Notes: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I had some crazy weeks involving me, Filmora, and the Hobbit.
I know, sounds weird... It is.
Thank you for the kind reviews.
They finally meet again! Let's see how that goes...
Chapter 3
Merlin wanted, more than anything else in the world, to be completely unaffected by Valentina's return.
He wasn't, not by a long shot.
He truly hated how much she had messed him up on her way out. Especially because she hadn't even looked back; she had turned and left. No hesitation, no last glance over her shoulder.
Merlin liked to think that he had only been that upset because he'd been young and stupid; stupid enough to believe that Valentina actually cared about him and that they were friends.
He'd been so stupid.
"Hey, Merlin." Eggsy had the look of a messenger just waiting to be shot. "They just crossed the gates."
He nodded stiffly and got up from his chair. Merlin was going to be superior and professional if it killed him.
It just might.
The Scotsman walked to the front of the house, Eggsy a couple of steps behind him. Harry was already outside with all the others. His friend –and boss –gave him a tight nod, but Merlin felt no need to react to that as well.
At least Urien looked like he was having fun. Arsehole.
Eggsy had put himself besides Roxy and they both looked like they were about to crawl out of their skins with anxiousness, but Merlin would remain calm. He would not react.
He had just positioned himself by Harry's right when the black SUV came into view, approaching the house. Eggsy snorted and Roxy elbowed the boy.
The car finally stopped a few meters in front of them all. The driver's door opened and a woman with long light brown hair and skin tight jeans came out.
"I'm joining MI-6 too." Eggsy murmured. This time Roxy's elbow hit him with real force.
The back door from the same side opened and a young man, who seemed to be Korean, came out, then turned and offered his hand to help a young woman to climb down.
Finally the shotgun door opened and a man got out. He opened the back door of his side and gave his hand to someone.
Eggsy and Roxy had tried to picture Valentina Rizzo a thousand times after they failed to find an actual picture or to talk to Gareth. Nothing came remotely close to the reality.
She was wearing a pure white power suit, like she was a powerful CEO, not a MI-6 agent. Everything about her screamed money and class: from the heels of her black Manolo to the tips of her perfect chocolate brown hair. Nothing on her was messy or out of place, all she wore was obviously expensive. If she was nervous about being there, it wasn't showing.
She walked up to them with firm steps. "Arthur." She nodded to Harry as she came closer. She wasn't smiling, just professional and polite.
"Agent Rizzo." Harry was giving as good as he was getting, and his expression revealed nothing. "How have you been?"
"Well, thank you. I hope the same can be said about you." She gave him a polite smile. "Let me introduce you to our agents. This is Melissa Murdock and Simon Landen." She indicated the two older agents. "They'll be the ones temporally working for you."
Harry shook hands with both of them. "It's a pleasure."
Urien snickered somewhere behind him, but Harry ignored him. Melissa's face was carefully neutral, but Simon seemed to be fighting off the urge to smirk.
"And these are our junior agents, the ones to be trained." She indicated the younger couple. "This is Richard Jones." She indicated the boy.
Eggsy frowned and opened his mouth to comment on something –probably highly inappropriate –but Roxy stopped him again.
"And this is Manuela Rizzo." Valentina pointed to the girl.
Harry arched a brow. "Daughter?" He asked despite himself.
"That's what she tells me." Manuela quipped from her place.
Urien snickered again and Harry thought he'd heard Bors gasping, but he wasn't sure. "Interesting", was all he commented.
It was Valentina's turn to arch a brow. "Are you going to introduce us?" She asked, indicating the Kingsman with her head.
"Of course." Harry was the perfect gentleman. "These are Galahad and Lancelot, our youngest assets." He indicated them. "Our older agents: Urien, Dagonet, Bors and Caradoc." He indicated the other men. "You might remember Gareth."
Valentina turned to the Kingsman. "Adrien?" This time her smile was a bit more genuine. "The last time I saw you, you were still an annoying teenager."
Gareth –whose real name was Adrien Watson –gave her an easy smile. "You actually look hotter than I remember, Val. Like good wine, I'd say." And the fucker winked at her.
Melissa arched a bow behind Valentina's back and Simon stopped trying to hide his smirk.
Valentina just shook her head, a grin on her lips and turned to Percival. "Percival. It's been a long time."
He gave her a pleasant smile. "Fortunately."
Valentina, far from looking troubled, finally turned to Merlin. "Hello, Merlin." She nodded in his direction.
"Agent Rizzo." On the outside Merlin looked perfectly fine, but if his back got any straighter his spine might snap.
It seemed like the moment dragged on forever. Perhaps, in truth, they just stared at each other for seconds, but it felt like so much more. All those years, all those feelings just came crashing down on Merlin.
And then Valentina blinked.
"Someone else here is like wine." She smirked softly. Before Merlin could even open his mouth to say something, she was looking back at Harry. "Where can we leave everything?"
Harry had to clear his throat before speaking. "Galahad and Lancelot will guide Miss Rizzo and Mister Jones. Gareth will take the rest of you."
She nodded her acceptance and they went back to the car to get their things.
"Any chance the kid is yours?" Urien whispered from behind Merlin.
The scathing look Merlin sent him was answer enough.
XxX
"You'll be staying here for as long as you're training." Roxy explained as she watched the two agents leaving the bags by their beds.
