CHASTE PART 6- Chapters 17-18

[lawgoddess]

Chapter 17

Merlin was pretty deeply asleep, his body slumped into Arthur’s, and Arthur took the opportunity to look his fill. He looked at Merlin all the time, of course, but he had to not be too obvious about it when other people were around. And he didn’t want to make Merlin uncomfortable.



But now, in the last quiet interlude he might have with Merlin for some time, he savored the sleeping boy in his arms. He noticed how Merlin’s forearms had soft black hair on them, and how delicate his wrists were. He looked down at Merlin’s head cradled against his chest, and noted how soft and springy his hair was. He traced along his cheekbone and very lightly outlined one of those ridiculous, lovely ears.

He let his thoughts roam, too, letting himself go places he usually kept off limits because he had to concentrate on not losing control.

He thought he should probably wait a while after he first invited Merlin into his bed to actually fuck him. They could go slow; he’d proved he was good at waiting, and he didn’t want to create any bad memories for Merlin. There were lots of other things they could do. Maybe he’d let Merlin top the first few times, get him used to sex that way.

It was pretty exciting to think about. For all he knew, Merlin had never been kissed, let alone had his cock stroked or his balls sucked into a hot mouth or his hole played with or any of the other things Arthur planned to do with him. The idea of being Merlin’s first was a huge turn-on for him. He’d never been with a virgin before, and the idea of Merlin blushing and trembling and being awed by the newness of being touched made him hard as a crowbar.

He’d have Merlin begging for it all the time, he knew he would. He remembered what it was like to be a horny teenager. And once he showed Merlin the joys of physical love, there would be no turning back.
He thought about their future, too.

He supposed they’d have to keep the relationship a secret from Hunith until Merlin was at least eighteen. He would legally be an adult then, and able to make his own decisions about where to live. If Arthur could have his way, Merlin would move in tomorrow, but that wasn’t realistic.

He’d have to think of a plausible explanation for Merlin to be at his condo during the week. Merlin was good with computers; maybe he could give him a job installing software or something like that. Arthur was good with computers, too, and didn’t really need any help, but Hunith didn’t have to know that.

Merlin going to a university would be a problem, too, but there were lots of fine schools in the city, or close by. He could come up with a good reason why Merlin couldn’t go to a school more than a hundred miles away, a plausible reason that Hunith would accept. Or maybe by then they’d go public as a couple.

He drifted into a pleasant reverie, thinking about traveling and showing Merlin the world. Eventually they’d be legally married, of course.

Merlin was his, and would be by his side for the rest of their lives.

“I’ll be right by your side, like I always am, protecting you.” Merlin had been so earnest when he’d said that. And events had proved him right.

But in this life, their only job was to love each other. And at least until he grew up, Merlin was the one who needed protecting.

God help anyone who tried to take Merlin from him.

*****

Merlin slept for an hour, and then Arthur got a phone call from Hunith, saying she was parked downstairs and was on her way up to the condo to get her son. Merlin didn’t awaken when Arthur dug in his pocket for his phone, but when he’d rung off Arthur regretfully woke him, sliding his fingers through Merlin’s hair one last time before he gently shook him awake.

Merlin straightened up and pulled away from Arthur, and the look in his eyes was so clear and guileless and open that Arthur couldn’t help himself. He leaned in and kissed Merlin, a mere brush of his lips against Merlin’s.

It was the way he might kiss his sister, or Gwen. Affectionate. Sweet.
Chaste.

It took all of Arthur’s willpower to leave Merlin and go and open the door for Hunith.

*****

Once Merlin was gone, Arthur flopped down on his bed, an arm over his eyes, letting himself indulge in the deep feeling of loss. It wasn’t right for Merlin to leave him. Didn’t he know that? And how would he be able to sleep without Merlin under his roof?

He lay there for half an hour, sick with longing, running through all what had happened after the kiss. Merlin had looked back at him fearlessly, but it was hard to tell whether the kiss had been welcome or not. And then Hunith had been there, and there was no time to discuss how Merlin felt about it.

Hunith had had to reach up to hug her tall son, and she had held him for a good long time. She’d said simply, “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Then she’d turned to Arthur, thanking him profusely for going to the emergency room and letting Merlin stay with him.

Arthur felt guilty when he heard her expressions of gratitude. He’d done it because taking care of Merlin was his duty and his pleasure, and he needed no thanks for it.

And he couldn’t exactly share with her the fact that he was intent on seducing her not-quite- sixteen-year-old son.

So he smiled and disclaimed and told her to take another day off to take care of Merlin. Then he carried Merlin’s backpack down to the car and held the door open for Hunith and said, “Goodbye, Merlin, feel better soon” with false cheerfulness, and waved at them as they pulled away.

