FIC: Pulling Weeds (Merlin/Arthur) NC-17

[marguerite_26]

Title: Pulling Weeds
Author: marguerite_26
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2,650
Summary: Merlin’s first day of his new job as gardener of the Pendragon Estate involves thistles, bagworms, and a very naked boss.
Warnings/Kinks: Voyeurism, Exhibitionism
A/N: Written for novemberlite as a get well/thanks for everything present. It was written almost entirely as a series of random emails that came out of nowhere. IDEK.

Thank you to hermette and lolafeist for the beta read and kind words.



Merlin looked at his watch and let his head fall to the side, knocking against the filthy window pane. The woman on the seat beside him slid a little further towards the aisle, darting fierce glances at his jittery leg.

Pressing his eyes closed, he took a deep breath and forced his leg still. This early in the morning the bus smelled different, not necessarily worse or better. The scent of sweat and alcohol of the late-night passengers was replaced by the chemical sharpness of disinfectant spray and the unwashed scent of those up too early to shower before work.

He sipped at his still-too-hot coffee and noticed his leg jumping again. Fuck. He was so late. His uncle Gaius had offered him the sweetest summer job and he was fucking up his first day. He was never going to recover from the glare he was in store for when he got home. In a moment's panic, he felt around in his pocket for the slip of paper that Gaius had shoved at him the night before after going over the instructions for the ten thousandth time.

"It's my job too that is on the line, Merlin," Gaius had said, his low, serious tone etched with disapproval.

Merlin had nodded, eyes wide in an attempt to look sincere and not half-focused on Will's text to meet for a pint in twenty. "I know it's important. I get in by 5am, I get out by 9am. All gardening is to be done before his highness awakes."

"Merlin!"

"Sorry, but the guy sounds like a wanker. All these rules."

"I have worked as a gardener for the Pendragon family for years. Through the summer, Arthur doesn’t want staff on the property from nine until nine to allow some time without help underfoot. I can only imagine how you would appreciate never truly being alone in your own house, Merlin. Their request for privacy is not unreasonable and it is easy enough to follow. You will do the gardening in the morning, and I will stop by after dark and ensure the proper watering is done."

"And you never see him?"

"That is part of my job. I am to be invisible. Many people would love a job in which their bosses were never looking over their shoulder."

Merlin had snorted and thought of Will's apprenticeship at that local mechanics -- this would probably be his dream job.

"You know, Merlin." Gaius had laid a hand on his shoulder. "I appreciate you being willing to do this. I'm not so young anymore and a summer of not having to get out of bed before dawn will do this old body some good."

Merlin had simply nodded and considered himself lucky that a favour could be so easily fulfilled.

Only now, it was 5:15 and he was a good twenty minute bus ride away based on Gaius’ directions. He read through Gaius’ scribbled note again. At the top were directions and the code for the gate and beneath, a list of tasks to complete each day. Merlin winced; it would be impossible to finish the jobs listed under Monday and still be off the property by nine.

It was well after six o'clock by the time the gate finally swung open in all its ostentatious glory. Merlin, besides having overslept and missed the bus he'd been intending to take, had completely misjudged how far the nearest bus stop was to the Pendragon Estate. He'd jogged the ten blocks in an attempt to make up time, only to arrive sweaty and breathless, his hands shaking too badly to punch the numbers properly into the tiny box outside the wrought iron gate.

The riding lawnmower wouldn't start, so Merlin struck that off the Monday jobs and moved it to Tuesday (no one honestly mowed lawns on Monday, did they?). Pruning the rose bushes would take some actual knowledge that he did not have, so he moved that to Thursday and texted himself a reminder to look up rose bush care on Youtube. His to-do list now manageable, he set off to the work shed to find himself some hedge clippers.

The back of Merlin’s neck prickled with the start of a burn as he knelt in the grass, pulling weeds from the marigolds by the pool a few hours later. He’d lost track of time somewhere in the juniper bushes while checking for bagworms (Gaius could have at least drawn him a picture; they didn’t even look like worms.). He knew it was after nine and was afraid to look how much after. But Gaius had specifically mentioned Arthur Pendragon’s love of swimming and the need to keep that area (at the very least) impeccably looked after. Merlin crossed his fingers that he’d be able to get the most visible weeds out and slip off the property before the owner knew he’d worked past his allotted time.

