"Hey asshole, you have my lunch?" Mayuzumi called out over his shoulder without stopping what he was doing. He hadn't heard the bell ring when the door opened (both he and Kuroko were capable of doing this and they swore never to tell anyone how they did it), but he heard shuffling behind him.
The silver-haired tattoo artist, who was in the midst of tattooing a colorful hummingbird on a first-timer, turned around and didn't see Kuroko. Instead, he saw a redhead he hadn't seen in a month.
"You're not Kuroko," Mayuzumi commented.
His blue-haired coworker popped up just behind Akashi, holding a bag of takeout food. "Your observational skills are as amazing as always."
"Shut up." Mayuzumi went back to the girl he was tattooing. He wiped off some of the pink he was using. "How are you doing, sweetheart? Need a break?" His gentle voice surprised Akashi, who stood back as Kuroko walked over to look at the tattoo.
The girl, a young brunette with a small frown, shook her head slowly as Mayuzumi tattooed the beautiful bird over her hip. She felt a little shy now that there were other people watching her struggle to get her first tattoo.
"You sure?" Mayuzumi offered her a bottled water, which she accepted and took small sips from. "There's no rush, we can take a break."
"No, I want it to be over quicker," she said in a small, but firm voice.
Mayuzumi smiled, proud. "Alright, sweetheart, bear with me a little longer, we're almost done."
"I like the saturation of the colors you used," Kuroko commented, "your lines are perfect as usual."
"Thanks, I've been working hard on these." Mayuzumi glanced at Akashi. "Haven't seen you in a while."
Akashi watched the artist work on the reddened skin. "I was busy, things came up at the company."
"You getting something today?"
"Not yet."
A smirk graced Mayuzumi's features. He had finally reached the part of the tattoo where he could apply the white. "Sounds like you're chickening out."
"No."
Kuroko was off by the front counter, looking at their appointments for the day. "We're full today."
"Right? I have two cover-ups today, too," Mayuzumi said. He worked quickly but diligently. It was his client's first tattoo and she picked a part of the body more prone to pain, but she was tough. He added some finishing touches in white and checked it over to make sure everything was perfect. "Alright, sweetheart, we're all done." He rubbed the ointment on it and told her about the aftercare treatment. She hugged him, a little teary eyed, then went and took care of her payment.
She left with a smile and Mayuzumi cleaned up before going to the takeout bag.
"Like it, sweetheart?" Kuroko mocked lightly as he got ready for a client coming in a half hour.
"Shut the fuck up," Mayuzumi replied around a mouthful of his burger.
"Chihiro, do you have any tattoos?" Akashi asked, noticing the taller looked like he didn't have any, or if he did they were covered by clothes.
Mayuzumi ignored Kuroko's snort from the other room. Instead, he nodded, his mouth full. He swallowed a bit, continuing, "I mean, I have a few all over, but I've got my main one on my back, and I'm working on my sleeves."
Akashi's eyes raked over Mayuzumi's body, completely covered in a long-sleeved shirt and pants. He didn't have any noticeable tattoos that couldn't be covered with clothes. Akashi wanted to see them. He wanted to expose the marked skin, curious to see what art he chose to display. But Mayuzumi continued eating, unaware of the looks Akashi was giving him. Akashi—whose thoughts kept floating back to the silver-haired man while he was working this past month—wanted to get close enough to him to know all his tattoos. His thoughts weren't obsessive, but they were interested. Maybe it was the physique; the blank, slate-gray eyes; the snarky attitude; how he acted with his friends; even briefly, the sweetness he saw today with Mayuzumi's client.
Akashi was interested, but Mayuzumi was oblivious.
So Kuroko spilled some cherry soda on Mayuzumi's shirt.
It happened in an instant. Mayuzumi choked, jumping back after dropping his food on the counter. The cherry soda (which Akashi originally found an odd purchase since if he remembered correctly, Kuroko preferred vanilla shakes) spilled down from his shoulder, spreading down his chest and back. "Hey, what the fuck?!"
"Sorry." Kuroko pointed to the cable by his foot. "I tripped." He didn't look apologetic, and Akashi didn't mention that if he'd tripped, the cherry soda might have hit Mayuzumi's pants, not all the way up to his shirt.
Mayuzumi groaned. "I might have a spare in my locker," he grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt, "go grab it for me."
