summary: band au, hair blitz. was originally going to be called “late to the party,” since im a little late to jump on the “ray’s new haircut fics” bandwagon but this doesn’t deserve a title. (ps it’s sort of rayvin, little bit of mayvin if you squint and mavin friendship)

a/n: i swear im not always this shitty im just particularity shitty this month forgive me friends

Gavin stared at Ray, holding back a giggle. His hair had been chopped and shaved until only a thick line of it ran across his head, making his head look even thinner than it already was. Although their hair blitz was his idea, he had no idea his band mates would take the opportunity to ruin their hair.

“So?” Ray tilted his head, hands outstretched, waiting for Gavin’s reaction.

Gavin took a deep breath to calm himself before replying, “I think it looks bloody ridiculous Ray!” One more look at his best friend sends Gavin in a spiral of chuckles, until he’s almost crying.

Ray sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. “Gav…” He trailed off, “That’s all you have to say?”

“Well,” Gavin continued, holding his aching stomach, “I think you look very cute, if that’s what you want.” He reached out to pinch one of Ray’s cheeks, the younger man turning away before he could. The action, however, did not stop Gavin from giggling again, so loud that Michael came over to laugh at Ray’s haircut also, claiming “you look so dumb!” which made Ray red with rage and embarrassment.

“Whatever,” Ray muttered, stomping away back to their tour bus.

In the tour bus, Ray felt like screaming. He knew as their lead singer, Gavin had an image. Usually his image was your typical douchebag, “but ironically!” as Gavin would defend. It was their thing, making fun of insensitive assholes. However with Gavin, he always took it a step too far.

Whether it was a comment on his clothing choice or his next meal, Gavin somehow found time to criticize everything Ray did. Normally, he wouldn’t mind. Normally Ray could just brush it off. But today he just couldn’t.

It was stupid, but he had always wanted a mohawk. He knew they were ridiculous, and were not at all practical, but he liked them. Ray ran a hand through what hair he had left and frowned. When he had shown Gav his new hairdo, he was excited. Ray expected Gavin to yell about how good it looked, how Ray could rock any look, how he loved it. He should’ve known better.

Ray sighed again and grabbed his headphones, pulling them over his head, liking the feeling of the padding on his bald spots. He turned on his calming song and blared it, sitting back and willing away the tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes.

——————————————————————————–

Gavin looked to where Ray had left just minutes ago, Michael feeling his buzzcut in awe. “Dude, it feels so weird… Feel it! It’s like… prickly, but soft.”

Gavin sighed and turned towards Michael, watching his friend’s amazed expression, “Do you think Ray is mad at me?”

Michael took a moment to snap out of his trance, looking towards Gavin with a confused expression, “Uh, I don’t think so. You know that dude never holds grudges. He knows we were playing. Why, you think he is?”

Gavin shrugged halfheartedly, “I dunno. He seemed pretty pissed. You think we went too far?”

“Man,” Michael rolled his eyes, “I have no fucking clue. Do I look like a short, 2/3rds bald, Puerto Rican that can play drums like a motherfucker?”

“Yeah. Hey I’ll go see what’s up. Give us a minute?”

Michael crossed his arms, taking in the area around him, wondering what he could do while his bandmates worked their lovers quarrel out. “Whatever. Come get me when you’re done, alright?”

“Thanks, man,” Gavin gave him a pat on the shoulder before running out towards the tour bus, Michael muttering a “yeah, yeah, yeah,” before sitting down and pulling out his DS.

——————————————————————————–

Gavin stepped into their tour bus, knowing exactly where to look first. He walked as fast as he could to their bunks, pulling open the bottom one a little harder than he should have. He stared at Ray, lying on his side, facing away from him, headphones on with music blaring from them.

Gavin put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to get his attention. He did not expect, however, for Ray to jump so high his head hit the bottom of Gavin’s bunk. Ray looked at Gavin, headphones having been thrown off, with wild eyes. Once he processed who it was, Ray crossed his arms and gave an annoyed expression at Gavin. “What do you want?”

