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The hunting trip had been Merlin's idea actually and, yes, maybe that should have made Arthur's alarm bells go off because hunting really wasn't something his manservant was overly fond of. Normally he would just trample and crush through the underbrush behind Arthur, falling over his own feet and losing Arthur's crossbow while chasing away any game that might have been in the surrounding area before. By now Arthur mostly sent Merlin off, to make camp and stay with the horses, while he went stalking the deer in peace. Merlin seemed to like that arrangement much better too, because he had this absurd sympathy for every doe-eyed animal, even if he had no restraints to indulge heartily in the meat once it was cooked or roasted. But that was just Merlin, Arthur thought with a fond eye-roll, ridiculous from the top of his ears to the tips of his toes.
He had just bagged two rabbits for dinner and was standing in the shadows of the trees, watching a majestic stag grazing in the clearing bathed in the golden light of evening. This was another advantage of Merlin not being with him because, while Arthur had no compulsion at all to train his crossbow on the beautiful beast, he wouldn't have wanted to explain that to Merlin. He didn't know why, but it seemed disconcerting for Merlin to witness Arthur like this and if he brought the stag down, their little adventure would be over and they would have to return to Camelot, which wasn't Arthur's objective at all. He was very much looking forward to spit-roasted rabbit and a bit of the wine he knew Merlin had brought, to sitting next to Merlin at the camp fire and listen to him prattling on about whatever went through that oddly entertaining brain of his.
Such were Arthur's musings when there was suddenly a shout in the distance. The stag raised his head, pricking up his ears nervously, but Arthur's attention was already drawn from the animal. As far as he knew, Merlin and him were the only ones in this part of the forest and that yell had sounded an awful lot like his manservant. A moment later Arthur was crashing through the underwood with all the racket he used to chide Merlin for, only to arrive at their camp, which was next to a stream, to the sight of Merlin crawling up the slope looking like a drowned rat.
After he was almost certain that Merlin was still in one piece, Arthur put his crossbow and quiver down on a fallen log and crossed his arms in front of his chest, watching Merlin scramble to his feet with a blush colouring his sharp cheekbones and a mortified expression on his face.
''Don't tell me you fell into the stream, Merlin.''
His manservant looked at Arthur pitifully, shivering in his drenched clothes. ''I didn't fall into the stream?'' he said with a hopeful lilt that only made him sound all the more pathetic.
Arthur huffed and rolled his eyes. ''Did you hurt yourself?'' he asked, trying to sound unconcerned, while his narrowed eyes roved over Merlin's body in worry.
''Just some cuts and bruises on my back I think.''
''I'll have a look at it later,'' Arthur decided. ''Get out of your clothes, the water is still freezing at this time of the year.''
Merlin scowled at him. ''Yes, Arthur, thank you. I have actually been able to verify that myself while trying not to drown.''
''Don't be so over-dramatic, Merlin,'' Arthur said with a smirk. ''The river isn't that high. The only way you could drown in it would be by refusing to stand on your feet, and not even you are dense enough to do that.'' He gestured at Merlin impatiently. ''Now get those wet things off.''
Merlin fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. ''I didn't bring any spare.''
''And?''
''And I will hardly be any warmer running around naked?''
Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes again. They got quite a bit of training in Merlin's company. ''You really are an idiot,'' he said, shaking his head. ''Just get out of your clothes and climb into your bedroll, all right? And get a move on already, I won't have my manservant running around sneezing for a week just because he has two left feet and can't stop arguing long enough to save himself from catching a cold.''
''But... But what about dinner?'' Merlin asked biting his lip.
''I will make dinner.'' Merlin gave him a dubious look. ''What? You think I can't roast a rabbit or put some water in a pot for a broth?''
The expression on Merlin's face pretty much confirmed that he thought just that. Arthur sent Merlin a glare and didn't dignify him with an answer. Instead he turned away, pulling his knife out of the pack so he could start skinning the rabbits.
