All through the night. I'll be awake, and I'll be with you. All through the night, this precious time, when time is new. Oh. All through the night, knowing that we feel the same without saying. The same without saying. We have no past, we won't reach back, keep with me forward all through the night. And once it starts, the meter clicks and it goes running all through the night. Until it ends, there is no end
1st September 2020
One of the jobs of a teacher was to redecorate the classroom at the beginning of each school year. At the end of last year, given that as few people as possible were allowed in, Merlin didn't have the opportunity to take everything down, and was rather unsure as to whether he'd redecorate for this year. Either way, he still had to go in as he had to check his class sizes and schedule. The children would remain in one classroom all day and the teachers would go around to them instead in order to reduce transmission. Teachers didn't have to wear masks while teaching, although everybody (unless they had an exemption that was cleared by both the parents and form tutor) had to wear a mask while walking around school. Merlin took Amhar in with him when he went into work, it wasn't an official training day so it didn't matter. Morgana was too tired to deal with both Amhar and the newborn, so Merlin told her that he'd take Amhar in and sort out everything he needed to do. The plans were for lessons to continue as "normal", teachers would be travelling between classrooms and students would remain in the same area all day within their year group except for breaktime or when a different classroom may be needed—whether that be the food tech rooms, DT area or science lab.
After knowing which one of his sets would be in each room (the years were all in bubbles in order to keep the different sets), Merlin went around and made sure that there were enough resources for each student. He opted to leave his classroom the same given that Amhar was whining, yet it was good to catch up with the other teachers there.
"So, dad of two now?" Nimueh asked.
"Yeah" Merlin grinned. "We had a little boy, Alfie three weeks ago".
"Congratulations" Nimueh smiled. "You look exhausted".
"Between running after Amhar and Alfie waking up every hour, well" Merlin chuckled.
"Yes, you can't hand them back at the end of the day" Nimueh smirked. "No more time for yourself or anything. You're back in later this week I recall?".
"Yes, for two days" Merlin replied. "Then I'm on paternity leave".
"Trying to get out of work are we?" Nimeuh teased.
"Strategically placed due date" Merlin shrugged.
"Touché" Nimeuh shrugged. "Well, I look forward to seeing you whenever you're next in. Bye Amhar".
"Bye!" Amhar squealed as Merlin pushed him to the car. Merlin stopped off at the Costa drive-through and picked up a cold chocolate for Amhar and a summer drink for himself and Morgana before he went home. Amhar happily toddled inside and sat on the bottom step as he waited for Merlin to take his shoes off.
"Daddy, shoosh" Amhar instructed with a grin. Merlin was too busy taking his own shoes off and locking up.
"Wait sweetie" Merlin said. He took his shoes off and went through the living room to the downstairs bathroom, smiling at Morgana and reminding Amhar to wash his hands.
"How's the baby" Merlin asked.
"He hasn't stopped whining" Morgana sighed. She was stood up, Alfie in the ergo embrace and she swayed from side to side. "Well, he has. This is the only way to stop it".
"Let me take over" Merlin offered.
"Thank you" Morgana sighed. "I need to pee and I was wondering how the hell you pee, hold a newborn and use a peri-bottle at the same time. I don't know why I even said that, I don't need a peri-bottle anymore seeing as I didn't even tear! But it does feel nice".
"So how do I use this thing?" Merlin asked.
"One sec" Morgana said as she unclipped the ergo and put Alfie in the Moses basket, he let out a wail.
"So how do I use this!" Merlin exclaimed.
"Turn the waistband in" Morgana sighed. "And click".
"Ah" Merlin blinked. "And now?".
"Look, hold Alfie and support his head" Morgana said. "Now take that and cross it over your shoulder. Click that and then that".
"Thanks babe" Merlin kissed Morgana.
"I need a wee!" Morgana hissed as she waddled to the bathroom.
"I come too" Amhar insisted. Morgana didn't manage to shut the door and Amhar climbed onto her lap just as she sat down on the toilet. Merlin walked over to her laughing his head off while Amhar kept touching Morgana's face.
"Who said parenting was glamorous?" Morgana scoffed.
"No one did" Merlin chuckled.
"Mummy, why is there white in your hair?" Amhar asked innocently.
"I've got baby sick in my hair haven't I?" Morgana deadpanned. Merlin bit his lip and nodded. "Right, I need a shower after I feed Alfie, I'll put the hot water on and you can be in charge. Amhar, get of mummy please".
"Why?" Amhar asked.
