Chapter 10 #2
Tobin shifted in his seat, and Fray knew then that the snapping back of Tobin’s defensive bubble was uncomfortable for him as well. “Hell yes,” he replied. He squeezed Fray’s hand and asked, “Is that okay? Using your ink?”
Fray flushed warm from his scalp to his toes. “Fuck yes, that’s okay. That’s hot as hell. As long I can use yours.”
Tobin’s eyes flashed, his pupils sliding into slits before he blinked them away.
Hendrix sighed. “You’re all freaks.” Then he headed for the door. “Let’s go back to mine.”
Watching Tobin get Fray’s ink tattooed into his skin was the hottest non-sexual thing Fray had ever seen. It made his bones hum, the vibration warm and primal.
Tobin wanted three small blue hearts, one for each of Fray’s. It made Fray’s hearts melt, and even Hendrix had paused. “Okay, that’s actually kind of sweet,” Hendrix admitted.
The fact that he wanted each tattoo over three major pulse points actually made Fray get a little teary.
He chose the radial, brachial, and femoral: one on his wrist, one in the crease of his elbow, and one in the groin.
“I know the carotid is probably better,” Tobin said. “But I don’t know if a neck tattoo is for me.”
“The femoral is way better,” Fray said. “I mean, I’ll kiss your carotid artery if you like, but the groin is way more fun.”
“Aaaaand we went from sweet back to freak,” Hendrix said, but he smiled as he did the tattoo. “What are you gonna get, Fray?”
Fray sighed, smiling at Tobin. “Well, I was thinking of an ouroboros. Lemme grab you a picture.” He searched up ouroboros tattoos on the internet and showed Hendrix his phone. “Like this.”
Hendrix gave an approving nod. “That’s fucking sick.”
Then Fray showed Tobin. “It’s the Nordic eternity symbol, so it’s a nod to my heritage, but it’s in your ink.” He leaned in and kissed him. “You’ll be a part of me forever, baby.”
Tobin hummed, and Hendrix sat back. “Jesus, don’t kiss him while I’m this close to his junk. I don’t need to see his dick twitch. My first and last groin tattoo, lemme tell ya.”
“And what if I want my tattoo on my dick, Hendrix?” Fray joked.
“You’d be finding yourself a new tattoo artist,” he shot back. “Good luck explaining why you’re supplying your own ink and the fact that you bleed blue blood.” He wiped Tobin’s small groin tattoo down. “You’re done. How does it feel?”
“Feels good,” Tobin said, getting to his feet.
Fray planted himself in the chair. “One dick tattoo, please.”
Hendrix rolled his eyes. “Shut the fuck up and show me that pic again.”
Fray handed over his phone and took his shirt off.
The thing about Hendrix was that his skills as a tattoo artist were second to none.
The guy had serious talent, and Fray’s back tattoo was testament to that.
It was a masterpiece. So, already knowing he was in very capable hands, he sat back and relaxed.
He watched Tobin admire his two visible tattoos, on his wrist and in the crease of his elbow. Just two small blue hearts, Fray’s ink permanently etched into his skin.
Fray loved that more than he had the words to convey.
“I think I want another one,” Tobin said. “I never knew tattoos were addictive.”
Fray laughed. “What did you want next? A big back tattoo like mine?”
Tobin made a face as he seemed to consider it. “Hm, no. I’m thinking maybe a full thigh tattoo.”
Hendrix smiled as he prepped Fray’s pec. “See what you’ve done?” he said. “You’ve created a monster.”
“An octopus, of course,” Tobin said, now looking in the mirror and holding up his short leg. “With his arms wrapped around and up to my hip.”
“Oh, fuck yes,” Fray said. “That’d be so hot.”
Hendrix’s hands stilled just before he started. “Is everything about sex now?”
“Yes,” Fray replied. “I mean, not everything. But, well...”
“It’s better than sex,” Tobin added.
His eyes met Fray’s, and it made his hearts swoop. Hendrix began the tattoo, and Fray smiled at the familiar buzzy feeling. “Just wait till it’s your turn,” he murmured to Hendrix.
Hendrix stilled again, just for a beat, his eyes darting from his work to Fray’s eyes and back again. He concentrated on the tattoo, his brow furrowing.
It was an odd reaction from Hendrix. It wasn’t an angry reaction, or even a dismissive one. Normally Hendrix would supply some smartarse comment, sarcastic or scathing, so his silence perhaps said more than any words could. And then it occurred to Fray, maybe a moment too late...
“Oh my god,” he murmured.
Hendrix kept tattooing, his eyes super focused on his work. Not a peep, not a joke, not a thing.
“Oh my god, what?” Tobin asked. “Fray?”
“It’s begun, hasn’t it,” Fray said. It wasn’t a question because he was certain. “You’re feeling kinda weird, kinda flighty, like your skin doesn’t fit right.”
