Merlin Rec List: Other Times, Other Places (AU)
~ Other Times, Other Places ~
[2011-04-17] 40 Days and 40 Fights by
High school AU. In which Arthur is (a) the best captain that the volleyball team has seen in ages, (b) too handsome for his own good, and also (c) decidedly not gay; although Merlin agrees with the first two, he's willing to bet that (c) is open for discussion.
[2011-04-22] A Ministerial Appointment by
It wasn’t many Prime Ministers who got the opportunity to broker relations between the wizarding and Muggle worlds and Arthur felt he had a responsibility to give it his best shot, however much therapy he might need afterwards.
[2010-06-06] A Question of Liberty by
Colonial America AU. Set during the Revolutionary War. Merlin is an indentured servant who arrives in America in 1774 and is quickly swept up in the coming Revolution.
[2010-03-06] An Indefinite Article by
Modern College AU. As far as Arthur Pendragon is concerned, he is a straight law student. Meeting Merlin Emrys is going to change all that.
[2009-10-18] And a Star To Steer Her By by
Arthur's first command is proving to be much more difficult than he'd anticipated.
[2009-10-18] As If Everybody Here Would Know Exactly What I Was Talking About by
Merlin is new at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning and gets off to a very rocky start with another student, Arthur Pendragon.
[2009-06-04] At least it would seem that we don't by
Prompt: "Arthur/Merlin, reincarnation, one time they get re-born as brothers."
[2010-12-31] Camelot Industries by
The fate of his father’s company is on the line, and Arthur Pendragon must learn to trust others to help him –and put himself out there, both with Camelot Industries and with Merlin Emrys, the tech genius who has caught Arthur’s interest. Camelot Industries may never be the same after Arthur and his so-called knights of the roundtable are through with it.
[2009-03-21] Camelot's Sweethearts by

Arthur is a film star, Merlin is his personal assistant who might, possibly be head over heels in love with him. However, Arthur’s more interested in his ex, Morgana, and then the mysterious Sophia to notice… Oh, and Will is awesome.
[2010-10-05] Castle (the rules by which we live) by
Merlin knows that getting off fastest when he's got some BDSM porno playing loud on the computer doesn't mean he'd really like to be that bloke, gagged and bent over and bound. Right?
[2011-08-20] Castle Extra: The Audition by
There have been problems since Merlin came around. Castle future!fic.
[2010-03-14] Dirty Epic by
Merlin wants to be more than just Arthur’s booty call and Arthur is ready to give him everything he wants. A story of the power of true love. It never gets old, although this story does make mention, many times, of antiques.
[2009-02-15] Drastically Redefining Protocol by
In which Prince Arthur meets Merlin and all hell breaks lose.
[2009-12-25] Even the Best of Friends by
Modern day AU about the boys being stupidly, obliviously in love with each other. In which Merlin still ends up being Arthur's manservant, somehow (he does his laundry), and Arthur is an arrogant prat. What else is new?
[2009-06-04] Fame and Fortune by
AU set in Los Angeles, California during the 1990's. Arthur is a movie star. Merlin is his VP. Antics ensue.
[2009-04-26] From Where I Stand You're In My Sky by
He doesn’t look dangerous, but Arthur knows he must be. That much has been drummed into him all his life; people who call themselves Heroes are not. They are dangerous and they get other people hurt and if every last one isn’t sought out and stopped then Camelot City and then the whole damn country will descend into chaos.
[2010-12-31] Gentleman of Quality by
Regency AU. Captain Pendragon is a Hussar - and that means there's a lot of uniform to remove...
[2010-12-31] Gibraltar May Tumble by
Merlin's life in London is a bit of a mess: his career trapped somewhere between student and professional, his love life trapped in a relationship gone sour, and most days he feels physically trapped in the tiny, shared flat he can't afford to move out of—until an unexpected opportunity sends him packing for the coast. There, he meets someone who might be in a even worse fix than he is: Arthur, a Victorian-era sea captain who's trapped, a bit literally, between life and death, and who refuses to leave the house he died in over a hundred years ago.
[2009-08-23] Hello Darkness, My Old Friend by
Vampire AU. Merlin is a pathologist at the Camelot City Morgue. One night an old acquaintance shows up on Merlin’s autopsy table.
