Eggsy woke up and had no idea where he was.
He was expecting the house this time, if he had his days straight, but the walls here were too close, the smell of bread was wafting in from the open window, and the Eiffel Tower rising in the distance all told him that he wasn't in London anymore.
So. Paris.
That was weird.
He found he was still in his suit, weapons and all, no surprise there since he'd fallen asleep on a ledge in the middle of a mission, two days on without a wink and just safe enough for an hour's rest. (It would really be a day's vacation, he knew; under normal circumstances he'd have pushed to the end). It was the first time he'd been able to stay up in either world and not be forced away, which had been hell but at least he hadn't died. He pushed the blankets off and stretched, then took in his surroundings more comprehensively.
None of it ended up mattering, not the gentle sunlight painting the Persian rug or the ancient plaster walls or fact that he recognized this base as one of Kingsman's - because one of Harry's suits was hanging in the closet.
Bennett's contraption really knew how to work, he thought appreciatively, and grinned as he leapt out of bed. Who cared if he'd just napped off a two-day mission in Russia - he would never in a million years pass up the opportunity to work with the original Galahad.
Eggsy was not disappointed. After a few hours of wandering around Paris waiting for something to jump out at him as the sun drifted closer to the horizon, a fruit stand quite literally exploded about ten feet down a corner street he was passing. It took him a second to realize it was because someone had just fallen into it from the roof of the three-story building it was set beside.
There he is, Eggsy thought, smiling. Then a volley of gunfire rang through the city - the kind that came from really big guns, which he had more experience with than he'd have liked. What few people were in the area scattered as Eggsy vaulted up a nearby fire escape to the fifth floor of the adjacent building, its rooftop, and raced to the edge.
There was Harry, ducked behind the cement access point to the roof with ten men on the other side wielding some very dangerous fire-power. The suits could take it, but it was the broken bones kind of taking it that the agents tended to avoid when possible. Harry checked his gun and Eggsy saw the face he made. Almost out.
And that was when the thumping beat of a helicopter made itself known in the distance. So Harry was well up a creek, Eggsy observed as he ducked down out of sight, watching the helicopter lumber through the sky towards them, and he was in a damn good mood so he really couldn't be blamed for the plan he came up with.
Harry never once got to see him in action, after all.
Focus sharpened the world around him, the warm wind on his face that carried the smell of the old city, the loud din of the helicopter's blades, the gleaming light of the setting sun glinting off Harry's glasses only a rooftop away. He grinned.
This was going to be a good day.
The looming shape of the helicopter drew up to the roof, heedless of Eggsy just out of sight across the street, and a gunman took hold of the 50 cal set in the side.
Lionhearted bastard that Harry was, he was staring down the helicopter like the force of his glare alone would fell it, so he didn't have to look far to find Eggsy when he burst out and opened fire on the metal hull.
He got a glimpse of the shock on Harry's face before the adrenaline took hold. Eggsy ran towards the helicopter, his bullets pinging off the side in flashes of sparking light until finally one hit just right and punched a hole in the fuel tank. The man inside was yelling, the gun spun round to aim at him as the pilot tried to move the whole hulking frame so Eggsy couldn't shoot anymore holes in it. Bad idea.
The tilt gave Eggsy the opening he'd been after all along. He reached the edge of the roof and, with the spinning blender blades out of the way, leapt off. For an exhilarating second he was in the air, the vortex of wind from the blades powerful as he scraped by them. Then gravity whipped him past and he just managed to catch on to one of the skids. The man on the gun, now thoroughly distracted from Harry, pulled out a pistol and started firing in a panic at Eggsy. Eggsy swung up into the cabin and used his momentum to kick the man out the other side.
Eggsy smirked as he fell. Then he slammed into the side of the cabin when the pilot tried to throw him after the gunman by flipping the helicopter almost on its side.
"Fuck." Eggsy muttered. That was a ballsy move so close to the ground. He was thrown to the other side when the pilot righted the bird, and he didn't waste any time drawing his gun and shooting the man in the head. A fuckin' tragedy, he suspected, losing talent like that. The helicopter started to list so he decided it wasn't so much of a tragedy that he couldn't shove his body out of the way and take the controls. Thank god he'd had training on these things, he thought to himself.
