Chapter Text
Merlin had not been careful.
Perhaps it was a product of his weariness and despair at Arthur’s recent cold shoulder but he should have known something like this was bound to happen. Actually, he did know, had been guarding against the attempts for years, but this time his awareness had lapsed. Instead, he had been caught up trying to get the prat’s attention, to garner some sort of reaction from the alpha: anger, irritation, disappointment, anything, and had acted before thinking, before checking. It had been weeks and Arthur had yet to speak a word to him beyond anything that was ordering tasks to be done and Merlin was sick of it.
He was also afraid.
Very afraid.
He was scared that the revelation had broken them beyond something that could be mended, that Arthur was preparing to cast him away in one form or another. His inner omega wouldn’t be able to handle the rejection, Merlin knew; he had grown far too close to the alpha to give up now.
But he might not have a choice.
The thought made him cold, despite the magma that was building under his skin. He had known that Arthur would never take the knowledge of his magic well, wouldn’t treat it as anything less than utterly catastrophic, but Merlin had expected to be able to argue with him, to explain and, hopefully, be forgiven somehow. It was unfair to be completely ignored, treated like an actual proper servant, barely seen and never heard.
It hurt.
It felt like Merlin’s heart was slowly being ripped out of his chest, one vein at a time.
He had become desperate, purposely screwing up even basic chores just to give Arthur an excuse to yell at him, had sniped at him with increasingly outrageous and hurtful insults just to make Arthur glare, but the alpha had not risen to the bait, continuing to act like Merlin didn’t even exist. The knights were worried and so was Gwen, he could tell by the looks they threw at the two as Merlin attended Arthur in silence, growing increasingly hollow by the atrophy. Gaius was upset in his own right but even he had been giving the omega more physical affection as Merlin became more and more visibly despondent.
Yet, the plots against Albion’s golden king continued to play out and Merlin should have known better than to let his attention stray. Arthur was still unwed and unmated, his last correspondence with Gwen had ended terribly with Lancelot caught in the middle. In the end, there was no hiding how Gwen’s scent clung to the younger knight and Arthur had given in, but not gracefully. It was probably why the knight hesitated to step between Arthur and Merlin now. Lancelot didn’t know that Arthur had discovered the truth, otherwise Merlin was sure the knight would have tied him to a cart that was halfway to Nemeth by now, and the other alpha didn’t want to bring Arthur’s ire back on his head so soon after it had finally seemed to fizzle out. It wasn’t like Merlin and Arthur hadn’t had fights before, just none this bad, and none this cold.
As an unmated, powerful alpha, there were no end to the attempts to seduce the young king. Merlin had to watch out for everything from love potions to articles of heat soaked clothing finding its way into the king’s food or chambers. It was a daily part of Merlin’s routine, though it often ended up being closer to hourly, to locate and dispose of such things. It pleased his instincts greatly to ensure that his alpha’s scent remained untainted by another omega, especially when Merlin couldn’t scent him himself; yet another secret that would break them further.
Not that Arthur was his, or would ever be his given the current glacial relationship. He knew his inner omega would take the king’s inevitable marriage like the swing of an axe, all shrieking pain and shattered bone. Still Merlin had contented himself to currently be only omega fully integrated into Arthur’s daily routine, the only one to enter his private chambers, share his more private moments. Now, the most Merlin could hope for now was tolerance even if his omega howled at the thought. It was why he had consumed Arthur’s evening wine, boldly and without checking, staring the alpha down and daring Arthur to fucking talk to him. Merlin had assumed the crackling heat under his skin was a flush from the sudden influx of alcohol and hadn’t thought twice about the off taste, as he didn’t consume much in the first place. It wasn’t until he was cleaning the plates back up, efforts unsuccessful, that he saw the carefully tied bundle of herbs and the etched runes at the bottom of the jug.
A cycle inducer, designed to kickstart either an heat or rut, and a powerful one.
And Merlin had drunk the entire jug in one go.
He even had an idea of who had done it, catching the fantasizing chatter of a young kitchen maid that often tracked the king with far too much interest when he came into her sights. He had excused himself quickly, not that Arthur either noticed nor cared, and had bolted back to Gaius’s chambers, jug in hand. The older beta had been out in the lower town making some rounds and Merlin had torn through recovered spell books and medical tombs alike to find a cure. His heart sank at the conclusion; the combination of herbs and magic made the compulsion unavoidable, designed to offset curses that caused the opposite and prevented bonding. The only thing that would help Merlin now was an alpha’s knot. He could ask Gwaine; the alpha would be more than happy to help and wouldn’t attempt to bind Merlin against his will like some stranger would, but Merlin’s omega twisted unhappily.
They both knew what they wanted; it was why Merlin had stayed on suppressants for so long.
He resolved to suffer through it alone, perhaps it was what he deserved for breaking his alpha’s trust so deeply. He knew Arthur had been betrayed far too often, knew how much it had hurt the king to think he couldn’t even trust the one person he thought he had left on his side. It just wasn’t fair that Merlin hadn’t had a choice, by the time he might have been able to reveal himself, too many other lies had twisted themselves into the web. There was no way to avoid the pain, and the backlash only grew the longer Merlin waited for it to clear.
Now, the day his heat fully set in, Merlin greatly regretted the decision. There was a fire poker in his stomach, unrelated to the fire poker that might have broken one of his ribs several minutes ago, courtesy of one of Morgana’s assassins. Originally, Merlin had thought that he would ride out the day and a half of preheat then claim to have come down with some sort of sickness, spending the rest of the time moaning and whining in a nest on his bed; not that he had been able to make one, or even gather the materials, with all of the chores Arthur had given him. He could have blown them all off and dealt with the consequences later, it wasn’t like Arthur would react anyway, but his omega had wanted as much of Arthur’s scent as possible if it was to be denied its preferred knot. Of course that had all been dashed the second Morgana’s assassin had crawled through the siege tunnels and Merlin had been reminded that he could not leave the king unattended while his heat wrecked his body. He would just have to suck it up and continue his duties.
He limped back towards the castle hallways, pausing in an alcove to regain his breath as his pulse climbed too high for him to be able to breathe properly. The world was slightly swaying and Merlin’s hands twitched with the need to grab onto something, preferably alpha-shaped. He tightened his thighs as he filled out at the sudden memory of Arthur’s sunlit scent, the smell of heat, earth and pure clean air, drenched in sweat after training.
Was that how he would smell after bending Merlin in two?
A whine pulsed low in his throat, pleading at the fantasy, and his hands drifted down towards the slick that had started to trickle down his thighs. Merlin jerked them back up, forcing his nails to curl into his injured side. The pain grounded him and Merlin kept up the pressure for several seconds until the haze had cleared before pushing magic into it to numb the ache until he could get back to his chambers. Gaius was still away but Merlin knew enough to patch himself up.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
**
A putrid stench crashed into Merlin’s senses, smug, slightly aroused, and very, very alpha. He whirled around and backed further into the alcove corner, away from the alpha blocking its exit. Lord Nier, a guest from the visiting Gawant delegation, stood in front of him, lecherously raking his eyes up and down Merlin’s body, it was enough to nearly make the omega gag.
“The King’s manservant an omega, who knew?” The Lord purred, looking very much like a cat that got the cream.
Heart pounding, Merlin braced himself to fight his way out and bolt. Uther’s policy, one that Arthur had yet to overturn, stated that any unbound lower class omega in heat was able to be claimed by the first alpha to find them. It was touted as a deterrent to prevent heated omegas from roaming the castle halls disruptively and assistance to the poor needy omegas both but Merlin knew it was more to benefit the alphan lords of the castle in actuality. Omegan servants couldn’t afford to miss an entire week of work every three months when their cycle came into play. Either they took expensive and painful represents or prayed that they never caught the attention of a wandering alpha.
If Merlin could escape and find any of the round table knights, they would at least have a legitimate claim to counter the lord’s. It would be the worst way for his second secret to come out but it was far better than the idea of this repulsive scent claiming him in any way, gods forbid permanently. Lord Nier’s interest, beyond the physical, was undoubtedly rooted in the power rush of defiling the King’s ‘personal property’. Many were aware of Merlin’s and Arthur‘s close relationship, at least prior relationship, making it all that more alluring to be able to swipe him out from under the King’s nose. His magic pooled under his skin, ready to defend his honor, but something on his face must have given him away and his reflexes were just a second too slow.
“Freeze.” The command locked his limbs before he could even twitch, and Merlin’s heart plummeted. Normally he could throw off an alpha’s command with relative ease; he followed Arthur around daily and was therefore resistant to far more powerful pheromones, but the heat made him susceptible, allowing the command to sink deep into his mind. The alpha paced forward, his rotten scent clogging Merlin’s nose and making his eyes water but Merlin couldn’t move a single muscle. His magic buzzed under his skin in warning but, as a part of him, was bound by the order as well, unable to make a move without Merlin to guide it. Merlin shivered at the look in Lord Nier’s eyes, one that promised the following events would be incredibly unpleasant for the omega. The alpha leaned in, inhaling a deep breath before dragging his slimy tongue across the scent gland at the base of Merlin’s neck. The violating sensation was enough to make Merlin flinch, but not enough to break the compulsion, and Lord Nier pulled back to grin wolfishly at him. Merlin shuddered at the sight of his blown pupils.
“You smell delectable, little one.” Merlin gagged for a whole different reason at the patronizing language. There was nothing little about him. In fact he towered over the lord by nearly an inch, half an inch over Arthur. The only thing about Merlin that could be considered lesser to the man in front of him was his secondary gender and, therefore, quite possibly his lack of a knot, though Merlin doubted it. The lord reached up clasping the back of Merlin’s neck tightly, making him hunch on instinct, and forced him to bend even more until he was below the lord. For a weightless second, Merlin thought Lord Nier would force him to his knees then and there, demanding that Merlin service him, but he merely grinned, drinking in more of his power over the servant.
“Come with me.” He snapped tugging Merlin forward and the omega lunged the second the previous command released, his claws erupting with the influx of his panic and determination. He lashed out, striking nearly blind in his hunched over state, and smelt the bright scent of iron as they made contact. His magic followed suit and shoved out at the alpha of its own accord, mirroring Merlin’s intent to get the man away from him. However, the lord’s hand was still clamped tightly over the back of Merlin’s neck, blunt fingers making bruising dents in the omega’s neck, and Merlin was dragged along as his magic tossed the alpha into the other side of the hallway. The violent change of position made the world swim, and Merlin dry heaved as the swirl of color combined with the chamberpot scent of the alpha assaulting him. He wasn’t fast enough regaining his bearings either and a foot collided harshly with his previously injured side. Screaming, he collapsed on the hallway floor, cradling his ribs as the pain raced up his nerves, only to feel a hand tangle in his hair, along with the bite of newly erupted claws, and wrench him back up, exposing his throat. The hairs on the back of his neck electrified with warning and he hissed at the threat, feeling his magic pool once more.
“How dare you!” The full force of an alpha’s enraged pheromones crashed into Merlin’s nose, causing his omega to quake on instinct and stunning him just long enough for Lord Nier to bind him with another order. “You will not lift so much as another finger against me, omega!” He snarled, pure rage in his red ringed eyes. Merlin’s magic hit an intangible barrier and rattled his teeth as it recoiled back beneath his skin, unable to touch the lord holding him. There was a small set of scratches on the lord’s cheek. They looked deep enough to scar, Merlin fervently hoped they did, but they were not enough to deal any meaningful damage in the present. Lord Nier landed another hit on Merlin’s stomach and Merlin yelped, eyes watering from the pain but unable to get away from the alpha’s continuing grip on his hair. Lord Nier heaved above him, face twisted into an ugly rage at having been struck and claws digging into Merlin’s scalp. At once, true fear climbed up Merlin’s throat.
He was helpless like this.
Lord Nier glared at him, taking several deep breaths before his grip relaxed and he gave Merlin a sadistic smile, “Let’s take this somewhere more private shall we?” Every instinct Merlin had screamed its warning about allowing the enraged alpha to take him anywhere, but he couldn’t strike the man and therefore couldn’t escape as Lord Nier dragged him to his feet, replacing his previous hold on the back of Merlin’s neck, now with the tangible threat of multiple sharp points pressing into his windpipe, and forcing Merlin to bend even further.
“Walk, bitch.”
Then he was marching Merlin down the halls, practically parading his catch in front of the staff. Several gave him pitying glances while several more stared in terror but the vast majority turned their eyes away knowing there was nothing they could do. Merlin felt a deep shame consume his core as a numb, horrified understanding of what was about to happen trickled through him. The whole castle would know of it by morning, there was no escape. A familiar beige skirt caught the corner of his eye and he turned his head to meet Gwen’s concerned gaze. Whatever expression was on his face turned her own white in horror and she bolted down a different hallway. In his emotionally heightened state, Merlin couldn’t help but think of it as abandonment.
Maybe this was what he deserved for being so weak.
“Face forward.” Lord Nier snapped and the muscles in Merlin’s neck twisted to obey. He mentally pushed against the force of the alpha’s command, desperate to throw it off, but was unable to without any way to rid himself of cloud of alpha pheromones that stuck to his skin like honey, altering his own hormones in turn. He had not made much progress by the time they reached a set of chamber doors. They weren’t Lord Nier’s, but an empty guest room, and Merlin frowned in confusion, briefly thrown off his attempts to dig his heels into the ground. The lord hauled him inside and practically tossed him towards the center of the room before shutting the doors behind them. Merlin stumbled, managing to catch himself before he ended up on his knees, and turned, refusing to put the alpha at his back.
Lord Nier examined the room briefly before grunting, “This will do.” and turning back to Merlin, who felt his stomach clench just as another cramp rocked through it. The alpha stalked towards him and Merlin recognized the hungry gleam in his eyes; evidently the lord was simply too impatient to make it all the way back to his chambers. Despair clawed at him as he realized he was going to be used like a common rut toy, Lord Nier tearing into him like a piece of meat until he had been sated.
He bared his teeth defensively and Lord Nier growled, swamping the omega with additional demanding pheromones. Merlin’s head spun briefly as his heat twisted his instincts and that was all it took to allow the alpha to cross the room, yanking the warlock’s head back again by another painful grip on Merlin’s hair.
“Present.” Lord Nier hissed in his ear, releasing him and gleefully watching as Merlin slowly sank down to the floor, trembling as he struggled to defy the command. Humiliation sparked through him, hot and heavy, as his body was forced to all fours despite his best efforts to resist. Apparently he moved too slow for the alpha’s taste and the hand in his hair returned, slamming his head the rest of the way to the floor as Merlin’s hips remained stubbornly in the air.
“That’s better.” Lord Nier purred and Merlin shivered feeling more than seeing the alpha crouch over him, pinning Merlin down as he took stock of his catch. Black spots danced in Merlin’s vision and a distant voice that sounded like Gaius rambled on about the dangers of concussions as Merlin’s mind tried to shy away from what was about to happen. He was producing more slick now, body readying for the days of breeding ahead, and the scent of it seemed to make Lord Nier practically rabid. He grinned cruelly and demanded, “Beg for me omega.”
The blow to his head seemed to have jarred something in Merlin and the order didn’t take as deep a hold, though he still couldn’t throw off the previous commands. He grit his teeth, dragging every ounce of defiance he had trained on Arthur and grasping his last strand of dignity with a white knuckled grip.
“I would never beg for a knot as pathetic as yours.” Merlin snarled against the floor and Lord Nier’s eyes dilated in rage, smirk vanishing in seconds. He pressed more weight onto Merlin’s head, digging his other hand into Merlin’s injured ribs once more, and Merlin screamed, thrashing in pain.
Lord Nier growled at him, letting Merlin struggle for several minutes with silent seething rage before the pressure released, leaving Merlin to shake and gasp against the stone floor. Merlin’s eyes burned at the feeling of Lord Nier’s hands on his hips as the alpha moved behind him, tugging them back into position. The alpha leaned over his exposed back and his rotten scent choked the omega, sucking out all the clean air around him. He tried to squirm away but the scent just grew more horrid as he created friction against the hard object behind him.
“What was that, omega?” Lord Nier snarled in his ear. “Sounds like the King has spoiled you, hasn’t he? You need to be taught your place.”
Merlin refused to let his tears fall, he wouldn’t give this brute the satisfaction, but his heart howled at the thought of anyone but Arthur touching him intimately even as his instincts slowly started to turn against him, urging him to submit to the alpha for both survival and relief. His remaining claws splintered against the stone but they were no use to him and his magic frothed in anger, similarly trapped. He shuddered again as Lord Nier’s scent became more excited, and jerked away as his tongue ran over Merlin’s scent gland once more. The alpha rumbled approvingly, hiking Merlin’s hips further and shifting his fingers underneath the rim of Merlin’s smalls, claws ghosting across the delicate skin of Merlin’s hips.
