Of all the things Sehun regretted of his short life, the one he was about to do was probably the one he could have regretted the most. Seated in a black-leathered armchair in a small tattoo shop, surrounded by tons of complicated and weird drawings and sketches and scaring metallic things, he annoyingly massaged the base of his nose. Damn him and that stupid behaviour of his of never let a bet go even when he already knew he was bound to lose.

Yes, he had a bet with that dickhead of his best friend Jongin, a very stupid one indeed, and the punishment for the loser was to have a tattoo or a piercing. The only rule was that the tattoo had to be colourful and quite big, while the piercing had to be in one of the most sensitive spots of the human body. The most amazing part of it all was that neither of them had ever had a tattoo nor a piercing (except for a small one on their right earlobe), and they also had never ever thought nor dreamed about having one. That was exactly why they had decided it would have been a really outstanding penalty for that bet. A bet that consisted in who could drink the most without throwing up nor getting drunk. And, for once, Sehun had thought he could have easily won, since he had never seen his best friend swallowing more than 2 shots of vodka. But it seems like he had always only played the lightweight part, because when they had finally put the bet into work, Jongin had drunk so many shots Sehun couldn't even remember (mostly because he started to zone out at his 5th and after that he only remembered himself bent over a toilet vomiting all he had eaten during his 21 years of life). That traitor.

Truth being told, he was more pissed off at himself than at Jongin. It was his fault, after all. He sighed as he ran his slender fingers through his chocolate-dyed hair. A whimper came from the back of the studio, where the artists worked, and Sehun's breath itched, panic filling his body up. Was he really that crazy? Why couldn't he break the bet and just leave that place already? To distract himself from the fear that was rising in him, Sehun fished out from the pocket of his skinny jeans his phone.

Hey Jong, where the are you? he wrote after opening the chat with his best friend's name on it.

Not your business, hun
Are you at the studio? he even added a kiss emoji just to mock him even further.

Yeah, thanks to you

love you~

He exhaled heavily thinking of different ways to kill Jongin, and then put his phone away. Only then he started analysing the sketches and drawings that were hanging on the walls; some of them were made of creepy skulls or red flames, others seemed more tribal-like, full of intricate nets of lines, some others were made of names or phrases and simple stylised hearts. Out of nervousness, his fingers tapped on the leathered armrest a rhythm that seemed to have been stuck in his mind since... well, that exact moment.

He was about to snort in annoyance, already imagining himself inked with those horrible tattoos, when his eyes got caught by a sketch that was completely different, so much that it nearly seemed out of place, just like he was. On a simple white piece of paper, someone had drawn with pencil and pastels a cherry tree branch with delicate pinkish flowers and blossoms and some ideograms written in vertical, from top to bottom.

Sehun blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out their meaning, while staring at the beautiful sketch. It was quite strange to find Chinese ideograms around there, in a Korean quarter in a rather small American city, but luckily enough he had studied Chinese a bit back at school. He was so concentrated in deciphering those symbols, that he jumped in fright when he heard the door that separated the waiting room from the actual studio being opened.

He immediately recollected, though, plastering on his face a neutral – if not annoyed – expression just as a boy came out with a pained face, immediately followed by another boy who was smiling kindly. The first guy waved to the other one and then exited the place, leaving Sehun practically alone with his anger, his not-admitted fear and the other boy, who went to the counter, disappearing behind it.

When the guy popped up again, startling Sehun, “May I help you?” he asked with an heavy accented English, his lips forming a kind smile and making a dimple appear on his right cheek.

Sehun's heart skipped a beat at the sight. Of course he had to have a damn dimple. Sehun started to think that that criminal of Jongin's girlfriend must have had it all planned out: She knew his soft spot for dimpled boys, that , and she nonetheless insisted that he went into that specific tattoo studio right after she had found out what kind of punishment he had to go through.

Lost in his admiration, Sehun stared too obviously and for too long at the boy behind the counter, who shifted his position and hung his head cutely on one side in confusion and discomfort. He really thought this new client was quite particular, and when he had no answer from Sehun, he cleared his throat.

