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Merlin is turned into a cat
thatâs really all you need to know
@eggsyobsessed enjoy
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Kingsman (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Merlin/Gary âEggsyâ Unwin, Harry Hart | Galahad/Merlin/Gary âEggsyâ Unwin Characters: Merlin (Kingsman), Gary âEggsyâ Unwin, Harry Hart | Galahad Additional Tags: Flirting, Crushes Series: Part 4 of Christmas Stockings 2019 Summary:
PROMPT - Merhartwin with established Hartwin/Merwin and they decide together to court the odd man out. Bonus points if you can write it so that Eggsy and Harry/Merlin both fall hard for the odd man out but donât realize they have a crush on the same man until they go to sneakily show their partner who it is.
(so I sorta missed the âthey decide together to court himâ part, but thereâs no cheating)
Eggsy and Merlin are casually looking for a third in their relationship. They both have a bit of a crush on a man they meet in a bar, not realizing theyâre crushing on the same man.
AU but not AU. Harry owns a bar, but Eggsy & Merlin are Kingsmen.
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Hartwin x Sappy Romance
âHey.â You say to me. I pick my head up while staring longingly at you. âYouâre beautiful.â you say, with that huge goofy smile all over your face. God, I love it when you smile like that. âThank you.â was all I could manage to say, as I got lost in your eyes, so mesmerized, falling so deep into something that I never even saw coming.
A @kingsmansecretsanta stocking stuffer for @riddleblack246. You requested a hartwin x sappy romance. Iâm not sure if this is actually what you wanted but I kinda died of diabetes while doing this so thank you. LOL
#hartwin#i now have diabetes#wow#i need my medication#firtherton#kingsman#kingsman the secret service#eggsy unwin#harry hart#kingsman secret santa#kingsman stocking stuffer#taron egerton#colin firth#au#my edit#my post
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Love is alive
This is a little something for @elrhiarhodan who had the following prompt for the Stocking Stuffers held by @kingsmansecretsanta
For the mission, Eggsy can seduce and be seduced with the best of the Kingsman (he can also talk a good game), but he's really a romantic asexual. Â Either Harry or Merlin, or Harry and/or Merlin find out. Â Angst and happiness ensues.
I hope the fact Iâve used some of the Statesman doesnïżœïżœt stop you from enjoying the story!
Love is alive
If there is one thing Merlin appreciates about agent Whiskey, itâs that she doesnât beat around the bush about anything. Thanks to her previous tenure as Ginger, she understands that time is a precious commodity and Merlin has better things to do than to wait around for people to tell them what they want or need.
Of course, thatâs not the only thing he appreciates about the woman, but if he had to pick only one that would probably it.
A close second would be that she doesnât hesitate giving a hand every time she stops by his domain.
Kingsman isnât really to sent anyone on missions quite yet, even if they do keep an eye on things locally. So having Whiskeyâs help with the computers and logistics of building back the HQ from the ground up is a blessing. Heâs still not sure what he can do to pay Champ back for sending both Whiskey and Tequila to help them with their undertaking.
Not that Tequila is doing much of anything right now, but heâs a good distraction for Eggsy while Roxy and Percival heal from their respective injuries, Harry is figuring out how to run a tailor shop and a distillery and himself and Whiskey are trying to have them up and running in the spy business in as little time as possible.
Heâs not even jealous of how close Eggsy and Tequila have grown because for one, Eggsy owes him nothing, and for two, you would have to be brain dead not to notice how hopelessly devoted to each other Whiskey and Tequila were.
Which is why he isnât really surprised by Whiskeyâs words one afternoon while they are attempting to beat some wiring into submission.
âI know weâre here to help out, but you wonât be sending Tequila on any honeypot mission.â
âOk.â His answer is short, but really, they donât need to discuss more than this. They arenât in the habit of sending unwilling agents to honeypots. Kingsman might be morally grey at best considering the business they deal in, but they do take care of their own. Forcing an agent take on a mission they arenât ready for is the worst crime Merlin could possibly commit in his opinion.
Thatâs why Roxy only ever goes when the mark is a woman, why Percival hasnât been on one since the previous Lancelotâs death.
Whiskey seems a bit thrown off by his easy acceptance, as if she had been bracing herself for some verbal sparring, but after staring at him, she must see something in his expression that reassures her, because she nods.
âGood. I told Jason he shouldnât worry, that you probably have an understanding with Eggsy that he wasnât privy to.â
That makes him look away from the wiring again, looking at her with confusion. What does this have to do with Eggsy? Sure, like all of the Knights, he hadnât been too pleased about going after Clara, but it had also been the first honeypot he had done. And if Eggsy hadnât wanted to do it, they would have found another way.
Merlin thinks there must have been a different plan in place if Tequila was the original agent Champ wanted to send. Something longer and more difficult to achieve most likely, but Merlin would have used it rather than do anything that would force an agent into something that truly went against their personal comfort zones. After all, the work of a handler wasnât only to make sure their agent would come back safely, it was also to know when not to sent said agent into a situation they werenât equipped to deal with.
But Eggsy had never said anything about honeypots and any potential unwillingness to do them. Of course, he had never been sent on one before Poppygeddon, but Merlin had asked him upon his Knighting if there was anything he should know that could compromise any mission and had been very clear that Eggsy could come to him at any time to change the notes in his files.
To his knowledge, nothing has really changed since then.
Theyâve grown closer in their shared grief for Harryâs loss, but nowhere near close to what Tequila and Whiskey seem to share. At least not yet. And anyway, heâs never cared about what agents did on their mission. Heâs handled countless of Harryâs own honeypots and if theyâve had many arguments over the year, this has never come up in them.
Heâs rather shocked that itâs not the same way for Tequila and Whiskey. Their relationship seems secure enough from his point of view.
âDonât take Tequilaâs worries the wrong way.â She adds after a while without turning to look at him, but still sensing his confusion and somehow mistaking it for Merlin being offended. âHe hasnât really worked with you yet and itâs hard for him to trust people, even when I vouch for them. That, and he forgets that asexuality is a spectrum and not everyone identifying to it is sex repulsed. And that not everyone is an asshole who would dismiss oneâs sexuality for the good of a mission.â With the disgust she says that last, itâs obvious that there is a story there, but she turns back to their work before he can ask.
Not that he would, because heâs stuck on the first part of her little speech. There is no mistaking her meaning and itâs a revelation he doesnât know what to do with.
Not that Tequila and Eggsy are aces, he couldnât care less for that.
But that Eggsy has never trust him enough to tell him⊠Heâs afraid heâs failed the lad horridly.
âWhiskey, would you mind finishing that up? I need to find Arthur and discuss some pressing matters.â
She has already immersed herself in the work because she simply hums and waves him off dismissively.
If he wasnât in such a hurry to speak with Harry, he would take a moment to appreciate her wonderfully one-side tracked mind.
*
âDid you know Eggsy was ace?â
Harry sighs when Merlin bursts into his office without knocking first, or even a simple greeting. He doesnât mind the distraction of course, but good manners have never killed anyone.
âHello Merlin, always a pleasure to have you dro-â His brain suddenly catches up with his ears and the rest of his sentence gets lost. âIâm sorry, what?â
âEggsy, did you know he was ace? As in asexual.â Merlin adds as if his confounded look has anything to do with terminology.
âI know what ace is, I just-â words fail him once more, but it doesnât seem to bother Merlin, who just drops on the armchair in front of Harryâs desk. There is distress in his eyes that he wishes he could soothe away, but he needs to process the bombshell thatâs been dropped just now first.
Itâs a bit hard to believe at first, that Eggsy could be ace. Heâs sure he hasnât imagined the chemistry that has been there between them since day one or the one that has developed between Merlin and him while they thought Harry was dead. The chemistry that is still there between the three of them since their reunion, the chemistry that has not even been altered by the knowledge that Harry and Merlin have been an item for nearly as long Eggsy has been alive.
If anything, Eggsy had seem to become even more comfortable in their presence after they had confided in him about their relationship. And maybe they hadnât clearly stated their intention to court him, but surely Harry had not imagined how Eggsy would seek their touch much more freely and offer his in return without a second thought?
But now that he really takes the time to truly think about it, there has indeed been something missing from Eggsy when compared to all the other lovers they have taken in their time. Something that was easy to miss when for once what binds them all together is an unshakable trust and a profound love.
Eggsy has never look at them with desire in his eyes. Never sought to aroused it in them either.
In fact, now that he truly thinks about it, Harry cannot understand how they havenât realised it before.
âHow did we miss it?â He sounds dismayed and he doesnât even tries to hide it. Not that he would have been successful if he had tried anyway, not with Merlin.
âHeâs good at hiding what he doesnât want people to know.â
Heâs right, but thatâs no excuse and judging from Merlinâs pained expression, he feels the exact same way Harry does. Theyâre bloody spies for fuckâs sake, they should have figured it out way before. Their only saving grace it that they had both agreed to woo Eggsy slowly and thus, theyâve probably not forced anything on the boy he would have been uncomfortable with.
But it hurts to think Eggsy hadnât trust them enough to tell them. That maybe he thought they would treat him any differently if they know.
Not that Harry is foolish enough to think itâs a revelation that will change nothing between them, but it wonât be anything vital. Theyâll just change their expectation of getting him into bed for some fantastic sex to some lazy cuddling. If that is something Eggsy is interested in.
His heart clenches at the thought that maybe they truly misread everything about Eggsyâs feelings for them. That maybe he only thinks of them as dear friends and theyâve twisted his fondness into something he will find disgusting.
âWe need to talk to him.â He forces the words out before he can think of darker scenarios.
Thereâs no use making any decision now, not without Eggsyâs input. Maybe Harry and Merlinâs true feelings will revolt him, but he deserves to know and make his own choice. And if he wants nothing more to do with them⊠Theyâll have to accept it.
âAye, that we do.â Merlin agrees after a moment, but neither of them move from their seats, unwilling to face the harsh reality yet.
*
Since theyâve come back to London after saving the world twice in so many years, Eggsy usually has dinner with Harry and Merlin. Which isnât really surprising considering heâs taken over their guest room until he finds a place of his own.
Not that he is in any hurry for that and neither are Merlin and Harry for that matter. At least he doesnât think.
Because while heâs the first to admit that sometime the intricacies of interpersonal relationship fly ten feet above his head, he doesnât think heâs wrong in thinking that heâs more than welcomed into their privacy. For one, neither have alluded to how Eggsy really should have found a place by now if he was really looking and for two⊠For two, there has been far too many fond looks and lingering touches from both men to believe heâs somehow misunderstood what they want.
He knows of course that they probably want a bit more than he does, but itâs nothing that heâs unwilling to give them. He think he would probably enjoy the sex more with them than with anyone else, if only because he loves them so damn much. Or maybe itâs his naivety talking, his desire to believe in happy endings.
But how can he do otherwise after observing just how happy Tequila and Whiskey are together? Is it so wrong to hope that, like Tequila, he can find someone who will accept him like he is and never tries to change him?
Of course, for that to happen he would have to confide in both Merlin and Harry first, but itâs easier to say than to do. And the more time he spends in their company, the more he basks in their pride in him and the gentle touches they bestow upon him, the more he thinks that maybe, they donât really need to know.
It wouldnât change anything anyway. What heâs willing to do for a mission, heâs willing to do for the men heâs fallen in love with.
