Title: Haircut

Prompt: Prompt 7—Rain city

Character/Pairing: Lottie, Lily, Fang

A/N: Early Baskerville love. 3 Also, sorry for sending it twice—just realized I forgot to give the word count

Word Count: 600

Summary: Their words sound like a truth, a truth she wants to believe.

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Lily sits on the stool, shifting uncomfortably as she watched the people move around her. Two men and a woman, she can't remember their names.

"Fun?" She tries, but that doesn't sound right. "Lara?"

One of the guys hears her and laughs. As he approaches her, she tries not to flinch. She guessed wrong, didn't she? She guessed wrong and now they were going to punish her and they were going to—

"It's Fang," he corrects, crouching in front of her. They're at eye level now and she stares unabashedly at him for a few minutes before quickly turning away.

"Fang?" she repeats, after it's clear he isn't going to do anything else.

"That's right, Fang." He grins and then points at the woman in red. "Her name is Lottie."

"Lottie."

"And he's Dug." Fang nods his head at the other boy. They're older than her, so much older. She stiffens when he ruffles her hair, not sure what else that hand might do.

"Sorry," Fang apologizes, noticing her reaction. Withdrawing his hand, he offers it out instead. "Would you like to shake instead?"

This, this is strange and weird. The lights around her give her no indication about Fang, of whether he is sincere or not. Hesitantly, she takes his hand in a loose grip.

"Lottie's going to cut your hair, is that fine?"

Lily stares at the woman in terror now, at the scissors in her hand. "She's…She's not going to cut me?"

"Not you, just your hair." Fang squeezes her hand reassuringly. "It's a little messy and wild right now."

"Just my hair?"

"Just your hair," he promises. He reaches up to touch his own hair and tugs it. "I'm getting a little long myself. Maybe I'll get a haircut too?"

It's a lie, she knows it is. His hair already looks like it was cut, the ends trimmed and in line. She nods anyways and feels like giggling when he plops down next to her.

"It's a good thing we're outside," he says. "Lottie hates cleaning up after a cut."

"I don't like cleaning either," Lily replies, feeling a little adventurous.

"Oh?" Fang smiles. "I guess I'm stuck on cleaning duty then."

Lottie comes now, slowly approaching from the front. "Ready for the haircut?"

"Um…" Lily shivers slightly, but tries to push down her fears. Fang seems like a nice person. These are nice people. They have to be. "Could you not cut my bangs?"

Lottie stares at her in puzzlement, before noticing the tattoo covered by her hair. Brightly, she replies, "Of course not. Though, I think in a few days you might change your mind."

"In a few days?"

Fang answers this time instead of her. "We're getting you a gift then."

Lily clutches the red cloak around her shoulders, it's a little big but new and nice and beautiful. "I already got so much!"

"And you'll still get more." Lottie's behind her now, slowly snipping her hair. With each clack of the scissor, Lily's surprised to find her ears are still on.

"But—"

"Lily, you're family now." Lottie keeps cutting, humming in agreement as Fang speaks. "We're doing this because we want to."

Lily resists the urge to hide in her cloak, to cover her face in embarrassment. She hasn't heard the word family in months now.

"Family?"

"Family," Lottie replies now, firmly. "You're a Baskerville and you're one of us. Always."

"Always," Lily repeats, their words sounding like a truth.