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Merlin tried his best to be a good priest, he really did. He devoted himself to his scriptures and community, and he prayed to God daily.
These days though, it seemed like he prayed more or less constantly to help him resist temptation, to resist the urge to sin.
He knew the thoughts that crowded his mind were wrong; the thoughts of hot mouths skimming, fingers brushing over his body, down his hips—
He stopped the thought right there. He couldn’t permit it purchase in his mind. Especially not when he was about to give a service to his parishioners. He knew how he’d council one of his own congregation if they came to him to confess such sins. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself from thinking thoughts that would inevitably lead to ruin. He had known when he’d taken up the priesthood that he would be tested by God, that he would have temptations. But he had not anticipated the temptation that was Arthur Pendragon.
Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, a devout Christian who attended church every Sunday without fail. When Merlin had been transferred to Camelot, he’d been excited. It was a sizable congregation set in the beautiful Welsh countryside, not all that far away from his mother’s. He’d been proud that Gaius had trusted him enough to appoint him as young as he was.
Everything had been going well, until Uther’s children had returned home for the summer. Uther Pendragon had two children, Morgana, his daughter—rumoured to be the result of an affair with Uther’s best friend’s wife—not that Merlin listened to rumours, of course. And Arthur, his son from his late wife, Ygraine. Both Pendragon siblings were gaining their Masters at Oxbridge colleges. Uther was very proud of them. Merlin could see why. Morgana was a beautiful woman. Sleek, sophisticated and passionate. She’d attended Sunday service the first weekend they’d returned, then very infrequently thereafter. Arthur, however… Well, Arthur was breathtaking. Merlin didn’t think he’d ever seen a more gorgeous specimen of a man. He was tall, golden-haired, muscled in all the right places… Just looking at him for too long made Merlin’s soul ache with need. So he looked at him as little as possible.
Merlin didn’t think that Arthur was religious. He’d seen him in the village pub a few times, and the language he used with his mates, didn’t seem to reflect a devout man. And yet, Arthur persisted on coming to Sunday service with his father every weekend without fail. Merlin was perpetually tormented by his presence and gaze which he often felt upon him.
He started to dress for the service, murmuring bits of his sermon under his breath. It wasn’t long before the sermon turned to a prayer, asking God to please, please forgive him.
“Forgive you for what?” came a voice.
Merlin turned to see Arthur lounging against the doorframe of his room, looking utterly delectable in a crisp suit that Merlin longed to peel off him.
Shaking his head, Merlin turned away.
“Nothing,” he said, grabbing his cassock, pulling it over his head.
Normally he wouldn’t dress in front of his parishioners, especially not Arthur, but he was already running late, having let his thoughts run away from him. Service was due to start soon.
“What can I do for you, Mr Pendragon?” Merlin asked, straightening his cassock and running a hand through his hair in an effort to tame it. He grabbed his stole and put it around his neck, ducking his eyes, to hide the way his cheeks were burning a bright red under Arthur’s scrutiny. “You’ll have to be quick, service starts in a minute.”
“Arthur,” said Arthur, correcting him. “I wanted to join the mid-week bible study group.You lead on Wednesdays, don’t you?”
“Wednesday is full,” Merlin told him abruptly, shocked at just how quickly he’d lied. Anything not to have to spend more time around his temptation. “But Freya can have you on Thursday’s. She’s really good—”
“I can only do Wednesdays.”
“Oh.”
“So I’ll see you then?” Arthur asked.
“Yeah, I guess so,” said Merlin, his heart slumping into his shoes. Once service was over, he would need to do some serious repenting of his sins.
***
Merlin lent a hand against the cold stone pillar and closed his eyes, willing away the evil thoughts and the effects that they had on his body. It was Wednesday and sure enough, Arthur had turned up at bible study. He’d been the only one at bible study.
