Room Mates Part V by P.J.

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We got to see each other practically every weekend over the holiday break. Gunner finally staying over at my house and meeting my family. We were still trying to keep our more intimate relationship to ourselves for awhile longer though.

Soon enough we were back at school. The semester started off with a heavy school work load. Pretty quiet in the haircut department. Everyone had gotten their holiday clean up cuts and would mostly likely coast till the end of the semester rolled around.

I'd come back to our room on several occasions to find Gunner searching guys hairstyle web sites, ostensibly searching for what his next cut would be. On one occasion, where he was reviewing some extremely short cuts I commented "I hope you aren't going to go with one of those for me dude. If you do, I'll cut yours so short that a #1 butch will seem like a shag haircut! Remember, we're each picking the OTHERS cut. Unless of course you are chickening out" I challenged.

He laughed "no, but I remember a comment you made about wondering what it would be like to get a short butch cut." "Oh really", I replied. "Well just remember, I know my way around those Osters better than you, my friend." I walked up behind him and pulled his mane all back behind his head, flattening it out. "I've never seen you with a fresh #1 butch cut either." I quipped. His hair was heavenly soft and thick in my hands. His bob cut had grown out to the point where it was just getting to be long hair, not much style to it. I couldn't wait till May arrived.

Our relationship had grown too, this semester, we were compatible in so many ways. I was especially fascinated with the bonus fact that I'd also found a haircut buddy in the process.
May finally arrived. I could tell Gunner was getting anxious. I was getting excited. I definitely wanted a shorter cut, and to be rid of my beard. We'd agreed to keep the beards and shave them off when we got our haircuts. It would make for a more dramatic transformation. We'd both bandied back and forth about various cuts we liked and didn't like all semester long. I thought I had a pretty good idea of where I was going to go with Gunners mane. He'd commented once that he reluctantly was ready for something a bit shorter. Emphasizing that a butch cut of any sort was too short though. He'd said he'd be happy if he never got another clipper cut again. As much as I would have liked to try out running my hands over short velvety stubble during our intimate moments, I admitted that I did like running my hands through his plush mane too. I had some ideas for cuts but I had to find out if he wanted to try going short enough to make using product in his mane necessary. I was also trying covertly to gage his anxiety level over getting a shorter haircut. What I had planned was a fair bit shorter than his current mane.

The last Saturday of the semester was finally upon us. We'd agreed quite awhile ago that Gunner would be first for a haircut. He was paranoid about me chopping it all off. Being first would give him the opportunity for a revenge cut if it turned out badly. Nothing like your boyfriend not trusting you now, wow. Truth be told, we were each excited to give the other a cut, but not excited to be on the receiving end of one. I'd caught Gunner several times in the bathroom, brushing his mane, pulling it back parting it differently. Each time he'd end up sighing deeply and walking away.
Gunner took the seat gingerly, almost as if it were going to bite him. I gently taped and capped him. making sure the cape was good and snug. I quickly brushed out his lush mane. Brushing it all back off his face. I got my cell phone out and snapped a quick series of shots for posterity. Gunner had a resigned expression on his face. "Dude, we don't have to do this if you don't want to?" I stood directly in front of him, cupping his chin in my hand, tipping his head up, and forcing him to look me in the eye. "If you want to continue to grow it out more, that's fine by me, honest. We can switch places right now, you can cut mine and were done. I don't want you to feel pressured man, it's just a haircut."

"No, its fine, really," Gunner replied, resignation obvious in his tone. "It's just that this marks the end of my long hair journey. I didn't expect it to go this fast is all."
"Gunner, I'm not going to give you a buzz cut, you'll still have FAIRLY long hair when I'm done. I think you'll like it too. Relax babe. You can always grow it back out if you want you know, it's doesn't have to be the real end to it."

He sighed, "yeah, I guess. It's just that now I know how long it will take to grow it back out. Just please don't buzz me Jake. He sighed loudly, like it was his dying breath. O.K., might as well get this over with."

I wanted so much to say, dude, it's only hair, it'll grow back, but I had to stop and put myself in his place. For him this was a big deal. A huge deal. I debated with myself to change what I'd picked for him, and go with something longer. I already knew without declaring, it that I had deep feelings for him. I also know that at some point long hair was just that, long hair, and his was pretty much there as far as I was concerned. I loved the feel of it, and playing with it, but it had gotten too long. Part of me wanted soo bad to take the clippers to those plush locks and watch as they were peeled close, nothing but stubble in the clippers wake. The better part of me knew I couldn't do that to him though. Hopefully he wouldn't hate me when I'd finished with him. We'd just have to see now, won't we.

