#soft arthur

canon era | post-Camlann | post magic reveal | what if | angst

Previous parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 13

Merlin wasn’t sure what time it was. His stomach growled and his body hurt. What was worse was he could feel the magic around him and surging under his skin, he just couldn’t reach for it. it was like being stranded on a boat and seeing land, but you have no oars and your arms cant reach the water.

Merlin sighed and tried to think about something else. As usual, his mind settled on a familiar subject: blonde hair, tired eyes and an easy smirk. Merlin smiled to himself and closed his eyes, brain playing images of his prince.

On the other side of the ruins, Merlin’s prince was wearing a different expression.

Gwaine: All I’m saying is you need to lighten up a little.

Arthur: We were somehow magically sealed into a tomb of hundreds of years old ruins and you want me to lighten up?

Gwaine: With that attitude, we are going to get nothing done.

Arthur: Look, let’s just find Merlin so we can get the hell out of here.

Gwaine: Lead the way, princess.

Arthur and Gwaine follow the tunnel by a faint light that gets brighter until they reach a torch hanging on the wall.

Arthur: At least the witchfinder was kind enough to leave something to light our way.

Gwaine: *patting Arthur on the back patronizingly* That’s the spirit! See the power of a positive attitude.

Arthur: *mumbling angrily* I’ll show you where you can put your positive attitu-

Arthur stops his thought when they round the next corner and see bars locked together with shiny new chains.

Arthur: Merlin.

Arthur brings down excalibur on the chains and they explode apart. Gwaine throws open the doors and they charge into the room.

Arthur and Gwaine: *shouting* Merlin!

Arthur uses the torch to sweep light across the room and he sees a figure chained to the wall at the far side of the cell. He rushes over, almost putting out the torch in the process.

Arthur: Merlin!

Merlin doesn’t move, causing Arthur’s heart to stop in his chest. Arthur brings a hand up to Merlin neck fearing the worst, but a light pressure beats into his fingers and he can breath again.

Arthur: When you get up, I’m going to make you promise to never scare me like that again, you clotpole.

Merlin: *faintly with a slight pained smile* my word…

Arthur looks up at Merlin’s face and is met with his soft blue eyes. The little bits of gold in them shine with the torch glow.

Arthur: *softly* Merlin.

Merlin: You keep repeating my name. Are you worried you’ll forget it.

Arthur: As if you’d let me forget you.

Merlin: Its my destiny.

Arthur: *smiling* Its your destiny to be a constant nuisance in my life?

Merlin: *smiles back* Something like that. The dragon wasn’t too specific.

Gwaine: *clears his throat* Not to interrupt, but we are trapped in this old dusty tomb of ruins with no way out.

Arthur: Right.

Arthur reaches his sword up to break the chains, but Merlin’s frantic face stops him.

Merlin: Wait!

Arthur: What?

Merlin: My magic. If you take the chains off now, I’m not going to have any control over it. I could hurt you.

Arthur: You’d could never hurt me.

Merlin: Arthur, I’m serious.

Arthur: Well, i’m not going to just leave you here in chains. If Gwaine wants to leave, he can but you are getting out of here.

Gwaine: I’m not going anywhere.

Gwaine gives a confident smile, showing no wavering.

Arthur: Guess its settled then.

Arthur looks at Merlin seriously. Merlin makes no other effort to argue, obviously too exhausted to put up much fight. His eyes slip closed and he nods his head. Arthur swings excalibur at the chains holding Merlin’s arms and Arthur catches Merlin before he can hit the ground.

Gwaine: *joking* so much for uncontrolled powerful raw magic…

Arthur looks down at the slumped Merlin in his arms. He is tense, shaking slightly and his eyes are shut tight.

Arthur: *whispering softly while running a hand through Merlin’s hair in a comforting gesture* its okay. You can let it out.

Merlin’s eyes shoot open, frantically. Arthur catches their line of sight and maintains eye contact. Merlin looks as scared as Arthur has ever seen him and it breaks his heart. He gives Merlin a soft smile and a nod then he pulls him closer into his chest.

