InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Horse brutality?!"

Guinevere (futurequeen) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2009-12-12 20:31:00

Entry tags:

arthur pendragon, guinevere

WHO; Gwen and Arthur
WHERE; Park near the buildings
WHEN; Just after her network post
RATING/STATUS; Not high/Complete

Gwen pushed her PDA back into her bag, sighing softly. She had brushed the snow from a bench to sit on as Esme ran about. She needed to get out a lot, and Esme was the perfect excuse. But of course, after thinking so much and needing to apologise to Arthur, she had ended up sending him a message. She had found it hard to look at him face to face and it was easier to apologise over this. Of course...now he was coming to see her.

She pulled her hat over her ears more, her curls sticking out from under the wool. She smiled as Esme bounded up again, her coat wet from the snow that hadnt melted yet. At least she could get a bath when they got home, and she didn't seem to mind the cold. Sighing softly, she took the branch from Esme's mouth, not really feeling it through her gloves, before throwing it again and watching Esme run for it. She somehow felt nervous about talking to Arthur, which was stupid because she knew he cared for her, and she really did care for him. They just had to work their way through this.

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a_royal_prat
2009-12-13 06:02 am UTC (link)

Guinevere would stop her self-doubt one day. Arthur hung on to that thought like it could make all of Gwen's apologies mean something they weren't. He couldn't think of a way to get her to stop blaming herself. She was one of the most stubborn people he knew, and one who had lost the most.

Only the smallest comfort came from the knowledge that she was willing to tell him where she was after the sore ending to their conversation. He tramped through the snow, ignoring the biting wind as he made his way toward the park.

It took him more time than he wished to find her, though she had made little attempt to cover her foot prints and he slowly sat on the opposite end of the bench, studying her profile.

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futurequeen
2009-12-13 02:32 pm UTC (link)

Gwen didn't look at him when he sat next to her, her eyes staying on Esme as she searched for the stick she had thrown. She would need to take her back soon, she would be getting cold and wet. She could feel Arthur's eyes on her and it was making her feel even more nervous. Slowly, she glanced at him.

She shouldn't feel this nervous or awkward, but she couldn't help it. She could only imagine what he was going to say to her.

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a_royal_prat
2009-12-13 06:18 pm UTC (link)

Hell would be more preferable than this awkward tension. Arthur was not the most empathetic person in existence, he might go so far as to say one of the least, but this was Guinevere, and at least with her...She made it so easy for him to tell what she was feeling and it ate at the lining of his stomach like the worst kind of starvation.

He hesitated, only a moment, once she looked up, before sliding over the frozen, snow-covered bench to her side and looping his arm over her shoulder.

"I apologize," he whispered into her hat, hair, close to her ear but not quite close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath. He didn't know why he said it, or what he was apologizing for, but it felt right in that moment.

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	futurequeen 2009-12-13 06:52 pm UTC (link)
	Her arms automatically wrapped around him the second his arm found its way around her. She had missed this, and even though she was the one that had kept away from him she had wanted nothing more than to curl up with him. But she didn't deserve it. Arthur, however, he had lost a child too. "You have nothing to apologise for, Arthur." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-13 06:57 pm UTC (link)
	He rubbed her shoulder in slow, soothing circles and pressed a kiss to her temple, and then wrapped his other arm around her, bringing her in closer. The past few days had done nothing to reassure him that she would get better. She had been distant and remote and apologetic about absolutely nothing, and something had to give. "Don't I?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-13 07:01 pm UTC (link)
	She closed her eyes at his touch, moving so she was right against him. She never realised how much she just needed to be held by him until now, and perhaps if she had realised before this could have been avoided. "No. You have done nothing wrong." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-13 07:19 pm UTC (link)
	"You've been avoiding me." Arthur understood why she did, for the greater part, it was obvious why should would wish to, but that didn't stop him from pressing about it. More than anything he wanted her to be able to look at him again without being scared, or worried, or nervous. That was what he couldn't grasp. Why she feared him. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-13 07:21 pm UTC (link)
	"I was upset and I just..." She didn't want him to see it, she wanted him to see her as being strong and brave. Not weak and pathetic. And on top of that she hated the thought that she had let him down, that he was disappointed in her. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-13 07:28 pm UTC (link)
	He peeled away from her and waited. He had some idea of what she might say, but he needed to hear the words from her. It was a strange reversal to have her not being forthcoming. "Just...?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-13 07:32 pm UTC (link)
	Gwen met his gaze when he pulled away, before looking down. How could she admit to how she felt about this? But after all this, surely nothing could break them apart, he had stayed by her side throughout this. "I don't want to disappoint you. I...I don't want you to see me acting so weak." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-14 06:15 pm UTC (link)
	Arthur caressed her cold cheek with the tips of his fingers to cradle her face in his hand. Where she got these ideas he couldn't say, but now that he knew them, he could try to combat them. He understood repressed emotions possibly better than anyone. "Guinevere, you have never disappointed me. Never, do you understand?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-14 06:19 pm UTC (link)
	She bit her lip, looking at him. How could she have even thought that he would? He was more than understanding when it came to her, and if she ever done something wrong she knew he would say straight away. "I understand." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