Unfortunately, things never truly goes his way, not when it comes to his personal life. So he really shouldnât have been surprised to come home for dinner one night, only to find Harry and Merlin waiting for him in the living room, looking grimmer than theyâve ever been.
For a second, he thinks that itâs Kingsman-related, but they wouldnât be home if it were.
âEggsy, we have to talk.â
Those words are never about anything good and for a second, Eggsy nearly turns back and leaves. But whatever this is about there is no escaping this, not really.
Instead he takes a seat in front of them, resisting the impulse to sit next to them like he usually does. He doubts it will be of any comfort tonight, not with their closed-off expression.
âWhatâs up?â He asks when the silence stretches far too long even if he has some doubts as to what this is about. Theyâve probably realised just how much he cares about them, just how much he gets out of simply being with them, and theyâve figured out itâs not something they actually want.
It sucks, because Eggsy had been sure they all had an understanding of some sort, but apparently he was mistaken.
Still as long as he can salvage their friendship, Eggsy can learn to live with the heartbreak.
âWe need you to be honest with us lad,â itâs weird to hear Merlin sounds so hesitant, when heâs used to the man being his port in a storm, used to him being so unwaveringly confident. But there is no denying that something has rattled him and Eggsyâs stomach twist unpleasantly at the thought that the something could be them having figure out his true feelings. That they feel so differently about him that he would make them feel uncomfortable.
Before he can continue on that line of thought however, Harry finally starts speaking.
âIt has come to our attention that youâre probably⊠Ace.â
For a long time Eggsy can only stare at the two men, at a loss for words.
Not because itâs not true, but because he doesnât understand how they could have find out about it.
As far as heâs concerned, only Jason is in the know and he cannot think of any reason his friend would betray his confidence.
âPlease forgive us if it wasnât something you werenât ready to share with us,â he hates how formal Harry sounds now, as if they are strangers or simple coworkers, but he still hasnât found his voice again. âAnd if it wasnât for the recent developments, we would be happy to pretend like we donât know until youâre ready to tell us on your own. But⊠but Eggsy, darling, we need to know.â
At his side, Merlin nods in agreement and Eggsy can see how his knuckles has turned white where he grips the edge of the sofa heâs sitting on, as if heâs keeping himself from reaching out. Their impassive masks have cracked by now and he can only read worry in their eyes and something he cannot quite read. It looks like fear or maybe disgust, but itâs not aimed at him.
âWhen we invited you to stay home with us, we only wanted you to have a safe place. I wonât pretend it was also from a selfish desire to keep you close to us, but we would never force you into anything you donât want to be a part of. Not knowingly.â
It clicks suddenly what the other emotion is. Self-loathing. No wonder it took him so long to place, when Harry and Merlin have never shown guilt or shame for the things they have been forced to do in their line of work.
But apparently, the thought that they might have hurt him or make him uncomfortable is completely unbearable to them and Eggsy simply cannot stay away from them any longer.
Itâs not the first time theyâve hugged, not even the first time theyâve been huddled on the sofa together, but itâs the first time the two other men hesitate before wrapping him in their arms in return. His heart clench painfully at the thought that maybe whatever it is that was between them is irremediably broken now because of his secret.
But when they realise that their touch is welcomed, Harry and Merlin pull him closer so that heâs sitting properly between them and their hands all but cling to his polo shirt.
He hides his face against Merlinâs chest for a moment, feels Harryâs cheek come to on top of his head and he feels so safe and loved that he doesnât want to move ever again.
But theyâve asked him a question and it is high time he answer.
âYeah, Iâm⊠Iâm ace.â Itâs weird saying it out loud for the first time. Even during his talks with Jason about it, heâs never really been able to say the word. Not to describe himself at least. âAnd you havenât force me into anything I didnât want. You havenât even kissed me yet!â
Itâs a good thing heâs still hiding, because he can feel his cheeks heat up after his little outburst. Itâs not that heâs ashamed about wanting to kiss them, but they surely didnât need to know how much he wants that.
âAnd we wonât if itâs not something you want.â Harry replies, completely missing his point.
Eggsy leans away from them a bit, not escaping their embrace but far away enough he could look at them and make his dismay entirely clear.
âWhy the fuck wouldnât I want that?â Especially after the few times heâs caught Harry and Merlin kissing, itâs practically the only thing he can think of since heâs got no mission to distract him from his fantasies.
âWe wouldnât want to presume what youâre comfortable with or not.â
âKissing is fine trust me. More than fine even.â He has fond memories of intense snogging session with his girlfriends when he was younger and figuring things out about himself. He very much want to create such memories with the two men. âAnd everything else is⊠Okay too.â
He could totally do without, would actually prefer it that way, but heâs sure that with Harry and Merlin, it would be enjoyable. They would make sure of it.
Or maybe not, because they both look absolutely appalled at the idea.
âNo, Eggsy, we meant what Harry said. We donât want to force you into anything you arenât comfortable with. If you donât want to have sex, we wonât, itâs that simple.â
âOh.â Thereâs unmistakable relief rushing through him, but also a hint of disappointment. âI was kind of looking forward to watching you two together though.â
Heâs blurt out the words before he could stop them and his cheeks are so hot he could probably cook an egg on them now.
Merlin and Harry both look surprised, but Harry recovers quickly, and he gives gets that calculating look Eggsy knows can only mean good things are in his future.
They say nothing else for a long time, Merlin tugging on Eggsyâs sleeve until he goes back to leaning against them and he lets himself bask in the knowledge that this is truly something they all want. That it isnât simply a nice fantasy anymore.
âThe same goes for honey pots, you know,â Merlin breaks the silence this time and Eggsy can only makes an interrogative sound, because heâs half-asleep by then. âWe wonât make you go on them.â
âBut I can do them!â His protests would probably be taken more seriously if his words werenât so slurred by sleep and he wasnât still snuggling between the two men, but heâs not leaving his little pocket of warmth for anything in the world.
âI am not implying that you canât. Youâve proven already that you can carry it out if you have to. But what I am saying is that you donât need to. And weâll discuss it further when youâre not about to fall asleep.â
He wants to say that they can totally continue the conversation now, but Harry shortcircuits his brain by placing a small kiss on the sensitive skin just under his ear.
âWe should get you to bed.â
âYours?â He has to ask, because he really doesnât want to give them up just yet, not when it feels like heâs just found them.
There is a slight pause, where he knows that if he were to look, Harry and Merlin would be having a conversation in looks alone. Then he feels the two men nod against him and Merlinâs lips brush his forehead.
âYes, ours.â
#kingsman stocking stuffer#merhartwin#merlahad#merlin#harry hart#eggsy unwin#agent tequila#ginger#ace!eggsy#asexuality#polyamory#established relationship#getting together#fluff#kingsman#fanfic
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Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Kingsman (Movies) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin Characters: Harry Hart | Galahad, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Future Fic Summary:
Written for FlareWarrior for Kingsman Stocking Stuffer. The prompt was for Eggsy to be a roboticist and to build Harry. But Harry is built too well and takes a life of his own.
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Event kickoff: prompt submission!
Hi! Are you guys ready? We hope you are as excited as we are â„
As of today, the 23rd of November, Prompt Submission is live!Â
These prompts will be first presented for the Holiday round of the fest and will also be available to create from for the Valentine's Day round. For the Valentine's Day round you'll have the chance to submit more prompts, but this isn't a requirement! During the Valentine's Day round, prompts from both rounds will be put together in one massive spreadsheet to choose from â„Â
Mod will upload the submitted prompts ASAP into this Google spreadsheet.Â
There will some delay at times because of boring things like work or sleep, alas.Â
You can start creating as soon as the prompts get uploaded! This is mostly to give people as much time to create as possible.Feel free to start creating later, when there are more prompts collected to choose from, though!
The prompt submission form will stay open till December 18th, and will reopen January 8th.
For more info, check the links below! We hope you have fun â„
Links: About // FAQ// Schedule // Contact // All about prompts Mobile Links: About // FAQ // Schedule // Contact // All about prompts
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Two Christmases -- the one they celebrate in public and the one they celebrate in private
For @sodafrog13 who asked for festive moodboards and listed Tilwin in their likes for @kingsmansecretsanta. I apologize that this comes a bit after Christmas, I left my laptop at home when going away for the holidays.
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âHow you doinâ, Butterfly Guy?â
âAs well as I was the last time I asked you to stop calling me that.â
For @sirhartwin and @kingsmansecretsanta
Prompt:Â âTequila having a crush on Amnesia!Harry and Harry having a soft spot for Tequila cuz Harry has a TYPE (discuss)â
Initially, Tequila pretty much avoided Harry entirely. His policy with saved targets had always been something of a âsave and skedaddleâ and Harry was the first instance of someone being saved that wasnât immediately sent off to a new life or family or whatever the case dictated. His presence weirded him out, beyond the notion of his seemingly coming back from the dead (some of Gingerâs tech was beyond creepy to him) and the knowledge that heâs associated with some sort of intelligence makes him stand back. Who knew who he was involved with? Tequila had seen some fucked up super villain level shit in his day and he wasnât too pumped about possibly facing something like that because Ginger didnât want to send this guy off.
However, interaction was inevitable. As massive as the Statesman estate is, itâs medical ward is only so big. After a mission forced him into Gingerâs hands, Tequila found himself sitting on her examination table and doing his best not to meet the guyâs eye. Itâd only been about a month since heâd come to essentially live at Statesman and he seemed to be making strides. When Tequila last saw him, he was barely able to talk or move. Whether that was from the injury or panic, he wasnât sure. But now the guy was standing just a bit behind Ginger, watching her intently as she finishes off yet another row of stitches. He barely blinked, didnât speak, just watched like it was the most interesting thing in the world. When she finally finished and let Tequila redress, she turned to the guy and asked if any of what he saw felt familiar or dredged up any memories. And that was the first time her heard him speak. His voice was soft, smooth, even, and deep. Tequila didnât think too much about why so many words came to mind.
For some reason, he began to stop spacing out around them after that. He would have never claimed that he paid attention, of course, but he did key in to certain things. Picked up information that he was learning about the guy. Like that his name was apparently âHarryâ, that he was English, that he really fucking liked butterflies. He didnât exactly need to listen in to pick that up. As soon as Ginger let the man have pens, he began to draw butterflies all over his goddamn cell. Diagrams, illustrations, everything is fucking butterflies. He wouldnât admit it, but Tequila did think that the colors did make the whole quarter space a lot nicer to walk into, seeing those images through the two-sided mirror.
At one point, Ginger asked Tequila to sit in and talk with Harry. Of course, he hemmed and hawed and complained, asking why he even has to âbabysitâ when Ginger had been doing a bang-up job herself. She finally revealed to him that Harry himself had been asking about Tequila. Occasional inquiries about his job, his hobbies, little things as if he was trying to put something together, but he doesnât know what. His most recent question was on if he already knew him, but had forgotten. After ensuring that no, Harry hadnât met Tequila and the latter wasnât just keeping mum about the whole thing, Ginger decided to get the two together in order to see what information she could glean from the interaction. It came with a little more whining on Tequilaâs part, but the man finally caved and agreed to spend some time with the patient.
