Work Text:
(Merlin's outfit)
Merlin strolled up to a shop stand with a pep in his step and a huge grin on his face. His eyes fell across all the clothing items on the table, searching over them until he found a box of assorted scarves.
He nearly jumped in excitement at his findings. He quickly rushed over and dug through the box, pulling out boring brown and tan scarves one after another. He felt a sadness in his heart when he realized they might not have what he desired. He’d saved up so much for this. Was he really all out of luck?
Still, he continued on, digging down to the bottom of the box until he found blue and purple scarves. He was getting there! It seemed the further into the box he went, the more colourful they got!
Merlin smiled when he saw a splash of light pink. He happily pulled it out from the box and held it to his chest, giving it a little hug. I knew I’d find you somewhere!
It was a beautiful pastel pink scarf, just like his other ones. He’s been longing for something different; something cute.
Merlin couldn’t explain it, but he’d felt this desire to dress differently for a while. He was sick of his old brown jacket and his worn brown boots and his ugly brown trousers. His boring red and blue scarves and tunics served him no satisfaction anymore. He wanted something different and he wanted to feel cute.
So the warlock smiled at the shopkeeper and handed her the correct amount of coins. She smiled back and wrapped his new, pretty scarf all neat in a bag tied with a blue bow. He took it back happily and made his way back to his chambers.
Opening the door, Gaius greeted him but he was far too excited about his new clothing item to stay and chat. Merlin rushed to his room and shut the door quickly behind him. He carefully undid the bow and took his scarf out of the bag before walking to the mirror.
Merlin slipped his ugly red scarf off and replaced it with the pretty pink material, wrapping it around his neck. He blushed when he saw what it looked like on him in the mirror. He was only half the boy he desired to be, but this was just step one.
✿
“Merlin? What the hell is that on your neck?” Arthur’s voice greeted him that evening when he stepped in with his dinner tray.
He couldn’t help the flush creeping upon his cheeks as he felt his king’s stare. “A-a new scarf,” he mumbled sheepishly. He didn’t look ugly, did he?
“It’s pink.”
Merlin frowned at his words, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Oh, he had been foolish to think he could just prance around with a pink scarf and not get made fun of. He probably looked so stupid.
He felt all the hope and happiness leave his body at once, leaving behind an overwhelming amount of sadness. If Arthur didn’t like it, why would anyone else? He’s been so foolish to think he could pull it off. Stupid, Merlin! He was a boy, of course he would look like an idiot in his new scarf. He wanted to run away and tear it off his neck for being so foolish. He felt tears prickle his eyes and he cursed himself for getting so emotional. They fell down his soft cheeks one after another.
“Hey, hey, no! I didn’t say I didn’t like it, Merlin,” his king’s voice filled his ears once again and he felt him step closer. Then, his hand swooped under and touched the tip of his chin, lifting his face up so he was looking at Arthur. “Don’t get all sad on me. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”
Arthur pressed a thumb to his cheeks, wiping away each tear. Merlin shuddered at the touch and the way it made him feel in his heart. “Do you... like it?” He asked softly, his voice breaking slightly.
Arthur smiled warmly at this. “Of course I like it, you idiot. You shouldn’t care that much about what other people think anyway. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters, right?”
Merlin blushed again and nodded softly in response. He wanted so badly to wrap himself in the king’s arms, but he managed to restrain himself.
✿
Merlin told Gaius his feelings about his old clothes over dinner that week. At first, the old physician was confused. It wasn’t every day that a boy wanted to be pretty and dress in cute colours with flowers in his hair. But this was truly something the warlock wanted, so Gaius came around in understanding.
Mordred was the next to know… only because he could sense Merlin’s overwhelming sense of happiness when he wore that stupid pink scarf. Of course, he understood too. He even offered to go with him as a second opinion next time he shopped!
Oh, and how he hoped there’d be a next time. But he just couldn’t afford any more items.
One night, Merlin stared at himself in the mirror, happy that he had a pink scarf to match his feelings on the inside, soft and fluffy, but he was still lacking something. He wasn’t content yet.
He stared down at his ugly brown trousers and his boring jacket and frowned. Taking the clothes on his body for granted was the last thing he wanted to do. He was thankful that he had something most people didn’t, but he wasn’t happy with his clothes. He wasn’t happy with himself.
