Chapter Text
magnus hated his hair short.
he hasn’t felt himself since he had to cut it off for that damn bowling bag. alex has been helping him keep it short, and he appreciates her taking her time out of her day to give him a haircut. plus he likes letting her do his hair, but he hates how he looks. He doesn’t know why, it’s not a bad haircut, but he hates it.
he softly knocked on alex’s suite door, running his hand through his bangs. Alex answered and smiled, a white t-shirt on and bleach on her roots. Anyone would think she looked funny, her crazy curls all over the place. They stuck up from the bleach that she applied just within an inch of her head.
“Hey, ready for your haircut?” She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside before he could even respond. Magnus let her drag him inside, he noticed some wet clay on her pottery wheel. She must have been working on something while the bleach stripped the color from her hair.
Magnus sat down on the stool she always had sitting in her bathroom for him, watching her grab a comb, scissors and a spray bottle filled with water.
Magnus looked up at her when she walked up behind him, leaning his head on her chest. She smoothed his hair back and kissed his forehead, “Why’re you being so quiet?”
Magnus sighed and shrugged, “I’ve just been thinking lately.”
Alex chuckled, “Well, that’s new. You can think?” She smiled and took his face in her hands to make him look forward, spraying his hair and combing through it.
Magnus relaxed, he lived when she combed his wet hair… It felt nice. But he had to ask, “Do you think I look good with this haircut? Compared to my old one?”
Alex paused, “Well… There are pros and cons of both.” She continued to gently comb the knots out of his hair, “This haircut has bangs that frame your face nicely, and shows your jawline more but is harder to put up and keep out of your face. Your old haircut was nice because you can put it in a half ponytail or braid it… but it covered your jaw and ears and hid your face more.”
Magnus nodded and just stayed silent, waiting for his haircut to be over. Alex could practically hear the gears turning in his head, trying to decide which haircut was better or something.
“Do you not like your hair short, Magnus?”
Magnus’ shoulders slumped and he quietly shook his head, “no…” His voice cracked a little bit, “i don’t.”
“Gods.” She sighed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, “You sound so upset about your hair right now… Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been cutting it for months it could’ve been back to the length it was before by now!”
He leaned into her and shrugged, “I thought you liked it short better, plus… I just thought I had to get used to it being short. I didn’t realize I would never like it.”
“What don’t you like about it? Maybe it’s not the length and it’s the style…?”
“No.” Magnus shook his head, “I want it longer again. Please.”
Alex nodded “okay, yeah. Lets grow it out then.” She kissed his head, “You really don’t like it?”
“My… my reflection makes me sick.”
Alex was surprised by that statement.
“It makes you sick?”
“I just… I have such… masculine features like my jaw and cheekbones. It doesn’t feel like… me. I like my hair flowing around all that. It’s nice. It makes me look more like my mom.”
“Didn’t your mom have hair shorter than this?” Alex asked, a bit confused and just wanting to understand.
“Yeah but… She’s a girl. Her features are more delicate. I feel more delicate when my hair is long.”
Alex nodded, “Alright. Yeah, I get it. Let me get you something to put in your hair that helps it grow faster… I don’t use it anymore since my hair is at a nice length.” Alex moved to ruffle through the cabinets to find what she was looking for.
She noticed that what magnus said sounded awfully like how she hated her manly features when she was female… but she wasn’t going to start analyzing her boyfriend. He had never expressed even questioning his gender so she wasn’t going to do it for him. He was cis. Some people are just insecure about some things, she didn’t need to compare it to her dysphoria. He wanted to look more like his mom. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean he’s like her. He just loves and misses his mom.
“Kay.” Alex walked back over to him with a hair mask, “This will keep your hair healthy and it will help it grow faster.” She stood behind him again to put the mask in his hair, running her fingers through it and massaging his scalp for a few minutes, “After ten minutes we’ll rinse it out and do it once a week, okay?”
“Okay.” He turned and looked up at her, “Thank you. I love you.”
Alex blushed and waved her hand, “Oh shush. I’m just doing my job as your hair stylist. You nerd.” He smiled at her and she couldn’t help but smile back lovingly, “But I love you too, stupid head.”
“Mhm.” He sighed happily, “You want me to help you rinse and dye your hair?”
Alex nodded and pinched his cheek, “Like always. The bleach will be done in like fifteen.”
“Alright… wanna show me that pot i saw you were working on?” He stood up from his stool and Alex did a little giddy jump, grabbing his hand and bringing him to her pottery wheel to explain her design for the pot. Magnus listened happily to every word.