PULSE [H.S]

040

"Getting your first tattoo is like imprinting a piece of your soul onto your body, a permanent reminder of who you are and where you've been." — Unknown

Harry looks weird holding my tattoo gun.

I'm finally showing him how to do a tattoo since he's been nagging me about it for a while, wanting to learn how to do it. He came in as the shop was closing tonight, and I'm actually excited to teach him how to do it.

"Am I holding it right?" Harry asks me.

I say, "No," and then help him fix his hand position, saying, "Hold it between your thumb and index finger. There you go."

"Can I practice on you?" he jokes.

I say, "Absolutely not."

Things have been really good between us since last Tuesday, and I feel like we broke down a wall that was separating us. There's been some kind of mutual understanding between us since that night. I understand him a lot more now.

I hand Harry a banana.

He says, "I'm not hungry."

"No, you idiot, you're going to tattoo the banana," I laugh, shoving the banana into his hands. "The peel is similar to the texture of skin. It's how I learned."

I show him how to use the foot pedal, what angle to hold the tattoo gun at, and what amount of pressure to use. He nods, taking this very seriously, which surprises me. I tell him to go slow at first until he gets the hang of it.

"Just try doing a line first," I tell him.

He holds the banana down on the table and takes the tattoo gun in his other hand. He slowly presses on the foot pedal and starts inking the banana. He makes a semi-wonky line, but it's a clear line.

I say, "Not bad."

Harry tries again and again, making lines and trying new shapes on the banana, until the banana looks like it belongs in a gang. By the end of it, he's actually really good.

Harry being naturally good at something?

Shocker.

He asks for another banana, and he starts practicing on that one too. I admire him as he concentrates on the tattoo, furrowing his eyebrows as he does it. He manages to do some circles, which are one of the hardest things to free hand.

I say, "Must be nice being so effortlessly good at everything, huh?"

"It has its perks," he says smugly. "So, am I hired?"

I say, "Sure, if any bananas come in looking for a tattoo, I will call you up."

I sit on the tattoo chair as he has fun with the tattoo gun, looking like a little kid in a candy shop. It's adorable to see how much he's enjoying this. Those hands really are capable of anything.

He says, "It's impressive that you own this place."

When he glances up at me, I can tell that he really means that. I blush, "Thanks. I took a big risk by dropping out of college to do this, but I love it. The fact that I can make a living doing something I love is just—I never thought I would have this opportunity, you know? Growing up in foster care, I just didn't think I was going to do anything."

He reaches one of his hands over and touches my knee, squeezing it in a comforting way.

I say, "I was thinking about starting a program to teach foster kids how to tattoo, or start off by helping them learn how to sketch."

I've always wanted to find a way to help foster kids around here, but I never had the time or money to be able to do so.

"That would be fucking amazing, Kiz," Harry says. "You should do it."

"Really?" I ask, surprised he took that so seriously.

He says, "Yes. If I had something like that when I was in the system, I might not have gone down the path that I did. These kids just need an outlet, or someone to give them an opportunity."

"Would you help me?" I ask him.

He nods. "Anything you need."

I've thought about this before. My only concern is that it's not the best look to teach kids how to use a tattoo gun, but I can teach them how to draw sketches or even how to paint. I can show them the basics.

My mind is swimming with ideas now for how to make this actually happen. I wouldn't have the courage to do it if Harry didn't agree to help me. I hope he knows I will actually be taking him up on that offer.

Harry finishes the second banana, and now there are two bananas that look like trouble. One of them kind of looks like him. 

He takes a break, and I go check the email on the computer. He takes my place in the tattoo chair, lounging back and making himself comfortable.

I'm actually so impressed with how well he handled the tattoo gun, considering this was his first time ever doing it. If I saw those bananas, especially the second one, I would have thought he'd been doing it for at least a few months. A year, even.

It's annoying.

I want to be as blessed as Harry when it comes to never being bad at anything. I pull out the stencil I've had in my desk for almost a year now and stare at it.

I call out, "Harry?"

"Hmm?" he hums, staring at the ceiling.

I chew on my lip, debating if I'm being absolutely crazy right now. I pull the stencil out, closing the drawer.

I say, "Would you give me a tattoo?"

He rolls over, laughing at my question. When he looks at me and realizes I didn't say that as a joke, his eyes widen, and he says, "You're serious?"

"Yeah."

He sits up fully, staring at me. He says, "You're not a banana."

I say, "No shit."

"What if I mess up?" he says nervously.

I shrug. "I don't know. Don't mess up."

I walk over to him, and his eyes are still wide with shock. I bring the stencil with me, showing it to him. It's a simple tattoo, two cherries with the stems forming a heart on top.

I say, "I've wanted this for a while."

He takes it between his fingers, looking it over. He scratches the back of his head and looks back up at me nervously.

I smile at his nerves. "I can walk you through it."

"You trust me to do this?" he asks, looking concerned.

I nod. "Of course I do. But you can say no. It's okay if you can't handle it."

I didn't expect to be doing this today, but I can't think of anyone else I would want to give me this tattoo. My very first and possibly last one ever.

He asks, "Where do you want it?"

"Uh—" I laugh, my cheeks tinting. I say, "On my bikini line."

He runs a hand through his hair, blowing out a long breath of air.

"Fucking hell, Kiz, what are you trying to do to me?"