#Merlin Kingsman

[renx01]

Too Sweet

Prompt: Inspired by the Hozier song Pairing: Harry Hart x (Kingsman!)Reader Fandom: Kingsman Tags/Warnings: age gap, mutual pining, angst Word count: 6495

Masterlist

You’d joined Kingsman only five years ago, and over time you’ve become a well-respected agent, code-named Tristan. Merlin, who is your uncle, was the one who had proposed you as a candidate and helped you prepare for the role while you were still in your early twenties. The other candidates had been good, but you were nearly flawless, only taking calculated risks and never letting your emotions rule your decision making. Control over your emotions was something you always excelled in, and it tremendously helped you make strides as an agent during the initial few months and first year. This caused you to rise in rank quite quickly, making you go on more solo missions or accompanying Galahad or Percival whenever they needed assistance. Today, you’re helping your uncle instead, hacking into some cameras and security networks so he’ll be able to tell Lancelot and Galahad where to go next and what they should be looking out for. It’s something you do from time to time, mostly upon Merlin’s request when he finds the mission too complicated to oversee on his own.

‘The main control room should be south from where they are now.’ You pull up the map on the big screen which hangs in front of you and Merlin, pointing out where Galahad and Lancelot should be going next. As he’s relaying the information to the other men, you hack into the mainframe the criminal organisation and start going through the different files. ‘Any updates about the nuclear files?’ Galahad’s voice comes through the speakers and Merlin looks at you. ‘Working on it. Just focus on getting to that room.’ The screen in front of you shows Lancelot’s feed. He’s following Galahad through the many hallways and twists and turns they take, taking down guards whenever they come across them. Their moves are deliberate, quick and efficient. You turn back to your screen and after a few minutes you’re finally able to access the file Galahad had asked for. ‘I’m sending you the file now, Galahad.’ ‘Thanks Tristan.’ He replies. They have finally reached the door to the control room. Lancelot holds his watch against it and it opens. Silently, the two men enter the room. ‘Lancelot, I need you to connect us to the controls.’ Merlin states and the other man follows the order. Your screens fill with the necessary information and you start working on fully disarming and disabling  the system. ‘Galahad, please flip the green switch on your right.’ You request. Before he can really do so, a loud bang interrupts him, followed by the sound of shots. ‘Lancelot, you take those men while Galahad follows Tristan’s orders.’ Merlin’s Scottish accent seems thicker momentarily. You’ve noticed it only really happened when he was in more stressful situations; one time when you almost got kidnapped, it was so thick you could barely understand him despite having a mostly Scottish family. Calmly, you instruct Galahad what buttons to press and switches to flip. After a few minutes of him following your lead as you type away at your computer, you’re done. ‘Galahad. Lancelot. The system has fully been disabled and disarmed. Get back to the jet.’ They start running through the building and Merlin glances at you, giving you a small smile before going back to helping them follow the quickest route out of the building. 

‘You did well, Tristan.’ Merlin ruffles your hair and you smile at him. ‘Thanks. You didn’t do too badly yourself, old man.’ He laughs and lightly punches your arm. ‘I’m not that old, your mother is 10 years older than I am.’ You snort and teasingly say, ‘And you Merlin, are 12 years older than I am.’ After that comment, a comfortable silence settles between you. There were a few more tasks you had to complete before tomorrow, so you decided you would spend the evening and night at the mansion.  About an hour after the mission finished, Merlin leaves, leaving you alone in front of the large screen filled with documents. Quietly, you continue working for a few more hours before you call it a night. You’d finished your side of the report, only needing Galahad and Lancelot for the final few details. You’ll probably ask them about those during the debrief tomorrow afternoon. 

Once you’ve locked your computer and turned off all the lights, you silently walk to the kitchen, where you start making a pot of tea. The room is dark, as you only turned on the light above the stove. A sound from behind you catches your attention. Looking back, you see that your two colleagues have just returned from their mission. ‘Evening gentlemen.’ You greet them. ‘Tristan, good evening.’ Galahad walks up and stands next to you, just as the water starts boiling. ‘Would you like a cup?’ Your hands continue moving, putting in the tea egg to let the leaves steep. He hums in response as he grabs two more cups. ‘Chamomile?’ Galahad quietly asks and you nod. A comfortable silence settles between the two of you while Lancelot leaves the room momentarily to put some of their things away. Once the tea has sufficiently gained colour and flavour, you pour some into the three cups. Grabbing your own, you sit down next to the chair you’d draped your suit jacket over. Harry sits down across from you and puts down Lancelot’s cup next to him. You both quietly drink your tea, your eyes scanning that day’s paper. When you look up, you notice his eyes are trained on you, making you a bit nervous. Before you can say anything, though, Lancelot walks back in and starts talking about their flight back to England and the newest Royal scandal of the week. The other man’s attention shifts to his colleague who is talking excitedly. Your eyes scan Galahad’s features. He is handsome, smart, quick-witted, and a gentleman. A combination which has led you to, over time, develop a bit of a crush on your colleague. 

‘Tristan, what do you think?’

You turn your head to face the other man. ‘I think the situation escalated unnecessarily, had the royal family handled it properly, this would’ve never become public.’ He smiles and Galahad interjects. ‘I agree with Tristan, this situation could have easily been avoided.’ The two men continue talking and you sip your tea.  ‘Gentlemen, I’m heading off to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the debrief.’ You stand up and put your cup into the dishwasher. It was already 11 o’clock. ‘Tristan,’ Galahad stands up, ‘if you’ll allow me, I’ll walk you back to your room.’ Smiling, you nod. ‘Of course Galahad; thank you.’ He leaves the room with you and as you walk, he leans sideways in your direction and whispers. ‘Thanks Tristan. I was a bit tired of Lancelot talking. He’s been going without pause from the moment we got on the jet.’ It didn’t surprise you in the least. ‘Of course Galahad. Lancelot tends to talk quite a lot; I suspect his favourite sound may be his own voice.’ He snorts. ‘I suspect you might be correct.’ The hallways are silent except for your quiet footsteps and conversation. The distance between the two of you seems to become smaller as you continue walking and talking; until you stop in front of your door. ‘Galahad, thank you for accompanying me.’ You turn to face him and smile. ‘Of course Tristan, it was my pleasure.’ His voice was quiet. The silence between you is tense and Harry seems to slowly be leaning closer as he holds your eye contact. Moments, which feel like hours pass, but he doesn’t make a move. Your noses almost touch when he seems to snap out of a sort of trance and clears his throat, pulling back quickly. ‘Ah Tristan, I should get going. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ As he walks away, you stand frozen in your doorway.

The following morning you watch the sunrise outside, a hot cup of coffee in your hand. It seems no one else is up yet. You’ve left your suit jacket in your room and have your sleeves rolled up, the crisp air touching your form. Behind you, you hear your dog walking and sniffing around. ‘Ares.’ The Doberman walks to your side. ‘Want to go for a walk?’ He barks and you pet him behind his ears. ‘Let’s go.’ You smile and he runs into the field in front of you, with you following calmly. Upon your return, you’re greeted by Merlin, who looks to have woken up not too long ago. ‘Morning Tristan.’ Ares excitedly runs up to the Scot. ‘Morning to you too Ares.’ He puts down his coffee and pets the dog with both his hands. ‘You’ve got an awful lot of energy today, haven’t you?’ ‘He really does, he’s been running around for over an hour already.’ You laugh. ‘I’ll bring Albion to play with him later today.’ He takes a sip of his coffee. ‘I’ll be back momentarily, can you watch Ares for a second?’ He nods. ‘Thanks.’ you say and smile at him. You walk into the kitchen through the open doors. Putting down your cup, you start brewing another cup of coffee. The kitchen is still quiet, but you know that more of the agents that have stayed the night will probably start walking in soon, though it probably won’t be many. Lancelot and Galahad you knew for sure, others you weren’t too certain about. ‘Morning Lancelot.’ You say as you hear the man walk in. ‘Agent Tristan.’ He greets. ‘Want some coffee?’ ‘Yes please.’ The smell of another fresh coffee fills the air. You smile as you hand him a cup. ‘You feeling alright?’ ‘I will once I finish this.’He groans before the two of you clink your cups. ‘See you at the briefing in an hour.’ 

You spent that hour with Merlin and Ares, mostly in silence. The Doberman is as happy as can be, with the Scot and you taking turns throwing a ball into the field and having the dog return it. It was nice spending time with your uncle like this. Usually you have to be  quite serious around him, as you mostly speak to him here, at Kingsman. Now, you can, even if it’s just for a moment, relax and have the relationship you used to have when you were younger and neither of you were a part of the secret service. ‘Uncle Hamish, we should probably get ready for the briefing.’ You say as Ares runs into the distance. He has his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun. ‘Just five more minutes; Galahad will be late anyway, he seemed a bit off yesterday evening when I saw him.’ That last comment piques your interest, but you decide not to pry. The meeting room was still empty when you walked into it with your uncle. A few minutes pass before, you are joined by Lancelot, who is, once again, talking excitedly. While you don’t necessarily have the energy for him, you stay professional and listen with intent. He is still talking your ears off when Galahad finally arrives, about five minutes late. Despite Merlin having made a comment, it is still quite unusual for him to be late. 

‘Glad you could join us, Agent Galahad.’ Merlin calls out from the far end of the room as the other man enters. ‘Terribly sorry for my tardiness.’ Harry excuses himself. ‘Morning Galahad.’ Lancelot greets him, instead you just wave at the agent. Everyone sits in their usual spots, with Galahad across from you and Merlin to your left, though he almost immediately stands up, walking in front of the screen which shows the most vital information related to the mission. Most of the information isn’t new to you, as you’d helped your uncle prepare. Whenever Galahad or Lancelot give additional information, which you hadn’t been able to gain before the meeting, you write it down into the report. Your attention is fully focussed on what everyone is saying, that is until you notice that Galahad’s eyes seem to linger on you a bit longer than usual whenever you make a comment. Eventually, his eyes meet yours. He quickly looks away and focuses on Merlin, who is saying something about the risks which may occur in the future. Yesterday’s mission has likely only slowed down the organisation, meaning that you’d still have to find its core and try to eliminate it. Still, all the new information which has been gained is quite useful. Your gaze reverts back to your laptop screen as you continue typing away. 

