Work Text:
The first time Merlin saw Arthur, it was a week after he moved to his new flat. He’d been walking home one afternoon and tried taking a short cut through the park. The trees were a bright yellow green, getting ready for autumn and Merlin felt relaxed at the view. It was always nice to be out in nature, seeing people enjoying their lives.
Passing the football fields, he found his way near the sports center, which ended up making the trip less calming. There was a group of guys in a game at the far side of the field, running and passing the ball with ease. Their energy was quite a sight, only pausing the game to cheer after a goal or offer a friendly pat on the back of a teammate. Merlin watched as a man with scruffy brown hair kicked the ball high in the air, only for it to be caught by his dark-skinned friend in an incredible dive. But their skills were not exactly what caught Merlin’s eye.
Though they were all pretty good looking, there was one bloke that he couldn’t look away from. He watched as the man sent another ball flying towards the net, finally taking a minute to catch his breath, pushing his sweaty blond hair off his face. Merlin felt his heart speed up. He didn’t know quite what it was about him but there was something about his face that was so utterly beautiful. And of course, his athletic body helped too.
Merlin did his best to continue home after that, but thoughts still locked on the blond man, and slid steadily down the gutter. But he was just some guy he didn’t know, no point on focusing on him much. However, with his drifting mind, Merlin’s detour through the park ended up not being much of a short cut after all.
“Watch where you’re going!” Merlin muttered, barely glancing up from his phone as someone ran into his shoulder. One thing he hated about this building was the small hallways.
“Oh, you’re the new neighbor, aren’t you?” the man who bumped into Merlin said stopping behind him, “The one who never leaves his flat?” Laughter rang off his voice. Merlin turned around with a scowl, ready to tell the man to leave him alone and that he should mind his own business. He really didn’t have the patience to deal with this today.
But then he saw the glint of golden hair and that face. Merlin stiffened, choosing to simply answer “yes” with an eyeroll. The man smirked at that, crooked smile brightening his face, looking both youthful and carved from stone at the same time.
“I’m Arthur, I’m at the end of the hall.” The man said, pointing a thumb behind him.
“Well, I’m Merlin. And I do leave my flat, you’re just not as good at being a creep as you think you are.” He finished with a raised eyebrow. Arthur scoffed at that as Merlin turned around, a smile spreading across his face.
Merlin’s first few weeks in his new flat flew by in a flurry of work, takeout, and late nights but there was a bright side to his busy life. Arthur began appearing in it more than he ever would’ve thought. They would pass each other in their hallway often, first with a tight-lipped nod and in later weeks, smiles and joking insults. Dragging his laundry down the stairs one day, Arthur magically appeared and gave him a hand. Merlin returned the favor by helping Arthur drag one of his friends from the team back who was drunk and almost passed out.
It was nice to have someone nearby that he was friendly with. His mother and uncle Gaius lived far away in Ealdor, and his other friends like Gwen and Lance still lived quite a bit of a drive away. So, Merlin enjoyed his moments with Arthur and tried not to let his mind linger to things like Arthur’s arms when he rolled up his sleeves, or running his hands through his sweaty hair when he returned from the gym, or the warmth in his deep blue eyes when he looked at Merlin.
It was hard not to think of things like that every time he saw Arthur, but he tried to avoid it. He could never get a guy like that, attractive and charming, even though he was a bit of a prat. Those kinds of guys were always friendly and acted that same way with everyone. As much as he tried to remind himself of this, Merlin felt himself falling hard.
He supposed it would have helped if he hadn’t kept using that shortcut through the park. Every day, Merlin found his feet taking him by the football fields, hopeful to see a familiar face. Eventually he learned that Arthur and his friends tended to play on Tuesday and Friday evening, though sometimes on the weekend instead.
Merlin would wave to him when they were there playing, and sometimes Arthur would run over to him instead to talk, before the hollers of his teammates rang out, calling him back to the game. It would be too easy to start to imagine that Arthur did like him that way. But he was probably just being a good neighbor and glad to have one about his age, Merlin guessed, thinking of the amount of middle aged couples on his floor.
