Fandom One-Shots

The Arcana: Muriel

(Please don't kill me... I know it's been forever. But I'm baaaaack. Some people wanted a bit more romance... so here it is!).

You knew what you were getting into as soon as the mysterious man gave you the myrrh. You knew how stubbornly quiet and forlorn he was, and how he would avoid you. You knew he was a work in progress.

For months, you kept coming anyway. For months, Muriel tried to turn you away. But somehow, he kept giving in and letting you come inside. Your visits grew from minutes to hours, and you had begun to feel that the small hut in the woods had become an extension of home.

Asra had initially laughed at you when you told him of your scheme to tame the forest man. It wasn't a mocking laugh; no, it meant more. Indeed, it was a laugh that only Asra could give; encouraging, hopeful; one that gave you the stone resilience of a thousand ages.

That resilience crumbled when his green, soulful eyes stared into you as you had barely rapped your knuckles once on the wooden door of the forest hut. You had decided that today was the perfect day to tell Muriel how you felt about him; but now you weren't so sure.

You swallowed thickly as your heartbeat raced, and gazed up at the quiet man. "Hello, Muriel."

You gave him a shy smile and blinked once or twice.

Muriel only stared at you, his gaze taking in a small cut on your cheek. His face grew hard, and you couldn't help but shrink back a bit. He had never looked at you that way before.

"Who did that to you?" Muriel said, his low, rumbling voice barely above a whisper.

"Just a tree branch on my way into the woods," you admitted sheepishly. "I'm fine."

Muriel didn't seem to believe you. He grabbed your hand and brought you inside brazenly. You felt yourself being lifted by your waist onto the table in the center of the hut.

Your heart hammered in your chest as large, rough hands cupped your jaw, turning your face gingerly to the side so he could inspect the tiny cut. "Really Muriel," you stammered, "it's not a big dea..."

"No." Muriel cut you off simply. He stared at the ground and mumbled, "it could get infected. Asra would kill me."

You couldn't help but grin. He wasn't wrong.

Muriel turned to a small cabinet at a corner of the hut, and made himself busy searching for some remedy. Conversation lapsed into comfortable silence; the first actually comfortable silence you had ever experienced with Muriel.

Your eyes turned from Muriel's broad shoulders to the space beside your knee, where Inanna had decided to park herself and begin to lick your hand. You smiled softly, stifling a laugh to keep yourself from frightening Muriel with sudden sounds.

You moved your hand to the top of Inanna's soft yet coarse fur covered head and rubbed her ears gently. Inanna let out a short, pleased huff of air through her snout, causing Muriel to turn around, herbs in hand.

---

His eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of his friend nuzzling the attractive young woman sitting on his table. He clutched the herbs in his hand, green gaze never leaving the wolf.

"What?" She challenged. "It's not like you were gonna do anything about it."

She smugly began licking your hand again. Muriel pursed his lips, turning away once more and warring with his emotions silently. He hadn't planned on it... but that didn't mean that he didn't want to.