Merlin fell onto his bed in defeat and pulled the covers over his head, hiding from the world.
Suddenly, the door creaked open and footsteps began to approach him, but Merlin made no effort to move from his spot.
“What’s wrong, my boy?” He heard Gaius’ sweet voice say as he took a seat on his bed.
Merlin heaved a small sigh. “I feel like I can’t express myself… it’s stupid.”
“It’s not stupid, Merlin. You’re still figuring out who you are and how you fit into this world. It’s not meant to be easy, nor is it fair. Now, come out of those sheets and look at me.”
Merlin sighed once again, not wanting to move, but he got up anyway. He pulled the covers off his head and sat down next to Gaius. It was then that he noticed a large box in his hands. “What is it?”
The physician smiled and handed it to him, “open it. I know you’ve been feeling a little down lately, so I thought I’d make you feel a little better,” he explained.
Merlin was wondering what in the box would make him feel so much better. Surely, it couldn’t help him feel happier… Nonetheless, he placed his hands on the lid and pulled it off to reveal a white material. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as to what it was. The warlock took it out of the box completely and it was then that he realized what it was.
A brand new jacket! The material felt amazing against his fingertips; soft but he could tell it would still keep him warm. The jacket was such a light shade of blue that it looked white, which would match perfectly with his pastel pink scarf. Merlin grinned ecstatically and he once again held it close to his chest. He absolutely loved it!
“Gaius!” He exclaimed and tackled the physician in a giant hug. He groaned at the impact but hugged him back lovingly.
“Of course. Anything for my boy. But I expect you to run more herb trips now because that cost me a fortune!”
✿
Merlin and Gwen were having a picnic by the pond, watching as the little fishies danced in the water. It was early morning and they had brought along a basket full of breads and fruit. Guinevere poured a fresh bottle of wine into two cups for them. “I must say, I’m liking the new look, Merlin,” she smiled, handing him the cup.
He blushed and flashed her a smile. “Oh, thank you. You don’t think it’s weird?” He asked, taking a sip from the wine.
Gwen looked so shocked, it looked like she’d seen a ghost. “No! Never! You could pull off a damn dress if you wanted to.”
This idea did intrigue him but he wasn’t ready for anything like that yet.
The two of them continued talking about the latest gossip in Camelot or whatever else crossed their minds. They finished off their wines right away and spent the rest of their time watching the trees sway in the wind and listening to what the birds had to say.
At some point, Merlin’s head found its way to Gwen’s lap and she began playing with his hair. He managed to twist some of the long locks into braids, which made Merlin feel cute.
“Do you fancy Arthur?” She asked moments later, disrupting the silence.
Merlin pressed his lips together nervously as he blushed. “It’s more than that. He means everything to me… he makes me laugh and smile, he puts up with my nonsense, and makes me feel better when I’m sad. My heart aches when he’s away and my soul longs for him when we’re together. When we touch, I can feel my magic erupt inside, like we’re meant to hold each other. I love him.”
“He loves you too. Even if he won’t admit it… stubborn bastard,” Gwen chuckled softly. “I bet he’s losing his mind with you looking all cute like this. Oh! Which reminds me… I have something for you.”
His ears perked up at this and he sat up from his position on her lap. Gwen turned to the basket and pulled out what looked to be like a bundle of flowers. Once she set it in his hands, Merlin could tell that it was a flower crown! His insides melted at the sweet offering… oh, and it looked so adorable! It had small, bright yellow flowers all around the ring.
“Gwen! You’re absolutely amazing!” He giggled cutely and placed the crown over his head, the yellow contrasting perfectly with his dark hair. He felt so pretty!
After they finished their picnic, they rode back into town with Merlin’s new flower crown on his head. He saw a few heads turn to smile, making his cheeks flush pink. After that, he vowed never to take it off.
✿
Arthur was getting more and more confused every time he saw Merlin. He had noticed a change in his servant. He was softer— puppy-like almost. No… he was more like a kitten. A soft, cuddly, squishy kitten.
He was absolutely adorable.
