Archive of Our Own ^beta

The thing was… none of this was supposed to happen.

Well, most things in Arthur’s life were never supposed to happen, a random peasant saving his skin and becoming his manservant turned Court Sorcerer after a fairly intense reveal of his magic had left Arthur with nothing but the ability to promote him, knights coming from less than noble backgrounds standing with him on mission after mission to protect a kingdom that a measly few years ago would never have been able to share the training field with him, a maid and a knight making him learn to be loved and how to give love in return, sharing his bed every night so he never had to hold the weight of the crown on his own.

So yes, his life was not at all what he expected it to be. And most of it was not at all his fault. Pulled to the right side of history kicking and screaming.

But well, this… this might have been his doing. Gwaine blinking up at him with hearts in his eyes and a smirk that should not at all be pointed at him as his hands tried to move to touch despite their swords clashing as Arthur strived to keep as much distance between them as possible. Merlin off to the side of where they were attempting to train looking like a crushing school girl as he watched Lancelot try to avoid his affections.

~

It had started, as so many things in Arthur’s life did, with Merlin being annoying. A wistful sigh here as Gwaine did something absolutely ridiculous, a bitten lip there as Merlin endeavoured to keep the fact he was smiling so very wide at Gwaine waving at them in the hallway, an absurd amount of whistling much too sweet tunes that had started as soon as the scoundrel stepped foot in Camelot.

Love. His idiotic court sorcerer was in capital L love with the rogue that seemed to have recklessness fused into his entire being. And as preposterous as it sounded Gwaine loved him back. Easily seen through the casual touches he offered the warlock, the flirts that were far more like compliments than what he gave out to the others, the just ludicrous looks he shot Merlin’s way when he thought no one was looking.

And well, it was some of the most obnoxious acts Arthur had ever had the displeasure of seeing. The pining far too much for him to have to deal with on an everyday basis. But, yet, somehow he did it. For four bloody years he let them take the lead on their own relationship and figure it out on their own, ignoring all the irritating behaviours and the frustrating near misses. Four bloody years of inane giggles and distracted minds as the two of them lusted over each other from afar. Four bloody years of blooming headaches as Merlin spouted poetry about how great Gwaine was at seemingly everything from fighting to bloody breathing.

So maybe, Arthur had had enough, maybe he was over it, maybe he couldn’t deal with the longing a second longer. And alright, maybe he finally had a spare minute to think about it, now that most things were relatively settled in Camelot. Guinevere and Lancelot taking their rightful spots by his side, Morgana easing back into their fold with the placation that magic was once again legal as it should be, the other kingdoms near on the verge of peace with one another at his directive. 

Everything was perfect. Or well it should have been, but Merlin and Gwaine just seemed to refuse to bloody talk to each other about what was clear to anyone who spent all of two seconds with them together. Instead, Arthur had to deal with it all, from every side. Gwaine being distracted on the training fields and taking a dull sword to the arm, Merlin healing it with a whispered word and a golden eye look, and then proceeding to yell at Arthur for the rest of the day over the need to be careful. 

It was the last straw. The bloody breaking point that drove him to this. Eye twitching as he entered the warlock’s chambers when he knew he would be too busy with teaching the next generation of sorcerers with Morgana to notice. Opening the cupboard that he knew held all the potions Merlin confiscated or crafted. Scrounging through looking for something, anything to stop this unreasonable hell Merlin and Gwaine had created around him.

Bottles upon bottles, all meticulously labelled with everything from dates to ingredients to intended uses. Sifted around as he continued his search. Anti venoms and poisons and things to hurt and things to heal all pushed to the side as he hunted about for some sort of magic to get this mess over and done with.

“What are you doing?” The voice had him jumping, nearly knocking a bottle out of its rightful place to smash across the floor, caught only after several outlandish attempts of a flailing king.

Finally, once he was sure the vial was captured in his palm and no longer attempting to fly away and reveal himself, he sighed out a large breath, placing it back before turning with a grimace to see just how much trouble he was going to get in.

Lancelot had an eyebrow raised at him, his delightful arms crossed, and his head tilted to the side as he watched the craziness of what Arthur was attempting to hide.

“Nothing” Spoken just a tad bit too frantically and with eyes far too large to have his knight standing down in the slightest. Wincing again at the fact that somehow despite it all, Arthur was a truly terrible liar.

Proven completely right, Lancelot just narrowed his view of Arthur and let the silence do the work of loosening his tongue for him. Truly unfair really, how much his heart urged him to tell Lancelot and Guinevere anything and everything he had ever done. Certain that even if he was forced to have to keep something from them, even for the sake of keeping Camelot safe, he would absolutely let the world burn around him just because the words were already halfway out of his mouth and into their ears with nothing more than a flutter of lashes in his general direction.

But the disappointment present on Lancelot’s face was worse. It had him crumbling in a mere half of a second. “I can’t take Merlin and Gwaine any more” closer to a cry than an admission. Shoulders slumping and head falling backwards in defeat. “I can’t take the puppy dog eyes and the foolish whispers that neither one of them realize they only share between the two of them, the staring at lips that neither one of them catches onto, the idiotic crush they both have on each other” His hand coming to push at the pressure points of his eyes as he let Lancelot see the exhaustion, the worn down state, those two had left him in. Quieter than the outburst he sighed out the last part, “I thought I could find something here to just get them moving towards something, quite literally anything is better than this mess” the fingers left free, not pressing into his skull, running through the air in an all encompassing motion. Caught a mere second later by a sweet, calloused, strong hand.

He peeked up at Lancelot, looking, in one word, understanding. A small smile on his lips and his warm brown eyes soft and easing. “They are both being slightly irrational right now.”

Not at all what Arthur expected from him, usually so limited in what he chose to gossip about, never one to say a bad word about someone unless they truly deserved it. Just allowing Arthur to accept that it truly was as bad as his mind imagined it to be, if even Lancelot was attempting to speak out about it. “Yeah” he said, letting himself step closer to the knight in front of him. “They really are” Comforted by soft touches and a truly compassionate look to his fine features.

Then, briefly, for a sheer microsecond, there was a flash of something drawing across Lancelot’s face, near hopefully with a mixture of guilt there too. Fast enough that Arthur could convince himself that he merely imagined the whole thing if not for the many times he had mapped that face to know it simply couldn’t have been anything but what he saw. A quick glance behind Arthur to the cupboard full of maddening corked spells that taunted him with the useful worthlessness making that fact very clear. “You didn’t happen to find anything, did you?”

Sometimes Arthur truly forgets. He truly forgets that this Lancelot is the same person who came to Camelot and chose to fake his identity so he could follow his dreams, he forgets under all of that gracious, noble, nature there is a man that could keep Merlin’s secrets for years upon years, convincing the warlock to use his skills in front of an entirely too large group of servants on one too many occasions. That at some levels he was just as mischievous as any of the knights or the warlock, or the queen could be. That he didn’t just attract chaos from a place of dignified onlooking but created it every once in a while, when he was pushed to his absolute limits. “Lancelot,” he tutted, “Just what are you doing coming to Merlin’s chambers when you know he’s in lessons anyway?”

The guilt was back, hanging from a deliciously bitten lip and an adorable crinkle of his nose. A second of Arthur doing the same as his knight had done to him, just staring at him and letting the silence take on a life of its own, all that was needed to stir him into talking. “Gwaine’s driving me right mad.” Outbursted as Lancelot’s arms were thrown up in the air, just as desperately as Arthur’s had been. “I had to hear about how wonderful it is when Merlin’s eyes burst into golds for a full candle mark after he fixed Gwaine up today, which was after having to deal with him tripping over himself to flirt with Merlin in front of the new recruits while I was trying to discuss how a knight should conduct themselves yesterday. And the day before that he nearly punched one of the squires for trying to speak kindly to Merlin and earning a simple pat on the arm for it, jealousy doesn’t even begin to describe what Gwaine is. I simply can not take another second.” Heaving in a multitude of rash air into his lungs as he went through his similar vexation with the two of them. Before he turned those pleading eyes back on Arthur, “So please tell me you found something to get those two snogging and out of my hair before I snap and lock them in a closet”

 “A closet’s not a half bad idea” Arthur mused, earning a glare from Lancelot that had him throwing his hands in the air to feign innocence. “All that I’ve found so far is a ridiculous amount of healing drafts. I mean he’s not even a physician any more. It’s not like we truly need all of this” he threw his arms out towards the shelves and shelves of nothing at all useful for Lancelot to go ahead and have a look.

Gwaine must have been utterly pestilent with whatever he said to the knight today, since Lancelot didn’t even try to come to Merlin’s defence like he usually would, spouting out some nonsense about ‘all the times he had saved them in the past’ that Arthur could probably quote verbatim by now. No, instead, determination overtook lovely features as he strode up to what Arthur had been digging through before being nicely distracted. Lancelot, checking over glass vials one by one, all while Arthur got to watch him work as meticulous in this as he was in just about every other thing he served on. Reading over labels and creating a collection of utterly useless potions off to the side.

It took a few minutes of work, a few minutes of Arthur ogling as Lancelot’s tongue found its way in-between his teeth while he discarded more and more probably very effective remedies, just simply not at all helpful for their purposes, until his knight took a deep breath and a small secret smile graced his lips. Arthur, instantly recognizing what success looked like on such impeccable features, smiled wide enough to feel as if he were splitting his face apart with the strength behind it.

“What is it?” he asked jumping to read what Lancelot held in his hand over the knight’s broad shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his chin resting on strong muscles as his hand found its way to the man’s stomach. 

Lancelot just twisted in the hold of the king, not at all moving away but instead snuggling deeper and allowing Arthur to actually see what he was missing, as he held out what was clearly a miraculous find. Pink liquid in an intricate bottle, swishing and gleaming in the light of the afternoon sun, pulled from the very back of the cabinet. Salvation in such a pretty form. Cute and girly, absolutely perfect for Merlin. And with the inscription written in the warlocks curly writing on yellowing paper.

Silas’s aphrodisiac. Confiscated. To be destroyed.

