Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else, and that's the way of it.

Push and Pull

Bathing a baby was a difficult task that required one's complete attention at all times. They squirmed, kicked out in the water in the hopes of splashing it everywhere, and had so many curves and folds to their skin that making sure you got ever crevice clean was quite the undertaking. Added to that Daisy appeared to love being bathed, especially now that her gums were feeling better, and Harry couldn't be more grateful for the squirming, wiggly distraction she posed. Having her to focus on made it so much easier to ignore the fact that her big brother was also as naked as the day he was born less than a meter away from him. Wet and warm and…

And Eggsy was currently sitting with his elbows crossed on the rim of the tub, watching them with the most adorable, happy smile on his face that Harry had ever fucking seen. And was powerless to ignore for long, since he kept sneaking peeks in that direction.

Looking back over at Daisy with renewed determination not to glance at Eggsy again until he was clothed, Eggsy was going to realize what he was doing for Christ sakes, Harry had the oddest feeling Daisy was aware of the turmoil her delicious big brother was causing him and found it all quite amusing.

Females.

Oh well, at least this torture was almost over. "Well I think we've got most of you as clean as we can get, Miss. Daisy. Are you ready to finish the job and wash your hair?"

Daisy squealed and kicked her feet in the shallow water of the bowl.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Careful bout her ears, Bruv. She'll find a way ta dump most of that water on ya somehow if ya do. She hates water in em. Will screaming the ceiling down too, she will."

This was the first time Eggsy had spoken since Harry had made it clear that he'd kill anyone who attempted to harm the pup while he was under his care, and the sound of his voice had Harry automatically looking over at him again without being subtle about it this time. And really wished he hadn't. Even with the tub and the angle of Eggsy's body keeping the best parts out of sight…hell, that just made him want to see the rest of him that much more.

"You worry about washing your own hair." It was a struggle to remember to speak rather than just memorize what he was seeing. "As soon as I'm done here I'll find something for you to sleep in while your clothes are washed." He'd prefer to burn them, humanity would thank him, but Eggsy would need something to wear until they could go shopping for better clothes.

Eggsy gave him a cocky salute and then shifted up and over to grab the bottle of shampoo from its rest place on the other side of the tub.

But before Eggsy could start washing his hair the cellphone Eggsy had set beside the tub went off, the ringtone the theme song for Harry Potter.

"Shit." The sound of water sloshing around the walls of the tub and then Eggsy's voice again. "Hey, Mum."

With his enhanced hearing Harry easily heard Michelle Unwin answer her son on the other end, the woman saying her son's name and asking if he and Daisy were okay with such false cheer that Harry couldn't believe she thought it believable.

Even you would know it was fake, Harry thought in Daisy's direction.

"We're fine, Mum. We'll stay out of your hair for a few days, all right? Till Daisy's feelin better."

"That'd be good, Luv. Thanks."

No asking where they were or who they were with? No question of what Eggsy was going to do for money in that time? Harry knew the boy didn't have a bank account to draw on or a job to go to. Which was a good thing in this case since Eggsyy was apparently expected to take care of his sister for a few days at some unknown location whenever Daisy's father was in a bad mood.

"How's she doin? Her gums any better yet?"

Well that question was a little more motherly, but the woman just bought Eggsy's promise that she was doing loads better without the woman wondering how that could be or pressing the boy for more details.

Or perhaps she'd just learned that asking questions made things worse for her.

)

Keeping his thoughts to himself as he listened to Eggsy and his mother saying their goodbyes with half an ear, Harry focused on carefully applying the baby shampoo to Daisy's wispy curls while keeping the soap well away from her eyes.

All young maternal dominants were expected to spend time in the pack's nursery and daycare center to learn how to care for their young later on in life, and Harry was gratified that he didn't seem to have forgotten much. Particularly since Daisy deserved to be treated like a little princess given what an awful day she'd been having before he'd shown up.

Picking her up Harry settled her in the crook of his arm and then with his free hand turned on the sink's tap, fiddling with it until he got the temperature he wanted. Then using the water glass he kept by the sink Harry poured cups of water over her head to wash away the suds without getting a hint of soap in her eyes, thank you very much. Though of course it helped that she didn't have that much hair to begin with.

Thanking her very seriously for being so good and staying still for him Harry smiled as she laughed at him as he wrapped her up in a fluffy towel once they were done.

Using a small hand towel to gently pat her hair and skin dry to speed up that process, Harry was aware that Eggsy was watching him intently again, which he chose to ignore. He could only imagine how hard the boy's wolf might be riding him at the moment, the wolf no doubt feral in its protectiveness of the small 'pack' he'd created for himself. Daisy was utterly defenseless and in the hands of another wolf, one Eggsy's wolf was still learning to trust. The pup's driving need to keep his eyes on her was to be expected.

