#merwaincelot aro mithian au

[lit-in-thy-heart]

Wip quote request: you got any from a possible merwaincelot aro Mithian sequel? I think you mentioned something about working on a continuation of that one, maybe more Mithian focused?? If so 👀👀👀👀

so this is sort of a halfway fic between tendrils and thorns and the planned sequel, featuring aro mithian and aroace leon bonding. thanks for the ask! (sorry for the late reply)

Catching wind of what Mithian was attempting when she began to tug at the bedding, Gwaine pushed all of his weight into the mattress. Having tightly bundled himself up, they were unable to use their hands – currently trapped beneath his body – to ward Mithian off. Laughing as he squirmed, Mithian burrowed her hands underneath the sheets and began to tickle them, fingers skimming over their scars like a stone across water. Gwaine’s wriggling loosened the sheets and provided Mithian with a window of opportunity to rip them off.

She immediately returned to tickling them. Somehow she’d managed to remain seated on top of him through the whole event – but then she prided herself on being an excellent horsewoman. Gwaine managed to shift onto their back and caught her wrists with his hands, watching her. She was still leaning forward and over them, the tip of her hair brushing their ribcage, and Mithian grinned as he blew in her face, stirring the hair that obscured it.

‘Are you more awake now?’

‘If I say no, are you going to tickle me again?’

Mithian tilted her head. ‘Perhaps.’

Watching her for several moments, Gwaine remained still. Then, with a speed that only came from being raised on the fringes of the law, they let go of Mithian’s wrists and placed their hands on her stomach. At the contact, she yelped and tumbled off him, landing on the mattress. As the clashing swords from outside continued to reverberate through the room, Gwaine and Mithian engaged in a battle of their own, with Gwaine’s advances towards her stomach being batted away by Mithian’s frantic hands.

‘I,’ she began, wriggling away from him, ‘am the future Queen of Nemeth. You cannot tickle me.’

#merwaincelot aro mithian au #hey nonny nonny asks #lit writes #girl help i have so many unanswered asks that i've responded to in my head but not on tumblr #mithian #gwaine #mithigwaine #mithiwaine #bbc merlin #merlin fanfic

[lit-in-thy-heart]

‘You could have flirted with me and eaten at the same time,’ Merlin said.

‘I’d already had the impediment of more layers than usual thrust upon me: I wasn’t about to add to that with a full mouth,’ Gwaine replied, taking a bite of the apple.

‘You’re eating now.’

‘Not flirting with you, though, am I?’

‘Sadly not,’ said Merlin mildly.

#we're just shy of 18k words for this au fic #it might be a bit of a narrative mess #but it's my bit of a narrative mess #and love ain't linear #or not in this fic at least #but it's a oneshot and we don't have time for a slow burn #(to use an old tag) #speedrunning relationships my beloved <3 #merwaincelot aro mithian au #merwaincelot #merwaine #merlin #gwaine #bbc merlin #lit writes

[lit-in-thy-heart]

gwaine in a scarf, as envisioned by @donttouchtheneednoggle

#hope you don't mind the tag neednoggle but my poor powerpoint photoshop braincell was inspired :') 💕 #just imagine their hair is braided shh #yk i take everything i wrote back #gwaine is now strutting around camelot without a shirt #as he should be #gwaine #merlin #bbc merlin #merwaincelot aro mithian au

[lit-in-thy-heart]

'We have a problem,' announced Merlin, throwing themself down on the floor of the forge.

Lancelot, looking up from his design and smudging charcoal across his face as he rubbed his forehead, spared Merlin a soft smile. 'What is it, my light?'

'Princess Mithian's bodyguard.'

Merlin, who had thrown an arm across their face in despair, grudgingly opened their eyes as Lancelot began to follow the path of the tendons in their neck with his lips. He'd moved to the floor and tasted of sweat and charcoal when he brushed against Merlin’s skin, unimaginably warm from the work. Merlin had never quite managed to create fire that could rival Lancelot’s heat.

'What's wrong with Princess Mithian's bodyguard, Merlin, tell me.' Lancelot sat back on his heels. 'Have they said something to you?' he asked with a frown, hand already reaching out for the knife on his workbench.

