I find I can't hide from your eyes {Meredith}

[Mordred Le Fey]

The whole carousel had been booked privately for the entire evening.  As soon as the sun had begun to set it had been closed to the public, disappointed people chivied away and a perimeter created far enough away that there would be no disturbances, no interruptions, no awkward stares and glares from passersby.  No passersby at all.  A substantial amount of money had changed hands in order to make this happen, but that didn't matter.  

Once the last complaining customer had been removed from the area, the work had begun.  Mordred had been shown how to operate the carousel safely and the staff had been given the night off, so utter privacy was well and truly guaranteed.  In the fading evening light Mordred had set to work, preparing the area and the carousel for what he felt would be the ultimate make or break night.  In his mind everything rested on what happened this evening, and he had never felt nerves like it.  But he was determined, everything would be perfect and for once in his life he was not going to screw this up.

Finally everything was ready, and as he glanced at his watch, seeing the minute hand creep closer and closer to the time he had asked her to meet him, he took a few deep breaths to try and calm the pounding of his heart, watching his breath cloud and gently float away in front of him.  He stood on the edge of the carousel, wrapped up in a long black coat, a red scarf tied at his throat, and sleek black gloves.  He leaned against a carousel horse, his arms crossed against his chest to try and stay warm.  A bouquet of twelve red roses lay nearby, as well as a thermos of hot chocolate and small picnic basket.

He had sent her a message earlier that day, asking her to meet him here at 7:30 that evening.  If she came, she would find her way lit by candles resting on the ground on either side of the path, lighting her way and guiding her towards the carousel.  She would see an odd, flickering glow as she approached, the source of which would become clear as she reached the carousel, where she would see hundreds of candles, resting on all surfaces of the carousel - on the horses, the carriages, the floor, there were even candle-lit lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the carousel - more candles were placed all around the little grove the carousel sat in, so many that the darkness of the night was gone, replaced by a warm glow bright enough to see clearly the figure waiting for her arrival.  The velvet darkness of the night retreated behind the barrier of the candlelight.  A whole world had been created, for only them, until the morning light came to chase away the darkness and bring them back to reality.

Softly, silently, it began to snow.

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

Meredith hadn't been sure whether or not to go, things between them were so awkward, almost every attempt to straighten things out had ended up more tangled than before, and she had no idea if this was going to be one of those times they started to mend their problems or just made them worse. It wasn't until 7 that she finally made up her mind to go, so she was in a bit of a hurry when she first reached the path.
Her hurry slowed rapidly when she saw the first of the candles, her brow furrowing in confusion as she walked between the rows, the night around her silent and soft, bringing a calm to her worry.

As she reached the carousel, her dark hair dotted with snowflakes, and saw him standing there, haloed in candlelight, the warmth reaching her from here, and for a moment it felt like maybe things would be okay. She didn't know how, or even how quickly, but she could put aside all the questions and worries for tonight at least.

"Mordred." she said softly, almost not wanting to break the spell "You did all this?"

[Mordred Le Fey]

A part of him had been so certain she wouldn't show; after everything that had happened between them, the way every interaction had somehow gone so wrong in the last couple of months, he fully expected to be left here on his own. So when he heard the faint crackle of footsteps on snow he looked up, surprised, unable to stop a smile turning the corners of his mouth.

He stayed where he was, the only movement straightening up so he was no longer leaning against the carousel. He almost felt like too much movement might make her back away, like a deer spooked by the noise of a broken twig. It was stupid, he knew, she was stronger than that, more independent, more determined - more stubborn - but still, he didn't want to make any wrong moves. He felt almost as if the rest of his life might rest on this night.

His smile grew a little as she reached the carousel and spoke, his eyes shining. Picking up the bouquet of roses he passed them to her, nodding in response to her question. "I can't change what's happened, or make anyone forget it," he said quietly, his expression serious as the smile faded for a moment, "but I can try and start again, and do things properly." He offered her his hand to help her up onto the carousel. "I thought a real first date might be a good start." The smile reappeared as he looked at her, thinking, not for the first time, how beautiful she was. "How am I doing so far?" He couldn't stop that trademark grin from flashing onto his face for a second as he began to relax a little.

She was here - he was over the first hurdle.

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

She took the roses, lifting them to her face to breathe in the scent, they were beautiful. She took his hand to step up onto the carousel, listening to what he had to say - this sounded more... more like what she wanted to hear, which felt terrible, but it was. It wasn't about begging for forgiveness or changing for her, it was a fresh start, a way to move forward without everything that had happened dragging them back.
She wasn't sure how to take the news that this wasn't supposed to be a conversation, another attempt to convince her to forgive him or another instance of them going round in circles talking about it, this was a date. All its own thing, not dwelling in the past, a genuine fresh start...

