Blood Ink ✔️

08: Work Overseas

Jimin and Hoseok are so cheerful and funny that it's almost impossible for you not to have fun with them.

Since the two men are on a tight schedule with their break, they take you to a small restaurant close to the shop and treat you to a meal, which is made infinitely better by the company.

Hoseok, you learn, is overflowing with energy and optimism. If a human could successfully represent the Energizer Bunny, Hoseok would be that human. His laugh, smile, and happiness is so contagious that you don't know how to frown in his presence. All you can do is grin and giggle, reflecting the bright glow of his own character like the moon reflects the sun.

Jimin, on the other hand, is more sweet and charming than his taller counterpart. When you get past his flirty outer shell, thick as it is, he's sweeter than any human being you've ever met. He laughs at every joke Hoseok tells, and compliments you and the older man endlessly.

By the time the three of you are finished eating, you're in a better mood than you've been in for months, maybe years. Maybe your whole life.

There something about them that's so charismatic, so charming, that the person they're talking to can't help but feel special and cared for.

However, that beautiful, joyous, amazing mood you're in ends the second that you step foot back into the tattoo shop.

Because Jungkook's waving goodbye to Mina as she walks out the door.

"Oh, great," Hoseok mumbles under his breath with a curse. "Female dog incoming."

Mina, clad in clothes too thin and tight to be appropriate for the weather, saunters out the door with her hips swinging, stripper heels clicking on the pavement with every step.

"There are my missing boys," she simpers when Hoseok and Jimin come into view. "I missed you guys."

Jimin ducks his head behind you, hiding a grimace. The action also leaves Hoseok to deal with her.

"Mina. On your way out, I see," Hoseok sighs. His smile is dim and fake, not anywhere close to the radiance of the genuine ones. "So nice to see you. Bye."

"Hey!" Mina calls, but Hoseok ignores her and pushes inside the shop, you and Jimin following close behind.

Inside, Jungkook is leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. The second that the door swings closed behind the three of you, his shoulder relax and he wilts against the counter.

The man is dressed warmly today, in jeans, boots, and a maroon cable knit sweater that offsets gorgeously with his gleaming ebony hair. The long-sleeved garment also serves to cover up all of the tattoos on his arms, leaving only a hint of black at his collarbone and neck, as well as the cross on his cheek.

"I swear," Jungkook growls, flicking some black hair out of his eyes. "It takes everything in me not to stab that girl's eyes out with my gun when she comes in."

Jimin hums in agreement behind you, shedding his coat to reveal a creamy off-white sweatshirt underneath. With a shudder, he stares off into the distance. "I remember my first time tattooing her. I think I she actually tried to grab my ba-"

"That's enough!" A warm voice comes out of nowhere, cutting Jimin off in the midst of his risqué sentence. "There's a freaking girl standing right in front of you, Park Jimin, and that's how you're going to talk?"

You all whip around to see the source of the voice, and gape at the tall man standing in the doorway, backlit by the afternoon sun.

He's...perfect.

You don't know another way to describe him.

Bow-shaped lips pierced on either side on the bottom, round, large eyes lined by black eyeliner, long legs and broad shoulders. His brown hair is styled up off of his forehead, revealing the double ring piercings in one eyebrow.

Clad in a black turtle neck and slacks, he stands tall and strong in the doorway, a suitcase in his left hand and a cellphone in his right.

Everything's still for one second, then everyone is moving.

Running.

No, sprinting at the man.

Jimin reaches him first, smashing into the man's stomach with a loud, happy cry. "Jin hyung! You're back!"

The words are soon muffled by Hoseok and Jungkook's bodies as they jump in top of Jimin, burying the smaller man.

Jin laughs and wraps his long arms around the three men, hugging them tight.

You, on the other hand, stand back against the counter and gape at the puppy pile of ridiculously attractive men.

Is this a dream?

They can't all be real.

How is this not the most popular tattoo shop on the planet?

Yoongi sees the confusion on your face and points one long, pale finger at Jin. "Y/N, Jin. Jin, Y/N. Jin's been away on a business trip. Overseas. He's been gone for like a bajillion years."

Pulling away from the other men, Jin marches toward the counter and snatches the cigarette out of Yoongi's mouth.

"That's 'hyung' to you," says the gorgeous man. "I've been gone for a month and a half. And what did I tell you about these, Yoongi? The longer you smoke, the sooner you die." He turns on you next, smiling gently. "Hello, Y/N."

"H-hi," you stutter.

For a moment, Jin's head swivels around the shop, his eyes scanning for something. "Where's Taehyung?"

Jungkook's eyes darken. "He's working."

"Oh," Jin says in an odd tone. His face almost looks...worried. But carefully blank. "When will he be-"

"No!" Jin's sentence is cut off harshly by Hoseok, who's now scrambling behind the counter to dig something out of a drawer. "I only have fifteen minutes of break left. Fifteen minutes, and we haven taken one picture of   Y/N and Jungkookie's tattoos. Hustle up gang, were in a hurry."

Wait.

What?

"What do you mean by 'Y/N and Jungkook's' tattoos," you say, with no small amount of horror growing in your voice.

You look to Jungkook himself, and see the red slowly climbing across his cheeks.

Crap. This doesn't feel right.

"No way! Really? Her?" Jin exclaims in shock.

While Jimin takes the older man by the shoulder and leases him away from the center of the conflict, murmuring softly, Jungkook squares off to Hoseok with thunder clouds rolling across his strong, handsome features.

"No," he barks in a rough voice. "I don't think so, hyung. I didn't make any commitments to taking pictures together."

His fierce denial of whatever Hoseok's suggesting only serves to make the gnawing put of unease in your belly grow larger. Whatever's going on here, for the first time, you feel like you and Jungkook are on the same side.

Hoseok, again, isn't put off by his younger friend's anger. "Come on, Kookie," he says instead. "Couple tattoos are all the rage these days. It'll be good for business."

"Wait a second! What are you guys even talking about?" you cut in aggressively. "Because I sure as heck don't remember getting a couple's tattoo with that thing." When you point a finger at Jungkook, he has the audacity to look slightly offended.

But, that's not what you're focused on presently. What you're really paying attention would be the words flying out of Hoseok's mouth.

"Didn't you know, Y/N?" he laughs, like he doesn't have a care in the world. "Your tattoo lines up with Jungkook's. The two of you connect."

[A/N]
Unedited
WaIT fOr iT
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