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morri-draws · 2 months

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Gwaine x Reader - 'The Threads That Bind Us' - Chapter 2

Story Summary:

You, a humble dressmaker from Camelot’s lower town, are commissioned to make a new gown for Queen Guinevere. Impressed by your skills, she offers you the position of Royal Clothier. During your time in the castle, you catch the eye of one of the knights of King Arthur’s inner circle, Sir Gwaine. What starts as a sweet courtship is turned upside down when misfortune strikes and you must deal with the aftermath, as well as an unwelcome visit from Gwaine’s unpleasant sister.

Rating: Mature

Tags: Female Reader/Gwaine, set between seasons 4 and 5, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

Words: 4,757

Read Chapter 1

Read on Ao3

Loading up the last of your belongings in a small, borrowed handcart, you begin the difficult ascent from your small shop in the lower town to Camelot’s citadel. The journey is prolonged somewhat by the need for regular stops to rest, but eventually you make it across the bridge and into the castle’s large courtyard.

You wheel the cart about halfway across the square when a young man with short, dark hair and a red neckerchief approaches.

“Are you (Y/N)?” He asks.

“Yes, that’s me,”

“I’m Merlin, King Arthur’s manservant,” He introduces himself with a bright smile. “He asked me to assist you with moving your belongings into your new chambers,”

“Oh, that was thoughtful of him,” You set the cart down and shake the ache from your arms. “We might have to do a few trips,”

Merlin peers into the cart. “I think we can make it in one,”

You raise your brows in disbelief.

“I’m really good at carrying things,” He assures.

Merlin grips the cart’s handles and wheels it across the remaining length of the courtyard, positioning it beside the main entrance stairs, then begins removing your belongings from the cart, placing them over his shoulders and under his arms. You join him, taking your bag of clothing and the wicker basket, which is filled with sewing implements and kitchen supplies. Glancing at Merlin, you see he’s loaded himself up like a pack horse.

“I admit, I might have to come back for those,” He inclines his head to the remaining bolts of fabric in the bottom of the cart.

“A splendid effort, nonetheless. Are you sure you can carry all that up the stairs?”

“I’m sure,” He grins. “Shall we head up?”

As Merlin leads you through the castle, you try to memorise each staircase, corridor and corner to your new home, until Merlin stops in front of a door in a quiet passage.

“Here we are,” He says, reaching into his jacket pocket with some difficulty.

He pulls out a key and inserts it into the door’s keyhole. With a turn and a click, the door swings open, emitting a brief creak. You step into a large, rectangular room which is indeed well-lit, with several small windows along the right wall. To the far-left is a fireplace, with two chairs placed in front with a small round table between them. In the middle-left of the room is a dining table with a long bench on either side. On the right of the room, against the windows, are two large worktables, perfect for spreading and cutting fabric. Next to those is a full-length mirror, a wooden dressing screen and a large shelving unit. A few well-placed rugs already give the place a homey feel. You can’t wait to arrange your belongings in here.

In the centre of the far wall is another door. You stride across the room and open it to reveal a smaller chamber. Sunlight floods the room from a window on the left wall, under which is a bed, about double the width of the one in your old home. On the right side of the room is a wardrobe, a trunk and a modest bookshelf. Against the wall closest (the one which the door is positioned) is a washbasin with a small mirror, and a bathtub.

“This place is amazing!” You say as you step back into the main room.

“I’m glad you think so,” Merlin smiles as he places your belongings down on the dining table. “I’ll just go and fetch the rest of your things,”

“Let me help,” You rush forward to go with him.

Merlin holds out his hands to stop you. “It’s alright, I’m good at carrying things, remember?”

“If you’re sure?”

“I am. You can start making yourself at home,” He shoots you a toothy grin and heads out, closing the door behind him.

You only manage to put your clothing away in the wardrobe and trunk in the bedroom by the time Merlin returns. He places the last bolts of fabric on the table next to your other belongings.

“Before I go, Arthur wanted me to tell you that some of the knights will be stopping by tomorrow. Something about gambesons, I think,”

“Alright, thank you for letting me know, and for all your help today. I highly appreciate it, Merlin,”

“You’re welcome. It’s nice to be appreciated.” Merlin smiles. “Anyway, I’d better get back to Arthur. Bye!”

He rushes out the door before you can respond.

The next morning, you find a place for your remaining belongings, making sure everything is neat and presentable. The shelves in the main chamber are now filled with fabrics, and atop one of the large tables, your sewing journal, quill and ink are ready for the day’s work.

A knock at your door startles you, but you take a deep breath, ready to greet your first client. You open the door to find not a knight, but the queen.

“My lady,” You greet her with surprise.

“Gwen,” She corrects you with a smile.

“Of course. Please come in, Gwen,” You step aside and gesture for her to enter.

She steps inside and looks around. “I hope everything is to your satisfaction?”

“Oh yes, I am more than satisfied. This will do very nicely indeed,”

“I am glad,” Gwen smiles. “Arthur informed me this morning that he’s planning to send some of the knights to you today. I thought he may have been a bit hasty, so if you need more time to prepare, I can put them off,”

“No, that’s quite alright, thank you. I am ready to get to work,”

“Very well, I should leave you to it. The first of the knights shouldn’t be too far off. Good luck on your first day,”

“Thank you my lad– Gwen,”

She nods with a smile and leaves your chambers.

About twenty minutes later, there are three firm knocks upon your chamber door. You rush to answer, and are greeted by a knight, one you believe you saw riding through the lower town a few days ago. He is tall and slim, with curly, dark blonde hair and a short beard.

“Welcome, sir?” You say, beckoning him inside.

“Leon,” He says, stepping into your chambers.

“Sir Leon, how may I be of assistance?”

“I’m in need of a new gambeson,”

“Alright, if you could just strip down to your tunic and trousers, I can take some measurements,”

The knight stiffens, brow furrowed in confusion. “Shouldn’t we wait until the clothier arrives?”

“I am the new clothier,” You state.

Sir Leon’s cheeks redden. “I’m sorry, I meant no offence. Just… is it really appropriate for a woman to fit a man’s clothes?”

“Since I haven’t asked you to strip down to just your unmentionables, I think we’ll be alright,” You smirk.

You swear you see the knight’s cheeks deepen further, as he nods and begins to unbuckle his cloak. You step closer and take his cloak when he’s removed it, standing by to do the same for his chainmail shirt and gambeson. You take the clothing to one of the worktables and place them down neatly, grabbing your tape measure.

“Lift your arms please,” You say as you approach him.

He does so, and you slip the measuring tape around his chest, bringing it together at centre front. You mutter the number to yourself, and step over to the table to mark it down in your journal. You do the same for his waist, then measure the length of his arms, before standing behind him to measure the width of his shoulders and the length of his torso.

