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“It’s getting a little shaggy…” Miranda mumbled under her breath as her hands combed through Brienne’s hair. She had been standing over Brienne’s shoulder, watching her navigate her laptop to get signed up for her second round of police training when temptation got the best of her. The constable’s nails gently worked against the knight’s scalp, Miranda humming in appreciation for Brienne allowing her the moment of intimacy.
Physical touch was a slow-building part of their relationship. Three months ago, Brienne had made the ultimate decision to give up her life in Westeros to be with Miranda. The relationship since then had been slow-moving, easing the Lord Commander into the modern world and her first relationship through baby steps. First, it was holding hands and the occasional peck on the cheek, and more recently, Miranda had grown so bold as to now play with Brienne’s hair and place soft kisses on Brienne’s lips in greeting or when they parted ways.
In the three months that Brienne had been living in modern times, she had spent the first couple weeks learning how the invention known as technology worked and the new customs she had to adjust to. All of this at the same time as she developed a romantic companionship with Miranda and got through the first part of the academy. All this meant she was pretty busy, so she hadn’t found the time to get a haircut. “It’s been a while… last time was probably a few weeks before our joint stay in Lucifer’s house. I’ll get it cut soon.”
“Want me to cut it?” The constable perked up, fingers massaging deeper into Brienne’s scalp, hoping the gesture could be used to convince the knight to have her hair cut then and there.
Brienne stopped her hand midway through a swipe on the touchpad, turning around in her chair to look at Miranda. “You want to cut my hair?” The knight was silent as she considered the pros of having the constable cut her hair and eventually started thinking out loud in a mumble. “It would save me some money… and I wouldn’t need to find free time to do it.” The Lord Commander then realized that she hadn’t even asked the Aussie the most important thing so she spoke clearer when voicing her following words. “Wait- Do you even know how to cut hair?”
“How hard could it be? I mean- I used to cut my friends’ hair during university and it would always turn out okay.” Miranda gave a shrug, teasing her hand out of Brienne’s hair to rest her hand on her hip. Her head tilted to the side as she smiled down at the knight, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes as she realized she wasn’t selling her abilities as a hairdresser, “It’s only a trim. Right, Bri?”
The knight only stared up at Miranda with narrowed eyes, her worries not put to rest by the constable’s answer. Brienne wasn’t all that keen on letting the Aussie near her hair with sharp scissors when she was still making first impressions at the academy. She didn’t want to give her fellow cadets another thing to make fun of her for. “You are not soothing my concerns… I’d rather pay a professional to cut it for me than end up with an uneven cut… No offense.”
“I’ll just give you a light trim. I promise I know what I’m doing. Plus, it’ll be better than your hair falling into your eyes all the time.” Miranda’s hand dove back into Brienne’s hair, gently tugging on the locks as she pulled them upwards, displaying how long the knight’s hair truly was. After a few moments of messing with the Westerosi woman’s hair, the constable fell back into gently massaging Brienne’s scalp, “I promise I’m not gonna make you look ridiculous.”
The knight sighed and closed her eyes momentarily before looking at Miranda with a defeated look. “Fine. But if you muck up, you’re paying for my emergency visit to the hairdresser. Allow me to conclude this and then I am all yours.” Brienne turned back to the computer screen and enjoyed the scalp massage as she resumed dragging her finger over the touchpad to continue her training.
“I’ll get the bathroom all ready for you, my knight.” Miranda finished threading her fingers through Brienne’s hair to press a kiss to the Lord Commander’s hairline.
The constable was almost giddy as she made her way to the knight’s bathroom, excited Brienne would trust her with something as important as this. Shifting about the bathroom, Miranda collected the supplies she may need, leaving them on the bathroom counter before slipping from the bathroom to steal one of the dining room chairs for Brienne to sit on while she was getting her haircut.
Whilst Miranda was away setting up, Brienne finished up her business before closing the lid on the constable’s laptop and moving to the bathroom where the Aussie had opened up shop. When she entered the room, she sat down in the chair and made eye contact with the cop in the mirror. “I just need a trim. That’s it.”
