are you over your ex?
pairing: paige x azzi au: tattoo artist!paige synopsis: azzi walks in asking for a tattoo that says she's over her ex. paige gave her a homework about a bird instead. because apparently, "that's not how it works, babe." wc: 4k
“I want a tattoo that says I’m over my ex.”
Paige glanced up from her sketchbook, surprised and confused. Azzi stood in front of the counter with her bag hanging on one shoulder and her car keys still in her hand. She had a stubborn expression she had been wearing for most of the week. She looked tired. Slightly annoyed, too. Though that seemed to be less of a temporary situation.
“Are you over your ex?”
“That’s not the point.”
“It’s kind of the whole point.”
Azzi sighed and dropped into the chair opposite the blonde tattoo artist. The shop was slow and quiet on a rainy afternoon, only one other artist was working further back. There was music playing low through a speaker. Azzi twitched her eyebrows as she recognized the song immediately.
Love by Keshia Cole.
Of fucking course!
Paige saw the disaster in Azzi’s eyes and decided to help out this beautiful young lady, who wanted a tattoo that said she was over her ex.
That should be easy, right?
“Okay. What do you want?” Paige closed her sketchbook and rested her chin on her hands, entertaining the idea of a tattoo for an ex.
“I don’t know! You’re the expert!”
“Fine. Let’s pretend we’re making responsible choices today.” Paige reached out for a blue folder which contains her portfolio. She scanned the first couple of pages and fired off recommendations for Azzi.
“Flowers are usually popular. People love flowers. They have different meanings. I believe the dandelion represents freedom.”
Azzi made a face.
Paige noticed immediately. “See, that’s somewhat helpful. That’s sort of a feedback. So, you hate flowers.”
“I don’t hate flowers.”
“You looked personally offended with the dandelions.”
“I don’t want flowers tattooed on me. They’re what peopel buy when they’ve forgotten an anniversary.” Azzi pouted.
“Fair enough. Sounds like that came from an experience.” Paige looked back on her portfolio. “What about celestial things? Moons are also popular. Or we can do some stars. Or a constellation perhaps. You know, the universe and galaxy, and all that. It means endless possibilities and finding your own direction again.”
Azzi leaned forward to look at the samples in the portfolio. The designs were nice. Clean lines. Impressive details. She could appreciate them on her, but she would appreciate them more on someone else.
“Those aren’t really me.”
“Duly noted.” Paige turned another page. “How about animals? We’ve got birds, dogs, spiders, and fish. Oh! Did you know last month, someone asked for a raccoon tattoo?”
Azzi laughed despite herself. “A raccoon?”
Paige nodded, happy they were going somewhere with picking the design and happy to see the beautiful woman with even more beautiful eyes and smile, laugh.
“She cried twice during our session.”
“Cried over a raccoon?” Azzi asked, unable to decide if Paige was joking.
“Over her ex-boyfriend, actually. The raccoon was the emotional support animal tattoo.”
Azzi looked back down at the portfolio and mumbled. “I won’t cry again.”
The tattoo artist flipped another page, not knowing how to respond to that. She tapped a design near the corner. A broken heart. Classic.
Azzi immediately scrunched her nose in disgust.
Paige let out a soft chuckle and continued. She pointed at arrows, trees, and even commercial brand logos. Azzi’s expression somehow got worse.
“How about that?”
Azzi nodded towards the display behind Paige. The shelf was crowded with framed sketches and other artworks, but in the middle of them was a tiny Lego bird. Red and gold pieces spread into wide wings, perched proudly on a yellow and brown stand.
“You want Lego tattoo?” Paige asked as she glanced over her shoulder.
“Not a Lego. I want the bird.”
Paige whipped her head back to Azzi, majorly offended by her calling it a bird. “You mean the phoenix?”
“Yeah.” Azzi shrugged. “Phoenix. Bird. Whatever it is.”
Paige looked horrified, giving Azzi a decent glare. “Do you know what a phoenix means?”
