Responsible
Author: weepingwillow9
Title: Responsible
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Focusing on Mordred/Galahad(OC), background Morgana/Elaine(OC) and Merlin/Arthur/Gwaine/Lancelot
Character/s: Lancelot, Morgana
Summary: They're watching the boys run towards hurt, but they can't do anything to stop them. Because there are different types of responsibility.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 463
Prompt: Choices
Author's Notes: Woop, maybe one of these days I'll write some plot! For people needing backstory, this is in a world where Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Gwaine are together, as are Morgana and Elaine. But before all of this, Lancelot and Elaine were together and Elaine got pregnant, so Galahad is their son. Mordred is Morgana's nephew with a dangerous home life so he comes to stay lots.
Lancelot watches Galahad run off towards Hyde Park with a grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes he’s never seen in his son before, and he worries. Because he knows that look, has seen it before, when Elaine looks at Morgana, when Merlin looks at Arthur or Gwaine. It’s love, and it’s want. Pure and undiluted.
And Lance wants to be happy for his son, he really does. But when the person Galahad’s running off to see is Mordred, he can’t quite bring himself to celebrate.
It’s a bad idea. Mordred’s bad for him, there’s no way around it. Lance has watched Mordred over the years, from a distance, heard Morgana’s worries about her nephew. It’s not that he’s evil, not even that he’s intentionally bad. Just, the only life he knows is one with no place for love, only survival. He’ll never understand Galahad properly, and Galahad will never be able to understand him. It’ll break Galahad’s heart, sooner or later, and maybe even Mordred’s along with it.
And Lance can’t make them stop, but he can at least prepare Galahad for the worst, warn him against this. Of course, he’s sure that Galahad wouldn’t listen, or at least not hard enough. But the question is whether he should or not.
Lance is proud of his son. Proud of the way he’s growing up; proud even of the fact that he can see past the exterior to love someone like Mordred. And, as such, part of him feels that Galahad is old enough to make his own decisions. After all, how will he learn if he follows others’ choices? But part of him breaks at the thought of his son heartbroken and in pain. And part of him suspects that being Mordred’s boyfriend could lead him into danger.
Morgana certainly thinks so. She wants to sit them down together and tell them in no uncertain terms to end it. Lance knows that would be futile. They’d just continue in secret, with the added thrill of the forbidden.
The only way that Lance can see is to give the whole situation his blessing. Keep them in the open about it, where he can watch them. Keep them both safe. Because while he is responsible for Galahad and for his safety, so is Galahad himself. And he hasn’t the right to decide what will make Galahad happy, the same as Arthur’s father didn’t have the right to try to marry him off to pretty heiresses all those years ago. He is responsible for letting Galahad grow up, so he has to step back.
Lance takes Morgana’s hand and squeezes it. She clings back. Both praying to whoever’s listening that the boys they love have the sense to keep each other safe.
Title: Responsible
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Focusing on Mordred/Galahad(OC), background Morgana/Elaine(OC) and Merlin/Arthur/Gwaine/Lancelot
Character/s: Lancelot, Morgana
Summary: They're watching the boys run towards hurt, but they can't do anything to stop them. Because there are different types of responsibility.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 463
Prompt: Choices
Author's Notes: Woop, maybe one of these days I'll write some plot! For people needing backstory, this is in a world where Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Gwaine are together, as are Morgana and Elaine. But before all of this, Lancelot and Elaine were together and Elaine got pregnant, so Galahad is their son. Mordred is Morgana's nephew with a dangerous home life so he comes to stay lots.
Lancelot watches Galahad run off towards Hyde Park with a grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes he’s never seen in his son before, and he worries. Because he knows that look, has seen it before, when Elaine looks at Morgana, when Merlin looks at Arthur or Gwaine. It’s love, and it’s want. Pure and undiluted.
And Lance wants to be happy for his son, he really does. But when the person Galahad’s running off to see is Mordred, he can’t quite bring himself to celebrate.
It’s a bad idea. Mordred’s bad for him, there’s no way around it. Lance has watched Mordred over the years, from a distance, heard Morgana’s worries about her nephew. It’s not that he’s evil, not even that he’s intentionally bad. Just, the only life he knows is one with no place for love, only survival. He’ll never understand Galahad properly, and Galahad will never be able to understand him. It’ll break Galahad’s heart, sooner or later, and maybe even Mordred’s along with it.
And Lance can’t make them stop, but he can at least prepare Galahad for the worst, warn him against this. Of course, he’s sure that Galahad wouldn’t listen, or at least not hard enough. But the question is whether he should or not.
Lance is proud of his son. Proud of the way he’s growing up; proud even of the fact that he can see past the exterior to love someone like Mordred. And, as such, part of him feels that Galahad is old enough to make his own decisions. After all, how will he learn if he follows others’ choices? But part of him breaks at the thought of his son heartbroken and in pain. And part of him suspects that being Mordred’s boyfriend could lead him into danger.
Morgana certainly thinks so. She wants to sit them down together and tell them in no uncertain terms to end it. Lance knows that would be futile. They’d just continue in secret, with the added thrill of the forbidden.
The only way that Lance can see is to give the whole situation his blessing. Keep them in the open about it, where he can watch them. Keep them both safe. Because while he is responsible for Galahad and for his safety, so is Galahad himself. And he hasn’t the right to decide what will make Galahad happy, the same as Arthur’s father didn’t have the right to try to marry him off to pretty heiresses all those years ago. He is responsible for letting Galahad grow up, so he has to step back.
Lance takes Morgana’s hand and squeezes it. She clings back. Both praying to whoever’s listening that the boys they love have the sense to keep each other safe.