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"You are a bad influence, Bokuto-san.“ Sighed Akaashi, eyeing Bokuto’s bleeding skin.
“Why?” Bokuto chuckled and immediately winced with pain. “I’m the one doing this, not you.”
“Exactly. Now I want one, too.” Akaashi smiled, while Bokuto whimpered and buried his face in the seat. Akaashi squeezed his hand in support.
“If I remember correctly, you said that tattoos are the number one thing people regret later in life.”
Akaashi blushed and glanced at the artist, embarrassed. She, however, just chuckled.
“A common misconception of people with no tattoos.” She said, smiling kindly. “I have older clients who come in telling me they regret not doing this when they were younger. Like they could have had these fond memories and art on their skin for many years. People are afraid most of the time, that’s all.”
Akaashi looked at the drawing forming on Bokuto’s left shoulder blade. Delicate lines were now being covered in vibrant colours of yellows and browns.
It made sense. He wouldn’t have admitted it a day ago, but seeing the drawing almost done changed his mind. Akaashi felt ashamed of his words a few days ago.
“Bokuto-san, you’re going to ruin your skin.”
“It’s not ruining it if I mark it with art.”
“It’s not art, you’re just going to regret it.”
“Why should I regret it?”
“Because when you’re old and wrinkly it’ll look horrible! What will you do then?”
“I guess I’ll just know I lived.”
They haven’t spoken for whole two days after that, until Akaashi rang the bell of Bokuto’s door, ashamed and apologized. Enveloped in the biggest, warmest hug from Bokuto he has ever received, Akaashi promised to go with him to get the tattoo done.
“I had time to research them,” he finally said, emerging from the shameful memory. “Now I want one too.”
Bokuto snapped his head up like he just got a brilliant idea.
“We could get matching ones!” He exclaimed and the artist clucked her tongue in annoyance.
“Please refrain from moving, you don’t want me messing up, do you?” she chastised Bokuto, who settled down immediately, flushing.
“I’m just saying,” he whispered calmly, which, considering it was Bokuto, seemed strange and out of place. Akaashi’s skin itched with the odd feeling of it, but it also made him want to laugh, seeing the visible strain Bokuto had to muster to keep still for another few minutes. “You could also get an owl. It fits perfectly for you, too! That would be so cool!”
Bokuto’s excitement was coming back faster than he could register, so Akaashi squeezed his hand trying to calm him again.
“I’ll think about it.” Akaashi promised with a small smile.
Truth is, Bokuto’s idea was great, it seemed actually thought out, which was uncharacteristic, and the final sketch was marvelous, but Akaashi didn’t want an owl for himself. He wanted something that would be only his. True, he did feel silly for his outdated views on tattoos not that long ago at all, but he still believed that something that you were willing to keep on your skin, for as long as you have it, has to have meaning and a great importance.
He knew Kuroo had a few of those small, insignificant ones. Akaashi asked him about it once.
“They don’t have to mean anything. I just have to like them.” Kuroo had said. Akaashi’s views on tattoos had changed a bit, but he was still warming up to the idea and didn’t understand Kuroo’s point. He was learning.
“Okay, I think I’m done.” The artist said, leaning back to take in her work. “Do you mind coming outside for a minute? I need natural sunlight to take a picture.”
Bokuto jumped from the seat excitedly, drawing a chuckle from both the artist and Akaashi.
“Okay let’s go! I want to see it.” He exclaimed excitedly heading for the door.
“You know, there’s a mirror right here.” The artist pointed to a large mirror on the wall, laughing. You can inspect it while I snatch my camera.”
Bokuto strode to the mirror and looked back, turning to see the owl, now fully done. Akaashi stood right behind him and marveled at how life like it looked. It had a piercing gaze, which shifted with Bokuto’s movements. Akaashi had trouble averting his eyes.
“What do you think?” Bokuto asked, a bit shy.
“I thought it only mattered what you thought of it?” Akaashi smiled, looking at Bokuto’s happy face.
“I love it.” Bokuto said, taking Akaashi’s hand.
“Then, I love it, too.” Akaashi whispered and Bokuto’s face lit up even more. He pressed a quick kiss to Akaashi’s mouth and followed the artist outside for pictures. Akaashi took the camera he borrowed from Kenma from his backpack and went out to make a few pictures himself.
~~~~~
Truth was, he did love the tattoo. It was beautiful. And he did want one for himself. But he didn’t want to rush it. He believed in perfect ideas, and one was yet to come to him. So after a week when Bokuto asked about it he replied, “I’m still thinking about it.”
“You think so much, Akaashi,” Bokuto whined, crawling onto bed where Akaashi was reading a book and nuzzling at his side.
“And you often don’t think enough.” Akaashi said nonchalantly, turning a page.
Bokuto pouted and huffed, settling in. After a few minutes, when Akaashi thought he might have fallen asleep, Bokuto asked, “But you will tell me when you decide, right?”
“Of course, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi smiled and placed a quick kiss on Bokuto’s forehead. “You’ll be the first to know.”
That seemed to satisfy Bokuto, who indeed fell asleep moments later.
~~~~
Kuroo proved to be just as excited as Bokuto a week later when they met for milkshakes.
“It’s so cool!” Kuroo gasped, inspecting Bokuto’s tattoo closely. “I like the colours.”
“They fit, right?” Bokuto laughed excitedly, vigorously nodding his head.
“Very pretty,” Kenma spared a glance to the tattoo before returning to his phone.
“Now Akaashi’s the only one without any!” Kuroo gasped, like he just realized something outrageous.
Akaashi sighed, getting ready to recite a mantra he prepared for this exact conversation, but before he could start explaining how he didn’t want to rush it, Kenma unexpectedly came to his rescue.
“Don’t push him, Kuroo.” He stated simply, not even lifting his eyes up. Kuroo huffed but settled down, directing his attention back on Bokuto.
“Thank you,” Akaashi whispered to Kenma, truly grateful.
“Kuroo gets excited about things. First time he got a tattoo he nagged at me to get one daily. I didn’t tell him I got mine a month before his.”
Akaashi snorted so suddenly, he spit his milkshake all over the table. Purposefully apologizing, he wiped the table with napkins, ignoring confused looks and questions from Bokuto and Kuroo, all the while Kenma chuckled beside him.
“How did you manage to hide it?” Akaashi whispered to Kenma, when Kuroo and Bokuto’s attention got elsewhere again.
Kenma smiled. “Kuroo can be very observant, but his attention can also be easily manipulated and directed more conveniently.”
“But why?” Akaashi asked, incredulously. “Why hide it?”
“Because it’s fun to mess with him, sometimes.” Kenma answered and smiled a small, warm smile that in return made Akaashi smile, too.
He didn’t think he’d manage to hide a tattoo from Bokuto. He didn’t want to, either. It might take months for him to actually decide what he wants, he might never settle on an idea, but he was sure that if he ever got one, Bokuto would be the one to go with him.
He might even want something related to Bokuto and his friends inked on his body. A faint image started forming in his head, that he made sure to explore later.
“What are you thinking, Akaashi?” Bokuto distracted him from deep thought.
“How much you cried while getting the tattoo.” Akaashi replied calmly and left Bokuto to fend for himself from Kuroo’s mockery.