Once she was dry enough Harry bundled her up in the larger towel and snuggling her against his chest turned around to tell Eggsy that he was going to take her into his room to put her in a fresh nappy and onesie.

Eggsy stared back at him from the tub for a moment before nodding, his hair foamy with the suds he had yet to wash out of his hair. "All right. Be out in a minute."

"No hurry."

And then Harry hurried out of there with Daisy babbling away in his arms as he made a beeline for his bedroom.

When he'd been making his phone calls earlier he'd gone through his own wardrobe to find clothes for the pup to sleep in, which were spread out over the quilt along with the supplies needed to get Daisy ready for bed as well. Setting Daisy down on the bedspread Harry pulled apart the towel and then turned his attention to sliding the back end of a biodegradable nappy under her bottom. "No cheap, take hundreds of years to decompose nappies for you. No indeed. And this feels so much more comfy, doesn't it?"

Gnawing on her little fist Daisy watched him with interest as he powdered her bottom for her before going to work securing the nappy, which she didn't like one little bit. And who could blame her really, since they could not be fun to wear. But they were necessary in this case, he told her sternly, and the sooner she was all dressed the sooner she could go back to Eggsy.

Who his ears told him was already out of the tub and had just opened the bathroom door to let himself out.

"Well he didn't really get much of a chance to enjoy his bath, did he?"

The spit bubbles Daisy blew suggested she wasn't pleased about that either.

"Now none of that, young lady. And on with this nappy, yes? These are special ones that won't hurt the environment nearly so much at those other ones either. Because taking care of our planet is very important, you know. Especially since I'm sorry to say that the previous generations have not done a good job of that. No they haven't. Disgraceful, really."

"Spoiling her, ain't ya?"

Taking a deep breath meant to center him, Harry whole body jerked like an electric current had just made its way through his body as his brain registered what his nose was telling him.

Slowly turning around Harry forgot about everything but the man now standing in his doorway. Eggsy was watching him with a smirk that faded away as Eggsy's gaze sharpened and became far more predatory as their eyes met and held.

On a visual level Eggsy was certainly worth looking at. All that tanned, wet skin, muscles toned and sculpted to suggest excellent upper and lower body strength. The garments Eggsy had worn earlier had hid plenty from view, the feed from the cameras in the forest not doing the boy justice either for that matter. And of course the majority of that hard, disciplined body was there for his viewing pleasure since Eggsy was only covered by the towel he'd tied around his waist and the water droplets that continued to run down the pup's form.

But however pleasing the pup was to his eyes it was Eggsy's scent that threatened to cloud Harryy's mind and his judgement completely. Or he should say their scents.

Eggsy smelled like him. Like he was his.

In some logical, still human part of his brain Harry understood that Eggsy had used his products in the bath so of course his personal scents would cling to Eggsy and make the pup smell like him. Would, to his more primitive side, register as Eggsy belonging to him because the pup wore his scent in his skin. The way mated pairs did. That their scents were so complimentary now that Eggsy's true scent had been set free was just another nail in the coffin.

Cinnamon. Eggsy smelled of fresh cinnamon, Harry, and aroused male.

Harry could smell his own arousal in the air as well.

Stepping away from the bed as Eggsy moved further into the room, Harry was reaching out with the intent to yank the towel out of his way when the sharp cry of a baby cut through the air, flipping a very different instinctual switch.

Whirling around to see Daisy waving her arms in the air while her chubby little legs kicked out as well, Harry cursed and hurried over to grab the onesie off the bed.

"So sorry, Little One. You must be cold, aren't you?"

Opening up the onesie Harry flinched as Eggsy came up behind him, pressing up against him from behind on tip toes so that he could lean in and scent his throat. Which Harry's wolf liked very, very much.

"Fuck ya smell good, Harry."

It was automatic to tell him not to swear in front of the baby.

"She's heard worse." Eggsy nuzzled his face against Harry's back now.

Since he wanted to use the F word to describe the situation they were in Harry had to bite back considerable profanity as he stated that he needed to finish getting Daisy dressed. And that there were clothes for Eggsy to sleep in on the bed. He should put them on.

The 'please God get dressed before I suggest you bend me over this fucking bed' went unsaid, but Harry was thinking it loudly.

Eggsy gave a low growl of displeasure and Harry's wolf was in absolute agreement there. But it seemed Eggsy was willing to take pity on him, or at least realized they couldn't have sex while the pup's baby sister watched because Eggsy moved away and walked around to stand at the side of the bed where the clothes were laid out.