“Excuse me, are you okay?” he finally asked again, concerned by the blank look on the newcomer's face.

Only then Sehun woke up from his trance, mentally facepalming himself for that embarrassing situation, while making a note in his brain to kill both his friend and his girlfriend for the trouble they had got him into.

“Y-yeah. I'm fine,” he answered stuttering. So smooth.

“Good!” the other beamed, all worries disappeared in the blink of an eye, “So, how can I help you?” he repeated, this time adding a little nod with his head to encourage him.

“I'm here for a tattoo…” he replied, his voice reduced to a whisper.

That was it, he had finally said it out loud and now he couldn't go back anymore. He was so screwed. But really, had he any other choice? Out of the two options he had, getting pierced was absolutely out of question: he had spent an entire afternoon searching on the net for information, until he had come across a chart of piercings from the less painful to the most one on a scale from one to ten. As it was part of the punishment, he had concentrated only on the top ten piercings and it had taken less than a second for him to decide he was not going to have his , nor his neck, nor his sternum, nor his and not even his nose pierced. What if he looked like a bull? No , he was quite happy of how both girls and boys would squeal every time he passed them by at Uni or on the streets. Or what if something went incredibly wrong and he couldn't have properly anymore? That was even worse. He needed his fair amount of entertainment, as he was a young boy. After all, he had a reputation to preserve.

So yeah, he basically had no other choice than go for a tattoo instead. It looked less dangerous.

“You're in the right place, then,” the boy said, smiling again. Sehun noticed that his accent wasn't Korean at all, in fact he had a cute Chinese accent. “Do you mind waiting here for a few minutes?”

Sehun shook his head in response, as he actually thought that the more he waited, the more time he had to escape that place and save his life. He buried himself again in the armchair, fixating his eyes once more on that sketch that seemed to capture his attention as if it was the only thing in there. Well, not really the only one, as Sehun couldn't help but shift his gaze from time to time from the drawing to the boy who was now leaning casually on the counter, tracing invisible lines with his finger on the wooden surface. He was really cute so absorbed in his own thoughts.

Sehun took all the time he needed to indulge on the other's figure, his blond-dyed hair, his black tank top that was cut very low, leaving very little to imagination and making Sehun perching in his seat to have a better view, his rosy full lips that he imagined would have felt so plump on his own. The only thing he didn't notice were the furtive curious glances the boy spared him every time he directed his gaze upon the drawings on the walls.

When another boy came out from the back studio, followed soon after by a freshly tattooed girl, the counter boy straightened up, flashing a radiant smile to the customer, who paid before waving a quick goodbye to both boys. The dimpled guy looked directly at Sehun, who was already sweating out of fear. He had got already used to the Chinese boy, and his heart fell when he realised that maybe he was only an employee and that his precious skin was going to be put in the other boy's hands. After all, the counter guy's body (from what he could see thanks to his black tank top) seemed pretty immaculate, and that didn't really associate with a person who inked people as a job. The other one, Sehun observed, had a piercing on his left eyebrow, and a series of intricate lines peeked from under the collar of his plain white t-shirt. Original pinkish-nearly-lilac hair finished his appearance up.

The two whispered between themselves for a bit, then the new guy spoke.

“Welcome. I'm Minseok, the owner of this shop. Yixing just told me you're here for a tattoo, is that right?” he concluded with a studied smile, enough to calm Sehun down, but not enough to make him consider Minseok a guy he would have liked to spend his time with.

Sehun got up and quickly approached the counter, “Yes, right. I'm Oh Sehun by the way, and this is the first-”

“Oh, yeah, now I definitely remember you, didn't you call some days ago to fix an appointment?” Minseok interrupted him while insistingly tapping his index finger on his chin, and Sehun nodded confused, because wasn't the answer quite obvious? And now that he thought of it, Minseok's voice actually sounded familiar.

