Sang looked at the others and asked, "Is that okay? Can we please go get a tattoo?" They all made eye contact, almost like they were comutacting. They looked back at Sang and they got a pained look at her puppy dog eyes.

Sean was the first to break, running up to her and hugging her, "Of course you can, plus you'll look hot with one." He smiled looking over her body. "I know just where you can put it." Sang looked at the others and they were already nodding by then.

Sang looked at me with the biggest smile, "It's a plan. So let's finish this shopping trip and go get some tattoos." And we did we got a bunch of cute and artsy stuff to put in my room. I told Gabe about my love for Stitch from Lilo & Stitch he said he'd make me something to put on my wall. We put everything in the Van and got buckled in when Sang looked at me, "Where are we going to get tattoos?"

I smiled looking back at her, "I know a place." I leaned forward and looked at Brandon in the driver's seat. "Let me drive."

He looked suspicious but got out anyways when Gabe shouted, "Just f*cking let her drive!" I laughed while crawling in the driver's seat. I looked back at Gabe and smiled, "Thanks Gabe."

"Anytime." I laughed while buckling in and starting the car. Brandon got in and looked at me in the review mirror. "Do you even have your driver's license?" He asks that after I'm already in the driver's seat, stupid.

I shook my head, "No but I'm getting it in a week." I watched his eyes go wide. "Don't worry I'm a great driver." He was about to say something but I hit the gas and pulled out of the parking, making him lean back on his seat. I smiled and drove to the place where I got my first tattoo. Driving was easy peasy and we were there in no time at all, I parked the car behind the building and we all got out. Brandon immediately demanded for the keys, Sang came and stood next to me. I continued to watch Brandon check the car for any damage and whispered to Sang. "I thought I did pretty good."

She nodded, "You did, he just likes his car. A lot."

I nodded and motioned for them to follow me. The neon sign was on in the window as I pushed the door open and heard the familiar sound of the bell dinging to let them know there was a new customer, I couldn't help but smile at the memories.

Someone stood from behind the counter and smiled at me, "Naomi!" He walked around the counter and gave me a hug, which I returned. He let go and backed up still with his hands on my shoulders, "You look good."

I laughed, "Thanks Milo." He still looked the same as ever, he was still lean and had all his piercings. "I can see you haven't changed much, beside a new tattoo and another piercing." I pointed out the snake tattoo that wrapped around his hand and the piercing next to his other piercing on his eyebrow.

He laughed leaning on the counter, "Glad you noticed, but what brings you here?"

I scoffed crossing my arms, "Not happy to see me I see."

"That's not it," He chuckled. "But you stopped coming for your henna so I figured you moved on."

"Oh no, I just had to come back and get it done so much that I gave up on it." I waved it off, I still have the shirt from when I first got it. "I was wondering if you could give it to me for real this time, like the actual tattoo."

He looked at me suspiciously and raised his eyebrow at me, "Do they know you're doing this?" I knew he was referring to but they could find out on their own.

I shook my head, "No they don't, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell them." I pleaded with my eyes in hope he would see and understand.

"Okay." He sighed nodding. "Who are the people behind you? New friends?" He looked at them up and down.

"Yes and this here," I grabbed Sang's hand and pulled her next to me, throwing my arm over her shoulder. "Is Sang. We both want a tattoo." I looked at her. She was blushing profusely and looking everywhere.

Milo looked at her, "Are you 18?" She nodded not speaking. Then he looked at me, "Your 18 now right?" I nodded confirming it. He stood up and clapped, "Okay then, let's get started. Who wants to go first." I raised my hand knowing Sang wouldn't want to go first, plus after watching me she might change her mind. Milo nodded toward the chair that's still there from when I got my M4 on my finger. I looked at the silver leaf ring that sits on my right ring finger hiding my M4.

He flattened the salon chair and sat down on the same wooden stool next to it. I sat down backwards and pulled my shirt over my head but kept my arms still in the shirt. "The fleur-de-lis I'm assuming?" I nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this because last time you-"

"Yes, I'm sure." I rolled my eyes and looked at Sang. "Can you hold my hand, please." She nodded and grabbed my hand sitting on the chair Bennett once sat on doing the exact thing she's doing now. I looked over my shoulder and smirked, "Still getting calls for Chinese food?"

