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The curve of Arthur's neck was something, really. Pale and smooth and white, a stark contrast to the miles and miles of golden skin that covered the rest of his body. Well, that Merlin assumed covered the rest of his body. It wasn't as though he'd actually seen all of Arthur's body. Pity, that.
"What?"
"What?"
"You're staring at me."
Merlin shook his head and shuffled the papers in his lap. "No, just thinking. Sorry, I was just..."
"Bloody exams," Arthur said darkly, returning to his books.
"Bloody exams," Merlin agreed and resumed staring at the back of Arthur's neck.
~*~
"So, we should go on a date."
Merlin glanced up from his toast. "I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, god, no, not like that," Gwen said quickly, holding up her hands as if to fend off any wayward advances Merlin might make on her. "A double date. I was thinking we could set one another up, you know. On a date. A double date."
"Oh."
"We don't have to, or anything," Gwen rambled on. "I just thought, you haven't been out with anyone in ages, and between work and school--"
"It's a good idea," Merlin interrupted, and it was. Exactly what he needed to take his mind off the really inappropriate thoughts he was starting to have about his best mate. Continuing to have. Whatever, it was a good idea.
"Good, then," said Gwen. She smiled brilliantly. "What about the beautiful blond you're always carrying around?"
~*~
"Listen."
"Listen to what?"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Listen to me."
"You're not saying anything."
"I said "Listen."
"Are you listening to yourself?"
"OK," Merlin said, holding up his hands. "Stop saying saying "Listen". The word has lost all meaning."
Arthur drained his pint. "Fine by me." He threw Merlin a sideways grin.
Merlin cleared his throat. "Right, so...listen."
Arthur quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh, shut up."
"You're quite demanding today."
"I was thinking we should go on a double date," Merlin blurted out.
"I told you, honey, if you want to go out in public you need to improve your table manners," Arthur said. He reached across the table for Merlin's half-finished drink.
"Ha, ha, aren't you clever," Merlin retorted, trying to keep the color off his cheeks. Hearing Arthur talk like that, even in jest, especially with a bit of alcohol in him was disconcerting and unsettling. "No, I was thinking, do you remember my friend Gwen?"
Arthur frowned. "Which one is she?"
"Dark hair," Merlin said. "Curly, really pretty."
Arthur's eyebrows drew together in concentration. "Nope, don't remember her."
"Oh, well." Merlin flicked an imaginary piece of lint off his sleeve. "I have this friend Gwen."
"Dark hair, really pretty?"
"Do you want to or not?"
Arthur drained Merlin's beer and signaled for another round. "Sure, why not?"
~*~
Arthur was waiting for Merlin outside Gwen's flat, leaning casually against the wall in jean and a black military jacket that set off his cheekbones, and god, he wasn't even giving a person a chance.
"I brought wine," he said as he approached, and Arthur clapped him on the shoulder.
"Of course you did," he said and he followed Merlin into the lift and down to Gwen's door. Merlin knocked and Gwen opened the door a moment later, a pale lavender dress clinging to her curves. Merlin wanted to scowl at her.
"We brought wine," Arthur said, shoving Merlin slightly into the flat. "I'm Arthur, by the way."
Gwen held her hand out. "Gwen. Guinevere."
"Well, Gwen, Guinevere, can you show me where to put my jacket."
Gwen smiled. "I'll take it," she said, and Arthur peeled it off and handed to her. Then he turned around and froze. "Morgana?"
Merlin tore his eyes away from Gwen and Arthur to look, finally, at the fourth person in the room. Standing in the kitchen with a red apron wrapped around her thin frame was the most beautiful woman Merlin had ever seen. She was tall and thin, almost ethereal in her pale skin with black hair that hung in waves down her back. She looked for all the world like a painting in want of an artist.
"Arthur?" she said, and she pointed her spatula at him. "What the hell are you wearing?"
"You two know each other?" Gwen said, looking from Morgana to Arthur's too tight black shirt. She looked as though she might faint and Merlin thought he might want to catch her, if only to have something to cushion his fall when he swooned himself.