Arthur: Its okay, love, im not going anywhere.

Sorry for the long wait, guys, but it's finally here! Chapter 5 of my merthur time travel fic is out now! Hope you enjoy <3

Chapters: 5/16 Fandom: Merlin (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Ygraine de Bois & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hunith & Merlin (Merlin), Balinor & Merlin (Merlin), Gaius & Merlin (Merlin) Additional Tags: Alternate Timelines, Time Travel, Ygraine Lives, Uther dies instead of her, Uther Pendragon Never Banned Magic (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), But Merlin Doesn't Know That He Knows, Oblivious Merlin (Merlin), Tired Merlin (Merlin), Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Smitten Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Prince Merlin (Merlin), Established Relationship, is it established if one of the people involved doesn't know about it?

Summary:

“Good evening, my love! What kept you so long?” Arthur greeted him warmly as soon as he walked into the room.

“Your what now?!” Merlin blurted out wide-eyed. Surely he couldn't have heard that right.

But Arthur was unfazed by his apparent confusion and promptly planted a kiss on his lips as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do.

Merlin accidentally stumbles into a timeline where Arthur seems to think he is his lover, and a very affectionate one at that. Now he just has to figure out how he got there, how can he get back to his own time and why Arthur keeps thinking about poetry.

But little does he know that in this world he is a noble too and they are to be married within a month...

Arthur pulled Merlin into his arms, cradled him against his chest so he could see his face “Merlin! Merlin, can you hear me?” There was no response. Merlin’s expression was one of unendurable pain. His eyes were still squeezed shut, black lashes brushing his pale cheeks.

“Clotpole!” Arthur tried insulting him hoping for a response. Any response. “Dollop head! I’m using your words Merlin!”

Merlin gave no sign of hearing him. He was lost in the pain and anguish that showed so clearly on his face.

Arthur kissed him as he had done in the crystal cave. This got the slightest response from Merlin… stirring very slightly but nothing else.

Arthur lifted him up, nodding to the others briefly before heading straight to their rooms with Merlin in his arms.

He sat on his bed, used an elbow to draw back red curtains, and looked down at his warlock. He didn’t know what to do. Besides that, he had to ask himself what could bring Merlin that much pain. I can be here for him , he decided. 

Arthur carefully removed Merlin’s shoes and dirty clothing, getting him into something soft and clean before laying him on the bed and changing from his own clothing. He wet a washcloth and lay next to Merlin on one side, carefully cleaning the blood from his lover’s face with a gentle hand. He moved closer to him as he did so. “Merlin.. I’m here.” 

When Merlin's face was clean Arthur wrapped an arm around him pulling him even closer to himself helplessly as they lay there on the bed. “I don’t know what you are going through Merlin… I don’t know what's happening… but I want you to come back…” 

Arthur cleared his throat and added hollowly. “I order you to come back…” 

When that got no response he continued. “Until you do, I'm going to lie here with you. You might want to come back soon or we’ll both miss breakfast.. You know how I am without breakfast.” Arthur cleared his throat again.

After a several minutes he finally admitted, “I’ve never seen you like this…I don’t know what to do…”

Arthur didn’t want to think about the amount of pain that could make someone like this. He didn’t want to think about Merlin in that much pain… 

“Merlin! Please… I don’t know what to do.” 

They lay there, Arthur internally panicking and Merlin lost in some world of pain inside his head, Arthur watched his face, his profile lit by the new electric lights, and smoothed messy black hair from Merlin's face. “Come back to me… Don’t you dare stay like this.”

Finally his hand slipped into Merlin’s, giving it a gentle squeeze.

And Merlin's hand squeezed his. 

“Merlin!?”

Merlin’s hand gave his another squeeze. A squeeze that said I’m trying , and so much else.

Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

Merlin (TV)

Relationship:

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Characters:

Merlin (Merlin)

Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Additional Tags:

Febuwhump 2025

Day 10

Merlin Whump (Merlin)

Tired Merlin (Merlin)

Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Worried Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Boys In Love

Language: English

Collections: febuwhump 2025

@febuwhump

Ao3 Link

Summary:

“Merlin!” Arthur jumped from his horse, and as he crouched down next to Merlin, he could faintly feel his breath, but he looked like the dead. Without thought he scooped him up, heart pounding as he handed him off to Leon.