"You're not doing too badly," she found herself saying almost automatically, a gentle smile crossing her face. As dates went it was pretty perfectly romantic. She had never considered herself to be the romantic type, usually much more comfortable with conventions and movies than roses and serenading, but there was just something so magical about being alone on the candle-lit carousel with the stars twinkling above them, she couldn't help but love it.

[Mordred Le Fey]

The grin grew a little at her response, and he reluctantly let go of her hand to turn away and grab the thermos he'd brought, and two mugs. Turning back, he gestured towards the middle of the carousel, where there was a picnic blanket laid out on the floor between some of the horses, candles resting on each corner and a fleecy blanket folded nearby. "Do you want to sit down?"

Holding up the thermos, he grinned. "It's not tea I'm afraid, but I figured hot chocolate might be more appropriate for the setting." He raised an eyebrow at her teasingly. "I hope that's not too disappointing, I know how you feel about tea, after all. Although I did bring those little marshmallows, so maybe that will ease the disappointment a little?" He gave a small laugh as he moved over to the blanket and sat down, taking the lid off the thermos and pouring steaming hot chocolate into the two mugs before offering her one.

"I'm really glad you came." His voice was soft as he smiled at her. "Are you cold? There's a blanket... or did you want to ride the carousel? I made them teach me how to operate it." Why was he so nervous? He tried to tap in to that suave coolness he was so proud of and took a breath. "So no fear of any horrible carousel accidents, you're completely safe with me." He looked at her seriously as he spoke the last part, his eyes on hers as he tried to convey how much he meant those words.

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

Meredith looked a little bemused as she followed him, taking a seat on the blanket and taking the offered mug of hot chocolate, wrapping her hands around the mug to warm them. He was just so flustered, it was strangely adorable, she'd never seen him like this before, so eager to make sure everything was perfect, so reassuring.

"Hot chocolate is perfect," she told him, unable to keep the laughter from her voice "as long as you keep the marshmallows coming."

The seriousness made her smile fade into something more fond, and she found she rather liked this side of him, this glimpse behind the smooth charmer he always was, the vulnerability that let her know he really cared, but not in such a way that it made her feel terrible for being mad at him, which had sent her conflicting feelings into a bit of a spiral. This was different, this was... sweet.

"How about we just sit and drink our hot chocolate for now? Maybe we can ride the carousel in a bit, can you ride it too? It's no fun by yourself."

[Mordred Le Fey]

Reaching into the picnic basket with a smile, Mordred pulled a large bag of marshmallows out and opened it, offering the bag to Meredith. "I think these should keep you going for a while."

Nodding and smiling, he took a sip of his own hot chocolate, after dropping a few marshmallows into it. "I can ride it too." He said as he looked around at the horses surrounding them. "It's just a button to push to get it started, then it basically runs itself." He glanced at Meredith with a gleam in his eye as he raised an eyebrow. "I mean, it's incredibly complicated and difficult to work, but as I'm not an expert I'm sure I can manage it and still come and ride it with you too." He smirked at her.

He took another sip of the hot chocolate and watched her in the flickering candlelight. "So, erm..." he hesitated, unsure what to say next, what to do next. He glanced down, looking into his drink. "I have a confession to make." He said, his fingers tapping the side of his cup. "I've never actually been on a date before." He avoided looking Meredith in the eye.

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

Meredith found herself laughing, and that was nice, being able to relax her guard and laugh with him, and she nodded seriously.
"Yes I'm sure it's very difficult and you will risk your very life to be able to ride the carousel with me," she said in mock-dramatic tones, pressing her hand to her head and pretending to swoon "my hero!"

Still smiling, she sipped at her hot chocolate, enjoying the silence of the night around them and the way the flickering candles made the shadows and light dance across the carousel and the two of them.

"If it helps... neither have I," she told him in a conspiratorial tone, feeling a glow of warmth at his words - she might not be the first girl he's ever been with, but this? This was something new, there was nobody else he'd done this for. She wasn't just the latest in a long line, she was special. A tiny part of her kind of hated the cliché of it all, but the rest of her was too happy to really mind.

The picnic was beautiful, the hot chocolate creamy and delicious, and the carousel the most beautifully romantic setting for the two of them to start fresh and get the first date they'd never quite managed. Put together, it was perfect.