It wasnât entirely uncommon for Brielle to work late, as the rest of the artists slowly but surely packed up and went home, she found some kind of solace in working on her own. The dull thrum of Rag nâ Bone man played over the speakers as she wiped clean the last line of the piece on Atticusâ calf, âAlright, I think weâre all done.â The sharp smell of antiseptic filled the air as she cleaned the raw tattoo, misplaced ink staining the paper towel as she tossed it in one fell swoop. Another slam dunk - not her first win of the day.. and hopefully not her last. âCheck it out, let me know what you think. We might have to do another pass over on the shading, but other than that...âÂ
Awkward wasnât exactly what sheâd call it, but there was certainly some breath of uncertainty in the air, the same one that had clung to her since heâd returned to the island. Her timing simply hadnât worked out and more than a small piece of her wondered whether that was the sign she could pay more mind to. Easier still, if every message or look from him didnât tighten her chest in a way she didnât entirely hate. Standing up, Brielle started packing her machine in to be cleaned, only paying half a mind to Atticus as he looked the piece over in the mirror when the thought struck her. The night of the ritual and all that followed left a horrid taste in her mouth, the question of what if somehow more prevalent now than ever. Fuck it..
Pieces of her machine hit the table with a dull thud as she chose another line of focus. Stepping around her own chair towards the mirror, and Atticus. Sheâd always claimed to be braver - stronger than she looked, a sentiment that she threw at her brother time and time again - but right then and there, she wasnât so sure. Anticipation burnt in the tips of her fingers as she laced them through the back of shift to pull him back to her. Rising to the tips of her toes, her hand curled around the back of his neck to draw him down far enough for lips to meet. Her chest swelled, spinning and spinning until her head felt as if it might never stop until she pulled away, eyes opening to see if itâd all been a mistake or not. âI uh..-â She swallowed thickly, dropping her gaze as her fingers found the edge of her chair, âI didnât know whether Iâd ever get the chance to do that.â