Chapter Text
Crying and tattooing himself was the biggest mental breakdown Ten had since he became a tattoo artist a few months ago.
Fresh from college and with a lot of piercings, the owner of the shop didn’t think twice about giving him a job to draw for their portfolio alongside with a kid that was still in college and was a part time there.
Ten never thought that his first tattoo ever would be made by himself or that would be an assurance to stay true and believe more in himself. Worse part of it, he never thought a client would come into the stop and catch him in this compromising situation. It was a Thursday morning, who even got into a tattoo shop this hour? Well, this guy, apparently.
“Hey, you okay?” He spoke in a soft voice and his kind eyes made Ten feel even worse for judging him for his timing, it wasn’t even this man’s fault that he was having troubles! So he wiped the excess of ink on his wrist and put on the best smile he could.
“Yeah, sorry. Lemme just clean this up and I will attend you, right?” The man quickly shook his head no, confusing Ten, did he mess up by the crying and shit scene? Probably.
“No, there’s no need, finish your tattoo first, I can wait.” The man's smile never got out of his face, so Ten complied. Picking up where he left.
“May I watch?” The man's voice almost startled him if he hadn’t heard the same sentence from Renjun’s best friend a thousand times before.
“Yeah, sure.” Ten said, patting the chair next to his with his free hand. The man stood close, looking closely at Ten’s wrist and his eyes now shining with curiosity, kinda cute.
“So, I’m Kun. What’s your name?” Kun said so softly that Ten almost didn’t hear him over the buzz of his tattoo machine.
“Ah, sorry about that. I’m not like this usually. I’m Ten.” The man beamed as Ten said his name and dimples popped up. Dimples. Oh my.
“It’s alright, everyone has bad days, Ten. Is that in english?” The kind smile was back and Ten just nodded as he continued to work on his, almost finished, tattoo.
“Yeah, it’s one of the languages I’m fluent in. I think this phrase looks better in english too.” He said mindlessly, cleaning off the excess again and doing the final touch ups, it didn’t need much since it was a tiny one.
“Just one of them? Woah.” He said and Ten looked up to see if there was any trace of mocking on his eyes but found only an amazed expression on the man’s face. “You must be really smart, then! I can only speak my mother tongue, korean and a little bit of english to communicate in emergencies.” Ten flushed and went to clean his tattoo and wrap it with cling wrap.
“I won’t say I am smart, I think I am just curious and I put it in learning new languages. I am thai, I can speak english and korean fluently and I am learning a new one.” Ten saw the moment that Kun’s jaw dropped. And he mumbled something that he was sure was pretty and smart in chinese, his chinese wasn’t that good, he is still learning.
Yet he took the risk and put a big smile on his face and said in the bravest tone he could muster.
“Thank you.” The words came a bit rusty since he was still new to how it rolled off his tongue and Kun’s eyes bulged and the tip of his ears turned pink. Cute. “Now, what can I help you with?”
“Ah, right…” Kun mumbled and took off a piece of paper from his pocket. “My nephew drew this for me, I wanted to tattoo it, like not literally it, but you know what he actually wanted to draw to me. Does it make sense?” Kun mumbled and all Ten could think was cute, cute, cute.
“Yeah, we can definitely arrange that.” Ten smiled as Kun gave him the biggest and brightest smile he has ever seen. “ I am gonna grab my sketchbook and do a few drafts and you can choose which one you like the most. If you don’t like my drawing style, I recommend that you wait for Renjun, he’s the best with drawing space things and I think the solar system will be perfect in his style too.” Kun shook his head.
“Okay, thank you, but I have a feeling that I will like your style very much.” As he finished saying that he did a once over and Ten blushed a little.
Ten stretched his hand in a mute request for the drawing. Kun gave it to him and he started drawing on his desk on the side as he felt Kun’s eyes all over him again.
While Ten drew they talked a lot, Ten learned that Kun was a kindergarten teacher and that he was the guardian of his nephew. Ten also told him about his life, his passion for travelling and knowing cultures and languages.
“I don’t know, I just feel like the world is so big, there’s so much to see. It kinda freaks me out but also gives me motivation to keep going.” Ten mumbled as he sketched, his voice mixing with the sounds that his pencil made on the paper. “There are so many bad things, yes, but also there are so many beautiful things. What if I got too scared and never moved out of Bangkok? I wouldn’t have met my friends, wouldn’t experience all the culture, the food, the places I went to… It’s a lot, I am sorry, I am just rambling.” Kun just let out a chuckle and that made Ten look at him to see an amused look on his face.
“I like this side of you, the rambling one, it’s nicer than the crying one that I first met. I can definitely say that it’s my favourite you, drawing and chatting away than looking so sad.” Kun gentle features turned into a smirk. "Besides, when you’re all bubbly and talking I can see how you really are, you cry rather ugly for such a pretty person, you know?” Ten felt his cheek flush and turned back to his work, that was what he was paid for! To draw, not to let hot single dads flirt with him.
“Shut up.” He said in a whiny tone. “Some people have more work to do than change diapers, Kun.”
“Oh my God." Kun laugh blasted through the empty room making Ten blood warmer. “I will let you know that I am the best diaper changer out there!” His tone was prideful, as if he was talking about winning some gold medal and Ten snorted.
