Nina |18+|

26

NINA

With my ear against his heartbeat and my leg draped over his own, I cuddled into Theo's chest. I listened to the soft thumping as I played with the string of his sweats, allowing myself to enjoy the peace that came with just being in his arms.

We weren't talking. Or listening to music. It was quiet and serene and everything we needed after our little session on the couch. Heaven knew how I needed the calmness.

The curtains were drawn, and Theo had lit my vanilla-bean scented candles in the corner of the room. Besides our pulses, the low hustle of traffic below us was the only noise. I never used to like all the noises that came with my complex, but Theo made me appreciate the sound of life outside. Oddly enough.

"Have you decided what you wanted yet?" Theo asked, his deep voice low while he ran a flat hand over my hair in consistent strokes.

"No," I murmured, sighing out as I fixed my position. "I've always wanted a tattoo on my thigh, but I'm not ready for the entire healing process again. It's very traumatic."

Theo chuckled, taking my hand in his to hold onto my fingers. "It is. I hate it. We can wait until you're ready, right? I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," I smiled, giving him a kiss on the chest before letting my head rest again. "I do have something else in mind. Something small."

"Yeah?" he whispered, hearing his smile in his tone. "Like what?"

"My hip," I answered. "A small one."

I went to Theo for a tattoo in a time when stress and anxiety seemed to be the main factor in my life. It was my own personal distraction. The way I tried to deal with things by shifting my focus elsewhere. I didn't feel the need to do that anymore.

I didn't feel the need to ink my skin as a coping mechanism. Hence why I'd like a small tattoo—if Theo was willing to do it for me, of course.

"Your hip?" Theo said, his hand pausing on my head for just a second. "I can do that for you. Just say when."

I chuckled, slipping my fingertips underneath the hem of his pants.

"Eager."

"I have to be," he said, and even though I wasn't looking at him—I could practically sense the eye roll. "Or you'll get somebody else to do it."

"I won't," I said truthfully, deciding that I should stop playing with Theo. The poor boy almost had a heart attack when I mentioned finding a different artist.

"You're the best tattoo artist I've ever had, and I'm not just talking about the tattoo."

Theo paused, his hand stilling immediately. 

"The fuck does that mean?"

"Not in that way," I blurted, laughing slightly. "I just meant the experience with you was the best."

"Oh," he said, sounding relieved. "Thank you. So, tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," I confirmed, nodding my head. "I'll meet you at the shop after school, if that's okay with you?"

"No," he stated. "My place."

"You're going to give me a tattoo at your apartment?" I asked, scowling.

"You haven't been downstairs yet, have you?" Theo asked, and I felt him hold me a little tighter when he kissed the top of my head. I could never get enough of the affection he showed me.

Never.

"What's downstairs?"

"My studio," he answered, letting his hand rest on my hip.