“Then, Oh Sehun, would you mind following Yixing in the back studio? I hope it won't be a problem if he'll be the one taking care of your case, but it unfortunately happens that I'm busy at the moment”

Sehun shook his head without even listening anymore, his attention focused on something else. Yixing. So that was the counter boy's name: Yixing. And said boy was now smiling at him as he moved closer to the door that lead into the other section of the shop.

“Thank you” he only added, before he followed Yixing (how good sounded that name in his brain!) inside.

“So… Sehun, right?” and said boy nodded, “firstly, have you ever had a tattoo?” Yixing asked even before they had taken a few steps inside the room and Sehun could take a look at what was surrounding him.

“No, this is my first time” he approached one of the couches in the tiny room, hesitantly sitting on its edge. His eyes never left Yixing's figure.

“Ok, then...” the blond said, a warm smile on his face, “Where would you like to be tattooed?”

A simple and pretty predictable question, yet Sehun's jaw dropped. He hadn't actually thought about it. It wasn't really important to him, he had just wanted that crazy penalty to be over soon so bad, that he had completely forgotten to take a moment to think about the actual tattoo. But really, anywhere would have been just fine with him, as long as it didn't involve inking certain regions of his body... Now, though, he began to realise that since the tattoo was going to be on his skin for like forever, the choice of the part of the body was extremely important.

“I-” he started, as he frantically tried to come up with a brilliant answer before sounding like a perfect idiot.

“I-” he repeated, and Yixing raised his brows to encourage him, a bit amazed by the way his customer was acting, “okay, honestly? I don't know,” Sehun eventually sighed, declaring his defeat.

Yixing's mouth formed an "o" as he looked at him frowning: It was the very first time someone had ever come inside that shop so confused and lost. And never had he seen someone asking to be tattooed without having the slightest idea of what they wanted. That situation was getting both awkward and absurd, but certainly Sehun looked too cute to give up. He stretched his lips into a fatherly smile as he got closer to study the other's skin “Then, what would you like me to impress on your skin?”

At that sudden and quite ambiguous (or at least, so it sounded to the brown-haired boy) inquire, Sehun needed all his willpower to stop himself from replying a very low "you", because that would have sounded too creepy. Plus, he had no clue whatsoever to whether Yixing liked boys or not and they had met just a few minutes before. He masked his not so innocent thoughts with a fake cough, as he once again found himself unable to make up a credible and clever answer. It was starting to get too complicated, and Sehun immediately felt hot shivers shaking his body, and Yixing's proximity wasn't helping.

“Please, tell me you're not going to say you don't know this either,” Yixing chuckled, his eyes forming little crescents while his dimple showed once again, and Sehun's stomach flipped because hell, maybe he was going through an abstinence crisis, but that light laughter alone had him waiting for more.

“You're not, right?” this time, Yixing's tone was more alarmed. It was getting too weird even for him.

Sehun was about to pour out all the truth about the stupid bet and even more stupid punishment and how he didn't know how to end that mess because he didn't really want to get a tattoo… but then an idea popped into his mind, and he grinned victoriously under Yixing's attentive and amused eyes.

“What about... That cherry blossom branch sketch that's hanging above the counter?”

Yixing's face paled, and then blushed violently, leaving Sehun perplexed. It was such a quick change of behaviour and he wasn't prepared for that.

“What about it?” the blond repeated, trying to gain more time.

“That'd be an amazing tattoo, wouldn't it? It stands out between all those banal designs.”

“You noticed it?” the Chinese boy managed to choke out, a wave of embarrassment flowing into his body as he tried to keep himself busy to avoid any dumb action.

“Yeah, it's delicate. And pretty.”

“Y-yeah but, unfortunately, that's not- it's too feminine,” Yixing stuttered, and to Sehun it looked like the other was trying to give him excuses and make him give up on his intentions.

“I don't care. I like it, and I find the ideograms on it quite fitting, so why shouldn't I be marked for life with such drawing?”

“Because... That's just a sketch.”

“So what?” Sehun retorted, quirking up an eyebrow, frustrated. He couldn't really understand why the other was making such a fuss over it, “I'm paying you to tattoo me, why would it matter what I want you to tattoo on me?”

