#its very domestic and everyone laughs at albert for being a smiley little loser whole finch does his hair in the mornings

[knockoff-conlon]

albert pushes his hair back from his face again. he has too much hair. he'd cut it shorter if he didn't look awful with short hair. he usually just ignores the way it brushes his shoulder and gets in his face. "it's in my face again!" he shouts, smacking the edge of the sink. "finch!"

"yeah?" as the only two lagging behind for the evening pape, finch is walking around shirtless. albert stares only a little as finch enters the bathroom. "what are ya yellin' anbout?"

"my hair ain't looking good. fix it for me."

"say please." something about the way finch always makes him say please gets to him. makes him angry but also makes something in him jolt.

"please fix my goddamn hair, finch."

"i learned something new. might help your hair. can i try?"

"now you say please, finchly."

"i don't gotta say shit, al. you is askin' for my help, not the other way around." albert clenches his jaw.

"i'm gonna hit ya." finch grins.

"c'mere." albert heads to finch's bunk. "sit on the ground, right there." he does as he's told. finch sits behind him, hanging his legs over albert's shoulders. "sorry if it hurts."

"i like it when it hurts," albert says, a small smile on his face. "yous should know."

"i certainly do, red." he can't see what finch is doing, just feels yanking on his scalp. it's sharp and sudden every time.

"ow!" he shouts. he almost smacks finch's hands away from his hair. he's always been really particular about letting people touch his hair. it feels intimate and he hates that. only his mom used to and now finch does. his brothers do too, when they're trying to annoy him.

"shut up 'nd sit still!" finch snaps back. he leans down and gives albert a comforting kiss on the top of his head anyway.

"i ain't movin'!" he says defensively, crossing his arms. he lets finch do his work, hissing when he tugs particularly hard. he feels finch tie something into his hair and then start with the other half. "almost done?" he asks.

"yeah, yeah. gimme a second here." after a few minutes, finch ties something else in his hair. "go check yous hair in the mirror." he gets up fron the ground and goes to the bathroom to see. finch has worked his hair into two braids, held completely out of his face but for a single strand or so. "ya like it?" finch calls.

he looks pretty. something he's never really thought about himself.

"yeah! it looks-" he smiles. he doesn't smile a whole lot. "thanks." finch pokes his head into the bathroom, now with a half-buttoned shirt on.

"good, let's go! we's late!" finch grabs his shirt and pulls him out the doors of the lodging house. the distribution gates are crowded and loud. albert shoulders past everyone and joins jack and specs at the front.

"jackie, specs," albert greets.

"ay, what's with your hair?" specs asks.

"finch did it," he replies. "why, you got an issue with it?" specs grins at him. "shut up."

"yeah, looking good, red," jack says, grinning. "i think i finally got what finch likes about ya." albert rolls his eyes, stepping forward to get his papes. he sits on the edge of the little wooden walkway. finch stands on the ground beside him, looking over his shoulder at the pape.

"your hair looks pretty," he says finally, laying his cheek against albert's shoulder.

"thanks." albert smiles down at him.