Azzi’s face screwed up, becoming suspicious if this was a trick question. “Should I be worried?”
“About the phoenix?”
“About whatever face you’re making.” Azzi didn’t trust Paige’s expression, which shifted slowly. The corners of her mouth lifted devilishly.
And then Paige laughed.
“You’re weird. Don’t you know that?” Azzi leaned back on her seat, putting a few extra inches between herself and Paige’s increasingly concerning smile. If the tattoo artist turned out to be a pscyho lunatic, Azzi felt reasonably confident she could dash out to the front door of this small tattoo shop.
“I get that a lot. I’ll make you a deal Ms. I-Want-A-Tattoo-Because-My-Ex-Left-Me.”
“She didn’t leave me.” Azzi’s blood suddenly boiled.
“Not the point again.” Paige leaned back on her seat as well, crossing her arms and leg, studying Azzi.
“Fine! What is it?”
“If you can tell me what a phoenix tattoo means, I’ll tattoo it on you for free.”
Azzi blinked. “Are you mocking me?”
“No, definitely not.” Paige adjusted her watch before looking at Azzi’s brown eyes. “I’ll give you a week. You can do your research, ask your friends, search it on Tiktok. Hell, you can even ask Tash at the back.”
Azzi momentarily leaned in and took a peek towards the rear of the tattoo shop. She could hear the faint buzzing sound of the tattoo machine from where Paige’s coworker sat. She could also make out the blood on the client’s arm. It was not a lot, but she could see it.
Her stomach gave an unhelpful little twist.
“Come back here if you have your answer.” Paige stood up and walked behind the counter where she started arranging her sketchbooks and some bottle of inks. “Until then, maybe spend some time figuring out what you really want Ms. I’m-Trying-To-Get-Over-My-Ex-So-I'm-Just-Gonna-Get-A-Tattoo.”
“Azzi is just fine.”
Paige picked up the last bottle of ink and paused, confusion written on her face.
“You can call me Azzi.”
And then there was that devilish smile again. “See you next time, Azzi.”
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
After three days of stubbornly avoiding the subject, Azzi found herself in a pottery class. She still hadn’t searched what a phoenix tattoo meant.
She wasn’t sure why.
The answer would take her only a few tap on her phone or a quick question to Siri. Instead, she had spent three days enrolling in various classes to make herself busy while continuing to think about it far more than she would like to admit.
Or maybe it wasn’t about the phoenix, and it was more of that tattoo artist with a smug grin.
Azzi pressed on the clay a little firmer. The edge almost collapsed. She panicked a little, not wanting to start from scratch.
Why was she thinking about the tattoo artist anyway? She didn’t even know her name.
One thing was for certain, though. It had become painfully obvious to Azzi that she had spent more time thinking about Paige than her ex-girlfriend. The realization came like an avalanche, tumbling down somewhere between her morning yoga session and weekly brunch with Ashanti earlier today.
Now, she had another person to think about.
Just great!
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
The tattoo shop was nearly dark when Azzi arrived.
Most of the lights had already been turned off, leaving Paige moving in between the rooms to check everything before closing. She was twirling a set of keys looped around two fingers. She looked up whtn the bell above the door chimed, surprised for exactly half a second before her expression turned into something giddy.
“We’re already closed, so if you have your answer, I’m afraid we’ll have to give you that tattoo on Friday.”
“I don’t have an answer yet. It’s not what I’m here for.”
“And what are you here for?” Paige glanced at Azzi who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the shop, her hands behind her back. She looked like she was called to the principal’s office. The thought made Paige snicker as she opened the drawer behind the counter.
“I was passing by and I remembered I left my scarf here.”
Paige paused halfway through counting the money from the cash drawer and raised an eyebrow. Hmmmm. “A scarf, huh?”
“Yeah, in my haste of leaving, I think I left it here.”
“And you’re trying to get it three nights after?” Paige smirked, teasing evident on her face.
