Work Text:
Chu Wanning has been in love with the owner of the small shop next to his ever since May. It’s now March of the next year.
The fact he’s been keeping count should show just how dire the situation really is.
Sometimes when Mo Ran (at least Chu Wanning has found out his name from social media by now) walks past and glances in through the window, waving a bit, Chu Wanning’s hand nearly slips. Luckily, he has enough control, so it hasn’t ever actually happened, but the fear is ever-present.
His hand shouldn’t slip, because despite his exterior that people oftentimes misjudge for an office worker or a CEO, he owns a small tattoo parlor. Nothing big. He doesn’t take a lot of clients a day at all, but it makes enough money to get around, so it’s just fine.
Mo Ran, on the other hand, tattoos all over his arms and wearing muscle shirts that show off not just the art on his body but also his stupidly muscly arms, is the owner of the flower shop next to Chu Wanning’s.
Really, if someone were to see them opening up their respective shops, they might think they’ve gotten their doors wrong.
One of his regulars pulls his sleeves back over the clingfilm, and already expectantly reaches his hand out for the post-tattoo lotion that Chu Wanning sells to every client.
Without saying a word, he hands it to him, the man taking it, and giving him a short nod.
Some of his clients try talking to him extensively. Chu Wanning isn’t a talker though, and so, most of his clients, especially the ones that come back, don’t talk a lot either.
For a few minutes, he just sits down behind the counter, the man leaving, already having paid in advance. He shakes out his tattooing hand, and takes a little sigh.
Next is the worst step of the whole thing. Cleaning up the chair and disinfecting everything in its vicinity. Chu Wanning is known for his clean lines, and not for infected tattoos, after all.
…That doesn’t mean he enjoys it, though.
However, right as he gets back up to get to work, this having been the last client of the day, the door opens, the bell above it giving a small chime, and in it stands…
Chu Wanning’s whole mouth goes dry because Mo Ran stands inside of his tattoo parlor, all of a sudden, in a long-sleeved shirt that is however still tight enough to show off his muscles. That husky tattoo he has pokes out just a tiny bit above the collar, and his broad hands, also covered in tattoos are very, very visible.
“Hi!” he greets Chu Wanning with a short wave of his hand, like they’re friends or something.
“…Hello,” Chu Wanning responds, his voice coming out all cold and harsh when really, this is just panic talking.
What the hell is Mo Ran doing at his place, all of a sudden?
“So, uh, this is a little awkward,” Mo Ran starts, “I know we don’t really know each other, but uhm, okay, I’ll just say it. I need to use the bathroom. My toilet just broke. My commute home is long. …May I…?”
That of all things is why Mo Ran has come into his shop? That? He needs the bathroom?
Chu Wanning blinks at him, not sure whether to laugh or cry at this point. There he was, already imagining all kind of scenarios of Mo Ran asking him out on a date or whatever. Or Mo Ran asking him to tattoo him or something of the kind, but he’s just here for the bathroom.
Part of him is angry, but at the same time, Mo Ran’s smile does look a little forced, so Chu Wanning isn’t exactly going to deny him.
“…Sure,” he says, “door on the left, end of the hallway. The vent is broken, leave the door open afterwards.”
Mo Ran gives him a short and also mildly panicked look, and darts into the hallway behind the door. A few seconds later, Chu Wanning hears the telltale sound of the bathroom light being switched on, and the door locking.
What the fuck.
His crush is in his bathroom.
Only now does reality properly hit for Chu Wanning. He’s just talked to Mo Ran. Well, it isn’t the first time. They do greet each other, but he’s always too scared to make actual conversation with him, and thus gives up fairly quickly, so this this might just have been their longest conversation right now even though Mo Ran’s shop has been open for ten whole months now.
Maybe he could try and make conversation now, though.
Right.
Chu Wanning knows damn well nothing of the like is going to happen. He’s way too scared for that. He’s pretty sure Mo Ran is a good ten years younger than him, too, so he just kind of feels a bit like an old lecher now, thinking like this.
His emotional turmoil continues for the entire time that Mo Ran is using his bathroom, which isn’t for particularly long. A few minutes, just enough to do his business and wash his hands, Chu Wanning supposes.
When Mo Ran resurfaces, it’s with his hands still slightly wet, and a super bright expression on his face.
“Is that your work in the hallway and bathroom? They all look so pretty!”
For a second, Chu Wanning is a little confused in the way someone would be confused if something they find very natural to their flat suddenly got a compliment even though you have kind of forgotten you even own the object.
In exactly this way, Chu Wanning has forgotten that he’s hung up some of his work around the hallways, just some samples, as decoration, to make it feel less desolate after his first few clients years ago had mentioned that it feels a little lonely.
So, he only manages a confused little nod in response.
“Oh, so it is your work! It’s so neat and tidy! I was considering getting a new tattoo anyway, you know, I haven’t in over two years actually, so I was considering your place anyway. I mean, it’s right next to my shop, so… would be convenient either way. I’ll think about it and tell you in a few days or weeks, alright? I’m starting to make money properly now, so I can definitely afford it! You do a consultation before, right? I mean, I’ll pay for you designing it too, and-“
“…Mo Ran,” Chu Wanning interrupts him, because what a sudden onslaught of words then, being flung at him by his crush that Chu Wanning is very normal about at all times of the day.
Very normal.
