Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

Time Together

Harry was in spectacularly good mood as he closed Eggsy's bedroom door behind him, leaving it open just a crack for J.B., just in case. And yes, not being an idiot Harry was well aware that eventually his good sense was going to pierce through his excellent mood and start needling him about how he had no business having sex with Eggsy while things were still so up in the air with them. He wasn't stupid. But for now he felt relax, content, and more than a little smug about how vocal Eggsy had been in his pleasure and appreciation of Harry's attention earlier. Plus it was Eggsy he'd left sleeping in their bed, the boy exhausted and sleeping so deeply he hadn't woken up even when Harry had wiped him down with a wet wash cloth, and usually that was Harry's position. It was very satisfy, Harry's ego all but purred, to be the one to wear his partner out for a change.

Normally Eggsy was like that ghastly pink rabbit from that American battery commercial when it came to sex. He could just keep going and going. Which Harry appreciated, he did, but still…it was nice to wear Eggsy out for once.

Taking a seat on the leather couch Eggsy had been so proud of when he'd bought it, though it had been a real bitch to get it into the room, Harry smiled and leaned back into the buttery soft material, forgoing his usual perfect posture for the moment as he just let himself just wallow as he remembered the past. Happier times.

He and Eggsy had worked together for years before beginning a romantic relationship, the world having gone to hell in a hand basket all over the place. Many of the agencies and organizations that they should have been able to depend on to pick up some of the slack had been decimated during V Day or were in disarray for far too long in the immediate aftermath. And Kingsman too had suffered losses and betrayals, had had to recover without time to mourn or catch their breaths. The weight of the world had been on their shoulders, as well as the new agents they'd had to train and then send out into the field before they were ready, frankly, the world in no condition for them to wait.

From the start of Eggsy's career as Galahad they'd only grown closer, Eggsy mother henning him day and night once he'd been brought back from Kentucky. Facing a very long medical leave he had fought against his doctors, nurses and Merlin about being inactive, with Eggsy standing firmer than all of them. The boy's omega genes coming through, perhaps, Harry now speculated, though at the time they'd all just chalked it up to Eggsy's core personality. If you were important to Eggsy he would take care of you. Whether you wanted him to or not. Becoming a Kingsman had given the boy the confidence to finally believe in himself, which had led to him becoming one of the most fierce protectors of the weak and innocent any of them had ever seen.

So their relationship had morphed from mentor/trainee to patient/nurse, and from there they'd become surprisingly close friends despite their age difference and their very different upbringings and the way they looked at the world.

When he'd started to look at Eggsy as more than a friend…Harry had never been able to pin that down to his satisfaction. Eggsy had simply become such a fixture in his life, to the point where the idea of not having the boy in his personal sphere had become unimaginable. He'd come to expect and look forward to the boy's cocky and cheeky teasing. It was his norm for Eggsy to bring him lunch or dinner and nagging him into eating until he complied. And truth be told, though he'd never mentioned it to Eggsy, he'd always been a little jealous when Eggsy had gone out with friends or went out on a date during his free time, Harry selfishly wishing Eggsy would stay with him instead. Without realizing it he'd come to think of Eggsy as his more and more over time, someone he was loathed to share and wanted to keep with him whenever possible.

It was those emotions that had ultimately made him take a good, hard look at himself and his motivations once he'd realized how ridiculous he was being, consequently discovering, to his dismayed shock, that somewhere along the line he'd fallen head over heels in love with a boy half his age.

Naturally, not being blind, he'd been perfectly aware that Eggsy was good looking, gorgeously built, and possessed an innate sexuality that meant the boy had no problem seducing or charming anyone into his bed. But once he'd realized the nature of his feelings for the boy Harry had found himself thinking a great deal more about the boy's sexual prowess and wishing that he had firsthand experience with Eggsy's touch and skills. Wishing that Eggsy was his and only his to go to sleep beside and wake up with come morning. Wanting Eggsy all to himself that much more, when obviously he couldn't because Eggsy wasn't his and never would be in that way...

He'd tried to tell himself at first that it was just lust, an overdue midlife crisis so to speak. Who could blame him, after all, for choosing to set his appreciative eyes on Eggsy? And wanting someone inappropriate was a great deal more preferable than being in love with that someone. But alas…he'd watched way too many romantic comedies and dramas to fool himself for long.

Eggsy was his happiness.

It had made things more than a little awkward between them for a few weeks, Harry remembered ruefully, especially since Eggsy had been clueless about why his friend was suddenly giving him odd looks and reacting strangely whenever Eggsy moved into his personal space or touched him in any way.

