AN: I know, shocking, a story from me. I couldn't quiet believe it myself. This was inspired by a lot of things and I had atcually slightly different plans in regards of the destination of this. But somehow the way there took up a lot more words than I had expected :) Hope you enjoy...
Stay healthy my friends...
I let out a single breath, looking at the same page of some online shop at which I had been staring for the past hour. And the past day. And the past weeks. Maybe even months. I was as far in my mission now as I had been when starting it several months ago. Usually shopping for birthday presents for friends and family was easy. Mainly because my friends and family were heavy on the hinting of things they wanted. All year around. But Ranger wasn't them. Ranger was different. First of all Ranger was financially independent as I liked to call it. Or in order words – rich. Buying just random stuff for him he might enjoy was therefore out of the question, because…well, he would usually buy himself whatever he enjoyed. Also, the stuff he usually enjoyed was not usually birthday-present-worthy. While I preferred giving people things they really loved and desired, handing some new model of a gun over to Ranger as a birthday present seemed … unorthodox. To say the least. I mean, it also was sort of unromantic and while it would probably be something he'd appreciate more than a sweater or a weekend trip, it was not what I would be too ecstatic too do.
So I stared at the screen, hoping that after weeks and mindless browsing some inspiration would struck me. So far, nothing. But it was really hard anyway. Asking the man of mystery usually lead to some cute yet ominous answer in the 'you're the best present'-kind of range.
"What you doing Beautiful?" I heard Lester's voice behind me and turning around on my stool in the RangeMan kitchen I saw him being followed by Tank and Cal.
"Browsing for birthday presents for Carlos," I said deflated.
"Why the long face?" Tank asked almost confused and I was confused at his confusion in return.
"Because I don't know what to get him. And it is driving me insane. What are you going to give my mad?" I asked curious and maybe their ideas would inspire mine.
"Ranger is a man of few but well-known interests. Guns usually work wonders," Lester said and it wasn't as if I hadn't known that already. A few words down the debate and I knew that Tank's as well as Lester's presents were really in that department. Which made me realize why Tank was so confused with the hard time I was having. The answer was so simple for him.
"I'm not going to give Ranger some gun. I'm his girlfriend and that seems …odd;" I repeated what I had thought to myself previously.
"Well, than, his other interest is you," Cal just said and Lester grinned widely at me.
"Maybe wrap yourself in a nice bow and let him unwrap you," Lester offered. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to roll my eyes, hit Lester or do both. Judging by the noise and Lester rubbing the back of his head a moment later, Tank had taken the honours of hitting Lester. So I could go on with my eye roll.
"Really Lester? That's the best you could come up with?" I asked mock-shocked. It wasn't really surprising me in all fairness. It was Lester we were talking about in all fairness. Any other comment from him would have surprised me more.
"Well, there is a whole lot of more where that came from, but not sure you'd like to hear that."
"Probably not," I admitted defeated again. "This is… the hardest thing in the world. How do you get a guy who has literally everything already something for his birthday?"
"Maybe you restrict yourself too much to a specific idea," Cal suggested and I was not sure the hell he was talking about. I had no idea what to get him and was open for suggestions. How was that restricting myself? My look must have spoken since Cal went on without me prompting anything. "Maybe it isn't just a thing. Maybe… do something for him. Or present him with something that means something for him or signalizes something."
"I'm not proposing to him," I answered almost in defence. Carlos and me had been dating for a while now and I knew he was technically open to the idea, but I in all fairness didn't see myself pushing forward in that direction. It wasn't like I was completely opposed to the idea. I just…didn't see myself as a wife yet. And Batman understood. Also, as unorthodox as I was in a lot of areas, in regards of proposing I was old-fashioned. If we ever went there, it had to be Carlos to pop the question. Odd, I know.
"Look, I'm certain you'll find something. Between proposing and finding him the perfect sweater is a lot of ground. And if all fails, you can always order a gun. And I can guarantee you, as long as it is you giving him the gift it doesn't matter what it is. The present will be secondary to the person giving it to him. As long as he knows you'll be here next week, month, year, decade he won't care," Lester offered.
"And that's the problem," I almost exclaimed annoyed. "I want to give him something that means something, that he cares about and that makes him happy."
"You make him happy," Cal offered.
"Which brings me back to my first suggestion with the bow," Lester said again, with a grin, taking a step away from Tank as quick as he could.
