The third installment! Yaay! Which is great, but it also sucks as this is the last one of my reserves, so I have to write one every day now. Ahh!

Unfortunately, I still do not own anything to do with Merlin. It is all property of the BBC.

I also do not own the two films mentioned, they are both property of the respective companies.

Reviews would be fantastic. c:

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, fantastic Christmas movies.

*****

"You've got to be joking. There is no way in hell that I am putting that on my TV!"

"But, Arthur-"

"We are not watching it!" He paused, and grabbed the DVD off Merlin, peering at the front. "What is this anyway?" He snorted, looking disgusted. "Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas? No. We are not watching this. Can't you just pick something decent? Something over a PG?"

Merlin huffed, snatching the DVD back off Arthur. "Have you ever even watched it?"

"No. And I don't plan to." He folded his arms, leaning on the end of the aisle of DVDs. The rental store was surprisingly empty, what with it being late afternoon on a Saturday. It was for this reason that the assistant was loitering annoyingly close, tidying the same row of DVDs over and over again, waiting for his chance to leap into the conversation and finally make a sale. "Come on, Merlin, just pick something else? Please?"

"But you said I could pick anything I wanted." Merlin looked smug and waved the DVD case in Arthur's face. "So I pick this."

"I said you could pick anything, yes, but I said within reason."

"This is within reason. It's not as if it's the end of the world if the Mighty Manly Arthur watches a film rated U, now is it?"

"I still say no." Arthur shrugged, ignoring Merlin's completely unimpressed expression. He couldn't help but smile when Merlin gave up being tactful, instead choosing to simply whinge.

"But I watch it every year."

"Since when?" Arthur frowned. He couldn't remember Merlin ever mentioning it.

"Since ever!"

"You didn't watch it last year," He pointed out. "And I remember that because we were at your Mum's for most of the holiday."

"Well…" Merlin looked sheepish, fidgeting about, staring at his feet. "Do you remember when my Mum asked you to clear the drive of snow for her?"

Arthur remembered. He'd found it slightly amusing that Hunith had asked him, rather than trust her own son with the shovel. "Yes. What has that go to do with it?"

"I, er, watched it then."

"You what? You were watching a film while I was slaving away outside in the freezing cold?!" He could clearly remember the unpleasant feeling of frozen fingers and toes, and the horrid image of himself afterwards; deathly pale, but with an extremely red nose. Hunith's drive was unfairly long. "I really don't want to watch it now."

"I'll make dinner for you?" Merlin clearly hadn't had much experience in the field of bribing, if this was anything to go by.

"Is that supposed to be an incentive?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Do you not remember the last time you cooked for me?" Unfortunately for Merlin, Arthur remembered exactly what had happened. Not only had he set off the fire alarm twice, and burnt the macaroni beyond recognition, he hadn't even used the oven – Arthur hadn't trusted him with it, and for good reason it would seem. Even microwave food had ended in disaster.

"I remember." Merlin scowled. "I'll order in? And pay?"

"Hmm…" Arthur pretended to hesitate, weighing up his options. He shrugged and opened his mouth to answer, lips pulled down in a mock frown.

"I'll even wash up? And buy ice-cream?"

"You want to watch this film so badly you'd willingly wash up?" Merlin nodded quickly. Usually, he tried to palm off the dishes to Arthur by either plugging his earphones in so that he couldn't hear when Arthur asked, or very quickly deciding after dinner would be a wonderful time to call his mother. "Wow. This is… very unlike you."

"So we can watch it?"

"Yes." Merlin grinned widely and went to fling his arms around Arthur in thanks. He stopped abruptly when Arthur held his hand up quickly. "But next week, we watch what I want."

"Okay!" As soon as Merlin pulled away, the persistent assistant leapt in, grinning and holding his hand out for the DVD.

*****

Arthur gratefully took the mug of hot chocolate Merlin handed to him, holding it out of the way as Merlin snuggled back into his previous position, his back to Arthur's chest. "So," He took a sip of the hot chocolate, careful not to scald his tongue. "What is this film about anyway?"

Fiddling with the remote and attempting to make it do what he wanted it to do, Merlin looked up at him. "Christmas cheer and selflessness."

"Oh, I can't wait." Arthur reached around Merlin and carefully took the remote from him, before he could destroy it. "Bashing it against your leg isn't going to make it work." He said, simply pressing the play button. He let out a small sigh as the screen jumped into life and the overly-happy Christmas music began to play.

*****

Arthur couldn't help it. He couldn't help the fact that a smile crept onto his face every time some character did something nice, and he couldn't help the fact that he was just as devastated as Minnie when she realized Mickey had swapped his harmonica for a watch strap for her. Much to his horror, he was enjoying himself. And while he tried to force the smile off his face, and push away the empathy, Merlin noticed. He didn't mention anything until the credits had begun to roll, and Arthur had let his head fall back onto the sofa in relief.

"Clearly it was not as bad as you thought it would be, hmm?"

Arthur cursed silently, feigning disbelief. "I don't know what you mean, he scoffed, thinking frantically for something to change the subject to. "It was atrociously bad."

"Uh-huh. So that was why you were grinning like an idiot when Donald made a fool of himself, and when Mickey and Minnie had a wonderful Christmas?"

"I…" He floundered for a witty response, hesitating before replying with a weak, "I was not."

"Oh you so were!" Grinning from ear to ear, Merlin turned to look at him. "You actually enjoyed it? Wow. I had hoped you wouldn't completely hate it, but you actually liked it?"

Arthur scowled and folded his arms. "I did not."

"Did."

"Did not."

"You did! You did!"

"Oh, go wash up!" Arthur shoved him off the sofa, expecting him to protest loudly. Instead, much to Arthur's shock, Merlin merely stood up, gathered their mugs and wandered into the kitchen, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Next week, Merlin," Arthur called over his shoulder, desperately ejecting the disc. "We're watching The Shining." He smiled as Merlin unceremoniously dropped the mug he had been holding onto the floor. Suddenly, Arthur couldn't wait for the next Saturday.