Chapter Text
TD’s hair is getting long.
It's something miniscule, something Ness barely noticed at first. He just looked up one day, and realized that TD’s hair reached just past his shoulder now. It was longer than when he first got here, definitely.
“Your hair is getting long.” Ness pointed out, casually as he bit into his bagel. From across him, in front of the coffee machine as TD tried to keep his eyes open, he froze.
“...it is, isn't it?” He replied bluntly, watching the machine intently all of a sudden. Ness rose an eyebrow, crossing his arms on the table as he placed down his bagel.
“Uh, is there something wrong with that?” He asked, leaning forward a bit. TD just shook his head.
“Nah, nothing's wrong. I like it like this.” He answered immediately, not looking at Ness.
“Are you sure? I mean-” Ness was cut off by Gerald, entering the kitchen suddenly as he said good morning to the two of them. Ness raised his hand up enthusiastically, greeting Gerald in his usual excited nature. By the time he turned back, TD was somehow gone. And so was his coffee.
Hm.
Ness, surprisingly, completely forgot about the conversation soon enough. It was near summer when he started to see signs of it again.
By then, TD’s hair had gotten properly long. To the point where he had to tie it up. Now, see, if TD wanted long hair then Ness could totally get behind that. In all fairness, TD looked great with long hair, and he knew for a fact that Matpat could rock longer hair. That much was obvious with Elijah, once they managed to properly clean his hair.
But it was obvious that TD didn't like his hair long. Several times where Ness would pass by his room and spot TD aggressively brushing out or straightening his hair. Or times when he'd struggle to keep it up as tight as he could. And just sometimes, he'd walk out of his room with the ends of his hair all mismatched, like he had almost fully cut it, and wouldn't say anything about it. It grew back fast enough anyways.
Despite never going back to ask TD about it, Ness asked Mad about it one day, who just shrugged. “I asked him about it one time myself, he just said he likes it that way. That seems like enough of a reason right?”
Which was entirely true. Entirely right. But it still rubbed off on Ness the wrong way, because it wasn't just his hair.
Ness noticed other things around TD, specifically how much he avoided others around his face. Even Jess, who was usually conjoined at his hip. Every time she'd get close to his face, or any part of his upper body for that matter, he'd lean back. Moments where Mad would come in and say good morning, forgetfully wrapping his arm around TD's shoulders and then recoiling when he tensed up, it was pretty obvious what was wrong.
Ness didn't need to ask around, nor really think too hard about it. He wasn't a stranger to what had happened, the others had simply told him. Almost all of Matpat’s egos had died in the past, after all. TD’s death was equally brutal to the others, bloody from what he heard. It wasn't shocking if he tensed up here or there, or if he avoided touch like the plague sometimes. It made perfect sense.
Perhaps that's why none of the others ever mention anything about it, considering how much TD hates talking about Escape The Night. They all tiptoe around it, and even Elijah makes sure not to startle his brother—despite scaring almost everyone else.
Still, Ness can't help but wonder about his hair. What made TD so averse to it?
So Ness, despite the fact he actually really didn't wanna see the actual events, sat down one afternoon while everyone was out and turned on Escape The Night.
—-------
TD took a while coming back from the precinct. It wasn't his fault, late night traffic here was shockingly active. Back in the 70s, everything was so close together people walked everywhere. He's pretty sure cars were used more at drive in theatres than they were to get to work.
Damn, he misses those drive ins.
TD waves over to Dave as he enters the safehouse, and doesn't do a double take when he sees Remy sitting besides him, ranting about something with his sunglasses sitting on his head. Dave doesn't wave back, too…mesmerized in a way.
TD makes his way up the stairs, passing a couple egos sleeping on the couch as he walks down the halls. It's surprisingly peaceful in the house, quiet despite the fact that so many egos live here.
TD yawns, pushing his glasses up on his forehead as he blinks. Despite always wearing his aviators, Dr. Iplier had urged him many times to take them off at night to ignore headaches.
“Hey, you just got home?”
Just as he was about to open the door, Remus appeared in front of him. TD yelped, jumping back and gripping the side of the doorframe.
Just before he appropriately freaks out, Escape The Night style, he catches sight of Remus's outfit.
A light pink, sheer nightgown with tall heels. The sight is so ridiculous that TD doesn't even feel that scared anymore.
“Remus…don't scare me like that.” He sighs, tilting his head down and straightening up. Surprisingly enough, Remus looks apologetic.
“Sorry, it's just that everyone is asleep tonight. I'm bored.” He shrugs, leaning against the wall. TD nods, and then places his hand back on the doorknob.
“Why don't you go talk with Remy? He's obviously awake.” TD suggests, and Remus grimaces.
“I tried doing that last time, and almost got killed.” He explains dramatically. “Remy just hates me, y'know? It totally isn't because I was like- embarrassing him in front of Dave or whatever.”
TD laughs softly. “Sure, why would it be?” He murmurs. Then he yawns again.
“Well, you decide what to do. I'm going to bed. Night Remus.” He declared, opening the door. Remus just gets up off the wall and brushes the fur on his nightgown.
“Goodnight Teddy!” He exclaims, grinning largely before sauntering down the hall. God help anyone who is awake right now.
TD walks into the common room, placing down his bag and taking off his jacket. It was surprisingly warm inside, and he could hear the sound of the TV in the background. Freezing in front of the closet as he puts his jacket away, TD listens closer.
