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dean-a-mean-tae · 6 months

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The Shrinkage Is Real | Stray Kids Additional Member AU

Nicholas, with the help of Minho and Chan, teaches the boys how to care for his hair.

WARNINGS: Cussing, normal banter between the boys, and description of the long and aching process called washing your hair.

Nicholas Ross Master List | Requested: Yes | This was requested last year, and I'm so sorry. I got inspiration from me needing to wash my hair tomorrow ;-;

It was that time of the month filled with pain, shoulder and back aches, lightheadedness, and random gushes of liquid. One time, Nicholas got an ache on the back of his elbow. He didn't even know that could happen without hitting it. One of the hardest tasks of Nicholas's life needed to be completed again.

Wash day.

Technically, he needed to wash it yesterday, but that wasn't happening with the crick in his neck. Thankfully, today was a good day. His back wasn't aching as bad, and his legs were feeling great. Maybe Nick could use today to teach the others how to do his hair. They had all known each other for years now. There were slight cultural differences, but all of them were quickly explained.

Wash day was one of these differences. Having to plan the day to wash his hair instead of washing it whenever he showered. Starting at a certain time so he could finish by a certain point. Timing the breaks to stretch and eat. Running around to check he had everything so he wouldn't have to pause unless necessary, and still having to get up to get something.

It was a process. A painful process, when done by himself, that leads to healthy hair, when done properly.

Starting small, Nicholas got some of the boys to help him take down his braids. It was a fast process. Hilarious and fun, but still fast.

"It's so dirty," Jisung gagged as he looked at the root of Nicholas's hair where the younger had just taken out a braid. The hair was matted together and covered in dandruff particles.

"If you think that small piece is dirty, look at the towel," Nicholas huffed, wincing when Chan snagged a small tangle. He hummed in acknowledgment of his hyung's whispered apology. Everyone made some noise of disgust at the amount of dandruff on the towel and Nicholas's shirt.

"Besides the dirt, this is so exciting!" Hyunjin smiled, clapping his hands from the couch next to Jisung.

"Calm down," Minho said.

"Someone get me the detangler," Nick ordered. His hair was free of braids and sticking in weird directions. Looking in the floor mirror nearly made him laugh. His hair was sticking up from different members pulling at it to unbraid it.

He kind of looked like that doll from Rugrats.

"Um, which detangler? There's a cream and a weird thing," Jeongin mumbled, holding up two containers. His eyes strained as he read the labels aloud, "One says hair mayonnaise and the other says Cantu? What is Cantu?"

"Cantu is a brand," Minho answered, separating a section of Nicholas's hair and tying up the part he didn't need. He held his hand out to Jeongin, mumbling, "Hand me the mayonnaise."

"You're seriously putting mayonnaise in his hair?" Seungmin asked, watching Minho put a glob of the mayonnaise in Nick's hair before brushing it out. He twisted the piece before pulling another section from the bundle of hair atop the taller boy's head.

"What the hell is hair mayonnaise? Why not something else? Like dressing?" Jisung asked, rolling his eyes when some of the boys laughed at him.

"Yeah, Jisung, because Nicholas wants a salad on his head," Hyunjin scoffed as he rolled his eyes and shoved Jisung out of the way.

"The mayonnaise has a lot of ingredients in it. Maybe it gives his hair nutrients?" Jeongin answered, leaning down to look at the folded Nicholas. He frowned when the taller man shrugged.

"I've always used this because my mom used it when I was younger. It's just something to detangle and then immediately wash out."

Everyone nodded as they watched Minho work in silence. He used two fingers to pull a section of hair out before finger-working the hair mayonnaise through the strands. He had to search for the brush a few times after one of the boys would take it to admire it.

"Why do you keep taking it? It's a brush, not a magic wand," Minho said. His brows furrowed in concentration, brushing through the fifth clump of hair.

"Hyung, how much hair do you have?" Felix asked.

"A lot."

"Alright, we're done," Minho said, leaning against the couch. Nicholas smiled as he shook his head. The tips of his twists left mayonnaise residue on his neck and cheeks. Minho raised his arms against the twists released as they threw glops of hair product onto his shirt.

"How did you know how to do this?" Changbin asked as he carefully moved the towel on the floor to put away later. Minho shrugged, patting Nick's shoulder so he could stand. They both stretched and let out groans of satisfaction as pops rang throughout the room.

"We learned by watching and asking questions," Chan answered, using the towel to wipe his hands. Nicholas left for the bathroom as Chan answered the boys' questions.

He had his shampoo, conditioner, and a hair mask. Where the hell was his hair towel? Nick turned around and screamed at Jeongin and Hyunjin standing in the doorway. They screamed back before Nicholas waved at them to be quiet. He huffed, "Why are you following me?"

"We want you to teach us to wash your hair," Hyunjin answered, wrapping his arm around Jeongin's shoulders.

"This is going to be a long process."

"I thought we were going to wash your hair," Hyunjin grumbled around a mouth full of his sandwich. Jeongin nodded from his spot at the table, a bowl of noodles in front of him.

