fandom Merlin.
pairing Merlin/Arthur.
archived @ AO3.
notes Modern AU/Reincarnation. Warning for mild consent issues inherent in prostitution, written in a way that could be triggery. Title from Roethke.

Written for kinkme_merlin, to the prompt: Arthur/Merlin, Arthur is reincarnated in the modern day and on his coming of age day (as it would be the equivalent of his ceremony, not necessarily when he turns seventeen or eighteen or whatever) remembers everything immediately and seeks out Merlin. Merlin, however, has been keeping himself alive/reincarnating himself with magic, with the consequence being that he slowly loses his memory of who he used to be. So he knows he's been alive a long, long time, and that he was waiting for something, but he can't remember what. And since he can't remember and felt like he had no purpose, he became a sex worker (stripper, porn actor, or hooker... even a phone sex worker). Arthur shows up and he thinks he's just a fan/another client. I'd particularly like it if they didn't have a relationship in Arthur's first life, but that's not strictly necessary. I didn't plan to de-anon but I sort of want to play more in this universe. So.

( 'Arthur' chokes and flushes, as though they're not standing in an erotic massage parlour, as though 'Arthur' doesn't have a copy of Penthouse held loosely in one hand. 'I'm hardly trying to pick you up, Merlin.' He chuckles a little bitterly. 'Look, d'you really not know who I am?' )