Illyana twirled the small pot of ink around on the counter, sighing in annoyance as the familiar buzz of the tattoo gun filled the parlor. She rolled her desk chair around, pushing her feet against the counter to take off. “Yana, you know that that chair is as unstable as your love life” Clint raised an eyebrow at her, a teasing smirk on his face as he switched out the ink. She rolled her eyes, flipping him off as she rested her feet on the counter, earning a swat to the back of the head. “What the hell barton” she yelped, nearly falling off her chair as she glared at her colleague.
The man in question shrugged, grinning mischievously as he went back to his client. “Don’t get your dirty shoes on our counter, Katie kate will kill ya’” Illyana huffed at that, sticking her tongue out at him. “Psh, real mature Rasputina” the man joked, muttering an apology to the person he was tattooing for the distraction. Illyana raised an eyebrow at him, looking behind her at the ‘Dogcops’ poster that Clint had hung up. “Uh huh. Because you are so mature” she mumbled dryly, grinning as her colleague squawked in offence.
”Just because I have an eye for the arts of television does not mean I am not mature, Miss ‘I only watch serial killer documentaries’” he pouted, making Illyana roll her eyes again, for the hundredth time this morning. “I miss Kate, at least she’s less irritating than you” Clint grumbled something about ‘kids these days’ as Illyana snorted. She looked up as the bell rang, signalling that someone had entered the store, hoping for a new customer. She deflated as she realised it was just Barnes, Clint’s boyfriend and the colleague of Illyana’s not crush Mantis. “Hey James, finally here to pick up annoyance number 1?” She greeted, pointing at Clint as the man finished up the base of his client’s tattoo. Barnes chuckled slightly, nodding as he rested against the counter, watching his boyfriend light up.
Illyana made an exaggerated gagging noise as the two men kissed, waving the customer over to the cash register. “Sorry about my colleague, he doesn’t have enough money to own a room” she huffed, earning a chuckle from the customer as they payed. Clint shoved her playfully, shooting her a glare. “She’s lying, I literally own an apartment complex” he grumbled, opening a cabinet to get his bag. “Then why do you always look so much like a homeless disaster?” She retorted, waving the customer goodbye as she handed them their receipt.
“You’re so mean to me, your favourite and bestest friend” he sighed dramatically, falling in Barnes’ arms as he did so. Illyana shook her head, flicking the man’s forehead. “Nah, Jeff is my best friend. He’s a way better listener” she grinned, pointing at their shop’s unofficial mascot & very official infestation, who was curled up in its dog bed. The Landshark looked up at it’s name being called, hopping out of the (horrendously purple, what the fuck is that colour Clint) dog bed, making it’s way over to them with the pitterpatter of it’s steps. Picking the shark up, she held it close to her chest as she smirked at Clint, who gasped in betrayal. “How dare you, I thought we had a bond!”
Illyana shrugged, scratching Jeff’s belly. “My bond with our mascot is stronger” she replied dryly, earning a short from Barnes’ who quickly muffled it with a cough as Clint glared at him. “Ugh, let’s just go, clearly my amazing personality and wonderful talent isn't appreciated here” the man mumbled, pulling his boyfriend a long. “What do you mean, you’re very loved here” she called out sarcastically, smirking as Clint flipped her off while his boyfriend waved.
Sighing, she fell back down in her chair, putting Jeff on the ground and letting him waddle around. “Fat.” She mumbled fondly at the creature, grabbing the bag of fish treats they keep under the counter and throwing one at the shark. Grabbing her phone in boredom, she watched as Jeff began attacking the snack like its life depended on it. She took a picture of it, sending it to Clint with the caption ‘hanging out with my bff’, smirking while she waited for him to reply. She was about to send a follow up text, when the doorbell dinged again, startling her ever so slightly. Shooting up from her chair, she made her way to the counter, leaning against it nonchalantly to try and ignore the jumpscare she got.
