A/N: I'm still calling this story done in an act of denial. My denial muscles have been greatly strengthened by this fandom. Anyway, this could stand alone, or make a tiny bit more sense if you read chapter 1, then To Clarify (which is Chapter 1 from Eggsy's POV) then come back here, but don't let me live your life for you.


"Shit, ok," Eggsy popped the clip out of his gun, swore again and shoved it back in. Kay edged closer as the hail of gunfire chipped troublingly away at the brick wall nearer to his head. "Cover me while I get to the turret, yeah?"

"Cover you from a tank?"

"They're out of shells."

Eggsy's statement was undercut when the building in front of them lost a chunk in a very loud explosion.

"Ok," Eggsy said again once he could hear "but if they can't hit us now they won't hit me while I'm running."

Kay gave him a flat look, "And you intend to take the tank down with an M2 on an overturned Humvee?"

"I'm willing to gamble that I'll take them out before they figure out how to aim," Eggsy grinned rakishly, cocked his gun with one of his two remaining bullets, and had his thunder stolen when the hail of fire stopped and the men started yelling in panic before he even stood up. He didn't have time to do more than blink before the low buzz that had been drowned mostly out by the gunfire reached new heights, then ended in a deafening crash of screeching metal.

Eggsy popped up from behind the barrier and found that a shiny red biplane had mowed down half the militia and helpfully wrapped itself around the tank.

"Or that."

Beside him, Kay sighed.

Eggsy watched as a man swung out of the wreckage and lobbed a grenade down the barrel of the tank, then dropped to the ground and beat a quick, but not exactly hasty, retreat.

Eggsy knew those moves anywhere.

He grinned, and it was lit a moment later with orange light when the grenade went off with a low rumble, and the fire that shot out of the barrel caught the leaking fuel from the biplane and sent the entire thing up in a ball of flame.

"Hello darling," Harry greeted when Eggsy ran up to him.

"Harry!" Eggsy launched himself into Harry's arms, grinning "Fuck, that was awesome. What are you doing here?"

Harry smiled, warm and genuine. He wore a thick coat over his suit but was otherwise as perfectly done up as when he left the house in the morning, which was odd seeing as the plane was open-air. "I was in the neighborhood."

"You were in Hong Kong," Kay supplied from behind them, leaning pointedly against the brick monument sign that proudly displayed French lettering.

"Well, I had to get home somehow, didn't I."

"Harry, this is the fifth time," Kay muttered, possibly beginning a rant.

"Oh yeah, how was Hong Kong?" Eggsy asked brightly, apparently oblivious to the still-burning wreckage behind them and Kay's irritation.

"A bit cold for this time of year. I got you something."

Harry drew back and fished in his coat for a moment, withdrawing a bag he'd tied to his gun holster. From it he produced a snow globe with the Hong Kong skyline swelling cheerily up inside. Eggsy took it when offered, laughing and shaking is so snow fell on the city.

"You crashed a plane into a tank while holding a snow globe and it didn't break. That's right impressive, love. Think mine shattered when the truck flipped."

"That's why you're in training. You'll be able to take on small armies holding a baby before long."

Eggsy looked at Harry through the glass "Please tell me that's not a thing that happens often."

Their feeds crackled to life before Harry could answer, Kay informing Merlin of a mission completed.


Back at H.Q. Merlin scolded Harry so mildly that Eggsy figured Harry had just won Merlin something he wanted very much through the betting pool.

"Just because he's in training doesn't mean he's yours," Merlin began. Eggsy had been sent out into the hall while Merlin had a talk with 'the actual sanctioned field agent responsible for this mess'. Harry was casually sipping his tea, well aware of Merlin's all too cordial mood.

"But he is mine, and he's in training. I don't see the problem with sending him out exclusively on joint missions with me," a deliberate sip "unless you'd like to keep fixing your bets."

Merlin stared at him. Harry stared blandly back.

At last Merlin rolled his eyes "Fine. But only because you do work well together, and once he's a fully-fledged agent I expect you to let him work alone."

"Of course. That's the whole point of this training period."

"The point is that he said he wanted to do it and you're a doting bastard. At least he's turned out to be good."

Harry set his tea aside and stood, "He's been spectacular and you know it. Otherwise you never would have let me brow-beat you."

Eggsy hadn't gone far. Harry found him a few yards down the hall, leaning against the wall and talking with Lancelot. He smiled brightly at Harry's approach.

"Grounded?"

Harry stopped only a hair away from touching him, smiling fondly himself. "No, but I'm not allowed to go out or have anyone over for two weeks."

"Shame, guess we'll have to go to bed early then, yeah?"

"Only if you want."

James, witnessing this, proved his intelligence by blurting "You two haven't even had sex yet?!"

Eggsy jolted like he'd forgotten he was there, flushed and ducked his head, "Oi, shut up."

"Mary, Mother of God, give me strength," Merlin prayed behind them, and Harry turned.

"Merlin, I'm hurt. You really think I'd ravish him before he was settled?"

Merlin only continued to look distressed.

"Well, as much as I've enjoyed sharing, we've been given a mission," Harry nodded down the corridor "Eggsy, with me."