Page 22 of All Your Pain
I try to push him away but he holds me tighter and lies me down on the bed, curling his long body around mine.
His embrace is everything I've ever wanted.
To feel safe and wanted.
Even though it's not real I let myself buy in to the illusion and find some comfort in the man that both breaks me and puts me back together each time.
My tears soak his chest but he doesn’t seem to care as he holds me closer.
My limbs grow heavy and I know I can’t fight the exhaustion that’s been plaguing me since I got here.
I want to die,I think to myself and his arms tighten around me before everything fades away.
9
DEAN
Bones is already waiting outside the tattoo studio,Webs, Ink & Steel,when I pull up across the street. I asked him where he gets his tattoos done so I could get my own, of course he couldn’t leave it at that and invited himself along.
It’s a hot day and I can feel myself starting to sweat as soon as I step out of my air conditioned car. My t-shirt and jeans already getting damp with sweat.
Bones gives me a quick nod as I cross the street, he’s wearing tight leather pants and a loose white shirt with half the buttons undone exposing his inked chest and silver chains.
“You must be sweating your balls off in those,” I say, nodding towards his pants.
“It’s the price I pay to look this good.”
“Does it also cover being able to walk in the sunlight?”
He leans back against the shop window as two ladies in short dresses walk by, both of them looking at Bones and his vampirish good looks.
“Eyes on me, Dracula.” I click my fingers and he smirks, dragging his eyes away from the ladies who are now giggling at each other, their heads pressed close as they look back our way.
“I’ve got to deal with double the attention, now you're taken. I’m just doing you a favor.”
"Yeah, like they were ever looking at me."
Bones looks like he's about to say something at the same time the bell above the shop door rings as a customer leaves and I grab the door before it closes. “You know what you want done?” he asks as we step inside. I'm sure that's not what he originally intended to say. I nod, giving him a sly smile.
A low buzzing sound fills the air as another customer gets work done in the studio out back.
A barrel chested man with a thick brown beard and an eyebrow lined with hoops sits behind the front desk. He looks up from his laptop screen as we approach.
Bones greets the man and introduces us. Turns out he’s the owner of the studio, Holt Webber hence the name,Webs, Ink & Steel.Apparently Bones got his first tattoo here and has been coming ever since. I’ve lost track of how many he actually has now.
He loves his ink just as much as his jewelry and almost as much as getting his cock wet.
“Bones told me you know what you want. Usually, we sort the piece for you ahead of time. This your first one?” Holt asks.
“Yep. I’ve already got the design ready to go. You won’t even need to bother with a stencil,” I smirk.
“This is your first?” Bones exclaims, his eyebrows shooting up.
“Yeah. I thought you knew that.”
He lifts his shoulders. “I’ve never seen you naked. I assumed you had some hidden somewhere. Why don’t you have any?”
“Never saw the point.” My body’s already a canvas of scars, I get new artwork added to it all the time. Why bother paying for ink when I can’t even feel the process?