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   False Hearts Know by Excited_Insomniac for s0mmerspr0ssen

   Fandoms: Merlin (TV)  

   • Explicit
   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • M/M
   • Complete Work

   05 Nov 2023

   Tags

   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
   • Arthur Pendragon & Uther Pendragon (Merlin)
   • Merlin & Will (Merlin)
   • Kilgharrah & Merlin (Merlin)
   • past Arthur/Mordred
   • Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
   • Merlin (Merlin)
   • Uther Pendragon (Merlin)
   • Kilgharrah (Merlin)
   • Morgana (Merlin)
   • Will (Merlin)
   • Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
   • Fake Relationship
   • Arthur doesn’t know it’s fake
   • Emotional Manipulation
   • Deception
   • Betrayal
   • Heartbreak
   • Corporate Espionage
   • morally grey merlin
   • Vulnerable Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
   • Manipulative Merlin (Merlin)
   • Hypocritical Merlin
   • Repentant Merlin
   • Secret Identity
   • Merlin goes by Emerson for the first half of this
   • I know sorry it was weird for me too
   • Merlin is a lying liar who lies
   • Seriously he’s very skilled at it
   • I expect you to hate him
   • (In fact I’ll be disappointed if you don’t)
   • Big evil corporations: the taking down of
   • All’s fair in love and investigating multiple human rights violations
   • In this house we hate the bad iguana
   • Kilgharrah Sucks
   • Past Infidelity
   • (see past Mordred/Arthur)
   • I really do hurt Arthur so badly in this and I really am so sorry
   • Arthur Pendragon Needs a Hug (Merlin)
   • Hurt/Comfort
   • Mostly hurt tho ngl
   • Angst
   • Getting Together
   • Breaking Up & Making Up
   • Unhealthy Relationships
   • Explicit Sexual Content
   • Including But Not Limited To - Freeform
   • Oral Sex
   • Anal Sex
   • Come Eating
   • Multiple Orgasms
   • bottom!Arthur
   • top!Merlin
   • Dubious Consent
   • (b/c secret identity/motivations)
   • Uther Pendragon's A+ parenting
   • (didn't that used to be a tag??)
   • Good Morgana (Merlin)
   • Reconciliation
   • Family
   • Past Child Abuse
   • Emotional/Psychological Abuse
   • Past physical abuse
   • It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better
   • Like Way Worse
   • ymmv on if the ending is happy per se
   • Hopeful Ending
   • Happier than I expected though! :D
   • I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping
   • (gotta live up to my pseud somehow!)

   Summary

   Arthur Pendragon, a Director of Pendragon Ltd, begins a relationship with bubbly, irreverent book editor Emerson Wyllt, and things seem perfect for once. But are they? Is Emerson all he says he is? And what does it have to do with Arthur’s job?

   Merlin Emrys, junior human rights lawyer, begins a relationship with repressed, unexpectedly sensitive businessman Arthur Pendragon in order to steal information about human rights violations perpetrated by Pendragon Ltd. But as he grows closer with Arthur, his guilt over all of his lying grows worse and worse. Is there any way he can salvage the relationship while still bringing Pendragon Ltd to justice?

   **READ THE TAGS**

   Language:

   English

   Words:

   51,426

   Chapters:

   2/2

   Comments:

   127

   Kudos:

   439

   Bookmarks:

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   Hits:

   6,545

   Bookmarked by batDOTduck

   31 Mar 2026