The dragonflies tattoist - Freenbecky

Chapter 18

By the third month, Becky had stopped wearing her jackets.

Freen wasn't quite sure when it happened, but one day she saw Becky walk into the tattoo shop wearing just her tight jeans and a white T-shirt with The 1975 logo on it. Not that Freen minded, because that shirt gave her a perfect view of Becky's pale arms and a peek at the top of her chest. Still, the bandage around Becky's wrist kept her from fully appreciating the sight.

"Beck Beck!" Freen greeted her with a smile that felt genuine, the kind of smile that came effortlessly.

"I see you're alone," Becky replied, flashing her own sweet smile before kissing Freen softly on the lips and sitting beside her. The shop had been mostly empty that day, with only one client before Becky arrived.

"Not anymore," Freen smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up. "I could never feel lonely when you're around, Becky."

The young artist let out a small laugh, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

"What cheesy books have you been reading, baby?" Becky teased, trying to downplay the compliment even though no one had ever said anything quite that sweet to her before. "Sounds like something out of a bestseller. Howe would never have said anything like that."

"Admit it, you liked it," Freen teased back, raising an eyebrow.

"No..."

"Becky..."

"Maybe just a little, but I think the fact that you're my girlfriend has a lot to do with it."

"I'll take that answer," Freen replied, grinning widely. "Where's your jacket?"

"In my closet," Becky answered casually. "If I'm going to suffer alongside the world, I don't want to hide it. The world suffers in plain sight, baby. Some people notice, others choose to ignore it. People can either see my bandage, or they can choose to overlook it."

"I notice it," Freen whispered gently, taking Becky's bandaged hand carefully in hers. "I want to help, Becky. I don't like seeing this on you."

"The world is suffering, baby. If you want to save me, you have to save the world."

"By saving you, I'll save the world," Freen replied quickly, hoping a line straight out of a modern romance novel might help.

"Why would you say that?" Becky asked, curious.

"Because you're my world," Freen confessed. It was one of those lines that always sounded beautiful in her favorite books, but saying it to Becky made it feel infinitely better.

"I hate to break it to you, baby," Becky murmured with a hint of sadness, "but your world's falling apart."

_____

Freen only had one more client the rest of the day, making it such an unproductive afternoon that Danai sent them home early. Becky, however, seemed to be the only one who had accomplished anything in that time. And by 'anything,' I mean she spent the hours drawing sketches of Freen to admire when she was alone later.

They ended up going to their usual restaurant and snagged one of the many empty tables around the edges. Becky no longer cared about sitting at the center of attention. All that seemed to matter now was being with Freen.

"Hey, do you want to go to the park on Saturday? My brother's coming to visit, and he wants to go because he thinks nature helps him clear his head and all that. You know, he's kind of nuts," Becky said casually.

"Just like you," Freen teased with a smile.

"You can bring Eve if you want," Becky added, completely ignoring Freen's playful jab. "I like her, you know that."