Fic: Three drabbles (Arthur/Gwen)
All three of these were written for ag_fics's Mini Challenge 3. =)
Title: No Matter of Chance
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur, Merlin, Arthur/Gwen
Rating: PG
Genre: Humor/Fluff
Prompt: Merlin: How was the date?
Arthur: Rubbish
Merlin: I knew it would be a waste of time
Arthur: Not exactly
A/N: This is a slightly longer version of my original post, so it no longer fits into the 137-maximum-word limit. Won first place overall and best fluff/family.
“How was it?” Merlin watched Arthur drop a pile of documents onto his office desk and cringed. He knew Arthur hadn’t been thrilled about the date his father had orchestrated, but going by the pile Merlin would no doubt spend the next several hours sorting, it had been worse than either of them had imagined.
“Let’s just say Vivian isn’t my type.”
“That awful?”
“That awful. Although I ran into Gwen,” Arthur added, voice brightening. “That was a surprise.”
Merlin eyed Arthur suspiciously. “Oh? How exactly did you ‘run into her’?”
“Er … she was our waitress.”
Merlin groaned. “It’s not ‘running into Gwen’ when you choose to eat at a restaurant where you know she works. It’s stalking.”
“It’s not like I memorised her shifts!” Arthur objected.
“Arthur, I’m your personal assistant,” Merlin reminded him, holding up Arthur's BlackBerry. “I know what’s in here.”
Arthur turned bright red and turned on his heel, mumbling what sounded like death threats underneath his breath.
Chuckling, Merlin flipped open Arthur’s schedule and wrote in block letters across the month of May, “ASK OUT GWEN.”
*****
Title: Easier Said Than Done
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Rating: G
Genre: Humorish/Fluff
Prompt: For the first time
Summary: Adventures in parenting.
A/N: Won best laugh. Idea shamelessly stolen from my mother's account of her and my father's first attempt to change my diaper on their own. Although I imagine their experience wasn't quite as dramatic.
“Arthur!”
“Sorry. Didn’t see your hand there.”
“Perhaps if it weren’t so crowded.”
“Well you weren’t exactly getting the job done!”
Arthur’s comment earned him a light smack. “Ow!” He rubbed his arm.
“Arthur Pendragon, you don’t know the meaning of ‘ow.’”
“It hurt!”
Gwen raised a single eyebrow.
“All right, maybe not ’27 hours of labour’ hurt, but- ”
“I will dump this talcum powder over your head.”
Arthur swallowed. “Right!” He turned back to the task at hand, furrowing his brow in concentration.
Fifteen minutes later - “No, I think you’ve got it backwards.”
“That’s what you said 40 minutes ago!”
Both dishevelled and bleary-eyed, Arthur and Gwen stared at their newborn daughter. To think a simple nappy would be their undoing!
“All right,” Arthur said, face resolute. “That’s it. We’re moving to a nudist colony.”
*****
Title: For Everything We Gain
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Rating: G
Genre: Angst
Prompt: What if This Storm Ends?
Summary: Change is on the horizon.
A/N: Placed fifth overall. Pretty sure this is more a vignette than a drabble, but oh well. Title based on the quote, "For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else," by Ralph Waldo Emerson (with a focus on the latter half of the quote).
The king is dying and change is on the horizon. Half the city rejoices while the other mourns. Half bow to the heir apparent while others eye him with distrust, wondering how the young man can possibly handle the duties entrusted to him. And in the middle of it all sit Arthur and Gwen, hidden by the fierce rains and winds. The world, too distracted by fears and celebrations, has let them be.
It’s a blessing.
It’s a curse.
They yearn for the Camelot that graces their dreams, the one they spend hours planning in the quiet of his chambers. But when all else is gone, what’s to stop the lightening from striking them?
Selfish desires clash with loyalty, the roll of thunder growing louder with each passing day.
Change is on the horizon.
Title: No Matter of Chance
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur, Merlin, Arthur/Gwen
Rating: PG
Genre: Humor/Fluff
Prompt: Merlin: How was the date?
Arthur: Rubbish
Merlin: I knew it would be a waste of time
Arthur: Not exactly
A/N: This is a slightly longer version of my original post, so it no longer fits into the 137-maximum-word limit. Won first place overall and best fluff/family.
“How was it?” Merlin watched Arthur drop a pile of documents onto his office desk and cringed. He knew Arthur hadn’t been thrilled about the date his father had orchestrated, but going by the pile Merlin would no doubt spend the next several hours sorting, it had been worse than either of them had imagined.
“Let’s just say Vivian isn’t my type.”
“That awful?”
“That awful. Although I ran into Gwen,” Arthur added, voice brightening. “That was a surprise.”
Merlin eyed Arthur suspiciously. “Oh? How exactly did you ‘run into her’?”
“Er … she was our waitress.”
Merlin groaned. “It’s not ‘running into Gwen’ when you choose to eat at a restaurant where you know she works. It’s stalking.”
“It’s not like I memorised her shifts!” Arthur objected.
“Arthur, I’m your personal assistant,” Merlin reminded him, holding up Arthur's BlackBerry. “I know what’s in here.”
Arthur turned bright red and turned on his heel, mumbling what sounded like death threats underneath his breath.
Chuckling, Merlin flipped open Arthur’s schedule and wrote in block letters across the month of May, “ASK OUT GWEN.”
*****
Title: Easier Said Than Done
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Rating: G
Genre: Humorish/Fluff
Prompt: For the first time
Summary: Adventures in parenting.
A/N: Won best laugh. Idea shamelessly stolen from my mother's account of her and my father's first attempt to change my diaper on their own. Although I imagine their experience wasn't quite as dramatic.
“Arthur!”
“Sorry. Didn’t see your hand there.”
“Perhaps if it weren’t so crowded.”
“Well you weren’t exactly getting the job done!”
Arthur’s comment earned him a light smack. “Ow!” He rubbed his arm.
“Arthur Pendragon, you don’t know the meaning of ‘ow.’”
“It hurt!”
Gwen raised a single eyebrow.
“All right, maybe not ’27 hours of labour’ hurt, but- ”
“I will dump this talcum powder over your head.”
Arthur swallowed. “Right!” He turned back to the task at hand, furrowing his brow in concentration.
Fifteen minutes later - “No, I think you’ve got it backwards.”
“That’s what you said 40 minutes ago!”
Both dishevelled and bleary-eyed, Arthur and Gwen stared at their newborn daughter. To think a simple nappy would be their undoing!
“All right,” Arthur said, face resolute. “That’s it. We’re moving to a nudist colony.”
*****
Title: For Everything We Gain
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Rating: G
Genre: Angst
Prompt: What if This Storm Ends?
Summary: Change is on the horizon.
A/N: Placed fifth overall. Pretty sure this is more a vignette than a drabble, but oh well. Title based on the quote, "For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else," by Ralph Waldo Emerson (with a focus on the latter half of the quote).
The king is dying and change is on the horizon. Half the city rejoices while the other mourns. Half bow to the heir apparent while others eye him with distrust, wondering how the young man can possibly handle the duties entrusted to him. And in the middle of it all sit Arthur and Gwen, hidden by the fierce rains and winds. The world, too distracted by fears and celebrations, has let them be.
It’s a blessing.
It’s a curse.
They yearn for the Camelot that graces their dreams, the one they spend hours planning in the quiet of his chambers. But when all else is gone, what’s to stop the lightening from striking them?
Selfish desires clash with loyalty, the roll of thunder growing louder with each passing day.
Change is on the horizon.