At the barber shop

[RSB]

Notes: Didn't really proof read this much but thought I would put it out there. Also please excuse the completely uninspired title and lack of hair-styling knowledge.

The Barber Shop

For a long time Thomas thought he could stay in the closet, marry some nice girl and pretend these silly feelings didn’t exist. He figured it was bad enough that he had that strange fetish of his…Adding gay to the whole mess…No it was unthinkable.

Rather unsurprisingly this mindset changed, quite abruptly actually, in the course of a single afternoon.

He was getting a haircut in preparation for his brother’s wedding when it happened. As the best man he had to look somewhat decent, at least that was what their mother had said. What he hadn’t counted on when he’d grudgingly agreed to the whole affair, was Oliver, gorgeous, gorgeous Oliver.

Oliver was the hairdresser Thomas was assigned at the salon. He wasn’t terribly androgynous or flamboyant or any of the things Thomas associated with being gay. Still his voice had a sort of soft feminine lilt to it, and Thomas wondered about the man’s orientation from the moment he opened his mouth.

“Hey so you’re the best man aren’t you?” Oliver had asked when Thomas first entered the salon.

“Yeah that’s me.” Thomas replied unenthusiastically.

“Well we can’t let you upstage the groom but we’re still going to make you look as handsome as possible here okay?” the man joked and Thomas smiled and shrugged awkwardly.

“Okay.”

“I’m Oliver by the way.” The man said, extending a rather graceful hand.

Thomas shook it—gently in response to the other man’s soft grip. Oliver grinned at him and Thomas’s heart felt strangely light.

“Alright now let’s take a seat right here,” Oliver said putting his hand on the back of Thomas’s neck and steering him into a chair. Thomas fell into the chair and looked into the mirror to see Oliver standing behind him with a rather odd expression, almost as if he were on the verge of—Thomas stopped himself from completing the thought and squirmed in his seat with a mixture of lust and shame.

“Now do…do…ex—heh—excuse mehhh-me--heehh…” The other man was looking rather pained, eyebrows drawn together and upper lip pulled back from his teeth.

Oliver slowly pulled his hand from Thomas’s neck, each long tapered finger gently dragging against the sensitive skin at his nape of Thomas’s neck, making him shiver. He forced himself to look away for a moment but when he looked back Oliver was pressing his fingers—those same fingers that had unknowingly caressed him just seconds before—beneath a pair of irritated looking nostrils.

“H’knnxchh! H’mpxx-hhh!” Oliver shook a little with each desperately squelched sneeze, eyes squeezed shut from the overwhelming tingling sensation running up and down his nose. His head barely bobbed forward and his shoulders jerked forward ever so slightly. There was silence for a moment as Oliver seemed unsure whether another attack of sneezes would come. Thomas waited for a beat then spoke up.

“Oh uh bless you.” He said, flushing involuntarily. Oliver blearily opened his eyes and uncurled his body from its tensed stance.

“Thangks—scuse be. Snf!” The man rubbed his knuckles against his nose for a second before shaking his head and pulling a brush from his pocket.

“So do you have any ideas for the cut?” Oliver asked, running the brush through Thomas’s hair with one hand and gently supporting Thomas’s neck with the other. Again the sensation of the other man’s fingers against his skin was somewhat inebriating.

Still flustered from the memory of the man sneezing and the soft warmth of the fingers curled at his neck, it took Thomas a moment to respond.

“No, no. Just er, whatever is fine. I don’t really know about this stuff.” He muttered, painfully aware of the flush burning its way across his cheeks.

Oliver put down the brush and laughed in a quiet, friendly way. “No worries. So I’m thinking something simple? Masculine, clean cut?”

“Sounds good.” Thomas assented and then suppressed a shiver when the other man began to run his fingers through Thomas’s hair, his nails dragging ever so slightly against Thomas’s scalp. Oliver pushed and pulled at Thomas’s thick locks, making little humming noises when he saw something he liked.

Every so often the man’s warm fingertips would slide against the shell of Thomas’s ear and he had to fight to keep himself from going completely boneless under the other man’s unknowingly sensual ministrations. It was hard though. He’d never had another man touch him so, intimately before. It was intoxicating, the sudden physical manifestation of his countless repressed fantasies though and—

“Hih-etshh!” Oliver sneezed suddenly and harshly, just barely managing to yank his hand out of Thomas’s hair to cover his nose and mouth. The violent motion had pulled painfully at Thomas’s hair and he couldn’t help but wince. Oliver, who was tiredly rubbing at his still twitching nostrils, caught the grimace and his expression immediately turned apologetic.

“Oh god sorry, I pulled your hair didn’t I?” Oliver almost cooed, removing his hand from his wet, itchy nose to pat Thomas’s head in a placating manner, as if to smooth away the hurt he’d unintentionally inflicted.

“No, no it’s fine. Bless you.” Thomas said grinning despite himself as he recalled the violent sounding sneeze.

Oliver sniffled quietly but Thomas’s attentive ears managed to pick up the thick gurgling sound. He desperately wished he had a tissue to offer the other man, or handkerchief, but who ever carried those sorts of things on them in this day and age?

