Chapter Text
Jesper was picking up a few roses from one of the displays so he could finish an arrangement when a flicker of movement caught his eye through the window. He looked up and saw that the door to the tattoo parlor across the street- The Red Crow, was open.
Kaz, the owner, walked out with his cane dangling by his side. A guy Jesper had never seen before followed him, struggling to carry two heavy looking boxes.
Jesper couldn't see much of him, with his face being covered by one of the boxes, but then he put them in the open trunk of Kaz's car and Jesper let out a gasp.
He was easily the cutest guy he had ever seen. With ruddy gold curls, pale skin and- were those freckles dusted across his cheeks and nose?
He was wearing a white, pristine shirt and beige pants rolled up at the ankles. Standing next to Kaz in his all black attire, in front of the red and black shop, he looked completely out of place. It made Jesper think- who was he and what was he doing there?
Jesper had known Kaz since he opened The Red Crow a year after Jesper took over his father's flower shop. He knew all the people who worked there and this guy was not one of them. Jesper definitely would have noticed a face like that one.
"Fahey, is the delivery ready?"
Matthias' voice surprised Jesper and he jumped, pricking his finger on a thorn.
"Damn it Helvar you big oaf, don't sneak up on me like that." He said, sticking the thumb in his mouth and tasting blood. He glared at Matthias, who crossed his arms over his broad chest, completely unfazed.
"It's not my fault you didn't hear me come in because you were-" He paused, peeking through the window with narrowed eyes. "What were you doing?"
Jesper looked back outside but Kaz and the other guy were gone, probably back inside the shop.
He sighed. "Nothing. I just needed a few roses for the arrangement."
Matthias raised an eyebrow at him, but if he didn't believe Jesper then at least he didn't say anything about it. He was glad that it wasn't Nina who caught him staring at the cute guy or Jesper would've never heard the end of it.
"So the delivery it's not ready?" Matthias grumbled, lips pursed. He helped Jesper out by delivering large orders and a few special arrangements and he would complain every time Jesper didn't have the flowers ready by the time he arrived to pick them up. But Jesper knew that Matthias didn't mind much waiting around while he finished them.
Especially if Nina was there.
"I'll have it done in a second." Jesper told him. He picked up three yellow roses and, after one final look at the tattoo parlor, he headed back to the counter with Matthias right behind him.
Nina was sitting behind the counter, eating a donut while looking through a magazine. Today had been a slow day at the shop and when she'd started to get bored, she had snuck out to the bakery next door for a sweet.
"Nina, look who is here!"
Nina was Jesper's best friend and she worked with him at the flower shop. She had started out by picking up shifts here and there, helping Jesper during special holidays like Valentine's or Mother's day, when it got too busy for him to handle on his own.
Now, she was at the shop almost the entire time Jesper was there. She was great with the customers- often getting the men to buy an extra bouquet by flipping her hair or convincing the women that a larger arrangement would go better with the design of their house by flashing them a charming smile. But not only was she great for business, Jesper liked having her around.
She looked up at them and her eyes instantly lit up. "Matthias!" Her face split into a grin. "How is my favorite delivery man?"
"Hello Nina. I'm good, how are you today?" Matthias said in a serious tone, but Jesper noticed the way his breath hitched when Nina licked her sugary fingers.
"Splendid now that you're here." She said, leaning on the counter and batting her eyelashes. Matthias' cheeks turned slightly pink.
Jesper rolled his eyes, adding the roses to the arrangement and laying them out in a triangle in the middle. Nina had been shamelessly flirting with Matthias since he started working for him. It was obvious that he was interested in her- only around Nina did his stoic and angry exterior crack and he would blush and smile and stutter like a boy with a crush. But no matter how much Nina batted her eyelashes or swung her hips, Matthias was yet to ask her out. Jesper had asked her why she didn't do it herself, but she simply brushed him off and told him that she didn't mind waiting, she enjoyed teasing him way too much.
He tuned them out as he worked on the arrangement, which was second nature to him at this point. When he was a kid he would help his father with them, picking the brightest flowers for him to add and eventually arranging them himself when he grew too restless to simply watch him work. When his Da retired to go live with his mother back at their farm and Jesper took over, he discovered that he liked this job- he liked that it kept his hands busy while letting his mind wander.