Yixing let out a long breath, helplessly, as he thought Sehun had won. The customer was always right, after all.

“Maybe you're right, but I have the duty to make sure you're not going to regret it. And also, it depends on where you want it to get tattooed. Not all the designs fit all the parts of the human body…”

And with that, Yixing went into the front of the shop, leaving Sehun alone thinking about what had just happened there. He looked at the emptiness in front of him, filled with the inking tools and other sketches, piercing tools and metallic barbells with luminous strass.
The Chinese boy came back only after a few minutes, holding the drawing Sehun had requested in an elegant but trembling hand.

“Seriously, you're the first tattooist I see that's so apprehensive. I mean, the others generally just listen to the request, fix the price and all that stuff,” Sehun said as he saw the other approach him, but without really looking at him, his gaze still wandering around the room.

The blond guy's features hardened for a second, before relaxing although remaining more serious. Certain people really didn’t know when to give up and let professionists take the lead and do their job.

“Maybe because the others don't take this job with the same passion and dedication we do in this shop. If you're really convinced about this design, then I'll just do as you wish, but a body is like a blank canvas: you can draw on it everything you want, but that doesn't mean the final result, the final painting, will be amazing, or even decent. There's difference between a Manet and a Picasso.”

The brown-haired boy's jaw dropped a bit for the surprise, as he registered what the other had just said. He wasn't an expert, but it sounded like Yixing had just used a kind of metaphor in which his body had been compared to a painting. It was probably the most surprising and romantic thing someone had ever told him. The tattooist mumbled a soft "sorry" and an uncomfortable silence fell between the two boys, who also avoided looking at each other just in case.

“So, would I be a Manet or a Picasso with that sketch on me?”

Sehun hadn't really meant to sound flirty (firstly because it didn't look like the right occasion to do so, and secondly because he really wasn't flirting), he just wanted to lighten up the tense mood, but he still somehow managed to sound flirty. The smirk on his own face certainly didn't help at all. He looked at the blond guy stading in front of him with a confused expression and his hands stopped mid-air, and immediately thought he should have kept his mouth closed.

“That depends on where you want it to be tattooed,” the Chinese boy said, almost satisfied with himself for having hidden so well his shock.

There was a glint of something in Yixing's voice and Sehun was glad the other wasn't mad.

“Where would it be good? I really have no idea where I want to be tattooed.”

Yixing widened his eyes as he frantically scanned the other's body and mentally imagined it inked with the sketch he still had in his hands. That body seemed to have been directly constructed by the gods themselves and honestly the comparison was wrong: he was neither a Manet nor a Picasso. A Leonardo would have suited him better. The image of how it might have looked like underneath his clothes almost had him whimper.

“Well...” he started, still pondering what to say, “considering its dimensions and conformation... I'd say it'll be perfect on your shoulders, or on your sides. It can be tattooed both in vertical and horizontal, so it'll be nice on those parts, I guess.”

“You… guess?”

“I can’t possibly now for sure if I don’t see it first on your skin, you know.”

“Do I- do I have to take off my shirt?”

“Unless you want me to draw on your clothes, I’d say yes, you should take it off,” Yixing giggled, terribly amused by that situation. It was as clear as day that the boy in front him not only had no idea how getting a tattoo worked, but also didn’t even like the idea of getting one. He was curious to know why such cool guy had gotten himself into this mess.

All his questions, though, disappeared in a second as soon as he saw Sehun's torso in front of him: his skin was so white that his hand almost itched to touch it and taint it all with black ink. It looked as if it had been made to be tattooed, and never had he seen such a perfect and smooth skin before on his customers. Where normal people just saw flesh, he would see art, the magical image of a living painting, a living sculpture coming right out of his mind.

Yixing's awe was so strong that Sehun was feeling it. He was feeling the intense stare of the other boy on his exposed back. He grinned, satisfied once more with how his beauty, a gift from nature, had struck again. He didn't know why, but something about his body attracted people like moths to a lamp. Deep down he was also terribly self-conscious, though. A man was judging his body and he couldn't even see his face.

