Bike helmet in hand, Merlin runs his hands through his hair to refluff it and slides down to sit beside the door to Gwen's office. He's early and no doubt Gwen is running late with Lizzie.

He's still exhausted yet exhilarated from the day before. Thoughts of Morgana are at the forefront of his mind, and he hopes Gwen will tell him what to do.

"Merlin?" Gwen's voice breaks through his thoughts and brings him back to the Gender Studies corridor. "What did you do?"

"Why must you always assume I've done something?!"

Gwen raises an eyebrow.

"Honestly, Gwen. Can't I just come say hello to my best friend?"

Gwen gives him a small smile. "Of course you can, but I know that expression." She narrows her eyes before moving forward to unlock her office door.

Merlin begins to feign an innocent expression but succumbs to Gwen's glare. "Okay, fine. It's Morgana."

"Of course it is," Gwen sighs. "Again, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Merlin! Since you've come here first thing in the morning, I'm assuming you want me to help you. And if you want me to help you, you need to tell me what you've done! So sit down and start at the beginning. Or wherever you left off after you freaked out yesterday."

"I did not freak out!"

"I would argue otherwise."

Merlin pouts and then sighs. "We ran into each other outside the library."

"Define 'ran into.'"

"I was on the phone outside, talking to Viviane, and then Morgana walked over. I had my back turned to her, but I saw her in the window. I don't think she saw I saw, but I saw her hesitating, and I thought she might come over, so I started speaking a bit louder."

"And?" Gwen asks, narrowing her eyes.

Merlin opens his mouth as if to speak but then stops, looking for a better way to explain. Viviane hadn't reacted very well, and he doesn't want Gwen to hit him as hard.

"Merlin?!"

Merlin sighs. There was no way to make it sound any better than it had been. "I started speaking louder, and… maybe… I threw in a few terms of affection."

"Merlin!" Gwen groans. "Did she hear you?!"

Merlin winces. "I think so? She stopped hesitating and quickly walked up the stairs."

He scrutinizes Gwen's expression and rubs the back of his head. She doesn't look like she's going to reach out and smack him, but she groans again and covers her face with her hands. "You're such an idiot, Merlin!"

Merlin frowns. "You're the second one to call me that in the past day."

"With reason! No wonder you came to me. You poor precious idiot."

Merlin looks to the side. "About that. That isn't all."

"What do you mean that isn't all?!"

"Um."

"MERLIN?"

"I ran into her at the corner shop by my flat."

Gwen frowns. "What was she doing there?"

"Picking out courgettes. But I don't know why she was at the shop. I've never seen her there before."

"I suppose it is on her way home. Please tell me you came to your senses and spoke to her?"

Merlin cringes. "No."

"Did you run? I didn't think you could get more childish, but please, prove me wrong."
"No! I'm not that bad, Gwen. I went to hide by the cauliflower."

Gwen raises an eyebrow. "You don't even like cauliflower."

Merlin feigns offence. "I do! I like cauliflower. I like all the vegetables."

"Fair enough. I don't know what it is with your new lifestyle."

"It's therapeutic, Gwen."

Gwen sighs. "At least vegetables are better than drugs. And I beg to differ. You are worse than I said, Merlin. How do you propose to fix this?"

"That's why I came to you! Please help, Gwen."

Checking her phone to make sure she has the right address, Morgana skips onto the curb and slips through the door to a new coffee shop near campus that Galahad had raved about. Elaine had told her she couldn't show up at the office or appear anywhere near The Grail that week, but she hadn't said she couldn't meet with Galahad, and she needs to see her friend.

"Morgana!" Galahad calls over from a table near the wall.

"Hi, Lad!" she greets leaning down to peck him on the cheek in greeting. She raises a brow at his appearance. Perfectly groomed, he stands out from the bohemian crowd in the café, but he's wearing a thin, clearly ironed, fitted white t-shirt, with no jacket in sight. "Aren't you cold?"

"You know me."

"It's late September, Lad. You look ridiculous."

Galahad shrugs with a grin.

"You've met someone, haven't you?"

"No!"

"Liar."

"For the love of God! First Mother, now you! How on earth do you know?"
"You have very telling expressions, Galahad."

"Fine, then. I have, but I'm not going to tell you about her."

Morgana grins. "So it's a her this time."

"It is, and that's all you're going to get."

"For now," Morgana teases.

"For now."

Morgana nods. "Fair enough." She ruffles Galahad's perfectly groomed hair and steps away from the table. "I'll be right back. Do you want anything?" she asks, gesturing at his mostly empty cup.

