AN: Two fics in two days after two years of a dry spell! I'm on a roll!
Anyway, written for this post at the kinkmeme. Hope you enjoy.
Harry is doing this far too often, nowadays. Eggsy looks down on his good friend and mentor, looking small and vulnerable in the Kingsman hospital ward. If it wasn't for the sheets slowly rising and falling with each of his breaths, one might think the worst.
"He'll be fine."
It's Merlin, of course it is. He has barely been in to see Harry, but Eggsy has and he has no illusion about the fact that Merlin has witnessed each and every one of these visits. Has sat in front of his tablet, watching Eggsy watching Harry.
Eggsy cannot even hold it against him, if he thinks about it. The first time he had had to force himself through the door, his whole body and mind rejecting the idea of seeing Harry so hurt - so broken yet again.
He figures it must be easier to watch it through someone else's eyes.
"He's got to stop doing this." Eggsy answers without turning around. Merlin comes to stand beside him. "It ain't good for me heart."
Merlin exhales softly. Together they watch Harry's chest rising and falling. He is unconscious, has been for what feels like ages although it has only been three weeks.
Eggsy inhales and rubs his nose, aiming for nonchalance and missing by a wide margin. Not quite the spy Harry has been - is still training him to be.
"He'll wake up though, won't he?" He asks, his voice sounding broken even to his own ears. God, how embarrassing.
Merlin smiles a little. "I told you he would, so he will."
"S'just..." Eggsy says hastily, unwanted feelings bubbling up inside him. "S'just, it's been ages, yea? An' I know s'good this way, that he can heal better and shit if he ain't be runnin' about, tryin' to save the world, but..."
A heavy hand on his shoulder stops him and he turns a little. Merlin looks grave but sure and there is not the same darkness in his eyes that Eggsy had seen in them shortly after V-Day.
The hand squeezes. "He will be fine."
And Eggsy believes Merlin, because Merlin had said the same back then and he had been right. Because he was always kind of right, when you thought about it.
"You're really a wizard, aren't ye?"
Merlin huffs but smirks. "What makes you think that?"
Eggsy shrugs and shoves his hands into his trouser pockets. A hand taps at his elbow.
"Harry wouldn't like that." Merlin says. "You will ruin the suit this way."
He is obviously trying to cheer Eggsy up and he appreciates that. He even takes his hands out of his pockets, but whether he does it for Merlin or for Harry is anyone's guess.
"Nice of ye to try, but it's different when Harry ain't the one sayin' that, innit?"
And when he looks at Merlin (brows furrowed, lips pursed, a little too pale, circles beneath his eyes a little too noticeable) he realises for the first time - Merlin misses Harry just as much as Eggsy does. If not more.
"You've known him ages, haven't ye?"
Merlin shrugs and it's so out of character that it tells Eggsy all he needs to know. Now it is his turn to squeeze the other man's shoulder.
"He'll wake up soon enough." Eggsy says. "Or we'll start burning his wardrobe with each day he's holding out on us. Ye hear that, Harry? I'll start with ya dressing gown!"
It's the first time he hears Merlin laugh and it's a warm, rich sound that makes him smile. He feels sorry that he does not hear it often. Wonders what it takes for Merlin to let go for a moment and laugh like that with all the responsibility he has, all the things he knows.
Merlin leaves after that, but not without handing Eggsy a chocolate bar. Of course the bastard knows that Eggsy has not eaten anything since breakfast.
Still, he thinks sitting at Harry's bedside munching thoughtfully, Merlin's kind of a mate.