Jeongguk scooped up a piece of red cake and put it into his mouth. The dough was soft, the cream sweet, but not too much. Everything was just perfect.

"Mmmm jeeez," he groaned, chewing with pleasure. I don't think I've ever eaten anything so delicious. "Mmmm," he muttered again, stuffing another bit into his mouth.

"Has anyone ever done this before?" Taehyung suddenly asked with a cheeky smile.

"W-what?" Jeongguk muttered, his mouth full of red velvet.

"Gave you an orgasm without taking your clothes off," the tattoo artist said.

"Jeeesus..." the brunet began, pointing with a spoon at the cake on his plate. "This is better than sex."

The redhead huffed under his breath, then took the spoon from his hand and put some cake on it.

"If you say that, you don't even know what good sex is," he put the spoon in his mouth as he spoke.

"Are you always so cocky?" Jeon asked, looking him straight in the eye.

Without waiting for a reply, he took the spoon from him and took a piece of red velvet into his mouth. The tattoo artist studied him closely. Jeongguk saw his gaze shift to his mouth for a moment. Before he knew it, the redhead stretched out his tattooed hand towards him and ran his thumb over his lower lip, collecting the remnants of the cream from it, then slipped his thumb into his own mouth, still not taking his intense gaze away from him.

Jeon felt he couldn't breathe. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, just like the first time he saw him. He wanted to lean forward and kiss his perfect lips. He was convinced his mouth would taste much better than this delicious cake.

And for a crazy few seconds his body, as if guided by some supernatural power, leaned slightly forward. He wanted to kiss him, but the only thing he had enough courage to do was reach out with his hand, as Taehyung had just done and delicately draw the shape of his mouth with his fingertips. His lips were unusually soft and warm. Feeling the tattoo artist's hot breath on his fingers, he quickly pulled back his hand, scared by his gesture. He ran his hand through his dark hair, swallowing hard.

"I'm only so confident when I'm sure of what I'm saying," Taehyung explained with a shrug.

"You really are an arrogant asshole, huh?"

"Arrogant or truthful, but you have to find out for yourself," he said, and Jeongguk laughed out loud.

"Want the last bit, arrogant asshole?" he asked, then without waiting for an answer, held out a spoonful of cake in his direction.

Taehyung laughed under his breath and shook his head, but he parted his lips and allowed the boy to put a spoon in his mouth. It was by far the best cake he had eaten. That's why he took Jeongguk here.

"Mmmm," he muttered involuntarily. "Okay. This is fucking delicious," he agreed.

"Oh, Have I just give you an orgasm without taking your clothes off?" Jeon asked, teasing.

"Get lost, red velvet is my trick. You, Naughty Boy, have to come up with yours."

Jeongguk laughed again. Taehyung was impossible. He shifted his gaze to him and studied him for a moment. The tattoo artist was an extremely handsome man. His fiery red hair blew gently in the breeze, falling over his caramel skin. The boy was dressed in black again, but it suited him so much that he was unable to imagine him otherwise. He looked perfect.

"Gguk, I have to go back," Taehyung finally said after a moment of silence.

"I know," saying so, the brunet got up from his seat, and the tattoo artist did the same.

They both headed for the exit. They came here on foot, so they slowly made their way to the studio. They walked so close their arms were almost touching. Taehyung lit a cigarette and put on the sunglasses that had been attached to his shirt so far. Jeongguk glanced at him. The boy looked very good in them, but he wanted to pull them off so that he could see his eyes.

"Tae, how about going out for a drink tonight? You can take Yoongi or Namjoon, and I Jimin... We would go with the whole group..." Jeongguk suddenly started.

He felt a little embarrassed to propose such a meeting. It sounded a bit like he was inviting him on a date, so right after the first words he suggested that they go out in a larger group. But he quietly hoped that perhaps Tae would want to meet him alone. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to get to know him better and spend more time with him.

Taehyung took a puff then looked at him closely. The brunet could not see his eyes, hidden behind dark glasses, but still felt his intense gaze on him.

"Jeongguk, I really would like to..." the redhead started carefully, as if weighing his every word. "But I can't."

"Oh, okay. I have a lot of work anyway and I will probably be tired..." Jeon began, feeling like an idiot that he even offered something like that.

They decided they would be friends, but he knew Taehyung found him an attractive man. The boy didn't even try to hide it. Perhaps, however, the proposal to go out together was too much for him.

The tattoo artist suddenly stopped abruptly. He slipped his glasses off his eyes, folded them over his head, and grabbed Jeongguk's arm to stop him.

"Hey, Gguk... I'm not saying this to get rid of you," he said, looking him straight in the eye.

There was something in his gaze that Jeongguk knew the boy was telling the truth. He couldn't explain it, but he just felt it, but he also felt that there was something the boy hadn't told him. They didn't know each other for long. Only a week had passed, but it felt as if much more time had passed. Sometimes he felt as if they had known each other for years, and then that he didn't know him at all.

"Okay," Jeongguk gasped.

"Gguk, I like you very much and I would like to go out with you tonight, but... really, as soon as I finish work, I have to be somewhere. And I can't postpone it. This... This is something very important. I know how horrible this sounds, but I swear it has nothing to do with you. I'd really like to be friends with you."

Jeongguk nodded, unable to get any words through his clenched throat. He was about to start moving forward again, but he took only one step, and he felt a strong male hand tighten around his forearm.

"If you are not fed up with me after a whole day session... I'd love to go with you for a drink on Friday. I'm just begging you, no sweet fancy drinks..."

"Okay, I think I can manage that," that said, the brunet smiled at him, and when the tattoo artist's lips formed that beautiful, original smile, a flock of butterflies danced in his stomach.

Had he just made plans for a second date with him?

***

The brunet parked his Mercedes and took a deep breath. He had waited so many years for this moment. The day has finally come when one of his dreams will come true. He couldn't wait to get Taehyung tattoo him. He wanted to watch the tattoo artist create something beautiful for him, then transfer his creation onto his body. He wanted him to create on him like a painter on canvas, covering his body with ink that would decorate it forever.

He was a little nervous, but what he felt was pleasant. He felt that wonderful excitement that he had been looking for a long time. He wasn't sure if it was just the fact that today was just that day, or if it was because he would see him again. And he knew it was fucking wrong, but he felt like that with just the thought of looking into those beautiful dark eyes again.

