Chapter Text
The date hadn't gone well.
But that much had been expected. The break-up was over as sudden as the topic had come up. Machi had left him in the middle of a fancy restaurant, putting a prompt end to an involvement that had been going on for over two years now. Not an actual relationship, no. They had never really established that part. It had been more of a side-fling for both of them, adding to the jobs they'd done together while working in the same gang. Just a handful of half-drunken bump-ins every now and then, with lots of bickering and oftentimes more akin to hate sex than anything else – though thoroughly enjoyable every time.
It was not like the whole thing was anything Hisoka had grown all too attached to. Still, he couldn't help but feel a dull sting as he watched Machi's pink hair go out the door the waiter held open for her. Half the restaurant's eyes followed her, to no surprise on Hisoka's part, stunning as she looked. He sighed into his glass of red. His eyes flicked from his half-eaten steak to her completely untouched food.
He'd definitely miss having fun with her. Mainly being tied up, edged, choked and berated by her on a few blissful occasions, then making her blush furiously whenever he brought it up in the following days in the most unfitting of situations and companies. He did enjoy getting a rise out of her whenever possible. He enjoyed that in general, with everyone. That was over now, at least on her part. A shame, really. One less plaything for him. Ah well, c'est la vie...
He ordered another bottle of wine and his favourite cocktail and dessert along with it.
After paying the bill and generously tipping the waiter for not giving him a pitying look throughout the entirety of his obvious break-up-meal, he pulled on his coat and left the establishment. The crisp breeze of an early autumn's night rustled through his hair. To his chagrin he immediately noted the alcohol had not been sufficient to dull the events of the evening. Machi's last words to him still rang in his ears.
„It's always just a game to you, isn't it? Well, this one, you've lost.“
A shame she'd put an end to their fun over something as insignificant as that. Hisoka'd never made a secret out of his intentions when it came to their arrangement, but he guessed Machi had had other expectations – commitment was a big thing for every member of the Spiders, after all. He'd figured that that would only apply to the job. Aaaand maybe it had been a bad idea to sell informations about the troupe to their enemies and then cut every tie with his former colleagues. Maybe, just maybe, Machi had a point. Still, it was her fault for not being able to separate work from fun, right?
Hisoka grimaced as he remembered his commitment to the Spider troupe. One that would be sure to remind him of this period of his life for the foreseeable future and he – buzzed and terribly close to an emotion akin to regret and self-pity – was not in the mood for that. Hisoka pulled out his phone and a quick online search later knew where to direct his next steps. The night was still young, after all, and he was determined to end it on a high note.
-
Illumi raised his head at the jingle of the doorbell. The studio usually did not get much business at night, but still enough to warrant the 24 opening hours. The stranger in the door frame checked all the boxes of the usual nocturnal clientele. Slightly drunk, the remnants of a date gone south obviously etched into his otherwise handsome face. His meticulously arranged outfit and makeup were slightly dishevelled. But even then, he was a sight to behold. Towering over six feet tall, with an impressive muscular physique and a waist that was small enough to appear cinched, standing in stark contrast to his broad shoulders. Not even the coat he was wearing could hide the planes of muscles underneath. His nail polish matched his colourful eyeliner. Illumi put down the magazine he had been reading and straightened behind the counter.
“Welcome.”
“Hi, good evening.”, came the chirping reply from a sensual voice, much softer than he had expected. Illumi did not comment on how it was well past midnight and not exactly evening anymore. Maybe the customer's demeanour made it easier to not retort anything of the sorts. At least his clear pronunciation proved he was not blackout drunk. Neither did he stumble or look especially unkempt. Hell, if Illumi didn't have the job he did, he would've thought the man was stone-cold sober. Unfortunately for him, the late night run-ins with drunks were just a steady part of his day-to-day – yes, even though it was common knowledge by now you shouldn't get a tattoo while under the influence. This one was definitely more on the harmless side, Illumi decided. The mop and bucket could stay behind the counter tonight, if he was lucky.
He eyed the stranger who currently admired the framed artwork on the walls and taking in the ambience of the shop as a whole. His blood-red hair fell almost into his eyes but could not hide the sharpness of his cheekbones and nose. He was a mix of very masculine and very feminine features, giving off a wonderfully androgynous vibe. Illumi noted, without having his own face show, that the stranger was objectively attractive. One could even argue, he was his type.
Too late he realised that the other man had turned towards him, and was sizing him up in a similar manner – however, contrary to him, he did not hide how much he enjoyed the view. Currently, his gaze rested on Illumi's slender hands – tattooed up to the knuckles. Illumi decided to let him look and reminded himself that he was on the clock and not to be distracted by a pair of intense golden eyes. This was not the first handsome person to enter his studio and he wouldn't be the last. And he should not get his hopes up just based on the intrigued stare of a potential customer. Maybe the man was just admiring his craftsmanship, he thought, getting a feel of the quality of the tattoos the shop could provide. Illumi was used to getting stared at, but couldn't shake the feeling that this man was different, somehow. The stranger's eyes lingered on his hands and arms just a tad too long, his expression never losing the underlying intensity.
