Author:
ajsrandomTitle: Meet the Fam
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Arthur, Gwen, Elyan, Tom
Summary: Arthur's decided to marry Gwen, but he has to go through her family first.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 755
Prompt: #174, Intent
Author's Notes: Enjoy!
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Gwen and Arthur sat outside Gwen’s house in Arthur’s car. They had been talking but the subject was making Arthur quite nervous. So he diverted Gwen with a common tactic-he kissed her. He was still kissing her and he was about to pat himself on the back when she broke away.
“Arthur! Are you trying to distract me?”
“Darn.”
“This is important. You agreed to meet them.”
They'd been dating for several months now-long enough that Arthur felt like he'd known her almost forever. And that meant that things were getting Serious. This is about the time he'd normally cut and run, but Gwen made him feel different. So different that he was thinking of taking The Next Step. The big “M” word. He hadn't discussed it with her in so many words, but they'd Talked. And he was now sure that she was The One.
She'd drawn the logical conclusion that they needed to meet each others' families. So last week he'd taken her home to meet his father. She already knew his half-sister (they were already close friends), but she and Uther together could be a force to reckon with. Surprisingly, the dinner had gone well. He thought Uther would have a problem with Gwen's more humble background, but it turned out that he respected those who worked hard to improve their lives. And Gwen, her brother and father had definitely done that.
So though he was a little nervous, he was determined to go through with it. He knew if he wanted to permanently attach himself to Gwen- boy did he -he'd have to get along with her family. And they were there in that house waiting for them.
“Okay, let's go.” He got out of the car and opened Gwen's door, holding out a hand to help her stand. He kept her hand as they walked to the front door.
She knocked then opened the door, calling out, “Hello, we're here!” They heard two voices call out her name and a figure appeared in the hall, walking toward them. “Elyan!” Gwen shrieked, throwing her arms around a younger man for a joyful hug. “This is Arthur.”
Elyan sized Arthur up with a look. He held out his hand and said, “Finally I get to meet you. It's been 'Arthur this' and 'Arthur that' for months on end.”
“It's been much the same for me with you. Though you're the little brother? I don't see it.” He and Elyan laughed while Gwen swatted his arm. This man he could get along with easily, he could already tell.
Another figure came down the hall then. “Daddy!” Gwen cried and threw herself into the man's arms for a longer hug. She turned to face Arthur and said, “Dad, this is Arthur.”
“Tom Smith,” Gwen's father added. He offered his hand to Arthur, who shook it. “So, you're the one occupying all my Gwen's time.”
Elyan rolled his eyes. “Dad.”
Gwen smiled broadly. “Not all my time, dad. I have work and other things.”
“So just most of your time,” Tom joked. They laughed and the tension broke; he held out his arm to lead them into the dining room.
Dinner was delightful, the conversation even more so. Arthur grew more and more convinced that choosing Gwen was the right thing for him. He could tell that the four of them would get along very well.
Just after he'd served dessert, Tom sat down and gave Arthur a searching look. “So, Arthur, just what do you intend toward my daughter?”
Arthur heard Gwen's indignant “Dad” behind him, but ignored it for the moment. He dabbed his lips with his napkin. “Fair question, Tom. Honestly, sir, I want to marry your daughter, if that's all right with you.”
Silence fell in the room. Tom scrutinized him and he could see Gwen and Elyan staring as well. Suddenly Tom smiled. “I like you, Arthur! We'd love for you to join our family.”
He reached out his hand again and Arthur, smiling broadly, took it. “Thank you sir. The pleasure's all mine.”
The evening ended cordially after that. As the door closed behind them, Gwen took his hand and said, “See? Nothing to worry about.”
“Right.” He opened Gwen's door for her then got in on his side. “No wonder I love you so much.”
“Aww,” she replied as she scooted closer to him. He leaned closer for a lingering kiss. When it was over, she looked up at him to ask, “So where's my ring?”