otherways OOM - Rome, Italy - 1999 (April)

[i_vanquish_evil]

"You're up. Thought you were going to be asleep all day." Angie shifts around him in the small kitchen and works at the coffee maker.

He glares and closes the refrigerator. "I've been up for a while. Showered and everything... mom." He smirks and moves around, gathering a plate and a coffee cup.

"Ooh. I'm impressed." She fills his cup and her own.

"Can you find a way to be out of the way? I have someplace to be in an hour." He dances around her again - the kitchen is quite small.

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Someplace to be?" she asks.

"Yes," he sighs. "I have an appointment." He shifts again and goes out onto the roof.

Angie follows a moment later. "Appointment? Where?"

He frowns from behind his cup. "Somewhere. I'm not obligated to inform you of every move I make. The whole idea behind 'freedom' from the Order, is that I am 'free' to move about as I please. Which means, I don't have to tell you shit."

"I was just asking."

"You were just nosing around trying to figure out if you could come along. The answer to that is 'no'. And don't try to follow me."

He knows she has been. He's been to the little grocer down the street three times this week and each time, he's seen her trying to hide behind the apples. She's not very good.

She throws up her hands. "Fine. Fine. I'm getting my hair done today anyway. Have fun at your appointment." She finishes her coffee and skips off.

Michael grumbles and turns back to his breakfast.

******

He's still not been able to get back to Milliways - not for lack of trying, just for lack of time. However, this appointment has less to do with Milliways and more to do with something Nick told him before he left. He's not doing anything crazy... well, some might see it as crazy.

He walks through the door and is greeted by a man who appears to have been inked from wrist to shoulder in dragons of a variety of colors. Impressive work and the guy comes highly recommended. He nods to the man - owner of the shop.

"Got the design all ready for you. Take a look." The man turns a computer screen around so Michael can see the image. He nods again and fills out the necessary paperwork, signs the appropriate forms and follows the man back into the studio.

The man had told him that he was crazy to want to sit through the entire tattoo in one session, but he had been clear that he only had the one day free and wouldn't be able to come back and that he wanted a complete piece, not a partial that he'd have to 'get by' with until he had time again. He even offered to pay twice the usual fee to have it done in one session. There hadn't been any further arguments after that.

Everyone in the studio seemed surprised that Michael didn't appear to be in any great amount of pain once the work was done. He ignored their questions, paid the agreed upon fee and left.

The tattoo was for him. Not for anyone else. The fact that everyone in the tattoo parlor had seen it was chance. Few others ever would. Especially if he never made it back to Milliways. He is certain he could never let the Cardinal know about it, much less, what it was. He's sure they'd hang him or worse. Though he knows it'll be harder to keep it concealed from Angie, he might be able to buy her off with a good fuck every now and then. He has his pride, but he also really likes getting laid.

He is, however, glad he has the rest of the day off, because he's going to go home, take the hottest shower possible and sleep on his stomach until the majority of the pain goes away. Looking tough in front of a group of tattoo artists is one thing, looking tough for nobody - not worth the effort. And he could use the sleep.