“Thagks. Snnff. Ugh scuse be—I Sorry I deed to get a tissue.” Oliver said sounding completely mortified as he (gently) lifted his hand from Thomas’s hair to press it to the underside of his nose again.

“Oh no it’s no problem.” Thomas shrugged and Oliver shot him a grateful glance before walking to the small restroom in the back of the salon.

As the man walked away Thomas couldn’t help himself from observing the sway of the man’s hips and the curve of his trousers over his god-damn excellent ass. And that sweet little relieved smile the man had shot him just moments ago—He thought then, in a vague sort of sense, that maybe for someone as sweet and sexy as Oliver he would risk it, risk all of those suppressed hopes and desires. That is if Oliver would give him a chance.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Oliver returned from the restroom with freshly pinked nostrils and a marginally clearer sounding voice.

“Sorry about that, I think I’m coming down with a slight cold—but don’t worry I washed my hands before I came back out!” Oliver said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it, I…I’m sorry you’re not feeling better.” Thomas offered hesitantly and Oliver’s expression melted.

“Thanks Thomas.” He said warmly, placing a friendly hand at the crook of Thomas’s neck and giving a gentle squeeze. “Now! Back to your hair! We’ll do a quick shampoo and then get down to business.”

Oliver led Thomas over the washing station and directed him to one of the plush chairs.

“Now if you could close your eyes until we’re done that would be great—I don’t want to accidentally get shampoo in your eyes.” Oliver said quietly as he tested the temperature of the water.

Thomas obligingly closed his eyes. It was actually quite relaxing, sitting there with the warm water and Oliver’s capable hand once again roaming his scalp, gently massaging in various hair products and humming very, very quietly to himself.

Then the humming tapered off and the gentle hands paused. Curious, Thomas opened his eyes and saw Oliver leaning over him, looking unseeingly across the room, eyes drifting to half mast—once again on the verge of a sneeze.

“hiih—Suh—sorry—Hhh..hh,” Oliver stuttered over hitching breaths, eyes fluttering weakly and nostrils twitching as he desperately tried to suppress the itch ravaging his cold-ridden nose.

The hot little breaths puffed from the reluctantly parted lips and ghosted over Thomas’s forehead as they both waited to see if Oliver would sneeze.

“Hhknngkt-aah..eh…hehKNXXtshh!” Oliver’s eyes slammed shut and he pressed his nose into his shoulder as well as he could—he would’ve covered his mouth but his hands were covered in shampoo. Instead he left his hands entangled in Thomas’s drenched hair, involuntarily gripping the sopping locks a little as he convulsed with the tight, wet sneezes.

A very light mist had sprayed Thomas with the second sneeze, which had not been as well stifled as the first, but the sensation only warmed Thomas further.

“Bless you Oliver.” He said gruffly. Oliver’s eyes unclenched and he sniffled wetly before looking down at Thomas’s sympathetic expression and flushing, deeply.

“Thangks. God I’b—sniff!—I’m sorry I’m such a mess.” He said with a self-deprecating huff of laughter.

“Hey you can’t help it.” Thomas said generously. Oliver shrugged a little, seeming to agree and perhaps feeling a little sorry for himself, which amused Thomas to no end. Suddenly Oliver’s expression turned worried though.

“I didn’t get you, did I?” he asked abruptly, sounding horrified with the idea.

“No, no you’re good.” Thomas lied with ease. But then it hadn’t been a complete lie, as for Thomas the whole experience had been good—really good. And he wanted more.

--Ended on a very abrupt note but the muse left me. Hope you enjoyed if you read this!

[SterlingSilver]

OH WOW~.. Now isn't THIS just ADORABLE~..

*thumbs up* Nice one .. I'm sorry it ended so fast, but it was fantastic while it lasted :DDD

[Garnet]

Oh very nice, thank you for sharing! The descriptions of his pair being touched entertained me almost as much as the sneezing. There's something hypnotic about that, isn't there?

[Akahana]

OH-MAI-GOD WOMAN I DIED. This is so AMAZING!! I love this please continue~ Oliver is so cute~ <3333 *swoons*

[Dye]

Oh, sweet sweet hotness. Oliver, have my nonexistant babies.

More, please. <3333~~

[kitsune]

Awww, Oliver was just adorable. I loved the sneezes!

I agree with BlackScatter - it was a pity it ended so quickly, but it was really great! Thanks for sharing!

[LovelyLinda]

You absolutely MADE MY DAY!!

This is like one of my very favourite scenarious EVER,

and you captured it ohhh so well. Rowrrrr *_*

It's ridiculously hot and sexy and ...I need more!!!

I hope this wasn't just a one-shot, I'd love you to continue it

I love it so far...Smexy cold-ridden Oliver and a very pleased Thomas...

Ohhh, this can get verrrry good *_*

Please don't let me hanging here,

I guess I am addicted.

Please continue. Pretty pretty please.

[Always]

Oh, this was great! Very nice indeed.

[sneasons greetings]

MOOOOOORREEEE

[BlueGirl]

Ooh, I love this. It's fantastically written and the description in lovely!!