[C] Black Dragon

"Brilliant. Come on through and I'll ring you up. Will you be paying by cash or card?" he asked Dick as he pulled his gloves off.

He dropped his gloves on the cart that he'd had everything set up on.

As they passed by the curtain they had before, he shot out the same question as before in Russian, and was replied to with a longer response.

He stopped dead and peeked through the curtain.

"Wow, that looks so good! Lyo, that was such a good choice."

He stepped back as both his sister's lithe form and a large man stepped through the curtain.

"Rai is a good tattooist. Better than most I've had," Lyo replied as they began heading back out to the main door again.

Dick finally tore his eyes away from Fleck. He could happily admire his face all day, but he was sure Ti wouldn't appreciate that.

"Card," he replied.

He got up and fished his wallet out of his pocket, prepared. Then followed Ti out towards the front, blinking in surprise as the two figures stepped through the curtain.

"Oh, Lyo. Hi."

He thought he recognised the voice. The small woman he also recognised, but didn't know her name. He gave them both the same polite smile that he gave Ti.

Running into others outside the mansion seemed to be becoming a thing.

"Okay." Ti smiled.

"Ah, Dick. Hi." Lyo smiled at Dick in greeting.

Fleck looked up at Lyo in wonderment. He didnt think he had ever seen anyone so tall. He had thought Chrys was tall, but Lyo had to be even taller.

What sorts of people did his sweet and unassuming looking boyfriend know?

He didn't speak much to Lyo, but he took a liking to him. He seemed friendly enough - even with his intimidating height and looks. He was one of the few people he would have light conversation with in passing.

Slipping his hand into Fleck's he found his eyes wonder back up to his boyfriend's face. While he looked up at Lyo in awe, Dick looked at his piercings in awe. The urge to reach out and touch them overcame him again, but he squashed it back down.

Fleck could feel his boyfriend's almost tangible stare on him.

Usually Dick didn't stare at him quite so hard. There was almost always some sort of gaze on him with Dick around, but this one was almost piercing.

"You really like the piercings, huh?" he questioned, eyes turning down to Dick.

"Have you thought of getting any yourself?"

Dick's flushed at being caught out. Normally he at least tried to be subtle when gazing at Fleck, but it was incredibly hard with the new additions added to his face.

"I don't think they suit me."

His fingers reached up to gently feel the lobe of his ear.

"I used to have the one but..." He shrugged, hand dropping. "I took it out one day and forgot to replace it, and it just healed over."

He remembered likening it, though. Often toying with it similar to the way he toyed with his ring. Even now to still had the habit resting his elbow on something and toying with the soft skin, often when looking fixedly at Fleck.

"You did?"

Fleck's eyes were bright when he asked that. He liked the thought of Dick with a piercing. He really did like piercings, and his boyfriend with a piercing? Well, that was a particularly nice thought.

"You should think about getting it redone," he suggested, giving Dick's hand a squeeze.

Dick was taken aback by the bright eyes.

His hands tugged up at the lobe again as he mulled over Fleck's suggestion.

Well if he didn't like it he could always take it out again and let it heal over again. There wasn't even a scar from the previous one.

"Ti," he called out, "do you think you will have room for one more?"

"Huh?" Ti turned from his conversation with his sister and blinked as the request settled in.

"Oh, yeah, sure. I'll need to set up again, so it may take a little time. What were you thinking? I thought we got all the piercings you wanted, Fleck."

He turned back around and headed back towards his area.

"Oh, that's fine. And it's for me," he said, cheeks pink.

"I just want to get my ear pierced, if it isn't too much of a problem," he hastily added.

"Oh, yeah. That makes things super easy."

Ti ducked to open a cupboard when they stepped back into his station. He set a gun from the cupboard onto the counter.

"One ear or both?" he questioned as he went to wash his hands again.

Dick thought it over, he didn't really think about the possibility of having both done until now. While he liked the idea of having two symmetrical ones, he decided to stick with what he knew.

"Just the one, please."

He eyed the gun rested on the table.

"Not just a needle?"

"A needle? No, that hurts more."

He opened up a little case that sat sat on the side, then gloved up. He loaded the gun with a piercing from the case then turned to Dick.

"Which one?" When he got his answer, he stepped forwards.

It took just a second to wipe down his ear. He didn't even need to sit down for this.

"One... two..." With one click, the gun went off and Dick's ear was pierced. "Done."

He soaked it with antiseptic then stepped back.

