Work Text:
“I'm not gonna die a virgin. I'm gonna fuck a zombie.”
‘Huh?’
Bettel paused at the entrance of the room, wondering if he should turn around to avoid making a bad decision. He stared at the small body sitting in front of a computer, only able to see a thick ponytail of indigo hair held in place by a red cord. The guy was totally engrossed in the game despite the loud music blasting from the floor below. He didn't notice he had company until Magni walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Hakka! You free right now?”
The guy turned in his swivel chair, wide sapphire blue eyes looking up at who’d interrupted him. A smile spread across his face before he stood and wrapped his arms around the tall blonde, pulling him into a hug.
“Magni, hey! Yeah, let me just save. What's up?”
Magni jerked his thumb towards Bettel, who’d still been standing at the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets and contemplating whether he should leave. Hakka’s eyes followed the motion, just realizing the new visitor in his room. Magni walked back towards Bettel and threw his arm over his shoulder, dragging him forward and closer to Hakka. Once released Bettel waved and Hakka returned the greeting, a smile taking over his features.
“Buddy of mine here, Bettel, wants his first tattoo and I thought of you. If you have time could you do one for him?”
Hakka nodded, “Yeah sure, a friend of yours is a friend of mine. Come on in. Sorry for the mess.”
Magni waved his and looked apologetic. “I actually gotta get back to my lab, but if you guys need me just send a txt.”
They both nodded and said their goodbyes before watching him leave. Bettel walked further into the room, stepping over clothes scattered around the floor. He wasn’t sure where to move to until the guy, 'Hakka, was it?,' went to the couch. He pushed the pillows off and pulled out the couch, opening it into a bed. He grabbed a towel and shook it out before spreading it over the thin mattress.
He turned back to Bettel and tilted his head. “So what did you have in mind and where?”
Bettel blinked before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded-up paper. He held it out towards Hakka who took it, looking it over.
“On my chest, left side.”
Hakka studied the design closely. “Okay, sure. This looks neat. Magni drew it, right?”
Bettel nodded, grateful he'd asked Magni to do it. He’d drawn something that looked worse than what a toddler could do before telling Magni what he had in mind. Within minutes Magni had sketched up something incredible. After a few adjustments. Bettel explaining the details more, the sketch was done and it looked perfect.
“Yeah, I can't draw. If you'd seen the original sketch you would've laughed real hard.”
Hakka gave a small chuckle but shook his head. “Hardly. Some people come to me with simple stuff, hard stuff, some weird stuff. It's cool. But lay back and get comfy. You need a drink?”
He really did want one. But he knew it wasn't a good idea to drink before getting a tattoo, or so he'd read online.
“Nah, I'm good thanks.”
Bettel walked over and awkwardly sat on the bed, hands gripping onto the thighs of his tight black jeans. He watched Hakka put on blue latex gloves after taking out his tattoo equipment, setting it up with ink. Bettel cleared his throat, getting Hakka’s attention.
“So what made you get into tattooing?”
“Hm? Just pocket money mostly. I'm a musician and play a lot of bars for gigs. One of my buddies has a cousin who's a tattoo artist. We got to drinking and he showed me how to do it. I thought it was neat so I got the supplies and did one on myself, and friends started to ask me to give them tattoos.” He loaded the ink cartridge as he spoke, his slim fingers moving quickly with ease. “Then those friends had friends who wanted tattoos. So I do a few jobs, it's mostly to support my music career. I'm cheaper than an average tattoo shop since I don't exactly have a store and I don't have any professional training. But don't worry, I got you. I did a lot on myself and I've had a lot of customers. I'll do good by you. It's your first time, right?”
Why did that immediately make him think of what Hakka had said to himself when they first got to his apartment? He pushed the thought aside, fingers tapping against his legs for something to do.
“Yeah, first time getting a tattoo. Thanks again, especially since we came without a heads-up. I don't have that much but Magni said you do good work and don't charge a lot so thanks.”
Hakka only winked at him. "It’s fine. Take your shirt off and lay back for me.”
Bettel felt his face become warm but grabbed the hem of his shirt before pulling it up over his head. He balled it up and placed it under his head before laying back, his body shifting awkwardly. Hakka moved closer to him after setting up his equipment, applying a thin layer of lotion after shaving the area. He scanned in the tattoo before gently pressing the transfer paper onto Bettel’s chest. Once the outline was on Hakka held up a mirror for Bettel to look at and confirm he was satisfied with the placement before he got to work.
Hakka rolled his seat closer to where Bettel lay, shifting so that he leaned over his left side. “Take a nice deep breath for me and relax. It's not painful, it’s more like a super deep tissue massage but with a pen.”
Bettel stared at him for a moment before he began to laugh. “Dude what? That's a weird description and doesn't sound like it makes any sense.”