"Too well," Arthur replied.
"Not in a biblical sense or anything," Morgana said quickly, glancing at Gwen. "We grew up together, actually. Our fathers were best friends."
"Oh," said Gwen and she glanced around the room again.
"Wine!" Merlin announced. He held the bottle aloft.
"Oh, you must think me so rude," Morgana said, hurrying over to take Merlin's hand. "I'm Morgana."
"Merlin," he replied, with a quick squeeze to her hand. She was stunning, positively stunning. Merlin felt nothing.
"Gwen's told me so much about you."
"It's all true," Arthur said. "All the bad stuff, anyway."
"Wine, I think," Gwen said, and she disappeared for a moment before returning with glasses and a corkscrew. She poured a measure for each of them and looked helplessly at Merlin. As well as he knew her, he couldn't for the life of him tell what she was trying to say. He shrugged and tipped his glass back.
~*~
"So what do you do?" Arthur said, once they were all seated at the table. He stabbed his chicken with his fork and Merlin frowned. Arthur never had any trouble turning the charm on full force, and Merlin couldn't understand his foul mood. Gwen was beautiful and funny and kind and Arthur should be tripping over himself to get to know her. Instead, he'd stuck close to Merlin's side during the small talk while they waited on dinner, grudgingly accepted a seat beside Gwen at the table and downed two glasses of wine so that his cheeks were already pink and his lips were stained in a way that was making Merlin think Thoughts.
"I..." Gwen glanced at Morgana. "For work or pleasure?"
Arthur shrugged. "Pleasure, I guess."
"I, uh..." Gwen glanced at Merlin. "I like to make jewelry."
"She's really good at it," Morgana interjected and Gwen smiled at her gratefully.
"What about you, Morgana?" Merlin asked. Arthur reached for the wine bottle.
"Oh, lots of things."
"She's primarily a man eater," Arthur replied, filling his glass.
"Arthur!"
"Well, you are."
Gwen shot Merlin a look. He grimaced and tried to telepathically remind her that this was her idea.
"More wine, Merlin?" Morgana asked. She tried to take the bottle from Arthur.
"Merlin doesn't need more wine."
"Merlin would love more," Merlin said, frowning at Arthur.
"You know you can't drink wine," he said.
"Why not?"
"It makes you--" he made a vague gesture. Morgana snorted into her wine glass.
"It doesn't make me--" Merlin made the gesture as well.
"Yes it does," Gwen said, "but drink up anyway. Somebody ought to--" and she made the gesture as well. Morgana tossed her head back and laughed.
"So what kind of jewelry do you make?" Arthur asked. He glared at Merlin and refilled his glass.
"Rings, mostly," Gwen replied. "And earrings."
"Did you make that one?" Arthur asked, pointing at the silver band on Gwen's thumb.
"Oh." She shook her head. "No."
Arthur stabbed another piece of chicken. "All right."
~*~
After dinner, Gwen insisted on doing the dishes and Morgana insisted Arthur help. She found another bottle of wine in Gwen's fridge and opened it, pouring herself and Merlin another glass each as the collapsed onto the couch. Merlin was feeling pleasantly buzzed and more than a little relieved that Gwen and Arthur weren't hitting it off. He didn't want Gwen to be unhappy, but the more pressing issue of not having to watch Arthur make out with anyone right in front of his face was a great consolation.
"So," Morgana said conspiratorially as she kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs in Merlin's lap. "You and Arthur?"
"What? Me and Arthur what?"
Morgana raised her eyebrows.
"No! No, definitely not, no, Arthur isn't, I mean. Not that I'm--"
Morgana dissolved into giggles. She didn't really seem like the giggling type, but she had drank a lot and was very, very small. "You're so obvious."
"Not obvious enough," Merlin muttered and Morgana collapsed onto his chest.
"Gwen doesn't know?"
"Gwen doesn't even know I'm gay."
Morgana sat up and gave him a once over. "Really?"
"No, why? Is that obvious too?"
