Work Text:
Nigel sighed as he looked at the temporary outline of yet another prospective tattoo on his arm in the parlors mirror. He shifted this way, then that, but ultimately shook his head and grabbed an alcohol wipe and began to clean his arm, in the mirror he watched as the artist rolled her eyes and dropped her head back. Honestly he felt a little bad for her; this was the umpteenth time he'd been in here this month, and every time he had come with an idea only to veto it upon seeing it. She would have probably kicked him out and banned him from coming by now if he hadn't promised to pay her extra just for putting up with his shit. He tossed the dirty wipe in the wastebasket, gave the artist a shrug and walked out the door.
Outside he lit up a cigarette and started his walk home, he had started to feel the need for another tattoo like an itch under his skin that he couldn’t scratch, and he needed something to keep his cabaret girl company. Though unlike when he had gotten her, drunk and high off of coke, adrenaline, and success it had been easy to choose, but now he couldn’t find one that was just right. Never in his life had he ever been so picky and it was beginning to annoy the hell out of him
Finding himself outside the apartment building he shared with Adam much quicker than he had anticipated he flicked his cigarette out into the street and growled he had hoped not to bring this tension inside with him. Walking through the entrance and making his way to the elevator scowling the entire way, inside the elevator his mood soured even more as the little old lady with him in there side eyed him and moved her purse to her other side, away from him. Nigel only rolled his eyes wondering if Adam would be proud of him for not intentionally spooking the lady, no matter how fucking rude she is. When they reached his floor, he only tossed her a glare and stalked his way to their condo.
Opening the door he felt the tension of the day leave his shoulders when he saw his darling sitting at the dining room table completely engrossed in all the papers, books, and pencils strewn across it. Adam glanced up at him and smiled as Nigel toed off his shoes, making his way over to him at the table.
“How did it go today? Any luck with your snake idea?”
“Fucking no” Nigel scrubbed a hand over his face and through his hair, “I don’t know what it is gorgeous, but every time I see it in the mirror it doesn’t fucking feel right. I'm getting sick of this.”
Adam nodded as he tapped away at his computer, occasionally stopping to pick up his pencil and start scratching on a piece of paper.
“From what I’ve read about tattoos most often they are associated with memories, like your pin up gir—”
“Cabaret girl, Adam.”
“—Cabaret girl is associated to your first major success back in Romania. Perhaps this one needs to have a special meaning to it too, not just something you get for the sake of having a tattoo.”
Considering what Adam said Nigel watched as he worked, all in all it made sense but the fact of the matter was that he felt like he would go crazy if he didn’t get any ink on his skin soon. Nigel shook his head and leaned over Adams shoulder in hopes of distracting himself from his dilemma he asked Adam what he was doing.
“I'm putting the finishing touches on a star map of the constellation of Orion and its surrounding constellations; it of course includes Sirius, which if you remember I said was your star”
Nigel did remember, it had been the first time he had laid eyes on Adam. He had only been in California a few months and was completely bored out of his mind, in desperation to entertain himself he wandered into the local observatory and right into Adams presentation. Almost immediately as he listened to Adams enthusiastic explanation of the stars and the telescope he used to see them, he was completely smitten with this gorgeous angel. After his presentation Nigel had stayed behind to listen to Adam some more, and subsequently began to flirt, in the end he had secured a date with Adam that night and Adam jokingly told him that the Sirius was his now.
Smiling at the memory Nigel nuzzled into Adams neck practically purring, when a fantastic idea came to him, but first to get Adam away from the star map.
“Come on darling, it’s getting late and I know for a fact you have to get up early tomorrow for a big presentation.”
Adam nodded, “okay I'm done, just let me clean this up and them we can go to bed”
XxX
The next morning Nigel watched as Adam left for work, when the door closed behind his darling Nigel dove for Adams desk. Sorting through the excessive amount if papers and files until he found exactly what he was looking for.
The star map.
Exquisitely detailed and without a doubt was very accurate, with it in hand Nigel was out the door in seconds and on his way to the tattoo parlor. When he came through the door the tattoo artist who had been putting up with him groaned and rolled her eyes to the heavens as if asking for the strength. Nigel paid no mind as he slammed the sheet of paper on the counter.
“Oh don’t you worry today! I have the perfect thing; my darling drew it so it has to be exactly like it is. Trust me he would know if there was something different.”
She took the paper and gave him a long look, before leading him to the back room.
Several hours later Nigel walked out of the shop with a fresh and tender tattoo on his left shoulder exactly like Adams drawing. Now it was time for Adam to get out of work, how perfect of a surprise for Nigel to show up to walk his darling home with his very own star map on his skin. When he reached the observatory he stood beneath the shade of a tree outside the door he knew Adam would come out of.
Nigel watched as Adam spotted him from the door, his face lighting up when Adam saw him and his new tattoo.
“You finally got your tattoo! Wha—Wait! Is that my star map?”
“It sure is darling! You were right about needing my tattoo to mean something special, and whats more special to me than you? While I won’t get your name on me, its bad fucking luck, you did give Sirius so it’s the next best thing.”
Adam was grinning from ear to ear “That’s Wonderful Nigel! Even though bad luck doesn’t exist. I love it Nigel, I love you.”
“I love you too darling, till death do us fucking part.”