The Sacred Oak's Mistletoe

[cd_mods]

Title:The Sacred Oak's Mistletoe
Recipient:sophia_clark
Author: rotrude
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur, mention of Gwen/Lancelot
Summary: Written for this prompt: Merlin puts a spell of some kind on some mistletoe to try & get Lance & Gwen together, but somehow he & Arthur get trapped underneath. Druidic AU with a blink and you miss it dash of Sword in the Stone plot. Merlin and Arthur have long known each other but things change for them when, of all things, Merlin tries to get two of his friends together.
Warnings:None
Word Count: 1,714
Author's Notes: Very kindly beta'd by teprometo. Thank you so much for the help.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

( “The )

Two Sides

[millionstar.livejournal.com]

Title: Two Sides
Recipient:weepingwillow9
Author: millionstar
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Prompt: "Merlin and Arthur open their presents from each other, some really sweet, some a bit more inappropriate/not suitable for family audiences."
Warnings: Language, copious amounts of fluff.
Word Count: 1374 (Oops. Thanks to the mods for extending the word count for this exchange.)
Author's Notes: I hope I didn't go too overboard on the fluffiness, and I also hope that me giving this an AU setting is okay as well - thanks for the wonderful prompt, weepingwillow9, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.


( You're so smart, Merlin. )

A Winter Curse for Thieves

[asya-ana.livejournal.com]

Title: A Winter Curse for Thieves
Recipient:millionstar
Author: asya_ana
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: The original prompt about sums this up: “It was charming when Merlin was able to make it snow in Arthur's chambers. It was not charming when he couldn't make it stop.” Modern high school AU with fluff, holidays, and first kisses.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1811
Author's Notes: Thank you to magnolia822 for the beta and ememmyem for Britpicking!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

( Read more... )

Working Late

[magnolia822.livejournal.com]

Title: Working Late
Recipient:bunnysworld
Author: magnolia822
Rating: NC-17
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Summary: Arthur and Merlin have been shagging for months but never talk about it, mostly because office romances are frowned upon, but also because Arthur is a utter prat and Merlin doesn’t have any feelings for him. Not at all.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 2K
Author's Notes: Thanks to asya_ana for the beta!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.



“I. Thought. You said. Never again. At work,” Merlin panted out as Arthur thrust into him from behind. What a picture they would make for anyone unlucky enough to step into the gents—Merlin, trousers pooled around his ankles, hair wild; and Arthur, cock unceremoniously released from the confines of his flies, driving Merlin against the marble counter with quick-slamming hips.

In the mirror above the sinks Merlin watched Arthur’s blond hair flop over his forehead, imagining what Arthur must be seeing: his thick cock sliding in and out of Merlin’s arse. “It’s. After. Hours.”

“It’s never after hours . . . oh fuck. You know no one. Ever goes home.” Merlin grunted each word, making no move to stop the sex though he knew he was right—someone could enter at any moment since the London firm where they worked never closed. God, Arthur had no right to feel this good; it was what made him agree to fucks in the loo, the copy-room, even a couple times in Arthur’s office. Merlin loved Arthur’s cock, loved to suck it, loved to stroke it and ride it and would probably spend his last moments on this earth wistfully remembering it. Unfortunately, however, Arthur’s incredible cock was attached to Arthur, and Arthur was a giant prat.

“Do shut up. Mer-lin.” The winded nature of Arthur’s speech, along with his faltering rhythm, gave him away. It wasn’t without a trace of self-reflective irony that Merlin realised he knew all of Arthur’s tells, the way his expression intensified and his mouth dropped open as he approached orgasm. It was the only time Arthur Pendragon, top barrister and son of one of Britain’s leading MPs, looked anything but cool and composed.

“I’m just saying.”

“Well. Stop saying. I’m trying. To fuck you.”

After that it was less talking, more barely restrained moaning. Merlin grabbed his own erection and pulled, forgetting everything but the feel of Arthur, the way his hands gripped Merlin’s hips and held, the sounds of skin slapping and how Arthur looked gorgeous even illuminated by garish florescent lights. When he came, he muffled his groan into his arm, clenching his arse around the cock inside. After a few more rapid, deep thrusts, Arthur stilled and grunted, falling over Merlin for a moment while his hot breath gusted through the soft hairs at the nape of Merlin’s neck. Perhaps he was dreaming, but Merlin thought he felt the press of lips there. He stiffened in reflex, unused to the intimacy, and before he could regain his wits, Arthur withdrew, quickly disposed of the condom, washed his hands, and exited the loo.

