(open) next time you come around I may not be here

[jon]

A young, muscular woman was attending the counter, a magazine split open to a spread on the next ten top actors. Beyond her, next to a chair, was a grizzled biker-looking individual, gnawing on a soggy cigar and touching up the details on an elaborate, all-black design. The man receiving the tattoo was already fairly covered, and was chatting with the tat-artist about things regarding all manner of womanly anatomy.

Jon approached the counter, feeling Lore's arms thread a little tighter around his elbow. He glanced down to her, seeing the set of her jaw and the tight line of her lips. She was very clearly uncomfortable. He was about to give her an opportunity to respectfully decline, but the woman at the counter caught site of him, straightening.

"Hey kiddos. What can we do for you today? We have a deal this week on couples' tattoos, if you're interested." She had short black hair and olive skin, decorated with a silver Monroe piercing and several detailed designs on her arms and neck. Jon gave her a smile. "We're just wondering if you have any time slots open right now?"

"Oh we've got plenty of room for you. Slow time of the day. Are you both getting ink today?"

[LORELAI GRACE ANDREWS]

Even the atmosphere instilled anxiety within her, and Lorelai found herself stepping even closer to Jon as she took everything in. Maybe this wasn’t the greatest idea. But she’d already told herself she would do it- maybe it wouldn’t be so bad with him there. Maybe she could convince him to hold her hand while she was getting it done. That would help, probably. Thinking of human contact always took away the pain of things- or, at least, it worked when she was sad about Elliot, to some extent. It distracted her. And she didn’t like going back on something she said she would do, so right then and there she made a decision. She was going to leave with a Pac Man tattoo no matter what.

She just really hoped he would sit with her during the whole thing.

When the woman behind the counter inquired about whether or not they were both going to get tattoos, Lore bit her lip nervously and nodded. ”I’m just going to, uhm, get something small,” she responded with a slight shrug, ”Just a Pac Man on my arm.” Oh, gosh. So many nerves.