Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Merlin and Gaius carried the last of his belongings up the three flights of stairs to his new dorm room at Wildwood Academy, an elite college in Connecticut for Shifters. He set his burden down, stretching his back and arms. “Phew, I think that’s everything, right?” His mother, Hunith, nodded from her position near the doorway.

“I think so, yes. Now remember, we’re only a phone call away. Or a Skype call.” She was trying to look like her normal, happy self, but her ears drooped and her tail was wagging slowly, like she was missing him already.

Merlin swept her up in another hug—he’d been doing that a lot lately, what with all the emotions when he announced he’d been accepted to Wildwood. No one in Dripping Springs had believed that he’d been accepted into the most prestigious college on the East Coast for Shifters, or that he’d gotten a full ride.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll text you often. I’m sure I’ll make lots of friends here.” Hunith muttered something unintelligible, but it sounded like she said, ‘Don’t get TOO friendly.’ He grinned, a big, goofy grin that made his tail start whipping. “Mom, I’m 18 now. I know how to use protection. I won’t make you a grandma that soon, promise.”

Gaius was the one who spoke up this time. “Now listen, Merlin, study hard. When you graduate, I can introduce you to some people to help you get a job, but I confess I don’t know if they still remember me. The Canid Fellowship has sponsored a lot of people over the years, and many go on to be renowned scientists in many different fields.”

Merlin huffed briefly in annoyance. He’d heard all this before. He appreciated Gaius’ recommendation letter to the Fellowship, but he wanted to make connections on his own merit. “I know, Uncle Gaius. I promise to study hard. Now scoot, you two. I can set things up on my own here.”

Merlin made shooing motions with his hands, ignoring his mom’s pleading look. He didn’t want her hovering over him, and he definitely didn’t need her nitpicking how he set up his half of the room. Gaius didn’t fuss, instead leading Hunith out after saying goodbye one last time.

He glanced at the far side of his dorm room. Seems like his roommate was already moved in. It was all very fancy, too. He had expensive-looking sheets, a heavy wooden desk instead of the standard crappy press-wood desk that came with the room, and his minifridge had a glass door that revealed—good God, was that Fiji Water? Who was this kid, some trust fund baby?

Merlin went back to his side and started unpacking. First he made the bed, blushing a little at the maroon sheets with a repeating pattern of Texas in white outline. He had bought them years ago in high school because they matched the school colors for Dripping Springs High, home of the Mighty Tigers! Well, his mom bought them, but he picked them out.

Merlin sighed. He missed home, even though his cousins drove him crazy. A dozen of them, all but two of them girls, and he was the oldest boy cousin. Which meant he got to be a babysitter for the younger kids.

But at least it kept things interesting, and he was going to have a hard time adjusting to sleeping alone. Back home he shared a room with his two younger cousins Elijah and Will, since they were the only boys, and they usually slept so close to Merlin they were practically on top of him. A ‘puppy pile’, their little joke because they were all Dog shifters.

Still, the silence would be nice. He wasn’t used to the quiet he’d experienced since landing at the Hartford airport. The trip from Austin to Hartford had been long and stressful, especially because it meant being around humans.

There were just as many humans as there were Shifters, but the two groups tended to segregate themselves for the most part. Some places, like museums, airports, and so on, were integrated by law. But schools and colleges were pretty much all segregated. Not because of prejudice, but because it was safer that way. Shifters, especially teenage Shifters, could be a HUGE handful and possibly even dangerous to a human, so most modern governments had separate schools of all levels for the two groups.

Shifter colleges had academic courses, just like human colleges, but they also had other courses specific to Shifters. Biology and Anatomy classes focused on Shifters, History tended to cover the history of humans and Shifters, including the many wars that had led to the uneasy peace they now enjoyed, and so on. There were also mandatory courses that were unique, like Animal Communication or Therian Laws.

Government was divided, so there were laws that regulated humans, and laws that were specific to Shifters. The Therian Congress passed laws that were unique to Shifters at the federal, state, and even local level. There was even a Therian President who had exclusive jurisdiction over all Shifters.

 For example, Shifters were required to register their species by the age of 5 and it was listed on all important documents. They could marry anyone they wanted, even humans, but it was a crime in America to trick them by shifting into a fully human form. Most Shifters preferred the hybrid form, displaying their ears and tails out of pride or necessity, not wanting to be mistaken for a human.

Some Shifters went further and wore collars with tags, separating themselves even more from humans. Some said that Shifters and humans shouldn’t share the same lands, but so far that was just a few radical fringe groups. In other words, while the two groups shared spaces and cities, they lived alongside one another and stayed apart…for the most part.

Merlin finished making his bed and set up his desk, then started unpacking his clothes. His top drawer were his jockstraps and socks. Below that were his shirts, and the bottom drawer were his pants. He hung his dress clothes and hoodies in the small closet on his side of the room, noting that his roommate had his own closet that was full of very plain, but probably expensive, clothes.

Just as he was starting to settle down for a nap—he’d been up for a long time now, not to mention the stress of an airport had worn him out, so he unpacked the basics and decided to unpack everything else later—when he heard the knob rattling. It opened, and in walked two young men so similar that they could be brothers.

The one who opened the door was in the middle of saying, “—I told you, I don’t know who my—oh, he’s here. Hey, man, didn’t know you were here already.” He was tall, almost as tall as Merlin, so about 5’ 8” tall. He had platinum blonde hair and cream-colored fur on his ears and tail, but they had dark brown tips. His eyes were golden slits that were fixed on Merlin now, taking in the sight before him.

Merlin had laid down on the bed, still fully clothed, but he was, ah, a bit indisposed. His pants were bulging a little, and the longer the two young men stood in the door, the thicker that bulge got. A scent drifted towards him, one that set his blood on fire and made him want to rut shamelessly on someone’s leg.

The other young man, who had the same face and gold eyes, but silvery fur on his ears and tail, seemed similarly affected. His slitted pupils were dilated, just a hint, and his tail was wrapped around his waist. Merlin noted it was significantly longer than the one in front; maybe he was a hybrid, like Merlin?

Oh, and it was clear they were both cats. Great. Just what he needed, a roommate whose species hated him the most.

He put on his best smile and stood up, trying to act like he didn’t have a raging boner in his pants. “Hey, I’m Merlin Emerson, nice to meet you. You must be my roommate.” The cat stuck one hand out, almost reluctantly, and shook Merlin’s proffered hand.

“Lance Dubois, Maine Coon Shifter. This is my cousin Arthur Pendragon, also a Maine Coon Shifter. What about you?” Merlin noted two things at the same time: Arthur’s pupils were almost completely round now, his ears flat against his skull, and that scent was coming from him.

It was sharp now. Sweet and spicy, a temptation that made him drool with need. He suppressed a whine and shook Arthur’s hand, noting the way his skin prickled against his own. Glancing down, he saw that Arthur’s hand was a paw now. Merlin raised one eyebrow, a silent question on his face.

Arthur blushed, then snapped, “Something for you, Dog?” Merlin’s grin was practically feral; Arthur was vibrating subtly, and he seemed to be struggling to hold himself back. Merlin let go of his paw, though, and took a huge step back. “We’ll….ah, give you some space. I’ll…come back later.”

Lance and Arthur beat a hasty retreat, closing the door behind them and leaving Merlin alone in his room with a raging boner and a huge helping of hormones. He was sure they’d noticed his need, and he was hoping he hadn’t given off too many pheromones in such a brief time.

He sank back down to the bed wearily. Of all times, why now? Why him? A cat and dog? Could that even work? He shook off that thought. Maybe he was just horny from being tired…yeah, that was it. And there was only one way to fix that…

Merlin sighed deeply, but he unzipped his jeans and jocks and shoved them down past his thighs, not bothering to remove them fully. He wanted this over as fast as possible. Besides, he didn’t know how long the two cats would be gone.

Merlin hitched up his shirt, then pulled it over his head so that it was still on, but out of his way, and he started to stroke his long, hard cock. He usually used his right hand, since it was his dominant hand, but on a whim he sniffed it first. It was covered in that sweet, spicy scent and it made his blood boil all over, sending him into overdrive.

He used his left hand to stroke while keeping his right near his nose, occasionally sniffing it. The hormones were so strong now he felt like his brain might short-circuit permanently. His huge knot was swelling rapidly now while a familiar pressure began to swirl in his abdomen.

Merlin gritted his teeth, a low growl slipping from his throat as he imagined that cat-boy naked, his ass bouncing on his cock while he moaned and purred....such a pretty kitty he was, Merlin wanted to rut him into the ground and make him walk funny for days.

Finally he reached his breaking point and his load squirted out, ropes of cum splashing over his chest and bed. Damn, now he would have to wash the covers....and he needed a shower for sure.

Merlin stripped the cover off his bed and tossed it on the floor. He’d deal with that later. Right now he needed a shower, badly, before that Lance guy came back and smelled this mess. Fortunately Wildwood Academy wasn’t like those barbaric human colleges and had private bathrooms in each dorm room. They were tiny, just a simple shower cubicle, a toilet, and a sink, but it was private, and that was what mattered right now.

Merlin shed his clothes, tossing them into his laundry hamper as he made a beeline for the shower. He stopped when he remembered that he needed his shampoo and soap. He cursed under his breath; he hadn’t unpacked that box yet, telling himself he wouldn’t need it until later that day.

He walked back to the pile of unpacked boxes and was searching for the one that had his bathroom supplies in it when the door opened without any warning. No knock, no rattling knob. It swung open to reveal....Merlin heaved a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Lance, no Arthur in sight.

Then he realized he was naked, bent over and digging through a pile of boxes. “This isn’t what it looks like—I....” he began, but the Cat Shifter just laughed, covering his eyes as he came in and shut the door. “I’m just...I need a shower!”

Lance was howling with laughter now. “Chill, bro, I know. I can smell you from here. Let me guess....Arthur got you all riled up? Got your hackles raised, so you needed a release?”

Merlin heaved a sigh. That must have been why he got so hard so fast. Yeah, that was it. He wasn’t attracted to Arthur...he just didn’t like arrogant asshole cats. “Yeah, something like that. Sorry about this. I’ll...just grab a jock and shorts...oh, where’s my towel…ah! Uh...be back in a bit.”

Lance chuckled again, now sitting on his bed with his eyes shut as Merlin walked past him, headed back to the shower after finally locating his soap, shampoo, towel, and loofa (growing up with mostly females, he’d learned at an early age that proper loofas were essential for exfoliating skin—all his male classmates couldn’t believe how smooth his skin was). Merlin shut the bathroom door gingerly, then locked it.

He didn’t hear any movements in the room, so he turned on the water. Now even a Cat shifter should have trouble hearing him. That was good, because he wasn’t sure he could hold it back any longer....he knew deep down he couldn’t deny it.

That scent was unmistakable; it hadn’t been that long since Shifter Sex Ed class in high school, and he knew that mates could smell a certain scent. It was usually described as sweet and spicy, sometimes earthy, and it only got stronger once the mating was completed.

Merlin lifted his right hand to his nose once again; that sweet, spicy scent make his limp cock stir with desire once again. “Fuck...he’s my mate.” Merlin whispered to himself. He hoped Lance was decent enough to be ignoring him.

Merlin let that sink in for a moment, and then he stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash all thoughts away. It felt wrong, washing that hand, though it shouldn’t have. But it wouldn’t do for him to be turned on all day; he still needed to unpack, and then he had to go check on his class schedules, he wanted to meet his professors...he had so many things to do still.

When he felt like he’d washed off most of the sex pheromones,  Merlin toweled himself dry and dressed in a fresh pair of jocks and a set of basketball shorts. It was still warm enough that he didn’t really need pants yet, but it was likely to get cold soon this far north. He needed to get a job so he could expand his pitifully small winter wardrobe.

He opened the door and stepped out. Lance was still there, but he was at his desk now, his laptop open and earbuds in. He must have heard Merlin, though, because he took out the left earbud and swiveled in his seat.

“Oh! You’re done. Good, I need to piss. Feeling better?” Merlin growled at the cat. How dare he...was he implying he knew what Merlin was going through? “Back off, kitty. I don’t need your advice.”

Lance held up his hands in surrender. “Whoa, man, no hate here. I don’t discriminate against Dogs just cause I’m a Cat. And neither does my cousin, for that matter...for other reasons.” Lance winked at Merlin, and something about what he said made Merlin blush.

He hurriedly dressed, pulling on a shirt and sitting on the bed to pull on fresh socks. “What are you, my therapist? I thought you needed to piss.” Lance laughed again but went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Merlin thought about what he’d said though. If Arthur didn’t have a problem with Dogs, why was he so mean earlier? I mean, he said just the one thing, but he’d come across as super pissy and tense. Maybe he was just as confused as Merlin was and didn’t want to look needy in front of a Dog?

He heard the toilet flushing, so he quickly put his shoes on and started unpacking again. When Lance emerged, he had a serious expression on his face. “Look. Can we talk? Just…hear me out, ok?” He waited for Merlin’s response. Merlin paused his unpacking frenzy, glared at the Cat, then sighed. “Fine. Shoot.”

Lance’s ear flicked a little, but his tail stopped swishing nervously. “Good. Now. Be cool about this, ok? I think…I think you’re Arthur’s mate.” Merlin froze, unable to breathe now. Lance kept talking, seemingly oblivious to Merlin’s racing mind. “When he saw you…yeah, he can be an ass, but he’s only rude when he’s stressed. It’s a defense mechanism. When we left, we went back to his room and I could just tell he wasn’t really himself. He was purring. Sniffing his hand, rubbing his face on it…”

Merlin blushed bright red at that, finding his voice at last. “I…think you’re right. God, this is awkward.” Both boys laughed weakly as they stared at one another across the room. It was Merlin who broke the silence. “So…what now?”

Lance blinked, stunned. “You….you mate. Mark him. Make him yours. Fighting a mating bond only hurts both of you. I should know….” He didn’t elaborate and Merlin didn’t ask. Some things were best left unsaid. But how could he claim someone he didn’t know?

Lance must have guessed what he was thinking; his expression twisted into a wry grin. “Don’t worry, I got you man. Today isn’t the best time for it, though, not when everyone’s still getting settled. Meet me tomorrow in the student center. There’s a lounge area, I’ll be there around 10 tomorrow with a few others. And Arthur.”

Merlin blinked in confusion. Was this...cat trying to be his wingman? He was genuinely touched. “Thanks, Lance. By the way, where’s Arthur now?” Lance chuckled again, but it was a nervous chuckle, not a humorous one. Merlin growled; Lance swallowed, then blurted out, “He’s...chasing deer.”

It was so unexpected, Merlin had to laugh. “Deer? Like, normal deer? What, did he go full beast?”

“He does it whenever he gets too horny. It helps him burn off that energy, and then he comes back and...well, what you did.” Merlin’s face was burning again, but he ignored it for now. “I guess he is a cat. Apex predator and all that.”

Lance’s humor was back now. “Yeah, no kidding. Just…let him take charge at first, and when he pounces...well, good luck with that. Once he lets his walls down, he’ll probably let you claim him. His bark is worse than his bite.” He pressed his lips together, shaking with silent laughter at the unintentional pun. Merlin didn’t think it was that funny, so he growled once again, stalking to his desk and opening his laptop. That just made Lance laugh harder.

He managed to check his class schedule, checked his professor’s office hours, and scrounged up an early dinner in the dormitory lounge before he decided to just call it a night. He trudged back up to his room, changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed. Lance was awake, studying something at his desk, but he didn’t comment on Merlin going to bed early.

The next morning, Merlin found a small box on his desk from Lance. Inside was a bottle of cologne. The small glass bottle, only 100mL, was made from a dark brown glass and stamped with a brand logo he didn’t recognize, Creed. Below the embossed logo, which he noted was a part of the glass, was gold letters that spelled out the fragrance’s name: Oud Zarian.

“What an odd name.” He muttered. Beside the box was a note, hastily scribbled on a scrap of paper. It read:

                Merlin,

This is Arthur’s favorite scent. I would suggest wearing it this morning. Don’t overdo it, just a couple sprays at the base of your neck and one on each wrist will be enough. Wear something nice, but casual. Just don’t be late!

It was signed with a looping signature so fancy Merlin knew he’d spent a long time practicing it: Lance Dubois. Merlin frowned slightly, but he did as Lance suggested and picked out something nice to wear.

First, though, he hopped in the shower to freshen up. Once done, he dressed in his best jeans, a plain black t-shirt that was one size too small and showed off his chest and abs, and then he sprayed two quick squirts at the base of his neck, right where the heat was the strongest.

One spray went on each wrist and then he put the cologne away. He made a mental note to thank Lance later and ask him where to get more of it. He checked the time; it was only 9 o’clock. He had a whole hour to prepare himself to meet Arthur properly.

He decided to just dive into his textbooks, cracking open his Biology textbook and reading for about 45 minutes. When it was almost time for him to leave he brushed his hair, made sure his clothes weren’t too wrinkled, and left the room, making sure to lock the door behind him. He started making his way to the Student Center where Lance would be waiting, along with Arthur and the other people he’d mentioned.

With every step he took, he grew both anxious and excited. His tail was beating a steady tattoo behind him, his heart thudding in his chest. A lump of worry seemed to have lodged itself permanently in his chest. Would Arthur reject him? What if he didn’t, but he didn’t want Merlin? It wasn’t like Merlin was just a Lab shifter, after all. Would Arthur even be a good fit?

He shook those thoughts off. He wouldn’t have smelled the mate scent if they weren’t good matches. He focused on his task: just a simple meeting, no pressure. No rush to claim anyone or be claimed. Just a casual meeting with new friends, that was all. He could handle that, no problem.

Right?

Chapter Text

“There he is! Merlin, over here!”

A familiar voice echoed across the large central room of the Student Center. Merlin’s ears perked up instinctively, though he winced at the echoes. Sometimes having sensitive hearing wasn’t a good thing.

He found Lance across the room, sitting on a chair that was part of a group of squashy armchairs and a couple couches, clustered around a coffee table. The table was piled high with bags, a couple laptops, and various snacks and drinks already. Just another typical college study session with typical college student.

Merlin snorted at that thought. This was far from a typical study session and he knew it. He noticed there were three others already seated with Lance and Arthur, who he noted was stretched out on one couch, taking up all the space like the selfish cat he was.

Merlin picked his way across the room, dodging students, tables, and chairs until he was standing next to Lance. “Everyone, this is Merlin, uh…what was your last name again?” Lance glanced at Merlin for help.

“Oh, sorry. Merlin Emerson. I’m a Lab Shifter….well, at least on my mom’s side anyways.” He clapped his mouth shut before he said anything else. He didn’t mean to say that! What was he thinking?!

