drear | OPEN SEASON 2.

Just go on back then. He's on the left.

[Fee's station isn't hard to find at all - though part of that is because he's there, checking on things to make sure everything's covered and where it needs to be. he looks more serious while he does it, muttering something about blue under his breath, but the sound of footsteps breaks him out of thought.

seeing Heine, he grins.]

You made it! Was it too difficult to find this place?

[a very bad joke, but one he can't resist. around his station are drawings of various subjects, enough to show someone what his style is. some of it is rather geometric, with straight lines and sharp angles, but he doesn't shy away from color, either.]

[ The shop really looks different in the new layout. Heine's taken aback by the changes, and he's still looking around when Fee greets him. ]

Uh, no. [ It was not hard to get here at all. Heine gives Fee a small, barely-there smile. ]

So. [ Heine walks further towards his station. ] What do you have to show me?

That depends on what you want to see.

[he says it deadpan before the smile comes back.]

Nah, I remember. You wanted to see some of the others.

[one is easy - the geometric one on his left ankle, which looks older than the feather had been. that just requires pulling up his pants.]

That's the second one I ever got - and you can tell, because that one's easy to keep under wraps.

[sometimes clients ask why he doesn't have any visible, but they're mostly satisfied once he explains why. and fortunately for them both, Fee's not body conscious, casually pulling off his shirt after Heine's seen the one on his ankle, revealing the different ones that live on his torso. standing in front of him, he's more or less giving Heine permission to look and examine to his heart's content.]

Yeah. [ Heine positions himself with his back against a wall as he waits for Fee to show him. The geometric design reminds him of the other drawings hung up around his station, but he's not close enough to see if the work is the same.

He looks at the ones on Fee's chest first. The sword is beautiful, straight and stark against his skin. The watercolors, on the other hand, curl and bloom—and Heine's reminded of carnations with their feathered petals, dyed every color under the sun. ]

Can I see your back? [ The style and look of these tattoos are new to him; he's fascinated. ]

[he's happy to show them off - it had never been a question to him that he'd want color, and the way that the watercolors blend and seem to be almost accidental had appealed to him from the start. freeform color, the opposite of the lines of geometry and that precision, it feels like they belong there.

at Heine's question, he nods and turns, revealing what takes up his back. the star chart has no names on it, only thin lines that connect the stars that make up constellations, varying careful dots for the stars in the expanse of dark. the sky is complicated, and around the border at precise points are the tiny letters to signify direction - N S E W.]

[ At first glance, all Heine can think is that there's so much ink. He hadn't noticed any texture change to his arm after the blackwork was done, but maybe Fee's are different..?

Heine doesn't reach out. Instead, he keeps his hands very much to himself, not even leaning closer as he looks over the star map from the distance he's standing at. ]

Cool. [ Not quite adequate, but he doesn't have the words for it. ] When did you get these?

Different times.

[there is a lot of ink, and for that he had been grateful Jakob decided to step in. a gift for his graduation, he'd said, though Fee knew how much the hours put into it were worth. he'd been dedicated, sure, but the gesture had put him in Jakob's debt for a long while - his work as an apprentice wasn't worth that much. might have just been the man's desire to not see him fuck up his entire back so young, too.]

The chart I got at the end of my apprenticeship, the one over my heart during the process, the sword was six months ago. They happen when it feels right, when I need them. Each one of them I can point to and know exactly why I need it, when that was decided.

[reaching over his shoulder, he touches the map briefly before he goes and picks up his shirt, not putting it on yet.]

The good thing about them being covered up is that they won't fade in the sun so quickly, at least.

[ "When I needs them." What does that feel like, to be so sure? ]

Yeah.

[ Heine looks at the tattoos for a few more seconds before looking away, to give Fee the implicit indication that he's done looking if he needs it. ]

Hey—if you still want a new arrangement, I'll be back downstairs in ten minutes.

[ His usual lunch plans involve going upstairs and making himself something easy and quick, or nothing at all. ]

You sure? Don't feel rushed about it, it's your break.

[pulling the shirt back over his head, it's like they don't exist at all. secure, shielded, secret. though their surroundings tell a different story.]

Yeah. I'll be right down.

[ Once Fee is clothed again, Heine feels more comfortable making eye contact. He only does so for a second to say goodbye, though, before stepping out of the tattoo shop.

He makes himself toast with jam and butter, bringing it downstairs on a plate to snack on while waiting for Fee or other customers to arrive. ]

[it takes Fee a little bit, after he's made some notes on things he needs to fix and ensured that absolutely everything in his station is properly protected (you can't be too exact when it comes to making sure everything's clean) but he makes his way back over, glancing around again at the flowers.]

So! Had a thought.

[and with no more preamble than that, Fee puts a business card down in front of Heine. on the empty back, Fee's scrawled a phone number - on the front, it's just one of the cards from the shop, the one for Gennady Fiander, after which he's handwritten in Fee.]