“Anything I can help you with?”
When Illumi spoke again, the other man lifted his gaze and met his straight-on without missing a beat. He broke out into a sharp grin, flashing his impressively white canines in doing so.
“Do you do cover-ups?”
-
“You want that covered up?”
“Correct.”
“That is a huge spider. Done almost entirely in solid black.”
“Indeed. Very observant of you.”
Hisoka was shirtless in front of a mirror, farther back in the shop. The tattoo artist, who was by far the most attractive person Hisoka had ever laid eyes on, was quiet for a second, still observing the offending blotch of ink between his shoulder blades. Hisoka suppressed a giggle at the cute nose-wrinkle he could spy him making. Illumi – as he had introduced himself after handing Hisoka the necessary paperwork – scrunched his brows in an expression of deep frustration, a look Hisoka was all too familiar with from everyone who interacted with him on a daily basis. However, he noted that there was a slight difference in this man's face. Beyond the frustration, there was actual deliberation and thought. A mind that enjoyed problem-solving. A deeply rooted patience and an analyst character.
Hisoka couldn't help but grin, not even trying to suppress all the unfiltered glee that came up within him. He wondered what it would take to actually make this man frustrated, so much so that he'd lose this calm and collected demeanour. As if hearing his thoughts, Illumi's impossibly black eyes snapped over to meet his mischievous stare through the mirror.
“I am positive I can cover it up. But since the spider itself is already black, the cover-up would have to be very dark as well. Plus, the new tattoo would have to cover your entire back – unless you want a simple shape just to hide the spider. Like a censor bar. I could always give you a solid black square or circle. It is completely up to you.”
Hisoka was all smiles and anticipation, aided to no small portion by the amount of alcohol currently coursing through his blood stream. He was glued to Illumi's lips and already heads over heels on the idea of getting this strikingly beautiful man's undivided attention for a prolonged period of time. While said man would also inflict considerable pain on him for hours on end. The thought alone sent heat to his groin.
“I wouldn't mind you giving me a bigger piece.”, Hisoka said in his most playful sing-song voice, his eyes pointedly dipping lower to openly, hungrily stare at Illumi's hips. If Illumi had caught the innuendo, his face didn't show it.
“Right. Let's get the paperwork settled and talk motifs.”
He gestured for Hisoka to put his shirt back on and led him to a sitting area inside the shop. It was furnished with expensive looking leather couches in a rich maroon colour. A low, wide desk sat between them. Behind the couch where Illumi sat, more artwork was displayed, each piece impressive in its own way. On the side there was a shelf with various heavy binders, stuffed to the brim with photographs and more motifs.
Illumi waited for him to read and fill out the forms and then talked him through all the options while jotting down Hisoka's preferences and ideas, and then presented him with simple sketches or finished artwork from a catalogue of motifs that might fit his tastes. To his absolute delight, Illumi had put up his silky black hair in a high ponytail for the entire process. Hisoka now got a much better look at his impossibly clear, pale skin and the soft, yet very defined features of his face. His eyes dipped lower, taking in the slightly smaller man before him. Illumi was tattooed up to his jawline in an intricate dotwork pattern, permeated with spots of vibrant teal and gold. His fitted, long-sleeved turtle-neck sweater covered a great deal of it, but that just started a fire in Hisoka's stomach to firmly decide he would get to see every detail of it some day.
He let his gaze journey farther, guided by Illumi's gestures as he worked. Hisoka had to actively try to not get lost in the movement of his broad shoulders and well-defined arms while his deft hands roughly sketched idea after idea for him to see. He bet these hands were very steady and firm and could hold him down no matter how much he squirmed and--
“What are you thinking style-wise?”
Oh.
It was only when Illumi spoke to him again, Hisoka could regain his focus. They had landed on the circus as a main motif fairly quickly, collecting a sizeable amount of possible elements to include, from jesters and magicians, to wild animals, to the obvious striped tent as a centerpiece. Now Illumi was presenting him with a list of styles he could do. Hisoka flipped through the folder, past many pictures of previous customers and their finished tattoos, styles ranging from traditional Japanese to blackwork patterns to illustrative works that were nothing short of breathtaking in their attention to detail and perfect execution.
“Oh my... your talents are quite versatile. I see I'm in good hands.”
Illumi looked up from his sketchbook and over to Hisoka. He did not speak until the other man met his gaze, and then, just as quickly, he resumed sketching.
“Thank you.” he said, automatically.
Hisoka saw the momentary shimmer of pride in his almost unmoving face, the way the corners of Illumi's mouth fought to stay still. An emotion quickly covered and hid away. Hisoka's smile turned into a wicked grin. Oh, he would have fun with this one.
