Behind Closed Doors (A Harry Styles FanFiction)

Chapter 22

*Song is I Choose You by Timeflies Tuesday because that song is my jaaammm. Enjoy xx*

ZAYN'S POV

I walked into the tattoo parlor, an excited smile on my face as I immediately spotted my mate behind the counter. "Hey Leo!" I greeted enthusiastically, seeing his head pop up and a smile spread across his own face.

"Hey Zayn, how've ya been?" he asked as I approached the counter, I took his open hand in mine and shook it firmly, scanning his full arm tattoo sleeve with admiration. I've always thought it would be sick to have a full arm of tattoos, maybe just a half-sleeve would be cool but it's always been on my bucket list, which is why I'm going to start on that wish today.

"I've been good, back to school though which sucks...but other than that things have been fine. How are Lucy and Adelaide?" I drew my hand back and shoved them in the pockets of my joggers, watching as his face lit up. It always did when his new baby daughter was brought up, and I always thought about when I would have a wife and kids to call my own. It made me smile just thinking about it.

"Oh they're fantastic! It's been exhausting with Adelaide waking us up every night and having to take care of her, but when you look at it; the good overweighs the bad and I absolutely love being a father!" He beamed, taking a picture out of his wallet and showing me a small, blue-eyed, dark-haired baby girl.

"She's gorgeous, Leo. Looks like you." I said, smiling down at the little baby. She truly was gorgeous, so small and delicate, it was adorable.

"Thanks mate," he looked at the picture once more before putting it back in his wallet. "So you ready to get started?" I nodded my head eagerly, following him into one of the rooms in the back and feeling the nervous excitement pump through my veins.

Leo was my cousin who was also a tattoo artist, which you could tell by the ink going up his right arm and across his chest and back. He was only four years older than me, twenty-two, but he married his high school sweetheart when they were twenty and two years later had their beautiful baby girl.

He went to an art university after finishing high school with high marks; I wasn't surprised when he graduated uni at the top of his class since he was one of the smartest guys I knew. Some people wouldn't expect that because he looked like the stereotypical 'bad boy' with tattoos and gauges, and it's a perfect example that you should never judge a book by its cover.

Leo sat down on his swivel chair as I took a seat across from him, rolling up the sleeve on my right arm so he could see the place where I wanted the tattoo.

"What were you thinking on getting?" he asks, getting out a marker so he can sketch a rough draft on my skin. I reach into my pocket and take out a piece of paper, uncrumble it, then hand it to Leo. He looks at it for a second and turns it to see it at different angles, a surprised look on his face.

"Wait...did you draw this?" he asks in disbelief, looking at me with his wide hazel eyes. My cheeks immediately blush and I scratch my neck, nodding my head while chuckling slightly. "Uh, yeah actually."

"This is sick, Zayn! I didn't know you could draw!"

He continues to admire the red, yellow, and black 'ZAP!' I drew on the paper. I wanted to get a tattoo that represented my love for comic books, so one night the idea came to me and I drew it in around ten minutes. It was just a sketch, not even the best I could draw, which is why I was surprised when Leo liked it so much.

"Well let's get started, mate!" Leo claps his hands together and puts on some latex gloves as I lay down on the chair, rolling my sleeve up more to give him a clearer view. After he cleans the skin, does the sketch on my arm, and all the other prep stuff, he begins to trace the sharp needle over my forearm. I immediately wince in pain and rest my head on the chair, squeezing my eyes shut. This isn't my first tattoo, but that doesn't mean I haven't gotten used to the feeling of practically getting stabbed.