Work Text:
Wylan had worked tirelessly on yet another floral design. A detailed rose, with leaves and stems that trailed downwards and intertwined to create a stunning spiral of green with hints of darker thorns. He was proud of this one. The other designs had never really stuck out to him, he always seemed to find a flaw where, to the untrained eye, it would be unnoticeable, maybe even complimented.
Wylan couldn’t stand dishonesty. If a design of his was bad, everyone should just learn to come out and say it rather than hide behind false words and undeserving praises. He wanted his peers to be truthful, to point out the mistakes, but they never seemed to.
That or he was a tad harsh on his ability.
Either way, he didn’t like liars. He’d spent far too much of his life in the same room as dozens of them and now he had finally found the key to get out of that stifling room, away from those entitled, selfish people, he begged his friends and his remaining family for honest words, even if he’d struggle to hear them.
Better terrible truths than kind lies, a saying he inherited from his mama. A wise woman. Wylan missed her dearly, but she was exploring the world, living the life she missed. She would come home soon, and with plenty of gifts for him, that much she promised in her last letter from a rural farm in Kenya. She spoke of how the owner, a kind and generous man, had welcomed her in with open arms and she knew was perfectly safe with him. Wylan couldn’t doubt his mama, she carried an instinct of sorts, one that was never wrong. He wasn’t going to start doubting her now. Matthias often teased Marya and called it the ‘mum gene’. Anyway, if she was in any sort of danger, Wylan would come to her aid, but if he couldn’t for any reason, he had contacts all over the world, he would keep her safe and have her back with him in a matter of hours.
For now, he would focus on keeping the business afloat and taking care of Indy, the border collie puppy that Matthias rescued and he desperately needed a home. Wylan was drawn in immediately after meeting the poor thing and offered to take care of him until they could find someone, but mere days later Wylan couldn’t let him go. Now, the two were inseparable.
He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by a knock at the door. The only people that came to visit him were Kaz and Matthias, his childhood friends, so he was expecting to see one of their stone cold faces as he opened the door, but instead he was greeted with the generous smile of one Alys Bajan and her little one, Evelyn. Her husband, Adem, waved at him from behind the two.
A happy family. Wylan couldn’t have been more pleased for Alys.
When he last saw her, she was pregnant, close to her due date, and she hadn’t come to see him since, but she still took the time to write and tell her former step-son (but the term friend suited them more than step-son and step-mother ever did) all about the experience of having a newborn in the household to care for. She often expressed her appreciation for her husband when he came home to find her sleeping on a chair in the dining room, head resting in the crook of her folded arms on the table. He picked her up, put her to bed, kissed her forehead and then checked up on Eve without complaint. As Wylan gazed upon the couple, he picked up on the quiet twinkle in their eyes, saw how much they cherished one another, and secretly wished love like such for himself.
Maybe one day, he thought wistfully.
Then, he invited them inside with a swift gesture and waited until they got comfortable in the living room before asking if the two of them wanted anything to drink. They shook their heads in unison, but thanked him regardless.
Alys cleared her throat before smirking, “So, have you received any gentleman callers?”
Wylan resisted the urge to snort at her question. He didn’t know if it was the wording or the fact that he had not gotten himself a boyfriend, or even a fling, or a bit on the side. It was quite sad. He’d never been in a relationship, the only time he was close to getting a boyfriend was in boarding school, but it turned out the boy had just asked him on a date as a supposed ‘joke’, but it wasn’t funny. That same boy later turned around and gave him a thorough fuck in the P.E. changing rooms. Along with liars, he didn’t want anymore encounters with closeted boys that used him, ripped his heart to shreds and tossed him around like a ragdoll. He also had no idea how love was supposed to feel. He convinced himself that what he felt for that boy and all the boys that came after him was true love, and he’d never find anyone else like him, but he matured and grew and realised that the feelings he harboured for those boys were merely silly infatuations. They were all older than him and were far more popular than he could ever be, and so he caught himself in unrealistic fantasies and lost the power to return to the real world, where things were harsher and where the boys he's messed around with would never dream of being seen with him outside of their beds or storage cupboards or changing rooms or a secret spot behind a garden wall. They were ashamed, whether that be of him or of themselves, he had yet to figure that out, but he tried not to dwell on it for too long nowadays, he was happier than he was back at that dreadful place, and he was better off without boys like that. Wylan would experience love, but he’d love someone who could see him for all he was worth, and that love would weather any storm.
