cruel summer. [tag; torrence]

"I'm not sure I want to do this?"

Perdita shot Torrence a look that was crossed between a scowl and mild panic. She held herself stiffly as she walked down the wide shopping street, still busy with locals and tourists alike, clinging on to the summer sun. Perdy wasn't as familiar with Dublin as her companion but it was still an undeniably beautiful city. It was nice to get out of London but they weren't on a level playing field - this was his home turf now.

As always, things got too far. What started out as a joke soon turned heated. It was a bet and she lost (she hated losing) so that was why she was in the Irish capital on a Friday night, wearing a face that looked like a slapped arse.

Her heels click-clacked on the broken pavement as she strode down it, her short glossy locks kicking up in the breeze generated as she heaved a sigh and glared at Torrence as though this whole thing was solely his fault. Because as far as she was concerned, it bloody well was. Perdita folded her arm across her chest as she practically stomped down the street like a petulant child, giving him the side-eye. "I hate your stupid boots," she announced for no reason.

A tattoo. A bloody stupid permanent reminder of his bloody stupid existence. It really didn't matter that she'd dared him to get a tattoo years earlier and he was silly enough to go through with it. But that was what happened when they went up against each other - chaos ensued. He'd "promised" that he'd picked out what he'd described as a "tasteful floral design", which immediately started alarm bells ringing. To ease her pain, Torrence had also agreed to get another one that evening.

The place they were headed to was called Electric Ink and she had no idea if it had even passed the basic health and safety regulations but he insisted that this was the best place in the city. It certainly looked clean as they drew closer. There were comfortable-looking black chairs and golden guild-framed mirrors. It was pretty classy, if she decided to forgive the occasional flashing neon sign. It was currently empty and she didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign.

"Ladies first," she announced as she pulled open the door and sunk into a sweeping bow sarcastically, stepping in soon after him and awkwardly lingering around the entrance. Torrence and the other man seemed to know each other so Perdita turned on her heel and mooched around, pausing at some of the artists' work that were hanging for inspiration. Perdita decided she'd rather die than have any sort of butterfly or dolphin inked on her.

Heaving another sigh, Perdita hung up her jacket and nodded towards Torrence. "He's going first," she announced, wondering if the artist thought they were one of those people who decided to get matching tattoos and the thought alone made her want to gag. Her long legs stepped around Torrence as she appraised him. "On the inside of the forearm? Around here," she explained, demonstrating on her own arm the expanse of skin halfway between her wrist and her elbow. The man looked unimpressed and Perdita smiled as she rudely sat down on Torrence's lap without invitation.

She turned as she began to roll up Torrence's shirt sleeve with more care than was necessary. When asked what the design was going to be, she simply dipped her head and kissed the spot on his forearm, leaving behind a deep red kiss-print for the artist to tattoo. "That," she announced smugly before hopping off Torrence's lap and heading over to her bag, where she promptly extracted a bottle of hand gel and squirted a healthy dollop onto her palms to prove a point.



@Torrence Regan

"Too bad, Red. Can't back out now," Torrence Regan said smugly.

He put his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, squeezing lightly as he ignored the look she gave him. He knew she was out of her comfort zone. That's probably why he was taking such pleasure in this. Unflappable, unsailable Perdita was nervous. He fucking loved it. No matter how many times she sent him a little glare, he wasn't really bothered. He had won their little bet and now they were here. He was surprised she hadn't tried to back out by now, but it was a matter of pride. He understood that better than she knew. He was all pride, no substance.

Her pouty little declaration about his boots made him chuckle lowly. He was wearing the same pair of well-worn black boots paired with dark jeans, a heather gray tee, and his usual black leather jacket. He guessed her comment was meant to distract from what was really bothering her. He could only pull her in closer, his mouth close to his ear as he replied with, "Yeah, but I do love you in pants. You should wear them more often." Then he gave her a sharp little slap on the ass before smirking at her.

Torr was a bit on a high. Winning the bet, getting Perdita to come with him to his usual tat parlor, 'promising' her about the 'tasteful' design he had picked out for her, dropping hints about possible phallic shaped tattoos he was going to pick for her. It amused him to no end. He couldn't wait to get her in there, she her getting inked. He held the door open with one arm over her head as they got to Electric and rolled his eyes heavenward at her sarcasm. Just another layer she was putting up, but he was ok with that. He was still winning in the end.

