Never Have I Ever

•Chapter Thirty-One•

Eric squeezed my hand so tight I think I was started to lose blood flow. I didn't mind because I loved it. I rubbed my thumb gently across the back of his hand as he let out deep breaths through his nose. He was two hours in and this tattoo was lowkey whooping his ass. Apparently this wasn't his first tattoo, but shit he was acting like it was. I couldn't see when he was getting from the side I was sitting and Eric could barely talk right now so it must be big as fuck or something.

"I told you it was gonna be a bitch, man!" The tattoo artist, Razor, cackled, "But you're almost done." He reassured him.

Eric had said he saw some of his work on instagram and liked it. He seemed to enjoy Eric's pain a little, but he was still cool for the most part. Razor was an older Black man, short, round and covered in tats. He had locs down his back almost as long as my fucking hair.

Razor turned his attention to me, "Are you getting something?" I shook my head, causing a snort to come from the large man, "You can't come in my tattoo shop and not leave with somethin', not my shop."

"Yeah, Gavin, get something," Eric piped up. I narrowed my eyes at him and squeezed his hand until he hissed in pain that I knew wasn't coming from the needle. Of course he would find the strength to speak at this fucking moment.

"Nah, I'm good."

"What about a piercing!?" Razor kept going, "I'll call my boy." Before I could say shit else he was shouting out again, "Trevor!"

Eric snickered beside me like any of this was fucking funny. I started sweating a little. I don't even have my ears pierced and these niggas want me to shove needle through my nose.

A man suddenly popped from behind heavy black curtains. He was dressed in all black from head to toe. He looked twenty-something.

"This is my son, Trevor." Razor said with mad pride. He smiled in Trevor's direction like was the apple of his eye.

"Umm..." I started. Trevor was white for one with blonde hair cut low as fuck about eye level,  and for the son of a tattoo artist didn't have one single tattoo on his from what I could see. Maybe they were hidden in other places. What he did have was a face full of piercing, though, on his lip, nose, and eyebrow. Also, a lot of studs and hoops going up along both ears.

Trevor laughed at the confusion on our faces, "Adoptive son." He corrected, while rocking back and forth on his heels. Ahh, now that makes sense.

"Same shit." Razor said with a dismissive wave, "This guy here is looking to get pierced." I wasn't.

Trevor pointed down at me, "You the one getting the piercing?"

I shook my head again, "I don't got the money for a piercing right now." I said with a shrug.

"I'll pay for it!" Eric goes. I sighed and dropped head back. Fuck me right now. What happened to no means no, all that shit. I saw Trevor's eyes dropped down to our locked hands and Eric must've seen it, too.

His hand tensed in mine and then he pulled away like it was a hot iron. Just like that I was back in high school and it was Jay snatching his hand away. I dropped my hand into my lap and I ignored the sympathetic look on Trevor's face.

"I don't know about that." I said like nothing happened because nothing did happen.

Trevor grabbed my chin and slightly turned my head to the left, "I think you'd look hot with a nose ring right here." He smiled and there was a little twinkle in his eye this time. Was he flirting with me?

My eyes widened and Eric's hand suddenly found mine again. I looked down at them and back up at Eric's face to see all amusement stripped away. His jaw was locked and he was glaring at the side of Trevor's face.

"He can get it when I'm down. I'll go back there with him." Eric said coldly.

Trevor shook his head with a laugh, "We'll do it right now," He leaned over the both of us and eyed Eric's tattoo, "By the time he's done you'll be all wrapped up anyway."

Eric didn't like the sound of that all. I don't see the big deal and we'd get out of here faster. I never got one before but it should be one little stick and I'll be finished.

Trevor motioned for me to get up and I did only for Eric's grip to tightened. I coughed into my other hand and looked down at him, "You kinda gotta let me go so I can't get this shit." I tried to say lowly enough for only him to ear, but by the scoff that came behind me I could tell Trevor heard. Were these two having a pissing contest I don't know about?

"Right." He said through clenched teeth and dropped my hand a lot more gentler than last.

Behind the black curtains was one of those metal  chairs I saw in hospital exams rooms. I watched him wipe it down and cover the cushion part in plastic. He motioned for me to sit down and I did. He started prepping his table for my piercing and it was starting to look like a scene from SAW.

I hope I didn't look as nervous as I felt, but I had to ask if this was gonna hurt bad or not. 

"It's just like a little pinch. No biggie." He said over his shoulder. I texted Faiyaz telling him to guess what I was about to do and in the usual Faiyaz fashion he FaceTimed me instead of texting back.

"Baby," I could here the suspicion in his voice. He was laying down in bed and he was buried up to his chin in blankets.

"I'm getting my nose pierced." I rushed out. His eyes opened wider and he sat up more. A small smile came across his face.

"No fucking way. Lemme see." He said.

There was nothing in my face to show him yet so I flipped the camera and showed all the tools on Trevor's little table.

"What made you even wanna get one. You literally never mentioned wanting one ever." He chuckled, wiping his eyes.

"Eric." I said and when no immediate response came from the other side I knew he was a little irritated.

"Of course." The tone was sharp. He just glared at me through the phone and I rolled my eyes out of frame.

"I'll come show you in person in little, yeah?"

That brought the smile back to his face. "Bring me food." He said and I agreed before disconnecting the call.

"So, I'm assuming that wasn't the guy in my dad's chair?" Trevor asked. He gloved up and came in stood in front of me. With a sharpie he dotted where he thought the stud should go.

"I like both of them." I admitted with a sigh. He handed me a small mirror and I looked at it. It was on my left side. I didn't really care where it would go because I didn't want it in the first place, so if that's where he picked I trust him.

"Doesn't seem like the one on the phone likes your other friend."

I shrugged. I wouldn't like Eric either if I was Fai, whether he knew for real or not as someone who was once in his positions sometimes you just know. Admitting I like both Fai and Eric out loud for the second time was just as scary, especially with Eric just outside those curtains.

"I like them both in just like different ways. I wish I didn't like him, though," Not even having to specify which him I was referring to, "It would make my life a lot easier."

Trevor nodded understandingly, "Yeah. I've been there before!" He laughed humorlessly, "And I picked the one in the closet. Don't be be a dumbass like me." He mumbled. His eyes got a distance look in them as if he was remembering the exact moment he fucked up.

"Did you ever get the other guy back?"

"Yeah, I did..." Trevor paused, "But it wasn't the same. The love wasn't the same. I had fucked up too much."

I don't want that to be me.