A laugh tore its way up Arthur’s throat. Silas was one of Merlin’s best students, a bit of a troublemaker and slightly too quick to jump to magic even when a situation didn’t necessarily call for it, but still truly gifted in his use of magic. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that the kid would have crafted such a spell and that Merlin had seen to confiscating it. If he were to continue through these cupboards he was sure he would find about a hundred others that the lad was trying to create to get his way up in the world. Yet still for their purposes it was all they could wish for. A perfect solution placed right in front of them to spur Gwaine and Merlin that little bit onward to stop with their constant annoying arse desire. To give them that bit more of confidence, to encourage them to finally make a bloody move.

Lancelot, seemingly just as joyful and excited as Arthur was to find such a gift, uncorked the stopper, and near instantly Arthur was smacked across the face with the smell of the most intense florals one could ever possibly smell, having him covering his nose in fear of having the worst sneeze attack of his life.

“Just one problem” Lancelot’s voice had taken that nasally quality as he clearly tried to breathe through his mouth instead of having the scent drift up his nostrils. Obviously affected by the strong smell as well. Having to close the potion back up with its cork top before the threat of florals could ruin both of their lungs.

Arthur sighed deep and thick. The idea that they could somehow spike Merlin’s water with it becoming less and less likely. Gwaine might have been a bit easier to douse, just knowing his propensity for taking drinks without bothering to use his taste buds nor his obnoxiously large nose. And again, what Merlin saw in the man, Arthur would simply never understand.

Wait… An idea sparking in the back of Arthur’s mind at just why Gwaine drinks in the way he does. “Alcohol” he said hitting at Lancelot’s arm in delight.

“Alcohol?” confusion on full display as he looked Arthur over with clear doubt.

But Arthur was fully nodding along to his own plan. “Alcohol” he declared once again, letting the eagerness move through his body and urge him near jumping with glee. “It would obscure the smell”

“But Merlin doesn’t drink” Lancelot looked completely gutted by having to remind Arthur of having that little titbit.

Yet Arthur just smirked, knowing just how many things Merlin was willing to do if it meant spending even just an extra second with a certain rogue. There wasn’t a line he wouldn’t bend even just a little. “Not unless it is Gwaine who is offering”

~

The wine was chosen by Lancelot, pulled from Arthur’s many stores since the Mercia’s vineyard’s flavours were said to be some of the most potent in all the land. And with a minuscule little comment on it being much more romantic than the mead Gwaine was much more keen too.

The tiniest of tiny drops was added to the bottle in the stealth mission of the century, having to open all the windows in their shared chambers to even start to get the smell out and with the extra note that they would have to gift Guinevere some flowers to help disguise it all the more. 

Next came the hard part. Getting the bottle in the right people's possession without suspicion. They needed them to share the drink and well, it wasn’t as if Arthur had always gone out of his way to fund Gwaine’s vices. Most of the time it was quite the opposite.

But Lancelot was always as brilliant as he was pretty, so Arthur shouldn’t have been half as surprised he came up with such a genuinely clever idea. Sure, Arthur would never willingly offer Gwaine any alcohol without it being the most dubious act ever done, since as much as Arthur hated to admit it the knight was rather observant in his read on people, but if he was being forced to Gwaine would accept it with a smirk and most likely down the whole bottle without a question.

So he played up his annoyance, not all that hard with Merlin’s whining still stuck to the inside of his ears, and walked over to the rogue with Lancelot acting mighty disappointed at his back.

 A few mumbled apologies for his actions on the training field and with Lancelot making sure to add a few purposeful coughs here and there as if this were a trained statement and not fully a great practice of their performing, and well, Gwaine was skipping his happy little arse away with the magical wine with not a doubt in sight.

It took very little actually to place the idea in Gwaine’s head that he should share the drink with Merlin. An offhanded comment about that being the very vintage of wine that Lancelot and the warlock had shared back on the knight’s first romp around Camelot before his unofficial exile forced him to leave and Gwaine seemed hooked. A contemplation mixing with a bit of jealousy overcoming irksome features.

So now, the two of them had found their way up to the warlock’s tower once again, watching a nervous yet excited Gwaine lightly knock on Merlin’s door.

The need to know exactly if their plan worked or not, led them to be crouching on these harsh steps, observing the pathetic return of Merlin’s I’m in love with you smile as he pulled away the door.

“Gwaine!” his voice was a bit caught up in a dream like quality, happily enthusiastic to be met with the knight on his doorstep. A quick up and down of the man’s body, not able to hide the fact that his gaze hovered about the open ties of his tunic, the warlock’s tongue licking his lips in what was clearly disgusting hunger, having Arthur’s eyes roll at the idea that neither one of them seemed to understand just how deep they were devoted to each other.

“Merlin!” Gwaine replied with a clap on the man’s shoulder, fingers tracing his bicep for far too long of a time to be anything but captivated by the touch. Lancelot shook he head in such clear frustration it was almost laughable, felt more than seen with just how close they were huddling to stay out of sight of these two. Which now that Arthur thought about it might not be all that necessary, knowing how engrossed the two became in each other's company. “You truly must have worked your magic on Arthur,” Gwaine continued, his pun making Merlin’s smile turn terrifyingly blinding “seeing as he gifted me a bottle of this finery” Proudly producing the spelled wine from the hand hiding it behind his back, “And since this was quite clearly your doing, I thought it only fair that you get to share in the spoils”

The warlock replied with the most foolish of foolish giggles. A hand coming up to half cover his mouth, “Oh what an absolute gentleman” He said with a slight bow of his head as he stepped out of the way to grant Gwaine entrance.

“You know me” The knight said with a shrug, making his way into the room and closing the door behind him so that his voice got muffled by the wood.

Now, in hindsight, Arthur could admit that this is where they should have stopped with their meddling, let nature, spurred on by just a drop of magic, take its course. But really, with all the near misses as of late, it wasn’t even a question as he and Lancelot scrambled over to the door to put their ears to, just to be one hundred percent sure that their plan had managed to actually work.

The problem was, with the barrier very much in the way, it was seriously hard to make out much of anything. Merlin’s laugh, the sound of glasses clinking together, a couple of muffled half jokes coming from Gwaine. Forcing them to press ever closer to the door to strain their hearing all the more.

“A cheers,” Gwaine’s voice, the first even slightly clear sentence they could make out with just how much louder the volume was as he announced it, “To putting Arthur in his place” And, honestly Arthur was far too excited by the concept this could be over in a matter of moments to care that they were whispering treason in his bloody castle. Or well, mostly too excited. Just a slight eye roll for his own benefit allowing him to burn off his frustration.

Another insane giggle, “I’ll always drink to that” Merlin said, quiet enough that Arthur had to press his entire weight to the door just to make it out, Lancelot doing much the same.

Then came the sound of metal goblets clinking together, Arthur excitingly pushing to his toes, having to use his hand as he put his full weight into the door just to keep his balance as he waited for the next bit.

Only his hand didn’t land on wood like he was expecting, no instead, it somehow fumbled its way onto the latch of the door, unlocking the one thing keeping them upright and making the entrance spring open.

Lancelot and him tumbled into the room, falling onto of one another in a mess of limbs and swears. Tangled together on Merlin’s floor in a disaster of groans and moans as a new bruise set up on Arthur’s side.

And well, Arthur had nothing if he didn’t have the absolute worst possible timing. Making their entrance seemingly at the exact moment that wine touched tongues. As Arthur quickly looked up just to see cups pressed to lips and wide eyes staring at them, startling the two love birds into distracting themselves from what they were just sharing. Merlin blinked at Lancelot from his place standing slightly too close to the rogue around his table, while Gwaine’s brows creased in Arthur’s general direction his thumb still making circles on the warlocks clothed skin from where he had seemingly not bothered moving his hand from the muscles of Merlin’s arms.

It was quite clear when both of them swallowed the spell, nearly at the exact same time. Confusion drifting away, touches dissolving from one another, a sort of haze setting over eyes as they both sort of jerked for a second. A moment passed of nothing, at both of them just kind of shifting as if caught in a breeze, enough time for Arthur to think that it might actually be fine, that the original plan might actually work as the spell took hold, that they might get preoccupied with the magic’s affect to notice the two of them slipping away. But then the second finished and there was a giggle once again touching Merlin’s lips and a sigh lifting from Gwaine’s chest. But not pointed at each other. No, those looks, the ones that dictated love was in the air, were now directed on the two of them fallen on the floor. Slight smiles and that ridiculous look about both of them while they clearly took to the potions influence, not for each other but for where their gaze was landing at the moment, on him and Lancelot slumped on the floor.

“Oh shit” Echoed from Arthur’s mouth to Lancelot’s throat.

~

Gwaine was the bloody worst. Arthur had never been more sure of that fact as he was at this moment. The knight once again leaning closer to his king, brushing shoulders as he laughed extra hard at the insult Arthur had just lobbed at him to try to get him to put even a modicum of space between them.

The thing was he knew it was the effects of the potion doing this. He knew Gwaine would never be doing this if it weren’t for Arthur’s interference. So yes, he was a bit guilt ridden as he tried to aggravate the man into leaving him alone. But well, Gwaine was testing his last patience.

He never knew how much the man liked to touch. Seemingly every comment came with his clapping a hand down on his shoulder or gripping at his arm, or brushing a touch on his knee. And that was nothing at all compared to the absolute displeasing amount of flirting he was doing.

Arthur couldn’t take a second more of it. The aggravation rising with ever second this continued. Tired as he was by the attention that was usually directed to a certain clumsy warlock.

Lancelot didn’t seem all that much better, having Merlin pampering him, offering to take care of every whim he could possibly have thought of. Worrying over him at near every second making Arthur’s knight so very uncomfortable.

As it was, Lancelot had never once been for having anyone do his bidding, even the servants paid to do such a task. But Merlin was apparently obsessed with making sure everything was perfect for the knight. Sharpening his sword and making him meals and doing all he could to make Lancelot’s life easier to a degree that was slightly scary really. Arthur had quite literally never seen this amount of servitude from the man, and he had been his manservant for years. Something that they would be having a conversation about once he was back in the right mind.