But not just yet.
Luckily, Wylan had learnt the virtue of patience long before his mind was burdened with the thought of never loving somebody with everything you have.
He cleared his throat. “Nope.”
Alys frowned. “Oh, Wy. You’ll find someone.” He tried not to cringe at her sympathetic tone. He was never one for sympathy, it made him feel weak, and he hated feeling weak.
“I have no doubt.” Wylan didn’t want to lie to Alys, but it was for the best. He knew she would probably do something embarrassing like coddle him if he told her he felt hopeless. Wylan turned his gaze to Evelyn. “Oh, this must be the rascal I’ve been hearing so much about!”
“The one and only.” Alys shared a smile with her husband.
A sharp pang of uncomfortable jealously returned.
Adem held a finger out before Eve, waiting for her to take it. “She’s getting so big already.” When she did, he yelped. “And she’s strong!”
Alys paused before slowly turning to face Wylan, a small grin playing on her lips, “Just like you.”
Wylan huffed. “I seriously doubt that.”
But Alys continued, her grin morphing into a frown as she spoke, a tinge of urgency in her tone, as if nothing was more important as telling Wylan to give credit where credit was due. To himself. “Did you or did you not put your father behind bars all by yourself? The only thing the court did was give him a fair trial, you did the rest. And you’ve managed to sink his corrupt empire and pursue your own dreams rather than chase the legacy he had planned for you. I’d say that’s pretty damned strong.”
Wylan felt heat tickle his cheeks and he could no longer look Alys in the eye without feeling some form of embarrassment. “Thanks.”
“Remember my words, Wylan.” Alys sighed. “It’s about time you loved yourself like everyone around you does. Fully, unmistakeably and without need for an explanation.”
“I’ll try, Alys. That’s all I can promise for now.”
“And that’s enough.”
She reached over to place a hand on the side of his face, then carressed her thumb to the side of his nose. He smiled and she smiled back and he suddenly felt stupid for all the hiddeous amounts of jealously curling up inside of him. Alys cared for him in a way that he hadn’t experienced for years. She loved him like he was a part of her family, and he loved her the same. Jan’s love was real, for a time, but then it soured. Marya’s love was fulfilling and so present , but then it was gone, along with her. He’d never had any other family, until Alys came along and brightened his days. Then came Adem. And now Evelyn. Despite not living in the same house or being near one another all the time, they’d made their own strange family, of sorts, and he felt loved.
Wylan’s grin broadened. “You’re like no other, Alys Bajaan.”
Alys giggled. “Says you, Wylan Van Eck.”
“Oh, oh! Do you want to see my new tattoo idea?”
“Of course I do!”
Jesper Fahey was indeed renowned for his intricate work, but he was also a fantastic distraction when customers were feeling nervous or fidgety. He liked to talk to them, to inquire about their interests and their hobbies and what they do for a living. He also listened intently, agreeing or humming often. Almost all of Jesper’s customers let themselves go in his presence. He couldn’t possibly count the amount of embarrassing stories he’d heard fall from their lips, followed by a series of apologies, to which he laughed and reassured them that nothing left this shop. Being able to concentrate on their answers to the questions asked took their mind off of the pain.
Jesper considered his work fulfilling. He got to meet new people every single day and he worked alongside his friends, Nina, their piercer, and Inej, the owner of the shop.
He’d struggled to find happiness for a while but, in a strange turn of events, happiness found him.
“Sounds fantastic.” Jesper had worked with her long enough to know this was Inej speaking with a customer. She has a specific tone, a lilt to her voice. “I’ll have a word with our artist. Of course. See you soon!”
The next minute, Inej was standing before him, hands on her hips. She gently smiled. “You have a customer. A consultation at four today, add it to your calendar. His name’s Wylan.”
“Hello to you to, love.” Jesper rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the grin that slipped onto his features. “Does Wylan have any idea what design he’d like?”
“He’s drawn something himself.” She cracked her knuckles, one by one.
