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Harry yawns and rolls over, right arm instinctively reaching for Eggsy as it has first thing every morning for the past two years. Instead of a warm, strong, beautiful young man, however, his skin comes in contact with cool sheets. Sheets with a ridiculously high thread count, but simply sheets nonetheless. “Eggsy?” Harry all but whimpers as he sits up.
“Right here, Harry.” Eggsy appears from the en suite, already clad in his suit trousers and a white undershirt. “Good morning, love.” Eggsy crawls onto the bed and gives Harry a minty kiss.
“You’re up and about early,” Harry observes after allowing himself a few extra kisses for good measure.
“Got a meeting with Arthur at half-nine, and I’m fairly certain Merlin will be there…which means I’m also fairly certain something will be said about my mission reports.” Eggsy makes a face and scoots back off the bed. “So I gotta look them over.”
“I have it on fairly good authority that Arthur will forgive you if you’re late or ill prepared.” Harry falls back onto his pillow.
“Oh he will, will he?” Eggsy says with a grin as he tugs on his shirt and buttons it. “Maybe so, but I have it on fairly good authority that Merlin WON’T forgive me, and won’t let me give him a blowie to distract him.”
“He might. I have caught him looking at your arse more than once.”
“Maybe you caught him because YOU’RE always look at it, Harry.” Eggsy shakes his head and goes to the closet for a tie.
“Can you blame me? It is perfection.”
“Your eyesight starting to go?” Eggsy teases.
“I hope not,” Harry says faintly. “But if it is, I do believe your arse being the last thing I see sounds like…”
“You are ridiculous.” Eggsy shakes his head. He holds out a hand once he finishes with his tie. “Out of bed, old man.”
Harry takes the proffered hand and swings himself out from under the covers. He winces as his knees pop and his lumbar spine lets out an embarrassing crack. Eggsy gives him a worried look. “Just old age moving everything back into place, dear boy. I’m fine.” Harry kisses Eggsy’s nose. “Nothing to worry about.”
“I will always worry about you,” Eggsy informs him. He helps Harry into his dressing gown and ties the belt. “Sorta my job.”
“We’re partners,” Harry says lightly. “So it is also my job to worry about you.”
“What’s there to worry about?” Eggsy asks innocently. Gentlemen don’t snort, but the sound Harry makes is remarkably close. “What?”
Harry starts ticking things off on his fingers. “Parkour accident which resulted in a sprained ankle.”
“I slipped on wet pavement.”
“Explosion which resulted in three broken fingers.”
“Hey, I had NO way of knowing which way that wall was going to crumble.”
“Getaway car accident which resulted in a fractured elbow, a concussion, and a horrid cut on your face.” Harry brushes his knuckles over the faded scar.
“Blame Kingsman,” Eggsy says with a pout.
“Gladly, because you know I will never blame you, my darling.” Harry cradles Eggsy’s face in his hands and kisses him.
“What did I do to deserve you, Harry?” Eggsy asks dreamily.
“You stole a car,” Harry replies. “I’m not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing for you.”
Eggsy frowns and pulls away. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well…” Harry toys with the belt of his dressing gown. “I’m…I’m old.”
“You aren’t old, Harry. You’re aged. Like a fine wine.”
“That’s what people say about someone when they don’t want to say they’re old.”
Eggsy sighs. “I don’t have time for this and neither do you. You aren’t old, you’re absolutely perfect, and I love you. End of story.” He gives Harry a smacking kiss. “Now get a move on if you want us to have breakfast together.”
“Yes, my boy,” Harry says obediently. He waits for Eggsy to leave the bedroom before he starts his limping walk to the en suite. Mornings and his joints are not good friends. “Old age is a fucking curse,” he mutters to himself. He looks at his cock as he gets it out to use the toilet. “I’m lucky you even remember how to function.”
When he arrives in the kitchen, fresh as a daisy in one of his favorite grey suits, Eggsy is seated at the table shoveling oatmeal into his mouth as he scrolls through his phone. “Oatmeal’s on the stove, kettle’s ready,” Eggsy says with his mouth full. “Newspaper’s there, too…opened it up to your puzzle.”
