It was still pitch black outside. The youngest children ran in yelling excitedly. They lept on the bed and bounced on Arthur. No one but Ella was allowed to sleep. She was only allowed because she was more than willing to punch who dared to wake her up. That was it for the morning. Time to get up!

Gaius had the idea to stop anyone trying to wake Ella and being punched, by going for a walk. The snow had befallen and was crisp and up to James's knee. "Why not go sledging where we went with Mer-err Santa, last night!" Arthur said. The kids were very excited to lead the grownups to the fun. Arthur fell back as the group walked on. He ran off towards the bench where he met merlin. From there, Arthur did his best to remember the path to Merlins house.

Arthur remembered the opening pun as he followed the cracks in the ice in the direction he thought Merlins house was. He went across the bridge, remembering the cold snowball that hit the back of his head. He couldn't help smiling. He avoided a collision with the owners of the car he hit and hurried down the alley. He chuckled, remembering pretending to be a dragon. He followed the long line of cherry trees with blue ball lights trailing around the branches. Then to his surprise he slipped on ice and to his further surprise he was caught before he hit the ground.

Arthur looked up in wonder to see merlin grinning at him. "What a royal ass you are!" He laughed.

"Mer-lin!" Arthur said standing up and dusting himself off. Merlin just laughed.

"D'you think you've got any stronger since the day we met?" Merlin asked squeezing Arthur's biceps. Arthur laughed and hoisted merlin up for a piggy back. Arthur was determined to get Merlin all the way back to his house, even if merlin insisted on kicking him like a horse!

Merlin lept down on the doorstep. A minor detour of rolling down a hill to see who could get more snow-covered, caused them to be minutes behind the children's returning. Much to the children's annoyance, they were forbidden from unwrapping their stockings presents until Arthur was back! The cheer on Arthur's arrival was not as to celebrate his return rather than the benefit of it.

Merlin grinned firmly with each shocked face of the adults as the children got what they asked for. Especially when it was unaffordable. Then they played the games that were asked for. Gwaine was sat surrounded by the children, each had a controller and were playing the game and yelling in victory or defeat and anger or joy. While this was happening, Arthur and merlin were being questioned by the others. Well Arthur was. Ella was showing Merlin the cake she'd made. He was incredibly impressed with it. Between questions, Merlin joked and mucked around with the guys and mildly flirted awkwardly with the girls which left them all laughing.

"Whys there a phone taped to the ceiling?" Merlin asked. Everyone looked up to see it.

"Social convention!" Mordred said. The others confirmed this, desperately trying not to laugh.

Merlin went to the bathroom, and on the way he heard Ella growl in frustration from the dining room. He wandered in, and found a large blanket fort around the table end and chairs. He crouched down and peeked under the blanket. Ella looked up in surprise trying to hide her laptop. "Merlin! Don't tell them I have my laptop!" She begged.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Social convention!" She said rolling his eyes.

"Right. Like the phone on the ceiling!" He said.

"Yeah I guess!" she shrugged, "this is great for hiding in but the roof keeps caving in!"

Merlin looked at the ceiling of the blanket fort thoughtfully. He backed out and pulled a chair curiously. "Ella right? Ella get out and I'll sort this for you!" He said. Ella watched curiously as merlin didn't seem to put much effort in setting it back up, but whatever he did made it much stronger with more room inside too! So when Gemma used it to hide in when she got her phone back, there was room for her.

Merlin rolled her eyes when he left them to play in secret. He was barely back five minutes when Gaius declared it was time to eat!

Merlin sat beside Arthur. Morgana was beside Arthur too. Then Mordred then Gwen then Lancelot then Elyan, Leon, Percival and Gwaine. Gaius's was at the head of the table. The children sat "neatly" down the other side. Uther sat at the other end facing Gaius. They marvelled at the meal lain before them. Fine scarlet wine was poured into the chalice of the men except for merlin and Gwaine. Gwaine had a carling. Merlin, Gwen, Morgana and Ella had strawberry bucks fizz. The children got a choice of fizzy drinks or J20s. "A toast! To Gaius. Year after year without fail he makes majestic meals and brings us all together for Christmas!" Gwaine said raising his glass. Everyone raised their glasses in agreement.

