Chapter 75

Requested – ellasandra55 

The morning started with Dani’s mouth on your shoulder, her teeth grazing the skin there, her voice muffled and demanding.

“Wake up. I have an idea.”

You groaned, pulling the blanket over your head. “Your ideas are dangerous.”

“This one’s good.” She tugged the blanket down, her face appearing above yours, hair wild, eyes bright with that particular light that meant she’d been awake for a while plotting. “Trust me.”

“You said that about the karaoke bar last weekend.”

“That was fun.”

“You made me sing ‘Baby’ in front of a group of strangers.”

“Oh don’t act as if you didn’t love it.”

You squinted at her. “What time is it?”

“Doesn’t matter. Get up. Shower. Wear something that shows skin.”

That made you sit up, suspicious. “Why?”

She grinned, wicked, and kissed your nose. “Secret.”

*

The uber dropped you in front of a shop in downtown LA, all black windows and a neon script. You read the sign twice, then looked at Dani, who was bouncing on her heels like a kid in a candy store.

“We’re getting tattoos.”

“We’re getting tattoos,” she confirmed, grabbing your hand, pulling you toward the door. “Matching ones. I already booked the appointment. I already designed them. I already-” She stopped, suddenly uncertain, her confidence flickering. “Unless you don’t want to. I know it’s permanent and maybe I should’ve asked and-“

“Dani.” You squeezed her hand, feeling the tremor there, and fear under the bravado. “I want to.”

She lit up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Show me.”

Inside, the shop smelled like antiseptic and incense, low music humming from speakers in the corner. The artist – a woman with full sleeves and a kind smile – nodded at Dani like they knew each other.

“These are the designs,” Dani said, pulling up her phone, thrusting it at you/

Two simple line drawings. A sun, sharp rays curling outward, clean and bold. A crescent moon, delicate, a small star nestled in its curve.

“You’d be the sun,” Dani said, quiet now, serious in a way she rarely was. “Because you’re warm. Because you light up every room. Because I orbit you like an idiot.”

You stared at her, throat tight.

“And I’d be the moon,” she continued, rushing now, nervous. “Because I’m- I don’t know. Dark. Kind of mysterious. I’m moody. Distant sometimes. But I’m always there, even when you can’t see me. Even when I’m not full, I’m still-” She hesitated, shrugged, suddenly shy. “Still yours.”

“Okay,” you breathed against her mouth with a smile. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

*

The needle buzzed. Dani sat first, the sun taking shape on her rib-cage, just below her bra line. You held her hand, your grip tight, your eyes fixed on her face like you were memorising her reactions.

“Does it hurt?” you asked, for the fifth time.

“Less than you.”

“Rude.”

“True.”

You chuckled, squeezing her hand harder, and watched her watch you – fascinated, protective, completely absorbed. The artist worked in silence, the buzz rhythmic, meditative, and you saw the sting settle into something bearable on her face, something worth it.

When it was done, you leaned close, your breath warm against her fresh ink. “Beautiful,” you whispered. “You’re beautiful.”

“Your turn.”

You swapped places, pulling off your shirt without any modesty, settling onto the chair with your back exposed. Dani watched the artist stencil the moon at the base of your spine, the curve following the natural line of your body, and you saw something catch in her eyes – possession, permanence, the visual proof that you were hers and she was yours and this was forever.

The needle started. Your jaw tightened, but you didn’t flinch, you didn’t look away from Dani.

“Tell me something,” you said, voice steady despite the buzz.

“Like what?”

“Something true. Something permanent.”

Dani smiled and thought. The shop hummed around you, the artist’s hand moving in practised strokes, your skin slowly blooming with silver ink.

“I loved you before I knew I was allowed to,” she said, quiet. “Before I knew what it was. I just knew I wanted to keep you. And now I get to. Forever. Literally, forever, because I put this on your body without even asking.”

You laughed, sharp and surprised, then winced as the needle hit a tender spot. “You asked this morning.”

“I said ‘wake up, I have an idea.’ That’s not exactly asking anything.”

“Semantics.”

Dani just grinned, eyes meeting yours, dark and warm and completely yours.

*

After, they bandaged you both up, gave you aftercare instructions and took your money. Outside, the afternoon sun was bright, and you walked backward in front of Dani, your shirt still off, the moon peeking above your jeans, your grin wide and unrepentant.

“Stop showing off,” Dani laughed.

“Never. I got a tattoo for my girlfriend. I’m telling everyone.”

“We got tattoos for each other. You’re not special.”

“I’m extremely special.” You stopped, grabbing her waist, pulling her close, your forehead to hers. “You’re the moon to my sun. That’s cosmically significant.”

“You’re cosmically annoying.”

“And you love it.”

Dani just kissed you, there on the sidewalk, your bare back under her hands, her fresh ink stinging where your body pressed against hers. You tasted like mint and adrenaline and the particular flavour of you that she’d never been able to name.

“Let’s go home,” you murmured against her lips. “I want to look at these in the mirror. I want to take photos. I want to-” You stopped, grinned wickedly. “I want to test if they hurt when I do this.”

“Do what?”

You bit her earlobe, gentle, then harder, your hand sliding to her side, thumb tracing the edge of her bandage. “This.”

Dani gasped, laughed, and pushed you away. “Healing time. Six weeks.”

“Six weeks?” You pouted dramatically. “That’s inhumane.”

“That’s aftercare.”

“I hate rules.”

“You love rules. You just love breaking them more.”

You laughed, full and bright, and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards you. “Fine. Six weeks. But then-” You leaned close, your mouth to her ear, your voice dropping to that velvet register that still made her shiver. “Then I’m going to worship this tattoo. Every inch. Every curve. I’m going to make you forget your own name under it.”

Dani swallowed, hard, her fresh ink suddenly burning for an entirely different reason. “That’s-“

“A promise,” you finished, grinning, wicked, completely hers. “Write it down. Set a reminder. Six weeks from today. I’m making you see the moon.”

“You already make me see the moon.”

You stopped, right there on the sidewalk, cars passing by distant, and kissed her like the world was ending – messy, desperate, laughing into her mouth. Passerbys stared. Dani didn’t care. You were the sun and she was the moon and together you lit up every dark thing between you.

“And you love it,” you whispered, breathless, your thumb brushing her jaw.

Dani pulled you closer, her bandaged ribs pressing against your bandaged back, two marks becoming one, two orbits locked in place.

“And I love it,” she agreed, lacing her fingers with yours.

———–

Hey bitches I’m back 😝

Here to drop a couple chapters I’ve written as per 🙂

I have some FUN ones about to drop so STAY TOONED (iykyk ;))

Anyways… yeah! don’t forget to smile! 😁