I'd purposely brushed his mane straight back, I needed to make a few strategic cuts just to establish lengths for various areas. I picked up my comb and shears. Standing behind him, I worked my fingers in below his nape. God his hair felt amazing. I wanted to cut it roughly 2 inches below his nape to start. That was going to remove about 5 or 6 inches in back. Probably going to be a bit traumatic for him. Not quite long enough to donate but oh, well. I made the first strategic snip. I dropped the first lock of hair into his lap. He exhaled and groaned loudly. "God that's really long, Jake!" he blurted out. He squirmed a bit, clearly uneasy, but stoic. The next part was going to freak him out even more. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed that I'd laid out the big Oster 76's along with all the other gear. I reached for them next. Just as he started to protest, I fired em up. "Jake, man, seriously, there's no guard on them man! WTF" Gunner barked. I laughed. "I know, don't worry" I barked right back. He looked like he was going to cry.

Now that I had a guide length, I wanted to remove the rest of bulk of the extra length quickly. I clipper over combed all the way across from right shoulder to left. Sheaves of 6 inch honey blonde locks shimmering as they fell to my feet. Mound after heavenly mound was severed free and landed on the toe of my mocs. I made sure none fell into his lap. I'd pulled each section away from his head with the comb first so he had no idea how much or little was being cut. Only that a lot less flopped back against his neck. I was getting excited and a bit anxious myself. I'd cleared away a huge amount of his lush mane. He, on the other hand, clearly wasn't enjoying this at all.

Gunner almost swooned. "Breath, big guy" I said, massaging his shoulder lightly. "That's the worst of it. At least the clipper work anyways" I shut down the big Osters. I needed to check my length on his fringe so the next step was to horse shoe part him and comb the fringe down in front. I now had a guide length for the fringe from my earlier cut in back. Hmm, he was going to lose a few inches of fringe too. Oh well, it'll grow back right, I grinned to myself. I'd save cutting the fringe for later. I duck clipped off the fringe section and went to work on the sides and back. I brushed the hair on the right side of his head back, tucking it behind his ear. Letting it hang down a couple of inches below the back of his ear, I gave it an initial snip to establish length.
Oh, and did I forget to say that I did not set up the mirrors, this was going to be a complete surprise cut for each of us on the other. Gunner was getting agitated at not being able to tell what was going on. He'd already tried unsuccessfully to get a look at the floor behind him.

I untucked and combed the cut side locks straight down. Taking vertical sections, I used the cut lock as a guide to cut the side hair starting at his face, and working back to behind his ear. I was cutting off a good 4 inches. This was all falling into his lap. All the cut hair from the first cuts in back had fallen on the floor. "Dude, that's a lot of hair! Seriously, I hope this isn't some preppy F%$k boi cut." he moaned. I just laughed and kept on snipping away. "Why, yes, you guessed it, damn." I quipped. "It's one of those high volume quiff styles I saw you ogling on the internet. I hope you like it cause it'll take forever to grow out if you don't" I added, chuckling. "I'm just getting rid of the bulk on the sides so I can start the high fade, I forgot to get my balding clippers out of my bag of tricks."

"Jake!, so help me god, you give me a fade and we're through. I'll move out and take a room off campus next year! S**t! A fade is worse than a butch for god's sake man!" Gunner was almost beside himself.

I had to stop snipping at this point, he was so agitated I was afraid I'd f*** up the cut. I walked around and got down eye to eye with him. His eyes were watery. "Gunner", I said chuckling (maybe is wasn't such a good idea to be chuckling at this point but I couldn't stop). "Do you really think I'd give you a high fade dude. I love this mane. I am cutting it shorter, but you'll still be a hot looking stud when I'm done. You have to trust me man. Sheesh. Take a deep breath and relax. I was only teasing you."
"This isn't funny Jake, this is serious, at least for me. I don't want this journey to be over with just yet." Gunner implored.
"O.K., O.K. no more teasing, I promise." I said. "your hair was getting to the point where it was just long hair, no style, this will look good, really. Please don't wiggle around or you'll end up with the a high and tight to fix a f*** up."

We settled down and I finished cutting the sides, blending them into the longer hair in back a little. I wasn't finished back there yet though. I unclipped his top locks and fringe, letting them tumble down over his face. I paused and reached down, ostensibly to grab a fist full of hair from his lap, I was really checking to see if, despite his panic, he was in some state of arousal, I know I certainly was. "Look Gunner" I said, picking up a fist full of severed locks, and making contact with the object of me desire in the process. This isn't really much hair, considering what you started with."

"No" he replied, sneaking a glance back behind the chair, on the floor. "But that huge pile back there is!, Holy S**t Jake." Gunner barked back. "Settle down big guy" I said, patting his shoulder. "It's already on the floor so there's nothing you can do about it now anyway." He gave another heavy sigh. "Jeeze, I can't feel my hair on the back of my neck and shoulders any more. This is way too short." He sniffed loudly.

