On The Jukebox

Harry had been to some of the finest restaurants the world had to offer. Had expanded and tested his pallet in the most sumptuous of surroundings, with food arranged and designed to be just as pleasing to the eye as the scenery. The maternal dominant couldn't even begin to count how many would be suitors had blown hundreds, even thousands of pounds on a single meal in the hopes of so impressing him with their wealth and means that he would see similar worth in them.

Which had rarely been the case.

The meal before him, on the surface Harry could understand many of his social circle turning their nose up at it. Whoever had cooked the rabbits currently gracing their plates had had to get a little creative in the cutting, in order to disguise Eggsy lack of finesse in bringing down his prey. The flowers were inexpertly arranged, the music playing was obviously from a playlist of romantic 80s tunes, and Harry would bet Eggsy had set the table himself.

Everything about this screamed homemade meal by someone somewhat clumsily trying to impress their date.

And where so many had tried, Eggsy had succeeded.

Harry found himself hopelessly smitten over everything, no doubt staring at Eggsy with the dopiest of smiles as they talked about nothing of importance. Pushing aside all the drama and bollocks of the day to just have this nice meal together. Making the choice to focus on each other, and Eggsy's courtship of him.

And it was while musing about the sweet effort and trouble Eggsy had gone to-and not for the first time since the meal had begun-that Harry came to a series of surprised realizations.

The first was how much he loved everything about this meal, mistakes and all. The second, that odds were high that this was the first time Eggsy had gone to this sort of effort for a date, which was an idea that pleased Harry greatly. The third, though. Harry's third realization was that odds were no one had ever gone to this sort of trouble for Eggsy, either.

Being a maternal dominant, pack rules said Harry was to be courted, not the other way around. He had dated humans in the past, yes, but on those rare occasions he'd been pursued, rather than the other way around. Humans, generally, didn't do anything for Harry because his wolf wanted and needed someone as dominant, or more dominant than him. And none of those dates had progressed to a homecooked dinner level.

The point was-so the fuck what if he wasn't expected or supposed to court Eggsy in turn. Why not? Didn't dominants deserve to know that the ones they courted thought they were worth being courted in return? Dominants went to quite a lot of trouble-at least if they were good ones-and got physical affection along the way, yes, but still...

"You know what, I-" Harry began, those words quickly followed by an apology, as Eggsy had been in the middle of telling him all the reasons why squirrels were just rats with better PR, and therefore evil too.

"It's all right. What do I know?" Eggsy asked cheekily. "Aside from how fucking evil squirrels are, of course."

"They aren't evil, Eggsy."

"Try having one living a few days in the wall of your flat, scratching around at night. Not ta mention jumpin out of bins at yeah unexpectedly. They're evil, Harry. Swear down."

For a moment Harry pondered that-and tried and failed to remember how they'd gotten on this topic to begin with-before shaking his head and returning to his reason for interrupting in the first place.

"Right. As I was saying, I've decided that you deserve to be courted as well. So just so you're aware-I'm courting you now too." One was officially supposed to announce things after all.

The way Eggsy's jaw dropped and his beautiful eyes went big, Harry wasn't quite sure if that was a good sign or not.

"You want ta...but I thought I was supposed ta...do maternals court people as well?"

"There is a first time for everything." Was Harry's firm reply to that. "And I have decided that you are deserving of courting."

Harry watched Eggsy process that, watched pleasure and a shy, unbelievably adorable smile cross Eggsy's face.

"Ya really want to?"

"I really do."

Ducking his head bashfully, Eggsy's voice was soft as he accepted Harry's courtship.

Reaching across the table Harry gave Eggsy's hand a squeeze, Eggsy returning it with another sweet smile that made Harry that much more ridiculously fond of the boy.

"I've never courted anyone before, so we'll have to learn together."

Beaming now, Eggsy's face made it clear how happy that made him, the idea that Harry hadn't considered anyone before him worth courting.

And in Harry's mind Harry's wolf inclined its head in agreement. Eggsy was the only one they would ever court.

)

Harry's courtship of Eggsy-and vice versa-was the hot topic amongst the Kingsman Pack in the following two weeks. It even overshadowed the topic of Vasic's pack possibly declaring war on them, which was saying something. The more old-fashioned turned their noses up at Harry's lack of respect for the way things were supposed to be done, mumbling about how Harry had always been a rebel or was going senile early. Others weren't sure how they felt about that, though the idea was certainly more popular amongst the dominants of the pack. Some of the maternals and submissives decided that Harry had a point, and those being courted or who already had their mates made some gestures of their own to test out the idea themselves.

A number of relationships saw definite benefits fairly quickly...while others were shaken up by the 'scandal' and lack of effort made on someone's part. For his part Harry wasn't sorry, taking the point of view that they deserved to be.

Plus, Merlin was in a ridiculously good mood despite dealing with trainees all day, so obviously Harry's idea had benefited his best friend. He just didn't like to think about how.

