Chapter 3

The next days were hard on Gwen. Her emotions were all over the place. One time, she was happy and the next she was crying.

She couldn't believe Lance had done that to her. Just left her like that. A promotion had been more important to her and what hurt the most was how he waited to tell her till the last minute. It was like the last 2 years hadn't meant anything.

She had loved him, a lot. You couldn't stay with a guy for 2 years without loving him. He had been gentle, loving and the best boyfriend but now, she wasn't so sure. Had he ever felt anything for her? Had he cared for her?

It was like the Lance who had told her he loved her, who had opened doors for her, who had made her feel good was someone else, not the Lance who had told her he was leaving and that it was over between them. He had seemed so heartless and cold at the end and she knew at the back of her head that maybe it was his way of letting her go, of not wanting to hurt her but he had. He had hurt her a lot.

She remembered her father's reaction and Elyan's. she was glad she told them the day Lancelot was scheduled to leave or else her father and brother would be in jail for murder. Her father and brother had always been very protective of her and she had anticipated that reaction hence the delay in telling them.

She also remembered the talk she had with Morgana.

"I am going to murder him and after that, I will wake him up and murder him!"

"That doesn't even make sense." said Gwen laughing. She had just finished telling her what had happened.

"I mean really! The audacity to do that to you!"

"Morrgana its alright."

"No its not. I cant believe I actually liked that guy."

"How do you think I feel?"

Morgana sighed. "How are you? How are you holding up? Did Arthur help you forget all about Lance?" said Morgana suggestively.

"Morgana!" screeched Gwen and some women looked at them. couldn't Morgana speak without any innuendos? Ok she couldn't.

"What? We both know you have hots for him." said Morgana in a matter of fact.

Gwen sighed. They were going to have this conversation for the what…100th time? "Morgana please. I was just dumped by Lancelot…"

"Who you were not in love with…" piped in Morgana

"I loved him." Gwen said indignant. She had loved him.

"Yeah and I love Gwaine." said Morgana with an eye roll.

"Of course you do. Everyone does." said Gwen with a laugh. Gwaine was Morgana's work mate, a funny really handsome and very flirty guy. To her, Gwaine and Morgana were like 2 peas in a pod. Gwaine was like a male version of Morgana.

"So not the point." said Morgana dismissively. Gwaine had tried to ask her out a thousand times and she was seriously thinking of clubbing his head if he asked her out again.

"Yes the point is you are in love with Merlin." Gwen said and grinned smugly when Morgana turned red. It was not always that you saw Morgana blush and Gwen loved it.

"This is not about me and Merlin…"

"So there is a you and Merlin…"said Gwen her eyes wide and a feral grin on her face. this was too good to pass.

"Stop trying to change the subject." said Morgana her face redder than Gwen thought was possible. She knew Morgana loved Merlin and she knew Merlin loved her but for some reason, they hadn't told each other just dancing around and feeling jealous. She wondered how they could be a pair seeing as Morgana was forward, outgoing and well, just dominating while Merlin was shy, quiet and just soft. Well love was odd that way.

"You were the first to change it. I broke up with Lance. Aren't you supposed to be comforting me?"

"I am comforting you. By telling you to move on."

"To Arthur?" said Gwen pointedly.

"Well yes! He is a much better candidate and never tell him I said that ever!"

Gwen merely shook her head at her friend. Arthur and Morgana often acted like siblings teasing each other. "I don't think I will be doing that anytime soon. I just lost Lance."

"Gwen you loved him but you weren't in love with him. You were comfortable."

"Yes and he left me. he left and that hurt a lot. I need time." she said her eyes filling with tears.

"I know and I will be there for you." said Morgana and Gwen smiled tearily grateful for Morgana.

Gwen knew what Morgana had said was true. She loved Lance and she was comfortable. He was nice and great and at one time she had even thought they would marry but she knew her heart was with Arthur even though he didn't know it and she wasn't sure she wanted him to know.

She had trusted Lancelot, she had believed he was a great guy and she had believed him when he said he loved her yet he had left her. what if Arthur did the same? What if he left her too? After all she couldn't measure up to his stunning exes Sophia, Vivian… she knew she was being shallow and unjust but she couldn't help it.

Xxx

The next week passed with Arthur doing all he could for Gwen. He didn't like that she was hurting so much. He loved her so much and her pain was his. Seeing her crying over that dunce Lance… He knew he would never hurt her. After all who could ever hurt such a beautiful person like Gwen well except the spineless, heartless Lancelot?

"You have to tell her Arthur how you feel."

"Are you crazy Merlin? She is crying over Lancelot. Its clear she loved him." said Arthur.

"Yes. Loved him but was she in love with him?"

"Obviously. She was with him for 2 years!"

"You were with Vivian for almost a year yet you were in love with Gwen at the time." said Merlin pointedly.

"I hate it when you make sense."

"I always do." said Merlin with his trademark grin and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Don't flutter yourself."

"I don't know Arthur. telling her couldn't be so bad. it might help her to move on too. For both of you to move on."

Arthur sighed. "All I want is to be there for her. if it happens, it happens. Right now, she needs a friend and that is what I will be." Merlin merely nodded in response.

