Rejects // Punk Luke Hemmings

>Chapter Thirty-Five<

<Luke's POV>

It was so difficult to sit there while she painted on my back. It wasn't that I was uncomfortable, because I honestly could've sat there for hours with her. But the paintbrush was so insanely ticklish! Not only that, but the paint felt like ice against my skin. I thought I'd get used to the feeling after a while, but that didn't happen.

When Kara was finally finished and sitting in my lap, my mind was running crazy. For the last few days, I'd been thinking about how much she meant to me. I wanted a permanent reminder of that, for when I wasn't with her and even if, God forbid, something were to happen to our relationship. I don't ever want to forget what she's done for me, because whether she knows it or not, she has done so much.

The way I wanted to do that was to get another tattoo. One that somehow related to her. I'd been thinking of something simple, like finding out what her favorite flower was and getting it over my heart, or something cheesy like that.

But now I had something meaningful from her. Something that no one else could've done, no one else could have created.

I had her art.

And now I wanted to make it permanent.

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"Luke, seriously," Kara sighed from the passenger's seat of my car. "Where are we going?"

I glanced over at her, smiling as I saw she was already looking at me. "I told you Kar, it's a surprise!" I laughed at her impatience and returned my eyes to the road. "Don't worry. We're almost there."

"Alright. Can I at least know if I'll like where we're going?"

"Depends," I shrugged. I stopped at a red light, spotting our destination to the left. "But you're about to find out," I smiled as the light turned green. "Because we have reached our destination." I pulled into a small parking lot and found a spot before looking at her.

She stared out the window at the LED sign in the window, her mouth slightly agape. I grinned as she turned her gaze to me.

"Why are we here Luke?" Her voice was soft in the space between us.

I thought about how I should tell her what I wanted to do. "I want to make you permanent..." I almost whispered after a long moment.

She was silent as she tried to figure out what I meant. The moment she did, realization dawned on her face as her eyes widened slightly.

"Come on," I smiled and opened my door. She just sat there for a moment before she got out as well. I walked around the car and took her hand in mine, kissing her head.

"Are you sure you want to do this Luke?" Kara sounded unsure as we walked up to the door. "I mean, what if something happens...between us?"

"Don't worry about that. If anything were to happen to what we have, which I don't plan on, I never want to forget what you've done for me. This way you'll be a part of me, even if you aren't there." I placed my hands on either side of her face and leaned my forehead against hers. "And now I have something perfect to do that."

"If you really want this, I guess I can deal," she nodded and smiled a bit.

"Good. Because I would've done it anyway," I grinned and placed a small kiss on her lips before pulling open the door and letting her in before I entered as well.

The familiar buzz of tattoos being etched into skin and the smell of ink and antiseptic greeted me like an old friend. The dimly lit walls were plastered with tattoo ideas, and several people sat in reclined chairs, most of them with expressions of immense pain on their faces.