A/N: Hey Everybody! Hope you enjoy chapter 2! :D

Warnings: bad language

Chapter 2: A Chance at Love

Diarmuid sat at his desk doing some paperwork. The light from the lamp barely illuminated the room, but it provided enough light for him to see. He moved his fingers through his black hair. He felt frustrated and angry with himself. So much so that he could barely do the work in front of him. The man put the pen he held down on his desk and started to rub his forehead. Ugh, why are you so stupid, Diarmuid? You'll never have a shot with her, so don't even imagine it happening, he thought to himself, his hands covering his eyes. Suddenly, his cellphone started ringing. He moved his hands down to see who was calling. He looked at his phone and saw that the person calling was none other than his best friend. He answered it, "Sup, dude."

"Yo, whatcha up to, my friend?" Cu's voice rang out from the phone.

"Paperwork, so why'd you call?" Diarmuid asked somewhat bitterly without thinking about what he was actually saying. He knew that his friend was not just calling just to call him. The other man had better things to do. When Diarmuid realized what he had asked, regret washed over him. He must have sounded harsh. Even though he knew that Cu didn't care, he still felt remorseful over asking his best friend the question.

"Ah, I see. You're thinking about that girl that you like. Let me guess, you're mad that she most likely won't truly love you", Cu said. He knew that Diarmuid hated the curse that he was given at birth. He knew that Diarmuid never really wanted to get married or have a girlfriend because of the fact, and he knew that if Diarmuid would get with somebody, it would more than likely be a one-sided relationship, speaking that most women would fall under his charm (literally speaking).

"Kind of, the beauty I fancy happens to have a high magic resistance. I'm just grimacing over the fact that I'll never have a shot with her", Diarmuid told his friend.

"Oh, is that right? Well, you should have more confidence. I mean you basically have the superpower of sleeping with any woman you want. But anyway", Cu continued, getting back to what he was actually calling for. "I think we should really look into where the real Archer went, because the guy I saw today for the second time definitely wasn't the ass I know and hate", Cu said.

"Don't you mean 'know and love'?" Diarmuid questioned the blue-haired man.

"No, how could I ever place someone like Archer as someone I love as a brother? Seriously, I don't know what's worse, asking if I love Archer like a brother or if I like Gilgamesh as a friend", Cu replied, truthfully. Diarmuid chuckled at the comment that his friend had made. He knew full well how much Cu hated Gilgamesh's guts. Hell, he knew how much the whole company hated Gilgamesh's guts. And frankly speaking, it was pretty hard to get Cu to hate somebody, let alone the whole entire company.

"Haha, that was a pretty stupid question for me to ask. Anyway, why do we have to investigate Archer?" Diarmuid asked before taking a few sips of the hot chocolate that sat on the desk beside his papers.

"Because, the man has a date", Lancer stated simply causing Diarmuid to choke on his warm drink in surprise. Diarmuid covered his mouth, so he wouldn't accidentally end up spitting out the drink. He finally managed to swallow it and started coughing.

"Archer? Has a date? With a woman? Like, a real woman?" Diarmuid asked after his coughing fit was finally over. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Archer, the most unlikely man to ever have a girlfriend, was going on an actual date with somebody. To him, hearing that Alo, another investigator from their company, actually possessed normal emotions would be less surprising to him than hearing that Archer had a date. "You have to be fucking with me".

"Nope, he just called me. And not only is he going to be going out on a date, but he actually sounded oddly happy. He was like creepily happy", Cu stated, his voice in disbelief. Diarmuid didn't even know that Archer actually had that emotion. And if he did, he certainly never showed it in front of anybody. "Also if you're saying that you can't get a date with the girl of your dreams, then I would really reconsider you thinking that, because if Archer, one of the biggest asses we know, can get a date then so can you."

"Pfft yeah", Diarmuid agreed.

"I mean I already met the girl of my dreams, so you can too", Lancer said. Diarmuid nearly face-palmed. Lancer really did love his wife more than anything else in the world. Diarmuid could hear faint kissing sounds echoing from the phone, signaling that he should hang up soon.

"Yeah, I can hear that", he responded while chuckling. He remembered when he first learned of the two's relationship. Lancer and Diarmuid were both twenty, and Diarmuid accidentally walked in on the two making out. At the time, Diarmuid only thought that Bazett was one of Cu's many, many one night stands, but the relationship ended up going on for another six years before Cu finally proposed. Diarmuid remembered their wedding like it was the day before. It was one of the most beautiful weddings he had ever seen, and it was most likely more beautiful than any of the ones that can be seen in any show, magazine, or website. Bazett certainly did look beautiful that day, and it was one of the few times, if not only time, that he had ever seen Bazett in a dress. Surprisingly, he had been chosen as Cu's best man, but Cu told him after the ceremony that he had chosen Diarmuid because his brother was too young and immature and even if Setanta happened to be mature enough he would have still chosen Diarmuid because he was his best friend. Diarmuid remembered Bazett's tears of joy rolling down her cheeks (even though she tried so hard not to cry) when Cu was saying his vows and the kiss that followed after the two had said their "I dos".

