Disclaimer: Neither Glee or it's characters belong to me, I am just borrowing them for fun and I promise to return them no worse for wear.
Author Notes: A cute little one shot, based on a prompt at the LJ glee_fluff_meme, that I hope you all enjoy. As always any and all feedback is appreciated and encouraged! Un-beta-d, all mistakes are mine and of you point them out I can fix them. Also the capital in mohawk was in auto correct and I am too lazy to change them all to lowercase 'm' - even though I think it's meant to be capital. I hope you all enjoy!!
Buzz-ted
Working for the local salon was one of the highlights of Kurt's day. He was so excited when he was able to score this part time job. Usually he was just stuck shampooing and sweeping floors and the occasional stint at the front desk taking appointment calls. He was yet to actually cut hair, but was looking forward to the chance and the manager was close to letting him have his first shot.
While Kurt was sweeping up some blonde locks riddled with split ends, Puck entered the salon and headed over to the clerk at the desk. She was currently filing her nails and chewing gum as she looked up and gave Puck a questioning glance. Boys that looked like him hardly ever came into the salon. Their clientele generally consisted of middle-aged women.
"I'm here for a trim," Puck stated, absentmindedly running his hands over the bristly, coarse hair that was beginning to grow back where it was previously buzzed. The girl behind the desk snapped her gum and gestured to some empty seats designated for waiting customers. Puck sat down and began to leaf through a copy of 'Women's Health' hoping to score images of women in bikinis, or sports bras.
His mother had been chastising him for the better part of the week about the unruly state of his hair. She insisted that if he was going to have that infernal cut that he'd better get it trimmed. She gave him the address of her salon and sent him out that very afternoon.
When it was Puck's turn to get his haircut he was lead to an awaiting chair. The hairdresser, a woman with an obvious love for experimental dye jobs (there were several shades of blonde, black and red in her hair), gave him a smock to cover his clothes.
The woman flashed him a toothy grin and asked, "What are you after?"
"Just a trim, thanks."
"So you want the sides shaved, and the top trimmed?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Do you mind if our trainee does it?" She continued when Puck raised his eyebrows in uncertainty, "It's a pretty basic job and he's been itching to do something other than sweep the floors."
"Yeah, whatever," Puck replied. He just wanted to get in and out of the salon as fast as possible. He didn't care who did it as long as it got done. Then he heard a familiar high-pitched voice.
"What can I do for you today, sir?"
Kurt Hummel.
He suddenly cared who would be cutting his hair. He was now at the mercy of the boy who he threw into dumpsters for years. He closed his eyes and hoped – no prayed – that all would go well and he that wouldn't be stabbed in the jugular with hair scissors.
*
Kurt was excited to be getting his first client. When Cindy, his manager, had informed him that he was going to actually be cutting hair; not washing, drying or sweeping, actually cutting hair he did a little jump for joy. (On the inside of course, he can't be looking unprofessional). That joy however was replaced by displeasure when he saw who was sitting in the awaiting chair.
Noah 'Puck' Puckerman, bully and asshole extraordinaire. How did he find Kurt at his work, was torturing the boy at school not enough? He was pretty sure he kept his new job quiet so these sorts of things would not happen. Kurt did not want his first experience cutting hair to be one where his token bully was taunting him, but he wanted to prove himself. So he gathered up his wits and walked over to the chair.
"What can I do for you today, sir?" as hard as he tried he couldn't mask the annoyance in his voice. He plastered on a fake smile that would make any pageant mother proud and turned his head to look down at Puck.
Puck was feeling rather uncomfortable at this point, but he was adamant about not showing weakness to Kurt Hummel of all people. The haircutting fairy needed to know he was in charge of the situation.
"Okay, here's the deal, Hummel," Puck stated – more like ordered. "I want the sides buzzed down and the top trimmed. Make me look presentable for my Ma, but still keep the badass edge of the Mohawk. Got that? I got a rep to protect."
Kurt rolled his eyes at the smug look on the jocks face. Of course he would be worrying about his reputation and that infernal Mohawk, he was "all that" after all. If only there was a way he could remove the jerks astronomically proportioned ego. It suddenly hit Kurt like a freight train – the Mohawk.
That Mohawk of his was a huge "look at me, look at how badass I am" sign and in Kurt's honest opinion made him look like more of a douche bag than he acted. But to Puck it was his power, his strength; it set him apart from the crowd. Puck liked the attention and his Mohawk gave him that attention. Kurt decided to hit Puck where it hurt the hardest – his ego. All he needed was a set of hair clippers...
*
When Kurt returned with the haircutting equipment he was more than ready to attempt his task. He was going to destroy Puck, follicle by follicle. He started off shaving the sides, "A number one will tidy up the sides nicely" and tried to be as approachable and congenial towards the boy as possible (he wanted to continue working there after all).
