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To say you and Eggsy were competitive was a touch of an understatement. Everyone grew exasperated at the two of you always trying to one-up each other. Whether it be missions successfully completed or who could score more points in sparring you two were always trying to best the other.
Yet this lead to a more serious problem.
It was painfully obvious to everyone except you and Eggsy that you were two were crazy about each other. Roxy and Merlin were starting to get rather exhausted with the two of you competing, but it only got worse when the two of you changed your challenge from scoring to flirting.
Right now Roxy, you, and Eggsy were getting ready for a gala hosted by a suspect, Jack Smith, to plant a bug on him. Roxy was already waiting, hair swept elegantly over her shoulder and shaking slightly as she drummed her fingers in impatience. Eggsy finally approached and grinned. “Evening, Rox.” His eyes skimmed over her simple red gown behind his glasses and grinned. “Looking stunning.”
She smiled wryly. “Thanks, Eggs. You too.” He really did look very handsome in his tailored suit. It fit him perfectly and coupled with his good looks, she knew they'd lose track of how many girls asked him to dance throughout the evening because of it. Then her eyes flicked to over his shoulder. “About time, (Name). Any longer and we'd be late. You look wonderful!”
“Sorry, Lancelot. We are supposed to be getting close to this gentleman, are we not? Had to be ready.” Eggsy began to turn to greet you and was met with your smirk. A hand rested on your hip, posture screaming of smugness because you knew you had won this round. Eggsy’s eyes had gone wide and were slowly tracking down your body, drinking in your appearance. You were wearing a beautiful evening gown, the fitting sleeves coming halfway down your arms. The dress exposed plenty of skin as it barely held onto your shoulders, neckline plunging down the center of your chest. A lovely matching necklace and bracelet set brought the whole outfit together. Lastly a long cut out in the side trailed up the side of your dress to your thigh showing off your lovely legs that sported strappy heels. Your eyes stayed locked on Eggsy as you smiled sweetly at him, nearly purring at him. “What do you think…?”
He visibly swallowed before nodding, eyes finally returning to yours. “You...look beautiful…”
“Don't sound so surprised, Eggsy.” You sauntered closer and gently straightened his tie. “Don't look so bad yourself, either.” Then the three of you were piling into the car to head to the gala.
Focusing on the road left Eggsy time to gather his thoughts and turn from shellshocked to frustrated. He wore suits quite frequently for Kingsman whereas you didn't typically dress so elegantly. You had won this round, but he was determined to win the next.
In no time at all your trio had arrived at the gala and were amidst the crowd. The three of you scanned the crowd for your target before Eggsy spoke in a soft murmur. “Found him. Over there.” He nodded across the room, but you still didn't see him through the many people.
“Where?”
Suddenly, Eggsy slouched, hands resting on your shoulders as he whispered in your ear. “There, across the room. Talking it up with the two women in the blue and black dresses, left of the waiter with champagne.” You could only numbly nod at his broad chest pressed to your back, hot breath against your skin. It sent a shiver down your spine.
Out of the corner of your eye you noticed a cocky smile on his handsome face. So he had noticed the effect he had had on you hmmm? Fine. Two could play that game.
Roxy pursed her lips as she watched the target smiling at the dancers. “He's too far away. By the time we get around the dancefloor, he'll likely be lost in the crowd again.”
Thank you, Roxy! That gave you an idea. “Then let's simply go Through the dancefloor.”
“How do you suppose we do that? Just stroll on through, hmmm?” Eggsy looked at you as if you had gone mad before his brow furrowed at the hand you had offered him. “What?”
Your lips curled into a sly smile as you took his hand. “May I have this dance?” Before Eggsy could argue, you had tugged him onto the dancefloor and quickly situated your hands. One grasped his, outstretched, as the other laid on his chest. “I'm sure you know enough to stumble your way through one dance, sir?”
He lightly scowled at you as he squeezed your hand, other hand going to the small of your back. Then he grinned and spun you away before pulling you back in. You gasped softly, looking up at him to be met with his smug expression. His breath ghosted across your face as he spoke in a secretive hush. “Sorry, love, but you won't be able to corner me on the dancefloor.”