Harry didnât appear to be expecting him when he arrived. He was looking off in some random corner and drawing on his wall as usual, adding color to one of the dozens of butterflies that had come to dot the walls. Tequila, for once, didnât announce his arrival and just sat down on the manâs make-shift bed, watching him work. After a while, Harry spoke, greeting him and asking him how he was, all without looking up from the wall. Tequila, despite not wanting to really be there in the first place, responded and began to converse with Harry. He would have claimed that it was because he didnât want to piss off Ginger and risk her refusing to treat him the next time he nearly got an arm blown off. But the reality was that the Butterfly Guy was surprisingly easy to talk to. They talked about Tequilaâs life mostly, at least what he felt was safe to share of it. He was finishing off a story about Champagne and his role at the agency (how the public knew him, that is) when Harry said, almost absently âI thought Lee had diedâ. But just as easily he had said it, heâd forgotten he had said it, and try as Tequila might to get him back to the topic, Harry was oblivious.
After that conversation, Ginger became all the more insistent that Tequila continue talks with Harry. Something about the agent reminded him of his past and if they were going to have any chance of reigniting his memories, they needed to keep pushing. Strangely enough, Tequila didnât complain and simply agreed to weekly visits with Butterfly Guy.
Tequila (and Ginger by extension) began to pick up small pieces of Harryâs past. Names like âHamishâ and âArthurâ, references to Margaret Thatcher and Parliament and kidnapping rings and assassination attempts. Little bits of a past that faded as soon as they were said. Tequila grew interested in a version of Harry that he never knew and, if he were honest, he was becoming attached to the Butterfly Guy that he interacted with each week. He found himself disappointed when he had to rearrange his day to see him when he was given a mission, caught himself recognizing specific butterflies that he saw when he was out, realized he was humming the little tune he heard Harry humming the week before. Hell, heâd even started calling him âThe Lepidopteristâ, as if subscribing the actual job title to his name denoted a level of respect or politeness or affection.
The week before Eggsy and Merlin would âdrop inâ on the Statesman Brewery (not that Tequila knew that yet), he arrived for his usual talk with Harry, only to find him sat in the corner of his cell, frozen. He sat beside him without a word. Thereâd been times when heâd watched Harry get this way and Ginger speak to him, trying to coax him out of whatever hole heâd slung his mind into. He had an idea of what to do, even if he wasnât certain. He settled against the wall, flipping absently through the book heâd brought. He had seen it at some used bookstore that was by his apartment. It was some old ass field guide to butterflies in Peru and it was only a couple bucks. Nothing special. Just... something for Harry. Tequila started to tell him what heâd been up to in the week since he had last seen him, about getting dinner with a couple of other âemployeesâ, about how he was planning on going riding the next weekend, about how it was coming up on ten years since he had joined the agency. When he began on the latter topic, Harry suddenly spoke.
âItâs been a year since you found me.â
Tequila agreed, though remained confused on the importance on the statement., Heâd never been one to be big on anniversaries or interested in the importance of dates, but he supposed a year since being pulled back from the brink of death was probably pretty major. Harry continued to speak, bringing up a factor Tequila hadnât considered.
âI know you all think Iâm a part of something of grave importance. Some group of secrecy or something special. But donât you think they would have found me if I was such a paramount piece of them? Either Iâm non-essential or Iâm not the person you believe me to be.â Harry swallowed, finally looking at Tequila with that one eye of his, staring at him with a level of panic and worry that he had never seen from him before. âWhat will you do with me if Iâm not?â
Tequila had never considered that. He had always just gone along with Gingerâs belief that Harry was some sort of intelligence agent. Heâd had the specs, the gadgets, the clear involvement in the slaughter that had occurred in the South Glade Mission Church. There was no doubting that he was a spy or something similar. But he was right. If he really was so important to an agency, wouldnât he have been found by now? And if he wasnât going to be found, what would happen to him? Heâd done well enough in his cell for the past year, but living in a medical ward beneath a brewery-cover-operation wasnât a true way to live. As reluctant as he was to admit it, Tequila couldnât imagine Gingerâs ward without Harry in it and the thought of sending him off into a world he couldnât remember sent chills down his spine.
Slowly, he slid his hand over Harryâs and squeezed. Harry didnât look down as he interlocked their fingers, keeping his eye on Tequila.
âYouâll stay here until we figure something out, alright?â Tequila whispered, his voice taking on a rare quiet vocalization, âI wonât let anything happen to you.â
Six days later, he would tie up two men that axed his favorite barrel of whiskey and threaten to light them on fire, both oblivious to his reference to The Lepidopterist. Before Ginger steps in, there is one moment that nearly stops him. When the younger of the two speaks, assuring him that he âlikes the part where he goes and fucks himselfâ, Tequila briefly remembers a statement Harry made months ago, in the face of Tequila expressing a similar statement.
âYou sound just like him, you know.â
And if that doesnât feel like a punch in the gut.
#kingsman#kingsman stocking stuffers#sirhartwin#harry/tequila#kingsman: the golden circle#my posts#i'm so sorry that this is so late grad applications have been kicking my ass
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At The Beginning With You
Welcome to my entry for the 2019Â @kingsmansecretsanta! Iâve actually never done this event before, and Iâm glad I did so now!Â
My gift is for the incredibly talented @han-ban-bam who won my heart over with their art when I was curious about their prompt. I hope you enjoy it!
Find it here on AO3
Summary:Â The Dowager Empress has been searching for her lost son Henry for ten years- but she's lost hope, and is prepared to live out the rest of her days alone, wondering what became of him.
Harry (just Harry) has no idea who he was eleven years ago- and all he has to lead him is a ring he can't remember getting with an inscription inside the band: Together in Paris.
Eggsy and Merlin are looking for the Grand Duke Henry Hart- or at least someone close enough to get the reward money- when Harry falls into their laps.
---
     âGo left they said- well,â Harry looked at the sign briefly before scoffing, âI know whatâs on the left. But, if I go right, perhapsâŠâ He spun the ring on his pinky briefly, a sad smile upon his lips âperhaps Iâll find an answer. But thatâs ridiculous,â Harry began to pace, looping his way through the snow and around the sign twice before speaking again, âhow would I ever make my way to Paris- fuck it; I need a clue, a sign, something- anything! Just⊠give me a hint that doing this reckless thing is the right one.â
      Heâd been without his memories for as long as he could remember, no pun intended. He knew that heâd been staying at the Statesman house for ten years with no clue as to who heâd been or where heâd come from. He didnât have anything from his past- had nothing he could call his own outside of the ring that sat upon his right pinky. Which was plain enough at first glance, but inside the band there was an inscription: Together in Paris.
      Harry pulled his coat as close to himself as he could and glared almost accusingly at the sign post, barely noticing the insistent tugging at his pocket- the one that held his scarf. He looked down to find a small dog, scruffy and black, seemingly delighted to have caught his attention. He grasped the end of the scarf in his pocket and tugged a little, and laughed at the tiny growl the dog gave in return. He played tug for a little longer, allowed himself the luxury of happiness for a moment, before he crouched down and pat him on the head.
      âI donât actually have time to play with you, you know- Iâm waiting for something,â Harry looked back up at the sign, let his eye trail across and follow the snow as it fell, and unknowingly allowed his grip on the scarf to loosen.
      âExcuse me!â The small dog was dwarfed by the scarf, thin as it was, but he was determined to get away. He paused for all of a breath, tail wagging furiously as he looked back, before bolting down the road and pausing again. âLovely. A dog wants me to go to St. Petersburg- wait,â Harry glanced back toward the Statesman house, that he knew he wasnât going back to no matter which path he chose. He looked toward the path he knew well and the predictable future he could have.
 He followed the dog.
 ---
      It turned out that getting out of the country was more difficult than heâd assumed. Made infinitely more so by his lack of money and his status as an amnesiac. There were people trying to hawk off goods as having belonged to the long-since deceased Hartâs- somehow the people who had celebrated their deaths now craved their presence.
      Humanity was strange.
      âExcuse me, sir- a suggestion?â Harry looked up from where he was staring at the ground, and looked the young woman who had spoken in the eye with a brow raised. âGo see Eggsy- he could probably help you.â
      âWhatâs an Eggy?â
      âEggsy, sir,â she corrected gently, and Harry nodded, âand he can help you find a way to Paris- heâs at the old palace, but you didnât hear it from me!â As quickly as she had appeared, the woman had folded into the crowd and vanished. He looked down to Mr. Pickle, having named the dog with the intention of keeping him no matter where he ended up, and pressed his lips to the top of his head before standing.
      âWell, why not?â
 ---
      âI hate to say it, Eggsy, but weâve run out of men the correct age for this farce to be successful. Weâve wasted the last of our money and have nothing to show for it but this dilapidated ruin to hide in for one night longer.â There were men in the building, their voices echoed out from somewhere Harry could not make his way to. He allowed himself to wander slowly, his hands trailing across the few things left in the house- some knicknacks, the odd torn bit of tablecloth.
      âThis place is- it⊠feels familiar. Like a dream I donât remember having.â Mr. Pickle was running about, sneezing when he stuck his head somewhere particularly dusty, but Harry paid him no mind. Heâd tuned out the people talking, one of them being the man heâd even entered the building to find, focused intently on the painting of who he assumed were the deceased royals. There was something about the youngest man in the portrait that had him frozen. He recognised him, somehow, from somewhere; he could feel a phantom grip upon his shoulder, his hair ruffled, a kiss upon his cheek...
      âThe fuck âre you doing here, bruv?â The voice came from across the hall, and Harryâs head snapped up to find two men staring- the one with green eyes and light hair had spoken, and the taller bald gentleman was looking at a notebook, a set of spectacles perched atop his head. The younger man looked angry, almost sneering in his direction, so Harry turned and ran for the stairs where Mr. Pickle was lying beneath the massive painting. âHey! Shit, mate, stop we ainât gonna hurt you!â Thatâs what they all say. Heâd meant to keep running, but the stairs had winded him, and he paused with one hand bearing his weight against the wall before turning to the sound of approaching footsteps.
      âApologies-â
      âHow did you get in⊠hereâŠâ The younger man interrupted him, but trailed off, eyes darting between himself and the portrait behind him with something akin to awe. Harry shrugged and sighed, and Mr. Pickle chose that moment to reveal himself by growling from where he was perched upon Harryâs feet.
      âYou havenât answered our question-â The younger man shushed the bald one, who looked at him as if offended at having been interrupted. The blond man didnât seem to notice his offence.
      âDo you see what I see, Merlin?â The younger man, presumably Eggsy, gestured in Harryâs direction.
      âNo.â pushed the glasses down his head, and gestured toward Harry a second time with a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. âOh, a dog!â
      âNot the dog, Merlin-â
      âOh- oh- you think-â Merlin looked excited by whatever they were seeing in him, but Harry was getting impatient. Either let him leave or get on with whatever it was they wanted with him.
      âAre you Eggsy?â
      âThaâ depends on whoâs askinâ.â So it was definitely Eggsy, then, who was approaching him in a decidedly less antagonistic manner than the chase had started with.
      âIâm Harry, and I need travel papers- I was told my someone that you were the one to find, though I couldnât tell you who told me so.â As he spoke, Eggsy began to circle him, humming to himself and only vaguely motioning that he had heard him at all. âDare I ask why youâre circling me? Perhaps you were a vulture in a previous life?â Eggsy jumped a bit in place and looked at him sheepishly
      âSorry, sorry; itâs just you look an awful lot like-â he seemed to cut himself off, ânevermind, you said you need papers?â He took in Harryâs dishevelled appearance, his worn eyepatch and fingerless gloves, but didnât change how he addressed him. âWhat for?â
      âIâd like to go to Paris.â Harry rubbed his thumb along the band of his ring mindlessly but Eggsy paid him no mind, having turned his attention entirely back to Merlin who was besotted with Mr. Pickle.
