Philly Ink

(Lauren's POV)

The fight between Chad and Vern was hysterical to me. I was hoping to see GG get all angrily and deck Vern, but he just stormed out. It wasn't fair. Instead I had to focus on inflecting pain on Bam. Least I was an expert at it. “So.” LC paused from finishing up on the session, and Vern looked like he had wanted it to end a good hour ago. “The boys are in New York tonight.”

My brother passed me a weird look until I pointed at the tattoo machine. Calmed him right down. “Could drive there after this, Bam is the whole reason I had to stay in Philly today.”

“Vern is my last appointment of the day.” grinning, LC encouraged me to hatch a plan. “I hate that look.”

Coming back inside, Abbey looked like she needed some distraction from whatever had just happened outside. “Babs, you have the shop tonight! LC have to make it to New York to see a client.”

“I wanna go!” Shoving Bam back onto the table, after he started sitting up I shook my head. “You can't stop me.”

LC flashed the lyrics at me after letting Vern check out the work so far. “No, but I can change the portrait of our father into a portrait of Uncle Pat.”

Gramcey Theater had a line going around the whole building, with most of the fans wearing heartagram shirts. “Guess we found it.”

Pulling into where the tour buses were parked, I decided to park in front of all of them. Climbing out of the purple car, I watched as LC bolted to her husband's side. Poor Janne almost had a heartagram attack. Figured it would be a huge surprise to show up randomly. “Hi heart-a-fly!” waving at Gas he actually ran inside. “Rude!”

Turning around, I spotted Ville standing in an alleyway, smoke exiting his mouth as he flicked his cigarette. Apparently as a gust of wind swept in and caused my burgundy flowing top to flutter in various directions, Ville noticed I was walking his way. The cigarette fell from his hand. “We need to talk.” I grabbed the sheet of paper from my bag and passed it to him. Shock overtook his face even more than my mere presence had caused. “How dare you get a tattoo by someone else.”

“Oh.” it was as if he had expected something else to be wrong. “um... I was helping Lacey out with .. um a client. They wanted the lyrics in Finnish, so I wrote them down.”

I didn't believe it for a second. “Cool then there is no reason for me to stay in New York.”

“Wait!” his hand landed on my arm, yet it wasn't needed for me to stop moving. “It might be for me. Those lyrics kill me every time I sing them and … I figured there are only two ways to hurt less.” Turning around, I looked into the blueness that had always calmed me no matter how hurt I was. Brought me tranquility no matter how much stress was eating away at me. Those eyes kept me sane when all my brain did was repeat the events of one horrible day over and over. “One was to get the words tattooed so I can own them.”

It was if I had been compelled into asking the next question. “What is the other way?”

His other hand grabbed my hip and pulled me closer. There was no room left between us and I could even feel his heartbeat. A hand had released from my arm and managed to wrapped around my lower back to meet his other. Both set of heartbeats had quickened and both of us knew it. “Not denying them anymore.” our lips met simultaneously and everything just felt right. Like we had been like this since the beginning of time. I didn't even know someone had been tapping their foot loudly behind me.

“Bam?” Ville's voice asked letting me know I was done. He was going to be pissed.

I looked over my shoulder to see I was right. “You were suppose to make sure she was safe Ville.” anger laced his words. “I asked you to make sure nothing happened to her or that she left.” He sent Ville as a spy? “You weren't suppose to be in love with her and saving her from misery.”

Walking away I could hear him laughing. “What was he talking about Ville?” instead of answering, I ended up being pulled back onto his chest.

“No idea Love, but I was hoping for this option all along.”

Through out the entire show, Ville kept glancing up to the balcony area I stood at. Each at a lyric that hit like a tidal wave. Each a lyric I had no idea was about us. Guess I had been blind. I had no idea what was going to happen after leaving the concert, but I couldn't wait to find out. Only one thought made me unhappy. I wouldn't see Ville again until they circled back to Philly. Reading my emotions, LC passed me a drink. “Least I won't be alone in my countdown. The Philly show is in three weeks.” taking a sip I saw her start to smile “But don't worry, Kat is coming in soon.”

Kat was going to love this. She had been calling me out for years about having a hidden relationship, saying we were both just denying it to keep from having the drama of a celeb couple out for everyone to see. After imagining how Kat would react to hearing about the new relationship as Bam declared for us … to everyone inside the entire venue, I couldn't help but wonder if I could hide on tour with HIM. Then I wouldn't have to miss Ville after everything had just become so clear. The look on LC's face made me change my mind. I couldn't let her suffer alone. “You are so lucky I love you like a sister.”