#asterismsinyoureyes

 so mythical creatures my brother was always dragons and i got unicorns because that’s what my mom’s ‘symbol’ was when she was little and she wanted me to be a mini-her. so my gut reaction is to say unicorns, but idk if that’s legit? i like selkies a lot too, or sirens. nautical mystical creatures i like the most lol 

harry leaves the wizarding world b/c they expect him to fix all of their problems w/o actually helping the society improve and move forward, at the same time they all just want a figurehead, and it’s too much and he’s /sick/ of it, because wizarding society is so fucking moronic. it’s remarkably easy to remain in london and just stay out of the wizarding areas. it keeps him close enough that he can return to see the weasleys and hermione and everyone else, but even them he’s feeling stifled by so he takes some time without contacting any of them 

during that period, he meets merlin. knowing harry, he accidentally walks in on a kingsman’s mission gone wrong, drags the agent’s unconscious body to safety, and takes out the hostiles. and of course merlin sees it all, thanks to the glasses feed still transmitting. 

harry’s at a loss of what to do, ends up taking the agent to the hospital and waiting to make sure the man’s alright. merlin books it to meet him there, shakes his hand and thanks him for protecting his “friend”. he asks harry out for dinner as a thank you. harry can’t find a polite way to say no, thanks to merlin’s careful maneuvering. 

merlin, meanwhile, is freaking out because what the FUCK did that boy do. that wasn’t any weapon he’s ever seen, and it was flexible--who the fuck is this kid? he needs more intel, and he would’ve sent eggsy or roxy in his place to seduce the kid since they’re closer to his age, but both were gone and merlin only had the time it took harry to get to the hospital to make his move. he was the only person available 

so there merlin is, trying to trick information out of a boy less than half his age like a long-term honeypot. because there’s nothing on harry james potter in any database. a birth certificate and vague school records, but nothing more. 

on their date, the mysteries keep popping up. merlin’s fascinated despite himself, and hell if the way harry blushes and scrubs the back of his neck isn’t ridiculously attractive. and he’s /funny/. his humor’s bone-dry and he snorts at merlin’s own jokes, though he misses almost every pop-culture reference. it’s--actually, it’s the most fun merlin’s had in ages. (it’s the most fun harry’s had since his earlier years of hogwarts.) 

this time, harry shyly asks to see him again. ducking his head and mumbling it towards his feet, and merlin pecks his cheek, grins, and says, “well, how could i say no? can i get your number?” 

harry freezes. “uh. i don’t have one. i’m working on it, though. bad move, and all that. i can give you my address?” he winces, and merlin’s gives him a incredulous look. “i know, it’s awful.” 

“no no, it’s fine,” merlin backtracks. “how about i give you mine and you give me a call from a payphone until you get that straightened out?” 

harry seems relieved, and merlin, technology dependent since the day he was born, cannot comprehend that he’s definitely not lying but how can a barely-out-of-teen-years boy not have a phone? 

and that’s just the beginning. harry has no online presence, is fascinated with the iphone merlin ends up going with him to pick out, and apparently he only has a vague idea of how the internet works. merlin’s reluctantly charmed, even though it’s a questionable situation at best. 

and they DATE and it’s cute, harry’s bitter and closed-off (merlin can recognize the ptsd symptoms) but he slowly starts to open up, and merlin’s more playful and happy than he’s been in years. merlin takes out a drunk mundungus fletcher who lost his wand and was bothering harry and harry really, really, really likes having a significant other who wants to protect him back b/c even after all these years it’s still such a foreign feeling to know that someone /cares/ enough to protect him 

 and merlin has such angst because he’s lying to this boy because he wants information for the good of the free world but the more he learns about harry the more he realizes this is a boy who just lives a quiet life and wants to have a content, mild life (even though his money seems to come from nowhere and that’s concerning too, but he doesn’t have any contact with anyone and he owns a fucking owl for some odd reason, he’s so endearing) 

and oh, he’s feisty. their first fight is the hottest thing merlin’s experienced in years. harry is so young and uncertain with a lot, but when he’s angry he forgets all of his worries and insecurities and RIPS merlin a new one. not a lot of people stand up to merlin that blatantly, but harry is fearless

it’s maybe three months into their relationship when harry knocks on merlin’s door at 3 in the morning. he’s shaking and cold and, “i’m sorry, i shouldn’t-- i should go, i don’t know why i thought--” 