He landed the helicopter on Harry's side of the roof and stepped out, dusting his suit off, with a smug little smirk on his face.
"Hey Harry, need a hand?" He asked.
Harry was staring. Eggsy maybe preened a little, because there was no mistaking that he was impressed.
"Eggsy?! What the devil are you doing here?" He eventually managed.
Eggsy made a show of thinking about it "Looks to me like I'm saving you're arse, love," he grinned.
A shot rudely interrupted whatever Harry might have said to that as the men on the roof decided that whatever mad man had taken their helicopter was another target, and Eggsy strode forward to hand Harry two of his spare clips.
"Better make 'em count, yeah?"
Harry's eyes sparked - it hadn't been a challenge, but Eggsy could hardly blame him. After all, he had just jumped off a roof onto a helicopter to show off. Harry reloaded without taking his eyes off Eggsy and they rounded the access door together.
The ten men went down mournfully fast. Eggsy frowned at them in disappointment when they were all laid out on the roof in ungainly heaps. Then he turned to Harry.
"Are you alright?" he asked, coming to stand close in front of him.
Harry blinked "Am I alright?" He cast what looked like an involuntary glance at the helicopter.
"You're the one I found pinned down and out of ammo," Eggsy replied smoothly. Harry considered him for a long moment, then reanimated and dug into the pocket on the inside of his blazer.
"Merlin, I'm bringing him in."
"He ain't gonna like that," Eggsy observed, smiling as Harry withdrew a spare set of glasses and set them on his face.
Eggsy adjusted them as Merlin's protests reached his ears.
"- he even get there? Not to mention Eggsy's never fought so-"
"What's got us in Paris, then?" Eggsy interrupted.
Merlin's voice became sullen static.
"Albert Ayer, a French aristocrat, has taken it upon himself to bring about world peace. Unfortunately, he intends to do it by attaching electronic parasites to everyone's brains in order to force them to be docile. One of his men is transporting the first batch of nanobots through Paris to a drop-off point in the catacombs, where Ayer intends to retrieve it and loose the lot on the French Parliament."
Eggsy nodded "Your cover?"
"Blown, I'm afraid."
"How long to the drop off?"
Harry glanced at his watch "Thirty minutes."
Eggsy whistled "Shit. Guess we'd better hurry."
"Yes," Merlin chimed tersely over the glasses "So now that you're caught up, I suggest you get to work. You'll need a code name, I'd rather not call you Breunor."
Eggsy almost said Galahad, but there was the true Galahad standing before him in all his glory. He had the strange feeling that he was being tested.
"Excalibur," he eventually settled on, grinning at his own implication. That would make Guy the lady of the lake, by his figuring, "'S about the only title we haven't used. Always thought it was a shame."
The rumble of many heavy footsteps made Eggsy look around, and he was happier than he should have been when he saw a small army gathering on the rooftops around them.
"Shit." Merlin muttered.
"That's a lot of guns," Eggsy said. He was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. Harry looked torn between doing the same and looking at Eggsy like he was liable to explode on the spot. Eggsy tossed him a saucy wink and handed over another clip preemptively.
"You heard him. Let's get to work."
Eggsy took off, and Harry was right behind him.
Eggsy fought better than he ever had before - he'd scarcely had a moment to breathe outside of work and he was buzzing with primed and well-honed skill. And Harry was there. That might have helped a lot.
They were fucking brilliant together, better than he could have dreamed. He could see the look in Harry's eyes that said he could hardly believe it either. Eggsy was the considerably better equipped of the two of them, but Harry was the only one with a rainmaker. A rhythm developed so quickly it seemed like they fought side by side every day. Harry went through bullets like a buzz saw might cut through styrofoam, but Eggsy was always there with another clip before he could miss them, and Harry was always there with the rainmaker if one of the bullets went astray and would have hit their target.
