Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks so much for reading and please review! I love to hear from you and get your feedback.

Good Things Come

How long Harry sat on the couch with the album in his lap...well he never did figure that out. He just knew that he wasted far too much time opening and closing the album in question, both hiding from the story it told and unable not to see it. Read into it. Realize just how stupid he'd been not to see what should have been staring him right in the face for years. And seriously, how had he managed to sink this deep into stupidity and denial without realizing it? This wasn't being in love and not recognizing it stupid. This wasn't even being oblivious to the fact that your feelings were returned sort of stupid. This was loving AND being in a romantic relationship with someone for over HALF a DECADE and failing to notice.

He and Eggsy had been dating. For years.

Not exclusively, and it was a chaste relationship in their case, but in every other way they were in a long term, committed relationship. They celebrated holidays and birthdays together. They had dumped other romantic partners because of the other and in fact planned their lives around each other. Really, let's be real...the only thing they hadn't been doing was having sex with each other and seriously, what the fuck?!

And he couldn't even blame Eggsy for any of this because not only had Eggsy made it clear that sex was very much on the table if Harry was interested, but their whole messed up relationship was because he hadn't thought they would last more than a few months if they were to be in one.

When they'd already been in one for goddamn years!

It was enough to make his head explode like at the end of 'Secret Service'. Only without the fireworks. This wouldn't be that pretty. Or morbidly humorous.

So yeah, a lot of time was wasted being negative before Harry finally snapped him out of his mental paralysis and got back to his feet with new determination.

The realization that he was still wasting time, time he could be with Eggsy, was enough to get him moving, though Harry did take the time to very carefully put the album onto a top shelf on one of Eggsy's bookshelves to make sure it was safe. Only then did he head up the stairs leading to the flat's second floor. To find Eggsy. He had to find Eggsy. That was all he could do or think about with anything resembling clarity.

Halfway up the stairs he encountered a discarded T-Shirt, Harry picking the article clothing up automatically. It was Eggsy's, he recognized it, and for a moment Harry hesitated, thinking of only one reason why the neat freak he knew and loved would discard an article of clothing here of all places. But no. No. That wasn't it. Not now. And if that were the case the doorman would have warned him that Eggsy had company. As they had in the past when Eggsy had someone sleeping over.

Which wasn't a warning they'd had to give him in quite a while. He just hadn't noticed.

He hadn't noticed a lot of things.

The material bunched up in his fist Harry continued up the stairs with renewed determination, his left hand remaining on the railing since there was no light to really guide his way. Where was Eggsy? If he was up there some light should be on, shouldn't it? Maybe he wasn't home? Gone to visit someone in the building perhaps?

But he had to check.

Once he'd reached the top of the stairs Harry's hand automatically went to the bottom of the light switch, slowly pushing up the bar there to increase the lighting within Eggsy's bedroom. Just enough that he could confirm the fact that Eggsy was indeed there after all. Buried under-oh.

On the right side of his queen size bed Eggsy was an invisible lump. Nothing of the boy showed above the covers as far as Harry could see from where he stood. And while Eggsy burrowing wasn't that uncommon, they both loved to nest in their blankets, it was the quilt on top that delivered a wretched blow to Harry's already battered heart.

The quilt Eggsy had cocooned himself within showed its age. Even in the pale light Harry could see the border that had been added two years ago after the fraying at the original border had become too bad to ignore. The cotton fabric had been worn to silk from constant use and wash, the pattern on it a simplistic checkerboard of blue and green. It had been Lee's. Eggsy's father's. Made by Eggsy's grandmother for her son shortly before her death. It was one of the few things Eggsy had in memory of both of them and he treasured the quilt to the point where he kept it in special storage almost all year round. Eggsy only brought it out and used it when he needed the comfort of it due to sickness or stress. And the latter had to be pretty bad for him to risk an accidental spill or tear.

God. What had he done?

Scrubbing his hands over his face Harry walked further into the room in a miserable daze. And it was more habit than concentration on his part that had Harry noting the trackies on the floor. The other half of the outfit he still carried in his hand. There was a towel too.

Picking up both items Harry noted that the towel was still pretty damp. Recently used.

Carrying all three items over to the hamper Harry deposited them inside and then made himself walk over to the bed, taking a seat on the side of it as he tried to see if even a bit of Eggsy's face was visible. No. But the hair sticking out from the covers was damp to the touch, suggesting a scenario that spoke further to Eggsy's current mindset.