One of the two girls, a pretty girl with pale, fair skin and raven-black hair leaned forward in her chair. “Oh? And on your dad’s side?” Her ears were a bright red, but he’d never seen those ears before so he didn’t know what kind of shifter she was. She noticed him staring and grinned wryly at him. “I’m Morgana Lafayette. I’m a Red Fox Shifter. I’ve known these two—” she pointed at Lance and Arthur, who had sat up as soon as he noticed Merlin, “—since they were kittens. Our parents get together a lot. Anyways, you were saying about your dad….”

Her voice trailed off as everyone leaned forward expectantly. Merlin sighed and dropped into an open seat on the couch next to the other girl. She had lighter black skin and brown hair and cat ears, though he didn’t recognize her breed. He sighed again and finally said the truth, slowly, like it was painful. “My dad is…a Wolf. An Alpha.”

Everyone froze, holding their breaths. Wolves were considered some of the most dangerous and violent of all Therians, and were the most opposed to integrating with humans. To many wolves, humans were an inferior species and should be hunted like prey, not treated as equals.

They were bigger than other Shifters, stronger, and had short tempers. But they were fiercely loyal to their families and pack, often mating for life. It was rare for a Wolf to mate with anyone but another Wolf, so there weren’t a lot of Wolf hybrids out there.

“Damn, no wonder you’re so big.” Lance muttered, breaking the tension. Merlin chuckled weakly. Thank God. At least one of them wasn’t afraid of him. The others…he scanned their small group. Arthur was staring at Merlin like a man on fire, his gaze fixed firmly on the large chest conveniently on display underneath the too-tight shirt.

Merlin smirked; Arthur’s pupils were wide open again, and he could hear him purring from over here. He glanced at the girl next to him; she seemed a bit shaken, but her smile seemed genuine. He extended one hand to her silently. “Hi.” He prompted her, gripping her small, delicate hand.

“Hi.”

“What’s your name?”

“Oh! Uh…Gwendolyn Thompson. My dad owns Thompson Tool and Die, but you’ve probably never heard of that. I’m a Ragdoll Shifter, I take after my dad. Mom was just a plain old Tabby, nothing special.” She realized she’d been holding Merlin’s hand for a while and let go quickly.

Merlin smiled at her warmly, then leaned over to shake hands with Morgana. “Welcome to the pack.” She smiled at him, a friendly smile with real warmth and humor. She didn’t seem disturbed by his revelation.

“Arthur, quit being a brat and greet Merlin.” Lance prompted his cousin. Arthur unfroze and, rising smoothly from his seat, he stalked around the table to tower over Merlin. He extended one hand to Merlin.

Merlin eyed the hand, then stood up. That forced Arthur to take a couple steps back. Now Merlin was towering over Arthur; at 18 he was already 6 and a half feet and still growing. He gripped Arthur’s hand, trying vainly to ignore the pungent odor he’d smelled yesterday.

It rose in clouds all around the two young men, and soon the others noticed the effects. Neither of them had said a word, but they were gazing at one another. Not glaring, it was softer than that. Merlin was staring at Arthur, trying to really see him, past the arrogance and to his heart.

“Arthur Pendragon.” A voice, surprisingly rough for such a beautiful creature, broke the silence. Merlin realized it was Arthur’s voice. “Merlin Emerson.” The two young men let go, but didn’t back away.

Arthur leaned closer, hesitated, then sniffed once at Merlin’s broad chest. He leaned up, standing on his toes and sniffed again at Merlin’s neck. He narrowed his eyes, his pupils so wide now he almost didn’t have irises. “You’re wearing Oud Zarian. You can’t afford that. Who gave it to you?”

“Arthur…” Lance interrupted, but Arthur whipped around to glare at his cousin. The glare was enough to silence him, and Arthur returned his gaze to Merlin, waiting for a response.

Merlin collected his scattered thoughts enough to say, “It was a gift from a friend. Got a problem with that…kitty?” The nickname had a profound effect on the Cat; he hissed at Merlin, his tail whipping behind him dangerously, its fur now poofed out to nearly twice its size.

“WHAT….did you call me?” Arthur leaned up to glare at Merlin, eye to eye.

Merlin laid one hand on Arthur’s chest, pressing gently back to get him out of his face. “I said, got a problem with that, kitty? Do I not smell good enough for you?”

Arthur’s ears were flat against his skull now, but his glare had softened somewhat. Merlin knew why, too; it was because Merlin was touching him. He ran one hand down the smaller man’s chest, noting the way he shivered at the touch.

Then the anger returned; Arthur got in Merlin’s face again. “Hands off, puppy. I’m not your boy-toy.”

Merlin grinned ferally, then delivered the final line of truth. “Then why are you so hard…mate.” He said the last word softly so that only Arthur could hear him. He wasn’t lying either; Arthur was rock-hard now, but Merlin was too. This closeness could only go one of two ways, a fight or fucking. Maybe both. Merlin saw his mate’s eyes grow wide with recognition, and then Merlin did the dumbest thing ever.

Arthur was still in his face, still hissing, but his lips were inches away…so he kissed him. Merlin pulled Arthur closer, cupping his jaw with his right hand and resting his left on Arthur’s lower back.

To his surprise, Arthur didn’t resist; instead he seemed to melt into the kiss, deepening it and leaning even more into Merlin. He rutted against Merlin’s body, almost reflexively it seemed.

 Arthur’s tongue traced along Merlin’s lower lip, seeking entrance into his mouth. Merlin couldn’t resist smiling, but he pressed his lips to Arthur’s even tighter, denying entry. He did, however, lower his left hand to grip Arthur’s small, but surprisingly firm, ass.

It was a timeless moment, a small eternity with just him and Arthur. He didn’t care that it was public. He didn’t care that Arthur would probably kill him for this. If he was a doomed man he wanted to die happy, so he was going to enjoy this moment while he could.

Finally Arthur came to his senses. His eyes fluttered open and he pulled away then stepped back in horror. “You…you…and….wha….”

He seemed to be at a loss for words, so Merlin, grinning from ear to ear now, said, “Yup, pretty much. Wanna go…discuss it? Privately?” Merlin was suddenly aware that there were four sets of eyes on them, and all of them were stunned into silence.

Merlin could tell that Arthur had a certain image just from the way he carried himself. He projected a cool, athletic, tough-guy image. Probably pretended to be straight, but obviously the boy wasn’t. He was too…put together. Even for a rich kid, Arthur was very nicely dressed.

Arthur grabbed Merlin’s wrist and dragged him away, muttering to himself while Lance and the others finally snapped out of their stupor and started to laugh. Merlin’s ears and face were turning pink, and a hot blush was swamping Arthur’s neck. “Stupid mutt, get in.”

Arthur shoved him into the nearest restroom and slammed the door shut. It was a single-occupant restroom, so it could be locked. Arthur turned the bolt and faced Merlin, his chest heaving and his gold eyes murderous.

“You…you ass, why did you kiss me?”

Merlin blinked slowly, collecting his thoughts. It was hard to focus when he was so close to Arthur, his scent drifting all around him and that sweet, spicy mate scent underneath it all. “You liked it, right?” He pressed a kiss to Arthur’s neck, nibbling gently on the skin of his neck.

Arthur moaned quietly. “Fuck….yes. Don’t think this can become a…habit, Dog. We can never, ever, be together.”

Merlin froze, stiffening with sudden anger. “Why?” he asked, his voice tight with anger now. “Because I said so!” Arthur snapped back. “My parents don’t….they’d never…fuck it. You wouldn’t understand.”

Merlin’s gaze softened. “I do, more than you know. I’ll tell you later, but right now…I need you. Please, Arthur. Mate me, please, make me yours…claim me...” He hated how he sounded like a needy puppy, but he wanted Arthur badly. He couldn’t resist him, not with his scent right here, so strong in the confines of the small bathroom they were locked in.

Arthur’s pupils dilated even more and his instincts kicked in. Their lips crashed together again, more hungrily now. Arthur’s lips broke away first as he mouthed at Merlin’s sculpted jaws, then his neck.

 He found the exact spot that Merlin had sprayed perfume on and sank his teeth in, his sharp fangs not quite breaking the skin. Not yet. Merlin wanted him to mark him, to initiate the bond, but he knew deep down it was too soon. They were still strangers right now, and this wasn’t the place or time.

Arthur moved back to Merlin’s face and kissed him deeply. Merlin let Arthur’s tongue in this time and met it with his own as their hands started flying to remove their clothing as fast as possible. Shirts were ripped off over heads, pants were shoved down around ankles, and Merlin found himself pressed up against the wall with Arthur on his knees in front of him. He didn’t remember if he’d asked for this or if Arthur had suggested it, but he knew that they both agreed.

Arthur licked Merlin’s dick, gazing up at him softly. “Fuck, kitty…yes, like that…” Arthur purred at the praise, then let his mouth sink onto Merlin’s cock. Merlin groaned, his head bumping the wall behind him as the warm mouth enveloped his cock like a sleeve.

Merlin tangled his fingers in Arthur’s platinum blonde hair, guiding his pace without being too forceful. Arthur gripped Merlin’s hips, letting his claws sink in just a little. That seemed to add to the pleasure, sending Merlin cascading over the edge. He’d been close already, but that was the last straw. “Fuck, kitty, I’m gonna…”

That was all the warning Arthur got as his knot swelled to its impressive size in Arthur’s mouth, his cheeks bulging as he gagged on the huge jets of cum shooting down his throat. He rode it out wonderfully, like he’d been taking Dog dick his whole life, and when Merlin was spent he coughed, swallowed, then gingerly extracted himself off of the still-swollen knot. Impressive, considering his knot was the size of a baseball.

Merlin stared in disbelief at Arthur. He…he’d swallowed it all. Every drop. Then he noticed a small bit on Arthur’s lips. Grinning, he pulled Arthur back up to him and kissed him, swiping his tongue over Arthur’s lips to taste himself. It was an amazing taste, salty and thick; he’d never tasted his own cum but he’d always been curious about it. Arthur melted into the kiss, all fight gone now.

He whispered to Arthur, “Let me do you…please.” Arthur hesitated, and something about the look he gave Merlin made him think he’d touched a sore spot somehow. Then Arthur nodded, just once. “Can I…suck you?”

Arthur hesitated again, then nodded again. Merlin grinned in triumph, then began to pepper Arthur’s face with kisses. He kissed his cheeks, noting the day-old stubble. He pressed his lips to Arthur’s neck, seeking the point with the most heat. He found it halfway down Arthur’s neck.

His instincts were telling him to mark Arthur, to give him a mate mark like he wanted to, but he resisted those urges and simply nibbled at the spot, enough that it would turn red. He wanted everyone to know that Arthur was taken. He was sure he had a matching mark on him, he could almost feel it burning on his unbroken skin.

He trailed kisses down Arthur’s chest, swirling his tongue around his nipples and drawing moans from the cat. He was vibrating now, a low purr that was barely audible, a melodic backdrop to this lust-filled moment.

Finally Merlin reached his goal, Arthur’s throbbing dick. It was surprisingly big, for a cat that is. Not that Merlin had seen a lot of cat dicks, but he was here to study biology and Gaius was a doctor. There were a lot of textbooks with pictures at Gaius’ house, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d ‘borrowed’ some of Gaius’ old textbooks for his…private use. He always returned them and Gaius never questioned it.

Arthur had small spikes on his dick, just like Merlin had expected, but he had something else too; at the base of his dick was a slightly swollen lumpy gland, one that Merlin knew too well. How…how was that possible? He knew a limp knot when he saw one.

Merlin shot a glance at Arthur, a questioning look on his face. Arthur glanced down, then shook his head. “Just…not now. Need….please, Merlin….”Merlin didn’t wait any longer and wrapped his mouth around Arthur’s dick.

The spines, which were small, caught on his cheeks every time he pulled back, but Merlin didn’t mind. It wasn’t painful, more like a light scraping than anything painful. They weren’t big, maybe a millimeter long or so. Merlin knew they were keratin, same as claws and fingernails, so it wasn’t unbearable.

Arthur began to moan now, his purring getting louder as his tail wrapped around Merlin’s waist possessively. Merlin sucked harder, swirling his tongue around the thick shaft. Arthur’s fingers were digging into Merlin’s shoulders, his claws pressing on the exposed skin but not breaking it.

“Fuck…yes…keep going…” Merlin hummed happily, pleased that Arthur was liking this. He could feel all the tension in his body draining away, undone by Merlin’s mouth on his dick.

Then with no warning Arthur turned almost feral. He took control and started to pound into Merlin’s mouth, his hands gripping tightly on Merlin’s shoulders. Merlin relaxed his throat and let Arthur do as he pleased, and in a short minute Arthur thrust deeply, seating himself so far into Merlin that he could feel his dick tickling the back of his throat.

At the same time Merlin felt that knot expanding, filling up his mouth and cutting off most of his air. He sucked in a breath through his nose and let it happen; when it was fully swelled, Arthur’s cock began to spasm and shot thick streams of cum down his throat.

Merlin swallowed once, and then again. Finally Arthur stopped squirting and Merlin swallowed the last of the cum. Then he began extracting himself from Arthur’s knot, which was an impressive size considering it was on a Cat shifter.

Finally, with a bit of tugging on both their parts and lots of laughing from Arthur at his predicament, Merlin was able to extract his mouth from Arthur’s cock. He glared at Arthur, who was chuckling still at Merlin’s expression as he worked his jaw; it was sore now after being stretched too far to get around that knot.

 He wasn’t sure how Arthur had made it look so easy; maybe he’d been with a Dog before? The thought made him jealous, but he clamped down on that. The past didn’t matter now, just the future.

He got back on his feet and pulled Arthur towards him, kissing him again. Then Arthur backed him against the far wall and they leaned against it, just enjoying each other’s company. Merlin breathed in Arthur’s scent, memorizing it and the mate scent. It was stronger now, but he suspected that was only temporary; it wouldn’t last unless they both made full marks on one another to seal the bond.

Arthur just rested against Merlin, nuzzling his chest and purring still. It felt nice; no, more than that, it felt right. Natural. Like they were made for each other somehow, designed to fit perfectly together.

He didn’t want to break the silence, but he felt compelled to say something. He cleared his throat, getting Arthur’s attention. “So….what now?” Arthur fixed him with his amber eyes, the pupils still half-dilated.

Arthur sighed. “Now…I don’t know. Hell. You…and I, we’re…well.”

Merlin chuckled. “This isn’t what I expected either. Arthur, I don’t know you, really, but I want to. Whatever’s holding you back, whether it’s family, friends, or something else, at the end of the day, you’re my future mate. I’ll support you no matter what. Trust me…trust us.” He stroked Arthur’s face, cupping his cheek gently and drawing him in for another kiss.

Arthur’s body had gone rigid when he’d started to speak, but it was slowly relaxing again. Not as much as before, when he’d been enjoying Merlin’s mouth, but it wasn’t stiff anymore. Arthur sighed into their kiss, then pulled away a moment later.

“Fine.” His voice was a little flat, but his gaze was warm and he had a smile. “I’ll let this play out…but I’m not sacrificing my education. I have to graduate.” He said it with such certainty that Merlin could tell there was a whole world of backstory behind that simple statement.

Part of him wanted to know more, but he wisely decided not to press his luck. Instead he nodded once. “I understand. I’m the same way, too. But…I don’t think I can room with your cousin.”

Arthur seemed startled when Merlin said that. “What do you mean?”

Merlin rolled his eyes, standing up fully and starting to fix his clothes. Arthur copied him. “I mean, I don’t think I can keep sharing a room with your cousin. No offense, but I don’t think he’ll appreciate it when you start spending the night, kitty.”

Arthur’s cat ears flicked in annoyance at being called ‘kitty’, but he didn’t protest. Merlin smugly noted that, filing it away along with other things like how Arthur smelled, how his eyes scrunched up when he was thinking, as he was now.

“I think I can solve that problem, but it won’t be immediate. For now, you’ll have to bear with it. Is it Lance, or are you just afraid he’ll smell us?”

Merlin blinked twice, then answered, “Uh…the second reason. I don’t wanna make him uncomfortable…I don’t know anything about him, but something he said yesterday makes me thing that mate bonds are a touchy subject for him…”

Arthur’s eyes grew wide, like he was suddenly remembering something important. “Oh shit.” He muttered. “I forgot…yeah, you’re right. You can’t stay with him for long. Besides, I’d rather keep you close to me. Cats tend to be possessive of their territory.” He rested one hand on Merlin’s chest, warmth radiating from that one spot to fill Merlin’s chest as Arthur let his claws slide out once more.

Merlin covered it with his own, feeling those claws digging into his skin. He didn’t wince, and he didn’t retaliate by flexing his own claws. “Ok. We’ll figure it out together. For now, we should probably get back to your friends. I’m sure they’re waiting for an explanation. I mean, we kinda made out in front of them with no warning.”

Arthur’s cat ears swiveled towards Merlin and he went rigid again. There was a beat of silence, then he spoke. “…Yeah, they’re probably gonna want an explanation. Fuck. I hope my parents don’t hear about it…before I tell them myself, that is.”

Merlin nearly asked what was such a big deal about his parents knowing, but he stopped when he remembered how his small town had reacted when he’d been forcibly outed. Maybe Arthur hadn’t said anything for fear of the same reaction?

He didn’t know, but he did know he would support his future mate. That was his responsibility now, even though they weren’t fully bonded; mates supported one another, end of story. His mom had raised him and she…had her own story about being betrayed by a mate, and he’d vowed as a young boy that he would never betray his mate if he met them.

The two young men made themselves as presentable as possible, although Arthur insisted on biting Merlin’s neck again, this time leaving a red mark that would leave no room for doubt. Merlin shook with laughter the whole time, his eyes blazing with humor as Arthur chewed on the skin to make sure it would be visible.

“What?” Arthur demanded. “Nothing.” Merlin responded, ruffling Arthur’s hair and ears. To his surprise Arthur nuzzled him affectionately. “Aww, does the pretty kitty want to be petted?”

Arthur froze, then glared at Merlin with ice-cold eyes. “Don’t…call me that. At least…not in public. Only you can call me ‘pretty kitty’.” Merlin grinned, but agreed. “Pretty kitty,” he murmured, one last time, before he unlocked the bathroom door and let them both out to rejoin the group of Arthur’s friends.

Chapter Text

Merlin and Arthur rejoined the small group of friends, walking side by side and brushing up against one another. To the casual observer it would seem they were just two friends who didn’t mind being so close they were sharing the same air, practically.

Of course, the four people waiting for them could hardly be called ‘casual observers’. Four pairs of eyes spotted them at the same time, and four sets of therian ears pivoted towards them, straining to catch any conversation.

Merlin sighed internally; it was to be expected. From what he could tell, at least two of them, maybe three, already knew Arthur. They both smelled like sex and hormones, and he could smell Arthur on himself. Not that he minded, but it was a dead giveaway to anyone else.

