Chapter Text
2 years later, 2006, 14 year old Eggsy
“Next on Floor Exercise we have Gary Lee Unwin Mycroft-Hart! '' Eggsy groaned at hearing his full name announced over the loudspeaker of the Manchester Arena. He would never understand what had convinced his parents that a good name for their kid would be ‘Gary Lee’. To him it sounded like he should be singing that awful American country music that Hamish liked so much. And then you add on his now three last names? It made for a miserable mouthful. But that annoying thought didn’t last long. It was time to concentrate!
Eggsy loved his Floor Exercise. The only thing that would have made it better would be if men’s gymnastics got to use music like women’s did. When he and Coach Jackman had been choreographing the routine, they had used Fergie’s London Bridge as an inspiration. Every time the track popped off with an ‘Oh shit!’ Eggsy popped one of his best tumbling moves. And anyone who knew that song, and who didn’t, it was ALL over the radio that year, knew that meant Eggsy was doing tons of moves.
And Eggsy loved it. He spent half his brain power remembering what skill was next and the other half reminding himself not to sing the song out loud as he performed. His love of current top 40’s pop was something he took a little ribbing for amongst his friends and family. Channing and Jamal were strict hip-hop guys, listening to Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, DMX. They could compromise on artists like Gnarls Barkley and Pharell, but that was about it. Ryan and Liam were all about the rock, sticking to Nickelback, Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Roxy was oddly into pop punk, which meant she and Eggsy overlapped sometimes. He would never understand her devotion to the Scissor Sisters, but at least they could enjoy Blink-182, Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects, and Green Day. Hamish… Merlin! Eggsy had to remember that if he still wasn’t comfortable calling Hamish ‘Da’, then would he at least call him Merlin? The poor man hated his birth name as much as Eggsy did! Well Merlin was the funniest when it came to music. How a Scotsman living in London ended up loving American Country music as much Merlin did no one would EVER understand. Harry’s musical taste made the most sense to him. His other father figure liked pop too. Just not so current. He could often be found bopping his head to ABBA, Cher, and Elton John. And Eggsy could definitely vibe with that.
Eggsy gave himself a shake to chase away the random thoughts. He had to concentrate on wowing the judges right now. He turned to them and raised his arm and lifted his chin in a salute to indicate he was ready. He started his run and was off tumbling.
This was a big meet for Eggsy. He had been the regional under 14 champion just 2 months ago, which had gotten him here. He still couldn’t believe he was here representing London against the other 8 regions of Great Britain. There were boys his age from the North East, North West, Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, East of England, and the South West all looking to come out on the top.
Not only was he excited to be the Great Britain champion, but due to his points for the season, all he had to do today was get the silver all around and he would be able to represent his age range at the juniors level of the European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics. It was a HUGE opportunity for him. There were a lot of important people here and he wanted to show why he deserved their attention.
Everyone was there to support him. All in the stands, taking up a good portion of the second and third rows of bleachers were Harry, Merlin, Channing, Roxy, Liam, Ryan, Jamal, and other friends from school, all there to cheer on Eggsy.
And Eggsy was ridiculously happy to have them all there. It had been a super long time since he’d been nervous to show off his skills in front of them. He had a family again, good friends from this life and his old one. He was once again an adjusted kid, growing and achieving more every day, like he had been before Dean had come into his life. He hasn’t grown PHYSICALLY as much as he liked, but he has grown, just like Merlin and Harry said he would. He hit puberty and it had taken some getting used to for gymnastics, balance and gait new and awkward, but he was back and even better than ever. He’s starting to believe there’s a real chance he could make it to the Olympics in 6 years from now. It was really, truly his goal now.
Times like this Eggsy couldn’t believe he was competing for Elite London Gymnastics. He and Coach Jackman had moved from Hampstead Gym Club when Eggsy had qualified for Level 10 Juniors last year. It was hard to believe it had all started with the free kids lessons at the local leisure center!
Eggsy made his last tumbling run and stuck his landing like he hadn’t just been hovering ten feet in the air. Upside down. In perfect pike position. He saluted the judges to end the routine and the crowd burst into applause. He ran to Coach Jackman for high fives and fist bumps.
“Amazing Eggsy!” Coach Jackman congratulated him as they did their complicated set of slaps and bumps. “You keep this up and you’re a shoe in for the European Men’s!”
Eggsy had definitely been having a solid meet. His pommel horse and high bar routines were still holding steady with the top scores, while his rings were currently in third due to a shaky dismount. It wasn’t going to be a cake walk. The athlete from the West Midlands and the one from Yorkshire were also putting on one hell of a show today, the three of them neck in neck towards being number one.
