Impulse

“Oh, it’s empty,” Kira says abruptly.

Olivia stops in her tracks when she realises Kira’s not walking beside her anymore, turning to look at the other woman. Kira’s stood in front of a shop on the street they‘ve been walking on, with her face almost pressing against the window to look inside. From the obscure reflection on the glass, Olivia can see that familiarly curious look on Kira’s face that only brightens up like a lightbulb.

“Don’t mind accompanying me for a bit?” Kira turns around to ask, her hand already on the handle of the shop’s door. “It’ll be quick, I promise.”

“Uh… sure?” Olivia replies, though still disoriented by the suddenness, even if she should’ve gotten used to it by now. Typical Kira— jumping straight into the unexpected out of nowhere. Always so brazen, but Olivia would be lying if she said she didn’t fancy it.

“You’re the best! Come on,” Kira snatches Olivia’s arm with her free hand, half-dragging Olivia towards her before she pushes down the door handle with her other hand.

A little bell chimes to mark the entrance of the two ladies as they stumble through the threshold. The only other person in the shop is a woman, sweeping up the mess on the chequered floor. She turns to regard them when she realises she’s not alone, wearing a neutral yet welcoming look on her face.

“Hello,” she greets coolly as she sets the broom aside, knowing the mess on her floor is going to get bigger.

“Hi! You do walk-ins, yeah?” Kira asks, a vigour emanating from her that Olivia can feel just from her arm interlocking with Kira’s. It’s an energy that’s warming up the frozen Olivia— whose eyes have just been scanning around to register the foreign space she’s entered. The swirling pole outside gave a hint, and now that the two of them are actually inside, everything’s much clearer to her— even if she’s still in disbelief.

“Of course. Who’s first, ladies?” The woman asks as she glides towards the black, barber chair that’s facing a large rectangular mirror on the wall, patting it on the back invitingly. Olivia takes in a sharp breath when she hears the question— understanding its implication.

“Oh, just me today!” Kira replies as she instinctively gives Olivia’s arm a warm rub, which helps her breathe a small sigh of relief. Kira then slowly slips out of Olivia’s arm, undoing her baby pink windbreaker to reveal the black camisole under, along with the roses starkly inked on the inner side of her right bicep. “Here, hang onto this for me, Liv.” She presses her jacket and tote bag into Olivia’s arms, giving an encouraging smile. She’s about to head towards the chair, then stops when she realises the last piece that’s about to be redundant. “Almost forgot,” she slips her black elastic headband off her forehead. Olivia’s heart skips a beat watching Kira toss her head back, a hand ruffling through her dark brown waves that bounce around her head. “Here, won’t be needing this for a bit,” Kira chuckles playfully as she hands the headband to Olivia. “Go on, have a seat. I promise I won’t be long.”

It’s the second time she’s said that now— that it’s going to be quick. Something about the way she says it sounds so confident and believable, and Olivia isn’t sure how to feel about that. All she can do is carefully amble towards the waiting bench against the wall that’s opposite the row of barber chairs, holding Kira’s belongings close to her chest as she picks up a waft of Kira’s familiar, vanilla-tinged scent from her jacket that helps to calm her. By the time Olivia’s settled herself, Kira’s already eagerly climbed into the barber chair, seated so comfortably like it’s her own armchair as she regards her reflection in the mirror.

The woman behind her (‘the barber’: Olivia now clicks the role in her head clearly) tears off a long piece of tissue from a roll on the counter that’s just underneath the large, rectangular mirror. As if anticipating it, Kira cocks her head up to let the barber securely wrap the piece of tissue around her slender neck. The barber unhooks a maroon cape from the wall, flicking it out like a maestro before flinging it over Kira’s figure. It’s so large that it practically envelops her entire body— leaving only her loafers exposed, which Olivia realises isn’t even firmly touching the footrest. With a few kachunks, the barber pumps up the chair to make sure her petite customer is a little higher, with her head now level to about the barber’s chest, all while Kira’s feet start dangling a little higher over the floor.

The barber fishes out a comb from the pocket of her barber jacket, starting to comb out the wavy mop— Kira’s favourite way of describing her hair— where its longest layers are partially covering her ears and reaching the middle of her neck at the back. It was the type that was too long to be called a pixie, but also too short to be called a bob. As the barber starts combing out the length of the bangs to inspect it, Kira starts squinting a little as it clutters up her vision, with the ends practically reaching her nose already. “How would you like it cut, miss?” The barber stops combing to look at her customer through the mirror as she strikes the question— the first time the topic is broached so directly since the two entered the shop, and which shakes Olivia a little as she prepares for the unforeseen show that’s about to play in front of her.

