The Weight of Time
Title: The Weight of Time
Author: 2sam11
Rating: PG
Characters: Arthur, Gwen
Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Words: 2,138
Warnings: None
Author's Notes: This fic was written for the Christmas 2012 Fic Exchange over at ag_fics. Prompt by the lovely sunnydalecomes : 10 years later, Arthur & Gwen meets during their christmas shopping. Feelings are not dead. Modern.They can be married/engaged with someonelse or simply single.
Feedback would be welcome!
Summary: After Arthur moved away, his and Guinevere’s relationship ends.That is until he meets Guinevere again, but their first meeting after 10 years does not go well. Can they find each other again?
***
When Guinevere comes out of the living room, Arthur is sitting on her bed, eyes sad.
“I wish I didn’t have to,” Arthur murmurs while looking at her.
“You’re moving,” Guinevere repeats, staring.
“I am sorry” he says, shaking his head as if he could not believe it.
His father told him that they are going to move into another house. At first Arthur was happy, but after Uther told him that they are literally going to move to the other end of the world, his face fell.
His first thoughts were about Guinevere and their relationship. After years of pining for her, he finally got the courage to ask her out.
They were on a few dates, but it took not long for them to start a beautiful relationship. The thought that this is going to end and that he will not see her again, hurts. He could not look into her eyes; the disappointment in them would kill him. Arthur closed his eyes and regrets to have led her with false hope.
All this time Guinevere said nothing, she is confused by what she has seen in his face, sadness and guilt. Arthur felt the bed dip as she sat down. He feels her hands on either side of his face.
“It is okay Arthur, we can still make it. True, we won’t get to see each other as often as we would like to, but we can still make it. We can call each other every day, and I can come to visit you as often as I can, and you can do the same.”
He opens his eyes and other than what he had expected to see, she is smiling. Arthur is not stupid; he knows that the most long-distance relationships are going to end sooner or later.
After a few moments, Arthur started to smile.
He would try everything for their relationship and the hope that she has in her eyes is giving him enough courage to try it.
“You forgot to mention letters,” Arthur teases, eyes shining.
They kissed each other, deep and passionate. Arthur’s hands come up to cover her face and Guinevere looks back at him, her eyes are filled with tears.
***
10 years later
Everything has changed; their long-distance relationship had not worked out. Guinevere had not even tried that is at least what Arthur thinks. He still has some letters in his drawer; this one’s which he never did send.
*
August 21st, 2001
Dear Guinevere,
I still wait for some word from you. Not one answer, not one letter or E-Mail. I did send you my new number, right?
I have thought that I send the letters to the wrong address, but I am sure I did not. I hope that you have not changed your mind about the long-distance-relationship.
Please, at least answer this one. I hope everything is alright with you.
I Love you,
Arthur
*
He never got an answer and after one year, he stopped trying. Never did he think that Guinevere would be so cold and cruel. He will always love her, but she had hurt him more than he can say.
There is no other explanation then that she has played with him. All the letters, E-Mails and phone calls, never did she write back or called him. Guinevere is his past, a well-kept secret in his heart.
Guinevere was reaching inside the old cardboard box. Christmas is going to be soon and she still needs a good present for Elyan. Their old drawings in some sort of frame would be nice, would it not? There she saw it, her old letters to Arthur.
She would have already thrown them away, but something inside her is still attracted by them. Yes, she did send him letters and E-Mails and everything. He never answered and Guinevere tried to move on. She had other boyfriends, but nobody gave her the feelings that Arthur did. Well, at least nobody is hurting her like Arthur did.
*
January 01st, 2002
Hello Arthur,
Why are you not answering? Do you think that I am not worth your time? Do you like just how desperate I sound? Did I do something wrong? At least be man enough to break up with me.
Please, I thought that we loved each other! Did you just use me? I will stop sending you letters, this is the last one. No matter how much you hurt me...
I still wish you a good life.