“I’ve been busy.” It wasn’t technically a lie. She did a lot of things in the past seventy-two hours. Thinking of the tattoo artist made eighty percent of those times.
“Sure. Let’s go with that.” Paige said, returning her attention back to the cash registry.
“If I do have the answer now, why would I get tattoo on Friday and not tomorrow?” Azzi couldn’t help but ask.
“Because I’m off Wednesday and Thursday. I’ll be back on Friday.” Paige finished counting and locked the cash drawer. “Unless, you want Tash to do it for you. She’s popular with the ladies.”
“No!” The response was faster than an F1 car zooming on the grand prix. Azzi mentally slapped herself for acting a little desperate.
Paige chuckled, pocketing the key before rounding the corner. Azzi stood straighter than a ruler, with her hand still behind her back and her shoulders held too high. She looked like she was waiting to be accused of something.
Which, to be fair, she sort of was.
“You always stand like this when you’re looking for missing scarves?” Paige asked, standing in front of Azzi a little too close. The almost nonexistent distance made Azzi’s eyes snap to Paige’s.
“Do you have my missing scarf?” Azzi whispered, afraid if she would let her voice be heard, Paige would vanish.
“No.” Paige whispered back. “But I do have a question for you.”
Dangerous.
Paige took another step and Azzi had a moment of weakness and shifted her gaze to Paige’s lips.
Shit!
Very Dangerous.
“What is it?” She heard herself ask Paige.
“Do you want to get ice cream?”
Azzi found her way back to Paige’s eyes, it sparkled in excitement that Azzi didn’t know what the blonde was excited for. But she ended up nodding and caught Paige smile extra wide.
“Great! I just know the perfect ice cream to help you move on.”
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
Paige had somehow ended up with mint chocolate. Azzi wasn’t surprised. It felt very on-brand for someone who probably had a habit of becoming oddly passionate about things nobody else thought to argue about. Or try to eat.
They were walking down the pier and Azzi noticed there were far more people on the boardwalk than she had expected. It was one of those early July evenings where the weather finally decided to cooperate.
“Want to try mine?” Paige held her cone slightly towards Azzi as they slowed to let a group of teenagers pass.
Azzi looked at the pale green scoop an d immediately shook her head. “No, thank you. That tastes like toothpaste.”
“Toothpaste?” The laugh escaped before Paige could stop it. She tucked one hand into her jacket pocket as they continued walking. “That’s such a weird argument.”
“You’re telling me you’re not eating Colgate?”
“How about you take a bite and tell me if it’s Colgate.” Paige offered her cone again, this time teasingly with how she almost shoved it into Azzi’s lips.
“Ugh! No!” Azzi took another bite of her strawberry ice cream, trying to protect herself from tasting the nasty flavored ice cream Paige got.
“Fine. Strawberry is boring, anyway.” Paige shrugged, licking her cone as they reached the railing.
Azzi stopped short in front of her. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It’s boring because it’s a safe choice.”
“It’s a good choice.”
“I doubt all of your choices are good.” Paige leaned her back on the railings, eyes never leaving Azzi’s.
The wind pushed a few strands of blonde hair across her face, and Azzi wanted to reach out and tuck them behind Paige’s ear.
She took another bite of her boring strawberry ice cream instead, for distraction. She stepped beside Paige and leaned her elbows against the railing. The water below reflected the lights from the pier as it shifted with the tide. Around them, conversations drifted in and out, mixed with distant music from somewhere further down the boardwalk and lots of children crying.
This should’ve been awkward. They only met three nights ago, and Azzi hadn’t even learned Paige’s name until the ice cream vendor had called it across the counter earlier.
“You take ice cream conversations very seriously.” Paige studied her. “Are you still annoyed I called your ice cream boring?”
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
Paige was taken aback with the question that her cone slipped from her grip and fell into the dark water below.
“Shit!”
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” Azzi panicked, horrified at the situation. “I didn’t mean to make you drop it.”
