Page 6 of Paint Eater
“Oh my God,somany. Like, at first I was just tattooing arms and thighs and stuff, which are easy to do, but now it’s like, anywhere. Some of the places arewild. Like, the head is a nightmare to do ’cause it’s so bony and it hurts a lot and stuff—I had a person that tapped out after five minutes, so now they have like a random bunch of lines above their ear, they’ll have to shave the other side of their head, I guess. But yeah, like, around the, er…cooch and stuff, or coming from the butthole.”
Logan barked out a laugh. It was so, so stupid, but the noise made Jay light up. Logan looked at Jay incredulously. “Theactualasshole?”
“I mean, notexactly. More like coming from the crack.”
“What the hell did they want?”
“A cat tail.”
Logan put his face in his hand, shaking his head.
“I actually have a picture of it on my Instagram. Wanna see?”
“Yes,” Logan replied emphatically. “She gave you permission to put her ass on Instagram?”
Jay laughed as he opened the app and looked through it. “Oh, yeah. Not many people are embarrassed by their tattoos, even when they’re super awkwardly placed. I mean, the vagina one I wasn’t even gonna ask—that’s just rude—but this one isn’t that explicit, really.”
Logan looked unconvinced but then turned with interest as Jay finally found the picture, tilting his phone with a victorious sound. Logan stared at it for a long time. Jay had been expecting a laugh, but Logan’s eyebrows were drawn.
When Logan finally pulled away, he looked up at Jay, considering. “How the fuck did you manage to make a tail coming out of someone’s ass look that good?”
Jay had to blink for a moment, completely taken aback by the praise, before laughing sheepishly. “It’s just, like, fur.”
“It looks fucking real. I was imagining it going straight up or something, but the way it curls…it’s actually cool.”
Jay grinning mischievously. “You want one now, don’t you?”
Logan immediately glared, although Jay could tell it was jokingly. “Absolutely not.”
“A dog tail. No, a wolf tail.”
“You’re saying I’m a dog?”
“I mean, you growl enough, and I have no idea what your stand is about licking ass.”
Logan looked shocked for a moment, spluttering.
“You’reblushing,” Jay crowed.
“Shut the fuck up,” Logan grumped—or even growled, possibly—as Jay laughed into his hand.
“It’s okay. I’ll keep your butt-sniffing ways a secret from Nisha.”
Logan snorted. “I’m sure she’d be able to find out on her own.”
“Her hair is so big because it’s full of secrets,” Jay quoted, and, to his delight, Logan laughed a little, obviously getting the reference.
“Fuck, you’re such a nerd.”
Jay stuck his tongue out at him. The sun was risen and bright, the air heating up quickly. “You wanna get breakfast or something?” Jay suggested, pushing his luck.
Logan nodded after a slight pause. “Sure.”
They got up carefully from the ledge, dusting themselves off as best they could before heading towards the stairs. Jay knew this was probably a mistake. He was already getting his hopes up, staring at the dark nape of Logan’s neck as he walked behind him, at his broad shoulders, the curve of his ear. It was going to end the same way it did last time, with Logan looking incredulous at the prospect that Jay would want more—an actual friendship out of this.
But Jay wasn’t one to let those things stop him. He’d make the most of what he had while he had it.
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