Every time he mopped up or swept the king’s floor, he’d hum some song, happy as could be. His smile was infectious and he always had one on that cute face of his. Yesterday, Arthur had complimented that new flower crown he’d been wearing every single day, and he giggled. Giggled. Arthur felt like picking him up and swaddling him in his arms right then because that laugh was the most adorable sound he’d ever heard. Merlin had looked so happy and sparkly with his new jacket from Gaius, his new flower crown from Gwen, and that stupid pink scarf of his.
And dear gods, he looked cute. Everything about his new look matched his personality perfectly. The way the flower crown brought out his pretty, light blue eyes. How his new jacket accentuated his small frame perfectly and complimented his fair skin. How that damned scarf made his neck look so kissable. There had always been something so different and intriguing about his servant. He was nice to everyone; always making sure there were no problems, lending a hand to the other servants, checking in with anyone who seemed sad. He was the sweetest man Arthur had ever known and he deserved to dress in whatever made him happy.
Speaking of that adorable manservant of his, there was a soft knock at the door, and only hoped it was him. “Come in!” He called out and a moment later, the door was pushed open.
Merlin happily waltzed in with his hands behind his back and a mischievous grin on his face. The boy looked slightly different, and it was then that he realized he was wearing some new trousers. Oh, god… kill him now.
The trousers were a light pink, only slightly pinker than his scarf, and they looked to be incredibly soft. They went perfectly with the rest of his outfit, complimenting all the cutest parts of Merlin… which was everything.
“Merlin? What are you doing here? I’ve let you go for the day since you’ve done all your chores. Is something wrong? Is it your mum?” Anxiety began escalating in his body. Please don’t be the latter, please.
But the warlock just grinned and shook his head. “No, everything’s fine! I just wanted to see you…” he mumbled, half embarrassed. Arthur could see a faint blush on his cheeks. “I didn’t mean to bother you, Sire.”
Sire. That word sounded so enticing coming from his lips. “No, you could never. You know that, Merlin… Erm, what’s behind your back?”
Merlin bit his lip as he hesitantly removed his hands from behind his back to reveal a large bouquet of colourful flowers. He shoved them up to Arthur’s hands for him to take. “I was taking a walk with the bunnies and deer when I saw these and thought of you.”
Arthur’s heart melted and he died a little inside at his sweet words. He took the purple and blue flowers and carefully set them into a vase. “That’s sweet of you. You’re always thinking of others,” he told him, placing a hand on his cheek.
“It was no big deal…” He smiled, leaning into his touch.
Arthur pulled away after that, leaving both of them a little sad. “Well, I was just about to sit down for some lunch,” he said, motioning towards the spread on his table. “You could join me,” he suggested, slightly nervous he might say no.
Merlin looked hesitant at first. He knew it was probably because he thought it wasn’t a servant’s place to join his king for lunch. But Arthur sent him a reassuring smile which resulted in the man taking a seat at the table.
He watched Merlin as he eyed up the fruit on a plate. Then, he reached for a strawberry and delicately bit into it. When he noticed Arthur was watching him, he blushed again and looked to the floor. He bit into the strawberry again, only this time, the juice burst out and trickled down his lips. Oh, Arthur wanted so badly to kiss them right then.
Merlin suddenly noticed the dribbles down his chin and giggled softly at the sight before brushing it away with the palm of his hand.
Arthur internally groaned at his cuteness. It was settled; Merlin was purposely doing this just to kill him.
✿
Merlin was truly happy in his skin once again. Every time he looked at himself in the mirror, he grinned. He felt cute... Just like he’d always wanted.
Everyone knew by now, and they all accepted him for who he was.
Percival, being the gentle giant he saw, had picked Merlin up and tackled him with a great, big hug to show his appreciation. Elyan whole-heartedly supported him as well, seeing as how he and Percival were courting.
Lancelot said that he’d always known this day would come. They’d connected on a different level since the start, mostly because he’d known about Merlin’s magic before anyone else. He was happy for him as well and even offered to beat up anyone who made fun of him. Luckily for him, no one had done so yet.
When Gwaine found out, he completely accepted Merlin’s newfound love for all things cute… rather because he pined to ‘take that scarf off your adorable neck’ and ‘kiss it senseless’ more than anything. Or “slip those new trousers right off you and--” Well! You know... just Gwaine being Gwaine!
And Morgana had grinned and suggested they shopping together sometime. He liked this idea.