Since that first time in the pub Eggsy loved to watch Harry fight. Always sharp and quick and brutal, whenever he could stand it he would go back and watch Harry's old missions and for a while he'd even fooled himself into thinking it wasn't borderline pornographic. There was no denying it on that rooftop, though, as he ripped through black-clad men with the kind of efficient violence that made Eggsy's mouth water. His suit snapped with the force of his punches, the reach his long legs gave him on a kick was obscene, and Eggsy might have had a few near misses with his opponents because he was struck by the sight of Harry fighting and had his own battle to keep his blood from rushing away from his head. It didn't escape his notice that Harry was watching him too.
Eggsy leapt off one roof and onto another, happy as always to have parkour in his skill set, taking out five of the men with the maneuver, and expected to land hard on his shoulder for the trouble, but there was Harry throwing his hand out and catching him before he could hit. Harry spun around and fired the rainmaker, and Eggsy covered his six with a hail of bullets that was almost as good a defense as the shield.
Eggsy was breathing hard when the last man fell to the ground below. He dropped his arms, his bones feeling light from the near-constant vibration of the gun as it fired, and found Harry standing astonished by his side looking like he was one loud noise from ravishing him right there on the roof. He smirked.
"I've never fought like that in my life." Harry said at length. Eggsy grinned.
"Me neither, love. Come on, let's save the world. I got plans for tonight," he winked and Merlin cleared his throat.
"If you two are done showing off, the target is on the move. I'm sending the coordinates now."
The right eye of the glasses popped up the sort of map Eggsy associated with old shooter games. Harry drew himself back into his usual unflappable composure, but Eggsy thought it looked a bit brittle. They climbed down a fire escape and wound through the deserted streets, skirting a police blockade that had been set up in response to the gunshots.
"Think that buys us some time?" Eggsy asked.
"I should hope so. Unless he was early to the drop-off, he'll have to go on foot if he wants to make it before the ministers leave for the day."
Sure enough, a few blocks later they found their target, a wiry little man with a thick metal briefcase scurrying alone along the road.
"Too easy," Eggsy decided, and Harry nodded. They both drew their weapons.
And not a moment too soon, they found when four large men materialized from corners and behind cars, all clearly very skilled.
"Merlin, how close are we to the catacomb's entrance?" Eggsy asked, watching as the target sped up across the street, dropping his unguarded pretense. The little man was obviously going to be slippery.
"Less than a mile," Merlin said grimly.
"Right then," Eggsy turned to Harry, ignoring the big, glowering men around them. "You take care of them, I'll get the target. Sound good?"
Harry's eyebrows drew together "You're the one with the bullets," he protested.
"Harry, if I learned anything from all this it's that you hit harder than me but I'm faster than you," he leaned up and stole a quick kiss, handing off his last clip in the process "be back in a jiff."
And with that he was off, slipping past the men and tearing through the somewhat familiar streets of Paris after the man with the silver briefcase. This was the kind of thing Eggsy had imagined when he signed up - racing across foreign landscapes after evil men in order to save the world. Behind him he heard the tell-tale sounds of four men receiving a sound beating and grinned.
The target did turn out to be slippery - and almost as good as Eggsy at free running and more familiar with the winding Parisian roads and roofs. But Eggsy was a damn good agent, and he managed to catch up to him when he turned into a dark alley just by a busy entrance to the catacombs.
"Nowhere to go, mate." He grinned and lashed out with the butt of his pistol. The man went down like a ton of bricks - built for deliveries, not fights, Eggsy guessed. He heard the click of a gun cocking just as he bent to retrieve the case.
"MI6 is not so competent," Eggsy raised his hands and turned slowly to face the holder of the gun, a man who looked to be in his sixties with slicked back white hair and a suit so crisp Harry probably would have complimented him on it. Oh yeah, Eggsy would peg him as a villain. "Nor so well dressed."
"That's Ayer. He's more dangerous than he looks. Use caution, Excalibur." Merlin informed him.
"Good eye, gov," Eggsy agreed in his well-learned French. The pistol in his hand looked custom, a wide barrel implying high caliber bullets, gleaming silver with an ivory handle. Eggsy didn't fancy getting shot by it even if he was sure he'd survive. What was it with this bunch and their heavy weaponry?
