AN: Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews. Enjoy!
Their hands are threaded together as they walk towards her shop, and every once in a while Tris squeezes his in reassurance, knowing he's a bit outside of his comfort zone being in Chicago with her. As soon as Zeke and Uriah returned home, not only did they thank Tris and Eric profusely for allowing them the time they needed to be with their mother, but they'd also told Eric to go back to Chicago with Tris. They were ready to return to work, and Lynn and Miranda were staying in Detroit, both women had been contemplating a permanent move once they'd spent time with their family in the city. Eric didn't even try to protest, he didn't want to be separated from Tris, and he wanted nothing more than to see everything she had worked so hard to build.
"I definitely can't offer you better weather than Detroit." She said when a gust of cold wind threatens to rip the front door from Eric's hands as he opens it.
They take off all their gear and are in the process of stashing it in the closet when Tobias starts speaking.
"Hey Tris, I didn't know you were due back." He approaches and Tris can feel Eric shift behind her, "Welcome back. Hey, are you one of the new guys that Chris said were starting today?"
"No." Eric said firmly and he can feel Tris's cold fingers sliding between his.
"This is my husband, Eric. Eric, this is my business manager, Tobias." Tris says and she can see Tobias's eyebrows raise.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Eric." Tobias offers his hand and Tris nudges Eric to get him to shake it.
"Likewise." Eric says simply.
Tris shows Eric around her shop, which is larger than his and nicely appointed, clean and functional.
"Who's on the schedule today?" Tris asks as she moves around the stations, checking inventory.
"Lauren, Adam and Brody. Chris and Tor will likely be in too, you know none of you can stay away, and they want to work with the newbies." He chuckles and Eric just observed the dynamic between the exes, "George and Amar will be coming in and filling the mid shift. Molly, Tyrone and Aisha are closing."
Tris looks over the appointment book and sees they have a busy day, "You guys are booked pretty solid, who's handling walk-ins?"
"Figured Tor or Chris would, or maybe we can let the newbies shadow." He replied.
"We can take walk-ins so they can focus on the new employees." Eric finally speaks and Tris glances back at him.
"I didn't bring you here to work." She smirks at him.
"It'll just be for a couple hours, besides I've gotten pretty used to working with you." He smiles.
"It'll be nice to see your work, man. She showed me a pic of those mazes, but in person they're fucking sick, the lines are so clean. You really did both arms on your own?" Tobias asks and Tris can see her husband start to relax for the first time since walking into the shop.
Eric rolls up his sleeves the rest of the way and shows Tobias his forearms and the two talk through the basics of ambidextrous tattooing. When Christina and Tori file in, both women are surprised to see Tris and they rush to her and hug her. When they see Eric and Tobias talking, they're even more shocked.
Eric shares hugs with Christina and Tori, and then Tris brings him back to her station to let him familiarize himself with her tools.
"Damn, this is a nice gun." He remarks as he examines one of the more technical pieces.
"You should try it, it's so smooth."
"Are you willing to be my canvas?" He asks her and she presses her lips to his.
"Always."
The buzz of a gun brings everyone back to her station, and they all watch as Eric skillfully tattoos an original piece on his wife's hip, a black and white floral piece that is so detailed that it looks like the bloom is on her.
"How?" Christina asks as she watches the unique way he's working.
"Dots." He replies simply and invites her closer to watch as he inks the very intricate piece.
As customers start to come in for their appointments, Eric and Tris remain in their own world. She watches as he works, how serious he gets and how much of a perfectionist he is. When he's finally satisfied with the work, he shows it to her and she draws in a breath.
"It's beautiful. Flawless." She says softly.
"It's how I see you. Beautiful. Flawless." He tells her and she pulls his face to hers and kisses him.
Eric and Tris each take a walk-in, and once they've finished working Tori and Chris kick them out. Even though it's cold and there are flurries, both of them are used to the elements, and Eric had Tris take him around the city.
When he sees the Navy Pier he pulls her to a stop, "When does this open?"
"Early spring."