Harry frowns as he looks down at the newspaper. It was sweet of Eggsy to prepare everything for him, but this just goes to show how old Harry is. He enjoys doing crossword puzzles, in pen. He notices a saucer of sliced bananas near his place at the table, and a glass of orange juice by his napkin. “Trying to force feed me Vitamin C and potassium, dear boy?”
“I know you woulda dumped an unhealthy amount of sugar in your oatmeal if I didn’t pay attention, and you need your vitamins,” Eggsy all but growls. “If you’d only take…”
“I wish to avoid pills for as long as I can.” Harry sits down with his tea and bowl of oatmeal. “God knows I’ll be popping them soon enough,” he mutters. Because that’s what old people do. They take pills and lots of them.
“Harry, I gotta question.” Eggsy pushes his bowl away and wipes his mouth with his napkin. He brings his necktie down from where he’d tossed it over his shoulder, carefully adjusting the knot before leaning back in his chair. “Why did you sound like that when you woke up?”
“Like what, darling?” Harry sprinkles a few spoons of sugar onto his oatmeal before Eggsy swipes the sugar bowl away.
“Like you were petrified,” Eggsy says quietly. “Like…like you were afraid I was gone.”
“I feel that way every time I wake up and you’re not next to me,” Harry confides after a brief pause.
“Harry,” Eggsy says, sounding almost offended. “Where exactly do you think I’d go?”
“I’m not quite sure,” Harry admits. “Away…somewhere that’s not here, by my side. Someplace where you are free to be…” Harry stops and shakes his head.
“Free to be what, Harry?” Eggsy asks.
“Free to be free. Not worrying about my potassium or getting me ready on time or…or providing me with a crossword puzzle.” Harry knows it sounds ridiculous, he really does, but that doesn’t make his anxiety any less pressing.
“Harry.” Eggsy captures Harry’s hand and kisses it. “I love you. You make it sound like being with you is some sort of chore. It isn’t. I swear. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and every day I wake up next to you is a blessing, you get me?”
“You are far too kind,” Harry says, but makes a face to show he’s kidding.
“I am. One of my best qualities.” Eggsy gets up and puts his bowl in the sink. “Gotta run. I can almost hear those mission reports calling me.” Eggsy walks over to Harry and gently touches his face. “I don’t like that sound in your voice, Harry,” he says finally, biting at his bottom lip. “You sounded so lost. You don’t have to worry…I’m in it for the long haul, okay?”
“I’m sorry, dearest. I didn’t mean to worry you.” Harry stands so he can take his beautiful young man in his arms. “I love you, and I’ll see you later at our meeting.”
“Okay.” Eggsy gives him one more worried look before kissing him. “I mean it, the long haul.” Harry smiles and nods, sitting back down as Eggsy heads for the front door.
He wonders just how long that haul might eventually be.
“Preposterous.” Merlin glares at Eggsy. “Really, lad. Ye have been an agent for how long now? Ye know how to put pen to paper…or fingers to a keyboard, as it were.”
“Is this all completely necessary, Merlin?” Harry asks tiredly. They’ve gone over Eggsy’s last mission in detail, and now Merlin has moved on to berating the young agent for his mission reports. Harry rubs at his forehead and sighs.
Eggsy immediately jumps to his feet and Merlin’s eyebrows jump as well. “Tea, Arthur?” He goes to the sideboard without waiting for a response.
“That does sound lovely, my boy, thank you,” Harry says with a weary smile.
Now Eggsy’s eyebrows go up and Harry blushes. He very rarely calls him anything but ‘Galahad’ while on Kingsman property. “Don’t mind me, I’m fine,” Merlin grumbles. “Please ignore the fact that I’ve been talking for thirty minutes and my mouth might POSSIBLY be dry.”
“And you call HIM dramatic,” Eggsy says with a grin. “Course I’m gonna take care of you, Merlin. My job, ain’t it, looking after you two old-timers?” He places cups and saucers on Harry’s desk.
“We are not old,” Merlin says, looking offended.
“At least you’re not,” Harry says, earning an odd look from his best friend. “Thank you, Galahad,” he continues when the water finally boils and Eggsy starts pouring.
“My reports will get done, Merlin, with all the important information included,” Eggsy promises. “Just because the prior Galahad’s reports were perfect…”
Merlin snorts. “They were far from perfect, Galahad, I assure you.”