‘Agent Tristan, could you please explain to these gentlemen what you did to fully disarm and disable the system?’ Merlin’s sudden attention to you surprises you, but you stand up confidently and walk to his side. Galahad’s eyes seem to burn into the back of your head as you do so. ‘So how we did it is -’ Everything goes smoothly as you explain the process thoroughly to the other agents. Hopefully, you’ll be able to join them in the field next time, rather than having to sit and watch from the sidelines to assist them from a distance. You aren’t sure that’ll actually happen however, as it really depends on what kind of mission it’ll be and what is needed of you.  After a few minutes, you’re able to sit back down. Neither Lancelot, nor Galahad had any questions, which you assume is probably a good sign. There are only a few more things you need to discuss, with most of them only requiring only a little of your input from time to time, so you silently drink some tea as Lancelot and Merlin talk. Galahad is remarkably silent, only asking a few questions or making comments when he deems it necessary. Usually, he’s more talkative and tends to lead the conversation, but today he seems to have chosen to leave that to Lancelot. As your uncle is saying something about the implications of such an organisation having access to nuclear weapons, you feel another foot hit yours. At first, you ignore it; but when it happens again, you look around. It couldn’t be Merlin or Lancelot, leaving Galahad as the only suspect. You quickly look at his face but he acts as if he’s innocent. When you feel a third tap, you let your eyes meet his. The lines around his eyes crinkle mischievously, while the rest of his face doesn’t seem to change. You tap him back, your oxfords hitting the side of his silently. This time, his eyes do not divert to Merlin or Lancelot, and it almost feels as if you’re the only person in this room with him. The feeling is short lived however, with his gaze shifting away when his name is mentioned by one of the other men. Still, his foot remains in place, connecting the two of you. Despite the intimate gesture, his feelings for you remain unclear.

The meeting comes to an end, you and Galahad act as if nothing happened when you stand up. Everyone leaves the room and as he passes you, he slips a small folded note into your hand. You do not get a chance to read it though, as Merlin immediately starts up a conversation with you as you walk the wing of the mansion where the individual kingsman offices are located. ‘Tristan, could you send me the report after lunch?’ You nod. ‘As long as we’re going on a walk with Ares and Albion after, you know he’s missed you lately, and this morning wasn’t enough to make up for that.’ He laughs. ‘Of course.’ Together, you walk into Merlin’s office, where you quickly discuss the last few details before you leave for your own. There, you work on the report for a bit longer, adding the finishing touches before sending it to Merlin. Ares lays in the corner of your office, playing with one of his toys quietly. The folded piece of paper sits next to your keyboard, still not read. Once you’ve finally finished the report, you grab and slowly unfold it. Galahad’s handwriting is neat, but not delicate.

Tristan,

Meet me in the library at 21:00 tonight. 

Yours faithfully,

H

‘I suppose I’ll go read in the library tonight, Ares.’ You whisper before you put the note into your drawer and motion your dog to follow you to the kitchens to have lunch. He walks at your side when you enter, and calmly waits as you brew tea and make lunch. Once it’s ready, you decide to eat it outside, as the weather is quite nice today and Ares will be able to run around before you go for the walk with Merlin.  Half an hour passes before you’re joined by your uncle, who has his dog, Albion, with him. She’s a border collie who is usually quite serious and focused, but gets very excited when she gets to play with Ares. The two of them are best friends, so you and Merlin try to have them meet up and go on a long walk at least once a week. This doesn’t always happen though, as duty calls whenever it does, resulting in having to cancel quite frequently, which happened the past few weeks. Today isn't such a day though, and once you both finish your lunch, the four of you start walking your usual round around the grounds. You and Merlin chat away about anything and everything while Ares and Albion run around together and fetch a tennis ball from time to time. It’s calm and you’re enjoying yourself. It’s always quite nice to spend your time like this. All nice things must come to an end though, and after forty-five minutes of walking, you have to return to work.  ‘See you later Tristan.’ Merlin says before walking to his office, taking Albion with him. ‘Later.’ You wave before walking in the opposite direction. Galahad hadn’t been there when you returned from your walk, so you assume he’s at the shop to get a few things in order. It’s probably for the better, as you aren’t sure what you would do if you were to cross him in the hallway right now. He’s constantly giving you mixed signals. Yesterday, he seemed to lean in to kiss you before pulling away suddenly. Today, he almost continuously avoided your gaze, yet wanted to stay connected in some way that wasn’t visible to others, and he wrote you a note telling you to meet him later.

‘Fuck.’

You whisper to yourself. You’re falling for him, hard. You have been for a long time. You always told yourself it was merely a crush, but you’re unable to deny it any longer. This revelation isn’t your biggest problem though. Your biggest problem is whether he would even be interested, as he’s constantly giving those mixed signals. Tonight you’d decide whether you’ll ever act upon your feelings or not. You’d never particularly cared for the kingsman code which prohibits any relationships, though it hasn’t been necessary for you to break it either, as you hadn’t been interested in any relationships in the first place. Kingsman always comes first in your life. This means that you’ve never actually taken the time to think of finding a partner or date around. What you are worried about, is that Galahad is someone that always follows the rules and doesn’t even think about bending, let alone breaking, them. This may be an explanation for him being so hot and cold with you. Still, it’s confusing and worries you. ‘Good afternoon agent Tristan, is everything alright?’ Arthur greeting you pulls you out of your thoughts and you realise you’re standing in front of the door which leads into your office, your hand on the doorknob. You have probably been standing there for a couple of minutes now. Quickly you turn the knob and start walking in.  ‘Ah yes Arthur, I was just lost in thought. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to attend to.’  You smile at him before swiftly closing the door once Ares has entered the room as well. 

The evening couldn’t come soon enough. Thinking of whatever Galahad could possibly tell you continued racing through your mind the entire afternoon, meaning that you were quite distracted for the most part. Merlin visited you shortly before dinner to discuss the report and what he altered before sending it off to Arthur. While he clearly noticed that you were distracted, he decided against saying anything about it and left. Shortly thereafter, you decided it’d be a good idea to go for another walk with Ares, as it’s a good way of distancing yourself from the setting in which you usually see Galahad. This time, though, the walk lasts for several hours, with the sun starting to set once you start heading back to HQ.  When you arrive back at HQ, it’s nearly nine, so you decide to bring the Doberman to your office before heading to the library. Galahad, or Harry which you rarely ever refer to him as, is already there, waiting for you. He turns to face you and smiles when you enter before greeting you. ‘I’m glad you could make it agent Tristan.’ You nod nervously but try to sound casual. ‘Of course, any time, Galahad.’ His eyes look over your form and you do the same. The tension between the two of you is palpable but you try to ignore it as best as you can. For a moment, nothing happens. The both of you stay still, frozen in place.  Suddenly Galahad moves again and walks up to you. In a moment of passion, he grabs your face and kisses you deeply. It’s so intense it feels as if he’s bruising your lips. When you don’t move, he starts pulling back. Quickly, you pull him to you once more and kiss back, one of your hands in his hair and the other pulling his tie. The two of you fight for dominance and he pushes you against one of the bookshelves, his left hand now resting on your hip.  Eventually, he pulls away and rests his forehead against yours, his eyes still closed. For minutes, the two of you stand like this, silently enjoying each other's presence and closeness. ‘Tristan.’ He whispers. ‘Yes Galahad?’ The man sighs and slowly leaves your embrace. ‘Shit.’ You hear him mutter under his breath. ‘Shit shit shit.’ He backs away, as if he’s only just realised what happened. ‘Galahad, what’s going on?’ ‘I cannot do this Tristan.’ His voice sounds almost desperate. ‘Galahad, what do you mean you cannot do this?’ He doesn’t reply and walks away, leaving you alone in the library.

You didn’t see Galahad the rest of that week and you threw yourself into work, only leaving your office to go out with Ares. If you hadn’t had him, you probably wouldn’t have left your office in the first place. That Friday morning, Merlin comes in unannounced and finds you sleeping with your head on your desk. He wakes you and you slowly sit up straight. Your suit jacket is discarded somewhere in a corner and you look a bit of a mess with your hair all dishevelled.  ‘Are you sure you’re feeling alright Tristan? You really shouldn’t be overworking yourself.’ Your uncle asks you, he sounds quite worried. ‘I’m fine Merlin, I promise.’ He sighs. ‘You do not look or act as if you’re fine. What’s going on?’ You just shake your head. ‘It’s nothing really, I’ve just had to catch up on some work. Please don’t fret it.’  ‘We both know that’s a lie, Tristan. You’re always ahead of everyone when it comes to paperwork.’ He stops for a moment. ‘Look, both you and Galahad have been acting off all week and we can’t have that. I don’t know if there’s anything going on between the two of you, but I want you to fix it, especially if it’s affecting you like this.’ His voice is stern. ‘You should go talk to Galahad then, I’m not the guilty one here.’ You stand up for the first time in what feels like years, your knees and back hurting with every move. ‘I don’t have the energy for all this, go talk to him if you want to know more.’ Silently, you usher him out of your office and shut the door behind him. While you love your uncle, you really couldn’t deal with this right now.

The scotch in the corner of your office had been a little too appealing. That combined with the very limited amount of food you’d had over the past few days, made it very easy for you to become drunk. You sit in your chair feeling very sorry for yourself, as you do in such situations. ‘You know Ares, I’ll go talk to that asshole. He kisses me like that and then he avoids me all week. I suppose that’s not very gentlemanly of him.’ Standing up, you feel dizzy and you have to grab a hold of your desk to keep standing. The world seems to be turning and Ares looks to have multiple heads. ‘Fuck.’ You hadn’t realised how badly the scotch had affected you. Still, that didn’t stop you, and you stumble through your office door. The hallway is empty when you enter it, as is usual at this time of night in HQ. Galahad’s office is only a few doors down and you try to walk there as normally as you can. Taking a deep breath, you knock multiple times. When there’s no immediate answer, you knock again, but more loudly. ‘Galahad, I know you’re in there.’ Your voice is loud enough for him to hear on the other side of the door, but not loud enough to wake any of the other kingsmen. Though they probably wouldn’t wake up unless you screamed loudly enough for it to reach the other side of the estate. Moments pass, but the door is eventually opened by the agent. ‘Tristan.’ He greets you solemnly. ‘I need to talk to you, you pretentious asshole.’ The words fall out of your mouth and there is no stopping them. ‘You are no gentleman. You invite someone to talk to them alone after MONTHS, LITERAL MONTHS, of looking at each other longingly and flirting, then kiss them in the way you did and JUST WALK AWAY LIKE THAT?????’ He finally looks up at you and realises the state that you’re in. ‘WHAT IN THE HELLS IS WRONG WITH YOU INCOMPETENT PRICK????’ You jab your finger into his chest. ‘Tristan, you are in no state to discuss this, please go to bed.’ He grabs your hand. ‘YES I AM, I AM A GROWN ADULT THAT CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER.’ ‘Yes you are, but you’re currently incapable of making any good decisions. So, please quiet down before you wake up Mr. Pickle.’ Before you’re able to respond, he grabs you and surprisingly easily throws you over his shoulder. ‘Now, I’ll be escorting you to bed, as you don’t seem to be capable of doing that yourself.’ He completely ignores your protests, which continue for about five minutes before you realise there’s nothing you can do about this situation. He only puts you down when you’re in front of your bedroom door, as he needs you to open it. ‘I’m going to put you down, but please stay quiet. I don’t want you to wake everyone up.’ You nod and mutter to yourself as he puts you down. ‘Still an asshole though.’ He laughs to himself. When you finally have both your feet on the ground again, you’re stable momentarily before you start falling over again. Galahad notices and steadies you by grabbing your shoulders. ‘Careful now, sweetness.’ His lips touch the shell of your ear and you slowly feel yourself going red. You ignore it though, steadying yourself with his help before walking to your door and unlocking it. When you try to open it you almost fall into your own room and so Harry catches you, before the world around you slowly goes dark.

