PSL: For Charles

[fucking_gentleman]

It was a week before they were willing to let Harry be moved.

He had another emergency surgery where they had to concede to losing his left eye to keep the nerve intact. Once they managed to get him stable again, they made him get through five days of no crashing, no unpredicted dips or spikes, just quiet healing and level drug intake.

Then and only then was it agreed that Harry could be transported back to England. It would be with transport staff, a doctor and two nurses and he was kept in light sedation to keep his pain manageable while they moved him.

They were met in the Kingsman hangar by Merlin. He didn't offer any words, just stood by Harry's sleeping form for a while and then left with an instruction to settle him in medical called back over one shoulder.

When Harry did regain consciousness, it was in the blessedly familiar surrounds of Kingsman medical. He actually sighed with the relief, staring at the ceiling and willing his emotions back under control.

Comments

[fucking_gentleman]

"Yes. Hopeful." He hated recovery, though. He hated hours alone in a bed, unable to do what he wanted. He dropped his head down to Charles' hand, resting his cheek on the knuckles.

[grailknight]

Charles smiled softly and used his other hand to brush his fingers through Harry's hair.

[fucking_gentleman]

He could live with his hair growing out more than he tolerated the imprecise shave of the electric razor. Especially while Charles was willing to do that.

[grailknight]

"It goes without mentioning that I am relieved that you are still alive, but I feel that I should. You are very important to me, Harry."

[fucking_gentleman]

"Thank you." His voice was soft, slightly heavy again. "There are times it feels like a struggle to remember that people would be deeply aggrieved if I died."

[grailknight]

Charles smiled softly. "You have family here. We would be devestated. You have lent so much strength to me since James's passing. You are one of a kind, Harry Hart, and I intend to be seeing you around for a great while yet."

[fucking_gentleman]

"I have spent an ungodly amount of time since James' death being in a come." The one of a kind, he could hardly argue. His family had always prayed not to have another like him.

He didn't lift his head. He wasn't sure he could, so he didn't try.

[grailknight]

"Perhaps, but your support was both felt and greatly appreciated"

[fucking_gentleman]

"You are such a bullshit artist, Charles."

[grailknight]

"I am and I will admit that freely--but not about this."

[fucking_gentleman]

"My great contribution and support of being in a coma." He was starting to sound a touch belligerent again.

[grailknight]

"Nonsense. The time when you weren't. Right after I heard about his death, for instance. You saw to how I was doing."

[fucking_gentleman]

"I knew how you'd be doing." And that he needed to not be alone. At all. Because Charles was very dependent on the few people he was close to and losing James was going to tear him apart. Even if he wasn't going to show it.

[grailknight]

"Of course you did." Harry got him to focus on the mission of finding a successor. His mind wasn't able to focus at first. He could put up a stoic exterior to some degree. He had nearly made a rude comment during the toast. He also nearly lost everything before it was over. "What did you think I was bullshitting?"

[fucking_gentleman]

"About how useful and supportive I was. Given most of the time I was unconscious and I spent a good month of that on actual life support to keep me stable."

Yes, he had hacked his medical files when he was well enough. What of it?

[grailknight]

Charles raised an eyebrow. "The twenty years that I've known you and a few near death experiences and you can't handle a bloody compliment."

[fucking_gentleman]

"I don't like false compliments." And the mood he was in, a lot of things were going to be labelled as false.

[grailknight]

"It is not false, Harry! You are very well aware that I do not let many people get close, even in the organisation." Charles was private. He prefferred the company of his friends who were his second family.

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry kept watching Charles with that one sharp, alert eye. "Fine. You believe you it, even if I do not." That was a concession. Right?

[grailknight]

Charles signed. "What does any of it matter? At least I have you now."

[fucking_gentleman]

That finally shut Harry up. He knew Charles wasn't close to many people, but surely there had to be someone better to sit with than him.

But he knew there wasn't. Charles wanted to be here and Harry wasn't going to be able to make him leave without really, really hurting him. And life had done that enough, recently.

"Have you been sleeping?"

[grailknight]

It seemed that he had finally gotten his way and Harry changed the subject.

"No. This past week has been terrible."

[fucking_gentleman]

"Would you sleep better in here with me?" He knew some widows and widowers found it incredibly difficult to adjust to sleeping alone again. And frankly, it wouldn't both him if Charles crawled into his bed to sleep. At least he'd know he was sleeping.

[grailknight]

"Yes, perhaps." He nodded. "I did not foresee that I couldn't sleep here." In less extreme ways than Harry, it seemed his body was beteaying him. He furrowed his brows. "I mean in the normal quarters."

[fucking_gentleman]

"I have no sense of time or day down here, but when it's something like a bed time for you, come back here and you stay with me." He didn't leave any space for argument.