“Oh, I eagerly look forward to this challenge, Eggsy.” With a seductive smile, you slowly slid lower letting your leg stretch out through your dress’s slit before coasting a smooth half circle on the wooden floor. Under Eggsy’s arm you saw Roxy standing on the edge of the crowd, mouth slightly agape at the fact both of you could dance surprisingly well. Eggsy seemed stunned for about half a second before you stood and he seemed to snap out of his daze. Your clasped hands tightened in unison on the other before your heads snapped to the side and you both began to skip to the music. Eggsy slid his hands to your waist lifting you up and instinctively you hooked your legs around his right hip, back arching back as your hair brushed the floor. With your upside down view, you noted Jack was watching the two of you with interest. In fact as you unhooked yourself from Eggsy and began to twirl out of Eggsy’s reach, hair and dress flaring out, you noticed the other dancers had stopped to watch the pair of you too. You had simply gotten caught up in your feud with Eggsy, but it turned out it had worked better than expected. Time to finish this and win another point against him. Despite the slender heels you were carefully balancing on, you ran at Eggsy with grace. Grasping his hands, you slid between his legs before he pulled you back through and tossed you in the air, body spinning before he caught you. Your limbs stretched into the air and you were suddenly very aware of one of his hands on your shoulder and the other on your bare thigh. The two of you gazed at each other, breathing heavy, and, for a moment, your chest fluttered and you felt as if you couldn't look away from Eggsy’s eyes. Loud clapping made you jump and you hadn't even realized you had been leaning in toward Eggsy until you had to lean back to look around. People were applauding and shouting praise as Eggsy set you on your feet. His hand lingered on your back as the two of you smiled at the praise.
Jack walked over, clapping appreciatively as he grinned at the pair of you. “That was marvelous! Incredible! My, my what dancing! Are you two partners, perhaps?”
Somehow the way he phrased the question made you wonder if he meant dance partners or romantic partners so you spoke up quickly, stepping slightly so Eggsy’s hand dropped away from you. You didn't notice Eggsy’s disappointed frown at the movement as you began to talk to Jack. “Oh, simply dance partners, sir. This one is a bit of a flirt and I fear I'm not the type of woman he fancies, I'm afraid.” Eggsy’s brow furrowed in confusion at this. What did you mean by that?
“Is that right? So he doesn't pursue beautiful women, then?” Jack took your hand, being utterly gentle and kissed your knuckles, eyes never leaving yours. You giggled girlishly and held your free hand to your mouth shyly. From experience it seemed men more enjoyed girls that were more feminine and gentle, so you decided on trying that approach to win his favor. Eggsy always seemed to go after the more girly and lovely women that fawned over him after all. That's why he would never care for you in a romantic way. You challenged him too much, being tough and difficult. How could he ever like someone like that? But it was okay. You didn't care if your feelings were unrequited because you could still be friends with the dashing young man.
You batted your lashes at Jack coyly, laughing softly. “Oh, my…I may blush being called beautiful by someone so...so…” You averted your gaze shyly, but noticed a hard look to Eggsy’s features out of the corner of your eye.
Your antics were reeling Jack in quicker than you expected. His gaze almost seemed eager as he tilted his head to catch your eye. “So what, my dear?”
You purposely stepped closer, meeting his stare from beneath your lashes. “...so handsome…”
He smiled broader at this and tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “Why thank you, Miss… I'm terribly sorry. Where are my manners? May I have this lovely lady’s name?”
For a moment you paused. It would be foolish to give your real name. So you said the first thing that popped into your head. “Gabby Winson.” It took all your willpower not to smirk at your idea. A slight tweak on Eggsy’s name to make it a female variation for yourself must have caught him off guard.
“Well, Miss Winson my name is Jack Smith. I am very pleased to see you are having a wonderful time at my gala.”
“Pleasure is all mine, sir.” With an internal huff at having to act so ungraceful you moved to curtsy and tripped on your dress. You gasped softly as you stumbled forward into Jack, hands pressing to his chest to steady yourself. His arms held you close, making certain you had your balance. Leaning back, but staying in his embrace, you looked up at him with a breathless look. “I...am...so very sorry…”
He smiled, but you saw a glimmer of desire in his eyes. “As long as you are alright, Miss Winson.”
“I will be...if I may thank you…?” You leaned in a bit closer and noticed his arms tighten on you.
“What did milady have in mind?”
“This?” Then before he could pull away you leaned in and kissed him. He sighed against your lips and you quickly deepened the kiss. His arms crushed you to him and there was an odd, hollow feeling in your chest at knowing Eggsy was watching you kiss this man. Mission or not you felt...strange.
