The Christmas tree was not the only thing they had clashed over. Only a few days after the tree. Which, was a beautiful white lit, blue and white clad tree, that sat in the sitting room and Merlin felt zero remorse for it. But now, it was Arthur's birthday. Gwen seemed to forgive and forget about the whole tree thing and she sat in the dinning room, while Arthur was off alone, grocery shopping. Since Merlin hated shopping, really, and Gwen wouldn't let them go alone together anyway. She sat in the dining room with a piece of paper writing down names she planned on inviting to Arthur's party. It was meant to be a surprise, which had been Merlin's idea, and was going to have a few of Arthur's friends. Of course somehow Gwen had insisted on inviting their family now too. Which, Merlin hadn't wanted because Arthur might not want them there. Although, nowadays Arthur got along pretty well with Merlin's dad and he had always gotten along with Elyan. So, hopefully it was okay.

"We should do a red and gold theme," said Merlin, as Gwen kept writing down things she wanted to do. Little things like buy a keg were on the list, but everything Merlin suggested, she ignored. "His favorite color is red and his wedding ring is gold. So, that must mean he likes that color, too..."

"Merlin," said Gwen, with tiredness in her voice. "Arthur is a grown man...he doesn't need a theme. For a party like this we mostly just need good food and drinks."

"Right..." said Merlin, slowly. "But we're not going to decorate?"

"I don't know what I will do yet, I've only just begun planning," said Gwen and then wrote something else down on the list. "We do need a cake."

"I want to get him a cake shaped like a football," said Merlin then and he was really serious about this. "I can call the same woman who made my TARDIS wedding cake and see if she can do it." Gwen looked up at this and scrunched her nose up in distaste at the idea. "Oh come on, Gwen...I want to be involved. You can come up with the party plan and I can get the cake."

"You haven't got any money," said Gwen. "And what flavor are you going to get this cake? Arthur can be very picky with food..."

"He's liked everything I've made him..." said Merlin, confused at this, because Arthur normally just ate whatever was offered to him. He supposed he had hated the Ranch Potatoes. But every normal, living person hated them. The expectation of this was Merlin's dad...but he had said normal. So, point still proven. "I want to get chocolate cake with cookie's and cream-"

"Is Arthur turning fourteen?" retorted Gwen. "No, he needs an adult cake. Just don't worry about it, Merlin. I will take care of it."

Merlin frowned at this, because of course she was doing this. She was herself after all. "No," he said, sternly. "I want the footie cake!"

"I said no...leave it alone, Merlin. You haven't got to make every single thing so complicated."

"Why should you get to pick out everything?" he retorted back. Gwen put down her pen then and looked at Merlin as if he were stupid.

"I'm his girlfriend!"

"And?" said Merlin then, stubbornly. "I'm his husband..."

"That doesn't mean anything!" retorted Gwen quickly, but her very obvious anger was showing through. She was pissed he had said that, he could tell. "It isn't a real marriage!"

"Real or not, I technically have more rights to him than you do," said Merlin, and honestly he was just being petty at this point. He wanted to make her mad. "If something happened to him right now it would fall on me to care for him, to pull the plug...to burry him. You get it? I have the legal rights...so I should at least get to plan his birthday."

"How dare you use that against me!" she yelled then and stood up. She stood up with so much force that the chair she had been sitting in fell over. "You are ungrateful and childish, Merlin! I should have known I couldn't have ever trusted you with something so important as this!"

"Nah...you just don't like being told," he offered back, calmly and still sitting. She yelped out something that sounded like a curse word and then grabbed her purse. "And now you're leaving...like you normally do when you get told something."

"Shut up, Merlin!" she screamed at him. Yes, screamed. "And you better not dare try throwing a party for him. I swear to it, Merlin! You have gone too far now!"

And then she was gone, stomping out of the house with true and absolute anger. Merlin only sat there, rather unbothered.

