Daring the Wild Sparks

by Alexander, Ren

  “Shut up.” Finn walks over to grab his laptop off of the sprawling bar. Ricky laughs and takes another swig of his beer.

  “What are you guys doing?” Simone asks, coming down the stairs and walking behind the bar to open the refrigerator.

  Finn replies, “I’m showing Hadley my Dare of the Week.” Hadley! I unexpectedly beam.

  “I want to see!” Simone squeals and bounds over to us on the couch. She sets her pop can on the coffee table and plunks down next to me. “Don’t you want to see it, Ricky?” she asks.

  “Nope. I witnessed the dare firsthand. I stopped over to check it out before my shift started.” He stretches his arms over his head and yawns. “So, it’s old news.” He turns back to his movie and drinks his beer.

  Finn pulls up the video and he situates the computer down on the coffee table. He settles against the couch and puts his arm around me. His fingers start tapping against my shoulder and I look over to his face. He oddly looks nervous. I look back to the computer as the video starts. Finn smiles at the camera.

  I’m already loving this.

  “Hey, everyone. I’m here with my good friend, Ronin, who’s going to help me out with this week’s dare. How are you doing, buddy?”

  “Great, Finn. I’m eager to get this started.”

  “Same here. This week’s dare comes from someone who means the world to me. My girlfriend, Hadley, who is my absolute heart and soul. We’ve been together for three years now and they’ve been the best years of my life…so far. She dared me to show her how much I love her. Well, challenge accepted, Hadley.”

  I glance up at Finn and he looks down at me before I return my attention to the screen. He balls his fingers into a fist over my shoulder. This had to have been hard for him to confess all of this on the Air. Is that his dare? That would be enough. I love it.

  “So, I’m here with Ronin because he can hook me up. Ronin, tell everyone what you do.”

  “I own Screaming Ink, a tattoo parlor here in Richmond.”

  “Yep, and you’ve seen me in here before, six times to be exact.”

  “I’ve given you all your tats myself.”

  “Indeed you have. So, now I’m back because I want a seventh. Do you think you can help me out with that?”

  “Totally. You told me what you wanted and we worked together to draw up the design. All I need for you to do now is to take your shirt off.”

  Finn looks at the camera and smirks. “That’s what they all tell me.”

  Ronin laughs. “Show off.”

  I’m too shocked to move my eyes away from the screen.

  “You got a new tattoo?” Simone asks, peering over my head at her brother. From the corner of my eye, I see him give her a small nod. What the hell? I never dared him to get another tattoo!

  “Take your shirt off, Wilder.” Finn unclips the little mic on his red polo shirt and pulls the wire out of his shirt, and then removes the pack behind him. He hands it to someone off camera and then peels off his shirt over his head. His current tattoos are prominently on display now. He fluffs up his hair, which makes him even hotter without his shirt on. If I’m even drooling, his Finnatics are going to die over this.

  “How long do you think it’ll take?” Finn asks as he hands his shirt off.

  “It depends. Four hours, give or take. Probably less. And, I’m going to do it all tonight until it’s done.”

  “I want to thank you for the last-minute set-up for this, bud. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem, Finn. I’m happy to do it for you. I’m excited to be a part of your show.”

  Finn turns to the camera. “Now obviously we can’t show you the entire process, so we’ll film various phases of me getting the tattoo and then, of course, the end result, since it is going to take so long.” He turns to Ronin. “Shall we?”

  Ronin nods and grabs a few things from a table. Smiling, Finn takes a seat in a chair that looks like one you’d see in a dentist’s office. He turns to the camera. “I’m actually pretty nervous about this dare. Unlike my other dares, this one is very close to my heart, in a matter of speaking and literally, since that’s where I’m getting my tattoo. Hadley, my Becks, this is for you, baby. I love you.” His smile widens as he looks away.

  My eyes fill with tears and blur my vision. I wipe them away and cross my arms over my chest. Finn reaches over and pulls my right arm away, resting my hand on his thigh, and intertwining our fingers together.