The two young men, by unspoken agreement, both sat on the couch that Arthur had originally occupied. Merlin sat first and Arthur plopped down to his left, picking up a textbook and leaning against Merlin to read like this was totally normal. He leaned against Merlin’s left shoulder and threw his feet over the end of the couch, settling into comfortable position.

Merlin, of course, didn’t have anything to study. He hadn’t brought his books because he hadn’t thought he would need them. Now he was wishing he had them, since all four therians were staring at him, waiting for an explanation.

Merlin sighed, then decided to just say it. “Arthur and I are together now. He’s my mate, or he will be in the future.” There was a beat of silence; four sets of lungs inhaled, and beside him Arthur tensed up as his tail instinctively wrapped around Merlin’s waist.

Merlin petted the tail with his right hand, enjoying the softness of the fur. He draped his left arm over Arthur’s chest and let it rest there; Arthur clutched it with one hand, holding on like his life depended on it.

Arthur leaned closer and started purring again, but he kept reading and didn’t comment on Merlin’s statement or actions. Either he didn’t care to explain or he was trusting Merlin to only say what was needed.

It was Lance who spoke first. “About damn time you settled down, cuz.” Arthur hissed playfully at Lance, aiming a glare at him but not saying anything. That made everyone laugh and the silence broke as everyone started to congratulate them.

Morgana wanted to know everything about Merlin now. Who was his mother, where was he from, had he met his dad, and more. Gwen was mostly silent, but from her knowing gaze Merlin knew she had questions, she was just choosing to wait until later to ask. Merlin answered Morgana’s questions as best he could without going into too many details, and she seemed to accept that. After all, they had only met today.

The fourth person introduced himself as Leon Corbin, a Bobcat Shifter from southern Ohio. He had got in on a basketball scholarship and would be on the team along with Arthur. He was also Arthur’s roommate. Merlin glanced at Arthur, stunned to hear that news. “You play basketball?”

Arthur’s distracted response, the first thing he’d said since sitting down, was a simple, “I’m a Cat, Merlin. What did you expect?” Merlin had to admit it made sense; most Shifter basketball teams were made of either Cats, Rabbits, or other therians naturally gifted with either height or leaping abilities.

That got another laugh from the group and everyone settled in for the time being, consumed with their own studies. Merlin, having nothing else to do, pulled out his phone and checked to see if he had any missed texts.

He did, one from Gaius and four from his mother. He checked Gaius’ first. It was long, with several paragraphs. It read:

Merlin, I trust that you’re making friends already. I know classes don’t start until next week, but I would suggest getting a head start on your textbook reading. Wildwood Academy is famous for its academic rigor, and those who don’t apply themselves properly don’t last long.

Your mother and I will be leaving this afternoon and returning home. I will let you know when we land in San Antonio and when we get back to Dripping Springs. Something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Merlin, is that I have had feelings for your mother for some time now. I’m sure that’s not a surprise for you to hear by now, but I wanted to say it anyways.

As you know, most of our kind only form a mating bond once in their lives, and a few lucky people happen upon their mates by chance. I am sure that your mother feels the same about me as I do about her and I intend to make her my mate, if she’ll have me of course. At the very least I fully intend to move her into my home and away from the ranch. You’ll be welcome in our home no matter what happens. I’ve always thought of you as my son and I promise to care for your mother for the rest of my life.

Be safe up there, Merlin, and we hope you’ll join us for Christmas this year. Hunith and I should be settled by then and would love to have you over. Call me and we’ll arrange airfare for you.

Merlin felt a smile creeping over his face. He was happy for them, he really was. He wasn’t that surprised that Gaius had feelings for his mom. That much had been obvious from the time he was 10 and he’d invited his whole family over for Christmas that year.

Ever since, Hunith and Merlin continued to spend every Christmas at Gaius’ house with his family. He had a brother and a sister, both married with pups of their own, and Gaius’ parents usually made the trip from Austin to see the grandkids.

Gaius’ house was perfect for large gatherings; as a Therian doctor, the only one in the area in fact, he made decent money. He was a general practitioner but he did simple surgeries a few times a month at his clinic, so he had plenty of money and a large house on several acres. It had a swimming pool, a huge deck and large grill, and a home theater in the basement. Not to mention it had 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and the master bedroom had a walk-in closet.

He knew his mother would agree to move in, though he couldn’t say if she would agree to his other proposal. Still, he was glad to see them both moving on. Merlin made a mental note to call them in a couple days, once they got home and settled in.

Then he opened his text messages from his mother. She had sent several, of course, about an hour after Gaius’ text.

Merlin, we’ll be leaving soon. I hope you make lots of friends up there sweetie! Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Your aunt Judy and Uncle Rob will keep me plenty busy. Elijah and Will will miss you, but hopefully you’ll be back for Christmas.

There was another, about 10 minutes after the first one, followed by two more right after it.

Merlin, can you believe Gaius asked me to move in with him?! He wants to be my mate, too. I don’t know if I should…I haven’t felt that way about anyone since your father.

Should I accept?

I don’t want to make another mistake like I did with your father.

Merlin realized she was actually asking him for advice. What should he say? He didn’t want to tell her yes or no, but he should say something. He checked the time; her last message was from about 30 minutes ago and their flight didn’t leave until 1pm. They were probably at the airport now, waiting to board or still going through security.

He took a deep breath, then started typing.

I’ve already made a few friends. I know you’ll be fine. I thought I’d miss sleeping with those two, but I slept like a rock last night! Don’t tell them this, but it was colder without them to keep me warm.

As for Gaius…go with your heart. I think you’re lucky to have him. Lots of people never find love twice. If you love him, I say go for it. I know he loves you, why else would he spend so much time with a single mother and her awkward teenage son?

I know you’ll make the right choice. Gaius is a good man, Mom. He’s not like Dad.

Merlin read his text three times, debating on adding more before finally sending it. Then he locked the screen and put it away.

That was when he noticed that the others were sneaking peeks at him. He couldn’t figure out why until he saw that at some point Arthur had shifted positions, and now his head was resting on Merlin’s lap. He was still reading, still awake, but his head was resting on Merlin’s crotch. It was a silent message and Merlin knew it.

Judging from Arthur’s smirk, he could feel the growing bulge under him. Arthur’s eyes flicked to Merlin’s and his smirk spread just a hair more. Then he went back to reading. Merlin retaliated by lowering his hand to Arthur’s stomach and scratching it vigorously as one would do with a pet dog.

The reaction was instant. Arthur shot up, eyes blazing and ears standing straight up. “Merlin!” He roared. Merlin just gave him a firm look and cocked one eyebrow. Arthur seemed to rethink whatever he was going to say and instead sank back down, this time resting his head away from Merlin’s crotch.

Smiling now, Merlin rested his arm back on Arthur’s chest and left him alone. Then his phone chimed. It was probably his mom. Merlin checked her text.

She kept it short, at least. It read:

If you’re sure, and you don’t mind, then I’ll accept. Please don’t make a fuss about it with him, this will make him really happy. I love you, sweetie, and thank you.

Merlin smiled at that. Good, he was glad she’d taken his advice. He knew how hard it was for her to commit to something like this, but he was glad she was taking a risk. It was a small risk, but a risk nonetheless.

Morgana spoke just then. “Oh, Merlin, before I forget. What’s your number? I’ll add you to the group chat.” Arthur’s eyes flicked to Merlin’s face at the mention of that. Based on his facial expression, Merlin guessed he was a little embarrassed he hadn’t asked that question himself.

Suppressing a laugh, Merlin rattled off his phone number. Morgana typed it into her phone, then clicked a few more buttons. A moment later his phone chimed again. It was a group text message labeled ‘Pendragon Pack’.

Merlin had to smile at the goofy name. It seemed like a good name, though. He typed a quick hello and Morgana responded. Merlin saved her number, and then Gwen said hello. He started to have a whole conversation with them, just asking about his class schedule and trying to figure out what days and times they could all meet for group study sessions.

Then his phone chimed again with a private text. It wasn’t a number he recognized, but it was part of the group chat. He opened it.

Merlin, it’s Arthur. Come by my room this afternoon. We need to talk.

Merlin glanced at Arthur. He was putting his phone away and picking up the textbook he’d set down. He shot back a response to Arthur, just a quick “Ok” and went back to the group text.

After much deliberation they all decided that they’d be able to meet on Thursdays from 2pm on and Fridays after 4pm. None of them had weekend classes, but Merlin planned on finding work to make some money so he didn’t know if he’d be free.

Finally, after about another 20 minutes or so Merlin decided he was hungry. “Well, it was nice meeting you guys. I’ll see you guys this weekend?”

Morgana smiled back at him. “Of course! We’ll work out the times and location later, but yes, we absolutely will be seeing you this weekend.” Her eyes sparked with a hint of mischief, like she knew something he didn’t. He put that thought aside and looked at Arthur, who was still laying in his lap.

Arthur sighed, but he put his book down, sat up, and gathered up his things. Merlin was confused for a moment; did Arthur plan on following him? Arthur just said, “I’m heading to my room. Stop by around 1 or so.” He told Merlin his room number; fortunately it was in the same dorm and only one floor up.

“Oh ho, eager for more I see.” Morgana commented, making both of them blush again. Arthur snapped at her, “Shut up, Morgana. I’ll have you know I have perfectly innocent intentions for meeting Merlin.”

“Uh huh. Sure you do.”

“Oh, go fuck yourself.”

“I think I will, actually.”

Arthur grunted in disgust. “Eww, TMI. Ok, seriously, I’ll see you idiots later. Merlin…” Arthur glanced at him and Merlin just nodded reassuringly. Arthur seemed to sigh with relief, and the two left at the same time. Merlin waved at the group, calling one last goodbye to everyone.

Merlin headed for the cafeteria and Arthur towards the dorms. Merlin got some food—his scholarship hadn’t paid for his meal plan so Gaius had insisted on paying for it himself—and found a table to sit and eat at.

He ate his lunch, not really tasting the food. Thoughts were racing through his mind. There was so much he wanted to tell Arthur, and so much he wanted to ask. Merlin was willing to wait for some things, but there was at least one thing they needed to talk about before moving forward with their relationship, and that was whether or not Arthur was willing to keep pursuing a relationship.

Merlin knew what losing a mate had done to his mom. Hunith and Balinor weren’t fated mates like Merlin and Arthur, but they’d made a mating bond despite only knowing each other for a few months at the time. His mom had said she was young and foolish, and he was charming and handsome.

At the time they’d planned on spending their whole lives together, but he was a Wolf Shifter and she wasn’t. That meant that no matter what his family, his pack, would never accept her. Even though she was a Red Lab, a Dog Shifter, she wasn’t a Wolf and would always be an outsider.

Merlin snorted in derision; Wolves were so convinced they were better than everyone else despite being flat broke most of the time. He’d visited his father’s pack a few times over the years and they lived in even worse poverty than his family did.

They didn’t really own their land, they just killed anyone who dared to come onto it uninvited. The Therian Congress hadn't recognized their claim to it yet, but that was because none of them had filed the paperwork so technically they were squatting on public land and had been for almost 70 years now. There were several packs on that land and none of them had ever bothered to formalize ownership of their territory, even though they could do so easily.

They only did odd jobs, preferred being paid in cash, and thought of humans as little more than intelligent cattle: useful, but not too bright. A lot of the men were alcoholics, the women were glorified homemakers, and kids were expected to pull their own weight with chores, hunting, and anything else that needed to be done.

His father had said they preferred ‘living off the land’, but Merlin didn’t see it like that. The way he saw it, they were just too proud to admit that humans weren’t all that bad and so chose to isolate themselves, forced to do everything on their own rather than accept the help of outsiders. Merlin might not have a lot of friends among the humans, but he was able to get along with them just fine. All the people of Dripping Springs were nice, human or Therian, and most everybody got along fine.

Anyways, his dad had obviously planned to stay with Hunith, but when Merlin was about 4 he’d left to return to his pack. His brothers had tracked him down to the oil refinery he’d been working at somehow, despite living in Montana, and had come all the way to Texas to tell him he needed to return to be the new Alpha, that his father was getting too old to be the Alpha and wanted to step down before he died.

 His mom said it was the hardest choice he’d ever made and he was torn between the family and friends he’d spent his entire life with, and the promise of a new life with Hunith and a family of his own, apart from his pack and the Wolf lifestyle he’d always known. In the end, though, he’d chosen to go back to Montana, vowing to return some day and be with Hunith.

He hadn’t kept that promise, and a few months later he’d forcibly broken the mating bond by forming a new one with someone else. Merlin remembered it clearly, despite being young: hearing his mother screaming in pain and collapsing on the floor while his aunt and uncle came running at top speed, followed by several of his cousins, had been something that even a 5 year old would remember. He was scared, and upset, but no one would tell him what was going on. His uncle had actually yelled at him to leave them the hell alone and stop asking questions. About his own mother!

It wouldn’t be until Merlin was almost 11 that he’d finally asked her about that afternoon and what followed afterwards. When a mating bond was forcibly broken that way, it caused intense pain, she’d said. It was more than just physical; she’d said it was like half of her soul had been ripped away and left an empty void inside her.

She had been a shell of herself ever since, at least until Gaius came into their lives. That started around the time Merlin turned 10, and slowly his mom had become a completely different woman. She smiled more often, visited friends and family, and had even taken up crocheting and knitting as a hobby.

Merlin didn’t want to go through what she did, so before he and Arthur formed a bond he wanted to be absolutely certain that they were both committed to a lifelong bond. There was more that he wanted, too…one day, he wanted a family, if Arthur was willing. He didn’t even mind being the one to bear them, but that was something they’d have to figure out together.

That was the biggest difference between Therians and humans; both reproduced sexually, but with humans there was a gender barrier to who could impregnate and who could carry the child. That barrier didn’t exist with Therians. When two Shifters were mate-bonded, they would always be able to reproduce regardless of gender. It was part of the magic of the bond.

For normal couples this meant that females would become more fertile and males would have a higher libido. For couples like Merlin and Arthur, that is of the same gender, things were a bit tricker. Still, he knew from his Sex Ed class that there were lots of gay couples, men and women alike, with multiple kids. In fact his first crush, a German Shephard Shifter named Brian, had two mothers and no father, no sperm donor either. Just two women and the magic of a mate-bond.

Merlin finally finished his food, then checked the time. It was nearly 11:30 now, which gave him plenty of time to get to his room, study, and then go to Arthur’s room. He hurried back to his dorm and settled down at his desk to study.

An hour and a half later he closed his Biology textbook, his eyes swimming at all the information he was still trying to process. He’d thought he was prepared, but now he realized just how much harder this would be. Maybe once he started his classes he would understand more.

He put his books away and grabbed his phone. He’d expected Lance to show up at some point but so far he wasn’t anywhere to be found. The group chat had been silent since he left but he didn’t mind; everyone here was still new to him, so he didn’t know what to say to them yet.

Merlin left his dorm room, locking the door behind him and heading for the nearest stairwell. He climbed up, feeling nervous all of a sudden. What if Arthur wanted to do more than just talk? Oh god…what if he wanted to make a mate bond right now?

Merlin shook those thoughts off. Neither of them were ready for that. He was sure that Arthur just had a lot on his mind. Plus, Arthur had said that he wanted to keep Merlin close. Maybe that was what he wanted to talk about. Yeah, that was it.

Somehow Merlin doubted that was really all, but he hoped that, for everyone’s sake, if things got too out of hand that they would at least have enough sense to not seal their bond. At least not until they knew each other better…but they could have some fun before then.

Merlin grinned. Maybe he could convince Arthur to relax a little…unwind….yeah, he was doomed. This would only end up one way, he just knew it.

He was fine with that, though.

Chapter Text

Merlin exited the stairwell on the third floor and scanned the hallway, looking for Arthur’s room. “He said it was room 316.” He muttered to himself. Across from the stairwell was a doorway that had the number 327. He was close, then, and it would be on this side of the hall.

Turning to the right, Merlin went a few doors down and found the one that was Arthur’s. He hesitated, wondering what Arthur’s reason was for asking him to come up here. He had sounded genuine when he’d retorted to Morgana that his intentions were innocent, but what if he secretly wanted something else too? I mean, why else ask Merlin to come to his room?

Merlin dismissed that. No sense daydreaming when he could just knock on the door and find out. He took a deep breath, braced himself mentally, and knocked on the door lightly.

He heard footsteps almost right away, like Arthur had been waiting for him to knock. The door was flung open and Arthur appeared in the door. “Finally.” He growled. He grabbed Merlin by the arm, pulling him inside and shutting it behind them.

Merlin found himself pressed up against the door by a suddenly needy Arthur. Their lips locked almost before he could process what was going on. Then he was kissing him back. It was as though his body were on autopilot; his lips claimed Arthur’s again and again, a low growl slipping from his mouth as they made out. Merlin found himself enjoying this; no, wanting it. He wanted this, needed this, didn’t want it to end…

Arthur’s hands slid between them, resting his palm on Merlin’s stiff bulge, but it was when he felt Arthur unbuttoning his jeans that Merlin’s brain finally kicked into gear. “Arthur.” He said, grabbing those greedy hands, trapping them with his own and gazing at Arthur calmly.

The Cat Shifter showed no remorse and actually had the gall to pout prettily at him, as though he was upset that Merlin was stopping him from doing what they both wanted. Merlin swallowed hard; fuck, he was getting even harder now because that pout was so damn cute he wanted to rip off Arthur’s clothes right now and breed him until he couldn’t walk.

His instincts were screaming at him to let it happen. Arthur clearly wanted to be bred; his pupils were blown wide open, his tail was wrapping around Merlin’s hands, and if he got any closer to Merlin he’d be behind him.

Arthur gazed back at Merlin. Both young men were breathing harder, both turned on and dying for more. Merlin remained calm as best he could. He wanted this, but he knew it wasn’t the right time. Not yet.

They needed to talk, really talk, before this could be allowed to happen. Arthur sighed wearily but let Merlin push him away. Not far, just enough so that their bodies—and stiff cocks—were no longer rubbing on one another.

“Had to try.” Arthur mumbled. “I know.” Merlin replied. “I want it, too. Really. But we do need to talk. Then...well, we’ll see.” Arthur sat on what Merlin assumed was his bed; it seemed to be a twin of Lance’s bed, with similar sheets and setup. Did rich kids shop at the same places, or did these two have the same stuff because they were cousins and shared preferences?

Arthur must have guessed what Merlin was thinking. “If you’re wondering why my room looks like Lance’s, it’s because I bought him that stuff. Well, my dad did. This isn’t my style, really. It’s what my dad picked out for us.”