Jeongguk got out of the car and looked at his phone. It was almost nine. He looked around, hoping he might see red hair somewhere, but he couldn't see it anywhere, so he leaned back against his car. Taehyung sent him his code as promised earlier. So he could have gone in, but he preferred to wait outside.

He knew only they would be there this morning. From what the tattoo artist had told him, both Yoongi and Namjoon would not show up until around twelve. He felt excited that he and Tae would be spending almost three hours just for the two of them. His father went back to Japan and Lisa was not aware of his business meetings, so he didn't have to worry about someone finding out that he was not in the office.

Jeongguk didn't even know how long he stood there, but it felt like it took ages. Eventually he began to worry. Was the situation on Tuesday supposed to repeat itself? He felt a growing nervousness. He took out his phone and looked at the display. It was already twenty past nine.

"Fuck," he swore softly under his breath.

He pulled up his contact list and looked up Tae's number. Should he call him? The tattoo artist remained silent, and he didn't know what to do. For a moment he stared at the stupid nickname under which he entered the boy's phone number.

Arrogant asshole.

He smiled to himself, then pressed the green button and held the phone to his ear. With each signal, he felt the lump in his throat grow.

"Oh! Jeongguk!" a familiar voice suddenly called.

The brunet looked up and saw the familiar fiery red hair. The tattoo artist was just getting out of the taxi, saying a few words of farewell to the taxi driver, and hurried towards him.

"Jesus, I'm sorry! I think I'm having the worst day ever. My alarm didn't ring and I overslept. And then I ran like crazy to make it on time. And finally that damn estate broke down... I wanted to call and tell you that I will be late, but it turned out that in all the confusion, I forgot to take my cell phone..."

"Hey, hey... Tae," Jeongguk called, placing his hands on the tattoo artist's shoulders. Only when he felt the brunet's hands, Taehyung stopped and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I was afraid you would think I set you up."

"It's okay. You're here, aren't you?" he asked, smiling gently. "Why don't we get some hot chocolate and go to the studio?"

"Okay. I love chocolate."

Jeongguk looked at his hands, which were still on the tattoo artist's shoulders, and took them away, feeling that he had been holding them on his body a little too long. He straightened his shirt and smiled at him, a bit embarrassed.

After a few minutes, they returned to the studio, mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. Taehyung opened the door and led Jeon inside. As the tattoo artist said before, there was no one else. They both headed straight to the room where Tae tattooed.

"Make yourself comfortable, drink some chocolate and I'll prepare everything," the redhead ordered.

Jeongguk was surprised how the boy quickly converted to professional behavior. It was enough for him to enter the studio and the change was immediately visible in him. It was nice watching him work. The brunet sat down on the armchair and watched his actions carefully.

The tattoo artist took off the leather jacket he had put in the morning and ran a hand through his fiery red hair. The unruly wisps fell back into his eyes, however. The boy still looked a bit sleepy, but there was something cute about it. He looked younger and somehow softer with slightly swollen eyes and hair in a mess.

Jeongguk wondered for a moment why the boy overslept this morning. Or maybe yesterday's meeting dragged on until late? He felt jealous as he thought about it, even though he knew he had no right to feel that way. He had a fiancée he was going to marry in a few months. He shouldn't be jealous of Tae, but still he couldn't deny what he felt.

Trying not to think too much about it, he focused his attention on the tattoo artist's slender fingers, which carefully prepared all the equipment. He had to admit the man had really beautiful hands. Big and masculine, yet surprisingly delicate. He still remembered Taehyung putting his hand on his waist and pulling him against him. His embrace was firm, and the gesture itself was extremely imperious, as if he were exactly sure what he wanted and who he wanted.

Was he ever so sure of anything?

He kept asking himself whether what he was doing would be accepted by his father, whether Lisa would like it, whether his family would be proud of him, whether he could afford it, whether, whether, whether... He kept questioning everything.

And Taehyung just pulled him confidently to himself and danced with him in a club full of people, not caring about whether or not others liked it. Moreover, he later pulled him over and kissed him because he wanted to do so.

He wanted to kiss him, he wanted to touch him... he wanted to make love to him...

If Jeongguk hadn't told him about Lisa...

He knew he had done the right thing. He was in a relationship with a girl he cared about and to whom he had just proposed. That kiss with Tae should never have happened. The tattoo artist fascinated him. He wanted to get to know him better, but they could be friends. They were both adults. After all, such a friendship is possible.

"Okay, let's start with a pattern," Tae suddenly began, breaking him out of his thoughts. "If you want me to do the whole project for you right from the start, I need to know what's on your mind. Just a general outline around which I can work is enough," saying that, the tattoo artist sat down next to him and pulled up a small table. He put his sketchbook. "First I will sketch it in a notebook, then I will take the dimensions and prepare a stencil paper. I want it to be something special, so I need you to open up to me..."

Jeongguk looked at his face and met the gaze of his dark eyes.

Was he going to open up to him? Tell him about things he hasn't told anyone?

Just remembering the events of more than ten years ago, he felt his throat close. He blinked a few times, feeling his nervousness grow.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all?

"Gguk..." Tae said suddenly. "I know we haven't known each other for long, but you can really trust me. Whatever you tell me will stay between us."

"This tattoo is very important to me..." he said, choosing his words carefully. "I wanted to make it for a long time. I have everything in my head... I just... I don't quite know how to put it into words."

Taehyung was watching him closely. He couldn't explain why, but Jeongguk suddenly felt much younger, somewhat more fragile. Perhaps it was something about his voice that made him feel that way. He literally felt how important this tattoo was to him.

"Okay. Then maybe let's start with this... Where do you want this tattoo? Yoongi told me that on the back?"

"Yes. I want it all over my back," the boy confirmed.

"Have you got a tattoo yet?" Tae asked, and the brunet shook his head. "Uuu, I must admit that it's brave for the first tattoo. You impressed me a little, Mr. Naughty Boy."

Jeongguk snorted at the remark, then bit his lower lip as he watched Tae open his sketchbook. As the boy did so, he noticed that many pages were covered with drawings. He had an almost irresistible urge to pick up this notebook and look at his work. He knew if Taehyung let him see what he draws in his spare time, it's kind of like letting him get into his head. Into his soul...

