Title: the best thing to hold onto is each other

Author: Janine

Fandom: The BBC's Merlin

Pairing: Morgana/Morgause

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Summary: A quite interlude between Morgana and Morgause during Morgana's year away from Camelot.

They lay in the spacious main quarters of Morgause's castle, sprawled naked on the decadently large bed in the center of the room as the light from the fire place danced fetchingly across their damp skin. Morgana lay between Morgause's legs, her head comfortably situated on the blonde's stomach and idly she played with Morgause's fingers.

"If you want me to put them to good use, all you need do is ask."

Morgana's lips curved up as Morgause's words reached her and she leaned down to press her lips against the backs of the blonde's fingers.

"You've already put them to such good use that I barely have enough energy left to breathe."

Morgana's thumb brushed over Morgause's fingers as she spoke, a small shudder running through her body as she remembered the pleasure those strong, tapered digits had brought her mere minutes before. With her lips still hovering over Morgause's fingers Morgana could smell herself on them, and the scent of her own desire teased her until she was unable to stop herself from drawing the tip of Morgause's index finger into her mouth and sucking on it.

Morgause remained still for a few seconds, then shifted beneath Morgana and breathed out sharply through her nose as Morgana's tongue teased her flesh once again.

"That," Morgause began breathlessly, "is a most ineffective way of dampening my passion."

Morgana smiled at that and circled her tongue around Morgause's fingertip once more, then pulled back to place a gentle kiss on her sister's palm. Morgause was very passionate and when her dark eyes regarded Morgana with the heady combination of lust of adoration that only Morgause could produce, Morgana could do nothing but fall into her arms and lay herself open to Morgause's touch. However, Morgause's previous attentions had well exhausted Morgana, so she shimmied up Morgause's body and laid her head upon her sister's breast, taking up as chaste a position as possible while their naked bodies remained pressed against each other.

"I like your hands," Morgana murmured, entwining her fingers with Morgause's as her sister gently stroked her hair.

"I know," Morgause drawled wryly as her lips pulled up into an impish smile that utterly charmed Morgana and also compelled her to slap Morgause lightly on the hip.

Morgause laughed at that, and then pressed a conciliatory kiss to Morgana's forehead and Morgana relaxed against her once more.

"They're strong," Morgana continued as Morgause began to stroke her hair again. "I feel as if there's nothing they couldn't protect me from. I've never felt as safe or content as I do when you touch me."

"They are strong," Morgause replied with a confidence and self-assurance that made Morgana smile. "And skilled," she continued, managing to keep most of the innuendo out of her tone, though Morgana suspected that her lips had quirked. "I would pity anyone who tries to harm you, but I've never been able to suffer fools."

Morgause's response wasn't romantic in the way ballads and poems had taught Morgana to expect, but the blonde's words warmed her heart nonetheless and she brushed her lips against Morgause's collarbone to show her how much she appreciated them.

"I want to be able to protect you too," Morgana sighed threading their fingers together once more. The thought of anything happening to Morgause distressed Morgana quite as much as the thought of something happening to her distressed Morgause, only unlike her sister Morgana could not be confident yet that she could save Morgause from danger.

"You will," Morgause said with conviction. "You grow stronger every day," she continued, a note of pride entering her voice which made Morgana's skin flush with pleasure. "Soon you shall not only be able to defend me, but together we shall protect all of those like us from Uther Pendragon and his hateful rule."

Morgana was quiet as she took a moment to imagine a world free of Uther Pendragon, and then took a moment longer to silently revel in the idea that she and Morgause would soon make that fantasy a reality.

"I can feel the magic coursing through me constantly now," Morgana whispered, squeezing Morgause's hand with excitement. "I can hardly believe that I was ever unaware of it."

Morgause hummed thoughtfully as she trailed her fingers down Morgana's spine and then laid her hand to rest on the small of her sister's back.

"Most people only have five ways through which to perceive the world," Morgause began. "Touch," she said, drawing her fingers up along Morgana's spine and then trailing them down again until they teased along the cleft of Morgana's ass making the younger woman shiver. "Taste," Morgause continued, dipping her head down to brush her lips against Morgana's lightly, teasing a sigh from her before deepening the kiss. "Sight," Morgause whispered, bringing the hand that wasn't at Morgana's back up to her bosom. Morgana's eyes followed the path of her hand, and as Morgause's finger circled her nipple, teasing the brown nub to hardness, Morgana's lips parted with wanting and Morgause smiled. "Hearing," Morgause went on, making her voice hitch breathily before releasing a small, whimpering sound that had Morgana pressing against her as her lips skirted across the swell of Morgause's breast. "And smell," the blonde concluded, drawing her hand up Morgana's thigh slowly before she slipped it between her sister's legs, wetting her fingers with the moisture hidden there. Morgause then brought the fingers coated with Morgana's juices up to her face and inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering closed with a contented sigh as Morgana's most intimate scent flowed over her.

"Tease," Morgana choked out, her voice rough with desire despite her tiredness as Morgause's eyes opened to regard her once more.

"Yes, I seem to recall you know quite a bit about that," Morgause responded, smiling playfully before drawing one of her fingers into her mouth to taste Morgana for the umpteenth time that night.

Morgana glared at her and Morgause's smile grew, but she nonetheless extended a damp finger to trail across Morgana's lips, and when the younger woman's mouth opened to take the digit into her mouth, Morgause allowed the contact.

"Those like us," Morgause began again when Morgana released her finger, "can also feel the energy that runs through all things, the energy that binds us to each other and to the natural world. Working magic is a skill, but the root of the ability is perception and that perception is a rare gift. Uther taught you to fear that which you did not understand and to close your mind to it. But now that you have been freed from the grip of his small-minded tyranny, the power within you will only continue to grow."

Morgause shifted on the mattress until she was facing Morgana head on and then reached out to cup her sister's jaw.

"You are remarkable, Morgana," she breathed out as she gazed at the younger woman with eyes that shimmered with adoration, "but one day you will be great."

Morgana's fair skin flushed at the intensity with which Morgause delivered her words and at the words themselves. It seemed to her wrong somehow that Morgause should say such things to anyone. Morgause was great. Morgause was majestic. At certain moments when she looked at Morgause, Morgana was convinced that her sister might just be divine. She couldn't fathom how someone so powerful as Morgause could view her rather unimpressive self with such awe.

"You trust me in all other things," Morgause began, Morgana's hesitance to believe her showing plainly on her face. "Trust me in this as well," Morgause continued gently before she leaned forward to press her lips to Morgana's.

"I will," Morgana murmured when Morgause's lips drifted away from hers. "I do," she continued earnestly.

Morgause had already shown her so many things that she could not have dreamt of before meeting the blonde and would not begin to doubt her sister now.

Morgause stroked Morgana's cheek tenderly with her thumb and then gathered the raven-haired beauty up in her arms.

"Sleep now, my love," she whispered, pressing her lips gently to Morgana's forehead.

As always they would have a full day ahead of them, and Morgana needed more rest to restore her energy reserves after a day of working magic than Morgause did. The more experience she got, the faster she would begin to recover, but presently Morgause knew it took a lot out of her.

Morgana drew her arm lightly over Morgause's waist and happily closed her eyes. There was a time not long before when the inevitability of sleep terrified her, but those nights were gone. With Morgause beside her Morgana knew she would sleep and quite peacefully, because she knew that in Morgause's arms Morgana was safe, that under Morgause's tutelage she would grow strong, and that when that happened they would take down Uther Pendragon allowing their kind to thrive and prosper once again.

The End