Be proud - part V

Rob stood awkwardly in the middle of the workwear store, looking around as if he’d just stumbled in by mistake.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, pretending to be confused.
"Uh… are we seriously shopping here?" he asked, hands half-raised in mock disbelief.

Miguel didn’t answer right away. He leaned casually against one of the racks, arms folded across his glossy black rubber chest. The heavy material squeaked softly as he moved.

A slow grin spread beneath the shiny mask.
"You’re the one who kept going on about how hot this stuff is," he said teasingly. "So don’t play innocent now."

Rob gave a small, nervous laugh.
"I mean… I said it once. Maybe twice."

Miguel raised an eyebrow.
"You said, and I quote: 'If I ever disappear, just check the nearest uniform shop.'"

Rob flushed.
"That was a joke!"

Miguel stepped closer, the rubber of his suit catching the overhead light.
"Sure it was," he said. "So go on. Pick something out. Try it on."

Rob hesitated, glancing around. The shelves were packed with utility trousers, thick work jackets, high-vis vests, and steel-capped boots. The scent of oilskin and new fabric hung in the air.
His fingers itched.

"You’re serious," he said.

Miguel didn’t blink.
"Dead serious. I even cleared the changing room."

Rob swallowed.

Rob stepped out of the fitting room slowly, tugging nervously at the orange cargo pants. The reflective vest sat snug on his shoulders, and the steel-toe boots made him walk with a deliberate heaviness.

He looked like a full-on construction worker.
Or a fantasy of one.

“I… I don’t know,” Rob muttered, fidgeting with the vest’s buttons. “This is maybe a bit much.”

Miguel turned around and took one long look.

Then grinned.

“Oh please,” he said, arms crossed, rubber creaking as he leaned back. “You love it.”

“I mean, it fits surprisingly well—”

“It fits perfectly,” Miguel interrupted, stepping closer. “And you look hot.”

Rob flushed, ducking his head with a smile he couldn't quite hide.
“It’s just for fun.”

“Sure,” Miguel said, his voice rich with teasing. “But if you walk out in that, I’ll have to keep an eye on you. The whole city’s gonna want to see your tools.”

Rob laughed, finally relaxing a little.
“Shut up.”

Miguel winked.
“Try the helmet next.”

Miguel tilted his head, eyes narrowing as he inspected Rob from top to bottom.

Then:
“You know what you need to complete the look?”

Rob raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“A haircut to match.”

Rob blinked. “Uhm... I don’t knooow about that…”

Miguel stepped closer, rubber glistening under the store lights. “Oh, come on. Just a little one. Trust me.”

Rob hesitated, then sighed with a nervous smile. “Okay. But nothing crazy.”

Miguel grinned. “Me? Never.”

Alright. Breathe. Just breathe. It’s just a haircut. Just a fucking haircut. So why does it feel like I’m about to change my entire life?

This is insane. I mean, how many times have I stared at those guys — the ones with the hard cuts, high boxes, sides shaved to the bone, no blend, no softness, nothing but raw confidence? I’ve always looked. On Instagram, in the gym, on the street. Always that same punch in my gut — admiration, envy… and yeah, arousal. I imagined what it would be like. What it would feel like. The wind on my scalp. The weight, gone. The eyes on me. That feeling of power. Of finally being seen. Really seen. But me? I never dared.

And now here I am. Sitting in this chair. Wearing these orange work pants like they belong to me. Miguel’s standing right there, wrapped in rubber like it’s second skin, like it’s no big deal. And maybe it isn’t. Not for him. But for me… I’ve always been the good boy. The nice one. The one who plays it safe. But somewhere deep inside…

There’s always been that other voice. The one that whispers: “Do it. Be bold. Be real.” And right now… that voice is screaming.

Still… what if it’s too much? What if I regret it? What if people stare, laugh, judge me?

Barber (waiting, calm):
“So, what are we doing today?”

Miguel (grinning, teasing):
“Come on, Rob. Now or never. Show the world who you really are.”

Rob (hesitant, then suddenly decisive):
“Box cut. Sides and back — razor shaved. No fade. No blend. Just hard lines. Full transformation.”

Inner monologue – Rob (panicking):
Oh shit.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
What the hell did I just say?

Rob blinked.

The buzzing had stopped. The blade had done its work. The cape still rested on his shoulders, his hands folded nervously in his lap — but the weight on his head was gone. Literally. He could feel the air on his scalp. Every breath of the barbershop’s coolness made his skin tingle. He didn’t dare look in the mirror just yet.

Inner monologue – Rob (fast, confused, exhilarated):

Okay. Holy shit. It’s gone. It’s really gone.
That’s… that’s skin. That’s my skull.
I can feel it. Oh my god.
Am I freaking out? A little.
Do I love it? I think I—
Oh fuck. Yeah. Yeah, I do.
It’s hot. It’s so fucking hot.
What the hell is happening to me?
Why am I—

He shifted slightly in the chair, a flush of red blooming across his face. Downstairs, "little Rob" had woken up early. He tried to cross his legs discreetly, but it was too late — Miguel had already noticed.