  Ronin hovers over Finn, prepping the area with alcohol and a razor to shave Finn’s chest where the tattoo is going to go, which is right above his left nipple. The video skips to Ronin applying a stencil to Finn’s chest and applying purple ink to his skin. When he lifts it up, the camera zooms in. It’s a bunch of scrawled, purple lines and looks hard to see at first, but I make out that it’s a heart with an unadorned keyhole in the middle of it. Around the simple heart, there is a chain wrapped around it with a cross hanging from the bottom. The most stunning part of the design is the waving banner that loops under the top part of the chain. On the banner is one word in elegant writing: Becks.

  The tears stream down my cheeks and I cover my face with my left hand. Finn squeezes my right hand and pulls me close to him as I try to watch the rest of the video.

  The next shot is of Ronin applying the needle to Finn’s glistening skin. Milo pans to Finn’s face and Finn is biting his lip and wincing. He looks over to the camera and grins, a real smile while he’s getting a tattoo for me. I can’t even process it past that yet.

  The video skips ahead to the tattoo being nearly done. Finn has his head back and staring at the ceiling, still grinning between winces, closing his eyes and biting his lip. It’s beyond sexy.

  Skipping again, the tattoo’s boarder is finished and now Ronin is faintly coloring and shading in the heart in a few shades of red. I can see the heart has a metallic look to it. The chain even looks metallic.

  Now, Ronin is writing my name. I start crying again as I watch the video and see Finn look down to what Ronin is doing; beaming happily at the colorful ink now adorning his chest.

  Finally, the video shows Ronin sitting back and checking his work. Finn peers at it and gloriously smiles. Milo zooms in to it. It’s stunning. It’s a piece of art. The heart isn’t even girly. It’s hard-looking and the chain around it makes it even edgier. I love the cross, too. Such a nice touch. My favorite part is my name, the one Finn gave me, permanently etched into his skin.

  Finn turns to the camera. “It’s done. Hadley has no idea I did this, so by the time this airs, she only had found out a few hours before. My nickname for her is Becks. I wanted her name close to my heart. I gave her a key necklace, so this goes with the key she holds to my heart. I wanted to surprise you, Becks. I hope you love this as much as I do. I love you so much, baby. Thanks for daring me.”

  As I try to dry the deluge of tears, Finn adorably smirks at the camera, going into a blurb about visiting Ronin at Screaming Ink.

  CHAPTER 2

  Simone gives me a swift, hard hug. She then extends over me and pushes Finn’s arm. “That’s so damn sweet, Wilderness! Let’s see it!”

  I sit up and Simone falls off me. Finn looks at me with trepidation, like he’s afraid I didn’t like what he did. Surreptitiously, I reach down and hurriedly drag his T-shirt up to his neck. Warily eyeing me, he leans all the way back against the couch so I have a better view.

  There it is, still having a colorful, show-room glow. It’s so beautiful.

  “Wow, bro! That is the coolest thing you’ve ever done, besides asking Hadley out.”

  He doesn’t move and I can’t stop staring at the heart. His skin isn’t as angry-looking as it was in the video, but it still looks sensitive and is scabbed up in places.

  “Becks, you haven’t said anything,” he says in a husky whisper.

  Not taking my eyes off his tattoo, I softly answer, “I don’t know what to say.”

  Staring at his chest, I see his breathing stop and he hesit
ates before asking, “Do you like it?”

  I shake my head, tears sliding down my cheeks and I promptly chase them away. He takes a caustic, deep breath and his body stiffens. I finally skate my eyes up to his dread-filled face. Smiling, I say, “I love it, Finn. I absolutely love it.” He noticeably slumps in relief as he lets out his held breath in a whoosh. I drop his shirt and feverishly grab his face to kiss him. His hands move to clutch my head, his fingers gently tugging my ponytail as he eagerly kisses me back.

  Simone sighs and Ricky says, “Great. Here comes the thank you.” Remembering that we’re not alone, I stop kissing Finn and pull away to see him flipping off Ricky, making Ricky laugh. Finn draws me to him and I snuggle close, laying my head against his shoulder. Ricky picks up the remote. “Simone, pick a movie.”

  Simone jumps up and walks over to Ricky’s stash of movies on the table. “I’m glad you like the same action movies as I do,” she states, picking up a case and opening it.

