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'Pay your rent any way you can'.
Things were bad in Liverpool.
Flynn had no money left. He had spent the money Susan had given him for food, though she was working to feed them both. Some days were better than others and some nights he went to sleep in his tumbledown little room, with a hungry belly, shivering from the cold. His heater worked, but it cost a lot to run and the more Flynn owed the landlord, the more the landlord would demand of him.
Three days ago, there had been light at the end of the tunnel. The constant job search Flynn had been on had finally rewarded him with a yes. He had been hired to work as a busboy at a nearby bar - a real shithole - and though it didn't pay well, it was something. And when Ray, the landlord, had demanded his rent, Flynn had mentioned that he could simply pay the amount he was short next week, since he had found a job. It meant he wouldn't have to resort to other means of paying Ray.
When he had shown up for work that afternoon, he had been turned away.
Flynn was curled up in the corner of his bed, his back smashed up where the walls of his room met. He had his knees drawn up to his chin and when his door unlocked and then opened, Flynn drew his legs up closer to him. His eyes narrowed as Ray's head poked into the room. "What are you doing in my room?" Flynn growled.
"It's my room, actually," Ray reminded him. "You're just rentin' it and if you don't pay what you owe me, you'll be out by tomorrow."
"I..." Flynn bit his lip and then he curled his hands into the fabric of his jeans. He had a very bad idea he knew what was about to happen. "I lost my job today."
Ray didn't look shocked.
"Did you have anything to do with that Ray? I told you I got a job and where it was and when I showed up, they told me to leave without telling me why."
Ray shrugged. "Bad luck, I guess. Recession and all that." Flynn didn't believe him for an instant. "Are you going to pack up and shove off, or do we have to come to some other arrangement for payment?"
Flynn's stomach lurched. The man in front of him looked more like a gorilla than a man. Flynn had no qualms about selling his body. It didn't bother him. It was just sex that meant nothing. He was good at it, why not get paid for it when he had no other options. This was different. With the exception of the first time he had done it, he had always chosen who he sold his body to. Even when he was desperate for cash, he was choosy. Flynn was capable of protecting himself should the need arise, but he still didn't want to get into a situation where it was necessary. Flynn was usually a good judge of character, and he was attractive enough to be choosy. He went with people who were lonely or who couldn't find a date or a fuck on a Saturday night. He sold himself to the people who were left behind at gay bars. He did not sell himself to disgusting slum lords who made him feel sick just looking at them.
Flynn stared at Ray and he said nothing until Ray advanced on him. "Mick," Ray said, using Flynn's fake name. "I need an answer now."
Flynn's grip on his jeans tightened but now it wasn't out of fear. He was stopping himself from attacking the hulking form in front of him. Ray was trying to intimidate him and Flynn wished he could lose himself just a little to show Ray just how horrible he was being. He wanted to leave the man bruised and bloody, and even as he refused to do so, his calculating mind was working overtime on just how many ways he could overpower the man who was twice his size. If Flynn lost control, he lost himself. All he could think of was Quinn's face when Quinn had kicked him out of home. He couldn't be violent. He couldn't give in to that.
Ray would never know just how lucky he was not to end up in traction.
He couldn't return to the street. The thought of it terrified him. He had nowhere else to go. He had nothing else he could do. When he nodded his consent, he felt a horrible pain in his chest, and he had to choke back a sob.
Flynn heard Ray's trousers unzip and he turned his face away.
This was the cost of living nowadays. Flynn had to control his gag-reflex the entire time, even with a condom separating Ray and him. And when Ray finally left, Flynn just made it to the bathroom where he threw up the small lunch Susan had provided him. He felt guilty. He felt sick. He felt worthless.
For the first time in his hard and complicated life, Flynn felt like giving up entirely.
Things were bad in Liverpool.
Flynn had no money left. He had spent the money Susan had given him for food, though she was working to feed them both. Some days were better than others and some nights he went to sleep in his tumbledown little room, with a hungry belly, shivering from the cold. His heater worked, but it cost a lot to run and the more Flynn owed the landlord, the more the landlord would demand of him.
Three days ago, there had been light at the end of the tunnel. The constant job search Flynn had been on had finally rewarded him with a yes. He had been hired to work as a busboy at a nearby bar - a real shithole - and though it didn't pay well, it was something. And when Ray, the landlord, had demanded his rent, Flynn had mentioned that he could simply pay the amount he was short next week, since he had found a job. It meant he wouldn't have to resort to other means of paying Ray.
When he had shown up for work that afternoon, he had been turned away.
Flynn was curled up in the corner of his bed, his back smashed up where the walls of his room met. He had his knees drawn up to his chin and when his door unlocked and then opened, Flynn drew his legs up closer to him. His eyes narrowed as Ray's head poked into the room. "What are you doing in my room?" Flynn growled.
"It's my room, actually," Ray reminded him. "You're just rentin' it and if you don't pay what you owe me, you'll be out by tomorrow."
"I..." Flynn bit his lip and then he curled his hands into the fabric of his jeans. He had a very bad idea he knew what was about to happen. "I lost my job today."
Ray didn't look shocked.
"Did you have anything to do with that Ray? I told you I got a job and where it was and when I showed up, they told me to leave without telling me why."
Ray shrugged. "Bad luck, I guess. Recession and all that." Flynn didn't believe him for an instant. "Are you going to pack up and shove off, or do we have to come to some other arrangement for payment?"
Flynn's stomach lurched. The man in front of him looked more like a gorilla than a man. Flynn had no qualms about selling his body. It didn't bother him. It was just sex that meant nothing. He was good at it, why not get paid for it when he had no other options. This was different. With the exception of the first time he had done it, he had always chosen who he sold his body to. Even when he was desperate for cash, he was choosy. Flynn was capable of protecting himself should the need arise, but he still didn't want to get into a situation where it was necessary. Flynn was usually a good judge of character, and he was attractive enough to be choosy. He went with people who were lonely or who couldn't find a date or a fuck on a Saturday night. He sold himself to the people who were left behind at gay bars. He did not sell himself to disgusting slum lords who made him feel sick just looking at them.
Flynn stared at Ray and he said nothing until Ray advanced on him. "Mick," Ray said, using Flynn's fake name. "I need an answer now."
Flynn's grip on his jeans tightened but now it wasn't out of fear. He was stopping himself from attacking the hulking form in front of him. Ray was trying to intimidate him and Flynn wished he could lose himself just a little to show Ray just how horrible he was being. He wanted to leave the man bruised and bloody, and even as he refused to do so, his calculating mind was working overtime on just how many ways he could overpower the man who was twice his size. If Flynn lost control, he lost himself. All he could think of was Quinn's face when Quinn had kicked him out of home. He couldn't be violent. He couldn't give in to that.
Ray would never know just how lucky he was not to end up in traction.
He couldn't return to the street. The thought of it terrified him. He had nowhere else to go. He had nothing else he could do. When he nodded his consent, he felt a horrible pain in his chest, and he had to choke back a sob.
Flynn heard Ray's trousers unzip and he turned his face away.
This was the cost of living nowadays. Flynn had to control his gag-reflex the entire time, even with a condom separating Ray and him. And when Ray finally left, Flynn just made it to the bathroom where he threw up the small lunch Susan had provided him. He felt guilty. He felt sick. He felt worthless.
For the first time in his hard and complicated life, Flynn felt like giving up entirely.
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