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“Sir?” Gwaine yawned and was a bit confused as he opened the door. “Your rooms are that way.” He heard something pop in his jaw on the next yawn. “With Gwen? Did she kick you out? Come on then, Ossain is on patrol you can kip in his room I guess. He smells like cheese though.” Gwaine nodded. “Let’s go.”
“You are naked,” Arthur pointed out.
Gwaine looked down at himself. “No, I have one sock on. Right there. See?” He pointed at his foot. He turned and grabbed a cloak and tossed it on his shoulders. “To Ossain’s room.”
“I can still see your dick!” Arthur waved a hand. “Gwaine! Focus, Gwen didn’t kick me out. I don’t need Ossain’s room, although you are right he does smell like cheese. It is snowing.”
“Cheese?” Gwaine was lost.
“No, why would it be snowing cheese?” Arthur closed his eyes and clearly was praying for patience. Gwaine was quiet, it was important to let a man finish his prayers. “Gwaine, you were heading out on a patrol. There is a storm, you are no longer headed out on that patrol, it will be delayed. You in fact are off until the storm abates and we have to dig out lower town. You are at your leisure, though I should warn you there is no leaving the keep for the tavern - you can barely see out there. More firewood will be distributed later today.”
Gwaine leaned against the door jam. “Did you wake me up to tell me I could sleep?”
Arthur opened his mouth and closed it again. “I…yes.”
“If we have a day off, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes, I suppose after I left everyone know, I do.”
Gwaine shook his head, and stepped out into the hall. “Storm, stay in bed!” he shouted. “There. Now you can go back to your bed too, where Gwen is probably still warm and soft with sleep.”
“I should -”
Gwaine gently turned Arthur around. “Bed. That is an order.”
“Merlin! He needs to know I won’t need him today.”
“I heard you, go back to bed!”
Gwaine smiled, which turned into yet another yawn. “Sire,” he even gave a bit of a bow.
“We will be having a conversation later, Gwaine,” Arthur pointed a finger in his face. “A long one.”
“Fun,” Gwaine shut the door in Arthur’s face and took off the cloak and went back to the bed. He slid in and wrapped his arms around Merlin. “Well, so much for how you tell him.” He waited for it to hit Merlin and felt the tension slam into the man’s body. Merlin almost sprang from the bed, but Gwaine held him in place. “No,” he said firmly. “It can wait.”
“Bugger, Gwaine, he is going to think stupid things.”
“Let him, and he won’t for long, because he is not so stupid to not go back into his own bed if the weather is that poor. Merlin, if you chase after him, he’ll start thinking about work. We have a day off, a whole day.” Gwaine kissed Merlin’s shoulder. “An entire day that we can spend in bed together if we like.” Another kiss. “Trust me I stood up, and it was miserable, almost froze my toes off.”
“Only some of them, you still have one sock on.”
Gwaine wiggled his toes. “I do.” He used his other toes to pull it off. “There we go. Naked little toes.”
“You don’t have little toes, they are quite long actually.”
“Had someone swear once, long toes meant a long dick.”
Merlin laughed a bit. “I don’t think that is true.”
“Well, I mean I am right here.”
“Yes, you have a long dick, but I don’t think they are actually related. And if you don’t have to head out, that means you can fall back asleep.”
Gwaine burrowed into the blankets a bit more, pulled Merlin close. “We could have some fun, tire ourselves out.” There was yet another yawn. “Warm me up, Merlin. Make me sleepy.”
He heard words in the old tongue and the fire in his room gently flared. A soft fire that took the chill from the air. “Once upon a time, in the land of myth and legend, there was a brave knight and his loyal squire.” Gwaine smiled a bit and fell asleep to the story that Merlin spun for him. When he awoke, Gwaine whimpered a bit because his arms were empty. “Merlin?” Fuck he hoped the man hadn’t decided to go do his job.
“Here, just a quick trip for food,” Merlin said. “Bread, apples, wine. Bit of chicken.”
