Chapter 2 (1/1)

“I have to apologize for my friend.” Luhan settled himself on the padded table in one of the small back rooms. “I love him dearly, but not the giant stick up here .” Sehun laughed. “Sorry if I embarrassed you, but I couldn’t resist squicking him out.” “So…you were joking, then?” Inquiring minds had to know. “About the apa or about putting it on display out there?” “Both, I guess.” “I’ll never tell.” He winked at he before going back to fiddling with his equipment. Luhan hadn’t a clue what any of it was, but it looked scary, and he admired the confidence and efficiency with which he handled it. He’d already gone over all their sanitation techniques as if he were any other customer and he’d selected the colors he would need, which were only red and black. The inks sat in two tiny cups on a table beside he. He’d chosen a small blood-red heart design with black tribal art extending out from both sides. Sehun had already transferred the purplish outline to his skin…So low on the belly that even the flimsiest speedo bottoms in existence would probably cover most of it up. He often went swimming in his parents’ pool and there was no freaking way they could ever see it, so unless he wanted it smack on the butt—which he didn’t—it was the only place he could think of. Shedding his jeans to mid-thigh and pulling his underwear down until it only covered the most private body part had almost been the deal-breaker. When he’d planned out the act of rebellion, he hadn’t really let himself think that far ahead. If he had, he might never have gotten through the front door. He’d made Luhan stand while he got down on his knees and rubbed the transfer onto the skin. Thank God he’d waxed. He could only hope Sehun hadn’t noticed how his legs quaked at the feel of his fingertips gently smoothing the stencil on. He hadn’t so much as blinked at he dishabille, and Luhan had to keep in mind that he’d probably had hundreds of people drop their pants in here to get him to do far more risqué body mod than the little tattoo. Now, lying on the table with the design perfectly centered and ready to be inked, he stared at the ceiling and tried to concentrate on keeping his breathing steady. “Nervous?” Sehun asked, and he looked over to find his steady gaze on him. “You have a certain deer-in-headlights look I’m quite familiar with.” “Yeah. Really no use in denying it.” “It’ll be alright. Most people compare it to a bee sting.” “Which isn’t very fun.” “Not fun, but nothing you can’t take, right?” “If you say so.” He chuckled. “If you need a break, tell me, but I’m betting you won’t. Do you want me to do a dry pass so you can get an idea of what it’s like?” Luhan considered. “Better not. I might chicken out, but if you go ahead and start, I’m kind of stuck going through with it, right?” he eyes widened as Sehun’s black latex covered hands tore open a package containing a needle. “Holy…” “Now settle down. It’s not a shot at the doctor’s office. You just get the very tip.” He wheeled the stool he was sitting on closer to him. At that moment he was reminded of being in the doctor’s office, a dreaded event that always made him panic. Oh, Jesus. There was no way. Luhan couldn’t get through this. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on the music filtering through the speaker system. It was Killswitch Engage, one of Sehun’s favorite bands, if he remembered correctly. The singer had an incredible voice. He focused on that rather than the sounds of him getting his machine embled—machine, he’d told he, not gun—and testing it out. But that whirring buzz whisked him straight from the doctor’s office to the dentist’s chair, and nothing on earth caused he more anxiety than that. Being helpless, immobile, at the mercy of someone wielding an instrument capable of causing him great, agonizing pain… What in the hell had ever made he think he could do this? “Have you ever had anyone start to get the tattoo, freak out and not be able to finish?” “Don’t worry about that. Everyone’s experience is unique, and yours is the only one that matters.” Great. A whimper escaped his lips before he could stop it even though Sehun had yet to lay the first hand on him. Luhan must have caught his attention. “Breathe,” he said calmly, and only then did he realize he wasn’t doing so. “Slowly. In through your nose, out through your mouth.” he filled his lungs to capacity and exhaled as he instructed, but he was still too frightened to open he eyes and see how close he was to feeling that needle in his skin. “Keep it up. You’re gonna be fine.” “I’m glad you’re so sure of that.” “How old are you today, sunshine?” He smiled, and Luhan suddenly wanted to cry. Yeah, that would be utterly cool of him. But he was trying to put