Hair Ties
"Can you see?"
Keith blinks, once, precisely.
"Uuuuh-" His unsure answer drew slowly from his mouth, only now noticing how his black hair tickled softly against his face, partially impairing his vision. "I'm okay-"
Oh.
Oh.
When her fingertips gently brushed a few large strands away from his widened eyes (very closely!! to! his! face!), it revealed two very focused purple irises. Could anyone tell how he barely had time to inhale a breath of air before he had noticed this small girl's figuring closing the distance between them, how he was now definitely holding said breath despite his mostly stony facial expression?
Pidge laughs, but it is a laugh that is unaware of the current turmoils in his thumping heart. "Dude I think you need a hair tie at least! You do tie your hair sometimes right?" She immediately draws back from him to go rummage around in the drawer of her desk. Keith misses the close proximity b u t you didn't hear that from him.
Does he lie, does he lie?? Think brain, think!!!
"I don't... really..." He quietly mutters, annoyed at the fact that he could hear Lance and Shiro's laugh in his mind for lying about such a silly matter. But depending on the outcome, it might be worth it. Keith's sitting crossed-legged on her bed, something he never thought he would be doing in a million years, but he finally gave into it after Pidge insisted after all she did painstakingly rearranged all the plushies on her bed to give him space.
His heart is still beating just as hard whilst the hoodie-clad rummager continued her search, mumbling to herself about misplacing things. Friends, Keith, they were juuuust friends. Friends planning a birthday party for a mutual friend! Good friends. Friends that should get marrie- waitwheredidthatthoughtcomefromKeith-
"Found them!" Pidge says enthusiastically. She excitedly holds up one for him to see then hands it forward to him. "Here ya go." Pidge's expression then turns into one of confusion when Keith turns slightly away from her as he rubs the back of his neck. "What's wrong?"
His ears turn red. "I kinda forgot how to tie hair so... It's okay Pidge. I'll be fine." This was silly, he was being silly. Why would he so foolishly raise his own expectations like that? It wasn't like Pidge would actually ask to-
"Pff that's alright. I can just tie your hair for you if you want!"
"......."
REALLY-??!?
Keith remembers his thoughts weren't forming actual words out loud so he stutters a bit. "I-If you want to but Pidge I haven't taken a shower yet and-"
"And what?" She chuckles, already climbing off the bed to stand behind him. "It's just you, Keith."
It's just you. God, he loves her.
The boy had to hold back from flinching when he again felt her hands begin to gather his hair to form a short ponytail. Keith hears another giggle from behind him this time. Pidge was holding back more laughter, oh man Keith was too adorable in the most unexpected moments. Keith was tense at first, awkward and rigid, but his stiff shoulders seem to relax a bit as Pidge began to speak. "Tying a ponytail is actually really easy. You just bunch up your hair into a single section then pass it through the hair tie, you see?" Though, hopefully, this wasn't too much for him. The last thing Pidge wanted to do was overwhelm the guy.
On the other hand, as Pidge continued to explain, Keith's focus was more on this new, pleasant sensation. Growing up, he didn't get that many head pats. After meeting his current friends, he had picked up a habit or two, one of them being patting the head of their resident midget.
Everyone had their own style of how they patted Pidge's head. Keith reserved his head pats for her when he noticed her green eyes blinking sleepily, a sign that she had, again, stayed up way too late again the night before. Still, he admired her hardworking nature and in his mind, that effort deserved some gentle head pats.
Him on the other hand? Keith never really struck the others as someone who might enjoy them. Shiro sometimes did, only privately after giving him a pep talk to help him get out of an emotional rut. He cherished those moments but they still felt foreign to him.
Though tying hair didn't really count, the hands on his head right now brought him an odd yet immense amount of comfort. It wasn't a playful ruffle. It was filled with deliberate care. It made him want to deliberately care for her too.
"And there, done." Pidge steps away to sit back on her bed as Keith brought a hand up to feel the finished product. Hmm. Not too loose, not too tight. Impressive attention to detail as usual. She grins when she sees him nod, noting how most of his bangs weren't in the way of his eyes.
"Thanks, Pidge. I can see better now." Keith clears his throat again. "I... like it."
Like could not even begin to describe how much he adored the whole process, how much he adored her. This was like a miracle. A once-in-a-lifetime happening. "It's really nice, thank you."
"You know," Pidge tilts her head as she began. Keith puts his hand back down to look at her. "I actually did not dislike doing that. Ah- no. I mean to say that tying your hair was oddly relaxing. It has a very different texture to my hair and Matt's hair."
