Fic for the Great Gaius Meme- Uther/Morgana, Gaius/Morgana
Title: Haze
Pairings: Uther/Morgana, Gaius/Morgana (sort of)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~950
Spoilers: None
A/N: Not as crack-y as it should've been (it's kind of... crack/angst/dub-to-non-con?), but is based on weird concepts. Like Gaius the date rape enabler. Was written for The Great Gaius Meme.
“Gaius,” Uther said, words and tone the same as every other time but the first, when he had been nervous and grief-stricken. "I must."
It was almost funny that there was practically no shame between them now.
“Of course, sire.” Gaius inclined his head, letting his hair fall into his eyes. "How shall I deliver it?"
Uther cleared his throat. “You need not be concerned. I will handle it."
This, though... this was unusual.
“Very well. I will bring it to you directly,” Gaius said. Questions burned the edge of his mouth but he pushed them back, down, cramped and hot in his chest.
He was almost out of the room when Uther said, “Morgana."
Gaius looked back at the King. Uther stared directly at him with an expression that implied he wanted to look anywhere else but was too proud to do so.
“A fine choice, sire,” Gaius said, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.
Uther chose not to reply and so Gaius left.
***
He sometimes wondered why he did it, why he allowed Uther to use his tonic for such sordid events.
But it was science, it was a triumph- leaving people limp and pliant to wake up groggy and sore the next day without a memory of what occurred the night before...
Gaius did not admit it, not even to himself, but he was proud every time the King asked for his assistance, every time Uther took a servant without her knowledge, safe in the assurance that she wouldn't ever know. Safe from gossip and secrets, as long as Gaius gave him the means.
***
Uther had Gaius help him afterwards. He had never done that before, but then, tonight was not ordinary. For one thing, Uther used his own room. No deserted corridor for the King's ward.
Morgana smiled at him as he guided her to her feet. Gaius kept his eyes from straying to the strewn sheets on the bed, aware that Uther was watching him, and clutched her hand tightly.
Once he was sure she could walk well enough, Gaius lead her from Uther's chambers.
“Good night, sire,” he murmured as he passed.
“She will remember nothing?” Uther sounded strained.
“Not a thing,” Gaius said. The unspoken, And just as well, hung heavily between them.
Uther nodded and went to the window, pointedly ignoring the way Morgana slumped against Gaius, less supported than carried.
***
Gaius laid her in her bed and drew the covers up to her chest. Morgana sighed, softly, and really, she looked too young.
His heart ached and for once there was no echo of pride for his achievement, how effective it was. In its place was an odd, hollow wish to take his discovery back, but then, everything was different tonight.
Her eyelids were fluttering closed, lashes dark against her pale skin.
Gaius leaned forward and pressed paper-dry lips to her forehead. Morgana's kiss-bruised mouth curved into a tiny, drowsy smile.
***
“Come in,” Gaius called in response to the hesitant knocking on the door. He fumbled with the bowl of aloe Merlin had gathered that morning when he realised the unexpected visitor was Morgana.
“Ah, he said, noting the slight shadow that crossed her face as he did so.
“What's that supposed to mean?” she asked, deliberately light. “Should I have made an appointment in advance?”
“Don't be silly, Morgana. You're not ill, are you?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
She did not seem pleased by the implication that she never saw him outside of getting treatment for her nightmares. “You're awfully suspicious today, but as it happens, I am here because of a dream I had last night.” Her cheeks coloured slightly but she held her chin high, defiant.
Gaius folded his arms in front of him. “I had hoped that they were fading.”
“This one was different.” She stepped a little closer, moving up to his work table. “Hazy, strange at times, but pleasant.”
“Really,” Gaius said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible, afraid that something would show on his face to alert her to the truth.
“Really,” Morgana repeated. He suddenly saw that her eyes were bright with tears.
“It wasn't a dream, was it?” she whispered.
“Oh Morgana,” he said, pulling her to him. She shook for a few moments, whether with sobs or an effort to suppress them he was not sure.
She looked up at him, after a time, and said, “This was the nice part,” before placing a kiss on his cheek; she could not reach any higher.
Gaius allowed himself one touch to the side of her face, as though to brush off a stray eyelash caught on her skin, and then stepped away. “Do not think of it again.”
“I don't think I can forget- you know how my dreams play on my mind,” Morgana laughed and, though it was a sad sound, Gaius couldn't prevent his own chuckle.
“It would be better for all concerned,” he said. Her face hardened infinitesimally, and he knew she thought of Uther.
“And you know how I do not always take heed of sound advice.”
Gaius nodded, resigned.
***
The place where Morgana had stood, clothed in blue, still seemed to shimmer with the colour of her gown, sunlight hitting and refracting off everything and nothing. In the clotted air, dust motes hung like sentinels, outlining the figure of a girl no longer there.