a_royal_prat
2009-12-14 06:23 pm UTC (link)

"See that you remember that." He dusted a kiss over the bridge of her nose. If pressed, he wouldn't be able to say where he learned to be like this, affectionate. Certainly not from his father. His father's form of affection was more a clasped arm, kiss to the back of the hand affair and Arthur hadn't treated Guinevere in that politely affectionate way in ages.

What he knew was she enjoyed it, which should have been more than enough for him. "I don't want you going around thinking bad things about me."

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	futurequeen 2009-12-14 06:26 pm UTC (link)
	"I will." She smiled when he kissed her nose, the first smile she had given since it had happened. Well her first proper smile. She liked it when he did that. "I know, I don't think anything bad about you. Not at all." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-18 05:57 am UTC (link)
	He touched the corner of her quirked lip with the tips of his fingers and answered her smile with a half-smile of his own. "I'm very glad to hear that." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-18 06:04 am UTC (link)
	She found herself moving her head to kiss the tips of his fingers as he touched the corner of her lips. She couldn't help it, it was automatic. "I hope I never disappoint you in the future." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-20 06:55 pm UTC (link)
	"You would have to try incredibly hard to disappoint me, Gwen." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-20 07:03 pm UTC (link)
	"I'd rather not try at all." She sighed softly, closing her eyes for a moment. Things seemed to be getting better. Suddenly she felt a tiny pressure on her leg and she opened her eyes, looking down to see Esme with one paw on her leg and one on Arthur's, stick in her mouth. Laughing, Gwen looked up at Arthur. "Your turn, I think." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-20 07:10 pm UTC (link)
	Arthur leaned over the bench and stared down at the snow covered pup and reached for the small stick, wrestling it from her mouth and laughing when she tumbled backwards. Once she righted herself, Arthur held up the stick with a playful smile then tossed it lightly. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-20 07:16 pm UTC (link)
	Gwen rolled her eyes with a smile, slapping his arm lightly when he laughed. "That's not nice," she said, but couldn't stop the grin. She watched as Esme ran for the stick, shivering slightly. It was getting colder and she'd have to coax Esme to come back home soon, at least so she could get out of the cold even if that meant a hyperactive dog jumping about. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-20 09:20 pm UTC (link)
	Arthur caught her wrist and squeezed, frowning at the tremor. Slowly, he unwound his scarf and draped it around her neck, knotting it loosely. She was freezing cold. She could have been out here for hours and he had no way of knowing how true his guess was. "It's getting colder." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-20 09:33 pm UTC (link)
	"No you need it," she protested when he put the scarf around her. She nodded when he said it was getting colder, but didn't really know. She'd been out here so long she was slightly numb so had no way of telling the difference. Reaching up, she began to pull at the loose knot in the scarf. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

a_royal_prat
2009-12-21 07:32 pm UTC (link)

"Guinevere, stop." He grasped her wrist and frowned, fingering the bare skin before her hands vanished into gloves. He could feel the chill through his own gloves. "You're freezing. That's it. We're going in. Esme!"

He turned in the direction of the pup who stopped at the sharp call and tipped her head curiously to the side.

Arthur pointed down at the snow by his side and leveled an intense glare at the animal who scurried through the drifts to the spot indicated. He scooped the dog up into his arm and settled her on Gwen's lap and stood.