"Thanks Gwaine, but you still have to eat the Brussels sprouts!" Gaius said. The others laughed at him.

Merlin joined in the conversation in depth. He was very much enjoying having people to talk to. Arthur found himself watching Merlin talk, and smiled at Merlin's smile and laughter. Merlin looked genuinely delighted to be there. Especially while pulling crackers. Merlin pulled the red and gold cardboard tube with Arthur. Merlin won, but he pushed a pink paper crown down over Arthur's eyes! Then it was time for utterly god-awful cracker jokes!

"What happened when the carrot died?"

"There was a big turnip at the funeral!"

Merlin read it out with a smirk and Arthur lost himself laughing. Arthur blamed it on the way merlin told them; everyone knew it was his ridiculously simple sense of humour! The room was filled with a deep joy as the children tore open presents that had sat, neatly wrapped, under the tree until Uther passed them around the table. Here, Arthur got a little nervous. He cleared his throat a little and threw a present wrapped in blue with a red and silver bow around it, at merlin.

Merlin was a little surprised. He didn't think Arthur would have gotten him anything because they'd only known each other for a few days. The "men" started to behave like twelve year old girls. "Oooo Arthur's got a crush!" they sang.

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!"

"He could do better!"

"I bet he's pregnant!"

"Are you going to take "the big step" tonight?!"

"You make the cutest couple!"

"Do I hear wedding bells?!"

"I call bridesmaid!"

"I think the wedding theme should be winter wonderland!"

"Jooooooohn that's a nice one! We should work on that!"

Gwaine laughed at how deeply Arthur was blushing. Merlin smiled. He carefully opened the wrapping paper to find a tall, pointed, purple hat with shiny silver stars and a deep reddish brown scarf with "M&A" swirled in silver thread at each end. Merlin laughed. He pulled on the hat and along, frayed silver ribbon fluttered down over his face. He wrapped the long, long scarf around him. It was long enough to wrap around Arthur too, so merlin did.

As the day grew darker, and it was time for merlin to go, Arthur walked merlin out. The children were begging Arthur to play hide and seek with them so Arthur had to shut the front door between them. "I'm sorry about them and dinner and everything! If it's any consolation they liked you. Even Gemma and ELLA! That's an achievement!" Arthur said. He was still slightly embarrassed at how his family hadn't stopped teasing him. Merlin chuckled.

"No they're sweet. I like them!" merlin said.

"Really?" Arthur asked unconvinced.

"Yes! Beats being at home alone anyway!" merlin smiled.

"Yeah well, maybe I shouldn't let you be alone so long," Arthur said.

"Maybe not but what are you going to do about it?" merlin asked.

"Maybe, when I move down here maybe- maybe I'll visit you more!" Arthur said.

"Maybe?"

"Maybe!"

"Maybe I'd like that!"

"Maybe we can stop saying maybe, maybe?"

"Maybe!"

"Maybe you look gorgeous when you're trying to wind me up!"

"Maybe I do!"

"Maybe I want to kiss you!"

"Maybe I want you to!"

"Maybe I should!"

"Maybe I think you should!"

"Maybe I will!"

"Maybe you'd better!"

"Maybe not…"

Merlin chuckled lowly, looking down. He hide the flash of gold in his eyes from Arthur. Then he "happened" to look up and see the mistletoe that maybe was hanging there the whole time. Arthur followed his gaze.

"Has that been there the whole time?" Arthur asked.

"Maybe!" Merlin grinned.

"Merlin!" Arthur chuckled.

"Oh shut up!" merlin chuckled. He softly pressed his lips against Arthur's. Arthur added pressured by pushing back into it.

There was wild whooping and loud cheers, and a loud "ewwwwwwwww they kissed!" followed by giggles from inside. The whole family were pressed against the windows. The children, and Gwaine (because the view was better there) were looking out the window to the left, the adults on the right. Arthur and merlin pulled away to look at the windows. The adults quickly pulled the curtains shut, the children and Gwaine dropped to the floor.

Merlin and Arthur laughed at them. "I'll see you around Arthur!" Merlin said. Then he opened his mouth to add something but Arthur beat him to it.

"Maybe!"