''If your clothes aren't off in three seconds, I'm going to do it for you,'' he said, not looking at Merlin to hide the smile that he couldn't suppress. There was a muffled choke behind him, but Arthur chose to ignore it and got down to business.
***
A few moments later, when Merlin finally slipped out of his clothes, Arthur couldn't resist throwing a few secret glances in his direction, though. Removing that soaked tunic revealed a slim chest, but surprisingly broad shoulders. Arms that were far from bulky, but corded with lean muscle and sinew, ending in slender hands with long fingers. Merlin turned his back to Arthur then, giving him the opportunity to let his gaze linger a little on the long expanse of milky skin, even if it was muddled with what looked like scrapes. Arthur was too far away to see it clearly. He could still make out the sharp planes of Merlin's shoulder blades and the bumpy line of his spine that went all the way down to his arse.
Arthur swallowed uncomfortably as his eyes got stuck on the way Merlin's wet breeches rode low on his slim hips and clung to the globes of his arse like a second skin. When Merlin's hands gripped the waistband, wriggling his hips to get the offending cloth off, Arthur quickly averted his eyes. It didn't do him any good though, because the bared swell of Merlin's buttocks had branded itself into his brain already. He tried to concentrate on the manual task of skinning the rabbits after that, but his mind supplied him with mental pictures of Merlin's nakedness every time there was a rustle of the blankets and pelts and those soft little whimpering noises Merlin probably didn't even realize he was making.
When the rabbits were skinned, cleaned and spiked, Arthur turned back towards the fire and was momentarily stunned by the sight of his manservant. Merlin was huddling on his bedroll in a pile of pelts and blankets, all wrapped but for one naked shoulder curving up into the pale column of Merlin's neck, bared of his usual kerchief. He looked like some kind of sprite with his dark hair curling around those ridiculous ears and the impossible cheekbones and wide blue eyes. He was also shivering. Arthur sighed and dropped the meat on the fire.
''Really Merlin do I have to tell you everything?'' he asked and came over to reach out and pull the pelt up.
His fingers brushed against Merlin's skin in the process, and there was a sharp intake of breath and for a moment they stared at each other. Then Arthur quickly withdrew his hand, almost like it had been burned, and turned away again, trying to hide the mortifying blush that threatened to spread over his whole face. He coughed a little and went to unnecessarily poke at the fire. His breeches had suddenly become uncomfortably tight.
''H-How's your back?'' Arthur croaked a little, but hoped that Merlin wouldn't notice.
''Um... it hurts... but only a bit.''
Arthur huffed, because it was just like Merlin to play down an injury because he was embarrassed. ''Did you bring that salve you use on me after training?'' he asked and, when Merlin didn't answer, threw him a questioning glance over his shoulder. ''Well?''
''It-It's in my bag,'' Merlin stuttered. ''But you really don't have to!''
Arthur watched his manservant with a frown, but couldn't decide whether the colour on his cheeks was from the heat of the fire or a blush of his own.
''Don't be ridiculous, Merlin,'' he said after a moment and went to retrieve the jar from Merlin's pack.
With one eye on the roasting rabbit he kneeled down on the bedroll behind Merlin, who at first fidgeted like a nervous mare and then became stiff like a board when Arthur dragged the pelt down his back to have a look at the injuries. They weren't as bad as Arthur had feared, mostly some light abrasions tinged in the beginning blue of bruising, but the salve would do them good, and Arthur was here now so there was no harm in taking care of them.
Arthur took off the lid and dragged two fingers through the greasy substance, which smelled of lavender and something earthy. He let his eyes roam over Merlin's exposed body and, when they dropped down to where the furs pooled around the small of Merlin's back, Arthur could once more see the top of those snowy white buttocks that were going to be the death of him for sure.
''Uhm... you have to lean forward a little,'' Arthur said hoarsely and then had to take a deep breath when Merlin complied, exposing even more of his arse.
