Lionhearted ♥ (Part 3 to Broken Hearted)

The sun was still lowering as Avery pulled into the lot behind a slightly sketchy-looking shop on the furthermost corner of the downtown area. Chase was still following, parking right beside her car and looking out his window at the black little store. He squinted at the fading logo on the side of the building that spelled out Lion’s Share Studio. A red neon sign in one of the dim windows glared with the word TATTOO.

Is…is this a tattoo place? he thought, his eyes widening, his mind stating the obvious as he attempted to process where he was.

Avery hopped out of her car and joined Chase as he clambered out of his Jeep, his feet hitting the pavement with a solid thud. He looked down at Avery, whose eyes were sparkling with the fading rays of the sun. 

“Avery Joy Nicholson, what in the world are we doing here?” Chase asked nervously.

“You’re a smart guy, Chase James Walker. Why do you think we’re here?” Avery retorted teasingly, gesturing to the tattoo parlor behind her. 

He glanced at the back of the shop, a tiny worn staircase leading up to a black gated door. The paint was slightly peeling off the building, and the red trim around the black door made the entrance seem foreboding.

“Chase, relax,” Avery said. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve actually had this set up since our day in the park, the day with the monarch butterfly. And yes, my mom said it was okay. This is actually her gift to me.”

Chase raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

“Seriously? I thought your mom hated tattoos.”

“That’s why I’m getting it where you can’t see it when I’m dressed, and it’s something meaningful to me that my mom doesn’t mind me having on my body for the rest of my life,” she said dramatically, patting her chest, just above her heart. “Now come on, I don’t wanna be late for my appointment,” she finished, taking Chase’s hand and pulling him behind her. 

Chase gulped and followed as they stepped up the few creaky stairs to the door, and Avery whipped out her phone and quickly tapped out a message. They stood patiently in wait, and after a few minutes, the door opened to reveal a tall, lanky man with tattoos up and down his arms, several piercings in his ears, and a welcoming smile. Chase looked the newcomer up and down, examining his black boots and jeans, loose maroon shirt, and colorful tattoos lacing his arms. 

“I’m guessing you’re Avery?” the man spoke, reaching out his hand. “Nice to meet you! I’m Leonard, but please call me Leo.”

Avery took his hand, shaking it and smiling. 

“Hi, Leo! Yes, I’m Avery, and this is my best friend Chase,” she said, gesturing to Chase, who was transfixed on the tiger imprinted on Leo’s right forearm.

Avery lightly nudged Chase, who snapped to and looked up. 

“Uh, hi,” Chase said awkwardly, a shaky smile on his face. “Sorry, I was just…”

Leo smiled and looked down at the tiger. “Beauty, ain’t it? One of my most favorite pieces that I’ve gotten!” he said cheerily. He stuck his hand out to Chase. “Nice to meet you, brother. You here to comfort the lady today?”

Chase relaxed and took Leo’s hand, shaking it firmly. “Well, to be honest, I had no idea I would end up here today,” he laughed lightly. “She didn’t tell me where we were headed, so I guess I’m a little shocked we’ve ended up at a tattoo shop.”

“Ah, being sneaky are we?” Leo asked as he raised his eyebrows at Avery. "I can roll with that. Well yes, Miss Avery here desires to receive permanent ink, and I just so happen to be the one who will be bestowing it upon her. And if I recall from our conversation, she mentioned a certain young lad would be joining her to hold her hand if necessary. So, I’m guessing that’s you?” Leo finished with a knowing smile.

Chase cast his gaze at Avery, who had a nervous smile on her face accompanied by puppy-dog eyes. 

Chase sighed, rolled his eyes, and let out a laugh, this time a genuine one.  

“You’ve got some nerve, Ave.”

“Aw, come on, Chase,” Avery whined. “It’s just a tattoo, and I promise you I thought really hard about it and I know what I’m doing. Even my mom said I could get it.” She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

“Alright, alright, fine,” Chase said, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sure I can trust Leo here to do a fantastic job.”

“I certainly hope you can!” Leo said brightly, stepping aside and gesturing for the pair to enter. “If you head down the hallway and make a left, you’ll see all of the artist’s workspaces. Mine is the third one with the lion plaque by the entrance. Head on in and I’ll meet up with you in a little. I was just finishing up Avery’s stencil.”

Chase and Avery both entered the shop and followed Leo’s directions. They walked down a narrow corridor that was decorated wall to wall with drawings of designs and pictures of people smiling and posing with their new tattoos. They stepped out into a large, bright room that was divided into cubicle-like spaces, each with a plaque by their entrances with names engraved on them. 

They found the lion plaque with Leo’s name written in script across it and entered the little space. It was furnished with a cot, a few chairs, a desk, and a bookshelf with different little figures and trinkets scattered about its shelves. A tattoo machine lay on top of the desk, and there were little bottles of ink in a clear plastic organizer to the right of the desk. The walls were decorated with more drawings of tattoo designs, most of them being animals: lions, tigers, bears, wolves, birds, and so on. Avery took a seat on the chair closest to the door of the space, and looked around, taking in the art. Chase sat next to her and eyed the cot, a black rolling chair stationed behind it. 

