Dear John

Bellamy paused as he entered the tattoo shop, taking a moment to observe the layout of the small store.  This was the first he'd ever been to, and as always Bellamy took it in with wide-eyed child like fascination. He had just gotten back from his first tour on duty, and after getting home and surprising his family with how much he'd grown in the two years he'd been gone, his brother had been determined to take him out.  Bellamy didn't drink often, so their night out had lead to him getting slightly tipsy and deciding along with Breccan that he needed a tattoo to complete his soldier look. That's how he came to be standing tall and broad in the doorway of Xavier's tattoo shop, his blonde hair glistening in the light as he took in all the art work lined upon the walls.
"Woah Bre! Check this out!"  The boys blue eyes had landed on a small corner of the shop where an attractive redhead seemed to be working.  Bellamy strode over to the corner, his hands running over one of the art pieces on the wall in admiration.  It was a ship on rolling waves, a perfect tattoo for him.
"Hey, excuse me! Did you do this one?"  He looked to the boy who seemed to be tending the corner, a charming smile falling onto his face as he took in the sharp cheeks and fiery hair. "Or uh, can you?"  Even if it wasnt his originally, Bellamy had already decided who he wanted his artist to be.

Britt hadn't looked away from the two boys since they'd entered the door of the shop. He'd been trying to decide which one was better looking, which one he'd rather take home tonight. He was considering just having both. But when Bellamy spoke, Britt knew he was being checked out. And he'd made his choice.
"You're in luck, blue eyes." Britt smirked as he stood from the tattoo chair he'd been lounging on, stepping closer to the two men. Bellamy's blue eyes stood out to him from across the room. So wide and wondering. They were definitely his most dominant feature. "That's one of mine. I'd be happy to do it anywhere you'd like." As he spoke, he made no effort to hide the way his eyes scanned down Bellamy's toned body. He was liking what he saw.

"Well you see here, thats my problem!"  Bellamy felt his cheeks heating as he realized the boy was checking him out and obviously making no attempt to hide it. He liked that, a person who was always blunt with their intentions.  But he also adored the mystery that surrounded the redhead.  He could already tell that the boy was something else entirely.  He was gorgeous and he knew it, that Bellamy knew, could make him dangerous.
But as a soldier, Bellamy liked danger, it gave him a special thrill to know he was walking such a fine line. "Im not sure where it would look best on me." The man placed an arm against the wall, leaning fully against it as he eyed Britt, not noticing the way the stance made his muscles flex.  It was just normal for him now.  "I was wondering if I could get your opinion, pretty boy."

Britt smirked at the man's compliment, leaning forward as if he had to examine him closer before making a decision.
"Well if you wanted to be predictable, it would look great on one of your biceps." He was quite mesmerized by the way the muscles stretched and rippled under the man's skin. "Or, I personally think it would look great right about here." He reached out, taking the hem of Bellamy's shirt in his hands and pulling it up to reveal his toned abdomen. Then he pointed out the spot right above the man's left hip bone.

"Put her there then, Suzy Q." Bellamy felt his skin tingling where the boy had touched him, his blue eyes carefully following every movement.  Britt was beauty, he was grace...
But the boy also had a spunk about him.
Bellamy found himself wanting to know more. 
"Suzy Q,"  He repeated the name, eyes widening as he realized how terribly obnoxious it sounded. "Im sorry.  That is rude of me. What's your name?" Bellamy offered the boy his hand, his teeth perfect in every way when he smiled. "Im Bellamy Odair."

"Britt Vause." He introduced, shaking the man's hand. "The pleasure is yours." He winked, then turning to Breccan. "And who's your equally handsome friend?"
"Breccan Rollerson." The boy nodded, though he was much quieter than usual. He was used to getting people throwing themselves at him. He wanted Bellamy to have this one. He'd never gotten guys before he'd gone and gotten all buff. "And I'm his brother. Twin, actually."
"Oh hell, hold on a moment." Britt took only a step back before yelling to Ajax across the room. "Hey, AJ! Come flirt with this guy while I tattoo his slightly more attractive brother!" He hollered, fully aware that they could all hear him.

