Tattooed

"Where are you going, big brother," Braeden asked, tugging on my wool coat. He flashed those big dear eyes at me, begging me not to go.

I knelt down and ruffled his hair. "I'll be back, Brae," I promised. "Just go upstairs. Cayden, Draike, and Ean will take care of you. I won't be long."

Brae stared at me for a few second before nodding.He hugged me tightly and shuffled up the stairs to Cayden's room.

I ran a hand through my brown hair and checked my watch. It was six thirty. That meant I had about two hours before anyone came home. I hated leaving my brothers alone, but this would be the only chance I have to get out.

I wrapped my coat tighter around my torso and stepped into the cold winter air. Wind whipped my hair into my face and the frost stole my breath. I rubbed my hands together and set off towards the town.

As I walked down the narrow sidewalk that led to town, I thought about him. By him, I meant Percy. He was this boy I saw almost every time I was down town. He was...well, beautiful. There was no other words to describe him. I wanted to talk to him and ask him about the many tattoos he had.

Speaking of tattoos, I was going to a tattoo parlor now. I've been waiting a month and a half to go get one. Now was my chance and I wasn't going to waste it.

My parents are very strict. They didn't let me, the oldest (18), do anything except for school. They worked almost all day and still expected us to be home. The problem with sneaking out is that they always came home by the time we come home. After that, only on parent goes back to work.

Luckily for me, they had a dinner party to attend to. So I left the kids with Cayden and left. Hopefully they wont be back soon. I want to go, get the tattoo and come back. If they don't find out that I left, then they won't get angry and do something they would regret later.

Ink's Tattoo shop was next to Caroling Strip Bar. I walked past the bar and a crowd of scantly clothed girls who were smoking. They saw me and winked their eyes, inviting me. I tried to keep a disgusting expression off my face as i walked away. One, they were sluts (no doubt). Two, I liked men.

Being gay was one of the things that made my parents hate me. They thought I was some weird mutant for not caring if I was fucked in the ass. Why did they even bother? It wasn't as if they cared for me much. They certainly weren't home enough to act like it.

I opened the door to the tattoo shop and stepped inside. The place was relatively small. In the front were a few chairs and a desk for the clerk. There was an oak desk that led into where the tattoos were done. The walls were red and covered with different tattoo designs.I didn't bother to look at them as I sat down in the chair. I already knew what I wanted.

"Ah, ah, that hurts."

I blinked after hearing that from the other side of the door. That did not sound like the girl was in pain. Nothing like it. What the hell was going on?

"Jeez, Ink, not so hard."

I covered my ears with my hands and dropped my eyes to the floor. I did not want to hear that. I really didn't. At the same time, I wished it wasn't what it seemed like. Who the hell would have sex in a tattoo shop?

Scratch that. Who wouldn't? Even I would, if it was with Percy. I bit my lip, embarrassed with the thought. What was wrong with me? I didn't even know this boy and I was already thinking about fucking him. Besides, he was probably around twenty-one or twenty-two. He wouldn't go for someone ugly and young as me.

"Ink, stop that now! I heard the door. Someone is here. We can finish later."

"I don't want to, Marie! I'm in the mood to finish!"

"Too bad!"

Oh , god, they were having sex. Eew. I could hear every thing!

"Hello, Sir, how may I help you?"

I looked up and saw a small black haired girl standing in front of me. I was so intent on not listening that I didn't hear her come in. I scanned her from head to toe and was thankful that she didn't look like she had just got raped.

"I'd like to get a tattoo," I told her. Smooth, Alec. Smooth. Of course I wanted a tattoo. I was here, wasn't I?

She laughed at my response. "Are you eighteen?" I nodded. "Can I see your Licence or ID?"

I fished my Drivers Licence out of my wallet and handed it to her. She look at it and then me and handed it back to me. I put it back into place and shoved the wallet into my pocket.

"How much will it be," I asked her.

"Well see after you're done," she told me. "The price of the tattoo is based on what the tattoo is and the size."

I nodded, knowing I wouldn't have to pay that much. The tattoo I wanted was small and simple. It wasn't something fancy. I didn't want to show off or anything. The image I wanted meant a lot to me.

"You can go into the back and Ink will take care of you."

I got up and nervously walked over to the door. I was kind of scared to meet Ink. If he was the kind of person to have sex on the job, then I wouldn't like him. He'd be some horny old guy that preys on innocent girls.

"Just go in," The girl urged me. "Don't be shy, kid."

"OK," I said and pushed the door open.

The parlor in the back wasn't much different from any of the ones I had seem before. The floor was black and white tiled and the walls were the same red as the rest of the building. There were three reclining chair positioned in different spots of the room. Instead of tattoo designs, there were painting hug up on the wall. Over by a table, a man with his back turned to me was shuffling through surprise.

"Please have a seat," he said without looking at me.

"OK," I said softly and sat down.

"What color," he asked me.

I thought for a little while before saying "black. Just black."

"Where would you like it?"

"My neck. Or rather, right below my neck to the left."

"What do you want tattooed on you?"

