Page 28 of Rough Night

Mia was completely shocked when Sage suggested that they get ink as a sign of their bond. She had wanted Sage, of course, but she had never thought about getting ink together. It seemed like a crazy idea. She had never thought that in her life she would get a tattoo with anyone, no matter who that person was but for some reason getting a tattoo with Sage seemed like something she wasn’t against, and she knew it was because she loved him. She was still a bit hesitant about it though as not many people got tattoos for each other anymore because things are never guaranteed to last.

Even marriages didn't last forever. Mia knew that Sage was showing her in the only way he could think of that he wanted to be with her, that even though he couldn't yet talk about the future, he could still picture her there with him. It meant a lot to Mia the more she thought about it. It was a big gesture to make, even just having the courage to ask her must’ve taken a lot for him, and she was thrilled that the bond she had pictured forming between them wasn’t just one-sided.

She went to bed with the idea of getting a tattoo on her mind. His idea ran through her mind over and over again. She kept thinking about what she would get if she did go through with it. She even thought about what he would get. She couldn't possibly think of an idea because he didn't give much away so it could literally be anything. Maybe he was thinking of getting her name she thought. She really hoped not though, that was just too much.

Mia knew that she wanted to be with Sage for the rest of her life. She had, of course, thought about it, but she never thought he’d want to get something so permanent.

She didn’t want to give an answer straight away, so she decided to sleep on it. If he was willing to wait, he would have to give her enough time to really think about it. She was grateful he didn’t push her into answering right away as getting a tattoo would be the biggest step they had taken together. She cuddled up next to Sage in her sleep, dreaming of getting his name branded on her. She shivered in her sleep at the thought. She knew without a doubt she would never get anyone's name tattooed on her, so she hoped that wasn’t his idea.

"How could you have made me get a tattoo of your name, and now you're leaving me?" she asked. Sage stood in front of her with his bags packed and waiting in the hallway of their house. She had known getting tattoos wouldn't make anything seem more real than it already was, getting tattoos with anyone didn't seal the deal.

"I'm sorry, Mia, I really am. You have to know that I didn't want this to happen. I thought we were doing something amazing," he replied. Mia looked at her tattoo. His name would be on her for the rest of her life, and he would just leave her life as if nothing mattered. Tears fell down her cheeks as she realized she hadn't been good enough to make him stay.

"Everyone always leaves," she said as she started to sob. Sage wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, but Mia couldn't take it and pushed him off of her.

"Just leave then. Just go and don't come back!" she yelled as frustration and anger filled her body. If he wanted to leave, he should. There was no reason why he should try to make it any better. He picked up his bags and walked out of the door. Not turning back to look at her, he just continued to walk forward and out of her life.

Mia moaned in her sleep as the dream messed with her heart. It hurt to even think about Sage leaving her. She knew the idea of the tattoo had brought about the dream. It was a scary idea that she had never thought would come out of his mouth. She was terrified it could break their relationship in the long run. She knew a few people who had gotten tattoos with their partners and had broken up just a few months later. She didn't want that to happen to them.

“Good morning,” Sage said from beside her as she woke up. He had a beautiful smile plastered on his face. Mia hoped she hadn’t said anything embarrassing in her sleep, especially since there was a part of her that would've begged the Sage in her dreams to stay.

“Good morning to you too,” she replied as she stretched. The best feeling in the world was waking up next to him, and it would never get old for her.

She was on her back and decided to turn so she could face him properly. There was no point in prolonging the question that hung in the air.

“So you’re serious about getting a tattoo?” she asked. She wanted to make sure that he hadn’t changed his mind overnight.

“Yes, I’m sure about getting a tattoo,” he replied as he gently stroked her arm under the blanket.

“Isn’t getting a tattoo together bad luck?” she asked him. She was concerned that it could break them before anything truly happened, thinking back to the dream she had just had.

“We don’t have to get each other's names, but maybe a symbol,” he replied. She was relieved he had said that without her having to make sure. It was clear that he wanted it to be a symbol of their relationship, but he wasn’t being stupid about it either, and she could appreciate that.

Surprisingly, Mia did like the idea even though it was scary. It could be the perfect time to get her Omen tattoo covered up as well as connect with Sage on a deeper level. She could kill two birds with one stone, and it seemed like a good time to do it. There was no reason for her to be scared of her future with Sage anymore. He had proved to her for a while that he didn't intend on going anywhere that didn't involve her being there with him.

“Okay, let’s do it,” she replied. She already had an idea in her head, something that would show Sage just how much he meant to her. She had been painting Sage for so long, and that had been her own secret way of expressing her feelings. She didn’t mind getting something that he could see. After all, it was his idea, and that meant something. He was opening up to her in a way she hadn't expected.

“Are you sure?” he asked, obviously shocked that she had agreed when she had sounded against it.

“Yes, I want to do this,” she replied. She was sure that she would do anything for him. She wanted him to know that she was by his side through thick and thin. He was her life.

Mia watched as Sage grinned at her response. She could tell he was happy that she would take the step with him. They headed out to a tattoo shop after having a quick shower and breakfast.

“We don’t want to pass out now, do we?” Sage joked as they ate. He made light of the matter, clearly completely committed to the idea. Mia could see it all over his face. It felt pretty amazing to have him be so sure of what he wanted all of a sudden. She didn’t know if he would ever truly express himself with words, but Mia knew that actions spoke louder than words. She had never taken Sage for someone who would get a tattoo, and that surprised her the most. He didn’t have a single tattoo on his body. She felt that it meant more that way. He was getting something out of his comfort zone, and that was something she could appreciate.

Mia could remember the first and only tattoo she had gotten when she joined the Omens. She remembered how the pain felt almost unbearable, and she had almost passed out because of it. She believed that it was because she knew she was making a mistake at the time and she thought that this time around she’d be fine. She wasn't doing this to prove that she could be trusted in a gang of horrible people, but she was doing it for Sage.

Within no time they were at a parlor as there was no point in prolonging the event. She felt nervous as they arrived outside the shop. She could hear the sound of the tattoo machines before they pushed the doors open. She had never really been into tattoos before. She had only gotten the Omens tattoo because she had wanted them to accept her and she knew that getting their symbol would be the only way. She had thought about covering it up for the longest time but had never gotten the courage until now. Even though it was scary she felt a sense of peace with the idea. She would do anything for Sage even if it meant getting something of him tattooed onto her skin.

“Hey there, how can I help you?” a tiny woman asked from behind the front counter.

“Hey, we’re here to get some ink,” Sage replied. “Is there anyone available who could help us?”

“That’s rad. We have two artists available so you guys can get inked at the same time,” she said. Within a few minutes, Sage and Mia went into separate booths so they could get tattooed. Neither of them knew what the other would get. It seemed to be an unspoken surprise between the two of them.

Mia had decided on a sprig of sage with a few flowers blooming from the top. She knew the sage would clearly show she belonged to Sage and that flowers indicated that their relationship was blooming. She knew that their relationship was stronger than it had ever been. She found it crazy how things could change so quickly. After all, it hadn’t been that long ago that Sage had been completely different toward her. She could remember when he had been distant and almost horrible toward her, but all that had changed, and it definitely showed.

She loved her design. It had an embroidered effect to it that made it unique and special. Sage was special to her. He had been the whole time, and so she wanted to showcase that within her design. She sat in silence as she got tattooed. She tried to distract herself from the pain by humming to herself.