Arthur tried to tell himself that this was just the same as helping one of his fellow knights with a battle wound, or like running his hand down his stallion's leg when it had made a wrong step. Nothing that should make his breath catch and his head spin, but when his fingertips came into contact with Merlin's warm skin it was like coming too close to lightning, the air prickling with an invisible force that almost felt like magic.
He dragged his fingers over the fragile-seeming blades of Merlin's shoulders and his manservant hissed every time Arthur crossed a deeper scratch, his breaths becoming heavier the longer Arthur was working the salve in.
''Does it hurt?''
''N-No.''
Merlin's voice wavered, but he wasn't as tense as Arthur would have expected if he were in severe pain, so he kept stroking his salve-covered fingers over Merlin's skin. Until-
''Oh, fuck, the rabbits!''
***
They weren't burnt, no matter what Merlin said. Arthur also had been a tad preoccupied, and the fire had been right in Merlin's line of sight, so Arthur hardly thought he had any right to complain. On the other hand, complaining was Merlin's middle name. So Arthur was just about to tell him that he wouldn't have to eat any of it, leaving him to go hungry, but then he remembered Merlin's bony spine and looked down at his manservant, who was ogling the least burned rabbit with shy and hopeful eyes.
It was because Merlin was injured, Arthur told himself when he handed Merlin a crispy piece of rabbit, that was the only reason he was so lenient. It had nothing to do with Merlin's shy smile or his soft-looking skin. He laid out the loaf of bread Merlin had brought and then sat down next to him on the bedroll, taking a heartening swallow from the wineskin.
They shared what they had while the sky grew dark around them, an endless canvas of black, pinpricked by the silver light of stars. Merlin's cheeks got that flushed look that came with sitting too close to the fire and drinking too much wine, his eyes sparkling with secrets that Arthur longed to uncover. Just like he wanted to uncover-
Arthur shifted, trying to ease the tightness in his breeches that was starting to become a little painful. It didn't get any better when Merlin turned towards him, clinging like he was still drowning, and whined, ''Arthuuuur... I'm cold. You have to warm me up.''
Arthur let out a strained laugh. ''Merlin. You can't... god, you really have no sense of propriety at all, do you?''
Merlin giggled and buried his face against Arthur's neck. ''Nooo? Because you are a prat. And I need your toes. On it, I mean.. need to keep you there, yes.''
''Do you now?'' Arthur asked, trapped somewhere between annoyance, amusement and - yes, damn it - arousal.
''Yesh. But pssssht... no one can know. Because we are coins, yeah? And if anyone would know, I couldn't stay with you. And I really, really need to stay with you, Arthur.''
Merlin looked up at him then, imploringly, and Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly, because Merlin's face was full of adoration.
''You're drunk, Merlin,'' Arthur groaned out and Merlin nodded happily.
''Yeah...'' he sighed, frowning a little for a moment, but then the goofy grin was back. ''But you love me anyway... yeah?''
Arthur looked at Merlin, flushed and pliant and somehow glowing with an inner light.
''Yeah,'' Arthur whispered, and then had to swallow against the sudden dryness in his throat. ''You should go to sleep now. I'll hang your clothes up by the fire.''
''T's so nice of you Arthur... you should be nice more... like it.''
Arthur lightly cuffed Merlin around the ears. Well, it was meant as a cuff, and if it ended up as more of a petting kind of caress, it really didn't matter because Merlin was already tilting to the side, burrowing his face in the pelt, and soon after there were those little puffs of breath that meant that Merlin had fallen into the oblivion of sleep.
***
It had become cold when the sun had gone down, spring taking his sweet time this year. So Arthur wasn't really surprised when he pulled his own bedroll closer to the flames and saw that Merlin was shivering a little in his sleep. Arthur had put Merlin's wet clothes up on branches to dry beside the fire and put some more wood on the flames in the hope that it would keep the fire burning for at least a little while.
