Eggsy isn't sure what he'd been expecting Harry and Merlin's home to look like, but it certainly wasn't this. It looks like something out of a painting with its white fence and hanging plants and enormous shrubs. He could almost laugh at the absurd cliché of butterflies fluttering over the flowers because it's all a bit ridiculous, isn't it? It's nothing at all like Harry's previous home and, remembering that this had been Merlin's home first, Eggsy wonders if that's simply the difference between the two men.
"It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting," Roxy proclaims, voicing his thoughts. "You're sure the address is right?"
Eggsy holds up the card. "Yeah, but it still feels…"
"Not at all like where you pictured Merlin would live?" Roxy finishes.
"I always assumed they just plugged him in at night," Eggsy jokes.
Roxy shakes her head with a small smile as she leads the way, the dogs trailing behind them. The gate creaks cheerily as they push through it and as they walk along the brick pathway, Eggsy is almost beginning to expect someone to come popping out of the bushes with a troop of woodland creatures and a musical number.
Any remaining doubt about having gone to the wrong address is cleared once Eggsy manages to unlock the front door. Couldn't very well do that if they'd gone to the wrong place. Roxy creeps in just behind him through the open door and, once inside, Eggsy can begin to see more of Harry's influence. There is an intriguing combination of classic and contemporary, style and comfort. It's strange how his two mentors can have such differing styles and yet still manage to blend them so effortlessly together into one home. But then, that's rather the same of the two of them in general.
"Merlin?" Eggsy calls in what is hardly more than a whisper.
Silence, broken only by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner, is his answer. Though to be fair, he'd hardly made an effort.
"I'd assume he's asleep," Roxy proclaims.
"Yeah, just feels a bit… weird, you know. Going to their bedroom," Eggsy answers as they move through the parlor and towards the stairs, JB and Perdita trotting obediently behind them. "I was kind of hoping to find him asleep on the sofa or something."
"Feels a bit like walking into your parents' room?" Roxy asks, a sly smile on her face.
He snorts and bumps elbows with her, but doesn't deny it. It is a bit like that. Harry and Merlin are very far from his parents—he's got his mum, thanks—but there's no denying the fact that they do fill some of the void left in the wake of his father's death. And yes, perhaps he's grown to think of them as something like family; though the same could be said of Kingsman in its entirety. For all that, however, it still leaves him feeling a bit odd to be walking up stairs which creak underfoot as they progress towards the master bedroom.
They remain quiet as they walk down the hall, not wanting to disturb Merlin from any needed sleep. The door to the bedroom is open and as they peer through, they find five sets of eyes peering back at them. Ah. Merlin's dogs. Harry had warned him, of course, but they seem just as intent on letting their master sleep as Eggsy and Roxy do. The five dogs are all piled on top of the bed, surrounding Merlin protectively, apparently very much aware of his poor health.
Eggsy's seen Merlin sleeping only once since they've known each other, and that hadn't been sleeping so much as it had been the crash after an impressive caffeine binge. This time he's in a proper bed—using something other than his desk for a pillow—chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. Each breath which… sounds wheezy to Eggsy's ears. He reminds himself that Morgana had said Merlin would be fine, even as he inches into the room to get a better look.
Merlin certainly doesn't look fine. His face is a pallid, sickly color, making the dark stubble on his face stand out all the more, and his eyes are framed by deep, dark bruising. Standing there, watching him simply breathe, Eggsy finds himself tempted to shake the older man awake simply to make sure he's not about to suddenly stop breathing in his sleep.
If Eggsy, Roxy and Perdita knew well enough to let Merlin sleep, JB seemed to have missed out on the memo. Eggsy barely has time to react before a small, tan blur launches itself at the bed. The dogs all startle, as does Merlin himself. Eggsy freezes as he watches Merlin blink himself awake, as though the wizard might not see them if they merely stand still. Merlin coughs as he tries to sit upright, appearing terribly groggy as the pug in his lap happily licks his face, his tail wiggling furiously.
"Hello, JB," Merlin croaks, a smile coming to his face despite the roughness of his voice. He glances over at Eggsy and Roxy, squinting somewhat without his glasses. "Harry sent you?"
"Well, yeah, just to keep an eye on you while he's gone," Eggsy says with a shrug of his shoulder. "Sorry about JB."
"It's no trouble," Merlin proclaims, clearing his throat and rubbing at his eyes as the five other dogs resume their positions around him. "I apologize for… this."
"You saw me puking my guts out after I ate all that shrimp two months back," Eggsy reminds him. "You're not ruining your reputation with a cold."
"Mm," the older man mumbles, eyes sliding shut. He simply lies there for a time, scratching behind JB's ears and breathing in that worrisome wheeze before he says, "I know Harry asked, but you don't have to. I'm fine."
"Merlin, we're not here just because Harry asked, you know," Roxy informs him. "We take care of our own."
"Your uncle," Merlin coughs, "is always on about that as well."
"Which one?"
"Both."
"Well, it stands to reason since you seem very keen on taking care of everyone and not letting the rest of us return the favor," Roxy points out, though not unkindly.
