A/N: This chapter made me smile even as I was writing it. I hope it makes all of you smile too. Feel free to leave a review to tell me your thoughts!

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is Emily.

/

For the next several months Arthur gave up on getting a full nights' rest. On the bright side, he became an expert at changing a diaper and could make a bottle with his eyes closed. Even though he was so sleep deprived he felt like joining Emily when she cried, he wouldn't have changed a thing.

His father gave him six weeks of leave when she came home, and he was glad to have the time off. He loved being a junior editor at Penn Publishing, but Emily was more important. When his leave was over it was really hard for Arthur to leave her at daycare. His only consolation was that in eight hours he could pick her up. That became the routine, and from then on time seemed to pass so quickly Arthur could barely keep up. Before he thought it was possible Emily was ten months old and was starting to crawl. Not long after that, they got some new neighbors. Arthur was making himself dinner while simultaneously feeding Emily some mashed carrots when there was a knock on the door.

"One moment!" he called as he grabbed Emily from her highchair. He walked to the door while she amused herself with pulling his hair. When he got the door opened two people stood on the other side wearing matching grins.

"Hello." Arthur said in a confused tone. The man extended his hand and Arthur shuffled Emily over so that he could shake it. The stranger was tall, tan, with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. The woman was small with mocha skin, curly brown hair, and bright brown eyes.

"Hello! I'm Lance and this is my wife Gwen. We just moved in next door."

Arthur smiled.

"Well, welcome to the building. I'm Arthur and this is my daughter Emily."

Gwen smiled and said, "She's adorable! How old is she? I'd guess about nine, ten months."

Arthur nodded.

"Ten months last week. How'd you guess?"

"I'm a pediatric nurse. I'm also expecting." she said placing a hand over her stomach.

"Well, congratulations!"

"Thank you. We won't keep you long, we just wanted to say hello." Lance said putting his hand on the small of Gwen's back.

"It's not a problem. I was just attempting to make dinner."

"Well, I'm a pretty good cook if you're ever hungry. We'd be more than happy to have you over."

"I'll remember that." Arthur said with a smile. Lance waved and they moved back toward their apartment. Emily giggled and waved back.

"You like them, huh?" Arthur asked her. She just gave him a big smile.

/

Arthur really liked Gwen and Lance too. They became fast friends. Gwen was actually the first person he called when Emily took her first steps. Even his father seemed to like them when he met them at Emily's first birthday party. A few months later Gwen gave birth to a baby boy that they named Thomas. Many play dates were planned for him and Emily. By that time Emily was talking, but Arthur would always remember that her first word had been "dad." Life went on and time seemed to fly. Arthur loved his life. He thought he had everything he needed until Emily mentioned something that was missing.

"Daddy, why don't you have someone to love?"

She was three now and was in the stage where she was constantly asking questions.

"What do you mean? I have people to love. I love you and Grandfather and Aunt Gwen and Uncle Lance and Tommy. I have plenty of people to love." Arthur answered as he set down her plate of scrambled eggs.

"No, not like that. Someone to love like Aunt Gwen loves Uncle Lance."

Arthur took a sip of his coffee before he answered.

"Well, I don't know. I guess I just haven't had time to look for someone."

"You should." Emily said.

Arthur laughed and stole a bite of her eggs.

"You think so? Why?"

Emily put her hand over Arthur's and sighed.

"Because you're lonely, Daddy."

"I'm not lonely!"

"Yes you are. That's why you sleep with that big pillow."

Arthur almost choked on his coffee. She wasn't supposed to know that.

"I don't want you to be lonely. I want you to look at someone like Grandpa looks at a picture of Grandma."

She hopped off her chair and went to change out of her pajamas. Arthur could only stare after her and wonder when she became so perceptive.

/

That Friday Gwen and Lance agreed to watch Emily so that Arthur could have a night out.

"Emily, are you ready to go to Aunt Gwen's and Uncle Lance's?" he called down the hallway. She emerged from her room with her little pink backpack and a smile.

"Yes! I packed my pj's and my toothbrush." she said proudly.

Arthur smiled at her and took her hand. They walked next door together and Arthur knocked. Usually Lance opened the door, but tonight it wasn't Lance or Gwen. Standing in the doorway was a man Arthur had never seen before. He was taller than Arthur, but not my much, with short black hair and the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. He smiled at Arthur and the expression only made his cheekbones more prominent.

"Hi! You must be Arthur. Gwen said she was expecting you." he said standing to the side so Arthur could come in.

"My name's Emily! What's yours?" Emily asked. The man bent down to her level and held out his hand.

"My name is Colin. It's very nice to meet you, Emily."

Emily took his hand and gave him a big smile. At that moment Gwen walked up holding Tommy.