Merlin threw their arms across their face again. 'No, he didn't say anything,' they groaned. 'All they did was look at me and I spilt wine all down myself. Nobody except you has any right to look so attractive. Stop laughing!'

'Here I was thinking I was going to have to dissect someone,' grinned Lancelot. 'Why is that a problem?'

'(A) because it made me look like an idiot and (b)--' Merlin’s voice dropped. '--because I'm with you and shouldn't be feeling like that about someone else.'

Lancelot was bending over them again, fingers skittering down the parts of their face he could reach. 'Oh, sweetheart,' he softly said, 'it's okay to feel like that about other people. You were more than happy to be with me even whilst I still had feelings for Gwen.'

'But that's different,' Merlin whispered, eyes still hidden by their arm. 'That's you. I thought I wasn't like that.' They heavily exhaled. 'I've already had two identity crises in my life, I wasn't expecting a third--'

Lancelot's hand began to tease their arm away from their face. 'Merlin, love, it's okay. It's okay to feel that way about more than one person. It doesn't mean that you love me any less.'

'But--'

'No buts,' Lancelot interrupted, placing his thumb on their lips. Smiling as they kissed it, his fingers locked themselves beneath Merlin’s chin. 'I don't blame you, either; they are incredibly good-looking. The earrings definitely don't help.'

Merlin groaned again, mouth moving against Lancelot’s skin. 'The earrings are the worst bit. They bring out his jawline and cheekbones and... Urgh, end me now. I did all this with you. I can't go through it all again with them.'

'Merlin.'

Merlin made another small groan.

'Merlin, look at me.'

When Merlin opened their eyes, Lancelot’s head was haloed by the flames behind him. He appeared like a blood moon, all shadowed smiles and tentative touches, and Merlin wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms and trace the veins that could thread constellations.

'Mithian's bodyguard also caught my eye within hours of arriving. I just didn't say anything because I didn't know what you'd say to it. When I still had feelings for Gwen, I knew I would never act on them because she was with Arthur. And, of course, I'd never act on these ones if that wasn't okay with you.' Lancelot’s thumb moved to the thrumming pulse in Merlin’s neck. 'But, my light, the question is: do you want to go through it all again with him?'

This time, Merlin held his gaze. Lancelot was all stardust, once you'd seen his shadows, and Merlin had sculpted him into different shapes between the sheets over and over again. They still wanted him, still needed him, but since seeing Gwaine it felt as if there was a space between them that was the perfect size for a person who looked as if they could leave a trail of flames behind them with just one caress.

'Yes,' they whispered.

#i need to stop posting excerpts of thissssss #because i haven't actually reached these parts yet #in my google doc i have 110 words and that is all rip #but i'd probably forget if i didn't write them down #also #i think i have a tentative title #kiss me at a knife's point #we might change it #we'll see #but knives have inadvertently become a large element of this fic #yes i am thinking about gwaine having knife earrings #no i don't know if it's plausible for him to stab people with them #but a writer can dream #merwaincelot aro mithian au #kmaakp #...idk how on earth you'd pronounce that but there we are #merwaincelot #mercelot #merlin #bbc merlin #merlim fanfic #lit writes

[lit-in-thy-heart]

'You can't just give Gwaine a knife, Lance,' Merlin said, shaking their head as they pulled away from the dishes to glance over their shoulder.

Lancelot, still turning the weapon over in his hands, frowned. 'Gwen gave you a sword.'

Setting down her mug of ale on the table, Gwen traced the rim with her fingers. 'That's different.'

'How?' asked Lancelot, tearing his gaze away from the knife to frown at her instead.

'Because I want that sword back.'

Merlin promptly turned back to the dishes.

'Merlin. Don't think I haven't noticed it's still missing. Where is it?'

A plate splashed into the bucket of water and Merlin grimaced. 'At the bottom of a lake.'

'What?'

Sheepishly, Merlin turned around. 'Well I had it enchanted by a dragon, and then Uther used it instead of Arthur, and no man but Arthur was meant to wield it, so the dragon told me to put it in a lake.'

