Second chances
Title: Second chances
Theme and prompt/s: Astronaut - A/G, Modern AU, Speed dating...
Rating: Gen with a wee bit of angst
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Author's notes: Written for the ag_fics MC6 challenge.
Wendy burst into her office. “We have a BIG problem.”
Gwen didn’t move her eyes from her monitor. “What is it?”
Wendy brandished the sign-up sheet. “Lydia didn’t show up tonight, and she’s at the very first table!”
Gwen sighed tiredly. “Why is it always me who has to step in to save the day?” Wendy pointed to her pregnant belly. “Oh, right. Okay.” Gwen got up, smoothing her hands down her summer dress. “How do I look?” Her hands flew to her hair. “Up or down?”
“You look gorgeous as usual, and up! Here!” Wendy pulled the hair clip from her hair and passed it to Gwen. “A little bit of gloss and you’re good to go.”
She closed her office door, walking the length of the hallway to the meeting room. To say that she was in no mood to make idle chit-chat was an understatement, but business was business and each customer mattered. She’d grin and bear it, and make sure that those who put her on their list were matched with someone else. She had had enough heartbreak for a year.
Wendy waited until she stepped into the room to ring the bell at the desk. “Everyone has arrived, so we can begin! You have all received a small card and a pencil. The women will remain at one table throughout the evening and the men will sit down at each table - starting with the first- and engage in conversation. When you hear the bell,” She shook it for emphasis,” you move on to the next table. After you’ve reached the last table, please make your way to me to submit your list of the people you would like to provide your contact information to. We have been doing these events for a year, so rest assured that in this room, there is someone right for each of you.” She tacked on a smile at the end of her sentence. “Now begin.”
She headed to the first table, sliding into her seat at the same time as the other person.
“Hello Gwen.”
“Arthur. What a surprise.” It truly was. “What are you doing here?”
His lips twisted into a grin. “I could ask you the same.”
Gwen let out a nervous laugh. “I own this place, but you know that. That means stepping in when someone doesn’t show. And you?”
“I’m back on the market.”
“Oh. You and Mithian were a great match on paper.” She ignored the twinge of hurt that resonated through her.
He shook his head ruefully. “On paper is correct; in actuality, we weren’t as compatible as one would think.”
“I’m surprised that your uncle didn’t suggest couples counseling. Or maybe he did, what do I know? You always listened to him more than you did me.” Keeping the bitterness out of her voice wasn’t something she was quite up to doing at the moment.
Arthur locked eyes with her. “Touché, and that was one of the worst mistakes of my life. I found out later on that he’d been embezzling money from the company. Right under my nose and I didn’t see it the entire time.”
She shrugged offhandedly. “That’s what putting your trust in the wrong people leads to.”
“You’re right.” He ducked his head down quickly. “I realize now that I shouldn’t have paid him any attention, because he was wrong on all counts, but especially when it came to you.” And his eyes found hers again.
“You should have broken up with me because you deemed me not appropriate, not because he did.”
“I never should have broken up with you, period. It couldn’t work with Mithian because I was in love with you…I never stopped loving you.” His fingers inched towards hers. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“I…”
The bell jingled and Wendy’s voice rang out. “Time to switch tables!”
Some guy approached their table.
“Could you please move on to the other one? We’re not done here.”
The guy crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not the way it works, pal. You can’t hog a table.”
“Andy, right?” Gwen gave him a warm smile. “I’m the owner. He’s an old friend and we’re just catching up. Do you think you could skip ahead to the next table?”
“But the rules -“
“Please?” She widened her smile and he nodded. “Thank you.”
Arthur waited until Andy was out of earshot to speak again. “I forgot how pretty you are when you smile.”
“Arthur…” She took a deep breath. “I loved you and you walked away because Agravaine told you to. I forgave you because I knew he was pulling the strings, but the fact that you didn’t see the manipulation for what it was…I’m not sure I can trust you with my heart again if you cannot be your own man.”
He sobered at her words. “I deserve that. Did I ever tell you that growing up, my dream was to become an astronaut?” She shook her head no. “I was really into the stars, the constellations, the galaxies. When I told my father, he said that I better ‘get my head out of the clouds’, because no Pendragon was ever going to space; when I protested, he told me that if I persisted, he would make sure I wouldn’t get very far. So I gave up on my dream. Giving you up was the second biggest mistake of my life and letting you go forever will not be the third. Please take me back.” He grasped her hand, pleading with his eyes.
Gwen bit her lower lip. “How do I know that you won’t pull the rug out from under me in six months?”
“Because I don’t want you to be my girlfriend, I want you to become my wife. Guinevere DeGrance, will you marry me?”
One moment he was sitting across from her and the next he was down on bended knee, a red velvet box clutched in his hand and opened to reveal the two-carat diamond solitaire ring. The same ring she’d discovered stashed in his socks drawer while doing the laundry, so long ago. He’d kept it.
Gwen burst into tears, emotions overwhelming her. Through blurry eyes, she saw his expression dim slightly.
“Gwen? Crying is a good sign, right?”
A shaky laugh escaped her and she wiped her eyes. “Yes, it’s a very good sign.”
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense here!” Wendy exclaimed and with a start, Gwen realized that all eyes were on her. The meeting room had never been so quiet when filled with twenty-plus people, and they were all waiting on her answer.
She turned her attention back to the man in front of her, the man she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. “Yes, Arthur Pendragon, I will marry you.”
The smile that broke out on his face was dazzling and he slid the ring on her finger, before kissing her under the thunderous applause of their audience.