The tattoo artist took out a pencil and looked up. They stared at each other in silence for a moment. The redhead looked as if he was thinking intensely about something.

"Tell me what's on your mind. What do you want?"

"Angel," answered the boy.

"Okay... What angel? Do you have any idea or would you like me to give you a hint? Maybe you want to review the projects we have?" the tattoo artist asked.

Jeongguk was silent for a moment. He knew exactly what he wanted. He had this image in his head for years, but it turned out that telling someone about it out loud is not that easy. He never told anyone about it. He felt his throat tighten. Taehyung, however, seemed to notice his nervousness, because his tattooed hand suddenly found its way to the brunet's hand, which was nervously playing with the already empty chocolate mug.

The boy looked at the tattooed fingers that wrapped around his wrist. The tattoo artist's hand was warm, his grip strong and tender at the same time, as if he understood exactly what he was going through, even though no words of explanation had been given yet.

"You want to make this tattoo with someone in mind, right?" Tae asked suddenly, though in his mouth it didn't sound like a question at all.

Jeon looked up to meet the dark gaze of the tattoo artist. He couldn't say anything, so he just nodded his head in affirmation.

"I think such tattoos are the best," he said, still looking the dark man in the eye. "The ones that mean something to us," he added. "Lots of people get tattoos just because they like them, and there's nothing wrong with that. Although I love to do the ones that have something more in them. Maybe it's funny, but sometimes I think that by doing such a tattoo for someone, I can heal their soul."

Jeongguk thought for a moment on the tattoo artist's words. For many years he had felt as if he had lost a part of himself and was carrying a huge hole within him that no one and nothing could fill. When he was young, he naively thought that when he fell in love with someone, he might eventually feel full, but nothing like that happened.

He never spoke to Lisa about what had happened. The girl had no idea about it. When he felt overwhelmed, he smothered everything inside himself. Only boxing and running seemed to help him.

Was Taehyung right in saying that a tattoo can heal his soul?

"Do you have such a tattoo?" he asked, before he could bite his tongue.

The tattoo artist, however, did not seem to mind his question. He wasn't tense at all, he seemed relaxed. He nodded at him, smiling slightly.

"I have many tattoos, but there is one that has a very special meaning to me," he said, touching his fingers to his chest at the level of his left breast. "And it was made with one very important person in mind."

The brunet wondered if Taehyung wanted to point towards his heart or was showing him where the tattoo was located. He was tempted to ask him to take off his shirt, so he could fully see all his tattoos, but he didn't dare even ask for it.

"What angel did you want? Should it be a woman or a man?" he asked further.

"A woman, but I wish her face wasn't visible. I don't want it to be the strong, brave angel that is often portrayed. This is not meant to be a fighter. I wish this angel looked a little like..." He paused for a moment, feeling his throat tighten again, but he forced himself to continue anyway. "I wish she'd look like she went through hell, like she survived some accident... I-I don't know how to say it..." He broke off again. He hadn't thought it would be so hard. He felt strangely exposed telling all about it. For years, he has seen perfectly well what this tattoo should look like. He could almost see it, but he hadn't told anyone about it before. "No. Forget about it. It's stupid..." he interjected quickly, licking his lips nervously.

"Hey, Gguk!" the tattoo artist exclaimed, as if he wanted to be noticed. "It's not stupid," he said when their eyes met. "At least it's not for me. I think it's beautiful and I think I have an idea..."

"You have?" The surprised boy asked.

Taehyung smiled at him. There was a strange twinkle in his eyes. He didn't know why, but looking into his dark eyes, he knew he could trust him. He couldn't explain it and put it into words. He told him little, but it almost felt as if those dark eyes staring at him were penetrating right into his soul.

Suddenly the tattoo artist rose from his seat, almost as quickly as if he had been burned by something. Jeongguk's eyes widened in surprise at such a sudden change. The redhead took a large piece of paper from the cupboard and walked over to the boy again.

"I know we haven't known each other very long, but..." he began suddenly in a low, sexy voice. "Can you undress for me?" he asked, and his lips bent in a cheeky smile.

The brunet blinked quickly several times, as if he did not quite understand his words, and seeing his expression, the tattoo artist laughed out loud. His low, melodic laugh filled the room with its enchanting music.

"Relax, I just want to plan the tattoo," he explained. "When you're in a jacket and shirt, I don't know how much space I actually have. So I need to see my canvas," he added, looking him straight in the eye.

As he spoke the last word, his voice trembled slightly. It was almost imperceptible, but even so, Jeongguk heard the trembling. Was the tattoo artist upset about Jeongguk undressing in front of him? He didn't know why, but he felt strangely uplifted by this fact. Taehyung was always so confident.

Without saying anything, he got up from his seat and stood in front of the tattoo artist, then looking him in the eye, took off his suit jacket and tossed it on the tattoo bed. He raised his hands to his tie. He loosened the knot with his fingers just enough for the collar of his shirt to slide out from under it. After a while he moved his hands towards his shirt and slowly began undoing the buttons one by one. He didn't know why, but he felt his hands tremble slightly and his pulse quicken with each passing moment.

The tattoo artist stood in front of him, his intense gaze fixed on his silhouette. The brunet noticed that his eyes were closely following the movements of his hand, but did not stop. He was undoing the buttons slowly, staring at the redhead's face. He wanted to see his reaction.

After he undid his shirt halfway, Taehyung swallowed hard. Jesus. He had seen someone undress in front of him so many times, be it for a tattoo or in a bedroom, but he never felt like he did now. He lacked air. Everything seemed to spin around him. His heart was bouncing chaotically like a wild bird struggling to break free.

He closely followed the boy's hand movements, watching him slowly reveal his body to him. He looked at his face and for a brief moment their eyes crossed, but he quickly looked at his hands again. When the brunet undid the last button and grabbed the laps of his shirt, he held his breath. The boy, however, did not stop, he opened his black shirt in front of him, revealing wonderfully milky and smooth skin, a muscular chest and a belly as hard as a rock.

"Oh shit..." he said, before he realized he'd said the words aloud.

He looked at the brunet's face, then looked at his stomach again. He guessed, seeing his figure, that the boy must be fit, but he definitely did not expect that. Jeongguk looked like a young god. The brunet raised his right eyebrow questioningly.