Guinevere
*
Arthur is walking through the shop; his shopping car is almost full. He’s wearing blue jeans and a black jacket. He looks older and his face is showing tiredness, but he still looks beautiful.
Arthur spares a quick glance to looking for a vendor, but it took not long for him to put the game that he held in his hands into the shopping bag.
Guinevere let her eyes linger over his shape - His body has grown and his face looks manlier; there is also this new charisma, but Guinevere cannot put her finger on it. -
What is he doing here?
She is taking a few minutes to gather herself. She thought that she is never going to see him again that she never had to see him again. All this anger which has built over the last years, all this disappointment and betrayal, everything is gone and replaced with surprise and as much as Guinevere wants to deny it, affection.
She is closing her eyes and allowing herself to take some deep, steady breaths.
“Guinevere?”
Arthur could not believe it and his heart is jumping through his chest, which is at least how it felt. He always imagined what he was going to say if he should ever see her again. This time it is different, all his careful prepared words are gone and he is left speechless. Guinevere opened her eyes, but she could not believe how close their bodies were.
Would she not know it better, she would think that it felt like one of her many dreams.
“Arthur…”
Guinevere is as speechless as Arthur and they are both quiet, studying the other closely.
“What are you doing here?”
Arthur knew that this was a stupid question since she was still living here and the question is clearly angering Guinevere.
“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?!”
She could not stop herself, but before she knew what happened, Arthur started to laugh. Not about her but about … she does not even know.
“I have decided to move back, a new start.”
Guinevere is confused, but she can put the puzzle together with looking into his shopping car; dolls, toys and sweets.
“Do you…?”
She cannot even put the sentence together; he is not wearing any ring though.
“Yes, I have a little daughter, Anna.”
Guinevere felt stupid, he is living his life and she does not even have a boyfriend.
It felt like she was the only one who could not move one.
“Do you have kids or a boyfriend, husband?”
Arthur just had to know, it hurts more than he can say, but she decided to end it and he would respect her decision.
“No…”
That gave him a good feeling; he is the winner in their little game.
“I am divorced, but I still have contact with my daughter.”
“Ah,” Guinevere shifted uncomfortable.
So they are technically both single.
Arthur took the moments to look into her shopping bag. Frames and drawings, he could only guess that they are for Elyan then. Their silence grows longer and longer, each one in their own thoughts.
“I really have to go but -“
“Why did you never write back?”
*
Guinevere got dumbstruck as Arthur interrupted her with his bold question. She was lifting her head to look into his eyes, but other than expected mocking she saw sadness in them.
“You were the one who never wrote back! You don’t get to blame this on me, Arthur.”
She was so angry, but Arthur looked as dumbstruck as she did.
“What did you mean? I wrote you every day.”
Guinevere just laughed, this time about him.
“My conscience is clear.”
Guinevere stopped to laugh.
“Oh! If your conscience is clear, then I am really happy for you Arthur because I did not expect you to feel good about what you did. I guess I was once again wrong about you…”
“Guinevere -“
“No! Do not think that I will forgive you Arthur! That you are here again that does not change a single thing! You have hurt me badly and I hate you for that, so much!”
“Guinevere!”
This time Arthur was the one who screamed, all the people in the shop looked at them. Arthur has to stop her because she looks like she was going to cry and he cannot bear that. Other than Guinevere thought, he did not pull her out of the shop. Arthur puts his arms around her and gave her some sort of protection with his hug. She could not hold it any longer; his presence brought all her old feelings back. She started to cry into his jacket, but she also started to hit him lightly with her arms.
“I waited for you, years! I thought that you would come back or write me back, but you never did! I hate you! ”
Arthur holds even tighter to her.
“Guinevere…”
She stopped screaming at him.
“I wrote you every day. I wrote you E-Mails and I did call you thousands of times.”
How can it be?
Guinevere said nothing and she did stop crying, but all this feelings are overwhelming her. She freed herself from his hug, but other than to say something she ran. Arthur stayed there; he feels like someone would have pulled the rug out from under his feet.
*
Guinevere was sitting on her couch, in her hands a hot chocolate to calm her nerves. She knew that he is going to come since she forgot her shopping bag with the old drawings in them. It was too much, why should she believe him?
A knock on the door draw her attention from the thoughts. Slowly she opened the door, knowing that he would stand there.
“Hey…”
Arthur greeted her breathless; it seems that he ran.
She just wanted to tell him to come in, there was he already standing in her living room.
“Do not say anything! Let me explain, please. I was growing suspicious after our … well … confrontation. I told you the truth, I wrote you every day.”
He put his old letters on her table. Guinevere said nothing.
“I believed you, but I just do not know why someone would hold us apart or how that was even possible and then it hit me, my father…”
Now Guinevere seems surprised and her face is clearly showing that.
“What is with your father?”
“I was in his office and I found that.”
He put some sort of box on her table, as she looked more clearly she could see her handwriting.
“What did you mean?”
“My father, he was the one who wanted us apart! That is why we were moving, right?”
He paused to see if Guinevere was still following, she gave him a nod.
“Maybe, I did not know how…”
“Wait! You want to say that he was the one who was responsible for our contact problems?”
“Yes, Guinevere I loved you more than anything. I still love you more than anything, except my daughter.”
Arthur was growing quieter with each word.
Guinevere was sitting on her couch, everything was too much. Could it really be?
She has the evidence in front of her, has she not? They both are quiet again.
“Arthur, I did not know if I should believe you…”
“I understand! It was too much for me as well.”
“Can we ever be what we were?
Arthur looked up at her, does that mean that she still wants him? His heart jumped again, this time out of happiness.
“We can try, my daughter would not mind. I am sure.”
Guinevere did nod again, it will take longer than a few hours to convince her, but Arthur would try everything. After a few moments, Arthur started to smile and the hope that she was seeing in his eyes gave her enough courage to try it again.
***
Author: 2sam11
Rating: PG
Characters: Arthur, Gwen
Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Words: 2,138
Warnings: None
Author's Notes: This fic was written for the Christmas 2012 Fic Exchange over at ag_fics. Prompt by the lovely sunnydalecomes : 10 years later, Arthur & Gwen meets during their christmas shopping. Feelings are not dead. Modern.They can be married/engaged with someonelse or simply single.
Feedback would be welcome!
Summary: After Arthur moved away, his and Guinevere’s relationship ends.That is until he meets Guinevere again, but their first meeting after 10 years does not go well. Can they find each other again?
***
When Guinevere comes out of the living room, Arthur is sitting on her bed, eyes sad.
“I wish I didn’t have to,” Arthur murmurs while looking at her.
“You’re moving,” Guinevere repeats, staring.
“I am sorry” he says, shaking his head as if he could not believe it.
His father told him that they are going to move into another house. At first Arthur was happy, but after Uther told him that they are literally going to move to the other end of the world, his face fell.
His first thoughts were about Guinevere and their relationship. After years of pining for her, he finally got the courage to ask her out.
They were on a few dates, but it took not long for them to start a beautiful relationship. The thought that this is going to end and that he will not see her again, hurts. He could not look into her eyes; the disappointment in them would kill him. Arthur closed his eyes and regrets to have led her with false hope.
All this time Guinevere said nothing, she is confused by what she has seen in his face, sadness and guilt. Arthur felt the bed dip as she sat down. He feels her hands on either side of his face.
“It is okay Arthur, we can still make it. True, we won’t get to see each other as often as we would like to, but we can still make it. We can call each other every day, and I can come to visit you as often as I can, and you can do the same.”
He opens his eyes and other than what he had expected to see, she is smiling. Arthur is not stupid; he knows that the most long-distance relationships are going to end sooner or later.
After a few moments, Arthur started to smile.
He would try everything for their relationship and the hope that she has in her eyes is giving him enough courage to try it.