***

It was a mutual, silent understanding never to speak of what happened between them when they weren’t fucking. Office relationships, while not forbidden, were frowned upon, and as one of the senior partners of the firm and the man who’d originally hired him, Arthur was for all intents and purposes Merlin’s boss. Perhaps most importantly, Merlin couldn’t afford for Arthur to discover his magic (which he’d failed to disclose on his employment papers) and send him flying by the seat of his trousers. Oh, and then there was the fact that though their private parts got on quite well, they didn’t even like each other.

Arthur was rude and imperious, never holding onto a PA for more than six months. He didn’t even attempt to restrain gleeful smiles when assigning Merlin the most rudimentary tasks. And when Merlin quickly finished whatever drudging chore Arthur sent his way (with a little help from his magic, of course), he never offered more than the most cursory praise. So it had come as a bit of a surprise when, in the midst of a heated argument over whether the firm should participate in Pro Bono week (Arthur said no, Merlin yes), they had wound up shagging on Arthur’s desk, the remains of their working lunch in Merlin’s hair and a bruise the exact size and shape of Arthur’s mouth at the base of his throat that hadn’t faded for a week. The next time it had happened, he’d given Arthur a similar souvenir in retribution. And so it went.

As long as Merlin could keep his magic under control while they were fucking (it had the annoying tendency to go a bit haywire whenever Arthur was near), he could see no reason why their non-relationship couldn’t continue as it was, just an occasional release of tension, nothing serious. Until the day he overheard Gwen and Morgana gossiping in the break room over a plate of biscuits.

“—heard she’s the Prime Minister’s cousin. Gorgeous, tall, blonde, rich. Ugh.” Morgana wrinkled her nose.

“Who are we cutting down to size?” Merlin grabbed his lunch from the fridge and sat down with them. Gwen was Arthur’s latest PA; so far she’d lasted four months, and seemed uniquely suited to deal with his twatishness. Morgana was a recent hire like Merlin.

Gwen shrugged. “Arthur RSVP’d with a plus one for the holiday party, and we were just taking bets on who. I figure it’s probably Sophia Mansfield, since she’s been calling a lot recently and he had flowers sent to her flat last week.”

“And I saw them out to dinner the other night,” Morgana added. The two women exchanged a meaningful glance. “They seemed rather intimate.”

Merlin kept his features schooled as they carried on with their conversation, but swallowing every bite of his ham salad sandwich was a chore. He’d never even considered Arthur might be seeing other people outside of their little arrangement . . . and it was shocking to realise that he himself hadn’t slept with anyone else, or even wanted to, in months. He felt a flare of something worse than indigestion in the pit of his stomach. At some point he’d fallen for Arthur bloody Pendragon.

Bollocks.

***

“Merlin,” Arthur said, one arm braced on the frame of the entranceway to Merlin’s cubicle. “We need to go over the Wilddeoren deposition. If you’re not too busy.” The tone of Arthur’s voice left no doubt as to his real intention, and the little smirk on his face indicated he didn’t expect refusal.

Merlin turned in his chair, making no attempt to hide the crossword puzzle he’d been solving. He tried to focus on anything but the way Arthur’s fine-cut suit highlighted his slim waist and broad chest, giving a tantalizing preview of body underneath.

“Sorry, I don’t have time. Loads of stuff to catch up on for the, er, Disir case.”

Arthur frowned at him. “Really.”

“I’m researching precedents for Leon.”

Glancing at the crossword, Arthur’s frown lines grew deeper, but he didn’t call Merlin out. His eyes narrowed as comprehension dawned. “I see. Well then, carry on.”

Merlin turned away so he didn’t have to meet Arthur’s eyes, and waited to exhale until he heard Arthur’s retreating footfalls.

***
The week leading up to the holiday party was more of the same; when they were alone together, Merlin never allowed the focus to stray from work. Now that he understood his feelings were deeper than he’d originally known, the most important thing was to protect himself, even if it was like carving his insides with a blunt knife.