Gwaine sat up and there was a tray on his table. The fire was blazing brightly and casting interesting shadows on Merlin’s face; he seemed like a character out of the stories he told Gwaine, when Gwaine couldn’t sleep. “Is it still snowing out?”
“It is,” Merlin smiled. “It was lessening though it seemed for a bit, but it is raging again.”
“Is it now?” Gwaine smiled back. “However could that be?” He moved over to the table, wrapped in his quilt, uninterested in dressing. “Merlin, were you a bit naughty?”
“It will melt soon enough and it is good for the soil, water collection in lower town,” Merlin replied, “And -”
He had been about to slice the apples with the dull knife the kitchen had sent. Gwaine took it away and found his dagger and cut the fruit; a bit mealy but still good overall. “And?”
“And when do we actually get a whole day?” Merlin sat down across from him. “Never. Something comes up, or I have chores or destiny to face. You turned out to be one of Arthur’s most trustworthy and capable knights.”
“That sounded like condemnation,” Gwaine pointed out.
“Well, really, did you have to go and be brilliant at it all? You wouldn’t be sent out as much if you were mediocre.” Merlin kicked him a bit under the table. “You could have been rubbish and stayed home. With me.”
“Yes because it isn’t like you aren’t off and about with Arthur just as much as I am seeing to my duties?” Gwaine pointed out. He put a bit of apple and chicken together on a torn off bit of bread and ate it. Actually that worked nicely and he did it again. “I became a knight because of you, Merlin. I would never disappoint you, by being poor at the job.”
“You could never disappoint me,” Merlin promised. He kicked again. “No matter what your brain tells you, you listen to me. You could never disappoint me.”
Gwaine ate a bit more and held out his hand. Merlin came over and he pulled the man into his lap. “Merlin?”
“Hmm?”
He held up the last slice of apple to Merlin’s lips and Merlin ate it. He kissed Merlin’s nose and then lips once he was done chewing. “Back to bed?”
“Yes,” Merlin agreed.
Gwaine heaved up, lifting Merlin along with himself. What was the point of wearing all that armor and gear, except to have him in decent enough shape to haul his warlock around a bit. He turned and took the few paces to his bed and dropped Merlin on it. “Whoops,” he teased. He watched Merlin bounce a bit. “Merlin, I just realized something dreadful.”
“What?” Merlin looked around for a looming threat. “Where?”
“You are wearing clothes. That will not do.” Gwaine knelt beside the bed and pulled Merlin’s shoes and socks off. He realized just how much time they did have. A luxury. Yes they spent the night together regularly, but they were often tired from work or if Gwaine had a night watch, they spent a couple of hours together at most. There was seldom hours stretched in front of them to indulge.
He could indulge.
Gwaine sat on the carpet on the ground and began to rub Merlin’s feet. “You’ve broken some of these toes.” He could feel ridges of bone in slightly wrong spots, a couple were crooked. “What happened?”
“Can’t remember,” Merlin replied. “Happened long before I was in Camelot.”
Gwaine decided to be romantic and kiss those crooked toes, which caused a bit of a reflexive spasm, and only all his training of a couple decades of bar fights had him dodging the kick. He switched to rubbing the arch and that seemed to make Merlin purr, so he dug his fingers in, working one foot and then the other. “Stand, love,” he said quietly.
There were many nights when the whole group went out on a task they had to whisper, to keep their relationship private, to not disturb others. To be secret. Now he whispered because there was a gentle spell on the room. Not of Merlin’s magic, but just of time that they had together for once. Merlin stood and Gwaine slowly undid the ties on the pants. Gwaine gently pulled them down and smirked a bit. “Didn’t get all the way dressed I see.” Merlin had left off small clothes it seemed. He nudged one calf and then the other and the pants were tossed towards the chest. He looked up and Merlin was pulling off his tunic. “I would have attended to that.”
“Saving you time.”
Gwaine found himself running his hands up and down Merlin’s calves. “The whole point Merlin, is that today we don’t have to save time. It is all ours.”
