Eden pouts like a child in the car, arms crossed over her chest and bottom lip protruding while a deep crease settles in between her eyebrows. Her head rests on the glass of the driver's side window and she stares out at nothing until the heat soaking in through the roof begins to lull her to sleep. Her eyes flutter shut and she settles into her seat, momentarily forgetting what caused her enough distress to run to the car in the first place.
That is until Harry opens the passenger side back door and tosses in two bags of his laundry. He slams the door, effectively startling Eden awake, and then clambers into the passenger seat.
"We need to talk," he says sharply. The glint in his eyes is enough to silence Eden into submission. She nods small, feeling her hands begin to tremble. If he's going to yell, she may not be able to handle it.
But the yelling doesn't come. Instead, he keeps his voice low and forceful as he says, "What's going on with you? I said three words and you completely shut me out. Your mood swings are giving me whiplash here."
Swings? As in multiple?
Eden racks her brain, trying to think of when else her mood suddenly took a sudden plummet. But the hard look in Harry's eyes tells her she's focusing on the wrong thing, and she quickly dismisses those thoughts.
"If you're upset with me then I need you to tell me," he says. "And if you're not then I'd appreciate if you stopped acting like you are."
Eden is stunned. Sweet, kind Harry seems to have reached the end of his miles of patience. She probably should've seen this coming; he's only human, after all, and even she's having some difficulty handling the chaos of emotion inside her head. Before she can respond, he speaks again.
His eyes are softer, more earnest where they were reprimanding moments earlier. "If something's wrong, you can tell me. I'm on your side."
Are you?
It takes every atom in her body acting in the same moment to bite back the urge to spit those words at him.
They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity before Eden finally sighs and concedes. "Nothing's wrong. I don't know what came over me in there, I just . . . sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."
Harry gazes at her thoughtfully, so intently he seems to be prying through every layer of her being. "Is it because I asked about your list?"
Eden shrugs half-heartedly. "I guess. I know you came with me for a reason but I'd prefer to keep that stuff to myself until it's time to talk about each item."
He hums in understanding. "Alright, I'll refrain from bringing it up then. Are you sure you're alright?"
She nods, maybe a bit too enthusiastically, and a shadow of doubt tinges his features. "I promise. I just want to keep driving now, we have a lot of time to make up for."
Harry finally sits back in his seat and the tense air dissipates from the car. He buckles his seatbelt as Eden unclenches the muscles in her toes and lets out the breath she wasn't aware she was holding on to. "What about your tattoo?"
"There are plenty of shops in New York. If we make good time, we can find a walk-in place and go from there. I wasn't planning on getting a huge one anyhow."
She pulls out of the laundromat's parking lot while Harry fiddles with the radio, eventually settling on a channel playing the Rolling Stones. "Can I ask what you were thinking of getting?"
She bites her lower lip, splitting her concentration between merging onto the highway unscathed and answering his question. "I really don't know. Maybe some meaningful words or lyrics. One of my . . . well, my only friend recently got a moon tattoo that was really pretty."
"Your only friend?" Harry chuckles. "What am I, chopped liver?"
Eden's eyes roll so forcefully, she's sure they've fallen out of her skull. "Besides you, dork. My roommate back home."
He hums again, mulling this over as though it's the most interesting thing in the world. "I didn't know you have a roommate. What's she like?"
A laugh escapes Eden's lips. "A force of nature, to put it simply. She and I are polar opposites."
"I'd probably hate her then," he remarks teasingly.
"No one could hate Amenkha," she says with a smile. Despite his attempt at a joke, Eden means what she's said wholeheartedly. "She's the kind of friend everyone wants and everyone needs, frankly. She's bold and confident and funny, and a little bit crazy, but she's not afraid to look out for people she cares about. And she always tells me when I'm being too shy or too moody."
"She sounds like a good complement to you," Harry comments. "But you should acknowledge your strengths too. She may bring out parts of herself in you but think of what you do for her."
Her eyebrows shoot up, stunned by the depth of his words. She'd never stopped to consider what parts of their friendship were benefiting to Amenkha; was it possible her life was impactful to someone else?
"I never thought of that," she admits quietly. "I just always considered our friendship in her light. Not that she's selfish, but just that she's the one more in tune with life. I always saw myself looking up to her, wanting to be more like her."
