It had only been a few days since the family dinner, a few days since Merlin was forced to start lying to his entire family. It had only been a few days, but already Merlin's mother had called him to ask him over for lunch. Merlin knew what kind of lunch it would be, too. He didn't even have to wonder, when he arrived and saw Jen's car there as well. This was an intervention of sorts. They needed to make sure Merlin really wanted to get married, which he didn't, so he had no idea how this was going to go...

He said his greetings and gave hugs to them, his mother and then Jen, and Elyan was there too, for some reason. Probably because he had no life. He didn't have a job and he dropped out of Uni, he really didn't have anything else to do, so he might as well hang out with his mum. At first lunch was alright, no one really talked, Hunith had made ham salad sandwiches and Yorkshire pudding. Merlin made sure that he kept his mouth plenty full, so if he was asked any question, it would give him some time to have to answer it. It didn't take long though, about half way through the meal before the questions started.

"Arthur seems lovely," Huntih started off, and when Merlin didn't say anything, because his mouth was too full and because he really didn't think so. Huntih carried on. "But I cannot help but wonder why you want to rush things...you are young, you have time, why do you want to be tied down so soon?" Merlin only looked at her, at a complete loss for what to say. Truthfully, he agreed with her, but he couldn't say it. "It is like you and Gwen didn't learn from my mistakes, I got married too early. Lucky for me Tom is a good man, but they are not all good men...Lance, being my point. He just abandoned her, I'm not saying Arthur will do that. I am only saying-"

"It is a possibility," said Jen, now. Her professional voice on again and Merlin knew he was in trouble. "Statistically, you have a one in three shot of making it. Not to mention all of the other factors going against you. Like...his age for one."

"That's a good point," said Hunith, Merlin only continued to shovel pudding into his mouth. "I understand love has no age...but you are only twenty, Merlin. Arthur is fourteen years older than you, how can you possibly relate?"

"I mean no disrespect when I say this, Merlin, this may not be the case at all," Jen carried on. It was like Merlin was under fire, being attacked at every side, and his only defense was to eat. "But have you ever thought you might be the product of someone's mid-life crisis? I'm sorry to say, but your relationship ticks all the boxes," said Jen, Merlin stopped eating then, to stare at her. "Arthur is in that age where some men experience a crisis, because they feel old or like their lives are not going the way they wanted them to. Arthur had never been with a man before you, check. He's moving rather quickly, check. And he wanted to keep your relationship secret until it was a good time for him to expose it...check."

"You're his fucking twink, Mate!" said Elyan, who had been watching the two mother's attack Merlin the whole time, with a smirk. Merlin glared at him.

"Shut up!" he retorted at him and then glared at the woman on either side of him. "I am not a mid-life crisis!"

"How can you be sure?" asked Jen now. "Has Arthur made any other big life changes? He just lost his job...-"

"We were together long before he lost his job!" Merlin argued. He never would have guessed that he would be defending his pretend relationship with Arthur, but he here he was. Feeling real, genuine anger filling him. He stood up. "I think I better go."

"We are only trying to make sure you are making the right choice!" said Hunith, trying to stop Merlin from walking away. He did stop, as her hand touched his forearm and he sighed and sat back down.

"Look," he said, tired and almost defeated again. "I know I am making the right choice, because I love him, and...I want to get married, why can't you just trust me?" he asked, Hunith frowned and Jen shook her head. "If it doesn't work out...at least I tried. Because if I don't at least give it a chance...I'll always wonder what if."

Hunith sighed now, troubled and Jen shrugged her shoulders. For the most part, Merlin knew they were still not convinced it was a good idea, neither was Merlin honestly, but they let the topic go. They finished their meals slowly and talked about other things, mostly Merlin's Uni. It was around the time that Merlin was helping his mother clear the dishes and Jen and Elyan were leaving, that suddenly the front door burst open with a loud bang and then Gwen was rushing into the kitchen, looking stressed out.

"Why didn't you invite me to lunch?!" she demanded, looking at all of them with a frantic type stare. They all stared back at her, like she were crazy.

"Because you were meant to be at work?" offered Hunith, Gwen rolled her eyes.

"You shouldn't leave me out," she retorted. Clearly she had just been worried Merlin might have said something about their little agreement, it was obvious by the way she glared at him, for a little too long. "I know Merlin is the exciting one now, but I still matter."