-
It was 10 days later when Hisoka visited the shop again. It was already dark outside but not as late as it had been the first time. In the past few days, he and Illumi had been in contact via mail. Illumi would ask for further details as he worked on different parts of the piece and Hisoka would provide his thoughts and wishes. Of course, Hisoka had been shamelessly using the newly opened channel of communication to learn a little bit more about Illumi's schedule. He appeared to be a night owl, just like him. And judging by the frequency and speed of his answers, he was very, very passionate about his work – which provided a perfect opportunity for Hisoka to play with him a little bit. Needless to say, he had been looking forward to their next meeting like a horny teen, eager to test out his plans.
Now, Illumi presented him with what he called the first draft of his finished design, which was not a word Hisoka would have chosen for what laid in front of him. It was an extraordinarily beautiful and detailed illustration depicting a rich and colourful collective of circus-related motifs. From Hisoka's slightly washed-out and alcohol-stained memories of their first run-in, he would've expected the tattoo to be almost entirely black. But from Illumi's design it was clear that, while it would have strong contrasts and more than a few areas of solid black, there would also be pops of vibrant colours to balance it out. It did not look heavy-handed or too dark. Quite the contrary. The playful use of reds, blues and yellows tied everything together nicely and the stunningly clean linework was truly something to behold. It would hurt like hell to get this done. Hisoka couldn't wait.
“This is impressive. You've done a wonderful job, Illumi.”
A slight pause. A shifting of fingers on paper.
“Thank you.”, came the tight-lipped reply. Hisoka's heart jumped a little with joy whenever Illumi tried and failed to hide his shyness around earnest compliments directed his way. “Anything you would like for me to add or change?”
“Absolutely not. When can we get started?”
“I take it you are sober today?” Hisoka's grin reached his eyes.
“Yes. I've also had a full meal before coming here.”, he added.
Illumi eyed him calmly, gaze slowly dragging from his eyes to his flashed teeth and curl of his lips, lingering there for a few moments, before abruptly standing up.
“We can start right away. Take off your shirt and follow me to the mirror, please.”
Hisoka admired the way Illumi's voice danced the line between polite as well as commanding and firm. Admired, in a sense that it made a tingling heat bloom in his abdomen and his fantasies run wild. What would it sound like when he was angry? Frustrated? Aroused?
Back in front of the mirror again, Illumi carefully applied half-transparent paper with the design on it onto Hisoka's undressed back, making sure the placement was correct and all the details still visible and intact. He pulled it away once the pattern had been successfully transferred to Hisoka's skin. Here and there, he fixed broken lines with a special kind of marker. Hisoka revelled in the man's hands giving him attention, albeit only through a layer of thin paper or with the tip of a marker.
“How is this?”
The hands ceased contact and Illumi's calm voice pulled him from his bliss. Hisoka turned and then looked over his shoulder to observe the motif. It looked even more stunning on his body than it had on paper. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and stretched up to reach his eyes. He took his time to truly observe the sketch of the artwork on his muscular back, the way it shifted when he moved his arms and torso.
“Simply perfect, dear Illumi. I think you can proceed without any trace of worry.”
Hisoka looked over and spotted a small, sterile smile on Illumi's face. The change in his features was minimal, but Hisoka knew at this exact moment that it was an honest smile. Illumi was warming up to him.
“I am glad you enjoy it. Let us get to work then.”
He was led into an entirely different room of the studio with a sturdy, padded lounger standing in the middle, clad in clean black leather. Illumi covered it in a special, papery sheet and then told Hisoka to lay down. He did, quickly finding a position he would feel comfortable in for a prolonged period of time, and pillowed his head on his arms. Next to him, Illumi quietly and systematically prepared his equipment. Hisoka watched him with rapt attention. He couldn't keep the grin off of his face when Illumi pulled his hair back – first into a high ponytail and then into a tidy bun. He pulled on medical gloves.
“This will likely take more than 30 hours to finish since there are so many details. We are going to have to split this up into separate sessions. However, I feel quite confident we can get the linework done this evening.”
“Sounds great.”, Hisoka chirped, already completely lost in the other man's demeanour again.
“Tell me if the pain gets too much, as well as when you feel like you have to move.”
“Will do.”
Illumi got to work. The familiar pin-pricking started assaulting the skin of Hisoka's muscular back. Hisoka revelled in the slight pain he knew would only get worse over the time of the session. First the picking, then the scratching pain, slowly turning into an ongoing burning sensation that could last for quite some time. He sighed, pleased and welcoming the feeling. There was something special about giving in to another person's hands inflicting pain on you, even when you knew you had the power to stop it anytime you wanted. Probably. It was an exciting feeling, an edge of playful danger to it and one of Hisoka's favourite feelings in the world. He let the pain flood his brain, a wave of fantasies guided by Illumi's deft hands. He wondered how long he could last like this.
Illumi had started quite high on his left shoulder, one gloved hand steady on Hisoka's skin, only moving to wipe away excess ink and blood, the other leading the needle across the planes of his back. He worked precisely and quickly, completely engulfed in his work within seconds. There was no sound aside from the equipment mechanically rattling away whenever Illumi was inking. Slowly the air filled with a metallic scent, causing Hisoka's eyes to tilt up slightly. From time to time Illumi's feather-light breath ghosted over Hisoka's skin, causing him to break out in goose-bumps every time it happened. If Illumi noticed, he did not comment on it.