"Right," Dick said, tapping his ear before dropping his hand. The same place as last time.

A flicker of a memory peaked through on why he took the earring out in the first place.

Even if what Ti said we right, he didn't like the look of it. But he let Ti get on with his job. Hands in his lap as he waited and then he blinked and it was over.

Ti was right. It was a lot less painful. Especially compared to last time. A lot more sanitary, too.

Looking into the mirror his lips split into a smile. The stud was plain and simple, but he liked it.

"Thanks, Ti."

He made his way back over to Fleck, lacing their hands together.

"What do you think?"

"Hmmm..."

He raised their joined hands and twisted his wrist, making Dick spin around.

"I'll tell you later." He winced when he said that. Ouch. Okay, no talking. Hopefully he'd be in less pain later.

He wasn't holding onto that though much.

Dick laughed in surprise as he was spun, his heart fluttering. Then laughed again as Fleck spoke. Still sounding a little funny from his swollen tongue.

"Sure thing." Although he didn't quite get why he wanted to tell him later.

"I should probably pay now," he said, offering Ti an apologetic smile.

Ti just smiled back at him.

Really, there was so much hanging around and chatting here at the parlour, that their little moment hardly compared.

It was nice to see people so in love, anyway. It was sweet.

"Rai's probably done with the card machine now, too. No sibling fighting over it," he joked.

He held the curtain open for the two of them to exit back into the waiting area.

Lyo was still there, stood chatting eagerly with Rai.

"Well, don't you look good," Raf purred when she caught sight of Fleck. "I was totally wrong. That septum piercing suits you down to the bone, boy."

Dick's smile slipped. He wasn't so oblivious that he didn't recognise that tone. He heard it from Giacinto enough times - even towards Fleck. Unlike Giacinto, he didn't know this women.

"Of course it would suit him," he said. He wasn't going to be treated like he wasn't there, their hands obviously still clasped together.

"Nah. Septums hardly suit any guys. They're more of a woman's piercing." Raf waved her hand in front of her face.

"But his face is hot enough that it totally doesn't make him look gay."

Fleck gave a little sigh. He didn't want to cause a scene here, but it was difficult to keep his mouth shut around her.

"Okay, Dick!" Ti nudged Raf aside, side-eyeing her as he did. "That'll be €80."

A line was drawn between his brows. He wanted to snap and growl at her at the comment but Ti interjected. He settled on an icy scowl instead.

"Okay," he said. Not daugnted by the price. He was expecting it.

He handed his card over to Ti, and tried to soften his face up. Like Fleck he didn't want to make a scene and he didn't want to leave on a sour note.

Fleck watched the exchange between Ti and Dick, said his quick goodbyes then led Dick towards the door.

Before the door closed, he turned back over his shoulder and gave Raf an icy smile.

"Raffaella. I don't care if it made me look gay. I'm a flaming fucking homosexual. You totally made up my mind on that one." His smile brightened, and he waved before marching Dick down the street.

After a minute, he snorted loudly and laughed. "I can;t believe I fucking did that. Fuck, poor Ti. Shit, ow."

Dick was left just as surprised as Fleck - his easy going, patient boyfriend - bit and at that it was him the held his tongue. As he was marched off, he threw her a grin over his sholder. His arm sneaking around Fleck's waist.

When Fleck cracked, he cracked as well, shaking his head.

"I can't believe you did the either."

He was still grinning. But it did make him wonder; only a few months ago they had a couple men yelling obscenities at them and throwing cans of beer, and Fleck tried to pay them no mind. This woman made a few comments and he snipped at her.

"How do you know her?" He asked. Although, he had his suspicions.

Fleck grinned, pressing his face into Dick's fluffy hair.

"She was a major mistake of a relationship back when we were still in school."

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back out of his face. "It was a mess, and it didn't end on good terms, if you hadn't already gathered."

"Yeah, I gathered."

It was strange now knowing that he had met one of Fleck's exes. He knew Fleck had them, but they never really discussed them. They never felt real. Until this moment. He surprised himself by being compleatly unbothered and non-threatened by her.

"Did you have many... past relations?" He asked, looking up at Fleck curiously.

"Well, a couple, I guess."

He shrugged. "There aren't many. Even less serious ones. Raf, she wasn't as serious to me as I was to her. That relationship, it wasn't like us, Dick." He gave Dick's shoulders a little squeeze.

"Can we have this conversation when my tongue isn't quite as swollen?" The more he talked, the more muffled and pained his voice was getting.