“It’s fine. I think the ocean needs some toothpaste tonight, anyway.” Paige grinned, glancing at Azzi’s cone. “Guess we’ll have to share your boring strawberry now.”
Azzi rolled her eyes before extending her hand to Paige so she could get a bite.
“And to answer your question, I have a busy schedule tomorrow. I'm going to take you out on a date. How does lunch then paint ball sound?”
Paige leaned in and licked from the side of the ice cream without any apparent concern for the fact that Azzi froze at what Paige said and at the sight of her tongue.
There was a tiny drop that melted on Azzi’s thumb and Paige didn’t hesitate to gently grab Azzi’s wrist, afraid the other girl might pull away.
It was like a slow motion in movies where Azzi didn’t have a second to comprehend what was happening. All her brain could register was the warm feeling of Paige’s tongue licking her thumb.
It was all too much that she jerked her hand away from Paige, accidentally throwing her ice cream out into the dark ocean. Both of them watched it being swallowed by the waves.
Azzi opened her mouth, then closed it again. How had they gone from bickering over ice cream flavors to sending the said ice creams to the water below?
“I guess, that’s a Yes to tomorrow.” Paige looked entirely too pleased with herself. She wasn’t even attempting to hide it.
Between the devilish smile and the obvious amusement in those blue eyes, Azzi had the distince impression she’d walked into a trap.
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
Azzi had changed outfits four times.
Five, if she counted the one she had immediately removed after puttingg it on because it made her look like a side character in Hannah Montana.
It was just a casual invitation to spend her day with Paige. She didn’t want to think more into it but it was all she could think of.
She stood in front of her bedroom mirror with a white shirt in one hand and a growing sense of irritation in the other. Her bed had disappeared beneath discarded clothes sometime during the last half hour. Two pairs of jeans had been rejected. Three tops had somehow become controversial. A yellow floral Sunday dress had briefly entered the conversation in her head before being dismissed on the grounds.
Azzi refused to give Paige the satisfaction of showing up too dressed and eager. That woman was already smug enough.
She dropped the shirt on to the pile and screamed.
This was absurd. They weren’t even dating.
Or was this a date date already?
Paige asked her out. Technically.
The memory of last night made her groan and cover her face with both hands.
Fuck that stupid confidence. That stupid ice cream conversation. That stupid lick on her thumb.
Definitely, fuck that stupid smile.
And Azzi realized she was probably in trouble when getting dressed for Paig proved considerably more stressful than her breakup had been.
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
The pizza place wasn’t fancy.
They were seated at a table near the back, away from other diners but not that far not to hear a family arguing over pizza toppings from a table near the window.
Azzi liked the place. And the pizza.
Annoyingly, she liked it a lot.
Paige seemed to notice sometime after Azzi finished her second slice of margherita. She wiped her fingers on a napkin after finishing her own slice of pepperoni and looked at Azzi with that small, pleased smile.
“You like it here?”
Azzi pointed at her plate, as though the evidence wasn’t already fairly damning. “It’s so good!”
“And the place?”
“Five-star rating, tops!” Azzi reached for her drink.
“When was your last five-star rating of a restaurant?”
“Uh, it’s been a while since I had a good meal out.” Azzi admitted, setting the glass down quietly.
Paige was wary in shifting her expression. She didn’t want Azzi to think she pitied her or something.
“Your ex didn’t take you out that much?”
It was an innocent and careful question. Something Azzi hadn’t thought of for quite some time since meeting the blonde.
“Not really. She was more in love with her work.”
Paige gave a soft nod, understanding it wasn’t the time to ask more questions about the breakup or Azzi’s dating history.
Azzi appreciated it, though she would never say it loud.
“That’s a shame. Well, good thing I have excellent taste in pizza parlors.”
Azzi rolled her eyes. “Are you planning to take me to every pizza restaurant you know?”
“If that’s what makes you happy.”
“Now, you’re just plain flirting.”
“Trust me babe, this isn’t even the tip of my rizz.”
Yeah, Azzi was not going to think about her ex ever again.