"You're not gonna make it easy for me, are you?" Kim finally asked, his voice a little more confident.

"Make easy what?" The brunet frowned, slightly confused.

"Oh that," so he pointed his hand at him. "An eight-pack? Seriously?!"

Jeongguk laughed at his words. He knew he was fit and had a nice body, but no one had ever reacted like this to his nakedness before. Somehow it flattered him.

"It's not funny at all. I try to keep my distance, and you suddenly show up here with something like that," the tattoo artist scolded him. The brunet bit his lower lip, trying to suppress a smile.

"Sorry, if I knew you were telling me to undress, I would have eaten two pieces of cake yesterday, not one," he replied, teasing him, and removed his tie from his neck, tossing it on the tattoo bed.

"With a belly like this, you would have to eat ten pieces of cake each day for the rest of your life to look worse," Tae said.

"Don't exaggerate"

"On this eight-pack, I could grate cheese for my pizza."

Jeongguk laughed again. The tattoo artist was impossible.

"We don't know each other well yet, and are you already telling me about your kinks?" he joked.

"Wait until we get to know each other... I'll reveal all my kinks to you," saying that, the tattoo artist wiggled his eyebrows.

The brunet rolled his eyes and took off his shirt completely, throwing it over his suit jacket. As he did so, the redhead stole him a quick glance. The boy's body was perfect. He was lean and chiseled, but not overly muscular. His body was strong and fit. Belly fit and so damn insane that he wanted to run his fingers over it.

Taehyung saw immediately that his skin was perfect. Smooth, milky, only slightly touched by the sun. He was fascinated by the fact that he would be able to create on it. His fingertips tingled at the thought of touching him. He wanted to touch him, to know what it was like to feel his warm skin under his fingers. Ashamed of his inappropriate thoughts, he took the paper in his hand and took two steps towards him, trying not to stare at him too much.

"Turn around," he said.

Jeongguk swallowed loudly. The tattoo artist's request was obvious. He wanted a tattoo on his back, but suddenly he felt very nervous about it. He liked his body. He knew that he is fit. He ate well and trained a lot. He liked Tae's reaction to his abs. On Lisa, his body seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

There was, however, a part of the body that he wasn't even a bit sure about. Moreover, he was ashamed of it. And when the redhead asked him to turn his back to him, he suddenly felt bloody insecure. He was intimidated, suddenly his hands began to sweat and his pulse quickened. He licked his lips nervously and wiped his hands on his thighs, then slowly began to turn around.

When he turned his back to him, he felt as though he were about to suffocate. He closed his eyes and waited for some malicious comment or an expression of disgust, similar to the one Lisa did when they first made love. He didn't say anything then, but he remembered it so clearly because her words were embedded in his mind, like a tattoo on his skin.

There was total silence in the room for a moment. Jeongguk wondered if maybe he should get dressed again. Suddenly he felt incredibly ashamed. He parted his lips slightly, but was unable to speak. He was about to turn around when suddenly he felt something he did not expect.

The long, tattooed fingers of the tattoo artist he admired so much began to gently glide over his skin, right where his body was marred by a long scar.

The brunet held his breath. In one second, so much emotion flooded him that his lower lip began to tremble slightly. Nobody has ever touched him like that. Lisa always avoided touching that scar as if she were going to get infected by touching it. The tattoo artist had wonderfully warm hands, his touch was extremely gentle, as if he was afraid that a stronger touch would cause him pain.

"What happened to you?" he asked suddenly.

"A-accident," Jeongguk gasped. "I-I had an accident."

Taehyung took his hand away. He was not planning on approaching him. Knowing that the brunet had a fiancée, he decided to keep his distance, but could not help himself. The boy's body was beautiful. The skin was flawless, the body trained. When he looked at his back, broad shoulders and such a wonderfully narrow waist, he was surprised to see that his right shoulder blade was marked by a large scar.

The scar looked as if someone had cut his shoulder blade with a dagger, it was at least fifteen centimeters long. Looking at it, he thought it looked a bit like the boy was an angel and someone had ripped his wings off as he descended to earth. He wanted to know his story. He wanted to know what had happened to him, but asked no more.

Jeongguk, however, suddenly moved nervously as if he was very embarrassed, and turned to face him. For a brief moment their eyes met, but the boy quickly looked away, clearly embarrassed.

"I'm s-sorry," he said quickly.

"What do you apologize for?" Taehyung asked, clearly confused.

"I should have told you. This scar... I know it's hideous and..."

"Hey! Gguk... Look at me," the tattoo artist suddenly called, but when the brunet didn't react, he took a step towards him and put his hand under his chin to make him look at him. "Gguk, your scar is not hideous. It's part of who you are."

"C-Can it be covered with a tattoo?" The brunet asked, looking uncertainly at the tattoo artist.

Taehyung smiled at him and pulled away gently, taking his hand away. He didn't feel comfortable being so close. Jeongguk was so damn attractive he wanted to kiss his lips, telling him how damn beautiful he was.

How could a boy even think anything about him could be disgusting?

"I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of, but I promise when we're done, you won't even know where that scar was," the tattoo artist replied, looking him straight in the eye. "Will you turn around once more for me?" He asked, and the brunet nodded and turned his back to him again.

He wasn't so stressed anymore. He was always ashamed of the scar, but what Taehyung told him made him feel much better. The tattoo artist put a piece of paper against his back and marked on it how large the tattoo should be.

"You have broad and strong shoulders..." he began. He felt strangely hot when he talked about the brunet's body, so he cleared his throat to keep on talking. "But your waist is v-very narrow..." He paused for a moment, mentally cursing himself for stuttering. "We have to plan it well. I think an angel should be in a more central position. At the top, we can make an interesting background."

The tattoo artist returned to the small table, unfolded a piece of paper on it and began to sketch something on it. Jeongguk guessed the boy was making a quick sketch of what he had in mind. Fascinated, he walked over to him and sat down across from him.

The tattoo artist's hands moved quickly, agile. At first, what he was drawing was nothing concrete. They were only lines sketched quickly with a pencil, but after a while he noticed that these strange lines were beginning to form a female figure.