"No matter," Ayer rolled his shoulders "I've more important things to deal with than foolish young men. I must capture parliament before sundown if I'm to make my dinner reservation, you see."
Eggsy blinked "Yeah, alright. Think I can come as your date?"
"That will be difficult, as you will be dead."
"Fuck-" Eggsy ducked away and the sharp sound of a gunshot rang out from behind him. Ayer looked surprised for the half a second it took his body to realize it was dead and fall to the ground. Eggsy turned to see Harry in the mouth of the alley, calmly tucking his gun away. He strode over and stooped to gather up the case.
"You may be faster darling, but I'm hardly slow."
"The thought never crossed my mind," Eggsy replied, smiling. Harry dusted himself off, and Eggsy wondered how many of these partnered missions it would take before Harry ruined him for working alone in the other world. The end of his Russian mission was going to seem cold and harsh for more than the climate already.
And fuck, he'd thought he was over mission boners ages ago, but then again, there was Harry to consider. Harry, who'd turned back to him and was lightly fixing his hair like nothing about the day had phased him in the slightest. Eggsy stepped into his space with purpose, and when Harry looked at him the image was ruined - his brown eyes were nearly black with pupil.
Eggsy dragged him down and sealed their mouths together, kissing him hard and messy and demanding with the euphoria of the mission. Harry made low sound in his throat, fisting his free hand in Eggsy's hair to wrest control from him so he could plunder Eggsy's mouth. Then he broke away suddenly, leaving Eggsy wound up and frustrated.
"Not here," Harry hissed.
"Not on the mission, please," Merlin complained, only for Harry to frown and rip the glasses off his face. Blinking, Eggsy followed suit.
As much as he wanted to protest when Harry drew away, out in the square Eggsy could hear more police marching towards the alley. They'd arrest the courier and Kingsman would have him in holding probably sooner than Harry and Eggsy would be in back England. That being said, the police would be less likely to let a couple of guys packing military-grade weaponry, and the only two suspects in the murder of a dignitary besides, go so easily.
Harry tugged Eggsy on out of the alley and down the street, putting a good distance between them and the dead mastermind. Eggsy had half a mind to complain anyway, especially when Harry gave the heavily-armed police running thick in the streets a look and scaled yet another building. It seemed they'd done nothing all day but be indecisive about how far from the ground they should be.
"We'll have to travel this way for a while. The police presence in the area is too strong."
While Harry said this Eggsy took the opportunity to shove him back into wall.
"Fuckin' knew it," he moaned when he felt the hot brand of Harry's erection press into his hip. He surged up and seized Harry's lips again, and this time Harry dropped the case, grabbed him around the waist and drew their bodies flush together.
"Fuck, Harry," Eggsy gasped, rutting against him "Swear to god, watching you fight is better than porn. I hope Merlin got this on video because it's gonna be my new go-to wank material."
"Me?" Harry hissed, and Eggsy blinked when he found himself flipped around and held fast between Harry and the wall, one of Harry's legs pressed between his own and against his dick.
"Fuck-"
"You should have seen yourself." Harry bit down on the soft skin just below Eggsy's ear and Eggsy keened. "You looked as if your feet never needed to touch the ground. All I could think about was how I wanted to snatch you from the air and claim you as my own."
"So-" Eggsy gasped when Harry's hands landed on his belt buckle "So fuckin' do it, then."
"Oh, I intend to," Harry growled with dark promise. For half a second Eggsy thought they were going to fuck right there on the rooftop, but then Harry got his belt and zip undone and he knew neither of them would make it that far. Post-mission fucks were of a special breed, but a post mission fuck with Harry was out of this fuckin' world. Eggsy cursed and almost bit through his lip when Harry's hand wrapped firmly around his dick and pulled.
"Harry," he gasped, thrusting forward desperately "Fuck, hurry."
Harry chuckled in his ear and let go just long enough to undo his own trousers. When Harry finally, finally lined their cocks up in his hand Eggsy saw stars. He slicked his palm with their mingling precome and wasted no time curling his wide hand around them both and stroking.
