Needles and Ink

Tease and Ink

Chapter: one

It had been a long week for Eren so far, as getting used to the old ways of life was proving difficult after serving his 4 years in the USMC. Every morning, his alarm went off at 5:30 and he quickly hopped out of bed to start his morning routine of jogging 3 miles and heading to the gym where he worked on his build relentlessly. He wasn't bulky by any means, but he was toned and lean. He prided himself with keeping his shape, even with no further commitments forcing him to do so. His breakfasts were packed with protein to start the day off right. After that a quick shower ensued. And then...

Damn. He didn't know where to start. Mikasa had everything taken care of with her job at a veterinary office so their apartment had been secure while he was away, and now he was struggling with how to spend his day. He had plenty money saved up over the years, and they were in no financial trouble at all. He still thought about looking for a job around town, just so he could have a way to spend his time wisely. He already had his Associates degree, not that he thought it would get him very far these days, but the USMC college program had certainly helped to get it over with. A job at a bar seemed like a plausible idea, a bartender perhaps. They made bank off of tips on good nights, especially in more upscale places. All it took was an easily obtained bartending certificate.

Eren relaxed in his familiar surroundings as he walked down the street a few blocks from home. It was a main strip that contained bars, clubs, unique little shops, restaurants, and attractions. One of his favorite places was the tattoo shop down on the corner next to a small sub shop. Before he left for the marines, he had visited frequently, regardless if he was getting a new tattoo or not. The woman that worked there was fun and outgoing and it was easy to talk to her about anything and everything. The last time he had saw her she was pregnant with a baby girl. She would be absolutely adorable at this age.

He smirked to himself and made his way up to the door, pushing it open and quickly stepping inside with a near skip in his step. The bells on the door jingled to signal his arrival and he looked around for the familiar woman, but instead of her, he found something else entirely.

Someone else entirely. The man was facing away from him, cleaning up and sanitizing his worktable. From what he could see, the guy had ebony hair and a simple undercut, the rest of his hair falling in a graceful manner. He looked short, too. But when the man turned around, his eyes widened a fraction and his breath caught in his throat.

Fuck.

His features were sharp and those steel grey eyes bore into him with boredom lurking in those depths. Those lips, though, oh, they looked awfully delectable...

"Can I help you?" the man said, his voice smooth and deep, sending delicious shivers up Eren's spine.

Goodbye boredom, hello sexy.

The man came up to the counter and looked, no, glared at him expectantly, as if he were interrupting something important. He waited for Eren to speak.

The brunet smirked and placed his hands on the counter, to which the artist's eye twitched.

Now that he had a closer look at the man, he couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought of his hands on him, and he was now completely on the side of getting another tattoo. He already had plenty, but more couldn't hurt. The artist was decorated as well, with tattoos claiming his arms and neck, possibly more underneath that black shirt he wore. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows in a delectable display and the collar was a wide v-neck, showing off part of his muscular shoulders.

Again, fuck.

He leaned in slightly with a mischievous smile. "Of course you can help me, but what's your name?"