Unfathomable

11.

Madara:

I carefully combed Hashi's long, chestnut hair out. I was surprised at how thick it was; the teeth of the wooden comb I'd brought got stuck in it.

"Does your scalp hurt easily?" I asked.

"No", he said calmly.

I combed his hair in silence, sitting by the giant Christmas tree, its light being one of few that was on in the suite, making it unbelievable cosy. Hashi had even lit the fireplace, and it crackled happily in our close proximity, making the entire situation smell delicious.

"How much do you want me to cut off?"

"Take off as much as you deem necessary for it to be healthy again."

I took his tips between my fingers, and decided to cut off two inches. I released it down, put up almost all of his hair in a clip on the top of his head, but let a thin layer of the lowest parts hang loose, and started cutting carefully.

"I lost my skis today", I said.

"What do you mean?"

"I fell, and they snapped in two."

"Oh, Madara, I am so sorry. I know how much they were worth to you. Cost-wise and otherwise."

"Thank you. I can rent skis tomorrow to teach you, but I can't keep doing that."

"There should be a ski shop here", Hashi said. "Can you buy new ones?"

I smiled lopsidedly. "Can't afford it. All my money needs to go towards my accomodation and food once university starts. I can't buy just any skis; they need to be high quality to last as I ride them so forcefully. And my parents are out of the question. They made it clear when me and Izuna begun that the cost of anything snowsport related was on us."

"More expensive than what my mum brings in, or what was it?" He smiled amusedly.

"Oh, God! Don't!" I wailed.

"I am sorry", Hashi said and chuckled. "I would offer you to borrow mine, but they're not the right size for you, and they're beginners' skis.

"Oh, God, Hashi, don't even think about that. I'm just happy you listened. Thank you."

"You're welcome", he said softly.

We were quiet then, the sound of my scissors snipping off his hair and the crackling of the fireplace being the only sound surrounding us. Once the first layer was done, I released another layer and started cutting that as well.

"Where did you learn to cut hair?"

I smiled. "I've been cutting Izuna's hair since I was fifteen. He is afraid of hair dressers, so he needed someone he trusted to cut him. Doesn't make sense that it was me, seeing I have no education whatsoever. But I've learned and developed a good technique. Don't worry, you will be satisfied."

"Oh, I don't doubt it."

We were silent for a while. When I was halfway, I spoke again.

"How does writing going?"

I could feel Hashi smile at this question. "Good, thank you for asking. I am... Inspired."

For some reason, this made me shiver. I took a deep breath. Should I take the bait?

"What inspires you?" I asked.

"This place", he said. The snow, the town, the friendly inhabitants, the wild tourists. The familiarity of your parents and Sonia. This suite... I'm not used to this kind of luxury, and I hate to admit I thrive in it." He chuckled. "And you." There it was. "You inspire me."