Puck wasn't sure whether to be on edge with the other's boys welcoming attitude or relax. He was just making up his mind when he heard a "Whoops!" and felt the cold metal of the clippers run through the centre of his head. He looked in the mirror and was greeted with a pale road through the centre of his Mohawk; his river of hair had been parted like Moses had parted the red sea. All he could do was gape at his reflection.
"What the hell, Hummel!"
*
Kurt had innocently started shaving the sides, but the itch to castrate Puck's reputation was too hard not to scratch. He was filled with this new, sick feeling of power; it was something he had never really felt before. He was in control; the ball was is in his court, so to speak. He lunged forward slicing through the middle of the strip of hair, making sure to make it look like he had tripped changing sides around the chair.
The sound of the clippers as it made it's connecting with its target sent a wave of pride through his body. He let out a pathetic, and fake sounding; "Whoops!" as he righted himself assessing the damage – or the work of art – he wasn't sure which yet.
He broke out into a smug grin when he noticed the shocked look on Puck's face. This smug look, however, didn't go unnoticed by Puck.
"What the hell, Hummel!" He cried. He brought a frantic hand up to his head and began massaging the now bald patch, like he was hoping that it had the power to urge it to grow back that instant. He then caught Kurt's face in the mirror and recognised the look of sick satisfaction on his face, "You did this on purpose!" he accused as he spun around in the chair to face Kurt.
Kurt denied the accusation coolly, "I merely tripped Puck, I didn't mean to shave through that cranial atrocity you call a hairstyle."
"What is with that smug look on your face?" Puck narrowed his eyes, "You look awfully pleased for it being an 'accident'."
"Well there is no use crying over what has past Puck," Kurt ignored the other boy's findings. "Do you want to leave the hair as is, or should I continue to shave it all off? If it is any consolation, the side-on Mickey Mouse ears you are currently sporting would go down great at school tomorrow."
Puck just shot Kurt a glare of mythically proportions, clenched his jaw and ground out a low, "Just shave it off."
Kurt was more than happy to oblige the other boy's wishes as he continued to shave down the centre of the other boy's head. As each chunk of hair fell onto the linoleum Puck felt his pride become more and more bruised, while Kurt's smile grew wider and wider. After years of Puck ruining Kurt's clothes, Kurt was getting his own back. He was filled with a sadistic sense of power.
Kurt continued to make small talk with Puck about the positives of his new hairstyle choice, "To be honest Puck, my little accident is doing you and society a favour. The Mohawk is incredibly dated and it had horrendous split ends – I was only doing what was healthy for your hair."
"So you admit it then?" Puck exclaimed. "You admit that you did it on purpose?"
"No I do not," Kurt said haughtily.
Puck continued to mutter and mourn the loss of his hair; "This is totally going to ruin my image!" he began. "I'm gonna be bald! The ladies don't dig bald men, Hummel – not that you would know anyway - bald men are what the cougars are trying to escape."
Kurt just rolled his eyes at this impromptu melodrama and continued to remove the last few sections of hair. When he was finished he spun the chair back around to face the mirror. Puck eyed his reflection and continued to mutter about the ladies not wanting a bald boyfriend, and before Kurt could stop himself he said, "I think the shaved head makes you look sexy."
Kurt then clapped a hand over his mouth and turned a ferocious shade of scarlet. What had made him say that? Now that he had taken a step back and had a good look at the other boy, the baggage of the past removed with his little improvised act of revenge; he had to note that the other boy was extremely attractive. He was a built football player and without that obnoxious hairdo he was really quite sexy. Damn him and his penchant for football players.
Puck on the other hand had to smile at the other boy's comment, whatever shred of his ego that remained was inflated by Kurt's assessment and him getting a compliment from Kurt was like winning the lottery – next to impossible. He was going to milk it for all it was worth.
"You think I look sexy, Hummel?" Puck flashed the other boy a cheeky, yet seductive grin. This only made Kurt blush harder, which Puck found extremely endearing, seeing this flustered side of the boy.
"N-no," Kurt tried to regain his composure, "I merely said that men with shaved hair are sexy, not you specifically." He couldn't believe that the other boy was making him feel like this, all stuttery and blushy.
"Oh, okay," Puck didn't look convinced, but he was willing to let it slide – just this once. He was beginning to develop a soft spot for Kurt and he was interested to see what it all meant. "Well, I'll have to come back in a few weeks for a clean up."
"You want your Mohawk back?" Kurt was disappointed that he wasn't interested in keeping the new look, even after his comment to the other boy. He was right Puck was scared of change.
"Nah," he smiled at Kurt, rubbing his hand absentmindedly over his now smooth head. "I think I'll keep the clean shaven look – someone really digs it."
And with a swift wink, Puck left the salon leaving a smiling, bewildered, beetroot red Kurt in his wake.