As Luke stood outside of the tattoo shop, he let out a deep sigh. He was so nervous to get a tattoo, and he couldn't even decide what he wanted to get. He pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time, watching as the little clock changed to read 6:00 and his alarm went off. He switched the alarm off and shoved the phone into his back pocket before entering the studio.

He looked around and noticed the room was packed with people. It was a pretty big room, so it didn't seem cramped, but there were people sitting in waiting chairs all the way from the desk to the door. "Take a seat please," a girl with about ten face piercings and arms full of ink said politely. "We'll be with you here shortly."

Luke could hear the tone of apprehension in her voice as she said the word 'shortly,' but he nodded to himself and took a seat. He pulled out his phone and saw a text from Calum, saying that he's 'sorry it's so last minute but something came up' and he wouldn't be able to make it.

Luke scoffed gently. Great.

He opened his messages and began replying to Calum's message, probably going to say some choice words that initially wouldn't make any sense, when he felt a presence at his side.

"You look nervous, blondie."

Luke looked over, seeing a boy who looked about his age with milk chocolate colored curls and hazel eyes. The boy held a slight smirk on his lips as he looked at Luke expectantly. "Uh," he started, laughing gently, "yeah, a little bit."

"This your first time getting a tattoo?"

Luke shook his head. "I have a few of them," he said softly. "They aren't very big, so, I don't know if they really count?"

The curly headed boy shook his head with a smile. "Any ink on your skin is a tattoo," he said playfully. "Even if you just get a tiny dot and then give up."

Like chuckled, smiling at the boy. "Okay, Phoebe."

The boy smiled wider, nodding his head in approval. "Glad you got the reference." He stuck his hand forward and looked at Luke with a lopsided smile. "I'm Ashton."

Luke smiled back, biting his lip gently as he shook his hand. "I'm Luke."

"So, Luke," Ashton said with a smile as he propped himself up on his arm on the back of the waiting couch, "are you here by yourself?"

Luke looked down at his phone once more, deleting the unsent message and sighing. "I guess so," he said softly. "My friend Calum was supposed to be coming, but something came up. He's the one who talked me into this in the first place."

Ashton shrugged. "Getting talked into getting some fresh ink isn't the worst thing that could happen."

Luke shrugged back at him. "I guess you're right."

"So," Ashton said, continuing the conversation, "what're you getting?"

Luke felt nervous now. He hadn't put much thought into what he should get. He was hoping Calum would've had an insight, and he'd probably just go along with what he said. Eventually, Luke sighed. "I'm not sure yet."

That made Ashton go completely silent. The smirk came back to his lips, and he quirked up an eyebrow, almost comically. After a moment of silence, Luke broke it. "What?"

Ashton let out a soft laugh. "You came to a tattoo shop," he said slowly, "and don't have a tattoo to get. Genius, Luke. Really."

Luke rolled his eyes and sat forward with his elbows on his knees. "Remember," he started, "this wasn't actually my idea to begin with. I was just going to let Calum—"

"Decide what you would get?"

"Yes."

Ashton looked perplexed. "Why would you let your friend talk you into getting something you wouldn't actually want?" Ashton wasn't being rude; he sounded genuinely curious. "It'll be on your body forever. You have to want it to actually like it."

"Well," Luke said, almost exasperatedly, "what do you think I should get?"

"Letting a perfect stranger pick your tattoo," Ashton said with another laugh. "Sounds smart."

Luke groaned. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just. My friends told me I need to be more spontaneous. Maybe they're right, y'know?"

Ashton looked at Luke curiously. "Alright, blondie," he said, straightening up and facing him. "What tattoos do you have?"

"Uh," Luke started, "I have a dove on the inside of my right bicep," he started, pulling his shirt sleeve in a little bit to show Ashton the tattoo, "and the years both of my parents were born on the outsides of both wrists."

Ashton looked over Luke, contemplative and quiet for a few moments. "Would you consider getting something floral?"

"Floral?" The word rolled easily off of Luke's tongue, yet sounding foreign coming from his lips. "I've never really considered it."

Ashton smiled. "I could see you with just," he paused, hands displayed in front of Luke, semi framing him, "a whole sleeve full of flowers. I think it would fit you pretty well."

"Flowers," Luke repeated, nodding softly. "Okay, and what kind of flower did you have in mind for right now?"

Ashton leaned back slightly, looking over him again. "What kind of person do you think you are, Luke?"

The question seemed to floor Luke. He'd never had someone ask what he sees in his own self, before. He was quiet for a moment, his mind reeling at just how he could answer that question.

"May I," Ashton started, cutting himself off as he scooted a bit closer to Luke. "May I have permission to touch you?"

Luke raised his eyebrows comically. "You're pretty straight forward, huh?"

Ashton rolled his eyes. "Not like that," he said. "Just. Trust me, okay?"

Luke was quiet again, looking at the sincerity in Ashton's eyes, waiting a few beats before nodding slowly.

Ashton smiled and leaned a bit closer. "Close your eyes for me?"

Luke did as Ashton asked, barely flinching as Ashton pressed his fingertips on both of his temples. The curly headed boy was quiet for a moment before he spoke softly. "You're very selfless," he said. "You put other's feelings and comfort before your own, so sometimes you get caught in situations you don't want to be in or places you don't want to be at. You just want others to be happy, but you seem to have not found that happiness for yourself. Your personality is strong, and your soul is beautiful. Your heart is in pieces, but you still find it in you to smile."

When Ashton finished speaking, he pulled his hands away from Luke's head, watching as the blonde opened his eyes slowly, his pupils dilating back to meet his irises. "How'd I do?"

Luke felt absolutely torn open by Ashton's words. Never would he have been able to even make such accurate descriptions about himself, and he never would have expected a complete stranger to make them. Luke just nodded softly, looking down at his hands.

"Gladiolus," Ashton hummed softly.

Luke shot a look up to Ashton's face, seeing his hazel eyes twinkle under the lights of the tattoo shop. "Gladiolus?"

Ashton nodded. "It represents strength," he whispered back, brushing hair from Luke's face. "And you seem to be a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Before Luke could say anything back, Ashton's name was being called by an artist, who was motioning him to the back for his session. Ashton sent him a wide smile. "Wish me luck," he said happily as he got up. "I hope I get to see your finished product, blondie."

Luke sighed softly as he watched the curly headed boy walk away, and then his attention was brought to the front by the woman he saw when he first walked in, who was motioning him to the front desk. He sauntered over to her, pulling out his driver's license and laying it on the counter.

"What are you going to be getting today, hon?"

Luke cast a glance toward where Ashton disappeared to the back, biting the inside of his cheek before turning back to the girl with a soft smile.

"A gladiolus flower."