Hisoka could only see what Illumi was doing out of the corner of his eye, but he enjoyed his calm and concentrated demeanour, now even more than he had in the shop. He was so completely in control of him, it was arousing. Hisoka couldn't help but imagine what else these hands might do to him if he played his cards right tonight. He just had to wait for the right moment...
After a while, Illumi began to work on a more sensitive area – part of Hisoka's ribs, where the skin was thinner and the nerve-endings closer to the assaulting needle. Heat pooled at the bottom of Hisoka's belly as the pain grew more intense. He was half-hard already and to keep still was getting a near impossible thing.
And then it happened. While Illumi pressed the needle over a rib, Hisoka flinched.
The pin pricking stopped and all sound ceased.
“Too much?”
Illumi's cool voice just sent more blood to Hisoka's erection. He let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.
“Not at all. I apologise, dear Illumi. Please continue.”
A pause. The familiar wipe on the still-burning area, feeling more like a scratch at this point. Hisoka took a deep breath. He saw Illumi assume his usual position before the sounds and the pain started again. The first flinch hadn't exactly been intentional, but it gave Hisoka an idea. Apparently once hadn't been enough to achieve his goal. But there were still a great deal of lines left to be inked, so he had plenty of time to test his theory. After a few minutes, Hisoka flinched again. This time on purpose.
The equipment came to a halt once more and he heard Illumi inhale deeply, audibly, as if to calm himself, before directing his attention to Hisoka's face.
“We can take a break if it is too much. If you keep moving, you will cause the lines to become unsteady.”
“That would be a shame. My apologies.” He paused, gauging Illumi's reaction further and was pleased to hear a hint of irritation in his breathing. Bingo. A way to break his calmness. Hisoka felt himself grin.
“A break won't be necessary. Please, go on.”
He was proud of himself for sounding so polite while being firmly set on the most bratty behaviour in the near future. Testing others' patience and limits had always been his favourite vice. But Illumi did not know him all too well yet, having only met him twice in a professional context, so the poor man trusted Hisoka's words. For now. He resumed his work.
The next time he moved, Hisoka did not only flinch, but rolled his hip into the mat. He knew the movement was enough to make even a clinically steady hand like Illumi's go off the line. A moment of pregnant silence followed before he heard the clatter of the equipment being thrown aside.
A firm hand snapped to Hisoka's nape and squeezed. Hard. The moan died in his throat.
“Listen.”
The usually calm voice had shifted to a dangerously low register. One that promised fire and stones. Illumi sounded downright commanding. Hisoka shuddered.
“I know it is your tattoo but it is my work. You either stop moving” and start behaving, Hisoka read between the lines, “or we are cutting this short, right now.”
Oh my, was everything his brain could muster. He took a shaky breath to reply. Illumi's hand on his neck squeezed again, effectively shutting him up.
“Besides. Do not think I have not noticed what got you so riled up.”
Illumi was leaning over him now, the shadow of his form slowly creeping over Hisoka's head. Scary. A gloved finger teased the hem of his pants and he felt his heart skip a beat before pulsing up to his throat and down to his dick. When Illumi spoke again, he felt the breath tickling the shell of his ear with every word.
“Should I help you with that, so we can finally move on?”
Hisoka's entire body shivered with the prospect. Hook, line and sinker. He couldn't help but grin and nod. Another squeeze.
“Use your words.”
“Yes.”
His smile was audible, but his voice dangerously close to breaking. Still, he added: “Please.”
He couldn't have wished for a better outcome. He had half-expected to just get a glimpse of Illumi's frustrated face to fuel his masturbatory fantasies for a few weeks, and the sweet irony of him having to tattoo him for another handful of sessions despite his frustration, because he would miss out on a huge chunk of his commission otherwise. But this? This was everything Hisoka could've dreamed of and more.
Illumi let go of his neck, hands sliding up into his hair instead. A silent praise. A warning?
“Good.”
The shadow left Hisoka's face and he heard a metallic click before a part of the stretcher all but collapsed underneath his legs. Hisoka scrambled for a second before finding somewhat steady footing again. He was now bent over the remainder of the table. His hands flew out from underneath his head to find the edge of it. He heard Illumi pull off his gloves before his fingers found the small of his back. The first contact of skin-on-skin was electrifying. Hisoka let out a moaning breath. For a second, he felt quite silly for being so worked-up about something so small but Illumi's entire aura had him in a mind-tingling, arousing chokehold ever since he had first laid eyes on him a few days prior. More so, now that he could feel his frustration with his behaviour.
“Take a step back for me.”, Illumi commanded him.
Hisoka obliged, bringing a little bit of space between him and the edge of the folded part of the table. Illumi did not waste a second to palm his cock through the fabric of his pants. Hisoka openly gasped and rolled his hips into the touch.
