Chapter Six

The meeting time had been 9.30 am which didn't seem that early. Only Makoto had barely slept the night before so when he'd woken up at 8.42 am he had so little time to get dressed and meet Sousuke that he tore around his room looking for clothes and grabbing his university bag before tearing out of the apartment.

He'd only glanced at Haru as he'd bolted out of the door, smelling the grilled fish and knowing that was what he was doing without looking over properly. But his brief glance did confirm he was wearing only an apron and boxers. Makoto shook his head at his roommate's behaviour but did little else as he ran to the station in an attempt to be on time.

He wasn't too late and Makoto hoped that his own delay wouldn't make Sousuke late for his appointment whatever it was. He was trying to wrack his brain for what the appointment could be that Makoto could go along with – a dental appointment? Massage? It had to be something not too serious but Makoto hadn't figured it out by the time his train had got to the station and was still musing when he found his way to the coffee shop Sousuke had mentioned. He checked his phone to see he was only seven minutes late and mentally gave himself a pat on the back. He was going to have to learn not to spend his life rushing around. He was exhausted.

As he approached the coffee shop, Makoto saw Sousuke leaning on the glass outside holding a coffee in each hand in cardboard take away cups, his customary sunglasses covering his eyes even though it wasn't a very bright morning. He looked relaxed, his body leaning and sipping at his coffee in a way that seemed effortless, his outfit similar to the one Makoto had first seen him in – tight dark jeans, expensive sneakers, black hoodie, headphones poised around his neck. He swallowed thinking about his own appearance – old scuffed jeans with rips in the knees, a simple t-shirt, a checked shirt over the top and he knew he probably looked nowhere near as cool as Sousuke did. But then Sousuke spotted him, Makoto able to tell even through the sunglasses and he gave a little salute with one of his hands holding the coffee cup and a small nod in Makoto's direction.

Makoto walked over and Sousuke handed over a coffee. "Thought you weren't coming," he said and Makoto tried not to blush or be an idiot and instead he kept his cool.

"I… ugh…overslept."

"Ahh," Sousuke answered and then pushed himself up to full height, "we gotta go."

He mumbled an "okay" and followed as Sousuke began to walk, his stride quick but Makoto soon fell in line with him, and he took a sip of the coffee he'd been bought and nearly spat it out.

"What -?"

Sousuke gave a small chuckle. "I take my coffee strong… as strong as I can get it."

That was apparently true as the taste was so damn bitter that Makoto felt like burying his face in a bowl of sugar. And even though he had a busy life, he tried to stay off caffeine too much and preferred tea to coffee. Apparently Sousuke was different.

"Where's your appointment?" Makoto asked, changing the subject from his own embarrassment.

"Here," Sousuke pointed out as they turned a corner and Makoto saw a shop he'd barely noticed before.

It wasn't that he'd not walked by it before, just that usually he'd be going to class or back from class and he just wasn't really interested in what it was. It was somewhere he'd never have gone in without Sousuke but he did feel a certain curiosity.

"It takes me a long time to get an appointment so I didn't want to cancel," he said as way of an explanation as they got to the door and maybe Sousuke saw Makoto's hesitation as he removed those sunglasses, exposing those interesting coloured eyes. "If you got a phobia of needles or whatever you don't have to come."

Makoto shook his head and gave a small smile. "Just never been to one is all."

Sousuke nodded and pushed the door, a small bell tinkling as he entered the tattoo shop. Having never been into a tattoo shop, Makoto felt wide eyed as he looked at the posters of all the designs all over the walls and the photographs of all the tattoos on people's skins. It wasn't a common thing in Iwatobi – he tried to remember if he'd ever seen anyone with tattoos at all but then he didn't have time to think as a guy appeared from the back room, bright red hair, a tank top and his skin covered with ink.

"Ahh Sousuke!" he said, a large smile on his face as he walked over, sharing a "secret" handshake in front of Makoto full of fist bumps and then completed with a loose hug. "Got you all set up."

The guy inclined his head in the direction of the back and then his eyes narrowed when he saw Makoto, his unusual bright coloured eyes seeming to scan up and down Makoto's body.

"Rin this is Makoto… Makoto this is Rin. My artist."

Rin offered his hand and the handshake allowed Makoto to see some of the ink covering his arm – noticing water, a large great white shark, some flowers and all in intricate bright detail. He could see it was complicated, an octopus, some coral and more spanning over his arm and to his torso, dipping underneath the tank top and seeming to span as much of his body as Makoto could see. It was as though his body was a work of art itself and Makoto couldn't help staring at the images.

"Artist is a bit of a strong word… Sousuke let me practice on him as an apprentice. You should see his thighs."

Sousuke coughed and gave a small glance to Makoto. "Yeah but you covered them up when you got better. You can barely see the wonky ass stars."

"Hey! You offered, dumbass. You knew I was learning."

They seemed to be sharing an old joke and Makoto looked between them both seeing the smiles on their faces. There was part of him that already felt oddly threatened by the tattooist as there was a bond between him and Sousuke that obviously went back years but then Sousuke had introduced Rin only as "his artist", not his ex or whatever. And what did it matter if Sousuke had an ex? Makoto had an ex. And why did he feel oddly jealous?

