'morning's cold, you're hot, so the answer is clear' 'not to me, apparently'

Three Goblin Art
taylor price
Misplaced Lens Cap
Show & Tell
One Nice Bug Per Day
I'd rather be in outer space đ¸

blake kathryn
hello vonnie
Claire Keane

Love Begins
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wallacepolsom
Aqua Utopiaď˝ćľˇăŽĺşă§č¨ćśăç´Ąă

romaâ
ojovivo
trying on a metaphor
Monterey Bay Aquarium

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@frnkdiluted
'morning's cold, you're hot, so the answer is clear' 'not to me, apparently'

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"To the task!"
(I know. Please ignore the fact that I had to flip the source picture to make it work. đ)
No AI used, because I don't need that shit.
Inspired by the universe of @the-pen-pot's WIP Sigh No More
for @merthurmicrofic ︹"exile" ︹2047 words
Merlin's barely recovered from the shock of hearing a polite knock on his very remote little cottage, when he swings the door open to find Arthur Pendragon staring at him. "I've been exiled," Arthur says calmly. "May I come in?"
"What?" Merlin wheezes.
Arthur seems to take that as invitation enough, shouldering past Merlin to enter. Dimly, Merlin notices he's wearing his long traveling coat, his sword at his hip, and a pack slung over his shoulder. "You keep this place just as messy as you did my chambers," Arthur tuts, looking over the humble interior of Merlin's cottage. His nose wrinkles in distaste as he looks at the dirty bowls on the table sat next to tinctures of bitter and poisonous plants, and Merlin's few articles of clothing drying on all the chair-backs. "Honestly, Merlin, what would your mother think?"
He swings his pack around, throws it down on the table, and begins to remove his coat. "I," Merlin breathes. "You. What are youâ"
"Please tell me you have some actual meat in this hovel," Arthur adds. "It's a very long ride from Camelot, and I didn't stop to hunt for fear that I wouldn't make it here before nightfall."
He removes his coat, folding it and putting it up on a nail that sticks out from a wall. He turns and looks at Merlin expectantly. "Well?"
"EXILE?!" Merlin shrieks. "What are youâ you're notâ how did you evenâ"
His magic is bubbling up inside of him, confused, hurt, and restless. If Merlin hadn't already checked that it is indeed Arthur standing in front of him, he'd have thought the man an imposter. "How did you find me?" he settles on, hands curling into fists in an effort to control his raging emotions.
"I didn't," Arthur says. He leans over, absentmindedly straightening a pile of scrolls Merlin left askew. "I always knew where you went."
"What?"
A few things Iâve learned from watching merlin from Arthurâs pov, in no particular order:
1. Arthur is in love with merlin.
2. In Arthurâs eyes merlin really is the oddest, most clumsy little weirdo, and the only reason he keeps this apparently lazy and completely incompetent servant around is because heâs in love with merlin.
3. Arthur never ever thinks twice about situations. âThe immortal army that could not be killed suddenly explodes? Lucky me, I guess, letâs move onâ, or âI struck this golden dragon as big as a castle and it knocked me out. Merlin said I dealt it a mortal blow and it flew off and is now dead. Sounds reasonable!â or, âthis man who lives on a bridge called me Courage and said I needed Strength and Magic to complete my quest, and then later Gwaine and Merlin showed up and saved my life. Wasnât that a fun time?â
4. Merlin is Arthurâs only true friend.
5. Arthur thinks heâs the smoothest, most valiant, heroic and romantic knight in all the lands, but heâs actually the most heartbroken, lonely, pathetic prince with daddy issues Camelot has ever seen.
6. Arthur is so in love with merlin.
for @merthurmicroficâs prompt: stars
starshine
[read on ao3; word count: 426]
âYou have got to stop getting us into situations like this,â Merlin huffed, contorting himself to wrap a mostly-clean bandage around a wound in Arthurâs side. âI mean, really. This was supposed to be a nice, peaceful ride. Youâre lucky I even thought to bring bandages.â
âThat is quite literally your job, Merlin. And, itâs just a scratch,â Arthur argued, but the grimace as Merlin tied off the bandage said otherwise.
âHm. Out of curiosity, when will you stop picking fights you canât win? Now weâre stuck out here, in the middle of the woods, for the rest of the night. The horses are clearly not happy about thisââ
Llamrei and Hengroen did not, in fact, seem to care about thisâthey were too busy snacking on the underbrush.
