Accident Prone |h.s|

Chapter 9: Bad

February 2020

Bad idea.
This is a terrible idea.
Whoever thought of this is seriously deranged.

Oh right... it was me.

Damn it.

I don't do well with pain. Or needles. Or blood. Hence the bad idea.

Harry is uncontrollably laughing at me from across the room, as a sweat an impression of my body in this tattoo chair.

We arrived in London a day ago and I blame my deliriously jet-lagged brain on this bad decision.

I didn't think twice about it really.

I should have.

Things that permanently scar you should be more than a absent thought.

Harry had just finished his tattoo with his favorite London tattoo artist when he turns to me and says, "you should get one, B."

That's all it took.

A simple suggestion that led me to visibly shaking as the artist preps his station. This is definitely the craziest Thursday I've had in a while.

I've always thought about a tattoo. Where I would get one or what I would get. But they were just errant thoughts while I was daydreaming. Not actual plans.

"Relax B, it's not gonna be terrible. Do you think I'd go through with it this many times of it was?" Harry says as he lounges on the long orange leather sofa.

"It'll only take a few minutes, love. And I'll be gentle with you I promise." The artist says with his thick accent ringing through each word.

He starts the gun and begins to make his mark. I'm holding my breath so hard that I exhale with a gasp.

It really isn't that bad. Almost like a cat scratch or a bee sting. Painful but bearable. Damn Harry for being right about this.

About nine minutes later, he's wiping down my fresh ink and I take a full breath.

I look over to Harry and he is smiling ear to ear at my relieved expression. I get up and stretch my left arm out in front of the mirror.

Where was once only pale skin of my inner arm, lies a small bumble bee.

"It's so cute. A little bee for my B." Harry says standing behind me eyeing my new tattoo with a proud smirk on his face. "Did you know that's where I got my first one too?"

"I did not know that," I say as I rotate my arm to get a better view, "but don't expect me to follow in your tattooed footsteps. I'm good with just one for now." I say smiling as I meet his eyes in the mirror.

.....

It's Friday morning. Valentine's Day.

I've never really been against Valentine's like my bitter shrew mentality would make you believe. To me, it's nice to show love to someone and I get half off all the candy the next day so it's really a win win scenario.

I wake up early in Harry's London flat, the smell of fresh coffee filling brain as I leave the guest bedroom in search of the much needed caffeine. Harry and his sister are sitting at the counter with a full breakfast in front of them.

"'Bout time there, B. I was about to send in the medics at the sound of your snoring." Harry says grinning with a mouth full of French toast. "Thought you were suffocating or something."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. You and I both know that I don't snore." I reply back to him narrowing my eyebrows in accusation.

"Yeah Harry, it was just a little snore. Nothing to call the medics about for sure." Gemma says as elbows my side.