      âParis, eh? Well, lemme ask you somethinâ Harry- there a last name to go with that?â
      âI doubt youâll believe me, actually, but I havenât the foggiest as to my last name. I presume I have one, but I was found wandering about ten years ago-â
      âAnâ before then, what? You just popped into existence ten years ago?â Eggsy looked simultaneously hopeful and baffled, and Harry didnât know what to make of that.
      âI know it sounds ludicrous, but I honestly donât remember- I have very few memories of my past, and my only real clue to figuring it out is Paris. So,â Harry shrugged, and forced his thumb from his ring and attempted to look nonchalant. âCan you two help me, or shall I off and find another person to forge my existence?â Eggsy leant toward Merlin and asked for something before turning back to Harry
      âActually, we was headinâ to Paris ourselves- I got three tickets here, but unfortunately one of âemâs for him,â Eggsy gestured to the portrait, specifically the young man with the brown hair and honey eyes, âHenry.â
      âWeâre going to reunite the Grand Duke Henry with his mother- sheâs been searching for years-â Merlin came fully up the steps, Mr. Pickle in his arms, and nudged Harry up toward one end of the staircase.
      âYou kind of look like âhim- got his eyes, you know-â
      âAlexandraâs chin and Nicholasâ smile- look,â Merlin pulled his left hand closer to his face, âhe even has his fatherâs hands.â
      âI mean, whatâre the chances- right age, the looks-â
      âCorrect me if Iâm wrong, but are you attempting to tell me that you think I,â Harry began incredulously, laughing slightly, âam Henry?â
      âAll Iâm gonna say is Iâve seen hundreds of blokes from all over the country ând there ainât one of âem that looks even close to the Harts compared to you. I mean, bruv, look at the paintinâ there!â Eggsy gestured wildly to a new painting he didnât bother to look at.
      âI was rather hoping youâd prove my first impression incorrect, but instead now I think the both of you are mad.â
      âWhy? You donâ know what happened to you, anâ no one knows what happened to him!â
      âYouâre looking for family in Paris, and that happens to be where his only family lives.â Merlin interjected, one hand rubbing behind Mr. Picklesâ ears idly.
      âYou ainât tellinâ me that youâve never thought about it?â
      âAbout what? Being a prince? Itâs more than a bit difficult to think of yourself as much of anything when youâre sleeping on a damp floor- but sure, I guess every lonely person has imagined being royalty.â
      âAnd, somewhere, one lonely man is.â Merlin rested an arm across his shoulder, a move more familiar than anyone had done in many years, and Eggsy began to walk away.
      âWish we could help, mate, but thaâ third ticketâs for the Grand Duke Henry so-â Eggsy pulled Merlin away, and Harry didnât bother to turn. He stared at the new portrait, this one only of the younger man and a woman he could only assume was his mother bedecked in a finery Harry could scarcely imagine. He couldnât help but lift a hand to the canvas, as if he could run his fingertips along the silk.
      âEggsy, can I ask why the fuck you didnât tell him about our plan when he is the only viable option-â Eggsy raised a finger to his lips, and lifted the other hand to count down from three. Two. One.
      âEggsy!â
      âThatâs the thing with us common types- we know how to work a crowd, yeah? Heâs in the palm of our hands, now- just âad to make it look like his idea.â Eggsy grinned, he and Merlin having come to a stop at the base of the staircase, and he could hear Harry making his way down the steps at much the same pace heâd gone up them.
      âEggsy, wait- if I donât know who I am then⊠well, then whoâs to say whether or not I am a Duke?â
      âGo on,â Eggsy placed a hand at his chin, and Merlin seemed to be holding something back, but Harry couldnât help but continue now that heâd begun. If he was going to take hints and chances from the universe, then he was going to do it right.
      âWell, if that turns out not to be true then the Empress would certainly know immediately if that were the case. An honest mistake- what had I to go on but the timing of my injury with the Hart massacre?â
      âMakes sense to me.â Eggsy nodded, one hand beneath his chin, and Merlin nodded once before speaking.
      âAnd if you are the Prince then you will finally have some, if not all, of the answers youâve been looking for. Family and identity.â
      âMerlinâs right, bruv- âsides, either way it gets you to Paris, yeah?â Eggsy smiled and held out a hand, and Harry couldnât make himself hesitate.
      âRight.â They clasped hands, though perhaps Harry gripped a bit too hard if Eggsyâs face was anything to go by. âWell, Mr. Pickle, seems weâre going to Paris.â
 -------
      âStop messinâ about with your ring and sit up- youâre a Duke, ainât ya?â Eggsy didnât want to let on how much he hated trains- always made him feel a bit sick- and tried to focus on getting Harry to act like the man he was supposed to be. Merlin was sat on the other side of the cabin, fiddling with their travel papers, and Mr. Pickle (seriously? Why would anyone name a dog- nevermind) was sat across from Harry in the other window seat.
      âEggsy?â Harry had slouched further into his seat, but seemed to find that just a little too uncomfortable for the ride had sat back up to address him.Â
      âYes, Harry?â
      âHow is it that you know what royalty is supposed to act like?
      âI make it my business to know.â Eggsy dodged the question, not allowing himself to think about his mum and sister even after all the years between then and now. Everyone remembered the Hartâs destruction- but they never remembered the bystanders that fell simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. âIâm just tryinâ to help, âkay?â
      âIndeed⊠Do you truly believe me to be royalty?â His eye was wide and earnest, the brow above the eyepatch raised to match the other, and Eggsy turned fully toward him.
      âYou know I do, bruv.â
      âThen stop bossing me around.â Harry turned bodily back toward the window, pat one leg to beckon Mr. Pickle to sit with him, and seemed to admire the view without a care to Eggsyâs reaction.
      Merlin, on the other hand, had been observing the pair of them since theyâd left the dilapidated palace and simply made another tally in his notebook. For all that Eggsy was a professional sweet-talker, he was being given the runaround by Harry. Between his cheek and his lack of memory, Harry seemed to have a lack of care when it came to niceties, and it had been a long while since anyone had pushed back when Eggsy pushed them.
      They were oblivious, of course, but Merlin wasnât going to complain about the entertainment their dancing about brought him.
      âHarry, I think we got off on the wrong foot.â Eggsy rubbed one hand along his jaw as he sat across from Harry, who looked fully engrossed in a book and might not have heard him in the first place.
      âIâd have to agree with you there, my boy- but I appreciate your apology.â Harry peered over the top of his book for a moment, sincere as you please, and it took a moment for the words to fully sink in.
      âApology? The fuck said anythinâ about an apology- I was just sayinâ-â
      âYou neednât say anything else, Eggsy- in fact, it may actually upset me further.â
      âGuess Iâll keep my trap shut if you will.â
      âFine.â
      âFine.â
      â... Do you think youâll miss it?â Harry whispered, face not leaving the window even though his gaze was locked on Eggsy in the reflection.
      âWhat, you talkinâ?â Eggsy smirked, leant back in his seat carelessly.
      âNo, Eggsy- Russia. Do you think youâll miss Russia?â Harry turned back toward Eggsy and gestured blandly to the snowscape out the window.
      âNope.â He didnât even have to think about it.
      âBut it was your home.â
      âItâs where I lived for a while, but it werenât home, end of story.â
      âThen you must be thinking of making Paris your true home?â
      âWhatâs it with you and home, mate? Russiaâs a place I lived, ând maybe Parisâll be the next place I live, what business is it of yours?â
      âItâs something every normal person wants, for one- for anotherâŠâ Harry stood and tried to pace, but Eggsy refused to move his legs from where they blocked his path. âOh, forget it. Merlin!â Harry exclaimed upon seeing the man come through the door, âthank goodness itâs you- please remove him from my sight.â
      âFuck did you do, Eggsy?â
      âMe?!â
 ---
      âUnfortunate change in circumstance, Eggsy- papers are in red this month.â Merlin spoke at a level tone, conversational, even as he turned their forged papers around to indicate the blue ink they were made in. âI propose we move ourselves to the luggage car before guards come to inspect our papers.â
      âThat ainât gonna do it, guv, yâknow that- letâs get off this train.â Harry was still asleep on the bench, and Eggsy leant over to nudge him awake. âHarry? Harry weâve-â Harryâs arm shot up and clocked him, and Eggsy fell to the opposite bench clutching his nose as Harry rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
      âMy apologies I thought you were someone else- oh, nevermind, itâs just you.â Harry didnât smirk, in fact his eye showed a touch of remorse if Eggsy was reading him proper, but he didnât make any move to help, either.
      âCâmon,â Eggsy grabbed as many bits of their luggage in one hand before offering the other to Harry, âweâve got to go.â
      âMight I ask where weâre going?â They made their way down the corridor slowly, and as Merlin and Eggsy settled into the luggage car Harry couldnât help but nudge the beeâs nest and hide a smile.
      âThe baggage car- scenic. There wouldnât happen to be issues with our papers, would there, maestro?â
      âCourse not, Your Grace- just hated making you mingle with them common folk, is all.â There was a crash, a stack of luggage fell over, and Harry stumbled to the nearest wall. âThe fuck was that, Merlin?â
      âNo idea, but there goes the dining car,â Merlin looked forlornly out the back window before approaching the door nearest the engine, âand it looks as if someoneâs set the engine aflame.â Indeed, there was fire coming from the smokestack.
      âSomethinâ ainât right,â Eggsy threw his coat off before jumping from their car to the one spewing fire, âstay here- Iâm gonna check it out.â
      âIâm not certain thereâs anywhere for us to go.â Harry muttered to himself, glaring down at the bundle of fabric heâd managed to catch, and Merlin nodded in agreement. Luckily for them both Eggsy returned quickly, face flushed and a fair bit of soot on his trousers.
      âThere ainât nobody drivinâ the train- we got to jump.â Eggsy tugged at Harryâs sleeve, half dragging him to the side of the car and pulling the wall open to reveal a steep drop off the edge of a cliff.
      âJump, you said? Well Iâll certainly follow your lead on this one.â Harryâs eye was wide and his face pale with panic, but it seemed that even certain doom couldnât turn off his sarcasm.
      âFuck it, weâll- weâll uncouple the car, then.â Merlin dashed toward the fallen luggage and began searching for tools, and Eggsy went to the coupling, going through whatever tools Merlin handed him and cursing each time they broke.
      Mr. Pickle began to bark as a box shifted closer to him, likely startled by its size, but Harry began to grin as the shifting light from the fire revealed the boxâs contents.
      âYâsure there ainât somethinâ better than this in there, guv?â Eggsy was glaring at the coupling, which didnât look at all worse for wear from when heâd begun trying to undo it, and didnât even look up as there was movement from the corner of his eye. He lifted a hand and grabbed what was passed to him, and grinned when he finally brought it fully into view.Â
      âYes, Harry,â Eggsy grinned jamming the stick of dynamite into the mechanics of it before running to the other end of the luggage car to await the earth-shattering kaboom. âThe fuck taught you that?â
      âNo one had to- I was just a bit inspired by the setting.âÂ
      âEggsy, lad, the brakes are out.â Merlin was turning at the gear frantically, though his voice gave nothing away, and the flaming engine car was still close enough to send some embers into their car. A box caught fire, and Harry went to smother it out as Eggsy looked frantically about for another option.
