Laguna watched Julia tilt her head as she studied him. "There's something about you that's so different. You're not like other men. Or like other soldiers."
"It's probably the hair," Laguna joked, chuckling. They were sitting side by side on a bed in her hotel room. The room was dimly lit, helping to create an intimate atmosphere. They had been talking for about an hour, the two of them growing more comfortable in each other's presence.
"I definitely noticed your hair. It really suits you."
He'd heard it before, but there was something almost ethereal about the compliment being uttered from her lips. As though she'd given him the stamp of approval he hadn't known he needed. Instinct made him want to joke and make light of her kindness. Instead, he could only stare blankly at her, rendered speechless by it. When he was finally able to speak, he said the first thing that popped into his head.
"You wanna touch it?"
Julia looked surprised by the offer, but she slowly acquiesced as she reached to place a hand in his hair. Laguna sat as still as he could as she tentatively stroked it. He felt an insane urge to laugh because it made him feel like a pet. He also couldn't help but feel so relaxed for once, even with the close proximity of their bodies. His eyes softened as he watched her smirk with amusement. He never could have known how much he liked being toyed with until that moment.
"It's so soft. Just like you," she said with a teasing smile as she let go of his hair and leaned back.
"Soft? Ha! I'm a soldier. I eat the soft." Laguna tried to sound tough, but his false bravado only elicited giggles from Julia. Maybe it wasn't the most convincing claim given what she'd witnessed earlier. He scratched his head in embarrassment as he wished he could erase that memory so he could feel just a little bit cooler.
But he knew, deep down, she'd always see him as 'soft'. And…he was surprisingly okay with it.