“Yeah, you must be.” Ten laugh died as he looked at Kun. “But really, you must be the best, you have the kind eyes and soft voice, you know? That shit calms down even grown ups, babies must adore you. What do you do at the kindergarten?”
“That was the nicest thing someone ever said about my profession to me, something about men not being able to take care of kids or shit like that. Like, I don't know if maternal instincts are a real thing, my friend said it isn't, that she learnt how to care for a baby just like everyone else, so, I trust her.” Kun then smiled bigger, it was different now and his eyes had this spark, Ten didn’t understand it, but it’s really nice. “I’m a PE teacher, I teach them to do exercises based on their age. From ballet to soccer, I can teach it all. It was kinda of a struggle to teach kids yoga but when I told them that it was training to be a superhero they went easily.” Ten felt it. A tug in his chest. Oh no, it’s happening.
“You must really be the best teacher ever, your baby must be so lucky.” Ten said softly, images of Kun with a baby being too much cuteness he wanted to stab himself with his pencil to stop being dumb, he met the guy has been less than two hours ago. Ugh! Kun was giving him that smile again.
“I’m the lucky one to have him. I was kinda scared to tell you that I was gonna tattoo something my kid drew for me, but you seem so chill about it. Most people are so rude to single dads.” Kun looked kinda sad admitting this and Ten felt the same just hearing this coming from him.
He dropped his pencil, grabbing his sketchbook, and he came closer to where Kun was waiting for him.
“I am so sorry people were so shitty to you. You don’t deserve it, you seem really nice. And of course I wouldn’t be an asshole about you being a single dad, what kind of soulless fucker doesn’t love kids? They are so funny and do lots of cute things.” That’s it, Kun has been hearing church bells ever since he managed to make Ten calm down and talk to him. But this? This must be a dream.
“I mean, you’re not wrong there.” Kun mumbled and Ten laughed for the first time. Kun was feeling like passing out, Ten's nose did a little scrunch, his eyes crinkled and Kun was in deep trouble.
“I have a motto that is, I won’t trust people that don’t like plants, or at least respect nature, don’t like kids and pets.” He nodded his head making his hair flop cutely, Kun smiled at the sight. And then Ten whispered, even closer than before. “They are all pure evil.” Kun threw his head back in laughter. Ten was really cute and interesting. Shit.
“Again, you ain't wrong.” Kun said as his laugh subdued to a giggle. Ten beamed at him.
“Thank you, I love hearing that. So you can go on.” Ten said with now a smirk on his face. “So, do you like one of these?” Ten asked, giving Kun his sketchbook and the man gasped.
“I like all of them, ugh, this is so hard!” Kun whined. “I knew I would love your work.” He sighed and Ten did a little salute that Kun laughed. "You’re cute.” Oh, did he say that out loud?
“I am glad the feeling is mutual.” Ten grinned, then pointed at the paper. “What about I tell you which one is my favourite?” The tattooist asked softly and Kun just nodded.
That’s how Kun ended up choosing Ten’s favourite one, he agreed that the cartoonish design would be fitting for him.
Soft and colourful, he could imagine his baby loving it too.
Now laying down on the tattoo chair and Ten cleaning up the area behind his ear and down to his neck, he felt ready but nervous. He had done this before, but he knew the area he chose for this one would hurt a little.
As the machine started buzzing and the needles pierced through his skin, he felt his body tense and clench, then he felt a hand in his and felt thankful for Ten being so perceptive. And so nice. So cute.
Kun blushed as Ten kept working, his face close to Kun’s neck and his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. It was so pretty, Kun couldn’t look away.
He pouted without noticing when Ten had to let go of his hand to wipe the excess of ink on his skin, but it was okay since he held his hand again after he was done cleaning up.
Kun almost didn’t notice when it was over, too caught up on admiring how beautiful Ten’s pierced ears looked. He couldn’t stop the question falling from his mouth.
“Did it hurt?” Kun asked, looking at Ten’s piercings. The tattooist smirked and replied.
“When I fell from heaven?” Kun tilted his head to the side with a curious glint in his eyes and then spluttered when he understood what the man was implying, Ten let out a laugh.
“I mean, that too.” Kun managed to blurt out, his cheeks pink. “But this time I was asking about the piercings.”
“You really meant this corny pick up line? Lame.” Ten joked and Kun mumbled an embarrassed ‘Shut up.’ “Why you ask? Are you interested in one too? And no, it doesn’t hurt a lot, just the healing process is kinda boring because you can’t eat chocolate or pork, you also have to clean it up every day and not change the jewel for a whole month.” Kun nodded and Ten whined. “I mean, not eating chocolate and pork for a month is fine, I am not even a big fan of meat, but not being able to change the jewels is really hard, ok?” Kun laughed, he is really cute.
Ten cleaned it up and put a piece of cling wrap on Kun’s tattoo and more advice on what’s-not-to-do while it was healing.
Ten found it really endearing that Kun was nodding along with all he was saying.
“It is now okay to ask for your number or?” Ten asked after he went to lead Kun to the door. “I mean, I don’t know if I will ever see you again, I won’t risk it out.”
“Oh, it’s more than okay.” Kun smiled. “Give me your phone, please?” Kun extended his hand, waiting for the device and then put his contact info.
“I will text you.” Ten said and waved goodbye and Kun returned it with the same enthusiasm.
As Kun crossed the door he felt his phone buzz on his pocket and smiled, turning back to see Ten grinning at him.
