Outtake Twenty-One: Caught
Game: Awakening
Spoilers: Are there really spoilers?
Summary: Morgan catches Lucina off guard…while she is kissing Laurent. One scandal is revealed after another, and ends with more fluff, as per usual.
Notes: This one was in the making for a while, but I finally finished it and now I'm posting it quite a whole after I finish it. I need to get back on the ball with posting...because this always happens to me. Since then I have found the even cuter couple of Morgan and Nah. Here, however, you'll find Morgan and Noire instead.
Enjoy!
"What is that?" Noire's voice sounded startled as she jumped back slightly from Morgan.
"It's a ladybug," Morgan replied, admiring the black and red insect. "They say they're good luck if one crawls on you." He laughed. Noire smiled and looked away to hide her blush. She loved Morgan; he was always making her smile or laugh with his antics.
The aspiring tactician now offered his hand to her, and she flinched slightly at the closeness of the bug on his palm. "Want some good luck?" he asked.
Noire shook her head. While she was used to the sight of bugs now, thanks to Morgan, she didn't want any creepy-crawlies on her. Morgan shrugged at her refusal. "Let's go release him, then. Somewhere where he won't be trampled."
Noire nodded, but she would rather just leave the bug here in the middle of camp and be done with it. "Afterwards, let's see if dinner's ready," she suggested. Morgan nodded off in agreement. The pair moved off through the camp to find a perfect place for their ladybug friend.
A tree on the edge of camp served their purposes well. "Go on, friend," Morgan said, coaxing the bug onto a leaf. The insect crawled to the tip of Morgan's finger and onto the leaf. "There! Back where you belong!" He looked at Noire. "Hungry?"
"You bet."
Morgan took her hand and together they walked back to camp. As they rounded behind one of the tents, they came upon another couple. Lucina and Laurent were wrapped in each other's arms, kissing passionately, oblivious to the other's approach. "Oh gods!" Morgan exclaimed teasingly. "My eyes!"
"Blood and thunder, you two, what gives? Get a friggin' tent!"
The coupled startled apart, faces red. "Morgan! Noire!" Lucina protested. "What are you doing spying on us?!"
"We weren't spying," Noire fired back. "You just happened to be kissing in a place where people walk!"
Laurent adjusted his glasses. "This was actually a place where very few venture," he stated. Lucina nodded in agreement, her face still red.
"Does Father know you're courting Laurent, Lucina?" Morgan questioned.
"Well…" Lucina hesitated, then, seeing Morgan smirk, followed up. "Well, you're not exactly innocent either. You and Noire are close too."
"We're not kissing behind the women's bathing tent, though," Noire snapped, though a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Okay, okay, so we're all in a situation that is less than proper," Morgan interrupted, a plan forming in his mind. "Laurent, you and I should get permission. It's only right."
"Of course."
Morgan's smirk came back into its place. "So here's a challenge. By lights-out, we have to have asked for permission. We've got three hours."
"I-I…that's too little time!"
"Or I'll spill the beans to Father and Mother and let them deal with you their own way. You can do the same with me if I don't succeed."
Laurent seemed to be mulling it over, while Lucina and Noire both looked anxious. Finally, the mage held out his hand. "We have an accord."
Morgan shook the offered hand and grinned.
"You do realize that you may have to go through Tharja, not just Libra," Lucina warned.
Morgan's smirk fell once more. "Crap. Right," he said, but his sister and her boyfriend were already walking away.
"May you be fortuitous!" Laurent called back.
"Or not!" Lucina added.
They disappeared around a tent and Morgan's shoulders drooped.
"You're not going to give up, are you?" Noire asked. "It's best if my parents don't find out from someone else…especially Mother."
Morgan steeled himself. "You're right. Come on."
It turned out that dinner wasn't quite ready, so everyone was still relaxing by the fire or their tents. Morgan and Noire navigated their way through the camp, catching sight of Laurent and Lucina near where Chrom, Silver, and Frederick were deep in discussion, bent over a map spread on the ground before them. Laurent looked rather nervous, fidgeting with his glasses, hat, and cuffs of his shirt. Lucina sat by him placidly. She saw Morgan and Noire and grinned at them.
Morgan ignored his sister and led Noire along, finally coming to Tharja and Libra's tent. The war monk sat outside, running a whetstone along the edge of his massive axe, his expression deep, yet far away. There was no visible sign of Tharja, but that didn't mean the sorceress wasn't nearby. Morgan approached anyway. "Um…Libra?"
The man looked up and smiled. "Greetings, Morgan, Noire. I trust you two are well this evening?"
The young couple nodded. "I wanted to ask you something," the young tactician said.
"Ask away." Libra put down his axe and rolled the whetstone in his hands.
"MayIcourtyourdaughter?" Morgan sputtered.
Libra cocked his head and Noire pressed her hand to her face. "I'm sorry, what was that?" the war monk asked.
Morgan, now red in the face, cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "May I court your daughter, please?" he asked, his voice steady and his words well-paced.
Libra's eyebrows shot up. "I see." There was a hint of a smile on his face.
"Wait." The voice melted out of the tent. One of the flaps was pushed back and none other than Tharja appeared, her expression serious. "Did I hear that right?"
"Um…. Yes."
Tharja scowled and opened her mouth to spout something negative, or even a curse, when Libra interrupted. "I think it's a fine idea, don't you, Tharja?"
"No. No man is good enough for my daughter."
"Mother! Blood and thunder, I love him!" Noire's eyes widened as she realized what she had said. Sheepishly she added: "He makes me happy."
"And do you love Noire, Morgan?" Libra asked, once again cutting off his wife, whose scowl only deepened.
Morgan's face reddened, but he nodded. "I do."
"Well then, I don't see why not." Libra turned. "Tharja?"
The sorceress narrowed her eyes. "Whatever," she sighed, like she was bored. She stepped toward Morgan and grabbed the collar of his coat, her face inches from his. "If you ever, ever, hurt her in any way, I will curse and hex you so much that you'll wish you never came to this timeline. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Good." The sorceress released Morgan and returned to her tent. The young tactician sighed.
"I may not be as…overzealous as my wife-" Libra began.
"I heard that!" came the blunt response from inside the tent.
"I know, that, dear. Anyway, Morgan, please do keep Noire's happiness in mind."
"Of course," Morgan said. "Thank you."
Libra smiled and picked up his killer axe, examining the edge before running the whetstone over it once more, signaling the conversation was over. Noire grabbed Morgan's sleeve and pulled him along back to the center of camp where they had last seen Laurent and Lucina.
Morgan grabbed Noire's hand as soon as they entered the center of camp. Chrom and Silver were still in deep conversation with Frederick. Lucina, sitting by a still fidgeting Laurent, looked up. "No way," she said, loud enough for her brother to hear. Morgan grinned wider and moved over.
"Two and a half hours left, Laurent," the young tactician teased. "Will I have to tell Father?"
"Tell me what?" Chrom asked, glancing up from the map. "What have you gotten yourselves into this time?"
"Oh, leave them be," Silver said with a laugh. "It's probably some dare or challenge."
"Hit the nail on the head, Mother!" Morgan said happily before turning back to Laurent and raising his eyebrows. The mage sighed and addressed Chrom.
"Sir, there was something I wanted to inquire in private, but I did not want to interrupt your discourse with Silver and Frederick."
"We're just about done here, right?" Chrom asked his companions.
"Yes, milord," Frederick replied.
"Yeah," Silver said, gathering up the map. "Go ahead, Laurent."
The mage nodded and stood, following Chrom to a more secluded area of camp. Silver rolled up the map and walked over to Morgan and Noire. "What's up, kiddo?" she asked her son, ruffling his hair. The normally annoying gesture had little effect on the tactician-in-training. "You look like you're glowing."
"Noire and I are courting."
Silver grinned. "Really?"
"How did you get past Tharja?" Lucina asked.
"My father held back her wrath," Noire said happily.
Silver made a surprised noise. "Well, the gods are with Libra for sticking up with Tharja and her hexes."
Noire nodded in agreement. "Hey, Morgan. Looks like you won't be spilling the beans after all."
Laurent was returning, a grin wide on his face, followed by Chrom, who wore an equally wide grin. "My dear Lucina," the mage said as he joined the group. "It seems we have fulfilled our dare."
"Wonderful," the princess replied.
"So in that light…" Laurent paused and dropped to one knee. "Will you do me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?"
Morgan's jaw dropped as Lucina, stunned took a deep breath. "I…oh, Laurent, I accept."
Laurent grinned and stood to a smattering of applause that echoed around the camp from those who had seen the proposal. He took Lucina's hand and smirked at Morgan, while Silver went to join Chrom.
"You just have to beat me, don't you?" Morgan asked sourly.
"Why of course, Morgan."
"Boys! Stop your competing and shake hands already!" Noire seethed. Morgan and Laurent took a step back from her.
Lucina, on the other hand, laughed. "I couldn't have said it any better myself. Let's call it a draw and get something to eat." There were murmurs of consent from the other three and the boyfriends took their respective girlfriend's hands. Morgan couldn't resist one last comment.
"I still won."
"Morgan!"
Published 9/15/2013