The following morning you wake up in your own bed, not remembering how you got there in the first place. Ares sits next to your bed, looking up at you as you wake. ‘Morning, my boy.’ Your voice sounds more like a groan than anything else. He nudges your arm and softly barks when you eventually sit up. The light hurts your eyes as you look around, so you close your eyes and lay back down. Once you finally open them again, you notice that there’s a glass of water and a pack of paracetamol next to your bed. ‘Who put that there?’ You look at Ares and pet him before taking one of the pills followed by a gulp of water. The headache you have is slowly driving you insane, so hopefully this’ll help. Still, it remains unclear who actually put it there after probably finding you in quite the state. Usually, you could easily hold your liquor, but apparently your body had other plans yesterday. You do realise that you’re still in your clothes from the day before. So, you decide to get out of them and put on something more comfortable before calling Merlin. ‘Morning Merlin.’ Your voice is quite hoarse. ‘Ah Tristan, I was wondering when you’d call.’ He sounds quite amused for some unknown reason. ‘What do you mean?’ The Scot laughs. ‘Well, I got a notification earlier this morning that you’d be out of the office today because you’re ill. Thing is, agent Galahad is the one who notified me, which is a bit odd to be honest.’ You groan. ‘Well he’s right about me not feeling well.’ Slowly, you lay back in your bed.  Merlin didn’t talk to you for much longer after that and he remained quite vague about what Galahad had told him about the night before. Despite you desperately wanting to know what had happened the night before, you decided that would be a problem for tomorrow before heading back to sleep.

That night, a knock wakes you from your slumber. You almost jump out of your bed at the sound, scaring Ares a bit. ‘One moment please.’ You shout at the person behind the door before calming your dog. ‘I should take you out for a walk in a few, shouldn’t I? I’m so sorry Ares.’ After whispering that, you stand up and walk to your door. Opening it slowly, you reveal Merlin’s form. ‘Good evening Tristan.’ He smiles. ‘Thought I’d bring you some dinner.’ The tray he’s holding has a plate with a baked potato, some carrots and broccoli, and some beef, accompanied by a large glass of water and a cup of your favourite tea. He walks in once you’ve further opened your door, putting the tray on the small table that stands in the corner of your room. ‘Do sit down.’ His voice is soft. You do so silently, Ares laying down next to you. ‘Thank you.’ Your voice is soft and you start eating your first meal of the day. Merlin sits down across from you. ‘I do hope this was a one time thing, Tristan.’ He sighs and takes off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand. ‘It won’t happen again, sir.’ Your voice can barely be heard from across the table. ‘Look, you’ve been doing flawlessly so far, so getting drunk and insulting go Galahad isn’t something that’ll affect you or your career in any way. It can, however, have an effect on how well you’re able to work with him in the foreseeable future.’ Your eyes don’t meet his. ‘Now that I’ve scolded you for getting drunk and acting in the way you did, I would like to know why. Harry hasn’t wanted to tell me anything and I’m against just checking your glasses if I can ask you.’ Your plate is only half finished but you’re already full and you put down your cutlery. ‘I’m not sure you want to know.’ Leaning back, you make yourself more comfortable in your chair. ‘Galahad has really said nothing?’ He shakes his head. ‘Well then, I suppose I’ll tell you what’s going on; under the condition that this will strictly stay between the two of us. Not even Galahad can know.’  ‘Why are you being so secretive about this?’ He enquires. ‘You’ll understand once you hear the full story. Now do you promise?’ You hold out your hand with your pinky ready for him to intertwine with. And he does. ‘I promise.’ A smile creeps onto  your face. This is something you’d always done with him when it comes to promises, starting when you were just a little kid. ‘So, as you may have noticed the past few weeks, there’s been some tension between me and Galahad, or Harry.’  You start. ‘But this has been an underlying issue for years now -‘ 

That night Merlin listened as you talked about how the situation between you and Galahad had unfolded over the past few years and more in detail about the past week or two. Understandably, it was quite a bit for him to take in, and at first he wasn’t certain how to feel or respond. If you hadn’t been who you are to him, he would’ve been fine with it. But with the familial ties you have, and the fact that he and Galahad are best friends, made him hesitate. Yet, he promises to keep quiet and have you and the other man resolve it by yourselves. He would, however, urge his friend to do so if the issue isn’t resolved within a week, meaning that you’ll have to hurry up when it comes to talking things out. He did make clear that he isn’t against you having a relationship with the older man, his tone may have even been slightly supportive, which was somewhat unexpected.

The next time you finally see Harry it’s Sunday. Exactly three days since you’d last seen him and had had the drunken encounter. There you stood, in front of his apartment, your heart pounding in your throat. He’d been at the shop the past few days while you were at the mansion. Merlin was quite convinced that Galahad was, in fact, avoiding you, so he’d suggested you go visit him that evening. Well, suggested was quite a loose term in this case. It was more that Merlin just dropped you off here and told you to ‘Go ahead and talk it out’. Obviously, this was his way of forcing you to do so, as he is quite sick of having the two of you avoiding each other.

Finally, you ring the doorbell and you stand there waiting nervously for Galahad to answer. He does after a few minutes and the confusion is quite evident on his face. When he doesn’t say anything, you start talking. ‘Sorry to bother you Galahad, but Merlin’s dropped me off so we can talk things out.’ You smile sheepishly and he sighs before letting you in.  You have never been inside his home before, so you look around curiously as he leads you into his kitchen. He was wearing his usual attire, save for the glasses. Apparently, he had been cooking dinner when you rang his doorbell. As you look around the room, not moving, he clears his throat. ‘Would you like to join me for dinner Tristan?’ The question is logical, yet you aren’t certain whether he actually wants you to join or if he’s asking it out of obligation. You’re hoping it’s the former rather than the latter. ‘If you don’t mind. Otherwise we can talk and then I’ll leave, I don’t wish to intrude Galahad.’ He motions you to sit down. ‘I would love for you to join me, I’m almost finished cooking dinner anyway, so do feel free to have a seat.’ When you do so, he turns around to face the stove once again before finishing dinner. It is a simple yet delicious meal, and you appreciate the gesture of him inviting you to join him. It is mostly spent in silence, save for a few comments appreciating his skill, or talking about the goings on at the shop and HQ. 

After dinner, Harry offers you a cup of tea before pouring one for himself and sitting down across from you. It is silent for a few minutes before he finally speaks again. ‘I would like to apologise.’ His voice is soft. ‘I should’ve handled this situation differently and not have run away in the way I did.’ As he says this, his eyes divert. ‘It is just that I was, and still am, quite uncertain of how to go about this. I do not wish to hurt you, but in my attempt to do so I did the opposite of what I had intended. I thought you were too pure, too kind. You’re too sweet, too sweet for a bitter man like me. Yet here I am, madly in love with you and confessing my feelings.’ When he finishes talking he looks you in the eye once more. There’s emotion in them, seemingly a mix of sadness and regret. ‘Galahad, I don’t know what to say.’ You pause. ‘I understand why you may have hesitated to approach me in the way you did, however, I am quite confused as to why you ran away so suddenly. You are the one that made the initial move and I never approached you because you were likely to have reservations about breaking kingsman code, yet you gave me hope by inviting me to the library to talk. And for a moment, when you kissed me, I thought we could be together, even if it was just for a moment.’ Slowly, you stand up from your chair. Putting down your cup of tea in the process. ‘Then you went ahead and ripped my heart out by walking away like that. As if I mean nothing to you, as if you weren’t the one that made the first move.’ You raise your voice a bit, but try to stay calm. Following your example, he stands up as well and starts walking towards you. ‘I truly am sorry but it is up to you whether or not you forgive me.’ He looks down into your eyes. ‘What will happen if I forgive you, Harry?’ The two of you are almost touching each other, only a few centimetres between your faces. ‘I shall take you on a date and be your partner. That is, if you’ll have me.’ Rather than answering him with words, you pull his tie and kiss him passionately.

[poylesh]

So... let's get back to my favorite part "The most memorable faces in Kingsman".

[kingsmint]

you honour i miss them

close ups!

[headcanonthings]

Eggsy: Why are you both wearing flower crowns? Harry, with Daisy in his lap: Miss Daisy, has named us both rulers of this bounteous domain that is our house and apparently you can not be a proper ruler without a crown. Eggsy: And the mountain of blankets and pillows? Merlin: Our glorious throne, obviously. Eggsy: Right... obviously.

[idksmtms]

I had to hop on here real quick with a thought: so I re-watched the first Kingsman movie yesterday (I haven’t seen the others so don’t spoil) but why tf did it take me so long to realise Mark Strong is acc so hot??? Like him as Merlin?? The absolutely insanely hot stoic but sassy DILF?? Like how has it taken me this long to realise this??

[moodboards-aesthetics]

Hamish Mycroft aka Merlin

[bullet-prooflove]

Hii! I want to try this again :) so, I read your prompt lists, and the one who got my attention was from The Tortured Poets Department prompt list, number 28 (At dinner you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on) with Merlin (he's not on your list but I believe you said that it'd be a refreshing change to write him, but if not then this ask would be for Harry) :))

Again, if you don't want to write it or feel uncomfortable or whatever, I completely understand :)

Have a nice day! <3

Tagging: @kmc1989 @trublu2u @fangirling-alert @presidentdangdang @bitchglitterdreamer

Companion piece to:

Umbrella - Hamish walks you home on a rainy night.