"Hey guys! Emily, would you like to go and play with Tommy in the living room?" she asked. Emily nodded and ran off with the boy after his mother set him down. Gwen came and gave Arthur a hug.

"I see you've already met Merlin."

Arthur returned her hug and gave a confused look to the other man.

"He said his name was Colin."

The man laughed and a light blush crept over his face.

"It is, Merlin is an old nickname."

"Interesting choice." Arthur said when Gwen pulled away.

"It's a long story."

Gwen waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

"No it's not. Merlin and I were neighbors and best friends growing up, even though he's three years younger than me. Anyway, he started playing the piano when he was three and he took to it like a fish takes to water. Every time he plays it's like he has you under a spell, so I started calling him Merlin. The name stuck."

Arthur nodded.

"Well, it makes a little more sense now. So, Merlin, what brings you to New York?"

"I graduated a few weeks ago from The Boston Conservatory and I got offered a spot in the Philharmonic."

Arthur's eyes widened.

"Really? That's amazing. You must be as good as Gwen says."

The blush darkened and Merlin looked away.

"I guess."

Gwen laughed.

"Don't let him fool you, Arthur. He's brilliant! He's also incredibly modest."

"So, where're you living?" Arthur asked.

"No where yet. Gwen and Lance are letting me sleep on the couch until I can find something. I got here this afternoon but I've got a whole day of apartment hunting lined up tomorrow. Hopefully I can get something this weekend. Rehearsals start Monday morning and I still need to get all my stuff shipped from my mom's house."

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks!" Merlin replied with another broad grin. Arthur's heart started beating faster the longer he looked at it. He was so drawn in that he didn't realize that Gwen had been talking until she said his name.

"Sorry, what?" he asked.

"I was just saying that maybe you could take Merlin with you when you go out tonight. That way he could get a taste of the nightlife instead of watching Disney movies and babysitting."

Arthur was about to reply when Merlin beat him to it saying, "No, it's really ok. I don't want to intrude or anything."

Arthur shook his head.

"You wouldn't be. I'm just going down to the bar for a few drinks and maybe grab some dinner somewhere. You're more than welcome to join me."

Merlin looked between him and Gwen and then finally nodded.

"I'll just get my wallet then." When he walked away Gwen gave Arthur a delighted smile.

"What's that look for?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that Merlin is my oldest friend and I love him like a brother. There's nothing I don't know about him and vice versa."

"And?"

Gwen's smile turned into a smirk.

"And I know that you're just his type. Judging by the way you were looking at him just a second ago, he's your type too."

This was not the first time Gwen had tried to set him up. A few months after they met she tried to convince him to ask out a fellow nurse that Gwen worked with. That's when he told her of his attraction to men.

"Gwen, I don't even know him. I'm taking him out to be nice."

She nodded.

"Sure, but you never know, right?"

Arthur didn't get a chance to answer since Merlin had come back.

"All right, I'm ready when you are." he said.

"Then let's go." Arthur said without looking at Gwen.

/

Two drink in, and Arthur could already tell that he and Merlin were going to be good friends.

"So then Will pushed her in the pond. Gwen was so mad when she finally got out."

Arthur tossed his head back in a laugh. Merlin giggled with him and Arthur tried not to think about how adorable he was.

"But enough about me. I'm pretty sure you know everything important by this point. Tell me about you."

Arthur took another sip of his drink before responding.

"Well, I'm twenty-five and I work as a junior editor at Penn Publishing which is my family's business. My grandfather started it when he was my age. Let's see, I've lived in New York my whole life. I graduated from NYU with a double major in English and Business. I was in college when I met Vivian, Emily's mother. It was a drunken one-night stand that led to her conception. It's one of those things that I'm not proud of but that I wouldn't change for the world. Vivian was actually the first and only woman I've ever been with." he finished with another long sip of his drink.

"What happened to her?"

"She died. A guy ran a red light and hit the driver's side of her car when she was still pregnant with Emily. They did everything they could, but she didn't make it. They had to deliver Emily two months early in order to save her. She spent almost two months in the hospital before I could bring her home."

Merlin's eyes widened.

"Geez, I'm sorry."

Arthur shook his head.

"Don't be. Shit happens, that's how life is. Anyway, Vivian was an orphan and she'd planned to give Emily up for adoption. I'd agreed to it, but then when I saw her I just couldn't. That's pretty much the story of my life."

Merlin sipped his own drink for a minute.

"What about your family? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope. It's just my father and I. My mother died when I was born and my father never remarried. There is Gaius though. He's my family's lawyer and I've known him my whole life, so I guess he's family too."

Merlin laughed.

"His name is Gaius?"

"Well, that's his last name. His first name is George but everyone just calls him Gaius."