What the redhead made was beautiful. The boy was drawing a silhouette of an angel sitting on the ground with her back to the viewer. The woman's head was tilted, her hair falling over her face, she was dressed in a flowing dress, but her back was bare. Her right arm had a scar similar to his own. Watching the tattoo artist draw this scar, he realized why he had placed it there.

Taehyung was going to use his scar as that of an angel after the wings had been torn off.

It was only the faint outline of the tattoo. A sketch that was still underdeveloped, but was so beautiful that Jeongguk felt a burning sensation under his eyelids. The scar did not disfigure the woman at all, it made the angel seem even more beautiful and unique.

Was this how Taehyung saw him?

He blinked rapidly several times, feeling the lump grow in his throat. He raised his gaze a little higher to look at the tattoo artist's face. Taehyung was not looking at him. His gaze was fixed on the piece of paper on which he was still making his drawing.

Jeongguk noticed that as the boy thought about something, his lips parted slightly, and his tongue protruded gently, moistening them. Sometimes the tattoo artist would rest the tip of the pencil against his mouth, tapping it lightly against his lower lip.

Jeon couldn't take his eyes off him. He knew that what the tattoo artist was creating was amazing and therefore he wanted him to tattoo him. He was here because he wanted to watch the redhead work, but it didn't matter now. He had seen something much better. Something he wanted to watch for all eternity.

Taehyung.

The boy was incredibly beautiful. Looking at him, the world seemed to slow down again, as if someone wanted to give him more time to appreciate what he was seeing. He knew he shouldn't see him that way, but it was stronger than him.

He was staring at him so much that he didn't even realize Tae was saying something to him. When he didn't reply, the tattoo artist looked up at him. When Jeongguk met the boy's dark eyes, he shifted nervously in his seat. Confused, he ran a hand over his neck.

"What? I'm s-sorr... I was thinking..." he explained quickly.

"Look," the tattoo artist said, pushing the drawing towards him.

He, too, leaned closer to Jeon. He was so close now that their heads were almost touching, and the scent of the man's perfume crept into Jeongguk's nostrils. The same scent he felt when they danced together in Moonlight and then Taehyung clung to him with his lips.

"It's just a quick sketch to show you what I was thinking. If you like it, I'll make a stencil paper, if not, we'll come up with something else, so please be honest, what do you think about it, okay?" he continued.

The bunet pushed the paper towards him. He didn't know how Taehyung did it, but on that white piece of paper he painted exactly what he had dreamed of for so many years. Jeongguk didn't tell him much, but it was as if the tattoo artist saw what he was hiding inside. As if he saw what others could not.

"Tae... That's..." He trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.

"I thought your scar... It looks a bit like... As if someone had ripped off your wings... I wanted to use it, but if you don't like it..." the tattooist explained.

"It's beautiful, Tae. This is exactly what I dreamed of."

Hearing these words, Taehyung smiled at him with that lovely, rectangular smile of his, illuminating the whole room with it, and Jeongguk again couldn't look away from him. The tattoo artist had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt the urge to kiss his lips. To see if they taste different when decorated with such a beautiful smile.

The redhead got up from his seat and walked over to the cupboard, and Jeongguk swallowed loudly. He shouldn't have thought of him that way. He had a fiancée. He could tell himself as much as he wanted that even though he was in a relationship, it was normal to feel attracted to others. After all, he was still a flesh-and-blood man, but he knew what he was feeling wasn't normal. He should be drawn to him like that. Lisa should come first.

The tattoo artist took out the stencil paper and returned to it, sitting down in his place again. He spread the equipment on the table and began transferring the pattern to stencil paper. The brunet was staring at him again, almost without blinking, when his nimble hands once again created this beautiful picture.

"I'd like to add some nice background. I thought something like a forest would be good, but we'll add that later," he continued, still drawing the pattern. "It's going to be a big tattoo so it will definitely need more than one session."

"How long will it take?" Jeongguk asked.

"A lot, but it depends on how you endure the pain. I think at least three sessions will be needed. Probably two for the whole drawing and one for shading."

"Does it hurt?"

"Pain is a relative term," replied the tattoo artist. "I think there are many things in life that hurt much more."

"Which, for example?" he asked

Jeongguk, carefully following the boy's hand movements.

When the redhead was drawing, he noticed that the boy was ambidextrous. He used his right hand as well as his left one. This was another thing that intrigued him. He's never seen anyone do it.

"Like, when you hit against the bedside table with your little toe," he joked, and Jeongguk snorted involuntarily under his breath.

"I'm asking you seriously. Don't make fun of me," the brunet scolded him.

"It will take a long time, so it will surely hurt, but we'll do as much as you can and I'll try to do it as gently and as best I can," he said finally.

"Okay," the boy agreed. "Do you have any tattoo on your back?" he asked, feeling his pulse quicken under the influence of the question.

He was sure the boy had a tattoo on his back. When he was here on Monday watching him work, he could see the ink outline under his T-shirt, but he didn't know what it was. The tattoo artist looked at him and brushed his hair back with a hand, but the unruly fringe fell back over his dark eyes.

"I've got my entire back tattooed," he confessed. "Most of my tattoos are my design, but Yoongi was the one to tattoo me. He is a talented artist. He taught me to tattoo."

"You have beautiful tattoos," he said suddenly, before he could bite his tongue. It was true, but telling him something like that made him feel ashamed. "Your sleeves... Is this your project?"

"Yes," the tattoo artist replied, stopping painting.

He reached his hand towards his arm and rolled up the sleeve of his T-shirt, revealing the full tattoos covering his skin. The entire sleeve on the right hand showed different warriors. At the top was a samurai warrior with a mask over his face. Only his eyes were visible. His gaze were hard, unreadable.

The inner part of the hand was decorated with a beautiful face of a girl dressed in traditional clothes. Her hair was tied on top of her head, dark strands, blown by the wind, fell over her sad eyes. Below, he saw another warrior, his face also hidden behind the mask.

The entire tattoo was made with black ink. Only here and there were streaks of red, marking the skin of his hand as if it had been cut with a knife. He could see the kanji symbols as well, but didn't know the meaning of all of them. Instinctively, he reached out and ran his fingertips over one of them.