His thoughts drifted to the cute guy he had seen earlier. There was a chance that he didn't even work at the Red Crow and that he had simply been walking by and offered to help Kaz. Or maybe he was a client, though he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would get a tattoo. But didn't people say the same about Jesper? Everyone always told him that he didn't look like the type of guy who would own a flower shop. Just because the cute guy dressed nicely and didn't have any visible tattoos it didn't mean he couldn't be the one making them.
He figured he could just visit the shop to find out. He had been to the parlor several times over the years. Back when it opened Jesper brought them a simple yet lovely arrangement as a gift, which Kaz had looked at with narrowed eyes while Inej accepted it with a small smile. After that, he would drop by occasionally, when he needed to ask Specht to move his motorcycle from Matthias' parking spot or when he locked himself out of the shop and he needed a phone to call Nina and ask her to bring the spare key. Sometimes he would drop by to say hi to Inej and catch up with her, but still he didn't feel like he could just show up and start asking about him without it being weird, so he tried to come up with a reasonable excuse while he gave the final touches to the arrangement.
Then he remembered that Inej had let him borrow some money last week when he'd needed to pay one of his providers only to realize he didn't have enough cash. He could use the excuse that he was there to pay her back to see if the cute guy was around. He didn't even know if Inej was working today, but it was worth a shot.
He didn't know he was smiling down at the flowers at the prospect of seeing him again until Nina snapped her fingers in his face.
"We get it, you're a flower genius. Stop gawking at your work." She said with a teasing smile.
"What can I say? These fingers are magical." Jesper said, wiggling them. Nina threw her head back and laughed.
"Is it ready?" Matthias cut in and Jesper couldn't resist rolling his eyes.
"Yes Matthias, the wait is over. Take it and go." He said, sliding the bouquet towards him. He saw that Nina was pouting and it gave him an idea. "Actually, why don't you take Nina too? You look like you'd enjoy the company." He winked and Matthias glared, though there was a pink flush in his cheeks.
Nina grinned. "I know I would, but I'm working."
"No, you're eating donuts." Jesper pointed out and she shrugged. "But it's been a very slow day, I think I'm gonna close a little early. So you're free to go."
She hesitated, looking like she wanted to question Jesper's decision but then Matthias said, "I wouldn't mind the company," and she seemed to realize there was nothing to argue about.
He waited until Matthias drove away to start closing, then he grabbed some cash, changed the sign on the door to CLOSED and crossed the street.
From the outside, The Red Crow didn't look like much. The windows were tinted, making it impossible to peek inside and there was a single sign with the parlor's name written in dark red paint that looked a lot like blood- knowing Kaz, that was probably the goal.
It looked dark and dank from the outside, but Jesper had been surprised to see that inside it was brightly lit and that the walls were covered in drawings of the tattoos they had made and then some. And it was almost always filled with people- clients and workers alike. Today there were two people getting tattooed and the other two chairs were free. The cute guy was neither giving nor getting a tattoo and Jesper felt a pang of disappointment. At least Inej was there, perched on the front desk and twirling a large needle in her fingers.
"Are you planning on giving someone a stick and poke tattoo with that?"
She slowly looked up at Jesper and her lips curled into a grin. "Are you here to volunteer?"
Jesper shook his head, pulling out the cash from his bright lime pants. "I'm here to pay you back."
"Even better." She said, jumping down from the desk in one swift movement. "How's the flower shop?"
Jesper gave her the money and shrugged. "Oh, you know- flowery." He said and Inej chuckled. "But we were having a slow day so I closed up a little early. I see that's not your case."
Inej shook her head. "It's like there's something in the air. Everyone wants to get a tattoo."
Jesper was looking for a way to subtly ask about the cute guy when Inej added, "And since Bolliger got himself fired, Kaz had to bring in a new tattoo artist."
That sparked Jesper's interest. "Oh yeah?"
Inej nodded. "Yeah. Nice guy, he doesn't look like much, but you should see his drawings. They're amazing."
Jesper opened his mouth to ask his name or to ask if he was here right now when the door to the back of the shop opened and the cute guy himself walked through it. When Inej noticed his attention shift, she spun around and waved him over.
From up close, he was even cuter. There were indeed freckles across his cheeks and nose, which stood out even more due to the slight blush that had appeared on his face when he saw Jesper. He had bright blue eyes and they raked over Jesper's body and face. He gave him a sly grin, which only made the guy's cheeks flush pinker.
