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

Not Awkward Just New

Merlin froze.

Arthur did too.

He didn't break eye contact.

Neither did Arthur.

"I don't recall inviting you out here."

"Gwaine brought me."

They were about 40 meters apart and showed no signs of getting closer.

"Why?" Arthur looked away to bow his head and watch the thin stream below the bridge.

"I should be asking you that."

Merlin noticed Arthur's large paws grip the railing of the bridge tighter. Still, neither one moved.

The quiet stretched on until-

"Can I call you Arthur?"

His head started to snap up but he caught himself.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't call me anything."

"And I'd prefer it if you stopped trying to push me away...Arthur."

Merlin took a step forward. Then another. And another.

Arthur took a step back. Then another. And another.

"I know about the curse. I've heard about it from multiple sources in this castle...and one of them was you." Merlin kept walking towards Arthur.

Arthur stopped moving.

Merlin reached the bridge. He stepped onto it. Then took another step and another...and he was right in front of Arthur.

"Gwaine said I was brave for speaking to you. But I think it was you. You told me your name."

Merlin reached out a tentative hand and brushed Arthur's paw.

"And I think," Merlin said, placing his whole hand on Arthur's, "that you don't want to-"

"Please stop," Arthur grumbled.

"...You don't want to be alone."

"Stop pretending that you know me. I'm telling you, you don't...and you never will." Arthur pulled his paw away and turned his back to Merlin.

"Please, Arthur-"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Arthur turned around so fast the breeze from it rustled Merlin's hair. He could feel himself shrink from the sudden outburst. "Can't you understand that this is how I live now? That the choices I made caused everything you see here? Don't try to get to know me because you'll just be disappointed by what you find out. I'm saving you the burden of knowing me. I shouldn't even matter to you!"

Arthur stared down at Merlin, his piercing blue eyes wide and restless.

Merlin stared up at Arthur. It was in this moment that he realized just how much pain Arthur was feeling and just how many regrets he had. Most of all he realized, like a knife to his heart, just how much he blamed himself. That's something he would never wish anyone to be tormented with.

"You shouldn't blame yourself."

"YES! I SHOULD!" Arthur let out a frustrated growl and absentmindedly pounded his foot down rght in front of Merlin who took a step back. "I have been a beast my whole life! This curse just shows what's been inside me all along!"

"Well I don't believe that!"

Arthur went silent and had a look of incredulity on his face.

"I refuse to believe that you would even consider yourself to be a monster."

Arthur's eyebrows relaxed and his head shook in defeat, though his voice remained cold. "But what am I now?"

The two stared at each other once more and after a few moments Arthur turned around and started to walk off the bridge.

"You're hope."

Arthur stopped walking and turned back around to look at his prisoner. "What?"

Merlin cocked his head, like he was discovering everything about Arthur just by looking in his eyes.

"You're hope. You are proof that you can change your life. That you want to be better, that you want to believe you can change your ways and allow yourself to be happy. The fact that you know you don't want to be a beast shows that it's possible for you or for anyone to believe in finding happiness. You just have to let yourself."

Arthur remained silent, then took a few steps towards Merlin, slow and steady.

"Why are you so insistent on trying to help me? On trying to convince me that there's hope for me? I am far from that."

Merlin let his words sink in, let his mind form the perfect answer. There was so much he could say to this...person. All Arthur had to do was open his damn blue eyes and see that there was more than self-punishment and isolation.

"Because you remind me of someone. Someone I never met."

Arthur lifted an eyebrow.

"And that someone was my father. That's right, I never met my father," Merlin added noticing Arthur's face contort into one of confusion. "Do you know why? Because he was afraid. Once he heard that my mother was pregnant, he left. I don't even know where he is now. One thing changed in his life and he let fear and uncertainty take over and ruin what could have been a beautiful moment for him. My mother didn't tell me until recently because she didn't want me growing up blaming myself and thinking my father hated me. I'm glad she waited, too, because now I know it was his fault and his choices that drove him away. You shouldn't run and hide from yourself. My father didn't have hope, he didn't believe he'd be able to raise me and he ran away from it without at least trying to be a father because who knows? Maybe if he did I'd have a complete, happy family. Not that it would matter now anyway because I'm being held captive."

Arthur's eyes flickered down to the rotting wooden boards of the bridge.

"He couldn't see happiness. I don't want that for you. I don't want you to suffer a similar fate as my father, no one deserves to feel like he did."

It had to be the fire in Merlin's voice that made Arthur look up again, just for a second, his features soft, his eyes focused.

"If this lesson, if I could call it that, from my father was meant to be passed on to someone, I am certain it would be for you."

The tension in the air was palpable in the silence that followed. Merlin himself was quite pleasantly surprised that he was able to make Arthur speechless. In all honesty, Merlin wasn't entirely sure why he was so set on getting Arthur to see that there was more to his life than sulking in a crumbling castle. All he knew was now that it was in his mind, now that he was trying to improve this former prince's life, he wouldn't stop until Arthur was at least a little happy and they could maybe, possibly, get along.

"I know it's going to take time. I don't expect this to be easy. Hope, the tension between us...but maybe...together," Merlin added tentatively, "we can find a way to at least respect one another. And maybe you'll be able to see that you can be happy."

Merlin inhaled deeply and kept his eyes on Arthur who kept staring at his feet.

"That's all I have to say," Merlin concluded, his voice low and final.

Arthur's head never lifted. Merlin let himself look at Arthur for a short while more before solemnly turning around and walking away.

"Merlin?"

Merlin stopped abruptly at the base of the bridge, not expecting to hear Arthur's gruff voice so soon. Turning back around to face him he said, "Yes?"

"Would you...like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Merlin's lips pulled into a small, victorious smile.

"I would like that very much."

A/N-Hey everyone! I've started writing a merthur one shots book so if that sounds interesting go ahead and check it out! Thanks for reading! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far!