Chapter Text
"Aaaarrgghhhh!!!
I'VE
HAD
ENOOUUGHHHH!!"
The loud slam on the door and the thunderous shout made every single person in the shop turn their heads. With the impact, the door swayed behind him like a swinging saloon door from the old Western movies. Putting the customers' and residents' state of shock at the boisterous entrance aside, what's truly strange was the sight of the panting middle-aged man at the door showed no sign of being embarrassed by the show he just put on.
Enter Kuroo Tetsurou, a 34-year-old manager, working in a textile company. He has a small and extremely ordinary apartment that's 25 minutes away from work. He goes to work on his bicycle if he feels like it and the weather is warm. Otherwise, the subway is his savior since he cannot seem to save up enough to get a car. Not like he wants one, but that's besides the point.
His hobbies consist of occasional runs around the block or small excursions on his bike, seldom get-togethers for coffee with acquaintances from work. Everyone is married except him, so they're mostly busy doing heterosexual, married-life stuff. Good riddance, Kuroo thinks.
However, he has one more hobby he doesn't openly mention because he's 100% sure about the looks and comments he'll get, "But a man of your age..." ranking first place. He finds answering these questions troublesome, trying not to sound annoyed is hard and it's in Kuroo's best interest to let these matters drop. Yes, 'for a man his age' , he enjoys doing puzzles and origami. Spending time alone at home has become a habit for Kuroo for several reasons we'll discuss further along the story, however, opening up one of his favorite bands to play in the background and completing one of the puzzles he started or searching for a new origami model to work on is his definition of spending quality time .
To understand how he ended up slamming open the door of a tattoo parlor, screaming with rage and exhaustion like he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, we need to rewind time a little.
∗ ∗
Kuroo had a fulfilling university life. He had close friends, spent his time playing volleyball, which was both fun and productive. Unfortunately, like 9 university relationships out of 10, everyone eventually grew apart after graduation and Kuroo having to change cities undeniably made it worse. Now, apart from phone talks, sharing funny memes over LINE or their monthly volleyball gatherings, Kuroo has his colleagues to spend time with, which he's not too happy about. Every conversation eventually simmers down to how convenient married life is or how great their significant others are, how Kuroo has to hurry and find someone before he ruts, furthering into pseudo-scientific facts on the decrease of semen quality as age grows. Kuroo feels out of place and doesn't want to force himself as if he enjoys, keeping these meetings to the minimum, not severing the ties completely either.
When you don't have someone you can call a friend, it also becomes hard to meet new people it seems; or at least, Kuroo fails graciously. He doesn't even dare to dream about the possibility of finding a boyfriend.
The work environment is no better. According to his contract, he needs to spend one last year in this shit-hole. If he quits early, he has to pay a hefty fine to the company. Then, he's free to enter yet another suffering pit. No matter how they sugarcoat it, every company is more or less the same in terms of working conditions. If he is to undergo such pain, he can at least sell himself to the company that bids the most.
Kuroo looks at his watch, he could really use a small break right now, before lunch. He grabs his coffee mug and tobacco case, and heads out to his little smoking hideout -which is an emergency exit- but he prefers the jumbled noise of the street to the garbage his coworkers spew out at the company's smoking room. He rolls himself a cigarette, proud of how good he become at doing this, lights it with his Zippo, and continues losing himself in his thoughts.
All this company shit could be blamed on capitalism and he could just brush it off if the people -especially his boss- were agreeable human beings. But NO, what makes a hellhole are the evil incarnates roaming around and ruining everything in sight.
Here he is, another day and a new aspect of his life he questions. He finds it astounding how numb and ignorant he can get during work. The worst part about it is that, at the beginning, you think it's easy to keep work and private lives separate.
" I came to understand how naive that thinking is... " Kuroo exhales, as the smoke escaping his lips gets caught in the turbulence and vanishes.
Just like a tooth starting to decay and taking over it wholly, this 'paralyzing feeling' slowly and steadily takes over the body and mind, leaving you immobile and numb. Looking on the bright side, if you could call it 'bright', this state of mind seems to make enduring work easier.
