So hi to all my readers. I am back, most of my problems from this summer have been resolved. The Exile is on hiatus, but I am still working on it. I wanted to give you all this little Christmas present and let you know I am still alive and safe. The 12 Days of Christmas is finished. I'll be publishing it over the next few days. Enjoy and happy holidays everyone.


The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 8

Arthur looked at the mantle above the fireplace. Gwen had taken the photo they had used as their Christmas tree reference and framed it. It was one of a parade of Christmas photos that Guinevere had was using as a part of her Christmas and Gwen were in the photo together with Gwen's family.

They couldn't have been anymore than fourteen. Merlin was willow switch thin in the photo just as he was now and already quite tall, though not the 6'2 he would eventually reach. His lanky awkwardness was evident in photograph his arms looking too long and his ears sticking out like bat wings on either side of his head. He grinned that hesitant hopeful sort of grin that Arthur rarely saw. A smile that mixed fear and hope and pleaded with you to like him, to be happy.

Gwen already had the height she would be for life and wore a pair of thick glasses, her curly hair a messy frizz about her head. She grinned with the kind of excited innocence only a teenager would have, showing shiny, silver braces. There was no savvy or guile in her expression only excitement at being in the world.

In the next photo they were obviously a bit older. Gwen no longer wore her braces nor did she smile so bright. Merlin looked less awkward and all wore Hunith's matching Christmas sweaters. Balinor was in the next photo and neither Merlin nor Hunith's smile reached their eyes. Gwen was starting to experiment with make-up.

And then there was senior year.

Gwen's glasses were gone. Make-up now gave her a polished affect, and she smiled bright with confidence. This was the Guinevere that he would meet a year later. Merlin also looked very much an adult. He no longer looked so terribly awkward and even his ears seemed to fit his face. His eyes were on Gwen though and while he smiled there was no happiness in it. Had Guinevere already met Lance?

Lancelot and Guinevere had not been a couple, at least not the way Gwen descried it. It had been more like some fling that only happened in romance movies and one that seventeen year old Guinevere had very much enjoyed.

When they'd first been going out, he'd had moments of jealousy for Lance Lake. Eventually he'd learned to be grateful that Gwen's first love or lover had been kind and generous, allowing her to approach future relationships with confidence and pleasure, rather than being a childish douche bag leaving her wounded and unable to trust.

Still in all those years of college she'd almost never mentioned Merlin. He knew they'd had a falling out, but whatever had happened after Christmas of 2005 must have been serious.

Merlin and Gwen's combined laughter floated in from the kitchen and the door buzzer rang.

The last time he'd seen Hunith had been at Merlin's grandfather's funeral. Merlin and Guinevere had both broken-up with him by then, but he and Merlin had been getting to be friends by then. He'd gone as a show of support Hunith had been pleasant to him in a numb sort of way. But he hadn't known that Merlin and Guinevere were hooking up by then. A jealous and territorial Guinevere had caught him completely off guard when she'd whispered in his ear "I get to tell him what to do now."

Arthur confirmed that it was Hunith at the door and buzzed her up.

Guinevere came out of the kitchen then with a tray of fresh fluffy looking biscuits, cheese, sliced fruits, and cold cuts. Merlin appeared a moment later with a bottle of wine and four glasses.

"Hey that's my Beaurduex," Arthur complained.

"It's a really good Beaurduex," Merlin acknowledged with a grin as he sat the glasses down on the coffee table beside the tray of food Guinevere had brought out.

Arthur heard the tap, tap, tap of the door knocker then and went to let Hunith in.

"Hunith, hi, come in," Arthur greeted her with an uncertain smile.

"Hello Arthur."She handed him a large shopping bag and entered the apartment. Gwen walked by just then and Hunith's face lit up.

"Gwen dear, it's so good to see you." Hunith pulled the other woman into looked like a warm embrace and Arthur got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Hunith I've missed you too. I'm so glad you're coming for Christmas dinner."

"I wouldn't miss it. It smells wonderful in here."

The two women separated and Hunith dumped her coat into Arthur's hands .

"We've got a tray for lunch with fresh biscuits and there's pie for dessert."

Arthur felt his eyebrows go up. No one had told him anything about a pie.


