His eyes widened as the creature came towards them.
Dean took one look at his angel’s face and closed his eyes trying to calm down, “Do I want to know?”
“No, Dean, you don’t.”
He turned around anyway, “Oh, shit.”
Cas grabbed Dean’s shoulder and they disappeared.
******
“What the…” Arthur looked around at the strange surroundings, noting that thankfully Merlin was here with him. “Where in gods names are we?”
Merlin stood, wiping his hands over his butt as he did so. “I don’t know, someplace with a lot of dirt.”
Arthur rolled his eyes, “Yes, Merlin, your powers of observation are astounding. Help me find something to tell where we are.”
“How about we ask him?” Merlin suggested, looking suspiciously at the man he was certain wasn’t there a moment ago.
Arthur instantly drew his sword and stood between the man and Merlin.
“Please. I’m not going to hurt your precious sorcerer. And don’t act like you didn’t know, it’s annoying.”
Arthur’s jaw set, he didn’t carefully didn’t react to the news about his manservant being a magic user. “Let us go.”
“Umm,” Gabriel tapped a sarcastic finger against his lips as if he were considering the demand. “Ah, no.”
Arthur snarled, he wasn’t in the mood, especially with Merlin shaking behind him.
“Watching you two pine is worse than my brother and Dumbo. At least they finally figured it out.” Gabriel watched as Arthur’s tense posture changed from attacking to contemplative, he knew the warrior was still ready to defend at the slightest provocation, but he was listening, so he continued, “Here’s the deal, you two straighten,” he snorted lightly, “yourselves out and I’ll make sure you get back to where you belong. But don’t take too long, I’m not sure how long those two can keep their heads what with how your father is about anything magical.” With that Gabriel disappeared.
“Can you get us out of here?” Arthur asked without turning around, he wanted another minute to wrap his head around having Merlin’s secret exposed as well as the fact that he already knew about it.
“I can try,” Merlin answered quietly. “Frígnes útweard,” Merlin whispered, but nothing happened. “Aberstan,” he tried again. The process repeated itself twice more, before Merlin’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m sorry,” he said, not sure whether he was apologizing for not being able to get them out of here or for not telling Arthur himself.
“It’s alright, Merlin,” Arthur’s own absolution meaning more than it seemed.
“Are we…” Merlin started, stopping short when Arthur finally turned to look at him.
Arthur shook his head, “Like he said, I knew. I just wish you had told me.”
“Arthur.”
He clapped Merlin’s shoulder with a slight smile, “Getting out of here and back to Camelot is what we should be focusing on.” ‘Not would of’s and should of’s,’ he thought.
Just then an passage appeared in the side of their prison, opening up into the mouth of a large cave. “Some light, maybe?” he asked Merlin.
Merlin nodded, silently creating a familiar blue orb to light their way.
Smirking Arthur shook his head and headed into the cave.
Merlin was smiling at Arthur’s back as he passed, after everything they’d been through, he knew they’d get through this.
******
“What was that?”
“I believe it was a chimaera.”
“A chimaera? Like the myth? What is it with you guys and the myths? Why can’t it be a nice ghoul or skinwalker or even a witch? Did you hear me, Cas? I said it would be better if it was a witch!”
Castiel gave his lover a sardonic look in response.
“Fine.” Dean snapped. “Tell me you at least know how to kill it.”
“According to the myths a lance tipped in lead either down the throat or through the stomach,” the angel recited.
“Alright,” Dean tilted his head considering this, “so where do we find a lance around here, or there.” A thought struck him and he squinted an accusatory eye at the angel, “Where are we, and if your mojo’s working why can’t you get us out of here?”
“I tried, Dean.” He turned away looking sheepish and apologetic, “It seems Gabriel has inhibited my powers somewhat.”
“Great.” Dean rubbed his temples with one hand. “I’m guessing that means you can’t just angel away that thing?”
Castiel nodded once. “In answer to your other question, we are merely over the ridge from where we were.”
“You mean that thing is just over that hill!”
Calmly, ignoring Dean’s agitation, “I was afraid to take us much farther until I knew more of our surroundings.”
Dean rubbed his forehead and ran his hand through his short hair, “Sorry.”