" No matter how you look at it, it's fucked up. "
He puts the cigarette off and throws it into the bin, hazily returning to his desk.
"Kuroo-san?" His boss' secretary is waiting for him.
" Oh crap, just what I needed. " The sigh escapes him before he can try to hide it.
"Yes, Nakajima-san?"
"The boss wants to see you about the new client we will be taking."
"What?! I've never heard anything about it!" The boss either lost his mind for good this time or he really wants his employees dead.
"You have to talk it out with the boss himself." Secretary brushes off Kuroo's confusion with a blank face and adds. "He will be available in 15 minutes."
∗ ∗
Things go totally downhill after the meeting. Kuroo is not even surprised by how his boss's abusive attitude and ignorance can get worse than it already is. It's been a week since he announced they had a new client and Kuroo was in charge of them. Kuroo tried to explain in the simplest words and facts how it was impossible with the current workload for the umpteenth time. All he got in return was a mouthful of swears and the same old " Quit if you don't like it, " shit, fully aware that he can't, accompanied by a nauseating smirk. He seriously loses track of time and spends his -almost- entire week at the office due to the inhumane amount of workload. He has to avoid looking at mirrors at the toilet or the elevator because if he were to meet his own eyes, he would most surely break down at that instant.
And now, sitting at the station and waiting for the next train to take him to another company to hand in some papers, Kuroo is dazed, staring at nothing ahead, and feels his fingers itching. His gaze slowly slides down at his right hand, only to realize his cigarette has been burning for a while and has reached his fingers. Yet, his brain cannot catch up with the sizzling sensation burning his fingers...
"Argh! Fuck..."
He finally manages to wake up from his daze and shakes away the cigarette bud, earning himself a couple of despising looks. He throws the bud at the bin and the train arrives at the station. Slumping at the seat, Kuroo looks at his throbbing fingers.
"This shit is really unhealthy, I should quit. I wish they would allow chewing gums at the office. "
He takes out a box of band-aids he keeps in his bag no matter what, a practical habit he gained when he was playing volleyball. Taking care of other players was his duty as a captain. But more than that, he was really affectionate towards his teammates, a bond gained through mutual hard work and training, that surely cannot replace any other way of relating. That's why he still seeks those days, misses them a great deal, and fails to befriend people unless there's something common they share.
He cursed internally when he heard he was being sent out to hand these papers himself because obviously, you don't send a manager out to deliver papers to another company. There were some issues to be discussed but you could do those over the phone. Nevertheless, now Kuroo feels happy he agreed, the weather is amazing and the scenery helps to ease his fatigue, getting out of the office is the exact thing he needs.
At least, until he reaches his destination for another quarrel because of a stupid, yet huge mistake his boss made. Of course, Kuroo warned and corrected him as many times as it took and thought finally they were finally on the same page but that asshole went and printed out the contract with his own terms. An hour-long phone talk later and his own boss blaming Kuroo for the mistake, it is up to him to correct the data and terms once again. Thankfully, he has his laptop, a habit gained through blood, sweat and tears—so it doesn't take too long to go over it all. He unwillingly apologizes for the mistake he didn't even make and leaves the place without looking back.
He originally had to turn back to the office since the meeting should have taken half an hour at most but after spending 3 hours in vain, he shouts "Fuck that shit, I'm going home!" out loud, throws his middle fingers at the sky hoping they will reach his boss and furiously stomps down the road.
He finds himself weighing his options of taking a loan from some bank and paying the fee required to break his contract, though that doesn't put him at any advantage.
" A loan only means I'll be starving to death I don't know for how long. I still need to set some money aside for my parents too. How many months there is left again? If we're in... " He murmurs as he walks down the road without paying attention to his surroundings. He is pulled out of his head when a stranger smashes into him and continues without even apologizing. His briefcase falls on the pavement, some of his belongings spreading over. Crouching and lazily stuffing everything back in, a flickering neon banner ahead catches Kuroo's attention. He doesn't care what kind of looks he's getting anymore, he's just cussing anything and everything that comes to mind aloud, and when he reaches the shop, he slams open the door of the tattoo parlor in defeat.
