This one is inspired by a post juliadorable posted on Tumblr after Amy got a haircut in the show.
Amy's alone in the apartment, looking at herself through the mirror after a long, hot morning shower, taking some time for herself as it's the first day-off she's not sharing with Jake since he popped the question a few weeks earlier, when the idea suddenly occurs to her mind.
With all the changes that are going to happen in her life soon – her becoming a sergeant, and marrying the love of her life – she feels like it's about time to maybe make some physical changes about herself as well.
Which means, in that case, going to the hairdresser.
Even though she's used to taking care of her hair herself, cutting the tips off when it's becoming too brittle, today she wants something else – something new. She wants an actual whole, different haircut.
Unfortunately, the last hairdresser she's been to has closed for quite awhile ago now, and she doesn't know one that she could trust enough with such a job. Unless… maybe there is one.
Quickly then, before she has time to think about it twice, a towel still wrapped around her wet hair, she rushes out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen, where all of the important phone numbers Jake and her need are all gathered on a same piece of paper put on the fridge.
(She forced him to do that, one day, after they spent two hours searching through all of his stuff for some very urgent number he had to call back and written down somewhere but couldn't find anymore. Never would she do that again – it was way to stressing.)
It doesn't take her long this time to find what she's looking for among the list, scribbled in her fiancé's recognisable messy handwriting – The Dye Hard Salon.
(Of course he had to pick a hairdresser with such a pun as its salon's name, she thinks. She can easily picture him literally glowing with happiness as he discovered the place and entered there for the first time.)
With the image in her head, and a smile upon her face, she takes her mobile and starts dialing.
"Hello?" a male voice at the other end of the line answers soon after.
"Hi," Amy greets them. "I'm calling to take an appointment. Would you happen to have some space left for today?"
"Let me check that," the man says, and for a few seconds the only sound the detective can hear through the phone is the one of pages silently turning. "We do have a free spot this afternoon," they talk again after a while. "2:30. Is that good with you?"
"It's perfect," she answers.
"What name, please?" the man asks once more.
"Santiago," Amy gives it.
They say goodbye then, agreeing on seeing each other later, and hang up.
It's exactly 2:15 at her watch when Amy enters the Dye Hard salon.
Since she's early, she sits in one of the chairs there. But, as she waits for her turn to come, thinking about what she truly wants as a new haircut, she starts wondering and feeling nervous about this finally being a huge mistake.
What if she doesn't like the result?!
Soon enough then, she regrets her impulse. She should have given more thought to it, she tells herself, weigh up the pros and cons, and not rush things like she did in the morning…
(Damn dating someone like Jake for making her like this.
Even though she has to admit it's done her nothing but just good until now, letting a bit of spontaneity into her life. And it's just a haircut anyway.
If she does end up not liking it, well, it'll grow back quickly and just be a bad memory to remember. No real big deal here.)
Hopefully, she can't worry too much about it all, because a man in his mid-fifties finally come to her after a few minutes, and asks her to come with him as he's done with his last customer and can now take care about her.
He lets her leave her coat and purse in the salon's cloakroom, then before he begins with doing anything else, he goes to the counter, and asks her, "do you have a loyalty card? You can have a reduced-price hair treatment, if you do."
"I'm… not sure," Amy sincerely acknowledges.
After all, knowing her fiancé, there's a very few chances he has one she could use as well, even if he's probably had the same hairdresser for years now. She still tries, though. "Can you check on your computer if you have someone under the name Peralta, please?"
Something in her sentence must trigger the older man, because as soon as Jake's name comes out of her mouth, he suddenly looks up to her, watching her with a deeper attention than he did before – studying her with his green, piercing orbs, even.
"Peralta, you say?" he repeats. "You must be Amy, then?"
"Yes…" the woman trails off, not really understanding what's going on here.
How does this stranger knows her name? She's quite sure she only gave him her last name on the phone. Is she supposed to know about him too?!
Because no matter how hard she tries to remember, she can't seem to recall him from anywhere.
"I'm so glad to finally meet you!" the other answers for her, though, as he goes on – he doesn't seem to have noticed the confusion coursing in her eyes. "Jake told me so much about you."
"He did?" Amy's confusion grows wider with every new word he lets out.
Why would Jake tell this man about her?
"Are you kidding me?" he exclaims, startling her a bit with the enthusiasm he's showing. "I've known the kid since he was a teenager. I went through all of his weird hair phases with him. I still remember when he entered here for the first time with his mother with shining eyes, claiming this salon had the best name ever. We talked about our shared love for the Die Hard movie the entire time I cut his hair then."