But right now, Lancelot was uncomfortably trying to avoid Merlin attempting to make sure he drank enough water before they went to training, the warlock handing him his own water skin so that the knight would be hydrated. As close to giving Arthur’s love the shirt off of his back as any of them were comfortable with. Or well that Arthur was comfortable, sure he would end up locking Merlin in the stocks if it ever got to that level.

The idea to let the potion wear off on its own was really the only idea either of them had on how to fix this. Hushed and talked through as they had scrambled out of Merlin’s chambers as quickly as they could. But it had been two days of this catastrophe, two days of attempts to woo, two days of them both being just a step too close, two days of awful flirtations, and gifts, and acts of service, and god-damn bloody touches. And well, he was starting to suspect that this solution might not solve anything at all.

And to make it all the worse, everyone was starting to get suspicious. Leon was staring at them all funny like, even though he would never actually speak to the oddness of it all, try as he might to stay as far away from this type of drama. 

Elyan had asked about it, when Gwaine had pushed Arthur’s fringe out of his eyes in a far too intimate manner causing the king to slap his hands away, jokingly questioning, “What’s up with Gwaine lately” with that slightly dubious look showing he was getting slightly too curious.

To which Arthur had tried so very hard to mask the fear in his eyes for being called out in such a way, laughing in that way that always proved he was lying, as he managed to get out “How the hell should I know what Gwaine presumably uses his empty brain for” before making a hasty exit.

Percival had apparently brought his concerns over Merlin’s behaviour up to Lancelot, in a far more serious way than Elyan had. Causing Lancelot to have a near breakdown in Arthur’s arms later that night as the regret and shame consumed him.

And then there was Morgana. Sharp eyes trailing after the two of them following the disaster that had been the one round table meeting they had attempted to have during this absolute horrid situation. Looking nearer to killing Arthur than she had in years. Seemingly already knowing that Merlin’s and Gwaine’s peculiarities were their fault. Forcing the king to cancel all upcoming meetings for the foreseeable future until the effects had disappeared, in fear that she might actually curse him in a less than pleasant way.

So yeah, it was getting increasingly harder and harder to keep this from surfacing. To keep the mistaken actions of drugging the two of them from destroying all that they had attempted to build, especially with just how much more intense the two love birds seemed to be under the control of what was supposed to be an innocent aphrodisiac. 

The one person they had somehow managed to keep away from all of it was, surprisingly, Guinevere. Not that that was really either of their doing, not actually. It had just been chance and an actual shit ton of luck that she kept missing the clear absurdity of the situation. That and Lancelot’s ability to keep a secret being so much greater than Arthur’s own, even through every blunder Arthur made with trying to keep his damn mouth shut. It wasn’t lying, not really. Just not telling her the full truth. At least that’s what Arthur kept trying to convince himself.

Yet after two bloody days of this nonsense, Arthur was seriously confused on how the two of them had never managed to see how much they loved the other. Their actions under the spell, even if they were slightly more pronounced, being pointed at Arthur and Lancelot made the whole thing even more bewildering. Just how in all that there was or every will be, did they not see the obvious deeds that came with the both of them wearing their hearts on their sleeves? It was so clear that he was starting to worry over both of their intelligence. Not that he didn’t do that on the daily but certainly now after this it was an even larger concern.

Gwaine’s fingers were roaming, dragging him back to the present predicament. Three other knight’s eyeing the two of them so incredibly strangely as Arthur attempted to put his armour on to get on with training, made all the harder by Gwaine’s seeming inability to leave his side for even a moment.

At least Lancelot didn’t have that struggle. Merlin making it impossible for him not to be strapped in with such utter precision and careful meticulous care that had Arthur feeling the familiar strands of possessiveness curl uncomfortably around his stomach and up through his throat. Even with Lancelot so clearly miserable as Merlin took on the chore that the knight usually saw to himself, there was an ugliness stirring inside of him.

This was worse than the damned pining. And well, that was saying something.

“Gwaine” He yelled as he tried to shrug off the touch the knight was trying to delicately attach to his forearm. Big eyes met burning blues as Arthur huffed out of his nose in frustration, confused and worried with a definite amount of care that the rogue had never in the entirety of them knowing each other expressed to Arthur, yet one, he noted, was much more accustomed to when he was troubled by Merlin’s, admittedly sometimes, concerning work ethic. A sigh leaving Arthur’s stressed throat, chocking back the outbursting feelings into something more manageable. “Just go get changed” he said waving towards the knight’s armour he was ignoring to try and chat up his king.

Another one of those shocking things about the spell, that Gwaine seemed so much less prone to shrinking off orders, jumping to do as Arthur told him to do. Of course with an offhanded “If you wanted to see me take my clothes off all you had to do was ask” and a disturbing wink shot in his direction as he started to walk off, his touch lingering behind his steps. Strangely making the instruction into a command.

Arthur found his head in his hands, for not the first time these past couple of days. The blooming migraine of these two being so attached to them returning after a mere couple hours of relief. 

“Are you alright” Lancelot’s voice was as much a remedy for the headache as Gaius’s potions would have been.

Lifting his head took a lot more work than it usually did, but eventually he was able to meet the anxiety stare of his knight. And just his knight. Merlin seemingly having disappeared in the time it took him to have his meltdown. “No” he said reaching out and grasping at Lancelot’s wrist. “Are you?”

He didn’t need to answer. Arthur could see he wasn’t in just the curve of his shoulders. Still he shook his head and whispered back, “No.” A humourless laugh leaving him as he ran a hand through his hair, “I can’t stand this.” near manic in his tone, “Never in all my years would I think I would be complaining about Merlin’s work ethic but, dear all the gods, if he doesn’t stop trying to attend to me, I might actually go crazy. I had to ask him to go fetch me my gloves so I could have a moment's reprieve and gods do I feel terrible for it.”

Arthur very kindly didn’t offer the very malicious comment that came to the tip of his lips about where Merlin could shove his work ethic, built from a place of pure jealousy over the way the warlock was treating his knight. Instead, putting on as much of a sympathetic look as he could conjure at the moment and taking a half a step closer, “Awe, darling” he whispered, rubbing his thumb across the delicate flesh of his wrist, just barely poking out below his armour, noticing in a sort of comical way that the knight very much was wearing his gloves already.

“And” Lancelot was definitely pouting now. A quick glance in all directions as he dropped his voice low to not be overheard. “If Gwaine doesn’t stop touching you, I fear I might slice his hands off.”

A chuckle did make its way up his throat at that. The attractiveness of this man’s possessive nature that he so very rarely let come out, making him near blushing. “Lancelot” he scolded in jest, slapping very lightly at the man’s guarded stomach, “You know my hands were made only for you and Guinevere”

Lancelot groaned as his head bowed down in defeat, “I know” he said with the utmost seriousness, which had Arthur smiling despite himself. “We just need Silas’s potion to get out of their system, or I fear I will start doing utterly rash things and no one wants that”

An idea, sparked by the knight’s words flickered to life in Arthur’s mind. Making him laugh, true and real, as he stared at Lancelot in complete delight. “Silas” he mumbled, bouncing on his toes. “We should speak to Silas, he made the damned thing he must know how to reverse it”

Lancelot was looking at him as if he was hung from the very moon itself. Eyes bright for the first time in days as he gifted Arthur with a beautiful smile, excited and gleeful on having a solution. “You’re absolutely brilliant” he said before surging forward to steal Arthur’s breath with an outrageous kiss. So full of love and adoration that he was left sort of dumb for a moment.

It wasn’t all that unusual to see them kissing. Not since he announced Lancelot’s title of consort to the entire court. But well, today might have been the wrong day to do it as they broke apart when a cough pronounced itself. Gwaine glaring at Lancelot, his jaw sliding back and forth in clear jealous anger, as his fingers twisted into fists at his side.

It was jarring, really, to see the man’s wrath. The only time he remembered Gwaine not jumping into a fight with a laugh and tease was when Merlin had been shot with an arrow through the leg during one of their hunts. And well, none of those bandits had made it to see another sunset. So Arthur was left rather speechless now seeing that look targeted at Lancelot, a protective urge bubbling inside him yet no real want to see that type of ire from the knight ever again if he could help it.

“Let’s go men” Leon announced breaking the moment but not the tension clear as day on Gwaine’s face. Something Arthur was mighty grateful for as he took the offered out to push Lancelot towards the door and away from Gwaine’s fury.

~

Training had been a bad idea. A terrible, no good, horrendous, very bad idea. He should have taken the mood change from Gwaine as more of a threat than he did. But well, the rogue had never really been one to lash out for no apparent reason, especially to his fellow knights, his friends.

Seeing Arthur and Lancelot kiss had obviously scrambled what few brain cells he had, affected as he was by the potion running through his veins.

Leon had taken one look at the three of them and pretty much decided that he was not going to insert himself in the middle. Something, that despite Arthur’s desperate need for him to help deal with the mess, he could very much understand. If he could walk away from this he absolutely would.

The first knight had instead declared that he was going to work with the new recruits, which Arthur seriously couldn’t argue since they truly needed all the help they could get at the moment. Again not at all unusual. Yet still, that left Arthur to deal with not just Gwaine but all the knight’s training. So with a sigh that marvelled Leon’s own, he announced for everyone to “Pair up”

Another bloody mistake as Gwaine made a beeline straight for Lancelot, looking murderous as he marched straight up to Arthur’s knight.

The protective urge was back and stronger than ever, burning bright in Arthur to keep Lancelot away from trouble. Gwaine was a good fighter, one that had knocked Arthur around a time or two, and while Lancelot was equally talented, he wouldn’t be aiming to hurt while Gwaine clearly would. So before Gwaine could try to destroy Lancelot using the excuse of training, Arthur stepped between them, “Gwaine you’re with me”

He very much didn’t want to be any closer to Gwaine than he had to be. But well, if the choices were to keep his knight safe or mildly make himself uncomfortable, he would take the latter every time, no hesitation.