He stepped into the shop, immediately giving a nod to Finn who was the artist that had inked many of Torr's tats. He clapped Finn's had in his in greeting and then turned to see Perdy hovering near the doorway. He beckoned her with a crook of his finger, nodding toward the tattoo artist. "Finn, meet Red. Red, this is Finn. He'll be inking us up tonight," he said the last bit as he made eye contact with Finn and placed his arm around Perdita's waist possessively, silently making it understood that she was with him. Finn smiled holding up his hands as if defense and Torr grinned a moment later. Good, they were on the same page.

The Regan breathed out a laugh as she directed that he had to go first. With a shrug, he started peeling off his jacket and then sat down in the chair in front of Finn, his knees spread wide as he put his forearm out for Finn to take a look at the space they were working with. Perdita pushing to sit on his lap was a surprise, but very welcome and he wrapped his other arm around her, his hand splaying wide on the outside of her thigh to hold her in place as she rolled up his sleeve. His eyes were on her, unconcerned about what she might pick for him. It wouldn't be the first time a girl had picked his tattoo, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He wondered if she was going to tell Finn to draw a huge middle finger on his skin, the ever-lasting fuck you that she always seemed to be giving him with every downward mood swing.

As she bent over his arm, he arched one brow in curiosity, before he smiled as she moved away and he could see the outline of her perfect lips in a red kiss print. He laughed and looked at Finn. "There you have it, the lady has chosen," he said, giving a nod for Finn to start before he realized Perdy was trying to escape, reaching out a hand to try to grab her back. He watched deadpan as she rubbed her palms with antibacterial. Then nodded his head and patted his knee. "Come back and watch, Red," he invited her, wanting to feel her slight weight on his lap again.

She was not a happy bunny and his smug demeanour only served to stoke her fire. Finding herself up close to Torrence wasn't usually a bad thing but not when she was irritated. Her scowl deepened as she slipped on her heels and bumped into him. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, her fingers digging into her forearms as she let out a snort of disgust about her trousers.

"Pervert," Perdita announced as she rudely barged him with her shoulder. His hand on her backside made her yelp in surprise as her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed, looking around to see if anyone had spotted it. "Do that again and I'll break your fingers," she hissed at him under her breath as she steadfastly tried to ignore the fact that she rather enjoyed it.

Perdy was so far out of her comfort zone, she was practically in orbit around it. Her full lips down turned into a frown. Finn's work was undeniably good. His linework was precise and neat and intricate and her mind wandered. Of course she wasn't going to get a tattoo and she certainly wasn't going to let Torrence pick it out for her. A permanent reminder of him every time she saw her skin? It was like being married but without the ring.

As Torrence beckoned her forward, she gave perhaps the most perfect eye roll of her entire life. "Fun," she muttered, exasperated, but managed to drag herself over slowly, her heels echoing on the floor. He introduced her as "Red" again and she saw the look of confusion on his friend's face. Understandable, she didn't have red hair. It was their little secret. "Hi," she offered with a tired smile which made the other man laugh. If he found it funny that she was resisting, she dreaded to think of how many other girls he'd pulled through the doors.

She was up against Torrence's side a second later like a ragdoll and her smile was genuine this time as she reciprocated, looping an arm around his waist, just so she could pinch the skin of his back beneath his shirt sharply.

Perdita liked the placement of the tattoo and she hadn't picked it because it would be undeniably painful, it was simply because it was a blank canvas. The way Torrence's hand came to her thigh to anchor her in place made her smirk - was he scared she was going to bolt? With a careful touch, she cleaned up her kiss-print ready for Finn, an unusual excitement buzzing through her. He'd already been mad enough to have her handwriting etched on him so anything else seemed like fair game.

With a nod from Finn, she flashed a grin as she put distance between them. She'd never really liked the sound of a tattoo gun. It reminded her of the time she'd rebelled and got her nose pierced when she was seventeen and her mother had hit the roof. Reaching up, she touched the left wing of her nose, missing having the stud there suddenly.  Rubbing her hands together, she arched an eyebrow as he patted her knee like she was a pet but she found herself drawing closer.

Wordlessly, Perdy saluted him before she clambered back on board. She gave a little wiggle as she leaned her back against Torrence's chest, crossing her long legs at the knee, the picture of ease. "Will it hurt?" She asked Finn, sounding excited as she brushed her hair back behind her ear as he cleaned Torrence's skin, interested as she shifted her position to see the work. The inside of the arm contained two main nerves, she wasn't daft. She wondered how intricate it would be, whether the other man might choose to simply outline her lips or add in a flourish. She hadn't specified, it was artistic license.

Picking up Torrence's free hand, she placed it back on one of her thighs. "I'll pay extra if it does," she joked, flashing Finn a grin as he laughed, mumbling something about English girls being odd. Annoyed as she was, he was absolutely right. She shifted carefully, turning to give Finn the room he needed as he applied the needle to Torrence's skin, both curious and a little panicked. Tilting her head backwards to look at Torrence, she made a kissy-face at him and winked, reminding him just what he was letting himself in for.