He laughed getting the tattoo gun ready, "Sadly yes, but i plan on changing the number soon."

"Did you finish The Tales of Two Cities?" I asked turning my head back around, mentally reading myself for what's going to happen.

"Yes I did, it was good." I nodded agreeing with him. I read it after he mentioned it.

"Is it going to hurt?" Sang asked, making me and Milo laugh. She blushed and looked down, letting her hair cover her face.

"Yes, but that's not why we were laughing." I looked at Milo in the mirror. "Remember when I asked that?"

He nodded getting up, "How could I forget, I still have the picture from when you got your henna." I scowled, while he got something out of a cabinet laughing before returning to his seat. "You remember this tattoo is going to take hours right?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I still want it on my lower back." He cleaned the area and I looked at Sang. "Sorry, is that alright?" If she was going to get a tattoo too then she might not want to sit here that long.

"Yeah." I looked to the others and they nodded as well.

"Okay, I'm going to start." I nodded and closed my eyes squeezing Sang's hand when the needle touched my skin. "You're doing good, Naomi." I grunted. "Wow, did I just hear Declan?" I rolled my eyes, while he chuckled. Maybe I spend too much time with them.. Nah. I closed my eyes, grunting whenever it hurts. Three and a half hours later I was done and standing to look at it in the mirror.

"Looks good Milo." I smiled looking at the ink on my back the best I could, it was red around the black ink and I couldn't help but hug him. "Thank you." I pulled away.

"Yeah well of course it looks good, I did it." He smiled proudly. "And you're welcome to come here anytime, the tattoo is on the house as long as Bennett doesn't come down here when he finds out." I nodded agreeing. "You still want a tattoo, little miss?" He looked at Sang.

She nodded and pointed to a butterfly on the wall, "I want that one, if that's okay?" She asked. She's always so nice and polite, Jordan needs to learn that. Oh.. Jordan..

"Just let me wrap her tat and then I'll do yours." Milo grabbed a thing of plastic wrap and stood in front of me.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "What's that for?" I pointed at the plastic wrap.

He rolled his eyes, "I'm going to wrap you with it and put you in my freezer." He deadpanned. I backed up. He shook his head, "I'm going to wrap it around your stomach and back so it will protect your tattoo from getting infected." I nodded and let him wrap it around my stomach and lower back. After that he cleaned everything and started setting up for Sang's tattoo. She sat down and Raven grabbed her hand, she looked at him guilty. "I want you to hold my hand, but I was hoping Naomi could." Raven raised his eyebrows slowly letting her hand go and backing up.

"Burn to his ego." I whistled under my breath grabbing her hand.

"I'll let him hold my after he's already started." I nodded feeling bad for the poor guy. "Ow!" Sang yelped but stayed in place.

I glared at Milo, "You didn't warn her you were starting."

"I'm starting, unless you want to stop?" He shrugged looking at her. She shook her head and looked at Raven. I let go of her hand and let him take it. We waited for half an hour before it was done. Sang got up and looked at it, it was small and it was right under her right boob on the side. She looked happy with it and thanked Milo three times.

Milo scratched his head, "Seriously it's fine, and if you stop thanking me it'll be free." She stopped after that, good to know that it works for getting free stuff. Milo taped a cloth on her tattoo and started cleaning up.

They started walking out but I stopped them, "Wait." They all looked at me. "I'll be out in a minute, just wait for me." They nodded and left.

"What's the hold up kid?" Milo walked around the counter and started pulling out the rings to get dust off them.

"I was wondering if you could give a small tattoo that I'm hoping won't take long?" I watched him work.

He watched me for a second before nodding, "Yeah, what are you looking for?" I smiled and told him, he raised a pierced eyebrow at me. "You sure? That's going to be on your body forever." I nodded. He sighed and took me back to the salon chair.

Twenty minutes later and I was walking back to the car.

I hopped in the back, closed the door and buckled. When I looked up everyone was staring at me, "Sorry I took so long." I blushed looking away. Brandon turned around and started the car, pulling out and onto the road.