“Short back and sides, please,” Kira states confidently— so natural, as if she frequents such a joint.

“Number two on the sides and tapered up, yeah? And we leave it a little long on top?” The barber asks, ruffling a hand through those artfully messy waves.

“Oh, no,” Kira shakes her head gently, sending a few of those waves bouncing around her head. “Take off the length on top too.”

“How short would you like that, miss?”

“Really short, like, uhm…” Kira stutters for a bit, getting a hand out from under the cape, reaching up to her head of hair. Her forefingers pick up a small bundle of her locks, holding it ghastly close to her scalp, “cut it this short.”

“So off the forehead, yeah?” The barber asks, picking up that lock that Kira held with her own forefingers.

“Yes, please,” Kira agrees with the most satisfying tone Olivia’s ever heard as the woman in the chair returns her hands under the cape.

“Okay,” the barber concludes.

Olivia isn’t quite sure how to make out the conversation that just transpired— for one thing, she wasn’t exactly following it too well. The main thing she heard was ‘short’, mentioned quite a few times at least. There was a bit of lingo she’s still unsure of, that which Kira speaks so confidently. She‘s got a lot of questions for her when things are done here. But for now, Olivia only sits at attention— the same way she’s done for most of Kira’s impulsive little ventures.

The barber swivels the chair around as she turns to the counter to pick up her tools, letting Kira’s back face the mirror while she’s now directly looking at her lone audience member by the waiting bench. Kira flashes a brief, cheerful smile— the kind where it’s so wide her eyes end up squinting so adorably. The kind that always makes Olivia’s insides flutter. Olivia can only give a lipless smile in return.

She’s still bewildered at how the two of them managed to bumble their way into such a setting when they were just out for a walk no more than fifteen minutes ago. They’d spent most of the day just hanging out together, and were probably about to decide where to go for dinner. The last thing Olivia expected was to find herself on the waiting bench of a barbershop, sitting opposite Kira who’s comfortably settled in a barber chair with a large cape engulfing her, about to go shorter than her already short ‘do.

A loud pop cuts across the room, making Olivia snap back with a jump in her seat. Kira can’t help but giggle at the reaction as a low humming fills the room. Olivia’s eyes follow the sound— coming from the wired clippers held in the barber’s hand. The barber pushes Kira’s head down straightforwardly with her free hand, keeping her palm firmly on the top of her customer’s head. Kira’s playful smile turns into a little pout as her bangs flop forward, draping her eyes so annoyingly. It’s such an adorable face, but Olivia’s attention is primarily on those clippers, wondering what the barber’s going to do with it. And without further ado, she bears witness.

Bzzzaaaaa

As the barber propels the clippers from the base of Kira’s neck up into her nape, the humming turns into a high pitch that unnerves Olivia. Once the blades are above the occipital bone, the barber flicks the clippers, sending a thick clump of waves falling— some landing on the back of Kira’s neck, while others plunge to the floor. A soft gasp escapes Olivia’s lips when she realises the power of the clippers— such a simple, sharp tool that cuts through so much hair so easily. As the barber starts up another path at the back of Kira’s head beside the one she started on, Olivia’s eyes only widen when she sees the dark fuzz that’s left behind through the reflection in the mirror.

Bzzzaaa. Bzzzaaa.

The barber remains ruthlessly efficient with the clippers, wasting no time as she mows the dark brown lawn on the back of Kira’s head. Olivia’s teetering in her seat watching such destruction happen so quickly— all while Kira’s sitting so serenely in the chair with a soft smile on her face. She may not be able to see the damage that’s being wrought, but she can certainly feel the weight being taken off her head. And it only excites her even more, much to Olivia’s confusion.

Kira’s head is propped back up a little, then tilted to her right as the barber takes her position on her left side. The barber’s free hand keeps Kira’s head in place while the clippers are set at the base of her cheekbone. Without delay, the growl of the clippers sinks right into that thick head of hair.

Bzzaaa. Bzzaaa. 

