Chapter Text
"Fuck,"
Hudson let out a heavy breath, finally swapping in a new pair of piercings. It had been six months since he first got them. If you asked why he'd done it in the first place, he'd probably blame Katelyn and Chelsea. They'd wanted to test their new piercing skills at the shop but were too chicken to do it on each other, let alone a real customer. So, being the "supportive boyfriend" he was, Hudson became their lab rat.
But little did they know, despite his initial skepticism about piercings being "addictive & attractive", everything changed when he met that guy from his recent project, the one that had just catapulted him into the Hollywood spotlight.
Those little, shiny silver studs from that guy's chest catching the light during their first teaser fitting had haunted Hudson's mind ever since.
To be honest (and slightly embarrassed), he got his nipples pierced because of Connor Storrie.
"That's a fast recovery, especially for your first time," Katelyn noted, finishing her six-month check-up.
"So, I can officially swap these little fuckers out whenever I want?" Hudson asked, looking down at his chest.
"Basically, you can get them in every color and shape imaginable," Chelsea said, holding out a tray of assorted jewelry.
"I'll take these. Thanks, bestie." Hudson picked out a pair of simple barbells with a round bead on one end and a tiny heart on the other.
"Want me to help you change them now?" Katelyn reached out.
Hudson's mind wandered for a split second before he replied,
"I'll put them in later. Maybe right before we head to Coachella next weekend. Don't worry, I can handle these little sluts myself."
Chelsea threw her head back and laughed. "I'm looking forward to seeing the fit that actually shows those off!"
________
LA in the summer is a nightmare. Unless you're ready for the biggest festival on the planet, the weather is nothing but a giant stove burning in hell.
Hudson had been in LA for three days now. He'd flown from Vancouver to LA hundreds of times over the last five months. His agent wanted him to settle in the States or at least rent a condo, but he insisted on a very 'clappable' reason:
"Renting a house here will make me too lazy to fly back to Vancouver. I just want to have a home to fly back to."
In reality, it was just an excuse to crash at Connor's apartment whenever he was in town. And because Connor was such a nice, easygoing guy, he never said no. They were practically attached at the hip whenever Hudson was in WeHo.
"So,... you're really not coming to Coachella with us?" Hudson asked, lounging on the thrifted couch Connor had bought a month ago during Oscar season.
This was Hudson's new nest. He'd even told Connor not to let anyone else sleep on it unless it was him (or Tayler, because she was too damn cool).
Connor sat on the kitchen island, devouring the plain chips he loved. "Nope," he said with a definitive pop.
"Why? You can stop listening to rock for one day, you know. Your faves won't die istg, they probably want you to explore new genres!"
"Huddy, I just don't want to be there. It's too many people, and I get overwhelmed by crowds sometimes. Plus, I have meetings with the new crew for the shoot in May."
"But I'll be there with you," Hudson pouted, looking up with his best puppy-dog eyes.
"You'll be there with Kate, Chelsea, and Zach," Connor jumped off the island, walked over to the couch, and leaned down to look Hudson in the eye.
"...and you," Hudson gasped.
"Please, Connie. Why not have some fun? You'll be so busy in May, and we won't have a chance to party together. We haven't gone out since when? March? Oh my god."
"It was literally last month, Huddy," Connor chuckled, tapping Hudson's head before sitting beside him.
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Hudson's cheek. "Just have fun. I'll be home at night, you can crash out here in my place and we can order that K-BBQ you like."
Hudson felt a twinge of frustration. His plan to debut the piercings for Connor at the festival was officially ruined.
Because... Connor didn't know yet. He has been keeping it a secret since then.
"Fine, whatever. I'll just party my ass off. Maybe we can go together somewhere later? Lollapalooza? Berlin?"
"Okay, Berlin sounds great. Deal," Connor smiled instantly.
Later that afternoon, Connor slid onto the couch after a gym run. Hudson had just returned as well, his hands full of shopping bags, likely gifts for Katelyn.
