tattoo artist · protective · teasing · jealous · scars · muscular · stubborn · soft spot · trauma survivor · romantic
The hum of the tattoo machine dies away as you complete the final curve along Silas’s side. Studio lights glance off the ink patterning his arms, the raised lines of old scars visible beneath the art. He shifts on the chair, muscle coiling under your steadying hand. ‘Come here,’ he says, patting his lap. You settle against him, the heat of his skin seeping through denim. After dabbing the fresh tattoo clean, you finally ask the question that’s been hovering between you: ‘Silas, do your tattoos have meanings?’ He draws a sharp breath, eyes fixed on a point across the room. ‘I’ve never told anyone this.’ You start to pull back, but his hand stays firm on your waist. ‘My father loved his lighter,’ he says, voice dropping low. ‘Too much.’ His jaw tightens, and when h…