Ah. That explained it. Arthur patted the bed beside him; Merlin debated on it but decided that, for both of their sakes, they didn’t need to be that close. He sat at the desk instead, noting Arthur’s tiny frown.

Merlin smiled, shaking his head. They’d barely met and he was already getting clingy. It was cute, in a way. Then he focused again. There were so many things he wanted to ask Arthur. How did he have a knot? What were his parents like? Why did he think they would never accept Merlin?

But it was the one that was most pressing on his mind that he found himself asking. “Arthur, if I were to ask you, ‘Are you prepared to be my mate for life, no matter what?’, would you say yes?”

Arthur gazed passively at him, one eyebrow raised. Then he cleared his throat. “In case me trying to shove my hands into your pants just now wasn’t obvious enough, or letting you knot my mouth earlier, then yes, if you were to ask me to be your mate I would never betray you and break the bond. I didn’t reject you earlier, I’ve accepted you already, and I wouldn’t ever hurt you like that.

“Now I have a question. Why is that the first thing you want to know?” Merlin squirmed as Arthur’s passive gaze became a more serious stare. He should have expected that question, really. He sighed, then began to explain.

He told Arthur about his father, how he’d met his mom while visiting Dripping Springs with work buddies and they’d bumped into one another by chance. He’d taken a liking to her, they’d swapped numbers, and a few months later they had made the mate bond.

When he told Arthur about his dad basically abandoning him to return to the pack’s land and later breaking the mate-bond by bonding to someone else, that serious stare became a dark scowl.

Then Merlin explained why, and when Arthur wanted to know more about his father Merlin gave his honest opinion. “He can be a jerk, but at least he made a point to always call me on my birthdays and Christmas. He would send a card every holiday, and sometimes there’d be a few bucks in it, but that was it. I could tell I wasn’t a high priority for him, but I’m still his son.

“Technically I’m his eldest son and if I really wanted to I could fight his next oldest son—he has about five kids with his new mate—for the Alpha position. Only sons can be Alphas, at least with that pack. But I don’t want it. His pack, the Elkhorn Pack, they’re not really too keen on outsiders, even more than other Wolf packs. He had to argue with his Second just to let me visit, and even then I was expected to help with chores, hunting, and guard duty like anyone else there.”

Arthur’s scowl was so deep now that it seemed permanent. Merlin let the silence stretch for a minute, and then another minute. Finally Arthur sucked in a deep breath before speaking. “Damn. No wonder you were pulling away just now.” Arthur’s scowl softened. “Don’t worry about that, Merlin. I’m not like him. Most people aren’t. Besides, my father would personally kill me if I did that to you, and then he’d probably make you his heir instead.” Arthur laughed once, but there wasn’t a lot of humor behind it. Merlin also didn’t get the feeling that he was joking.

“So stop fretting, ok? And before you ask, yes I know it’s way too soon to seal any sort of bond.” There was another pause, and then Arthur spoke. “I suppose I should tell you about my parents, since you told me about your dad.

“My dad, Uther Pendragon, comes from old money. I think one of my ancestors was a robber baron, ages and ages ago, but nowadays dad makes most of his money through investing. Layfayette Lending and Thompson Tool and Die are just two examples. That’s how I know Gwen and Morgana. Their dads know my dad.”

Arthur was on a roll now, and while his scowl was gone, his face was almost blank. It was like he was talking about someone else’s life, which said a lot. “I think my dad was hoping that Morgana and I would fall for one another because he kept throwing us together. He and Gordon have known each other since college, and Gordon introduced him to Tom Thompson, Gwen’s dad.

“Anyways, obviously Morgana and I never threw off any sparks. She’s like a sister to me, really. Of course, my dad doesn’t know I’m not into women. Or at least not Morgana and Gwen. She’s too….headstrong, too outspoken. Pretty, but not exactly my type. And Gwen’s sweet but…no attraction either. It doesn’t help that I’m kinda…shy.”

Merlin was surprised when he was relieved to hear that. It shocked him that he could even feel jealous after so little time near Arthur, but he drank in every word. He knew this was all important information, but as the mate-scent drifted around him in ever-more-potent clouds, he found it harder and harder to think straight.

He also couldn’t believe that Arthur was shy. He certainly didn’t strike him as a shy kid, but now that he thought about it Arthur hadn’t said a whole lot while Morgana had been grilling him. It was entirely possible that he really was a bit introverted.

Arthur smirked, noting Merlin’s gaze had wandered a bit lower than his face. “I can finish the story later, if you’d rather…take a break. Unwind a bit. Moving so far away from home must have been stressful.”

Merlin groaned in agreement. “Ugh, yes. So much packing, and so many goodbyes, and then the trip here was torture. Humans are just so….loud. And smelly.” Arthur wrinkled his nose in agreement; humans were always smelly, one reason why most Therians kept clear of them. They were also noisy, and because all Shifters had sharper senses, being around humans was always a trial of endurance.

Merlin shook his head. “Don’t mind me. Please, continue. You were explaining why your parents wouldn’t accept us because….?”

The reply took longer than expected, but when it came Arthur sounded like it pained him. “My parents, and my dad especially, have always coddled me. I’m an only child, so they dote on Lance and his younger sister Evelyn as well to make up for it. My mom, Ygraine, has issues and had to have a total hysterectomy. Meaning she won’t have any more kids.”

Arthur let that sink it; Merlin was stunned. It made sense that, being denied the chance to have any other children, they would dote on Arthur’s cousins. Arthur continued. “So they’ve always wanted the best for me. The best things, the best school, the best mate…and dad, he’s been pushing me to make Gwen my mate, since it’s clear Morgana and I won’t ever be a thing.”

Merlin growled, just once. It was a reflex and he couldn’t help it, but it made Arthur laugh. “Down, boy. As I said, Gwen and I aren’t together. We’re friends and that’s it. So yeah, I honestly don’t know how they’re going to react. The good news is we have time to figure this out. They went on a month-long cruise in Europe and won’t be back for another two weeks. Dad’s meeting some new potential clients, he wants to expand into Europe.”

Merlin just had to ask. “But you will tell them, right?”

Arthur nodded once. “Yes. I can’t promise that they’re gonna be like, super accepting. But they won’t cut me off or anything, and they won’t drive you away. Maybe. I hope not, at least. But they’ll be disappointed either way, and probably take a while to warm up to you. We have time to prepare for that, though.”

There was another long pause, and then Merlin stood and moved to the bed to sit beside Arthur. He rested one hand on Arthur’s leg and rubbed it slowly, gazing into Arthur’s eyes. “I like the sound of that. We have time.”

“We do indeed…my mate.” Two words, uttered so quietly that a human wouldn’t have heard them, had a profound effect on Merlin. It was as though his soul leaped inside him, hearing Arthur whisper those two words.

“Again.” He replied, also whispering. “Say it again.”

“My mate.” Arthur said, a bit louder now. He leaned closer to Merlin and gently, as though afraid of breaking him, kissed Merlin softly on the lips. Merlin felt his breath hitching; his head was spinning, but he felt like he was flying. “My mate.” Merlin whispered back, completing the first ritual and forming an invisible connection between them. It was faint for now, but it was there. Magic pulsed between them, setting certain changes in motion in preparation for the sealing of their bond.

Those two words…they had so much power in them, power to change them both at a fundamental level. Already Merlin could feel their magic working on him, making him more attached to Arthur. More protective, more loyal, made him want more of Arthur. It made him want to feel every inch of his skin, feel Arthur’s tight flesh wrapped around his cock and filling up with his seed…see his belly swollen with his pups…their children.

 He wanted it all, every piece of Arthur, and he wanted to give Arthur every piece of himself. He had accepted Arthur as his mate, and now Arthur had accepted him. They were halfway to being bonded now and Merlin felt like his heart might burst with joy. Was this what it felt like to be in love?

Arthur kissed him again, more certain now. Merlin savored the kiss; this wasn’t like the hungry kisses earlier. This was more of a languid exploration of Merlin’s mouth rather than a frenzied, forceful rush born of lust and desire. Merlin felt his heart leap in his chest as his body melted, every muscle loosening ever so slightly.

Arthur rested one hand on Merlin’s neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss as he pulled Merlin down onto the bed. Merlin let it happen, didn’t fight it. He had surrendered already from the moment he’d moved to the bed, had lost all willpower to fight this when Arthur had accepted him as his mate just now.

There was more questions he wanted to ask, more he needed to know and wanted to tell Arthur, but suddenly they didn’t seem as important. They both had four years here to get to know one another better. This right here, this was what he needed to know. He wanted to see how far he could go, how deep Arthur’s trust would let him explore today in this magical moment, fresh out of the bonding ritual and drunk on magic and lust.

Merlin’s kisses deepened, growing hungrier as his breathing became shallower and his cock stirred once more. He thrust his hips against Arthur’s body, seeking friction. Arthur moaned needily and his hands fell to Merlin’s back, sliding into his pants and under the waistband of his briefs.

Merlin pulled back briefly, leaning up to remove his shirt. Under him Arthur took it all in as he exposed his chest and abs, and then Merlin hooked his hands under Arthur’s shirt hem. Merlin slid it up and over Arthur’s head, then sank down to mouth at Arthur’s left nipple. Not once did Arthur resist; his body was pliable and soft now, just like Merlin’s had been already. Neither was fighting this anymore and neither of them really wanted to.

He let his tongue swirl around the bud, watching Arthur’s face from beneath his lashes as the nipple swelled and grew firm. The cat had thrown his head back onto the pillow, his mouth open in a soundless moan. Merlin nibbled on the tip and was rewarded with a small moan, high and needy.

“You…fucking tease.” Arthur groaned again, twining his hands into Merlin’s hair. Merlin laughed breathily, moving down to kiss Arthur’s stomach and navel before kissing the quivering bulge still trapped in his khakis.

 Merlin was teasing him, but he could tell Arthur was enjoying it. He certainly was enjoying seeing Arthur like this, halfway undone and not even fully naked. Merlin slowly unzipped Arthur’s pants and pulled them to his thighs. Then he mouthed at Arthur’s cock again, enjoying Arthur’s murmured curses as he begged Merlin to move on already.

Of course Merlin was in no such hurry. He was determined to find out as much as he could about Arthur as he could. He wanted to know what he liked and what he didn’t. “Tell me if you don’t like something, ok?”

Arthur nodded mutely, suppressing a louder moan as Merlin licked his dick through the cloth of his boxer briefs. “Fuck, Merlin, you’re gonna make me cum before I can even get my dick out.”

Merlin laughed. He was doing a better job than he’d expected, apparently. “I can fix that.” He savored one last kiss of that still-covered bulge, smelling the small bit of precum that had stained the cloth. Then he pulled the underwear down and yanked the whole ensemble off eagerly.

Arthur kicked his shoes off and they all went to the floor in a pile, leaving him almost completely naked. Merlin pulled off Arthur’s socks and then stood up to see Arthur in all his naked glory.

Fuck, he was gorgeous, his cock at full attention, its spikes and limp knot on full display now. Arthur’s tail was wrapped around his waist, his pupils now dark circles inside his gold eyes. Those gold eyes were locked onto Merlin’s amber eyes, the need in them so clear that Merlin could practically hear his mate’s thoughts.

Merlin smirked at Arthur’s flustered and needy state, then began undressing himself. He went slowly, letting Arthur watch as he stripped off first his shoes and socks, then pants, and finally his briefs. He tossed them aside carelessly and struck a casual pose, letting Arthur see how hard he was too. Merlin didn’t dare touch his cock; he was afraid he might cum, but Arthur didn’t need to know that.

Merlin almost laid back down to resume his exploration of Arthur but then he remembered that Arthur had a roommate that might come back eventually. He glanced at the door. Arthur noticed and said, “Leon won’t be back tonight. He’s staying with Lance for now, at least until the school reassigns him to another room.”

Merlin cocked one eyebrow. Arthur sighed, then sat up. “I’ll help you move everything up here tomorrow. Leon’s probably gonna get your room anyways. Now get that ass over here and let me taste it.”

Merlin grinned and did as Arthur said, positioning himself so that his asshole was over Arthur’s face. Meanwhile he began to lick and suck the Cat Shifter’s dick, being careful to not let the hooks catch on his skin. They were stiff and didn’t hurt too much, but there was always the chance they could make small tears inside his mouth if he wasn’t careful.

Arthur’s tongue circled his hole and Merlin moaned so deeply he thought his soul would exit his mouth. Fortunately it was full of cat dick so the sound was a bit muffled. His soul couldn’t escape that way!

 Merlin hadn’t had his ass eaten in so long he’d forgotten how good it felt. He and Brian had experimented a lot their junior year of high school and the summer before it, and would have done so through their senior year given the chance.

Arthur chuckled and began languidly rimming him, getting Merlin so flustered that he had to stop sucking Arthur a couple times and concentrate on not cumming. He wanted to save that for something special, but Arthur seemed determined to outlast him.

Merlin decided to up the stakes and applied more suction to his blowjob. He was rewarded when he felt the tongue slow down, then press into him more firmly as Arthur tried to outdo him. What had began as a careful exploration of their bodies had somehow turned into a competition to see who could make the other cum first. It was surprisingly hot and Merlin found himself enjoying it; apparently Arthur was competitive, so Merlin would have to try harder to beat him.

In the end Merlin won, or maybe Arthur just gave up and let him win; his sucking was too much for the Cat and he came for the second time that day. This time, though, Merlin felt it coming and was able to avoid getting the knot stuck inside his mouth. Arthur had started fucking into his mouth at the end but Merlin could tell he was getting close when his thrusts slowed and his legs trembled ever so slightly.

When Arthur was done cumming Merlin pulled his mouth off and swallowed most of the cum. He left enough in his mouth to share with Arthur, which only made Arthur moan and beg to be bred properly. “Fuck me, Merlin. Please….but be gentle. It’s my first time.”

Merlin smiled softly. “I’ll be gentle. Got some lube?” Arthur twisted to his left and rummaged in a drawer of his desk, producing a bottle of lube that he handed to Merlin. Then Arthur laid back and waited, watching Merlin through slitted eyes.

Merlin drizzled some of the lube on his right hand and then gently rested the tip of his right middle finger on Arthur’s hole. He lifted Arthur’s legs and rested them on his shoulders, positioning himself for easy access to Arthur’s asshole. “Relax.” He murmured to Arthur, and then he slowly entered his virgin hole with the first finger.

Arthur hissed as that single finger breached his hole, sliding just past the second knuckle before Merlin stopped. Arthur arched his back and reflexively clenched; Merlin pushed him back down onto the bed and leaned down to kiss his chest. “I said to relax, Arthur. It gets better in a minute.” He chuckled as he nibbled on Arthur’s chest, making another mark to match the bruise on his neck while he waited for the cat to unclench his ass.

Arthur covered his face with his left arm. “Easy for you to say. I suppose you’ve done this before.” Merlin felt Arthur’s hole slowly relax as Merlin resumed kissing and nibbling on Arthur’s chest, and finally he was able to slip his finger out. To his surprise Arthur’s right hand whipped forward and snagged Merlin’s wrist, guiding Merlin back to his hole and forcing it back inside himself.

Merlin chuckled lightly and began to slowly pump his finger in and out. He’d barely penetrated this cat and already he was loving it. “A few times, yeah. I kinda-sorta dated this German Shephard named Brian in high school. We weren’t supposed to be exclusive but he was the only one who got with anyone else. It didn’t work out for us in the end, but that was because he moved away just before our senior year to Northern Texas to be closer to his mom’s family. Well, one of them at least.”

Arthur uncovered his face, curiosity winning out briefly over the pleasure. “One of them?” He was genuinely confused, so Merlin explained, “He had two moms.”

“Ah.” Was the reply from Arthur. “That feels…not bad, actually.”

“Good.” Merlin commented. “I’m going to add another finger. If you can handle that, I’ll put it in.” Arthur nodded but didn’t say anything as Merlin slid his index finger in to join his middle finger.

Arthur sighed this time; he didn’t stiffen up or arch his back. He actually seemed to push down onto Merlin’s fingers a little, making Merlin’s mouth twitch with humor. Well, someone was eager, it seemed. Such a needy little kitty he was.

Merlin pumped a little faster and a little deeper and was glad when Arthur seemed to melt into the bed as his eyes rolled back into his head in pure bliss. “God, Merlin, that feels amazing.”

Merlin forced his fingers apart a few times while still inside Arthur, stretching his hole as far as he could. He knew from his time with Brian that he was somewhat girthier than most, at least according to Brian.

They might have been experimenting but it hadn’t been exclusively, or at least that was the original agreement. Brian had other partners, he knew, some male and some female, but Merlin couldn’t bring himself to chase anyone else seriously. It had felt like a betrayal of what he had with Brian, which was silly. They weren’t really dating, they were just good friends with benefits…right?

When Arthur was as loose as he could be Merlin pulled his fingers out. Arthur whined, already missing them. His eyes had been shut for a while now and it didn’t seem like they would open until Merlin’s cock was in his ass. Merlin picked up the bottle of lube, drizzled some on his cock, and then froze.

Crap! He didn’t have a condom. Would he get Arthur pregnant even if they weren’t fully bonded? Brian had always used one with him, he remembered. It was better to be safe, he decided, but he hadn’t brought any condoms with him.

They were in his room…because of course he had some. Gaius had bought them last week and forced Merlin to bring them, though Hunith was wise enough to pretend she hadn’t seen them when she ‘rechecked’ his packing and saw them hidden in his clothes.

Gaius, he knew, was well aware of his escapades with Brian because he lived just down the road from Gaius’ home and Gaius knew a randy teen when he saw one; Merlin would usually go to Gaius’ to shower afterwards and wait for his mom to pick him up, or he’d spend the night and Gaius would take him to school the next day.

When he didn’t feel Merlin’s cock sliding into him Arthur cracked open one eye, saw Merlin’s expression, and blurted out, “In the drawer where the lube was. Should be close to your size.” Merlin sighed; he understood, it seemed.

And he’d come to college prepared, because there was a box of 100 condoms in the drawer. Merlin didn’t know they sold condoms in that size box, but he peeled one open with trembling fingers, rolling the latex over his throbbing cock and drizzling more lube onto the condom.

When he was fully ready he repositioned Arthur onto his hands and knees so that he could take him from behind. “It’s better for your first time.” He explained. Merlin knelt behind Arthur, grasping his waist to steady himself.

Arthur moaned needily and thrust his hips back towards Merlin, his arms resting on his pillow in front of him. “Shut up and fuck me.” He ordered Merlin. Arthur’s long tail wrapped around Merlin’s waist, like he wanted to force Merlin closer with it. Or maybe it was just a possessive thing?

