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Okay, apply, scrunch, then, dry. Can’t be that hard right? Riley thought.
For the past hour, she’d been watching YouTube tutorials on how to take care of and style curly hair.
You may be thinking, Riley, you have straight hair, what’s the point?
Well, the point is that Val doesn’t have straight hair.
And, Val would always take care of Riley after she’d had a really stressful and exhausting day. Which, stressful and exhausting were the best adjectives to describe Val’s day today.. so Riley wanted to do the same for her.
Recently, Valentina had started playing for the PWHL, Professional Women’s Hockey League, as she’d just graduated university. And, since the season’s beginning, her new coach is putting all the players through intense conditioning.
So, here Riley was. Filling the bathtub and putting in epsom salt. She dimmed the lighting, in case her girlfriend had a headache after working so hard all day.
Momentarily, she heard the apartment door open. “Ri, I’m home!”
Riley rushed to the door, greeting Val in a hug.
Looking up at her as Val still towered over her by a few inches, she told her to come to the bathroom.
She led her, hand in hand. “I think you’re gonna like the surprise.”
Val rubbed Riley’s knuckles with her thumb; a silent sign of support.
In the bathroom, Val’s face lit up. “Minnesota, thanks. This is really sweet of you, I appreciate it.”
Riley sheepishly smiled. “You’re welcome,”
After Val was in the tub, Riley reached for the shampoo bottle before she was stopped.
“Riley, honey.. you do know that curly hair is different than straight hair, right? I appreciate this, I really do. But..”
“No, no, Val! I learnt!” She smiled.
That earned a small smile from Val. “It’s okay, Riley-”
“Please give me a chance, or..”
“Or..?” Val gently prompted.
“Teach me?”
“Okay.. you can try, and I’ll help you if you need it?”
Riley eagerly nodded.
To start, she dipped Val’s hair in the water, wetting it. Then, she put a generous amount of shampoo in; shampoo specifically for thick, textured hair.
She massaged it in, earning a soft sigh from Val, who was clearly enjoying the treatment.
“Enjoying this?” Riley asked, feeling pleased with herself.
“More than you know, Minnesota. Thank you.”
“I thought I didn’t know what I was doing?” Riley remarked sarcastically.
“Oh, you for sure don’t, YouTube can only do so much for you.” Val laughed, and after she got over her embarrassment because Val knew her so well, and could read her like a book, Riley joined.
After the shampoo was rinsed out, she moved on to conditioner.
The conditioner is a crucial part to your curly hair routine; this is when you brush your hair. This is when you prevent pesky knots. It also keeps your hair hydrated.
Or that’s at least what the video said.
Riley free-handedly squeezed conditioner into her hand; hoping it’d be enough.
She slathered it on to and through Val’s hair.
“Do you need any help, baby?” Val checked in with her, making sure she was doing okay.
“Yeah, I think.” Riley replied, reaching for the curl-defining brush.
She began brushing through, making sure to be extra gentle. Val hummed, content and relaxed; exactly Riley’s goal.
Riley rinsed Val’s hair. “So, how’s your school work going? Did you finish that essay for your professor?”
Riley nodded. “How was conditioning today for you?”
Val shrugged. “Painful, but I guess I did okay.”
She smiled in response.
Val changed the topic of their conversation. “So, what did you have planned for dinner?”
Riley pretended to ponder, her finger to her chin. “Well.. I could cook..” She said, finding amusement in Val’s widened eyes and concern.
“But to play it safe, I’ll order us pizza from Alejandro’s.”
“My favorite! Thank you!” Val exclaimed before slyly smirking.
“What?” Riley asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well.. it’s just that it’s kind of cold in here.” Val sighed.
“Oh, well, I could add more hot water?” Her girlfriend suggested.
“Well I was kinda hoping that water wouldn’t warm me and that a body would?” She asked, taking pride in how flustered she could get Riley to be in a matter of seconds.
“Val!” They both laughed.
But, Riley could never say no to Val.
So, she quickly undressed and joined her girlfriend in the bath.
She sat in between Val’s legs and nuzzled her face into the crook of Val’s neck, arms wrapped around her waist.
Val also had her arms around Riley, her chin resting above her girlfriend’s head.
“Love, shouldn’t we get out soon?” Valentina asked before kissing Riley’s forehead.
She felt her nod.
After Riley was out and wrapped in a towel, she told Val to dunk her hair once more.
“Perfect,” she smiled.
Riley turned to the now open cabinet, reaching for a curl cream. She squeezed some onto her hand before facing Val again.
She applied it as evenly as she could, then scrunched.
Then, she did the same for the mousse. And curl-holding gel.
The process was consistent: apply, scrunch, then, dry.
“And you have to do this every time you shower? And every morning?” She asked, disbelief present in her expression.
“Sadly,” Val laughed.
“But I don’t have to do all of this in the morning.” She reassured.
Riley finished putting Val’s shirt on her, as she insisted on taking care of her tonight, before she dropped her towel and started dressing herself.
Before finally putting on her shirt, she paused. Riley turned her gaze to Val, who looked away quickly.
“Perv,” she laughed.
Val shamelessly shrugged, grinning. “Only for you, Ri.”
~
“Hi, yes. Can I order a large pepperoni pizza? Thank you.”
Val sat on the bed, across from Riley, who was currently ordering their pizza.
She crawled over, grabbing the blonde, who had just finished ordering dinner, by her waist.
Riley laughed at Val’s antics, and Val took in every bit of it; noting all the little things that made Riley, Riley.
Her animated blue eyes. Her expressional face. Her dimples.
Now with Riley at her side in a tight embrace, Val began talking.
“Hey.. thanks for today. When you took care of me like that.. I felt more.. feminine? I don’t know,” she rubbed her arm, feeling embarrassed. “It's stupid.” Val finally said.
Riley looked up at her from Val’s chest where her head previously was. “No, it’s not stupid, Val! And.. I’m glad I could help you feel more feminine. I’ll try more often, if that’s what you want. I’m sorry I didn’t know before or if I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me; which you always can.” Concern was evident in her eyes.
Val caressed her girlfriend’s face with her calloused thumb. “Thanks, babe.”
Val smiled, and Riley returned it; both happy and in love.