Cas smiled, “I know, Dean.” His smile turned cheeky, “I have gotten used to you.”
“Smartass.”
The angel’s smile widened and his sky blue eye twinkled.
“So where do we find a lead tipped lance?”
******
“I’m starting to think this doesn’t actually lead anywhere,” Merlin mused.
“It has to go somewhere. Caves don’t just go nowhere,” Arthur argued.
“They could if they’re magical, and they did kind of appear out of solid rock.”
“I’m trying not to think about that, Merlin.”
Merlin changed tactics. “What do you think he was talking about, ‘straightening ourselves out’?”
Arthur drew up to a stop, turning to face his servant. “I don’t know, Merlin. If I did we’d be doing it to get out of here.”
“Then shouldn’t we be trying to figure it out, rather than running through endless caverns that may not go anywhere?”
Arthur huffed; he hated it when Merlin was right. He hated it even more when he had to admit it to him. Still, he leaned back against smooth face of the cave wall, the ball of light hovering a few feet from his head- he tried to ignore the fact that the ball followed him rather than staying between Merlin and himself, he knew Merlin had tripped up several times already before he realized he was leaving him in the dark. “Alright, Merlin, what do we do? We don’t even have the slightest idea where to start.”
“Well, is there anything bothering you?”
“Other than pretending I don’t know my best-friend is a magic user? No,” he added sarcastically.
Merlin smiled sweetly, “I’m your best-friend?”
“I never said that.’
“Yes, you did,” his smile grew at Arthur’s denial.
Arthur grumbled and pushed off the wall starting off down the cave, not waiting for Merlin to catch up.
******
“This makes no sense,” Dean said trudging through the forest with a long heavy lead tipped spear. “Why would Gabriel leave us here, make sure you couldn’t get us out of here or magic this creature away, but let you be able to angel up the weapon we need to kill it?”
“I don’t know, Dean. Gabriel has always been a bit of a mystery. He doesn’t think like other angels.”
Dean stopped and looked at his angel. “Cas, you don’t think like other angels.”
Sighing, “Gabriel really doesn’t think like other angels… or humans.”
“Just wish we at least knew how long we’re going to be here. I don’t like it, and I don’t wanna think about what Sammy’s doing to my baby.” He stopped suddenly, placing fingers to lips, “Shh.” He crept forward through the brush, pulling a branch aside to look out towards the sound that had grabbed his attention. “Fuck.”
The chimaera clammoured past them growling, and thrashing its great tail as it moved. Abruptly it stopped, feline head rising, turning slowly, eyes intently scanning as if looking for prey. Dean only hoped he and his angel weren’t on the menu, or that Cas’ angelic reflexes were fast enough to get them out of its jaws if they wound up there. The creature’s head turned toward the brush where they were hiding sniffing and snuffling; a crack echoed from the far side of the beast and its attention instantly flew towards it. It roared, fire spouting in a huge puff out of its mouth, engulfing the low branches and undergrowth.
“Cas? Tell me you have an idea on this one.”
“As you have so often told me strategy is not my strong suit.”
“Now, you decide to listen to me,” Dean hung his head.
“Perhaps a strategic retreat would be in order?” the angel suggested.
“Ya think?”
******
Arthur continued to studiously ignore Merlin as they wandered through the never-ending caves.
“Arthur, how long are you going to keep this up?”
“Indefinitely,” he muttered under his breath.
“You, Arthur Pendragon, should change your name to Winchester, you cause me as much trouble.” Gabriel’s voice trickled down to the two men, “Hmm, wonder if you’re related? I’ll have to look into that, doubtful considering,” he shrugged and turned his attention back to Arthur and Merlin.
“We’ve caused you trouble!?” Arthur demanded. “We aren’t the captors here.”
Gabriel waved his hand dismissively, “A technicality. It’s not like I’m doing this for my sake.”
Merlin could tell Arthur was losing his temper, he knew the signs, and just managed to reach him as he started to growl. “Arthur, don’t. He’s just trying to rile you up.”
“Listen to him, Pendragon, he’s the smart one.”
Merlin glowered, stepping in front of Arthur as he spoke, “Áscúfan.” Nothing happened.
