Chapter Text
“Morgana,” Gwaine yelled from the bedroom. “Could you get the door? I'm getting dressed.”
“I've got it,” Morgana yelled back from the kitchen while making her way down the hall and to the door. “Hold your horses, I'm coming.” She yelled at the front door while Autumn trailed behind her with her blanket and teddy bear in her hand.
Morgana yanked the door open to find Arthur standing there shifting from foot to foot. Autumn ran ahead of her, dropping her teddy bear, and making a leap with blind faith that Arthur would catch her. “Uncle Arthur!”
Arthur caught her mid-jump and pulled him into his arms.
“Hello beautiful!” Arthur responded while giving Autumn a kiss, swinging her around and holding her tightly. “How's my girl?”
“I'm doing fine.” Autumn said with a smile just as big and bright as Morgana's. “We're about to decorate the Christmas tree-”
“Oh no. Daddy and I are about to decorate the Christmas tree.” Morgana cut in while looking at her raven haired little girl. “You were going to put the angel on the tree in the morning because it's bed time.”
“But mommy, it's uncle Arthur.” Like that meant everything in the world. “Can't I stay awake a little while longer, pleeeaase?” Autumn said while making a sad and pleading face both at the time like only Autumn could. Autumn was a cross between Gwaine and Morgana through and through. She had Morgana's eyes, nose, and smile, Gwaine's complexion, and a combination of their hair with Morgana's length. She was gorgeous with Gwaine's charms and Morgana's sass. And there was no one who could resist her when she started the pleading, not even Morgana.
Morgana sighed.
“Fine, you can stay up to decorate the tree. But just to decorate the tree!”
“Can uncle Arthur help me put the angel on top of the tree?”
Gwaine walked out of his bedroom at the same time to respond, “Sure thing sweetheart.”
“And can uncle Arthur read me my bedtime story and tuck me in?”
“Anything for you beautiful.” Arthur responded while running a hand through Autumn's hair.
“Yay!” Autumn responded with a big bright smile.
“You're creating a monster little brother.” Morgana chided.
“Can't an uncle come and visit?” Arthur questions with a smile.
“That depends on if that's the reason for the visit.” Gwaine responds with a raised brow.
“Later,” was Arthur's response.
“She misses you you know.” Morgana said to Arthur.
“I miss her too.” Arthur responded while walking over to the Christmas tree with Autumn.
“Then maybe you should come by more often.” Gwaine comments.
Morgana came out of the kitchen with hot chocolates for all while Gwaine, Arthur, and Autumn started on the Christmas tree. Traditionally, being raised in the home of Pendragon, Christmas trees were huge, with gold or silver trimming with white lights. It looked sterile in comparison to what they were doing now. Having a three year old and Gwaine has changed Morgana's way of doing things, a lot. They stand now with a six foot tree decorated with red garland, multi-colored ornaments, figurines that Autumn made herself, and multi-colored lights. And as Autumn requested, Arthur helped her put the angel on the tree top. By the time they were finished Autumn was beginning to fall asleep in Arthur's lap while he was drinking his hot chocolate.
“Now I think it's time for all little girls to say night night.” Morgana said.
“My bedtime story!” Autumn said, awake instantly. “Uncle Arthur, would you please read to me?”
“Sure thing beautiful.”
“Can we play horsey on the way to my room?”
“Sure thing, hop on.” Arthur lowered himself enough for Autumn to climb on his back and she yelled “Ride em cowboy,” As they went to her bedroom.
***
Arthur finished reading the Berenstein Bears to Autumn and tucked her in for the night.
“Kisses uncle Arthur.” Autumn reminded Arthur before he leaned down and gave her four kisses. One on each brow, her nose, and her lips.
“Good night beautiful.”
“Good night uncle Arthur. I love you.”
“Love you too beautiful.” Arthur responded with a tender smile as he tousled Autumn's hair.
Autumn raised up on her elbows. “Uncle Arthur, will you be coming by again soon. I've missed you.”
“It's only been a few weeks.”
Autumn huffed, arms folded at her chest, “It's been a few weeks too long. We haven't had a proper tea in ages.” Autumn said, referring to her play tea party that Arthur would have attended if he had arrived during the day.
“Then I will be back soon, yeah?”
“Pinky swear?” Autumn said while bringing her pinky to have Arthur swear.
“Pinky swear it is.” Arthur responded by joining his pinky with hers. “Now sleep.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight beautiful.”
Arthur got up and turned to see Morgana waiting for him by the door with a fond smile on her face.
“You know, you are going to make a wonderful father someday.” She said while putting her arm around Arthur shoulders and resting her head there while they walked backed to the living room.
“Did you know that Mithian volunteered to be a surrogate for me?” Arthur asked.
“Shut it. I did not know that.” Morgana said in shock. “Really?”
“Sure did, it was a few months back at Gwen and Lance's anniversary party. We were both drowning out our sorrows at the bottom of a whiskey bottle and when I talked about children she volunteered her services. She said if I did it before she found her Mr. Right that she would be more than happy to do it.”
“Well, what do you think about that?”
“I thought it was a good idea. But I wanted to have someone in my life first.” Arthur shrugged before continuing, “I don't want to be a single father.”
Morgana nodded, understanding. “Well, either way I think you would be wonderful, and you have the support of everyone if you decided to do it. With or without a life partner.”
“Hear hear,” Gwaine said from the hallway, apparently listening to their conversation.
“So...,” Gwaine started, hot chocolates removed and wine glasses in it's place passing it out in the living room, “what brought you by Princess?”
Arthur knew Gwaine would not forget. He sighed. “Didn't want to stay at home.”
