Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else, and that's the way of it.

Conversation With Just Me

This was not how Eggsy had seen his night going. Remotely. But no matter how hard he pinched himself Eggsy still found himself sitting in the front passenger seat of a luxury vehicle that probably costed more than he was likely to make in his lifetime. One with a pricy leather interior that still smelled new to Eggsy's sensitive nose, not to mention the heated seats and all sorts of features that Eggsy was just itching to try out for himself. Cause nothin he'd ever gone for a little joyride in came close to this baby.

And Harry had left him alone in it with Daisy.

Glancing out the rain streaked window in the direction of the chemist's, Eggsy was still confused as fuck about Harry's decision to let him stay in the car without him. I mean sure the man had taken the keys with him, but Eggsy had yet to meet a car he couldn't hot wire if he set his mind to it. Stealing this would be like taking candy from a baby.

Though the memory of the two bodies and other bloke limping away from the vehicle earlier had Eggsy's itchy fingers stilling.

Not that that two on the ground had been dead, thank Christ. Just knocked out according to Harry. Some sort of security feature on the car that zapped the hell out of potential car thieves. Like no fucking security system Eggsy had ever come across, that's for sure. Sick, obviously, but fucking scary as well since he was sorta at the mercy of the car's owner.

"We sure as fuck ain't in Kansas, Flower. But fuck if your big bruv knows what the fuck is going on here."

No response came, but then Eggsy was fairly sure that this was just one of the lulls before the next storm. They'd been through this enough that he was pretty sure Daisy was just too worn out to cry at the moment. Once she got some down time or the pain increased she'd be back ta screaming form, and then Harry would be right sorry he'd snatched her up and insisted that she and Eggsy was coming with him.

And hadn't that been seriously fucking weird. That he hadn't gone for Harry's throat aside from that reflexive punch. His wolf trusted Harry, though fuck if he knew why. But his wolf was usually a pretty fucking good judge of character, which was why he was still in the car. He was warm and dry, and if Harry was to be believed they were gonna have a roof over their heads and medicine for Daisy soon enough. That was a hell of a lot better off than they'd been before Harry showed up.

Exhausted, he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, Eggsy allowed his eyes to close and rest for a minute or two. Though they snapped open and he came to attention as soon as Harry's door opened and the man in question slid back behind the wheel.

"Hold this a moment, please."

Taking the bag held out to him Eggsy did as Harry asked, reining in his curiosity as Harry buckled himself into the driver's seat once more. Then handed it back to Harry when he was done, watching as Harry's hand went rummaging around before pulling out a plastic thing shaped like a frog. Sorta.

"Let her chew on that. It will be more to her liking once it's spent some time in the freezer, but that should help. And here's something to rub into her gums."

"Oh. Thanks." Eggsy thought about pointing out that he had no way of paying Harry back for this, well at least not with cash, but decided to keep that to himself. If Harry demanded something later, well then he was just out of luck.

But Harry didn't ask for anything as he twisted around to toss the bag into the backseat.

In fact Harry said nothing at all as the once again slid smoothly into traffic while Eggsy rubbed the gel stuff onto Daisy's gums and then stuck the frog thingie against her lips, the little ankle biter gnawing on it half-heartedly before grabbing hold of it and biting down with a bit more energy.

While drooling all over herself. And him. Joy.

"Eggsy?"

Looking over Eggsy couldn't get a read on the man's face. "Yeah?"

"How much DO you know about our kind, exactly?"

Like most everyone Eggsy hated to admit ignorance about anything, but in this case he was aware enough to know that being ignorant in this case might save his skin. So he opted for straight honesty.

"Not a lot. I remembered me dad as a wolf, ya see. Not well or anything, and Mum told me they was just dreams when I was a sprog, but when I changed the first time…well once I got over the shock and stopped wondering stupid things like if someone had slipped me somethin-well it helped and kept me from doin something stupid that night. Mum, she told me what she knew after that, and I ran into a couple of wolves a couple years ago, and they told me some stuff too. Even invited me ta try out for their pack and offered ta sponsor me or whatever. But it weren't like we could just up and move ta France, and I…I had plans that meant stickin round here."

A pause. "Have you killed anyone?"

"Wot?!"

"I'm not judging you, Eggsy. A young lone wolf without pack is a very dangerous, sometimes feral beast. And you would have had no one to teach you to control it. To understand the two sides of you." Harry glanced away from the road for a moment to look in Eggsy's direction. "I wouldn't blame you. I'm just asking what will be asked later."

Hunching his shoulders defensively, Eggsy's mind went to all the close calls he'd had since that first change. But he could honestly say that he had never killed or even badly mauled someone, which was what he told Harry. While leaving out the many instances he used his superior strength to his advantage in fights and such. And maybe, possibly, bit a couple because instinct had overwhelmed him. But he couldn't make werewolves or anything, so Harry didn't need ta know about none of that neither.

