Not Quite Sure Yet

Chapter 27

Dear Joey,

Duke looked nervous. Well, that was understandable. He stuck out like a sore thumb here, with needles buzzing and stencils covering the walls. I was sat in a chair in the corner, the book of designs on my lap, while he stood next to me, occasionally meeting my gaze. I wasn't really paying attention to the drawings; I already knew what I wanted.

"Are you sure?" He asked me. I snorted and gestured to my body.

"I'm not exactly new to this." I pointed out, and he nodded. I sighed.

"You do know it's me that's getting the tattoo right? I'm not making you get one." I assured him, patting his hand that was resting on my shoulder.

"I know," He defended. "Its just that, well, the guy with the eyebrow piercing keeps staring at me and licking his lips." Duke shifted his weight between feet, and I followed his gaze to a guy with a green Mohawk, who was indeed leering at Duke and wetting his snake like lips. I frowned.

"Nasty." I said to Duke and he chuckled.

"To be honest," He admitted, looking at his feet. "Its kind of making me uncomfortable."

I felt something click inside of me when I saw his expression, and I was mixed between feeling sad Duke was upset, and angry that Mohawk guy was making him feel that way. That's the  thing about people in tattoo parlours; they're different. They won't just hit on someone like a normal person, oh no. They have to lick their lips, and make suggestive eyes, and generally just freak someone out. I moved the book off my lap and turned to Duke.

"Sit on my lap." I whispered to him, and watched his eyes widen and mouth drop. I rolled my eyes.

"Just do it." I hissed. Duke sat hesitantly at first, perching on the end of my knees. Sighing, I pulled his legs either side of my lap, and yanked his body forward till it was a breath away from mine. I rested my forehead against his.

"Just because," I whispered to him. "We don't know what we are, or who we are, doesn't mean he can hit on someone that's mine." Duke stiffened, but a small smile graced his lips.

"Yours?" He asked.

"Your more mine than anyone else's." I answered smoothly, smiling at Dukes happy expression. It was true. He didn't get along with his parents, his grandmother was dead, and his friends were douchebags. He was mine in a way I wasn't expecting. And I felt far too happy about that.

Duke pressed his lips to my own, not taking it any further.

"Yours." He whispered.

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"Are you sure?" He asked me for the hundredth time. I sighed. I was sat in the chair, having antiseptic rubbed into my skin. If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be here.

"Yes, Duke. Jesus, you don't even know what I'm getting." I groaned. Such a worrypot.

"Only because you won't tell me!" He protested. It pissed him off when I told him he would have to wait and see.

"And that's because you will find out anyway." I explained, smug. What I really wanted, of course was to see his expression when he saw it.

The tattoo artist chuckled. He was a large man, with no visible tattoos, but a nose piercing. He had a moustache and beard and seemed happy enough.

"Listening to you two bicker is the most fun I've had all day." He grinned at us, and I returned his smile.

"I just like winding him up." I told him, and quickly read his name tag, revealing his name was Bob. A very appropriate name for such a man.

Bob laughed at Dukes sulky expression, before asking me if I was ready. I nodded.

The familiar sting of the needle was more comforting than painful now. It's the way I knew I was adding more to my story. Bob was working on my hip, where my sweats met my bare skin. I had put on a shirt to come here, but had taken it off when Bob had started his work. I felt Duke intertwine his fingers with my own, and looked up  to find him looking at me worriedly. I laughed and rubbed circles into his hand with my thumb.

"It doesn't hurt." I informed him. "I'm used to it." His shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still looked a little wound up. I sighed.

"Babe." I said, and watched colour rise to Dukes cheeks at the name. "I am fine. I promise."

He shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." He mumbled. "Knowing you, even if you were in pain you would just tell me:" He put on a deep voice."' Of course it doesn't fucking hurt, don't be stupid. I'm not a baby.' Because you're that stubborn." I laughed.

"You're probably right." I told him, grinning. "But the thing is, this really doesn't hurt." Duke just shrugged and rested his head on the chair above me.

After a few more minutes, Bob spoke up. "All done." He told me, reaching for a bandage. "Now, make sure you-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Bob. " I interrupted. I then gestured to my torso. "I think I know whatever it was you were going to say."

Bob laughed. "Sorry, force of habit."

Duke rolled his eyes.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked, pulling my wallet out of my pocket.

"I tell you what." Bob said, grinning at us. "Because I think you two are one of the cutest things ever, I'm going to give you a discount. Just give me $15, kid." I smiled at him and passed over the money.

"Thanks." I grinned, and heard Duke do the same as we headed towards the door. Mohawk guy glared at us as we exited the store, and I sent him a wink as I wrapped my arm around Dukes shoulders. Arrogant cockhead mother fucker.

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An hour later, we were sat on my bed, watching T.V and eating chips. Dukes head was on my shoulder, and he ran his fingers up and down my exposed abdomen. It felt nice, too nice really. I had already accepted the fact that whatever was happening with Duke, I was too far in to back out now. And I didn't want to. I knew and some point we would have to actually discuss what we were, but for now, this was enough.

Duke had managed to turn today around for me. He snapped me out of my trance in a way no has ever one before. He turned it from a painful, horrible day to a happy, okay one. Maybe it was just the tattoo that made me so happy. They seem to work most of the time.

"Cole." Duke said softly.

"Hmmm?"I replied, looking at him.

"Can I see that tattoo now?" He almost begged. I chuckled and decided to put him out of his misery. I tilted my body to the side and angled my hip in his direction. He leant forward and slowly removed the bandage, leaning in so close I could feel his breath fan across my hip. I shuddered and gasped. He stopped halfway through removing the bandage and I put my hand on his.

"Go on." I encouraged. Duke took a deep breath and pulled it off, gasping when the ink was revealed to him. The atmosphere was thick was emotion, and whatever Duke was feeling, it was pretty intense.

"If music be the food of life, play on." He read out the calligraphy, sounding breathless. I ran a hand through his hair.

"Its a Shakespeare quote," I told him. "From Twelfth Night, said by-"

"Duke Orsino." He whispered, his face filled with pure happiness. This tattoo was my reminder, I had decided. Something to remind me of him, to remind me what he did for me, to remind me of today. Duke looked up and met my eyes, his burning more bright than I had ever seen them.

"Why?" He whispered, voice wavering. I cupped his face in my hands.

"Because you're part of my story." I told him, and pressed my lips to his, speak in thousands of words I couldn't say. 

"Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past.”

Cole

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This is very sweet and fluffy and yeah. Maybe I'm just in a soppy mood. Sorry about that.