“Oh, fantastic. Less work for me.”
Inej cocked a brow.
Jesper sighed. “Does he think my art won’t be good enough?”
“He’s said you can adjust some things that you think won’t work, but I think he’s just confident in his ability.” Inej shrugged, glancing at her wrist watch. “Just be ready in 10, please.”
She gave him a little wave, one he returned, before taking her leave and Jesper was sat on his own again.
He wondered if he could spy into Nina’s room but as he passed the reception desk, Inej mouthed to him that she was in with a client. When Jesper asked what piercing, Inej replied with a shake of her head.
A gesture shared between the two of them that often meant you don’t wanna know.
And so he left it at that, skulking back into his room to prep for the upcoming consultation with this Wylan.
It was an uncommon name, but Jesper had sworn he’d heard it before. Or maybe he’d just heard a similar word and mistook it for this man’s name?
He didn’t know and frankly, at this particular moment, he couldn’t care less. He reached into the drawers beneath his desk and gathered his things just as he heard the small golden bell above the door ring a few times.
He distinctly heard Inej speaking kindly to the man, and the man responding in a similarly caring tone. He poked his head out of the doorframe of his room and laid eyes on the man himself.
This was Wylan…
He had orange hair, but dulled slightly, so Jesper had the sense that it was natural. Along with the fact that it was the most stunning colour he had ever seen, or perhaps Wylan was just the most stunning boy he had ever seen. Jesper couldn’t deal with the specifics right now, he was far too focused. His light blue eyes were hardly visible due to his continuous smiling and, by proxy, his eyelids were half closed, dimples on either side of his mouth becoming visible. He wore a brown turtleneck along with a patterned woollen cardigan and belted black jeans, which were paired with brown, borderline black, boots.
Saints, he had style.
“Wylan, Wylan, Wylan…” Inej drawled, likely scanning the system for his name. “Ah! Got it!” She paused, her concentration faltering as she read something on the screen for the fifth time. “Wylan…Van Eck?”
Jesper’s jaw promptly dropped .
“Yeah.” Wylan rubbed his sleeve awkwardly. “Try not to hold it against me.”
“We don’t discriminate or hold any prejudice here, Wylan.” Inej offered a small smile. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you.” He returned said smile with a brief, shy grin of his own. One that Jesper wished he could see again.
“But, for the record,” Inej considered her next words. “I know it’s none of my business, but I have a thing for gaining justice from people who’ve ruined my childhood. He was an asshole who didn’t deserve you as his son, and I’m glad he’s not in your life anymore. You’re one of the brave ones, Wylan.”
Wylan blushed, a deep red, as he responded. “Oh. Thank you. And…I’m sorry about the people who ruined your childhood.”
“Not your apology to give, don’t worry.” Inej shuffled some papers on her desk before looking back to Wylan, giving him a sly wink. “They got what they deserved in the end.”
He grinned, showing his teeth this time and Jesper noticed his slight overbite. He’d never been attracted to teeth. This man was turning his stomach in ways it had never been turned before.
And he liked it.
Jesper ducked his head back into his room before anyone could spot him, but he didn’t stray from the door, he was still listening in on their conversation.
“Okay.” Inej clasped her hands together. “I’m going to check up on my girlfriend. Jesper’s room is to your right, pop in whenever you’re ready!”
“Thank you!”
“No problem.”
The next thing he knew, Wylan was gently knocking on his door.
Jesper wasted no time. He turned the handle and the door flew open to reveal the gorgeous figure stood before him.
Wylan took a moment to take all of him in, his eyes cautiously roaming his body, as if taking his sweet time to memorise every part of Jesper.
Good, Jesper thought. Let him look.
Wylan gulped, finally meeting his gaze. “You’re Jesper?”
He resisted the urge to laugh. “That I am. Come on in.”
And the man did just that, but he had a strangely anxious air about him. Jesper gestured to the seat in front of him, and Wylan slowly sat himself down.
“So, Inej tells me you drew your own design.” He didn’t want to scare the guy off before he could even see his art, so he offered a delicate smile. A smile reserved for Inej and Nina, his closest friends. A smile that washed vulnerability into his system.