"I want...an anchor. Simple. Solid. Nothing else."

I expected him to laugh but he didn't. He completely ignored what I said and continued going through his stuff. I closed my eyes and leaned back on the chair. After what seemed like forever, I heard foot step and then a chair being rolled over to me.

"Sorry about the wait; I was giving Marie a new tattoo," he explained. I was going to finish but she insisted that I tend to my new costumer."

I mentally let out a breath of air. So they weren't having sex in here. What a relief. I would have felt a lot weirder if they were.

"You can open your eyes, kid," he said. "It wont hurt that much."

I thought about keeping them closed but then decided against it. I didn't want to seem like I was scared or anything, because I wasn't. For some reason, I just did not want to open them. It was as if something was holding me back.

"The word's not dark anymore, is it, kid?"

I could do nothing but stare. This was him. The boy I was watching. He was the tattoo artist! That was unbelievable!

"My name is Percy Inker," he introduced himself.

"A-Alec Murphy," I stuttered. How could I not?! This beautiful boy was standing right in front of me.

"I've seen you around," he told me. "Now, I need you to remove your t-shirt."

"What?"

Did he just said I had to remove my t-shirt? Holy damn, I must be dreaming;. Wait, I take back what I thought earlier. Not here. Not in a tattoo shop!

"I need it off so I can draw your tattoo without anything in the way," Percy explained. He didn't wait for me to do it thought. He hooked his fingers under my Bless The Fall t-shirt and pulled it up. I raised my hand in the air to make it easier for him.

Once my t-shirt was off, he set it down on another chair and returned his attention to me. He studied me and I suddenly became self cautious. Without warning, he ran his cold hand against the left side of my chest, making me shiver.

He laughed at my reaction and pulled his hand away. "Sorry for not saying anything. I just had to check if I needed to give you a shave. My hands a bit cold, and the alcohol will be too, so get ready for it. "

Percy took a bottle of alcohol from the chair with his supplies and my shirt and poured some on his hand. Some dripped onto his pants but he didn't pay it any mind. He rubbed it over my chest, making sure to cover a lot. I felt like one of those young teens on their first dates.

"You said an anchor, right?" I nodded, afraid i wouldn't be able to speak if I opened my mouth. "I'll be right back."

Percy hopped off the chair and went over to a fax like machine. He drew something on a piece of paper and then put it into the machine. Withing seconds, he got the paper back.

He came back over to me and set the paper on the chair. He pulled on a pair of gloves and placed the paper on my collar bone. When he took it off, there was a black-ish blue outline left there.

"Can you lay back in the chair, Alec," Percy asked me. "I did as he was told and waited for the pain but it didn't come. He wasn't even ready to do that tattoo. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him place the ink caps and needles into his little tattooing machine.

"Ready, Alec," he asked me.I shook my head no but he only laughed. "YOu sure you want it right here?"

"Yes...why?"

Percy gave me a weak smile. "For your first tattoo, thats a pretty intense spot. The arm would hurt less, but if your sure..."

I gulped. I couldn't handle a lot of pain but I wanted to do this. i wasn't going to chicken out. "I'm sure..." I think.

Percy didn't say anything. He rubbed some kind of cream on the area he was going to work on and switched the tattoo machine on. I took a deep breath and tried to relax.

The pain...It hurt a lot. I was stupid for getting it in that stop. But once he started, I couldn't turn back. I resisted closing my eyes. Instead, I focused on his face. His barely grown beard; his bright hazel eyes; his red lips. He was so focused. Once, he looked up and offered me a reassuring smile.

A few tortured minutes later and he pulled away. I sighed and tried to get up. Percy pushed me back down, telling me I wasn't done yet.

"I've only got the outline. I need to shade it in. I'm going to let the ink sink in for a bit. Try to breathe. It's not that bad."

Not that bad? Not that bad? It was awful! How could he do this so many time? I saw the tattoos on his chest when he leaned forward. There were a lot! He even had some on his neck. I can't imagine getting that many.

Percy came back to me after a bit of wandering with a needle. He told me to sit back again and placed the needle against my skin. Again, I did not close my eyes. I looked at his face for comfort.

The shading didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. It hurt a lot, don't get me wrong, but not as much as it did at first. My skin was getting used to the pain.

Coloring the tattoo in took a lot longer than I thought it would. When Percy finally turned the needle off and set it on the table, my first instinct was to check my watch. It was eight. I only had thirty minutes to get home! And I wasn't even completely done with the tattoo!

"Is this almost finished," I asked Percy.

"Almost," he said. He took out a camera from the bag on the floor and held it up. "Do you mind of I get a picture of it in its raw state?"

"Picture away," I told him. I should have said that I needed to get home and had no time, but I couldn't help it. I just couldn't say no to him.

As if sensing my eagerness to get this done, he snapped a quick photo and applied another kind of cream to the tattoo. He pressed a bandage to the tattoo, and said, "leave this on for at least three days."

I nodded and got up, ready to pay Marie and leave. I had about ten minutes to get home and would no doubt have to run.

