So, at several requests, both in reviews and PMs, I have created an alternate version of chapter 8, The Heated Journey, where their almost sex does not get interrupted by the crystals and becomes actual sex. It starts out the exact same as chapter 8, but veers off partway through. So basically, just a bunch of smut. People seemed quite interested. I've never written legitimate smut like this, so don't make fun of me if it sucks. I tried my best. Enjoy. But not too much. ;D

Ever since Arthur had attacked Merlin with a kiss after the bandits, Merlin was feeling extremely hot and bothered. Merlin was starting to realise that Arthur was acting the way he was because of Merlin doing magic.

Arthur actually liked watching Merlin use sorcery. He didn't just like it, he thought it was attractive. Appealing. Arousing? Merlin never thought he'd see the day.

And so, Merlin admitted he started using magic for things he didn't necessarily need to. Deepening his voice, exaggerating the gestures, and using as many words as possible for simple tasks. Each time, Arthur would watch him closely with heavy lidded eyes, occasionally bite or lick his lips. After the first time, he didn't lose control again, only gazed at Merlin with poorly-hidden longing.

By the time they reached the Cave, their usual banter had been abandoned and they had spent more than an hour walking in silence, looking at each other occasionally and locking eyes, communicating their need for each other without words.

"We're here," Merlin said quietly. Merlin held his hand out for Arthur, who wasn't even in the mood to make a joke about it and just took it silently. Merlin definitely felt the heat there in Arthur's skin, like what he felt inside was being translated outside too. As soon as their skin met, they met eyes again, both seeming surprised by how much sensation there was there.

They had already slept together once. Merlin was a little confused as to why the attraction between them was so overwhelmingly strong now, as if they never had before.

He concluded that it was just different. Before, it was a reunion, for they hadn't seen each other for so long. It was also a confession, since neither of them had actually admitted their feelings before then. They had been shy, in some ways, reserved.

But the reservations were gone now. There was nobody in the area to hear them, or to look for them. There was no ambiguity on Arthur's situation with Gwen. They were past the point of being ashamed of how they felt.

Merlin shook his head, abandoning his thoughts so he could lead Arthur into the Cave.

And when they went in, instead of looking around at the beauty of the Crystal Cave—which he had already seen before, first of all, but also he was afraid that as soon as he looked, he would be sucked into a vision—he watched Arthur for his reaction.

And it was even more satisfying than Merlin expected it to be. Arthur's jaw dropped as his eyes met all the crystals in the room, protruding from every surface and shattering rainbows over everything. His eyes scanned the area and he was completely and utterly silent. Merlin continued to watch him, tiny rainbows shining in the blue of Arthur's eyes.

"Wow," he finally muttered. Merlin smiled at Arthur's awe. "How could my father ever have thought that magic was all evil?" he asked, not seeming to actually want an answer. Then Arthur looked to Merlin. "Do magic again."

The sense of command in Arthur's voice made his lower abdomen burn. How or when Arthur bossing him around had gone from frustrating to sensual, Merlin didn't know, but he found he actually wanted to obey without argument for once.

He lifted his arm slowly, pointing it straight at Arthur and savouring the anticipation in his eyes. Then he growled out the incantation. After eyeing Merlin for a few moments, Arthur looked around in confusion when nothing seemed to happen.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Step back," Merlin said.

Arthur lifted a brow at him, but still stepped back. Then he gasped in surprise when the ground beneath his feet didn't feel like stone anymore. He sat down, pressing his hands into what looked like rock. Merlin could see the ground squish beneath him.

"It's soft like a bed," Arthur marveled. Merlin nodded and Arthur met his eyes again, an almost tangible flame burning between them. "Come here," he ordered, and Merlin had to suppress a smile as he came towards Arthur. Arthur glanced at the bed, then at Merlin. He took this as a command to sit down, and before his ass had even touched the ground, Arthur was upon him, his burning lips pressed against Merlin's, his hands roaming everywhere and unclothing the sorcerer as they went. Arthur separated for a moment to look at Merlin suggestively and Merlin took this chance to mutter another spell. Suddenly, Arthur's clothes vanished from his body, folded in a neat pile a few feet away. Merlin took a moment to admire Arthur's exposed dick, already hard, but then met Arthur's eyes. Merlin thought Arthur might be mad at him for taking so much control, but he actually grinned.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of that," Arthur muttered. "I can't think of anything more erotic."

Merlin gave Arthur a mischievous smile. "Oh, can't you? I can."