Xxx

"Hey, are you ok?" asked Arthur coming into the lounge and seeing her sitting there looking lost.

"Yeah." said Gwen saying the automatic response.

"Liar."

"Ok you got me. I am not."

"Lance?"

Gwen nodded. there was silence.

"It's just that i am wondering why I didn't see this before. Why couldn't I see he would do this?"

"We cant predict the future Gwen. No one can. we can just trust."

"That is the point. I trusted him, when he said he loved me. I trusted him when he said he would never do anything to hurt me."

"And you are wondering if somehow your instinct was wrong, and if you can trust yourself again to make the right decision." Said Arthur and Gwen nodded not even amazed at how much he knew her.

"Yeah."

Arthur moved and knelt before her and held her hand. "There is nothing wrong with you Gwen. You placed your trust in him and he is the one who broke it. Your heart told you to go for it and you did. you had no control over what happened next." He said and then gently took her in a hug.

"Thank you Arthur. You always make me feel better."

"Always."

Xxx

"Arthur, I think maybe I should move out. I have been here for a month and I don't want to intrude on you anymore." said Gwen as they sat having dinner. In truth, she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here with Arthur. for the month she had been here, she had been so happy.

She liked watching mindless tv with him, playing ridiculous games like truth or dare or never have I with him, making him dinner or him making her dinner, seeing him so relaxed after work and just coming home to him.

They had been getting closer, their hugs getting longer and more intimate, pauses with tension, awkwardness when she saw him half naked after a shower and Morgana didn't help when she came over insinuating stuff didn't help at all (Morgana and Merlin had finally told each other how they felt by accident mind you and now she wanted the same for Arthur and Gwen). She knew she was in dangerous grounds hence the need to put space between them.

Arthur was alarmed at the thought of Gwen leaving. He loved being with her. He loved knowing he would see her everyday and that she was with him. He didn't want her away from him. "No."

"No?" echoed Gwen in surprise.

"Don't leave. I have enough space and you are not intruding." said Arthur hastily.

"I can't keep staying with you. I need to get back to my feet and you need your privacy." she said logically.

"I don't need privacy with you. You know that and you can get back on them feet here with me." said Arthur and Gwen rolled her eyes. Man Arthur was really stubborn.

"Arthur…" she said with a sigh.

"No. Gwen please." said Arthur moving closer to her. "I don't want you to leave. I…I like having you here with me." he said moving closer and taking a hold of her hands noting again how small they were in his. Well she was a tiny thing after all.

"What?" said Gwen her eyes wide, her body reacting to him holding her and being so close.

"I like it when I come home and you have made something or we just order something and sit and talk, I like how we stay up late talking about mindless stuff…I…I just…I love you here that is plain and simple.

"What are you saying?" asked Gwen with a whisper looking at their linked hands marveling briefly how they fit together.

"That I want you to stay here with me permanently." said Arthur looking into the beautiful brown eyes hoping to tell her how he felt with his eyes. He loved her a lot and wanted to be with her close to him and not give a chance to some nameless guy to steal her away…he was possessive like that.

"Aren't you supposed to ask me out first before asking me to move in?" said Gwen half joking her heart thumping in her chest at how close he was and the way he was looking at her. She waited with abated breath for his response though another part didn't want to know.

"It depends on what your answer will be if I ask you." said Arthur unable to believe Gwen had said that. did that mean Gwen liked him too? did she want him to ask her out? He had never been scared before about something but he hoped she felt the same. If not, he would die. Drastic yes but it was the truth.

"Why don't you ask and find out?" said Gwen with a whisper looking right at him after gathering all her courage. 'please ask me, please ask me' her brain sang in a mantra.

"Guinevere, will you be my girlfriend?" said Arthur taking the plunge. This was his chance.

"Is this for real?" asked Gwen her eyes wide unable to believe he had actually asked her. then again he never backed down from a dare. She remembered when he had kissed their English professor

"Yes. I am not pitying you." he said knowing that is what she thought. "I have liked you for a long time and loved you for an equally long time."

"You love me?" Gwen asked feeling her heart flutter.

"With all my heart." Arthur said sincerely looking at her.

"Really?"

"Really, really…."

"I cant believe you said that." said Gwen with a laugh diffusing the tension, lightening the mood.

"Well I do love you a lot."

"I love you too Arthur. I have for some time too. I was just scared to tell you." said Gwen gently. It felt so good saying it out loud.

"I didn't want to lose you and our friendship." He said adding what she hadn't said. they knew each other so well, fit like puzzle pieces.

"Yeah. Aren't you supposed to kiss me now?" said Gwen her eyes twinkling, so filled with joy and happiness, none she had ever felt before.

"So demanding." Teased Arthur looking at the beauty before him unable to believe she loved him too. He had loved her for so long that he had thought it would always be a fantasy to him that she loved him but she did in real.

"You love it. Now kiss me."

"With pleasure."

The moment their lips met, both knew what it meant to have fireworks. It was amazing, soft, loving and yet not lacking at all in passion. They had a lot to talk about but right at that moment, in the kitchen, they knew they were made for each other and would always be together.

Thank you for reading. Tell me what you think.