Trigger warning mentions of sexual abuse
Morgana's annual leave had come around at last. She'd opted to take it in February, given that it wasn't yet school holidays yet also she had been working over Christmas, as she tended to do, wanting to avoid the magic that came to London with Christmas time. Endless people shopping, people rushing to get the best presents for their family members, family. Not that she had any. They did say that friends became your family, and that did seem to be the case. Yet it still hurt. Seeing those families in the adverts, happy and content. Why couldn't she have that?
Instead she was saddled with the trauma of the past, the consequences and life. Life would always be hard, and Morgana knew that. Yet she managed to keep going, somehow. Day by day. As usual, it had been a rather difficult Christmas, followed by a shitty January (as expected); as of late things only seemed to be on the rise up. She smiled at her phone as she saw Arthur texting her once more.
'No work today?'.
Morgana quickly replied. 'Nope [grinning emoji]. Annual leave for the week, so not much to do. Planning to do absolutely nothing, just relax, sleep and maybe start something new on Netflix'.
'How disappointing [sad face emoji], I've been feeling rather lonely, especially since it's the season of love. Care to join me one time?'.
Morgana smiled and began typing her reply. 'Okay, if you say so [rolling eyes emoji] [grinning emoji]. How about coffee, at one ish?'.
'Okay, I'll pick you up then [smiling emoji]'.
The day went extremely slowly for Arthur. He was a morning person, didn't mind at all waking up and liked to start his day with a hearty breakfast and cup of tea. Which he ended up eating alone, given that Morgana had decided that she would go back to sleep. He smiled as he waited outside Morgana's door, his hair swept to one side, dressed in a shirt and jeans with a trench coat.
"Hey" Arthur said as Morgana opened her door.
"Hey" she smiled as she leant on the doorframe.
"Well, you ready?".
"I am" Morgana smiled. "Let's go".
"Any particular place you want us to go?" Arthur asked as they walked down Canary Wharf.
"Yeah. Follow me". Hand in hand, Arthur and Morgana walked down the road until Morgana stopped at a place named Camelot cafe.
"I remember this place" Arthur smiled as she walked in. "I think this was where I first saw you".
"Really?" Morgana asked. "When was that?".
"Start of January I think. There weren't any other seats, so I asked to sit opposite you but you ran away".
"I think I can remember that" Morgana thought back to the beginning of January. "Yet I do try to block out that time".
"Any reason why? If you don't mind me asking".
"Not at all" Morgana shook her head. "I'll tell you over coffee". Arthur paid for his and Morgana's coffee, alongside a slice of cake each. They found a nice little secluded table in the corner for two. Nice and private for their first date.
"So what do you do?" Arthur asked as he stirred his coffee.
"I'm actually a midwife" Morgana smiled.
"Really?" Arthur's eyes widened. "That's actually really cool. You deliver newborn babies?".
"Yes" Morgana nodded as she sipped at her coffee. "Well usually I do. Yet under midwifery there's obviously a large umbrella and I'm currently neonatal nursing".
"Don't you work at that big children's hospital? I think I've seen you around a few times".
"Great Ormond Street Hospital?" Morgana asked. Arthur nodded. "Yes. That's the one. It's so hard but so, so rewarding at the same time".
"I bet it is. Seeing the children get better over time".
"Yes. Not always though. I actually had my first death at the beginning of January and it ... it's been a bit of a struggle ever since then".
"I can imagine" Arthur sympathised.
"So what do you do?" Morgana asked.
"Me?" Arthur asked. Morgana nodded. "I, uh don't work. I used to but".
"You got fired?" Morgana interrupted with a grin.
"I did" Arthur bowed his head solemnly. "I did. Hated it anyway so".
"Fair enough" Morgana shrugged. "Do you do much then?".
"I've been playing Fortnite a lot" Arthur laughed as Morgana groaned and rolled her eyes. "Also trying to do a bit of reading. My current book is 'The Road to Avalon' which is rather interesting. There's a guy called Arthur in there and his wife is called Guinevere, I'm Arthur and my ex wife was apparently Guinevere too".
"That's actually rather interesting" Morgana raised her eyebrows. "I read it a couple of years ago and loved it".
"It's really good so far" Arthur agreed.
"So how's its going?" Morgana wondered.
"Well one day, I see this beautiful woman" Arthur grinned.
"Do tell" Morgana teased.
"It's you" Arthur said quietly.
"I know" Morgana smirked as she leant in to kiss him.
After her one week off, Morgana returned to work. Arthur and Morgana had a great week together, Morgana showing Arthur around London almost every day. Yet it wasn't only that. Arthur went back to Morgana's apartment, they regularly ate dinner and lunch together and would often spend their evenings together before Arthur (or Morgana) went back to their own apartment. One night while talking, they'd concluded that they were indeed boyfriend and girlfriend. It was still early days and they'd opted to take things slow, Morgana due to her past trauma and Arthur given that he had never had sex before (that he could remember, anyway). With Morgana back at work, it meant that she was back to her twelve hour shifts and she'd often stay longer sometimes, so she'd end up leaving home very early and getting back rather late. Suffice to say, Arthur and Morgana didn't have that much time for each other, yet Arthur always made sure to make time for her. In-between her sessions with Morgause, work and getting a decent sleep schedule, Morgana had very little free time. Arthur had been considering a job yet wasn't really the most sure. He could afford to not work, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to work anyway.
Morgana smiled as she sat down at Morgause's desk. Yet there was a somewhat worried glint in her eye, which Morgause did notice.
"You look happy" Morgause smiled as she opened up her notebook.
"Yeah" Morgana agreed. "Arthur and I have started dating".
"Congratulations!" Morgause offered. "That's good. But ...".
"I'm nervous, of course" Morgana bowed her head.
"That's ... that's natural, with any new partner, Morgana" Morgause sighed. "Yet if you ask me, you've been doing well as of late, despite the circumstances".
"We've agreed to take things slow" Morgana said. "He has amnesia so can't remember ever having sex, obviously with me I'm bound to be cautious anyway after what he did to me".
"That's completely normal".
"But I don't want things to go back to the way they were before" Morgana admitted. "This is like...like nothing I've ever felt before".
"I want you to look at my finger and follow it" Morgause said.
Arthur was fed up with his therapy. Yet he knew that he was getting somewhat better and it was good for him. Nature therapy had worked absolute wonders for him, as he and Morgana walked along the River Thames hand in hand.
"You look happy today" Merlin commented as he sat on the couch.
"I've met this beautiful woman" Arthur smiled. "And she's... she's the only thing in colour. I mean, suddenly there's hope again".
"I'm glad that you're finding hope again Arthur" Merlin smiled. "So I take it that this week has been rather good then".
"Yeah, uh. We spent a lot of it together, she showed me around London and I had the best time".
"So I take it that you went near the River Thames then?" Merlin said as he began writing notes on his notepad.
"Oh yeah. Yeah, we did. Crossed over the millennium bridge I think it's called? Something to do with death eaters in Harry Potter. Trying to make my way through that".
"And how did that make you feel?" Merlin asked.
"Numb" Arthur admitted. "Just ... numb. I didn't know how to feel about it, and that's the problem. Usually when I'm around her, I feel nothing but absolute happiness. Yet there and then ... nothing".
A/N: So, as a part of my New Years resolution I'm going to try and update this story every Thursday now (and seeing as i'm back in lockdown!)