"Yeah, but you love it," he replied easily with a smirk as she called him a pervert. Her anger at his little ass slap amused him to no end. "Mmm, a promise of violence? I'll take it," Torr told her as he took a step toward her with his hand poised to slap her ass again. He laughed as he gave her light tap, hoping she would take her anger out on him later.

It felt good to have her perched on his knee. Her arm wrapping around him, her hands wandering.. shit! "Oww!" he muttered, jumping as she pinched him in a spot that made it particularly painful. He just looked at her, his brows low, and retaliated by squeezing his big hand around her thigh, hard. Hoping it hurt her just like she had hurt him. "Behave," he warned her even though he had kind of liked it. What an imp.

He exchanged a few words with Finn as the artist prepped for his tattoo. He wasn't particularly loyal to any tattoo artist, but he had gotten a few from Finn before and he knew he was skilled. Torr eyed Perdy as she got up from his lap as he answered a question of two that Finn posed him, knowing she was probably nervous about her pending tattoo. He couldn't help but smile. Served her right. He liked to win and he would lord this victory over her for as long as it still amused him. It would probably be a while. When he called her back, she saluted smartly at him and he gave her a bit of an eye roll before she came back to his lap, her long legs crossing daintly between his thighs. He shifted so his elbow was resting more comfortably on Finn's table, Torr's hand wrapped around her body again, his hand on her thigh, claiming.

"No more than usual," he answered her question even though it had been directed at Finn. But they were all laughing at her next comment. Torr leaned in and put his lips to her ear as he touched her silky hair. "Don't worry, you can hurt me later if you'd like," he whispered huskily, his cobalt blue eyes promising dark secrets. He resettled his hand on her thigh as she shifted carefully and with a bit of an exhale, he felt the needle start to draw on his skin. It was biting, but something he had grown accustomed to. Besides, he had a pretty good distraction in his lap. Her kissy face and wink made him grin. "Red's pretty excited about her tattoo," he told Finn as he looked at Perdy. "She has a really great design in mind too," he added, knowing that he was the one who would get to pick the design and fucking loving it.

Torrence hissed in pain and her eyes widened in faux surprise. She quickly looked away to hide her smirk and she was very close to actually giggling. He couldn't honestly say that he didn't deserve it. Perdy would insist that she was blameless in this entire situation. She snorted, covering her mouth with a pale hand as she turned back towards him, just in time to catch that annoyed expression that he wore so well.

 "Yes?" She asked innocently, only for her expression to change as she yelped. She scowled, shifting to smack her hand against his chest in annoyance. "Ouch," Perdita whispered as she frowned at him, ignoring the feeling of warmth that spread across the area where his fingers had dug into her. Finn, ever the professional, had either decided to ignore what was happening or hadn't seen it. She bruised easily and he knew that.

As Torrence commanded her to behave, she shrugged casually as she toyed with the ring around her middle finger, as though she wasn't the one to cause such a reaction as she mulled it over. She pouted, her residual annoyance still simmering. "Yes sir," she replied in a soft voice with a roll of her big blue eyes, crossing her legs again to force his hand higher up her thigh in response.

"Shame," Perdita replied as her question about pain severity was answered. She had no idea really, she supposed pain was relative. More detailed work would require more time and undoubtedly more discomfort as the needle scratched back and forth.

A shiver thrilled down her spine as Torrence spoke to her directly. She didn't need to see his face to know exactly where it was. She was annoyed how her body reacted to him and the months away from one another had, frustratingly, not changed the fact. "Mm," she agreed, turning her head towards him quickly. She reached out, a slim index finger just under his chin to keep him facing her. "You know, I'd love to," she began in a soft whisper. "But I've got plans later," she remarked, giving him a yikes! face and an apologetic smile. Of course she didn't have plans. She barely left the house after the whole Charlie debacle.

"Another time, perhaps," she offered Torrence, patting him on the cheek sympathetically before his exhale of breath caught her attention. It was oddly mesmerising, the needle going back and forth. She was interested as the design began to take shape. She tilted her head, her fingers itching to touch the mark while marvelling at the fact that he was actually dumb enough to go through with it. But speaking of dumb~

"I can't wait," Perdita replied with a grin as she flicked her eyes back up to Finn. She leaned back, her bony elbow pressing into Torrence's ribs to let him know she wasn't happy. "Yes," she added quickly with another smile as the buzz of the needle droned on. "His name. On my left bum cheek," she announced and she saw Finn falter for a second before he corrected himself  and the line he was etching on Torrence's forearm. "Small. Very classy," she continued, leaning over Torrence to check on the tattoo taking shape. "Oh look at that," she mused, brushing her hair back behind her ear, pointing with wonder as the curve of her Cupid's bow was now apparent.

