Twist Me by Mia Monroe

Grey

“Did you finish the sketch, Luca?”

“Yeah.” He opens his notebook. “What do you think?”

I look down at the design. “Fuck. God, it’s amazing.”

“I’m happy with it if you are.”

“Love it. Let’s do this. Mitsu will be here tonight at six getting his nose piercing.”

“I think he’ll look hot with that.”

“Me too.”

I sit in Luca’s chair, and as he preps my arm, I close my eyes and imagine Mitsu’s reaction to the tattoo. I know he’ll understand it. It’s been a month since I officially moved in, and in that time, we’ve found a flow to blending our lives. I’ve taught him the joys of cuddling on the couch and watching Doctor Who marathons, and he’s taught me how meditation can help with so many parts of life. He cooks a healthy dinner nearly every night, and I’ve talked him into enjoying sweet treats on occasion. We spend lots of time in the bath, cuddling in bed, sitting quietly in the backyard while he reads and I check out the next graphic novel. But mostly we spend time in his ropes as Mitsu slowly, patiently, finds all my insecurities and fears, exposing them to his love until they dissipate into the ether.

I thought my parents might have a reaction to his being so much older, but they didn’t bat an eye. They continue to be the loving parents who just want me to be happy. We decided to wait a few more months before raiding the animal shelters looking for our future fur baby, to give us more time to adjust to living together. I’m really happy Mitsu shares my views on adopting rescues.

“Ready?” Luca’s voice breaks into my thoughts.

“Ready.”

I lean back, relaxing to the buzz of his machine as he works on the design we created together. Over the last few weeks he’s touched up my caterpillar to butterfly tattoo, to brighten up the colors so it would blend with the new one. Starting at the caterpillar, he starts adding the black silk rope, twisting it around the existing design as if it were always there. The rope will fade from black to gray to white to full teals and blues as it sets the butterfly free. He’ll add stars above the butterfly to illustrate there’s no limit to how high it can fly now. This is what Mitsu has done for me.

An hour into it, Cairo and Genesis pop in, bringing Luca iced coffee and the shop a tray of late afternoon snacks. They sit near us, chatting about the vacation they’re planning to the Virgin Islands in a few weeks. Luca smiles, his face serene as he listens to his men make exciting plans.

“Did you ever think you’d be in love with two men at once?”

Luca glances up at me, grinning and nodding. “The minute I met those boys I could see it. I was like a dog on a bone getting them to love me back, but it all worked out. I’m so fucking happy, man. It feels unreal that I can experience love at this level. I’d throw myself in front of a freight train for them.”

“Aw, boo,” Gen says, suddenly checking into the conversation. “You’re so sweet to us.”

“Cuz I love y’all. It’s easy to be sweet to the best things that have ever happened to me.”

Gen’s face softens. “He’s always like this. That’s how he melted this ice queen’s heart.”

“All it takes is the right person.”

“And that’s Mitsu for you?” Cairo asks.

“Absolutely.”

“For the record,” Gen starts, “we all called that shit the minute you two met. It was like watching a spark happen. Kinda cool, even if I was too jaded back then to appreciate it fully.”

I laugh. “I guess a part of me knew it too, but I was terrified. I grew up shy, and he just seemed so out of reach for me. Turns out, he was exactly what I needed.”

“That’s when you know it’s right,” Luca adds. “When it just works, when it fills the little holes life leaves behind, when you just can’t see yourself without it.”

I nod. “Mitsu told me once that he wasn’t just himself anymore. I was part of him. That shifted things. I realized that, yeah, he was in me.”

“I mean, I hope he was in you,” Gen says. “At least a few times. Unless you’re the top. Whatever works, boo.”

Cairo shoves Gen. “Way to ruin a tender moment.”

He waves his hand. “It was getting mushy in here.”

Luca chuckles. “That’s my man.”

Another hour passes before Luca finishes the final star. He’s done this amazing shading technique to make the stars pop on my skin, adding a bit of blue swirl background to give it dimension. It’s an absolute work of art.

“Dude, this is fucking amazing.”

Luca smiles, leaning back and studying his work. “Yeah, it came out nice. Can I take a picture?”

“Of course.” I stand so we can get the right angle as Luca snaps a few pics on his phone for his IG account.

“I love what it stands for,” he says.

“Yeah. Mitsu told me once his life was in black and white until I came into it. I feel the same way.”

“I might have to try this rope stuff sometime. Maybe I could tie those boys to the bed.”

