A/N: Completely forgot to update lol, but still going with this. Happy new year everyone!
When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you. When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you. And when i come home, yeah I know I'm gonna be I'm gonna be the man that's coming home to you. And when I'm dreaming, well I know I'm gonna dream I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you. But I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more just to be the man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your door
10th August 2021
After Alfie had turned one, Merlin, Morgana alongside Hunith and Balinor decided to head back up to Sheffield for what was likely to be the last time that summer. The weather wasn't the best, mainly being rainy so they had to stay inside for the majority of their time in the north though it had started to warm up for a little while in the end. Hunith and Balinor were having afternoon tea with some of their friends while Merlin and Morgana drove up to Windermere to see the lakes (the fact that both children loved Peter Rabbit also made them want to go up there more given that Windermere was where the author of Peter rabbit lived and based many of the books in the area). They'd also packed the car up with their camping gear as they had planned to stop at a campsite near some waterfalls and spend a night there (it would be their first time camping and given that Windermere was a nearly two hour drive from Merlin's parents it made sense to do so, especially with it being their first time camping together).
The village was rather busy with large queues for the boat trips and lots of families scattered around soaking up the nice warm weather as Merlin and Morgana walked around with the children. After days of rain it was finally hot so they could do many activities rather that staying inside Hunith and balinor's house (fortunately the rain had coincided with the days after Alfie had his one year vaccinations so he was a bit groggy from them). Amhar had slumped to one side, slightly bored as Merlin and Morgana walked around the village taking in the views and decided on what to do.
"There's a Peter rabbit place, let's try that" Morgana suggested.
"Sure" Merlin agreed as he stopped pushing Amhar and reached down to his buggy level. "Amhar, we're going to go see some Peter rabbit things, would you like that?"
The toddler immediately perked up. "Yeah!" He beamed. Being under three meant he was still free in a lot of places for now, Merlin and Morgana paying for each other before parking up Amhar's buggy (Alfie had fallen asleep in his own one) and going through the exhibition. It was rather dark inside, with Peter rabbit characters all around it and a trail to complete, a rather picturesque place with lots of places to take lovely family photos as well as getting to 'meet' Peter rabbit at the end just as Alfie woke up.
"I love that" Amhar happily beamed as they went into the gift shop. "Can I get a present? Please".
"We'll let you choose a new lunchbox for preschool and a toy, how about that?" Merlin suggested. Amhar eagerly nodded and bounced around the gift shop excitedly as he chose his new lunchbox alongside a few other toys, personalised chocolates and a toy Peter rabbit.
"Look! Just like my bunny" he almost screeched as he picked one up from the side.
"It is" Morgana smiled. "Just a bit … cleaner". His bunny has been loved and taken everywhere for almost three years, therefore having had juice spilt on it, snot, sick and been dropped in the mud several times made it a lot worse for wear.
"But my bunny's the best" Amhar smiled as he pulled it out the pram basket and continued to drag it around by the ear. They then headed back to the car to deposit their new belongings and grab the sandwiches for lunch, spreading out their picnic mat on some nearby grass in the shade.
"What doing now?" Amhar asked as soon as he had finished his sandwiches, never mind the fact that everyone else was still eating.
"We're going to go for a walk by the lake" Morgana answered. "After we've finished eating".
"But I get tired maybe" Amhar pondered.
"Then daddy will carry you on his back in the carrier" Merlin replied.
Amahr looked horrified at the thought. "No! I walk!" He insisted. "I'm a big boy!"
"You are" Morgana agreed with a sad sigh. It almost pained her to see how fast the children were growing. "You'll be three next month".
"Yeah" Amhar beamed. "Then I can go preschool! Let's go for our big walkies".
"Amhar we still need to finish our lunch" Morgana chuckled.
"Come on mummy, eat quickly" the toddler sounded rather exasperated.
"Almost finished" Morgana sighed slightly before they packed the picnic back up and went on a walk by the river and up the mountains. For the most part it was great though towards the end Amhar ended up falling asleep in the backpack carrier on Merlin's back while Alfie fell asleep in the ergo strapped to Morgana's chest. They strapped the sleeping kids into their car seats (both stirred at being transferred) before loading the car up once more and driving to the little acre campsite. Upon arrival they were directed to the field and found a spot to pitch the tent after parking the car a short walk away. Amhar ended up watching Disney+ on one of his parents' phones while Merlin and Morgana attempted to pitch their tent. Merlin had never been camping before so this was his first time pitching a tent, while Morgana had been several times though was much more accustomed to pitching a smaller one—either a two or three man tent one that you could barely sit up in without hitting your head on the roof on as opposed to their current one where you could stand up. On a whim a couple of weeks ago they headed to the outdoors shop and bought a massive six person tent with two 'rooms', a living room and a bedroom.
Putting up the tent was a rather … interesting experience. Merlin had never pitched a tent before so having one that was taller than him for the first time doing it was slightly difficult. Morgana argued that it wasn't that bad given the size of it, though was rather work out by the task since she hadn't been camping in just over two years (alongside getting married, pregnant and giving birth during that time).