"Aaaarrgghhhh!!! I'VE HAD ENOOUUGHHHH!!"
He pants as he takes his time to glance over the customers who are looking back at him in astonishment, he hears a light clicking sound in between.
" Did someone just take a photo? "
With sweat rolling down his forehead, he ignores the rest and sits on one of the leather couches reserved for customers, shaking his leg restlessly.
It takes a couple of seconds and murmurs for the impact of his entrance to die down and someone approaches him with a rather cold expression; a guy that looks in his early 20's, with raven black hair and navy eyes. He has a loose-fitting black singlet and a grey cardigan, paired with baggy, khaki-colored cargo pants and black, suede sneakers.
"'ello, I'm Kags. How can I help you?"
"You're scaring him Kageyama, be more polite."
A warning, almost muttering, comes across the shop from a little ball curled up on another chair. Though he doesn't even meet Kuroo's eye, apparently there's something important going on on his PSP.
"I'm being polite, aren't I." The boy in front huffs in irritation.
"Not only the words, be more polite with your face too." The other boy comments and Kuroo cannot help but agree. In the meantime, the raven boy drags a chair across Kuroo, taking out a little notepad from his side pocket.
"Never mind him." He rolls his eyes as he sits and crosses his legs. "What did you want to get done? Tattoos or piercings?"
"Well, I've never thought about it before entering. Cross that, never considered getting done something like this my entire life. "
Without a doubt, this is extremely lame and something Kuroo won't ever admit out loud. So he answers in false confidence and blurts the first thing that comes to his mind.
"Uuuh, I want... it on my right arm and uuh... around my bicep, I mean. You know, one of those... a barbed wire tattoo and a couple of piercings."
"Yes, I'm doing great, " he thinks. The boy's disgusted expression tells him that he is, in fact, not doing great.
"I mean, first of all, are you serious with that tattoo design? And 'a couple of piercings' isn't really informative, you know."
It's not the best design, Kuroo admits but now that it came out of his mouth, he feels he has to follow through.
"Y-yeah, I'm sure. For the piercing... I want one on my brow and a couple on my ears. Both on the left and right. Oh! But I'm working at a company and I have to take them out during the day. That's okay, right?"
"Was it so strange to ask, that this Kageyama guy is looking at me like he just came in contact with an alien? " Kuroo questions.
"Huh? Of course not, they have to stay on at least for a month. Then, you can do whatever you want with them."
"That won't do." Kuroo protests. "Then, maybe you can recommend me a place that won't be visible under a suit and won't hurt too much at the same time?"
That was probably the last drop.
"Are you drunk or something??! Or maybe this is a stupid truth-or-dare game? Do you really think getting these done on a whim is a joke?" Kageyama squeezes the notebook in hand, trying to control his anger but fails. Kuroo has his fair share of bad manners at his workplace and prepares to fight back, however, Kageyama cuts him with a sigh.
"You know what? I'm sorry, I'm not a patient person, sorry for snapping at you." He turns at the boy with the PSP again.
"Hey Ken, when's Lev coming back?"
For the first time, the boy lifts his gaze from the screen and raises a brow.
"Mmm, anytime now? He's actually running a bit late."
"Lev owns this shop, Medusa ," Kageyama explains . " Please wait for him, he's better at this. In the meantime, what would you like to drink? On the house, as an apology."
At this point, Kuroo cannot tell if the guy is sincere or just going through the motions but he wouldn't say no to a good cup of coffee so he doesn't care.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like a cup of coffee. No sugar and milk, thank you."
The boy slides the chair back in its place and while walking towards the back, he stops in front of who he called Ken and taps his PSP randomly as a joke. The smaller one snaps the other's hand playfully, then lightly grabs it by the fingertips and they exchange a word or two, which Kuroo is not privy to. Then, something miraculous happens; Kageyama, that concrete-faced boy, smiles. Genuinely.