      âThereâs loads of track still, yeah? Weâll have to slow down eventually!â Perhaps one of them ought to have knocked on wood, for at that precise moment the car rocked violently, and a glance outside showed that a large bit of track just ahead had collapsed. They all froze for a moment before springing back into motion at a frantic pace.
      âYou were saying?â Harry quipped, trying desperately not to panic in the midst of this life-endangering chaos, but Eggsy paid him no mind.
      âI got an idea- Merlin, gimme a hand.â Without waiting for an answer, Eggsy pulled some chain to the back of the car, and climbed down toward the gears. He lifted a hand for the chain, eyes fixed on his target, but looked up as he grasped it. âOi, did I ask for Harry?â
      âMerlinâs a bit preoccupied at the moment.â Harry lowered the chain and instinctively gripped Eggsyâs arm as he lost his balance with a jerk of the car. He pulled the young man up, the two tumbling to the floor of the luggage car in a tangled heap, before watching a bit of the train fly off and slam directly into a tree. âTo think, that could have been your untimely end.â Harry blinked his one eye innocently before letting go of Eggsy entirely and moving away.
      âIf we live through this shit, remind me to thank you.â Eggsy grumbled, moving toward where Merlin was dusting himself off from a wayward tumble into some debris to grab the other end of the chain.
      âWouldnât dream of forgetting.â Harry helped drag the chain into a pile by the door, not quite understanding what the plan was until Eggsy dropped the last bit of it to the top: a hook.
      âBrace yourselves.â With that, Eggsy and Harry pushed the pile of chain out the back of the car with both hands, and waited with bated breath for the hook to catch on something.
      Anything.
      There was a lurch when the hook caught on the track, the entire car pulled off it from the sudden attempted stop. Suitcases were flung from one end to the other, some falling from the damaged holes in the car, Harry held Mr. Pickle tightly to his chest and prayed that theyâd get out of this in one piece- even if it were a damaged one. As soon as the car seemed to settle to a steady grind along the ground, the trio of men locked arms before exchanging terrified grins and staring out at the rushing snowscape.
      âWell, it seems this is our stop!â
      They jumped.
      They miraculously landed without breaking any bones, though some rocks hidden by the snow had scraped them up a bit and Mr. Pickle was shivering pathetically in Harryâs arms.
      âI fuckinâ hate trains, bruv- donâ let me get on a train ever again, yâget me?â Eggsy was still lying in the snow while waving a finger angrily at Merlin, who nodded indulgently, but Harry could do nothing but stare at the sky.
      What now?
 ---
      âAre we walking to Paris, then?â Theyâd been walking for ages, and as the days wore on Harry was losing his nerve and his patience. He felt like a child, whinging about how long things were taking- but he had waited ten years for answers and now that he was on the path the rest couldnât come soon enough. He was so close to getting an answer.
      âNo, Your Grace, we are taking a boat from Germany into Paris.â Merlin sighed, and looked forlornly at the path ahead of them.
      âAre we walking to Germany, then?â It wasnât that he was impatient, Harry reasoned with himself, it was just that he did not enjoy not knowing the plan. He wanted to at least have a solid idea of the next step they were taking, even though the end goal was the same.
      âWeâre takinâ a bus to Germany, Harry, just got to get to town first.â Harry hummed in agreement, and together they trudged on in companionable silence. Until Merlin decided the silence was too much to bear and began to wax poetic about someone named Roxy.
      âWhoâs Roxy?â
      âThe Juliet to my Romeo, hot chocolate after a walk in snow, a decadent pastry filled with laughter-â
      âAre we discussing a dessert or a person?â
      âIx-ay on the Oxy-Rayâ Eggsy muttered, seemingly to himself as both of his companions were too caught up in one another to pay him any mind. The closer they got to Paris, the more stressed he became- how many more ways could shit go wrong? It was lucky that there wasnât an actual deadline here, or theyâd have been fucked over ages ago.
      âThe ethereal Roxy Morton is the Empressâ Niece-â
      âNiece? Why are we going to see the Empressâ niece, and not the Empress herself?â Harry barely kept himself from stopping in his tracks- but no matter what their initial destination, there was no way he was staying out in the cold because he was being petty.
      âDid you really think that we could just show up at the Empressâ doorstep?â Eggsy scoffed, and glanced back before continuing onward. âNo one gets to the Empress without Roxyâs say-so- after that thing where her whole family was massacred the Empress is a bit wary of strangers, if you can believe.â Harryâs ears burned at the rebuke, feeling foolish for not having come to the logical conclusion of security.
      âI hadnât thought of that,â Harry muttered, refusing to make eye contact with either man when they looked back toward him, âIâm not certain how I feel about actively lying to someone about this. Make an appearance looking done up, ask some questions and perhaps get some answers, certainly, but to lie?â
      âThe fuck said anythinâ about lying? Dâyou know you ainât the Duke?â
      âWell no, I donât know much of anything about who I may or may not be.â
      âSo itâs one more stop on the path toward becoming your true self!â Merlin said as he slung an arm about Harryâs shoulders, but Harry looked away and shrugged it off.
      âHarry, ainât this somethinâ youâre gonna see to the end? Thought you wanted answers- canât get shit if you donâ try.â Harry shrugged and stared at a nearby pond for want of something to focus on. Eggsy was having none of his shit, and grabbed him by the elbow to force him to look at his own reflection. âWhat do you see, Harry?â
      âI see a frail man, who has no past to draw from and no future to aim toward.â
      âWell thatâs nonsense,â Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder, gripped it in a way that Harry knew would not be removed by simply shrugging it off, âyouâre an intelligent man who wants answers. Youâre determined and took a chance on the likes of us,â Merlin gestured between himself and Eggsy, âon the word of a woman you didnât know from any other passerby.
      âIâve seen you give command equal to any royal- which,â Merlin smiled, âis saying something, as I was once a member of the Imperial Court. Iâve plenty of experience with royalty to draw from.â
      âSo youâve got a choice, bruvâ Eggsyâd stopped, and had his hands shoved into his pockets, slightly slouched, and Harry couldnât help but admire the cut of his image as Eggsy raised a brow in his direction, âyou gonna focus on what you see now, or what you can become, Grand Duke Hart?âÂ
      âDo you think that Iâve got anything to lose?â
 ---
      It was surprising how easily the lessons were able to stick. It felt far less like creating something from nothing and far more like rebuilding. Like giving a table a new leg, or darning a sock, instead of crafting from the bare materials. On the one hand, it made lessons simpler to get through- but on the other, it was actually terrifying to think that he had once known these things. Had he once been a man of the Courts? Was he a gossip that had merely taken note of all of these things for use at some later point?
      Table manners had needed some work, but it seemed that if Harry stopped thinking about things then his body simply did them naturally. If he curled his lip and narrowed his eyes, sometimes he was able to imagine sitting with the sorts of stuffy people he imagined royals to be and not making an utter fool of himself. But the things that were not easy were so difficult Harry was tempted to give up the venture entirely.
      âHarry, if I can do this shit then you can too. It ainât that difficult.â Eggsy was gesturing with a sheet Merlin had written various facts onto. Family members and the sorts of little stories that were used to make conversation when small talk wasnât enough. Oh, once Count so-and-so managed the most ghastly thing entirely by accident! The empty stories that made collectives and families. âNow Count Sergei-â
      âIâve heard heâs put on a fair amount of weight.â Merlin commented from where he was sat, writing into a notebook.
      âHeâs the one who had a cat, right? Some fat yellow thing,â Harry cocked his head to one side, eyes looking skyward, and entirely missed the startled look Merlin and Eggsy exchanged.
      â...Yes, Harry.â Eggsy said, barely holding it together as Merlin shook his head, only enough to be barely noticeable. Merlin snapped his book shut and tucked it away, Mr. Pickle startled from his nap where heâd sat upon Merlinâs legs and jumped down as Eggsy approached their luggage and reached inside. âNow, thereâs somethinâ all royals cân do that us common types ainât the best at-â Eggsy pulled out a set of black menâs dress shoes, open laced and simple, âdancing.â He came up to Harry, offering them to the man with a grin. After a moment of Harry not reaching to take them from his grip, Eggsy shook them in front of his face. âWhatâre you waitinâ for?â
      âThe punchline.â
      âThereâs no punchline, Harry- dancing is as important to the royals as all of the bits of knowledge youâve memorised up till now,â Merlin spoke softly, and made sure to look Harry in the eye, âyouâre going to have to learn at least a few dances, and these shoes are what youâll need to be comfortable dancing in. Eggsy is going to be your dance partner-â
      â- what?â
      â- as youâll have to be comfortable leading your partner and the height differential betwixt you is ideal.â Merlin didnât smile, but Harry could see the amusement in his gaze. He nodded, and Merlin took a few paces back to lean against the edge of the boat as Harry replaced his worn travelling shoes with the fancier pair.
      âTheyâre called oxfords- they make some with designs and shit ân call âem brogues, but the Hartâs were more about beinâ elegant than flashy.â Eggsy muttered, the tips of his ears were red, and in spite of his overwhelming curiosity Harry kept his mouth shut. Perhaps at the end of all this he would know more than just who had once been, but until that time came it didnât do well to pry.
      âWell,â Harry stood, at once feeling entirely and nothing like himself in the too-hard shoes, âletâs get started.â Harry offered a hand to Eggsy, who took it before placing his other hand at Harryâs shoulder. They exchanged a shaky grin before starting to move, both muttering beneath their breath and glancing downward every few moments.
      âWell, Merlin, on the one hand youâve done an admirable job in setting them up. On the other,â he sighed to himself, pulled a hand down his face and allowed his eyes to lazily follow them as they seamlessly danced their way around the bow of the ship, âyouâve set them up.â
      âIâm feeling a bit light headed, Eggsy.â Harry murmured as he slowed their dance down to a crawl.
      âDizzy?â Eggsy looked up, an eyebrow cocked and Harry nodded in reply. âProlly from all the spinning. We- we should stop.â Eggsy couldnât pull his eyes from Harry, who was looking at him the same way heâd looked at the sunset- eyes wide and mouth slightly parted.
      âWe have stopped.â They didnât move from their positions, pressed nearly chest to chest and the toes of their shoes touching, and both men closed their eyes. Simply allowed themselves to breathe in the same air, unknowingly leant even closer than before, nearly-
      There was a clatter of luggage, and both menâs heads snapped toward Merlin and Mr. Pickle, the latter of which was sat atop the messy pile of belongings. Merlin was half covered by the pile and glaring at the dog. Eggsy pulled from Harryâs grip and backed up a bit before smirking in his direction.
      âYouâre doinâ great, Harry.â
 ---
      Merlin was sitting on the floor of their room of the ship, a little green at the gills, while Harry read a book in his bed. Eggsy was sleeping on the floor, surrounded by their luggage just a little bit away, and Harry looked briefly over his form and Mr. Pickle sleeping beside him before he turned to Merlin.