And he felt his heart leap when Merlin looked back over his shoulder at him, his expression soft and speculative and self-aware. They held each other’s gazes until Hunith made a turn in the parking lot, and then Merlin was gone.

Merlin had known what that kiss had been about. Arthur was sure of it.
After a while, he got up from the bed and went into the office. He could still get four or five hours of work in, and there was no point in hanging around in a place that felt lifeless without Merlin there.
Empires didn’t run themselves.

That night, he slept with the Arsenal sweatshirt he had loaned Merlin on his pillow. He hadn’t washed it after Merlin had given it back, and it smelled like the boy who owned his soul.

*****

He was at his desk the next morning when Hunith called, and he played the part of a concerned but not overly interested older friend of Merlin’s, inquiring politely how Merlin was feeling.

She told him that he was still sore, but getting better, and that she thought he’d be back in school the next day.

Arthur wasn’t too worried about that. The boys who had hurt Merlin were still on suspension, and he doubted they’d bother Merlin again now that their parents and the school were involved. Bullying thrived best in the dark.

And besides, now that the considerable clout of Dragoon Limited was involved, not to mention Arthur’s personal warning to them, he doubted that they would be any problem. It would probably be good for Merlin to get back to his usual pursuits; it would keep him from brooding about the incident, and Arthur knew he had a lot of friends at school.

There was one kid in particular that Merlin had mentioned, Will, and even though Arthur was somewhat jealous of the way Merlin casually described Will as “my best friend since forever”, he wasn’t so far gone that he didn’t recognize that Merlin needed friends his own age.

He wasn’t going to mention the trust account to Hunith until it was finalized. But he did suggest to her that she go to the school the next day and raise hell. He added, “I think you should take Lance with you. He was very helpful in dealing with the police and the parents the night this happened. And I want you to have some backup in case they try to minimize this or bullshit you.”

Hunith agreed, and they left it that she and Lance would meet at the school, and that she would be at work the next day following the meeting.

With that settled, Arthur had several items of Merlin-related business that needed attention.

He called his lawyer and asked about the status of the trust account for Merlin and the payments. He was told that the account was open and that the $150,000.00 would be deposited by the end of the day. Arthur had further instructions.

“This is confidential, of course. Send a runner over here to pick up a check; I’m going to match what the parents contributed, out of my personal account. But as far as Hunith Emrys is concerned, the whole $300,000.00 is coming from the parents. If she asks any questions, tell her that the parents had an umbrella insurance policy that covers intentional torts. Once the funds are all in place, you can call her and give her the good news that Merlin has a nice nest egg. Are we clear on that?”

The attorney assured him that he was, and Arthur smiled ironically at how easy it was to obtain the services of a discreet and competent attorney when your family owned a good chunk of the city. Then he moved to the next call on his list.

He called the interior decorator he’d retained and told her to meet him at the condo that night with her design boards and samples. He planned to have two rooms redecorated by the time Merlin spent the night again, and he’d told her that he expected her to have the appropriate craftspeople in place to start the job the next day.

Finally, he called the Personnel Office and asked the head of the department to come to his office. When she arrived, he said, “Who do we have working on opening that new branch in San Francisco?”

She rattled off four names, calmly and professionally, keeping her curiosity to herself. He answered, “Devon Killinger, he’s in his sixties, right?”

“He’s sixty-four,” she said smoothly. “He hopes to retire in six months.”

“I think we need to transition someone else onto the team, to prepare for his retirement. I’d like to find a management job for Hunith Emrys; I realize that I’ve been selfish in keeping her as my secretary when she has so much potential. I think she’d be a good addition to that team; she’s very bright and organized and good with people, and she’s devoted to Pendragon Limited.”

“Whatever you think is best, Mr. Pendragon,” was her response.

Arthur knew what he wanted. “Please prepare a budget and salary proposal as soon as possible to add her to that team. I’ll review it, and then you and I and the team leader can meet with her to make the offer. I’d like to increase her salary by about twenty-five percent, to compensate for all the travel she’ll have to do.”

He smiled to himself as his employee left. Hunith would love the new job, he hoped, and it suited his purposes to have her away a couple of weeks a month.

Things were falling into place nicely.

Chapter 18

Arthur had some disappointing news from Hunith when she came into work late on Wednesday morning, after the meeting at Merlin’s school. She told him that she wanted to keep Merlin close to home for a while, and that he wouldn’t be coming to Pendragon Limited for the internship for the rest of the week. She wanted him to rest and not strain his shoulder, and Arthur understood that. And he empathized with how scared she must have been by her only child being bullied and beaten at a place where he should have been safe.

