A.N: I am so sorry everyone... I know I have been MIA. Real life has just been kicking my ass since I got back from Comic Con. But I'm finally getting my act together. I have not... I repeat... I have NOT abandoned this story. Updates just won't come as regularly as I'd like.. But I'll try harder, I promise. As for real life... lots of changes going on in my life... I'm going to Film School... I've been accepted and have a scholarship and tomorrow is my orientation. I'm supposed to start in November. Which is an odd time to start but whatever. I'm excited. Especially since I've been working on my own personal screenplay. Let's see what else... Ben Affleck is Batman... my day job sucks more than ever... I met a lot of cool folks at San Diego Comic Con... I'm going to finally get the proper training to write my screenplay... and oh yeah... Bradley James is still hot. Sorry... thought I'd throw that in there. Anyways, as always... please read and review... I love to hear from you guys... I hope there's still interest in the story... I told you it would be 6 parts... we've entered part 2. Part 2 is shorter than part 1. I think the name speaks for itself really. Expect heartbreak. But if you love the angst, you've definitely come to the right place because I LOVE ANGST. We can love it together! Okay... enough ranting... I need to go to sleep so I can be bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow for orientation. Ha! :-0)
PART 2: POISON & WINE
Chapter 13
"I never thought you'd be in here earning an honest living, mate."
Arthur looked up from the note pad he was writing on with a small shrug. "I'm trying…"
Leon leaned against the countertop with a grin. "I like this girl you're with now… she's good for you…"
Arthur smiled softly. "She's definitely special…"
"Have you seen Gwaine?" Leon frowned.
"Not since that day in my flat…." Arthur said putting down the pen. "That was almost two weeks ago."
"And you've been staying with your friend all this time?"
Arthur nodded. "I'm going to look at flats with Guinevere tomorrow… she wants me to stay close to her or Merlin…"
Leon choked on a chuckle.
"What?" Arthur asked with a frown.
"She's got you on a tight hold, that's all."
"She cares…" Arthur defended.
"Good…" Leon said with a smile. "About time you realized that someone does… just remember she's not the only one who ever did."
Arthur watched him walk away with a smile before looking up at the door when the bell jingled. His entire face lit up when he watched her walk in with Merlin trailing behind. Walking around the counter, he reached for her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see if you were free for lunch…" she smiled and kissed him softly causing Merlin to fall into a coughing fit behind her.
Arthur narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm free. Just let me let Leon know that I'm going."
Gwen gave him another quick kiss before letting him go. She elbowed Merlin and glared. "Stop it…."
"I can't help it…. You two are just so… sugary sweet."
"Shut up. Merlin… you know Arthur doesn't like drawing attention…"
"I'll stop." Merlin whispered with a frown as the man in question walked toward them.
"Alright, what's for lunch?" Arthur asked with a grin.
Gwen and Merlin both smiled tightly before leading him out the door.
After his earlier lunch with Gwen and Merlin, Arthur's day slowed down to an almost halt. He used a pad of paper as a distraction and found himself making sketches of a very familiar and beautiful face. He was smiling when the door to the gym opened, signaling that someone was coming in. Looking up from his drawing, he noticed who'd come in and frowned at the grinning face.
"How'd you find me?" he asked turning the drawing over so the person in front of him didn't notice it.
"It wasn't hard. It did take me a couple weeks though…"
"What do you want, Gwaine?" Arthur crossed his arms in front of him.
"What you owe me…" Gwaine glared. "I haven't seen you around and you've changed your mobile it would seem. You wouldn't happen to be hiding from me, would you mate?"
Arthur glowered. "I took a beating a couple weeks ago. I've been recovering. Lost my mobile in process, mate."
"It's good that I found you then." Gwaine leaned against the counter. "You look like you're in tip top shape now… Can you fight?"
"I…"
"Because if you're trying to tell me that you're out, and I really hope you're not, you know what I can do to you… even more… what I can do to that pretty little bird you've cozied up to… or her nancy of a friend that you've decided to shack up with."
"Stay. Away. From. Them." Arthur growled through clenched teeth.
"I didn't think you'd be swinging both ways, mate… but I guess they're both good looking enough."
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I'll turn you in."
"To who?" Gwaine laughed. "The Chief Inspector whom you swore to that you had nothing to do with me?"
Arthur frowned.
"Associating yourself with me now wouldn't help your case much, would it?"
"What do you want me to do?" Arthur asked with defeat.
"It's simple really… I call and you show up…" Gwaine smiled. "You fight tomorrow."
The Irish man turned toward the door before looking over his shoulder with a sly grin, "I'll try to make sure not to ruin your pretty face."
"What do you mean you have to work?" Gwen sat on Arthur's bed the next morning at Merlin's house. "I thought you told Leon we'd be looking at flats today…"
"I did… but he needs me…" Arthur lied. "I'm sorry. You should still go though… take Merlin… bring me back some of your favorite locations and I'll look at them with you next week…"
"I kind of wanted to do this with you…"
"I know…" he frowned and sat next to her taking her hand in his. "But I have to do this."