Merlin did as ordered and pressed the tip of his cock into Arthur’s eager hole. “Fuck, kitty….” Arthur moaned even louder as Merlin sank inside him, inch by inch, until he was fully seated inside Arthur, all 8 and half inches of him. Merlin wasn’t just girthier, he was longer than average thanks to his Alpha Wolf heritage. At least he had inherited one good thing from his dad.

Arthur groaned. “Fuckfuckfuck….ha. Damn it, puppy, that’s big.” Merlin waited as Arthur, now tensed up and clenching again, adjusted to his size before checking in with him. “Good?” Arthur nodded mutely. “Can I move now?”

Arthur nodded again, giving his silent permission for Merlin to begin fucking him. Merlin kept the pace slow at first, trying to not overwhelm Arthur, and when he saw Arthur was beginning to enjoy it he began to stroke faster and harder.

Arthur arched his back, letting his chest fall to the bed while still staying on his knees in front of Merlin. “Fuck, yes, mate me, Merlin…fill me up….” Merlin thrust more deeply into Arthur, aiming for his prostate.

He gripped Arthur’s waist more tightly, letting his claws out just a bit and digging them into the skin of Arthur’s hips and growling. The cat moaned deeply, his face buried in his pillow as he pulled his ass cheeks apart, spreading them so Merlin could penetrate even deeper.

Arthur’s tail flicked back and forth, brushing against Merlin’s chest and face now. It tickled, and he was tempted to bite it, but Merlin restrained himself and instead wrapped it up on his left arm, his strokes never once slowing down. Merlin’s tail, meanwhile, was whipping behind him at about a million miles an hour. Merlin gripped Arthur’s waist even tighter, knowing he would probably leave bruises. He hoped Arthur would be ok with that later.

“So close…”Merlin gasped, feeling his orgasm approach. “Fuck yes, please….” Arthur begged, one ear swiveling towards him. Merlin, however, knew that it was probably not wise to knot inside him. Not for his first time bottoming.

When Merlin knew he couldn’t hold back any longer he pulled out of Arthur, stripped the condom off and pumped his still-throbbing cock with one hand. Arthur whined unhappily but Merlin ignored it for now. He focused on the pleasure he could get from his hand, though it was a cheap replacement for the open and eager hole right in front of him.

His orgasm came in a sudden rush and he let his seed fall onto Arthur’s back, squirting rope after rope of cum onto his mate’s back. Merlin’s tail went rigid, trembling a little as he orgasmed so hard he couldn’t even think straight. When he was spent he flopped onto the bed to Arthur’s left, squeezing between him and the wall.

His chest was heaving and his legs were trembling; he hadn’t had an orgasm that intense before; even earlier in the bathroom had been tame compared to now. Arthur slumped to the bed as well, laying on his stomach with his face towards Merlin. Merlin tilted his head to meet Arthur’s gaze. Those gold eyes were fixed on Merlin’s face, no trace of anger or fear or anything bad in them, only love and acceptance.

Arthur rolled onto his side so he could see Merlin. “That was…” His voice trailed off, at a loss for words. He brushed his left hand down Merlin’s chest, fondling his still-hard cock and swollen knot. “That thing is really huge.” He commented.

Merlin chuckled weakly. “Sorry I pulled out. Didn’t think you’d be ready for it yet.” Arthur stroked Merlin’s cock with one hand, pumping a couple times and making it weep. “Fuck, Arthur. That feels…”

Arthur smiled, then moved to kneel between Merlin’s legs. Arthur sank his lips onto Merlin’s cock, keeping his eyes on Merlin’s face. God, he was so hot like that, his eyes smoldering from underneath his lashes, his ears forward and long tail curved gracefully upwards behind him over the ridges of his perfectly sculpted ass.

The tail was so long it ran the length of Arthur’s torso; it tickled the skin of Merlin’s belly, and Merlin couldn’t resist the urge to grip it. Arthur let him; his only response was to suck harder, his cheeks turning hollow as he strove to please Merlin even greater.

Merlin drank in the sight greedily; he wanted to preserve this image forever, to engrave it on his memory so he could enjoy it for the rest of their lives. “Oh, God, Arthur….” Merlin’s head tipped back on the pillow, his eyes screwed shut as the Cat Shifter bobbed on his cock. After a minute he felt a little cum spewing out into Arthur’s mouth.

Arthur swallowed, then crawled up Merlin’s naked body to kiss him to let him taste it. Merlin savored the flavor, loving how it tasted on Arthur's tongue. “Mmm. I haven’t bottomed before, it’s true, but I was hoping to get the full experience on my first time. Oh well, we have all day, all night, and most of tomorrow to do that. Next time, though, don’t pull out. I might have to punish you if you do.” Something about that turned Merlin on, which was interesting. He thought he’d discovered all his kinks by now. Arthur bit Merlin’s lower lip, then kissed him.

Merlin kissed him back, letting his hands slide down Arthur’s back to his slim waist. He gripped that small ass, feeling the poofy tail just above its smooth, firm curves. It flicked and twisted out of his grasp as Arthur chuckled into Merlin’s mouth in amusement.

“Behave, or I’ll have to teach you a lesson right now, puppy.” Merlin smirked at Arthur. Right now, in the afterglow of sex, Arthur was the most beautiful creature in the world. “My pretty kitty…” he murmured, stroking Arthur’s hair.

Arthur’s gaze softened and he began to purr at the nickname, then he nuzzled into Merlin’s chest in contentment. They started to settle down now, just enjoying the body heat and physical contact. Neither of them was in any kind of hurry anymore to talk, nor to move.

Slowly Merlin felt sleep claim him. He clung to Arthur’s ass and slipped into a deep slumber, lulled to sleep by the purring of his feline companion above him. It was heavenly, the best sleep he’d had in a long time.

He didn’t want this to end, this feeling of home. Of warmth. Somehow he had found his home here, so far from his family and friends. Arthur was his home now.

He knew Arthur would say the same thing.

Chapter Text

Merlin awakened after what felt like ages. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, looking for Arthur and not finding him anywhere. He glanced at the clock on Arthur’s desk. They’d been asleep for nearly 3 hours because it was almost 5pm now.

He flung himself out of the bed, focusing his senses on finding Arthur. He couldn’t have gone far, his clothes were still crumpled up on the floor. He detected a whiff of a scent trail and followed it to the tiny bathroom. He heard the shower running; Arthur must have woken up and wanted to get clean.

Merlin grinned ferally at the thought of Arthur’s naked body, wet and sudsy as he scrubbed Merlin’s huge load of cum off his back. Then Arthur spoke from behind the door. “Get your ass in here, Emerson, and wash my back.”

Merlin blinked in surprise; how had Arthur known he was out here? “I’m not kidding, Merlin. You made this mess, you can clean it up!” Arthur’s voice was starting to sound testy so, heaving a sigh, Merlin opened the door to join him in the shower.

“How did you know I was there?” He asked, squeezing into the small shower behind Arthur. The Cat Shifter handed Merlin the soap and a washcloth. “I heard you breathing. Did you know that Cat Shifters have sharp hearing? I can hear the electricity in the walls. I heard you downstairs in your room before you came up here, and I heard you climbing the stairs. You’re lucky I had enough restraint to wait until you knocked to open the door instead of tackling you in the hallway.”

 Merlin froze briefly; Arthur had heard him downstairs? What about yesterday when….he didn’t want to ask about that, actually. Arthur might have heard Merlin if he wanted to, but there was a chance he’d ignored it or written it off as someone else.

Merlin soaped up the rag, a bit disappointed that he hadn’t thought to grab his loofa. It was so much more efficient than this sad, thin little cloth. As for Arthur’s comments, he actually didn’t know Cat Shifters had that good of hearing. It did explain how he’d gotten to the door so fast, though.

He scrubbed Arthur’s back as the smaller man relaxed, the warm water running over both of them. Arthur’s tail wrapped around Merlin again, sliding over his back and ass as Merlin cleaned Arthur’s back. It was hard, given the cramped space of the shower, but he managed it.

Merlin began to appreciate for the first time the difference in their sizes. He was six and a half feet tall and Arthur looked to be about eight inches shorter than him, putting him around five foot and ten inches tall. That was pretty tall for a Cat; they tended to max out at about five and a half feet, even when they were a ‘big cat’ Shifter like Lions or Tigers.

Arthur’s ears were turned sideways and he was leaning on the wall in front of him, purring while Merlin scrubbed his back vigorously. Arthur’s hips slipped back and rubbed against Merlin’s groin, making his cock twitch with desire.

The need to get clean, though, won out over their horniness. When he was done washing Arthur’s back Merlin accepted Arthur’s offer to return the favor. He turned around and let the Cat wash his back, trying vainly to control his tail. He wasn’t succeeding, however, and Arthur was laughing as it whipped against his chest and stomach.

“Control that blunt weapon of yours, puppy, or I’ll make you wash your own back.”

“Sorry.” Merlin muttered, forcing himself to calm down as best he could. His tail slowed down and finally stilled. Only then did Arthur resume his scrubbing of Merlin’s back. “You’re too tall!” He complained. “Bend down so I can get all of it.”

“Asking me to bend over for you already? It’s kinda cramped in here, but ok…” Merlin laughed as Arthur smacked his back hard, but he could hear him laughing too. “Ass, that’s not what I meant. I’m short, you’re tall. Fix it!”

Suppressing more laughter, Merlin squatted down so Arthur could wash his upper back. When Arthur was done he told Merlin to wash his front while he rinsed off; Merlin found it incredibly hard to focus with Arthur right there, standing under the streaming water, his ears flat against his skull and turning his beautiful tail fur into a ratty, skinny whip.

Merlin scrubbed himself while Arthur rinsed, then just stood and watched for a minute, appreciating the closeness. He fondled his cock but didn’t really do anything; the fires of lust were dimmer for now, but they hadn’t gone out completely.

When Arthur was done rinsing he stepped out of the shower to dry himself off while Merlin rinsed. When Merlin was done Arthur handed him a towel as well. It was thick and soft and smelled of lavender. “Thanks.” He said, then began to dry himself.

He stood behind Arthur, who was standing at the sink so he could brush his teeth. As Merlin dried off he took a look at himself in the mirror. He saw his amber eyes, auburn hair, and fair skin that was tanned from his many hours spent outdoors.

Arthur was surprisingly muscular, but given that he played basketball that wasn’t a surprise. Merlin was muscular too; he’d grown up on a ranch and had been tending cattle since he was old enough to walk. He’d grown up strong out of necessity, not a desire to bulk up like some guys.

He also noticed his nose; it was long and thin, nothing like his mother’s wide, short nose. It was obviously inherited from his dad, as was his auburn hair. His mom was a Red Lab shifter but she had brown hair and brown eyes. His amber eyes were yet another holdover from his dad’s genes. When he looked in the mirror now he didn’t see himself, he saw a younger version of his own father.

The one trait he’d inherited from his dad that Merlin didn’t mind was his dick size. Wolves were larger than Dogs down there. How did he know? When he was 14 he’d been visiting his dad’s pack over the summer and had been avoiding a chore. He’d slipped back inside his dad’s house, which was crudely built by hand but sturdy nonetheless, and had heard grunting and moaning. Merlin’s mind drifted back to that day, letting himself remember the day vividly, like it was happening all over again.

Curious about the sounds he could hear inside the house, Merlin had snuck back in from the woodshed next door and followed the noises to his father’s room. There he found that the door was wide open and his father was on the bed pounding his stepmother’s pussy from behind.

His father had spotted him almost right away but he didn’t stop. He kept going, locking eyes with Merlin a few times before finally cumming inside his wife, knotting her as they collapsed onto the bed. Merlin had beat a hasty retreat and went back to chopping wood like he’d been told to.

He couldn’t get his mind off how big his dad’s member had been; he’d seen other guys, of course, but this was the first time seeing one, you know, in action. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but disgusted as well because it was his dad. He wasn’t supposed to like watching his dad’s dick in action…right?

His father had found him later and ordered him to come with him. They’d walked a long ways into the forest until Balinor was sure they were alone and then sat on a dead tree together. “Liked what you saw?” He asked gruffly. “You’re old enough to breed a bitch, right? If that’s what you like I can find you someone. It would help you fit in up here. Might could even find you a, what do they call them? Twink, that’s it. If you prefer guys of course.”

Merlin had shifted uncomfortably, not answering at first. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, really. Then he’d blurted out, “Are…are all Wolves that big?” Balinor had eyed him curiously, then grunted. “Yeah, more or less. Why? I know you got my dick, boy, I’ve seen it when you shift to full beast for patrols. Be careful with that huge knot, though. Elkhorn men’s knots are thicker than most. Women love the length but the girth and the knot can be too much for some.”

Merlin had blushed bright red the whole time and his dick had gotten hard. Well, harder. He’d been hard since he saw his dad and stepmom earlier and it hadn’t really gone down much in the roughly 20 minutes since then.

 Balinor had noticed and laughed at Merlin’s predicament. “At attention already, I see. Suppose that’s to be expected. All right, I’ll leave you alone for a while, let you take care of that. Let me know if you ever want a Wolf mate, kid. You might only be half wolf, but you’re still the son of an Alpha. You’d do well to remember that while you’re here.

“Everything you do here reflects on me and my abilities as a father and leader. I don’t tolerate weakness, you hear me? Now go on, beat that meat, but then get back to chopping wood. I want that whole pile done before nightfall.” Balinor had left Merlin alone with his thoughts. He’d jacked off so fast he’d gave himself a friction burn and gone back to chopping wood, finishing the pile an hour before sunset.

Merlin was jerked back to the present when he realized Arthur had been talking to him. “Sorry, what?” Arthur’s eyes glared at him. “What were you thinking about just now? You got all pale and you seem scared.”

“Just…” Merlin swallowed nervously. “Just thinking about my dad. I look so much like him…his hair, his nose, even his dick size. What if…what if I turn out like him?” He whispered, truly frightened of that thought. His father was the last person that he wanted to be.

Arthur leaned into him, wrapping his arms around Merlin and letting his tail twine between their legs. “You won’t.” He stated simply. “I won’t let you, ass. You need to let go of the past. It doesn’t matter anymore, what matters is the here and now.

“Now dry off properly, you’re dripping all over my floor. After that you’re getting dressed. If you’re spending the night you need more clothes.” Merlin grinned, snapping out of his self-loathing as he rushed to comply.

Once they were both dressed Arthur led him out of the dorm and to the nearest student parking area. “Uh….Arthur, my dorm room is that way.” Merlin pointed back to the dorm they’d just left. “I know.” Arthur smirked at Merlin, smugly confident now. “We’re not…going to my room?”

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. “Why? If all your clothes are like those,” he indicated Merlin’s plain black shirt and tattered jeans, “then you need an upgraded wardrobe. My treat. We’ll grab more clothes when we get back.” He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and clicked a button.

A flashy silver-colored car responded with two beeps of its horn, its headlights flashing at Merlin from across the lot. Merlin couldn’t believe it; it was an Audi A5, brand new. He followed Arthur as he crossed the lot and climbed in. “Well? Get in, Merlin. It’s just a car.”

“It’s a really nice car.” Merlin muttered as he climbed into the passenger’s seat. Arthur turned the car on and the engine roared to life quietly. Merlin was impressed; the car hummed like a cat, quiet and powerful.

Merlin buckled up in a daze, noting the soft seats. There were buttons and a display panel and all sorts of bells and whistle; he was afraid to touch anything, it was that nice. The odometer read less than 100 miles. This was a brand new car, it even had that new car smell. How much money did Arthur’s family have? It even had a panoramic sunroof. If Merlin had had the money, this was the kind of car he would get for himself.

“Do you want the seat warmer on or off?” Arthur asked, amused at Merlin being so overwhelmed. “Uh…oh, right. On is fine.” Arthur showed Merlin how to turn the seat warming function on, and then walked him through how to adjust the seat position and air temperature on his side of the car. Arthur’s side, it seemed, was preset to his preferences already.

Once Merlin was comfortable Arthur buckled up and pulled out of the lot, heading off campus and into town. The ride was surprisingly smooth; the car seemed to glide over the roads and not roll. It growled every time Arthur pressed the gas, sounding less like a cat and more like a dog now.

Arthur sped through the sprawling campus of Wildwood Academy, which was situated on about 500 acres of forest just off Route 69, nestled between Lake Watrous and Lake Chamberlain outside New Haven, Connecticut. Merlin watched the trees speed by, and then they were turning onto Route 69 and heading into town.

He hadn’t been here before but he had to admit the scenery was nice if you liked forests, but it reminded him too much of Elkhorn, Montana and he would rather not remember that right now. He turned to Arthur. “Can you turn on the radio or something?”

“Oh, yeah sure. Just play around with the screen and find something you want to listen to. Anything’s fine with me.” It was clear that Arthur was a bit distracted, his mind obviously elsewhere, so Merlin fiddled with the display until he found the Spotify app and selected one of Arthur’s playlists called ‘Mood Music.’

To his surprise it was a lot of soft jazz and instrumental music, the kind that plays in the background of romantic scenes in the movies. Merlin noticed Arthur blushing when he heard what was playing but he didn’t comment on Merlin’s choice of music. Merlin wondered why exactly Arthur had made this kind of playlist and who it was for, but he didn’t really want to know. Instead he just enjoyed the music.

They made their way down the road, not really chatting, just enjoying the drive. At one point Merlin opened the sunroof and stood up, letting the wind blow on his face freely. Arthur was laughing at him saying, “Merlin, you’re such a Dog. Sit down before you fall on your ass and get hurt!”

Merlin complied, now grinning from ear to ear. It was his goofy grin that everyone said made his whole face light up. “I love this car, Arthur. I wish I had one like it.”

Arthur glanced at him weirdly. “Don’t you have a car?” Merlin shook his head. “Nope. Mom doesn’t have a lot of money and I never needed one. How would I get it here anyways? Driving 1800 miles would take several days, in case you didn’t know.”

Arthur seemed thoughtful. “You have a point there. Well, if you like we can loan you a car. Won’t be new, but it’ll be a car.” Merlin gaped at Arthur. “You’d let me have a car? Just like that? What’s the catch?”

Arthur laughed lightly, seemingly amused by the thought that he would attach conditions to a loaner car. “Merlin, you’re my fated mate. There is no catch. Just make sure to keep fucking me silly every once in a while and we’ll call it even. Or let me fuck you, whichever works.” That made Merlin crack a smile again as they both broke down laughing. “Deal.” Merlin said, still laughing at how casual Arthur was about all this.

They finally reached their destination, a clothing store in downtown New Haven called Raggs. It sold upscale clothing for humans and Shifters alike. It was across the street from the Old Campus of Yale University and just down the street from the New Haven Green, meaning there were lots of students all around.

Arthur parked on Chapel Street about half a block away and they walked towards the store. Inside they were greeted by a clerk, and immediately they recognized Arthur. “Ah, young Mr. Pendragon. Always a pleasure to serve your family. What can we do for you today?”

