Ink & Flowers (16 page)

"Go ahead and move now, Luke," said Cooper. "You're in charge."

He was right. Luke didn't know if it was the position they were in, or just Cooper, but he was definitely right. Cooper was underneath him, his vast, muscular body coated in a layer of sweat, and the writhing designs on him almost seemed alive. Luke slid his hands over Cooper's body and then moved his hips a little, just tentatively, to see what would happen.

Pleasure shot through him. Luke's whole body was thrumming with it, even the tips of his fingers where he was touching Cooper. He slid his hands up and down the round hard muscles of Cooper's chest and began to move his hips as he did so. "Whoa," he whispered as he felt himself tighten around Cooper to pull him deeper. Cooper groaned and his head tilted back slightly.

"That's really good, Luke," Cooper gasped.

Luke had forgotten that Cooper hadn't done this in over a year. How must he have been feeling right now? If the pleasure was any bit as overwhelming as it was for Luke, then ... Oh, he was pleasuring Cooper with his body. The things that gave him pleasure gave Cooper pleasure too. How cool was that?

"You don't have to be all ... selfless, you know," he said.

"Really?" Cooper grinned and raised an eyebrow. "In that case ..." His hands gripped Luke's hips harder than before, and then he was fucking him, his hips moving heavily, the bed creaking under the movement. Luke could feel his body bouncing up and down on Cooper, gravity pushing him down onto his cock, spearing himself on it. "Fuck," gasped Cooper. "I'm gonna come, Luke, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Luke leaned forward, pressed his hands to Cooper's chest and moved himself in the way that Cooper seemed to like.

He was fixated on Cooper's face now, his open mouth, scrunched nose and closed eyes. He loved the way his Adam's apple moved when he was in pleasure, loved the open 'o' shape of his mouth. Cooper's cock was still stretching him open, heavy pleasure rolling through him in waves. Luke was close too. He hadn't recognised it at first, it was so different than the other way. But that slow building pleasure, the desperation, the overwhelming ecstasy ... what else could it be?

"Oh my god," he moaned. "Cooper, I ... oh no!" His eyes were screwed shut, bright colours flashing behind his eyelids. "Yes!" he gasped, "Oh god, yes!" This was the most amazing pleasure he'd ever felt. Nothing else mattered besides coming. Every instance of his guilty and rushed self-pleasures paled in comparison to this perfect feeling ripping through his body. He felt his cock jump and release as the pleasure continued, the tightness in his ass as he clenched around Cooper. He was laughing, his body completely out of his control. "Yes, yes, Cooper!" he moaned, and then the intense pleasure was gone, his orgasm spent, and he felt his body return to his control and collapse from the effort.

Cooper's hands were on his waist again, firm and sure, guiding him to lie down next to him.

Luke forced himself to ignore the intense desire to fall asleep and looked at Cooper. "But ... you didn't ..."

Cooper shook his head, brushing a stray hair out of Luke's face. "Nah, I don't think it's happening tonight."

"What? But, I can help!"

Cooper looked a bit sad but resigned. "No, too late. It's not a bit deal, I liked it anyway. You are something else."

"I still feel a bit guilty." It was hard to feel too guilty, though, when he still felt like he was going to float away on a cloud of euphoria.

"Don't, okay? You were amazing." Cooper leaned over to kiss Luke again and then slapped him lightly on the ass. "Okay, tiger, you're a mess. Time for a shower."

Luke blushed again. He was a mess, all right. But still better than he'd ever been before.

"Hey," he said as he got up shakily. "Do you think I'd look good with tattoos?"

"You know I do."

"Okay." Luke grinned. "Just asking."

*~*~*

Luke hissed as the needle dug into his skin. "Ouch."

Cooper looked up from where he was hunched over Luke's arm, his hands gloved and the silver tattoo gun gripped between his fingers. "Too much?"

"No." Luke grimaced. "It's fine, I can handle it."

"Okay, well, hold still. This isn't actually the easiest tattoo to do, and I haven't done this in over a year. Deep breaths, tiger. Breathe in. And out, there we go."

Luke let the breath go slowly and tried to ignore the burning pain as Cooper dug the needle into his skin once again and began to slide it around his wrist. It was a simple tattoo, just a thin black line around his wrist like a bracelet. Nothing too complicated, but it was a big deal for Luke. His first tattoo, and Cooper's first one since going back to work.