Just in case you need anything, or want to talk, or whatever you want.

[god, he sounds so formal about this. ugh.]

...Gennady?

[ He's probably pronouncing it very wrong. Heine picks up the card to read all the information on it in the meantime.

Checking the back out of habit, Heine doesn't really expect to see anything there, and when he does he stops for a second. That's probably his personal cell number. He'll put it into his phone later, he decides. ]

[Fee smiles, tucking his hands into his pockets.]

Gennady. [at least he's gentle about correcting the pronunciation.] Don't know where Mom pulled that one out of, but yeah.

[a nickname's easier to remember, easier to say. but sometimes legal names have the entertainment value of being asked on the phone if this was "Gina".]

[ It's quite a name, but he can't really talk when his name is 'Heine' and he's never spoken to his mother. ]

So how are your parents taking to your career now?

They...

[something in his smile falters a little, and he shrugs.]

We don't talk about it. Keeps things peaceful.

[peace, he thinks, is more important than trying to force them to come around to his point of view. they don't question him, and he lets them talk. it's easy.]

Sorry. [ Of course he had to mess things up. Heine pulls the business card into his hand with his fingers, digging the sharp corners of it into his palm for a second. ] I didn't mean to bring up—make you uncomfortable.

[ TIME TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT. ]

Do you want a spring arrangement?

[he shakes his head - it's fine, it's fine, it's not uncomfortable, but at the subject of an arrangement, switches to nodding. by now, it was a small shop expense on occasion, after Jakob had seen that people really did like having flowers there. every now and then, it didn't hurt.]

Something that doesn't smell too strongly.

Okay.

[ Heine gets to work. He makes it in an asymmetrical spray this time, the base structure filled with small white tulips with lily of the valley. Apple blossom branches give it more reach. It's faintly scented, but as Fee had asked, the fragrance is negligible unless he's sticking his face into it. ]

[it's beautiful, Fee thinks, these arrangements their own type of art that he can appreciate. it's definitely going to get comments - and if it sends more customers Heine's way, then all's the better.

except when he's got it secured in his arms to take it away after paying for it, "thanks" isn't the only thing that comes out of his mouth.]

...You're really pretty.

[maybe some people would think it's a joke, but Fee says what he means with his whole heart.]

Handsome, if that word's better for you.

[ Heine focuses on simple things, the routine of ringing up a purchase and thinking about cleanup, and it takes him a good few seconds to understand what Fee is saying to him. ]

Uh. [ ??? ] Thanks.

[ That seems like something someone would say to hit on him. But it's Fee. And is he supposed to compliment him back? He doesn't know what to say along those lines, so he doesn't try. Instead, ] Maybe I should buy something from you. Since you keep coming here.

[that....wasn't what he had intended to mean at all. damn it. how clear does he have to be about this - he's used to people picking up hints, being able to read more subtle cues. now he's slightly embarrassed, but he manages the same face.]

Only if you want to. It's a big decision to make, you know.

[and with that, he turns to leave so he can go take the arrangement next door. and maybe quietly wonder what he can do to get the point across to Heine.]

[ Reading subtle cues is definitely not something Heine is good at. As Fee leaves, Heine waves at him in goodbye before clearing the counter.

It takes him mentioning it to Nill and her slapping him on the arm for him to admit to himself that Fee was, probably, flirting with him.

When they talk again Heine just pushes the thoughts aside. He likes talking to Fee, though, and even enjoys learning more about him. The days pass until Christmastime is around the corner. By then Heine hasn't yet decided if he wants to act on these facts, so he doesn't have a real gift with him when he goes next door to the tattoo shop. Instead, he has traditional poinsettias in a flowerpot in one arm and a small rosemary tree to be decorated for the holidays in the other. ]

[the tattoo parlor has been reasonably decorated to accommodate the holiday (a few lights, a few snowflakes), and today is even so, a workday. but the music occasionally yields to whatever winter themed song comes on shuffle, and some people, like Fee, have chosen to wear ugly sweaters.

despite Heine being, well, Heine about everything, Fee still lights up to see him. he's at the front, chatting with the person behind the desk, but he sees Heine and beams.]

What a surprise! A happy one, I mean. What brings you over?

[ Wow. That is... quite a look. ]

Hi. I don't know if you all do Christmas or whatever [ the rosemary tree is fairly holiday-specific ], but poinsettias mean celebration. Of any kind.

[ He offers both pots. ]

Nice sweater.

It's awful, isn't it?

[he says this so happily, because that was the point. the most hideous sweater he ever managed to find, a hand-me-down through a friend who could not understand why he was so pumped to wear it.]

But...this is really nice of you. Thanks, seriously.

[taking the poinsettias first, he gives them to the person behind the desk, and then he takes the rosemary.]

Just what we needed over here. Knew something was missing, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject