Disclaimer: If I owned Merlin, then our poor protagonist would have a freaking permanent girlfriend already. I would also buy myself some really good European chocolate, but as I'm stuck with crappy American food, it's obviously not...

Here's to a Happy Singles Awareness Day

"They're disgusting, aren't they?"

"Who, Merlin and Morgana?"

"Do you see any other couples making disgusting, lovey-dovey eyes at each other?"

"It's Valentine's Day, and we're at a café called The Lover's Lounge; what do you think?"

Arthur Pendragon looked at the spunky, mocha skinned young woman sitting across from him staring dejectedly at the numerous couples around the room who were making "lovey-dovey" eyes at one another. This was definitely not the place for someone single.

She continued, "I don't even know why they invited us, this is so awkward."

"Yeah, at least he's not your sibling." Arthur mumbled, glaring at Merlin over his coffee cup. The young woman, Gwen, as she liked to be called, laughed.

"He may as well be. So no girlfriend, then?"

Arthur snorted, "Not really; my last relationship was a bit of a bust."

"How so?" She cocked her head, looking like an inquisitive little bird; a pretty, inquisitive little bird.

"After being under constant scrutiny about my whereabouts for our whole year long relationship due to her insecurities about me cheating on her, it finally comes out that she was sleeping with someone else; had been for the past six months. And that she was leaving me for him; I'm supposed to get an invitation to the wedding within the next few weeks."

"Ouch."

"And not only that, but it was with one of the guys that I introduced her to."

"So a double whammy."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"When did it end?"

"'bout, two weeks ago."

Gwen looked at Arthur sympathetically, "That sucks; my story is a lot less... sticky. I had been with Lance for a little over a year, but we broke up, right after New Year's. I really liked him too, we could have lasted, I think; but he had to get a new job that took him Eastward."

"Really, does he do?"

"Lance, my ex, wants to be a military strategist, but the only opening for him was in the American army. He's brilliant, and quite charismatic." Gwen blushed at the memory, "He'll do well, I think."

"Maybe, but something about a charismatic and brilliant military strategist is ringing alarm bells in my head. They sound suspiciously like they're shouting 'Dictator! Dictator!'. Can you hear them?" Arthur smirked at Gwen and she rolled her eyes.

"Now that you've insulted my ex, do you want to go get me some more coffee?"

"I was thinking of getting something a little stronger; there's a pub next door, if you wanted to tag along." He looked her up and down, appreciating her slightly too low-cut shirt and tight jeans. "I think you'd make a decent drinking partner, or be a good designated driver."

Gwen scoffed, "Pre-call the cab; I practically have two older brothers, I can hold my own."

"We'll just see about that…" Arthur smirked again, "Let's ditch the lovebirds, and go."

Gwen rolled her eyes, then turned and nudged Merlin, who was sitting next to her at the four person table.

"Merlin, Arthur and I are going to go for some real drinks, do you and Morgana want to come?"

Merlin shook his head, and Morgana answered.

"We were going to call it a night and head back to Merlin's apartment to watch a movie or something..." Her tone implying that she was not at all interested in the movie, and that the 'something' was not anything that Arthur or Gwen would want to witness. Ever.

"Guess we'll just have to go without you then." Arthur said, secretly pleased at the recent turn of events, "See you tomorrow Morgana, try not to come in too late, will you? I think the 'I had the most dreadful headache' excuse gets a bit old after a while, don't you?"

Morgana shot her half-brother a glare before standing up and dragging Merlin from his seat. Turning to Gwen she remarked that "It was wonderful to see you again." before stomping out, barely leaving enough time for Merlin to throw a ten on the table for the coffee.

"Well, that's one lovey-dovey couple of to go do the dirty."

Gwen looked at Arthur, and shook her head. "You definitely need some alcohol."

^%^

"So how exactly did you meet Merlin?" Arthur asked, as he and Gwen waited for their liquor to arrive.

"My mother went to school with his mum, and they visited each other a lot. They were like this," she twisted her first two fingers together, "before my mum passed away." Her face grew sad, and she seemed to shrink in on herself.

"I'm sorry," Arthur laid his hand on Gwen's, "my mum died after giving birth to me; which is different, I suppose but still…" he removed his hand and glanced away awkwardly.