Before I could reply to his remark Ramos entered the kitchen and I looked almost shocked.
"Ramos what happened?" I asked and he looked confused at me.
"Your arm. It's bandaged. What happened?"
"Oh…," he said, almost as if he hadn't noticed that almost all of his bicep was bandaged. "Nothing bad, Bomber. Just got a new tattoo yesterday. And they wrapped it for healing. No need to worry."
"Does it hurt?"
"Not really. The tattoo itself was a bitch though. Four hours of sitting and not moving a lot. But was worth it. When it's healed I show it to you," he smiled and grabbed a bottle from the fridge a moment later.
"What's the motive?" I aske curious, not even aware that he planed on a new tat. It wasn't like he had to tell me obviously, but by now the MerryMen and me had reached a level where most of them told me almost everything.
Ramos smiled at me for a long moment before he went into a lengthy explanation of the motive he got inked. He produced a picture of the work on his phone a moment later and I had to admit it looked good and seemed fitting. But than again, almost every MerryMan had some tattoos and all of them seemed fitting. It was never the trashy or untasteful kind of motives you might expect from ex-military guys and most of them revolved around some sort of military symbol. I myself had spent hours tracing Carlo's intricate motives and lines and numbers, asking him questions about each one of them and their meaning. Some of them he admitted had a deeper meaning while others were just spur of the moments. He wasn't inked from head to toe and most of his work was well hidden under clothes most of the time.
When Ramos had decided he needed to get back to work and Lester as well as Tank and Cal decided they had spent enough time being unproductive, I was left once more to my own devices, hoping to maybe find one last minute idea. Which, of course, didn't come. Only one option left then…
"Any wishes for your birthday?" I asked that evening over dinner, knowing almost certainly what his answer would be.
"You is all I ask for," he replied and I almost rolled my eyes at his predictability. It was sweet and cute, yet totally predictable.
"Okay, apart from that, anything else?" I asked hopeful, knowing that it was fruitless.
"Not really," he almost shrugged. "There's really nothing I want or need, other than you."
"This isn't helping, you know?" I admitted. "I was hoping for a little more inspiration."
"Promise me forever and I'll be all good," he just said and for a moment I felt like the spaghetti I had just eaten got stuck in my throat. "I didn't mean it as a proposal," he almost laughed. "Trust me, when I do, it'll have a lot more class than over dinner and inbetween."
"Shopping for your birthday present is the hardest task in the world," I finally said, giving up. I knew asking him wouldn't get my anywhere. But than again, wasn't it always like that? Whenever someone asked you what you wanted for your birthday, most people never really had an answer. Well, at least not one that could be put into monetary value.
Instead of a reply, he juat laughed, got up and took my plate into the kitchen, loading the dishwasher.
"If all fails, you can always wrap yourself in a bow," he suggested and I rolled my eyes.
"That's the exact same thing Lester suggested I'd do. No wonder you guys are related."
"Trust me, Babe, this has nothing to do with us being related, but more with the fact that we are both guys."
"So, I guess that means I'll keep looking, hoping something catches my mind last minute," I admitted, leaning against the kitchen counter. I had picked up Carlo's empty wine glass and mine which was half full and took one large gulp before handing both glasses to my man. He took the glasses, put them in the dishwasher and started the program. A moment later, he turned to me, put his hands under my arms and lifted me up, sitting me down on the counter, before stepping between my legs. And then he kissed me. Just like that. I melted against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer towards me.
When air became an issue we broke apart and Carlos rested his forehead against mine, my arms still wrapped around his neck.
"I'm serious, though, Babe. All I really care and want for is you. I don't care about presents and stuff. All I care about is you and that you are in my life for as long as I live. Promise me you'll be waking up next to me for the rest of my life and that will be enough. Put it down in writing, wrap it in a bow and hand it to me. There would be no better present."
The more I thought it, the more likely Lester's idea seemed to become. Especially when Carlos went and almost reinforced it.
I spent almost the entire night awake, which was odd, seeing as I usually had never that many problems in regards of finding presents. And even if I did, it never left me sleepless. I altered my view between staring at the ceiling and turning to fce Carlos sleeping peacefully next to me. Occasionally I let my fingers trace softly over the lines of his upper arm tattoo and kept thinking how this was something you really needed to think through, seeing that a tattoo was almost forever.
Forever.
"Promise me forever."
"Present him with something that means something for him or signalizes something"
"You make him happy"
I looked back at the tattoo I had been tracing softly. And all of a sudden an idea formed.
