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‘We need two songs. And an extra! Just in case. So, three songs. Any ideas?’ Gwen cast an expectant glance around the table.
'Good King Wenceslas !' Arthur suggested.
'Merlin's favourite,' Gwaine whispered to Percy so discreetly that only half of the room could hear him. Arthur tossed his hat at him. 'What? Everyone knows it's Merlin's favourite!' Gwaine complained, so now the other half of the room could hear him, too.
'Stop it, boys!' Gwen chided them. 'Anyone against Good King Wenceslas ?’ Gwaine liked to pull Arthur's leg, but he liked Merlin even more, thus he would have never raised any serious objection to Good King Wenceslas . ‘No? Good.'
They were sitting in their usual place, the Round Table: Gwen, Arthur, Merlin, Gwaine, Percival, Morgana, Lancelot, Elyan, and Leon. Surrounded by beers and ciders they were busy trying to pick Christmas carols as they planned to sing on Christmas Eve at the Butter Cross of Winchester. It was Gwen’s idea.
'We could bring candles, stand on the Cross and sing some carols together!' She was practically glowing while she presented her idea. 'It would be wonderful! It doesn't even matter if we are not that good at singing. We're good enough to bring some joy into the people's hearts on Christmas Eve. Oh, Percy, you could accompany us on guitar, could you? Please?'
Percy could. Only if it wasn’t raining on Christmas Eve. They had little chance for a dry evening but Gwaine offered to buy a candy cane striped umbrella and hold it over Percy and his guitar. Leon voted for one decorated with snowflakes but Lancelot put an end to the argument by saying that any umbrella would do for the occasion.
In the end, they picked Good King Wenceslas and Carol of the Bells , alongside with Silent Night as an extra. They didn’t have much time so decided to learn the songs at home (if someone didn’t know them already) and come together for two rehearsals before their little flashmob concert. 6 p.m. at the Butter Cross, guys, don’t forget.
‘This singing stuff will turn out either marvelous or disastrous, no between,’ Merlin said as they were walking home with Arthur later that night. Home. They had been living together for months now. This was going to be their first Christmas since they had moved in together. ‘Can’t wait.’
‘Me neither,’ Arthur smiled. ‘Not to mention the delicious dinner you are preparing me after the event, right?’
‘I’ll make you dinner if you make me mince pies.’
‘What are you talking about, none of you can cook.’ Gwaine caught up with them, his gloveless hands deep in his pockets.
‘Then I am taking him to the Golden Lion to dine,’ Arthur retorted.
‘Or we could try and prepare a Christmas dinner together. It will be burnt, unsalted, and inedible, but it will be our Christmas dinner.’
‘Hush, lovebirds. Try not to poison yourselves. I don’t want a phone-call from the hospital on Christmas Eve.’
Merlin laughed; it was a heart-warming laugh, unrestrained and pure. ‘Go home, and learn Good King Wenceslas or else.’
They reached the corner of the street where Gwaine lived.
‘Whoa, do you learn this from Arthur?’
‘Oi! Gwaine!’ Arthur exclaimed in a mock-hurt tone.
Gwaine chuckled and gave Merlin a playful shove. ‘See you two on Tuesday!’
The first rehearsal went well.
The second, however, not so well. Arthur was late and when he finally arrived, he was in an awfully grumpy mood. Leon had a sore throat. Elyan had gotten so caught up in the late afternoon traffic he couldn’t come at all.
‘No matter how hard we try, we’ll never sound as the Pentatonix,’ Morgana stated after a half-hearted attempt at the said song.
‘It’s okay, as long as we do our best,’ Gwen debated.
‘I’m not sure we can be any better than this,’ said Arthur. It earned him a disapproving look from Merlin. ‘What? I’m just being realistic. It’s not even sure I can make it to this so-called concert.’
‘What do you mean?’ The question was on the tip of Merlin’s tongue but Lancelot beat him to it.
‘Company trouble. Have to check on the London office.’ Arthur tried to sound casual but Merlin could see his shoulders tensing up.
‘On Christmas Eve?’ Gwaine couldn’t believe his ears.
‘No, in the morning. I’m just saying that I might be late. Or not come at all.’
Merlin looked daggers at his boyfriend. Of course Arthur had to announce it in front of their friends. Now he had to sit through the rest of the rehearsal, pretending to be calm, and completely alright with the possibility of Arthur missing Christmas Eve with him.
‘You okay?’ Gwaine nudged him.
‘Yeah. Everything is awesome,’ Merlin whispered back in a very dark tone. It would have been useless to hide the fact from his friend that things weren’t awesome at the moment. ‘Just let’s get over with this screeching of vultures we call Christmas carol singing.’
