Title: Just A Touch Of Ink
Fandom: Honkai: Star Rail
Rating: NC-17
Length: 2654 Words
Content notes: Warning for implied sexual content and a lot of innuendo.
Author notes: Set in a Modern AU! Not the original game-verse. :)
Summary: Gepard goes to his boyfriend as an accomplice in an act of rebellion against his judgmental parents because he's dating a guy his family considers less than worthy of his heart because of his profession as a tattoo artist. Sampo is just happy to be along for the ride while his boyfriend gets in touch with his naughtier side.

Sampo doesn't believe what he's hearing at first.

"Could you repeat that?"

His boyfriend, a pretty blonde who also happens to be a hard-working trust fund baby, stands there with his resolve steeled. Those arms are folded over his chest and his eyes don't once shy away from Sampo as he obliges him and answers, "I want a tattoo."

"Yeah, I heard that part, babe," Sampo says and leans on the counter to tip his sunglasses up. "It's the line about my NAME on your ASS that I thought I misheard."

"I..." Gepard starts a little reluctantly this time and blushes, but he just shakes it off. "You did not. That's exactly what I want."

Sampo leans back on the counter behind him and slowly smirks, taking it all in.

"Stop looking so pleased with yourself. It's simply an act of rebellion against father for refusing to accept the fact that I'm in love with someone who doesn't have a six-figure career," Gepard explains with his nose pointed in the air. "He'll never get to see it, mind you, but simply knowing that it's there will be enough."

Sliding off the counter, Sampo leans forward and tucks a few fingers under his boyfriend's chin to kiss him. He pulls back and leaves a silver string of saliva still connecting their lips, swiping his tongue across his own lips to lap it all up.

"Goddamn it, Geppie," he curses in a soft, warm voice and rubs noses with his boyfriend. "Do you ever stop being so fucking adorable?"

Gepard rolls his eyes and tries to catch his breath. "Y-You can do the tattoo however you'd like, too. I have no knowledge or taste when it comes to such things, so I'm trusting you instead."

"Ooh, a free license to do it in whatever style I like, huh?" Sampo falls back onto the counter with effortless grace and his cheshire grin widens. "Don't worry, bunny. I'll take good care of you."

Smiling himself, Gepard unintentionally dazzles his beau again as he closes the distance between them and throws his arms around Sampo's neck. He tracks his fingers along the back of Sampo's neck and whispers, "I know you will or I'll kick your ass. No funny business."

"Sure, sure," promises the tattoo artist with a show of hands in surrender. "Although, the thought of you wiping the floor with me is kinda tempting."

Gepard narrows his eyes and gives his boyfriend's shin a light kick. "Quit being so weird and horny. I want to get this over with."

"Right this way, then, princess," Sampo says with a grand bow and a flourish to gesture towards the back of the parlor behind some beaded curtains. "Tacky, I know. Gives the place some ambience."

The backroom is more professional-looking than the waiting area outside, and honestly, Gepard is quite impressed as he walks in. Framed photos of Sampo's handiwork cover the walls and his station is set up as thoroughly as a surgeon's, clean and organized.

"Lemme adjust the chair for you. One sec," Sampo murmurs and goes about the task of reclining the chair so that it's parallel to the floor. "You can just lay out across it on your belly. That should be the most comfortable position for you while I work."

Gepard hesitates again with the next step. "Um, my clothes...What should I take off?"

Sampo looks up from the chair and flashes him a smile. "Everything below the waist, babe, and then you can lie down."

It's nothing he hasn't seen before, Gepard reminds himself with a rough gulp. Being here at his workplace in such a vulnerable state makes me nervous, though.

"Hey, it's okay. I made sure no other appointments will be booked today, so we have the shop all to ourselves," Sampo says and walks over to take Gepard's hands in his own. He presses reassuring caresses to his boyfriend's fingers and winks at him. "Now, just take your clothes off behind that screen over there and come out when you're ready."

Gepard hides behind the folding screens and slowly strips off his clothes as instructed, jeans first and bright blue boxers last. He tugs at the hem of his button-down in an effort to conceal his front and steps out from behind the screen with an intense blush staining his face.

"Aw, don't get all shy on me, baby," Sampo teases him gently and wags his finger. "Come here."

Keeping his shirt-tail down as low as he can by constantly tugging on it, Gepard makes his way over to his beau and hazards a glance up at him.

"See? Not so hard, is it?" Stroking his cheek, Sampo smiles at him and pats the chair. "It's all plush velvet, nice 'n comfy. Lie down for me."

Gepard half-expects a swat on the ass as he walks past but Sampo makes no such moves and he's so grateful for it as he lies down. The chair really is as comfortable as he boyfriend brags about and Gepard folds his arms to rest his head on them.

