I do not own Merlin. Enjoy! ^^
It was night time but Morgan could not sleep. He turns to the other side only to look at his father's face directly and up close. It was familiar but not completely; Papa had a tinge of grey in his beard and hair whereas the man in bed with the boy was much much younger with a cleanly shaven face and smooth skin devoid of any signs of aging. It was weird but not uncomfortable yet it was just enough to make the boy leave the bed quietly, careful not to wake Merlin. As comforting as it was to sleep by his father in the small bed, Morgan found it hard to close his eyes because he was having a dreadful case of homesickness.
He loved his Papa but he also missed his Mama. He was the youngest in the family, the baby, the coddled one and he would be lying if he said he didn't miss his parents; the feel of mother's cheek rubbing against his own or his mother's affectionate kisses to his temple or his father's hearty laughter as he carried him on his back whenever he could and the funny voices he did for different characters when reading him his bedtime stories.
Morgan left the room, tears silently flowing down his face. The heavy creaking of the door closing did little to deter the sleeping Merlin much to the small boy's relief but his relief was short-lived because as soon as he closed the door behind him, he turned and came face to face with another eerily familiar face who just stared at him incredulously.
She looked pretty much the same except she seemed slimmer, her eyes a little brighter and much longer hair. Morgan did not know what to do, the blood within him was screaming at him to run over and hug his Mama but his brain was telling him to go to Papa for help.
Morgana wanted to stop the child and speak to him but before she could get a chance to do anything or move for that matter; Morgan was already rushing back inside Merlin's room, crying so loudly that it woke Merlin up immediately. Merlin's eyes flashed gold, instinct he never knew he had screaming at him to protect the boy and whatever dared to harm him.
"Morgan? What's wrong?!"
Morgan just continued wailing helplessly before crawling into the older male's lap causing Merlin to blink his presently gold eyes in confusion. He takes a deep breath to calm down and gently holds his future son into his chest to comfort him, his eyes turning back to it's brilliant blue hue. The male teenager hugs the boy tightly, trying to shush him until he hears his door creak open and Morgana of all people, stepped inside.
At that moment, Merlin could not help but stare as Morgana stood before him in an almost sheer, lightweight ivory nightgown, the outline of her voluptuous curves clearly visible. If she wasn't wearing her robe, Merlin's neck and face would be red with embarrassment because he would have been able to see everything.
"That boy...who is he?"
Merlin hesitated but he knew how stubborn Morgana could be so he replied, anxiety clear in his voice as he stuttered, "P-patient.."
"He looks a lot like you-"
"No he doesn't."
"Yes he does!"
Morgan sniffles hard suddenly against Merlin's shirt not allowing Merlin to continue his argument so instead, he opts to affectionately brush his fingers in the boy's hair in the hopes that the boy would calm down.
"Merlin, how long have you been keeping your son here?"
"Well-"
"I'm also yours..."
Merlin's eyes widen and whips his head to see Morgan with his face towards Morgana's direction but before he cover his mouth; the small boy repeats what he said but louder and clearer for Morgana to hear, "I am your kid too."
Two hours later, Morgana had many questions but Morgan refused to tell her too much despite being the one to spill the beans to begin with. He did not answer her questions of what their future was like or how many children they had or even how Camelot came to be. What the boy did answer was whatever she asked about him like his hobbies, favorite foods and how he fell into the timeline.
"You don't eat meat?" Morgana repeats, confused.
"Yeah, meat comes from the animals. I play with the animals in the forest. Animals are my friends not food."
The raven beauty swooned at the sweet innocence of the child, becoming attached to the child rather quickly but Merlin would have none of it. He refused to allow Morgana to carry Morgan. Killgarrah's warning about Morgana's destiny as a foe of Camelot still prodded his mind like a lice on a scalp. Morgana usually seemed to be an optimistic, witty and a compassionate individual hence why it was difficult for him to accept the Great Dragon's warning. But right now, Merlin was having troubles coming to terms with what Morgan said about their future; the fact that he was actually going to have a happy life with Morgana. He had so many questions. Did the prophecy come true? How did they fall in love? How has Camelot been?
So many questions and so little time but Merlin knew Morgan wouldn't answer any of them anyway.
Eventually, Morgana asks how does Merlin plan to take Morgan home and the manservant then explains that he only found one probable way to get him home. It was called Lake of Nevermore and according to myth, the lake's water had magical properties and is able to grant any sincere, noble wish of any person that is pure of heart. The journey was rumored to be tough and worse, there has been no record of anybody completing the journey in the last 150 years but Merlin insisted that it was the only way much to Morgana's chagrin who was uncomfortable with the thought of little Morgan being accompanied on such a dangerous quest.
Morgana then asks if Gaius was consulted on this and Merlin nodded firmly putting the king's ward at ease just a little bit until she realizes something else, "How do you plan to leave for the lake when you have manservant duties for Arthur?"
"Nothing to worry, I can easily just have Gaius fabricate something about me leaving the kingdom to fetch him some herbal plants for his medicine."
Morgana smirks then, intrigued and amused by the manservent's easy answer, "Is that an often occurrence for you Merlin?"
Before the big-eared servant could respond, a sudden small yawn catches their attention and they look down, only to notice little Morgan was falling asleep. Merlin, the first to react, chuckles before gently putting Morgan down in their shared bed. He brushes the boy's hair affectionately before singing a soft lullaby for the child.
Lullay lullow, lullay lully,
Beway bewy, lullay lullow,
Lullay lully,
Baw me bairne, sleep softly now.
I saw a sweet and seemly sight,
A blissful burd, a blossom bright,
That morning made and mirth among.
Lullay lullow, lullay lully,
Beway bewy, lullay lullow,
Lullay lully,
Baw me bairne, sleep softly now.
A maiden mother, meek and mild,
In cradle keep, a knavë child,
That softly sleep; she sat and sang.
Morgana was stunned, she had no idea Merlin could sing. She decides not to tease him, instead she joined him along for the rest of the song much to the younger teenager's delight.
Baw me bairne, sleep softly now.
Lullay lullow, lullay lully,
Beway bewy, lullay lullow,
Lullay lully,
Baw me bairne, sleep softly now
Morgana kisses Morgan fondly on the forehead and together with Merlin, they softly wish him goodnight until Morgana turns her attention back to Merlin yet this time with a smile on her beautiful face, "My lady, perhaps you should go back to your room, staying too long here will not do you any favors."
Morgana laughs instantly, waving her hand dismissively; proudly saying that she was unafraid and hearing that, Merlin hoped his son would become the same too in the future. He knew and understood that Morgan was a pacifist but the world could be a really scary place.
You have to be able to stand up to yourself or you're just going to suffer painfully for things that were out of your control.
He looks at Morgan again, wondering to himself what his future looked like until he notices Morgana looking at him. He turns to look at her face, admiring her striking features.
Morgana was, without a doubt in his mind, classically beautiful with her high cheekbones, undeniable symmetry in her features and spectacular seaglass green eyes that held such an intelligence and passion that it was impossible for anyone not to be held prisoner by them. She was so beautiful that it was impossible not to be captivated by her. Presently, she wore her long black hair down, looking long and fluid, lying gently over her shoulder bones, kissing the nape of her neck.
Merlin always failed to say anything in proper sentences without a stutter or a blush on his cheeks. He always felt like a nervous wreck whenever she addressed him.
"Merlin? You should get some sleep."
The manservant nods dumbly unsure of what else to say but manages to wave awkwardly in good bye as she left the room.
Gosh, I really can't look at her in the eye...
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and watch out for more chapters coming soon! Please rate and review! Thanks! :D