Arturia groaned as she felt the warmth of the sun heating her. She shuffled on her bed and covered her face with the pillow. She was still half asleep; the soft and toasty cotton sheets held her hostage—not that she minded. She snuggled deeper into the covers and fell asleep again, ignoring the urging of the sunlight. Her dreams were a million times better than reality anyway. The morning could wait; she was happy to put it aside.

It wasn't until she'd heard shuffling so loud and evident that she growled and gave a loud sigh. She kicked the covers off from herself, and she threw the pillow off from her face. "Can you be any louder?" She snapped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Arturia's eyes shot open, and she immediately sat up. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to snap!" She scrambled from her bed and rubbed her face. "Sorry!"

Diarmuid was already up and ready. He'd probably been awake for more than an hour or so. Arturia recalled hearing shuffling in her dream or probably when she awoke to cover her face with the pillow; she couldn't recall.

"No, it's okay. I should've been more careful." He apologized. There was a soft smile on his lips, and Arturia had to take a second to admire it.

Her cheeks burned as she remembered the gentle kiss they'd shared the previous night. "I should—I should probably go get ready. Pretty sure Scatty wants us back home as soon as possible."

"Just called her a few minutes ago," Diarmuid spoke, "she said we should take our time." He rolled his eyes. "I don't think Scatty had ever been so enthusiastic about me being out with Grainne like this. The only reason I can think of is that Scatty really likes you. You didn't bribe her or something, did you?"

Arturia shrugged. "It's not like I promised her forty pounds worth of chips."

"You did not."

"I did." She sharply breathed and then left out a laugh.

Diarmuid shook his head. "Sneaky."

Arturia couldn't describe how she felt at that moment. The glittering look in Diarmuid's eyes, the sweet loving smile on his face, how the sun peaked through the window and warmed her back. It wasn't the fact that he was handsome or anything that didn't matter one bit. What mattered was how delicate and kind he was to her and how those little details meant so much. Her heart was as light as a feather, her mind was blank, and the fluttering and swelling of her heart were what kept her grounded.

Diarmuid's amber eyes reminded her of a flickering fire that lit her heart with warmth and fervour. Arturia took a step towards him, and another, and another, just until she was standing inches from him.

"Artie?" He furrowed his brows but smiled as he said her name.

Arturia closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist, catching him off-guard and eliciting a gasp from him. She rested her head against his strong chest, and she could hear his thumping heart against her ear (it made a smile curl her lips). Was his heart beating that fast because of her?

Arturia recalled something her cousin had said to her once upon a time; people could feel like home. She had never understood that, how could someone feel like they could ground her? She had never experienced someone as home with any of the people she had met and left behind, no matter how many times she moved. Not even her parents felt like home to her. However, she finally understood what her cousin had said. It didn't matter if she was in some random inn in a random town in the middle of nowhere. When Diarmuid smiled at her, everything faded into white noise, and all she could feel was the sweet warmth of being around him.

"Artie?" This time, he asked, gently setting his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. "You okay?"

"Mhmm." She hummed as she tightened her grip around him. Her heart stung, and she closed her eyes. Why did she feel a tinge of pain?

"You sure?" He mumbled as he played with a strand of her unruly hair.

"Just wanted a hug." Arturia's voice was muffled against his cotton shirt.

Diarmuid held her tighter. They stood like this for a second, enjoying each other's company. It didn't matter that Arturia was hungry or that they thought Scathach wanted them home sooner rather than later. It didn't matter that Arturia was keeping her secret from him either...all that meant nothing for just a few seconds.

Arturia pulled away from the hug first and offered him one last smile before she slipped from his grasp and picked up a towel that sat on the bedside table. "I should probably start getting ready."

Diarmuid nodded and let her collect her things as she headed for the shower.

It was Arturia's loud gasp when she reached the bathroom that caught his attention. He jumped and hurried to her side, asking if she was okay and making sure she wasn't hurt anywhere.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me my hair was a mess! Oh my goodness, I'm so embarrassed." She covered her face as she turned to look away from the mirror. Her golden hair looked more like a hairball.

He sighed in relief and cracked a smile. "What? I thought you looked cute."

"Cute? I looked like a lion that hadn't bathed in years!"

Diarmuid couldn't help but laugh at how flustered she was getting. "Lions are cute." He placed his hands on hers and pried them gently from her face. "You're cute."

Arturia's cheeks combusted, and she jumped away from him. "Okay, okay, I get it!" She avoided eye contact before she walked on ahead. "Anyways, we should go get breakfast; I'm starving."