"Britt Vause."  Bellamy repeated the man, a smile quirking his lips at how naturally it rolled from his tongue. "I really like that, it suits you."  Bellamy took the boys hand, bringing it up to his lips for a soft kiss. "And I must agree, the pleasure is all mine." He didn't flirt often, but he found now that he wasn't as awkward as he used to be.  Now he was confident in his body and his looks, knew that he didnt even have to talk himself up to land a date.  People just fell over him now. The soldier glanced over to Ajax as Britt called for the boy, his cheeks warming at he noticed that he was the 'slightly more attractive brother'.  That had certainly never happened before.  
Ajax had been sulking over at his station, carefully drawing out a new tattoo design as he waited for Dimitri to get back to him. At first he had been ready to wave Britt off, tell him that he could keep them both.  But then he looked up and his eyes actually met Breccan for the first time.  The boy would be a nice piece of eye candy for the day, and he was tired of moping around.  Once he finally approached the three, he couldnt help but scoff softly at his friend. "Brittany, you need to get your eyes checked."  Ajax drug a hand through his flowing dark hair, his green eyes slowly raking over Breccan's form.  He made a show of licking his lips and whistling, even circling the boy to get a complete view. "You just handed over a national treasure. This dude could cure cancer and end wars with his eyes. And that jaw, my god."  Ajax groaned softly. "Pretty-boy."

Breccan smirked as the boy checked him out. Ajax was quite attractive, really. But he was never the type to sleep or flirt with strangers, even though many people assumed he was.
"I appreciate you not calling me the less attractive brother." He informed, looking down at the dark-haired boy. "You're certainly not the less attractive friend either." The boy was beautiful and if Breccan's heart wasn't with Rocinante, he would definitely be interested.

Britt meanwhile had kept a hold on Bellamy's hand after the man kissed it, using it to lead the man back over to the chair.
"You might want to take your pants off, handsome. Not just so I can enjoy the view, either." Britt gave the man a sly smirk. "It'll give me more room to work."

"Oh, you've got compliments." Ajax's lips twisted into a smirk. "I like that.  Keep 'em coming lover boy."  It truly was a nice confidence boost, enough to completely bring him out of his sulking mood.  "So tell me, did you come in here for a tattoo?  Or are you just going to watch blondie get one?"  The boy trailed a finger along Breccan's bicep.  "Because I think you'd look hella fine with some ink my man."

"You sure it's not about the view?"  Bellamy wore a soft smirk, his hands moving down to undo his belt buckle and get rid of his pants.  He was wearing a baby blue pair of boxers, a color that made his eyes shine brightly. "I was only kidding by the way,"  Bellamy spoke again, always conscious of how his words may affect people.  He certainly didn't want to insult his adorable tattoo artist. Not only was the boy a magnificent sight with his sharp cheeks and fire hair, but he was also going to be working intimately on his body. It would pay to keep him happy. "Im not the best at flirting, but I was trying."  A nervous chuckle as Bellamy laid down on Britt's work chair. He was always painstakingly honest with his intentions.

"I was planning on just watching him get one. But maybe I'll consider it. What do you think would look good on me, doll?" Breccan smirked, leaning against the wall as he eyed Ajax closely. The boy's piercing green eyes were so beautiful, he found it hard to look away.

"Don't apologize, big guy, you were doing pretty well." Britt chuckled softly as he readied his equipment. "And you were right, maybe it was kind of about the view." He gave the man a wink, admiring his toned body. Britt found it quite endearing the man had stopped to make sure Britt knew he was kidding. He wasn't like most of the guys Britt usually fooled around with, he seemed nice.

"Well, you could match your twin of course."  Ajax circled the boy as if he were a shark getting ready to sink its jaw into its prey. "Or you could do something thats more personal to you." The boy gently ran his finger down thee length of Breccan's chest. "What is that you like to do, big boy?"

"Oh yeah?"  Bellamy picked his head up, blonde eyebrows disappearing into his hair line in surprise. He hadn't really expected Britt to go along with him so smoothly.  It had his heart racing against his rib cage.  It was slightly embarrassing, how easily he became flustered.  But he really didn't have much experience with this sort of thing.  He'd never been looked at when he was small and scrawny, and then since joining the serve he hadn't had any time to think of such things.  But here Britt was, causing his stomach to stir nervously. Maybe if the boy wasnt so drop dead gorgeous it would be easier. 
"Well that's definitely a score for me. Uhm, you're a really impressive sight yourself."  Bellamy found himself blurting out, immediately trying to find a way to follow up so he didn't sound like some flustered school boy. "All the art on the walls in here is eye catching and everything but when I came in you were the first thing I was drawn to."  He inwardly cursed himself.  He sounded like some idiot out of a romance novel. So instead of rambling on and making it worse, Bellamy immediately tried to switch subjects. 
"So uh, what kind of tattoo's do you like?"

"I'm a fighter, actually." Breccan informed, quite flattered with the way Ajax was staring at him, although he was used to it of course. "I'm kind of a big deal." He spoke with a smirk. "That tattoo is more my brother, got anything of yours I could look at?"

