Chapter Text
As a mainly pessimistic person that I call being “realistic,” I think constantly about how I will die. Would I die in an accident? Will I be murdered? At this point, who knew?
“You think too much.” My best friend’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as we sat together in a new coffee place she had come across one day. “What are you thinking about now?”
“Death,” I replied.
“You’re so emo, Eri.” She giggled into her cup of coffee.
“Thanks, Sayori.” I hummed, rolling my eyes. “Nothing compared to me when I was twelve, though.”
“We don’t talk about sixth grade.” She shook her head, making me grin. “Dark times.”
I simply nodded in agreement and looked around. The wait staff here seemed young, from the two I spotted. A girl, maybe a few years younger than us, and a boy with an eyepatch, maybe a little older than her. Maybe? It was hard to tell, really.
“Whoa.” Sayori breathed, looking at the door, and my eyes followed her gaze and saw the most punk looking human I’ve ever come across in real life, and I was practically surrounded by them. Shit, I was one of them.
His hair was shaved off on one side, and he seemed to be covered in tattoos, literally from head to toe. I was drawn to the tattoo on his neck, recognizing the Greek symbols. The three years of Latin I took in high school failed me then, though. He had a lip ring, five ear piercings (from what I could count), and some type of piercing by his left eye. I grew curious about how that worked.
I couldn’t help myself but study the tattoos on his arms and peek out from under his shirt. He had sunglasses on, and I could only imagine what color his eyes were. Brown? I think that was a bit too boring for someone as unique as him. Maybe blue or green? Maybe some pretty honey or hazel color? I think maybe a very dark brown color, like almost black, suits him the best in my imagination.
“Dude. You’re staring. Stop.” Sayori hissed at me.
“He’s pretty. I kind of don't want to stop.” I hummed and she turned my face away, and I blinked my eyes as she came into focus.
“Before he spots you, Jesus Christ.” She huffed, and I eyed the piercing on the side of her lip. I pursed my lips and looked back the guy, now gazing around the shop. Since his eyes were hidden, I couldn’t tell where he was looking. What if he was looking at me? Oh, Jesus fuck.
“You aren’t going to talk to him, are you?” Sayori groaned.
“I’m still debating.” I hummed, sipping my coffee. I then decided, ‘fuck it,’ and got up, walking over, and he watched, and I smiled.
“Hi, sorry to disturb you, but I just wanted to say, those tattoos of yours are amazing. Who does them?” I asked, as politely as I could.
He looked a little surprised, then his mouth stretched into a smile. “I did quite a few of them myself, actually.” He said in a really soft tone.
“Yeah? Damn, you’re talented.” I nodded, looking at the detailed and bold piece on his forearm. Seeing me, he pushed up his sleeve and held his arm in front of me.
“This isn’t me being too weird, is it?” I asked, raising a brow, not wanting to make this stranger uncomfortable with the fact that I was fawning over his ink.
“Nah. It’s rare I meet people with an appreciation. Do you have any?” He asked and I nodded.
“Yeah, three. Super detailed, all three of them. Guess I’m just a fan of detail.” I smiled, giving him his arm back.
“What do you have?” He asked, leaning on the stand by the door.
“I have an astronaut mowing the moon on my left elbow. I have a wendigo on my right shoulder. I have a dragon on my right thigh. You?” I asked.
“Ah, mostly designs, like my arm. But I do have a sun on my chest.” He tapped over the neckline of his shirt. “And this neck piece.”
“It’s Latin, right?” I asked and he nodded. “I took Latin for three years in high school. I still couldn’t read it, though.” I shrugged.
“I can neither live with you nor without you.” He said and I nodded.
“I thought I recognized ‘tu’ in there.” I hummed and saw him tilt his head up to look past my shoulder.
“Your friend keeps looking over to check on you. I should let you get back to her.” He said and I nodded. “But first, let me ask you, do you want any more tattoos?”
“Are… are you offering to ink me?” I asked, brows raised.
“Guess I am.” He shrugged. “I won’t charge as much as shops, and since we both love detail so much… just seems like it fits, doesn’t it?”
I bit my lip and thought. “Alright. Give me your number, then.” I said and he grabbed a business card from the coffee shop and a pen, taking the cap off with his teeth. Damn, that was actually kind of attractive.
“I should probably also ask your name, too, huh?” I chuckled, realizing I didn’t know it.
“I wrote it down.” He said, handing me the card, and I read the name scrawled under the phone number.
“Uta?” I hummed and he gave a smile. “Nice to meet you, I’m Eri.”
“Nice to meet you, Eri. Give me a call whenever, and we can meet and discuss pieces for you.” He said and I smiled and nodded.
“Sounds good. See ya.” I said and he nodded and I walked back to my table, putting the card in my bag, and Sayori stared at me in awe.
“I have never realized how much game you actually have, Eri.” She shook her head in astonishment.