Chapter Text
Arthur let out a long groan as his knot slipped into Merlin, locking them together as they were meant to be.
Alpha and Omega; two sides of a coin.
His vision whited out as Merlin clamped down on him instinctively and he couldn’t help but rock himself, mindlessly grinding down into the sensitive bundle of nerves every omega possessed. He came harder than he ever had before; the knowledge that it was Merlin under him just as damning as the velvet that gripped his cock. God, he was ruined wasn’t he? Never again would he be satisfied with another omega. Never again would he be content to spend his ruts alone. This, this was everything he wanted piled up into a single moment.
He had long thought his manservant was out of reach, both emotionally and physically. If getting the council to accept Gwen was a challenge, it would be nothing compared to getting them to accept a common beta male. He might have tried anyway, if Merlin had given any indication he harbored any of the same feelings as the king. At the very least he could have possibly pushed Merlin as a concubine, unorthodox but acceptable as long as it was not talked about in decent company, while he took a omega queen of quality breeding to soothe their concerns. Yet the thought of it, hiding Merlin away like some shameful secret, twisted his stomach unhappily. He had always been the type of person to want to shower his partner in affection and attention, despite his father’s best efforts to rid him of the impulse. To deny Merlin that side of him, even if just in public, felt wrong, cowardly.
Then he had found out Merlin had magic and all his private fantasies had been ripped to shreds.
Over the past few weeks he had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Merlin to realize the ruse was up and turn on him, like every other person he had ever held dear. Yet the servant had stayed, visibly suffering under Arthur’s neglect yet not running, never straying from his side, never ceasing his attempts to regain the King’s attention. So instead Arthur had been forced to grapple with his thoughts, to attempt to come to a conclusion on how he was supposed to move forward now that his entire world, the story of his life, was fundamentally changed. In the end, he hadn’t managed it, still wrestling with the feelings of betrayal and fear, trying to decide which was truly in control, and Merlin had gone into heat, a heat that was apparently meant for Arthur in both senses of the phrase.
He came back to himself slowly, feeling the sensation of flesh squeezed between his fingers first and the heaving of his chest next. He blinked the spots out of his eyes, looking down to find himself gripping Merlin’s hips with bruising force, holding them both together as the omega’s body stuttered under the force of its own release. With a dangerous feeling of affection, Arthur leaned forward, bringing a hand underneath those beautiful hips with the intent to guide Merlin the rest of the way through the storm, distantly aware of the ridiculously sappy smile blooming on his face at Merlin’s obvious pleasure. It created a perverse sort of pride in his alpha, that he had managed to satisfy the omega so well, stuff him so full. Arthur’s cheeks dusted at the lewd thought, now that his own hormones were no longer wrestling for control.
And then Merlin collapsed.
It was abrupt and without warning, his body going completely limp, dangling from their tie like a cursed doll. Arthur’s heart stopped, blood freezing over.
“Merlin?!” He yelped, tightening his grip on the omega’s hip and receiving no response, even as a soft tang of blood filtered through the air at the force of Arthur’s panicked grip, claws digging into the unguarded flesh. “Merlin?! Merlin?!”
His heart picked up with a brutal rhythm and he lunged for Merlin’s shoulder, shaking it harshly. “Don’t be such a girl, Merlin.” He scolded with an edge of hysteria. “Wake up!”
Merlin’s head lolled to the side with the jerky movement, exposing his rolled eyes and a completely blissed out smile on the omega’s lips, a sight Arthur knew would haunt his nightmares. He cursed his decision to send the guards further down the hall, where they were less likely to hear the sounds of the pair’s mating. The king had possessively wanted to keep the gift of Merlin’s pleasured moans all for himself, to keep all of the omega, his scent, his sound, his body for the alpha’s senses only, but now he was faced with the gamble of whether the guards would be able to hear his screams for help if he tried.
With his heartbeat in his ears, Arthur tried to calm himself. He was being stupid, people did not die from mating. Merlin was fine. He was just…. overwhelmed with Arthur’s performance…. clearly. Hands shaking like a man headed for the gallows, Arthur pushed his fingers forward towards Merlin’s neck, trying to remember how Gaius had taught him to check for signs of life. He needed a pulse, located at the juncture of Merlin’s chin and throat. Never had he been so terrified to search for it, knowing his entire soul would rip apart should he fail to find it. He pressed harshly into the skin, holding his breath as he struggled to separate his own racing blood from any hint of the existence of Merlin’s own living, beating heart. Though he had never been overly religious, even to the god his father worshiped, he prayed now, bending his entire being before anyone, anything, that would listen.
