When Gwen finally reached her apartment, she threw herself on her bed. Her room was a mess, completely neglected in her efforts to impress Arthur’s family. She was so utterly exhausted from running around this past week and it finally caught up with her. She pulled out her phone. “When did I become that person who needs people to like her?” “Hi, Gwen,” Merlin replied. “I thought you’d be sleeping?” “Well-” “Oh. He called you, didn’t he?” “Yeah.” “Well, I’m done, Merlin. I need to stop worrying about Arthur’s family and start worrying about myself.” “I agree.” “Arthur has done absolutely nothing to help me. He’s been utterly unsupportive. All he’s done is call me crazy and roll his eyes. He just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t care if people don’t like him. But for some stupid idiotic reason, I do,” she sighed. “Without the acceptance of Arthur’s family, your relationship with him doesn’t feel complete. You want them to see you’re worthy of being with him. Your relationship with Arthur can never go forward without their blessing.” Gwen was quiet for a few moments. “Gwen? Are you still there?” “When did you get so smart, Merlin?” Gwen asked with a chuckle. “I’ve always been smart, you’ve just failed to notice it until now,” Merlin laughed. “Thanks for everything, Merlin. Really. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Merry Christmas.” _________________________
Gwen startled awake. Someone shuffled in her kitchen. She glanced at her clock. It was almost past noon. She groaned and was ready to tell Merlin to stop worrying about her and get back to his mother’s house when she saw Arthur’s back hunched over her stove. “What are you doing here?” Gwen asked sternly. Arthur turned, spatula at hand. He tried to read Gwen’s face, but couldn’t. “I’m making pancakes,” he said quietly. Gwen was about to make a grand retort but stopped short. She looked around her apartment. First off, it was clean. When Gwen came into her apartment last night, a tall stack of dishes was taunting her in the sink. Her clothes were strewn across the floor. Her table was a clutter of paperwork. But now, everything was spotless. Secondly, it was decorated beautifully. There were lights outlining every window. A grand tree stood proudly in the corner, glittering ornaments hanging artfully from each branch. Her counters were covered in trays of homemade cookies. She was so in awe that she had to sit down just to take it all in. “Did you do all this?” she asked, eyes glistening with wonder. He nodded. “Why?” “Because I love you. And I want to make it up to you.” “You don’t have to-” “Yes, I do. And this Christmas, it’s just going to me and you, okay? I told my father and sister to do their own thing because if they can’t accept you into our family, then screw them. You are just as much my family as they are, even more so,” he exclaimed, taking a tentative step towards her. Gwen looked down at her hands, unable to meet Arthur’s eager gaze. “And for once, let me do something for you. You always do everything for everyone. You’re just too damn selfless all the time, Guinevere,” he laughed softly, reaching for her hands. “I can’t come between you and your family. You should choose them over me.”He rubbed his thumb lightly over the back of her warm hand and was about to reassure her when someone knocked on Gwen’s door. Gwen’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t expecting any company. She opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks.
“Hello,” a booming voice said from the doorway. “Dad?” Arthur asked, peering over Gwen’s shoulder. “Come in, Mr. Pendragon. Morgana,” Gwen said meekly, inwardly cursing herself for choosing to wear her ratty, paint splattered sweatpants to bed. “What are you doing here?” Arthur questioned, just as confused as Gwen. “Well, Merlin may have called me and informed me of some things,” Morgana said, taking off her wool pea coat and cashmere scarf. “These are for you, Gwen,” Uther said slightly distractedly, handing her a vase full of flowers. His eyes were scanning Gwen’s apartment from top to bottom. “Oh my, they’re absolutely beautiful. Thank you,” Gwen whispered, in complete and utter shock. “Merlin told me all the trouble you’ve been going through the past week in preparing dinner for us. Thank you,” Morgana said earnestly, putting her hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “It’s a bit small in here, isn’t it?” Uther said, settling himself on the couch. “Dad!” Arthur chided. “It’s cozy, I mean,” Uther blurted. “Why does it smell like burnt pancakes in here?” Morgana said with her nose scrunched up. “Oh, shit! The stove! The pancakes! ” Arthur cried as he ran into the kitchen. Gwen smiled. They were trying. The Pendragons were attempting to be nice to her. And that meant the world to her.
___________________
“That wasn’t a disaster,” Arthur said, stroking Gwen’s back. They were lying in Gwen’s bed, Christmas duties finally over. They both were on their sides facing one another, their faces outlined by the Christmas lights around the windows. “You were fantastic, Arthur. Thank you,” Gwen smiled, kissing him on the tip of his nose. He slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her closer to him. “You too. But you’re always fantastic.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “I guess we have Merlin to thank for today’s events. We owe him. Big time,” she replied, nuzzling his neck. “Yeah. We’ll give him a fruitcake,” he laughed, kissing her forehead. He snaked his warm hands up her torso. “Merry Christmas, Arthur,” she whispered into his ear. “Merry Christmas, Guinevere,” he whispered against her lips.