[2010-10-05] Higher Revelations (A Sonata in Words) by mcgooglykins (Merlin/Arthur, ~19,800 words). Romance. Lässt sich gut als Originalfic lesen.
Arthur and Merlin are both students at the Albion Conservatorium of Music, and as different as chalk and cheese. When Merlin is assigned as Arthur's accompanist for their lunch-time concerts, they must learn to work together, and slowly they discover that their dissonance is actually a perfect harmony.
[2009-02-22] Honeymoon by
The original plan had been, in fact, to honeymoon in Spain.
[2010-03-14] Hot, Hot Summer by ? (Merlin/Arthur, AU, ~2,500 words). PWP. Unerträgliche Hitze, Eiswürfel dort, wo die Sonne nicht scheint, und sehr eindeutig NC-17. Ahem.
Sex, ice-cubes, kinkme_merlin rediscovers the kink.
[2009-06-06] Ink and Dragons by
Arthur wants a tattoo and finds Merlin, mostly but not entirely by accident, in a shop called Avalon.
[2009-06-04] Keepsake by
“So this is what rich people do,” Merlin said. It was a picture-perfect day, cerulean water licking up against the white towns that climbed like vines along the hills of Santorini, and the yacht cut through the waves cleanly, sending salt-sweet wind carding through Merlin’s hair.
[2009-10-04] Laws of Attraction by
"Merlin Emrys had strong convictions on the subjects of love and marriage—namely, that they should be avoided at all costs."
[2009-09-13] Loaded Gun Complex by

Strange partnership. Modern AU in which Arthur is an agent in a special government team responsible for investigating magic-related crimes. Merlin is the genius criminal and magic user that is released into Arthur's custody in order to "work off his debt to society" by helping out with investigations.
[2012-01-07] Loaded March by Footloose (Merlin/Arthur, ~331,000 words up to part 7, WIP). Modern AU, Military AU und Magie. Man sollte nicht meinen, dass diese drei Sachen wirklich gut zusammen passen, aber das tun sie, und wie! Die Serie kommt von allen AUs für mich mit am nächsten an das heran, was ich an Canon Era-Storys mag, nur das Loaded March sich auf Basis der Show einen eigenen Kanon schafft, der das ganze Serienuniversum durchdringt. Zunächst geht es Merlin nur darum, wieder in den aktiven Militärdienst zurückzukommen und seine Magie dabei geheim zu halten. Um sein Team und seinen Captain zu schützen, muss er sich jedoch immer weiter aus dem Fenster lehnen, denn sie haben mehr als nur einen Feind und nicht alle Waffen des Feindes sind solche, die eine Spezialeinsatztruppe überhaupt kennen, geschweige denn daran glauben würde. Nach und nach kommt heraus, dass sie es mit einer magischen Terrororganisation zu tun haben und auch der britische Geheimdienst einen geheimen Ableger hat, über den nicht in der Öffentlichkeit gesprochen wird. Merlins aber auch Arthurs Verbindungen sowohl zu den Terroristen als auch dem Geheimdienst reichen tiefer, als sie beide ahnen, und um den Sumpf aus Spionage und Gegenspionage zu durchqueren, müssen sie sich in Undercover-Einsätzen üben und dem Gegner dabei einen Schritt voraus bleiben. (Ja, das heißt auch das "undercover as a gay couple"-Trope wird sehr gelungen eingesetzt. *squee*)
Die Serie besteht bis jetzt aus 7 Teilen, von denen der erste mit seinen ~35 000 Worten noch der kürzeste ist. Der erste Teil ist wie der Pilotfilm einer Serie und die meisten anderen Geschichten hätten hier noch einen Magic Reveal und ein Geständnis der Gefühle füreinander oben drauf gesetzt und dann einen Schlussstrich gezogen. Loaded March verschießt sein Pulver jedoch nicht auf einen Schlag sondern setzt jede einzelne "Offenbarung" richtig in Szene, wodurch jeder Teil seinen eigenen Spannungsbogen hat und alle Teile zusammen einem überspannenden Handlungsbogen folgen, der die ganze Serie zusammenhält. Auch für diese Serie gilt wieder einmal, ich will mehr, Mehr, MEHR!