He felt the other approaching and, with a delicate touch, placing the sketch he had in his hands on Sehun's body, shifting its position in order to determine which spot would have been better. The thin paper tickled his skin and he had to fight to suppress the urge to giggle and remove himself from that weird sensation. Right when he was about to give in and finally let out one single laugh, Yixing stopped, lightly pressing down the paper on his right side.

“Here” he exclaimed, sticking out his tongue as if to gather all his concentration on that specific task, “This spot is absolutely perfect”

Sehun didn’t say anything, caught up as he was in observing the Chinese boy's cute expressions with the corner of his eye.

“So?” Yixing asked impatiently “What do you think? Is it okay with you?”

“Whatever, you’re the artist here.”

“Oh, so now my opinion counts, huh?”

“It always did”

“Then you won’t mind if I start drawing on you, right?”

Sehun nodded and prepared for the pain. He had heard that getting a tattoo hurt, especially if the chosen place was extremely skinny. Like his ribcage, for example. When he felt something touching his skin, though, he realised it wasn’t a needle, but a kind of pen. It lightly scratched his skin, leaving black marks on it.

“Relax, I’m not tattooing you yet…” Yixing giggled, and Sehun almost felt like an ignorant kid. Of course that wasn’t a tattooing machinery.

“What are you doing, then?”

“Drawing.”

The answer was direct and simple, but only had the power to confuse the other boy more. He wasn't an expert, but he was pretty sure tattooists either drew freely or used a stencil made from the original sketch. This was something completely new to him. What did that mean?

“That’s not a tattoo sketch,” Yixing said while knitting his brows for the effort of drawing in such an uncomfortable position.

“Uh?”

“The drawing you chose, it isn’t a sketch. Or a scheme for a tattoo for that matter”

Sehun kept silent, waiting for the other boy to say something more. He didn’t even know why he was telling him that, but he didn’t mind. It was nice to hear Yixing's accented voice. It soothed him.

“It was just a doodle I made once. It wasn’t meant to be picked by customers. I was so shocked when you chose it because no one ever noticed it”

“You drew that yourself...?”

“Yes, I doodle a lot when I’m bored. Also Minseok often asks me to draw stuff for him. Flowers are my favourite subject”

Sehun shivered a little because of the cold tip of the special pen the Chinese boy was using on his skin.

“So I cannot use it as a transfer drawing, you know? It’s something I drew for me and I want to do something that suits you specifically, since you have no idea of what to get inked on yourself”

“What would suit me, then?” and this time he deliberately used a flirty tone. At this point he had gone too deep to hold back and think he was being too obvious or pushy.

“It’s a surprise. You’ll see it when I’m finished here. Then I want you to keep this sketch on your skin for a couple of days before coming here and get it inked, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because a tattoo is permanent. And I don’t want anyone here to regret anything. Look at it as often as you can and if you don’t feel comfortable with it, just wash it away and I’ll pretend I never saw you here,” Yixing really meant it. Tattooing someone was like a ritual for him, and he couldn’t stand the idea of someone taking it too lightly and then regretting it for life. Although the idea of not seeing that Sehun guy again was hurting him more it should have been considered normal…

“That’s why you have no tattoo?” Sehun asked out of the blue, distracting Yixing who had to stop and look at him in the eyes for a couple of seconds before focusing again on his drawing.

“No. It’s not like that”

“I mean, generally people who tattoo other people are full of tattoos and piercings while you just- it’s weird. Nevermind, it’s not important”

“I love tattooing people. It’s like painting, you know, but on skin instead of a canvas. It’s a nice sensation when customers exit this place saying that was exactly what they wanted. And I really would like to get a tattoo but I can’t-”

“Why?” Sehun asked spontaneously, before realising he was maybe intruding too much into the other's life.

Yixing blatantly ignored the question and went on, “So I just find joy in helping other people out. Which is the same reason why I want you to be perfectly sure about this,”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” the Korean turned his head so quickly he almost saw stars in his eyes. The Chinese boy was still concentrated on drawing particulars on his side, the tip of the pen grazing his ribs in a delicate way and his rosy tongue darting out from time to time.

