Work Text:
She wasn’t too fond of Winter, and that wouldn’t change no matter how much time passed. Things around her seemed to be still, unmoving, as if the entire world fell into a deep slumber for a couple of months.
Everything seemed so bare , and the hospital was always busier than usual during the colder season. Still, Sakura never got tired of helping people, but the low temperatures always made her mood fall down.
Though, there was an excuse to remain inside after her hospital shifts, warm and accompanied by her boyfriend whenever he wasn’t on a mission– Lee and her had been sharing an apartment for a couple of months, and it had been the best time of her life.
Her parents would be too nitpicky whenever the two were together back at their home, and his mom… there was a reason he didn’t talk about her at all. It was like an unspoken agreement between them.
Both of them were happy with a space to call their own at last, just big enough for them. And it was perfect.
It was one of those afternoons where they would just snuggle together on the couch, a heavy blanket covering them in order to avoid the coldness. Lee had already finished his training for the day and had changed into more comfortable clothes, so they could just enjoy each other’s warmth without a worry in the world.
Sakura leaned into him and he hugged her silently, closing his eyes to rest at last– she always thought the amount of training he did was too much, but that was the only way her partner had to get stronger. That was something she loved in him; his perseverance had no end, and Lee had become a splendid Jounin in the end.
And she couldn’t be prouder of him. Sakura turned to give her partner a gentle kiss on the lips, which was returned with the same amount of love, though something unexpected surprised her; Lee's bangs tickled her, when that had never been a problem at all.
His last mission had lasted over a month, and he had probably forgotten to take care of his hair between everything that had to be done.
“Your hair has gotten really long. Are you going to ask Gai to cut it again?” she commented, noticing a smile appearing on Lee’s face before he replied.
“Ah– not really. I want to try a new style for a while,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck while talking. “But I am not too sure of what to do with it…”
That was unusual, to say the least. Sakura couldn't remember a time where Lee didn't use his characteristic bowlcut, never changing it at all– but well, that year had brought many new things in their lives. Maybe that's why he was willing to try.
“I could do it for you, if you'd let me,” Sakura suggested, and she could see her boyfriend's eyes sparkle with excitement over the idea, his reply being accompanied by an enthusiastic nod.
“Of course! I am sure you would do an excellent job, my dearest!”
It wasn’t strange he was so excited over the idea, yet the woman found herself feeling joy in her chest with his response. Only then did she leave the warmth of his embrace, making sure to kiss his cheek before going towards the bathroom to look for some things.
With an objective in mind, Sakura went to pick up some hair ties, a comb and her scissors, smiling as she saw Lee had started to prepare some tea for them to drink in the meanwhile. He had even grabbed a towel to put on himself, to make sure the falling hair wouldn’t bother either of them too much.
“Do you have something in mind?” she asked as Lee poured tea on two cups, offering her one without saying anything.
“Well, I am not sure if I told you, but I used to have a big braid when I was in the academy!” he replied with a smile, taking a sip of his beverage before continuing. “I think that might be nice.”
Sakura grabbed her comb and began brushing his hair, making sure it was in a good state before carefully cutting the edges and his fringe, not wanting to cut too much– Lee seemed worried for a moment, though her reassuring smile helped him calm down.
“Shorter?” she asked, staying still until her boyfriend denied with his head, and so the last part of the process began.
Sakura grabbed some hair ties and carefully began braiding part of Lee's hair, always gentle enough as to not make him feel any pain at all– a long time had passed since she had last made braids, so it took her a couple of attempts.
Lee waited patiently, stealing a quick kiss from her when she stood in front of him, making her chuckle in surprise. Sakura kissed his forehead before focusing on her last attempt, which she deemed better than the last four.
“And… it’s done! It looks really good now, let me get you a mirror so you can see yourself!” Sakura said, going to find the item quickly and then extending it towards her boyfriend with a huge smile on her face, proud of her work.
Lee grabbed the mirror and observed his own reflection with curious eyes, while moving his head to see his small braid and the new shape of his hair. For a moment, Sakura felt nervous, instinctively waiting for a negative reaction– until a huge grin appeared on his face, and then he turned to look at his girlfriend again.
“It is awesome, love!” was the first thing he said, leaning towards Sakura for a kiss, which she returned while chuckling. “What is it?”
“Nothing, it’s just… for a moment, I thought you weren’t going to like it,” she admitted, her eyes falling on the ground for a moment before she felt a pair of strong arms wrapping her unexpectedly, though she didn't complain at all.
“Why would you think that, my dearest? You did an excellent job! And you did it with love.”
He was right, yet there still had been some doubt in herself– after all, it was her first time styling someone else's hair, but Lee did seem content with his new look. She couldn’t help it but hug him wordlessly, happy for the results and his eagerness, not really wanting to interrupt the small moment between the two.
From then on, Lee always asked her for help with styling his hair, and he even began helping Sakura whenever she asked him to– they liked to try new styles they saw on magazines and, later on, cellphones and social media. It was like a small ritual the two had developed over the years, something they shared with their kids years in the future, and everyone usually ended up content with the new looks.
(Though, at first, the only haircut Lee knew how to do well was Gai’s characteristic bowlcut… Sakura ended up just shaving it all for a while.)