Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way of it.

Having The Talk

The mating reception went about as well as Harry had expected it to. At his last one everyone had wanted to get close to him, to shower him with their well wishes and compliments in order to start off on the right foot with the new consort. Now the same dragons came to congratulate them as was per tradition, but they were also very careful not to stay too long since he was no longer the consort, and the new one was watching and probably making note of Harry's friends and supporters so that she could shun them later on. Though she wouldn't dare do that to the Mortons or Merlin's family, and as long as he and Eggsy had them on their side Harry didn't really care about the others. Plus he was really enjoying the fact that so many of the other dragons wanted to ask him about why Eggsy was wearing a mating bracelet and the things The Keeper had said about him as well, but were too social conscious to risk showing undo interest in him or his company.

All in all there were no words for how much better this day was going than the last one.

The fact that Eggsy stayed with him throughout the night helped considerably too. The boy's hand on his lower back was surprisingly grounding and comforting, and Eggsy was exceptionally good at turning someone's attention onto him and insuring that Harry didn't get stuck talking to someone he didn't want to or about something he didn't want to discuss.

Not even the brief conversation they'd had with Lady Tilde had gone badly, though he'd been dreading it since Veronica had mentioned that Eggsy's ex would be among the guests. She'd been very polite and courteous, though Harry could have done without the very warm and affectionate hug the woman had given his mate. But she'd acted like the lady she was with him, and had even asked him to take good care of Eggsy because there weren't many dragons like him. Of course he'd been able to agree completely with that, though it might have been a tad possessive of him to wrap his arm around Eggsy's waist just to remind her who the young man now belonged to. Not that Eggsy had seemed to mind in the slightest, since his boy's response had been to turn his head and place a kiss on his jaw that Harry had not expected at all.

That display of public affection had certainly given the guests something else to talk about.

Aside from that the meal had been uninspiring but decent, and the 'party' boring for the most part, especially since there wasn't any dancing to liven things up a little. There would be one tomorrow of course, but two dances in two days had apparently struck their Guild Master as excessive. Not that Harry really cared, it just meant that they were only expected to stand around and socialize for a short period of time before the night's festivities were over, everyone wanting to get to bed early so that they'd be up for the day long festivities that would take place at tomorrow's ceremony.

So after saying good night to the majority of their guild Eggsy told Harry that he could head on up to their room if he liked. He just needed to have a quick conversation with Merlin about something and then he'd head on up after him.

Enjoying the kiss Eggsy gave his hand, the boy did delight in titillating those around them for his own amusement, Harry nodded in agreement of the plan and then stated that he'd meet him in their room then.

Actually Harry was rather glad for the chance to go up on his own, take a short breather, and change without Eggsy around. Soon enough he was going to have to get used to sharing a home and his life with the younger man, and he was going to be very happy doing so, but it was also going to take some getting used to.

So Harry let himself into the room they'd been assigned and quickly collected what he needed from his suitcase before heading for the bathroom to make use of the shower, the hot water feeling heavenly as he washed away the day and all the stress that had come with it. It was all over now, Harry thought almost giddily, and his new life was official about to begin. He wouldn't have to put up with the other members of the Guild much because Eggsy wasn't high ranking enough to get invited to the countless parties and functions Chester insisted on hosting or going to, and the ones they were invited to they'd be free to decline if they didn't want to go. The pretentious, often terribly boring events were no more Eggsy sort of thing than they were his, and the thought of being able to tell his mate that he didn't feel like doing this or that and being allowed to stay home because Eggsy would be fine with that…heaven.

Toweling off once he was done, Harry changed into his favorite black striped pajamas, red robe, and his slippers before brushing his teeth, drying his curling hair, and cleaning up before heading out into the bedroom, sensing that he wasn't alone even before the chuckle reached his ears.

Turning his head Harry was greeted by the sight of Eggsy standing by the bed, his quick survey noting that his new mate had removed his suit jacket, cufflinks, shoes and socks, and Eggsy must have been partway through undoing his shirt too because it was partly open.

"Something funny?"

"You're just so fuckin adorable. Love the pjs."

"And exactly why am I adorable?" Harry asked dryly, the comment about his pajamas making him wonder just what Eggsy was planning to wear to bed. Knowing his luck the boy preferred to sleep in the nude, and wouldn't that make things interesting.

A shake of his head and then Eggsy was walking towards him, Harry thinking to himself that his amusement was written all over his mate's grinning face. And then Eggsy was standing right in front of him, something coming into those green eyes that made butterflies start to flutter in Harry's stomach for some reason.

"So fuckin adorable." Eggsy said again, in a low, husky sort of way that Harry had never heard the other man use before, and then suddenly Eggsy's hands were in his hair, the pads of his fingers pressing in to lower Harry's head. And when he automatically lowered his head Eggsy's lips were suddenly pressed against his, wiping all other thoughts from Harry's mind.