      âAre you sure youâre alright?â
      âJust riddled with envy- there Eggsy is sleeping through everything while you and I remain awake from the rougher waters. Thereâs little I envy of Eggsyâs life, but his ability to sleep through anything is at the top of that list.â Mr. Pickle had stirred at Merlinâs voice, and made his way over toward them with more than a little fanfare; he was small, and climbing over the luggage had jostled something loose, something that looked priceless. Gold and blue and engraved with strange symbols that tugged at the edges of Harryâs mind.
      Or perhaps that was the seasickness talking.
      âItâs a lovely jewellery box, is it not?â
      âIs that what it is?â Harry turned it in his palm idly, looking but not really seeing the details.
      âWell, what else could it be?â Merlin looked briefly between Harryâs face and the intricate object before putting his head back between his legs.
      âSomething else- something... secret,â Harry whispered, ran a fingernail along the top edge, âis that possible?â
      âWell, anythingâs possible- you got Eggsy to waltz, didnât you?â They chuckled for a moment, exchanged a wry glance, and settled in for bed as best the were able.
      Eggsy woke to Mr. Pickle barking and jumping on his side, and he sat up slowly before registering the groaning that was not his own coming from the bed. Harry was tossing, his face contorted into a grimace and a noise Eggsy didnât want to call a whimper but could call little else escaped him. Eggsy couldnât help but scramble from his place on the floor, ran a hand down Mr. Picklesâ back unthinkingly as he passed, and shook Harryâs shoulder.
      âHarry? Harry! Wake up!â Harryâs eye shot open, one hand slapped itself over his ruined eye socket to hide it from view as he gasped. Or maybe just to grasp at the eye patch that should have been there but was conspicuously absent. Eggsy moved his eyes slowly, left his hand on Harryâs shoulder, and used the other to pick up the patch from where it had fallen to the floor.
      âHere,â Eggsy gave a small smile, the kind of sheepish thing you exchange when embarrassed, as he pressed it into Harryâs hand, âyou okay?â
      âI- Iâm not sure. I keep seeing these faces, theyâre screaming, and-â
      âHey,â Eggsy squeezed the hand on Harryâs shoulder, âit was just a dream, yeah? Youâre safe now.â Harry looked between Eggsyâs eyes frantically, as if he was looking for something specific, and seemed to relax minutely as he found it. Whatever it was. His face slackened, one side of his mouth pulled into a sheepish grin, before he stretched languidly and turned onto his side beneath the covers.
      âOf course Iâm safe- Iâm with you.â
 ---
      âYes, yes, weâd take picnics by shore in spring- but, tell me, why in the spring? How did we get there?â An older woman, silver hair pulled into an elegant knotwork of loose braids, tapped her cane to the floor while glaring at the man before her. She could see the dye in his hair and the state of his attire did nothing to convince her of his supposed heritage. His blue eyes widened, one hand lifted in a parody of thought, before she continued. âIâm sorry, sir, but youâve taken too long. Please see yourself out- and do let people know that I have no intentions of seeing any more false Henryâs.â The door did not slam behind him, but a woman emerged from the hall with her eyes downturned and she scuffed a foot in the carpet as she came forward. Her red dress somehow subdued despite the colour, shoes a simple black to accompany a delicate bracelet that sat upon her wrist.
      âIâm sorry, Empress, I thought-â
      âThe issue is not that you were thinking, Roxanne- itâs in how you were thinking. Itâs been many years, and I am growing tired of the rough ride my heart has been taken on. I donât want to give myself any more false hope, darling- Iâll not see any more. I would rather wonder than have my heart broken again.â
      âAs you wish, Empress.â
 ---
      âWhat if she doesnât recognise me? What if Iâm not Henry, and weâve come all this way for nothing? Just a short while ago I had nothing and now Iâm having to remember an entire lifetime-â Harry was fiddling with his ring, the only bit of familiar clothing on him, and refused to meet anyoneâs gaze. His blue waistcoat and bowtie felt stifling and the oxfords on his feet still felt unnatural. But, these were the sorts of things he was meant to be used to- so he would suffer through the hassle.
      âBreathe. Weâll cross that bridge if we get to it.â Eggsy ruffled Harryâs hair, sufficiently distracting him from Merlin ringing the doorbell.
      âOui, monsieur?â A maid had opened the door initially, but Eggsy stifled a laugh as she was unceremoniously pushed from the doorjamb and replaced with a woman in violet. Her hair was pulled to the nape of her neck with a black ribbon, and Harry could only notice that because she had veritably launched herself into Merlinâs embrace.
      âMerlin, well isnât this an unexpected surprise!â She had pulled back, a smile splitting her face, seemingly ignorant as to the rest of the guests. âDo come in, we can catch up inside. What brings you all the way to me after all this time?â
      âMight I present His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Henry.â Merlin gestured toward Harry regally, and Harry couldnât help but straighten his back under her appraising gaze.
      âWell he certainly looks the part- but so did many of the others Iâve had to see through, love.â Roxy tilted her chin and narrowed her eyes, but nodded her head before addressing Harry directly.
      âHow do you take your tea, Henry?â
      âPreferably not at all.â Roxyâs lips twitched for a moment before settling back into calculating neutrality. For all that he was meant to be royalty, if he did not act like a normal person around those who were meant to be his peers then he was obviously out of place. At least, thatâs how he justified his thoughtless reply in his mind.
      âIf you and I were to go dancing,â Eggsy stifled a laugh at Harryâs look, âwould you allow me to lead?â
      âWould you step on my oxfords?â Harry raised a brow, and Merlin huffed a breath as he shook his head. The dance had begun.
      It had taken several hours, theyâd shared a meal and Eggsy had noticed Roxyâs watching how Harry ate his meal. Theyâd had tea brought out twice, and Merlin could practically hear the notetaking happening in Roxyâs head. On the one hand, it was admirable that Roxy was taking her job as gatekeeper to the Empress so seriously- but on the other, this was exhausting.
      âAnd, finally, this may be a fair bit personal-âÂ
      âWeâre meant to be discerning my identity, think nothing of it-â
      âHow did you escape during the siege of the palace?â Roxy finished, and sat back in her seat with her hands folded in her lap. Harry looked to the floor for a moment from the corner of his eye, and licked his lips before answering with a knowledge he didnât know the source of.
      âThere was a boy, a young boy that worked in the palace, and he opened a wall. Which sounds like nonsense, I know, but-â
      âIs he Henry, then, Roxy?â Merlin interrupted, leant forward in his chair beside her, one hand upon the tabletop between them. Eggsy hadnât moved, had barely dared to breathe, locked on Harryâs form with eyes wide and unseeing.
      âWell he certainly answered every question I posed to him.â Harry allowed himself to smile, but couldnât get his body to relax. Still sat with his back straight, wrists straight, legs still beneath the table.
      âSo when do we go and see the Empress, then?â
      âYou donât.â Itâs said simply, neutrally, as if discussing the weather or a nearby plant as Roxy pushed from the table and began to pace. âThe Empress has had her heart hurt once too many times and has ordered an end to introductions.â One hand rubbed at her chin while the other was curled behind her back.
      âBut there simply must be a way- I certainly wonât budge until we have some semblance of an idea.â Merlin spoke not frantically, but not calmly either. He spoke like a man who was used to people finding a way to obtain what he wanted.
      Harryâs mind was frantic. Here he had come all this way, done everything proper, and still it was hopeless?
      âDo you like the Russian Ballet? I believe theyâre performing in Paris tonight, and the Empress and I are sure to never miss a performance.â Roxy winked in Merlinâs direction, Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to share a smile with Eggsy-
      Who wasnât there.
      âWe did it! Weâre to see Her Imperial Highness tonight and then we are golden, Eggsy!â Merlin meandered into the garden where Eggsy was staring almost angrily into a bird bath.
      âHeâs the Prince, Merlin.â
      âOh, quite right, I nearly believed him myself,â Merlin continued to babble, but Eggsy wasnât listening. They were going to shop for proper attire for the ballet, great, but that didnât change anything. Theyâd go, the Empress would see Harry, and it would be over.
      Heâd just have to live with it.
 ---
      âMerlin I told you a hundred times now, we got nothinâ to worry about. Henryâs the Prince. Heâs the real deal.â
      âI know, I know-â
      âNo, you donâ fuckinâ know! I was the boy in the palace, Merlin,â Eggsy swallowed heavily, clenched his hands together and looked down at his lap. Sitting on the steps of the Ballet house was likely poor etiquette, but he couldnât care less at this moment. âI opened the wall.â
      âThen⊠Weâve managed to reconnect Harry with his family, weâve found the heir to the throne, and you-â Merlin breathed, sad eyes looking at Eggsy.
      âWill leave his life forever.â
      âWhat? But, Eggsy, he-â
      âPrinces donât marry kitchen boys, Merlin. Itâs better if he donât know- we get this shit done like nothingâs changed, yeah?â
      âYouâve got to tell him, Eggsy-â
      âTell me what?â Harry appeared as if summoned, but Eggsy knew it was just because he was distracted. His jacket, slightly covered by the long black winter cloak, was a dark blue velvet, slacks a pristine black and both were cut to make Harry look as if he had been the muse for whom the clothes were made in tribute of. He looked stunning, eye soft and hair carefully groomed and he seemed to have obtained a new eyepatch. Less faded, more elegant, just the slightest change that somehow made a world of difference.
      âJust how wonderful you look, Harry. Like- like Royalty.â Eggsy ran a hand through his hair, and only Merlin could see the way he tugged sharply at the fine bits at the base of his neck.
      âWell, thatâs what they say I am, so,â Harry shrugged, a little pink in the cheeks, and the three of them slowly made their way up the steps. People stared, but only in the way one stared at a piece or art, admirably sand from a distance.
      âThere she is, Harry,â Eggsy leant intimately into his space, offering a pair of opera glasses and pointing with a flick of his wrist across the balcony. Roxy was sat beside a woman bedecked in a fine burgundy and so many jewels the chandelier was envious. An ornate crown sat upon her brow, and though her eyes were sad her face was soft. Harry immediately felt as if he knew her, could easily imagine late evening talks and soft laughter.
      âOh, please let her remember me.â Harry begged a god he didnât believe in, desperate to know that he belonged somewhere but unwilling to believe so without solid evidence. He spent the first quarter of the ballet nervously fiddling with his ring, and ripped his programme to shreds, before Eggsy reached over and seamlessly threaded his fingers between Harryâs and gave a squeeze.
      âEverythingâs going to be fine, Harry.â Eggsy said it with such authority that Harry couldnât help but believe him, and allowed himself to relax and actually enjoy Cinderella until the intermission.
      âCâmon, itâs time.â Eggsy stood and pulled Harry up with him, and the pair walked steadily through the halls until they came to the set of doors Eggsy knew led to the Empressâ balcony. âIâm gonna go in and announce you proper, anâ then Iâll come and get you, yeah?â He turned to pull away, but found Harryâs hand tightened around his own.
      âEggsy,â Harry was pale, but steady, and looked at him very seriously, âweâve been through quite a lot together, and I wanted⊠well, before everything changes, I wanted to thank you.â He lifted their clasped hands to his face, and placed a light kiss to Eggsyâs fingers with a soft smile and an emotion Eggsy didnât want to name in his eye. Eggsy allowed himself one moment, the space between one blink and the next, to imagine the life he wanted. The life they could have had, if all of these things hadnât turned out the way they had.
      âI- I, uh IâŠâ Eggsy forced himself to look away from Harry and pulled his hand back. âGood luck, Harry. Here goes!â He turned, and let himself into the room- not noticing that it didnât latch shut behind him.
