POV: Nyoka
[4 months later]
Celeste and I have spent a lot more time together getting to know each other over the past few months.
Sometimes we go out for dinner, other times we hang out at each others homes and others I just sit in her office with her while she does work. On a few occasions she let me use some of the materials her apprentices use while they're learning.
I'm not particularly good at tattooing, my hands are too unsteady, but it was fun.
While I'm still not the most comfortable with her, I think this is the most comfortable I can get for now with her and I think it's enough though as I walk into her shop and the buzzing of tattoo pens fills my ears again I'm not so sure.
"Nyoka," Celeste calls with a wide smile as she sees me in her shop once again. "Are you here to set up another night out? You know you can just message me?"
"Actually it's about something else," I say, lowering my voice making Celeste step closer to hear me. "Is there anywhere more private we can talk?"
Celeste, although confused, leads me up to her office, closing the door behind us. I stay standing even as Celeste sits on the couch waiting for me to sit beside her.
I pace in front of her trying to get the courage to speak and say what I want to as Celeste patiently waits. I can feel her anxiety for me growing as her eyes trail me back and forth across her office.
Before I can do another lap her hand grabs my wrist, dragging me roughly down to the couch. I snatch my wrist away as she mutters an apology, her hand moving to rest on my knee instead, holding it down as I begin to bump it up and down to calm myself.
"Nyoka, why did you want to talk to me so privately this time?"
"Well, I..." I pause as I lose my voice.
Celeste patiently waits as I swallow hard and control my breathing, talking myself through breathing exercises my therapist taught me a while ago.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in...
"I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, helping me with something?" I ask, twisting my fingers.
"Of course I will if I can. What is it?" She asks, grabbing my hands to stop me from breaking my own fingers.
It takes me forever to even think of the words I want to say and put them in the right order but it doesn't matter since none of the sounds make it past my throat to my lips.
Celeste softly squeezes my knee as she patiently waits for any sound to escape me. Her patience comforts me enough to take another deep breath before finally getting the strength to speak, even if quietly.
"Would you mind fixing an old tattoo I have?"
Celeste freezes, her eyes widening as the words almost silently leave my lips.
She tries a few times before some intelligible sounds come out of her mouth in the vague form of words, though her sentence is still a bit scrambled and difficult to understand.
"Tattoo...you have...uh, sorry," she says, getting up from the couch as she rakes her fingers through her hair trying to comprehend what I just said.
Was this a mistake? She seems to be freaking out even more than I am.
"Sorry, nevermind," I suddenly say, getting up from my seat, quickly shuffling to the door.
"Nyoka, wait!" Celeste calls out, finally composing herself as my hand grips the handle of her office door. "I'm sorry if I offended you, I'm just surprised you have a tattoo."
YOU ARE READING
Her Inked Scars
General Fiction"Don't worry, princess. I'll be gentle with you," Celeste whispers in my ear as I whimper into the crook of her neck, hiding the flush of my face as she bumps her knee between my thighs. As I sit on her lap, trying to keep quiet, I can feel her gett...
