Whumptober 22
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Arthur tries a new potion Merlin prepared, but it seems he's allergic to one of the ingredients.
Day 1 : Adverse effects; "This wasn't supposed to happen"
Series
- Part 1 of Whumptober 22
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"Merlin rounded a corner, a heavy basket of freshly cleaned clothes in his arms when he bumped into someone. The force the impact sent him sprawling on the unforgiving stone floor of the castle. He scrambled to apologise, hoping it was one of the other servants or perhaps one of Arthur’s more friendly knights. Luck wasn’t on his side apparently though, because as he raised his head, he found himself face to face with the foreign Lord.
The man was leering at him, a dangerous glint in his eyes. If looks could kill, Merlin would already have been left bleeding out on the floor. Before Merlin could get back up on his feet, Lord Lucas grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and pushed him hard against the wall. He placed his hands on either side of Merlin’s head, preventing him from escaping."Day 2 : cornered
Series
- Part 2 of Whumptober 22
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"Arthur was riding with his knights, cold autumn wind blowing in his face, making his eyes water. Fallen leaves and scattered branches crunching under the hooves of the horses. Arthur wiped his eyes, pretending the tears were only caused by the wind. His father had ordered another raid on a druid camp, and this time, he had tasked Arthur to lead the attack. In Uther’s eyes, this was a great honour. Arthur failed to see the honour in the slaughter of innocent people."
Day 3 : impaled
Series
- Part 3 of Whumptober 22
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“Tell me, Merlin, how did you get stabbed by a poisoned blade?” he asks, his voice somewhere between angry and scared.
Merlin simply shrugs. It isn’t so hard to understand, is it? Maybe Arthur really is a bit dumb, he thinks. In the back of his head, a voice is screaming at him to shut up, to stop and think before talking. He ignores it though. “Because there was an assassin that wanted to kill you and I had to stop him,” Merlin replied matter-of-factly.
"And trust me, protecting you is hard work. I have to stop people from murdering you at least twice a week.”
“Twice a week!” Arthur exclaims indignantly. He seems offended that so many people would want him dead.
“At least,” Merlin sighs.Day 4 : hidden injury
Series
- Part 4 of Whumptober 22
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Arthur had no idea what led him to be in this situation. His head was maintained under water by strong hangs on his shoulders. Their grip was painfully tight. Despite his eyes being open he couldn’t see anything but dark, murky water.
Day 5: running out of air
Series
- Part 5 of Whumptober 22
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Just as he was about to give up on eating and get some work done during his break instead, his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a text from Sherlock.
It simply read “I’m sorry. – S.H”.
For a few seconds, John was paralysed. The muscles of his whole body tensed almost painfully. He stopped breathing, his eyes locked on the words on his screen. It felt as if even his heart had stopped beating.
And then, he sprung into action.Day 6 : "I've got a pulse"
Series
- Part 6 of Whumptober 22
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He had killed someone. Maybe it wasn’t an innocent. Maybe he had done it to protect another person. But he had still killed someone.
A monster. That’s what he was. It might wear the mask of a hopeful, naïve boy, but it was still a monster. And Merlin wanted to claw at his face, to scratch away the skin of his arms, of his chest, to reveal what was lurking below the surface. He wanted to pull off the mask that was covering the face of the beast he really was.
He had killed someone. He would probably kill again to protect the prince, to fulfil his destiny.Day 7 : shaking hands; silent panic attack
Series
- Part 7 of Whumptober 22
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"It became a habit, almost a ritual. Sherlock would start playing in the middle of the night, he would open his heart through his music, and John would come down and listen until Sherlock was done. It didn't happen every night. Those nightly meetings were held at irregular and seemingly random intervals, but it would happen at least twice a week, and often more than that."
Sherlock comes back from the dead after two years and as the months go by, he and John establish new routines and learn to open up their hearts to each other more.
Day 8: Back from the deadSeries
- Part 8 of Whumptober 22
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Arthur and Merlin are caught in a storm on their way back to the castle. They take shelter from the rain in a cave and during the night, they shared body heat and secrets.
Day 9: Caught in a storm
Series
- Part 9 of Whumptober 22
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Uther finds out about Arthur and Merlin's relationship. He sentences Merlin to be whipped while Arthur is forced to watch.
Day 10: WhippingSeries
- Part 10 of Whumptober 22
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“What happened to your left arm?”
Turning around with the clothes he had chosen for Arthur to wear held in his right hand, Merlin said, “Hmmm? Oh, it’s nothing, just a shallow cut.”
Obviously, Arthur wasn’t buying it. “It’s not shallow, you’re in pain. You haven’t used your left arm at all since you tried to steal my pillow. And where is your neckerchief?” Arthur asked with narrowed eyes.
Merlin huffed, getting annoyed by Arthur’s prodding. Why couldn’t the prat simply believe him like he always did all the other times Merlin got injured. “Alright, fine. It’s not shallow, but it’s not too deep either. I scraped my arm against something on my way down to fetch your breakfast and didn’t want to climb the stairs back to Gaius, so I used my neckerchief as a bandage. It’s nothing important. I’m clumsy, I injure myself all the time.”Day 11: sloppy bandages; Self-done first aid
Series
- Part 11 of Whumptober 22
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Summary
Merlin tells Arthur the story of how he and Will became friends.