The needle glided over the bone on Luke's wrist, and he hissed again, causing Cooper to glance up at him with concern. "No, keep going, I'm okay."

"I'm almost there." Cooper's hands were very sure, holding Luke's arm still to keep it from shaking and turning it smoothly as he finished the line, tracing the stencil perfectly. It seemed to take forever, even though Luke knew it wasn't that long at all.

"Okay," said Cooper. "Sorry, but I wanna go over it one more time."

"Of course," said Luke with a defeated laugh, and he screwed his eyes shut as Cooper began the process once more.

Luke glanced down at Cooper again when he opened his eyes. He wanted to ask if he was okay, but didn't want to distract him either. He knew Cooper had been nervous about doing this, that he'd put it off for a long while, unsure that he was ready, no matter how badly he wanted to. For a long time, he'd been resistant to the idea of Luke being the first one he tattooed, but Luke had thought it was important. Cooper cared about Luke, so Luke knew that he would do his absolute best to ensure his safety.

 "And done," said Cooper finally. He put the gun down on the counter next to him and leaned back, sighing heavily with relief.  "What do you think?"

Luke examined the thin line, raised ever so slightly, an inky black against the brown of his skin. It didn't quite look real, as if it had just been drawn on, but the pain lingered, sharp and definite. "It's perfect."

"Yeah, good job, man." The owner of the shop, who had been watching Cooper work intently, leaned over to inspect it. "Linework's clean as always."

"I try," said Cooper, looking relieved and the slightest bit pleased with himself.

"So are you coming back, then? Can I put you on the schedule?"

Cooper took a breath in slowly. He was looking at Luke, as if for confirmation. Luke wanted to give it to him, but he knew that ultimately it was Cooper's choice. Finally, Cooper nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I just need like a week to quit at the drywall place."

"Awesome." The man slapped Cooper heavily on the back. "I'm your first client, and you're gonna finish my fuckin' leg. Finally!" He whistled and strode off to the front counter.

Relieved, Luke leaned back in the leather chair and looked around the shop. It was the last place he'd ever expected himself to be in. Colourful tattoo designs covered the walls, and the buzz of tattoo machines surrounded them. He could totally see Cooper working here. It was the kind of place he belonged in.

"I'm really happy for you," he said to Cooper, who looked up from where he'd been cleaning his instruments and smiled.

"And I'm happy for you. Can't believe you actually let me go through with it."

"What, you doubted me?" Well, that was fair. He'd doubted himself too. It had been several weeks since his encounter with his aunts, and Luke hadn't spoken to them since. But those weeks had been amazing, blissful even, and Luke was still a bit worried that it was all a dream, or that he was going to wake up one day and snap out of it, go back to who he was before. But now he had something permanent, something to remind him that he'd crossed a threshold, that he was a different person now. Even though the design didn't have a specific meaning, it felt special.

"I am so fucking hungry," said Cooper, snapping his gloves off and tossing them in the trash. "I can't believe how nervous I was about that. I need to eat. What do you want?"

*~*~*

They stopped for falafel on the way home and ate as they walked, happily discussing the experience. Luke was so engrossed in their discussion that at first he didn't even notice the small man in over-large sunglasses get up from the park bench in front of the apartment building and stride up to them.

"Luke!"

Luke turned and did a double-take. No, it couldn't be! Brody? But Brody was in New York! It was definitely him, though. Luke recognised the perfectly spiked hair, the designer sunglasses, and the smarmy grin. "Hey, Luke. I bet you weren't expecting me!" He leaned in to hug Luke, caught sight of Cooper, and thought better of it before quickly stepping back.

"B-Brody ..." Luke choked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on Thanksgiving break," said Brody, his grin large and fake. "If you were talking to anyone you'd know I decided to come back for it."

"Oh," said Luke. Because what else was he supposed to say to that, really?

There was an awkward silence. Cooper took a bite of his falafel and looked at Luke for cues.

"Well?" said Brody. He was still looking determinedly away from Cooper, completely denying his existence. "Are you gonna invite me up?"

"I guess," said Luke. He was being rude, but he was annoyed, damn it! That euphoric high that had come from getting his tattoo was fading in the face of the growing dread that Brody's appearance had prompted. Brody definitely wasn't just there for small talk.