One day passing by the fields, Arthur ran over to him, this time dragging him to the center of the field with a strong arm. Merlin would like to say he was forced to play, but he couldn’t say no to that smile. Arthur introduced him to his friends and threw him the ball. Needless to say, Merlin didn’t play well, fumbling when he went to kick the ball. His cheeks reddened as Arthur watched him mess up, but his friend just playfully teased him, and warmth spread in Merlin’s chest.
Winter came fast and Merlin now made his trek through patches of snow. Arthur’s football games turned into weekly game nights at his flat, where Merlin was sometimes invited. And he found it harder and harder to keep his eyes from lingering on Arthur.
Merlin was returning from doing his Christmas shopping when it all started, armloads of presents balanced haphazardly as he made his way up the stairs to his flat. He heard Arthur’s voice just as he reached his flat.
“Merlin, would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Does it look like I can?” Merlin tried to glare at him through the wall of gifts.
“Here, let me help you then.” He took a few boxes off the top as Merlin just unlocked the door.
“Wow thanks, very helpful.”
“Shut up, Merlin.” But he quieted after he said it, looking suddenly nervous. It was a strange sight to see on his normally confident face.
“So, what’s the favor?” Merlin asked, setting down the gifts past the doorway.
“Well,” Arthur seemed pretty hesitant, looking at Merlin with uncertainty. “I lied to my family about having a boyfriend- “
“So, come clean.”
“Well my dad would kill me for lying and my sister would be so furious she’d start trying to set me up with every awful guy she meets.” Arthur groaned, both at the idea of that and that he’d lied in the first place.
“I just need to pretend for the holidays.” Arthur met Merlin’s eyes, “If you’re willing to.”
“You want me to what?” Realization dawned on Merlin. If he heard correctly that meant Arthur wanted him to pretend to be his boyfriend. His heart sped up. It seemed too good to be true, Course it wasn’t real, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the next best thing, would it? After all, it wouldn’t be hard to look besotted with Arthur.
“Really? Me?” He asked again, steadying himself this time around.
“They don’t know you and you’ve been my neighbor long enough that it’s believable. And we won’t have to make up that much, just add onto things a little.” Arthur still looked uneasy, though a little more confident.
Taking a deep breath to slow his heart, Merlin rolled his eyes. “Of course, I have to help cover for your arse.”
“Please Merlin?” How could he ever say no to those big blue eyes.
“Alright, fine. But you owe me.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Merlin asked, sitting in Arthur’s flat a week later, still several days from Christmas Eve. They had to get their story right so they wouldn’t end up saying conflicting things. Plus, Merlin didn’t mind spending extra time with Arthur anyways, despite how busy he was from work and his projects.
“We’ll get dressed up here of course, not a suit but something somewhat nice. And I’ll drive us to my dad’s house.” Arthur explained. Merlin was not really listening, still in shock that this was actually happening, and also because Arthur had a very distracting face. Merlin nodded anyways.
“We’re only spending Christmas Eve there because I told him that you want to spend time with your family on Christmas Day.” Merlin nodded again, this time taking it all in. One evening. He can do this.
“Ok, that sounds good.” He finally answered, leaning back on the festive blankets on the top of Arthur’s couch. He could feel the nervous energy bubbling inside him, threatening to spill.
“And my family is um, a bit wealthy so it’s a big house. My father is very proper so don’t act weird and don’t break anything.”
“You really have that much faith in me?” Merlin asked, a cheeky grin on his face. Arthur simply gave him an annoyed look, but Merlin could see his lips pulling up in a smirk. Then Arthur shook his head and continued.
“My sister will ask annoying questions; we’re sticking as close to the truth as we can. We’ll say that we got together a few months after you moved in.” Merlin nodded at him to continue.
“I asked you out one time at the park, and we had dinner at that Italian restaurant down the street.” Arthur finished hesitantly. Probably because Arthur didn’t want to imagine dating him, Merlin thought. He was just convenient.
“That’s the one with the attached deli, right?” Merlin asked, remembering the good food. He may have not been there on a date with Arthur but at least he could help make things more convincing.
Arthur nodded in response, though his were eyes trained on the floor, looking suddenly sheepish.
“As I’ve mentioned, my sister is um… very perceptive.” Arthur bit his lip. “We’ll have to be pretty convincing and act well.” Arthur leaned over, placing his hand on top of Merlin’s which was resting on the coffee table.