"Jesus," Eggsy gasped, watching his hand "Yeah, Harry, just like that, make me fuckin' come with gunpowder under your nails-fuck."
He glanced up and found Harry watching him intently, lips parted and eyes burning. Eggsy made a sound he wasn't sure was entirely human and dug both of his hands into Harry's hair to kiss him.
"Tell me when," Harry murmured against his lips "Tell me when so I can be with you."
"Now," was all Eggsy managed over the roaring in his ears Harry's words summoned up. Harry exhaled sharply against his lips and followed dutifully. Eggsy's hips jerked arrhythmically as Harry worked them through it, catching most of their come in his hand. Eggsy collapsed back against the wall and Harry against him, gasping, boneless and tingling, with the worst of his burning desire quelled but still needy and wanting for contact. Harry took to kissing down his neck, delicately sucking just under his collar to leave faint marks in his wake.
Eventually they drew apart and Harry produced a kerchief to clean up with. When they were both presentable and their breathing mostly even, Eggsy stepped close and asked "Now what?"
Twilight was well underway now, the sky a soft and misty blue overhead. Lights were on in the city, the bright yellow heritage bulbs of Paris glinting all around them. A few rooftops away soft light danced against old stone. Harry ran a hand through his hair a few times before sighing and giving up. Eggsy grinned at his handwork. Harry looked good disheveled. "Now we make for the jet home." he replied.
"Lead the way."
Harry nodded and together they made slow progress over the roofs. The one with the lights was low and set apart, leaving them in the air for an exhilarating moment before they landed. They dropped onto a secluded corner. Eggsy took a moment to smooth Harry's suit down needlessly, enjoying the feel of him under his hands more than anything. Harry leaned close, his eyes hooded.
"Come on then." Eggsy tugged him out of the shadows and they found themselves face to face with a hostess.
"Welcome," the woman said in the rich phonetics the upper-class French "Name on the reservation?"
Eggsy looked around. The lights they'd seen were tabletop candles set on elegant round dining tables across the roof, all tucked under great square umbrellas. Around the edges dark red roses climbed from troughs to a delicate iron railing, and beyond them the fading light of the horizon was speared by the golden spike of the Eiffel tower, the bright city spreading out at it's feet.
He felt Harry come up behind him, no doubt with some apologetic excuse about being lost on his tongue.
"Ayer," Eggsy tried. He figured it couldn't hurt. The waitress scanned her reservation list for half a second before smiling at them.
"Ah, yes, Ayer, party of two. Come, follow me."
'Score!' he mouthed to Harry, his eyes shining. Harry looked amused as they followed the waitress to a table set right next to the railing.
"Your waiter will be with you shortly," she informed them, handing them menus before moving off.
Eggsy smiled over the table at Harry, who had yet to take his eyes off him since they entered. Harry reached over the table and opened his hand for Eggsy's, and Eggsy took it. "Have I told you recently that you are the most extraordinary person I have ever encountered?" He asked.
Eggsy shrugged and leaned closer "I could do with hearing it again."
"How fortunate, I was planning to tell you again anyway," he tugged Eggsy's hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles "My darling Eggsy, I've no idea how I managed before we met. You are the eighth wonder of the world, and I can often scarcely believe that someone so flawless as you can exist in nature."
"Harry," Eggsy tipped forward so they were just hovering a hair apart, smiling "that ain't fair."
"You did ask."
"I'm gonna write a you a fuckin' sonnet one day, love." Eggsy promised "A whole book of 'em, dedicated to how impossibly perfect you are."
"Gentlemen, I hate to interrupt," came the waiter's voice, and they drew apart reluctantly as he set silverware down on the table before them "would you care for some wine?"
"Yes," Harry replied, slipping into perfect French "and we're ready to order, if you don't mind."
"Ah, of course," Eggsy cast Harry a confused look. Neither of them had so much as cracked their menus. But Harry rattled off a perfectly balanced three-course meal and wine combination that the waiter himself seemed to approve of before he whisked away with the menus.