The day of the party was only a few days later after this, and Merlin hadn't involved himself again. Not because he didn't want to, but because he wasn't allowed. He hadn't even been there when the party started, so he had no idea what Arthur's reaction to it was. He had been at Uni. It wasn't a surprise to him though, he had known it was going to happen, Gwen just hadn't told him a time that it was starting. Who starts a party at 1 PM? Merlin would have skipped, he had a clear record so one time...for his husband, real or fake, his professor would probably understand. But he hadn't, so he supposed it was his own fault.

When Merlin walked in Arthur was already sat at the table, plate full of different looking breads and cheeses, and a soft pretzel. He was sat there, in deep conversation with someone Merlin recognized, Leon...it was Leon. He smiled as he walked closer, wondering if Leon would recognize him. Merlin wondered if Arthur had told Leon anything, real or fake. Maybe he hadn't said anything about anything at all, Arthur was kind of private sometimes.

"Merlin!" said Arthur, just as soon a he had turned his head just slightly to the right. Merlin sat down at a chair at the table, next to Arthur and smiled. "Where have you been, why weren't you here when I got home?"

"I was at Uni..." Merlin trailed off and Arthur frowned. Merlin stared at him. Trying to explain, without saying that Gwen didn't tell him any details. Leon looked between them, a smirk playing n his lips, as he jabbed a thumb in Arthur's direction.

"You really married this guy?" he asked, clearly very amused and it was obvious what story Arthur had told him now. "After you complained about him so much in the breakroom? That's funny..."

"I'm only in it for the insurance payout," said Merlin, with a playful smirk. Leon laughed and Arthur leaned over and pinched him in the ribs. Like he always did. Merlin only continued to smirk and reached across to Arthur's plate and stole his pretzel. Arthur eyed him darkly for it. The plates themselves are a dark purple color, and the napkin Leon kept toying with between his fingers was teal...teal, so clearly Gwen hadn't listened to Merlin's ideas at all.

"So, how's it going?" asked Leon now, happily chatting with Merlin. He always did like to talk to him on their lunch breaks. Merlin didn't mind, he always found Leon cute. "Still doing good in Uni?"

Merlin nodded, shoving bits of pretzel into his mouth. "Same as always, me and the Dean are on a first name basis now. Francis adores me!"

Leon let out a bark of a laugh and stood up then, taking an empty beer bottle with him. "You were always so funny, Merlin. Must be why Arthur fell for you..." Merlin smirked at this, as Leon walked off, into the kitchen where other people stood around. Merlin watched him go, watching as his dirty red curls bounced as he did.

"Put your eyes back in your head," said Arthur and Merlin turned back to him and his smirk grew.

"Why, jealous?"

"He's got two ex-wives and three children," retorted Arthur. "I'm doing you a favor."

"I can't get pregnant and I'm already married...sounds like a prefect match to me," said Merlin now, keenly watching Arthur's reaction. Which, was that of utter distaste.

"Merlin!" Arthur warned.

"Oh, you just want me for yourself...I get it," he was joking. But Arthur turned to Merlin then and narrowed his eyes. Which, made Merlin take pause and stare back, a little blankly.

"And if I do?" said Arthur. His voice was dark, and Merlin felt his ears go red from it. he gulped and stared at him still. What did that mean? Merlin had only been kidding and he wasn't ever seriously interested in Leon anyway. Arthur's demeanor changed though, after almost an entirety of staring at each other. At least it felt like a really long time. He shrugged then. "If you really want to...I'm not going to stop you. I can't stop you."

"I...I don't want to," said Merlin now. He stumbled over his words, still reeling from the way Arthur had looked at him just then. His gaze was so intent and blue and...scandalizing to the very bone. Merlin nearly chocked on the bit of pretzel he had just shoved into his mouth, just thinking about it.

(A/N: I wasn't going to update tonight, but I really had nothing else to do so I thought why not? I hope you enjoyed, I again wrote this one so long ago I forgot all about it, I did enjoy it tho, I have to say. I hope you did, too!)