To You I Pledge (BBC Merlin)

Chapter 18 - Back to the Start

"Just so we're clear," Arthur said as Merlin felt himself being pushed firmly against the wall, "there's nothing else you need to tell me is there?"

"Um, no," he replied with a little shake of his head.

After he had gone to Arthur about Morgana something had changed almost instantly, but Merlin hadn't realised quite what it was until he had followed Arthur back into Arthur's room that evening. That had been about five minutes ago. Whatever Arthur had been waiting for, the situation with Morgana had provided it and now Merlin found himself in almost exactly the same position he had been in before the whole adventure began.

Arthur's stare was very intense, and it was making it hard to think as all the blood seemed to be rushing from Merlin's head to other places.

"Good," Arthur decided and then kissed him with the force of a small storm.

Last time Arthur had been forceful and Merlin was pretty sure Arthur didn't know how to be anything else, but this time the passion in the kiss was breath-taking and it began to dawn on Merlin that Arthur had been thinking about and wanting this as much as he had. He did not have the muscle mass Arthur did and he was completely outmatched in strength, but then the last thing he wanted to do was resist. When he had pledged himself to Arthur it hadn't just been about his magic and his power hummed through his veins, very happy that he and Arthur were finally getting to such things.

When the little thought popped up that he technically had Arthur's mother's blessing for this he banished it ruthlessly because, really, the last thing he wanted to be thinking about was Arthur's mother.

He moaned into the kiss as Arthur plundered his mouth with a seeking tongue one moment and nipped at his lips another. This was new to him, new and exciting. He had kissed girls before, but, other than the last time, he had never been kissed by a man and it was a very different experience, especially given Arthur's apparent determination. There was an element of surrender in it that he had never felt before and it made his blood sing. Merlin's was not a submissive personality, but for Arthur he would do anything, even stupid things and this was very far from stupid. When Arthur was a prat, he told him so, because Arthur needed someone to ground him and when Arthur was being magnificent, like just about then, he was happy to let Arthur do anything Arthur damn well liked.

Arthur's mouth was one thing, but Arthur's hands were also on the move over his clothes and Merlin's only thought was that he wanted them under them. He wanted skin on skin; craved it like a drowning man craved air, but when he tried to slide his own hands under Arthur's shirt, he found them being foiled. In a swift move Merlin had not been expecting, Arthur pushed his arms above his head, crossed his wrists and then held them in place with one hand. His shoulder might have ached a little at the treatment, but he really didn't care.

"Not yet," was all Arthur said and then went back to kissing him.

Merlin hoped he didn't whimper like a girl as the excitement that caused ran through him like a flame through straw. He knew Arthur was experienced since Arthur had told him enough tales, mostly when drunk, but Arthur had never spread around the royal favour as much as castle gossip liked to make out. Arthur also never took advantage of the servants and Merlin was basically an exception to another of Arthur's rules; Merlin knew that for a fact and he liked being an exception a great deal. He was very sure he would like Arthur to take advantage of him a lot and maybe let him take advantage of Arthur when he knew what he was doing.

Even though most of the stories weren't true, Merlin realised that one part was: Arthur had a reputation as a great lover and if the kissing was an indication it was well deserved. Merlin had had no idea kissing could be so good. He did his best to kiss back, but Arthur kept doing things that made him forget what he was trying to do; things with lips and teeth and tongue and seemingly every available area of skin above the edge of his shirt. A little corner of his mind kept pointing out that they weren't even naked yet, but Merlin was ignoring it in favour of not pondering that for fear of losing what little mind he had left.