“You like the pain, is that it?”
Hisoka fumbled for a while with his words, his horny brain already making it near impossible to form sentences that did not consist of begging to be fucked.
“Pain... is fairly easy to come by.”, he panted. “The right hands to inflict it, not so much.”
He risked a glance over his shoulder and was met with Illumi's impossibly black, still mostly impassive eyes. He had noticed earlier how compliments seemed to make him falter a bit and as much as he wanted the other man to just do him as soon as possible, Hisoka couldn't help some back and forth. His eyes widened when a small smile graced Illumi's lips.
“You are lucky then, are you not?” Illumi's hands moved upwards, sliding to his abs in a rather gentle caress before undoing his belt and shoving one of his hands into Hisoka's pants. He did not waste any time to take his leaking cock into his hand and squeeze. Hisoka's head fell forward with it, his exhale a deep moan. The friction of the first few strokes were eased by the precum that had gathered in his slit, as Illumi generously spread it along the entirety of his shaft. Soon, his second hand joined the other, cradling and massaging his balls and Hisoka was already positive he would not last as long as he would have liked if Illumi's talented hands were going to continue at this pace.
Illumi's utter composure drove him wild, his own needy sounds and the shuffling of fabric the only noises in the room. His hips moved with Illumi's strokes and he was keenly aware that Illumi had him in the palm of his hand – both figuratively and literally. Illumi swiped his never-hesitating fingers over his tip and Hisoka was seeing stars. It was embarrassing how close he was to coming already. He couldn't let it end on a handjob, he thought, albeit one of the most intense he'd ever received.
“More...”
The words escaped his throat in an unmistakable plea, almost swallowed up by his heavy breathing, while he was helplessly rocking with and rutting into Illumi's hands. The shadow loomed over his head again but he still flinched when the relatively unaffected voice asked:
“Pardon?”
He kept jerking Hisoka's cock while bent over him, and his chest actually touched the freshly tattooed sensitive skin of his heaving back for a moment. Everything about the situation made Hisoka lose his wits. He couldn't think of anything playful to say, no smart banter, no flirtation that might make Illumi falter even a little bit. There was only one word on his mind.
“Please”, he tried again, the usual bravado of his voice threatening to come undone with each syllable he forced out of his throat “More...!”
Illumi hummed in thought. He took his time to weigh his options, never ceasing to stroke Hisoka in the meantime.
“Will you behave for the rest of the tattoo?”
The immediate grin pulling at the corner of Hisoka's mouth was rewarded with a nearly too-hard squeeze of his dick and he flinched, then moaned.
“Yes, Illumi.” he all but gasped. Illumi's lips grazed the back of his neck, causing Hisoka to arch his back again, pressing his ass right into Illumi's groin. Absent-mindedly he noticed Illumi was hard as well. The realisation made his breath hitch and his hips stutter. Illumi moved closer to his ear and continued, voice taking on a rougher edge:
“Do not dare to lie to me again or you are going to have to find another artist to finish this piece. Understood?”
“Understood.”, Hisoka responded immediately.
“Good.”
Illumi kept their hips together even as he straightened again and unceremoniously pulled Hisoka's belt out of the loops, shoving his pants and underwear down to pool around his ankles. He kicked Hisoka's feet apart, giving himself easier access. It wasn't like it was Hisoka's first time being exposed like this, but there was always something deeply exciting and almost nerve-wracking about it.
Illumi's sound of approval behind him made him shudder again. He switched hands on Hisoka's cock, dancing the one covered in precum over his firm ass and between his cheeks. He did not waste any time before pushing a finger inside, the slick not quite enough to ease the painful friction. At the same time, he covered Hisoka's tip with his thumb. Hisoka sucked in a sharp breath between clenched teeth.
“It seems to have been a while.”, Illumi stated matter-of-factly. Hisoka could hear the smile when he added. “Though I doubt that you mind.”
Hisoka would have lied if he'd claimed anything different. Though it truly had been a while, aside from solo sessions with his assortment of toys. There were not many people who ever dared to even try to top him, being a six foot two mountain of muscle and all, so his body wasn't quite used to all of this anymore. He tried to answer but Illumi added a second finger right away and started moving his hand, and the breath was once again knocked right out of Hisoka's lungs. He tried rocking into Illumi's hand but the thumb covering his slit made a satisfying movement near impossible. With every roll of his hips, he just forced Illumi's finger deeper inside of himself, pushing him all the way in to the knuckle.
A shock struck his whole body when Illumi's fingertips found his prostate without much of a search. A garbled string of almost-words tumbled from Hisoka's mouth and he wasn't even sure he was actually speaking – the pulsing in his ears had become far too loud and his breathless moans obscured his begging even when he tried to be more articulate about it. He heard Illumi sigh quietly behind him, as if pleased, and he resumed moving his fingers inside, dictating a rhythm Hisoka could follow more or less successfully. His pale skin was covered in a sheen of sweat. He looked nice like that, Illumi thought. If you could call his dishevelled hair, smeared make up and incoherent noise-making nice. Illumi kept watching him and after a few moments of deliberation decided, yes, you definitely could.