he at ease, and maybe he was a fool of the worst sort, but it made him feel cheated somehow. “Twenty-three.” Daring a glance at his profile through his lashes, he saw one corner of his mouth tug up. “Twenty-three,” he echoed wistfully. “That was a good year.” “Oh, yeah? What was so good about it?” He paused before answering. “Hell, I couldn’t really tell you. Just the mere fact that I was younger than I am now, I guess.” “You talk like twenty-seven is old.” “Twenty-eight. My birthday was in January.” “Oh, right. I haven’t seen you in so long. Happy belated birthday, since I didn’t get to tell you then.” he studied him while he had the opportunity. He’d slapped a black baseball cap on his head and twisted it around backwards to keep his hair out of his eyes. Dressed all in black from head to toe now, down to the gloves he wore, he looked ready to pull off a burglary later tonight. His pale skin was maddeningly without blemish. Exquisite lips, slim yet defined, made him look youthful and smooth… How would it feel against his skin if he ever kissed him? Luhan would never find out, but a boy could dream. Yeah, a dream some other lucky wench would probably experience for real tonight. What the hell was an apadra-whatever, anyway? He’d have to hit Google as soon as he got home just to figure out what he might have going on down there. He had a feeling he’d only been teasing about the picture, but with the piercing? He would bet good money Sehun had it. “Thanks.” He smiled at him. There was a hint of wickedness behind it, a wickedness he’d love to see fully unleashed. On him. Maybe it had been a mistake coming here. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his birthday depressed and pining over something he didn’t need and would never have. For so long, Sehun had been labeled Woohyun’s Boyfriend, pretty to look at, but nothing else. He’d been unprepared for the intensified effect he would have on he now that he’d shaken off that relationship. “Are you ready to do this?” he asked. One more deep breath… “Yes.” he closed his eyes again, unwilling to give Sehun any more reason to think he was a total wimp. “Get through the first few minutes, then your endorphins will kick in and give you a thrill ride.” “Riiight.” His chuckle turned into an outright laugh when the first touch of his gloved fingers on his lower tummy nearly jolted he off the table. So much for not appearing wimpy. “Luhan, you can’t do that when the needle hits,” he scolded. “Darn it,” he grumbled, opening his eyes and drawing another breath. “Okay. Just do it. I’m ready. Oh, God.” “Here we go.” Luhan forced his gaze downward, when it suddenly seemed far more ominous to not see what was going on down there. Even more striking than the sight of the needle hovering over his skin was Sehun’s presence there, leaning so close to that part of him. He could smell the mint of his gum. His heart was racing like a frightened rabbit fleeing a predator.

With a firm touch he pulled his skin gently taut, and he sank the teeth into his bottom lip as the very tip of the needle nudged him. He could imagine those fingers, so close to the cotton edge of his briefs, slipping lower to do far more pleasurable things… His touch would be at once gentle and confident in his abilities, as it was now. Luhan eyes closed again. He bet he would know just how to touch him, just how much pressure to exert to leave him moaning and gasping for more… “How does that feel?” “Hmmm?” he asked dreamily. Did he even have to ask? It would feel magnificent. “Not so bad, is it?” Oh, but he wanted it to be bad, bad in the very best way. Just as the outrageous thought flashed through his mind, he realized that the needle tip had been dragging through his skin for the past few seconds and he’d hardly noticed. “Um…that’s it?” “That’s it. All that freaking out for nothing.” The buzzing went on, the needle leaving a sting in its wake. Sehun paused often to wipe excess ink off his skin with a towel, and he found that the hardest part was lying still under his hands. He wanted to writhe and arch against them. Force them lower. Being trapped and helpless under his control was turning something on inside him, a burning need that had his stomach flipping slow somersaults. An aching throb built between his thighs, inches away from where his left hand rested on his skin. He licked his lips, watching his intense expression, his unrelenting focus, and wondered what he would think if he knew what was going on in his head, his body. What Sehun was making him feel. When the pleasure-tempered pain of the needle caused him to break out in a fine sheen of sweat, he was wholly grateful they kept it rather cool in here. Luhan began to watch the slow, easy rise and fall of his sho