Walking into the store was Mantis, the owner of the flower/plant/whatever-i-wasnt-paying-attention-shop, dressed in frilly clothes with earthy tones as always. Sucking in a breath, Illyana forced herself to be normal, greeting the woman politely. “Hello, how can I help you?” She tried to put on a wide customer-friendly smile, but saw herself in the reflection of the glass and decided that no, it does not look friendly, but it does look like she got possessed. Thankfully, the florist was focused on Jeff, who had excitedly waddled up to her. “Awhh, aren’t you just a cutie? Yes you are!~” ze cooed, scratching the shark on the head. Illyana took the time to admire Mantis, who was wearing a brown overal with some pins and buttons, a green skirt adorned with leaves and an orange top with frilly sleeves. Zir forest green antennas twitched as Jeff made some content noises, the creature’s tongue hanging out.
Mantis finally seemed to notice her, shooting her an apologetic look. “Sorry, your pet is just so cute !” Ze smiled, walking up to the counter as Jeff trailed behind zir. Illyana couldn't help but smirk at the way Mantis interacted with Jeff. The florist’s excitement was so genuine, so sweet, that it made her heart do a strange flip. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen someone look at anything with that much warmth, besides maybe when Clint still used to crush on Barnes before they dated. A slight feeling of discomfort stirred in her chest as she watched the interaction with a flutter. She was supposed to be normal, polite, maybe a bit sarcastic—but she wasn’t used to feeling this level of softness.
"No worries," Illyana said, her tone coming off as a bit more flat than she intended. She cleared her throat, shifting her weight. "He’s pretty good at getting attention. We’re all at his mercy, really." Mantis chuckled, zir laugh light and melodic. "I think he does have you all wrapped around his little paw," ze said, crouching down to let Jeff lick zir fingers. Illyana watched, biting the inside of her cheek. The warmth in Mantis's smile made her stomach do another flip. She turned away to the register, fighting the urge to fidget.
"Well, what can I do for you?" Illyana asked, forcing herself to sound nonchalant, even as their chest seemed to explode with feelings as her awkwardness hung between them like a thick fog. Mantis stood, brushing a strand of hair from zir face. "I was wondering if you had any time for a small tattoo," the began, her eyes pitch black but sincere. "I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Something simple, but meaningful." Illyana raised an eyebrow, glancing up at her. "You want me to tattoo you?" Her voice came out a little more surprised than she'd meant, but Mantis didn’t seem put off by it. “Not that I don’t want to- I just usually tattoo more uhm, well less delicate tattoos. My colleague Kate is better at the smaller more intricate ones” she added quickly, cursing internally.
"I know it's probably a little… unusual," Mantis began, pausing as if choosing zir words carefully. "But I trust you. I think it would be nice to get something that connects me more to the plants I work with, you know?" Illyana blinked, suddenly a bit more aware of the way Mantis was looking at her. Not as a customer or just a person who worked at a tattoo parlor, but as someone ze trusted to ink something on zir body permanently. The thought made Illyana feel… oddly exposed. She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to swallow down the fluttering feeling that was starting to creep up her spine. It’s just a client, nothing special. You tattoo people all the time, it’s not special.
"Okay, I mean, sure. I can do that," Illyana said, her voice a bit steadier now. "You have something specific in mind?" Mantis smiled wider, zir green antennas twitching excitedly. "I was thinking a simple vine, something that wraps around my wrist. Not too big, but delicate. Maybe with a few tiny flowers. I don't know if you'd be interested in something like that, but…" ze trailed off, still smiling. "I could do that," Illyana said, already thinking about how to sketch it out. She grabbed a piece of paper, setting it in front of her and scribbling out a rough idea. "Like this?" she asked, showing Mantis the outline she’d started. Mantis leaned in, zir eyes lighting up as ze examined the design. "Exactly! I’d want to make a few changes, but it’s definitely something like that!" she exclaimed.
