All I Want

shave that, cut that | 23

•Riley•

I feel a gentle shake on my shoulder as someone wakes me up. I look up at the window, it's so dull and gloomy today. I groan and turn to my side, closing my eyes again.

A hear a deep chuckle and smile, knowing it belongs to James, "Come on, Riley, it's nearly afternoon already,"

I turn to my back again and smile up at him, "I slept in?"

He nods, "It's raining though so I figured you would," I snuggle into my blanket and James laughs again, "Let's go for a jog or something,"

I shake my head, "You said it yourself, it's raining, James, now let me sleep,"

He shakes his head jokingly in frustration and lies down next to me. I'm kind of surprised that he does but I don't complain. I wrap my arms around him and he leans down to kiss me on the forehead, his scruffy bread tickling me.

"We need to shave that," I giggle

"Really?" He asks, running his hands through it.

I nod and get up. I take his hand and pull him to the bathroom, we pass by West and I see James roll his eyes jokingly in face excitement.

West laughs and pats him on the back, "Good luck bro,"

I get James to sit down on the closed toilet seat and I grab a razor and a can of shaving cream from the cabinet.

"Be careful, okay? I don't want to get cut," James warns.

I purse my lips, "You do realise you are talking to a really clumsy person, right?"

James groans in realisation, "Oh help me, please,"

I touch his shoulder gently, "Hey listen, don't even worry about it,"

He smiles and I rub the shaving cream all over his beard, it's not that long because Eldon and West must have cut it before we arrived here but I'm not used to seeing James with any sort of facial hair.

"So what are having today, Riley? Just a trim?" He raises an eyebrow

"No... I was thinking more of a clean shave?"

James laughs, "Okay then,"

I take my time, making sure I don't cut James and all the hair comes off. Through it all, James observes me intently and doesn't say a word unless he answers to my frequent question of 'is this hurting?' to which he answers 'no'.

Once I finish I clean the razor and stare at him for a long time. Something's missing...

"What?" He asks in concern, gingerly touching his clean shaven face.

"I think... you need a hair cut,"

A few minutes later I call in Emily who nods in excitement, I think she took a three day course in hairstyling one time during the summer.

"Now, James, what would you like?" She asks him and takes a hair clipper, which I call a hair shaver, in her hands.

He shrugs, "Um, a buzz cut?"

I cough slightly, I loved his hair when he was younger but I have fallen in love with his newer hairstyle, "He'll have a undercut on the sides,"

James flashes me a smile, "Bringing it back, right?"

I smile back at him and exit the bathroom so that I'll be surprised when James comes out with a new look.

Maybe he'll look like the old him...