“So this is really happening?” Chase asked, looking over at Avery. She was shifting in her seat, slightly wringing her hands and toying with her opal ring. 

“Yup,” she murmured, still staring at the different sketches on the walls. 

Chase laid a hand on her left knee, which had begun to bounce rapidly. “You nervous?” he asked with a smile.

“Yeah, but I’m also super excited,” she replied, casting him a grateful look at his touch. “You’ll hold my hand, right?”

“Of course,” he said, patting her knee. “And to think the girl who is afraid of needles is willingly getting a tattoo.” 

She grinned, tossing her eyes in a light roll and continuing to fiddle with her ring. 

“I wanted to do something brave for my birthday. Something big, something that I would never forget,” she said. “And…I really want this.” 

Chase nodded, his eyes wide. “Well, you’re certainly correct in saying that this is both brave and big. I’m not even sure I could do it,” he laughed. “So, what have you decided to get?”

She smiled softly. 

“A monarch butterfly, right here above my heart,” she said, once again patting the space on her chest as she had done earlier. 

Chase's face broke out in a beaming grin. “Well, I think that’s just perfect, and I’m sure it will look beautiful,” he said. “How did you find this place?”

“Leo knows my mom,” Avery answered. “He came in one day with his daughter for her hair appointment with my mom. His daughter is blind and she likes to have Leo stay with her – it helps her feel calmer. He ended up chatting with my mom, and they had some really good conversations, and she saw him a lot after that for his daughter’s other appointments. So when I told her I wanted a tattoo, she called him up and asked if he would do my tattoo, and he said he would be thrilled to. He even gave me a lower rate since my mom always does such a good job with his daughter, both with her hair and making her feel comfortable. He actually owns this shop, that’s why it’s called Lion’s Share – he’s all about lions because of his name and he specializes in animal tattoos.” 

“That’s cool! I’m glad you have a reference,” Chase replied. “He seems really friendly.” 

“Yeah, he does, and that’s why I trust him,” she said, shifting once again. “I’m just nervous,” she giggled. 

“Well, I hope your nerves will fade once we get going!” a voice sounded, making Avery jump slightly. Leo entered the room, a paper fluttering in his hand. He proudly presented it to Avery. “How does this look, love?”

Avery peered at the paper. A monarch butterfly with its wings outstretched was etched onto the page, the detail in its wings perfectly drawn from the sharp lines to the delicate dots. Avery gasped lightly. 

“It’s amazing, I love it,” she said, her eyes glimmering. 

“Well, let’s get it on you then!” Leo said, gesturing for her to lie down on the cot. 

Avery left her seat beside Chase and stretched out on the cot, lying on her back, her left side closest to the desk. She looked over at Chase nervously, who smiled back at her with reassurance in his eyes. 

Leo walked over to his desk and stood over Avery. 

“Would you mind pulling down your shirt, love?” he asked.

Avery obliged, exposing the pale and plain area below her collarbone. She had purposely worn a loose black tank top beneath her favorite pink sweater for easy access to the skin she had chosen to be inked. Leo lined up the stencil and pressed it down, peeling it back to reveal a purple outline of the butterfly. 

“Here, check it out!” he said, stepping back and holding up a mirror. 

Avery sat up and looked in the mirror, a pleased smile appearing on her face.

“I love it. It’s exactly what I wanted,” she said, beaming at Leo. 

“Just you wait until you see it finished!” Leo said, returning her smile and sitting down in his chair. He pulled on some black gloves and began prepping the machine with a fresh needle, which Avery side-eyed with a hint of uncertainity. Leo readied some black ink and turned back towards the cot, smiling at Avery. 

“Alright, love, go ahead and lie down,” he said before turning his attention to Chase. “Here, brother, you can move your chair up to her and hold her hand.”

Chase rose and pulled his chair up to Avery, settling back down and taking her right hand in his. She squeezed it and let out a shaky breath before steeling herself with a resolute look on her face. 

“I’m ready,” she said with determination, nodding at Leo. 

“Just try to relax and not move, okay? And don’t breathe too deep,” Leo instructed, poising the needle over her chest. “I’m gonna begin, okay? This shouldn’t take too long, especially since you only want black and white, correct?” 

“Yes,” Avery replied. “I like the simpler look, and I’m just not sure I want color.”

“No problem, love,” Leo replied. “Here we go!”

Leo’s machine whirred to life and he began to tattoo Avery, who only slightly crinkled her freckled nose with a minor wince. From there on out, it was relatively quiet save the noise of the machine and the faint music playing in the shop. Avery lay still, her eyes closed, occasionally scrunching her face if the pain flared up. Leo was in deep concentration, carefully tracing the stencil, making the butterfly come to life with his skilled and steady hand. Chase watched in awe as Leo worked, and also kept an eye on Avery, still holding her hand. She occasionally squeezed him, and he reciprocated to remind her that he was there, and wouldn’t let go.

Chase wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Leo sat up, pulling his hand back from Avery, revealing the freshly tattooed butterfly now gracing Avery’s skin. 

“All done!” Leo chirped as he set down the machine, discarded the needle, and pulled his gloves off. “Whatcha think, Avery?” he asked, holding the mirror up once more. 

Avery opened her eyes and breathed a deep sigh, a smile spreading across her face. 

“That really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!” she said, slowly sitting up. 

She peered into the mirror, this time gasping loudly as her eyes glowed. 

“Oh my gosh, Leo…I love it,” she whispered, admiring the graceful butterfly, the black ink bold against her soft pale skin. 

“I’m so glad!” Leo responded, a look of satisfaction on his face. “You really took it like a champ, especially with it being your first,” he said as he turned to Chase. “And you did well too, brother! Really kept her calm, you’re awesome.” He held his hand up for a high five, which Chase gave him with a smile. 

“It’s really beautiful, Ave,” Chase said, leaning in to admire Leo’s handiwork. “I was amazed at your steadiness, Leo. I didn’t even want to breathe too loud because you were so focused.”

Leo laughed, taking out his phone from his back pocket. “I’ve had years of experience, but I still get so engrossed in the process that I often don’t talk much. Some clients like that and others don’t – I always hate to seem rude, but I like to make sure I do my best work, so I hyper-focus and keep my mouth shut,” he explained, putting the mirror down and holding up his phone. “Do you mind if I take a picture for my portfolio, Avery?” 

“Go ahead!” she grinned, posing with a smile as Leo snapped a picture of her and then a close-up photo of the tattoo. 

“One last thing,” Leo said, pulling a clear bandage out of his desk and gently laying it across the tattoo. “Your tat should heal quickly considering it's only linework and there’s no color. Keep the bandage on for four days, and be careful with water. The bandage is waterproof, so you’re okay with showers, but no pools or baths for now, okay? If you have any questions or concerns, you can always shoot me a text. And finally, happy birthday to you!” Leo sang, patting Avery’s leg and smiling before standing up. “You feel good to stand?”

Avery nodded and descended from the cot, Chase helping her down. 

“Thank you so, so much, Leo, you were fantastic,” she said, her voice full of gratitude. 

Leo bowed slightly. “The pleasure is all mine, love. I am happy to be of service!”

Avery plucked her wallet out of her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, counting out two hundred dollar bills and handing them to Leo. “And thank you for the discounted price,” she smiled. “There’s a tip in there for you.”

Leo took the money and shook her hand once more. “I appreciate it deeply! I’ll send you the pictures, okay? Have a fantastic rest of your birthday! And please say hi to your mom for me.” He extended his hand once more to Chase. “And thanks for coming with her, it was nice to meet you! You were a fantastic support,” Leo grinned.

Chase laughed and shook Leo’s hand. “And you’re an awesome artist. I might just have to come back and get my own ink one day.” He looked at Avery and waggled his eyebrows as her eyes widened, and Chase laughed once more at Avery's reaction. 

“I never, ever thought I would hear you say that!” she said.

“Hey, people change, Ave,” he singsonged before grinning impishly as she groaned and lightly smacked his shoulder. 

“He’s too much sometimes,” she sighed. “Thank you again, Leo, it’s the best birthday present ever. Have a great evening!”

“So long and farewell!” Leo chuckled, turning back to clean up his cot and supplies. 

Chase and Avery returned to the corridor and made their way to the back door of the shop, exiting into the dim lot. The sun was gone, and night had begun to set in, the stars above twinkling as the moon shone down. 

“Well, Ave, how do you feel?” Chase asked. 

“I…I feel awesome,” Avery replied breathlessly. “I actually can’t believe I just did that,” she said, looking down at the new addition to her body. 

“It seriously looks amazing,” Chase said, looking at the butterfly that rested behind the protective bandage. “Like I said, who knows, maybe I just might get one of my own.”

“You better take me with you,” Avery retorted, a grin on her face. “I have to see that happen.”

“You bet,” Chase replied, patting her head. “Now, your birthday still has quite a bit of time left. What do you want to do now?”

“Well…I really don’t know,” Avery said, a slight slump settling on her shoulders. 

Chase looked at her with a mischievous grin on his face.

“I was actually hoping you would say that!” he exclaimed. “I have an idea. You wanna come with me?” 

“Where are we going?” Avery asked inquisitively. 

“Oh, you’ll see,” Chase replied, batting his eyes and looking coy.

“Throwing my own words back at me, huh?” Avery sighed before letting out a laugh. 

“But of course,” Chase grinned before turning towards his Jeep. “Follow me back to your house and we’ll drop your car off and just take mine, okay? It’ll be more fun that way.” 

“Okay,” Avery affirmed, curiosity bubbling up in her chest as Chase ambled off, a secretive smile on his face. 

The moonbeams cast down a different type of magic now, one that promised adventure, a daredevil demeanor, and an attitude of carefree cavalier. 

The two friends pulled out of the lot and took off down the street, leaving Lion’s Share behind. The night wore on, but it felt like the journey had just begun. 

(To be continued...)

♥

 

Image source: From the manga Aoyama Tsukiko desu! by Nojin Yuki