Arturia shut her eyes closed as soon as they had settled in the car. She gripped the steering wheel and they sat in silence. The car not even on. Just the serene silence of the night. They'd talked to Marie for so long that it was dark outside, there were barely any cars around.

"Is everything okay?" Diarmuid mumbled under his breath.

Arturia sighed. "No, not it's not. I don't know what to do." She opened her eyes and stared right ahead. "What am I going to tell Father? My sister? I can't lie to them as I did with Marie. I just...can't."

Diarmuid wasn't sure what to say. No one he'd ever known had gone through such a situation. He was rubbish at comforting others, especially people he'd just met. "I-it's going to be okay."

"Easy for you to say! You weren't cheated on!" Immediately after she said this, her anger subsided and she looked apologetic. "I'm sorry I-you know I didn't mean that, right?"

Diarmuid nodded. "It's okay. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through."

Arturia fell back on the driver's seat. "Do you know a quiet place? Just...far away from everything?"

Diarmuid nodded. "The west end of the town is mostly suburb, but if you pass Lower Base, it becomes rural. There's a small park there. Not many people go, it's a little hidden in the trees."

"Take me there."

The ride was silent, barely either of them spoke as soft songs played on the radio. The night relaxing them both.

Arturia felt as if she were running away, running away from work, from Gilgamesh, from all her responsibilities. She wanted to run away fro real. She wanted to get away from the heavy feeling in her chest, from the horrible pain in her heart. She wanted to rid herself of the memory of Gilgamesh. Oh, how she wished she could erase him from her mind.

"Here," Diarmuid mumbled, pointing at a small park, a tire swing hanging from a tree branch.

"How'd you find this place?" She looked over at him, putting the car in park.

Diarmuid smiled. "My brother brought me here a lot when we were kids. Before he went off and got himself married."

Arturia turned the car off and sat back. "What about you?" She asked.

"What about me?"

"Affianced? Married? Dating?"

Diarmuid laughed. "None. I didn't really have a good experience a few years back."

"Hmm." Arturia opened the door. "We should step out for some fresh air."

Diarmuid followed her to the bench just a ways away from the car. They sat down, enjoying the crickets and the night. The stars above them were like a blanket, clearly visible and comforting.

"It's weird. If you'd ask me three days ago what I thought the week would be like," Arturia took a deep breath, "I would've said that Gilgamesh and I would've gone to the Cake tasting. I would've picked out my wedding dress on Sunday. I would've been married next month, goddamn it."

Diarmuid remained silent.

"I sure as hell wouldn't have said that I'd be sitting in a park at night with a stranger far from civilization."

He chuckled.

Arturia slouched over and buried her face in her hands. "Why is my life such a bloody mess?"

"Arturia," Diarmuid hesitantly patted her back, "I know that right now it's tough, I know how that feels, to be completely brought down by someone you thought you loved. But, it will really get better, as long as you want it to."

She looked over at him and smiled. "You're a great man, Diarmuid. I have no idea why someone would break your heart. You deserved much better than her."

He returned the smile as she sat up properly, facing him. "And you deserve better than your ex too. You shouldn't let him bring you down. You're a beautiful and strong girl. Trust me, you're probably the prettiest woman I've met."

Arturia could see the stars in his eyes. He looked beautiful. How different would her life have been if she had met him instead of Gilgamesh? How happier would she have been if Gilgamesh wasn't in her life?

She didn't know what came over her. It must have been a bloody demon to coax her to inch closer.

Her lips pressed against his. Butterflies exploded in her stomach and she shuffled closer to him. He was noticeably tense. He didn't move a single muscle, not even to push her off.

She immediately became infatuated with the feeling of his soft lips against her. Her hand landed on his bicep and she tightened her grip for a second, she leaned closer and hesitantly moved her lips.

He eased and sunk into the kiss, reciprocating nearly hesitantly.

Her heart sped up. She felt her fingertips ignite. But what she appreciated more, was the hand that landed on her cheek.

too early? nahhhhh