Olivia’s fingers gently press against her lips, trying to hide the shock of witnessing her dear friend’s mane being reduced so swiftly. With every flick of the clippers, a large clump of wavy locks plunges down onto Kira’s caped shoulder, eventually sliding to her lap or even off onto the floor unceremoniously. It’s barely been a few minutes, but Kira’s left ear is now left poking out without a single strand to hide it. It’s a jarring image, but a little tinge of excitement sparked in Olivia when she could see Kira’s helix piercing so clearly now— the one that she’d got on a random evening after she’d dragged Olivia out to accompany her on an adventurous night.

The barber flips her position now, tilting her customer’s head to the left as she moves to her right side— the last side to be mowed down. All this while, Kira had been so obediently letting the barber manoeuvre her head freely. She squints through it every time the barber parts her hair all over the place to move it out of the way of the clippers, and her waves end up cluttering her vision so annoyingly as it swings over her eyes.

Bzzaaaa. Bzzzaa.

It doesn’t take long before messy chunks of locks are littered all over the cape and floor, lying so haplessly. By the time the barber’s done mowing down that last side, Kira’s sides and back are sporting nothing more than short, dark fuzz, all while the top of her head seems to still be abundant with her bothersome yet alluring waves. So much has already been cut off, but that ‘crux’ of Kira’s irritation— the way her hair was always getting into her eyes— still seemed to be untouched. Olivia can only wonder how much more might just be cut off right in front of her eyes.

The barber shuts off the clippers for a moment, offering a brief recess as she replaces the guard on the clippers with another. She immediately flicks the cutthroat device back on with a pop and a hum, then goes back to work on her customer. She starts on the right side yet again, but this time keeping the clippers lower as they buzz the already short fuzz even shorter.

Bzzzaaaa. Bzzzaaa.

The barber works a little more carefully here to start shaping up the taper, unlike that first go with the clippers where it was all about removing the bulk. She holds Kira’s head firmly in place, tilting ever so slightly here and there as she moves around towards the back. Once again her waves spill forward past her eyes, and Olivia can’t help but chuckle softly seeing that pout on her companion’s face. If Kira wasn’t stuck in that chair in the middle of a haircut, she would’ve immediately swept that bundle of hair off her forehead out of instinct.

Olivia always found it endearing when Kira was mussing about her hair, trying to tame her short yet wild mane everywhere she went. It was always so ironic to Olivia: how there wasn’t even that much length by her standards, yet Kira’s hair seemed to be such a bigger hassle than Olivia’s own gorgeously layered tresses. And then a memory flashed through her head— one that made this odd scene in front of her start to make sense.

“Why don’t you just cut it shorter?” suggested playfully after watching Kira ruffling through her hair in the bathroom one night, attempting to neaten it before they headed out for drinks. 

Kira froze, as if processing that idea thoroughly for a solid second. “You think so?” She asked earnestly in return.

“I’m kidding,” Olivia laughed, switching up the topic almost immediately. But she never saw the twinkle in Kira’s eyes after that ‘harmless’ question— one that had planted a seed.

Bzzaaaa. Bzzzaaa.

A seed that had now grown into its own, and was bearing its fruit right there in front of Olivia’s eyes as her sides and back have been shorn down to nothing but fuzz. The barber’s focusing on that last section on the left, softly sweeping the guardless clippers at the bottom-most part of the taper around her sideburn.

After a few more precision chips with the blades, the clippers are finally turned off for good, and Olivia can feel herself breathe a little more easily. She may not be the one in the chair, but that droning filling the room kept a lot of tension in the air. The barber sweeps through the remaining fuzz with her bare hands, and Kira squints in delight with an “ooh”. The barber returns to the counter to replace the clippers on its hook, then starts scouring for her next set of tools. In that little window of time, Kira quickly gets a hand out from under the cape, reaching up to physically inspect the barber’s work.

“Mmm,” she goes back into a trance as her hand travels across that freshly shorn landscape. Olivia’s left in wonder, not at all expecting Kira to be enjoying something so drastic— and the haircut isn’t even done yet! For the time being, it seemed like a really edgy undercut, with the sides left so short while the top is still long and textured with her waves. Olivia couldn’t lie: it may be incomplete, but it’s absolutely badass on Kira.

