AN: Quick update, hopefully my others should be just as frequent, but I can't/won't promise anything. I do have the story all planned out, so it shouldn't be too hard bringing it all together :)

Thank you gaylelbf for your kind review, and thanks to all who have followed/favourited the story so far!

"He's here!" Morgana sang, too cheerful for what was most likely going to be a dreadful evening. "Hurry up, Arthur."

Arthur grunted, fixing his suit for the fifth time. He was hardly the self-conscious type, but this evening was going to be hell. He had, for once, consulted with Morgana and Gwen on what to wear, unaware of the protocol that came with an event your ex was attending.

"You have to look your best," Morgana told him confidently, Gwen nodding strongly in agreement.

"And if you look your best, you'll feel more confident." Gwen smiled sweetly, the smile Arthur had come to associate with her wishful thinking attitude. "It's like armour,"

"Exactly," Morgana agreed, pulling a suit from his wardrobe now after having trashed the rest of it. "Richard played with you, so he can't know he hurt you."

"Why?" Arthur, who had been taught by his father to try and ignore his emotions, just couldn't think like that. His heart too often got the better of him.

"Arthur," Gwen stroked his shoulder soothingly, "I know you don't want to hear it, but… Richard isn't the caring type."

"She's right," Morgana turned to face him, wearing an unusual sympathetic smile, "and if you told him he hurt you, he would probably feel nothing, or he would feel glad."

"Yes, he's just getting ready," he heard Morgana coo from the other room, clearly pleased with her choice of escort. Oh God, he thought, what had he been roped into?

Listening to the mumblings from the other room, trying to catch anything said or hint of an accent, he was anxious about leaving the safety of his bedroom for whatever was awaiting him out there.

"Arthur!"

It seemed his sister was not going to leave him to gather his thoughts for a second this evening, maybe for the best. Bracing himself, he rolled his shoulders back in a casual movement, hoping for it to rub off on him. It worked a little.

"Don't worry, Morgana, here I am, no need to keep going-" pausing, Arthur stopped in the doorway, staring at the man who had just stood to greet him. The not-so-strange stranger looked just as shocked to see him, an expression which quickly turned to anger.

"You!" Arthur was being pointed at now, by a man who, although shared the face of the stranger who bumped into him that morning, hardly resembled the uncomposed brute.

"What?" Morgana, still sat on the sofa but now leaning forwards looking at the pair, "you two know each other?"

Arthur heard himself scoff, "he's the one who ruined my shirt."

Morgana sighed, bringing a hand to her face, leaving Arthur annoyed that she wasn't as annoyed as she should have been.

"You're the one who ruined my day." The escort, Colin, threw his hands up.

Arthur frowned, shaking his head, "you should have been looking."

"Boys," Morgana heaved herself up from the sofa, Arthur aware she was already sick of the argument brewing. "The shirt can be fixed," she spoke to Arthur as if he were a child, and he, being the mature adult he was, stuck his bottom lip out a little. "I'm not sure about your day," she turned to Colin, speaking more seriously, "but if there's no real issue except 'who bumped into who'-"

"It was him, he bumped into me," Colin interrupted, making Morgana re-evaluate his maturity level.

"I assume," Morgana continued as if she had not been interrupted, "we are good to go?"

There was a moment's pause on all sides, Colin hmm-ing, contemplating what he should do. Arthur took his presence as a sign that he should not even attend this event, but unfortunately fate liked to play unfairly with his life, and Colin eventually – begrudgingly – agreed.

On leaving the house, Colin, with an ounce of annoyance, began perfecting his doting-boyfriend act. Arthur wondered how long he had been doing this; based on what the booking had cost, he must have been doing it long enough to be quite the professional, but his appearance suggested he could not have been doing it for over five years. He would have asked him, but he wasn't sure if he could. Best just to get the evening over with as quickly as possible.

"Freya told you my boundaries?" Colin asked as they got comfortable in the car, sitting awkwardly beside each other. Arthur regretted that Morgana had agreed to arrive with their father, staring out of the window as he wished for her company, despite how frustrating as she could be sometimes.

"Yes," Arthur nodded, "no touching, kissing, anything of that nature." Waggling his eyebrows, he teased the man, "I think we've had enough contact for today, perhaps you should have followed your own rules this morning." Winking, he smirked. Maybe he could have fun annoying his escort, he was paying for his company anyway.

"I am not having this argument all night," Colin groaned, knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. "Neither of us were looking, you dropped your coffee, my medication went everywhere – end of."

Oh, the pills. Arthur had forgotten about them. The pang of sympathy he felt at the time returned, stronger this time without the initial anger holding it back. "Did you get some more?"

"Huh?"

"Medication."

"Oh," sounding surprised, he stuttered, "yeah, actually, it's fine. Thanks."

"I wasn't apologising," Arthur refuted half-heartedly, "since it was your fault."

Colin had, luckily, heard the joke in his tone, and offered a small grin in return.

"You haven't asked about my shirt yet," Arthur asked, mock-affronted.

"Oh, forgive me! How is the holy grail of shirts, did you have to destroy it? Was it salvageable?"

"I don't think you understand just how nice that shirt was."

"Already speaking of it in past tense?" Colin rolled his eyes, smiling, "it was a regular shirt."

"Perhaps to a peasant without taste, yes, but when you know what to look for…"

"Ah right," Colin laughed, "anything to say, then, about what I'm wearing tonight? Is it up to your eminence's standards? Or do I have time to change into something more regal?"

"Nobody gave me the option of dressing you," Arthur paused, a thoughtful look on his face as he scanned Colin's attire for the evening. He had to admit, the escort looked good, which was irritating for Arthur too because he hated this man. Well, okay, they were on more pleasant terms now, but he still despised him for ruining his shirt. And his coffee.

This morning, Arthur had seen him in casual clothes, but had hardly paid him much attention. Now, in a nice suit, hair not sticking out in all the wrong places, he looked appealing. Maybe not Arthur's go to type, and definitely not now since he had met him, but he could still drink him in.

"I suppose it will do," Arthur conceded, "it looks better than what you were wearing this morning."

Colin scoffed, refusing to rise.

"I should probably warn you about tonight," Arthur began as they neared the building, but was soon cut off.

"No need, Morgana and Gwen filled me in. It's a charity event for your family business, you don't want to be there, but it's family and you're next to take over. Plus, your ex is going to be there, and you can't not show up, so you have to show up and with somebody. From what I've heard about both your father and your ex, and the fact that it's a business event, means that it's not going to be the most fun evening I've ever had."

Arthur processed this, wondering exactly what had been said about his father and his ex but not wanting to push it, "will it be the worst?"

"It hasn't happened yet, so I don't know." Colin looked over to him, "but, I don't think so."

"Why, where's the bar for your worst escort dates set?" Arthur asked, curiosity piqued.

"Well…"