Miranda took her place behind Brienne, both of her hands combing into the knight’s hair, using the leverage to gently tilt her head side to side, “Just a trim. You got it, BriBri. Are you okay if I wash your hair first to make it easier to cut?”
Brienne rose her eyebrows at Miranda at the new nickname. “BriBri? That is new…,” she mumbled. “Whatever you need to do.” The knight gazed intently at the constable in the mirror as the Aussie studied the short blonde curls. The Westerosi woman always found the Aussie to be cute, but even more so when she was focused and determined in a task.
“We’ll just turn the chair around and I’ll give it a quick wash in the sink. You will get the full Hilmarson Salon experience.” The constable giggled at her own joke, taking a step back to allow Brienne to maneuver the chair around so her back was facing the sink. With a gentle hand on the knight’s shoulder, Miranda gave a slight push to guide the woman’s head under the faucet. “I like the nickname Bribri. It’s cute… But I won’t use it if you prefer I don’t…” The Aussie began running the water over Brienne’s hair, slowly at first to adjust the temperature so it wasn’t scalding or chilled.
Brienne used the position she was in to observe the woman washing her hair. She found the activity to be strangely comforting and she really couldn’t stop her eyes from closing. “It’s okay. You can use it if you wish. I have no qualms about it. I have referred to you as MirMir in the past, after all.”
The Aussie only hummed in thanks, continuing to wet down the knight’s hair. She combed her fingers through the locks, needing the water to fully permeate for it to be easier to wash. When this was complete, Miranda reached out for the shampoo she had retrieved earlier, squeezing a small amount into her palm to begin massaging into Brienne’s scalp. The constable had gone quiet, focus overtaking her as she didn’t want to mess up any of the following steps lest Brienne not want her to wash or cut her hair again.
The knight took full advantage of the constable’s determined state. She fought to open her eyes and scanned Miranda’s face. She appreciated every feature painted across the woman’s focused face. Like the small line that formed between the Aussie’s brows as she drew them together. The way her tongue peeked out and curled up to rest on the cop’s upper lip. Brienne found it incredibly endearing that Miranda took the task so seriously considering her usual approach and personality.
The constable took to rinsing out the shampoo, weaving her fingers through the long locks to squeeze out all of the suds. Unbeknownst to her, a smile began growing on Miranda’s face. There was no doubt that the Aussie loved physical touch, leading her heart to swell from the love she was able to show Brienne. She continued to repeat her actions until her knight’s hair was free of any lingering shampoo, turning off the water when she was finished. Leaning over the Westerosi woman, the constable grabbed for a towel on the shelf, laying it over Brienne’s hair for it to be dried.
Brienne took the towel as a sign that the washing part was done so she sat up, and started ruffling her hair with the towel to dry the locks. When she was done she looked at Miranda, her hair damp and messy, pointing in every which direction as hair usually did when wildly dried with a towel. “I got a new hair wash. Do you like it?”
Giggling, Miranda ran a hand through Brienne’s hair, combing down all the wild spots. Her gaze was soft and admiring: filled with love. With the way the constable was looking at the Westerosi woman, it almost made her forget about the knight’s question, “I- Uhm- Yeah, I really like it. It smells wonderful.” Her eyes locked onto Brienne’s for only a fraction of a second, “Do you want to comb your hair or should I?”
“Thank you. It’s supposed to smell like freshly cut grass… I quite like it. It reminds me of my travels in Westeros.” Brienne turned the chair around so she faced the mirror and smiled softly at Miranda. “You said that you’d give me the full Hilmarson Salon experience. So whatever is included in that is what I wish. Please.”
Wordlessly, Miranda focused up, swiping the comb from the countertop and moving behind the knight to begin detangling. It wasn’t often the constable fell silent, but the rhythmic motions of pulling the comb through Brienne’s hair were nearly hypnotic. As the Aussie spaced out, she gently pulled loose all the knots and brushed it back the way exactly the way Brienne liked to wear it.
The knight didn’t disturb Miranda in her task and only sat in appreciative silence as the constable worked on the short hair. She allowed herself quick glances at the focused face in the mirror - glances at the line on the cop’s bridge and the tip of her tongue on her upper lip - before looking away and finding something else to keep her eyes on until she eventually found her gaze slipping to the mirror once again and the Aussie’s face.