Rainy Nights (NSFW) - Companion piece to Umbrella - The night doesn't end when you get to the doorstep.

Compliment - Hamish tries to teach you how to take a compliment.

Honeypot - Hamish is forced to listen as you seduce another man.

Far From Disappointing - Hamish tells you a story from his past.

Dreams - Hamish thinks about what could have been.

Letters - Hamish finds a letter in your desk addressed to him.

Handwritten - Companion piece to Letters - Hamish decides to write his own letter.

This Life... - For a moment there was more to the life you lead.

It’s in the middle of a quiet restaurant that Hamish takes the silver ring off your middle finger and places it on your wedding one. His thumb trails over it lovingly as his eyes raise up to meet yours.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to pretend for a minute?” He says and your heart aches because he has no idea how badly you want that, how you want to be the woman he comes home to, the one that loves him, that bears his children.

If the two of you had normal jobs, normal lives you’d already be his wife, you’d have already started a family and that’s why this hurts so much because it’s a fantasy, a dream that can never be.

“Best not.” You say, pulling your hand away. “It’s hope like that that get people like us killed.”

He tilts his head away from you, trying to hide the emotion he feels rising up in his chest. This profession has taken so much from the two of you, families, friends, the child you conceived together.

How much? he asks himself, how much can you keep sacrificing?

The only thing he has left is you and he knows that the day will come soon where he gets that knock on the door or that phone call, the one that tells him he’s lost you too.

“What if we didn’t do this anymore?” He says quietly, capturing your hand once more in his. The ring glints in the illumination from the overhead light. “What if we just disappear, get married, raise our children somewhere safe?”

“You would do that?” You ask him, your fingers entwining with his. “You’d give up life as a Kingsman?”

Hamish looks down on the silver band on your finger, he thinks of the years you could have together, the life you could build. He wants that with you, he wants everything  with you.

“Yes.” He says, meeting your gaze. “If it means we get to have a future together, I’d give it up in a heartbeat.”

Love Hamish? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Karma - Hamish Mycroft (Merlin) X Female Reader

Title: Karma

Hamish Mycroft (Merlin) X Female Reader

Additional Characters: Sean Cobb (OC), Harry (Mentioned), Eggsy, Roxy (Mentioned), and random guards (Mentioned)

WC: 4,536

Warnings: Kingsman canon violence, guns, Reader is mentioned wearing a dress and heels, pretending Kingsman Headquarters wasn't blown up, flirting?, tension, pretend relationship for mission, banter, slight angst, cursing, nicknames, fighting, knives, blood, teasing, and fluff

Breathing heavily, you skidded across the marble floor, regretting wearing heels as you held up the hem of your dress to not trip on it. Turning down another hall, you heard the shouting of the very unhappy guards - very unhappy guards with guns - not a very good combination. Now this mission was supposed to be easy, one that was supposed to take less than an hour. But no, you didn't know what happened. Either the weapons dealer saw right through your flirting and he was smarter than you thought or something happened on Kingman's part. You liked to think it was the latter's fault. 

Harry, being the new Arthur, had asked you to go on a mission to get some files from Sean Cobb, a weapons dealer. This would've been your first mission on your own, but for some reason, Harry asked Merlin to join you. He reasoned that having a date with you would make you less suspicious. You mentally wondered and questioned why Eggsy wasn't coming with you. He usually was the one who joined you on most of your missions. But, you had forgotten that Eggsy was on a mission somewhere in France, so he couldn't do it. 

And it wasn't like you didn't want Merlin to join you on this mission. It was just that you had a bit of a crush on the older man. And, well, you're not exactly sure when it began. Maybe the moment you met him. Perhaps it started during your first week at Kingsman. Or maybe it had been there all along, and Merlin just never noticed, thankfully. Or he did, and he just didn't say anything to save you from embarrassment. Whatever it was, Merlin was your friend and you liked spending time with him. That's all it was. Even if you wished for that friendship to blossom into something more. He probably didn't even think of you in that way. You were pretty young. You were supposed to be in college at the time that you were recruited, and that was a year and a half ago. 

After you were recruited, and passed all the tests, you were given the code name, Elyan. A couple of months later, is when you met Roxy and Eggsy. Which you grew closer to. You got to spend more time together, becoming quick friends. During their recruitment, you had helped Merlin during it. He had asked you for your opinion numerous times, especially in the beginning when he flooded the sleeping room. Normally, when working, Merlin was pretty stoic and serious, so when he asked what you thought of the recruits, you were surprised but honest.

You told him the truth. "I don't think most of them will get past the parachute jump."

Merlin glanced at you before looking back at his clipboard, "I remember that was a difficult task for you." He looked up at the window, the water level rising. 

"Yeah, it was." You murmured, remembering how scared you were, up so high in the sky. 

"But you did it." Merlin commented, making you smile.

"Yeah... Thanks for reminding me. I still have nightmares about it sometimes," You jested, Merlin only shook his head, looking back at the clipboard.

Running down the hall, you almost fell as you turned another corner, pushing the thickly-framed glasses up your nose, you continued to breathe heavily. You wondered how Merlin was doing, you had lost him when everything went to hell. One minute you were flirting with Mr. Cobb, and trying to hack into his computer to get those files, and then you were being shot at while running down a hall. Again, this mission was supposed to be simple, and easy... So how did it turn into this?

- Two Hours Ago -

Brushing down the skirt of the lavish dress, you let out a nervous breath. Your reflection looked right back at you as you turn your body every which way, observing the dress as it lay on your body. It was a deep red - similar to the color of red wine - made of silk, tight to your body; perfectly showing off your curves. The straps were thin, with a square neckline, and a high slit on the side of your leg; stopping mid-thigh. The skirt ended right on the floor, hiding your black heels. Overall, it was gorgeous. You felt gorgeous. You weren't really expecting Kingsman, or Harry rather, allowing you to choose your own dress for this mission. Fixing your hair, you gave yourself one last look right when there was a knock at the door. 

"Come in," You called out, grabbing the small gold earrings - a birthday present from Roxy - and placing them in your ears. The door opened, and in came Merlin, dressed in a dashing ebony suit, black tie, shiny black shoes, and gold cufflinks. Upon meeting his eyes in the mirror, you froze momentarily before smiling at him, "Hi, Merlin, could you help me with this?" You asked, fumbling with the small gold necklace. It was in the shape of the north star, and it so happened to be a gift from Eggsy; also a birthday present.

Harry, for your birthday, last year, had gifted you a novel that you had your eyes on, and had spoken about more times than not. By the time a month had passed after your birthday, you had read the book more than three times. It was hard to put down when you weren't on a mission. And Merlin... He gave you a small dagger; which you were grateful for, it was very useful during missions, and it fit perfectly in your garter - for exact missions like this one.

Raising his fist to his mouth, he cleared his throat before walking further into the room. Upon reaching you, he carefully took the necklace from your fingers. Standing behind you, he reached around, and gently placed it around your neck; it landed delicately on the center of your chest. You tried to regulate your breathing as you felt the tips of his fingers brush against the back of your neck as he clasped it in place. Merlin's hand lingered there for a moment longer before taking a step back. "There." He stated as you let out a breath you didn't even know that you were holding. "Are you ready?"

Turning slightly to face him, you nodded. "Are you ready?" You asked him in return, only for you to get a nod in response. 

Side by side, you said your farewells to Harry, who in turn, wished you good luck. Exiting Kingsman Headquarters, you clutched your bag with one hand as you and Merlin walked down the stone steps and to the awaiting car. Merlin sped a bit further than you, surprising you by opening the passenger door for you, which made you smile. Sitting down, you buckled your seat belt as Merlin shut your door before slipping into the driver's seat. 

Beginning to drive to the large estate where Mr. Cobb was holding his event, Merlin spoke up. "Do you remember our names?" He asked, staring ahead toward the road, his face stoic, as usual. 

Huffing, you answered, "Mark and Natasha Pierce. We've been married for the past couple of months, Harry mentioned we should act like we're still in that honeymoon phase or whatever." You said, a bit irritated. "You know that I know this stuff. We just went over all of it before lunch." You added, turning your head slightly to glance at his side profile.

"Of course," He began, "I was simply making sure."

Crossing your arms, you frowned slightly, "I've been on like... A hundred missions, Merl," You watched as he glanced at you, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe not a hundred but you know what I mean. I'm a damn good Kingsman." You reminded him.

"Of course you are," Merlin spoke, "If you weren't good at this, you wouldn't be here." Stopping at a light, he added, "I just wanted to make sure."

Shifting in the seat slightly, you leaned against the car, closing your eyes briefly to rest for a second. Opening them again, you looked out of the window. Looking at the sunset, you admired it for a bit, and before you knew it, you were at the estate.

Parking along the large field with the other fancy cars, Merlin turned off the engine. Turning in his seat slightly, he let a hint of a smile grace his lips at the sight of you, leaned against the car door, temple pressed onto the chill glass window, your eyes closed; asleep. Reaching over, Merlin's fingers just brushed the stray hairs that fell in front of your face, mentally debating whether or not to sweep them behind your ear. Instead, he pressed his hand on your upper arm, gently shaking you awake. Your eyelids fluttered open, blinking rapidly.

"We're here." He said simply, pulling his hand away.

Sitting up, you looked around, seeing the large home before you. "Oh." You muttered, grabbing your bag, and unbuckling.

"Elyan, wait." Merlin spoke up, your hand just brushing the car door to exit as you looked over at him, curiously, "Here." He continued before opening his coat pocket and pulling out a ring. It was beautiful. You felt your breath hitch, as your eyes widened, your whole body becoming rigid.

It was a golden band, topped with small white diamonds, and a round brilliant cut green Sapphire in the center. It was so delicate and ornate. It was perfect. 

You almost felt like crying. On the one hand, you were so happy to receive such a ring to wear for a mission, but on the other hand... You wished that Merlin was giving you the ring for a different reason. The more you stared at the ring, the more nervous you became. This was going to be a tough mission, you didn't know how you were going to handle having to pretend to be in a relationship with a man that you had been in love with. The thought of it made your stomach twist unpleasantly. None of this was real. 

Clearing your throat, you pulled your gaze from the ring. "Thank you..." You breathed, looking up at him and offering him a weak smile. Taking the ring and slipping it onto your ring finger, you felt your breath leave you. "It's beautiful."

"Harry picked it out," He spoke as he pulled out his own ring, a simple golden band, and slipped it on his own ring finger. You hummed, staring down at the ring. You knew that it was a possibility that Harry would pick out all the attire and accessories that you needed for the mission, he had done so for many missions in the past. Though, you couldn't help but be a bit disappointed.