Harry knew Eggsy's morning routine as well as he knew his own. Eggsy would have gotten up this morning, thrown some exercise or lazy day clothes on, and then taken J.B. out for his morning walk/bathroom break. Then he would have come in, given the pug his morning breakfast, and then headed back upstairs to shower and such before getting dressed for the day. Only instead of doing that Eggsy had gone straight back to bed after showering. Hiding away from the world he usually embraced with childish exuberance.

Dammit.

Should he wake him? If Eggsy's night had been anything like his own than sleep was probably the best thing for him. For them, actually. Harry wasn't sure he was up to talking this all out with Eggsy as it was. He was pretty sure he wasn't. His brain had felt like mush even before he'd learned-everything. Right now he just wanted to hold Eggsy and block out the rest of the world too. That sounded like a good idea to him.

Fuck it.

The effort it took for him to remove his socks and shoes confirming just how far gone he was, big surprise, and leaving the rest of his clothes on for obvious reasons Harry swung back around and shifted over until he could press his body up against Eggsy's. Wrapping one arm around the boy's waist area and throwing a leg over so that there was no way in hell he wouldn't notice if Eggsy tried to leave before they'd had a chance to talk, no matter how deep asleep he was...probably.

Hopefully. He hadn't been this tired in a long time.

Fingers crossed.

)

Oxygen was really important. Humans couldn't really live without it. And when the human body wasn't getting nearly enough oxygen in its lungs or to its brain...well basic survival instinct kicked in. And sleep was also interrupted as Harry came awake with a very muffled gasp, lungs screaming for air and-and why was there a hand over his mouth and someone pinching close his nose? And what was the weight on his chest and-and why was a blurry image of someone he thought was Eggsy not saving-oh, thank goodness. The hands currently suffocating him were being removed, letting him draw in some much needed gulps of air.

"What. The. Bloody. Hell?" Harry wheezed out, struggling to breathe normally as Eggsy came into focus. A bare chested, lying full out on top of him, straddling him at the moment Eggsy. Who was also scowling at him rather spectacularly.

"I swear. It was like you's was in a real coma this time."

Harry was pretty sure that he'd remember-oh right. His character in 'Secret Service'.

Which, given his growing understanding of the situation, was not what was important here.

"So what the fuck, Harry? Cause I'm pretty sure you wasn't in this bed when I went to sleep." Eggsy's eyes were bruised and swollen from the night before as they stared down at him, demanding answers while trying to hide what he was feeling from him.

Staring into Eggsy's eyes Harry finally clued into the fact that not only was Eggsy lying on top of him, but that his own arms were wrapped tightly around the younger man's waist, keeping him there. And while it was hard to believe that Eggsy couldn't have broken the hold he had if he wanted to, the other man's arms were free after all and he'd had trained...nevermind.

"I...ah...apologize for the holding you captive."

Eggsy snorted. "Oh those hands of yours were quite a bit lower when I woke up, Bruv."

Lower? Shit.

Harry wanted to look. Especially since he was pretty sure that Eggsy was naked at the moment and if he'd taken his own clothes off earlier they'd be skin to skin. Which wasn't something he should be thinking about. Particularly since now that he was thinking about it they were both sporting morning wood and-shit.

His stuttered apology was pathetic, and possibly a bit garbled.

He couldn't wince hard enough.

"Wot ya doin ere, 'Arry?"

Okay. When Eggsy started talking that convolutedly Harry knew things were fucked up. Not that he'd needed the reminder.

Moment of truth.

"I came by to-well first I went to your mother's because you lied to me and said you'd be there only you weren't and-see yesterday before I left the studio Andrew said something and then Merlin did and I couldn't sleep at all last night and so, so I came here and saw and when I came up here you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you, especially since I was hardly in any condition to have a proper conversation with you, and obviously that wasn't good since it was an important conversation. The one we need to have, I mean. We haven't had it already so... Ah. So I decided it would be best for me to just join you, in sleeping, while making sure that you wouldn't leave without me, though only my one arm was around-well and a leg too but-shit."

The look on Eggsy's face made it clear that yes, he was making a complete hash of this.

"I'm fucking this up royally, aren't I?"

"Yup."

"Shit." Harry wanted to rub his hands over his face-but that would mean moving his hands away from Eggsy and that wasn't happening. Not yet. Not unless he had to.

Take bloody two

"I'm sorry, Eggsy. Sorry I've been so bloody clueless, and thoughtless, and completely unworthy of you. If you're willing to hear it I will gladly apologize to you every bloody day of the rest of my life if it means you'll forgive me and my stupidity and...and cowardice." God. He'd been such a fucking coward. "I thought I had all the answers. That I knew how it would go and you kept telling me I was wrong and I didn't listen, or pretended not to hear, and I must have been hurting you. So very badly. Frankly I don't know why you didn't tell me to fuck off ages ago. It's what I'd deserve because you could do so much better. Deserve so much better than me."

