In Your World (Merlin x Reader)
Your face ached with the smile that had been glued to your lips for the past 3 hours, you're day was awful so what better way to cheer you up than a good ol' Merlin marathon. The more you watched it the more you admired the characters, their bonds to each other, their determination and their kindness. A tired, sad smile etched itself onto your face.
I'd give anything to meet them, to have a conversation with them, hell I'd even settle for a passing smile.
Shuffling over to your window you leaned against the wall staring at the stars that illuminated the sky.
They're awfully bright tonight. You observed, sighing loudly before continuing to daydream about the enchanting land of Camelot and her people.
"Goodnight Merlin, goodnight Arthur" you muttered dejectedly standing up straight gazing longing at the stars, mind lost in dreams of golden eyes and a goofy smile "I wish I could live in you're world" you head turned away as you slouched back to your bed. Falling asleep almost instantly you missed the whispered confession floating into the darkness, latching on to a passing star.
A cold breeze brushed your face causing a shiver to go through you. Scrunching up your face as you slowly come back to the land of the living you stretch out your sore muscles.
Did I leave my window open?
You ask yourself. You reaching to tug your blanket closer to you only to be met with grass.
What... is.... happening? I don't remember ever having grass on my bed.
Forcing your tired eyes open the bright afternoon sun gleams through the trees causing tears to form in your eyes.
Wait a minute? The sun through the trees? What the frick? Where the hell am I?
Your chest constricts as you scramble to get off of the hard ground you were led upon. Frantically looking around for anything recognisable you realise you have no idea where you are or how you came to be in this stage place. As you gaze down at yourself you breathe a deep sigh of relief, catching your breath as you focus on the clothes your wearing. Your long sleeve baggy white shirt was stained and smudged with a random assortment of greens and browns from the forest floor beneath you and your brown leggings were a little worse for wear with a single rip on the bottom right side but at least you're decent.
I'm still in my pyjamas, a little roughed up but still normal I must just be sleeping there is no way I can go to sleep in my bed and wake up in a forest so I just need to take a deep breath, clam down and wake myself up. How hard can it be? I can hear a stream so I'll just go there I mean cold water will definitely wake me up right?
Formulating a plan in your mind you're breathing evens out and you smile to yourself knowing you'll be back in your bed soon enough.
Brushing yourself off you begin to head towards the sound of the running water secretly enjoying the beauty of the forest you were currently in not knowing the danger that it held.
Before you even registered what was happening you felt a pain in your check as an arrow whizzed past your face barely missing you before embedding itself into the tree behind you. Frantically looking around you see two people emerge from the bushes, both are wearing what looks like tunics and leather, a tall man with a hideous snarl was carrying a bow, arrow notched as if he was preparing to shoot at you again whilst a shorter, evil looking woman was wielding a small dagger, a cruel smirk plastered on her face. You instantly felt a scream beginning to form in your throat as you observed them.
They look like the bandits from... no that's not possible, I am not in Camelot. This is not happening. Why didn't I wake up. They cut my cheek. I should have woke up.
As realisation dawned on you, you shoved the scream back down your throat before it could be released knowing full well it would not help in this situation.
The bandits stop 100 yards from you both still wielding their weapons in a threatening manner. Waving her knife in your direction, the female bandit took a step closer to you smirking the whole time,
"Are you going to come quietly or are you going to make this difficult for us?"
Panic almost took control of you as you realised what she was implying. Once again you silenced the voice in your head telling you to start screaming.
Facing both of the bandits your natural fight or flight instincts kicked in, bracing your feet and lifting you arms slightly flight won out and you turned and fled shouting over your shoulder to the surprised bandits.
"Ha yea right!"
Dashing through the dense forest arrows flew past you as you bobbed and weaved barely avoiding colliding into the trees around you, sliding around a large hedge of random weeds you continue running for your life. Seeing a small dirt path in front of you, you begin to run towards hoping that someone loves near it and will hear all the commotion being made. Without any warning an arrow slashes past you slicing the side of your leg causing you to scream in pain and stumble onto the path. Collapsing against a nearby tree you turn around only for an arrow to catch onto your shirt pining you in place. Grappling at the arrow you try to pull it out and get free before they reach you but luck isn't on your side today. Both bandits run onto the path huffing out a laugh as they notice you stuck to the tree defenceless.
"William keep watch whilst I deal with this one" the male bandit with the bow nodded before walking to the opposite edge of the path looking both way with a arrow notched preparing to attack nay who stumble across the scene.
As the female bandit passes her knife into her other hand she roughly clutches your free arm causing you to wince
That's gunna leave a bruise
You think to yourself terrified on what's going to happen to you now.
"You are in so much trouble ya know that? Do you understand how many arrows we just wasted on your stupid ass? And for what? A small insignificant child. I don't know why we even bothered. Your no use to us anyway, I mean look at you. You're so scrawny maybe we should just kill you now and save us the trouble are carting you around? Don't sorry sweet I'll make sure it's nice and quick, you won't feel a thing"
Your eyes widened and you started to struggled as she laughed and raised the knife higher to your throat, closing your eyes a tear slipped down your face as you accepted what was about to happen.
"Fuck! Mary it's the knights!"
Your eyes snapped open as your heated hoof beats coming down the path. You were saved! They could help! The bandits both cursed before turning to you and pulling the arrow out. William ran over and clutched an arm around your chest tightly dragging you backwards into the forest whilst holding a hand over your mouth. Your struggling intensified as you tried to free yourself from his grasp, stamping on his foot the hold on your mouth slipped allowing you to scream for help before Mary kicks you to the ground. Picking you up by your shirt she begins to shake you throwing you to the ground once more. Crying out in pain as your injured leg slams into the solid ground both bandits advance on you wanting to at least kill you before the knights arrive. However, before any more harm can be done to you, you find yourself surrounded by men on horses. They all dismount and glare at the bandits hands on there swords but all you can do is stare in shock at them all of them have bright silver chain mail that glints beautifully in the sunlight and flowing red capes billowing behind them all bearing the golden symbol of a dragon on their left shoulders. The symbol of the knights of Camelot.
Oh my god.
By the time you are aware of yourself again you are still sat on the uncomfortable ground, rocks digging into you as you stare into the eyes of a worried Arthur pendragon. Arthur. Frigging. Pendragon. As you're hauled to your feet by William you focus more realising that he's asking if you are okay you open your mouth to tell him you're fine but the only words that leave your mouth are
"you're still alive"
You slam your mouth shut as he gives you a look of confusion.
"What did you say?" He asks cautiously giving you a confused look.
"I'm still alive" you stuttered out trying to act as if you didn't just almost tell him he died.
His eyes slide to the people holding you as you wince from the pain in your leg.
"Release her now or face the consequence" Arthur demands in a kingly tone, unseating his sword and pointing it at the bandits informs of him. William and Mary share a glance before throwing you forwards towards the knights and making a run for it.
Preparing yourself for another hard fall you jolt forward as you find warm arms surrounding your body and saving you from more pain. Gazing upwards your tears eyes meet a pair of beautiful blue one, they sparkle with worry and concern shocking you as you realise that you are currently in the arms of merlin. THE merlin. His lips move but in your shocked state everything around you is muffled and you can't understand what's he's saying. Realising as his face becomes even more worried, your cheeks heat as you shake your head to rid the fog that settled in your brain. Beginning to stand apologising and muttering about being fine a hiss of pain escapes your lips as you put pressure on your injured leg.
"Fine huh?" Merlin says with a cheeky smirk, before lifting you onto his horse and calling to the others about taking you back to camp, the heat in your cheeks increasing even more as you have to grip him tightly around the waist in order to not fall off the horse.
"Done" Merlin announces as he pats the bandage tightly wrapped around your leg. The blush still not leaving your face even as he turns away to survey the sleeping knights in the area.
Suddenly realising that Merlin may be your only way to return home you decide to use this opportunity to speak to him whilst everyone is asleep.
"Merlin? Can I talk to you in private please? It's about something important?" Your face dips down as you whisper in his direction attempting to not wake anyone.
