a moment together - ronance

like a tattoo kiss

Nancy watched her friends up ahead with an amused smile on her face. After a few hours in Hawkins nightlife hotspot, and forty dollars of alcohol later, Max was perched on Lucas' sinewy shoulders, head thrown back while she laughed at something Dustin said. The shorter boy walked beside them in tandem with Lucas' footsteps, a red flush across his cheeks. Eddie was a few feet ahead, skipping while letting his arms swing exaggeratedly. It was still light enough outside for them to see, but the streetlights in the quiet street had already flickered on, casting pools of gold at even intervals.

"Hey!" Max called from her perch, and Eddie turned around to look at her. "What's that up there?" Nancy jogged lightly to catch up with her friends. She hadn't drunk as much, so she had the best control of her motor skills. Everyone squinted at the green neon sign up ahead, and Eddie read aloud,

"Tattoo parlour!"

"We should totally go in there," Lucas said, words slurring ever so slightly, and Dustin bounced on the balls of his feet, an excited grin on his face.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" he gasped rapidly, and Lucas and Eddie chorused it with calls of,

"Hell yeah!"

Max giggled gleefully. Four pairs of eyes turn on Nancy, and she stared back at them, chewing on her bottom lip. "What?" she asked. Max and Lucas raised their eyebrows simultaneously, and in the distance Nancy could hear Eddie call out a prolonged "Pleeeeeeeeeease?" She rolled her eyes at them, but her lips turned up into a smile. "Okay okay! Let's go check out the tattoo place."

Lucas let out a whoop and began to run down the street towards the sign, Max bouncing away on his shoulders. Once they caught up to Eddie, he ran with them. Nancy just laughed and walked along side Dustin, who gave her a tipsy smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, friend," he said. "Let's go do something stupid."

*****

Robin was relaxing in the back room of her parlour, Jonathan passed out on the battered sofa opposite her, when she heard the bell on the front door go. El looked up from her sketchbook at the sound, and raised a pierced eyebrow. "I'll go get it," Steve sighed, pushing himself up from his seat and walking into the shop. Inside, he saw a small group looking at designs on the wall. One of them- a boy- had his shirt lifted up, exposing his abdomen.

"What if I got a giant dragon spiralling out from my belly button?" he said, grinning broadly. The pretty brunette standing in front of him had an unamused look on his face.

"If you do that I will break up with you," he said, with finality. The boy smirked, clearly disbelieving, and dropped his shirt.

"Okay, so how about the name 'steveo' across my chest in really fancy writing? Y'know! Like guys in gangs have!" he suggested, striking a failing gangster pose and pursing his lips. The brunette's blank face cracked quickly and he immediately flung himself at the boy, pressing his lips gently to Eddies and giggling. "I love it when you do that," Eddie said, when he pulled back slightly, a goofy grin on his face. Steve stepped back from Eddie to address the rest of the group.

"Can I help you guys?" he asked, taking his usual place behind the desk with a smile on his face. The brunette woman closest to him offered him an awkward smile.

"My friends here want to get some tattoos," she said, and Steve nodded. Looking back over his shoulder, he yelled,

"Robin! Wake Jonathan up and tell El to stop doodling! We've got a big order!" A few seconds later and a guy with tousled brown hair appeared, trying to stifle a yawn. A smaller girl walked behind him, shaved head with lots of smeared eyeliner. Steve turned back to Nancy, who was watching the others describing what they wanted to the artists.