Work Text:
Clarke watched her friends up ahead with an amused smile on her face. After a few hours in Arktown's nightlife hotspot, and forty dollars of alcohol later, Octavia was perched on Jasper's sinewy shoulders, head thrown back while she laughed at something Monty said. The Asian boy walked beside them in tandem with Jasper's footsteps, a red flush across his cheeks. Finn was a few feet ahead, skipping while letting his arms swing exaggeratedly. It was still light enough outside for them to see, but the streetlights in the quiet street had already flickered on, casting pools of gold at even intervals.
"Hey!" Octavia called from her perch, and Finn turned around to look at her. "What's that up there?" Clarke jogged lightly to catch up with her friends. She hadn't drunk as much, so she had the best control of her motor skills. Everyone squinted at the green neon sign up ahead, and Finn read aloud,
"Tattoo parlour!"
"We should totally go in there," Jasper said, words slurring ever so slightly, and Monty bounced on the balls of his feet, an excited grin on his face.
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" he gasped rapidly, and Jasper and Finn chorused it with calls of,
"Hell yeah!"
Octavia giggled gleefully. Four pairs of eyes turn on Clarke, and she stared back at them, chewing on her bottom lip. "What?" she asked. Octavia and Jasper raised their eyebrows simultaneously, and in the distance Clarke could hear Finn call out a prolonged "Pleeeeeeeeeease?" She rolled her eyes at them, but her lips turned up into a smile. "Okay okay! Let's go check out the tattoo place."
Jasper let out a whoop and began to run down the street towards the sign, Octavia bouncing away on his shoulders. Once they caught up to Finn, he ran with them. Clarke just laughed and walked along side Monty, who gave her a tipsy smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, friend," he said. "Let's go do something stupid."
----T100----
Bellamy was relaxing in the back room of his parlour, Atom passed out on the battered sofa opposite him, when he heard the bell on the front door go. Lincoln looked up from his sketchbook at the sound, and raised a pierced eyebrow. "I'll go get it," Raven sighed, pushing herself up from her seat and walking into the shop. Inside, she saw a small group looking at designs on the wall. One of them- a boy- had his shirt lifted up, exposing his abdomen.
"What if I got a giant dragon spiralling out from my belly button?" he said, grinning broadly. The pretty brunette standing in front of him had an unamused look on her face.
"If you do that I will break up with you," she said, with finality. The boy smirked, clearly disbelieving, and dropped his shirt.
"Okay, so how about the name 'Octavia' across my chest in really fancy writing? Y'know! Like guys in gangs have!" he suggested, striking a failing gangster pose and pursing his lips. The brunette's blank face cracked quickly and she was immediately flung herself at the boy, pressing her lips gently to his and giggling. "I love it when you do that," the boy said, when he pulled back slightly, a goofy grin on his face.
"Can I help you guys?" she asked, taking her usual place behind the desk with a smile on her face. The blonde closest to her offered her an awkward smile.
"My friends here want to get some tattoos," she said, and Raven nodded. Looking back over her shoulder, she yelled,
"Bellamy! Wake Atom up and tell Lincoln to stop doodling! We've got a big order!" A few seconds later and a guy with tousled dark hair appeared, trying to stifle a yawn. A huge dark-skinned man walked behind him, shaved head hinting the black tribal tattoos that wrapped around the back of his head. Raven turned back to Clarke, who was watching the others describing what they wanted to the artists.
"Do you do tattoos?" Finn asked Raven, leaning against the counter and letting his eyes slip over her. His flirt mode went into overdrive when he was drunk. Raven smirked and moved out from behind the desk, giving Finn a perfect view of the string of black birds the encircled her waist and made a loop around her bellybutton that was visible beneath the hem of her red cropped top. "Cool," he breathed, staring at it. Each bird was a different size and flew in a different position, making the tattoo completely unique.
"Want me to help you find something?" Raven said, and Finn nodded eagerly. Clarke couldn't help but be amused. Octavia seemed to have already chosen her tattoo, the bald man who'd introduced himself as Lincoln helping her into one of the chairs. The other guy who Clarke assumed was Atom was pointing a design on one of the wall panels for Jasper, giving everyone a clear view of the multicoloured sleeve of roses and thorns that went all the way up to his elbow. Monty was sitting in one of the waiting chairs, an older man with dark hair and neck tattoos explaining to him how the tattoo was done. Soon enough, all of Clarke's friends were seated, the tattoo artists setting up their pens and the inks. Octavia was already having her design sketched into the skin just above her hipbone- a butterfly in flight.