But Wylan grimaced. “Erm. Yeah.” He reached into his coat pocket, one made of fine material he could never afford.
I guess that’s what comes with being the son of a millionaire.
A Van Eck. Jesper Fahey would be tattooing a fucking Van Eck of all people. He’d never harboured any love for the stuck up businessman the boy before him used to call ‘father’ but he had learnt a valuable life lesson from Inej.
We are not our fathers.
This Wylan was different. He carried himself as if he was a burden to the world, as if the people he met would hate him from first glance, first word. He had looked into Jesper’s eyes once and the rest of the time they’d been talking, he’d gazed at his feet or the hands he was nervously wringing together. He stumbled over every other phrase. He was awkward. He was human .
Wylan tugged on a folded piece of paper and handed it to Jesper. “It’s sort of a rough draft that I finished this morning. If there’s anything you want to change or add, then please do so. You’re the expert here, I just wanted to give some guidance. It sounds silly–”
The entire time Wylan was rambling, words strewn together in a messy haze of anxiety, Jesper couldn’t pull his eyes away from the piece before him.
It was stunning. A mix of flowers, mainly roses, and dark stems, thorns scattered everywhere. He’d left it black and white, but Jesper longed to add colour to the detailed sketch.
He’d underestimated Wylan’s skill and he vowed never to do such a thing ever again.
“There’s nothing I want to change. This is perfect, really.” Jesper smiled. “Though, I do want to ask, would you be opposed to colour?”
Not long after Wylan had taken his leave, his cheeks still tinted pink and hints of a smile remained, Jesper received a long awaited visitor.
“Hiya Jesper.” She smirked, and he knew she wanted to say something particularly jarring or rude. “Who was your last client?”
Jesper rolled his eyes. Ever nosy, was Nina Zenik. “Some kid.”
“Some kid?” Nina scoffed. “Kids can’t get tattooed, idiot. Who was he? Spill.”
“None of your business.”
“It’s plenty my business. Or should I say my wife’s business.”
“Yeah and your wife knows who came to see me so go and ask her if you’re that desperate.”
Nina paused, studying Jesper’s face, his body language. She came to a conclusion pretty quickly. “My lovely wife may know his name, his background, all that irrelevant stuff, but you know more. He was good looking, wasn’t he?”
Jesper chuckled, “Nina, love, you know full well I can’t have that opinion about my clients.”
“That barrier doesn’t stop you from feeling.” Nina leant against the door frame. “The heart wants what it wants and not even you can redirect that lust.”
“But I can certainly try.” Jesper began packing his things away and those incessant thoughts of Wylan subsided for a brief moment before Nina opened her mouth again.
“Oh so he was good looking.”
“ Nina.” Jesper spoke her name like a warning, a line she shouldn’t cross.
But this was Nina, her favourite place to wander into was dangerous territory.
“All I’m saying is don’t purposefully hold yourself back just because you think it’s wrong to fornicate with clients who want you back.” She sighed.
Jesper raised a brow. “Never say the word fornicate again.”
“Aye aye captain.” Nina began to back away. “Just think about what I’ve said.”
Jesper couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said, it was becoming a problem, an unwanted string of what ifs.
Wylan was coming in today to get his tattoo on his thigh. His thigh. Jesper thought of the soft skin there. He wondered if it was freckled like the skin on his face and his arms.
The sound of the bell above the door brought him out of his dangerous spiral of Wylan, but then when he glanced out of his room window to meet the gaze of the person who’d just strolled in, he was plunged back into said dangerous spiral. He had the feeling it would take a lot of alcohol and another person’s hand down his pants to leave the spiral for good, or maybe those things would make it worse, he wasn’t sure.
“Fantastic, thank you!” He heard Inej say. “You know where he is.”
Jesper braced himself as he saw the handle of the door turn and he came face to face with the man he couldn’t evict from his head.
Jesper took a deep breath in and smiled. “Hey, you look good.”
“Thanks, you too.” Wylan returned the smile in a heartbeat, and Jesper ignored the fluttering in his chest. Making Wylan smile was becoming a fast favourite pastime for Jesper and he never wanted to see the man without a smile adorning his beautiful face.
What the fuck was happening to him?
He stepped aside. “Come in.”
And Wylan did just that.