Either way, courting Eggsy and being courted by him was wonderfully unperfect.

Harry introduced Eggsy to the Victoria and Albert Museum, arranged for them to do a pottery class together because yes, he had seen 'Ghost' too many times over the decades, and Harry also arranged a very lovely homemade picnic in the park. Eggsy had enjoyed all that much more than the wine tasting they'd attended, but live and learn.

So far Eggsy's favorite courting gesture from Harry had been a photo Harry had taken of a shirtless Eggsy, fast asleep on the grass with a sleeping Daisy in his arms, a dandelion just barely tucked behind her ear. Harry had had it blown up and framed, and Eggsy loved it.

Eggsy, meanwhile, showed a devious cleverness in leaving Harry voicemails when he knew Harry was in a meeting or otherwise engaged. Harry now had seven voice mail recordings of Eggsy singing various romantic ballads including 'Shape of You', 'I Will Always Return', and a hilarious, gender swapped version of 'Something There' from Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast', complete with voices and Eggsy's adorable attempts to mimic Harry's voice for Belle's lines.

Didn't shudder at my paw, indeed.

Harry's personal favorite, though, alternated between a rewording of 'She's Like The Wind', Eggsy changing the pronouns for him, and "Hungry Eyes', which very much spoke to Harry and his wolf. Someone had apparently clued Eggsy into his love for the movie 'Dirty Dancing', to which Harry was grateful.

Merlin less so, as Harry had required his friend's help transferring the songs on to a flash drive so Harry could keep them.

His adorable dominant also took him to a parkour park to show off for him-and Harry had enjoyed showing off his own skills in turn. He could have done without all the shock at an 'old, posh man' being so skilled and showing the lot of them up-but putting them in their places had been very satisfying.

Almost as satisfying as the way Eggsy had jumped him afterwards for being so 'fucking competent' at everything.

They'd also gone to another museum with a butterfly exhibit, and Eggsy had lasted over an hour of Harry rhapsodizing about butterflies before his eyes had started to glaze over a little. A new record, when it came to Harry's previous dates.

Naturally Harry had thanked Eggsy for his interest with plenty of sexual interest afterwards.

And they were having a lot of sex, more than Harry had had in a very, very long time. Thank God and all the other world's deities for William, who had very much proved to be the teacher Eggsy needed. The boy was improving by leaps and bounds every day, and they were both rewarded by Eggsy being in much better shape to 'exercise' with Harry at night.

Harry started every morning with a smile on his face and Eggsy wrapped around him or vice versa.

He was also getting a lot of teasing from packmates about sleeping with a much younger man-his pack could all smell how deeply imbedded Eggsy's scent was in Harry's skin-but it wasn't just about the sex. Far from it.

Though he was enjoying that immensely. The sex only getting better as the days went by and they better learned each other and found their rhythm, so to speak. From fast and hot to agonizingly slow and drawn out, they were amazing together. That Eggsy also had no problem bottoming for Harry, not insisting on always being the one in charge just because he was a dominant, was such a turn on. Everything about Eggsy was proving to turn him on.

With every day that passed Harry became more and more convinced that he should offer Eggsy his neck to bite. That he should make that leap of trust, despite the incredibly short time that they'd known each other. Yes, it wasn't a declaration of love or mating, but it would signify that they were serious enough that those things were something he and Eggsy expected to soon follow. And while Harry's wolf was very much on board with that idea, it was Harry's human heart that wasn't quite so sure. That was wary of giving Eggsy that which he'd never given anyone before. A knowing, deep in said heart, that if Harry accepted that bite he would be giving Eggsy more than just that claim. That he was in danger of falling possibly too fast. Too soon.

Harry's indecision over the matter would end very abruptly as the second week of courting came to a close.

And it was all thanks to Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

)

On that momentous night Harry found himself once again forced to do his duty as a Kingsman and act as a witness to the three remaining Kingsman trainees undergoing the train test. Now that technology allowed it, a witness to the triumph or failure of someone's test wasn't necessary; but it was tradition. Ordinarily Harry would have loved to be the one on hand to watch King's recruit fail horribly. He'd have relished it. But given the bad blood between them it was for the best that Harry watched Caradoc's recruit fail, and instead enjoyed hearing about Charlie Hesketh's complete and total failure from Merlin.

Especially since this meant that Roxanne Morton was the new, and first female Kingsman.

There would be an official ceremony later, when all the members of Kingsman were present. However, Miss. Morton's victory was worth celebrating immediately, especially when her parents were offering free drinks at a nearby bar. That their very unhappy current Alpha passed on the obligatory invitation to join them was icing on the cake.

And that was how Harry ended up at a table with Merlin, Percival, Lancelot, Caradoc, Bors, and Miss. Morton, enjoying a very nice martini when it happened.