Clarke leaned down against the front counter and looked down, a tattoo folder catching her eye. Casting another look at her friends, she opened it and flicked through the heavy laminated pages, pale eyes taking in the abundance of flowers and skulls and various lizards. Across the room, Jasper started giggling as the vibrations from the needle made his spine vibrate.
"Thinking of getting one?" a male voice asked in front of her, and Clarke dropped the page she was holding up guiltily. She looked up and she felt her breath catch in her chest. A tan-skinned man was standing in front of her, a messy mop of black, curly hair hiding his ears and flopping into his eyes. There was a dimple on his chin, just under a pair of soft-looking lips curved up into a smile. Clarke suddenly found herself unable to speak properly.
"Uh I-uh I-uh I don't really know," she managed to get out, and the guy's smile got a little bigger. "I'm not as drunk as my friends." The guy laughed and it was a beautiful sound- throaty and light.
"We'll take care of them, don't worry," he said, and Clarke found herself staring at his hands as they pushed up the sleeves of the blue henley he was wearing. "I'm Bellamy. I run this place," he introduced, holding out a hand.
"I'm Clarke. I guess I'm supposed to be the responsible one out of the bunch of us," Clarke said, and Bellamy's face split into a blinding smile.
"Is that why you're not getting one? Need to uphold your control of the situation?" he asked, and Clarke opened her mouth in quiet indignation.
"I didn't say I wasn't going to get one. I just wouldn't know what to get," Clarke said, holding her head up high. "Tattoos are pretty permanent."
"Well," Bellamy said, leaning on his forearms on the countertop. "Maybe I can help you find a design you like to make it worth while?" Clarke narrowed her pale eyes at him in mock suspicion.
"Would you be giving me the tattoo?" she asked, and Bellamy nodded.
"The rest of my friends are busy." He gestured to the shop, which was filled with loud chatter and the low buzzing of needles. "Why don't you tell me things that you like, and maybe we can find something for you." Clarke pondered for a minute, sifting through a list of things in her head that she liked and would possibly make a fairly cool tattoo.
"I like science," she said, and Bellamy raised and eyebrow. "And I like space." Bellamy nodded, and Clarke could almost see the cogs whirring in his head.
"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly, and Clarke found herself nodding. A soft smile took over Bellamy's face, and he lead her to the last chair, instructing her to sit with her back to him, her front pressing into the backrest. The red leather was cool and slightly cracked. She jumped slightly as she pulled her hair over her shoulder when cold hands touched her bare skin, rucking up the back of her shirt until it just showed the clasp of her bra, and Clarke was glad she'd decided to wear her nice black one. "Is it alright here?" Bellamy asked, fingers tracing a oval at the base of her spine, just above the waistband of her jeans. Clarke nodded and resting her chin on her crossed arms, allowing the tattoo artist to clean her skin with antiseptic.
Octavia's tattoo was finished fifteen minutes later, the girl tracing the tape of her bandage as she walked over to Clarke and stood behind Bellamy, watching him colour in her design. "That looks amazing, Clarke!" she breathed, and Lincoln joined her, scrutinising the design.
"One of your originals?" he asked, and Bellamy hummed shortly as he nodded. Clarke looked over her shoulder at him, but Bellamy placed a firm hand on the side of her head, pushing her back.
"You need to keep still, or the design'll be stretched and out of focus," he said, and Clarke nodded, laying her head back down.
"Octavia, what did you get?" she asked, and the brunette moved into her line of focus, prizing the bandage slightly so she could show Clarke. The black outline of the butterfly had been filled with a bright azure colour, the tips of the wings dotted with white and dark blue. A trail of black and white dots flew out from behind it, mimicking a flight path. "It's beautiful!" she gasped, and Octavia smiled widely, replacing the bandage.
"Lincoln's really talented," she said, and Lincoln gave her a closed smile, running a hand over his buzzed head.