You bit his lip and he jumped back, startled. He blinked at you, as if processing what had just happened and you gave a sheepish smile, trying to look completely embarrassed. “I'm so sorry! I just got so caught up in the moment!”
“That's...quite alright.” Jack lightly touched his lip before he gave you a polite smile. “If you'll excuse me.” He gave a curt nod before disappearing back into the crowd.
Proud of yourself, you turned to Eggsy to see him giving you a scowl. “What?”
“That was kinda uncalled for, yeah?” You frowned. Why did Eggsy look so mad?
“Eggsy, I-”
“Just c’mon.” He grabbed your hand and towed you through the many people, but his grip wasn't a tender touch like earlier. It was a rough anchor, keeping you from getting lost amongst the many strangers. Ahead of him you saw Roxy, but her expression immediately shifted into worry as she noticed how upset Eggsy looked. Without a word, she fell into step with you, shooting an anxious look your way. You just shrugged helplessly as the three of you moved outside. Your trio had gotten all the way to the car, doors closed and seatbelts buckled, yet no one had said anything yet.
The air was so tense it felt like you may suffocate. You turned in your seat to look at Eggsy beside you, hands gripping the steering wheel hard enough his knuckles were a soft white. Tentatively you reached a hand toward him. “Eggsy, what-”
“Excellent work, you three!” All three heads turned to the small screen in the dashboard where Merlin smiled brightly. “That may be record time for bugging someone. Well done! We'll see you back at the base soon. Good work!” Then the screen went blank leaving the three of you in silence once more, though slightly less tense this time around. Eggsy started the car and the three of you drove back. You leaned against the passenger window glumly. Why was Eggsy suddenly so mad at you? It had to have been when you talked with Jack...was it the kiss? No, it couldn't be. You weren't with Jack nor were you with Eggsy so he had no reasonable right to be mad at you over it. You were just doing your job…
~~~~~
Roxy leaned forward in her seat, glancing at you. Your makeup was smudged from tears she saw lingering in your eyes and your cheeks still held wet trails from ones that had already fallen. It looked like you had fallen asleep, but she still saw a heartbroken expression on your face.
She frowned sadly at you. Roxy didn't know what had happened, but it was obvious something had happened to make Eggsy so mad. She had only seen him mad on a couple occasions, but this time was pretty bad. You seemed upset he was angry, but beside that alright, so was it something you had done to upset him? Last she saw the two of you, you had been dancing, smiles on both of your faces and looking at each other like there was no one else in the whole ballroom. Then she got caught in the crowd and next time she saw you and Eggsy, Eggsy was pulling you along behind him, looking furious while you just looked confused.
Roxy pinched Eggsy’s arm hard and he winced. “You ass!” She hissed at him quietly so as not to awaken you. “What happened back there?”
“Noth-!” He paused as she held a finger to her lips and nodded at you. Despite the fact he was driving, Eggsy looked over at you and Roxy felt a little better that his anger seemed to melt a bit at seeing your tears. He continued in a softer voice. “Nothing, Rox. It's fine.”
“Eggsy, don't lie to me. (Name) literally cried herself to sleep and you looked ready to tear the steering wheel out of the dash.” He sighed and Roxy waited, but then something clicked. “Does it have to do with your crush on her?”
Maybe talking about this while Eggsy drove wasn't Roxy’s brightest idea. “What?!” The hiccuped for half a second as Eggsy’s focus faltered. Nonetheless you stayed asleep. “I don't have a crush on her! Why would you even ask that!?”
“Because you obviously do and she likes you too.”
“She...she does...?”
“Of course, you dummy.” Eggsy parked the car and killed the engine as he mulled this over. “You two are crazy about each other. It was obvious ever since you started the whole competition thing. Look how upset she is. Poor thing…”
Roxy and Eggsy both took in your troubled expression and Eggsy sighed. “I am an ass. Yeah. I like her. A lot. But I'm a punk from the streets. What would she ever see in an idiot like me?”
Roxy’s smile softened at his words. Both of you were so adorably oblivious. You were perfect for each other. “So what happened, Eggs?”
He sighed as he pulled the keys free and shoved them in his pocket. “We were talking to the target and she started flirting and… and kissed him. I just got so jealous.” He laughed, but it was a hard laugh, mocking himself.