Eggsy ran his towel down his sweaty face and down his arms. “I still have parallel bars and the vault, I’m not in yet.”
Coach Jackman stood behind Eggsy and massaged his shoulder lightly, giving him a little shake at the same time. “Don’t think like that. You have to think positive! Visualize everything going perfectly. We’ve worked at this all for years. This is your moment!”
Eggsy turned to face his coach when the massage ended and gave him a cheeky smirk. “No pressure, right?”
Coach Jackman grinned right back at him, all too familiar with Eggsy’s sassiness after all of their years. “None at all, just go crush it!”
Eggsy went off to do his parallel bars routine. It was not his best apparatus, there wasn't enough flying for Eggsy to really be passionate about it. His skill set really lied in flinging his body around in amazing, gravity defying ways, and the parallel bars always felt a little too compact, too confining for him. But like Coach said, every routine of his was so well practiced he could do them in his sleep, so Eggsy quieted his desire to soar and performed flawlessly.
And it was after that he really began to get excited. All he had left was his vault. And he never messed up a vault!
“I can do this.” Eggsy whispered to himself as he rotated with Coach Jackman to their final apparatus. “I’m going to European Men’s!”
It was part excitement, part awe at his accomplishment, and part mantra to keep his psyche up.
Eggsy threw his arm up as an acknowledgement to the judges, standing proud, chest out, chin high, as tall as he could. He realized with a smile, that it magically seemed to work out that his friends and family were all sitting right where his final apparatus was located. He would think that Harry and Merlin planned it, but there was no way that they could have known his schedule before he even did, was there? His heart was light as he began sprinting down the ramp to the vault. He threw himself into his Shewfelt and flew through the air. He spotted the ground and nailed his landing, barely bending his knees and throwing his arms in the air.
Eggsy could see his friends and family cheering. He made eye contact with Merlin and could see the pride coming through the normally stoic hazel eyes. He turned quickly to face the judges and ran back to his coach.
“Perfect Eggsy, just perfect!” Forget about fancy fist bumps and high fives; Coach Jackman scooped him up, the tall man spinning him around in a hug.
They spun for what felt like forever before Coach righted them both so they could await his score. When the numbers popped up, Eggsy’s vault was in first place. Combined with his other scores, EGGSY was in first place.
It was happening. This was it! Only one more vault and he would be the Great Britain champion on his way to represent his age range at the juniors level of the European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics!
He was so excited he was nearly vibrating with it. He was going to have to calm himself significantly to do his second vault.
“Do your Tsukahara into the salto.” Coach Jackman told Eggsy. “No reason to go for anything harder. Just do it clean and you’re golden.”
Coach grinned at him when he realized the pun. “Literally.” He clasped Eggsy’s shoulder with all the pride of a coach who had seen a young child with the hint of ability grow up honing those skills into their real talent and shine. “Now go show them!”
Eggsy approached the vault run-up again, breathing in deeply, trying to slow the racing of his heart. He was trying not to look into the stands, knowing that if he did the energy of his friends and family would just amp him up farther.
Eggsy signaled the judges and started his run. He was almost at the vault when movement in the stands in front of him caught his eye. He made the mistake of glancing towards the movement as he ran.
There was someone joining Merlin and Harry in the stands. Eggsy caught the light brown hair, stocky build, a hint of tattoos showing under the sleeves of a white tee-shirt.
It was Tom.
Next door neighbor, former babysitter (yeah okay, he still does overnights when both Merlin and Harry won’t be home at all, but he’s not a ‘babysitter’ anymore, alright?), and most of all family friend.
This wasn’t the first time Tom has come to one of Eggsy’s meets. He had supported him all along. But it had been a while. And Eggsy hadn't been expecting to see him.
Eggsy stumbled, foot work off as he approached the vault. He didn’t get the height or the trajectory he needed to complete his rotation and instead of completing his skills and landing, he hit the floor.
Eggsy hit the floor hard.
He hit the floor hard, collapsed almost in the fetal position on his side.
The crowd seemed to gasp as one before going silent.
A whistle blew.
Coach Jackman ran to Eggsy, soon followed by the onsite trainers and medic, and finally Merlin, who vaulted himself over the short wall separating the stands from the arena floor so he could reach Eggsy.
In the stands all of their friends and family stared down at them with fear in their faces and postures. Harry and Channing were nearly clutching each other as they watched what was happening.
“Eggsy!” Merlin exclaimed, trying to get to the boy, but blocked by the trainers and medic who were evaluating him. “Lad, are ye alright?” The terror was clear in his brogue.