Once all the figures are written down, you take his old gambeson from the pile of clothes and spread it out on the table. It’s clearly been well-used, the fabric worn through in some places, as well as rips and slashes in other areas. Grease stains cover the garment, made by the armour worn over it.

“And the new gambeson is to be in the same style and colour as this one?” You ask.

“Yes, thank you,”

You flip to a new page in your journal and take a quick sketch of the design.

“Very well, Sir Leon, I should have your new gambeson made up in a few days,”

You grab his pile of clothes and take them to him. He hastily gets dressed and clears his throat.

“Thank you,” Hey says, heading for the door. “Sorry about before,”

“That’s quite alright. Until next we meet,”

You close the door behind him once he’s stepped out, and exhale. You hope not all the other knights will be the same. You’re sure you’ll get sick of having to explain over again that you are in fact the woman for the job, not just an assistant.

You hardly have time to relax before there’s another person at the door. You answer to find Sir Gwaine.

“Sir Gwaine, please come in,”

He steps inside, looking about the room. “Nice place you’ve got,” He spins around to look at you. “I just saw Sir Leon on my way here. He looked flustered. What did you do to him?” He gives a lopsided grin.

“I didn’t do anything,” You defend yourself. “He was perhaps embarrassed that he basically said it should be a man in my role,”

Gwaine shakes his head playfully. “Ah, that’s Leon for you. You’ve got to cut him some slack. He’s been around since Uther’s time, so I suppose you could say he has a bit more of a… traditional outlook on some things,” He smiles. “Then again, he may have just been flustered from being alone in the presence of a beautiful woman,”

You scoff. “I don’t think so,”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it. Leon is the nervous type. He’s not so skilled at talking to ladies,”

“Whereas I suppose you are, and are very confident in yourself,”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Gwaine shrugs.

“Anyway, I have a job to do. Stand here please,” You gesture for him to stand by the worktable. “What is it you need today?”

“A new cloak,” He grabs the sides of his cloak and spreads it out like scarlet wings, revealing several rips.

“What did you do, get dragged behind a horse?”

He laughs. “Something like that,”

“Well, remove the cloak please,”

He undoes the buckle at his throat and does as you say, passing the bundled cloak to you. You place it on the table and grab the tape measure. You stand behind Gwaine, measuring his shoulder width, marking it down in your journal before returning to your spot behind him, placing one end of the tape measure at the nape of his neck.

“Hold this here please,”

Gwaine reaches his hand behind his head and glides his fingers down until they brush against yours and over the tape measure.

“That’s it, now keep it still,”

He does as you say, and you extend the tape measure down, lowering into a crouch until the tape meets the floor. You mutter the measurement to yourself and stand.

“Thank you,” You retrieve the tape end from under Gwaine’s finger and he drops his arm down.

Back at the table, you mark down the number in your journal and unfold the cloak partially, to reveal the embroidered insignia. Flipping to a new page, you begin to sketch the design of the golden dragon for you to use as reference later. Sir Gwaine comes into your peripheral, leaning against the edge of the table next to yours. You feel his eyes on you and glance up.

“I expect you to take better care of the cloak I will make for you,” You say. “I will be very cross if you return here with it ripped to shreds,”

“Upon my honour, I will treat my new cloak as my most prized possession,”

Finishing your sketch, you pass the cloak back to him. He swings it around his shoulders and starts on the fastening when your stomach rumbles loudly.

“Please excuse me,” You say, embarrassed.

“Have you eaten today?” Gwaine asks.

“I admit I… may have forgotten. I’ve been busy getting ready for my first day,”

“No matter, let’s go to the baker’s and get you something,” He finishes fastening his cloak and heads for the door before looking back at you expectantly.

“I thank you, but there’s no need to trouble yourself,”

You glance over to the kitchen area of your chambers, spotting only a stale end of a loaf of bread to eat.

“It wouldn’t be any trouble,” Gwaine says, following your gaze.

“Alright then, I suppose I should get some things from the market as well while I’m out,”

You cross the room swiftly and pick up your basket before heading for the door.

“Let’s go,”

You walk with Gwaine from the castle to the town’s market street. He leads you to a small and familiar bread shop.

“I enjoy the fruit buns from here,” You say as you cross the shopfront.

“Have you ever tried the ones with custard in them?” Gwaine asks as he holds the door open for you.

“No, I haven’t.” You reply. “Since they cost a bit more,”

“Today’s your lucky day then,” He smiles before approaching the shop counter.

He orders two of the buns and the baker retrieves them from the angled shelves behind him, placing each bun in a small sheet of paper and passing them to Gwaine. The knight drops a few coins in the baker’s hand and steps back outside, where you follow him to a nearby bench to sit and eat. Gwaine waits for you to take a bite first, after which you look up at him with wide eyes.

“Good, isn’t it?” He grins.

You nod enthusiastically while chewing the mouthful.

You both eat the buns, Gwaine finishing his in three large bites. When you’ve finished yours, you wipe your mouth on the back of your hand.

“I really should do my shopping so I can head back and get started,”

Gwaine sighs. “I should head back as well. I hope you enjoyed your late breakfast?”

“I did, thank you Gwaine. I shall have to return the favour one day,”

“Nonsense. Having a fine cloak made by your hands will be repayment enough,” He stands and extends a hand to you.

You take it and stand as well, brushing crumbs off your dress. He lets go of your hand and gives a small bow.

“Good day to you, my lady,”

He smiles and turns around, walking back up the street to the castle.

After doing some shopping at the market, you head back to your chambers and use the rest of the day to start working on Sir Leon’s gambeson and Sir Gwaine’s cloak.

The next morning, you remember to eat breakfast, and with no new clients for the day, continue working on Sir Leon’s gambeson. An hour or so into work, a sharp pain swells in your lower abdomen. At first you push through, continuing with your sewing, but the pain intensifies, to the point you’re doubled over, gritting your teeth. You berate yourself for losing track of your cycle. You’re usually on top of it, but with all the changes recently, you’d let it slip your mind.

You rest for a while, waiting for the pain to pass, but every time it seems it’s going to subside, it rears its ugly head again. Irritated that if it continues, you won’t be able to get more work done today, you decide that you need to visit the herbalist in the lower town. You have seen her in the past for when your monthly pains have been particularly bad. You fetch your cloak from your bedroom and head out.

You slowly make your way through the castle, taking careful steps as not to jostle yourself too much. The stairs are particularly difficult and you take them at a snail’s pace. At last you reach the exit and start your descent down the main stairs into the courtyard.

“Hello, how are you settling in?”

The voice startles you, and you look up to find Merlin, giving you a warm smile.

“Oh, hello Merlin,”

Your jaw clenches as a wave of pain rolls over you, causing you to stoop over. Suddenly a hand is on your back.

“(Y/N), you’re unwell. I’ll take you to see Gaius right away,”

You look up at Merlin, his face lined with concern.

