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“Where did you get those?” Arthur pointed over at the bouquet of flowers in the vase on her bedside table.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, running his fingers over Morgana’s knuckles. She had almost died on them. Almost. Now that she was back home from the lengthy hospital stay, everything felt calmer, more solid but her scratchy coughs never failed to make him tense and turn his back into a woodboard.
Morgana smiled that exhausted smile of hers, reaching out to touch one of the petals. “´Merlin had brought them. He wanted to make sure I had everything I needed.”
Oh. Okay. Now was no time to ask questions though.
“Do you?” Arthur whispered, brushing his fingers over her hair.
Morgana nodded her head, closing her eyes. “He brought some meals that just need warming up. Homemade. Could you warm some tomato soup for me?” She weakly squeezed his hand. Arthur's heart clenched.
“Of course.” He stood up from the bed, making sure to tuck her in a bit more. “Do you want it with coconut milk and noodles as usual?”
Morgana squeezed his hand once more and then slowly let go. That was a yes then.
Between warming up the soup, searching for that godforsaken milk can in the fridge and boiling water for the noodles, Arthur had just a minute to ponder.
Merlin and Morgana? Maybe they…
No, no. He shook his head. Morgana had been going after Gwen for quite some time and that he knew of, Merlin was in a sort of friends-with-benefits situation with Gwaine.
Arthur huffed at that. Of course he was. Gwaine was quite the charmer after all. Especially if he was drunk and throwing one joke after another.
Once he had set up the bowl for Morgana, Arthur fished out a tray and arranged everything so she could have the easiest time possible eating it. And if she still feels weak, he'll feed her himself.
The sight of her like this…it was hard. It was hard to even look at her, at his usually strong, confident sister who granted herself the assimilations to a hurricane at times.
She could stand face to face with a man twice her size and never once waver.
But now, all he could see was that little girl, who always came to him when she had a nightmare. He still remembers her, sitting in his bed, scaring him to death as he woke up to a figure in his room. Even if she was older than him, all he could see was someone who needed care.
“There you go.” He set down the tray on the bedside table, making sure none of the soup got on the freshly washed sheets before he sat back down. Wait a minute. “Do you need something else before I go?”
“Come here…” Morgana mumbled, opening her arms. Well, she did try.
Arthur’s brows creased at that. Morgana wanted him there? Why?
Who he was to question her anyway. He wasn’t the one who’s been stuck in bed for weeks by now, both at home and in the hospital.
Arthur climbed into the bed, settling down next to her. If she wanted him there, that’s exactly where he’d be.
He barely breathed when Morgana put her head on his shoulder, throwing her arm over his chest.
“I…it was scary.” Her voice began to tremble and Arthur’s heart broke into a million pieces. “I thought I would die there…”
“But you didn’t. You’re too stubborn to die that way, you’re Morgana.” He brushed away a bit of the hair stuck to her forehead. “And you’re so strong. I’m in awe, truly.”
“You’re the best.” Morgana whispered into his T-shirt, her grip on him tightening. “I love you.”
Arthur’s jaw dropped. Morgana, his sister Morgana Pendragon would never let those two words out of her mouth. Never, ever, under any circumstances.
But he can guess that almost dying changes one’s perspective enough. “I love you too. You’ll get out of this, I promise you.”
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
“Hi.” Merlin opened his door wide for him, giving that bright grin of his. “How is Morgana doing?”
Arthur stepped in and took off his shoes with a nod. “She’s exhausted to the depths of hell.”
“It’s probably a side effect of the antibiotics. It can happen, especially with the stronger ones she’s been prescribed.” Merlin recounted. The son of a nurse and a GP, from head to toe.
“I warmed up the soup you brought yesterday.” Arthur passed by him, straight to the kitchen. He needed a beer. Or something stronger honestly.
Merlin perked up a bit at that. He loved taking care of his people, of anyone really, and now was no exception. “Did she like it?”
“Yeah.” Arthur smiled, just to ease Merlin’s worries. “She made me put coconut milk and noodles into it. Just as she likes it.
Merlin chuckled at that. “Expected that. At least she’s eating, I’d be a lot more worried if she didn’t have an appetite at all.”
Arthur took just a moment to look at the man before him. Merlin was just the ray of sunshine, of everyone’s world. There was not a person that wouldn’t consider meeting a blessing.
And he was bringing his sister flowers. Just his luck, His face must have soured at that because Merlin looked concerned. And once Merlin was concerned, there was no stopping it.
“What is it?” Merlin whispered in that uneasy voice of his, stepping just in front of him. “And don’t try to lie to me, Arthur. It won’t work.”
Arthur looked at the shot glass in his hand. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t.
“You got Morgana flowers.”
Why not me?
Merlin looked to be nervous at that moment. Which only cemented Arthur’s fears. “I was just…I wanted her to have something nice to look at after all that time in the hospital. It wasn't supposed to mean anything, I promise.”
Oh . Oh?
“So you’re not together?” Arthur looked back up at him, at that ocean blue of his eyes. “You’re not dating.”
“No.” Merlin shook his head with a chuckle. “Arthur, she’s a lesbian. I’m gay. We completely miss each other."
Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes, good. The weight on Arthur's chest lessened.
“I can get you flowers too, if you want them so much.” Merlin was all of a sudden in his space, taking the shot glass way. Not that Arhur minded. Nor did he mind when Merlin pressed him against the counter, or when Merlin put his hands on his hips. “If you go out with me.”
Arthur took just a breath, before his lips were on Merlin’s and then all he could do was melt into the puddle for the other.