Gwen stared at them. 'He told you to put it in a lake?'

'Well, no, he said to put it where no "mortal man" could ever find it.'

'So we can get it back.'

Now Merlin was the one to frown at her. 'Gwen. It's at the bottom of a lake.'

'Yeah, but you're not a man, and neither am I. Therefore, we can find it. Lancelot is fucked, but.'

Lancelot threw his hands in the air with an expression indicative of gross exclusion. As he did so, the knife was also thrown in the air, and clattered in the doorway as it hit the ground. 'What if I'm immortal, huh? Didn't think about that, did you?'

Merlin glanced between them both for a second, thinking. 'I guess we could always go and ask for it back,' they mused. 'The lake does like us after all.'

As Gwen's brows drew together in confusion, Lancelot’s mouth rounded. 'Freya?' he softly asked.

'Yeah.'

Gwen's expression cleared. 'Well, why didn't you say? I wouldn't want to deprive her of a sword. She should definitely have a knife as well, don't you think?'

Lancelot threw himself over the knife and cradled it. 'I'm telling you, I'm giving it to them. It would be a much better way of asking him out than Merlin’s method.'

Merlin scowled at him. 'My method was fine.'

Gwen raised an eyebrow. 'Actually, Merlin, how did you ask Lancelot out?

Still glaring daggers at Lancelot, Merlin cleared their throat. 'When he said that he didn't want to come between you and Arthur, I said he could come between my legs instead.'

Gwen burst out laughing. 'Oh, no, I take it all back, Lance,' she choked out. 'You can absolutely give Gwaine the knife.'

oh, yeah, gwen knows about merlin's magic in this au

#i am having far too much fun #they're so stupid your honour #they all see one pretty face and lose all braincells #merwaincelot aro mithian au #gwen #mercelot #merlin #lancelot #bbc merlin #merlin fanfic #lit writes #oh yeah i changed it so lance comes back after 2×04 so he still did cage fighting #you know for added angst

[lit-in-thy-heart]

Mithian stirred as the sound of swords clashing drifted in through the open window. The sunlight splashed across the flagstones like raindrops and Mithian gathered the sheets around her body as she sat up, nudging Gwaine in the ribs with her foot. They groaned and turned around, hands grabbing for the sheets she’d withheld from him. Mithian fondly watched them struggle for several moments more before Gwaine finally gave up and opened their eyes. It was at that moment that Mithian let the sheets drop slightly and it was the moment after that when Gwaine decided to snatch them back and fiercely roll himself up in them.

Jaw dropping in disbelief, Mithian waited until Gwaine’s eyes were closed again before landing on them, one leg straddling either side of him. ‘You’re meant to be up before I am.’

‘I’m your personal guard, not your personal cock,’ was Gwaine’s muffled reply, apparently not considering Mithian enough of a threat to move.

Mithian sat up a little straighter, eyebrow quirked. ‘Are you sure about that?’

Gwaine flicked their legs but Mithian remained unmoved. ‘Not that type of cock. The one with feathers.’

‘You’re really not helping yourself.’

There was a pause. ‘I hate you.’

the opening of a fic set in the same universe as tendrils and thorns [tendrils and thorns] featuring a grumpy gwaine

#it's about the domesticity #and the battle over the bedsheets #i am entering this fic with my trademark no plan #mith has somehow got to bond with leon #but i think there shouldn't be much difficulty there #should i be starting a new fic when i have others i need to start/finish? absolutely not but oh well #*says that elyaine maan au will be a main focus* #*immediately drops everything to write a different fic* #merwaincelot aro mithian au #mithian #gwaine #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin fanfic #lit writes

[lit-in-thy-heart]

#bandit gwaine is a slippery slope that leads to a fucking angst spiral #i...i think it might be worse than marigolds #not in terms of the angst levels of the fic #but in terms of the backstory #idk #it will definitely affect how gwaine interacts with merlin i think #love how i went into this thinking lance would be the one with subtle angst #oh nonononono #it be gwaine #i'm trying to claw it out of the angst zone #...we'll see how well that works #merwaincelot aro mithian au #merlin #bbc merlin #lit talks