)

It had been so long since he'd been kissed, Chester had only done it occasionally over the years for show, and basically never when they were alone together. And then it had always been in an attempt to lull him into a false sense of security or to persuade him to do something, which had never worked because Harry had figured out pretty quick that putting his trust in the man would be a costly mistake. Which was why it took his brain longer than it should have to inform him that Eggsy was kissing him, and not in a friendly or familial sort of way. He was being kissed in the way of lovers, Harry realized, Eggsy showing the sort of skill that made it plain why he had so many women and men lining up to snog with him. Also, he'd probably be enjoying it quite a lot if the person kissing him wasn't Eggsy, and he knew why he was being kissed so thoroughly in the first place.

Which was why he pulled away to look down at Eggsy questioningly, the younger man looking just as confused as he stared back at him.

"You kissed me."

"Yeah..?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Uhm…cause I wanted to." Eggsy was looking at him with such utter bewilderment that Harry would have thought him adorably cute under ordinary circumstances. "And it's called foreplay, Harry." A hint of a smirk. "I always figured King was shit at that, he seems the type. But I…I figured you'd rather…do you not like to be kissed?" Now Eggsy looked worried. "Did I do somethin wrong?"

"It's not…why would you want to kiss me? I'm…we're…"

"Mated." Eggsy supplied, back to looking worried and confused. "The dragon version of married, remember? We're supposed to snog and stuff. Lots of other stuff."

"Yes, but…" Trailing off, understanding having dawned on him, Harry opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before he managed to find, much less choke out the words. "You want this to be a real mating? That's what you thought it would be."

Multiple blinks of confusion, then a dawning understanding on Eggsy's face as well, the boy's eyes widening comically. "Did ya…did ya think this was just gonna be, what da ya call it…like a marriage of convenience sort of thing? In name only?"

Harry nodded.

"Fuck."

Feeling like he needed to explain, especially since Eggsy looked like he'd just punched him in the gut, Harry reached out and cautiously placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's not...it's not because of you, Eggsy. I'm just not…I never thought you could want an old man like me, especially knowing…we'll it's been made pretty obvious over the years that I'm not…that I can't keep a man happy. That I'm not…sex is not something I'm proficient at." Harry stated it with as stiff an upper lip as he could manage, forcing himself to maintain eye contact.

"Harry…King used ta go through his side pieces like my sis goes through bubble bath. The only reason Veronica's lasted this long is cause she wanted to be consort, and he was probably too afraid of what she'd do to him to dump her. And now he needs her for breedin, not to mention he seems to prefer females to men far as I can tell. I'd bet serious dough King's the one who's absolute shit in bed, not you."

"Ah. Well that's…Eggsy…I'm so very sorry."

Not being blind Harry could see how upset Eggsy was and he hated himself for being the cause. Hated the fact that they'd misunderstood before and now it was too late. And so when Eggsy held up a finger and asked for a minute Harry automatically nodded in agreement. It was the least he could do.

Granted his reprieve Eggsy moved away and started to pace back and forth in front of him, Harry doing his best not to fidget or say something now that he knew just how buggered they really were. Eggsy had really meant to take him to bed, to sleep with him. He also must have meant it when he'd said that he'd be faithful to Harry now that they were mated, which really he should have seen coming because Eggsy wasn't the sort to cheat, and the boy did see the humans as being equal to dragons no matter what the rest of their Guild thought. And now his poor boy was stuck with him, and no doubt thinking he had doomed himself to a celibate life if he kept that promise, and on top of that…on top of that the idea that Eggsy would want to have sex with him was near to impossible for Harry to wrap his mind around given that he'd never thought such a thing possible.

"Am I even your type?"

Caught off guard by the question, it took a moment for Harry to process it, much less answer as honestly as he could. "I don't know that I have a type, really. I…when I was young I thought I was a dominant, and I dated and wanted men who I suppose were a lot like you in some way, but then I found out what I was, and then I was mated to Chester, and…we were not compatible in the bedroom. He…he didn't even want me when I was in heat, I was so bad."

Cheeks burning in shame Harry had to look away, unable to meet Eggsy's eyes now. It was one of the most disgraceful thing any omega could admit after all, as they were at their most sensual and irresistible while in heat. To be considered unappealing, when everything in their bodies was primed for sex and attracting their mate…but Eggsy needed to know how bad it was. How bad he was.

Jerking when Eggsy's arms were suddenly around him, pressing him against the younger man's body, Harry didn't know what to think when he felt one of Eggsy's hands move up to stroke his hair while Eggsy looked him firmly in the eyes, the dominant power behind the gaze making it impossible for him to look away.

"Fuck that, Harry. Fuck that and fuck him. I'm not King."

"I know that, Eggsy. Believe me."

"But will you give me a chance to prove that to you? A chance to…we don't have to have sex, I can court you and shit if you want but I don't want this ta be fake anything."

