INKED ;; TAEKOOK

tRYPANOPHOBIA

His breathing was shallow, eyes wide, and, no, he couldn't actually do this.

And then he was looking for a way out, scanning for an exit but of course the only one there was the same door that they had just passed through and okay, he didn't want this guy to look at him weirdly but he had to. He'd get over it anyway, with his arms all decorated in bright ink.

So the blonde haired male turned on his heel, ready to go out through the door but the man caught his wrist, brows high on his forehead. "The chair's this way."

"I'm afraid of needles." It came out as a squeak, high-pitched and mouse-like, and Taehyung would've been a lot more embarrassed had the man's face not softened immediately.

"Ah, alright. So no ink today then?"

Taehyung bit his lip because yes, he did want the tattoo but he didn't want to be a blubbering mess by the end of it, but. "Any way you could knock me out for it?"

The guy chuckled a bit — and Taehyung didn't know why because he was completely serious — running his fingers through his hair with a twisted smile. "How about I go get Jungkook instead? He's better at dealing with these than I am. You just sit in the chair, okay?"

Taehyung nodded, even though he had no clue who this Jungkook guy was or how he'd be able to make the needle hurt less.

But he wasn't going to question it, instead settling deeper into the chair, taking deep breaths and thinking of happy places.

A guy came into the room then, and immediately Taehyung knew it was Jungkook.

He could just tell, with his inked sleeve and high hair and Taehyung didn't know, he just screamed tattoo artist.

But something about his overall appearance was a lot softer — more understanding, maybe — than the other guy Taehyung was originally paired with, who was leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"I've got this one, Hoseok hyung, thanks," Jungkook smiled tightly before turning to Taehyung and letting his grin blur into something easier, more natural. "M' Jungkook. And you're?"

"Taehyung," He answered easily, gripping the sides of the chair. "But I go by Tae, and I think I'm going to faint."

"I wouldn't let you," Jungkook said, and something about that was just so sincere, pure raw honesty that Taehyung even believed for a second. He looked over at the sketch propped on the side table that the other guy — Jung Hoseok — had drawn. "Your name is Taehyung which basically means prosperity and you're getting stay gold on your wrist. Creative."

Taehyung's first instinct was to be offended by Jungkook's sarcastic tone, but then he looked up at him and he was grinning, tongue tucked behind teeth and wow, he had a nice smile.

Jungkook's eyes kind of wrinkled and his nose sort of scrunched and it was a big difference between the wings etched his chest, shown by his low shirt collar, and — Taehyung wasn't expecting it, is all.

"Originality is my middle name."

"Tae Originality," He chuckled, before settling down, making sure the needle was sterilized and that's when the butterflies erupted in the other's chest again.

"Jungkook, I'm really going to cry. You think I'm kidding. I might even be sick."

The ravenette grabbed his wrist, looking at the sketch again and working his lip between his teeth, and like he hadn't even heard him. "So, tell me, how do you think I spell my name?"

And was Jungkook serious?

Taehyung was having an internal crisis and he was worried about him spelling his name?

"I don't know," Taehyung gasped out, the needle awfully close to his skin now.

Jungkook hummed, shaking his head. "No. Now," He looked up at Taehyung then, and he noticed that his irises looked like coffee. "If you really think that you're going to pass out, tell me. I don't want you to like, convulse in the seat and then have me run the needle up your arm because that wouldn't be a very attractive tattoo, would it?"

"M' happy that you care more about my beauty than my well-being," Taehyung grumbled back, and he was preparing himself. He shut his eyes tightly, and when he felt the first prick he couldn't help the sharp intake of breath because it hurt, and a needle was on his skin, and a needle was on his skin, and oh god a needle was touching his skin.

Taehyung tried to keep still for Jungkook's sake, but he couldn't help the tremor in his heartbeat or the first tear that leaked out despite how hard he was biting my lip and clenching his palms.

Jungkook noticed. "Alright, yeah?"

"I'm freaking out," Taehyung answered, and it was so soft and tiny that he was surprised that he heard it.

"S' with a double o, by the way," Jungkook started, and Taehyung was too busy trying to breathe steadily to ask him what he was even going on about. "My name, I mean. Jungkook, like cook, but with a k instead of the c. What's a word that rhymes with my name?"

"Good to know," Taehyung gritted out because yes, okay that was interesting, but a needle was touching his skin and that was all he could focus on. That, and the rapid beating of his heart that was way too fast to be normal. "And I don't know a word that rhymes with your name. Pain. Pain, pain, pain."

"I can't even begin to explain how wrong you are, Taehyung," Jungkook sighed lightly, like he was chastising a child for stealing a cookie.

"I don't care. I'm in pain right now."

And actually, yes it hurt, but not as much as Taehyung expected it to.

That wasn't what was freaking him out, though. It was just the principle of it, of being so close to a needle.

"You want me to stop? You'll only have half a word but I could stop."

"No, no," Taehyung came here for a tattoo and he would get it, "I'm fine."

And later, when the tattoo artist was done and the other had cried many tears.

Jungkook had offered him a soft smile and said, "See, you didn't even pass out."

And that was probably more consolation than anything.

"It's over?"

"It's over."

"I've got a tattoo?"

"You've got a tattoo."

Taehyung smiled. "Great. Thank you, a lot — a million times."

Jungkook chuckled back, shaking his head. "I didn't do anything great. S' just my job."

And when Taehyung was about to leave, one foot out the door, Jungkook popped up from behind the counter and asked, "Wait, do you know what the fear of needles is called?"

"Trypanophobia," Taehyung nodded.

"Trypanophobia." Jungkook snorted. "So you know that, but don't know a word that rhymes with my name. Goodbye, Tae Originality."

It made Taehyung smile a lot more than it should've.

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