Chapter Seven
Jin
I step into the tattoo shop, looking around with wonder. There’s so many beautiful designs all over the walls. I want to sit down and look at them all, to admire each piece the same way someone would wander a museum.
“Jin! Hey!”
My eyes snap forward, finding Tilly. During the time we’ve been messaging, I’ve gotten to learn that she’s just as new to town as I am. The parlor might have only been open for a few months, but it already looks incredibly established in my eyes.
The tattoo on my shoulder burns as I think about it. If she’s using magic, then how did I end up with my own wings on my shoulder? How does that make any sense? Wouldn’t it have been better if she’d just tattooed nothing instead?
Ugh, everything is so confusing, made even more confusing by my feelings for Leo.
“Hi, Tilly! Thanks again for seeing me.”
“No problem at all,” she says with a smile, setting her sketchbook down. I eye the design, my stomach swooping.
“Tilly,” I say softly, staring down at the art she’s just been working on. The design is gorgeous. A phoenix with its wings spread wide, fire dancing against its feathers. “That’s the most beautiful design I’ve ever seen. Is that for someone?”
Tilly shakes her head. “Just something I was sketching out for fun.”
“Please, let me have it.”
“Like the drawing? Like this piece of paper?”
I shake my head quickly. “That can be my next tattoo. Right across my chest.”
Tilly chuckles. “I’ll save it for you, but I don’t think you wanna start with a giant chest piece, dude. We can work our way up to it.”
“Promise you won’t give it to anyone else?”
“I promise,” she says with a smile. “Now, let’s talk about what you were so worried about.”
I let out a deep sigh, rubbing at my face. “Okay,” I say softly, “I don’t want to be that guy and say maybe your magic was faulty when you did your tattoo but…” I let my voice trail off.
“Bold claim,” she says, but there’s a smile on her face. “Why do you think that?”
“I’m a Seraphim,” I explain slowly. “You tattooed my own wings onto my back.”
Tilly stares at me for a long moment before her lips curl up into a little smirk. “Okay, so because you’re a Seraphim, that clearly means you and only you can have wings?”
“Obviously not, don’t be ridiculous. It just seems like quite the coincidence that you tattooed wings that look exactly like my own on my back when it’s supposed to somehow be related to my soulmate.”
There’s a long pause where we both stare at each other. Tilly cracks first. “I don’t normally need to spell these things out,” she says softly. “Maybe, and hear me out here, there’s a chance your soulmate also has wings that are similar to yours?”
I hum, thinking. Every time I think about the possibility of a soulmate, I picture Leo’s face. His thick, messy, black hair. His gorgeous brown eyes. His soft smile. His broad shoulders and thin waist.
As far as I know, Leo doesn’t have wings.
“Nah, that can’t be it,” I finally say, much to Tilly’s dismay.
Tilly blinks at me before she’s just shaking her head. “Alrighty then. Did you still wanna add some ink today?”
“Hell yeah,” I say with excitement. “Since we’re not starting on that gorgeous phoenix piece, I was thinking something on my left arm? Maybe around my wrist?”
We talk about a design for a while before landing on tentacles that wrap around my wrist and dart up my arm. I sit back in the chair, letting my arm rest where Tilly needs it to be for her to work.
The buzzing of the tattoo machine becomes the perfect background noise as I think. Could Tilly be right? Could I actually have a soulmate out there with flaming wings? That feels so unlikely because the only one I could see slotting themselves into my heart is Leo.
The man is soft and sweet. He’s gentle in a way that leaves me melting. He’s so different from me, yet somehow exactly what I need. I enjoy spending time with him. Hell, I even told him that I like him!
We might not be soulmates but we fit and that’s all that matters to me.
“There we go,” Tilly says, putting the tattoo gun onto the tray beside her. I’m shocked that she’s already done. How long was I zoned out for?
I look down at the design, grinning. “It’s beautiful,” I tell her. “Thank you, Tilly.”
“No worries. I’m glad you like it. You remember how to take care of it?”
“Of course.”
“Perfect. Let’s get you wrapped up, paid, and out of here.”
After paying, I wrap my scarf around my throat and head back outside. My walk back to my house is filled with even more confusion than before. Somehow, I have all the answers yet have even more questions than when I got here.
I’m not gonna overthink this. Whatever is happening between Leo and I is good, and that’s all that I care about. That’s all that matters.