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smiling. "I know." Leaning in to kiss him softly, she trailed her fingers on his cheek. "I'm so proud of you, by the way."
"For what?"
"You've got a real job… you're no longer fighting illegally…" she smiled. "I'm sorry that I made you quit."
"It was for the best." He shrugged.
"Still… I know you did it mostly for us…" she played with his hair. "I love you, Arthur."
He snapped his neck toward her. He could feel that he needed to lift his jaw from the floor. She pushed his jaw back into place.
"Why does that surprise you?" she laughed. "You said it first… remember?"
He leaned in and kissed her. Gwen groaned as he deepened the kiss, pushing her back on his bed. Arthur's hand slid up her waist and cupped the underside of her breast. He nipped her lips and touched his tongue to hers. Gwen allowed him entrance and smiled into the kiss before pushing him away.
"Arthur, if you don't stop you'll be late…" she whispered.
He traced the contours of her face. "I don't want to go…"
"It's only a few hours…" she smiled softly. "You'll see me tonight."
"Guinevere… I love you… I'd do anything for you…"
She arched an eyebrow. "You okay, Arthur?"
He faked a small smile. "Never better."
"You're late."
"I had to lie to my girlfriend about where I'd be." Arthur growled. "And it's only a few minutes."
Gwaine narrowed his eyes. "Don't let it happen again."
Arthur clenched his jaw in anger before turning to prepare for his own fight. He'd left Merlin's house quickly after and taken the tube to the address Gwaine had given him. He frowned thinking about lying to Guinevere and even Merlin about where he'd be. He knew they wouldn't check on him at the gym. And Leon wouldn't come looking for him. He hated how easy it was to lie to them. But after Gwaine's threats, he really didn't have much of a choice.
"Arthur!" Gwaine called him out of his thoughts.
Arthur walked toward him and found himself standing in front of his opponent.
"Arthur, meet Eli…" Gwaine smiled. "Good luck…. This one is feisty."
Arthur turned back toward the man, Eli, who Gwaine had just introduced. There was something familiar about him but Arthur didn't have time to place it before Eli threw the first swing. The two men danced around each other trying to avoid each strategically placed hit. Arthur was able to get in a couple of good punches and maintained good protection of his face.
Eli didn't seem very experienced but when compared to the fact that Arthur hadn't trained in a couple weeks, it was an even match. Eli was able to get in a few of his own hits that almost doubled Arthur over.
Groaning, Arthur realized he needed to end the fight or risk losing. And the more fights he lost, the more fights he would need to participate in to win back Gwaine's money. He didn't think before hitting Eli's jaw and following up with a punch to the gut that knocked him down completely.
After a few seconds, Gwaine declared Arthur the winner.
Arthur stretched out a hand toward the man on the floor and helped him stand. "Sorry about…"
"It was a good fight." Eli said with a smile.
"It was nice to meet you Eli…" Arthur said with a genuine smile.
"You as well, Arthur."
He walked toward Gwaine who was collecting his winnings that Arthur would never see. "Am I finished here?" he growled.
"Yeah… go home…" Gwaine laughed. "I'll contact you when you're booked."
Arthur nodded and turned to leave the warehouse. He picked up his bag and put his shirt back on as he walked toward the exit. He reached for his mobile inside his bag and found a text message from Gwen and a few from Merlin. They were worried about him and wondering where he was.
Arthur called Gwen first and cringed when he felt his bruised ribs start to hurt more than he thought.
"Hey… where are you?" she'd answered on the second ring.
"I'm on my way home…" he frowned knowing how far he really was from home. "It might take me a while to get back. I'm just finishing up here."
"Are we still on for dinner?" she asked.
"Of course…" he smiled softly. "We need to celebrate."
"What are we celebrating exactly, sir?"
"The fact that I've somehow wooed you into loving me."
Gwen's laughter filtered through the line. "It wasn't that difficult."
Arthur walked toward the station with a smile.
"Hurry home… I'm with Merlin… he's driving me mad…"
"Why?" Arthur asked with a frown.
"He keeps entertaining the idea of the three of us living together in some brownstone flat he saw today…" she said with a chuckle.
"The three of us?"
"I told him that's ridiculous…" she said. "You two maybe… and then I'd come and join and every once in a while of course."
Arthur choked on what he was going to say next. "Wh… what?!"
"Arthur, I'm kidding…" he could hear her rolling her eyes at him. "Just hurry home… I'm cooking and Merlin is threatening to eat it all if you're not home soon."
He could hear Merlin affirming that fact in the background. Arthur smiled to himself as he reached the tube station.
"I'll be home soon enough…" he answered with a chuckle.
"Alright…" she sighed.
"And Guinevere?" he called out before she could disconnect.
"Yes?"
"I love you."
