andromaex
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Summary
Merlin does not like Arthur Pendragon. Arthur Pendragon does not like Merlin. Unfortunately, Uther Pendragon would like his son to do well in his Physics GCSE and Merlin is in need of cash. How did we get to Year 11 Prom?
Bookmarked by andromaex
25 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
I AM NOT OKAY ABOUT THIS FIC.
like I genuinely thought I was here for “modern AU Merlin tutors rich boy Arthur and they bicker over physics equations” but NO. I am now emotionally invested in two emotionally constipated teenagers speedrunning the five stages of “we are definitely not in love (we are in love).”
Arthur “I don’t have a problem I have A-Levels” Pendragon showing up like:
insults Merlin’s intelligence for sport
has a full identity crisis in a corridor over being called gay by Tarquin (of all people)
realizes he is, in fact, catastrophically in love mid-Macbeth lessonMerlin Emrys meanwhile is just:
surviving on sarcasm and physics notes
calling Arthur a dick like it’s emotional foreplay
thinking “this will never happen” while actively being the reason it keeps happening
absolutely NOT prepared for mutual pining consequencesand the WAY everyone else can see it??? Gwen and Lance sitting there like “so when are you two getting married” while Arthur is still debugging his emotional firmware.
also UTHER PENDRAGON hiring Merlin like:
“please fix my son’s grades”
and Merlin accidentally fixes his entire personality insteadI hate this fic. I love this fic. I am unwell.
#enemies to lovers #academic rivals (kind of) #theyre idiots in love #rich boy arthur pendragon #merlin emrys deserves better but also gets worse (affectionate) #thermos discourse #lunch table romance #citadel st grammar #pining idiots #canonically oblivious #gay panic (literally) #tarquin slander #gwenevere is right again #lancelot knows everything #uther pendragon is stressed #this fic is my villain origin story #i will never recover #someone make them kiss already #slow burn hell #mutual oblivious idiots #academic validation issues #rich boy problems #tutor x student trope but make it emotionally devastating #thermos as a love language #“it’s just physics” (it is not just physics) #i am being personally attacked by this fic #brainrot central #they are SO insufferable (affectionate) #he’s not my boyfriend (he is his boyfriend) #lunch table sharing arc #found family vibes (gwen and lance enabling it) #tarquin needs to be stopped #becket and alistair deserve jail time #uther pendragon needs anger management #morgana is watching this like a reality show #someone give merlin a raise #someone give arthur emotional intelligence #this is fine (it is not fine) #help me #i have no chill #i will reread this until i perish #“my friends are dickheads” soulmate declaration #he fell first but he fell harder but also neither of them know they fell #denial is a river in camelot #tarquin is the devil incarnate #alastair and becket can choke #gwenevere is the only functioning adult here #lancelot is watching like a sports commentator #morgana is laughing at everyone #uther pendragon needs to log off #citadel st grammar is a disaster #this fic rewired my brain chemistry #i will never be normal again #someone sedate me #i am feral for this pairing #it was never just physics #it was never just physics #it was NEVER just physics