Morgana and Merlin took turns with cooking the dinner (pasta and sauce) while supervising the children playing around (Alfie had his ride on train toy while Amhar went around on scooter). They ate on a picnic mat outside the tent, Alfie sitting in a baby camping chair with a tray as the family ate their dinner before making a campfire and toasting some marshmallows on it.
"This is the best!" Amhar beamed as she shoved a huge marshmallow into his mouth. "Camping is so much fun!"
"Mummy thinks so too" Morgana agreed with a smile. "It's almost bed time now".
"And I get to sleep in the tent?" He asked.
"Yes, you do" Merlin smiled. "But first we need to get your bed ready". He had a paw-patrol blow up toddler bed that merlin sorted while Morgana set up the travel cot for Alfie, then went about the usual bed time routine. Merlin stayed outside with Amhar as he drank some hot chocolate and looked up at the sky (he'd been allowed to stay up to watch the sunset given that he'd usually sleep in a dark room and the tent wasn't dark so he probably wouldn't sleep), Morgana set up the self-inflating mattress inside the tent (Merlin wanted the regular air-bed but Morgana was determined to do proper camping) and put Alfie to bed inside the cot.
"So many stars" Amhar murmured as he stifled a yawn.
"C'mon Kiddo, time for bed" Morgana smiled as she picked him up and put him inside a huge sleeping bag onesie hybrid (he didn't tend to wear sleeping bags anymore since being moved into a bed, though for camping Merlin and Morgana agreed that the sleeping bag would be better). They read him Stickman and left him to fall asleep, changing into their onesies in the 'front room' then headed outside and lay on their picnic mat as they stared at the stars.
"It's so nice out here" Morgana breathed as she snuggled up to her husband.
"I will say, camping is a lot better than I expected" Merlin remarked.
"Good" Morgana smirked. "I just realised something".
"Oh yeah?" Merlin asked as he flipped over onto his stomach. "What's that?"
"I found that song we used to listen to all the time. Hang on a moment" Morgana replied.
"You could just play it" Merlin waggled his eyebrows.
"Merlin, it's ten o'clock at night!" Morgana giggled as she lay back down with her airpods and put one into her ear, the other in her husbands. A song they'd often listened to when they first got together began to play, 'Him & I' by Halsey and G-Eazy.
"I forgot about this one" Merlin grinned as he sang along out of tune. "cross my heart and hope to die, to my lover I'd never lie swear it's true, I swear I tried, in the end it's him and I".
"And now look at us camping under the stars" Morgana smiled as she lay her head on her husband's chest.
"I love you, Morgana Emrys".
"As do I, Merlin Emrys" Morgana smiled back and hissed her husband. Merlin kissed her deeper and cupped her breast as she held him closer, as he pulled the zipper on her onesie down.
"I've had sex in a tent once and it isn't happening again" Morgana giggled.
"Aww" Merlin pouted. "Surely it'll be fun?"
"I suppose we do have two rooms in our tent" Morgana smirked. "If I get a bad back, it's your fault".
"I'll be happy to take the blame".
11th August 2021
Camping was all good until after midnight. As usual, Alfie woke up at around ten for his feed and went back to sleep in his travel cot then awoke again at midnight, refusing to go back into his cot. Amhar had also woken up at around two in the morning, babbling on about sheep, cows and a campfire as Alfie babbled mama and dada. Suffice to say, Merlin and Morgana were absolutely exhausted by the time morning had rolled around.
"Camping is so fun" Amhar said. "I sleep all night long with the animals".
"No you didn't" Morgana muttered bleary eyed, wiping the sleep out of them as she remembered his episode of awakening at two o'clock and his incessant chattering.
"Come with daddy" Merlin said. "We'll go get some water for the breakfast".
"Okay" Amhar agreed, Morgana lying back down on the self-inflating mat with Alfie to feed him. At least he wasn't walking yet so the only one running around today would be Amhar. Amhar stayed with merlin as he boiled the water for the family's coffee, giving Amhar a carton of formula (they decided that it's be easier to give him formula as opposed to regular milk given that it didn't need to be kept in the fridge.
"Bleh!" Amhar exclaimed as he spat out all of his milk. "That's disgusting. Ugh. Yuck". He squeezed all the formula out on to the grass and wiped his onesie down, attempting to get the milk that smelt rather vomit like of him.
"Oh dear" Merlin said as he poured the hot water into his and Morgana's mugs.
"Yuck! Horrible milk" Amhar made a face as he walked around the campsite. They all had porridge for breakfast, Merlin and Morgana feeling much more awake with some food in them, then started packing up the tent and driving into Windermere. They had a walk around the lake, getting several lovely family pictures before having a nap in the car and beginning the four hour drive back down to Camelot. Around an hour before arriving home, Merlin and Morgana's phones pinged and notified them that they had been in close contact with someone that tested positive for covid-19 therefore would have to isolate for eight days.