âânot to mention, weâll have to sleep on the bloody dirt!â
âWe were attacked,â Arthur said pointedly, âand, weâre both alive, arenât we? So I won.â Merlin declined to comment that it was actually his magic that had saved the day, but whatever. He was used to it. âBesides, now we can stargaze,â Arthur continued, and then, as if realizing that wasnât a very Manly thing to say, added, âOr something.â
Merlin chuckled, expecting that to be the end of it. To his surprise, though, Arthur started to speak again a moment later, voice softer in tone. âItâs not often we get to spend time together purely for the sake of it. This could be nice.â He pointed up to where smatterings of stars were revealing themselves across the night sky, drawing out a constellation with his fingertip. âSee? That one even looks like you.â
âNo, it doesnât.â
âYes it does. Like a cabbagehead,â he said with great emphasis, clearly proud of his joke. Merlin rolled his eyes but gave in, flopping down next to Arthur and looking up at the sky. Very rarely did he slow down and make an effort to actually experience the world, instead of just fending it off for Arthurâs sake. He did his best now, settling into the soft snorts and nickers of their horses, the croaking of the frogs, the crackle of the fireâand the sound of Arthur breathing, soft and steady.Â
Merlin dared a glance over at him, curious if he really meant what heâd said (before the cabbagehead nonsense, of course). He found himself mildly surprised by the pleasant air in Arthurâs expression, as if he was, indeed, perfectly content to stargazeâperhaps even a bit awed. Merlin gave a soft smile.
Fine. Maybe this wasnât so bad after all.

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for @merthurmicrofic ︹"stars" ︹1062 words
For all the frequent magical disasters in Camelot, there were none to be found when Merlin needed them the most. He closed his eyes, letting his magic spread through the wards that hummed under and around the castle. Just one breach, he begged. Just one disgruntled faerie, or a Pooka on a rampage, hells I'd even take a Knuckelaveeâ
The doors to his study slammed open, and Arthur stormed in looking quite cross. "Where the hell have you been hiding! We're expected at the feast any moment now!"
"I, umâ" Merlin fluttered his lashes and gave Arthur his best concerned look. "I felt something in the wards, I really should investigateâ"
"You're full of shit," Arthur replied. Damn. It seemed that Arthur was finally growing desensitized to that trick. "You are not getting out of this. This is your feastâ"
"âthat I didn't wantâ" Merlin quickly pointed out.
"âI had to commission new robes so you'd have something to wear other than those ragsâ"
"âthat I didn't ask forâ"
"âand I've already had Lord Fairmont ask why we're not serving hare. And I've been forced to explain that my beloved consort," Arthur said, with gritted teeth and a pulsing vein, "is too soft-hearted to stand the thought of fluffy little bunnies being turned into stew. We are going. To. The feast."
Say all you want but Arthurâs ass was infact NOT listening to whatever Merlin is saying in this scene. He is hungry and itâs not for food.
stars for @merthurmicrofic
Donika Kelly, From the Catalogue of Cruelty // Marina Tsvetaeva, Bride of Ice // Nicole Sealey, Medical History // Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey // Erika L. SĂĄnchez, Departure
"No man is worth your tears." escape pod by Paris Paloma, 5.13x5, theme, 5.13, 5.05, 1.13, 5.05, 1.12, 4.2, 2.23x2.
@merthurmicrofic | prompt: penis | words: 2566 | cw: suggestive | I remember seeing this prompt and being like 'hm idk' and have been sitting on this concept for like what feels like a month. So here we are | featuring: Arthur being obsessed with Merlin
He's not really sure why he had to be there to welcome this Lady Mildred, she was a friend of Morgana, okay?
Why did that matter to him?
He's got better things to do.
The knights had a training sessions, there's been strange reports that could be magic near the forest, there's the tournament tomorrow, and even worse Merlin is not here.
Arthur has no problem with him going to care for his mother, that's to be expected (he is worried for poor Hunnith, perhaps he should have tried to go with Merlin-no, no he couldn't). Point stands, him not being here is annoying.
If Merlin were here, Arthur would walk into the throne room and immediately hear a quip about how the Lady Mildred was not up to par with the already maddening rumors about her 'delicate beauty.'
Arthur's sure she was fine looking, but there's no way she could possibly be worth half the castle calling her a 'morning blossom' or whatever it was.
He and Leon entered the throne room, prepared to offer no more than a simple greeting. Contrary to popular belief they did have things to do.
Yet, when he stepped through the door he forgot everything he'd been thinking about.
