Voices • Jack Avery

20 • Tattoo

The tattoo above is the one in this chapter

Third Person Point of View

"Jack, where are you taking me?"  Alex whined as the boy dragged her through the streets of LA for the second time that week. After their interview the day before, Jack had told her he wanted to show her something but he wouldn't say what.

That was how she ended up here - although she wasn't exactly sure where "here" was. Jack smirked at her and quickly took her hand in his, making her walk at the same pace as him. He had given up answering her after the third time she asked.

"Jack, I swear to God if you're trying to kill me again" Alex giggled, referring to their photo shoot. Jack rolled his eyes and kept walking. "You're still alive, aren't you? Besides we're almost there" he answered.

He had now slowed down but still held Alex's hand, swinging it back and forth in his own. Anyone who saw them might have assumed they were a couple.

"You said that half an hour ago" Alex mumbled to herself but Jack managed to hear her. "Well now we're here, so you can stop complaining" he taunted, slowing completely to a halt.

Alex shot him a glare but remained silent. Her eyes widened as she looked at the sign on the building in front of her. "Tattoo Parlor." The blue-haired girl turned to face Jack, a frown etched on her face. "You brought me all this way to watch you get a tattoo?" she said harshly.

Jack smirked at her and shook his head, moving forward to hold the door open for her. "Nope. I brought you all this way so I could watch while you get a tattoo" he said, pointing at her.

Alex froze in the doorway as her eyes grew wider. She slowly turned to face Jack as her mouth began to open in shock. "What?" she stuttered out.

"I heard you yesterday when you said you want a tattoo. So I made an appointment and here we are" he said, shrugging his shoulders. Alex began to panic instantly. "Jack, I can't get a tattoo" she said frantically.

Jack frowned down at her, unsure as to why she was freaking out. "Why not?" he asked. Alex froze up again. She didn't really have a reason, she was just terrified.

"It's gonna hurt and I don't even know where to get one or what to get" she rambled, trying to back out of it. Jack smiled sympathetically at her and squeezed her hand slightly in an attempt to calm her down.

"It's not that bad, I promise. And anyone who wants a tattoo has thought about it long enough to know what they want and where they want it" Jack said, his eyes never leaving hers.

Alex wanted to refuse and walk out of the shop right there and then, but something in Jack's eyes made her stay. She let out a shaky sigh and slowly nodded her head, signalling she was up for it. Jack smiled brightly and pulled her fully inside.

"Jack, hey! And Alex, big fan. You ready to get your first tattoo?" a man, who Alex recognised immediately, said as he gave Jack a high five.

Alex stood in shock once again as she looked at the person in front of her. "Phillip Spearman knows who I am, and he's doing my tattoo" she eventually mumbled, still staring at the person in front of them.

Both Phillip and Jack laughed at her reaction. "I should be the one shocked that you know who I am. But yes, I am doing your tattoo" Phillip stated. Alex turned to Jack with wide eyes before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"Thank you" she mumbled into his chest. Jack was startled by her sudden actions but quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. Meanwhile, Phillip stood there smirking, seeing what everyone else could see aside form the two in front of him.

"Okay, so what do you want?" he asked when they eventually pulled away. Alex smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted just as Jack had said.

However, she wanted it to be a surprise so she took a pen and a piece of paper and drew out her idea. She handed it to Phillip who nodded and smiled, picking up on the fact that she wanted to surprise Jack

"What are you getting?" Jack asked once Phillip had left to get what he needed. Alex smirked at him as she made her way to the chair and sat down. "You'll have to wait and see" she stated.

Jack was about to protest when Phillip came back. He adjusted the chair so that Alex was lying back slightly and she turned her head to the left, pulling her hair to the side.

"So it's behind your ear" Jack stated as he sat down next to her so that he was facing her. Alex rolled her eyes but nodded. "Okay, Jack. You can hold her hand to help with the pain but if you make her laugh I will personally murder you" Phillip said, only half joking.

Jack's eyes widened a little as he nodded, slightly afraid. He extended his hand out towards Alex which she took hesitantly. She tried her best not to tense up as she heard the buzz of the tattoo gun and her grip tightened on Jack's hand.

She was beginning to really regret choosing behind her ear and Phillip hadn't even begun yet. Aside from the fact that the skin was very thin and right on her skull, the noise from the gun would surely grow very annoying.

Alex's nails dug into Jack as she felt the first sting from the gun. She stared into Jack's eyes, who knowingly stared back, as it was the only thing that seemed to be keeping her sane

The noise was worse than she had expected it to be, maybe even worse than the pain itself. She tried to maintain conversation with Phillip and Jack as a distraction, but between the pain of the tattoo gun and the noise buzzing in her ear, It was almost impossible.

Luckily, after a while, the pain dulled down a little and became more bearable, although it did come back in various strengths and waves.

However, towards the end the pain grew in intensity again. Alex could tell that the hormones her body had produced as natural pain killers were dying off and the pain was now worse than when she began.

Somehow, her already tight grip on Jack's hand became even tighter. Alex was surprised that she hadn't cut off the blood circulation yet.

Just as Phillip was finishing the tattoo, a single tear rolled down Alex's cheek. Jack reached forward and wiped it away, hating seeing her cry. She smiled gratefully at him as she held in the rest if her tears.

Thankfully, the buzzing stopped soon after and Phillip announced that she was finished. Alex wiped away her remaining tears as she stood up and looked at her new tattoo in the mirror.

A wide smile broke out onto her face; she loved it. Slowly, she turned to Jack and engulfed him in another hug. She began crying, but not from the pain of her fresh tattoo. No one bad ever done something like this for her, not even Jackson or London. She knew then and there that she needed Jack Avery in her life, one way or another.

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Edit: this chapter has been updated but only to replace Romeo Lacoste with a different tattoo artist. After hearing about what he has done there is no way I want him in my story. I hope you guys understand <3