Somewhat Of An Understanding
Author: rottencreampuff
Title: Somewhat Of An Understanding
Rating: Pg-13
Pairing/s: Mordred/Merlin
Character/s: Merlin, Mordred, Morgana, Introducing Gwen
Summary: Nearly a year and a half after living with Mordred, Merlin starts to recognize his fear when Morgana visits.
Warnings: Abuse, Mild Pot Use
Word Count: 1510
Prompt: The Month of Sins: Pride
Author's Notes: Woo another prompt of this verse! This was somewhat easy...Expect at least one or two more until the end--I really wanted to introduce Gwen into here but then I noticed I had gotten over word count and didn't want to go too far over!! Perhaps when the next prompt comes I'll introduce her...hmm I'm posting this late so I promise I'll read everyone's drabble tomorrow~
Links to Previous Drabbles: Something New and Misguided Love
Merlin winced as he changed into some real clothes--a blue plaid long sleeve shirt(to cover the purple bruises on his arms), a black scarf (to prevent the sighting of still-red finger marks around his throat), along with gray jeans and black converse.
(No matter how hard he tried, Merlin found nothing to cover up his battered self-esteem and confidence.)
Luckily, Mordred was at work right now. Merlin eyed the clock. 11:30 AM. He had seven and a half hours until Mordred came home.
Normally Merlin just spent these hours of free time watching soap operas and nursing over his wounds, inspecting them with frightened curiosity.
(Such as, Mordred will punch me hard on the thigh if he's had a bad day at work and won't talk about it and Don't bother with standing there and ignoring Mordred. Will result in painful welts on back. Not to forget: Never EVER tell Mordred to stop and that he's being a senseless oaf unless you want to get choked)
It was weird. Mordred would go and beat Merlin, then after smoking his pot, he'd apologize profusely and would just hug and cry into Merlin's shoulder. Merlin didn't really understand this behavior, but he normally just stood there and tried to ignore how Mordred smelled--think of the smells that someone gets when they're drunk and high; not a good combination--, along with accepting Mordred's apologies with a cracked voice that carried a hint of submission.
Merlin learned over the year that Mordred had a lot of pride over Merlin. He loved the fact that he held dominance, and since Mordred thought that he had "saved" Merlin, he wouldn't let Merlin outside anyways in case he'd get hurt(when really, Mordred did not want Merlin to run away from him).
Merlin shook his head and turned off the TV, a calm silence falling over the house. He didn't feel like sitting around all day. He couldn't go outside much. It wasn't as if Mordred locked him inside the house (surprising, right?), but he just didn't go outside because Mordred had put so much fear into him that he was afraid of going against Mordred's wishes. Other than that, Merlin also did not want to face any chance of someone suspecting anything wrong with Merlin, or even catching a glimpse at the bruises that so frequently patterned his skin.
Instead of doing nothing, Merlin decided to clean the house. The place had started to get dirty: Dishes from the past few days lay around in the sink, the carpeted floor needed vacuuming, the bed was unmade, and the air just needed to be febreezed. It smelled too much of pot. Merlin wondered how he was able to keep resisting pot, for Mordred asked him if he wanted to try it every night. Perhaps it was just the only thing Merlin fought to keep of his old self.
With determination, Merlin started to clean.
****
The house was all clean and smelled fantastic. Merlin felt somewhat better, actually. And he was able to do something productive for the day. Heh, maybe when this is all over, Merlin can get a job as a janitor at some high school or business. At least he'd get paid a little money.
Merlin eyed the clock and noticed that it was 6:40. Mordred was due back home soon. Ugh.
Right when Merlin sat down, he heard a knock on the door. He froze. Was Mordred home? Merlin bit his lip...if he answered, Mordred will come in and notice the cleaned house, and depending on his reaction...but if he didn't answer, Mordred would be angry at Merlin for "worrying him" and would beat him. Either way, Merlin still faced the same outcome.
Merlin slowly got back up again. He was downright scared. But he shouldn't be scared of Mordred...should he? After all, he was the one who offered Merlin a home. He was Merlin's boyfriend. And, not only that, but isn't Merlin just receiving well-deserved punishment from his actions?
