Authors Notes: - Between Nickodamous and David, it's hard to tell who has the bigger heart. I guess the only difference is Nickodamous will go on long missions to help people while David is more moved by immediate things. Either way, they are both silly. ^_^ I'm going to have fun with this story.


Locks of Love

Nickodamous ran the brush through his long wavy golden hair one last time before he began to braid it. When completely down it hung almost to his waist, braided it was just below the middle of his back. He simply let it grow so long because he didn't have the time to bother getting it cut and enjoyed the compliments women gave it. Every day he would religiously wash and deep condition it. It was in better condition than most women's hair.

Once it was tied tight into a neat braid he picked the pair of scissors off of the sink. He stared at the sharp silver blades, his hands almost trembling. In the many years of his life he'd never even considered cutting it very short and he was just about to cut it all off. He steeled his nerves and lifted the scissors behind his head. Feeling his way around he located the stop he was going to cut, just above the first tie at the base of his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut as he clenched down on the scissors. The terrible sound of the two blades coming together around his hair almost made him cry.

The weight lifted from the back of his head and he heard a thud as the braid tumbled to the ground. He turned slowly and looked down. The long coil of hair rest limply against the side of his foot. He stared at it for a few moments, letting it sink it that it really was his hair and it really was gone.

"It's for a good cause." He told himself, surprised to hear his voice waver.

From the other side of the bathroom door his roommate and best friend Nicholas queried: "What is?"

Nickodamous knelt down, scooped up the braid then opened the door. Nicholas, who was considerably shorter than him despite being an average six feet one inch tall had to tilt his head back to get a good view of his friends face, and new hair. His eyes widened for a brief moment, registering a rare expression: shock.

"I cut my hair." He told him forlornly.

"But… why?" Nicholas sputtered but quickly began to regain his composure. The look of shock faded from his face and careful neutrality, his usual expression, returned.

"I was watching TV and they were talking about kids with cancer and they mentioned Locks of Love, an organization that gives underprivileged kids wigs made from donated hair," Nickodamous took a deep breath and held up his braid. "So I'm going to donate my hair."

"That is very noble of you…" Nicholas responded.

Suddenly a grin spread across Nickodamous' face. "Why don't you donate your hair too! It's not as long as mine but every bit counts!"

Nicholas reflexively grabbed his hair and eyed his friend and the pair of scissors he still carried. "I'm not so sure."

"But there are bald children out there who need hair!" He said pleadingly.

"And they will now have your hair." Nicholas said.

"Come on, you cut your hair all the time!"

Nicholas gave him a mild look of suspicion, as if questioning his friend's sanity. "Once a century hardly counts as all the time."

"But it's been about a century! Hasn't it?" Nickodamous smiled at him sweetly. "Come on."

He narrowed his eyes and pet his hair. "If it would make you happy."

"It would!" Nickodamous grinned and stepped behind him.

"I'll braid it myself." Nicholas said moving away from him.

"Ok, I'll wait." Nickodamous grinned even more and sat on the edge of their bowl shaped bed, waiting. He no longer missed his hair and was overjoyed his friend would be joining him. While he watched him braid his hair through the bathroom door he began to consider all the people he knew. Most of them, being from more old-fashioned cultures had long hair, even the men. He realized more of his friends had long hair than short hair.

"You are plotting something." Nicholas said when he caught a glimpse of his friends face.

"I just realized that I know lots of people with long hair."

"Yes, but many of them would be far more loath to part with it than myself," Nicholas sighed and walked over. He turned around and knelt. "Go ahead."

Nickodamous took Nicholas braid, which was the same gold color as his, just somewhat shorter and straighter than his, in his big hand. He placed the scissors above the slender black hair tie that secured the top half of the braid. Without a moment more hesitation he quickly snipped it off. The length of hair slipped out of his hand and fell between his feet. Very business like, Nicholas stood and walked into the bathroom. He examined himself in the mirror and sighed.

"Now I will have to have it styled."

"Yes but some kid is going to have hair." Nickodamous assured him.

"I am hardly as moved by the plight of human children as you."

He stared at Nicholas sadly for a moment then nodded. "I know." The smile quickly returned to his face though. He snatched up the second braid and stood up. "I'm going to enlist the others."

"I wish you luck," Nicholas said earnestly. "I would be shocked if you managed to get Elwyn to agree to it."

"Oh I will." Nickodamous said with an evil leer.

Nicholas stared at him with a small frown. "Do be careful."

"I will be!" He promised as he fled the apartment in search of his first 'victim'.

"Don't run with scissors!" Nicholas yelled after him but got no reply.

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