Torr's expression quickly changed from annoyed to amused as she yelped in reaction to his hard squeeze of her thigh. Little brat deserved it. And if he had to guess, he knew she probably liked it too. He wondered if he had caused a bruise too. He couldn't wait to peel these tight pants off her and see for himself later. He smirked as she called him 'sir' and leaned closer. "You know I like it when you call me that," he told her as she crossed her legs, pushing his hand higher on her thigh and moving it even further up. He wondered if she would stop him...

He narrowed his gaze at her as she mentioned other 'plans' but simply squeezed her thigh in retaliation. "Yeh, plans with me," he told her, no other questions needed. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He was going to need lots of time to.. appreciate the new tattoo he was going to pick out for her. Plus, he was hungry. In more ways than one.

Torr sucked in a breath as she elbowed him hard in the ribs and just squeezed her thigh as he glanced at Finn with a blank expression. Two could play at this game. But he laughed at her tattoo idea. Now that was a good idea. "Maybe full name, Torr on the left, Regan on the right?" he suggested, smirking at her. "I'm sure Finn has done plenty of classy ass tats, right?" he asked the artist who just smirked and shrugged a bit.

As she leaned over to take a closer look, her hair dropped in front of him and he was enveloped by her scent. He shifted his hips a bit in the chair with a tight exhale as she squirmed, making him the tiniest bit uncomfortable. Not to say he didn't love it. But he needed to play it careful if he wanted to see her inked. "Like it so far, Red?"

Perdita scoffed and shook her head, fixing him with a look that clearly said bugger off. "You don't treat me well enough for me to keep calling you that," she told Torrence plainly as she examined her nails, as if they weren't already perfect. His hand crept up her thigh and she was all set to ignore it before his fingers touched her hip. Quickly, she reached out and snatched his hand by the wrist. "Ah ah," she tutted with a shake of her head. "You know I'm ticklish --"

The tall brunette let out a grunt as she glowered as he squeezed her again. "Piss off," she whispered. "I am not your ragdoll," she hissed, her big blue eyes flicking back and forth across his face. She exhaled quickly, annoyed, but it soon turned to curiosity. "Oh?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "What are we doing? I'll come with you if your plans are better than the ones I currently have."

Perdy then turned her attention to the wrist she was still holding and she gently turned it over in her palms. Ah. Torrence was still wearing that ring that she'd once coveted. She'd almost won it but Riley White had folded like a napkin after she'd visited that underground fight club. Wordlessly, she slid her fingers down the lines in his palm as the tattoo gun buzzed away in the background. Swiftly, she slipped the ring off his finger with minimal resistance and admired it in the stark lighting off the shop, letting his hand drop as she slid it onto her thumb but it was still too large. Without acknowledging the action, she simply flashed him a cheery smile over her shoulder.

"Oh lovely," she offered brightly, despite the idea of having that anywhere on her body feeling like a fate worse than death. Finn looked unconvinced but she laughed, properly - loudly and roughly, her genuine laugh. "I'm in good hands, then," she joked, knowing that if a tattoo gun came anywhere near that area, she would cut and run.

She heard Torrence's breathing hitch and she smirked as she examined the tattoo. "I actually do," she nodded before flicking her eyes back to Finn. "I realise this is probably against all of your health and safety laws," Perdita began as the tattoo was almost finished. "But may I?" With that, she held her hands out for the apparatus and waited as the tattoo artist seemed to be less forthcoming. She flashed him a grin.

"Oh go on," she purred, indicating the small space left between the lips drawn on Torrence's arm. As Finn relinquished control, her eyes lit up. "Marvellous," she breathed as she picked it up and set to work. She pressed the needle against his skin, perhaps a little too harshly, as it began to move. It didn't take long, she simply completed the curve of her lower lip with surprising accuracy. Resting back against Torrence's chest, she smiled smugly as she admired her work, even Finn didn't look that panicked.

"Right!" Perdita said briskly as she clapped her hands together with a smile. "My turn?" She asked before finally clambering off Torrence's lap to stand. "Where do you want me?" She asked both gentlemen as she stepped away, her fingers beginning to unbutton her shirt. She'd decided where she wanted her tattoo - near her ribs but set back a little. Perdita arched a brow. "Turn around, then," she instructed them both. "It's not a free show."

