˗ˏˋA*ೃ༄

You blinked. “Is that different from the usual... thirty-seven minute routine?”

Dani gasped, pressing his hand to his chest like you’d insulted him deeply. “It is very different,” he said. “Today is the coconut oil. And the aloe. And the little scalp massager I bought you for Valentine’s Day, remember?”

You narrowed your eyes. “You said that gift was for me.”

“It brings me joy,” Dani replied, smiling brightly. “So technically, still a gift for you!”

You set your mug down and leaned over the kitchen island, resting your chin in your palm. “Dani, love, be honest. Have you ever skipped training to finish your hair routine?”

He straightened up like you’d accused him of match-fixing. “Only once,” he admitted, regret laced in his tone. “But it was raining and Coach Beard said they were just watching tapes anyway.”

You laughed, covering your mouth as your shoulders shook. Dani just beamed at you, clearly proud of his choices. You loved how completely unashamed he was of caring—about his team, his friends, his plants, his hair. Dani was always sincere. It was honestly a little disarming, especially when he looked at you like you were his favorite part of every day.

Which made teasing him all the more fun.

“Okay,” you said, leaning back and drumming your fingers against your mug. “Talk me through the process again, Hair Wizard.”

Dani’s eyes lit up. “Step one,” he said, lifting a finger, “detangle. With the wide-tooth comb. Starting from the bottom—always. Gently.”

“Gently,” you repeated, nodding like a very serious student. All you needed was a notebook to scribble in.

“Then the pre-wash treatment. That’s when I do the oiling.”

You quirked a brow. “The coconut oil?”

“And argan. It’s a mix. I warm it with my hands.” Dani mimed it with a dramatised flourish, like a magician about to pull a rabbit from a hat.

You couldn’t help laughing again. “You know, most people just... shampoo, maybe condition, and go.”

“Most people,” Dani said, stepping close, “do not have hair that bounces like this.”

He leaned down so his curls brushed your cheek. They were soft, shiny, and smelling faintly of something tropical.

You tilted your head and pretended to inspect it. “Okay, I’ll admit, that’s... very bouncy.”

“Thank you,” Dani said proudly, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. “You mock me, but one day, you will thank me. Your scalp will thank me. Even Coach Beard will thank me.”

You squinted confusedly. “Is Coach Beard secretly doing this routine too?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny,” he said solemnly, and you chuckled into your drink.

You watched Dani flit around the kitchen, humming, towel still around his shoulders, clips still clamped in place. You loved this version of Dani, when he was unbothered, relaxed, barefoot and soft in the morning light. The public saw the unstoppable footballer, the human golden retriever. But this was the Dani you got to keep for yourself—the one who put orange slices in your water because “hydration should be beautiful,” and who kissed you like he had all the time in the world.

You stood and walked over to him, tugging lightly on one of the butterfly clips. “What happens if I mess up the sections?” you teased. “Will your hair turn against you?”

Dani turned to you slowly, dramatically, a rare frown on his lips. “If you mess up the sections then the conditioner goes everywhere.”

“That doesn’t sound like a real issue.”

He leaned in, nose almost touching yours, eyes squinted almost like he was challenging you to grab a clip. “Last time I messed up the routine, a curl got caught in my zip-up and I cried at training.”

You blinked. “That’s... actually tragic.”

“I know.” Dani leaned in and rested his forehead against yours, eyes crinkling with a grin. “It was the left side. My best side.”

You giggled and kissed the tip of his nose. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You love me,” he said easily, grinning.

“Unfortunately,” you murmured against his mouth. “Yes. Very much.”

That afternoon, you found yourself lounging on the couch while Dani sat cross-legged on a towel in front of you, his head tipped back into your lap as you helped rinse out the conditioner. He’d insisted it was ‘a bonding experience’.

“Besides,” Dani said, as you gently raked your fingers through his hair with a cup of warm water, “you always say my hair is like silk after.”

“Because it is,” you admitted, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Annoyingly so. I’m starting to think you have fairy godmother genetics.”

“Maybe I am the fairy godmother,” he whispered dramatically, and you giggled, flicking water at him.

You worked in silence for a bit, just the sound of the water and the occasional coo of appreciation from Dani (‘You have magic hands,’ ‘I am reborn,’ ‘Please never stop doing that’). Dani looked so at peace, eyes closed, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. You felt a warmth spread in your chest that had nothing to do with the steam coming from the cup of hot water in your hand.

“I think your hair might be sentient,” you murmured. “Like a beautiful, curly alien that chose you.”

Dani grinned wider, eyes still closed. “That would explain so much. Why it grows so fast, why the birds like me.”

You laughed. “Is this your superpower? Perfect hair and irresistible charm?”

“No,” he said, finally cracking one eye open to look up at you. “You are my superpower.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to fight the blush rising to your cheeks. “That was cheesy.”

Dani sat up and turned to face you, curls dripping, eyes sparkling. “But you love cheese.”

You reached for a towel and started blotting his curls gently. “I love you, you menace.”

Dani smiled and leaned in, pressing his nose against yours. “I love you more.”

Later, when you were curled up together on the couch, Dani in a hoodie two sizes too big, you wearing his old training shirt, you reached up and toyed with one of his still-damp curls.

“You know,” you said, “I think I finally get it.”

“Get what?” he murmured, eyes half-closed with sleep.

“The hair thing. It’s not just about the curls. It’s about joy. Ritual. Care.”

He turned his face into your shoulder, smiling. “Exactly. See? My methods are wise.”

You kissed his forehead. “You’re a wizard among men.”

“I am a man of many oils and much wisdom.”

You laughed, and he wrapped his arms around you tighter. In the quiet that followed, you felt a deep, abiding peace settle in your chest. Loving Dani Rojas was like stepping into sunlight; bright, warm, a little overwhelming at times, but always, always worth it.