Work Text:
sieun isn't necessarily fond of tattoos. despite having a patchwork collection himself, it's more so the pain of the needling he finds himself drawn back to. it's why he's invested in several little ones, instead of jumping immediately to something larger. it's also why, when sieun goes for his standard impulsive walk-in with yeongyi, he's shocked to find her corner of the lobby devoid of her trinkets.
"her?" beomseok, another artist at the studio, waddles over with his box of cling wrap still in hand. the tattooing practice sheets he'd been working on are visibly strewn across the table behind him, abandoned in the wake of sieun's arrival. "she just cleared out her things the other day and took off. didn't tell me or seokdae where she was going."
feeling a sense of foreboding, he sends her a quick message.
[yse0515]: were u going to tell me u dont work at byeoksan anymore
[yii_art]: oh shit lmao i forgot
[yii_art]: i didnt quit im guesting rn
[yii_art]: its ok tho i told suho to cover my regulars
suho? that's a name sieun hasn't heard before. it fills him with a bit of dread, actually. the idea of stepping outside of his comfort zone, having a new person get familiar with his body in the way it took him a year to establish with yeongyi makes his throat feel like it's filled with rocks. however, he's already here, and logically he knows there's nothing that can be done. and hell if sieun won't be getting something new right here and now after coming all this way.
"are you sieun?" a figure emerges from the black curtain that leads to the individual stations, and sieun sluggishly pockets his phone. when he looks back up, in front of him stands a guy whose bracket-shaped smile blasts him with the brilliance of a thousand suns. the slightly damp white t-shirt he's in has had its sleeves rolled up, as if to let the person in front of him ogle away. surprisingly, his own skin is sparse save for a few large flames on his left bicep, as well as a star positioned behind his right earlobe.
thankfully for sieun beomseok clamors over once again, breaking the silence and stealing away the man's attention with his excited rambling.
"oh, suho! i ordered you those bibs you were asking for, and set your station up with extra gloves and sticks. can you show me how to replace the machine tips again later? i'm not used to the one you're letting me borrow--" somewhere, the apprentice's words are lost on his ears.
naturally, the person yeongyi has set him up with is a total stud. sieun suddenly feels dizzy.
"if you guys are done.. can i get a chair?"
-
thinking back on it, that distinctly bold version of suho sieun had first met had to have been a front. over the course of the last few months, the pair had settled considerably comfortably into their new routine. that is, of sieun simply showing up like a stray cat, and suho catering to his every whim like an expectant owner leaves out treats and toys (according to beomseok, at least).
suho’s actually remained rather reserved during their sessions, always respecting his client’s penchant for brief exchanges and returning the energy he receives. though their chats run short, they’re never awkward. and with every meeting, his gentle hands and demeanor continue to paint the soft canvas of sieun’s skin.
sieun finds a sort of comfort in how the artist doesn't ask questions, not about why he gets so many tattoos done nor about the story behind each and every one. he's thankful, since it saves him the need for awkward explanation, but still, it bothers him. why wasn't suho curious? was sieun that boring of a person? was suho already involved with someone else? was he just not pretty enough for him?
wait, when did his thoughts morph like that?
truthfully speaking, suho feels like he's at constant risk of dropping dead on the other end. it isn't every day you meet someone who instantly stunlocks you; meeting them multiple times and forming a bond with them is just plain brutal. for the sake of professionalism and not making his client uncomfortable, he simply opts to keeps his mouth shut before it can say something stupid.
that's how he finds himself in this situation, looking down at the paperwork in his hands. all of it is standard procedure plus some legal mumbo jumbo, but what's really got his eyes glazing over this time is the "placement reference" section of the form. suho gulps, pulling his mask down and looking up at the writer of the application. he's not quite sure what compelled him to read so closely this time, but thank god he did. because there'd be real, real trouble if he showed up to this booking blind.
"and you're sure you want them... there..." sieun nods at the inquiry, completely unfazed by the panic he's witnessing firsthand. though, of course, he's fully aware of the cause. sieun has only ever let suho tattoo normal places: various places on his arms and even one on his ankle. he still keeps them relatively dainty, though, just to maximize the surface area he has to work with. "one for your hip and one for ... your inner thigh..."
"yup." he pops the 'p' in his reply. "try something different this time, you know?" suho pales, which doesn't go unnoticed. it's a step in the right direction, and another cog turning in sieun's master plan.
"it's going to be painful."
"that's fine."