He would have had to be blind to miss the way the anger melted off of the rogue, like snow left in the direct line of the sun, being replaced with doe eyes and a large shit-eating smirk. So very obvious that he was glowing with excitement and joyful, egotistical, spite at being chosen over Lancelot. As if Arthur would ever choose anyone, especially Gwaine, over his loves.

Yet it stopped the war that Gwaine was about to rage, as he morphed his attention onto Arthur, all happy, like a puppy seeing its owner after being out for a week. It took everything inside of him not to roll his eyes at it, the swift shift and the worship he was staring at Arthur with.

Lancelot slinked away, with a subtle, enough to not be seen by Gwaine, finger showing his support and thanks as it drew across his lower back. Arthur made sure to keep him in his peripheral, just to be sure he was alright, as he paired up with Percival to battle, somehow that being a safer choice, even with Percival's size and strength.

Sword raised, he turned his focus solely on Gwaine in front of him who looked half in the clouds as he stared at Arthur, weapon pointed to the ground. “Gwaine,” he spoke quietly but certainly a bit desperately. “I need you to think” He said drawing closer but keeping his sword in between them to try to keep the space. “I know you sometimes struggle with that, but this isn’t right. We barely put up with each other, remember?”

The knight moved closer, forcing Arthur, who was seriously over the whole touching thing, to beat him back with a soft slash towards his sword. Gwaine barely even attempting to block it. “I think we can do better than put up with each other” He whispered in that lewd way he flirted with Merlin with, eyebrows shuffling about his face.

“No” Arthur proclaimed, another dodge of an extended hand as he clashed their swords together once again, “No we really can’t. That's the way I like it, with you irritating me and me very much frustrated with you”

“I can make you frustrated” Gwaine teased, that lust filled smirk placed easily on his lips and his eyes darkening in a way Arthur certainly never wanted to see. “I can make you really frustrated”

“Gross” Came out almost involuntarily. The leering and the leaning into the skirmish of weapons too much to do anything but let the disgust flow from his lips. Using the fact that Gwaine was so utterly distracted by peering into Arthur’s eyes to heave him back for a minute, having him nearly falling on his arse since his balance seemed to be solely focused on getting as close to Arthur as possible. “I don’t know how Merlin puts up with that, let alone finds it attractive”

The knight’s face twisted in repulsion, “Merlin?” he spat the name as if it were ugly, dragging the little hope that Arthur could somehow talk the man into the right frame of mind into the metaphorical gutter, “Why would I waste my time with Merlin when you’re right here”

The headache was back, all encompassing with the exasperation that this was an actual conversation he was forced to have with the cupid struck knight. That there was ever even a scenario where Gwaine would be anything but ecstatic at the idea that the warlock finds him attractive. “Because you two bloody fucking love each other” He was being a tad bit too loud, evident by Elyan turning to look at him. Yet he simply didn’t care. Not after everything. Not with all he had dealt with, even before he had cursed the man. Airing out his grievances to the knight as he continued to hit him harder and harder “Annoyingly, insufferably, disgustingly in love. So clear that everyone but the two of you can see it. And for whatever bullshit reason you choose to make it everyone else's problem rather than deal with it like any rational people would.” Another strike, having Gwaine stumble back with the absolute raging strength behind it.

And yet still Gwaine was giving him such a curious look that made the aggravation only grow inside Arthur. “That's absurd. I love you”

A huff of air left his nose. Annoyance wasn’t even a strong enough word for all that Arthur was feeling. Close to strangling someone was a more aft description really. Because all of this, all of the wickedness, all of the sneaking around, all of the tricking of putting them under a spell, all of it came back to the fact that these two refused to just say those three bloody words to each other. But no, instead he had to point them at Arthur.

Behind him, he heard Merlin’s chipper voice proclaim “Lancelot!” in the same tone he had used to greet Gwaine at his door, rubbing salt into the very fresh wound and making the frustration turn to full fury.

And maybe, if he were to really think about it, with the sweet voices of Guinevere and Lancelot filling in the blanks, he could admit that there was a larger than expected part of him that was mad at himself. That knew what they did was wrong and really wanted to point his sword at himself.

But no. All he had to hit at the moment was a foolish looking Gwaine, dopey and dumb with this false admiration. So maybe he wasn’t holding his punches near as much as he should have with the man so clearly not in the right mind space to be fighting, maybe he was being a bit harsh with the cruel way he was bringing his sword down, just barely being able to be parried by a bumbling and stumbling knight, maybe he was being a bit to tough as he feigned right but actually brought his sword left, Gwaine usually able to expect the obvious diverge but certainly not now as distracted as he was with softly drinking in Arthur’s entire face.

Blood dripped. Red blots of it falling to grass. Lancelot yelling his name in that scolding way he does as Gwaine blinked at the fresh cut Arthur just landed on his wrist. Causing a wince to infiltrate Arthur’s face even as Gwaine kept on with his smile.

An intake of breath from seemingly everyone out on the field as they all stared at the scrape Arthur had just placed on Gwaine’s skin, not fatal, certainly not, but still enough, especially after the incident a few days prior had had Merlin irate for hours. As one, everyone present all turned to the warlock. And as one, everyone present realized Merlin’s gaze were not at all on the scene unfolding. Nope. It were instead glued to Lancelot as if the man would somehow disappear if he didn’t keep at least one eye on him at all times, a slight hum coming of easy air moving from his lungs. Not an ounce of worry or anger or anything other than that dumb love that had been stuck there since the god-damn potion.

“Merlin?” Percival of all people was not the one he was expecting to pipe up, as used to the man staying silent in all types of situations. And yet the clear concern on his face had the guilt return with a vengeance to Arthur’s gut. Lancelot not too far behind going by the heartbroken expression he was wearing. “Gwaine’s hurt” He said it with a dumbfounded quality as he just sort of gaped at the warlock, who wasn’t paying them a lick of attention.

It didn’t spur Merlin on like Percival was so clearly hoping it would. A “Mhmm” falling from dazed lips as he just continues to bat his lashes in Lancelot’s general direction.

This time Elyan stepped forward, sort of shocked and slightly stalled in his actions, a quick glance to both Lancelot and Arthur, probably not helping the bewilderment to be met with only shame written across their entire bodies. He managed eventually though. “Merlin, don’t you think you should heal him?”

“Why?” was the warlock’s response as he kept drifting in his bubble of loving Lancelot, barely even bothering to answer with how little focus he was giving the rest of them.

Knitted brows had never been as common as they were at this moment, even the newer squires seemed to be looking at the crazed situation with a level of perplexity they didn’t even throw at Leon’s, confusing as hell, training exercises.

“Because that’s what you always do?” If even Leon was perplexed, they were truly doomed. That man hadn’t had a shocked bit about him since there was a troll sitting on the throne. 

A numb sort of worry started tingling through Arthur’s entire being. Blood turning very cold in a mere second. All the hotheaded rage freezing over with fear. They were going to figure it out. They were all going to figure it out, and then they were going to tell Guinevere on him, and he was going to have to deal with her upset at him face, and he just couldn’t do that. He was only a man after all. Actually, really, Arthur wasn’t all that sure that the gods themselves wouldn’t bow down to the little head tilt and the crossing of her arms. The fear that she could install in anyone and everyone a magnitude Arthur had never seen before, and he had faced down immortal armies.

Before it could get there, Lancelot, so much quicker than Arthur could ever hope to be about this sort of thing, took the couple of steps towards Merlin’s side, gently gripping his wrist, having the warlock dissolve into a mess of giggles as Lancelot very easily guided him to Gwaine, who had, as of yet, very clearly not even noticed that he was injured, as obsessed as he was with the idea that now that Arthur’s sword wasn’t in the way, there was very little keeping him from reaching out to add a feather-light caress of a blood filled hand to the kings forearm. Staining Arthur’s armour as well as his sanity. Still far too detached from fear to even attempt to slap the hand away.

“Merlin” Lancelot was using the voice he spoke to small children with, soft and sweet and lovely as the warlock smiled at him in the most disgusting way. “Can you heal Gwaine?” 

Merlin’s head cocked to the side at the request as if it were an insane ask and not something he legitimately was running across the field to do a mere couple of days ago. As awful as the yelling had been afterwards, Arthur was sure he would much rather have that than whatever the hell this was.

Lancelot exhaled harsh and thick, before shooting a look towards Arthur, all pleading and already apologizing, spiking his heart rate to the stars with concern for what his love was about to do that he felt the need to already be sorry for. “For me” tagged on as if it were being dragged out of the knight through a battlefield and across a fast moving stream and up the highest of high mountains. A struggle built from the noblest of them all stooping to such lows as to manipulate the situation. Near out of gritted teeth and with a definite wince added with it.

That seemed to do the job. As much as Arthur hated the entire idea of what Lancelot was forcing himself to do to get Merlin to do his literal bloody duty, he would be hard-pressed to complain about the results. The warlock nodding those overexaggerated nods as he became more than willing to do what was necessary. Not stopping with his goggle of Lancelot but holding out his hand to work his magic.

The second step seemed to be getting Gwaine to take his damned hand off of Arthur and into Merlin’s waiting arm. Lancelot coughing slightly as his eyes directed Arthur to do something to get the rogue moving in the right direction as well.

Another huff and again his eyes were finding the sky. A method so unlike Lancelot’s own was taken. Arthur roughly grabbing just above the cut he delivered and thrusting the bleeding appendage into Merlin’s grip, earning him an utterly ridiculous pout from Gwaine at being handed off to the warlock. As if he wouldn’t have been jumping over himself to be in this exact position a few days ago. Which in turn had Arthur crossing his arms at his chest and shaking his head to get the knight to stay where he was for just a bloody moment.

Merlin didn’t at any point, even try to examine the injury. Fixated as he was on Lancelot watching the touch between the two of them with a near hopeful look. Something that a few days ago would have been all they could talk about, now not even enough to have him shift his gaze.

A spell flew from an absent warlock. Fast and quick and not sounding all that right in a way Arthur had no clue how to describe, not just in that strange tone Merlin was using but something telling him that what the warlock had just crafted was dangerous. Sending the hairs on his arms standing on edge.

