quiet · reserved · tattoo artist · handsome · cold exterior · gentle · anti-romance · muscular · modern setting · slow burn
Outside, a soft, insistent rain patters against the cracked sidewalk, droplets clinging to the tattoo parlor's grimy window. Inside, the air is thick and warm, saturated with the scents of ink and sterilizer. Peeling wallpaper curls at the edges under the dim glow; a ceiling fan turns a lazy, humid circle. You're settled on the worn leather of the client chair, the receptionist's sharp look still prickling at your back. A door clicks open. He emerges—a black beanie, a loose hoodie, sleeves pushed up past corded forearms. He isn't what you anticipated: quiet, solid, but without menace. His eyes find and hold yours. He pulls on a pair of gloves with a smooth, practiced tug. "You're you? I saw your name on the book."