Hakka only winked at him. “True, but it got you to laugh and you look way less nervous now. But just relax for me. If it becomes too much just let me know. We can take a break or finish it in another session. If I can get the outline done today then that'll make it easier. How does that sound?”
Bettel paused before agreeing, swallowing the lump in his throat. His heart was hammering through his chest, he was sure Hakka could feel it, but he did his best to relax. He heard the tattoo gun start and watched Hakka get closer. As soon as the guns tip made contact with his skin he closed his eyes. Okay, that did hurt, but not as bad as he thought it would. He bit his bottom lip and tried not to take too deep a breath since the tattoo was over his chest. He wished he'd put on headphones or had a movie playing in the background, anything to take his mind off this.
Hakka’s voice broke through the quiet buzzing of the tattoo gun. “So what made you want this for a tattoo?”
Bettel blinked before he realized Hakka was speaking to him again. The tattoo gun was pulled back briefly, Hakka dabbed at the skin he'd just inked.
“Oh, it’s nothing significant or anything with deep meaning behind it. I just had a dream. I kept thinking about it, and sometimes it comes back to me.”
He didn’t add that he usually had nightmares, so the change of pace gave him hope. He wanted something to look to when all hope seemed lost.
Hakka turned on the tattoo gun again, gently pressing it to his skin after wiping away any excess ink. “Ah cool, that's neat. And hey, tattoos don't always have to have a meaning or a reason. Nearly all of mine are crows. I really like them, they're smart birds.”
Bettel tilted his head to get a better view from where he lay. He was able to see some of the crow tattoos peeking out from under the edge of Hakka’s sleeves, following the designs down his arms.
“Did you do all those yourselves?”
Hakka nodded, adding a few more lines before he paused the tattoo gun. “Most of them, yeah. Whatever I could reach. It was good for practice runs before I started taking clients and the tattoos got better. Here, I'll show you.”
With his free hand Hakka raised his tight black shirt, showing off a canvas of art work over sculpted muscle. While Hakka was thin, he wasn't frail, he had lean muscle over his abdominals down to his hips. Bettel’s eyes followed the ink down until they reached the waistband of his jeans, a thick belt tight around his slim waist.
"Before you ask, yes, it goes down that far,” Hakka added.
“Huh?!”
Bettel’s eyes widened and he immediately looked back up at the large sapphire blue eyes.
Hakka laughed and pulled his shirt back down before starting up his tattoo gun again. ”A lot of people ask me that as soon as they see my tattoos and I always tell them that's for me to know and whoever I take to bed to find out.”
Bettel’s eyes widened further and he flushed darkly, averting his eyes. “I wasn't going to ask! And besides, didn't you say before you were a virgin?!”
This time Hakka was the one with his eyes widening in surprise. “Huh? When did I say that?”
Bettel inwardly groaned, wishing he hadn't said anything. “When I got here. You were playing that game and said something about not dying a virgin and sleeping with a zombie.”
Hakka blinked before bursting out into laughter making Bettel flush even more out of embarrassment.
“Dude, shut up, forget I mentioned it!”
Hakka laughed for a few moments more before he went back to work on Bettel’s tattoo, his hand pressing down on his torso as he went over the lines.
“Ever consider I was just talking shit online?” Hakka asked with a slight teasing sound to his voice.
Bettel swallowed, wishing he could shrug his shoulders. “M-my bad...”
Hakka only smiled as he continued to work. ”Or that maybe, just maybe, I'm a giver and not a taker. Maybe I let myself get undressed and I'll do certain things for people, but I never let them touch me?”
Bettel could feel his whole face heating up. He wanted to bury it into a pillow and was close to asking for one. He swallowed hard, his eyes still averted, trying not to imagine any of it. Hakka was gorgeous, he could easily bring anyone to his place, and they'd be lucky to see him get undressed, let alone experience the things he implied. Yeah, he's trying really hard not to imagine any of that, and just keep his body in check.
“T-thats good, no judgement here. You do you, especially if no one else will.”
Please, self, shut the fuck up.
Hakka paused his tattoo gun to let out the loudest laugh, his face breaking into a huge smile. ‘Damn he looks even more gorgeous when he's laughing like that.’ His laughter filled the room, it sounded sweeter than a church choir. ‘He said he was a musician, I wonder if he sings. I wanna hear that...’
Hakka wiped tears from the corners of his eyes once he stopped laughing. “Dude, you're funny. Remind me to thank Magni for bringing you in.”
Bettel only nodded before asking in a quieter voice. “Sorry about the misunderstanding before. Honest, I wasn’t gonna ask how much of you is covered in tattoos. It’s not my business unless you wanna share it. And about what I heard when I walked in, again, that’s your private info. I’m an awkward mess, if you haven’t noticed, but that’s not an excuse.”
Hakka paused his work, his eyes searching over Bettel’s face before he smiled softly. He went back to working on the tattoo though he spoke gently as he worked.