"Jesper, this is Wylan Van Eck." Inej said, gesturing between the two. "Wylan, this is Jesper."
"Hi," Wylan said with a nervous smile. "Are you here to get a tattoo?"
Jesper gave a hearty laugh, shaking his head.
"Jesper owns the flower shop across the street." Inej said and he saw the kid's- Wylan's eyes widen in surprise.
"I can see you're surprised, but it's true." Jesper said. "These toned biceps you see are all from lifting heavy crates of flowers." He winked and Wlan turned a vibrant pink as he tried to keep his eyes from darting to Jesper's arms. He didn't know how many shades of pink and red Wylan's face could turn, but he was having fun trying to find out. "Inej said you're new here."
Wylan nodded. It wasn't until he had mentioned her that Jesper noticed that she had slipped away without either of them noticing. "I just started today."
"Did you ink someone yet?"
"No, not yet. I thought you'd be my first." His tone was innocent and Jesper just couldn't resist.
"Oh I'd love to be your first," He said with a smirk causing Wylan to grow noticeably more flustered. "But I'm not a fan of tattoos."
"That's too bad." Wylan muttered, biting the inside of his cheek.
Too bad indeed, Jesper thought. He would like nothing more than have Wylan's delicate fingers working on him for hours. "What about you? For a tattoo artist, I don't see a lot of ink on you."
"I have tattoos." Wylan scoffed defiantly. He started to unbutton the sleeve of his shirt and Jesper gasped.
"And here I thought I would have to at least buy you dinner before you stripped for me."
Wylan spluttered, staring at Jesper with wide eyes for a second before focusing on rolling the sleeve of his shirt up. On the inside of his wrist there was a tattoo of a sun, outlined in black ink and colored with different shades of yellow. It was pretty and exactly the kind of tattoo Jesper would expect from someone like Wylan Van Eck.
"I like it." Jesper said, reaching out to trace it with his finger. He felt Wylan suppress a small shudder at the touch. "It's cute. Like you." He didn't need to look at his face to know his cheeks had flushed pink, especially when Jesper ran his finger up his forearm distractedly. "You said tattoos, as in more than one." He said playfully.
Wylan surprised Jesper by staring up at him through long eyelashes, cheeks red as the roses he had back at his shop. "I think I'll keep you guessing. For now."
Jesper released a bark of laughter. "Mysterious, I like it."
In that moment, the door to the back opened again and Kaz walked in. He noticed Jesper and offered him a head nod.
"Jesper, what did I tell you about your bright and obnoxious dress style?"
Jesper grinned. "That it ruins The Red Crow's aesthetic."
Inej snorted from her spot on top of the front desk. "I've always thought this place could use more color."
The indignant look Kaz gave her was absolutely hilarious.
"Van Eck." Kaz said, gesturing him over. "There are a few more things I need to show you."
Wylan hurriedly buttoned up his sleeve and gave Jesper an apologetic shrug. "I have to go."
"Yeah, of course."
"It was nice to meet you, Jesper."
"You too, Van Sunshine." He said, enjoying the confused crease that appeared between Wylan's eyebrows. "I'll see you around. You can stop by at my shop whenever you want, I'll give you a tour. And maybe then, you can show me the rest of your tattoos." He added with a wink.
Wylan hurried away, flustered but Jesper hoped that the tiny nod he gave him in return meant that he would take him up on the offer and visit his shop. But just in case that it didn't, Jesper would have to find another excuse to show up at The Red Crow.
The excuse presented itself only two days later.
Nina had made a mistake writing down an order and Jesper made six arrangements of red petunias and white camellias instead of the five their client had requested, leaving him with an extra bouquet. He knew he could've just added it to their weekly displays, but instead he told Nina that he was taking a break and carried the bouquet across the street.
"Hey Jesper, back so soon?" Inej greeted him. She was working today, giving a young woman a hip tattoo. "Did you also bring me money today?"
Jesper chuckled, subtly scanning the shop for a certain blue eyed tattoo artist. "No, but I brought you this." He said, holding up the bouquet for her to see.
"Pretty," said the woman getting the tattoo.
"Thank you."
"I didn't know we ordered any flowers." Inej said, grabbing another vial of ink.