Troublemaker’s voice stands out immediately, and TD walks over through the kitchen as he realizes that all the lights are off, and the living room is only lit up by the dim glow of the TV.
In front of it, with Escape The Night on low volume, is Ness. He holds a small doll in one hand, and scissors in the other, expression casual as he cuts off some of the doll's hair.
He must have somehow sensed TD looking at him, eyebrows raised, because Ness looks up and smiles at TD.
“Hey Teeds.” He greets happily, voice slightly dulled by exhaustion. “I was wondering when you'd get home!”
There's a shuffle in the background, as TD dips to the floor and joins him in front of the couch. He immediately takes notice of the box sitting next to Ness, filled with more dolls.
“Hey…” He said slowly. “Uhm…what the hell are you doing?” He asked simply, eyeing the dolls and then the TV. Ness just laughed.
“I’m not really watching it anymore, I just needed the light.” He said, as if that explained it. And then he gestured to the dolls. “Did you know, I used to cut my own hair when I was younger?”
TD shifts, brings his knees up to his chest as he looks over at the TV. Thank god, he's already dead in this episode. So he won't have to watch that.
“Did you?” TD asked idly. He eyes the dolls again. “So uh…”
Ness hums. “I dunno. I got bored, and asked Roman earlier for some dolls. Seemed like the best bet, since my hair is already short.” He explains.
Then Ness takes a doll out from the box and hands it to TD, along with another pair of scissors he seemingly procured out of nowhere. “Wanna join?”
Immediately, TD has a refusal on his lips, but Ness clicks his tongue. “I know you aren't gonna go to sleep. Not on nights when you come home late.” He points out. TD doesn't even get the chance to ask how the hell he knows that before the scissors are being shoved in his hand. “It's just a calming thing.”
TD hesitates, but then sits down on the floor obediently and picks up a doll. “So…cutting hair just- calms you down?”
“Yeah! It calms me down at least. Like you and your podcasts.”
His face turns red slightly. “Ah…how did you find out about those?” He asks casually, looping his fingers through the handles of the scissors.
“Not important! But, my hair is so much shorter these days. Keeping it short is convenient, y’know? I used to have proper long hair.”
TD eyes him curiously, tilting his head. “You had..long hair?”
“Yeah! 80’s baby, remember? Nobody had short hair, technically.”
TD nodded meekly, positioning the scissors under the doll's hair.
They stayed in silence for a bit, surprisingly enough. He expected Ness to talk, to rant, to say anything. But he just…was quiet. Almost merciful, because TD wasn’t sure he had the energy to nod along.
The only time Ness reached over was to help TD. To direct him, give him tips…
Teach him. Teach him how to cut the dolls hair, teach him how to cut hair. Grabbed a doll with a similar haircut to him and gave it to him, instructing him through how to hold his scissors. TD was a detective, he wasn’t oblivious, he knew what was happening. He knew why he and Ness were doing this. But of course, he still had to ask.
“Why are we doing this?” He said softly, looking up at Ness. The TV was no longer on, the room covered in a dim light from a lamp Ness had turned on in the corner. The man looked up at TD sympathetically, in a way that made him want to melt. Because it was filled with pure understanding.
“I see it. The way you twitch when someone touches your shoulder, the way you stay away from any physical contact, especially near your neck or face. It’s pretty obvious why, especially after I watched Escape The Night.”
TD leaned back against the couch. He sorta wished it would swallow him whole.
“I know I can’t force you to go to Emile, not after the many sessions you’ve probably had with him before. At least, I can teach you how to help yourself.”
He points the scissors towards TD, almost as a way to prove himself, but quickly puts them down sheepishly.
TD looks down, hands gripping the doll gently. Even as Ness quiets down, as he hears the small snips of the scissors, he keeps his lips pressed in a thin line.
“I…I tried before. With Jess. She noticed, obviously, I can’t hide anything from her.” He finally admits. “But I’d keep chickening out. I never considered doing it myself though.”
“Well, you gotta think of all the options, right? No way to hurt yourself.”
His grip on the doll tightens.
“I dunno. Sometimes, I think I’m my own villain.”
Ness frowns, watching as TD folds his legs together and continues.
“I mean…I can’t cut my hair, sure, but I can’t even maintain it right now. And yeah, I work with Abe at the precinct now, but it’s so obvious that I can’t even handle the tiny things. Loud noises, chasing, it all freaks me out. Sure, Abe knows, and he covers for me, but how the hell can I really explain what’s wrong with me?”
“Teddy, nothing’s wrong with you,” Ness says immediately, soft as always. “It’s not like you asked for this, it’s not like you have no reason to feel like this. I’ve just watched the entire damn series. Although it was good entertainment for the fans, it looks like it sucked, a lot. Anybody would have the same reaction to literally dying!”
It was true, slightly. Even though Ness wasn’t there back then, TD noticed the way Mad stayed wary around knives, the way Gerald let his hand hover over a pen for just a few extra seconds. They all have different responses.
TD hangs his head, looking at the scissors.
“...Thanks, for this.” He mutters, looking back up at Ness. The waiter beams at him.
“Not the first I’ve helped.” He shrugs, patting TD just under his upper shoulder, right where he knew the detective wouldn’t tense up.
And just a few days later, when TD came to get coffee and his hair was short once again, with just a few mistakes, Ness didn't mention it. Gerald and Mad were pleased, Mack barely noticed, Elijah was the only one who asked.
“Long hair didn't work out for you?” He said casually, weaving a rope between his fingers. TD just shrugged.
“I explored my options."