10 Years of Merlin & Arthur - Day 5: Before & After/AU/Change the Scene

[fifty_fifty]

Title: Catch Me If You Can!
Rating: Teen
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Character(s): Merlin, Arthur Pendragon
Word Count: 966
Summary: Dashing past servants and gardeners who shook their heads fondly at the typically unconventional antics of the prince and his manservant, Merlin found himself dodging through vegetable patches and flowerbeds until he was convinced he’d lost Arthur. He crouched behind a big bush of Betony that hid him from view. Panting from his exertions, Merlin debated glancing around the purple flowers to make sure that he had really shaken Arthur off his tail.

All of a sudden he was hauled up and off of his feet and Arthur crowded him into a secluded, shady nook in the wall.

“Got you,” he purred.
Author’s Notes: Written for merthurdaily‘s 10 Years of Merlin & Arthur celebration - Day 5: Before & After/AU/Change the Scene. On AO3 here.


They watched together from the ramparts as Gwaine left the city. Merlin sighed. If only Gwaine had been allowed to stay. Arthur needed men like him for his knights. Strong fighters with good hearts. Arthur stood behind him, rather interested in the events that were unfolding below them.

Gwaine had accosted Gwen on his way out of the city. From the looks of it though Gwen was amused by his behaviour, she certainly wasn’t convinced he had honourable intentions.

“They seem very friendly!” said Arthur, interrupting Merlin’s thoughts as he leaned forward on the wall to get a better look.

Merlin hummed, amused and barely able to smother a smile at Arthur’s outrage. “Why should you care?”

Arthur glanced back and forth between Merlin and the tableau on the street.

“After all,” continued Merlin. “It doesn’t affect us any.”

“I don't,” Arthur huffed, stepping back folding his arms. “I’m just thinking of Gwen’s honour, that’s all.”

Merlin knew that Arthur had known Gwen since she was young. Her mother had served in Sir Leon’s household and sometimes she'd played with Leon and Arthur before Morgana had arrived. After that, Gwen had trained to be her maidservant. As a result, Arthur acted a bit more like a protective older sibling than he should do, where Gwen was concerned.

Below them Gwen laughed and pressed a hand to Gwaine’s chest. Okay, Merlin stood corrected. Maybe Gwen was rather interested after all.

Beside him Arthur gestured angrily at them. “She could do better than that,” he pointed out.

A teasing smile crept onto Merlin’s face as he leaned closer to Arthur and tried to look as innocent as he could. “What? She should be setting her sights… higher?” He gestured upwards with a flick of his finger.

Arthur shrugged at Merlin and returned his gaze to the flirting couple.

Smacking a hand to his forehead Merlin exclaimed, “Oh, but I forget! She can't. A girl of Gwen's standing, no,” he shook his head and folded his arms and then he said slyly, “She could never consort with a nobleman. That's the rules.”

Merlin could sense Arthur’s head turning and his eyes boring into him.

“Merlin,” Arthur said sternly.

A smile curled on Merlin's lips as he looked at Arthur out of the corner of his eye. He loved teasing Arthur about their difference in statuses. Couching playful comments within different contexts, like a secret code that they shared. Arthur was worried about people finding out of them, but Merlin wasn’t. The castle staff had always gossiped and insinuated things about him and his strange relationship with Arthur. Talking about how their dynamic was more like that of two equals, rather than servant and master. Ribbing Arthur about how they couldn’t be together because of their difference was one of Merlin’s greatest pleasures. It always riled Arthur up.

“Shut... up?” Merlin suggested glibly.

“You guessed it,” replied Arthur.

Merlin carried on watching as Gwen gave Gwaine a sweet smile and a kiss on the cheek and when she let go of him they beamed at each other, then went their separate ways. Merlin was just wondering what they had said to each other when he was yanked off balance.

“Hey!” Merlin exclaimed as he hauled away from the wall by his jacket and pushed him in the direction of the castle gardens.

Hint taken, Merlin smiled to himself. Beside him Arthur growled and nudged him, knocking him off-kilter. Merlin shoved him right back and laughed as he danced out of Arthur’s reach when surged forward in an attempt to grab Merlin’s shoulder.

“Catch me if you can!” Merlin called back to Arthur as he raced towards the gardens along the walls of the castle, the prince of Camelot chasing in his wake.

Dashing past servants and gardeners who shook their heads fondly at the typically unconventional antics of the prince and his manservant, Merlin found himself dodging through vegetable patches and flowerbeds until he was convinced he’d lost Arthur. He crouched behind a big bush of Betony that hid him from view. Panting from his exertions, Merlin debated glancing around the purple flowers to make sure that he had really shaken Arthur off his tail.

All of a sudden he was hauled up and off of his feet and Arthur crowded him into a secluded, shady nook in the wall.

“Got you,” he purred.

Raising his eyebrows, still breathless, Merlin grinned at him. “Yeah, you have.”

Using his hips, Arthur pushed Merlin further against the brickwork until stone dug into Merlin’s back. He wrapped his fingers around Merlin’s wrists before pinning them to either side of his head.

“I demand my prize,” he said. His eyes dipping down to look at Merlin’s lips.

Staring back at him, Merlin swallowed waiting for Arthur to act. Sure enough, Arthur did. He leant his whole body against Merlin as he captured Merlin’s mouth with his. But Merlin was certainly no wallflower as their everyday banter would attest. He fought back against Arthur. Their tongues twisted around each other, surging and sliding as they battled it out to see who would win.

Arthur groaned and Merlin found himself rapidly surrendering as Arthur rocked his hips against him. The cheater. He licked into Merlin’s mouth, mapping every square inch it and Merlin’s knees would have buckled if it weren’t for the fact that he was trapped between Arthur and the castle.

Finally, when Merlin was dizzy with want and desperate for air, they pulled apart and Arthur pressed his forehead to Merlin’s. “I chose you,” Arthur told him. “I don’t care that you’re a servant and not a noble. I don’t care what others will think. I don’t care that you’re a man. I want you, Merlin. Not anyone else.”

“I know,” said Merlin softly.