JUST FRIENDS

2o

"Wake uppp, Maui,"

Blu could feel Maze's fingertips tickling under his ribs, getting dangerously close to his armpit with each passing moment. He flipped to his back rather clumsily, pinning Maze's arms so she wouldn't have him giggling and flailing like some little girl this early in the morning. The sun had barely risen.

"What?" He answered moodily, hoping it was something important and he didn't get his sleep disturbed for nothing.

She sat beside him, rubbing his tummy like she'd been up for a while. "It's time for me to wash your hair."

"Wash my hair?" His eyes started to drift back shut again before he turned on his side. "What is it, my birthday?" Abruptly he sat up, grabbed his phone to check the date. February 17th. "Fuck, it is my birthday."

Blu had been so busy finishing his creations for the exhibition, getting down and dirty, sleeves rolled up in diligence, he hadn't bothered to realize a week flew by. The only date he was concerned with was February 20th, where he'd set up his installation that morning to be shown later that evening. That's all that had mattered to him. His Big Debut.

He was proud of his work, beyond satisfied, everything had turned even better than he expected, yet he couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of anxiousness that sat under his ribs.

What if something went wrong? What if everything went right?

His brain was a little fried, which didn't assist any, simply because he was pulling all nighters to make sure every detail went above and beyond his criteria for excellence. For two nights straight, he slept in the studio and woke up a few hours later to find classes about to start.

Last night was the closest thing he'd gotten to any peaceful rest, the very last thing on his mind was celebrating his birthday.

"It's time to relax. You've been working your ass off and you know this is the one time of the year that I'll really cater to you. So get up, I don't want the water in the basin to be lukewarm."

Ever since they were kids, she'd wash his hair for his birthday, the whole ritual started when Maze decided she would be a hairdresser instead of a ballerina for a period of time because she was tired of how taxing it was on her body. She was pretty adamant about it before she lost interest but Blu enjoyed being her test dummy, having her hands in his hair, with the shampoo foam and that one conditioner she used that smelled almost edible... so he made her promise to treat her like a client in a salon at least annually- what better day than the one he was born on?

Maze grabbed him by the hand, having already set up Blu's bathroom as if it were a spa, candles flickering, expelling the warm aroma of cupcakes, she lead him to the steaming basin next to his sink with a chair for him to sit back in.

He smiled fondly. "All this for me?"

"Anything for my princess." She propped a heated towel behind his neck as he lay his head back.

"You say that...but where's my tiara and bday sash?"

She let out a laugh. "Shut up!"

"Now you know you can't tell a customer to shut up."

"I would never speak to paying customers that way."

"So it's fuck me, huh?"

"Yes. Fuck you so hard." Maze smiled mischievously.

He narrowed his eyes and soon dipped them since he was face to face with her cleavage as she began to wet his hair.

"Comfortable down there?" She asked, noticing his quiet mouth and red cheeks.