      âPlease inform Her Majesty, the Dowager Empress, that I have found her son, the Grand Duke Henry- he's waiting to see her just outside.â Roxy had stood when the doors opened, and stifled a giggle at Eggsyâs airs.
      âIâm sorry, sir, but the Empress will see no one.â
      âYou can tell the impertinent young man that Iâve seen enough Grand Duke Henryâs in my lifetime and have no desire to see another one. I wish to live out the remainder of my lonely life in relative peace.â
      âIf youâd just let me-â
      âCome, youâd better leave, Iâll escort you to the door.â Roxy pulled the curtains shut and bustled to the door, but Eggsy took a breath and went through the erected barrier instead.
      âYour Majesty I mean you no harm, my nameâs Gary- I used to work at the palace. In the kitchens.â He sat in a seat but was sure to leave a space between them- he was pushing things, but he wasnât a complete idiot.
      âWell thatâs certainly not one Iâve heard before.â Her nose wrinkled, the edge of her eyes creased, and Eggsy couldnât help but see Harry in her face.
      âI hope not, maâam, as itâs the truth anâ all-â
      âI know what youâre after, Iâve seen hundreds of you in the last decade- men intent on the reward and willing to do anything to get it. To lie to an old woman about her own son,â she spat, âyouâve come a long way, havenât you? To get here from Russia must have been quite the trek, and no matter who the man beyond that door is heâs not going to be my Henry. He may look like him, or talk like him, perhaps he has the family tree memorised or knows my favourite perfume but it is never. My. Son.â Harry and Roxy were stood by the door, one on each side, and both could hear the exchange. Roxy looked at him with defeat set in her shoulders, and Harry could do nothing but run his thumb upon his ring and look to the ground in reply.
      Harry barely kept himself from crying, just from the pain in her voice- he may not have any memory of his family, of his past, but he had seen enough examples of pain, of grief, in his ten years at Statesman to never wish to cause that to someone else. Whether Eggsy and Merlin had used him was irrelevant to this womanâs suffering. He had no right to reopen those wounds, no matter who he had been.Â
      âHe really is Henry, Your Majesty!â Eggsy was grabbed around the arms by two security men, who had likely come through an unseen passage at the Empressâ request. âJust talk to him, five minutes, and youâll see!â She looked away from him, threw a hand lazily over her shoulder, and Eggsy was tossed from the room to land in a heap at Harryâs feet.
      âWas this all a lie, as she thinks, Eggsy?â Harry offered Eggsy a hand to help him up, but let go as if burned once he was righted. There was only one real way to end this venture and stop contributing to the hurt the Empress had to endure.
      âNo, no Harry it wasnât,â Eggsy clenched his fists so tightly his nails bit into his palms, âI ainât gonna lie and say it didnâ start out that way but everythingâs different now. Itâs been differenâ since we got to Paris cos you really are Henry Hart.â Harry looked at him sadly, and a single tear ran from his eye.
      âFrom the beginning there were falsehoods, and to think that I actually,â Harry shook his head slightly, ânevermind. How am I meant to believe you, now, Eggsy?â
      â... When we was at Roxyâs place,â Eggsy spoke slowly, eyes never leaving Harryâs, âyou told her that youâd gotten out from the palace cos a boy opened a wall.â Harry nodded, âDid we ever tell you that?â
      â... No.â Harry sighed, and lifted a head to rub at his temple.
      âI was that boy, Harry,â Eggsy gulped, âI worked in the kitchens, whole family worked at the Palace and all, anâ I heard the crashing anâ screaming and I didnât even think I just knew I had to try.
      âIâm sorry I couldnâ do more, Harry. But Iâm trying to make up for it now.â Harry still looked unsure, so Eggsy nodded firmly and stepped around Harry to leave through the front door. He could take all the time he needed, as long as he was still in Paris by the time Eggsyâd convinced the Empress to try one last time.
      For once luck was in Eggsyâs favour, as the Empress as getting into her car just as he made his way down the steps, and Eggsy slid into the driverâs seat smoothly before taking off, tyres screeching.
      âIlya, slow down.â Eggsy looked back at her with a wink, and took a sharp turn while he kept his laughter to himself.
      âI ainât Ilya, maâam, and I wonâ slow down âtil you listen to me.â The Empress demanded otherwise, but Eggsy tuned her out. It didnât matter what Harry thought of him, what this woman thought of him, what happened to the money- as long as Harry got his fair shot at happiness. He pulled them to a stop in front of the house theyâd been staying at. âYou got to talk to him, look at him. Please.â If it were for anyone else Eggsy would have hesitated, but he knelt before the woman with his head hung low and hands digging through his pockets.
      âI refuse to be badgered by you for a moment longer, young man-â Eggsy pulled the jewellery box from his pocket triumphantly and held it before her.
      âDâyou recognise this?â She reached out a shaking hand to pull it toward her, breath caught, and looked briefly up to Eggsyâs eyes.
      âWhere did you get this?â
      âI know youâve been hurt, and that ainât fair,â Eggsy ignored the question, âbut maybe. Just. Maybe heâs been just as lost anâ alone as youâve been.â
      âYouâll truly stop at nothing until I give in, will you?â
      âHarts ainât the only stubborn family, maâam.â Eggsy grinned, and though all the Empress did in reply was sigh he knew heâd won this battle. He led her up the stairs, left her at the door, and hoped for a miracle.
      âWhat could you possibly need of me at this time of night, Eggsy?â Harry barely paused in his packing to respond to the knock at the door. No matter the outcome of the evening, it was unlikely that he would be able to remain in this place for long. He had to begin a new life, here- and the beginning was sure to be the toughest part. He didnât notice the door opening or the clacking steps into the room, and only turned when he heard the door click shut again.
      âOh, I- I beg your pardon,â Harry stuttered, âI thought you were-â
      âI know precisely who you thought I was, sir- but I must ask. Who, exactly, are you?â
      âTo be honest I was hoping youâd be able to tell me.â Harry pulled up one end of his lips before pulling out a nearby chair and sitting himself on the edge of the bed.
      âI am an old woman, dear, tired of being conned and given hope only to have it tricked away.â She did not speak the way Harry assumed Royalty would, she spoke plainly, but perhaps that was more her age than her standing in life.
      âItâs a good thing that Iâve no desire to trick you, then.â
      âI suppose youâre uninterested in the reward money, as well?â
      âTo be frank, Highness, all I desire is to know who I am. Whether or not I belong to⊠well, to all this,â Harry gestured to the finery he was still draped in, to the room around him that was far finer than any other heâd stayed in. âWhether I belong to your family, or if I must continue searching Paris on my own.â
      âWell Iâll have you know that youâre an excellent actor- the best Iâve seen, in fact- but it doesnât make you who Iâm looking for.â She looked him up and down once more before turning to walk from the room, and Harry caught something on the air he couldnât help but comment on.
      âPeppermint?â
      âAn oil, for my hands.â The Empress paused with a hand on the door as the other held her elegant cane.
      âI think I- yes, I spilled a bottle of it, once, onto the carpet. It always smelled of peppermint after that- it always reminded me of you.â Harry was looking down at his hands, and entirely missed the Empressâ eyes widening as she turned around and sat at the bench by the door. âIâd lie there, undignified on the floor with a book, when you were away on business and wait for your return.â He turned in place, eyes closed, one hand fiddling with the ring that had started this entire adventure as he smiled softly. He didnât know where the words were coming from, but at this point heâd stopped questioning his body when it seemed to know what to do.
      When Harry opened his eyes, the Empress was looking at him softly, and gestured to the bit of bench beside her. He took the hint and sat down, forcing his hand away from the ring as he turned to face the Empress.
      âWhat is that?â She gestured to the ring, and Harryâs ears pinked at having been caught fiddling.
      âIâve always had this, for as long as I could remember. Well, since before then, Iâd wager, as I donât recall where it came from.â
      âMay I?â She lifted a hand, and Harry could only watch as if from a great distance as she took the ring from him and pressed it to the bottom of the jewellery box and twisted a handful of times. âIt was our secret, my Henryâs and mine.â
      âThe music box- to⊠to lull me to sleep, while you were in Paris.â Harry whispered as he watched the box open and the figures began to spin. âHear this song and rememberâŠâ
      âSoon youâll be... home with me-â The Empress sung softly as she slowly placed the music box on the bench between them.
      âOnce upon a December.â Harry finished, still staring at the music box as it stopped playing a song he hadnât known he knew.
      âOh, Henry,â the Empress cried, uncaring of the tears that fell down her face in what was certainly an undignified manner, âmy Henry.â She pulled him into an embrace, and Harry couldnât help but tuck his head into her shoulder and close his eye, trying to soak in the moment as much as he could.
      Down on the pavement, staring at the lit window from the fence, Eggsy blew a kiss and walked away, knowing heâd gotten Harry home.
      Hours later the Empress and Harry were sat in her home, a short table covered in small paintings and other such physical memories between their chairs, and Harry felt more than a little overwhelmed.
      âI remember, now,â he murmured, âhow much I loved them. It feels silly to mourn for them now, but-â
      âThey would not have wanted us to live in the past forever, Henry- especially not now that we have found each other again after all this time.â Harry hummed in agreement but continued to run his fingers over the sketch of what was apparently he and his brothers. People he could barely remember but somehow missed fiercely.
      âDo you remember this portrait you made for me?â She passed over a rather ugly drawing, and Harry couldnât help but laugh in no small amount of amused horror.
      âOh, yes, didnât Olga say it looked as if a pig were riding a donkey?â Harry held it away from his face and squinted before he shrugged and set it aside. âSeems she was right.â
      âYou laugh just the way your father did,â The smile they shared was sad, âah, but your looks are all from me. And rightfully so, Nikoâs hair loss was a terrible shame.â The Empress ran a hand through her soft curls before reaching out to card through Harryâs own, now that it was free from the product that held it in place for the ballet. âCome, weâve a celebration to prepare for.â
      If Harry had thought the shoes were uncomfortable he was sorely mistaken. The pair of sashes that draped from shoulder to hip, the cloak at his shoulders that forced them back, the sheer weight of the jewelled tunic⊠he felt like a piece from a museum, not meant to be moved or touched, no matter how beautiful.
 ---
      âYou sent for me, Your Grace?â Eggsy bowed at the waist, confused beyond reason for his presence in the Empressâ home after heâd basically kidnapped her and forced her to interact with Harry.
      âThe ten million rouble reward, as promised, with my gratitude for your stubbornness.â She stepped away from the table, and indicated the open case that sat upon it.
      âWell ta for the gratitude, Your Highness, but I donâ want the money. Thereâs other places I can get that.â Eggsy knew he was being stupid, being proud, because the money was actually something he needed. But the thought of it left a bad taste in his mouth, and he knew he wouldnât be able to take it.
      âThen what is it that you desire in return for bringing my Henry back to me?â This was an entirely different person from the car, this was far more like the woman heâd known in the Palace. When things were simple, and happy.
      âânfortunately, nothinâ you can give me.â Eggsy turned and began to walk from the room, but was stopped by a hand at his wrist.
      âBefore you go,â The Empress began, not at all as if she were giving an order but Eggsy couldnât help but comply, âwhere did you get that music box?â Eggsy pulled his fingers down his jawline and looked away, teeth clenched tightly together.
