AN: Wow, I haven't written in a long time. Thanks for clicking my link... I guess.
Disclaimer: I, in no way, own Magi Labyrinth of Magic.
It's a well known fact that Aladdin, first Kodor, does not braid his own hair. Whether it's because he's lacking in the knowledge of how to or not, everybody in the academy knows it.
Everyone has seen Aladdin in the lap of some girl having his long hair braided. The girls are always more than happy to because according to them:
"It's so soft and silky!"
"It's so pretty... I wish I had hair like Aladdin."
"Cuute!"
Sometimes there's guys too, who are charmed into doing it. Aladdin rarely has guys, but as opposed to when he's smiling blissfully in the lap of some girl, he's usually pouting. But his hair must be braided, and if there aren't girls around to do it, guys might as well suffice.
One day, Aladdin comes into the mess hall with his hair still a bit wet and loose. He walks through the crowds of people, avoiding the long legs and careless steps. He drags the longest of his hair with him, too. Some of the blue hair is curled around his arms, being pulled out of somebody's way. It was the disadvantage of being short, but he'd eventually grow out of it. Possibly.
He plops down next to Sphintus, who was already eating and using another fork to feed Kukulcan. Kukulcan takes the strip of meat from it's fork and hisses happily.
"Hey, Sphintus," Aladdin says. He grabs a spare fork and forks some food from the blond boy's plate.
"Get your own," Sphintus says, more out of reflex than actual offense. "And why's your hair loose?"
"Mmm, the line's really full right now. I'll wait until later," Aladdin responds. "It's 'cause I washed it. 'N no one was free to braid it."
"Not even a guy?"
"Nuh uh. Everyone was already here."
"And you don't know how to do it yourself?" Sphintus asked exasperatedly. How could the boy live for, what, 11, 12 years, and not know how to braid his own hair?
Aladdin pouts, "I've always had my friends to do it for me."
"Like 'Mor' and Alibaba?" Sphintus has, as Aladdin's room mate, more than enough times heard about Aladdin's friends. He's still not exactly sure who they are, but they're Aladdin's friends so they couldn't be that bad. But the mention of them always pulls his stomach a little, always makes it twist uncomfortably.
"Mhm. Mor wasn't as good at it 'cause she didn't have the experience but Alibaba was really good at it. Almost as good as Ugo-kun," Aladdin says the last somewhat reluctantly. Ugo was another friend, but unlike Mor and Alibaba, Aladdin almost never brought him up unless it was an accident. Talking about Ugo was like a habit the boy couldn't get rid of, Sphintus thinks, and what his hesitation implies doesn't make the knots in his stomach any better.
"Isn't Alibaba a guy?" Sphintus tries to divert the boy's attention before Aladdin decides to lose his appetite and retreat to their room. He'd rather the boy stay and eat, even if it was his own dinner, thanks.
Aladdin's attention goes back to him, the glassy look in his eyes suddenly lost and replaced by confusion. "Why does that matter?"
"Well..." Sphintus starts, but then looks at the boy again. "Nevermind. So why isn't Mor as good as Alibaba?"
Aladdin forks another portion of dinner away from his plate. He chews slowly, seeming to think of his answer carefully. Which is a rare thing for Aladdin. He seems to just lack all brain to mouth filter sometimes. "Well, Mor hasn't had the need to braid it before I asked her to braid mine."
"Is her hair short?"
"Yeah, and really pretty, too. It's a bright, bright, red."
Another knot in his stomach. Lovely. " Why don't you just learn to braid it yourself?"
Aladdin looks at him strangely, "Well, it's hard. I can't reach some of the hair. And it's always been a two person endeavor for me."
"I see," Sphintus says. "How about I braid it for you?"
Sphintus can't quite say where the offer came from, because quite frankly, he thinks he'll be about as good as Mor. He's never had to braid hair in his life, except maybe for that one time he braided his cousin's long, blonde hair at her request. His offer may have come from a secret need to associate with this boy, Sphintus will admit later. Aladdin shines so brightly, and not many can reject his presence. When Sphintus hears about Alibaba and Mor, it makes him feel so horribly... not important. Because no matter how much the other students in Magnoshuttat say that he's the one closest to Aladdin, it seems like Alibaba and Mor will always come first for the boy.
Sphintus can hope, though. Maybe if he tried hard enough, if he absorbed enough of the boy's light... He'd just be just as bright, be in the world that Aladdin sees.
"Sure."
Just like that, Aladdin turns around, his blue hair nearly flying into Sphintus' food. The boy straddles the bench, his legs swinging. When Sphintus doesn't immediately respond, he peers at his friend. "Well?"
"R-right," Sphintus stutters. He abandons his fork on the plate and lets Kukulcan down onto the table so that the snake could feed itself.
He's horrible at it. He misses a few strands, pulls the hair a little too roughly (he can see Aladdin grimace), the hair wasn't combed enough, and the braiding is clumsy and possibly the worst job he's ever seen on Aladdin's hair.
But Aladdin still thanks him, smiles a grin big enough to split his face.
"You really shouldn't thank me, I think I made your hair worse." Sphintus hides his face, an embarrassed flush coming over his cheeks.
Aladdin laughs, "I'm sure you'll get used to it at some point." With that said, Aladdin bounds off for the dinner line had shortened enough that it would be a quick trip.
"... At some point?" Sphintus stares at the 1st kodor's retreating back. He then diverts his stare to the feeding Kukulcan, "Does that mean he wants me to do it again?"
End
Thanks for reading!