I laugh. “It must be a challenge managing both of them.”

His smile grows. “I’m up for it. It’s fucking awesome.”

He finishes wrapping me, and I slide my sweater on so I can choose when to show it to Mitsu. We eat a few snacks and chat a bit with Casper and Apollo, who I’m finding out is a really cool guy, but he’s like a computer. He knows everything going on at all times and runs this place tight. I thought Jude was organized, but Apollo is next level.

“How are things with Felix?” Luca asks Apollo.

“Perfect. It’s nice to meet someone like me, who’s not in the party scene anymore. I like a good night out, but I’m way past the constant scene.”

“Ah,” Casper nods. “I remember those days. It wasn’t that long ago that Saint knocked some sense into me.”

Apollo smiles. “No judgment, man, just not my thing.”

“None taken. I was a little out of control. I used the scene to stop from feeling things I didn’t want to, thinking it would just go away, but it doesn’t until you actually deal with it. I mean sometimes, when you’re young, it’s just for fun.” Casper smiles. “When I met Saint, it was game over.”

Apollo smiles. “That’s how it was when I reconnected with Felix. There were a lot of missteps before him.”

Gen nods, sympathetically. “I think getting your heart broken or having things fall apart is how you know when you find the right thing. We know what the wrong one feels like, so when it’s good, when the fear is gone, that’s when you know it was all worth it.”

Cairo and Luca both look at Gen like he grew an extra head.

He laughs. “What? I’m capable of mush.”

Luca grins. “What do you say I get you boys home?”

Cairo laughs, dragging his fingers through his hair. “Yeah. Let’s show Gen how we do mush.”

They leave as Apollo laughs. “I love working here.”

A little while later, Mitsu walks in, heading straight for me. He kisses me sweetly, then shakes Casper’s hand.

“Shall we do this?”

“No reservations?” I ask.

“I’m good.”

Casper smiles. “It’ll take like five minutes.” He gets his tools set up, marking where he plans to put it on Mitsu’s angular nose. “We’re doing a hoop, right?”

Mitsu nods. “Yes.”

“Cool. I’ll place it so you have an option for a stud too. Ready?”

“Yep.”

Casper is swift, piercing and getting the hoop in place. Mitsu flinches for a second, chuckling as his eyes tear up. It’s over in minutes and, as predicted, Mitsu looks amazing. He studies his reflection in the mirror, nodding.

“I like it. Thank you, Casper.”

“You're welcome. It looks good on you.”

Mitsu turns to me. “Ready to go home, beloved?”

I smile as warmth settles over me. “I am.”

An hour later we’re finishing loading the dishwasher after dinner.

“I have something to show you, babe.”

Mitsu looks at me with interest. “Okay.”

“Let’s go to the garden.”

“Ooh, yes, let’s go.”

I laugh.

In the room, I ask Mitsu to sit on a pillow while I walk to the rope wall. I pick a length of black, grey, white, and teal, then walk back to him. I sit across from him, filled with so much love for him I almost feel lightheaded.

“A while ago you told me that your life was in black and white before you met me and you didn’t know there could be so much color.”

“I did.”

“Then you told me you loved teals and blues like the ocean.”

“Yes.” He nods, his eyes softening.

“It was like that for me too. Black and white. Before and after. This or that. You showed me there’s lots of shades in between. You’ve shown me I can fly as high as I want. I’m not held down by fear or insecurity or worries about what other people might think. I’m untethered, boundless, and, ironically, I learned all this through you and your art. It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? How you can find freedom through restraint.”

“It is.”

“I’m not as poetic as you. I don’t use words as eloquently to express my feelings. I use pictures, metaphors, ink.” I put the ropes in his hands then pull my sweater over my head, revealing my arm to him. “This is how you make me feel. Free, but grounded in the security of your love for me. I know I can fly high and I’ll never fall because you’ll always be there to catch me. I can reach the stars now.”

“Grey,” he whispers, his eyes turning glassy as he studies my arm. “I am moved. This is beautiful art, but knowing I have given you something you deserve brings me immense joy. You always had it in you. You just needed to be shown.”

“I love you, Mitsu. You’ve changed my life.”

He takes my hands, pressing a kiss to them. “You’ve transformed me as a man. I am so much more than I knew I could be. I only needed to be shown.”

“I have an idea.”

“Tell me.”

“You, me, and the Ass Fucker 2000.”

Mitsu laughs. “Lead the way, love.”