Work Text:
It was late when Arthur and Merlin returned to Arthur’s chambers after the banquet. Merlin went straight to the bed and started to fluff up the pillows, unable to shake off years of being a servant, while they both knew that as soon as the door closed behind them, their positions and titles would immediately be forgotten.
After closing the door, Arthur lingered for a moment, watching Merlin, whose back faced him. Then, after some hesitation, he asked:
“How many of the knights did you sleep with?”
The pillow dropped from Merlin’s hand.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. How many of the knights did you sleep with?”
“Why do you want to know,” Merlin said, slowly turning around.
“So you did sleep with some of them, then.”
“… that’s not what I said.”
Arthur raised his eyebrows. “Do you deny it, then?”
Merlin opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. He sat down on the bed.
“… I thought so. So, how many?”
Merlin cast down his eyes and muttered something under his breath.
Arthur took a step forward: “What was that?”
Merlin cocked his head. “Five,” he said, starring Arthur in the eye.
“Five?”, Arthus nearly shouted, “but that’s, …. That’s all of them,” he said, unbelieving, sitting down on his side of the bed.
“Well, what did you expect?”
Arthur threw his hands up. “I don’t know, like one or two?”
“Hm. Which one did you think I slept with?”
“Well, everyone knows you and Gwaine had a thing,” Arthur said, “but the others? How- how does that even happen, how do you sleep with everyone in your friend group-“
“I didn’t sleep with Gwen or Morgana,” Merlin pointed out the obvious.
Arthur threw him a destructive glance, laying down. “I wonder why,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I think your type has just been made perfectly clear.”
Merlin tilted his head. Then a smile spread across his face, realising. “You’re jealous,” he said, grinning widely. He laid down next to Arthur.
“Pf, no,” Arthur denied, hands gesturing widely above the blanket, “I don’t get jealous, I’m the king. I’ve never gotten jealous.”
“You’re actually jealous,” Merlin said, his face lit up in glee. “You didn’t even get jealous when Gwen started sleeping with Lancelot.”
Arthur struggled for words “Well, that was different, Gwen and I- Wait.” Arthur stopped his rambling and raised his eyebrows. “You slept with Lancelot? I thought he was straight?”
Merlin laughed. “Lancelot? What, just because he’s into Gwen? Christ, Arthur, you really have the worst gaydar of anyone I’ve ever met. Or you’re just incredible oblivious.” He thought for a moment. “Or both, probably.”
Arthur looked offended. “My gaydar isn’t that bad,” he said, “I knew Gwaine wasn’t straight.”
“You didn’t know I was gay for years, despite me flirting with you from day one. And Gwaine flirts with anything that moves, including me and you,” Merlin replies, “but I’m glad you don’t fight me on the obliviousness.”
Arthur growled. “Guess I can’t shake that since you apparently practiced magic right under my nose for years,” he admited. Merlin grinned and shrugged.
“How did you manage to sleep with Lancelot though?”
Merlin turned to him, eyebrows raised, head propped up on his arm. “Do you really want to know?”
Arthur shrugged, slightly embarrassed.
“Well,” Merlin let his head fall back into the pillow. “Remember when Lancelot first came to Camelot?” he asked.
“Yeah?”
“Well. He did sleep in my chamber the whole time,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Arthur groaned. “Do I even want to know about the others?”
Merlin shrugged. “Your choice,” he said, knowing that Arthur can’t bear not knowing. And, soon enough:
“What about Percival?”
Merlin grinned into the dark. “Stumbled upon him when he was rearranging the armoury,” Merlin said. “Shirtless,” he added.
He can’t see it, but he knew that Arthur is closing his eyes, picturing it.
“Leon?”
“That was a hard one,” Merlin admited.
Arthur turned to him. “What do you mean? Did you actively try to sleep with him?” he asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice.
“Oh, don’t worry Arthur, it won’t happen again. I just thought, I slept with all the others, why not make the count full, you know,” Merlin said, nonchalantly. “It was hart because I didn’t actually know whether Leon was into guys, but luckily, he didn’t either and needed someone to try it with.”
A small laugh escaped Arthur. “And, what did he conclude?”
Merlin shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him that,” he says.
“I am not going to ask my knight whether he knows he’s queer now that he’s slept with my manservant,” Arthur said, aghast.
“Your manservant, huh,” Merlin said, turning to him, his hand slipping under the blankets. “Is that all I am to you?” he asked, face innocent. Instead of an answer, a hiss escaped Arthur’s throat when Merlin’s hand finds what it’s been searching for.
“Want to know about Elyan and Gwaine?” Merlin asked, holding eye contact with Arthur, who was clutching his jaw. A short nod was all Merlin needed to continue.
“Elyan and I were on a mission, getting some rare herbs for Gaius,” he said conversationally, as if his hand wasn’t doing something entirely different.
“They only grow at a high altitude and it was getting pretty cold at night, so, things just happened. And with Gwaine, well,” Merlin licked his lips, knowing fully well that Arthur’s eyes followed his every move.
“We were pretty drunk the first time,” he said, watching Arthur, who looked like he wanted to say something. But when he opened his mouth, the only sound escaping it was a moan. Merlin smirked.
“We were pretty drunk every time, actually, but the first time we were both absolutely hammered. Don’t be jealous,” Merlin said, his voice dripping with sweetness, while his hand speed up it’s rhythm. “I needed someone to distract me from you. Since it took you YEARS,” he added, while Arthur’s breathing was becoming fast and hitched.
“You should be thankful, actually,” Merlin said, leaning closer so his lips touched Arthur’s cheek. “I learned this from him.”