[lit-in-thy-heart]

There was the strong urge to shape the blacksmith’s name with his lips, but they worried what felt like an enchantment might prove to be a curse.

lancelot says one (1) nice thing to gwaine and it's instant heart eyes

#shhhhhh i know it's 2am #but i have nothing to be up for in the morning so it's fine #and i needed to make some progress with my writing to go to sleep a little calmer #i've currently written 800 words today and i'll call it a night in 200 more #one day i will finish this gwaincelot scene and move the fic on #but today is not that day #well #today might be the day #but after i've slept #merwaincelot aro mithian au #also gwaine just ignores the fact that lancelot threatened them five minutes before and i think that's very sexy of him 😌 #gwaincelot #merwaincelot #lit writes #merlin #gwaine #lancelot #bbc merlin #merlin fanfic

[lit-in-thy-heart]

‘I had no idea that Lancelot was so eager to get me in his bed.’ The words slipped out before Gwaine could stop himself and, clenching his hands into fists, they closed their eyes. ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—’

They could feel their breaths shortening and were overcome with the intense desire to run, to leave, to simply get out—

Lancelot was laughing softly in his ear and a gentle touch prised away Gwaine’s fingers from his palms. ‘Gwaine. It’s alright. Gwaine. Look at me.’ When Gwaine opened their eyes, Merlin was grinning, though the corners of their mouth were edged with concern. ‘Both of us love giving our beds to random injured people. That’s how we first met, actually.’

‘You mean that’s how we started fucking,’ corrected Lancelot. ‘We met because you were paying no attention to your surroundings.’

Gwaine swallowed, the desire to flee slowly ebbing away. ‘So, you mean to say that, as a physician—’

‘Physician’s apprentice.’

‘—as a physician’s apprentice, you get an injured person, patch them up, and then fuck them?’

Merlin pulled a face. ‘I don’t fuck them immediately. I let them heal a bit first. And it’s only if they want to, of course. And it’s only been Lance. I don’t get turned on by injuries.’ Their cheeks were reddening. ‘And just because Lancelot’s suggested we use his bed doesn’t mean that you’re going to be fucked, that’s not what I—We can use the table if you want.’

Gwaine’s head was spinning. ‘To fuck?’

girl help my fic is completely derailing before my eyes

#I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING #apparently this is how merwaincelot is going to get together now #because of a misunderstanding #i have no idea what i'm doing #the words are just coming out #... #no pun intended #and #help #i'm beginning to think that the excerpts i posted before i started writing this might not actually fit with the direction it's going in #but i'll just see where it takes me #it says something when LANCELOT is less of a romantic disaster than both gwaine and merlin #i just #ANYWAY #back to it #merwaincelot #lit writes #merwaincelot aro mithian au

[lit-in-thy-heart]

we are channelling s3 gwaine's hatred for the monarchy and making it into initial hatred for camelot in this au

it's so much fun

#they are going to be complaining relentlessly to mithian #until he catches sight of two particular individuals #honestly i have no plot for this fic #or any idea how long it will be #but i'm jumping on the desire to write it and hoping it stays and i don't abandon it #because i REALLY want to write it completely #and in a shocking turn of events i have a summary before i have a title i don't know what has happened to cause that #merlin #bbc merlin #merwaincelot #merwaincelot aro mithian au #(we'll tag it as that for the time being) #lit talks

[lit-in-thy-heart]

god i love writing unplanned whump

#basically gwaine is an idiot #lancelot is blaming himself for no reason #gwaine takes one look at him and is like man this guy has worse self-worth issues than me better let him treat my minor wounds #it's just ✨ the intimacy ✨ #even though gwaine has just found out that lance is dating someone else they were attracted to #but obviously it'll all work out :) #merwaincelot aro mithian au #lit talks

[lit-in-thy-heart]

'Lancelot?' repeated Gwaine, their hand skimming along the table. 'That's an unusual name. How did you get it?'

A delicate crease formed between Lancelot's eyebrows as he looked up from Gwaine’s sword. 'My parents gave it to me.'