  Ricky gets up from the couch while Simone changes the movies. “Are there any chips or pretzels down here, Wilder or Garrison?”

  Simone points over to the bar. “Probably underneath the counter. Go check it out. There should be bowls under there, too. Grab me one and I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Ricky saunters out of the room and out to the bar as Simone plays with the DVD player.

  Without an immediate audience, I haul Finn’s lips back to mine. I then whisper, “I can’t believe you did that for me. You put my name permanently on your body. That would be so hard to remove.”

  “You wanted me to prove that I’ll love you forever, so I did,” he whispers as he tucks hair behind my ear. “Your name is forever written on my heart, as well as my soul, baby. It’ll always be there. I would never have it removed.”

  I smile at him. “I love you.”

  He beautifully smiles in response as his eyes gleam. “I love you, too, Becks. So much. Forever.”

  “Knock it off,” Ricky says, walking up to us. He stops to hand us a bowl of chips sitting in the crook of his arm. Simone gets up from in front of the TV and he hands her a bowl of her own.

  “Thanks, Tesco.” She goes to the light switch on the wall and turns it off, making the room darker. She then takes a seat in the recliner facing the TV.

  Ricky lies down on the sofa across from Simone. He glances back at us and then at Simone. “It’s awfully dark in here, Simone. Do you think that’s a good idea with the love birds sitting back there?”

  Simone looks back at us. “Hey, if you two are going to get frisky, go up to your room, Wilderness. Ricky and I do not want to hear your heavy breathing or see you having sex.”

  Finn scowls. “Shut up, Sims.”

  Ricky says, “You got that right.” He gives Finn a sharp look. “The movie will be loud, but not that loud.”

  “Kiss my ass, Tesco.” Turning away, Ricky laughs and props his head on the couch pillows.

  “I do not want to see your thing, Wilderness. Take it elsewhere if you have to.”

  “Right. I’ll try to remember that I don’t want to show you my ‘thing,’” Finn acerbically counters and we all laugh.

  I lean my head against the front of his shoulder, careful not to press on the sensitive skin from his tattoo. My tattoo.

  He offers me some chips, but I shake my head. He sets the bowl on the end table and then reaches over and laces his fingers with mine, leaving our hands on top of his thigh. I watch the TV screen and listen to Ricky and Simone talking about the actors as the movie starts.

  Moving closer to me, his bristly chin burnishes my forehead and I glide my fingers back and forth with his, matching his fervor. I want so much to slip my hand down the front of his pants, bringing him to life, though I have a feeling he’s on his way there. Our joined fingers are heatedly rubbing together so wildly that it feels like we could possibly start a fire between us.

  Finn moves his chin and his lips brush my temple. I close my eyes, basking in the feel of him. I open my eyes and reach up to stroke his jaw, lightly scratching him with my nails through his light stubble. From the corner of my eye, I see him rapidly swallowing and feel his jaw tighten from my touch. He tenses his fingers with mine and then closes them, squeezing my hand. Shifting, he puts his free hand on my cheek and deftly swoops in to kiss me. I lick his lower lip and he plunges his tongue into my mouth; our intermingled breathing picks up. He pants and tersely clenches his hand with mine; restlessly sliding our hands up and down his thigh, from his knee to nearly his groin.

  We’re making out in front of his best friend and little sister. They do have their backs to us, but still it’s pretty ballsy of me, at least. Finn doesn’t seem to care since his kisses only increase in intensity, his stubble scrubbing against my skin with each move. I can almost hear his heart pounding along with mine.

  His hand skims from my face to my ponytail, draping it over my shoulder and letting my hair slip between his fingers. His fingers then fall from my hair and he reaches behind me to pull at something. The throw blanket that was on the back of the couch drags over me and Finn lays it across us. Stealthily, his hand dives under the blanket, travels over to my lap and his fingers drift down between my legs. He stops kissing me to look over at Simone and Ricky, who are already engrossed in the movie. While watching them, Finn caresses me through my pants and I acutely inhale.