“Don’t sweat it, we’re cool. Something about you is super comfortable. Maybe it's cause most people who come in for a tattoo job are usually cocky motherfuckers, especially if they've been drinking. They see me working on a spare bed, and if I give them a quick peek at my tattoos they think they can get inside my pants. You kind of get a good read on people once you see them often enough. Occasionally I'll get a nice person who just wants a new tattoo, or a first one, and that's it. We make idle chatter and leave it at that. I can tell your not part of the first scummy group, but you’re more than the second. I just get a good feeling from you.” He winked at him, a playful smile overtaking his lips. “Don't prove me wrong.”
Bettel stared at him. He knew his face was flushed, but not from embarrassment. He felt touched. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said something that nice to him. He’d only met Hakka that same day, but he already felt more of a connection with him than most people he’d met in his entire life. He wasn’t sure if that was the loneliness talking, or he was just reading too much into nice words and a gentle smile, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to spend more time together and find out.
Hakka turned off the tattoo gun and sat up, patting his shoulder. “Okay, all done with the outline. Now it’s up to you. We could stop here and you can come back another day to start coloring it in. Or we could keep going and finish it all today, your call.”
'I don’t want to leave,’ was his first thought. His second thought was ‘If we keep going then we can spend more time together, but it might be the last time. I could come back another day to finish, but I don’t have a reason to stay today, I’d have to leave...no contest then.’
“Let’s keep going.”
Hakka nodded with a smile before he got up to reload the ink cartridge. “Okay, perfect. We’re doing great so let's keep this run going. I’m gonna have to get real close for this color so excuse me.”
Hakka came back towards the pull-out couch, but this time instead of leaning over the side while sitting in his swivel chair, he climbed onto the bed. Bettel was internally screaming as Hakka moved to straddle his waist. He reached over and turned on an overhead lamp, tilting the bendable arm to stream light in their direction. He stretched briefly, the movement causing his shirt to ride up a tiny bit.
Bettel wasn’t sure if he was being punished or rewarded. He couldn’t figure it out, all he could focus on was Hakka’s beautiful blue eyes locking with his, his soft-looking lips with a small fang poking out, his petite, but firm body leaning over him, and how they seemed to perfectly fit together like puzzle pieces.
“You good, Betsy?”
Bettel could only nod, almost drowning in the bottomless pools of water that were Hakka’s eyes. “Never better.”
__________________________________________________________
“All done!”
Hakka leaned back before climbing off of Bettel, stretching before beginning to clean up and put away the tattoo equipment. He watched Bettel stand, his eyes tracing over his tall, lanky form, and the piece he’d tattoo’d on him for a good while. It looked beautiful, but not because it was his work. He was proud of his work, of course, but it was beautiful because it was on Bettel.
When Bettel walked in with Magni earlier, he only saw someone shy who kept to themselves. Passed all the nervousness and awkwardness, he could see Bettel was a good person. He was soft-hearted and timid, and once he opened up he really shined. He could see why Magni called him a friend, why he’d introduced them. He wanted to get to know him more, to keep learning about the beautiful disaster in front of him. He wanted to know what he could do or say to bring a smile to his face, or possibly, be the reason he smiled.
“This looks incredible, Hakka! It looks even better than I imagined. It’s like you read my mind and looked into my dreams.”
‘I want to be in your dreams, and with you when you wake up.’
He was in so deep, geez. He knew he was setting himself up for failure. After this they wouldn’t see each other again. ‘I really want to see him again. I really, really do.’ He knew he was only hurting himself, but before he could drown in self-pity, he saw Bettel wiping at his eyes.
“Bettel? What’s wrong?”
It hurt to see him cry. He wanted to fix it immediately. He watched Bettel shake his head, the soft silver locks brushing against his cheekbones. “Nothing’s wrong, I’m just stupidly happy. Getting this tattoo means more to me than you realize.”
‘So there is some kind of meaning behind it?’ He wanted to ask about it, but instead of asking directly he wanted to earn it. He wanted to earn the privilege of knowing Bettel’s secrets, his thoughts and feelings. Maybe it didn’t have to be their first and last meeting.
Bettel finished wiping his eyes, a small smile gracing his soft features. He admired his tattoo once more, and Hakka swore he’d never seen anyone stare at his work the same way Bettel did. Like it was something to be treasured, that what he’d done had worth.
“Thanks again, Hakka. I love it, you’re amazing. What do I owe you.?”
Hakka swallowed; his fingers curled into fists against his sides, steeling his nerves. “Dinner, you and me. And for my tip, I’d like your number.”
There was a beat of silence before Bettel smiled at him, and he knew he’d made the right decision. He talked a big game, but he rarely, if ever, went out of his way to get close to any of his clients. Something told him Bettel was worth the effort.