Nothing happened for a beat. And then another. Everyone surrounding them seemingly feeling the same oddness that had infected Arthur but not knowing what it was they should be worried about. So unsure about why this felt so damn different even if Merlin had used the exact words Arthur remembered from the last time they were standing here like this.

Then, from nowhere at all, the wind picked up, cold and harsh and tossing the strands of Lancelot’s hair in all directions as Arthur watched. Not at all fitting the fine day they had started training in, in a way that surely only came from magic at work.

It hinted that something truly troubling was coming, a storm alerting them of its incoming presence. Yet instead of the rain that Arthur was anticipating, the very grass under their feet decided to take part in the strangeness, shrivelling in a fraction of a second. A perfect circle spanning the length of the four of them of instantly browning greens as everything under them died in a moment, catching the weirdness the wind seemed to be feeling.

The fire was truly surprising, springing to life next. Catching on the outermost portion of the ring and jumping near up to Arthur’s waist. His wide eyes catching Lancelot’s as the chaos kept expanding, and he was forced to move or get scorched.

Blood dripped onto brown, burnt grass, carried slightly on the stress of a heightened wind. Red blending into oranges and brown crying of death and destruction. All of the elements using their power to scream about how not right this situation was in full view of everyone.

“Merlin stop!” Lancelot yelled over the heated wind, whipping the fire into action around them. Torching closer and closer to the four of them.

With Lancelot’s declaration, came the halting of all of it as Merlin’s eyes shifted away from their golds back to the blue that usually sat in them. Leaving Arthur and Lancelot to drink in heavy breaths as they took stock of nature shifting back to its normal state.

The grass was still brown, the air still smelled of smoke, the wind still circled them even if it was much calmer now. Evidence of all they just witness burned into the landscape. Evidence of all that they had caused blemishing the usually pristine lawn.

“That…” Merlin’s voice was slightly more grounded. Slightly more normal. Having Arthur snap his neck with the speed he used to look at the warlock. A crack seemingly forming in his smiling face as he took in what just happened around him. Hope rising at seeing genuine unease start to break through his features. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was how Merlin broke himself out of it. Seeing the destruction he caused by his inattention. “That’s not right”

Lancelot seemed to have the same optimism that Arthur was feeling. Taking shallow breaths as he met Arthur’s eye for a moment. “No, Merlin. It’s not” Trying to push the warlock that little bit further.

Only when Merlin looked back at the knight, the twitch to his brow stopped completely, the apprehension dripping in his eyes fluctuated back to the sparkling light of love, the downcast turn of his mouth showing to be more an upset change for not being able to complete the task Lancelot had asked of him than the display of terrifying magic. “I’m so sorry.”

And no. Just no. Arthur couldn’t do this for a second longer as Merlin seemed about ready to cry at the notion he had let Lancelot down and not for leaving Gwaine stuck in pain. Dropping the injured hand he was holding onto to turn his attention back to the wrong knight, allowing Gwaine to turn that smile back in Arthur’s direction.

“Percival” Arthur yelled, the brightness of the headache he was very much trying to repress forcing him to push at his forehead. “Take Gwaine to Gaius” He didn’t need to look at the man to know he was already mounting an objection to the order. “Elyan, see if Morgana can help with whatever the hell is wrong with Merlin’s magic” He very much left out the fact that he might have an inkling of what that might be. Letting his knight’s take control over the two love birds for a while as he dragged Lancelot back into the castle, ordering over his shoulder as he went “Training is over for today”

He let the doors close behind him before anyone could ask about what had just happened, or the two idiots could follow with a surely dumb as hell excuse.

~

Tracking down Silas took longer than expected. Maybe, slightly because they were both determined to not be dragged back into Merlin or Gwaine’s orbit for even a second after having to deal with them pretty much nonstop for the past two days, and as such were taking the most absurd paths to their desired locations possible. Only aided by the fact that neither one of them knew where exactly the sorcerer would be.

As it turned out, Merlin had seen to cancelling lessons. Which actually was most likely a good thing if Arthur were to give it a half a second of actual thought, seeing as to the mess he had caused with a simple healing spell. But for their purposes at the moment, it was causing Arthur to fill with an absolute comical amount of annoyed frustration as they shuffled around another corner to be met with not the sight of a young man.

They had already checked his rooms, his usually haunts of the kitchen and the gardens, and the classroom Merlin always kept open for experimenting. All lacking a certain potion crafter. 

Although, they did run into Mordred and Kara, who were very much not using the open room for any studious activities, as jumpy as they had been as soon as they swung the door open. Who, through a shit ton of awkward coughs and beet red cheeks, pointed them in the general direction of a secure section of the castle, tucked away from a lot of the chaos that infiltrated Camelot’s halls like the plague, which Silas liked to visit often in his downtime.

They left them fairly quickly afterwards, with the note to find their way somewhere a little more secure if they were going to continue with their ‘studies’ that had Arthur a little fearful that the flaming colour running all the way to their collarbones might actually leap to life in fire similar to what Merlin conjured out on the field. 

But with a clear destination in mind they wound their ways through the rarest of used hallways and ran into absolutely no one on their journey. That was no one until they spotted the very person they were looking for walking back towards the way they had just come.

“Silas” Arthur announced moving quicker to make it to his side. Eager to see the one person that may be able to get them out of this situation without a lecture or a stern talking to like would accompany a conversation with Gaius, or straight up turning them into something far less than savoury as was much more likely if they spoke about this with Morgana.

Lancelot calling at the same time with that same joy “Just the man we needed to talk to” Knowing, same as Arthur, that the kid would never see to risking trouble by endangering people with titles so grand as they cornered the kid, forcing him to stop moving entirely.

Both of Silas’s hand ran to stretch upwards. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it” Trying so very hard to look the picture of innocence which could only mean that after they cleaned up their mess, Arthur was going to have to clean up whatever mess Silas had created with Merlin missing in action.

A sigh came from his right as Lancelot probably had the same realization. Instead of running down that path of possible destruction, though, the knight just reached into his pocket and pulled out the vial they had stolen from Merlin’s stores. Still pink and vibrant and ugly looking as Arthur glared at it.

“Look familiar?” Arthur tried his best to imitate the subtle touch of something cruel Morgana got when she was trying to get someone to admit to something. That all knowing air about her that got their enemies confessing in mere seconds. That slight bite to her tone that had most people cowering.

But well, it must not hit exactly the same coming from him, since instead of the kid cowering he just sort of squinted at the king. “Are you getting sick?” He asked with a touch of genuine concern making it all the worse.

“He’s fine” Lancelot said with a dubious look poised in his direction, showing that the knight knew exactly what Arthur was trying and was utterly underwhelmed by his interrogation technique, which in turn, had Arthur coughing slightly to hide the fact that his cheeks were burning. Much to his relief, it was quick to pass, as Lancelot was returning to the matter at hand. “Do you know what this is?” Holding the horrid vial out in front of him so Silas could read the label.

He glanced in both their directions for a moment longer, quite clearly trying to understand what was happening with no words passing, before Lancelot once more gestured for him to look at the potion with a flutter of his hand, which finally had him staring at the object that had caused this whole rotten shit show.

A laugh twisted in the air with the kid finally taking in why they were speaking to him. “Merlin can’t still be upset about this. I did that years ago”

“Did what?” Arthur didn’t even attempt to hide the desperation in his voice like he probably should have. Just having answers at his fingertips making him much too ready to jump to the next step of fixing this already.

Silas kept chuckling as he spoke, “I was young and had a crush. Merlin took it away before I could even attempt to give her a dose. You can’t be mad at me for something I didn’t even get to do”

“What does it do?” Lancelot was clearly getting to the end of his rope as well. Something that Arthur could very much relate to but something he very much didn’t want to have lording over the man’s conscious later, positive as he was that Lancelot would be angry with himself for taking out his temper on a kid. So to ease the tension just a tad, Arthur placed a soft hand on his rising shoulder, allowing him to absorb some of the stress as he traced the flesh in soft circles even through all his armour.

Hands found the air again, apparently a tad bit scared that Lancelot, of all people, was being short with him. The laughter dying as he had to witness a truly upset knight with very few avenues to alleviate the strain other than forward. Doing what Arthur couldn’t by putting that touch of fear into him. “It was to make Morgana fall in love with me.”

The outburst came with a return of that numb feeling. That tingle that sat in his stomach. The worry having him glare at the kid in front of him. “What do you mean love?”

“I mean” Silas said crossing his arms over his chest as his shoulders climbed, fear having him already take on a slight look of defeat. “All encompassing, all passionate, all consuming love.” A hand gesture before a slight shift in his posture to a tiny bit of embarrassment “I wanted Morgana to fall in love with me, so I made a potion to allow the drinker to fall head over heals for whoever they see next”

“But” Arthur had never been a stutterer. Had never, not been absolutely sure about the words coming out of his mouth. Even with as much fury as he possessed at this moment it shouldn’t have lead the way to this. Something he had been trained to do from the time he could construct sentences. Right now, however, he found the words coming in a haze of half starts. Stopping and starting and flipped upside down. Broken and battered into an unrecognizable blabber of nothing. Finally, though he landed on the one thing about this that didn’t make a lick of sense. “The bottle says aphrodisiac”

Silas’s brows converged near the middle of his face as he surely wrestled with the fact that king was acting in such an undignified way. That the two of them were in his presence not at all treating him as they normally would. But well Arthur was surely over all of this. Taking an angry finger and thrusting it over the word that had led them to this, just to be sure they were all on the same page here.

But then there was a sigh and a squint as the kid leaned over the bottle. “No, it says aphrodisiac” using his fingers to put quotes around the sarcastic word. “It’s a joke” he said as Arthur scrambled to look at the vial, Lancelot retreating it and pulling it closer to his face to check as well, “To make fun of the excuse I used when Merlin found it on me. Again when I was very young and very dumb.”

And well, if Arthur were to really look, and try to translate Merlin’s utterly ludicrous curly penmanship, he could see that there seemed to be little ticks around the damned word, that maybe they had missed that bit in the frustration and excitement at finding something to get them out of the perpetual hell that was the pining awfulness of the two of them flirting from afar. 

