Modern AU: I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

"Today's assignment is to draw a portrait of the person sitting across from you."

Gwen peeks across her desk at the handsome blonde man seated opposite her. At least I have an excuse to stare today.

He smiles shyly at her. At least I have an excuse to stare today.

"I'll try my best, but I kind of suck," she says suddenly.

"I'm sure you're not that bad," he says, chuckling.

"Wait till you see my drawing of… I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name." It's their third class, and they've been engaging in some light flirting, but hadn't gotten around to exchanging names.

"Arthur."

"Well, wait till you see my drawing of Arthur the Elephant Man," she says, smirking at him and picking up her pencil.

Arthur chuckles again, starting to draw as well.

Their desks are angled upward, so neither can see what the other is doing.

"So presumably you took this class to try and get better at your art?" Arthur asks, looking up at her.

"To try and develop some meager ability," she says, looking up and grinning at him. "And to meet people. I just moved here a month ago."

"Mmm," he nods. "I guess I wouldn't have thought to take an art class at a museum."

"What would you do?"

"I don't know," he says, chewing the end of the pencil while he ponders her for a moment.

Gwen can feel his eyes on her. She wants to look up. She needs to look up to check and see if she got his nose… passable. Instead she keeps her head bent over her page.

"Guinevere," he says quietly.

I didn't know he knew my name. "Hmm?" She looks up.

"Don't scowl. I don't want to draw you scowling."

"Sorry," she mutters, blushing, willing her brow to unfurrow.

"Don't get me wrong, it's a very cute little scowl, but that's not what I want to draw. Not right now."

What? "Oh."

Gaius circulates, peering over shoulders, making comments. Gwen likes Gaius, but she always gets nervous when he's looking over her shoulder.

"Arthur, this is very good," Gaius says, leaning in to inspect. "You've done an excellent job on her eyes. Good luck with her hair, though," he chuckles, glancing at Gwen's riot of dark curls.

"Her hair is the best part," Arthur says casually. Gaius raises his eyebrow and strolls around to Gwen's desk.

She cringes. "Not bad… not bad. Try to think in simple shapes and build from there."

"Okay," she says. She looks at her drawing and then at him. Why does he have to be so perfect?

She sighs and presses on.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Arthur says suddenly. Neither of them had spoken for the last half an hour, though Gwen swears she's going to need to go home and change her panties after some of the looks he's been giving her. She's never had so much eye sex in her life.

"Excuse me?" Gwen answers, raising her eyebrows at him, a half smile curving her lips just so.

"It's time to go. Let me see," he prompts, holding his hand out.

God, even his hands are beautiful, she thinks, her mind reeling with possible scenarios involving those hands.

"Don't hate me," she says quietly, passing her paper over the top of the desks, wincing as he takes it.

He studies it, saying nothing for an agonizing ten seconds.

It does resemble me. She warned me that she sucked, but I think she undersold herself. "Can I have this?"

"You… you want it?"

He nods. "I do. I like it."

"It's awful."

"It's not."

"You're full of shit."

"I'm not! I think you've done well."

"You can keep it, if you really want it. I'm, um, glad you like it. Can I see yours?"

He hands it over almost apologetically.

When Gwen sees it, she understands why. It's gorgeous. Almost perfect, but I don't look that good.

"Well?"

"I'm glad I showed you mine first," she says. "If I had known you were this good I would never have…"

"Turn it over, Guinevere."

"What?"

"Look on the back," he says, gnawing his bottom lip a little.

She flips it over.

Will you go out with me?