Heathens Ink Box Set, page 88
“Hey,” I say as casually as I can manage. “Thanks for coming.”
“Anytime, kid.”
I cringe at his nickname for me. Of course, he still sees me as a kid. Maybe he’ll always see me as a kid.
“Attention everyone,” Royal says loudly, and I flinch again. For the love of god, don’t let him have put together some sort of embarrassing slideshow or anything. I turn around to see him standing on one of the kitchen chairs, swaying enough to make me wonder just how much he’s had to drink. “Stop looking so terrified, bro. I just wanted to say happy birthday and that I’m really lucky you found me. I’m glad you came into our lives. We love you.”
My mouth falls open, and I blush even harder than I probably would have if he had whipped out pictures of me drooling all over myself after I got my wisdom teeth out or the half dozen pictures he took of my chin when I started growing facial hair.
“How drunk do you think he is?” Owen whispers, his hot breath on the back of my neck making me shiver.
“Drunk enough that Nash and Zade are going to have their hands full,” I agree with a chuckle.
Right on cue, Zade walks over and hoists Royal off the chair and over his shoulder, giving him a playful smack on the ass.
“Lucky them,” Owen replies, and a spike of heat goes through me. Sex jokes are new. That was a sex joke, right? How much of a kid can he see me as if he’s making a sex joke?
“There’s cake,” Nash offers loudly.
“Wait, we have to sing!” Royal shouts from his place, slung over Zade’s shoulder.
“Liam doesn’t want us to sing, babe,” Nash assures him.
“Yes, he does; it’s his birthday,” Royal argues.
“No, he doesn’t,” I pipe in. “Everyone, eat some cake, and please don’t sing.”
A few hours and too many drinks later, Kyle puts his arm around my waist to steady me.
“Come on, let’s get you home before you embarrass yourself,” he suggests.
I met Kyle at Rainbow House when I first moved here, and we clicked pretty quickly. He was kicked out by his dad when he was caught cross dressing, and at the time, he was really confused about what it meant. Over time he realized he was just a gay boy who loved to wear pretty clothes and makeup. We did have some fun helping him figure out his sexuality back in the day though, if you catch my drift. And as anyone knows, shared sexual exploration is the root of any great friendship.
“But I didn’t get to ask Owen out yet,” I slur.
“I know, buddy. But that’s probably left for another day when you’re not falling down drunk.”
“I got drunk so I’d be brave,” I explain in frustration as Kyle continues to lead me toward the front door.
“That wasn’t a great plan.”
“I hate you,” I grumble.
“You love me,” he counters.
People are shouting goodbye and happy birthday from all sides as Kyle takes me outside. My eyes latch onto Wyatt’s for a second on the way out the door, and my heart gives a little flutter. As if crushing on one man who’s painfully out of my league isn’t enough…sigh.
“What about my car?” I ask Kyle once we’re outside.
“I’ll bring you back to get it tomorrow. Or I’m sure your brother will drop it off.”
Owen
I smile as I watch Kyle lead Liam outside. It was nice to see Liam enjoying his twenty-first birthday, but difficult not to compare it to my own. My twenty-first was one of four birthdays I celebrated behind bars.
“You need a ride home?” Adam offers with a friendly hand on my shoulder. I glance back at him and smile.
“Nah, I’m good, only had one drink a few hours ago. Thanks though.”
He nods and squeezes my shoulder before reaching for his husband, Nox, and pulling him close. My heart aches a little as I watch the happy couple head for the door. I’ve been surrounded by nothing but happy couples—and threesomes—for years now. I thought I’d finally grown numb to it, lost the longing I’d gotten so used to. But lately, there’s a renewed itch under my skin.
I glance around at the straggling party goers and pause on the adorable, geeky man talking to a few of the former Rainbow House kids. Wyatt, that’s his name. He’s a counselor at RH, and he’s friends with Liam and Beck, but I don’t know him well personally. We see each other in passing, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a one on one conversation. His blue sweater vest and thick rimmed glasses make me smile for some reason. He’s just so…cute. That’s really the only word for him.