"O, let me see!" Jasper called across the shop, and the girl went obligingly over to her boyfriend. He told her to bend down after he saw it and placed a sound kiss on her lips.
"Are they always like that?" Bellamy asked, as he changed inks. Clarke snorted quietly.
"It's worse when they're tipsy," she said, and Bellamy huffed a laugh behind her. "But I think it's sweet."
"You got someone like that?" Bellamy asked, and Clarke looked over her shoulder at him, making eye contact, before shaking his head.
"I'm not exactly the romantic type, apparently," she replied, watching Bellamy tease at her skin to get to the right spot for the new colour. "You got anyone?"
"No," he replied, and the pen began buzzing again. Clarke took that as her cue to turn back around.
"Why not?" she asked, voice puzzled. Heck, why wouldn't anyone want this guy?
"I don't know. Just haven't really found anyone," he said. Clarke turned back around at the statement to find Bellamy staring back at her, dark eyes looking into pale. The air felt too heavy, too tense, and Clarke's throat felt tight and it was hard to swallow, so she turned back around, watching Monty chat animatedly to his artist.
"Well, I guess they'll be very lucky to have you," she said, trying to lower her heart rate and the tension in the air.
"You're very lucky, y'know, Clarke," Raven said from across the room at Finn's shoulder, needle poised for a moment. "He's given you one of his original designs, and I've never seen him do that before." Clarke was glad she was facing away from Bellamy, just so he couldn't see her blush.
Monty came over next, showing the blonde his tattoo- a thin black snake that wound itself around his wrist three times. Kane was clearly skilled at his profession; the intricacy was breathtaking. "You sure you're not gonna get in trouble at work for that?" Clarke teased, and Monty snorted.
"I'll just wear long sleeves," he said, before going over to Jasper to show him. Clarke tilted her head slightly, just so she could see the wall behind her.
"You nearly done back there? How long have we been here- an hour?" she asked, and Bellamy tutted, a cheeky grin on his face.
"Perfection takes patience, princess," he said, the nickname slipping out before he could stop it. Despite it being abrupt, Clarke felt something warm bloom inside her, immediately taking a liking to the nickname. "It's nearly done, so don't worry," Bellamy added. "Gimme ten more minutes."
----T100----
"You ready?" Bellamy asked, standing behind Clarke as they both stood in front of the full-length mirror screwed to the wall in the back room of the shop. Clarke nodded once, feeling excited and jittery at the same time. What if she didn't like it? "Turn around," Bellamy ordered, and Clarke immediately found herself staring at the artist's broad chest and feeling his hands pull all her hair over her shoulder. He started rucking up the base of her shirt, and they were so close that Bellamy could feel Clarke's warm breath on his neck. Clarke only looked over her shoulder when she felt the tape from the bandage be pulled away completely, and she gasped at the coloured mass on her back.
Bellamy had created a galaxy on her back, dots of dark and light green creating stars that were clustered together, all different sizes and shapes, fitting together seamlessly. Behind the design seemed to be a wash of even paler green, settling the darker colours perfectly. Tiny clusters of black and white dots accentuated all the points and created the illusion of faraway stars. "Bellamy, it's beautiful!" she said, completely ecstatic, and she smiled blindingly up at the taller man, who smiled back.
"You like it?" he asked, and Clarke nodded so hard she felt her head was about to fall off. "Think it was a good idea to come in here with your friends tonight?" Clarke couldn't help the laugh that, leaning in closer, and she felt Bellamy wrapped his arms around her and give her a quick squeeze. It felt good, and Clarke found herself liking the way he smelt; tattoo ink and spicy aftershave. His shirt smelt like laundry detergent, similar to the one she used, but different. "Let's out the bandage back on. We don't want it to smudge or become infected," Bellamy said, letting go of the hug and reaching around her to replace the white padded square.
"Thank you," Clarke said, as they walked back out into the shop. Bellamy gave her a soft smile, and they both watched Finn shove down one shoulder of his shirt to display a bandage which, when pulled away, revealed an all-black tattoo of a Navajo eagle. Raven's eyes sparkled with pride at how much he liked it, and she brushed prettily when Finn planted a kiss on her cheek in gratitude. Jasper whooped at the gesture, and Atom nudged Raven in the shoulder, giving her look. Bellamy chuckled. "How much do we owe you guys?" Clarke asked, and Bellamy shrugged.