Percy handed me a paper with tattoo care instructions on it and escorted me to the front of the room. He showed Marie a picture of the tattoo and i ended up paying thirty dollars for it. Marie said it was a good deal for the quality I got. I could only nod an agreement because I didn't see it yet.

Percy noticed me glancing at my wrist watch and asked if I had somewhere to be.

"I need to get home really soon," I told him. "Five minutes to be exact."

"I can give you a ride," he offered.

I thought about declining but I really needed to get home. "Thank you, Percy. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I think i understand," he said and pushed me towards th e exit. "Marie, lock up for me."

"Sure thing, Ink."

Percy's car was a black Mustang Convertible. He unlocked the doors and we both got in. He turned on the engine and, after checking for cars, tore out of the parking lot an an unbelievable speed.

"I've been wondering," Percy started as if we wen't going a thousand miles per hour, "what does your tattoo mean to you? An anchor is an odd tattoo to get, so I want to know what it means." He was my hesitation and added "If it's not to personal to share."

I stared out of the window and fiddled with my hand. "My life...is dull and filled of fear for the siblings I live with. I could leave since I'm eighteen, but...I don't want to. I don't want to leave my brothers alone. Cayden is only fourteen. He can't take care of Draike and Ean all by himself. He wouldn't have any time to relax. Our parents are too strict. I watch the kids to give him time to be teen. To do what teens do.

"The anchor holds down a boat to keep it from moving. It makes the boat stable. I want that. I want a normal stable life, with love from my parents, not just from my sibling. I want someone's love that hasn't grown up with me. I love my brothers but...its different. I want the kind of love that stays strong. Stable.

"That's why I wanted an anchor tattoo. To remind me of what I can one day have."

"Then...I'm glad I was your artist, Alec."

He pulled into my drive way and I was revealed to see that my parent's car wasn't there yet. I got out of the car and walked over to the drivers side. "Thank you, Percy. For giving me a ride and the tattoo. "

"It's no big deal, Alec," he said, flashing me a smile. "Here, take this. It's a half off coupon for you next tattoo." He handed me a small sheet of paper.

I took it from him and smiled. "Thanks. I don't mean to sound rude, but please leave. MY parents could be here any minute."

Percy grinned and nodded. "I'll see you around time, Alec."

"Drive safely, Percy."

He rolled up the window and sped out of the driveway, his laughter floating out of the window to me. Drive safely. Yeah, right.

I walked into the house and flipped the lights on. Cayden, Brae, and Draike were in the living room, watching That 70s Show. I sat down next to them and yawned.

They all said their hellos and asked to see my tattoo. I told them they couldn't. "Not yet, guys. I have to wait to take the bandage off. But I know it will look amazing. Percy was the one who inked it in."

"Who's Percy," Cayden asked.

"A friend of mine," I told him. "Watch some T.V. before they get home."

Draike and Brae complied but Cayden was watching me with an amused glint in his eyes. "You like this boy, dont you?"

I looked away and blushed. "Noooo..."

"Aww! Boy, come sing with me!"

Together, they sang "Alec and Percy sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Quit it," I said and threw pillows at them.

They then got into it and sang louder. I threw another pillow and they threw it back. We were having so much fun that we didn't even notice our parents come into the room. When we heard their laughter, we were so shocked that we ceased all playing.

"Mom, I'm Sorr-"

"No need to be sorry, Alec," she said with a smile on her face.

"By all means, keep playing," our father said with a smile.

Woah...I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of their mouths. They were telling us to keep playing?!

Mom saw the shocked expression on my face and walked over to me. She took my hand in her and squeezed. "Alec, I know we've been hard on you, and we're sorry. We really are. We were wrong. You four are kids and need to act like ones. We just hope you can forgive us."

I think if they said anything more, i would have cried. "I...We forgive you. What happened to make you see this?"

"We nearly hit this tattooed boy who was laughing," Dad explained. "I think he was the Inker's son. He's wild and, well, acts like a kid. It made us feel bad that we didn't let you do anything. Not that i'm telling you to get a tattoo...You already got one, thought. "

My jaw dropped. Percy was the reason they saw what they were doing. I owed his a lot. My next tattoo has to be a tribute to him.

"How did you know Alec got a tattoo," Cayden asked.

"We saw him walk into the tattoo shop on our way to the party," Mom confessed. "We were going to punish you later but we wont. You're eighteen. You can decide what you want for yourself."

I smiled at them. My first real smile in this house without any sadness in it.

"Daddy, can we invite Percy over for dinner," Braden asked.

"Who's Percy," he asked.

"The boy Alec likes," Draike supplied. "Percy Inker. The one yo almost hit."

I swear, if he wasn't my brother, I could kill him.

"Yes, we can invite him over tomorrow," Mom said.

"You can call him later Alec."

"Mom, Dad, Brae, Draike, I think you know what has to be done," Cayden said.

They laughed at some secret joke I didn't know about and turned to me.

"What are you doing," I asked.

"One...Two...Three...," Draike counted.

"Alec and Percy sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"