Work Text:
You were in the middle of washing dishes when you heard the front door unlock and swing open. You stepped away from the sink just enough to glance at the door, and the man that walked through brought a wide smile to your face.
"Hey!" you chirped, mood instantly lifted. "You're late. I just put the leftovers in the fridge." You went back to cleaning the dishes.
Valko's posture was slightly tense as he entered, no doubt overworked from a long day of corporate meetings. His glasses had fallen half-way down his nose, and he looked about ready to rip off his blazer.
"Sorry, kinda had an emergency." He closed the door and locked it, then set his briefcase down and walked over to the kitchen, slotting behind you.
"A work emergency?" you asked. He was like a furnace against your back, humming contently as he perched his chin on the top of your head.
"Something like that."
He nuzzled your head, an innocent enough gesture. But then his hands wandered over your hips and up your stomach, quickly making their way to your chest. Evidently, he was determined to distract you from your current task and help you both decompress. Usually you didn't mind him being clingy — but right now you were elbow-deep in soapy water and dirty dishes. Without turning around, you pushed your shoulder against his chest and laughed, "Back up! I'm almost done."
Valko whined like a kicked puppy, but obeyed. The comforting weight of his body against yours disappeared as he wandered over to the living room. By the time you finished putting up the last plate to dry, he'd shrugged off his jacket and plopped onto the couch, looking for something on the TV.
You dried your hands off and grabbed some drinks from the fridge — a soda for you, a chocolate milk for him. Who would've thought that at your age you'd be stocking up on a children's drink?
You chuckled to yourself as you went to join Valko on the couch. You barely crossed the room before you froze in shock, eyes glued to his head.
His…newly shaven head.
You dropped the drinks onto the floor. The resounding thump softened by the carpet still caught Valko's attention, and he twisted to look back at you over the couch. Normally, you'd appreciate how his black turtleneck was basically vacuum-sealed to his muscles — but you didn't have the wherewithal for that right now.
Oh, it's not completely shaved, you realized.
Just buzzed.
A buzzcut.
Valko had a buzzcut.
In the time it took for you to comprehend and accept this reality, Valko's eyes had gone comically wide. The corner of his mouth twitched as he suppressed the urge to laugh at your utterly bamboozled expression. He blushed a little, his smile more sheepish than wolfish.
"Shit, does it really look that bad?"
Bad?
Wordlessly, you slugged over to the couch, the drinks long forgotten. You move to stand in front of him, his face almost level with your chest because of his ridiculous size. He lowered his head slightly to give you better reach, chuckling as you raked your fingers through his hair in disbelief.
You combed through Valko's red locks — what remained of them. That short, scruffy mop of red that you'd come to adore was now less than a quarter inch off his scalp.
Your voice was hardly more than a whisper. "You buzzed it off?"
He sighed heavily as he lifted his head to meet your gaze. "It's a long story…" he trailed off, blush deepening. Still a little numb, you sat beside him.
"Well, I've got time."
So Valko recounted the series of events leading up to this rather drastic change in appearance — namely, he'd gone to visit one of his cousins this morning, and her rugrats thought it'd be funny to spit a wad of gum in his hair. Unfortunately, he had an important meeting that couldn't be rescheduled for a trip to the barber, so his cousin had to shave it off right there in her kitchen.
By the end of the story, your legs were draped over his lap and he was stroking your thigh affectionately. You'd gotten over the initial shock, but you'd be lying if you said it wasn't a little…upsetting. He was practically bald!
Valko laughed like he knew exactly what you were thinking. "Ah, it'll grow back fast," he reassured you. "Always does."
You reached out once more to gently drag your hand over the crown of his head, the blunt ends of his hairs scratching against your palm. At some point, your mouth slipped into a frown while you studied him. It's not like he looked bad or anything, it was just…different.
"Do you really hate it that much?" he asked, voice tinged with concern.
You pursed your lips as you considered your words carefully. "I don't hate it. I just…"
It was interesting, that's for sure. Something about it, how it left him more…exposed? Or maybe it was just the combination of the buzzcut with that tight-fitting turtleneck…
And the glasses. The glasses were definitely helping.
Valko shifted as you raked your nails down the back of his neck. A shiver ran down his spine, which he barely suppressed through a subtle clearing of his throat.
"Oh. You…like it?"
You hummed, nails scraping against his scalp once more. Suddenly, you pushed yourself up and climbed into his lap. Like a puppy being offered a treat, Valko sat up straight instantly, his amber eyes flicking over your face with excitement. His hands instinctively found your waist, but you clicked your tongue and whispered, "Sit still. I just wanna…"
With both hands this time, you caressed his face, tilting it up and down and left and right, admiring how the strong angles of his face stood out more. Valko was practically vibrating from your attention — if his tail was out, it'd be thumping relentlessly against the couch right now.
You ran your hands over his head, giggling at the prickly sensation. Valko's grin widened as he gently squeezed your waist. "So you do like it?"
You hummed again, brows furrowed. "I'm just…thinking."
"About what?" he asked, determined to test your restraint by sneakily sliding his thumbs beneath the hem of your shirt. The touch sent a shiver down your spine.
"I just…what am I supposed to grab now?" you asked, dead serious.
Valko blinked. "Huh?"
"I don't know," you muttered, mostly to yourself. You lowered your hands to squeeze at his broad, muscled shoulders. "Maybe it's still long enough."
"Long enough…?"
Aw, he's so cute when he acts dumb.
You patted his cheek condescendingly. "To hold onto," you explained.
Valko blinked slowly. You knew the moment he caught on, because the tips of his ears turned as red as his hair. But the embarrassment was quickly replaced with arousal as he hooked his arms under your thighs and lifted you up. You shrieked in delight, body tingling with anticipation as he shifted your positions so that he could lay back on the couch.
He dragged you up, up, until you sat on his chest. His canines were peeking out as he smirked, glasses slightly askew. His hands grasped the back of your thighs, encouraging you to rise on your knees and scoot forward. Once you did, his fingers hooked into the waistband of your shorts, all too eager to peel them off your body.
"Well, let's find out."
~X~
In the end, it wasn't long enough. But honestly, you didn't mind.
You decided that you did like the buzzcut after all.