She shrugged. "Maybe just because I know Arthur; I've seen too many people stare at him that way."
Merlin scowled. "I could do without that."
Morgana laid a hand on his arm. "No, Merlin, I didn't mean--"
"Well you two look cozy." Arthur walked back into the living room, drying his hands on what were certainly his very expensive jeans. He had a dark look on his face that Merlin couldn't possibly interpret. Gwen followed behind him. She looked at Merlin and Morgana on the couch and gave them a weak smile.
"So what now?" she said, sounding like the likely answer was 'a blow to the head'.
"We could play poker," Arthur said, poking at a deck of cards on Gwen's bookshelf.
"We haven't any money," said Merlin.
"Strip poker then," said Morgana.
"And we're not 16."
She collapsed on Merlin again and Gwen's smile melted into a frown. "I think I'm actually going to call it an evening," she said. "If no one minds."
Arthur collected his jacket with unflattering speed and excused himself to the toilet. Merlin walked over to Gwen and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry," he muttered, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
"No, I'm sorry. This was a bad idea."
"Merlin," said Morgana. "Give me your phone."
He handed her his mobile and she punched her number into it. "Drinks, yeah?"
He grinned at her. "Definitely."
Arthur cleared his throat from the doorway and looked uncomfortably around the room. "So, thanks for dinner."
Gwen smiled and held out her hand. "My pleasure."
"I'll let myself out."
"I'll call you later, Gwen, yeah?" said Merlin and Arthur raised his eyebrows. "You coming?"
"Yeah." He kissed both girls on the cheek and shoved his phone into his pocket. "I"ll call you."
They were halfway out the door when Morgana walked over to Gwen and wrapped her arms around her. Merlin didn't miss the way Gwen seemed to unfurl against Morgana body and he paused, one hand on the doorknob. He raised his eyebrows at them and Morgana shrugged. "Obvious," she mouthed and Merlin winked at her. By the time he had closed the door behind him, Arthur was gone.
~*~
Merlin didn't bother knocking on the door to Arthur's flat. He unlocked the door and shoved it open, unsurprised to find Arthur sitting on his kitchen counter, an open beer in his hand.
"Next time we go out on a double date, maybe you could try not to be such a complete arse to my friend," he said. He tossed his keys on the table and walked around to face Arthur. "You think that would be possible?"
Arthur snorted. "No more double dates, then."
"Yeah, that's probably a good place to start."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Arthur tipped his beer back. "Are you drunk?"
"Not yet, no."
"What is your problem?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "If you don't know--"
"Oh, don't be a woman."
"Go to hell, Merlin."
"Is this about Morgana? Because--" He was cut off by the beeping from his back pocket. Arthur lifted his beer in a mock toast and said "Your girlfriend, I presume."
"She's not my girlfriend." He opened his phone and found a text from Morgana.
If you don't have his pants off yet, I'm sorely disappointed.
Merlin grinned.
"You didn't have to leave," Arthur said. "You were having such a good time."
"Honestly, Arthur, what is wrong with you? You're being rude to me which is, granted, nothing new, but Gwen didn't--"
In one swift movement, Arthur had slammed his beer bottle onto the counter, leapt to his feet, wrapped his hands in Merlin's shirt and shoved him back against the wall. "I don't want to fucking talk about this."
Merlin swallowed. The entire length of Arthur's body was pressed against his, hot through his clothes and unless Merlin was terribly mistaken...but he wasn't, he couldn't be because Arthur was staring at his mouth, his mouth and a thousand thoughts Merlin had never allowed himself to fully entertain collided in his head and he leaned towards Arthur or maybe Arthur leaned towards him, but suddenly they were kissing, Arthur's mouth hard and possessive against his own.
He licked into Merlin's mouth, stubble scraping against his chin. He tasted bitter, of beer. It was heavenly and when he tongue retreated into his own mouth, Merlin chased after it.
