Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I'm giving you permission to scan me."

"Scan you?"

"To scan all of my magic. To check for secret aggression. Anytime you feel the need to."

"You'd put up with that?"

"I have nothing to hide, Emrys."

Mordred had confronted Merlin before the Round Table meeting, trying to extend an olive branch. It was time for Merlin to stop seeing him as a threat. And unlike the non-magical, Mordred could be scanned for his mood, intent, and movements. Since Emrys was so powerful, ey would surely be able to detect all that his aura had to say.

But, as Mordred sat at the table looking into Merlin's intense expression, he wasn't sure why he had expected something good from his offer. He was accustomed to the invasive prodding of Merlin's magic, checking to make sure Mordred wasn't going to accidentally light the king on fire or spontaneously decide to explode something or whatever. But being the subject to Merlin's magic from head to toe was a different matter. Mordred realized how isolated Merlin must be, given that he didn't understand how rude ey was. You don't just thrust your magic at someone - not unless you are either attacking or seeking hatred. You gently coax your magic, and then you wait for them to make their aura easily permeable. And full-body magical penetration was limited to a few circumstances.

One was as a security check. But your magic shouldn't spend too long inside someone, or worse, concentrate in their private parts; most people would whack your magic as a warning to pull back or try to forcibly push you out.

Another circumstance was emotional intimacy. Feeling every part of a loved one and their aura was amazing, and Mordred craved it more than anything. And, recently, he had been longing Arthur would practice magic, so they could experience the unique vulnerability together.

The third scenario was sex. Mordred felt sorry for people who didn't practice magic or use magical objects - they didn't know how satisfyingly sensations could be heightened. Your perception blurs into the environment around you, into the person you're with. Sex between sorcerers in particular allowed for a merging that was second to no other sexual activity. And Mordred's magic was so strong that he didn't even need amulets to enhance his abilities.

Community events provided the opportunity to share in many people's magic at once. A mass pooling of auras, excitement increased in an inexplicably full way. You became one with the crowd, all in sync for the same experience. Mordred had only gone through it on a small scale until the time he lived in Helga. The communal joy made his heart ache for magic to commonplace in other kingdoms, especially Camelot. Unfortunately, the sheer level of magic Mordred possessed led to becoming caught up in bitter political battles, and he eventually fled. For a brief time, he believed Morgana would be the harbinger of a new age, but she was far too self-centered to care about things like how your citizens had fun.

[abuse trigger warning]

The last scenario for full-body magic sweeps was torment, bullying, assault, abuse, and torture. While magic gave you ways to fight back and escape from ne'er-do-wells, there was a unique drawback - unease in your own aura. Perpetrators could send aggressive energy into your aura and make you feel every twinge and snap. They could flood your magic to make you feel like you are drowning or endlessly falling. And worst of all, if you were a powerful sorcerer, the worst thing that could happen was assault via a whole group of other powerful sorcerers. Mordred found that out the hard way.

[end trigger warning]

The point was, Mordred wasn't sure how to categorize Merlin piercing through Mordred's entire aura without letting up. No spells were being cast, and Merlin wasn't sending over sinister intent. But ey probably didn't even realize what ey was transmitting – intense apprehension. Merlin was normally guarded, but this moment had Mordred reading em like an open book - fear, ambivalence, battle readiness... and sorrow. The kind of sorrow you feel when you see an animal with a hurt leg or remember the song you used to sing with a deceased loved one.

Merlin wasn't even showering Mordred with his full power, but he was still completely overwhelmed. He hadn't considered how a magical tsunami from an etiquette-ignorant Emrys might feel. Mordred tried to focus on the meeting, but sensations triggered continuously throughout his aura. He vaguely registered Leon talk about a druid camp, so perhaps that was why Merlin was bathing him with eir energy so strongly right now.

A part of him believed Merlin wouldn't care how ey was making Mordred feel. That plus having the privilege of experiencing Emrys's magic so fully kept him from asking Merlin to let up. Had anyone else ever received such a gift? Merlin wasn't exactly well-connected with other magic-users. In general, Mordred had a burning need to show his Emrys the elation of touching your aura with another's - soft and gentle, or bright and expansive. Not forceful and alarmed like the magic currently whipping through him. Nonetheless, Mordred was caught in such awe that he did not try to get Merlin to ease up. But other than random prodding of the edges of his aura, Merlin usually paid little attention to Mordred.

