arthur/morgana ficlet
I had someone request for a fic with Arthur/Morgana accidentally acquiring a baby a little while back, so figured I'd share it here!
(s1/s2 era; Merlin finds a baby and for some reason decides Morgana is the best caretaker for it- but she refuses to do it without enlisting some help, aka torturing Arthur with it for fun)
Arthur was out of breath by the time he reached Morgana’s chambers, his chest heaving. He threw the door open, fully expecting to find some sort of disaster waiting for him. Merlin had seemed adamant that he come immediately, and the wails he had heard from down the hall were terrible.
As he entered the room, he stopped short, his eyes wildly scanning the room for danger. When he found none, his sights landed on Morgana and he lifted his eyebrows questioningly. “Morgana, what…” His gaze fell to her lap, where she was cradling something small and pink. “What is that?”
Morgana chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Really, Arthur, I knew you were dense, but you can’t honestly tell me you’ve never seen a baby before.”
"I know what it is," he snapped, his ego wounded. "Why do you have it?" As he finished the question, his eyes grew wide for a moment as he tried to think back on Morgana’s appearance over the past months. He hadn’t spent as much time with her as usual, but she couldn’t possibly-
Deducing his train of thought, Morgana rolled her eyes. “It’s not mine, you idiot.”
He scoffed. “I knew that.” Though he was secretly relieved by her admission.
Morgana resisted another eyeroll. “Merlin found him abandoned in the lower town and asked me to care for it until we can locate a family to raise him.”
"Well that’s nice." Arthur nodded. "I’ll be sure to have the knights search for its real parents, too." He took a step towards the door, fully expecting his involvement to end there.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Morgana asked loudly, stopping him before he could reach the door.
Arthur turned back, looking from her to the baby and back. His expression was vaguely terrified. “Morgana… you don’t really think I’m going to-”
"I can’t take care of this baby alone, Arthur, and I’m not going to subject Gwen and Merlin to any more chores." She smiled wickedly. "That leaves you."
Arthur looked rather indignant at her suggestion. “Morgana, I have duties, I can’t just spend my days watching a child with you!”
Morgana pursed her lips at him, unimpressed. “Oh please, I’m sure the knights can go a while without you knocking them upside the head, and the deer population is low enough as it is.”
"I don’t know anything about babies!" he tried. It was clear that it was a losing battle- not that he ever won with Morgana anyways.
"This will be a good way to learn then, won’t it?" she quipped. Rising from her seat in the chair, she carried the baby over to Arthur. Without asking for permission, she forced his arms out and placed the baby against his chest, releasing the child into Arthur’s hold.
Arthur floundered for a few seconds, fear sending cold flashes radiating throughout his chest. He eventually got a good grip on the tiny wriggling thing in his arms, but the fear never left.
Morgana grinned from ear to ear at the sight. “He’s not much trouble really, just eats and sleeps all day. When he isn’t screaming of course.” At Arthur’s withering look, she her smile grew. “I guess you two have a lot in common.”
Arthur grumbled, “Shut up, ‘Gana.” His voice was hushed despite the angry retort, the baby was calmly resting in his arms and he didn’t dare upset it. He started to move his arms in a slow rocking movement almost instinctively.
Morgana’s smile stayed, but it softened as she watched. Whispering, she said, “I couldn’t decide on a name. You can choose if you like. I’ve been calling him Arthur mostly, since he reminds me of you.”
Arthur’s eyes snapped up to meet hers, his face lighting up at her words. There was a thinly veiled insult in there, but he didn’t care.
Morgana basked in his happiness for a moment before continuing, “Of course, I figured we’d keep him in your chambers since they’re larger than mine, and you’ll have to get some supplies to make a bassonet for him to sleep in- oh, and I’ll probably need to stay in your room too; you can sleep in a chair I’m sure, you won’t mind will you?”
Arthur sighed heavily. Good thing the baby was cute.
(s1/s2 era; Merlin finds a baby and for some reason decides Morgana is the best caretaker for it- but she refuses to do it without enlisting some help, aka torturing Arthur with it for fun)
Arthur was out of breath by the time he reached Morgana’s chambers, his chest heaving. He threw the door open, fully expecting to find some sort of disaster waiting for him. Merlin had seemed adamant that he come immediately, and the wails he had heard from down the hall were terrible.
As he entered the room, he stopped short, his eyes wildly scanning the room for danger. When he found none, his sights landed on Morgana and he lifted his eyebrows questioningly. “Morgana, what…” His gaze fell to her lap, where she was cradling something small and pink. “What is that?”
Morgana chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Really, Arthur, I knew you were dense, but you can’t honestly tell me you’ve never seen a baby before.”
"I know what it is," he snapped, his ego wounded. "Why do you have it?" As he finished the question, his eyes grew wide for a moment as he tried to think back on Morgana’s appearance over the past months. He hadn’t spent as much time with her as usual, but she couldn’t possibly-
Deducing his train of thought, Morgana rolled her eyes. “It’s not mine, you idiot.”
He scoffed. “I knew that.” Though he was secretly relieved by her admission.
Morgana resisted another eyeroll. “Merlin found him abandoned in the lower town and asked me to care for it until we can locate a family to raise him.”
"Well that’s nice." Arthur nodded. "I’ll be sure to have the knights search for its real parents, too." He took a step towards the door, fully expecting his involvement to end there.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Morgana asked loudly, stopping him before he could reach the door.
Arthur turned back, looking from her to the baby and back. His expression was vaguely terrified. “Morgana… you don’t really think I’m going to-”
"I can’t take care of this baby alone, Arthur, and I’m not going to subject Gwen and Merlin to any more chores." She smiled wickedly. "That leaves you."
Arthur looked rather indignant at her suggestion. “Morgana, I have duties, I can’t just spend my days watching a child with you!”
Morgana pursed her lips at him, unimpressed. “Oh please, I’m sure the knights can go a while without you knocking them upside the head, and the deer population is low enough as it is.”
"I don’t know anything about babies!" he tried. It was clear that it was a losing battle- not that he ever won with Morgana anyways.
"This will be a good way to learn then, won’t it?" she quipped. Rising from her seat in the chair, she carried the baby over to Arthur. Without asking for permission, she forced his arms out and placed the baby against his chest, releasing the child into Arthur’s hold.
Arthur floundered for a few seconds, fear sending cold flashes radiating throughout his chest. He eventually got a good grip on the tiny wriggling thing in his arms, but the fear never left.
Morgana grinned from ear to ear at the sight. “He’s not much trouble really, just eats and sleeps all day. When he isn’t screaming of course.” At Arthur’s withering look, she her smile grew. “I guess you two have a lot in common.”
Arthur grumbled, “Shut up, ‘Gana.” His voice was hushed despite the angry retort, the baby was calmly resting in his arms and he didn’t dare upset it. He started to move his arms in a slow rocking movement almost instinctively.
Morgana’s smile stayed, but it softened as she watched. Whispering, she said, “I couldn’t decide on a name. You can choose if you like. I’ve been calling him Arthur mostly, since he reminds me of you.”
Arthur’s eyes snapped up to meet hers, his face lighting up at her words. There was a thinly veiled insult in there, but he didn’t care.
Morgana basked in his happiness for a moment before continuing, “Of course, I figured we’d keep him in your chambers since they’re larger than mine, and you’ll have to get some supplies to make a bassonet for him to sleep in- oh, and I’ll probably need to stay in your room too; you can sleep in a chair I’m sure, you won’t mind will you?”
Arthur sighed heavily. Good thing the baby was cute.