He nearly sobbed at the strong, rapid thrum of life that bloomed under his fingertips, taking quick breaths to contain himself as his heart bruised his sternum in its excitement. The omega’s pulse was too fast for Arthur’s complete comfort but it was slowing as the King continued to observe it. With bated breath, and lingering fear, he waited to see if it slowed too much, but, to his relief, it evened out instead, a sturdy, lazy march as the omega shivered in unconscious pleasure. The King laid his forehead between his servant’s sharp shoulder blades, too prominent for Arthur’s liking, he clearly needed to feed his omega better, and continued to take deep breaths as a dizzy, bone deep relief rolled through him.
“You menace. Don’t scare me like that.” He grumbled into the oppressive silence, huffing in exasperation as Merlin’s chest began to rumble with a light purr as if in response to Arthur’s words.
Still, the reaction was worrisome and Arthur furrowed his brow as he tried to analyze it with a calmer focus. Merlin was not the only omega he had lain with, it was not even the first heat he had shared, his father ensuring he was well educated from a young age. He had not taken a bed warmer in several years now, not since he had begun to look for Merlin’s approval on the matter, one he never received. Arthur huffed despite himself; clearly he had found out why. Yet, he could remember his experiences with a fair bit of clarity and he had never had an omega completely pass out before.
Biting his lips anxiously, he lifted his head to observe his manservant. Merlin was splayed beneath him, unmoved from the position Arthur had jostled him into. While it was clear he would not wake anytime soon, Arthur could spot the steady rise and fall of Merlin’s stomach, now that he wasn’t so frantic, and he stared at the sated smile still stretched over the sorcerer’s lips. He looked peaceful and content, body angled by the lewd hold Arthur’s knot had on his hips, still hard and firm despite the alpha’s earlier panic. He release had already begun, it needed no further stimulation from either of them and Arthur groaned as he felt a wave rise up to deposit into Merlin, shivering in time with the omega’s unconscious body. It would have been an arousing sight if Arthur were not so consumed with trying to figure out his next course of action.
He wanted to get Merlin checked by someone but Gaius was still in the lower town. Waffling between his options for several minutes, Arthur released a slow, controlled breath as he decided to wait. It was impossible to separate until his knot deflated and it was horribly improper to attempt to drag Merlin with him as he searched for assistance. The only other option was to forcefully rip himself loose but that was guaranteed to tear Merlin badly, intimately, and, until Arthur knew what the problem was, he wasn’t going to risk making whatever issue caused the collapse worse. No, he would wait and, if Merlin had not woken by the time his knot came loose, he would send for Lancelot and quite possibly Gaius.
Instead, Arthur gathered Merlin’s limp body up tenderly, adjusting them so they were lain on their sides and Arthur could splay his palm over the cavity of Merlin’s heart, reassuring himself with every steady beat against his palm. He received a soft moan at the attention and a shuddering a series of clamps on Arthur‘s knot, causing Arthur to shudder in turn as the fluttering walls teased another wave out of him.
Hopeful, Arthur propped himself up to check the omega’s face, “Merlin?”, tenderly swiping some of his hair to the side. Unfortunately his servant remained unconscious but his eyes had fluttered shut and his purring had grown louder, clearly pleased with what his body had found inside him. Arthur couldn’t help but feel smug that Merlin had not found him wanting. When there was no additional signs of consciousness from the omega beyond the odd shiver or clamp, Arthur resettled himself behind the servant, pressing his nose to the omega’s neck in order to comfort his remaining anxiety over Merlin’s health with the scent he had now declared his favorite.
As a beta, Merlin had not held much scent, likely due to his suppressants. Still the low simmering camp fire flame had been more than enough to catch Arthur’s attention. However, it was nothing compared to the burnt sugar he could taste in Merlin’s scent now, rich and decedent, a perfectly caramelized treat. The scent drew the alpha in like a lure, bringing arousal and comfort in equal measure. With a sigh Arthur settled further, allowing the tension to leave him as Merlin’s sated scent filled his nose. It was something Arthur knew he was already addicted to which was a problem because Merlin wasn’t his, something he needed to come to terms with sooner rather than later. The affectionate behavior from earlier was merely a result of the omega’s hormones, imprinting on Arthur purely due to proximity during his preheat as the omega had barely left Arthur’s side as he attended him. The King was certain, that if he had forced Merlin to follow Gwaine, the omega would have acted the same once he adjusted.
Unhappy with the thought, and unwilling to face the underlying emotion driving it, Arthur forced his mind onto other matters to drown out the lingering silence, mind still too jittery to rest, not until Merlin had woken once more. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, Arthur tried to reason with himself; Merlin had had an exhausting day today and had been injured before their mating. Then he had been forced to wait while preparations were made and again while Arthur fussed over his injuries. With a painful jolt Arthur wondered if this was partially his fault, if Merlin had waited too long and his heat had been too much to handle at the end.