"Ramos, just the man I was looking for," I greeted the man I had been searching for the past twenty minutes cheerfully. Ramos looked up from a file he had been holding and seemed cautious.
"Before you ask or tell me, will I get in to trouble with Ranger when I agree or know?" he asked, putting the file down.
"No. Definitely not. I need a favour," I said.
"Name it," he was quick in assuring me now that he knew he wasn't going to get into trouble with Ranger.
"I need the contact details of your tattoo guy," I said, having spent the entire night as well as morning thinking about this.
Ramos cast me a curious gaze but offered me a business card a moment later. "Do I want to know?" he asked and I shock my head.
"Not if you want to get into trouble with Ranger," I grinned, which shut him up effectively "How is yours healing by the way?"
"Normal I'd say. As one would suspect anyway. Will probably have to take it easy in the field for a few days, but that's okay."
I shock my head at Ramos. Taking it easy by RangeMan standards was still a whole lot more than what I did at my best and most motivated days.
Half an hour after my exchange with Ramos, I had an appointment set up for the day after and was a nervous wrack by the time I actually showed up at the place. It looked like…well, like a dive in all fairness. I wasn't expecting this to look like a spa, but not like some rundown shop either. Great. But than again, from what I had gathered over the years, all of RangeMan went to this place whenever they felt the need of extending their artworks. And none of my favourite MerryMan had died yet, so… that was a good sign, right?
"I'm here to see Malcom?" I more or less asked when I was greeted by a receptionist.
"Name?"
"Stephanie Plum. I called yesterday."
"Gotcha," he said, taking a pen and crossing out my name. Okay then. "Follow me," she said a moment later and waved for me. "Even been inked?"
"Um, no," I said, looking around the narrow hall we were walking down.
"First time for everything," she almost laughed and I felt anything by laughing right now. Why was that such a good idea again? A moment later we stopped in front of a guy who made Ranger look like a wuss. Like… literally. He seemed twice the size of Tank and he was still sitting. He looked angry and somewhat…irritated. Great start then. Was it too late to run?
"Your two o'clock is here," the girl I had been following, announced and my hope that maybe this wasn't Malcom was gone.
Malcom looked up for a moment and stopped cleaning whatever was in front of him.
"You Stephanie?" he asked, looking like he was surprised.
"Um… yeah?" I asked uncertain not sure what he was expecting. I didn't really have a name that suggested wild and crazy as such, so his surprise confused me.
"The Bombshell Bounty Hunter?" he asked a moment later and his surprise shifted into what seemed like a smile. And if I may say, smiling made him look a lot nicer and more friendly within seconds. Maybe someone should suggest for him to do this more often.
"I thought you seemed familiar," the receptionist was commenting all of a sudden and I found it interesting how she seemed to have known what I look like while her boss(?) didn't seem to have a picture. In all fairness and without wanting to sound vain, but my counterfeit was in the papers often enough. Unfortunately. Though, less so, since I started dating Carlos come to think of it.
"Hop on and let's have a talk," Malcom said and patted the cushioned gurney-like construct in front of him. A moment later the receptionist was gone and I was left alone with him. He studied me for a long moment, but didn't say anything.
"So, what can I do for you?" asked after what seemed forever.
"I want to get a tattoo," I said and saw him smile at me for a second.
"That much I figured, girlfriend. What are we talking about? A tribal across your sternum? Some stars over your collarbone? Some quote?"
"Actually… um… the name of my boyfriend."
"Okay, seems easy enough. Though, I have to ask… you certain he's…worth it?"
What the fuck? Like who did he think he was? It was bad enough I had to fight my mother, half the Burg,, Morelli and half a dozen others, now this stranger who'd known me half a second was thinking he needed to pitch in as well.
My expression must have given away that I was about to give him my two cents, when he held up his hands in surrender. "No offence really. But…. This is rather permanent and trust me, I've seen plenty of pretty girl getting inked for the guy they thought was there until the end of time, just to be taught a lesson two moths later. I just want to make sure you know what you are doing."
"I do," I said affirmative and with vigour.
Instead of a immediate response he just nodded.
"What are we talking about in size, font and location?"
I reached for my bag, rummaged through its content and produced a moment later a piece of paper. It wasn't like I didn't come prepared. I handed the paper to him and he studied it for a while. My draft was nothing extraordinaire or artistic. It was simple, cursive with a few flourishes surrounding the name.
