#tattau

The front door to his shop clattered open with the soft jingle of the old silver bell above the threshold. Eternal peered over the top of his sketchbook and instantly brightened, a smile spreading across his features,

"Heya kid--Tumb. What brings you back here, huh?"

"I, uh," Tumb fidgeted, tugging on the edge of his hoodie, "Well, I was just in the neighborho--WHOA!" He backpedaled against the door, face going pale, eyes widening in fright.

The big dog who had been lying beside Eternal had gotten to her feet and padded over to Tumb, sniffing at him curiously. Tumb was trembling, pressing back against the door, looking ready to bolt.

"Haha, easy, girl, easy." Eternal set his sketchbook and pencil down on the counter and stepped around to approach them, "This is Tumb and he's a friend. Down girl. Down."

The big dog glanced at Eternal, flicked her ears, cocked her head at Tumb, and then trotted back to the counter. She lay down on the floor, head on her paws, watching the pair intently.

"Sorry about her," Eternal said, looking back at Tumb, "She was just curious, she didn't know who you were."

"You..you h-have a…v-very big dog…" Tumb wheezed, still looking shaky, still pressed against the door.

"Haha, yeah, Tonks is a weird mixbreed but she's a big softie. I bring her down here with me sometimes, she's like a mascot." The tattooist chuckled but it faded quickly when he saw that Tumb still hadn't moved away from the door, "Hey, it's okay, she won't hurt you. If she bothers you, I can send her upstairs, she doesn't mind…"

Tonks huffed through her nose as if to say she would very much mind.

"N-no, no, that's okay just. Just keep her away--off of me." Tumb finally peeled himself off the door and edged around to the alcove of a waiting area. He perched on one of the squishy seats, still eyeing Tonks uncomfortably but trying not to show it.

Eternal glanced at the great dog who twitched an ear at him and closed her eyes. He turned back to his guest,

"So, what brings you in here today? Not on another dare I hope."

"Well, you said I could come by if I wanted to," Tumb muttered in a low voice. He wasn't looking at Eternal, his fingers twisted into the hem of his hoodie, "And I was in the area and--and stuff. So I just thought--"

The door to the parlor swung open with an unnecessary bang, the bell above it jangling harshly. A blast of cold, autumn air spiraled into the shop, making Eternal curl his bare toes on the floor. Tumb shrank back in his seat, trying to look smaller, almost vanishing into his oversized hoodie.

A group of three boys, all testosterone laughter and ego sized grins, stomped into Avium ink. Skinny denim slashed artfully at the knees and thighs, plaid jackets and bright pastel shirts, backwards hats and glasses that had no lenses. Eternal's nose wrinkled at the heavy stench of too much cheap aftershave. Tonks sneezed.

"You the tat artist?" Asked the one at the forefront, huffing a wisp of chemically starched blonde hair out of his face, "I was lookin' at your stuff, bro, and I like it. On the window." He jerked a thumb at the window displays and his companions sniggered like it was a joke. Eternal's face was blank but his eyes were hard. One of the kids in the back had his thumbs constantly sliding over his paper thin phone.

"Thanks for the compliment," Eternal said mildly, tilting his head slightly. Without his vest and a more fitting t-shirt on he looked a little less ridiculous and a little more intimidating. Until you got to his bare feet, "Now did you come in here just for that or did you want something else?"

"Yeah, bro, 'course I want somethin' else!" The kid chortled and looked at his friends as if to say 'what an idiot', "I wan' a tat!"

Eternal blinked once, looked the kid right in the eye, and said smoothly, almost curiously, "Why?"

The chuckling in the background ceased momentarily and they all stared at Eternal as if he'd asked them to list more than the first three numbers of pi.

"What?" Asked Blondie, blinking at the parlor owner.

"I asked you why you want it?"

"Uh, 'cause I want it." Blondie scoffed, putting his hands on his hips. Tonks growled at his insolent tone and one of the other boy's took a half a step back, "Look, bro, I wanna get somethin' cool to put on my arm to show my girlfriend."

"'Something cool to show your girlfriend' is not a reason." Eternal said cooly. He was a direct opposite of the man he usually presented, that warm smile, the teasing twinkle gone from his eyes, his piercings cold glints of steel that matched his hard gaze, "I don't give tattoos to just anybody, ragazzo, I give them to people who deserve them. And you definitely don't."