They were interrupted by the sound of the chamber doors banging open and Merlin raised his gaze to find Arthur in all his glory throwing open the doors with a scowl. Merlin’s heart soared at his arrival, only to crash, cold, as the king came to a stop immediately in entrance, face blanking of emotion. Lord Nier looked up, a smirk crawling onto his face at the sight of the King’s apathetic gaze. He pulled Merlin further down, leaning forward to smoother the omega even more, but Merlin couldn’t take his gaze off of Arthur, searching for any hint of warmth in the king’s face. The heat in his body was reaching a crescendo and the room was starting to spin faster as his blood pulsed against the bruise on his skull from where Lord Nier had smashed it. He needed help, surely Arthur wouldn’t be so cruel.
“Alpha… ” Merlin called weakly, the title slipping through his lips as his heat muddled his mind, but Arthur just stared, unmoving. The unwelcome hands on his hips tightened and the aroused scent clogging his nostrils gained a sharp angry edge.
“Oh he gets called alpha but I don’t?” The Lord Nier snapped, digging his claws into Merlin’s sides hard enough to draw blood and make him flinch. Arthur’s expression twitched before smoothing again and Merlin closed his eyes in surrender, losing the will to fight at Arthur’s continued indifference. All hope of salvation fell and he felt his mind retreat in a bid for safety. He knew the rules and Arthur was angry with him, he would leave him here at the mercy of the alpha above him. It was what Merlin deserved.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, what do you think you’re doing? I don’t share.” The revolting alpha’s voice dragged Merlin unwillingly back to the present and he cracked open blurry eyes to see Arthur a few steps closer, chin held high as he glared at the man holding Merlin. His warm, sunshine soaked scent cleaved through the rotten one of Lord Nier’s and Merlin abruptly felt like he could breathe again. Without permission, a whimper crawled out of his throat, his fingers twitching towards his alpha, and Arthur‘s eyes flicked to him for a split second, expression hardening, before refocusing on the alpha behind Merlin. The lord snarled as he noticed Merlin’s pitiful attempt to reach for Arthur.
“Shut up, omega, be grateful for the knot you’re given.” Lord Nier snapped furiously. “I’m your alpha.” Merlin choked on the commands, feeling them sink into his blood and he thrashed at the violation of it, despite being unable to voice his panic. No, this was not his alpha, he didn’t want this alpha.
“No he’s not.” Arthur’s voice cut through the noise, a safe harbor in the midst of the storm driven waves of his terror, and Merlin’s instincts stopped trying to twist him in half. He stilled, panting, unable to stop either the way he shook or the tears beading at the corner of his eyes. He wanted to get away; he wasn’t safe. The alphas’ voices sounded far away, muted under the haze of his heat and the distress of his instincts. He barely followed the conversation.
**
The lord snarled, “How dare you! I found him first; it’s my right to—“
“And he’s my servant in my castle.” Arthur countered, snarling himself. A heavy plume of dominating pheromones swamped the room and Merlin inhaled a welcome lungful of it, tilting his chin helplessly towards Arthur‘s form.
It smelled like home, like safety.
The lord‘s scent turned even more outraged as he saw Merlin unfurl further toward Arthur but even he was hesitant to outright defy the king. His instincts and rationale both had to be warning him of the foolishness of challenging the stronger alpha. Few could match Arthur’s command and fewer still could overpower it.
“Release him.” Arthur ordered with false calm, alphan voice slipping out in his anger, and, with one last dig of the lord’s claws, the hands on Merlin’s hips finally drew back. He felt like sobbing in relief, futilely trying to pull his arms under his torso and drag himself away to safety before Arthur’s protection disappeared. There was still a high chance the king would leave him here if he couldn’t; Arthur was still undoubtedly upset.
There was a soothing rumble next to his ear and the scent of sunshine surrounded him completely. Hands, much kinder than the lord’s, slipped under his ribs, hauling him up until he could lean against a strong, muscled torso. He bit his lip as his side stretched uncomfortably, abortedly curling his hand towards the injury, and the alpha holding him released a low growl of outrage, lifting Merlin’s tunic just enough to see the damage before sweeping fingers tenderly over Merlin’s sensitive flank. Merlin sagged against the affection, still shaking like a leaf, and another finger tilted his nose into the scent gland at the base of the alpha’s neck.
It was heaven.
There was a continued conversation behind his back but Merlin couldn’t follow it, lost under the warm scent of his alpha and the less chaotic but still demanding waves of heat licking at his insides. He wanted to taste the divine scent in front of him, have it shelter him from the inside out, but he knew he wouldn’t be welcome. He settled for nuzzling against it, feeling his throat click over silent pleading whimpers. Arthur’s scent increased in response, a finger rubbing a gentle circle into Merlin’s back until the omega fully relaxed against him. Distantly, Merlin felt his claws finally slide back to his normal blunted nails as he savored the security his alpha’s scent brought him. The voices continued back and forth, gaining volume, until finally Arthur snapped something harshly. Merlin flinched at the sudden anger of his tone and scent. Arthur’s hand splayed wide over his back in apology and then Merlin was being tugged from the room, stumbling clumsily after the alpha holding his waist.
“Come on, let’s get you sorted.” Arthur murmured next to his ear and Merlin shivered, feeling liquid trickle further down the back of his thighs.
Between his cresting heat and lingering fear, Merlin’s balance was precarious at best, steps shaky and uncertain. However, Arthur moved slowly enough that Merlin wasn’t dragged, patiently holding him up whenever he tripped. They made slow progress to a destination Merlin wasn’t sure of and honestly didn’t care, as long as Arthur didn’t leave him. It was around the fourth stumble, that Merlin almost went to the ground, weak knees unwilling to support him, and Arthur dragged him up a bit closer to better support his weight. The proximity to his favorite pheromones and the hand that was oh so close to cupping his ass had him erupting in his own pheromones, desperately trying to entice the alpha further.
“God Merlin.” Arthur groaned, bringing them both to a halt and sniffing at his neck. Merlin tilted his chin with another shiver and a silent whine, clutching Arthur closer. “You’re soaked and it smells so good.”
His legs slid to either side of Arthur’s thigh as the alpha crowded into him and Arthur raised it willingly to a firm line. Merlin’s mouth opened in silent moan as his legs tightened, hips hitching. A hand grabbed his jaw and suddenly he was nose to nose with Arthur, able to see the way his dark pupils eclipsed the blue irises Merlin loved.
“Let me hear you.” Arthur ordered, releasing the sound trapped in Merlin’s throat. It was dragged from him ragged and helpless as he settled more weight on the strong thigh holding him up. His eyes fluttered as he finally received the relief his body craved from someone he wanted in return.
“Sire!” Leon’s voice startled them both but Merlin couldn’t stop his hips, pushing down on Arthur eagerly despite the audience. He felt Arthur tug him close, shielding him from the view of the new alpha with a snarl. The alpha’s claws had slipped out in his agitation, though he was careful not to harm Merlin by mistake, and Merlin’s stomach fluttered at the way they gripped him possessively, curling into his tunic and drawing it tight over the skin of his torso. Leon immediately stopped, flicking his eyes between the two of them warily.
“Your Majesty, you’re making a mistake.” He said carefully, trying to appeal to the King’s remaining rationality, but Arthur only blinked at him, pupils still overblown. Merlin whined as his alpha’s attention was diverted and Arthur’s head snapped back around, the top claw of the hand still holding his chin pressing on Merlin’s lower lip, turning it white. Merlin moaned quietly, eyes glassy with heat.
“You need to let him go, Princess.” Gwaine’s stern statement seemed to register to the alpha and Arthur took a shuddered breath, blinking rapidly until the red in his gaze had faded. He shook his head harshly, placing both hands on Merlin’s shoulders bracingly and sliding his partially soaked leg out from between Merlin’s with a grimace.
“Right.” He agreed with a shaky voice, beginning to pull away. Merlin panicked, grabbing at his tunic with a loud whine and Arthur froze, helpless in the face of the omega’s distress.
“Merlin, we should get you to Gaius.” Lancelot’s sweet voice implored next, but it was Arthur who quieted the haze as he cupped Merlin’s cheek softly.
“Merlin, can you hear me?” Merlin blinked at Arthur’s voice, “I need you to focus for me.” The warlock dragged in a drowning gasp of air at the request of his alpha, trying to collect the tattered remains of his rationality.
“Sorry,” He croaked but found himself unable to give Arthur any more space, feeling physically ill at the thought of pulling away from the alpha’s embrace. He shivered again as the heat continued to roll through him, thighs wet and sticky while his stomach continued to cramp with an empty ache.
“Merlin.” Arthur’s steady call dragged Merlin back, unaware that he had drifted once more. “We’re going to take you to Gaius alright?”
Merlin blinked before shaking his head slowly. Arthur frowned. “Gaius is the best p—“
Merlin shook his head more harshly, wincing as the motion made his skull throb angrily. “Gaius isn’t here.” He felt drunk and over-warm. He just wanted to crawl into a nest and lay down, preferably with his alpha. He tried to press closer and Arthur’s grip slid to his hips, pinning him in place. Merlin shuddered as the feeling mimicked that of Lord Nier’s hold and Arthur‘s scent reached out to soothe him on instinct.
Leon frowned. “What do you mean he isn’t here Merlin?” He asked and Merlin jerked, blinking at Leon; he had forgotten the alpha was there. Arthur rubbed a soft circle into Merlin’s hip to refocus him and Merlin’s eyes fluttered again as he groaned softly.
“In the lo’er town. Th’re patients.” His tongue felt swollen and clumsy as his pulse throbbed under his skin and he struggled to recall Gaius’s whereabouts. “Won’t be back for a while.” Had Merlin made a nest? He needed a nest. He tried to push forward towards his alpha once more but the grip remained and a plume of distress covered his scent. Immediately, Arthur rumbled to calm him again and Merlin whined softly.
“We can’t just leave him on his own.” That sounded like Elyan. Was everyone here? Did it matter?
“It’s not safe for him to stay with us either.” Percival’s deep baritone contributed and Merlin started to sway, held up only by Arthur’s strong grip as the world threatened to flip over completely.
“I didn’t know he even was an omega, heats don’t normally come on this quickly do they?” Leon questioned.
“Merlin, where are your suppressants?” Merlin could smell the way Arthur’s scent soured at Lancelot’s question and he curled his own in submission and apology, blearily seeing the way Arthur’s face twisted under a complex set of emotions. The king’s face smoothed out as he stared at Merlin, recognizing that any anger would do more harm than he wanted in Merlin’s addled state. Merlin shook his head again in response to the question.
“Won’t help.” He mumbled drunkenly, starting to slur. “Th’r was a sp’l.” He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear his head from the cobwebs his heat created and caught sight of Arthur’s concerned gaze. “In your drink at dinner. Supposed to kickstart your cycle. No cure, just a knot.” He elaborated, struggling to string the words together. Gwaine gave a soft curse from somewhere behind Arthur and the corridor filled with the scent of several unhappy alphas.
“The wine you drank?” Arthur looked troubled by the thought and Merlin nodded miserably, “You’re sure there’s no other cure?” He prodded, lines of stress on his face, and Merlin nodded again, trying to press closer and whining when the grip on his hips didn’t let him.
“Was going to offer herself to you to end it.” He elaborated. His prior theory had been confirmed as the young maid from before attempted to deliver Arthur’s breakfast the very next morning, claiming rumors of the king’s poor health in the face of Merlin’s territorial fury. She had stuttered as he snapped at her, his omega hissing like a displeased cat in his ears, and gave a clumsy curtsy as she scurried away, leaving Merlin to check over each item on the tray and find another hidden batch of herbs that he promptly burned. Arthur’s previous command urged him to release the growl bubbling in his throat at the memory, making the alphas around him raise eyebrows in surprise. It wasn’t the most direct interpretation of Arthur’s command, but Merlin was unable to resist much of anything with the his heat consuming more and more of his impulse control by the minute.
“I wouldn’t have let her.” He promised darkly. Arthur’s eyes had blown wide once more and he looked at Merlin as if he’d never seen a creature such as him before. The grip on his hips slipped and he happily scrunched himself to nuzzle at his alpha’s Adam’s apple, wanting to feel safe and covered. Arthur’s hands slowly slid up his back and Merlin started to purr in contentment.
“Merlin.” Arthur’s voice sounded rough and Merlin couldn’t tell if it was out of pity or wonderment. Something deliciously sharp prickled over the alpha’s scent and Merlin’s eyes dilated with want, pushing their chests together as he buried his nose in the alpha’s scent gland. Arthur swallowed heavily, one hand tightening on Merlin’s tunic while the other slipped under to splay directly on the sweat damp skin beneath it. Merlin purred louder, curling his own hands into his alpha’s tunic.
“Someone will need to help him through his cycle then.” Arthur concluded, corralling his voice to sound authoritative. He seemed to hesitate and Merlin frowned as the alpha’s scent bittered unhappily. “Gwaine, I suspect you’d have no objections? I think you have the most experience of all of us.”
Merlin furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to understand what they were discussing. He heard someone shift nervously and a concerned edge entered Gwaine’s scent. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” He questioned.
Arthur’s scent bittered further and Merlin started to get agitated, flicking a scowl at the other alpha over Arthur’s shoulder for upsetting the king. Gwaine’s eyebrows rose high at the expression. Merlin could now see all five knights clustered together several feet away, observing the two of them with varying expressions of concern. Merlin’s attention was brought back to Arthur as he confirmed his prior answer, though he sounded anything but happy to speak the words, his claws digging lightly into Merlin’s back. “Yes, he’s already running very hot. I want someone who knows what they’re doing and won’t take advantage.” Arthur grit out through clenched teeth before turning a piercing gaze on the other alpha. “If you hurt him at all… “
Gwaine’s face darkened at the implication. “You know I would never.” He vowed and some of the tension fled from Arthur’s shoulders, Merlin moved his gaze between them, forcing the haze back from his mind as his instincts assured him something important was happening. Arthur inclined his head in acknowledgement of the knight’s statement.
“I know.” He agreed. “That’s why I’m asking you.” Merlin stiffened, eyes going wide and stomach dropping like a stone as he realized what was happening. Arthur was handing him off to Gwaine.
Arthur was leaving.
His inner omega tore up his chest in outrage, begging him to stop the exchange. Gwaine cast one more incredulous glance at the king before turning the look on Leon, who merely thinned his lips and tilted his head in Merlin’s direction. None of the knights looked ecstatic at the decision, but Gwaine set his shoulders resolutely, pursing his lips, and began to approach them both. Arthur tensed, lifting his lips on instinct, before he forced himself to relax, gently untangling the two of them and pushing Merlin off him. Merlin’s gaze snapped to him in panic, helpless to stop the whine that tripped out of his throat. Arthur looked pained, but refused to let the omega push back into his space. “It’s okay,“ He soothed. “Gwaine will take care of you.”
Gwaine let out a plume of his own entreating pheromones, encouraging Merlin to come with him, and Merlin’s gaze snapped to him instantly. He bared his teeth and let out a threatening hiss, telling the alpha not to come any closer as his magic weighed on the air in warning. All the knights flinched and Gwaine held up his hands as he stepped back, eyebrows once again high on his head and scent rapidly fading from the air. Merlin felt his cheeks color as guilt pushed its way past the feral hissing in his head and he shoved his instincts down with no small effort, clearing his mind as much as he could. He felt bad; it wasn’t Gwaine’s fault. The knight didn’t even smell that bad, the scent of leather and raw barely only enhanced by the lingering notes of his numerous tavern visits that clung to his skin. He just wasn’t what Merlin wanted, what he needed.
“Merlin?” Arthur questioned brows furrowing in confusion and concern. Merlin grabbed onto Arthur’s wrists averting his gaze to the king’s chest as he hunched slightly. “You don’t want Gwaine?” Arthur asked and Merlin shook his head. In the corner of his eye he could see that Gwaine, thankfully, didn’t look offended, in fact he looked rather relieved at the turn of events.
“Alright,” Arthur relented. “Who do you want?”
The answer pressed on his lips, beat at his breast, assisted by the urging of Arthur’s order and Merlin swallowed, tightening his grip on the alpha’s wrists as he struggled to find the courage to voice it. He had undoubtedly screwed up every flicker of chance he had with the King through the revelation of this second secret, this might very well be the last time he saw Arthur, the last time he was allowed to touch and scent the alpha. His heart felt like a bed of thorns at the thought and, with nearly hysterical despair, he figured there was literally nothing left to lose.