"Been here before?" Eggsy drawled, watching as Harry picked up one of the wet towel packages the waiter had deposited with the silverware.
"Yes. It was six or seven years ago now, but things rarely change in a city this old." Eggsy watched him clean his hands and lost the battle with his smirk. Harry noticed and leaned close again.
"Would you have preferred I lick my hands clean?" Harry murmured, and Eggsy shivered at the image.
"Maybe," he replied, flashing a cheeky grin.
Dinner was spectacular, as Eggsy could have guessed. There was something wonderful about the way the candlelight looked in Harry's eyes, flickering occasionally in the warm summer breeze. At some indefinite point in the evening Eggsy dropped his hand and felt his fingers brush the ring box tucked in his pocket. Harry caught the flicker of whatever passed through his eyes then, if the slight narrowing of his own was any indication, but he didn't press.
When they left the streets were clear again. They walked slowly along, idling towards the city's edge. Eggsy noted that there was no conceivable way to land a private jet for miles, which meant they probably needed a taxi, but Harry didn't call one and Eggsy didn't suggest it.
He didn't think the back lawn of the Eiffel Tower was even remotely on their way either, but he was glad when Harry led them there.
He'd had a whole set of plans ready to work within the time constraints of his situation, but this wasn't the sort of opportunity to pass up for a night at a fancy London restaurant they'd been to a dozen times. There might have been a hundred cities he'd have sifted through to do this in, but there was something in the history and fantasy that bled from the streets of Paris that echoed in his heart, told him this was perfect for them.
"Harry," Eggsy said, taking his hand and tugging him to a stop, then coaxing him into setting the case on the ground beside them. "Today's been wonderful," he started, and Harry looked resigned.
"If...if you'd really like to come back to work-"
"What? No, love, this ain't about that. Work's fun, but a few explosions don't make for a day this good," he drew Harry close, so they were nearly chest to chest and he could take both of Harry's hands in his between them.
"We coulda been back home watching cricket all day long and I'd have had just as wonderful a day, or freezing our balls off in Russia, or anywhere, you know? So long as you're with me, nothing else really matters," he could feel he was blushing, but Harry was looking at him so sweetly, and still a little worried, so he smiled up at him "Harry, you know where I come from. I never once thought I could be happy like this and to be honest, I can still scarcely believe it. I love you. And I want to spend all day watching cricket with you, and traipsing around the globe kicking arse, and if we really must, freezing our balls off in Russia. So I've been meaning to ask you," he let go of Harry's left hand so he could dig into his own pocket for the little velvet box, and only noticed when the task proved difficult that his hands were shaking. He withdrew it and watched Harry's eyes go round as he flipped the lid up between them. "Harry, will you marry me?"
"Oh," Harry said in a rush of air, gaze fixed on the ring. Eggsy couldn't help but grin through his nerves. His plan had worked - Harry'd had no idea this was coming. Harry's free hand came up to hover around the box reverently - then he looked up at Eggsy.
"Are you sure?" he asked softly.
Eggsy blinked. "What about that speech implied I wasn't sure?"
"It's just that..." Harry hesitated, and for half a second Eggsy was prepared to tell him everything right then and there. Then Harry continued "The disparity in our ages doesn't bother me, darling, but when I think that I'll have to leave you for such a long time I..."
Words backed up on Eggsy's tongue as too many thoughts that amounted to fuck that tried to escape at once.
"So why would I want to spend one second more without you than I have to? I'm gone on you Harry, there's no hope for me," he smiled "Besides, we don't know how our lives will work out. You might live to be a hundred and I'll be right pleased if I make it as far as seventy. No point in worrying about it. I wanna be with you forever. I don't care how long that is."
A moment passed while Harry stared into Eggsy's eyes, considering or enraptured Eggsy couldn't tell. Then he sighed and leaned their foreheads together.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes, you're right," he smiled too, and it lit up his eyes "and yes, I'll marry you."
Eggsy laughed joyously and tilted his head to capture Harry's lips in a kiss. One of Harry's hands settled on the back of his neck, the other on his shoulder, both touches light and reverent. The lights on the tower started dancing behind them, drawing a murmur of appreciation from the onlookers, but neither Harry nor Eggsy noticed that or the sound of the camera that went off at them.
