Hi! So, I know you're all disappointed in me for just making a one-shot a little bit ago, so here you are! A new series, yay! Anyway, I was reading a Phanfiction when this popped into my head. I didn't even try to make this British. Let's just pretend they live in America, yeah? I hope it's okay! The next chapter will be up tomorrow or sooner, because I've already written it. Enjoy!
I don't own Merlin, Arthur, Uther, or really any of the characters in this. I also (obviously) do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.
It was a perfectly ordinary summer day. The sun was shining, and there was not a cloud to be seen.
A 10-year-old boy was sitting on his bed reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. He loved the idea of an entire world hidden in a wardrobe. It gave him hope that one day he might escape from his father's control and find his own Narnia.
The blonde boy heard footsteps in the hallway outside his room, and rushed to hide his book, but it was too late.
Uther stormed in, wearing a full suit. He must have just gotten back from work. The boy glanced at the clock; sure enough, it read "6:15". He knew what was coming next, and it was all because he'd been too stupid to check the time.
"Arthur, what did I tell you about reading?" He hissed the word as if it were a curse.
"I-it's f-for g-g-girls, s-sir," Arthur replied meekly, slowly backing as far against the wall as possible. His bed was in the corner of his small room for a reason, and this was it. He'd moved it there after a bad experience of falling of the bed because he thought he could back up a little more.
"That's right, son. And stop that stuttering, It makes you seem weak. Give me that," Uther demanded. Arthur reluctantly picked up his book and stretched his arm out as far as possible. He wanted to stay as far from his father as possible.
Uther left with a determined look in his eyes, slamming the door behind him.
Once Arthur was sure he wasn't coming back, the boy grabbed his backpack and packed a flashlight and a bag of chips. He pulled his jacket on, even though it wasn't cold out. It made him feel more secure. He put the hood up and the backpack on before slowly opening the door.
Arthur poked his head around to see if his father was in the hallway. He wasn't, so Arthur turned his gaze to his father's room. The light was seeping through the crack between the door and the carpet, so Arthur thought it safe to assume his father was in his room. The boy crept down the hallway, attempting to blend into the darkness.
On the way out, Arthur made sure to pick his book out of the trash can in the kitchen. He put it in his backpack with care before running as fast as he could in the direction of the park.
When he reached his destination, Arthur saw that his favorite spot on the bench nearest to the forest was occupied. This worried him. Arthur had held back his tears since his father had left the room, and he couldn't do it for much longer. The blonde really didn't like the idea of letting his tears spill in front of this stranger, but he couldn't do it anymore. His eyes hurt, and he just needed a good cry.
Arthur stopped and sat behind the bench, right on the edge of the forest. He felt the tell-tale tickle running down his cheek, and knew that it was too late. When the first sob escaped from his lips, the boy on the bench turned around.
He looked about Arthur's age and had very dark brown or black hair. It was hard to tell in the fading light. Arthur could see his eyes, though, and they were a wonderful shade of blue-green. Arthur's own were bright blue, but he preferred the eyes of this boy.
"What's wrong?" The boy asked, standing up and facing Arthur. He only shook his head. Arthur didn't like sharing his pain with others; it wasn't fair to them.
The boy walked towards Arthur and sat cross-legged in front of him. "It's okay, you can tell me. I want to help."
"D-d-d-d-don't w-w-ant to h-hurt y-y-you," Arthur managed through his sobs.
"Hey, hey, it's fine. I can take it," the boy promised, his hand resting comfortingly on Arthur's shoulder.
"Ok-k-kay, I-I'll t-tell y-y-you," Arthur decided, eliciting a smile from the other boy. "M-my f-father c-caught me r-reading today. H-he d-doesn't l-like it when I r-read. H-he s-says it's f-for g-g-g-irls."
"Reading isn't for girls! Reading is for everyone, and if your dad doesn't read, then he's not very smart. My mom always says that reading makes you smart!" Arthur decided he liked this boy, and his mom. "What book were you reading?"
Rather than trying to answer with words and stuttering so much that it's incomprehensible, Arthur thought it best to pull the book out of his backpack. He saw the boy looking at his flashlight and chips, but noticed he didn't say anything.
As soon as the book was in the boy's view, his eyes lit up and he ran back to the bench. Arthur wasn't worried that he'd leave, because the boy had only been nice so far, and Arthur hoped they could become friends.
When the boy returned, he had a book in his hands. As Arthur read the title, he felt a smile tugging at his lips. It was The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe!
Arthur lifted his eyes to meet those of the other boy, both with matching smiles on their faces. It was the boy who finally spoke. "By the way, I'm Merlin."
"I'm Arthur," he responded, then realized that he hadn't stuttered. He'd stuttered at least once per sentence for as long as he could remember! "I-I d-didn't st-st-stutter!" So much for that, Arthur thought.
The boy held back a laugh by covering his mouth, but Arthur could see the amusement in his eyes. "Well, Arthur, I think we should both go home. It's getting really dark."
Arthur almost told him that he wasn't planning on ever going home, but then he realized that if he didn't go home, he'd have to go far away from his town, and that meant far away from Merlin. He didn't want to leave Merlin, so he nodded, but then he shook his head because he didn't want to leave yet. Merlin seemed to understand, and he smiled. Arthur smiled back.