Work Text:
Simply Safe
J.B whimpers, huddled in Eggsy's shirt, his head popping out of the thin shirt, cradled by shaking hands, protecting him from the rain, paws scratching lightly against the swaying body.
Eggsy hisses with every step, blinking the rain from his eyes, slightly glazed as he forces himself to put one foot in front of the other just one more time, his lower lip throbbing, the brush of J.B nails against his skin like knives carving against his flesh. He finally finds what he never realizes he was looking for, and the windows are dark, the house silent and still. He leans against the door, sliding to sit on the unforgiving concrete doorstep, no will to pick the lock, struggling to get comfortable.
J.B licks his face and he wiggles out of the torn shirt, standing guard of the half awake boy, who had sunk into the asphalt, eyes barely parted, his breathing ragged, one arm strapped around his stomach as though to hold his broken ribs together, legs sticks at an awkward angle, half soaking in the rain, much like an abandoned puppy himself.
His breathing evens slightly, and he falls into a somewhat fitful sleep slumped against the door, with J.B nervously prodding his leg, nails cutting into skin, waking Eggsy periodically before he simply shuts down again, fighting tooth and nail not to feel the pain coursing through his body
Harry shifts, favouring his left side, adjusting his glasses casually as he scans the neighbourhood as per his custom, trading barbs with Merlin, half sure that his neighbours are convinced of his insanity, as he walks the path to his house, grateful to be home after three much too long months in Iraq, trying to take down a terrorist organization almost as big and as irritating as Valentine's. Though filled with significantly less well dressed people and with more temperamental radicalists. Bloody idiots, the lot of them, with their tyrannical ways and their odd way of speaking.
Merlin was debriefing him, his thick accent laced with sarcasm as he runs through every single bullet used in the mission, bitching about massive amount of paperwork lying on his desk.
"Was it really necessary to use 17 bullets on one man?" He grouses, and Harry chuckles as he hears the rummaging paperwork in the background, knowing that Merlin worried too much, practically super gluing the glasses to his face, threatening him by promising to tell all the new recruits about the time in Puerto Rico, unless Harry promised to keep them on until he was safe in his house, away from the idiots of the world. He laughs, reminding Merlin that he was at Puerto Rico too and Merlin sniffs at him, and Harry knows that the only reason that Merlin was still in his ear was because his old friend felt that the leg injury he had received the last day in the field, a minor one in his humble opinion, was somehow fatal.
Harry laughs as Merlin keeps grumbling in his ear, coming to a complete stop at his door, eyes widening at what greets him. Merlin's voice pauses in his ear, a soft gasp, that Merlin will later deny, escaping him. "So that's why he didn't show up to fetch you at the store. I was slightly curious."
Harry immediately hurries, his languid pace all gone, kneeling next to the semi conscious Eggsy, taking his face in one hand, examining it for the likelihood of a head injury, his eye bruising dark and fierce. The amount of red staining his doorstep was indication enough that Eggsy had been sitting out there too long and J.B wearily lifts his head, tiny hoarse yips escaping him at the sight of Harry.
The boy was dead weight, barely able to stand on his own, 'sprained ankle' Harry catalogued, simply clinging onto the suit with one hand, the other wrapped tightly around his abdomen. "Bruised ribs, probably broken," he thinks while Merlin continues to rush, promising Harry a doctor within minutes when Eggsy come to, his voice bleary as he shakes his head, eyes dilating under a fresh wave of pain.
"Don't wanna a doctor," he mumbles, and Harry's eyes widen at the sight the red stained teeth, the slight swell in the lip, the way Eggsy's head lolls, exposing his shoulder, the gash that is still bleeding into the dark shirt that Eggsy is wearing. Only now, Harry realizes something. Something that makes his stomach curl and makes him see rage.
Eggsy's shirt was never red.
Harry practically kicks his door open, and seating Eggsy on the couch, ignoring the potential repercussions for his couch, ripping his shirt off in two, revealing no dark bruises that would indicated internal bleeding for which he is highly grateful for. Eggsy catches his hand, still dazed and giddy, "no doctor," he mumbles and Harry almost wishes he could slap him, if he was not afraid of the likelihood that if he did, half of Eggsy would come undone and other half would simply shrivel up in pain.