“That’s quite alright, Merlin. I’m just going to a herbalist in the town. She has helped me before,”

“You can’t walk all that way in this condition. I’ll take you to Gaius, he’ll be able to help you,”

You groan at another attack of pain, and lower yourself so you’re sitting on the steps, holding your knees against your chest. Merlin kneels on a lower step in front of you.

“I appreciate the offer, Merlin, but what afflicts me is… a women’s issue,” You say, sure it will get the man to leave you alone at last.

But he shows no revulsion, not even the slightest flinch.

“Gaius is a very skilled physician, and knows how to treat all sorts of ailments,”

You sigh, thinking how you would rather not have to walk through the busy streets of the town.

“Alright, you’ve convinced me,”

You reach a hand to Merlin and he stands, pulling you upright. He offers you an arm, which you grip firmly as he guides you up the stairs.

You remain on Merlin’s arm until he stops at a worn wooden door in a part of the castle you haven’t seen yet. He opens the door and guides you inside, an arm around your back. An old man with shoulder-length, silvery-white hair looks up from a book he was perusing, snapping to attention when he sees you.

“This is (Y/N),” Merlin says. “I caught her struggling down the stairs in the courtyard. She has severe menstrual cramps,”

“Bring her to the bed here,” The old man gestures to a simple bed nearby.

Merlin escorts you there and helps you to sit on the edge.

“A pleasure to meet you, (Y/N). I am Gaius, the court physician. Are you taking anything for the pain currently?”

“Not at the moment. I was just on my way to get something from a herbalist woman in the town,” You explain.

“You need not make the journey, you can come straight to me if you have any ailment,” He points at you with his thumb every few syllables, his voice stern but kind. “Do you know when your cycle is due to begin?”

“With the way I feel right now, I’d say tomorrow. I’m usually on top of this, just with the move into my new lodgings and everything, I lost track,”

“That’s quite alright. These things happen,” Gaius steps away to a long wooden workbench.

He sets up some equipment and beckons Merlin over, instructing him on certain ingredients he needs. Merlin swiftly steps across the room to a large bookshelf, packed with small glass bottles filled with various liquids, herbs and other things you don’t recognise. Merlin picks out some of the bottles and brings them to Gaius, who begins using the ingredients immediately.

“I will give you something for the pain now,” He turns his head toward you as he speaks. “But in future, I will be able to give you something to take a few days before your cycle, which should ease the discomfort,”

You hear crunching and scraping as he uses a mortar and pestle, followed by a low bubbling as a plume of steam rises from his workbench. You watch the physician work, until he presents you with a small bottle filled with a translucent green liquid.

“Take this now,” He says, passing you the bottle.

You hold it against your lips and tip the contents into your mouth, tasting an unpleasant bitterness as you swallow it.

“It should take effect in about twenty minutes. I will give you some vials to take with you,”

You hear a clink of glass on glass before Gaius turns around with a small parcel wrapped in hessian cloth.

“You can only take this once every six hours I’m afraid, but it should help. You may rest here until you feel ready to return to your chambers,”

“Thank you, Gaius,” you give the old man a smile, which he returns. “And you too, Merlin,”

After having rested for a time in the physician’s chambers, Merlin takes you back to your rooms and you part ways. Feeling quite worn out, you head to your room to lie down, hands clasped over your belly. Eyelids becoming heavy, you begin to sink into a slumber when a knock at your chamber door startles you. Swinging your legs over the side of the bed, you get up and head to the door. You open it to find Sir Gwaine looking back at you.

“I saw you in the courtyard earlier with Merlin while I was coming back from training,” He says, brow furrowed. “Is everything alright? You looked unwell,”

You step aside to let Gwaine in and he steps inside, his eyes still locked on you.

“I was unwell, but Merlin took me to see Gaius and I’m feeling much better now,”

A dull throb courses through your lower abdomen, causing you to flinch.

“What is it?” Gwaine asks, rushing to you, an arm on your shoulder.

“It is nothing to be concerned about,”

“I can take you back to Gaius, he ca–”

“If you must know,” You interrupt. “It is women’s monthly issues I am dealing with,”

Understanding washes over Gwaine’s face.

“And you are now the third man today I’ve had to speak to about it, so feel free to leave in disgust,”

“I’m not disgusted and I’m not leaving,” Gwaine stands firm. “Come and sit by the fire,”

He gently leads you across the room and into a chair in front of the fireplace, before beginning to pile kindling and firewood in the grate. After a few moments, he’s started a fire and steps back, taking the other chair beside you.

“I’ve heard the warmth can help,” He says, holding out his palms to feel the heat.

“You’ve heard?”

“Living with my mother and sister had me learn of these things,” He explains.

“I didn’t know you had a sister. Is she here, in Camelot?”

“No,” Gwaine says, reaching for the iron poker and jabbing it into the flames. “And that’s for the best,”

“Why do you say that?” You ask. When you look at him, you see his expression is not a pleasant one. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry,”

“No, it’s alright,” He sighs. “I suppose you could say that we don’t see eye to eye,”

You nod in understanding. “Family can be complicated,”

Gwaine hums in agreement, staring into the fire for a moment, before he gets up.

“I’m sorry to leave so soon, but I need to get ready for training,”

You start to stand.

“No, don’t get up, I can find my own way out,” He says. “I hope you feel better soon. I’ll check in tomorrow if it’s not a bother?”

Your automatic response is to tell him not to worry about you, but it has been nice to be looked after.

“It won’t be a bother. See you tomorrow,”

You plod along the next day, doing bits of sewing here and there, taking rests in between. The day seems to crawl on especially slowly, until at last the sunlight fades and you put your sewing away. Having no motivation to cook anything, you eat a simple dinner before sitting by the fire with a candle beside you, making a start on the dragon embroidery for Sir Gwaine’s new cloak.

You bundle your legs up on the chair as the pain returns, wondering if Gwaine will be visiting after all. Perhaps he is very busy of perhaps he forgot. You try to decide which to be more likely when there’s a soft knock at your chamber door. Placing the embroidery hoop down on the small table beside you, you get up and cross the room.

“Sorry I’m calling late,” Gwaine says as you open the door. “I went to the market straight after training and spent ages trying to find what I wanted, then I had to head back to my chambers and get washed and changed, and – you don’t need to know all this,” He gives an abashed smile.

“What matters most is that you’re here now,” You give him an assuring smile and beckon him inside.

He steps into your chambers when you realise his different appearance. Until now you’ve only ever seen him in his knight’s kit. Now he’s wearing a brown jacket, with leather bodice and quilted fabric sleeves, over a grey tunic, cinched at the hips with a leather belt. His posture suggests he feels more comfortable than when he’s in uniform, and you can’t blame him. You’re sure the chainmail shirt would weigh one down eventually, even a knight.

