Chapter Text
Just leave, you can come back tomorrow. Nobody knows, nobody will judge you.
At least, that’s what you’ve been telling yourself for the last couple of days but little did you know that there’s one person that has been really judging you.
“Hey, you. Are you spying on us? This is really weird, you know?”
You were just about to cross the street, running away
once more
, when you’re startled by the timber voice calling you out. Turning around on your heels, you force a smile on your lips as you lock eyes with the man in front of
MOONCHILD,
the tattoo parlour you’ve been visiting for a few days now. Well, you wouldn’t exactly call it visiting: you have been standing in front of it, trying to urge yourself to go inside and finally make an appointment for your first tattoo as you had dreamed of, but you always chickened out, too afraid of several needles poking through your skin. Then, after minutes of staring at the parlour, you decided to turn around and walk back home, angry at yourself. It kind of felt like the walk of shame. You can’t remember how long you thought about getting a tattoo, making the design yourself. And now that you could finally have the opportunity of actually getting it done, your coward self didn’t know better and ran away instead.
Scrunching your nose up at the blonde man, you shake your head slowly. “N-No, what kind of weird idea is that? Why would I spy on you? Do I look like James Bond to you? I want to get a tattoo, obviously, but... I was too afraid to come into your shop, that’s it, nothing more, nothing less. And now that we talked about this, I’m going to leave and I might come back tomorrow, have a nice day.”
You were ready to turn back around, when you heard that man laugh. How could he laugh at you? You’ve been trying to work up the nerves to get your first tattoo and he just decided that it’s okay to make fun of you? It doesn’t really make you want to entrust him with your first tattoo experience despite all your research about every single parlour in the city. You had been looking for a parlour that could meet your expectations, one that wouldn’t make your piece turn into a monster on your skin. You had come across MOONCHILD on Instagram, not really expecting much, but the tattoos done there were truly stunning and it had taken your attention enough for you to actually come to see the men behind those pictures.
“Come on in, let’s talk about one, neither of us will bite, even though our apprentice Jungkook loves to act like a total bad boy - he’s just a soft little boy that’s head over heels for my co-owner Taehyung.” The man chuckles while softly grabbing your wrist and pulls you inside the store - which looked really nice and not as scary as you thought it would. His hand is still wrapped around your wrist, secure but not too tight, tattooed knuckles on display, but you can’t really make out what they’re supposed to be, besides the dark X on his middle finger.
“Welcome to the love of my life - MOONCHILD, I’m one of the owners, Min Yoongi. My buddy, Taehyung, is showing our apprentice how to tattoo a ribcage right now, so we better not disturb them. Now, sit down and talk, what do you need from my magic fingers?” Min Yoongi winks at you as he sits down at one of the coffee tables and grabs a notebook, ready to write down your ideas. Your eyes wander to the front door again, legs bouncing slightly as if you were ready to run away again, but Yoongi sighs, impatience written over his face. You don’t really want to waste his time especially if he’s going to be this enthusiastic about it, note the sarcasm. But you really wanted to get that tattoo for around a year now.
“See… What was your name again?” He rests his chin on his palm and watches you intensely, those cat-like eyes intimidating you. He doesn’t look mean but he does terrify you slightly.
“Y/N”, you mutter, trying to avoid his gaze. You suddenly feel small, just like when your parents used to berate you because you did something wrong, and you don’t really like feeling like a kid all over again. That man makes you feel small. He intimidates you and you wonder how he’d actually look without that ink all over his body.
“Okay, Y/N. See, this is a tattoo parlour, people come here to get something that will last a lifetime. I get it, this whole thing is interesting, maybe thrilling, but if you’re not sure about it, you should go home and reconsider it. Not to be rude, but it’s quite distracting to see someone standing outside, looking at what we’re doing and then running away. Not once, not twice but four times now.” Yoongi raises an eyebrow at you, so you nod. You get what he means, but your idea of coming to look at the parlor and going back home is also your way of thinking about it a little longer and giving you time to be fully ready.