      âYou were the boy, werenât you- the servant boy who got us out. You saved his life that night- and mine- youâve restored him to me, after all this time. And you desire⊠nothing?â
      âNot anymore.â Eggsy shrugged the hand from his arm and continued toward the door, desperately trying to hold tears at bay. Harry deserved this, to have the life that had been taken from him so many years before in a senseless act of violence. It wasnât his fault that Eggsy wasnât a part of that picture.
      âCan I ask what changed your mind?â Eggsy stopped and turned back to the Empress, shoulders back and jaw set.
      âItâs more a change of heart, maâam. If youâll excuse me.â Eggsy bowed again before taking his leave, entirely missing the knowing look the Empress made at his back. He made his way down the stairs, stared fixedly at his feet as his hand gripped the rail, hoping beyond reason that he could simply escape without running into-
      âHello, Eggsy.â Harry, in an outfit of gold and sky blue, the sort of thing the Emperor had worn to the sort of parties Eggsy had never been old enough to work, let alone attend. âDid you collect your reward?â It was said kindly, there was no judgement in Harryâs gaze, but it still made Eggsyâs neck prickle with shame. Did he really think that little of him, after everything?
      âGot my business done, yeah.â
      âExcuse me, sir, youâre to bow and address the Prince as Your Highness.â A servant spoke from the base of the stairs, and Harry lifted a hand to stop him but Eggsy needed to get out of there. Now.
      âYour Highness,â Eggsy bowed much the way he had for the Empress, and lifted only his eyes, âIâm glad you found what you was lookinâ for, Harry.â
      âIâm⊠Iâm glad that you have, as well.â Harry looked like he had more to say, so Eggsy remained as he was, but nothing more came.
      âGoodbye, Your Highness.â Eggsy finally took his leave, fluidly walking down the steps and out the door before Harry could reply.
      âGoodbye, Eggsy.â
 ---
      Mr. Pickle did not like the crown they were attempting to put on him for the party. He didnât mess with the sash or the toy sword but no matter how many pins Merlin used the crown was thrown off in a matter of moments. As adorable a picture he made, perhaps it was time to give up and settle for the rest of it.
      âWell,â Eggsy spoke from behind Merlin, who turned around holding the dog-sized crown behind his back as if that would make Eggsy forget what heâd seen, âIf you ever come back to St. PetersburgâŠâ Eggsy shrugged, and Merlin dropped the crown to the floor so he could grasp Eggsy by both shoulders.
      âYouâre making a mistake, lad.â
      âNah, Merlin- this is the one thing Iâm doinâ right,â Eggsy knelt to give Mr. Pickle a scritch and used him as an excuse not to meet Merlinâs gaze, âI canât stay. I donâ belong here, with the ivory towers anâ fancy shit.
      âIâll be alrighâ, Merlin- take care, yeah?â Eggsy pat him on the shoulder, and made his way from the house with his one bag and a determined look on his face; heâd done what he set out to do, and now it was time to go home.
      Harry pulled the curtain open for the fifth time in as many minutes, eyes scanning the crowd for someone he was never going to admit he was looking for.
      âHeâs not there, Henry.â
      âI know heâs not-â Harry cut himself off, âwhoâs not there, mother?â
      âThat remarkable young man that found the music box.â
      âHeâs likely a bit busy spending the reward money, heâs probably trying to forget all of this even happened.â Harry muttered to himself as he allowed the curtain to fall back shut and walked away from it. Heâd thought their journey had given them a connection, and though Harry had definitely taken the cowardâs way out and remained silent, Eggsy hadnât said anything either. Heâd thought that they had crossed a barrier, but it seemed that it was all for the job, the story, and now he was something left to the past.Â
      The Empress rolled her eyes and looked at Mr. Pickle, who was curled asleep next to the elegant throne Henry would sit in after his introduction as the guest of honour.
      âDo you see them dancing, Henry? You were born to this, this finery with its titles and jewels, and youâve found your way back here through so much. But I wonder,â She paused, allowing her gaze to trail over the room of celebrating strangers, âif the reality of this is what you truly desire.â
      âAll I ever wanted was to find my family, and I have,â Harry turned to her, and grasped both her hands in his own, âI found who I am, and you-â
      âAnd youâll always have me, my love- no one can take who you are from you again- but is it enough?â She pulled him into her embrace, tucked her head beneath his chin and simply stayed there a moment before pulling back to look into is face. âHe didnât take it, you know. The reward- said what he wanted was something that I couldnât give.
      âSeeing that youâre alive, Henry- seeing the man youâve managed to become in circumstances Iâll never understand- has brought me joy I thought Iâd never feel again,â Harry began to pace, but the Empress caught his arm and lifted a hand to his cheek. âWhatever you choose, darling, weâll always have each other.â She pulled away and made her way out to the dance floor, leaving Harry to his thoughts. But as soon as heâd been left alone Mr. Pickle had begun a ruckus, barking madly and running out of the back door.
      âMr. Pickle!â Harry whisper-yelled, unwilling to disturb the party more than his dog already had, âMr. Pickle, stop this nonsense!â Of course the street mutt didnât listen, and instead ran madly into the hedge maze his mother had led him through earlier. Harry didnât allow himself to think about the party, about Eggsy and the money he had refused, about the things outside of his control, and instead followed his dog.Â
      After all, this adventure was entirely his fault in the first place. Who knew where else Mr. Pickle would lead him?
 ---
      Eggsy had made it all the way to the ticket window at the station before heâd turned right back around. Maybe he was an idiot, maybe nothing would come of it, but if there was one thing a life without second chances taught you it was to go for what you wanted. Take the risk. Maybe itâd be what killed you, but that didnât make it less important than anything else. At least youâd get to say youâd tried.
      But he couldnât bring himself to actually go inside. He could hear the laughter, the music, could see the elegance from the windows but Eggsy didnât feel any more as if he belonged there. That wasnât his place. So instead heâd settled for wandering the hedge maze, heâd never been in one proper before and it was close enough to feel like heâd tried. Maybe heâd get the courage to find Harry later, but for the moment it was enough to know that he was nearby, even if he was unable to see him.
      Which was why it startled him so much to feel a tugging at his pant leg, and look down to find Mr. Pickle. And back up, to see Harry turning the corner, still in his finery, nowhere near the party what was entirely in his honour.
      âEggsy,â Harry breathed, and he couldnât bring himself to move. The pair stood there, as if they hadnât seen each other mere hours before, before Harry spoke again. âI thought you were going back to-â
      âI was, but-â Eggsy shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets, scuffed a shoe across the ground and looked up slowly, âI couldnât.â
      âAnd the-â Harry was walking toward him slowly, as if he were an easily spooked animal, or an illusion he didnât want to break.
      âThat neither. Wasnâ right, not when I-â Eggsy cut himself off, huffed a breath and shut his eyes.
      âWhen you?â Harry was grabbing his hands, his eye curious and hopeful, and Eggsy blushed and looked away. Mr. Pickle barked, not enjoying being ignored, and it pulled both men from the daze theyâd been in. The music echoed from the hall, and Eggsy looked down as his clothing before he started to pull away.
      âTheyâre waitinâ for you, Harry.â Eggsy looked to the building, barely able to see the light through the hedges, and Harry didnât move.
      âLet them wait.â Harry cupped Eggsyâs chin with one hand, rubbed his thumb along his cheekbone, and turned his face toward him. There was a fraction of a moment, the space between breaths or blinks of an eye, where Harry searched Eggsyâs face before he brought their lips together.
 ---
      Wish me luck, mother, as Iâm off on this new adventure. I know we havenât had long to get to know one another as we are now- but weâll be together in Paris again soon enough.Â
           All my love, Harry Hart
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Rated: G
Pairing: Roxlin
One shot
How Merlin helps Roxy come down from a mission
for the @kingsmansecretsanta
for mang-o
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Eggsy gets an early morning phone call from his sister regarding Christmas for their mother - Harry Hart is an annoying, but deliciously pleasing, distraction.Â
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This is my 4th entry for @kingsmansecretsanta stocking stuffers!
For @randomactsofviolence
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A @kingsmansecretsanta stocking stuffer for @annaofaza who requested an angsty gifset/moodboard of unrequited hartwin with this quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I added the first two scenes so I hope itâs okay for you. đą
#kingsman secret santa#kingsman stocking stuffer#angst#cries#i fell inlove with this quote#hartwin#harry hart#eggsy unwin#kingsman#kingsman secret service#kingsman the golden circle#spoilers#annaofaza#my edit#*gifs
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For @eggsyobsessed, who wanted old married merlahad driving their pseudo-son Eggsy crazy after their âretirementâ from Kingsman. I hope I delivered. I definitely had fun.
@kingsmansecretsanta
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Kingsman (Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Harry Hart | Galahad, Chester King | Arthur, Merlin (Kingsman), Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Original Kingsman Character(s), Gary "Eggsy" Unwin Additional Tags: Jewish Character, Everyone's Jewish, Jewish Identity, Harry Hart backstory, Jewish Harry Hart, Jewish Merlin, Jewish Eggsy, Judaism, Hanukkah, Expressions of Anti-Semitism, Family, Domesticity, Asexual Harry Hart, 2019 Kingsman Stocking Stuffer Challenge, Chester King is an absolute shitstain of a human being, Merlin is a good bro, Harry has a lovely family and I want to write more about them
Summary:Â A Five + One story about Jewish Harry Hart, who is utterly sick and tired of getting Christmas shoved down his throat.
Notes:Â Written for @solrosan for the 2019 Kingsman Stocking Stuffer challenge, for her prompt: Someone (in my head it's Harry, but it can be anyone really) is Jewish and is just a bit... tired with all the Christmas.This is a companion piece to my Everyone's Jewish Kingsman fic, Blessed Art Thou, which you don't have to read to enjoy this story. Â
#kingsman#kingsman stocking stuffers#harry hart#jewish harry#everyone's jewish fic#mine#asexual harry hart
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Chapters: 2/3 (2455 words) Fandom: Kingsman (Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary âEggsyâ Unwin Characters: Harry Hart | Galahad, Gary âEggsyâ Unwin, Michelle Unwin, Merlin (Kingsman), Ginger Ale (Kingsman) Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Mythology References, Supernatural Elements, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), The Fates - Freeform, Harry-centric, Temporary Character Death, Pre-Relationship
Summary: Harry has always believed that there is more truth to the myths and legends of old than people care to admit. That there is more of the world to be seen than what the naked eye can perceive.
As such, heâs always held a deep respect for things that leaves many bewildered. And when his Lachesis sacrifice himself so he might live, he swears heâll forever try to honor him, until the thread of his own life is cut.
Notes: For @agentdagonet and this yearâs @kingsmansecretsanta based on their likes:
Iâm a sucker for soulmate auâs, things that tie in mythologies (look at Elletromilâs Messenger of War, as an example), I love all pairings but have a special place for MerHartWin and HartWin⊠I like stories that make me think a bit.
I hope you continue to enjoy it <3
#kingsman stocking stuffers#kingsman#hartwin#harry hart#eggsy unwin#temporary character death#fanfic#me#a good alternate title would be#try to spot all the reference to the supernatural and mythology i have sprinkled this with#but it would a bit too long
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Hiii @unwinthehart â„Â
Just a little something for the gifts youâve been creating! So have some Harry and Eggsy being disgusting fools in love â„
(for the @kingsmansecretsanta :D)
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