Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Good Manners Require

It had been a very long day, not to mention a frustrating one with one problem cropping up after another, so Harry was glad to be getting out of the office at all, even if he had picked up an unexpected nuisance along the way. Looking up from his phone to eye Merlin, Harry shook his head for the third time since they'd gotten into the vehicle. Or should he say since Merlin had made it clear that he was driving Harry home whether he wanted the company of not.

"I texted Eggsy that you were coming and would be joining us for dinner. Though I still can't believe you're weaseling a dinner invitation like this. The boy fed you this afternoon already. Have you no shame?"

"And I told you that I was offering you a ride home so that I could return the Tupperware he used for the food he made me."

"Which I could have taken for you."

"But then I wouldn't have been able to thank him in person."

"You thanked him when he gave you the food in the first place." Harry had not been born yesterday, thank you very much. "You want to come because you know that we're going to arrive at my home a little later than I expected, which means that Daisy will be missing her dinner. Which means that we'll be eating as soon as I arrive for her sake, and knowing that, you're counting on my good manners necessitating that I ask you to stay for the meal. Just admit it."

"You're getting cynical in your old age."

"And you're getting more shameless."

"I didn't ask you to invite me to dinner. In fact you haven't asked me."

"If you don't want to stay then that's fine."

"No, I have to come now because you texted the lad saying that I was coming. It would be rude and insulting if I blew him off after he went to the trouble to set a place for me."

Exasperated, and seeing no point in arguing with Merlin since they were almost there, anyway, Harry turned his attention to looking up when children should start learning now to tie their shoes, since that was on his to do list and would give him something to do besides be exasperated with Merlin. According to the sites he visited she might be as old as six before she could manage it. Surely that wasn't right. It looked like children had been able to manage it at a younger age sooner…Daisy seemed like a bright child. They'd try when she was four, maybe. Five at the latest.

"We're here."

Putting his phone away, Harry unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked the car door.

Stepping out into the foggy night air, Harry took a deep breath and then moved down to retrieve his briefcase and the sack containing their lunch containers from the backseat. Both in hand he headed for his front door, pulling out his keys to unlock the door since he knew Eggsy would have kept it locked even while they were inside.

"So what are we having for dinner?"

"I didn't ask." Earlier he'd had a hankering for a little seafood, actually, but he hadn't been about to tell the boy what to make, especially since he was well aware that he tended to be a tad picky when it came to his seafood and didn't know if Eggsy's skills extended beyond the standards.

Opening the front door Harry motioned for Merlin to go in ahead of him, following after and locking up behind him just to be safe. Setting aside his briefcase and the bag Harry removed his coat and was just hanging it up when he sensed another presence in their vicinity. A glance over confirmed it was Daisy, the little girl peeking out at them from around the corner.

"Hello, Daisy."

"Hi."

A verbal response. A welcome surprise.

"Good to see you, Lass."

The smile she gave them was small, but there as she moved more into view, revealing that she held Mr. Fox's paw in her other hand. "Eggsy said to wash up and then come eat."

Message given she whirled around and took off as fast as her little legs could carry her, most likely to wherever Eggsy was now that she'd completed her assignment.

"Well, best do as she says."

Together they headed for the downstairs bathroom to wash their hands and then headed for the dining room where the food was already set out on the table, a bottle of wine set between Harry's seat and the one beside him which had been set up for Merlin. Daisy was in her chair already, Mr. Fox sitting on what looked like a stack of books in the seat beside her so that he was on level with the table this time around.

Eggsy came in as they were pulling out their seats, a plate with a sliced up loaf of herbed bread that smelled amazing in his hands. Everything smelled amazing, actually, Harry's mouth actually watering a little, especially given the delightful surprise of what they were having for dinner.

"This looks amazing, Lad."

"Thanks. There's seafood linguine, garden salad and the bread. And we're having vanilla pudding for dessert."

"With choccie."

"With chocolate chips in yours, yes." Eggsy winked in Daisy's direction. "Help yourselves, by the by. I just gotta go grab her plate from the kitchen and then we're set."

Manners meant the Harry had to let Merlin serve himself first, though at least he didn't have to wait long since Merlin was obviously in as much a hurry to eat as he was. And thankfully Eggsy had had the sense to make a lot of everything, since Merlin's plate was heaped with food by the time the Scotsman had taken his seat and Eggsy had returned with a plate already made up for his sister. Daisy's dinner was all in much smaller, easier to eat pieces, Harry noted, approving of that fact that Eggsy's went out of his way to do little things like that.

"She likes shrimp cause its pink." Eggsy explained, mistaking, perhaps, the reason he'd looked the plate over before the boy set it in front of a delighted Daisy.