"Wow, what a sight. " Kuroo thinks in disbelief. It's been only 15 minutes since his grand entrance, but he can tell it's a rare sight because the smaller boy's face brightens up at the expression.
Now that he has calmed down, he takes a good look at the shop. The entrance has a rather large waiting room. The walls are covered with pastel cyan blue wallpaper, with black leather sofas without armrests. In several frames, modern edits of famous paintings are hung together with works done in this shop. On the left, lies a corridor, which Kuroo assumes the actual studios are down there. Right across the entrance, there is a register and a couple of shelves full of trophies. Kuroo never would've thought there'd be competitions for tattooists but it was less likely to just put a pie-eating contest trophy there. He gets distracted by the bell above the door ringing, indicating someone just entered the shop, right when he was enjoying a Kageyama with cheeks full of sweets, reminding Kuroo of a chipmunk.
An extremely tall man, almost 2 meters long, enters the parlor. He has black leggings going down to his ankles and black knee-length basketball shorts, a bright red varsity jacket, and a backpack, complemented with a cap worn backward. He casually walks towards the register right after he enters the room.
Kageyama is back with Kuroo's coffee. Noticing the tall man at the register, he greets him by exchanging some inaudible words, then slowly nears Kuroo, leaving the coffee on a coaster by the end table.
"That's Lev at the register." Kageyama breaks the silence. "He'll be seeing you in a minute."
Kuroo watches Kageyama as he walks back down the corridor, then turns to the tall one taking off his backpack, placing it behind the counter, followed by his jacket. He unintentionally makes a mental note that Lev's shoulders are not his jacket's doing. He looked a little lanky at first but it's obvious that he has a toned body. He slowly turns and meets Kuroo's eyes, making him shudder at the intensity.
Kuroo has only one word to describe Lev and that's 'lucky' because he is the perfect combination a person can get out of a Russian and a Japanese. With genetics, one ending up inheriting the short height is equally possible as inheriting the black eyes or any of the unfortunate aspects of your parents. Yet, this guy is built like a marble statue, has silvery hair and dark green eyes that are slightly slanted, yet his pupils are large and altogether, they fit his pale white skin perfectly.
"On second thought, the guy's too aesthetically beautiful to be true... Maybe he's wearing contacts or dying his hair...? Doesn't look that way, though. "
"Hello and welcome to my shop. Is it okay if I sit next to you? My ass is craving for a soft touch after all the shit I've been through with the dealers."
"Y-yes, aah, of course." Kuroo stutters as he places his briefcase down next to his feet and Lev plops down next to him, curling one of his legs under so he can sit facing his new customer-to-be.
"I'm Lev, nice to see you here." He reaches for a handshake. "How should I address you?"
His tone is somewhere between monotonous and sincere, though Kuroo catches that underlying tired tone, and understands all too well.
"I'm Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo is okay."
Lev notes down his name on something that looks like a sketchbook and continues.
"I'm sorry about Kags, he still has some time to work on his manners, so I'd be glad if you wouldn't mind him too much. He's truly amazing and someone I can completely trust both as a person and an artist."
Lev's smile comes out a bit forced as if his facial muscles weigh a ton.
"It's okay, really. He also apologized to me, so no hard feelings."
"Ah, I'm glad. That's a huge improvement, believe me. Anyways, what brings you here Kuroo-san? Did someone recommend my shop, you saw us online or..."
"I didn't come here on recommendation, actually. Kind of stumbled upon your banner, walking down the street."
"Oh, okay. Kags mentioned you wanted both a tattoo and piercings. What made you decide to get them?"
Kuroo blushes a little at the questions and averts his gaze. In the end, it looks like he has to admit he just entered here on the spur of a moment, without even knowing a single thing about getting your body pierced or inked.
"I understand if those reasons are private," Lev cuts his internal monologue short. "However, it's my job to make my customers understand that, unlike piercings, tattoos are a lifelong companion. Of course, you can get another one to cover up the oldies or there are removal procedures but it's better to leave your skin untouched if you'll regret it two days later. A word of advice, removal is ten times painful than getting the actual thing done. There is nothing we can do if you insist obviously, but it's against our policy to accept impulsive procedures."