Arthur grew cool and distant, so much so that it only confirmed their fling had meant nothing to him. Even so, Merlin dreaded the upcoming party, the hours he’d have to spend watching Arthur and Sophia being gorgeous and enchanting together. He considered his own options. There was his flatmate Will, but Merlin didn’t want to subject him to an evening of brown-nosing and meaningless small talk (especially given Will’s penchant for getting belligerently drunk and berating anyone who worked for the Man)—and then there was Gwaine, but Merlin hadn’t spoken to him in a few weeks, and he’d feel guilty calling now only to ask a favour—

“Ahem.”

The throat clearing behind him startled Merlin from his reverie, and he glanced away from the window where he’d been watching the snow, only to find Arthur standing behind him. His stomach gave a lurch, his magic quickening under his skin. It was late, almost midnight, and Merlin had been sure that Arthur had already left for the night. Here he was, though, his shirtsleeves rolled up and his tie loose, the tops buttons undone. He looked tired. “You seem to be thinking hard. For a change.”

“Oh, um. I didn’t know you were here, ” Merlin said, the words tripping dumbly off his tongue.

“Where else would I be?” Arthur came forward a few paces and looked down towards the street where the lights illuminated large clumping flakes that had begun to stick. Merlin bit back a petty retort, suddenly feeling empty.

“Dunno.”

“You’ve been avoiding me, Merlin. Why?” The question was asked with shocking sincerity. Arthur’s serious eyes met his.

“Just figured it was time to move on.” Even as he said the words, Merlin’s magic violently disagreed. It tingled the tips of his fingers as if trying to connect with Arthur through the air that separated them.

“You didn’t seem to dislike our . . . activities before. I think I have a right to know what changed.”

Merlin steeled himself for painful honesty. “I prefer to sleep with unattached men.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Why did Arthur have to be standing close enough for Merlin to feel his body heat? It made his next statement almost impossible to get out. “I know about you and Sophia Mansfield.”

“What? That’s not—”

“Don’t. It’s none of my business.” Merlin made an attempt to leave, but Arthur caught him and held fast, and before he knew it Merlin found himself encircled in Arthur’s arms.

“Just listen, you idiot. I don’t know what you heard, but I’m telling you with all honesty there is nothing between Sophia and I.”

“But you—”

“She’s an old family friend. Her father just passed away and she’s taken it hard, so we’ve been spending time together. Look, if you don’t believe me.” Arthur moved towards the nearest computer and tapped some keys, bringing up an article on the recent death of Lionel Mansfield, complete with a photograph of the grieving Sophia at her father’s funeral.

“Oh.” God, how could he have been so stupid? He’d let his imagination run away with him with only hearsay for evidence, and now he’d really mucked things up.

“Yes. And if you hadn’t noticed,” Arthur said, moving closer again, “I’m not exactly interested in women.”

“Yeah, I . . . erm. Had noticed.”

“Merlin, Merlin. You were jealous. And here I thought you only wanted sex.” His devilish smile lit up his whole face, and Merlin experienced a lurch of hope.

“I did. I do. I mean, but that’s what you want from me, right?”

“Oh yes. But I was hoping maybe you’d want more. For instance, to go to the holiday party with me.”

“But—Gwen said you already had a plus one.”

“I was going to ask you.”

“A bit presumptuous, aren’t you?” Somehow they’d wound up so close that Merlin could feel the thump of Arthur’s heart. Their lips were almost touching as Arthur spoke again.

“Will you go to the party with me, as my date?”

“Hmm. Maybe.”

“Not good enough.” Arthur kissed him gently.

“Fine. Yes.”

Merlin’s magic danced along his spine as they kissed their first proper kiss, tongues and lips sliding together. Everything was going perfectly until he realised the lights above them were flickering and a nearby desk had begun to levitate.

“I can explain,” Merlin said as Arthur stared at him, mouth open and still kiss-swollen. He shrugged, helpless, as he waited for the fallout. But instead of the usual reactions of fear disbelief, or anger, Arthur cocked his head.

“So that’s how you finished the Racine report so quickly.”

“Kinda.”

“What else can you do?”

“Take me home and I’ll show you.”

Arthur grinned.

Arthur's Annual Winter Solstice Party

[thecheekydragon.livejournal.com]

Title: Arthur's Annual Winter Solstice Party
Recipient: sidhe_faerie
Artist:thecheekydragon
Rating: G
Media: Traditional pencil colouring with added text
Artist’s Notes: Had wanted to do a series of manips in a kind of Holiday Calendar featuring Arthur, Merlin and the Knights but recent surgery and recovery has limited my time at the computer so...Hope you still enjoy.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.


