Tangled Up

"Ow. Dammit."

Her boyfriend's grumbling distracted Chloe. She was sitting on their bed cross-legged with a laptop set between her knees. With her cursor hovering over the send button, she was about to shoot her superior an e-mail when Bobby grunted, and she watched him tear a wide comb through his curly hair, sounding as if he was pulling it right out of his scalp. It seemed like they would need a few extra minutes to get ready for work as Bobby struggled to tame his hair.

Dressed in his Psychonauts uniform like his girlfriend, he was bent over in the bathroom. Long strands of slightly frizzy and wet orange hair fell over his shoulders. He combed through it, detangling any stray knots he missed in the shower and cursing under his breath whenever he found a new one.

Flipping his head back, he dropped the comb onto the laminate countertop. He shoved his fingers through his hair, flicking it up much like how a cat's fur would bristle in anger. Bobby shook his head and held out his hands, staring at his reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing his appearance.

His hair was no longer a matted haven for insects and germs as it was in his youth. Chloe would describe his hair as full and thick. It was parted to the side and fell in curls around his face, neck, and back, courtesy of a generous amount of conditioner and combing.

"This friggin's rat's nest," he mumbled, unclipping a few hairs from behind his ears, "takes a hundred years to brush through."

Chloe grinned. That was true. Bobby needed a longer time to prepare for work due to his sometimes unruly mane.

"It's much more manageable than it used to be," she offered.

"That's because I never washed it like the degenerate bastard of a child that I was," he countered, taking the comb to his bangs. He looped it through a lock and pulled it out, fixing stray wiry hairs back into place.

Chloe touched her scalp. Her buzzcut only required a few minutes to be made presentable. Thorough washing and brushing were all she needed, along with her preferred accessory for the day.

"Oh, by the way, I have been thinking of cutting it," he announced, inspecting the top of his head in the mirror.

Her eyes widened. She took a breath, feeling it stay in her chest. Swallowing, she cleared her throat, asking, "Why?"

He shrugged, seemingly unaffected by her surprise. "I dunno. It just feels like it's time to get it lopped off."

Chloe furrowed her brows and set her laptop on the pillow. She pushed herself off the bed, her socked feet hitting the floor with more force than intended. "You do?"

"Like I said, I dunno. The jury's still out."

Chloe's frown cut a deep line through her face. She couldn't imagine him with short hair. Her mind tried to rationalize Bobby with a crew cut, but she rejected it with a full-body shudder. She loved running her fingers through his hair when they were relaxing, although she loathed anyone touching hers. If he cut his hair, which was within his right, then she would miss rolling his thick curls between her fingers. She'd miss watching it splay around his head on the pillow while he slept. She even liked when it had a sheen of grease matting his bangs to his forehead from an arduous overnight mission. He simply would not be Bobby without his long, wild mane.

"Maybe a few inches off...everywhere?" he asked, sounding like he was directing the question to himself. He gathered his hair in the back. With the thickness of his hair, it appeared like he was holding a small, fiery bush behind him. "Maybe I can have a lot of inches chopped off and get the length to my chin."

"No!" Chloe exclaimed, her voice cracking.

Bobby's hands jerked away from his hair. Chloe's cheeks darkened as he gazed at her, gawking at her shout. Chloe decided that the carpet seemed very interesting in that second, the light in the bathroom casting Bobby's shadow across it.

"I mean-" She cleared her throat, the hue on her freckled cheeks lightening as she regained her composure. "-I can't tell you what to do with your hair. The decision is yours to make, but personally, I prefer your hair when it's longer."

Bobby looped a low-hanging curl around his finger. The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. Amusement twinkled in his eyes as he placed his hands on the back of his head, tussling his hair one last time for extra volume.

"It's cool, babe. I know how much you like it," he said with a wink.

Chloe smiled, relieved, but still remarked, "You don't have to keep it long for my sake."

He shook his head. "Nah. I'd look like shit otherwise." Grinning, he pointed at her, then to himself. "You rock the short hair, and I'll rock the long hair. Deal?"

Chloe reached up with both hands and threaded her fingers through his hair. It maintained a rather silky quality in addition to its volume and thickness, again thanks to the conditioner. "It's a deal, but you look handsome either way," she said, taking her time to untangle a knot he had missed.