“Oh,” Merlin said softly. “It is, isn’t it?” His hands began to play with Gwaine’s hair, and it was Gwaine’s turn to purr a bit. Gwaine settled so he was kneeling. He nuzzled against Merlin’s belly, held him in a lose hug. There was a bit of hair on Merlin, and he enjoyed the way the sparse strands tickled at his nose. Merlin’s fingers were running through his hair and they were quiet. “You look so contemplative when you kneel, solemn.”
“I only ever kneel because of you. For you,” Gwaine kissed the pale skin that was next to his lips.
“You knelt for Arthur.”
Gwaine looked up at him. “You know I didn’t.” Their gazes met and Merlin gave a small nod, because yes he did know that. Gwaine smiled and sank down a bit. He nuzzled the strip of skin just below Merlin’s belly button. Merlin was in good shape, he kept up with them well and easily, but he was still just a bit softer than most of the knights and Gwaine relished it. He and Percival had once cuddled for warmth and he had been fairly certain rocks were more cuddly. But he had stayed warm. Then just a bit lower and he was at the wiry hair around Merlin’s cock. He dragged his nose down the soft length, and then licked his way back up. There was a soft gasp and the hands in his hands tugged a bit, which Gwaine would not object to. He repeated the slow action and then pulled Merlin’s cock into his mouth.
Gwaine sank down the still mostly soft length and rested, nose against Merlin’s skin. They stayed like that, Merlin stroking his hair, Gwaine sometimes sucking, but mostly they were still as the hot and wet of Gwaine’s mouth had Merlin’s length slowly hardening, until it pressed against the back of his throat. Gwaine then pulled back a bit, then forward again. It may have been the most languid cock sucking he had ever done. It was quiet nice really, not rushing to make sure Merlin felt good before he went back to whatever insane request Arthur had made. Merlin’s hands in his hair were guiding the pace, or just following the pace that Gwaine set - it was hard to tell. Merlin’s cock now filled his mouth, thick, hard and still Gwaine kept going slowly.
He was sure he would have been happy to do that forever; well not forever eventually his knees would object, but a very long time. There was a slightly more insistent tug on his hair and Gwaine reluctantly let Merlin’s cock out of his mouth. “What? I was quite content and so were you.” Another tug and he stood up. He so often forgot that he and Merlin were of a height and then when they were that close and their gaze level he was reminded again. He wanted to protect Merlin always, and sometimes that made his mind think Merlin was small and he wasn’t. Also that whole magic thing, but still that had to be a secret until Arthur was ready. Another way that he had to protect Merlin.
Gwaine was distracted enough by his thoughts that it took a moment to pay attention to Merlin kissing him but then he was thoroughly focused on kissing back. Gods above but he loved Merlin’s mouth. The shape of it, the dry but soft lips, the way it looked when he spoke magic or sarcastic to Arthur. The blinding grin and the small smile that only appeared after they fucked. It was perfect.
Only, no, it wasn’t because it was pulling away from him. Gwaine swayed forward, and whined a bit when Merlin stepped away. “Cold.”
“The fire is going, the room is quite cozy.”
“Cold without you against me.”
“What would they say down at the tavern if they knew what a snuggler you are?”
“They would think it good sense to never let go of you.” Gwaine reached but Merlin side stepped out of the way quickly. “Are we playing catch the warlock?”
“No,” Merlin laughed a bit, and Gwaine reached out but he dodged away. “Or maybe we are. But I wanted to wash you a bit.”
Gwaine reached out and caught Merlin, stole another kiss. “Do you?”
“You like it.”
Gwaine gave a nod of agreement and let Merlin go, but when he took a step towards the water pitcher, he pulled the man back in for another kiss. “Caught you.”