It didn’t mean he had to like it, though.

He asked her how the meeting went, and she told him that the principal had seemed genuinely regretful and promised to place more emphasis on an anti-bullying campaign. And with tears in her eyes, she continued, “I know you were the one who had the idea for the trust fund for Merlin, and I want to thank you. Merlin is very bright, and I know he would have gotten a scholarship to a very good school. He still might. But it’s nice to know that we don’t have to depend on that now.”

Arthur lied smoothly. “It was really the parents who realized that Merlin should be compensated for the abuse Merlin suffered at their sons’ hands.” He continued, “I just hope those boys learned that it isn’t okay to beat up on someone just because he’s different.”

He hesitated just a bit before saying, “Do you think Merlin will be back next week, then?” He tried to keep his voice from catching as he said, “Everyone misses him.”

She looked anxious. “I hope he will, but I don’t want to push him. He has a doctor’s appointment on Friday, and we’ll see if he’s going to need physical therapy. If he does, it will have to be after school. But if he doesn’t , he can come back next week.” She smiled at him, sweet and maternal, and added, “He loves coming here. And he appreciates all the time you’ve taken with him, helping him learn about the company and the work world.”

Arthur smiled right back, making sure to maintain eye contact so he would look sincere. “It was my pleasure.”

*****

It was difficult for Arthur, being without Merlin for that week. He thought about calling him, but didn’t want to push. If Merlin needed space to sort out what had happened to him, and what had happened between them, he would give it to him.

As long as it didn’t go on for too long.

He kept thinking of Merlin in the bath, so trusting and relaxed. And of sleeping with Merlin’s back to his front, pulling him in so that his body sheltered Merlin’s slighter frame even in sleep. He thought of the kiss, and of Merlin’s searching expression the last time he saw him, being driven away from their time alone.

The days he had spent with Merlin felt timeless, like the two of them had been in a cocoon. He craved that feeling again, the feeling that nothing mattered but the two of them and their wants and needs.

By Friday he felt like he was going crazy, desperate for some word from Merlin. He got it indirectly, and through Lance.

Lance came by for lunch, and casually mentioned that Merlin was feeling a lot better.

“You saw him?” Arthur said, the words coming out sharper than he intended.
Lance didn’t seem to notice. “Yeah, Gwen and I stopped by his house last night. We thought he might need some company, and I wanted to make sure he was okay. He looks good; he said he misses being here.”

Arthur fought down the wave of jealousy that engulfed him when he realized that Lance had been able to see Merlin when he hadn’t. He tried to focus on Lance’s next words, which held promise.

“You know how we talked about doing a fencing demo for Merlin sometime? He asked about that, and I told him that I’d check with you, see if we could do it tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is fine,” Arthur answered, a warm glow spreading in his belly from knowing that Merlin had asked for this. He couldn’t be feeling too freaked out, which had been Arthur’s concern. They agreed that Lance would pick Merlin up Saturday morning and the three of them would go out for breakfast, and then on to the fencing club.

Better to have Lance pick Merlin up, Arthur reasoned. If Merlin had two older male friends, one of them married and with a baby on the way, she would be less suspicious of Arthur’s interest in Merlin.

*****

Arthur had another one of his dreams that night, the dreams that he loved because he and Merlin were together.

This time they were older, older than Arthur was now. They looked like they were close to fifty. Both of them had silver in their closed trimmed beards, but except for a few lines around his eyes Merlin looked as slender and boyish as ever.

He was sitting at a table, a quill in his hand, studying some papers. Merlin was seated at his right hand, cracking walnuts with his bare hands and dumping the nutmeats into a bowl.

His dream self looked up, a frown on his face but a fond light in his eyes. “Mer-lin,” he said, drawing out the second syllable the way he did when he was feigning annoyance with his former manservant, now his court sorcerer and First Adviser.

And his consort, but that was an unofficial title.

Merlin looked at him with a gleam in his eyes. “What?”

“Could you be any more annoying? Or any noisier?”

Merlin picked up one of the uncracked walnuts and tossed it from palm to palm, one corner of his mouth quirking up. “Oh, I can be a lot noisier. As well you know, my liege.”

Arthur took that as a challenge, and rose quickly, leaning over Merlin and fisting the front of his shirt aggressively. He kissed him roughly and deeply, and waited until Merlin was making little whimpering sounds before pulling back and saying huskily, “If you are going to tempt me away from the important work of running the kingdom by bragging about what you do in bed, you’d better be prepared to follow through.”

“Oh, I am, Arthur. Always prepared.” Merlin’s eyes had gone dark and hungry, and he pulled Arthur’s hand down to his crotch to feel his hard cock.