The sight of the man growing weak beneath his hands made his frustration over the earlier situation ebb – before his eyes caught a glimpse of the slightly wobbly line of ink on Hisoka's ribs again. Fury bubbled in his gut. It had been years since any of his works had had a visible mistake like this. It made him look like a novice at his craft. Sloppy. This could not happen again. He would ensure Hisoka wouldn't – couldn't – ruin his work any further. To accentuate his dissatisfaction, he pressed down his thumb on Hisoka's slit even more and added a third finger on his other hand, earning a yelp from the man below him. Hisoka was shaking by now. Illumi was only getting started, but he was pleased to see Hisoka crumble into a pathetic mess already. He would keep the promise he had made earlier, Illumi was going to make sure of that.
Hisoka seemed not to notice how much he was audibly begging. All the yes and please and more, Illumi were apparently completely lost on him. That, or he was absolutely shameless. Maybe a little bit of both, Illumi mused, as he continued to massage the other man's prostate and admiring the beads of sweat that had formed on Hisoka's neck and torso. The way his rib cage moved and shivered with every laboured breath. The muscular planes of his back and his trembling shoulders, the amalgamation of available but unused strength and willingly presented submission made Illumi's erection twitch.
He withdrew his fingers suddenly. Hisoka gasped and then whined at the loss. Illumi heard a slight thud as Hisoka's forehead hit the mat, trying to catch his breath. His hand found Hisoka's nape again, his thumb cradling the back of his head and stroking through his matted hair. It was a strikingly gentle gesture.
“Too much?”, he echoed parts of their earlier conversation. Hisoka took a few steadying breaths and then looked at him over his shoulder, pupils positively blown with arousal and lips slightly swollen from trying to hold back his cries. He smirked, the edge of mischief ever-present in the corner of his mouth.
“Never enough.”
Illumi mirrored Hisoka's expression in his own, much more subdued way. His hand slid up into the other man's hair again, grabbing and gently but firmly guiding his head down onto the stretcher.
“Hold still now.”
He freed his cock from the constraints of his pants. The sound made Hisoka draw in a breath of anticipation but much to Illumi's surprise, he actually obliged and did not move this time. Illumi let his dick slide between Hisoka's cheeks a few times, earning a few muted groans from him, and then lined it up with Hisoka's hole. He pressed the head inside and felt Hisoka press his forehead into the table to inhale with a hiss. The tight wet heat all but pulled Illumi inside and he pushed further with a groan until he was shafted up to the hilt. His hips met Hisoka's ass.
Hisoka was overwhelmed by the feeling. Too overwhelmed to even moan. For once he was glad Illumi gave him a few moments to get accustomed to his girth. It truly had been too long.
It took him a few seconds to get used to the stretch but once he was, it was absolute bliss. The fine line between pain and pleasure was sure to drive him wild. If not for the thumb still situated on his tip, he was sure he would come immediately once Illumi started moving. He exhaled with a dry chuckle. The heat in his body was starting to make his brain feel absolutely giddy.
Illumi's fingers wandered along his scalp, almost soothingly. Hisoka pressed himself against Illumi's hip to signal him that he could start moving. He was understood immediately. The hand left Hisoka's head to grip his hip instead. Illumi moved back and then drove home – hard. Hisoka could not even finish his moan before Illumi dictated a brutal rhythm, each thrust punching another broken gasp out of Hisoka. His fingers gripped the edges of the table, holding on for dear life. It did not take long until he was shaking uncontrollably again, the slapping of skin on skin burning in his ears. He was dizzy with the arousal bottled up in his middle and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. A shaky hand wandered south to grab Illumi's wrist around his cock, still keeping him from coming.
“Illumi...” His voice had been reduced to a needy whine, he noticed. He risked a small tug on the wrist. Illumi did not budge. “Please... I'm almost-”
“I am sure you can go a bit longer.”
Even while thrusting in and out of Hisoka in a punishing rhythm, Illumi's voice was still leagues calmer than Hisoka's. A little breathless at most. It was embarrassing how it never failed to arouse Hisoka even further. Illumi watched the other man's flushed neck and ears while he weakly shook his head, glanced at the barely visible freckles that bloomed on his heavily quivering shoulders. His gaze shifted lower, watching himself move in and out of Hisoka's tight heat. Hisoka's movements were getting uncoordinated, desperate. Illumi was getting close himself and had trouble keeping up with the rhythm he had set.
“Please...” came Hisoka's plea again, his voice getting more shaky and weak with each thrust. Illumi slid his hand up to Hisoka's ribs, thumbing the reddened skin underneath a slightly crooked line of ink.
“Alright. Don't forget your promise.”