The energy between them shifted a little. Illyana didn’t know why, but there was something in the way Mantis looked at her now, something soft, that made her heart rate pick up just a little bit. It was almost like she could feel the florist’s eyes on her, like Mantis saw more than just the sarcastic, prickly exterior. Illyana quickly cleared her throat. "Right. Well, we could do a consultation, usually I’d have to plan it in advance but we’re not really busy right now, so, if you have the time…?” She trailed off, eyeing Mantis.
Mantis smiled again, the warmth in zir gaze making Illyana feel even more self-conscious than usual. "I have time," ze said softly, stepping a little closer to the counter. "I’d love to get it done today, if you’re up for it." Illyana made an ‘uhh’ noise, caught off guard by the question/proposal. She didn't have to think about it long, though. She’d done last-minute tattoos before. Her hands were itching to draw the final design and put it on someone. But there was something about Mantis asking—looking at her like she wasn’t just another client—that made Illyana hesitate for a moment.
"Alright," Illyana said, shaking herself out of the trance Mantis had unwittingly put her in. She straightened up, her voice gaining a bit of confidence as she gestured toward one of the chairs by the wall. "Have a seat. I’ll get everything set up." Mantis nodded, stepping forward, the soft rustling of zir flowy skirt brushing against the chair the only sound as they moved. Illyana quickly grabbed the supplies and made sure everything was prepared. As she worked, she stole glances at Mantis, who was sitting patiently, hands resting on zir lap. The silence between them was surprisingly comfortable, not at all awkward, despite the fact that Illyana's thoughts kept flickering to the fact that Mantis trusted her with something permanent. Lots of people do everyday Illyana, this is no different, focus.
When everything was ready, Illyana grabbed the stencil and began to apply it to Mantis' wrist. The close proximity made her even more aware of the tiny details she had to focus on, like how the fabric of Mantis’s shirt brushed against her arm or how zir soft scent of flowers filled the air. "Does it feel okay?" Illyana asked, breaking the silence. "Yeah, it’s alright, just a bit ticklish," Mantis answered, voice still cheerful but a bit quieter, like the quiet comfort between them was somehow more important than anything else. Illyana felt her hands steady as she began the draw the outline, focusing on each line as it connected the vine design. It wasn’t that complicated, but there was something about the way Mantis watched her, so focused and calm, that made it feel like it was.
She couldn’t stop thinking about how Mantis was trusting her with this. It was just a tattoo, but the gesture felt heavy with meaning. She was used to the usual tattoos—quick, some client she didn’t know, and over in an hour—but this was different. She knew Mantis, she liked the woman, if she screwed this up, Illyana’s was fucked. As she worked, she couldn’t help but notice how comfortable Mantis seemed in the space. The way zir body was relaxed, even as Illyana moved around. There was something about the way Mantis moved, the small things zir hands did when zir mind wandered—like gently tapping the side of the chair or fidgeting with the small buttons on zir top.
“Alright, outlines down, im going to begin to tattoo it on now, it might hurt a bit” she mumbled, warning the florist before grabbing the inks. Ze nodded, giving Illyana a thumbs up. “I got this” Illyana smiled at zir confidence, putting the ink in the tattoo gun and turning it on. Mantis’ hand twitched against the chair, fingers curling slightly as if trying to ground zirself. Illyana couldn’t help but glance up again, and this time, she caught Mantis looking at her with a soft, almost shy expression. Mantis caught her gaze and smiled gently, as though zir thoughts were miles away, lost in the quietness of the moment.
As she finished up the tattoo, Illyana felt infinitely more relaxed than this morning, even going so far as to have a smile on her face as she put down the tattoo gun and softly wiped off the acces ink with a tissue. “All done” she mumbled, a grin trying to play on her lips as she admired her work. Mantis smiled widely, eyes lighting up. “I love it!” The florist exclaimed excitedly, holding zir wrist up to zir face. “I’m glad, it uh, it looks good on you” Illyana complimented, her chest fluttering slightly as a soft blush appeared on the woman’s face.