"Well," You cleared your throat, "He isn't getting this back after the mission. It's mine now."

Merlin said nothing more than that, opening his door to walk around the car for you. Opening the door for you, you took his offered hand, stepping out of the vehicle. 

Entering the large home, your arm looped with Merlin's, you looked around at the high ceilings, paintings on the walls, and marble statues. You let out a breath, your hand at your side tightening its hold on your small clutch. Merlin seemed to notice how tense you were becoming, as he squeezed your hand that was on his arm lightly, "You can do this." He whispered in your ear.

Looking up at him, you nodded, "Right." You murmured quietly, taking a deep breath.

Merlin led you through the house, through numerous hallways, before finally arriving at the ballroom. The live orchestra was playing some sort of classical tune, and everyone seemed to be mingling together as if they were old friends. Everyone's faces were painted with smiles and their bodies were swaying slightly to the music. Though it all seemed to be a pretty calm and enjoyable scene, all these people were either corrupt government officials or criminals, all pretending. Immediately as you stepped into the large ballroom, you entered the lion's den. 

"Do you care to dance, Natasha?" Merlin asked, making your gaze snap from the dancing and up to him. 

Nodding, you offered him your best smile, all the while, you could feel the butterflies in your stomach swarming. Letting out another breath as Merlin began to make his way to the dancefloor with you, you told yourself to get a hold of yourself. This was an important mission, you had to push your feelings back and get this mission done and over with. 

'Play the part, play the part, play the part.'

Wrapping his arm around your waist, Merlin took your hand as your free hand came to rest on his shoulder. Gripping his hand tighter, Merlin began to lead you in a waltz, his dark eyes looking down, right into your soul; you couldn't look away. As he moved his foot, he guided yours, keeping the two of you perfectly in sync with the music. 'This is nice,' You thought to yourself, letting yourself relax.

After several moments of quiet and slow dancing, Merlin finally broke the silence with a question, "How are you feeling?" He queried softly.

"Better," You muttered, glancing around, you realized that you were technically supposed to spot Mr. Cobb while you were dancing. "He's by the bar," You murmured, eyes landing on the man from over Merlin's shoulder. 

Sean Cobb was a young man, around your age, falling into the family business after his parents mysteriously disappeared. He wasn't married, nor did he have children. His hair was a dark brown color, and it framed his face, stopping at his shoulders. His eyes were dark brown with a sliver of gold in them. He was wearing a black suit and a tie with an emerald pin. His outfit wasn't quite extravagant, and obviously expensive. His hands were wrapped around a whiskey glass filled with amber-colored liquid, watching the other couples dance. 

As the song slowly came to an end, you and Merlin broke apart, "That's my cue," You muttered, turning to head towards the bar. Leaning against the bar beside Sean Cobb, you waved down the bartender. Smiling, you ordered a drink, spying from the side of your eyes that Sean Cobb had been staring at you the entire time.

"Well, hello beautiful." He drawled, resting his cheek against his fist.

"Thank you. But I have a name..." You turned towards the man, looking at him over the rim of your glass.

Taking a sip from his drink, Sean gave you a lecherous smirk. "What can I call you, sweetheart?" He asked.

"Natasha Pierce..." You answered as you took a seat on the plush stool in front of him, "But you can call me anything you want." You smiled flirtatiously.

Sean's grin widened as he took the chance to look at you, his bright blue eyes slowly dragging along your figure. You wanted to throw up, but you kept your cool, allowing the man to continue to gaze at you. "My, my..." He trailed off, smirking, "Are you here with anyone?"

You sighed, lightly rolling your eyes as you took a small sip from your drink, "My husband actually." At those three words, Sean's smirk faltered slightly.

"Your husband? Where is he then?"

Raising your eyebrow, you glanced over at him, "I don't really know. He's somewhere around here." Crossing your legs, you let your leg slip through the slit, immediately catching Sean's eyes; his eyes trailing the expanse of your exposed leg. "But, enough about him, what's your name, handsome?"

"Sean." His voice was smooth, like melted chocolate.

"Hello, Sean..." You mumbled lowly, "What do you do exactly?" You asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Well, I am a weapons dealer." He responded smoothly, raising his eyebrow and leaning closer to you. You didn't move away, instead, you placed your empty glass down on the bar counter, "And what about you, gorgeous? What do you do?"

Biting your lip, you spoke, "I work for the government. So does my husband. We run the weapon creation firm." You smiled at him innocently.

You felt sick to your stomach, just being near this guy was creeping you out. On top of that, poor Merlin was hearing all of it with those glasses of his. Though, you should've been used to the thought of it, since Merlin always listened in on your missions, being the tech genius he was and all. You also hated that you were sometimes asked to go on missions because you were attractive and the targets would let their walls down around you. 

But after Harry took over as the new King Arthur, your missions were greatly based on your excellent combat strategies rather than your looks. It was just this one that you were stuck doing. Harry promised that this was the last mission you ever had to do where you had to flirt with the criminal. He would gladly send you on more combat-based missions, your comfort was important to him.

Before you knew it, you were walking down the hall to have a private chat with Sean the weapons dealer. Once you got into the hallway though, Sean stopped, and that's when you felt something press against your side. Sean wrapped an arm behind you, tightening his hold on your waist as you looked down and confirmed that it was indeed a gun. Dropping your shoulders, you turned to look up at Sean with a rather unimpressed expression on your face. 

"Really?" You began, raising an eyebrow, "A Colt?" You gestured to the gun almost painfully pressed into your lower ribs. "A bit extra, don't you think."

Sean glared down at you, pushing you forward, "Shut up, I know what you were playing at. You're pretty easy to read, princess." He sneered, and you mentally gagged at the nickname.

"Gee, what gave me away?" You asked sarcastically, watching as you turned down a secluded hall. 'Almost there...'

"I have the registry for every single weapons worker in the government who works with me," He paused in the middle of the hall, "And there is no 'Natasha Pierce' on it." Punching the code into the keypad on the wall, his office door opened. Moving inside, you quickly glanced around the room as the door shut.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" You asked, feeling as he pressed the gun into your side, making you wince.

Sean grinned evilly, "Yeah. This room is soundproof." He turned you around, pressing your chest into his as he stared down at you; gun now pressed into your stomach, "No one will hear you scream." All the while, your free hand fiddled with the slit of your dress.

"Noted," Grinning as you watched Sean's smirk falter in confusion. You heard the gun fall to the ground, his eyes widening as he staggered back slightly; your dagger was buried deep into his stomach. Your hand tightened around the handle, "Now, why don't you give me the password to that there computer, huh?" You asked with a glare, only for Sean to spit in your face. Pulling the blade out of Sean, you watched the blood pour out of his wound. Taking a second, you watched as he stumbled further back, hitting the wall before falling to the ground; his blood foaming a puddle around him. "What a shame." You tutted sarcastically, opening your clutch, you grabbed a small napkin; wiping your face before cleaning the blood from the dagger and putting it back on your garter. "Merl, I'm in," You spoke, rushing to the computer, leaning over to jiggle the mouse, turning it on. "But I assume that you already knew that."

