Chapter Text
It couldn't have been any colder on the first day of the month. The trees had already lost their leaves, leaving only bark and ice to decorate the city of New York. It had snowed early this year, leaving a constant white path on the sidewalk. Bright lights were up all around, hanging from roofs and windows, a light in the chilly blur.
Wally got off the bus, his footsteps leaving soft crunches behind him as he walked. His steps were swift, power walking to get home as soon as possible before his hair gets ruined. Sure, he was a little dramatic when it came to his hair, but with a mane like his, who wouldn't be? Well, that's what he thought anyways.
Once he opened the door to his apartment, he thumped his boots together, letting the sludge fall off before entering. He immediately felt the warmth hit his skin, melting the snowflakes on his rosy cheeks. He sighed, taking off his coat, scarf, boots and gloves, putting them away before slumping down on his couch.
He had just gotten back from an absolutely treacherous journey from the other side of the world- a trip to the department store. Alright well, he definitely was dramatic. But, to his defense, it was a 30-minute commute to and from the store, all for some more paint. All this since Howdy's bodega was closed for the week, something about visiting family. Cons of not being able to drive at 25, he thought to himself. He never really saw it as a priority (or had the funds for a car in the first place).
Sooner than he could realize, he had already fallen asleep, letting his exhaustion take over. It had been a long week, and he had definitely deserved this rest. Working overtime at his office job while also trying to make time for his hobbies- which he hopes to find a source of income from- has really taken a toll on him. Come to think of it, he hasn't really interacted with any of his friends or neighbors the past two weeks at all.
That is, until the doorbell rang that morning, waking him up from his beauty sleep on the couch. He quickly sat up, brushing his hair with his fingers, looking at himself in the mirror and cringing at the sight of his eyebags, before sighing and opening the door. To his surprise, it was Julie.
“Hey..Walls..is this a...wrong time..?” She asked a little awkwardly, noticing how disheveled he looked.
“..Julie. Hi. Oh uh...no, not at all..” He answered quickly, leaning on the door frame, a little embarrassed by his appearance. He must've really slept in. “..Was there...anything you needed..?” He asked after a long moment of silence.
“..OH- Right- sorry I just, whatever. I came to ask if you had some extra hairspray. I promised Sally I'd do her hair for a shoot she's doing and I was going to practice on myself today and then I tried to do some bubble braids and not a sprinkle of dust came out and you know how the bodega is closed and-” She rambled on, before Wally eventually stopped her.
“No, no yeah...for sure um...would you like to come in..?” He asked, rubbing the sleepiness away from his eyes, to which she smiled brightly.
Wally quickly picked up any cups or brushes thrown in the living room as Julie took off her coat, hanging it up next to his, then removed her boots. She had been to his place a couple times before, but he still made sure it looked as perfect as possible each time.
“Would you like some tea? Or coffee. Well actually I only have coffee anyway, but i could go get some tea if you-” He started, word vomiting all over the place.
“Coffee would be fine,” She cut him off, giggling softly. “Although I think it'd be safer if I made it while you go fully wake yourself up.”
Wally felt his face flush in embarrassment. Nodding, he backed away, going to wash his face, freshening himself up. He quickly brushed his hair, tying it into a small pony tail, muttering to himself about how greasy it was. The scent of caffeine fills the living room as he walks back to Julie, who passes him a mug. He takes it into his hands, sipping it as she spoke.
"I added some cinnamon in it. And some milk. And sugar too. I wasn't sure what you liked so I just put everything." She mumbled, shrugging. They shared a semi-comforting, semi-awkward pause of silence while they drank, before she spoke again. "..What was I here for again? Oh, hairspray, right!" She went, her energy soaring once more. She didn't even need caffeine. They put their mugs down and Wally led her to the washroom, where he looked through his cabinets for the bottle. When he finally found it, he noticed Julie's stare, looking like she was lost in thought, before she snapped back.
"Oh- thanks...hey Walls? Since I'm already here...why don't you let me do your hair for you? Not that I think you do it wrong or anything but Frank's hair is too short to practice on and- yeah." She asked quickly, toying with her hair and smiling sheepishly.
Another pause of silence. Wally really wasn't fully awake.
"Huh. Oh. Oh okay...yeah that's fine." He said with a nervous little smile. He wasn't used to people doing his hair for him, but he was willing to put his trust in Julie. She was a hair stylist after all, and from the way she did hers, she was pretty good at it too. Her face immediately lit up as he said this, which made his heart flutter, confusing him.
"AH! Thank you! Ugh, god I have been waiting to try this, but there weren't any guys with hair as long as yours and it isn't really that trendy right now, but I know you don't really care about that stuff, right? And either way, I'm sure you'll love it, just you wait!" She squealed, flapping her hands back and forth in excitement.
She started rummaging through his cabinets right away, taking out shampoo, oils, sprays, and more products Wally didn't even know he had. She wrapped a towel around his neck, motioning for him to get on his knees, head facing the bathtub. Removing his hair tie, Julie brushed through his hair with her fingers, the feeling sending a shiver down his spine. She turned the water on, moving the shower head to his hair, the warm water soothing any nerves he had. She lathered his hair with soap, scrubbing his scalp with her nails, almost making him sigh. A warm feeling bubbled up in his chest, one he couldn't make out.
"Close your eyes, I'll make this quick." She mumbled softly to reassure him, though he didn't really want it to end.
Wally couldn't think. He wasn't able to. The only thing he could do was feel. He could feel Julie's gentle hands on his head. He could feel the pressure of the water hit his hair. He could hear Julie's soft humming, and the constant sloshing of water. He could feel a lump in his throat, like he wanted to speak, but he simply couldn't. His breathing was shallow. He felt a strange sense of comfort, and he felt so, so warm.
He hadn't even realized Julie turned off the tap. She took the towel, drying his hair and wrapping it, and he got up, his neck beginning to ache. He didn't know or understand why he felt disappointed, but he shook off that feeling as Julie pushed him out of the washroom and sat him down in front of his vanity. Plugging in a hairdryer, she got right back to work, brushing through his hair with her fingers, then with a brush. He could see the look of concentration on her face, her tongue slightly out as she muttered to herself incoherently. Wally quickly caught himself, looking away before she could notice his stare, his face flushing slightly. What was up with him today..?
"Well? What do you think!" The girl went, bringing her face close to his expectantly. He looked at himself in the mirror, a little surprised. She left his hair down, the front framing his face. It was definitely...different, but he sort of liked it.
”It's...nice. I like it.” He mumbled out, turning his head towards her and only then realizing how close it was to his.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Beat.
“I should get going now.” She said finally, backing away.
Wally blinked.
“Right. Yeah.” He said, getting up and leading her back to the front door. She put on her boots and coat once more, before hugging Wally.
“Bye Wally!” She yelled out as she walked away into the icy streets. He simply waved, closing the door only when she was out of sight.
Wally walked back into his room, looking at himself in the mirror once more. He could get used to this, he thought to himself. His eyes then drifted to the bottle of hairspray left in front of the vanity.
Julie had forgotten it.