Sometimes life works out in your favour.
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Alex woke the next morning with a smile on her face. She had actually seen Arthur last night. She had actually touched Arthur. She had actually kissed Arthur. She was in shock.
All the things she had planned to berate Arthur about went flying out the window the moment she saw him. Why he hadn't contacted her, which she learned that he had been trying. Where he was, which was Camelot, still. Everything.
She had planned what she was going to say to him, but her mind turned to mush around him. It was like being in a different place altogether. Her mind turned on her and her thoughts were consumed with Arthur. Being with Arthur, talking with Arthur, maybe, kissing Arthur.
But, it's not like she always minded it. She loved being around Arthur, so when she was, she didn't mind her mind and body betraying her.
A knock on the door. "Alex?" came Conner's voice. "You up yet?"
Alex groaned as she sat up. "I'm up," she said groggily.
Conner opened the door and peeked in. "You have a good sleep?"
"I had the best dream,"
"What was it about?"
"That is for me to know, and for you to never pester me about,"
Conner grunted. "Alright, be that way. We're having breakfast by the way,"
Alex got out of bed fast and got ready for breakfast. As she was coming downstairs for breakfast she heard her mom and stepdad in the kitchen.
"No, Bob, that's not how you make cereal," came her mom's reprimanding voice.
"Why does it matter if you pour the milk before the cereal? You get the same result!" Bob's agitated voice echoed around the kitchen.
"No, you always pour the cereal first! Right Alex, honey?" Charlotte asked as Alex walked into the kitchen, wearing jean shorts and a tank top.
"Yes, that's how you do it, dad," Alex said, laughing on the inside. "No one pours the milk first,"
"I'm no one then?" he asked, a smile playing his lips.
"Of course not, honey," Charlotte said, putting a hand on his arm. "You're just pyshco,"
At this Alex laughed. Charlotte joined her while Bob was fighting the giggles. Soon, they were all laughing.
"What's going on in here?" Conner asked as he stood in the kitchen.
"Your father wanted to pour the milk before the cereal!" Charlotte said, which spurted more giggles.
"What's wrong with that?" Conner asked, shutting down the laughter in the kitchen.
"You mean you do that?" Alex asked incredulously.
"Sure, why not?"
"Thank you, Conner!" Bob said triumphantly.
"What?!? My brother does that?!?"
"I do, and I will," Conner said and marched over to the counter where he poured the milk and then the cereal. "See?" he asked as he held up his bowl. "No different from all you psychopaths who pour the cereal first!"
"We're the psychopaths?!?" Charlotte asked, faking enragement.
"Of course!" Bob said and poured his milk and then cereal in his bowl.
"Nu, uh, I did not marry this man!"
"I'm afraid you did!"
"I can't believe you two," Alex said, her hand in her hands. "What type of family am I part of?"
"The best," Conner said, giving her a side hug.
"Get off me!" Alex said playfully, lightly shoving her brother to the side.
Unfortunately, that spilled his milk. The milk sloshed onto the ground with a splat.
"Uh, oh," Conner said.
"Uh, oh, you're right,' Charlotte said and dipped her fingers into Bob's cereal bowl and flicked them at Conner. Her aim wasn't so great, and it landed on Alex.
"Oh, you've gone too far!" she said and dipped her hand into Conner's cereal bowl and flicked it at Charlotte. It hit Charlotte and before she could react, she was hit again by Conner. Bob flicked Conner and then Alex flicked Bob.
Soon, the milk had drenched the floor, and they were drenched. Two cartons of milk were gone, and the clean-up looked treacherous. They all looked at each other and started cracking up.
This was the type of family time Alex had been looking forward to. She was happy that her family could still have fun, and that she was part of it. The laughing died down and they looked around at the mess they'd made.
"This'll take forever to clean up," Charlotte said.
"I'll do it," Alex said, and before could ask why she pulled her wand out of her bun and waved it. The milk evaporated off the floor and the counters sparkled.
"Well that was easy," Conner said and reached for a granola bar.
-
The family spent the day going through old photos and treasures, reminiscing about the past. Even though Bob wasn't part of most of the past, he showed them some of his family's old things and participated with interest in theirs. The day was over before any of them wanted it to be and bedtime swiftly arrived.
Alex laid in her bed with the covers over her. She was a little too eager to fall asleep. She almost woke herself up as she felt her body numbing and drifting into subconsciousness. She felt her mind slip away and she was finally asleep.
She found herself in the same place as last night and spotted Arthur seated in the same place she had chosen to sit last time. She walked over to him and he turned when he heard her light footsteps.
"Hey," she said and sat down next to him.
"Hi," he said softly.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I wish you hadn't grown taller," she complained.
