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“Christ, how long has it been since you brushed this?” Takashi asked, poking at Matt’s mess of hair with exaggerated caution. Matt smacked his hand, and glared up at him.
“I brushed it this morning, you ass. These helmets just weren’t designed with hair in mind.”
“Oh my god.” Takashi sniggered, and Matt hit him on the knee.
“Shut up and help me.” he demanded, and Takashi obligingly picked up the thing Matt had pulled out of his bag which looked kinda like a comb with thick, wide-set teeth.
“If you get helmet hair so bad you have to carry hair stuff in your emergency kit, why not cut it shorter?” Takashi asked as he started working on the back of Matt’s head.
“You think I could just go to a space barber shop?” Matt asked pointedly, working at his bangs. “It was rat’s nest or buzz cut, and you know my opinion on buzz cuts.”
“I still think you looked cute in those photos.” Takashi said casually. Matt jabbed him in the thigh with the handle of the comb in his own hand.
“I looked like a potato and we both know it.”
“But a cute potato.”
“Taka, I swear to god I will stab you if you bring that up again.” Matt threatened.
“Well, I can think of one-” Takashi was cut off mid-sentence by Matt bringing an elbow back and jamming it into his ribs. “Rude.” he grumbled, rubbing the point of impact.
“Just, let’s get my hair handled before you go making and dumb jokes?” Matt sighed.
“Sorry.” Takashi went back to picking out larger knots on the back of Matt’s head. “You’re probably tired.”
“Unbelievably.” Matt groaned, head tipping forward.
“Hey, how about you give me that comb and I’ll handle your hair for you?” Takashi suggested. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”
Matt snorted. “Said that last night, too.”
“Hey, I was perfectly gentle until you started begging for more.” Takashi retorted, taking the comb Matt offered and setting it next to the pair of brushes on the blanket next to him. “You know I’m bad at saying no when you talk like that.”
“Yeah, I do.” Matt’s grin was audible, if not precisely visible from this angle. “Why do you think I keep doing it?”
“You said you couldn’t help yourself.” Takashi affected a scandalized tone, running the wide-tooth comb down the back of Matt’s head a few times before moving to the left edge and starting on that.
“You love it.” Matt replied easily, relaxing against the edge of the bed between Takashi’s legs even as Takashi worked knots out of his hair.
“Yeah.” Takashi sighed, and they lapsed into comfortable silence as he worked methodically around the left side of Matt’s head, then returned to the back and started down the right.
“Maybe we can find you an altean helmet.” he suggested as he picked at a knot behind Matt’s ear. “Pidge and Keith have some awful helmet hair, but it’s not this bad.”
“Mm, but then we don’t get to do this.” Matt said contentedly. “I like you playing with my hair.”
“I can still help you brush out your hair after debriefs, if you really want me to.” Takashi offered, filing the bit about playing with Matt’s hair away to consider later. “It won’t take as long, but it won’t be as painful either.”
Matt hummed, and leaned his head against Takashi’s left leg in lieu of a reply. Takashi sighed, finished picking apart the stubborn knot, and then after a cursory sweep around Matt’s head with the wide-toothed comb he swapped it out for the finer one Matt had been using earlier. Matt nearly moaned as Takashi dragged it across his scalp, and Takashi filed that away with his boyfriend’s earlier statement. Getting the rest of the knots out didn’t take half as long as the work with the wide-tooth had, and after glancing at the brushes Takashi decided not to bother. Matt’s hair was about to be mussed up anyways.
“Hey, get up here.” he said softly, hooking his hands under Matt’s armpits and pulling his boyfriend up to sit in his lap on the edge of the bed. Matt seemed half asleep, and Takashi pressed a gentle kiss to his jaw before laying him out on the narrow mattress. He grunted in protest when Takashi removed his glasses, and sat up with a familiar squint.
“If you take away my glasses, you’re playing with my hair until I fall asleep.” he said firmly.
“As you wish.” Takashi grinned, leaning over to set Matt’s glasses on the nightstand.
“You’re such a dork.” Matt sighed, crawling over to tug Takashi back towards the wall. Takashi complied, and when Matt curled up with his head on Takashi’s lap he didn’t wait for Matt to ask before he started running his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair. Matt relaxed quickly, going limp against the mattress in increments, and Takashi felt his own eyelids drooping as his boyfriend started snoring. He’d been up for almost two days, with this latest mission, and it was finally catching up with him.
He considered fighting it, then decided not to. Everyone was safe and sound, the worst injury Coran’s broken arm and a Marmoran’s busted knee, and both of them were already tucked in pods and healing nicely. He could allow himself a nap.
In his lap, Matt made a soft noise of contentment, and Takashi smiled.