"We have to do this when it's open." He says, looking up at the tall Ferris wheel.
She smiles, "Of course we will."
The next day Eric is on his own in the shop while Tris has a meeting with one of her vendors, and he busies himself with organizing her station the way he's noticed she likes it. The weather is shit, and business is slower today, so Tori and Christina are taking the day off leaving Eric with the staff he doesn't know as well.
Including her ex.
"Those meetings are bullshit, and can go for hours, but we usually get some pretty amazing freebies from them once Tris is done with them." Tobias says as he leans on Tris's cabinet and passes Eric cleaning supplies.
"Yeah, we do the same thing back home, just entertain them long enough to negotiate a bunch of comp stuff."
The ringing of the bell above the door surprised them both, and Eric watches as an older tattooed gentleman walks in.
"Hey!" Tobias says as he rushes to him, "I didn't know you were coming by today."
"Figured it would be shit here today, and I could visit without interrupting. Where are my girls?" The man asks after hugging Tobias.
"Tori and Chris took off since it's dead, Tris has ink supply back there with her, so it's just us." Tobias answers.
"I don't believe we've met, I'm Harrison, former owner of the shop." The man says as he sticks his hand out to Eric.
"Eric."
"How long you been working here, I ain't seen you around." Harrison remarks.
"He's from Detroit, he's just here visiting." Tobias says and Harrison nods.
"Ah yeah, Tris likes to keep things fresh, makes sense she'd bring in some outside influences, we always call them her special projects." Harrison replied and Tobias laughed.
"Harry, this isn't one of her projects, this is her husband."
Eric watches the realization wash over the older man's face and he furrows his brow, "Husband? How the hell is she married to someone when last time I was here she was dating you. I leave the city for a few months and this is what happens?" Harrison laughs, "Well Eric, it sounds like you and I should get to know each other. That girl is like a daughter to me, so it's time to have that father talk with you. Let's go have lunch."
Eric looks back where Tris's office is and before he can speak Harrison's hand is on his shoulder, "You and I both know those bullshit meetings go on for hours. We'll bring her something back."
"Yes sir." Eric replies.
"So what shop do you work at out in Detroit?" Harrison asks once they're seated in a bar that he swore made the best beef sandwiches in the city, "I lived out there for a while, pretty familiar with the area."
"Motor City Ink. I actually co-own it with two of my childhood friends."
"Wait, you're Danny Coulter's kid?" Harrison asks and Eric nods, and he can tell from the look on the older man's face that he's shocked.
"You knew my Pops?" Eric asks.
Harrison carefully chews on his sandwich before swallowing slowly and watching the young man in front of him, "He was married to my sister."
"My mother?" Eric asks.
"Yeah, Yvette is my sister." Harrison replies carefully, "I take it she never mentioned me."
"She wasn't around long enough to talk when I was a kid, and we don't speak now." Eric bites and then cringes.
"It's okay, I know she's messed up bad in them drugs. Your dad and I tried to keep in touch, but he eventually went down the path too. They both cut me off when I tried to get custody of you."
"You're the uncle he said tried to take me away", setting his sandwich down and gaping at the older man.
"I am." Harrison nods, "There was a point that Danny and Vette were both in and out of jail, and I petitioned the court for custody. I failed my own drug test, always had a taste for weed and back then it won't legal, so you went into foster for a few months while Danny cleaned up. My sister couldn't ever get it together, but Danny tried. He and I fell out though, he thought I was just trying to take his kid, and he never understood I just didn't want you to end up in the system. I was real sorry to hear about him passing."
"Yeah. He tried, and he was a decent dad honestly. He just couldn't fight his demons." Eric replies and then shakes his head, "I knew who you were, my dad would bitch about you, obviously." Eric chuckled.
"I'm sure he would. He was a spitfire, that Danny Coulter. Tell me more about you, and how you come to meet my sweet Tris."
"Trip to Vegas." Eric replies and as soon as the older man's eyebrows raise he knows he's going to have questions.
"The one she went on this past summer?"
"Yes sir." Eric replies.
