Myka sat at one end of the couch in the living room late one evening reading. The fire roared in the fireplace and threw a cozy glow on the room. Pete and Claudia sat at the other end, heads bent over some video game. Occasionally a loud yelp would emanate from them but Myka paid them no attention.

"Dude that was so awesome!" Claudia's face lit up as she looked at Pete.

"Dude, I just beat level 15. That is way more than awesome." He held his hand up and bobbed his head waiting for Claudia to give him a high five. When she obliged they collapsed laughing.

Myka looked up from her book and smiled at the way they were so comfortable with one another. It had been a long time since she had been a part of a group of people that could just comfortably be together. It felt good.

Claudia looked over at Myka and gave her a small smile. The two had become very close lately, like sisters. Pete put the game away and the three of them sat there in silence, Myka at one end of the couch, Claudia at the other, with Pete sandwiched in between. They all stared into the fire watching the flames jump around in front of their eyes. Each was lost in their own world.

Then Claudia opened her mouth again. "So, I'm thinking what getting a tattoo."

"What, why?" Myka looked over at her with slight concern.

"Hello, let's face it. It's more weird that I don't have one yet." Myka said nothing back, which was not the reaction Claudia was looking for.

"Do you have any Pete?" Claudia asked curiously

"Any what?" Pete looked as though he had just come out of a dream.

"Any tattoos bone head."

"No, no." Pete shook his head slowly, and smiled. "Can't take the pain."

"What?" Myka looked outraged. "You're always doing something stupid to get yourself hurt. Remember the football incident? And what about when you tried to play with…."

"That's not the same." Pete cut her off before she could regale more of his antics. "It's all those needles." He shivered.

"You're such a baby." Myka said definitively and picked her book back up.

"Do you have any tattoos?" Pete took her book so that she would look at him. Myka paused and didn't say anything for a moment.

"Of course she does." Claudia piped up, getting an evil look from Myka. "Remember that one on her ankle? The infinity?"

"Oh yeah, let me see that." Pete demanded.

"No." Myka said, taking her book back

"Why not?"

"Why do you want to see it? It's not that exciting."

"Come on, Myka, please…." Pete gave her his best sad puppy dog face. Myka rolled her eyes and lifted her leg so that it lay across Pete's lap. She pulled up her pant leg so that the tattoo was visible above her bare feet.

Pete looked down and then absently mindedly traced the sideways eight over and over on her ankle. Both partners stared at the ink in silence. Pete was thinking how smooth her skin was under his hand. Myka was trying to control the chill it sent up her spine.

Finally Pete looked up, meeting Myka's eyes. "Got any more? Someplace fun?" he waggled his eye brows at her.

Myka pushed him in the chest, expecting him to land on Claudia and to hear her whine. But he fell back against the empty spot on the couch, and the momentum carried her so that she awkwardly landed on top of him.

Claudia had slipped out while they weren't paying attention. How could such a loud girl be so quiet?

Lying on top of Pete in his arms made Myka feel awkward, a feeling she tried to avoid at all costs.

Claudia was going to have to pay for this?