tattoos || c.h.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғᴏʀᴛʏ ғᴏᴜʀ

calum

did she get medusa for what i think or because she just likes medusa? i mean some people like medusa. why? i don't know. mia seems like one to like a random villain like medusa. but she's also one who likes to keep stuff to herself and not let other people be there for her.

"dad?" julian's voice stops me from overthinking. "why's mom taking forever on the phone with aunt june?" he pouts. yep, clingy gene runs through the hood family.

"they're probably talking about something important." i try reassure him. what if mia's talking to june about the tattoo and afraid of how ashton, zayn, and i reacted?

"aunt june is outside." julian points to the front window where june gets out of her car. mia probably told june and now she's going to take mia for the rest of today.

"where's my favorite little kid?" june waltzes in with her arms open, waiting for julian to hug her, and he does so. "i heard you want to be there for every new tattoo mia gets."

"yeah!" julian jumps up and down like he's on a sugar rush. i realize mia didn't walk in with june, but instead leaning on june's car.

"be back." i kiss the top of julian's head as i walk out the store and towards mia, who stands on her phone. "is june stealing you?" i accidentally scare her.

"mhm." mia nods and it's like she suddenly realized something as she throws her head back. "i'm supposed to be with you and julian today." she still hasn't made eye contact with me.

"one, you're not obligated to hanging with us, mostly julian." i assure mia and she laughs at my words. "two, if you called june because of our reactions after the tattoo, i'm sorry."

mia now looks forward and sees through the front window, june talking with all three of the boys as ashton finishes with the customer and they pay.

"wanted that tattoo for a few years." mia speaks up, breaking the silence between us. "never got it because i was afraid the artist would judge me." she admits and i frown.

"i promise we weren't judging you." i quickly tell her, not even knowing if she was going to continue.

"question." she finally makes eye contact with me and i nod. "do you see me any differently?"

"just that you're stronger." i admit with no hesitation. she's always been strong, but to have that happen and still be this upbeat person? i believe that's strong.

"now what do you believe those two think of me now?"

"the same." i continue to answer with no hesitation. ashton, zayn, and i see most things the same. crystal once brought this subject up when she read something, somewhere, and all of us guys believed the same thing. if that can happen to a woman and her still go on to be who she was before or even better, she's strong.

we go back into silence, the only sound being the cars on the street behind us. neither of us break contact and i feel mia's searching for something, but i don't know what.

"thank you." she gives me a tiny smile and i wrap her in the hug i've wanted to give her since she told me she wanted medusa tattooed on her rib cage.

"i'm sorry." i mumble into her neck as she wraps her arms around my torso instead of my neck. question is, is if june will tell me who the asshole is and allow me to beat them half to death or to death, depends if there's witnesses.

mia's phone goes off again, except this one has a different ringtone.

"that's my dad," she tells me, "you gotta let go."

i do as told and let go, but pay close attention when she answers the phone.

"you're here?" mia sounds more than surprised. "in new york? where june and i live?" mia runs into my tattoo parlor and quickly follow behind. "june!" she yells and june whips her head to face mia. "my dads are here!"

"what?" june seems just as surprised. "where are they? we have to see them. oh my god!" june runs over to mia. "bye, boys! have to go see our dads!" with that june drags mia out of the shop and into her car, soon driving off.

"her dads are in town." ashton crosses his arms and i know what he means with those few words.

"do we get to see them?" julian looks to me and i have no idea what to say.

"it depends if mia's dads already have something planned with her to do while they're here." zayn finds words to respond to julian.

"okay." my son nods his head as another person walks in. oh, hell no.

"hey, cal."

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a/n:

I KNOW THIS IS SHORT BUT JUST WAIT THERES A LOT OF DRAMA COMING

also republishing this chapter because, for some reason, the author's note didn't post🙄🤚🏻