"I'm fine, thank you," he answers, smoothing his hair.

"That's it. I can't deal with more of this before I have some more coffee. Do you want to go to the new place across the street?"

"Ooh yes. I love their matcha lattes."

Gwen shakes her head. "What happened to you?"

"You know I can't have coffee anymore."

Gwen sighs. "We need to fix this. Come on."

Happily sighing, Morgana takes a sip of her mochaccino and sits down across from Galahad. "This is so good. How did you find this place?"

"I have my ways."

"Well I'm glad you did. So tell me – how's your week?"

"It's nice, but that's all I can tell you."

Morgana narrows her eyes at him. "This isn't fair. You know I'm going to find out what you and Elaine are up to before you tell me."

"Tell Mother that."

"I have."

"Of course you have."

"Ooh, this is a cute place!" Gwen exclaims as they make their way inside.

Merlin begins to agree, but then his eyes land on a corner near the back of the shop. "Gwen," he whispers, eyes widening. "Gwen! Gwen!" he adds, gripping his friend's arm.

"What?!"

"Loooook."

"I don't – Oh, Morgana!"

"Shhhh. She'll hear you."

"That was the point, Merlin."

"I don't want her to hear us."

Gwen reaches up and swats him on the back of the head.

"OW! What was that for?!"

"This is the root source of your problem."

"I would rather she wasn't speaking to another guy when I speak to her for the first time in five years. Who is that, anyway?" He asks. He feels like a hurricane is rushing through his chest as he observes Morgana, but he tries to limit his external reaction to narrowing his eyes.

"That's just –" Gwen begins, but then stops, smirking. "I wouldn't know, Merlin."

"Aren't you her best friend?"

Gwen sighs. "And this is why I'm in this situation. This is what I get for being best friends with both of you."

"You have to know. She would have told you!"

"I'm not going to violate Morgana's trust. Besides, she doesn't tell me everything. She has a right to her privacy."

"He's her boyfriend, isn't he? Look at him."

Gwen rolls her eyes. "What about him?"

"He looks ridiculous. And cold."

"He most certainly does not look cold."

"What are you insinuating?"

"I'm not insinuating anything. For God's sake, Merlin! Do you want your matcha latte, or not?"

"I don't want her to see me."

Gwen looks up, looking for help from some unseen source. "We can get our drinks to go, if you'd like."

"Yes, please!"

Gwen sighs. "I swear this is like being in school, all over again."

"It's odd though, Lad. I feel like I've woken up and am back where I'm supposed to be."

"Do you think you'll stay, then? Go back to school?"

Morgana shrugs. "I do love the idea of doing a doctorate, after all."

"What do you think you –" Galahad stops talking, looking off across the shop with a smirk.

"Lad? What is it?" She asks, following his gaze. "Oh my God."

She freezes, eyes landing on Gwen and Merlin standing beside the counter.

"Should we call them over? We should call them over!" Galahad declares, waving his arm.

"Don't you dare!" Morgana reaches over and lowers Galahad's arm.

Galahad smirks. "This is for your good, Morgana." He waves his other hand right as Gwen catches sight of him and smiles.

Morgana sinks back in her seat and freezes as Gwen begins to drag Merlin over to their table.

"Gwen? No, Gwen! What are you doing?!"

"You'll thank me later, Merlin."

"I'm not sure that I will."

"Yes you will," Gwen whispers, with a smile plastered to her face. "Hello! Fancy meeting you here. It's been ages since I've seen you, Galahad."

"It's always a pleasure," Galahad says, standing to greet Gwen.

Merlin stares at the two of them. So much for not knowing who he was.

"Speaking of ages," Galahad says, pointedly looking between Morgana and Merlin. "I'm Galahad," he says, holding his hand out to Merlin.

"Merlin." He reaches out and shakes Galahad's hand. He still doesn't like the look of him, doesn't like the smug smile he's giving him. He stays quiet until Gwen nudges him in the side and adds, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Galahad says and then pointedly looks at Morgana.

Merlin swallows thickly, heart racing. Why Galahad has to rub in the fact that he's with Morgana and he isn't...

"Hi, Merlin," Morgana says, trying desperately to keep her voice steady. She feels like a band of horses are galloping across her chest.

"Morgana," Merlin answers. He looks utterly miserable, holding a very green looking drink. She frowns looking down at it.

"What is that?"

"It's a matcha latte," Gwen offers, apologetically. "He's developed a new habit."

