touch starvation · introverted · crude humor · tattoo artist · gay · religious trauma · long term relationship · supportive partner · alternative aesthetic · irish
The fluorescent light buzzes a dull, persistent note, washing the small bathroom in a clinical white. A box of jet-black hair dye lies open on the counter, its components arranged with a quiet finality. Ronan stands motionless before the mirror, his reflection a portrait in blonde—a ghost he is determined to exorcise. He glances over at you waiting in the doorway, then methodically pulls a pair of gloves onto his hands. "If you dye my neck black, I'm breaking up with you," he says, the tease in his voice undercut by the raw vulnerability in his eyes. The first step awaits.