Arthur loves getting to see Merlin like this, defences down, shields down, the protective out layer shed in the same way he does, it's just Merlin and Arthur here and that's the way Arthur loves it. Merlin's pale skin is glowing in the candle light, his amazing blue eyes glowing, shot through with gold. He cheeks are flushed that red that actually makes Arthur start going hard just from the sight, knowing that it spreads down from his cheeks, sweeping down his neck, down his chest all the way to his nipples.

Nipples that are now red and swollen and bitten sensitive from where Arthur worried at them practically as soon as they got into the tent, not even bothering to take Merlin's shirt off, just lifting high enough to reveal that tempting blush and the perfect red little nubs before he set to work. Admittedly it was rare when they were out on missions or hunting, or any other excuse Arthur could come up with to get them out of the castle that Merlin's nipples weren't constantly swollen and sensitive…he may have a slight obsession with them and that damned blush if he's being honest with himself.

But he can't help himself, Merlin is so damn irresistible, with that slightly goofy but warm smile, those big, trusting blue eyes. Arthur runs his fingers over Merlin's nipple listening to him whimper, the rhythm of his hips stuttering slightly until Arthur jabs upwards urging him to carry on. He sweeps his hand over the sweaty, moonlight pale skin of his lover, stroking over the ribs that are still too damned on show for his happiness, though Merlin has managed to put more weight on with the meals Arthur has with him. He's fairly sure cook knows that his appetite hasn't grown so that he orders almost double what he ate before, but then cook has known him since he was a boy and seems to have a love for Merlin as well, and no word has reached his father's ears.

The belly that had been painfully thin is now muscled thin rather than starved and Arthur scrapes his nails over it, loving the red marks it leaves in contrast to Merlin's natural colouring, though he is flushing darker all over with arousal and exertion as he works himself down onto Arthur. He makes that low keening noise in the back of his throat that Arthur could hear a million times and never grow tired of, and never fail to make him harder than he already is, when Arthur's nails scrap down the crease of his thigh and hip before his hand other hand comes up and his cups Merlin's hips. He doesn't help him, merely gripping tightly enough he knows there will be bruises tomorrow, but the promise is there and Merlin's movements become more frantic as though it will urge Arthur on.

His black hair is sticking to his forehead now with sweat, even though it is a cool October night outside, in here, in their own little world, with the furs still covering Arthur's legs and Merlin's to his knees and his waist where he is curled on top of Arthur, with their joined body heat from sex burning higher and higher, it's enough to cover them both with sweat and make it seem even more sensual. There is no better sight than Merlin, sweaty and flushed from arousal, no sight in his kingdom will ever compete with this. The red bitten lips, white teeth flashing out every now and then to bite down to stop too loud a cry. It's pointless though, the knights already knows what goes on between them, knows that they should leave them be unless camp is being attacked, know well enough now that they pull their tents just a little bit further back than normal so they don't hear anything. Merlin doesn't know that Arthur has picked out the knights completely loyal to him, that disagree with his Father's way of ruling even while never dreaming of being anything but loyal to the crown. He knows they will keep his secret, he knows that they are happy for him. He also knows that should it come to it they will protect Merlin with everything that they have, because they know how much he means to Arthur. Though Merlin in his own way has managed to win them over and inspire loyalty in them himself. The way he has managed to make Arthur a better person is a large part of it he knows, he has managed to turn Arthur into a King they will be proud to follow. But his kind nature, his loyalty, his own personal strength and passion. All of it has won the knights over. Though he will never ever tell Merlin that they call him Arthur's Queen.

Just as he will never tell Merlin how beautiful he thinks he is. He likes his balls where they are thank you. But he is, beautiful. There is no word that describes him better. He is masculine, clearly, but there is an ethereal beauty to him that can't be hidden. And Arthur loves it, he loves the fact that even though they are practically the same height, Merlin's features and more slender frame gives him a sense of delicateness and beauty that drives Arthur mad. It makes him want to take him numerous times through the day, even in front of his father when he is in one of his rants he has imagined throwing Merlin over the council table, his slender waist held by Arthur's stronger arms, those sharp hipbones held tightly while Arthur slams into him. The knowledge of just how powerful Merlin is only makes those thoughts more heady, when they get rougher in their sex and Arthur actually does it and Merlin not only lets him but enjoys it, it drives Arthur to heights he had never imagined actually existed.

