Have it Both Ways Prompt: Tattoo!AU Mormor -- One ruins the other's tattoo.
Sebastian:
It's a truly awful idea. Jim is vaguelyaware of that as he fumbles with the keys to the studio, almost dropsthem, manages to catch the circle of the key fob with his indexfinger, flicks them back into his palm, and proceeds to aggressivelystab at the keyhole. On his fourth try the key slides in. Beneath theglow of the street lights, Sebastian cheers.
They stumble into the hallway and upthe stairs, dripping water as they go. Sebastian's Mohawk has fallenflat, wet strands of it clinging to his forehead, falling over hiseyes. Lines of water run from his hair down his face. Jim's fringe isin a similar state, but he drags a hand back through his hair, usesthe rain water to slick it in place.
“You should tattoo me right now,”Sebastian had said, inspired.
This was following two JD and Cokeseach and a shared bottle of tequila, which is the reason it is such abad idea, and also the reason Jim had grinned widely in response andsaid: “Let me get the studio keys.”
They had staggered through the pouringrain, with frequent stops for Sebastian to kiss Jim hard againstvarious objects; a phone box, a tree, the window of McDonalds(complete with cheers from a group of teens within, and oneaggressive cry of faggots towhich Sebastian had jollily responded with his middle finger withoutbreaking the kiss). Their laughter trailed in the air behind them,and now here they are, Jim setting up his needle as Sebastian peelsoff his soaked t-shirt.
Hesits back in the chair, patting his lap. Jim giggles, crawling(falling, mostly) into it and kissing Sebastian, firm but sloppy. Theneedle buzzes. They both laugh. Jim moves back, comfortablystraddling Sebastian's thighs. He wipes down the left side of hischest with a little alcohol soaked cotton bud. Sebastian watches himwith hooded eyes.
“Youlook like you're about to have a good fuck.”
“Maybelater.”
“Areyou sure about this?” A brief moment of sobriety prompts Jim toask.
“Positive.I want you with me all the time.”
Jimrolls his eyes, but then he rolls the sleeves of his oversized jumperup. The needle buzzes to life again.
“Herewe go, then.”
*
Sebastianwakes next the morning to a thumping headache, a serious case of drymouth, Jim's drool drying on his right shoulder, and a dull burn onthe left side of his chest. It is a lot to take in at 7.24am. Hekeeps his eyes closed for several long moments, taking a few deepbreaths to try and rid himself of the vague nausea in the pit of hisstomach. When he forces them open, they are sticky with sleep grit,and he has to rub them before he can look down.
Jim isasleep on his shoulder. His lips are parted, each breath puffingagainst the base of Sebastian's throat, and a small line of saliva isleaking from the corner of them. It should be disgusting, but he onlyfinds it endearing. The other side is a little less endearing. Stillan angry red, with dried blood smeared over it, is a mess of dark inklines. He has a vague memory of Jim dragging nails down over thefresh ink as Sebastian fucked him into the chair in his studio, ofthe pain bursting like fire that at the time had only made it morefucking hot.
Notexactly the best after care.
Heslides out from beneath Jim, leaving him to nuzzle into the pillows.His first stop is the kitchen, where he downs three pints of coldwater. Then he spends what feels like two straight minutes pissing along, strong stream that would be the envy of a horse. Finally, hehas the chance to properly examine his new tattoo in the bathroommirror. Once he has cleaned away the excess blood, he can make outthe shape within the mess of lines.
“OhGod.” Jim appears in the doorway. His hair is sticking every whichway. His eyes are red rimmed from lack of sleep. He grinds his palmagainst them. “Tell me that washes off.”
“Nope.”Sebastian pokes his fingers against the still tender lines, hissingat the sting.
“Fuck.”Jim plods, barefoot and clad only in pants, across the bathroomfloor. He looks at Sebastian's reflection for several seconds, beforecircling round to examine his handiwork closer.
“Notexactly your best work.”