Hendrix’s face did a thing, something close to a flinch combined with a scowl. “Shut up,” he mumbled.
But, because Fray was Fray, he couldn’t help himself. “Who is it? Dylan? My money’s on Dylan.”
Hendrix paused just long enough to roll his shoulders and shake off a residual feeling that Fray was all too familiar with.
It was totally Dylan. Just the mere mention of his name caused a physical reaction in him.
Fray tried not to laugh. “I love that for you, Hend.”
He scowled and was maybe just about to say something when Kellan came in. “Oh,” Kellan said. He gave Fray an amicable nod, but his eyes flinched. “Hendrix, can I see you when you’re done, please?” He offered Tobin a tight smile before he disappeared.
But then Fray noticed Hendrix. He paused the tattoo gun, thankfully, because his hands trembled. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as if he had a brain freeze.
Wait...
“Uh,” Fray said, confused. “Hendrix, what was that?”
Hendrix went back to tattooing, eyes determined and jaw clenched. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, Fray, I will make this tattoo a giant butthole.”
“But—”
Hendrix looked at him then. “Do you want a giant butthole on your chest, Fraser?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then zip it,” he said, going back to work.
Fray’s eyes went to Tobin’s because holy shit. He didn’t really understand what his brain was trying to tell him. The pieces of the puzzle weren’t forming any picture he could put together.
Tobin took Fray’s hand and stood there watching Hendrix work, or, rather, watching Hendrix’s expression, his demeanour. And then Tobin closed his eyes, squinting in concentration, and with a deep exhale, Fray felt Tobin’s bubble creeping over him, including him.
He felt Tobin’s emotions first. Gratitude and love, always love. But then there was a flurry of confusion and curiosity, followed by Tobin’s voice in his mind.
What did you see? With Hendrix and Kellan?
Holy shit. I can hear you. Fray squeezed Tobin’s hand and grinned at him. Oh, hiii!
Tobin still had his eyes closed and his eyebrows knit, but he smiled. Hi.
Not sure what I saw. Not sure what it means. He reacted to Dylan’s name, but then he reacted to Kellan too. So that’s kinda weird. You’re so fucking hot, did you know that?
Tobin grinned, and Fray felt his bubble waver, flickering in and out. Ugh, I’m trying to concentrate.
Sorry.
You’re not really.
Not at all. You’re fucking sexy as hell, and knowing you have my ink in your skin turns me on so much. As soon as we’re done here, we’re gonna go back to your place and fuck all night long. You’re gonna open your mind to me when you’re balls deep—
Tobin’s bubble faltered like a misstep and burst. Tobin opened his eyes and levelled a glare at Fray. “Not helpful, Fray.”
Fray laughed, which of course made Hendrix hiss at him. “Keep still.”
“Sorry,” Fray replied. He was, in fact, not sorry at all. He grinned at Tobin. “I cannot wait.”
“Cannot wait for what?” Hendrix said, pausing a moment to wipe Fray’s skin.
“Oh, nothing,” Fray said.
Hendrix scowled at him, going back to work on his tattoo. “If you’re referring to me, not only will I make this tattoo a giant butthole, but—”
“No, it’s not about you,” Fray said. “If you really want to know, we were having a private conversation about flip fucking. Tobin’s gonna rail me so hard, then I’ll do him, and—”
“Jesus.” Hendrix sighed. “I don’t need to know this. I don’t want to know this. In fact, I would pay actual money to not know this.”
Fray laughed, and the way Tobin smiled at him, all shy and soft, made the warm and wonderful feeling in Fray’s chest bloom. He didn’t need to hear Tobin’s secret thoughts or feelings because Tobin was wearing them so plainly on his face. He leaned down and kissed Fray, sweet and chaste.
Hendrix made an impatient sound. Fray studied him for a moment; he was definitely not his usual chirpy self. “Something you wanna say, Hendrix?”
He didn’t look up or break concentration. “Nope.”
“If you have something you wanna talk about,” Fray hedged. “Something, say, on the bonding process—”
Hendrix froze.
“You know I didn’t exactly want it,” Tobin offered gently. “It scared the bajeezus outta me. I was terrified of what it meant, but now...”
“Lemme guess,” Hendrix said flatly. “Best thing ever. Never been happier. Never knew how good it could be.”
“Yes,” Tobin replied simply.
“You all sound like you’re in a cult,” Hendrix mumbled.
Fray wanted to argue. He wanted to explain, to make Hendrix see, it was so much more than that.
But he understood Hendrix’s scepticism. Hell, they’d all been sceptics and nonbelievers. And if Hendrix was going through the beginning of it, where his body felt the pull, the need to be near their fated one, then Fray knew all too well how confusing it was.
“If you ever want to talk,” Fray offered quietly. “I know things are weird right now. There’s a lot of new people here, a lot of changes. It’s a lot to deal with.”