"Luke, dude, you've got to let me cut your hair." Gabriel said. "Mr. B's gonna have a coronary at 19 if you don't get a cut before school starts in two weeks."
Luke scowled at him and shook his head. "No." he said.
"What do you mean no? You have to."
"No I don't. If you get to bleach part of yours and have earrings then I don't have to get a haircut."
Gabriel was torn because he had a specific look that he wanted all of the team to present at school and he knew that Mr. B was on board with the plan. The man oozed perfect plan to everyone that met him. He frowned.
"Look, if it wasn't for a good reason, I'd let you cut it." Luke looked at him, seeing his indecision and knowing that he had an opening to make his best friend, brother and stylist understand.
Gabriel crossed his arms. "Okay, I'm listening but I swear... Luke... if it's not a good reason, I will go over your head and get Kota and Mr. B to tell you to cut it."
Luke made a face. "Of course it's a good reason." He rolled his eyes at Gabriel. "Do you know me to make decisions for less than good reasons?"
"Want to talk about pets?" Gabriel arched an eyebrow at him, unwilling to forget the time when they were 10 and Luke had a tarantula for about 2 months until it escaped one day. Gabriel didn't set foot in Luke and Uncle's house for almost a year until Uncle could confirm the huge hairy ugly thing that Luke had named Peaches was absolutely gone.
Luke rolled his eyes again. "Hair. Dude. My hair reasons." He said. "I want to donate to Locks of Love."
Gabriel blinked at him. "I'm sorry, you what?"
Luke pulled out his phone. "I want to donate to Locks of Love." He said again, pulling up the web page on his phone. "See?" He shoved his phone right up under Gabriel's nose. "I have to have at least 10 inches so that they'll accept the donation."
Gabriel eyed him for a moment before taking the phone and looking over the requirements. He pursed his lips and looked at Luke again. "Sit down. Let me take a look at it." He said, handing the phone back and waiting until Luke sat down. He ran his hands through Luke's hair. "Why?" he asked softly.
"Brady." He said. "You know... Frank's grandson."
Gabriel nodded soberly. Frank was one of the neighbors in the neighborhood they managed and spent Thanksgiving with each year. His grandson was going through cancer treatments and had lost his hair earlier in the Spring. "Okay." He said, checking length. "So unless you want a really super short cut when it's time to donate, you have to grow it out a few inches longer."
Luke's eyes brightened and he sat up straighter. "Yeah?"
Gabriel smiled. "Yeah." He said. "But you at least need a trim to encourage healthy hair growth so I'm just going to take care of the split ends."
"And tell Mr. B that I have a good reason for not having more cut off." Luke said.
"Yeah, fucker." Gabriel rolled his eyes at him. "I'll tell him."
"And point out that I'm willing to get it cut off once it's long enough." Luke said. Gabriel huffed a sigh but nodded. "I mean...." Luke's eyes turned mischievous. "Unless he's willing to wait until it's as long as Axel's."
"Oi, definitely not." Gabriel shook his head. "Damnit Luke. No, that is not a good look on anyone. I respect his reasons for keeping it that long but you will not be letting yours go that long." He swore again under his breath, irritated as hell at his best friend.
Luke laughed. "Just kidding. Calm down. You'll be the one having the coronary." He said.
"Don't make me cut off more than I mean to." He threatened.
"Okay, okay. Geez." Luke huffed a sigh and sat still, enduring the rest of the trim that Gabriel was insisting on giving his hair.
(Fade...)