You kissed Jack? Why? Something just didn't add up. Roxy was about to say as much when Eggsy opened his door in a huff. “It's fine. Just let it go, Rox.” Despite the bitter tone to his voice, he closed the door quietly and walked around the front of the car. She watched him curiously approach your door and open it, unbuckling you gently and lifting you up with care. Roxy scrambled from the car as he nudged the door shut and moved to head inside. Something tugged at her heart at the moment. Despite you having been so hurt from Eggsy, she still noticed you snuggle closer to him in your sleep and regardless of how upset Eggsy may be with you, he was still being a gentleman and carrying you inside.
She really hoped the two of you could work things out…
~~~~~
Your eyes slowly opened, being met with the darkness of your room with only the twinkling stars and shining moon from outside casting any sort of light. You blinked sleep from your eyes, sitting up in bed. The blankets fell away from you revealing your gown, making you remember the mission. It was slowly coming back to you, but you still couldn't recall arriving back at headquarters or going to bed. Nonetheless you couldn't ruin your gown by sleeping in it. You swung your legs over the side of the bed, feet touching the cool wood and making you shiver.
A flicker of memory came to you then. Eggsy gently laying you in bed, slipping off your shoes as you yawned and gently tucking you into bed. It had to have been a dream, but sure enough your heels were neatly near your desk where you recalled Eggsy putting them instead of by your closet where you normally would keep them when you didn't have time to put them away.
He had been so mad at you and yet he helped you to bed? Your heart fluttered slightly at the thought.
Mulling this over, you climbed from bed and changed into sleeping shorts, a comfy tank top, and slippers, dropping your necklace on your desk as you passed. A midnight snack would go well with your confusing thoughts. Of course, life never likes to go this easy and as you walked into the kitchen you noticed a familiar person sitting at the square kitchen table, drinking a beer and staring out the window, alone with his thoughts. Part of you wanted to turn right around and go back to your room, snack or no snack, but another part of you, a larger part, wanted to talk to Eggsy and fix things. It would only get worse if you didn't talk.
With all the determination you could muster, you took a seat on the side next to Eggsy’s and smiled a small smile at him. “Evening, Eggsy.”
He glanced at you before staring down at his beer. “Evening, (Name).” His tone was curt, but not entirely unapproachable so you tried to pry more of a conversation out of him.
“Thank you for bringing me to bed earlier.”
He nodded, eyes still fixed on the bottle in his hands. “Wasn't any trouble. Sorry if your dress got a bit messed up. Roxy had already turned in and I didn't wanna...well ya know.”
Usually you'd make a teasing comment at that, but now wasn't the time. Instead, you hesitantly reached out and laid one of your hands on his. “It's fine, Eggsy. You're always such a gentleman.” His eyes still hadn't met yours so you decided to change tactics. “It's one of the things I love about you.”
“It's cause I'm a Kingsman. I didn't use to be anywhere close to being this way, but I know Harry would have wanted me to be a proper gentleman. I wanna make him proud.” His voice took on a slightly wistful note at his lost friend.
Your hand squeezed his, heart going out to this poor man that had lost so many people, been through so much. He deserved so many more good things than what he had been given. “Harry was always proud of you, Eggsy. I am too. Despite the hardships and struggles you've been through, you still manage to make jokes and smile through it all.” Finally, he looked up to meet your eyes. “Even before Kingsman, you have always been and always will be incredible.” His eyes were locked on yours, as if trying to work through your words and what they truly meant. Maybe that's why you didn't stop yourself from letting the words spill free. Maybe it was the fact his thumb was every so often lightly brushing over your hand that held his that you started to lean toward him. “You are this strong, wonderful person and maybe that's why I love competing with you.” Your eyes left his a moment to flick to his lips before starting to close. “Because I love capturing your attention and having your eyes on me…” You closed the space, pressing your lips to his in a lingering kiss. Surprisingly he barely tasted of beer. His lips just felt soft and good and perfect against yours. You let your lips move against his a moment, lingering and drawing the moment out as long as you could before pulling back with the softest noise. “I like you, Eggsy. So much...it...it drives me crazy.” A sheepish laugh tumbled out of you and you looked away. “I'm okay with staying friends, but I just had to tell you. Don't worry. I can be professional about this.” Your face warmed in embarrassment. “Not including me kissing you just now…but anyway I'm sure you want to be alone so I'll go. I'm sorry for whatever I did to upset you this evening. Truly.”
