#aewofawo;eifja;oweijfaewfa

[giranswife]

Ink and Memories

Summary: Ash and Giran finally make the decision to get matching tattoos. One just for the hell of it, but also as a bit of a special moment given that their anniversary is just around the corner.

Warning(s): self-insert x canon, fluff

Disclaimer: Ash is my self-insert/oc shipped with a canon character. This also includes mentions of an oc of mine.

(( So I had this idea for a while and I had to write it! It’s just so sweet, and it’s the first fic with my OC Slade! I’ll have more info about him up soon! I actually really like how he’s become a lot more than just Ash’s tattoos guy lol if you want more info on him feel free to ask! ))

For months we had been talking about possibly doing this as a kind of special occasion, seeing as the big anniversary was coming up. Not to mention I’d been bringing up the idea for a while, but I really didn’t ever expect for him to agree to it. I was rather excited, knowing that having a part of him on my skin forever was actually… kind of comforting. I already had a couple of tattoos, but a majority of them were small and barely had any sentimental value.

A lot of them were just things that I thought looked cool, and I still don’t regret them. I got them at a time in my life where I wasn’t sure where I was heading. I didn’t really have much at that time, and now I have almost everything. Friends and a husband who I can’t imagine my life without. This was going to be a perfect one to show just how far I’ve grown, and remind me that I can get through it.

Sayeko and I have already gotten matching ones together, now it was just time for me and Giran. We had a general idea of what we were going to have, but neither of us really shared too much detail. It was actually his idea to keep it on the downlow, not wanting me to see the finished product until it was finished. Which just made me overall curious.

“Slade’s the fucking best,” I said as we approached place we’d be meeting with him, “You won’t find a better artist, ‘specially someone that does villains. At least, that’s my opinion. He is a good friend.”

“Never heard yah talk about him before.”

I chuckled, watching Giran take a few drags from his cigarette before we headed inside.

“He hasn’t tatted me in a while. We go way back… since before the league.”

He understood exactly what I was getting at by the lowering of my voice. Talking about it now was a lot easier, and I have him partially to thank for that. I don’t feel the need to keep it bottled up anymore. I’m the way I am because of my past, and even though it wasn’t easy, I met a lot of people along the way that I wouldn’t replace for anything.

Slade was actually one of the only people that I trusted back then. When I worked for the gang of vigilantes, everyone seemed to have their own plans; and I learned early on that I couldn’t trust anyone. He was the only one that actually seemed to give a damn, and was part of the reason I was able to get out. He’s the only person from that part of my life that I like and still keep around.

But then again… most of them aren’t around much anymore.

“You say that he’s good, and I trust yah,” He said, putting out his cigarette on the ground below.

“Good. You know I wouldn’t lie to you.”

I winked, and choked back a laugh whenever he gave me a little smirk.

Taking out my phone, I sent Slade a quick text to let him know we were here and found our meeting location. He has a shop that’s a little hidden behind a few different bigger stores in a certain part of town. Only his clients know exactly where to find it, and he changes locations every so often for a change of scenery. And because when working with villains it’s a lot easier to keep your location moving at all times.

Giran opened the door for me, ignoring the way I wiggled my eyebrows at him teasingly. “Aren’t you just a gentlemen,” I giggled, feeling a sudden rush of cold air from inside the building.

It felt nice to finally be back in Slade’s shop, really itching to get something new after so long. The last time I came with Sayeko, it was a really fun night together. I was really looking forward to sharing this experience with my husband, because I actually did enjoy sitting down for a tattoo or getting piercings. I love the self expression of it, and seeing him was a bonus.

“There she is. Late as always,” Slade’s voice rumbled.

“When am I ever on fucking time? You should expect that shit from me.”

“You’re lucky I didn’t have anyone else booked today. I woulda had your ass out on the street looking for a cheap ass job somewhere else.”

I rolled my eyes, laughing as he gave me a quick hug.

“She likes to take her sweet ass time that’s for sure.”

“I’ve learned better than to fucking expect Ash of all people to be here when I tell her to be. You must be the husband. Yah a lot older than I expected-”

“Slade-”

The man barked a laugh, reaching out to shake Giran’s hand.

“Nice to finally meet the man that finally roped the fucking bitch.”

“If I’m a fucking bitch, then you’re sure as hell a jackass.”

But the two of us laughed, having a close relationship that I knew he was just taking jabs. No one else would ever be allowed to talk to me like that, but this was how the two of us always were.

Slade readjusted the hat that sat backwards on his fiery red hair, a smirk constantly on his face. He seemed like a rather smiley guy which was different than what Giran had heard about him. Or at least different than how he expected. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, and he definitely looked the part with tattoos covering his arms and neck.

“She’s a handful, that’s for sure.”

“Ain’t that the goddamn truth. Oh, and I don’t have any steaks to keep you occupied while I do him, so I don’t wanna hear you bitching.”

“Whatever man. I’m not even hungry anyway.”

“Took care of that before we left,” Giran said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, following Slade towards the back where his equipment was. He was going to start on me first since mine wasn’t going to be as much as Giran’s. Which I didn’t mind, being a little antsy to sit in the chair and get going anyway.

