100 Fantasies Challenge: #13 Fic:What The Night Reveals
Title: What The Night Reveals
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Rating/Warnings: G
Spoilers: slight mention of ep13
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: Arthur walks Gwen Home
Word Count: 1,282
Author’s Notes: This was written for the 100 fantasies challenge hosted by camelot_love The prompt was: Moonlight
“Come on tell me.”
Arthur nudged Gwen playfully in the arm, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. The full moon was shinning brightly above them casting a shimmering light across their faces. Occasionally a dark cloud would cover the moon, hiding it from view and casting them in darkness. Gwen would subconsciously take a step closer to Arthur when this occurred and he found himself wishing the clouds would stay there, hiding the light from view forever.
Gwen on her part was relaxed in his presence, calmed by the sound of his foot steps mixed with hers, yet she was also nervous. Troubled by the feeling of how right this seemed, by the uncontrollable desire she had to lean into him and rest her head on his shoulder. She had been somewhat shocked when Arthur had offered to walk her home earlier that night. Stunned but extremely pleased; more pleased than she thought she had right to be.
The streets where empty, due to the curfew that had been placed over the citizens of Camelot. All were safely tucked up in their homes, locks bolted. There had been talk of a great sorcerer near by who was plotting the downfall of this kingdom and had come to seek his revenge on Uther. So amidst the darkness of the stone cobbled streets only Gwen and Arthur were present. One could almost pretend they were in another world.
If anyone should have seen them questions would’ve occurred, for who had ever heard of Arthur walking back so late at night with a servant girl? Or walking with a servant girl ever? And scandals and raised eyebrows would follow on, if they saw just how close he was to her and her to him. How at ease their bodies seemed with one another. No one would have believed the reason, innocent though it was, completely harmless.
The reason that this situation had occurred in the first place was Gwen had been sidetracked by duties that day and had missed the curfew. Duties no that was a lie, she’d been sidetracked by her thoughts, thoughts of a certain blonde haired man which had made her duties take longer than usual. She’d bumped into said man in a hallway as she was trying to figure out what to do next, whether she should slip into Morgana’s room and take a place there.
He had asked, quite perplexed, why she was still in the castle and when Gwen had relayed to him her story, editing the reason she had missed the curfew, he had insisted he walk her home. So she would be safe and not be punished by the guards. It was duty to one of his people. At least this is what he had said to himself and though it was true to an extent, Arthur secretly had harboured a great joy, a feeling he feared went beyond the word duty.
Gwen herself had been more than thrilled to accept his offer and together they had strolled quite casually through the castle and out into the chill night air. She’d been rather content walking along by his side in a comfortable silence with occasional chatter; that was until he had asked her yet again what she’d said that night she had spent nursing him, when he’d been at death’s door.
“I told you sire. I can’t remember.” Gwen replied, her eyes focusing on the stone path below her, studding each crack. Arthur suppressed a laugh and threw her one of his ‘Guinevere’ looks, the ones that made her blush fiercely and her heart pick up pace.
“Uh huh right I forgot,” he said rolling his eyes and pressing his lips firmly together in an attempt to hide the grin and chuckle. Gwen avoided making eye contact and instead looked up at the bright moon above, sighing as she took in the sight.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” she said in a desperate attempt to change the subject.
“Mmm what’s beautiful?” Arthur asked turning his body slightly to look at her.
“The moon,” she replied on a breath of wonderment.
“Oh,” Arthur turned his head towards the blackened sky.
“Mmm, I suppose it is quite striking.”
Gwen brought her head down, tuned it towards the prince, smiling. The moonlight glistened in her brown eyes and a ray of soft luminous light hit her dark skin, as the grey clouds parted, making it glow. Keeping his eyes intently locked onto her face Arthur said sincerely.
“Yes quite spectacular indeed.”
Gwen smiled shyly, blushed under his gaze and cleared her throat.
“We’re here” she whispered stopping in front of a wooden door and gesturing to it.
Arthur stilled, ripped his gaze from Gwen’s silhouette and looked to where she was pointing. He could hardly believe they had reached her house so soon; time had slipped away rapidly, much too quickly for his liking. Bringing his gaze back to her face he raised his eyebrows in a ‘yes I see’ manner and tilted his head forward slightly, yet he remained silent. Gwen looked to the door, to Arthur, the door and then back to Arthur again.
“Umm well thank you for walking me home, that was very sweet of you, making sure I got here safely. You didn’t have to do that for me,” Gwen suddenly realised what she had said and tried desperately to back track.
“Not that you did it especially for me of course, I mean, I’m sure you’d do it for anyone, well not anyone, but I meant that I’m not special to you, no I didn’t mean that either, not that I am special to you, I just, well what I meant to say was…was...thank you.” Gwen puffed out trying really hard not to allow herself to blush, yet her body had other ideas and her cheeks flamed up till she felt she was as red as a strawberry. She hoped that the darkness of the night kept it hidden, even if the full moon’s light was shining on them.
Arthur coughed into his hand in an attempt to restrain his amusement.
“You’re welcome.”
He managed to say the words without bursting into hearty laughter though they were slightly strained. Gwen nodded her head slightly and turned to enter the house quickly in her utter humiliation. Arthur grabbed her wrist in a sudden movement, shocking her. She turned to look at him, her eyes burning with an unanswered question. In one swift movement he leaned in close towards her so their faces were only inches away from one another, their lips but a movement apart. If she leaned in but a small shuffle they would collide together. The thought both scared her and thrilled her in the same moment. There seemed to be something flashing through his mind, the same thought perhaps. A hesitation was in his eyes, a question burning inside them. Then suddenly as quickly as it had come, it disappeared again. He straightened up and nodded his head.
“Good night Guinevere.”
“Night.” she replied breathlessly.
He turned and made his way back to the castle. Gwen, unsure of what had just passed between them, stayed still, rooted to the spot watching his movements. Observing each small, powerful and commanding step he made until he was no longer in sight. Though the echo of his words and the beat of his steps still ringed through her ears, long after the sound had died out. The intense gaze of his eyes lingered on her longer also and a knot was twisting inside her stomach. And her wrist, where he had grabbed it, burned with a fire that lasted all through the night.