"You haven't seemed to mind," he replied just as quickly, thinking she had quite liked had he had 'treated' her last night... And this past weekend... He didn't mind much. She liked to play hard to get and he liked the chase. She kept it interested and he certainly enjoyed taming her. He frowned at her as she snatched his wrist away from her hip, but rolled his eyes at her.

Her anger surprised him, she was always hot and cold. Just like he was. It was a wonder he was able to keep up. He met her guileless blue gaze with his own before reaching up and squeezing her chin lightly between his finger and thumb and kissing her soundly, just because he could. Then he shrugged. "You'll have to wait and see," he told her regarding the plans, half because he hadn't really decided yet and half because he knew it would grate at her not to know. She was a pushy little thing when she didn't get her way.

The hum of the tattoo gun buzzed between them and Torr sighed into the feeling, pricks of pain and annoyance and a little bit of pleasure knowing it was Perdita who picked this one out. Her small hands were around his and he glanced down between them as she slipped his heavy silver ring with the Regan crest on it. He wriggled his fingers as she played with it, his middle finger feeling lighter and emptier without it, but it was amusing to see that it didn't fit any of her fingers. Her laugh at his tattoo idea made him smile crookedly. She could play a good poker face, but Torr knew that she was nervous about this little pending tattoo. That's what made him all the more excited.

"What are you doing, Red," he murmured as he watched her charm Finn, his gaze narrowing as the artist fell victim to her smile and glittering eyes. He almost had a mind to snap at Finn to tell him off, but was distracted by Perdy taking the tattoo gun in hand, sucking in a harsh breath as she pressed hard into his skin. "Careful," he hissed at her, watching her expression as she tattooed him rather than what she was actually carving into his skin. It was like she was speaking directly to his dick with that little action. He shifted uncomfortably as his jeans got tighter.

He sat back, his brows perked as he got a look at her work. "Not bad, Red," he complimented her even though it had mostly been Finn's work. He pinched her on the ass too, just for fun, before she moved to stand. He grinned at her, his arm still singing with the buzzing of his new tattoo, but much more eager for this next part. He nodded at the table with his chin so she could lay out for Finn, them having talked about the placement before they even came. He smirked and shook his head as she asked him to turn around, but looked toward Finn to make sure he was doing her bidding. "Need help?" he asked taking a step toward her.

But then she was laid out looking like a treat and Torr glanced at Finn before pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, showing it to him only. "Think you could do something like this?" he asked, refusing to show the design to Red before it was inked on her skin permanently. He couldn't fucking wait.

Begrudgingly, he had a point. Any woman who slept with Torrence would probably get exactly what she wanted - he was very adaptable. Rather than agreeing, she simply shot him a look because he was right, he was actually surprisingly agreeable in that respect. "You're a solid seven out of ten," she told him with a smile that was soon wiped off her face as she was kissed. Like in a trance, she leaned in to kiss him back, letting out a small grunt of annoyance against his lips. "You're a nightmare," she whispered to him, lingering, before turning her head away to focus on his arm.

What was she doing? "Embarking on my new career," she joked. "Sorry," Perdita added in a sing-song voice that sounded anything but as she applied too much pressure to his skin. She smiled smugly as he praised her, her head tilted as she looked at the ink that Finn was now clearing up before she yelped at the pinch, jerking her hips forward and away. "Why are you like this?" She mumbled, her hand on her bum cheek as she rubbed it in mild wonder.

The distance between them gave her some room to breathe, stopping with her fingers on the buttons as he strode towards her. Did she need help? Yes. "No," she clarified quickly, watching Finn turn around politely. She paused, expecting Torrence to do the same before she realised he'd never do as he was told. "Fine," she exhaled on a quick sigh, her eyebrow raised as she finished unbuttoning her shirt and slid the silky material off her slender shoulders. "Happy?" Perdita asked, doing a sarcastic little turn to show off her bra before pulling a face.

"Yeah, yeah," the tall brunette muttered as she walked to the table. She clambered on and stretched out, letting Finn position her as she rolled onto her side, with her arm over her head to give him a better look at the canvas he needed to work on. He diligently cleaned the expanse of skin as she shuffled, the table wrapped in clingfilm that was sticking to her and made her uncomfortable.

Torrence pulled out the design and she narrowed her big blue eyes at him. They slid from him to Finn as a flicker of something crossed his face - anxiety, shock, humour, fear - she couldn't tell. They discussed her like she wasn't even there and she sighed, resting her cheek against the headrest that didn't have any give in it. Time ticked by and she wondered if Torrence had tweaked it. Uncertainty crept in around her edges as she flashed hot then cold. Uncertainty turned to nerves and nerves turned to doubt - she couldn't do this.

Finn had his back to her as he loaded up the gun and changed the needle and all she could think was at least it's sanitary, as though that would be her only worry. Without realising, she gripped the edge of the table, hard. Finn came close to her and his fingers gently moved the band of her bra up a touch so he could attach the stencil before she'd made her choice.

"Nope," Perdita replied as she sat up suddenly, all the blood rushing to her head as poor Finn was forced to take a step back. "No. Nah. Not doing it," she blabbered as she dropped to her feet and shrugged her shirt back on, hastily closing it and missing a couple of buttons in her rush to recover her modesty. She shook her head, her skin tingling as Perdy dashed around, snatching her coat and her bag, throwing her belongings into it as her cheeks flushed pink.

"Finn, it was so nice to meet you," she told him quickly, reaching out to shake his hand. "You," she rounded on Torrence with a finger pointed. "Suck," she announced grandly in a wonderfully anticlimactic fashion. With that, she yanked the door open and practically fell out of it, her knees wobbly as she regained her composure. Through the window, she offered both gentlemen a cheery wave and raising her middle finger to Torrence before she practically sprinted away and down the street, her coat trailing behind her.

A nightmare? He quite liked the sound of that. Keeping her up all night, tossing and turning.. "So are you," he told her lowly, smirking. If he was, she was too, and probably worse.

But then she was sliding off her shirt, revealing that creamy white skin he enjoyed licking so much and he perked his brows, nodding, his eyes on her bra. Then he glanced quickly at Finn, who was still resolutely turned in the other direction. Good. Torr stood quite close as Finn started to work. he wasn't exactly worried about the tattoo artist who he knew was happily married, but still. His hands were all over her. Maybe this was a bad idea. Especially where Red wanted the tattoo. The stencil was ready and Torr's eyes gleamed at even the thought of a preview of his design, but apparently that wasn't in the cards for today.

"C'mon," he said with a deep laugh as she sat up and Torr only noticed Finn's surprise in his periphery. "You're joking right?" he asked, still grinning. After all, they did have an agreement. And he had won. And he wanted his prize. Her, here, tattooed, with a design of his choosing. They were already here too, and that was always half the battle with Perdita. But then, he realized belatedly that she really was backing out of this. She was practically out the door already and giving him the middle finger. Well, nothing much had changed there. He probably would've smirked at her if he wasn't so pissed off that she thought she could run off on him like this.

"Red! Get back here, shit!" he called after her, cursing as he watched her fly out the door while Finn looked surprised. Torr dug into his pocket for some coins and threw them at the tattoo artist, paying entirely way too much for this tiny tattoo, but it's not like he had the luxury or inclination to nickel and dime the poor bloke right now. Then he was out the door too.

She was quick and nimble, but it didn't take too long to catch up with her, his boots smacking the pavement hard as he chased her. When was the last time he had literally chased after a girl, the errant thought zipping through his mind, before he reached out a hand on her hip as he caught up to her, pulling her around. "What the hell, Red? We had a deal," he said, looking down at her, both hands on her hips now, mostly to keep her from running again, but also because he really did like the way she was wearing these pants.

"Shit, shit, shit," Perdita hissed as she tore down the street, her bag bumping off her hip as she sent pigeons scattering in her wake. She heard Torrence yell after her and she made the fatal mistake of looking over her shoulder to see a flicker of irritation on his face. Her little bubble of adrenaline popped and was replaced by panic. While she didn't think he'd actually hurt her, she had seen what he could do to other people.

The door slammed and she sped up, uttering a silent prayer for the two things her mother had taught her growing up - open a secret bank account and how to run in heels. Perdita wasn't familiar with Dublin but it really didn't matter because the main goal was to get home, any which way. She couldn't stop to apparate, he'd catch her. She couldn't duck down an alley in case it was a dead end and --

"Ow!"

Torrence pulled her hard and she spun so fast, she thought she had whiplash. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks pink as she panted, her hair sticking up as the coolness of the night air enveloped them. "Get off me," she demanded, smacking at his wrists before he held her tightly and effectively in place. She scowled.

"A verbal contract is not legally binding," she added in a sing-song voice, her hands instinctively coming up to his chest to put some space between them as she backed up. "If you were stupid enough to trust me, then that's on you," the tall brunette reminded him but not unkindly. Her hands slid from his front to his arms, one of her thumbs pressing into his fresh tattoo quickly. Poor Finn. He didn't really deserve all that.

