Inked

Chapter 3

Hey everybody! This chapter isn't as long as the others have been, but I still hope you enjoy it! And be sure to let me know what you think :) - Loopy

"So you finished the sketching?" Tobias asked cheekily as he followed Tris into her office. He enjoyed the way her face flushed red for a second and the way her eyes widened before she narrowed them into a glare.

She sat in her chair, her hand moving to the handle of the drawer where his designs were, but she didn't pull them out. "What makes you think you're that important?" she snapped, but it wasn't as harsh as she'd intended for it to be. Was she really that obvious? And why should it matter so much if she finished them or not?

It shouldn't. He's just another client.

Tobias let out a hearty laugh, surprised by her outburst. She was constantly surprising him. Her sense of humor was very dry, very deadpan, and it was very amusing.

Tris was still glaring at him. He could feel it more than he could see it, and when he opened his eyes, his suspicions were confirmed. "You just seem... lighter today. Freer," he explained with a shrug.

Tris stared at him, slightly alarmed, since that was exactly how she was feeling, too. Jesus, why am I so bad at keeping neutral? Why don't I just spill all of my deepest darkest secrets to him now, since he'll inevitably see them written all over my face in the next hour?

"Well. I don't see how my mood is any of your concern," she said, a bit lamely. Defensively. She didn't want him to be able to see right through her. His power over her was...unsettling.

To her surprise, he laughed again. "Well," he started, mimicking her tone a bit at the word, "if you're pissed and spiteful, I just might end up with that dick on my back." She couldn't help the lift at the corners of her mouth. "But if you're happy and pleasant, you'll give me the tattoo you envisioned when we first met, when you looked a million miles away."

His comment was meant to be admiring, showing her that he understood how she felt about her art. It was meant to make her remember why she was here, why they both were, and to make her smile.

But the smirk that had formed had now faded away. She looked distant again, but not in a good way. Stupid, he scolded himself. It was clear at that time that she was annoyed with herself for zoning out, for getting carried away. She was self-conscious about it, he supposed, though he didn't understand why. But she seemed very upset now.

Tris knew she shouldn't have become a tattoo artist. When she'd decided to pursue the career, she'd done it with the intent to help people through art, a medium that had helped her through a lot. But she was too selfish for this, too easily distracted by her own wants, her own passion. And Tobias saw that side of her. She was suddenly too ashamed to meet his eyes, to show him the design she'd previously been so excited about.

The look in her eyes, or the lack thereof, frightened Tobias. Her energy was apparent in the storms there, but he'd hit her in a place he could not reach anymore.

"Tris -" he started, fighting to find the words to fix this. He'd never been good at speaking to people, let alone cheering them up, but she didn't even give him a chance. She lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were steady.

"I think you should ask Tori about doing your tattoo. I'm not comfortable without an exact idea of what you want." Her smile was mechanical, rehearsed.

Tobias's mind raced. He struggled for something to say, fishing through things he'd noticed about her and trying to find a solution. She was always up for a challenge, that much was clear when he'd met her before. Challenges made her try harder, made her come to life.