Uncommon (BWWM)

Chapter 12

"What're the plans for the funeral?" Grace asks as she and Arthur lie on her bed.

She's sat up slightly, and Arthur's head is resting on her stomach while they both stare up at the ceiling. He has one of her hands in his, rolling her fingers around with his own. It's a distraction tactic, Grace can tell, but at least he isn't crying anymore.

"I don't know." Arthur replies, shuffling a little, trying to mimic a shrug, "There haven't been any official plans yet."

"Of course not," Grace says softly, feeling silly that she asked, "I suppose you'll have to go to London?"

"Mhm... Me and Rich." He tells her, eyes focused on their intertwined hands. He looks as though he's trying with all his might not to break down.

Grace has to keep him talking; she can't allow him to be left with his thoughts. She doesn't want to watch him crying again.

"I forgot about Rich. How did he take it?"

"Better. He's not that close with that side of the family. Even so, he's devastated."

Arthur rises slowly, then turns around and leans his body over Grace's. He rests so that one arm is draped over her torso and his legs are intertwined with hers. His head lies gently on Grace's chest. The position is so intimate, so tender, that Grace is sure Arthur can feel her heart thundering.

He continues, "We'll probably be there for a while, sorting out succession and such."

"Understandable." Grace mumbles.

"Will won't be happy." Arthur says sadly, "He and Rich are so close."

Grace's head jerks, causing Arthur to look up at her with his chin rested on her belly.

"I thought Will was your friend?"

"He is," Arthur tells her, face screwed up in confusion, "But he's Rich's best friend"

Grace raises her eyebrows, "The more you know..."

*Ping*

*Ping* *ping*

Both Arthur and Grace's phones go off at the same time. Arthur's is closer so he sneaks a peek at his lock-screen.

"Course chat." He says tiredly, handing her his now unlocked phone. Grace takes it with a sigh and scrolls through the messages.

Her eyes widen, "Shit, Arthur."

"What?" He says, sitting up abruptly.

"They know about you."

Peter: omg guys!!!! Apparently the prince goes to our uni!!!

Cindy: WHAT?!!! No fuckin way!

Eric: imagine if he's on our course

Cindy: mate don't even joke that'd be crazy

Eric: thing is, no one knows what he looks like. He could be anyone

Peter: lol if he is then he's read all these messages

Eric: damn. That sucks, poor dude

Grace stares at Arthur, trying and failing to gauge his reaction. The thing about their relationship, is that it's still new. She's never seen Arthur sad, or hurt, or going through trauma. This is a first for her, she's learning on the job.

But Grace is nothing if not empathetic. The best she can do for Arthur is what she'd want done for herself. So she wraps her arm across his shoulder and pulls his body against hers, his back to her front . She places a hand protectively over his heart, and another on his temple. With soft fingers, she tenderly strokes from his forehead to his scalp, massaging him there.

They sit like that for a while, silent, pretending that the world isn't crashing down around them.

She's almost certain that Arthur has fallen asleep, but his voice slices through the silence like a knife.

"I love you." He mumbles. Grace doesn't reply, she can sense that he's got more to say, "that's not going to change."

There's a pause, like Arthur is gathering his thoughts. He does this, when the topic is important, like it's too sacred to be tarnished by verbal mishaps.

"No matter what happens, whatever path I have to follow... I'm not letting you go." He continues, "I'm going to be heir apparent. I'm sure of it... but it's not going to change what we are.. what you mean to me."

Grace doesn't say anything for a while. She wholeheartedly believes that Arthur means what he's saying. She really does. But that doesn't mean that it's the truth. It was fine when he was a low ranking royal; his life was still his own, there was no path laid out for him. But now? Now at the end of his path, is the British throne. Grace hadn't dared think about it throughout this whole day. It made her sick to her stomach.

But Arthur's bringing it up. And now it's all she can think about. The thoughts are running around her head so fast that she feels dizzy.

There are a million things she wants to say, but none of them seem right at the moment. Her problems are microscopic compared to Arthur's.

She settles with a simple "Okay" and continues carding her fingers through his brown locks.

Both of them know that she doesn't mean it. That things are so very far from okay. But for now, for Arthur's sake, it will suffice.

A/N: Poor Arthur and poor Grace. She finally feels happy and comfortably in love and this bombshell is dropped. Stay tuned to see how the world reacts to Arthur's identity.

Serena x