When Gwen finally reached her apartment, she threw herself on her bed. Her room was a mess, completely neglected in her efforts to impress Arthur’s family. She was so utterly exhausted from running around this past week and it finally caught up with her. She pulled out her phone.
“When did I become that person who needs people to like her?”
“Hi, Gwen,” Merlin replied.
“I thought you’d be sleeping?”
“Well-”
“Oh. He called you, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m done, Merlin. I need to stop worrying about Arthur’s family and start worrying about myself.”
“I agree.”
“Arthur has done absolutely nothing to help me. He’s been utterly unsupportive. All he’s done is call me crazy and roll his eyes. He just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t care if people don’t like him. But for some stupid idiotic reason, I do,” she sighed.
“Without the acceptance of Arthur’s family, your relationship with him doesn’t feel complete. You want them to see you’re worthy of being with him. Your relationship with Arthur can never go forward without their blessing.”
Gwen was quiet for a few moments.
“Gwen? Are you still there?”
“When did you get so smart, Merlin?” Gwen asked with a chuckle.
“I’ve always been smart, you’ve just failed to notice it until now,” Merlin laughed.
“Thanks for everything, Merlin. Really. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Merry Christmas.”
_________________________
Gwen startled awake. Someone shuffled in her kitchen. She glanced at her clock. It was almost past noon. She groaned and was ready to tell Merlin to stop worrying about her and get back to his mother’s house when she saw Arthur’s back hunched over her stove.
“What are you doing here?” Gwen asked sternly.
Arthur turned, spatula at hand. He tried to read Gwen’s face, but couldn’t.
“I’m making pancakes,” he said quietly.
Gwen was about to make a grand retort but stopped short. She looked around her apartment. First off, it was clean. When Gwen came into her apartment last night, a tall stack of dishes was taunting her in the sink. Her clothes were strewn across the floor. Her table was a clutter of paperwork. But now, everything was spotless.
Secondly, it was decorated beautifully. There were lights outlining every window. A grand tree stood proudly in the corner, glittering ornaments hanging artfully from each branch. Her counters were covered in trays of homemade cookies.
She was so in awe that she had to sit down just to take it all in.
“Did you do all this?” she asked, eyes glistening with wonder.
He nodded.
“Why?”
“Because I love you. And I want to make it up to you.”
“You don’t have to-”
“Yes, I do. And this Christmas, it’s just going to me and you, okay? I told my father and sister to do their own thing because if they can’t accept you into our family, then screw them. You are just as much my family as they are, even more so,” he exclaimed, taking a tentative step towards her. Gwen looked down at her hands, unable to meet Arthur’s eager gaze.
“And for once, let me do something for you. You always do everything for everyone. You’re just too damn selfless all the time, Guinevere,” he laughed softly, reaching for her hands.
“I can’t come between you and your family. You should choose them over me.”He rubbed his thumb lightly over the back of her warm hand and was about to reassure her when someone knocked on Gwen’s door. Gwen’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t expecting any company. She opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks.
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“Hello,” a booming voice said from the doorway.
“Dad?” Arthur asked, peering over Gwen’s shoulder.
“Come in, Mr. Pendragon. Morgana,” Gwen said meekly, inwardly cursing herself for choosing to wear her ratty, paint splattered sweatpants to bed.
“What are you doing here?” Arthur questioned, just as confused as Gwen.
“Well, Merlin may have called me and informed me of some things,” Morgana said, taking off her wool pea coat and cashmere scarf.
“These are for you, Gwen,” Uther said slightly distractedly, handing her a vase full of flowers. His eyes were scanning Gwen’s apartment from top to bottom.
“Oh my, they’re absolutely beautiful. Thank you,” Gwen whispered, in complete and utter shock.
“Merlin told me all the trouble you’ve been going through the past week in preparing dinner for us. Thank you,” Morgana said earnestly, putting her hand on Gwen’s shoulder.
“It’s a bit small in here, isn’t it?” Uther said, settling himself on the couch.
“Dad!” Arthur chided.
“It’s cozy, I mean,” Uther blurted.
“Why does it smell like burnt pancakes in here?” Morgana said with her nose scrunched up.
“Oh, shit! The stove! The pancakes! ” Arthur cried as he ran into the kitchen.
Gwen smiled. They were trying. The Pendragons were attempting to be nice to her. And that meant the world to her.
___________________
“That wasn’t a disaster,” Arthur said, stroking Gwen’s back.
They were lying in Gwen’s bed, Christmas duties finally over. They both were on their sides facing one another, their faces outlined by the Christmas lights around the windows.
“You were fantastic, Arthur. Thank you,” Gwen smiled, kissing him on the tip of his nose.
He slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her closer to him.
“You too. But you’re always fantastic.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
“I guess we have Merlin to thank for today’s events. We owe him. Big time,” she replied, nuzzling his neck.
“Yeah. We’ll give him a fruitcake,” he laughed, kissing her forehead. He snaked his warm hands up her torso.
“Merry Christmas, Arthur,” she whispered into his ear.
“Merry Christmas, Guinevere,” he whispered against her lips.
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