Arthur had been wrong. None of this was his bloody fault. This rested on Merlin’s infuriatingly awful sense of humour and Gwaine’s asinine ability to take a bloody hint.

A moment of the most painfully hot silence passed as Arthur’s entire mind cracked damn near straight down the middle. The agitation become too much in a second as he was stuck staring at the absolute ludicrous almost indistinguishable quotation marks. His left eye starting to twitch with the preposterous pressure his brain was taking to not melt out of his ears.

Lancelot seemed to take a different approach to his madness. Bursting out in the most manic laugh Arthur had ever heard from him. Breaking the silence with a sound so close to psychosis that Arthur felt his stomach twist in concern despite the wrath sitting heavy in his throat. “Quotation marks” he said in-between large insane breaths of air. “Bloody quotation marks” Voice reaching a pitch that was sure to scare all the birds perched on the castle walls along with splintering any and all windows in close proximity.

“So” Silas pulled out the word long and with a most certain smile sat on his lips, even with everyone around him falling to hysteria. “This wouldn’t have something to do with the fact that Merlin, who once held lessons when he was half mad with fever, cancelling all classes for the foreseeable future?”

“Just tell us there's a way to reverse it” Arthur spoke with a harsh air, his teeth not even opening to let the words out. Not caring in the slightest that this weasel had figured them out and had the arrogant air about him returning with his new-found knowledge. All Arthur cared about was fixing this mess at any cost. He could not deal with another cursed moment of Gwaine’s hands on him.

The kid just shrugged, apparently far less worried about them running him through now that he knew exactly what they had done, as the irrationality took hold of the two of them. The defeat replaced with a smug sense of grandiosity at having all the answers. “Well Morgana is a high priestess, and I wanted to be sure it would stick”

The answer was no. He didn’t have an out for them. Somehow it never occurred to Arthur that a spell couldn’t be reversed. That there could be no way to repair what they had broken. Sparing a wide eye glance at Lancelot proved he hadn’t had a clue it was possible either as he wore the biggest browns Arthur had ever seen from him.

“I mean” Silas tipped forward on his toes, smirking high and wide. “You two did smell it right? It was insanely concentrated. Part of the reason it was so funny for me to use that excuse was just how potent I made it. You should have seen the look Merlin gave me when I said it.”

“There's nothing?” Lancelot was continuing to squeak his way through this conversation. Mania and madness infused into his tone.

Another shrug and a slight twinkle of mischief to Silas’s eyes. “Merlin would know how. He refused to give me any books that even mentioned the concept of love after that incident. Why don’t you two speak to him?” A self-satisfied laugh touching his lips mildly.

Arthur took a moment to get his featured to stop with its unnatural rage filled tremble, it, having spread from just his eye to the entire left side of his face. The fact that this kid had chosen to throw that in their faces after the absolute horrid couple of days, when he certainly knew they couldn’t talk with the warlock, as love sick as he seemed to be at the moment, having the last bit of sanity still trying to hold on in his brain, fall into the abyss of lunacy. “I’m going to put you in the stocks” Maybe that was not the right thing to mumble, but at the moment it was quite literally all his angry mind could come up with. “I’m going to throw you in the stocks” He yelled letting the outrage spur on his volume, pointing a finger as he stepped forward.

Silas didn’t even skip a beat. Releasing a spell with a swiftness that had Arthur nearly impressed. Eye’s swirling with golds and suddenly both the king and his knight were tugging on stuck feet, anchored as they were to the stone floor. “Listen,” Silas said, side stepping them to make his way down the hallway, “Don’t shoot the massager. I’m not the idiots that chose to use a spell they had no understanding of. What is it Merlin always says, ‘knowledge is half the battle’ or whatever.” and with that he was turning and running away from them. The spell only lasting the time it took his take the corner at breakneck speeds.

With the ability to move back in his grasp, Arthur turned to make chase, to ruin that smug look that had seared its way into his mind. Only to be stopped this time, by a weighted grip to his forearm.

“He’s right” Lancelot’s derangement seemed to have faded with the last declaration. Being replaced with such utter defeat that Arthur’s anger was completely smothered by the sorrow sitting in his love. “We’re bloody idiots.”

Arthur was shaking his head before the words were even fully out, stepping closer and enclosing Lancelot in his arms, the knight’s head finding its rightful spot on the king’s shoulders. “No we’re not. We were pushed to this point. Merlin and Gwaine are the idiots”

“Gods” Lancelot mumbled, half stifled by the armour sitting on Arthur’s chest. Rubbing closer by sheer instinct. “They were just being so dumb about it”

“Yes” Arthur said, petting a hand through Lancelot slightly crazed hair to smooth it back into its rightful place and to offer some soothing comfort. “Yes they were”

~

After the disaster that was the meeting with Silas, and with two far too passionate idiots roaming about, Arthur decided it was about time for a break, leading Lancelot with the utmost security back to their shared chambers to lock the door and not let anyone in for the rest of the day.

Only when they had latched the entrance and turned to crawl into bed, the exhaustion making that a necessity despite the early hour, it was to be met with a head tilt and a crossing of arms. 

“You know” Guinevere’s beauty was truly unmatched by anyone except Lancelot’s equal mesmerizing looks. And yet now as they gaped at the clearly irate queen it was as if they had brought the scariest of creatures into their fold. The subtle fury hiding behind pretend calmness, “I just had the most enlightening lunch with Morgana”

Arthur for the millionth time this one day, found himself wincing as she narrowed her usually warm eyes at the two of them.

She let the silence drag out for a mere second, letting the anxiety and panic truly take hold, growing like a tree, weighted and stretching into every muscle. “You see, she seemed to have some theories. Which, after we were rather rudely interrupted by Elyan dragging in Merlin, I am rather keen on agreeing with.”

“Gwen” Lancelot stepped in front of Artur. Earning Guinevere’s ire solely pointed at him. Causing him to swallow harshly as he seemingly tried to remember what exactly he was trying to do. “We-”

“And you know it’s quite funny,” she interrupted, not even letting Lancelot attempt to get through whatever he was about to say, lie or truth Arthur had no way of knowing. “Merlin seems fairly taken with you” finally uncrossing her arms to point an accusatory finger in Lancelot’s direction. Causing a flinch to appear on marvellous features. “And when I went to check on Gwaine after Elyan mentioned all that happened on the training field, I found him with his heads in the clouds, daydreaming of you” Moving that damning finger to poke at Arthur. Letting the flinch spread to his face as well. “So do either of you want to tell me something?”

And well, Arthur could never lie to her. Not with those eyes or those tightly pressed lips or that darling straight back as she stood her ground in this, and certainly not with the way she was certainly singling him out knowing just how hard it was for him to keep a secret. Couldn’t ever help himself as she let her eyebrow raise that tiny little bit. Not even needing a moment of silence to get his lips to start flapping. “We accidentally put them under a love spell.” Lancelot turning with those pleading eyes begging him to stop. And yet he couldn’t. One battle he couldn’t win for him. “They were being intolerable and barring locking them in a closet we needed to give them that little push to get them to start literally anything. And well it all really went so incredibly wrong” He let his head bow under the weight of both of their stares. The headache returning with all of it coming to light in front of Guinevere.

A moment of silence, filled only by the quick heartbeat Arthur had saturating his ears. A moment to let the weight of the compounding mistakes crumble his exterior and any remaining bits of his brain. A moment to let everyone see the awfulness that was him acting rashly and with very little thought, at this being all his fault.

Broken what felt like a century later, by Guinevere’s little, “huh” having him peek a watery eye up at her, seeing the fuming sort of look had faded with the admission, relaxing her posture and her features. “Morgana and I were planning a locked guest room for them, but a closet is a far better idea, much less space for them to hide behind their idiocy there” Arthur’s broken brain not quite understanding exactly what she was saying as he stared at her curiously. “Although far harder to clean” she said with a waving of her hand.

Again, Lancelot seemed far quicker on the uptake, probably a consequence of having been around much more of Merlin’s magical messes than the rest of them. “You’re-” he said, that same uncertainty about him as it was in Arthur, “You’re not angry”

“Oh” Guinevere said with another gesture of her hand in the air. “I certainly am. I mean, really, you two are going to do all this without even filling me in. I could have helped and then none of this would have happened.”

Arthur was stuck with his mouth open, blinking at her response. A little shame placed in the space the anxiety had fled from. Not at all expecting Guinevere to be on their side in this, certain as he was that her friendship with Merlin could never be broken by anything. But well, he supposed if Merlin was bad with him, the warlock was certainly ten times worse with Guinevere, who would be much more in the know about his relationships than what Arthur was privy too. Something he was more than fine with, seeing how annoying he already was with just his mannerisms.

And he was a hundred percent sure she was right in her assessment. That if she were there she would have taken note of the things they missed. Or really just having them not take that fatal extra step to listen in to the conversation Gwaine and Merlin were supposed to share over a spelled glass of wine. Approaching this with much more compassion than he had. And most assuredly she wouldn’t have let this go on for as long as Arthur and Lancelot had, looking for a solution the mere moment they fell through that door.

“But well, we can’t go back now” Guinevere said as she took a step towards them both, a perfect smile gracing them on golden features. Arthur entirely too grateful that she was a far more forgiving person than he had earned. “And lucky for you two I know exactly how to break a love spell”

~

Arthur had some reservations about the plan. Not the least of which being it included gathering the two bumbling love birds and actually speaking to them. Him, sent to fetch Gwaine and drag the man, damn near draping over his shoulder as they went, back to his chambers. Lancelot sent to get Merlin’s doting arse and get them both in the same place.

Guinevere had been very clear on what needed to be done. Apparently having personal experience in the area after he himself had been trapped in a similar spell, not that he remembered that bit, just the bruised ribs he was left with after and an empty couple of days. Lancelot having a good laugh after she had started to fill in the blanks as Arthur’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. A little shocked that this had never come up before, knowing just how much the warlock liked to rub his victories in his face. Although, according to Guinevere’s account, he might not consider it his own win, with his only work being to boost her confidence enough to get her to kiss him something terrible.