“You,” he whispered, licking his lips, and Arthur froze. Merlin’s heart pounded as he held it out to the alpha, bracing for it to be shattered completely.
“Merlin… “ Arthur started and Merlin lifted his gaze to meet Arthur’s gutted expression. Perhaps it wasn’t fair of him to ask, but Arthur’s scent hadn’t been opposed to the idea a few minutes earlier. If this was Merlin’s only chance, his last even, he was desperate to take it, to commit it to memory where he could hold it to possibly ease the ache of Arthur’s loss later.
“Please, Arthur, no one else,” He begged and the lines around Arthur’s eyes tightened, thinning his lips as he rubbed his thumbs across Merlin’s shoulders absentmindedly.
“If this is because of the heat, I’m sure that—“ He began again and Merlin shook his head harshly, turning his knuckles white with the strength of his grip on Arthur’s wrists.
“It’s not! I promise.” He cut Arthur off in his rush to reassure him. “I know what I’m asking.” He averted his eyes back down in shame. “I know I don’t have the right, considering what I’ve done.” Arthur’s lips folded down at the admission. “I just…” anyone else would feel wrong, he thought but swallowed the words back in his throat, hunching down again at the fragile feeling in his chest. “You asked who I wanted and I want you.”
“Princess, he’s clearly already made his choice.” Gwaine sounded amused though there was still a heavy amount of concern in his eyes at Merlin’s continuing distress. Arthur shifted his gaze to the knight briefly before turning back to Merlin and searching his face, indecision warring in his eyes.
“No one else.” Merlin pleaded again, softer. He knew he was asking for a lot considering all he had broken between them but Merlin couldn’t help the left over fear that lingered from the phantom sensation of the lord’s nails in his hips and the snarled whispers in his ears. His instincts wouldn’t settle for anyone less now that Arthur had almost been his; he wouldn’t feel safe. It wouldn't feel right. Arthur swallowed.
“Okay,” He soothed, giving in. “No one else, Merlin, just me.” Merlin slumped as relief swamped him. Where Arthur’s grip had been a barrier between them, it now twisted to pull the omega close once more, folding him into the confines of Arthur’s embrace. Merlin followed willingly, eagerly pushing back into the alpha’s space and submissively nipping at the underside of Arthur’s jaw. He saw a smile bloom in the corner of Arthur’s lips and a kiss was placed tenderly against his temple as the alpha relaxed and his scent became undeniably pleased.
“He’ll need a nest, does he already have one?” Elyan interrupted them and Arthur blinked, glancing at the knight before frowning. His eyes took on a strategic edge as his mind began to go over everything they would need to cater to Merlin’s cycle. He moved his head to the side, ducking down slightly to catch Merlin’s attention.
“Do you have a nest?” He asked and Merlin shook his head, the motion dragging his nose across Arthur’s chest and causing a rash of goosebumps to overtake Merlin’s arms. Now that he had Arthur’s promise, the heat he had pushed aside slowly began to blanket him once more, starting to make his limbs feel fuzzy.
“There wasn’t enough time with all the chores.” He explained absentmindedly, continuing to rub his nose back and forth, and Arthur winced, guilt making the edges of his scent briefly fetid before it faded.
“Elyan, Gwaine, pool together your experience and find something suitable for a nest. Have the materials brought to my chambers.” Arthur instructed. “Leon, I’ll need the knights and the council to be sorted for my absence. Percival, collect some rut supplies from the kitchen, they should know what those are, but it should be things that can be safely preserved for a number of days. Lancelot, see if there’s anything in Gaius’s chambers for an omega’s heat or that Merlin might need.” He paused, brushing a hand down Merlin’s injured flank in remembrance. “Also bring some salves for bruises and light injuries, Lord Nier was not gentle.” He finished icily.
The scents around him darkened with corroborating anger at the statement but each man straightened and gave a firm nod of acknowledgement. With a last fond look at Merlin and his king as the omega started to purr once more, they split off to their various assignments.
Arthur looked back down at Merlin once they had disappeared, tugging him back up from his slouch. “Come on, my chambers aren’t that much further.”
He continued to tug gently, taking a step back, and Merlin swayed towards him like a flower tilting towards the sun, as helpless to resist as a moth to a candle flame. Arthur’s face turned soft and fond, his scent sweetening until Merlin’s world blurred down to him and him alone. He pulled Merlin along and the omega felt like he was floating, distantly aware of Arthur’s amused insult. He couldn’t identify the words for the life of him but he was relatively certain it had something to do with his poor coordination.
Merlin had no concept of time nor place before Arthur was pushing open the familiar, ornate doors to his private chambers and guiding Merlin further into the room. The bubbling in his belly finally became painful as they reached the center of the room and Arthur made a sympathetic noise as Merlin clutched his lower stomach with a groan that turned into a whine. He tugged the omega into a hug, tilting his head to give Merlin access to his neck as he rubbed firm circles into the servant’s back, earning a shiver and another grateful groan for his efforts.
“Just a little longer.” Arthur promised, placing another kiss to his sweaty temple. Merlin hummed in acknowledgement and simply floated on a cloud of Arthur-smelling sunshine. Doors opened and closed, voices talked back and forth, often including his alpha, and there were a few things dragged across the floor, but Merlin couldn’t be bothered with any of it, content to stay right here breathing Arthur’s warm scent deep into his lungs for the rest of eternity even as the heat in his body climbed higher and higher. He was pretty sure the liquid down his thighs was dripping onto the floor as Arthur’s hands kept drifting down before jerking back up, his nose occasionally snuffling interestedly at Merlin’s neck and stirring the embers in his blood. Eventually the door clicked shut one more time and the king turned to the omega leaning contentedly against him.
“Merlin.” He called lilting his voice in the way that never failed to send butterflies soaring through Merlin’s chest and Merlin finally lifted his head slightly, blinking fuzzy, glassy eyes at the alpha. Arthur’s expression was fond but teasing though it softened again at Merlin’s obviously glazed over state. “You’re really out of it aren’t you?”
Merlin watched hazily as the king grabbed his wrist to begin a formal heat courtship, rubbing it gently against his own and combining their scents. Merlin went even more limp at the sensation, a bone deep sense of security settling in his soul at the pack-like behavior, and his gaze hooded as he watched the alpha work, shivering as Arthur moved first Merlin’s wrist to his neck and then his wrist to Merlin’s neck, combining them even more intimately.
Distantly, he became aware of the rather loud vibration in his chest as Arthur’s scent became unbearably smug and slightly arrogant, but any attempt to quiet it did as much good as a single plank trying to dam a river, so he gave up, allowing his purring to reach new heights. Arthur kissed his nose once he had finished, bringing Merlin back sharply to the present. The two of them stared at each other with wide eyes before the alpha’s cheeks rapidly tinted and he averted his gaze, lifting his chin haughtily.
“I’m going to sort through the food and the supplies Lancelot brought.” He explained with a cough to clear his throat. “You should work on your nest.”
Merlin‘s focus zeroed in on the word nest, his instincts buzzing under his skin with need as the alpha reminded him. He looked around the king’s chambers, noting the plates piled high with cold cut food and the basket of vials Lancelot had left behind on Arthur’s desk, until he caught sight of the pile of plush blankets, pillows, and cloth piled on the floor. His eyes dilated and he wandered away from Arthur without another glance, hearing an amused snort before the alpha made his own way over to the desk. Reaching the pile of materials Merlin shifted through them with blown pupils, testing the softness of each and sorting them into piles.
He crinkled his nose in distaste at the clean non-scent of the sheets, and pulled one up to rub it against his cheek; everything in this room needed to smell like him and maybe Arthur. As the sheet drew closer, he suddenly paused, pressing his nose into the fabric and growling lightly as a whiff of another omega curled around the edge of it. It wasn’t strong enough to be scented directly, more like it had brushed against something else and he set the sheet down as he dug through the pile with narrow eyes. It was a pillow, he found after tossing most of the piles into chaotic directions, daintily laced, worn and soft, and the scent was Gwen’s, he finally recognized, realizing she must have helped Elyan and Gwaine gather a few things for him as the alphas’ scents also gently coated the rest of the materials. Immediately another stripe of guilt passed through his stomach, knowing she had likely done so with only his comfort in mind, but Merlin had never been good at sharing, especially not when he forced himself to sit by and watch as Arthur flirted with every noble omega that visited, even if the king had never been truly interested.
His more primal instincts urged him to rip the pillow to shreds for the slight. No other omega was allowed in his den. He pushed the intrusive thoughts aside and forced himself to consider the material. It was soft but firm, the fabric thick, which would soak in the scent he imbued it with but had been worn down by loving use until it was soft as velvet, a luxury for a common born omega like Gwen and him. Really, the only thing wrong with the pillow was the lingering notes of Gwen’s smoky lilac scent, though she had clearly done her best to wash it away. There was no reason for Merlin to refuse her gift, he could likely overwrite the scent, though, with a scent this old, he might have trouble erasing it completely.
He set the pillow to the side.
Offense dealt with, Merlin set about reorganizing the piles, scooping up his chosen materials in one large armful and tottering over to Arthur’s bed. Overbalanced, a rather thick comforter threatened to unravel Merlin’s precarious tower until his magic caught it, eager to be of use, and lifted the entire bundle to hover a few inches above his hands. Merlin hummed happily, completing his journey and lifting all his materials onto the covers before climbing inside. He set to work stretching the larger pieces of cloth across the bottom and curling the smaller ones to cushion the edges, using the pillows and stiffer pieces to hold the structure in place. Of course the king’s own sheets were the most valuable of the lot, having soaked in his alpha’s scent every night since the last time they had been washed, last week. It created a comforting nebula for Merlin to work in. He rucked them up to create a pillow of comfort while his magic happily tweaked the corners of the nest to his liking.
A thought occurred to the omega and he paused again, gaze drifting over to the king’s wardrobe. Had he taken laundry down yet? He moved his eyes to Arthur’s back, where the alpha was still sorting through a basket of vials. Undoubtedly the clothes he was wearing would have the most scent but surely there was a shirt or two left in his closet. He dithered in a state of indecision before quickly climbing out of the nest and scurrying over to the wardrobe, beginning to rifle through it as he pressed his nose then cheek to every piece of fabric within, unable to curb the urge to scent each of the alpha’s articles, to claim them both. There was a soft huff of disbelief from the other end of the room that he studiously ignored, continuing on with his actions unimpeded, until he was startled by arms winding around his waist.
“What are you doing?” Arthur questioned as he laid his chin on Merlin‘s shoulder. His tone was equally puzzled and amused but his grip tightened as he caught a whiff of the scent Merlin had rubbed into each fabric he had picked up. “Minx.” He breathed, sounding anything but upset and Merlin purred, wiggling back against the firm line of Arthur’s body, and preening as he heard the alpha quietly choke.
“I’m lo’k’in for th’ngs th’t smell l’ke you.” Merlin slurred, already his world was tilting again with the alpha’s proximity, his body slightly following its sway back and forth.
Arthur snorted, “Aren’t the sheets enough?” He asked, like an idiotic prat, and Merlin frowned.
“No,“ Merlin told him petulantly, “You need to be everywhere.”
Arthur sucked in a small sip of air at the declaration. He licked his lips, seeming to be at a loss of what to say while Merlin was like this. At length he swallowed, pressing a kiss to Merlin’s cheek before pulling him away.
“I’ll make you some more materials.” He promised. “But I’d rather not go to council next week drenched in your heat scent.” Merlin blinked at him in concern, clutching the jacket he had grabbed close as an unhappy emotion stirred to life in his chest. His alpha didn’t want his scent? Merlin’s omega wilted at the rejection.
Arthur seemed to sense, or scent, his new distress and halted. “Not like that.” He hastened to clarify. His cheeks tinting yet again. Merlin blinked in slight confusion as the alpha avoided eye contact once more; Arthur was acting somewhat strange. “I just meant that they don’t have the right.”
Merlin stared at him once again, a low simmer setting in his stomach completely separate from the heat symptoms. He followed the flush of color as it bloomed down Arthur’s neck, pupils dilating as it spread lower and lower. Arthur’s hand tightened on his hip though the alpha stubbornly refused to look at him and Merlin shifted his gaze back to the King’s face.
“You’re mine; they don’t get to smell you like this.” He muttered lowly, with only a hint of a growl, as if he was afraid to say it and Merlin’s breath caught. It was a phrase pulled from his deepest fantasies and a faint fear struck that this was all just a dream, his mind’s last bid to distract him from the horrible reality actually unfolding around him. He focused on the warmth of Arthur’s hand around his hip to reassure himself, fingers twitching into the jacket in his hands with the urge to pinch his skin just to make sure.
“Yeah?” He breathed out and Arthur finally glanced back at him, face softening at the wonder on Merlin’s face. Arthur‘s eyes flicked down to Merlin’s slightly parted lips and he swayed forward as if lured, pressing their lips together far too briefly before leaning back again. Merlin swore the fleeting pressure was seared into his senses, lingering long after Arthur’s departure, but his mind was frozen, unwilling to do anything other than smile in fear that the tender moment might break. The two of them simply stared at each other for several long seconds, matching dopey, soft smiles and swirling their scents around each other, until Arthur’s gaze caught back on the jacket still clutched between Merlin’s hands.
Huffing again in exasperation, he gently tugged the thick fabric out of the omega’s grasp, laughing as the action earned him a pout of epic proportions. Merlin whined as the king herded him back to the nest, gently lifting him up and helping him scramble over the outer wall. Arthur smiled fondly as Merlin turned back around to him, still pouting at being displaced, before pulling his tunic off, baring his chest, to hand to the omega. “Here, will this do?”
While the view was certainly welcome, Merlin’s pout became more severe as it was clear he would not be allowed back in the wardrobe, though he was quick to snatch the offered cloth out of his alpha’s hands, burying his nose in the fabric. Seemingly without thought, Arthur reached out to ruffle his hair slightly causing the omega to glance back at him, shivering at the heat in his alpha’s eyes as Arthur watched him. “I promise, by tonight, this nest will smell exactly like the two of us.“ He swore.
Merlin’s next breath was sharp, his eyes glazing with want and he felt another wave of slick travel down the backs of his legs. By the way Arthur’s pupils expanded, the alpha had noticed too, but the king shook his head, wrenching his gaze away from Merlin’s arse, where his eyes had immediately slipped to. With monumental restraint, he stepped back. “Use that for now,” He ordered. “I’m almost finished I promise.”
Merlin watched him go, biting his lip to keep from begging for the alpha to return. It wasn’t like Arthur had left the room, he scolded himself; the alpha was literally only a few feet away and the nest wasn’t even finished. It was ridiculous how needy he was being, and he was surprised Arthur was putting up with it. The only explanation was that the king was affected by the heat pheromones Merlin was involuntarily drowning him with. It explained a lot of Arthur’s behavior since he had saved Merlin from Lord Nier, all the sweet words, the affectionate touches, the possessive behavior….
A product of biology, nothing more.
Feeling slightly upset at the revelation, Merlin stripped his own clothes rougher than necessary to add to the bedding. The slick he had been fairly consistently producing since his heat had set in had created a decent coating on the inside of his trousers. They reeked of his heat and he carefully stuffed them next Arthur’s tunic, before more or less diving on top of them and rolling around fussily within his nest, trying to coat himself with as much of its scent as possible.
He rolled over onto his side, panting at the exertion of his efforts as his temperature continued to climb. The rest of the slick on his thighs was spread all over the nest and the scent of it was lightly choking him, making his head spin. Once more, his gaze fell to Arthur’s back, watching the alpha‘s muscles subtly shift as he sorted the vials into different groups, consulting a piece of paper that someone had presumably left him, most likely Lancelot. The food left on the table had already been sorted with the fruit and cheese, the most perishable of the provisions, placed on a smaller plate to be consumed in the near future while the dried meats were left for later in their isolation. Arthur could always send for more but what they had would at least see them through the first few days of Merlin’s heat, which were likely to be the most intense.
Feeling the blood continue to pound through his head, Merlin attempted to reassert rationality of the situation. He had to remember that Arthur wasn’t his. This heat was only a favor in the King’s mind and it was only natural for an alpha to be willing to lay with an omega, no matter who they might be to one another. It wasn’t right for Merlin to ask anything more of the King. All he could do was enjoy this one chance while he had it. He could be satisfied by that, he lied to himself, one cycle to have the king’s undivided attention, just one, and then he would let Arthur go and find a mate he would actually want.
If only Merlin didn’t feel like the mere idea would mangle his heart beyond repair.
In an effort to drive out the unwanted thoughts, Merlin pushed his face directly into Arthur’s tunic at the bottom of the nest, getting a lungful of the alpha’s neutral scent on top of the overpowering scent of Merlin’s own slick from the trousers right next to it. The combination short-circuited Merlin’s brain and he shuddered as a wave of heat rolled down his spine.