“Because it’s obvious you’re not here of your own will. And it’s funny because no one ever entered this place without wanting it”

“How do you-”

“You had no idea of what to tattoo and you didn’t even know where to get it. Generally customers come here with a design in mind – if not directly bringing their own design, or at least know where they want the tattoo to get inked. You, on the other hand…”

Sehun felt his face and ears turning red for the embarrassment of having being caught red-handed like that by a total stranger. Who wasn’t even judging him for that, on top of it all.

“It was a bet. One of those stupid things you do with your friends. I lost so I have to get myself a tattoo. I cannot step back, I always keep my promises” he finally revealed with a sigh, feeling relieved by it.

Yixing snorted, “And you’re really here, in a tattoo studio, to get your skin inked because of a bet despite how painful it might be? Wow, that’s a whole new level of being loyal to your words”

“The alternative wasn’t any better. Plus, it wasn’t me who decided to come here,” Sehun admitted, and as he said that, the other boy sighed and detached himself from his body.

“I’m done here. Remember what I told you: keep it for a couple of days and make sure you like it. If you do, then come here again and I’ll get that inked on your skin. Okay?” something had changed in his tone, but Sehun couldn’t tell why nor what.

Not that Yixing was actually aware of why he had had such mood swing. He got a bit upset when the taller boy had said he didn’t want to come there, but he had no reason to. It was weird.

While Yixing put the cap on his special pen, wrapped some transparent film around Sehun's torso to avoid dirtying his clothes with the still fresh ink, and collected all his stuff, Sehun got dressed. Then they both exited the back studio. They were alone, since the owner of the shop was nowhere to be found. Sehun approached the counter, ready to pay, but Yixing stopped him.

“This is my number. Call me if you want to come back here. You don’t need to pay. I’m doing you the favour of stepping back before it’s too late. Minseok doesn’t have to know,” he concluded with a quick wink that had the power to destroy the lonely brain cells of Sehun.

“O-okay. Goodbye then”

“Goodbye! And thanks for coming!”

Sehun didn’t even wait to get past the shop before taking his phone out of his pocket and call Jongin up.

“Hey hun”

“You and your girlfriend. You’re both dead.”

“She says she’s happy you liked her gift”

“ you both,” and then he abruptly ended the call.

Sehun walked quickly to reach his house as soon as possible and finally be able to look at what Yixing had drawn on his side. He was tremendously curious not because he wanted to see if he suited him, but rather because he wanted to see what Yixing had thought of him. He had said he was going to draw something that represented him, after all.

Once home he just ignored his parents and went straight into his room, opening the wardrobe with the mirror; he undressed and turned a bit, taking away the plastic film covering the drawing to unveil the precious traits the artist had impressed on his skin. And there it was: a pink rose with another blossom and a couple of leaves occupied his side from the hip bone to the lowest part of his ribcage. The style was very similar to the one of the sketch he had seen on the wall, but this time the flower was more prominent, bigger, and more colourful. There were again three ideograms, but he was sure those ones were different from the ones on the original sketch. He analysed them closely: one was definitely the translation of “strength”, another one was maybe the ideogram for “loyal”? And the last one? No, he didn’t know that.

He stared at the whole piece of art for a couple of minutes, turning around to see how it looked on his skin. It was gorgeous, delicate but strong. Simple but also complicated. He… liked it. Not that he loved the idea of his skin being hurt with a needle just to have that on himself, but still, if he really had to get himself a tattoo, that could have easily been the only one he would have agreed on.

Hiding it from his parents, he kept it underneath his shirt for two days, exactly like that sweet boy named Yixing had told him to do. Yes, he wanted to call him so badly, and not just to tell him that he was going to get his drawing inked on his skin. He wanted to see him again, maybe try and flirt with him. He didn’t know if he was into boys, but since when was that a problem? Sehun wasn’t certainly someone to be scared of being rejected.

After much thinking about it, Sehun finally picked up his phone and dialled the number Yixing had given him. His hands were basically trembling, but luckily his voice was firm.

