river's pov ; seven thirty pm

By a chance of fate, I arrived at Atlas' apartment with Kingston in tow.

When I knocked on the door, Atlas, surprisingly alone, took one look at my face, snatched my dog from my arms and gave me a shot of liquor in return.

I threw it back and coughed loudly.

It wasn't first taste of alcohol I've had, but this stuff reminded me of what Raven would give me when I was sick. Told me it would 'clear my sinuses' or something like that.

I continued to cough, until the burning subsided and I felt pleasantly warm and fuzzy inside, that warred against the overtflow of overwhelming emotions that was coursing through my body.

"You look like you need another one," Atlas, as always, took me inside and sat me on the couch and left Kingston to play with Twix, the two year old yorkie Atlas doted on.

Atlas ruffled his hands through his dark curly hair and disappeared into the kitchen, only to come back out with two double shot glasses.

My eyes widened behind my glasses and I could only hope he wasn't about to give both of them to me.

I was already feeling things from the little shot he gave me before I sat down, I wouldn't be able to freakin' walk if I drunk both.

"Here, girly." Atlas handed me one and, thank god, kept the other one for himself. "Knock yourself out. You look like you need it."

He threw himself on the couch beside me and watched me with knowing eyes. "So...what's on your mind?"

"...Um...well..." I threw back the double shot without flinching this time just in time for Atlas to cut in.

"Hmm, lemme take a wild guess..." a smirk notched on the corners of his lips, "It has something to do with a certain hot daddy that looks like he'd love nothing more than to send you to your knees and stuff your mouth full of coc–"

"Oh my god!" I threw my hands over my face, cheeks as red as fire as I imagined Jungkook doing exactly that (I wasn't opposed to it) and that had fire spreading through my sensitive areas. "Shut up."

Atlas cackled and patted my shoulder.

"So why'd you show up then? If not to talk about the hot daddy?"

I nibbled on my bottom lip, mind going hazy at the thoughts going through my brain.

"I wanna do some stupid shit tonight." the words came out abruptly, causing Atlas to jerk back, but slowly, a conniving smirk went over his lips.

"You've come to the right place, my sweet summer child." he chuckled, standing up and leaving before coming back with a whole bottle of jameson. He held out the bottle and shook it teasingly, allowing the amber colored liquid to slosh inside the green bottle. "But we're gonna need this first, then talk of doing said stupid shit."

I met his challening stare with a grin of my own.

Lets get this started. It may be a bad idea...a reckless (not to mention stupid) idea, but, eh, I was due for a little recklessness, right?

I was always too careful. Too skittish. Too afraid.

I was taking control.

Or at least attempting to.

I knocked back drink after drink, not caring that I could no longer walk in a straight line. As if I was trying my damndest to expel the fear that rushed through my veins like adrenaline. I lost a sense of control that I had been grappling for control since the words had left Brandon's lips a week ago.

My mind became fuzzy and time blended together with Atlas throwing out ideas of what we could do.

He thought it would be a good idea to get matching tattoos. Matching tattoos. At eleven pm.
Me being as drunk as I was, happily agreed to his demands.
So that's why we left the dogs in the care of a sleepy, and thankfully, unconcerned Wil and left the apartment after he got home from work.

The chill in the air nipped at my cheeks and stained them a light pink as Atlas and I, arm in arm, stood in front of the closest tattoo shop I could google.

And that happened to be Tattered.

It was relatively new to the area, seven or eight months or so, but I had never heard a bad review about the place.

Plus, Aunt Erica's friend Cherry worked here. During the day that is.

Even in my shitfaced state, I did not want my brothers to find out what I was going to be up to tonight.

They would freak at the thought of me inking my body, Brandon especially. Too bad I wasn't too keen on keeping him happy lately.

I was going to attempt to do something I wanted and not try to live my life to please them.

"You ready?" Atlas asked deeply from beside me, words slightly slurring. I nodded without hesitation. The pair of us had sobered up slightly before leaving the apartment, yet we wern't fully sober. Sober enough to walk inside, show our id's and sign ourselves in. All that was left was to be taken in the back and tatted.

"River," one of my old classmates– who happened to be working the nighthshift today, "You're up, babe. Yoongi's just right behind the purple door." Nikita jerked her chin in the direction of the place I needed to be in.

"Thanks." I sniffed and stood to my unsteady feet. Atlas smacked the back of my thigh happily, and wiggled his brows.

"You got the inspo pic we're going for?" he asked, turning his phone around and showing me the photo of the tattoo we decided on.

A pair of wings of both sides of the stomach, basically on either side of the belly button.

I went ahead and lost my mind and decided I not only needed a tattoo, but I just had to have my belly button pierced to go along with it.

Atlas already had his done, so after this night, the pair of us would be matching. Looking around Tattered, I was blown away by the aesthetic of the place. It was so cool.

"Yup," I nodded, patting the back of my phone, "I just decided to get the piercing done with first." I told him, sending a nervous smile over my shoulder before I hesitantly entered the purple door and was faced with a korean man, who was, surprisingly, not covered in tattoos. But he was handsome. Too handsome. He looked otherworldly, like Jungkook.

I flushed at the image of Jungkook that entered my drunken brain and heat flared within me. Oh jesus. Not again.

My breath caught nervously seeing the needle in his hands and gulped. Liquor courage would only go so far, I guess.

Yoongi's lips lifted in a smirk, observing my shaking hands and pasted on a calm smile.

"Ready?"

No

"Yeah." I nodded and forced my feet to enter the room and sit where he directed me to. My fingernails dug into my palms. Trying to calm my breathing, I listened closely to what Yoongi was telling me and replying to what I needed to.

Using a marker to mark the place where I wanted the piercing, Yoongi prepared the needled and had me lay on my back.

I felt black spots race across my vision. And suddenly, I was so nervous of the fact that I was basically 'rebelling' that I wished Jungkook and Moon were here. Like they were when Jungkook tried to calm me down that one day where I lost control of my emotions.

"Deep breath," Yoongi calmly instructed, face near my belly button. I took a deep breath, eyes refusing to move away from the ceiling, "Deep breath out–" his words sounded far away when the needle pierced through my skin, feeling a tight pinch, I shut my eyes and forced my body to still completly.

I felt tugging sensations for a minute or so and a dull throbbing on my belly before I opened my eyes.

"Done," Yoongi announced, throwing away the gloves that he took off. Extending a hand, I grabbed it as he helped me get to my feet.

"Wow," I blinked in awe, looking at the belly button ring that was now decorating my tummy. "I love it!" I exclaimed, fingers gently touching the diamond colored gem in the middle.

"Thanks!" I looked over my shoulder, seeing Yoongi nod with a tiny smile. I backed away from the mirror with renewed nerves.

"Ready to get started on the tattoo?"

Ah. here we go again.

author's note ; ✨

it's been AGES since I last updated moon struck, forgot how much I loved writing this jungkook hahaha!
more chapters to come soon folks!

(this is what you can imagine for River and Atlas' tattoos!)