"Good work, Elyan. Get the files, a few guards are beginning to grow suspicious." Merlin replied but you were already on it.

~~~

And that was how you got into this situation. Opening your clutch, you grabbed your gun, spinning around to shoot at some of the guards that were chasing after you. You were able to take out three, your bullets going through their heads as you quickly backed down the hall. Once at the end of the hall, you were about to turn around the corner when you felt an arm wrap around your waist, pulling you back into a small room. 

Initially, you felt the heat of panic fill your blood as the door to the small, dark room closed shut. 'Great,' you thought, 'I'm going to die in a closet.'

"Elyan." At the sound of his voice, you sighed, your stiff shoulders dropping in relief. 

Turning around in his arms, you strained your eyes to see Merlin, "Thanks," You breathed out, trying to back out of his arms, only to bump into the wall behind you. 

You felt a wave of nervousness wash over you at the mere thought that you were in a dark closet-like room, pressed impossibly close to your crush. You swallowed hard, "So, uh..." You cleared your throat, "What do we do now?" Merlin said nothing, reaching out to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He tried a couple more times before a strand of curses left his lips, his Scottish lilt becoming more noticeable; making your heart skip a beat. He couldn't even try and kick the door down, there was hardly any room to breath, let alone move. "Don't freaking tell me that we're stuck in here." You began, raising your hand up in the limited space to pinch the bridge of your nose. 

Merlin let out a sigh, his warm breath fanning your face, "We are."

"You've got to be kidding me… This has to be karma or something." You exclaimed before muttering out, "First having to flirt with that Cobb creep and now this."

"Karma?" Merlin asked, and you nodded.

"Yeah, I mean this is your first mission in like twenty years and I stole Harry's sandwich this morning." Merlin let a small, amused smile lift the corners of his lips, as you continued, "How are we going to get out of this?" You asked the man, whose small grin turned back into a serious frown. “You’re the more experienced one out of us.”

"I've already sent Galahad our location," Merlin answered, raising his hand, his fingers brushing against a string. Cautiously, he pulled down, a light bulb quickly lighting up the place, you sighed; finally, you could see..

"He’s back? Great, so, we just wait here?" You said sarcastically, rolling your eyes, "That'll take forever."

"Unfortunately." Merlin said, "I apologize, Elyan." Glad that he was finally able to see you, and even with your hair messed up a bit, you still looked breathtaking.

Shaking your head, you raised a hand to pat his chest, "It's fine, don't worry about it." Quickly dropping your hand after you realized what you had done. "It's not like you sent me on this mission." You shrugged, looking anywhere in the small closet but at him. “I’m going to blame Harry.”

"I never told you how stunning you look tonight," Merlin stated suddenly, his hand coming up to brush the fallen strands of hair behind your ear. His hand slowly moved from your ear to your cheek. You could feel his cold hands on your skin, his touch sending shivers down your spine.

Looking up at him, you gazed into his dark eyes, "Oh... Well, thank you." You muttered, furrowing your eyebrows as you tilted your head into his hand, "What's going on with you?" You whispered, as Merlin just stared down at you, his gaze intense but warm. "Did you hit your head or something? I mean, the ceiling in here is pretty low." You sputtered out a small laugh, trying to hide how bashful and nervous you were feeling with a joke, but it didn't seem to help the situation like usual.

Merlin sighed, his hand dropping from your cheek, and looking away from you, Merlin spoke, "Nothing's wrong, I promise." His accent thickened a little with his words, "Just a bit of a headache, nothing you should concern yourself with."

"Merl, how long have we known each other?" You asked, narrowing your eyes at him, "You can trust me."

Merlin stared down at you, an unknown look in his eyes, lips pulled into a straight lip; pursed. “I’m not very good at this, love,” He muttered, almost too quiet for you to hear. It was then that Merlin seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance he was in. His eyes softened and you swore that you saw a flash of sadness in them, which disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared.

Staring up at the man, you let in a breath as you took a chance. One that could either blow up in your face or change everything. Reaching up, you stood up on your toes before placing your hand on the side of Merlin’s face, gently stroking the soft skin. Your thumbs brushed against his cheekbones lightly as you looked up at him; it seemed everything was going alright, he hadn't pushed you away.

And finally, you pressed your lips to his, soft and chaste. Slowly, you pulled back, your hands falling from his face to rest on his chest. Your heart hammered in your chest, nerves rising as you worried that you had ruined everything. Slowly, he raised his own hand, moving to cup your chin gently. You felt your breath catch in your throat, unable to say anything as he leaned down closer to you. The smell of his cologne filled your nostrils once more, making your stomach tighten.

You felt his soft lips press against yours, his mouth parting slightly. A slight gasp escaped you as you immediately kissed him back. It took everything in you not to cry in relief as you gripped his jacket tightly. All you could think was, 'thank you' to whatever higher power was out there as one of his hands came up to cup the back of your head while the other wrapped around your waist.

Pulling away, you let out a shaky breath as he placed his forehead against yours. You both stayed silent, enjoying the moment as you caught your breath. Finally, you said, "I should steal Harry's sandwiches more often..." You joked, smiling as you looked up into those enchanting brown eyes again.

He chuckled before bringing you closer, but before he could say anything, the closet door opened revealing Eggsy. He immediately smirked, looking between you and Merlin in each other's arms. "Well, time to go, love birds." He spoke, voice chipper. Awkwardly, you both pulled away, quickly leaving the closet. Walking down the hall, Eggsy continued to tease, "If I knew that throwing you two in a closet would finally get you two together, I would've done it ages ago."

The pair shot daggers at his back, Merlin mumbling under his breath. You scoffed, "Come off it, Eggsy." You grumbled, though your sour expression didn't last for long when Merlin gently took your hand in his. You smiled at him, letting his fingers intertwine with yours as you walked down the hall towards the exit.

[fake-name-fake-tits]

I've fallen in love...

Also I think Merlin's fit

[adarafaelbarba]

You know you're mine right?

“I know Hamish, don’t worry. But if I don’t flirt my way through here this whole evening will go no where”, you spoke softly, trying to make sure no one looks at you.

This whole operation would’ve been so much better if you’d gotten to go with you boyfriend. But that wouldn’t happen and you knew it.

Gods you hated these evenings. A bunch of old white men with loads of money to spend and a host, Arthur and Champ, wanting their fellow old white men to spend said money.

Usually they would tell you and the other women in the two firms to put on a cute little dress and your best smiles and flirt your way through the throng of people.

“I know love, if I could I’d keep you from going—“

“You could always send me on a mission right before the next event.”

“No. I don’t think I will. Not just because of one night. I’d miss you too much.”

That made you smile wide. He sure knew how to make you blush.

“Make it up to me later then.”

“Oh I plan on it.” You could practically hear the smirk on his lips at that. And you wanted nothing more than go to his office and make him do exactly what he had planned.

Tagging:

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[drabbles-mc]

Better This Time

Harry Hart x Merlin

Written for @ess-jay-oh-kingsman for the 2024 Fandom Trumps Hate fan auction!

Warnings: 18+, emotional hurt/comfort, established relationship, grief

Word Count: 4.3k

A/N: my favorite pair of superspy husbands 🥹

“I don’t think that the late again was necessary,” Harry said as the two of them laid in bed together at the end of what had been a very busy day for both of them.

Merlin chuckled as he adjusted the blanket over his legs. Even with his glasses on the bedside table, he was still close enough to see the perfectly neutral and unamused look on Harry’s face. He saw the way that the man laying next to him kept his gaze locked firmly on the pages of the book in front of him. He wondered if Harry was really reading any of the words at all or if it was just for show.

“Necessary? No,” he conceded with more amusement in this voice than Harry probably cared for. “But it was—”

“I don’t think it was that funny, either,” Harry finished the sentence for him, already knowing where it was going.

Merlin sunk down further on the bed so that he was lying flat on his back. He only stayed like that for a moment before rolling onto his side, turning to face Harry. He didn’t wait for him to make eye contact to say, “Respectfully, I disagree.”

That was what got Harry to turn and face him, looking down at him over the rims of his glasses. “Respectfully?”

Merlin didn’t hesitate as he nodded, one arm tucked comfortably underneath the blanket while the other laid across the top of it. “Always.”

Harry shook his head. “Now you’re just lying.”

There was a moment of silence before the both of them allowed themselves to smile and laugh. Harry gave up on the façade of reading his book, sliding his bookmark between the pages before letting it fall shut. He set it on the nightstand that lived on his side of the bed before resting his glasses on top of it.

Once he shimmied down so that his head was on the pillow, he reached over and turned the lamp off. The only thing that kept the room from being cast into complete darkness, was the light sneaking in through the window—a little from the streetlamp outside, a little from the neighboring houses full of night owls. Once he was on his side, his position mirroring Merlin’s, it was enough for Harry to still be able to see him alright even without his glasses on. For Merlin, everything was fuzzy in low lighting but he still found it comforting in a way.

“Worried I ruined your first impression?” Merlin asked, a twinge of humor in his voice.

Harry shook his head, the sound of the movement against the pillowcase the only thing that they could hear in the otherwise silent room. “Hardly.”

Merlin knew exactly what Harry’s first impression had been. It was nearly a day-long impression but it certainly did the trick. He would’ve believed it even if he hadn’t watched it back on the feed from Harry’s glasses.

“D’you want to talk about what happened, then?” Merlin asked.

Harry’s brows pinched together. “What?”

“At the pub.”

Part of Harry was thankful that Merlin wouldn’t be able to see the intricacies of the expression on his face at the moment. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Now Harry was the one lying. He was lying and they both knew it. It was the type of thing that he could get away with when it came to everyone else, but not with Merlin. He knew that, too, but his pride got the better of him sometimes. And if it wasn’t his pride, it was just pure stubbornness born of everything else.

They’d done this dance enough times over the years that Merlin knew exactly what he was in for. He had all the time in the world to wait it out, to talk in circles that got smaller and smaller until they had no choice but to address the topic at the center of it all.

“Aye, of course. The cleanup crew we had to send to The Black Prince was just part of doing business, then? Cost of recruitment?” He paused and he could hear how Harry took in a breath in preparation to try and come to his own defense but he continued before he could get a word in edge-wise. “If that was what you had in mind for your first impression I guess I can’t say that you don’t know how to make it a memorable one.”

Harry waited, wondering if Merlin was going to beat him to the punch again. When the silence persisted, he said, “It wasn’t part of my plans, no.”

“So…do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

Merlin rolled his eyes knowing full-well that Harry would be able to see him do it. Certain petulant behaviors like that were reserved for when it was just the two of them behind closed doors. Strange little intimacies that had developed over the years.

Harry saw it, could feel it coming before it happened. Since he was ready for it, he already had his response lined up. “I think that if either of us should be talking about it, it should be you.”

“Me?” Merlin said, unable to stop the chuckle that slipped out with the word.

“Yes.”

“I’m not the one who went around South London and—”

Harry cut him off, much more direct in his attempts to stop Merlin from deflecting. “You still haven’t said anything about James.”

The silence that followed his statement spoke volumes. There was no getting away, no hiding now. Even if he was to turn his back to Harry, pull the blanket up and clean over his head like a child, it wouldn’t grant any real or effective distance. He wondered if Harry hadn’t brought it up in earnest until then for that exact reason.