Any lingering hold of Lord Nier’s orders faded as Merlin was taken over with Arthur’s much more welcome pheromones and another shiver worked over the omega; he needed his alpha. He turned his head back to Arthur, watching with half-lidded eyes as his magic reached out, a gentle tug to get the king to tend to him, a harmless encouragement, only for a bucket of ice water to pour over his head as the alpha flinched, taking a step back as if struck. Arthur’s head whipped over to Merlin, eyes wide and breath fast. Merlin jolted up in horror, heart aching at the fear in Arthur’s face. He wrenched his magic back under his skin, nearly strangling it as he pushed it as far down as it could go.
“Sorry! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—“ he began to babble, terrified that Arthur would pull away completely. Arthur blinked at him, breathing heavily as he continued to lean away from Merlin as if faced with a wild animal, before resolve abruptly twisted into his expression. He squared his shoulders, marching up to the omega with the steel hidden in the lines of his face. Merlin’s stomach twisted unpleasantly as he recognized the same grim determination Arthur gained when he knew he was leading a suicidal charge. The same way he had looked when riding out for one final charge against Kilgharrah.
Looking at Merlin like he was the monster.
The parallel left the dragonlord feeling cold all the way down to his core.
Merlin flinched but willed himself to stay still as the King came to a halt right in front of him, swiftly reaching out to firmly grip his chin and forcing the omega to crane his head up to meet the alpha’s red ringed eyes.
“You will not use any magic.” Between the cresting heat, the fact that he was covered in the alpha’s pheromones, and the emotional bond Merlin already had in his King….
There was never even a sliver of a chance Merlin could have resisted.
The order took hold in his mind immediately and he flinched again, stronger, magic curling unhappily as if scalded. Arthur released his grip on Merlin’s chin with a shaky sigh, quickly regaining his composure, and leaned down to press a kiss to Merlin’s throat in apology, tension bleeding off his shoulders. “I just—I’m sorry, I just need more time.”
Merlin nodded in understanding. It stung that Arthur hadn’t yet accepted him but it was an order he was willing to endure if it made the King more comfortable. He could see the lingering fear in Arthur’s eyes and knew the command did not come from a place of malice. Arthur just didn’t understand, not yet, but, if he gave Merlin a chance after this, Merlin would show him how beautiful magic could be.
“Are there any orders that would prevent you from telling me to stop?” Arthur questioned gently, non-threateningly crowding Merlin back into his nest, sweeping a look up and down Merlin’s exposed body with a blatant appreciation that made the omega’s toes curl. Merlin shook his head, scooting back willingly to make room for his alpha, his omega settling as its chosen finally entered the confines of their hard work.
“All of Lord Nier’s commands have faded.” He assured the king as Arthur raised a hand to his cup his cheek, stroking his thumb across it as he searched for any sign of distress in Merlin’s face. Satisfied with what he found, he leaned forward and pressed their lips together, slipping his tongue between the omega’s lips when they parted. The two of them danced inside Merlin’s mouth and he melted into Arthur’s hold, the fire beginning to lick at his skin once more. They parted with a string of saliva that broke as Arthur ran a tongue over his lips and Merlin’s heart stuttered at the desire in the King’s gaze.
“That’s the only order you will follow tonight.” Arthur began just to be certain. “That you will not use any magic.”
The order was simultaneously freeing and binding. Inside his chest his magic sulked like a scolded hound, but the urging pressure on his throat to be vocal released and he smiled up at his alpha happily, nuzzling under his chin once more. “Thank you.”
Arthur’s face twisted, shame in his scent, “I shouldn’t be thanked for that.”
Merlin’s smile turned rueful, “It’s more than other alphas would do.”
“It shouldn’t be.” Arthur grumbled in return, dragging Merlin onto his lap and sending sparks up and down the omega’s sensitive nerves. He brought their noses together gently. “I’m here to serve you tonight, you let me know what you need, what you like.”
Merlin’s heart fluttered at the words and he scolded himself, wrestling down the giddy feeling they brought. Arthur hadn’t meant it like that. He only wanted to make sure Merlin was comfortable because he was a good person, a good alpha. Merlin couldn’t keep letting himself get carried away simply because his heat addled mind was desperate for a deeper connection.
“A King serving his servant.” Merlin teased instead, a playful tilt to his lips. “If only the council knew.”
Arthur arched an eyebrow reproachfully, “Somehow I don’t think your reputation for trouble will be of any help convincing them to believe you.”
Merlin hummed in consideration. “Maybe not, but I’m sure I can catch the ear of a few of the other servants.” Though his words were only meant in jest, he could see trepidation flash through the king’s gaze and he tilted his neck in submission, softening his scent and his body to calm the alpha. “Of course, I would never. I’m grateful you’re here at all.” He admitted, feeling painfully honest.
Arthur relaxed at the display "I should hope so. It's a privilege to lay with the royal person, I'll have you know." He grumbled, sticking his nose up with a supercilious air.
Merlin hummed again, quirking his lips with a glint in his eye. "I don't know." He said with false indecision, "Gwaine did smell pretty nice."
Arthur stiffened, his scent gaining the same unhappy bitter edge, but Merlin had already made his choice quite clear earlier. There was nothing to misunderstand. "You still picked me." He pointed out with narrow eyes.
Merlin smiled mischievously, brushing his nose over Arthur's throat as the heat began to dull his impulse control once again. "mmmm, because my alpha was better." He agreed, hazy, and Arthur froze, the same addictive, sharp edge to his scent causing Merlin's pupils to blow wide.
The alpha gripped his chin, forcing him to meet Arthur's intense gaze. "Your alpha, huh?" Merlin should have been embarrassed by the slip, mortified, but he was caught, frozen, by something he couldn’t name, didn’t dare, in Arthur’s face and distracted by the simmering waves of his heat.
“Well then I’d better set you straight then shouldn’t I?” Arthur murmured, bringing Merlin back to reality. “If you think Gwaine would be able to compare.” Caught in the moment, they both ignored the fact that it was Arthur who had tried to push Merlin onto the other alpha.
“The kissing was a good place to start.” He heard himself quip, still feeling disconnected from his body between the heat and shock, and his stomach clenched pleasantly as Arthur smirked in response, undeniably smug as his eyes flicked back down to Merlin’s lips.
The King wasting no time in tilting their heads further to recapture them, sweeping his tongue inside the omega’s mouth like he had been starved for it all his life. Merlin‘s body lit up at the obvious desire and he moaned into the kiss, grasping at Arthur’s bare sides to pull himself deeper into the alpha’s lap. Arthur tightened his grip on Merlin’s thighs, assisting the omega in bringing their bodies together until Merlin’s eager cock was firmly trapped between them, smearing the alpha’s abs with slick, with Merlin’s scent. The warlock could feel something similarly shaped, but much larger, hardening beneath the line of his ass and his pulse leapt in excitement. Another shudder rolled all the way up his spine, making his ears tingle, and a much louder moan weaved between their still tangled tongues.
Arthur’s grip slid from his thighs up to his flank and Merlin couldn’t stop the hiss that escaped him as it closed over his prior injury. The tantalizing kiss immediately stopped as Arthur jerked back, searching Merlin’s face for the cause of his discomfort before his eyes fell onto the angry bruise just under the omega’s ribs. His lips lifted in a snarl, pointed canines just barely visible, as his gaze darkened at the reminder of Merlin’s mistreatment.
“Rotten bastard of an alpha.” Arthur cursed. Merlin wanted to tell him that it wasn’t Lord Nier that had caused that particular injury, though he had certainly made it worse, but Arthur chose that moment to lean up in order to press another kiss to the crown of Merlin’s head and Merlin’s brain shut down as his nose brushed the base of Arthur’s neck, swamping him in soft protective pheromones. All too soon, Arthur pulled back completely, leaving Merlin blinking confusedly in the middle of the nest, and shuffled further back to the side. “Hang on, I forgot the salves.”
Beyond fuzzy, there was no chance he could stop his whine as the alpha retreated. Arthur winced with guilt, but didn’t pause, hurrying back over to the table and grabbing a separated pile of containers before consulting the paper of instructions. Merlin flinched as his stomach cramped with another wave of heat, pouting when the alpha stayed at the desk, reading the paper with narrow eyes, lips mouthing out the words.
“Arrthuurr.” He whined again.
Arthur jerked up at the sound, looking between Merlin and the salves several times, before sighing and scooping up the entire group along with the sheet of instructions. The various containers clinked together as Arthur scurried back over to the nest, dumping them to the side before climbing back in. Merlin gave him no time to get situated, his instincts making him bold. He pushed himself stubbornly back into Arthur’s lap, drawing a snort from the alpha who gamely circled his arm’s around Merlin once more.
“Impatient are we?” He teased, reaching back for the instructions to consult.
“You would be too if your blood was trying to melt through your skin.” Merlin grumbled in response and Arthur winced.
“Point taken, but I need to make sure your actual injuries are treated first. I don’t want to hurt you.” He tilted his head to the side, baring his neck and Merlin immediately brought his nose up to it, feeling the cramp in his stomach loosen as he took a deep breath. “Can you wait just a little longer?”
Merlin only hummed in response and Arthur took it as a sign of agreement, picking up one of the salves. He went for the darkest bruise first, the one below Merlin’s ribs, using feather light touches to spread two different ointments on it before tending to the other marks. Lord Nier’s nails had drawn small, shallow lines of blood on his hips. Merlin was pretty sure they had already scabbed over but the ointment Arthur applied was still a sharp sting to the omega’s over sensitive skin. Arthur apologized with a kiss to Merlin’s cheek before moving on to the various, lighter bruises scattered around Merlin’s body. He treated each one with care, rubbing the prescribed oils in small gentle circles that had Merlin’s cock twitching eagerly between them.
The soft careful touches were slowly but surely driving Merlin insane and he shifted on Arthur’s lap, beginning to pant as his pulse thundered through his body. He could smell the smug undertone to Arthur’s scent and knew the prat was withholding any meaningful stimulation on purpose. Still, Merlin wasn’t going to last much longer against the torture and he was going to do something drastic if the alpha didn’t relent soon.
He ground down into Arthur’s crotch with a groan and heard Arthur quietly curse. One of the alpha’s hands clamped down on his less injured hip though Merlin couldn’t tell if it was meant to stop him or help him grind up against the king’s body. Before he could find out, the injury on his head gave a nasty throb at the increased blood flow and Merlin winced.
Arthur frowned, loosening his hold on the omega’s hip, “Everything ok?”
Merlin shook his head dismissively, flinching again as the action only jarred the wound further, “My head just hurts from where Lord Nier smashed it.” He explained before he could think better of it and inwardly cursed himself as Arthur froze, pupils small pinpoints in his abruptly red ringed eyes.
“From where he what?!” Immediately the hand on his hip gravitated to his head, carding carefully through his dark curls. It stilled as the questing fingers encountered the sticky mat of blood clumping several strands together. “I knew I smelled blood.” Arthur muttered darkly.
With motions soft enough to cradle china, Arthur pushed the hair apart to see the wound but Merlin still subtly winced once more at the slight pain as the hairs moved aside. “I’m going to kill him.” Arthur promised calmly, staring at the bloody sore on Merlin’s head. “I should have killed him.”
Merlin watched his face carefully, searching for the core of Arthur’s motivation. It was the king’s law that allowed the behavior after all. “I wasn't being cooperative.” he pointed out and Arthur’s eyes snapped down to his.
“What does that matter?” He questioned sharply.
Merlin blinked slowly at him. “Some would say that he had the right. That I needed to be put in my place.”
“They’d be wrong.” Arthur immediately corrected before his eyes returned to Merlin’s damaged skull. “This is not discipline. No one deserves this.”
Feeling bold, Merlin hardened his gaze tilting his chin to catch Arthur’s attention once again. “The law disagrees.” He challenged and Arthur stared at him for a tense moment before his gaze moved back to the wound.
“Then the law needs to change.” Arthur said with a nod to himself and Merlin’s eyes widened, breath catching; the words were painfully close to what Merlin had always dreamed, but had become increasingly doubtful, Arthur would say.
Arthur had been wary of the council ever since he had taken on the crown, well aware that to ostracize them completely would likely bring civil war onto Camelot. As a result many of Uther’s policies remained sadly intact and no one knew for certain which Arthur agreed with and which were still around merely to keep the peace, not even Merlin. If he was honest, the warlock had been too afraid to map out Arthur’s line in the sand, unwilling to dash his increasingly fragile dreams of a world he could live in without fear. Though it wasn’t a pardon for both his magic and his nature both, he had slowly given up hope of ever hearing the phrase pass the alpha’s lips at all.
“The council—“ he started but Arthur interrupted him.
“It’s about time the council got in line.” He stated grimly. “My father is gone, and his era ended with him.” The alpha’s fingers left Merlin’s hair, trailing down to his cheek and stroking a thumb across it, though Arthur kept his gaze on the top of Merlin’s head, still not meeting his eyes. “I have thought long and hard about how I wish to rule, now that it is in my power to do so.“ The King’s eyes finally flicked downward, flinting briefly over the omega’s face before settling on his gaze. “I have decided that I do not wish to rule the way he did. I want to take care of my Kingdom and all those in it.” Merlin’s eyes widened, caught between denial and a painful kind of hope. “It is time they came to realize that. One way or another.”
The urge to question Arthur about his magic nearly choked the warlock, but he couldn’t find the courage to do it, not when Arthur had resorted to commanding him to keep it buried. This was already more than Merlin could ever have dreamed of and, with a sudden trepidation, he slowly reached up to poke the skin between Arthur‘s eyes, pressing harshly. Immediately the alpha scowled, narrowing his eyes at Merlin and swatting the omega’s hand away. Merlin couldn’t help the slightly hysterical giggle he produced.
“What are you doing?” Arthur asked, annoyed, while Merlin continued to giggle.
“I’m wondering who you are and what you’ve done with my prat.” He smiled wide and wrapped his arms around the King’s waist. The tension in Arthur’s shoulders eased though he still pouted at the omega.
“What? My decisions aren’t good enough?” There was a warning in his tone. Not that Merlin needed it, he dipped his chin subserviently to calm the alpha.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” He reassured, sobering as he leaned forward to tuck his head under Arthur’s chin. “It just sounded too good to be true. There is nowhere truly safe in the world when you’re an omega, you know. To hear that maybe you’ll make one….” The last words were quiet, a morose feeling resting over him at the reminder of all the ways he had been threatened simply because of his gender. If he had been caught by Cenred, or Uther, or Sarum, or even any of the alphas in Ealdor…. The fact that he not only had a choice but had been given it as well was a gift, one he was truly lucky to receive.
Everyone talked about the value and sanctity of omegas until they were in the position to bind one.
Arthur was quiet for a moment, resting his chin on top of Merlin’s head, mindful of the bloody sore. “I’m sorry.” He answered eventually, just as quiet.
Merlin shrugged, knowing there was nothing left to be said. It was simply a fact of life. They sat there, embracing in contemplative silence, for a few seconds more before Merlin’s stomach interrupted it with a painful reminder of his body’s demands. He hissed, clenching his jaw against the now sharp pain, and Arthur rubbed a hand down his back in sympathy until Merlin’s muscles loosened once more as the wave passed.
The alpha gave a deep sigh, regret coloring both his words and his scent, causing Merlin to stiffen in wariness. “Unfortunately, this means you have to drink something.” He relayed apologetically.
Merlin jerked back out of Arthur’s hold, narrowing his eyes in warning, “No.”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed back at him, red creeping along the edges. “Don’t be a git.” He warned.
Already Merlin’s stomach protested the idea, rolling threateningly. It was hard enough to convince himself to swallow any sort of food or drink during his heat, body demanding that he damn every other need besides sex, especially when he had yet to be knotted a single time; there was no way he was going to be able to hold down one of Gaius’s horrible concoctions. “Absolutely not.” He told Arthur. “The salves will have to be enough.”
Arthur sighed again, impatientence making its way into his expression. “Don’t make me order you.”
Merlin continued to glare at him. “You said you wouldn’t.” He reminded the king accusingly, grasping at anything to be annoyed about. Arthur was right, he really should drink a potion of some sort since the injury had broken skin. Head wounds were nothing to wave off, often leading to dangerous complications down the line, but Merlin would be damned if he was going to comply without fighting. After having to deal with both Arthur and Gwaine numerous times in the past, the warlock felt he had earned the right to be a bad patient every once in a while.
It had nothing to do with the way Merlin’s traitorous mind twisted the challenge into thoughts of an exciting bout of ‘wrestling’ with the alpha.