Gwaine faltered. 'Your...parents? Did they think that your lance was--' Feeling his eyes drift down towards Lancelot’s hips, Gwaine tore their gaze back to the curve of Lancelot’s lips instead. 'Did they think that the lance would be your lucky charm?'

Faint smile flickering on the mouth Gwaine was fixated on, Lancelot lowered his head and ran his fingers along the flat of the blade. 'Perhaps. Though it seemed to be a paintbrush that was my lucky charm when I was small.'

'Not weapons?' Gwaine wasn't quite sure why he was so eager to maintain a conversation, but all they knew was that Lancelot’s voice was a dawn chorus that he would never tire of. 'Yet you're a blacksmith?'

'It's a long story,' Lancelot quietly said.

Gwaine dropped onto a nearby stool, resting their chin on the table. His breath stirred several pieces of parchment on the surface but their gaze remained fixed on Lancelot. 'I've got time.'

Beginning to turn the handle on the stone, Lancelot steadied the blade. 'My mother was a painter and I wanted to be like her.'

As the sword slipped in his hand, Gwaine lurched from their seat and brushed against his fingers on the handle. 'Let me,' they murmured.

Smiling, Lancelot adjusted his grip on the sword and continued. 'I barely touched weapons. Then my parents died. And the paintbrush was of no use to me. I needed a sword.'

'My parents died, too.'

Hel-lo, where did that come from?

so i'm getting back into the merwaincelot aro mithian au at half ten at night

#and in true fashion it's dick jokes that have helped me find my feet again #i need to go to bed at a reasonable time tonight #also if anyone knows what the actual name for that stone is for sharpening swords i would be eternally grateful #i googled grindstone and it came up saying that was a rare word for millstone #millstone is mainly used for actual grain and stuff #so then i googled stone used to sharpen swords and it suggested whetstone #but that's not round #so i'm at a loss #gwaincelot #merwaincelot aro mithian au #merlin #bbc merlin #lit writes

[lit-in-thy-heart]

we are tangled in tendrils and thorns

(the merwaincelot aro mithian au fic)

for @donttouchtheneednoggle

Rating: Mature

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Category: Multi

Relationships: Gwaine/Lancelot/Merlin, Gwaine & Mithian, Lancelot/Merlin, Gwen & Lancelot & Merlin

Characters: Gwaine, Mithian, Merlin, Lancelot, Gwen, Arthur, Uther, Rodor, Morgana, Leon

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, he/they gwaine, They/Them Merlin, aroallo mithian, gwaine wears earrings and yes that is crucial to the plot, Protective Gwaine, Whump, Angst, Bandit Gwaine, with a slightly different backstory to my other fics, and yes it's somehow worse, Gwen Knows About Merlin's Magic, Blacksmith Lancelot, Hurt/Comfort, Choking, Arranged Marriage, Dick Jokes, a lot of references to fucking, Bodyguard Gwaine, gwaine just worries about mithian and wants her to be happy, Hurt Gwaine, merlin has an identity crisis, but it's brief bc gwaine is pretty and everyone is happy and that's all that matters, Pining, Sort Of, look we're speedrunning it, NOT a slowburn, who has the time, Gwapple, magic mithian, hand holding, Stitches, Injury, it might be a bit of a narrative mess, but it's my bit of a narrative mess, Ambiguous/Open Ending, bc i might come back to this universe, to dedicate a bit more time to mithian, sorry if the ending is slightly rushed, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, and just wanted to finish it, not me forgetting that leon should be there, and shoving him in, it's fine, Magic Gwaine, so many misunderstandings, like shakespeare but with less catastrophic/comedic consequences

Words: 20,305

Chapters: 1/1

Summary: Gwaine could have happily gone their whole life without seeing Camelot. Unfortunately for him, King Rodor and Princess Mithian are travelling there to sign a treaty that will be sealed with the marriage of Mithian to Prince Arthur of Camelot. As Mithian's bodyguard, Gwaine accompanies them in the attempt to dissuade Mithian from marrying Arthur. However, when they arrive, two people catch Gwaine's eye and it's going to make leaving all the more painful...

