ScarletBanner: Haha, the dreadful sex ban has now vanished! More for Mordred's plot development this chapter and a bit on Gwaine which I hope you like. I hope you had fun in 'Broadchurch' on Friday!
Renaissancebooklover108: Hehe, thanks, there is some more cuteness in this chapter too.
Sakhr al-Jinni: Thanks! Fluff is fun to write and sometimes I get a bit distracted by writing that and not proper plot line :)
Gespav: Yay, the date was good enough! I wasn't really sure how to write it as it was their first one even though they'd already been together for about 4 months. Thanks for the encouragement about writing love scenes, I might have a crack at writing one in the future.
Dawn Ruthless: Hehe, I'm glad you liked the date. There is more teasing at the start of this chapter and here is the update you've been waiting for :)
Grayember13: Here is more! I hope you like it.
Sjritts: My 200th reviewer! *Hands you some cake* I'm glad you like the dynamic in their relationship.
XXX
Note: Text messages are in italics to make it easier to read.
"Did I put enough 'oomph' into it?"
Merlin strokes a finger down her spine and Morgana smiles into his shoulder. It's still dark outside and there isn't a lamp inside their beach hut to keep it alight. It is small, cramped and stuffy, but neither of them seem to notice, or care for that matter.
"Yes. It was lovely."
"Lovely?" Merlin frowns. "It's not really the word I was looking for, but thanks anyway."
"What kinds of words did you want?"
"Mind-blowing, incredible, better than a supermodel," Merlin lists, waving his hands around for exaggeration.
"I dated a model once," Morgana says matter-of-factly, as if this kind of thing happened every day.
"Yeah? What was he like?"
"Bloody awful. Almost as bad as you."
"Hey!" He shoves her away from him and puts on a pout. "You're so horrible to me."
Morgana tugs him back towards her. "I'm just teasing, you oaf. Don't get so upset."
"I'm not upset and I'm not an oaf, actually. More of a... more like a clotpole."
Morgana raises her eyebrows at him. "Care to enlighten me?"
Merlin shrugs, wanting to appear secretive. "Maybe one day, when I think you can handle it."
Morgana opens her mouth ready to argue, when Merlin's phone buzzes next to them on the small, bedside table. Merlin picks it up and unlocks it. "It's from Gwaine."
"What does it say?"
Merlin opens the text and reads it out loud. "-Merlin help I think I might be gay and I'm really confused please can you help me please please please-'"
Morgana laughs. "What the hell?"
"-PS. Please don't tell anyone-," Merlin finishes, sending them both into fits of giggles. "Oh dear."
"Text him back!" Morgana orders him as he goes to put the phone down again.
"How do I reply to that?" Merlin asks, completely befuddled.s
"Give it here." Morgana holds out her hand expectantly and Merlin reluctantly gives her the phone.
He peers over her shoulder to try to see what she is typing, but she blocks his view by turning away from him.
"What are you going to say?" He asks warily; Morgana and mobile phones were never a good combination, especially when it was his phone. Not too long ago she had changed his background picture to a very inappropriate photo of herself and changed his text alert to a fake farting noise, continuing to message him throughout the working day.
"All done," Morgana hits send and passes the phone back to him, grinning.
Merlin stares at the screen, horrified. "-It's okay Gwaine, now I know how you feel about men, I'm not afraid any more. Morgana is only temporary, it's you that I want. Come round to mine later and we can talk... maybe more-"
Morgana smiles innocently at him. "What do you think?"
"There should be an 'unsend' button."
"But there isn't," Morgana says helpfully. "I wonder if Gwaine will take you up on the offer."
Merlin groans. "Oh, God. Can you imagine if he does? He probably won't talk to me ever again after this. I am so getting you back."
"Of course you are." Morgana throws the covers off and starts to get dressed, although having trouble finding some of her clothes. She turns to Merlin with a puzzled expression. "Have you seen my socks?"
"You were wearing flip-flops," Merlin reminds her and Morgana frowns.
"Flip-flops, right. Where are my pants?"
Merlin chuckles, shaking his head, when Morgana's phone vibrates next to his. The pair make eye-contact for a split second before Merlin swipes it away from her, making a dash for the door. He manages to run out onto the pebbly beach just before Morgana can pull him back in. She is about to step out and take the phone back, before realising that she has nothing on her bottom half.
"Give it back," Morgana hisses at him from the door, looking for something to cover herself with.
"Nah, I don't think so. Ooh, who's it from? Morgause? Let's read it..."
"Merlin! Give. It. Back." Morgana makes a grab for him, but he stands tantalizingly just out of reach.
"-Hi Morgana, please could you do me a massive favour and collect Mordred from school again? I have to work until 9pm and I can't get a babysitter. Please reply ASAP. Thanks x – Aw! She put a kiss on the end!" Merlin squeals like a little girl. "That's so cute! Well, we'd better reply!"
"Don't even think about it," Morgana says, fixing him with a deathly stare.
"-Hey Morgie-"
" Morgie?" Morgana splutters but Merlin keeps typing.
