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“Nothing interesting happened today. They are planning for another protest this weekend, though,” reported Eggsy, calling from a proper mobile phone instead from the built-in phone in his Kingsman-issued glasses. The long duration of the mission he was having right now demanded him to blend in as much as possible, so he needed to use limited Kingsman tools until it was proven necessary. Eggsy had never done long undercover mission before. After two months pretending to be a new student in Sorbonne University—pretending to be someone else—he got to understand how exhausting and yet very confusing it was. Especially when there was still so many undiscovered links in the mission, missing puzzles yet to be found.
“I see. Keep watch on them. With our still limited intel on this particular mission, you need to be on guard all the time. Our branch in France are still investigating,” said Merlin from the other line, voice a bit buzzed, sounding a bit impatient. It had been a long slow two months so no surprise that even Merlin got a bit impatient as well.
“You can count on me,” replied Eggsy and with that Merlin hung up. Eggsy sighed and leaned to the dirty wall in the alleyway, one hand inside his jeans' pocket to take out a pack of cigarettes. He was no smoker, but from time to time he got a very strong urge to do so. Especially during the last two months. He lit it up and then took a deep breath and blew it out, watching how to smoke spiralled upwards and then into nothing.
Two months. Two long months of living in Paris, speaking mostly in french, eating what the french eats, relearning the way of living. Life as Mathieu Carter was entirely different to the life of Eggsy Unwin. Matthieu was from a small town in England. His father was English while his mother was French. He decided to study at Sorbonne because he wanted to know the country he was from, majoring in French literature. There was more on Mathieu's history and he seemed real, but Mathieu Carter was nothing but a fragment of someone in Merlin Department's imagination.
Eggsy really missed the fast-pacing missions or the slow but thrilling missions he usually was assigned on. But the Kingsman's branch in France needed a young male to blend in and there was no one in the French branch looked young enough to blend in with a bunch of university students, so Eggsy was assigned on the mission. He was to be part of a student political group who called themselves Les Amis de l'ABC, to prevent the rumour of assassination attempt on said group's leader. Eggsy was very skeptical when he first heard about the mission, but after reading on the files, looking at the political situation in France, and being part of the group for two months, Eggsy could understand why some big ass political leader (because he bet it must be someone high in the government) wanted to assassinate Enjolras.
Paris had a reputation as being a city of love and romance. But with the current situation, Paris was not how imagined it would be. It was currently a city full of tension, full of unsolved turmoil underneath. He didn't know what would really happen nor when it would happen, but he knew that something would, maybe very soon, before even the Kingsman managed to get all the intels needed.
Eggsy took another drag from his cigarette when he noticed that someone else had stepped out from the back room of Musain. It was Grantaire. The man was bent low, looking as if even standing up took an effort. His curly black hair was a mess, clothes decorated with stains of paints. His eyes were bloodshot, but looked alert enough. Grantaire nodded at him in greeting. Eggsy smiled in reply and took out his pack of cigarette, offering one to Grantaire. People only came out to the back alley when they were in need of a smoke. Or when they need to call their handler like Eggsy. A minute later, Grantaire had his own lit cigarette. Eggsy lit up a new one. Both of them smoked in silence, before Grantaire broke the silence.
“You are not a student,” said Grantaire in heavily accented English. It was only because Eggsy had trained for many months and been to a dozen different missions that he didn't flinch right away. He flicked his cigarette, not responding. That was probably answer enough though, since Grantaire continued.
“Who are you?”
Eggsy could easily deflect the question, telling the man that he was simply delusional. But for some reasons, he decided not to. Merlin would probably go mad if he knew and the mission might be compromised because of this, Eggsy had no idea, but his instinct told him that it would not be the case. Besides, he knew that Grantaire was a good guy who could keep a secret anyway. A very smart one although he didn't look like one.
“Eggsy,” answered Eggsy, telling Grantaire his real name, instead of his fake name. Grantaire finally turned to look him and so Eggsy turned around to do the same. Grantaire's eyes were sharp now, face hard and serious in a manner that was unlike the Grantaire whom Eggsy had known in the past month.
“Why?” asked Grantaire flat, voice almost a whisper in the quiet alley. Eggsy knew that the man was asking many things at once with that question, but he couldn't answer everything, not now and not ever. So he answered the question that he knew matter the most to Grantaire.
“Your god needs protection,” answered Eggsy, using the word god because that was what Grantaire called Enjolras. Grantaire's lips turned upwards, face crunched into a grimace, body went tense. He didn't look surprised, though. Grantaire obviously didn't know the details of the rumour on what might happened, but the man was probably imagining enough grim, his face saying so.
“It's because of all the protests, isn't it?” Eggsy shrugged although it was telling enough. He dropped the cigarette on the road and stomped it down. Grantaire's cigarette was burnt almost to the end. The French took one last drag before threw the cigarette away as well.
“I am good at what I am doing,” said Eggsy. Grantaire didn't look convinced at all. Together they entered the Musain again. Once they stepped inside, Eggsy saw how Grantaire's eyes automatically diverted to focus on Enjolras, the blond leader of Les Amis de l'ABC, who was talking to his two lieutenants. Grantaire's blue eyes was bright, face flushed because of the sudden change in temperature, plainly showing said man's feelings. Eggsy turned away as he walked over to where he was seated before. He never before knew someone who was painfully open with his devotion and love like Grantaire. Eggsy knew after only spending a day with the group. The rest of Les Amis' inner circle knew as well. Eggsy didn't understand how come the object of the love didn't notice it at all. Eggsy felt somekind of sympathy toward Grantaire, because he knew how longing and pining felt like. Grantaire had taken a seat beside him, although his eyes were still chasing at Enjolras' figure.
“Done with the smoke? We are about to start the first round of drinking,” said Bahorel in French. Eggsy grinned, easily slipping into the persona of Mathieu again.
“First round on me,” replied Mathieu in fluent French. The members of Les Amis cheered as Bossuet shouted their drink orders at the bartender, first round of quite a few. Throughout the night, Grantaire's eyes were fixed on Enjolras. But that was no surprise.