“I get that, Yoongi-ssi, really. And I am almost a hundred percent sure of what tattoo to get, but I just really, really hate needles. It’s just something I really dislike and, as you can imagine, it’s not ideal when you want to get a tattoo. Moreover, the fact that you stare me down like I’m a little girl doesn’t make things better, you know?” You had meant to mumble the last sentence under your breath, but Yoongi seemed to hear it anyway, much to your dismay.
“Again, not to be rude or anything, but you are little, as in ‘tiny’, almost”, he smirks at you, raising an eyebrow, “but now, if you do want a tattoo, what were you planning to get? It’s nice that you at least came somewhat prepared, even if it’s not mentally. We can start from there. Maybe you’ll get over your fear once we talk about everything and I explain what your appointment will be like.”
His challenging attitude was testing your nerves, it wasn’t what you would call “professional”, but you gave in and pulled one of your drawings out of the pocket of your jeans. Unfolding it, you smile as you saw the picture you drew months ago, still fascinated by the beautiful black and red koi carps filled with little roses, lining up into a circle. It had taken you a while to get it ready. You can't help it, you’re a perfectionist. You could go back to it hundred times and still be left unsatisfied. Yet, you still slide it over to Yoongi, pride blossoming in your chest. “There, I want it right under my neck, one of them should be red, the other one black if that’s possible.” Yoongi hums quietly as he eyes your design.
“Mhhm, everything’s possible if you’re going to the right man - lucky for you, in your case that’s me. I’ve done several things like that, have you checked out our Instagram yet?” Yoongi’s eyes never lift from the paper, he’s inspecting every single pencil stroke, secretly annoyed because he likes your drawing so much. He wasn’t expecting something so detailed and so carefully put together from you. You had seemed like a carefree young woman who had maybe been dared to get a tattoo, or something ridiculous that some young people do. It wouldn’t have surprised him. But this design? It’s an elegant piece and he likes it.
“Yeah, that’s actually why I’m here, but I never thought you were the one behind those pieces, some of them look really… feminine. But I guess your magic fingers are fine too.” A smirk sneaks up on your lips as you watch him inspecting your artwork - the only thing you were proud of. You knew it was great, most people thought so, but you were still unsure of what he was going to say. Somehow his opinion was important to you. “Do you like it?”, you ask shyly.
“It’s fine, I guess. Would you like it exactly like that or should I add some of my own style into it? It’s completely your decision to make, don’t worry. I’m not judging or anything, the piece can be tatted like that or we add some fine details to it.” You’ve seen Yoongi’s artwork, you’ve seen the way his tattoos looked and you absolutely loved those - but for this one, you weren’t so sure if ‘his style’ would suit your style, not with this tattoo. This one is a personal and important one, too precisely composed to let someone rework on it.
Shaking your head, you sigh quietly. “I’d like it exactly like that, if that’s okay with you. It has a meaning to it, it took me weeks to perfect it. But who knows, maybe I’ll get addicted to those magic fingers of yours and ask one of your designs”, you wink at him, earning a quiet laugh from his side.
So much for being a frightening man, he seems to actually be pretty soft. Though, you’re not sure if he would appreciate you telling him that. You should probably keep the thought to yourself.
“Like I said, I’m fine with that, I like that you know what you want. So, are you ready for the needles just yet? I do have some free spots today. But if you want my honest opinion, you should maybe take some time to get used to the motive on your actual skin, I could stencil you and we can meet up sometime next week? We have those stencils we sometimes use on children that watch their parents get tattooed or for when Taehyung brings some of his nephews to work. Instead of a real tattoo we print out some motives onto those special stencils that are wipe-proof and won’t wash away after one shower.” This time, his smile was almost caring, causing you to smile as well. He seems to understand where you come from better than you had expected him to and it puts you at ease.
“I think that would actually be pretty great, even though I’m not a child anymore and I know that I want that tattoo”, you giggle, clapping your hands in excitement - something that Yoongi finds absolutely adorable . He stops the thought quickly though. What the hell is he thinking about?