Opening:

If there was anything that Gwaine enjoyed more than anything, it was a celebration. A celebration meant that people were less inclined to be keeping such a tight hold on their purses when it came to ale and were more inclined to respond to Gwaine’s casual flirtation. A celebration meant that they could slip into a crowd, unnoticed, and be swallowed up by the ideals of living. Usually he would have set up camp under a table at a tavern and drunk half of the alcoholic stock, but they were not thrilled at the prospect of the celebration he was riding into.

In Gwaine’s opinion, there was too much red. Red was such an obnoxious colour. They’d told Mithian as much, for most of the journey to Camelot, and she’d fondly reminded him how much they liked red when it was the blood of their enemies. Gwaine had simply scowled at her and spurred his horse on. By the time they reached the lower town on the outskirts of the castle, Gwaine was beginning to wish that the banners strung from the castle walls and draped between houses had been dyed with the blood of their enemies. The sight would certainly be significantly less sickening.

Read on ao3

Written for @merwaincelotweek (day 6: au)

#merwaincelotweek2021 #day 6: au #fanfic #choking #choking tw #stitches #blood #injury #it is finally finished!!! #i apologise if there are any mistakes after the last break but it's 2:45am bc i wanted to just get it done and haven't read through it #i am now going to go to bed #but thank you neednoggle for just being you and i hope you enjoy it 💕💕💕 #gwaine is an absolute disaster #and that was very fun to write #merwaincelot aro mithian au #merwaincelot #merlin #gwaine #lancelot #bbc merlin #merlin fanfic #lit writes

[lit-in-thy-heart]

The fringing at the end of the scarf just grazed Gwaine’s navel and Merlin's gaze stumbled upwards to his mostly exposed chest when Gwaine caught their eye.

'Do you need any help with that?' Gwaine asked with a grin.

Merlin swallowed. The golden light filtering through the window latched onto the minute knives dangling from Gwaine's ears, sending a muted rainbow scattering across his face. When it touched Gwaine's lips, however, the rainbow transformed into fierce flames that trembled across their tongue as it glided across his mouth.

'Gwaine,' said Mithian fondly, leaning against one of the bedposts, 'don't tease them.'

Gwaine turned around with a look of mock hurt. 'I'm being genuine!'

'Which makes it all the worse,' Mithian replied, smiling gently at them. She turned her gaze to Merlin. 'By the window is fine, thank you, Merlin. We won't keep you any longer.'

wherein gwaine is an outrageous flirt and mithian can see how flustered merlin is getting

or

flirt attempt one of three in the space of half an hour

#spoiler: gwaine next flirts with lancelot and gwen #and this is not the peak of their flirtation with merlin fear not #basically this gwaine is ready to cut a bitch one minute and is all winning smiles the next #if there was a tally chart for mithian rolling her eyes it would be ridiculously long #tbh it would probably work out better for gwaine if he said nothing at all and just let their smile do all the talking #after a brief internal scream about no words coming out yesterday i am once again having a lot of fun with this #merwaincelot aro mithian au #gwaine #merlin #mithian #bbc merlin #merlin fanfic #lit writes

[lit-in-thy-heart]

low-key considering splitting this fic into a two-parter to (hopefully) come back to because it’s already at 10k and the whole mithian plot has barely been explored and i want to do it justice but also merwaincelot week is literally in three days and there’s no time

#there's been some set up with the mithian and arwen conundrum #but the main focus has been hurt gwaine bonding with merlin and lancelot #so yeah i'm thinking a twoshot (twoshot??) is going to be a better idea #rather than hurriedly going AND THEN THIS HAPPENED right at the end #which would involve me changing the initial summary of this fic and coming up with another title #but that's fine #also i'd just like to apologise because i've realised i haven't really shut up about this fic for weeks #and feel free to block the tag if it is getting annoying #and i'm just talking to myself in the tags to try and figure it out #as long as the follow up doesn't get lost to the void of planned fics then we'll be alright #merwaincelot aro mithian au #lit talks

[lit-in-thy-heart]

there is not a tag for gwaine & mithian on ao3 i am s c a n d a l i s e d

and we’re fixing it :D

#there's one for gwaine/mithian #but not & #what is this #merwaincelot aro mithian au #lit talks