"It isn't a habit, Gwen," Merlin grovels. "It's a lifestyle."

Gwen pats Merlin on the shoulder of the patterned sweater he's wearing. Morgana frowns.

"Well it looks… good," she offers, awkwardly.

"It is!" Merlin insists. "Gwen doesn't understand."

Gwen gives them a pointed stare. "Believe me, Merlin, when I say that I do."

Merlin sighs.

"So how have you been?" Galahad asks Gwen. "How's Lizzie?"

"She's wonderful!" Gwen offers and the two fall into conversation as Morgana drifts off, watching Merlin instead.

He looks much the same, save for the sweater and the drink. And the scruff. She likes the scruff, and the slightly floppier hair. Breathing a little more heavily, she tears her gaze back up to his eyes and finds him staring back at her.

It doesn't feel as painful as he thought it would, standing so close to her. He gives up all pretence of paying attention to Gwen and Galahad's conversation. For all the things that have happened and all the time that has gone by, he feels drawn to Morgana. He wonders what it would be like if he could step closer and greet her the way he's fantasized of doing.

She hasn't changed at all. She's just as beautiful as he remembers, as she is in the old photographs he has saved on his phone. She looks as she always has, is dressed much the same, with the same green trench he'd seen her wearing the day before.

She's watching him just as he's watching her, and when she shifts her gaze up to his, he looks down, blushing. She's wearing the same green shoes she'd wear to the coffee shop in the middle of the night all that time ago, and he feels a jolt at the sudden onslaught of additional memories.
She shifts one of her feet closer to him, and he tears his gaze back up and attempts to smile. He feels like he's doing something weird with his mouth because he hears Gwen's laughter break through the mist he's lost himself in.

"Merlin?!"

He blinks and reluctantly turns back to his friend. "Sorry, did you say something?"

Galahad visibly holds back laughter of his own, and Merlin decides most assuredly that he does not like him.

"I said I need to go. I have to teach a seminar."

"Ah," he answers and looks back to Morgana, who's looking to the side grining, her cheeks the faintest shade of pink.

"I have to go, too," Galahad says.

Morgana's smile grows ever so slightly, and Merlin hears his pulse rushing in his ears.

"Merlin?" Gwen says, emphasizing the last syllable and nudges him in the arm. "Are you listening?"

"I am!"

"Don't you have a class, too?"

Merlin blinks. "I do?"

Gwen looks at him, visibly delighted with his behaviour. "If you don't, you should stay here with Morgana. But I thought you had the methodology session with the first years. You were moaning about it an hour ago."

He suddenly feels the weight of textbooks in his messenger bag and snaps back to it. "Right. I forgot."

Galahad snorts, and Merlin turns to glare at him.

"Come on then," Gwen says. "Morgana, I'll see you later? We should get coffee this afternoon."

Morgana smiles. "Okay, I'll message you. I need to get back to the library, myself."

"Walk with me for a minute?" Galahad asks.

"Of course," Morgana smiles and loops her arm through his, turning back to wave at them. "I'll see you around?" she adds, looking straight at Merlin.

Merlin nods, and feeling like the ground is spinning beneath him, turns to follow Gwen out of the shop and in the other direction.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Galahad asks, beaming at Morgana.

"Shut up. I'm angry with you."

"You are not." He laughs, nudging Morgana. "You're smiling."

She attempts to glare at him, but her mouth twitches and betrays her.

"You'll be back to the way things used to be before you know it."

"I didn't say I wanted things to go back to the way they used to be."

"You do, though, don't you?"

"What I want doesn't matter. I hurt him, Lad. Badly."

He knows about the articles and Gaius, but she'd never explained the full extent of what had happened, hadn't said anything to anyone but Gwen, and she begs him to understand with her pleading expression.

"I doubt you could hurt anyone that badly, Morgana."

Morgana squeezes his arm. "You're sweet, Lad, but I promise you that I did. There's a lot more to it than you know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay." He stops next to his parked car. "I really do need to get back."

Morgana nods. "I won't keep you, then."

"Call me if you need anything. I'll try to get away."

"I will. Thank you. And same. I know Elaine said I can't help you."

Galahad grins and climbs into his car, waving before driving off.

Morgana watches him drive off and then turns back towards the campus, ready to spend the rest of her morning in the library before meeting Elaine for lunch. She has no doubt she'll spend more time replaying the events of the morning rather than doing research, but she knows it's the best chance she has of distracting herself, and so she goes anyway.