Going Deep - Merlin - Gwaine

The Equal Opportunity Whores are going to explore some of the naughtier and more unusual trends, kinks, and pairings in the Fandom universe. We’ll be discussing what intrigues us, why it’s sexy, and where we can find it. As upstanding members of Team Anything Goes, you can expect the unexpected.

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Gwaine.

He’s roguish, rowdy, can flip his hair like a mofo, and knows every boy and girl in every tavern from Camelot to Ealdor. The perfect combination of devilishness and honorable, his many charms make him easy to ship with just about everyone, and so... we do. Well, mostly the boys.
It also doesn’t hurt our feelings that the actor who plays him(Eoin Macken) indulges his Twitter followers with drunken rants, homoerotic teases, and deep thoughts. Sometimes it seems he may be an even bigger Gwaine fan than we are.

So, yes, we’re all a bit starry-eyed for Gwaine, and thought we’d take this chance to shine a spotlight on our rugged and intense knight in shining armour. We’ve even recruited resident expert Tuesdaymidnight to share some of her favorites, and lead us down the path of debauchery that is Merlin fanfiction.

Let’s start with the obvious choice, Gwaine and Merlin. The truest of love. One is tough and jaded, the other young and seemingly innocent, yet both have an undercurrent of wisdom and experience, the depths of which are fathomless. There’s so much potential between these two in canon, that it’s no surprise that the fanon fields are fit for plowing.

Shall we begin with Bawdy, Tender Gwaine, Sweet, Innocent Merlin?
We shall.

but before you go (3.04 coda) by with-asigh

This canon missing moment made me swoon at its tenderness and gasp at the beautiful eroticism. Gwaine is leaving Camelot at Uther’s insistence, and Merlin attempts to convince him to stay with the promise of bare skin and soul. Merlin is bold and wide-eyed innocence, and Gwaine is rugged outsider, but they are both made of ache for each other. Though the author warns of shameless plot, there is unrepentant story woven into every touch of skin. ~Chele


This one is a simple and gorgeous missing scene at the end of Gwaine's introductory episode. Merlin is awkward and inexperienced and Gwaine is the flirtatious Casanova (at one point Merlin calls him out on his oozing charm: "You're like that with everyone. Even Gaius."). The author claims it's just porn, but there is an ache and a wanting to it that leaves your heart a bit clenchy. This is one of the first Gwaine fics that appeared in the fandom, and a lot of tropes originate with it, so it’s definitely a must read. ~TM


The greatest love story of Merlin and Gwaine Ever. aka:

A Fistful of Infinity and Starlight by junkshopdisco

This. This is THE story that brought me out of my Merthur haze and into the all-things-Gwaine abyss from which I have never recovered. This story is my head canon for the entire show. It’s an epic, plot-filled fic that starts the way so many episodes of Merlin do. Arthur is enchanted and the only cure requires an ingredient that only grows in one place, so Merlin and Gwaine embark together to retrieve it, and things spiral out of control from there. The best thing about this fic is that you get the rare chance to see Gwaine and Merlin’s relationship grow over time. Not to mention, the story is compelling, all the characters are well-developed, and the writing is fantastic. I really can’t say enough good things about this fic. ~TM


I don’t know how much more I can add to what Tuesdaymidnight wrote above. This was my first Gwerlin, recc’d to me by Chele. You won’t be able to do anything else until you finish reading it. It’s absolutely epic and captivating. Absolutely gorgeous. ~Jen

If you read no other Gwaine fic, and only dare tempt yourself with one.... you can read this and know all of the depths and heights a soul can reach. It is beautiful, both in its pacing and its wholeness. In short, perfection. ~Chele

These Endearments Speak My Heart by PlaneJane

This canon era fic is short but sweet and the language the author uses is absolutely lovely. (Plus, there's a bonus appearance of Lancelot in this one, which always makes me happy.) Merlin is insecure and unsure of himself or what he wants, but luckily Gwaine knows exactly what to say and do. Gwaine is full of reassurance and endearments, and ultimately this fic is just really tender. ~TM