He moved his thumb off of Hisoka's tip and started pumping him again instead. Hisoka cried out as he came almost immediately into Illumi's hand, all the built-up pressure finally released. He threw his head back while his hips stuttered to a halt and his hole clenched tight. Now it was Illumi's turn to suck in a hissing breath. He kept moving through Hisoka's orgasm, taking full advantage of the increased tightness to chase his own climax before his own movements finally lost coordination. As his vision whited out, he spilled inside Hisoka with a breathless moan. For a few moments, neither Illumi nor Hisoka seemed to breathe.
With his next exhale, Illumi practically collapsed. He rested his forehead between Hisoka's shoulder blades. His head was lifted and lowered with each inhale and exhale by Hisoka. Besides that, neither of them moved for a while. The room became quiet again, nothing besides their laboured breathing audible. Hisoka felt a few wayward strands of Illumi's soft hair tickle his skin, having fallen out of the taut bun through all of it.
He felt sticky with sweat and cum, knowing it would only get worse once Illumi decided to pull out and everything got clammy in the cool air of the studio, but he was far from complaining about any of that. Even though he was way past his climax, the pleasant warmth in his body remained for now.
The jingle of the bell above the door startled them both.
“We're closed for the night!!”, Illumi shouted without missing a beat, his voice sending vibrations straight to his half-hard cock still nestled in Hisoka's ass. He quickly covered Hisoka's mouth with a flat palm before he could moan and give them away. Hisoka moved his hips, being the little shit he was, and Illumi put a warning hand on his neck again, squeezing. Hisoka grinned soundlessly behind Illumi's hand.
They both heard a series of pissed-off, muttered comments from the potential customer standing merely one room away from them – rightfully so, because the around-the-clock opening hours were plastered on every window of the studio – but much to Illumi's relief, he heard retreating footsteps, shortly followed by another jingle of the tiny bell. He relaxed his shoulders and retrieved his hand from Hisoka's mouth. It seems they were both lucky tonight.
He slowly eased out of Hisoka, cleaned himself with a nearby wet cloth and then did the same to Hisoka. He even helped him back into his underwear and pants. This earned him a low, slightly hoarse chuckle from the other man.
“My, what a gentleman you are, Illumi.”
Illumi was impressed how Hisoka's brattiness had not ceased in the slightest, despite his shaking knees and whiny begging just a few minutes prior.
“I am just cleaning you up so we can finally continue with the tattoo. I would like to get off of work at some point today.”
Stunned silence. Then another breathy laugh, the sing-song quality finding his way back into Hisoka's voice. Illumi made it sound like some of the equipment had broken, not like he had just disrupted their tattooing session to fuck his naughty customer into a table until he could hardly stand up anymore.
“A man of principle.”
“I hope I can someday say the same about you, Hisoka. Now. Let us make good on your promise.”
Illumi lifted the foldable part of the table again – with remarkable ease despite Hisoka's useless legs being on it – clicking it back into his completely flat state. He discarded the soiled cloth in a bin and went to wash and disinfect his hands, before pulling on another pair of medical gloves. He did not fix his slightly tousled hair.
Despite staring openly, Hisoka did not comment on the slight shade of pink that currently adorned his high cheekbones, but did not hide his smile either. Illumi pulled his equipment cart closer and gave him a strict glance that was only marginally softened by his remaining blush.
“Keep still.”
Hisoka, practically boneless from the sex and brain still in a blissful state of post-orgasm, just smirked broadly and was more than happy to oblige.
“Of course~”
-
“You know...”
It was now several hours later, and Illumi was working on Hisoka's lower back, close to finishing the linework of the tattoo. Hisoka blinked sleepy eyes awake, having dozed off for a while despite the sharp pain that covered almost all of his back. He suppressed a yawn. He hummed groggily, to signal Illumi he was awake and listening.
“We do piercings here, too.”
Hisoka blinked again, more awake in an instance. He lifted his head a smidge and was promptly reprimanded by a strict “Do NOT move.” from Illumi.
“My apologies.” Hisoka laughed easily and put his head back down. “I am not sure they would suit me.”
“Nice earrings have never done a handsome face any harm.”
“My dear Illumi, are you proposing to push metal objects through my ears?”
“Or any other sensitive body part you prefer, really.” Illumi said casually, as if discussing the weather. For the umpteenth time this evening, Hisoka felt the heat pool in his belly. The way Illumi phrased it, it sounded like more than a suggestion.
It was a promise, should he ever want to take him up on that.
He was lucky their sex had left his entire body utterly exhausted or he would be running the risk of sporting another boner. Still, the picture of Illumi piercing the most delicate parts of his body while firmly forbidding him to move made his skin break out in another wave of goose-bumps. Illumi noticed, and Hisoka heard the unmistakable exhale of silent laughter behind him.
Not much later, the pin-pricking came to a halt, and Illumi wiped a cool cloth across a spot on Hisoka's lower back.
“I think we're done for today.”
He stood, returning with another cloth a few seconds later, thoroughly cleaning the rest of Hisoka's back.
“Come take a look.”