You got up from the table and moved to leave when Eggsy caught your hand. It was gentler than before, shy almost. Surprised, you turned back to him. He was giving you a confused expression, but you didn't see any of the anger from earlier, which was a relief. “If you care about me like you said, then why kiss that bloody moron earlier?”
Now it was your turn to be confused. “We were supposed to bug him for the mission. So I did.”
He snorted. “And ya couldn't just slip it on his jacket or something?”
“Don't you remember from the briefing? Merlin said the security for Jack was high so our objective was to bug him, but if possible use the capsule tracker. It’d only stay in his bloodstream for 72 hours, but it's virtually undetectable. He'd have to ingest it though.”
Eggsy blinked at you and you could see the wheels in his head turning as he processed this. “When you put your hand by your mouth…”
“Mmhmm.” You held up your free hand to show him your bracelet. One of the gems was missing and his eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. “I put it in my mouth and kissed him since I had yet to see him have a drink and I didn't know when we'd be able to get close to him again. Then I bit it against his lip so he'd be distracted and swallow it.” You looked at Eggsy as if this was all obvious and clearly the only reason you had kissed Jack.
“So you kissed him just to bug him?” He still sounded surprised.
You smiled shyly and looked away. “Well, a small part of me was hoping it'd maybe make you jealous too, but I know how dumb that sounds.”
“Doesn't sound dumb at all.”
Your eyes moved back to Eggsy as he stood and stepped closer to you. “It...it doesn't…?” Instinctively, you took a step back, back bumping against the wall. Eggsy stepped forward once more and while he didn't tower over you, he did have a couple inches height on you. It was enough so he could gaze down at you, his eyes loving, but also you saw something dancing in them you couldn't quite place.
“Course not.” He reached up and slowly brushed his knuckles against your cheek. Your breath hitched, eyes locked on his, unblinking. “It worked didn't it?”
“I...I dunno...you tell me…”
His lips curled into a sly smile. “Always playing coy with me, aren't you, love?” Before you could completely realize what had happened, Eggsy had leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. You let out a soft sound as you realized what else you had seen lurking in those captivating eyes of his.
It was desire. Desire for you.
Your arms wound around his neck as his hands grasped your waist, kiss deepening in passion. With a gasp, you pulled away for air, but Eggsy simply moved to start kissing your neck. Your voice came out breathier than you hoped as you spoke up, earlier teasing remembered. “Ya know, Eggsy...I don't think I would have minded...if you had taken my dress away to spare the wrinkles...but I understand since you didn't want to…”
Eggsy let out a frustrated groan against your skin, hands sliding lower to lift you up, your legs wrapping around his waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His lips pressed against your ear, voice husky and sending a shiver down your spine. “You're trying to play me, (Name). Usually I hate being played...but this time I think I'll let it go.”
His mouth crashed back against yours, kiss turning hungrier than it had been. You felt your slippers fall off your feet, landing with soft thuds as you moaned against Eggsy’s mouth, fingers running through his hair. His hands slid under the back of your tank top to rub your skin, earning another low groan. Finally, Eggsy pulled back enough to lean his forehead on yours. He had a cocky grin on his face, despite the fact both of your breathing was ragged. “I think my kiss topped yours, (Name).”
You narrowed your eyes at him. “Well, maybe I just don't want to scar anyone who wanders into the kitchen. How about we go to my room and I let you make it up to me for making my dress get wrinkled?”
He grinned. “Whatever you want, (Name).” He leaned in to kiss you once more before carrying you towards your room. He spoke softly then, as if his confidence was on pause. “Even if we compete...I want you to know my feelings are real. I really care about ya and love you and I'm not just saying it to try and top you. I may...I may even be starting to fall for you, (Name)...”
Your heart skipped at his confession and you kissed his cheek softly. “Same goes for me, Eggsy. I meant every word. And yes. I could see myself falling for you too. Maybe I already have.” As you approached your room, you smirked at him. “But either way I won't start letting you win.”
“That right?”
“Mmhmm…”
“Good.” He grinned, kissing your forehead. “Wouldn't want you any other way, (Name). You're perfect just the way you are.” He opened the door and grinned. “Besides I won't let you win either...especially here. And I still owe you for that ‘Gabby Winson’ prank earlier, after all.”
“Bring it on, handsome.” Your hand moved to the back of his head, pulling him in for another kiss.
His whisper tickled your lips right before they met. “Yes, ma’am!”