"You married her after knowing her how long?" Harrison.
"Four days." Eric says quietly.
"Fucking hell." Harrison says and they both eat silently for several minutes, "Love at first sight?"
Eric shrugs, "It was significant enough that we didn't want it to end. We went to one of those twenty-four hour wedding chapels thinking it would just be a symbolic ceremony. We were drunk and it was the night before I was leaving, it was meant in fun. A few days after we'd gotten back home, we both got the marriage license."
"Damn. No wonder I've not heard about it." Harrison can see the look on Eric's face, "I can imagine this conversation that you and me are having is one she's been dreading. I've kind of looked after her when her parents died. Helped her settle their affairs, and with the legal shit that comes with inheritances. She's like a daughter to me, and no father wants to hear his daughter married some man she'd known for a matter of days while drunk."
"Well when you put it that way." Eric says and Harrison chuckles.
"You care about her, don't you?"
"I absolutely do, more than I ever imagined I could after knowing her for such a short time." He nods.
"You love her?" He tosses out.
"It's damn sure heading that way." Eric admitted.
"Good. It may have been some crazy shit that brought the two of you together, but knowing you are serious about her takes some of that worry off of me." He grins at Eric, who nervously returns the smile, "Since I'm now finding out that she's married to my grown nephew I'll be having the same talk with her. Just take care of each other, treat each other with kindness and respect, that's all I ask."
"Yes sir." Eric replies, and then he and his uncle finally take some time to get to know each other.
"I can't believe he's your uncle." Tris says later that evening after they'd both had dinner with Harrison.
"I didn't even recognize him. I've not seen him since I was a kid." Eric replies.
They're strolling down the street hand-in-hand, taking in the cool but comfortable weather.
"He seems to approve." Tris said and Eric nods, "I had no idea how I was going to explain any of this to him, I'm glad you were with me."
"Me too." He presses his lips to hers, "It's like it was meant to be."
She looks at him, "How so?"
"Even if Vegas never happened, Harry is still my long-lost uncle. We'd likely had of crossed paths at some point in our lives. He told me he planned on coming back out to Detroit to check things out at some point soon."
"That's true. Maybe it really is fate." She smiles at him.
"Yeah. I think so."
Eric's time in Chicago flies by. The couple works occasionally, has some of Chicago's famous food, cook meals together, and have a lot of sex, causing both Christina and Tori to rib them endlessly.
"It's just like Vegas all over again. Hearing Tris moan your name, and you yelling hers." Tori smirks at them one morning over breakfast.
"I don't yell." Eric argues.
"Dude, you have no idea how loud you are." Christina says to him.
"My wife is too good at everything she does. Blame her." He smirks.
"Good job Tris." Christina high fives her friend and Eric shakes his head and laughs.
On his last night there they'd spent it wrapped around each other, alternating between lovemaking and deeper conversations.
"Do you think being married is putting more pressure on us to make decisions?" He asks her and she turns to look at her.
"Are you having regrets?" She asked.
"No. It's just every time we have to leave it's incredibly hard on both of us. Zeke and Uri have talked me down so many times." He sighs.
"Talk you down how?"
"From rushing it. They come from a sincere place, but it took me a while to understand their intentions. I thought it was all about the business, but they just don't want to see me get hurt." He admits.
"My friends have expressed the same concerns. The rings really seemed to trigger something." Tris replies.
"Oh, the ring definitely did with Zeke and Uriah too." She feels him chuckle.
"We're going to figure this out, Eric. What I don't want is for us to worry ourselves to death over details that are irrelevant to where we are today."
He turns on his side so they're facing each other, one hand on her waist and the other supporting his head, "Logically, that makes sense, but what happens if this works? We have two separate businesses in two separate cities. We have homes. We have roots."
"Are you saying that there's no figuring this out down the line?" Tris asks him quietly.
"You tell me."
"I still believe this is a conversation we should be having later." She replies.
He turns on his back, frustrated but trying hard not to show it. She lays her head on his chest and he curls his arm around her, and they let the silence fall between them.