Eggsy's eyes got bigger and bigger as Harry stumbled through his explanation, to the point where those beautiful green eyes rather resembled a cartoon or anime character. Harry wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad sign as he forced the most important words out. It was now or never.

"You deserve the very best, and I-I was too afraid to let myself acknowledge how deeply and irrevocably in love with you I am, because how could I ever hope to...to be worthy of the best person I know. The one person I could never bear to lose. So better to be your friend than risk...risk losing everything."

There. He'd said it. He'd done it and they were both awake and sober. And the world hadn't ended.

But Eggsy wasn't saying anything. Eggsy was just staring at him.

Shit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He'd screwed up. He'd been wrong and now everything would change and they'd-would they even be a they? Dear God, what could he do or say-

"Fuck, Harry." Eggsy's voice was rough from sleep and possibly from emotion too as he shifted a little bit forward so that they were practically nose to nose. "You're the one who's always got his eyes glued ta the telly when one of those romcoms come on. This is the part where you're suppose ta kiss me, Stupid."

Oh. Oh thank God. Eggsy was smiling at him with his Christmas morning/Going to Disneyland/Trying to outshine the sun smile.

The most beautiful smile.

And one hundred percent onboard with Eggsy's demand Harry reached up to frame Eggsy's beloved face between his hands and then gave a completely unnecessary tug to bring the boy's face down the remaining distance to seal their lips together.

Their first real kiss.

And it was everything Harry could have hoped for and a million times better than he'd ever imagined. It brought to mind that line from 'The Princess Bride' about how 'since the invention of the kiss there had been five kisses rated the most passionate and beautiful and that the one between the two main characters left them all in the dust', or something to that effect.

Well move over Buttercup and Westley. This one beat them out too.

It was a kiss to end all kisses and the only reason Harry remotely wanted it to ever end was so that he could hear Eggsy tell him that he loved him too. Which was why he said the words again as soon as they had to break for air, giving Eggsy a very expectant look afterwards as he waited to hear the words back.

The grin that broke over Eggsy's face was positively evil. "Of all the bed in all the flats in all of London. You had to snuggle into mine."

Groaning, Harry's face scrunched up into a scowl. "You know I don't like that movie. It might have had some of the greatest lines in movie history, but not even that could save it. Anyone who says it's the greatest movie ever made has been sorely miseducated."

"True. Though at least I didn't quote 'Gone With the Wind'."

This was true. Hate was a strong word, but Harry couldn't stand that movie. It was another one of those films that everyone knew of and was on all the Best Lists...while not deserving it at all. Because he was a gentleman he couldn't say what he thought of Scarlett O'Hara...so suffice to say he would have tanned Eggsy's bottom if he'd used any of Scarlett and Rhett lines. Especially if he'd been put in the role of Scarlett.

"Would you prefer 'Ditto.' or 'I know.' instead?"

"Oh for the love of..." He could see it in Eggsy's eyes, which were practically dancing with mischief, glee, and the love Eggsy wasn't saying at the moment, because the love of his life was very much enjoying dragging this out. As revenge went this was pretty tame, but still...

Eggsy continued to play dumb, humming in confusion.

"Well both of those movies are superior to the first two, but no, that's not what I want to hear."

"I could recite your love confessions from both Darcy roles?"

"No."

Eggsy gave him another teasing kiss before he went back to more evil grinning.

"Well I always have been partial to that confession at the end of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. Or I think I am. I keep seeing all these different translations for it and since I don't speak Chinese...but I could quote my favorite version of it for you."

Enough was enough.

Rolling them over, and very much enjoying Eggsy's surprised yelp which turned into happy giggling, Harry stared down at Eggsy and did his best to look as stern as possible.

"Unless you want me to start calling you by your proper first name you'll quit teasing me. Or at least say that you love me too before you continue to bring up various quotes and pop culture references just to annoy the fuck out of me."

"Awww, and I hadn't even quoted from that R Kelly song bout being locked away and would ya still love me."

"Gary."

That got a wince.

"All right. All right. I'd say keep your pants off, but if ya wanted ta lose em I wouldn't mind any."

The sound that left his throat couldn't be called anything but a growl, and Harry wasn't sorry.

Eggsy just laughed.

And then his face went absolutely serious, his beaming smile back in full force as he met Harry's gaze.

"I love you, Harry Hart."

"Finally."

"Ditto."

That called for more kissing. Lots and lots of kissing.