Page 88 of Pretty Obsessed

“Hanging in there for a lifetime would be exhausting,” Emory said when he got control of himself. “Maybe skip the symbol and just get the cat.”

Aki and I lost it.

Iris huffed. “You guys are taking away my lifelong desire to troll people with a Chinese symbol.”

“If you want a shitty tattoo I can call my eight-year-old nephew and have him do one for you…?”

Iris laughed with us this time. “Fair enough. I have enough shit tattoos. I guess I should use your talents to their fullest ability to not be insulting. I wouldn’t want someone to expect less from me.”

Aki nodded and laced his fingers together. “What did you have in mind?”

“Wait,” Iris turned towards Aki. “Can you do a mini rendition of The Great Wave of Kanagawa? In a micro tattoo style, but with lots of detail. I want it no bigger than the size of a quarter… oh wait you probably don’t know what size that is.” He held up his thumb and first finger in about the size.

“Wow,” I said with a nod and a smile. It felt right. It felt like this place, and the bond we’d forged here. The three of us. “I love the idea.” I glanced at Emory to see if he was into it. He wore a smile, but it gave away nothing.

“Are all three of you getting it?” Aki sized up Iris. “Where at?”

Iris pulled off his shirt and shrugged. “Where can you fit it?”

Aki studied him for a moment. “You have space. I could do it,” he held up his thumb and index finger about two inches apart to Iris’ sleeve was made up of most of the tattoos he’d gotten with members of the band. “Here, like this.”

“Can you do it on my calf?” I bent to roll up my jeans to show the place I had the few I’d gotten with the guys.

Aki nodded and then looked at Emory. “And where is yours going.”

I held my breath, and Iris turned his attention to Emory while we waited for his answer.

“Can you do it right under my elbow on the inside of my forearm?” Emory asked seemingly at peace with the idea.

A smile bloomed over my face as joy spread through me. “I changed my mind. I want the same area.” I held out my arm showing the space I’d been saving. My forearms were bare as they were the most photographed and seen while I played. I’d been saving them for something, and this felt important. “If you’re okay with that?”

Emory grinned eyes alight with something. “Better than names.”

If Aki noticed he didn’t say anything. He’d signed an NDA with our bodyguards. So I wasn’t worried about him suspecting, and someone would put the matching tattoos together at some point. He was famous in his own right and there were tons of pictures of him on the internet. The saving grace to the story being Iris would have one too.

“Are you a tattoo virgin, Emory?” Aki asked when Emory was up.

“Yes. Bare skin.”

“I’ll take good care of you.” Aki bent to clean the area and moved Emory to place the stencil.

“I’m going to have to come back next time I want a big piece,” Iris said still admiring Aki’s large tattoo.

We’d bonded with Aki over the last couple of hours. He was a great dude, and fit in with our humor perfectly.

“Let me know when you are getting a band tattoo again. I’ll come to do it. Or if you need a bigger piece.” Aki glanced up. “Go take a look in the mirror and make sure you like the placement.”

Emory walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner, admiring it. “It’s perfect.” He held it out for me to inspect. “What do you think?”

“I love it.” I leaned in and kissed his neck forgetting myself for a second. “Oops…”

Emory grabbed my side, keeping me closer when I tried to pull back. “Hold my hand while I get it?” he whispered.

“Of course.”

Aki didn’t comment. He bent to his work. I sat next to the tattoo chair resting my chin on the chair next to Emory’s thigh, the late hour starting to hit me. I’d gotten better with less sleep, but I don’t think I’d ever function how the other guys did on so little.

Emory took the tattoo with no trouble, only wincing when Aki started the white highlights at the end. I brought his free hand to my lips and kissed it, hoping to ease some of the tension I felt building in his body.

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