Eggsy laughs lightly, and coughs, wincing in pain, leaning to his side, with J.B nuzzling his head on his thigh, and blinks at Harry. "Don't make that face," he half whispers, his throat working to produce the sounds, and Harry scowls, watching the string of fingerprints on Eggsy's throat stretch, his face dark as he slips his glasses off, a silent command for Merlin to watch over his boy, and he leaves briefly to the kitchen, gathering a bowl of water, one of his softer cloths and one of his larger first aid kit.
Merlin hisses in his ear, "don't let him fall asleep," and Harry rushes out to drooping eyes, and a body laying on its side on the couch. Harry rouses Eggsy, who wakes with a small groan, begging to sleep. "Soon," Harry lies easily, and begins to the clean the wounds, apologising softly as Eggsy shakes under his hands, his head leaning back on the couch as he struggles to breathe. Merlin walks Harry through the sewing of the broken skin, through wrapping the bleeding wounds, even gauging the cut inside of Eggsy's mouth. "He might have a concussion," Merlin warns and Harry nods, nudging Eggsy awake until Merlin can get here with a fix it for his head.
Eggsy bats his hands away and his eyes shut, and Harry lightly taps him awake. "Let's watch a movie," Harry proposes quietly, and Eggsy shakes his head, "just wanna sleep," he slurs, and Harry settles next to him, and Eggsy curls close, groaning and hissing until he gets comfortable. Harry runs a hand lightly through his hair, avoiding the patch of gauze on his head, his voice quiet as he tells Eggsy about his trip in Iraq, about the whack jobs, and he can hear feel the huff of laughter against his shoulder and he smiles softly, his words flowing smoothly and Eggsy is silent as he listens.
He winces as he shifts, and Harry feels a rush of concern. "Perhaps we should go to the hospital, after all."
Harry blinks when he feels Eggsy's head shake, "stay 'ere," he mumbles, "stay safe." Harry feels his heart break, and he presses his lips to the top of Eggsy's head.
"You're safe here, Eggsy. Always." Harry brushes his knuckles against Eggsy's cheek.
" 's why I came. Left Daisy wif a mate o' mine. Didn't wan 'im seein me like this. So I came 'ere." He chuckles, and lets out a small whine of pain.
"Oh Eggsy," Harry breathes, and he bites down the rage building in his chest. He would have to see Eggsy's stepfather soon and remind him exactly the consequences that came with messing with his boy.
"Why did he do this?" He asks, not expecting an answer.
" 'e was pissed that I got me mum and Daisy out of that hole. Met me goin back for Daisy's damn binky." Eggsy chuckles, and his eyes are open, wet with barely suppressed tears. "Princess wouldn't stop cryin wifout it." Harry wishes he could tell Eggsy that it was okay to cry, that a gentlemen could show emotion but now was not the time.
He continues to stroke the side of Eggsy's face, waiting for Merlin to show up so that he could tuck Eggsy into bed. It is past midnight when Merlin show up, almost three hours of Harry telling Eggsy stories that he would not remember. Eggsy whines, protesting the movement, sulking as Merlin steadies his heavy head, a weird wand going over his shaved hair before Eggsy is deposited back on Harry's shoulder.
"Looks clear. All good to go," Merlin nods his approval, and Eggsy sighs in relief, curling back down with a small sound of pain mixed with comfort. Merlin nods and slides out, promising to check on Daisy and Michelle before the morning light bled in. Harry smiles gratefully, and Merlin stands at the door, eyes lingering on the bruised form curled into a small ball at the foot of the couch and he sees the darkness in Merlin's eyes. Harry knows that he will not have to lift a single finger to protect Eggsy, not when Merlin hs already whipped out his iPad, typing on it as he walks out.
Harry hauls Eggsy up, ignoring the way the whimpered cries of pain made his heart twitch, and carefully walks up the stairs, one hand on Eggsy's waist and lowers him into his own bed, easily stripping his clothes off, replacing them with the soft over washed pajamas that Eggsy had always left in the bottom corner of his drawer.
He pauses over the buttons, fingers tight on the gentle cloth, before closing them, and tucking the blanket around the boy, whispers goodnight against his forehead, waits for Eggsy's eyes to close, J.B curled on his stomach, his breathing levelling almost immediately.
Harry slips out quietly, closing the door behind him. He pours himself a brandy as he settles in his chair, tapping the glass thoughtfully as he pulls his laptop open, watching the feed of Dean carefully, his smile growing more pronounced as he watched the results of Merlin's meddling. "
And on goes the cuffs," he mumbles, finishing his brandy, and finally starts cleaning up.