“I think I can pull it off pretty good.” Merlin said shakily, desperately trying not to give any attention to Arthur’s hand which felt uncomfortably warm on his own.
“You, acting? That’ll be something to see.” Arthur laughed, finally moving his hand away. You have no idea,Merlin thought. The hard part wouldn’t be the acting, it would be not acting for once. They hung out the rest of the evening, staying at Arthur’s flat and avoiding talking about what they planned to do. As the night progressed, Merlin found the fact that he agreed to this both better and worse.
“Thank you, Merlin.” Arthur said, as he held the door open for him. It was late in the evening and Merlin had to get home. “Thank you for doing this for me.” His blue eyes were focused on Merlin’s own, wide and kind, as if he did really care.
“Of course.” Merlin answered, giving his best attempt at a smile. He headed down the hall, anxiety building in his chest. He didn’t notice the how Arthur’s gaze lingered on him as he left.
Well, somehow it was Christmas Eve and Merlin stood at the mirror, trying to fix his hair. He still couldn’t quite believe this was happening and had never felt so nervous on a holiday. He straightened his leather jacket and hoped it looked nice enough. He was wearing nice trousers with a white button down and figured that the jacket would offset things from being too fancy and close to a suit. With one last deep breath and lazy finger guns to the mirror, he opened the door to his flat.
Arthur was already outside in the hall. Merlin’s draw dropped. How was it fair that that man looked so good in everything? More importantly, how would he get through tonight with Arthur looking like that? He was wearing dark jeans with a red dress shirt and black suit jacket that hugged his broad shoulders perfectly. He looked so regal and Merlin couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Arthur greeted him with a grin, “What took so long? Need time to do your make up?”
“Why? You take a long time with yours?” Merlin countered with a smirk. Arthur suppressed a smile and shook his head.
“Well, you clearly didn’t spend long enough on your hair.” Arthur answered, reaching over to Merlin’s head. Merlin froze, heart beating at an inhuman speed as Arthur brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. His touch was hot on Merlin’s skin. Arthur ran his fingers across the top of his head, smoothing out the part Merlin couldn’t seem to get right, completely unaware of what he was doing to Merlin.
“There,” Arthur said, “All fixed.” He finally brought his hand away, looking down.
“Thanks.” Merlin muttered, giving him a weak smile. He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. He gestured down the hall. “Come on, let’s go.”
Arthur cut in front of him and Merlin followed him to his car. The drive felt long and short at the same time. Part of him couldn’t wait for it to happen or at least be over. The past few weeks with Arthur had been agony with this in sight. Yet sitting in silence, alone, inches from Arthur now were even more torturous.
When they arrived, Merlin’s eyes widened. “A bit wealthy?” He looked incredulously at Arthur, “That house is flippin gigantic!”
“It’s not that big.” Arthur shrugged. Merlin gave him a glare and crossed his arms after getting out of the car. The Pendragon House certainly looked enormous, set behind a black barred gate with dark wooden beams and large windows against neatly painted trim. It looked like one of those houses you’d see in a magazine.
“Come on, it’ll be fine.” Arthur said, in an attempt to reassure him. He turned to Merlin with an uncertain look in his eyes, hesitating for a moment before wrapping his hand around Merlin’s own. Electricity shot through Merlin. They were really doing this. Arthur’s hand felt warm and rough against Merlin’s skin as they made their way up the stone steps.
They stopped at the door marked with an ornate wreath of gold and silver branches. Arthur knocked. Merlin bit his lip, looking down at the floor. He took a deep breath. Arthur’s hand still felt strange in Merlin’s. It’s not real, he told himself. Arthur was just pretending, it’s all an act, remember? He ran through their story again in his head, avoiding how much he wished it were true.
He looked over at Arthur again, blond hair soft and light against the dark paint of the house, looking unfairly attractive as always. He eyes traveled back to the glittery wreath on the door and just as he was about to release Arthur’s hand, he felt the warm press of lips on his cheek. He barely had time to register the kiss before the door swung open. Merlin’s face flushed red as he faced the woman who must be Arthur’s sister.