“Hello? Yixing's speaking”

“Hi, I’m Sehun. You know, the one with the tattoo drawn by you. The Manet or Picasso”

“Sehun! I remember you, it was two days ago” Yixing laughed, “so how did it go?”

“Uhm, well I- I like it. I called you to get an appointment”

“Is tomorrow evening okay?”

“Yes, perfect!”

“See you tomorrow, then,” Yixing commented with a low voice.

“Yeah, see you…”

And the countdown could finally start.

For an uncountable number of reasons, Sehun had avoided telling both Jongin and his girlfriend when he was going to get that damned tattoo, so he was completely alone, sitting on the same black-leathered armchair he was crouched in a few days before. He was nervously tapping on the armrest while looking at the clock and wandering how long it would have taken him to get out of that place.

Yixing wasn’t there and honestly that was what scared him the most: he had been the one following his case, drawing the tattoo on him. He wouldn’t have allowed anyone else near his precious skin. Especially Minseok, who didn’t look like someone whose second name was “delicacy”. He sighed and waited a bit more, until the door of the back studio opened and he saw a girl coming out followed by the man he was hoping to see.

“Sehun! Happy to see you here~ can you just wait a couple of minutes so I can take care of this transaction?”

Said boy nodded and looked at him working behind the counter with his dimple showing and making Sehun's stomach do flips. He could have spent hours, no, days!, observing him without a pause. Only when the girl had left the place Yixing directed his gaze towards the other boy, finally ready to focus on him.

“So… did you like the drawing?”

“Yes, I did, or else I wouldn’t be here. You’re gifted, Yixing” Sehun commented.

“Ah, thank you” the Chinese boy replied embarrassed. His ears got suddenly hot and he knew he was close to blush.

They both entered the back studio, Yixing leading in order to guide Sehun to the right place. Among the chairs and armchairs, the Chinese boy asked Sehun to seat on an hospital bed to help him work in a better position. He asked Sehun to get undressed like last time, and he complied without saying a single word.

“Wow, we’ve been knowing each other for less than a week and you’ve already asked me to undress twice. Slow down a bit,” Sehun joked to ease the tension he was feeling.

“Oh sorry, I thought you liked it”

The reply of the Chinese boy left Sehun speechless as it was the first time he had heard the other playing along to his flirty tone. Yixing passed a small cotton wool with disinfectant on his skin while trying not to think about what he had just said, then the machinery was and a buzzing sound started spreading inside the little studio. At the same time, Sehun's stomach twisted and he almost felt like fainting.

“Okay, relax now,” Yixing added immediately after. The Korean boy was all tensed up, he could feel his muscles contracted and his irregular breath. He didn’t want him to pass out or even worse because of it; it wouldn’t have been the first customer fainting or losing it during his shift, but that didn’t mean he was prepared and used to it anyway.

“I am not-”

“I could sting you with a needle and no blood would come out. If you don’t calm down I won’t start. It could be dangerous for you. Don’t hold your breath in,” he suggested with a low voice.

“It’s my first time, okay, I’m trying to do the best I can, plus I don’t trust tattooists who aren’t tattooed,” he said with a funny tone while forcing a laughter with the intent of easing the tension.

Yixing shook his head while chuckling, “You know, I thought you were stronger than this.”

“Maybe if I had some kind of stress reliever, you know? Don’t people need that stuff?”

“No, they generally survive without it. But I can give you something to help your stress…”

And without adding anything else, Yixing straightened up, turned off the machinery and kissed Sehun straight on his thin lips, savouring them without being too invasive. He didn’t stop there, though: abandoned the automatic needle, he put his hands on Sehun's face to keep it in place while he started moving his lips, hinting that he wanted more than a simple peck. He had waited more than enough to settle for less than a nice kiss, and Sehun needed to get distracted. The latter understood what was happening, and opened his mouth to let their tongues meet. The Chinese boy's lips were as plump as Sehun had imagined them to be, and suddenly he couldn’t even remember why he was there anymore. All he cared about was to and touch and taste everything within his reach, as if a switcher had been inside him.

