Title: The Secrets We Keep
Rating: T
Summary: When you get too comfortable, you are bound to make small mistakes and slip up. Gwaine caught Merlin performing magic and confronts him about it, unaware that Arthur was listening into their conversation. [Reveal Fic. - No Slash - BAMF!Merlin]
Chapter 1
"You know Merlin, I would've thought that after all these years you will have finally gotten over hiding behind trees every time we are attacked by bandits." Arthur smirked as the manservant dropped a pile of logs down on the ground where they were setting camp for the night.
Merlin scoffed, rolling his eyes, not in the mood to retaliate to Arthur's taunts this night.
Yet again, they'd run into a bunch of bandits who thought that they could leave victorious against the Camelot knights. How sorely mistaken they were. Again, Merlin saved all their hides, and resigned to his fate of never receiving the credit he deserved.
After all, he could hardly tell the king that he had saved him with his magic could he?
The Knights of the Round Table and Arthur set camp whilst Merlin tried to start up a fire with flint. However it appeared, just like everything else that had been going wrong today, the fire starter refused to cooperate with him.
Taking a careful look around Merlin whispered, "Forbearnan," his eyes flashing a brilliant shade of gold as a fire roared to a start.
The knights gave a shout as the blazing fire startled them; Merlin ignored them and set about preparing supper for the party of six.
No one noticed the way Gwaine was staring at Merlin.
"I'm just going to the stream to get some water," Merlin stated, not that the knights were paying him any attention; they were all rather busy teasing Leon about his upcoming marriage.
"I'll go with you!" Gwaine exclaimed immediately. "Just to make sure that you don't get into trouble," Gwaine didn't miss the slight of a smile on Merlin's face and the roll of his eyes.
Of course, Merlin was more than capable of taking care of himself; Gwaine knew that now. But it would be the perfect opportunity to speak to Merlin alone without prying eyes and ears.
"Don't let the game burn!" Merlin called over his shoulder, he had of course made sure that the deer would cook at a steady rate over his fire, but one could never be too careful.
"Tell me Merlin," Gwaine strode up next to Merlin to keep pace with him. "Why is it that over the years you never bothered to learn how to swordfight knowing that you would always be out with Arthur on his quests and hunts regardless?" It was an innocent enough question; but obviously Gwaine knew more than he let on.
"I never felt the need to learn it." Merlin shrugged, clumsily stumbling over broken branches.
That would have been an acceptable answer to someone who was not aware of Merlin's abilities, but with that insight, suddenly the cryptic way that Merlin often spoke started to have more than one meaning.
What Gwaine now heard was, "I don't need it. I have something better."
Now there was two ways that Gwaine could go about this, he could ignore his new found information and watch Merlin from a distance, he knew that the young man was not capable of treason, but Gwaine had also seen how magic could corrupt souls; or he could be subtle and confront Merlin about it.
Unfortunately, subtlety had never been Gwaine's forte.
"Tell me Merlin, what possessed you to learn magic in the heart of Camelot?"
Merlin tripped and fell over thin air.
"Wh-what?!" The 24 year old spluttered, a brief look of shock passed his features before he covered it up with an utterly surprised face. It was frighteningly worrying at how easily Merlin seemed to be able to cover up his emotions.
"I saw you Merlin, back there with the bandits, you threw them into trees with just a blink of your eye."
Merlin snorted, "perhaps all that mead has really gone to your heard Gwaine," the warlock dismissed Gwaine's concerns. Hoping that he could dissuade the knight form believing what he had seen.
"Don't lie to me Merlin, I also saw the way that you lit the fire tonight," Gwaine sighed sadly, hoping that he was not going to lose a friend to the darkness of magic.
The warlock stepped back, almost recoiling from the knight. A million emotions and thoughts fled through Merlin's mind before settling on resignation.
"Don't tell Arthur," the young man whispered with plead.
"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't!" Gwaine raised his voice slightly, his hand reaching towards his sword.
The look of utter despair on Merlin's face made Gwaine's hands freeze. Sighing resignedly, Gwaine thrust his hands in the air as a sign of neutrality.
"Tell me why Merlin, why did you choose magic?" Gwaine whispered.
"I didn't choose magic!" Gwaine took a step back at the force behind those words, Merlin heaved a sigh; "I was born with it." The whisper echoed through the quiet woodlands as a stunned silence fell between the two friends.
"What do you mean?" Gwaine probed with genuine confusion.
"I could move things with magic before I could even speak. I never had a choice in who I am, in what I am. Camelot's laws, since the day that I took my first breath, condemned me. Magic flows in my body like blood in everyone else. To ask me to stop using magic is equivalent to killing me. It's what I am."
Gwaine took a shaky breath.
"Mate, I've heard of people learning of magic from such a young age, but never born with it." Gwaine whispered.
The tenseness in Merlin's shoulders subsided slightly as he explained to Gwaine, "That's because there's never been one like me before. I was born for a reason, for destiny."
"And what would that be?" Gwaine asked, as he sat down on a stump of a tree, processing what he was being told.
"To help Arthur become the King that he was supposed to be, The Once and –"
"Future King." Gwaine finished. At Merlin's questioning eyes, Gwaine added, "Well when you spend most of your time in the tavern like I do, you hear a lot of tales from fellow drunks; most of them turn out to be just that, tales, stories; but – that means, that makes you, I mean – are you Emrys?"
Merlin flinched, that was the last thing that he had expected Gwaine to utter. The two friends stared at each other for a good moment, neither moving nor speaking.
"That is what the druids call me." Merlin admitted.
"Whoa!" Gwaine breathed, Merlin flushed under the expression of awe his best friend was shooting him.
"The most powerful warlock of all time to ever walk the face of this earth living his life as the King's personal manservant-" Gwaine snorted, "I think that statement embodies exactly your person Merlin."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves,-"
"Please mate, of all the stories I've heard in the tavern, the story of Emrys has always fascinated me. Of course, at that time I only believed it to be a story, but from what I heard, your title, your destiny, it's not a light one Merlin." The knight suddenly became serious.
Merlin shot him a look that practically read, don't I know it.
"Who else knows Merlin? About you I mean?"
"Well, apart from my mother, Gaius knows and," Merlin swallowed thickly, "Lancelot knew too."
Gwaine bowed his head in respect for his fallen comrade.
"He died knowing didn't he? That it couldn't be you who sacrificed yourself?"
Merlin nodded, it felt good, liberating even, to be able to open up to someone about everything.
"You know, once we go back to Camelot, you are going to tell me everything you've done, without us knowing." The knight grinned; Merlin found himself returning the infectious grin.
His heart lightened considerably. His friend accepted him for who he was.
"Come on, we should probably be getting back," Gwaine offered Merlin a hand.
"Gwaine!" Merlin called, stopping the knight in midstride. "Arthur can't know."
"Don't worry Merlin, your secrets safe with me," Gwaine informed the boy, a look of promise shining in his eye. "I would be committing treason, but hey it's not something I'm foreign to eh?" Gwaine winked.
Merlin shook his head, and wondered lightly at his luck for having supportive friends to help share his burden.
Lost in their own thoughts, Merlin nor Gwaine noticed the shell-shocked Arthur hiding in the darkness of the woods, staring angrily at the warlock.
AN: First Merlin fic. It's going to be a reveal story (obviously) with BAMF!Merlin. Constructive criticism and reviews are welcomed, I am also looking for a Beta, if someone is interested please PM me :)
I really am missing this fandom, and I was extremely gutted at how the writers handled the reveal so I decided to do it myself.
Thank you!