A little bit of poetic prose about a boy who is all angles, and a man whose wit is sharp as a blade. Merlin’s insecurity and self doubt heightens the awesomeness of having Gwaine on his knees. I particularly love that both Merlin and Gwaine begin this tale mutually admiring the forms of Arthur and Lancelot. With so much hotness around, it would feel false if they only had eyes for each other. This little tidbit of erotic realism completely hits it home. ~Chele

This has everything we love about Gwaine- cocky, suave, and seductive yet so very sweet to Merlin. Gwaine may be an arse at times, both canon and not, but it’s always clear that he genuinely cares about Merlin. ~ Jen

Sativia in Bloom by leashy_bebes

This is one of my favorite modern AUs of this pairing. Gwaine and Merlin are in high school. Merlin in the new kid - straight A student, complete pothead, and Gwaine is the slacker seller. Gwaine soon finds that he actually enjoys Merlin’s company as more than a mere client-seller relationship and they start to become friends. Their relationship is a slow burn (no pun intended), and you fall for the characters, understand their struggles, and really just want things to work out between them. Bonus points for awesome secondary characters. ~TM


There were so many fab fics in the high school Merlin fest, and this is definitely one of my faves. Both Merlin & Gwaine are absolutely loveable. If they don’t have you wrapped around their fingers, I’m not sure I can be friends with you. So lovely to see their relationship develop. -Jen


I found these characters achingly honest. There is such a strong pull between Gwain and Merlin and yet it takes quite a bit for their inhibitions to lower, and their intimate friendship to truly mature into the romance and intensity that is apparent from the start. I love the matter-of-fact portrayal of Gwaine’s job, and the small tidbits that are thrown in that make it feel real and kept me hooked. Excellent story. ~Chele

Out of the Darkness by Fr333bird

This fic is fun and adorable and hot. It’s a high school era AU, with Merlin as the wallflower and Gwaine as the effortlessly popular new kid. They're on a school camping trip and get paired together to share a tent. When water gets in the tent, soaking Gwaine’s side, Merlin offers to share his sleeping bag with Gwaine... two teenage boys in one sleeping bag? That’s a tight squeeze. -TM

This is just so cute and sweet. Gwaine says just what Merlin needs to hear to know that they both want more of that! -Jen

Gwaine the Good-Time Guy- Poly / Three-way

A Sorcerer, a King, and Their Knight by leashy_bebes

Three Oh-Hell-Yes cheers for some genuine, intentional polyamory. There is wicked debauched double penetration, but it’s done with such love and tenderness that it makes my heart a little bit sore. Everyone is in character, if a little bit mature, which makes the unabashed porn that much hotter. ~Chele

Leashy-bebes writes some of the best lemons I’ve ever read. (Go look up her Gwaine/Percival fics, no, wait, I’ll do it for you: Worth a Cheer and Size isn’t everything Read them both. Now.) I love canon era fics like this. Merlin’s magic isn’t a secret. Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine already have an established dynamic. They tease each other and banter through the whole thing, keeping them remarkably in character, and then, well, Arthur and Merlin fuck Gwaine at the same time and it’s really, really hot. What could be better than that? ~TM

The One He Needed All Along by Fr333bird

One of the best things about the Merlin fandom are the fuck-or-something-terrible-will-happen fics, and this one is fantastic. Arthur is possessed by a demon that will make him go crazy if it isn't released, and well, you can guess where this is going. Shameless!Arthur is one of my favorite Arthurs, even when it's the work of possession, and Gwaine and Merlin do a very good job seeing to his needs. This leans toward Merthur, but there is a very strong Gwaine presence in it too. ~TM

Ooh yes I do love a good fuck-or-epic-eternal-shite-happens fic! TM is spot on. Love this fic ~Emmy

Yes, yes, YES! There’s not really much fuck-or-die fic in Twilight, but damn does the Merlin fandom do it right. So good, so dirty. ~Jen

Gwaine and..... Everyone else....