As Kyle and Liam pass him, Wyatt’s eyes follow Liam with a fond smile, and something strange jolts in my chest. It’s almost jealousy, but not exactly. It’s more of an awareness. An awareness of what, I’m not sure. But it crackles along my skin for several seconds as the two maintain eye contact with each other, something passing between them that neither acknowledge. And then Kyle guides Liam out the door, and the electricity in the air seems to settle as if it was never there at all.
I sneak one last glance at Wyatt before turning away to help Nash with his clean-up effort.
“Thanks for the help. Royal and Zade would’ve been fine with leaving this place a mess for weeks if it was up to them.”
“Not a problem,” I assure him. Not like I have any reason to rush home anyway. It’s dark and quiet at my place, painfully empty. It’s been empty for a few years, since my buddy Finn moved in with his men, so why is it suddenly bothering me so much?
“You okay? You seem kind of down lately,” Nash checks.
“Yeah, just been in kind of a blah mood I guess. It’ll pass, I’m sure.”
“You know I’m always around if you want to talk, we all are. We’re family, right?”
“Absolutely,” I agree, pulling Nash in for a quick hug. After five years at Heathens Ink, I still can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to have these men—and Dani—in my life.
Fate has dealt me more than my fair share of shit hands in this life, but she got it right sending me to Heathens.
Chapter 2
Wyatt
Balancing a cardboard drink carrier in one hand, I swipe my security badge to get in through the back door of Rainbow House. A peaceful silence greets me, and I smile. This is my favorite time of the morning, just before all the residents start waking up.
I flick on the hallway light and make my way toward the offices I know will already be occupied, even at the ungodly hour of six a.m.
“You don’t look too rough after last night,” I comment as I step into Beck’s office and place his grande soy latte on his desk.
Beck looks up from his computer, his lips rose red and his eyelashes a mile long.
“It’s the concealer darling; it can hide the most egregious hangover,” Beck explains with a smirk, reaching for the coffee. “Thank you. I didn’t have time to stop yet this morning, and I could use the pick me up.”
“Any time. You haven’t had the chance to check in with Liam yet have you? He was pretty rough last night.” I do my best to sound casual. I free my own coffee from the drink holder and take a deep gulp, scalding my mouth in the process but effectively distracting myself from the strange way my body has been reacting to Liam over the past few months.
“Did I call Liam before six in the morning the day after his twenty-first birthday?” Beck cocks one of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows at me. “No, I can’t say I did.”
“Fair point,” I chuckle. I’m totally pulling off casual, go me.
“Why are you so interested anyway?”
Damn.
“We’re friends, you know that.”
“Uh-huh,” Beck smirks, and I wonder if he’s seeing right through me. If he is, maybe he can clue me in on what’s going on in my confused head.
I started volunteering at Rainbow House three years ago. I met Liam in my first week. He was eighteen then, and we formed a fast friendship based on bad TV shows and too much coffee. He had been fresh off his top surgery at the time and wasn’t a big fan of the therapist he’d been seeing, so I recommended my friend, Alex, who’s trans himself and specializes in helping others with gender dysphoria.
I’ve watched Liam grow from an awkward teen into a self-confident man, and I admire the hell out of him. But the past month or so, something has felt different between us. There’s a new energy that I can’t begin to explain or understand.
“I’d better get Mary her coffee before it gets cold.”
Beck tilts his head and raises his cup in thanks again before I make my way to the office next to his. Mary is as chipper as ever, greeting me with a motherly hug before taking the coffee I offer and bustling past me to get to the kitchen and start breakfast for the many teens who will soon be waking up.
When I was in college working toward my psychology degree, I dreamed of working for a place like Rainbow House. It’s exactly the kind of place I wish I’d known existed when I was growing up in my homophobic small town in the middle of nowhere, Utah.