For the next three hours Hunith made her feelings about Arthur quite clear. For starters Hunith got red and white Christmas sweaters with white turtlenecks for everyone except Arthur. Arthur's sweater was green and white and she got him a black turtleneck. She apologized of course, explaining that they hadn't had the red and white in his size, but green was still appropriate for Christmas. Then she produced her old photo albums and talked extensively about their shared pasts.

She lingered especially over photos of Merlin and Guinevere, reminiscing about their high school days, all the time they spent together, mentioning more than once how Gwen was practically a part of the family. When she wasn't praising Guinevere she doted on Merlin. How handsome he'd grown, how successful he was, how well he'd bounced back after being forced out of his job with Penn Real Estate. Arthur felt the stirrings of green-eyed envy when she complimented Gwen's biscuits stating how fresh and fluffy they were while dismissing his holiday decorations with a causal "that's nice."

After they ate and talked Hunith set-up the her tripod. Gwen had her camera as well and insisted on several pictures before Hunith left.


"So Merlin what do I have to do to get on your mom's good side?" Arthur sat down on the couch with a sigh.

"Good side?" Merlin asked, sitting down beside him.

"Yeah, your mom hates me."

Merlin looked at him quizzically.

"My mom doesn't hate you, mom doesn't hate anybody."

"Your mom totally hates Arthur," Gwen said as she entered the living room scrolling through her photos.

"You really think so?" Merlin looked at her for confirmation.

"Merlin," Gwen said looking up from her phone. "Your mother is one of the sweetest, kindest people I know, but when she wasn't to throw shade she is a fucking shade throwing master."

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice." Merlin said concern evident in his voice as he studied his lover's face. "Do you want me to talk to her?" Merlin asked he rubbing Arthur's thigh.

Arthur felt himself smile.

"I'm a grown man, I think I can handle a little shade"

Guinevere laughed and went to the back of the apartment.

"I'm sorry about my mom."

"Thank you Merlin, but shit I messed this whole thing up really well, didn't I? So of course you mom is mad at me. Guinevere's dad is mad at me, hell Morgana is mad at me, well she is mad at you and I really," Arthur shrugged. "I'm just grateful the two of you managed to find it in your hearts to give me a second chance."

Merlin leaned back against the couch and Arthur dropped an arm around his shoulders.

"Aww, you two look so handsome in your Christmas sweaters," Gwen said coming back into the room and snapping another picture."Listen Morgana wants to join us for dinner."

"She does?" Merlin said tone disbelieving and recalling his own ill-considered invite to Janine.

"She promised to be nice and I don't think we'll have to worry about her throwing any shade," Gwen grinned then. "She and I had a nice little chat while you guys were getting popcorn."

"You set her straight?" Arthur said.

"I sure did. I told her she had to respect both my men or she wasn't welcome in my home," Gwen finished tone imperious.

Merlin felt a tingle go all through his lower regions and a warmth that had nothing to do with his sweater. When Gwen got possesive, protective like that it did something to him.

"Come here you." Arthur motioned her over a lusty look in his eye. Gwen feeling pleased with herself looked directly at him, gave a defiant no and took off down the hall. Not missing a beat Arthur took off after her.

Merlin chuckled and shook his head, moments like these Merlin felt like he lived with two children. Eventually he heard Gwen's giggles and squeals and not long after Arthur and Guinevere calling for him to join them in the bedroom.

When he didn't move fast enough for the two of them he heard Gwen's feet coming down the hall. She stopped a moment in the doorway, breast heaving in her red lace bra. She'd lost her sweater and turtleneck, and her curly hair was mussed.

"You're just sitting there," Gwen said in between breaths.

Merlin shrugged, and she took a few steps toward him before dropping down onto the couch beside him.

A moment later Arthur appeared still dressed, but breathless.

"What are you two doing?"

"He's just sitting here," Gwen said.

"I'm comfortable," Merlin said putting his feet up.

"But we want you in the bedroom," Arthur explained.

Merlin shrugged gave a careless shrug.

"He's comfortable," Gwen said and slid one hand under shirt in a gentle caress before pinching him.

"Ow! Abuse!"

She tickled him then.

"We want you in the bedroom," Arthur said as he crossed the living room to stand over them.

Merlin gave him as challenging as the look Gwen had given Arthur moments ago.

"Fine then have it your way," Arthur said.

Then before Merlin could react Arthur leaned down and lifted him over his shoulders into a fireman's carry. Merlin let out an undignified squeak and Gwen dissolved into laughter before following her two men into the bedroom.