It was around that time that they finished their drinks and Arthur motioned toward the door.

"Care for some dinner?"

"Sure, but I'll have to trust your taste in restaurants."

Arthur smiled.

"I know a good place that's only a few blocks away."

They walked there in a companionable silence. If Arthur noticed that Merlin seemed to walk closer to him than was strictly necessary he didn't say anything about it. Over dinner he explained how he met Gwen and Lance. Merlin smiled and nodded when he heard that Gwen had offered to make him dinner even without really knowing him.

"She's just that kind of person. It's no wonder she makes a living taking care of people and that she's a great mother."

"Yeah, she's pretty much the greatest. Lance is a real stand-up guy too."

Merlin nodded.

"Yeah. I remember when they first met. I had just started at the Conservatory and she called me at three in the morning. She'd just come back from a party where she'd met this guy named Lance. They'd talked the whole night and he'd walked her home. She told me that she'd never met anyone like him and that she thought they were made for each other. I guess she was right."

"I guess she was. What about you? Have you met your other half?"

Merlin laughed and shook his head.

"If I had then I wouldn't be single, would I? I've actually only been in one relationship and it didn't work out. Two kisses in and I figured out that I didn't much care for girls. She took it well though. We stayed friends until she moved away for college. I've been in love once though. That didn't go anywhere either though. I told you about Will, Gwen and I's friend, well he was my first love. I never got a chance to tell him though. He was killed our senior year of high school in a drive-by shooting. After that I just wasn't in the mood to look for anyone."

"I know what you mean. After Emily was born I guess I tuned out the world. She took up every spare second I had and I was fine with that."

Merlin nodded and gave Arthur a small smile.

"Still tuning out the world?" he asked quietly.

Arthur saw the blush that Merlin was trying to hide and felt his heart pick up.

"No, I'm not."

After dinner they walked back to the apartment building together and this time Arthur made sure that his shoulder bumped Merlin's a few times. When they got to Gwen's door Arthur bit back his nerves and took Merlin's hand.

"I'm really out of practice with this whole dating thing, but I'd really like to see you again. Maybe we could catch a movie on Sunday?"

Merlin looked at their joined hands and then met Arthur's nervous gaze. He squeezed Arthur's hand and nodded.

"I'd like that. Maybe we could bring Emily? I'd like to get to know her better."

Arthur nodded.

"I'm sure she'd love to come."

Merlin squeezed Arthur's hand again and then leaned in to press his lips gently to Arthur's. It was barely a kiss but it still left him breathless.

"Enjoy the rest of your night." he said before he let himself into the apartment with Gwen's spare keys. Arthur was left with no choice but to go back to his own apartment and replay everything that had happened that night.

/

When Arthur went to pick up Emily the next morning Merlin was already gone. Lance opened the door and gave him a friendly smile and a one-armed hug. He'd just released Arthur when Emily came running out of the kitchen and attached herself to his leg.

"Well good morning!" he said as he ruffled her hair.

"Good morning, Daddy!" she said as she ran off again to get her bag.

"How was she?" he asked Lance.

"Perfect as always. You know you never need to worry."

"Well, I really appreciate you guys taking her last night."

"It wasn't a problem. How'd your date go? Gwen told me that you took Merlin out."

Arthur shook his head. He should have known.

"It was good. We're going to go see a movie with Emily tomorrow."

Lance's eyes widened.

"Really? That's great. Merlin is a really nice guy."

"Yeah, he is."

Emily came back with her bag in hand and Arthur waved goodbye to Lance. When they were back home Arthur asked Emily, "What would you think about going to see a movie tomorrow with Merlin and I?"

Her eyes lit up.

"That would be fun! He helped Tommy and I make pancakes for breakfast this morning while Uncle Lance and Aunt Gwen were still asleep. He's really nice and funny. I like him."

"I like him too. Now, go get changed. We're supposed to go have lunch with Grandfather soon."

She ran off to her room and Arthur leaned against the door. It'd been a long time since he'd been this excited.

/

On Saturday night Arthur called over to Gwen's and talked with Merlin about what movie they would go see. There was a new animated kid's movie out that looked like something Emily would like. They agreed on a time and then hung up. Arthur had a hard time getting to sleep that night. The next day saw him and Merlin swinging Emily between them on the way to the theater.

"Again! Again!" she laughed as she tugged on their hands. Arthur glanced at Merlin and they became her swing once again.

"Can I have gummy bears at the movie, Daddy?" she asked after she'd calmed down from her laughing fit.

"I guess you can. As long as you promise to eat all your vegetables at dinner tonight."

"Is Merlin staying for dinner?" she asked looking between them. Merlin looked at Arthur and shrugged.

"Yes." Arthur answered. Emily let out a happy squeal and ran forward dragging both men with her. They got to the theater and Arthur bought all three tickets.