"Well, try to consider her perspective now," he urges. "She's friends with you for a reason. Looking at yourself objectively, what are your best qualities? What do you try to incite in others?"
"Kindness," she says immediately. She glances over to find him smiling softly at her, an approving look in his eyes. A brief chuckle comes to her lips as she thinks of Amenkha again. "There's been more than a few occasions where I've had to remind her that she's being a bit brash. I can be pretty selfish but I also try to live kindly, when I can. There's so much hate in the world already, but not enough compassion. And even though I'm not always nice to myself or even to others, I think the fact that I still try to be counts for something."
"I like that answer," he says, his words hanging in the warm air between them. "I like it a lot."
***
Harry eventually dozes off in the front seat, curled up as comfortably as his tall posture allows. Eden smirks at how awkward his legs look, tangled together in the floor of the car, but his face is peaceful as he sleeps.
Six hours pass as the I-95 N faithfully leads them out of Virgina, through Maryland and New Jersey, and deposits them at the cusp of New York state. Harry stirs from his sleep just as they enter the Holland Tunnel heading into Manhattan.
"Good afternoon," Eden says cheerily. Harry releases a few tired groans and attempts to stretch his long legs.
"I'm so stiff," he laments, his voice still thick with sleep. From the corner of her eye, Eden can see his silhouette move as he shakes out his hair and glances around the car. "Where are we?"
"Holland Tunnel," she remarks, keeping her vision trained on the illuminated brake lights of the car in front of them. "Almost to the city."
"Can we eat soon?"
"What, are your legs hollow?" she cries.
"Are you kidding, it's been hours!" he retorts.
"Okay, fine," Eden groans, but she keeps a smile on her face to show him she's merely teasing. "Once we're in the city, I'll attempt to park the car so we can eat."
"You can just drop me off somewhere and I'll get food to go," Harry offers as a counter option.
"But my tattoo," she protests. "All the good places are in the city."
"Oh, you're right," he muses, reaching up to gently tug on his lip in thought. "If you want to park the car in a garage, I'll pay the fee. From there we can take the train to the tattoo shop."
It takes a frustrating amount of time but eventually they find a parking garage with a spare spot. Harry pays the ridiculous fee and they set out for a late lunch before taking the train to a shop on Bowery St. in Lower Manhattan. A sign in the glass reads "Walk-ins Welcome", and Eden can barely contain the excitement that surges up inside. Harry holds open the door for her as they enter the lobby.
Across from the door is a front desk painted bright red, a stark contrast to the black walls surrounding them. The only girl at the desk looks up with a chipper smile; her bottom lip is pierced and she has a sprinkling of tiny stars tattooed on her right temple.
"Hey guys, what can I do for you?" she beams, brushing a lock of curly purple hair behind her shoulder. Eden springs forward, for once feeling completely ready to tackle an item.
"I'd like to get a tattoo today," Eden squeaks out, her words tumbling out faster than she intends. "But I don't have an appointment."
The girl types in something on her computer. "Our walk-in guy is busy at the moment but he should be finishing up soon. The shop minimum is sixty, is that alright?"
Eden nods and fishes the remainder of her cash from her wallet. She hands it to the girl who hands her some paperwork to fill out. Eden takes a seat in a black leather chair underneath a wall of tattoo art while Harry idles the hallway, inspecting the artwork closer.
"Thinking of getting something new?" she asks, eyeing him from the corner of her vision.
"Maybe," he answers, still perusing. He folds his hands together behind his back and leans closer to a sketch of two people intertwined. "I quite like this one."
Eden doesn't look up from her paperwork. "What do all of yours mean?"
"What?" Harry sounds dazed, like he's only half-listening to her.
She rolls her eyes lightly. "It's a fairly simple question," she laughs. "You have dozens, what do they all mean?"
"Different things," he remarks, plopping into the chair next to hers. "Significant moments in my life, things I've done or want to do, parts of others that I want to honor. The typical reasons for getting a tattoo, I guess."
Eden bites her tongue and tried to quell her frustration.
"Do you have any specific stories?" she asks slyly.
"Nah," he says lightly. "They aren't that interesting anyhow. Tell me about what you're going to get."