“It'sawful.” Jim looks completely appalled, and Sebastian canpractically feel the self criticism happening inside his head.
“It'snot that bad.”
“It'slike some terrible clash of the impressionists and Egon Schiele.”
“Ithought you liked Egon Schiele.”
“Notfor tattoos,” Jim hisses, and then he covers his mouth beforemaking a dive towards the toilet. Sebastian rubs his back as hethrows up. Why do they always think tequila is a good idea?
“Ilike it,” he says, once Jim is done emptying his stomach.
“Ugh.”Jim gives him the dirtiest look he can manage in his currentposition. “I can design a cover up for it.”
“Idon't want one.”
“Sebastian,it's hideous.”
“No.It's unique.” Sebastian smiles, brushing his fingers fondly overthe tiny, scribble Jim that now resides on his chest. “One of akind.”
“Youcan't be serious.” Safe in the knowledge he's not going to vomitagain, Jim flushes and moves to brush his teeth. Sebastian followshim, admiring his tattoo in the mirror all over again.
“Iam.” It is not what he wanted. Although, he's not sure if he reallywanted to wake up to a picture perfect portrait of Jim on his bodyeither. But it has character, and he can make Jim out within thelines, can see how it is meant to be him. Even with the scribbles androughness of it, it's still Jim, and he appreciates it more becauseit's not perfect. “And it comes with a story.”
“Istill think you should get it covered.”
“No.I'm keeping it.” Sebastian smiles, curling an arm around Jim'swaist. He loosens his hold when Jim has to fight back a heave, andpresses a kiss to his neck. “Thank you.”
“Whatever,”Jim says, toothpaste dripping from his lower lip like he's rabid. Hespits angrily into the sink. “Piss off so I can piss.”
“Ofcourse,” Sebastian says, heading back to bedroom. He appliesBepanthen to his chest while he waits, smiling as his fingers tracethe messy outline of Jim's newest claim on him.
Jim:
“Ta-dah!”Sebastian poses like one of those bikini clad women in game showsdisplaying the prizes. He waggles his hands at the full length mirrorin his studio room. “What do you think?”
Jimrises from the table and looks over his shoulder. Sebastian can tellalmost instantly by the expression on his face that he's not happy.
“Shit.You don't like it.”
“It'sfacing the wrong way.”
“What?”
“It'sfacing. The wrong. Way.”
“Shit.No. I checked with you before-”
“Thenyou must have done the stencil wrong.”
“Noooo.”
Jimpulls out his phone, stabbing angrily at it until he pulls up theimage of the constellation Sebastian was tattooing on his shoulder.Sebastian looks from the dots on Jim's back, to the stencil sheetabandoned by the table. His face falls.
“Shit.Well, I can fix that-”
“No.You can't. It is specifically meant to face that direction, becausethat's how it sits in the sky, and in regards to the otherconstellations that I already have. Now it's just wrong.” Jim voiceis low and dangerous. He is very still and very quiet, and that ishow Sebastian knows he has fucked up big time.
“I'mso sorry-”
“No.It's obviously my fault, for trusting you with this. I mean, you'vedone it enough times, I didn't think it would be a difficult feat foryou. I'll know in future to never let you touch me without triplechecking the stencil first.”
“Ican get you a cover up or something sorted, and there's no charge-”
“Oh,how very generous! As if I would pay for you to desecrate me.” Jimreaches for his galaxy print sweater, pulling it roughly over hishead.
“Ishould put cling film-”
“Idon't care. It can't get much worse than it already is, can it?”
“Jim.”
“No.Don't.” Jim steps right up to his chest, and Sebastian is convincedhe is going to slap him. But all Jim does is stare at him with dark,angry eyes, before shaking his head. “I can't even look at youright now.”
Hegrabs his satchel and leaves without another word. All Sebastian cando is watch.
*
1 NewVoicemail
Ifucked up, I get it. I understand how important it is when you choosesomething to go on your body, but I can't do anything to make it upto you if you're just going to block me out. Please. Just pick up thefucking phone, Jim. I'm not going to stop calling until you do.
