Loose
by Crescend
"It's simple, really." He never did seem to find anything difficult at all. Calculation, logic, it was commonplace where it came to Kristoph Gavin, or so he'd like to show, Phoenix found himself thinking. The ex-lawyer's expression never changed, however, and Kristoph could only shrug as he turned back around to look at himself in the large mirror in his room as he continued to talk, his gaze never wandering to the reflection of his 'friend' even once. A sign of vanity, or perhaps something else?
"Curling irons can only maintain the twist for a certain amount of time. And if I did leave the styling gel in for more than I ought to..." He trailed off, Phoenix could only assume, for dramatic effect, and then continued, "I certainly wouldn't have a lot to work with for the next day, now would I?"
The smile on his face was almost sickening, but what felt like a punch in the gut was the way he turned and looked at him, blond hair falling in perfect, untangled waves around his face, giving him a charming appearance despite the fact that he was hardly dressed in the manner Phoenix was used to seeing him in usually. Contrasting his own appearance almost perfectly.
He'd begun to loathe that word more than the principle itself, really.
When Kristoph turned and walked toward him, Phoenix mentally congratulated himself for not giving into the urge to step back-- though it was stronger than ever, especially when he moved that rather smooth, well-cared for hand to the side of his neck. For a moment, Phoenix thought he was going to bring his face in close with that hold but with a light brush of his fingers, he'd drawn his hand back once more in a calm gesture. Only this time, there were three long strands of black-- and to Phoenix's horror-a single strand of gray- held between his thumb and forefinger, drawn from the collar of his sweater.
His weak laugh was his only means of saving face as he drew his hand up to his hat, much to Kristoph's amusement. Almost as if savouring a small victory, the older Gavin brother merely shrugged with a resigned smile as he held out the strands of hair to Phoenix, to which the other could only absently hold out his own hand to receive.
"Might I suggest an increase in your intake of iron, Wright? It seems as though you're suffering a bit of a deficiency there." Kristoph commented coolly, to which Phoenix only half-heartedly smiled in response and figured it would be best to not mention the long blond strands he saw balled up under wads of tissue in the bathroom trash can on his way into the room.