It had been 2 days since she’d tattooed Mantis, and Illyana was unable to keep the woman off her mind. Not that it was hard to keep focusing on the florist, seeing as the other option was listening to Clint talk about his sex life with Barnes. Yeah, she’d keep pining. “And then we- mprf-“ illyana clamped a hand over her colleague’s mouth, pulling it away in disgust as she felt the man’s tongue make contact with her palm. “Ew, did you just lick me !?” She yelped, shoving her friend and wiping her hand on the man’s shirt. He just laughed, grinning as Illyana’s face scrunched up in disgust. “I hate you you asshole-“ she grumbled, about to curse her friend’s entire bloodline when the doorbell made a noise, signaling someone entered the store.
In walked mantis, holding a soft navy blue plant pot, a vine of orchids wrapping around a thin stick planted in the middle. Clint wiggled his eyebrows at her, before tactfully and definitely not obviously winking at her and disappearing to the backroom. She shot him a glare, before turning her attention back to Mantis. “Uh, hi, can I help you?” She greeted, feeling herself get red as the florist smiled warmly at her. “I just wanted to give you a thank you gift, for the tattoo” ze mumbled, a blush appearing on zir face as ze held the plant out to her. Illyana stared for a moment, before realising she should probably take the plant. “Oh- thanks, I- thanks” she stammered, her face flushing in embarrassment at her unprofessionalism (just because of embarrassment, nothing else.) “I was also wondering I’d you’d like to get coffee some time? My brother works at a cafe, if you’d like” Mantis asked shyly, looking down at zir hands as Illyana’s brain short-circuited.
”What-? You want- you want to get coffee with me-? Like a, like a date?” Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit- “yes, if you want to..?” Mantis mumbled, smiling nervously at her. Illyana realised she’d been gaping, shaking her head out of it as she nodded. “Yes, yes I’d like that- I’d like that a lot-“ she replied quickly, now very aware of the fact that she looked like a blushing idiot. It was worth it, though, as Mantis’ face lit up, a wide smile on zir face as zir eyes shone. “Great ! Can I see you after work? Bucky told me you stop working at 3pm, according to Clint.” Illyana nodded, grinning. “Sounds good, I’ll uh, see you then?” “Alright, see you then !” Mantis replied, before pressing a kiss to her cheek and leaving.
”Damn, can’t believe you actually managed to pull someone” Clint huffed, smirking as he walked back into the shop. “Hellooo, earth to Rasputin” the man mumbled, waving his hand in front of Illyana’s bright red face. She swatted his hand away, flipping him off. “Fuck off clint.” She grumbled, painfully aware of just how much she looked like an idiotic bumbling teenage girl. Her friend just kept grinning smugly, putting his hands in his pockets in striding over to the counter to look at the plant. Illyana punched his arm as the man tried to touch the delicate flowers, earning an offended squawk. “Hey! I just wanted to look..” Clint pouted, rolling his eyes as he fell back in one of the chairs. She raised an eyebrow at the man, protectively grabbing the potted plant. “You’re a bad omen for plants, remember those cacti your loverboy got you? You managed to kill them within three days” she muttered, ignoring the way Clint started to defend himself by saying he’s keeping Lucky alive.
Illyana managed to somehow survive the rest of her shift without exploding with either nervousness or excitement. (She had to swear Kate to secrecy when the girl caught her smiling giddily, her reputation can not be ruined.) Her foot tapped on the ground in a steady rhythm as she waited for Mantis (her date) to arrive, barely keeping herself from letting her face break into a wide grin as she spotted the florist. Illyana took a moment to appreciate how ze looked in the sunlight, a pleasant change from the fluorescent lights of the tattoo parlor and the dimmed ones of the flower shop where she sometimes looked through the window in hope of catching a glimpse of Mantis. “Hi” she greeted, not able to contain a smile anymore as the woman waved at her. “Hi! You ready?”
