Seeing his reaction in the mirror I'm in front of says it all. That story hit him hard, though I can't tell if he believes me or not. "I actually don't know what to say… that's just crazy… I'm sorry about your folks…" He gives me his apologies and that is something I never understand. People on the outside of your life apologising for your parent's deaths, but I thank him for the condolences anyway, when he finally finishes the sketch on my back. "Check it out… is that what you envisioned?" He asks me, taking a step back and when I turn to look I can't understand HOW he just managed it, but it was like during my story he somehow saw inside my soul and mind and brought out what I saw onto my skin exactly. It is the exact phoenix I saw in my head, and even as outline sketch, it is so detailed, I'm actually left speechless.
"I love it dude…" I gasp, just before I'm flat out on the table and he is tattooing my back. The pain is hurting quite a bit, but I know after everything I've hunted and come through I can handle this. The pain isn't nearly as much as the attack itself. We spend hours talking about pretty much anything and everything. I still keep my job vague and manage to stay clear of going into detail about what I do. I mention all sorts of lies really, but am happy he doesn't press on that subject at hand. I have to keep it secret, and keep people safe. We even speak about how mad I must be to get a back piece as my first tattoo, and I tell him that it probably will be my only tattoo, as I just don't have the time to go around getting tattoos whenever I please.
It is strange but I haven't felt that I clicked with someone since I clicked with Dean and that is surreal and scary to me. I can hunt down mermaids, nearly drown in the process, hunt ghosts, anything and not get scared but when it comes to clicking with another human being in any way or form? That scares the utter crap out of me. He has been tattooing me for a good six hours and I'm so surprised to see that well over half of my back has been tattooed carefully and precisely with red and orange ink and is looking so different to how it used to. "Okay Mika, I'm going to say quit there, to give your back a rest and you, get some food and drink down your throat as you'll need it, and I'll make an appointment to see you in a couple of weeks once this has started to heal enough, and we'll finish it off." He explains to me, and when I manage to get up and look in the mirror I'm blown away. He has managed to finish the entire phoenix and begun work on the outline for the flames that creates a border for the magnificent bird. "This is just…wow Ethan, really… I can't wait to get it finished!" I exclaim, utterly stoked about the work, he really is a true artist. After he puts a cover on my back and goes through the whole after care instructions with me, I pay him and I leave the shop pretty satisfied. I'm just trying to figure out how I get out of doing some cases so I can stay in town for a couple of weeks at least so I can get my back finished off, and I am beginning to become brain dead in thinking up anything.
I head to a diner as I realise I'm feeling a bit light headed from all the work that I just went through, but find the diner in town is heaving with people. That puts me off straight away, I still can't handle being surrounded by a load of innocent people, on an of chance a supposed case came following me and put them in danger. So instead I head to the bar, I feel lucky I'm just about old enough to get into them.
I walk in and head straight to the restaurant bit and sit in a booth, making sure not to lean against my back. I order some food when I can and get myself a beer in the process. I grab my phone out my bag checking it. I see a voicemail is on it, and I know it'd be from Bobby giving me grief about hanging up on him earlier on in the day, but for the sake of it, I listen to the message, and like I thought, it is indeed Bobby giving me this lecture for hanging up on him. It's moments like this that make me remember I'm still his niece and can't get away with being disrespectful to him. "Boyfriend checking up on you?" I suddenly hear a voice speak to me, and I look up and see it is Ethan standing by my booth alone. "Oh! No... No, I've got no boyfriend, it's my Uncle actually…giving me the usual grief." I say to him, and I actually notice myself smirk a small smile at him as I hang up on the voicemail.
"Ah, that's worse, uncles can be pretty intimidating" Ethan replies with a smile and chuckle, "You got an uncle who pretty much rules your life too huh?" I ask, giving him that sceptical look. "Haha nah…just making small talk, so you weren't kidding about being here alone huh?" He says to me, waving his beer clutching hand to the empty seat in front of me. "Yeah, I'm a lone traveller me, you wanna join me?" I reply, then asking him. I was ready to be alone, I'm used to it but seeing as he pops back up in my life, I figure if he is alone also, why not make the gesture. "Um…sure, if I'm not interrupting" He says in response, taking a seat when I tell him, he isn't interrupting anything. He asks me how my back is feeling, and I tell him it is fine, and the conversations just spur on from there.
The only time we are interrupted is when our food turns up, and even then it doesn't stop us from talking that much. In between each mouthful we find ourselves talking from everything and anything from music, to movies, to tattoos and work life. I can't believe he is single, as he seems like such a well rounded character and really intelligent. He fascinates me if I'm completely honest. "What?" He asks me, as he notices I am suddenly staring at him but off into space, I snap out of my thoughts and smile shyly. "Oh! Nothing…it's just err…been about four and a half years since I had any kind company that isn't my uncle; it's weird but nice. I'm so used to being alone and just well… a cold bitch, it's nice to be different and a bit more like my old self," I admit to him. This just seems to intrigue him and I'm guessing shock him, I can't quite tell, and I am bad at reading other people's expressions and body language since I stopped seeing Dean.
"Being a cold bitch huh? That I find hard to believe… but if you say so, you know you better than I do" He tells me. Wow… he really doesn't know me, if he finds it hard to believe. Or maybe I'm just slipping back into the old me more than I really realise? I'm not entirely sure which reason it is, but I'm determined to enjoy it as much as I can. He asks me if I want another round of beer and I take him up on the offer and he orders another round for the both of us. I'm glad I can handle my alcohol… well at least, beer, if he starts ordering whiskey then I probably won't be able to handle it. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to drink alcohol so soon after getting tattooed but what the heck! Life is short- I should know, and I feel like drinking. The night continues on pretty much like this for another few hours, when I find myself at Ethan's apartment above the tattoo shop.
Things get pretty heated really damn quickly, and before I can really acknowledge what is happening, our clothes have been pretty torn off of our bodies and the two of us are having pretty raunchy sex in his bedroom.
It is insane how quickly everything comes about, but we intrigue each other so much so, we can't keep our hands off each other. It is like some twisted hit of fate that brought the two of us together. He had told me earlier on in the evening how tattooing is all he has left in his life, and if that falls through for him he'll have nothing left. There is more to this guy than what shows on the surface, he is hiding behind a costume and mask like I am myself. We seem to get each other, even though the two of us were being vague with our pasts. We need each other, and it just seems the right time in our lives to meet each other.
