Cross my heart, hope to die
To my lover, I'd never lie.
He said "Be true", I said "I'll try"
Cause in the end it's him & I.

~Halsey

Edd

"Happy birthday, Citrouille!" I cheered into the phone as soon as Kevin answered. I was met with a groggy, "Hrmmnnghh," in response, but that did not dull my excitement one bit. "Get up, get ready, I'll be there in twenty minutes!" He groaned, and I could hear rustling and creaking as he tossed about in bed. "It's too eaaaarrrrlllyyyyyyy!" he whined. I did not respond, I simply hung up and finished the last of my chores written out on the sticky notes plastered throughout the house. 

Eddward, be a dear and water the plants.

Love,

Mother

Eddward, don't forget the laundry.

-Father

I need you to clean the garage this weekend.

-Father

The house could use some dusting, Eddward.

-Father

Dearest Eddward, 

I've sent some money to your account that should tide you over until we return. I added some extra to get an oil change for your car; you know that you have to do these things every few months or so. The car was to get you to and from, and it needs to be kept in running condition even if you hardly use it. 

All my love,

Mother

Joke's on them, my boyfriend works on my car for me for free, I mused silently to myself as I began putting away the cleaning supplies. The house was sparkling, pristine, as if no one actually lived here at all. I sighed. How lonely this place was. Not always, though. Most days it was filled with love, laughter, friendship, and warmth. Some days, it was filled with ice and tension. Those days were the worst, because that's when Mother and Father were home. Those were the days that I had to water myself down, I had to be the "perfect son", I had to shove myself back into the closet, and I had to pretend that Kevin was a stranger. It was worse than the days spent alone in an empty house. I'd much prefer loneliness than to sit under Father's scrutinizing, suspicious gaze. I almost laughed aloud in the empty kitchen. How would Father feel if he knew that most of my nights were spent in Kevin's arms? How would he feel if he knew that Kevin had had me in every last inch of this very house? How would he feel if he knew that he and Mother had given me extra money that was going straight to Kevin's birthday present? My laughter died before it could even work its way up my throat. He'd probably kill me. Mother wouldn't let him though. At least, I hope that she wouldn't. I wouldn't let myself dwell on that. Not today, not a chance. Because it was Kevin's birthday, and it was going to be a good day.

I locked the front door and made my way across the street. Just as I raised my hand to knock, Kevin opened the door and stumbled out in jeans and a snug white tee under his black leather jacket. He smiled tiredly and immediately pulled me into his arms, kissing me sweetly. His lips were hot and his kiss tasted like mouthwash. "Good morning to you, too," I giggled as I pulled away. He grunted in response, steering me toward the garage.  I dug my heels in and turned to face him again. "Oh no you don't, mister. I'm driving, and we are taking my car," I stated firmly. His brows furrowed and he cocked his head to the side. He reminded me of a puppy, and the sight was both adorable and amusing. "How come?" he sighed, scratching at his head as he gave a small pout. "Because I have a busy day planned for us. Besides, it's your birthday; you don't have to lift a finger or worry about a single thing today!" I replied, taking his hands and more or less dragging him back to my house.

I opened the garage and unlocked the car, sliding into the front seat with a content sigh. The "new car smell" was still there, and it was almost intoxicating. Since when did I enjoy cars? I suppose Kevin is rubbing off on me quite a bit, I silently mused. He got in the passenger seat and turned to me eagerly. "So where are we going?" My lips twitched upward in the smallest of smiles, and it took everything in me not to ruin the surprise right then and there. But where would the fun have been in that? "You'll see," I murmured. The engine purred to life when I turned the key over, and Kevin slid down in his seat with a pleased smile. He loved my car much more than I did, for sure. I caught myself glancing at him every few seconds as I left my house and made the trip through town. His fiery hair was starting to grow long on top, but he still kept the sides short, opting to slick the top back. He vaguely reminded me of a greaser from The Outsiders. All tough, leather-clad, and mischievous. The thought made me grin. His dark green eyes darted in my direction, the rest of his body soon turned to face me. I quickly fixed my gaze on the road again as I felt warmth creep up into my cheeks. "What're you lookin' at me like that for?" he asked. 

"I'm not looking at you any sort of way," I huffed, embarrassed to have been caught ogling him. "Bullshit, Púca. You were totally checking me out! Do you liiiiiiike me?" he taunted. "No!" I retorted. A quick peek revealed my ginger lover to be pouting. I couldn't help but giggle. "I loooooove you," I added. His freckled face lit up in a beaming grin. "Even better!" he exclaimed. "You, my good sir, are...a dork." He leaned over the center console, resting his head on my arm. "Yeah, well that's because of you," he murmured. "Don't go getting all sentimental on me now, Citrouille. We haven't even gotten to the best part of today."

Kevin

"Hey babe, what are we doing here?" I asked as Double D parked in front of a small brick building. Hanging above the awning in bright, fiery letters:

Old School Ink 

Tattoo & Piercing Shop

"You wanted a tattoo; you're getting a tattoo. Your parents already signed the slips, they came up here and talked to the artists, and I booked an appointment, so you're all set," he explained with a proud smile. I swallowed nervously, forcing a smile. I hoped it was a convincing smile. Needle. Lotsa tiny needles. Nope. Fuck fuck fuck FUCK! "My birthday present is...a tattoo?" He smiled and hopped out of the driver's seat. "Indeed it is! Now, let's go!" He prattled off information about tattoos and tattoo parlors as he pulled me out of my seat and led me inside. "...surprisingly, tattoo parlors are some of the most sterile locations." That made me laugh. "What did you expect, D? A filthy hovel filled with slovenly men and women just playing with needles?" I scoffed. He hung his head in shame. That's exactly what he thought. "You know, that's one of the reasons I love you," I sighed happily, distracted for the moment. "What do you mean?" I ruffled his hair and he scowled up at me, pulling his cap down tight over his head. "Even when your opinions are wrong, you make a genuine effort to educate yourself and change your opinion accordingly," I said. He shrugged. "That's how it's supposed to be; if you're wrong, learn what's right."

"Damn babe...that's awfully mature of you," I commented. He shrugged, flashing me a cheeky grin as he walked up to the front counter. "We have an appointment, Kevin Barr and Eddward Vincent." Wait a second... we? "Babe, are you getting a tattoo, too?" He shot me a sly grin before he looked back at the lady at the front desk. She looked up at us over the rims of her glasses with neon purple frames, and she smiled like her own kids had just walked in. "You're the sweet boy that came in here last week!" she exclaimed, pushing her seat back. As she stood, I admired the tattoos that covered every inch of her. A bright orange dragon wrapped around her left arm, disappearing under her sleeve. Koi fish danced along her right arm with little bubbles and waves here and there. "Trey" was tattooed on her neck in elegant cursive, and briefly I contemplated getting Double D's name on me. "The guys are in the back, come on." She turned to walk away and I caught a glimpse of a tarot card on the back of her leg. "The High Priestess". The rest of the tattoo was hidden by her capris, and I desperately wanted to know what the entire piece looked like. "Your tattoos are really cool," I muttered. "Hm? Oh, thanks! Honestly, I forget they're even there half the time," she giggled. She led us through an archway into a large room with rows of chairs, the area reminding me of a barber shop. Two heavily tatted guys sat on stools at separate work stations, laughing and cutting up. They glanced up at us when we came in, one of them flashing an easygoing smile. "Hey kids. I'm Trey, this is Jase. You guys know what you want?"

I felt my throat close up as my eyes locked on a row of needles, still sealed in their packaging. My heart felt like it was going to bust through my chest. Can they hear my heart? Fuck, dude, don't be a little bitch! MAN UP! The other guy spun around on his stool, pulling his long hair up into a quick bun. They were both staring at me worriedly. "Bro, you good?" Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. "Ba-ABE," I croaked, stopping to clear my throat. "Uh- babe, maybe we should- um, we could always come back another time, right?" He took my hand, squeezing gently. "I'll be here every step of the way. I promise," he whispered. "Is he gonna be okay?" Trey asked warily. Double D smiled politely in return. "He has an aversion to needles," he explained. The lady laughed, "Hey! Me too! My advice? Get your first one somewhere you can't see." I looked at her in confusion. "For real?" She nodded. "Being afraid of needles is a psychological thing, man. If you can't see the needles, you won't be so scared," she explained. "I dunno..." Double D sighed in exasperation and sank into a chair, pulling his shirt off. WHAT is he doing?! He looked at Trey as he gestured to his shoulder blade. "Can I get a rose right here?" Trey chuckled, "No problem kid," and started prepping to do Double D's tattoo. He looked at me with a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Citrouille. We'll get one together, okay? There's nothing to fear," he soothed.