Hisoka stretched and slowly started to sit up, noticing how sore he was in more than one spot. If the widely spread sting of pain on his back was anything to go by, the linework had been worth the wait. Sitting was a whole other type of pain, but not any less welcome. He shot Illumi a grin, who completely ignored his clowning and walked ahead to lead him back to the big mirror in the next room. Hisoka followed, turned and... was speechless.
Since Illumi had only done the basic black outlines so far, the spider was still clearly visible – but the eye was drawn everywhere but there. The crisp linework was already stunning, neat and clean, even the offending unsteady line on his rib had been masterfully corrected somehow. Hisoka took in all of the details, risking a stiff neck in the process, openly ogling the reflection while Illumi stood aside and watched.
“I take it you are satisfied for now?”
Hisoka could finally rip his eyes from the tattoo and looked over at Illumi who was still patiently waiting for any feedback.
“Much more than that. I think it's already a masterpiece. You did such a good job with this.” he said honestly, not even trying to keep the awe out of his voice. Illumi slightly lifted a brow and the tiny, sterile smile visited his lips for a brief moment.
“It seems my work gets much easier once my customers stop squirming.”
“And even that you handled exceptionally well.”
The commanding firmness returned to Illumi's voice when he spoke next.
“Do not make a habit out of this kind of game when you come here. There are other ways.” Just ask, Hisoka read between the lines. His grin grew wicked.
“Now where would be the fun in that?” he chirped. Illumi's black eyes immediately transfixed him to the spot he was standing on.
“It is best if we keep fun and work separated.”
Hisoka's grin froze on his face, a little taken aback. A few days ago he had berated Machi for not being able to do exactly that. But now, he was shocked by his own intense reaction to Illumi's distinct display of a boundary. Instinctively, he knew this was not a line to be crossed (again). But before he could assume the other was having second thoughts about anything that had happened this evening, Illumi added: “Which does not mean we cannot have both, in one sequence or the other.”
His eyes dragged down and up Hisoka's body once, pointedly. “Considering you can keep your promise.”
Hisoka's eyebrows shot up and he blinked, before exhaling and smiling. His relief was palpable.
“Of course. I wouldn't dare to disturb your work again.” Illumi held his stare for a couple of seconds, letting himself and Hisoka feel the weight of those words. There was a clear message conveyed in his wordless gaze: No lies would be tolerated.
“Good.” he said, simply. And then, more casually, he carried on: “I am going to get the wrap. Take a seat.”
He was already out of the room by the time he'd finished his sentence. Hisoka's gaze trailed after him. Illumi's fluid transition between work-related and personal parts of conversation fascinated him. The tonal shift in his voice alone caused Hisoka's whole body to respond, immediately. It had been a while since he had been in the company of someone he was so utterly and easily captured by. He chuckled to himself, realising that his time spent with Illumi was the most fun he had had in quite some time. Illumi returned with a big roll of plastic wrap and a few other items. Upon entering the room once again, he noticed Hisoka's expression.
“What are you grinning about?”
“Just enjoying the events of this evening far more than I had anticipated.”
A pause. A slight shift in Illumi's posture.
“I see.”
If there was a hint of a blush, Hisoka had no real chance to see it on the other man's face. Illumi cut straight to the case and his deft hand made quick work of Hisoka's back. He was properly bandaged within minutes. Despite it not being his first tattoo, Illumi made sure to educate Hisoka – in detail – on how to take care of it during the next few days. He could, under no circumstances whatsoever, risk the quality of this tattoo by neglecting any part of the routine, Illumi reminded him more than once, firmly.
Hisoka nodded along, actively listening and even more actively watching Illumi work through the mirror. He wondered if he would be able to watch him next time they fucked. Maybe a conveniently placed mirror would do the trick...
Illumi noticed Hisoka's eyes had gone distant and the hint of frustration crept back onto his face. He finished his work and tossed Hisoka his shirt, along with a brochure on tattoo care. He was already behind the counter once Hisoka had finished pulling his shirt over his head.
“We will continue in three weeks. Any preferences on the time of the appointment?”
“I'm flexible.”
Their eyes met, Hisoka's already curled upwards with a smile again. Illumi did not comment on yet another innuendo and handed him a business card that held the jotted down information about his next appointment. While accepting it, Hisoka stretched his fingers to stroke alongside Illumi's. Illumi followed the movement of his long fingers with his eyes. Hisoka tilted his head and leaned in a little closer.
“Any chance you could, say, check up on the healing process in the meantime?”
Gold met black as they shared another look. There was a moment of silence between them. Then, Illumi's finger returned to movement to Hisoka's before letting the card go.
“You can come by whenever you feel like you need a check-up.”
Hisoka straightened his back and put away the business card in the breast pocket of his coat.
“Such good customer service. I am sure to take you up on that offer. Thank you.”
Hisoka started towards the door.
“Come again soon.” Illumi said automatically, not picking up on the unintentional double meaning of his words. Hisoka stopped cold in the half-open door and flashed him another strikingly handsome smile, all canines and mischief.
“Oh trust me, dear Illumi. I intend to.”