#; continued thread

     Merlin hadn’t meant to run off after the proposal. But it had been abrupt and out of nowhere and he’d been overwhelmed. He’d never imagined Arthur proposing to him in such a public setting. Having everyone watching them had his cheeks and ears turning warm. After keeping to himself in the stables for a time, he returned to Arthur, ready to accept the proposal. Because no matter how it happened, he would have accepted it either way.

      Arthur doesn’t know how he never saw it, all the moments where Merlin had defended him or protected his knights against oncoming slaughter. Merlin was braver than them all and he found himself growing angry sometimes when he realized how much Merlin had gotten away with, with no explanation and no credit before. It wasn’t Merlin himself that he was angry at these days. Not anymore. No he was angry at himself for being so blind and oblivious. He’d always thought of Merlin as the one to protect, to keep out of harms way because he was so clumsy and clueless, but he realized that maybe he was the clueless one.

      As Merlin started to walk out of his chambers, Arthur grabbed at him, not wanting him to go. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered at him. Every day he was learning some new detail to his past that all ended up added to Merlin being the savior, something he’d never thought possible. He stared into those blue eyes, noticing that Merlin looked startled. Perhaps he should not have been so forceful with him. Granted, Merlin could easily push him off with his magic should he have chosen to.

‘Winning’ has always been subjective, in her opinion. It’s because she’s always got an ulterior motive, right?  Though, sometimes what that motive is, exactly, isn’t even clear to her. People interpret it how they will, anyway. She doesn’t mind, either way!

At this point, Madoka’s barely been looking at her cards, anyway. It’s not like she suggested strip poker expecting to win- especially not with her luck, and especially not with her recklessness. Still, layer by layer that she’s had to strip off for him, she’s barely complained- or even frowned. Nudity isn’t a problem for her, fitting for her active and hypersexual nature. Her hand isn’t really bad, either. It’s a shame he folded, since she might have had a shot. But... guess she’s just gotta know when to fold ‘em (hold ‘em, when to walk away & when to run). She places her cards atop of the pile without showing him, and pushes them over toward him to handle shuffling. It hasn’t been explicitly mentioned by her, but she isn’t coordinated enough to do it efficiently- and... to be honest, it’s not like she’s ever really had many people to play cards with, given nobody wants to actually sit down with her past intel or sex.

Maybe it’s intentional, how quiet she’s keeping- giving less time to think, and more time to stare. -And the confirmation comes in the form of relaxed, knowing eyes when he takes off his shirt. Frustratingly, she isn’t focused on his body, though, nor the ‘smoulder’ he so generously gives her. That stare seems to be heavily reserved for his shirt where it lays, and with her hands free from the cards, she’s wasting nearly no time in picking it up and bundling it excitedly in her arms. Burying her face in it. 

“Hh, I can smell you all over this! Aah, so COOL! I’m totally gonna borrow this for, like, ten minutes--                                          ...In the bathroom!” 

    Arthur was certain that what he’d said had been perfectly clear and yet he wished he hadn’t said it at all. He’d been admiring Merlin as he worked at his desk and was thinking about how the nobles were all worrying about the fact that he hadn’t had an heir yet, not that that would happen as he was with Merlin, and then the words just tumbled out of his mouth. His face was warming and he avoided looking at the warlock as he hastily scribbled on his parchment, which would have to be redone later as it was quite messy handwriting. Oh, why did his brain have to have him go saying something like that? Merlin would never let him hear the end of it.

◘ - “  Holding my carrots hostage won’t bring your Perfectly sweet cake back.. ~  “

       Though... just in case he was going to do that, she wrapped her arms         around the canine the best she could, smirking up at the predator.

        After a while of meeting gazes with one another, she spoke again.

     Merlin hadn’t entirely known what he was thinking when he pinned Arthur against the nearest wall in his chambers, only that he wanted to be near him. The day had been dull and long and they’d hardly gotten to see each other since Arthur was busy working on reforms and Merlin tending to his chores. He expected to go in for a kiss first, so he was surprised when Arthur did instead, pleasantly so. He pressed up against him, making sure Arthur was pinned in place as he deepened the kiss, tongues tangled in a tango that only they could know about. His whole body thrummed with a delighted energy at the feeling of having Arthur near. It seemed that they were making up for lost time.