An etheral looking girl stood not too far away from Morgana, turning to look his way when they entered the room.
Arthur would be embarrassed by the way he fully stopped moving if Leon didn't also go completely still behind him.
She was potentially the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen-and he'd seen plenty of beautiful girls.
Her face was framed by a few short dark curls, the rest tucked back by a white scarf. She had high cheekbones, dusted with a natural rosy hue, perfectly black lashes brought attention to the most strikingly blue eyes he'd ever seen. Her dress's neckline cut straight across the line of her narrow frame, bringing attention to her nearly perfect, slender hourglass form. The faint orange bordering on pink of the dress complimented her pale complexion well, and as the sun shined down on her Arthur swore she appeared to glow.
He's not sure how long he spent staring at her in awe before he came to his senses and realized this was Lady Mildred. Frankly, the rumors weren't cutting it. Nothing he'd heard so far came anywhere near to capturing just how breathtaking this girl was.
He's sure that if Merlin were here he would call him a clotpole, or tell him he was too invested in girls, or something of the like.
Not that he cared what Merlin thought.
He finally got his witts about him when Morgana snickered, which meant he'd probably made a fool of himself.
Yet he stepped forward, "Lady Mildred, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Getting closer to her made it worse. He didn't think it was possible for her to get prettier. But when he took her hand, he noticed the subtle pink of her lips. The straight line of her nose. Her eyes. Heavens above her eyes. He could just stare at them for the next lifetime.
Somehow there was something familiar about her. It made him feel inexplicably warm, like he should be able to pull her close into him and they would just fit.
She said nothing, bowing her head politely to him with a nervous smile.
"Mildred lost her voice to an illness when she was a child," Morgana said next to her.
Arthur frowned for just a second before reigning in his expression. He's sure she's been pitied enough for her affliction.
"But you should know she's quite offended by your tardiness," Morgana teased.
Lady Mildred's eyes widened a fraction and she quickly shook her head, glaring at Morgana. Her lips formed a cute pout as she seemed to ask 'why would you say that?' with only her face.
Arthur was struck again by just how familiar Lady Mildred seemed. He's sure that he'd remember meeting her though.
Still, never missing a chance to mess with Morgana or flatter a pretty girl Arthur put his best foot forward.
"My deepest apologies, my lady," Arthur placed a kiss to her knuckle, lingering longer than strictly necessary, "I hope I can make it up to you in some way."
Morgana's jaw dropped unceremoniously to the floor as she was forced to watch her friend flush a bright shade of red and avert her eyes in clear embarrassment. A shy smile spread across her face as she took back her hand, holding it to her chest.
Morgana went to say something more, scold him perhaps, but he tuned her out when he saw it.
Lady Mildred flattened her hand just above her heart, and drew in her bottom lip just enough to take her teeth over it for a brief fraction of a second. Then, as though she suddenly remembered pain existed, she drew it in again to ease the indent she'd created.
Fucking hell.
No wonder Morgana was freaking out, this wasn't some childhood friend.
What had she drug Merlin into?
It could be a coincidence, he tried to reason with himself. Plenty of people bite their lip out of habit.
Yet-he'd never seen someone do it the way Merlin did. Like he knew he shouldn't be biting his lip so he corrects himself but he can never help it and it's just a ridiculous cycle.
...
Anyway.
Not to mention the nose, perfectly straight exactly like Merlin's. High cheekbones, soft complexion, same hair color, same height, same-
Eyes. Arthur had been staring again.
And now he found himself distracted by the gentle, questioning look in Merlin's gaze.
Because loathed as he be to admit it...Merlin really did have the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen. And he's sure, with the right amount of mead, he is not the only person who would say this.
"I can't help but feel like I've met you before," Arthur finally recovered.
Merlin, because this was definitely Merlin he could see it clear as day now, pressed his lips together in that coy way. The way he did when he knew something and wasn't going to tell anyone. It drove Arthur mad.
Merlin shook his head, hands folding neatly in front of himself, expression tilting just so to communicate the perfect 'I'm not sure what you mean' and it was a lie.
And he curses Morgana for her genius. Because no one has the strength to question Merlin when he bats his eyelashes just so and tilts his head that way.
"Perhaps you're thinking of her sister," Morgana says.
Perhaps. If Merlin had a sister.
He'd get her. He'd get Morgana if it was the last thing he ever did. To think she just commandeered his manservant without his permission or any regard for Merlin's duties for some sort of humiliation ritual of hers-nevermind the fact that the whole castle was raving about the most beautiful girl to walk the halls.
And she wasn't even a girl, considering "she" had a penis.
Not that Arthur was thinking about Merlin and what he did or did not have.
...
Anyway.
How did she think she was going to keep this ruse up?
What could Morgana's end goal possibly be?
Leon had come to greet "Lady Mildred" and damn it how could he not see this was obviously Merlin?
Beauty aside, it's not like they fully changed how he looked.
Not that Merlin was beautiful.
Or well.
Wait.
Even worse, and perhaps tragically, Leon seemed absolutely enraptured.
"Rather frail," his father whispers suddenly next to him and he nearly jumps out of his skin. "Morgana is very excited to take Lady Mildred around, Arthur, please watch after them."
His father could not possibly be buying this.
He'd like to say Merlin is anything but frial, he's seen the man take hits that absolutely should have left him otherwise incapacitated, but alas.
Merlin -Lady Mildred- certainly looked frial due to "her" petite frame. Arthur assessed this disguise once more.
He really was thin. He wasn't very broad, he didn't have much muscle to speak of, and his waist-was he wearing a corset?
...
Anyway.
Didn't matter, actually, Merlin was tougher than he looked (Really fast too, maybe thats why he was so thin, he was running all the time).
"Of course."
All.
Damn.
Day.
He had to suffer the whole day of watching everyone fawn all over Merlin because of course they'd fawn all over him now that they thought he was a girl.
Merlin had never been without one or two bold admirers who weren't put off by his usual dress or actual status. But this was insane.
He failed to see how Merlin becoming a noble lady and putting a dress on suddenly made him more attractive. Well-okay the dress did suit him and Arthur didn't even mean that in a mocking way he thinks the color is what does it.
...
Anyway.
This needs to stop. For his sanity, specifically.
Now, was it wise to enter a lady's room in the dead of night in his night clothes? Seemly? No.
No, it was not. But he was not entering a lady's room. This was Merlin, for crying out loud.
Yet for some reason his heart still thumped rapidly against his chest when he knocked on the door to Merlin's allotted chambers.
When he opened the door it got worse. Because to top it all off Morgana had lended Merlin a nightgown.
And it was just a nightgown.
Nothing special, just a plain white nightgown with a neckline that sat just under Merlin's collar bone.
Which did absolutely nothing to Arthur at all.
Merlin arched an expectant brow, lips forming a familiar line.
Arthur could basically hear him saying "What is it now?" He knew was on the tip of the servant's tongue.
He didn't wait to be let in, he pushed past Merlin, making sure the door closed behind them.
"Alright you have five seconds to explain to me why Morgana has taken it upon herself to dress you up like a girl to flaunt around Camelot," he cut straight to the chase.
Merlin blinked a few times before a visible tension dropped from his shoulders.
"Ugh it's about time! I swear, you're the only person who seems to have actually caught on! Which is ridiculous, I don't look anything like a girl," Merlin crossed his arms with his usual indignance.
"Debatable." It was intended as a tease, but it left Arthur's throat feeling raw.
Merlin looked the part exceptionally well, actually.
"Whatever." Merlin frowned, "Apparently some Lord...Lord Antoine? Is going to be at the tournament? Morgana wants me to keep him occupied."
Arthur recalled the name well considering he was known for his affinity for beautiful women.
"I told her it wouldn't work and everyone would know, but Gwen says that everyone is talking about Lady Mildred. Which can't be true," Merlin continues, closing the distance between them in a very distracting display.
"It is," Arthur replies, suddenly very aware that this nightgown doesn't quite fit Merlin and is falling slightly off his shoulder.
Merlin looks off to the side, frown deepening, "I don't see why?"
And for some inconceivable reason, Arthur opens his mouth, "People appreciate pretty things, Merlin."
Silence seizes the space between them in an instant, dragging a tension usually reserved for awkward encounters between inexperienced children with it.
Merlin goes to part his lips a few times but nothing happens.
Arthur sits in the wretched tangle of truth and humiliation of what he just admitted, urging death to just take him now.
"Pretty?" Merlin finally squeaks.
A laughable 'no' sits on the tip of Arthur's tongue, what stumbles out as the other shoulder of Merlin's nightgown threatens to fall is much worse.
"To put it lightly."
"You-you think-you believe what they're saying?"
Arthur didn't just believe what they were saying he didn't think they were saying enough.
"Well."
Merlin turned away from him suddenly, "What am I-you're being an ass right now aren't you? Oh ha ha, like you actually think I'm anything but a dollophead. Okay. Very funny."
Okay yes, he heard the words and tone and knew Merlin was upset with him, but he kept getting drawn back to the fact that Merlin has rather defined shoulders. His neck is fully exposed. And how does one manage to have alluring collar bones?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Merlin tsks.
Arthur parsed through his options; tell Merlin he really did find him attractive and pretty wasn't a strong enough word be a mile; lie and confirm he was an ass; or try and be more diplomatic and tell Merlin Morgana had just done a good job of dressing him up.
The third seemed like the best one.
Merlin pursed his lips together in a soft pout, and he rolled his eyes in that way he did when he thought Arthur was being 'a clotpole' as he put it.
"Pretty implies there's something more beautiful to be found," Arthur hears himself say.
Kill him now. Cut him down with a sword, shoot him with an arrow, poison him for all he cares just put him out of his misery.
Yet he opens his mouth again, "So. To put it lightly, sure, you're pretty."
Merlin was a bright shade of red he'd not really seen out of his servant.
He bit his lip in that way he usually did.
Somehow the distance between them had become nonexistent.
He's not sure who moves first, he just knows that Merlin's lips are as soft as they look.
And he's not sure when or how but at some point he's laying Merlin down on the bed.
"Arthur-mm I don't-Arthur."
He takes a second, heavy breaths filling the space between them that feels too far which is ridiculous considering he's quite literally on top of Merlin.
"No marks," Merlin threads his hands through Arthur's hair, "I can't cover them."
Arthur would like to argue 'yes everyone in this castle should know you're mine' but that sounds mildly insane. So he keeps the thought tucked away, probably for forever.
He feels Merlin kiss down the line of his jaw, light and playful in a way. A smile dresses Merlin's face as he brings Arthur in for a series of short, sweet kisses.
"You can leave them where no one'll see, how about that?"
Did he really look that desperate?
Didn't matter, the frabic between them needed to go-preferably yesterday.
In what he's willing to admit is an undignified motion he pulls that damn nightgown off Merlin.
Warm candlelight gave even Merlin's pale skin a lively glow, and Arthur found himself feeling as though he'd walked into the throne room this morning once again.
Except this time he was captivated by the subtle definition of Melrin's core, the lines of his hips, the way his chest rose in a single sharp motion when the cold air gained access to his person.
For a single moment-a brief bout of absolute madness-Arthur felt jealous of the very air that touched Merlin for getting to touch all of him at once.
That's when his own shirt was tossed aside and he began making good use of the permission he'd been given to leave dark, bruising kisses down the pieces of Merlin no one but him should see.

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for @merthurmicrofic ︹"pain" ︹2010 words ︹part of my wip daemon au
It had been too long since Arthur had done thisâ laid out snares for rabbits, cut notches into his arrows, crept out into the woods with quiet footsteps. For all that Merlin sniffed and Arthur had lost his desire for the bigger game, there was something about hunting for his meal that always made Arthur feel satisfied deep in his core. Like he had truly earned the right to eat, unlike the fat roasts placed in front of him in the castle for the mere accomplishment of having been born Uther Pendragon's son. He could respect his quarry's sacrifice of flesh to sustain him, give him the strength he needed to serve his people.
Peasants had gone missing, and no one had cared until a nobleman joined their ranks, and Uther of course suspected sorcery when the corpses turned up pale and hard as stone, and rather than send his knights rampaging through the woods to slaughter every warted woman and muttering man they'd seen, Arthur had convinced his father that scouting the area first might be worthwhile. Merlin had insisted he'd join, as he always did, and Arthur had ridden out on Aneirin while Merlin followed behind on a squat little pony named Daisy, chattering Arthur's ear off. When Arthur had finally snapped that this was a scouting mission to stop a murderous sorcerer, not a countryside respite, Merlin had given Arthur such a withering look it was if Arthur had personally besmirched Hunith's honor. Then Merlin had resumed his prattle with Sylve, the stoat easily responding in kind, and Arthur accepted that he had lost all hope of a stealthy approach.
But now Merlin and Sylve had been left behind as Merlin insisted he make a fire and fetch water, and for once Arthur was all too quick to agree with his manservant. Deep in the woods and free of any expectations, Arthur felt like he could breathe again.
Aneirin needed the space, too. The halls of the castle were confining for reasons beyond just the narrow halls and low ceilings being ill-suited for a stag's antlers. He lagged along at a distance just far enough to remain comfortable, absentmindedly sniffing at the ground or pausing to rest under the shade of a tree. They had realized early on that Arthur had no hope of catching prey if Aneirin remained at his sideâ he was too large, too conspicuous, and common animals recognized Aneirin as not one of their own kind. So he rested some thirty paces behind Arthur while Arthur sat low and silent by a riverbank, while he waited for some badger or duck to cross his path.
Two screams cut through the air like a war-horn.
started writing my @merthurmicrofic prompt fill for âpartyâ, had a breakdown, wrote 3k, bon appetit! enjoy this little excerpt as my entry:
~
Arthurâs arm, strong and secure, wraps around his shoulder, and Merlin is so, so grateful not to be left alone to face, what will most likely be, abject humiliation. âWho are you?â Arthur asks, cut-glass voice just slightly too sharp.
âArthur,â Merlin hisses, admonishing, but Gwaine just smiles, unfazed as ever.
âGwaine Orkney,â he says, and does not extend a hand for Arthur to shake. âAnd you are?â
âArthur Pendragon,â Arthur drawls, somehow making each of the syllables sound expensive. He pauses a moment, leg pressing against Merlinâs side, then adds, âMerlinâs boyfriend.â
Fucking shit fuck shit, Merlin thinks, eyes going wide. He watches for any minuscule twitch, any tiny indication on Gwaineâs face that this information means something, anything, to him. Gwaineâs face, of course, remains perfectly schooled, eyes fixed on Arthur. âOh, are you? I didnât know Merlin was seeing anybody,â he says, his tone totally neutral and pleasant.
âYes, well. He is. We are.â Arthur pulls Merlin in closer. âArenât we, honey?â
âUm,â Merlin says, blushing. Gwaineâs eyes dart to his face, and then heâs grinning.
âGood for you, Merlin!â he says, smirking. âNow if you love-birds would excuse me, Iâm gonna go and join the party.â
Merlin waits for him to be swallowed up by the crowd before he turns to Arthur, mouth agape.
âWhat the fuck was that?â
~
read the full thing on AO3 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
biggest of thank yous to @bakerharrystyles for betaing !! đЎ
as much fun as i have devouring toxic merthur content (and boy have i since entering this fandom), my soft spot is increasingly for reading and writing fics that explore different iterations of how these two would have evolved past the narrative if given the opportunity
i mostly attribute it to the fact that i'm pretty far removed from the years of my own messy chaotic twenties, and even the growing pains of my early-thirties. so while the fics that dive into those aspects of their younger dynamic are A+++ and a ton of fun, i'm also like. starving for stories where arthur's knees hurt and his belly is soft and they still bicker about everything even while merlin is applying salve to the ache arthur can't reach in his lower back
or where they show each other the worst and ugliest sides of themselves over and over just to test if the other will stay until they both grow exhausted with the effort of it and have to choose to direct that effort instead toward evolving as people (maybe even breaking up a few times between because sometimes that space it necessary!)
or where they continue to show these sides to each other periodically over the years and hold fast to the reasons they love the other anyway because humans are complicated and our baggage never fully goes away
or where they have to negotiate positions during sex because neither of them are as flexible as they used to be
or where arthur notices merlin is going gray at the temples and spends the following evenings delightedly counting every new white strand that threads through the dark hair, and merlin teases arthur in return about the crow's feet around his eyes but is secretly just relieved they both made it long enough to develop any of these aged features
tbh gimme anything that digs into the underlying tenderness that exists in their dynamic alongside all the (delicious yum yum) unhealthy power imbalances and lies and codependency, and how it might (slowly, painfully, effortfully) flourish if arthur had survived the narrative
Sometimes, when I'm stuck in my writing, I go back to an older fic and moodboard it. I was surprised earlier to realize I'd never done one for what might be my favorite fic I've written, so: here you go!
in aeternam te amabo
rated: T (maybe M? these confuse me, honestly. but definitely nothing E) Merthur modern AU Summary:
Arthur thinks the new lecturer in modern Romance languages is disrespectful, infuriating, and gorgeous.
Merlin thinks the department head is a posh, arrogant Classicist, who has no right being so stunning.
But workplace relationships never last, and they don't have a single thing in common, including what languages they speak.
Then again, some things don't get lost in translation.
merlin bbc is basically about that you can survive literally FUCKING everything if you have work crush

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bbc merlin - 04x06 A Servant of Two Masters
running in circles made of transparent lies and awfully timed jokes