“Happy Christmas, Arthur.” She said, holding the door open for them. “And you must be Merlin, it’s so great to finally meet you.” Her voice sounded kind enough but there was something in her eyes that made him nervous. Morgana guided them through the hall to the massive living room at the middle of the house. Merlin only stifled a laugh once at Arthur’s photos from his childhood in the hall. Of course, Arthur couldn’t let that slide without giving him a friendly shove.
The living room was an incredible sight when they reached it. Large windows with decorative red curtains filled the opposite wall with fancy-looking couches marking the center of the room. Arthur set down a couple gifts for tomorrow under the huge Christmas tree. It sat by the fireplace, all nicely decorated in a pleasant traditional style. Arthur sat down on the plush loveseat, pulling Merlin with him by his waist. Crossing her legs, Morgana settled on the adjacent couch.
“Merlin, I’m glad that you could make it this evening. It’s nice to finally meet the man I’ve heard so much about.” Merlin tried not to show the confusion in his face.
“Thanks, I’m happy that I could come too.” He gave her an awkward, close-lipped smile.
“So, how did you two meet? I know you’re neighbors but there’s got to be something interesting.” She smiled. It did not make Merlin feel any better. He was under the impression that Arthur’s family knew nothing about them and their relationship. How did she know?
“There’s not much to say,” Arthur cut in, noticing Merlin’s panic. “I saw that the new neighbor was hot, and also stalking me when I played with the guys. So, I asked him out.”
“I was not stalking you!” Merlin said, too annoyed to be embarrassed. He glared at Arthur. “That park was a good shortcut in my walk from work.” Arthur rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, right.” Arthur laughed, “Your crush was so obvious!”
“My crush? Really?” Merlin sent a mischievous look in Arthur’s direction. “I wasn’t the one who kept running over to talk to his neighbor mid game.” Morgana laughed and Arthur flushed red. Merlin was smirking now, arms crossed and proud. Perhaps faking this wouldn’t be that hard.
“You two are perfect for each other, I can’t believe dad missed watching this.” Morgana said, a smile on her face. Merlin hoped she didn’t pick up on the increase of his pulse at the mention of him being ‘perfect for Arthur’. He shouldn’t let himself imagine such a thing.
Their conversation went on well after that and their stories were told smoothly. Merlin almost couldn’t believe how easy it was to lie. It was certainly easier than pretending not to feel the spike of electricity that shot through him whenever Arthur’s shoulder brushed against his or when he put a hand on Merlin’s thigh. Merlin tried to reciprocate as best he could, but for how real it felt made it even more difficult.
After a while, Arthur got up to use the toilet and Merlin found himself alone with Morgana. Her polite smile lingered but there was something colder about it. The dark hair framing her face suddenly stood in stark contrast against her pale skin.
“So, Merlin,” she began, more serious than before. Something playful yet powerful in her tone. “As you’re Arthur’s boyfriend I want you to know something and be absolutely clear.” Merlin stayed silent under her fierce green gaze.
“I understand you both get along well and it pleases me to see Arthur happy. But if you hurt him, if you cheat on him or break his heart. You will answer to me and I don’t think you want to do that.” Her words were said calmly and without malice, but Merlin felt fear well up inside him. As far as he knew, Arthur and he were going to say they were broken up in a few weeks. He didn’t want to have any reason to incur her wrath.
Stunned for a moment, he cleared his throat before speaking. “I care for Arthur a great deal. I don’t plan to or want to hurt him in any way.” Morgana’s piercing eyes stared at him for a moment before backing off.
“Good, I’m glad we’re at an agreement.” She smiled, red lip stick standing out on her face. But fear and sadness ate away at Merlin. They had made it this far, but he wasn’t particularly looking forward to meeting Arthur’s father, nor being at the end of Morgana’s threat in a few weeks. He pursed his lips in thought, wishing more than ever that he was with Arthur for real.
Arthur returned a few minutes later as his father called them to the dinner table, which was in another stunning, neat room. There was a long wooden table with a wreath and candle center piece atop a bright red table runner embroidered with gold. Uther sat at the head of the table, food laid out, as Morgana sat next to him on the far side of the table. Merlin was guided to the table to a seat by Arthur’s hand on his waist. It was very distracting, though not more than Arthur’s faint smile as he pulled out the chair for him.
“Happy Christmas father.” Arthur began. “I trust you’ve been doing well this holiday season.”