"Hi, Huddy."
"Hi, papi. How was the gym?"
Hudson dropped the bags and joined him on the couch.
"Good. Leg day," Connor said, draining his water bottle.
Hudson had been acting weird all day, overthinking, pacing, and searching the house for a remote that didn't even exist.
"What's up, Huddy? Are you looking for something?"
"I lost my jewelry bag. I thought I left it in the bathroom last night."
"The black satin one? I saw it on the floor this morning, but I was running late, so I put it on the shelf over there," Connor pointed.
Turns out the remote was the jewelry bag.
"Thank God. Thank you, baby," Hudson sighed in relief.
"Must be those expensive Balenciaga pieces, huh?"
"No, they're just piercings," Hudson said, pulling a pair out to show him.
Connor smiled, looking at the bag. "Oh, you bought more? Those would look nice on your ears."
Hudson's heart skipped a beat. He decided to let his intrusive thoughts win.
As Connor touched the jewelry, realizing the gauge was a bit "off" for an ear piercing, his brain snapped.
Hudson's voice shook. "They're... not for my ears. I got my nipples pierced."
The shift in the room was seismic. It wasn't that it was unusual for a man to have piercings, but it was Hudson, and it was nipple piercings.
Connor felt like he'd been killed a hundred times and brought back to life just to suffer the mental image of Hudson's bare chest with those shiny silver bars
He was doomed.
"It's... it's so fucking cool, baby," Connor managed to say, trying to act normal while his mind was screaming "touch it".
"So..." Hudson's ears were turning a deep shade of crimson.
"Actually, I was going to ask if you could help me put these in? They're so hard to handle on my own. I figured since you've had yours for a while, you'd have some tips."
It was Connor's turn to let the intrusive thoughts win.
"I can help you put them in."
He tried to sound casual. "I'm used to doing this. Unless you're afraid I'll accidentally rip your nipples off."
He tried to be funny this time, but Hudson's face was now the color of a spicy meatball.
Red and juicy.
"Wait, what—no, what the fuck are you thinking, Connor Storrie," Connor cursed himself internally.
The tension was suffocating. For a second, Hudson thought they might just burst into laughter and pretend this wasn't the weirdest conversation ever. But instead of laughing, Hudson reached for his hem.
"Then maybe you can just help me," Hudson whispered, his voice trembling as he pulled his shirt over his head.
"Can you do that for me, papi?"
Connor stood frozen. Hudson looked devastating, long hair, porcelain skin, and there they were.
The proof. Those piercing on his skin. His nipples.
They repositioned themselves on the couch as Connor sanitized the new pair of piercings.
"Okay, tell me if it hurts."
"Don't mess it up. I'd appreciate keeping both nipples intact," Hudson joked weakly, trying not to notice how close Connor's golden curls were to his skin.
Connor's hands didn't just moving, they lingered on Hudson skin. His fingers traced the area around the piercing slowly
Deliberately.
"Sensitive?" Connor murmured, his voice dropping an octave.
Hudson swallowed hard. "You're making it worse."
"Am I?" Connor leaned in, Hudson can feel Connr's breath brushing against his skin. "Better?"
Hudson didn't answer. He gripped Connor's wrist, holding him there.
In that moment, they both felt like they were living out a scene from Heated Rivalry episode 6.
Because the piercings were fresh, the swap stung a bit. Connor felt Hudson's fidgetting under his touch, his heart racing with the fear of causing the other's pain
or perhaps something else entirely was racing under his gym shorts.
A tiny drop of blood surfaced on his skin. Before Hudson could even react, Connor leaned forward, pressing his lips to the tiny wound to soothe it.
With an unnervingly innocent look, he whispered, "Sorry for hurting you, baby doll."
"That is not helping at all," Hudson muttered to himself.
It was just a piercing, yet now they were both undeniably hard.
"Are you finished? I think... I need...the bathroom," Hudson said, desperate to escape the situation he'd started.