( Arthur's Annual Winter Solstice Party )

Pray Think of Us Poor Teachers Who Are Wand'ring in the Mire

[kleinefee92.livejournal.com]

Title: Pray Think of Us Poor Teachers Who Are Wand’ring in the Mire
Recipient:asya_ana
Author: kleinefee92
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Gwaine/Merlin
Summary: There are things in this world that call to the child in all of us.
Warnings: Unadulterated fluff
Word Count: 1600
Author's Notes: Hope you had a Merry Christmas, asya_ana and that you enjoy your fic! Thanks and lots of love go to the lovely and incredibly patient jelazakazone for putting up with my quirks and being my beta. The title for this piece was inspired by a line in Here We Go A Wassailing.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.







( Read more... )

belts and buckles

[min7girl.livejournal.com]

( You're about to view content that the poster has marked as potentially inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Sleeping Sword

[luxorien.livejournal.com]

Title: Sleeping Sword
Recipient: dante_s_hell
Author: luxorien
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Summary: For one battle, at least, Arthur's sword is Merlin's to command.
Warnings: N/A
Word Count: 1986
Author's Notes: One of the things I like about exchanges and challenges is the opportunity to write the kind of fic I don't normally write. I very rarely write romance and this is the first time in my entire life that I have written slash. I hope it lives up to expectations. Merry Christmas! Many thanks to tambear13 for betaing. Any remaining mistakes are of course my fault.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

( When the sun set on the blood-drenched field, the clash of steel faded with the light. )

fic: Destiny, Party of Two

[darksagegrl0.livejournal.com]

( You're about to view content that the poster has marked as potentially inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Drawble: Between heaven and hell

[vexena-sky.livejournal.com]

Title: Between heaven and hell
Recipient:luxorien
Artist:vexena_sky
Rating: PG
Pairing: no pairing included, probably Merlin&Arthur
Media: Traditional and Gimp
Warnings: Spoilers for 5x13
Artist’s Notes: It's been a long time since I drew the last time and I fear it shows, but I thank you a lot for inspiring me again and it was a lot fun. "If I cannot deflect the will of heaven then I will move hell."
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

( Heaven and hell )

I hope I did everything right.:)

Year Of The Cat

[karuvapatta.livejournal.com]

Title: Year Of The Cat
Recipient:min7girl
Author: karuvapatta
Rating: G
Pairing/s: None
Summary: Merlin’s long wait finally comes to an end, and so does the time of Albion’s relative safety. But for now, it’s a bright summer day, and Merlin couldn’t care less.
Warnings: Age difference, issues of immortality
Word Count: 1115
Author's Notes: Thanks to keire_ke for the beta! The title is from the song Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart. It’s a reincarnation fic brought to you by post-finale trauma. Also, there are kids.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.


( Read more... )

Wicked Is The Day

[sidhe-faerie.livejournal.com]

Title: Wicked Is The Day
Recipient:vexena_sky
Author: sidhe_faerie
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen, Leon, Merlin, Morgana, Mordred
Summary: A different take on the battle of Camlann.
Warnings: Violence
Word Count: 1998
Author's Notes: I think this is the way we all would have preferred it to come to an end. Thanks for this prompt it made me feel better about the end of it all.
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons. We'll just escape anyway.

( Wicked Is The Day )

We Interrupt Your Holiday Exchange Fest for a message from the mods!

[cd_mods]

Hi all! We hope you're enjoying the Holiday Exchange Fest so far! We're so thankful to receive so many fantastic entries!

This post doesn't involve the fest per se, but a couple of things that are going into effect ASAP:

• Subject lines: From now on, we're going to ask that you put something in the "Subject:" line whenever you post an entry here. You can put the title of your piece, or whatever, just some sort of text. The reason we ask this is because it creates a clickable link to your entry, which makes things easier when we go to create the master lists.


• LJ-Cuts: Most of you are pretty good about this, but this is just a reminder to please place your pieces of work behind a lj-cut. Do not place the pre-formed header (that bit that contains the summary, rating, etc_ behind the cut--people need to see that! If you do not know how to do an lj-cut, please see this FAQ. Also, while a lj-spoiler cut works as well, a spoiler tag doesn't work on some mobile devices, so keep that in mind. (says a mod who was unable to read stories on her lunch break because they were under spoiler tags rather than a lj-cut. :P)


• Tags: While we're pretty lax about this, please remember to tag your entries! This helps keeps things organized, as well as allows people to search for works involving a certain character and/or pairing. If there's a tag that's missing, please let us know and we will add one right away.
  
