Chapter Text
Art had always come easy for Iwaizumi, ever since he was young. Be it with pencils, colour pencils, acrylic paint, oil paint, watercolour, you name it and he could use it. The creative aspect of it soothed him, helped him concentrate and focus. Still, he wanted to do more with art.
During his first year of high-school, his best friend Matsukawa had mentioned becoming a tattoo artist as a career-path. They looked it up together and Iwaizumi was hooked from the start.
Iwaizumi didn't rush his education, letting it take the time it would take while working hard, leading him to pass with flying colours - pleasing his parents who had been supportive through it all, much to his delight. His pursuit for a place to work took him to Kawasaki, where he finally worked with the machines themselves, learning as much as he could as he got his liscence.
He loved his job, there was no doubt, but after some time, a new dream started blooming in his chest. More, he wanted more. Not even this had been enough for him. Luckily, his boss had no problems telling him about the ups and downs, how to start up alone and any and every question between.
By the time his 25th birthday rolled by, he could at long last call himself the proud owner of his own tattoo parlour. Hard work, sweat and tears finally paid off. When the parlour was finished, fully furnished and everything, the realization had hit him head on. He was home. Not too small, not too big, it was perfect.
Both his best friends joined him in his dream, Hanamaki handled the piercings, and Matsukawa was their accountant.
They were set up in Chiba, relatively easy to find even for tourists. Iwaizumi hadn't been the best at promoting his business in the months before the shop was finished, feeling rather bashful about the whole ordeal. Thankfully for him, both Matsukawa and Hanamaki were absolutely shameless, making it easier for Iwaizumi just to share their posts on his social media sites. It hadn't taken them long at all to attract attention and book their first appointments.
A year had now passed since the grand opening of Inku to Suisaiga and business was thriving. The responsibility that came with owning a business had taken some time getting used to, but Iwaizumi was thriving with the responsibility.
**
Keys, helmet and phone.
Keys, helmet and phone.
Iwaizumi chanted the reminder to himself as he got ready to leave for work one particular Wednesday. The three last things had to be remembered, being late was not an option on this day. New customers didn't scare him, unless they were fellow artists. Especially when they were artists he looked up to.
In the end, he almost forgot his keys - only noticing when he couldn't lock his own apartment door. How embarrassing. Five minutes later, he sped out of the complex's garage a tad too fast. Arriving at the parlour, he had five short minutes to prepare for the first appointment of the day.
He recognized the tattoo artist that strolled through his doors immediately. There was only one artist with hair that wild - Kuroo Tetsurou.
"Ah, seems I did find the right place," Kuroo looked around himself, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I assume that's because someone helped you with directions," Iwaizumi walked up to him, arms safely tucked under one another as he fixed the taller with a raised eyebrow. "Good morning, Kozume," he greeted as he spotted a mop of blonde hair with a phone stuffed in their face.
"Mean as always, Iwaizumi, but I expected nothing less from you," Kuroo chuckled and Iwaizumi couldn't help but snort a laugh.
"Whatever, Tetsu," he shook his head and headed behind the counter, pulling up his schedule. "I wrote everything down, but run me through the idea for today," Iwaizumi said, waving a hand a little.
"Well, I'm here for piercings, but my kitten here - " The comment earned him a jab to the ribs. "- my boyfriend is here for a tattoo. That hurt, Kenma, are you trying to injure me?" A mufled groan left him as he rubbed his side, rewarded only with a half-hearted glare from Kozume.
Their dynamic was as odd as always, Iwaizumi noted to himself as he observed them. "Well, you head over to Hanamaki, Kuroo. You can follow me, Kozume," he gestured with one hand for the shorter male to follow him over to his station. "What did you have in mind for your tattoo? Kuroo only told me it wasn't a big piece you wanted," he put on his best smile, though the intense stare he got in return was a little unnerving.
"I want a small cherry blossom stem, one big and two small flowers attatched," he explained quietly and put two fingers at the side of his wrist, right under the spot his the thumb met the wrist.
