sakura_no_miko

Title: A Persistent Curiosity, or Why Merlin is So Bloody Fascinating

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Arthur/Merlin

Warnings: explicit sex (gay), some dumb machismo

Other notes: kink meme fill, mostly sex

Length: 10k

Summary: Arthur knew his mouth was open. He knew it and was too affronted to care. “You can’t just put my hands anywhere, you know.”

Yeah, another mostly plotless porn rec. I’ve been having a surprisingly long work week, on top of my cold.

That said, plotless isn’t always a bad thing. There’s not much plot here beyond “characters have sex,” but it’s still a really nice character piece. It’s characters talking to each other–awkwardly trying to avoid specifics, those little truths that would make things so much easier if they weren’t so bloody embarassing, those thoughts that flit through your head that no one would possibly believe you’re actually thinking (even you don’t believe you’re thinking them).

It’s actually a really long piece. I’ve read really long porn pieces–usually with some sort of character development or plot to keep it afloat–and you’d think it would get tiring to read after a bit, but every part of this seems important somehow. Every random thought, each tiny revelation, every detail of why someone loves the other person. You wouldn’t expect that much thinking to come out of sex, would you?

I like that this is an established relationship. There’s plenty of first time, or first time together porn. There are issues that go along with that. This is a more interesting creature, to me–the point where some of the initial embarrassment or inability has faded, and the couple is trying to keep things going, trying to work through the deeper trust issues. There’s angst, but it’s not the sort of “will he like me?” or “will this go okay?”–well, okay, technically Arthur is kind of thinking the second one–but more, “can I share this deep, dark secret that embarrasses me, that I can’t manage to quell, that I can’t bring myself to say, and still be respected in the morning?”

It’s emotional porn, when it comes down to it. I’ve heard these tired stereotypes about women preferring emotion with their porn more than men do. Dunno if that’s true, but I have a weakness for emotionally compelling porn every once in a while. hurt/comfort, dramatic anguished declarations of love, all that good stuff. But sometimes I like something like yesterday’s rec–just straight up smut.

Anyway, if you like this one, try out Like a Thrift Store Jacket as well.

(Looking for more fic recs?)
Originally posted on tumblr on 01/16/13