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Better than yesterday,” You lead him to the fireplace, gesturing for him to sit in the chair beside yours. “Although Gaius’ potion is starting to wear off and I can’t take another dose for a few hours yet,”

“Well I did bring something that’ll hopefully help,” He reaches into his jacket and pulls out what appears to be a red cloth bag and passes it to you. The weight and feel of the bag surprises you, and the contents sag as you hold it. It feels as if it’s filled with grain. Upon inspection, you find that the bag is sewn shut on every side.

“What is it?” You ask.

“My mother and sister used them to help with their monthlies. They called it a wheat bag. You heat it by the fire, then place it against the place that’s painful. The heat is said to help ease the pain,”

“Is this what you got from the market?”

Gwaine nods.

“The thing you spent ages trying to find?” You ask.

“Well…” He scratches the back of his head.

“That is very thoughtful of you,” You say, touched by his actions. “You must show me how it is heated, I don’t want to set it aflame my first time using it,” You pass it to him.

He places in on the ground a few feet in front of the fire.

“Have you eaten dinner yet?” He asks.

“I had some bread and cheese earlier. I didn’t want to bother with cooking,” You admit.

“Ah, good old bread and cheese, that’s classic late night tavern fare,”

Gwaine grins, reaching into his jacket again, pulling out a paper bundle. He unwraps it to reveal two fruit and custard buns.

“Will you be wanting some dessert?” He raises his brows.

You gasp and take one of the buns. “How could I resist?”

“I almost couldn’t,” Gwaine takes a bite of his bun. “I considered eating mine before I got here,”

“You showed great restraint,” You say between mouthfuls.

After finishing the bun, Gwaine removes the wheat bag from beside the fire and passes it to you. You place it in your lap, against your lower belly, and take up your embroidery again, stitching away while you and Gwaine talk. He shares amusing stories from his times with the other knights and you share anecdotes about particularly rude or misbehaved customers. Not until you get up to retrieve more thread do you realise that your pain has almost completely subsided.

“That worked wonderfully, thank you Gwaine,” You say as you sit down again. “I must repay you in some way,”

“There is no need for that. To spend time in your company is enough for me,”

Your cheeks warm. Gwaine groans as he stands up.

“Speaking of time, I really should turn in. Morning training tomorrow,” He grimaces.

“That doesn’t sound like much fun,” You say sympathetically.

“It really isn’t. Sometimes I think our king is in love with sweat and pain. Anyway, goodnight my lady,” He bows.

“You realise I’m not a lady,”

“Perhaps not officially, but to me…” He places a palm against his heart.

“Oh hush. Get out of here before you speak any more nonsense,” You hold back a smile.

“As my lady wishes,” He gives a deeper, exaggerated bow and exits your chamber.

#gwaine x reader #gwaine #sir gwaine #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #reader insert #merlin fic #bbc merlin fic #my writing

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themundanemudperson · 3 months

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my fave merlin fanfic trope is when the knights + merlin are captured/confronted by someone who claims to be/serve emrys. then magic reveal but lighthearted. and also merlin is So Done

this is me asking for more of that trope. pls drop some fics with this trope!!

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queerofthedagger · 2 months

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sharpened teeth, tender blades

[Arthur/Gwaine/Merlin | Mature | 400w | ao3]

written for the @merlinmicrofic prompt 'hunger'

For as long as Arthur remembers, there has been a hunger, an insatiable need burning underneath his skin.

It’s a selfish, terrible sensation; what has a prince to desire, after all, that he cannot order into his chambers, that he cannot decree to be satisfied?

Arthur has learnt early that it is nothing so easily fulfilled.

His skin is itching, and he wants—he wants. Something more, something larger than life, someone that does not merely look at him to find a crown and gold-spun promises. He wants nails leaving marks upon his skin, teeth against his jugular, wants desperate hands and panting breaths. To feel, just once, that he is human, simply and irrevocably.

Merlin placates the worst of the thirst, when he finally, roughly, presses Arthur into soft sheets, mouth as insolent and sharp as ever. He takes Arthur apart methodically, unflinchingly, takes his pleasure with no care for all that Arthur is meant to be.

For a while, Arthur thinks that he could be happy like this. Content.

But Arthur is a prince and Merlin is a sorcerer, and between them, duty has woven a net so intricate, they cannot escape from it no matter how they thrash. It only draws closer, and Merlin’s hands still are salvation whenever Arthur needs it, but—

But. It isn’t enough, everything between them turning into war. Arthur feels worse about it than he ever did—a blackened pit of guilt and greed, swallowing him up, spitting him out, devouring itself because whatever he throws at it is never, never, never enough.

He knows it isn’t for Merlin either. They don’t talk about it, but they know. Some days, Arthur wonders if it’s the only thing that makes them cling to each other, still.

And then, eventually, there is Gwaine.

Gwaine, who slots into the gaping spaces between them like they were made for him. Who takes Arthur between himself and Merlin, hands uncompromising, words barbed and tender-fleshed. Who pours himself down Arthur’s throat, larger than life, cuts without mercy through all of Merlin’s walls.

Who is so cracked open with hunger that it burns, and for the first time, with bruises and teeth marks on his skin, Arthur learns the meaning of peace. To lick the blood off his lips, hold relief in his hands, and give all that he is; a triune beast that finally, finally, finally sustains itself.

#*mine #mona's writing #bbcm #arthur x gwaine x merlin #bbc merlin fic #merlin micro fic #i started this with the aim for it being merthur and then gwaine was like. bet #so here we are i guess #magic courage strength but make it a lil fucked up. as a treat <3

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nooowestayandgetcaught · 4 months

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In A Field Of Marigolds

read on AO3

~1k, Arthur Pendragon/Merlin, T-rating, S4 Canon AU

Summary: Letting go of Merlin means failure. Arthur refuses.

#merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #merthur #merlin fandom #merlin fanfic #arthur merlin #merlin arthur #bbc merlin fanfic #bbc merlin fic #bbc arthur #merthur fanfic #merlin x arthur #arthur x merlin

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apinchofm · 3 months

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Love is a Battlefield

Camelot is falling and yet, Arthur has one thing on his mind.

Or the alternative royal wedding.

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin fic #arthur pendragon #guinevere pendragon #arthur x gwen #gwen x arthur #arwen #merlin #one shot #battle couple #fluff

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merlinoutofcontext · 28 days

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i wrote a post camlann fic where merlin and gwen fall in love. <3

tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice?

Rated: M

In the aftermath of it all, the only thing the two of them were left with was the other person. They were both so intimately familiar with the nauseating ache that was the human experience of love and loss that it came easily to them; the falling into one another.

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #bbc merlin fic #merwen #mergwen #merlin x gwen

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regulusrules · 8 months

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I AM NOT CRYING FOR FINALLY POSTING A FIC I AM NOT CRYING I AM NOT I —

Summary:

“Do you fear me, Merlin?”

5 times Arthur asked Merlin that question throughout their years.