How I ended up in Seattle…I call it happenstance. My best friend, Jace, likes to insist it was fate. I’m not sure how much fate was involved in me being offered a decent position at a counseling facility here after graduation. That was seven years ago, and I’ve made myself a home here in that time—friends, my own practice now, and spending most of my free time volunteering my services at Rainbow House. It’s a damn good life, if not a little lonely at night when I crawl into an empty bed.
I make it to my own office and fire up my computer, taking another deep gulp of my coffee.
I lose myself in writing up files and checking in with my patients for a few hours, until my stomach starts to rumble around mid-morning.
Standing up from my desk, I stretch my arms and groan. Fuck, I’m getting old. Okay, thirty-one isn’t all that old, but I feel ancient. All the more reason the butterflies need to cool it about Liam. He’s ten years younger than I am, still in the stage of his life where he should be dating around. I, on the other hand, stay up at night dreaming about finding someone to settle down with. It’s a bad match and that’s that.
That doesn’t mean I can’t text him to check in this morning, of course. He’s still one of my closest friends.
Wyatt: How are you feeling this morning?
Liam: Dead. I’m never drinking that much again. You’d think I’d know better by now
Wyatt: By now? Why? You’ve just turned twenty-one. Are you suggesting you’ve *gasp* imbibed alcohol before it was legal for you to do so?
Liam’s response is an emoji with crazy eyes, which I think is supposed to indicate an eye roll, followed by an emoji with a halo over its head. I chuckle, and the butterflies do that weird thing again.
Wyatt: I need food; you free to grab something with me at the deli?
Liam: Yeah, I have an appointment with Owen for a new tattoo at noon. Other than that, my day is free. I figured it was best not to schedule any photography clients the day after my twenty-first birthday.
Wyatt: Smart thinking. I’ll meet you in fifteen minutes?
Liam: Cool.
Shutting down my computer and putting all my paper files into my locked cabinet, I head out with a smile.
Liam’s already waiting when I reach the deli. I notice him before he notices me, and I stop and stare for a few seconds as he runs his hands through his light brown hair and flashes flirty eyes at the guy behind the deli counter. The guy smiles back and looks Liam’s slim body up and down with appreciation shining in his eyes.
Part of me wants to stomp over there and stand in front of Liam to keep deli guy—his name is Tom, as much as I want to be petty and pretend I don’t know that, I just can’t—from looking at him. But the other half of me is lighting up seeing Liam flirting and smiling. I’ve been pushing him to open up and try dating, and I have no right to get pissy now that it looks like he’s following through.
Liam’s gaze wanders in my direction, and he waves me over, the enthusiasm in his smile warming me to my core.
“You’re looking a little worse for wear after drinking last night, old man,” Liam teases when I reach him.
“Don’t remind me of my advanced age,” I deadpan.
“You’re right; I need to do better to respect my elders,” he says sagely, and I can’t resist pinching his side to make him double over laughing. “Hey, tickling is against fair rules of combat.”
“So is picking on your opponent’s age.”
“Truce.” Liam holds his hands up, his eyes wide and innocent—yeah right, like I’m going to buy that.
“I’ll play nice as long as you do.”
“I have your turkey sandwich, Liam,” Tom says, sliding a plate across the counter.
“Thank you.” Liam flashes him another smile that I wish was directed at me and then steps aside so I can order.
“What new tattoo are you getting today?” I ask once I have my food and we’re both seated near the big front window.
“Trans flag on my hip,” Liam answers around a mouthful of sandwich, a slight pink creeping into his cheeks. Huh, I wonder why the blush.
“That’s cool. I’m too square to get a tattoo, I think.”
“Square?” Liam snorts. “You are such a dork; Wyatt and I love you for it.”
“Would L-7 weenie be better?”
Liam doubles over with laughter, soda shooting out of his nose and dripping down his face.
“Oh my god, you can’t say stuff like that when I’m drinking. Soda is eroding my nasal passage,” he scolds.
When his laughter settles down and he returns to eating, I notice Tom eyeing Liam with interest again.