"Well, that sounds like the Jake I know," Amy can't help but laugh at this anecdote of a younger version of her fiancé. It seems like she was right, earlier, when she imagined him discovering this place…
"And I still remember when he came here a couple of years ago too, bragging about the fact that he was finally going on a date with this friend and colleague he had had a huge crush on for months, and how he was looking forward to it, after all this time pining for her. He seemed so happy back then, he couldn't stop talking about her. Or should I say… you."
The hairdresser can't hide his nostalgic rictus, his mind full of memories.
("Leon!" Jake rushed into the salon, a huge grin never leaving his features as he spoke. "I hope you have an available spot for me today, because tonight's a big night, and I need it to be just perfect!"
"Well, if it's for a special occasion, I'm sure I can find something," the concerned man answered, always happy to see his oldest customer. Then, curious, he added, "but you have to tell me more about this special night."
The detective spent the whole time telling his friend about how great Amy was, then.)
"But certainly never as happy as the time he told me about his plans of…" so-called Leon goes on with sharing his stories, but stops soon after in his tracks, suddenly unsure about telling them anymore.
He'd hate to be the one breaking it to her if Jake hasn't done it yet…
When he spots the small ring shining on the woman's left hand, though, he starts speaking again, the rictus he's been wearing on his face since he learned who she was growing even wider at the sight of it.
(Just like Amy's is too, as she can't help but feel deeply touched by what she's learning about her fiancé.)
"… his plans of asking you to marry him. And I see he finally did, and you said yes? Congratulations! This is such great news."
"Thank you…" Amy answers, feeling her cheeks turning a bit red, and instinctively reaching for the ring with her right hand, gently stroking it with her finger – this very real (and so beautiful) testimony of the promise of a lifetime with the man she loves, her heart beating fast in her chest.
Jake apparently being so pumped about their first date back in the day, and then their engagement when he was preparing the big surprise, is the cutest thing she's heard for sure.
"Well, I'm so sorry," the hairdresser takes her out of her reverie all of a sudden as he goes out of his own and remembers what she actually came here for in the first place. "I'm talking, but I'm not doing my job… Shall we head to the sinks, and you tell me what kind of haircut you need?"
"Sure," the woman agrees.
(When, about an hour later, she finally leaves the salon without paying ('engagement gift of the house', the man insisted), Amy isn't disappointed – all the contrary.
Because not only does she love her new haircut, she really does, but she also actually enjoyed even more learning all of these sweet anecdotes Jake's hairdresser had to tell about him, and what the detective had to say about her to him.
So, it's with her heart full of warmth and a huge grin on her face that she says goodbye to Leon.)
Later that day, when Jake comes back from work, she can't help but kiss him 'hello' a little longer than she usual does, a little more emotion transpiring through it than usually.
"What was that for?" he asks then when they part, half-amused, half-intrigued about her surprising gesture.
"I just… love you," she tells him, watching him with so much bliss in her eyes as she bites on her lower lip, recalling his hairdresser's words from earlier, and immediately his expression softens, matching hers while a grin of his own grows on his face as well.
"Aw," he answers right away, "I love you too," then kisses her again.
Even though he's heard her say those same words so many times before, and even though they're so deep in their relationship now they're getting married, it still amazes him so much, to hear them from her.
And he's certain he'll never cease to feel like it, every time she'll tell him that – even when they'll be old and surrounded by children and grandchildren of their own during happy family dinners.
For a moment they remain like this, simply lost in each other in the living room, not wanting to let go of the other, until Jake finally notices it. "You had a haircut?" he's suddenly taken back to reality.
Carefully, very tenderly, he puts one hand in Amy's now shorter hair, and catches one raven strand, studying it.
"Yeah, I, uh, thought it was time for a little change, with everything that is coming up – Thanksgiving dinner with both our families, and the seargent results coming soon, and the wedding, and…" she starts rambling, coming up with all her excuses, and her fiancé can't help but smile at how adorable she looks right now.
He finally stops her in her tracks, though, as he takes her hand in both his and says, "I love it."
"You do?" Amy immediately calms down, and catches her breath again.
"Yeah. You look wonderful," he reassures her.
"Thank you," heat comes to the young woman's cheeks as she blushes at the compliment.
She gets closer to her fiancé then, and brushes her lips onto his. And, as they share yet another sweet kiss, Jake lets his hand discover her partner's new haircut, letting his fingers curl into it, stroking it ever so gently.
He can't help but add to his comment when they are finally ready to let go of each other, a loving, but also amused look in his eyes as he speaks, "I might not be the best judge here, though. You know I'd still find you beautiful even if you were dressed with a trash bag or anything."
Amy laughs in return, her heart even warmer than before beating fast inside her chest now.
This man might not be perfect, but sure thing is that he's perfect for her.