His ridiculous behavior had resulted in Eggsy demanding a sparring match with him, which he hadn't been able to wiggle out of because no one was quite so skilled at picking a fight as Eggsy. And then, as they'd stood on the mat to face off against each other, Eggsy had lashed out with his leg without warning, swiping Harry's feet out from under him. Quick as the cat Harry often thought the boy resembled, Eggsy had been on him then, sitting on him with his hands holding Harry's arms down at his sides. And leaning down Eggsy had put his face right in Harry's and had demanded to know why he was acting weird around him.

Being that close, seeing the pain in Eggsy's big green eyes because Harry was important to him and his behavior had been hurting him, Harry had cracked like a fresh egg dropped on pavement, the truth of his feelings having been on the tip of his tongues for weeks at that point.

Of course even as he'd blurted out that he was in love with him he'd expected for Eggsy to be shocked, dismayed, and deeply uncomfortable with the idea. Who would blame him, after all? But while he'd babbled apologies and promised to behave himself and do his level best to think and treat Eggsy as just the valued friend that he was, Eggsy had stayed eerily quiet.

Eggsy had let him ramble like an idiot until he'd run out of breath to speak and then had told he was a blind idiot.

And then Eggsy had kissed him like he loved him just as much as Harry loved him.

To this day he remembered everyone second of that kiss. Would never forget the taste of Eggsy, with just a hint of the whisky the boy had later told him he'd gulped down for a little liquid courage before the match. Eggsy had smelled like the Kingsman issue soap and shampoo he'd used earlier, as well as the cologne Harry had bought him one year on his birthday. The same kind he wore because Eggsy had told him how much he liked it. Perhaps, even then, wanting Eggsy to carry his scent in that small way.

Add in the warmth of the man's body pressed against his own, Eggsy's breath panting over his face when he lifted his head a little to make sure he hadn't out of bounds, snogging him, and then they'd kissed again and Harry had more memories to permanently engrave on his mind. Again and again they'd kissed, until they'd realized they'd better leave the gym for somewhere more private.

Despite what Kingsman gossips believed, and Harry and Eggsy had heard plenty of their so called friends and coworkers speculating about that night, they had not had sex in the gym, the shower, his office, or Eggsy's. They actually hadn't had sex period that night, though not for lack of interest on either of their parts.

That had been on the menu, so to speak, until Eggsy's stomach had decided to grumble on their way out, the boy confessing that he'd been so nervous about confronting Harry about his weird behavior that he'd skipped lunch and hadn't eaten since breakfast. And having learned that everything was now going to be alright with Eggsy, that Eggsy could be his after all, Harry had seen no reason they couldn't go on a date first. That was how things like this were supposed to be done, after all, and he'd been so stunned and happy that he hadn't started thinking realistically about all the reasons why he shouldn't get romantically involved with Eggsy. Emotion had ruled then.

So they'd gone out to dinner at their favorite restaurant, giddy as schoolboys, and had flirted and touched throughout the meal without a care for what anyone thought, still reeling over the fact that they were actually out on a date together.

And while Eggsy had gone home with him that night, after their late dinner, they'd both been exhausted from all the stress leading up to their talk and ingesting too much rich food. Neither had been sleeping well either, and so they'd ended up in his bed to kiss and cuddle instead, falling asleep together with promises of doing more come morning.

Sleeping deeply through the night with Eggsy held close in his arms, he'd woken up to find the younger man already awake and slightly apart from him, which he would have objected and worried about if he hadn't first woken up to the feel of fingers running over his face. He'd played at being asleep for a few minutes just to enjoy the startling intimacy of it, basking in the fact that Eggsy would want to touch him that way. Not to wake him up or arouse, but just to touch him.

Harry was pretty sure that his heart had been in his eyes when he'd eventually opened them to meet Eggsy's equally soft and loving gaze.

They'd made love that morning, not rushing at all…and had had a lot of that and sex for the two days Merlin had managed to clear from their schedules as a reward for finally getting their heads out their arses according to him. Two of the happiest days of his life.

And thinking of Merlin brought Harry's thoughts crashing back to the present, reminding him that he had work to do. Work that he needed to finish as soon as possible if he wanted to spend time with Eggsy once his precious boy woke up from his current nap. So he needed to get as much done as he possibly could, Harry acknowledge with a sigh, not that he could actually ever finish all the paperwork constantly being dropped into his lap. It just kept coming and coming it often seemed to him, the end never in sight.

But he was getting that assistant, just as he'd promised, and once he had him or her properly trained some of this would be taken care of by someone else. Thank God. And he'd learn to let that happen without interfering or hanging over his assistant's shoulder so that he could be around to watch his babies experience as many of their first as possible. So that he'd know their routines and be a part of them, his presence being the norm for them instead of a happy surprise.

