Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hiruko has made many “requests” and orders throughout our relationship, especially after I unwittingly agreed to become her personal servant. Most of her orders are too bizarre or humiliating for me to take seriously, but I’ve gotten used to her sense of humor and learned how to push past it and refocus the conversation onto more serious matters. 
 
But not today, this time Hiruko was determined to have her request be respected and luckily for me it was a far more mundane request than anything I had expected. 
 
“Comb my hair for me servant.” Hiruko said with a casual tone. 
 
“Huh…?” 
 
“Did you not hear me? I told you to comb my hair!” 
 
“No I heard you, I just didn’t expect something so… Normal?” I tried to phrase it in a way that didn’t make her sound like a complete weirdo, but judging by her annoyed reaction I probably failed in that.
 
“Just shut up and follow my order!” She snapped, her cheeks blushing lightly. 
 
“It’s not like I hate the idea I’m just surprised is all, aren’t you worried I’ll mess it up?” I said tentatively. 
 
“Aren’t you the one who told me you were an expert at this kind of thing? Was that all just bluster?”  
 
Wait what? I don’t remember telling her that, I mean it’s true that as a kid I would regularly comb and brush Karua’s hair. And it’s also true that we kept doing that long after she should have started doing it all on her own, but I don’t remember telling Hiruko this. 
 
Hiruko suddenly groans and looks away. 
 
“Just quit talking and obey my order.” Hiruko said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.  
 
This whole situation was unexpected but why not? If she trusts him enough for this then why betray that trust by turning her down? Besides, I'd much rather obey an order like this than licking her boots clean. 
 
I nodded my head and Hiruko’s eyes lit up. I couldn’t help but smile in response. 
 
After that I followed Hiruko into her dorm and sat down on her bed while she went to grab her comb and brush.  
 
I felt nervous waiting for her, not only was I alone with her in her room but if I messed up who knows how she’d react? My heart was racing, but it wasn’t long before she strutted out of the bathroom holding a comb.
 
A very very ornate comb, far more stylish than it had any right to be. 
 
“I shouldn’t have to tell you this but if you damage this or start pulling out clumps of hair like a caveman I’ll put you in a cannon and fire you into the sun.” I let out a quiet laugh as she handed them to me. 
 
“Alright I’ll be extra careful, but if your comb rejects me as unworthy and melts me I’m going to haunt you okay?” My voice was light as I tried to respond to her slapstick sense of humor with my own but it didn’t seem to work. Hiruko’s light smile faded almost instantly before she regained composure and sat down, her back turned to me. 
 
Did I say something wrong? 
 
“Come on then.” Hiruko said, her voice sounded devoid of warmth.  
 
I leaned forward and tried to settle my anxiety. I placed the comb through her hair as I retraced my memories of doing this with Karua. 
 
Her hair used to be such a mess as a kid, dirt from outdoors mixed with tangles and knots she always seemed to have; if I could untangle it then I should be able to now, right? 
 
I have to be careful of course but I can’t just sit here lost in thought either. After a moment of wracking my brain, I began to move the comb through Hiruko’s beautiful raven colored hair. 
 
Her hair was soft like silk, from the top of her head to the edges of her hair I met little resistance.  
 
I’m so close to her, I couldn’t tell if it was due to nervousness or joy but my heart began to race as the scent of lavender, her scent, became increasingly powerful. 
 
The room was silent, the only noise I could hear was the comb moving through her hair and the slow, soft breathing as Hiruko closed her eyes. The gentle rise and fall of her hair became almost hypnotic for me; my mind couldn’t help but drift back to Karua. Those summer nights where I’d brush and tend to her hair as she leaned back and smiled at me, her slender fingers tracing across my palm, the way she held me in her arms and told me I didn’t have to suffer alone… Huh…? She never said that… 
 
“Everything okay Takumi?” Hiruko’s words jolted me from my fog; my hand jumped, but thankfully didn’t pull or hit anything. 
 
“O-oh yeah sorry! I was just lost in thought is all!” I stammered. 
 
Hiruko gave me a suspicious look before moving further towards the edge of the bed. 
 
In retrospect, thinking about another girl at this moment was a bad idea; my mind raced to come up with an excuse but I was interrupted mid-thought. 
 
Hiruko had lain down with her head next to my legs. She stared up at him with a sad smile. 
 
“I’m glad we found one thing you’re good at, besides sleeping of course.” Hiruko’s voice was tinged with sadness. 
 