“Perfect, then let me take your artwork and I’ll make a copy of it, scan it and print it, then I’ll be right back with you, do you need anything? Water? Coffee? We even have Iced Americanos, I could get Jungkook to make you one.” Yoongi’s hand reaches out to carefully lift your paper, his tattooed knuckles now on full display for you and you would be damned not to use this opportunity to observe it. A black X is fiercy drawn on his middle finger, just as you guessed. An old school inspired deer skull on his pointer finger, a moon on his ring finger, a black broken heart on his pinky, and a snowflake on his thumb. Neither of them really suited the bright pink and grey wolf that decorates his hand up to his elbow, however, you find that it fits his aesthetic as well.
But then, his hand is gone and so is Yoongi, hunching over the computer on the front desk as he scans your kois. You hum along the song that is currently playing as you watch Yoongi doing his work, almost scanning him yourself. His skinny legs clad in jeans that were tighter than yours, ending in chunky boots (and you really want to ask him where he got them from, they looked bomb), his loose black shirt that revealed his sleeves as well as some tattoos on his chest. You’d love to see all of them. He seems to be a walking piece of art and you want to let your curiosity out and ask him about it. However, you're too shy to be that straightforward with the man and you just let your mind wander and let your imagination do the tricks. Suddenly, he was right behind you, bending over your shoulder to place the tattoo in three different sizes on the table in front of you.
“Which one do you like best? I think the medium one would suit you better, the largest one would come off quite unproportional and wouldn’t leave much space for more tattoos - if you want them.”
To you, the sizes weren’t that different, but Yoongi was the pro, he’d know better than your uneducated self, so you decide to trust him. “Then I’m going with the medium one. Do you need me to do anything to help you apply it?” You turn around, just wanting to look at him while he’s talking to you, but back off as soon as you see how close he was. Yoongi seemed equally startled, stepping away the slightest to give you some personal space. He had not noticed how much he had impinged on your personal space but he notices how quick your warmth leaves him and it startles him.
“Just put your hair up or over your shoulders and lift that shirt all the way up so I can reach the spot above your shoulder blades. Are you comfortable doing it here in the lobby or do you need an extra room?” Shaking your head, you quickly put your hair up in a bun, not caring about any loose strands as you lift your shirt just like he told you, exposing your bare back to him. You should probably be embarrassed, but you’re weirdly calm and peacefully waiting for him to work on you.
“This is going to be a little cold, don’t worry it’s just the gel so the stencil will stick to your skin. I’ll start touching you now, okay?” You nod, shoulders tense as Yoongi applies the gel onto your skin before spreading it gently. Then, he presses the stencil paper onto the space between your shoulder blades, just where you wanted it and then - you’re done. It went quicker than you thought it would, but you’re glad that you succeeded in avoiding the needles for another few days.
“Let it dry real quick before pulling your shirt over the stencil, you’ll be fine with showering and stuff for around 4 days before it slowly fades. Go look in the mirror.”
Once your eyes met the beautiful design, it was hard to hold back the tears, several emotions coming over you quickly. Biting your lip, you look at Yoongi, nodding while whispering “It’s perfect”. He smiles at you, nodding, before allowing you to lower your shirt again. That’s the expression he loves seeing on people. The satisfaction, happiness and joy in your eyes was a small victory for him. It’s his job, yes, but it’s always welcomed to know that he did it well.
“I’m free next Tuesday, by then your tattoo should be almost completely faded but the stencil will still be usable, is that fine with you? I’d plan around 3 to 4 hours just because you’re not used to tattooing yet and it’s better to plan some breaks to eat and drink. If that works for you, let’s say from 11 to 3?” Yoongi looks at you, waiting for your approval, but all you can do is nod, still overwhelmed. He smiles quietly at that.
“Great, I’ll see you then!” He claps his hands and opens the door for you, handing you one of their business cards, before you’re finally out of the parlour and able to breathe for the first time in thirty minutes. Goodness, it was frightening and amazing. You’re left stunned, but happily walking back to your apartment. You had chosen the right parlour after all.
