Merlin x Reader

Backstory: You are in the King’s Ward and are like a sibling to Arthur and Morgana.

Word Count: 1.7k+ words

–

The excruciating pain of the beast’s wound was enough to make you fall to the ground.

“Y/n!” 

You could hear the shouts of a female voice edging closer and closer to you. Your vision was starting to dim; the last thing you could see were the locks of a brown haired girl. 

–

Gaius was flipping through the pages of an old lore book when the front door burst open. In came Arthur with Y/n in his arms. Morgana followed closely behind, a look of worry and grief troubling her face. 

Y/n seemed to be unconscious, limbs numbly flailing as Arthur places you down on a cleared table. 

“What happened?” Gaius quickly asks, checking for any noticeable injuries until his eyes land on the gash below your knee.

Morgana steps toward your body, eyes tearing up.

“We were out in the forest when a wolf came out of nowhere and clawed Y/n.”

Gaius shouts for Merlin just as the young boy stumbles into the main room from his bedroom. 

“What do you-” Merlin’s eyes flit down to your body and he stops dead in his tracks, “Oh god.”

Merlin held feelings for you for the longest time. You being in the King’s Ward had stopped any of his advances, however.

Gaius ushers Morgana and Arthur out to alert Uther, whilst Merlin examines the cut on your leg. 

“What was it that did this?” The sorcerer questions quietly, unsure if it was something of magic or not. 

“Morgana said it was a wolf, but tonight’s a full moon and Y/n isn’t waking up.”

Merlin raises a concerned eyebrow, “Are you saying that it was a werewolf, Gaius?”

Gaius rushes to a stack of books, finds the one he wants and tosses it to Merlin. The boy stumbles back as a result of the book’s heaviness but balances himself.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Now, you need to find the spell to reverse it. I’ve seen this before,” Gaius mutters, “Quickly, before Uther comes.”

The old man then starts finding things to clean the gash. He comes upon a wrap of gauze and a damp cloth. Gaius makes quick work of removing any dirt and debris from the wound before wrapping it in a couple layers of the bandages.

Merlin focuses on the book in his hands, mumbling a short incantation to flip through the pages at twice the rate of a normal person. His search stops about halfway through on a page about injuries inflicted by werewolves.

With the spell’s words on his lips, Merlin’s eyes flash a bright orange. They slowly fade away, and you haven’t woken up.

The door once again crashes open, this time, Uther entering with Morgana and Arthur not far behind.

Just as the king’s gaze falls onto your form, you jolt up, breathing heavily.

“Dear god,” Uther whispers, hurrying to your side and wrapping his arms around you. 

You sigh, eyes tearing up as you return the king’s embrace. Your vision travels over to the dark-haired man off to the side. You and Merlin make eye contact and it seems you come to an agreement. 

Uther’s hold gently releases as Gaius assures the three royals that you will be okay with more treatment and rest.

“I will inform you when she is well enough to return to her chambers, but for now, I need to keep her under my supervision as the wound heals.”

Uther nods, placing a hand on your shoulder. You lay yours on top of his and smile up at him.

“I’ll be fine, my lord.” 

He nods, shares a thankful glance with Gaius and then leads Morgana and Arthur outside.

You take a moment to relax with your royal family no longer hovering over your shoulder. You love them, but sometimes it’s just too much. Your injury wasn’t major and you are alive; there’s nothing to worry over.

You make an attempt to clear your throat, turning to Gaius.

“Thank you so much, Gaius.”

Gaius nods, pausing as he reaches for a bottle full of blue liquid.

“Actually,” the physician hides a smile, “It ‘twas Merlin that healed you. You should be thanking him.”

The news doesn’t surprise you all that much. You know that Merlin is a skilled sorcerer and a whiz with treating people much like Gaius. The servant had entrusted you with his secret soon after you’d witnessed him healing a hurt Arthur. 

Your focus gently falls onto the quiet boy in the corner.

“Thank you, Merlin. I am forever in your debt.”

Merlin’s eyes widen and he grins lightly.

“It was nothing, milady. I’d do it a hundred times over if it meant saving you.”

You roll your eyes at the use of ‘milady’. You’d told the servant many a times that he was to address you by Y/n.

The pain of the injury ebbs deeply in your thigh as you shift off of it. You hiss slightly of the throbbing, causing a worried look from Merlin. You brush it off, motioning for him not to be concerned.

“You’ve taught him well, Gaius. Anyways, what is this about me having to stay here?” 

Gaius, who’d been tidying random bottles and potions, raises an eyebrow and turns to you. The old man glances down at the bandage on your leg, which the wound has since started to bleed through.

“Ah, yes. It was a werewolf that clawed you, my dear. I want to watch for any side effects,” Gaius lets out an exasperated yawn, clamping a hand over his mouth, “Merlin, can you change the bandages on her leg? I have important things to do in the morning and need to rest. Show her where she will be sleeping, as well.”

You smile gratefully at the old man, “Goodnight, Gaius.”

He nods with his lips barely upturned. The man is almost like another father to you, just as Uther is.

Gaius retires to his chambers and you gaze hopefully at Merlin. The boy’s eyelids droop slightly, and you can tell your shenanigans had woken him up.

“You may go to bed, Merlin. I can handle this by myself.”

The brows furrow on the sorcerer’s forehead in determination as he sets out to grab the gauze where it had been left on the nearby desk. You knew Merlin was stubborn, but you didn’t think he was this stubborn.

“I can take care of myself,” you whisper, careful not to wake Gaius if he is sleeping. 

Merlin kneels to the floor in front of you and starts to peel off the bloodied cloth. His face appears very calm, soothing the jolt of pain from the injury being disturbed; you can’t help getting lost in the blue orbs of his eyes as he makes quick work of covering the exposed area.

The sorcerer’s fingers ghost over the skin just below your knee, tying the ends of the gauze together.

“There, now let’s get to bed, I’m exhausted,” he flashes you his signature cheesy grin, offering a hand to help you off of the table. You slowly slide off the wooden surface, noting how Merlin’s hand holds firmly onto yours even as he leads you to a room in the back.

Upon entering, you feel saddened that this is what all of Camelot’s lower-class citizens live like. 

The chamber (you assume it is Merlin’s) is very small compared to anything in the castle. Even the closets are bigger. There’s a bed in the middle, and a few books strewn about on each side, but other than that it is very bland.

“You can take the bed,” Merlin shoos you to lay down and starts to grab a few blankets from the floor. You watch as he spreads them out on the ground, reaching out a hand to stop him.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor, Merlin. Here,” you pat the spot next to you.

Merlin has a terrified look on his face as if to warn you of the consequences.

“Oh, come now, Merlin. We aren’t teenagers. We can share a bed together.”

Merlin’s eyes suddenly glint with an unspoken boldness. He climbs onto the mattress alongside you, curling up under the covers. His back is pressed firmly against yours, his body heat radiating off of him and making you feel at home. 

“Goodnight, Y/n.”

Your cheeks turn a light shade of pink from the physical contact. In the time you’d realized your crush on Merlin, you never thought you would ever be in a bed with him.

“Goodnight, Merlin,” you sigh, snuggling into the blankets further.

–

The light of the morning sun practically blinds you, causing your eyes to dart open. The room is not yours and you panic for a split second before the realization of last night hits you.

You peer over your shoulder to find Merlin fast asleep. The sight has you smiling like a fool. What was it that attracted you to him?

Just as your thoughts begin to consume you, the door to the room creaks open. Your eyes widen in horror until you see Gaius’ head pop through the crack.

You dart your gaze to Merlin, to inform the old man that he is still sleeping. 

Gaius smiles, “I will tell Arthur that Merlin needs to watch over you today. I have errands to run.”

With that, the old man disappears.

You sigh, thankful that none of your family were the ones who’d entered. 

Merlin shifts against your side, lifting his head up to stare at the door questioningly. He turns to you, beaming with excitement.

“Did he really just say that? I have the day off?”

You chuckle, getting lost in the wild innocence of his being. His childish nature drew you in.

Without thinking, Merlin places his hands on your cheekbones and presses his puckered lips to yours. The move is surprising, but not unwanted. You return the affection, kissing him back and moving out from under the covers to straddle him. Yours hands wander precariously through his dark locks as his tug you further into him.

The moment feels like it lasts an eternity before you pull away (and you’d gladly spend another eternity kissing him).

“That was… unexpected, I must say,” you pipe up, removing your hands from the boy’s hair.

Merlin’s bright blue eyes twinkle with mischief and he smirks rather adorably. 

“I’ve always held a fondness for you, my lady,” he speaks softly, brushing his hand against your cheek.

It seems as though the attempts for him to call you a less formal title are of no use.

“And I for you, Merlin. Now let’s get out of bed, it’s already quite late.”