Work Text:
Mordred moves through his life with spears on his heart and daggers in his eyes. He does not trust easily and he does everything in his power to prevent himself from loving another human. This attitude, born from years in his father's court and the knowledge of how his life began, has slowly turned him numb from the outside in. Few try to break his shell and most of those who do quickly abandon it in favor of more enjoyable pursuits.
Galahad alone seems bent on truly being friends with him. Day after day he goes out of his way to speak with Mordred. He seeks out his company and smiles at him in corridors and slowly but surely Mordred begins to open to him. He talks back during their conversations and stops trying to slip away. Galahad tells stories from his childhood. Mordred hesitantly does the same. They bond over the feeling of being unwanted.
Months go by and Mordred shares more and more of his pain. He talks about the nightmares, the hatred, and the loneliness. Galahad holds Mordred in his arms while he confesses to the horrible numbness. They're both crying, but Mordred hardly seems aware of the tears rolling down his face.
Later that day, Galahad sits at the round table surrounded by the other knights. Mordred is missing, but his absence is hardly noted. Sitting there, looking at these faces, and thinking about what he had heard Galahad desperately wants out. For a split second he considers leaving.
In a world where he doesn't have a destiny and is free to follow his instincts, he stands up. He apologizes to Arthur but says that he cannot bear to serve under him any longer. He announces that he is leaving Camelot and taking Mordred with him. He is going to try to get some warmth back into Mordred before it is too late. They are going to try to live their lives despite everything and maybe they could even try to be happy.
But in this world he has a destiny. He hopes that some other universe has a Mordred and Galahad who did it and succeeded, but here he is bound and, as much as he loves Mordred, he does not have the freedom to save him.