Illyana nodded, sucking in a breath as Mantis grinned and grabbed her hand, zir soft but surprisingly calloused fingers lacing together with her own. “I have to warn you, my brother can be a bit, well, very silly and make an attempt to try and intimidate you. It’ll just look like an angry puppy though, so don’t worry” ze began talking, and Illyana was more than happy to listen to the stories, mainly focused on the way the other’s arm pressed against hers. When they arrived at their destination, Illyana raised an eyebrow at the sign hanging above the cafe. “Galaxy Cafe Milano?” She mumbled questioningly, taking in the brightly coloured front of the building. It looked more like an antique store than a place to get coffee, but what did she know. Mantis let out a warm laugh, leading her inside. “I know it’s a silly name, Peter wanted to name it ‘The guardians of the galaxy’, but Rocket vetoed it” Illyana just hummed, nodding as if she knew who those people were.
When they entered the cafe, they were met with the overwhelming smell of pure sugar mixed with motor oil. Trying to muffle a cough, as she let Mantis lead her to a comfortable looking booth in a corner, next to a window. Sitting opposite of the woman, she let zir call over a grumpy looking man. Illyana assumed the man was zir brother, judging by the very accurate description of ‘angry puppy’. “Peter! Hi, this is Illyana, she’s my date !” Mantis greeted excitedly, confirming her suspicions of the man (peter), being the aforementioned brother. “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She mumbled awkwardly, shifting as Peter tried his best attempt at a glare. “What do you want, to drink.” The man huffed, crossing his arms, which might’ve been intimidating if he wasn’t wearing a bright red retro jacket paired with a star-decorated apron. “Uh, I’ll have a cappuccino?” She replied hesitantly, looking at Mantis who was smiling reassuringly. Peter nodded, writing it down before leaving again. Illyana frowned, looking at her date before looking back at the man. “Doesnt he need to take your order?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. Mantis laughed, shaking her head. “He already knows mine, don’t worry.”
She nodded, looking around the cafe. Behind the counter was a woman with blue skin, likely another mutant, wearing the same starry apron as Peter. “Thats nebula, she’s Gamora’s sister, Gamora is my brothers girlfriend” mantis explained, waving at the blue woman, (nebula). Illyana hummed, looking back at zir. “Can I ask if your brother is a mutant too?” She blurted out, before realising that maybe that was an insensitive question. Did she even tell Mantis that she was a mutant? Thankfully, the florist didn’t seem to take it offensively, instead just shaking her head. “No, he got our mom’s genes. How about you?” Ze smiled, making Illyana’s stomach insects go crazy. “Uh, yeah, I can make small portals. I don’t use it often though” she replied, fidgeting with a loose piece of tablecloth. “That sounds awesome! I just look green and amplify emotions” ze chuckled, making her tilt her head. “Amplify emotions? I thought you were like,, a plant whisperer.” Mantis giggled, giggled, and it looked so damn adorable that Illyana couldn’t even be mad or embarrassed.
”No, I’m not a plant whisperer” ze chuckled, making Illyana blush even more. (If anybody saw her like this, her reputation of being ‘scary’ was ruined.) She let the woman explain zir powers to her while waiting for their drink, getting distracted by looking at Mantis’ face at some point. She was startled out of it though, by Peter aggressively placing down her mug. Looking at it, it seemed like the man had -better said, attempted to- drawn an angry smiley face sticking up its middle finger in her coffee. Illyana had to hold back a laugh as she nodded, looking up at Peter. “Thanks. Love the art, you should apply for a job at the tattoo parlor.” The man’s eyes narrowed, huffing. “Whatever. Here you go bug” he mumbled, handing Mantis a steaming cup of green tea. “Thank you! She didn’t mean it by the way, your art sucks !” Ze replied cheerfully, making Illyana muffle a snort by putting a hand over her mouth. Peter squawked in offence, reminding her of Clint.