“You forgot to mention letters,” Arthur teases, eyes shining.
They kissed each other, deep and passionate. Arthur’s hands come up to cover her face and Guinevere looks back at him, her eyes are filled with tears.
***
10 years later
Everything has changed; their long-distance relationship had not worked out. Guinevere had not even tried that is at least what Arthur thinks. He still has some letters in his drawer; this one’s which he never did send.
*
August 21st, 2001
Dear Guinevere,
I still wait for some word from you. Not one answer, not one letter or E-Mail. I did send you my new number, right?
I have thought that I send the letters to the wrong address, but I am sure I did not. I hope that you have not changed your mind about the long-distance-relationship.
Please, at least answer this one. I hope everything is alright with you.
I Love you,
Arthur
*
He never got an answer and after one year, he stopped trying. Never did he think that Guinevere would be so cold and cruel. He will always love her, but she had hurt him more than he can say.
There is no other explanation then that she has played with him. All the letters, E-Mails and phone calls, never did she write back or called him. Guinevere is his past, a well-kept secret in his heart.
Guinevere was reaching inside the old cardboard box. Christmas is going to be soon and she still needs a good present for Elyan. Their old drawings in some sort of frame would be nice, would it not? There she saw it, her old letters to Arthur.
She would have already thrown them away, but something inside her is still attracted by them. Yes, she did send him letters and E-Mails and everything. He never answered and Guinevere tried to move on. She had other boyfriends, but nobody gave her the feelings that Arthur did. Well, at least nobody is hurting her like Arthur did.
*
January 01st, 2002
Hello Arthur,
Why are you not answering? Do you think that I am not worth your time? Do you like just how desperate I sound? Did I do something wrong? At least be man enough to break up with me.
Please, I thought that we loved each other! Did you just use me? I will stop sending you letters, this is the last one. No matter how much you hurt me...
I still wish you a good life.
Guinevere
*
Arthur is walking through the shop; his shopping car is almost full. He’s wearing blue jeans and a black jacket. He looks older and his face is showing tiredness, but he still looks beautiful.
Arthur spares a quick glance to looking for a vendor, but it took not long for him to put the game that he held in his hands into the shopping bag.
Guinevere let her eyes linger over his shape - His body has grown and his face looks manlier; there is also this new charisma, but Guinevere cannot put her finger on it. -
What is he doing here?
She is taking a few minutes to gather herself. She thought that she is never going to see him again that she never had to see him again. All this anger which has built over the last years, all this disappointment and betrayal, everything is gone and replaced with surprise and as much as Guinevere wants to deny it, affection.
She is closing her eyes and allowing herself to take some deep, steady breaths.
“Guinevere?”
Arthur could not believe it and his heart is jumping through his chest, which is at least how it felt. He always imagined what he was going to say if he should ever see her again. This time it is different, all his careful prepared words are gone and he is left speechless. Guinevere opened her eyes, but she could not believe how close their bodies were.
Would she not know it better, she would think that it felt like one of her many dreams.
“Arthur…”
Guinevere is as speechless as Arthur and they are both quiet, studying the other closely.
“What are you doing here?”
Arthur knew that this was a stupid question since she was still living here and the question is clearly angering Guinevere.
“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?!”
She could not stop herself, but before she knew what happened, Arthur started to laugh. Not about her but about … she does not even know.
“I have decided to move back, a new start.”
Guinevere is confused, but she can put the puzzle together with looking into his shopping car; dolls, toys and sweets.
“Do you…?”
She cannot even put the sentence together; he is not wearing any ring though.
“Yes, I have a little daughter, Anna.”
Guinevere felt stupid, he is living his life and she does not even have a boyfriend.
It felt like she was the only one who could not move one.
“Do you have kids or a boyfriend, husband?”
Arthur just had to know, it hurts more than he can say, but she decided to end it and he would respect her decision.
