A long way to go 7/16
Title: A long way to go 7/16
Author: bunnysworld
Rating: NC-17 (not in this part, but it’ll get there)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Spoilers: No spoilers
Warnings: modern AU, with a hint of magic, homophobia
Word Count: 15.800andafew
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the boys aren’t mine. Just took them out to play a little. I give them back unharmed - if I have to. Own nothing, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Arthur thinks his life is over. And then he meets Merlin.
Thanks to the wonderful tambear13 for being my cheerleader through this and for the quick beta.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
The next couple of days were rather uneventful. Arthur slept a lot, but felt a bit better each day and Merlin made him work out a bit, treated his knee and sometimes they talked.
In the beginning, Arthur wasn’t sure it had been the right thing to tell Merlin everything. But it had felt good to talk to someone who didn’t smother him with sympathy or made stupid remarks. He had just listened. And that felt good.
And the things he did to his knee were wonderful. When the effects of the drugs had worn off, it had hurt like hell. But each time, Merlin touched it, that tingly feeling made it feel good. Arthur didn’t know what Merlin did, but whatever it was, it was good for him.
They sat outside in the evenings, sometimes just enjoying a cocktail - Merlin was good at mixing non-alcoholic ones - in silence, sometimes they talked. Arthur noticed that all these weeks, he’d been the only one talking and that he knew nothing about Merlin. But he wanted to know. So he asked careful questions and found out that Merlin indeed was a doctor, but not in medicine but literature. He’d never did anything with that title but travelled the world for a while, learning new techniques of healing from all kinds of cultures.
“How do you do that?”
“How do I do what?” Merlin reached for one of the snacks he’d made before and smiled at Arthur.
Damn, that smile was nice. “How do you do that tingly thing with my knee?”
The smile widened. “Is that was it feels like for you?”
Arthur nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not like you have to scratch, it doesn’t tickle. It’s… It feels nice.”
“Good.”
“You’re not telling me how you do it?”
“Would you believe me?”
“Try me.” Arthur wondered what odd stuff Merlin would dish up now.
“It’s the gift Mother Nature gave me. Some call it magic.”
Arthur nearly choked on his drink. “Magic. You gotta be kidding!”
“I just call it gift. But no, I’m not kidding.” Merlin grinned and stuffed his face with more of the cream cheese crackers.
Chuckling, Arthur sipped his drink. “Whatever. Then don’t tell me. As long as it helps, fine by me!”
He missed that Merlin slightly shook his head, an amused smile on his face.
Part 8
Author: bunnysworld
Rating: NC-17 (not in this part, but it’ll get there)
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Spoilers: No spoilers
Warnings: modern AU, with a hint of magic, homophobia
Word Count: 15.800andafew
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the boys aren’t mine. Just took them out to play a little. I give them back unharmed - if I have to. Own nothing, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Arthur thinks his life is over. And then he meets Merlin.
Thanks to the wonderful tambear13 for being my cheerleader through this and for the quick beta.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
The next couple of days were rather uneventful. Arthur slept a lot, but felt a bit better each day and Merlin made him work out a bit, treated his knee and sometimes they talked.
In the beginning, Arthur wasn’t sure it had been the right thing to tell Merlin everything. But it had felt good to talk to someone who didn’t smother him with sympathy or made stupid remarks. He had just listened. And that felt good.
And the things he did to his knee were wonderful. When the effects of the drugs had worn off, it had hurt like hell. But each time, Merlin touched it, that tingly feeling made it feel good. Arthur didn’t know what Merlin did, but whatever it was, it was good for him.
They sat outside in the evenings, sometimes just enjoying a cocktail - Merlin was good at mixing non-alcoholic ones - in silence, sometimes they talked. Arthur noticed that all these weeks, he’d been the only one talking and that he knew nothing about Merlin. But he wanted to know. So he asked careful questions and found out that Merlin indeed was a doctor, but not in medicine but literature. He’d never did anything with that title but travelled the world for a while, learning new techniques of healing from all kinds of cultures.
“How do you do that?”
“How do I do what?” Merlin reached for one of the snacks he’d made before and smiled at Arthur.
Damn, that smile was nice. “How do you do that tingly thing with my knee?”
The smile widened. “Is that was it feels like for you?”
Arthur nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not like you have to scratch, it doesn’t tickle. It’s… It feels nice.”
“Good.”
“You’re not telling me how you do it?”
“Would you believe me?”
“Try me.” Arthur wondered what odd stuff Merlin would dish up now.
“It’s the gift Mother Nature gave me. Some call it magic.”
Arthur nearly choked on his drink. “Magic. You gotta be kidding!”
“I just call it gift. But no, I’m not kidding.” Merlin grinned and stuffed his face with more of the cream cheese crackers.
Chuckling, Arthur sipped his drink. “Whatever. Then don’t tell me. As long as it helps, fine by me!”
He missed that Merlin slightly shook his head, an amused smile on his face.
Part 8