Work Text:
Wandering alone town was something Shuichi should be more than used to by now. He was normally alone; and walking around was always a good way to get his mind off of things. But recently, every time he was in the city, he had Kaito by his side, holding his hand, talking with him. It felt weird being here without him.
'But this is something I have to do without him...'
It wasn't like he didn't want Kaito here, but he knew the other would try and say or do something to talk him out of this, the decision he had made. However, Shuichi had made up his mind about this.
Walking up to a small corner shop, hoping it was the one he had set out to find, he looked at the sign. The purple scorpion with a rose on the tip of its tail told him that he was indeed in the right place.
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Shuichi walked in the shop.
A soft jingle played as the glass door swung open, probably to alert the owner of his presence. Looking around the room, he saw every grey wall was littered with numerous designs, from simple black and whites to complicated painting like ones. There was a sitting area, with two armchairs and a table with two opened books, both of which appeared to have more designs to look through.
"Hey there!"
Shuichi snapped his attention to the source of the voice, which came from the doorway in the back. The greeting was short, but cheerful, a match to the grin on the young woman's face. She was about half a head taller than Shuichi, with short, sharply cut lilac hair and piercing sea blue eyes. She grinned at him a bit like Kaito, which helped him calm his nerves.
"Hi, um, I...I'm Saihara Shuichi, ah I w-would like a tattoo? I-if there's an open slot!"
He probably sounded pathetic, stuttering like that, like a damn kid. He half expected her to laugh at him, but the young woman chuckled at him and winked and extended her hand with a smile.
"There's no need to be so formal hun, relax! I'm Rae!"
Shuichi shook her hand and returned her smile with a small one of his own. She then guided him along through the door way, with Rae making a small stop to knock on another door.
"I've got a customer, watch the front!"
Not waiting for a reply from whoever she talked to, the two walked into her work studio, where she motioned for Shuichi to sit in one of the two work chairs, before sitting herself on the stool next to it.
"So Shuichi, what are you looking for?" Rae asked eagerly "Do you have something in mind, or would you like to look through some ideas with me?"
Shuichi shook his head gently, then took his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled through it for a few seconds, then showed it to the young woman.
"Oh, that's Orion, isn't it? That's quite an odd choice, hope you don't mind me saying!"
Shuichi smiled nervously and nodded his head, of course it didn't seem like him to do something like that, it didn't seem like him to be getting a tattoo at all!
"It's, ah, my boyfriend loves space, that's his favorite constellation"
The nervousness in his voice was more embarrassment than anything else. It felt weird admitting this to someone he only knew the name of. It was something he had kept completely to himself, none of his friends knew he was doing this.
"Oh I see! That's so lovely of you!"
Shuichi blushed and told her a quiet thank you, smiling awkwardly.
"Well, do you have any specific place you'd like to have it done?"
The question stiffened Shuichi, this was going to be the hardest part. He wasn't here to get a tattoo because he randomly decided he wanted to mark his skin. Sure the idea itself was enticing, having a part of his boyfriend on him forever, but there was another significant reason, something that had been weighing heavily on the both of them throughout all the years they've been together.
"You okay there? Something the matter?"
Rae's worried voice snapped him out of his thoughts, whipping his head up to meet her eyes apologetically.
"I'm okay, sorry!"
"No need to apologize, take your time."
She was a lot more patient than she looked, but maybe that was also part of the job.
Holding his breath, Shuichi took his jacket off and opened his shirt up, showing her his upper torso.
Rae's eyes scanned the pale skin, her eyes instantly falling on the thin lines a bit to the left from the middle of his chest.
"D-do you think you can make a black background that looks like space? Then use white over that, to make the constellation...?" Shuichi's voice was much weaker than he'd like it to be, but he managed to get the words out and felt a bit lighter.
Rae hummed, seemingly deep in thought for a few minutes.
"May I look a little closer?"
Her careful question startled Shuichi, who nodded and shrugged the rest of his button up off, as Rae's face closed in on his torso.
Her eyes scanned his scars, switching between them and the picture on Shuichi's phone. After a short while of mostly silence, besides her occasional humming, Rae pulled back, grinned a wide grin and grabbed the tablet from next to her and took a picture of the scars, surprising Shuichi.
"Let me try something!"
She spoke with such fervor that he didn't have it in his heart to deny, so he nodded his head and let her work on her tablet, which admittedly didn't take more than a handful of minutes, that passed by quickly as Shuichi watched her work.
Once she was done, she tuned the tablet towards him and smiled widely.
"What'cha think? Isn't that better?"
Words got caught up in Shuichi's throat so hard he ended up coughing, eyes wide as he looked at the elegant yet simple design Rae had made.
"Y-yeah, yeah that's great!"
His voice was emotionally charged, he could hear it, but it was a good thing. For all the thinking he had put into this, the design that Rae had come up with had never crossed his mind.
With a big grin, Rae put the tablet aside and began preparing her tools, humming a familiar tune of an old song that spoke of stars.