"Mummy needs a bath!" Morgana exclaimed. While morgana took her shower, Merlin stayed downstairs juggling Alfie, Amhar and trying to make dinner. Morgana was in floods of tears at the thought of having to make dinner, Alfie wouldn't stop crying unless he was held and even then wasn't content if Merlin didn't walk. So he ended up walking laps and laps of the kitchen until Morgana came down and she took over walking the laps, though he did eventually calm down once she started feeding him.
3rd September 2020
"How the hell is he almost two!" Morgana exclaimed as she scrolled through her laptop. Amhar's birthday was in less than ten days so they had to begin looking for birthday presents for him, though at only two it was rather easy to choose.
"This time last year we'd just got together" Merlin smirked.
"Remember the holiday, when we went to Center Parcs with Kara and Mike" Morgana grinned.
"That was great" Merlin agreed. "The boys are still friends and now they're spending their birthday together".
"Shame there's no rapids" Morgana winked. "Although I can't swim yet? I don't think so anyway. Four weeks postpartum to the day".
"He's getting so big" Merlin smiled as he held Alfie's hand.
"I know" Morgana agreed. "Finally out of size 0 and into size 1 nappies, tiny baby doesn't fit you anymore and you don't drown in 0-3 month old clothes".
"Amelia's what now, five months old?".
"Around that" Morgana shrugged.
"She was probably conceived on the holiday then".
"Merlin!" Morgana gasped. "Well, this little man was conceived in a hospital, so ...".
"What do you think?" Merlin asked. "Now that my bollocks are safe, have you ever thought about having another one?".
"Maybe when Alfie's one" Morgana shrugged. "Then again it obviously depends on coronavirus".
"Of course" Merlin agreed.
"So how was your second day back at work?" Morgana asked.
"It was good to be honest" Merlin shrugged. "We used face masks in communal areas. All the teachers had to socially distance from the kids and if not we had face masks and visors. It was weird as hell, yet also somewhat good".
"Let's just hope we get back to normal" Morgana sighed. "I highly doubt throwing all the kids straight into school was the best idea".
"I'm surprised we didn't have anyone sent to the covid hub today" Merlin remarked. "Seen anything for Amhar?".
"I was thinking a George pig bag for when he goes back to nursery and a mini micro scooter".
"They are nice! There's so many to choose from".
"The one with a push handle is ugly" Morgana declared. "This one looks good. Seat with a round handle, a transitioning round handle then a regular one".
"Looks like the prince's birthday is sorted".
"And it's only eight" Morgana sighed. "Well, let's head to bed".
"I never thought I'd agree with you on that one but I am exhausted" Merlin said as he stood up and they went to the bedroom. Merlin kept an eye on Alfie while Morgana went to the loo, brushed her teeth and washed her face then returned to the bedroom to allow Merlin to get on with his routine.
"What you reading?" Merlin asked as he joined Morgana in bed. Alfie was still feeding and she was propped up with some pillows, black glasses on.
"Labyrinth" Morgana replied. "So many exams have extracts from it in them. Poor kids are traumatised".
"I bet they are" Merlin chuckled.
"Harriet said that she read it and loved it, but she hated Alice even though she loved English".
"It's so strange without the troublesome double" Merlin remarked.
"I bet it is" Morgana agreed. "I mean, those three were rather prominent and now they've left!".
"Better find a new favourite then" Merlin smirked.
"I'm on maternity leave until next year" Morgana retorted. "I still have plenty of time".
After Alfie finished his feed he was put in the next2me, sleeping for an hour before he woke up and wouldn't stop crying unless he was held. Even then, he was rather fussy keeping Merlin and Morgana up until stupidly late. They tried all sorts of setting on the Ewan the sheep, getting fed up with the lullaby function though it was the only thing keeping Alfie calm so they put up with it.
"Remember when we first met" Merlin said.
4th September 2020
"Three years ago to the day" Morgana grinned. "Fourth of September the first inset day".
"Then work started on the sixth" Merlin remembered.
"As Lana DelRay says" Morgana smirked. "I remember when I met him and it was so clear that he was the only one for me".
"Is that so?" Merlin teased as he raised his eyebrows. "Which time? Camelot era or now time?".
"Both, you know that" Morgana smiled as she kissed Merlin. "And as the years went on things got more difficult, we were faced with more challenges".
"We sure were" Merlin agreed. "I mean, now look at us".
"Oh how the tables have turned" Morgana chuckled. "We're sleep deprived, in a pandemic with a newborn and toddler".
"Thank god for face masks" Merlin muttered. "At least that way I won't look as tired as I feel!". Alfie kept Merlin and Morgana up all night, the pair of them getting around four hours total sleep that night. Merlin was so glad for the mask hiding the eye bags and his yawning.
A/N: I'm back at work now full time (and college), so won't be able to update as much as I'm so busy!