Breaking His Rules

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Kayla's POV:

"Calm down rulebook", I say as Aaron jerks anxiously. "I've literally done this before"

"I'm sorry", he says. "It's just that it's my first time", he gestures at me. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Okay. So maybe asking Aaron to watch me get a tattoo wasn't the best of ideas, but it sounded nice at the moment, and since the tattoo was significant to both of us, I thought it would be good for both of us to be there at the same time.

Jake – my tattoo artist – rolls his eyes as he starts up the tattoo gun again and the needles begin to pierce into my skin, leaving behind a tapestry of ink on my shoulder.

Aaron winces, and I laugh – the way he is acting, you would have thought he was the one getting a tattoo, not me.

"Tell me what happened with your parents", I ask, mostly to distract him, but also out of curiosity. It's been over a week since my dad met with Aaron's parents, and while I've gotten the main news, I want to hear all the details.

"My parents didn't want to talk about what happened, but Caleb told me everything", he says, and I have to hide a grimace as the tattoo gun pierces my skin. I nod at Aaron to keep talking, hoping it will distract him from me, and it does.

"Your dad drove a hard bargain – thank you again for telling him about me – and my dad was kind of okay with it. He kept saying how after a year I would see that football wasn't useful and I would have a good job in medicine or law. I don't think my mother believed it for a second, especially as she knows how important football is to me, and she complained like a lot, but Dad out-vetoed her"

I chuckle at the thought of an angry chicken-like Mrs Delany, clucking her opinion which no one cares about, and then getting angry about being ignored.

"So you're going to Brown?", I ask, almost unable to believe it.

"Yep", he gives me a broad grin. "Your dad made mine sign the paperwork immediately – I guess he didn't want to give my parents anytime to change their minds. So I'm officially going to play soccer at Brown University"

He smiles so hard his cheeks must and I smile back, happy because he is happy.

Jake turns off the tattoo gun and holds it up, nodding to me.

"Is he done?", Aaron asks, and I nod. The tattoo I asked for wasn't too complicated – simply a football on a field – but it is so significant to me. As all tattoos, it is a work of art so it brings me happiness, but this one is also connected to Aaron and also my dad so it's importance is magnified.

Aaron stares at it in awe.

"Can I touch it?", he asks, his voice hushed with reverence.

"Not a chance rulebook. Leave it for a while, it hurts a bit", I say as his face turns a bit disappointed. I draw my sleeve down to cover up the tattoo, and get off the 'master's surface', as Jake likes to call it, which is just a rusty old hospital bed where his clients get tattoos

"Ok Kay run along now", he says, as he begins to pack up, but Aaron clears his throat.

"Actually, I would also like to get a tattoo", he says, in almost a whisper.

Jake jerks his head towards him, his usually impassive face now bearing a faintly amused look.

"Say that again", he demands.

"I said I want a tattoo"

Jake has on an expression of surprise which mirrors mine.

"What are you doing?", I whisper to Aaron. "You could barely watch me get a tattoo and now you want to get one of your own?"