A long way to go 8/16
Title: A long way to go 8/16
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
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
Part 7
Merlin became the closest thing to a friend that Arthur had in a long time. He noticed that he liked having him around, he was a pleasant house guest. Once in a while he left to tend to other patients, but he was always back in the evening.
Some nights, they even cooked together. Or rather… Merlin cooked and assigned Arthur to chopping duties and such. But Arthur noticed that he learned a lot about healthy food and how to make it taste good anyway.
Of course there were nights where he rather had a glass of wine with the food or even a beer, but one look at Merlin’s face, which wasn’t even reproachful or sympathetic, and he reached for a coke or some water.
Merlin had started to treat the rest of Arthur’s body, too. Years of walking on a cane showed in the muscles in Arthur’s back and shoulders. First he’d just treated his hand, massaging tight muscles, pressing a few spots, making it relax. Then he moved onto his shoulders and that one night, he’d made Arthur take off his shirt and lie down on his front.
Arthur waited for a massage, which sure would hurt, his shoulders were so tight. But then Merlin’s fingertips almost tickled as they gently slid down left and right of his spine. It felt as if vertebrae popped back into place and Arthur grunted, but after a while it just felt good, the tingly thing Merlin usually did on his knee cursing through his body, shooting straight to his cock.
“We’re done,” Merlin announced soon after. “You can get up now.”
“Err…,” Arthur felt the blush on his cheeks. Damn, this was the first time in years that he grew a boner when someone else touched him. But did that have to happen here and now? “I’ll… I’ll take a moment.”
He didn’t see the grin on Merlin’s face. “Take all the time you need. I’ll start dinner.”
They sat outside in silence after dinner, the couch - Arthur’s nest for years - almost forgotten.
Arthur didn’t know why, but he felt like telling Merlin a few more things. “You know… Marty…”
For the first time, Merlin didn’t wait for more. “Tell me more about him. Have you heard of him since?”
“No.” Arthur shook his head. “I thought… I thought it was something to last. We tried, we really did. But he left for good. Even changed his phone number.”
“You tried to find him?”
“Not really find… But it would have been nice if we could have stayed friends.”
“Did you love him?”
Arthur worried his lower lip for a moment. “I thought so.”
Merlin leaned back and sipped his lemonade. “And you never tried to find someone new?”
“No. I guess I was too busy with myself.”
“Not even for… You know… Just a one night stand?”
Arthur laughed bitterly. “Nah, never thought they were worth it. If I felt the need, my hands were good enough, which is probably too much information.”
Chuckling, Merlin shook his head. “I saw you puke and wiped your butt and you think this is too much information?”
Only two weeks ago, Arthur would have thought that this was awkward. But now he was so comfortable around the bloke he didn’t know much of that he just chuckled, too. “True.”
“Maybe you should start going out? Not to find your true love, but as practice? To learn how to interact with people again?”
“Going out alone?” Arthur basically hadn’t left the house in two years. The thought of going out, to a place with lots of people, where he was supposed to talk to them… He didn’t want to admit it, but it scared him.
“Call someone? One of your old friends? Go out for dinner.”
“Can’t. They stopped calling. Why would they want to go out for dinner?”
“Why did they stop calling?”
Arthur had all the answers about how they didn’t want to be his friends any more when he was injured and didn’t make tons of money any longer. But over the past weeks he’d come to see that it was his own fault. He’d driven them away. He never called them, but expected them to call. And he hadn’t always been friendly when they did. He couldn’t blame them.
“Cause I’m a jerk.”
Merlin smirked. “Good start.” He leaned back and said nothing more.
Part 9
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
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
Part 7
Merlin became the closest thing to a friend that Arthur had in a long time. He noticed that he liked having him around, he was a pleasant house guest. Once in a while he left to tend to other patients, but he was always back in the evening.
Some nights, they even cooked together. Or rather… Merlin cooked and assigned Arthur to chopping duties and such. But Arthur noticed that he learned a lot about healthy food and how to make it taste good anyway.
Of course there were nights where he rather had a glass of wine with the food or even a beer, but one look at Merlin’s face, which wasn’t even reproachful or sympathetic, and he reached for a coke or some water.
Merlin had started to treat the rest of Arthur’s body, too. Years of walking on a cane showed in the muscles in Arthur’s back and shoulders. First he’d just treated his hand, massaging tight muscles, pressing a few spots, making it relax. Then he moved onto his shoulders and that one night, he’d made Arthur take off his shirt and lie down on his front.
Arthur waited for a massage, which sure would hurt, his shoulders were so tight. But then Merlin’s fingertips almost tickled as they gently slid down left and right of his spine. It felt as if vertebrae popped back into place and Arthur grunted, but after a while it just felt good, the tingly thing Merlin usually did on his knee cursing through his body, shooting straight to his cock.
“We’re done,” Merlin announced soon after. “You can get up now.”
“Err…,” Arthur felt the blush on his cheeks. Damn, this was the first time in years that he grew a boner when someone else touched him. But did that have to happen here and now? “I’ll… I’ll take a moment.”
He didn’t see the grin on Merlin’s face. “Take all the time you need. I’ll start dinner.”
They sat outside in silence after dinner, the couch - Arthur’s nest for years - almost forgotten.
Arthur didn’t know why, but he felt like telling Merlin a few more things. “You know… Marty…”
For the first time, Merlin didn’t wait for more. “Tell me more about him. Have you heard of him since?”
“No.” Arthur shook his head. “I thought… I thought it was something to last. We tried, we really did. But he left for good. Even changed his phone number.”
“You tried to find him?”
“Not really find… But it would have been nice if we could have stayed friends.”
“Did you love him?”
Arthur worried his lower lip for a moment. “I thought so.”
Merlin leaned back and sipped his lemonade. “And you never tried to find someone new?”
“No. I guess I was too busy with myself.”
“Not even for… You know… Just a one night stand?”
Arthur laughed bitterly. “Nah, never thought they were worth it. If I felt the need, my hands were good enough, which is probably too much information.”
Chuckling, Merlin shook his head. “I saw you puke and wiped your butt and you think this is too much information?”
Only two weeks ago, Arthur would have thought that this was awkward. But now he was so comfortable around the bloke he didn’t know much of that he just chuckled, too. “True.”
“Maybe you should start going out? Not to find your true love, but as practice? To learn how to interact with people again?”
“Going out alone?” Arthur basically hadn’t left the house in two years. The thought of going out, to a place with lots of people, where he was supposed to talk to them… He didn’t want to admit it, but it scared him.
“Call someone? One of your old friends? Go out for dinner.”
“Can’t. They stopped calling. Why would they want to go out for dinner?”
“Why did they stop calling?”
Arthur had all the answers about how they didn’t want to be his friends any more when he was injured and didn’t make tons of money any longer. But over the past weeks he’d come to see that it was his own fault. He’d driven them away. He never called them, but expected them to call. And he hadn’t always been friendly when they did. He couldn’t blame them.
“Cause I’m a jerk.”
Merlin smirked. “Good start.” He leaned back and said nothing more.
Part 9