A/N: I'm sorry this is so short and it is sort of at a cliffhanger, but there will be one more chapter very soon, and it will be the final chapter, and I am writing it right now!

Chapter 3: Breaking The Habit

"You're not going home for the holidays?"

"Why would I do that, Merlin? There's no way I can party as hard in Ealdor as I can in London! Do you know me at all?"

Merlin chuckled at the enthusiasm Arthur was showing. If he was being honest, partying and drinking had never been Merlin's thing. He tended to mostly avoid them, preferring to stay home with a book or his computer games instead.

Arthur had made them sound like fun, though. Exciting. A different lifestyle altogether that made Merlin curious and eager to experience through Arthur's eyes.

"And you? Are you going home to your mother?" Arthur asked, cutting into Merlin's thoughts.

"Oh. I, um, dunno. I'm not going back to Ealdor but, um, my uncle lives in London so I was thinking of visiting him for Christmas—"

"Whaaat?! You're coming to London and you didn't tell me? You've got to come party with us!"

And just like that, Merlin was in a dilemma he was hoping to avoid.

Of course, he wanted to meet up with Arthur, who had become his best friend over the past few months. Arthur's life fascinated him. But it also sounded like a dream. A dream which probably should remain a dream, because Merlin had always been taught to remain grounded and even merely dreaming of flying too high scared him.

Besides, Arthur already had a flock of cool friends. Why would they even want a stranger amongst them, especially when that stranger was boring old Merlin. He would probably just cramp their style.

"Mer-lin," Arthur called over the phone when Merlin had failed to respond. "I can hear you thinking too loud."

"Arthur, I wouldn't want to disturb –"

"Nonsense, Merlin. You wouldn't be disturbing anything – it's the holidays! Gwaine won't mind if you stay with us! I'll borrow Leon's sleeping bag, or we'll just do the head to toe thing on my bed. Alright, it's decided," Arthur said before Merlin could get a word in, "You will say hello to your uncle for a couple of days and then you're coming here. We shall par-tay!"

Merlin shook his head, because for some odd reason his brain had short-circuited at the "on my bed" comment. It all sounded good. Too good. So good, that it had to be a trick of the fates. Things can't be falling into place that pleasantly – that did not happen to Merlin. Which is why, instead of being wary like he usually was and thinking about it too much, Merlin agreed.

After that it was all counting down the days. He got butterflies in his stomach every time he thought about the holidays, so much so that he had to struggle to get his head straight long enough to concentrate on his finals. He got a call from Arthur on his first night after his last exam, and they made up many excited plans about everything they were going to see in London and how many pubs they were going to hit on New Year's Eve and where they should ring in the New Year. Merlin couldn't help but giggle at Arthur's zeal. When he finally pulled the phone away from his ear, it was well past midnight and he was just about to throw his phone aside and get into bed when he noticed a new unread message.

It was from his mother, and it asked him to call as soon as he woke up the next morning. An ominous feeling started to settle in Merlin's stomach, and it was with some difficulty that he went to bed that night.