"What are you doing home, Muggsy? Shouldn't you be out working?" Dean asked as Eggsy walked in the door, tie loosened around his neck and shoulders slumped as he came back from the interview.

"Fuck off, Dean," he muttered, trying to push past his stepfather. He suddenly found himself pushed up against the wall, a iron grip on his neck.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to?" He snapped. Eggsy reached up to try to pry Dean's hand off but there was no give. "You don't get to talk to me that way, Muggsy. After I took care of your mother and took your sorry ass in, you best treat me with respect."

"You don't deserve respect, you bastard," Eggsy choked out. "Just let me go."

Dean growled and his hand came up to slap Eggsy across the face. He released him at the same time and Eggsy was thrown to the ground. Eggsy pushed himself up and looked up at Dean, eyes widening as he grabbed a knife.

"Maybe I should cut out your tongue so that I don't have to worry about it," he said, grabbed Eggsy's arm to pull him up. Eggsy tried to get out of his grip and hit him in the jaw, successfully causing Dean to let go of him. Without a second thought, he jumped to his feet and got out of the door, Dean's cursing following behind him.

He didn't stop until he couldn't breathe. He ducked into an alley and leaned against the wall, chest heaving. Once he could properly breathe again, he looked around to try to find something familiar. His eyes fell on a familiar tailor shop and a rueful smile etched across his face.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked across the street to it. He walked into the shop, spotting the same man from a week ago and another man. He looked up as came closer.

"Eggsy," he said, surprise etched in the way his eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?"

Eggsy's hand lifted, tracing over the way his cheek was swelling. He resisted the urge to wince and instead have him a half smile that came off as little more than a grimace.

"It's nothing," he said. "I ran into a doorpost as I left the interview."

The two men exchanged looks and Eggsy shifted from foot to foot.

"You should put some ice on that," was finally said. He had a quiet conversation with his coworker and the bald man disappeared. "Why don't you have a seat."

He walked around the desk and led Eggsy to the couch sitting in the shop. He sat down as the other man reappeared and handed him ice wrapped in a cloth.

"Thanks," Eggsy muttered as he pressed it against his cheek. He looked at the man that had helped him, studying him for a moment. "You know, I never got your name."

"Harry," he replied. He looked Eggsy over for a moment. "Am I correct in assuming that you had your interview today?"

Eggsy looked down at his suit, not even noticing that the other man had disappeared.

"How'd you guess?" He smirked. Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I did. Didn't go how I expected it to."

"Oh? How did it go?"

"He wasn't interested in hiring me so much as he was fucking me," Eggsy said, looking down. "Turns out my stepdad had been providing him with... Services for years."

Harry didn't speak for a long while and Eggsy looked down, not sure how to meet his eyes. There was something about them that made Eggsy feel like he could see right through him.

"I'm very sorry to hear it didn't work out," he finally said. "Have you looked into other opportunities?"

"Nah. I'm, uh, being relocated, actually," Eggsy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "So I'm not sure if I'll be able to look into anything for a while except for the job I have."

"The job you have?" Harry repeated, sitting next to Eggsy. Eggsy nodded.

"Yeah, but I've been doing this for ten years and I'm done with being used," he said, the dam finally breaking now that he had a willing audience. "It was my stepdad's idea anyway. Not like I wanted to do this. It was just a way to make sure my mum and sister had a good life. And this," he moved the ice, gesturing to the darkening bruise. "This isn't even the worse that he's done to me. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before he kicked me out. He's never liked me."

"I thought you said you walked into a doorpost," Harry said, sounding more like he was reminding Eggsy of what he had said than like he actually believed it.

"I've never seen anyone with a bruise like this from a doorpost, bruv," Eggsy muttered, replacing the ice. "But since he isn't going to take care of them, I'll do it myself. They deserve the world, you know. And I can't give it to them like this."

He suddenly stopped talking, looking away from Harry as he realized he had just told his life story to a complete stranger. There was an uncomfortably long silence before he stood up, handing Harry what was little more than a wet towel now.

"I-I have to go," he said, still not able to look at him. "I'm sorry for unloading all that on you. Thanks for listening."

Before Harry could do anything to stop him, he left the shop, hands stuffed into his pockets.

When the fuck did it start raining? Eggsy thought as he walked down the sidewalk, shoulders hunched against the cold. He finally stopped with a huff, deciding that he get a cab. To where exactly, he had no idea.

He blinked as suddenly the rain above him stopped. He took a moment before looking up to see Harry holding an umbrella over him.

"That suit is over 700 pounds and you're in the rain in it," he commented. "And I don't think you can afford a new one."

"Probably not. Took me a few months to save up that much," he muttered. Harry let out a sigh.

"Also, I'm assuming that you have no place to stay, correct?" he asked. Eggsy just nodded. "I would like to offer you a place to stay until you are able to get a place of your own."

"You don't even know me," Eggsy said suspiciously. "Why would you offer me that?"

"You seem like good man, Eggsy," Harry said. "I would hate for your potential to go to waste."

"Uh huh, my potential," Eggsy said, rolling his eyes. "Listen, I don't go home with just anyone, bruv. I might be a whore, but I ain't cheap. I've got standards."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"That isn't what I meant, young man," he stated. "My offer had no hidden agenda. I was simply being kind."

Eggsy studied him for several long moments, looking for anything hidden in his expression. Harry met his gaze with his dark eyes and Eggsy knew he was being studied just as closely.

"I've never met someone that wanted to do something out of the kindness of their heart," he finally said. "So if you have any ulterior motive, then you must be up front with it."

"I can assure there is no ulterior motive," Harry sighed. "I can leave you in the rain if you wish but I'm sure you will not be able to work for a long while if I do."

Eggsy was already shivering because of his soaked clothes. He kept his jaw tight, knowing he wouldn't be able to argue once his teeth began chattering.

"Alright, one night," Eggsy said. "And tomorrow, I'll be gone, deal?"

"I suppose I have no choice," was the reply. "Now, might I call is a cab?"