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Merlin gripped the headboard with one hand, knuckles whitened from the strength of it. The other he moved back behind him to hold Arthur’s hip and still the small thrusts his partner was starting to make inside him. Were it any other day, Merlin would have gladly gone with Arthur’s playful mood. He would have teased his partner, calling him a clotpole or a prat every time Arthur’s eagerness strained the seams on Merlin’s clothing. Arthur would have tried to shut him up with lips and tongue before Merlin eventually climbed on top of Arthur to take control of his own fucking. Today though, Merlin needed something slightly different.
“Slow, just slow,” he said.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?” Arthur asked.
“No,” Merlin replied. “I’m just more wound up from today’s mess than I thought.”
Arthur pressed a kiss to the base of Merlin’s neck, another on his shoulder blade. He was distracted by the tight heat surrounding him, but his first priority was to take care of his lover.
“Okay, c’mere then,” he mumbled into the lean muscle of Merlin’s shoulder. Arthur moved his hands up from Merlin’s hips to around his waist. He guided Merlin back to rest more of his weight in Arthur’s lap, Arthur’s cock pressing deeper inside him. He tilted Merlin’s head back and to the side for a kiss. Arthur could never get enough of Merlin’s lips, the tease of his tongue.
In this moment, though, Merlin wasn’t so assertive. He opened his mouth at Arthur’s prompting stroke along his jaw and swipe of his tongue. Merlin met every touch and press of lips with his own grateful response, but he let Arthur continue to lead instead of pushing and pulling him where he needed. He had felt detached from the moment before, stress leaving his muscles cold and tense. With each movement of Arthur’s lips, Merlin began to slowly warm up. A delicate flush tinted the bridge of his nose and ears. Arthur paused the kiss, taking a second to admire Merlin. His naturally plump lips were reddened and parted just slightly. Merlin’s eyes were closed, his lashes framing his high cheekbones. And though they had just begun, strands of Merlin’s hair were already escaping the morning’s attempt at grooming, curls going every which way.
Arthur presses one more small kiss on Merlin’s lips before taking Merlin’s cock in one hand and starting to slowly stroke. With the other hand, he gripped Merlin’s thigh, fingers digging deep into the muscle to begin massaging away the tension Merlin carried throughout his whole body. Arthur groped Merlin’s balls and pushed fingertips into the muscle of Merlin’s other thigh. Arthur was determined to rub and fondle Merlin until Merlin was left a warm puddle. Arthur stroked Merlin’s cock upward again, and on the downstroke, he carefully moved back the foreskin. One finger stroked around the base of the exposed head, and at this touch, Merlin started to feel his muscles melt. He slumped back further; his spine pressed completely up against Arthur’s chest.
Another stroke of Arthur’s fingers, and Merlin let out a low moan. Arthur now closed his own eyes and turned his head to bury his nose in Merlin’s hair, feeling the reverberations of Merlin’s moan in his own chest. This is what Arthur wanted: a loose Merlin in his lap, a plush heat surrounding his cock, pushed in as deep as he could go.
Arthur could have cried from relief when Merlin started to move his hips in time with Arthur’s strokes of his cock. He pulled his face back slightly and asked, “Ready, love?”
“Yeah,” Merlin sighed. This time Merlin pulled Arthur back for a kiss, pressing his lips firmly against Arthur’s, prying Arthur’s mouth open with tongue and a hint of teeth.
Merlin started to lean forward again to grip the headboard once more. Arthur moved with him so to not pull out completely. Arthur wrapped his hand around one thigh to nudge Merlin’s knees farther apart, getting him exactly where he wanted him. Arthur groped Merlin’s balls and stroke his cock once more before taking Merlin’s slim hips in his grip to give one hard thrust. Merlin jerked forward a bit with a pleased yelp, and he turned his head back towards Arthur to give him a wide grin. Arthur met that smile with his own and started pressing forward again.
Despite the tease, Arthur started at a relaxed pace, allowing Merlin to really feel those long, deep thrusts. Merlin relished the feeling of being full, took comfort in the heat and weight of it. He took himself in hand but didn’t stroke, just holding himself in place while he rested his head on the arm still supporting him against the headboard. In and out. Gods, Arthur had stretched him so wide, filled him so completely.
