Additional Tags: POV Merlin (Merlin), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Modern Era, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Getting Together, Enemies to Lovers, Strangers to Enemies to Lovers, First Meetings, Pining, Denial of Feelings, Falling In Love, Matchmaking, First Dates, Bickering as Flirting, Alcohol Consumption, Intoxication, Food, like A LOT of discussion of food, Romantic Comedy, Humor, Just a pinch of angst, Daddy Issues, Morgana Meddles, Morgana is not Evil but also is not Good, Chef Arthur, Emotionally Constipated Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Arthur is scared of intimacy, Snarky Merlin (Merlin), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Summary: On the surface, Arthur Pendragon seems to be a confident, callous, cavalier arsehole with a culinary degree. But there are just the tiniest suggestions of cracks in that shell that Merlin has glimpsed over the past few weeks… Regardless, there was no way this would end in anything but catastrophe, even if Arthur wasn’t a great big bloody git, because he was Morgana’s brother, and Morgana was Merlin’s boss, and things like that were never wise.
Author’s Note: For the Merlin Fic Book Club Server’s Wip Relay 2022! I was lucky enough to recieve 2,300 words of this story and an outline from illiterateowl. Thank you so much for gifting this lovely wip; I hope it lives up to your expectations!
The recipe for this story as illiterateowl gave to me called for a sappy, sexy, sweet fic about falling in love at first sight over food and romance languages. Being who I am, I ruined this perfectly lovely prompt by adding a heaping cup of enemies-to-lovers, two teaspoons of angst, and enough cheese to make a gay Lifetime movie romcom script. I hope you don’t mind the liberties that I took or that I’m incapable of writing anything that doesn’t include daddy issues and existential crises. (Fortunately, that all mostly comes in chapter 2.)
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38084641/chapters/95134072 Title: For I Know He Would Not Encumber Me Author: @sinivalkoista Original Author: Angst_BuriTTo (ao3) angst-burritto(tumblr) Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Archive Warnings: Author Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hunith & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hunith/Uther Pendragon (Merlin) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Brothers, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Basically, Uther is Merlin’s father and doesn’t know it, The secret gets revealed, Everyone acts accordingly, Agravaine is slimier than slime Summary: “He looks remarkably like your father at that age! Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think-” It was probably a trick of the light. An effect of the previous evening’s wine. Arthur’s desire to think of anything else but the blasted speech he couldn’t write. But he could see it. Now that the idea had been put into his head, he couldn’t not see it as he looked at his manservant. Merlin looked like his father. Author’s Note: This idea was originally @Angst_BuriTTo’s! I’m merely finishing it for the Merlin WIP Relay. :)
Sorry, Buritto. I butchered your story. Here are the remains.
Chapters:1/8 Rating:Mature Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Merlin & Arthur, Merlin/Arthur, Gwen & Merlin, Gwen/Leon Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day, Grief/Mourning, Canonical Character Death, Minor Character Death, Angst, Healing
There is nothing left to do but to go. Merlin has never walked away from Arthur, not once in the ten years since he has known him. He has followed Arthur everywhere, no doubt in his mind that it was the right thing to do. And now, finally, it seems that Arthur has gone somewhere Merlin cannot follow.
“Arthur,” he whispers into the air.
Suddenly, he feels the breeze pick up, and it wraps around Merlin. Leaves from the ground swirl around his feet and into the air.
Of course, Merlin realizes, Arthur is here. Just as Merlin can feel Freya, he can feel Arthur. He finds the smallest amount of solace in that.
“I must go,” he says. “Forgive me.”
Merlin turns and walks away from Avalon. He doesn’t say goodbye.
Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/36023227/chapters/89796991 Title: Let’s Get To Matchmaking or So This Is What Love Feels Like Recipient:lordvoldemortsnipple Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Fandom:Merlin(TV) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mutual Pining, Morgana and Gwen are gay disasters, but so are Merlin and Arthur, Hate at First Sight, but also love at first sight, the two are not mutually exclusive, Merlin and Arthur are bad matchmakers Summary: “Which means that we really have no choice but to kill two birds with one stone-” “And get to-” “Matchmaking!”, Merlin finished, with a grin on his face that screamed scheming, and could probably rival Gwaine’s, “And because this is Gwen-“ “-and Morgana!”, Arthur added agitatedly. “-we’re talking about, they will be far too preoccupied with getting their shit together, than to pester us about being sad single pringles!” Author’s Note: Dear Jane, I really enjoyed writing this for you and I tried to incorporate everything you mentioned in your prompt. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing. And I’m sorry I’m so late with posting this, but life happened and I got kind of behind schedule. Because of that this is unbetaed, so I’m sorry if you find any mistakes. I’m going to post the second chapter later today, and the last two tomorrow. Thank you to the Merlin Fic Book Club mods for organising this exchange. I hope you enjoy!
Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/36068557/chapters/89914516#workskin Title: The Moment Recipient:pennylessartist Rating:Mature Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence Fandom:Merlin Additional Tags: Angst, Angst with Happy Ending, Canon Era, Hurt Merlin, Hurt Gwaine, Court Sorcerer Merlin, Merlin/Lancelot/Gwaine Summary: Merlin, Lancelot, and Gwaine are just meant to be celebrating the one-year anniversary of their courtship. But that all quickly changes when bandits attack and severely hurt Merlin, requiring Lancelot and Gwaine to quickly hurry back to Camelot to save him. But with how their luck has always gone, it will surely be a journey for them to finally get back home and hopefully, in time to save Merlin. Author’s Note: Hey Alduade! This was super fun to write! This is one of three chapters, I hope you like this fic! Highly suggest checking out Alduade’s Tumblr for they have some amazing content!
Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/36041797#main Title: Royalty and dragons Recipient:@snapshotmaestro Rating: Teen and up audiences Archive Warnings: No archive warnings apply Fandom:Merlin Additional tags: modern with magic, modern royalty, mutual pining, dragons, enemies to lovers Summary:Merlin listens to his mum’s low murmurs as he shucks off his wellies and raincoat. Sounds like someone else wants to get free publicity out of the sanctuary. Ever since Princess Morgana had come out as having magic and name-dropped Ealdor Dragon Sanctuary in the national press, they’d been getting calls from journalists and royalists the world over wanting to visit. Balinor says that “all publicity is good publicity”, but when most of these people don’t even know the difference between dragons and wyrms, and only want to talk about the royal family, he’s not convinced. He’s sick and tired of the royal family. When the Prince of Wales comes to visit Ealdor Dragon Sanctuary, Merlin’s annoyed. He doesn’t like him, he thinks he’s a pompous prat. But that soon changes, long-forgotten crushes emerging and deepening as they become friends. If only the prince liked him back. Author’s note: Merry Christmas Snapshot! So I loved all your prompts and I tried to include as much as possible. As soon as I saw you’d put modern royalty and mutual pining the idea for this came into my head. I hope you like it!
Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/36030277 Title: Keep Me Warm Recipient:@colorofmymindposts Rating:T Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Fandom:Merlin Additional Tags: Canon era, Huddling for Warmth, Sharing a Bed, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Light Angst, Fluff, Winter, Snow, Magic Summary: Merlin and Lancelot get caught in an unexpected snowstorm. Author’s Note: Manders, here is your second gift! Surprise! I saw Merlin/Lancelot on your list and couldn’t resist writing something with them. I went for a wintry theme to celebrate the season. Canon era as I know it’s your favourite, with a dash of mutual pining. Hope you enjoy!
Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/36002896 Title: (there’s) magic in your eyes Recipient:@the-rat-monarch Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Archive Warnings: Creator chose not to use archive warnings Fandom: Merlin (TV) Additional Tags: Out of Character, Science Fiction & Fantasy, inspired by Winter’s Orbit, plot heavy, Pre-Relationship, a time line that’s not exactly linear Summary: “It’s the Emperor, my boy. The Emperor has hired you for a job.” Author’s Note: this one is for lovelyal <3 so sorry i was so late with this one. i procrastinated it a bit too much and then it got out of hand. thank you for giving me the opportunity to write this tho. if it hadn’t been for your prompt i would have never thought of any of this :’) i’ve taken a tonne of plot and ideas from Winter’s Orbit (which is btw an amazing book. go read it please.) The fic does contain spoilers so if you don’t want them do read the book and then come back i’ve also changed some relationships, so some characters do not interact the same way they do in canon. this might end up causing confusion cuz the relations may not come across very clearly in my writing so, if you have any questions feel free to ask and i’ll do my best to clarify. i hope you enjoy this :))
Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/36022591/chapters/89795278 Title:Don’t want no other shade of blue but you Recipient:@arthurandhisswordbros Rating:T Archive Warnings:N/A Fandom: BBC Merlin Additional Tags: fluff, secret identities, identity porn (no actual porn though), canon divergence, idiots in love, Magic reveal, ballroom dancing, happy ending Summary: When Arthur informs Merlin that he intends to make peace with the Druids, this seems like a marvelous idea at first. It’s only when he asks Merlin to invite the Druids’ leader, Lord Emrys, to Camelot for the Yule festivities that Merlin realizes just what he’s gotten himself into. How exactly will Merlin handle being the guest of honour and the King’s manservant at the same time, especially when previously unacknowledged feeling surface between him and the King? Author’s Note: Dear Arthurandhisswordbros,
When I got your prompt, I had no idea what identity porn was exactly, but after doing some research I was intrigued by the idea of someone falling for the hero’s alter ego. That’s how Lord Emrys suddenly got his invitation to the Yule festivities in Camelot! As you can see, this fic is not yet finished. After a long discussion with my beta, I decided to redo the ending. I know you asked for the happiest of endings, and I feel like, now, I’ll be able to give you exactly that! I’ll make sure the rest of the fic gets posted soon! I hope you enjoy the first part! Happy holidays!
