Page 62 of Cover Up

Leif did what everyone did when they first met Dei. He hesitated, staring at his stump, then down at his prosthetic, which was obvious beneath the hem of his shorts. Then his gaze lingered on the exposed scars along his neck and then at his eye, which was at a slightly off angle.

It was only a second, really, but it felt like forever, and Felix wondered if Dei even noticed anymore.

“Boyfriend,” Leif said slowly, adjusting his stance so he could take Dei’s hand. “So are you saying I lost my chance?”

Felix flushed lightly. Leif had always flirted with him, but he never took him seriously. “Weren’t you dating some model last time we talked?”

Leif waved him off. “Hon, that mess ended like a year ago. And if you’d keep up with your friends on Instagram, you would have seen my emo poem posts about it.”

Felix laughed and dragged his hand down his face. “That is so embarrassing. I changed my mind. I didn’t actually work here—I lied. Come on, babe. Let’s go.”

Leif cackled and grabbed Felix again, tugging him into another hug. “You seriously look so good. You look happy.” He pulled back and shook him by the shoulders. “Forgetting us was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Felix swallowed heavily. “I didn’t forget you. I swear.”

Leif gave him a look of slight disbelief. “Heard those Irons and Works fuckers have all been out to visit you, and we don’t even get a phone call. I mean, I don’t blame you, but…” The door chimed, and Leif’s words died as he looked over Felix’s shoulder and frowned. “You hooking up with any of your old clients?”

Felix shook his head. “I didn’t tell anyone I was stopping by. I’m gonna give Dei something small while we catch up.”

“Fuck. Okay. Give me two minutes. We got no one on walk-ins today.”

As he stepped away, Dei moved in close and lashed his arm around Felix’s waist. “Tell me I don’t need to be jealous.”

Felix couldn’t stop a small chuckle. “You don’t need to be jealous. He’s like that with everyone.”

“Mm. I don’t think so, sweet thing. The way he was looking at you was a little too familiar because that’s the expression on my face all the damn time.”

Felix looked up at Dei and smiled softly. “Luckily for you, there’s only one man who has my attention.”

“It better be me,” Dei growled.

Felix reached up and curled his fingers around the back of Dei’s neck, tugging him into a kiss. It felt like an odd thrill. The shop had seen a few questionable artists over the years, and the guys had never really been big on PDA, no matter who they were dating, but the queer ones had kept it even more quiet.

Max had been the only one who ever really embraced loud and proud, so it felt almost like a rebellion to kiss his boyfriend right there.

And he only stopped when Leif wolf whistled. “Get a room, fuckers.”

Felix laughed and flipped him off again before he took Dei’s wrist and tugged him toward the back. The shop was different from Irons and Works. There were no perfectly sculpted stalls with short partitions that kept them private but together. There were just tables and chairs haphazardly flung into corners with every inch of shelf space occupied.

He chose the space that had the least amount of hand-drawn art on the walls, assuming that it was for a part-time artist and he wouldn’t be kicked out midway through Dei’s piece. “Sit. Then show me where you want me to mark you,” Felix told him.

Dei bit his lip and grinned before dropping onto the chair and then hiking up the hem of his shorts. Felix watched as he pushed a button on the side of his prosthetic, and then it released with a small noise, and Dei groaned with relief as he rolled his shorts up to expose his stump, setting his leg to the side.

“Can you ink here?”

Felix raised a brow. “Do you want me to? I know your nerve endings are frayed.”

Dei nodded. “Yeah, sweetness. It’s what I want. This spot is for you and you alone.”

Felix felt a hot flush spreading from his chest all the way up his neck, and he had to turn around and start fiddling with his case before he said something that sent Dei running. He could hear Dei shifting behind him as he began to unpack his machine, ink, and needles, and it was only when he had his heart under control that he looked back at his lover.

“You okay?” Dei asked.

Felix set his things down on a rolling tray, then walked over and set his hand on Dei’s stump. “This is big.”

Dei nodded. “Yes.”

“And if we get back and you realize that you don’t actually want to be with me—”

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