#i am #AAAAAHHHHHHHH #merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #ao3 #merlin fic #bbc merlin fic #arthur pendragon #king arthur #merlin bbc #merlin x arthur #bbcm #fic rec #LJ recs #regulusrules recs

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epsilonwolf1983 · 10 months

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Gwain: put your hand up if your single

*most put their hand up but Merlin’s stays down*

*Arthur explodes with jealousy*

Arthur: what?! Who?!?

*Merlin confused holding up his hand with his wedding ring and Arthur’s with the other*

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #incorrect merlin quotes #bbc merlin fic #merlin is so done #oblivious Arthur Pendragon

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thenerdyindividual · 9 months

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hey! im obsessed with arthurs welsh christmas, that fic altered my brain chemistry. im searching currently, but i was wondering if you could rec any more of your merthur fics that are similar? (I think i specifically enjoyed arthurs pov and the whole low stakes of it all, just them falling for eachother.) it was so lovely. thank you for your help and also for writing such an incredible story, should be a real hallmark movie tbh.

Omg this was such a nice ask to see! If you’re looking for similar things, right off the bat would be

A B&B Romance in Modern Wales

Arthur Pendragon works sixty hour weeks and is devoted to his family name, until one night Uther goes just a bit too far. Restless and confused, Arthur gets into his car and drives until he can't. It is the middle of the night in a small village in Wales, and a helpful officer directs him to a B&B for the night.

There he finds a kindly innkeeper, his very weird historian gremlin nephew, odd people, odd situations, and even odder - himself.

A slightly absurd and very gentle story about coming back to yourself, finding a true family, and realizing that historian gremlins are actually really hot and rather amazing, and perfect to fall in love with.

That’s the most similar to Welsh Christmas. Features small quirky town, low stakes, and falling in love.

There’s also

Then and Now

Merlin skips a year of school when he is seven and ends up in Year Four instead of Year Three. The older kids all pick on him and the worst is by far Arthur. A stolen book brings Arthur and Merlin together, and they become best friends. Sadly, nothing they do can stop Arthur from being sent away.

Morgana pressures Arthur to hit on a guy in the pub. He does it to shut her up, but it turns out Emrys is actually a lot of fun to be around. One date turns into many. Arthur has never been happier.

Seems like fate had something else in store for Arthur and Merlin after all.

It’s a shorter fic, but you get childhood cuteness and then grown up flirtation and dating.

The Ethics of Sleeping with a Hot Stranger

In which Merlin meets Arthur at a club and goes home with him, only to find out that Arthur's occupation is less than undesirable. Good thing he has supportive friends who won't at all roast him for his poor life choices.

Merlin finds out Arthur is a cop and has a small crisis about it. But it ends in fluff and explanation of Arthur’s poor choice in career.

The Boy I Love, He Got Wavy Black Hair

Merlin heads out early one morning to help Lancelot in his classroom. When he meets Arthur at his office for lunch, his hair is different. Arthur is not a fan.

This one is a bit different since it’s established relationship, but Merlin catches lice. Much Arthur dramatics and teasing ensue.

Lastly, if you’re willing to go outside of straight up modern au, there is

You Hear Him Howling Outside Your Kitchen Door

Merlin thought a type-a student trying to break into his office to replace a section of an essay would be the strangest thing to happen to him, but then a man shows up on his doorstep naked and seemingly drunk. Giving that man a helping hand opens up the door to a strange hidden part of society in London. There is a group of lads who all live together and take way too much enjoyment in playing football together, but there is something more to them than meets the eye. Merlin just hopes it won't affect his growing relationship with their unofficial ringleader Arthur Pendragon.

It’s an urban fantasy au where all the knights are werewolves. It’s still got that fluffy falling for each other low stakes romcom vibe, but there also happens to be werewolves.

I hope these give you something to start with @isuckatbeinghappyallthetime! Thank you so much for reading my fics and for asking for more! That means so much to me!

#bbc merlin #merlin #merlin fic rec #bbc merlin fic #bbc merlin fanfic #merthur fanfic #merthur fic #merthur #my fics #merlin/arthur #merlin x arthur

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make-me-imagine · 1 year

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Love and Loss

Plot: Years after the love of your life disappears, you find your way to Camelot to start over. Just when you think things might turn out alright, you see a ghost from your past. Gwaine, the love you thought you had lost forever.

Pairing: Sir Gwaine x Gn!Reader

Prompts: “Leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do did."+ “Don't look at me like that." "Like what?" "Like you still love me.” - I could not find a way to put in the third prompt, sorry! Requested By: Anonymous

Warnings: Angst, sad. Themes of Abandonment, family death, loneliness. Mentions of violence, death, being assaulted.

A/N: Though it sounds super angsty, which it is, it does have a somewhat happy/hopeful ending, and could have a part two if desired.

Words: 3.6k

Entering the gates into Camelot, you felt your chest fill with anticipation, excitement and anxiety. This was the beginning of a new start for you, and you had no idea how it would go.

It took a lot to convince yourself to accept Gwen's offer of a place at the palace. You weren't sure if that was what you wanted. But as your village grew smaller and smaller, and you had no one left there, you decided it was time to start again, even if it would be hard.

Spotting Gwen waiting for you near the market stalls, you grinned and waved your hand in the air.

You had met Gwen when you were a lot younger, when you and your father had come into Camelot for a fair. The two of you had become fast friends and often wrote letters to one another over the years.

When she saw you, she quickly made her was towards you wrapping you in a hug as soon as she reached you.

"Oh, I'm so glad you made it safely, how was your journey?"

"Long, but not too hard luckily. I managed to befriend a few travelers who brought me a great distance on their carriage."

"Oh good! Well, come on, I have so much to show you, the market and palace has changed quite a lot since you last visited."

"I've heard much. King Arthur, certainly seems to be making a difference all across the kingdom."

After she showed you around the market, you stopped outside the palace walls to discuss the options for jobs you could take.

Stopping mid sentence as you heard a familiar voice, you looked around, your eyes stopping on a passing group of knights.

As one of the men laughed, and turned to look back at another knight, you felt your heart drop and your breath catch it your throat.

Gwen, seeing your sudden change in demeanor, followed your gaze.

"Gwaine?" You muttered, shock and uncertainty obvious in your tone.

"Do you know Gwaine?" Gwen asked.

You turned to look at her, and she could see the obvious shock on your face. You nodded your head lightly as you looked back here he had just been, seeing he was gone, again.

"He- we- we were.."

Gwen frowned before she gently grabbed your arm "Wait, is Gwaine the one you told me about? The man who disappeared?"

You nodded again, feeling overwhelming emotions course through you.

Gwen, able to see this, gently tugged your arm "Come on."

Ushering you to her cottage where she was allowing you to stay for some time, she gave you a few moments to gather your thoughts as she sat beside you. You had told her briefly what had happened a few years previous, but you never told her Gwaine's name, or exactly what had happened.