Cu simply chuckled in reply. "Well, I better get going. I have some, uh, business I have to take care of. I just thought I'd tell you about the miracle that happened today."

"Okay, thanks for the info", Diarmuid replied.

"Yep, see ya, dude", Cu said.

"See ya", Diarmuid responded before hanging up the phone. He shook his head. He started to reminisce Cu and Bazett's wedding once more. His favorite part of the wedding, however, was after the ceremony. He could still feel the small hands of his gorgeous dance partner he had longed to touch once again ever since that moment. He had somehow gotten lucky that night and received the chance to dance with the girl he fancied. Diarmuid, knowing that he might not ever have the chance again, took the wonderful opportunity and asked her to dance with him to one of the most beautiful songs he had ever heard. He recalled the beautiful smile she wore on her face after he had asked. It was even more beautiful than the song they danced to, more beautiful than any garden or ocean, more beautiful than anything that he had ever seen. Not only her smile, but her personality, her pure gorgeousness, her pure soul, all things that made him long for her, long for the feeling of her touch against his skin, long for the sight of waking up every morning to see her snuggled up to him. Diarmuid remembered Cu describing to him what it actually meant to fall in love. One of the many things that Cu had told him about falling deep in love was that every second of the day you seem to yearn for the one you're ever so in love with. Diarmuid had the same reasons of longing for the woman he wished for as Cu had for Bazett. All of the reasons that Diarmuid had, he remembered Cu listing off the same ones in his vows.

Sighing to himself, Diarmuid cut off his thoughts and proceeded on working on his paperwork. 'Once you're in love, it gets hard to focus on anything else, especially if it's a thing like work', Cu's voice rang in his head. When Cu told him that, he didn't believe it. It was most likely, because Diarmuid had thought that he had found that special someone in Grainne. But now, he realized how stupid he was in thinking that. Grainne's touch was nothing compared to the beauty's Diarmuid desired now. Thinking about it now, Grainne barely even seemed pretty to him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of yet another call. Diarmuid knew it couldn't have been Cu again, because he was "taking care of some business" at the moment. The raven-haired man looked toward his phone and was surprised to see who the caller was – Arturia Pendragon. He hesitated before answering it.

"Hello?" he greeted, hoping he didn't sound stupid.

"Hey, Dia", Arturia greeted in reply, using the nickname she had given him during one of their training sessions during college about five or six years ago. He chuckled at the name; her voice alone put him at ease.

"Hey, Artie", he teased, causing him to hear her light laughter sound out from his phone. The two always seemed to randomly call each other to have odd small talk (mostly because they had nothing important to do). Unlike Cu, Arturia never really had a true reason for calling Diarmuid, while Diarmuid never had a true reason for calling Arturia and yet they still did it frequently up until a few months ago. "So, what's up?"

"Shouldn't you know this by now? We only call each other when we're bored and have nothing to do. Come on. I thought you were smarter than that Dia", Arturia said. It was true that it was useless for Diarmuid to ask what Arturia was doing. He knew full well that they called each other when they were bored. "By the way, I just realized something", the blonde continued.

"Oh? And, what's that, dear?" Diarmuid asked.

"We haven't done this in a while. Hell, I barely even remember the last time we talked privately. You know, without Cu, Archer, or Alo with us. You know, just us", Arturia told the man. Diarmuid smiled lightly. He hadn't realized or even thought about how long it had been since they called each other for completely random chit-chat.

"Yeah, I guess so", Diarmuid agreed quietly. It had been almost seven months since they last called each other, and Diarmuid didn't even notice. He was too busy. He was too scared. He was too aggravated. He didn't know the exact reason why he had decided against ever calling her when he was bored, but he had an idea. "'Would you like to dance milady?'", the scene from the wedding replayed for what must have been the millionth time in his head. "'I would be honored to dance with such a handsome and chivalrous man', the beautiful woman said as she slipped her small, fragile hand into his and started towards the dance floor, a warmth radiating from her heavenly smile. "I guess I've been too busy to call lately", Diarmuid told her.

"Mmm yeah, work can really be annoying. Well, at least we're not like Lancer who's married", Arturia said.

"Yeah, I actually just talked to Cu right before you called", Diarmuid said.

"Oh really?" Arturia asked.

"Yeah, I could make a safe gamble that he's doing his wife this very moment".

"Haha, seems like him", Arturia giggled in response. The two were silent for a moment. Even if they weren't in the same room, just being on the phone with each other made them sense each other's presences. "Hey Dia?" Arturia's voice rang after about two minutes of pure silence.

"Yeah?" Diarmuid responded.

"Do you- do you think I'll ever find, you know, the one? I mean, I have to admit that I'm kind of jealous of Lancer and Bazett's relationship. They always have each other's backs, and they know that they'll always have at least one person that loves them. I-I guess I'm just scared about what would happen if I wouldn't find the one for me, and I end up dying alone." Diarmuid smiled to himself. It meant a lot to him that she was residing in him of all people.

