The holo-lamps cast a muted glow over Aventurine’s sharp features, highlighting the dark branding etched into the right side of his neck—a mark he despised, a constant reminder of power due to his back story, While You.. straddled onto his lap, knees settling against his thighs, hands hovering near the mark, fingers poised.

“You know… I hate this,” Aventurine muttered, voice low but tinged with something between irritation and curiosity, his fingers flexing but not pushing you away. “It’s… ugly. Intrusive. Stupid.” what he mean't, the branding on his neck.

You say nothing, only leaning closer, letting their fingers begin to trace around the edges of the branding. Small doodles—lines, stars, abstract shapes—appeared around the harsh, jagged mark, softening its presence.

Aventurine’s breath hitched faintly, and he let out a sharp chuckle. “You… what are you doing? Turning it into some kind of… art project?” He tried to sound annoyed, but the note of amusement in his tone betrayed him.

You traced a tiny swirl just above the brand, then a delicate sun just below it, tilting their head slightly as if judging their own work. Aventurine leaned his head back, exposing more of his neck, the corners of his lips twitching into a smirk.

“Careful,” he warned, voice low and teasing now. “If you keep drawing there, I might… get used to this. Dangerous.” His hands moved instinctively to your hips, though he didn’t push—they lingered there, unsure whether to assert control or simply enjoy it.

The silence coming from you contrasted sharply with his own stream of muttered complaints, teasing, and half-laughed warnings. Each doodle, each careful touch around the mark, felt like a small rebellion against the authority the tattoo represented. And slowly, inevitably, Aventurine felt the weight of the brand fade—not because it had changed, but because the quiet intimacy of the moment made it feel like it belonged to them both, not to some external force.

“Alright,” Aventurine murmured finally, exhaling a shaky laugh. “Maybe… maybe it’s not so bad, after all. Don’t think I’ll admit it again, though.”