Ficlet: the air that inhabits

[glass_icarus]

Title: the air that inhabits
Fandom: Merlin
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: For cherrybina, who requested sleepy boys, preferably post-shag. &hearts! Title borrowed from Margaret Atwood's Variations on the Word Sleep.


Merlin wakes sticky with the sun in his eyes, a warm weight across his belly. They'd neglected to close Arthur's bed curtains the night before; even half-mashed into his pillow, Merlin can see the trail of clothing that weaves haphazardly from the bed to the door. He turns away from the window, twitching a little as the ache in his backside makes itself known.

Arthur shifts restlessly, frowning in his sleep. Merlin settles into the curve of his arm, tracing the line between his brows with a curious finger even as it disappears at his touch.

Arthur asleep looks nothing like Arthur awake, the facades of prat and prince both submerged with his consciousness. (Well, okay, maybe prat isn't exactly a facade, but Merlin's in a generous mood.) It's a sight Merlin finds both precious and deeply dismaying, not least because exasperation is no defense: Arthur can snuffle into his pillow or drool on his neck, hair like a rumpled haystack, and Merlin will still be struggling against the inevitable wave of helpless affection. Merlin contemplates this, vaguely horrified.

Callused fingers tighten at his hip, tugging him closer. "Stop thinking," Arthur mumbles, one eye slitted open.

"S'your fault," Merlin starts indignantly, but the red-bitten curve of Arthur's mouth is incredibly distracting. He stares at it with fascination.

Arthur grins, too sleepy to summon a proper smirk, and manhandles Merlin until he's trapped underneath him, legs inextricably tangled and foreheads pressed together. "Sleep," he says, yawning and triumphant.

"Things t'do," Merlin protests weakly, biting at Arthur's lip again on principle. "Gaius-"

Arthur growls, letting his full weight drop.

"... Or not," Merlin gasps, feeling the air whoosh out of his lungs.

"Stay. Sleep." Arthur kisses him, firm and smug, shifting just enough so that Merlin can actually breathe. One hand drifts lazily through Merlin's hair.

Merlin closes his eyes, content. The rest of the world can wait a little while longer.

Comments

[such_heights]

AWWW. *happy fangirl puddle* And title ftw! ♥

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

eee, i'm glad you liked this! &hearts :>

[cherrybina.livejournal.com]

ASDFGHJKHJK OMG!!!!

I especially love how Merlin is sort of horrified by how much he adores Arthur. TRUE LOVE <3

Thank you so much! I LOVE SLEEPY BOYS SO, SO MUCH AND THIS IS JUST DELIGHTFUL :D

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

hee, you're welcome! &hearts somnophilia FTW!

I especially love how Merlin is sort of horrified by how much he adores Arthur.-- hee, this is totes my personal canon. :D

[franticsga.livejournal.com]

Lovely! I am such a fan of Merlin being annoyed at his own fondness for Arthur. And Arthur, flopping all over Merlin to make him shut up.

&hearts & hearts

[franticsga.livejournal.com]

Or &hearts, if you prefer proper html.

[oddsbobs.livejournal.com]

AWWW!

*is happy puddle of goo*

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! &hearts

[crooked.livejournal.com]

oooh lovely, lovely fic with an equally lovely title! eeee SLEEPY BOYS ♥

*happy sigh as she trots off to read again and then bookmark*

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

hahaha, i don't know how i managed to last this long in Merlin fandom without writing sleepy!boys, it is SUCH A KINK OF MINE. :> thank you! &hearts

[kelene.livejournal.com]

aksdjd this is so lovely. ♥

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_sofiej_/]

That's so sweet ♥

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)

[my-maverick.livejournal.com]

Gurasfhja. Overload of sweetness.

You paint a very lovely picture here. I ♥ sleepy boys, I do. Actaully, I lie. I adore them.

Also, I love this Atwood poem.

Lovely work!

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! i'm glad you liked it. :) also, that poem is one of my favorites.

[supersophie23.livejournal.com]

That was lovely! Awww. I adore sleepy Arthur and Merlin being so dismayed about his love for him! Sweet! :)

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thanks! :)

[faydako.livejournal.com]

Aww lovely I always love fluffy fics like this, well done :)

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)

[steelriver.livejournal.com]

Merlin contemplates this, vaguely horrified
I love this line :) I love it

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

haha, thank you! :)

[be-themoon.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was so lovely. Aww, sweet horrified!Merlin. He's so adorable, and so is Arthur. *sighs in glee*

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

i'm glad you liked this! :) oh, boys.

[the-muppet.livejournal.com]

Lovely, lovely, lovely =)

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

hee, thank you!

[ras-elased.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, this is so incredibly sweet and adorable! I'm amazed by how you're able to show such love and affection between the boys with so few words. This is really just so lusciously sweet, like the best chocolate sundae ever. ♥

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! :> am now kind of embarrassed and flailing over here, but i'm glad you liked this!

[magog-83.livejournal.com]

ooooh that was just adorable, I think I went kind of mushy just reading it. I love how intimate and totally affectionate it feels.

Thanks for sharing :)

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! i'm glad you liked it. :)

[oursoliloquies.livejournal.com]

Aw, so lovely. Made me smile. :)

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thanks! :>

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

Oh, cuddling! Lovely. Loved that Arthur wouldn't let him up. :DDD

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

hee, thank you! :)

[lady-razzle.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous! I want to snuggle them (but at least one of them would gut me)

<3

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thanks! :)

[pippopippo.livejournal.com]

Sleepy sweetness! ♥

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

i'm glad you liked this! :)

[issahime.livejournal.com]

I absolutely adore sleepy, demanding Arthur. And Merlin! This is sweet, in a very Merlin/Arthur kind of way.

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)

[alizarin-nyc.livejournal.com]

Really, really lovely.

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thanks!

[srin.livejournal.com]

SO MUCH LOVE. This is so warm and sweet and aaaah, I adore it, complete with flaily hand-gestures of love. :D

I adore Merlin's helpless affection and this - "Stay. Sleep." Arthur kisses him, firm and smug, shifting just enough so that Merlin can actually breathe. One hand drifts lazily through Merlin's hair.

Just, yes. Aaah. LOVE. :D

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

hee, thank you! :D i'm glad you enjoyed this!

[rainbowfantasie.livejournal.com]

<333!

That was beautifully adorable. I really liked Arthur dropping on Merlin and trapping him in bed. XD So sweet and so cute!

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thanks!

[myrimidryad.livejournal.com]

"...Or not," *g*

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

haha, i'm glad you liked this! :)

[catherinehannah.livejournal.com]

I won't be saying anything that hasn't be said before, but omfg! So few words, but so beautiful, and I really am in love with this! ♥

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)