The clerk, a Brown Bear shifter in his thirties named Arnold, listened as Arthur listed off various items he was looking to buy. From the sounds of it he seemed determined to buy Merlin an entirely new wardrobe. “Very good, sir. Will this be for you or for the young gentleman with you?”

Arthur must have realized his mistake and did a double take. He sheepishly introduced Merlin to the clerk. “ Oh, right. Arnold, this is Merlin. He’s going to school with me. He’ll be my new roommate and his wardrobe is simply dreadful so I’m taking pity on him. I’m afraid I don’t know his sizes so he’ll need to be measured.”

“Of course, sir. Right this way.” Arnold led them to the back of the store, through a door and into a fitting room. It was half the size of the Wildwood dorms and had a trifold mirror on one end of the room. Merlin noted that instead of a door it had a curtain, and there were a few other rooms like this. There weren’t any other customers back here, or at least he didn’t see or hear anyone.

Arnold had Merlin strip down to his jockstrap and proceeded to measure every inch of him. Merlin felt a little exposed, standing there in front of a total stranger with almost nothing on while Arthur sat nearby and watched, his eyes never leaving Merlin’s exposed body or ass. From time to time Arnold recorded measurements on a piece of paper along with a brief note, likely describing the measurement. He was very thorough, measuring almost every part of Merlin.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what if someone walks in?” Merlin commented, trying to distract himself while he was measured. Arnold instructed him to stretch his arms out to either side and hold them there. “No one comes back here, Mr. Emerson.” He assured Merlin. “These rooms aren’t for regular customers, these are for the VIP clients like the Pendragons. We measure and fit them here, in private, so that they don’t have to waste time browsing the racks and trying everything on like everyone else. We also tailor the clothes to their size. It’s a special service for those that can afford it.”

Then it was time for the inseam measurement. Merlin sucked in a breath and concentrated on his breathing, trying in vain to not get hard. Unfortunately it wasn’t working, but at least Arnold was decent enough not to comment on it.

The last measurement he took was around the base of Merlin’s tail. “So we know what size hole the pants need.” He explained. “Will that be all, Mr. Emerson?” Merlin glanced at Arthur for guidance. Arthur nodded once. “Yeah, that’s all.” Merlin replied as he started to get dressed again.

Arnold led them back out front. “Thank you for your business, Mr. Emerson and Mr. Pendragon. Congratulations, Mr. Pendragon, on finding your fated mate.” Arthur whirled around, beet red and a denial on his lips, but something about Arnold’s expression stopped him.

The man was smiling, a genuine smile that was warm and friendly. His eyes were practically twinkling with mischief, though. “Was it that obvious?” He asked weakly. Arnold’s grin grew wider. “Sir, you watched your ‘roommate’ undress right in front of you. He was wearing practically nothing and it didn’t bother you. I’ve seen you here enough to know you’ve never shown much interest in anyone. In any case, you both smell like one another. I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”

There was a hint of humor in his voice, but it was all said in the most polite way that even Arthur couldn’t stay upset. “Just...keep it to yourself.” He muttered. Arnold nodded once. “Of course. Client confidentiality is paramount here at Ragg’s. Have a good day, sirs, and we’ll see you in a week.”

Merlin and Arthur thanked Arnold and left the store. They’d been there only 30 minutes but they were both starting to get hungry, so Arthur led him to a nearby restaurant. It was a human establishment called Shake Shack, but they had pretty good burgers too.

They ordered their food and when it was ready they chose a table and ate. “This is pretty good.” Merlin commented. “Yeah, it’s my favorite place to eat when I’m in the area.” Arthur replied. Merlin gave him a look, shooting him a surprised smirk.

Arthur blushed, suddenly bashful. “I’m not your typical trust-fund baby, ok? Yes, I have money, but I like regular things too. Just…shut up and eat your burger, idiot.” Arthur took a huge bite of his burger as Merlin resumed eating, unable to resist smiling.

It was nice, just going on a normal date like this. Fuck, this was a date wasn’t it? Merlin glanced at Arthur, who was staring off into space while sucking down his vanilla shake. Merlin ate his burger, drank his caramel shake, and when they were done he followed Arthur back to his car.

It was getting late now and the sun was starting to set. Arthur put on some music and drove away from New Haven, but not in the direction of the Academy. Merlin didn’t realize it until he saw the sign pointing to the turnoff onto 69. “Arthur, you missed the turn!” Merlin pointed to the road they’d just passed.

“I know.” Arthur replied evenly. “I wanted to take you somewhere before we go back. It’s my favorite place to visit. You’ll see.” Merlin tried to get him to say more but Arthur refused, shaking his head and laughing, saying only, “It’ll be worth it, Merlin. Now shut up, or do I need to shut you up some other way?”

The look he gave Merlin was a smoldering smile that made a hot blush swamp Merlin’s face. He couldn’t find his words all of a sudden so he contented himself with just staring out the windshield and watching the scenery roll by.

Arthur turned into a park. West Rock Ridge State Park, the sign declared. Arthur followed a narrow road, passing by numerous scenic overlooks. He seemed to be heading for one in particular.

Finally Arthur pulled into a round parking lot at the end of the road. There weren’t any cars here, and while there had been some cars further back, no one was here right now. Arthur got out of the car and led Merlin to the edge of the lot.

A stone wall encircled it, but there was a gap in the wall with a trail leading further out, presumably to the edge of the cliff. Arthur took Merlin’s hand and they strolled that direction. Merlin squeezed Arthur’s hand and let him lead the way, in no hurry to get back to the Academy now.

Arthur led Merlin through the trees to a spot where they could sit on the very edge of the cliff and see the whole city. To their left the sun was setting, setting the whole sky aflame with fabulous colors such as reds, golds, and pinks. The few sparse clouds in the sky reflected those hues, turning the sky into something like an oil canvas painting. It made this a surreal moment, being here with his fated mate at what felt like the edge of two worlds, the wild and the modern.

Arthur spoke first. “I like to come here and see the city sometimes. When I’m stressed, or feeling down, I come here and watch the city and the people. I can see them sometimes, and hear them. From up here life doesn’t seem so bad.”

Merlin was speechless. Arthur was rich, talented athletically and socially, *and* a deep thinker? He’d gotten the wrong impression of Arthur and he regretted his snap judgement that he was just another arrogant asshole rich kid.

Merlin sighed, leaning on Arthur’s right shoulder. “I was thinking something else, actually. This feels like a border, like something between two worlds. Us Therians, we’re something between two natures. We’re caught between a beast nature and a human nature. This place is trapped between two natures as well, the wild and the modern.”

Arthur sucked in a breath. “Damn, Merlin. That’s deep, but you’re right.” He swiveled to gaze at Merlin. “Your hair is so pretty out here.” He commented. “It looks red now, but earlier it was brown. Beautiful…just like you. It suits a Shifter to have hair that can change.”

Merlin chuckled. “You sound just like Brian, he said the same thing once. It’s called auburn, and you’re right about it changing color. Brian used to say that any Therians who had auburn hair were special because we have hair that can change like us.”

Arthur chuckled lightly. “Smart guy. He was right, though, you are special, Merlin. You’re who I’m meant to be with. I can feel it.” Arthur squeezed his hand and they went back to watching the sunset, content to sit silently.

 It was nice, sitting here at the border between worlds with each other. Merlin knew that no matter what happened next, regardless of what life threw their way, he and Arthur could figure it out. Together. Because they were meant to be.

As the sun set below the horizon and the city lights flickered to life, Merlin felt something growing. It was a sense of peace. He smiled. At last, he was at peace. He’d grown up with constant chaos, surrounded by a dozen cousins and endless chores. Now he could relax, rest, and discover who he was apart from ‘one of the Emersons’.

It was a nice feeling and he didn’t want it to end.

Chapter Text

The drive back to the Academy went by fast. Arthur and Merlin had sat there for nearly an hour watching the sunset and seeing the lights of the city, but eventually it started to get cold so they had made their way back to the car and left.

Of course, humans would have had trouble seeing in the dark. Even though the sun had just set, it got dark fairly fast. For Shifters, however, night wasn’t as much of a burden as it was for humans. Cats in particular had excellent night vision, but Dogs weren’t too shabby either. So picking their way through the woods and back to Arthur’s car was no big deal, especially with Arthur in the lead.

Finally they arrived at the Academy and the two made their way back to Arthur’s dorm. First, though, Merlin insisted on stopping by his own room to pick up a few things. Arthur had made it clear he intended for Merlin to move into his room permanently but that couldn’t be resolved right now. That meant Merlin needed some more clothes and a few toiletries.

Merlin packed an overnight bag; it was something he’d done a lot ever since his mom had met Gaius. Leon was there already, chatting with Lance about basketball while he made himself comfortable on Merlin’s side of the room.

Lance pulled Arthur aside and whispered something to him. It sounded somewhat urgent, but what little he could hear made him think it wasn’t anything he needed to worry about. Arthur paused after Lance finished, then said at full volume, “I’m sure. He wouldn’t dare do anything; even Father can’t deny this or hide it.”

Merlin desperately wanted to ask more questions, but there was no sense in prying. It was better to simply wait for Arthur to tell him of his own accord. They left after telling the other young men good night, and Merlin thanked Leon for swapping with him.

“Don’t worry about it.” Leon assured him. “Better me than you; Arthur seems like he can be a handful.” Arthur had thrown him a disapproving glare, but Merlin and Lance both cracked up at that, knowing it was absolutely true.

They finally returned to Arthur’s room, exhausted after a long, emotionally charged, roller-coaster of a day. Both of them settled down for the evening to study and chat, swapping stories about their lives.

As they talked they got dressed for bed, Arthur in silver-colored silken pajamas, both top and bottom, and Merlin in a ratty old pair of pajama pants he’d worn for 2 years now that were actually sweatpants.

Arthur told him about some of his father’s investments and his mother’s company, and in return Merlin described what life was like on a ranch. It was hard work, but he’d done his best to earn his keep. When it didn’t seem like Arthur was going to explain whatever Lance had wanted to talk about Merlin decided to—as gently as possible—broach the subject. “So,” Merlin said at last after a long silence, trying to sound as casual as possible. “What did Lance want?”

Arthur sighed, put away his book, and faced Merlin from across the room. “He’s worried about what Father’s reaction to this will be. To you. Father is…obsessed with lineage. He disapproves of inter-species mates. I’m a little worried he’s going to throw a huge fit when he finds out that my fated mate is a Dog.” He laughed that same hollow laugh from before, the one with no humor in it that spoke of deep pain.

Merlin levered himself off his bed and crossed the room in an instant; it was a reflex, almost. His mate was hurting, he could feel it, and he could smell the pheromones of sadness and fear. He sat on the bed beside Arthur, curling into him protectively.

Arthur didn’t resist and the two rolled onto their sides and spooned, with Arthur being the little spoon. Merlin was so huge compared to the small cat that his entire body was obscured from view by Merlin’s massive frame.

Arthur’s tail twitched and draped over Merlin as he began talking again. “I’m scared, Merlin. What if Lance is right and he really does reject you? What if he forces us to…” Arthur couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

“I won’t let him.” Merlin assured him. He slid his left arm over Arthur’s waist and his right arm underneath him and hugged him close, letting Arthur feel his body warmth. Despite everything they’d done earlier he wasn’t feeling the slightest temptation to try anything right now. Arthur was hurting right now; this wasn’t the time.

Arthur melted into him anyways, let himself be held. “Ok. Sorry, I’ll…stop worrying. Promise. I won’t let him ruin our relationship.” Merlin hummed happily and started rubbing Arthur’s chest with his left hand, just trying to comfort him.

The Cat Shifter purred and melted into Merlin’s warm frame. They laid there for a long time, not chatting and not sleeping, just enjoying the company and contact. At some point he rolled onto his back and Arthur clambered on top of him automatically; Merlin didn’t fight it, it actually felt nice. He stroked Arthur’s back gently, and the purring sent them both to sleep in minutes.

It felt like minutes later but was actually the next morning that Merlin woke up to find that not only was Arthur awake, he was taking advantage of Merlin’s morning wood and giving him a blowjob. When he saw Arthur’s ass and tail in his face and felt Arthur’s lips on his cock, Merlin woke up a lot faster and a lot happier than expected.

Merlin pulled Arthur’s ass closer to him, leaning his head up and plunging his face between Arthur’s round cheeks. He tickled Arthur’s hole, drawing a moan from him that was partly muffled by Merlin’s cock; Arthur didn’t seem to want to let it go.

Merlin swirled his tongue around Arthur’s hole, teasing him even as Arthur sucked his cock. Then he let his long tongue enter Arthur’s hole; he rolled it up and let it slide into Arthur’s ass little by little, appreciating it when Arthur’s mouth popped off Merlin’s cock long enough to let out a drawn out moan that their neighbors probably wished they couldn’t hear.

“FUCK, Merlin, that’s a long tongue!” Arthur exclaimed. Merlin chuckled, unable to respond since his tongue was deep in Arthur’s ass. He let it swirl and twist inside Arthur for a minute before withdrawing it.

“I wanna see you bounce that ass on my cock.” Merlin whispered. Arthur gazed back at Merlin, then began to grin, showing all his teeth. “My pleasure.” He replied. “No pulling out.” Arthur added as he positioned himself over Merlin’s cock.

Merlin was so fixated on the realization of his fantasy the other day that he didn’t register he wasn’t wearing a condom until Arthur was sliding down his cock, but it was too late now; he could stop now, or he could go raw and figure it out later. He threw his head back and keened; fuck, Arthur’s ass felt so damn good. It was too hard to keep thinking when that ass felt so good and tight; fuck it, he’d worry about consequences later.

Arthur began to move, then bounce, aided by Merlin’s hands under his ass cheeks. The smaller man was mewing and keening, as well as Merlin, and it wasn’t long before Merlin was cumming, his knot swelling up inside Arthur’s ass. Merlin watched it all as the Cat Shifter lost all composure, keening and moaning and yelling....

Merlin threw his head back, unable to resist the warm flesh wrapped around his cock and knot. “Fuckfuck oh goddamn that’s fucking HUGE what the…” Arthur was panting and cursing in pain now, but it was too late, Merlin had fully knotted and they were stuck together now.

Arthur hissed in pain for another few seconds, then slowly collapsed onto Merlin’s chest, extending his legs as he carefully inched himself high enough up Merlin’s chest to press a kiss to his lips. “Good morning.” He said, more than a little humor in his husky voice.

Merlin chuckled as he kissed Arthur back. “Morning, pretty kitty.” There was a beat, and then it seemed to hit both of them what they’d just done. “Fuck!” Merlin exclaimed. “I…Arthur, I came in you! With no condom!! Fuck, fuck, what if….”

Arthur’s hand whipped up to cover Merlin’s mouth. “Shhh. Merlin, it’s ok. I can’t get pregnant. Yet.” Merlin’s fear died down, just a little, as his biology-nerd brain kicked in. He remembered now that only fully-bonded mates could impregnate the other when they were the same sex. Of course basic reproductive biology still applied for mates of the opposite gender; no amount of magic could change that much.

Merlin relaxed, letting his head fall back into the pillow. “Sorry I panicked. I do want to have a family someday, I’m just not sure I’m ready to start one right now.” Arthur chuckled along with Merlin. “I’m not ready either. So shut up and let’s enjoy the moment, you idiot.”

Arthur licked Merlin’s face affectionately, his rough tongue scraping across Merlin’s cheek and jaw. Merlin let his head fall back on the pillow and allowed himself to enjoy this time, being connected with Arthur like this. He knew that once school started tomorrow—was it really Sunday already? —they would both be busy so he wanted to take advantage of this free time while he could.

When his knot had deflated enough to pull out he did, though Arthur made no move to get up. He stayed right where he was, nuzzled into Merlin’s chest with his cheek pressed to the Dog’s large ribcage, purring contentedly.

Merlin stroked Arthur’s back repeatedly, just watching Arthur as he lay there. His eyes were closed but Merlin knew he wasn’t asleep, just laying there. “Are you really ok, Arthur?” he asked at last, when the Cat Shifter made no move to indicate he was getting up.

Arthur rested his chin on Merlin’s chest to look at him, his arms pillowed on Merlin’s chest. Fuck, that was a sexy view of him. At this angle, Arthur’s back and ass were on full display. Merlin let one hand slide down to grip that sculpted ass gently. Arthur’s purrs deepened and his tail twined that arm affectionately.

“Yeah, I’m ok. More or less.” Merlin cocked an eyebrow; what was that supposed to mean? Arthur sighed. “Ok, fine, I’m still worried about my dad. He’s…well, look, he only approved of me mating with Morgana because her father is his best friend from college. He seemed almost, almost…relieved when nothing came of all his efforts to get us together.”

Now Merlin was curious. “What efforts?” Arthur shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “The usual. Inviting Morgana over for a day or two and putting her in a room next to mine. Setting us up with dates. Inviting her on vacations and leaving us alone. It wasn’t anything subtle, but she’s like a sister to me. I think he would prefer it if I mated with another Cat, and lately he’s been pushing Gwen and I together whenever he can. He once called inter-species Therians a ‘waste of genetics and the Goddess’ magic’.”

Merlin growled angrily at that. He’d heard that kind of insult plenty of times and never expected it to come from his mate. Arthur backpedaled quickly, scared of the dark look that Merlin was giving him now. “I don’t agree with him, not at all! But Father is…well, old-fashioned. He doesn’t understand.”

Merlin growled again. “Don’t…please, don’t say that again, Arthur.” Merlin sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as he remembered all the insults his classmates had used. ‘Hybrid’ and ‘mutt’ had been the kindest of them. Despite Wolves and Dogs both being canine Shifters, many Therians thought of them as separate species and treated the rare few hybrids like any other inter-species Therians.

Merlin had dealt with the ostracization his entire life, being a hybrid. People could tell he wasn’t a typical Dog, he was big. Too big for a normal Dog. Only Wolf Shifters got as big as him and everyone knew it. Many feared him, worried he’d attack them or lose control. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t violent, hated fighting, and just wanted to be left alone with his books. To them, he was a dangerous mistake.

He shook himself out of those thoughts. That was then. Arthur wasn’t like his classmates, right? He cracked one eye open to find him watching Merlin carefully but saying nothing. He was just…laying there, listening to Merlin’s chest. Just relaxing to his breathing and heartbeat, his head still pillowed on his arms. His eyes were locked on Merlin’s face still, and they were full of concern for his mate.

Merlin ruffled Arthur’s platinum-blonde hair and silvery ears. “Sorry. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“If you’re sure…” Arthur’s voice trailed off, his eyes still wide with concern. “We only have one thing to do today so….” Merlin shook his head. “I’ll be fine, really. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry. Why don’t we go get something to eat?”

