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He thought waiting was the worst, but now, with Arthur sitting on the side of the bed, he no longer thinks so. Wrapped in a soft blanket, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, Merlin feels vulnerable and a bit lost. How do other omegas do this? His heat is still in its initial stage and he has a few more hours before it fully kicks in. For now, he’s only stuck with his skin being more sensitive than usual. He also feels the need to snuggle to someone, preferably his alpha, but it’s overridden by nervousness.
“This is your first heat with an alpha, right?” Arthur asks, his voice soft as if he is trying his hardest not to spook him.
And of course, that makes sense. Merlin is, after all, pressed to the headboard and hugging his knees under the fluffy blanket. Arthur can be a prat sometimes, but he would never be mean to someone who seems genuinely upset.
“Yes,” Merlin says, unable to meet Arthur’s eyes.
“Okay,” Arthur says quietly, as if talking more to himself than to Merlin, and sits a bit closer. “You know the rules, right? Whenever you want me to stop or don’t like something, just say so and I’ll stop. If you need something, no matter what, tell me. I’m here for you, not the other way around.”
It’s every omega’s dream, a partner who cares about their omega’s well-being and pleasure more than about their own. Not everyone gets this lucky. But then Merlin thinks about how they got to this situation and he buries his head into his knees to hide the tears in his eyes.
“It’s not too late to take the suppressants to skip the full heat if you don’t want to go through with it. I could stay to provide skin on skin contact to make it easier. Or I could get you someone else,” Arthur says, his voice calm, soothing.
Merlin turns his head so that his next words are audible, but stares at Arthur’s hand, just a few inches from his foot, rather than looking the other man in the eyes.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” he says, letting out a shuddering breath.
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t think this through. You get so many offers. I didn’t think you’d…”
“You didn’t think I’d accept,” Arthur finishes for him. “Then why ask at all?” he asks. His tone sounds colder.
“I thought…” He glances at the guarded expression on Arthur’s face. It’s not like their friendship will be salvageable after all this, he might as well make its death quick. “I thought I’d get some closure that way.”
“What are you talking about? What closure?” Arthur sounds genuinely confused.
Merlin sighs.
“I’m in love with you.”
“But…” Arthur is speechless, his eyes wide.
“Yeah, stupid, I know,” Merlin says, hiding his face again.
“I’ve been flirting with you ever since we first met two years ago,” Arthur states.
“And? You flirt with everyone.”
“No, I don’t. I’m not Gwaine,” Arthur huffs out.
He rests his hand on Merlin’s blanket covered forearm, petting it gently.
“When you asked me to be your heat partner, I wanted to refuse because I wasn’t sure if I could handle getting just a taste. But then I thought about you asking some other alpha and I couldn’t let that happen.”
“But what about all the others?” Merlin asks.
“What others?”
“You get dozens offers from omegas every year.”
“Yes, that’s true. But have you ever seen me accept one?”
“Well, no, but…”
“There is no but.”
“How did I not notice?”
“Because you’re an idiot.”
“And you’re a prat,” comes Merlin’s automatic response and suddenly he realizes that they even have their own brand of flirting. He really is an idiot.
He feels tired and it’s not just from the recent revelations. He’s shifting into another pre-heat stage. His eyelids feel heavy and he can’t stop himself from yawning.
“I’ll get you the suppressants, okay?” Arthur’s soothing tone of voice is back.
Merlin contemplates his options. He could cuddle through the weak heat, but if Arthur is telling the truth about liking him, wouldn’t it be a coward’s way out? Not to mention that suppressants taken this late might leave him halfway to heat, with cramps and pains but no relief of sexual variety. He read about similar cases and he would rather not risk it. But maybe Arthur changed his mind about the whole matter.
“Only if you don’t want to be my heat partner anymore. I’d totally understand if that was the case,” Merlin says.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” Arthur says, climbing on the bed. “Can I?” he asks and it takes a while before Merlin realizes he’s asking for permission to touch.
Merlin nods and lets Arthur maneuver him into lying position, still wrapped in the blanket. Arthur spoons him from behind and Merlin sticks his hand out from under the blanket and takes hold of Arthur’s hand, guiding it under the cover and pressing it to his chest possessively. Arthur noses at the back of his neck and Merlin goes completely boneless in his embrace, his eyes falling shut. He could get used to this.
~x~
He wakes up, feeling feverish and disoriented. The blanket is proving to be a mightier enemy than he expects it to be.
“It’s okay. Let me help,” comes voice from behind and only then the events of the past few hours start trickling back to him.
He’s never been in a full-blown heat, but so far he’s not a big fan. Finally freed from the blanket, he sighs as the cooler air hits his skin. Arthur hands him a bottle of water and he downs half of it in one go. He flops down on his back and watches Arthur put the bottle away. He’s still fully clothed, even though the clothing is creased everywhere now, while Merlin is lying almost naked in front of him. If it weren’t for his heat, he’d probably try to cover himself. Now, he just wants Arthur to touch him.
Arthur strips to match Merlin’s state of clothing and lies down next to him. His fingertips are light on Merlin’s skin. There’s no rush behind the movement, just calm deliberate strokes. Arthur’s lips part and Merlin knows he’s about to lean in for their first kiss, his anticipation growing tenfold.
When their lips meet, it’s sweet and gentle. It’s everything and nothing like Merlin imagined it. He moans into the kiss as Arthur presses closer. He knows it won’t take long before he enters the final stage of heat for the first time in his life. It makes him feel nervous and excited and it must somehow show because the next moment Arthur breaks the kiss and just looks at him.