"You are right about barging in here on a whim," Kuroo admits unwillingly. "I'm going through a dreadful period, I wanted something different and there was your shop's neon sign. Now that I think about it, though, I do want to have a tattoo."
"Sorry to hear that... How about we just focus on the tattoo, then? I'm sure it will take both of our minds out of depressing shit," Lev beams, trying to cheer Kuroo as well. "Kageyama also notified me that you had a design in mind?"
Remembering his disgusted expression, Kuroo buries his face in his hands with shame.
"Aw, c'mon, it couldn't be that bad!" Lev chimes, hoping to encourage Kuroo by patting him on the shoulder.
"A b-barbed wi-wire..." Kuroo's voice dies at the end, Lev's boisterous laughter taking over.
"Yikes man, anything but that! No one gets those anymore."
"Okay okay, I was desperate and blurted out the first thing that popped into my head!" Kuroo raises his head. "Maybe you could help me decide?"
"Of course, you just tell me the style you prefer and I'll try to help."
Lev gets visibly more relaxed and finds Kuroo's choices amusing enough, he starts to laugh more as they go along.
"Uhm, by style, you mean..."
"Oh..." His irises grow in joy, mixed with wonder.
"Argh I'm sorry. This is really the first time in my life that tattoos crossed my mind and I'm really a ground zero about the subject... Help this old man, please?"
"Hahah, you're really interesting Kuroo-san! It's alright, so what I mean by style is less about what you want to get inked and more about the way it's expressed or drawn. It can be a realistic portrait, a geometrical abstract design, a watercolor design with only colors and no outlines, only black and white, or lines with colors... Just like artists belonging to different movements, tattooists have different areas they specialize in. For example, if you want a realistic portrait, I'm not your guy."
"Ah I see, I never thought it would be that detailed." In the meantime, Kuroo wrecks his mind to see if he can come up with something he wants, but his mind is as dry and empty as a desert, bushes rolling from one side to another.
"As much as we would like to, it's impossible to specialize in every style so instead, we hire different specialists as co-workers so we can broaden our services. By the way, you said you were an old man but how old are you exactly? That's just out of curiosity, you don't need to answer."
"It's okay, I'm 34. What about you?"
"You're not old at all! We're close, I'm 27." Lev chuckles.
"Not fair, you're still younger than me." Kuroo feigns annoyance as Lev notes down a couple of things Kuroo cannot decipher.
"Two more questions and we're done for today. Are you allergic to anything or have skin problems?" Lev continues in a more serious tone.
"Not that I know of."
"Okay. And the last one, where would you like your tattoo? Have somewhere in mind?"
"My... upper body?" Kuroo grins desperately, drawing a burst of laughter from the silver-haired young man.
"That's specific enough," Lev notes down again, giggling. "Considering you don't have any idea right now, how about I make a suggestion?" He gets up and gets a business card from the register, then sits back next to Kuroo. "I'll write my contact number and there's a link behind the card. You can see the styles I was talking about categorized neatly there. I'd prefer you evaluate yourself rather than me shoving technical terms down your throat. Collect the images that you like, you can even search the internet. Then, send the images over LINE, so I can get an idea about your taste."
Kuroo takes the card from Lev and neatly puts it in his wallet.
"And then?"
"Then, it's up to you. You can either come down here or we can talk over the phone and decide on the style, size, and place if I think I'm capable of doing what you want. After that, I'll work on some individual designs for you. If you're content with that, we'll arrange an appointment, more than one if necessary, and start working."
"Wow, that's very meticulous of you."
"You could say I'm particular, yeah. But that's only natural. Before sending you off, can I see your upper body and check your skin?"
Seeing Kuroo taken aback by the suggestion, Lev quickly clarifies.
"It'll only take a minute. Moles, birthmarks, or any type of irritation have to be checked. Knowing them beforehand helps me suggest a place for your tattoo."
