Haircut

A/N: So… I just watched the S5 promo. Just a little something something.

Holly rolled her head around, slowly stretching out her neck and gently bending her back. She'd been hunched over the microscope for too long, and it took a few deliberate blinks and a shake of the head to clear her eyes. She tried to fight back a yawn, lost the battle, and let the sudden rush of tiredness wash over her. They'd stayed up late, her and Gail, basking in the afterglow, bare hands and arms and legs brushing idly against one another, and talking, talking and kissing and touching, for hours and hours.

She smiled. It had been more than weeks but less than months. Things were good. Holly was patient, Gail was willing. Holly would often catch the short flash of fear flit across Gail's face, or the confused frown spread across her brow if Holly did something nice like make coffee or tell Gail she looked nice. But these moments were fewer and farther between with every day they spent together. Holly would wait and the fear would fade. She would smile and the brow would soften. Things were good.

"Hey nerd-alert," a familiar voice behind her broke Holly's day dreaming, and she couldn't help the grin that took over her mouth as she felt a familiar hand squeeze her shoulder, a familiar thumb rub gently on her back.

"Hey – HEY! Woah!" Holly did a double take. An actual, real life, look up, neck snap, eyes wide, jaw drop, double take.

Gail just smirked down at her.

"Got an ID on the vic' for me?" she asked, innocently.

"Um, hair? Like, what?" Holly spluttered, which just drew a laugh from Gail.

"You like it?" Gail posed and pouted, did a twirl.

Holly paused, deep in thought as her eyes traced Gail's face, running over her cheekbones which were now even more prominent than before. Her gaze drifted along Gail's razor sharp jaw, which now had no strands of light blonde hair to soften it. She finally met Gail's eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes. Despite having stared deep into those beautiful blue eyes so many times before, Holly felt like she was seeing them for the first time. She saw deep into them, saw the flicker of concern that Gail would try so hard to shrug off.

"Don't you like it?" pressed Gail, this time her voice insistent, and Holly realised she'd spent far too long looking, and not affirming.

"Oh baby," she muttered, "it's very sexy… I just…"

"What?" Gail dropped the posing, crossed her arms defensively.

"I just didn't realise you were really buying into this whole gay thing," teased Holly, winking so that Gail would definitely get it. "I mean, you're really method acting here. I'm impressed. Can I lend you some flannel?"

Relief swept across Gail's face, though she hid it with a playful shove of Holly's shoulder.

"Keep your fleece and your power tools to yourself, sunshine," she grinned. "You think it's sexy right?"

"Very sexy," murmured Holly, standing up and touching Gail's soft, exposed nape. She fed her fingers through the short, just-cut hairs, smiling at Gail.

"The short hair, gay looking thing, blah blah blah," Gail rolled her eyes. "I wasn't thinking about that. I just wanted… I don't know. I just wanted to try it out for a while. See if I like it." Holly cocked an eyebrow. "The hair, dumbass," Gail elaborated, knowing exactly what Holly was thinking. "I know I like the other thing," she finished, sultrily, with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Good," said Holly, suddenly unable to think of anything else apart from taking Gail home tonight and showing Gail exactly how much she liked that new haircut. "You look gorgeous," she whispered, quickly glancing at the corridor before kissing Gail, swiftly and softly all at once.

"So… Want to help me christen my new found super-gay tonight?"

"Absolutely," purred Holly. "Now," she sighed, reluctantly pulling herself away from the moment, "about your victim…"