"Alright, seems easy enough," he more or less shrugged, before looking from the paper up. "And where do you want it to go?"
Well, this was the tricky part. I swallowed a few times, wishing that maybe I should have stoved a small bottle of liquid encouragement in my purse as well, because… this would be awkward. Well, maybe not quiet as awkward as the actual session. But…. Well….
I noticed Malcom watching me interested for a moment, smiling a second later. "This will be good," he laughed, before putting the paper down. "Relax, whatever you have thought off as location…I can guarantee you, I've seen it all. You'd be surprised where people want to get pierced these days."
For whatever reason his comment calmed me down significantly. Not sure whether it was the idea of other people maybe showing more of themselves or just the idea that this was most likely not his first rodeo in regards of odd places, but it helped.
I got up from my sitting position and the waistband of my yoga pants down until they were past my hips and barely still covering my privates.
I felt like my entire face was on fire and looked anywhere but at Malcom.
"Alright," he said a moment later, sounding not bothered or fazed. Then I heard rustling of paper and a moment later my design was pressed against my skin.
"About here?" he asked and I looked down at where he had placed the paper, finding it interesting how he placed it exactly where I wanted it.
"Can I keep the pants on?" I asked a second later and here surprisingly a boom of a laugh.
"Trust me, I value my life," he replied with a nod to my question. "Ranger would probably have me killed if I told you to strip."
"You… how do you know Carlos is… "
"Ranger?" he asked, rolling back on his chair and getting a few supplies. "Most of his men sit one day during the year on this very same chair. And some of their sessions are long. So they talk. A lot. And one of their most favourite and recurring topics is you and their boss. Also, Ranger is a friend."
"Did you serve with him?" I asked, starting to see military traits of some sort.
"No," he shock his head. "But with Cal, Zero and Bones. I had the chance of working for him, but decided on going a different route. Now I wonder whether that might now have been a mistake, seeing you sitting in front of me," he smiled, showing me all his teeth.
"I thought you valued your life?" I asked playful at which he laughed some more.
"I won't tell him if you won't."
Then he got up from his seat and took the paper. "You'll need to lay down and try to get a comfortable as you can," he said, grabbing a spray bottle a moment later. When I had settled down again and tried to find a more comfortable spot he sprayed the area I was planning on getting a name tattooed and I winced from the cold.
"This is going to numb the area for a while, so you'll feel less pain. Not gonna lie, you will still feel plenty, especially seeing the area you chose. But you'll be fine. I'll just get your design transferred for me to work with and will be back in a second." And then he was gone and I was left staring at the walls around me and admiring for the first time the hundreds of designs on them.
The session itself took forever – or so it seemed. In reality it was only less than two hours. Malcom was surprisingly talkative and entertaining once he started working and I started wondering how much fun he would probably have brought to the band of MerryMen. The pain was not funny and for a few moments I wondered why the hell I thought this was the best of ideas. Eventually we were done, I was patched up and sent my way with a long list of instructions. Who knew there was so much to take care of. I got a follow up appointment set up for Malcom to make sure I was healing properly and then we parted ways.
About a day after I had gotten my tattoo I realized the mistake in my plan. I had done little to no research and obviously had spent less than a minute really thinking about everything. I learned quickly that it takes almost a month for a tattoo to heal. Which meant avoiding Carlos's advances for a month. Luck however was on my side when he was called to Washington for something he couldn't talk about and I quite honestly didn't ask about too much. I had learned that everything government related was usually 'need to know' basis and I was hardly ever 'need to know'. All I cared about was that he was okay and not sent to some third world country. When he promised me he wasn't and this was domestic and nothing to actually worry about I was satisfied. And secretly happy about the fact that he couldn't be here until only a day or two before his birthday. That way I didn't need to come up with excuses in fending him off. Next time I had such a glorious idea I'd definitely spent a day or several ones thinking it through.
"So… did you managed to come up with a present?" Lester asked me several weeks later and only a day before the big day.
I nodded at him with a smile but kept it a secret what it was. Obviously.
"You are not going to let us in on it?" he asked almost disappointed.
"Nope. All I can say it is something very personal and something he wished for – in a way. And it most likely will top your guns."
"Very cryptic, Beautiful."
"Do we know when he'll be back?" I asked and saw Lester nod.
"Tomorrow morning you have your man back."