I nodded weakly and hesitantly lowered myself into a chair. "Okay." Jase leaned over to a nearby sink, washing his hands. "Y'know what you want, kid?" he asked. I looked over all of the artwork on the walls. What to get, what to get? It felt like ages before an idea struck me. I could hear the whirring of Trey's tattoo gun and silence from Double D. How is he not yelling in pain? Does it really not hurt that bad?  "...kid?" I looked over and Jase was staring at me expectantly. "Oh! Um- uh, yeah! Right. I got...uhh, I kinda got an idea," I stammered, flustered. He grinned and leaned in, cupping his ear. "Go on and whisper to me what it is you want," he taunted. Double D cocked his head a little, looking at me confused. I smiled bashfully and quickly turned away, whispering into Jase's ear. No way in hell was I letting my boyfriend know what I was getting until it was done. He nodded along as he listened intently. He pulled away as he erupted into gut-busting laughter. "Alright," he gasped, wiping at his eyes. "Okay, I can dig it. Let's do it." You're such a fucking dork, I thought giddily as Jase started to sketch out the image on paper. "What are you getting?" Double D asked. A slow smile spread to my face. "You'll see."

"All done kid, wanna see it?" Jase asked as he wiped down my forearm and sat back, inspecting his work proudly. On my arm was a doodle of a small ghost holding a jack o'lantern. Both had silly smiles. Double D leaned over and admired the artwork with a toothy grin. "That's adorable!" he exclaimed. "Innit though?" I chuckled, twisting my arm this way and that to admire the bright colors. "Now, you're gonna wanna get it touched up every so often. Orange and white'll fade pretty quick on your skin," Jase explained. He slapped a heavy hand on my shoulder as he stood. "Lemme get you some stuff to put on it. It'll keep your skin from drying out and peeling, help the ink set in, all that good stuff." When he got up, I immediately launched forward in my seat. "Lemme see yours, Puca!" I exclaimed eagerly. He turned away from me, revealing a bright crimson rose on his shoulder blade with vines stretching out over his shoulder and inward toward his spine in tribal mark-like patterns. "Babe, that's cool as fuck! I love that!" He turned to me again as he carefully pulled his shirt back on. "Language, Citrouille," he chided gently.

"You kids are all good to pay up front. Cherie has everything you need," Trey sighed as he started cleaning up. Double D pulled me to my feet, giggling as we made our way back to the front desk. "Now, I get why people like tattoos so much. They're addictive! I want another!" I rubbed his lower back gently. "Well, that's not something I ever thought I'd hear from Eddward Marion Vincent," I chuckled. "Tell ya what, Puca. On YOUR birthday, I'll buy you a tattoo." Cherie took Double D's debit card with a tender smile. "You two are so cute together!" she gushed. Double D responded by burying his face into my side timidly. "Thank you, ma'am. We don't hear a lot of that outside of our friends and my parents," I replied politely. She handed the card back, along with a paper bag. "Well, you SHOULD hear it often. You guys are the most precious couple I've ever seen. And I think we've got ourselves a new ink addict." She shot Double D a sly wink before looking at me again. "What about you, Red? You gonna get some more work?" she asked. I shook my head so fast that I could've snapped my own neck. "Absolutely not!" I asserted, hoping my voice didn't waver too much. "I came, I saw, I conquered. I can check it off the bucket list." 

Double D and Cherie shared an amused laugh at my expense. "You have a wonderful day, Miss Cherie. I'll be seeing you again," he said as he gently tugged me out the door. "Eddward Vincent, addicted to tattoos," I snorted. "I just- I can't even imagine it. Like- you, you of all people, covered in ink." He flashed a cheeky grin as he slid into the driver's seat of his car. "What can I say, Citrouille? I'm full of surprises."