He was surprised to find that the tattoo artist's skin was warm, soft and extremely tempting. He liked how golden it was. Like hot caramel. With his milky skin, it looked almost perfect. For a split second, he could almost see their naked bodies intertwined together with his imagination. His strong, athletic body with milky skin and velvet smooth, entwined with a tattoo artist's tanned caramel body, covered in black ink.

"What does it mean?" he asked, fascinated, marking the lines of one of the kanji characters with his fingertips.

"This sign means strength," Tae replied, almost holding his breath as the brunet's fingers glided over his hand.

The brunet only touched his hand, but there was something about his touch that he was afraid to move, so as not to accidentally scare him, as a wild animal. He wanted this strange caress to last as long as possible. Nobody had ever touched him like that. There was something special, magical about his touch. There was nothing friendly about that touch, and they both knew it, but still no one said anything, letting the moment go on. Jeongguk moved his hand further towards the next tattoo and traced it with his fingertips.

"This one means hope," the tattoo artist said.

Jeon moved his hand even lower, toward one of the signs he was sure of. He recognized it immediately. Still, he waited for the tattoo artist to say the word in his velvety voice. He wanted to hear his pierced tongue twine tenderly around each vowel. He didn't even know why, but he wanted to hear this word from his lips. He knew it was something he would never hear. Taehyung would never say similar words to him.

"Love..."

The bunet looked up and found his eyes. Dark and impenetrable. His gaze was mysterious, intense, and fucking sexy. Jeongguk felt mesmerized by it, like the first time he looked at those almost black irises.

Love.

Has Taehyung ever loved someone? Have his perfect lips ever confessed love to someone?

Jeongguk wondered for a moment what it would be like to hear the man's deep, velvety voice right against his ear, expressing his feelings.

Would Tae dare to say he's in love?

He himself avoided such words like fire. He tried to remember if he had ever confessed his love to Lisa. It was Lisa who first told him about her feelings. He remembered exactly when the girl told him she loved him. All he could do at the time was to tell her that he felt the same. He didn't think he'd ever told her he loved her outright. He could tell to the others that he felt love for her, but he used this words to her very rarely. He didn't know why. Perhaps because he was never entirely convinced that what he felt about Lisa could be described with such words. He loved her in his own way, he cared for her, and they had lived a lot together, but when he said these things to her, he felt that it wasn't entirely fair.

It seemed to him that when you really loved someone you had no doubts, but apparently nothing in life was like that. Nothing was ever black or white. Life was made of millions of shades of gray. Often he wasn't sure what he was doing. More than once, he felt as if he were stepping on the edge of an abyss. It only took one careless step to plummet into the dark abyss.

When he was with Taehyung everything was so new to him. He should be nervous, but all he felt was excitement in front of the unknown. The boy was completely different from the people he had known before. He was different. Unique. He trusted him even though he couldn't explain why. It was enough for the tattoo artist to extend his hand to him, and he just let him guide him.

And even though they were going into the unknown. So far it has turned out that everything Taehyung showed him and allowed him to experience was amazing.

And he wanted more. He wanted more of what was related to him.

Suddenly, the sound of the door code reached their ears and Jeongguk instinctively took his hand from the tattoo artist's hand, then cleared his throat in confusion. If someone entered a room and saw them now, he might have been getting the wrong idea. They sat so close their heads were almost touching. Taehyung had his right arm outstretched towards him, and he ran his fingers over it, delicately tracing his tattoos. Perhaps there was nothing extraordinary about it, but he knew that his touch was not merely the touch of someone who admired another human's tattoos. His touch was too sensitive, too intimate, and they both knew it.

"You have beautiful tattoos," Jeongguk said, shifting himself in his seat and trying not to stare at the tattoo artist.

Taehyung shifted nervously in his seat and quickly unwrapped the sleeve of his black T-shirt, covering his arm again. He felt he was hot. His heart was pounding in his chest so hard and fast that he was afraid Jeongguk would hear it. He couldn't explain why he reacted to him in this way. He wasn't too amorous, and it wasn't easy to charm him, but there was something about this boy that he only had to look at him and suddenly the whole world ceased to exist.

He wanted to lose himself in it, but he knew full well that he couldn't afford it. Jeongguk belonged to someone else. He had promised someone he would spend the rest of his life with her, and he had no right to spoil it. The boy was amazing, and even though he didn't know him long, he was convinced he deserved to be happy. To be loved... And since he told him that he loved his fiancée, the girl must have been just as wonderful.

He would lie to say that he does not envy her. He was fucking jealous of her, but he had no choice but to respect Jeongguk's decision. He could have had him in his life as his friend, and that was what he was going to stick to. He didn't have many close people in his life, and he felt that this boy would be someone important to him.

"Hi!" a familiar voice suddenly called.

Taehyung looked towards the door and saw his friend's smiling face. Yoongi just put his head through the crack in the door. His blond hair was slightly disheveled, his eyes still drowsy.

"Hey Yoongs," he said.

"How's it going with the design?" asked the older one, opening the door a little wider.

"We've already arranged everything, I'm just finishing preparing stencil paper, so we'll probably start tattooing soon," explained the redhead. "You want to see the design? Jeongguk had such a great idea."

The blond opened the door wider and went inside. As Jeongguk expected it, he was dressed all in black. His black T-shirt was cut quite heavily, so he could admire his tattoos. As the tattoo artist approached him to give him his hand to greet him, he noticed that there was a fairly large hickey on his neck. He felt strangely embarrassed that it was probably his friend's doing. He knew Jimin was going to meet him again yesterday evening. Apparently they didn't finish with just a drink.

He glanced surreptitiously at Tae and noticed that the tattoo artist's gaze lingered on the proof of love for a few seconds, and then the redhead gave him a quick glance. It lasted for literally a few seconds, but he could have sworn Taehyung looked down his slender, flawless neck, then moistened his lips with his tongue.

Did Tae wonder what his skin would look like with the mark of his lips?

Yoongi, not worrying about anything, approached his friend and leaned over the stencil paper, carefully examining the project. Jeongguk dared to look up again and look at Tae, but as he did so, he noticed that the tattoo artist was already looking at him. He couldn't explain it, but he was sure that the redhead is just thinking about something fucking indecent. His gaze was so intense that he almost forgot how to breathe.

"Oh wow! This is amazing! Tae, this is probably one of your best works!" Yoongi said suddenly, breaking both of them from this strange trance.