The barber soon returns to the chair, and Kira takes it as her cue to slip her hand back under the cape. With a spray bottle in hand and a comb in the other, she starts spritzing mists of water on that long section that’s still on Kira’s crown. The teeth of the comb rakes through those unruly locks, pushing it all straight backwards and off Kira’s face, much to her satisfaction. Once it’s all sufficiently damp and neatly slicked back, she sets the spray bottle down and picks up the steel scissors.

“Short on top too, yeah?” the barber prompts once more, teasing the hair a little with the comb to envision the length she’s about to take off.

“Mhm, nice n’ short,” Kira agrees with her whole heart, her body shifting in a bit of glee under the cape as if this has been the main event she’s waited for this entire time.

The barber starts from the back of the crown, combing up a bundle of locks before holding it in place with her forefingers. Olivia’s insides start twisting in a thrill, watching the scissor blades opening just above Kira’s head.

Snip snip snip

Olivia bites her lip, watching as that hefty chunk of wet locks are sliced off so quickly. Before she can even fathom how much hair is left behind, the barber immediately combs up another section, clamping it with her fingers before diving back in with the shears.

Snip snip snip. Snip snip snip.

While the clippers on their own were already so quick and efficient, this time Olivia gets to watch the barber herself working with such precision and speed with the shears. Comb and snip, comb and snip— her rhythm follows a fixed pattern without fault. And as each snip happens and loose locks rain around Kira’s face, Olivia can finally see the cut coming into shape. If Olivia’s gauging it right, the barber’s leaving less than a couple inches between her forefingers and Kira’s head when she snips above the knuckles. The locks that’re left behind are still visibly longer than the sides, but are definitely nowhere close to ever being called a ‘mop’ by Kira’s standards.

There’s only the sound of loud snipping filling the air, and soon the firm clop of the barber’s pumps as she manoeuvres towards the flank of the chair when she starts transitioning to the front section of Kira’s crown. She combs through those last long, flowy waves that’re still left near the forehead, holding them up with her fingers.

Snip snip snip.

Kira and Olivia both squint when it happens, seeing those limp locks slide down Kira’s face and onto the cape— joining the other fallen brethren that’re lost to Kira’s sudden impulsiveness. The barber makes a few more snips, then combs down the remaining length that’s on the front. Instead of those long, piecey waves that always end up touching her nose, all that’s left is a soft set of wavy bangs that hangs at the midpoint of her forehead. They’re so short and cute, and Olivia’s smile returns in full force as she admires this new look on her friend. Her short hair has been cut much shorter, but somehow all of that appeal about her glows brighter. She can see Kira’s grin too— the fact that her hair is all combed down, and nothing is remotely close to touching her eyes. If there’s one thing Olivia’s certain of, is that she’s not gonna hear Kira complain about her hair any time soon. She’ll miss Kira calling her head of hair a mop, but Olivia’s thrilled for this new phase.

But while the two of them seem to think the cutting was about done, the barber still seems unsatisfied. Her shoes clack on the tiles once more, crossing over the bulk of hair around the chair as she takes her position behind Kira, now with a slightly more determined look on her face. She starts from the back of the crown once more, combing that section before holding up that short length of hair with her fingers. Olivia can see it so much more clearly this time, realising the almost nonexistent distance between the barber’s fingers and Kira’s scalp.

Snip snip snip

Olivia didn’t think she’d be any more surprised after such drastic stages of the cut, but her lips part once more in a bit of shock.

Snip snip snip. Snip snip snip.

Again, the barber works from the back of the crown and moved towards the front, with her palm and fingers firmly resting on the shape of Kira’s skull. Any length that pokes out from between her forefingers isn’t spared, softly trickling down and sometimes needing to be swept off by the comb.

Snip snip snip. Snip snip snip.

For the first time since they both set foot in the shop, Olivia realises Kira’s starting to look concerned. She may not have been saying much throughout most of the haircut, but her energy hadn’t wavered— her excitement always shone through, even during those little moments of pouting. But it seems to have disappeared when the barber starts her second round with the scissors, and as she starts reaching the front of the crown once more, Kira’s brown eyes start searching with hesitance— for once wishing she could see the mirror.

Snip snip snip. Snip snip snip.

The barber’s meticulousness seems to have stepped up a notch— she runs over the same sections at least more than once, each time making the most minute snips to ensure everything is at the desired length. Kira’s head nudges slightly with every mini section that the barber’s fingers pull up with some force, as if she’s trying to leave the shortest possible with her fingers as a guide. But Kira and Olivia haven’t quite figured out how much more drastic it’s all going to look— and then it all starts coming together when the barber’s hands reach the forehead.

