Title: Love is a Banquet
Writer: eachpeachpearplum | @eachpeachpearplume
Rating: T
Warnings: No archive warnings apply, alcohol mention
Word Count: 2k
Pairing/main characters: Merlin/Gwaine, pre-Merlin/Gwaine/Arthur
Tags: fluff, canon era, jealous Arthur, hungover Arthur
Summary:
When it comes to Arthur, Gwaine does a lot of pretending for Merlin's sake: pretending he doesn't know how Merlin feels about Arthur, pretending he doesn't know how Arthur feels in return, pretending he doesn't want to punch Arthur in the face and shout at the pair of them to stop being stupid and snog already.
(Gwaine's planning on being involved in the snogging too, he's not self-sacrificing enough to give Merlin up entirely, but he sort of thinks one of them has to make the first move.)
Or: Arthur is jealous and hungover, Gwaine is exasperated and really struggling to be sympathetic, and Merlin's heart is big enough to share...
I always find the posts/fics where leons just so over witnessing merthur pining so funny. Like that man really had to see them from the start and the tension between them grow and he just had to sit and watch. Like I imagine every time a new knight joined they all brought the weird vibes up and leon each time was more and more over it.
Like it stared w lance early on being like
Lance: hey leon, is it just me or are arthur and merlin lowkey pining for each other
Leon: oh thank god! Someone finally brought it up, yeah theyve been like this for a while-
But then ended up as
Percy talking to the knights as they watch merlin and arthur bicker (read: flirt): ok but, does it seem like theyre fli-
Gwaine, sounding exhausted: yeah theyve been like this for a while
Percy: really? And theyve still not done anything about it?
Leon the long suffering, whose now had to watch them for almost 10 years: *eye twitch* nope.
I love that one scene in the cup of life episode where Arthur and Gwaine are peacocking about who’s the better fighter and Merlin is just like: “shut up, you’re both pretty. But hey, maybe don’t try and impress slavers, dumbasses! Let’s go.”
And it fucking works?!
Merlin was absolutely in charge of all the knights lives 100% of the time, even if he let them think otherwise for their pride occasionally.
Merlin: God, if only someone loved me…
Arthur: standing behind them with a wedding ring roses
Freya: holding box of chocolates
Gwaine: has balloons
Gwen: holding out a flower crown
Mordred: has a card
Morgana: bringing him special books
Lance: literally just dropped everything he was doing because Merlin needed help carrying things
Gaius: facepalms This is sad.
I went down an entirely unintended brainrot-rabbit hole today, so people might as well get something out of it; six quick and dirty oneshot recs, three for Arthur/Gwaine, and three with Merlin on top (ha), enjoy the chaos duo-slash-trio!
If All Else Fails, Lower Your Standards by giselleslash
[Arthur/Gwaine | E | 7k | Modern AU]
Somehow Arthur ended up Gwaine's full-time booty call, which was really rather annoying. Except when it wasn't.
This perfectly hits their dynamic on the head for me, and there is so much affection swinging between the lines that really is the crux of them for me; the way they will bitch at each other but really, they're in loveeee. Disgusting. <3
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Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Wrong Dart to the Neck by Malu_3 (Grainne)
[Arthur/Gwaine | M | 4k | Canon]
A celebration of S3 Arthur and Gwaine, tweaked for shipping comfort and ease of use.
Both of their characters feel so true to themselves, and it's such an excellent take on their slowly developing season 3 dynamic. Not to mention that the pay-off is excellent, and Merlin deserves compensation for putting up with them. Top tier Arwaine dynamic.
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Take Care (The Dart to the Heart Remix) by Polomonkey
[Arthur/Gwaine | G/A | 2.5k | Canon]
Arthur and Gwaine take care of Merlin whilst in Jarl's captivity. Merlin only wishes they would take care of each other too.
An excellent missing scene remix of the above fic featuring both buckets full of classical Arwaine tension, a dash of Merlin whump, and an outside POV on their specific brand of oblivious, pining fools.
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With You I'm Warmest by LiGi
[Arthur/Gwaine/Merlin | T+ | 5k | Canon]
“It’s so c-c-cold,” Gwaine said rather unnecessarily after a few moments, when the freezing wind snatched at his hair again. He shuffled closer to the fire. But the fire and blankets seemed to be doing little to warm him and Merlin chewed his lip anxiously. They needed to get his temperature up higher, faster.
“Arthur, take your clothes off.”
“I really don’t think this is the time, Merlin,” the prince answered exasperatedly, shaking his head.
“Body heat,” Merlin explained, already standing up to shuck his cloak and jacket off. The wind whipped the jacket from his hand. “It’s the fastest way to warm him back up.”
Hurt/Comfort, huddling for warmth, emotionally stunted but sweetheart Arthur, and a happy poly ending for all of them? Yeah. This entire fic feels like a warm blanket itself and single-handedly turned me into a whump!Gwaine fan I think, 10/10 no notes <3
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All's Well by arthur_pendragon
[Arthur/Gwaine/Merlin | E | 1k | Canon]
Arthur and Gwaine, both hopelessly in unrequited love (or is it?) with Merlin, use each other to get off.
I'm such a sucker for this trope and it just works SO well for the three of them. The trio is mostly implied at the end but I actually liked it best that way, it's such a great snapshot of the dynamic between Arthur and Gwaine, what's missing and what isn't, with the 'fix' mostly left in the air because really, they probably don't know exactly, either.
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Playing Dirty (orphaned)
[Arthur/Gwaine/Merlin | E | 2.5k | Modern]
Arthur's not a prude, but he does think the number of times he's walked in on his flatmates having at it probably qualifies them for some sort of general obscenity charge.
While this is mostly PWP, it just feels SO true to the dynamic of Merlin and Gwaine being little shits and entirely making it Arthur's problem. There's bets about who will get whom of quicker. It's excellent.
I started watching Merlin under the assumption that I’d get some fun history nerd moments and that Merthur was just another fannon mlm ship with little canonical basis but HOLY SHIT I’ve literally seen cannon straight couples with less sexual tension than whatever the fuck those two had going on.