Only at his words, Taehyung looked away and looked at his friend. Jeongguk exhaled loudly from his lungs and ran a hand through his dark, almost black hair. He heard Yoongi saying something else, but he couldn't focus on his words. The heart in his chest was beating so hard and loud that he could hear it rumbling in his ears. He had never felt anything like this before. It was enough for Tae to look at him, and he literally forgot how to breathe.

"Okay, I won't bother you. I have a client at twelve o'clock, so I'm at the reception desk," saying that, the blond started walking towards the exit again.

After a while, he disappeared behind the door, closing it behind him. A moment after the blond disappeared, the atmosphere in the room was strangely tense. The air between them could be cut with a knife. They both avoided looking at each other, as if fearing that one glance would make all the decisions made so far go to hell.

"I need another half hour to finish the design," Taehyung said finally, then sat down at the table again.

"It's alright, take your time," Jeongguk said, and he sat down carefully, taking his seat again across from the tattoo artist.

For the next half an hour they practically did not talk to each other. Taehyung focused his attention on transferring the pattern to stencil paper, and Jeongguk followed closely his hand movements. They weren't looking at each other. The tattoo artist only stole a few quick glances, but immediately looked away, fearing that his strong will would not be enough. When he was finally done, he put down the pencil and began to move his head from side to side, trying to get any muscles in his neck working. Seeing this, the brunet wanted to put his hands on his neck and rub the sore spot, but he only put his hands together so as not to accidentally do anything stupid. He preferred to avoid too much physical contact with him. Better to keep your distance.

"The pattern is finished. We will do the rest directly on the skin, unless you prefer me to prepare everything on stencil paper..."

"No!" he protested quickly. "You are so talented that it is not necessary. Work as it is convenient for you. I trust you," he explained.

Taehyung smiled at him and nodded. He got up from the table and walked over to his jacket to reach for a pack of cigarettes. When he was looking for it in his jacket pocket, he turned his face towards the brunet and looked at him closely. The boy put his shirt back on, but he still had it open. The black fabric only hung loosely from his broad shoulders, contrasting so wonderfully with his pale skin. A strong chest rose and fell in steady breathing. Dark hair fell over his forehead as his head was tilted slightly forward. His dark eyes carefully scanned the design lying on the table in front of him. He couldn't see his eyes clearly, but he knew they shone brightly as he looked at the design he had prepared for him. And he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat again when he saw it.

"I'll go out for a smoke and when I come back we can start, unless you want to take a break and go eat. Are you hungry?" He asked, and the brunet shook his head.

"No, I'm not, but... Can I go with you?"

"Sure," he said quickly.

Jeongguk got up from his seat and began quickly buttoning his shirt. Taehyung watched closely with his eyes as the milky skin disappeared, covered with a black fabric. He didn't know how the boy did it, but even as he got dressed, his movements were fucking sexy. Instinctively he moistened his lips. He liked how effortless was everything what the boy was doing. He didn't even have to try to look sexy. When the boy reached the buttons at the height of his sternum, he looked at him from under the curtain of his long eyelashes and as if wanting to tease him, he withdrew his hands, leaving the last two buttons unfastened.

It will be a hell of a long day, thought the redhead, but an involuntary smile crept on his lips.

He couldn't bear the strange tension between them, and on the other hand he adored it. A brief glance into his eyes, the gentle rubbing of his hands, or the warmth of his breath as they stood close, was enough to make him literally intoxicated by his closeness. Time slowed down, everything vanished, and the air seemed charged with electricity.

It was driving him insane.

By agreeing to friendship, he did not think it would be so difficult. They were adults, so controlling your desires and instincts shouldn't be that hard, so why with this boy did it feel like the ground was slipping from under his feet?

It's been a long time since the last time he was in an intimate relationship with someone. Recently he was so busy that he didn't even have the time or the strength to date. And since he met Jeongguk, he couldn't think of anyone or anything else. Perhaps he should go out to some club and snatch someone who would knock this boy out of his head?

He was supposed to meet him tonight, but he didn't know if it was a good idea. If controlling himself during the day is so difficult, how difficult will it be for him when they meet in the evening, alcohol mixed with desire will circulate in their veins, and the dim light will create an intimate and sexy atmosphere?

Perhaps the longer he stays with him, the easier it will be for him? Maybe that was the key? See him more often and "immunize" to his charm.

He had never tried to be friends with someone to whom he was physically attracted before. Of course, he realized that both Yoongi and Namjoon were handsome men, but neither of them turned him on like he did. He didn't think anyone has ever turned him on like this. He quietly hoped that this feeling would fade away, that the more he got to know him, the less attracted he would be, but it was exactly the opposite - he liked him more and more.

They walked with Jeongguk towards the door when it suddenly opened, revealing Yoongi. The tattoo artist had a phone to his ear and was clearly talking to someone, but he looked nervous. Seeing his expression, Taehyung frowned, drawing his perfect eyebrows together.

"Tae, Mrs. Choi Haeun is calling me," Min began suddenly, and at the name Taehyung swallowed nervously. "She tried to call you, but she couldn't, and you named me as the second contact person..." The blond explained quickly, then held out his cell phone towards his friend.

Jeongguk noticed that when the redhead reached out for the phone, his hand trembled slightly. The boy quickly grabbed his friend's cell phone and put it to his ear. He didn't even bother to step aside, as if he didn't care if either of them could hear him talking.

"Good morning, Mrs. Choi. It's Kim Taehyung,"he already said to the phone.

He listened to what the woman said to him for a moment. Jeon felt that the woman's voice was quite agitated, although he could not identify her words. He looked at Tae's face as if to read if everything was alright. He wondered if this was the same woman who had interrupted their meeting recently.

"T-to the hospital?" the tattoo artist repeated suddenly. The brunet noticed that his face was pale. "No. I'm at work, but I'll be right there. I need a maximum of half an hour," added the boy, quickly approaching the tattoo bed on which his jacket was lying. "Yes. See you later," he said and hung up.

He quickly pulled the jacket over his shoulders and turned to face the two men who were staring at him with worried expressions. He approached them quickly and held the phone out to his friend, handing it back to him.

"Yoongi, my car broke down, can I take yours?" he asked.

