“Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?”
Reign hardly ever snapped at anyone, but his world had dramatically shifted when he was injured. He wasn't the same person as he was before. No one seemed to understand this. His boyfriend had to go back to work, so that left him with his new friend Amy. Reign had spent the entire night arguing with Eggsy about how he didn’t need a babysitter, but deep in his heart he knew that wasn’t true. His boyfriend knew it too.
Reign was still weak and often lost his balance. Amy took this as an invite to never leave his side. She had been talking all morning. Even with his medication, he had a dull ache in his lower back. Each shift in an effort to get comfortable left him in more pain than before. He wanted to crawl into bed and never come out again.
But Amy had him in the living room, watching something on tv he had never head of before. Amy had propped him up with pillows and wrapped him in a blanket. She was trying to explain to him the million seasons he had missed in not knowing the show had existed and all Reign wanted to do was fall over. But she had even made that impossible.
Amy eyed him from the side. His rudeness didn’t even phase her. “Do you need your medication?” Reign sighed. “I need you to stop talking.” Amy turned to surely let him have it, but he was saved from her wrath when the front door opened. Reign didn’t need to look to know his boyfriend had finally made it home.
Eggsy came up behind him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “You look better, love.” Then Eggsy placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “Thank you for staying today. I’m sure he was the best patient you’ve ever had.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Amy said, standing and stretching. Eggsy came around from the back and Reign finally got a look at him. Eggsy was dressed in his regular clothes. No Kingsman suit. Reign hadn’t seen him in one since before his accident. “What did you do?” Eggsy mouthed as Amy turned the tv off and moved to leave.
Reign shrugged and stared at the floor. He had been mean, but he wasn’t ready to admit it. “You’ve got an angry little bear there, Eggsy. I’d be careful he doesn’t maul you in your sleep.” She kissed Eggsy’s cheek lightly, before gently squeezing Reign’s shoulder. His boyfriend stepped around him to walk her to the door.
He heard Eggsy thank her again and mention something about tomorrow before the door closed. Reign’s boyfriend came back, this time bare foot and without a jacket. Reign didn’t even let Eggsy asked, he just let the words rush out of him. “I don’t need a babysitter.” His words were sharp, like the pain in his back. “I’m not an invalid. I’m an adult. I’m a Kingsman, for crying out loud! I don’t need your ex-girlfriend telling me what to do.”
His short rant, left Reign breathless. He was heaving and his back ache had spread to his chest. Eggsy frowned, but then he laughed. “You are an angry bear today.” Reign glared at him. “The two of you are ridiculous.”
“Did she talk through your nap time?”
“Dammit Eggsy, I’m serious.”
“So am I, Reign. I know Amy talks a lot, but she means well. She’s me mate and yours too. You don’t get to treat her like trash just because you’re injured.”
“I don’t need her.” Reign said, gritting his teeth. “I need to be left alone.”
Eggsy sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Fine, you don’t need anyone. That means you can cook your own dinner and get yourself to bed then, yeah?”
Reign nodded, not willing to say he was wrong. Eggsy was up and out of the living room as soon as he saw Reign’s reaction. He sighed, pushing off the blanket. Reign huffed, pushing himself up with his arms. Pain was darting down his back and into his legs. Only his arms were holding him up. After a couple small cries of pain, Reign was up, standing with his back at an awkward angle. The pain was burning and intense, but he was standing.
As he shuffled forward to make the long trip to their bedroom, Reign broke out into a sweat. His fingers were tingling and slowly going numb from the pain. But he had to show Eggsy he could get around on his own. Reign hadn’t realized he was crying until he made it to the bed, but by then he was in so much pain, there was no way he could climb up into the bed.
His determination was gone— replaced by pain and fear. Reign had pushed away the only people that could help him. Now he was in the most pain he had been in for days and was unable to do anything for himself. But then, warm, gentle arms wrapped around his upper back, relieving a majority of the pressure on his lower back.
“I got you.” Eggsy murmured as he helped him into bed. It was a routine Eggsy knew well. Two pillows were placed to support Reign’s lower back and a third was one of Eggsy’s old pillows for Reign to snuggle with. Before pulling the covers up, Eggsy lifted Reign’s shirt. “You’re lucky you didn’t rip stitches.” He scolded, lowering the shirt and moving the covers. “Tell me what’s gotten into you. You’re acting like you’ve lost your mind.”
“I need to get better.” Reign muttered, looking away. His boyfriend could always see him, no matter what. Where Reign had been invisible to everyone else, Eggsy would always meet his eye.
“But you will, love—-soon.” Eggsy’s voice was soft again.
“No, I need to be better now. The longer I’m out the worst my chances will be. Eggsy, they’ll replace me. One terrorist threat and they’ll find someone younger, better— uninjured. If I don’t do this on my own — and fast— I won’t be a Kingsman anymore.”
“I have! My stitches aren’t even healing properly. I’m supposed to be checked tomorrow for infection. If it is, then it’s just going to be that much longer before I’m back in the field.”
Eggsy stared at him. There was something on his mind, but he was hesitating. Reign could see it. “Just spit it out, Eggsy.”
“Would it be so bad if that happened? You hate being out in the field.”
“I love being out there with you!” Reign argued. He couldn’t believe what his boyfriend was saying. Not be a Kingsman? They wouldn’t have even met if it wasn’t for Kingsman. Reign had no idea who he even was without them anymore.
“Yeah, with me; and that only happens once a year— maybe. If you weren’t a Kingsman, you’d be free of all the responsibilities you have to America. You could be here as long as you’d like— with me.”
Reign was horrified with how tempted the idea sounded. “You want me to quit being a Kingsman?”
“Love, I want you to quit killing yourself over something you can’t control.” Eggsy grabbed a cloth and wiped Reign’s face. “You’re going to be fine. Take a few days to just breathe—heal— and apologize to Amy.”