"Oh okay."
"Cool, please enter the second room on your right, down the hallway. I'll be there in a minute."
Taking his briefcase, Kuroo continues walking towards where Lev described. The smaller studios in the back are painted in a lively yellow that really brightens up the room. Right in the middle, there is a huge black leather chair with a stool and dangerous-looking tools next to it. The room has a counter and boards under it, full of bottles of all sizes, some are colorful, and some have warnings on them. His gaze stops wandering when Lev enters and closes the curtain.
"If you could take off your shirt," he smiles as he leans over the wall, crossing his arms. Lev watching closely doesn't ease Kuroo's frustration at all. For some reason, he's never been a person comfortable with nudity, be it with women or men so this setting feels a little awkward. However, he needs to get used to it from now on if he is determined to get tattooed, he reckons.
After taking out his inner shirt, he is finally half-naked and Lev closes in. He warns Kuroo before each movement and makes sure to catch Kuroo's gaze for clear consent despite Kuroo's eagerness to avoid those emerald eyes. He wears medical gloves and warns Kuroo before lightly brushing his fingers on the timid man's chest while murmuring little notes to himself like "There's nothing here." or "A small mole on the left chest.". Then, it's time to inspect his right arm, raising it from the bicep and checking every part, furthering down the forearm, and doing the same for the left. Lev turns by the shoulders and slowly turns his body, now facing the back.
"You're not comfortable with getting naked," he snickers, without trying to be subtle.
"Uhh, yeah not really. How did you know?"
"You're so stiff and beet red, the first time I've seen someone blushing with his whole body, it's quite the sight haha!"
"Shut up, not like I enjoy being this way." Kuroo exhales in exasperation. "I've just been this way since childhood. Going to the pool or swimming lessons was hell for me."
"It's alright. I've had a couple of customers like you before. I hope the two of us can work it out, just like I did with others. Yeah, no irritation, though you have a wide birthmark here-" He presses right under Kuroo's right shoulder blade with his thumb, trying not to touch more than that, still it's enough to draw a light shudder out of Kuroo, "- and some moles on the chest. You can get dressed, sorry for the inconvenience." Lev takes out the gloves and throws them into the bin, continuing to take notes.
"I can work around the chest and left shoulder, depending on the size, but the rest looks good."
"What about the freckles?"
"The ones on your shoulders? They are cute?" Lev cannot contain his laughter, seeing Kuroo getting redder at the comment. "I wanted to lighten up the mood, inking over freckles won't be an issue."
An awkward silence ensues and Kuroo feels like he's the one responsible for his awkward blushing, he takes a chance.
"It's my first time someone is taking notes about my body, haha."
"Way to go Kuroo, trying to joke and worsening it with more awkward comments... Real smooth... "
"Well, you have to get used to it if we'll be working together!" Lev grins, baring his teeth like a child. "I'd like to assure you I'll do whatever's required to make you feel comfortable with me. I'm really glad you decided to make that entrance, though. I really wish I was here to witness that. A huge thanks to Kenma, though, he was able to snap a photo!"
"Gosh, I was almost sure I heard the shutter sound but hoped I was hallucinating," Kuroo snorts as he finishes buttoning his shirt and stuffs his tie into the briefcase. "Please don't laugh too much at a middle-aged man's desperation. I may come back and haunt you, you know?"
"Ghosts are always welcome in my shop unless you meddle with my work," Lev winks charmingly and extends his hand. "I'm waiting for your call."
"Okay-"
"Or text. Or mail. Whichever you feel comfortable with," Lev cuts in. "After we get the tattoo planning out of the way, we can talk about piercings, okay? If you still, want them, obviously."
"Thank you very much for your help, I'm glad I burst into a place like yours. I don't even want to entertain worst-case scenarios." Kuroo takes his briefcase and walks towards the entrance.
"Yeah, please don't do it ever again, it's dangerous." He opens the door for Kuroo and leans over the frame.
"Take care!"
"Thank you, you too!"