Sitting on the living room floor working on homework, he had fallen a day behind so while he’d done that work, he was a bit behind in things. It wasn’t too behind, not nearly enough to worry about but he was sitting there diligently working on his book work as he flipped pages in his textbook and his notebook.

Xi-Wang had been at it for nearly two hours now and he was, once again, brushing his hair from his face. When he found that didn’t work he flipped his hair a bit, his bangs were a bit too long and in his face, before reaching for the drink he had and taking a sip. Ducking his head to continue his work, which just put his hair back into his face, it really was hopeless but he kept trying.

Tapping his pen for a moment he flipped another page in his textbook, glanced over what he was looking at, and then went back to writing down the answer to the next question. This assignment was, thankfully, almost done. Just a bit more and he’d be done with it.

Jason had his own work that he needed to get done, he had all but taken over the couch and coffee table in the living room. There was an opened notebook on the table, a few photos scattered about and several different research papers here and there. Currently he was sitting with his legs stretched out along the couch and his laptop in his lap. He was wearing his glasses as well, as he usually did when diving into work.

There was something in the room that kept pulling him away from his article. Xi-Wang had been working on homework, oddly enough he was settled on the floor. Everyone had their own study habits, so he didn’t really see a reason to judge him for his placement. The hair slipping though. At first, it was sort of adorable. He found himself chuckling silently to himself. After a few hours of it he sort of thought his younger friend had a serious problem.

Satisfied with where his work was at the moment, he snapped his laptop closed and moved to plant his feet on the floor. He looked down at Xi-Wang with a curious look on his face. “Hey, you know. I’ve been watching you for a while now.” He didn’t mean for that to sound creepy or anything, but it was hard to not be distracted by his new roommate.

“And you know, I’ve been thinking about going to get my hair cut for a few days. It’s getting a little long. Would you like to join me? Get out of the apartment for a little while. Maybe try something new?” Sometimes, after a relationship went south, it was nice to change something about yourself. It could give you just the little boost you need to start feeling better.

Staring up at Jason from his place on the floor, surprised when the other got up and approached him, his head tilted to the side a bit as he set his pen down on his notebook. He’d been working his way through his chinese homework which was always saved for last as it was easier and he enjoyed it the most, his mother would not be pleased if she knew.

“I-I’m sorry?” Had he done something to bother the other, or distract him? Xi-wang thankfully didn’t have long to wait before the other was filling him in on just what he’d been watching. Oh! His hair...raising his fingers to card through the dark locks he nodded slowly before standing and stretching his long legs.

“Ummm sure, let me get my wallet and we can go. I haven’t gotten my hair trimmed in a while.” A really long while in fact, and he hadn’t actually gotten it cut and styled in a different fashion in an even longer time...years in fact if he thought about it. He’d never decided on a look for his hair, his mother always had. He’d never had an opinion on how his hair looked.

“Something new...like a new style?”

“No need to apologize! If it wasn’t so adorable, I wouldn’t be distracted so easily.” He teased, it was really the one thing he was best at doing. Although, honestly when he wasn’t that into whatever article he was writing or project he was working on, he tended to look for distractions unintentionally. So, it wasn’t really all Xi’s fault that his attention was wavering.

“Sounds awesome, I know this great walk-in place!” He stood up and placed his laptop on the table, before moving to grab his keys and wallet. “Sure, might be time to change it up a bit. I would do something different myself, but any longer than this and it starts to curl. Which I hate….on me anyway!” Nischal’s curls were adorable, but he couldn’t picture anything like that on himself. He took a moment to picture it on Xi, why the heck not, but the thought only made him laugh a little bit.

“Is there anything you been wanting to try for a while? We could find a picture or you can just describe it. They’re pretty good there.” As he waited for his friend to be ready he searched around for his beanie and a light pair of gloves. It was still a bit chilly outside and he absolutely hated the cold. Ironic considering he was born in Canada.