In the end, Merlin and Arthur didn’t have an argument until the 24th. Somehow they managed to avoid the topic so well it appeared like the problem didn’t even exist. Too bad this strategy hadn’t worked before. They were getting better at it, but “mature communication” was still among the top five things on their list to Father Christmas.
‘So, erm, when do you get back?’
‘I don’t know, Merlin,’ Arthur sighed impatiently. ‘I’ll come as soon as I can.’
‘Okay, okay. I just… Well, you know. Should I bother with dinner or what?’
‘Don’t bother. We can go and eat somewhere in the town.’
Merlin pouted. ‘But we agreed we would make a proper Christmas dinner!’
‘Then cook if you want to!’ Finally his sweetheart-and-knight-in-shining-armour had lost his patience. ‘Look, I don’t have time for this. If I don’t leave now, I’m going to be late, that’s for sure.’
‘So it’s my fault that you will miss our first Christmas.’
‘I didn’t say that.’ Arthur ran a hand over his head. ‘I’ll hurry back.’
‘This isn’t how I imagined our first Christmas.’
‘Me neither,’ Arthur frowned. ‘Trust me. But it’s just one evening. We can make any evening special. Not just this one.’
‘I’m starting to think you don’t even want this Christmas dinner…’ Merlin grumbled.
‘I want Christmas. Especially with you. But I don’t want to stress about it. Christmas should be happy, right?’
‘Then don’t go to work!’
‘How old are you? Five? Merlin, this isn’t how it works!’ Arthur put on his coat. ‘I’m leaving.’
‘What about dinner?’ Merlin shouted after him but the only response he got was the thud of the closing front door. Great. So much for Christmas spirit.
The news about an unexpected blizzard around London didn’t help Merlin’s Christmas spirit either. Arthur didn’t call and didn’t get home on time. As the minutes ticked by, it seemed less and less likely that he would come back. The snow would probably keep him in London for the night.
Merlin pocketed a candle with a sad sigh and headed for the Butter Cross. The flat behind him appeared unnaturally cold and empty. He slowed his steps when he saw Gwaine turn up a few corners ahead of him. Merlin didn’t want to talk to anybody, not even to Gwaine. He wasn’t good company right now.
There might have been snow around London, but they had a dry evening in Winchester. Percy brought his guitar - and what more, his two little basketball teams. He was coaching teen boys and girls about the age of nine, and they accompanied him to the cross. It turned out that Percy had coaxed the kids and parents into joining them for the carolling. The adults were the audience, while the children blended into the small makeshift choir. The others were already there: Percy, Gwen, Morgana, Lancelot, Elyan, Leon, and Gwaine. Merlin was the last to arrive. He stepped up onto the cross with a forced smile on his face, and lit his candle from Gwaine’s.
‘Arthur?’ his friend asked with knitted eyebrows. Merlin shook his head. ‘Sorry, mate.’
Gwen cleared her throat. ‘Ready, guys?’
Everyone took a breath and was about to…
‘Wait!’
Merlin turned his head towards the voice so quickly his neck felt to protest with a loud crack. But he had to check because it sounded like… No, it looked like Arthur was running towards them. He practically jumped up next to Merlin, almost dropping his candle in his rush.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ he panted before giving the thumbs up to Gwen. ‘Let’s rock this.’
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
By the last notes of Carol Of The Bells , they had a nice little audience. The parents’ of the basketball kids soon were joined by several passerby. Windows and doors were opening, curious faces appeared all around. Many people joined in for Silent Night , old and young singing together. The candlelights shimmered but the flames didn’t let themselves blown out by occasional breezes. They looked like small Christmas stars in their hands.
After the concert ended, Arthur turned to Merlin: ‘Sorry I was so late. I had to drop into the Round Table for our dinner.’
‘Are we having burgers for dinner?’
‘No. I asked Gaius to prepare something for us.’ He scratched his neck in his embarrassment. ‘I hope he has awesome Tupperware or we’ll be eating very disturbing things tonight. You know, the running… I kinda forgot I had the food on me.’
‘It’s okay,’ Merlin chuckled. ‘At least it will look like something we would have made.’
‘I’m still making those mince pies for you. Tomorrow.’
Merlin laughed and blew out their candles so he could hug his boyfriend. ‘We’re horrible, aren’t we?’
‘Maybe a little.’
Arthur was smiling, Merlin could hear it in his voice. He whispered into his neck: ‘Merry Christmas, Arthur.’
'Merry Christmas, you goofy mince pie.'