“He’s into you,” I comment, tilting my chin in Tom’s direction so Liam knows who I’m referring to.
“Who?” Liam asks, shoving a few chips into his mouth. I nod again in Tom’s direction, and Liam glances over. “Tom?”
“Yes, Tom.” I swear, the boy has no idea how much attention he draws sometimes. It’s not just his cute, boy next door looks. Liam lights up rooms; he draws people in.
“Nah, Tom and I flirt a little, but he’s not into me.”
“He hasn’t stopped staring at you this whole time.”
“Yeah, but…” Liam trails off and shakes his head.
“You don’t want to tell him?” I guess, and Liam rolls his eyes at me.
“Hey, you pawned me off on Alex to be my counselor, so don’t try to step on his toes now.”
“I didn’t pawn you off. Besides, you should be happy I sent you to Alex. If you were my patient, we couldn’t be friends like this. Back to the main point, it’s okay if you’re not ready to date, but if you need someone to talk to besides Alex, I’m always here as a friend.”
“I know. And it’s not that I’m not ready; I think I’m just waiting for the right…person.”
The way Liam says it, I wonder if he has someone specific in mind. He spends most of his time with his brother’s friends, most of whom are in relationships, or with Kyle. I know he and Kyle had something when they were teenagers, but it’s long since become nothing more than friendship. So who could it be?
“Oh crap, it’s almost noon. I’ve gotta get down to Heathens,” Liam says, stuffing the last of his sandwich into his mouth.
Heathens Ink is the tattoo shop where his brother works. Owned by Adam and Gage, Beck’s husband. It is a bit odd that I’m the only person I know without any tattoos. Maybe I should get a small one, somewhere hidden that only a lover would find. The thought is rather thrilling. Certainly something that bears thinking about further.
“Thanks for meeting with me so I wouldn’t have to eat lunch alone.”
“Always happy to help you look less pathetic,” Liam teases, and I shake my head. “I’ll talk to you later.”
As Liam hurries out the door, I can’t help sneaking a quick glance at his cute, little round ass. I’m so going to Hell.
Liam
My stomach is flipping and fluttering as I push through the familiar doors of Heathens Ink. I’ve spent a lot of time here in the past five years, content to spend hours hanging out, taking photos, fucking around on the computer with Dani and Gage. Aside from Royal’s house, this place is the closest thing to a home I’ve ever had.
“Hey, dude,” Nox greets from behind the counter. “You want to take over updating our social media sites for me?” he asks with a pout.
“I would, but I have an appointment with Owen for some ink.”
“Uh-oh, Royal’s going to be grouchy that you didn’t let him ink you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off.
If I can get in and out without bumping into Royal, he’ll likely never know about this tattoo. After my first tattoo, an owl done by Owen, I let Royal give me a full sleeve, Nash gave me a Knuckles tattoo on my shoulder (to go along with the Sonic, Tails, and Doctor Robotnic tattoos he, Royal, and Zade have), and Nox inked a centaur on my back. Not to mention the eyebrow piercing Dani did. They’ve all had a turn with me, so I think I’ve earned one more session with Owen.
Although, the anxiety rolling through me is making me question the wisdom of picking Owen to take my pants off in front of. Not all the way off, of course, but they’ll have to come down quite a bit for him to ink low on my hip like I want.
“Liam, come on back,” Owen calls from down the hall, and I give Nox a quick smile before scurrying toward Owen’s work space.
“Hey,” I greet as I step through the door to Owen’s space. I stop in my tracks and grin, seeing about a dozen of my photographs displayed around his space.
“Hey. You’re not looking too worse for wear after last night. Being twenty-one has its advantages, huh?”
“I guess so,” I reply with an awkward laugh that makes me internally cringe. Where’s the cool, funny guy who just came from lunch with Wyatt? Why do I always get so lame as soon as Owen is around?
“Pretty simple design for today so this should be quick, I think.” Owen pulls out the finalized sketch to show me. He added a little ripple and shadow to the flag so it looks like it’s blowing in the wind.
