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"No."
Eggsy didn't think he'd ever heard Merlin raise his voice before. He peered around the corner to Merlin's work station and saw Arthur's face on the screen.
"We don't want to send Eggsy in alone."
"If you're going to send him in at all, he should be made a full agent," Merlin said.
There was a long pause. "It's a deal. If you mentor him on this operation, he'll be made an official member of the table."
Eggsy saw Merlin's lips tighten. He'd never heard the man swear -- he'd only said "heck" when Harry took out a church filled with people -- but it looked like he wanted to curse a blue streak at the moment.
Finally, Merlin said, "He gets his name and his place before the operation."
"Are you trying to blackmail your Arthur?"
His lips twitched. "Merlin's the only one who can. You say I'm the only person who can do this? Then that's my condition."
Arthur looked away for a moment. "Done. It's been a while since we've had a Dagonet."
"No, Arthur. He's not the court jester."
There was a sigh. "The letter 'G' is available since we lost Galahad. Gareth or Gawain?"
Merlin said, "Let him choose. I'll need a week to set up our bona fides. You make it official and we can be in the field by Thursday next."
"Done." The connection broke.
"You can come out Eggsy."
"How'd you know I was here?"
Merlin looked at him gently. "Psychologists consider hyper-vigilance a bad thing. For spies, it's a way of life. You were near enough to my personal boundaries that I could feel someone present. Then I checked the camera to see who it was."
Eggsy thought. "You were positive I was friendly weren't you? I mean, you checked the camera rather than just taking me out."
"Yes, if I'd had the least doubt, you wouldn't have been allowed to remain there."
"So which name would you choose?"
Merlin chuckled. "Gawain and Gareth were brothers. Gawain was known as the champion -- meaning defender -- of women. Gareth was known for having started in the kitchen and proving himself worthy before being asked to join the round table."
Eggsy grinned. "I'll take Gareth then."
Merlin said, "I thought you might."
***
Whatever Eggsy had expected from Arthur's conversation with Merlin, it wasn't this. Merlin speaking with an accent that made Eggsy's sound posh. He tended to think of Merlin as a teacher and a tech guy. Even when they were taking out Valentine, he'd stayed on the plane and used long range weapons. This persona was fucking dangerous.
"Call me Archy," Merlin said. His usually small, precise movements were expansive. "Give us a cuddle," he said arms wide.
Eggsy walked over into the type of manly hug that he'd share with his mates.
Merlin patted his cheek when they broke. "Good lad. So, Eggsy, no one will know you and no one will trust you. Pretty sure that after seven years away, they're not going to trust me much." His arm was still slung around Eggsy's shoulder.
"But they'll know you?"
"Archy? Some of their heads will still be reeling from an Archy slap. An' they'll remember that he took out Lenny Cole for grassing to the filth, and that he ran Lenny's operation for nearly two years before the Russians kidnapped him."
Eggsy looked at him. "You were undercover for two years?"
Merlin raised an eyebrow. He left his arm around Eggsy's shoulder, but otherwise his whole demeanor changed. Archy had left the building. "I'd been undercover for a very long time by then. I took respites when I could. Saw a therapist to hold on to myself." He sighed. "It was Kingsman undercover, not police, so when Lenny Cole grassed on Archy, I was in prison for three years. Kingsman got me solitary when I was in maximum security, minimum security as soon as they could, and lots of things to work on to keep me sane. But they didn't take one day off the sentence, and when I got out, I went right back to working for Lenny Cole."
"So this supergrass, what happened to him?"
"Archy fed him to the crayfish. Merlin made certain people were waiting to rescue him and take him somewhere that he could sing like a canary, as the Americans say. He's been in Kenya for witness protection."
Eggsy said, "Fuck me. That's sick."
Merlin looked at him. "That was nearly a psychotic break for me. This mission is dangerous, for you. You have to be Eggsy, the brash kid that Archy loves -- enough that people are probably either going to think you're my son or my boy toy -- because Merlin's not going to be around much to protect Gareth."
"I did what I had to protecting me family from fuckers like Dean. Got on my knees for some punters so he wouldn't put me Mum on hers. Ran drugs to keep them out of Mum's veins, 'cause the fuckin' bastard threatened to hook her on something if I didn't. I can play both sides. Prolly as good as you can."
Eggsy could see Merlin begin to expand back into Archy. He gripped his arm and said, "Merlin."
Merlin nodded at him.
"Which would be better for me and for Archy? Am I a kid, maybe his, but like a son to him nevertheless, or am I his lover."
Merlin's eyes caught Eggsy's. "You choose. I will say that Handsome Bob is still running around with the Wild Bunch. He's gay or at least bi. He'll be after you immediately no matter which role, but my son might afford you more protection."
