THE HAIRCUT

Snip, snip.

Methos lifted up his head from the book he was reading, slightly puzzled.  Faint footsteps could be heard.

'He's trying to sneak up on me,' he thought. 'What's the snipping noise, though?'

Snip, snip.

"MacLeod...," said Methos, warily.  "What are you up to?"

 "Nothing," replied Duncan, innocently.

Snip, snip.

Methos spun his head around, to find Duncan advancing on him with a pair of scissors in his hand, and a determined look on his face.

"MacLeod!..." Methos growled.  "What are you doing with those scissors?...And why on earth are you snipping them like a psychopathic murderer?"

"Just getting you used to the sound, so you don't panic and take my head," replied Duncan matter-of-factly.

Methos glared at him dangerously.

"Back off.  I mean it.  One step closer and you will lose your head."

Duncan stopped, hurt.

"Oooowwwww," he whined.  "But, Methie...," he started sweetly.

"My name is not 'Methie', it's Methos - so call me that.  Geez, what's wrong with you today?" Methos said a little too harshly.

Duncan's bottom lip started wobbling.

"Oh, no you don't," Methos quickly warned.  "It won't work so don't bother trying."

Now the eyebrows were moving upwards and inwards, as the forehead creased emotionally, and the bottom lip grew larger.  Methos quickly turned around and gazed intently at the book he'd been reading, desperately trying to ignore the blubbering and sniffling noises coming from the Highlander.

Sniffle, sniffle. 

Snip, snip.

Methos dug his head under a pillow on the couch and squashed it to his ears.  He peeped out a corner and saw Duncan hovering over him, nervously snipping the scissors, while pulling huge puppydog eyes at Methos.

"Oh, you've got to be joking!" said Methos, exasperated.

Sniffle.

Pout.

Snip.

"Oh, for Christ's sake, MacLeod!" Methos yelled, throwing the pillow to the ground.  "What do you want?!"

"Wanna cut your hair, Methie," pouted Duncan, in a tentative little voice.

"ExCUSE me!" Methos exclaimed, shocked.  "You want to cut my hair?!"  He stared at the blubbering highlander, who was currently trying unsuccessfully to fidget while holding scissors in his hand.

"Yep," Duncan mumbled sulkily.

Methos stared blank faced at him for a moment.

"Why?!"

"'Coz."

"Because why?" Methos probed, though suspecting he knew the answer.

"Just 'coz," Duncan replied stubbornly.

'God, he's predictable sometimes,' thought Methos.

He decided to try a new tactic.

"What's wrong with my hair?" he asked suspiciously, with a hint of hurt feelings.

"Nufnink.  Just wanna."

"Oh, you're not getting away with this, MacLeod," Methos shot back, refusing to fall for the 'cute little child' voice Duncan was trying on him.  "I want a proper, adult, reason, or I'm going to confiscate those scissors," he added, attempting a new angle.

'This might just work,' he thought.

"Oooooowwwwww, Meeeeeeffffiieeee!!!!"

'Yes!' Methos thought.  'It's working!....' Then a thought hit him: 'Meefie?...Did he just call me Meefie?  God, this is getting worse!'

"I'm sorry, MacLeod," he said out loud,  "but if you insist on acting like a child, then I'm going to treat you like one.  You don't want me to ground you, do you?"

Duncan stuck his bottom lip out in a professional pout, and stamped his foot on the ground.

"Not fair!"

He paused in thought for a second, then, shooting a full scale sulky glare at Methos, turned around and stormed off.

"Finally," mumbled Methos to himself.  "Peace and normality reside again."

He turned back to the book he was reading, and concentrated on where he had left off.

Snip, snip.

Methos' head shot up, but he didn't dare turn around, in the hope that he might just be imagining it.

Snip, snip.

Methos' eyes narrowed, and without turning his head, he whispered dangerously: "MacLeod...."

Silence.

"MacLeod, I know you're there...," Methos warned.

Snip, snip.  Snip, snip.

Methos spun his head around, and glared at the figure of the Highlander, who stood at the doorway of his bedroom, innocently looking everywhere but at Methos.  He suddenly pretended he'd just noticed Methos had said something, and turned poker-faced towards him.

"Yep?"

"You've got to be joking!"

"What?"

Methos shook his head in frustration, and continued on.

"I know you still have the scissors, MacLeod," he said with strained patience.  "You snip them nervously every time you're worried."

Snip, snip.

"Look, you just did it then!" Methos shouted.

"No, I didn't," Duncan said, confused.

"Yes, you.....NO!...I'm not going to play this stupid game with you, OK!  You're driving me crazy!"

Methos jumped up from the couch, grabbed his book, and stormed out of the room in one swift moment.  Doors could be heard slamming as Methos made his way out into the street.

A few minutes passed.

Then...

Hehehehehehe," Duncan chuckled, and with a quick movement, jumped into the vacant couch, turned on the TV, and settled down for the night.

THE END


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