Once I’m back home, I pull out my phone and text Leo, asking him if he wants to come over and watch a movie with me. I get a response straight away. I smile down at my phone before getting to work, making sure my living room is tidy before starting on some food.
After about twenty minutes, there’s a knock on my door. I dart over, opening it up with a grin. The sight of Leo steals my breath. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of how fucking pretty he is.
Leo is masculine, all broad shoulders and strong body and sharp jaw, but at the same time, pretty is the word that always comes to my mind when I look at him. Maybe it’s the chocolate eyes or the messy hair. I don’t know, but I love the way he looks.
“Hi, Leo! I’m so glad you’re here. Are you hungry? I made us some veggie fried rice!”
Leo gives me a little smile and my stomach flutters. “That sounds good. Thank you, Jin.”
“No worries. Come in and get comfortable.”
This is the first time Leo’s been in my space and I find that I like it. I like him looking around. I like him taking it all in. I like that he’s here, with me.
Gods, I just like him. Period.
Once the food is done, I scoop two big bowls and head into the living room, setting them down on my coffee table. Then I sit on my feet and gesture for Leo to join me. He sits pretzel style, the both of us facing the TV.
“Do you care what we watch?”
“Have you seen that new animated one? The one about the ice skaters?”
I shake my head. “Let me find it,” I say, grabbing my remote and turning on the TV, finding which streaming service I need for this particular movie.
After hitting play, I dig into my food. Looking to my side, I see that Leo’s bowl is already half gone.
My chest warms. There’s something very satisfying about feeding someone you care about.
I like taking care of Leo. He’s a strong, capable, independent man, but seeing him eat the food I made with him in mind makes me happy.
Hell, Leo in general, without doing anything, makes me happy.
Once our bowls are empty, I pull Leo up onto the couch with me. I put my back against the arm, throwing my left leg onto the couch, pushed against the back. Then I tug Leo until he’s on his side, his head on my chest right below my chin.
“Umm? Jin?”
I hum softly, putting one of my hands against his back, the other behind my head. “Is this okay? I thought we could snuggle while we watch.”
“Sure,” he says, the word coming out in a stutter. “If you’re sure?”
“More than sure. I’m really comfortable like this.”
“Okay,” he finally says, his body melting against me. I start to run my hand up and down his back and over his shoulders. I like this. I like this a lot.
I already told Leo exactly how I feel. I like him and I’m so glad that we’re getting to know each other.
He might not have said the words back, but that’s okay.
If he was uncomfortable, he wouldn’t keep talking to me or he’d explain he doesn’t feel that way for me.
I’m going to keep asking for what I want and trust Leo to tell me the same.
Leo brushes his nose against my chest, breathing me in. He does that a lot and it makes me wonder if he’s some kind of shifter. I should really ask him, but not right now. I’m supposed to be focusing on this movie right now.
The movie is about a figure skating coach and a hockey coach whose teams have to use the same rink.
The high school kids fight over which sport is better and they devise a plan to challenge each other while the coaches watch on with fondness.
There’s a scene where the figure skating coach gets to the rink early and skates by himself, not knowing the hockey coach is there as well, silently watching with the smallest smile on his face.
It’s actually really fucking adorable. I didn’t realize this was a romance but I’m not disappointed. I’m rooting for them to finally tell each other how they feel and kiss, hopefully while they’re both on the ice together.
“Have you ever tried skating before?”
Leo’s hand tightens where he’s holding onto my shirt. “No,” he says softly. “I don’t like the cold all that much.”
“I don’t either,” I say with a warm chuckle. “Would you try with me sometime?”
“Yeah,” he says without even pausing to think about it. “I like trying new things when I’m trying them with you.”
My entire body floods with warmth. My arms tighten their hold around Leo and I can’t stop myself from leaning down, kissing the top of his messy-haired head.
He’s so fucking cute. I love the way he’s willing to indulge my grand adventures.
I like the way he gets just as excited as I do when it comes to trying new things.
I like the way he’s so chill, calming me when my excitement threatens to get the better of me.
I like Leo so much that it makes my chest ache.
Leo shivers and I look down, seeing his arms covered in goosebumps. “Are you cold?”
“A little bit. Can I borrow a hoodie?”
“Yeah, of course!” Leo leans away from me and I immediately miss his touch. He hits pause on our movie while I run to my bedroom and grab one of my hoodies. The smile I get in return before he’s pulling it over his head leaves me breathless.