"May I do your hair today?"
Aldrich was prepared rejecting Roma's question. This Italian has been going on about doing his hair since the moment they met, and it bothered Aldrich whenever Roma begged and pleaded him to let him do it. It was annoying and unnecessary, it was just hair. Aldrich liked keeping his hair untouched by anyone out of fear of what they might do to it. It took a great deal of keeping it at its long, well-groomed length just passing his shoulders.
But now that he thought about it, today was supposed to be another treacherous hot day and it might make his hair look dreadful. Roma, if he asked him for a style, might do him a simple ponytail and that could break the irritating relationship right off. But then again, Aldrich could pull of a quick fix of his own without any needed help from Roma.
Well, he thought carefully, I'll let him do it this once...
"Fine," he grumbled, moody.
Roma gave out an outright dramatic, unneeded gasp, "Really?"
"Don't get excited, it's just hair. I'm letting you do it so you'd stop bugging me!"
Roma moved closers and went behind Aldrich's back. "All right, what would you like?" Roma asked, ignoring Aldrich's complaint against him.
"A ponytail," He said, slightly fazed of Roma's presence.
"How cute!"
Aldrich bit his bottom lip tightly, not because he might hurt his feelings but because he wanted this to end quickly. But the moment he touched his locks in his fingerspecial, Aldrich felt a sudden yet tender feeling sweeping inside him. The gentleness and care of Roma's action was beguiling, almost fascinating because of the electrifying intensity Aldrich felt from him. Roma took all the hairs together in one handful and pulled his hair back as softly yet securely as he could. Then he allowed the strains to fall off his fingers gracefully like silk.
If Roma hadn't taken his time with this, Aldrich would have had the time to go back to camp and prepare for whatever the generals decided after debating tactics back and forth. What felt like hours was really turned into ten minutes over a simple task of making a ponytail. Roma brushed his hair, untangled all the tangles Aldrich had missed from his usual hair care time and finally began working his hair.
"You look so cute!" Roma praised, admiring his handiwork.
Aldrich decided to be the judge of that. Since they had no mirror around the lakeside of this countryside, he moved near the lake and took upon his reflection...and was immediately furious.
Turning to Roma, he pointed at his hair in an furious gesture. "What is this?"
"It's a ponytail with a hairband-"
"Attached to a bow!"
"But it looks nice on you, like a present!"
"How is a present nice?"
"Because...you are the gift I will always cherish!"
Aldrich gaped in shock, his cheeks came too with the color of red from the compliment alone and before he said or did anything stupid, Aldrich forced his legs to move past Roma and headed for the camp alone.
"Do you like it?" Roma's loud question rung behind Aldrich's ears.
Aldrich halted. He could shout he was an idiot or he made a grave mistake or kept on walking...
Aldrich turned himself around and shouted with all his might, "THANK YOU!" And he took a bolting run from him, yet he couldn't run away from the majestic feeling he had for him.
As for Roma, as he watched Aldrich run off so fast, he couldn't be more happier to do this for him.