Merlin laughed and this time when let go made it to the water. He poured out some and put a small cloth in the bowl. A word and a gesture, and the water was warm. Gwaine stayed still as Merlin brought it over and began to wipe him down. He started at the shoulders and slowly worked down, a few spots making Gwaine chuckle, and a few making him sigh. Merlin taking care with his hands, over the scars that littered his body more from years of bar fights than his knighthood. Merlin moved behind him and it felt good against his back and again Merlin slowly worked his way down. Gwaine smiled when he felt a kiss press against his ass before Merlin stood up. He returned the bowl to the stand it had been on. “I could do the same for you,” Gwaine offered.
“No, I had a quick wash down while you were asleep.” Merlin linked their fingers together and they stood there, naked in the room, the world entirely forgotten for a small bit of time. They weren’t men who saved the day, had the weight of the world on their shoulders. They were just men, who had a chance to love each other. “Gwaine?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you ever think we could run away? Just forget all the destiny and nobility and be…sheep herders?”
Gwaine cupped Merlin’s face and gave him a gentle kiss. “No.” He only thought about it every sennight.
“Me neither. Besides sheep are smelly.” Merlin nodded a bit. “No running away.”
Gwaine just kissed him again and they moved over to the bed. “Can I have you, Merlin?”
“Always.”
Gwaine pressed him down onto the sheets and lay on top of him. They kissed and Merlin’s hands were roaming over his back. It was all really quite lovely and Gwaine had the urge to say something absurd and idiotic because this much lovely wasn’t right. He didn’t get this much happy. Gwaine lifted a bit away from Merlin and opened his mouth.
“No,” Merlin said in his I am not fucking around voice. Gwaine loved that voice and shivered a bit. “No playing the idiot right now.”
“I’m very good at it though.” Gwaine eased back down and nuzzled at Merlin’s neck. He loved that neck. “I’m a fool.”
“You aren’t.”
“I’m a fool for you.” Gwaine pressed a kiss over Merlin’s heart then pressed his ear to hear it beat. It was a soothing sound, a comfort. He lay there for a moment, sure he was squishing Merlin but he didn’t care. He spent too many days and nights without that sound. But eventually the lure of more pulled him, and Gwaine twisted his head to look at Merlin. There was that soft smile. Gwaine moved to get what they needed from the night table. That had been one of the more awkward moments of his life when Gaius had pressed the container in his hand and said he needed Merlin functioning so spit wasn’t good enough.
It was different than the oil he had used before, more a goo that softened became almost liquid as it warmed on fingers, inside a man. He didn’t ask too many questions because it worked well and pots of it showed up in his room occasionally. He dragged his finger through the goo and his other hand pressed at Merlin’s thigh. “Bit wider, pretty man.” Merlin rolled his eyes at that but his legs stretched out even more. Gwaine would call Merlin pretty if he wanted dammit. Gwaine moved a bit so that his finger could push against Merlin, as gentle as everything else had been that morning and early afternoon.
Merlin sighed a little and arched up into the touch, Gwaine’s finger sinking in all the way, and Gwaine pressed a kiss to Merlin’s jaw. “Pretty little magic man.”
“I can destroy you between one breath and the next,” Merlin groused.
Gwaine began to move his finger in and out and Merlin gasped, “One breath,” Gwaine whispered and then a second finger joined the first and Merlin groaned, “and the next. I’m still here.” He slid his fingers in and out, stroking along Merlin’s walls, pressing that spot that made Merlin’s cock leak. “Think I am destroying you, love.”
“I’ll only destroy you if you stop,” Merlin swore as he squirmed on the bed, unsure whether his body was trying to chase the touch or run from it.
They were in no rush and Gwaine settled in, happy to touch Merlin like this as long as the man wanted. He kept his fingers moving, opening Merlin up, and just enjoying how much he could linger over this moment that was so often rushed, when they even had the time for it at all. Merlin was starting to beg, little sparks of magic floating about the air as he lost his control over himself. They were completely harmless, just a pretty little sparkle really. “More?” Gwaine whispered and saw Merlin nod.