“I don’t want to shake you with that injury untreated.” Arthur tried to reason with him, leaning over to pick up a small rounded vial with a quick consult to Lancelot’s notes. The nearly black liquid within was thick and looked absolutely revolting as it sluggishly oozed around its container.
With horror, Merlin realized he recognized the concoction, verified by the brief glimmer of gold that was almost immediately swallowed up by the viscous liquid. It was a healing potion, designed to encourage the body to devote resources to healing external damage, but this contained just a dash of Merlin’s own magic, to both lengthen and speed up the effects. Merlin had mixed it himself based on the little information he had scrounged up from Iseldir and the hidden texts in the library. Unfortunately, that also meant he knew exactly what was in it, had scraped off the toad slime himself and watched Gaius extract an eye from the newt’s corpse. It was a last resort for if he ever got into a really dire state and his stomach revolted at the mere thought of trying to swallow it, creating another painful cramp as his heat demanded attention.
“Look, “ Arthur’s voice brought his focus back to the alpha, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you have to take the medicine. Lancelot’s orders.”
“He’s not a physician.” Merlin pointed out snidely and Arthur sighed.
“No, “ he conceded, “but, aside from you and Gaius, he knows the most about healing. I trust his judgement.” Merlin pouted, unable to argue the point. Somewhere in his mind he knew he was being childish, that if he cooperated he would have a better chance of throwing the potion as far back down his throat as he could and barely taste any of it, but he his stomach twisted itself practically in half at the mere thought and Merlin couldn’t convince himself to be even slightly cooperative.
“You will be taking the potion.” Arthur warned again and Merlin only glared harder, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s for your own good.” He tried one last time but Merlin was unmoved.
Arthur sighed again. “Hard way it is.” He muttered, shifting himself onto his knees. Merlin eyed him warily, trying to predict the alpha’s trajectory of attack.
There was a charged moment where they glared at each other, wills silently battling, until, without warning, Arthur suddenly lunged, grabbing at the omega.
Merlin tried to dodge, instinctively attempting to shove the two of them apart with his magic, but Arthur’s only command clung to his psyche like tar and his magic slipped mournfully out of his grasp. The result was that Arthur managed to grab onto his upper arm with the hand that held the offensive vial, yanking him back towards the alpha. Quickly, the King’s other thumb lodged between his teeth as Merlin yelled at the jerky movement. Merlin immediately chomped down, hard, on the appendage, drawing a shout of pain from Arthur. The alpha was grimly determined, however, and, as always, stubborn. He merely grit his teeth and wedged his thumb further against Merlin’s teeth, forcing his jaw open a tiny bit more. He paused and Merlin growled at him, digging his teeth in further and relishing the wince on Arthur’s face.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. “Last chance Merlin.” He offered. “You can make this a lot easier on yourself.”
Merlin narrowed his eyes right back, glaring defiantly and Arthur sighed one last time before steeling himself. Then, in one smooth movement, he forced Merlin’s chin up, head tilted back, while releasing his grip on the omega’s arm to tip the vial into the gap held open by his thumb. It happened too quickly for Merlin to react, belatedly gagging as the foul concoction hit his tongue. When he had originally designed the potion, it was with the intention to bundle the liquid in magic and ferry it down his throat without ever having to taste the monstrosity. Arthur did not have such means available to him and Merlin could not use his own magic to assist. This meant that, unfortunately, the potion coated his tongue before Merlin could swallow, swamping the delicate receptors in his mouth, the ones that allowed him to intimately dissect certain scents and pheromones. The taste immediately drowned out his sense of smell, making him nose blind to his surroundings.
Arthur yanked his thumb out quickly, using the heel of his hand to force Merlin‘s jaw shut and stretching his fingers to pinch Merlin’s nose, constricting his airway, while his other hand massaged the vulnerable hollow of his throat until the omega swallowed on instinct. Immediately, the alpha let go, allowing Merlin to jerk back, and the warlock thought he heard something resembling an apology in the air. He couldn’t focus enough to understand it though, fighting with himself as his instincts took over.
He gagged, trying not to toss the horrible concoction back up, knowing that Arthur was right and having no desire to taste it a second time. The acidic taste ate away at the over sensitive receptors in his mouth, heightened at the ever pending onset of his heat, coating them with the taste of a chamberpot. There was no way to escape the putrid odor and he dry heaved, distantly aware of tears on his cheeks as he became overwhelmed. Unable to smell the familiar scents of himself and his alpha in the room, he panicked; he hadn’t realized how much comfort and clarity the subconscious fact had brought him until his instincts shoved themselves to the front of his mind, screaming at him that he was no longer safe. He recoiled, flailing, as the world swam in revolting swirls of color, choking harder against the anxiety constricting his throat. He was completely lost within his mind, reduced to a primal survival state of pure reaction. Lord Nier was everywhere, his scent inescapable and burned onto Merlin’s tongue.
Where was his nest? Where was his alpha?
Someone reached out to him and he flinched, hissing instinctively and lashing out only for his wrists to be caught. His magic howled inside him but he couldn’t get a grip on it, couldn’t force it past the barrier that was his skin. He whined in fear at the helplessness only for the grip on his wrists to tighten, pulling him towards the heat of another’s body. Squirming as much as he could manage, he tried to fight as Lord Nier’s taunts slipped through his ears like poison, shuddering at the disgusting praises the alpha whispered to him.
You smell delectable.
Beg for me omega.
Where was Arthur?! Hadn’t he come to help?!
“Merlin! Stop! You’re okay!”
He called out for the king, “Arthur!”, blindly searching, but he couldn’t make out anything over the blurry film of his vision. The grip on his wrists didn’t relent, tugging him forward until it could let go and trap him swiftly in a hug instead, arms pinned between a solid chest and his own softer one. He stilled struggled, whining desperately as his heart thundered against the back of his hands, but it was no use; he was not built to be as physically strong as an alpha. One of the arms around his back slid up until the hand it was attached to could tangle into the back of his hair, firmly pressing his head forward.
Merlin stiffened every muscle, struggling to resist, but this too was futile and his face was steadily forced towards the alpha’s neck until Merlin could feel a scent gland brush against his lips. He tried to hold his breath, not wanting any more of the disgusting scent in his mouth, and felt the alpha holding him growl in annoyance.
“Don’t be stubborn, idiot.”
The pressure increased until his lips were forced to split slightly over the gland, but Merlin continued to refuse to take it in, praying for the alpha to give up and release enough of his grip that Merlin could scramble away. He never got the chance, however, as his lungs gave in far too early, his rapid pulse consuming all the oxygen they held. With an involuntary gasp, his mouth slid over the gland completely, and he was forced to inhale the scent secreting from it as his body vied for precious air. Even before his mind had processed the result, he slumped, consumed with the feeling of comfort, of home, and the grip on his head relaxed, certain that Merlin would no longer pull away.
Not Lord Nier; he was safe.
“There we go. See? I’m right here, not going anywhere.” Lord Nier’s slimy voice oozed into a much richer, much more familiar timbre, one Merlin would never hesitate to trust. He stayed right where he was, trembling faintly as the panic begin to fade from his mind. There was a distinct line of distress to scent in his mouth and Merlin had enough awareness to feel bad about it.
Arthur pressed a kiss to his temple, gently running claws up and down the ridges of the omega’s spine and Merlin melted into his body. Any issue he might have had with the treatment faded as Arthur blatantly peppered him with soft, guilty attention. He hadn’t been truly upset with the alpha in the first place, knowing he had been a bad patient to begin with. Already he could feel the wound on his head scabbing over and the various, distant aches of his bruises fading into nothing as the magic and natural ingredients did their job.
“I’m sorry.” Arthur apologized but Merlin minutely shook his head.
“I’s f’ne” He mumbled, muffled by the gland his lips were still parted around, and was bit startled as he sniffled into the alpha’s neck. Logically he knew there was no reason to continue to be upset but clearly any emotional control he had had been usurped by the influx of hormones. He blinked through the mist on his eyes, trying to get himself back under control. “It j’s tastes r’lly bad.”
Arthur snorted in wry amusement at the obvious statement. “I know.” He said sympathetically. “I’ve taken more than my fair share.”
His hand slipped up to briefly push Merlin a bit deeper into his neck before he let go. “Focus on washing it out. I’ll clear the rest of this up. I’ve certainly kept you waiting long enough.” He ordered and Merlin‘s stomach gave an excited swoop at the words. He allowed the alpha to work, more than happy to comply, and closed his eyes as he focused on the much more appealing scent ghosting over his receptors, growing stronger with each inhale.
He continued to attempt to regain control of his mind as Arthur shifted around, containers chiming softly as they were deposited away from the two of them, making room for the activities that were soon to follow, but found he couldn’t manage it. No matter how hard he pushed, the fuzzy film over his mind wouldn’t dissipate, leaving his emotional and impulse regulators in tatters within his mindscape. It seemed that the sudden panic had only quickened the onset of his heat and it was now a state Merlin could no longer ignore. Involuntarily, he shifted closer to Arthur’s body, straddling his thighs more firmly. There was a split second pause in the alpha’s movements before they became the slightest bit quicker, a curse sounding out as Arthur fumbled with one or two of the vials. Merlin might have been amused at the King’s eagerness or ashamed that it was no doubt a result of the heat pheromones that had to be pouring out of his skin, but the omega couldn’t find it in him to care all that much, eyelids lowering to half mast as his simmering blood threatened to erupt in an inferno.
He could feel himself on the edge, teetering over the wailing fall into the depraved depths of his desires and he squeezed his legs together, purring at the hard line of Arthur’s muscle between them. Tilting his nose to rub at the back of Arthur’s neck, he felt a flame of desire lick down his spine as the alpha shuddered, the small hairs of the alpha’s neck tickling the Merlin’s nose as they stood to attention.
Cautious of his welcome, he tighten the seal his lips made, the taste of gentle heat, earth, and clean, pure air beginning to cut through horrible stench that had overwhelmed him as he continued to breathe in the alpha’s scent. When he wasn’t pushed away, he hesitantly flicked his tongue over the skin in his mouth, hearing a sharp gasp of air right next to his ear, and was immediately rewarded with ambrosia on his scent receptors. Sharp arousal, heady excitement; he had done that. Merlin had brought forth those feelings, that addictive scent in his alpha.
Getting bolder, he blatantly dragged his tongue over the gland he had been teasing, soaking sunshine onto his taste buds. This close, with the help of his receptors, he could identify the hidden undertone of steel to Arthur’s scent and he gleefully coated his tongue with it, wiping out the last traces of the horrid tincture. Arthur groaned deeply right next to his ear and there was a harsh collision of glass as the remaining vials were recklessly tossed aside just before, with an excited shudder, Merlin dug his teeth lightly into the skin caught between his lips.
His world swam as he was abruptly pushed onto his back, his breath leaving him in a whoosh at the speed of the change in position, though the plush makings of his nest made sure his landing was soft. Panting, he blinked dizzily up at Arthur as the alpha loomed over him, pupils regressed to shades of black and red. He wrapped his legs around the alpha’s hips, eyes trailing eagerly down the well toned chest and locking on the prominent bulge between Arthur’s legs, barely hidden by the alpha’s trousers.
Oh, he wanted to feel that inside him.
He didn’t realize he had started purring once again until Arthur chuckled warmly in his ear, leaning down to trail kisses down the omega’s neck. Merlin’s own weeping cock twitched and he moaned, reaching up to grasp at Arthur, to pull him down more firmly against Merlin’s burning skin.
Arthur’s hands were in constant motion, rubbing all over the omega’s body as if he couldn’t decide where to settle. Merlin squirmed, moaning and whining, as they ghosted over sensitive areas on his hips and sides, arching abruptly as one of them came up to pinch a nipple, twisting it gently. The king’s mouth closed over the underside of his jaw, pressing up to force Merlin into a sudo submission, neck stretched to show off the glands on his neck. The vulnerability of the position pleased the omega‘s instincts greatly and he shivered again, legs falling lax around his alpha’s hips and allowing Arthur complete control.
His cock was still flushed and swollen, jerking slightly between the two of them but too far away to gain any friction. It was nearly red with how desperate it was for attention but, thankfully, it wasn't long until the alpha’s other hand traveled down to wrap around it. Merlin’s mouth opened wide, gasping for air as Arthur’s hand hesitantly pumped him, the copious amounts of slick weeping from the omega’s slit making it easy for the alpha to run his hand up and down, growing more confident as mindless noises of pleasure were practically ripped out of Merlin’s throat. He experimented, tightening his grip randomly, swiping a thumb over the beads of thick liquid at the very tip, trying to see what method, what type of touch, drove Merlin the most wild.
Merlin dug his heels into the sheets beneath him, slipping as they shifted, giving away under his pushing instead, as he attempted thrust his hips into his alpha’s hand, whimpering at the sparks created from Arthur’s mesmerizing fingertips. His lower passage was still horribly empty, stomach cramping at the craving for something to fill him out, but the alpha’s touch was wonderful and Merlin didn’t want to give it up just yet, working for even more of it instead. Suddenly the stimulation stopped completely and he whined in confusion, pushing his hips up only to meet cold empty air instead.
He cracked open his eyes to see Arthur staring at the liquid on his fingers, experimentally spreading it to watch as it clung, thick, between them. The alpha brought the digits to his mouth, sticking his fingers in and sucking off Merlin’s slick. Merlin had not known how much he had wanted to see such a sight but he knew that image would be featuring prominently in his future fantasies. His stomach ached hollowly and he whined again, feeling like he might truly go mad if the alpha didn’t sate him soon. Arthur’s eyes met his once more and the alpha let out a noisy breath of air through his nose, hurriedly pulling back to fumble at his trousers.
When the king took too long, Merlin pushed himself onto his stomach, sticking his ass in the air and presenting himself. The scent of himself and his arousal on the floor of the nest only made the world swirl even more, his instincts pushing rational Merlin even further back into his mind. They demanded that he entice the man behind him, ensure that he did not dawdle, and he made sure to bow his back just like they told him to, making himself a pretty sight for his alpha.
“Merlin.” Arthur whispered with awe, a hand finding its way to kneading the cheeks of the omega’s bottom. There was shifting as he shoved his trousers off to the side, Merlin would have to fix them properly into the nest later, and his other hand came to grip the opposing cheek, spreading them apart so that the alpha had a clear view of Merlin’s clenching hole. Merlin slid his chin down to look under his stomach and caught a glimpse of the alpha hanging low and heavy behind him, swollen and beading in a much larger mimicry of Merlin’s own prick.
He groaned with rabid desire, bringing his head back up and resting his cheek against the sheets, shuddering as the pad of Arthur’s thumb skimmed over his entrance, catching slightly on the lower lip but not pressing in, not yet. Merlin’s hand reached between his legs, desperate for additional friction, chest falling onto the sheets as well when only one shaky arm wasn’t strong enough to hold himself up, only for Arthur to release one of his cheeks and tug the hand away, pinning the wandering appendage to the sheets where it curled in frustration. The alpha applied pressure to his caught wrist, a warning for it to stay put before he drew back.
A growl bubbled in Merlin’s throat at the continued denial of relief but dissipated as he felt the alpha’s hands return to his thighs, vaguely registering that they were upside down. His legs slid open further when prodded and Merlin choked as a warm mouth approached his dripping length. A tongue lapped at the tip curiously and Merlin’s hips jerked forward into empty air as his eyes rolled back into his head. The tongue returned only this time the entirety of his cock slid down a willing throat. Merlin moaned long and low at finally getting some true relief from the bonfire that was his core, whimpering as a strong grip prevented him from thrusting forward at will. Lightning danced across his skin in time with the alpha’s bobbing and filthy noises poured from Merlin’s lips at the very welcome stimulation.
It wasn’t enough though and Merlin whined as his ass winked at nothing, neglected in the open air. He shuddered as his stomach throbbed with the same need to be split open and filled as his magic twisted in his chest, eager to guide the alpha to where Merlin desperately wanted him but unable to be released. One of the hands on his hips relinquished its grip, though the other was more than enough to keep him in place without his magic to assist him. It slid across one of his lower cheeks, squeezing possessively, and then a finger was sliding through the river of slick flowing from Merlin’s entrance. Merlin moaned even louder, shivering as both the throat sucking him off and the hand holding his hips tightened sinfully. Merlin couldn’t help himself from eagerly tightening again and again on the intrusion, practically pulsing with need. The finger pumped in and out briefly before another was added, spreading out to test the flexibility of his walls.