Taking a deep breath, you looked over at her as she waited patiently across from you.

"Around five years ago, a man came into our village. He was injured after a skirmish with some bandits in the forest. Gwaine. My father allowed him into our home, and we helped him recover. During that time, to repay us for our kindness, he helped us around the house, helping my father fix the roof, work his job when he was sick. Eventually, me and Gwaine fell in love. Oh Gwen I loved him so much. But I was always afraid he would feel the need to leave again. Nothing ever seemed to keep him in place, he was a traveler, he love adventure. A quiet village life was not appealing to him, I knew that. After some time, he reassured me he would not leave me. That he loved me. He even told me that he would marry me one day." You looked down at your hands "And I believed him. I truly did, and I do think he did love me. But...he was never the type to settle."

You stood up and walked over to the window, trying to repress the tears that were forming in your eyes.

"One day, after about a year and a half of being in the village, he left to go to a nearby town to get supplies. But he never returned. I waited every day for him to come back. But he never did. So I waited for a letter, but never received one. I decided he must have been killed. Because the idea that he chose to leave me, hurt too much. But now....he's here, and he's a knight nonetheless." You let out a soft almost scornful laugh. "Now I know, I was not enough to make him stay."

Gwen rose and walked over to you, gently placing her hands on your arm "I'm so sorry Y/n. I had no idea. I mean...Gwaine has mentioned a great love in the past, but...I suppose he was too ashamed to say anything else."

"How long has he been here?"

Gwen thought for a moment "Nearly two years I think."

You nodded "I mourned him Gwen. Every day."

Gwen sighed "What will you do?"

"I don't know" You shook your head "Maybe I should not stay here."

"You mustn't let him chase you away Y/n. You need a new place to start over, where else would you go?"

You turned and looked at her "I don't know. But...I'm afraid."

She pulled you into a hug "I know. But perhaps this could give you your answers, and you can move on, stop mourning." Pulling away, she met your gaze "Please stay. For a week at least, and if after that you still want to leave, I will support your decision."

You thought for a moment, uncertainty still coursing through you. You really did have no where else to go.

Letting out a shaky breath, you nodded "Alright. I'll stay, for now."

She smiled softly "Good."

"What do I do if I run into him though?" You asked with a sightly panicked expression.

She shrugged her head slightly "Slap him?"

You let out a laugh and shook your head "I would be lying if I said he wouldn't deserve it."

Looking out the window again, you feared what would happen when you saw him again. What would be his answer to your long asked question. 'Why did you leave me?'

--- ---- --- ---

Over the next few days, you managed to avoid seeing Gwaine all together. You were not ready to face him. So when the knights left on a short scouting quest, you felt relieved you would not have to peer around every corner, at least for a short time.

You and Gwen walked through the market picking up supplies for dinner. Looking through some vegetables in a basket on the ground, you froze in place when you heard a familiar voice call out.

"Hello Gwen, how are you today?"

Gwen, looked down at you with an alarmed look before looking over at Gwaine as he approached.

"Gwaine! I thought you were on the scouting trip with the other knights?"

"Oh I got the easiest part, I'm already done." You could practically hear the grin in his voice as he spoke.

Standing, but with your back still towards him, you felt your hands beginning to shake as nervousness washed over you.

As Gwen spared you a brief look, Gwaine looked over her shoulder. He felt his heart jump a bit as he recalled the similarity to someone he had once known.

"Who's your friend?" He asked with an uncertain voice as he stared a the back of your head.

'Oh, um-" Gwen stuttered as she looked back to you.

You clenched the basket in your hands tighter as you let out a shaky breath. Slowly turning around you spoke, your voice soft, yet full of obvious emotion.

"You used to know my name."

As you turned and Gwaine's eyes fell on your once familiar gaze, he felt his heart clench in his chest. Your eyes were still the beautiful shade he would recall at night when he thought of you. Your voice still sent chills through him. You were still you.

"Y/n." He muttered softly, mouth agape.

"Ah, so you do still know it." You said softly, yet scornfully as you looked briefly down at your feet.

Looking back up at him, you met his eyes with an attempt at a cold gaze, but the tears that threatened to build caused a shine to glaze over your eyes, revealing your true emotions.

"Nice to see you're still alive."

Gwaine frowned slightly at this comment before recalling that he gave you no word of his whereabouts after he left. A familiar guilt rocked through him, causing him to take a deep breath in.

"Y/n." He repeated, a bit louder this time.

Clearing your throat, you turned and handed money to the clerk at the stall. Looking back at Gwen you forced a smile "I think that should do us for dinner then."

Gwen nodded, looking from you to Gwaine nervously, as she watched you begin to leave.

"Y/n, wait!" Gwaine quickly stepped past Gwen and grabbed your hand, stopping you.

As you felt his hand in yours, you felt your heart swell, but you yanked your hand away, turning towards him with a bold gaze.

"You don't get to demand me to wait after what you put me through."

Gwaine faltered, his voice was low "Y/n. Leaving you was the hardest thing I ever did."

"And yet you seemed to do it so easily." You said scornfully.

You saw him flinched a bit at your words but you would not allow yourself to feel guilt

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, you cut him off "I thought you died."

Your voice came out softly than you meant, and you saw his eyes widen slightly.

"I convinced myself that was the only thing that would stop you from coming back home. But now I see I was wrong. You chose to leave and never come back. And now your a knight? Something you swore you'd never be?" You scoffed as you stepped back from him "What else did you lie to me about?"

Gwaine began to follow after you as you turned away to leave, but Gwen grabbed his arm. Looking back at her, she shook her head "Not now Gwaine, give them some time."

"How long have they been here?"

"A few days. Y/n saw you in the courtyard the day they arrived, it's been a lot to process."

Gwaine looked back to see you disappeared at the end of the road. Guilt sat heavily in his chest, he needed to talk to you again, to explain. There was no good excuse, he knew that, but he needed you to now how much he regretted what he did. He needed you to know how much he still loved you.

--- --- ---

Gwaine's eyes searched through the trees as he looked for you. He managed to find out you had gone out to gather herbs, and he was determined to speak with you.

Finally spotting you through the trees, he made his way over to you. His steps were hurried, so he was not able to sneak up on you.

Turning at the sound of footsteps, you saw Gwaine falter for a moment as you looked at him. Your heart jolted in your chest, but you looked away from him, quickly picking the herbs you were after.

Finally reaching you, he stood behind you for a moment before he finally spoke "Y/n, I wish to speak with you."

You remained silent as you continued to walk to gather other herbs. Gwaine let out a sigh but followed you.

"Y/n please., I want to explain." He begged as he followed you. Reaching out, he grabbed your arms and forced you to turn and look at him.

You met his eyes and or a moment he saw your gaze soften, before it was quickly replaced with hurt.

"Please Y/n." He said again, his voice soft as he stared into your eyes.