"You didn't, but I made one more by mistake and you were the one who said this place could use the color."
"You know Kaz won't like them."
Jesper flashed her a grin. "That is even more of an incentive to leave them here."
Inej rolled her eyes, lips twitching and pointed at the desk. "You can leave them over there."
He put the arrangement down, tinkering with the petals while he looked for a way to ask for Wylan.
"He's on his lunch break." Inej said after a moment, before he could figure out what to say.
"What?"
"Wylan is on his lunch break, but he should be back soon."
"I wasn't-" Jesper started but the look Inej gave him was enough to cut him off.
Then the front door opened and Wylan walked in, carrying a sketchbook and with a bag slung over his shoulder. Today he was wearing a short sleeved light blue shirt and Jesper caught a peek of another tattoo on his bicep when Wylan reached up to run a hand through his curls.
"Van Sunshine." Jesper said with a smile. Wylan's head snapped up in surprise and he offered him a small wave.
"Hi, Jesper."
"How is your new job treating you?"
"It's good, I like it here. I did my first tattoo yesterday and then two more today." Wylan said, then he opened his sketchbook, passing the pages until he found what he was looking for. "This is the last one I did." He showed Jesper an elaborated drawing of a lion's head.
"Woah, that's one complicated tattoo."
Wylan nodded with a pleased smile. "I had to work on the guy for almost three hours."
"Lucky him." Jesper said with a wink and then Wylan was blushing that adorable shade of pink.
"So what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was here to drop these off," He pointed over his shoulder at the flowers. "I thought they could brighten up the place."
Wylan walked past Jesper to stare at the flowers up close. "You made this?" His voice was full of awe and it made Jesper feel bashful as he nodded. "It's beautiful. You're very good."
"I would hope so, I have a lot of years of practice." Jesper said with a shrug. "You're very good too, with your art." He told Wylan, pointing at the sketchbook.
Wylan grinned. "I also have years of practice." He echoed and Jesper chuckled. "My flower drawings could use some improvement though. I never seem to get them quite right." He touched the petals delicately.
"Well, if you're ever looking for inspiration," Jesper said, "My shop is literally across the street and full of flowers for you to draw."
Wylan smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."
Two more days went by and Wylan still hadn't visited Jesper's shop so when a delivery man brought a box of ink vials to the flower shop by accident, Jesper signed the order and accepted the delivery just so he could drop it off at the tattoo parlor himself and see Wylan.
The kid was just finishing up a tattoo when Jesper walked in. Inej was nowhere to be seen and Specht and Anika were so focused on their own jobs that they didn't even look up.
"I'll be with you in a second." Wylan said, handing a mirror to the guy in the chair. Then he looked up and saw that it was Jesper who was standing there. His face broke into a delighted grin and Jesper's heart skipped in his chest. "Oh hey Jes, what are you doing here?"
He held up the box. "Just bringing this over."
"Give me a second." Wylan said, turning back to the guy in the chair and wrapping up the tattoo while giving him some after care instructions.
Jesper knew he didn't have to wait for Wylan to finish. He could just leave the box there and head back to his shop- but that would defeat the purpose of bringing it here himself, which was speaking to Wylan.
So he patiently waited while the guy paid and thanked Wylan before leaving.
"So, what do you have there? More flowers?"
Jesper shook his head. "I believe it's ink. They delivered it at my shop by accident."
"Oh," Wylan said, accepting the box. "Thank you. Sorry you had to bring it over."
"It's okay, it's not far or anything." Jesper shrugged. He leaned on the front desk, bringing his face closer to Wylan's. "Which makes me wonder why you still haven't come to visit me."
Wylan became flustered at how close their faces were like this, but he didn't pull back. "I haven't had the time."
"No, I get it." Jesper said, leaning even more on his elbows. "It's just- that's two times I've invited you to my shop and you didn't show. A guy can take a hint." He added a slight pout for effect.
Wylan shook his head, curls bouncing around his face. "It's not like that."
"No?"
"No, I'll visit your shop. I promise." Wylan assured him.
"Alright." Jesper said, pushing away from the desk. "I'll be waiting, sunshine."
Wylan blushed furiously at the name, but he nodded. Jesper really hoped Wylan meant to keep his promise- he doubted he could come up with many more reasons to visit The Red Crow if he didn't.