Arthur’s face lit up and he got out of bed. “Ok! But first, I want to take a shower. Wanna join?” He batted his eyes at Merlin, who laughed and shook his head. “That shower is way too small for both of us. You go ahead, I’ll shower after you. Besides, I want to check my emails and texts.”

Arthur was a bit crestfallen and his tail drooped a little, but Merlin pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, gripping his ass as he did so. “Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time for me to take your ability to walk. Now go get clean.” Merlin’s eyes sparkled with humor at Arthur’s expression, torn between wanting another round and wanting to get clean.

Getting clean won out, though it was a close battle. Merlin sat at the desk that would be his soon to check his emails; he had one from the school about classes starting tomorrow that he scanned quickly and then deleted.

He checked his text messages and saw that the group chat had been pinging like crazy since yesterday. Apparently Gwen and Morgana had both asked Merlin in the group how his date with Arthur had gone and, when Merlin hadn’t replied, it had quickly devolved into a group discussion about what they’d been doing instead of answering their texts.

 Most of that discussion involved debating who topped first and in what position. Merlin found himself simultaneously blushing and mentally taking notes for use later. Some of these positions he really wanted to look up some time, they sounded super-hot, and others he recognized and wanted to try with Arthur.

 He saw that Lance and Leon had updated the group chat last night after Merlin and Arthur had stopped by, informing the girls that ‘the lovebirds’ had come by the room to pick up clothes for Merlin and had smelled strongly of one another. That had led to even more speculation from the girls; on top of that, it would be impossible to deny that he and Arthur had been mating if they were calling them lovebirds now.

Some of the suggestions weren’t too far off—Merlin’s cheeks turned pink when he read some of their guesses—but he shot a text back to let them know that they were, in fact, just fine. He did say that he and Arthur had gone on a real date and that he’d spent the night, but he hadn’t done half the things they thought he’d done.

Fortunately no one responded; they were probably asleep, which was good. Merlin opened his texts with his mom and shot her a quick text.

Hey Mom! Hope you’re settling in with Gaius well. I was wondering if you wanted to do a Skype call next weekend. I can tell you how my first week of classes went and introduce you to my roommate.

Text sent, Merlin locked his phone and plugged it back in to charge, then closed his laptop. He heard the water still running and thought he could hear Arthur scrubbing himself, so he occupied his time by cleaning up their clothes from last night.

He held Arthur’s shirt up to his face, breathing in his scent. It was like a slice of heaven, thick with musk and that spicy-sweet mate scent. Merlin could stand there breathing it all morning, but he really should be cleaning...

Merlin was so wrapped up with that scent lingering on Arthur’s shirt that he didn’t notice Arthur had come out of the bathroom, his towel thrown over his shoulder. He was watching Merlin sniff his shirt, and it was clear he liked what he smelled; Merlin’s tail was happily wagging and his ears were perked up. He had that goofy grin on his face too, the one he always had when he first saw Arthur.

That lit a small fire in Arthur’s stomach; despite knowing it was impossible right now, he had secretly hoped that, by some small miracle, Merlin had been able to impregnate him. Maybe that would be enough to keep his father from forcing them to reject their bond...Arthur put that thought aside for now. This was something he should decide with Merlin.

Arthur cleared his throat to announce his presence. “Don’t tell me my shirt stinks.” He said; Merlin jumped, looking like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar before dinner. “I...I was...and it...”

Arthur sighed lightly, shaking his head. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms gently around Merlin’s waist. Merlin finally seemed to notice that Arthur wasn’t wearing a towel. “Merlin. It’s ok. This is a Dog thing, right? You want to keep my scent close, don't you? How about this; I’ll leave my clothes on your bed after I’m done wearing them and when you’re finished with them, you can toss them in the hamper.”

Merlin seemed to relax at that; Arthur understood...but how? Most Cats didn’t care to learn that much about Dogs. He realized Arthur was waiting on an answer when the Cat just stared at Merlin, a small smile on his face. “Oh. Uh...yeah. That works. Can I...I mean, do you want something of...mine? For the...uh, scent?” Merlin wasn’t sure, but he thought he remembered that Cats were just as scent-oriented as Dogs.

Arthur seemed to approve of that idea and nodded. “I would, actually. Do you have any hoodies?” Merlin almost laughed. Of course he would ask for a hoodie. Typical Cat; hoodies were almost all that Cats wore when it got cold. Gaius said it was because being swaddled made Cats feel safe and hoodies were close to that. Merlin just thought it was because they preferred comfort.

 Merlin swallowed hard; fuck, it was hard to think straight with Arthur this close, and naked too. “Uh...yeah, I do. In my, uh, room. We’ll...get that later. Let me just...” Merlin slid around Arthur, heading for the shower. He stripped off his pants as he went, tossing them and his jocks back over his shoulder. “Sniff these for now!” he yelled back at Arthur, then he closed the door to the bathroom.

A moment later he darted back out, blushing pink and for some stupid reason covering himself, to grab his towel, soap, shampoo, and loofa. “Sorry. Forgot them. Be back...I mean, gonna go shower.” Merlin nearly tripped in his hurry to get to the bathroom but he managed to recover and made it to the bathroom safely. He pretended not to see Arthur pressing his jocks to his nose, breathing deeply of Merlin’s scent while he stroked his now-hard cock as his eyes followed Merlin across the room and back.

He closed the door, ignoring the guffaws of laughter coming from the bedroom behind him. He was sure he’d looked like a total idiot just now, but being caught smelling Arthur’s scent like that was mortifying.

It was totally natural, of course, but being caught like that was more embarrassing than anything. He turned on the water and waited for it to get warm, leaning against the far wall and rubbing his groin. His cock, limp until now, stirred once more. He was tempted to pump out another load right now but decided getting clean was more important.

As he washed, soaped up, scrubbed his hair, and rinsed, he listened for any sounds coming from the room. Through their weak bond—weak for now, but he knew it would only get stronger in the days and weeks to come—he felt a tiny hint of Arthur’s emotions. Contentment, mainly, but there was some stress underlying it.

Merlin was drying off when he heard Arthur’s raised voice floating through the door. He sensed a spike of anger, unmistakable even through a day-old unsealed bond, and rushed out to the room.

Arthur was on the phone, arguing with someone. His tail was poofed out and his ears were flat against his skull; Merlin could see his pupils were narrow slits, a sure sign of anger. “How could you do this, Lance?! Why?! You know that-” Lance must have cut him off and said something because Arthur stopped talking to listen.

He hissed after a moment. “He wouldn’t dare.” Arthur’s hackles were raised and Merlin had to suppress his own anger. He felt left out, but just then Arthur saw him. His eyes flicked up to Merlin’s face, saw the anger, and spat out, “I’ll deal with you later, cousin. We’re not through.” He hung up the phone and tossed it angrily onto the bed. It bounced twice and fell to the floor; Arthur didn’t pick it up and Merlin didn’t care about that.

Merlin rushed up to Arthur, scooping him up and holding him to his chest. Arthur clung to Merlin’s front without a thought, wrapping his legs around Merlin’s waist like a young child and burying his face in Merlin’s shoulder.

“What happened?” Merlin asked after a moment. Arthur didn’t respond immediately, he just sighed and buried his face deeper. He finally replied, his voice thick with emotion and muffled by Merlin’s body. “Lance told his father about us.”

Merlin froze briefly; why would that upset Arthur? He didn’t have to ask, however, because Arthur continued after a momentary pause, raising his head to meet Merlin’s. When Merlin held him like this, they could look each other in the eyes at the same level.

Arthur licked his lips. “Uncle Tristan is my mother’s older brother and CEO of Dubois Manufacturing. They’re kinda a big deal.” That was an understatement; Dubois made everything from sheet metal to soap to towels to car parts. Merlin’s towels, shampoo and deodorant were all made by Dubois Manufacturing. It was a household name among Therians and humans alike. And Arthur was the nephew of the Dubois CEO?!

“Ok...” Merlin drawled, still not sure how this was relevant to Arthur’s anger earlier. “Uncle, of course, will tell Mother. Which means it’s only a matter of time before Father calls and...and...” Arthur steeled himself to say it, his worst fears given form: “He’ll pressure me to reject you, to break our bond and form one with someone else of his choosing. Someone he likes and, more importantly, someone he can control. Gwen, probably.”

Merlin tensed up immediately. Surely Arthur had to be joking...even his dad wouldn’t force Arthur to tear out his heart like that, would he? He would use his own son as a pawn in his own game? What kind of father was Uther?!

Arthur, seeing Merlin’s confusion and anger, added quickly, “I’ll walk away from the family before I let him do that. I swear on the Goddess, Merlin. I won’t let him keep doing this to me.”

Merlin finally found his voice. “So this happened before?” It wasn’t really a question. Arthur shook his head. “Not like this, like...us. I did have a classmate, though...a Dog, like you; his name was Giles Moore. He was sweet, friendly, and strong. Just like you, but less, uh...” Arthur gestured vaguely at Merlin. “...huge.”

Merlin chuckled at that, glad he was already better than this strange Dog, but he sobered up right away. “What happened?” Arthur sighed but continued his story, his voice pained. “It was a year ago. He and I decided we wanted to be mates. I knew Father would never approve so we went through the Bonding Ritual. We never got to seal the bond, though, because Father found out. He threatened to disinherit me if we didn’t break the bond and, to my shame, I complied like the good son he wanted me to be.” Arthur’s tone was pure venom now, his eyes ice cold.

Merlin held Arthur’s gaze for a moment...then another. Merlin knew that look wasn't intended for him but Uther. Finally it was Arthur who looked away, his pain breaking the cold mask it had become. “I was bedridden for days; it felt like half of my heart had been torn out when I broke the bond. I heard Giles had it just as bad. He never recovered, though, and he killed himself a month later. His parents found him one day; he’d found his dad’s gun and blew his brains out.”

Arthur shuddered and buried his face in Merlin’s chest again; Merlin felt his towel slipping off his waist and let it go. He carried Arthur the few steps to the bed and laid him down, then slid behind him and cuddled him as they had the night before.

Arthur began to sob, real sobs of pain and grief. “I...I feel like I killed him, Merlin. My best friend...he...” Arthur couldn’t finish his sentence and fell silent, choking on his own grief.

Merlin didn’t have any words for him, he just let Arthur cry until he couldn’t cry any more. When the Cat Shifter was quieter he started humping against Arthur’s ass; Arthur’s tail immediately wrapped around Merlin’s leg and he moaned quietly but made no other response.

Merlin kissed Arthur’s neck softly. “So. You never said why Lance told his dad.” Arthur shifted quietly, then spoke. His voice was soft, a little rougher now. “He was happy that I found my fated mate and wasn’t thinking. Don’t be mad at him, please. Or at least don’t stay mad at him too long. He means well.”

Merlin sighed deeply, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to calm himself down. He was torn between staying here to comfort Arthur and running downstairs to rip out Lance’s heart so he could know what it was like if Arthur had to go through it. Again.

“I can’t promise anything yet, but I swear I’ll try to not hold a grudge. Ok? Now tell me, what are we gonna do about your dad?”

“Huh?” was Arthur’s eloquent response. He seemed stunned, so Merlin repeated himself. “Oh. Oh, you’re serious? Fuck if I know. Part of me wants to seal the bond right now. He’d have to accept you then, not even Father would dare tear apart fated mates with a sealed bond. It would undermine everything he claims to believe.”

Something finally clicked in Merlin’s brain when Arthur said that. “Arthur. Your father, does he worship the Goddess?”

Arthur froze. “Yes.” He replied automatically. “He never missed a Full Moon Jubilee. Even on vacation, he and mother always go to the nearest temple. He prefers the New Haven temple, though.”

Merlin sat up on one elbow to get a better look at Arthur. “Good. Now remind me again, when are your parents coming back?” Arthur thought for a moment. “Uh…two weeks, give or take. Why?”

Merlin pressed on, just trying to get a few facts together before he said more. “When is the next Full Moon Jubilee?” Arthur thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone. “The day after my parents are due to arrive. Well, actually it’s the evening of the day after. Why, what did you have in mind?”

Merlin grinned but didn't answer Arthur's question. “Great. Now tell me, does the New Haven temple do Fated Mate Confirmations, and would they be willing to do one at the next Jubilee?” Arthur’s eyes lit up at that as he realized what Merlin was planning on doing.

Fated Mate Confirmations were a ritual, typically performed by a Priestess or Luna of the Goddess at the temple, and it was a way for fated mates to confirm to themselves, as well as any others who might doubt it, that they were in fact truly fated mates. It could be done at any time, either privately or publicly, but it did need at least one Temple clergy member present to perform the ritual

In the modern era it was a common way to sidestep overbearing or intolerant families like Uther Pendragon, or as a way to publicly declare your upcoming nuptials to everyone you knew. If Uther was opposed to Arthur being mated to anyone but a Cat, seeing Arthur and Merlin be confirmed as fated mates in front of everyone at the Temple during a Full Moon Jubilee would mean that he couldn’t force them to break their bond without losing face and reputation because everyone would be congratulating the couple and their family, which included Uther.

Moreover, he and Arthur had an advantage that Uther didn’t; they were here in New Haven and not too far from the Temple. Merlin had seen it on the way here from Hartford. It was a massive construction of white marble with huge Grecian pillars, frescoes, the whole works. No wonder Uther Pendragon preferred the New Haven Temple of the Moon; the Temple in Dripping Springs had been a converted horse shelter.

“Merlin, you are either an oblivious idiot or a genius. I’ll decide which later. Right now, as much as I want to take advantage of you being naked, I’m getting hungry so get dressed, we’re going to breakfast, then the Housing Office, and then we’re staying in for the rest of the day.” The look on Arthur’s face made it clear what they would be doing.

Merlin’s mouth twitched into a grin. “Fine by me, kitty.” He kissed Arthur’s face, reaching one hand to grope his dick and balls. “But this time, it’s gonna be my turn to play with your knot.” His teasing face smirked down at Arthur, who was blushing and grinning. Arthur stuck his tongue out at Merlin. “Fine. I’m warning you, though, it’ll hurt.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “I’ve taken a knot before, Arthur. I’ll manage.” Merlin rolled off the bed and started to get dressed. Arthur just stared at him getting dressed. “That’s not what I meant!” Arthur called out.

“Yeah, yeah. Spikes, I know. Now are you gonna get up on your own, spike-dick, or do I need to make you?” Merlin waggled his eyebrows at Arthur, who was sputtering and turning beet-red now. “Spike-dick?! Excuse me, Mr. Baseball Knot, but I can get up on my own!”

Arthur did indeed get up on his own and even got dressed, since he hadn’t put on anything but some underwear after Merlin went to take a shower. Once Merlin was dressed and ready he spritzed on a little Oud Zarian. Arthur noticed and immediately sniffed him. “Lance chose well. This smells really nice on you, Merlin.” Arthur inhaled the cologne deeply, appreciating its scent’s complexity and richness.

Merlin smiled back at him. “Thanks. I kinda like it, too. You’ll have to show me where to get some more, though, once this bottle runs out.” Arthur debated on whether or not to tell Merlin that even a small bottle was out of his price range, probably, but in the end he chose to simply let him figure it out. He could always buy another bottle for Merlin if he wanted to, or he could give Merlin the money to buy it for himself.

That is, if this plan of Merlin’s succeeded in convincing the great and powerful Uther Pendragon to let go of his speciesism and accept Merlin as his fated mate. It would take a miracle, but fortunately he knew the Luna of New Haven was more than capable of handling his father. She was something truly special and Uther respected her for it.

Arthur and Merlin grasped hands and made their way to the cafeteria, letting go once they left the dormitory; soon, they knew, everyone would know about them, but till then they would try and keep a lid on their relationship. They couldn’t wait to share the news, though.

Chapter Text

After a hearty breakfast Merlin and Arthur headed over to the Housing Office. Fortunately someone was there; normally they were closed on the weekends, but it was move-in weekend and someone had to be available in case there was an issue. Like now, with Merlin and Arthur wanting to room together.

Merlin and Arthur walked over to the Housing Office, which was in the Administration building. It was blandly decorated, with beige walls, some plants that were probably fake, and minimal art that was probably from a nearby chain store. You’d think such a prestigious academy would have better taste in decorations, but I guess it didn’t matter when it was just the Housing Office.

There was a receptionist at the desk, busily typing away at her computer. She looked up when the two young men walked in. Her ears swiveled to face them and she seemed to stare at them; a moment later the pose broke. “Welcome!” She greeted them.

When they got closer, Merlin thought he recognized those ears; if he wasn’t mistaken, she was probably a Deer Shifter. “My name is Gina. What can I do for you boys today?” Merlin merely listened as Arthur explained they were there so Merlin and Leon could trace room assignments.

“Leon Corbin, you say? I’ll need his permission first before I can approve any transfer-“ Arthur cut her off, his carefully neutral expression becoming a hard glare. “I know it’s not that hard to reassign students, especially this early in the semester. Look, I…I didn’t want to make it a big deal, but Merlin is…he’s my fated mate.”

Arthur almost spat the words out, like he was reluctant to say anything. Merlin was briefly confused; why would he not want to admit it? Then it occurred to him that this was probably the first stranger he was saying it to. That was probably why.

Gina’s entire demeanor changed in an instant, however, much to Merlin’s surprise. “Oh! Oh, I see. Well in that case, I’ll need my manager’s approval, and we’ll need to notify your old roommate of course, but we can absolutely get things squared away for you on our end, Mr. Pendragon.”

Arthur sighed in relief. “Thank you. Leon already knows Merlin is moving in. Since Merlin’s moving out, can’t you put him in Merlin’s old room?” Gina appeared thoughtful for a moment, and then she was nodding in agreement. “I don’t see why not. Let me call my manager and get her to approve the trade. Sit down, why don’t you? This won’t take too long.”

She directed them to sit in the chairs and picked up the phone beside her computer. It rang twice before someone answered. “Ma’am? It’s Regina. I need you to authorize a room trade.” Gina paused, listened, and then nodded once. “Understood. Thank you, ma’am. I apologize for calling on a Sunday. See you tomorrow.”

She hung up and then looked at Merlin and Arthur. “Ok! My manager has given me permission to get you all squared away and she’ll handle the paperwork on our side tomorrow. Now, I assume you already know where Mr. Pendragon’s room, right?”

Merlin nodded as Gina began typing on the computer. She printed out a few forms that he then had to sign. She instructed Merlin that he would have to turn in his old dorm keys in by Friday at the latest, then gave him a new key. “And congratulations again, both of you. You’re so lucky to have found your fated mate. I wish I could find mine but alas, I haven’t yet. Too flighty, but then again I am a Deer!” She laughed like it was supposed to be a joke, but neither Arthur nor Merlin laughed.