Your heart was hammering in your chest as he looked at you. His familiar gaze, even wracked with guilt made you heart beat fast. The way he stared at you, as though he still cared for you like he used to made your heart ache.

"Don't look at me like that." You muttered out, almost in a whisper.

"Like what?"

"Like you still love me."

Gwaine felt his heart ache at this, your face so full of hurt, and doubt, all of it he caused. He frowned as he shook his head lightly "I do still love you."

You closed your eyes tightly as you pulled away from his grip "Then why did you leave me?"

Gwaine hesitated for a moment before he sighed "For no good reason. I just...after I left the village, I felt the desire to keep going, to keep moving again, and I just...didn't stop. But that doesn't mean I did not love you."

You let out a soft huff of air. "If you loved me you would have come back." You voice began to grow in anger.

"I did come back."

You frowned "What?"

"I did come back. After a month, but I- I saw you, outside the cottage, with your father, laughing. And I thought, that maybe I didn't hurt you as much as I thought I did. And I thought that maybe it would best if I didn't barge back in again."

You shook your head "My father makes one joke to cheer me up after I thought the love of my life either abandoned me or died, and you thought that I meant I was better off? Gwaine, I was devastated. I waited outside the cottage for you for months. Every day for weeks, I walked down to the river to look for you, hoping that I might see you come over the hill with a grin on your face. Every day you didn't come back broke my heart more and more!"

Gwaine's own eyes were burning with the threat of tears as you spoke to him. He could see the pain he caused in your eyes like it was a fresh wound.

"You don't know what it was like, being alone after that." You let out a soft whimper as you spoke.

"But you had your father to help y-"

"He's dead." You cut him off. "He died four months after you disappeared, I've been alone ever since."

You saw the realization and pain cross over his face. He stepped back as he looked down at his feet. He and you father got along great, you new it would hurt him to learn he died.

"I was alone, and I needed you." You added on once more, as tears streamed down your face.

Gwaine met yours eyes against and his heart broke. Stepping forward, he grabbed you and pulled you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He muttered into your shoulder.

For a moment, you allowed him to hold you, allowing yourself the one thing you wanted for so long. Before you pulled away from him.

He watched as you stepped back, giving him one last look before you walked away. He watched you go, and even though everything in him was screaming to chase after you, he didn't.

--- --- ---

Adrenaline rushed through you as you rushed through the crowds, everyone was running in different directions trying to get somewhere safe.

Making your way down the street towards Gwen's home, your eyes landed on one of the soldiers who had attacked Camelot. One of the knights of an enemy kingdom, hoping to catch King Arthur off guard.

At the same time that your eyes landed on him, his met yours. You saw a smirk cross his face. Looking around, you realized you were the only one around now, everyone else had fled.

Looking to the ground, you saw a deceased soldier. Quickly grabbing his sword, you spun back towards the enemy soldier who was stalking towards you. You kept your blade out in threat as you backed away.

Your breath was heavy as your hands shook, you were not a soldier, you were not a knight, why was he coming after you?

A voice whispered in the back of your mind that made your skin crawl 'He just wants to kill'

Suddenly lunging at you, you blocked his attack, but stumbled back. Quickly, he knocked the sword from your grasp and hit you in the face before grabbed you. Pulling your arm back, you punched him in the face as hard as you could before stomping on his foot, trying your best to get away from him. You yelled out as you struggled in his grip.

As Gwaine rushed through the streets to locate anymore of the enemy soldiers. His eyes were drawn at the sound of a yell.

Looking down the road, he felt his heart drop and stomach twist as he saw one of the soldiers grappling with you. He began running towards you, watching as you hit, and fought against the man. His blood boiled as the soldier yanked at you violently.

As the man lifted his sword, preparing to strike you down, you clenched your eyes shut. Hearing a clank of metal before the man groaned and let you go. You stumbled back, opening your eyes.

You saw Gwaine step in front of you as he began to fight the man. You felt relief and worry wash over you as you pressed yourself against the wall, and watched as Gwaine fought to protect you.

After a few minutes of fighting, Gwaine dealt a deadly blow. You flinched and looked away.

"Y/n?"

Hearing Gwaines voice, you looked back up to see him slowly approaching you.

"Are you alright?"

Coming back to your senses, you nodded "Yes, I'm alright."

Gwaine sighed as he came up to you, gently taking your hand in his. Looking around, he gently tugged on your hand "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe."

Following his lead, you looked down at your intertwined hands, feeling a once familiar spark of intimacy and safety.

Finding your way back to Gwen's home, he ushered you inside, looking around, you spoke with a worried tone "Where's Gwen?"

"I saw her in the palace, she's alright."

You let out a sigh of relief as you sat down in a chair, lowering your head in relief and exhaustion. Seeing Gwaine kneel down in front of you, you slowly looked up at him.

He had a frown on his face as he slowly reached up, taking your face in his hand. He gently caressed is thumb over the mark left on your face from the soldier.

You saw guilt, and anger wash over his face before he met your eyes. As your eyes locked, you felt a familiar warmth build in your chest, reminding you of the day you and Gwaine had first kissed.

You had been injured when thrown from a horse, and Gwaine came to help you. You had mud on your face and he brushed it away. Your eyes locked, and before you really knew it, you were kissing. It was he beginning of your relationship, of your great love.

Gwaine was surely thinking the same thing, as his eyes gently fell to your lips.

Seeing this, you felt nervous, and reminded yourself of what your relationship with him now was.

Looking down a your feet, you spoke softly "Should you not go back? Surely others need help."

Gwaine let you a soft breath "Most of the soldiers were captured or killed, the one who hurt you was one of the last. I'm not going to leave you."

Seeing the way your eyes shot to him momentarily, he felt his chest clench.

He gently caressed your chin "I wont. Not again."

Placing his hand in yours, you let out a soft breath and shook your head before you looked back up at him.

"You can't just charm me back into your good graces Gwaine."

A soft, almost sad smile crossed his face "I know."

"I wont force you to come back to me. I understand that I hurt you. And I deserve all the anger in the world for what I did. I just need you to know that I do still love you, I never stopped. And I will always be here if you need me. We can both make Camelot our home. And eventually, if you want to, we can start again. Because I will be right here, waiting."

"I-" You started, before letting out a sigh "I do still love you Gwaine, no matter how much you hurt me, I could never stop."

You saw hope fall over his face and you softly shook your head.

"But I am not ready to forgive you, not yet. We are both different people now, it would not be the same."

Gwaine's face fell a bit, but he nodded in understanding. "I understand. But believe me Y/n, I wont give up. We are back in each others lives for a reason. Whether it is fate, a second chance, or just coincidence, I will do whatever I need to do to make sure I don't lose you again. And I will wait however long it takes."

As he slowly began to stand, he tilted your head up, before pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. You close you eyes briefly at the action.

When you opened them again, he was staring down softly into your eyes "Stay in here, to be safe. I will come back to check on you shortly, I need to make sure the attack is over."