It wasn’t as if Arthur was particularly well versed in the ways of omegas beyond their sexual needs. His father had refused to teach him, waving him off dismissively with the excuse that Arthur wouldn’t need to know. It was his mate’s job to make sure she had what her instincts demanded, to build the nest, to keep herself healthy, to make sure Arthur was satisfied.
He had been told that omega’s were needy, whining things. That they would never turn down a knot while in heat. That they couldn’t survive, couldn’t even function, without an alpha’s guidance and that they were mostly good for breeding and a show of status, not much more. Yet clearly that too had been false. Whatever misgivings Arthur may still harbor, there was simply no way he could call Merlin weak. Incompetent in certain areas, certainly, useless for a variety of tasks, definitely, absolutely hopeless as a knight, undeniably; but he was still the bravest man Arthur knew, and he had dared to threaten Gwaine and outright fight Lord Nier, only relenting in despair at Arthur’s less than warm arrival.
Though the king had been shocked into stillness when he had burst open the doors, following Lord Nier’s putrid scent with the deadly devotion of a hunting hound as soon as Gwen had charged into the armory, frantic, Arthur could still recall the blinding rage that had shattered through him at the sight of Merlin pinned by another, crying and desperately reaching out for help. Despite the omega’s defeat, the bruises painted on his skin revealed his struggle, the bloody patch on his skull a harsh reminder that he had not been abducted willingly. As close to the peak of his heat as he was, the resistance was remarkable, unheard of.
Unless Arthur simply didn’t know all that much about omegas.
The option was unfortunately highly possible. Arthur could admit his life in the palace left him sheltered in many unexpected ways. It wouldn’t surprise him to have been lied to about this too, for his father to have heaped even more misguided or outright untrue perceptions of the world on to Arthur’s oblivious shoulders, to have fed the Prince cherry picked facts and stories to lead Arthur astray.
It seemed that there was simply no end to the things Arthur should be ashamed of his bloodline for.
At the very least he had his knights, most gathered with influence from Merlin himself. He was grateful for both their foresight and expertise in the matter, able to gather suitable nesting materials and proper provisions for heat care and aftercare. Lancelot had left detailed notes in the salves and potions he provided, naming and explaining which were for muscle soreness and which would help to encourage Merlin to rest, even if his body insisted he didn’t. He would make a good mate for Gwen; she would be well taken care of.
He found himself less upset that Lancelot had taken her affection now that he had Merlin resting in his arms, but there was still hesitance in his heart, uncertainty of how he would be expected to trust a sorcerer so intimately.
Learning of Merlin’s magic had been no easy thing to swallow. It had completely gutted him, a chaotic storm of anger and betrayal. He hadn’t even let the servant explain before he dismissed him back to Gaius’s chambers, worried that he do something rash and lead Merlin to the Pyre before he could get himself under control. The following weeks had been spent in silence as Arthur continued to wrestle with himself, able to see that the act was hurting Merlin emotionally and feeling a shameful sort of vindication that he was feeling some of Arthur’s pain. Apparently that had led them to this moment, with Merlin acting out and drinking an entire jug of inducers just to get Arthur’s attention. With another sigh, Arthur realized it was quickly becoming time for them to confront the lion in the room before it devoured them both.
His wandering thoughts were interrupted as Merlin let out a groan much deeper than the smaller moans he had been uttering so far, his purring having evidently faded out at some point during Arthur’s introspection.
Eagerly Arthur leaned over him once more, “Merlin, are you awake?” and was deeply relieved when the omega blinked bright, glassy eyes at him. Despite his reservations, Arthur felt his heart melt as Merlin gave him a soft fuzzy smile, voice beautifully hoarse from his earlier sounds of pleasure.
A certainty took root in his chest, young and faint but steadfast all the same. One way or another they would get through this. One way or another he would find the courage to know Merlin for all that he was, to clear the rubble of their shattered relationship and build something new in its place, something stronger and, Arthur dared to hope, maybe even something deeper than their previous unacknowledged friendship. For all that he was unwilling to admit, he had missed Merlin deeply over the past few weeks, had felt lost without the servant’s biting commentary and playful, nearly constant chatter. It would be a long road before they could be considered alright, but they would manage it, one small step at a time.
As he quipped back and forth with the servant, enamored by the movement of his lips and lilt in his voice, Arthur knew that they would recover from what was broken and, to his surprise, he was eager to see the result.