"Mm-mm. I'll never get tired of staring at that cute, bouncy butt," Sampo purrs and squeezes the left cheek for good measure. He chuckles as Gepard jerks a little at the contact and rubs his shoulder instead. "Sorry, sorry. Just looking for a proper spot to place the tat, love."

"Liar," Gepard retorts back and purses his lips. "You did that on purpose."

Sampo frowns. "Aw, come on, don't pout. You're too freakin' cute when you do. I won't be able to concentrate~"

Beethoven's 'Fur Elise' starts crooning over the speakers and Gepard looks up with surprise.

"Yeah, I can have some culture and class when I want to," interjects the tattoo artist before his boyfriend has a chance to ask about it. "Helps me focus, and besides, you're the one who got me into it."

Gepard smiles a little. "It's nice to know that I've had some measure of influence over you, then."

"Some? Babe, when you came into my life, the world flipped upside-down," Sampo says and returns with a bottle and a cotton swab. "Everything was black and white before you came along and suddenly...BAM! Color, everywhere."

Something cold touches Gepard's skin and he jolts in place with a yelp.

"Shh. It's all right," Sampo soothes him as he leans over the chair to kiss the top of his boyfriend's head. "That's just some rubbing alcohol to sterilize the tattoo site. I'm gonna put a bit of lidocaine there to numb you, too, okay?"

Gepard swallows hard and nods, gripping the sides of the chair.

"Just relax. I'll be as gentle as I can," Sampo promises and starts to rub in the lidocaine cream on Gepard's right cheek. He hums along to the music and massages Gepard's back a little while he does so, too, to help him be more at ease. "There you go, bunny. Release all that tension. It's just you and I here."

While Sampo traces on his boyfriend with a feathery, felt-tip marker for his intended design, Gepard recalls the time they first met with a sigh.

"Our relationship is like something out of a sappy romantic comedy," he starts in a wistful voice, clearly trying to distract himself. "I made the mistake of drinking with some of father's associates and one of the board members tried flirting with me because he was plastered..."

Sampo chuckles and finishes the design with a grin. "You tried to be honorable about it, too, but the bastard just couldn't take a hint. He deserved that fist to the face and more."

Gepard laughs a little.

"Oh, but then you blackmailed him into dropping the assault charge, too! That was the best part," Sampo adds with a toothy grin that Gepard could clearly hear in his mirthful tone. "I knew then and there that I HAD to have you."

"Because I blackmailed him?" asks Gepard with another chuckle.

Sampo shakes his head and leans over to tap his boyfriend on the nose. "Nope, it's because you weren't afraid to stand up to anyone even if it meant they were bigger and more powerful than you, and you have such a pretty face besides. I just love a boy with a shaky moral compass and an honor code to go with it."

"It was the right thing to do," Gepard convinces himself yet again. "He had it coming as you said."

"What drew you to me?" Sampo asks, feeling it was his turn now. "The bad boy gone rogue anti-hero?"

Gepard scoffs at him, "H-Hardly. I'm not THAT superficial."

"Kidding, love," Sampo jokes and starts needling the design from behind. "Seriously, though, what was it?"

"Well, I went into your shop to thank you a few days later and saw you taking care of a client," Gepard reminsces fondly and relaxes into his arms, laying his cheek aside them with a yawn. "She seemed really anxious about her aftercare and you just reassured her back into self-confidence, speaking so gently and even going so far as to give her your contact information should she have any doubts."

Sampo looks up from his work for a moment with surprise.

"You were so sweet, I..." Gepard blushes again and laughs at himself. "I thought all men with tattoos were either addle-brained brutes or playboys who enjoyed collecting hearts like stamps. You broke that stereotype entirely."

Smiling warmly, Sampo goes back to work.

Gepard continues in a soft voice, "My parents and sister always warned me about men like you, in fact, but I'm so glad that they were wrong."

Lifting his head some, Gepard casts a grateful glance back at his beau from over his shoulder.

"You don't know how thankful I am to have you in my life."

Sighing, Sampo stops suddenly and looks a bit guilty as he does so. He rubs the back of his neck and admits, "Ah, now you've gone and rubbed off on me again."

Gepard tilts his head, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I was gonna be naughty and 'alter' your original idea by writing 'Sampo's' with an extra apostrophe and an 's' to, like, claim ownership over you because...Argh. I dunno," Sampo rambles in a muddled voice and sits back on his stool. "I won't if you don't want me to, though. That goes against the promise I made."

"Well, you did own up to it," Gepard says and surprises him yet again. "I'm proud of you."

Sampo blushes this time and his mouth hangs open a little.