When they interacted, Merlin looked like ey had just stepped into a puddle while wearing only socks, or was imagining ways ey could get Mordred to trip. He understood that, as Emrys, Merlin had to prioritize the king's safety. And that meant constantly monitoring the guy who worked as a slave trader and had Morgana's favor. Even when Mordred stabbed her from behind to allow Arthur and Merlin to escape. Even when he defied his own religion to jump in and save Arthur from the Disir's spear. Even when he saved Arthur from needing to sever his own arm off. But Mordred was not one to grumble forever about being disliked; he was quite used it. So, if being subject to the torrent of Emrys's magic until he felt like his limbs were floating was the only way Mordred would get to bond with Merlin, he would take it.

He faintly sensed a hand on his shoulder and Elyan's voice. Mordred must have had a peculiar expression, because now Arthur was staring straight at him and moving his lips. Mordred barely took in the stares he was now getting. He looked over to Merlin, who was intently focused and looked one second away from snapping his neck. Shivers ran through his body, and Elyan tried to help him up, but he pushed him away and stood up on his own. Unfortunately, this triggered a wave of dizziness, and as Mordred took his first step toward the door, he fainted.

Mordred regained consciousness and once again felt the searing pressure from Emrys's aura. But this time, ey was sitting right next to him, so the effect was amplified. He groaned and tried to move over on his side, facing away from Merlin to release the contents of his stomach. The smell faded as it was magically whisked away, and Mordred pressed the back of his head against the pillow and tried to get his bearings. He was sitting on the patient cot in the physician chambers, and his chainmail and outer layer of clothing had been removed. Ey pressed a wet rag against his forehead, but this only served to strengthen the force of eir magic; Mordred cried out in distress.

'Shhh...you're okay. You're safe here.'

Merlin's voice boomed throughout his brain. Mordred gasped and tried moving his head around, but he did not get relief from the sound. His magic acted up and tried to push Merlin out, but this only caused em to double-down on his aura. Mordred bolted up, gripped Merlin's shirt with both hands, and screamed. He then tried to yell at em to stop.

'S- s- sto- no-'

He couldn't get his thoughts together. Merlin ran a hand through his hair and draped eir arm around his back. The touches felt like a magical burn and caused another scream.

'STOP! STOP USING YOUR MAGIC! IT HURTS!'

Merlin's hand paused, and then eir magic finally withdrew. Mordred heaved and fell against em, head on eir shoulder. Only when he became grounded did he realize he was crying.

Ey kissed his head. 'I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.'

Now mostly lucid, their current position dawned on Mordred. Their auras were in close contact, but in a casual, non-threatening way. In fact, he could detect sensitivity and empathy from Merlin's aura. His heart soared with glee.

Mordred sat upright when the door slammed open to reveal Arthur.

"I heard screaming!"

"Arthur. Do not burst in when you know I'm treating a patient."

Merlin kept his voice low and soft, probably to prevent startling Mordred more. Ey guided his head back down to eir shoulder, and he relaxed into eir embrace again.

"Oh, Mordred," Arthur said while pulling up a chair. He rubbed Mordred's upper arm. "I didn't even think about how the... news might affect you. You don't have to listen in or go on this mission. Just rest up."

Arthur tried to pull Mordred toward him, prompting unhappy grumbling and trying to shove him off. Mordred could have Arthur's affection anytime; Merlin's care was a one-off opportunity that Mordred had to soak in.

"He wants just me right now," Merlin said.

A pause, and then Arthur let go. "Alright."

Mordred heard a smack of lips, which confirmed what most of Camelot already figured was true: Merlin and Arthur were together. Jealousy twisted in Mordred's stomach, and he felt ready to cry again. But then Merlin put eir nose in Mordred's hair, causing him to shiver with happiness. Mordred started drifting off to sleep under Merlin's soothing touches and mellow humming. He tried to push away the sorrow that this was as close to love he would ever get from Merlin.

Mordred was shocked when Arthur temporarily reassigned Merlin to him; the king normally hated being attended to by other servants, but he must be quite concerned for the druid. Merlin was nothing but caring, but ey never showed up unless Mordred asked, and ey left as soon as ey completed eir tasks. This led Mordred to cast spells to make himself cry or make it look like he had tripped, forcing em to stay. And he was successful at his goals and fell asleep in Merlin's arms at least once a day.

But he wanted more. So, today, Mordred gave himself light sprains to his ankles. He appreciated that Merlin had not asked how he managed to injure both feet. Ey used spells to ease the muscles, and then Mordred tried the next step.

"I need a bath."

Merlin's hands, which were brushing over his ankles, stopped. Mordred should probably have been embarrassed by how a bath would mean ey would see him nude, but he didn't care. He just wanted eir gentle hands on him.

Ey sighed and stood up. Mordred's heart raced and he looked expectantly up at Merlin. Ey stepped aside and held out their hands.

"Fordwíne!"

Mordred's clothes disappeared from his body and reappeared in a neat stack next to him.

"Onstépe brim!"

Splashing sounded from the tub as it filled with water. Mordred pouted, disappointed that Merlin had deprived him of the intimacy of undressing him. But at least ey would carry him.

"Beflēoge!"

The tub made an awful screeching as it dragged across the floor and stopped in front of Mordred. Then, it tilted and spilled a little water. At the same time, the bed was tilting forward. Mordred yelped when the bed suddenly thrust him forward and into the tub. He sputtered and thrashed until he was upright and glared at a tired-looking Merlin.

"What the hell?" Mordred barked.

A bar of soap hit his back, and he grabbed onto the edge of the tub to hold his balance.

"Hold still," Merlin said.

"I'm not holding-! What's wrong with you?!"

But ey won, and he resigned and accepted the magic-controlled bath. So, Merlin had a limit to how much affection he was willing to give. At least he had gotten a week's worth in. But the gig was up; Mordred had to find another way to get em to show tenderness. And he wouldn't rest until he figured it out.

Chapter Text

After eight days of stretching out his sickness, Mordred missed Arthur. The ache was terrible. He loved Gwen and Gaius, but he hadn't gone even a day without talking to Arthur since he saved him at Ismere. But Merlin had insisted that Arthur should not visit. Mordred didn't know what it was - Arthur's checkered past with druids, how Mordred shoved Arthur off in the physician's chambers, or whether Merlin just wanted to punish him.

So here Mordred was, heading to the royal chambers, ready to announce his health and swap the shallow compassion Merlin gave him for the all-encompassing love Arthur had.

"What are you doing here?" Merlin growled as ey appeared around the corner and dashed toward him.

For Goddess's sake... The first time Mordred leaves his chambers, and he runs right back into Merlin.

"I didn't give you medical clearance to leave your room," Merlin said as ey grabbed Mordred's sleeve. Ey started pushing him to walk back to his chambers.

'Knock it off. I've had a bad week,' Mordred said through mindspeak. 'I get attacked by your magic, I get attacked by a bar of soap, and I haven't gotten to seen Arthur. All your doing.'

Elyan greeted them, but Merlin ignored him and continued to shove Mordred ahead.

'Ah, yes,' ey said, 'I'm sure it's been so hard for you, spraining both of your goddamn ankles just for the hope that I'd hug you.'

Mordred's face flushed. 'And yet, you're taking me right back into isolation. Almost like you want to touch me, want to take me away from Arthur and have me to yourself.' He yelped when he felt a swat to the back of his head. 'Well, what did you think is gonna happen? That I'm gonna trip myself down the stairs and hit my head?'

Ey grinded to a halt and spun Mordred around.

'If I died, I bet you'd dance on my grave,' he said.

"Don't say that!" Merlin shouted out loud, causing Mordred to instinctively cover his ears. "And don't trip yourself down the stairs!"

He slowly lowered his hands. "Merlin... it was a joke..."

Ey pouted. "It wasn't funny."

Arthur's voice sounded behind him. "Mordred!"

