Between Dreaming and Waking
Author: jazzrose343
Fandom: Merlin BBC
Title: Between Waking and Dreaming (1/?)
Spoilers: General Season one and some season 2.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1357
A/N : I posted the first little part of this a few days ago as a feeler and got a lovely response. I have just finished the first whole chapter. Be warned there may be some moments of WAFFYness in this first part. 3 days to Go \0/. Comments and Constructive criticsim are most welcome :D
Arthur turned his head pressing his cheek further into the warm small hand that was cupping his cheek.
He pressed a warm kiss onto the palm and then brought his own hand up to grasp it. He felt rather than saw the smile the on her face, his eyes still foggy with sleep.
However Arthur knew it was made of sunshine and that it brought him more warmth than anything he felt from the sun.
He moved his fingers from her hand and trailed them gently up her arm, taking in the graceful line of her neck t brushing over the fullness of her bottom lip.
He pushed himself up in the bed not caring at all for his injuries and bought there faces closer together until their lips were almost touching...
"Arthur ?"
Guinevere
Something was wrong with her voice, it was too deep and sort of whiney .
"Come on Arthur, you were meant to be down stairs for the privy council meeting half an hour ago."
Merlin
Privy Council meeting . Father is going to kill me.
"Why on earth didn't you wake me!"
Arthur struggled to shake off his dream. He wanted to stay with the feelings of warmth and belonging it brought him.
"You ordered me not to wake you anymore because I annoy you so much when I do it!"
He was right, yesterday morning fed up with being interrupted in the middle of the dreams he ordered him to cease waking him.
" For goodness sake Merlin, next time don't listen, do you really want to end up in the stocks again!"
" But, you said..."
"Well I'm now ordering you to not listen when I give stupid orders! Especially ones that are going to get me and you in trouble with my father."
"Okay."
"Now go and get my things, quickly."
Merlin gave him a quick grin and ran to get what was needed.
Arthur needed a moment alone to clear his head. It was getting too much. She seemed to fill his thoughts night and day, seeping into every part of his brain.
He was speaking out more against his Father's decisions because he could imagine what she would have to say on the subject.
He had lost concentration in training more than once trying to catch a glimpse of her.
Throwing back the covers he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.
However he tried he couldn't suppress the knowledge of how much he needed to see her, to be in her presence.
Catching her at an unguarded moment when the true Guinevere would shine through.
She was so much more than just Morgana's handmaiden and Merlin's friend now.
There was such an inherent goodness within her and a stubbornness that meant she saw things through when she believed in them.
She had been revealing more of her true self since Eadol and he was fascinated by what he saw. It wasn’t often that someone, even Merlin stood up to him and it had peaked his interest.
Arthur hadn't put much stock in it at first. Many pretty girls had caught his fancy before and his interest never lasted long.
During his recovery from being bitten, he was plagued with hazy memories of her at his bedside, holding his hand and willing him to recover.
It had made him more determined know the that Guinevere was hidden under curtseys and "Sire".
They were thrown together more and more. His interest in her didn't waver and became more focused the more time they spent together.
It was staying with her during the tournament that had tipped the balance completely.
During that brief time they had ceased to be Prince and Servant and had just been Arthur and Gwen.
She had been quiet and reserved at first, nervous and blushing, eyes not meeting his.
They had been polite and formal with each other, concentration focused on not being discovered.
On his second night of staying there, he made a passing comment on how hard the bed was.
Guinevere had forgotten her embarrassment and shown no hesitation about putting him in his place. Making it clear how much trouble she could get for what they were doing. That he had no right to complain.
She had fixed him with a determined glare that challenged him to continue.
When Guinevere's dark eyes met his own, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he had felt something unfurl inside him.
In that small moment it felt that she could see every fault and failing he had and his every wish and desire all at the same time.
Even more shocking for Arthur was the fact that he was ready to tell her all these things.
Thoughts and feelings that he had never shared with anyone, but that he was ready to expose to her completely that very second.
Arthur had quickly apologised and turned away in an attempt to regain control. He had struggled in his presence for the rest of that time, aware of every movement and action that she made.
He would itch to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, and had use a considerable amount of restraint not to brush his lips against hers when she stood close examining his armour.
Arthur couldn't help but imagine her embarressed confusion if he did just that. He could see in his mind ,a blush spread across her cheeks and her stumble into something before asking exactly what he was doing.
Two things had emerged from the time they spent together.
Firstly any formality that had remained between them had been removed and more importantly for Arthur had revealed to him the true depth of his feelings for her.
Arthur knew he needed to speak to her soon.
The door clanged open, shaking him from his revere.
Merlin stood in front of him holding out his clothes.
"Here you go Arthur, better hurry. I think your Father's going to be up here himself to get you if you don't show your face soon."
"Thank you once again ,for stating the complete obvious Merlin."
Merlin raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
Snatching the clothes he dressed quickly and headed for the door, tuning to Merlin as he was halfway out.
“I'll try to keep you out of the stocks but I can't promise anything. Now while your here you can sort my laundry, change my sheets then get my armour ready before I get back."
Merlin eyed the large pile of dirty linen and clothing that sat in a corner of Arthur's room and sighed.
He lifted it onto the bed and began to sort through it.
He also wondered what was wrong with Arthur.
Arthur had been distracted by something ever since he had recovered from facing the beast.
He hid it well but Merlin was around him enough to see the changes. His concentration slipped and he was more outspoken towards his father.
Then there was the thing with Gwen.
More than once he had seen Arthur staring intently at Gwen when she was laughing with Morgana or talking to him at some court celebration.
Gwen would catch him staring and look down, as if embarrassed. But Merlin had caught the smile on her lips as she would turn away.
He hadn't really put much thought into it before, but the relationship between them was much more informal than it had been previously.
Merlin was almost certain that Arthur had said her name as he tried to wake him.
The possibility of Arthur’s behaviour and his growing interest in Gwen being connected suddenly dawned on him.
Merlin was finally coming to terms with the fact that his destiny was intertwined with Arthur's. That he was going to help shape the kind of King that Arthur became.
He was also growing in ability and learning to trust his feelings.
The more he though about it, something inside told him however impossible, Gwen could well be part of that to.
She had an innate ability to bring out the best in Arthur and had no hesitation in putting him in his place.
Merlin felt concerned, as any connection between the two of them could be precarious, the difference in the status making things almost impossible.
He also knew that if things ended badly it would be Gwen that suffered the most.
As he sorted through the laundry, his thoughts were on Arthur and Gwen and the world of trouble he knew that was headed his way.