The stern look Merlin offers her in return is negated somewhat by the cough which rumbles up from his chest. Despite his best efforts to keep it sealed behind pressed lips, it slips out all the same, prompting JB to once again ply his face with kisses.
"It's just for one week," Roxy says. "I understand you'd likely prefer some privacy, but we won't stay long. We'll just be checking in on you once per day."
Merlin hesitates. "Just… don't go out of your way."
"We haven't got anything better to do," Eggsy says. "Besides, you look bloody fucking awful."
"And sound it," Roxy adds.
"Alright. You've made your point," Merlin says, making it clear he's tired of the argument. Or perhaps just tired in general.
Eggsy supposes he's seen just about all of them ailing at least once since he'd joined Kingsman—hell, even Percy had caught that rather spectacular strain of the flu not so very long ago. But there's something about seeing Merlin in particular in this situation that's put him on edge.
"Since you're awake, why don't you let me make you some herbal tea?" Roxy suggests. "It should help with that sore throat."
Merlin hesitates to answer, and for a moment, Eggsy thinks the older man is just going to tell them to leave. Maybe it's pride, maybe it's just plain stubbornness, but whatever it is, it seems to take considerable effort for Merlin to swallow it.
"I would appreciate it, thank you," he says instead. He casts his weary gaze over the two young Knights in a pale imitation of the stern looks they're used to receiving when he's about to inquire as to whether they've been taking care of themselves. "Have either of you eaten lunch? You can help yourself to anything in the pantry. Harry made sure it was stocked before he left."
Roxy offers him a patient smile. "Why don't I just make something for the three of us?"
Eggsy shuffles uncertainly into the hallway after her. "You, uh… you want help, then?"
Lancelot pulls him aside, casting a glance towards Merlin, who continues to slowly pat JB's head. "Why don't you stay and keep him company?" she asks, voice barely above a whisper.
"Rox, I don't think he wants company," Eggsy points out.
She shakes her head. "He's just being stubborn. You know, you're not the only one Harry talked to before he left."
Eggsy's mouth forms a round 'o' of surprise, pulling a soft smile to her features. Yes, Harry had spoken to her as well, but she'd done her homework. Her uncles had plenty of insight when it came to Merlin and since Harry had asked her to look after their wizard, she intended to be well equipped. Of course, James had been overflowing with advice—nearly giddy at the chance to tell her tales of their youth at Kingsman—but thankfully Martin had been, well, less flowery in his words. All this meant that she knew Merlin's efforts to shoo them away were out of a need to protect his sense of self-sufficiency and not because he didn't want them there. It was difficult, Martin had told her, for him to accept that there were times he needed to be minded himself, rather than minding all of them.
"So… I guess he told you a bit more than he told me," Eggsy says, managing to look thoroughly put out by the idea.
"Oh, don't even start," Roxy says, rolling her eyes. "I just asked my uncles. Now, stop stalling and go keep him company. I won't be long."
Eggsy watches her as she walks back down the hall, Perdita trotting obediently at her heels, before he turns back towards the room. It still feels odd, if you ask him, being here. It's not that he doesn't feel welcome, exactly, but rather that this space seems to be one that he has no right to occupy. This is Harry and Merlin's. This is their home, the place where they can remove themselves from Kingsman. It's the place where they keep all their clothes and their cutlery and their knick-knacks and their keepsakes. This is where they're not Arthur and Merlin, but just Harry and… wait, does Merlin even have a real name? Well, in any case, this is a private place.
Especially here, standing in the master bedroom, he finds himself sweating like a sinner in church. Not more-so than when his eyes finish making a sweep of the room, only to land on Merlin who has, apparently, been watching him all this while.
"…what?" he says defensively, hands shoved deep in his pockets and shoulders bunched.
"You look as uncomfortable as James on that one occasion where I sent him into china doll shop for a mission," Merlin replies.
"China dolls?" Eggsy echoes.
"Yes. The one thing too tacky even for James Spencer," Merlin says. "Although, I think it may have been more of a phobia."
He chuckles at the memory, which might have done something to help Eggsy relax had it not then transformed into a horrible, hacking cough. JB jumps off the wizard's lap as he curls in on himself with the force of it, prompting Eggsy to start towards him. Only he has no earthly idea what to do. He stands at the side of the bed, hands hovering awkwardly. Should he touch him? Thump his back or something? Would that even do anything? It's not like when Daisy's had a cold or even his mum. There's a boundary here that doesn't exist with them and he's not certain exactly where its perimeters lie. Deciding that he can't very well stand here and do nothing, he settles for retrieving a glass of water and patting the older man's back in what he hopes is a comforting manner.
Merlin makes no effort to shrug him off, but that may be simply because he's too preoccupied with catching his breath. The dogs watch Eggsy intently, as though they expect him to somehow fix this, and he can't help but feel unfairly judged. By dogs.