Knock...knock...knock. The door was knocked on again with a firm hand. Merlin reached out his hand towards the handle and quietly lay his fingers onto the yellow brass. Knock...Knock...Merlin better answer it soon or else Mordred will be terribly angry. But why would Mordred be knocking anyways? Nevermind that, he has to open the door! Who knows what awaits him.
Fresh air sneaked into the house as Merlin finally opened the door, revealing a woman with curled black hair, royal green eyes with a lovely, straight-toothed smile to match, wearing simple jeans and a hoodie.
"Morgana?"
****
Morgana sat on the couch and crossed her legs. "Merlin! How wonderful it is to see you!"
When Merlin saw that the person at the door was Morgana, he was beyond relieved. He swallowed, still shaken up. "This is a surprise. What brings you here?"
"Nothing really. Leon and I are about to go out to eat and I figured I'd stop by over here to see how things are going with your new job and all."
"How'd you even find this house?"
"I already said, Merlin. I have my connections."
Merlin tried not to roll his eyes. Whatever connections Morgana has, he definitely did not want to know.
"Anyways, as I said. How's the job going? How's life in general?"
"Um...it's going really well! I'm being kept busy with work and am receiving good pay...today was my day off, actually..."
"How much is the pay?"
"...about 13.75 per hour? I...work 10 hours a day for four days a week."
"Ooh, so you get a three day weekend."
"Yup."
"I see you haven't moved out of here yet."
"Mordred's my boyfriend. Why would I move out?" The sound of Mordred's name coming off of Merlin's lips made his throat close up. Any thought of him...oh wait. Mordred. What time is it? Merlin looked at the clock. 6:55. If he doesn't get Morgana out soon...who knows what could happen.
"Oh yeah, don't know why I ever thought of that. In case you were wondering, my life is going just fine. In fact, Leon and I are getting married soon."
"That's wonderful!" Merlin said with forced enthusiasm. He was happy for Morgana but the sense of dread took over any chance of actually being happy.
"Yep. The wedding is happening in four months. I'm so excited Merlin," Morgana put her hand on his forearm. Merlin tried to ignore how much it hurt. "And guess what?"
"What?" 7:00.
"Leon wants you to be his best man! We're both so proud that you're getting your life back on track and figured that this would be the best way to acknowledge that."
Can Merlin even make it to the wedding if Morgana leaves soon? "That's fantastic! Um...is Leon waiting for you in the car...?"
"Of course."
"Then...why don't you go ahead and go? Don't want to...keep him waiting or anything like that. I'm sure you're hungry, too."
"But I just got here," Morgana said.
"Are you really going to force your fiance to wait in the car and to starve to death?"
"I can always bring him in. I was really looking forward to catching up with you." 7:03.
"But...can't we just...talk on the phone instead? I really don't want to make you two late--"
The door opened, and in came Mordred. He carried his work bag over his shoulder and stopped mid-step, noticing Morgana. He should have noticed the car in the driveway, anyways. Then Merlin saw it. The anger that flashed over Mordred's face, just slightly, until he had composed into a calm person.
"Merlin," Mordred said, his steel voice cutting through the heavy air around everyone, "Who is this?"
"Ah, hey Mordred! This is...Morgana. My sister. She was stopping by to check in," Merlin said. He tried hard for his voice to not break under the immense fear that he was feeling right now. He was in deep trouble. "Morgana, this is my boyfriend, Mordred. Mordred, this is Morgana."
Morgana quickly got up and took Mordred's hand to shake it. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Mordred. I'm very happy that you two are together, and so thankful that you were able to help influence Merlin into starting a better life."
Mordred flashed her a cold smile that must of radiated like sunshine in her eyes. "It wasn't out of my way. It's nice to meet you, too. Ah, is that your husband out there?"
"Fiance. I should probably get back to him now, as we're about to go out to eat dinner. Goodnight Merlin, Goodnight Mordred! I'll see you guys around sometime soon, yeah?"
"Definitely. That would be splendid," Mordred waved Morgana goodbye, and saw her out of the house before closing the door.
"Merlin," He started, "What did I tell you about visitors coming into the house without my knowing?"