"Good. I thought as much, we do keep our ears to the ground, so to speak, for any attacks or unusual happenings in the city, but you are smart enough to cover your tracks. Some of the time."

"Thanks." Sorta.

Silence descended between them for a few minutes, and it was surprisingly comfortable given that Eggsy hardly knew anything about the other wolf or what his intentions were.

"Aside from your mother and the other two wolves you mentioned meeting, who else knows what you truly are?"

"Aside from you? No one. Well Daisy does in the sense that I talk ta her about it and shit, but it ain't like she knows what the hell I'm talkin bout. Never told no one else. Didn't figure it was safe. Dean would fucking sell me." Eggsy muttered to himself, though of course Harry heard him anyway.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like Daisy's father, am I?"

"No one does."

"I suppose I'll see for myself, later."

Eggsy was tempted to ask Harry about the man's own family, like if he had kids seeing as he'd said he was a maternal dominant. Which he hadn't even known was a thing, and Eggsy figured it was pretty fucking important to find out if he was one of those too. Gettin up the duff wasn't somethin he was lookin ta do, especially since he couldn't for the life of him figure out how that would work. And thinking about it just made his head hurt.

"Harry? Before, when you was telling me bout ya being a maternal dominant…how do ya know when ya are one?"

A low chuckle that Eggsy liked the sound of. "No, Eggsy. You aren't a maternal dominant. That's not something you need to worry about. Just a dominant. Potentially a very powerful one."

"Powerful?"

"You sound surprised. You don't realize how impressive you are, Eggsy. You've never had a pack, but you've not only held onto your sanity, but your humanity as well. You mastered your wolf and the change without help, and with your bloodlines…well it stands to reason that we can expect great things from you. Lee would be proud."

It was stupid. Eggsy knew that. But to hear someone, someone like Harry, another wolf, say that he was impressive. That he was capable of great things and that his dad would be proud of him. Well it lit him up inside, and made him beam with happiness.

)

The weather was dark and miserable, but it was hard for Harry to remember that as a human sun lit up the car's interior. Eggsy's smile was just that bright and blinding. And beautiful. He had to smile back even as Harry reminded himself that he needed to pay attention to the road. The last thing they needed was to get into an accident. Particularly since Daisy's body wasn't nearly as durable as his and Eggsy's.

Speaking of which… "She seems better."

"For the moment, yeah. She'll start up again soon enough."

"Babies do do that."

"Ya got any sprogs of your own?"

A familiar pang, he was a maternal after all. But ignoring it Harry just shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I never found a mate. Highly dominant wolves often have that problem when submissives don't appeal to them. A pairing of two dominants is often a complicated business. At least in my experience. As you'll learn as well, depending on your preferences."

"My preferences." Eggsy shot him an amused look. "Ya mean mine or me wolf's? Cause he's a lot pickier than me."

Intrigued, Harry asked what he meant by that.

"Well he, the wolf, he ain't never cared for anyone that way. Back before I had a handle on him, he was growlin away in the back of my mind any time I was lookin ta get lucky. Had to be fuckin celibate for a few months, fraid I'd maul someone in the throes cause he didn't like em."

That was just odd. "Normally new wolves are rather the opposite. He's never shown interest in someone?"

Eggsy shook his head.

"I suppose he could only be interested in his own kind. We'll have to see what happens when you get the chance to interact with other members of the pack."

"If they're all posh like you they ain't gonna want much ta do with me, Bruv. Least not out in the open like."

"The ones who'll think that aren't worth your notice."

The look Eggsy shot in his direction said he thought that was pure bollocks. And Harry couldn't blame him for thinking that either, since it went without saying that more than a few of his packmates would have a problem with the idea of Eggsy joining their pack. If that was what happened. Things were very much still up in the air there.

Turning to drive up the street leading to his home, Harry informed Eggsy that they'd arrived.

"This is your place? Sick."

It took a moment for Harry to remember that that meant Eggsy liked the look of his place. Kids and their slang. "Thank you. It's been in my family for a few generations at this point."

His attention obviously on the house Eggsy didn't speak up again until they were both out of the car and Eggsy was using his umbrella to shield Daisy from the rain and Harry was putting up with being a little wet as he retrieved the bags before joining the two on his front doorstep.

"So how come ya don't live in a pack? Don't wolves like us do that?" Eggsy asked as Harry unlocked the door and pushed it open for them.

