Arya held a birthday party when they were all 9. It was a costume party, and Nasuada decided to be a princess. Or rather, her father decided that she was going to be a princess. "Your mother always called you her little princess." was what he said. After that, she couldn't argue.
At the party, Arya was so excited when Eragon came, although she tried to hide it behind her Catwoman mask. Along with a cowboy-Eragon came Roran the Magician and a boy Nasuada didn't recognize, dressed as a pirate. Roran quickly left to find his best friend, Katrina, dressed as the Cheshire Cat. She caught the new boy's eye, and flagged him to the balcony of Arya's house. He quickly followed her and said "Hello, um I'm Murtaugh, Eragon's brother,"
"Hi, I'm Nasuada, Arya's best friend," she introduced herself, leaning over the railing to see the other party guests. Murtagh chuckled as she bounced happily, waving to her father. "Do you want to meet the other kids here?" she asked, dragging him to the party before he had a chance to respond.
Their friendship quickly grew, despite their two-year age difference. They were often abandoned together, when Roran-and-Katrina and Arya-and-Eragon wandered off together, and they realized they had a lot in common [or maybe their tastes grew together] ranging from similar music tastes ("Green Day," "Linkin Park") to book favorites ("The Chronicles of Narnia" "Harry Potter"). He comforted her whenever her mother's death struck her, and she was there for him when he was 16, and found out he was Eragon's half brother, and when his biological father sued for full custody. When she found him in her room, a bloody mess ("What happened?!" "I told him the truth... What he was." "Oh, Murtagh"), she forced her father to help his case. With their combined effort, his biological father only got joint custody, instead of full custody.
"I'm sorry," she cried, crushing herself to his chest, "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, it's not your fault. You were amazing," he responded, embracing her, "Really, it's going to be fine. Only three days a week"
The year [day] he turned 18, he moved out of his father's house to his own apartment, a tiny one-bedroom shack in the slums ("Anywhere is better than with him), despite both Eragon and Roran's protests that he was always welcome in their home.
After Nasuada turned 18, however, they encountered an unforeseen, unavoidable obstacle in the form of Nasuada's father himself. He detested their relationship, claiming that she was asking for trouble, that his father was nothing but trouble. Whenever she wanted to go to Murtagh's house, her father refused to let her. She begged, pleaded, threatened, and cried, but he obstinately refused.
"I'm 18 and I think I can choose who I hang out with, Dad!" she exclaimed. Her voice lowered, quavering with unshed tears, as she continued "Mom would have more trust in me!" before storming out of the house, one windy evening during the summer vacation before she would start college.
Nasuada didn't know she was in love, hadn't even realized it, until that evening in the playground. After storming out angrily, she texted Murtagh to meet him at the old playground at the outskirts of town. She then walked the 2 blocks and sat on a swing, swaying slightly to the rhythm of the distant traffic, tears flowing freely . She heard his motorcycle rumble by, a comforting sound that helped stopper the salty expression of anger, confusion, and something else she couldn't quite place (love?) from streaking down her face. He dashed forward and claimed the swing next to her, leaving his motorcycle helmet on the floor by their feet.
"What's wrong?" he whispered tenderly.
"It's my dad. He said that I can't see you anymore, and I said that's stupid, 'cause were not like that, and then he said that he doesn't like your father, and I said that no one likes your father, and anyways that I don't care who your father is because you're the best friend I've ever had, and he looked at me with such an intense glare when I told him that Mom would trust me, and I stormed out." By the end of her rant, she was in tears. "I just can't help think that," she broke off, but with his comforting hand on her back, she whispered "That if Mom, everything would be easier"
"Don't cry" he said, and he brushed her tears away. "Your mother is watching over you, still loving you, but your father loves you to. He only wants what's best for you, and a guy with a messed-up family, a messed-up past in love with you is definitely not what's best for you" She looked up, shocked at what he just said, just admitted.
"Murtagh, I-" she was cut off when his lips touched hers, softly, before he drew back.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Here you are, angry and confused, and I make it worse." He ran his hand through his hair, exhaling softly, then said "I'll leave now." Nasuada sat there, still in shock, as he picked up his helmet and walked to his bike. Then, she snapped to her senses, and ran after him, shouting "Wait!" He removed his helmet, looking at her with those stormy eyes filled with something [hope].