Harry tunes Merlin out and watches Eggsy move about the office, pouring milk, stirring sugar, and just being his graceful beautiful self. So young. So golden. It makes Harry even more weary.
The conversation pauses and Harry realizes they’re both looking at him. “I do apologize. You were saying?”
“Nothing, really…I’m just surprised you didn’t interrupt me to declare your brilliance,” Merlin says with a frown.
“Well, one must grow up sometime, I suppose.” Harry sips at his tea. “Are we done here?”
“Yes,” Merlin says. “I will take my tea with me.” He stands. “Galahad, if ye could accompany me? We’re not done.”
“Great,” Eggsy groans, picking up his own tea. “Anything else, Arthur?”
“No, Galahad, thank you.” Harry gives him a smile. “I will see you later.”
“Yes, sir.” Eggsy kisses him with his eyes before leaving the room.
Harry slowly gets up with his tea and ambles over to the window. He looks out on the beautiful morning and sighs.
“You noticed that, right?” Eggsy says as soon as they’re in Merlin’s office. “How Harry got all quiet and…”
“…pensive?” Merlin finishes. “Aye. He seemed a bit off this morning. Everything all right at home?”
“Absolutely,” Eggsy replies. Merlin motions to a chair and Eggsy sits. “He woke up kinda weird, though…got all worried when I wasn’t in bed, said he’s always afraid I’m gonna go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“That’s what I said.” Eggsy sighs. “He went on about me being free, not having to take care of him. I set him straight quick enough…I don’t want to be anywhere that isn’t with him.”
“He is quite lucky to have ye, lad,” Merlin says quietly, and Eggsy feels the unspoken emotion in his words.
“Yeah, well, he doesn’t seem to get that I’M the lucky one.” He taps his spoon against the saucer thoughtfully. “I need to remedy this right quick, and I’ll need your help.”
“However I can,” Merlin promises. “The more Harry dotes on you the more he stays out of my hair.”
Eggsy looks at Merlin’s bald head and grins. “I got an idea, but it will take some work…dunno if you have the influence to…”
“I have the influence to do a great many things, lad,” Merlin says serenely.
“Good. Because I think we might need it for this.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Bauer,” Harry says as he closes the door and wipes his wet shoes on the mat. He’s wet and tired and just feeling exhausted. There’s no good reason for it, although Harry could maybe blame it on the weather, or on the fact that Eggsy’s been stuck in mandatory training at Kingsman for the past week and therefore Harry’s barely seen him between sunup and sundown. He just feels at odds with himself, and he’s looking forward to a well-mixed drink and a roaring fire. If JB wants to sit on his lap and cuddle, Harry isn’t averse to the idea.
JB’s chances at a cuddle go out the window when Eggsy comes striding down the hall with a glass in his hand. “Hello, love.”
“Eggsy!” Harry says in astonishment. “What are you doing here?”
“Last time I checked I live here.” Eggsy places the glass on a table and helps Harry out of his raincoat. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“Of course I am.” Harry kisses the upturned face. “I simply expected Merlin to keep you late again.”
“Think he was gonna, but Roxy and I blew everyone else away out on the range, so we got out early.” Eggsy grins. “Don’t think he quite expected that.”
“He should learn never to underestimate you, darling.” Eggsy picks up the drink and holds it out. “Thank you.” Harry sips it and sighs with pleasure.
“Now go on up and change into your comfy clothes…I got dinner on the stove, and we’ll have a nice cozy evening, me and you.” JB arfs. “And JB, of course.”
“Yes, we cannot forget JB.” A bit of weight leaves Harry’s shoulders. “I’ll be right down.”
“Take your time.” Eggsy whistles for JB and heads back to the kitchen.
When Harry returns to the kitchen in his trousers and jumper he finds Eggsy quietly singing along to music on his phone, arse and thighs spectacularly outlined by a pair of tight jeans. He bustles about from sink to cupboard to fridge, and Harry suddenly feels weary all over again. “I do not wish to get in your way,” he says from the doorway.
“You won’t. Sit down. Got your crossword puzzle all ready.” Eggsy taps the newspaper.
“But I finished it this morning,” Harry says in confusion.
Eggsy shrugs. “Was a paper out front when I got home…maybe they’re doing an evening edition or something. Doesn’t matter, does it?” He holds something out to Harry. “Look. Got your puzzle pen ready and everything.”
