Title: Kairos
Author: dfriendly
Prompt/s: Third kiss
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Spoilers: Through 2x13
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. Insert sad face here.
Summary: Arthur wants the opportunity to kiss Gwen…
Author's notes: Kairos = (in ancient Greek) the right or opportune moment; the supreme moment – Wikipedia. Because my inability to find a name for this has resorted me to googling.
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He'd wanted to kiss her after he'd slain the dragon.
But then his father had wanted to talk to him. And after what seemed like an eternity of questions, Uther had insisted Gaius tend to him. The physician checked him over at a painfully slow rate, finally commenting that he was surprised that Arthur was so restless after so many trying days. His casual comparison to Gwen looking so exhausted that she'd been sent home seemed almost too coincidental.
He'd wanted to kiss her the day after that.
But then the kingdom needed to be rebuilt, its newly-homeless citizens relocated and cared for in the mean-time. And the euphoria of their success the previous night was abruptly deflated by the decimation of the city and all the lives lost, including many of Arthur's men. He knew without having to be told that Gwen would be out helping the hungry, grieving, and injured.
He'd wanted to kiss her the night of the feast.
But then Uther gave a long speech about the troubles the kingdom had recently faced and how they had overcome them. And everyone insisted on personally congratulating Arthur for vanquishing the beast that had plagued them. His eyes tracked Gwen around the room as she kept busy refilling goblet after goblet, the partygoers taking full advantage of the celebration after so long of having no reason for merriment.
He wanted to kiss her once things were finally returning to normal.
But then his father thought that they should search for Morgana again now that they could spare the knights. And Arthur could not disagree, even though he was afraid they would come up empty and renew the heartbreak of losing her. Gwen would surely be waiting impatiently for them to return with Morgana in tow, and he wanted nothing more than to not disappoint her.
He wanted to kiss her every day instead of always being denied the chance.
But then Gwen passed him in an empty corridor, breaking into the smile that he had missed despite seeing it so few times. And he did not hesitate in cupping her face and kissing her softly, hoping to convey how much he'd wished he could have done it sooner. Gwen's eyelashes fluttered in pleasant surprise before she kissed him back over and over again and whispered,
"I've wanted to kiss you for a long time."