Britt found himself laughing softly at how flustered Bellamy got. He had seen the boy and assumed he was a player. Someone that gorgeous had to be, right? But apparently, he'd been wrong. Bellamy almost seemed innocent.
"I'm flattered you were drawn to me." He informed with a smile. "You're pretty eye-catching yourself. As for tattoos I like, I'm more drawn to the traditional ones, like the one you're getting. I draw those most often." He was still smirking as he finished setting up his tattoo gun. "Now since this is your first, I've got to warn you, it can hurt pretty bad, alright?"

"I can see that."  Ajax wasn't surprised at all when Breccan admitted to being a fighter, he had known there was something.  No one looked that stunning for no reason. "Impressive. A cocky little fucker you are but still impressive."  The boy lead them over to his work station, pulling out several books for Breccan to go through. "And there's also art on the walls if you see any of that you like.  Im kind of a sucker for tattoo's, long as they are well done anyways and we are the best." Ajax gave a cheeky smile. "Where would you want it?"

"Oh, im not worried about that.  I've taken my fair share of roughing up as a kid and in the service."  Bellamy was laid out as though he were completely comfortable now, his arms curled behind his head as make shift pillow. "Before I joined the army I was kind of a runt so I took a lot of beatings until usually Bre would step in, right when I had them on the ropes."  The young soldier smiled at the memory.  He had never given up on a fight, and even though he always said he would have handled it, he and Breccan had both known he was getting his ass kicked until his brother stepped in. "Im sure i'll be okay, you can talk me through it."  Bellamy gave a charming smile.  He never cursed, always the perfect gentleman.

"Not sure." Breccan hummed lightly as he considered this, flipping through one of the books. "Probably my bicep." He was trying to find some sort of design with flames, something for his Rosie. But then he wondered if the boy would be upset if he got a tattoo and covered up some of his freckles.

"Well it's just bad at first, you get used to it at a while." Britt reassured, pausing before placing the stencil he'd drawn of the tattoo against Bellamy's skin, making an outline. Then he picked up his machine and began to work. "So you're in the army, yeah? I should have known, you're built like a Greek god or some shit." He spoke to distract the man from the pain, even if he said he could handle it.

"Maybe something in watercolor? Those are bright, and a nice blue would match you eyes, blue-boy." Ajax was picking through the art on the wall curious of what Breccan could be thinking so hard about.
"What do you have on your mind? Anything in particular?"

"Yeah, I joined the service looking for something to do with my life."  Bellamy chuckled softly, staying completely relaxed as Britt started.  He knew that the best way to handle pain was to simply try and be comfortable with it. "I wanted to help people, too.  So I did that and it really has brought me a long way from where I used to be.  Now I have gorgeous guys like you talking to me, even giving me compliments."  It really did him good, being for the longest time no one would even take a second glance at him. "Have you always wanted to be a tattoo artist?  No modeling jobs or anything?"

"I'd like something with flames." Breccan nodded. "Nothing too big though." He couldn't cover too many of the freckles or Roci would hate him. Maybe the boy would enjoy the tattoo though.

"To be honest I never thought I'd be much of anything. I appreciate the modeling comment though, really." Britt smirked at the man as he worked. "I didn't graduate high school so I thought I'd be pretty lucky to find any kind of a job. But I got a job I'm good at, I love, and pays well, so I'm pretty happy here." He informed as he worked, occasionally stopping to wipe away any excess ink.

"Flames, yeah?  I think I can find something like that."  Ajax began flipping through his book, coming too a page for Breccan to look at.  "Do you see anything there you like, blue-boy?"  The artist humed softly. "Why flames, anyways?"

"You seem happy, it makes your eyes brighter."  Bellamy commented softly, his blue eyes watching the careful movements of Britts hands.  "So uh, do you have a man in your life?  I mean, if you don't mind me asking."  He didn't want to across a line and make the boy uncomfortable.

"It's for a friend of mine, kind of. They remind me of him. You're not gonna believe me but he's got this weird shit going on, he can make fire whenever he wants. He's like a superhuman almost." Breccan explained as he examined the designs, eventually settling on one. It was a flame that would start at his bicep, flaming all the way up to his shoulder. He hoped Roci would like it.

"Wow, bold. I like it." Britt smiled up at the man as he worked. "No, I don't as a matter of fact. I'm not usually the type of boy men went a relationship with." He informed. "What about you, handsome? You seem like that type of guy who would have ended up marrying his perfect little blonde high school sweetheart." He was teasing lightly, although it was true. Bellamy looked like a perfect gentleman.