I already spoke with him previous about exactly what I wanted, and then a little bit of what Giran wanted as well. But I gave him Slade’s number for him to go on a little back and forth to let him sketch it out before we got in. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he wasn’t going to pull these out and make them look beautiful.

We were going to do a wolf and moon combo, and I was rather excited that Giran chose to do a wolf. It made me feel really soft, and I respectfully chose a moon for many different reasons. A lot of people would assume that it had something to do with something entirely different than what it actually was.

When Slade showed me the design he had, I was more than excited. It was going to look gorgeous on my forearm, and even though it wasn’t intricate… it still meant a great deal to me. He could tell by the way my eyes lit up when I saw it, and then when it was placed on my skin I was even more thrilled.

“So… I know why he chose the wolf,” Slade spoke up over the sound of his gun as he started, “But why the moon? You like howling at it or some shit.”

But he smirked knowing exactly what my response was going to be. I get rather heated whenever anyone tries to speak on things they don’t know about, which is mainly just anything wolf related. It’s part of the reason why I’m kind of annoying when the subject comes on. I just want to clear up any misconceptions.

“No, that’s bullshit. There is no howling at the moon. It’s just a fucking call, but you wouldn’t be the first one that’s said that shit to me.”

“Okay, then why the moon? I’m just fucking curious.”

Chewing on my bottom lip, I looked up to see Giran watching me from his seat not too far away. My lips curled into a little smile, and when I answered I was mainly looking at him the whole time. He was the reason that I was getting this after all, and I never really explained exactly why I was choosing this of all things. One would think it was because of something else when it was completely different to me.

“I didn’t choose it because of that… the moon is actually a big part of my power. It’s my strength,” I said and felt my cheeks burning a bit.

“Now who’s the cheesy one.”

I giggled, reaching my free hand over to squeeze his own.

But it was the truth. The moon gives me strength, both for my quirk and mentally. It was a symbol of how far I’ve come. In the past, I spent many nights underneath the moon and the stars, wondering exactly where my life was heading. I had no direction, and I had no one around but myself at the time.

When I looked up at the moon, I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders. Because I knew that no matter what, the moon would be the one constant thing in my life. The one source that I had of strength and determination. Because especially with the full moon, which is what I was getting tattooed, it breathed life into my quirk. It made me the strong and powerful woman I am today, and it continues to be that constant source of strength and power.

That’s why I chose it, because Giran is my constant strength in so many different ways. Not exactly physically but mentally. He gives me the strength to wake up everyday and be myself. He makes me feel whole, and without him I don’t know where I would be today. So I want to be able to look at my arm and feel that strength of the moon… and my forever.

“That is really fucking cheesy,” Slade responded with a laugh.

“Hey! It’s the truth! You’re the one who asked.”

“I’m just fucking with you. It’s sweet.”

I readjusted myself in the chair, feeling the needles poking at my skin. I’ve done this so many times now that I could almost fall asleep while he does it. The feeling is almost… calming in a way. It’s very strange, but I can’t exactly explain it. Whenever we first met and he started doing my tattoos, I learned to love the pain.

I’d felt pain for so long, and this was almost my way of reclaiming it. In a way that was beauty on my skin to remind me that I am going to be alright. I am a collection of my past and my present, and I don’t have to be ashamed of that. I can wear it proudly and honor the person that I am. It took me a long time to finally be able to do that, and that’s where I know that I have matured.

I’m still the same badass werewolf bitch with a crazy temper, but a lot of the time I am just me. No more needing to hide behind the sarcasm and the sass, because I loved where I was in my life. And for that I was extremely grateful.

“You know, I’m happy for you,” Slade spoke up as he was almost finished, “You’ve changed a lot since we first met. That angry young girl is pretty much gone. Guess we got you to thank for that.”

He motioned over to Giran with a smirk, but he did mean every word he said.

“Can’t take all the credit. She did a lot of that herself. She’s a strong woman, I just was lucky to marry her.”

I giggled softly, trying to hide my blush behind my hair.

But it was too late. Slade saw it and he teased me relentlessly about it. Saying that he never thought he’d see the day that I, of all people, was blushing this much. The only time that he ever heard me giggle even close to this is whenever we were out drinking together. I also have never smiled this much since we’ve known each other.

But that’s just how happy I was. Giran made me feel so safe, and I was comfortable in the way that I felt with myself that I didn’t need to hide that.

“Alright, looks like you’re done. Take a look at it,” Slade said, wiping off the excess before he allowed me to look at it.

The work was gorgeous as always, and it was just a simple moon with a good amount of detail. There was a bit of clouds behind it that I added for a bit of flair, and it was honestly gorgeous. Exactly what I would expect from my good friend Slade. He’s also improved a lot since I’ve known him.

“It’s… it’s beautiful, Slade.”

I felt tears pricking the corners of my eyes, and I tried to hide it but it was too late.

Seeing it just reminded me of how deeply in love I was. This was the best decision I could have made. Now I can look at my arm when I’m feeling down and remember how far I’ve come. Remember all the people that love me, and remember the one person that will always be there for me. The one man that I can always count on, and that I will love until the very end.