Tuesday came around much quicker than you thought and to say you’re nervous is quite an understatement. You’ve been tossing and turning the night prior, worried about the dumbest things like packing enough snacks for your blood sugar - even though you’ll probably only spend 4 hours there - or what kind of bra to wear. Stupid details, but it seemed important to you. In a way, it helped you mentally prepare for what you were about to do.
Since you’ve heard that Yoongi himself is a passionate coffee drinker, you decided to bring him some coffee from this aesthetically looking coffee shop - BREAD, SWEET & COFFEE. You don’t really know why since you’ll be paying him for his service anyway, but you’re still going to spend a lot of time with him, so you think that it can be a good idea (and you really want to see what this coffee shop has in store, because it looks really yummy.) Stepping inside, you’re greeted by the heart warming scent of cinnamon and baked goods - and the bright smile of the redhead at the register. You can’t help but smile at the view.
“Welcome to Bread, Sweet and Coffee, I hope you’re here to enjoy some handmade pastries! I’m Hoseok, the sunshine of this coffee shop. What would you like to have?” Smiling, you scan the menu, mouth watering at all those delicious looking pastries. You absolutely can’t regret entering the shop. Waking up slightly earlier than you would normally have is the last thing on your mind now, even though it did make you grumpy when you heard your alarm ringing this morning.
“First I just wanted to get some coffee, but I think I need to get some of those amazing looking cupcakes as well. Did you do them yourself? They’re absolutely adorable!” Your eyes are glued to the display, each and every item looked different from each other, handmade and filled with love. Whoever did these really had a passion for decorations. The sight is enough to make you want to buy them all.
“I did! Every morning I decorate them by hand, it’s something like a ritual, I guess. What kind of flavor are you craving? Fruity, chocolaty, minty?” Hoseok points at each of the various cupcakes that line the rack, but the donuts and croissants distract you, making the decision hard. You’re trying really hard not to overthink that, it’s only pastries, but everything looks so yummy, you’d have a bite of all of them if possible.
You shrug, pointing to a simple croissant. Yoongi seemed like a simple guy, not somebody that would like a colorful, cliché cupcake with rainbow sprinkles on top. “That one for my friend. And something uplifting for myself, maybe? I’m about to get my first tattoo and I’m really nervous.”
Looking up at Hoseok, he seems to understand your issue. “I’ve got the perfect cupcake for you, sweetheart. I made this for a friend but he never came to get it, so here you go, handmade, hand decorated and filled with my whole heart. I created this one for my friend only, it’s a mocha-pumpkin flavored cupcake with salted caramel frosting. You don't even want to know the amount of sugar that is inside that little thing, I promise you that this will boost your blood sugar to its maximum. This flavor… it’s something nobody else would ever order but he seems to love it. I put all those star-sprinkles on because I know he acts like he hates them, but I’m sure he secretly enjoys them.”
“Mocha-pumpkin? I’m curious, Hoseok, thank you so much!”, you add two Iced Americanos to your order, yours with two extra shots of caramel, before paying and heading out the door - not without promising to come back, of course.
Hoseok’s excitement splashed over your anxiety and you were pretty happy to be able to get your first tattoo now, especially by those ‘magic fingers’ Yoongi really seems to have.
Once you step through MOONCHILD’s door, you see Yoongi moving his equipment to a seperate room, preparing everything for your appointment.
“Hey there, welcome. You’re Y/N, here for the 11 AM appointment with Yoongi, right?”, a tall man greets you from the front desk, his hair half up in a messy bun, some loose strands are trying to escape the hair tie and frame his structured jawline. He looks absolutely beautiful, you’d bet every girl would die to be with him. His nose is decorated by a gold ring, his buff chest visible under the tight band shirt he wears, some smaller tattoos are covering his arms, but you wouldn’t think of him as a tattoo artist if you would see him on the street.
Smiling, you nod. “Are you Taehyung, the co-owner?” The man sighs and shakes his head, flashing you a bright smile afterwards. “I’m Jungkook, the apprentice. Tae is somewhere in the back with another customer, I’ll be there to watch Yoongi today instead of him. So, are you ready for your first tattoo?”
