'Soon' came only the next day. Merlin was standing in the kitchen, staring at an empty cupboard, wishing that he could use his magic to summon to food – impossible, apparently, according to Gaius, unless he knew exactly where the food was coming on and "supermarket" wasn't specific enough.

"You alright, Merlin?" Gwen came bounding in, a smile painted across her face. She walked over to him, clutching his arm in a hug, looking up to her best friend.

"Not as happy as you, what's up?" He smiled, "No, no, don't tell me…" he pressed his fingers to his forehead, pretending to struggle with his thoughts, he opened his eyes wide, "Lance!"

"Oh shh!" She playfully slapped his arm.

"What's happened?" He smiled as she almost skipped around the table to pull out a chair to sit down on.

"Nothing major." She said, "He just said some very sweet things." Merlin raised his eyebrows at her, urging her to go on, "Some sweet things that I wouldn't have expected him to say…"

"….Like?" He pulled up the chair next to Gwen, taking her hands in his.

"Like he wouldn't want to spend the nights with anyone else!" She squealed, before continuing, "That if I was the only person left to look upon, his eyes would not become tired of me!" Her smile looked fit to burst, and her eyes were rimmed with tears.

"Oh, Gwen! I'm so happy for you!" Merlin meant it. Lance was not the type of person to speak his feelings, he wore his heart locked in a small, tight, metal cage, with the key thrown away in the deepest river, so for him to say these things was a big leap in his and Gwen's relationship. Yet Merlin couldn't help but feel slightly jealous.

Gwen sensed this, "Merlin? What's wrong?"

He shrugged, "Nothing. Just hungry!" He made the excuse.

"Yes, I haven't had time to do the shopping this week…" She said sorrowfully.

"Too busy kissing Lance?" Merlin joked, lightening the mood.

Gwen slapped his arm, "Ohh, shh! Fancy a takeaway?"

"Gwen we had Pizza like two days ago!"

"Oh, stop being such a worrier!" Merlin smiled, both of them knowing full well that Gwen was the real worrier of the two of them, just love had taken over her anxieties for a day and Merlin was happy letting that happen. "Shall we invite people over again? What's Michael doing today?"

"Working." Merlin answered too quickly.

"Working? He has a job?"

"Yeah, in some shop, somewhere…" Merlin made up, sure to be vague as when he comes to think of it, Michael had never mentioned having a job.

"Oh." Gwen frowned, "Well Lance has a day off, and I know Arthur is free too!"

"Arthur?" Gwen nodded, "Where does he work?"

"In some offices, works for that massive estate agent in the city – 'camelot castles'"

"Oh right, I didn't know that…" Merlin mused, thinking about how his own job in a café compared to that of working for an enormous business. He suddenly felt as inferior as he did the day before in the corridor.

"Well, you haven't known him for long have you!" Gwen chirped, standing up to grab her phone from the side, "You hardly know him at all. Today could be a chance for you to get to know him better. And Lance, of course."

Merlin smiled, agreeing. With Mordred at "work" he could look at Arthur as much as he liked, and as much as Arthur allowed.

"Yes it is true, and I hardly believed it myself!" Gwen giggled, digging into the large noodle dish that her and Lance were sharing.

The four of them were sitting in a circle on the living room floor – Gwen, Lance, Merlin and Arthur. Gwen and Lance were sharing a dish of noodles, and Merlin and Arthur shared a large dish of rice. It was helpful them liking the same food.

An empty bottle was lying on it's side in the middle, indicating an on-going game of 'spin-the-bottle'.

"Your first boyfriend was gay?!" Arthur asked Gwen in disbelief. She nodded, unable to talk through her snorting giggles. "Wasn't you, was it Merlin?" Arthur leaned over, punching Merlin's arm slightly, winking at him. Gwen stopped laughing; looking at Merlin as he looked back at her, and to the surprise of the two other men they both fell onto their backs with laughter. "oh GOD." Arthur watched the two, burst out laughing. "It was you wasn't it?" Lance grimaced at Arthur's words.

Merlin sat up quickly, doubling over in his laughter, shaking his head, "No!" Merlin exclaimed, "No, No, it wasn't me!" Gwen sat up as well, wiping the tears from her face.

"Then what's so funny?" Arthur asked, scooping a forkful of rice into his mouth.

Merlin opened his mouth to talk but caught Gwen shaking her head, a wide smile on her face. He just raised his eyebrows at her, and shrugged his shoulders before answering Arthur's question.

"I was Gwen's first kiss!"

"Merlin!" She leant back and grabbed a cushion off the sofa, throwing it at Merlin, burying her face in her hands, giggling underneath them.

"Are you serious!?" Both Lance and Arthur were now in fits of hollow laughter, Arthur leaning back and falling onto his back, next to Merlin.

"It was….A spare of the moment thing!" Gwen squealed from underneath her hands.

"Spare of the moment?" Lance asked through his laughter, putting an arm around Gwen and pulling her close.

"We were drunk!"

"Very drunk!" Merlin shouted from on the floor, turning his face to see Arthur grinning at him. Arthur raised his eyebrows at Merlin, still laughing slightly. "We were!" Merlin pushed, "Very, very drunk!"

"Drunk enough to believe Gwen has a cock? Oh charming!" Lance joked, receiving a slap on the arm from Gwen.

Merlin slowly sat up, and Arthur followed who edged slightly closer to Merlin – not that Merlin noticed. They moved into the circle closer so their knees were touching.

"Care to explain?" Arthur offered, once the four of them had gotten comfortable.

Merlin sighed, "Do we have to?" Merlin looked over to Gwen, cocking his head to the side and shrugging his shoulders.

Gwen shrugged back.

"I think you do!" Arthur laughed, Lance nodding at him in agreement.

Merlin sighed again, pushing a forkful of rice into his mouth and chewing it and swallowing it before continuing, "We were 15 and we were drunk." He stated.

"Is that explanation enough?" Arthur questioned, raising his hands and looking to Lance.

"I think not!" Lance answered, receiving yet another playful slap from Gwen.

"Fine! It was New Years Eve, and we were the only single ones there!" Merlin stated, "We were very, very drunk," He insisted, "and there was a countdown, and Gwen was there, and I was there and…we kissed." Merlin stated, looking over at Gwen and began to giggle again.

"But…you're gay!" Arthur said, not believing anything that he was hearing.

"I know I am!" Merlin laughed, catching Arthurs eyes again as he licked his lips.

"Not a bad kisser either…. for someone who's gay!" Gwen chirped up, giggling, this time she was the one to receive a playful slap from Lance before he enveloped her in a loving embrace, locking lips.

Arthur looked at Merlin again, catching his eye and speaking directly to him, a blush rolling across his cheeks.

"I bet he's not."