“No…”
That gave him a good feeling; he is the winner in their little game.
“I am divorced, but I still have contact with my daughter.”
“Ah,” Guinevere shifted uncomfortable.
So they are technically both single.
Arthur took the moments to look into her shopping bag. Frames and drawings, he could only guess that they are for Elyan then. Their silence grows longer and longer, each one in their own thoughts.
“I really have to go but -“
“Why did you never write back?”
*
Guinevere got dumbstruck as Arthur interrupted her with his bold question. She was lifting her head to look into his eyes, but other than expected mocking she saw sadness in them.
“You were the one who never wrote back! You don’t get to blame this on me, Arthur.”
She was so angry, but Arthur looked as dumbstruck as she did.
“What did you mean? I wrote you every day.”
Guinevere just laughed, this time about him.
“My conscience is clear.”
Guinevere stopped to laugh.
“Oh! If your conscience is clear, then I am really happy for you Arthur because I did not expect you to feel good about what you did. I guess I was once again wrong about you…”
“Guinevere -“
“No! Do not think that I will forgive you Arthur! That you are here again that does not change a single thing! You have hurt me badly and I hate you for that, so much!”
“Guinevere!”
This time Arthur was the one who screamed, all the people in the shop looked at them. Arthur has to stop her because she looks like she was going to cry and he cannot bear that. Other than Guinevere thought, he did not pull her out of the shop. Arthur puts his arms around her and gave her some sort of protection with his hug. She could not hold it any longer; his presence brought all her old feelings back. She started to cry into his jacket, but she also started to hit him lightly with her arms.
“I waited for you, years! I thought that you would come back or write me back, but you never did! I hate you! ”
Arthur holds even tighter to her.
“Guinevere…”
She stopped screaming at him.
“I wrote you every day. I wrote you E-Mails and I did call you thousands of times.”
How can it be?
Guinevere said nothing and she did stop crying, but all this feelings are overwhelming her. She freed herself from his hug, but other than to say something she ran. Arthur stayed there; he feels like someone would have pulled the rug out from under his feet.
*
Guinevere was sitting on her couch, in her hands a hot chocolate to calm her nerves. She knew that he is going to come since she forgot her shopping bag with the old drawings in them. It was too much, why should she believe him?
A knock on the door draw her attention from the thoughts. Slowly she opened the door, knowing that he would stand there.
“Hey…”
Arthur greeted her breathless; it seems that he ran.
She just wanted to tell him to come in, there was he already standing in her living room.
“Do not say anything! Let me explain, please. I was growing suspicious after our … well … confrontation. I told you the truth, I wrote you every day.”
He put his old letters on her table. Guinevere said nothing.
“I believed you, but I just do not know why someone would hold us apart or how that was even possible and then it hit me, my father…”
Now Guinevere seems surprised and her face is clearly showing that.
“What is with your father?”
“I was in his office and I found that.”
He put some sort of box on her table, as she looked more clearly she could see her handwriting.
“What did you mean?”
“My father, he was the one who wanted us apart! That is why we were moving, right?”
He paused to see if Guinevere was still following, she gave him a nod.
“Maybe, I did not know how…”
“Wait! You want to say that he was the one who was responsible for our contact problems?”
“Yes, Guinevere I loved you more than anything. I still love you more than anything, except my daughter.”
Arthur was growing quieter with each word.
Guinevere was sitting on her couch, everything was too much. Could it really be?
She has the evidence in front of her, has she not? They both are quiet again.
“Arthur, I did not know if I should believe you…”
“I understand! It was too much for me as well.”
“Can we ever be what we were?
Arthur looked up at her, does that mean that she still wants him? His heart jumped again, this time out of happiness.
“We can try, my daughter would not mind. I am sure.”
Guinevere did nod again, it will take longer than a few hours to convince her, but Arthur would try everything. After a few moments, Arthur started to smile and the hope that she was seeing in his eyes gave her enough courage to try it again.
***