3Missed Calls
Sebastian[22.04]
1 NewMessage:
Pleasetalk to me. [20.07]
5Missed Calls
Sebastian[18.54]
2 NewMessages:
Jim.[18.38]
I amreally sorry. I fucked up. Let me try and fix it. [18.25]
*
Incomingcall
Sebastian
Ringring. Ring ring. Ring-
“Jim!Don't hang up. Look, I'm really, genuinely sorry.”
“Soyou've said.” Jim's tone is completely devoid of emotion. Sebastianfeels a bolt of cold in his stomach.
“Iknow! But-”
“Stopharassing me, Sebastian.”
“Just,give me two minutes.”
“Youhave one.”
“Shit.Okay. Well, I have this friend, and he got an awful tattoo when hewas drunk in Magaluf. Fucking idiot- But anyway, it was awful, so hegot it removed when he got back, and it just completely cleared it.Like it never existed. And, well, I got the name of the place fromhim, and I was thinking we could just get it removed – I'd pay,obviously – and then I could take you to get it done properly. Bysomeone who is not me, as I'm aware I've lost all trust.”
“Doyou know what that was?”
“What?”
“Thetattoo. Do you know what it was?”
“Uh.A constellation.”
“Specifically.”Sebastian is silent, so Jim proceeds. “It was Sagittarius.”
“Oh.”
“Sagittariusis beside Scorpio in the sky. His arrow is aiming at the red star inthe centre of Scorpio, what is often referred to as Scorpio's heart.”
“Jim-”
“Imean, it made sense for me to get it anyway. I already have Scorpio.As I said, they're beside each other. It would just have had an extrapurpose.” He doesn't say it in so many words, but Sebastian canread between the lines. That tattoo was for him, and he fucked it up.Suddenly the punishment of Jim's silence feels fitting. Jim sighs.Sebastian can hear it crackle down the line. “Just leave me alonefor a while.”
“Okay.”
Jimcuts the call off.
*
Hesees Jim in their lectures throughout the week, but Jim keeps tohimself, sitting up in the top corner of the lecture theatre. Hedoesn't show up to tutorials, and he's avoiding the studio. Sebastiandoesn't get much work done, constantly coming up with excuses to walkpast Jim's station even though he knows he's not there.
It'sover a week before Jim speaks to him again.
“You'renot blending well enough,” he says, and Sebastian turns swiftly,flicking paint over half his desk. Jim arches an eyebrow at the mess.
“Talkingto me again, then?” Sebastian says.
“Thatdoes appear to be what I'm doing, yes.”
Sebastiansets his brush down and takes a tentative step towards Jim. Jimobserves him silently, but does not move away. Feelinguncharacteristically nervous, Sebastian places a hand gently on Jim'ship.
“Ireally am sorry,” he says.
“Sorrydoesn't do anything for me.”
Sebastiansighs. His other hand comes to Jim's cheek, fingers gently traces thecurve of his cheekbone.
“Wecan get it fixed.”
“I'vedecided to keep it.”
“What?Why?”
“Itreminds me of you.”
“Becauseit's a fuck up?”
Jim'sstoic expression breaks, and he smiles. Sebastian expects the cuttingremark to come here, and braces himself. It's unsurprising, really.He's always been a fuck up. He's been disappointing his father overand over since he left the womb, why would Jim be any different?
“No,”Jim says, resting his hand against Sebastian's chest. Sebastian'sheart beats a touch faster, as if seeking Jim's attention. “It'sunconventional, rebels against expectation.”
“Yeah?”Sebastian sighs, but the corner of his mouth is twitching into asmile. “Sounds like me, alright.”
“And,well, he's aiming away from Scorpio now. Like he's guarding him.”
Sebastiansmiles. He dares to move closer, and when Jim doesn't move away, hecloses the gap between them and kisses him. He's still annoyed athimself for making the mistake in the first place, but as long as Jimis speaking to him again, nothing else really matters.