The whole evening, he and Arthur had exchanged increasing heated looks over the stupid topic of resisting temptation. Merlin had kicked himself for picking the topic. He’d meant to use it as penance and a chance to remind himself how to resist. When he’d announced it in the church’s newsletter, he hadn’t anticipated Arthur would be attending it! He’d been hoping that he would at least have the buffer of other people.
Behind him, someone cleared their throat.
Merlin whirled around. “Arthur! I thought you’d gone.”
“I was going to. But the bible study made me think. Verse 13 with 1 Cornithians. ‘God won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear’, you know? I’ve heard you praying. Merlin, you’ve not done anything wrong.”
“Arthur, please…”
“And the bible talks of the love of Jonathan and David, doesn’t it? And there’s that bit that says what God has joined together, let man not separate. You don’t have to torture yourself, Merlin. What you feel... What we feel. There’s nothing sinful about it. Meet me tomorrow evening?”
***
Arthur pressed him against the column in the shadows of the church, his hand looped around Merlin’s waist holding him close as their lips met in a messy kiss. He tugged at Merlin’s cassock, his stole having fallen off somewhere between the altar and steps.
Merlin gasped into Arthur’s mouth as he bit on Merlin’s lip. He tugged the cassock over Merlin’s head, before slipping his hand under his shirt rubbing at Merlin’s lower back, just above his trousers. The metal of his thumb ring was cool against Merlin’s heated skin and Merlin shuddered. His other hand pulled at Merlin’s belt buckle, undoing it and making deft work of his button and fly. He withdrew Merlin’s cock from his underwear and tugged along the length of it. A moan echoed around the church, and Arthur stepped between Merlin’s legs, pulling out his own cock, taking the both of them in hand.
“Arthur,” Merlin whispered reverently.
Arthur hummed against Merlin’s neck, tugging away the plastic of his dog collar and pushing the fabric aside to press kisses along his newly-exposed skin. To mark him. Merlin dug his fingers into Arthur’s back, too afraid to do anything else.
He thrust into Arthur’s hand as he pumped their cocks together.
“Shit. I—”
“Lovely language for a priest. You’re going to need to go to Confession after this.”
“Church of England doesn’t do confessions, clotpole,” gasped Merlin. “Not like that.”
“I want to make you confess,” said Arthur, pressing kisses to Merlin’s jaw and licking the shell of his ear as he ground against him. “Tell me all your sins, Merlin.”
“I— I dream of you. Of having you, on my knees. In my bed. Fuck, Arthur. I’ve wanted you and your stupid, stupid mouth the very first Sunday you came to church.”
Arthur smiled smugly in the darkness, swiping his thumb over the head of their cocks. “How about I put that mouth to good use?” he asked slyly.
“Oh, God!”
Arthur tutted. “My, my. Taking the Lord’s name in vain— You really will have a lot to confess once I’m done with you.”
“Y--you can talk,” stuttered Merlin, his hips hitching into Arthur’s grip.
“I think I can do better than just talking, Merlin.”.
A whine came from the back of Merlin’s throat as Arthur let go of them both before getting to his knees.
“Let me worship you,” he breathed, mouth hot against Merlin’s arousal.
Merlin dug his fingers into Arthur’s silken locks as Arthur rubbed his lips along Merlin’s cock. His tongue moving with purpose circling around the head of Merlin’s cock before he mapped out the length of it. Merlin tugged at Arthur’s hair, drawing him closer until Arthur swallowed him down. Merlin bucked into the wet heat of Arthur’s mouth, forgetting about church and God, giving himself over to Arthur.
“Fucking hell,” he said, his voice shaky as well as his legs, as he felt the head of his cock bumping at the back of Arthur’s throat. Arthur worked him in and out, all the way to the tip before sliding his lips back down again.
“Yes, fuck, shit,” Merlin chanted under his breath, before his body went taut and he came with a yell that echoed around the church.
***
“Gaius?” said Merlin. “I need to talk to you about something.”