“Looks good.”
“Anytime, kid.”
I cringe at his nickname for me. Of course, he still sees me as a kid. Maybe he’ll always see me as a kid.
“Attention everyone,” Royal says loudly, and I flinch again. For the love of god, don’t let him have put together some sort of embarrassing slideshow or anything. I turn around to see him standing on one of the kitchen chairs, swaying enough to make me wonder just how much he’s had to drink. “Stop looking so terrified, bro. I just wanted to say happy birthday and that I’m really lucky you found me. I’m glad you came into our lives. We love you.”
My mouth falls open, and I blush even harder than I probably would have if he had whipped out pictures of me drooling all over myself after I got my wisdom teeth out or the half dozen pictures he took of my chin when I started growing facial hair.
“How drunk do you think he is?” Owen whispers, his hot breath on the back of my neck making me shiver.
“Drunk enough that Nash and Zade are going to have their hands full,” I agree with a chuckle.
Right on cue, Zade walks over and hoists Royal off the chair and over his shoulder, giving him a playful smack on the ass.
“Lucky them,” Owen replies, and a spike of heat goes through me. Sex jokes are new. That was a sex joke, right? How much of a kid can he see me as if he’s making a sex joke?
“There’s cake,” Nash offers loudly.
“Wait, we have to sing!” Royal shouts from his place, slung over Zade’s shoulder.
“Liam doesn’t want us to sing, babe,” Nash assures him.
“Yes, he does; it’s his birthday,” Royal argues.
“No, he doesn’t,” I pipe in. “Everyone, eat some cake, and please don’t sing.”
A few hours and too many drinks later, Kyle puts his arm around my waist to steady me.
“Come on, let’s get you home before you embarrass yourself,” he suggests.
I met Kyle at Rainbow House when I first moved here, and we clicked pretty quickly. He was kicked out by his dad when he was caught cross dressing, and at the time, he was really confused about what it meant. Over time he realized he was just a gay boy who loved to wear pretty clothes and makeup. We did have some fun helping him figure out his sexuality back in the day though, if you catch my drift. And as anyone knows, shared sexual exploration is the root of any great friendship.
“But I didn’t get to ask Owen out yet,” I slur.
“I know, buddy. But that’s probably left for another day when you’re not falling down drunk.”
“I got drunk so I’d be brave,” I explain in frustration as Kyle continues to lead me toward the front door.
“That wasn’t a great plan.”
“I hate you,” I grumble.
“You love me,” he counters.
People are shouting goodbye and happy birthday from all sides as Kyle takes me outside. My eyes latch onto Wyatt’s for a second on the way out the door, and my heart gives a little flutter. As if crushing on one man who’s painfully out of my league isn’t enough…sigh.
“What about my car?” I ask Kyle once we’re outside.
“I’ll bring you back to get it tomorrow. Or I’m sure your brother will drop it off.”
Owen
I smile as I watch Kyle lead Liam outside. It was nice to see Liam enjoying his twenty-first birthday, but difficult not to compare it to my own. My twenty-first was one of four birthdays I celebrated behind bars.
“You need a ride home?” Adam offers with a friendly hand on my shoulder. I glance back at him and smile.
“Nah, I’m good, only had one drink a few hours ago. Thanks though.”
He nods and squeezes my shoulder before reaching for his husband, Nox, and pulling him close. My heart aches a little as I watch the happy couple head for the door. I’ve been surrounded by nothing but happy couples—and threesomes—for years now. I thought I’d finally grown numb to it, lost the longing I’d gotten so used to. But lately, there’s a renewed itch under my skin.
I glance around at the straggling party goers and pause on the adorable, geeky man talking to a few of the former Rainbow House kids. Wyatt, that’s his name. He’s a counselor at RH, and he’s friends with Liam and Beck, but I don’t know him well personally. We see each other in passing, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a one on one conversation. His blue sweater vest and thick rimmed glasses make me smile for some reason. He’s just so…cute. That’s really the only word for him.