Nodding wordlessly, you watched him go. And as he left, you did not doubt he would come back. And the previous anger you felt for him had faded. You could not forgive him yet, but you knew you would.

And you couldn't help but wonder what would happen after you did.

xx End xx

Could possibly do a second part to this at some point if people want it.

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @caswinchester2000, @imaginesfire, @onuen, @rexit-mo, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

BBC Merlin/Gwaine Taglist: @flourishandblotts-inc, @spuffyfan394, @dominos-palast, @ambitionspassionscoffee, @locke-writes, @morgaussy, @starship-argo, @a-lumos-in-the-nox, @that-marvel-simp, @phoenix1389, @multifandomfix

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many-gay-magpies · 2 years

Note

Magpie, can you rec me merthur fics? Your top 10?

yes ofc i can!! a lot of these are just some ive read more recently but here u go :> top 10 merlin fics, in no particular order (despite what the numbered list may suggest)!

garden or graveyard by shanastoryteller | this one is SOOO GOOD. it's in the longer oneshot category (11k words roughly) and it takes place in an au where arthur also has magic (albeit to a lesser degree than merlin). it's very sweet and heartwarming, while also delving some into the culture of magic in camelot and a magic-having arthur's upbringing within that culture, and the magic reveal scene is one of my favorites i've ever read.

arthur enchanted by platonic_boner | another oneshot (smaller this time, around 5k), very funny and sweet! arthur gets enchanted to obey merlin's orders, which is obviously no problem at all, as a servant would NEVER dare order around their king... lol. this is an "arthur already knows about the magic" fic and i just really love the dynamics throughout!

our lips are sealed by eat_crow | an even SHORTER oneshot at only 1.9k-- it's truth spell time baby!! arthur and merlin get imprisoned by a sorceress and get doused with a truth spell that caused them to reveal, among other things, merlin's magic and their love for each other. despite the seriousness that comes with magic reveals a lot of the time, it very quickly becomes more silly and light-hearted just bh virtue of what else the truth spell reveals (i won't spoil much hfjgbng)

dower the stars by rorounihime | this is a longer, multi-chapter fic (8 chapters and around 40k) that i read a while ago, but remember being super good (ive actually been meaning to re-read it sometime soon). it's one of those fics where the description makes you think it'll be king of funny and lighthearted, but then the fic itself kind of rips your heart in two-- set in an alternate future magic-legalized camelot, where a great druid prophecy/event of sorts states that merlin will find his "other half" (presumably another magic user) with whom he will be all-powerful, and arthur angsts internally while watching merlin court and GET courted by all these other magic users. very nice build up and a very satisfying release/ending from what i can remember; i'm always a fan of fics where character represses their feelings for the sake of character b's happiness, so this one was right up my alley.

you have to chase it by arthurandhisswordbros | let's throw in a modern/reincarnation au for some spice! 8 chapters and 41k words. it's a social media au of a sort, and normally i'm not one for social media aus, but there is just something so... incredibly special about this one. arthur reincarnates and, five years after finding his "place" in the modern world, discovers twitter, where someone appears to be impersonating the legendary wizard merlin... wonder who that could be? the fic is very sweet, funny, and sad/emotional in parts; it's honestly one of my favorite takes on a modern/reincarnation au ive ever read and i find myself going back to it again and again. the character dynamics are just splendid, and watching arthur's progression from just SURVIVING in the modern world to actually LIVING in it was beautiful. 10/10 would recommend

the weight of words by waldorph | a good portion of this already short (4k or so i think) fic is sex, but the arthur characterization is SOSOSO good i love it so much. this is an especially notable instance of me loving it when bbcm fanfic writers take his character and run with it to the point that it's hardly even canon arthur anymore (but still somehow manages to be a beautiful interpretation/spin on his canon self?? idk man i love it a lot.) just gonna copy the author's description for this: "Arthur knows how to use words just as well as Merlin, and he knows about the magic."

linger on your pale blue eyes by supercalvin | longer oneshot; 18k or so. this one is so good-- it's basically an examination into how arthur views himself as a prince and how his body is viewed by himself and others (read: touch-starved arthur, which always slaps), coupled with some very soft and sweet merthur. the magic reveal in this is so low-key, which is something i like a lot in an abundance of fics where the reveal happens in a big, angsty dramatic flare (which are good in their own right, but can get tiring after a time). loved the arthur characterization in this one!

the gold of you that can't be seen by fleetling | another shorter oneshot (4.5k), and a soulmate au! you can see every color except for the color of your soulmate's eyes until you meet them, and arthur can't see gold. i love this one a lot because it shows the progression of arthur's worldview as he ages (from believing that magic is evil like his father taught him, to working towards or considering legalizing it after his opinions have changed a great deal) very well. includes a few heart-wrenching scenes with young arthur and uther, and a very light-hearted magic reveal!

how to love a living thing by polomonkey | the WHUMP. the ANGST. the HURT/COMFORT. this baby is 17k words of it and it is BEAUTIFUL. i'm just gonna copy the author's summary here because it gives you a pretty good idea of what the fic is about: "Guilt ridden and lonely after his confrontation with Nimueh, Merlin slowly begins to isolate himself from Arthur. When two knights take it upon themselves to teach him his place, Merlin finds himself with nowhere to turn. Will he be able to reach out to his prince before it's too late?" forewarning, there is some minor SA and a variety of mild-to-severe violence/abuse in this, but if that's not something that bothers you too bad then i definitely encourage you to give it a read!

strike of lightning by helloearthlings | another good soulmate au to top off the list-- this is one where you have a tattoo on your back that represents your soulmate, and if the tattoo moves, it means your soulmate has magic. arthur's soulmark is a raging thunderstorm, and uther orders him to kill his soulmate the second he meets them. very good and sweet, would definitely recommend if you enjoy/are partial to soulmate aus

(and an edit, because i literally just read this fic after answering this ask and im feeling VERY insane about it)

and with my opened mouth i join the singing light by intothefirewego | bro oh my god. i cannot even BEGIN to explain this fic my mind is still reeling. it stole all my marbles theyre dead gone decimated. nonetheless i will attempt anyways: basically, this is a (mind-blowingly beautiful holy SHIT) magic reveal fic, among other things, wherein merlin is injured in an attack from a sorceress while he, the knights, and arthur are riding back from a venture to an illness-ridden village; merlin nearly dies and arthur bargains with the sorceress that did it to save his life. but its also soso much more than that and i cant begin to explain ANY OF IT without giving major spoilers but basically its just really beautiful and well-written and you should absolutely go read it if you're not squeamish around graphic descriptions of blood (because there is a lot of that). wonderful unpacking of arthur and merlin's characters and their relationship with each other; 10/10 so beautiful i started crying

#asks #anon 📝#bbc merlin #fic recs #bbc merlin fic #merthur

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