Gaius' cheek was warm from where she had kissed him. He wondered if he had been dreaming.
Pairings: Uther/Morgana, Gaius/Morgana (sort of)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~950
Spoilers: None
A/N: Not as crack-y as it should've been (it's kind of... crack/angst/dub-to-non-con?), but is based on weird concepts. Like Gaius the date rape enabler. Was written for The Great Gaius Meme.
“Gaius,” Uther said, words and tone the same as every other time but the first, when he had been nervous and grief-stricken. "I must."
It was almost funny that there was practically no shame between them now.
“Of course, sire.” Gaius inclined his head, letting his hair fall into his eyes. "How shall I deliver it?"
Uther cleared his throat. “You need not be concerned. I will handle it."
This, though... this was unusual.
“Very well. I will bring it to you directly,” Gaius said. Questions burned the edge of his mouth but he pushed them back, down, cramped and hot in his chest.
He was almost out of the room when Uther said, “Morgana."
Gaius looked back at the King. Uther stared directly at him with an expression that implied he wanted to look anywhere else but was too proud to do so.
“A fine choice, sire,” Gaius said, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.
Uther chose not to reply and so Gaius left.
***
He sometimes wondered why he did it, why he allowed Uther to use his tonic for such sordid events.
But it was science, it was a triumph- leaving people limp and pliant to wake up groggy and sore the next day without a memory of what occurred the night before...
Gaius did not admit it, not even to himself, but he was proud every time the King asked for his assistance, every time Uther took a servant without her knowledge, safe in the assurance that she wouldn't ever know. Safe from gossip and secrets, as long as Gaius gave him the means.
***
Uther had Gaius help him afterwards. He had never done that before, but then, tonight was not ordinary. For one thing, Uther used his own room. No deserted corridor for the King's ward.
Morgana smiled at him as he guided her to her feet. Gaius kept his eyes from straying to the strewn sheets on the bed, aware that Uther was watching him, and clutched her hand tightly.
Once he was sure she could walk well enough, Gaius lead her from Uther's chambers.
“Good night, sire,” he murmured as he passed.
“She will remember nothing?” Uther sounded strained.
“Not a thing,” Gaius said. The unspoken, And just as well, hung heavily between them.
Uther nodded and went to the window, pointedly ignoring the way Morgana slumped against Gaius, less supported than carried.
***
Gaius laid her in her bed and drew the covers up to her chest. Morgana sighed, softly, and really, she looked too young.
His heart ached and for once there was no echo of pride for his achievement, how effective it was. In its place was an odd, hollow wish to take his discovery back, but then, everything was different tonight.
Her eyelids were fluttering closed, lashes dark against her pale skin.
Gaius leaned forward and pressed paper-dry lips to her forehead. Morgana's kiss-bruised mouth curved into a tiny, drowsy smile.
***
“Come in,” Gaius called in response to the hesitant knocking on the door. He fumbled with the bowl of aloe Merlin had gathered that morning when he realised the unexpected visitor was Morgana.
“Ah, he said, noting the slight shadow that crossed her face as he did so.
“What's that supposed to mean?” she asked, deliberately light. “Should I have made an appointment in advance?”
“Don't be silly, Morgana. You're not ill, are you?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
She did not seem pleased by the implication that she never saw him outside of getting treatment for her nightmares. “You're awfully suspicious today, but as it happens, I am here because of a dream I had last night.” Her cheeks coloured slightly but she held her chin high, defiant.
Gaius folded his arms in front of him. “I had hoped that they were fading.”
“This one was different.” She stepped a little closer, moving up to his work table. “Hazy, strange at times, but pleasant.”
“Really,” Gaius said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible, afraid that something would show on his face to alert her to the truth.
“Really,” Morgana repeated. He suddenly saw that her eyes were bright with tears.
“It wasn't a dream, was it?” she whispered.
“Oh Morgana,” he said, pulling her to him. She shook for a few moments, whether with sobs or an effort to suppress them he was not sure.
She looked up at him, after a time, and said, “This was the nice part,” before placing a kiss on his cheek; she could not reach any higher.
Gaius allowed himself one touch to the side of her face, as though to brush off a stray eyelash caught on her skin, and then stepped away. “Do not think of it again.”
“I don't think I can forget- you know how my dreams play on my mind,” Morgana laughed and, though it was a sad sound, Gaius couldn't prevent his own chuckle.
“It would be better for all concerned,” he said. Her face hardened infinitesimally, and he knew she thought of Uther.
“And you know how I do not always take heed of sound advice.”
Gaius nodded, resigned.
***
The place where Morgana had stood, clothed in blue, still seemed to shimmer with the colour of her gown, sunlight hitting and refracting off everything and nothing. In the clotted air, dust motes hung like sentinels, outlining the figure of a girl no longer there.
Gaius' cheek was warm from where she had kissed him. He wondered if he had been dreaming.