“I do NOT have a puzzle pen,” Harry snaps, although he takes the pen and then takes his seat. He finishes his drink and looks down at the puzzle. “Now, let’s see.”
“No, JB,” Eggsy says, gently nudging his dog away with his foot. “I don’t wanna trip over you. Go lay down.” JB whimpers and retreats to his bed in the corner. “I’ll feed you when I’m through.”
Harry is soon immersed in his clues, lulled into a sense of calm and comfort as Eggsy moves around the kitchen. “Canal in the Middle East, four letters…that would be Suez…capital of Latvia…Riga…movie actor Sir Alec…Guinness…” Harry murmurs aloud. After about five minutes he realizes that Eggsy is no longer moving in and out of his peripheral vision and he looks up. Eggsy is watching him with a fond smile on his face. “What?”
“Nothing. Just like watching you do your puzzle. You get all involved, can almost smell the smoke when you’re thinking like that.”
“Thinking is a fairly painless process. You should try it sometime,” Harry replies before returning to his puzzle.
“Oi, I think!”
“Sprained ankle broken fingers concussion,” Harry chants.
“Oh, fuck off,” Eggsy snaps and Harry smiles down at his puzzle.
“Bloody hell,” he groans a few minutes later. “I hate these. Why do they have to be cute?”
“What’s up?” Eggsy comes over to look down over his shoulder.
“Every once in a while they get fancy and decide you need to solve a clue.”
“Um, ain’t that what crossword puzzles ARE?” Eggsy asks in confusion.
“I’m sorry. I was unclear.” Harry shakes his head. “Some of the clues are in little circles instead of boxes, and you have to put them all together to make a sentence or phrase.”
“Need help?” Eggsy asks innocently. Harry slowly turns his head to look up at him, one eyebrow raised. “Okay, maybe not. I’ll just get back to dinner.” Eggsy returns to the counter.
Eggsy is sliding a pan into the oven when Harry finally puts down his pen. “Finished.”
“Get your extra clue?” Eggsy asks.
“Give me a minute,” Harry says spitefully, as if the creators of the crossword will ever know of his displeasure. He stands, stretches, and says, “Why don’t I take JB out?”
“He’s fine,” Eggsy says. “Look, he’s almost asleep. Just finish your puzzle, you big baby.”
“I beg your pardon,” Harry says indignantly, but he sits back down and picks up his pen. “All right. Let’s get this over with. W, I, L, L…” Harry writes the letters at the bottom of the page one by one. “This is longer than usual.”
“What does it say?” Eggsy asks quietly.
“It says, ‘Will you marry me Harry.’ Oh. That can’t possibly be right.” Harry blinks at his newspaper. “Let me do it again.” He scribbles down letters. “No, that’s what it says. ‘Will you marry me Harry.’ How odd.”
“Is it?”
Harry turns to find Eggsy on one knee by Harry’s chair, hand outstretched. On his palm is a small black velvet box. “Eggsy, what…how…”
“I have wanted you since the moment you told me your name,” Eggsy whispers. “I’ve loved you since I woke up on a train track and you were there standing over me like some avenging angel. I’ve hoped to spend forever with you since I found you in a padded cell in Kentucky.” Eggsy swallows hard. “You’ve been going on and on lately about me being free, well I’m not interested. Decided I had to do something about it, talked to Merlin, and he helped me make this happen. Harry Hart…it would be my very great honor if you would marry me.”
“I…what…my word,” Harry says weakly. “But Eggsy, have you thought about this?”
“Yes, and in my thoughts you said yes a lot quicker,” Eggsy says with a frown. Harry opens his mouth. “And if you’re gonna spout some ridiculous rubbish about your age and my age and your injuries and my injuries, well you can just save the oxygen for the day you say ‘I do’ in front of our friends and family. Because age ain’t nothing but a number, injuries heal, but I am gonna love you until my last fucking breath, so…yeah.” Eggsy tilts his head up defiantly.
“You are the most incredible creature to ever walk the Earth.” Harry ignores the tears sliding down his cheeks as he cups Eggsy’s face in his hands and kisses him. “Yes, Eggsy Unwin, I will most definitely marry you.”
“Finally,” Eggsy whispers before surging up into Harry’s embrace.