Gabriel glared, adding, “…usually. Now, if you would stop being idiots for a few minutes. I thought I should help you along, otherwise it will be centuries before you figure it out.”
“Figure what out?” Arthur hissed.
“Figure out that you’re barmy over each other.”
‘Barmy?’ Merlin and Arthur mouthed at each other.
Gabriel rolled his eyes, “Sit.” He snapped two chairs and a love seat into being and with a finger flicked the two men into the chairs. “You,” he pointed at an astonished Arthur, “need to stop being obsessed about being ‘Prince’ and what is and isn’t allowed by your dufus of a father. You will not always be Prince and once you are not, you can say what is and isn’t allowed. And I know he,” he bent his forefinger to indicate Merlin, “has told you that more than once- listen to him.”
Merlin tried not to snicker.
“Oh, no, you’re not off the hook here. You’re just as much of an idiot as he is. You have everything you want right in front of you, but won’t let yourself see it or take it.” Gabriel shook his head disparagingly, and took and exaggerated breath. “Sometimes I wonder why I bother,” he held up an authoritative finger, “then I remember how annoying you are when you’re imitating the forests of Caledonia. So,” he clapped his hands together, “sit and talk amongst yourselves, write each other sonnets or love letters or whatever it is you do in the ass end of the Dark Ages, and I’ll go see how your replacements are getting on with the little toy I left them.” Another snap and Gabriel was gone.
******
“Last Starfighter,” Dean declared.
“Dean?”
“I really need to expand your education.” Dean shook his head at his own shortcoming when it came to his angel. “That’s how we get it.”
“I’m afraid my ‘education’ still needs expanding, Dean,” Cas replied patiently, used to not following his lover and his cinematic references.
“In the movie, they had to destroy a turret on the belly of the mother ship; instead of attacking it head on, they hide until it passed overhead and blew it up from behind. That’s how we get this chimaera; we come up from beneath it.” Dean smirked at his ingenuity.
“Exactly how are we supposed to know where it’s going to be?” Castiel questioned nervously, he didn’t like the glint in Dean’s eye.
Dean smirked.
---
They found a spot where a fallen tree trunk had years ago started to collect dirt creating a natural bunker, Dean hunkered down almost on his back lance positioned so he could thrust into anything that passed overhead.
Out in the open, Castiel searched for the chimaera flitting here and there hoping his angelic movements didn’t call the wrong kind of attention. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the part too accustomed to human thought, he considered whether trying to attract the chimaera wasn’t in fact ‘the wrong kind of attention’.
It took almost two hours, but eventually he located the beast. It was curled on itself asleep in a clearing. If Castiel hadn’t known what it was capable of and hadn’t almost been claimed as one of its victims, he would’ve considered the creature peaceful and almost cute. Getting it to follow him was simple, all he had to do was get in its line of sight or smell it seemed. Cas appeared and disappeared quickly luring the beast closer and closer to where Dean lay in wait.
“Dean, I would suggest you be ready!” Cas called, vanishing just as the wave of heat from its fiery breath enveloped the spot where he had been standing.
A moment later a shadow fell across the ground in front of Dean and the creature lopped over him. He spared a moment to wonder at how slow the animal seemed, before raising the weapon and driving it as hard and firmly as he could into the chimaera’s belly.
******
“What do you think he meant by that?”
“Which part, Merlin? You ask me, most of it was a load of drivel.”
Merlin considered this. “I was thinking about the love letters and sonnets.” If this was going to be drug out of him by some miscellaneous sorcerer he was going to bring Arthur with him.
“I don’t know, Merlin, maybe he thinks we were meant to become bards.” Arthur stood and began walking around the cave they were in, a cave notably without any entrance or exit.
“Doubt that, bards have to be ingratiating and friendly, they don’t have people thrown in the stocks the instant they meet them.”
“You were being an insolent ass,” Arthur defended, even if he silently admitted that he was being a rather monumental git at the time.
“And you were being a prat. Some things never change.”
“Yes, you’re still insolent.”
“Yet, you keep me on?” was Merlin’s sarcastic response.
Arthur, snickered as he examined the rock of the wall he was leaning on. “Why do you stay? It’s not safe for you.”