“I…” Gavin scratched the back of his neck. He really hadn’t thought this through.

“No need to apologize,” Ray stated, “I probably won’t forgive you. It’d just be a waste of breath.”

Gavin sighed and went to run a hand through his hair, and upon realizing there was no hair there and put it back down. “Well… what do you want me to say?”

Ray swung his legs so they were hanging off his bunk and looked up at Gavin. “I don’t fucking know, Gav! Just… leave me alone!” Ray got up, bumping Gavin’s shoulder as he walked to the couch in the small bus, lying down and turning away from Gavin once more.

“We don’t have much space to do that, I’m afraid.”

Ray sneered into the pillow he had stuffed his face in, trying his best to ignore every word Gavin said. He had put up with a lot of Gavin’s shit before, but he had limits. “You know what I want you to do?” He sat up on his knees, face directly in front of Gavin’s. “Tell me what you like about it.” Ray pointed to his hair, Gavin’s eyes following his finger.

Gavin almost laughed, but he knew better. “Fine. It’s very… endearing,” Gavin taunted. “Happy?”

Ray crossed his arms, squinting at his band mate, “Keep going.”

Gavin groaned, giving his hair a few more look-overs. “It looks… easy to take care of?” Ray nodded for him to continue. “And… Kinda soft.” Gavin reached his hand out to pet Ray’s hair, grabbing a handful to feel it better.

Ray rolled his eyes. “Gav. Focus.”

Gavin hummed, barely noticing Ray was even talking to him anymore. He was too busy feeling Ray’s hair, half-joking, half of him kind of amazed at how clean his shave looked. Gavin himself had only gone with a simple buzzcut, a fine layer of (admittedly short) hair covering his head. He had gone for practical, not hot, easy to wash hair. Nothing he’d have to style or be creative with. But Ray had a plethora of opportunities with his hair.

Gavin frowned, now realizing that Ray’s hair wasn’t bad at all. In fact he was kind of jealous. He tried his best, however, to play it off cool, but there was a reason he wasn’t an actor. “Oh- oh yeah. Ray it’s,” he stifles a horrendously fake laugh, “it’s brilliant!” He pats Ray’s head once, his friend giving him a strange look.

“Fuck off. You love it.”

Gavin bit his lip. Pride or friendship, the voice in his head whispered. Gavin watched his friend, still sorta pissed at him, strands of hair falling into his face, no doubt obstructing his field of vision. Without a second thought, Gavin moved the brush the hairs out of the way, getting up close to Ray’s face as he felt his hair once more, running his fingers through it. He could see a falter in Ray’s angry expression, and smirking to himself, he continued to comb his fingers through Ray’s hair, slowly leaning forward as he did, until the weight of him on Ray caused them both to fall onto the couch, Gavin on top of Ray.

Gavin giggled, Ray attempting to still look mad, but a few chuckles escaped. “See? You can never be mad at me,” Gavin hooked his head over Ray’s shoulder, giving him a squeeze, ignoring the man’s squirms of protest.

“Look just… you can’t criticize everything I do oka- Gavin look at me! I’m serious,” Gavin looked at Ray, his friend’s hurt expression hitting him hard. “Just… please don’t, like. I dunno, think before you speak I guess.”

Gavin sighed, running his hand through Ray’s hair once more, nuzzling his nose into Ray’s neck. “I’ll try. For you, my X-Ray.” Gavin made kissy  noises towards Ray, his band mate blushing in response.

The bus door slammed open, a distraught Michael walking in, hands over his ears and eyes shut tight. “IS IT SAFE?” He yelled, tripping over a shirt one of them had discarded onto the floor.

Without an answer, Michael opened his eyes, rolling them as soon as he did. “I don’t even know what I fucking expected.” Ray motioned for him to join, and their friend did so, wasting no time in hugging his friends tightly.