"Eggsy…I'll…if you want me I'll…." The idea made him nauseated, but if Eggsy wanted to try then he'd let him. Give him what little pleasure he could in the hopes that it would be enough for him.

"I ain't interested in touchin ya if you don't want me to, A'rry." Eggsy's accent deepened as insult flashed across his face.

"It's not…my dragon wants you. He does." He was fucking this up, hurting Eggsy, and that was the last thing in the world Harry wanted to do. He could damn well suck it up; it wasn't like he didn't have loads of practice at it. And he knew that Eggsy wasn't like Chester, he wouldn't deliberately hurt him or hold his failures over his head the way Chester had always done.

Going quiet, obviously thinking about that, Eggsy's gaze sharpened once more in decision. "Does your dragon think he's bad at sex?"

Harry didn't have to think about it, he immediately shook his head in the negative. His dragon had hated having or trying to have sex with Chester, but he'd never blamed himself for it. The dragon had too big of a superiority complex to ever think he was anything less than perfect.

"You always told me that it wasn't enough to look and talk like a gentleman. That I had to believe I was a gentleman, and as good as any of them, or they'd never believe it."

Seeing where this was going Harry winced, knowing that Eggsy was right. Even if he were to try his best to please Eggsy in bed, the wounds from years spent being told how useless and unappealing he was ran deep, and still threatened to bleed if prodded too much. And that would overshadow everything else, so that even if Eggsy was right, and things wouldn't be so bad between them normally, his own hang ups and mental conditioning would sabotage them.

"Shit."

"Let your dragon out."

"What?"

"Let your dragon out, Harry. We don't have to have sex like I said, but the other stuff, the foreplay and shit…we could do that and show you. Show you how good it could be. If that's all right with you."

"You…you won't be able to…the main reason Chester was never interested in me during my heats was that I couldn't control my dragon properly, and he's very aggressive and strong. He doesn't understand that he's an omega, not a dominant. I mean he wants to be-" Throat clearing. "Penetrated, but he demands control and I can't always rein him in, especially when he wants something badly." Which definitely applied to his dragon's desire to mate with Eggsy.

"Harry, I've dated human men plenty, and taken it up the arse more than a time or two. So top or bottom, your dragon can dominate the hell out of me if that's what it takes to have a sex life."

Jaw dropping, both from the visuals and the thoughts and ideas now floating through his mind, Harry didn't know what the hell he was supposed to say to that.

And then Eggsy's hands were on his cheeks, centering him. "Let him out, Harry."

Staring into Eggsy's eyes Harry could think of a million reasons why that wasn't a good idea, but he also knew that Eggsy was stubborn enough not to let this go until they'd at least tried. And odds were his dragon would scare the boy off the idea, which was something they'd just have to deal with regardless.

So shuddering a little Harry did as he'd been asked, not knowing what else to do.

)

The chains that kept him silent and contained dissolved as the dragon inside of Harry came into consciousness with an inner roar of pleasure and anticipation, the human part of him pushed aside to the corner of their collective mind. And opening his eyes the dragon stared into the eyes of his mate, the boy staring back at him as Eggsy waited to see what Harry would do given that his human side was no longer in charge. The dragon part of him was aware of what the two had been talking about before of course, his human side had just had him blocked to the point where he couldn't tell him how foolish he was being. But now he was in charge, and he was not going to make the mistake of letting his human back in control before he'd had a chance to claim his mate.

Capturing Eggsy's lips with his Harry was the aggressor now as he used his tongue to immediately tease his mate's mouth open, wanting to taste him thoroughly until he had those tastes memorized. Ah, his lovely boy had been into the chocolate covered strawberries again. No surprise as they were a weakness of his. And under that a hint of whiskey, followed by the uniqueness that was Eggsy's personal taste. Delicious. And naturally the long forgotten kissing skills he'd honed as a teenager returned to him easily enough as he continued to exercise complete control of the kissing, Harry growling in his throat when his mate let him have his way at first before Eggsy suddenly responded with equal passion, pressing his young, muscular body against his in a blatant invitation to touch and enjoy it.

Harry was more than eager to accept.

Grabbing the back of the shirt his mate was wearing Harry bunched the material up in his fist, got a good grip, and then ripped the dress shirt off his mate, breaking off the kiss then so that he could take a step back to get a look at the now shirtless man before him.

"Remove the rest."

His mate's chest heaved just a little in excitement and desire, Harry could smell it on top of the other physical indicators he was happy to catalogue as he looked over the finely honed, hairless chest that was on display for him. He also very much enjoyed the sight of his mate undoing the belt he was wearing before Eggsy undid his trousers, pushing them down along with his boxer briefs so that the materials pooled at his feet. Then Eggsy kicked them off to the side without a hint of trepidation, as he let Harry look his fill.

"Mine."

"Yours." And so saying Eggsy dared to challenge him by grabbing onto his robe and using it to pull him closer. "Now come and claim me, Mate."