When he turned back to the heap of fur and blankets that had his manservant buried beneath, Merlin had turned on his side, face to the fire. The flickering light was dancing over his features in a way that left Arthur breathless once more. His long lashes threw sooty shadows over his cheeks, his long nose seemed elegant now and those lips... Arthur really had to drag his eyes away from those lips, because the things he was thinking weren't things he should be thinking and if he didn't look away soon, they might lead to him doing things he very, very much shouldn't be doing.
On the other hand, Merlin obviously was cold, and the best way to keep the chill away was sharing body heat, something Arthur and Merlin had done on many an occasion. It was totally normal for Arthur to put his own bedroll next to Merlin's so that Merlin had the fire at his front and Arthur's body at his back. There wasn't that much space because of the log, but that would be a good shelter for Arthur so it was actually perfect.
Arthur quickly undressed down to his small clothes and dove into the pelts, arranging them so that they covered both him and Merlin because Arthur's were thicker and warmer and that way they could share all the heat. It was a good plan, and Merlin seemed to agree even in his sleep, because he sighed softly in what had to be contentment and wriggled around a little until his back was flush against Arthur's front. This left Arthur feeling very warm indeed.
The problem was, though, that Merlin wouldn't stop wriggling. The other problem was that Arthur didn't know where he should put his hands, and he realised that this had previously not been an issue because they mostly had shared body heat while lying back to back. Well there was no room for this here, so Arthur just put one arm around Merlin, hoping that might keep his manservant from shifting around so much. Only as soon as Arthur's sword calloused hand came to rest on Merlin's chest, Merlin started to snuggle back even closer to Arthur, grinding his arse into Arthur's groin with a soft little sigh. And for the love of Camelot, Arthur was a man who prided himself on his control, but this was just too much even for a knight of Camelot. He couldn't help but grind back just a little, pressing his aching cock into the cleft between Merlin's cheeks. For a second Arthur thought he would spend from that pleasure alone, and he couldn't stop himself from wriggling his other arm between them so that he could finally release his throbbing erection.
He unlaced his pants with clumsy fingers, eager to finally get himself in hand and only remembered how very much all the way naked Merlin was under those furs, when the leaking tip of his cock brushed again the soft skin of Merlin's arse. That idea alone, of having sullied his manservant like that, of having left a trail of his own fluids on that perfect skin, shot a spike of arousal through Arthur that made him almost dizzy. He couldn't keep from fisting himself after that. His other hand was stroking through the sparse hair on Merlin's chest and down to his stomach in an almost unconscious caress, and he buried his forehead between the blades of Merlin's shoulders, inhaling that scent of earth and lavender and Merlin.
That's when he realised that the salve must still be lying next to Merlin and how much better his hand would feel on his tortured member if he-
It only took him a little petting around before his hand closed in relief around the jar. He fumbled a little to get the lid off again but then he had the thrice damned thing open and a generous glob in his hand and, oh god, the scent of the salve brought back the memories of Merlin's sighs earlier and Arthur imagined Merlin pliant under him now, sighing Arthur's name. His salve-slick hand was stroking smoothly over his cock now, the head brushing against Merlin's skin. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but press against Merlin a little more, running his aching prick up and down Merlin's quickly greasing crack.
He pressed his open mouth against the warm skin of the shoulder and neck in front of him and Merlin let out another soft sigh, head tilting upwards a little, and exposing more of that long pale throat. Arthur was sure it wasn't him who whimpered, but he couldn't help and lick a little, suck a little on that soft skin, until Merlin wrinkled his nose in his sleep, a frown marring his features.
Arthur froze, realising all of a sudden what he was doing, how he had let himself get carried away. He swallowed heavily, staring at Merlin's beautiful features, so vulnerable and almost ethereal in his sleep, lit by the flickering light from the fire. Merlin smacked his lips a little, tongue coming out to lick at them and then retreating back into the cavern of that insolent mouth, leaving them parted and moist and inviting, and Arthur couldn't keep his hips from bucking into his own hand and Merlin's arse once more.
