Chapter Text
The room was warm, a soft smoke wisp snaking around the incense sticks. The room was dimly lit as well, album records adorning the walls and patchwork couches worn from the people that had been in and out of the shop the last few hours. Moon Bin was a tattoo artist, and this room was his pride and joy. He had started his business when he turned eighteen and moved into a building when he was twenty. Now that he was twenty-three, he had managed to make a name for himself and decorate as he wanted. It became a hangout place in Itaewon, and he had made friends who came daily. They had a few tattoos done by him, but mostly came in to mingle. It was just after tattoos became legal, but it was still distasteful to have them. Itaewon was a part that could handle the grime, so it made the most sense to be there.
Bin was a mix of all the bad in Korea, but it worked with his branding as an artist, as Moon. He didn’t mind the way a mother looked at him because he was content with himself. It took ages to finally reach that point, so he was fine with that.
“Bin.” He looked up from his paper, a few flowery designs adorning his desk. Kim Myungjun, a guy that started to hang around here last year, and just a few months ago started bringing his boyfriend Park Jinwoo around. “I brought you some kimbap.”
Bin smiled, taking the box from him and setting it on the desk behind him. Today brought a few more clients in the later hours, but left him free for the afternoon. He took out a piece and gestured for Myungjun to sit down. “You busy today?”
“Jinwoo is coming in a few, I think. He said a college friend was in town.” Myungjun stole a piece, flopping on the couch with a sigh. “Dongmin or something? He looked sweet, not really Itaewon material.”
That wasn’t surprising to Bin, Jinwoo was a good kid. He had moved here for college and stayed for Myungjun, a blind love that was passionate. Too passionate when he remembered the make-out session he had walked in on. A few minutes passed and they made chit-chat, a sudden bell chime making them look up. Jinwoo was in the doorframe, that red lip-tint Myungjun was obsessed with a stark contrast against his tanned skin. Behind him, however, was a taller boy dressed in slacks and a dress shirt. They walked in and Jinwoo set down comfortably, draping over Myungjun and the side of the couch. The other boy waited until a gesture suggested he could sit down.
A few minutes later, the boy was introduced as Dongmin. Dongmin’s eyes kept wandering from the arm he was prepping, but he noticed Dongmin’s eyes trailing to the tattoos on Dongmin’s bicep.
“Aye, Dongmin.” The pen sketched out the flower, letting the client take a moment to think about it. “You have any tattoos?”
“No.” He looked over at Jinwoo. “I guess I’ve discussed it before...”
“Do you want something small? I could do a little wrist thing.” He put on his gloves and took out the needle, the client already squirming in anticipation of the pain. “Maybe a cross.”
“I actually thought, uh, maybe a half moon?” A faint smile ghosted his features. “Something easily hidden.”
Bin nodded, starting his work. Jinwoo and Myungjun had already left to get more food, leaving just Dongmin in the tattooing room with Dongmin and his client. He looked interested and Bin hid a smile. The design was clean and simple, and he was glad for it. Single-needle was his specialty and he was always most proud of that work. Dongmin got up and walked around, peering over Bin's shoulder a few times to get a better look at the work. If Bin moved to wipe his forehead, he would jump back and admire the sample work. The atmosphere was relaxed, as tense as Dongmin was being, Dean playing in the background. Bin wiped the extra ink and smiled at the client, telling her that it was finished. She got up to look in the mirror and thanked him, leaving the pair alone.
Bin was a reasonable man, despite what Korea might think. And despite his intentions being less than holy, he decided that offering a free tattoo to Dongmin was a great idea. Dongmin wasn’t too sure.
“Free? Jinwoo said you were pretty established, I don’t want to overstep.”
Bin patted the worn chair. “I have a half an hour until my next client, and I’d love to ink that skin.” Dongmin hesitated, inching his way towards the chair before taking a seat. “A half moon behind your ear, how’s that?”
Just as Dongmin opened his mouth, Jinwoo walked in with smudged lips and a beer. He looked at their position and grinned. “Is Dongminnie getting a tattoo?”
Bin laid him down and turned his head, outlining the moon behind his right ear. He was already wincing, even though a needle wasn’t even prepped. The Dean turned into Jay Park, and Bin wiped the skin around the ink, giving him the shot and grinning. Myungjun had entered too now, the couple chatting as they looked over at Dongmin. His eyes were shut tightly and his hands were in balled fists. Despite denying it, Bin was sure he had wanted a tattoo beforehand, you didn’t come to his shop accidentally.
A few minutes later, Bin had cleaned the skin properly and prepped the needle. Dongmin was wearing cologne, he noticed, and his hair was still a little wet. He put his hand on his neck, a flinch making him pause. His neck was warm.
“It’ll only take five minutes.” Bin pressed his ear back and smiled, Dongmin trying his best not to squirm any more than he already was. The needle pressed in and he let out an airy yelp, causing Jinwoo to laugh from the couch.