"You didn't have to do that." Merlin said when they were in line for snacks.

"You paid for your own drinks and dinner last night, and this is supposed to be a date."

Merlin smiled but said, "Fine, but I'm getting the snacks."

Arthur didn't argue. When they were picking seats in the theater Arthur tried to put Emily in the middle, but she shook her head.

"No, Merlin goes in the middle." she insisted.

"Why?" Arthur asked her.

She sighed.

"Because I know that you want to sit next to him, Daddy."

Merlin did a terrible job at trying to hide his laugh. Arthur was just glad that the theater was dark so that no one could see him blush. Merlin settled into the seat next to Arthur and Emily plopped down next to him. Arthur leaned forward so that he could see her but Merlin put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll guard her with my life."

Arthur smiled at him and sat back. Halfway through the movie he felt Merlin's hand settle on top of his on the armrest. He turned his hand so that he could lace their fingers together and tried unsuccessfully to wipe the smile off his face. When the end credits started to roll and the lights came back on Emily started bouncing in her seat.

"I liked it!" she said happily.

"Me too!" Merlin said as he stood up. He didn't let go of Arthur's hand, and Arthur didn't pull away. When they were in the lobby Emily reached for Merlin's other hand without a word. He let her take it and Arthur smiled. When they got home Emily ran to her room to play while Arthur moved toward the kitchen. Merlin followed after him.

"She likes you." Arthur said.

Merlin leaned against the counter and smiled.

"I like her too."

"She's pretty great."

"That she is, but then, so's her father." Merlin said. Arthur smiled at him and pulled him in for a kiss. Merlin kissed him back instantly. Arthur let his hands settle on Merlin's hips and Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck. Arthur pulled away long before he wanted to.

"We shouldn't do this in the kitchen. Emily will never let me hear the end of it."

Merlin laughed as he stepped back.

"Well, we wouldn't want your daughter embarrassing you, now would we?"

"It would be a tragedy."

Arthur decided to make chicken and broccoli alfredo for dinner and Merlin helped him. Arthur was astonished at how easily they worked together and maneuvered around each other in the small space. He wondered if Merlin noticed. When dinner was ready and the table was set he called for Emily. She came skipping down the hallway and took her seat at the table. Over dinner she told them how her baby doll was angry at her teddy bear because he stole the doll's hair bow. Merlin listened to her as if she was giving him the answers to all of life's problems. When she was done Merlin told her that he had a similar problem when he was her age. One of his G.I. Joe's caused a Power Ranger to break his leg and all his other toys refused to play with him. Emily giggled all the way through his story. After dinner Merlin insisted that he do the washing up while Arthur gave Emily her bath. He'd just gotten her changed into her pajamas when she said, "I want Merlin to tuck me in."

"Ok." Arthur said and gave her a kiss. He walked back into the living room to see that everything was spotless.

"Wow, you did a good job."

"My mom would be appalled if I didn't."

Arthur laughed and gestured to the hallway.

"Emily wants you to tuck her in."

"Really?"

Arthur nodded and Merlin made his way to Emily's room. He walked in to find her already in bed.

"Come here." she whispered to him.

He walked over and sat on the edge of her bed.

"I have a secret to tell you."

"What is it?" Merlin asked in a whisper.

"My daddy really, really likes you."

Merlin gasped.

"He does?"

Emily nodded.

"How do you know that?" Merlin asked.

"Because he told me yesterday and because he looks at you like Uncle Lance looks at Aunt Gwen."

"Well, I've got a secret for you too."

Emily scooted closer to him.

"I really like your daddy too."

Emily gave him her biggest smile.

"Daddy needs someone to love. I hope he picks you." she said leaning up and kissing his cheek before settling into her pillows. Merlin pulled her covers over her and then turned off her light and shut her door. He walked back out to Arthur and shook his head.

"You've got a really perceptive kid." he said.

Arthur laughed.

"I know. I don't know where she gets it from."

Merlin joined him on the couch and pressed himself into Arthur's side.

"So, I found an apartment. It's a small studio in Alphabet City. I got the paperwork all done and I can move in on Wednesday."

Arthur pulled him closer and said, "Congratulations," before pulling him into a kiss. Merlin smiled against his lips and melted into him. When they pulled apart he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing really. I just had a feeling when I moved here that my life was going to change in a major way. I was right."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Merlin cupped his cheek and shook his head.

"Not at all. I just didn't know it would happen so fast. In three days I've managed to get a new home and a new boyfriend. That's got to be a record."

"Boyfriend, huh?" Arthur asked. Merlin let his hand drop but Arthur reached for him and kissed him again.

"I like the sound of that." he said against Merlin's lips.