This blatant provocation had Arthur dragging Merlin to the big bed in seconds flat, unbuttoning Merlin’s fine linen shirt. (When Arthur had become king, he had personally thrown each and every one of Merlin’s neckerchiefs in the roaring fire of the fireplace, while Merlin watched. And then he had forbidden all of the castle seamstresses to make Merlin any more of the damn things. Merlin could have magicked up some new ones, of course, but Arthur probably would have burned those too. And it was unbecoming to the dignity of his new position to squabble with Arthur as if they were schoolchildren. At least about this.)

Then Merlin’s boots had come off, and his stockings, and then his trousers and undergarments were yanked off in one smooth motion.

Merlin moaned as Arthur rubbed a calloused thumb against the spot right behind his balls, just the way Merlin liked, licking into his mouth the whole time.

And watching the dream, watching the other Arthur pour oil on his fingers and fuck Merlin with them before he rolled Merlin on top of him and impaled him on his hard shaft, Arthur knew that these two loved each other with the same intensity that he loved Merlin now.

It was inevitable. Merlin would feel it soon.

*****

Arthur got to the restaurant early, knowing that he was probably blowing his cool by appearing overeager, but not even caring. He was rewarded when Lance and Merlin showed up, and Merlin gave him a dazzling smile from the doorway.

Arthur could feel his tense shoulders relax as he exhaled in relief. He gave Merlin a smile back, a somewhat shaky one, as he thought, he missed me as much as I missed him.

When they arrived at the table, Arthur stood. He wanted to hug Merlin, but thought he probably shouldn’t in front of Lance, so he settled for a handshake. Maybe he gripped Merlin’s hand for a few seconds too long, but Lance didn’t have to know that. And when he let go, he let his thumb slide under Merlin’s wrist to feel the delicate skin over the veins. He’d had fantasies of kissing Merlin there, feeling the pulse of Merlin’s lifeblood under his lips.

One day. One day, he would kiss Merlin there, and over every other square inch of his body.

He checked to see if Merlin had noticed the caress. He had, if the pink tips of his ears were any indication. Arthur loved how sensitive Merlin was to small touches. It boded well for him to be an apt pupil in Arthur’s bed.

They ordered their food, and Arthur did a quick analysis of Merlin’s appearance and mood. He looked a little thinner, if that was possible, and still a bit pale. And he was less chatty than he usually was when the three of them were together.

Arthur asked what the doctor had said, and Merlin reported that the shoulder was healing well, and that physical therapy wouldn’t be necessary unless his arm didn’t continue to heal. He said the arm didn’t hurt anymore unless he moved it wrong, and then he added, “I haven’t been sleeping well, though.”

Lance said something sympathetic, and Arthur said, “That’s unfortunate. Any idea why?” Merlin looked straight at him and said, “No idea,” at the same time as Arthur felt sock-clad toes caressing his ankle.

Why, you little flirt….

Merlin had been wearing loafers when he walked in, Arthur remembered. And apparently he’d slipped it off and decided to play footsie with Lance sitting right there.

But then Arthur remembered that he had started it. So he couldn’t really protest too much about being given a taste of his own medicine. But this wasn’t the time or place.

He shook his head infinitesimally at Merlin, who smiled a sly smile and ducked his head.

Hmmm…. Maybe one of the things Merlin needed to learn from him was that payback can be a bitch….

Arthur was relieved when Lance decided to change the subject, or at least he was until he realized what Lance’s new topic was. Handsome, noble, clueless Lance said “What happened to your ring, Merlin?”

Merlin flushed and fiddled with his silverware, and finally said, “My hand was swollen, so they cut it off. I could buy a new one, but while I was at home I did some more reading, and now I’m not so sure I want to be associated with that cause. It seems kind of misogynistic; a lot of the emphasis is on girls saving their virginity as a promise to their fathers, like the father owns their sexuality or something. And they’re definitely anti-choice, and my mom always raised me to be pro-choice, and me and my mom are liberals. So maybe that movement wasn’t a good fit for me and...”

Merlin was talking faster and getting agitated, and Lance and Arthur exchanged a quick “who wound him up?” look. Lance said “It’s okay, Merlin, I don’t need all the details,” at the same time as Arthur said kindly, “Take a breath, Merlin.”

But Merlin plunged on. “So I might abstain from sex until I’m married, or I might not, or I might never get married, or I might decide I want to have sex in a respectful and loving relationship, or I might even decide to have sex with lots of people, as long as I don’t hurt anyone. I haven’t decided yet.” He looked up, half-embarrassed and half-defiant.

And Arthur’s heart swelled with pride to see his beautiful, smart, sweet boy thinking for himself.