He almost bounces over to you before handing you a form to fill in, making sure you’re sober and mentally stable enough to get a tattoo. You quickly fill out everything before handing it back to him. “I only brought coffee and snacks for Yoongi and myself, I’m so sorry”, you sigh, feeling really uncomfortable in this situation. But Jungkook just laughs it off, wrapping one of his veiny arms around your shoulders, guiding you towards the room Yoongi is in.
“Don’t worry, I’m not the biggest fan of coffee, Hyung always says that I’m hyper enough without it. I’d be too shaky to actually tattoo myself when I drink coffee, I usually stick to water or flavored milk. And I actually had a pretty nice breakfast with Tae, so I’m totally fine! Hyung, we’re here!”
“I heard, Jungkook, you were loud enough”, Yoongi mutters as he plugs in the tattoo machine. As he turns around and sees Jungkook’s arm around your shoulder, he raises an eyebrow.
“I brought you an Iced Americano because you said you enjoyed them, but I didn’t know what kind of pastries you like so I went with a croissant, I hope that’s fine with you!”, you handed both items over to Yoongi who eyes the croissant with a sceptical look. “It’s fine, but you didn’t need to bring me anything, Y/N. I’m usually not one for breakfast anyway.”
Your smile fades immediately, mouth parted in some sort of shock as Yoongi places the paperbag right next to his workspace. “Oh, okay. I’m… sorry, I guess.”
Sulking, you sit down just as Yoongi instructs you to, feeling Jungkook’s compassionate stare.
“So we’re starting with the black outlines, I’m thinking of doing those first, then we can go for a break and see how it goes, alright?” Yoongi pulls out some rubber gloves and grabs his tattoo gun before dipping it into the small cup of black ink. “Ready?”
You nod as you take a big sip out of your coffee. Your chest was pressed against the chair back as you were straddling the chair backwards, it was the easiest way for Yoongi to reach your neck that way without you having to lay down the entire time. “I guess I am”, you mumble, still kind of hurt from his previous actions.
Jungkook sits down right next to Yoongi, slightly bent over so he can take a better look at what his boss is doing. Yoongi isn’t a big talker while he is working, and you don’t care to start any conversation by now, but Jungkook is doing enough of that for the both of you. He asks so many questions, steals some bites from Yoongi’s croissant and even takes a big gulp out of your Iced Americano even before the first thirty minutes have passed.
Once the black outlines are done, Yoongi gets rid of his gloves and stands up. “I’m going for a cig, you smoking?”, he asks you, but you shake your head. “No, not a big fan of cancer, thank you”, you give him your sweetest smile as you grab the paper bag Hoseok gave you, pulling the colorful cupcake out of it.
Yoongi’s eyes widened as he saw that cupcake. The one that Hoseok always prepared for him, each and every morning. Mocha-Pumpkin with salted caramel frosting. And those star-sprinkles, the glitter, everything . “Fuck, this looks bomb.” Jungkook’s eyes widen at the delicious dessert in your hand, but you quickly lick some of the frosting off. “It’s mine, Jungkook! Hoseok from the bakery across the street gave it to me because his friend didn’t come and grab it, such a shame. I mean, look how pretty it is!” You hold the cupcake for everyone to see, but lower it as soon as you hear Yoongi scoff. “Cig, Jungkook?” “Nah, I’m fine, Hyung.”
“Great”, Yoongi mutters as he leaves the room.
“What a ray of sunshine”, you mumble as you take another bite of the, surprisingly very delicious, cupcake. Jungkook shakes his head, patting your leg comfortingly. “He’s always like that, don’t worry. There’s no day without him calling me brat or making me clean up the mess he made. Maybe he’ll be calmer after he finished his cigarette.”
Well, Yoongi is indeed calmer, but he doesn’t say a word during the entire process. He maybe chuckles when Jungkook says something incredibly stupid, but other than that, nothing.
Four more hours and three breaks later, you are done. Your back is sore, your neck hurts and your stomach grumbles loud enough for Jungkook to tease you about.
