Chapter Text
Amelia accompanied her to the tattoo parlor. It was a cozy little shop nestled between a tempting donut place that caught her friend’s eye and a nearby laundromat. The air inside carried the fragrant blend of melted butter and lavender fabric softener.
Ascending the steep and dimly lit staircase, they entered the shop. The walls were predominantly off-white, except for a striking feature wall adorned in vibrant red behind the receptionist's desk.
Surprisingly, there was an abundance of plants, causing her to reconsider her initial expectations.
What? Carina just really loved plants.
A neon red sign above the desk proudly displayed the name of the shop as Station Nineteen , written in an elegant and flowing font.
An odd name, she thought at first, but assumed it had some significance she just wasn’t privy to.
The man at the front desk remained unfazed as they approached. His voice carried a touch of gruffness as he confirmed Carina's appointment with one of their artists, Bishop.
Carina dutifully completed the necessary forms and made the payment before returning to the bench beside Amelia.
The woman had been her friend ever since she started working at Carina's flower shop across the street a little over a year ago. She had witnessed Carina's joy when their biggest competition across the street was shut down (she had felt a little guilty right after) and had stood by her side every day, peering out the window to see what would replace it.
Carina had secretly hoped it wouldn't be another flower shop. The previous one had drawn away too many customers, nearly driving their business to the brink of closure.
So the surprise of a tattoo parlor as the replacement was both welcome and shocking.
Although, Carina had always harbored a certain dislike for tattoos.
The idea of permanently marking one's body with ink that one might come to regret in a few years seemed unfathomable to her.
That didn't mean she wasn't intrigued when Amelia suggested going in there one day to 'check it out' and came out with a tiny butterfly tattoo right above her left hipbone.
Carina had then gasped and chided Amelia for being impulsive, though secretly she couldn't deny her own curiosity.
She guessed Amelia’s tattoo was tiny enough and could be easily hidden. At least she hadn't gotten her ex's name tattooed or chosen something extremely inappropriate.
But what might have really sold the florist on getting one of her own would've been Amelia's suggestion of getting a flower, something close to her heart that reminded her of home.
Something she knew she would want to keep with her forever.
It wasn’t like a flip had been switched in Carina's mind; rather, it had taken weeks of persuasion on Amelia's behalf, but eventually, the Italian had given in. She wanted something meaningful, and she assured herself it would only be a one-time thing.
Just a small tattoo, and she'd be out of there, never to return again.
At least that had been her plan before a woman emerged from the back. Clad in a captivating ribbed black tank top that snugly hugged her curves, bare arms covered in intricate tattoos. Her jeans bore artful rips at the knee, adorned with ink stains across the thighs.
A slow, enticing smile formed on her lips as she gazed at the two friends expectantly, causing Carina's mouth to suddenly run dry.
"Who am I doing?" she asked. The words flowed effortlessly, filled with a hint of playfulness. Carina blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Um, me?" she stammered. "You’re doing me."
Amelia snickered, prompting Carina to nudge her discreetly. Gathering her composure, Carina rose to her feet, noticing the woman's grin transitioning into a more teasing expression. Carina narrowed her eyes slightly but extended her hand.
"I'm Maya."
"Carina," she responded.
“Great! Shall we head to the room now?" the sly smile is forever present on her face as Carina clears her throat and nods eagerly, following the woman.
Just a small tattoo, Carina quietly repeated to herself, her conviction beginning to falter.
The rooms were separated by walls on each side, with a window at the back. Some rooms had open entrances with sheets that could be pulled over, while others had actual doors. Maya closed the door behind them and directed Carina to set her things on the small table beside the reclining chair.
Amelia sat in a chair near the window, crossing one leg over the other. She seemed more prepared to observe than to support Carina, and when Carina caught her gaze, Amelia winked mischievously. Carina scowled in response, placing her phone, keys, and wallet on the table.
The room felt warm, so she shrugged off her jacket and folded it to the side. She glanced over at Maya, who was hunched over a small desk, her foot tapping against the ground.
She remembered Amelia talking in great detail about the tattoo artist and how she'd been enamored by the woman, but Carina hadn’t pictured her this way in her head. She can’t even remember how she imagined her or if she even did, (Amelia had a habit of over-exaggerating and Carina tended to tune her out) but now it feels like Maya herself refuses to leave her head, even when she squeezes her eyes shut when the woman turns to dig through a drawer.
"So," Maya said, holding up the piece of paper where Carina had scribbled down a brief description of the tattoo she wanted. "The flower?"
" Si ," Carina nodded. "It's a lily, my mama’s favorite."
"Great choice," Maya remarked, tying her medium-length blonde hair up and revealing the exquisite ink that adorned the back of her neck. Carina's gaze lingered, observing the subtle movements of Maya's muscles, the smoothness of her exposed skin, and the strength in her arms. The nervous energy intensified within Carina, caught in an inexplicable flustered state.