Title: Somewhat Of An Understanding
Rating: Pg-13
Pairing/s: Mordred/Merlin
Character/s: Merlin, Mordred, Morgana, Introducing Gwen
Summary: Nearly a year and a half after living with Mordred, Merlin starts to recognize his fear when Morgana visits.
Warnings: Abuse, Mild Pot Use
Word Count: 1510
Prompt: The Month of Sins: Pride
Author's Notes: Woo another prompt of this verse! This was somewhat easy...Expect at least one or two more until the end--I really wanted to introduce Gwen into here but then I noticed I had gotten over word count and didn't want to go too far over!! Perhaps when the next prompt comes I'll introduce her...hmm I'm posting this late so I promise I'll read everyone's drabble tomorrow~
Links to Previous Drabbles: Something New and Misguided Love
Merlin winced as he changed into some real clothes--a blue plaid long sleeve shirt(to cover the purple bruises on his arms), a black scarf (to prevent the sighting of still-red finger marks around his throat), along with gray jeans and black converse.
(No matter how hard he tried, Merlin found nothing to cover up his battered self-esteem and confidence.)
Luckily, Mordred was at work right now. Merlin eyed the clock. 11:30 AM. He had seven and a half hours until Mordred came home.
Normally Merlin just spent these hours of free time watching soap operas and nursing over his wounds, inspecting them with frightened curiosity.
(Such as, Mordred will punch me hard on the thigh if he's had a bad day at work and won't talk about it and Don't bother with standing there and ignoring Mordred. Will result in painful welts on back. Not to forget: Never EVER tell Mordred to stop and that he's being a senseless oaf unless you want to get choked)
It was weird. Mordred would go and beat Merlin, then after smoking his pot, he'd apologize profusely and would just hug and cry into Merlin's shoulder. Merlin didn't really understand this behavior, but he normally just stood there and tried to ignore how Mordred smelled--think of the smells that someone gets when they're drunk and high; not a good combination--, along with accepting Mordred's apologies with a cracked voice that carried a hint of submission.
Merlin learned over the year that Mordred had a lot of pride over Merlin. He loved the fact that he held dominance, and since Mordred thought that he had "saved" Merlin, he wouldn't let Merlin outside anyways in case he'd get hurt(when really, Mordred did not want Merlin to run away from him).
Merlin shook his head and turned off the TV, a calm silence falling over the house. He didn't feel like sitting around all day. He couldn't go outside much. It wasn't as if Mordred locked him inside the house (surprising, right?), but he just didn't go outside because Mordred had put so much fear into him that he was afraid of going against Mordred's wishes. Other than that, Merlin also did not want to face any chance of someone suspecting anything wrong with Merlin, or even catching a glimpse at the bruises that so frequently patterned his skin.
Instead of doing nothing, Merlin decided to clean the house. The place had started to get dirty: Dishes from the past few days lay around in the sink, the carpeted floor needed vacuuming, the bed was unmade, and the air just needed to be febreezed. It smelled too much of pot. Merlin wondered how he was able to keep resisting pot, for Mordred asked him if he wanted to try it every night. Perhaps it was just the only thing Merlin fought to keep of his old self.
With determination, Merlin started to clean.
****
The house was all clean and smelled fantastic. Merlin felt somewhat better, actually. And he was able to do something productive for the day. Heh, maybe when this is all over, Merlin can get a job as a janitor at some high school or business. At least he'd get paid a little money.
Merlin eyed the clock and noticed that it was 6:40. Mordred was due back home soon. Ugh.
Right when Merlin sat down, he heard a knock on the door. He froze. Was Mordred home? Merlin bit his lip...if he answered, Mordred will come in and notice the cleaned house, and depending on his reaction...but if he didn't answer, Mordred would be angry at Merlin for "worrying him" and would beat him. Either way, Merlin still faced the same outcome.
Merlin slowly got back up again. He was downright scared. But he shouldn't be scared of Mordred...should he? After all, he was the one who offered Merlin a home. He was Merlin's boyfriend. And, not only that, but isn't Merlin just receiving well-deserved punishment from his actions?