Nasuada reached him, and pulled him towards her, and kissed him. But, once again, he broke contact. "See, this is exactly what your father feared. I'm not good, not good for you. I live in a run down apartment. My dad's an addict. I- Everything I touch turns to dust. I don't want you to have to face tha-"
"You can't tell me what I can or can't do," Nasuada snapped back, fire raging in her russet eyes, "I choose you, with all of your challenges. They don't matter to me. You do. I should think you of all people would know that, you know, being my best friend and all. So, if this is your way of 'letting me down easy', then-" Murtagh cut her off, kissing her soundly, before pulling back and saying "Never. I love you, Na, and I care more about you than anything else."
Back home, Nasuada went up to her father, and, as calmly as she could, she told him that her and Murtagh were in a relationship. He was shocked, to say the least, so she used that time to escape to her room and lock the door.
"No, you are not! His father is nothing but trouble, and I'm sure that he will be, too! You are grounded, young lady!," he roared up the stairs.
True to his word, her father refused to let her out for a week, and took away her phone. The house was filled with a strained silence, which, until then, Nasuada hadn't realized how loud it could be. Her groundment would have been longer, but Arya and Katrina, her second and third best friends, convinced him to let her out for a girls night, a sleepover at Katrina's , under the pretext that they were going to try to dissuade her from Murtagh. What ended up happening, though, was an exchange of money ("I knew they'd get together this year" "Yeah, yeah" "Wait, there was a bet?!"), a serious conversation ("I really do love him. More than anything."), and a couple of cheesy romantic-comedy movies.
After that, she was given more freedom. Her father, under the illusion that she was 'back to normal', returned her phone. She tried texting Murtagh, but his answers were rarely on time, and had little content. Confused, she discussed the predicament with Arya and Katrina
"I don't think he likes me anymore" she confessed, rubbing her shoulders with her hands.
"Are you kidding me!" they both exclaimed, twin looks of 'yeah, right' gracing their faces.
"He's been in love with you ever since the party when you guys met!" Katrina said.
"Yeah, Eragon told me he always talks about you." Arya added.
"Roran says that ever since the playground he's been closed off, almost like he's planning something. He even said that Murtagh has been talking to your dad."
"My dad? Why would he talk to my dad?" she left puzzled but heartened at the fact that he still cared for her, even if she felt like he might not any more.
She finally met him at the same playground 3 days later, summoned there by a brief conversation on the phone ("Hey, can we talk?" Yeah, but, Murtagh, I-" "Great. Meet me at the playground at seven").
"Why have you been avoiding me! I've been feeling so alone, and it feels like you don't even care! If you want to split up, tell me and don't be a coward about it. I don't want to keep on worrying about this, though, and I'm tired of being confused."
Murtagh looked at her, shock so comically written all over his face she would have laughed, had she not been so angry. "You think that I want to break up with you?" he scoffed, disbelief tinging his voice "I've been in love with you for forever, ever since we met, and you greeted me, the new, strange kid. You only just realized now, though, but I've felt this for a long time." Murtagh faltered, then continued, "Actually, um, I've been talking to, um, to your dad." He added uncertainly, shuffling his feet.
"Why?" she demanded, relieved that she would not indeed be having her heart broken, but still very much confused about all of the secrecy.
He didn't reply. Instead, he took a deep breath, then knelt down in front of her. He pulled out a ring and said "Marry me, you'll never be alone." At her silence, he continued, "I already talked to your dad, and after a while, he realized that I'm not my father. I love you and that's all I really know. All I really have to know. Please make me the happiest man in the world and say yes."
"Yes!" she cried out, laughing (crying?) with happiness. "I love you, yes, I will marry you!" He put the ring on her finger and gave her a big hug.
"You don't know how many times I've heard you say that in my dreams" he muttered into her hair.
"I love you, Murtaugh"
"I love you, Nasuada"
AN: IF you could send me a link to a NxM story that has a happy ending, It would be great
PS AN: I edited this because I looked back, and realized that I can't write good.