Work Text:
Kakeru came over after work with his electric razor, scissors, and a bag of miscellaneous tools. Machi had arrived at Yuki’s apartment an hour ago. The three of them had agreed that Yuki’s place was the best venue. It had the biggest bathroom and a mirror that wasn’t completely covered in smudges.
“Sit on the toilet seat,” Kakeru instructed. “We can put a towel on her shoulders,” he said to Yuki.
Yuki nodded. He’d been surprised that Machi trusted Kakeru with her hair, though he supposed it was difficult to mess up a shaved head. She’d mentioned in passing a few weeks ago that she’d been thinking about cutting all her hair off, and Kakeru had jumped at the idea. He was perhaps a bit too excited.
Machi was sectioning her hair off into braids so they could put it in the plastic bag Kakeru had brought. Machi had mentioned donating it, but Kakeru thought it would be funny to make an army of lockets with bits of her hair in them.
“We could pretend you’re a pop idol or something and sell them on eBay,” he’d said.
“You’re not using my hair to scam people,” she’d said. “No one would buy it, anyway.”
Machi finished braiding. “Do you think this is enough?” she said. Her hair was a mess of sloppy braids in varying sizes. Yuki nodded. If it was all coming off, it didn’t really matter.
Kakeru was brandishing the scissors and grinning. “You’re sure you’re not going to chicken out halfway through? There’s no turning back, Machi,” he said. Yuki swatted his arm.
“I’m not going to chicken out,” she said. Her expression was serious and her shoulders were tight. She’d told him that when she was little her parents wouldn’t let her cut her hair short. And in high school she’d hidden behind it. Her bangs were long now, falling over her eyebrows and brushing her eyelashes.
Yuki imagined what she’d look like without a sweeping curtain of hair. It would be easier to read her expressions, to track the amused raising of her eyebrows when Kakeru said something ridiculous.
“This is crazy,” Kakeru said, but he looked quite pleased with himself when he cut off the first section of Machi’s hair. Yuki held out the bag and Kakeru deposited each of the braids into it. When all of Machi’s braids were cut off, Kakeru got out the razor. Machi shook her remaining hair like a dog.
“You ready?” Yuki said.
“Born ready,” she said, and Kakeru cackled again.
“I’ll try not to mess it up,” Kakeru said. “I’m doing Yun next, after all.”
“Just a trim,” Yuki interjected.
“Yeah, yeah, just a trim,” Kakeru said.
The rest of Machi’s hair came off quickly. Kakeru was surprisingly focused and buzzed it evenly. When he was done, she brushed the fallen hair off of her neck. Kakeru and Yuki stepped out of the bathroom so she could rinse her freshly shaven head in the shower.
“What do you think?” Kakeru said, while they were waiting.
“I think she looks great,” Yuki said.
“What, no compliment for my great work?” Kakeru said. He threw his arms around Yuki’s neck and kissed him. Kakeru had been liberal with his displays of affection since they’d started dating, not that he’d ever gone easy on the affection before they started dating anyway.
“You did great work,” Yuki said.
“And now you’re going to let me trim your bangs?” he said.
“If you promise to cut them in a straight line,” he said.
“I promise,” he said.
Machi opened the bathroom door. She looked happy, and more herself than he’d ever seen her. Yuki was next in line for a haircut. He sat on the toilet seat and tried to keep his head as still as possible as Kakeru and Machi crouched to stare at him straight on and Kakeru cut his bangs.
“That part’s shorter. What are you doing?” Machi said.
“Whoops.”
“Kakeru!” Yuki said.
He smiled at him, sheepishly. “I was thinking maybe we could get matching blue streaks or something. I bought some bleach and hair dye. It was on sale,” he said.
“Absolutely not,” Yuki said.
“But Yun,” Kakeru whined.
“We’re not getting matching hair ,” he said.
“Machi thinks it’s a good idea, right Machi?” Kakeru said.
“I do not,” she said.
“Alright, alright, no matching. At least help me bleach my hair.”
“I’m not qualified to do that,” Yuki said.
“Machi can help you,” he said.
Machi and Yuki shared a look.
“We can watch a YouTube tutorial,” she said.
“Fine,” Yuki said.
In the end, Yuki had lopsided bangs, Machi had a buzz cut, and Kakeru had a bad bleach job that they covered up reasonably effectively with blue dye that stained Yuki’s hands and the bathtub.
Kakeru slept over. His hair was damp and smelled fruity from the dye.
“Goodnight,” Kakeru said.
“Goodnight.”
The dye stains would last a few weeks, physical evidence of Kakeru’s pull on him. But Yuki already knew he’d do anything for Kakeru and Machi. He’d participate in any number of late night antics. He’d risk uneven bangs and watery eyes from the bleach fumes. He’d sweep hair off of his bathroom tile. Because he loved them.