"Of course. What do you need?" He asks politely grabbing his water skin to take a drink.
"It's about magic" you reply barely audibly but you can tell he heard you as the water clatters to the ground and the smile slides off him face being replaced by a fake half smirk.
"I don't know what your talking about" he stutters out.
"Please Emerys. It's important!" You plead with him. Merlin looks at you shocked, surprised you know that name.
"I only need a moment of your time. Please?"
"Fine" he whispers to you before calling over to Arthur on the other side of the camp.
"I'm just going to get some more water from the stream"
"I will accompany you Merlin" you say loud enough for Arthur to hear.
"Okay but be back quickly, the forest can be dangerous" Arthur warns before going back to stabbing the fire.
"Fine you got your moment now what do you want?" Merlin glared at you warily, hostility clear in his tone. As you took a deep breath to calm yourself you told him everything you could. You told him that you have no idea how you got here, how you fell asleep in your bed at home and then woke up here on the forest ground wearing the same clothes. Merlin became thoughtful asking if you could have just been taken from your house during the night by those bandits.
"You don't understand Merlin. I'm not from here, as I'm from this world! In my world Camelot, you, Arthur, the knights! They don't exists merlin! You are all just a myth a legend. None of this should be real!" You breathed heavily, frustration laced in your speech. Merlin stared dumbfounded at you, mouth hanging open.
"I don't know what to say to that. I've never even heard of someone travelling to another world but I suppose it would explain the slight magical signature surrounding you right now"
You stared at him shocked.
"Wait so you can sense that but not Morgana?" You ask completely perplexed. Merlin once again looked confused as he stared at you
"What?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing together.
"oh no! Nothing, absolutely nothing, you forget I said that right now!" You demanded.
Wow we're pretty early into the series then. I need to know what's happening so I don't reveal anything else.
"What's Camelot like? What's the last thing that threatened Arthur's life?"
Merlin immediately takes a step back face closing off from you and becoming defensive.
"Why do you want to know?" He asks with an accusing tone.
"Please Merlin. I need to know. Because of the different worlds thing I know a lot of what is going to happen in the future. I cannot under any circumstance tell you what will happen because then I will change things so you need to tell me what Camelot is like and what the most recent attack on Arthur was"
Staring in shock at you as he tried to process al you've told him he gives a slow nod, silently agreeing to tell you. As you both get comfortable he weaves a tale of an enchanted beast contaminating the water supply and causing a plague in the town.
Groaning to yourself you mumble profanities to yourself as you realise how early on in their story that is.
I'm going to have to be so careful now.
You think to yourself annoyed by how much information you could accidentally let slip.
After talking about everything that has happened for a while longer you both agree that you need to find a way back to your world as soon as possible before you accidentally start changing things in this timeline.
"You could always come back to Camelot with me?" Merlin asks shyly
"Gaius can help, I'm sure of it. His knowledge of magic is far greater than mine. He'll know what to do"
Blushing profusely you nod your head agreeing to his offer secretly being ecstatic that you will get to meet everyone as being in camelot means being with Morgana and Gwen as well. You couldn't wait!
"We should probably head back" you start to mutter
"Arthur's probably wondering where we are"
As Merlin gives you a hand up you both begin to slowly make your way back to camp laughing with each other and telling stories along the way.
Accidentally, your foot catches on a branch on the floor and you curse your clumsiness as you begin to fall. Once again you are jolted forward though as you ins yourself staring up into those stunning eyes again. You both continue to gaze at each other a sense of calmness washing over you both, you don't understand why but as you continue to stay in that position you feel connected to the man holding you, like this is where you're meant to be, as you observe his face you notice his gaze flicker to your lips before coming back up to rest on your face. Getting impatient you begin to lean in feeling the ghost of him breath on your face your lips brush each other's and your eyes slide shut as do his.
Before anything more that a brush of lips happens a loud cough interrupts your moment causing Merlin to jump and drop you to the floor. Turning your face you see Arthur standing just a few trees away looking between you both before his gaze rests on Merlin, a grin spread across his face.
"I was coming to see what was taking so long but I guess collecting water is done differently from how I remember huh Merlin."