"I don't know your locker combination," Kuroko said, even as he made his way to the backroom of their ship.
"Don't fuck with me, you know it," Mayuzumi rolled his eyes before pulling his shirt off. He grimaced. "I'm all sticky now."
Kuroko took his sweet time as Akashi took advantage of it.
Mayuzumi hadn't been lying when he said he was working on his sleeves. There was a lot going on; Akashi could tell there was a blue and red Chinese dragon winding up Mayuzumi's upper left arm and there were words and smaller tattoos and bigger tattoos. He had a tattoo of something on his left hip, but he shifted and Akashi couldn't tell what it was. He couldn't keep his red eyes off that fair and marked skin. Lines of black, spots of color, designs of all things.
And then Mayuzumi turned around.
Akashi's eyes roamed the muscular, tattooed back. In particular, a tattoo of an old tree that spanned most of his back. There was an owl perched on one of the bigger branches; it was strangely beautiful, with the contrast of a moon covered by some of the branches in the background.
Akashi wanted to see all of them. He wanted to trace the designs of every single tattoo, and be there to see art cover more and more of Mayuzumi's skin.
That's when he realized Kuroko was right.
Kuroko yawned as he walked to ShadowsX one morning. He pulled his phone out when it vibrated in his pocket.
It was Akashi, asking if he was free.
Kuroko thought for a bit, then decided to call him. Just as Akashi picked up, Kuroko spoke first, "Which way do you swing?"
There was a long pause before Akashi replied, "Why?"
"Mayuzumi's single."
"I thought you wanted me to get a tattoo, not a boyfriend?"
Kuroko wondered if he could get Himuro in on this too. "You could do both. Stick it to your father."
"What happened to the sweet Tetsuya I knew in middle school?"
"He grew up."
"Touché." Kuroko opened his mouth to speak when Akashi continued, "I do want a tattoo but I haven't picked anything yet and Chihiro seems like he wouldn't like me."
"Are you kidding? You're exactly his type."
"Like what? Small, feisty, smart?"
"Exactly. He described you perfectly. Sans the controlling and manipulative issues you have."
"That's only in my company. I need to have a strong foundation if I'm to take over for my father."
Kuroko sent him a picture of Mayuzumi he'd taken a week ago, when the taller tattoo artist had taken a nap at the front of the counter after lunch. Kuroko was using it for blackmail purposes, but no one needed to know that.
"Ok? I see the picture, he looks at peace?"
"Do you think he's cute?"
"…"
"Hot, then? Come on, even I can admit he's attractive." Kuroko turned the corner and saw his shop just up ahead. "But if you tell him that, I'll end you."
He could feel Akashi smirking over the phone. "I'm just not looking for a relationship right now, Tetsuya."
Kuroko sent Akashi more sneak pictures of Mayuzumi, including one where he had a flower in his hair because Himuro thought it would look cute on him. It did, despite the murderous look accompanying him when he realized Kuroko had taken a picture.
"Why do you have so many pictures of Chihiro?"
"… Blackmail purposes."
"Maybe you're the one with a crush?"
"I think I just threw up a little." Kuroko walked into ShadowsX, waving at Himuro, who was setting up his piercing station.
"Morning, Kuroko," Himuro greeted with a smile.
Kuroko nodded at him and repeated the greeting. "But seriously though, give it some thought, I know you two very well, and I think you two would be good for each other. I'll talk to you later." They said their goodbyes and Kuroko hung up, then went to start setting up his own station. Mayuzumi was off today, and Kuroko watched Himuro walk around with a smile.
Kuroko had an idea. "Hey, Himuro?"
So Akashi had thought about it. Mayuzumi was his type—tall, snarky, attractive, and doesn't seem to take any shit; though he has a soft spot for Kise and Kuroko that anyone with eyes could see, not that he'll ever admit it. Akashi never thought about tattoos, but he was curious.
And now here was the silver-haired man, midway through putting on his other shirt, hiding away the tattoos again.
"Ugh, I'm in dire need of a shower now. Watch where you're going, Kuroko," Mayuzumi said. Then he noticed Akashi's staring. "What?"
Akashi blinked out of his reverie, catching the end of Kuroko's smirk as he turned around to put Mayuzumi's stained shirt into his locker. He also noticed Kuroko pocketing his phone. He might ask Kuroko if he took any pictures later. "Oh. You have a lot of tattoos." Here was the future heir of Akashi Industries, nearly loss for words after seeing an exposed, tattooed chest and back.