As Kyle and Liam pass him, Wyatt’s eyes follow Liam with a fond smile, and something strange jolts in my chest. It’s almost jealousy, but not exactly. It’s more of an awareness. An awareness of what, I’m not sure. But it crackles along my skin for several seconds as the two maintain eye contact with each other, something passing between them that neither acknowledge. And then Kyle guides Liam out the door, and the electricity in the air seems to settle as if it was never there at all.
I sneak one last glance at Wyatt before turning away to help Nash with his clean-up effort.
“Thanks for the help. Royal and Zade would’ve been fine with leaving this place a mess for weeks if it was up to them.”
“Not a problem,” I assure him. Not like I have any reason to rush home anyway. It’s dark and quiet at my place, painfully empty. It’s been empty for a few years, since my buddy Finn moved in with his men, so why is it suddenly bothering me so much?
“You okay? You seem kind of down lately,” Nash checks.
“Yeah, just been in kind of a blah mood I guess. It’ll pass, I’m sure.”
“You know I’m always around if you want to talk, we all are. We’re family, right?”
“Absolutely,” I agree, pulling Nash in for a quick hug. After five years at Heathens Ink, I still can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to have these men—and Dani—in my life.
Fate has dealt me more than my fair share of shit hands in this life, but she got it right sending me to Heathens.
Chapter 2
Wyatt
Balancing a cardboard drink carrier in one hand, I swipe my security badge to get in through the back door of Rainbow House. A peaceful silence greets me, and I smile. This is my favorite time of the morning, just before all the residents start waking up.
I flick on the hallway light and make my way toward the offices I know will already be occupied, even at the ungodly hour of six a.m.
“You don’t look too rough after last night,” I comment as I step into Beck’s office and place his grande soy latte on his desk.
Beck looks up from his computer, his lips rose red and his eyelashes a mile long.
“It’s the concealer darling; it can hide the most egregious hangover,” Beck explains with a smirk, reaching for the coffee. “Thank you. I didn’t have time to stop yet this morning, and I could use the pick me up.”
“Any time. You haven’t had the chance to check in with Liam yet have you? He was pretty rough last night.” I do my best to sound casual. I free my own coffee from the drink holder and take a deep gulp, scalding my mouth in the process but effectively distracting myself from the strange way my body has been reacting to Liam over the past few months.
“Did I call Liam before six in the morning the day after his twenty-first birthday?” Beck cocks one of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows at me. “No, I can’t say I did.”
“Fair point,” I chuckle. I’m totally pulling off casual, go me.
“Why are you so interested anyway?”
Damn.
“We’re friends, you know that.”
“Uh-huh,” Beck smirks, and I wonder if he’s seeing right through me. If he is, maybe he can clue me in on what’s going on in my confused head.
I started volunteering at Rainbow House three years ago. I met Liam in my first week. He was eighteen then, and we formed a fast friendship based on bad TV shows and too much coffee. He had been fresh off his top surgery at the time and wasn’t a big fan of the therapist he’d been seeing, so I recommended my friend, Alex, who’s trans himself and specializes in helping others with gender dysphoria.
I’ve watched Liam grow from an awkward teen into a self-confident man, and I admire the hell out of him. But the past month or so, something has felt different between us. There’s a new energy that I can’t begin to explain or understand.
“I’d better get Mary her coffee before it gets cold.”
Beck tilts his head and raises his cup in thanks again before I make my way to the office next to his. Mary is as chipper as ever, greeting me with a motherly hug before taking the coffee I offer and bustling past me to get to the kitchen and start breakfast for the many teens who will soon be waking up.
When I was in college working toward my psychology degree, I dreamed of working for a place like Rainbow House. It’s exactly the kind of place I wish I’d known existed when I was growing up in my homophobic small town in the middle of nowhere, Utah.