“A-adorable?” He questioned and shook his head. “I wasn't meaning to be.” Hardly, his hair had just been in the way - very in the way. At least it hadn’t annoyed, or upset, the other in some manner. That was one thing Xi-Wang didn’t want to do, especially since he was a guest here. They didn’t owe him anything and he was thankful for being allowed to live here.

“Curls would look off on you...worse on me though.” It would look really out of place on him, he was sure of that. Ethnically speaking what Chinese, or oriental person for that matter, had curls in their hair? Like the soft loose ones for females was ok, he’d seen that, but it would look very strange on a male - on him.

“No...I’ve never really thought about my hair or doing anything with it. My mother used to just get it trimmed and that was it.” Shrugging his shoulders as he went to get a coat so he wouldn’t freeze. When he did return, coat on, he went to get his shoes on and stared for a moment at the other. Unlike the other Xi-Wang had no gloves on and no beanie, though his coat had a nice hood. “I’m ready...and thanks.”

Jason hadn’t had curls since he was a kid. All it took was one person mistaking him and his sister for twins, they were so close in age, for him to convince his Mom he was old enough to pick out his own hairstyle. Just the thought of going back to something like that made him shudder. Not that anyone would mistake him and Ebony for twins these days, for one she died her hair black now, and thankfully he had matured nicely. While she still wore all black and way too much makeup.

“Whatever you want to do sounds good. But you’re right, we’ll both leave the curls to Nischal.” He pulled his jacket on as they headed out the door, zipping it up securely before they hit the afternoon air. “Do you have an idea for anything?” He was trying to make conversation, which wasn’t hard considering how close they were. It was just, a lot of things had happened recently. He was still sort of tiptoeing around it all. He couldn’t deal with Xi-Wang the way he dealt with his other friends, but his trick of the trade was still going out, having fun, and trying to make the person forget about it all.

“Maybe some side swept bangs, something to show off your eyes a little more.” If Xi really wanted to continue hiding his face, he always seemed to have a hoodie around that could really do the trick.


“Yes, curls look good on him. Wouldn’t look good on us.” Though maybe, with time, it wouldn’t look so odd on Jason, though maybe it always would if the other ever gained curls in his hair. Xi-Wang was sure he’d never look good with them, it simply didn’t look natural at all for him. “Mmm...no. I mean a trim but anything else I don’t know. Maybe if I look at some pictures?” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

He could always look at some pictures on google images, there were lots of pictures there. Maybe he could look up actors and singers and find something there? If he looked for asian ones, like himself, maybe he’d find a good idea because at least it would be something on another asian person...another asian face.

“You think that would look good?” He asked, tilting his head, at the others words. “I mean...if you think it would look good. You can help me look for pictures when we get there?” He offered, honestly wanting the others help...since he was so clueless.

“Yeah, why not? If anything you try them out for a little bit. If you don’t like them after a few weeks just go back again. That’s the great thing about hair. It grows back out and we can try again!” He gave his friend a smile as they continued walking against the chilly air. “I’d love to help you pick something out! They usually have a few magazines there as well. Or we could look for something on your phone.”

It wasn’t long before they were in front of his usual barber shop. The sign “Walk Ins Welcome” was always a welcome sight. Who had time to make appointments these days? Certainly not Senshi, college students, or both. Jason held the door for Xi and as soon as they entered they were greeted with a warm welcome. They would have to wait a few minutes, but someone would be with them shortly.

“Great, this gives us some time to figure out what to do for you.” He picked up on of the magazines off a side table and took a seat. “What are you thinking about? Let’s start with short, medium, or...long. Which is sort of where you’re heading right now.”

“Long...no. Not too short - nothing short like in the military. It would look strange.” It would look terrible, as far as he could figure. “So medium?” Or maybe like a normal length, at least what he thought might be considered a normal length. Fingering his hair, eyeing the strands the best he could, he flicked them away and moved a bit to see what Jason had. “I don’t know if normal looks will work as well on me.” Since his hair was different in texture to most people. His was rather pin straight and he’d heard once, when his mother took him to get his hair done, that asian hair was different from other peoples hair in the way that it grew out.