“Should I slow down?” he asks, petting Merlin’s arm.
“Sorry. I’m just a bit nervous, first-timer and all,” Merlin says with an apologetic grin.
“Don’t apologize for that,” Arthur says, placing a small kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to take care of you. You’re my number one priority.”
He begins making his way down Merlin’s face and neck, down to his chest, trailing a line of kisses along the way.
“Forget about what you’ve seen in most heat porn,” he says before gently biting Merlin’s nipple, causing Merlin to gasp at yet another new sensation. “I won’t just turn you on your front and fuck you hard until my knot swells.” He sucks at his other nipple. “Your first orgasm won’t be with me already locked inside. No, by the time I get to come, you’ll be on your way to your third or maybe fourth orgasm.”
Merlin feels himself dropping into a new headspace. He fights it at first, still nervous and a little bit scared even after hearing Arthur’s reassuring words. But then Arthur whispers, “I’ll never make you beg or make fun of your needs,” and he gives in, breathing out Arthur’s name.
Arthur’s lips are on his again and he is more on top of him now, his thigh pressing against Merlin’s groin creating delicious friction. He doesn’t realize he’s mumbling Arthur’s name again until Arthur hushes him and covers even more of his body.
“I’ll take care of you,” he repeats, whispering the words into Merlin’s ear.
It’s almost a shock when he comes some two seconds later. He holds onto Arthur as pleasure sweeps through his body and feels the familiar ache of needing to be filled settle into his stomach. Only it’s not the faint discomfort of suppressed heat. It grows and makes his limbs shake, makes him desperate for his alpha’s cock.
He’s vaguely aware of Arthur murmuring something about fast progress before he pulls away despite Merlin’s loud protest. Dread spreads through Merlin’s belly and he manages to half sit up before Arthur presses him back down, offering comfort with touches and whispered apologies.
He’s completely naked now and Merlin can’t help but stare at his fully hard cock. He starts tugging at his own soaked briefs, wanting, needing Arthur inside. Arthur helps him get rid of the offending piece of clothing and tosses it on the ground. Lost in his heat, Merlin scrambles to turn around and stick his bum up for Arthur to take, but is stopped once more.
“No, I promised it wouldn’t be like that,” Arthur says.
“I need you,” Merlin whines, dropping his legs open and guiding his own fingers to his opening.
“I know,” Arthur says, batting Merlin’s fingers away and pressing two of his inside instead.
He obviously knows what he’s doing, leaving Merlin breathless with mounting bliss in matter of seconds. Closing his hands around Merlin’s cock, he begins to work it with precise tugs. Merlin is torn between pressing himself onto Arthur’s fingers or fucking into his tight fist, but it doesn’t matter much as he already feels his second orgasm approaching. Even though he is expecting it, his whole body shudders and he cries out loudly when it finally hits.
Once the sharp pleasure passes, he’s back to aching for more. Arthur is leaning over him, peppering kisses up his torso until he joins their lips once more. Merlin can feel the hard length of Arthur’s cock against his thigh and he bucks up while trying to pull Arthur down to give him what he really needs. It doesn’t work out exactly like he plans, with Arthur half-lying on top of him, but their groins are pressed together now and that doesn’t feel bad either.
Arthur noses under his jaw, gently biting at his neck, and hovers his mouth just above Merlin’s mating gland. Merlin stops breathing, part of him wishing for the bite and the other, more distant part of him unsure.
“Not today,” Arthur whispers, but sucks a bruise over the area, unable to stop himself from marking Merlin in some way.
Merlin relaxes, partly disappointed and partly relieved. Arthur’s weight resting on top of him makes him feel safe and cared for. It’s grounding him and easing a bit of the urgency of his heat.
“Fuck me, please,” he mumbles into Arthur’s ear, but this time it’s less hormones talking and more just him craving the connection. “Please.”
Arthur silences any further pleas by a kiss and readjusts their position to get better access to his entrance. The first press in takes eternity and feels fairly overwhelming. The urgency of Merlin’s need fades into background and his body relaxes as Arthur starts moving inside him. He’s aware of Arthur’s harsh breaths against his skin, barely audible moans of Merlin’s name escaping him from time to time.
He feels like he could come again at any moment but also never, caught in the intoxicating high of pre-orgasmic bliss. Arthur tenses above him. Three hard thrusts into Merlin’s relaxed channel are followed by a curse slipping past his tongue. Arthur moans and curses again, half-collapsing on top of him. Merlin can feel the increasing pressure of Arthur’s expanding knot, digs his fingers into Arthur’s back and neck.
Arthur manages to collect his bearings and wedges his hand in between their bodies, enveloping Merlin’s cock in his large hand. Not more than a few tugs are needed to bring Merlin over the edge and Arthur collapses on him completely this time, moaning as Merlin’s clenching channel milks another orgasm out of him.
~x~
Merlin is sore absolutely everywhere and it’s a glorious feeling. His heat is over after almost two days of sex, sleep, cuddles, and snacks in bed. Arthur’s fingers are running up and down his back and he would purr like a cat if he could. He snuggles closer to him instead.
“Feeling fine?” Arthur asks.
“More than fine.”
“How about we take a shower and head out for…” He reaches for his phone and checks the time. “A late lunch,” he finishes with a smile.
“A date?” Merlin asks.
“Most definitely a date,” comes the answer.
~x~
As it turns out, non-heat shower sex is also amazing. Their date is therefore postponed to early dinner.