When Arthur suggests they stay in tonight, get curry take-away and watch the telly on the couch for old time's sake, Merlin agrees happily instead of offering to go with him to Vivian's party at that exclusive place downtown. Arthur's usually the type to take the night out on the town until it's night no longer, so Merlin knows something's different.
They met on New Year's when they were nine, shut into the den while the grown ups partied with cocktails, cheese cubes and gherkins until the wee hours.
Arthur was determined to stay up, though, pout firmly in place as he tugged his new friend Merlin in front of the fire and talked about himself. Supposedly Merlin ended up drooling on Arthur when he fell asleep at eleven, but Merlin has a distinct memory of Arthur falling asleep curled against him, leaning wonkily against the divan as he wrapped both arms around Merlin's tummy, two hours before the countdown.
"How about I meet you at Sangeeta's after work and we'll go to yours?" Arthur asks over the phone, voice laced with nervousness.
Merlin twirls the phone cord around his fingers. "That's fine. I get off early today so I'll see you at 6?"
Arthur mutters something about Merlin working too far from town and hangs up, but Merlin smiles anyway.
He's smiling still when he sees Arthur two hours later, bundled up in an expensive, dark peacoat, with earmuffs and that scarf Merlin bought him with the dragons on it. He's trying to look dignified but Merlin just laughs, pushes him lightly on the arm before opening the door to the restaurant. Before passing through the door, Arthur comments on Merlin's own state of dress-a puffy blue jacket and bright red scarf paired with a green beanie hat with a white pom-pom like a cherry atop a sundae. Merlin's apparent knack for looking ridiculous is in the top ten on Arthur's list of daily rants.
They pile into Arthur's tiny sports car and talk about Merlin's latest commissions until they get to Merlin's apartment. And then they pile into Merlin's tiny living room and lay their meal out on the coffee table before popping in a movie and stuffing themselves silly.
They make it through another film, lazy-full and slumped on the couch, until Arthur leans against Merlin and falls asleep to the opening credits of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Merlin noses at Arthur's hair, content, and dozes.
"Merlin, it's almost 12," Arthur whispers, and Merlin stretches peering blearily about the darkened room. Arthur is sitting up rubbing his eyes, but looking steadily more anxious as the seconds pass by.
They turn on the telly to watch the countdown with 4 minutes to spare.
When there's only a minute left, Arthur turns to Merlin and tentatively weaves their fingers together. "D'you know why I wanted to stay in with you tonight?"
Merlin looks down at their entwined fingers and shakes his head.
"I wanted... I decided the person I wanted to be with on New Year's was my best friend. I didn't want to spend the night with anyone else, pretending that you weren't the only person I've ever wanted to be with."
Merlin frowns. "What do you mean?"
"I like you, Merlin. I mean, I really like you-" They both look at the television, watching the countdown arrive at ten seconds. "Damn it," Arthur whispers, and turns Merlin's face so he can kiss him, nice and proper.
And it nice and proper-except that it isn't. It's sloppy and enthusiastic and it makes Merlin's toes curl in his woolly socks.
When they've kissed themselves drunk, Merlin buries his nose in the scarf still wrapped around his neck, feeling flushed and happy.
"So, yeah," Arthur says, and Merlin pulls him down, wraps him in an octopus hug and doesn't let go.