As the comb was pulled through the knight’s hair a final few times, Miranda spoke up, voicing her absentminded questions, “Have you always worn your hair short?” From Brienne’s side, Miranda glanced up in the mirror to make eye contact as she leaned forward to grab the scissors. The Aussie dropped away her eye contact when she combed through Brienne’s hair a few more times, psyching herself up to start cutting.
The sudden question caught Brienne off-guard and she remained silent for a few seconds to collect her thoughts. “No. I had long hair when I was a child and lived as a Lady. My father wished for me to have it that way. When he realized that I had no interest in living a life as some Lord’s wife and wished to fight, he allowed me to cut it off at my request. It’s hard and impractical to have long hair as a warrior. It also gives your opponent the ability to grab it and pull, which can be a dangerous advantage.”
“I’m trying to picture you with long hair and a dress… I have a decent imagination, but I really can’t see it.” Combing a section of damp hair, Miranda glanced back up at Brienne in the mirror, allowing the knight to see the scissors creeping closer. She wasn’t going to start snipping away until the Westerosi woman gave her the final go-ahead. “Are you ready? There is no chickening out once I start cutting.”
“It was truly a sight to behold. Freakishly tall girl with long hair and a dress that was taller than the tailor who made it. I have only worn one dress since leaving Tarth, and even that would be difficult to imagine. I had short hair at that time though, so it is quite possible to picture.” Brienne got comfortable in her chair as she spoke, the times of being expected to wear a dress long gone to her relief. Before she answered Miranda’s query, she nodded. “I’m ready. If I am one thing, it’s committed. I trust you.”
Miranda started with small amounts of hair at first, only trimming a few millimeters off the ends. She knew she could always return and snip off a bit more later. To calm her nerves, she began chattering away, reminiscing on her own changes in self-expression over the years, “I used to wear my hair longer… and I wore dresses. I was so boy crazy… especially in college. I’m sure my mother will tell you, but I swear I was bringing home a new boy every few months. Tragic…” The constable tried keeping her thoughts lighthearted, not wanting her past to seem more embarrassing than it was.
“I can imagine you in a dress… not with long hair, though.” Brienne went quiet as she conjured up an image in her mind of Miranda in a dress. She tried the same with the constable with long hair and failed. “I can only imagine the need to somehow convince yourself that you are into men. I have only been ‘boy crazy’ for one man. He was into men so it ended up being more platonic, but I loved him.” The knight gave her own experience when it came to trailing after men, choosing to reveal more of her previous life to the Aussie - most of it unknown to the constable.
“He must have been a truly wonderful person to earn your love,” Miranda murmured, her voice going soft at how Brienne spoke of him in the past tense. She chose not to prod for more information, figuring the knight would share what was most comfortable for her when she was ready. The constable enjoyed listening to Brienne speak as she slowly cut away more hair from a new section of hair, repeating the process over and over again.
“He truly was.” Brienne smiled fondly as she thought back to how Renly had saved her at the ball, and how he treated her with nothing but respect. “Renly was… different than any man I have ever met. It’s easy to love someone when they offer you the decency and courtesy you were never given. The way he regarded me was unlike anything I had ever encountered. Not once did he mock or belittle me… he actually strengthened me. I’ll forever be grateful for him and what he did for me.”
“It makes me happy to hear he loved you the way you deserve, Bri...” Not often did Brienne speak of her former life so pleasantly. The discussion made the constable’s heart yearn, wishing she could have had the honor of meeting someone that the knight held in such high regard. Miranda began shifting around Brienne, slowly moving to her right side to make sure the haircut would be even on all sides. “Sometimes I wish I could see you in your own time... but then you tell me things about it and I- Well, I assume I wouldn’t fit in very well, would I?”
Brienne chuckled softly. “I have no clue if he loved me back… even as a friend. But I loved him.” She gazed at Miranda in the mirror, watching as her hand and fingers moved, catching a glimpse of shining steel every now and then. “It was definitely more strict about roles. I didn’t fit in either, I beat my own path and I can only imagine that you would do the same.” The knight trailed off before attempting a continuation that was out of her comfort zone. “Then again, I could see you as the Lady that would rewrite beauty standards and become the most desirable woman in all of the Seven Kingdoms. The Lady that I would swear my sword to… and eventually fall head over heels for. I have no doubt in my mind that no matter the time, we would find each other somehow and I would always end up yearning for you.”