"Whose bed is this one?" Manuela asked pointing at the third bed.
"We have a third recruit coming in tomorrow." Roxy explained.
Manuela arched a brow, but didn't comment.
"So, how come your name is Richard Jones?" Eggsy asked to the boy. "Is it fake?"
"Eggsy!" Roxy said before she could stop herself.
Richard arched a brow. "Apparently you aren't in a place where you can judge, Eggsy."
"Hey, you listen…"
"Ok, that's enough." Roxy pushed Eggsy's chest. "We'll let you two settle. Bye."
She had to shove Eggsy out of the room before she managed to close the door behind herself. "Seriously?"
"What? You can't tell me you weren't curious." He argued.
"I don't care about his name, Eggsy." Roxy rolled her eyes. "Besides, that was a rude assumption."
Eggsy crossed his arms, completely unrepentant. "I don't like them, so I don't care."
Roxy sighed and started walking down the hallway. Eggsy trotted to catch up to her. "But, apparently being hot is a family thing, right? Cuz that Valentina lady is hot and her daughter is smoking."
Roxy turned to him with an arched brow. "So Richard is a problem, but Manuela is hot, so it's cool?" She asked dryly.
"Pretty much." Eggsy confirmed.
Roxy huffed and just left him there. "Hey, Rox! What did I say? I was just joking! Come on!"
XxX
"Rebecca is asking me if you want her to take off her twist braids."
Harry looked up from his newspaper and arched a brow. "I'm sure your daughter isn't asking my opinion about her hairstyle." He observed. "Which means that the problem is something else." He guessed.
"It's because of the training." Bors informed.
"I have no idea of what is a twist braid." Harry admitted. "Or how this could affect her training."
Bors rolled his eyes and pulled his phone from his pocket. He scrolled down through his pictures, until he found a picture of her and showed to Harry. "These are twist braids."
Harry picked the phone and looked at Rebecca. She looked so much like her mother: the same beautiful dark eyes, the same smile with straight teeth, same cheekbones. Her resemblance to Miranda was remarkable. Bors was probably going through a difficult moment with her right now.
After all, during V-Day, Rebecca had almost killed her mother.
"I like the hair. I don't understand why she'd have to remove it, unless she needs to go to the hairdresser every weekend or something." Harry gave the phone back to Bors.
"No. She doesn't have to." Bors put the phone away.
Harry gave him a look. "Were you testing me or something?" He asked.
"Do you remember what Chester told me when I was training?" Bors asked.
Harry sighed and rested his hands on the table. "That you were too 'street' to be a Kingsman. I also remember he told Urien and Dagonet that it wasn't acceptable for them to have a relationship, and that he told me I was a disappointment once he found out I was a 'faggot'. Chester is dead and good riddance."
"I just…" Bors cleared his throat. "She has to face a lot on the outside. I don't want to bring her here to be humiliated like I was."
"I always knew you finished that training out of spite." Harry smiled softly at the other man.
"You can bet your arse I did." Bors straightened his jacket. "I'll let her know about the hair."
"You do that, Bors."
XxX
"So… That Merlin is way more handsome than I thought."
Valentina rolled her eyes, but it was Melissa that replied. "Handsome? Are you getting blind?" The brunette was sitting by the vanity table, feet threw on it.
Simon chuckled. "Okay, perhaps handsome isn't the right word. Not for him."
Melissa looked like she'd rather be on an exploding building than listening to this. Fortunately, they were the only ones listening, because Simon had found and destroyed all the hidden devices in the room.
Valentina hoped the Kingsman didn't think them that stupid.
Simon was lying on her bed, arms crossed behind his head, ankles crossed as well, like the place belonged to him. This had always been his talent: Simon took over every space he entered and made you feel like he really had the right to.
The fucker.
"Handsome works better for pretty boys, like that Caradoc figure or even Arthur." Simon said, like he was giving this some serious thought. "He's more…" He hummed, searching for the word. "Tough, virile. Intense."
"Careful, Simon. Don't use all your vocabulary at once." Melissa called from where she sat.
Simon ignored her. "Are you sure you never tried him on for size, Val?" He teased.
"Don't be tiresome, Simon." Val sighed, before turning from the window. "You know I haven't."
"Not for lack of wanting, I reckon." He smirked at her.
Valentina chuckled. "No, not for lack of wanting." She admitted. "But, right now, I think this is a good thing."
Melissa and Simon traded looks. "Can you really do this?" The woman was the one to ask, because Melissa was always blunt.
"I don't have a choice, in case you've forgotten." Val indicated.
"Should we keep Merlin dearest away from you?" Simon asked.
"No and I'm the only one that gets to call him that."
Simon arched a brow, amusement covering his whole face. "Valentina… What are you up to?"
The woman just shrugged delicately. "Just doing my job."
Notes: So... There you go!
Valentina is in da house and she's bringing chaos! I hope you enjoyed it all.
By the way, the "too street" comment, was based on what Anthony Horowitz said. He's the author of James Bond, and he said that Idris Elba was "too street" to play Bond. Just saying, bro... Fuck you. Elba could play whoever the fuck he wanted, because he'd nail it. Just saying.
Anyway... Hope you like it.
Let me know your feelings!
