Hey! Thanks for your lovely reviews, they make me so happy!
Enjoy the 3rd chapter
I do not own Merlin.
"Morgana! What are you doing here?"
Merlin couldn't believe what was before his eyes. Morgana was outside his door, apparently freezing from the cold weather outside and broken-down looking. Her nose and cheeks were red from the cold and she was holding a scarf in front of her mouth to keep it warm.
He sent her a quizzical look.
"Please, Merlin, can I stay the night. I have nowhere else to go" Morgana hated the words the very moment she said them. They made her look so weak and vulnerable and this was not her, at normal circumstances. She would turn her back to Draco and never beg anyone. But this was Merlin, she was in need of a bed and couldn't think of anything else.
" 'Course you can. But will you tell me what's wrong". His full of care eyes melted her but she could stay no more at the freezing atmosphere of the road.
"Can I come in?" she repeated weakly.
She followed Merlin to his living room. And then, even though the only person she considered trustworthy enough to know what she had gone through the previous months was Gwen, she completely opened up to Merlin and told him everything. She already felt like she had known him for a lifetime.
After half an hour, some tea and some crying from the part of Morgana which was followed by Merlin's sympathetic words they decided to watch the "Titanic". Morgana's eyes in the end were red 1and puffy from crying and she was clenging on Merlin, who had gotten already a blanket for both of them. After it was over, Morgana went to sleep on the sofa and Merlin on his bed. He had insisted that she sleep on the bed but even in her most vulnerable state, Morgana was still Morgana, independent, strong-willed and slightly bossy.
Next morning, while drinking chocolate and milk, Merlin raised the subject of Morgana's current accommodation. After she told him the state she was in, he announced she was going to stay with him whether she wanted or not.
"Oh Merlin, you are really sweet"Morgana laughed. "Don't worry, though, I want stay too long. I only hope I will be able to find any part-time job."
"Tell me a bit about yourself. Your family, your interests. After all I'm going to be sharing my home with you."
"So, My name is Morgana Le Fay, I'm 21, and a current student of the Sketching Course, at the School of Arts" Merlin made a face about her formal tone but she continued. "My parents were called Gorlois and Vivienne"
"Were?"
"They died when I was young. They told me it was an accident, but I never learned how exactly. Anyway, I lived with a friend of my father, Uther Pendragon, ever since. He wanted me to become an assistant at his office and marry one of the suitors he had for me in order to put me in his circle of high society. I refused initially but I ended up dating Draco, the son of one of his friends, Lucius Malfoy. When his father lost the most of his money gambling Uther told me to break up with Draco, as the deal was over. I never left him, even though he was definitely not the Prince Charming I had hoped for. I could understand how awful it would be for him, so a couple of months ago we moved here, in a small flat, against our parents' wills. Then Draco, showed me his other face. He started hurting me, drinking and gambling. For some reason, he started blaming me for everything. And this is how I got in the state you saw me yesterday evening. "
Merlin said nothing. She had just said that her guardian was his boss at work and they were in a quarrel. His life from now on was going to change a hundred percent. And something about her not knowing how exactly her parents died seemed curious to him.
"What about you?"
"Well, not a match for your exciting life. My father was Balinor, he died a year ago, and my mother Hunith lives in Ireland and visits me once in a while. I have a history degree but it has proven useless. I am now an assistant at your guardian's industry and his sons best friend. "
The alarm clock in Merlin's phone rang, giving an end to their conversation.
Merlin had to leave for work and Morgana was once again alone in his house, gathering information about his personality and interests from the things he had. He apparently was a huge music fan and not at all into tidying up his stuff. In his bedroom, he had a lot of posters hanging on the walls, with a huge one of Michael Jackson on the entrance. She just wandered around and then, sure that Draco was outside, she called a taxi to their flat and took most of her clothes and precious items. She came home at 4 and fell on the sofa exhausted.
"Who's this?" Morgana asked, pointing at a photo on the wall, two hours later.
"This is my ex-girlfriend, well, not exactly ex, as he moved away. Anyway, this is Freya"
"Oh I see", Morgana said quietly. "So, what do you usually do on a Friday evening?"
"Well on a usual Friday evening, I stay in and contemplate the meaning of doing nothing. But this is not what I'm intending to do today. We are going out. Get dressed."
Half an hour later, Morgana came down, having put on a dark green top, a brown leather jacket, white denim trousers and leather booties.
"You look great" Merlin praised.
"Thanks" she smiled and took the arm he was offering her. They left the flat and entered Merlin's car.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"You'll see. I'm sure you 'll like it"
Neither of them spoke as Merlin drove. Pretending to be focused on the songs the listened from the radio, both were thinking. Morgana felt helpless. Her whole life was in the hands of this kind Merlin, about whom she knew only thing or too. If she hadn't met him accidentally at the road that day, now she would be homeless, unable to support herself, with money barely covering her needs for food. This couldn't go on for much more. Merlin already seemed to have the patience of a saint, but she was sure it was one day bound to expire. And then she would be not only ruined but guilty too. Merlin couldn't believe how for once in his life he had got the jackpot. Morgana was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. Everything in his life since she knocked on his door the night before was meaningless. He would always find a job, go partying with friends, get fired, search for a new job and so on. Now he felt he had a certain mission, reason for living. And he was already very fond of her. All day, he found himself trying to come up with ways to please her and make her feel like home.
The car stopped and they both got out in a place that looked like a forest.
"We can go to the city centre for a stroll but first I want to show you something"
He took her hand and they walked between the trees.
"Close your eyes" Merlin whispered and she obeyed.
Taking her with him, they walked in the forest until he let her open her eyes.
A beautiful lake was before her. It had blue-green crystal clear water, it was surrounded by tall trees and everywhere her eyesight could reach in the dark were flowers of all sorts. Morgana stood there watching in awe.
"Welcome to the lake of Avalon. This is where I used to come fishing with my father when I was a child. I really like being here, it makes me calm."
He sat down on the grass and she rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like this for a few minutes. Then Merlin said, " let's go "
They stood up and entered their car again, then spent the rest of the evening strolling around in the city centre. This was definitely the beginning of a beautiful friendship.