“I am Arthur, thank you. Even more so that I finally get to meet the young man you’ve been so enchanted with.” Confusion and annoyance flared up again in Merlin’s chest. What had Arthur told them? He thought they’d planned this all out together, so they wouldn’t be going in without any lack of information, and here he was out of the loop.
“My name’s Merlin, nice to meet you, uh sir.” He added, trying to imitate Arthur’s formality moments before. He took a bite of his food to avoid looking back at the man. With that, the family went back to eating and the siblings took turns catching up with his father. Merlin did his best to pretend he was paying attention.
“So, Merlin, what do you do?” Uther asked, finally addressing him again. Merlin quickly swallowed the soup he’d just put in his mouth.
“I work in the finance department of Druid Consulting.” Merlin explained, hoping the truth would be a good enough answer.
“Ah good, you’ll be a perfect fit in the Pendragon family company.” Merlin blushed at what that implied.
“Father.” Arthur groaned, putting his head in his hand. Merlin could see Morgana smiling at the other side of the table.
“Arthur it’s important to think of the business with all relationships, and I’m glad you’re with such a skilled young man.” Uther explained, tone even and blunt.
“Thank you, sir.” Merlin said, trying to take some of the attention off Arthur. “I also work on composing projects on the side, mostly for music in films.” He stated, trying to focus on his passion and not the unfortunate pit in his stomach which was yelling, why isn’t this real.
Morgana took the conversation over after that, asking about Merlin’s music and Arthur’s matches with the guys. As well as telling Uther what they’d talked about earlier, like how they met and where Merlin grew up and such.
By the time they finished, Merlin was feeling more comfortable albeit disappointed. He’d expected to barely get through tonight with facing Arthur’s family and being this close to Arthur. Instead Merlin wanted more than ever to stay in this moment, at the table with Arthur, his boyfriend. He wanted to stay next to him where their arms brushed together, to stay in the middle of his family’s strange way of welcoming, to stay next to Arthur, where their hands met under the table.
It was unbearable.
After dinner, Morgana pulled Arthur away, presumably to show him some of the new decorations of the house. Merlin helped by clearing plates and helping a quiet Uther load them into the dishwasher. When they were finished, Merlin across from the man awkwardly, before Uther finally broke the silence.
“Merlin, I wanted to let you know it brings be great joy to see you here with Arthur,” He paused, a smile more genuine than Merlin ever saw shone on his face. He walked over to Merlin. “These past few months, ever since he’s known you, Arthur has been much happier when I see him come into work. I’m glad he’s found someone that makes him so happy. Thank you.” Uther finished, placing a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.
Merlin was stunned. He’d never expected Uther would be like this, yet again though, what was Arthur doing? These past few months? It had to have been something else and whatever Uther had seen was working in their favor. Guilt added itself to the pile sitting in his stomach. He hoped Uther wouldn’t be too disappointed in a month or two when he found out.
“Wow I’m surprised there’s a difference, I mean I’m glad that Arthur is happier, even if I’m probably not the reason. Thank you, sir.” Merlin went through the words carefully, neither confirming nor denying this stroke of luck.
“That’s sweet, but don’t be humble, son.” Uther gave him a look. “And you can call me Uther.” With that, he stuck out his hand and offered it to Merlin, who answered with a firm shake and a polite smile. He turned around to see Arthur leaning against the doorframe, calmer and more clearly happy than any other moment tonight.
“See, I’m doing pretty well. Even your father likes me.” Merlin said, joining Arthur at the doorway. Arthur pulled him to his side with a laugh.
“How could he not?” Arthur’s face shone with a new sincerity and Merlin felt drawn in, in a way he hadn’t before. He almost thought Arthur meant it. They continued walking together, Arthur’s hand around Merlin’s side. Despite the falsehood of everything, he felt almost peaceful. Arthur’s touch grounded him, and he felt his head slowly drifting over to rest against his friend’s shoulder.
They had made their way back to the living room and Arthur guided him over to the windows, lined with rich, red curtains. Festive lights dotted the dark landscape beyond the glass. He turned his head back to Arthur for a moment, once again admiring his attire, then finally looking into those deep blue eyes. Strong arms wrapped around him and suddenly he was pulled close till their lips met.
