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Merlin took another small sip of the same mug of mulled wine he’d been nursing all evening. It wasn't to spite Arthur's amazing medieval recipe - the wine was delicious - but this particular time of year it was dangerous to be around Arthur when drunk. Especially this casual, relaxed version of his best friend. He'd thought Arthur was stunning in a tailored suit, but this casual jeans and t-shirt made expensive office attire pale in comparison.
Casual-dress-Arthur was a sharp contrast to the rest of his flat. The place screamed ‘rich banker’. Merlin hadn’t been able to keep his mouth from falling open the whole time when he first saw it during the housewarming.
Most memorable had been Arthur’s bedroom and the truly gigantic bed he owned.
“Less of a risk to fall off the bed during an intense round of sex,” Arthur had said, winking.
Arthur’s king-sized bed had become a frequent prop in Merlin’s fantasy life. Probably because he’d never really had sex in his own bed; not at home where the walls were thin as paper, nor at uni where he didn't have the luxury of a private room. Arthur could take home any man he wanted, any time and properly bed them, wake up next to them in the next day and have a morning shag in his equally oversized shower.
Arthur liked to show off his flat. It was also central to all of them and the only flat big enough to host all of them at the same time. With the lot of them, the living room even got pretty crowded.
That was how Merlin ended up sharing a sofa with Arthur during their pre-Christmas drink. Arthur, who had no concept of personal space.
“So what’s everyone doing for New Year’s?”
Merlin barely heard Arthur’s question, too distracted by the appearance of Arthur’s feet in his lap. He stared at them for a long moment.
“Lance and I are going to watch the fireworks together,” Gwen said.
As everyone started listing his or her New Year plans, Merlin realized that nobody found it odd; to see Arthur practically sprawled across Merlin.
“What are you doing, Merlin?” Leon asked.
Bare feet. Long toes. The baby toe might just be a little crooked. Damn if that didn’t make Arthur’s feet even more perfect.
“What?” Merlin muttered distractedly when he realized everyone was looking at him.
“Are you doing something special on New Year’s Eve?”
“No, I’m not,” Merlin said after another long pause in which he gathered his thoughts, “I’m just going home, spend it with my mum.”
“What?” Gwaine exclaimed, “Merlin, that’s lame!”
“I used to spend it on campus, but I don’t think finding puke on my doorstep in the morning is a great way to start the New Year. Besides, I haven’t seen Mum in ages.”
“You can’t blame people for wanting to get drunk on New Year’s Eve,” Arthur said, “Not when you’ve got an alcohol problem yourself,” he added, grinning.
Merlin just rolled his eyes at that. "You do know Gaius was kidding every single time he told you I was wasting time at the bar? I'm actually not as behind on writing my doctorate as he pretends."
"Why are you writing a doctorate again?"
"Arthur!" Merlin couldn’t hide his annoyance. All of his friends were generally very supportive of his choice to pursue a PhD.
"And why did you choose the most eccentric professor Albion University has ever had as supervisor?"
It was true that the long white hair and distracted nature did nothing to improve Doctor Gaius' reputation.
"He's a doctor, Merlin, you're doing Law."
"I'm writing about the injustice of the millennium prosecutions against people with magical abilities. Gaius' own thesis proves the origin of magical abilities to be genetic. People are born with it. No law can ever criminalize a genetic fatality."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. This was why Merlin avoided talking about his thesis when Arthur was in the room. The prosecutions (and executions, though the government denied those, and all records were conveniently burned) were a thing of the past. However, fear of the unknown, the 'paranormal' as it was called, hadn't disappeared. Arthur's father was one of the most influential politicians that used anti-warlock propaganda in his electoral campaign. He was also continually growing in power. Merlin suspected the only reason he was mostly off Uther's radar, despite writing a controversial thesis, was because Arthur vouched for him.
If either Arthur or Uther knew about Merlin's abilities…
It was Gwen who smoothly changed the subject, considerate as always. Things returned to normal in no time, with Arthur holding Merlin down in a headlock while rubbing his head when he was deemed to be too silly or too geeky.
At the end of the night, Merlin felt as if Arthur clung to him still; the smell of his best friend seeped into his clothes and the memory of ‘too close’, ‘too much touching’ creating twisted daydreams when he closed his eyes.
It was a good thing he was going home for a couple of days. Maybe the physical distance would help clear his head of thoughts about Arthur.
xxx
This time Merlin couldn't find her anywhere when he finally did arrive at Ealdor station. He checked his phone but there were no unread messages. He swung his bag over his shoulder and started walking the short trek to his home. He expected his mother was caught up at the neighbours’ house or something.