Tonight is one of those nights, tonight is one of the nights that Arthur wants to leave his marks, wants to slam into Merlin until he is sure that his sorcerer will be feeling him still deep inside him tomorrow when they are riding, he wants to cover Merlin's body in his bites and marks. When Merlin's slender frame drives him to new heights of arousal. Lying back, watching that slender body, arousal red contrasting with the beautiful glowing white, blue eyes desperate and pleading for more. The feel of the sharp hips in his hands. Watching Merlin rocking himself on Arthur's cock, riding him hungrily, needingly, knowing and waiting for the moment that Arthur takes over and will splinter him apart with pleasure.

Arthur loves moments like these, loves the need in Merlin's eyes, loves knowing that he needs it as much as Arthur does. His hips are slowing down with tiredness, his legs will be aching from effort now, but he keeps going, keeps pushing, keeps rocking himself up and down. His hard cock is bouncing against his stomach, red and painful looking in his desperate arousal, the noises falling from his lips, whines, groans, pleading mewls. His Merlin, his powerful sorcerer, pleasure soaked, arousal fuelled, pleasure hazed, stripped of everything but them and who they are.

Merlin's cry of surprise and pleasure rocks through Arthur when he suddenly tightens his gip more and uses Merlin's own momentum to slam up into him, quickly tugging Merlin up off his cock and lowering his own hips before pistoning back up. Merlin mewls louder, his fingers scrabbling for purchase before his hands settle on Arthur's chest and his head drops down in pleasure when Arthur slams into him for a third time.

"Look at me," Arthur growls out, his voice dripping with every inch of need he feels for Merlin. Merlin's blue eyes raise and meet his own so that Arthur can see the pleasure burst through them, the arousal in them when Arthur starts pounding up into him at a furious rate, his stomach muscles clenching and protesting slightly, but the pleasure he feels makes it worth it, the expression of Merlin's face and the noises he gets, more than worth it. They are both panting harshly now, and Arthur can't stop himself from sitting up, wrapping his arm around Merlin's waist and holding that slender body close to him so there is barely a place they aren't touching as he carries on his frantic rhythm slamming into his love mercilessly.

Arthur's name falls from Merlin's lips, a plea, an oath, a claiming, Arthur doesn't know, but it drives him higher, his thrusts becoming harder to the point he knows Merlin will be feeling this coupling tomorrow. And he would feel guilty if it weren't for the fact that he knows Merlin loves it, knows that each throbbing reminder has Merlin wriggling in his saddle for a whole different reason. He knows his hips are stuttering in rhythm as he comes closer and closer to the edge, but with his cock trapped between their bodies and the way Arthur knows he is hammering into Merlin's prostate he knows that his lover is going to be the first one to go over the edge, especially with the way the magic is now crackling in the air around them.

It only takes one particularly vicious thrust into Merlin's prostate for the sorcerer to lose it, crying out loudly and sharply as he spills thick white ribbons of cum over both their chests and stomachs, some even managing to splatter Merlin's chin. With Merlin clenching down tightly around him and his magic dancing over Arthur's skin Arthur knows he has minutes now no matter how much longer he wishes this could go on for. He leans forwards and licks the droplets of cum from Merlin's chin, dragging his tongue over the skin and loving the tired groan from Merlin as he can't help but respond to the sexual action, the feeling of Arthur still frantically pounding away into his now over sensitive hole and still smacking into his prostate wrangling a tired and pleading moan from him as he now clings to Arthur tightly, his body as lose and weak as it ever is when they have finished sex. He makes that noise, that little noise that Arthur loves and hates above everything else. Its only ever made when Arthur spills into him, the feeling of his prince's hot cum spilling inside of his insides, it triggers that noise, and it always causes an extra slam of Arthur's hips and for him to cum even harder if that were possible.

Both of them are panting in the aftermath, Merlin's body trembling slightly in Arthur's arms as he comes down from his high and settles in the afterglow of his orgasm. And as ever Arthur just wants to rap him up in his arms and never let him go. He runs his hand gently up and down Merlin's back, scattering lazy kisses on his shoulder and neck and he comes down himself. Merlin slowly turns his head, his face tilting upwards in demand that Arthur will always answer, pressing their lips together and slicing his tongue into Merlin's mouth for a kiss. There is nothing really overtly sexual about this, it's more a part of the afterglow and the winding down of arousal as anything else. He runs his hand up Merlin's back to clutch the back of his neck as his still bent legs and free arm hold him even closer to his body while they kiss.

He's still pressed firmly inside Merlin and wishes he could stay there forever, but they both let out a groan of displeasure when Arthur lays them back and he slips free of Merlin's body. Merlin squirms on top of him, Arthur's cum trickling from his body and down his thigh a little, before he gasps when Arthur's hand trails down his back and his thumb presses against his sensitive and used pucker, swirling around the escaping cum before he presses his thumb inside, his blue eyes devouring the pleasure hazed expression on Merlin's face.