Then, as if to make his first day a perfect disaster, the patio door opened and a man stepped onto the pool deck. There was no doubt in Merlin’s mind that the man (who walked with the straight-backed confidence of a man who owned the place) had to be Arthur himself. Merlin had two choices, really: he could be an adult and stand up, dust the dirt from his knees, introduce himself to his new boss and apologise for working past time; or he could shift a foot to the left and hide behind a large fern until it was safe to run for the gate.

Arthur stretched out, arms raised above his head and let out a long drawn-out moan. He was young -- Gaius hadn’t mentioned that -- but he looked only a few years older than Merlin. And very fit, broad chest with a spattering of soft hair and a sharp, proud jaw that made him strikingly handsome. Also not mentioned by Gaius.

Merlin watched, frozen, only a few yards away as his new boss whipped off the towel that was around his waist and tossed onto the pool deck, leaving him standing in nothing but a heavy gold ring on his index finger.

Choice made, Merlin moved stealthy a foot to the left, and squinted through the thick green leaves of the fern.

Merlin watched as Arthur reclined on a deck chair with an air of prestige and arrogance that reeked money, shifting about to get comfortable while his plump cock bounced around the patch of dark blond pubes before finally nestling in the crease at the top of his thigh. Merlin's pulse thundered in his ears, knowing the likelihood of this morning ending with him in handcuffs was pretty high. Then Arthur reached down, his hand making its way to his crotch. Merlin stared, slack-jawed, as Arthur gave his cock a few lazy tugs. All Merlin’s thoughts of jail time, of being sacked, of consequences fled his mind. Stuff like this didn’t happen to people like him.

Merlin wasn’t sure what he expected, why he would think someone like Arthur Pendragon would wank differently than anyone else, but it surprised him nonetheless. Arthur played with his dick as Merlin would on a quiet Saturday morning in bed, slow and casual, savouring the build-up of tension. The movements were unhurried, as though he had all the time in the world to enjoy himself and no one would be around to interrupt. Which, Merlin supposed, would be true if Merlin hadn't broken the number one rule of being employed by the Pendragons.

Still -- doing that outside, naked in the wide open space of the estate grounds felt ... naughty. The thought sent a tendril of excitement down Merlin's spine and he had to cover his mouth to stop the nervous giggle that bubbled in his chest.

Arthur’s cock was fully hard now, jutting proudly from his body as Arthur’s fist slid up and down. His wrist twisted over the head and Arthur’s legs fell open, exposing the tightness of his balls and the shadow of what lay behind. Merlin’s mind drifted to how that rippled skin would feel on his tongue if he buried his head between those powerful thighs and sucked Arthur’s sack into his mouth.

As though in response to Merlin’s fantasy, Arthur let out a slow, breathless moan, his back arching off the chair as he pumped his cock. Merlin flushed at the sound, too loud in the quiet of the morning and he pressed the hilt of the spade in his palm against his aching crotch in an attempt to relieve the pressure. He didn’t dare do anything more. He was only a few yards from Arthur; one look in the right direction and he’d be easily seen. He was grateful that at least Arthur was distracted. He just needed to bide his time until he could sneak away and not get carried away and expose himself.

It wasn’t long before Arthur's hand flew over his cock, all pretence of a leisurely wank lost as his body began to tense, tight as bow string. The air filled with the filthy sound of slapping flesh and Arthur's gasps. A swallow trilled, hidden in the branches of the trees behind Merlin, an odd counterpoint to the sounds coming from the pool deck.

Despite the growing pressure in his jeans, Merlin refused to touch himself. He would not get off while watching some rich prat wank in his own backyard -- there were lines he would not consider crossing, though he was hardly a paragon of virtue at the moment. He pressed his eyes shut against the temptation, his hands tightening into fists as he waited out the inevitable.

Arthur was quieter when he came than Merlin expected -- a small, vulnerable hitch of breath that had Merlin’s eyes snapping open. In that moment of post-orgasm bliss, Arthur’s arrogance faded into a softer expression, something gentle and that sent Merlin’s mind thinking beautiful. The slight open-mouthed, half-smile muted the harsh cut of Arthur’s jaw and the gleam of the sunshine made his blond hair glow. Merlin exhaled slowly, trying to rein in the frantic beat of his heart.

It grew quiet. The only sound was the sparrow singing and the skitter of a few squirrels hopping between the trees somewhere in the distance.