"I see. Do you want me to fill your plate as well for you?"

Eggsy looked surprised, but he handed his plate over with a pleased thanks.

Once they were all seated with their plates full they started eating, Daisy going straight for the shrimp with her fingers, though she sadly reached for her fork when Eggsy picked it up and handed it to her with a soft reminder to use it.

Harry and Merlin hardly noticed though, they were too busy savoring their first bites of the truly excellent linguine on their plates.

"This linguine is excellent, Eggsy." It was some of the best he'd ever had, actually.

"Thanks. I ain't never made it before. I just looked up a load of seafood recipes online cause I figured you'd be into it, seeing as you're a selkie and all. The recipe said it was pretty easy, so I figured I'd give it a shot."

"This is your first…Eggsy…have you considered that you might want to train as a chef?" If this was what the boy could do just from reading other people's recipes, with proper schooling who knew what culinary masterpieces Eggsy could create. And he could sample.

Stunned pleasure on his face, Eggsy looked downright bashful as he stared down at his plate. "I…it ain't that good."

"On the contrary, Lad, it's amazing. Not as amazing as those biscuits you made, but Harry's a lucky man to have you to come home to." For emphasis Merlin gestured with his fork before going to work scooping more up to shovel into his mouth.

Thank you so much for making it sound like they were a couple, Harry silently glared at his friend before turning his attention back to Eggsy. "If you'd like to take some classes for it we'll find a way to make it work. A gift like this should be properly nurtured."

Eggsy shrugged. "Maybe. Right now I want ta be with Daisy as much as possible. Till she feels safe, ya know?"

They knew.

Turning their attention back to the food, it deserved their full consideration, they talked about mundane things like what Eggsy and Daisy had done after they'd left the shop, and the baker Eggsy had picked the bread up from since he'd never tried to make bread before. He was going to learn, Mrs. Talbot had offered to teach him next visit if time permitted.

"More bread?" Daisy asked, pointing in the direction of the plate.

"Eat the rest of your salad first. No bread or pudding till you do."

Daisy's pout was met by a stern expression that Harry thought was surprisingly effective given the boy's usual demeanor.

With a sigh Daisy turned her attention to the salad, poking at it with her fork before she started shoving some into her mouth with an air of resignation.

"You're good at that."

"Thanks."

)

It was during dessert, with Harry and Merlin joining the two younger members of the household in sprinkling chocolate chips into their pudding, when Harry recalled a question he'd had on his list of things to talk to Eggsy about when he came home. Mainly the fact that A, he had a few more gadgets he was going to give the boy as additional backup in case of a vampire attack, and B, if Eggsy knew whether or not any members of his family had had a similar problem with them. Lamont's comment about Eggsy's blood had aroused his curiosity, particularly since there had been nothing in Eggsy's tree to suggest a recent influx of powerful, magical blood.

"It's probably from me mum's side. I know that much. Me Grandad had some stories about his younger years and some vamps." The way Eggsy wiggled his brows made it clear what sort of stories he was talking about. "And mum…well I got fang scars ta remember me why lettin a vamp feed from me ain't a good idea no matter what Grandad says."

"Fang scars?"

Eggsy lifted his right hand in a fist facing them, pointing at his knuckles with his other. "Punched the bloodsucker in the mouth."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Mum was dating him. Woman had bloody awful taste cept for Dad."

All eyes went to Daisy, since really this was not the sort of conversation to be having where she could hear them, but for the moment all her attention seemed focused on her pudding and eating it. Excellent. Even if she did have some of it on her face that Eggsy had to clean up for her.

Still, pudding would only distract her so much, so they deliberately stuck to more ordinary things for the rest of the meal.

Once done Merlin offered to stick around to help Harry with some of his paperwork in thanks for dinner, which Harry was more than willing to accept as they helped Eggsy and Daisy clear the table and take it all back to the kitchen. Well, Daisy carried the salad bowl while they carried everything else.

Afterwards, once the stuff was put away or loaded into the dishwasher, the four of them, plus Mr. Fox, headed upstairs so that Eggsy could give Daisy her bath and Harry and Merlin could start going through the paperwork Harry had waiting for him. Parting was the headed off to their destinations with smiles and full stomachs.

"You need to marry that boy."

Staring at Merlin as the insane man closed his office door behind them, Harry honestly didn't know what to say to that.

"I'm serious, Harry."

"Seriously mad."

"The boy can look after your ward, cook you incredibly meals, and he thinks you're the greatest thing since the invention of chocolate biscuits. The way he looks at you, Harry…strike while the iron's hot and he doesn't see what an arse you really are."

"You need sleep and a vacation. Not to mention psychiatric help."

