Walking up the ramp to the restaurant, Arthur opened the door for Merlin, allowing him to enter first as they walked in. Arthur knew everyone who worked there by now, (he had been coming in for so long,) and smiled warmly at Lux, a server. She saw Arthur and smiled back, waving as she set a beer down in front of a man. This place, Lou's, was a bar, (pub rather,) but they had good food, that is what he would have to convince Merlin of, because at the moment, he looked a bit put off by the 'bar –theme.'

"It's cool, they have good burgers," Arthur told him, steering Merlin over to a booth, toward the back of the place. "Remember, I brought you home one?"

"I fed it to the cat," Merlin admitted, as he sat down. Arthur sat across from him and glared.

"I spent a lot of money on that burger!" he complained, picking up a menu and tossing it at him. It hit Merlin in the right eyebrow, and Arthur watched, as said eyebrow raised high on Merlin's brow.

"Mr. Noodles is worth it!"

"He has cat food…"

"Have you ever tasted cat food?" Merlin asked, smirking. "It's no wonder he wanted my burger!"

"Cat food is for cats, why would I eat it?"

"Because you're a-"

"Hey Arthur…"

Arthur looked over and saw Lux, she smiled sweetly, as always, but her eyes were on Merlin.

"Hello, Lux" Arthur said, glancing over to Merlin. "This is Merlin; he fed your burger to a cat."

Lux pretended to be offended, "We'll have him wash the dishes for that!" she laughed and Arthur did too, along with her. Merlin just glared at Arthur, but somehow, that made it even better. "So, what can I get you lads?"

"I'll have a beer," Arthur said. "Merlin?"

"Water."

"Cheep date," Lux remarked, jotting down beer and water on her notepad.

"Really, Merlin, you can have something else" Arthur told him, but Merlin only shook his head. "Fine…beer and water."

"Beer and water, just doesn't sound right," Lux said, grinning at them both. "Be back in a flash!"

She ran off and Arthur sighed, looking at Merlin questioningly, he looked back at him, unreadable. What a little weirdo, Arthur thought.

"What's with you and water?" he asked then. "Do you have no taste buds?"

"What?" Merlin laughed. "I just like drinking water, it's healthy."

"Why not have a drink though?" Arthur asked. "I'll pay for it."

"I don't drink."

"Why not?"

"I'm really bad with alcohol," Merlin admitted. Arthur smirked then, considering this.

"Really?" he asked. "How bad are we talking?"

"The last time I drank I woke up in a pigpen naked."

"That bad, huh?"

Merlin nodded and then Lux was back, setting a beer in front of Arthur and water in front of Merlin. There was a lemon wedge on the side of Merlin's cup and Arthur watched as he squeezed the juices into the glass. Arthur sipped his beer.

"What are we having?" Lux asked, grabbing her notepad again. Arthur set down the beer.

"I'll have what I always have," he said, turning to Merlin.

"Oh, I don't know…I didn't get a good enough look at the menu when you threw it at my eye!" Merlin said. Arthur smirked at this. "I think I'll have chicken."

"God, Arthur, water and chicken!" Lux said, Arthur laughed with her again. "How do you want it cooked, love, grilled?"

"Yes," Merlin answered, a bit snippy this time.

"But of course," Lux chuckled, writing it down. "And for the side we can have chips, potato skins…"

"A salad would be nice," Merlin told her. She held her tongue as she nodded, looking back at Arthur with a smirk, before heading off. "I don't see what's wrong with water, chicken and a salad!"

"There's nothing wrong with it, it's just this place is a pub, no one wants chicken and water when they come to a pub," Arthur explained. Merlin looked offended. "She's just having a bit of a go at you, it's how Lux is."

"Yeah well….at least I'm not naked."

"I think we're all happy you're not naked."

"ARTHUR!" a loud voice suddenly sounded around them then and Arthur almost chocked on his sip of beer. He looked over and saw his mate Greg. "Watcher, mate!" he came sloshing over, clearly a bit intoxicated, and swung an arm over Arthur's shoulder. "Who's this?"

"This is Merlin," Arthur told him, trying to push the man off. He smelled like rum. "He's a friend."

"Merlin," Greg played the name on his lips as he detached himself from Arthur and walked over to Merlin's side of the booth. Merlin looked a tad frightened, as Greg got into the seat next to him and pulled him tight to his side. That was the way Greg was, very 'hands on'. "Merlin…hmmm."

"Uh…" Merlin mumbled, looking back at Arthur. Who couldn't help but smile at this. Greg lay his head on top of Merlin's, like he had known him for a very long time and looked back at Arthur.

"You lot should come to my party tomorrow, it's going to be sick!"

"Party?" Merlin asked, looking pleading back at Arthur. Arthur felt a bit bad for him, but only a bit. He had fed his burger to the cat after all, punishment!

"I don't know, mate, "Arthur told Greg. "I've got loads of homework, you know…"

"Aw, come on, loser, have some fun!" Greg told him, petting Merlin's right shoulder as he still, had his head lying on top of Merlin's. "It's like you're an old man, live a little!"

"That's life, mate, can't be wild forever" Arthur told him. Greg looked offended as he finally picked his head up from Merlin. Merlin looked rather relieved.

"That is bullshit!" Greg said, loudly. "C'mon, come to my party!"

Arthur looked at Merlin and Merlin shook his head no.

"Is Merlin invited?"

"Course, the more the merrier!" Greg stated, looking down at Merlin as if he had just noticed him being there. "…sneaky little devil, I like it!"

Arthur grinned, "Alright, we'll be there."

Greg cheered and Merlin looked like he had lost a bit of color at this news. Greg jumped up from the seat then and pelted Arthur on the back, good-natured.

"See you blokes tomorrow!" he declared, and then sloshed off. Arthur looked back at Merlin timidly and saw that Merlin was glaring daggers at him.

"Arthur…"

"Yes?" Arthur asked, but he knew what Merlin wanted. He smiled kindly at him, Merlin only glared harder.

"No way am I going to that party!"

"It will be fun," Arthur tired, but got a very evil look from Merlin in return. And he that the glare was bad! "Come on, Greg's right, you can't just sit around at home all the time."

"He was talking about you!"

"I've only been staying home because of you."

"Well I'm sorry to have ruined your fun, Sir Party Pants" Merlin remarked. "Go, you go then and have a good time, don't let me stop you!"

Arthur tried not to chock on his beer for the second time. Sir Party Pants? He laughed.

"It's not funny, Arthur!"

"No," Arthur agreed, but his heart just wasn't in that answer. Merlin glared, again, hard. "You don't ruin my fun, I stayed home a lot before too, but Greg always throws killer parties, lots of food and games."

"I hate food and games are for children!"

"Like you're acting right now, so, fitting," Arthur smirked.

"I'm not going!" Merlin told him. "I just got through telling you I can't drink, yet you want me to go to some drunkard's party?"

"I'll make sure you don't drink too much, you can trust me," Arthur said, shrugging Merlin's little problem off. "You know that."

"I rather just stay home with Noodles," Merlin stated, looking sad now. "You go, and have fun…"

"I'm not going to go without you."

"Why not?"

But Arthur never answered, because just then, Lux came with the food and Arthur was far too hungry to talk anymore. Boy, did it look good too!

(A/N: You guys are really catching up with me, I better huff it to write more. Anyway. I don't have much to say about this chapter, I figured since Arthur is in collage (uni for British ppl) there needed to be at least one party, so yeah, what do you guys think will happen at this party? Comment and tell me.)