He moved in between Merlin’s legs, lightly coated his cock in the slick, and lined up. He waited for Merlin to give a small nod and then slowly sank in. He lifted one of Merlin’s thighs up, he adored when Merlin wrapped a leg around him, held him close as possible. He liked how for a moment it felt like they would never let go of each other. Gwaine pressed his forehead to Merlin’s as he gave them both a moment. “I am reconsidering the running away together,” he whispered. “A few sheep, a small cottage. Near a field so that dragon of yours can stop by. Quiet, simple, just each other. Maybe a dog? Definitely a cat.” Gwaine had sort of always wanted to own a cat.
“You’ll chop firewood shirtless,” Merlin whispered back.
“Even in winter?” Gwaine began to move his hips.
“Clearly, even in winter,” Merlin matched his languid moves. “I’ll learn to weave. Always been fascinated by it.”
“No duty, no destiny, just sheep. A cat. Us.”
“You seem to be ranking a cat above our relationship.”
“You’d look adorable reading a magic book, cat in your lap. Witches have cats in stories. You should have a cat.” Gwaine was losing his train of thought a bit, because Merlin felt so fucking good under him, around him. “Ask me to run away with you, Merls.”
Merlin’s hands were on his back. “Run away with me, to the ends of the world. To the end of time.”
“I will,” Gwaine swore. They stopped talking after that. There were just breaths, moans, soft touches as they moved together. Gwaine felt the pressure building in his spine and moved even slower, wanting this moment to last as long as it could, but eventually the feel of it all overwhelmed him and he pushed forward the first hard thrust as the orgasm crested. He was breathing heavy as he stayed still, until he felt the fuzziness retreat from his mind. He then pulled out and slid down Merlin’s length, sucking the man off, swallowed every drop as Merlin shouted his name, begged him to never stop.
Gwaine curled around Merlin, lay kisses on his head. “Neither of us cooks very well though,” he said into the quiet.
“A cottage in nowhere is so quiet,” Merlin agreed.
“I look really great in the cloak of Camelot.”
“You do, and I’d lose access to Gaius’s library.” Merlin turned and looked at him. “And the dragons would likely snack on a sheep or two.”
“Do wish we could have the cat though,” Gwaine said.
“Run away with me, Gwaine. Until the snow stops,” Merlin whispered.
“That I can do,” Gwaine swore and kissed him. The dozed and when they woke, Gwaine read to Merlin a bit, and then watched Merlin do some magic and they made love again. They could hear everyone moving about, and there was talk of eating together but they shouted that they were fine. There were calls that the snow had stopped, which meant in the morning it was back to who they were.
Gwaine wished he could stay awake, holding Merlin as long as possible, but the thing with a lazy day was how tired it made you, how much sleep was welcomed on a day like that. He fell asleep clinging to Merlin and woke alone as he often did, for Merlin’s job started earlier than all of theirs.
He dressed warmly and began to help with the process of digging out Camelot. Once he reached lower town, he took a break because children needed to learn proper snowball technique and he perhaps ran back to the keep and stole a few dented old shields for them to use as sleds in the snow piles. He certainly didn’t have a go or two himself. By the time he returned to his rooms, he was soaked and cold and very tired. Shoveling muscles were different from sword training. He stripped out of the wet clothes and dried off. He threw the cloth into a corner to deal with later, there was a basket there that he didn’t quite remember and he heard a little howl of annoyance.
Gwaine quickly put on trousers and approached the basket. He moved the towel and accusing yellow eyes stared at him. “Hello,” he said to the small kitten. “How did you get in here?”
“Mrow”
“I see, yes I understand that someone put you in here. Do you know who?” He leaned foreword and the kitten tried to rip off his nose. Gwaine picked up the little demon and had never been happier. Well, perhaps when Merlin had shouted oh my god, how are you so clueless about how I have been trying to get you to kiss me? He held the kitten against his chest and it immediately tried to bite his neck and he laughed. That seemed to startle the little demon and he began to purr, and in an instant it fell asleep. He looked in the basket and there was a bit of parchment scrap.
A little run away to give us a piece of a running away dream.
