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Bilbo looked up at the building, then down at the address, then back up at the building again. The marker on his map indicated the parlor was located here but he was wholly unsure where the entrance was. This wasn’t the first time they’d met up outside of campus for a date but Bilbo was still learning the city and lots of the good local places Bofur suggested were often in areas Bilbo wouldn’t think of visiting. This area was no different, despite the diverse mercantile that ran up down the blocks.
There was a record store in the building in front of him, and a coffee shop in the adjacent building with a narrow alleyway splitting the two. A couple dumpsters sat under a single fire escape about halfway down the alley and Bilbo hoped that wasn’t where he has to go. As if to ease his worry his phone buzzed.
‘Hey! Forgot to tell you the entrance is through the record shop. Just ask the clerk.’
Bilbo let out a sigh of relief, pocketing his phone as he entered the record shop. The kindly old man behind the counter was happy to point him to a set of stairs near the back of the shop, ‘First door on your right after the elevator’. The stairwell was lit by a blinking neon sign that read ‘kiss’ and an single ceiling bulbs that had a pull string switch. It must have been one of the older buildings because the creak in the stairs as he ascended sounded like something out of a horror movie.
The steps led him to a long hallway with a single window that opened up to the fire escape, the two sets of doors on each side hinting that this building may have been a live-in shop and with the elevator most likely used by older folk. Was a miracle the old place still managed to be in code.
Bilbo walked carefully past the old lift and found the first door on the right. A colorfully designed sign hung from a door knocker-made-hook reading “Nori’s Piercing Parlor”. This must be the place as none of the other doors had signs. Out of habit he gently knocked on the wood, a chipper voice calling to him to enter.
Whatever he expected to find inside was completely different than his imagination managed to conjure up. The place was immaculate. The walls were painted a dark navy blue, black cabinets lined the wall over the counter to his right. On his left there was a couch and coffee table with a wall of photographs of past clients and their piercings of choice. Several tall display cases stood adjacent to the coffee table with various types of ornaments, ranging from simple earrings to gauges and studs, all varying in colors and material.
“You must be Bilbo Baggins,” the man who called him in greeted. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with bright print, probably some rock band logo, and dark wash loose fitted jeans. He had lovely reddish-brown hair that was pulled back into messy bun and secured by a tie. His beard and mustache gave him a mountain man sort of look, perhaps just a bit more refined.
“Name’s Nori,” he said extending his hand, “Good to finally meet you. Bofur’s always talkin’ about you.”
Bilbo politely shook Nori’s hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too. Just ‘Bilbo’ is fine. Is.. Bofur here?”
“Yeah, he’s in the back,” Nori replied, “Had to use the loo. Sit wherever you fancy. Would you like some water?”
“Oh, I’m quite alright, thank you,” Bilbo declined, taking a seat on an empty stool as Nori went about arranging his tools. There was a small picture hanging off the corner of the tool stand of three young boys, one was obviously Nori, but the other two were unfamiliar, one clearly the eldest and the other the youngest.
“Do you have siblings, if I might ask?” Bilbo prompted, “I just noticed the photo there..”
“Oh yeah,” Nori replied, glancing down at the photo as he wiped his hands with a cloth. “That’s my elder brother, Dori, and my little brother, Ori. He goes to the university too.”
“Oh, really? Maybe I’ll run into him.”
Nori smiled, “He and my brother were more the bookish type. Could never get the hang of it, too much time sitting still and reading.”
“There’s no harm in that,” Bilbo reassured, “It’s not for everyone.”
“Bofur tells me you’re pretty new to the city,” Nori continued, “You like it so far?”
“Yes, I am,” Bilbo smiled, patting his hands lightly on his knees, “It’s taken me some time to get used to the noise and lights, but so far it hasn’t turned me off yet.”
“That’s good to hear. It can be a difficult adjustment. There’s a lot of life in this city though. I’m sure Bofur has already shown you the ropes.”
Bilbo chuckled, “Yes. He’s very fond of this city. I’ve got a lot to learn still but.. it’s coming along. He’s been very helpful.”
Nori hummed in agreement, “He’s always been a helper.”
Bilbo smiled to himself. Anyone could see that just from the way Bofur carried himself with candor, whether it was helping the old woman two doors down with her groceries or feeding the stray cat on the corner. It reminded him of what his mother used to tell him; ‘every time we can give a little kindness, the brighter the world becomes’.
“Hey babe,” Bofur greeted as he emerged from the back of the parlor, pulling Bilbo into a one-armed hug, placing a light kiss on his forehead, “See you’ve made friends with Nori already.”
“Yeah, we were just talkin’ about you,” Nori said.
“Nothing bad I hope,” Bofur jested, looking ‘worriedly’ between the two.
“Of course not,” Nori threw back, winking at Bilbo, “Who do you think we are?”
“I don’t know but you’re making me nervous with that look,” Bofur said, taking his seat next to Nori. “You made it just in time, Bilbo. I haven’t chosen a piercing yet, maybe you can help me choose?”