Nicholas and Minho rolled their eyes, the younger washing his finished plate. Minho closed his chips as he spoke. "Trust me. You'll need to eat something before washing his hair. We started at 6 in the morning and after only taking down his hair it's already 9:20 something."

"I'm finished," Jeongin declared, dumping the last scoops of noodles and placing his bowl in the sink for Nicholas to wash. Hyunjin followed shortly after with a thank you.

They sat at the counter as Nicholas finished the dishes and cleaned the sink before setting a table tray down. He gathered his hair products down before doing a mental checklist.

"You're missing your brush," Chan said, setting a detangler brush on the tray.

"Wash my scalp! Not my forehead," Nicholas whined as Hyunjin's nails went a little too close to his eyebrow. Hyunjin giggled out an apology, moving back to Nick's scalp. Nicholas lay on the kitchen counter with his knees bent, head hanging into the sink, and a towel under his neck.

Jeongin had done the first shampoo, and now Hyunjin was doing the second. At some point, Felix had waddled his way into the kitchen, dwarfed by one of Nick's hoodies and holding one of the many plushies from his room. Not that Nicholas could see him.

"I thought you already finished his hair?" Felix whispered to Jeongin. The pair sat at the kitchen island, watching Hyunjin and Nicholas shout at each other about the water temperature.

"I did the first wash, Hyunjin is doing the second," Jeongin answered, leaning his head against his hyung's shoulder. He continued, "If you ask, Nick might let you put the conditioner in his hair or do the leave-in. Whichever one he does today."

"Nick said he can do the leave in," Hyunjin answered, turning to look at them before screeching when Nick smacked his face.

"Pay attention before you get soap in my eyes," He groaned as he squinted his eyes.

"It's not soap! It's shampoo!"

"It's another form of soap!"

"It's for your hair! It's shampoo," Hyunjin shouted.

"Right, soap for your hair. Hair soap," Nick grinned, shrugging his shoulders in triumph. His joy didn't last long as Hyunjin sprayed him in the face.

"Please don't dirty the kitchen," Minho said, leaning against the doorway.

"Sorry, hyung," The boys at the sink whispered before side-eying each other.

10:46

"You look bald," Jeongin smiled, smacking his hand on Nicholas's head before screeching when he squelched from the water. The curls stopped at his shoulders, which compared to how they usually were when stretched and dry, did look short.

"What hairstyle are you going for?" Seungmin asked, turning down the TV to hear Nick's response.

"Felix is gonna help me condition and stretch my hair. Then Minho is gonna twist or braid it." Nick placed a container of silk hair ties and the leave-in next to Felix before sitting in front of the younger male.

"How do you stretch hair?" Changbin asked.

"Remember when Hyunjin pulled at one of Nick's curls and it seemed like it just kept going? He was stretching at the curl," Chan answered, from his place next to Nicholas.

"What is this? Miss Jessie's," Jisung read, squinting at the label on the tube. Next to him, Minho huffed as he carefully placed the tube back into Felix's hands.

"You couldn't see the big words saying Leave-In Condish?" Minho asked. They watched Chan talk Felix through Nick's hair process. Take a chunk of wet hair, work the leave-in through it from root to end, and put the scrunchies on them. Making sure to evenly spread the scrunchies for maximum length and volume.

11:34

Almost an hour later, Felix finished the last piece of Nick's hair. The boys couldn't help but laugh. With all the scrunchies holding bundles of his hair, Nicholas looked weird.

"You look like a poodle," Seungmin chuckled.

"Honestly, fuck you," Nick retorted, getting up and stretching.

"Come on, Flippers! Your hair should be nearly dry by now," Minho shouted as he walked into the living room and glanced at the clock on the wall. 1:12. After this they could have a snack and admire the art that is Nicholas's hair.

A thud echoed with multiple footsteps followed, and Minho dived for the couch. Shortly after Minho sat down, Nicholas sat in front of him with Jeongin and Hyunjin crowding the pair. Felix and Jisung sat on the sides of Minho, the crate of hair supplies sitting in Felix's lap.

"Right now I'm going to do a protective style so he can sleep later," Minho explained, carefully taking the scrunchies off a section of Nick's hair. He took a rattail comb and parted the hair before twisting together different strands.

Minho repeated this process until he got to the middle of Nick's head. He grabbed Nick's forehead and pulled him back, Minho whispered, "You need a break?"

"No, I just wanna get this over with," Nicholas answered, and they glanced at the clock. 2:00.

"You're halfway there," Chan said, before groaning when Changbin's character drove him off the map.

Finally, with a head full of freshly done twists, Nicholas stood and stretched. His body popping and groaning from being moved. There were two wonky twists on the right side and three on the left side of his head, courtesy of Hyunjin and Jeongin practicing their twists on him like a mannequin.

From 6:00 AM to 2:49 PM.

Wash day is a long process, but at least he got to spend this day with his friends. Snagging knaps, sore fingers, and stiff shoulders. All are perfectly seasoned with hair care products. Taking the time to teach them the importance of taking care of hair and how to care for it.

At least the boys would be prepared if they ever had a partner of color.

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