How I ended up in Seattle…I call it happenstance. My best friend, Jace, likes to insist it was fate. I’m not sure how much fate was involved in me being offered a decent position at a counseling facility here after graduation. That was seven years ago, and I’ve made myself a home here in that time—friends, my own practice now, and spending most of my free time volunteering my services at Rainbow House. It’s a damn good life, if not a little lonely at night when I crawl into an empty bed.
I make it to my own office and fire up my computer, taking another deep gulp of my coffee.
I lose myself in writing up files and checking in with my patients for a few hours, until my stomach starts to rumble around mid-morning.
Standing up from my desk, I stretch my arms and groan. Fuck, I’m getting old. Okay, thirty-one isn’t all that old, but I feel ancient. All the more reason the butterflies need to cool it about Liam. He’s ten years younger than I am, still in the stage of his life where he should be dating around. I, on the other hand, stay up at night dreaming about finding someone to settle down with. It’s a bad match and that’s that.
That doesn’t mean I can’t text him to check in this morning, of course. He’s still one of my closest friends.
Wyatt: How are you feeling this morning?
Liam: Dead. I’m never drinking that much again. You’d think I’d know better by now
Wyatt: By now? Why? You’ve just turned twenty-one. Are you suggesting you’ve *gasp* imbibed alcohol before it was legal for you to do so?
Liam’s response is an emoji with crazy eyes, which I think is supposed to indicate an eye roll, followed by an emoji with a halo over its head. I chuckle, and the butterflies do that weird thing again.
Wyatt: I need food; you free to grab something with me at the deli?
Liam: Yeah, I have an appointment with Owen for a new tattoo at noon. Other than that, my day is free. I figured it was best not to schedule any photography clients the day after my twenty-first birthday.
Wyatt: Smart thinking. I’ll meet you in fifteen minutes?
Liam: Cool.
Shutting down my computer and putting all my paper files into my locked cabinet, I head out with a smile.
Liam’s already waiting when I reach the deli. I notice him before he notices me, and I stop and stare for a few seconds as he runs his hands through his light brown hair and flashes flirty eyes at the guy behind the deli counter. The guy smiles back and looks Liam’s slim body up and down with appreciation shining in his eyes.
Part of me wants to stomp over there and stand in front of Liam to keep deli guy—his name is Tom, as much as I want to be petty and pretend I don’t know that, I just can’t—from looking at him. But the other half of me is lighting up seeing Liam flirting and smiling. I’ve been pushing him to open up and try dating, and I have no right to get pissy now that it looks like he’s following through.
Liam’s gaze wanders in my direction, and he waves me over, the enthusiasm in his smile warming me to my core.
“You’re looking a little worse for wear after drinking last night, old man,” Liam teases when I reach him.
“Don’t remind me of my advanced age,” I deadpan.
“You’re right; I need to do better to respect my elders,” he says sagely, and I can’t resist pinching his side to make him double over laughing. “Hey, tickling is against fair rules of combat.”
“So is picking on your opponent’s age.”
“Truce.” Liam holds his hands up, his eyes wide and innocent—yeah right, like I’m going to buy that.
“I’ll play nice as long as you do.”
“I have your turkey sandwich, Liam,” Tom says, sliding a plate across the counter.
“Thank you.” Liam flashes him another smile that I wish was directed at me and then steps aside so I can order.
“What new tattoo are you getting today?” I ask once I have my food and we’re both seated near the big front window.
“Trans flag on my hip,” Liam answers around a mouthful of sandwich, a slight pink creeping into his cheeks. Huh, I wonder why the blush.
“That’s cool. I’m too square to get a tattoo, I think.”
“Square?” Liam snorts. “You are such a dork; Wyatt and I love you for it.”
“Would L-7 weenie be better?”
Liam doubles over with laughter, soda shooting out of his nose and dripping down his face.
“Oh my god, you can’t say stuff like that when I’m drinking. Soda is eroding my nasal passage,” he scolds.
When his laughter settles down and he returns to eating, I notice Tom eyeing Liam with interest again.
“He’s into you,” I comment, tilting my chin in Tom’s direction so Liam knows who I’m referring to.