His hair also tended to lay flat...or well flatter than most peoples. “You know what I mean?” He asked, hoping his friend understood.

“Yeah, I can’t really picture you with a military-style haircut.” Jason flipped to a page with a balance between the short and more medium length styles. He didn’t immediately spot anything, but as Xi continued on he nodded and flipped it shut. “Maybe, in that case, we should turn to our phone instead?” He wasn’t worried that one of the stylists here wouldn’t be able to handle cutting Xi’s hair. With all the diversity in DC, surely they’d do fine. But Xi was right, a random catalog probably wouldn’t work out.

“I’m sure we can find something fun online though.” He pulled out his phone instead. “Anyone in particular you wanna look at for inspiration? Or should I make it more general?”

“Someone else asian?” Came the rather quick suggestion. “Means same hair type and similar face.” Maybe not the exact same but similar enough it would be easier to picture on him? “That’ll work?” He asked, wanting to be sure, as he sought the others opinion.

Shifting even closer to Jason, so he could look over at the others phone, he kept his eyes focused on the screen to see what the other might pull up for hair style options for him. There would surely be a lot of choices, at least he hoped. “Can’t be too bad…” He’d never had a different style...his mother always picked and it was just a trim normally. This was new for him...and it was sort of good.

“Right, sooo… we’ll just do a generic ‘asian medium length hair style’ search and see what happens from there?” He quickly typed it into his search bar and before long there were thousand of images on his phone for them to dig through. Some were the same people in different styles, he assumed celebrities. There were a few he liked, but he reminded himself he was shopping for Xi here, not himself. He paused on one that wouldn’t require too much work for his friend. “What about something like this? Keeps your bangs out of your face, got some nice length, not too long or short.” Also, good to note, something that they could easily change if he didn’t end up liking it on himself.

Looking over the styles, there were a lot which came up, he nodded his head after a moment or two. “I like that, I think it will be good - nothing I’ll want to change.” He’d find out, of course, but he didn’t think there would be a problem with the style. It would just be different and something he needed to get used to, which shouldn’t be too hard.

“We’ll go with it. I think it’ll look good.” Nodding his head, confirming this both aloud and internally, he was sure of this. “It’ll look better than what I have now...what I’ve always had.” Something his mother would never do, and never allow him to do.

“Fantastic, I think it’ll look sharp.” Jason gave his friend a thumbs-up and all that was left was for them to wait their turn for a stylist to open up. When one finally did he was happy to show them the picture on his phone. They didn’t seem worried about copying the style at all. “Awesome, this’ll be great!” He left his phone unlocked at with the stylist. Another opened up shortly after and he sat down to lose a few inches while he waited for Xi-Wang to finish up with his new do.

Waiting until Jason was seated near him, he didn’t want to raise his voice or yell, he smiled lightly. “Thanks..not just for this.” He hoped, and assumed, the other would know what he meant. Taking him in, giving him a home, being a friend and just..caring. Doing something like this was small but for him it meant a lot. It was things his mother didn’t do with him or just...rushed and didn’t put any care into. It was always the same place and the same style and never a thought, or care, that he might want something else...that he might want to have a say or a choice. She didn’t think he deserved one.

“Do you think we should get food after this? We can eat out or bring food home for us and Nischal?”

A smile lit up his face when his friend thanked him. He had been so worried for a while about how he might help Xi back on his feet. It seemed this was a step in the right direction. “I’ll always be around if you need anything.” And he meant that. Any time of day, no matter what he was in the middle of. He’d drop it in a heartbeat if it meant helping out his friend.

“Sure! Anything in particular you’d like? Today’s my treat by the way.” It was his idea after all, plus he still liked to spoil his friends.

“I know….trust me - I know. You and the others.” The other members of his court, of their court, the ones that he knew and was close to. “I don’t know what I did to deserve such friends...maybe it’s to replace what I didn’t have.” A mother who was a mother...a father whom he didn’t know, he didn’t even know if the man was alive or not. One of these days he’d find out...hopefully. He didn’t want to get emotional, as he was rather prone to it, so he did stop himself before it became an issue. He didn’t want to get emotional in front of other people, he didn’t mind if it was just Jason.