He'd given everything he had to the world for years…asking to enjoy what little time he'd have with his mate and children was not too much to ask. Especially given how close he'd come to never getting to this moment time and time again. So he'd put his nose to the grindstone when needed. But only when he needed to.

Which was why Harry resolutely spent the next couple hours hard at work until he heard the sound of claws clanking on the wood floors, alerting him to J.B.'s presence in the room. Habit had Harry looking over in that direction, his eyebrows rising as he watched Eggsy very carefully walk into the room after his pet.

"Eggsy…"

"Relax. I'm fine and takin it easy just like the docs have said. Promise." And true to his word Eggsy was visibly reining himself in as he came over and took a seat beside Harry, settling comfortably in at his side like he belonged there. Which he did. "Whatcha workin on? You was so focused I'm shocked ya even heard us comin."

"Nothing as interesting as what I was thinking about before I started working." He didn't want to talk about work, especially when Eggsy was looking deliciously sleepy and rumpled.

"Oh? Now ya've gone and piqued me interest. What was you thinkin bout before?"

Turning his head to accept the brush of Eggsy's lips, Harry smiled against them in open affection. "I was just remembering how you knocked some sense into me about how stupid I was being, pining for you in silence before. I've never been able to step foot in that gym, you know, without thinking about it."

"Ah."

)

Smiling as he savored their closeness and the happy ending of that particular memory, Eggsy had no problem also remembering how scared and angry he'd been that day. It had been driving him mad for weeks, how strange Harry had been acting around him. He'd spent hours agonizing over what he might have said or done to put a wedge between them, as well as being angry at himself for caring so much about Harry suddenly putting up barriers between them. He'd decided at that point, hadn't he, that spending his time lusting over Harry and wishing that the man would look his way romantically was beyond dumb. He'd tried to tell himself that he should be happy that Harry was putting up some walls that meant Eggsy would find himself in fewer situations where he was tempted to try something. To make Harry see him as more than a friend. But he'd been bloody miserable without him, and so he'd snapped and said to hell with doing the sane, logical thing. He hadn't been able to take the distance between them a minute longer.

"Did you let me take you down?" He'd often wondered.

"No. I didn't see your little maneuver coming." There was a definite smile in Harry's voice.

Making a pleased sound, which obviously amused Harry, Eggsy smiled at him and then looked down when J.B. started spinning in circles in front of the couch.

Understanding what his pet was demanding Eggsy was about to lean down to scoop his dog up when Harry beat him to the punch, picking the pug up and placing him in Eggsy's lap for him.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Stroking his fingers over his pug's fur, Eggsy continued to smile a little as he leaned his body against Harry's. "Ya know, we's is gonna be in trouble later, when the sprogs ask us how we gots together and all. Sayin we was introduced when ya came to tell me mum about dad…that's just messed up, ain't it?" A moment of reflection. "Better, maybe, to say we met when ya came to bust me outta the slammer. Less depressin, anyway. And we could make it sound like ya rescued me and all, like ya was my knight in shining armor outta a fairy tale sort of deal."

"Your knight? Last time I checked I was your king."

It had been a joke with them, even before they'd become a couple, that Harry was his king. Eggsy had called him that as a sort of petname, one that had taken on a different meaning when they'd become comfortable with the shift into a sexual relationship. Then it had, upon occasion, been used in a roleplaying manner, with Eggsy as his knight, eager to serve his king in whatever manner Harry wished.

And even knowing that Harry was just teasing him, and didn't mean anything sexual by what he'd said, he'd just been teasing him…Eggsy newly awakened omega hormones were suddenly in the mood to do a happy dance again.

That being the case Eggsy set down J.B. again against the pug's wishes and then moved Harry's laptop over to the coffee table so that it was out of the way. Then he placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and shifted up and over to take a seat in his alpha's lap, facing Harry as he layered his accent on for added effect.

"Ya know I hate ta disagree with ya, My King, but ya was just a knight when ya oh so gallantly came ridin ta my rescue all those years ago. And I was just a regular commoner then, with no chance of ever landing so great a knight as Sir Galahad as my very own. I had to become a knight meself, and slay many a villain, before I was worthy of the knight who'd become my king."

Loving the way Harry's eyes darkened in reaction to the memories his words were no doubt inspiring, it was so fucking sexy, Eggsy couldn't help but squirm in the man's lap, which just made Harry's hands move that much quicker to come up to cup his ass, those long fingers digging in.

"You were always worthy of me…though you are misbehaving, interrupting my work."

"Gonna teach me a lesson bout behaving, Sir?"

"I believe I will."