He held his breath, and time seemed to slow as he turned around. Arthur was wearing the white tunic and tight, black trousers Mordred thought made him look steaming hot. Getting harassed by Merlin was worth it after all.

The king leaned down and squeezed Mordred tightly. Mordred sighed contentedly and closed his eyes, hugging back and inhaling deeply. All the world's problems didn't matter in Arthur's embrace. No matter how much his betrayal of Morgana tormented him, no matter how which traumatic memories bothered him, no matter if he was bothered the cold jealousy many older knights treated him with, Arthur's bright smile and enthusiastic pride never failed to lighten up his day. Whether Morgana burned down Camelot or the seas swallowed it whole, Mordred hoped to live the rest of his life at Arthur's side.

Mordred was rudely reminded that not everyone wished the same when he felt Merlin's magic trickle up into him. The level of power was not overwhelming, but it was noticeably higher than the gentle magical medical checks he was used to. But the intimacy made up for the breach of manners, and Mordred basked in the double blessing of proximity to both Arthur and Merlin.

Arthur pushed Mordred back and held onto his hand, leading him to his chambers, which were just down the hall. Merlin forced his way in, and as always, Arthur just let him; Merlin was like a 'default' person to the king, going wherever he did. And now, Mordred knew the reason wasn't just magical protection, or being the king's advisor, but romance, too. Mordred didn’t appreciate Merlin's tense presence, threatening to dampen the mood with veiled insults or insistence that he couldn't carry on with being a knight; he was only so lucky the king always ignored eir advice regarding him. But at least he had captured Arthur's attention.

Arthur gripped Mordred's shoulders and looked at him intensely, eyes darting around his face. "Do you hate me?"

"Wh- I... what?"

"Because of my... role, in the Ascetir druid... the druid..." Arthur bit his lip. "...raid."

Ah. This must've been what the last meeting he attended was about: the slaughter Merlin had saved Mordred and Morgana from. Not that anyone knew Merlin and Morgana had been there. People had probably figured out, though, that one druid boy had survived.

However, Mordred already knew of Arthur's involvement. It wasn't hard to piece together that the prince carried out Uther's most important orders. When Mordred had met Arthur near Ismere, he didn't feel any particular bitterness. Given that he was working in one of the most heinous of jobs - human trafficking - Mordred hadn't felt much right to judge. Granted, committing sins for survival was different than killing defenseless druid families because your daddy told you to. But Mordred also knew there were no more raids once Arthur had become king.

"Sire, I... heard you. At the raid. I knew you were there."

Merlin inhaled sharply, eir magic pushing further into Mordred's aura.

"You did?" Arthur looked like his heart was breaking in two.

"Yes. But what I remember is you screaming at your own men. Telling them you only ordered them to kill druids who fought back. Freaking out and trying to stop the guards from committing slaughter." Sadly, it didn't work.

Arthur pulled him into another hug and started crying. Mordred held onto his back and soaked in the king's touch. Merlin looked like he didn't know what to make of the moment and just keep staring at them. After a few minutes, Arthur's sobbing slowed down. He grasped Mordred's head with his hands, thumbs stroking his cheeks.

"Let me return the favor of your loyalty," the king said. "I want to do whatever I can for you. Anything you need, ask me. Personal, druid-related, if you want me to thwack Gwaine for teasing you, just say the word."

"Sire..."

"Just call me 'Arthur'."

Arthur's gentle smile flooded Mordred with happiness and sentimentality... and lust. His member began throbbing, and what's worse, he knew Merlin could sense it. He shifted his hips backward in an attempt to prevent the king from finding out.

'You're a perv,' Merlin said.

"Okay, Arthur." Mordred grinned back as tears welled up in his eyes. "I can't tell you how much your support means to me. I never dreamed I could be so accepted, so encouraged, so loved again."

Arthur pressed their foreheads together, and Mordred moved his hands to lace his fingers through Arthur's hair.

"I never dreamed I'd be blessed with a knight like you," Arthur said in a low, sultry voice. "With a friend like you."

The combination of Arthur's love pouring into him plus Merlin's magic going through him almost made Mordred dizzy. As his erection grew, Merlin's magic latched onto it, making Mordred even more aroused. Mordred ignored em and stopped trying to fight it, allowing himself to give into the warmth.

