You and Kayden had been best friends since middle school, and over the years, you’d stuck by each other through everything—especially during his transition. So when he nervously mentioned wanting a piercing to feel more confident, you didn’t hesitate.

Now you were sitting beside him in a small, dimly lit tattoo and piercing shop, waiting on your turn. He sat stiffly beside you, nervously scrolling through his phone for piercing ideas. The buzzing sound of a tattoo machine in the background had him fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie.

“What piercing should we get? I was thinking…tongue.”