“Because someone’s got to keep you safe, gods know you can’t do it yourself.”
“Is that the only reason?”
Merlin jumped up angry, “No, Arthur, I stay so I can find the perfect opportunity to kill you or your father and take revenge for all those he’s killed.” He stopped against a corner of the large cavern and shook his head, Arthur would never understand that it was more than duty or destiny that made him stay.
“Merlin,” Arthur almost purred.
Merlin wondered if he did it on purpose or if it was just another of his inborn prattish abilities, either way it made his stomach do strange things.
Arthur’s hand reached out and rested on Merlin’s shoulder. “Merlin, I’m sorry. I just don’t understand you.” He sighed and plopped down on the ground. “You know why I never said anything, about your magic, to my father, I mean?”
“Why?” he mumbled.
“Because I knew how much you risk every day, and I have a feeling don’t know even half the times you’ve saved me and my father. Someone who would do all that is either an utter fool, or the most loyal and dearest friend a man could have. And despite my declarations to the contrary I don’t think you are an utter fool.”
Merlin managed to smirk, “You did it again.”
Arthur looked at him questioningly.
“Called me your friend.” He slid down the wall until he sat beside Arthur.
“No, you must’ve been mistaken, I’m a Prince I don’t have friends,” he said arrogantly.
Merlin bumped his shoulder, “You have me.”
“I already told you,” Arthur tried to sound less playful than he was feeling; it felt good to let Merlin know he did consider him his friend, even if he hadn’t told him how much more than that he meant to him.
“And Lancelot,” he continued ignoring Arthur as usual.
“He’s not likely to return while my father’s alive.”
“And Gwen.”
Arthur got quiet at the mention of the young woman everyone thought he had feelings for and most assuredly had feelings for him.
“What is it? You can’t doubt that she considers you a friend.” Merlin asked as he watched his friend play absently with his bottom lip, a habit Merlin had long ago realized Arthur did when nervous or upset.
Arthur shook his head, “I don’t doubt her feelings towards me, but,” he was about to jump off a cliff and hoped to all the gods there was more than jagged rocks at the bottom, “I worry that I would lose her friendship if she found my feelings were drawn to another.”
“Another?” Merlin asked, truly confused; he’d never known Arthur to show any interest any anyone except for Morgana’s maidservant.
“Gods, that ass is right about one thing Merlin, you don’t see what’s right in front of you.” He turned so he could looked directly into Merlin’s face, his eyes, trying to will his feeling’s to show. “Do you?”
Merlin was captivated by the shear emotion in those sky blue eyes. “Oh.”
Arthur smirked, “Yeah, oh.”
“Does that mean you wouldn’t call me an insolent servant and throw me in the stocks if I did something incredibly stupid like this?” Hesitantly, he watched Arthur’s lips as they twitched and his tongue licked along them nervously. He couldn’t tell you when he moved forward, but he knew when their lips touched. It was like when his magic worked on its own, the tingle of nature running through him, of knowing he was a part of something greater.
They were broken apart by the slowing echoing sound of clapping. “It’s about time. Though I have to admit when you finally do it, you do it well. If I was a different kind of person I could’ve watched that all night. Who am I kidding, I am that kind of person, but it seems my brother and Tweedle Dee managed to take care of the little problem your disappearance left them to take care of without too much trouble. Cas really is getting better at identifying these things, too much time with the Winchesters and their lot.”
With a snap Arthur and Merlin were standing in the woods outside of Camelot, a large horrific looking creature lay dead in front of them, a long spear sticking from it.
“Gabriel!” An angry voice snarled. “I don’t care what game you’re playing, but get us out of here and back to where we’re supposed to be!”
“Touchy, touchy.” Gabriel chastized. “Looks like you and Cas got along just fine, heads and lives still intact.”
“Gabriel,” another man warned.
“Come on, Castiel, didn’t you have fun, spending some alone time with Deano?”
Castiel cocked his head, “If that had been your true intent then perhaps I would have, as it was, no.”
“See what I have to work with?” Gabriel turned to Arthur and Merlin as if they would understand.
“What is it? Was it?” Arthur asked.
“I don’t know, Gaius might.”
“It’s a chimaera,” Cas offered.
