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“Did you really just say that?”
Merlin’s voice was shrill and high pitch and Arthur winced at the tone. His anger deflated all at once as he realized just what he had said to his servant. No, that wasn’t the right word, Merlin was much more than just his servant, he was his best friend.
“I…” He tried to say, but nothing good came to his mind to appease the fury that was now in Merlin’s eyes.
“I can’t believe you would say that to me!” Merlin shouted. “After everything I’ve done, for you, for Camelot!”
“Merlin, please…” Arthur said, putting his hands out in a placating gesture, looking worriedly at the doors of his chambers. “Someone could hear you…”
“I don’t care!” Merlin replied, still screaming. “You have no right to-“
Without thinking, only wanting Merlin to shut up so that his father wouldn’t come barrelling inside his chambers, Arthur stepped closer and kissed Merlin fiercely. His friend made a surprised noise in response, his eyes wide open, but Arthur didn’t stop. He had been wanting to do that for so long! After his first shock, Merlin finally realized that Arthur was kissing him and he relaxed, putting his arms around Arthur’s neck to keep him close and opening his lips under Arthur’s, deepening the kiss. That action tore a surprised but deep moan out of Arthur’s throat that was swallowed by Merlin’s greedy mouth.
They kissed like that for what felt like hours, holding each other, gripping at their clothes, getting their hands on whatever part of the other’s body that they could reach. Abruptly, Arthur’s conscious got back to him and he took note of what he was doing. He pushed Merlin back, as far away as possible, his eyes widening in shock at what he had just done. They were both breathing hard, looking at each other, not saying anything, waiting to see what the other would do.
“Merlin, I’m…” Arthur started saying, licking his lips nervously, Merlin’s eyes following the movement, his eyes darkening.
“If you say you’re sorry, I will turn you into a toad.” Merlin interrupted, glaring at Arthur. “Because I’ve been wanting to do that for years, so please, please don’t apologize, please don’t say it was a mistake…”
Merlin’s voice had turned small, vulnerable.
“Please don’t say you don’t want that too…” He added, looking at Arthur with so much love and fear at the same time that it robbed him from any speech capacity.
Instead of answering verbally, Arthur came closer to Merlin, his hands out in front of him to try and show his intentions, going slowly so that his friend could turn him down if he wanted to. When they were only a few millimetres apart, breathing the same air, their arms came around each other again and their lips locked in a much more tender kiss than before.
They eventually had to separate again to breathe but they stayed close, foreheads knocked together.
“I’ve been wanting to do that forever too.” Arthur whispered so as to not disturb the softness of the moment.
Merlin smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling in joy and his claimed Arthur’s lips once more. At first, they were both smiling too much for it to be a real kiss, but bit by bit, they started getting more into it, nibbling and biting gently, teasing with a sweep of a tongue or a scrape of teeth, hands in the hair or on the hips, gripping and stroking.
THE END