The process itself wasn't as painful as Shuichi thought it was going to be. Rae told him in slightly slower words, careful not to mess up the design, that technology had come a long way in terms of tattoo art and not only was it a lot less painful during the process, but the aftercare was far minimal compared to what it was some years ago.
The two of them conversed, as ink started settling on his skin, Rae explained to him exactly what she was doing when, letting him know of the process since he couldn't see it and Shuichi asked whatever question came to his mind, mainly to keep himself busy as he stared into the ceiling.
Some time and a bit of pain later, Shuichi shrugged his clothes back on, slightly favoring his left side.
"As I said, the pain should fade within the day, just try to avoid irritating it for the next 24 hours and apply some cream if it itches, other than that you're set."
Shuichi nodded and took the tiny container with the cream Rae gave him, rolling his left shoulder to get the blood flowing normally again.
"I'm glad I came here for this, thank you Rae!"
He was truly thankful. He had spent merely hours with the woman, but she seemed friendly and kind. She had even gone through the trouble of presenting him with an alternative to the tattoo he had wanted to get, which he honestly liked so much more.
"Aw, thanks hun! I don't know what your story is, but your boyfriend will love this, I just know it! Come by with him if you're ever in the area, I'd like to meet him!"
Shuichi nodded his head, knowing that he was definitely bringing Kaito here to meet her one of these days, he was sure the two of them would hit it right off.
"I will! Thank you!"
A payment and a gentle hug later, Shuichi got back on the road. It was about midday now, there was plenty of time before Kaito would be back from his training, so he still had more than enough time to make something for them both without rushing.
He settled for Sesame Soba, one of Kaito's favorites. He put music to play, a shared playlist him and Kaito made when they first started going on road trips together and started working through the recipe he knew by heart. Time passed easily and when the sun started to dip, an indicator that Kaito would be home soon, he was happy to notice that the red around his tattoo had started to fade and it didn't bother him to move his arm as much, just like Rae had told him.
The door clicked and that meant Kaito was back, so Shuichi fluttered over to welcome him. He hugged his boyfriend, who didn't look like he had just spent almost 8 full hours working on his astronaut training, but was instead smiling widely.
"I could smell the Soba from the street! You didn't have to go through all that trouble on your free day, we could have ordered, Shui!"
Kaito kissed the top of his head, gaining a giggle out of Shuichi, before taking his shoes and coat off, then made a straight line for the kitchen.
"Momota Kaito, you are not going to have dinner like this! Go take a shower. The food will be here when you're done."
Shuichi scolded him as convincingly as he could, failing a bit as a smile formed on his lips. Kaito laughed at his boyfriend's attempt and ruffled his hair, before leaning down to meet Shuichi's lips with his.
"Wanna join me, Shui?"
He didn't say that suggestively, the two of them would occasionally shower together, it was normal to them. But getting naked in front of Kaito would spoil everything, so he declined and said he 'd shower before bed.
So Kaito headed for the shower while Shuichi set up the table, smiling to himself as he heard his boyfriend's muffled singing from the bathroom. When he emerged from the bathroom, hair pulled in a short ponytail, casual clothes on, Shuichi couldn't help but think back to the first time he saw him with his hair like that, blushing all the way to his ears.
Kaito sat on the other end of the table and clapped his hands loudly, excited.
"Man, you sure spoil me, Shui!"
The grin on his face is worth a lot more than the half hour or so he spent making this, but so is every smile Kaito has ever shined at him.
"I really don't, making you some of your favorite food makes me happy."
"Haha! I love you Shu!"
Shuichi laughed at his boyfriend's ever present energy, even when declaring how much he loves his boyfriend. It always made him feel at ease, how comfortable Kaito was with his declaration of love.
"I love you too, now dig in before it gets cold."
The two of them engaged in small talk, while eating, mainly Shuichi asking about Kaito's day and him explaining all that they were working on for their upcoming trip. After they were done eating, Kaito insisted on doing the dishes, despite Shuichi's protest that he had been working all day.
"It's only fair, since you made the food, go sit in the living room and I'll be right there!"
With a quick peck, Kaito started humming to himself as he washed their plates, while Shuichi sat on their couch, opted for the left side, just to be safe and waited for his boyfriend.
His thoughts began to wander, wondering how Kaito would react upon seeing the deep purple, almost black ink, that will forever mark his skin, just like his scars. The clock was ticking and the time to show him was drawing closer and closer, giving Shuichi a slight feeling of anxiousness.
Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and Shuichi jumped a little, looking up to see Kaito.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you!"
"Ah, no, it's okay, I was just... deep in thought"
"Hm? Something on your mind?" Kaito's question was earnest, always willing to listen to Shuichi when something was troubling him. It was one of those things you'd not expect at first glace at him, always so energetic and goofy.
"I-ah... Yes?" Lying to him was not only pointless, he'd see right through it, but Shuichi also hated lying about anything. "I went to town earlier and got something. I wonder if you'll like it"
"Oh? Got something? Wait, is today a special day? Did I forget something import-"
"No Kaito, it's nothing special today" Shuichi's giggles echoed through the room. Seeing Kaito rambling was always adorable, even if he himself said he couldn't be adorable, heroes aren't adorable. "I have been thinking about this for a while, so since today was my day off, I went and got it."