"If you're just doing this--" Arthur breathed against him. "If you're just--"
"Shut up," Merlin demanded. He buried his hands in Arthur's hair and pressed his their foreheads together. He moved his hips against Arthur's, cocks dragging together through too many layers of cloth and Arthur groaned. "You can't feel that? It's you, Arthur, it's always--"
Arthur slammed their mouths together again. It was dirty and messy and Merlin hadn't kissed anyone like this since he was fourteen, and just learning how, when everything was too much and not enough all at the same time.
"I need," Arthur panted. "I need--"
"What, what do you need?"
"Horizontal surface," he replied and he pulled Merlin to the floor.
"You don't have a horizontal surface not covered in wood?"
Arthur raised his eyebrows and covered Merlin's cock with his hand.
"This is good," Merlin groaned. "The floor is good."
The rasp of his zipper was deafening in the small flat and Merlin's breaths seemed unnaturally loud. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to find some semblance of control as Arthur tugged at his jeans. "Up," he said and Merlin lifted his hips obediently. A moment later, there was wet heat around the head of his cock and Merlin bucked up off the floor. "God, Jesus, Arthur."
Arthur grinned, sucked the tip into his mouth one more time and then pulled off. "The holy trinity."
"Arrogant," Merlin replied and he shoved at Arthur until he rolled over. He kicked his jeans off and yanked his shirt over his head, then started in on Arthur's clothes.
"When I saw you tonight," he said, flicking open the buttons on Arthur's jacket. "God, Arthur, I thought--"
"What did you think?"
He shoved Arthur shirt up and smoothed a hand down Arthur's flat stomach. Golden, just like he thought. "I thought I'd die if I couldn't get my hands on you." He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to Arthur's sternum, then another and another, down the planes of his stomach until he got to his jeans. He reached for the button, but Arthur's hand closed around his wrist.
"You first," he said and he flipped them back over, discarding his own jacket and shirt on the floor and descending on Merlin's cock again. Merlin shouted wordlessly and tried, and failed, to keep his hips on the floor. If it wasn't the most skillful blow job he'd ever had, it was certainly the most enthusiastic. He felt like he was melting into something else entirely, anchored to his own body just by the heat around his cock and the solid bulk of Arthur's body pressed against his legs.
"Hold yourself open," said Arthur and he shoved at Merlin's knees a bit. "I want to see you."
Without the slightest bit of hesitation or embarrassment, Merlin pulled his legs up, hooking his knees with his hands and baring himself to Arthur's intent gaze. Arthur groaned and buried his face against Merlin's leg. He bit down there, then soothed the bite with his tongue.
Merlin's hips were working restlessly against nothing. It was too much, too much to bear. It was Arthur.
"Arthur, Arthur," Merlin chanted. "Please."
Cool air skirted across his entrance, followed swiftly by the heat of Arthur's mouth. He licked a broad stripe over Merlin's arsehole, the up the length of his cock. He did it again and again until Merlin could feel the wetness dripping down the crease of his thighs. Then Arthur's hands were on him, thumbs on either side of his hole and he pressed them, pulling him open and licking him again and again.
"Oh God, oh God, Arthur." He yanked on Arthur's hair and pulled him up, breath hitching in his chest. He looked wrecked, perfect hair plastered across his forehead, mouth red and swollen, face slicked with his own spit. Merlin bucked up, cock dragging against Arthur's cheek.
"Do you have something?" he demanded.
"Have what?"
"Something. Condoms, lube."
"Fuck." Arthur's head dropped to Merlin's stomach. "Really?"
Merlin shot him an incredulous look.
"Bedroom, then," he said, dragging Merlin to his feet. They made it there, eventually, stopping twice to kiss pressed up against one another, Merlin pinned to the wall. When they finally made it to the bedroom, Arthur shoved Merlin onto the bed and disappeared to rummage around in his dresser. Merlin rolled over and buried his face in Arthur's pillow. God, the fantasies he'd had about this bed.
"Roll the fuck over," Arthur demanded, grabbing Merlin's hip and pulling him onto his back. "I want to see you.