Olivia watches as the barber picks up those soft bangs, holding them tightly between her forefingers that press down firmly on Kira’s forehead. For the first time, Kira’s eyes are actually looking up— a hint of desperation that yearns to at least be able to see how much more is being cut off. But all she can see is the edge of the barber’s palm, pressed steadily against her forehead as she hears the scissors open.

Snip snip snip.

Kira squints when she hears it, then watches as wet, brown tufts rain forward past her eyes. The barber doesn’t dally as she simply picks up the section behind it, following the guide she sets with her fingers and continues snipping away. She runs over that front section with extreme thoroughness, sometimes going over the same spots more than twice. It gets to a point where Olivia can barely see any locks falling, but with every few snips she notices the tiniest changes in length left on Kira’s head.

She starts shifting gears towards the sides of the head, opting for a scissor-over-comb technique where the fuzzy sides meet the harshly snipped crown. She slices off the littlest bits of length, gliding all around Kira’s head as she blends in the sides and back with the top of the head smoothly. Slowly, the barber inches the comb up further into the crown, taking off a bit more as she’s shaping it fully into her vision. Then she steps forward once more, her attention drawn to what’s left of the front section as Olivia’s already at the edge of her seat.

Kira can only hide so much trepidation as the barber ruffles through what’s left of the bangs (if it could even be called that at this point). The comb combs down what’s left of it gently, then the barber gently rests the steel blades against her forehead as she makes precision snips in a pointed manner. She’s more careful than fervent here, making sure those small snips are done right. Once satisfied, she pushes it slightly off to the left of Kira’s head. Those short, wavy bangs are long gone, and now all that’s left is the gentlest suggestion of a parting left to grace the top of Kira’s forehead.

The barber finally returns to the counter, dropping off the comb and scissors before she starts dusting the little clippings of hair off her hand with a brush. While she fiddles around for her tools, Kira’s still left a little petrified in the chair— this time, she doesn’t seem to take that opportunity to have a feel of her head. Instead, there’s a bit of fidgeting under the cape that Olivia can see, like she’s just dying to see what it looks like. But with the mirror deftly behind her, all she can do is wait. She was looking down on the cape for most of the haircut— specifically the latter part when it seemed to have taken a sharp turn so suddenly. The cape is a mosaic clutter of dark brown, with her lap filled with larger, longer waves, while her shoulders are littered with the tiniest of clippings. Kira’s eyes scan across the chaotic landscape across her draped figure— the only clue as to how short she’s been taken— then slowly looks up to her lone audience member by the waiting bench.

She searches Olivia with a look— one that isn’t entirely filled with uncertainty, but is at least looking for an ounce of comfort. Olivia senses it so quickly, and offers her warmest smile in return. It’s assurance, and it’s wholehearted. The barber may have gone past the mile with the cut, but Olivia would be lying if she said it wasn’t stunning. Then again, she’d also think Kira would look phenomenal if she had something as extreme as a buzzcut (which she has to admit, the current look is ghastly similar to), but her feelings stand. It’s such a short crop of hair that Kira’s left with— one that barely has any suggestion of her waviness that Olivia’s always adored. Her tanned skin all around her head is so naked now, but it was the furthest thing from unpleasant. Olivia could stare at this new Kira all day, and it would still be a more than excellent way to waste away her time.

The barber soon returns, but this time with a white towel in hand. She unfolds it, then carefully spreads it across Kira’s neck and sides. “Mmm,” Kira’s figure loosens up, her shoulders relaxing a little as the barber presses the towel gently on her skin, letting the comfortable heat sink in. The barber holds it in place for about a minute, then tucks it on the collar of the cape before picking up her final tool.

She tilts Kira’s head to the side before unsheathing the straight razor, starting on the sideburns on her right. Olivia can barely hear the scraping sound as the blade is guided across the skin, shaping the sideburn so precisely into a pointed tip. After every few strokes with the razor, she wipes the blade clean on the towel before proceeding. She folds Kira’s ear down, carefully continuing to carve the lining that leads towards the back of the head.