I ignored him, and proceeded to comb the thick fringe straight down. I could clearly see the shorter snipped length from my initial cut in back as my guide, when it had all been brushed back. I'd combed the sides down too. He was going to lose about 3 inches, give or take from the front. I started in the center, and snipped back to the side, meeting the shorter length on the sides, giving the fringe a wide v shape. "Not much more to go, hang in there big guy" I said, patting him on the shoulder. He just sighed deeply again.
All I had left was to brush it all back again, and do some blending along the bottom of the back to remove the bluntness. This would involve removing more hair though. I'd try and make sure it fell in back, not in his lap. I didn't want to have him freak out any more than he already was. I spent a good amount of time layering carefully and blending the sides and top into the back , trying not to remove much fringe length. Finally I was satisfied.

Now I reached for the Osters again and clipped a #5 guard on. "Jake, what the f*** man" Gunner barked. "NO more clipper work, please!" It already feels like I have no hair left."
"My turn to sigh heavily. "Gunner, Will You Relax! It's time to take your beard off. I'm going to start with a #5 guard and see what a scruff looks like with this cut. Gunner exhaled heavily and nodded O.K. I could see the stress in his eyes as I tipped his head up to clip the beard shorter.
I made short work of the beard removal. Carving it all off down to long stubble. Picking up the peanut clippers, I proceeded to trim up and outline the remaining scruff, continuing up and into his sideburns. the last part was shaving his furry neck. I'd now exposed it more than it had been for quite awhile. "Mmmn, Jake, I don't feel any long hair against my neck anymore. I'm guessing it's all gone?" Gunner quietly asked. I responded "Patience dude, all will be revealed soon." I thought he looked particularly good with the darker scruff and fresh cut. I loved the casual flipped back fringe look on him.

I gave him a hopeful smile. "O.K. dude, time for the big reveal. I've cut this so you can either wear it with, or without mousse in it to hold it. Which way would you like to see it first?" I stood in front of him, smiling inquisitively.

He glanced up at me, panic in his eyes,"um, without, I guess, first, then you can show me how to put the mousse in for the other way." He looked at me like a wounded puppy. I chose to ignore the look. He could be such a baby sometimes, especially when it came to his precious locks. I hadn't shaved him bald. He still had a nice thick mane, only now he looked hot AF.

I parted it in the middle, then brushed the sides back so they were tucked behind his ears. I'd left the sides and fringe long enough to stay behind his ears when tucked." I set up the three way mirror in front of him on my desk. I had to laugh, he had his eyes closed. "Gunner, babe, you can open your eyes, good grief babe. You look fantastic."

He slowly opened his eyes. His expression was completely unreadable. He slowly turned his head from side to side. Next he looked down. Some of his thick fringe came untucked. He reached both hands out from under the cape and retucked it, smoothing his hands through the back also. "Wow, Jake, it's sooo short man. Holy s**t. This is going to take some major adjusting too man." He ran his hand into the dense layers at his nape, exhaling loudly again. "Wow, what does it look like if I were to use the mousse?"

As I got the mousse out and started working it into the top and fringe I explained. " Look, it had finally gotten VERY long this semester. It was just long hair, not really any style to it anymore. You don't like to wear it tied back or in a bun, it's usually just tucked behind you ears, or just down loose. I thought that this would be long enough to still wear it loose, tucked behind your ears for a casual style. It's just more tailored and deliberate looking. When you're at work, if it was long, they would have made you tie it all the time, so I cut the extra length off. You can use the mousse to help keep it all combed back, neat and tidy when you need to. By the end of summer it'll be a couple of inches longer again. Unless of course , you want me to keep it trimmed like this." I brushed his hair all straight back, not tightly slicked. It laid back behind his ears, neatly laying on his nape. "I'm guessing from your reaction you hate it though, but, for what it's worth, I think you look hot AF with it." I brushed him down and removed the cape in silence. "GO take a look in the big bathroom mirror and see what you think." He gave me a sterile glance, then moped into the bathroom.

I was sweeping up all the long thick locks, starting to feel really bad about cutting so much off when he walked back into the room. I started with "Look, Gunner, I'm really sorry man, I thought I'd struck a good balance between the overly long locks and a short cut with this. There really wasn't any true clipper work done. It's still nice an long, really. I'm glad I didn't go with my shorter idea now. If it's any consolation, this is a great cut to grow out from" I gave him a hopeful smile.

Gunner responded quietly, "Jake, it's alright, really. I think I'll be O.K. with it. It's just a lot shorter than I've gotten used to is all, and I do agree, this will work great for working this summer too. I'll get used to it, really." Smiling, he put his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. He ran his hands into my thick thatch, tugging gently. Forehead to forehead he looked me in the eye and declared "My turn now" with an evil grin.

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