The only person who hadn’t quite said anything was Arthur, and it was beginning to worry him. He’d said he liked his scarf… but that was it. Sometimes he’d feel his gaze on him but no words left those cute lips of his. Sometimes he’d place a hand on Merlin’s cheek, but he would remain silent. He was being passive-aggressive and Merlin didn’t like it one bit.
What if Arthur didn’t like or approve of his new style? Maybe that was it… He thought it was foolish for his manservant to be dressing in such ways.
Merlin shook his thoughts. He was too happy to get down about something like this. Instead, he focused on reading through a page in his spellbook.
The spell was originally meant to keep a knight protected by keeping a sword by their side at all times. The sword was magically bound to their soul, unable to be taken away or lost, unless, of course, the user broke the spell. He was hoping he could use it as a base for something a bit different. After all, Merlin couldn’t hold a sword to save his life.
Merlin stared down at the words in the book and took a deep inhale. All he had to do was change the wording around a bit. The worst that could happen was turning himself into a giant pink ribbon. But here goes nothing.
“Cum potestas in corde meo, et vacuo iubeas hinc sequi trahentium arcus meus iter perpetuum,” he spoke softly, his eyes flashing gold once he finished.
Merlin immediately looked down at his spot to see that nothing had changed. Maybe he’d done it wrong…
The spell was supposed to leave a trail of pretty pink bows everywhere he walked. Then they would disappear moments later. He was sure it would look cute, plus, he’d have dozens of ribbons to choose from to put in his hair! Merlin stood up from his bed and took a step forward… no ribbons. He took another step, and then another step, and another after that… no ribbons.
So Merlin continued to pace around his room like an angry elephant until Gaius knocked on his door to ask him to stop making so much noise.
Slightly upset at the letdown, Merlin mopishly left his room to tend the king as practice was done for the day. He entered his room after a quick knock to see that the royal prat was struggling to take his armour off. King of Camelot and he still couldn’t manage to take care of himself properly.
Merlin chuckled softly to himself and strolled up to the man, helping him with his gear. He took off the chest plate first, setting it onto the table. Then the rest of the pieces until he was left in only his chain mail. Merlin reached up to undo his cape, and his fingers absentmindedly lingered on his chest. He blushed slightly at the contact, and he could feel Arthur’s eyes staring down at him. He shakily removed the cape the rest of the way before setting it down. When he looked up, the king had a small smile on his face.
“I like the flower crown,” he said in his husky voice as his hands came down on his head. He ruffled his fingers through Merlin’s hair, messing it up.
Merlin couldn’t help but giggle at the compliment, his cheeks growing pinker. “You mean, you don’t hate it? Any of it?” He found himself asking. Maybe he was being too forward…
Arthur chuckled this time,” no, I could never. I love anything as long as you’re the one wearing it.” The king’s hand was pulled away from his head and he found himself missing their touch. But a moment later, he felt something warm press against his hand. Arthur grabbed it and held it in his. “You know we've been through everything together. Countless of times you’ve saved me with your magic, but I know you get your power through your heart rather than any spell. You are the sweetest boy I know, Merlin. You’re my best friend— no, more than that… Way more than that. I love y—“ Arthur stopped very abruptly, his eyes glancing down to the floor. “A-are those… bows?”
Merlin felt a flicker of hope as he realized the spell might have worked. He looked down to see that several pink bows were resting at his feet. Oh, they were so cute! “It worked! I can’t believe it worked!” He exclaimed happily. He bent down to the floor and picked up a handful before throwing them into the air like confetti.
“You did this? Of course you did… Leaving pink bows everywhere seems like something you’d do,” Arthur rolled his eyes, but he was anything but annoyed. His smile looked happy. “What exactly was the spell for?”
“Well, they’re supposed to drop behind me as I walk. And then disappear so no one trips on them. Though, it would make for an interesting battle against some bandits. At first, it didn’t work, but I guess I just had to wait,” he explained as he grabbed another bow. He motioned for Arthur to come closer, and so he did, and Merlin placed a single ribbon in his hair, causing them both to blush.
Merlin looked into his blue eyes and grinned to himself. If you had told his past self that he would be standing in front of the King of Camelot, head to toe in pastel clothes with a dozen pink bows at their feet, he wouldn’t believe it. If you had told him he’d fall in love with Arthur and that Arthur possibly loved him back, he’d call you crazy. When he first set foot in Camelot all those years ago, he was far from happy, but now he could finally say he was.