It was dark in the room save the weak light of a street lamp filtering in through the curtains, and Arthur looked gorgeous in it, jean unfastened and slung low on his hips. Merlin's eyes followed the trail of pale hair leading into his waistband.
"Arthur," he breathed. Arthur smiled at him and tossed clear bottle and a foil packet onto the bed.
"Merlin."
He wrapped one hand around Merlin's ankle and tugged him slightly, then crawled up his body. He braced himself above Merlin with one arm and kissed him. Merlin arched up into it. If he had a thousand lifetimes to kiss Arthur, he didn't think he'd get enough. It was intoxicating, heady for Arthur to be so focused on him, like his entire universe centered on Merlin's mouth.
"I'm gonna touch you now," he murmured against Merlin's mouth. "Stretch you out."
His fingers were slick between Merlin's cheeks. He tried to shove down onto them. Arthur stilled his hand. "Don't. Let me."
Slowly, slow exquisite torture, one finger pressed up into him. It didn't burn, didn't stretch, wasn't enough, not nearly enough.
"Arthur," he demanded. His voice sounded broken to his own ears.
Another finger entered him. Merlin exhaled. Better, almost there, almost enough. He clenched around the fingers inside him and Arthur groaned.
"More?" he asked and Merlin moaned. He could feel Arthur's grin against his mouth. "I had no idea you were such a slut."
Merlin had half a mind to protest, but then another finger breached him and that half dwindled to nothing and he rocked against Arthur's fingers.
"Gonna fuck you now," Arthur said. He pulled out and there was a rustling as he ripped the condom open and shoved his jeans down his hips. He hitched Merlin's legs up around his hips and positioned himself.
"Look at me," Merlin demanded and Arthur's eyes snapped up to his face. He pressed in slowly, and the scrape of his zipper up Merlin's thigh, that counterpoint, the slight pain against the unbelievable pleasure of Arthur sliding into him was enough to keep Merlin on edge, to stop him embarrassing himself like some goddamn virgin.
Then Arthur pulled out entirely and grimaced. Merlin pressed himself up on his elbows. "What?" he demanded. Then "What?" again, louder when Arthur didn't answer.
"Arthur?"
"Will you just--"
"What's wrong?"
"I'm trying not to come, you arse, could you please shut up."
Merlin grinned and collapsed back onto the bed, canting his hips up at Arthur. Arthur groaned and gripped him with one hand, thumb pressing into the soft flesh below the sharp jut of his hipbone.
"Goddamn it, Merlin."
A shrill ringing cut through the air, and Arthur froze. His eyes blazed and without warning, he tipped Merlin's hips up and pressed into him in one slow, burning slide. Merlin's mouth fell open and he tossed his head back.
"No," Arthur said, his voice low and rough and so near Merlin's ear he could feel the heat of his breath.
"No, what?"
"No, whoever was on that phone."
He pulled back and slammed his hips forward again, making Merlin bow under the force of it. "I don't--"
"No to Morgana or Gwen or anyone else who wants you."
"Morgana doesn't--"
He rolled his hips again. "I said no."
"Yes, yes, fine no, please just--"
And after that, Arthur was relentless, merciless, hips slamming forward again and again, angling perfectly, there, just there. It didn't take long, not long at all until Arthur lost his rhythm and thrust in recklessly. His head hung forward between his shoulders and he was gorgeous, gorgeous.
He stilled above Merlin and caught his breath, then shoved in one more time and groaned, deep in his throat and that, the sound of it, and Arthur above him, his cock trapped between their bodies and the rough friction Arthur's stomach, his unsteady breaths, it sent Merlin chasing after him, a blinding rush of light behind his eyes.
He winced when Arthur pulled out and collapsed beside him. They breathed together for the longest time. Eventually, the stickiness got to Merlin and he pushed himself off the bed. "Where are you going?"
"Shower. You coming?"
A ringing sounded again from the kitchen. "Phone's ringing again," Arthur muttered. He grabbed a towel from a shelf and tossed it at Merlin. Merlin tossed it on the counter and turned the water on. He stepped in and pulled Arthur in with him. "Leave it."