Eventually the fit passes—much to Eggsy's relief—and Merlin sags against the pillows propping him up, pulling deep, needy breaths and holding up a hand to let Eggsy know he's alright. allowing Merlin to accept the glass of water Eggsy had held for him with a rough-sounding word of thanks. He sips gingerly as he rests back against the many pillows keeping him upright, looking as though that had taken any remaining energy out of him. Eggsy pulls a chair over from the desk by the window, setting himself up beside the bed and watching Merlin carefully. Any discomfort he'd felt in regards to their location were superseded by the heavy weight of concern; as fine as Merlin proclaimed to be, Eggsy wasn't convinced.
Merlin gets one look at him and makes a soft, unhappy noise. "Now you're beginning to look like Harry," he wheezes.
"Now I'm beginning to see why Harry was worried," Eggsy declares, making way as JB jumps in his lap to give Merlin's dogs the run of the mill. "Christ, how did it get this bad? Didn't you see Morgana or anything?"
"I had thought to see Morgana yesterday… it just happened that I wound up in the infirmary in… a different manner than I'd planned," Merlin admits.
It's plain to see he isn't exactly keen to talk about it. And why would he be? Eggsy can think of fewer things more embarrassing for him than passing out in his office and needing to be carried to the medical wing by his partner. All due to—if he'd understood Morgana correctly—the fact that Merlin hadn't taken care of himself when it was a more manageable cold. For someone who spends so much of his time worrying after all of them to take care of themselves, it has to be decidedly uncomfortable to find himself in this situation for wont of taking his own advice. So when the older man pointedly changes the subject, Eggsy doesn't stop him.
"Have I ever told you about JB?" Merlin asks.
"Eh… no?" Eggsy ventures.
"I meant where I found him," Merlin clarifies.
"I didn't know you found him," Eggsy admits.
Merlin hums in the affirmative, a pleased little smile coming to his face. "I find and care for all the pups that are eventually chosen by Kingsman candidates."
Eggsy looks down at the pug taking up his lap. Well, that certainly explains JB's great need to say hello to Merlin regardless of his training or Eggsy's wishes.
"Where'd you find JB?" Eggsy asks, his curiosity piqued.
"In a takeaway container," Merlin answers.
"Well, he does love food," Eggsy says, pinching one of the little dog's rolls.
"Actually, I think he'd crawled in there to get away from the rain," Merlin corrects him. "Perhaps someone placed him in there. I don't suppose I'll ever know. All I do know is that there were some very large gulls with some rather sharp beaks pecking at that container and I don't know what might have happened if I hadn't spotted him there."
Merlin pauses, sipping at the glass of water again and clearing his throat, wincing slightly when he does so.
"You thought he was small when you chose him, but when I found him he could fit in the palm of my hand. Barely had his eyes open at that age," Merlin reflects. He pauses to drawa handful of slow, measured breaths. "I had my doubts about whether or not he'd survive after I brought him home with me, but he's quite a remarkable dog. He was a stubborn little thing. If I'm being honest, I was glad you chose him, though I know it wasn't intentional. He fought for everything he had; much as you have."
Eggsy's fingers have been absently stroking JB's fur as he listens. There's a fondness in Merlin's voice when he speaks of not just the pug but of Eggsy himself that's… different. Merlin often exudes an air of exasperated fondness for each of them, but here and now comes the sense that this is one of those occasions where Eggsy ought to pay attention.
Though Merlin has served as his mentor, has trained him and been his handler on any number of missions, Eggsy can't say he knows very much about the man. The time he spends with him is markedly different from the time he spends with Harry. Merlin is largely still a mystery to him. He doesn't even know his real name. At this point, he may even know more about James and Martin—though that's partly due to the fact that James simply can't resist the theatrics of telling a good story.
"Interesting that the stray picked the stray," Eggsy interprets.
"Oh, no. They're all strays," Merlin says. He pauses thoughtfully. "Well, rescues, in any case."
"You ain't got some fancy breeder?" Eggsy pries doubtfully. "It's Kingsman. Aren't the dogs, like… purebred and the like?"
"Not a one," Merlin says, seemingly rather proud of the fact. "Not that the previous Arthur had any idea. He rarely actually came down to Control himself, so he never noticed that instead of obtaining the dogs from breeders, I had created and maintained a network of connections with various shelters throughout the country."
"…so Perdi, too?" Eggsy asks.
"Perdi, too," Merlin echoes.
"What about Perdi?" Roxy asks, appearing at the door with a tray in her hands.
Eggsy quickly rises from his seat to help her and together they pour tea for the three of them. Merlin proceeds to tell them Perdita's story and by the time the tea is gone, he's nodded off once again, the short visit having work him out entirely. Eggsy takes care of cleaning up while Roxy leaves a covered plate on the bedside table with a note—something for him to eat once he wakes again. They leave Merlin in the care of his five furry companions, knowing Morgana will be stopping by later in the evening to check in.
It had not been at all like Eggsy had thought, but then, he's not sure what he'd expected from this little visit. Merlin had been surprisingly candid and he wonders if that's part of the reason why Harry had asked them to come here. As he and Roxy climb into their car, he decides that he may not know much about Merlin now, but he'll see to it that that's changed by the end of the week.