Summary (Part 1): The reason SAS Captain Arthur Pendragon can't keep a communications specialist in Team Excalibur is that none of them are good enough. And then Lieutenant Merlin Emrys gets assigned to his squad, and Arthur does everything he can to prove that Merlin isn't good enough, either. Except he is.
[2009-06-04] Lovestruck by
Modern London AU. On the day that Arthur swore he'd never take the tube again, he met a student called Merlin.
[2012-01-07] Masked by
Heroes are made, not born, and this is how it's done. Merlin is born with magic, but it takes more than that to become a superhero in a city that casts them as the enemy. In between balancing his day job as a personal assistant to Arthur Pendragon--who happens to be the son of a man leading the crusade against magic--and jumping off rooftops by night as the Warlock, Merlin has to try to keep his dual identity intact and stop a twenty-year old vendetta from destroying everything he knows. This is far easier said than done.
[2010-12-31] Meeting the Minister by anoymous (Merlin/Arthur, ~3,700 words). Harry Potter Fusion. Ich habe an einigen Stellen laut gekichert. Hätte ich vielleicht nicht im Zug lesen sollen. XD
The new Muggle Prime Minister meets the Minister for Magic.
[2009-09-13] More Than Just Pillows by
Arthur is kind of clueless. Merlin thinks it's cute.
[2011-08-20] Mykonos by
Future AU. After a seeing-stone washes up on the shores of Ealdor, the last Island left after the great floods and rising Ocean, Merlin sees their salvation - a Sky City named Camelot. When he wakes up on the shores of the Sky City, Merlin starts to realise the New World is nothing as it was fabled. It is then that Merlin begins his journey to meet the 'dragon' that called him there, realising that nothing in Camelot is what it seems. Together they begin a revolution against a blind king and the foundations the New World was built on, uncovering even deeper secrets that were thought to be buried with the Old World when the land sunk.
[2010-10-05] No Business Like Show Business by
In which Merlin is promoted from production intern to talent, is easily mortified, and has Post-It arguments with Arthur while the art department watches in glee. Also, there are gay dragons.
[2010-06-06] Not an Act, But a Habit by
Arthur is a spoiled university student. After one transgression too many, Arthur's father makes him spend a night at a hostel for homeless youth to give him a reality check. While there, he meets a tough-talking kid who is more than he seems. In spite of themselves, they become inseparable.
[2010-09-19] Not In This Land Alone by
Summary: Modern AU. When Merlin Emrys gets a summer job at Buckingham Palace, he doesn't expect to even meet King Arthur, let alone become involved in protecting him from a plot to overthrow the monarchy.
[2008-12-20] Not Quite Mary Poppins by
The one where Merlin is a nanny, Arthur’s both a prat and a normal human being, Morgana schemes and Uther does relatively little.
[2009-08-04] One Take by
The problem is, they’ve gotten too good at what they do. Over the past year, and the course of no less than ten shoots, Merlin and Arthur have fallen into a comfortable pattern of sniping banter, brain-melting sex (on camera, of course), and not talking afterwards.
[2010-07-31] One Touch of Your Hand to Mine by
In the last days of the war against the Dark One, Merlin returns to Arthur's side.
[2011-04-17] Pairing: Pendragon/Merlin by anonymous (Merlin/Arthur, ~24,500 words, AU). COMPLETE! \o/ Setting ist Fandom, genauer gesagt das Fandom zu Starz Camelot, das erst in ein paar Monaten zum ersten Mal ausgestrahlt wird. Arthur ist ein BNF in dem Fandom und seine Stories über Camelot!Merlin/Arthur sind die, die man als allererstes empfiehlt, wenn jemand neues die Show entdeckt. Merlin ist ein NNF mit nur einer handvoll LJ-Freunden. Eines Tages kommentiert Pendragon eine Story von ihm und Merlin antwortet auf eine Beta-Anfrage eines ihm unbekannten LJ-Users namens Wart. Von hier an nimmt die fannische Liebesgeschichte ihren Lauf. Dieses Camelot-Fandom ist wirklich am Puls der LJ/DW-Zeit, deswegen kommen nicht nur fail_fandomanon, AO3-Collection Static Pages, anon memes, die eine Story voller Fail, die Pendragon im SGA-Fandom geschrieben hat, Conventions und fannische Berichterstattung drin vor, man sieht auch Fandom in Echtzeit, so wie man es jeden Tag selbst erlebt, egal in welchem Fandom man ist. Außerdem möchte ich den sehen, der nicht breit grinst, wenn Merlin und Arthur sich das erste Mal bei der Convention in Person begegnen. :) So much love!!! ♥ [kmm Link]
Prompt: Arthur is a BNF and Merlin is his prized beta
[2012-01-07] Play On by
Historical AU | 1900 | Arthur’s father passes away and he learns his inheritance is in ruins. He’s forced out of his home and into a rooming house where he meets Merlin and proceeds to pine over him. Also, Gwaine and Elena are ever helpful.