"It's okay; it was a while ago; and I'm sorry too, about your mum." Gwen smiled sadly, "Anyways, after my mum died, Hunith, Merlin's mother, really helped my father out. Mainly with the little things, like picking me and my brother up from school, and making sure we had food in the house. Dad can get a little wrapped up in his work and not realize that there's no laundry detergent, or something like that. Merlin would come with her, and as we were the same age, we would play together and pull pranks on my older brother, which was always fun." Gwen smiled fondly at the memory before taking a sip of her newly delivered drink and continuing. "When I was fourteen, my dad moved our family to London, but I still kept in close contact with Merlin. And when his mother wanted him to live in London for a while, he started living with me."

"So there's nothing between you two, at all?"

Gwen shook her head, "I always thought he was cute, but we moved before the two of us were old enough to do anything relationship wise. By the time that he moved to London, I was in a relationship with Lance and he had a girlfriend back home so it just…never happened. Either way, I love him like a brother, and now anything beyond that would be disturbing. So what about you and Morgana? Isn't she your sister?"

"Half sister," Arthur corrected, "My father was quite the ladies man after my mother died, but as far as we know, the daliance one with Morgana's mother was the only one to produce any children. Vivienne and Father were involved when I was about two; I vaguely remember her, she was pretty and liked to play with me. I called her Aunt Vivi." His words slurred towards the end, and Gwen got the impression that Arthur would never have told her this if he wasn't about halfway through his second tankard.

"She left my father about a year later; presumably when she found out she was pregnant with Morgana. Why did she leave? I don't know, but when she died in a car crash years later, Morgana was sent to live with us. She was about ten and hated everyone and everything, especially Uther. Not that I blame her, my father can be a bit of an ass." Arthur looked at Gwen, trying to focus on her face, but failing rather miserably.

"Enough about our parents, we came here to drink about something else. What was it again?" Gwen wondered, looking at the bottom of her decidedly empty tankard.

"The fact that we don't have anybody to spend our Valentine's Day with." Said Arthur, matter of factly.

"Oh, yeah." Gwen raised her newly refilled glass, "Happy Single's Awareness Day!"

"'Single's Awareness Day'? What in the hell is that?" Arthur swayed dangerously on his chair.

"A day in which all people without a significant other are forced to suffer through this disgustingly romantic holiday without someone to be all romantic and cuddly with

"Cuddly? I think I would want to be a bit more than 'cuddly' on Valentine's Day." Arthur waggled his eyebrows and smirked at the woman sitting across from him.

"I will have you know that PG-rated snuggles are all that I stand for. If there's one thing that I learned in public school, it's that you never let a guy into your pants until you have his ring on your finger." Gwen waved her hands about as she talked, thrusting her left one into Arthur's face to make her point. She then sat back on her stool and took another sip of her throat burning beverage, while Arthur looked at her with the most shell shocked expression that he'd ever had before finally telling her that,

"You're the strangest girl I've ever met."

"You're not much better." Gwen stated in an almost child-like manner.

"Whatever you say, madame. Here's to a Happy Single's Awareness Day, and let's pray that we don't find ourselves in a similar situation next year." The pair clanked their newly refilled glasses.

"Amen to that."

"So our master plan worked, hmm?" Merlin said as he and Morgana watched Arthur and Gwen go to the next door tavern.

"Of course it did Merlin; it was my idea, wasn't it?" Morgana winked at her lover, "How long do you think until they admit that they're officially dating?"

"Knowing Arthur, less than six months. Knowing Gwen..."

"Five years?" Morgana smirked and was gently shoved by Merlin's shoulder. "Okay, okay, I'll play nice."

"Thank you. That 'playing nice' doesn't extend to my Valentine's Day gift, does it?"

Morgana now had the beginnings of an evil smile on her face as she thought for a moment.

"I guess that depends on how quickly we can get to your apartment."

Merlin began to wave his arm into the road, "Taxi!"

A/N- So one of my (few) single friends mentioned the term 'Single's Awareness Day' sometime last week, and I decided to write a fic based around that; mostly due to the moping I've been doing about the knowledge that the only male doing anything for me for Valentine's Day is my dad. Anywho, this is set in the same AU-verse of 'A Change of Plans', probably four or so months after Merlin and Morgana get together and a few months before the incidents of the fic. This gives some background info that I haven't found a way to work into ACoP yet, so tell me how everything fit together! Remember, reviews are love, so spread some, 'cause it's all you need :)