Stay With Me

Part 5

Blissful. Calm. Warm. Content. Let's not forget hard and confused. These are all things Merlin is feeling, caught between slumber and awareness. These are things he hasn't felt in so long he can scarcely recall. Well, all except for the hard and confusing part. He doesn't wish to open his eyes yet. It feels awfully perfect. The essence and feel of man and something else familiar assaults his senses. He inhales deeply through his nose and buries it just under his partner's ear. His heated breath and roaming hands make the man beside him writhe. Strong arms hold him tight as his eyes open and his fingers play through the man's soft blonde chest hair. Nuzzling the man's ear, he notices pretty tufts of sun-blonde hair. This is different. He realizes he's dreaming. He knows he is, because it's Arthur, and he's holding him as if he were the most precious thing to him. Waking up can wait for a little while. Or maybe not...

" Merlin... Love... Would it kill you to shave before assaulting my neck?!?" It thrilled Merlin to see and hear his King in such an obnoxious state. This... It was so much better than the nightmares Arthur's death had driven him to endure.

This dream could be entertaining. He batted his lashes, peering under them into Arthur's sea-blue eyes. "Sorry, did I offend your delicate skin, My Lord?" Merlin's body moved instinctively, straddling his prat of a King and basking in the feel of him. The rise and fall of his chest below his attentive fingers felt heavenly. Arthur squeezed Merlin's thighs as he rotated his hips, rubbing his ass into an eagerly awakening cock.

Arthur stammered, "W-Wait... Ah, Merlin ..." Merlin didn't even slow down, and Arthur held him steady as he thrust up, now giving as good as he was getting. Merlin gracefully leaned forward, bracing his hands by Arthur's shoulders, and continued to rock against him. Hot breath and kisses ghosted across Arthur's chest, coming to an unexpected stop right over his heart. Merlin hovered above the scar over Arthur's heart, gawking. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sunlight gleaming off something by his bed. In his half-asleep state, he slowly turned.

Excalibur leaned against the wall, and everything around him became less hazy. His gaze flitted back to the man underneath him, to Arthur. It was then he questioned his sanity.

"Merlin... It's me, Arthur." Panic slammed through the warlock, his breaths coming quicker. He shut his eyes tight and reopened them, struggling to focus. His King and Excalibur remained. Merlin needed to wake up before his heart leaped out of his chest. His usual nightmares were hurtful, but this was torture. He scurried back to his side of the bed on his hands and knees and nearly fell getting off and onto the floor. "Merlin... Calm yourself. I can explain this. Please, Merlin..."

Merlin slammed himself back against the wall as the man pushed the blankets off him and stood, staring. Sliding down the wall, tears spilled down his face, and he could hardly get his breath. Arthur put his hands up and started slowly walking toward him. That was all Merlin's mind could handle. "Percival! Elyan!" The man's eyes widened as he called for them, and he paused where he stood as he heard someone running towards them. Merlin's door flung open and Arthur gasped, looking between them and Merlin. Percival and Elyan froze instantly, but then Percival saw his friend on the floor and went to him, wrapping him up with one arm and lightly touching his cheek with the other hand. Merlin squeezed Percy's arm and glanced between his friend and the man that looked like Arthur. "Do you see him, too?"

"Yes, I do. You need to settle down. Let's get you back on the bed. I've got you...." His legs were unsteady, so Percival took most of his weight and shifted him over to the side of the bed. He scooted to the headboard and pulled Merlin to him, back to front. Merlin leaned into him, squeezing his eyes shut. "Elyan, get him out of here, now. And get everybody over here as quickly as possible." Percival's mind was on Merlin, hugging him close, nuzzling the side of his face with his own, and rubbing his chest rhythmically. He heard Elyan telling Arthur to get dressed and his eyes tracked them out of the room. The man didn't want to leave, couldn't keep his eyes off him holding Merlin, but he eventually agreed, eyes on the floor.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Merlin let out the breath he'd been holding and inhaled through a fresh wave of tears. "Percival... Do you think it's really Arthur?"

He sat up and worked to contain himself, and Percival smiled. "What? Are you frightened I'll kiss you again now that your sweetheart is back?" Merlin glanced at him incredulously and thumped his chest, making his friend's grin wider. "Seriously... I think there's a solid chance that man is our Arthur. Elyan is with him, and I'm sure he's trying to find out the same thing."

Merlin wiped at his eyes and looked away from Percival. "I should be the one doing that. So much for me being the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth, eh?" A slight giggle left him. "Arthur always said I acted like a girl."

Percival rubbed his shoulders comfortingly. "I always thought he was full of it. There's nothing wrong with a male showing emotion." He patted his shoulder and gripped it. "He's not going anywhere. I want you to go shower and get yourself together. If Arthur has come back, you're going to want a clear head. You of all people should be able to tell if that's him."

"You're right. I've hoped and pleaded for him to come back, and now that he might be, I'm terrified. Plus, I just lost my mind right in front of him." Merlin could only shake his head, unbelieving.

"Merlin... I think you took it quite well under the circumstances. You have lived longer than any of us. When we found you, we had been living a whole other life that we'd been born into, again... You... You've lived constantly for over fifteen-hundred years. We only started coming back to you for the last seven. You are the strongest and most brave man I know. This is no time to doubt yourself."

Merlin laid a hand over Percival's and smiled at him. "Thank you. I don't know how I made it so long without you, my friend."

Percival grinned, and his cheeks pinked up at the praise. "Shower. I'm going to check on them and make sure Elyan had the chance to message everyone. He may need some help when Gwen arrives with Lance." He waggled his eyebrows as Merlin hid his amusement with a yawn. He gathered his things and headed to the bathroom as his friend shut the door behind him.