The Boy and the Beast: A Merthur Beauty and the Beast AU

Running

Merlin raced through the castle's halls, his breath and the soles of his shoes making contact with the hard floors were the only noises echoing in his ears. He ignored Gwaine's and Gaius' shouts of "Where are you going?" and "You can't leave! You don't want to face an angry master!"

Merlin couldn't care less. This castle was crazy, the beast was insane and it was now, at this moment when Merlin realized just how messed up this entire situation was. From the beast throwing his mother in a decaying dungeon simply for walking on his property, to the beast allowing him to sleep on an actual bed when he clearly said he was a prisoner, to the talking objects, this was not right. There was no way he was staying in this prison and he should have snuck out a long time ago. 

Merlin skidded to a stop at the door, but only briefly, to yank it open and make his escape. 

He should have known. It was locked. 

Merlin looked for a window, another escape, trying to think but Gaius and Gwaine and now the barking footstool were yelling and barking at him, rushing towards him, and the only thing he thought to do was grab a small stone statue on a nearby table and slam it on the door, breaking the rusting door handle. He tossed the statue away, thrust the door open and ran. 

The sun was glinting off of his perspiring skin as he dodged low branches, hurtled over rocks and curved around trees. As soon as he felt he was far enough away from the castle, he gradually slowed, though not stopping, and breathed deeply. He glanced behind him and didn't see the beast chasing him or anyone else from the castle that would try to bring him back. Merlin picked up his pace once again but some branches snapping in the dense trees over to his left brought him to a sudden halt. He looked over and didn't see anything, so he began his jog once more. 

A few seconds later, a large brown bear lumbered out of the trees and towards the path Merlin was running on to return home. The bear stopped when he saw him and Merlin was too stunned to even breathe. The bear wasn't stopped for long. Its paws began to move again, getting closer and closer to Merlin and he unconciously, backed up. 

A low growl could be heard from the bear's throat and Merlin gasped audibly. However, that sound triggered the bear to growl even louder and begin to circle a paling Merlin. The bear's stance changed, its fur stood on end and a few of its teeth peeked out of its mouth. Merlin didn't dare move but the bear did and the only action he could take to not become this bear's meal was to move to the side but the bear's claw scratched his left arm and he hissed in pain. He had to turn around to see the bear's next move but he fell beore he could turn and banged his left shoulder on a rock and he couldn't breathe and he could see the bear ready to run to him and he couldn't get up and there was no chance of him escaping this-

"RROAAAARR!"

Merlin flinched and instinctively covered his head with his right arm, but when he felt no impact and heard pounding steps that weren't coming right for him he looked up. 

The beast was pushing the bear to the ground and the force of it made the bear slide into a tree, its legs reaching in diections they shouldn't be able to move in. The beast then gripped the bear in his massive front two paws and tossed it, far from gently, into an area of dense trees near where it emerged. The bear landed on its side but immediately stood up with some difficulty and raced off into the woods. 

Merlin was aware of his fast breathing and the exruciating pain running up and down his left arm but he must have bumped his head on the way down because he couldn't keep his eyes open much longer. Everything was slowing down and the last thing he saw before darkness consumed him was the sun disappearing and a large figure marching towards him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"-can't believe you let him escape!"

"But there was no way for us to stop him!"

"Well at least you found him. He would have bled to death if you hadn't gone after him."

*grunt*

"Oh, look, he's waking up!"

Merlin opened his eyes just as the sound of heavy footsteps were disappearing. When the world came into focus, he saw Gwen, Gaius and Gwaine hovering over him. How long had he been out? Last he remembered there was a bear and a scratch and he fell and the beast, the beast- 

"He saved my life?" It came out as a question. 

"I suppose he did," Gwen responded.

Merlin looked over at his arm and there was an ugly bruise on his shoulder and bandages from just under his shoulder to the middle of his forearm where the bear got him. He tried to sit up but black spots distorted his vision and he had to lay back down again. There was a dull throbbing in his head.

"You're going to need a lot of rest," Gwen said.

"Why am I being treated so well?" Merlin asked groggily, the thoughts he had when trying to run away returning to him. "I'm supposed to be a prisoner but I've got a decent room, large meals and kind...objects helping me."

There was a pause. The facial expressions of the three faces that shouldn't be there looking questionably at one another. It was Gwen who spoke again.

"Let's just say it's been a while. For all of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Merlin inquired. He was suddenly aware of the soft blanket beneath him, the warmth from the nearby fire enveloping him and he had a strong desire to return to sleep. 

"Just rest now," the teapot said and Merlin had no trouble closing his eyes and almost instantly drifting off into sleep. 

When Merlin next awoke the fire was a memory and the castle was silent. He slowly sat up and put the hand from his uninjured arm to his head. He dimly thought of escaping again but remembered how he had gotten his injuries and took the dangers of night into consideration. 

But he found his mind drifting to the beast. 

Did he really save his life?

He had to get back to the castle somehow.

He could have just left him there, alone.

So is he really a beast at all?

A/N-How are you all enjoying the story so far? Beast/Merlin moments soon to come! If I made a book of merthur one shots would you guys read it? Keep on voting/commenting/sharing! It makes me happy to know you guys are enjoying my work!☻♥