The watch beeped, displaying that the hack failed and Eggsy sighed deeply. “This ain’t working, how do I get in?” Meanwhile, the fight was getting closer, screams of falling enemies not far away. Duncan was approaching. “Any minute now, Merlin.”

     “Do you know what the fuck you’ve just done? He’s getting away!” Agent Galahad was ready to take the kill shot before an unknown factor entered the equation. Just as he prepared to take down his target, the man ran when he saw the modern day Goliath, someone he clearly recognized.  “Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the arse it was to get him here alone?”

     “Can I have a martini, please?” Eggsy tried to avoid making his habits regular enough to track when he was undercover, but he had a weakness for this pub and its brilliant martinis; it was a bit of home when he was so far away. He showed his face there nearly every night, but he sported a fresh bruise on his cheek this time. The agent did not know how long he was going to be in the states, but he had found his watering hole.

          Eggsy drank his shot of whisky and coughed as it burned him from sternum to stomach, his face souring even as he gestured to the bartender for another. He could not speak to him over the blaring country music coming out of a nearby jukebox. “Next round’s on me.”

[text: Anne] You’re coming over, right? [text: Anne] It’s my Birthday.

    Waiting. It was all just waiting; waiting to hear the extent of the damage, waiting to see him, waiting to see if he would make it through another day, waiting to see if he would wake up. Fingers moved over the top of his head, brushing his scalp like he would have if he had hair. Eggsy’s face was red from crying; it was lucky that there was only the occasional Kingsman visitor and doctor or nurse, he had been crying off and on since the incident, but he was careful not to do it in front of anyone. He needed to keep a brave face for when Hamish woke up, for when he realized just how hurt he really was. He kissed the hand he held, the hand he had been holding most of the time.

     Eggsy waited patiently for an answer; Merlin did not often speak about his feelings even before, but he did not know how he remained so calm now. the young man would have been going mental with rage and grief if their positions were switched. A hand squeezed Merlin’s forearm as the doctor fitted a prosthetic on each of his legs, and it shifted to his back to help him sit up when they finished. “Could you give us a minute, please?” The doctor nodded and left, leaving him alone with the man he loved. “Hamish, you can tell me.” Arms circled his shoulders for a tight hug before he kissed his cheek.  

    “What do you prefer to drink? Please don’t tell me it’s actually Jager. No one really likes the taste of black licorice, do they?”