"let me ask beomseok for extra dental wrap--"
"aren't you holding some right now?"
"um. why don't we just get started." suho mentally kicks himself in the shin for being so overprepared when it comes to sieun's appointments. he wheels his chair over to the side of the bench where his client lays, knee bouncing all the while. "if you'll just show me the exact area where you want it, please."
with some hesitancy, sieun carefully lifts the hem of his t-shirt to show the skin just above his pantline. he shuffles as well, boxers pulling ever so slightly downward. very obviously not enough to overexpose himself, but just enough for a decent tease. he points near the hipbone.
suho slowly nods, a sensation akin to enlightenment washing over his body. "ah... i see.." he shakes his head to snap himself out of it, attempting to shelve his thoughts in favor of acting like a normal human being around this guy. "that reminds me. you never said what kind of design you wanted, and you didn't even text me this time. you gonna let me draw a dong on you or something?"
"actually..." now it's sieun who trails off, doe eyes carefully observing his new friend's every move. it's time, he thinks, to deal the killing blow. giving suho a soft look, he speaks in a calculated tone. "i was going to ask you to surprise me this time and pick something you think suits me. oh, but not a dong."
if the tattoo artist was already in heaven, nothing could have compared to how he felt in that moment. this unsuspecting young man before him, whom his mentor yeongyi had specifically told him was notoriously hard to crack (something about him being her type, but that's a thought he'd have to deal with later.), was offering himself up to suho like a lamb wandering straight into a fox's den.
he'd been told by sieun, in passing, during one of their earlier sessions. the latter had never been the kind of person to go out of his way with others, always preferring the comfort of his own company. neither sieun nor suho would necessarily say they've broached that point, but it's never lost on beomseok, or even seokdae how the stone-faced regular's features appear to soften whenever his gaze falls on their coworker's back. having overheard their conversations while they think he isn't there, suho figures that has to count for something. right?
"you don't think i'd really do that, do you? i still have some pride as an artist, you know. seriously." the giddiness slips out of him in the form of playful banter, and the machine he picks up suddenly buzzes to life. "don't you worry, i have just the right idea."
-
the session ends rather quickly, taking no more than 40 minutes on the dot. sieun's surprise is evident, stoic expression faltering in a way that has suho letting out a laugh. when his client continues to stare, he cuts himself off a bit awkwardly. "you want to take a look?"
when sieun pans down, complete and utter shock takes over.
"what is this?" plastered on the spot he'd showed suho, fresh ink standing out against the bright red skin, is a small crescent moon matching the size and style of the star that shines from behind suho's ear. sieun couldn't say he wasn't aware of just how straightforward his friend could be, but this? this was plain crazy. not that he minded; if anything, he was kind of a fan.
"it's a little moon guardian! ..do you not like it?" not letting sieun's comment faze him, suho steamrollers on through his explanation. "to be honest, when yeongyi passed you onto me, she made it sound like you were a really hard person to work around. but you aren't like that at all. you might be blunt when you do open that mouth of yours, but it isn't like you try to hurt people on purpose when you talk."
suho himself doesn't even realize he's started rambling on, but a glance into sieun's glassy eyes tell him it's okay to continue. so he does.
"to me, you have the same kind of energy as the moon. even though you’re always here, i don’t know that much about you. but i want to.” words fall freely from the same mouth he stifled, and the last part comes out as naturally as water flows from a spring. there’s still one thing sieun wants to clarify, however, so he intervenes.
“so what’s the deal with the guardian part? and it looks like yours.”
his artist flashes his signature blinding grin, like he thought he’d never be asked. sieun can tell he’s gearing into another tangent, but he lets it happen. after all, suho’s intensity is all but captivating to him, a guy who’s never had something to be truly passionate about in the entirety of his short life.
“well, my star is my guide. i have my own ambitions i want to follow, so i can't afford to be distracted. it reminds me of that." he doesn't elaborate, and the man opposite him knows better than to push the subject further. "as far as you're concerned, i want you to remember that you have your own strengths everyone might not see. your own light, so to speak. like how i see you." suspicions all but confirmed, sieun finally relents in his pursuit and sits up with a wince.
"you this smooth with all your customers?"
"only you."
a few moments of silence pass before suho clears his throat.
"..so. are you free after this? you're my last booking."
and when the faintest hint of a smile graces the edges of sieun’s plush lips in a silent 'yes', suho feels like he’s managed to put a few more stars in his own sky.