He internally shook himself as Rin walked towards a back room, Sousuke downing what remained of his coffee and throwing it in the trash before he prepared to follow. "Coming?"

There was a smile on his face and Makoto nodded remembering his own tar like coffee, taking another bitter sip before he followed to the back room, throwing the rest in the trash as it made him shudder once again.

Once he dipped his head and followed down a step to the back room, he saw Rin was sat at a low stool setting up a tattoo machine while next to him was what looked almost like a doctors examination table with a layer of film covering it. Some music he didn't know was playing low, some rock band he probably had never heard of and Makoto looked around at more designs.

"Ai not in?" Sousuke asked and Rin shook his head, looking up from where he'd been preparing colours into small pots.

"Not until later," Rin explained and then returned his attention to his task. Makoto was watching what Rin was doing, intensely curious on how tattooing worked due to the fact he barely knew anything about it but then his eyes were drawn completely to Sousuke.

As not only had he removed his hoodie and headphones, he was removing his t-shirt and suddenly Makoto was staring at his torso, the muscles and skin adorned by so many black curving lines. He knew he was staring as Sousuke lifted it over his head, seeming to pause slightly when he pulled it off before he threw it on the chair, but Makoto couldn't help it. As while Makoto had a good body – he'd swam in high school and trained regularly and he still jogged from time to time when he got the chance – he had nothing on Sousuke. His eyes gazed at his pectorals, his abs, and every curve and dip of muscle was highlighted by the tattoos spanning his torso.

Makoto tried to take in the impressive piece that spanned most of his chest and curled up towards his shoulders and down his arms but he didn't want to stare too much. He saw lotuses, he saw cherry blossoms, he saw waves and fish, and on one of his shoulders he even saw what he guessed was a whale shark. It all connected together but unlike his arms which were coloured, his chest was just the black outlines and Makoto guessed they were being filled in. He now understood what his appointment was.

"Ready, Sousuke?" Rin asked and Sousuke nodded before he looked towards Makoto.

"I'm doing a few hours of colouring, it could get boring, so I won't be offended…"

Shaking his head, Makoto grabbed for a chair and brought it closer to the table and Sousuke took that as he intended. He was going to stay and watch, curious about the process and curious to sit and stare at Sousuke's impressive ink.

Hopping up onto the table, Sousuke laid on his back and looked up to the tiled ceiling, putting his arms behind his head and Makoto watched as Rin grabbed tissue and something that looked like it held water. Then he turned the machine on, the sound of the gun echoing around the small room as Rin leaned forward.

"Gonna do some around your hips, tell me if it hurts."

Sousuke only made a noise that suggested to Makoto he wouldn't admit if it did hurt and Makoto's eyes watched closely as the needle penetrated skin, Rin's eyes narrowed in concentration as he started to colour in the outlines with blue.

"Does it hurt?" Makoto asked after he'd watched Rin colour in a block, wiping away excess ink and some red that Makoto had to assume was blood.

"Naw… like cat scratches," he replied.

Though Makoto got the impression it was not entirely the truth as he saw Sousuke's face twitch at times and his muscles jump, Rin removing the needle quickly in those moments but then he didn't seem like it was too bad as all he seemed to do was wince rather than call out or anything.

Makoto wanted to ask Sousuke questions but he guessed it wasn't really the time as there was Rin, leaning close to Sousuke's impressive chest and abs, applying ink and wiping away at his skin. Instead Makoto watched the building up of colour, seeing the piece become vibrant and he wanted to ask about why he had the tattoos and why it was so big and so many questions as Rin coloured in a lotus, open partially, but he just watched in awe, listening to the music and the sound of the tattoo gun.

After an hour or so, Rin sat up straight and stretched, putting down the gun and Sousuke sat up carefully, looking down at the progress made.

"I'll wrap you up," Rin said and got to his feet, reaching for some plastic wrap to put around Sousuke's torso.

Makoto watched as Rin cautiously covered the piece and Sousuke did make a face at least at a few points, indicating it was at least a little tender and then they shared the same ridiculous handshake though this time without the loose hug, Rin obviously knowing the pain.

"I'll book you in for the next part in a coupla week, let it heal."

Sousuke nodded and grabbed for his t-shirt, putting it on with a small grimace of pain, slipping on his hoodie and headphones moments afterwards. As they made their way to leave, Makoto noticed no money was exchanged and it was as they were nearly out of the door that Rin spoke to him.

"Hey! Makoto – if you ever want something, I'll give you my friend's rate. Any friend of that grumpy asshole is a friend of mine."

Makoto wanted to say he'd never thought of tattoos, never imagined his skin adorned until the moment Rin said those words but Sousuke turned, stuck his tongue out childishly at Rin and then walked out of the door.

"I need food. Something unhealthy. You got time?"

Looking at his watch, Makoto knew he would probably end up late for classes if he went somewhere else with Sousuke but then he didn't want to leave and he wanted to ask so many questions so he only cocked his head and smiled.

"Sure."