But well, Arthur couldn’t be sure how exactly he was going to get them to actually break the spell. True love’s kiss seemed far easier to execute when one of them was actually currently in love with the other. Not when both pairs of dopey eyes were on a completely different person.

Yet he did his part. Shoving Gwaine off of him and into the closing chamber doors before following with a heavy exhale and a shake of his head.

Lancelot seemed to be much more swift in his mission. Merlin already pouring a cup of water for the man as Arthur was met with the wonderful scents of rich foods bright in the room and drowning out the remaining floral scent still captured even after a few days of airing it out. A large buffet, marvelling the type that George seemed so very excited to bring up, set up on the table next to the grand flower arrangement they had acquired a few days prior.

The water was accepted sort of absently as Lancelot apparently decided that fighting it was a losing battle. Staring up at Arthur with tight features as he gripped harshly to the goblet. “Merlin was on his way here already” he said, clearly trying to breathe through the annoyance and with a certainly fake smile pulled taut across his cheeks, his eyes screaming his frustration with their heated glare, as he gave the answer to the question Arthur had apparently posed with just his face. “With all of this” Lancelot gave a large sweeping gesture to the week's worth of food piled high on the table he was so very clearly not allowing Merlin to sit him at.

In the privacy of his own mind, Arthur could speak to the idea that really Merlin’s type of love was not something he could see himself complaining about, as delicious as it smelled. That Gwaine’s constant need to have his hands all over Arthur was a much worse punishment to deal with. But well, he didn’t exactly think speaking to that was at all a good idea with how close Lancelot seemed to destroying the metal cup placed in his hands by a perky warlock, smiling so very brightly behind him, and with the certainty that Lancelot would harshly disagree.

Though, Guinevere didn’t seem to take his method of closely sealed lips, laughing bright and airy at both of their clear discomfort as she picked at a plate of grapes, while Gwaine once more slid up to Arthur’s side.

“Can we just get this over with” Arthur gritted out, once more slapping at Gwaine’s fingers as they stretched in their exploration up to the collar of his shirt.

“Certainly” Guinevere spoke sweetly as she extracted herself from her snack and made her way to a much more empty portion of room. “Merlin, why don’t you come stand here” gesturing to where she currently stood.

That had Merlin staring at her like it was the most absurd request in the world. “But Lancelot is here” he stated, as if Guinevere had somehow missed that fact.

There was once again a sigh dangling from the knight’s gorgeous lips. Defeat in every line of his body for a second before he was straightening with determination and taking the few steps to make it to Guinevere’s side. Merlin following like a loyal dog right behind, all the while smiling like a loon in a way that made Arthur sort of hate him. Dumb and in love with a taken man, twice over.

Learning from Lancelot’s mistake, Arthur didn’t bother to try and keep hope that Gwaine would follow the queen’s orders. Just grabbed his bandaged wrist and yanked him over to where they were all standing in advance of her even attempting to ask. Rolling his eyes for good measure on his way over when Gwaine decided it best to attempt to loop his fingers through Arthur’s own. His hand starting to cramp with the tightness he was keeping his fingers straight with.

“Great” Guinevere said as the five of them stood in a small circle. “Now I think it best that you two do the next bit. I don’t think either of them would listen much to me right now”

As much as Arthur wished it not to be true, he knew she was right in her judgement. With just how little attention either one was paying her at the moment, sure that they wouldn’t notice if she started wailing about or disappeared entirely. Engrossed in their twisted hearts obsessions. Even with her utter gorgeous features damn near beaming at them all, deserving all the focus in the world.

Lancelot’s hands found their way to his lovely face for a moment, pausing and covering his eyes as if he could somehow avoid what they had to do if he just didn’t look at any of it for long enough. Taking a moment to let himself sag in his awful realization that this was in fact their life. Or maybe Arthur was projecting just a tiny bit. Before they were pushing up into his hairline and he was setting his strong shoulders. Again, his eyes already apologizing as he gave a sort of sad smile in both Guinevere and his direction. 

And then he was putting on a much more realistic grin, turning towards Merlin and stepping just an inch to close. Arthur hating every moment and yet keeping his opinion very much to himself, just a tad bit hopeful that the image of Lancelot pressing up to Merlin might one day be nothing but a haunting memory.

Next came a thumb rubbing across Merlin’s chin, having the warlock’s breath catch in his chest in the worst possible way. Real true care shinning in both Lancelot’s and Merlin’s eyes, but from two very different viewpoints.

“Merlin” When Lancelot spoke it was a voice Arthur was a bit terrified to notice he recognized. Usually reserved for the three of them in these very chambers. All dark and warm and having Arthur’s blood turn warm with arousal as well as anger that for even a moment it wasn’t pointed at either him or Guinevere. “I need you to do something for me” A brilliant manipulation that Arthur would have been rather impressed by if he wasn’t caught trying to count every centimetre of air between the two. “I need you to kiss Gwaine, just for a moment” he eased as the warlock’s face once more twisted in confusion. Rubbing small little circles into his shaved chin as Gwaine had to his bicep those very long days ago.

It was good to see Merlin nod after the moment he took to accept the request, a little excessive in his willingness to do as Lancelot had asked if you asked Arthur, but still it did allow Lancelot to take his fingers off of the warlock, so he would accept it, really. Even if everything in him was screaming for him to tear the two of them apart even further and wrap Lancelot so tight in his arms Merlin couldn’t hope to bud in. He accepted it. And in turn was entirely more grateful when Lancelot took a step backwards and they both shifted to look at Arthur and his handful of knight.

He supposed it was his turn. But he had no want to do as Lancelot had, to even think of moving closer to Gwaine starting a fire of rage and disgust in his gut. Actually taking a step away as he forced out “Gwaine kiss Merlin” 

Those eyelashes just batted at him in that awful way that meant he was about to say something truly stomach turning. “Why? When my lips have far better uses”

And well, Arthur was really upset that he was correct. Having to hide his gag behind a truly repulsed grimace. Choking back the vomit attempting to make an appearance at the mere thought of having to kiss the man.

That was, of course, when Guinevere stepped forward and told Gwaine, “If you kiss Merlin, Arthur will kiss you afterwards” Having him swing around to gape at her. That twinkle set up in her eyes as she nodded him onwards to assert what she had just said.

His headache was back and worse than ever, his eye twitching for the third time in so many days, his body having a god awful shiver of horror roll up his spine at the insinuation coming from two people now. And yet, he knew what was expected of him.

Much like Lancelot, he swallowed his pride and revulsion, huffing and having his hands snap into fists, forcing himself to twist in his position staring at Guinevere to look the eager knight in the eye. “If you kiss Merlin, I’ll kiss you” he repeated the exact words, noting how damn awful they tasted coming from his lips. But still, he got through it, with gritted teeth and possibly the fakest smile he had ever worn. Nothing compared to Lancelot’s acting skills and yet enough to finally have Gwaine smiling and accepting.

It was an awkward sort of thing to watch, neither one of them looking at all thrilled by the idea that they would have to kiss each other, actually much more close to matching the nausea Arthur was dealing with. Shooting looks to the three of them as they slowly inched closer and closer. Them, having to continue to urge them onwards with hand gestures and nods and thumbs up despite the abhorrent thing they were about to have to watch. Encouraging an act Arthur hoped he’d never have to observe. Prayed for them to get on with it, don’t get him wrong, as desperate as he was to stop the damned longing, just never really expected that he would have to give witness to it.

Shuffling ever nearer as the seconds started to pile up. Gwaine not bothering to touch as he leaned just his head forward, Merlin looking so incredibly dubiously at the offer, nose crinkled and peppering in one last look toward Lancelot that had him finally closing the last of the distance.

It was most assuredly supposed to be nothing more than a peck. A momentary moment of lips barely touching. But well, something seemed to shift the second their mouths touched. A melting happening to both of them as they both relaxed into it. Eyes fluttering closed and hands moving to wrap in hair and arms reaching around waists tugging the distance away completely. Mouths repugnantly parting and breaths coming easier despite how tied up their lips were at the moment. Until it turned real and earned and hot and light all at once.

And then it was over, both of them stumbling back. Merlin tripping over his own feet and Gwaine grabbing at his head as his back collided with the table. Arthur was too busy trying to tame the roll of his stomach to really help, but Lancelot leapt forward, catching Merlin before his arse could hit stone. Wary, still incredibly wary, but far too noble to see a friend hurt if he could help it.

Merlin wasn’t smiling when he saw who it was that was aiding him at the moment, no it seemed stuck in a truly perplexed state as he took in his surroundings. Much to Arthur’s utter relief. “Lancelot?” he questioned in a tone so very different to how he was saying his name earlier. Having a true ease to Arthur’s next breath.

“What the hell is going on” Gwaine seemed just as confused, holding a hand to his temple as his eyes made quick work of looking around. Suddenly sucking in air through his teeth as he seemingly noticed the pain blooming in his wrist. Exchanging his head to grasp at his injury.

“What happened?” Merlin was already halfway out of Lancelot’s hold as he similarly noticed Gwaine’s bandaged arm. Moving with that same swiftness he showed the other day as he made it to the rogue’s side and pulled the injury towards him.

He didn’t wait for a response to start unwrapping the injury, quite clearly locked into what he was doing, much to Arthur’s utter alleviation. His shoulders dropping and his guard lowering since it seemed Gwaine was no longer going to spring to be his shadow hopefully ever again, the knight’s soft eyes much too focused on Merlin’s concentration and soft looking caress, watching in that not at all subtle way he did as the warlock uncovered the wound. 

Eventually, though, Gwaine seemed to remember that a question had been posed. Coughing slightly with a bit of pink to his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck with his good hand, “I don’t know”

“This is a sword cut” Merlin analysed, swinging that suspicious glare on his king, “What did you do?” quick to turn back to worry over the barely an injury, without even a moment for anyone to respond, much to Arthur’s equal chagrin and merriment. 

A spoken spell, not waiting for an answer, a golden look and a run of his thumb over the cut that Arthur was pretty sure wasn’t fully necessary, and the ugly red skin was back to its natural tan state. No fire or wind or dead grass in sight.