Day 12: Rusty nail
Series
- Part 12 of Whumptober 22
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Merlin frowned. “Are you here to break me out?” He asked, uncertainty still colouring his words.
“Yes Merlin, try to keep up for once.” Arthur said, opening the door to the cell.
Merlin sat up with a wince, and Arthur could see his whole face clearly in the glow of the torch. There were indeed multiple cuts on Merlin’s lips. Blood from his nose had trickled down his chin, staining his shirt and some of it had ran down his left cheek when he had laid on his side. There were bruises and cuts all over Merlin’s face, and Arthur knew that if he were to lift Merlin’s shirt, he would find more on his chest and abdomen. He gently took hold of Merlin’s wrists, opening the cuffs that restrained Merlin’s magic. When he saw the burned skin where the cold iron restraints had been, he was filled with a new wave of fury. If he had the opportunity to kill those guards on their way out, Arthur wouldn’t hesitate.
Day 13: Fracture; "Are you here to break me out"
Series
- Part 13 of Whumptober 22
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Arthur faced their enemies, getting into his fighting stance. “You can still run, Merlin,” he said, turning his head to face his friend one last time. Despite his reassurances, he wasn’t sure the bandits weren’t going to kill him.
But he was met with Merlin’s lips against his. It wasn’t a soft, chaste kiss. It was hard and desperate. It was a kiss goodbye, born of fear as much as love. Before Arthur could react, Merlin’s lips had left his.“I’m sorry, Arthur,” he murmured, before facing their foes.
Arthur heard Merlin speak words he didn’t understand but recognised as the language of magic. A shiver ran down his spine as he saw Merlin’s cerulean eyes turn into the brightest of gold.
Day 14: Desperate measures; "I'll be right behind you"
Series
- Part 14 of Whumptober 22
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Summary
The sun was just beginning to rise, but Arthur was already up. He stood by his wardrobe, his nightshirt discarded on the floor by his bed. There was a deep scowl on his face, his lips were set in a thin line. His eyes were fixed on his left hip, where a thin scar marred the previously untouched skin. Arthur had sustained many injuries that had left scars on his body, and while he didn’t necessarily like them, he had learned to see them as proof of all the times he had successfully faced enemies. This one was different, though. It wasn’t a sign of victory.
Day 15: New scars
Series
- Part 15 of Whumptober 22
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Merlin was on his way back to the quarters he shared with Gaius after gathering herbs for the man. It was late and the corridors were deserted. Despite that, Merlin still felt watched. The heavy weight of a malevolent gaze stuck on his back followed him at every turn through the castle. Merlin almost dismissed the feeling as paranoia. Until arms grabbed him from behind and restrained him. Strong fingers squeezed his neck, forcing his mouth open. The assailant then proceeded to empty a vial of something in Merlin’s mouth, forcing him to swallow it. The putrid taste made him gag. But what was truly worrisome was how almost immediately, Merlin’s limbs started feeling heavy and numb. He could only move sluggishly, as if he was swimming through mud.
Day 16: paralytic drugs
Series
- Part 16 of Whumptober 22
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Summary
Merlin was in pain, he hadn’t slept and his trust for Arthur had dimmed. He had hoped that the King would come see him before going to sleep, but he never came. Merlin found him sleeping peacefully in his bed, illuminated by the ray of light that seeped through a crack in the curtains. He put the tray on the table with more force than was necessary, causing the plates and goblets to rattle. He then stomped to the curtains and yanked them open. Arthur jolted awake at the commotion, looking around disoriented before his eyes landed on his servant.
For a moment, Merlin thought the King would ask him how he was, but all Arthur said was, “Maybe you should stay the night in the dungeons more often if it’s all it takes for you to be on time.”
Day 17: Breaking point
Series
- Part 17 of Whumptober 22
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Merlin woke up on a cold, rainy day. Outside his window, he could only hear the birds singing, the faint sound of raindrops hitting the roof and the rustling of leaves in the wind. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend that he was back in time, surrounded by family and friends. Life hadn’t been easy, then, far from it. Merlin wasn’t certain he could say those were happy times. But he had been loved and he had had a purpose. Now, he had none of that.
Day 18: "Take my coat"
Series
- Part 18 of Whumptober 22
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Summary
In the empty throne room, Uther’s voice resonated, echoing against the stone to amplify his angry words. Arthur stood frozen, his head bowed. He had failed in his quest. He hadn’t caught the sorcerer his father had sent him to arrest. The man hadn’t caused any trouble, he hadn’t done anything evil with his powers. So, Arthur had allowed him to flee. Of course, he hadn’t revealed that to his father, or he wouldn’t have received only angry words. Arthur had thought he was prepared to face the King’s ire. He really wasn’t. not when Uther was this enraged.
“I loathe the day you were born, Arthur,” Uther said, his voice taking a low and dangerous tone, “your mother sacrificed your life for yours, and now I see that you weren’t worth it.”
Day 19: Knees buckling
Series
- Part 19 of Whumptober 22
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Summary
Merlin went back to bed and lied on his side, curled in a tight ball. He closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him. It would be a long day.
Merlin gets sick, but his friends are there to take care of him.
Day 20. Fetal position
Series
- Part 20 of Whumptober 22