His thoughts were disrupted by a sudden scuffle in the room. When Merlin was finally present again, he noticed that the king was on the other side of his chambers, fiddling with a cabinet drawer. “Arthur?” He called to him, causing the prat to turn to him with a smirk.
“Hold on, I’m getting something,” Arthur mumbled and returned to the drawer. He then pulled out a medium-sized gift box and walked over to place it in Merlin’s hands. The warlock took it, hesitantly, and sent Arthur an inquisitive look. “Relax, it’s not an engagement ring. Just open, alright?”
So Merlin timidly walked over and kneeled on the soft mattress next to his king. Since embracing his new look, he found himself sitting cuter as well, kneeling being one of those positions. From the look of Arthur’s cheeks, it was working. Nervously, he bit his lip and opened the lid to the box to find two yellow boots staring at him.
He squealed rather loudly and eagerly pulled the new boots out of the box. He ran his fingers over the material, noticing how expensive it felt; it would surely keep him warm and dry in the colder months. “You got me new shoes!” He gushed and held them tightly to his chest. They were so stunning that he almost didn’t want to wear them and ruin the condition.
“I hope the colour is alright. Gwen had to help me on this one, seeing as I don’t know the first thing about… fashion. She said too much pink would be overwhelming and yellow would be a nice pop. I saw these in the shop and immediately thought of you and your cute self,” Arthur said, almost a little self-conscious.
Merlin flashed him a big smile, the pink on his cheeks never faltering. “I’ve been wanting something like this forever. And yellow is my second favourite colour. Oh, It’s perfect, Arthur!” With that, Merlin tackled Arthur in a great big hug, pressing his face into the crook of his neck.
Arthur embraced him back almost instantly. Somehow, Merlin had stumbled his way right into the king’s lap, a leg on either side. It felt perfect almost; like two pieces of a puzzle. He couldn’t explain it, but it felt like this is how they were meant to be. Kilgharrah had always said they were two sides of the same coin. Being close to Arthur was exactly that.
He nuzzled himself closer to his chest and sighed in content. Arthur must’ve felt the same because embraced Merlin even tighter in his arms as if they were going to lose each other.
Suddenly, Arthur pulled away. “A-a-a--”
“What’s wrong?” Merlin exclaimed, worried.
“A- achoo!” He finally sneezed. Merlin chuckled at his sudden outburst. The king sniffled and itched his nose. “Sorry… I guess your flower crown is stirring up my allergies.”
Merlin frowned and punched him in the arm, which wasn’t very hard at all. “You prat! I thought you were dying or something!” He huffed grumpily.
Arthur smirked at this, grabbing his chin with his fingers. “What? Worried about me, are you, Merlin?”
The warlock scrunched his nose up. “Hmph…”
“Hey, no sulking! Besides, it’s your fault for wearing that flower crown anyway…”
Merlin gasped and stared darts at Arthur. “Take that back, you clotpole! You said you liked my crown!” He fake angrily pointed at his chest. Of course they were joking. They could never be mad at each other.
“I will not take it back Mer-lin.”
“Do it!”
Arthur caught him by surprise when he pushed him back, sending Merlin’s back to the bed and Arthur pressed over him. He smirked evilly over the warlock as he pulled the flower crown off his head and chucked it across the room.
Merlin gasped loudly in shock. “I can’t believe you just did that, you toad--
“Oh, for the love of God, shut up already,” with that, Arthur pressed his mouth to Merlin’s, planting a soft kiss on his lips.
His eyes widened at the touch but he immediately kissed him back. Arthur’s lips were soft and warm as he’d always envisioned. His hands cupped Merlin’s face as they kissed, holding him gently. His cheeks were so red, it felt like he was on fire.
But it felt utterly amazing... The kiss was delicate and romantic; short and sweet. He never wanted it to end, but eventually, they broke apart, yet Arthur’s hand stayed on his cheek. He looked down at him with a loving twinkle in his eyes. “I love you, Merlin… even if your flower crowns make me sneeze.”
Merlin felt his heart palpitate at that, then he leaned in and delivered another sweet kiss. “I love you too… even if you're sometimes a prat.”
“Hey!”