“O-oh, of course..” Bilbo replied, taking his place back on the stool as Bofur went and sat in the chair next to Nori. “I’m not really sure what to suggest... I’ve never participated in anything like this.”
Nori handed him a diagram of an ear labeled with piercings in various parts of the ear. There was at least thirteen different options and Bofur already had a curved plug in the lobe of his left ear.
“Do you want it to be on the same side as your other piercing?” Bilbo asked, glancing up from the diagram.
Bofur shrugged, “I don’t mind either way, might be good to balance it out, or not.”
“Well, this is going on your body,” Bilbo stated, “You need to, at least, like it.”
Bofur just laughed.
Bilbo turned his attention back to the diagram. If he was choosing for himself he might go with something more pedestrian, but knowing Bofur it would have to be a little bit interesting.
“You could do a double helix,” Nori suggested, “Then you could choose a ring and Bilbo could choose a ring.”
“Which one is that?” Bilbo inquired.
“It’s the one that goes along the helix,” Nori replies, running a finger across the top curve of his ear.
“Oh.. Oh, duh,” Bilbo scoffed at himself, “That’s why it’s called- yeah, okay. I think that would look nice.”
“Sounds good to me,” Bofur hummed as he pulled his hair over his right shoulder, fastened it with a tie and letting Nori get to work. Bilbo watched with nervous curiosity as Nori rubbed disinfectant over Bofur’s helix before turning to his tool table and rubbing disinfectant on what was most likely the piercing needle and a few other tools. He wasn’t even getting the piercing and it still gave him butterflies. Bofur must have sensed his nerves because he extended a sympathetic hand in Bilbo’s direction.
“For support,” Bofur said, giving Bilbo a wink. Bilbo rolled his eyes playfully.
“Alright, hold still,” Nori instructed.
Bilbo swallowed, tentatively leaning a bit to the right so he could see what Nori was doing. There was a beat of silence, like everyone was holding their breath, and then suddenly Bofur took a sharp inhale and squeezed Bilbo’s hand really hard. Bilbo froze up, eyes darting over to Bofur and then back to Nori, who looked unperturbed.
“A-are you okay?! He whispered, lamenting how strained his voice sounded.
Bofur didn’t respond immediately, his face scrunched up in a grimace before he let out a long exhalation that slowly turned into a snicker. Bilbo gave him a confused look. It took Nori letting out a small snort for him to realize.
“Why you-!” Bilbo gaped, Bofur breaking out in a fit of giggles, “You did that on purpose!”
Bilbo huffed, giving Bofur a light punch on the shoulder even though his cheeks burning and he couldn’t stop smiling. He glanced over at Nori. At least the piercer was trying to hold up some semblance of restraint.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Bofur chuckled, wiping his eyes, “You should have seen your face.”
Bilbo let out an exasperated sigh, but took Bofur’s hand back in his own. The second piercing took a moment and soon Bilbo was looking through the helix earrings on display, trying to decide which one he wanted to choose. Bofur has picked a very nice silver ring with a forest-green bead so he wanted it to compliment. He ended up picking a silver ring of similar fashion but with a beautiful sunflower yellow bead that had some flecks of white.
“I love it,” Bofur said, taking a closer look at the rings as they waited for Nori to run the transaction. Bilbo had insisted on at least paying for the one he chose but Bofur had waved it off, said he’d planned to get the piercing before they’d started dating and that it would be inappropriate to expect that.
“Alright, but at least let me pay for lunch,” Bilbo negotiated, “I’ve got a place in mind anyway.”
“Fair enough,” Bofur agreed.
They bid Nori farewell and thank you before heading back down the stairs and out the door of the record shop.
It was just a quarter after the hour, the sun still high in the sky and the city alive with people hurrying back and forth for lunch. Bilbo and Bofur walked down a few blocks from the parlor where they caught the trolley downtown to the Emerald Quarter. Luckily the restaurant Bilbo had in mind wasn’t too busy and they were able to score a table on the porch with a view of the boardwalk and Long Lake.
“You think you’d ever get a piercing?” Bofur asked, taking a sip of his beer, “Or is that out of the question.”
“I’m not sure,” Bilbo hadn’t really considered it, “I think as long as it’s not too extreme, not something that would make my relatives talk.”
“Oh, yeah you told me about them. So probably just a single lobe piercing or the like”
“Yeah. I think even then they’d still find some way to gossip about it,” Bilbo sighed.
“That’s got to be kinda tough,” Bofur said, “Can’t really have a personal life— Oh, the flatbread’s here.”
They paused a moment in the conversation, the waiter rearranging a few things on the table before setting the savory dish between them. A little bit of pepper and grated cheese was sprinkled on top before the waiter inquired if they needed anything else and departed.
“No.. Not really. I mean, my parents aren’t really the gossipy types,” Bilbo resumed, cutting a slice of the flatbread out and placing on Bofur’s plate, “It’s more my extended family, but it can get stifling having people constantly prying.”
“Well, at least your a little ways away from them now,” Bofur offered, raising his glass.
“There is that,” Bilbo smiled, raising his glass and clinking it lightly against Bofur’s. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”