Merlin pulling out his phone and checking something on it was nothing new. The man loved his tech and was often playing with it.

"What the fuck?"

"Merlin?" Harry had known Merlin all his life, and it was rare for the man to swear, especially in mixed company.

"Ian just sent me a media file and a text telling me not to look at it. And to hide it." Merlin's gaze silently communicated to Harry that he was also not supposed to tell anyone he had it. As it was he was keeping his voice down, taking advantage of Harry's position at his side.

Merlin had two children, Ian his youngest. The twenty-year-old was a sweet maternal dominant who hardly ever gave his parents reason to worry about him. Ian was their baby, however, and they worried regardless. He was also almost as tech savvy as his father. And Harry's godson.

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"No."

Harry was not surprised when Merlin only lasted about forty seconds before he was calling his son to find out what the hell was going on. Hell, Harry was impressed he didn't check the media file first, which had probably been the man's first instinct.

And because Ian was his godson Harry had no compunction about shifting closer and leaning in so that he could hear what was said.

Thankfully Ian picked up after four rings, the boy's very hesitant voice hard to hear over the sound of multiple voices and the rhythmic thump of hard bass music. "Hi, Da."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm having a bit of an existential crisis, but I'm fine. Really. Just DON'T look at that file. Or tell anyone about it. Maybe say a prayer for me as well. I'm a bit traumatized. Maybe a lot traumatized."

"Ian. What happened?"

Several nerve-wracking heartbeats later, Ian answered. "Nevermind. It's fine. Really."

Harry no more believed Ian than Merlin did.

"Ian Douglas McNab. Explain. Now." Merlin demanded, his dominance ringing out loud and clear.

"Did you know Addison Egerton is sexy? I did not know he was sexy. So fucking sexy." Ian blurted out from the other end, his wolf reacting to the order from his family's alpha. "I thought he was just a grumpy psychopath who hates everyone. And he is. But so sexy. Make any man want to bend over and-fuck!"

Ian remembered who he was talking to just in time. Though ending with that last word in that context...

But that wasn't what was important. What was important was that apparently Ian had completely and totally lost his mind.

Merlin thought the same, telling his son that.

"You haven't heard him sing! Or seen him stripping!"

Stripping? Singing? Harry did not know which of those two things confused him more in relation to Eggsy's uncle. Because while Harry and most members of the pack had seen Addison strip down before the change, the way Ian had phrased it indicated stripping of an entirely different kind.

Wait a minute...

Eggy had gone out with BOTH his uncles for dinner tonight. Rachel was babysitting Daisy tonight, the plan being that Harry would pick her up on his way home. And if Addison was singing and stripping somewhere...what were the other two doing?

"What do you mean, stripping? Where are you?"

In response to his father still using his 'alpha voice' Ian began blabbing all over again at top speed, explaining to his father that he was at a dance club in Soho. One that held a karaoke night once a month. People could take the stage to sing, or occasionally a spotlight would be shone at a table and the people at said table were called up or heckled into getting onstage to perform a song of their choice. Ian hadn't even realized that the Egertons were at the club-it had been packed-until the spotlight landed at the table and calls for the three men sitting there started up.

No surprise, Ian had been shocked when Addison had left the table with the other two. That Taron and Eggsy would be down for singing in public made sense. Harry had heard both sing before and knew them to have amazing singing voices. But Addison? Addison singing? Harry's mind was blown. The man could sing? Really!

"I couldn't believe it! I mean I expected Taron or Eggsy to take center stage, but then Addison did! And then the opening music for 'Shape of You' started-and you know how I worship the ground Ed Sheeran walks on, Da! And I LOVE 'Shape of You'. Then Addison started singing and...and sex. His voice sounds like the hottest, sweatiest, most dirty and mind-blowing sex ever. The sort of sex you can't even imagine, it's just that kinky and perverted. That's what Addison's voice promises when he sings. I think people were actually coming just from his voice alone! Women were throwing their panties at him!"

Harry shared a look with Merlin that was a mixture of horror and disbelief. Mostly horror though, because they did not want Ian at all attracted to Addison Egerton of all people.

"-people were going crazy, and the guy who owns the club, well he's a dick or maybe he figured he'd settle the crowd down by turning them into a joke. Said that that was worthy of an encore, and just for fun Egerton could pick from a list of specific songs. Joke picks. And I thought Addison would pass, but then Eggsy dragged him off to the side, they had a group huddle...and then they picked Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off'."

What? A Taylor Swift song? That was too much. Harry's mind could not compute.

"Addison Egerton would sooner be tortured for weeks on end by trained, professional torturers from the worst countries this world has to offer rather than sing that song." There was no doubt in Merlin's mind.

"Apparently not." Ian informed his father. "And we all thought it was funny, the three of them all sang it together instead of Eggsy and Taron being backup like the other one...but then towards the end they changed the lyrics. It went from 'shake it off' to 'take it off'. And they started stripping."