[2010-12-31] Preparation by
“I don't – I'm not –” “Shhhhhh.” Morgause runs a soothing hand over Arthur's left buttock; it isn't soothing at all. “There's no harm in this. Secretly, you want to know.”
[2010-07-31] Prince Of Camelot: Choice And Destiny by

Camelot Territory has had no Queen since Igraine died in a power struggle between her husband, Prince Uther, and the Black Widow Priestess Nimueh. For twenty years, a male council has ruled the Territory, led by Prince Uther, unwilling to trust any witch with a claim to power. Yet a new generation is coming to maturity - among them, Uther's son, the Warlord Prince Arthur. And with the arrival of a young man from one of the outlying villages, a young Queen is about to come into power in Camelot.
[2009-06-04] [Prison AU] by ? (Merlin/Arthur, AU, ~1050 words). Ich mag die Prämisse.
“I know he was set up, Merlin. But, Uther – Uther doesn’t listen to reason, and I need time to find evidence,” Morgana doesn’t let her voice shake.
“And what can I do for you?”
“Watch out for him.
[2009-10-04] Pull by
Merlin has spent his life running from the Pendragons, but destiny has other plans.
[2009-08-23] Radiant Under Every Sort Of Light (8/8) by
Just your everyday Circus AU. Or: In which there are aerialists, decorative metal flowers, prejudices, artsy books and magic. Obviously.
“If you want an autograph,” Arthur tells him, “you’ll have to buy it at the merchandise caravan. I think they’re five pounds.”
[2008-12-01] Rifles - Napoleonic AU by
[2010-03-14] Rivalry on Ice by
Figure skating AU. Merlin and Arthur are figure skaters and rivals but there is just only one Olympic gold medal.
[2011-08-20] School Nemeses by
Merlin and Arthur are archenemies. Optimistic young teacher Miss Slater thinks she can do something about that. Modern school!au
[2009-11-30] Sky Full of Stars (1/13) by
Merlin is a powerful technopath, but that's not all he is - he's also Gaius' dogsbody and Arthur's maid/servant/clerk. Living on board the Camelot means constant vigilance because Lord-Captain Pendragon hates nothing more than the gifted.
[2011-08-20] Slowly Bending Backwards by fatale (Merlin/Arthur, ~28,900). WIP! Die Story ist erst halb fertig, aber ich hoffe jeden Tag auf ein Update. Vielleicht kann ich ja so den nächsten Teil herbei beschwören.
Merlin is a famous author of young adult novels. To cure his writer's block, he moves to New York for a few months, and winds up living with the completely self-absorbed Arthur Pendragon. Every story has it's secrets and beginnings.
[2010-01-24] So This Is The New Year by
Arthur wakes with a dull headache at the base of his skull and a heinous brightness shining in his eyes. The heinous brightness turns out to be emanating from the sun, which is blazing a stark, winter-white through uncurtained windows that are not his own, and the headache turns out to be a hangover.
[2009-11-30] Something Fragile by
"What the hell?" Arthur shouts over the noise of ABBA. He glares at the horribly gaudy clothing of the men on the stage that is somehow louder than the music and flashier than the multicolored swirling lights. "This isn't a strip club. This is a gay bar!"
[2012-01-07] Star Warlocks by
A long time ago (in the 1970s), in a galaxy far, far away, a country boy named Merlin sets out to save a young senator (also a prince) Arthur from the clutches of the nefarious Darth Uther. With the help of a dashing smuggler and her first mate, he rescues Arthur and falls in love with him. But then Darth Uther totally strikes back, and angst ensues.