Merlin keened as two became three, swaying back and forth in the alpha’s grip as he tried to chase both euphoric sensations. He felt like he shook his very bones out of alignment as the alpha moaned, taking him deep and vibrating his throat around Merlin’s erection. Merlin was pleading now, tears running from his eyes, so close to the edge but unable to finish without a knot. The scent of sunshine curled in his nostrils, a soothing chemical promising he’d be alright, and Merlin rubbed his cheek on the fabric in front of him in place of his lack of ability to increase the friction he needed. The fingers withdrew until they were only just barely inside but Merlin didn’t have anytime to be concerned before they were curling, shifting around to locate that special bundle of nerves that would grate deliciously against an alpha’s swollen knot, releasing endorphins in spades into the omega’s bloodstream.
Merlin’s vision whited out as they applied pressure and he was unaware of anything other than the feeling of clamping down on the softly twisting fingers and grinding against the alpha’s swollen lips as he was gently guided through the swelling waves of his climax that threatened to drown him. He slumped, chest heaving, as he came down, utterly exhausted and the need a dull ache that promised to return sooner rather than later. He still hadn’t actually had a knot after all, the secondary gland deeper inside him hadn’t been pressed and the chemical in an alpha’s release was lacking in the air.
Arousal was decidedly not.
The alpha slid out from under him and a nose pressed into the scent gland at the base of his neck. With effort, Merlin cracked open his eye only to forget how to breathe at the sight of Arthur‘s dilated pupils, nearly completely black with lust, and slick shiny lips. The alpha flicked out his tongue once more, dragging the flat of it slowly over Merlin’s scent gland, soaking up as much scent as it could, and forcing a stuttered breath back into Merlin’s air starved lungs. His weight shifted to cover Merlin’s back and something large brushed over Merlin’s entrance. The omega’s pulse picked up in excitement though his body remained lax in the aftermath of his release, heart rabbiting beneath his breastbone as the object lined itself up, pressing just barely over where Merlin was nearly feral with the need to feel it.
He locked eyes with Arthur just before his irises rolled back again at the feeling of Arthur slowly pressing forward. It was everything Merlin had imagined it would be and more, an electric feeling of being stretched and carved to his limits, forced open to accommodate the alpha behind him. He whimpered in ecstasy at the sensation, hearing Arthur groan deeply right along with him. With a bruising grip on Merlin’s hips, Arthur paused to give the omega time to adjust to the new position and Merlin couldn’t stop himself from moaning, his walls fluttering over Arthur’s length, testing the firmness of it.
“Like that do you?” Arthur taunted, slightly breathless, but Merlin was too far gone to answer. He could feel drool beginning to leak down his chin and knew he must look like an absolute mess, not that he could find any inch of him that currently cared.
With Merlin unable to respond, Arthur took it upon himself to move, carefully rocking back and forward in a shallow thrust. Merlin felt like he could make out every vein on the alpha’s engorged cock where it dragged on the sensitive walls around it, the ridged tip catching on absolutely mind melting spots inside him. Gods, if he knew an alpha would feel this good he would have sought one out so much sooner.
“Fuck, omega.” A growl rumbled behind him as Arthur lost himself to his own instincts, the pace and force of his thrusts picking up. “Look at you spread out like this, taking it so well.” His alpha’s hands ran from Merlin’s ass to the omega’s shoulders and back again. “Just like you’re supposed to. You were born for this weren’t you?” He goaded and Merlin shivered around him. “Made just for me.”
Yes! Even fate, the very stars themselves, had declared it so. Everything Merlin was, was dedicated to Arthur, to his alpha’s health, to his kingdom, to his heart, and, apparently, now to his cock. Merlin groaned lowly, obsessed with the drag of it along his walls. He matched Arthur’s rhythm, tightening as his alpha pulled out to heighten the sensation and relaxing as he pushed back in, allowing the king to hilt himself in seconds. He could smell Arthur’s delight at his participation, could feel the way his cock twitched eagerly with the additional friction, sending trails of sparks along Merlin’s nervous system. Savoring the stretch of his muscles over Arthur’s well endowed girth, Merlin panted and groaned as the alpha chased both their pleasures.
His world began to blur and he lost track of his place in reality, focused solely on the wet slap of skin behind him, and the solid weight pinning him to the surface beneath his chest. The alpha pushed him down further, curling fingers into the bruises already painted on his skin and a shiver washed over Merlin at the familiarity. He froze, tensing, as panic abruptly stampeded through his pulse. The thrusting inside him stilled immediately, and he was distantly aware of someone calling his name in concern.
He whined, uncertain of who was behind him, and the pressure on his hips disappeared as one hand caught the omega’s own, tangling their fingers together while another pushed the inside of a wrist against his lips. Merlin opened his mouth instinctively, sucking on the offered scent gland and relaxing against the familiar scent.
“Shhh, “ A voice rumbled over the back of his neck and the hand covering his squeezed lightly. “It’s still me.”
“Arthur,” Merlin murmured dazedly, loosening the grip he had on the alpha’s cock. “alpha.”
Another rumble of approval tumbled over his neck as Arthur cautiously began to rock inside him once more, pressing a kiss between Merlin’s shoulder blades. The thrusts quickly picked up speed as Merlin remained loose and pliant, dragging his tongue slowly over the gland still pressed between his lips and moaning as his body began to pulse with pleasure. He was floating on a cloud of pheremones and endorphins, instincts singing their praises in his head.
The pressure between his legs coiled tighter and tighter, his once again flushed prick dragging against the sheets underneath him, until he was burning, a searing heat only doused by each push of the alpha’s cock into his core. It still wasn’t enough though. He wanted more; he needed more and he whined, canting his hips back to take the alpha even deeper. Arthur groaned, releasing Merlin’s hand to take hold of his hip once again, holding him steady against the force of Arthur’s movements.
Merlin’s eyes rolled again, involuntarily releasing his grip on the king’s wrist as his vocabulary devolved into the words alpha and Arthur, ripped into broken pleading pieces. He could feel Arthur bottom out with every thrust into him, pulling out just to ram his way back in as if compelled by an irresistible force. The alpha felt so deep Merlin half expected to be able to feel him in his lower stomach. He couldn’t, of course, but the filthy thought only sent the heat curling in his abdomen even higher, slicking his passage even more for Arthur’s use. Leaning forward, Arthur’s tongue again dragged against the scent glad on the warlock’s neck, sending stars skittering across his vision, only for the alpha cover it entirely with his mouth instead and suck.
Oh gods!
Merlin’s entire body locked up, his breath gasping in his chest at the endorphins the feeling released. Arthur groaned at the feeling of Merlin tightening around him, the sound vibrating directly into Merlin’s collar bone, and began pounding into him even harder as Merlin let out a broken keen. He could feel the edge of Arthur’s fangs, beautiful pressure that only just barely avoiding breaking his delicate skin underneath. Merlin wanted him to, gods Merlin wanted him to. He wanted to feel Arthur’s claim sink into his skin, bind him to the alpha from the inside out.
Merlin’s heart already belonged to him after all.
He stretched out his neck in encouragement and heard a sharp snatch of air. The hands on his hips dug in harshly as Arthur hissed, Merlin’s name a mangled mess in his mouth, “Oh fuck! Merlin! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
It was unclear if the king was trying to remind Merlin or himself of the fact, but the omega vehemently disagreed; his heart and instincts had never been in greater agreement. All he wanted was for the alpha to mark his claim, to make Camelot Merlin’s home once and for all. Unfortunately, with his lack of coherence to form words, Merlin could only whine again in response, hot and hazy, tilting his chin even further in hopes of making his point clear.
Sadly, his alpha restrained himself, but the pace increased greedily, beginning to rock the omega down into the nest, and Merlin groaned wantonly, feeling salvia pool in his mouth as his alpha’s cock plunged impossibly deeper into his body. He could feel Arthur’s forming knot begin to smack his taint on every thrust and the knowledge terrified and exhilarated him in equal measure. He’d never taken one before; his mother had made sure to keep him well protected in Ealdor and he had begun suppressants pretty much immediately upon coming to Camelot and entering Arthur’s service. Feeling the size of it now, pushing against his first rim of muscle and urging it to an impossible width, he couldn’t fathom how it would fit inside, how he could possibly stretch that much.
There was no chance he would stop the alpha, however, far too buried in bliss to dare. He was so close to relief; he could feel the tension in his groin still coiling, wound tight enough to actually snap something, waiting for that one last trigger to release. He didn’t care if it actually was impossible to take his alpha in his entirety; he wanted to try, to accept everything Arthur offered him. All he knew was the undeniable need to be plugged and filled and bred, the last desire taking him by surprise. He had no idea whether he could carry children or not, hadn’t dared to bring the question to Gaius, but his instincts demanded that he allow his alpha to make an effort and Merlin couldn’t find any reason to argue with them, pushing back equally greedy against Arthur’s continued pounding. His world narrowed down further to the feeling of Arthur over him, in him, around him and exploded as the alpha gave a last, hard thrust, slipping his knot past Merlin’s first ring of muscle. The pressure, the almost but not quite painful stretch of the still expanding knot, caused a chain reaction that pressed down blindingly on both glands inside the omega.
Arthur’s release consumed his sense of smell and Merlin’s whole body stuttered as he came. His magic swirled brightly, eager to express itself, but couldn’t, not with Arthur‘s only command writ into his skin like iron. It tossed back and forth in its confines like a stormy tide, building momentum, until it smashed hard against the back of his skull, sending colorful sparks scattering across his rapidly fading vision.
Merlin was out before he was even aware he had crashed.
They were stilled tied when he regained control of his senses, but Arthur had moved them to their sides, tenderly curling around him with fingers splayed over the beat of his heart. The sun had lowered in the sky, casting the room in a warm orange glow; they would need to light the candles sooner rather than later if they wanted to stay up. First, however, there was a sour note of distress clinging to the air that he needed to address and Merlin forced himself to wake further, a small groan slipping through his lips.
Arthur perked up as he stirred, “Merlin? Are you awake?” He asked hopefully. The sour scent faded as Merlin blinked blurry blues eyes at him in response, a fuzzy smile on his lips.
“You were worried?” Merlin croaked in amusement, running a tongue over his lips at the roughness of his voice
Arthur let out a breath of relief at his responsiveness. “I lost you for a bit there.“ He explained, absentmindedly rubbing a circle into Merlin’s hip and sending Merlin sinking back into fuzzy bliss. The heat symptoms were muted with Arthur’s knot still plugging him full, but the haze still lingered at the edges of Merlin’s focus, eager to drag him under if he let it.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have water within reach.” Arthur was apologizing and Merlin shook his head lethargically to dismiss the concern. He didn’t need it immediately. He could wait until Arthur’s knot went down. Arthur gripped his chin, gently turning his head so that the alpha could inspect him. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” Merlin reassured him. “It was just the magic, it had nowhere to go.” He explained, lazily pressing his lips to the inside of Arthur’s wrist and mouthing at his fingers. He felt Arthur freeze, staring at the sight, and a single finger bent to dip past the open seam, allowing Merlin to curl his tongue over it with a happy hum, before Arthur shook himself out of it, pulling his hand out of reach. Merlin blinked in confusion at its sudden absence. Arthur frowned in concern, the sour scent returning.
“Are you alright? Did it hurt you?” He pressed and Merlin pulled his mind back together.
“No, it wasn’t painful, just…. overwhelming. It was trying to show it’s….” He searched for the word but, “excitement“ was the closest he found. Truly it was Merlin himself that had been reaching out in the throws of his pleasure, but he wasn’t quite sure how to express that sentiment without being overly crass.
He shifted his eyes to the side to see Arthur staring at him in bewilderment and attempted to explain further. “It was trying to help me express how good I was feeling.” He shifted his hips back pointedly only to shiver at the bright sparks of nearly painful pleasure he received from jostling Arthur’s knot still pressed firmly against the limit of his walls.There was a soft hiss from behind him and Arthur’s hands closed back over his hip. “There were….“ Merlin struggled to find the words. “It was like looking at bright explosions of colorful light.” He tried anyway, making vague popping gestures with his hands. “And then I passed out.”
The description didn’t seem to reassure the alpha any, but he didn’t press any further, out of his realm of understanding. “If you say so.” He relented before grumbling. “Though if it actually wanted to be useful, it should have done something about the inducer in the first place.”
“It was a mixture of natural herbs and magic runes. There was literally nothing that could be done about it.” Merlin explained, feeling defensive on his magic’s behalf.
Arthur gave a skeptical grunt at the excuse before his scent burnt with the building edge of anger. “While we’re on the topic, why would you drink an entire jug of cycle inducers?” Arthur asked incredulously, throwing up the hand that wasn’t trapped underneath Merlin.
Merlin pouted at the bite in his tone. “Well, obviously, I didn’t know it contained the cycle inducers until I had drunk the whole thing.” He said with an eye roll, hearing Arthur scoff behind him. The warlock swallowed, turning his gaze to the sheets instead of finding the courage to look Arthur in the eye. He hunched his shoulders, feeling vulnerable. “I was just trying to make you react, to yell, to scream, to do something.” He explained quietly. “You haven’t truly talked to me for weeks.”
Arthur grew silent behind him and Merlin twisted his hand into the sheets at the bottom of the nest, feeling the tense air of unspoken arguments between them much more intensely due to his heat hormones. “You should have told someone.” Arthur finally scolded. “What exactly was your plan?”
Merlin curled further in on himself, “I was going to endure it on my own.” He said, flinching as Arthur snorted unkindly, as if that was the stupidest thing he’d heard Merlin say. Which was unfair; Merlin personally thought the wood worms were pretty dumb and Arthur had never called him out on that.
“And what?! Claim you got sick and hide in your room for a week?” Arthur scoffed and Merlin flinched again, heart aching at the derision in his voice.
“And what if I was?” He snapped back hotly.
“Why? I’m sure Gwaine would have been more than happy to help.” Arthur sneered and it was Merlin’s turn to scoff at him instead.
“And what? Give you more of a reason to banish me from the castle?” He sneered back, gratified when Arthur didn’t immediately respond. “I’m not stupid Arthur, despite what you think you know. Letting anyone know I was an omega, even Gwaine, made it far too likely you’d finally have your excuse to get rid of me.” Merlin didn’t dare turn around to look at Arthur’s face, far too terrified he’d find confirmation of his fears. All at once the fight left him and he sighed, slumping into the nest. “Besides, I figured out today that neither plan would have worked anyway.”
Arthur’s voice was much quieter, subdued, when he finally responded, “What do you mean?”
“Morgana sent an assassin into the siege tunnels this afternoon.” Merlin explained tiredly. “It’s how I got most of the bruises in the first place.” He could practically feel the alpha’s eyes travel to the darkest mark on his skin, the one right under his ribs. “It reminded me that I could hardly leave you undefended for an entire heat. So I was just going to…. suck it up…. Somehow…. I hadn’t gotten the chance to figure out the details of it yet.” He trailed off lamely, picking at the threads of Arthur’s sheets beneath him.
“You went after an assassin on your own?!” There was confusion in Arthur’s voice and Merlin finally found the courage to twist around and try to read him.
“Yes.” He answered simply, watching as Arthur’s brow furrowed further. He waited for a few seconds as Arthur picked apart the revelation in his mind before adding. “It’s not the first time.”
Arthur’s eyes snapped up to his, boring into them. “Why didn’t you inform the guards?” He questioned sharply and Merlin stared at him blankly.
When Arthur didn’t seem to understand the foolishness of the question Merlin deadpanned. “And how was I going to explain that I knew there was someone in the siege tunnels to begin with?”
Arthur seemed taken aback by the question, blooming irritation fading back into confusion as he furrowed his brow again, “How did you know she had sent someone into the siege tunnels?” He questioned and Merlin stared at him again for a few seconds before raising his hand between them and wobbling it in the air.
Arthur still didn’t seem to catch on, blinking at him blankly, so Merlin explained, “I have wards set up in the tunnels to let me know if anyone ever enters or exits through them.”
Arthur blinked, understanding blooming in his face, “Spells?” He asked hesitantly.
Merlin nodded, “Runes actually, so they’ll stay longer, but yes magic.” He watched Arthur carefully.
The alpha thinned his lips, his gaze averted as he thought the words over. “And they warn you whenever someone passes through.”
Merlin nodded again, “Like a trip wire with a bell attached, only they’ll never know it’s there unless they have magic themselves.”
Arthur grew quiet again, clearly thinking and Merlin let him sit, turning back over to let his neck rest from the awkward stretch. When the silence remained and it was clear Arthur wouldn’t ask anything else about the wards, Merlin swallowed trying not to shake as he dragged up his courage to say what he wanted to. Maybe it was the lingering heat that was making him sappy but he felt like he couldn’t leave the truth of the matter unsaid. Bitterly, he told himself he had nothing left to lose.