“First one always hurts the most, go easy on him, Bin.”
“I thought you were- ah- Moon?”
“My name is Moon Bin.” He grabbed a wipe and delicately cleaned off the extra ink, adding the tiny details to the moon’s surface. His hands were steady as he finished up, grabbing his phone and taking a picture. He handed the phone to Dongmin and put the bandage behind his ear. It was hard not to find Dongmin’s smile infectious. “Go ahead and sit there, I have another client in ten.”
He got up and sat on the couch, staring at Bin’s phone for another minute, showing Jinwoo and Myungjun with a smile hidden behind a hand. He was speaking in a hushed tone, but Bin picked up a ‘pretty’ and ‘I like it’. Bin’s next client came in and sat down, an older man showing him the design and going to change into a robe. “How much is this?” Dongmin got up and set the phone on the counter.
“Free.” He wiped a needle down, changing his gloves and throwing away the mess from the previous work. “Don’t worry about it, it was small.”
“Oh. Thank you.” Dongmin glanced at Jinwoo. “I’m gonna to get going, I have class in a half hour.” He gave another glance around the room and smiled when he met Bin’s eyes. “Goodbye, Moon.”
***
Despite his goodbye, Bin found himself watching Dongmin peek his head into the shop the next week. He hesitated, closing the door again and pacing around outside, then looking in again and reaching for the handle. Bin just surveyed from his seat, his hands tapping on the paper he was working on. After another minute, Dongmin opened the door fully, the tiny bell ringing as he entered. Bin looked back at his paper to pretend he was working before, sketching out a new one he wanted to get, something involving his cat Aroha, when Dongmin knocked on the doorframe lightly. He looked up and waved.
“Dongmin, hello.” He gestured towards the couch and watched as Dongmin settled himself into it. “Is your tattoo having issues?”
It was quiet for a moment, just too long to be a pause, and Dongmin shook his head slowly. “I was wondering if, uh,” He gestured at his wrist. “What about getting another tattoo?”
Bin looked at him incredulously. For heaven’s sake, he had just been there last week for his first tattoo. “Don’t you think that’s a little fast? Your other one isn’t fully healed yet.”
“Ah, right.” He laughed, rubbing his hands on his jeans. “When is the earliest I can get another one..?”
“Dongmin, how old are you to be going through a rebellious phase?” Bin chuckled, going to his printer and scanning his design. He turned to his speaker and put on some music, Kris Wu starting to play.
“I’m twenty-two, thank you.” His hand moved to the tattoo and frowned. Bin wasn’t entirely sure why Dongmin wanted another tattoo so badly, but his business was built on that so he wasn’t opposed to the idea. Besides, he particularly liked Dongmin and how out-of-place he was; he was interesting and Bin was already hooked. “If you don’t want to do it, just tell me now.”
“Quite the opposite.” He pulled up an extra chair at his desk and waited for Dongmin to come over and sit down. “Let’s come up with some designs.”
Bin didn’t expect to come up with so many ideas, or to push off the deadlines he had to finish by the end of the day, but when his pen hit the paper, he started thinking of all the beautiful things that reminded him of Dongmin. He knew him for a week, he reminded himself, but the flowers just kept falling from the ink. Dongmin was into it too, taking the pen and drawing little books, showing him where he would want them. The last bits of the afternoon were spent sharing a bag of chips and coming up with designs that Dongmin would never put on his body. There was a silent confidence Bin held, and when their hands brushed slightly and Dongmin flinched his smile only grew wider.
He was right as the first time he thought about it, Dongmin was unfit for his tattoo parlor, but he also seemed to integrate so well. Or maybe there was just an exception for him. The more he glanced at him the prettier he was, a soft light from his lamp casting shadows that didn’t hide his sparkling eyes. Pretty, he thought to himself, way too pretty for him to be so close to him, to see the tiny speck of dust rest on his black eyelashes. But now he had a lot of power to leave something pretty to stay on Dongmin.
A few minutes later, his hands were being examined by Dongmin, the tiny tattoos adorning his fingers being rather interesting. There were a few tiny symbols between his fingers, and a rose on the top of his hand. The rose was the only one he did for himself, the other tattoos he had gotten done by some of his friends. Dongmin seemed to like the rose the most, though, and Bin had to admit the delicacy was something that fit with him.
“Do you want a rose?” Dongmin looked up from Bin’s hand and nodded quickly.
“One like yours?”
“What, a couple tattoo?” He grinned at Dongmin scooting his chair away. “Yeah, I can design one similar. How about between your shoulder blades?”
Bin moved to his computer, opening up a folder of his past works and pulling up some pictures of the back and shoulder pieces he had done. They were a popular choice since they were easily hidden. He clicked passed the first few, making comments on some before turning to look at him. Dongmin wasn’t looking at the screen, though, he was looking at Bin.