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
Azzi had paint on her cheek, her sleeve, and somewhere along the side of her neck that she was choosing not to think about.
It had started as one neat splatter across her shoulder, which Paige had looked far too proud of, and then deteriorated from there. The whole paintball field smelled faintly of damp wood, grass, and whatever was inside these paintball guns, which Azzi suspected was not something anyone should be breathing in for recreational purposes.
Paige was hiding behind a stack of barrels when Azzi found her.
Or, more accurately, when Paige let herself be found, because Azzi was beginning to understand that the blonde liked appearing innocent right before doing something annoying. She had her mask pushed up onto her head, hair messy beneath the strap, grin already waiting.
“You look terrible.” Paige said, casually leaning one shoulder against the barrel like she hand’t spent the last twenty minutes sprinting aaround and making Azzi’s life miserable.
Azzi lifted her paintball gun. “You look worse.”
Paige glanced down at herself, then back up to Azzi’s eyes. “I look decent.”
“Decent to lose!”
“You have paint in your hair.”
“So do you.”
Paige reached up, touched the side of her head, and found yellow paint on her fingers.
"Hmmmmm. Good shot, I guess. But really? On my hair? As if I’m not blonde enough.”
“You shot me in the back!”
“You were running away.”
“I was trying to hide first.”
“That’s not how it works, babe.”
Azzi narrowed her eyes at the endearment. It made Paige smile wider. This woman really did have an upsetting amount of confidence and charisma. She hated how she was sucked right into the depth of Paige’s magnetic charm.
“I hate you.” Azzi said, mostly because it was easier than admitting whatever she was starting to feel.
“Oh?” Paige’s eyebrows lifted, her smile still in place. “That’s cute. But I don’t think you do.”
“I do!” Then Azzi fired.
Paige yelped, twisting out ouf the way. The splatter was bright orange against her dark rented overalls. Paige stared at it for a second, then looked back at Azzi with her mouth slighlty open, like she couldn’t believe Azzi just did that.
“So that’s how we’re doing this?”
Azzi lowered her gun a little. “Apparently.”
Paige moved fast after that, catching Azzi around the waist before she could retreat. Azzi stumbled back with a laugh she didn’t mean to make, one hand gripping Paige’s shoulder for support as they toppled over the side of a wooden barricade.
They fell into a haystack, laughing.
Paige’s hand stayed at her waist. Azzi noticed.
Obviously.
Paige seemed to notice that Azzi noticed her hand placement, which was somehow worse.
The blonde’s smile softened, losing some of the teasing edge, and for a second Azzi forgot what she was supposed to do with her hands. One was still on Paige’s shoulder, the other was holding the paintball gun, which felt wildly inappropriate for the moment.
“Hi.” Paige said, voice quieter now. “I didn’t know you’re very competitive.”
“You started it.”
“I did.”
“That was very easy for you to admit.”
“You make it very easy for me to do anything.”
The confession should’ve made Azzi push her and run, but she could no longer deny her attraction to Paige and the knots in her stomach. She had been ignoring it all day and now it had come to eat her alive.
“Are you having fun?” Paige asked softly.
Azzi nodded, unable to trust her voice.
Then Paige’s eyes dropped briefly to her mouth, making Azzi’s breath hitch. Paige was close enough that Azzi could see the smear of yellow paint near her defined jaw. It should’ve looked stupid. It did look stupid, technically. It also made Azzi want to reach up and wipe it away.
The tattoo artist shifted closer.
Azzi let her.
And that felt like an answer to a question neither of them had asked out loud.
“Azzi.”
“Yeah?”
Paige’s gaze flickered to her mouth again. Very obviously. Azzi’s fingers tightenedd against her shoulder.
But before Paige could lean down and close the gap, a loud ring was heard indicating their time on the field was up.
It made them both jerk back, Paige falling down unceremoniously. Her paintball gun got knocked on the ground and accidentally shot paint out directly at Azzi’s chest.
“Ooopsie?”