“You shouldn’t say anything…” He said turning his head, as little as possible, towards the other. “You don’t like spicy food like I do. Mmm, have you ever had soup dumplings?” It wasn’t something he’d ever made at home, he wasn’t good with it, but he couldn’t remember if he’d ever bought them. They were his favorite food, he could manage several bamboo steamers on his own of them. They were amazing….

As scary and on the spot as his awakening had been, after that it had (mostly), been a very pleasant experience. The Dark Mirror Court was like a family, so he knew who XI meant by others. They were quite excellent at helping their family out when it was needed most. He would have never met Nischal or Xi without his court, so he was forever grateful for Acubens finding him that night.

He chuckled a bit when his friend mentioned spicy food, trying to not let his head move too much while his barber did his job. He was outnumbered in the apartment when it came to spicy foods. “We can go somewhere with spicy foods. I’d find something on the menu to eat.” He was sure, given some time, his tolerance for the more spicy foods would go up. He could handle some heat from buffalo sauce, but chinese and indian spices were a different thing completely.

“I can safely say I’ve never had soup dumplings before.”

“If I took you to a Hunan restaurant you wouldn’t handle anything on the menu...Hunan food is known for the heat in Chinese food. Not numbing hot but just hot.” He said laughing softly. He did feel bad for Jason not being able to handle heat, and living with two people who handled it well. It meant that whenever Xi-Wang cooked at home he made sure there was food the other could handle, even if it meant making two different meals. It was what he did because he cared.

“Soup dumplings are good...we can either g to a restaurant that makes them...or a place for dim sum and you can try a lot of things….” Trailing off in thought he nodded his head just a bit. “Dim sum sounds good actually, I haven’t had chicken feet in a while.” Which was one of those foods which bothered a lot of people, texture and appearance wise, but it was classic and it was good.

“You could get carry out and I’d stop by a subway or something.” Yeah, Jason had a weak stomach for more of the intense asian spices. He had just never grown up eating things like that. Even after moving to the states, his Mom cooked home comfort foods for them. Which were never spicey really. Now he had to deal with Asian and Indian spices in his house. Give him a couple of years, he’d get used to them eventually. He hoped. He couldn’t keep horribly inconveniencing the people around him because he was a picky eater.

Jason tried to his the way his face scrunched up a bit at the mention of chicken feet. He knew there was nothing wrong with them, that they were delicious to plenty of people. However, Xi would probably never be able to convince him to try them. “Well, we can get some different things to bring home.” By the time they were done settling on dinner his barber was finished up. There wasn’t much to do besides take a few inches off of his hair. He paid and tipped the gentleman while he waited for Xi to finish up.

When his own hair was done, it took a bit more time than Jasons, he was moving to pay as well. A smile on his face, as he looked his new hair style over, it looked really good. “I like it.” He did, he didn’t think he’d have a problem with it even in a few days.

“I’ll get carry out and you can get subway and we’ll be all good. Mmm, do you wanna try some mochi ice cream? I can get that for dessert with my meal.” It wasn’t spicy and it was something fairly normal...at least he thought so. “Or macha ice cream or something? No spice, I promise..and no red bean desserts.” Since most people, at least those not familiar with it, found that an odd sort of desert thing.

Jason motioned for Xi to put his wallet away. “I was the one that talked you into this, my treat.” He paid and tipped the barber well, very happy with how his friends new style was already working out. “It looks fantastic.” Way better than he could have pictured it just based on the one online. For a chance, he could clearly see that shy face of his. No more hiding behind those long bangs, not much he could do about the over-sized hoodies though. That was just part of his friends charm.

“I’ll try anything so long as it’s not spicy.” He had actually heard of mochi ice cream before. While he had never actually had any himself, it was something he had seen before shopping in some of the more high-end grocery stores. It would probably be much better from a restaurant though. “Alright, off to find some food and then we can show you off to Nischal.” He was sure to be just as thrilled.