KNOCKOUT

Blurb

Hey guys!! I've been thinking about Holden and Tatum a lot (even if it's been a while since I wrote about them), so I wrote a short blurb. Hope you like it!!

---------------------------------------------------

"You're sure about this, T?"

I roll my eyes for the hundredth time, reluctantly letting go of Holden's hand. I know he just wants to make sure I won't regret this, but sometimes he can be a little overbearing.

"Yes, Samuels," I say. "If you can handle the pain from a tattoo, I can too."

Pushing open the door to the tattoo shop, I can feel Holden's exasperation behind me.

"Baby, I get the shit beat out of me for a living. My pain tolerance is higher than yours."

I bite back, ignoring the stares from people flipping through pages of colorful ink. "And I'm supposed to be able to push a human out of me, so I think my tolerance will be just fine."

Although I can tell he wants to say more, he doesn't and I'm thankful.

"What can I help you with today?" A man walks up to the counter and it's hard not to be distracted by all the jewelry in his face.

"I want a tattoo."

The man glances at Holden before looking back to me. "It's not going to be some shit you found on Pinterest, is it?"

My cheeks heat up for just a second and I hate how easily I turn pink. Holden coughs, barely able to stifle his laughter.

Sure, I got the idea from Pinterest, but I wouldn't say it's a "Pinterest" tattoo. Besides, Holden can't say anything. He has a fucking butterfly on his stomach.

Instead of responding, I pull up the picture. "I want this on my wrist."

The man shrugs. "You know what it means, right?"

"Yes." I roll my eyes.

"Alright then, let me get it drawn up for you and I'll call you back when I'm ready."

Holden and I take a few steps back, joining the small crowd of people filtering through different tattoo ideas. I watch Holden as he muses over a few and I can't help but wonder what his next tattoo will be.

"So..." Holden starts. "Why are you doing this again?"

I shrug. "Because I love you. And I'm always going to love you. And I don't think there's anything wrong with showing that off a little bit."

"And you're sure?"

Before I get the chance to answer, the tattoo artist calls me back and I bounce my way over to his station. Holden drags his feet as he follows me but once the artist has me positioned, Holden seems to give up whatever face he's putting on. Instead of questioning me further, he grips my left hand, leaning down to place a kiss into my hair.

I carefully watch as the artist applies the stencil to my skin and I brace myself for the pinch when the needle finally pierces me. It stings; it isn't pleasant by any means and I can't help but grit my teeth. It's worth it, I tell myself.

Holden mumbles about Will Ferrell as a distraction and I'm thankful that it only takes about ten minutes before the artist is wiping off excess ink and blood from my skin.

"Take a look," he says. "What do you think?"

Perfect, I think.

I look at the Greek word, a small smile on my face.

"Fighter," I whisper, glancing up at Holden. "It's perfect."