@centralperkfamily ( Joey ) asked:
@aprtmnt20 ( Monica ) replied:
ā youĀ wantĀ toĀ braidĀ myĀ hair? ā
monica'sĀ wordsĀ comeĀ withoutĀ muchĀ thoughtĀ toĀ theĀ originalĀ question.Ā theyĀ justĀ instantlyĀ fallĀ fromĀ herĀ lipsĀ inĀ responseĀ toĀ theĀ requestĀ atĀ hand.Ā aĀ requestĀ thatĀ was,Ā well,Ā prettyĀ unexpected.Ā especiallyĀ comingĀ fromĀ joey.Ā eyebrowsĀ knitĀ tightlyĀ togetherĀ inĀ consideration.Ā joeyĀ tribbianiĀ justĀ didn'tĀ seemĀ likeĀ theĀ hair-braidingĀ type.Ā sure,Ā itĀ couldĀ beĀ seenĀ asĀ anĀ intimateĀ gestureāĀ butĀ notĀ intimate.Ā notĀ theĀ kindĀ ofĀ intimateĀ thatĀ heĀ wouldĀ useĀ hisĀ timeĀ for.Ā unlessĀ itĀ turnedĀ intoĀ someĀ kindĀ ofĀ sensualĀ massageĀ orĀ something. Ā
sheĀ shakesĀ theĀ thoughtĀ fromĀ herĀ mindĀ andĀ onceĀ clearĀ ofĀ whatĀ joeyĀ couldĀ turnĀ theĀ gestureĀ into,Ā aĀ better,Ā moreĀ importantĀ questionĀ comesĀ toĀ theĀ forefrontĀ ofĀ herĀ mind.Ā ā wait. . . youĀ knowĀ howĀ toĀ braidĀ hair? ā Ā
ā Yeah. Why? ā Joey's brow furrows in response to her instant & surprised question, clearly confused as to why she would feel the need to clarify.
Monica's TV on, they are both occupying the familiar yellow couch, sitting close enough that he could braid her hair without any of them having to change their positions too much; he even washed his hands after munching on her freshly baked buns so they are clean & her hair is right there, the length they are at now familiar to him enough he shouldn't have any trouble; why not braid it?
Then her second question comes, and Joey almost recoils with a look of offence on his face, his voice going slightly high-pitched as he retorts, with a clear 'do I need to remind you?' undertone:
ā Of course, I do! I do have six younger sisters, you know? Who do you think braided their hair when they were little? ā
( While Papa provided for their family, Mama was almost always busy with the household, no less or maybe even more daunting job as Joey learned from observation, keeping their large family clean, dressed, fed and taken care of ā which was no picnic, let him tell you ā day after day, year after year, so babysitting duties were often delegated to Joey, the only boy, the second oldest child and self-proclaimed mama's little helper, from as early as he could walk and talk )
But that's the kind of offence that melts away easily ( that's Monica we are talking about, how can he be mad at her for long? ), so not a moment or two later he gestures towards her hair, eyebrows raised slightly as he asks again: