𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐒 ━━━ merlin

6. one kiss away

Later that night, after the 'unfortunate' departure of Prince Average, Cinderella and Merlin were sitting together chatting, in a corner of the house while the others were stuffing their faces.

She initially pulled him aside to thank him for the numerous times he had saved her life in the past three days, but eventually it turned into them laughing, talking, sharing stories, and generally getting to know each other better. At this point they both knew they had feelings for the other, but since they didn't know it was mutual they didn't say anything.

The blonde had also figured out that her hosts truly were the Fearless Seven, but she decided to keep that information sealed for the moment for fear of seeming invasive.

"You should have seen the look on his bug ugly face when bunny came running at him," they laughed as he recounted when he sicked the wooden animal on the guard earlier. However, this brought around something Cinderella was desperate to point out to him.

"That's how you see everything, isn't it?"

"With my eyes," he responded, a confused look on his face. Cinderella shook her head and brought her knees up to her chest. "You always talk about what a person looks like."

"I do!" he sounded genuinely shocked. "I wouldn't say that. But I can't wait for you to see the real me." While he may have thought he was being figurative and cryptic, he didn't realize the blonde understood what he meant more then he thought. And she had to admit, she was curious about the human Merlin. Was a different from dwarf Merlin?

"What kind of Merlin is the real you?"

"You might not believe me, but the real me is famous, handsome, and even popular. Not short, stumpy and green. He's someone you'd be proud to be seen with and who is worthy of you."

She laughed at this, "Yeah your short, stumpy, and green, but your also a wonderful, charming person that I genuinely admire and already consider worthy." She confessed. However the sentimental comment seemed to completely escape him. "I'm not explaining it right. If you saw the real me, you'd now exactly what I mean."

Cinderella shook her head at this. Was he really this dense. "I think I can see the real you, and I like you just as you are."

Merlin had a hilarious gaping mouth and wide-eyed face, showcasing just how truly shocked he was at this statement. "Maybe I am getting somewhere with her. Does she maybe...return my feelings? No, how could she?" Instead he simply let out a dry laugh and continued trying to explain his true self to her. Even if Cinderella couldn't see him, she could still feel the presence of his old self.

"Huh, that's hilarious. Here, close your eyes and imagine the real me. I guarantee you it will be different."

Humoring him, the blonde did just that, and surprisingly to her, her brain's sensory gave her the feeling of a bigger figure next to her. "I do feel something different."

"Really!?"

"Yes, but eyes opened or closed to me your still Merlin. Now tell me, what am I to you." This was it! His response would give her all the information she would need to decipher his feelings for her.

"Your a gift," she heard him respond. "A gift that will transform me into someone amazing. Just like your amazing."

Good lord, he was charming! Cinderella felt little butterflies in her chest at his response. Any doubts about his feelings went out the window along with her's. She really was whipped for him. But then it hit her just who he was. She had gotten so used to green Merlin, she had forgotten about his other persona that was the true him.

If what she had heard was true, then the 'true' Merlin really was everything he had just described. So then, what did that make her. 

Here was good old self-doubt rearing it's ugly head. She was a scullery maid in a castle and with nothing to offer him. What if...she continued thinking as she opened her eyes to turned to him, only to be met with a set of puckered lips. Forgetting her woes, she laughed shamelessly at him, the wizard opening his eyes and averting them.