Gepard feels his own face getting hot as he quickly adds, "I-I'm not opposed to the idea, either. It would certainly piss off father even more so than just having your name there."

"Wait," Sampo pipes up, hopeful. "So, I can...?"

"Go ahead with your idea," Gepard acquiesces with a fierce blush now darkening his pretty face. "N-No weird jokes about it, though! This is...stressful enough as is."

Sampo leans over and gives his boyfriend a peck on the shoulder. "Of course not, honey. My goal is to have you as comfy as possible."

After a few minutes of silence between them and just the hum of the needle and Beethoven to occupy their thoughts, Gepard finally relaxes. It's strange, he thinks, because he has watched Sampo tattoo other clients countless times and there he was all scared of the procedure like a child.

But his boyfriend comforted him just like the day he came in to thank him. The thought touches him and he slips even deeper into quiet repose.

"Geppie," says Sampo somewhere above him. "Wake up, baby. We're done."

Blinking sleep from his blue eyes, Gepard looks up with a dazed expression and drool dried to his cheek.

"Aw, look at you. Hold still for a moment, Sleeping Beauty," whispers Sampo while he fetches a clean cloth to wipe the spit from Gepard's face and he touches up his hair by running his fingers through it. "You were so good for me."

"Was I?" Gepard asks in a groggy voice.

"Best client I've ever had the pleasure of working with," Sampo boasts and kisses his temple. "And the prettiest, besides."

Gepard yawns and laughs afterwards. "I'd best not hear you saying that to any other client but myself."

"Ooh, I love it when you're mildly possessive, too," Sampo coos and tips the blonde's face up to kiss him properly on the lips. He's gentle and quick about it so as not to rattle his sleepy boyfriend, though. "Wanna see the finished product? I took a pic for you."

Startling awake, Gepard stares at him with wide eyes. "You took a photo of my ASS?!"

"Pffft. Of course, I did. I mean, have you SEEN your ass? It's adorable," Sampo jests and dangles his phone screen in front of Gepard to flaunt his design. "All that ASS-side, what do you think?"

Ignoring his pathetic pun, Gepard flinches a little at the screen. "How did you make something so trashy look so...tasteful?"

"Like it, huh? Really?"

"The detailing on the roses and the skull is lovely," Gepard praises him and offers him a cute smile. "Your handwriting has always been nice, too, so I had no doubts about that."

Sampo giggles and bites his lip. "God, I love you."

"I love you more," Gepard surprises him yet again with a spunky upstaging effort. "I-I'm hungry, too."

There's a tiny growl that rumbles into the chair cushions and Sampo wants it as a notification sound for his phone now but he keeps that to himself so as not to embarrass Gepard any further into his shell. He's being really playful right now and Sampo doesn't want to spoil the moment.

"How 'bout some sushi?" he says and leans over Gepard's shoulder. "No offering to pay, either. You know damn well that I do all the paying when we're together."

Gepard laughs. "You don't have to, though."

"What kind of boyfriend lets his bunny pay for anything?" Sampo asks, pretending to be offended and he cracks with a chuckle at the end. "I'm a gentleman through and through, babe. You know that."

"I'll take some green tea with mine!" Gepard calls after him while he leaves to get his credit card. "Hmm...That gives me an idea, actually."

Sampo returns a moment later after ordering their food to find his boyfriend tapping away at both of their phones. Curious, he leans over to investigate.

"Whatcha doing?"

Gepard smiles mischievously and shows him. "Sending that photo to my father."

Sampo opens his mouth wide and wheezes, trying to laugh but too shocked to do so properly so he just sounds really hoarse. He staggers over and hugs Gepard around his neck, still cackling.

"You naughty little thing," he teases and presses his lips to Gepard's cheek. "Ugh. You're SO CUTE that it's unfair, Geppie. Makes me wanna tie you up and have you sobbing on my cock."

Gepard jerks with sudden stimulation. "H-Hey, you said no sex for a few days afterwards, remember?!"

Sampo shrugs and sighs. "Didn't say anything about hand jobs or sucking each other off, though. Staring at your bubble butt for hours on end has made me kinda horny."

"A-At least let me eat our lunch first," Gepard squeaks and turns his phone off. "And for the record, ANYTHING makes you horny. I-I can walk across the room and you want to throw me against the wall like some kind of animal."

Grinning, Sampo counters by whispering into his ear, "Says the boy who likes watching himself get railed from behind in a floor-length mirror."

"Shut up," Gepard grunts and pouts as Sampo nuzzles against his neck. "Idiot."

Sampo doesn't bother denying the fact and is content to press little kisses into Gepard's soft skin, teasing him until their lunch arrives.

"I can't wait for dessert."