" -I would love to look after Mordred, but only once I've found my pants. Merlin whipped them off last night when we had crazy beach hut sex and I can't find them anywhere. See you later x -"
Morgana scoops up a large pebble and throws it at his crotch before he can hit send. Merlin doubles over and falls to the floor, curling up into a ball and letting out a high-pitched squeak. Still holding onto the phone, he weakly presses send button and throws the phone back at Morgana, who laughs at his pained reaction.
"I still sent it," Merlin chokes out, unable to move.
"I don't really care any more." Morgana walks out with a towel wrapped around her and helps Merlin shakily to his feet, guiding him back into their hut. "Lets just hope that Morgause doesn't either.
XXX
The school playground is busy, full of Mums, Dads and a few older brothers and sisters from the secondary school that wasn't too far away. There are swarms of children everywhere, all wearing the same uniform, making it hard to pick out a single face. Eventually, Mordred appears at the top of some steps, anxiously looking around for Morgause. He doesn't see Morgana at first, so she waves to him, trying to catch his attention. He finally sees her in among the crowds and his face cracks into a grin as he races down to meet her.
"Morgana!" He tackles her knees in a hug, nearly sending them both to the tarmac.
"Woah, there! Calm down!" Morgana peels him off of her legs to get a better look at him. He has a bruise under his chin and a graze on his knee. "What happened to you?"
"I fell over. It hurt a lot and they had to write it down in the accident book," Mordred says, switching his Fireman Sam lunch box into his right hand, so he can hold Morgana's hand with his left. They walk out to the school gates. "Where's Mum?"
"She's very busy at work, so that's why she asked me to pick you up."
Mordred sighs, looking disappointed. "Oh. When will she be back?"
"Later. You can see her then," Morgana says quietly, sensing his sadness. "But in the meantime you're coming round to my house for tea!"
His change in expression is adorable. "Really? Is Merlin going to be there, too?
Morgana nods. "Yeah, and evil cat. We need to give her a bath, so you can help if you like."
"Hey, weed!"
They both turn their attention to voice on the other side of the road. There is a boy, probably Mordred's age looking across at them. Mordred ignores him entirely.
Morgana stops him from walking on ahead. "Who's that, Mordred?"
"No one. He's in my class. I don't really know him," Mordred says quickly, trying to push past her.
"He seems to know you," Morgana points out, softly.
"Weed!" The boy continues, laughing. "How's your knee? Is it feeling better?"
"It's okay," Mordred calls back, his voice cracking.
"Why is he asking you that?" Morgana puts her hands on his shoulders and pulls him to the side, crouching down to his level.
"I don't know. Maybe he saw me fall over," Mordred says, not convincing anyone.
"Is he being mean to you?" Morgana shakes him slightly, trying to get through. "Does anyone know?"
"Bye Weed!" The small boy goes off in a different direction.
"Bye," Mordred whispers and then looks up at Morgana. "I want to go home now."
XXX
"Why won't she stay still?!" Mordred yells in frustration, aiming the shower nozzle at the back of Aithusa's head that kept bobbing around the avoid the warm water.
"Because she's annoying!" Morgana yells back, trying to rub soap into Aithusa's fur and failing because the cat kept shaking herself off like a dog. "If I hold her down, then you can spray the water on her, okay?"
"Okay!" Mordred says, getting himself into a better position.
"Ready?" Morgana grabs Aithusa and holds her as tightly as she can without hurting her. "Now!"
Mordred sprays the water over Aithusa's back and tail, washing the soap off. The cat meows loudly in protest, trying to worm her way out of Morgana's grip. Her chance comes when Morgana's hands slip and loosen around her.
Aithusa jumps out of the bath and clings onto Morgana's jumper. Mordred follows her movements with the shower head and ends up spraying the water in Morgana's face, soaking her hair through and giving Aithusa the perfect opportunity to escape downstairs.
"I'm really, really sorry," Mordred apologizes, handing Morgana a towel to wipe her face with.
"It was very refreshing, actually. Thank you, Mordred," she pats her cheeks dry and looks at the black patches on the towel. "Oh dear, my mascara's running."
Mordred laughs. "You look like a panda."
The front door opens noisily downstairs as Merlin comes in. "I'm back!"
Mordred looks at her with curiosity. "Is that Merlin? Your boyfriend?"
"It is indeed. Shall we go and see him?"
Mordred nods and walks to the stairs. "I still need to ask him if he's a magician."
Woo, back from my holiday in Tenerife which was great fun but I won't bore you with the details unless you want me to :)
Managed to get this chapter done in about two days, which is something I am very proud of because it usually takes me a week to do this, haha. (feel free to send me a virtual high-five)
We hit 200 reviews a week ago! Woo-hoo! Thanks to all of you amazing people who take the time to review this story, it means a lot! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
Oh! And do you like the new cover/photo thing I made?
Thanks for reading and please review to tell me your thoughts! :)
Next chapter: Merlin and Mordred meet for the first time.