“Besides,” he began feeling the pinpoint heat of Arthur’s stare as it tilted back to his back. “I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else.” The silence was deafening and Merlin brought his hands to his stomach, hunching his shoulders again and feeling miserable. He swallowed down the thorns in his throat ensuring his tone was unbothered, even if the way he clamped down on Arthur’s knot might give him away. “It doesn’t have to mean anything.” He reassured the alpha, staring into his hands. “You don’t owe me this. It’s enough that I get to stay by your side.” As long as you continue to let me, went unsaid between them.
Arthur allowed the silence to continue, leaving Merlin unable to read him without turning to look, and the omega licked his lips. “Thank you, by the way, for saving me from him.” He said somberly, needing no clarification for who he was talking about .
“I could hardly leave you there.” Arthur replied almost immediately, sending a flood of short-lived relief through the omega.
“I thought you might.” He admitted and felt the alpha go tense behind him.
Merlin swallowed again against the lump in his throat, voice coming out in a pleading whisper. “Tell me there’s a way to fix this. That there’s something I can do to apologize.” He curled up slightly, bringing his knees closer to his stomach. “I can’t take the silence anymore; I can’t lose you Arthur.”
“Merlin…. “ There was emotion in Arthur’s voice but Merlin didn’t dare name it, too scared of finding pity.
“Please,” Merlin begged, feeling the tears finally fall. Arthur sighed heavily, and, with unfortunate timing, the alpha’s knot chose that moment to begin to deflate, leaving Merlin feeling truly empty. He lay still as Arthur gripped first his shoulder, to slip his arm out from under the omega and then his hip to slip his soft cock out from Merlin’s ass. The latter action drew a hiss from them both, over sensitive from their earlier actions. Merlin‘s stomach clenched hard as he listened for the sound of the alpha leaving, abandoning him without answering the question, but the sheets merely shifted as Arthur laid down on his back, staring up at the ceiling.
Merlin laid where he was, sniffling into the stretching silence as Arthur sorted through his thoughts. “I don’t know.” He said eventually. “I’ve tried to figure out how I feel but I keep getting pulled in two directions. It’s a big secret Merlin, you lied to me for years.”
“I never wanted to.” Merlin was quick to respond, running the heel of his hand across his eyes to clear them. “But by the time I thought there was even a chance you wouldn’t throw me on the Pyre, the web was just so big.”
There was another silence, one long enough that he feared Arthur would drop the topic entirely, refuse to engage in the conversation they desperately needed to have.
“How long have you been practicing magic?” He finally demanded and Merlin repressed the urge to shiver at the ice in the king’s tone, the flat detachment to the words .
“All my life. I was born with the ability, my mum said I was floating things around the house before I could even walk.” There was another bout of silence following the declaration.
Eventually, Arthur spoke slowly, “That’s not possible. No one is born with magic. It’s a choice to be made.”
Merlin shook his head on instinct, not knowing if Arthur was even watching him to see. “No, it’s a tool, Arthur. Magic is nothing but a tool to be used at the wielder’s discretion. It has no power without man’s intent to guide it.” He denied immediately, daring to turn over on his back himself. His muscles ached as he stretched them out, unused to being used in such a unique way.
“That’s how you use it?” Arthur questioned, he was still staring up at the ceiling, as if he couldn’t even bear to look at the omega. “As you want?”
Merlin frowned at the unfriendly wording, dithering as it was neither correct nor incorrect. Arthur was asking if he used it for his own personal gain, and he did, sometimes, like for his chores, but not in the malicious way the alpha inherently implied. “Somewhat, not really.” He waffled, before sighing tiredly. “I use it for you, Arthur. Always for you.”
Arthur scoffed disbelievingly, “You mean to tell me that you’ve never used it to complete your chores, make the broom do the sweeping for you?” Merlin was surprised by the reprimand; maybe the King had meant more frivolous uses.
He let out a slow patient breath. “I do sometimes, but not often, Gaius gets upset.” Arthur made an indecipherable noise at the statement but Merlin merely continued as if he hadn’t heard. “The one time I did use it frivolously, the witchfinder was called. So no, I don’t use it for myself that often.”
“So Aredian was right.” Arthur concluded after another moment of silence.
“Not about Gaius.” Merlin corrected curtly. “That bracelet belonged to neither of us and the belladonna was actually ordered by him. I just…. exaggerated the evidence in a more... visual manner.”
As Arthur’s silence made another appearance, Merlin wondered exactly what direction the alpha’s thoughts were taking. A glance at his face revealed nothing of note, Arthur’s gaze was blank as he continued to stare at the ceiling, but the warlock took it as a win that his scent did not bloom with new notes of anger at the revelation.
Abruptly Arthur shifted, rolling over until he was braced over Merlin’s body on all fours. He loomed over the omega, hands on either side of his head as if the warlock might yet make an effort to escape, something Merlin had no intention of doing. He had waited weeks to face Arthur’s scrutiny, his judgment. He would not back away from the opportunity now. The king’s eyes flickered over his face searching for something specific in his expression as he began a true interrogation of the warlock.
“Why did you come to Camelot?” He asked, sharp eyes primed to take in every subtle twitch of Merlin’s features.
For you, the answer presented itself in Merlin’s mind, though he had not known it at the time. However, that answer would not technically be true and would only confuse the king further. Hopefully they would have time to discuss the prophecy later. “My mom was worried that Cenred would find me.” He told the alpha instead. “Rumor said that he was conscripting sorcerers into his army. As a powerful sorcerer and an omega….” Merlin shrugged his shoulders, seeing Arthur draw the conclusion in his mind.
“Yet you would be killed here.” Arthur’s brow furrowed in confusion as if he couldn't understand the concept of wishing for death over some other fate. He probably couldn’t; Merlin had taken great lengths to ensure he never faced that particular feeling.
“At least it would be quicker, less humiliating.” Merlin replied apathetically and Arthur grimaced as he finally caught onto the dark logic of Merlin’s journey. “Besides, Gaius was here so I wouldn’t be completely on my own, and he used to practice magic so I think she was hoping he could teach me how to hide.” He continued.
Arthur snorted. “Clearly that didn’t work out as planned.”
Merlin shrugged again. “Not as well as they had hoped.” He conceeded. “Even Gaius doesn’t truly understand the way my magic works. It’s extremely rare for someone to be born with enough power to use it as a baby.”
The lines on Arthur’s face tightened but he did not respond, moving onto the next question instead. “And why have you stayed?”
“Because you needed me.” Merlin answered honestly, elaborating when Arthur frowned. “There were so many people trying to kill you and Camelot was, is, so unprepared to actually detect and fight magic. I couldn’t leave you here to be murdered. Not when I considered you my, “ alpha, soulmate, the half that completes me “friend.”
Arthur’s face twisted at the last admission but any hint of warmth was quickly buried under the steel in Arthur’s gaze, determined not to be swayed by petty sentiment. “And that’s your job is it?” Arthur snapped but Merlin remained unbothered, allowing the alpha’s anger to wash over him. He would not apologize for fighting for the things he loved.
“It is.” He said calmly. “It always will be. I’ll always keep you safe.”
Arthur searched his face for any crack, any falter, but Merlin knew he would find none. This was a duty the omega would not fail. “You are too important to me to lose.” Merlin said firmly.
“I never asked you to do that.” Arthur pointed out quietly. As close as they were, Merlin could see that the alpha was bothered, the way his lips pulled back the slightest amount and the way his irises shined with the edges of anger, but the warlock would never regret his silent vow. There were actions he was certainly ashamed of, consequences he hadn’t properly foreseen, but he would never regret ensuring that the alpha‘s heart continued to beat strong and sturdy within the King’s chest.
“You didn’t have to.” He replied. “It was what I wanted to do.”
Arthur’s hands curled into fists beside Merlin’s head, scent beginning to burn anew. It was from fear for the omega; Merlin knew Arthur well enough to deduce that. Arthur had never once asked any of his men to do something he wouldn’t do himself, to ride out into a battle he would not fight along side them. Therefore it was jarring to know that there was a man laying his life on the line without his awareness. As honor driven as Arthur was, it scared him to know he could have lost Merlin without warning, never knowing the blow was meant for him in the first place. To realize Merlin was an omega on top of that, had likely irritated Arthur’s instincts deeply.
“And what happens when the threat proves too much?” He snarled with a flash of teeth. Merlin refused to back down, laying still, unmoved beneath him.
“Better me than you.” He said simply, watching as Arthur’s face twisted unhappily. “I told you, I’m happy to be your servant till the day I die“ He reminded the alpha, smiling fondly and a bit ruefully at the memory. “I might not have been happy in your service at first, but I’ve seen what kind of man you are, what type of King you will be, and I am honored to see that era come to pass. Even if you never knew the sacrifices I have made, even if I was never acknowledged for my efforts…“ He trailed off before shaking his head and continuing, “I had hoped that one day it would all come out, sure, someday when we could talk without it causing so much pain. But I would have been content to see your reign full and long. That would have been enough for me.”
Arthur‘s eyes blazed. “So my life is worth more than yours is it?”
“Yes.” Merlin answered once again. “What is the life of a servant to that of a King?” He reiterated, reaffirming the words he had spoken to Arthur on the threshold of the veil.
Arthur flinched at the question, likely remembering the same events, the same feelings of despair that night had painted between them. “I suppose you’re responsible for taking care of that too.” He sniped in agitation. Merlin didn’t give him a response, allowing his silence to speak for itself.
After another moment of Arthur attempting to read him, he demanded tersely, “You will tell me of any future attempts. I will not be blind in my own castle.”
“Of course.” Merlin easily acquiesced. “I would be more than happy to.” It would be so much easier to simply tell Arthur why he shouldn’t drink the poisoned goblet. “I never wanted to keep them a secret from you. I just had no other choice if I wanted to continue breathing.”
Arthur blinked, likely thinking it would be more difficult to get Merlin to agree. He pursed his lips before sighing, slumping as if the fight had bled out of him. As if the weight of the world had begun to crush him all at once, the king leaned down until their brows were touching, startling Merlin and threatening to bring the tears back to the omega’s eyes at the intimacy of the action.
“I want to believe you, Merlin. I want to trust you.” Arthur whispered, tortured. Merlin swallowed, throat clicking as his own face twisted to match the pain he could hear in Arthur’s voice.
“There has to be some way I can convince you of my loyalty.” Merlin pushed, whispering back. He dug his fingers into the sheets to prevent himself from reaching for the King, to resist the urge to tuck Arthur’s hair back, to soothe. “Please.”
Arthur sighed yet again, a sound of soul deep exhaustion. “I don’t know, Merlin. It’s all so much.”
“I’m at your mercy, alpha.” Merlin told him solemnly, staring directly into the king’s eyes when the alpha pulled back once more, the words only accented by Merlin’s unguarded form spread out on the blankets underneath him, painfully vulnerable. Arthur seemed to recognize the truth of the statement, thinning his lips.
“I won’t leave.” Merlin promised before lowering his gaze in slight shame of the next admission. “Even if you banished me, I wouldn’t. I’d have to hide, have to figure out a way to stay out of sight, but I’d still be here.” His gaze trailed up the king’s chest, stopping on the odd dotted twin scars in the alpha’s shoulder. “I couldn’t risk something like this afternoon actually succeeding.” Lost in thought he reached out to touch the the marks without thinking, a reminder of the first time he had truly failed. Arthur glanced down to follow his movements, understanding blooming in his eyes as he saw what Merlin touched. “Not again, never again.” The warlock swore. “Whatever it takes, I’ll do. Just tell me.”
Arthur reached up to cover Merlin’s hand with his own, mirroring his gaze with consideration. “I suppose I have you to thank for surviving this as well.” He said, resigned, and Merlin merely smiled thinly at him, the memories a painful bruise.
Arthur considered the omega for another long moment before asking quiet enough that Merlin had to strain to hear the words. “What if I wanted you directly by my side? For the rest of my reign.”
Merlin blinked at him, tilting his head in slight confusion, causing his hair to splay out like a dark cloud behind his head. He felt like he didn’t understand the question, but it didn’t matter; the answer would always be the same. “Then that’s where I’ll be.” He replied simply, feeling the conviction as steadfast and ancient as the earth herself. “I’ll be wherever you want me to be, Arthur, wherever you’ll let me.”
Arthur stared at his face for a long tense moment, searching it for any signs of a lie, but Merlin only relaxed, knowing he had nothing to hide and that he had only spoken the truth tonight. Arthur was his world and that would never change. Not even if he did end up being the immortal Iseldir had told him his name promised. He would never forget the alpha in front of him. No one would ever fill Arthur’s place in his heart.
As if his thoughts had been painted on his skin for the alpha to read plainly, Arthur’s entire body softened, his scent taking on a note of disbelief and wonder. “You are an impossible man, you know that?” He huffed wryly. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to figure you out.” Merlin blinked back at him, another wave of confusion making him frown slightly.
He opened his mouth to question the statement but never got the chance as Arthur leaned down to bring their lips together once more. Merlin’s eyes grew wide, his heart thundering in his chest as Arthur pressed firmly, gently, slowly. This was not a kiss of passion, designed to drive them both to rut, nor was it perfuntory, a sign of light affection. No, this was something Merlin imagined a lover might receive, someone precious to the instigator.
And when Arthur pulled back, leaving Merlin’s lips to tingle pleasantly, Merlin could see the unguarded emotion in his eyes, playing out as the King stroked a thumb down his cheek affectionately, intimately.
No, it couldn’t be.
Merlin tried desperately to wrangle the explosion of repressed hope back into his chest. Surely, Arthur did not feel the way Merlin was foolishly reading him. As he watched, the alpha’s expression twisted in confliction once more and he dropped his hands.
“I shouldn’t have done that.” He said, and Merlin’s heart went cold. “Not until—“ He must have seen the blatant heartbreak on Merlin’s face because he immediately elaborated. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to, gods, I want to.” Arthur pursed his lips, “ but, I can’t. There are still things I need to think about…”
Merlin clung to the small sliver of self restraint he had to contain his desperation, his eager hope that Arthur would give him a chance. A chance with everything. He licked his lips. “Maybe we could take it slow?” He offered, praying that Arthur would agree. “See where it takes us?”
He could see the alpha’s mind shifting through the possibility and he jumped on the opportunity, daring to push further. “All I want is time, Arthur. Time to regain your trust, time to prove myself.”
His heart leapt as Arthur gave a slow nod, clearly sweetening to the idea. “You could start sleeping in the antechamber.” He said slowly.
Merlin blinked, frowning at the sudden leap; all he had been hoping for was at least an hour or two with the alpha in the evening or morning. “Wouldn’t that create gossip?” Wasn’t the point of taking it slow to remain discreet?
Arthur shrugged. “Less than if you were seen leaving too late.” Merlin winced, knowing it was the truth. “You’re supposed to be sleeping in there anyway. We can blame Gaius if needed, but it would give us a reasonable excuse to be alone. Would give us a chance to talk about things.”
Pulling back from looming over the warlock, he rolled over until he was staring up at the ceiling once more, voice quieting until Merlin had to strain to hear the words. “I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone.”
Butterflies took flight in Merlin’s belly, cheeks tinting at the complement, but a worm of doubt wriggled its way through his head and he furrowed his brow, shifting onto his side so he could watch the King. “But Gwen—“ only to halt as Arthur shook his head.
“Gwen will always be special to me.” He caviated. “But she wasn’t you.“ He swallowed. “I didn’t think I could have you. And now, if given a choice...” He shook his head again and Merlin’s heart begin to race, began to hope, only to crash back to the ground at Arthur’s next words. “But you are a sorcerer.” He grit his teeth. “You have magic.” His voice dropped to a whisper at the word, as if Uther may yet hear him from beyond the veil. “You have to understand that this is difficult for me. I trust you, at least I thought I did, but from what I have seen…”
“You have to know I would never hurt you.” Merlin said desperately. If there was one thing Arthur needed to know, to be certain of, it was Merlin’s devotion to him.
Arthur pursed his lips but quietly admitted, “I do.” And Merlin was relieved to see no doubt in his face even as it twisted in emotional constipation. “But it contradicts everything I know about the world.”
He sighed heavily, “There are simply things we need to discuss, questions I need answers to before I can offer my heart in its entirety.” His tone was apologetic and resigned, but Merlin understood, even if truth of it ached in many ways. He had always had an uncanny knack for reading the alpha, anticipating his mood and needs. It had been a skill slowly developed by a multitude of necessities but it was one Merlin would never regret. Right now he understood Arthur perfectly and was beyond grateful that the King was even giving him, them, so much as a second thought, that he was wiling to try.
Merlin was so so so proud of him, eager to bear witness to the King he would make without the wool to hinder his sight.