"What did you say? I'm a paying customer, man, you can't--"

"This is my parlor and I can do whatever I want." Eternal said in a dangerous tone, brow furrowing, "The sign on my door says I have the right to reject you. And you are a shallow child who can't look outside his own selfish world yet. So kindly take your business elsewhere. It's not wanted here."

The boys stared at Eternal and for a moment there was the flicker of rebellion and rebuke and mockery on their lips. Then they scoffed and wrinkled their noses and pulled faces and turned away. Their mutters of how "this place is a joke" "what an asshole" were snatched away by the cold wind and then the door was shut and they were gone. Eternal remained frowning at the closed door, looking older than before.

"Did you really just kick those guys out?" Tumb's voice broke the silence and Eternal spun on his heel, looking at the young man in surprise as if he was shocked to see him still there at all, "Don't you need to, you know, make money and stuff?"

The tattoo artist let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his dark hair, worrying his lip ring, "Yes, I do, but I don't need their money and I don't want it. I make more than enough on my own." He shook his head and looked back at Tumb with a smile though it looked more than a bit forced, "Anyway, sorry about the interruption. Did you need something or did you just miss me?"

Tumb blushed and Eternal chuckled. Tonks snuffled and then rolled around so she was lying on her side, back to the pair of them.

"N-no, I--I mean, I didn't--it was just--I wanted…I wanted…some place to…be." His voice had quieted as he'd spoken and he'd shrunk down in his seat even more. Eternal frowned but in a different manner than with the three boys. This was out of concern.

"Everything okay, bambino?"

"Yeah." Tumb said quickly. He still wouldn't meet Eternal's gaze. There was a heavy, awkward pause and then Tumb murmured, "No. Some stuff. Happened. I don't wanna talk about it."

The tattooist cocked his head, gaze flicking over Tumb who was curled up into the smallest ball possible on the chair. Then he gave a decisive snort, flicked the switch off on his OPEN sign, and walked across the parlor. He reached down and took Tumb's arm, hauling him off the chair and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Tumb stiffened, looking up at Eternal with flushed features.

"Come on, luce del sole, we're going next door for some R&R."

"R--R&R?" Tumb repeated blankly.

"Tonks watch the shop. I'll be back later." And with that, Eternal swept out of the parlor, steering Tumb with a sturdy arm around his shoulders. He locked the front door, stuffed the keys into the pockets of his striped pants, and spun right into The Hazelnut Lab next door. He was still in his t-shirt and still wasn't wearing shoes.

The inside of the tea shop was warm, as always, only there was faint jazz playing in the background today. There were more patrons than before but not so much that the place looked crowded, mostly college students studying or enjoying their weekend. No one looked twice at them.

Until Eternal thrust an arm over his head and shouted something loudly in Italian.

It sounded boisterous enough but it mostly drew them blank and curious stares. One girl in a corner put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Eternal grinned like an idiot and, unaware that Tumb was bright red and once again trying to vanish into his hoodie, strolled across the cafe and plopped them both onto stools at the tea bar.

Moirin frowned at him but before she could get a word in, the man himself burst out of the back room in a whirl of dress shoe and apron.

"No shirt, no shoes, no service!" Ghost barked at Eternal who beamed that shit-eating grin at him, rocking back in his seat. Ghost frowned and put his hands on his hips, "What are you doing here, Matthew? It's not closing for you yet."

"Yeah, well, I had to help someone with a little R&R." Eternal said seriously, his smile thinning as he squeezed Tumb's shoulder, "Kid needs a pick me up. So how about a little Irish Coffee, eh?"

Ghost scowled at him but it was in a good natured way as he brushed his hands off on his apron, "Absolutely not. Moirin get them two coffees. And make sure he pays."

"A coffee and a pomegranate tea with extra sugar." Eternal corrected cheerily. Ghost groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Actually, Once, maybe you should serve them, I was about to take me break." Moirin said and before the man could protest, she swept past him and vanished into the back room. Ghost gaped after her and then turned to Eternal with a disbelieving look. Eternal grinned and cracked an imaginary whip in the air. Ghost grumbled at him but moved away to attend to their drinks.

As soon as Ghost had put some distance between them, Eternal looked around at Tumb, his grin softening into a soft smile.