As if she’d sensed Carina’s restlessness, "Nervous?" Maya asked, bending down to grab something from one of the drawers before returning to her stool. She wheeled herself closer to Carina's chair, and Carina took a moment to gather her thoughts.
"A bit," Carina admitted. She shifted back against the chair, feeling the cool, slightly sticky leather against her skin as she crossed her ankles and then uncrossed them again.
"Don't worry," Maya assured her. "I'll take care of you."
Carina thinks she twitches , but Maya doesn’t seem to notice her, sliding open another drawer and stacking a few things on top of the station.
Amelia, on the other hand, noticed and scoffed. Carina glanced over at her and shot a glare, but Amelia responded with an innocent grin and waggled her eyebrows playfully. The Italian just rolls her eyes and moves her attention back to the blonde once again.
Maya had placed a sketchbook in front of her which was filled with numerous drawings, showcasing her talent for nature-inspired tattoos—flowers, plants, and trees. It came as no surprise considering the abundance of greenery in her room. Pots adorned the windowsill, while a few hanging plants added to the natural ambiance in the corners.
“I like this one best,” Carina pointed to a particular sketch, sliding the page back towards Maya. It depicted a captivating crisscross of branches with intricate tangles at the top, adorned with leaves that exploded into a variety of lilies, both big and small.
“Me too,” Maya says and Carina doesn’t know if she means it or not, but the blonde seems like someone genuine in everything she does, so Carina believes her. “And where do you want it?”
Carina had previously contemplated having it inked on her rib, just below her left breast. It would be easily concealed, even when she wore the more revealing outfits that she adored.
"Right here," Carina mumbled, pointing to the exact spot she had envisioned. She watched as Maya followed her gaze and her eyes settled on the spot right next to Carina’s finger.
"Cool," Maya acknowledged, focusing her attention on creating the stencil. Carina's eyes remained fixed on Maya throughout the process. She marveled at Maya's ceaseless movements, the way she brushed her stray hair away from her face, and how her bottom lip found its way into her mouth.
Amelia whispered, breaking Carina's trance. "Do you want me to stay?"
Startled, Carina turned to face Amelia, finding her unusually close. "I... no?" Carina blinked, momentarily flustered by the idea of being caught staring once again.
"Are you sure you don't need someone to hold your hand?" Amelia smirked knowingly.
Carina nodded, mustering up a sense of assurance. She knew exactly what Amelia was insinuating by suddenly leaving Carina and Maya alone.
After what felt like hours, but was possibly only a few minutes, the blonde turned around and blinked at the space where Amelia stood, then refocused her attention on Carina. "Is she...all right?"
"She's fine," Carina reassured, mustering a tight smile. Nervousness began to creep back in, anticipation building as she contemplated what was about to unfold.
Maya nodded, accepting Carina's brief response, and rolled back from her workstation. Handing over the piece of paper, she asked, "How's that look?"
"Great," Carina breathed, her excitement palpable. "I love it."
"Is the size and everything good too?" Maya inquired, standing up and receiving a nod from Carina. Passing the paper back, the brunette confirmed, "Cool, I'll be right back. I just have to put it in the thermal printer to create the temporary tattoo."
Maya returned quickly, a grin adorning her face. She laid the black paper on the side table and washed her hands in the sink before slipping on a pair of black gloves.
"Can you take your shirt off for me, please?" Maya requested, settling back into her seat and wheeling herself closer.
Carina felt as if her body was experiencing a glitch, like a wire prone to short-circuiting, with Maya's presence unraveling something inside her, causing delightful chaos. She complied, removing her shirt and placing it on top of her jacket. This morning, she was too nervous to overthink her outfit, but she was grateful she ended up in a simple black bra, avoiding the feeling of showing off too much. She had to fight against the urge to squirm under Maya's gaze.
"Can you roll over to your side?".
Carina complied and shifted until she felt relatively comfortable.
"Think you can hold that for a while?" Maya asked.
"Yeah," Carina nodded.
"Okay, I'm gonna start by cleaning your skin and then applying this lotion to help the temporary tattoo stick," Maya explained. "You're still good?"
"Yeah," Carina confirmed, her mind already distracted by Maya's proximity, to the point where she nearly jumped when Maya swiped the cloth soaked in alcohol over her skin.
"Sorry," Maya murmured. Her hands moved with care and speed, forcing Carina to rein in her wandering thoughts. "Tell me if the placement is good, okay?" Maya requested. She held the temporary tattoo with pinched fingers at the top and bottom, lightly resting it against Carina's abdomen.
"I still want it on my side but closer to my stomach than my back," Carina stated, and Maya made the adjustment. "That's good," Carina affirmed.