He used his key to get inside, dropping his bag in the hallway before going into the living room.
He heard it before he saw it, an unfamiliar, out of place sound. He looked up to see his mother on the couch in state of partial undress, together with a man. His father Merlin realized horrified, a moment later.
“Oh shit!” Merlin swore, alerting the couple of his presence.
His mother was first to snap out of it, looking up at Merlin with a mixture of alarm and guilt. “Merlin,” she started, but Merlin was already turning around.
He stumbled back towards the door, ignoring his mum’s, “Merlin, wait!”
As he opened the door, the world seemed to turn, down was up, up was down for several moments until Merlin managed to clear his head. He looked up and groaned. He’d inadvertently teleported. He’d opened the door and wanted the door to be a way out, out of Ealdor and away from his parents. He got what he wanted, the noise and the tall buildings around him instantly told him he was in London.
When his vision cleared properly he groaned again. He’d teleported right in front of Arthur’s building. He sat down on the stairs with a sigh and got his phone from his back pocket.
Merlin: Found my parents in bed together upon returning home. Back in London. In front of Arthur’s place. Pathetic NYE.
Will: WHY would u force such a visual upon me? Arthr’s? U angling 4 a midnight kiss?
Merlin: Sorry. No! He’s probably not even here.
Will: He home. Didn’t cm out 2nite. What ru waiting 4?
Merlin: Shut up.
Will’s message that Arthur wasn’t out partying and might still be home made him inch closer to the building, trying to catch a glimpse of Arthur’s window. The light really was on!
Before he could overthink his next step, he was in the lift on his way to the seventh floor. He’d already knocked the door when the horrible thought crossed his mind that maybe Arthur wasn’t out clubbing because he’d already pulled. Merlin might be interrupting… something.
Merlin! What are you doing here?" Arthur opened the door, a look of surprise on his face.
Merlin thought Arthur looked happy as well as surprised to see him. A weight was lifted from his chest as it probably meant Arthur didn’t have someone over.
"My dad came back," Merlin said simply.
Without saying anything, Arthur ushered Merlin inside.
Merlin found his way onto the sofa mostly on autopilot. "I thought you'd be out clubbing with everyone."
"I decided that I didn't want to just pick up a total stranger and start the New Year with a one-night-stand in my bed. This night is supposed to be about spending it with someone special, after all.”
When the meaning of what Arthur was saying sank in, Merlin's heart plummeted. "Someone special... You're serious about someone then?"
Arthur averted his gaze, "Sort of."
Merlin chewed his lip, "That's great," he tried to sound encouraging, deep down he felt something snap. As if he’d hoped that after all the sleeping around, one day Arthur would still fall for him.
"So. Your dad is back,” Arthur changed topics, “How did that happen?”
Merlin sighed. “I honestly have no idea. I just found him with my mum… Making out on the sofa…”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
Merlin rubbed his forehead, “It’s fairly ridiculous, I know.”
“No… It sounds traumatizing, actually,” Arthur muttered.
Merlin laughed softly at that. “Yes, I’d say it was. Either way, I had to leave, they clearly wanted to spend New Year’s Eve by themselves.”
Arthur nodded, “You’re welcome to spend it here.”
Waving away Merlin’s thanks, Arthur got up to go to the kitchen. He brought back two beers, handing one over to Merlin, “Unless you want something stronger?”
Merlin declined. His original plans having fallen into the water, getting plastered on New Year’s Eve still wasn’t a good backup.
Arthur switched on the telly and sank into the sofa next to Merlin. They both stared at the screen, not really watching any of the silly New Years' Eve talk shows.
“Do you want to go out? Do something? Take your mind off it?” Arthur asked after a while.
“No, this is fine,” Merlin said.
“You look preoccupied. I’ve never seen you so serious,” Arthur said, sounding genuinely concerned.
Merlin sighed. "It’s just… I hate to say it, but if Balinor's back, that means trouble. It's a given. He left to keep me and my mum out of trouble in the first place!"
"You mourned for months when he left," Arthur said quietly.
"Yes," Merlin admitted. Arthur had been there for him, making valiant attempts to cheer him up.
Not for the first time he wished he could tell Arthur the truth. About Balinor being a Dragonlord, on the run from anti-sorcery government spies also known as 'witch hunters’. Aredian, one of the worst ‘witch hunters’ around, was a family friend of the Pendragons. He couldn’t take that risk.