Merlin didn't know what she meant by exciting, probably because he was 'getting married,' but he ignored it, as everyone else did as well, and Hunith offered Gwen a plate of the left overs. Merlin finally left after that. He went back home to finish some of his schoolwork. He only had two weeks left and then he would be off for spring break. Not that he could go anywhere this year, because this year...he would be married. It was a cold and strange thought, one he couldn't have ever dreamed of thinking about at the beginning of this school year. Merlin wasn't entirely sure he had ever actually thought about getting married before. He had never ruled it out, but it wasn't something he was actively seeking out, like Gwen. From the time Gwen had been a kid, she had wanted to get married and have a wedding, she did both and they didn't turn out too well. Merlin on the other hand, didn't really care either way, if one day he did get married...great, if not...okay. It didn't really matter.

He tried to remember, if he ever even thought about marrying Gwaine, while they had been dating, and truthfully no. He knew he was never going to marry Gwaine, the idea hadn't once crossed his mind in the two years they were together. Maybe because Merlin was rather young or maybe for other reasons...

His phone rang, bringing him out of his thoughts and making it quite clear, he was slacking on the studying. Without really looking, he answered the phone. He had thought it was either his mother or Gwen, the only people who really called him all the time. It was neither.

"Hello?" he asked and then there was a long pause, before someone said anything. That was the exact moment Merlin knew it wasn't Gwen or his mother, because they just automatically start spewing words out of their mouths. Merlin puled the phone from his ear and looked at it, it was a number he didn't know and he thought about hanging up, as he placed it back to his ear. "...hello?"

"Merlin?" said a voice and Merlin swore he felt something cold go down his spine. He shouldn't react this way, very soon this man would be his husband. What would happen if he couldn't even stand the sound of his voice? "Guinevere gave me your number."

"Well, she probably should have told me that first..." said Merlin, so I wouldn't have answered, he didn't add.

"She just tends to do whatever she wants," said Arthur, Merlin had to agree there. She had always been that way though. Always in everyone's business and always trying to do the right thing, even if it was wrong. "I let her, in fear of what she might do if I don't."

"She won't do anything...just get angry and then complain."

"That's my job, so I find that rather frightening," said Arthur now and Merlin kind of wondered why he called him, he certainly wasn't getting to any point here. "I've already lost enough of those..."

"Haven't you found another?"

"I can't yet...I'm illegal, I have no right to work here."

Merlin felt the weight of those words on his shoulders, this was the reason they had to do this, the reason they were on the phone . "...oh," he muttered, biting his lip, not sure what else to say. Thankfully, Arthur blew right passed it, as if it didn't matter.

"So, I have been wondering what to put you as in my phone," Arthur said now, letting the weighted silence go almost as soon as it came. "See, I wanted to put you as Merlin, but Guinevere...being herself, said I had to put you in as something cuties."

"Cuties?" offered Merlin, lips curling into a sneer of confusion. "What does that mean?"

"I assume she means a pet-name, or a...I don't know, romantic name," explained Arthur. "I was thinking Butter Fingers, because you did love to drop things..."

"Hey, fuck you!"

"No, that's a little too on the nose..."

"What?"

"Fuck you...I'm not sure the case-worker will like that one much. Maybe French Onion."

"Why?!" demanded Merlin, confused by this also. Merlin wasn't French. "Are you saying I stink?"

Arthur laughed. "The first day you worked for me you spilt French onion soup all over yourself."

"Why do you remember that?" asked Merlin now, because he had not, not until Arthur just reminded him, of course. That had been rather embarrassing. Imagine, some eighteen year old, having no idea what he was doing. But faking that he did so flawlessly, and then he spills his lunch on himself and smells like hell the rest of the day. Arthur laughed again, through the phone.

"Because it was cute."

"Listen...it was not cute and I feel offended you said that."

"Alright...so Cute and Offended then, for the name?"

"Why would you want that in your phone?"

"It's fitting..."

"I'm hanging up on you!"

"Angry, Cute and Offended...that's perfect!"

Merlin pulled the phone away from his ear then and hit the red button, but he wasn't really angry...cute or offended.

(A/N: I know I just updated this and the clock is ticking on a few of my other fanfics, but like this one is finished and I have so much of the sequel written. I just kind of want to get it all posted as soon as possible so I can clear up some space. I do really enjoy this story though, it's cute but also in a frustrating way. Anyway. I also liked this chapter, I hope you all do as well. Thanks!)