Perdita's chest fell quickly and thinly, her breath coming out in little ragged puffs as she stared at him. She frowned at him in the darkness, her eyes flicking over his shoulder to see if there was a passersby that might want to intercept this. Unable to help herself, she grinned at him. "Did you actually just run after me?" She whispered, an eyebrow arched as she laughed at him, finding the whole situation completely ridiculous. She smiled slowly, her eyes sparkling as she bit down gently on her lower lip. "A grand romantic gesture or what?" She purred jokingly.

Eventually, Perdy relented. She let go of Torrence's arm and attempted to take another step back, her hands resting gently on the ones he had holding her hips. "I don't trust you," she leveled with him honestly. She frowned again soon after her confession, unaware she felt that way until she was put on the spot. "For all I know, you could have chosen an anatomically correct dick as a tattoo." Here, she snorted. "Or worse, a dolphin," she grimaced.

"You can let me go now," she reminded Torrence gently as she tapped the back of one of his hands, an eyebrow arched in question.

"No, I won't," he told her stubbornly at her demand to unhand her, irritation and a bit of amusement warring inside him even as she tried to smack his hands away from her. It almost felt a bit like they were wrestling right there in the street, her fighting for power, him fighting for control, and him losing terribly as soon as she pressed her thumb into the exact spot of his new tattoo. A burst of pain shot through his arm and he barked out a curse as he pulled his arm out of her reach and glared at her.

"Why the fuck did you do that," he growled as he kept his other hand on her hip to hopefully prevent her from running again as he shook out his arm, trying to dispel the pain running through it. Red could be just as creative and cruel as he was and while he admired that about her, he also fucking hated it especially when she used it against him like this. Her whispered question paired with that impish grin flashing at him in the dark made him glare down at her, that glimmer in her eye was dangerous. Romantic? "Hardly," he scoffed. "You owe me though and I always collect," he said as he took a step closer even as she took a step back.

Her hands on his hands as they rested on her hips, he tried to pull her closer with an unexpected gentleness, slowly. The look she gave him was different in some way and her words dripped with honesty instead of an air of sarcasm, deflection, or manipulation like their usual banter had. Hmm. She really didn't trust him. He didn't blame her, really. He didn't even trust himself, but he thought she could've at least trusted him with something as simple as a tattoo. At her guess, he grinned. Maybe not. "Can't say the thought didn't cross my mind," he told her with a dark laugh, his cobalt blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

But he brought his hand up to curve around the side of her face as he met her gaze straight on, his thumb stroking her cheek. "That's not what I picked though and now since you ran away, you won't know. You would've liked it," he promised her with a careless shrug. "Besides it seems like you're the one that can't be trusted. You're backing out of our deal."

"Because you're not listening," she informed Torrence quickly, an eyebrow raised as he flinched. She tutted darkly with a shake of her head, her dark hair swaying in response. "Pain is a stimulus for you," Perdita explained patiently. "Do you ever wonder why I keep doing it?" She asked him, her bright eyes flicking back and forth across his face in the darkness. "You don't pay attention so I have to use underhand tactics," she smiled, but it soon widened.

"Romantic," she told him again, in a sing-song voice. She snorted, stopping suddenly as Torrence crowded her space. "Do you not get bored of trying to ruin my life?" She asked him, arms folded across her chest and her chin in the air defiantly. "I'm sure there are hundreds of girls in your city you could bother. You don't have to continually come after me." Despite her wishing that he would.

Now up close to him and pressed against Torrence's chest, Perdita frowned. She hated that she couldn't figure him out but that was his whole mystique - tall, dark and dangerous. "Ew," she complained as she wrinkled her nose, shoving his chest. "Modelled on your own, I suppose?"

The mood shifted as Torrence touched her face. His fingers were warm on her skin and she stilled, momentarily at a loss.  Her eyebrows furrowed together in mild confusion as she tried to work out what game he was playing. Without meaning to, Perdita's eyes fell closed at the uncharacteristically tender touch, only to crack an eye back open soon after.

She scowled. "It'd be shit anyway," she told him tersely, knowing full well that Torrence understood how much it'd annoy her to not know his plans. She arched an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that," she scoffed derisively, finally unfolding her arms to hook one of her fingers through one of his belt loops. Torrence's touch made her shiver but she blamed it on the chilly wind that was rustling the leaves around them. She cleared her throat quickly. "We didn't shake on it," Perdita replied quickly with a shrug that mirrored his own as she squared her shoulders, distracted by the way his thumb was tracing the line of her cheekbone so casually.

"I'm glad you don't trust me," she told Torrence, despite herself not really believing it. "We'd become complacent and we can't have that, can we?" She smiled up at him quickly but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Heaven forbid I become predictable." With that, she turned her head to kiss his palm before reaching up and gently. removing his hand from her face.