Merlin's face twitched again and Arthur tried to keep still, breathing fast and shallow and dizzy with arousal, uncertain why the mortifying threat of detection, of Merlin waking and realising what Arthur was doing, seemed to only fan the flames of his desire. Somewhere in the back of his mind a little voice told him that he shouldn't be doing this, that he needed to stop now, but the pull... the pull of Merlin's soft skin and earthy scent, the warmth of him and the... the trust, Arthur realised, the trust Merlin always seemed to have in him...
Arthur moaned softly and slowly stroked his cock some more, the back of his fingers brushing along Merlin's cheeks. And then Merlin hummed, shifting again so that his own hips tilted forwards, one leg pulling up in the process.
Arthur stilled. He knew that Merlin had only shifted in his sleep, that he wasn't conscious, but it looked so much like an offer, like an invitation to explore, that Arthur couldn't help but run a greasy fingertip lightly down Merlin's cleft all the way to his balls and prick.
Arthur swallowed again. Because whatever he had done before, this was something else. This was so much more invasive, but also so much more arousing and Arthur had to grip the base of his cock hard to keep himself from spending himself right then and there.
It was as if something lewd and delicious had taken hold of Arthur, a sinful desire taking over a noble knight, and he knew it was wrong, he knew, but he still couldn't stop. He kept his finger running up and down in Merlin's cleft, swirling lightly around the enticingly puckered skin of his hole. He pressed down on it a little until it started to give and open and Arthur nearly exploded when the tip of his finger breached his manservant, the tightness of the muscle sucking him in. But Arthur had enough control left to hold back, even if he might not be able to resist this thrall that his manservant had put on him. Merlin had started to shift even more in his sleep, pushing his own hips into the pelt as if he was seeking some friction. It made Arthur become bolder even, pushing in a little more, to the second knuckle and then the third, looking down at Merlin's arse with Arthur's thick digit buried in it to the hilt.
That was when Arthur realised that there was no turning back for him. He could acknowledge that somewhere deep inside he had always fostered this desire, this wrong and inappropriate want and longing for his servant, and now that he had taken it this far, too far already, the only way was forward. His cock strained and throbbed in his hand at that thought, and Arthur wanted nothing more than to bury himself into the tight, tender warmth he felt around his finger.
There was another soft little moan and Arthur hesitated for a moment.
''Merlin? Merlin, are you awake?''
He held his breath, his heart beating like a wild animal in his chest, but there was no answer and so Arthur gripped himself hard again and started to slowly pull his finger out, just to push in again when Merlin's pucker clenched hungrily around the tip. It was the most deliciously lewd and wicked thing he had ever done, watching himself finger Merlin in his sleep, listening to the soft squelching noise Merlin's hole made when it slowly started to open up and Arthur pushed in a second finger. Merlin was all relaxed and soft and pliant, so different to his normal self, who was always rolling his eyes like he was putting up with Arthur when it was really the other way around. And still, Arthur felt the same strange tenderness, the same deep longing that he had always felt.
Arthur put a third finger in then, and Merlin tensed a little, but when Arthur found that spot inside of him Merlin moaned loudly, and Arthur was starting to doubt whether he was really still asleep. To be honest Arthur didn't care all that much either way at this point. His cock was swollen with blood, the head a deep, crimson red, and Arthur really just wanted to fuck it to the hilt into Merlin's sweet, enticing arse. Taking a few deep, panting breaths, Arthur pulled out his fingers, lined up his cock and gripped Merlin's hip with his other hand, steadying his manservant for the final assault.
Merlin's hole opened and stretched when Arthur pushed his thick cock in. It was the most arousing thing Arthur had ever seen, Merlin's white skin and rosy rimmed hole, all glossy from the salve, giving way to Arthur's mighty sword. He pushed in slowly at first, but when Merlin's pucker clenched around the rim of the head, like it never wanted to let go, Arthur's resolve broke and he drove home all the way with one thrust, pressing his groin flush against Merlin's cheeks, gripping Merlin's hips hard and grinding his teeth to keep himself from spending.