"How deep would the cover need to be?"
"This mission is a minimum of three months. It'll only be shorter if we slip up in any way."
"And that'll be 'cause we're feeding crayfish?"
Merlin said, "Mm hmm. If we're lucky, Kingsman will rescue us. We might not be lucky."
"Would Archy use a lover? Like share him around if it would help a job or push him into someone's bed to get information?"
Merlin closed his eyes. Eggsy thought he could almost see a conversation going on in his face between Merlin and Archy.
"I used the word boy toy. You used the word lover."
Eggsy nodded.
"Archy would share a boy toy in a heartbeat. But he'd also use his son that way if the lad were flexible about whom he slept with. A lover would be cherished and anyone who touched Archy's man would not be long for this world. Eggsy, if you choose that, you can't cheat on him. Never. He'll kill you himself even if he's crying as he does it."
There was a long pause. Merlin added. "I have been attracted to you, Gareth," he emphasized the codename to emphasize that it was Merlin talking. "You're a very beautiful and kind young man. You're also bright -- not just intelligent, but something shining from you. If you're Archy's lover -- that serious a relationship -- then you're my lover, too. And I don't know how I'll react when the mission's over."
Eggsy said, "I'm not your son. I don't think of you as a father. If we're lovers, then we sleep beside each other, protect each other, right?"
"Toy boy would work for the sleeping beside each other part."
"Yeah, it would and all. It wouldn't even be like I never been shared 'round before. But you're not the only one's felt attracted. I been wonderin' for awhile if we might have somethin' more to us. If you'll take the risk, I will, too. There's only one promise I want."
"What's that, Eggsy?"
"When we're alone in our bed at night, Archy goes far away. It's Merlin I could fall in love with."
Merlin thought for a long moment. "There may be times when we'll need to be up to something during the day, away from privacy."
"Archy can have me those times. But I want to be able to feel Merlin relax against me at night and have a chance to lay his burden down."
Merlin leaned forward and Eggsy closed the distance for a sweet kiss. "What a lovely man you are, Eggsy."
Eggsy pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. "Take me to bed, Merlin. I want to get to know us before this mission starts."
***
When Archy strode into the working man's club, the people in it froze.
Handsome Bob was the first to say anything. "Archy. We heard you'd been killed."
"Really, boys, and who did the deed?"
Mumbles said, "I was betting on the Russians, since they were the ones nabbed you."
"But, me, I figured you was in prison there, and one of the guards got you during V-day," One-Two said.
"In solitary during V-day, wasn't I? Two days before anyone thought to check on us."
There was a long pause as the men checked each other's reactions.
Finally, Bandy said, "Y'know Johnny Quid's taken over his old man's business."
"I'd heard somethin' about that, yes," Archy said. "He's not at the old place, so where do I find him? To pay my respects."
Fred said, "Who's the little guy?" He lifted his chin toward Eggsy.
"He's a friend of mine, like."
Handsome Bob checked Eggsy out and said, "I bet I could be a better friend to him. What do you say, love?"
Archy cupped the back of Bob's head and said with a smile that had nothing mirthful about it. "He's a very close friend. Might say he has my back twenty-four hours a day, right? So look all you like, but don't touch." He patted Bob's cheek.
"This is Eggsy, boys."
"When'd you turn gay, Arch?" One-Two asked.
"Who says I have? It's just Eggsy, right?"
Mumbles nodded. "Look, but don't touch. Not gay, just him. Got it, Archy."
Archy swaggered out, and Eggsy looked the rest of them over with a smirk before turning on his heel and following Archy out.
***
"So what am I goin' to do with you, Archy? The business is fine. It's mine, now and all."
Archy raised an eyebrow. "Never wanted to run it. I did while you were gettin' clean, but I like being more behind the scenes. I get things done. Sometimes, you're going to want things doing without knowing the how. That's where you need a second, Johnny."
"Got one, don't I?"
"Do you? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he's a good friend to you, but does he organize? Take care of the little details that you don't have to worry about? Remember the important things? 'At's what I'm good at."
"You always was good at the little detail of rememberin' to pick me up from school." Johnny Quid looked him over. "Tell me two things, a'ight?"
"What do you want to know?"
"First, I don't think me Mum would've asked Lenny to send me away to school. Did you think of it?"
"He was beating you to a bloody pulp, kid. Couldn't call the cops or family services now, could I? But sending you to school, getting you away from him, that I could suggest. Sorry if you hated it. Just seemed like the better alternative."