When the two men just looked at each other, “Nasty, mythical, fire breathing monster,” Dean explained.
“You defeated it?” Merlin asked.
“We did.” Dean pointed between himself and his angel. “No thanks to Monkey Brains over there,” he gestured to where Gabriel had taken up residence on the log he’d used to hide beneath.
“What?” Gabriel asked, feigning innocence. “I made sure you had the tools to defeat it.”
“You didn’t have to call it into existence,” Castiel countered.
Gabriel did look honestly shocked, “I wouldn’t have created such a boring beast for you to play with, something a bit more challenging, harpies maybe, less ground based, always adds a bit of excitement.”
“Gabriel,” Dean growled again, ready to lunge at the mocking angel; Castiel’s firm hand on his arm the only thing holding him back.
Gabriel pouted, “Fine, fine,” he snapped his fingers, “There now you can get yourselves back whenever you want.” Another snap and the angel vanished once again.
“I’m going to kill him,” Arthur growled.
“Don’t bother, he just comes back,” Dean sighed. “He’s worse than a cat.”
“Dean,” the angel gave him a stern look.
“I know he’s your brother, doesn’t make him any less of a pain in the ass.”
Cas noticed their companions looking at them oddly, now that Gabriel was gone they had time to take in their appearance. “We should be going, Bobby and Sam will be concerned,” he said hoping to coax Dean into leaving sooner rather than later. Yes, he had his mojo back in full swing, but he had spent the afternoon being chased by a large lion-goat-dragon creature and would rather leave on his own terms.
Dean looked up anxiously, “My baby!”
“I’m sure the Impala is fine, Dean.”
Arthur and Merlin shared a concerned look. These two men were making little sense, yet they had defeated some mythical beast intent on wreaking havoc throughout the countryside, so Arthur felt they owed them a debt of gratitude. Arthur was at a loss for anything else to say as they two men delved into a quiet conversation that they only caught parts of, things like ‘angel’ and ‘apocalypse’ and ‘eternally grateful’, words that made Arthur’s head swim and Merlin’s eyes bulge.
Arthur cleared his throat loudly and the two men started as if they had forgotten they weren’t alone in the small clearing.
Dean stared at the long sword Arthur’s hand instinctively rested on. “Cas is right we should be going.”
Arthur inclined his head in respect. “Then we wish you a safe journey. Are you certain there’s nothing I can do to reward you? Slaying that beast could not have been easy, are you sure neither of you are injured, or require rest?”
“I have healed his injuries,” Castiel informed them matter-of-factly, though Dean could hear a hint of indignation beneath it.
“Of course,” Arthur answered slowly, looking over to Merlin to see his reaction. Merlin merely looked on, studying the man in the strange longcoat as if he were some unknown curiosity, rather than the sorcerer Arthur took him to be.
“Really, we must be going. Dean?”
“Thank you, again,” Merlin finally said as the shorter man shuffled nervously.
“Yeah, uh, nice meeting you, I guess.”
Castiel placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder and they were gone.
“What a strange pair,” Arthur said once he found his voice again after the two strangers disappeared right in front of him just as the sorcerer who abducted them had.
“I don’t know,” Merlin said lightly. “I thought they were rather sweet.”
“‘Sweet’?” Arthur asked incredulously, shaking his head at Merlin’s inexplicable comment.
“Didn’t you notice how they kept protecting each other, and the way they talked? Or how the one in the longcoat kept tempering the other’s anger with a simple word or touch.”
Arthur thought he felt himself blush remembering how it had been Merlin’s gentle touches and simple words that always grounded him and kept his temper and anger from running away with him. “Merlin, I may have admitted my feelings for you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going soft.”
“No one said you had to.”
“Good.” Arthur was taken aback by Merlin’s easy answer, feeling like he was missing some important point. “Not as if I needed your permission,” he added quickly.
“Of course not, Sire.”
“Merlin,” Arthur warned, stalking towards his manservant. He stalked the young man right up against a tree, placing his hands firmly against the bark on either side of Merlin’s head. “Shut up,” he said against his lips, kissing him slowly until they were both heady.
“Yes, Sire.” Merlin beamed from ear to ear.
.