“You are so dead to me!” Azzi open fired three shots at Paige on the ground before stomping off the field.
She could hear Paige’s laughter while walking off.
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
It was a quiet Thursday, like a ceasefire as they didn’t see each other.
Paige had gone sailing with her friends, another useless charm of Paige’s which Azzi wanted to deny.
She had spent the whole Thursday organizing her life and thoughts, actually. The attempt had gone poorly.
It was very complicated, but also not really.
She liked Paige, and Paige appeare to like her too. There had nearly been a kiss, so that kind of counted.
But she also acknowledged it was too early to start anything with the blonde. Maybe they could start somewhere else instead.
She found herself walking toward the tattoo shop after her last meeting of the day.
Tash was the one who greeted her at the counter, wearing an all-knowing grin. “She just finished with a client, she’s at the back cleaning her station. Please tell her I’m heading out for the day already.”
“Thank you.”
Azzi walked further down to the back to where Paige was sitting on her chair, throwing some items to a nearby bin. She had her back towards where Azzi was standing.
“The phoenix symbolizes the opportunity to start anew.” Azzi started. She saw Paige stiffened but not turning around. So, she continued. “The phoenix burns but it does not perish. As it rises from the ashes, the phoenix symbolizes hope for a better future, overcoming its shortcomings.”
Paige slowly turned her swivel chair around.
“It’s the tattoo I want. Someday.” Azzi stepped closer, she had never seen Paige speechless and nervous, awaiting her next move. “Someday when everything is all clear.”
Paige opened her legs to let Azzi move in between them. She automatically placed her hands on Azzi’s waist, eyes never wavering from those beautiful brown orbs looking down at her.
“What do you want right now?”
“Right now, I want to take you to dinner and kiss you endlessly by the end of the night.”
And there was that stupid grin Azzi started to grow oddly fond of. “How about we re-arrange our schedule for the night? Can I get that kiss first before you take me out to dinner?”
Azzi laughed at the stupidity of it all but nodded all too excitedly as she leaned down and cup Paige’s face in her hands and kissed her.
Paige smiled into it almost immediately.
The kiss was soft at first, mostly because they both couldn’t stop smiling. Paige slowly stood up and pulled Azzi closer, not letting her lips go.
Azzi’s thumbs brushed over her cheeks, trying to feel grounded and making sure it was all real.
They apparently needed air and had to break t he kiss. But their touches remain uninterrupted.
“You okay?” Paige asked, leaning her forehead against Azzi’s.
“More than okay.” And Azzi kiss the blonde again, because she could. And why not?
“Good. And let’s not use a missing scarf excuse next time you want to see me, yeah? It's summer, Az.”
“I hate you!” Azzi huffed, shoving Paige’s laughing face away from her.
────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ────
NINE MONTHS LATER
“I want a tattoo that says I’m in love with my girlfriend.”
Paige smiled before turning around from her chair. It was closing time and Tash just left ten minutes ago.
“Are you in love with your girlfriend?"
“Head over heels.”
Paige got up and strode toward Azzi. She reached for Azzi’s right hand, kissing the knuckles softly. She moved Azzi’s hand as she kissed her palm, down to her wrist. She stopped and held Azzi’s wrist gently.
Staring back at her was a small phoenix tattoo. Its vibrant orange, yellow, and red colors looked magnificent and breathtaking. Paige threw in some flowers around it, because flowers were no longer something Azzi got when her girlfriend missed a special occasion.
And Paige never missed anything.
She gave Azzi's phoenix tattoo a kiss.
“Where do you want your next tattoo be?” She asked, looking at Azzi’s dark eyes.
“Somewhere where my girlfriend could only see them.”
“That’s a special session and it requires the privacy of our bedroom.”
“How much will it cost me?” Azzi laced her arms around Paige’s neck.
Paige’s grin became unbearable, and Azzi held her breath on what the blonde would say.
“A pint of chocolate mint ice cream.”
And Azzi laughed and fell in love all over again.
