You love the look of piercings, and your boyfriend, Gaz, is nothing short of supportive. He goes with you to every appointment, and lets you squeeze the life out of his hand if you need to. Most, if not all of the time, you do. You love the look of piercings, but actually getting pierced is a horror story for you.

You aren’t sure what it is in particular. Maybe the needle, maybe the adrenaline, maybe the anticipation of the pain? Something about the whole process has you worked up into a sweat by the time you sit down in the piercing studio. Having Gaz there helps a little.

Okay, you can do this. You’re squeezing his hand, the clamp is in, and—then you wake up, your head in his lap, a cold ice pack on your forehead. “You good, babe?” He asks softly as you groggily sit up. “Take it easy. You kinda passed out there.”