As far as I know, Leo doesn’t have wings.
“Nah, that can’t be it,” I finally say, much to Tilly’s dismay.
Tilly blinks at me before she’s just shaking her head. “Alrighty then. Did you still wanna add some ink today?”
“Hell yeah,” I say with excitement. “Since we’re not starting on that gorgeous phoenix piece, I was thinking something on my left arm? Maybe around my wrist?”
We talk about a design for a while before landing on tentacles that wrap around my wrist and dart up my arm. I sit back in the chair, letting my arm rest where Tilly needs it to be for her to work.
The buzzing of the tattoo machine becomes the perfect background noise as I think. Could Tilly be right? Could I actually have a soulmate out there with flaming wings? That feels so unlikely because the only one I could see slotting themselves into my heart is Leo.
The man is soft and sweet. He’s gentle in a way that leaves me melting. He’s so different from me, yet somehow exactly what I need. I enjoy spending time with him. Hell, I even told him that I like him!
We might not be soulmates but wefitand that’s all that matters to me.
“There we go,” Tilly says, putting the tattoo gun onto the tray beside her. I’m shocked that she’s already done. How long was I zoned out for?
I look down at the design, grinning. “It’s beautiful,” I tell her. “Thank you, Tilly.”
“No worries. I’m glad you like it. You remember how to take care of it?”
“Of course.”
“Perfect. Let’s get you wrapped up, paid, and out of here.”
After paying, I wrap my scarf around my throat and head back outside. My walk back to my house is filled with even more confusion than before. Somehow, I have all the answers yet have even more questions than when I got here.
I’m not gonna overthink this. Whatever is happening between Leo and I isgood, and that’s all that I care about. That’s all that matters.
Once I’m back home, I pull out my phone and text Leo, asking him if he wants to come over and watch a movie with me. I get a response straight away. I smile down at my phone before getting to work, making sure my living room is tidy before starting on some food.
After about twenty minutes, there’s a knock on my door. I dart over, opening it up with a grin. The sight of Leo steals my breath. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of how fucking pretty he is.
Leo is masculine, all broad shoulders and strong body and sharp jaw, but at the same time, pretty is the word that always comes to my mind when I look at him. Maybe it’s the chocolate eyes or the messy hair. I don’t know, but I love the way he looks.
“Hi, Leo! I’m so glad you’re here. Are you hungry? I made us some veggie fried rice!”
Leo gives me a little smile and my stomach flutters. “That sounds good. Thank you, Jin.”
“No worries. Come in and get comfortable.”
This is the first time Leo’s been in my space and I find that I like it. I like him looking around. I like him taking it all in. I like that he’s here, with me.
Gods, I justlike him. Period.
Once the food is done, I scoop two big bowls and head into the living room, setting them down on my coffee table. Then I sit on my feet and gesture for Leo to join me. He sits pretzel style, the both of us facing the TV.
“Do you care what we watch?”
“Have you seen that new animated one? The one about the ice skaters?”
I shake my head. “Let me find it,” I say, grabbing my remote and turning on the TV, finding which streaming service I need for this particular movie.
After hitting play, I dig into my food. Looking to my side, I see that Leo’s bowl is already half gone. My chest warms. There’s something very satisfying about feeding someone you care about. I like taking care of Leo. He’s a strong, capable, independent man, but seeing him eat the food I made with him in mind makes me happy.
Hell, Leo in general, without doing anything, makes me happy.
Once our bowls are empty, I pull Leo up onto the couch with me. I put my back against the arm, throwing my left leg onto the couch, pushed against the back. Then I tug Leo until he’s on his side, his head on my chest right below my chin.