Mayuzumi went back to his half-eaten burger. It had landed on the paper so he deemed it safe to continue eating. A stained shirt wasn't enough to ruin his appetite. At least no customers came in. "Yeah, there's still plenty more I want though."
The door opened with the bell announcing the return of their other coworker, Himuro.
The body piercer walked in with a smile. "Afternoon, everyone," he had a big plastic bag in his hands. His gray-black eyes settled on the redhead. "Oh, hi there. Piercing?"
Akashi stared, noticing the many piercings on both of Himuro's ears. He wouldn't be able to hide those at all from his father before he took over the company. He shook his head. "No. I'm Akashi Seijurou."
Himuro chuckled. "My name's Himuro Tatsuya. Who's tattooing you? Are they making you wait?"
"Neither because he's chickening out." Mayuzumi replied for him, peeking at the bag.
"I'm not chickening out."
"Is that from Murasakibara?"
"Yes it is, he sent some special pastries for you guys."
Mayuzumi rushed around the counter, having just finished his burger. He reached out for the bag.
Himuro took a step back. "Magic word?"
"Sadist?" Mayuzumi offered.
Himuro rolled his eyes but gave him the bag. Kuroko was already crowding around the taller tattoo artist as both tried to get the bag. They elbowed each other a bit but Mayuzumi's height trumped Kuroko's. He pulled out a stuffed paper bag, leaving Kuroko with the plastic bag. Mayuzumi grinned and carefully waved the paper bag around triumphantly. Kuroko stuck his tongue out him.
"I didn't know you guys liked sweets," Akashi commented to Kuroko, who pulled another paper bag, and Mayuzumi, who opened his bag and pulled out a pastry.
"We don't," the tattoo artists replied.
"Murasakibara's a god in the kitchen," Mayuzumi bit into his pastry and closed his eyes in pleasure. "I only like lemon-flavored sweets."
"Should I tell Himuro that you're aiming to steal Murasakibara from him?" Kuroko asked, pulling out some delicious, vanilla sugar cookies.
Mayuzumi rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I'm gunning for everyone's boyfriend? Murasakibara's like eight feet tall, he's not my type." He paused. "No offense, Himuro."
"None taken," the piercer said, going over to his station to set up.
"Tell him we say thanks," his coworkers chorused.
Mayuzumi noticed Akashi eyeing the bread in his hands. "Do you like sweets?"
"Not particularly."
The taller man reached into the bag and held out a cookie for him. "Try it, you'll love it."
The redhead hesitated, but took it. Neither of them noticed Himuro and Kuroko freeze in surprise, watching the scene. Mayuzumi defended his lemon-flavored sweets to the death and never shared.
Akashi brought the cookie to his lips, then took a small bit as Mayuzumi went digging around for another cookie. "Oh. This is delicious." He ate the rest of the cookie, then took another when Mayuzumi offered him the bag.
They were caught up with the lemon pastries and didn't see Himuro and Kuroko disappear into the backroom, closing the door behind them.
"Is that the guy you were telling me about?" Himuro asked, texting his pastry chef boyfriend that as always, his sweets were a hit.
"Yes, will you help me?"
"You know I don't approve of forced matchmaking," Himuro leaned against the wall opposite of the door.
"They're basically doing it themselves," Kuroko waved off his concerns. "We'll just be giving them a little push here and there."
"Wasn't Mayuzumi wearing a different shirt than this morning?"
"I spilled cherry soda on him, so Akashi could see his tattoos."
"That's a bit more than a little push." Himuro quirked a brow at him.
"Mayuzumi's an idiot."
Himuro smiled fondly. "And he's one of your best friends, you think he'll be happy with Akashi?"
"There's potential."
Himuro sighed. "I won't have any part in this."
Kuroko ate another cookie.
"But I can bring more sweets."
Kuroko nodded. "I'm sure it won't take long." He opened the door as Himuro followed him out.
"I hope you know what you're doing." They saw Akashi and Mayuzumi laughing together as they shared the bag of sweets.
"I don't, but how hard can it be?"
Monkey: I'm having fun with this story lol. Thanks for favoriting and following! You guys are great!