Arthur, meanwhile, found himself tracing the length of Merlin’s body with his eyes, admiring the lean muscle that bound him. His eyes first caught on the red expanse of skin around Merlin’s neck. He could imagine the color spreading further and further down Merlin’s chest, towards perked nipples and a stomach that would hollow slightly with each hitched breath. His gaze continued down along Merlin’s spine, tracing every freckle along a familiar path. When Arthur’s trajectory took him to where he was joined with Merlin, he couldn’t stop himself. He knew this was primarily about Merlin tonight, but he would take this for himself as well.
Arthur titled Merlin’s hips a bit and pried one ass cheek to the side, fixing his gaze on the flushed rim of Merlin’s hole as it took each thrust of Arthur’s cock so sweetly.
Arthur groaned. “Gods, Merlin,” he said. “Please, please say I can go faster.”
Hearing Arthur’s words tinted in desperation, Merlin nodded vigorously. “Yes, Arthur, yes.”
Immediately Arthur began to quicken his pace, hands at their place on Merlin’s hips once more, pulling Merlin’s body towards him to meet every thrust. Merlin felt a lick of heat course throughout his body. He began to stroke himself, his finger forming a ring that would tighten and twist slightly as he stroked up. Merlin’s cock was flushed a deep red now, almost purple. Each movement of Arthur’s cock in, each pass of Merlin’s tight grip up along his sensitive cock brough Merlin closer and closer to release. His eyes were lidded, his mouth open, pleasured pants falling from his lips every time Arthur’s powerful thighs and hips met his own. He needed more.
“Hold on, Arthur,” Merlin gasped. “Wait.”
Arthur slowed down with a groan, hard thrusts turning into a deep grind of Arthur’s cock into Merlin. He pressed his face into Merlin’s back, kissing his slightly damp skin with every word.
“What, love? What do you need?” he asked.
“Come here,” Merlin breathed. “Move up.”
Merlin guided Arthur to understand what he meant. They shuffled forward on their knees closer to the headboard so that Merlin could prop himself up more vertically. Merlin also wanted another kiss but could only manage to touch his open, slightly swollen lips against Arthur’s before whispering, “Yes, like this.”
At this angle, with every thrust, Arthur’s cock not only pressed deep inside but also forward. Merlin’s one-handed grip just barely held him up - his body wanted to collapse - as Merlin felt over and over Arthur pressing into that most sensitive spot inside him. The licks of heat that had coursed over Merlin’s body in waves earlier now seemed to crest all together. Merlin stroked himself quick and bit down on his own arm, desperate to ride over that final burst of pleasure.
“Arthur, fuck,” he moaned. “Fuck!”
Encouraged, Arthur sped up his thrusts, and One. Two. Merlin was falling forward with a groan, spilling into his hand. While Merlin was still panting, Arthur pressed him into the sheets, turning him around. Pliant and fucked out, Merlin allowed his legs to be hooked into the crook of Arthur’s elbows. He was bent almost in half as Arthur pressed forward to thrust his cock back in again.
“Yes, Arthur,” Merlin whispered. Now he was able to catch Arthur’s gaze again. Whereas previously he was calm, patiently giving Merlin what he needed, now Merlin could detect a desperate glint in his eye. Merlin cupped his hand around Arthur’s neck. “Give it to me.”
On one more powerful thrust, Arthur came, giving Merlin a hard kiss as he ground the last pulses of his orgasm into Merlin with his hips. As the heat ebbed away, Arthur continued kissing Merlin, slowing putting down his legs and letting Merlin stretch out tired thighs. Arthur pulled away from Merlin, and almost before Merlin could let out a parting groan, saddened to have that fullness taken from him again, Arthur quickly ducked down. He pressed his lips to the shaft of Merlin’s softening cock, his nose grazed through the sparse hair on Merlin’s lower belly. Arthur continued lower, tipping Merlin’s hips again so that he could lick at Merlin’s pinked rim.
Merlin sighed, putting one arm over his eyes as he focused on Arthur’s ministrations. Each soft press of Arthur’s tongue and lips soothed his stretched hole. Arthur took a second to mouth at Merlin’s balls, kiss along the shaft of his cock again, avoiding the head because Merlin would be too sensitive. But when Arthur moved his head back down again, he found that a bead of cum was starting to slip from Merlin’s hole, and Arthur felt like he could go all over again. He pressed his mouth against Merlin, formed his tongue into a point so he could push deeper inside and extract all that Merlin had to offer.
“Ah! Arthur nghhh,” Merlin moaned. He pushed his fingers into Arthur’s hair, lightly tugging. “It’s too much, Arthur, it’s too much.”
