Chapter Text
“What on earth are you doing?”
Andrew barely glanced away from the way his head tilted in the mirror. He was trying to catch the perfect angle, safety pin angled against the top of his ear. Renee walked closer to him, stopping just a couple steps away.
“Helix.” He answered, tilting his head a little to catch a glimpse of the dot he made on to guide him. His friend, (several sessions with Bee about it had him begrudgingly admitting that he considered Renee a friend indeed) sighed.
“Give me the pin Andrew.” She said firmly.
“I’m fine.”
“Last I checked you’re Andrew, not Neil,” she snipped, making the corner of his mouth twitch. “I mean it Andrew you’re going to make it wonky, give me the pin.”
He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve done this plenty of times.” He gestured to the myriad of piercings in his face, his lobes, nose, lip.
“Not enough times to get yourself proper needles, what the fuck is this.” She hissed, tossing the safety pin onto the desk. He snorted, so much for a good Christian girl.
“You kiss your God with that mouth?” he mused to which she reacted with a scoff. This is why he liked her; she was much more tolerable when her edges pierced through the soft wool of her cardigans.
“I have some proper needles, wait here. If you touch that safety pin, I will kick your ass Minyard.”
“Oh, I am quaking.” he muttered but he didn’t grab the pin in the short time she was gone.
When his friend returned with a pack of sterile needles, he could only raise an eyebrow. “And why does Saint Walker own sterile needles?” he questioned. She didn’t answer, just nudged her septum ring with the top of her knuckle. Another thing they had in common apparently.
Somewhere at the back of his mind, Andrew wondered what kind of person he would have been if he had known Renee Walker earlier. Would he keep his head above water? Most likely he’d be worse off because if he had met her, she would have been Natalie Shields; just as feral and much more dangerous than Andrew could ever aspire to be.
“I’m going to touch you now.” she announced after she pulled on a pair of gloves. He braced for it, not daring to close his eyes. He watched her fingers intently in the mirror as she carefully inspected the guiding mark he had made. “Don’t want it higher?” She asked.
“Industrial next.”
“Begging you to go to a proper person for it.”
“You’re proper enough.” He stated. She smiled at that and held out her hand expectantly. He watched her for a while before eventually placing his lighter in her hand. It had recently been updated; a birthday not ‐ gift from Neil. Matte black with a dragon head embossed, maw open, ready to breathe flame from the lighter. Andrew was not above admitting it was cool as fuck; since the anniversary of him being born he had spent many moments flipping it over in his hands, enjoying the heavy grounding feeling it gave.
Renee flicked the lighter on and held the needle above it, holding it up at eye level. Andrew’s stomach lurched weirdly, like he was worried she would take the lighter for herself even though it was a ridiculous thought to have. Still, his skin buzzed until she handed it back to him and it was back in his pocket.
“Alright, ready?”
“Just do it already Walker.” he grunted, stilling himself. His muscles tensed but he refused to look away from his own gaze in the mirror.
The needle went in like a hot knife into butter, easy and quick and slightly painful.
“Fuck.” He cursed sharply and Renee giggled.
“I’m putting the piercing in.” The stud went in, securing it.
“I want a ring.” He argued, dangerously close to a whine.
“Stud is better for healing; you can switch it out.” He hated when she used the ‘don’t argue with me Minyard’ voice.
He leaned into the mirror to admire the piercing. It was fine, just as well done as all the time he did his own piercings. He wasn’t some amateur, picking up the technique from a guy in juvie who did his lobes the first time around. He certainly put Andrew off of letting strangers stick needles in his skin, until Renee.
“I’m going to assume you know what to do.” The other woman hummed, voice light and serene. No one would believe Andrew if he told them this woman cursed him out regularly and laid him out on the sparring mat every week. He liked it that way, he liked knowing things about people that other people might not. Andrew Minyard prided himself on keeping his eyes wide open, it’s what kept him alive.
“No sparring this week.” She announced.
“I’m fine.” he argued, “it's a tiny piercing”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Neil, truly” she teased.
“I will stab you.”
She simply laughed at him, deepening his frown.
“Maybe after we get milkshakes.” she decided and he couldn’t argue with that one, so he simply followed her out of the door knowing he will end up paying for Renee's boring raspberry swirl.