"Alright, roll up your sleeve to your elbow," Iwaizumi instructed. "Do you want me to draw it by hand or directly on your skin?"
“I don’t mind either way.” Kenma had looked at him, then he had turned his gaze to Kuroo, who was sitting shirtless and ready for his piercings.
Iwaizumi had grunted in reply and started to draw the tattoo on Kenma’s skin in the way he wanted it with a special pencil made for this. It was his preferred method for clients who came in without a picture of what they wanted.
By the time he was finished sketching, Kuroo had gotten his first nipple pierced. "Is this alright?" he asked Kozume, who turned his head after a beat, peering down at his hand.
"Yes. I like the falling petals," Kozume answered, eyes darting up to meet his, then his head turned to Kuroo.
Iwaizumi followed his gaze and couldn't hold back the chuckle that pressed up his throat. "Hurt a bit more than that lip stud of yours, didn't it?" A grin spread on his face as Kuroo grunted.
"Gonna need a moment to prepare myself for the next one, that's for sure," he said and looked toward Iwaizumi and Kozume, though Iwaizumi suspected he was looking mostly at Kozume.
"You have plenty of time," Iwaizumi told him as he found everything he needed and finished by snapping his gloves on.
Kozume sat perfectly still with his hand perched on the armrest for the next hour and a half. Iwaizumi saw, rather than heard when Kuroo was finished, as another chair was pulled up to his station. He asked Kozume once if he needed a break, though he had known the answer would be 'no'. In no time at all, the piece was finished and Iwaizumi cleaned it off before sending Kozume to the mirror.
Kozume's face didn't betray much, but there was a sparkle in his eyes as he checked it out, how it looked against the clothes he was wearing. Kuroo high fived him with a grin.
"Damn, you really are as good as your reputation says," Kuroo whistled, making Iwaizumi duck his head with a grin as he wrapped Kozume's tattoo up.
"It's what I get paid for," Iwaizumi said quietly. Compliments were not his strong suit. They followed him silently to the register. Just when they were about to pay, movement outside caught his attention - the cute barista from the coffee shop across the street had walked by.
"What's up with that?" Kuroo had arched an eyebrow and Hanamaki burst out laughing behind him.
"That, my friend, is the cute barista from the coffee shop across the street. Hajime over here has a thing for him, and prettyboy either has a thing for him too, or he's too scared to come in. Perhaps both," Hanamaki smirked, though it widened to a grin as they all watched the guy come by again, only to stop as he realized he was being watched.
A fierce blush spread over the guy's face, then he dashed away, stomping across the street. Iwaizumi forced his eyes away from his retreating back. "I don't have a thing for him," he ground out through clenched teeth, face set in a scowl. He wasn't sure who of them he was directing his angry embarassmenent at. Both of them, most likely.
“Yeah, keep saying that. Maybe you just need to get laid, Iwaizumi.” Kuroo had paid for both of them, then given Iwaizumi a pat on the shoulder with a laugh.
“Get your face out of my love life, Kuroo.” Iwaizumi had huffed and wrinkled his nose, but it only caused Kuroo to grin wider.
“Do you even have a love life at this point?” Kuroo had laughed at the look on Iwaizumi’s face and even Hanamaki couldn’t hold it.
“Just get going already you goddamn cat.” Iwaizumi had even surprised himself with how calm he sounded even though he wanted to chuck something at Kuroo.
They had left after that and Iwaizumi had dumped down in a chair and rubbed his face. “Damn rooster-haired provocative bastard.” Iwaizumi had told himself over and over that he wouldn’t take them to heart, but it always happened.
The problem now however, was that Kuroo was right. Iwaizumi knew that and it made everything even worse. Moreover, with Hanamaki exposing his mild crush on the barista, Iwaizumi knew Kuroo would bug him until something happened. Hell, Kuroo might even stick around in the area and refuse to go back to Tokyo until something had happened.
This was going to be the start of one hell of a rollercoaster adventure and Iwaizumi wanted to get off before the ride had even started.