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Harry made a point of handling Eggsy’s missions after he came back to Kingsman. Being Arthur was awfully boring, a position of paperwork and trivial politics that he wishes he could avoid, so being Eggsy’s handler was a way for him to take a break and watch over his boy.
They worked so well together that Merlin had no choice but to allow Harry to be Eggsy’s permanent handler. The other Kingsman made jokes about them being a married couple, always anticipating the other’s movements and knowing what the other was going to say. “Guinevere” the other Kingsmen call Eggsy in the hallways.
“Married,” Harry muses after Eggsy reacts to something Harry hasn’t even said yet.
“Shut up,” Eggsy replies fondly, finishing his mission and making his way back to headquarters.
***
The accident happens the first time Harry has a meeting. Eggsy had been sent out on a mission, the same time that Harry was meeting with Kingsman’s investors, and a new handler had been given the task of helping Eggsy.
It was a simple mission to retrieve intelligence on a bio-weapon, nothing too hard, to get the handler into the swing of things.
It starts easy, Eggsy weaving between halls and taking out any obstacles with ease.
It ends with Eggsy in isolation at headquarters, the bio-weapon no longer a theory and making its way through Eggsy’s body quickly.
“Eggsy,” Harry whispers outside of the containment unit, watching as Kingsman’s greatest doctors perform test after test on his protégée. The days pass and Harry can’t do anything, unable to even sit by Eggsy’s side. Eggsy grows paler as a week passes, his body is wasting away, and sometimes the heart monitor is unable to detect his barely there heartbeat.
***
A week and a half later, the doctors find a miracle cure, administering it to Eggsy almost immediately and there’s hope. By the end of the week, Harry is allowed next to Eggsy’s bedside.
“You can’t die on me,” Harry whispers to Eggsy. The boy cracks an eye open and breathes out a laugh.
“The queen can’t leave his king.”
Merlin walks in on the two gently kissing one another, a nurse watching Eggsy’s heart monitor in exasperation.
***
Another week passes and Eggsy is allowed out of the containment ward, wandering the halls of Kingsman with Harry and helping him with his paperwork.
“Let’s go on a date,” Eggsy says suddenly one day. Harry looks up from his paperwork and agrees, making a reservation once Eggsy leaves the room to go walk JB.
Harry takes extra care to look nice the following evening, straightening out his tie multiple times before leaving the house, and doing it once more in the car on the way to the restaurant. Eggsy had agreed to meet him at the restaurant at 8pm, so Harry arrives at 7:50, primping himself as he waits for the younger man.
At 8:10, Harry wonders if Eggsy got caught in traffic.
At 8:20, the hostess informs him that his table has been given to someone else. Harry can’t bring himself to protest.
At 8:30, Harry wonders if Eggsy has come to his senses and decided that dating Harry was a bad idea. With a heavy heart he goes to call Merlin, but pauses when he sees Merlin calling him instead.
“Merlin?”
“…You need to come to Eggsy’s house.” The solemn tone of Merlin’s voice takes Harry by surprise, and a sense of dread takes over Harry. His driver speeds on the way to Eggsy’s townhome, the house he shares with his mother and sister. There are two other cars already in the roadway when Harry pulls up, and he jumps out.
“Eggsy?” he asks, walking faster when he hears sobbing coming from the open doorway. “Eggsy?!”
“Stop him.” Roxy’s voice hisses at an unknown person, and Merlin appears before Harry, blocking the man from going farther.
“Merlin, what is going on?” The Scot makes no sound, holding Harry instead. “Merlin, why are you hugging me? Where is Eggsy?!”
No words are spoken and the sobs grow louder, coming from the door that Merlin is blocking from Harry’s view.
“What is going on Merlin?” Harry whispers, fearing the worst when Merlin lets go and takes him into the room.
The room where Eggsy lays on the ground, still.
“The disease camouflaged itself,” Merlin explains, voice thick with grief as he watches his best friend drop to his knees beside Eggsy. “It made its final attack tonight.”
Harry goes deaf to the world around him as he takes Eggsy into his arms. Somewhere Roxy is consoling Michelle and Daisy, while Merlin stands by, all of them mourning Eggsy.
I should have checked on him, Harry thinks, I should have picked him up tonight. I could have caught it. I should have caught it before.
I should’ve loved you longer. I should’ve lover you harder.
I should have known.
Eggsy would have known what Harry was thinking, would have scolded him for even trying to blame himself for a disease that they knew nothing about.
***
“Married,” Harry whispers, placing a ring in Eggsy’s casket before they lower him into the ground.