sugarcoat.

where: destination ink

Sometimes their schedules clashed and that meant finding time to spend together where they could. Salem was welcome at the studio whenever they wanted to stop by, provided the artist wasn't in need of solo time. That did not happen all that often, however. Other times, it meant him dropping into the tattoo shop with lunch, dinner, or some coffee and a snack. A lot of his love was shown that way, through caregiving and doing things that would hopefully help the other. Being useful in some way or another made Elijah feel accomplished. That evening it was dinner. He'd left the studio around six and picked something up for both of them when he'd heard she was working late.

Moving into the shop with the bags in hand, he gave a quick nod to the front counter person and went straight back to Salem's station. Coming behind them he placed a gentle hand on their back and bent down to give them a quick kiss on the temple. "How's it going?" He felt particularly lucky to have caught her in between clients, it meant they could eat the food while it was warm. "I come bearing gifts." The producer held up the bag and sat down to start pulling things out.

being two workaholics in a relationship often presented its challenges, but for salem and elijah, things seemed to work out just fine. salem worked long hours at the tattoo shop, often getting there far before it opened and leaving long after it closed, attending to each and every client and piece of artwork that crossed their path. but they knew that, once they were home, they could go sit on the floor of elijah's studio until he was ready to wrap up his tasks, perfectly content to keep to themselves until he caught their attention. at this point it felt like some sort of routine, and it was one that salem looked forward to each and every day.

While Sky's not working all day, she had volunteered to be one of the people there for the Pride events that the Tin Roof was sponsoring. She's just checking IDs and handing out wristbands anyway, so it wasn't too taxing. She'd made plans later with her son to explore but for now, she's giving people a brief smile before telling them to move along. "Let's not hold up the line, kiddos," she tells the young couple who are not even paying attention to her-- just one another. But as she turns back to the first person in line, Sky shrugs, looping the band around the person's arm. "I can only do so much and I am not their mom. It's not my problem," she adds. "Do anything good yet? I'm trying to get ideas for later but it's a little hard from here."

"Heyyy, you made it!" Carson was, admittedly, a few drinks in by this point. He liked to have fun. He liked to let loose. The Nashville Street parade was usually a great excuse for that, not that he needed one. Carson was at least acquaintances - if not friends - with most of the artists at Destination Ink. He'd been going there since it opened. "I think Colt's around somewhere. Think he came with a buddy. You want a drink? The Drag performance is about to start."

Carson was in his element, bare chested and wearing a bandana around his neck in the colors of the bisexual pride flag. His torso, arms and back were already decorated with several tattoos, but he'd added a few temporary stick-on ones and some body paint for the occasion. "If you see any hot single guys, by the way, I'm not not looking. You know what I'm saying?"

most of the time, salem trudged home after a long day at the shop, ready to curl up in their partner's lap so they could share hushed whispers and catch each other up on their days. but they knew that this night would be void of that, their partner working late and leaving the redhead to their own devices. carson's invitation to the tin roof had perked their ears up almost immediately, and as they made their through the bar, a wide grin spread on their features at the sight of their friend.