Kira keeps her head as still as a rock, bending only to the touch of the barber as she manoeuvres around the head. Her head is tilted down again as the barber starts on the neckline, being the most meticulous she’s ever been throughout this entire cut with the sharpest tool in her arsenal. And in that moment, Olivia holds back a gasp as the butterflies return to her tummy. There was just something about that specific spectacle— of just watching Kira being so laid bare with her head bowed down— that left her a little breathless. About seeing Kira so… vulnerable.

But she keeps her lips sealed, clamping her tongue down as she watches this epilogue that’s surprisingly thrilling her more than she thought it would. With a few more scrapes of the razor the final side is done, and the barber inspects Kira’s head on last time before tilting it back up. Kira’s still a little fazed, at least but this part’s a bit calmer than the prior one. The barber sets the razor back on her counter, then picks up the tucked towel from the collar’s cape. She gives Kira’s sides and back a good wipe, then tosses the towel into a laundry bin beside the counter.

The hairdryer is picked up, which the barber blasts across the scalp as she ruffles through it with her hands to style and part it towards her left. The hot wind is kept on only momentarily, shutting off soon after as it doesn’t take much to dry such a short pelt of hair. She sets the hairdryer back on its hook, then picks up the hand mirror before offering it to Kira.

“Have a look,” the barber instructs as Kira accepts it timidly. She gives Olivia one last glance, then holds the mirror up to face herself.

Kira’s face goes through an entire journey when she sees it all, starting off with those widened eyes when she finally meets her reflection head on. Her head then cautiously cocks to the left and right, slowly taking in the full breadth of her freshly cropped hair. The sides and back are all nicely clipped and tapered with the clippers, and it only gets slightly longer in length once it reaches the top, where it’s all so short that it’s almost hugging her scalp. There’s only a slight suggestion of her waviness with how short it is, with the front having only that soft bit of curl as it’s parted slightly up to the left.

Once her eyes have accepted it, her other hand reaches out from under the cape, nervously eager to feel the final look. She starts slow, opting for the sides and back which had been lined up sleekly with the razor. Her sideburns end in a rather sharp point, which Olivia thought added quite a bit of chicness to it that didn’t make it look too brutish. Then Kira’s hand slides upwards, towards the most radical site of her transformation.

Olivia watches as Kira’s eyes shift when her hands finally come into contact with the length left on her crown. There’s a hint of hopefulness at first when Kira tries to grab onto a handful— but only comes up short as the length is barely enough to grab onto without slipping through her fingers. Olivia’s heart stirs when she sees that spirit in Kira’s eyes vanish as she realises now: her mop had been cropped.

Without anything to hold onto, her fingers gently breeze over her new head of hair, rubbing it in disbelief. But in all that incertitude that’s written on her face, Olivia can sense that isn’t all doom gloom— there was a touch of curiosity still in Kira’s guise. Not to mention that image of Kira so delicately rubbing her own head of hair in such a sensitive state was just so… precious. This is the most tender Kira has been after one of her own impulsive misadventures, yet is also the most stunning Kira has ever been. Olivia just wants to hold her so close, to tell her she looks breathtaking even without the signature annoyance that was her hair. Her heart only flutters when Kira’s fingers reach that front bit of her hair, teasing those soft tufts that’re swept so tidily to the side and off of her forehead, where her charming widow’s peak finally puts itself on show.

“Neat and short, off the forehead,” the barber cuts in after a while to describe her work. “Won’t be getting in the way for a while now— just part it once and it’ll stay nicely put,” she continues, gently pulling on those short tufts of bangs with her fingers, where its ends are deftly kept off the skin above Kira’s forehead. “Looks good? Or did you want it a bit shorter?”

“No no, it’s good as it is,” Kira quickly replies, sliding her hand back under the cape and handing the mirror back to the barber— even though she still wanted to stare at that foreign image of herself a bit more.

“Mm,” the barber affirms before taking the mirror to put back on the counter. “Let me dust you off a bit and you’re all set,” she adds before picking up the neck brush. She starts at the front, dusting off the hairline around the face as Kira’s eyes shut so dearly. She then gingerly sweeps the brush around the ears, then undoes the cape and tissue. Kira has to hold back a shiver as her neck is cleaned up thoroughly with those ticklish bristles, then the barber whisks the cape off in a swift motion. She gives the cape a few firm flicks to the side, letting all those remnants of Kira’s wavy mop rain onto the floor with the rest of the mess.