“Who?” Liam asks, shoving a few chips into his mouth. I nod again in Tom’s direction, and Liam glances over. “Tom?”
“Yes, Tom.” I swear, the boy has no idea how much attention he draws sometimes. It’s not just his cute, boy next door looks. Liam lights up rooms; he draws people in.
“Nah, Tom and I flirt a little, but he’s not into me.”
“He hasn’t stopped staring at you this whole time.”
“Yeah, but…” Liam trails off and shakes his head.
“You don’t want to tell him?” I guess, and Liam rolls his eyes at me.
“Hey, you pawned me off on Alex to be my counselor, so don’t try to step on his toes now.”
“I didn’t pawn you off. Besides, you should be happy I sent you to Alex. If you were my patient, we couldn’t be friends like this. Back to the main point, it’s okay if you’re not ready to date, but if you need someone to talk to besides Alex, I’m always here as a friend.”
“I know. And it’s not that I’m not ready; I think I’m just waiting for the right…person.”
The way Liam says it, I wonder if he has someone specific in mind. He spends most of his time with his brother’s friends, most of whom are in relationships, or with Kyle. I know he and Kyle had something when they were teenagers, but it’s long since become nothing more than friendship. So who could it be?
“Oh crap, it’s almost noon. I’ve gotta get down to Heathens,” Liam says, stuffing the last of his sandwich into his mouth.
Heathens Ink is the tattoo shop where his brother works. Owned by Adam and Gage, Beck’s husband. It is a bit odd that I’m the only person I know without any tattoos. Maybe I should get a small one, somewhere hidden that only a lover would find. The thought is rather thrilling. Certainly something that bears thinking about further.
“Thanks for meeting with me so I wouldn’t have to eat lunch alone.”
“Always happy to help you look less pathetic,” Liam teases, and I shake my head. “I’ll talk to you later.”
As Liam hurries out the door, I can’t help sneaking a quick glance at his cute, little round ass. I’m so going to Hell.
Liam
My stomach is flipping and fluttering as I push through the familiar doors of Heathens Ink. I’ve spent a lot of time here in the past five years, content to spend hours hanging out, taking photos, fucking around on the computer with Dani and Gage. Aside from Royal’s house, this place is the closest thing to a home I’ve ever had.
“Hey, dude,” Nox greets from behind the counter. “You want to take over updating our social media sites for me?” he asks with a pout.
“I would, but I have an appointment with Owen for some ink.”
“Uh-oh, Royal’s going to be grouchy that you didn’t let him ink you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off.
If I can get in and out without bumping into Royal, he’ll likely never know about this tattoo. After my first tattoo, an owl done by Owen, I let Royal give me a full sleeve, Nash gave me a Knuckles tattoo on my shoulder (to go along with the Sonic, Tails, and Doctor Robotnic tattoos he, Royal, and Zade have), and Nox inked a centaur on my back. Not to mention the eyebrow piercing Dani did. They’ve all had a turn with me, so I think I’ve earned one more session with Owen.
Although, the anxiety rolling through me is making me question the wisdom of picking Owen to take my pants off in front of. Not all the way off, of course, but they’ll have to come down quite a bit for him to ink low on my hip like I want.
“Liam, come on back,” Owen calls from down the hall, and I give Nox a quick smile before scurrying toward Owen’s work space.
“Hey,” I greet as I step through the door to Owen’s space. I stop in my tracks and grin, seeing about a dozen of my photographs displayed around his space.
“Hey. You’re not looking too worse for wear after last night. Being twenty-one has its advantages, huh?”
“I guess so,” I reply with an awkward laugh that makes me internally cringe. Where’s the cool, funny guy who just came from lunch with Wyatt? Why do I always get so lame as soon as Owen is around?
“Pretty simple design for today so this should be quick, I think.” Owen pulls out the finalized sketch to show me. He added a little ripple and shadow to the flag so it looks like it’s blowing in the wind.
“Looks good.”
