"You're busy? Again? Since when were you this active?" Cathy groans, slamming her face into my pillow as i release a soft chuckle. I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

"Cathy, I promise we can go out on Sunday."

"Don't you go to church on Sunday?" She sits up on my bed and whispers. I gaze in the mirror and adjust my blue sundress, which had reached my ankles as usual but had been borrowed from Cathy. Her mother brought it for church for her, but she did not like it. And instead of completely covering my chest, it was off shoulder. I am actually exposing some skin.

"My mother and father now spend the weekends at my aunt's place. That means I'm free." My mother and father now go to Aunt's house, so I have two days off every week. And I get to do and dress whatever I want. And to be honest, it is the best feeling.

"Where are you going anyways?" I knew if i told her about Ares, she would complain on how I am being silly, and I should not go.

So, i lie to her.

"Joey's, he made me pomegranate juice and needs some books." I lie and hold onto my hand with my other. Just so i do not rub my nose in front of her. She waits for me to do it, and when I do not, she nods her head and leaves my bedroom with me.

"Okay, when will you be done?"

"No idea, but I'll call you and you can come over for a movie?"

"Vampire Diaries, I don't want to watch a movie."

"Of course. Oh darn! Clark Johnson is coming over for tomorrow!" I groan rushing my fingers through my hair.

"Good luck Ali." She smiles and hugs my body from the side as we make our way out of my house, I make sure to lock the door behind me as she sees her off as she enters her own home. I plug in my headphones and walk to the bus stop.

I could not get Ares's body out of my mind, and how it would stiffen up every now and then when I pushed down. Something in the back of my mind is driving me to wake up and respect my parents, but the thrill, the adrenaline, is worth the effort.

It is worth it to have Ares as a friend.

I only ever had one friend. Cathy. I attend to school, but no one pays attention to me. I am the oddball, and hey! I do not mind. In fact, I adore it. I enjoy being anonymous and not being a part of any drama. I just want to get through college without being harassed, known, or tormented.

And not only do I have Cathy, but Joey and Anna. His wife. They treat me like the grandparents i never had. I love them both with every piece of my heart, and I love their relationship. I hop on the bus, scanning my bus card as I trail inside. There were no seats available, so instead I stood. Holding the pole.

The bus is a bit bumpy and claustrophobic, but as long as it took me to where i needed to go. Then I do not care. A few stops later, and i press the buzzer. Signalling the driver to stop and as he does, the door opens for me. I slip out and look ahead to see the tattoo parlour.

I could feel the excitement in my veins.

I reach the door and push it open. I see the woman at the reception with a soft smile, "welcome, here for a tattoo?"

"I'm here to see Ares?" She hums looking down at the computer.

"Name?" She asks.

"Ali." A voice calls out, not mine but Ares. He signals his head for me to follow him, I smile at the receptionist whose jaw tenses. I trail behind him, clutching my bag as we enter the same room. He closes the door behind him, and I notice him wearing the same shirt from yesterday.

"You didn't change your shirt?" I whisper, pointing out the obvious.

"I promised not to look at it." I blush.

He slips it over his body and does the same thing as yesterday. This time his muscles were tense and more grown, he hands me the pen and I take it from him as I slip my bag off. I grab the container of seeds, "do you want one?"

"No, I'm fine." He answers, I nod my head and flick the lid of the pen to the side.

"I might take longer than two hours..."

"That's fine."

"Won't your boss complain?"

"No. He won't." I chuckle, pressing my hand onto his skin. "Fuck, your hands are cold." I instantly remove them.

"Sorry," I whisper, he shakes it off. I touch him again and begin drawing, and all he does is watch me. As i draw, I notice scars. I graze my fingers on them and he sucks in a breath, I bite onto my lips. I needed to make sure it was symmetrical, and i did not think before doing it. "Sorry, I just need to make sure..."

I straddle him, sitting onto his pelvis as I continue drawing. I smudge something by accident and lick my thumb to rub it off. "I am nearly done." I whisper out, my hair falling down the sides. Then I feel his finger pushing my hair behind my ears, I look up and lock eyes with him.

I look back down, feeling my heart fluster to some sort of degree.

His eyes.

His eyes. They looked...familiar.

"Done." I whisper, sitting up. He sits up himself and now, we were so close to each other.

His eyes travel down to my lips, which were inches away. I bite my bottom lips and slide off of him. He smirks, knowing I can no longer hold this tension. He walks to the mirror, and his brows raise.

I wait for his answer. He did not like it. "I like it." He answers. I smile brightly. "This is really good for an outline drawing."

"Thank you."

"Do you have a job?" I raise a brow.

"I have three." I chuckle out.

"Quit them, work here." My eyes budge out of my head, is he being serious? I cannot just quit my job to work here. Does this man not understand I have three jobs for a reason?

"I can't...I have bills and one job won't help and my parents will never allow me to work in a tattoo parlour." I whisper out.

"Work here, thirty dollars an hour, four days a week." Oh my god, that is a lot of money. Is he being serious? Too much money, all three of my jobs added togethers comes up to thirty. And he is telling me I can just work four days a week, thirty dollars an hour. Hang on.

"Are you the manager?"

"I'm the boss."

"I knew it." I shake my head, walking to my bag as I take out my container of seeds. "But-I can't take the job."

"Your parents don't need to know, but I'm not forcing you. You have talent."

"I should get going, thank you for this. It was really fun. I should catch the next bus before it gets dark." He slips his shirt on over his head; he pushes his dark curls back.

"I'll come with you."

"Oh no need-"

"It's dark. These streets are dangerous." I nod my head, and he slips on his jacket before we make our way out of the room. The receptionist stares at me, "lock up before you leave."

Ares settles the keys down onto the counter, he pulls open the door for me as we step out and begin walking down the streets. We stood a few inches apart. As if it were illegal to walk closer. The wind brushes against my bare chest, I shiver slightly. I hear a shuffle from behind me, and suddenly a material is placed over my shoulders.

"Thank you..." I look up at him, sliding my hands inside the arms holes. His jacket is too big for me, but i make do with it and zip it up. If i knew i would be staying for more than two hours, I would have brought one. We reach the bus stop, and Ares stays with me.

"Why are your arms filled with tattoos, neck and hands but not your chest?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Because I tattoo everything myself." My eyes widen.

"You tattooed all of this?" He nods, leaning against the shield of the bust stop stand. I touch his arms, grazing them. He had many, one whole sleeve done on one side, but then little ones scattered on one arm. Butterflies wrapped around his fore arms and little writings on his shoulder. I found that out by lifting his shirt a little, I brush my thumb. "I've always wanted a tattoo."

"So, get one." He replies.

"Pfft, I can't. Parents. Catholic." He goes all the way down with the zipper of the jacket he lent me. His fingertips brush against my abdomen before reaching the lower dip between my breasts. I catch my breath as I gaze up at him, and his eyes meet mine.

"A butterfly would like nice here, and here..."

He drags his hands to the side of my waist, all the way down to my pelvis. "A snake, and here..."

He touches the other side of my waist. "A spider."

My heart is racing, as if there is a test happening. "And here..." He touches underneath my left breast. "Writing."

He never left my eyes; this is the longest I have actually maintained contact with someone. I look down to his lips. Hang on, this all seemed so familiar. The first place he touched was where Diávolos painted the two swords.

Before anything could happen, the bus stops.

I slip inside as the doors glide open, and he follows behind me. We hardly had enough room because it was so crowded.

We were in the bus's corner, and I could not reach the handles in the ceilings. Ares grabbed one of them, and I tried to keep my balance as the bus went over a hump. I take a small step forward, losing my balance. Ares wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into his body.

"We could have just taken my car." He whispers into my ears, having to bend his neck down a lot. I smile and lift my head, accidentally brushing our noses together.

I have never had this much proximity with any man, Ares is my first. Him touching me, holding me, laughing with me. It shocks me. A group of girls sitting down snickering and pointing, they give flirty eyes to Ares.

There was this one beautiful girl who gave him a little wave, but when I looked back at Ares. His eyes were trained on me. He is looking at me as if trying to figure out my story, if only he knew my book is as bland as an empty page.

"I told you that he is bad news, he fucks around with girls and leaves them. Do you want to be one of them?"

Cathy's words rung in my ears.

It is not like he owes me any loyalty, we are just friends. Well, to me we are. Maybe he does not consider me a friend. The bus goes over another hump, Ares' hands tighten around my waist. I notice it is my stop and press the buzzer, the bus stops slowly, and Ares releases my waist as we make our way out.

"Thank you, Ares,"

"I'll walk you home." He offers.

"No need, I live down the road anyways. I-I'd like to be your friend, if you want to." His lips upturn into a cheeky smile.

"I don't think we can be friends, Ali." I feel something stab into my chest.

"Oh, why? Am I annoying? Clingy?"

"Because I can't cross the line of wanting you underneath me if I'm your friend. As a result, no. We're not going to be friends." He wants me. His strong scent rose from his garments around me, leaving Goosebumps all over my clothed arms.

He wants me to be underneath him. Nothing came out of my mouth, so I nodded and waved farewell before hurrying to the end of the road. I look back, and he is gone.

He just disappeared.