"No," she answers in the same casual tone. "It isn't that interesting anyhow."
Then she stands and hands off her completed paperwork to the girl at the front desk, keeping her demeanor cool but not bothering to check on Harry's reaction. The girl flashes her a smile and takes her paperwork into one of the back rooms; Eden waits patiently at the counter, absently scrolling through her phone, until the girl returns.
"Follow me," she says. Harry also goes to stand but the girl stops him. "Oh, sorry, only the artist can be in the room. Just wait out here please."
Eden finally peeks over her shoulder at him as she follows the girl down the hallway; he has an unreadable expression on his face, somewhere between strained and unsure. She gives him a small wave before stepping into a small room.
In the room is a black leather chair, similar to the kind used in a dentist office, a silver tray with some supplies on it, and a stool for the artist. The girl gets Eden settled in the leather chair before she leaves, giving Eden a chance to study the walls surrounding her. Each one is covered in mosaics of artwork, some sketches and some colored drawings, all signed with the same name.
Tate Nevins.
She pulls her lower lip in between her teeth and inhales deeply as her eyes land on the tattoo gun, sitting innocuously on the counter next to an assortment of ink colors. She isn't given any time to be anxious as the door to the room opens and in walks a tall man with dark, gelled hair, entrancing hazel eyes, and a charming smile. Any inch of skin left uncovered by his black shirt is adorned with tattoos, crawling their way up from his wrist and peeking out into his neck. Eden feels her heart flutter as his gaze meets hers.
"Hey, I'm Tate," he says, offering his hand for her to shake. His tongue darts out to wet his lips and her toes curl as she notices his black lip ring.
Harry who?
"Hi, I'm Eden," she mumbles, but through her stuttering tongue it comes out closer to, "H-Hi, M'Eden."
"Eden? Wicked name," Tate says as he sits and rolls himself over to the counter. "So, what are we getting today?"
***
Twenty minutes later, Eden emerges with her left arm wrapped in cellophane and an uncontainable smile on her face. In her right hand she clutched the after-care instructions given to her by Tate.
Harry's attention is on his phone but he stands when he notices Eden practically bouncing down the hallway. He flashes her a grin upon noticing her wrapped arm.
"So?" he asks. "What's the verdict?"
"That was so cool!" she squeals, tossing her instruction paper at him. He catches it with a surprised smile as Eden stomps her feet happily. "I should've done this ages ago."
"Let me see it," he urges, sounding just as excited as Eden. She carefully holds her arm up to him and he gingerly tries to flatten the cellophane to see her tattoo clearer.
"I'm not who I could be, but I'm not who I was."
The words are scrawled in small, curly script across the length of the side of her forearm. A small crease forms on Harry's forehead as he reads her tattoo aloud.
"What?" she asks, her stomach dropping. "You don't like it?"
"No, no," he says quickly, catching himself. "I-I love it. I really do, it's amazing."
She releases another invigorated squeal and throws her arms around his neck. His hands hesitantly settle on her hips, gently squeezing her back. "Let's go!"
Eden waves a joyful goodbye to the purple-haired desk girl and then bounds outside into the warm sunshine, absolutely ecstatic and riding a wave of adrenaline.
"You look a little manic," Harry laughs as they get back into the car.
"I don't care," she sings, her smile unabashed. "I got a tattoo that I love and I am this close to Niagara!"
She doesn't notice the abrupt change in Harry's expression; how his eyes widen and his smile falls for the briefest of moments, almost like a difficult realization has just hit him.
Eden turns the radio up louder than it's been in a while and speeds back onto the street. "Six and a half hours to Niagaraaa," she says in a sing-song voice. "We'll have to stop for the night because it's getting late but I'll get us close to Buffalo, don't worry. This time tomorrow, we'll be there!"
"Right," Harry says awkwardly. "This time tomorrow."
Item Eleven - Get a Tattoo
~~~
yikes harry what's your problem
also this chapTER IS TRASH pls don't hate me it's been a rough week and i needed to get this shit moving. it's also unedited don't shoot me
next part will be kuh-razy so stay tuned 😈 ilysm
do you have any tattoos? how many?? if not, what would you get??
also hope everyone who celebrated yesterday had a safe and fun night ☺️