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futurequeen
2009-12-21 07:38 pm UTC (link)

Gwen sighed softly when he shouted on Esme, knowing she had no choice but to leave now. Then Esme was bounding over to Arthur's feet, and she couldn't stop the little look of annoyance. She always listened to Arthur when he told her what to do. When he put Esme on her lap she could feel the wet fur, knowing that the poor thing must be getting cold. Standing, she tucked Esme under her arm, hoping to warm her.

"I'll need to bath her, I think," she said quietly, trying to avoid any talk of how cold she was starting to feel herself. Now that he had mentioned it, she could feel how ice cold she felt.

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	a_royal_prat 2009-12-21 07:42 pm UTC (link)
	"I'll take care of it." And he would, once he made certain she got into a shower before hand. There were other ways of warming the dog. The sink, for example, would work just fine in this. He rubbed her arms in a slow up down motion before tucking her free arm around his own and leading her back down the snow covered path toward the street. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-21 07:45 pm UTC (link)
	"You don't have to, I can." She let him rub at her arms before she was tucked up against his side. She could barely feel her toes, that couldn't be a good sign. She kept her hold on Esme firm as they walked, knowing she hated being held like this but she wasn't going to let the poor thing get colder than she was. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-21 08:35 pm UTC (link)
	"No, I don't, but I'm going to so it'd be best if you stopped fighting me about it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-21 08:37 pm UTC (link)
	She glanced up at him, knowing she'd have to admit defeat. He could be so stubborn when it came to her. Hiking Esme up a little higher, she nodded a little. "Fine, you can handle her better anyway." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-23 08:53 pm UTC (link)
	Arthur glared down at her. Did everything he say have to make her irritatble? Every time he tried to be helpful, she took it the wrong way. "She listens to you fine. She's your dog, not mine." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

futurequeen
2009-12-23 08:58 pm UTC (link)

Gwen could feel herself shrink in size a little when he glared at her. She hadn't meant for it to come out that way, her tone sounding so harsh.

"Sorry," she said quietly, before clearing her throat. "She does what you say more than what I say. You're a little more...commanding than I am. It's not a bad thing, of course, it helps with animals, to make sure they behave. And well...she's yours too, what's mine is yours and...all that."

She sighed, looking down as her cheeks flushed red. How did she manage to turn back into a stuttering wreck with him sometimes?

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a_royal_prat
2009-12-24 10:18 pm UTC (link)

Oh Gwen. Arthur held her back, winding his arm around her waist to keep her there. He stroked back a strand of her hair, tucking it beneath her hat and sighed.

Yes, all right, there were times he needed to censor what came from his mouth, but Guinevere, sweet Guinevere, she barely needed to open her mouth for him to know what she was about to say.

"We are going home where you will run a hot bath while I take care of the dog and when you're warm once more, we'll talk about this."

And he meant it. She was too cold for his liking and the longer they stayed outdoors the colder she would become.

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	futurequeen 2009-12-24 10:28 pm UTC (link)
	She knew there was no point in arguing, he would win in the end. He always would, even if she put up a good fight. Sighing softly, she wrapped her free arm around his waist, cuddling closer as she walked. She could feel Esme struggling against her hold a little but just ignored it. "Okay, we'll do that." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-24 11:23 pm UTC (link)
	"Gwen." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-24 11:25 pm UTC (link)
	She looked up at him again when he said her name, her lower lip once again between her teeth. She really should stop doing that. She glanced away quickly, seeing that the building was close now, before looking back up at him. "Yes?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-24 11:29 pm UTC (link)
	He wondered if they would be stopping every few steps and never get inside. Arthur tugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not trying to fight with you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	futurequeen 2009-12-24 11:33 pm UTC (link)
	She let him pull her closer, closing her eyes as his lips found her head. Sighing, she nodded and looked up at him, pressing her lips to his chin then cheek softly. "Neither am I. I'm sorry for snapping at you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	a_royal_prat 2009-12-31 05:22 pm UTC (link)
	Arthur had nothing to say to that, but pressed a firm, chaste kiss to her mouth. "Let's go and get you warm." (Reply to this) (Parent)