But none of that would happen if they didn’t take the first step. Bracing himself he made himself steady and sure. “Then ask.” Arthur looked over to him, eyes flicking over Merlin’s face and the warlock made sure not to flinch. “I’ll tell you anything you want.” He explained, as Arthur’s eyes finally settled back on his, feeling the vow take root in his soul. “No more secrets, no more lies. Ask and the knowledge shall be yours, everything that I know.” He offered.
Arthur was silent for a long moment, reading the warlock in his bed, but, eventually he licked his lips, averting his gaze nervously. “What would it have done?” He asked and Merlin blinked at him, waiting for clarification. “If your magic had…” he waved his hand through the air meaninglessly, throwing quick glances at the omega to see if he was following only to meet Merlin’s blank gaze instead. “‘shown its ‘excitement’ what would have happened?” He clarified.
Merlin was momentarily frozen by the question, not having expected it to be the first Arthur would ask, but he shook himself out of the shock soon enough, shrugging. “It‘s not like I have a lot of experience but my first heat it made the trees bloom three months early?” He offered, flushing as Arthur’s eyebrows rose incredulously. “I don’t know it might levitate a few things, sweep the floor, change the color of your sheets and curtains? Nothing bad, it doesn’t want to hurt anyone, it just wanted to share the joy of my pleasure.”
It was Arthur’s turn to flush but he wore it much better, giving Merlin a wolffish grin that spread the warlock’s flush all the way down his chest. Having had his fun teasing the omega, his eyes wandered around the room, pausing on the drapes that hung open over his window, passing over the smooth floors, and finally stopping on the sheets of the nest, likely imagining the effects Merlin had described.
After a moment more, he rolled over to his side, coming nose to nose with the omega. They stared at each other long enough that Merlin began to get worried, fidgeting on the sheets as Arthur’s gaze continued to bore into his own. He could see that the alpha was working himself up for something, gathering his courage, and Merlin was becoming concerned as to the reason.
Finally, his face set and he propped himself up on an elbow, eyes bleeding red. “Show me a spell, something small.” The order washed over Merlin, clicking in his mind before he really had a chance to process it, not having expected those particular words to pass the alpha’s lips for a while yet.
Arthur’s previous order released its grip and the warlock drew in a breath of air in time with his magic, unfurling like Kilgharrah released from their chains. It settled over his skin like an old friend and he couldn’t help but relax at feeling it slot back into place. Arthur cocked his head slightly in interest as he took note of Merlin’s visible reaction and Merlin was pleased when he didn’t pull away. He licked his lips as the request finally registered, knowing it was only an order to replace the previous one and perhaps offer Arthur a slight feeling of control based on the spot of tension pooling at the base of the alpha’s neck. The compulsion urged him, scratching at the back of his mind with increasing force, and Merlin cast around his mind for any spells he could use to appease it, something that would impress but not scare the King. Yet his mind blanked of ideas now that he had been given free rein, paralyzed by the infinite possibilities before him.
“Was there anything in particular you had in mind?” He asked, fishing for ideas.
Arthur flattened his face, unimpressed, “You tell me. You’re the sorcerer, how am I supposed to know?!”
Merlin laughed nervously, “Right.”
Arthur groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand, “Honestly, Merlin. Don’t tell me you’re incompetent at magic too!?”
Merlin pouted, “Of course not! I’ll have you know I’m supposedly the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth!”
“And who told you that? Your mother?” Arthur deadpanned, scoffing disbelievingly.
“No!” Merlin denied. “The Druids think very highly of me.” He sniffed.
A wary look returned to the king’s eyes and Merlin scolded himself for saying too much and putting the alpha back on edge. Yet, there was a spark of curiosity in Arthur’s gaze too, “The Druids? Do you talk with them often?”
“No.” Merlin composed himself, rolling into his stomach and laying his head on his pillowed arms. “Just a few that I trust when I need advice. You’ve met them. The chief’s name is Iseldir.”
Arthur furrowed his brow before the lines of his back eased in recognition. “The one who saved Leon.” He verified and Merlin nodded.
Well in for copper in for gold or whatnot.
“They always seem to recognize me though. They call me Emrys.” He revealed, pursing his lips as the need to follow Arthur’s order began to get demanding, his fingers twitching against the sheets and his eyes wandering.
“Emrys.” Arthur murmured, the lines on his forehead pinching together. “I’ve heard that name before.”
The compulsion to complete Arthur’s order was becoming overwhelming and Merlin’s darting gaze stopped as it came to rest on a pillow near the edge of the nest, an idea coming to mind. It was likely a little…. soft for Arthur’s taste but it would be less threatening than using smoke or embers.
They could work their way up to those.
Besides it was the best idea Merlin had at the moment, and he needed to make a decision soon. “Hold on.” Merlin muttered, interrupting the alpha’s musing, as he pushed himself up to scramble towards the pillow. Arthur watched him with forced calm, immediately understanding the purpose of his actions. “I need to…”
He took the pillow in his hands, ripping the seam in his haste to get it open. Arthur frowned at the damage but Merlin paid him no mind; it was the omega’s job to fix it anyway. Whether by magic or by hand, Merlin would stitch it anew later. Once the barrier of fabric was destroyed, Merlin raked the contents out on the bed, creating a pile of soft downy feathers. He took a second to run his hands through the material, marveling at the luxury of the contents, before Arthur’s voice startled him back to the present.
“Is there a reason you’ve disemboweled one of my pillows?” He drawled, arching an eyebrow in question. Childishly, Merlin stuck his tongue out at the prat, drawing a twitch of a smile to Arthur’s lips before the warlock sobered, licking his lips once more and pushing the incessant knocking of the order to the back of his mind.
“You’re sure about this?” He asked one last time and the small smile slipped from Arthur’s lips, shoulders stiffening, bracing himself.
He lifted his chin, projecting a front of bravery, “Go on.” He pressed. “Show me.”
Merlin searched his face but found nothing to dissuade him and the order was pushing harshly against the barrier he had set up. With a deep breath, he turned back to the feathers he had piled, feeling his magic pool around them, expectant. He took one more breath to steady himself before his eyes heated with golden power and he breathed out the words of his chosen spell, “Fæger: Fugol” Immediately, the pressure of the order receded, much to Merlin’s relief.
There was a sharp gasp of air to his side and he cast his gaze back to Arthur in concern. The alpha seemed frozen by the sight of his eyes, his own pupils wide and his face slightly ashen. A slight tremble shook his hand, but it clenched as Merlin watched, bracing itself as Arthur disciplined any fear he was feeling. It was just as well, because Merlin could not turn his eyes back without letting go of the enchantment.
He shifted back to the feathers, some of which were beginning to float, held aloft by glimmers of gold, and focused on the image he wanted. Additional feathers began to lift up, sparkling with even more flecks of gold as they swirled into a narrow shape, slotting together to form a small puff of breast and a rounded head. Several of them overlayed each other to create the illusion of longer feathers, placing themselves along the tail and the biggest areas of the wings. The color wasn’t right so Merlin poured more power into the creation, willing the notes of a blue-grey to bleed through and the underbelly to bleach to a creamy white. The creation did not have eyes, instead the feathers rolled and twisted themselves into the semblance of talons and a beak, neither did it have a voice, material fit more for the dampening of sound than it was for the creation of it, yet the bird was recognizable all the same. Merlin willed it to take flight, lifting off the bed in a swirl of gold, spare puffs of feathers trailing after, caught in its wake, as it soared through the room with long graceful sweeps.
Arthur, while flinching as it first moved, sat up to watch glide, enamored with the life-like movements of the feathered mimicry. Emboldened, Merlin focused on showing off, looping the creation and creating opportunities to dive, beak opened wide as if calling out and talons extended for the catch as he had seen the royal hunting birds do. Nothing but dust bunnies paid the price, swirling into the air as the bird swept through, climbing back up to the ceiling to try again. The setting sun painted the feathers of its chest in hues of red and orange that twirled to combine with the strings of gold still winding around the bird, almost as if it were on fire, making it mimic a miniature Phoenix more than a mere hunting falcon. Arthur seemed mesmerized regardless, eyes alight with no small amount of awe at the display.
A warm furry feeling squirmed in Merlin’s stomach as the omega preened. He had done that. His magic had put that look on his alpha’s face. Arthur wasn’t screaming or cringing, he was looking at Merlin’s display like it was something beautiful. He had never thought the day would come where Arthur would regard his magic as a gift; he had hoped one day the king would begrudgingly tolerate his ability, possibly even be forced to admit its usefulness, but had never once assumed Arthur would find true value in it, treasure it. Once more the cold fear that this was still yet a dream Merlin’s mind had made up in his agony tried to dig claws into his happiness but couldn’t get a deep enough grip to taint it so; he had waited too long to witness this day, hallucination or not.
Slowly, Arthur held his arm out as if calling one of his birds to return with their prey and, after a mere millisecond of hesitation, Merlin wheeled the bird around to land, lighting on Arthur’s arm as silently and softly as the material that made it. The alpha brought up a hand as it continued to fidget, cocking its small head at him and rustling its wings impatiently, giving a short, startled laugh as it nipped him with its psuedo beak when he ran a finger against its head.
“A Merlin, Merlin, really?” He asked, grinning from ear to ear and causing the omega’s own lips to stretch upward at his clear delight.
“It seemed fitting.” Merlin shrugged.
He watched as Arthur poked a finger forward, testing the strength of Merlin’s weaving. He resisted for a moment, allowing the alpha to fully experience the softness of the feathers reforming around his finger and feel the gentle heat his magic produced, the soundless beat of a heart beneath its conception, before he let the enchantment drop. The Merlin exploded in a cascade of feathers that drifted down lazily to pile on the sheets once more. Arthur almost seemed disappointed to see it go, scoping up a few of the feathers to inspect.
Eventually, Merlin couldn’t contain his nerves, twisting his hands into the ripped fabric still caught between them. “Was that good enough?” He questioned, horrified when his voice squeaked in his nervousness. He cleared his throat as Arthur turned to look at him.
The King considered him for only a moment before his face softened, "That was perfect Merlin." He said sincerely and Merlin's breath left him in a relieved whoosh. Scooting up to join Merlin near the headboard of the bed, he watched as the omega scooped the feathers back into the pillow, throwing him a quick hesitant glance before gold erupted in his eyes and the pile of feathers that used to be the Merlin drifted over as well. When Arthur didn't correct him, Merlin silently nudged his magic to take care of the torn fabric too, twisting the strands back together as if they had never been damaged at all. He then carefully tucked the repaired pillow back into the border of his nest, already making plans to poach it from the alpha's chambers later in order to preserve the memory of this impossible moment.
"You didn't use a spell for that?" Arthur questioned, intelligent gaze picking apart each of the warlock's movements. The fear that haunted the alpha had been cut down, though there was still remnants of wariness in his posture, which allowed for Arthur's natural curiosity to shine through in all its glory, hungry to understand a world he had been denied all his life.
"I don't need one most of the time. Not for small things." Merlin admitted, distractedly, finishing up fluffing the pillow to his liking before twisting to look for a place to settle and finish their conversation. A smile split his face as Arthur opened his arm, exposing his side for the omega to curl into, and he went without hesitation, nearly purring as the alpha's natural warmth soaked into his skin.
The world was now perfect, exactly how it should be.
"It's another way my magic differs from any other user Iseldir or Gaius have ever heard of." He elaborated. "Most sorcerers need a spell to accomplish any amount of magic."
Arthur hummed, filing the information away for review later. However, he didn't press the topic, choosing instead to turn back to the two of them as Merlin began to be lulled by the sense of security his position brought, the scent of his alpha wrapping around him, mixing with the scent of their recent activities, and his magic full and free beneath his skin. If Merlin could choose one moment to make last eternity, it would be this one, right here.
"You would really be okay with it?" Arthur pressed carefully, causing Merlin to blink back awake. "Not being acknowledged to the court?" He trailed his hand down to the omega’s neck gland, making Merlin shiver. “To not wear my official mark?”
Merlin smiled sadly once he understood the question, but his answer was honest. "As long as you stop flirting with the noble omegas, hearing you call me yours is more than enough."
Arthur arched an eyebrow, a teasing expression crawling onto his face. "Is that why you're such a brat when anyone comes near me?"
"No." Merlin immediately denied, fighting to keep the blush of being found out from his skin. "Do you understand how many love potions you have almost been doused with?" He scowled at the memory of the hours he had spent combing through the king's food, drink, and garments. Arthur hummed disbelievingly, his eyes saying he didn't believe a word that came out of Merlin's mouth.
"Well I can't simply stop entertaining visiting delegations. It is literally a critical aspect of my job." Merlin pouted, his omega twisting unhappily at the news. Arthur squeezed the arm around Merlin's shoulders until the omega looked up, and he could catch Merlin's eye. "But I promise, you will be the only one I return with at night." Merlin eased at the ironclad vow in Arthur's voice, knowing the honor-bound alpha would never break a promise he had made.
"Provided, of course, that you are successful in your attempts to keep me unensorcelled." The King continued on to challenge before adding as an afterthought, "Without getting cursed yourself." waving at Merlin's entire person as an example of their current situation.
Merlin growled, narrowing his eyes in offense at the implication that this had been solely a product of his clumsiness. "I have disposed of countless artifacts without any complications. You, being such a prat, was the only reason I was distracted." He reminded the alpha but Arthur merely smirked, arching his eyebrow higher as if to say so what, it's still your fault. So, Merlin changed tactics. "Besides, it's not like you wouldn't help me with the... side effects."
Arthur's arrogant air was immediately swallowed up by a leer. "No, I suppose not." He agreed, bringing Merlin closer. "But, I rather not risk anything too nasty."
"I'll be careful." Merlin assured him, resting his brow on Arthur's chest. He smelled Arthur's scent soften around him, cradling his body fondly as the king brushed back some hair from his brow.
"It wouldn't be forever." Arthur promised. "It would just give me a little more time to get used to the idea."
“I can wait.” Merlin promised as well. As long as there was a chance, as long as Arthur returned to him night after night, he would wait as long as it took. Arthur turned his head to place an affectionate kiss on the omega’s forehead in apology and gratitude both. Melrin's heart felt full. This was everything he wanted, had been hopelessly waiting for since he had first heard Kilgharrah‘s prophecy.
It still felt too good to be true.
"Promise me again once my heat is over?" He begged, scratching nails over Athur’s bare stomach, feeling suddenly vulnerable as his pulse quickened. He felt the alpha frown against the top of his head and he hastened to explain further.
"So that I'm sure you mean it? That you weren’t simply strung along by my pheromones." He was sure the fragile hope was obvious on his face as he dared to look up at the King and Arthur's own softened in response.
The alpha brought their brows together tenderly. “Of course." He gave in easily, allowing Merlin to relax against him again, before questioning with a particular tone to his voice. “So this isn't the only wave? Is the spell over?” His hand began rubbing Merlin’s hip, claws pricking delicately over the omega’s tender skin. Merlin shook his head as his eyes closed in contentment.
“No, I have to go through a full cycle.” He told the alpha, positive that Arthur already knew as such, that he could smell it growing again in Merlin’s scent, and felt a smirk against his temple.
“I can’t say I’m disappointed.” Arthur said, moving down to nibble against the edges of Merlin‘s neck gland. Merlin nearly snorted, smelling the arousal that was creeping into the alpha’s scent. However, he only ended up humming fondly, tilting his neck to give the alpha more access as a burst of giddy excitement warmed his chest. Around that time his stomach pulsed again; insatiable he told it but he had a feeling it was less to do with the spell and more to do with Arthur himself. He didn’t think he would ever get enough of the alpha holding him.
With a purr and an eye roll at both his magic and Arthur, he gave in to his instincts, not that he had offered much of a fight in the first place. Sitting up, he rolling over onto his hands and knees, dropping his chest to the sheets as he hitched his hips up, twisting his head until his cheek lay flush against the bed and he could look the alpha in the eye as he made a show of baring his scent gland in a traditional omegan presentation. His slick was beginning to push itself out of his gaping entrance once again, taking other leftover fluids with it as they painted a new trail down his thighs.
“Then get over here and do your job, alpha.” Merlin taunted and watched, enraptured, as Arthur’s eyes darkened and his pupils bloomed to wide pools of ink. The King smirked, showing off teeth and Merlin had never felt less afraid, never more excited for his future. They would be okay; they would mend what was broken between them and come out all the stronger for it, his heart whispered to him, and, as Arthur’s hands found his hips once more, dragging him further down the bed to where the alpha could cover him once again, teeth skating across the gland on Merlin’s neck, and fingers tugging against his flushed erection until his eyes disappeared back into his skull,
Merlin truly believed it.