"Great," Maya hummed. She pressed down over the paper and then pulled it away. "Want to see how it looks in the mirror?"
Carina stepped off the cot and walked toward the full-sized mirror in the corner. She admired the placement and size, appreciating its central position on her body. "I love it," Carina murmured.
"Awesome," Maya grinned, proud of her work, "Are you ready?"
She nods and makes her way back.
"Good?" the blonde asks when Carina is back on her side, trying to find the most comfortable position that allows easy access for Maya. Carina nods, attempting to let the tension melt away from her body, but being on her side isn't the most comfortable position, and the nerves resurface.
"Don't worry," Maya reassures her. "I'll be gentle."
Carina tenses up immediately but manages to settle before Maya notices, as she is too busy checking the ink and adjusting the voltage on the tattoo gun. The buzzing sound is startling, and Carina has no idea how she'll manage to stay still. She expects the process to take a while, but she didn't want to ask for a specific timeframe and get stuck with it in her head.
Maya had promised her breaks and reassured her that she could ask for one whenever she needed them. Carina guessed she trusted her, she would just feel more at ease around her if her mind could stop racing ahead ten steps.
The gun buzzes loudly again, and Carina takes a deep breath. "I'll do one line, and then we'll see how that goes, okay?" Maya asks.
"Yeah," Carina nods. She closes her eyes and winces when the needles make contact, but it's more of an annoying pinprick than anything extremely painful.
"Not so bad, hey?" Maya says. "It'll be worse when I get closer to your ribs, so we'll take it slow around them, okay?"
"Sure," Carina agrees.
"Do your best to stay still for me, okay?" Maya requests.
"I'll try," Carina mutters.
"Don't worry," Maya hums. "If you squirm, I can hold you down."
The buzzing starts again, masking the gasp Carina is certain slips from her mouth. She's partly distracted by the fluctuating sensations of pain and irritation from the needles, but not enough to completely stop her mind from wandering.
Maya periodically checks in, but she seems to enter a zone, and Carina is content to let her mind drift to less uncomfortable thoughts.
"This part might hurt a bit more," Maya warns, wiping away excess ink.
Carina braces herself and attempts to stay still, but she winces and lets out a longer breath when Maya traces over a spot directly above a rib.
"Good girl," Maya murmurs, and Carina’s not entirely proud of what the words do to her as she turns her head further against her hand to conceal her reaction. She squeezes her legs together and regrets it.
She's so acutely aware of Maya's proximity, how snug her tank top is, how deftly she handles the tattoo gun, how skilled she must be with her fingers, and how there's at least a sixty percent chance that Maya knows exactly what she's doing.
More if the smirk on the blonde’s face is anything to go by.
Her smile twitched when Carina glanced over again, the corners of her mouth barely lifting, and her lips pursing to counteract it. The buzzing stops, and Maya wipes over the tattoo with a paper towel. "Need a break?"
Carina's mouth felt dry, making it difficult to form words, so she settled for nodding her approval.
She checked her phone while she waited, stretching out her legs and leaning against the window. She was mindful not to let her arm brush against her side, as it already felt sore and constricted.
There was a message waiting from Amelia, and Carina scowled as she read it. The message filled with explicit thoughts that uncomfortably mirrored Carina's own suppressed desires.
She turned off her phone and shifted her attention to the tattoo in the mirror. The linework was completed, and Carina already loved how it looked.
"It looks great," Maya offered.
"It really does," Carina agreed.
“Ready to get back to it?”
She nodded and climbed back onto the table, and Maya resumed her work, adding shading and depth through precise dots instead of broad strokes of ink.
When the tattoo was finished, Maya explained the aftercare instructions while gently applying a thin, clear covering over the artwork. Carina nodded along, hoping she was catching the important points, but her body felt tired and achy, akin to the sensation of tender bruises around her ribcage.
"All done," the blonde announced. She lightly tapped the edge of her hip before rolling back on her stool. "Any questions?"
Carina shook her head, gingerly reaching for her shirt and pulling it back on. She stood up, debating whether she should say anything.
She was usually very forward, but the mix of nerves and confusion caused by Maya left her uncertain.
She decided to take a chance, ready to make a playful comment about coming back in the future for Maya to check if everything was still okay. However, just as she was about to speak, Amelia appeared at the door, interrupting the little bubble they had created.
“Ready to go?”
She supposed some of it was her own fault for texting Amelia that she was finally done.
Carina sighed, maybe, deep down, she was also relieved by the interruption, saving her from potential embarrassment and facing Maya's possible rejection.
She had sworn at the start of the day that visiting the tattoo parlor was a one-time thing and intended to stand by that decision.
Although it was also true that Carina wasn't known to have the best self-control when it came to the things she wanted.