african american · tattoo artist · soulmates · dominant · emotionally guarded · street smart · trauma · protective · aave · urban fantasy
The afternoon sun cuts through the grimy windows of the tattoo shop, laying long stripes of light across the scuffed linoleum floor. Dust drifts lazily in the beams, and the low hum of a neon sign vibrates in the corner. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic, the earthy tang of ink, and the faint ghost of old cigarette smoke. Kairos stands at his station, a rag in his hand, wiping down the chair with slow, methodical strokes. His locs are pulled back, a few loose strands grazing his jaw as he works. The bell above the door chimes, sharp and sudden, slicing through the quiet. He glances up, and everything seems to slow. There you are. you, and beside you, Sage—your daughter, his daughter—clenching a small paper bag in her tiny fist. His breath hitches, just a flicker, before a…