“So you just left at this time of evening?” Morgana questioned. It really was getting late.
Arthur knew he could keep it up but Gwaine and Morgana was a fierce force when tag teaming. “Fine, Merlin had company and I didn't want to stay for the show.”
“So you just left?” Morgana questioned again.
“Merlin introduced us. Dylan something or another.” Arthur said bitterly.
“And what excuse did you give Merlin for cutting out?” Gwaine asked.
“I told him that I promised to stop over here for dinner.” Arthur responded while avoiding eye contact.
“And he fell for that? At this time of night?” Morgana questioned.
“I don't think he was paying much attention to the time. He was too busy paying attention to Dylan.” Arthur responded while drinking his wine in one go and going to the bar to pour himself a refill. “I just want to hang here for a while and then I'll go home. Hopefully they'll be asleep by the time I get there.”
They spent the rest of the night watching movies and drinking wine. Gwaine even made popcorn. They watched Avengers, Iron Man 3, and Thor. By the time they finished it was too late for anyone to be going anywhere.
“Why don't you take the guest room for the night, Arthur?” Morgana said as a question. “You still have some pajamas here from the last time and we have a spare toothbrush for you and supplies stored as well in the guest bathroom.”
Arthur knows Morgana said this as a question but he also knows that Morgana has no intention of allowing him to go home in the middle of the night. He acquiesces, gives hugs to Gwaine and Morgana and makes his way to the guest bedroom.
“Do you think he's going to be alright?” Gwaine asked while watching his friend walk down the corridor.
Morgana watching as well responds, “I don't know, but I'm worried about him. He can't take much more of this. Everyone thinks he's so strong as for the most part he is. Father says he's doing an excellent job at work, he still spends time with all of us, but I know for a fact that he isolates himself when he goes home. He's headed for a breakdown if he doesn't find a way to deal with his feelings for Merlin. Especially if Merlin keeps bringing these blokes home to throw in his face.” Morgana said with a frown.
“Hey, you know Merlin isn't doing it on purpose.”
“That's besides the point. The point is he is doing it.”
“He doesn't know -”
“And how could he not know!” Morgana screeched while turning her full glare on her husband. “How could he not see when Arthur does everything for him since oh I don't know, forever. Arthur makes him breakfast every morning when their home. He cooks him dinner when their home. He even does the man's laundry. Hell, he's even Merlin's emergency contact for crying out loud! He's more of a husband to Merlin than any of the blokes Merlin's gone out with and the only thing they aren't doing is the horizontal rumble!”
“The horizontal rumble? Really?” Gwaine laughs. “Where in the hell did you get that one from?”
“Gwen.” Morgana grins before frowning again. “But that's besides the point. The point is something has to give and give soon or I'm going to be forced to intervene whether Arthur likes it or not.”
“Let's hope that doesn't happen.” Gwaine says. Morgana knows that Gwaine doesn't want to intervene but she is tired, this has been going on for far too long.
“If Merlin wasn't so self-absorbed he would have seen this by now.”
“It's not as easy as you say it is Morgs and you know it. Arthur has pretty much made everything about Merlin from the moment that they met when he saved Merlin from getting a knuckle sandwich from the hands of Valiant. It's always been about Merlin to Arthur. We were never jealous of course because it's always been different and we could see the reason why but apparently for Merlin doesn't. Arthur's drunken confession at the bar last year was not a surprise at all as it was a confirmation.”
Morgana shook her head. “But it's so clear. Even if Arthur hasn't come right out to say it it is clear for everyone to see just as you said it. His eyes light up when Merlin's walks in a room. He gravitates to Merlin automatically like metal to a magnet and Merlin's been Arthur's plus one to any event for years now. Even if Arthur has a hard time expressing his feelings he clearly doesn't have a hard time displaying them. And for Merlin to miss it...” Morgana shook her head again before drinking almost a quarter of her wine.
“Merlin's probably missing it because he only sees Arthur as a friend.” Gwaine raises a brow automatically to Morgana's glare. “Now here me out. He may have never considered Arthur as a prospect. The men that Merlin chooses don't happen to be anywhere near Arthur's caliber, and Arthur is his best mate. Sometimes when you around someone so much you tend to miss the obvious. Even if he notices everything else.” Gwaine replied while running a hand through his hair.
Morgana sighed. “Well, maybe getting away would do wonders for Arthur, I've been trying to convince Arthur to take some time off. Just to get away. I'm hoping if he does maybe he could find someone else, someone who could take his mind off of Merlin. Or at least give him a good shag to make him forget for a while.”
“We are talking about seven years of pining. Seven years of being in love with his best friend. Do you really think a fling is going to do it here?”
“I don't know.” Morgana says while running her hands through her hair and pacing. “But I'm grasping at straws here. At least the time away could do him some good. And how would Arthur know that there isn't anyone else out there if he doesn't try to actually get out there. It's like he's been saving himself for Merlin.”
“He is saving himself for Merlin.” Gwaine said as if it was stating the obvious before continuing. “The trip might just do him some good but...” Gwaine trailed off while rubbing his low shaved beard.
It was Morgana's turn to raise a brow. “And just what are you thinking?”
“I'm thinking maybe we could help push this along somehow without getting too involved.”
“And how do you propose that.” Morgana said while bringing her arms around Gwaine's neck. She loved it when he began to plot.
“It's delicate, and I can't promise anything, but why don't we take this back to the bedroom and discuss it in more detail.” Gwaine finishes while picking Morgana up bridal style.
“It's always about sex with you isn't it?” Morgana laughs.
“Don't pretend you don't like it.” Gwaine responds while carrying Morgana into their bedroom.
Their talk gets postponed until the morning.