Scion of Lost Magic (Merlin x Reader)

The Start of an Everlasting Bond.

We ran through the woods like two excited children. His magic etched into the trees. No matter what I tried my smile didn't falter. His hand squeezed mine. After a fair bit of a run, we stopped. I looked over to see Merlin gasping for air like a fish out of water. I rummaged through my pack to hand him a flask. He took it and drank.

"Thank you," he panted. His arms extended showcasing the surrounding area. "I try to stop by here when I'm gathering herbs for Gaius."

"It's a perfect spot for breakfast."

The bag landed on the ground. My body stretched. The sunlight warmed my skin. The air was fresh. Everything around me was calm. This reminded me of mornings when my father would take me hunting. When there wasn't a care in the world. Or fear of having magic. Now I had that sort of normality once more. Merlin smiled and caught my stare.

"You want to sit and have some food?"

My face lit up. Leaves danced around as if carried by the wind. Merlin gestured at the unpacked food. I sat down next to him. My hand reached toward one of the leaves. It bounced off my fingertip and continued moving along its path. It was simple. But beautiful what magic could do.

"That's amazing, Merlin."

"I know."

"Wow. You're so humble." I laughed.

"But it is amazing. Because a few bad people misuse magic doesn't take away how amazing it actually is."

"Someday you'll change things."

"Why me? Aren't you some sort of magic prodigy?"

"I have no idea. I haven't done much."

"You made that arrow hit the tree."

Food caught at the back of my throat. He smiled while trying to toss a piece of food in the air and catch it. Unfortunately for him that he missed. He shrugged it off and gave me a smile.

"How did you know I used magic?"

"There's no way I'd hit a target on my first try."

"You need to believe in yourself a bit more."

"I'm quite good at polishing armor, but Arthur would say otherwise."

"From what I've seen you're very caring. You didn't give up on me when I needed a friend. So I'm not giving up on you." I nudged his shoulder. He gave a short laugh, as though he didn't completely believe me. "Merlin, what would you be doing if magic wasn't outlawed?"

"I'm not sure. I can't even imagine what that would be like. But I wouldn't mind if I went somewhere with you."

"Very subtle."

"I mean you need someone to teach you magic. And like I said before someone has to be there to get you out of trouble."

"I do seem to attract a lot of trouble, huh?"

"I've known you a very short while and you have caused quite an assortment of trouble."

"But you've come through for me. I want to find a way to pay you back for all the kindness you've shown."

A cool breeze traveled through the forest. It wrapped around me. A voice whispered in a language I could not understand. Merlin spoke when he used his magic. My head snapped in different directions. Merlin sat unfazed by the wind. It may have been my imagination after all. I turned my head to see him staring at me. He flashed a smile. There was something drawing me closer to him. A force neither of us could control. Before we entered this world, something had already decided our fates. Although I wanted to fight it. To deny this force existed, I couldn't. It wasn't chance that let my escape go as well as it had. Nor was it chance that split me up from the rest of the group. It wasn't a coincidence that Merlin was with Arthur when they found me. There was no denying it anymore. My hand placed over his, unsure of why I was acting so out of character. Merlin's gaze met mine. All I wanted to do was thank him. The back of my throat was dry. My jaw clenched so it felt like I couldn't find a way to speak. What we wanted to express to one another did not need words. His hand pressed on the side of my face. My lips parted. The slight distance between us closed. There was a gentleness that accompanied the kiss, paired with a mutual wanting. He pulled away his eyes searching for any resentment from me. When I smiled, he returned the smile before kissing me once more.