Miguel (smirking, whispering):
“Someone likes his new look…”

Rob swallowed hard, finally looking up at his reflection. The man in the mirror stared back — sharp, brutal, clean, unapologetic.

Inner monologue – Rob (slow, steady, electric):
That’s me.
That’s me now.
And I’m never going back.

Rob was still sitting in the chair, cape loose around his shoulders, cheeks flushed and eyes wide — somewhere between panic and pride. The silence in the barbershop felt deafening.

Then Miguel stepped behind him, wordless.

With a slow, deliberate motion, he reached out — and rubbed his palm gently across the freshly shaved back of Rob’s head.

The sensation was electric. Rob shivered.

Miguel (softly, with a grin):
“You did it, Rob. I’m proud of you.”

He ran his hand once more over the buzzed scalp, fingertips lingering on the skin, now smooth and warm from the clippers. Rob closed his eyes for a moment, leaning just slightly into the touch.

Miguel (teasing, affectionate):
“Didn’t think you had it in you. But look at you now... Tough guy.”

Inner monologue – Rob:
Oh god.
Why does that feel so good?
He’s touching it like it means something.
And it does.
It does.
I did this. I let go. And he sees it.
And somehow…
I feel seen.

Miguel gave the top of Rob’s head a playful little pat, then stepped back, nodding approvingly.

"Now, let's celebrate!"

Rob lit the cigarette like he’d done it a hundred times. His fingers were steady, his jawline sharp, his smirk effortless.

The sun hit just right, casting a warm glow on his freshly buzzed head. The orange gear hugged his body like it belonged there. Like he belonged there.

Inner monologue – Rob:
I feel... different.
Like I’ve stepped out of someone else’s story and into my own.
This isn’t just a costume. It’s me.
I look like one of the guys I used to stare at on the street.
One of the guys I used to dream about being.
Hard, proud, visible.

He ran a hand over his scalp, feeling the rasp of fresh stubble against his palm. God, that felt good. No hiding. No styling. Just real.

Rob (to himself, grinning):
"Office job? Yeah... right.
Maybe I should be working construction."

He let the thought hang there. Half joke, half dare.
Then he exhaled slowly, the smoke curling in the late afternoon air.

Rob (smirking):
"But let’s not get ahead of ourselves..."

Miguel was already watching from across the street.
And Rob had never walked taller.

Rob (smiling, cigarette in the corner of his mouth):
"Man... I feel f***ing amazing.
Like I’m not pretending anymore. Like... this is me.
No more button-down shirts. No more fake smiles.
Just boots, buzz, and sweat. And I like it."

Miguel (calmly, proudly, in full rubber, hands folded):
"Of course you do.
It’s incredibly freeing—
to finally stop hiding and just...
be who you really are."

Rob (pauses, looking at Miguel):
"You’ve been like this for a while, huh?"

Miguel (nods slowly):
"Yeah. Took me years to get here.
But once you do...
there’s no going back.
And you? You’re already shining, Rob.
You're glowing like the f***ing sun."

Rob chuckled, cheeks flushed, the cigarette trembling between his teeth.
He looked out into the street—at the queers, the boots, the leather, the latex, the love.

Rob (quietly, almost a whisper):
"I think I’m just getting started."

Miguel said nothing. He just smiled—slow, certain—and leaned back, proud.
This wasn’t just a phase. This was who he was for real.

They didn’t plan to meet Yu. He just appeared—grinning, tank top stretched over his chest, eyes lighting up when he spotted them.

Yu (grinning):
"Well damn. You two look like trouble. And I mean that in the hottest way."

Miguel (smirking):
"Guilty as charged."

Yu sat down, glancing from Rob’s buzzed head to Miguel’s glistening rubber. He leaned forward, curious, playful.

Yu:
"I gotta say… I admire it. You two, I mean. Just—owning it. Not giving a shit what people think. I still put on jeans and a hoodie to go to a leather bar."

Rob (chuckling):
"You don’t need to hide anymore, man. Come on, we’re literally in the Castro."

Yu (laughs):
"I know, I know. Still—takes guts. And you—"
(He gestures at Rob)
"—you really went all in, huh? The gear, the cut… damn."

Rob (grinning):
"Felt right. Actually, felt overdue."

Yu nods slowly, then shrugs with a sheepish smile.

Yu:
"I mean… I’ve always been into the look. Skinheads, rubberboys… hard guys. Didn’t think I could ever pull it off."

Rob leaned back, cocked his head, a sparkle in his eyes.

Rob:
"Wait a minute. You’re into skinheads, right?"

Yu:
"Uhh... yeah?"

Rob:
"So why not become one?"

Yu blinked. Then laughed. But something flickered in his eyes—curiosity, temptation, a spark of desire.

Miguel (low, smooth):
"Best idea of the day."

And with that, they all fell quiet for a second.
Yu looked down, then back up at Rob.
The question lingered, thick and bright between them.