But small talk was exactly what he did. "School's been great," he said as they got into the elevator. "Ugh, accounting is such a pain, but marketing and finances are fascinating. It's such a great program, Luke, so rewarding. I'll be doing an internship over the summer, and they said they'll more than likely hire me right after I graduate, so I'm getting job offers already. Let's see, what else? Oh, I broke up with Chelsea."

"Oh, I thought that was going well," said Luke monotonously.

Cooper shook his head at Luke, his face serious, but there was a look of mirth in his eyes. "Ugh, no, Luke, never date a Chelsea."

Brody gave Cooper a distasteful look, and Luke was reminded viscerally of Marabeth. "She was a slut," Brody continued matter-of-factly. "I guess girls think that college is a free for all to flirt with other men or something. Have you noticed that at all, Luke?"

"Um, no," said Luke. "Maybe that's just what girls in New York are like?"

"Hm, maybe," said Brody. "Oh, I went and visited Grandma. She said you hadn't been to see her in a while."

Luke felt familiar guilt twist in his gut. "No, I've been ... busy."

"I thought you weren't getting any hours, though." Luckily the elevator dinged and let them out before they could continue that conversation, and they headed into the apartment.

"I'll make coffee," said Cooper, glancing at Brody. "Black?"

"Oh, actually with cream and sugar," said Brody, looking around the room with an air of disgust, as if Cooper's completely innocuous living space was somehow below him. Luke was once again reminded of his aunts. Why had Brody turned out so much like them?

"Don't have cream," said Cooper. "You'll have to live with milk."

"Yes, milk's
fine
," said Brody, and Luke felt a familiar upset in his stomach. Brody's tone was acidic, and Luke was afraid of it. Why was he so afraid of Brody? "So, Luke, do you have a bedroom we can hang out in?"

"Well—"
There's only one bedroom
. For fuck's sake, why was that so hard to say? Brody hadn't taken off his sunglasses yet, but Luke could still feel his expectation and disapproval. He turned away from Brody for a moment to remove his coat and hang it up.

"What happened to your arm?"

"What? Oh this." Luke held up his bandaged wrist. "I just, you know, got a tattoo."

"Can I see it?"

"Nope!" called Cooper from the kitchen. "Bandage stays on till you have the chance to wash it properly."

"You just got it done?" said Brody. "Did you go to a professional? Those can be dangerous, remember that girl in the news who died last year?"

Luke looked at Cooper automatically. He had stopped stirring the coffee and had gone pale. He glanced up at Luke, his eyebrows raised. "Yeah, I did. Brody," Luke tore his eyes away from Cooper to level a serious look at Brody. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean? I'm catching up."

"Yeah," said Luke. "Well, sorry, I don't have a bedroom. Cooper can go into the bedroom if you want, though, and we can talk out here." Cooper was staring at him worriedly, and Luke managed a small smile. "It's fine."

"Right," said Cooper. "Well, here's the coffee." He set the cups down on the coffee table and took his into the bedroom.

"Wow," said Brody. "He's even worse than I imagined."

"Excuse me?" Luke had to fight to keep his mouth from hanging open. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Excuse me, but I'm just being honest. What a thug. Are you ..." Brody's mouth was pinched, the expression making his normally attractive face almost grotesque. "You're not
really
...
dating
him, right?"

"Um," Luke's heart was beating fast, but it was more in anger than in fear. "Yeah, I am. What's wrong with that?"

"You
know
what's wrong with it, Luke, and besides that,
look
at him. He's ... ugh."

Luke wondered if Brody could hear his heart pounding in his chest. "You realise you're insulting my boyfriend to my face, right? You don't see how that could be offensive?"

"Well, of course I do, but sometimes there are more important things at stake than
offending
someone." Brody's nostrils flared. "I guess I shouldn't expect you to understand that."

"Holy fuck, Brody," said Luke, and Brody flinched. "What do you want from me? You want me to be myself and not let people walk all over me, or do you want me to just lie down and do whatever you say? You can't have both!"

"I just want you to be reasonable!"

"Yeah, you want me to listen to you and Marabeth and Gloria and do whatever you tell me to do, because you guys know what's best for me, even though you have absolutely no idea what's going on in my life, or what I'm even like, and you don't fucking care, either."