[2009-07-11] STARWARS: A Rising Son by
In the skies above the desert planet of Ealdor a deep space battle rages. A Rebellion ship is under attack by Knights – the ruthless henchmen of the feared Lord Uther. The ship is overrun and captured, the crew killed, the passengers imprisoned. The only thing left to find is the still missing plans of a secret battle station, THE CAMELOT that the Rebels have managed, through great sacrifice, to get a hold of.
[2010-09-19] Steam by
Summary: It's been centuries since King Arthur united Albion and lifted the ban on magic. Ruled by Pendragon dynasty, the kingdom had prospered till a feud between the magicians and King Uther the Second drove the country to the brink of collapse. Now it's up to Prince Arthur and his Knights of the Engine to harness steam power to replace the magic Albion had lost, and it's up to Merlin to protect Arthur while he fulfils his destiny.
[2010-01-24] The Burden of Your Blues by
Boarding school was about as expected – rich and stuck-up and boring – until a group of robed crazies try to make the school bully the vessel for their shiny blue diamond. Then there’s suddenly a lot more in Merlin’s life, like swords, spells and late-night room switches.
[2011-08-20] The Fuckmachine by
Arthur stars in an amateur fuck machine porno. Merlin is a wizard. Except not really.
[2011-04-17] The Function of Love by

Merlin is the new scholarship boy at Wakefield. He literally runs into Arthur Pendragon one day.
[2010-04-08] The Gala (Merlin/Arthur, ~3,100 words). Epilog zu Rivalry on Ice.
Merlin and Arthur at the figure skating Olympic Gala. Or just a little bit of an extra to this Rivalry on ice.
[2009-10-18] The New Doctor by
Luddite AU. Nottingham, 1812. Arthur Pendragon is the son of the richest Mill-Owner in town and a little bit of a spoilt prat. He has to face unrest among the workers, his father's unrelenting attitude towards them, which he knows might cause trouble since the Luddite movement has made itself heard, and his inexplicable interest in young Doctor Emrys.
[2009-11-30] The One Where Arthur Sells Tongue B/C Being Rich Is Hard Life by
Merlin had heard about it a year ago
[2010-12-31] The Prince's Wand by anonymous (Merlin/Arthur, ~745 words). Kink, D/s, NC-17. Der Titel ist Programm und wer mit dem Begriff etwas anfangen kann, weiß, worum es in der Story geht.
Even in the modern age, it was the task of a prince's valet to take care of his every need, no matter how personal or unusual.
[2010-04-08] The Soft Option by
“You do know I’m moving into your guest room, right? I’m not your live-in rentboy.”
Arthur chuckled. “Not yet,” he said, passing Merlin the bottle.
[2008-12-20] The Story of Mr. Emrys: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Goncourt (2/5?) by
Merlin remembered why he still felt like clocking Pendragon on a daily basis. ‘Every new boy has to swim, you know, and the less he participates at Goncourt, the more he’ll sink,’ the irritating, know-it-all git said. ‘He’s already halfway down to the bottom.’
‘When I asked about him, Arthur,’ she smiled slyly, ‘I meant, I thought you hated him.’
[2010-06-06] The Student Prince by
A modern AU, in which one Merlin Emrys goes up to the University of St Andrews, to study Physics, Philosophy and History (with a secret dash of sorcery on the side) and finds himself with a most unlikely roommate.
A modern AU, in which one Merlin Emrys goes up to the University of St Andrews, to study Physics, Philosophy and History (with a secret dash of sorcery on the side) and finds himself with a most unlikely roommate.
[2010-12-31] These Aren't My Toys (I Just Play With Them) by
Toys have only a few duties in life — to love their child, to look after each other, and to play along, no matter what happens. Merlin is the newest Camelot Collectable in Johnny’s collection, and in between navigating the hoover, an invading army and the Thing under the bed, he falls in love with the other half of his limited edition run.
[2009-12-25] This Fast, Unreasonable Spring by
Merlin was looking for something uncomplicated. Arthur was just looking to get paid. Neither of them expected to find the other.
[2010-06-06] This is Why (the Dictionary Invented the Word No) by
In order to win back the affections of an ex, Arthur has gotten himself caught up in a bet to transform the socially awkward into the socially acceptable. (in short: the highschool!AU that steals the plot from the She's All That movie)
[2010-06-06] This Play Between The Sheets by
Merlin was new to this whole BDSM thing, but he'd like to think he was learning quickly.