Once free of the cape, Kira’s hand almost immediately reaches back up to her head— still eager to familiarise herself with that bizarre reality on her head. She slowly lifts herself from the chair, but her eyes are glued to the ground, staring at those wavy locks that were all on her head not too long ago. She may not have started with the longest head of hair, but it’s still the biggest pile of hair she’s ever seen left scattered on that chequered floor.

Her gaze soon shifts upwards, finally able to regard herself in that large mirror behind the chair in her full glory. She was already sporting so much skin before she stepped into the chair, and now even more is on for show around her face. Kira’s still turning from side to side sheepishly, suddenly so conscious about the parts of her that she’s left exposed to the world.

“That’ll be fifteen, miss,” the barber interrupts her moment of introspection after hanging the cape back on its hook.

“Oh, yeah,” Kira snaps back to earth, immediately turning to Olivia who’s holding onto her bag.

But Olivia’s already right beside her, stepping forward as extends a hand to the barber. “Keep the change,” she simply as the barber accepts.

“Thank you. Sure you don’t want a cut for yourself as well?” the barber adds, gesturing to the chair.

“No thanks, not today,” she smiles graciously before gently grabbing Kira by the arm. “Good to go?” Olivia asks, turning to face Kira with a little squeeze of her arm.

“Yeah,” she replies softly, face starting to colour just watching her best friend take charge. “T-thank you,” she bids farewell to the barber as they both head for the door.

For a brief minute after they leave the shop, they just keep walking— not a word spoken between the two as they continue where they left off on their walk to dinner that was abruptly paused by Kira’s whim. The shorn woman’s still processing her new look, with a hand still touching through that neat crop fervently as she takes every opportunity to glance at her reflection through each shop window they pass by.

Olivia’s a little more huddled as she walks, still holding Kira’s windbreaker close to her chest with her tote bag slung around her arm. Every time she glances at Kira, her heart goes into statics— it almost seems like the both of them are stealing glances of Kira. One’s still so startled by the haircut, but the other is in pure awe.

“Your hair looks amazing,” Olivia finally finds it in her to compliment after that minute of silence, clamping down her lips immediately after to try and stop her pale cheeks from colouring.

“Oh, thanks,” Kira turns to face her friend, forcing out her typical smile— and Olivia’s completely whipped. “You… really like it?” Kira’s eyes shift down to the sidewalk they’re treading on, the uncertainty writing itself on her face.

“Absolutely!” Olivia doesn’t hold back. “It’s wild, cos I’ve always thought that your hair was already so short, and now it’s even shorter,” she pauses for a moment, mustering the courage, “and also looks even better.”

Kira tries and fails to hide her blushing face. “You’re too nice, Liv,” she says. “If I’m being honest, though, I didn’t expect her to cut it this short,” she eventually confesses.

“Really?” Olivia plays along.

“Yeah… probably my fault for leaving it a bit vague for her though. Like after she cut the front first time with the scissors, I thought that felt alright,” Kira mourns as her fingers reach up to her forehead.

“Cute little wavy bangs,” Olivia recounts.

“And then she started cutting even more, and now I don’t even have bangs,” Kira continues, trying to pull down those locks at the front of her forehead, but they just naturally spring back up. “I think she took ‘off the forehead’ quite literally.”

“Well, at least it’s not gonna get in your eyes for a long time,” Olivia teases, passively reaching up to twirl her red tresses with a finger. “And now we get to see that helix piercing a lot more too.”

“Oh yeah,” Kira instinctively touches her ear that’s poking out so clearly now without her waves to shelter it.

“On that note though… I’m sensing a bit of a pattern,” Olivia starts, finally feeling like it’s time to bring it up. “Why is it that some of your most impulsive decisions have happened when you’re out with just me?” It’s not necessarily a pointed question— but more of one that’s shot out of pure curiosity. “First the piercing, then the tattoo, and now,” Olivia gazes at Kira’s head, “your best haircut yet.”

Kira suddenly curls up a little, avoiding Olivia’s gaze. But it’s not a defensive retreat out of insecurity— but one of being found out. She didn’t think Olivia would connect the dots so quickly, but perhaps it’s time she should’ve been honest. “Because I feel safe with you.”

Olivia stops in her tracks, and Kira follows suit. “You feel safe with me?” Olivia has to articulate the words— as if saying it would make it make more sense to her.