Miranda smiled and shook her head, rolling her eyes in disbelief, not allowing herself to internalize any of Brienne’s compliments no matter how good they felt. “Most desirable woman in all of the Seven Kingdoms? For someone who claims little experience dating, you certainly always know what to say.” The constable chose to tease the knight as her own way of deflecting away from any compliments, “I’m sure the great Lord Commander Brienne of Tarth would have her pick of any beautiful maidens, hmm? I doubt a freakishly tall girl would have caught your eye.” The Aussie chose to tease using some of Brienne’s words from earlier, knowing they applied to herself as well.
Brienne smirked - amused by Miranda’s words. “It is simply the truth. And even if that were the truth, if people weren’t disgusted by my mere presence, I would and will always choose you. Your height makes you stick out in a crowd, making you different and unique, and that would absolutely catch my eye, and you’d never get rid of it. It is glued on you forever, sorry, I don’t make the rules.”
“Oh? Is that why you have been staring at me so much while I’ve been doing this?” The Aussie dropped away the lock of hair, turning her gaze down to the knight. Miranda’s hand lifted to Brienne’s shoulder, brushing away the trimmings of hair to the floor to be swept up later. While the constable knew this teasing might make the Westerosi woman embarrassed, Miranda couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease her knight.
As if on cue, Brienne’s eyes widened and a blush crept up on her cheeks when she realized she had been caught in her - what she thought to be - discreet observation. She truly thought she had gotten away with it, that she had been subtle enough for Miranda not to notice. But it seemed that the constable was extremely observant even when deeply submerged in focus. “I have no clue what you are referring to. I have simply been speculating the work of my hairdresser.”
“Hmm... I was thinking someone had a bit of a crush. I must have been mistaken.” Miranda curled around the front of Brienne placing her leg between the knight’s knees so she could stand close as she combed back Brienne’s hair. The constable took the Westerosi woman’s chin in her hand, moving the night’s head about to see what she could have missed so far. “What do you think so far? Is your hairdresser doing adequate work?”
“You are sorely mistaken I’m afraid. It is more than a crush. But I’m sure you knew that.” With Miranda’s new position, Brienne was keeping her eyes locked on the constable’s, not allowing her brain to think too much about the intimate arrangement - or the way the Aussie was holding her chin. The knight had to crane her neck to be able to look at the cop’s face, a smile playing on her lips. She was always serious and stern, but she was more daring than usual in her choice of words. “A wonderful job, truly. Ten out of ten. The hairdresser is very attractive as well, so that’s an added bonus. Fantastic service and a pretty person to observe as you get your hair trimmed. Will most definitely recommend and return.”
“I do hope you plan on tipping your hairdresser. It’s only polite.” Miranda wasn’t expecting this level of flirtation from her knight, but she certainly wasn’t about to question it nor was she about to stop her own flirting. The constable released her chin and shifted away from Brienne’s front, moving to the right side of the knight to clean up any longer bits she had missed. She was almost disappointed the haircut was almost over, wishing she could come up with more reasons for the two to stay in the bathroom and keep flirting.
“Of course I do. What kind of customer would I be if I didn’t? A truly terrible one.” Brienne watched Miranda in the mirror as she moved around the knight, checking for any overlooked sections of hair. She found that the venture had been more delightful than she had expected it to be. At the same time that she got to spend quality time with the person she was dating, she also got her hair trimmed. A win-win situation, really. “What would my hairdresser see as a reasonable reimbursement for her time, effort, and skill?”
“I’m not a greedy woman. I find a kiss should be sufficient. What do you think?” The constable felt as if she were teetering on a subject that could make Brienne nervous in a flash, but she continued down the path anyway, knowing a kiss is exactly what she wanted. Leaning forward, Miranda set the scissors and comb down on the bathroom counter. Miranda straightened herself back out, fingers combing through the Westerosi woman’s hair. She couldn’t help herself when she began tilting the knight’s head back and forth, observing her handiwork, “Mighty handsome if I do say so myself.”