Knock...knock...knock. The door was knocked on again with a firm hand. Merlin reached out his hand towards the handle and quietly lay his fingers onto the yellow brass. Knock...Knock...Merlin better answer it soon or else Mordred will be terribly angry. But why would Mordred be knocking anyways? Nevermind that, he has to open the door! Who knows what awaits him.
Fresh air sneaked into the house as Merlin finally opened the door, revealing a woman with curled black hair, royal green eyes with a lovely, straight-toothed smile to match, wearing simple jeans and a hoodie.
"Morgana?"
****
Morgana sat on the couch and crossed her legs. "Merlin! How wonderful it is to see you!"
When Merlin saw that the person at the door was Morgana, he was beyond relieved. He swallowed, still shaken up. "This is a surprise. What brings you here?"
"Nothing really. Leon and I are about to go out to eat and I figured I'd stop by over here to see how things are going with your new job and all."
"How'd you even find this house?"
"I already said, Merlin. I have my connections."
Merlin tried not to roll his eyes. Whatever connections Morgana has, he definitely did not want to know.
"Anyways, as I said. How's the job going? How's life in general?"
"Um...it's going really well! I'm being kept busy with work and am receiving good pay...today was my day off, actually..."
"How much is the pay?"
"...about 13.75 per hour? I...work 10 hours a day for four days a week."
"Ooh, so you get a three day weekend."
"Yup."
"I see you haven't moved out of here yet."
"Mordred's my boyfriend. Why would I move out?" The sound of Mordred's name coming off of Merlin's lips made his throat close up. Any thought of him...oh wait. Mordred. What time is it? Merlin looked at the clock. 6:55. If he doesn't get Morgana out soon...who knows what could happen.
"Oh yeah, don't know why I ever thought of that. In case you were wondering, my life is going just fine. In fact, Leon and I are getting married soon."
"That's wonderful!" Merlin said with forced enthusiasm. He was happy for Morgana but the sense of dread took over any chance of actually being happy.
"Yep. The wedding is happening in four months. I'm so excited Merlin," Morgana put her hand on his forearm. Merlin tried to ignore how much it hurt. "And guess what?"
"What?" 7:00.
"Leon wants you to be his best man! We're both so proud that you're getting your life back on track and figured that this would be the best way to acknowledge that."
Can Merlin even make it to the wedding if Morgana leaves soon? "That's fantastic! Um...is Leon waiting for you in the car...?"
"Of course."
"Then...why don't you go ahead and go? Don't want to...keep him waiting or anything like that. I'm sure you're hungry, too."
"But I just got here," Morgana said.
"Are you really going to force your fiance to wait in the car and to starve to death?"
"I can always bring him in. I was really looking forward to catching up with you." 7:03.
"But...can't we just...talk on the phone instead? I really don't want to make you two late--"
The door opened, and in came Mordred. He carried his work bag over his shoulder and stopped mid-step, noticing Morgana. He should have noticed the car in the driveway, anyways. Then Merlin saw it. The anger that flashed over Mordred's face, just slightly, until he had composed into a calm person.
"Merlin," Mordred said, his steel voice cutting through the heavy air around everyone, "Who is this?"
"Ah, hey Mordred! This is...Morgana. My sister. She was stopping by to check in," Merlin said. He tried hard for his voice to not break under the immense fear that he was feeling right now. He was in deep trouble. "Morgana, this is my boyfriend, Mordred. Mordred, this is Morgana."
Morgana quickly got up and took Mordred's hand to shake it. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Mordred. I'm very happy that you two are together, and so thankful that you were able to help influence Merlin into starting a better life."
Mordred flashed her a cold smile that must of radiated like sunshine in her eyes. "It wasn't out of my way. It's nice to meet you, too. Ah, is that your husband out there?"
"Fiance. I should probably get back to him now, as we're about to go out to eat dinner. Goodnight Merlin, Goodnight Mordred! I'll see you guys around sometime soon, yeah?"
"Definitely. That would be splendid," Mordred waved Morgana goodbye, and saw her out of the house before closing the door.
"Merlin," He started, "What did I tell you about visitors coming into the house without my knowing?"