Inked

Chapter 2

Tris didn't sleep again that night, but when she was rushing to get showered and dressed for work the next morning, she didn't show anything but a smile. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to admit it. Her entire night was spent with her tablet and pen, sketching various designs over the picture of Tobias's back she'd taken.

Poe had been with her all night long, but he couldn't say he'd stayed awake the whole time. Tris teased him when he woke up, nudging his head playfully and asking if he'd had a nice nap, but she didn't mind much. He was a lazy dog, had always been, and she loved his calm. Besides, his snores reminded her that she was alive in the moments when life seemed pointless, late at night after a long day. He kept her going.

But even Poe noticed her difference in moods. She hadn't even scolded him for not hurrying with her, which had become an almost daily routine. Instead, while she was running all over the place, drippy-haired and barefoot, gathering up her supplies, she paused briefly to scratch behind his ears.

"You wanna come with me to work today?" she asked cheerily, and the Newfoundland's ears perked up. He didn't move, but she could see in his eyes that he would be right behind her once she left the house. She laughed, shook her head, then scurried to her bedroom to shove on some shoes.

As predicted, Poe clambered to the front door as Tris finished getting ready, and by the time she was at the door with him, he had his beady eyes trained fixedly on her motorcycle outside the window.

She laughed again. Usually, when she had Poe with her, they walked to the shop. But today she'd brought it to the last minute as she finished up her sketches, and the only way she'd be able to open on time was for her to take her Harley.

Which meant harnessing Poe into her side car.

His tail was clumsily wagging as she reached around to fasten him in. He was huge, and the movement was making things quite a bit more difficult, but she knew better than to scold him. His tail rarely wagged, and he didn't get to ride with her often. In this moment, he was genuinely happy, and who was she to challenge that?

Tori laughed, watching Poe's ears flying back in the wind, his mouth open and his tongue flopping as they neared the parking lot. Her boss spoiled that dog too damn much.

"Let me guess: Poe wasn't in enough of a hurry, and now he's made you ten minutes late," she teased, reaching for Tris's bag so she could get her dog. Tris locked the motorcycle in place against the back of their building, removing her helmet before moving to Poe.

She shrugged at her friend, a wild smirk on her face. Poe was her brother, her best friend, and it wasn't uncommon knowledge that he had a track record for taking the blame on her behalf. He always made her late.

She led them inside the shop, flipping the sign to "Open" on her way to her desk. Poe moved to his cushion in the corner of the lobbying, lying down as soon as he made contact with its soft fabric. Tori chuckled at his apparent tiredness. "You're dog's almost as lazy as you," she called, turning on the lights.

"Shut up!" Tris returned, but she was smiling as she eagerly dumped out what she'd finished last night. She'd never been so excited about a tattoo before, and hadn't been able to stop thinking about the assignment since she'd met Tobias.

He was giving her something she'd never experienced before - freedom. All of her artistic inspirations and imaginations were coming into play on this one, and she could actually do whatever the hell she wanted. A part of her was still skeptical, worried that he'd end up regretting letting her put the tattoo on him without seeing it first, but he was very adamant. He insisted he didn't give a shit what that tattoo was, as long as it covered him.