He pulled the other boy closer by placing his hands on his waist and let the other's hands roam freely on his torso, enjoying their warm but delicate touch on his exposed skin. He traced invisible lines with his fingers, outlining all his muscles and caressing his side’s with such tenderness Sehun almost lost it for good, sliding one of his hands down to the other boy's waist and lifting a bit his t-shirt to touch him.

“Are you relaxed now?” Yixing said after a bit.

“I don’t know, am I?”

“Mmmh, you look like you are…” he replied, finally detaching himself from Sehun and sneakily turning on the machinery. The Korean boy was still too focused on the passionate kiss they had just shared to even notice what he was doing.

When the needle hit his skin, Sehun jumped a bit for the little pain he felt, but he balled a fist and bit on his lower lip to suppress a whimper. He couldn’t wait for that torture to finish. Yixing would leave a small peck from time to time after he had inked all the outlines of the tattoo and the worst part was over.

“You survived. It wasn't that hard, after all, was it?” the Chinese boy said with a relieved sigh once he had finished, “Wanna have a look at it?”

Sehun nodded and Yixing grabbed his hand to lead him in front of a big mirror. His skin was a bit reddened because of the needle hurting it, but the tattoo looked even more amazing than the sketch he had a few hours before; the colours were brighter and the lines more defined. He simply loved it.

“It’s really beautiful”

“Just like you,” Yixing let slip from his mouth and he immediately hit himself on his forehead, “Sorry, I just-”

“We made out not long ago, honestly this shouldn’t embarrass you anymore…” Sehun said with a smirk.

“Oh right”

“Anyway… there’s something bugging me.”

“Yes, I gave you my number because I hoped you would have called me”

“That’s not what- wait, really?!”

“What did you- oh damn. Yeah I- I did”

Sehun burst into laughter when he saw Yixing being so flustered, “I just wanted to know what this third ideogram meant... but honestly this was much better”

“Stop it!” Yixing protested, almost pouting, “That- that means “elegant”. I put loyal, because you stayed true to your word and got the tattoo; strong, because you did this all alone and elegant… because that’s how I see you.”

“Uhuh so I did gain a fan here”

“I don’t know, did you?” the Chinese boy shot back mocking Sehun.

He went towards a shelf and proceeded to spread some cream on the pained skin and wrap a transparent film around his torso to protect the tattoo and the skin itself. Sehun let him do his work looking at him with curious eyes.

“So uhm… keep it hydrated with some good body lotion for a couple of weeks, don’t expose it to the sun and that’s it. I guess you’re free now”

“I guess so”

Yixing hesitated, not really ready to see that boy going away. He might have never come back and the fact that they had each other’s number didn’t assure him anything, “If you have any problem, please call me”

“What if I called you for no reason, just to hear your voice?”

“I’d be happy, Sehun”

Said boy smirked and, while buttoning his shirt up, planted a kiss on Yixing's lips before exiting the room and finally paying.

“Then I’ll get going. Oh, and… you're beautiful too. And talented. I'd like to see if you’re talented in something else too”

AUTHOR'S CORNER... YAY! 

So, as I said, I'm finally back! It's actually a bit of a lie because I actually never left, and this story had been sitting in my PC for the past two years. If it hadn't been for the Fictober, I probably would have never finished it. I have a lot of other projects in mind about this pairing, but I have little time (Yeah I graduated in the meantime and a lot of bad things happened) and no inspiration at all. I missed writing about them, though, and now I am starting to think I should get back to this life. 

But, leaving this aside... I hope you enjoyed the fic. As usual, this is basically unbetad and I'm not a native English speaker, so if you find any mistake, please tell me! They help me improve. Also, I have never ever ever been into a tattoo shop, so this is all I could gather among my friends and Internet. Obviously it is based on how tattoo shops work here in Italy, so it might be different from where you live.

Thank you for having read it, it means a lot to me. Please let me know what you think about this by leaving a comment in the section below, I'll be reading them all. I've missed my subscribers as well~

*spreads love and hearts*