What he wasn't expecting was the throaty, desperate groan coming from his manservant.
Oh gods. Arthur let go of Merlin's hips, totally unprepared to explain to him why Arthur's cock was buried up his arse. He scrambled around in his mind for an excuse, anything really, when Merlin moaned again and then whispered harshly, ''God Arthur, if you stop now, I won't forgive you. I'll turn you into a toad or something equally nasty, and where would that leave us, huh? So get moving already and fuck me!''
For a moment Arthur's brain wanted to get stuck on toads and how Merlin would even... but then the words 'fuck me' sank in and the rest of Merlin's little speech was forgotten. Merlin pressed back against him encouragingly, wriggling his hips again, and Arthur grabbed them, pulled out and slammed his cock back into Merlin, driving another, even louder moan from his throat.
''That what you want Merlin?'' He whispered into his manservant's ear. ''My cock in your arse, fucking you raw?''
''God, yes,'' Merlin moaned. ''Please...''
If Merlin's body had already driven Arthur crazy, there were no words for what his pleading voice and his slutty moans were doing to Arthur. But that cheeky bugger had just until now pretended to be asleep, and even if Arthur was certain that he hadn't been awake at the beginning, this required some punishment.
''Please what, Merlin?'' Arthur asked smugly. ''Want me to let you come?'' He grabbed Merlin's hand that had taken hold of his own erection. ''No, no, no. No touching yourself. You want to come, you come from my cock pounding you open.''
''Gods, Arthur,'' Merlin whined, ''You selfish prick, you- ...ungh...,'' but if the moans coming from him were any indication he had not much to complain about, which was nothing new after all.
''Well, it's my prick you want isn't it, Merlin?'' Arthur asked, panting and slamming into Merlin with all the force he could muster, rolling them so that he could drive Merlin into he ground, providing him with some pressure and friction on his cock after all. ''Maybe I should make you beg for it? Or put you in the stocks for your insolence, and take you there while the whole of Camelot is watching you. Watching you take it from the crown prince. Watching you beg me for more, to give it to you hard and fast. You like that, do you Merlin? Want me to spear you, and take you and split you open on my cock-''
''Arthur!'' Merlin's yell was half outrage and half pleasure and then he was spurting all over the pelt. His hole was spasming around Arthur, and Arthur kept plunging into him violently and with his last bit of strength, until he erupted and there were stars in front of his eyes and his knees buckled and he just somehow managed to collapse next to Merlin and not on him, so he wouldn't hurt his back.
For a long time there was nothing but the crackling of the dying fire and their own harsh and fast breaths. Merlin turned his face towards Arthur then, smiling his adorable goofy smile and Arthur closed the distance between them, crossing the last line left to cross, and kissed Merlin.
When they finally came up for air again, Merlin sighed happily and snuggled closer to Arthur who instinctively put his arms around him, pulling him even closer.
''God, Arthur,'' Merlin sighed after a while. ''I really had begun to think you'd never make a move. Us poor servants really have to do everything with you royal folk.''
''What do you mean you have to-'' Arthur began, confused, and then when the words sank in, he spluttered, ''Did- did you plan this?''
Merlin looked at him over his shoulder, all smug and smirking.
''You fell into the river on purpose?'' Arthur demanded incredulously.
''Oh,'' Merlin had the grace to blush a little then. ''No. That was in fact an accident. I just thought it was a good opportunity, yeah?''
Arthur looked at him like he was mad, which Merlin probably was. But then Arthur obviously had a thing for the insolent and insane, or he wouldn't have fallen for his manservant. And he had fallen. Arthur could admit that, at least to himself. He didn't care whether pliant or brazen, foolish or loyal, all that was important was that Merlin would always be Arthur's.
FIN