"Oh, please." Merlin smirked at him, Harry able to feel it even as he gave the other man his back. "Are you really going to look me in the eye and tell me that he's not your type? Really?"

"He's young enough to be my son." Harry called over his shoulder before setting his briefcase on his desk, opening it up while refusing to look in Merlin's direction. One shouldn't humor the insane, after all.

"And if he wasn't?"

Opening his mouth Harry had to close it again, because actually…shit. The boy's age was an obvious deterrent, but there was no denying that Eggsy was not just physically attractive, but intelligent, charming, and intriguing. With the right guidance and choices, Harry could see Eggsy becoming a man he would feel privileged to know. And while he didn't have very rigid guidelines for what he was currently looking for in a lover, there was no denying that had he and Eggsy met under different circumstances, and Eggsy were at least another five years older, he'd have been tempted.

"Why did you have to make me realize that?"

"That's what friends are for?"

"I hate you."

Looking very amused, Merlin came over to take a seat on the corner of the desk. "And you called me mad. Really, Harry, how could you not see? I mean I know you were anxious about taking the wee one in, but how did ya fail ta notice that the girl's bonny big brother was just the sort you're prone ta chase when you look for someone ta warm your bed?"

Furious, Harry demanded to know why Merlin hadn't warned him he was wearing blinkers where Eggsy was concerned before he'd invited the boy into his bloody house.

"Well how the hell was I supposed to know without meeting the lad? A pretty face hasn't been enough to hold your interest now that you've grown up for the most part. Not to mention I didn't realize how ripe he was for your picking. It's ridiculous."

"He doesn't-I would never-oh dear God tell me he isn't interested in me."

Merlin's gaze was thoughtful as he thought his response through. "It's hero worship at the moment, near as I can tell. But I don't doubt it could be more than that if you gave him a nudge or two. Or just let nature take its course."

"No. No…he's too young for me and is…well not the help, exactly, but he is dependent on me for his livelihood at the moment and I would never take advantage of that fact. There will be no nudging from me or you, do you understand me? Consider it an order from your boss if you must."

"As you like. I wasn't planning on it anyway. Though for the food alone I'd be tempted to marry him myself."

"You're too old for him too."

"Isn't that for him to decide?"

The death glare Harry aimed in the other man's direction failed to intimidate. In fact, Merlin looked more amused than anything else. Bastard.

"Let's get to work before I remember all the reasons I should kill you."

"Touché."

"You've just guaranteed that things are going to be awkward between Eggsy and I for the foreseeable future so no, I don't think I'm being unreasonable." God, ignorance really was bliss sometimes.

"Oi, don't take it out on the lad. Just be yourself and treat him like family if that's the way you want it to be. As it is he'd probably never dream that he could be your type in the first place so really, you've got no reason to be fretting like a woman."

"I'm going to tell Miss. Morton you said that."

The quick look of worry in Merlin's eyes, however fleeting it had been, was satisfying.

And while he wanted to question Merlin more about his other statements, Harry's instincts said to drop it for the sake of his sanity and their friendship. Besides, there was paperwork he wanted to unload on Merlin before the man left for the night.

So rather than question he opened up his laptop and motioned for Merlin to take a seat.

Focusing on the work was a welcome relief as they went over the various missions planned or in motion currently, spending a good twenty minutes discussing whether or not they should send an agent to the Ukraine to investigate a recent string of murders there. It looked like the work of a human serial killer, which they generally left to the human authorities to deal with as the magical community left them busy enough, but there were some elements to these murders that suggested supernatural involvement.

They'd just decided to send a minor agent to look into it further when there was a knock at the door, Harry calling out for Eggsy to come on it.

The door opened and in walked in not just Eggsy but Daisy as well, Mr. Fox still tight within her grasp as they walked over to Harry's desk hand in hand. His ward was now wearing a one piece, panda bear themed footie pajamas, complete with a hood with little black ears.

"We just came to say good night, didn't we Daisy?"

Daisy nodded as she shuffled her feet for a moment before glancing shyly up. "Night, Uncle Harry. Bye, Mr. Merwin."

Ridiculously charmed by her adorableness, how could he not be, Harry smiled and wished her good night as well, Merlin echoing the sentiment.

Picking Daisy up, and settling her on his hip with practiced ease, Eggsy grinned at the both of them. "Well we'll be heading off then. I'm gonna put her ta bed and read ta her for a bit, till she falls asleep. After I thought I'd watch some telly, so that's where I'll be if ya need me for anything."

"Thank you, Eggsy. Good night if I don't see you before I turn in."

"To you as well. Night, Merlin." Eggsy gave Merlin a mischievous look. "I'll pack Harry some extra food if ya need ta snitch from him again tomorrow too."

"Excellent."

"Don't encourage him."