“I- I think that can be arranged.” And as quickly as it had arrived, the confidence seemed to almost melt away, returning to the place it had originated from. A place that Brienne was unable to locate. And as always when they discussed things like this, a burning blush spread on the knight’s face as she stared up with wide eyes at the constable. She began arguing Miranda’s compliment but stopped herself when she remembered the outcome of similar conversations: the Aussie woman standing her ground until Brienne agreed with her statement. “I’m not- …Thank you.”
“Do you like it, my knight?” The constable knew they had fallen into the territory of Brienne’s nervousness when the knight’s face turned red, but she couldn’t help when her tone was thick and sweet like honey. Miranda was still enthralled by the flirting and teasing and it was always so hard to reel herself back in once she got going. Her hands continued moving in Brienne’s hair, appreciating how clean-cut the knight looked without her hair falling into her eyes.
Brienne swallowed a thick lump in her throat, completely unaware of what to do in a situation she had fueled with unfounded confidence that had abandoned her in her time of need. She shifted her eyes from looking at Miranda to her newly cut hair and back, repeating it until she answered the query, her shifting gaze stopping on her head. The knight was sure that she’d be unable to hold any type of eye contact with the constable when her voice sounded like it did, the tone making the Lord Commander more nervous than she had ever been. “Yes. I do like it. Thank you… very much.”
Miranda went silent, her eyes watching Brienne’s face with an extreme intensity she quickly gained awareness of. Sending her gaze to the floor, the constable cleared her throat and exhaled a shaky breath, needing to focus on something other than the Westerosi woman before her. The Aussie took notice of the mess she had made on the floor and quickly changed subjects, not wishing to pursue the flirting any longer, “I can clean this up. You can go- I mean, you don’t have to stay in here while I do. You can work on homework or something...”
The knight shook her hair, running her hand through it a few times to get a feel for the new length. “I will clean up.” Brienne smiled at Miranda in the mirror and stood up from her chair so she could be at the same height as the constable, turning around to be face-to-face with the Aussie. “Besides, I have yet to pay. It would be unfair of you to clean all of this up when you have been standing for a while and I have been sitting. You go sit down and I will tidy up. When I am done, I will come and find you and offer you your tip. Unless you’d rather have it now, of course. Then that would be possible as well.”
“I- Uh, I- Now would be good, I think.” The constable’s own face was growing the lightest shade of pink, still not used to Brienne offering her a kiss, even when it was offered through the guise of a tip. Cautiously, Miranda took a step forwards, her hands extending to ghost over the fabric of the knight’s shirt, just over her waist. The Aussie was slow in all her movements, hoping to see Brienne moving towards her as a sign of her own yearning for the kiss.
Brienne brought one of her hands up to rest on Miranda’s cheek, whilst the other one landed on the side of the constable’s neck. She was painfully slow and cautious when she leaned in and placed her lips on the Aussie’s. Their intimacy had yet to progress into extended closeness, so being this close, even if it was only a short kiss, was nerve-wracking. The knight pulled away, licked her lips, and retracted her hands, taking a tiny step back. “I hope that your payment was adequate. I am very grateful.”
Miranda was using all of the self-control in her body to not throw herself against the knight for a longer and deeper kiss. In most of her past relationships, the milestones of most types of physical intimacy were far gone by now. With Brienne, the constable knew slow and steady would win the race, but sometimes, keeping her hands to herself was far harder than she anticipated. The corners of the Aussie’s lips were gently turned upwards into a soft smile, reassuring the knight, “The payment was perfect. I can go wait in the, uhm, living room... Maybe I could introduce you to a new type of food tonight?”
The constable’s words eased the knight’s worries, and she smiled warmly. “Go rest your feet… and once I am done, a new type of food would be lovely.” Brienne stepped away to grab a broom and gently ushered Miranda out of the bathroom so she could start sweeping.
Miranda took one last glance at Brienne upon leaving the bathroom, her eyes soft as she watched her knight clean. While she was somewhat aware of it, the constable had met her perfect match and she was head over heels in love.