Eggsy was still in that shocked state that happens right after an accident. Every nerve was alive and he wasn’t sure if was just the shock or if something actually hurt. He landed pretty evenly along his left side and he thought all of it absorbed the impact instead of any one spot. He tried to move his limbs and found no trouble.
“I’m okay Merls.” He croaked out. He started to push at the hands inspecting him and tried to sit up. “Lemme up.”
Ignoring the new shortening of his nickname, Merlin tried to reach though to give Eggsy a hand up.
He was once again stopped by the medic. “Let us bring him into the locker room and do a full evaluation, check for any injuries, then you can join him. Give us a few minutes.”
They insisted on a stretcher even though Eggsy could move and he was 97% sure he didn’t land on his head. He was suffering more from embarrassment than any aches or pains.
“He’s my son, I have a right to go with him!” Merlin snapped at the medic, his voice gruff and indignant.
Eggsy felt tears fill his eyes that he would swear were from the pain that was starting to bleed through and not at all at Merlin calling him ‘son’ with such intensity. “Let him come, please? Ee’s my Da.”
There was a little stutter as both Coach Jackman and Merlin both stumbled a step at Eggsy’s words.
“Alright.” The head medic conceded. “You can come back with us, but please let us do what is right for your son and then you can check him out yourself.”
Merlin managed to hang back long enough for the medic and trainers to do a full body exam and determine that Eggsy was indeed okay and did not need to head to the hospital.
Weary of the whole business, Eggsy sat up on the exam table and looked at Coach Jackman. “Will they let me go again? Go out there and see if I can have a redo!”
Coach Jackman looked sadly at Eggsy. “Eggs, you know there aren’t redos.”
“But the meet! I was going to win the gold Coach! Coach, the European Men’s!” Eggsy begged, he tried to hop off the table, but his adrenaline was tapped and he was suddenly exhausted and like a baby deer on new legs. Sprawled and whimpering.
Coach Jackman went to Eggsy and helped him lower gently back onto the table before hugging him. “You did so well Eggsy. You proved enough. Don’t let one mistake ruin the whole meet for you. Just relax for a little while, recover. I’ll go find out how everything is going and let them know you won’t be back out.”
Eggsy looked too tired to fight the denial and slumped, sore and heartbroken as Coach Jackman left the locker room. “But the European Men’s.” He repeated much quieter. “I was going to represent England.”
Merlin realized it was finally his turn and went over to Eggsy. He put his hands gingerly on the boy’s shoulders and looked him up and down numerous times before moving to tilt the boy’s chin upward to look him in the eye. “Oh lad, yeh scared the hell out of me. Are yeh truly okay? Do yeh want to go to hospital?”
Eggsy shook his head. “Nah, only hurts a little.”
“Yeh may be more sore in the morning. Ye’ll have to tell us if it’s too bad. At any point, yeh hear me? Even if it’s the middle of the night.” Merlin kept right on studying him. “Do yeh hurt too much for me to hug yeh?”
Eggsy responded by pretty much throwing himself into Merlin, pressing his face into the soft cashmere of his jumper and wrapping his arms around the man.
Merlin just managed to hold in the ‘Oof’ sound that threatened to come out as his ward, who had warmed up to them CONSIDERABLY in the last 4 years, but was still not a big seeker of physical affection, sought comfort from him. “Oh lad. Are yeh more upset about the meet, then yeh are hurt from the fall?”
Eggsy nodded into Merlin’s chest, fighting tooth and nail to keep the tears in bay. He was so disappointed in himself, in the expected outcome, his heart was breaking.
Merlin just held him tight for a few moments. “I don’t want yeh to be upset Eggsy. As always yeh were amazing. I couldn’t be more proud of yeh if I tried.”
Eggsy pulled back and wiped bitterly at his eyes. “But I blew it. All that hard work and one thing threw me off on what should have been the vault that sealed my win.”
Since it was so unusual for Eggsy to mess up a vault the way he had, Merlin had to ask. “What happened? Was the apparatus set wrong? Is this something that Coach Jackman should be bringing up with the judges?”
Eggsy flushed red, dropped his eyes, and shook his head. “I saw Tom arrive late, going to sit with you, just as I was making my run. Threw me off.”
“Tom? Tom threw yeh off?” Merlin sounded as perplexed as he looked. “Why would yeh be thrown off by Tom? He’s been to yer meets before. Are ye having a problem with Tom? Yeh always seemed so fond of him.”
“I am fond of him. Always been fond of him. Too fond of him.” Eggsy face was flaming as he admitted his truth.
Merlin put his hands on Eggsy’s biceps and gave them a rub as he took in what the boy had said. His hands started to still as it dawned on him what Eggsy was going through. “Ohhhhhhh. Oh. Oh Eggsy, do yeh have a crush on Tom?”
All blood had gone to Eggsy’s face, he was scarlet. He nodded his head.
“Harry and I noticed yeh hadn’t said anything about girls yet. We thought yeh were just dedicated to gymnastics… or maybe only the growth spurt part of puberty had started and not the hormones. But Eggsy… maybe yeh just don’t like girls?” Merlin stumbled through, never the expert at the rights of passage talks with his boys. Especially when he was worried this was turning into a talk about Eggsy’s sexuality.
“I've said before that I don’t.” Eggsy mumbled, fidgeting uncomfortably as he sat on the table. He pushed back a little. He was surprised that Merlin and Harry, two gay men, never understood what he said when he told them how he felt about the fairer sex.
“Honestly?” Merlin began, equally uneasy, but determined. “We never realized you didn’t mean that in the ‘Ew girls have cooties!’ way.”
Eggsy took a huge breath and worked up his courage. “Merlin. I’m gay. I don’t like girls at all. I like boys. All boys in general. Tom in very specific.”
Merlin opened his mouth to start dealing with the revelation, but at that moment Coach Jackman came running back into the locker room. “Silver! Eggsy! You still won silver!”
Coach Jackman nearly hip checked Merlin into the lockers to get to Eggsy, completely oblivious to the conversation going on or the awkwardness of the two having it. “The West Midlands guy botched his floor routine, but Stan from Yorkshire nailed his rings. So Yorkshire got the gold and we got the silver, but you still have the points! You’re the one going to the European Men’s to represent England in the juniors!”
All thoughts of disappointment at his fall and embarrassment of coming out to Merlin in such an awkward way, Eggsy cheered in joy. “Really? No way!” He jumped off the table in his excitement, but stumbled when the pain hit him and the Coach and Merlin both reached out to try and assist him.
“Whoa Eggsy.” Coach Jackman said at the same time Merlin warned; “Easy Lad.”
The Coach waited until Eggsy looked steadier and was safe in Merlin’s grasp, to grab the wheelchair from the medical supply closet.
“Oh no… you hav to be shittin me mate.” Eggsy’s excitement stopped short. “There’s no way I’m going out in that.”
“Eggsy!” Merlin quickly reprimanded. “Yeh dinnae speak to adults like that young man!”
“M sorry, but I can’t go out like that! People are gon’ think m’ dead! They won’ give me the medal!” Eggsy insisted, no room to feel apologetic for being rude and insolent to his coach when the man was actually thinking he was going to let them wheel him out in that! He didn’t need any judge, any fellow competitor, any person in the stands to have their first thought of him ever be ‘that poor kid in the wheelchair.’.
“Son, you’re going to sit in this chair and let me wheel you out in it. And you’re going to remain sitting in this chair and receive your medal in it. I don’t care how hard it hits your vanity, Mr. Flash, all those people saw you hit the floor and will all be impressed you are even out to receive your medal instead of at hospital. You hear me?” Coach Jackman was as direct as he was when putting Eggsy through his training paces. “Now let me hear you apologize to your Da and I for the potty mouth and let’s get out there.”
Eggsy stuttered in embarrassment, wanting desperately to continue arguing his case. “Sorry Coach Jackman, sorry Da.”
Hearing Eggsy use that term directed at him, instead of just in reference to him, had Merlin filling with the type of warmth he hadn’t felt since Channing was a toddler. “Thank yeh lad, I appreciate that. Now please listen to your coach and let us help yeh out there.”
Realizing he had no choice, Eggsy made exaggerated motions of getting comfortable in the wheelchair. “Fine, fine. Let’s go get me a silver medal.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2 hours later Eggsy was bundled up on the couch in the lounge wearing his silver medal and drinking a recently refilled cuppa as a celebratory party for him went on around him.
Merlin had been correct. As the hours passed on from his fall, he did get more and more sore, to the point where he had actually considered taking up the suggestion to go to hospital; but knew they’d only do a bunch of unneeded x-rays and scans, when what he really needed was paracetamol and the heating pad he had on his back.
It was super nice of his friends and family all to be doting on him as they currently were, waiting on him hand and foot. Even Channing was bringing him biscuits and asking him how he was; when normally they were more likely to be picking on each other in true brotherly fashion.