"I'm continuously amazed by your heroism," the druid said. "I can only hope to be as noble as you one day."

"Oh, Morded," Arthur said. "You already are! You have no idea how proud I am of you. How, despite that you have every reason to not be, you're empathetic, and generous, and so very strong. Physically and emotionally!"

Arthur kissed Mordred's nose, and by now, Merlin's magic had pooled at Mordred's crotch. His eyes flew open, and he grabbed Arthur's shoulders as he began to orgasm. He was gasping and looking into confused eyes.

"Mordred!" Arthur exclaimed, voice thick with concern. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

Mordred stumbled as waves of pleasure hit him. The only thing keeping him upright was Arthur's arms laced under his own, hands pressing his back. When he finished, he let out a cry and then relaxed completely onto Arthur. He panted heavily and thanked the Triple Goddess for giving him this moment, but he also noted with a bit of sorrow that Merlin's magic was receding.

Arthur hesitatingly pushed Mordred back and looked down. "Oh, Mordred, look! You made a mess."

Mordred glanced down and saw that the crotch of his trousers was quite wet. Heat spread across his face as the reality of having orgasmed in front of the king dawned on him. And thanks to Merlin's magical interference, Arthur would think he was so horny for him that he came quickly and untouched; or that he could only last a short time. Mordred didn't know which was worse.

He was about to collapse in humiliation when Arthur grabbed the hem of his trousers. He squeaked in surprise.

"Shall we get you cleaned up?" Arthur was looking at him a bright expression, no hint of anger or disgust in his face.

Mordred swallowed uncomfortably and nodded, and Arthur leaned down while pulling his trousers off. The druid bit his lip as now Arthur and Merlin could see his cum-covered cock. He stepped out of his trousers, and Arthur stood up, smiling.

"Merlin, dampen a towel," Arthur ordered.

Ey was snapped out of boring eir eyes into Mordred's crotch. 'You really mean that about how you feel for Arthur?'

'Of course! You think I'd lie? To what, make myself look good to the king? I just revealed how much I love him in the most embarrassing way possible.'

Ey spun around and headed over to his water basin. Arthur guided Mordred over to the bed and encouraged him to lie on his back and spread his legs a little. The druid cursed himself when he felt his member throb. Arthur placed a hand on Mordred's knee and rubbed it with his thumb; his sweet smile made Mordred's stomach twist. He could barely process that he was so exposed to the king, and that said king was okay with it.

Merlin walked up with a wet towel, and Arthur raised his hand to take it. But Merlin stepped right in front of Mordred instead. Arthur raised an eyebrow, and Mordred nodded vigorously to express his consent. Merlin draped the rag over his crotch and closed his hand around his cock. Magic flowed through from Merlin's hand into his body.

"H-ahh!" Mordred cried.

Blood was heading back down south, and Arthur stared incredulously. Merlin gave Mordred slow rubs from the pubic hair above his dick all the way down to his hole. The druid gasped and moaned; whatever Merlin's purpose here was, it sure wasn't to keep Mordred clean. He sighed and marveled at his luck; he was on display for the only two people he would want to put on a show for. His appreciation only grew when he saw Arthur had a hand down his own trousers and was biting his lip. Mordred shuddered and thrust himself into Merlin's indirect touch.

Merlin wrapped Mordred's cock with the rag, looked him straight in the eye with a deadpan expression, and shoved eir magic into him. Mordred yelped and bucked his hips up as he peaked. The images of Arthur licking his lips and Merlin's subtle but triumphant smile burned into Mordred's brain; he hoped never to forget them.

He wondered if Merlin used his own magic when having sex with Arthur, or if coming twice in such a short time was a new experiment. Then, a realization hit Mordred: for the past month, both Arthur and Gwen had seemed closer Merlin than usual. Longer touches, sentimental smiles, times when nobody could find any of them. But, given what Leon had said when he visited Mordred, the royal couple and Merlin had already been together for years. More significantly, Gwen had said she wanted to learn more about druids, and Arthur had announced a need to revisit all of Camelot's laws. Merlin had even broken eir cold shoulder to tell Mordred it was the dawn of a new age. Meaning... Merlin had told the king and queen of eir magic. And, currently, Arthur had probably figured that ey was magically amplifying Mordred's arousal process.

