A/N: Received a sweet, detailed prompt on Tumblr a while ago, so thought I'd give it a go! Another Kingsman tickle fic, hope you like it!
Summary: Eggsy, Roxy and Charlie are with Merlin out for a lesson in observing: something Eggsy's not cut out for. He falls asleep continuously, but over the intercom, Harry informs Merlin how the group can keep the boy awake!
Stay Awake!
"So, got it?" Merlin asks the three remaining candidates after he parked the car and went through the assignment.
He casually leans one hand on the steering wheel while he turns and eyes each one of them carefully. Eggsy, who's seated next to him draws his attention by sighing loudly.
"That's it? All we have to do is sit here and watch that man eat a fuckin' burger? Why not get out and bust 'is head off if he's the suspect of -" from the back seat behind him, Charlie leans forward and whacks his head. Roxy who sits next to him shakes her head with a sigh, at both Eggsy's stupidity and Charlie's violence.
"Hey!" Frustrated, Eggsy turns around to return the favor, but Merlin holds his hand up and warns him with a stern look.
"You're underestimating the importance of observing here, Eggsy, which forms a big part of a Kingsman's work. A spy needs to observe. Now…" Merlin hands them all a notepad and a pen.
"Now watch, and each of you write what you're observing. You might just find out this man is up to more than just eating a burger," Merlin commands.
"Write down? Pfsh, I liked the parachute task better, can't we just do another one of -"
"Eggsy!" Roxy warns with a sigh, and he chooses to listen and shut up.
"Fine…" He takes his notepad, leans back lazily and stares out of the front window at the man in the distance, who's seated on a bench and eats a take away burger.
They stare, and stare, and they scribble things down. Merlin sits silently while the sound of their pens is the only thing that's heard, and the atmosphere is tense because of his nerve wrecking presence during the assignment.
Meanwhile, the target still remains at the same spot. Even after the man finishes eating, he remains on the bench and does nothing but check his phone continuously.
"He's waiting for something…" Roxy whispers.
"Or someone…" Charlie adds.
"Why does he keep staring at the empty burger bag? Something must be -"
"Did I say you guys could discuss? No. And Eggsy, did I say you could fall asleep? No!" Merlin says, but no response comes from the sleeping figure next to him.
"Eggsy!" Roxy hisses, and she reaches out and shakes him.
"Huh? Oh, oops." He sits back straight, grabs his notepad that fell down and joins the others with observing again. Merlin takes a quick look at his notepad that only has a couple of notes written down and he shakes his head.
A couple of minutes later, Eggsy is fast asleep again. While Roxy and Charlie are writing things down as if their lives depend on it, Merlin contacts Harry over the intercom.
"Harry, what would you say if your recruit kept falling asleep during his observing class?" Merlin asks calmly. Charlie smirks at this and Roxy keeps her focus on the target, and her notes.
"I'd suggest you tickle him. You'll be amazed," Harry replies, and Merlin raises his eyebrows in surprise.
"I'll consider that, thank you." Breaking the contact again, Merlin eyes Eggsy up and down. The careless boy sits leaning back with his arms folded, and his legs spread. The lazy bum. He hesitates, but then reaches out and curiously tickles his exposed side.
Eggsy spazzes out in response, and a loud girlish giggle escapes his lips as he wakes up from his sleep again.
"What the hell was that?" Charlie laughs, and Eggsy looks at each one of them in confusion, probably wondering the same. His eyes finally land on Merlin who sits there smirking down at him, and he points at their target.
"Observe, Eggsy. Now," he commands.
"As far as I'm observing, I think Eggy is ticklish," Charlie whispers, and Eggsy rolls his eyes and quickly focuses on the assignment with a bright red face.
Merlin nods with a satisfied grin, Charlie has a hard time controlling his laughter and even Roxy giggles softly, but Eggsy ignores them all and shakes it off.
However, Eggsy's sulking comes to an end soon again, as he sits leaning forward because of his attempted concentration, but fast asleep again. His head is hanging down, and his notepad and pen are scattered at his feet.
Merlin turns to the others and signals with his head at Eggsy, and that doesn't need extra explanation.
Roxy leans forward and traces a finger down his spine while Charlie pokes his side, making him squeak and wake up with a start.
"Guys!" he says, turning around to glare at them, his ears and cheeks getting bright red again from the embarrassment.
"Don't fuckin' touch mehehe!" That last part comes out as a giggle because Merlin now casually tickles his stomach, and Eggsy tries to grab his hand and push him away.
"F-fuhuhuck don't do that!" Eggsy laughs, and Charlie and Roxy both have their attention on him now instead of their target.
"We're just helping you to stay awake, Eggsy," Roxy says calmly, and she spiders her fingers all over his back.
"Yeah Eggy, and who knew you were so sensitive? You're such a softie," Charlie taunts, squeezing his side teasingly. Merlin is still tickling his stomach, and Eggsy jumps in his seat and attempts to fight their hands hilariously while giggles spill from his lips.
"Hahahaha s-shit o-okahahay I'll stahay awake!" he manages to shout out through his laughter, and Merlin holds up his hand and they all stop. He picks up his notepad and pen for him, shoves them in his lap and points at the target again.
"Observe," Merlin warns, but the corners of his lips curl up because of the slight amusement. When Eggsy looks up again he's surprised to see someone has joined the man, and he notes a couple of things down.
But as the time ticks, his vision grows blurry, darkness soon surrounds him again, and he dozes off in another deep sleep.
"Eggsy!" Ticklish sensations pull him out of his sleep again, and he wakes up to find Merlin attacking him furiously with tickles on his sides, while his arms are being held up by Charlie from behind.
"Aaaahh I c-can't heheehelp it - s-stop hahaha nohoho d-don't!" Eggsy struggles in his seat and bucks and struggles desperately while Merlin's fingers poke, squeeze and scribble, and find his most ticklish spots.
"Here, try the armpits," Roxy smirks and she leans forward and wiggles her fingers in the armpit she can reach.
"N-NOoohahaaha stahahap dammit hehehe!" Eggsy giggles while Merlin agrees and tries his other armpit, while his other hand mercilessly tickles the sides of his stomach. The young recruit laughs hysterically, kicks his legs and swears with all he's got, but he's trapped.
When he's finally released, he pants tiredly and leans forward to catch his breath while the others smirk.
"I won't sleep again, I swear," Eggsy says between heavy breaths, flinching when Merlin leans forward to pick up his notepad again.
"You won't have to. Assignment's over. Roxy's figured it out," Merlin says, and Eggsy looks at Roxy and back at Merlin.
"What, really? What was -"
"Not telling. You get to do a resit." And while Eggsy sputters, looking from Merlin at his fellow trainees, and then at the empty bench, Merlin opens the door and steps out of the car. The others follow him out, and Eggsy watches them go.
"Hey! Where do you think you're -" he freezes when Harry suddenly joins him as he takes place behind the steering wheel. He cracks his fingers and shoots him a look that makes him flinch in his seat.
"So, I take it my recruit has trouble staying awake during observation? Let's see how you'll do now."