"Yeah, I think you will. Do you fancy anybody?" the man asked.

"Yeah, but I'm scared that if I ask and he turns me down it'll ruin our friendship", Arturia told him. That's the same way I feel, Diarmuid thought to himself.

"Oh, well I'm sure it won't hurt to try, right?"

"I don't know. We're really close friends, and I'm not sure if I want to ruin a friendship so close to my heart", Arturia replied. "So, do you fancy anybody?"

"I do", Diarmuid simply stated.

"And, who is it?"

"Sorry, my lips are sealed", he said as his smile grew bigger. You, he was saying in his mind. He could hear Arturia playfully pouting on the other side of the phone, and he laughed at her rare childish moment.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you for that", she said, rustling sounds came from the background. "I'm gonna find out who you like."

"Well, good luck with that, sweetheart", Diarmuid stated.

"Thank you, because I will find out", Arturia said. "And, I know exactly who to ask."

"You'll be lucky if you somehow manage to get any help from Alo. And even if you do, don't you think your plan will backfire somehow? I mean, we are speaking about Alo."

"No, my plan is perfect", Arturia responded, earning another chuckle for Diarmuid. "Well, it's getting pretty late. I should be going. You better beware tomorrow, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne!"

"I look forward to it. Well, see ya, sweetheart", Diarmuid told the woman. "Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Dia", Arturia replied. The call ended, and Diarmuid leaned back in his chair. The memory of their dance kept replaying in his mind like a record. Her small, fragile hand slipped into his as she started towards the dance floor. Beautiful music was playing, and Diarmuid could see Cu and Bazett dancing with each other, their foreheads pressed up against each other. Diarmuid held her waist with his large hands, while she held onto his muscular shoulders. She wore a beautiful blue dress, and her hair was down. To Diarmuid, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, prettier than any other maiden anywhere. He twirled her around causing her to giggle. Her laughter seemed contagious, and Diarmuid started giggling as well. Diarmuid chuckled to himself remembering the moment. It had been the first time he had realized how much in love he actually was. He knew he was in love with her before that moment, but he hadn't realized how much he was in love.

Diarmuid picked up the pen he had been using. Five minutes passed, and Arturia still walked around in his mind. He decided to get the paperwork done another time and quickly organized his desk before standing up from his chair and turning off the lamp. He walked out of his office space and went into the living room. He ran his fingers through his hair once more and sighed. He scratched his scalp, messing his hair up. He then walked to his bedroom and started to get undressed. For the third time that night, his phone started to ring. Not bothering to see who it was, he answered it.

"Hello?" he greeted into the phone once more, the upper-half of his body bare.

"Sorry for calling again. I couldn't sleep", Arturia's voice said from the other side of the phone. He smiled and sat down on his bed.

"It's fine. I probably won't be able to sleep either", Diarmuid told her.

"Well, there was that and something…else", Arturia said.

"And, what's that, darling?" Diarmuid asked her, now lying down.

"You know how I said that I was scared of dying alone with no husband or nobody loving me?"

"Yeah, you just said that barely forty-five minutes ago", he stated.

"Yeah, I know, but…you'll always be there for me, won't you Dia?" Arturia asked him. Diarmuid was surprised at the question. He would have never thought that Arturia would ever ask that question.

"Of course I'll always be there for you, Artie", he replied honestly. His voice was more serious than Arturia had ever heard it. "Come on; don't tell me you'd think I'd let you die all by yourself being lonely." He heard a small, quiet giggle from the other end. It reminded him of the time that they danced, causing him to smile a little bit brighter.

"No, I knew you would always be there for me. But you have to do something", Arturia responded seriously.

"What's that, sweetheart?" Diarmuid asked.

"You have to promise me that you'll never ever leave me alone and let me die lonely. And also, promise to me that you won't get married to somebody who's a bitch to me if you do ever decide to get married", Arturia told him sternly. Diarmuid chuckled lightly.

"Yes, I promise. And by the way, the chances of me getting married are slim to none. I don't want to marry somebody who only loves me because they are literally under my charm", Diarmuid reassured his friend.

"Good", Arturia replied. "Because if you would ever end up falling in love with some unworthy maiden, then I would be sure to murder you and the maiden before a wedding would happen. But if she's worthy or if I know her real well, then I may just let you marry her." Diarmuid chuckled more.

"Don't worry. I would never let myself marry someone that you wouldn't like. Plus, I don't even want to think of the types of curses you'd have Alo put on me", Diarmuid laughed.

"Haha, you'd be the most cursed man throughout all of the lands", Arturia giggled. "But yet maybe not, I don't want my most loyal and most trusted knight to be cursed to the marrow of his bone. It would be highly inconvenient." Diarmuid continued to laugh for a bit longer before stopping. There was a small moment of silence. "…Hey Diarmuid?" Arturia asked, the same way as the last time.

"Yes, my darling?"

"Thanks", she said, happiness present in her voice.

"No problem."

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it :) Well, have a WONDERFUL day and be sure to leave a review about what you think so far :)