"Why'd you take so long?" Sang bumped my shoulder.

"I got one more tattoo." She looked at my body then met my eyes. "I'll show you later." I bumped her shoulder. The car ride back to my house was quiet and soothing compared to my day. It was 12:30 when we pulled into my driveway. I got out and told them to wait so I could check if the boys were asleep. I unlocked the door and walked in closing it behind me, I set my keys down to turn the light on when a lamp turned on.

I looked up and saw Bennett with glasses set low on his nose with a book in one hand and his other hand on the lamp switch as he sat in a cushioned chair in the living room. His icy blue eyes met mine and I couldn't breath for some reason, "We've been waiting for you."

I was confused but when I looked over the couch I saw Jordan and Declan asleep on the couch, Jordan on one end and Declan on the other. I awwed but when I looked back at Bennett he had serious written all over his face. I hung my head, "I know, I know but can we talk after we get everything out of their car?" Bennett nodded walking toward the two sleeping beauties, but I stopped him. I shook my head, "Leave them be, let them sleep." He sighed but followed me back out the door.

We worked as quietly as possible and finished within thirty minutes. We waved as they pulled out, I could see Sang already asleep in the back. We stood there still even after their car was gone, silence fell over us almost like a blanket. I could see Bennett looking at me in my peripheral vision, I turned and walked back in the house and out the backdoor Bennett right behind me the whole time.

I sat on the edge of the pool. It was finished. It had lights built in the sides of the pool to see the water better, it made it look so blue and pretty I couldn't hold back from taking my socks and shoes off to dip my feet in. A minute later and Bennett was dipping his feet in next to me.

Silence settled between us as we stared at the water moving around our feet. Then Bennett broke it.

"New outfit." It wasn't a question but I still nodded. "Looks good on you."

A small smile formed on my lips, "Thank you." Silence settled again.

"Where were you?" Bennett looked at me so I looked back at him. "You were gone for hours." I hung my head again. "Do you know how worried we were?" I closed my eyes. "Do you know how worried I was?" I squeezed my eyes shut even more. "How much Declan was worried?"

I couldn't say anything. I should have called. I really should have. "Do you know how worried Jordan was?" I looked back at the water. "Do you know how bad Jordan blamed himself for you not coming back or calling? He thought he was the reason-"

"Stop!" I snapped looking at him, he winced and his eyes widened. "Sorry." I whispered looking away. "Ugh." I messed up my hair. I feel so bad right now and he kept pushing it in my face.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled making me have to strain my ears to hear it.

"Is Bennett Frazier apologizing?" I gasped trying to lift the mood.

He pushed me lightly, "So what if I am?" I laughed kicking water at him. He smiled doing the same. I dipped my hand in and pushed water at him, he followed what I was doing. I took my glasses off and tackled him into the water. I never let him go as we went all the way to the bottom, both our cheeks were puffed out as we looked at each other. His face was so close to mine and mine to his. He leaned in more, I was getting ready for what was to come.

But instead he pushed off the pool's floor and we surfaced gasping for air. I pushed away from him and over to the edge, I pulled myself up and sat back on the edge.

He swam over to the edge next to me and pulled himself up. I watched his arms flex as he pulled himself out of the water. He left and came back with a towel in each of his hands.

"Here." He handed me one.

"Thanks." I started drying my legs and working up my body. Bennett's white shirt was now see through and sticking to his abdomen like glue, giving me a perfect view of his ab's. I was drying my hair when he took his shirt off, I immediately looked away. But a peek couldn't hurt. I peeked and saw his 8 pack on full show, looking lower his basketball shorts were low enough to let the line of his boxers show. I looked away and started focusing on my hair. God I hope he didn't see me looking. Then don't look in the first place, Naomi! There goes the voice in my head again.

"Naomi?" I hummed in acknowledgment. "What's that on your back?"

Oh shit..

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Funny thing, when I was looking for the fleur- de- lis tattoo I found a fleur- de- lis waffle. And I ate a waffle this morning, how crazy is that? XD hope you liked the chapter, later 🖑