Avengers One Shots

Bucky Barnes: Haircut

Third Person POV:

Bucky threw the hairbrush to the floor in frustration. He groaned as a knot formed behind his ear. Bucky crouched and picked up the hairbrush as he tried to gently tug the hair surrounding the knot. He wetted the brush and teased the hair around the knot, slowly unraveling it.

He looked at his watch, sighing to himself. He was already late for therapy appointment, and was even thinking about skipping it. He decided against skipping it, but let his therapist know that he'll be late.

Bucky exited his apartment and walked to the building. He was grateful to find a place near his block, but the streets still seemed foreign to him. There were so many new hipster places that replaced buildings he once knew.

Funny enough, the barbershop still was there, though it had a more modern look to it. But it was still in the exact location where Bucky used to get his hair done when his mother scolded him for letting his hair grow. He wondered what she would say now.

Bucky lingered outside of the barbershop. He pondered whether to enter or not, until he saw his reflection in the window. His bread was getting unruly and his hair that just reached past his shoulders was becoming thin and brittle. Bucky was never one for looks whilst being the Winter Soldier, as he had no control if he wanted a tapered bottom, or a crew cut. He had always tried to be clean before the war.

A ding could be heard from the salon door opening and someone walked out. They were beaming at their new hairdo. This stranger gave Bucky some weird confidence to go in.

This confidence didn't last long as went he entered, he stood awkwardly as some people turned their heads towards the bell sound. The receptionist noticed his shocked expression and called out to Bucky, "Hi sir, do you have an appointment with us?" Bucky walked closer to the reception desk, "No. Was I supposed to?"

"No, you don't have to have an appointment. We take walk-ins, but some like a specific hairdresser. What would you like today?" Bucky paused, as he wasn't really sure what he wanted. He thought about that annoying knot this morning and how he barely knows what he looks like since he became the Winter Soldier. His therapist was telling him to move past it, maybe he needed some extra weight off. "A cut please," he responded.

The receptionist turned to her computer and checked to make sure there was an opening. "Great. You can head on over to the sinks to get washed and meet with Y/N once you're done." The washer's name was Alice, and she was very polite to Bucky. She kept asking if the water was a good temperature and gave Bucky the best hair massage he received in his life.

Once the shampoo and conditioner were rinsed, Bucky walked over to Y/N's station. The washer pointed towards the woman sitting in her salon chair. She held her head in her hand and the other on her phone. As Bucky got closer, she turned the chair around and got up to greet him. He was awestruck by her effortless beauty and kind eyes. "Here, I made the seat warm for you," she gestured toward where she was recently sitting. Bucky slowly sat down with his towel still on his shoulders.

"Bucky, right?" He nodded in response. "That's a cool nickname. I'm Y/N, no cool nickname unfortunately. So, you're here for a cut, right?" Y/N asked. She took the towel from his shoulders, feeling her fingertips grazing his back. Y/N squeezed any wetness that she could from his hair and brought it forward. Bucky nodded again, noticing how she was zhuzhing his hair. "What are you thinking? A trim, just up to the chin, some light layers, your choice."

"My choice?" Bucky slipped out. Y/N lightly chuckled, "This salon is transformative. You can be whoever you want to be, or at least look the part." He had a sort of realization in that chair that he gets to choose his life moving forward, that Bucky can make decisions for Bucky. He eyed himself in the mirror in front of him, moving his head side to side to get a good look at what he was seeing. He saw a part of himself he wanted to get rid of.

"I want a more normal look. Short on the sides and loose on top." Y/N's eyed widened, "Yes! That's great," she was pulling out products that Bucky had never seen before. She was plugging the razor and grabbing her scissors while talking to him, "I always ask my customers when they make such a drastic change to their look why they do it, so what's your deal mister?"

"The long hair reminds me of a version of me I don't like. This cut will help me become a better person," Bucky answered. "Love it! I always think of one's hair as an extension of themselves. Styling is a statement as well as changing it too."

Just as she was about to cut off the first section, she questioned Bucky, "Any second thoughts?"

"None."

Throughout the session, Y/N and Bucky kept a good conversation going. They each talked about being from New York, Y/N from Westchester, and learning a little bit about one another as stories flowed between the two. Even when the razor was on, the conversation never lost its fruition. "Before I turn you towards the mirror, how do you feel about this?" Y/N gestured to her lower half of her face, referencing the bread. "Oh" Bucky said, trying to remember what his face looked like without hair covering his chin and upper lip. It's like when the beard was mentioned, Bucky started to feel an itch on his lower half of his face. "Maybe leave a little stubble in the center, but I'll give you some liberty."

Y/N beamed, and Bucky couldn't take his eyes off of her. She sprayed his beard lightly with water and applied some shaving cream to his face. It smelled like mint leaves, and he smiled. "Try not to move your face, okay?" Y/N asked. Bucky nodded but followed her hands with his eyes. She was careful and meticulous with his mustache and worked towards the center of his face.

"Ready to see your new look Bucky?" She turned him around and whipped the cape off of him. Once the cape was out of the mirror, Bucky was in awe at his face. He still saw the dark circles under his eyes from sleepless nights, but also at his cheekbones that were previously hidden under dark curls. Shoulder-length hair vanished and in its place was visible sideburns as well as fading neckline. The top of his hair was fluffy and bouncy while the sides were short. Y/N decided against the stubble and kept a clean-shaven look, which Bucky actually preferred. He genuinely noticed his blue eyes contrasted his dark façade.

"So," Y/N questioned, "do you like it?" Bucky looked at Y/N expression, who looked concerned. This was probably because Bucky was scrutinizing himself for quite some time, or that's what he believed. "I love it!" He exclaimed. Y/N smiled and laughed, "I'm so happy you like it! I'll take you to the register to check out." Once Bucky got back to the reception desk, the receptionist gasped, "I was not expecting that when you walked in."

They cashed Bucky out and he gave large tips to both the washer and Y/N. "Please come back again. I'd love to talk more about New York and Brooklyn," she exclaimed. "Don't worry, I'll be back sooner or later," Bucky waved as he headed out. The chime ringed above his head, making Bucky smile. He felt a buzz in his right pocket and pulled out his phone. He saw his therapist's name flash across the screen. Bucky cringed as he accepted the call.

"Where were you James Barnes?" She yelled. "I knew you'd be late, but I didn't think you wouldn't show up at all without a notice."

"Sorry, but I stopped into a salon to get my hair cut, and I lost track of time. We can meet up tomorrow if you have time." There was noticeable shuffling on the other end, "A hair salon? That's a pretty good step in the right direction. I'll let you off this one time Barnes, but don't scare me again."