Poor Harry was still in a bit of a spin. Watching Eggsy fall, not knowing what was going on, seeing him wheeled out in a chair, all had him in a full, concerned tizzy. Only to watch Eggsy get his medal and hear how he was going to be representing England. And then just as Harry was getting his wits back together, he heard Eggsy refer to Merlin as Da and nearly lost his cool all together. There weren’t tears when Eggsy announced in the car that he thought it was time he started calling Harry and Merlin what they were, Dad and Da, but it was close enough that Channing sure had a great time teasing them all about it.
So they had all been in a special kind of good mood when it was announced there would be a party to celebrate Eggsy’s win. Pizzas were ordered and drinks were brought in. Pretty much everyone who had been at the stadium to watch Eggsy compete were all there to celebrate him. It was a great time and Eggsy was extremely happy.
Tom sat down on the couch next to Eggsy just as Jamal, Ryan, and Roxy had left to get more pizza and after Merlin had checked on him for the dozenth time. It was just the two of them.
Tom reached out his own mug and tapped it to Eggsy’s.
“Amazing job today Egg.” Tom was the only one Eggsy would let call him Egg. “I just wish I would have gotten out of work early enough to have seen more of it.”
“You mean more than just me falling on my arse?” Eggsy could joke about it now. The heavy medal around his neck allowed it.
Tom moved a little closer, just enough so that he could knock their knees together like he did when he thought Eggsy was feeling down. “I was just on time to see your first vault as I was walking over to your entourage. It was out of this world, as always. I will never get used to seeing you sail through the air like that. You literally soar, man.”
Eggsy was only mostly hearing what Tom was saying because he was too busy staring at Tom’s lower lip.
Eggsy was obsessed with that lower lip.
That lower lip did things to him that he couldn’t say in polite company, things that if he managed to think about it during his showers; meant Eggsy knew he'd be in there for 5 minutes longer than normal.
Before Eggsy could even put any thought into what he was doing, he was leaning up and pressing his lips to Tom’s bottom lip that he watched so much.
Tom sprang back. “Whoa there Egg. What do you think you’re doing?”
Eggsy came back to himself and went flaming red with embarrassment. He shrank back, scurrying to the corner on the couch, despite the aches it brought on to move like that. “Nothing! No! Sorry!”
Tom rubbed at his lower lip. “Was that a kiss?”
Now Eggsy was feeling defensive along with the mortification. “Well yeah, what d’ja think it was?”
Tom’s bewilderment softened at Eggsy’s reaction. He reached out an arm and tried to place it on Eggsy’s knee. “Hey now. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wasn’t sure what was going on. Egg. Eggsy. Why would you try and kiss me?”
Eggsy just shrugged his shoulders, shifting his knee to dodge Tom’s attempts.
“Do you like me?” Tom questioned softy, slowly.
Eggsy nodded, looking nervous about Tom’s reaction.
Tom finally caught Eggsy’s knee and gave it a squeeze. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Boys can like boys. Which I’m sure you’re already aware of because of your family here. I’m going to tell you a secret that I haven't told many people. I like boys too. Did you know that? Is that why you kissed me?”
Eggsy hadn’t known that. He hadn’t even thought about whether Tom liked the same sex or not when he kissed him. So he shrugged.
“Okay. Well…” Tom seemed surprised, but continued. “I do like boys. I’m bi. So for that reason that kiss would be okay. But Egg. There’s a big reason why it’s not okay. More than one reason. I’m 21. You’re 14. 7 years might not seem like a lot. But when one person is a legal adult and the other is still considered a minor; it’s not right Egg. It’s also not right because I’m responsible for you at times, have been for a while, as you’ve grown up. There really shouldn’t be kisses between the two of us. Does that make sense?”
Eggsy wanted to argue. Wanted to say that was silly. He wasn’t really a kid anymore! He was a teenager! And Tom wasn’t REALLY an adult yet. He was still in school! Sure it was college, but it counted! But Eggsy might have a had a crush… he might have been under the effects of his first heartbreak… but he was still the practical, rational kid he had always been. So he nodded in agreement. “I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Tom gave Eggsy’s knee a squeeze again and stood up. “Nothing to apologize for. Let’s just pretend it never happened. We’ll never speak about it again. To anyone.”
Eggsy watch as Tom walked out of the room, leaving him all alone. Once he was sure it was just him, Eggsy’s face crumbled. He fought the dry sob that wanted to burst out. He squeezed his eyes shut and fought the misery.
The couch cushion sank down next to him as a warm weight met his side. A familiar arm was thrown over his shoulder and he was gently pulled to an equally familiar chest.
Eggsy didn’t know if he and Tom had been overheard or if Tom had gone and told his guardians what had happened, but it didn’t matter, this was the perfect response and just what he needed after the whirlwind day he’d had.