  (Oops, guess this does involve the fest in some way: please tag your holiday exchange fics with the tag "!holiday exchange fest 2012" :D)

And speaking of tags...

• Contributor tags: Some of you have already noticed this, but once you have posted FIVE entries to the community, you are granted your own contributor tag! Hopefully over the next few days, we will be going through the old entries and making sure each entry is tagged properly. If you do not have a contributor tag and you have posted five or more times to the community, please let us know!

That's it for now! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us!

♥
CD Mods

Three 'Perfect' Christmases (And One That Actually Was)

[weepingwillow9.livejournal.com]

Title: Three 'Perfect' Christmases (And One That Actually Was)
Recipient:magnolia822
Author: weepingwillow9
Rating: NC-17
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Perfection isn't something that can be organised and timed to the second, but Arthur is always willing to try
Warnings: None, really
Word Count: 2k (well, just a little bit over - sorry! I got carried away!)
Author's Notes: Well this was fun to write. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did - and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

( ......... )

Fantasy vs Reality

[bunnysworld.livejournal.com]

( You're about to view content that the poster has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Before The Day Is Done

[k-nightfox.livejournal.com]

( You're about to view content that the poster has marked as potentially inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

This Time of Year

[ceeebee.livejournal.com]

Title: This Time of Year
Recipient:kleinefee92
Author: ceeebee
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Gwaine/Merlin
Summary: All Merlin wants is for Gwaine’s first Christmas in Camelot to be absolutely spiffing.
Warnings: THIS IS JUST FLUFF
Word Count: A TINY bit over 2k *hangs head in shame* but only a small small bit.
Author's Notes: I was so happy when I found out my recipient omg :3 This is the first time I’ve written anything with Merlin/Gwaine as the central pairing, so I’m crossing my fingers that the characterisations are okay. I tried to put as many of the things you like in there as possible :’) Merry belated Christmas!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

( This Time of Year )

Seek and You Shall Find

[dante-s-hell.livejournal.com]

Title: Seek and You Shall Find
Recipient:karuvapatta
Author: dante_s_hell
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur (pre-slash), Mordred
Summary: The new king finds his court sorcerer. After some grumbling of course.
Warnings: N/A
Word Count: 1934
Author's Notes: For karuvapatta. You asked for Mordred hero-worshipping Emrys plus you said you liked Modern AUs with magic. There's also a smidge of jealous Arthur and badass Merlin. I hope you like the story. It's only my second foray into the fandom and I'm still feeling my way. Happy Holidays to you! Thanks to TD for the beta!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

On LJ
On AO3

Drabble: Deer Deer Drunken Deer

[obliqueo.livejournal.com]

Title: Deer Deer Drunken Deer
Recipient:inspired_being
Artist:obliqueo
Rating: PG
Pairing: Gwaine/Percival
Media: Markers
Warnings: Half naked?
Cheerleadings: alby_mangroves amphigoury mushroomtale Thanks you kind souls ♥♥♥
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.
Artist’s Notes:
My first attempt for Knights :D Hope you enjoy it and happy holidays! If you don't like naked man you can always blame alby_mangroves. It was definitely not because I love their six-packs and abs.
The title is from Korpiklaani-Beer, Beer.



LJ｜Tumblr

Art: Sit Real Still, In My Arms

[alby-mangroves.livejournal.com]

Title: Sit Real Still, In My Arms
Recipient:ceeebee
Artist:alby_mangroves
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Gwen/Morgana
Media: Traditional drawing
Warnings: None
Summary: "Your hands. So cold," Morgana whispers, her words falling into the void of Camelot's wintry night. Gwen's tiny smile is full of wonder. My heart is warm, though, she thinks, and it's yours.

Artist’s Notes: Dear ceeebee, I was so happy to find out you were my giftee! You asked for snuggling and warmth and, and I give you this. I'm really feeling canon age at the moment, and I wanted to give you warmth and love, medieval style. So here are the girls keeping warm on a winter's night wrapped in the Lady Morgana's warmest, most luxurious furs. I hope you like it!

Happy Holidays, and thank you for your wonderful stories <3

Disclaimer Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.

Click here for art