"I wish we had time to go again," Arthur groaned.

"This is the third time tonight, sire," Merlin laughed. "I do not think I can," He's sprawled over Arthur, uncaring of the sweatiness of their skin or the drying cum pressed between them. Though his body is hyper aware of the thumb still pressed inside of him, moving slowly and almost absently.

"I can't get enough of you," Arthur sighed removing his thumb but cupping Merlin's bare bum instead.

"Horndog," Merlin muttered amused.

"Your Horndog," Arthur smirked reaching down to tug the furs over them again properly when he felt Merlin shiver slightly in his arms.

"I wish it could be like this all the time," Merlin sighed tracing his finger over Arthur's chest.

"Me too," Arthur tightened his arms around Merlin's body, imagining what it would be like if they could get to have this all the time. "It will be different you know, when I'm King,"

"I know," Merlin said but there was something in his tone that made Arthur grip his chin and raise it so he would meet his eyes.

"What is it?" He frowned, giving Merlin the look that he knew he found almost impossible to lie to. It was that look that had made him confess his magic.

"It won't change that much though, you will still need a queen, heirs, I will still just be your…."

"Do not even finish that sentence Merlin. You not my just anything, and you never have been. Yes someone will need to sit on the throne beside me…" Arthur forced Merlin to look at him again when he turned his head, hurt welling in his eyes. "And it will be my consort, you. There will be no Queen of Camelot. I have spoken to Morgana and Leon, they plan to marry, and they plan to have children, their children will be made my Heirs, Morgana is my sister, any sister sons or daughters she has will have the Pendragon blood in their veins," Arthur smiled as Merlin's eyes widened in shock.

"Do you mean it?" He gasped.

"I meant to give you this on the last day of this trip, something to bolster us for going back to Camelot, but I think now is the best time," Arthur reached over into his bags by the side of the bed and tugged out a box. Merlin raised himself curiously on Arthur's chest. They didn't really exchange tokens or presents, Merlin had never had them before and didn't know what to do with them when he did, something Arthur quickly learnt. He knew Merlin preferred to have his company than tokens. So for Arthur to be giving him something meant it was important. "Are you going to take it or just stare at it?" Arthur smirked but there were nerves in his eyes.

Slowly Merlin reached out and took the box from Arthur, his fingers reverent even though he has no idea what is inside of the box. He brushes his thumb over the Dragon stamped onto the outside of the box, an image he and Arthur both share in their families, before easing the box open. Arthur has one hand behind his head trying to appear relaxed but when Merlin's wide eyes flicker to his he can read the uncertainty and vulnerability in them.

"Arthur…" Merlin breathes out staring wide eyed at the ring in the box.

"It was my Grandfather's, his husband proposed to him with it, he wore it for the forty years of their marriage and the ten after Grandpapa passed away. I'd like you to wear it," Arthur said softly.

"But your father…"

"I know, he can't see it. But I spoke to Morgana and asked for her help and she gave me this," Arthur wriggled loose from the box what Merlin had thought to be part of the lining. Opening it though he saw a spell written on it.

"What does it do?" He asked, his eyes switching between the spell and the ring.

"It's a glamour, she said that it would hide the ring on your finger from eyes that don't already know. If one of us tells someone they will be able to see it, but until then it won't be visible," Arthur explained.

"Arthur…"

"Will you wear it? Will you wear it and when the time comes will you marry me?" Arthur asked nervously.

"Yes…yes! Yes! A hundred times yes!" Merlin laughed throwing himself on Arthur and littering his face with kisses.

"Oh thank the dragons," Arthur slumped back into his pillows weakly.

"Did you think I would say no?" Merlin laughed.

"At first no, but then I got nervous and, well, it's not exactly like our situation is simple," Arthur sighed.

"No its not, but I wouldn't have anyone else. You Arthur Pendragon are my destiny," Merlin smiled. He chuckled when Arthur sat up taking him with him and slipped the ring from the box, sliding it slowly onto Merlin's finger.

"Perfect. And soon I will be your husband as well as your destiny," Arthur breathed out running his fingers over the ring.

"I can't wait," Merlin laughed wriggling slightly in Arthur's lap.

"I thought you couldn't go again?" Arthur smirked as his hands locked down on Merlin's hips getting a pout.

"You proposed to me! We need to celebrate!"

"I'm not going to complain," Arthur laughed as Merlin shrieked when he suddenly spun them around, though his grumbles were quickly lost with Arthur's instant, drugging lips upon his own. "My gorgeous fiancé," He breathed out looking down at Merlin who flushed delightfully at the words. Yes, this was his world, and this was his future right here in his arms. And together they would create the Albion of their dreams.