"The bottoms will be a little long for you, so I'm afraid you'll have to roll them up a little."

"No shit." And then Eggsy's undid the towel so that it fell to the floor, baring everything.

"Fuck!"

Eggsy's grin was pure sex. "Language, Mr. Hart."

Looking down at Daisy Harry cleared his throat before apologizing for his language. Even if it was all her brother's fault.

The snickering that elicited tempted Harry to walk over and smack the pup upside the head…or across that tempting arse Eggsy was sporting, but he restrained himself. Instead he concentrated on getting Daisy's feet to go where he wanted them to as he fought to get the onsie on. Which was thankfully no easy thing to do as she continued to kick her legs out in glee.

Now he just needed to breathe in as little as possible.

"You just keep baby clothes lyin around?"

"No. We'll have to buy her more tomorrow. I bought this when we were at the chemist's."

"They sell clothes there?"

"For babies, yes. There was limited selection, but I thought this would do nicely."

"She ain't picky."

Finally getting all her limbs where they should be Harry went to work buttoning up the front and then picked her up and into his arms. Settling her against his chest as a sort of shield Harry allowed his gaze to shift over in Eggsy's direction once more, relieved and disappointed that the pup had put on the loose tracksuit bottoms at least. His chest was still bare though.

Ignoring the shirt Eggsy came over and held his hands out. "I can take her."

"She's fine." And forcing him to keep his hands to himself. "Put the shirt on and I'll show you to your room while you're here. You can see about getting her to settle down while I go hunting in the attic for something for her to sleep in. I believe the Hart family cradle was still in working order the last time I was up there."

"I could bring it down for ya."

Opening his mouth to decline the offer Harry closed it again as his ears perked up, alerting him that someone had just turned into his driveway.

"Stay here with the child." Harry handed her off as he spoke, Eggsy taking her from him automatically. "Don't come downstairs unless I call you. Someone's coming."

"Harry."

"No. She's your main concern."

And trusting that Eggsy would look after Daisy Harry headed for the door, leaving them behind.

He'd meet whoever was coming first.

)

Thankfully Harry recognized the coming wolf's scent by the time he'd gotten to the bottom of his stairs. Calling up to Eggsy to tell him that everything was fine Harry continued over to the door and opened it up to reveal Gawain at his door. Though in this case he'd be introducing the older man as Addison Egerton when Eggsy joined them downstairs. The boy could be the only reason Addison would be dropping by as the perpetually unsociable wolf wasn't the sort to drop in to socialize.

"Gawain."

"Galahad." A sigh. "My brother ordered me to come here and guard the boy tonight."

"And you obeyed?" Technically Taron was the older brother and therefore head of the family, but that wouldn't mean much to the man in front of him. Gawain generally didn't do anything he didn't want to do. It was an Egerton trait.

"He threatened me with brotherly quality time."

Ah. The main reason why Eggsy and Daisy were staying with him wasn't because King was less likely to pick a fight with him than he was Gawain. It was because Harry would actually enjoy hosting them while Gawain would see it as a sort of torture that would not end well for all involved. So yes, Taron threatening to force his brother to spend quality time with him was an excellent threat and motivator for Gawain to cooperate.

Footsteps on the stairs had then both turning to watch Eggsy come down the steps with Daisy in his protective arms. He'd put the shirt on and was wearing a wary expression that flickered back and forth between the two of them.

"Fuck. Looks just like him."

"Don't swear in front of the child."

Gawain just raised a brow over that before turning his attention back to Eggsy. "I'm your grandfather's younger brother. You may call me Addison or Gawain."

"Eggsy. This is me sis Daisy."

The way Gawain eyed the baby had Harry thinking that the old wolf was probably thanking all the powers that be that he wasn't going to be living with the infant. Children tended to cry or run away when faced with the man, and that was when Gawain wasn't actively trying to get rid of them.

"It would seem that getting so many calls from you, Merlin, and I piqued Taron's curiosity enough that he called me back to find out what the fuck was going on. I explained the situation to him, so he's up to date now. He had me record a message to be played tomorrow at the hearing, and he'll speak with his solicitors to see that funds are made available to pay for the pup's stay here. You'll be given access to funds as well, Pup."

"It's Eggsy. I ain't a pup. And ya know, I was thinkin, without a blood test or some shit there's no way ta know for sure that I'm-"

"You're an Egerton." Harry and Gawain said in tandem.

"It's not just your looks." Harry started to explain.

"It's in your scent." Gawain finished. "You can always tell who someone belongs to by scent if you pay attention and know what to sniff for. And even with Harry's scent all over you I can smell it."