  Satisfied with Ricky and Simone’s attention elsewhere, he leans down and kisses my neck, his breath heating my body. He licks my neck and then lightly blows on the trail he made. I close my eyes and that’s when his hand moves under my shirt and to my waistband, brushing his thumb over my stomach before he sends his hand down my pants. I bite my lip and peer over to Ricky and Simone, who are still oblivious to what is going on behind them. I pull the blanket up more and try to close my legs, but Finn unclasps his hand from mine and uses it to open me back up.

  Watching the two in front of us, I turn more towards Finn and proceed my hand up his thigh and over to his rock-hard erection. He softly groans against my throat as I wrap my fingers around him through his pants. He props his foot up on the coffee table, as I crawl my fingers up his shirt and to his elastic waistband. His mouth near my ear, he takes in a deep breath when my fingers grip his burning skin.

  “I love your touch,” he whispers into my ear. He slightly thrusts his hips and pushes his index finger into me, causing me to gasp, but it’s lost to the volume of the movie. He works his finger as he pants into my ear, giving me goose bumps, inciting me to stroke him faster. He gruffly bites my ear lobe and I nearly shriek. Though we’re in a darkened room, I still try to keep my movements subtle against the glow of the TV and some of the light filtering in through the small egress windows.

  He hardens more in my hand. Does he want me to make him come, practically in front of an audience? I turn my head and kiss him as we fondle each other. Our kisses become more heated, but we try to keep them slow and quiet since we’re not alone, which only greatly heightens our arousal.

  Halting our makeout, I furtively check on Ricky and Simone, and Finn instantly moves his mouth to my ear. “Becks, I want to come inside you.” I nod and he whispers, “I could put you on my lap right now and take you.” He sucks air in between his teeth and gasps as I jerk him off faster. “But, I’d rather have you in my bed where I can make you scream with me.” I nod again as his finger prods faster into me. “I can feel you getting wetter. I want to feel it on my dick.”

  I bite my lip hard, stifling a moan. He certainly knows how to turn me into mush. I lightly whimper and I feel his smile against my ear. I try to articulate the words I want to say, but I can’t. “Becks, what do you have to say to that? Tell me what you want, baby.”

  Turning, I scrape my face over his prickly jaw. He angles his head so I can whisper in his ear, “I’ll move in with you.”

  Finn immediately stops his finger and I actually hear him swallow even over the loud movie. “What?” he asks in a normal conversational tone, but his voice is full
of shock. I glance over at Ricky and Simone, but they didn’t hear him or care.

  I whisper again, “I said, I’ll move in with you.” He pulls his hand out of my pants and moves his head to look into my eyes.

  “Are you serious?” His eyes glitter in the semi-darkness.

  I graze my hand up and down his erection before I answer, “As serious as you getting a tattoo with my name on your chest.” His eyes scour my face, his expression a combination of cautious apprehension and veiled excitement.

  I nod and whisper, “I’ll move into your apartment. I want to be with you.”

  “Becks.” He grins and happily kisses me as I continue to stroke him. His mouth is then on my ear. “Let’s go upstairs,” he whispers. “I fucking want you.”

  I let go of his dick and move my hand out to my lap. He slyly looks over at Ricky before he stands and quickly walks out into the other room. I toss the blanket back over the couch and glance at Ricky, who happens to look over at me.

  “Where you two off to, as if I really need to ask?” He knowingly smirks.

  Simone looks at me and glowers. “I think they’re going upstairs. It’s about time. Their lip smacking was getting unbearable. People in love suck.”

  Ricky laughs at her pouting. Vaguely, I smile and look away. As I leave the room, I hear her say, “I love those two together, though.” She then yells, “We better not hear you all the way down here!”

  I meet Finn by the stairs. He grabs my hand and hurries us upstairs, pulling me through the living room and straight up the staircase to the second floor. We turn left and he quickly takes me down a hallway to the second door on the right. He pushes the door open and yanks me in, kicking the door closed behind him.

  I look around. His room is painted a dark blue and the carpet is gray, the colors of his current bedroom. That makes me smile. Not much furniture is in here, except for a full-size bed, a large desk with stacks of papers on it, a nightstand and a tall dresser in the corner. He must’ve taken everything else with him when he moved out.