“For years and years he kept his location secret from my mum and me. We only heard from him once or twice a year, finding out he’d been in Venezuela or wherever it was. Everything about him was secret. I never expected to see him again, I guess,” Merlin tried to explain.
It was quiet for a few long moments.
"Speaking about secrets...” Arthur said suddenly, “How did you get here so fast?"
Merlin mentally kicked himself. Hard. “What do you mean?”
“I mean one minute you’re in Wales, the next you're in London,” Arthur said calmly.
"I... I had a good connection?" he tried unconvincingly.
Arthur looked at him, a strange intense glow in his eyes as he approached Merlin, as if he were circling his prey.
Merlin's heartbeat sped up to near unbearable levels. What if Arthur suspected? What if Arthur found out? He'd been so careful! Okay, maybe that was a bit of a lie. Arthur had such a knack for getting into trouble. Merlin had needed to bail him out of trouble using his magic several times in the past. That was just it: he’d successfully kept his magic hidden all of those times. And now a trivial thing such as the distance between London and Wales was going to give him away!
"What's it called again? A teleportation spell," Arthur stated.
The ground fell away from under Merlin's feet but somehow he was left standing. "I don't know any spells," he said.
"Merlin..." Arthur said warningly.
Merlin knew he was truly done lying. "It's true,” he started, holding his hands up defensively, “I just wanted... to not be in Wales anymore. So I… left. I can't explain how it works. It just does. That's how it's always been." His voice broke. He looked away, not wanting to see revulsion on Arthur’s face.
"I believe you," Arthur said softly.
Merlin looked up, finding Arthur looking at Merlin with that same piercing intensity. It left Merlin squirming and sweaty. "How long have you known?"
Arthur sighed, "Forever. Since that day you pulled me out of the way of the witch's knife. I knew where you'd been standing the moment before. Even with quick reflexes, there was no way you'd have managed it."
"You've known since then..." Merlin tried to wrap his mind around this new piece of information but was failing spectacularly.
“Yes.”
“You’ve kept quiet all this time!” Merlin knew he shouldn’t sound accusing, not when it was he who’d been a liar and had kept things hidden. “What have you been doing, keeping tabs on me? What’s it called… keeping your enemies close?”
Arthur frowned at that, “No! Of course not!”
Merlin didn’t want to believe that Arthur had just been bidding his time, waiting for the right time to hand him over to his father. The mere idea of it was too horrible to contemplate.
“I wanted you to trust me, to tell me,” Arthur said finally, accusation of his own clear in the tone of his voice, “But I understand why you didn’t. Why you’d think I’d take it badly…”
Merlin had been on the verge of telling Arthur so many times. Now the secret was finally out, he should feel relieved. Something still felt off, even if Merlin couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
“You never wanted to tell your father?” Merlin asked hesitantly.
“No. I’d never let him find out about you.”
“He’s your father. I’d have understood.”
“He may be my father, but he’s not the one I’m spending New Year’s Eve with. You are.”
Something clicked, a piece of a puzzle falling into place, maybe… “Me? But I showed up unexpected,” Merlin said hesitantly.
“Yes. I’m glad you did.” Arthur took another step closer to Merlin. It wasn’t intimidating like it had been before; Merlin took a small step forward into Arthur’s space.
“I could never have betrayed you, Merlin.” Arthur put a warm hand on Merlin’s waist.
“I never wanted to have secrets from you,” Merlin said, voice dropping to a near whisper.
“I’m glad. No more secrets then?” Arthur asked, fingers caressing his hipbone.
“No more secrets,” Merlin agreed, stepping even closer so their knees were brushing.
“Good,” Arthur said, “Because it would have been hard to keep it a secret exactly how happy I am you’re here.”
“Wouldn’t want to hide something like that,” Merlin said breathlessly.
“No hiding how I find you incredibly sexy,” Arthur continued, “And how I really, really need you to kiss me right now.
Merlin closed the remaining distance between the two of them, launching himself at Arthur’s beautiful mouth. Arthur responded with equal enthusiasm.
Very quickly the kiss turned deep and wet, licking into each other's mouths. Merlin clung to Arthur needing to feel every part of him, every inch of warm skin behind layers of clothing. His fingernails dug into Arthur's jeans, just below the belt. He pulled Arthur in by the hips into an even closer embrace. When their cocks brushed, they both groaned.
