Nevermoor Requests!!

Morrigan and Squall trauma bond over daddy issues

!TW PHYSICAL ABUSE!

"AARGH!" Morrigan shouted in frustration. "What the actual heck is Weaving?" 

Squall rolled his eyes in response. "Just try making some everyday item. Like tomatoes or corn or something."

Morrigan frowned and stretched her fingers out. She hummed her tune and Wunder gathered around her hands. Corn, she thought, a big lump with knobs. The core started to form with the bumps protruding from the stem. Slowly the leaves started to form. Yes! Suddenly the bumps began to swell and the juice started to leak out. The leaves turned rigid and solid, like concrete. Morrigan stopped at stared at the strange creation. 

"Hm,"Squall said, striding over. He picked up the thingy and held it up to study it. Morrigan nervously looked from Squall's face to the lump of concrete in his hand, which was raised well over her head due to the height difference. 

Squall's sudden movement startled Morrigan and she quickly shrunk away with her arms protecting her head, bracing for impact. When there was none, she saw the Squall had fixed her weird mess into a daisy. He quietly handed it to her before saying,

"Who hurt you," he asked softly, but Morrigan didn't miss the searing rage in his voice. Morrigan turned her head away and fiddled with the daisy, ignoring the question. 

"Who is the stupid fuck that had the nerve to hurt you?" Squall asked again, this time his anger was clear. Although it wasn't directed towards Morrigan at all. Morrigan cautiously made eye contact with her mentor. 

"My father," she whispered. Something emotional sparked in the back of Squall's furious eyes, something Morrigan recognized but couldn't identify. 

"Our lesson has been concluded early today," Squall announced. He sat on the ground with Morrigan, analyzing her for a while. Morrigan anxiously tried to copy his daisy. Finally Squall decided, for the first time in 100 years, that he could trust this person. 

"Me too," Squall said distantly. Morrigan looked up at him. "You too?"

"Yes. Me too. My father... hit me..." Ezra trailed off. Morrigan spoke next.

"Was it... whenever you got in the way..?"

"That, and if he was just in a bad mood."

"Yeah. Same here." 

"Did you ever have to be tied up in your room?"

"Not tied up... just... locked?"

"Me too. Every night. One of the housekeepers caught me running away and ratted me out to the big bad bitch."

They sat in silence for a while, processing, before Squall asked,

"What did he hit you with, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Um... belts. Shoes. Walking sticks. Bats, sometimes."

"Damn. One time he pushed me out of his limo for 'taking up all the room.'"

"Holy shit. How old were you?" 

"Nine."

Morrigan nodded. "Father pushed me down the stairs when I was nine."

Squall absently changed the colors of the vegetable next to him. "What did you eat?"

"Rice."

"Just rice?"

"Yeah, if I was ever remembered to be fed."

Ezra winced. "I ate full meals. If I didn't finish, I was hit. If I did, I was called fat."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

Realization dawned on Morrigan that Squall had been dealing with this for over 100 years. She slowly handed him an almost-perfect lotus flower.

Ezra picked it up and smiled softly. "You almost got it." 

"Yeah, sorta. The petals are too long." 

"No, it's perfect," Squall insisted, "I... am proud of you." 

Morrigan cracked a bittersweet smile. "Shit. Ezra Squall. Who knew he had a soft side?"

Ezra scoffed. "Don't picture me as some fluffy marshmallow." 

Morrigan grinned in response. "That is so much better than what I was thinking."

"Seriously? I'm not at all a marshmallow. I meant it when I said I was proud of you."

"I know you meant it. I also know that it took a lot to say that," Morrigan responded, hushing her tone. "I guess you never heard it as a kid either, huh?" 

Ezra shook his head silently. 

"Well, I'm proud of you." 

Ezra sniffed as his eyes misted. "I have nothing to take pride in."

"Yes, you do. I can't imagine what it was like to talk about all that pain you've been bottling up. And for how long? Over 100 years. You didn't have to say anything. You could've continued to suffer. But you made the choice to heal. You talked about one of the hardest things you've ever gone through. You overcame an obstacle. That's something to be proud of. And it was pretty fucking brave, don't you think?"

Squall smirked and wiped at his eyes. "Now who's the marshmallow?"

"Oh my god," Morrigan snorted, "that's still you. You're never living it down."

Ezra rose swiftly, chuckling, and helped a snickering Morrigan to her feet. He cleared his throat. "Nice work today. Proud of you."

Morrigan smiled as she opened the door. "Well, I'm prouder of you, not that it's a competition."

Ezra sighed. "Seems like one."

"If you insist, marshmallow." 

"Don't-" Squall started, but Morrigan had already shut the door. He smiled, then laughed to himself. 

Maybe I do have a soft side.