"I can't help but hear you," he said with a roll of his eyes as she accused him of not listening. Not the first time he had heard that. At her explanation, he couldn't exactly disagree. Everything she said was fact and he wasn't sure if he should be impressed that she had sorted it out or wary that she would keep using it against him. Then again, he kind of liked her underhand tactics and he told her as much. "Maybe I keep misbehaving just so you'll keep using those underhand tactics."

Her prissy, prim exterior was forever entertaining when usually he found it exhausting. There was just something about her that made him keep coming back for more. "What can I say, it's like a hobby of mine," he told her with a grin. Trying to ruin her life? He wouldn't quite put it that way but he was never one for labels either so he didn't care that much. "Ah true, but I don't want those other girls, Red," he told her with an arch of his brow. Was she fishing for compliments? Wasn't it obvious that he had a special attraction to her. His presence was a sign of that.

The thought of his dick tattooed on her made him grin and laugh at her expression and he stepped back at the push of her hand only to return. "You know it," he whispered against her ear, now really tempted to change his tattoo idea. It would be a first and Torr didn't have many of those anymore. But she had run away and it didn't seem like he was getting her back in there willingly. He could pull a caveman and carry her in over his shoulder, but it was always better if she gave in on her, more rewarding.

He shrugged at her as she scoffed at him, his smile lazy as she pulled him in closer by the belt loops, barely a breath of air between them now. "Whatever you say, Red," he told her, giving the impression that he was letting her have her way, but secretly hoping that she'd be so curious later that she would want to know. He couldn't wait to make her beg.

He brought his thumb down to brush the edge of her bottom full lip and arched a brow at her sentiment that she was happy he didn't trust her. Then laughed with a little tilt of his head. "Can't have that," he agreed. Complacent? Predictable? He knew that wasn't him and for the two of them, he didn't see it. He let her move his palm to her lips, watching as she kissed his palm and then feeling disappointed as she took his hand away from he face. In response he grabbed her hand in his and tugged her toward the corner of the street. "C'mon I'm hungry. You can buy me dinner," he told her with a nod toward a taco truck loitering there on the corner.

In a rather unladylike manner, Perdita pulled a face. "Gross," she grumbled as she folded her arms across her chest snugly and threw her hair back. She was a good liar but the idea of doing things to him that would never see the light of day was always fun. "Maybe you're just a pain in the backside," she mumbled, scowling in the darkness.

"May I suggest you take up something more fulfilling?" Perdy asked with a sunny smile. "Knitting? Perhaps a little spot of croquet?"

Ah. She'd heard that before and she didn't bother to stifle her eye roll. "Are you trying to tell me that I'm your favourite?" The tall witch grinned slowly, head tilted. He said he didn't want anyone else. Any normal woman would be flattered but she was immediately on guard. The day Torrence Regan became monogamous would be the same one that the sun exploded.

Swiftly, she gasped, eyes wide, pointing over his shoulder! "Oh wow, look!" She exclaimed. "A flock of flying pigs!" She announced with a laugh and a shake of her head. "Piss off," she told him, but not unkindly, nettled by the way he stepped back into her space so casually, like he belonged there.

Rudely, she pretended to dry heave at the notion of having any body part of his permanently etched onto her skin. Then again, had he not just undergone that himself with hers? "Hm," she replied, her slim eyebrows coming down in a rush to furrow. Torrence wasn't being...argumentative. And that annoyed her more. "My name is Perdita," she said, sounding exasperated as he used his special nickname for her. She didn't understand it but she liked it but she'd be damned if he knew. "Miss. Bloom if you're naughty," she smiled as she gently bit the pad of his thumb.

"What?" Perdy asked in mild alarm as Torrence mentioned dinner and she tripped after him as he pulled her. "No, I told you. I had plans and -- street food?" She spluttered incredulously, pulling back hard on Torrence's hand in a futile effort to get him to stop. There was a truck. That sold tacos. Parked on a street corner. And he wanted to eat there.

"I am not eating there," she said with a shaky laugh as Torrence continued to haul her towards it, despite her digging her heels into the broken cobblestones under foot. "Try the fish one, I'm totally sure you won't die," she mumbled under her breath before giving a smile that wasn't convincing to the vendor.  "Hi," she said as her eyes surveyed the menu on the side of the van and was dismayed to see that they'd spelled the word delicious wrong.

"Chicken verde and whatever he's having, please," she announced politely, extracting a crumpled note from her pocket and exchanging it for a can of something that was lime green. "Dinner bought," she told Torrence as she cracked open the can and took a swig, the bubbles tickling her nose. She outstretched a hand to receive her food and backed away, saluting him with the can. "See ya."