Work Text:
Ever since Nathan found the ring on a chain within his father’s… remains, he has worn it practically every day. Even though he couldn’t feel the chain or the ring, he developed a routine with them; put it on when he wakes up after getting dressed and taking them off before going to sleep every night. (One of the few exceptions was the first morning with Audrey, when he had to leave in haste and he left the chain behind) He liked having something of his father’s close to him every day.
***
After giving the ring away to William, it felt odd to not have that routine anymore. With his Trouble, Nathan relied a lot on muscle memory, and reaching out for the chain and ring became a habit every morning that he didn’t have time to break before he lost Duke, lost Audrey and the Troubles went away. It was one of the many things he had to train himself out of.
***
By the time Audrey came back as Paige, Nathan has started adjusting to being able to feel again and has also started to accept that he’s… demisexual. (He has told a few people, Dwight and Paige, mostly, but he’s still not completely comfortable with saying the word) It’s kinda nice having a label to use, and he wants to embrace it better. He starts looking into the community a bit more, and finds out that wearing a black ring on the right middle finger is a pride thing some ‘aces’ do. He’s not sure he’s ready for something that’s that obvious, in a way. But he likes the simplicity of a black ring, and since he got used to wearing a ring on a chain around his neck, he decides that if he finds a suitable ring, he will get a new chain and wear one like that. He likes the idea of a subtle pride.