Merlin grimaced as he glared at the soldiers in front of them. Tiredness pulled at her bones as he glanced at Arthur, blood streaking down his face. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up for much longer.

He could faintly feel his magic, body pulling tight as he gathered his magic, clouds rolling in, covering the battlefield.

“Merls?” Arthur glanced at the court sorcerer. This didn’t seem safe, even for him. Merlin could hear the worry in Arthur’s voice.

“What choice do we have Arthur?” Merlin moved slightly closer, closing his hand around Arthur’s. “Our people are tired and cannot continue for much longer. And to be fair not even us, they have us cornered.” A shiver ran through his body as he felt the charge in the air.

He could faintly see people’s hair starting to stick up.

His hands clenched as he finally let his magic go, lighting hit hard onto the battleground. Scattering horses and people alike.

Camelot’s army took the chance it provided to kill as many as they could.

Merlin’s breath hitched as a sense of doom overtook him, his ears were ringing, and he could faintly feel blood dripping down his lip before darkness claimed him.

“Merlin!” Arthur jumped from his horse, and as he crouched down next to Merlin, he could faintly feel his breath, but he looked like the dead. Without thought he scooped him up, heart pounding as he handed him off to Leon.

He could only watch as Leon raced off to the medical tents that were set up in the forest, Gaius would be able to handle this, there was no choice, he couldn’t just lose Merlin. He couldn’t. He still needed to tell him, how…

He forced the thoughts away as he refocused on the battlefield. Working together with the guards and knights to end the last of the army.

His mind kept on wandering to Merlin, fear boiling in his stomach. When the horas sounded through the troops. He forced his horse into a gallop, he needed to see Merlin, he needed to make sure that he was fine.

On autopilot he rushed forward, almost collapsing when he saw Merlin, frail on a cot. Gaius immediately noticed him, his arms were warm around the king as he kept him upright. “His body is exhausted, Sire. He just needs to rest.” His voice was firm as he led Arthur to a chair to sit down.

“Now let me see, that wound.” Gaius gathered cleaning supplies, gently cleaning the head wound.  He could see the way Arthur kept glancing at where Merlin was lying. With a frown he assessed Arthur, making sure that there weren’t any wounds that he missed.

“He will be fine, Arthur.” His voice was warm, hoping it would give Arthur some comfort, but it only seemed to make him uncomfortable.

“I should have told him earlier, that I love him. That I cared about him. He is my best friend, the one person I can trust. He could have died today.” Arthur whispered.

Gaius just lifted a brow as he took a step back from the King. “Well then tell him that, he will wake up. Just give him time to rest. He draws deep to do that. His body is completely empty from magic at the moment.” He smiled softly. “Go and sit with him.”

“Thank you.” His voice was low as he moved over to Merlin’s cot.

He was silent as he just sat there looking at Merlin, he could hear Gaius and his helpers working around the tent, making sure that the wounded were looked after.

Sleep claimed him, as he waited for Merlin to wake up, slumping forward, he laid his head on Merlin’s cot, letting the darkness claim him.

A small twitch woke him up, his voice was heavy with sleep. “Merls?” He blinked trying to wake up properly.

Merlin groaned slightly. Body heavy with pain and stiffness.

“Rest, you need to rest.” Arthur smiled slightly, grateful that he woke up. Still, Merlin gently folded his hand around Arthur’s.

“I love you too.” His words were a mere whisper, but he still felt like he needed to inform Arthur of that before he let darkness claim him again.

“Do you mean to say that Merlin’s life is worthless?”

“Merlin get your damn dragon out of the throne room.” “Merlin can you at least train that thing.” “Merlin, I swear I will skin that thing alive if it ruins another pair of my boots.”

One day, when Athuisa is about the size of a Great Dane, Merlin catches her and Arthur lying in bed together. He’s patting her head and she’s docilely lying with her head on his chest looking up at him with puppy-like eyes.