"I'm sorry to make you sad, my lady," he said teasingly. After a moment of silence, he shifted and put an arm around her. She snuggled up next to him, burying her head in the nook of his arm.
They just sat there, saying nothing, enjoying each other's company. Alex didn't really remember when, but she eventually shifted to put her head in his lap. He now stroked her hair as she thought about nothing, really. She was in pure bliss at the moment.
"What would you call us?" his voice broke the calm.
"What do you mean?" she asked, sitting up.
"What would you define our relationship as?" he asked, looking her deep in her sharp blue eyes.
"You mean like if we're boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked, seriously confused as to where this was coming from.
"No, I mean like how serious of a relationship would classify this as? Wait, do you not think we're boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"As for the second question, you never asked, so I would call this mutually exclusive. As for the first question, I would call us serious,"
"Just serious?"
"Super serious," Alex said and pecked his lips.
"I like that. I don't particularly like, mutually exclusive, though,"
"Well, I can't do anything about that," Alex said with a smirk.
"Alex Bailey, will you be my super serious girlfriend?" he asked in a tone that made her blush.
"No," she said, catching him off guard. She paused, looking him in the eye. "I'll be your extremely serious girlfriend."
She leaned forward and kissed him once. When she pulled away she noticed his eyes on her lips.
"Unfortunately there's a problem with my girlfriend," he said quietly.
"What's' that?" she asked, his eyes never moving from her lips.
"Once I kiss her, I find it hard to stop," he leaned forward and started kissing her. They kissed until both needed air. Arthur was breathing heavily as Alex wrapped her legs around his torso and positioned herself on his lap. They started kissing again.
Alex found her mind wandering unhelpfully to the time when she was without Arthur. This only made her press harder into the kiss, trying to ward the thoughts away. The thoughts persisted and she deepened the kiss, trying to clear her mind of all else.
Arthur could sense that something was troubling her and he broke the kiss, lying flat on his back, as he had been half up, half down before.
"What's wrong?"
"I keep thinking about the two months when you weren't here, and that makes me think about the time when I won't see you while I'm away from my family. It's like a weird long-distance relationship I don't know if I can handle it!"
"I know this is hard,"
Even though Alex thought she wanted Arthur to say that everything would be okay, she knew that wasn't true and that she would blame him for lying to her later. He was perfect at everything when it came to their relationship.
"Why does it have to be so hard?"
"You know why."
Silence.
"Are you mad at me?"
Arthur didn't need to ask to know what she was talking about. "No. Well, sometimes, but I know why you did it,"
"Do you wish I hadn't?"
"Yes."
"So do I,"
"Then why don't you tell me I can leave?" Arthur wasn't mad, but his tone was more pleading.
"You have a destiny to fulfill, that doesn't mean I like it. I just know you have to see it through. I can still wish I hadn't made you do it, but that doesn't mean I want to change it."
"I understand," although Alex could see Arthur didn't agree.
Alex leaned forward onto Arthur's chest. Her legs were under him, still wrapped around his torso. She lay there, his warmth seeping into her body, healing all her worries and doubts. They lay like that for what felt like hours, neither of them falling asleep, as they were already asleep. Their presence just comforted one another in a calming silence that was far beyond comfortable.
Arthur's thoughts were mostly blank except for the thought of Alex here with him. Without warning he flipped over, pinning her beneath him.
"Wha-"
But Arthur cut her off by kissing her. She tightened her legs hold on his waist as he kissed her. They had kissed many times before, but nothing was like when they kissed now. Arthur was more confident, Alex was more accepting. Arthur's mind had drifted back to the thoughts of not being with Alex, and he wanted to spend every minute with her wisely.
After a breath Arthur deepened the kiss, making Alex squirm against him. He continued kissing her, but she was less lustful. She stopped keeping time with his lips, making him stop.
"What is it?"
"I love when we kiss, but that's all I want to do," she said, loosening her legs grip on his torso.
"I just want to make the most of the time we have together,"
"Me too, but I don't want to be that serious,"
"When can we be that serious?"
"Marriage,"
"Really?" Arthur really didn't know what to say to that.
"You said you had thought about the future. Besides, my brother would know, and my mom, and they don't know that I'm here with you right now,"
"Why didn't you tell them?"
"My mom barely knows who you are, I don't think she'd be in favor of this. And, my brother gets really protective, you should see his face when I mention your name," Alex laughed.
"Your brother? Protective? I had no idea! It's not like he threatened my life a couple of times."
"He's a brother, but he's more receptive now that he is in his own relationship."
"So Bree and he got together?" Alex nods. "That's good, she still as hardcore as before?"
"She's softened down a bit, I think my brother's calm personality helps,"
They lay there talking about life, Alex filling him in on everything in her's. They had a lot to catch up on.
-
~ edited 25/6/2022