"Ah, splendid, splendid! Congratulations!" They broke apart to look at the man who'd spoken in confusion, then dropped their eyes to the bulky, expensive camera in his hands.
"What?" Eggsy asked.
"You, lovers! Engaged! Splendid!" He waved his camera "I caught the moment, yes. For you to remember, I send you?"
Eggsy was still blinking stupidly at the man, but Harry huffed in amusement "Yes, that would be wonderful."
At Harry's fluent French the man only became more excited. He flounced off with a promise to send the photos by the next morning and returned to photographing unsuspecting tourists with aplomb.
"Nice of him." Eggsy drawled. Harry turned back, angling the ring box so he could look at the ring closer.
"I, for one, will be glad to have the memento."
Eggsy couldn't stay annoyed, had hardly been anyway, and smiled again "Me too." He took the ring out of the box and, his hands still shaking, slid it onto the ring finger of Harry's left hand.
"Good?" he asked nervously.
Harry lifted his hand to inspect the ring, a soft, awed smile playing on his lips. "It's beautiful."
Eggsy fidgeted and tried to hide how pleased he was to hear it "It's an engagement ring, innit? It's supposed to be pretty."
The ring was a slate grey titanium, inset with a thin band of cherry wood and another of deep sapphire. Eggsy'd picked the design in a fit of inspiration, and in the months since he'd agonized over whether or not he should have agonized more. It was all very domestic, he figured when he took a break from agonizing. Now, stealing a glance at the surprise on Harry's face and judging from his reluctance to look away from it, he figured all his agonizing had been for nothing after all.
"Of course," Harry agreed "But this is a work of art. Where did you find such a thing?"
Eggsy shrugged "Had it made. Only the best for Harry Hart."
Harry huffed and wound the hand now sporting a ring into Eggsy's hair to kiss him again. This time they weren't interrupted.
Eggsy fell asleep with his head on Harry's lap while the jet was over the mainland. Harry had refrained from asking when Eggsy'd muttered something about feeling too light as he reequipped himself with enough ammo to take on a marine base. He sighed as he felt the unnatural pull of sleep that assailed him whenever he tried to stay awake much longer than Eggsy and wondered where he could possibly go from the cabin of an airplane. Nevertheless, he was gone when they landed. But there was proof of him, on Harry's left hand and in his email - a picture, pristine lighting as they kissed before the sparkling Eiffel tower, the ring held between them, a visible glint in the night.
Harry strode into headquarters at two in the morning and was entirely unsurprised to find Merlin wide awake and waiting for him.
"Harry," he said, his name weighty. Harry fingered the ring on his left hand, which he immediately realized was a mistake when the action drew Merlin's attention to it.
"What's that?"
"Ah, well, it's-"
"Harry," Merlin said again with force "What the hell are you doing?"
Harry bristled, but he didn't have the strength it took to argue with Merlin. "Every day is a gift, Merlin. I'm doing whatever I can," he replied softly.
"Damn it, Harry, we don't even know if it's really him."
"Haven't you made up your mind yet?" Harry asked tiredly "How long have you known?"
At this, Merlin frowned "Two months."
"And what have you found?"
"Nothing conclusive. Guy Bennett is in the same situation. There are traces of strange substances on the things he brings with him when he leaves and comes back. The blast site shows no sign of whatever did this to them."
"He mentioned he was painting a deck for an old man."
"I have eyes on him. He was, in fact, painting Bennett's deck."
Harry sighed. He was glad Eggsy hadn't commented on it, but he was tired and he had to imagine it showed. Eggsy had looked a bit tired too.
"Then if there's no evidence that he's lying, I don't much care. I know he's not our Eggsy, Merlin, but there's no doubt in my mind he's Eggsy. He's what could have been, I suppose, if we'd given him the chances I promised him."
"That's not how he tells it," Merlin continued without elaborating "There's one more thing, Harry. The breakdown in the radiation on the suit you brought in - it's accelerating."