“come in. it’s okay. i’m here for you.” 

and harry melts into merlin’s arms, hugging him tightly. “i miss them, i miss them so much and it’s my fault i fucked everything up and i should’ve been better, i was supposed to save them all--” 

“shh, love. it’s okay. i got you.” 

that night, merlin realizes how deep he’s in. and he knows that kingsman should come first, that he should bring harry in finally and question him there. but he really loves this boy and he should’ve seen this coming because he hasn’t told anyone about him (though harry hart has his suspicions since merlin’s been leaving HQ earlier and earlier when time allows) 

the next morning, harry wanders into the kitchen and sees merlin sitting at the table with his legs bouncing and a, “i haven’t been completely honest.” 

“me neither.” 

“can we start now?” 

there is a LOT of screaming. harry doesn’t like the idea that he was being used, merlin tries to make him see that he’s fallen in love with him and he’s on harry’s side, merlin doesn’t like that harry’s lying, harry insists magic is real, harry doesn’t like that merlin was spying on him (”You BUGGED my home?”)-- merlin explains kingsman, harry explains the wizarding world (not his role in it or the war, but that magic exists and the culture’s different, basically) 

it takes all day until they’re on the same page. harry’s hurt and angry and storms off, merlin punches a wall. 

but then kingsman has a crisis and merlin disappears for days. and it’s on the fifth day where harry comes strolling into the lab, feigning nonchalance. 

“Tracking spell,” he explains when merlin asks how he found him. “your defenses aren’t exactly wizard-proof, mer.” 

“you’re a fucking menace.” 

“so this is where you do spy-things, then? can you show me some stuff?” 

and, well. merlin can’t do much against a wizard, and he could try to use an amnesia dart but. well. harry sort of has him wrapped around his finger. it’s sickening. 

so he does. harry’s delighted. 

harry hart and eggsy stop by. harry hart’s eyes light up and he says, “oh, now you can’t call me a dirty old man. you’re even worse, is this boy legal?” 

harry discretely sends a stinging hex at him and gets a gun pointed at him when eggsy notices. merlin punches eggsy for that. “don’t threaten him,” he snaps. 

harry snaps, “i can take care of myself, thanks.” 

“i’m sorry, are you trained to handle international super spies? if not, shut up.” 

“no, but i have a specialty in taking down megalomaniac dark lords which i bet is just as hard.” 

BASICALLY i want uber protective merlin after he learns what harry’s been through, him loving and shielding his precious bb. helping him get over his trauma and past, encouraging him seeing a therapist-- and you know what i want a lot too? I want harry learning from merlin about the muggle world and programming and all of that and using it to help muggleborns and muggle-raised wizards and witches reintegrate if that’s what they want without giving up their magic. him starting to mesh the two worlds in a sort of fringe-wizarding world society. 

also: harry becoming an unofficial kingsman. picking out missions where magic’s involved (of which there aren’t a lot, but post-v-day there’s a lot more than there was before) and taking them on himself, occasionally calling in help from ron or hermione. 

MERLIN GOING TO WEASLEY FAMILY DINNERS OMG can you imagine? OH and him going to memorial services with harry, both of them in disguise so they won’t be bothered, merlin supporting harry. 

harry just needs a solid support like merlin okay? it would be beautiful. this got SO away from me i’m so sorry but i was on a roll. 

also the part where merlin just comes clean isn’t set in stone. i also have a mental image of azkaban losing control of a portion of the dementors and harry has to save merlin and OOOH his patronus is different it’s a merlin falcon now b/c i’m a sap for that trope i really truly am and that’s when harry knows he’s in love with merlin and can’t just obliviate him so he comes clean and merlin takes the information and feels SO guilty putting it into the kingsman databases and he eventually has to tell harry the truth or he’ll lose him and UGH angst possibilities just saying