Jeongguk shifted nervously. It was the first time he had heard such nervousness in a tattoo artist's voice. The boy looked very shaky. Whatever this woman told him, it was very important.

"Namjoon took mine and went to the warehouse to pick up the ink and needles. He will probably be here in about half an hour," the blond replied.

"Fuck," Taehyung cursed, and sank his tattooed fingers into his red hair, brushing it nervously. "Okay, that's too bad. I'll call a taxi," he said, and looked at Jeongguk, who was still watching him closely. "Gguk, I'm sorry, but I have to go..." he began, but he fell silent, not knowing how to finish.

"Tae, if you have to go somewhere, maybe I'll take you there," Jeon suddenly suggested.

Taehyung looked at him uncertainly. He looked like he was wondering if he should agree. He moistened his lips nervously.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Y-you don't have to go to the office or..."

"I was going to be here all day anyway," Jeongguk interrupted him. "It's really no problem," he added.

"Okay," the tattoo artist replied. "Okay, I'll be so grateful," he said as he moved forward toward the exit. Before he left the studio, he turned to Yoongi. "I'll let you know what's going on, Yoongs," he said, and without waiting for his friend's reply, he left the living room.

Jeongguk quickly followed. They nearly jogged across the street, covering the distance to Jeongguk's Mercedes, before they both took their places. The brunet gave the tattoo artist his phone to punch in the address of the place where he was to take him into the GPS, then started the engine and pulled into the street from his parking space. Taehyung didn't say a word, he looked so nervous that the dark haired man was sure he wouldn't be able to say a word. So he didn't insist on talking.

He didn't know much about the neighborhood they were going to go to, so he had no idea where the boy had to go. He was focusing almost all the time on the road, but he looked at the man's face several times in the rearview mirror. His lips were pressed into a narrow line, he thought he was pale. After about ten or fifteen minutes of driving, he noticed Taehyung begin to move his leg nervously, tapping his fingers against his tattooed knee. He almost instinctively stretched out his hand and grabbed this of the tattoo artist, lacing their fingers together. He glanced stealthily in his direction and met Tae's surprised gaze.

The redhead shifted his gaze to their intertwined hands, then back to the brunet's face, then without a word he tightened his fingers tighter around his hand and turned his face in front of him. Jeongguk felt the tattoo artist's body relax slightly. He glanced surreptitiously at their intertwined hands that rested on the boy's thigh. Tae's hand matched perfectly to his, as if it had been made to hold it, its warmth sending shivers down his spine.

"GPS shows we'll be there in five minutes," he said, still holding the tattoo artist's hand.

Taehyung looked at him. The brunet was still looking at the road, so the tattoo artist squeezed his hand a little tighter, forcing the boy to look at him.

"Thank you," he said softly as their eyes met for a moment, then fell silent again. "It's here. Turn right and park. There is usually no problem with parking here," he said again after a few minutes.

Jeongguk did not know these areas. He didn't know where they were or what they could do here. As soon as he parked the car and switched off the engine, Taehyung removed his hand from his and opened the car door, then quickly jumped out of it.

"I-If you don't want to, you don't have to go there with me... You can go, I can handle it," he said, looking inside the car.

The brunet, however, without a word got out of the car. The tattoo artist looked around and quickly ran across the street, and Jeongguk did the same. After a while, the boy ran into a small building. As he entered, Jeon noticed there was some writing on the door, but he didn't even have the time or head for checking what it was.

Taehyung ran quickly down the corridor. The stress took its toll on him again. Jeon could see that the man knew the place perfectly well. Without hesitating, he made his way down the hall to one of the rooms at the end of the hall.

As his tattooed hand pressed down on the doorknob, Jeongguk saw his hand tremble and felt himself nervous at the sight of it. He didn't know what to expect. He shifted his gaze to the boy's face. The tattoo artist paled visibly. He opened the door carefully, and as his gaze fell on the people inside, he let the air out of his lungs loudly, as if he'd been holding it so far.

The red-haired man's lips twitched slightly upward, and he looked as if someone had lifted an unimaginable weight from his shoulders.

"Jae," he said finally, his voice still slightly trembling.

Jeongguk took a step forward to see what was inside the room. He knew perhaps he shouldn't be so inquisitive, but he couldn't help it. He saw that it was some kind of office, what looked like a nursing office.

There were two women inside. One of them was older and shorter. Her hair was slightly gray, tied smoothly in a little bun. The second was younger, wearing a white coat. A little boy was sitting on the couch in front of her. The child might have been three or four years old.

When Taehyung spoke the name, the boy immediately looked at him and shifted nervously, and the girl in the white coat helped him down from the couch. The little one was incredibly cute. He was wearing a blue shirt and navy blue shorts with thin white stripes, and a tiger-shaped backpack on his back.

At the sight of the tattoo artist, the little one raised his hands up and his face lit up in a charming, rectangular smile.

Jeongguk saw the exact same smile in only one person...

Surprised, he looked at Taehyung. The tattoo artist crouched down to the boy's height and spread his arms, ready to take the child in his arms. Jeongguk couldn't take his eyes off him. The face of the tattoo artist was decorated with exactly the same smile, and with an incredible relief, as if all the anxiety had disappeared somewhere at the sight of this little boy.

"Daddy!" The boy suddenly shouted and a bit clumsily fell into the arms of the redhead.

Jeon blinked a few times, not sure he heard the baby's words correctly. He felt as if someone had pumped out all the air. He didn't understand what was going on here, he moistened his lips and parted them slightly, as if to ask if he understood what the little one had said correctly, but he was unable to utter a single word.

The tattoo artist tightly wrapped his arms around the little boy's silhouette, hiding his face in the crease of the little boy's neck. He looked as if he inhaled his sweet scent for a moment, as if to make sure the baby was real, then he pulled away from him gently and kissed the boy's chubby cheek.

"It's all right, little tiger," he said to him in a very tender, low voice. "Daddy is here already."

***

Ayashee:

Finally, Tae's great secret was revealed.
I honestly admit that I was waiting a lot for this chapter myself, and I am curious about your opinion.

And how are your impressions?
Did any of you expect that the rebellious tattoo artist is also little Jae's dad?
How will Jeongguk react?
Will it somehow change their relationship?

Will Jeongguk reveal to the tattoo artist the details of the accident that left such a scar on his body?

xoxo