Before Arthur could say anything, Merlin bent down and put his mouth around Arthur's shaft, savouring the gasp of surprise that Arthur gave at the action. Arthur's fingers tangled in Merlin's hair and he grunted appreciatively.

After a minute of that, Arthur shoved at Merlin's shoulders, making him fall back on the bed, and then fell on top of him. Arthur held both of Merlin's wrists above his head with one hand and kissed Merlin hard. Merlin fought against Arthur's hand feebly, surprised that the helpless feeling only made him want Arthur more. But then at the same time, he wanted to touch Arthur too, so he used magic to make Arthur lose his grip.

And Merlin was extremely surprised when Arthur spanked him. Hard.

Merlin gasped. "I thought you never get tired of my magic," he panted, more surprised at how the stinging of his ass was actually pleasurable than at the fact that Arthur hit him in the first place. It's not like Arthur hadn't hit him before. But the fact that Merlin liked the feeling of Arthur hitting him… that was weird.

"I didn't want you to move," Arthur said, seizing Merlin's wrists again. "I like them up there."

Merlin could have argued, and he almost did, but then he decided he didn't really mind it, so he stayed silent and Arthur continued to kiss him, growling things in his ear. Arthur was like some type of animal suddenly, all primal instinct and pure, unashamed need.

And Merlin couldn't think of anything hotter.

He just let Arthur do as he pleased, and he was riding on the waves of how Arthur felt more than how he himself felt. It had always been that way with Merlin. Arthur was all that mattered, which was why nothing mattered during the time Arthur was gone.

But now he was back, and Merlin intended to take advantage of it.

Arthur, just then, stopped what he was doing, looking down at Merlin with eyes bright with arousal and excitement.

He leaned into Merlin. "I'm going to take you now. Hard. And you're going to like it."

Merlin gulped, but still felt thrill twist in him at the threat/promise. Merlin, without mentioning it to Arthur, breathed out an incantation to slick up the tightly muscled hole that Arthur was getting ready to thrash. He would be a lot more likely to enjoy it if it didn't rip him to pieces. Then again, though, this was Arthur, so it might anyway. That's just how he was. Merciless. Powerful. Dominant. Merlin loved that about him.

Arthur looked Merlin hard in the eyes as he poised his prick just at the edge of the ring of muscles, teasing Merlin enough that he glared. Then, slowly the first time, he eased in, filling Merlin to the brim. He breathed out hard for a moment, getting used to the mostly foreign sensation—once really wasn't enough to get used to it.

Arthur started out slow, painfully, cruelly slow. All the while, he had this amused glint in his eye and Merlin knew he was only doing it to drive Merlin crazy, to reduce him to begging.

But Merlin wouldn't beg. No, not from Arthur. He would never hear the end of it.

But then, a few minutes later, he broke his own promise. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Arthur, please," Merlin whimpered.

Arthur gave an evil grin. "What was that?"

"Please," Merlin repeated more insistently.

Arthur grinned wider, but then obliged, quickly picking up the pace to just on the edge between pleasure and pain. Merlin was surprised, again, that he enjoyed it like that. And he was glad, very glad, that the Caves were in the middle of nowhere, because he was really moaning now, unable to keep quiet.

"Oh, god," Merlin hissed, screwing his eyes shut.

Merlin could feel a sudden flooding of heat in his abdomen and knew he was close.

Then Arthur said roughly, "I want you to come for me."

And oh, he did. With a gasp that bordered on a scream, he same all over he and Arthur, and Merlin could feel it when Arthur followed suit. It only increased the pleasure for him to feel that.

Then Merlin muttered another incantation, cleaning up the mess.

"That's really helpful, you know," Arthur said jokingly, back to his normal self almost unnervingly quickly. He lay down next to Merlin, just gazing at him with a half-smile on his face.

"It's not only useful for sex," Merlin said matter-of-factly.

"I'm sure. But that's probably its best use. That thing with the clothes, that was good."

Merlin grinned. "I thought so too."

It almost amazed him, the way they could go from completely sexual to just friendly again, sharing in banter like they always did. He was glad this didn't change their relationship, at least not completely.

"We came here for something specific, you know," Merlin said, almost glancing over to the crystals."

"I know," Arthur sighed, "I just don't care right now. Camelot can wait an hour, can't it?" Arthur opened his arms invitingly.

Merlin smiled a little. "Yes, I think it can," he replied, nestling himself in Arthur's arms.

I've gotten requests to do a modern AU Merthur one-shot, so I might soon. Keep a look-out for it!