“I’m going to put some tattoo balm on it, then you can take a look and after that Jungkook will wrap it up, alright? You did great for your first one, Y/N.” Yoongi smiles slightly as he applies the balm to your irritated skin and you wince a bit once he touches your skin.
“Alright, stand up - be careful not to get dizzy - and take a look.”
And so you did. Standing up on wobbling feet you slowly make your way up to the huge mirror, looking into the hand mirror that Jungkook gives you to take a good look at your fresh tattoo. Your eyes grow wide as you see the new ink for the first time, incredibly happy that it will be with you for the rest of your life. “I love it, Yoongi! Thank you so much!” You were just about to hug him in your euphoria, when he simply nods and tells Jungkook to take a good picture before wrapping it up.
“Taehyung will check you out, thank you for coming to us. Jungkook, could you make sure Y/N gets another appointment in maybe two or three weeks to make sure everything is healing well? I’ll see you around then, Y/N”, Yoongi nods in your direction and smiles softly as he grabs the Iced, well not anymore, Americano and leaves the room.
“He confuses me”, you sigh as Jungkook turns you towards the light to take a picture for their Instagram. “He indeed was even more weird than usual, but he will get over it. Now, I’m going to wrap you up and guide you over to Tae so you can pay and then you’re finally free.”
You finally meet the last person of the parlour that you haven’t met yet, and you’re kind of glad to leave the constricting room you've been stuck in for the last few hours to meet the beaming man with bright blue hair who’s staring at you.
Taehyung’s smile is radiant when you come out. You are drained, tired, and only wish for your bed to quickly come, but the smile you are greeted with makes you feel slightly less drowsy.
“So, was it that bad?” he almost chuckles as he sees the faint smile on your face. He knows how eventful the first tattoo is, especially for someone who hates needles. Apparently everyone in this parlor knows about your struggle.
Taehyung almost thought you would back out at the very last minute, but no. You came out, skin proudly decorated with the piece you've designed yourself.
“It wasn’t, but it still is something. I never thought that the day I actually mustered the courage to get my dream tattoo would come.” He chuckles at that, looking at you with a proud smile.
“She didn’t even cry” Jungkook comes out of the room you previously were in, laughing a bit.
“Thank you for the encouragement” you sarcastically blurt out with a roll of your eyes.
“Any plans yet to get another one?” he asks as he was preparing the paperwork for you to checkout.
“Maybe, but I’m not quite sure for sure for now. It did help me to somewhat get over my fear, but I still need to come back for that one, so I’ll probably consider it once this one is completely healed!” your smile shows your exhaustion, but the happiness and glow surrounding you seems way more important to Taehyung who can’t help but smile back.
You’re fascinating, in a way that is almost wrong for him to think about when he already has loving people in his life.
“Yep, Yoongi mentioned to make sure that you book her another appointment for check up in two or three weeks. So if you could check when Yoongi’s free, that’d be awesome.” Jungkook smiles while Taehyung shoots him a thumbs up.
“I’d be very honored if you considered coming to me as well, take a look at my work. I think you'd like my style as well.” Taehyung's smile is definitely contagious, reflecting on your face as you’re paying.
“I’ll consider it! Thank you so much for everything!” you are about to leave when you see Taehyung looking for something, or for someone? You wonder if he was expecting Yoongi to come back to the desk to say goodbye.
“Is everything alright?” you ask, just to make sure that everything was okay. For some reason, in just a few moments (and hours for Yoongi and Jungkook), they have somehow grown on you and you don’t want to leave without making sure that everything is alright.
“Ah, yes, don’t worry about it! Take good care and see you soon! Don’t forget to drink and eat well, remove the foil once you’re home and wash the tattoo with scent-free soap, then apply a thin layer of that lotion three times a day until we will see you again!” he smiles again, relief washing over your shoulders as Taehyung handed you the tattoo lotion.
“I’ll see you around, bye Taehyung, bye Jungkook, tell Yoongi I said bye as well!” you leave - the parlor, hearing Jungkook’s goodbye and Taehyung’s cheers, but for some reasons, something still seems unsettled.