“Maybe I should get a job as a barber when we get back home? If you started being nicer to me, I might even give you a discount.” I winked, and she gave a pained smile before closing her eyes. 
 
“Hiruko…?” 
 
She pushed her hand to her head and took a deep breath. When she pulled her hand away, I saw another pained smile. 
 
“Don’t worry, I shear you loud and clear.” Hiruko said with a grin. 
 
The joke was awful, it genuinely may have been the worst pun I ever heard but I laughed anyway, more out of joy to see her smile again than anything else. 
 
Hiruko’s smile widened, and suddenly I could feel her grab hold of my hand and squeeze it. 
 
I wasn’t expecting it, honestly, none of this really felt real to him. 
 
Hiruko let go of my hand as quickly as she had held it, but she didn’t move her hand back to her side either; our hands simply lay there as we stared at one another. 
 
I remember a time when I was scared of her, when I’d look into her crimson red eyes and feel like she would snap me in half at the slightest provocation. But I don’t feel that way anymore, they haven’t changed exactly but there is a softness to them that I never noticed before. 
 
In this moment, her eyes are simply beautiful. 
 
Suddenly her hands move again and begin to trace along my palm, it feels a little ticklish but I don’t jump. 
 
Her face is lost in thought. I give her a reassuring smile as she thinks. Her hand eventually moves back to her side. 
 
“You were… Thinking about Nozomi right? Or Karua?” Hiruko said, her voice sounded resigned and flat. 
 
Was I? I thought I was, but… I’m not sure anymore. 
 
Hiruko looked into my eyes. I could almost hear what she was thinking.  
 
“You can say yes or no. But don’t lie to me.” 
 
I thought deeply, brushing Karua’s hair, her fingers tracing my palm, and what she said…  
 
“Takumi… You don’t need to suffer through this alone. I’ll stay with you for as long as you need.”  

Memories flash in my mind of the rec room, of the bench outdoors, and the way she held him close as the terror seemed to close in all around them.
 
“Hiruko… I was thinking of you.” 
 
Hiruko stared at me with an odd mixture of shock, confusion, and maybe even fear. 
 
“This isn’t the first loop where we did this right? I… I remember you...” 
 
Hiruko looked terrified and ashamed. She quickly stood up and darted her eyes away from me. 
 
“Hiruko I…” My words caught in my throat; I had no idea what to say, but I didn't want her to leave. I couldn't let her leave me again.
 
“Hiruko I… I think your hair got messed up again from lying down.” I spoke, my voice quiet and serious. 
 
“What…?” She exclaimed, looking at me with a quizzical look before the realization dawned on her.  
 
“Oh, you must have messed it up then.” She said, shaking her head in mock disappointment. 
 
“But I thought you said I was good at it?” 
 
“Remember what I said about leap damage making you stupid and forgetful?” 
 
“Oh ha ha, now if my mistress would be so kind as to let her humble servant finish brushing her hair I would be most grateful.” I put on a fake butler accent to show that I was just joking around with her, but judging by the evil grin she got after I said “my mistress” that might have been lost on her. 
 
“Hmmm, I suppose I’ll give you one last chance to prove yourself, servant.” She sneered. 
 
And just like that, it was as though nothing had even happened. I pulled out the comb again and went right back to work. 
 
Was this for the best? Leaving so much of their relationship unsaid like this? I remember Moko saying relationships thrived on communication and that all couples had to “unpack” their issues sooner or later. But would Hiruko even be receptive to that? And also, why did I just apply Moko’s dating advice to me and Hiruko!? 
 
Ugh… this is all so confusing. I guess what really matters is that I avoided Hiruko running away again and she doesn’t seem to be mad at me. All of this can wait until we get home and break this cycle. 
 
While I was thinking my hands were moving, long effortless strokes down her hair while she leaned against me. 
 
My hand rested on her shoulder. I wasn’t thinking like I had been earlier. The stress or maybe just my sleepiness was causing me to space out. 
 
I don’t know how long I spent like that, lost in my task, lost in her. 
 
“You’re important to me Hiruko, so important.” I whispered, my voice soft and low. 
 
“No matter what happens, I’m glad I was able to meet you.” I pulled her into a sudden and tight hug. 
 
I didn’t want to let her go ever again. 
 
Hiruko nuzzled in closer to me, smiling up at me warmly. 
 
“I’m… I’m glad I was able to meet you too…” She said, her words slow and deliberate but unmistakably affectionate.  
 
Her hair never needed to be combed, but she needed this all the same.  
 
We both did.