“Never mind. Just a little joke. Well, have fun you two, and just drop off your keys when you’re done whenever. There’s a drop box outside for after-hours drop offs you can use, if you like. Have a good day, you two!” They thanked Gina and left to start moving Merlin’s things out of his old room and into Arthur’s dorm room.

Fortunately for Leon, he and Lance were awake but just studying. They helped Merlin carry all his stuff up to Arthur’s room, taking only one trip since there was four of them, and then they carried all of Leon’s down to his new room.

By that point Leon had gotten a call from Gina asking him to come to the Housing Office to sign paperwork for a room transfer so they left his stuff on his bed and Merlin went back to his new room to start moving in.

Arthur helped, occasionally commenting on some of his clothes, and by the time they were done it was lunch time. They ate at the cafeteria again and returned to their dorm to study some more. Overall Arthur hadn’t been too judgmental of Merlin’s choice of style, but it was clear he still thought Merlin’s wardrobe needed the upgrade it was about to get. Merlin did notice that Arthur picked out a hoodie, his favorite light grey hoodie in fact, and pulled it on.

Around 4pm Merlin just couldn’t study any more. Arthur was laying on his bed, just relaxing, so Merlin laid down beside him. Arthur immediately scooted closer, curling into Merlin’s warm body and getting comfortable.

Merlin laid there for a while, just enjoying the closeness and warmth as Arthur studied. The fact that Arthur was purring contentedly didn’t hurt either. After a while Merlin’s mind began to imagine what Arthur’s dick would feel like inside him. Would it hurt? Arthur’s knot was similar in size to Merlin’s own, but that might be the only similarity. After all it was a genetic quirk, not a normal thing cats had.

Merlin rubbed Arthur’s leg gently. The reaction wasn’t instant, but Arthur’s tail immediately flicked up onto Merlin’s leg, draping over him. Merlin grinned, then ran his hand up Arthur’s thigh and brushed against the growing bulge he could see in Arthur’s pants.

Arthur groaned quietly behind his textbook. “Merlin…” he warned the Dog, giving him quick glance that was equal parts desire and irritation. “Right now?” He cocked an eyebrow at Merlin, whose only response was to slide his right hand into the waistband of Arthur’s pants and give him a cheeky grin.

Arthur sighed, put away his book, and undid his fly so that Merlin could have better access to what he was after. Merlin immediately sat up and moved on the bed to kneel between Arthur’s legs. He decided not to tease Arthur this time and simply pulled down the Cat Shifter’s boxer briefs, exposing his cock to the cool air.

Merlin hovered over it, his warm breath making it twitch slightly. Then he slowly took it into his mouth; Arthur’s head tilted back into the pillow as he moaned. “God, yes Merlin.” Merlin sucked harder, his cheeks turning hollow as he bobbed on the Cat’s dick.

Eventually he decided enough was enough; he wanted to feel that dick inside him, to feel that knot expand in him, to feel those spikes scraping his asshole from the inside. He needed it now, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait.

Arthur must have sensed his need because he cracked one eye open to glance down at Merlin, raising his head just enough to see him. “If you want it, take it. But don’t be mad when I knot in you.”

Merlin stuck his tongue out at Arthur. “I can handle your knot.” His words notwithstanding, Arthur and Merlin both started shedding clothes. Robotically at first, then with more enthusiasm until they were both naked.

Merlin laid on his back and held his knees to his chest while Arthur prepped him; that tongue really was like sandpaper, but somehow it still felt amazing. When Merlin was fully relaxed Arthur repositioned himself so that his cock was poised at Merlin’s eager hole.

They locked eyes as Arthur waited, though Merlin wasn’t sure what. Then Merlin felt a tentative query through their bond, weak as it was still, and realized Arthur was trying to see if Merlin was really ready for this. Merlin took a steadying breath and released it, letting his tension dissolve. He’d been a bit worried about those spikes, it was true, but also curious. “I’m ready.” He murmured to Arthur.

The Cat shifter’s eyes lit up and slowly, gently, he breached Merlin’s hole. Merlin’s head fell back onto the pillow, his eyes closing in pleasure. “Fuck…” he moaned. Arthur panted, clearly struggling to restrain himself.

“Does it hurt?” He asked Merlin, concerned. Merlin cracked one eye open to glare at Arthur. “Don’t you dare hold back, kitty. I told you, I can take it.” Arthur grinned ferally at Merlin. “Your wish is my command.”

Arthur began to thrust hard and deep, each stroke sending more pleasure to Merlin than he was expecting. Arthur’s spikes scraped on his hole with each backstroke, but somehow it was tolerable. “Fuck…fuck…oh God, yes….”

It was a timeless moment, each stroke forward bringing them pleasure while each backstroke brought pain. A perfect blend of heaven and hell, pain and pleasure; two natures, two things blended. Like Dog and Cat, or day and night, or Beast and Human. It was absolute bliss, and Merlin couldn’t get enough of it.

He didn’t know how long he lay there, his knees against his chest and trapped under Arthur’s body as they kissed. Arthur’s strokes didn’t slow down but actually seemed to speed up. Merlin could tell he would be sore for a while after this but he didn’t care. He needed this, needed Arthur. Already his whole world was shifted with Arthur at its center. Everything and everyone else was superfluous right now, here in this endless moment of pure bliss.

After what felt like an eternity Arthur leaned back up and arched his back, crying out, “Fuck, Merlin, I’m gonna cum!” Merlin laced his arms around Arthur’s waist. “Knot me, pretty kitty. Fill me up, make me your bitch!”

His words sent Arthur over the edge, his pupils fully dilated and rounded out. He thrust in once, twice, and then a final time as he started to cum. His knot swelled up and locked him inside Merlin. Both young men moaned in satisfaction as Arthur collapsed onto Merlin’s chest.

Merlin stroked Arthur’s back, smiling from ear to ear. “Such a good kitty.” He murmured, pressing a kiss to the tousled platinum blonde hair of his mate. “Shut up.” Arthur mumbled back. “…say it again.” He added a moment later.

Merlin smirked. “Pretty kitty.” He felt Arthur start to purr as his tail curled down, wrapping around Merlin possessively. “So, uh…we’re stuck for a while now.” Arthur blurted out. “My knot won’t go down for a couple hours. Are you…hungry? I can order some food for us.”

Merlin was so shocked at what he was hearing he didn’t know what to say at first. Then he chuckled. The chuckle became a laugh, and soon Arthur was laughing too. A second later Arthur’s laughs became moans as the motion of their laughter did interesting things to their connected bodies, sobering them both up in a hurry.

Merlin kissed Arthur solidly on the lips to reassure him. “I am starving.” He said, his smile making his entire face light up. “But how can we get to the door if we’re stuck?” He wasn’t even questioning the ‘a couple of hours’ part of Arthur’s statement. What was the point? It was what it was.

“Um…” Arthur thought for a moment. He could order the food to be delivered to his room, but he wasn’t sure he could pull out in time for them to go collect it. And if it was him stuck on Merlin’s knot, he could be carried easily enough; Merlin was so big and strong he would have no problems carrying Arthur.

“Can you reach my phone?” He asked. As embarrassing as it would be, he could always ask Lance to bring up some food. Lance was his cousin; they’d seen each other naked enough times that this shouldn’t bother him…right?

Merlin looked at Arthur with a strange, curious expression, but he reached for Arthur’s pants and fished out his phone. He handed it over wordlessly, but his face made it clear he expected an explanation.

Arthur sighed. “I could order some food, but I can’t carry you and it would be too hard for you to carry me if you’re stuck on my knot. So I’m calling Lance to pick up something for us.” Merlin’s eyebrows shot up towards his auburn hair, nearly disappearing with his surprise.

“I mean…that’s practical but…” Merlin’s voice trailed off as he gestured to their entwined forms. “We aren’t exactly in the best position for company.”

Arthur laughed once. “Merlin. Lance is my cousin. I don’t care if he sees my ass.” Merlin shifted a little, glancing away from Arthur. The Cat Shifter noticed and was instantly concerned. “What? Don’t tell me you’re shy.”

“I…” Merlin began, but he choked up. “I, uh. Don’t really have a lot of experience being…naked. Around guys. Or anyone, really.”

Arthur was baffled. “Don’t you have like, a dozen cousins you lived with?”

Merlin nodded. “I do, but only two of them are boys. The rest were girls, and I wasn’t close with my uncle. So…”

“Ah. I see. Lance and I are cousins but we spent a lot of time together. We’re practically brothers. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s seen me like this, but I understand if you’d rather not be exposed to him. For now at least. We can get under the covers until he leaves. How does that sound?” That sounded like a good plan, and Arthur seemed genuinely unbothered about Lance seeing him naked, but Merlin got the feeling there was something Arthur wasn’t saying. Some other reason he wanted Lance specifically to bring the food.

Merlin thought about it for a moment, then nodded his approval. Whatever Arthur wasn’t saying, he had to trust that it wasn’t anything bad or harmful to Merlin. Arthur grinned. “Excellent! Let me call him real quick.” Arthur dialed his cousin, who picked up on the third ring. “Hey cuz! I got a huge favor to ask you….”

Merlin could hear Lance’s huge groan on the other end. “I already heard you, idiot. What do you want to eat?” Merlin’s face flushed with embarrassment as he realized that Lance had heard everything.

Arthur noticed Merlin’s expression and waggled his eyebrows comically. “You heard us, huh? Sorry about that. Uh, Merlin, what sounds good to eat?” Merlin muttered something unintelligible, and when Arthur asked him to repeat himself he repeated it loud enough for Lance to hear. “Your ass.”

Arthur blinked, then burst into laughter, his face burning bright red. “I meant food, Merlin. Pizza fine with you?” Merlin nodded, then added, “Lots of meat please.” While he said it he gave Arthur a look that was so horny Arthur practically melted from the heat.

“Pizza with lots of meat, Lance. Gotta go.” Arthur hung up and began peppering kisses to Merlin’s chest. “I’m guessing you want something, right?”

Merlin growled, “Wanna cum.” Their eyes met and for a brief moment they could almost hear each other’s minds. Arthur knew what Merlin wanted, so he snaked his right hand down between their bodies and began to stroke Merlin’s cock, which was rock hard still. Arthur had been so focused on his own pleasure that he’d forgotten about Merlin’s. Oops!

As he pumped Merlin’s now-leaking cock he slowly rocked his hips forward while he claimed Merlin’s lips, trying to make up for his thoughtlessness by being as quick as he could. They grunted and groaned, Arthur using his body as much as his hand to get Merlin off. It wasn’t long before Merlin came, painting both of them and the sheets with even more cum.

Satisfied, both of them settled down to wait for Lance to arrive. Merlin soon got uncomfortable being folded up like a letter under Arthur so they decided to roll over and have him be on top. Then they carefully shifted and moved and slid under the covers, wincing as Arthur’s dick was stretched and bent while trying to get under the bedcovers. It was almost comical and surprisingly difficult to maneuver while linked in such an…intimate way.

Once they were under the blankets Merlin settled down on top of Arthur, covering the smaller man’s body completely with his own large frame. He cuddled into Arthur, resting comfortably while he waited for Arthur to be able to pull out.

It took Lance nearly 30 minutes to get there, but it was worth the wait. He knocked on the door gingerly, like he was afraid it might explode or something. “Uh…special delivery?” His voice came through the door clearly enough that the two boys could hear his hesitation.

Arthur gave Merlin a shit-eating grin and called out, “Come in! Door’s not locked.” Lance opened the door and opened it just a hair, holding out the pizza through the crack. “I come bearing food! Is…can you come get it? Also, why the fuck was your door unlocked?”

It was Merlin who spoke this time. “Unfortunately not. I’m…ah, stuck. We didn’t lock the door because, well…this wasn’t exactly planned.” Lance groaned quietly; of course his cousin would do this to him. Again. Sighing deeply he swung the door fully open and stepped through, closing it quickly before turning around to see what he was dealing with. He made a mental note to scold Merlin and Arthur later about locking their doors while having sex; anyone could walk in on them here.

What Lance saw before him was almost ludicrous: Merlin and Arthur were under the covers, well kind of, but it was almost immediately obvious that they were only under there to hide the fact that they were naked. Lance had to chuckle as Merlin sat up and the covers slipped; the Dog’s hand darted to catch the covers and missed, so they pooled around his waist and exposed nearly all of Arthur’s top half.

It also gave Lance a nice glimpse of Merlin’s half-hard cock. Goddess, it was huge even when almost limp. He was jealous of Arthur, and when his eyes flicked up to his cousin’s face he saw that self-satisfied smirk he knew would be waiting for him.

Lance saw Arthur’s finger drift down to the sticky mess on his chest, slide through the stain of cum, and then the cheeky bastard sucked it off his finger, all while looking right at Lance. He felt his cheeks burn while his cock was stiffening; meanwhile his tail was whipping behind him and his ears flicked backwards. In other words, confusion.

Fuck, Arthur had been hoping for this hadn’t he? He and Arthur had a long-running competition trying to one-up one another for most of their lives. It had started when they were kids and compared their first toys, then phones. It had then escalated to their clothes, scents, cars, and now their sexual conquests.

They had a private chat history on Snapchat where they would trade photos of who they’d gotten with, though it had been a dry spell lately for the both of them. Some of the photos were rather…exposing, to say the least.

And now here was Arthur, naked and practically exposed while his fated mate was covering them back up, smirking at Lance the entire time. To his shame Lance could feel his face turning red and knew it wasn’t just embarrassment, it was because he liked the glimpse of Merlin he’d gotten.

 Damn, he was a fine specimen of Shifter; Arthur was a lucky man. Like many Therians, Lance wasn’t as fixated on heterosexuality because of the fact that, at the end of the day, you and your mate would always be able to reproduce thanks to the magic of mate bonds. When gender wasn’t a factor for impregnation, why bother making a fuss over who you were attracted to?

“Are you going to stand there and gawp at us or are you going to actually bring the food over here?” Arthur’s voice cut through Lance’s stupified state. “Don’t act so smug, you bastard.” Lance snapped back, blushing despite himself. He was pretty sure that was Merlin’s cum

Merlin pointed to the desk. “Just set it there, Lance. How much do we owe you?” Lance waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. Father gave me one of the family cards and said I could use it for food, gas, groceries, stuff like that. So long as I don’t spend too much in a month he won’t even notice the amount. I hope you like Papa John’s, I just ordered from what was closest and paid extra for fast delivery.” He set the pizza on the desk and beat a hasty retreat, trying vainly to tune out the laughter behind him.

“Did you see his face?” Arthur laughed as he twisted to grab a slice of pizza. “He was beet red and staring at your dick.” He added, enjoying Merlin’s embarrassment at the thought of Arthur’s cousin seeing him exposed like that.

He was scandalized even more when Arthur admitted why he’d done it. “I admit I didn’t have to ask him. I could have asked anyone. Morgana would have done it in a heartbeat and wouldn’t have cared. But Lance and I…well, I admit I wanted to show you off a little, sweetheart. Are you mad?”

Merlin felt two emotions warring inside him; he was touched that Arthur was apparently so proud of him that he wanted to show him off, but he was pissed that he’d done so by letting Merlin risk exposing himself to a stranger. Never mind that Lance had already caught a glimpse of Merlin the other day, that didn’t really count. This was intentional.

But still….

He chewed on his pizza, letting Arthur stew for a moment before he responded. He took the time to craft a response, but in the end he just said what he was feeling. “I can’t say that I’m thrilled that you decided to make me a part of your weird dick-measuring contest with your cousin, but I do love that you want to show me off. Next time, though, maybe just show me off when I’m not impaled on your spiky, knotty dick, ok?” He gave Arthur a sassy, saucy look that earned him a growl and glare from the Cat.

“Oh yeah?” Arthur quipped back. “I’ll show you a spiky, knotty dick!” Before he could stop him, Merlin found himself suddenly back under Arthur and somehow, despite the knot still tying them together, Arthur was fucking into him again with enough force to make Merlin feel it in his stomach.

“Fuck…Arthur…god, you’re so deep…”

Arthur kept rolling his hips, fucking into Merlin while holding his pizza in his mouth still. Merlin’s pizza, now forgotten, slid off the bed and onto the floor. Merlin was coming undone underneath Arthur as his nimble hands began to work, tweaking his nipples, stroking his cock and teasing his balls even as Arthur nibbled on Merlin’s chest and licked his human ear.

That sent Merlin into a frenzy and he came right there for a second time; that in turn made him clench hard on Arthur’s knot and dick and sending him into a second orgasm nearly as big as the first one. They were both panting heavily now. Arthur let go of Merlin and grabbed his pizza with one hand, biting off a big chunk and swallowing in a very sexual, sensual way, all while looking right at Merlin.

Merlin gulped; that was…fuck, it was hot. Being dominated like that, by someone so much smaller than him and while they were still connected….he was falling for Arthur even harder now. He was thoroughly worn out after cumming twice so close together; he hadn’t done that since his last time with Brian before he’d moved away.

Merlin smiled up at Arthur. “Ok, you proved your point. Now would you please hand me a slice of pizza? I really am starving!” Laughing, Arthur handed Merlin a fresh slice and let him eat in peace.

After a quiet meal they resumed their previous position of Merlin on top with Arthur under him. Both were a little sleepy and, when Merlin checked his phone, he saw that it was nearly 9pm. Time had really flown by when they were studying, he had no idea it was that late already.

He settled down to get some rest, Arthur already dozing under him. “I hate to go to sleep like this but…it’ll be a while, right? You going to be ok?” Merlin waited as Arthur yawned, exposing his sharp teeth. “Go to sleep, puppy. I’ll be fine.” Arthur kissed Merlin, savoring the taste of his lips and biting his tongue. “Good night, Merlin.”

Merlin pressed a kiss to Arthur’s forehead. “Good night, pretty kitty.” They settled down to sleep, though Arthur lay awake long after Merlin slipped into a deep sleep. Finally, when Merlin had been asleep for over an hour, he felt his knot finally start to deflate. Little by little it shrank and at last he was able to pull out.

Of course that made Merlin stir in his sleep. “Shh, go back to sleep. Just pulling out.” Arthur soothed Merlin, stroking his back rhythmically. “Pretty…kitty…” Merlin mumbled, half asleep, and then he seemed to slip into a deep slumber again.

Now that he wasn’t stuck in Merlin’s ass, Arthur allowed himself to relax enough to drift into a sleep as well. Part of him hoped that his plan to force his father’s acceptance would work, but another part of him—the part that still yearned to be his father’s obedient son and finally earn his approval—knew that unless a miracle were to happen, he would wind up shattering his own heart into a billion tiny shards again, just when it was starting to feel whole again.

And this time, he wasn’t sure he could ever piece it back together. After all, how could you ever love again when you were forced to reject your perfect other half?