“Thank you… really… this is perfect.”

He patted my hand, and for a second we were just two old friends. The smile on his face was one I had only seen the night that I left that horrible gang. There was a lot of care that we had for one another, because he saw all that I went through. He’s the only person from my past that I keep in my life, and for good reason. He knew how much this all meant to me.

“Alright, the mushy shit is over,” He said which only made me chuckle, “It’s your turn. Come tell me how this looks.”

Giran took over from my spot in the seat, and I took his spot off to the side. This was the first time I was going to see a little bit of what he had wanted. This was the surprise he had expected, and I was definitely surprised.

“First time, I’m assuming?” Slade asked with lifted brows.

“Yeah. Never really wanted one until this one talked me into it.”

He laughed, “Not surprised. Ash has a way of getting what she wants.”

I narrowed my eyes, leaning over to softly punch his arm teasingly.

Slade was always a bit of a jokester, even if on the outside he didn’t necessarily look like it. Some people say that we tend to bicker back and forth almost like brother and sister. But I don’t know if I see it that way.

“You can hold my hand if you need to,” I said with a smile, leaning over to catch a glimpse of the outline.

Giran ended up getting a wolf different than what I expected. It was a wolf sleeping on a small bed of grass, and it was looking really peaceful. I honestly expected him to go for a howling wolf or maybe even one barring its teeth. This honestly surprised me, and Slade seemed all too curious to know the reason.

He tends to not be so talkative whenever he’s working, but he reads the situation of each client to tell if they need him to distract them or not. But he is also a curious person.

“Alright, so what’s the story with the wolf? You got a good one like her?”

“Yeah… why’d you get one like that and not a scary looking one? I mean… it’s me after all.”

I laughed, leaning on the arm of my chair.

It was quite adorable watching him trying to hide the fact that it was uncomfortable. It was definitely a sensation you had to get used to, and the first time around is different for everyone. The placement made it a bit uncomfortable too, but I’ve had one in a worse spot.

“She might be a snarling, terrifying beast to someone else. But not to me. I admire her strength, but it’s not why I love her.”

I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat and noticing how he wasn’t exactly looking me in the eye.

“Stop, baby, you’re going to make me cry again.”

He chuckled, and Slade had smirked almost as if he was going to say something. But he decided to keep it to himself, no doubt not wanting to ruin the moment.

But it was sweet that he didn’t think of me as this terrifying wolf that everyone else did. That he saw me for much more than that, and that’s why he means so much to me. He sees me for what I am past the power and the strength. He’s the only one that’s ever seen me truly vulnerable, and I trust him with everything I am.

Whenever Slade had finally finished his, I was blown away by how gorgeous it looked. I knew that he was talented, but there was just something about today that made me extra thankful and emotional. It was just so special to be doing this with my husband, and with our anniversary so close I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

“It looks wonderful, baby,” I said, my fingers laced with his own, “You really did pick something wonderful.”

“He’s the one who did all the work.”

“And I’m happy to do it. Glad you like it, Ash. You deserve to be happy.”

I smiled, reaching over to give Slade probably the biggest hug I’ve ever gave him.

There was no amount of words that I could say to thank him for everything. Not just the tattoos but just being by my side for all these years. We might not talk all the time, but whenever we reconnect it’s always like old times. When I look at him I don’t see my past as much as I just see a really good friend from a bad time in my life.

“Do you wanna go get some dinner with us?” I asked as we were getting ready to head out.

Slade shook his head, shaking Giran’s hand one last time.

“I got some shit to finish up. Plus, you two probably don’t want me ruining the mood. See you soon, yeah?”

I nodded, wrapping my arms around Giran’s and waving a quick goodbye.

The two of us decided just to order takeout when we got home, not wanting to really be out much longer. It was already late anyway, and I had bought everything I needed to take care of our tattoos beforehand. I couldn’t wait for it to finally heal and be able to show it off, but either way I was so excited to finally have it done.

Once we were finally home and sitting on the couch, I threw my legs into Giran’s lap and beamed a smile. “Thank you… for doing this with me,” I said, making sure to be very careful with my arm.

“‘Course, Princess. I’m glad we did.”

“You are?”

He nodded, brushing his thumb across my cheek.

The smile on his face was one that I hardly ever get to see. It was really only a smile that was saved for an occasion such as this. It was soft and it was gentle, and it almost brought tears to my eyes. Because I saw all the love he had for me in one smile. I don’t think he’ll ever realize just how much that means to me.

“I love you,” I said, “And I meant everything I said. You really are my strength.”

He didn’t answer, but there were no words that he could say. Instead, he grasped the back of my neck, and pulled me closer to him. My forehead pressed against his, just before he placed a small kiss on it.

My cheeks flared, and I felt a soft smile curl onto my lips.

He wasn’t just my strength. He was my home, my happy place, my safe place. There was no amount of words I could use to express all the things he meant to me. My heart just felt so full knowing that he was mine and mine alone.

There will always be a piece of my heart that he has. And now, he has a permanent spot on my skin. I couldn’t feel prouder knowing that I will forever have a piece of him.

My one bright spot in a once dark place.