"On the house," he said. Clarke opened her mouth to protest, but Bellamy held up a had, stopping her. "Also, because the design was an original of mine, it doesn't have a price."
"That's very generous of you," Clarke said. "Thank you." Bellamy shrugged again, a smirk on his face.
"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that I got to be your first." Clarke blushed heavily at the innuendo, and neither of them could help the laugh that came spilling out of them. Across the shop, their friends watched them.
"They're just adorable," Jasper commented, and everyone around them hummed in agreement.
"They'd be so cute together," Raven said, and Finn side-eyed her with a smile. The girl blushed again and look at the floor. Bellamy and Clarke were oblivious to their friends' comments.
"We should probably get going," Clarke said, waving a hand in the direction of the glass front of the shop, where it was considerably darker outside. "Thank you so much for the tattoo." Bellamy stopped her as she began to walk away.
"What, no kiss for me, princess?" he teased, and Clarke gave him a curious look, as if she was trying to figure out his intentions. However, there was still alcohol in her system, making her thought processes a little less detailed.
"My mistake," she said, before cupping his smooth jaw with one hand and placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. Bellamy's heart raced. He'd been joking, but he was very happy that that'd backfired, especially since it had such rewarding repercussions. "Goodnight, Bellamy," Clarke said, giving him one last smile before walking out of the shop, her friends following behind her. Bellamy just watched her go and waved back at her through the glass window. Once they were out of sight, Raven walked over to him, eyes studying his face.
"Call it woman's intuition, but I think she liked you," she said, and Bellamy swatted playfully at her. "And I think you liked her too," she called back as she returned to the back room.
"You think you're the only one who can play at this game?" he asked. "Let's talk about the way you and Eagle Boy were looking at each other!"
----T100----
"There. All finished, princess," Bellamy said three months later, pressing a soft kiss to the skin of Clarke's neck as she sat in the same chair she had when she'd first come to the shop. He set his needle down before picking Clarke up out of the chair and carrying her to the mirror in the back room.
"What is it with you and carrying me around?" Clarke asked, stroking a thumb along Bellamy's jawbone. "I do have legs, y'know." Bellamy hummed.
"That's how princesses are treated," he said. "And what lovely legs they are," he added, causing the girl to blush. He'd never get tired of seeing her do that, not when he teased her, not when he called her 'princess', not when they were locked together in bed, both flushed red and lips swollen. He dropped her back in front of the mirror and Clarke swept her hair aside, taking in the simple black outline of a crown at the nape of her neck. Her boyfriend had drawn four rubies into the design, the four shots of red a beautiful contrast against her pale skin and the black outline.
"It's perfect, Bell," she said, rising up on tiptoes to kiss him, letting go of her own hair to tangle her fingers in his curls. His lips were soft and moving against hers, and she could feel him smiling into the kiss.
"Do you know if Finn's still here?" he asked against her lips, and Clarke's brow furrowed.
"Why are we talking about Finn while we're kissing? It's weird," she said, and Bellamy chuckled, rubbing away the crease gently with his thumb.
"Wait here," he said, and he poked his head around the doorway, catching sight of Finn helping Raven colour-in a design on an already-heavily tattooed man. "Finn!" The brunet looked up, his hand stilling. "I need you to cover for me for the rest of today." The boy gaped at him.
"I've only been working here for a couple of weeks! I'm not ready!" he protested, and Raven bumped him with her shoulder, giving him a smile.
"Trust me, Finn," she said. "You are." Finn smiled down at her, her confidence filling him, and he nodded at Bellamy.
"Sure, I'll cover," he said. Bellamy gave him a quick wink before returning to Clarke, who was looking back in the mirror again, prodding the skin around her new tattoo gently.
"What was all that about?" she asked, not taking her eyes off her reflection. Bellamy shrugged noncommittally, and wrapped his arms around her girlfriend's waist, his belt buckle pressing into the skin where the first tattoo he'd given her was.
"That was about me getting the time to show you what girls with tattoos do to me," he replied, nuzzling her neck, and Clarke could already feel herself grow warm.