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Merlin didn’t wear suits. It was a fact that every Kingsman staff member knew. So, when the man came to work wearing one, the staff was confused. Of course, in an effort to understand the anomaly, they came up with different theories. Some thought that perhaps Merlin had been brainwashed. Others said that as their newest Arthur, Harry had finally found a way to get the man to change his wardrobe. Another few decided that Merlin was trying to impress someone. And even fewer wondered if Merlin lost a bet.Most dismissed the last two theories as highly improbable. After all, in the last three decades the man had worked for Kingsman, neither had ever happened, so the first two options seemed more likely.Unknown to all but Arthur and Lancelot, it was Galahad who had caused Merlin’s sudden wardrobe change. Even Galahad didn’t know that he was the reason.Harry had been friends with Merlin for decades. It was due to that friendship that Harry knew when the man had a crush. So, when he came back from Kentucky, a month and a small coma later, Harry had been easily able to see his best friend’s crush on his protégé, despite the fact that he was down an eye. But while Harry was able to see the feelings Merlin had for the younger man, he was unable to convince Merlin to do anything about them.Lancelot had been in a similar place with Galahad. After months of training together in a barracks with minimal privacy, Roxy and Eggsy knew each other better than most. It was due to that closeness that Roxy realized her friend had been harboring a crush on their instructor. So, she tried to convince Eggsy to make a move on Merlin. But the man wouldn’t budge.The two nearly resigned themselves to watching the pair pining over one another. However, after the four of them went to a pub together, Merlin and Eggsy had begun to act even more ridiculous around one another the more they each got sloshed. And it was during their ridiculousness that Harry and Roxy, both mostly sober, but drunk enough to have a bit of a loose tongue with one another, came to the realization that the two of them could work together to get their two idiot best friends together. So, after getting Merlin and Eggsy home, they planned. But it wasn’t until the next morning after they slept off their drinks did they come up with the perfect one.Roxy had told Harry how Eggsy had nearly drooled at the sight of Merlin in the pilot’s uniform on V-Day. So, the two agreed that if they could get Merlin into a real bespoke suit, either Eggsy would jump the older man and lead to them admitting their feelings, or Eggsy’s attraction would be written so clear on Eggsy’s face that even Merlin would not be able to miss it. Either way worked really.So, the two made a bet with Merlin. A dangerous thing seeing as how Merlin never lost, but they both knew Merlin would not say no to a bet. But they were confident they would win the bet, so they made it. They bet Merlin that he be unable to go a day without coffee or tea. Seeing as how the man lived on coffee – and when that was unavailable tea – they were sure they would win. But they almost lost. Merlin had gone twenty-three hours without either beverage and Harry and Roxy began to despair. After all, what was one more hour? But then, unexpectedly, Eggsy made Merlin a cup of coffee and offered it to the man. Wrapped up in his infatuation, the man accepted it. The two stared at the man in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. It wasn’t until Eggsy left did Merlin even realize what he had done. He looked over at Harry and Roxy’s faces, looked down at his mug, and groan. It was the man’s groan that snapped the two out of their surprise and beginning to celebrate.So, with their win, they demanded that Merlin wear a suit into the office the next day. Merlin frowned in confusion, no doubt expecting a worse punishment, but agreed.Not wanting anything to go wrong, Roxy made sure she and Eggsy were in the man’s office the next day, waiting for him to return from a meeting with Harry. She made sure they were waiting for Merlin to return so that way they could get the full effect of Merlin standing in the suit, unwrinkled. And when Merlin came in? Eggsy’s reaction didn’t disappoint. He was entranced by the older man.“He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint”, he said.Roxy was sure that it was meant solely for her. However, due to the small area they were in, Merlin heard him. Merlin snapped his eyes to the younger man in surprise, causing Eggsy to blush when he realized Merlin had heard him. There was a moment of pure tension as the two stared at each other. Until, finally, Merlin broke the silence.“I often think the same about you, lad.”Eggsy blushed harder but stood up from the chair he was in at the same time that Merlin walked over to Eggsy. They stopped centimeters away from one another, both of them hesitating. Roxy was beginning to think she would have to push them together, they met in a passionate kiss. Roxy cheered and left the room running in order to tell the good news.That of course, led to the staff wondering what could have possibly happened that would have the usually composed Lancelot laughing like a mad woman in the direction of Arthur’s office. But then again Merlin was wearing a suit, so they just decided that today was going to be a day of weird occurrences. And when they heard Arthur matching Lancelot’s cheering and laughing, Kingsman staff figured that confirmed it.