"Bedroom," Arthur said, sounding choked.
Merlin was too far gone to even nod. He let Arthur pull him towards the room in a haze. It was only when he saw the bed, Arthur's very large bed, it dawned on him fully.
"You have waited too bloody long for this," Merlin tore at the buttons of Arthur's shirt, each punishing tug freeing up more of Arthur's gorgeous chest until Merlin couldn't stand it any longer. It had to be now, now, now.
With a flailing wave of his hand, what remained of Arthur's shirt disappeared along with the rest of his clothing, trousers, shoes and all.
Merlin took a moment to admire the result of his magic, then, ignoring the baffled look on Arthur's face, he let his hands run freely across Arthur's body, fingers dipping into the muscled abdomen down to the soft flesh of his buttocks.
When his hand reached to cup the warm flesh of Arthur’s hardening cock, it snapped Arthur out of his trance. "Interesting trick," he said, pushing Merlin forward until the back of his legs brushed against the edge of the bed.
"You think so?" Merlin asked innocently.
Arthur nodded, "Just where did my clothes go to?"
"No idea," Merlin said honestly.
Arthur just laughed. In one swift move he'd tackled Merlin so that they both fell onto the bed, Merlin trapped under Arthur's weight.
"Make yours go too."
"No," Merlin grinned, "I think I'd rather you do the honours."
Arthur growled. Merlin could make out 'Not fair' and 'Too bloody slow' as Arthur manhandled Merlin out of his jeans and hoodie, throwing them on the floor beside the bed.
Every inch of skin that Arthur touched brought a new meaning of sensuality to Merlin. Merlin often felt awkward naked. One of the few sexual partners he'd had, a slightly older university fellow called Edwin, always commented on his bones sticking out. He really was all weird angles and pale skin. Those thoughts were driven from his mind as Arthur left a trail of kisses on each strip of uncovered skin.
A kiss on the inside of Merlin's thigh elicited a low moan, Merlin’s cock jumped and he couldn’t stand it any longer. He helped Arthur get rid of his boxers.
One arm across Arthur's shoulder for support, he reached for both their cocks with the other. He wrapped his hand around them, relishing the feel of Arthur's cock pressed together with his.
Arthur placed a wet, open-mouthed kiss onto his mouth. They writhed together like that, both breathless and needy. Until Arthur pulled away, clearly reaching for 'supplies' in the drawer of his bedside table.
The telltale sound of plastic being torn instantly had Merlin on edge. He wanted whatever Arthur offered, Arthur's cock in his mouth or arse. Anything as long as Arthur touched him again, as long as he could feel and smell every bit of him.
He may have made a soft sound of desperation, because Arthur grinned, giving Merlin’s cock a teasing tug. He proceeded to put the condom on Merlin’s cock with expert ease. Merlin didn't want to stop and think how often Arthur had done this before.
When Arthur's mouth closed around him, he stopped caring.
xxx
Arthur shifted so they were face to face again and looked at him questioningly. His goofy smile matched Merlin's.
"Happy New Year," Merlin said.
"Happy New Year," Arthur echoed.
They remained silent for several long moments, wrapped up in each other.
“Any New Year’s resolutions?” Arthur asked finally.
"My resolution is not to leave this amazing bed ever again," Merlin blurted out before he could stop himself.
He'd meant it as a joke, a compliment to Arthur's large and comfortable bed.
Only, there had been no promises that this was going to be more than just a one-off...
Arthur just grinned, "And here I was making plans to chain you to it. Now it seems I might need to kick you out of it at some point."
Merlin forced his mind not to derail at images of Arthur chaining Merlin to his bed. Instead he focused on the second part of Arthur’s words. "You can, you know," Merlin said, "kick me out mean, I'm a big boy, I can handle it if you didn't mean for this to be serious."
"What?” Arthur looked truly aghast, “No! I'm not kicking you out! Not when I've finally got you right where I want you."
The implication that Arthur just might have been pining for Merlin just as much as Merlin had been for Arthur wasn't lost on Merlin. He kissed Arthur, hard, morning breath be damned.
xxx
"You will finish it. And we will get it published."
"Your father won't like that," Merlin said quietly.
"No," Arthur admitted, "it's too late to change his mind about magic. But we can change other people's minds. We will make a difference for people with magic."
"Are you going to start a revolution?" Merlin teased.
"No. You will. With me at your side every step of the way."
Merlin found he was left speechless at that. Any protests he might have found after a while were left unsaid as Arthur kissed away his words.