Arthur pressed his flattened tongue against Merlin once more, soothing the now slightly puffier, sensitive rim. Arthur kissed his way up Merlin’s body and took Merlin’s lips. The two laid in each other’s arms for a while, slowly kissing, feeling each other’s warm bodies. Merlin passed his hands over Arthur’s arms, around his waist, appreciating his strength and the wider build of his body. Arthur in turn felt the prominence of Merlin’s collar bones and flicked a thumb across a small nipple, admiring the last gasps he could draw from his lover. One of Arthur’s caresses turned into a quick grope of Merlin’s ass, a finger stroking down the crack to check on Merlin’s hole.
Merlin snorted and pushed Arthur away slightly. “You prat. Don’t know when enough’s enough, do you?” he said.
“Mmm,” Arthur hummed his agreement. “Surely you can’t blame me. I am the king after all, and I’m used to getting what I want.” He grinned. “And I want you.”
Merlin’s answering grin was indulgent. “You want something, alright. Is there possibly anything else I could get you, sire?” Arthur didn’t like being called by that title in his bed, when he and Merlin should feel as equals in that space. But right now, it was playful. They had had their pleasure, and while Merlin was “admonishing” Arthur for his greediness, he was also delighting in Arthur’s desire. He loved the version of himself that made Arthur so needy because it was his truest self. He had nothing to hide from his king.
Arthur kissed Merlin once more and said, “No, love. Let’s settle in.” Arthur laid back against the pillows, avoiding where Merlin had swiped his dirty hand earlier. Merlin settled against Arthur, laying his head on his partner’s chest, arm laying slack around Arthur’s waist. Merlin closed his eyes and rested for a moment.
“Now,” Arthur said, “any more details about what was stressing you today?”
Merlin sighed. “I really thought my written spellwork had come along. But when Daegal and I tried enchanting a practice sword to test the latest spell, all the swords in the armory turned into snakes!”
Arthur laughed a little louder than he intended. He didn’t want to hurt Merlin’s feelings but turning the armory into a snake pit seemed very much like Merlin.
“And how exactly did that happen?” Arthur asked.
Merlin moved his head against Arthur’s chest as if he could bury it in embarrassment. “Spells are often poetic, and I thought I had written the perfect line to make the knight’s sword work nimbler. Turns out “strike with the speed of a viper” was a more literal command than I thought.”
Arthur chuckled softly. “You’re doing wonderful work trying to protect us all. There will be mistakes along the way, but we’ll all be better off once your work is complete.” Arthur stroked Merlin’s back comfortingly.
“Yes, well. This was a pretty big mistake,” Merlin said. “Getting rid of those snakes was an awful task.”
Arthur replied jokingly, “What, did you have to cut off all their heads like that mess with Valiant’s shield?”
“More or less,” Merlin said. He peeked up at Arthur. “Without written spells, my magic is still very instinctual, and I couldn’t just will snakes to be swords again.”
It took a beat for Arthur to realize what that meant. “Do you mean we have no swords currently?”
Merlin put his head against Arthur’s chest again and hugged him tightly, begging comfort because Merlin knows how bad this looks.
“Well all the ones in the armory are now headless snakes. Or burnt ones, yes. But don’t worry! I spent the rest of the day until I saw you trying to come up with more materials for new weapons. And I think if I’m there during their forging, the enchantments I want to use will actually work much better.”
Now it was Arthur’s turn to sigh. Camelot will be fine for the time being if all the swords outside the armory were unaffected, but that was still a lot of wasted material. Still, Arthur doesn’t press the issue, knowing that Merlin had been working very hard to sort it out. He had missed Merlin over dinner, and when Merlin had come barreling through their living quarters later, it was all Arthur could do to calm Merlin down and ease some of that worry.
“I’m very sorry, Arthur,” Merlin says quietly.
“No reason to apologize. I know it will turn out alright. You are very capable, you know,” Arthur replies.
“Some days I feel very far from capable.”
“Well, you just come to me when the work feels too much.” Arthur grips Merlin possessively again. “I know how to help you refocus.”
Merlin can hear the smile in Arthur’s tone and he snorts. “Yes, yes. Very proud of ourselves, aren’t we, sire? Now go to sleep before you get any other ideas about your usefulness.”
Arthur doesn’t continue his teasing. Merlin has a long day tomorrow, after all. Instead, he kisses the top of Merlin’s head and says, “G’night, Merlin.”
And Arthur hears a muffled, “Night,” before drifting to sleep.