Shock sparked in Merlin’s body, but he couldn’t help but melt into Arthur. He wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck, sinking deeper into the kiss. Their lips fit together perfectly, and warmth spilled out of Merlin’s chest. It was too easy to pretend it was real.
When they finally parted, Merlin was breathless, looking up into Arthur’s flushed face. His heart was still beating rapidly, filled with joy, unwilling to face reality. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Morgana walking away smirking. He looked back at Arthur who smiled and pointed upwards. White berries with green leaves hung from the curtain. Mistletoe.
Oh.It was all for show. He didn’t know why he didn’t think of it before, but he’d gotten too caught up in the moment. Merlin had known it wasn’t real, but somehow, he hoped.
Arthur grabbed Merlin’s hand once more with a blinding smile that almost made his heart break. Merlin held tight and gave a weak smile of his own.
Arthur led him back to the front hall where they said their goodbyes to the Pendragons and were given gifts to be opened tomorrow on Christmas Day. Merlin did his best to seem happy and exchanged pleasant goodbyes with Arthur’s family, but inside his heart was screaming at him. Why did he do this? He should’ve known better than to fall for his unfairly attractive neighbor and then do this. It had been too nice, way too nice. It would’ve been better if his family hated him, then it would’ve been much easier to walk away from this. But, how could he? How could he just live a few doors down from Arthur and pretend he didn’t wish every minute to relive this day for real.
Merlin followed Arthur to his car parked outside and sat in the passenger seat. The drive was silent, but loud in Merlin’s mind. He wished he could just fall asleep. He pretended to for a little while when Arthur looked like he was about to say something. The pleasant atmosphere from earlier was completely gone, and Merlin wondered if it was his fault.
They arrived back at their flats late at night. The sky was dark and heavy with clouds that were hopefully filled with snow. They continued their silent journey as they made their way up the stairs to their floor. Merlin was the one to break the silence.
“I guess we’re breaking up now, right?” He asked, eyes facing the floor. He didn’t want to say it, but he knew it was true. He turned to the man next to him. “Arthur?” His friend’s answer was so quiet Merlin almost didn’t hear him.
“Unless you don’t want to.”
“What?” Merlin said, not sure if he heard him right, then assumed the worst. “Do you need a fake boyfriend for another holiday?”
“Never mind, I thought that you…” Arthur trailed off. Merlin’s heart beat faster.
“Arthur, what do you mean?” Merlin spoke carefully. He shouldn’t bring himself to hope, but some part of him still did. He looked into Arthur’s eyes and waited for the answer.
“Um, I thought maybe that you’d want to be together…for real?” Arthur mumbled the last bit, barely trying to say it out loud. But Merlin caught every word. Warmth blossomed in his chest and he suddenly felt light. Eyes wide, he stared up at Arthur in shock.
“Guess that’s a no then, goodnight.” Arthur said quickly, turning around. His face was red with embarrassment.
“Wait Arthur!” Merlin placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, hardly containing his happiness. “I want this to be real too. I’ve wanted it this whole time.” Now it was Merlin’s turn to be red as Arthur turned around, blue eyes full of hope.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Arthur asked, then seemed to immediately regret it.
“Why didn’t I say anything? Really?” Merlin glared at him but was finding it harder and harder not to smile. “You prat. You should’ve told me, would’ve made tonight a lot less painful.”
“Sorry,” Arthur looked suddenly apologetic. “I didn’t want you to think this was some creepy set up, I should’ve told you I really do care.”
“Well you are a creep.” Merlin said, brightening. It was all real. “But you’re my creep now.”
Arthur laughed but still made a face like he wanted to correct him. He seemed to change his mind however and grabbed Merlin’s hand once more before leaning over and kissing him. Merlin’s heart soared and he moved closer to Arthur, finally running his hands through Arthur’s hair like he always wanted to. Their bodies fit together as perfectly as before, but everything felt so much better, so right. If Merlin didn’t know better, he would’ve thought it was a dream.
They eventually made their way down the hall to Arthur’s flat, much slower than Merlin’s short cut through the park ever had been. Merlin woke up the next day on Arthur’s couch with a fuzzy red and green blanket wrapped around him, his boyfriend’s head resting on his lap. Merlin raked his hand tiredly through Arthur’s hair with a smile. This Christmas turned out better than he’d ever imagined.