Merlin One-Shots!!

Symphony

"That was a mistake." His voice shook with inexpressible fury, a guttural cry ripping his throat to shreds.

With a flick of his wrist, Merlin created a glittering silver knife and planted it deep within the sorcerer's chest. He watched as the sorcerer's smirk morphed into pure terror. Not wanting to wait a second longer, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and a sickening crack echoed around the glade.

Merlin let him drop to the floor giving a satisfied nod before running to Arthur's side.

He scooped the King up resting his head on his lap. The battle still raged around him but in that moment he didn't care. Arthur's pulse was weak and if it weren't for his heightened senses Merlin wouldn't even be able to tell the king was breathing.

A single tear escaped his eye and he brushed it away. Anger and grief only clouds the mind and that's the last thing Merlin needs.

"Þurhhæle dolgbenn" A gold hue appeared around the wound on Arthur's head but faded quickly. No effect.

"Licsar ge staðol nu" The light was stronger this time and Arthur's eyes opened a fraction before drooping closed once more. Merlin's chest felt about to collapse but he kept persisting.

"Wel cene hole. Come on Arthur, wake up." Merlin rest a shaky hand on Arthur's blood stained face. Merlin broke down when he realized the pulse was no longer there.

He allowed the grief to lash out in the form of magic. The ground shook, opening up under every bandit sending them falling god knows how many feet to their death.

Tears splashed on to Arthur's face creating morbidly beautiful swirls of blood against his blanched skin.

"Wake up"

---

"Merlin it's been three days. You have to eat something." Gwaine placed a plate of bread an cheese on the table

"I told you I will eat when Arthur wakes up." Merlin snapped, his voice hoarse from disuse.

Gwaine sighed in defeat. Merlin hadn't left Arthur's chambers since they arrived back from the hunt. He was pale, much paler than usual and the black bags under his eyes had tripled in size. If anything he looked worse than Arthur who, if not provided with any context, you would think was in perfect health.

The knight let Merlin be, allowing the boy to return to his grief.

Merlin drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping one arm around them whilst gripping Arthur's hand tightly with the other. Under his breath he began to hum a song he held close to his heart. It tugged at a memory he didn't possess, yet filled him with the upmost joy. The fact it came to mind at all given the circumstances was cruel. But maybe the fake nostalgia was exactly what he needed.

"I used to hear a simple song," A chance to fantasize what life might have been like.

"That was until you came along," If he only had had the courage to actually tell the King everything.

"Now in its place is something new," The courage to tell him about his magic. To tell him that, bound by destiny or not, he would be nothing without Arthur.

"I hear it when I look at you." To tell him that since the day he had laid eyes on him nothing has ever felt more right. More perfect.

Exhaustion mixed with despondency led Merlin to pass out, curled in a ball against Arthur's static chest. He was too deep in sleep to notice the fingers curling around his own.

---

On day four Gwen had managed to coax Merlin out of the room long enough for Gaius to perform a proper check up. Expecting no change, Gaius pressed his ear to Arthur's chest and nearly fainted out of shock. It was beating.