Gwaine smiled and was sentimental enough to kiss the scrap and carefully put it in his chest. He put the kitten carefully down on his bed and finished dressing. Gwaine picked up the kitten who gave the most adorable growl in his sleep and he set off through the keep. He was stopped multiple times by people entranced by his small companion and he made his way to the king’s chambers. He could hear Arthur and Merlin yelling at each other through the door and went in with barely a knock.
Gwen was eating calmly as Arthur and Merlin flapped their arms at each other, arguing about boots or something. Gwaine sat next to Gwen and began to eat Arthur’s dinner. He put the kitten on the table who startled awake and meowed very fiercely.
“Oh hello, little one,” Gwen cooed. The kitten seemed to bounce back in shock at her voice and then leapt into Gwaine embrace. Gwaine settled the little beast on his shoulder and winced as nails dug in, but smiled as the purrs began. “He is adorable. What is his name?”
“Draconis, a wee little dragon,” Gwaine declared, “A gift from Merlin.”
“That’s a stupid name for a kitten,” Arthur said.
“It is a great name for a dragon, you clotpole. Do not insult our baby!” And they were then arguing about good kitten names.
“Your baby?” Gwen said.
“Indeed,” Gwaine held a tiny bit of chicken up to Draconis’s lips and the kitten devoured it. “I think he’ll come on missions with us. Train him up as a war cat.”
“A war cat?” Arthur sat down and took his plate away from Gwaine. “What will he ride in the hood of your cloak?”
“Yes, an excellent idea.” Gwaine fed the kitten a bit more chicken. “What do you say Merlin?”
Merlin sat down and the cat hopped from Gwaine to Merlin and began to lick Merlin’s face. “He can also ride in my bag,” he offered.
“Ugh,” Arthur rolled his eyes. “War cat. Stupid.”
“You want one don’t you?” Gwen teased.
“No,” Arthur snapped, “maybe.” He ate. “Gwaine, you’re off on that patrol in two days. Perhaps the war cat stays here with Merlin until it is fully grown?”
“Of course, sire,” Gwaine said. “Two days?”
“Hmm,” Arthur agreed. “Merlin, you need to see to that chain mail.”
“Yes, I know.”
Meant they’d barely have time for each other before Gwaine left. But Arthur knew about them now, and Gwen was smiling at them, seeming waiting for something. Gwaine reached out and pet Draconis who was flopped on Merlin’s shoulder and then he cautiously wrapped his arm around Merlin’s waist. Merlin smiled at him. Who knew when they’d have a lot of time alone again. But now that they were known, they’d at least have a different sort of time.
“I don’t like that,” Arthur waved at them. “It is weird. What are you doing?”
“Touching. Get used to it.”
“No,” Arthur replied.
“Get used to the hugs, or I start sitting in his lap every chance I get. I’ll kiss him all the time,” Merlin warned. “I will start reciting fucking poetry about his perfect nose night and day.”
“Oh, you do have a perfect nose,” Gwen said.
“It’s alright,” Arthur replied and touched his own that had perhaps been broken a time or two. “Fine, two touches a day in my presence.”
“You don’t get to dictate how much I touch the love of my life,” Merlin shouted and the kitten grumbled and hopped down to explore Arthur and Gwen’s rooms. Gwaine watched Merlin and Arthur yell at each other some more and eventually Gwen dismissed them and Gwaine collected Draconis and Merlin and hustled them away. “I can touch you as much as I want,” Merlin grumbled as they went back to Gwaine’s room.
“Yes, you can, for the rest of the night,” Gwaine agreed. “Our last bit of time, likely until I return.”
“Then let’s make the most of it,” Merlin said. They started kissing and had to stop when the kitten jumped and attacked Gwaine’s foot. They laughed and played with the fierce creature until it fell asleep. Gwaine put it in the basket and the two men enjoyed the small bit of time they had together.
It was never enough, could never be enough Merlin.
But it was more than he had ever hoped to have. And he would take it.