"I didn't and don't like the previous and current alpha. I've also always been a bit of a lone wolf. A family trait. I love being around my pack, but I prefer in small doses unless they're close friends or children. But yes, its fairly normal for packs to live together." Setting the bags aside once they were inside, Harry shrugged out of his coat and hung it up, removing his oxfords as well since lord only knew what crap he'd be tracking around his house after where they'd been.

That done Harry offered to hold Daisy while Eggsy did the same.

"Thanks."

Smiling at the exhausted little girl in his arms Harry was glad she was no longer crying, though she was still not looking her best. A good night's sleep without her poor little gums hurting would hopefully fix that.

"So how do ya tell the…what ya call a certain wolf? How many types are there, anyway?"

Turning his attention back to Eggsy, who was undoing his trainers and showing off his arse under those ugly clothes, Harry took a moment to think of how to break it down for the boy after reminding himself sternly that the boy was hardly more than a pup.

"There are four main designations. Dominant and maternal dominant, and then submissive or healer. You aren't a healer, your sister's condition earlier would have driven your wolf insane if that were the case. You hold my gaze and my dominance doesn't seem to affect you in the slightest, so submissive is out. Though a word of advice?" Harry waited for Eggsy to nod. "Don't think of submissives in human terms. To us that means that they prefer to be led rather than lead, and aren't fighters by nature. There are plenty of submissives that could rip a man's throat out with ease to protect their families or packmates."

"Got it."

"Good. As for the difference between a maternal and a regular dominant aside from the ability to bear young, there is the vibe we get from one another, for lack of a better description."

"Huh?"

"Hold Daisy a moment."

When Eggsy took her back Harry undid his cufflinks, pocketed them, and then rolled back his shirt sleeve before holding his wrist out in Eggsy's direction. "Breath in my scent."

Brows furrowed, Eggsy asked why.

"You'll see in a moment."

Shrugging his shoulders Eggsy shuffled Daisy around a little so that she was pressed comfortably against his chest and then the young dominant leaned in and brushing his nose against the sensitive skin of Harry's inner wrist to inhale his scent.

Watching Eggsy's lashes descend to hide his eyes from him Harry couldn't have said why, the boy was far too young for him, but his stomach clenched at their closeness and the odd…intimacy of the moment. Like they were doing something far more intimate than a simple sharing of scent.

Not that he could really smell the boy over the unpleasant scents that clung to those hideous clothes and Eggsy's skin. And that was on top of the other scents that weren't a part of Eggsy's actual scent, but which made it clear that Eggsy resided in a world that smelled of fear, sadness, and hopelessness.

"Alright. I got ya." Straightening back up Eggsy's smile suggested that he was quite pleased with himself, though his eyes were hooded, their expression still hidden.

"You got me?"

"How ya tell the difference between the two types of dominants."

"Care to tell me?" Because he was confused as to how the boy could have figured it out just from his scent, especially since Eggsy was woefully ignorant about their kind.

"Well it's an evolution thing, ain't it? I mean what would be the point in two regular dominants or two maternal ones finding each other attractive? No kids that way, and animals are all about reproducing. Ya smell so fucking good and shit cause you're a maternal and I'm a dominant, right? If ya was just a dominant my wolf wouldn't like your scent so sodding much. Guess that's why my wolf wasn't interested in the other two? I mean they were both birds, but I guess my wolf just likes maternal dominants?" Eggsy frowned a little. "Though I would have thought Evie was one. She sure as fuck wasn't a submissive sort."

Understanding having dawned, Harry found himself torn between being stunned and flattered as fuck that Eggsy found him sexually attractive given that he was older than the boy's parents and definitely on the shelf, as his mother was fond of phrasing it.

"No, Eggsy. The way you can tell the difference is the way you instinctually react to my scent. If I were a regular dominant in my human form you would have felt aggressive and challenged by my presence. It's natural, our two wolves feeling each other out to assert which is the more dominant of the two. With me though…maternal dominants don't do that. Because we can bear young it's instinctual for dominants to want to protect us. To preserve our bloodlines, as it were. There are other indicators, of course, but those are only apparent in X-rays or in our wolf forms. Though there are exceptions when it comes to the latter, as I am considered abnormally large for a maternal dominant in both my forms."

Ducking his head so that he could hide behind the bill of his cap, Eggsy actually shuffled his socked foot a little, which Harry couldn't help but find incredibly adorable.

"Oh."

"From the sound of it I am the first male maternal dominant you've met. That's likely it." And to spare them both further discomfort or the asking of embarrassing questions Harry opted to direct the conversation towards a topic that was guaranteed to distract and hold the attention of a young wolf, particularly given Eggsy's age and the time of day.

"But enough about that. Shall we retire to the kitchen and get you something to eat?"

Eggsy's beaming smile was all the answer Harry needed.