tattoos || c.h.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғᴏʀᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

mia

"i'll see you later." i ruffle julian's hair for what feels like the millionth time throughout the months. he looks adorable with his curly hair all messed up. such a cute kid.

"no." julian whines and grabs my wrist, having a tight hold. this kid has got to be stronger than me. like damn. "can i come with?"

"father, son time." i tell the little kid in front of me.

"i had that for a week." he jumps up and down. "i wanna hang with you." julian tries pulling me to the couch, but i somehow stay in place, even with his grip stronger than ever.

"that hurt me." calum walks over to us.

"please, stay." julian pouts and i have to look away because damn those puppy eyes always get the best of not just me, but the whole group.

"nope. i have to leave and puppy eyes aren't winning today." i stand up and don't make eye contact with the four year old who stills grips on to my wrist.

"this is amusing." cal laughs at his son and me.

"what's so amusing?" i quirk my eyebrow and if julian didn't have a such a strong hold on me, i would cross my arms.

"that you think you're leaving when julian's pleading for you to stay." he crosses his arms with a smirk. "you always give in."

"see." julian tugs on my arm. "so, can this stop and us watch team umizoomi?" he tries even harder to drag me to the couch.

"i gotta learn to say 'no' at one point." i mumble to myself and i guess calum heard because he begins to burst in to laughter.

julian and i sit crisscross on the couch in the living room as one of his kid shows, team umizoomi, begins to play. have to admit that this show isn't actually bad, but i'll always love backyardigans and blue's clues more than any other kid show.

a dip in the couch knocks me from my thoughts and i turn to see calum has joined his son and me on his couch. my phone goes off in the kitchen and swiftly get up to check it.

ulysses

nope. how the hell did he even get my number?

"everything okay?" i whip around after cal's voice and to the side i can see julian's too caught up in the show to notice we left the couch.

"someone from high school trying to call me." i tell the half truth. "that's it." i can see the gears turning in cal's head and i know that he believes i'm not telling the whole truth.

"okay." he doesn't push for further information. probably afraid that the same thing will happen like last time with the tiny fight where we didn't talk to each other for a week.

"can we go to the parlor today?" julian runs into the kitchen with a grin so wide his eyes crinkle. i feel this is something he got from just calum, but i've never met nor seen a photo of his mom, so i can't say.

"why the sudden excitement to go?" cal looks down at the little kid. i'm with calum. why the sudden urge to go to the tattoo parlor?

"you told me that mom can get a free tattoo." i'm in love with this kid. absolutely in love. yeah, no matter what, this kid is in my life even if cal and i don't work out as a couple. which i hope doesn't happen. i actually like this dork.

"well, do you know if she has an idea of what she wants or if she even wants it today?" calum questions julian.

"do you?" julian looks to me now and both calum and i start to laugh our asses off.

"i guess i do." i calm down. i do have an idea of what i want. i've wanted this tattoo for awhile, but always been afraid the tattoo artist would judge me, somehow. this is calum now, and i have the feeling he won't judge.

"let's go!" julian runs to put his shoes on and brings mine and calum's to us. he is way too eager. "i want to be there for all your new tattoos." he gives a better answer than calum saying he promised me a free tattoo, and might i say, julian's response is adorable.

"thought you were going to spend the day with julian." zayn looks to the three of us entering the place where both of them work. i'd love to be a tattoo artist. seems fun and interesting.

"i wanted mom to get another tattoo and to be there for it." julian tells zayn as he drags me to his dad's station. okay, my heart hasn't stopped beating for the last few times he's called me 'mom.' am i finally used to julian calling me that?

"you really can't say 'no' to him, can you?" ashton laughs as he finishes someone's tattoo. it's a rose. a very pretty rose with a snake wrapping around the stem of the flower.

"nope." calum doesn't sound surprised. "now what exactly did you say you want?" he asks me as he sits down. yeah. remember when i said i know calum won't judge me? well, now i'm feeling the opposite.

"medusa." i say after a short pause and calum seems shocked at what i want permanently on my body. "on my left rib cage." i try to ignore his expression.

julian lays between my legs, facing me, as calum gets ready to permanently ink my skin. i look to ashton and zayn and they're already looking over here. well, well, fuck me well. now they know too. i'm officially done for. should've gotten another tattoo. i could've asked for the number 12 because that's the age june and i were when we became friends.

the atmosphere has totally changed. everyone is dead silent and i want to leave. badly. i can feel my heart beat. the only good thing is that julian doesn't know the significance behind the tattoo.

when calum's done with the needle, i pull out my phone and quickly text june what the hell just happened. god, am i happy i type fast.

as soon as calum wipes the ink, june calls me.

"it's june." i inform the four and more than swiftly make my way outside. "hi."

"are you okay?" june's voice is laced with concern. "did they ask questions? if ashton did i will hit him with my shoe. same goes for the other two." her words make me laugh. "i'm being serious!"

"i know you are which makes it funny!" i explain and calm down. "but, none of them asked, instead the atmosphere totally changed, room was silent, and their body language changed." i tell june what happened after i asked for a medusa tattoo. "you should've seen calum's face. i fucked up. didn't i?"

"you and your overthinking." june speaks and i know she's shaking her head. "you didn't mess anything up, okay? they reacted the same way as me. well, i tackled you with a hug and they sat there in silence."

"yeah, but then again, you weren't giving me a tattoo, nor were you working." i lightly laugh and she joins in. "julian's a smart kid, but i'm glad he doesn't know the meaning behind this tattoo."

"you've been wanting this tattoo for awhile, and you trusted calum wouldn't "judge you," as you like to say." june explains my thoughts. "ashton and zayn were just there, but from how we both talk about them as friends, well you and ashton as a friend, they won't talk about it or bring it up unless you do."

"one day you won't know the right thing to say." i stop pacing back and forth and she giggles.

"well, what i'm going to say today is," june gives an unsurprising dramatic pause, "i'm picking you up right now and we're going to get ice cream and watch movies for the rest of the day."

"no!" i say loudly, but not loud enough the boys will hear me inside. "you have work! you love your work and just because of some tattoo that i worry about, shouldn't make you stop from doing what you love."

"mia, if i was doing what i love i'd be doing you." june speaks in the most monotone voice that i can't not laugh at her. "i'm picking you up. luckily for you, i was already in the neighborhood. be there in less than ten."