Eloquent Ink

Eloquent Ink 3

Eloquent Ink 3:

~UNEDITED~

"So this is where you like to spend your free time?" Alaric asked me, looking slightly shocked at my best friend's workplace/home but he didn't look repulsed or pissed about it.

"Yep. My best friend owns and works in the tattoo parlor." I said in response and he nodded.

"This is cool. These designs are pretty amazing and intricate." He commented. "How did he start his business here?" He asked.

"My dad was a tattoo artist and had his own small shop, one day Tammy helped us out, as a gift to him she gave him this space and apartment above for us. She pretty much took care of everything, paying for the signs and such, and we got to work, eventually growing as a business all because of Tamara." Arian answered for him and put his arm around my shoulder when he said that.

"Oh hush up. I just gave you guys the boost you needed." I still remember exactly how I did so too.

"No need to be modest Tamara, you helped them out a lot and look at where they are now." Alaric said and smiled at me again.

"Yeah yeah," I brushed it off.

"When is Darren supposed to get here?" I asked Arian.

"Well he said he'd be here soon.." And in walked Arian's boyfriend. "Speak of the devil," Arian winked at me before going over to his lover and giving him a very intimate embrace. I looked away and caught eyes with Alaric, who looked at me with a questioning stare.

"So he's gay?" He asked.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" I immediately got on the defensive for my best friend. Lord knows how many times he's gotten shit for being gay and how many times I've had to beat a bitch's ass for it. I remember one time I even had a guy I was interested in not accept him, and we tried to compromise, but him not being accept of my best friend- among many other things I'd rather not go into- was the reason I left him.

"Oh no not at all." He looked sincere when he said that. "I don't care, if being gay or being straight or loving all or loving none make you happy, that's your business. I find it annoying when people want to prevent others from being happy when nothing that person in doing is obstructing their own happiness or lives. Get over it." He said and I was kind of amazed at this.

"Yeah, it's really annoying. I'm glad you're not one of those ignorant assholes." I smiled at him as Arian walked back over and introduced Darren to Alaric.

"So what'd you guys plan to do?" Alaric asked.

"Well I'm about to close up. Tammy usually helps me fix things up a little and re-wash all the tools to make sure they're extra clean and sanitized. You can help if you'd like." Arian told him.

"Sure why not. Pair me up with Tamara to help her out." Alaric said and winked at me and I couldn't help but smile at how cute he is.

"Alright, you guys go to the back rooms and clean up the materials in there. Let me know when you're done so I can go and sweep and mop." Arian ordered us and simultaneously me and Alaric gave him a fake solute saying "Yes sir!"

We both laughed and continued to go where we needed to be while Arian relieved the guys and one girl that worked here of duty, then turned the sign in the front window of the shop to say 'closed'.

~~~~

Good lord. Give me the strength to not tear Alaric's head off or rip his clothes off. I was in the middle of trying to show him how to clean the tattoo machine and he was in the middle of being adorably annoying. I didn't know if it was on purpose to get a rise out of me or he really didn't get it but come on.

"How in the hell do you own a big business, yet you can't understand how to clean and sanitize a simple machine?" I asked him.

"You're cute when you're annoyed." He commented instead of addressing what I'd said to insult him.

"Seriously we have to get this done." I said, even though I knew Arian wouldn't mind having his alone time with Darren, but still. We had to clean the things in one more room after this and we're done. The first room I did myself and let Alaric watch. Now that I'm trying to teach him he's being difficult.

"Or we can not." He said and I looked at him with an are-you-kidding-me face. But he just looked at me with those lusty eyes again and I was confused.

"Mr. Slater," I couldn't help but be formal. I actually haven't addressed him by his first name at all today.

"Call me Alaric," he said, moving so he was in front of me instead of next to me. His hands found their way to trap me between him and the table we were cleaning the materials on.

"Sir, what are you-" My sentence died on my lips as I looked into how his green eyes turned a shade darker.

He brought his face closer to mine, and I automatically tilted my head up to look at him properly. Our lips were inches away and this moment felt extremely intense for me.

Good lord now he has me acting like a hormonal teenage girl.

His eyes zeroed in on my lips and he leaned even closer, and my eyes closed on their own, tilting my head up slightly more and expecting his lips to land on mine. Instead I felt a wet towel land on them and I opened my eyes in shock.

Alaric's eyes were filled with amusement when he was wiping the towel all over my face. "What the hell?" I asked.

"What were you expecting?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"Screw you," I said.

"At least let me take you out on a date first." I hate to admit how my heart fluttered at his comment, even though it was sarcastic it made me feel something in my stomach. And I didn't like it.

"Shut up," I said, turning back to my work and cleaning off the materials.

"You really want to speak to your boss like that?" He asked me and I looked at him with wide eyes.

"Mr. Slater, I'm sorry, I just thought because we were outside of work, you wouldn-" I stopped talking though as I noticed him laughing already.

"Oh my god how your expression changed. You're to easy to mess with Tamara." He said, chuckling to himself.

"You know what. Leave me alone. Piss off." I said grumpily. This guy known as my boss was very frustrating- in more ways than one.

"Alright alright I'm sorry." He said, and I felt his arms encircle my waist from behind in a hug. I couldn't help but lean into him a bit and like how his tall muscled structure felt against mine.

"Yeah yeah, now let me finish." I said.

"I'll help," he said, and started cleaning, just the way I'd instructed him to before.

We cleaned in silence, organizing everything and finished the last room quickly as well. I was about to exit to let Arian know he could clean in there, but I felt Alaric's hand grab my arm and stop me.

"What?" I asked.

"Um.. About what I said earlier. How'd you like to actually go on a date?" He asked and he looked extremely cute with how nervous he was.

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Not particularly proud of how I wrote this, but oh well.

I can't wait to get to the good parts of the story cx

Vote pls

Comment pls

Ily whoever's reading this xx

-veri