For prettyballsy

[fucking_gentleman]

The alarm was sounded at eleven in the morning, the day after Eggsy visited.

The alarms should have gone off before then, but Harry had hacked the machines, pulling and stripping wires and looping the feedback back into itself so there was no sign that he was no longer connected.

He had borrowed clothes by picking his way through the hospital, acquiring one item after another, cards and pass codes and by the time he left, he was dressed and had loose cash, a pilfered phone from a wanker who refused to turn it off and said wanker's credit card, which he used to withdraw the maximum he could and then tossed.

With more CCTV than any other city in the world, he then vanished off the grid.

By the time Eggsy was brought in by Merlin at quarter past midday, Merlin was waiting for another ping from a new internet cafe, the various footage of Harry's escape running behind him, being analysed by technicians for any hints.

"He realised he'd been made and vanished from the last internet cafe in under two minutes. He was off the cameras again within five. You're being authorised to locate and bring in Galahad, before he becomes a target or, worse, gives himself a stroke."

Comments

[fucking_gentleman]

"You should. Go, dress, food, drop off JB and go see Merlin. I'm not going to go anywhere except to my en suite."

[prettyballsy]

Eggsy nodded, considering a moment and then shaking out his trousers and pulling them on. Not bothering with his shirt or jacket though, gathering them in his eyes as he picked up his socks and shoved his feet into his shoes.

"Enjoy the music," he said with a nod, heading for the door.

[fucking_gentleman]

"I have been. I rather enjoy Macklemore and Dizzee Rascal." Because of course, Harry's music tastes were as not snobbish as he generally was. "In fact one of the songs rather reminded me of a conversation I had previously with Alistair and James, rest his soul."

[prettyballsy]

He paused, turning back to look at Harry. He arched a brow then, not wanting to push too hard, but needing to know. "Which song?" He had a thought, but he was curious now.

[fucking_gentleman]

"... Bonkers."

He gave Eggsy a smug smile and waved him on. "Go. Go. I can't shower until you're gone."

[prettyballsy]

Eggsy snorted, rolling his eyes.

"I can't believe I even ask," he called back, heading down the hall.

[fucking_gentleman]

"Neither can I!"

Harry let him go and then went to have his shower. He took it slowly and carefully, and was polite enough to tell Merlin to shut off the feed because he was going to enjoy it.

When he came back, his bed linen had been changed, which he regretted a little, because he would've liked to be able to smell Eggsy on the sheets and pillows.

He planned on doing something else, but instead he went to sleep again, the screen opposite playing footage of various people and interactions that Harry should, but didn't, remember, from his own recruitment onwards.

[prettyballsy]

Eggsy headed to his room, taking a few minutes to get a shower. Not that he needed one but the splash of cold water was definitely helpful.

Toweling dry his hair, he put on a fresh shirt and suit, polished shoes he hadn't toed off, pulling himself together piece by piece. He didn't know what to think, or even how to handle this.

He desperately wanted to go back, crawl into Harry's lap and kiss him like he had fantasized about. He wanted all Harry had promised, to be thoroughly debauched by the man he had dreamt of.

Instead he took JB for a walk and then headed down to Harry's room with the dog. He paused at the door, JB obediently sitting at his heel as soon as he stopped.

"You're acceptable?"

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry didn't respond. Inside, there was the soft murmur of voices, some laughter and toasting.

There was a wedding playing. One Harry had been the best man at, giving the speech to congratulate James for managing to hang onto Alistair, despite the fact that he clearly didn't deserve him.

Agent Percival and the former Lancelot, getting married when the laws passed. They'd had a civil ceremony years earlier, but a proper wedding when it was possible.

Harry was asleep in the pillows, breathing slightly rough and fingers twitching.

[prettyballsy]

Coming in, he gestured for JB. The dog leapt into his arms, and he settled him onto the foot of the bed.

"Down," he said, whispering the word before moving to sit down where he could watch the screen and partial watching the screen and partially watching Harry.

Eventually he knew that Merlin might call for him but, for a time, he wanted to watch over Harry.