Patience was a virtue they each had when it mattered the most. So they waited. Harry had the urge to reach out and take Merlin’s hand in his, rest his hand on his shoulder even, but he fought it for now. Gave Merlin the time and the space to try and string his words together without interruption.

“He shouldn’t have gone alone,” Merlin finally said, trying his best to sound detached and failing miserably.

Harry stayed silent still. There was plenty that he could say, could ask in response to what Merlin had said, but he could feel the emotions welling up inside the man laying in bed with him. Merlin wasn’t done, and for all their bickering and cutting each other short under every other circumstance, it wasn’t the time or place now.

Merlin took a slow, deep breath. “He shouldn’t have been alone. I—” He stopped himself short, hearing how the lump in the back of his throat was changing the sound of his voice. “When I lost communications with him I should’ve done something. Should’ve sent someone, should’ve gotten him out of there. That’s my—”

“As fast as you are,” now Harry interjected, his voice quiet and gentle, “you wouldn’t have been able to get someone to him fast enough.”

“Shouldn’t have let him go, then,” Merlin retorted with a shake of his head.

Harry let out a soft chuckle, one that was accompanied by the smallest of smiles that Merlin couldn’t see, but he’d be able to hear in his voice. “There was never any letting with him.”

The truth of the statement got a tiny hum of amusement out of Merlin. For a few precious moments the air didn’t feel quite so heavy, each of them remembering the years of brazen antics that had ended well. That became James’s mode of operations shortly after he became part of Kingsman. It was a welcome change of pace in a way—funny that someone had come along that made Harry Hart seem subtle.

Harry saw it happen, the shift in Merlin’s expression as their current reality set back in. Now he allowed himself to reach out and thread Merlin’s fingers with his own. The way that Merlin traced his finger along Harry’s wedding band wasn’t lost on him. Small comforts.

“You’re all my responsibility,” he finally said. The statement wasn’t untrue, but Merlin could feel Harry tensing up and getting ready to try and alleviate him of the stress he put on himself. He didn’t allow Harry to get there. “That comes with my position there. But James…” He trailed off, allowing himself to focus on the feeling of warmth emanating from Harry’s palm while he tried to gather himself. “James was my responsibility because I brought him into this. I brought him into this and then…”

Harry pulled their joined hands closer, placing a soft kiss on Merlin’s knuckles. “And then for seventeen years you ensured that someone always had his back.” He continued, lisp brushing against their joined hands as he spoke. “You made sure that he never went into any situation blind or alone.”

“Until—”

“Until he willingly put himself in that position,” Harry said, firmly but gently all at once. He kissed his knuckles once more. “This wasn’t your fault. He made his own decisions on that. He knew the risks.”

Something resembling a weak smile passed over Merlin’s face for the briefest of moments. “This all sounds rather familiar.”

Harry nodded. Even as he was saying the words he knew that he had been on the receiving end of them so long ago now even if it didn’t feel like it. There had been plenty of nights when he and Merlin laid in this exact position, in a house not quite as nice as the one they were in now, wedding bands not yet on their hands, and Merlin was the one comforting Harry after they lost Lee. Maybe it was all a little too fitting that James was gone and now Lee’s son was in the running to be the next Lancelot. He could think about that later.

“Someone who considers himself to be a rather smart man told me these things once.”

Merlin’s lips tugged up into a small smile, thankful for the little tidbits of levity that the two of them managed to dredge up for each other even in times of intense darkness and heaviness. “Do you consider him to be a rather smart man, then?”

He scooted a little closer to him, head resting on the very edge of his pillow, mere centimeters from falling into the small gap between his pillow and Merlin’s. “Certainly.” He kissed the knuckles of Merlin’s hand. “Not that I’d ever say that to him though.” He smiled and Merlin could feel it against his skin. “I tell him that and then his head wouldn’t fit through the door any longer.”

Harry felt the easing of the tension in Merlin’s muscles just before hearing the hum of amusement that he let out. “Can’t have that.”

Harry nodded. “I know.”

Even with their hands intertwined, Merlin was able to brush his finger along the side of Harry’s face. “It’d be a shame of neither of us could get through the door with ease.”

Merlin’s fuzzy vision be damned, he could still picture Harry’s shifting facial expression with perfect clarity in his mind. The same unamused look that he used on the recruits, on their marks. The same look that hadn’t worked on Merlin in decades but for the sake of the bit he went along with it.

They allowed themselves to enjoy the gentle jabs and humor of the moment. Merlin moved in a little closer as well, the two of them now close enough that their noses were nearly touching. The closeness, combined with their long legs, now made it so that with each small shift and shuffle their legs brushed against each other.

Harry untangling their fingers so that he could rest his hand tenderly against Merlin’s cheek was what brought their conversation back to the real concerns at hand. Merlin let his eyes close, focusing on the sensation of Harry’s thumb swiping back and forth along his cheekbone. It was a softer, much more pleasant thing than what they needed to talk about. And Merlin wasn’t disillusioned—he knew that they did need to talk about it.

“Does it feel better this time,” Harry began, intently watching Merlin’s expression even though the man was keeping his eyes closed, “not having your own dog in the fight?”

Merlin’s brows pulled together pensively as he considered what Harry was asking him. He’d been so caught up in the chaos of another round of recruits, the bone-deep weariness of losing James, the suffocating sense of guilt behind it all, that he hadn’t even given that conscious thought even if it had been running the background of his mind.

He kept his eyes closed as he thought a little harder on an answer. Finally opening his eyes, he brought his hand up and wrapped it around Harry’s forearm. He didn’t try to move his hand, just wrapped his fingers around Harry’s arm and let the warmth of his skin seep into his palm. “I’m glad that I didn’t have to give any thought to who I’d want to have replace him.”

Harry couldn’t stop his frown. “It’s not—”

“Isn’t it?” Merlin countered before Harry could get a complete thought out.

They each knew that the other was right in a way. They also knew that if the shoes had been on opposite feet, they’d each both be saying the same exact thing as the other. The innate understanding that they had of each other made it hard to argue sometimes. Neither of them was looking for a fight this time, though.

Merlin ran his thumb back and forth along Harry’s arm. Allowing his eyelids to grow heavy and close once more, Merlin asked, “Are we going to talk about the boy, then?”

He felt the way Harry stiffened slightly, tension returning to the muscles in his forearm. “I wasn’t under the impression that there was anything to talk about.”

Merlin chuckled, the sound low and breathy as sleep crept closer and closer. “So, no. Alright.”

Harry wanted to get mad but he couldn’t really, not with the tired, nearly docile tone that Merlin was speak to him in. It was hard to get angry at that. Harder still to try and get angry when the man in front of him was melting between Harry’s palm and the pillow his head was resting on. It was almost its own different kind of infuriating, a notion that got Harry to crack a smile at no one but himself.

Leaning in, Harry pulled his hand away from Merlin’s face so that he could press a tender kiss on his cheekbone, followed by one on his lips. He could feel the hum of approval just as easily as he could hear it.

Harry was smiling still as he slipped his hand beneath the covers so that he could rest it on Merlin’s hip. “I love you, you know.”

Merlin gave a tiny nod. “I kn—”

“Even when you’re being insufferable.”

The laugh he let out then was genuine despite the exhaustion woven into it. He managed to wrap Harry up and pull him in tight, able to hook his chin perfectly over Harry’s head to keep him close. He felt the pressure of Harry’s forehead against his chest, the soft but not quite ticklish sensation of his hair against the bottom of his chin. He could breathe in the scent of Harry’s shampoo, and just like that the tiredness didn’t feel quite so heavy anymore.

“I love you too,” Merlin said, half-mumbled as he was finally rewarded with a real rest, however brief it would end up being.

Neither of them brought any of it up again until it was time for the candidates to choose a puppy. Until then, they’d been riding the very fine line between compartmentalization and avoidance. However Merlin’s passive, albeit mildly judgmental comment of, “He chose a pug,” as he stood by the stove cooking dinner was enough to break the unofficial stalemate they’d been locked in.

Harry, who’d previously had his focused dialed into the tablet he was holding, looked up from where he was sitting at the dining room table. He leaned in his chair so that he could look at Merlin properly through the openings in the wall between the two rooms.

“You don’t think that was a wise decision?”

Merlin chuckled, still not diverting his eyes from the pot on the stove. “I think he’ll figure that out for himself soon enough.”

“There’s nothing wrong with small dogs, you know. Mr. Pickle li—”

“Mr. Pickle lived a very long life and never became less of a nit for it,” Merlin interrupted him with a short laugh. He finally looked over at Harry, if for nothing else to see the indignant look on the man’s face. “I know you loved that dog, Harry, but…” he trailed off.

Harry’s expression changed, and he gave a bit of a smirk as he conceded. “He could be a little bit of a shit sometimes.” Even the criticism was said with affection. Letting a few beats of silence pass, Harry got up from the table and joined Merlin in the kitchen, busying himself by making them drinks as he asked, as casually as he could, “What do you think of him, then?”

“Mr. Pickle?” Merlin said, jest lingering in his voice because he knew the answer to the question.

That same brand of affection crept back into Harry’s voice at Merlin’s rebuttal. “Eggsy.”

“He’s doing well,” Merlin answered, keeping his tone neutral.

Harry chuckled, setting Merlin’s drink on the counter beside the stove. “They’re all doing well—that’s the point. But what do you think of him?”

He reached and turned the heat down a couple notches on the stove. “I was worried at first about why you chose him. That guilt, obligation. I was worried that was the only reason you chose him. I also worried that I’d be holding my own guilt and obligation against him the whole time.”

“About James?” Harry asked.

Merlin nodded. “Aye. Lee too, though.” He looked over at Harry, seeing the slightly perplexed look on his face. “You’ve been blaming yourself for Lee’s death for a long time, Harry. But you’re not the only one who didn’t feel right about what happened then. Or what happened after.” He sighed as he went to grab plates from the cupboard. “And then James.”

Harry waited a moment for Merlin to continue on, to start his next sentence with, “But now…” and say how his worries had been for nothing. Or, at least, almost nothing. But it didn’t happen. Looking over at him, Harry saw that Merlin’s mind was no longer on the batch of recruits that they had now, not thinking about the person they’d been discussing only seconds before. He was working his way back in time.

In an effort to get him back to the present, Harry prompted him. “And now?”

Merlin quickly looked over at him. “Hm?”

The tiny curl to Harry’s lips was gentle, cautious even. “You were worried at first. How about now?”

There was a brief moment where Harry genuinely wasn’t sure what words were going to come out of Merlin’s mouth next. It wasn’t often that they found themselves in that position anymore, but they could never say never.

His expression went from a neutral one to a smile as he turned the stove completely off and looked at Harry, who was carefully holding onto his glass. “I see why you chose him.”

Harry’s shoulders relaxed at that. “Aside from my crippling guilt, you mean?” he joked.

Merlin laughed, finally picking up his glass to take a sip. “Aside from that. You both enjoy making a bit of a scene, for one thing.”

Harry feigned annoyance that the comment but it didn’t last long as Merlin started portioning out dinner for the two of them. Harry’s hunger won out over the desire to keep volleying back and forth for the time being.

When dinner was finished, and Harry was washing their dishes in the sink, it was Merlin’s turn to sit at the dining room table plugging away on their tablet while Harry stayed busy in the kitchen. It’d been the trade-off for as long as they could remember—whoever didn’t cook, cleaned. And while one of them was cooking, the other stayed out of the way unless otherwise instructed, simply providing conversation and amusement from the other side of the mock windows that bridged the two rooms.

“If he makes it,” Merlin said, picking up a conversation they’d seemingly abandoned some time ago, “Arthur is going to have a hard time.”

“Good,” Harry responded without having to give it another millisecond of thought.

Merlin laughed at Harry’s brevity as he watched back the feed on the recruits since he’d left the mansion. “The two of you together might actually drive him to step down.”

Harry paused, looking over at Merlin until the man looked up from the tablet. “Don’t tease like that.”

Merlin chuckled and shook his head, looking back at his tablet again. “You’ll be hoping for it either way.”

Harry chuckled as he returned his focus to the silverware in his hands. Allowing his focus to drift from the hot water cascading over his knuckles and the soap swirling down the sink drain, he thought about what it might be like if things really did play out that way. He’d been burned too badly before to well and truly get his hopes up again, but there was no harm in trying to figure out what it might be like. He thought about what it would mean for Kingsman, and of course what it’d mean for Eggsy. Along with that, though, he also thought about what it would mean for him, and for Merlin as well.

“Do you think he will?” Harry finally asked when the sink was empty.

“Will what?”

He reached for the towel to dry off his hands. “Do you think that Eggsy will make it?”

Merlin looked up from the tablet in his hand and over at Harry. Not that Harry was looking back at him, his eyes fixed instead on the now-empty sink as he ran the towel over his hands. Merlin set the tablet back down on the table. “I think he could.”

Looking over at Merlin, he asked, “You think it would be the right thing for him?”

That was when Merlin heard it, the little tendrils of doubt in his husband’s voice. Ghosts of regret coming back out of hiding all over again. Merlin opted for the only thing he knew how to give: honesty. “I think it’s a bit late to be second-guessing that, Harry.”

It wasn’t quite a laugh, the sharp exhale that Harry let out at that, but it was adjacent enough. He tossed the towel onto the counter before turning on his heel to go and find his spot next to Merlin at the table once more.

“With Lee I knew. Easily.” He paused, looking over at Merlin who now had one elbow on the table, propping his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched Harry try and work his way through his self-imposed quandaries. “What you thought of Lee…do you feel that way about Eggsy?”

Merlin shook his head. “No.” He saw the way Harry flinched at that. “I was James’s mentor,” he explained. “I got fleeting glimpses of Lee. What I know of Eggsy? It’s leagues beyond what I knew of Lee at the time.” He chuckled. “Doubt that Lee was as angry as his son.”

“Didn’t have as many reasons to be,” Harry offered.

He nodded. “That’s true.” With his other hand, Merlin reached and moved an unruly wave of hair from in front of Harry’s face. “If you want to know what I think,” Merlin leaned back in his chair with a small sigh, “I think that you’re certain of everything when you do it, even when you shouldn’t be.” The last few words of his sentence got knowing grins out of both of them before he continued. “The farther we get into this, the more you’re going to worry because of what happened to Lee.” He rested his hand comfortingly on Harry’s shoulder. “But that’s not what this is. He’s not Lee. He’s not James. It won’t happen like that again.”

Something about Merlin’s steadfast reassurance forced Harry to acknowledge how heavy the weights of doubt and worry were as they rested inside his chest. He swallowed the waver that wanted to creep into his voice, managing a smile despite the mist in his eyes. “This was much simpler when I was the one reassuring you.”

Merlin’s soft laugh was full of warmth. “You should know by now that nothing ever stays simple for us.”

“You’re not tired of it yet?” Harry asked in jest.

He was still smiling as he shook his head. “Never.”

“Never?” Harry asked in humorous disbelief.

Merlin’s hands found his on the table, finger lightly tracing back and forth over Harry’s wedding band. “Never for long, then.”

Harry hummed in amusement as he looked at Merlin, watching how he was looking at their joined hands. “That sounds better.”

When the moment began to pass, Merlin couldn’t help but to say, “I do think there was one thing you didn’t think through with him, though.”

Harry’s eyebrows raised at that. “And what might that be?”

“If he makes it to the final two, is that boy only going to find out you’re my husband when he comes here and he sees me standing in the kitchen making dinner?”

Harry laughed. “Maybe. Could be funny.”

“Not for him.”

Harry waved dismissively, a smile on his face and the heaviness almost completely gone from his chest. “He’d come around to finding it funny eventually.”

“You sound so sure,” Merlin chided him.

He shrugged, a smug little grin still on his face. “Always do, remember?”

[renx01]

You called

Prompt: “You came.” - “You called.” Pairing: Harry Hart x Reader Fandom: Kingsman Warnings: Angst, mentions of blood and injuries, honeypot mission Word count: 1511

‘Galahad.’ It was barely a whisper which came out of your mouth. The predicament you were in wasn’t as you had planned. The mission in and of itself was relatively simple: go to an event, talk to some high ranking people and criminals in order to gather information, and leave. Yet, here you were sitting on the floor in an alley, bleeding from a gunshot wound.

It had been going quite well. Your target, Vincent Giante, had been at the event early and you had approached carefully but confidently. Merlin had informed you that he was, in fact, a ladies-man, and that it could be of use to, as he said, “throw your womanly charms at him”. You ended up following that advice after the target had shown interest in you, most likely due to the rather revealing emerald-green dress you were wearing. ‘My, my, a lovely young lady at an event such as this one, alone and seemingly without a date.’ Vincent had said to you as he approached. It sounded vulgar as he said it, as if she were a piece of meat, an object which he was intent on owning. That would never happen in a million years if you had any say in it. You did, however, have to play into it. ‘Why thank you, I’m flattered.’ You say as he grabs your hand and leans down to kiss it, his touch lingering a tad too long for your liking. ‘So what’s your name darling?’ ‘Josephine.’ Was what you answered as you heard Merlin in your ear. Target on lock. Vincent made small-talk with you for a bit before the two of you were approached by a man. ‘Sorry, boss, that I have to interrupt your conversation with this lovely lady.’ He leans in and whispers something to his boss which you’re unable to hear. That’s Vincent’s right-hand man, Giovanni. Be careful around him, he can be quite the fighter. Merlin informs you before the pair can shift their focus back to you. ‘Sorry love, I have to go meet with some people.’ He sounded genuinely disappointed. He leans in to kiss your cheek and whispers in your ear. ‘If you’re feeling up for it, meet me outside in an hour.’ 

Time passed slowly as you waited to meet up with Vincent. You were in fact, not feeling up to it, but it was too good of a chance to pass up. During that time, you mingled with some more of the guests, but were unable to gather any information that was particularly of note. Merlin, on the other hand, was able to gather the information that Vincent supposedly had a harddrive with him which contained some secret documents which the Kingsman could use to folly his organisation’s plans. As the agreed upon time approaches, Merlin fills you in about the surroundings and what to look out for. Supposedly, Giante would have the drive somewhere on this person, so the goal had shifted from gaining information to getting the harddrive without being caught. 

Outside, it was quiet, the hustle and bustle of the event left behind. Vincent stood near a statue in the gardens, seemingly alone, yet you knew better. It was likely that multiple of his men would be surrounding the two of you, looking out for his well-being. ‘Josephine, I’m glad you came.’ He smiles and puts his hand on your shoulder. ‘Let us walk for a bit, I’ve been inside all day.’ You take the arm which was offered to you and join him.  After ten minutes you reach a part of the gardens which seemed completely isolated. Slowly, he tries getting closer, putting his hand on your lower back as he whispers things in your ear. You endure them, finding them disgusting but pretending to love the attention. Slowly, he starts kissing your neck and eventually mouth. If it weren’t for your training and experience, you probably would’ve gagged as his hands slowly started lowering further. Finding your focus again, you shifted it to trying to find the harddrive on him, roaming your hands over his body. Eventually, you feel it in one of his pockets, and slowly but surely, you try to get it out. As he starts getting more passionate you manage to grab hold of it. Slowly, you slip it into one of your hidden pockets. After a few more minutes you pull back and look him in the eye, smiling kindly. ‘We should take this elsewhere.’ Taking his hand, you lead him back to where the event was taking place. He seemed quite content for the time being, but you weren’t too convinced. Well done agent Kay, get out of there. 

Vincent leads you back inside to a relatively quiet corner, stopping a moment to talk to one of his men. As you look around, you suddenly hear a click just behind you. ‘Now love, I had so much fun, but I’d prefer it if you handed back that harddrive.’ Vincent sticks out his hand while the man behind you slowly pushes the gun against the back of your head. ‘We can talk about this Vincent.’ You slowly walk up to him. Agent Kay what are you doing? Get out. Merlin almost screams in your ear as you try to remain as possible. You slowly put your hands up, ‘I was enjoying myself quite a bit, but I suppose that is now over?’ your voice is almost sickly sweet. The hand he was holding out slowly wraps around your chin, tilting it up. ‘It’d be a pity to lose this pretty face.’ You were stalling quite a bit, that was clear.

Kay, Galahad is on his way. Just get out of this venue.

Galahad, that was your sign. Your colleague was on the way and you only had to get out of the building. Leaning into his touch, he clearly gets distracted once again, just enough to pull out a small knife and throw it backwards into the man that was pointing a gun at you. Turning, you grab hold of the lead and break the man’s fingers, then shooting him with his own gun, followed by shooting Vincent in the head. ‘A shame really.’ You scoff before turning and running into the crowd, 8 men following you, their guns loaded. Every step felt hot, so very hot, and they were right on your heels. ‘Fuck’, a soft whisper escaping you as they start firing their guns.

Kay, I need you to confirm that you are on the way out. ‘Confirm Merlin, I just have to lose some people.’ Heels continue to click where-ever you go. After turning a corner in one of the many hallways, several more of the men following you go down as you disarm and shoot them. That is until you didn’t have any ammo left. Of course this would happen to you, as if your day wasn’t going terribly already. ‘At least I still have these ones.’ You throw a few knives, hitting several throats. Their blood covers your face. Around you several bodies lay and you are finally able to breathe, even if it’s just for a moment. ‘Galahad, do you copy?’ You say quietly as you continue walking through the maze of hallways. Several footsteps can be heard from several of the hallways around you, so you start running once again. 

‘Merlin, where is Galahad?’ 

You don’t get a response.

Managing to finally get outside, heading into a dimly lit alleyway, you see over a dozen people following you. Pulling out your own gun, you shoot as many of them as possible while continuing to move. They shoot back, one hitting you in the leg. 

‘Fuck.’

They seem to keep on coming, and slowly, they surround you. ‘Galahad do you copy?’ Bodies keep on falling, but time seems to be running out when another bullet hits you, this time in your left shoulder. Frustrated, you throw some more knives and grab one of your daggers. One by one they go down, and with every body that hits the ground, your green dress becomes more red and your limbs are covered in blood. As the last of your energy slowly leaves your body and you start feeling faint. 

‘Galahad.’ 

It was barely a whisper which left your mouth. Before you are able to say anything else, you feel a gun being put against your temple. ‘Calm down lady, drop the knife.’ There was only one man left standing and he had the obvious advantage. You sigh, letting the weapon fall to the ground. 

You had to find a way out of this situation, you always did, but your body seems to be done. A gunshot interrupts your train of thought, the gun which was held against your head, falling away. Turning, you see Galahad standing there.

‘You came.’

Your voice sounds exhausted as you stand there; shoulders slumped and body aching. Your colleague approaches and hugs your body tightly.

‘You called.’

He whispers in your ear before kissing the side of your head.

[witches-unruly-heart]

💕 Tagged by the lovely @plaidbooks 💕

Rules: Make a poll with 5 of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite.

Tagging: @dragonsneversharetheirtreasure @adowbaldwin @thatdamnokie @bullet-prooflove and anyone else who wants to do this 😍

[kingsmint]

KINGSMAN STICKER 1 IS DONE !!!

[headcanonthings]

Harry, hoarsely: Is everyone ok? Roxy, covered in blood and debris, voice shaky: yeah. Merlin, unseen, voice muffled: Doing awesome. Eggsy, shining a flashlight down on all of them: Hey, that almost went exactly to plan!

[ghysry]

So I just watched Kingsman and...