Reblog If You Believe Fanfics Are As Valid As Books That Were Published And Sold By Authors Who Write

arthur yearndragon u hurt me so bad

The awkward smile/unsure expression Merlin does after repressed Arthur punches him on the shoulder, because he doesn’t know how to communicate feelings (just kiss and make up).

AND IT’S ONLY THE 4TH EPISODE!

Arthur is literally standing in a jail cell, jailed, because of his love for Merlin. How did Uther not know his son was gay, “why do you care so much? the boy’s just a servant.” MAYBE he did know fuck. ARTHUR GOT ARRESTED BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR MERLIN. LET THAT SINK IN. 

the little sorcerer that was flirting with the prince in the first episode was so gay he got sent to jail

MinorMagicalAbility!Arthur Prompt

Arthur has a minor magical ability: he can hear people’s thoughts when he touches them (unluckily for him, he never learned to control it so he gets this overwhelming and painful rush of thoughts whenever he touches someone… but as the crown prince he can usually avoid touching people and he always wears gloves).

BUT THEN he meets Merlin, his sassy and clumsy manservant. He doesn’t let Merlin dress him at first, too scared of the barrage of thoughts/feelings/memories/emotions. But one day Merlin trips and Arthur instinctively catches him, accidentally brushing his skin. He braces himself for a loud flood of Merlin’s thoughts, but instead all Arthur can sense is just a 'wall' and he can’t hear anything beyond it. So he starts becoming super handsy with Merlin to try and figure out why Merlin is different. Arthur has never had to wonder what someone was thinking before, but Merlin is a complete mystery to him.

Cue: Arthur watching Merlin closely to learn his mannerisms and facial expressions, Arthur asking Merlin about his life back in Ealdor, Arthur falling in love in the process.

BUT LIKE ALSO Arthur is touch-starved because of his gift, and suddenly Merlin is the one person he can touch without being completely overwhelmed with their toughts, and Arthur takes every excuse to manhandle touch Merlin because he's never been able to be physically affectionate before.

maybe I'm dumb that it took me this long to realize but when Arthur tells Gwen he has a dream to run away and be a farmer his only frame of reference for how farmers actually live is that one time that he was in Ealdor with Merlin sleeping on his cold floor and eating porridge and he hated it, my god, did he hate it but he was also with Merlin and it's the only time he didn't have to be Prince Arthur he could just be Arthur and he remembered that feeling of being just Arthur and Merlin and he coveted it so deeply that it became his dream?????

Merlin loves Arthur how he needs to be loved. His whole life everyone in his life has love him how they wanted too, on their own terms. But not Merlin.

Where Uther would give him extravagant gifts and parties, Merlin gives him an extra roll with dinner, because he noticed he skipped lunch.

Where Leon and the knights congratulate him on a tournament well fought, Merlin asks if he'd like for him to get the healing balms tonight. He noticed he got hit pretty good in the left shoulder during the match.

Where Gwen, during their brief courting, would steal kisses, Merlin holds his hand, sitting with his back to the head of the bed while Arthur lays his head in his lap, and runs his fingers through his hair.

All his life he's craved the simple act of being known. The simple touches and the little things that mean the most. Without even trying Merlin gives him that and more. Almost like magic ✨

I just listened to this for the first time and my life will never be the same again- IT’S INCREDIBLE

If you are newish to the Merlin fandom and haven’t yet listened to it, let me HIGHLY recommend the audio performance of the Student Prince performed by the author. I am not exaggerating when I say it is one of the best audiobook performances, professional or otherwise, I have ever heard. You can tell the author has training as an actor and, since it’s her work, she is able to fully embody the emotions of every character and scene.

I listen to it every Christmas and you should too.

https://audiofic.jinjurly.com/student-prince

Rewatching Merlin S1E2, when Merlin is dressing Arthur for his duel and just generally being incompetent because it's like his first day on the job, but imagine:

Merlin: *hands Arthur his helment* great, yeah, I think you’re all set

Arthur: Aren’t you forgetting something?

Merlin: *frowns*

Merlin: Oh, right

Merlin: *kisses Arthur*

Arthur: *turning red* No, you idiot! My sword!

i simply NEED this fic

Idk if i read this in a fic or my delusional sick ass made this up, but can you guys imagine like Merlin with canonical curls and Arthur having a serious thing for them. Like his hair is always too short to see, but then one day Merlin just like was soo incredibly busy that he just forgot about his hair for weeks and then Arthur notices and like

short-circuits.

Bonus points if merlin is kind of insecure about his hair, because lets be real most curly kids are at some point, and we get fluff. Like just cotton flufff. Because turns out people like his hair??? Which makes merlin really happy but a little awkward, and then we get to see the nice side of arthur because Arthur can make fun of merlin, but god forbid merlin actually thinks something bad about himself.

Because god merlin is so cute. And arthur will be damned if he lets that cute, gorgeous, handsome- wait what? Nm he'll analyse that later. He'll feel bad if merlin is insecure, because then he can't insult him properly. Yep, thats what he's going with.. Nothing further.

Of course, its not a merlin fic without emotionally-repressed!arthur pretending to not be a simp.