"Can I see?"
It was a simple, expected question, but Shuichi wasn't quite ready to show Kaito yet, he wanted to do it later, when night fell. Maybe because he was hoping the tiredness of the day would make it easier, or maybe he didn't want to move, he was quite comfy and could use this time to prepare himself mentally.
"Mind if I show you later? I don't want to move right now."
Kaito grinned from ear to ear and brought his arms around Shuichi's smaller frame, pulling him close. The two of them quietly cuddled, while a movie played on their TV and Shuichi slowly forgot all about his anxiety to show Kaito his tattoo.
A few hours later the sun had dipped and the couple had spent a while chatting about something or other, when a small yawn escaped Shuichi's lips.
"You wanna head to bed?"
Of course Kaito would suggest that the moment he saw him yawn. It was rare for Shuichi to feel tired before midnight, making anytime he got to sleep very precious. Kaito knew that and wanted to make sure his boyfriend would sleep as much as he could, on the odd days he felt sleepy.
"M'gonna take a shower first."
Shuichi wasn't as sleepy as he was drained, his mind was working well enough to know he had something to show Kaito and it was time to do so.
The two untangle themselves from one another and Shuichi headed for the shower. Taking time to look at the fresh marking on his pale skin in the mirror, before hopping under the water.
A short while later, he came out, dressed in shorts and an oversized t shirt. He headed for the bedroom and found Kaito sitting under the covers, his back against the headboard and a book in his hands.
He looked so different like this, peaceful and quiet. It's a side of Kaito that only he got to see and even for him, Kaito needed a while before he became comfortable with the idea of not being active and loud.
"Stardust for your thoughts?"
Kaito's smooth voice brought him back and he realized he'd been staring. Shuichi shook his head and got in bed. He took hold of Kaito's hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss on the back.
"Is something the matter, Shu?"
"No, I'm good... About that thing I got..."
"You worried about that? You can show me tomorrow babe!" An easy grin makes its way to Kaito's lips, as he places a kiss on his boyfriend's blue locks "You don't have to worry about that!"
Shuichi laughed softly for a moment, then looked up to meet Kaito's eyes.
"Is it okay if I show you now? I know it late and all, but..."
Kaito looked at him for a moment, before another tender smile came to his lips.
"Of course"
Shuichi nodded his head and removed his hand from Kaito's. Taking a hold of the hem of his shirt, he could feel lilac eyes staring at him curiously and took a deep breath, then brought the hem of the shirt off his head, letting it fall on the side of the bed.
Shuichi turned towards Kaito, letting him find the mark. It didn't take him more than a second and he knew because Kaito gasped and he could see a hand reaching towards the mark.
"Y-you can touch it."
The distance between their skin closed and Shuichi hissed from the touch, it burned in a pleasant way.
No words left Kaito's lips and Shuichi finally looked up, only to be met with damp eyes.
"K-kaito!"
His hands instantly reached to wipe the tears away but a moment later, he was pulled forward and his lips were met with Kaito's.
"You're something else, sidekick."
Kaito's voice is a bit shaky, lower than before, laced with raw emotion.
Shuichi knows he's feeling charged emotionally, he only calls him sidekick anymore when he doesn't know what else to use, when babe or his name don't really seem quite right.
He lowers his head and places a tender kiss to the fresh ink
It maked Shuichi shiver, chills running down his spine in a way he'd like to feel again.
"Orion..." The name of the constellation that now painted his skin left Kaito's lips like a prayer "Why... when..."
Taking a deep breath, Kaito pulls back and faces Shuichi, his eyes focus on him in a way he can't exactly describe.
"You always... hated those scars. They happened so long ago but you always looked at them like they hurt you, so I wanted... to turn them into something that'd not cause you pain anymore..."
He's not sure if that's what Kaito wanted to know, but Shuichi explains himself anyway.
"Also, Orion, it's your favorite constellation. This way, it feels like you'll never be apart from me..."
A blush covers his face, he can tell by the heat he can feel up to the tips of his ears.
Kaito pulls him in not even a second later, hugging him like his life depended on it. Shuichi wraps his arms around his boyfriend, welcoming the warm embrace.
"I love you so much, Shui"
He would never get tired of hearing Kaito tell him he loved him. It had taken him so long to confess to the young astronaut and to this day hearing him say those three words made his heart flutter.
"I love you too, Kaito, more than anything else."
They stay like that for a while and afterwards lay down, cuddling under the covers.
Shuichi tells Kaito of the woman that gave him the tattoo, as well as the idea for it, opposing what he had originally intended to do. Kaito listens to him, humming in response.
They agree to go visit her on their next free day. Kaito wants to thank her himself and she sounds interesting.
Slowly the begin to drift into a comfortable sleep, Kaito holding Shuichi up against his chest, his palm resting over the mark over his heart.