[2009-07-11] To a Wild Rose by

Victorianesque—Arthur Pendragon, Marquess of Harington flees to his country estate for a well-deserved summer holiday. However, there is no rest for the weary, as Arthur finds out that his new stable boy Merlin, is socially inept but helplessly captivating, and that his mansion just might be haunted by a secret his father struggles to hide.
[2011-04-17] Trouble by
They're roommates and Arthur's a little infatuated and a dick and stuff.
[2009-10-04] Two Birds, One Stone by
What happens when the greatest wizard in all the world is sent to kill the greatest Knight that ever lived?
[2009-03-21] Two Weeks Notice by

Arthur is a prattish Executive VP of the Pendragon Corporation with a disturbingly non-ironic love of Demotivational posters. Merlin is a tree-hugging barista with a "magic" tongue.
[2010-04-08] Untitled college AU by ? (Merlin/Arthur, ~5,100 words). Enemyslash, angry sex, NC-17. First-Time-Story mit gehöriger Portion "denial".
Merlin takes desperate measures to get into his dream college.
[2010-03-06] We Will Take Care of You, part 1/? by
He remembered it a hundred years later, every glaring reflection off the concrete, every line of heat waving off the Paris asphalt, because it was the last summer that Arthur Pendragon felt sunlight on his bare skin.
[2011-04-17] We're Lost, It's Cold, and There Are Dragons Out There by
Modern AU with magic. Arthur is relatively sure that Bear Gryllis has never had to deal with anything like the world’s most aggravating baby dragon when he was out surviving in the wilderness. Merlin thinks that Arthur has taken the whole “magic reveal” thing pretty damn well, which might have something to do with Merlin saving Arthur’s life just now when the helicopter crashed. The dragon thinks they’re both idiots.
[2010-03-06] What Child Is This by
Modern AU. Merlin finds a baby in Pendragon and Son's department store near Christmas, and of course, he and Arthur have to raise it
[2010-10-05] WHAT EVEN JUST HAPPENED by anonymous (Merlin/Arthur, ~2,300 words). Merlin und Arthur schauen zusammen ein Fußballspiel. Mein lieber Schwan, ich bin gleichzeitig vor Lachen gestorben, während die Temperatur im Raum unaufhörlich anstieg.
Two guys are watching the game. They get a little... excited when the team scores.
[2011-01-07] Where I End and You Begin by
In which Merlin is Arthur's best friend's younger brother.
[2010-01-09] Where the Pavement Ends by
Summary: A modern day AU that delivers three well-worn tropes (university, strippers, businessmen) for the price of one. Consider this your warning.
[2009-09-13] Wider Than the Sky (1/?) by
Arthur, the disillusioned son of an important Parliament member, has never questioned his orders or his life too closely. But when his cruiser finds an ex-Browncoat named Merlin drifting through space near the Rim, he is forced to choose between remaining in the life he knows and joining a motley crew of criminals and Independence fighters set on overturning everything he’s ever worked for.
[2011-08-20] Wider than the Sky (2/6) by
Summary: Arthur, the disillusioned son of an important Parliament member, has never questioned his orders or his life too closely. But when his cruiser finds an ex-Browncoat named Merlin drifting through space near the Rim, he is forced to choose between remaining in the life he knows and joining a motley crew of criminals and Independence fighters set on overturning everything he’s ever worked for.
[2009-02-15] Woods for the Trees by
[2011-04-17] World Comes Tumbling Down by
Arthur Pendragon is working with a group of sorcerers that plan to take his father's company apart, but when a rescue attempt goes wrong and he's forced to go into hiding, he goes to a safehouse run by Merlin, the sorcerer who started his defection in the first place.
[2009-10-18] X-Men Crossover by
Arthur lives at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and Merlin is super-powerful with more talents than should be possible. They meet by chance (or, are enemies maybe?) but can't help themselves.
Yay! Dann hat es seinen Zweck schon erfüllt. Freut mich. ^_^ (Ich liebe dieses Boarding School AU. ♥)
I figured many Merlin rec lists just have the summary and a link to the story so this wouldn't be that different for someone who doesn't speak German. Nice to know that it works. ^_^