Or not. Morning turned into noon, into afternoon and at that point I had given up hope of actually seeing him today as well. I had tried his cell phone probably a million times at least but was always just getting his mailbox. On my fifth attempt I decided on at least leaving a birthday message if nothing else.
I was about to head to bed all by myself and sort of disappointed when my cell phone rang and caller ID stated the only name I wanted to speak to today.
"Hey," I replied cautiously, afraid of what he was going to tell me most likely in the next few moments. That this thing would take longer than anticipated.
"Sorry to only get back to you now, Babe. But today was… hell. And I only had reception now that I actually touched down in Trenton."
"That's okay, I understa- wait what? You touched down in Trenton? You are back?" I asked when the meaning of his statement had caught up with me.
"Yes, and I'm about to head to you. Tell me you are at RangeMan and I don't need to detour to your place."
"I'm on seven, waiting for the birthday guy to make an appearance;" I admitted with a smile.
"Please tell me there is no party," he almost pleaded.
"Nope, just you and me eventually when you get here."
"And that's all I need," he almost breathed and I needed to think fast how to pull off whatever was going to happen the moment he got here. I had asked Ella to make a birthday cake that would withhold Carlos' expectations.
About half an hour after he had called, I was ready and just when I finished the last touch, I heard the door being opened. I had shut down the light and was waiting in the doorway to the bedroom with everything I needed.
When the door fell in its lock I started to move, lighting the candles on Ella's cake and making my way towards my man, singingly sort of seductively Happy Birthday. Or what I assumed sounded hopefully seductive. The candle light on the cake was the only light the apartment had for the moment and I made slow steps until I stood in front of him.
"Babe," was all he said for a moment.
"You have to low out the candled and make a wish, Carlos. It's tradition."
I could see his amused smile and a moment later, he blew out all the candles with one single try. And the apartment was pitch black. Not like we needed much light anyway. Carlos took the cake from my hands and placed it …somewhere before he pulled me close to him and kissed me for all his worth. Holy Cow.
When he let me up for air again, I grabbed his hand and pulled him after me towards the bedroom – which had him grinning undoubtedly.
"I think you need to unwrap your present," I explained when he passed the threshold a moment late.
"I told you, you are all I really need," he explained and I just smiled at him. "I don't need any other present."
"Well, you are in luck then, since this is part of the present," I replied.
In the moonlight shining inside the bedroom, I was fully displayed. I was wearing only a silk robe as well as a pair of panties that didn't even try to cover the large patch over my lower abdomen. I registered the exact moment Carlos' eyes saw the patch and his expression changed to concern and worry a second later.
"What happened?" he asked and was by my side a second later.
"Nothing," I said in a calm voice, grabbing his hand again. The patch technically had been gone for a few weeks now, but I put it back on in order to sort of wrap the present. It wasn't much wrapping and I knew that technically the right kind of panties would have done the trick of hiding them, but that would have made things a bit awkward in regards of explain or guiding him towards the present. A large fat patch that could technically scream accident was way more effective in gaining attention.
"Then why do you have that patch for?" he asked confused at which I just smiled at him.
"That is your present. It was a bit hard to wrap up so I had to improvise a little," I explained and saw him look at me even more confused. A moment later I sat down on the bed and slid up, laying down fully for Carlos to actually look at me. Not that there was a lot to look at in all fairness. But I could see that I had his interest and curiosity quipped.
He stood at the foot of the bed for long moments, looking down on me. "I guess I better unwrap it then," he said with a grin after a while before sliding up to me on his large bed. I could feel his already growing interest poking me in the side. 0
He kissed me again and wrapped his arms around me, pulling my entire upper body against his. When he was done, he laid me back down and slid down my body. He left a hot trail of kisses along the way and only stopped when he reached the big, fat, ugly patch on my lower abdomen. I felt his fingers slowly tracing the edges and a moment later he pulled slowly on the upper corners. He seemed surprised that they didn't stick as much as he had expected and peeled back more, slowly releasing my artwork.
"This is as forever as it goes," I explained when he looked stunned at me. And a stunned Carlos meant something. Nothing ever really stunned or surprised Batman. Well, unless it was Stephanie Plum related. I was one of probably very few people to stun Carlos Manoso. And quiet honestly, I took pride in it.
He pushed back the little fabric my panties offered and kissed the newly decorated piece of skin of mine. There were no words, not for a long time that night, but I really didn't need words to know that my present was a full success.
Now, how to top that next year?