He’s definitely not trying to not look at Mo Ran’s muscular arms right now, distracting him from just about every single word Mo Ran is saying.
“Ah! Sorry, sorry, I just find your work really pretty is all I want to say, really! I should go for another animal. Maybe a cat this time, I’ve got enough dogs on me already.”
“I…” Chu Wanning starts again, not entirely sure what to make of the prospect of tattooing his crush. If he’s already so horribly nervous when he just thinks about Mo Ran when tattooing someone else, then actually tattooing Mo Ran probably has no way of working out. He’ll probably get the ink all smudged. He’ll actually fail a tattoo for the first time in his life. There’s no way he can actually accept that.
“Write me an e-mail once you’ve decided,” he hears himself say, “I schedule appointments that way. The original consultation does not have a fee, but a tattoo design would require a certain amount of money to be paid, regardless of whether I am actually tattooing you in the end or not.”
“Deal, then!” Mo Ran says, the largest grin on his face, wiping the rest of the water on his hands on his pants.
Which isn’t good, because the movement draws Chu Wanning’s attention to Mo Ran’s pants and therefore his crotch and-
He pulls his eyes right back up.
He will not be caught staring at Mo Ran’s crotch. Nope. Absolutely not.
(Why the hell did it look so big despite him wearing pants?! There’s no way that’s real, right?!)
“I’ll send you an e-mail as soon as I’ve decided. Ah, and thank you for the bathroom. I’m giving you a little gift for that tomorrow morning, just wait.”
“There’s no need for such a thing,” Chu Wanning says, but gets promptly ignored.
“Nope, absolute need! Just to recompensate you for that toilet flush and the bit of soap I used.”
Obviously those are bullshit reasons. Chu Wanning is aware. Mo Ran, too, given the impish smile on his face, is very aware.
Just what is he playing at?
However, he doesn’t even get the time to process, because just like he’d come, Mo Ran is gone in a whirlwind, leaving behind nothing but a few drops on Chu Wanning’s hardwood floor, and the lingering smell of his perfume in the air.
His heart throbs.
God, what the hell just happened?
*
The next morning, Mo Ran is opening up shop as Chu Wanning arrives. His first client doesn’t come until in an hour, but he can set stuff up and sketch away a little bit, or maybe even repair the bathroom vent that broke some time ago. Yet, Mo Ran doesn’t let him, the man’s face lighting up as soon as he spots Chu Wanning, and disappearing right back into his shop.
When he comes back, he’s holding a small box, and also a few flowers that Chu Wanning doesn’t even know, wrapped up beautifully in some baby’s breath, a few small wooden stars tied to it with fine, silver thread, glittering in between the white and purple flowers – the same kind, Chu Wanning thinks. Just different colours.
“Here! I don’t know what flavor of cake you like, so I made a few! There’s chocolate cupcakes, a cherry-blossom one, a matcha one, and two lotus ones. Ah, and the sixth is mystery flavor, find out for yourself. Thank you for letting me use your bathroom.”
“There’s no way I could possibly accept this,” Chu Wanning stutters out, but Mo Ran hushes him with a finger pressed against his own lips, that same smile on his eyes now, except…
It looks kind of nervous, this time around?
“The flower is toadflax, by the way. You gift it to someone to tell them that you want them to notice your feelings.”
What?
What?
Chu Wanning blinks once, twice, staring at Mo Ran, having the flower and the box of cupcakes pushed into his hands rather unceremoniously as something like panic seems to kick in for Mo Ran.
Before he can react, way too caught up in the ‘feelings’ part of what Mo Ran has said, Mo Ran rushes back into his store, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving Chu Wanning standing there absolutely and utterly dumbfoundedly.
He blinks again.
Feelings?
Looking down at the few flowers and the cupcakes, he thinks to himself that this must be some kind of bad joke, but Mo Ran looked so honest, and…
It’s probably better not to overthink it.
The ‘feelings’ might just be friendship or something. Maybe he’s trying to make friends with Chu Wanning.
It’s better not to overthink it, he tells himself, goes inside, and turns on his computer to check his e-mails, heart still beating fast in his chest, palms sweaty.
At the very top is an e-mail from Mo Ran that he’s sent right now.
Trembling a tiny bit, he clicks on it.
‘Can I come in for a consultation in the afternoon? I close at three thirty today. I’ve decided what I want as a tattoo. Enjoy the cupcakes and let me know your favourite, please. Also, are you free tonight? No pressure. If you don’t want to go out with me, that’s fine.
Best,
Mo Ran
PS: I meant it, by the way. The flower. ‘cause you looked like you were doubting that a little’
It takes a good thirty minutes for Chu Wanning to come down from whatever high this e-mail gave him. When he finally manages to respond, it’s curt because he overthinks every single sentence that he tries to write otherwise, so short is probably best.
‘Yes, I’m free at four. I’ll have the cupcakes. I’m free. I do.
Best,
Chu Wanning’
When he hits send and two minutes pass, he thinks that from next door, he can hear something like a squeal.
He has a date.
Chu Wanning has not just a tattoo consultation with his crush in the afternoon, but also a date. And a flower about feelings, that Mo Ran means.
He’s very, very sane about all of this.
Here’s to hoping his first client’s tattoo doesn’t end up all botched when she comes in in roughly ten minutes.
Chu Wanning has neither sketched nor repaired the vent.
He figures that the vent can wait for another day.