Merlin imagines

Gwaine- Three days time

A/n This imagine was requested by @selfconfessedtrash

"Must you go?" I groaned as Gwaine's hands traced circles on my back. I pouted at him as I allowed my hands to roam around the back of his head, my fingers twirling the ends of his hair.

"What Arthur wants Arthur gets." Gwaine mused shrugging his shoulders.

"Come on lover boy," Merlin shouted as he finished readying Gwaine's horse. "Cendred's kingdoms awaits." Gwaine sighed, turning to look back at me before sighing.

"Coming," He shouted to Merlin but his eyes were resting on mine. He lifted his arms from around my back to cupping my face gently in his hands. He leant his forehead against mine before he gently pressed his lips against my own. For a few simple seconds his lips were on mine and everything in the world was perfect, but then he pulled away and he was on the horse in moments whilst I was standing there gently resting my hand on my lips.

"Hurry back." I softly called as Gwaine took the reigns off Merlin. Gwaine smiled at me and I smiled back mentally shaking my head at his childish grin.

"I will see you in three days time" He gripped the horses reigns tightly as he gained control of the horse, and with that he turned and rode away.

That was two weeks ago.

Emotions clouded my judgement as I stormed into the council room, my cheeks flushing with anger. All the men looked upwards, including Arthur, their arrogant gazes focusing on myself.

"Y/n?" Arthur looked upwards, confused on seeing my presence in the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Merlin told me that you would be here." The fear for my lover was pounding in me along with confidence I didn't know I had. "He also told me that you were discussing Gwaine." My heart throbbed with fear for him just by mentioning his name.

"We are sending a group of knights to scout Cenred's kingdom looking for Gwaine." One of the advisors informed.

"Let me go with them." I burst. The advisors looked between each other, all of them looking disproving and I struggled to control an outburst waiting. "Please Arthur I beg of you."

"You will address your king with-" One of the advisors started but Arthur cut him off, holding up a silencing hand.

"Leave us," Confused the advisors looked between themselves but they left anyway. Slowly Arthur walked over to me before putting his hands on my shoulders. "If I allow you to come with us then you have to promise me something?" His tone was serious and I nodded desperate to have Gwaine back.

"Anything."

"Never burst into the council room again." He smiled and I relaxed breathing out a sigh as I smiled back relieved.

"Promise."

"I swear y/n if your stomach rumbles on more time," Arthur wags a finger at me, pulling on the reigns of his horse. I laugh, grinning at him slightly, pulling the reigns on my own mare shrugging slightly.

"We have been riding for hours on end, I cannot help it if my stomach deems it appropriate to rumble." He laughed slightly at his comment as we climbed off our horses with Merlin shortly on our heels behind us. "Merlin what food did you pack?" My stomach rumbling yet again I walked over to Merlin's horse as he climbed off it. I dove into his bag the delighting smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies drawing me to look further.

Suddenly and without warning half a dozen arrows whizzed passed us. Arthur called for us to duck and take cover but it was too late as two arrows had dug themselves into my side and forearm causing me to cry out in immense pain. One arrow had hit the floor, barely missing Merlin as the other two landed on the floor by the horses hoofs. I gasped and cried out in pain as our attackers showed themselves, weapons at the ready. Arthur screamed out at seeing Cenred's men, calling for them to stand down. I shut my eyes, my breathing gradually becoming uneven, as I swayed on the spot.

"Y/n, are you alright?" Merlin turned to look at me as I opened my eyes. Blood was gushing out of my wounds and by the second I could feel myself becoming weaker and weaker. I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing but groans came out and then everything went black.

My head pounded and everything from my toes to my hair ached with immense pain. I stirred in my sleep, the movement causing shooting pains to stem from my sides and up my arm.

"Gauis said try not to move," A familiar voice spoke out as I felt a gentle stroking of a hand across my forehead. The voice was soft as was his touch on my forehead, a touch that send soothing messages into my brain along with tingle of desire. Slowly I tuned my head and fluttered my eyes open. Gwaine, with his slightly curly hair and his bright eyes, was sat there smiling at me. Forgetting his previous words I tried to sit up when an unliveable amount of pain washed over me. "Lie back down, honestly y/n, do you never listen?" 

The familiar twinkle that I knew too well was sparkling in his eyes but they were mixed with dark specs. Specs of worry, specs that I had honestly forgotten Gwaine was capable of having. 

"What- What are you doing?" As he gently lied me back on the bed I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. He shushed me, his hand continuing to brush over and over my forehead in a calming manner. 

"I am looking after you of course." He desperately tried to hold his joking tone to his voice and If I did not know him so well I might have believed his charade.

"Not what I meant." I hummed but he shushed me again. Our eyes connected and I smiled softly. A million unexplainable emotions passed through me before he smiled back, gently intertwining my hand in his. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too." He replied but his voice cracked at the end causing my heart to break. Letting my hand fall out of his I brought it up to his cheek, my fingers gently stroking his skin. 

"What is wrong? I softly said, my eyes scanning his facial features repeatedly for any sign of troubled emotions and boy his face was full of it. "You are worrying about me are you not?" His eyes fell from mine to the floor, searching for something else, maybe hoping that the floor would suck him up. 

"Maybe." He whispered and I sighed, placing my other hand on his cheek that did not already have my hand on it. "What if I lose you?"

"Look at me Gwaine," I softly spoke and he did. His eyes flickered to mine his beautiful orbs filled with worry.  "I am not going anywhere. I belong here, with you." 

Gwaine took my hands in his and removed them from his cheeks before he sat on the bed, causing it to dip under his weight. 

"I will hold you to that."