Arancia Rossa di Sicilia by Cheese

Gwaine/Arthur is probably my favorite pairing, and this little fic is perfect. There's a wistfulness to it and a melancholy from the very beginning. Gwaine and Arthur were once together and now Gwaine has returned after a year in Sicily, bringing with him oranges and liqueur. This fic short and bittersweet and absolutely gorgeous. -TM

I’m not even sure how to describe this fic. Gorgeously written, the tension is thick, it’s like you can actually see the fog of it in the scene the author has set. Lots of hurt and longing and oh who are you kidding Arthur- you can’t resist Gwaine. -Jen

Just Listen by Myashke

This is a Gwaine/Lancelot fic (with some background Merthur). There is pining, lustfullness and UST by the shedload in this fic!! Gwaine has always wanted noble, kind and sexy bugger Lancelot. But they are firmly in the ‘mates’ zone. How the feck is he going to manage to control himself when he can hear Merlin and Arthur getting it on? How can he resist the beauty and strength of Lance when he’s so close, he can feel his heat. Feel him. And boy does he want him. Killer chemistry in this fic and a thoughtful Gwaine trying to lock away his feelings. Oh and electric sex! :) ~Emmy


There really needs to be more of this pairing. (Well, there just needs to be more knight!fic in general. *bats eyelashes* Pretty please?) I may have a bit of a voyeurism kink (we’re hitting all my kinks today), so this fic had me from the beginning. Knights around the campfire, overhearing Merlin and Arthur get it on in their tent? Yes and please. Did I mention there’s some dirty talk in there, too? There’s more to this fic than that, though. You find out that Gwaine has been pining for Lancelot for a long time, so when he gets what he wants, well, it’s explosive. -TM

After all the Days of Darkness by Kari_Kurofail 

Gwaine/Percival. First of all, the world needs more Percival. This is a gorgeous and quite emotionally realistic. T For all his devil-may-care attitude, Gwaine really cares for Percival and it’s a beautiful thing to watch unfold. he emotion builds gradually, and everyone is pretty much fit to burst when it’s finally time to resolve some sexual tension. Slow burn FTW!

OT3 Smut Trilogy by LolaFeist

Everything LolaFeist writes is perfect smutty goodness. Here’s three o/s which take place in the same universe. Gwaine/Arthur/Merlin for when you just need some hot threeway smut. Unf. - Jen


The Kinkier the Gwaine.... The Better.
Watersports threesome? Don’t mind if I do.

rub a dub dub three men in a tub by hermette

So, it’s no secret that I have a watersports kink. Add in a Gwaine/Merlin/Arthur threesome and you sort of have my ideal kink!fic. In this one, Gwaine’s motto is “You’ve got to try everything once,” and even if you’re not into watersports, this one is worth a try. You get to know the characters first - kinky, open-to-anything-and-everything Gwaine, curious-but-a-little-restrained Arthur, and easy-going Merlin, with whom both Arthur and Gwaine have the occasional hookup. There aren’t messy feelings getting in the way. It’s a story of exploring unconventional desires, and oh yeah, did I mention it’s really damn hot??? ~TM

Good, Giving and Gawine by junkshopdisco 

Words fail me on this one. Just read it. GWAINE IN A CORSET AND HEELS. This presses my kink buttons in the BEST POSSIBLE WAYS. I will say that one of the reasons why I love junkshop_disco's fics so much is because she gives so much depth to her characters. Even in something that is basically porn, you get a feeling for who Gwaine and Merlin are as people and a sense of their relationship, and that just makes the porn even hotter. -TM

So much good Gwaine..... so few authors writing it. Now that we’ve shared our favorites with you, why not leave a comment and let us know about your favorites?