”Listen, you might be all goth and scary but if you-“ he began, crossing his arms “You think I’m scary?” Illyana interrupted dryly, raising an eyebrow. “No-! Just, don’t hurt my sister because I will-“ the man was cut off once again by someone yelling from the kitchen, earning a frustrated huff from Peter. “Quill, get your ass back to the kitchen or I’ll make Gamora kick ya’ ass” the man rolled his eyes, shouting back as he leaned against their booth. “Give me a second! I’m giving the ‘don’t hurt my sister’ talk!” A loud laugh paired with an annoyed groan could be heard from the kitchen as a woman walked out, skin more vibrantly green than Mantis’. “You’re not intimidating Pete, just get back here” the woman huffed, pulling on Peter’s arm and dragging him back to the kitchen as he pouted, throwing up a middle finger to Illyana.
”He seems nice” she mumbled, smiling as Mantis grinned. “He is, he’s just a bit overprotective” she chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. “I can see that. Was that his girlfriend?” She asks, humming as ze nodded. “Yes, shes the only one he listens to without protesting” ze continued, telling Illyana about all of zir friends. A while later, most of them also introduced themselves to her, which is how she found out that the man that had originally called Peter to the kitchen was a talking raccoon, (not a mutant apparently), who’s best friend was a silent tree guy (who was a mutant). She realised she didn’t have much people to tell Mantis about, but started talking about Clint’s idiotic shenanigans, Kate’s ability to keep Illyana and her friend from setting the parlor on fire, and they found out more about Barnes. (Well, learned more information about the man that wasn’t just passing comments from Clint being an incredible simp).
They sat at the cafe until it was closing time, and ended up going back to Illyana’s place. She fumbled with opening the door, reminding herself to talk to Clint about getting the locks renewed. “Sorry if it’s a mess, didn’t expect any company soon” she mumbled, finally managing to open the door with a kick. Mantis just shrugged, smiling as Illyana let zir inside. “It’s alright! My apartment is covered in plants and vinyls, so I can’t judge” ze chuckled, waiting for her to close the door. When they entered the living room, Illyana realised that she had no idea what she was doing, at all. “Uhm, make yourself at home. You want something to drink?” She offered, fidgeting nervously as she leaned against the wall opposite of where Mantis was sitting. The florist shook her head, tugging on her sleeve to pull her down. She sat down on the couch a bit confused, not even getting a word out before Mantis kissed her softly. Ze pulled away far too soon for Illyana’s liking, letting herself fall forward slightly. “Sorry, I uh- I didn’t mean to but I could feel your emotions very strongly and-“ this time it was her time to cut zir off, resting a gentle hand on the back of the other’s head and pulling zir back in for a kiss.
She felt Mantis smile against her lips, Illyana’s chest feeling like it was about to explode as ze rested zir hands on the back of her neck. She pulled zir closer, the woman now half on her lap as zir soft fingers moved into her hair. She rested her hands on Mantis’ hips, kissing zir jaw gently. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” She breathed, feeling a slight pang of regret as ze stilled. “Sorry, I-“ “Yes, yes I’d love to be your girlfriend ‘Yana” Mantis interrupted, cupping her face in zir hands. Illyana grinned widely, pulling zir back in for another kiss as they both smiled.
”You look tired, like a hobo” Clint remarked as soon as Illyana stepped into the parlor, making her glare at the man intensively. “Shut up, I slept late.” She mumbled, a smirk still playing on her lips. Her colleague raised an eyebrow, grinning. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?” He teased, giving her a playful shove. Illyana rolled her eyes, ignoring him and moving to pet Jeff. “No reason.” She replied, clocking in while Clint walked around her. “Mhm, that why you’re wearing a new shirt? Didn’t know green was your colour” the man remarked, grinning obnoxiously as Illyana’s face reddened. “What- I’m not-“ she looked down at her shirt, frowning as she looked back up. “I’m wearing my AC/DC shirt, what do you mean?” She mumbled, flicking Clint’s forehead. “You checked though, so I assume your date went well?” He smiled triumphantly, earning another swat to the back of his head from her. She sighed, walking to the counter, smiling as she saw Mantis open the doors to the flower shop, looking up and waving at Illyana. “Yeah, I guess it did.”