Arthur remained still for long enough that Merlin leaned forwards, squinting to see if he’d fallen asleep. In the next moment, Arthur’s eyes fluttered open and he groped the ground beside him until his hand closed on the towel he’d dropped earlier. He wiped the mess from his chest and hands, crinkling his nose in a way that made Merlin smile. Reaching over his head, Arthur stretched like a cat after a nap in a patch of sunlight. Then in one fluid movement, he strode to the pool and dove in.

Before Merlin could decide his next move, Arthur emerged from the water only an arm’s reach from his hiding spot. Arthur wiped the water from his eyes and rested on the side of the pool. When the world didn’t immediately come crashing on him, Merlin thought for a moment the fern leaves were protection.

Then Arthur looked up, straight at him and his eyes widened comically.

In a blur of skin, Arthur leapt from the water. “Hey! You! Behind the bushes!”

Merlin shot a look across the lawn in the direction of the gate, which seemed impossibly far away. He might have tried to make it, but the vision of getting only a few yards before being tackled by a very wet, very naked millionaire made him scramble to his feet, mortified. His shoulders slumped as he stood to face his soon-to-be former boss.

“Who the hell are you?” Arthur shouted, stalking forward, face blistering-red in the morning sun.

“Er.” Fuck.

“You have two seconds to tell me before I call the police.” The muscles in Arthur’s jaw moved fiercely as he waited, his gaze pinning Merlin on the spot as he stood dripping and completely unabashed by his own nudity.

“I’m the new gardener!” Merlin blurted, the words tumbled out in a panicked flurry. “Gaius wanted me to help him this summer. You know -- I’d do the morning work and he would come at night to just check over everything.” He waved his hands, not really sure what work Gaius had planned other than making a task list for Merlin to complete every morning. “Water plants and stuff?”

“Gaius informed me he was taking on an apprentice.” Arthur pointed to the thistle still clutched in Merlin’s mud-soaked glove. “He feels you are qualified to ...”

“Pull your weed? Weeds... I said weeds.” Merlin’s face flamed and Arthur’s jaw dropped at his words as if just now realising all that Merlin had witnessed. Merlin scrambled to get back on topic. “Please don’t sack Gaius! I -- it’s my first day and everything took longer than it should have. But I’ll do better tomorrow. I can do this. He’s my uncle and he’s a good gardener. He’s just getting old and needs a bit of help.”

Arthur tilted his head as he considered Merlin. After a long pause, he said, “And your name?”

“Merlin, um, sir.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed as though unsure if he was willing to believe Merlin. “You do know that the rules of this estate are that no hired help are to be on the premise from 9am until 9pm.”

“Yes, sir.” Merlin shifted his weight from foot to foot, his skin prickly from sweat and dirt. He made an effort to hold Arthur’s gaze. If he let his eyes drop, they were bound to travel the length of Arthur naked body. “I missed my bus and Gaius’ list for today was so long and there were so many junipers to check for bagworms. Which don’t actually look like worms, by the way. And I forgot to do by the pool and Gaius had a star beside weeding and ...”

Arthur crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrow raised as though he’d never seen anyone quite so ridiculous. Finally, he rolled his eyes, giving Merlin up for mentally afflicted most likely, and turned and walked back to the pool. His back was straight and proud as he spread out once more on the deck chair.

Arthur kept his eyes closed, his face slack and sleeping-looking. “Well, Merlin.” He said the name as though it amused him. “Finish up.”

Ears burning hot at the tips, Merlin finished the last of the weeding without another word, stealing the occasional glances at Arthur lounging about, reading the morning paper completely starkers. More than once Merlin caught Arthur’s eyes on him, small smirk on his lips.

Merlin dropped the last of the weeds into the bucket and stripped off his gloves. He stood, stretching until his spine gave a satisfying pop. “All done.”

Arthur looked him over, letting his eyes draw slowly over Merlin’s dirt-covered forearms, the faded and sweat-soaked t-shirt. His mouth quirked into a lazy smile. “And I suppose I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, Merlin?”

“Yes, sir,” Merlin said, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Tomorrow, thank you.” Then quick as he could, he put everything away for Gaius to inspect that night.

It didn’t occur to Merlin until he was on the bus home that if he followed the rules of his job, he wouldn’t be seeing Arthur Pendragon the next day.

Somehow that didn’t seem likely.

Comments

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Thank you. <3