Keith blinks again, not sure where her rambling would lead to this time, but he lets her continue. "Our family's hair gets tangled up real easily- to the points where it isn't funny. I can't count how many times I've gotten a hairbrush stuck in either in his hair or mine."
Nodding, Keith says, "That does sound like a lot of work when you put it that way."
"Right?? But your hair is so smooth and- un-tangly. At least, not as bad as ours. It was very satisfying!"
"......I can't believe we're having this type of conversation."
That comment earned him a light push on the arm and a soft scoff. "Hey. If you think about it, I'm complimenting you Kogane. I thought you would appreciate my honesty more but now I know!" Her tone shifted to a more dramatic one, jokingly of course.
Keith just earnestly looks down at her. He doesn't really think before he acts this time so the words slip out of his mouth. "I also liked it."
Silence.
"Th-that was a compliment too- I'm saying you're good at tying hair and... stuff. You even took the time to explain it to me." She's still looking at him oh gosh. Why is she looking surprised now? "So if you wanted to play with it," Keith can't help but mumble for the rest of the sentence, "you could... play with my hair... only if you want to...."
Wow did he sound awkward.
"Though I really don't know why you would even want to because my hair isn't even that long so-"
"Can I?"
Pidge's eyes were... sparkling? Alrighty...?
"Uuuh- yeah, sure- Whenever you want, I guess. I don't mind if it's you."
She looks so happy and Keith decides that's all that matters. But now he was curious. "Why do you like to do this?" He points to his new ponytail.
Pidge giggles again, making his cheeks warm but he loves to hear it anyway. "My mom would help with my hair when I was younger, braiding it and whatnot, and I just found it a very relaxing recreational activity to put every single strand in place because, well, it's a way I can interact with my family members without always needing to use words. Relaxing and quiet and simple. I can even braid my dad's beard now to look like a viking! Uh- Sorta-"
"I see..." Keith thought about it for a moment, looking down at the bed where their planning notes were. As he pondered more on it, the more his curiosity grew. "Do you think... Could I try?"
Pidge nods and hums a yes. "Yeah, it would be good practice for you to start tying your own hair too so I don't always have to do it from now on!"
Keith laughs along a little while hoping that what Pidge said wouldn't really come true. This was one of the rare times he felt okay to be so physically close with someone. He welcomed it, embraced it even. It was because Pidge was simply so trustworthy. It made Keith's chest bloom with warmth, knowing that she was willing to share this piece of her with him. What did he do to deserve her in his life? Every time he looks into her eyes, he cannot fathom any answer.
He was going to lift his hand up again to take off his hair-tie to redo it himself when Pidge turned her back to him on the bed. ...What?
"Here's another hair-tie." She passes it to him from behind her and he takes it, confused. Did she mean for him to tie her hair????
"O-oh, right- Thanks."
He was probably overthinking this but, applying his logic to this situation, did Pidge find him trustworthy too? Keith watches as Pidge pushes the rest of her hair back over her shoulder for him.
Marry me.
Okay w h e r e do these thoughts keep coming from??????
"I'll try my best not to tangle it," Keith says as he lifts up her hair with care, remembering what Pidge had said. Woah. What a beautiful color... and soft too. Pidge was right again, her hair did feel different from his own but that was okay. He loved that she was different from him.
Keith puts the hair-tie on his lap as he begins to gently brush the girl's hair with his fingers like she did with his hair just a while ago. He begins to understand what she had said, memorizing the feeling of his hands running through her locks, careful not to tug on any knots. It was a way to do something nice for someone you cared about and Keith was more than glad to do it for Pidge.
All the while, all Pidge could only think of one thing.
"I can't believe I actually got him to do this, YES."
Mental note to self: remember to buy more hair-ties.
"I'm beginning to understand what you mean now," Keith smiles even though Pidge can't see but she could hear it in his voice. This was very calming.
Pidge chuckles back. "I'll give you a two-for-one deal."
"Two?"
"Mhmm, tie pigtails!"
Oooh. He remembered Pidge explaining that to him before. "The cute one?"
.
Oh no.
It was too late to take back what he just said as Pidge feined a shocked gasp even though she really was surprised. Seriously, that took her off guard! "Th-the cute one??? Keith?????"
Just when this whole thing was starting to become a relaxing recreational activity!! Pidge why?!
"Please turn back,,," It's too late, Keith's heart rate shoots up again.
She laughs again and Keith turns even redder than before, now knowing his honest opinion. But he bet that she would look cuter in a wedding veil.
Why d- Nevermind. If he planned on doing this with her the rest of his life, might as well ask if he can spend the rest of his life with her while he was at it too.
But he should probably ask her to be his girlfriend first right-
(spoilers: Keith asks at the party and of course Pidge says yes hehe)