Johnny nodded. "Second thing then, this kid you got with you. Even before you came here, I got people callin' tellin' me Archy's a poof now."
"Is there a question in that? I like the kid. Found out there were more ways to like him than I thought."
Johnny said, "I'd've thought if you went gay, wanted some young thing, you might've tried it on with me."
Archy laughed. "I knew you when you were swiping candies and fixing bets for your posh mates at school. I may call Eggsy a kid, but I didn't know him til he was a man who knew what he wanted and all."
"Fair enough then. I had so much junk in my veins, probably couldn't've gotten it up for you anyway." Johnny leaned back on his chair, and Archy was abruptly reminded of Lenny making his decisions. "You're right, o' course. My middle management ain't bad. My top management eiver wants to skim off too much cream or they can't find their arses with both hands an' a map. You ain't going to skim too much, are you Arch?"
"Your dad was generous. Didn't need to skim. Well, not more than to just keep me hand in."
Johnny said, "Never used the apartment upstairs. Reminded me too much of Lenny. It's yours for a month or two, while we get it all settled between us like. Throw out anything you don't want. I'll have a char come do for you daily. I got some errands for your little friend to run. See you back here at five, right?"
"Five it is, Johnny."
***
That night Merlin lay next to Eggsy sated and warm. "What did Johnny want you to do?"
"Tol' me to get a suit and clean meself up. Since no one knew my face, I could start doing his deliveries in The City. Said he might have a few guests coming in to London City who'd need to be met."
"Driving yourself?"
"Yeah. Car's new, but not too upmarket. Good enough no one will say it's in the wrong neighborhood, but not showy."
"Archy will buy you a suit or two tomorrow. Expensive, but at a discount, and certainly not bespoke. Wear the glasses when you're running errands. There's enough of a tint that you can say they help with road glare."
"Anything else I can take?"
"Lighter, signet ring. Ask me again in a day or two and we can decide about an umbrella."
"What did you do tonight?"
Merlin said, "A few people needed to be reminded of their places in Johnny's organization. It's amazing how a good slap can improve the memory. One of them may get taken out, though."
"Can we warn someone? Prevent it?"
Merlin kissed him. "Probably not. But I'll do my best to find a way."
"Don't let 'em catch you at it."
"I won't. Sleep now. We'll still be together in the morning."
***
The next few weeks fell into a routine. Eggsy worked more during the day, often delivering cash, sometimes delivering drugs, occasionally just relaying information. He wore his glasses all the time because his contact lenses were bothering him, or so he said. His glasses feed provided information to the Met, Interpol, and, possibly, the KGB.
Merlin's day started around noon. He was usually free by 8 o'clock, although there were some nights when he was later. Those were the nights he founded it hardest to put Archy away.
Between them, they pieced together the financial scheme that was about to crash the world's economy for the second time in a decade. Like Lenny's artificial housing bubble, Johnny had found a financial shell game involving 'sustainable' technologies (as best Merlin could tell, on the rare occasions anything was actually produced, it wasn't eco friendly and the technology resembled Atari more than Apple) which he could ride for another year at most. He was already beginning to consolidate his personal fortune in Jersey, Liechtenstein, and Brazil. If it toppled tomorrow, he could declare bankruptcy in Britain and live like a king in the Channel Islands. Or Brazil.
Every day took them closer to being out of this environment. Every day they stayed up their risk.
***
It was probably inevitable that Johnny would decide to do something stupid. It was probably even more inevitable that he would skate away clean while some other poor bastard took the fall. He'd planned for the fall guys to be Archy and Eggsy. Fortunately, he was dumb enough to send three guys with guns to get the two of them. Those guys didn't stand a chance.
The ensuing chase covered half of London. Archy thought they were done for at one point when Johnny's enforcers came head on at their car. Eggsy just grinned and sped backward through the streets of London. Between his childhood on the estates and the deliveries he'd been doing for Johnny, there wasn't a part of London from Kennington Park to Camden Town or Spitalfields to Shepherd's Bush that Eggsy didn't know intimately. He finally lost them, parked the car, and got them on the Tube to High Barnet.
"High Barnet?" Merlin asked, still sounding more like Archy than Eggsy would have liked.
"There's a bus from there 'at'll take us within half a mile of headquarters. We're comin' in from the cold, love."
Merlin chuckled softly. "You haven't actually read the book, have you? It doesn't end happily."
"Well, then, whatever we gotta do to let it end happily."
Merlin took his hand, "And then what?"
"What do you mean?"
"Us. What's next for us?"
Eggsy kissed the hand he was holding. "Now that book I have read. It ends, 'and they lived happily ever after.'"
Merlin smiled and said, "I always liked that ending."