Chapter Text
It's been several months since our whole journey to stop Ragnarok had come to an end. My friends on floor 19 decided to play Pool To The Death, because of course we offered that activity, but I told them I'd pass. Begrudgingly, they let me slide out and keep my head this time. (Literally, Pool To The Death gets far too intense!! The javelins replacing the pool sticks are deadly, even if you're an einherji.) I'd just about dozed off under the tree in my room, when loud banging at the door interrupted any peace I was trying to nab.
Being dead, I usually didn't get many visitors, so I figured it could either be Sam or Alex. You tend to recognize their angry knocking after a while, and Blitz and Hearth would be a little more gentle, or pop up unannounced, so I suspected it wasn't them.
"Open up, Chase!! You've got a hot date with some scissors, going once!!"
Oh, right. It's been a while since my last mandatory-by-Alex haircut. Ever since Blitz chopped my hair off for a magic bowling bag, Alex has routinely been cutting it every so often, and I haven't had the heart to tell her no. Or the guts. I doubted the offer was one I could refuse, so I walked over to the door, and opened it for her. Wait... him, today.
"Took you long enough. What, were you asleep? It's past noon."
"Any sleep I may or may not have been trying to get was definitely scared away by your obnoxious knocking." I gave him a hurt look, and continued, "Now I'm gonna have to set up the snooze traps again!!"
That earned an eye roll, and a look of disappointment. Alex was wearing a pink and green pastel flannel tied around his waist, a rose tank top, lime jeans, and a pair of laced leather boots. His arms, which I may have taken a moment longer than I needed to look at, were holding a box full of sewing supplies, and a mini speaker. He shoved past me, making sure to bump my shoulder on the way in, and continued, "Well Mags, maybe if you set reusable traps, you wouldn't have to do so much extra work every time you screw up."
"You mean every time you screw me up."
He gestured with a rolling hand, waving it off. "Details, details. Now get over here, before I drag you." His barber box, as he called it, was unlatched and unfolding into a chair with one of those apron-cape things that catch all the hair that falls off. Or at least keeps it off your neck. Not wanting to be handled by Alex, (in that context, at least.) I obeyed, settling into the chair, and donning the barber's cape with all the dignity of a sad floating head.
He seemed satisfied with this, giving me a little smirk of his, baring his teeth a little, and crinkling the corners of his amber and brown eyes. My Totally Not Admiring My Boyfriend time was interrupted by locks of green hair assaulting my forehead and eyes and face.
"Ptbhth what are you doing?!"
"Pretty soon I'm gonna have to join you for a cut, my hair's almost as long as yours was."
"Right, obviously we can't have that."
"Right. I don't hear you complaining about free cuts."
"Don't, or choose not to?"
Another eye roll. "Like I said, sit still so I can start."
"Did I miss that?"
"Yes, when you were fawning over how gay you are for me. Now stop moving your head, please? I don't want to nick you. You may have stupid-fast healing, but that doesn't mean I want your blood over my tools."
Defeated, I did as he told me, trying to will my face not to flush. He put his arms around my neck to adjust my cape, which didn't help At All. I'm sure he could tell, because he kissed my forehead and mouthed "Dork." before setting some tunes, and getting to work.