Diarmuid gave a light chuckle before he caught up to her and took her hand in his. "How about we go to an all-day breakfast place that's just around the corner after you're done getting ready?"

"Yes, please! Do they also sell take-out chips?" She asked, turning to look up at him.

Diarmuid nodded. "Scatty's favourites!"

"Awesome! Let's go after I'm finished, okay?"

—•—

It was deep in the countryside by some rolling hills and in the middle of literally nowhere that Arturia and Diarmuid rolled to a stop at the side of the road, hoping to stretch a little and not let the long road tire them out so early into the trip. Diarmuid had started to feel sleepy and cramped up, so they both agreed it be the safest option to rest for a while. The crisp autumn air smelt of dew and was chilly to the point that it caused the tips of their noses to light up like Rudolph's. Winter was just around the corner, which meant that Christmas was creeping upon them as well.

"Diarmuid..." Arturia mumbled as she leaned on the hood of the car, taking in the sight of the fog-covered hills. She needed to be honest with him. And if she truly cared about him, as she did, she needed to come clean about who she was and if he accepted her still, then...

"Yes, Artie?" He sat next to her and offered a warm smile. He handed her the blanket they usually kept in the car.

Arturia shook her head to refuse the blanket and then looked him in the eyes and took a deep breath. "I haven't been completely honest with you." She finally gathered the courage to tell him. "It's taken me a while to really let anyone know about it, and Scatty is the only one that knows. You see...I...I'm not who you think I am."

Diarmuid furrowed his brows and then wrapped the blanket around both of them. "What do you mean by that? I think you're kind, interesting and sweet...you're telling me you aren't? I don't believe you unless your entire personality is fake, and you're actually a leprechaun.." He slid closer to her and landed his hand on hers.

Arturia's brows knitted in confusion, and she looked at his hand. The fear of rejection crept up and begun to tighten the noose around her neck. She didn't want to tell him anymore. What if he felt betrayed? What if he hated her for it? "I mean..." she mumbled, swallowing the fear and assuring herself that she had to be honest. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... is that I've kept my identity from everyone." She breathed. "And it wasn't because I didn't trust you—I mean, at first I didn't—but it was just mostly because I was afraid. Because I am afraid."

Diarmuid squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Why would you be afraid? Artie, no matter who you are or where you came from, it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Diarmuid...I," she pulled away from him, preparing herself for the harsh words to come. "I'm a Pendragon."

Diarmuid blinked. "And?" He tilted his head.

"My father is Uther Pendragon. The congressman Uther." Arturia frowned, her lips stretched in a thin grave line.

Diarmuid nodded. "So he is."

"That—That doesn't shock you?" She lifted an eyebrow and tilted her head.

Diarmuid took her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Sure, it was unexpected at first, but I saw the news quite a while ago... I saw them when we first went to the town...just before I found you crying."

"Oh," Arturia's gaze fell from his. "You did? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Artie." He landed a hand on her cheek, lifted her gaze towards him and ran his thumb across her cheek. "I didn't want to push you to tell me something you didn't want to talk about. I would understand once you decided to tell me. You had the right to tell me when you thought the time was right, and I didn't want to take that power from you. And now I'm honoured that you trust me enough to be vulnerable with me. Thank you, Artie."

Arturia laughed as her eyes glossed over. "Why are you like this?"

Diarmuid frowned. "What do you mean? Like what?"

She leaned into his touch and landed a hand on his. "Why are you so gentle with me?"

He barked a laugh and brought her face close towards himself. "Because you deserve nothing less."

Arturia's eyes fell to his lips, and then they flickered up towards his eyes. "I don't believe it."

Diarmuid pouted his lips to the side and glared at her. "I'm willing to fight you on that."

She laughed and then leaned her head on his shoulder. "There's no need for that. I'd rather just enjoy this moment?"

Diarmuid hummed in response and tightened the blanket around themselves before he stared at the rolling hills. There was something therapeutic about being far from civilization and in the company of one another. Diarmuid couldn't remember the last time that he was truly at peace with Grainne; there had always been something to worry about; another mistake he'd made, another fight they'd get into, another thing he'd be worried of messing up. His mind was empty as he sat next to Arturia, her hair blowing in the wind, their fingers intertwined, and the cold winter air that stung their noses and ears.

A moment in time. A fleeting moment that he'd treasure forever, just like their time under the stars or when they got caught in the rain. These short but intimate moments would always be treasured, just as all the happy moments with Grainne were.