Neat and Tidy
AN: I really wanted to write more for Falcom Rarepairs Month but unfortunately life - as it tends to do at inopportune times - decided to step in and and say nope :( That said, I'm glad I at least managed to get out this Tokyo Xanadu shortfic (supposed to be a Snapshot, WHOOPS) that's been percolating in my head for a little while! This game needs more love, just like Shio and Mitsuki do :D
Hopefully I can somehow crank out something else before the month ends, it's pretty tight but fingers crossed! If nothing else, I've always got drabble ideas kicking around...
"For the third time, Takahata-kun," Mitsuki said, her brow narrowed in concentration as she slowly ran the comb through Shio's loose, damp hair, "I request that you stay as still as you can. It wouldn't do to leave tangles in before it got tied up again."
"Please. It ain't that serious," Shio grumbled, nevertheless trying to stop fidgeting in his seat. "Besides, it's not as if anyone would notice once my ponytail's back in business."
She tutted in mild disapproval. "It's not about looks. I find that tangled strands left unattended are usually harder to take care of later."
"Hmph. That the voice of experience talking?"
"Perhaps," and he knew without looking that she was grinning just a tiny bit.
How the hell did he even get himself into this situation, one might ask? He'd been running for the XRC clubroom after a sudden downpour had caught him out and as luck would have it his damn hair tie had snapped as soon as he'd got in and tried in vain to dry off. Of all the days to leave his umbrella back at the restaurant...
Of course Hokuto would pick that moment to walk in and witness him trying to wrangle the mess atop his head like a maladroit dog. If nothing else, she remained true to form as ever.
"Oh my," she'd murmured, her eyebrows raising as she set her satchel down on one of the desks. "Would you like some assistance, Takahata-kun? An extra pair of hands would be quite useful, I think. I should have something that should be able to secure your usual hairstyle as well."
Shio had grumbled and scowled but eventually capitulated, because A: he was in no position to refuse and B: he knew well enough that Hokuto's particular brand of persistence was as effective as it was exhausting. He'd have been Sisyphus on a hill, to quote something Gorou-sensei said once.
"There," she proclaimed with no small amount of satisfaction as she set down the comb, and for a moment or two Shio registered that the sensation of her fingers running their way through his hair had not been unpleasant in the slightest (and damn, wasn't that a dangerous road to be going down). "Not a tangle in sight, Takahata-kun. Would you be able to help me with...?"
"Sure," he said, knowing what was being asked of him immediately. Reaching behind him to tightly bunch his hair into its usual arrangement, he added "Don't sweat it if it's a little loose or anything. It's just gotta hold till I get back home."
She giggled. "I'm certainly capable of that much." She paused briefly as she started her work, brushing her way though strands of heavy gold. "I'm rather surprised. Your hair's remarkably easy to work with, you know."
He rolled his eyes. "I'd friggin hope so. I spend enough time taking care of it, that's for sure," and he swore he could somehow hear her eyes start twinkling.
"Oh? Please, do elaborate."
"Can it. Anything worth doing is worth doing well, simple as that. Stuff like this is no exception."
"Ah, I see now. BLAZE's legendary work ethic in action, hmm?"
"Damn right. I showed up to a meeting looking like a slob once and Kazuma-san spent the better part of it giving me hell." He chuckled a little in fond remembrance, time and scar tissue allowing him to recall the happier moments without the dark gradually encroaching in as it once did. "Told me to have some standards and all that. I was representing BLAZE and lord knows BLAZE didn't need anyone looking like Chaos rejects."
Mitsuki hummed in quiet acknowledgement, the sound soothing to his ears. "Well, I'm glad you took his advice to heart. It made my task quite a bit easier. And... I think that should hold! How does it feel, Takahata-kun?"
Shio cautiously reached back and was pleasantly surprised to feel no give in the knot whatsoever. She'd done a great job. "Perfect, actually." He turned around to face Mitsuki, a grateful expression adorning his normally sharp features. "Thanks, Hokuto, I owe you one."
"You're very welcome, though you owe me nothing. That said..."
"Yeah?" he probed curiously as her words trailed off.
"If you're ever opening to return the favor," Mitsuki said at last, a playful smile on her face, "I certainly wouldn't say no."
Dangerous road. Dangerous, dangerous road...
"Huh. Since when do you ever rock a ponytail?"
Her smile widened, approaching close enough where she could just about look him in the eye without tip-toeing. "I'm always open to trying to new things, Takahata-kun."
... oh, damn it all.
"Well, far be it from me to dissuade you. Lemme know, just don't expect me to go out of my comfort zone or anything. I know what I do well."
"Hehe. I look forward to finding out firsthand."
She gracefully stepped back as the door opened, turning to greet the rest of the XRC filing in amongst greetings and complaints about the wet weather. Shio's gaze followed her as she went, his eyes lingering on the sight of unbound blue hair.
OMAKE
"So we figured one of us should ask," Kou began, jumping a little when Asuka nudged him disapprovingly with her elbow, "but uh... what's up with the hair today?"
Shio shrugged. "The elastic broke earlier so the whole thing came undone. Hokuto did me a solid and helped me out with fixing it before she had to take off for her meeting or whatever. That's why it looks a little different."
"Oh, so that's it!" Rion cheered, nodding approvingly. "I gotta say, she has excellent taste - that's a limited edition collab piece! It goes super well with your hair. Too bad you couldn't have gotten mine, though."
At the back of the group, Yuuki cracked up laughing as Sora hastily tried to quiet him down. That alone should have been a warning sign.
"Collab piece?" he repeated, his voice dropping ominously.
"Here," Asuka sighed, quickly raising her Xiphone to snap a picture and showing him the result; an image of his signature ponytail held in place by a sky blue bow, trimmed with lace on the edges and a tiny SPiKA charm proudly adorning the centre of it all.
Yuuki kept laughing. Shio's eyebrow twitched.
"So," Kou began, not bothering to hide his smirk even as Asuka shook her head in exasperation. "Big fan, huh?"
"HOKUTO!"