𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

🅴🅿︎ 🆃🆆🅴🅽🆃🆈 🅵🅸🆅🅴

"I'm paying Nique and that's it. I'm good so stop worrying so much."

The artist finished and ran over to the counter as he pulled out a card transaction scanner. Zakari pulled out his card as I stopped him.

"You swipe that damn card and it'll be me and you," I glared at him as the tattoo artist chuckled.

"Trouble in paradise for you kids?"

"Oh, it will be if he swipes that card. You might have to call the police after too because his life will be swiped immediately after," Zakari rolled his eyes putting his card back in his wallet pulling me in front of him.

"You got your way with your short ass, you happy?"

"Very. Watch the attitude though," he sighed resting his chin on my shoulder as I got out my wallet pulling out a couple of hundreds. I handed it to the man as his eyes widened.

"You sure you don't want a tattoo too? I'll make it especially nice," he laughed putting it into the register.

"Nice try but I'm not too excitable about needles. I hope that's motivation to do a good job on him though."

"Trust me, it is. Come on back and we'll get straight into it. It'll be one session with about 6 hours with breaks in between. Go ahead and lay back for me."

Six hours in here, that's what, a little after 12? No wonder he got me anything I wanted for breakfast and promised to go shopping with me after he said no when I asked yesterday. He's gonna try to blackmail me because I've been asking him to go but he won't budge.

"Zakari Devon Pierce, I'm not staying here that long."

He smirked motioning for me to sit down next to him as the man prepared his chest for application.

"You don't want to hold my hand while I go through all this pain but you want me to hold all them bags and boxes of shoes for you in them stores? How that make sense baby?", he made a pouty face as I scoffed unlacing my finger from his.

"Don't make that face at me. You're lucky I wouldn't let you sit in pain by yourself or I would've walked out. If I walked out, you wouldn't have gone with me?"

"Yep, you mad?", he looked over with a smile as the man started on his chest. Once it made contact with his skin, Zakari tensed up a bit.

I held his hand as he closed his eyes squeezing my hand.

"I'll be fine. I can't believe you're doing this. This is gonna be a long six hours."

"Yeah, it is but just talk me through it. We still going on that date later tonight with your friend and cousin?"

"Yeah, Ara and Kamar wanted to go to this new arcade and diner. They said it doesn't open till 7."

"Cool, we can get a quickie in," he said nonchalantly as I squeezed his hand tighter. The artist chuckled as I felt my face heat up from embarrassment.

He has no filter at all.

"You're not getting a thing from me. Ooh, guess what?"

"You're just gonna tell me anyway so what's up," I narrowed my eyes at him as he quietly laughed.

"Why do you have the agenda to get on my nerves today and this morning in particular? I don't recall acting like this when we're talking about you."