"Hey, kid," Tumb looked up into that warm, understanding face, "Whatever's hanging over your head right now? It'll pass." Eternal reached out and ruffled Tumb's hair, "Just like any storm, it'll pass. I promise." And he turned away to harass Ghost again.

He could feel Tumb staring at him and then the kid muttered something about the restroom, slipped off his stool, and ducked into one of the doors at the side of the shop. Eternal shot a glance after him and when he looked up again, Ghost was eyeing him with a sly sort of gleam in his eye.

Eternal frowned, "What?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Ghost said airily, setting Eternal's cup and saucer on the bar in front of him, "But I'm just thinking, isn't he a little young for you?"

The sugar packet in Eternal's hand exploded in a shower of snowy crystal, scattering white all over the countertop as he sputtered helplessly, red rising in his face.

"I told you that we are not dating!" The artist hissed as Ghost tsk'd and mopped up the spilt sugar, "He came to my parlor because he was upset so I brought him over here." Eternal snorted and sat back in his stool, dumping a packet of sugar in to his tea, "Tea and coffee are good for easing troubled nerves."

Ghost sniffed and leaned against the counter. Eternal watched his old friend as the man removed his glasses, tugged a handkerchief from his pocket, and started cleaning the lenses,

"I'm just saying, Matty. You tend to fall fast and hard when you crush. And then when you realize it was nothing more than a phase you get your heart broken." Ghost pressed his glasses back up his nose and looked seriously at Eternal who's face had been getting steadily redder, "You bounce from person to person, too distant to get attached, too easily crushed when they don't stay. You latch on and you don't want to let go and that just drives people away."

"Stop talking or I'll break your nose, nonno." Eternal growled, a dark look on his face, "You're crossing lines you know better 'in ta cross." The accent thickened in the tattooist's speech, pressing at the angry edges of his words.

Ghost shrugged and turned away, "I'm just looking out for you, Matthew. You're my friend. I don't like seeing you get hurt."

There was the creak of the bathroom door and Tumb slid back into main cafe area. Eternal glanced up and then frowned into his tea, "You know I came over here to make him feel better and here you are making me feel like a piece of shit. Some friend."

Ghost's mouth twisted into something that wanted to me a smirk and a frown at the same time, "Drinks on the house."

"Fine." Eternal huffed as Tumb approached, shimmying back on his stool, "Next time you come in for a touch up I'm gonna make fun of you for screaming like a little girl."

"I can easily find another place to go, Matty, don't tempt me." Ghost retorted.

That familiar, shit-eating grin spread across Eternal's face at Ghost's words and he picked up his tea cup, "Yeah but you won't." And he took a drink, satisfied that he had the last word. 

"You, uh, you have…a tattoo?" Tumb asked curiously in a soft, hesitant tone. The look on his face clearly said he didn't think Ghost was the sort of person to have skin ink.

"That is my personal business." Ghost turned his nose up at the pair of them, stacking cups on the back counter.

"That means yes." Eternal said behind the lip of his tea cup. He chuckled when Ghost rounded on him with a dark scowl.

Tumb took a slow drink from his cooling coffee, looking for a moment like he was going to ask more. But he didn't and they drank in silence as Ghost flitted about his business and patrons came and went.

Tumb pushed his empty coffee mug away and folded his arms on the counter, pillowing his head on the baggy arms of his sweater. Eternal, who was on his second cup of tea, shot a carefully blank glance at him,

"You okay, Tumb?"

"What? Oh, yeah, just…tired." There was falsehood in the young man's voice but Eternal didn't push, didn't pry, didn't press. Tumb sighed and straightened up, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "I should get back to my dorm, I've got…homework to take care of."

"Want me to give you a ride? It's kinda freezing out there." Eternal made the offer hesitantly, expecting a negative, treading like the stranger he knew he still should be.

"Um…" Tumb twisted the sleeves of his hoodie and then dropped his gaze to his lap, "No. Thanks. But no. I'll walk. It's not as far as it looks. 'Sides, it's not cold until it starts snowing."

And with that, he slid off his stool and shuffled towards the door without a backward glance.

----

Bluh, I don't like this chapter nothing happened I'm sorry I suck at full lengths goodbye.

Translations:

ragazzo - boy

luce del sole - sunshine

nonno - grandpa