Mordred felt like he was going to hyperventilate due to the overwhelming combo of the physical and mental stimulation. Merlin stepped aside, grabbed Mordred's trousers, and headed to the laundry bin. Arthur stepped up, gazed at Mordred's sweaty, heaving body, and rubbed his hands over his legs.

"Hey, there... It's okay. Was that too much?"

Mordred didn't answer, unsure how to thank Arthur for accepting that his closest confidant had magic. So instead, he just relaxed under Arthur’s touch.

The king looked like he was about to speak again, when Mordred said, "Arthur... please..." He let his legs fall to the sides and hoped for the best.

The king's eyes widened, and then he walked over to the nightstand. He came back with a bottle, pulled out his dick, and covered it in oil. Mordred marveled at the gorgeous man and tried to memorize every line and curve. Arthur grabbed Mordred's legs, pulled him forward, and started rubbing himself against the druid. Mordred nearly cried with joy as he felt Arthur's cock brush over his crotch.

Merlin walked up and placed two damp rags on the side of the bed. Ey removed eir trousers to reveal an erection, and Mordred slapped his hand over his mouth when he squealed. But he didn't have time to admire Merlin, as ey positioned eirself behind Arthur and yanked the king's trousers down. Arthur moaned as ey was presumably fingering his ass. One hand crept forward just above Arthur's dick and pulled at his pubic hair. After a few minutes of utter ecstasy for the three of them, Arthur's grip on Mordred's legs tightened and he thrust forward, crying out while cum shot over Mordred's body. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's midsection and let out his own loud moans.

Mordred wished his skin would absorb Arthur's cum; he wanted the proof of his success at pleasing the king to become a part of him. But Arthur leaning down and giving him a firm kiss was good enough. Mordred's hands smashed against Merlin's as both of them were trying to rub the king's back. Ey pushed back against his hands, and the druid moved to stroking Arthur's hair. The king dragged his tongue across Mordred's lips before rising up. His smile held a contented look Mordred had never seen on him before.

Merlin turned Arthur around and they kissed. Last time, Mordred was desperately pining after Merlin and feeling insecure about how important he was to Arthur. This time, he was reveling in Merlin's willingness to touch him as intimately as ey could seem to bear right now - through a rag instead of his own hands, though it was better than nothing - along with Arthur's loving devotion. Mordred understood now: Arthur and Merlin could care and lust after the multiple people without cancelling anything out. Their hearts had room for each other, their queen, and Mordred.

Mordred went limp and knew he was smiling stupidly, but he didn't care. All the times in his life he thought he wouldn't survive, the times he wished he hadn't, the times he felt he'd never belong anywhere, it was worth it. It was worth it, because he was here now, being gifted the heart of Arthur and the tenderness of Merlin.

He only woke from his nap three times. One was to enjoy Merlin gently cleaning Arthur’s cum off him. Merlin actually looked calm, which certainly wasn't the norm when ey was around Mordred. Time two was when Arthur ruffled Mordred's hair and said he and Merlin had unfortunately-timed castle business to attend to. The king picked Mordred up, and he squeaked when his ass was gripped. Merlin dragged down the covers, and they tucked Mordred into bed. Arthur gave Mordred a smooch before heading out the door with Merlin.

Mordred hadn't expected the third interruption of his nap. He was vaguely aware that Merlin had come in some minutes ago, but he didn't fully register it until he felt Merlin's aura press up against his as ey sat down on the bed. Mordred flipped to his side and opened his eyes to a person deep in thought.

After a minute, Merlin glanced at Mordred and poked his forehead. "Don't hurt yourself to get my attention. You don't need to."

Mordred wondered if he was dreaming when Merlin grinned at him, and even more when ey leaned over to plant a kiss above his eye. As ey stood up, ey ran eir hand down his body. Ey smiled again before leaving the room, and tears ran down the side of Mordred's face. Camelot had become the perfect place to live in. And he was going to stay here forever.