Tattooed

No Plans? That Can Be Fixed!

"That's a lot of romance novels, do you really have to put them up?" Runaan asked Gren, pulling a book from one of the boxes. "This looks like one of those weird ones I find at the drugstore with the plot sounding like something out of someone's fever dream."

"Last year someone complained about not having too many romance novels around this time of month, and Soren was the one who jokingly suggested we order all these sappy ones." Gren says, cringing slightly. "At least it's this and not those weird Fifty Shades of Grey books."

Runaan made a gagging noise before dropping the book back into its box. "So, any plans this week for the Valentine's Day holidays? Specifically romantic ones with...Amaya?"

"Runaan!" Gren gasps, earning a laugh from his friend as he covers his flushed face with one of the books he was holding. "How many times do I have to tell you all, Amaya is just my-"

"Oh cut the crap, everyone knows you like her." Runaan interrupts. "I've noticed, Ethari has noticed, Amaya's roommates, her co-workers, even your dog has noticed the little wistful looks you send her way when she's not looking. You get flustered and go red in the face when she barely touches you or when she boops your nose. Why won't you admit that you like her if it's not a secret anymore?"

"I want to Runaan, I really want to. But..." Gren's hand went to his wrist, the one he often would rub or touch out of habit. "She's someone else's soulmate, I don't want to get in the way of her finding happiness with whoever she is meant to be with."

"Has it occurred to you that you might be her soulmate?" Runaan suggests and Gren have him a skeptical look. "Just saying, it's possible and think about it; she can't talk, and the soulmate tattoo that appear after we turn thirteen are what our soulmate says to us. It could be a simple phrase like mine before it changed to the swirl patterns, it could be something romantic or touching like your parents, it could be random and goofy like Enya's. Maybe Amaya hasn't signed the right words to you yet. Have you even bothered asking what her soulmate tattoo looks like?"

"I... haven't." Gren admits. "But it feels a bit rude honestly, and that's not the sort of thing you'd talk about during lunch or on a walk."

"Well aren't you curious?"

"A little...but I probably shouldn't, unless she decides to show me herself."

"Well when the time is right you can ask her. In the meantime, you need to work up the courage to ask her out for Valentine's day."

Gren makes a face. "You and the others aren't going to stop telling me that until I do it aren't you?"

Runaan nods. "We'll stop when you stop denying how you feel about her."

"Okay fine, I'll ask her out. But I don't even have any plans or ideas for anything if she even says yes!"

Runaan grins. "Leave that to your good old old friends."

🔹🔹🔹

Gren had spent the last hour stressing over the text he sent to Amaya. At the moment he was pacing the living room of his apartment with his friends and neighbors seated or standing around him either watching him or staring at his phone intently.

"I don't think I've ever felt this anxious before, save for the time I was waiting for the results of the final exam of my worst subject." Soren comments as he glances at the phone sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "I think she's trying to figure out how to respond."

"Like reject him in the nicest way possible or figuring out how to say yes without it sounding weird?" Corvus asked as he pets Ginger, who was wedged between him and Kasef.

"I'm hoping it's the latter and not the first one."

"That's not helping!" Gren groans as he stops his pacing to collapse in a chair that Crowmaster immediately pulled out for him.

"When in doubt, pet a dog." Kasef suggests, pulling Ginger out from between him and Corvus to extend the corgi out to Gren. "I do that with my dog or Angel if I'm feeling stressed or anxious."

"When have you ever felt stressed or anxious about anything?" Corvus asks with a frown.

"That's none of your business." Kasef responds as Gren accepts his dog and hugs her to his chest.

"I really can't take the stress, it's awful!" He groans before burying his face into Ginger's fur.

"Hey if she says no, we'll hang out with you on that day so you won't be lonely." Crowmaster suggests helpfully.

"SHE RESPONDED!" Soren yells as a message from Amaya pops up on the phone screen.

Ethari immediately snatches the phone off the table and holds it out to Gren, who gingerly grabs it and quickly unlocks the screen to tap on the message. The men watched as Gren read the message, murmuring to himself before he let out a sigh of relief.

"Well?" Runaan asks as Gren places the phone back on the table.

"She said yes." The room explodes into loud cheering and whooping from the men and excited barking from Ginger.

"Now we need to get you both ready!" Ethari says excitedly and clapped Gren on the shoulders. "Oh! I can bake you a cake!"

"Wait hold on, I don't even have anything planned!" Gren points out. "I don't even have time to make reservations at a nice restaurant! Everywhere is going to be booked!"

"Gren, when Runaan said to leave it to us, just leave it to us." Ethari chuckles. "Just get yourself a clean suit or something nice and simple to wear, we'll handle the rest."

"Lets try not to go overboard." Corvus adds quickly. "It has to be simple but elegant."

"Why do I feel like you all might go a bit overboard with this?" Gren mutters.