[fucking_gentleman]

The wedding unfolded on screen. Harry gave an eloquent, charming and amusing speech before toasting the grooms. Lancelot looked at Percival like he wasn't quite sure how he got so lucky. Harry managed to convince Chester King to join him on the dance floor, a glimpse of the man that Harry had known and trusted, rather than the man who had sent him to die.

It was showing a Christmas party when Harry woke up. His hand had come to rest on JB and he rubbed his folds absently. "Pickle," he murmured.

[prettyballsy]

Eggsy watched, quiet, curious about it all. Not saying a word through it all, even when Chester was there and his heart raced, thinking about how close he came to dying that day. And how much he had cost them all.

JB wriggled closer, lapping at Harry's hand.

"Naw, Pickles is at your place," he said, leaving it at that. "You doing okay?"

[fucking_gentleman]

"What- Eggsy." Harry sighed and rolled onto his side, wiping his licked hand on JB's head. "I was watching some videos... did Chester survive V-Day? No one mentioned."

[prettyballsy]

Eggsy winced, wondering if he should have stayed quiet. Then that question and he fell quiet. Shifting, his jaw tightening.

"Maybe it's best not to talk about that yet." Not after he had been watching that video, that dance. "Were you and he... were you an item?"

He wasn't sure why he asked, but then he couldn't help himself.

[fucking_gentleman]

"... oh dear God, where did you get that idea?!" Harry's horror was actually visually apparent on his face. "No. Dear mercy, no. Chester was quite the old homophobe in an understated way. He was my sponsor into Kingsman."

[prettyballsy]

He winced, drawing his shoulders in and staring at the floor. "Nothing. Nevermind. Don't think about it, but maybe we shouldn't talk about that now."

Because fucking hell, he was being an idiot and now he was going to have to admit to killing him. Fuck.

[fucking_gentleman]

"Eggsy." It was a warning tone. "You can't hide things from me, you realise."

[prettyballsy]

He didn't look up, staring at the floor. He was wrinkling his suit and he knew that, so he shifted, straightening his shoulders, his gaze on the wall before him.

"He was with Valentine. He tried to poison me with a toast to you. I am faster than he can imagine," he said, words formal and clipped.

[fucking_gentleman]

"Chester was-"

It crashed around him. Chester had sent him to that church, almost certainly knowing what would happen. He sent him to be killed and he probably did it specifically to get Harry out of the way.

He rubbed his hand over his face. "I see. I hope you recorded the look on the bastard's face as he died so I can see it."

[prettyballsy]

Chester was..

Dammit, but Eggsy didn't want to be the one to tell him that. He never wanted him to know. Not because of what Eggsy had been forced to do, but what his friend had done to him.

"He was feeling pretty smug until he realized my sleight of hand was better than his smugness," he said, still not looking at Harry. "It was at the table, so Merlin has it."

[fucking_gentleman]

"Good." Harry's vehemence was understandable, but he wasn't used to feeling so angry. "James died. He was cut in half. I spent the night with Alistair, letting him drink himself into oblivion. They had to stitch him together to transport his body back to England."

He was starting to remember things. Which wasn't entirely a good thing.

[prettyballsy]

Eggsy jerked, shifting to look at Harry more fully. "If it helps, she died too. The one with the weird ass metal razor legs." Not just died. Killed by Eggsy but to him that didn't matter. Not at all. What mattered is Harry knew they were taken care of.

"We can talk about something else."

[fucking_gentleman]

"... I don't know who that is," he admitted. "I don't remember her."

His right hand was absently kneading JB's neck, but he looked slightly lost. Like he wasn't sure about anything.

[prettyballsy]

"Given what she tried to do to me and what they told me later, she was the one that killed him," he said, frowning at the look on Harry's face.

Rising and moving to come and stand beside Harry's bed, leaning over him. "Let's talk about something else. Okay? We can talk about anything, but let's not worry about this."

More formal then, feeling something had changed from how good everything felt earlier. In his mind, his thought was that he was going to come to realize just what he had felt before, and how different it was.

[fucking_gentleman]

Harry's hand snapped out, grabbing hold of Eggsy and holding onto him, something like fear in his eyes even if he wiped the expression from his face.

"I don't remember," he said softly. "But I'm aware of what I don't remember. I think it might be worse than remembering nothing."