Feedback is ♥.
Theme and prompt/s: Astronaut - A/G, Modern AU, Speed dating...
Rating: Gen with a wee bit of angst
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Author's notes: Written for the ag_fics MC6 challenge.
Wendy burst into her office. “We have a BIG problem.”
Gwen didn’t move her eyes from her monitor. “What is it?”
Wendy brandished the sign-up sheet. “Lydia didn’t show up tonight, and she’s at the very first table!”
Gwen sighed tiredly. “Why is it always me who has to step in to save the day?” Wendy pointed to her pregnant belly. “Oh, right. Okay.” Gwen got up, smoothing her hands down her summer dress. “How do I look?” Her hands flew to her hair. “Up or down?”
“You look gorgeous as usual, and up! Here!” Wendy pulled the hair clip from her hair and passed it to Gwen. “A little bit of gloss and you’re good to go.”
She closed her office door, walking the length of the hallway to the meeting room. To say that she was in no mood to make idle chit-chat was an understatement, but business was business and each customer mattered. She’d grin and bear it, and make sure that those who put her on their list were matched with someone else. She had had enough heartbreak for a year.
Wendy waited until she stepped into the room to ring the bell at the desk. “Everyone has arrived, so we can begin! You have all received a small card and a pencil. The women will remain at one table throughout the evening and the men will sit down at each table - starting with the first- and engage in conversation. When you hear the bell,” She shook it for emphasis,” you move on to the next table. After you’ve reached the last table, please make your way to me to submit your list of the people you would like to provide your contact information to. We have been doing these events for a year, so rest assured that in this room, there is someone right for each of you.” She tacked on a smile at the end of her sentence. “Now begin.”
She headed to the first table, sliding into her seat at the same time as the other person.
“Hello Gwen.”
“Arthur. What a surprise.” It truly was. “What are you doing here?”
His lips twisted into a grin. “I could ask you the same.”
Gwen let out a nervous laugh. “I own this place, but you know that. That means stepping in when someone doesn’t show. And you?”
“I’m back on the market.”
“Oh. You and Mithian were a great match on paper.” She ignored the twinge of hurt that resonated through her.
He shook his head ruefully. “On paper is correct; in actuality, we weren’t as compatible as one would think.”
“I’m surprised that your uncle didn’t suggest couples counseling. Or maybe he did, what do I know? You always listened to him more than you did me.” Keeping the bitterness out of her voice wasn’t something she was quite up to doing at the moment.
Arthur locked eyes with her. “Touché, and that was one of the worst mistakes of my life. I found out later on that he’d been embezzling money from the company. Right under my nose and I didn’t see it the entire time.”
She shrugged offhandedly. “That’s what putting your trust in the wrong people leads to.”
“You’re right.” He ducked his head down quickly. “I realize now that I shouldn’t have paid him any attention, because he was wrong on all counts, but especially when it came to you.” And his eyes found hers again.
“You should have broken up with me because you deemed me not appropriate, not because he did.”
“I never should have broken up with you, period. It couldn’t work with Mithian because I was in love with you…I never stopped loving you.” His fingers inched towards hers. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“I…”
The bell jingled and Wendy’s voice rang out. “Time to switch tables!”
Some guy approached their table.
“Could you please move on to the other one? We’re not done here.”
The guy crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not the way it works, pal. You can’t hog a table.”
“Andy, right?” Gwen gave him a warm smile. “I’m the owner. He’s an old friend and we’re just catching up. Do you think you could skip ahead to the next table?”
“But the rules -“
“Please?” She widened her smile and he nodded. “Thank you.”
Arthur waited until Andy was out of earshot to speak again. “I forgot how pretty you are when you smile.”
“Arthur…” She took a deep breath. “I loved you and you walked away because Agravaine told you to. I forgave you because I knew he was pulling the strings, but the fact that you didn’t see the manipulation for what it was…I’m not sure I can trust you with my heart again if you cannot be your own man.”
He sobered at her words. “I deserve that. Did I ever tell you that growing up, my dream was to become an astronaut?” She shook her head no. “I was really into the stars, the constellations, the galaxies. When I told my father, he said that I better ‘get my head out of the clouds’, because no Pendragon was ever going to space; when I protested, he told me that if I persisted, he would make sure I wouldn’t get very far. So I gave up on my dream. Giving you up was the second biggest mistake of my life and letting you go forever will not be the third. Please take me back.” He grasped her hand, pleading with his eyes.
Gwen bit her lower lip. “How do I know that you won’t pull the rug out from under me in six months?”
“Because I don’t want you to be my girlfriend, I want you to become my wife. Guinevere DeGrance, will you marry me?”
One moment he was sitting across from her and the next he was down on bended knee, a red velvet box clutched in his hand and opened to reveal the two-carat diamond solitaire ring. The same ring she’d discovered stashed in his socks drawer while doing the laundry, so long ago. He’d kept it.
Gwen burst into tears, emotions overwhelming her. Through blurry eyes, she saw his expression dim slightly.
“Gwen? Crying is a good sign, right?”
A shaky laugh escaped her and she wiped her eyes. “Yes, it’s a very good sign.”
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense here!” Wendy exclaimed and with a start, Gwen realized that all eyes were on her. The meeting room had never been so quiet when filled with twenty-plus people, and they were all waiting on her answer.
She turned her attention back to the man in front of her, the man she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. “Yes, Arthur Pendragon, I will marry you.”
The smile that broke out on his face was dazzling and he slid the ring on her finger, before kissing her under the thunderous applause of their audience.
Feedback is ♥.