“Yeah,” Kira faces the taller Olivia squarely now. “When I’m with you… I feel like I don’t need to hide who I really am. I feel like I can do these things that I’ve always wanted, and I know you wouldn’t look at me any differently.”

Olivia’s eyes are scanning through every bit of Kira’s face— every micro detail she can take in as the other woman spoke. Olivia knows she’s always felt some kind of way towards Kira, and it flares up especially in those little impulsive moments that she’s tagged along while Kira does something so brazenly out of the blue. They were probably the fondest memories Olivia had of her friend— watching as the biggest smile etched itself on Kira’s face after getting the piercing and the tattoo.

But this most recent one was different. There wasn’t an immediate satisfaction like those more memorable impulses. That image of Kira looking at her with such vulnerability while she was in the chair, getting her hair shorn off so unceremoniously is burnt in Olivia’s mind. A private moment of tenderness they shared, with Olivia being able to see the depths of Kira who’s never been the most open about herself.

“I’m glad I make you feel that way,” Olivia expresses, almost breathless just staring into Kira’s eyes. Her mind is still racing, thinking of all the right words she’s been wanting to say for so long, but it’s just jumbling all over her. “You make me feel safe, too,” she starts slowly, mirroring the sentiment as the words are scrambling around her tongue.

Kira smiles in return, but this time fuller— with that same confidence she had after her earlier impulses. Before the two can even say anything, the evening breeze gusts through them, and Kira shivers. “Ohh, that’s so cold.”

“Oh, yeah, here!” Olivia quickly returns the windbreaker.

Kira immediately puts it back on, zipping it all the way. “Ah, I probably should’ve brought one with a hood,” she laments, pulling at the back of her windbreaker’s collar.

“What’s wrong?” Olivia perks up.

“It’s nothing… it’s just,” she turns away for a moment, already embarrassed at what she’s about to say, “my head’s so much colder now.”

“Aww, you poor thing. C’mere!” Olivia pulls Kira head in, wrapping her arms snugly around that soft pelt of hair as she rests it on her bosom. Kira’s taken completely by surprise, but doesn’t find a single urge to fight back. She tacitly surrenders to Olivia’s touch, letting her shorter figure mesh into Olivia’s. “Is that better?” Olivia asks, her goosebumps flaring as she’s finally able to touch Kira’s cropped head of hair. The side and back are so fuzzy to touch, and the crown is left with such short but soft locks that keep slipping through her fingers.

“Mhm,” is all the sound Kira can make, feeling so at peace as her arms coil around Olivia’s waist.

“Would a kiss on the head make it warmer?” Olivia blurts out, half-regretting the spontaneity.

“I think so,” Kira unabashedly answers, thankful Olivia can’t see the teetering passion on her face.

Olivia delicately cocks her head down, planting a full yet gentle kiss on her friend’s scalp. Kira stifles a gasp, her fingers grasping on the waistband of Olivia’s trousers when she feels those lips gracing her scalp. It’s better than anything she’s ever dreamed of— and god knows she’s dreamt countless times of this scene playing out in every different way. But this one is perfect.

They stand there in the middle of the street, frozen in this moment in time as Olivia holds Kira with every ounce of care in the universe. Olivia ruffles through Kira’s cropped waves, absolutely enamoured by the way they feel on her fingers. She just wants to stay like this forever, never leaving Kira’s side— to be there for her, and to be that comfort for when she’s vulnerable.

“Would a kiss warm you up better?” Olivia asks once more.

“I could get your scalp kisses all day,” Kira admits, still hiding her face that’s resting on Olivia’s chest.

“I don’t mean on the head this time.”

Kira finally looks up at the taller woman, a wonder held in her gaze. But she doesn’t answer. All she does is close her eyes, waiting patiently. She doesn’t have to wait long— she’ll never have to— as Olivia dives in to finally fulfil what they’ve both always wanted.

They’re lost in a galaxy as their lips lock, floating together in a span of stars. Kira’s arms are fully encircling Olivia now, pulling her as close as ever to hold on for dear life— never wanting any of this to end. Olivia holds Kira’s head so gingerly, starting slowly from the neck before she slides it up into that deliciously short head of hair to revel in that novel, fuzzy feeling. In that moment, nothing else matters— only the infinity that lay ahead of them to march on together, hand in hand.