Arthur’s next breath came even easier than the last. The warlock’s magic choosing not to scream the incorrect nature of Merlin not loving Gwaine from the very rooftops any more so much more of a relief than Arthur could have ever thought it would be.

“Thank you, Merlin” Gwaine said utterly repulsively pleasantly. His magically healed hand flipping to rub tiny little disgusting circles into the warlocks forearm in thanks. Taking a second to drink up the last bit of gold hanging in Merlin’s eyes prior to turning and fixing his gaze on the three others surrounding them. “Now can someone please explain how I got here with a gash on my arm in the first place?”

Merlin shifted too, leaning closer to Gwaine as his arms found their way over his chest and his eyebrow started its evil trek up him forehead in a very good imitation of when Gaius was upset with them.

Guinevere didn’t even gift them with a chance to ease them into the idea that they might have caused such a problem. Loudly announcing, “Arthur and Lancelot thought it prudent to put you under a love spell”

Resulting it both Gwaine and Merlin yelling “What” at the exact same time, embarrassment, worry, and a shit ton of anger waging war to win over the looks they were shooting at the two of them. Arthur shrinking back by pure instinct, into a similarly cowering Lancelot.

A nod from Guinevere, not at all bothered by the chaos she was crafting, “But it doesn’t matter” She said stepping to be standing right in front of Merlin.

“I actually think it matters quite a bit” Merlin reiterated. Already starting with his overzealous hand gestures, waving his hand about like a mad man.

Guinevere took the hands flailing around her. “No it doesn’t” clearly trying to get Merlin to understand the importance of such a thing without coming out directly to say it. Not that Merlin had ever been anything but thick as all hell.

“How could this not matter?” He shouted, just proving Arthur's point for him.

“Because” She jiggled the hands in her hold a bit. “Of how we get rid of love spells”

The words about to be lobbed at him and his knight were abruptly cut off. Merlin directing his full attention on an utterly beaming Guinevere.

“I’m not saying that what Arthur and Lancelot did was right, Merlin. I’m just saying you and I both know how these types of spells are broken.” Guinevere once more had that tilt to her head, that quirk to her eyebrow, now framed in cheer and not at all pointed at either him or Lancelot this time as she made direct eye contact with the warlock. Urging him into understanding.

Pink flowered across Merlin’s cheeks, a hand coming to touch at his lips as his eyes reached levels of largeness Arthur had never once seen on the man. Spinning on the spot away from Gwen to land his shock features on an equally confused Gwaine.

“Wait” The rogue said, gaze roaming from Merlin to Gwen and back a couple of times. “How are these spells broken?”

Arthur opened his mouth, to get this whole shit show over with in the quickest possible way. Only for Guinevere to slap a lovely palm over his open mouth, making a popping sound with the speed and accuracy of it.

Gwaine watched the entire thing with knitted brows, somehow gaining an even more heightened level of bewilderment by their reactions to his innocent seeming question. Turning to Merlin once it seemed obvious that not one of them were going to give him the info he needed.

Only Merlin didn’t seem all that much more keen to give him that answer either. Staring in clear astonishment. Frozen except the fingers running over his bottom lip as if he could create the feeling of touch that he had forgotten about just by letting the tips of his fingers do the work.

“Merlin?” Gwaine stepped that extra bit closer, really right into his personal bubble really. Not touching, evidently a bit scared by all their reactions, all their non answers. “How did they break the spell”

The warlock swallowed deep and thick as he shook his head, shifting his stare to Guinevere once again. Earning a nod and an impatient get on with it motion of her hand, before he was turning back to Gwaine.

“Do you remember a couple of months ago when I kicked you out of my lessons?” Arthur sure as hell did, convinced as he was that Gwaine might seriously pass away from moping too hard. Having to keep a rotating guard around the man at all times in case he suddenly dropped. Still it did nothing to the bafflement on Gwaine’s face on the complete shift in topics, nor the way the Lancelot moaned next to him as he once more didn’t answer the question Gwaine had posed. 

Merlin ignored it all, keeping his sole focus on Gwaine, “I was trying to teach conjuring” A pleading type of thing happening in his eyes as he told this story, the one they all knew, for apparently no other purpose than to avoid the inevitable.

Still, Gwaine nodded, causing Merlin to smile just a tad before the nerves came back, and he was destroying the grin behind layers of fear. A similar worry blooming in Arthur’s chest that this was just his reality forever, that they were always going to be in this hell of avoidance and god awful crushes forever.

Merlin just swallowed again, taking a fortifying breath before he got on with the next part. “And well I couldn’t have you there because my magic goes all wonky when you’re in the room” Merlin shook his head a second prior to meeting Gwaine’s eyes again, stepping a half a step closer as he explained. “No matter what, all I can ever seem to make when I’m around you is this” He closed his palms together and whispered words that Arthur couldn’t decipher, his eyes glowing in the brightest of golds for a mere moment before settling. Taking one last deep, lung expanding breath and keeping his hands closed as the blush painted not just his cheeks, but the tips of his ears, allowing a second of uncertainty to sweep over his face, prior to him seemingly deciding that they all had waited quite long enough, much to all four of their relief, and opening his hands to reveal a cute little twig holding the prettiest apple blossom Arthur had ever seen.

White petals extended outwards as Merlin held the flower up, admiring it with the softest of blue eyes before he pointed that delicate gaze to Gwaine and proffered the cherished gift over. “Morgana’s been making fun of me for months” He gave as sort of a joke to ease the tension.

It didn’t work. Gwaine took several heartbeats just blinking at the branch. Seemingly digesting all Merlin was trying to tell him without using the actual words Arthur knew sat nervously on the tip of his tongue. Far too long Gwaine seemed too stunned to do much of anything other than gape at what the warlock was holding out between them, the elegant twisted promise of spring and fruit and future. Second or minutes passed as Arthur rolled his eyes at the dramatics, quite sure on how this was always going to end but still with Guinevere’s hand covering his mouth and refusing him the space to yell for the two for them to just get on with it.

But then finally, just as Merlin seemed ready to try and shove the words along with the florals down his throat, at which point Arthur was seriously going to scream and maybe jump out the window for good measure, the knight reached out with shaky hands and plucked the offer out of Merlin’s fingers with the utmost care.

“How do you break the curse” Gwaine asked in a dazed like tone of voice seemingly not all that convinced this wasn’t some type of dream.

A deeper breath from the warlock, a momentary pause as he seemed to gather all the confidence in his body, a quick glimpse in the three of their directions. Swallowing tight and thick. “A kiss” he teased, causing Lancelot’s head to find his palm with a loud slap from the vagueness of that absurd answer. “From a person’s true love”

Gwaine’s face broke into the grandest of smiles and even Arthur had to admit the two of them were rather cute when they looked at each other with all that hope, all that devotion, all the utterly insane love “What were you even trying to summon?” Twirling the branch in between them for a second longer.

Merlin chuckled ever so slightly, still scared and in a sort of awe that this could be happening, “Does it matter?”

“No” Gwaine said still spinning the prize between two fingers, “No it really doesn’t” And with that he surged forward, letting the arm holding the present drop from its place keeping the two of them apart, while the other guided Merlin’s lips to his own.

It devolved very quickly after that. Neither one of them seemingly able to contain it once they finally started. Apparently making up for missed time. Moans and heavy breaths and roaming hands and far too parted lips as they ate at each other's faces. Gross wasn’t a strong enough word and still it fell from Arthur’s mouth, muffled by a warm palm still attached to his lips so it sounded more like a disgusted groan than anything else.

And with the sound came Guinevere’s awareness that they probably had overstayed their welcome as Merlin was backed up into Arthur’s table, his thigh being directed by Gwaine’s fingers to hook around the knight’s waist now that it wasn’t needed to balance. Her, quickly ushering them both away with them following her easily, Arthur not really wanting to be there in the first place. Removing her hand to shoo them off from the awfulness happening in front of their eyes.

Only once she closed the door did Arthur realize the wrong of the situation. Eyes blowing wide at exactly where they were leaving. “Guinevere, they are not allowed to shag in my chambers” he declared already taking a step to go throw the two of them out to go find legitimately any other location to get up to their debauchery.

Stopped before he made it a singular step by her stepping directly in his path. “Our chambers” She corrected. “And yes they are, since you two thought it right to put them under a spell”

Arthur looked over to Lancelot for support in this, but all he offered was a guilt ridden shrug and a “Seems only right we give them some privacy now”

He might actually have lost his damn mind at some point during this last adventure because there was no way he, a king, was being barred from his own chambers so two idiots could sleep together on his things.

Again he was left stuttering. Not at all sure where to even begin with how wrong this situation was. Yet before he could even attempt to string together a sentance that made even a fraction of sense, Guinevere was kissing his cheek having him melt near instantly. “And” she whispered into his ear all warm and sweet like honey, “if you think I’m sleeping on those sheets before the two of you wash them, you actually have gone mad”

And with that she pecked Lancelot’s cheek and skipped her perky lovely arse away leaving Arthur in a stunned sort of shock. His knight giving him a sympathetic look and one last shrug before directing Arthur to somewhere hopefully dark and quiet where he could start the process of blotting out this entire week from his mind.

~

It took three months to find all the apple blossoms Merlin had managed to scatter in the couple of hours Gwaine and him had taken control of his chambers. Three bloody months of them being found in pillow cases and under their bed and in his wardrobe. Something Merlin swore was an accident but seemed much more a reminder of the wrong they did, a lesson built on white petals. Especially when the wine bottle appeared on their table, not able to be moved by either Lancelot or Arthur that Guinevere let haunt over them for the entire time they were cursed finding springtime gifts.

Still, in the hot months as spring shifts towards summer, the aroma of floral apples still populated their chambers, overcoming the ridiculously pungent florals that cursed their chambers for near a year. And with it came the relief that Arthur never had to deal with a pining Gwaine or Merlin ever again, stomping out the less than pleasant thoughts of what those two had done behind the royal's closed doors. That, because of Lancelot and his meddling, they had figured themselves out.

And found completely new and far less savoury ways to annoy Arthur on a daily basis.