"I can believe, baby blue.  I've seen some crazy shit while working at this shop, and i've met some off the wall people here."  Werewolves and speedsters. Now Ajax was hardly ever surprised anymore and he simply took the boy at his word. "And I like that tattoo, it's really fitting on you."  The boy was moving to set up his machine, a soft smile on his face as he considered Breccan's doing this for a friend. "Is this a memorial tattoo or an I love you tattoo or?"

"Why wouldn't someone want to start a relationship with you?"  The soldier arched a blonde eyebrow, unsure how anyone could be dumb enough to turn such a goddess away. "And I would have enjoyed the whole high school sweethearts thing,"  He was soft hearted so he had thought of it often as a kid, what it would be like to date in high school.
Too bad no one wanted him back then.
"But when I was in high school, I was this really scrawny little runt of a kid. That didnt ever start changing until I was training in the service. But I mean, even then I never backed down from a fight. I usually just carried a whoopin' if I had to."

Breccan had to pause to think of the answer to this question.
"It's kind of an "I love you but you're going to think it's just I love you as a friend" kind of tattoo." He informed. "The boy is my best friend since we were born. So it's complicated."

"I guess I just have that common whore look to me." Britt shrugged his shoulders, though he was still smirking as he spoke. "And I'm surprised to hear that, handsome. But I'm sure even then you were pretty hot." Truthfully, even Britt knew he never would have gone for Bellamy if he was not the gorgeous, muscular man he was now. Britt was shallow and he wasn't ashamed of that.

"Complicated, eh?"  Ajax clicked his tongue softly as he began drawing out his stencil for the tattoo. "I don't think love should be complicated, you know?  I believe if two people love each other then that should be it."  A soft sigh as he thought of his Russian. "But it never seems to go so smoothly."

"Common whore?'  Bellamy looked mortified that Britt would even say such a thing, his blue eyes shining with hurt for the boy. "You are like a redheaded goddess Britt, don't you let yourself believe anything else.  Some people are just wrong sometimes."  He had never agreed with insulting people, believing that it would pay more to simply be nice.  "I'd love to take you on a date.  I mean, that is if you would want to go."

"It doesn't." Breccan agreed. "I'm guessing you've got some guy that doesn't love you back either, yeah? It's a shame, you deserve a great guy." He spoke as he watched the boy draw out his design.

"I've never been with a gentleman type before." Britt smirked at the thought of this man wanting to take him out. "I'd like to go out with you, Bellamy. I think it'll be a nice change of pace for me." Truly, the man made him feel nice. He'd called him a redheaded goddess and that was enough to make Britt adore him.

"Well, I kind of agreed to a friendship with benefits thing with him.  He told me from day one that he wasn't looking for anything to keep."  Ajax let out a soft huff.  "Dimitri is still caught up in other things." The boy lead Breccan over to his work chair, having him sit so that he could press the stencil into his arm. "So how about you blue boy? Whats your story of love lost."

"Oh yeah? Man, for a minute I thought you were going to say no."  The soldier chuckled off softly, relaxing again as the boy accepted his date. "I had already started thinking of what I could say to not look so dumb when you shot me down."

"Like I said, he's been my best friend since we were born. We're inseparable. I've been in love with him since I was five. But I kissed him once and he pushed me away and pretended like it never happened. Made it pretty clear he doesn't feel the same. I'm still waiting though." Breccan wasn't sure why he could talk so easily to this boy but he could. He watched Ajax intently as the boy pressed the drawing onto his skin. "It's a shame about your boy too. You deserve better than someone's side bitch."

"You're so damn adorable." Britt found himself laughing, shaking his head at the man. "No one in their right mind would say no to a date with you, handsome. You're like the perfect guy, you know that? Don't be so self conscious. You're gorgeous. And sweet."

"Well, like you I guess im just waiting.  I keep hoping that eventually he'll come back to me and stay blue boy.  What's your cause for waiting, huh? If your boy toy made it so clear that he didn't feel you like that."  Ajax took up his gun and began work on Breccan's arm, steadily taking to keep the boys mind off of it. "You guys sound really adorable.  Friends since birth and in love since five? Thats so sweet that im getting a tooth ache."

"Oh well, if you think so then I guess imma have to start believing that."  Bellamy knew with how gorgeous Britt was that he probably had men throwing themselves at his feet all the time.  He was lucky to be receiving such praise from the boy. "So what would you like to do on a date? How can I wine and dine you, gorgeous?"