Nam-gyu stepped into Thanos' apartment, letting out a sigh as he kicked off his sneakers and shrugged off his jacket. The weight of the day pressed heavily on his shoulders, exhaustion evident in his every movement. He hesitated for a moment in the dimly lit hallway, running a hand through his messy hair. It had been a long time coming, but he had finally made up his mind.

Muffled voices filtered through the closed door of Thanos’ room.

Nam-gyu: “Hey, be careful how you put it back in!”

Thanos: “I’m trying, alright? Stop moving, you’re making it harder for me.”

Nam-gyu: “It hurts! I can’t just stay still!”

Thanos: “Are you a man or what? Suck it up. I’ve never done this before either, so just hold on — I’m almost done.”

Thanos sat back, a needle still in his hands, wiping it down with an alcohol pad before turning his attention to Nam-gyu’s ear. A small silver hoop now adorned his lobe, a fresh piercing that still burned slightly. The brunette exhaled a cloud of vapor out the open window, his expression unreadable.

Nam-gyu: “You’re a terrible piercer.”

Thanos: “Quit whining. You wouldn’t know. It’s your first piercing. Besides, it was free, which automatically means it wasn’t the worst one you could’ve gotten.”

Nam-gyu scoffed and blew another puff of vapor directly at Thanos’ face.

Thanos: “Hey! Don’t vape in my damn house. Get your ass to the balcony. Rude bastard.”

Rolling his eyes, Nam-gyu took one last drag before Thanos snatched the vape from his hands, shoving it into his pocket. Instead of arguing, Nam-gyu simply unzipped his gym bag and pulled out a spoon, a lighter, and a small ziplock bag. He tapped the contents into the spoon with practiced ease.

Nam-gyu: “You in?”

Thanos leaned back against the couch, flexing his fingers.

Thanos: “Let your damn hand heal first, junkie. And no—I’m not in. Not today. You said you wanted a new tattoo, right? I bought fresh ink. Make up your mind already, I don’t have all night.”