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Mon-El reached his hand into his popcorn bucket again. After a few fumbles, he found out that his bucket was empty already. He glanced toward the person next to him and decided to rest his left arm around the shoulder of that person. The person next to him shivered a bit at this unexpected physical touch and then focused back on Game of Thrones, which was playing on TV.
Feeling the movement on his shoulder grow stronger and the rustling sound from his left, that person finally noticed.
“Ah, no.” Winn tapped Mon-El’s hand. “Mine.”
“Winn. You never finished them.”
“I will, eventually!” Winn protested. “I’m not like you or Kara, who could consume eight thousand calories each day and still stay healthy and in perfect shape, okay? It’s past twelve already. High blood sugar and high cholesterol or whatever will find me if I keep bingeing.”
Mon-El just stared at Winn with innocent eyes. Cow-less-troll? Mon-El didn’t understand the meaning of that word, but also didn’t bother to ask.
“Okay, fine. You won. You can have some.”
A smile returned to Mon-El’s face.
“So you just said that I am in perfect shape.”
“That’s not the point, okay?” Winn turned his head for the first time. The distance between them was a little closer than Winn imagined. Winn swallowed. “But you are in perfect shape.”
Mon-El’s smile widened. In the next moment, he seemed to have found something on Winn’s head and stared intently at his hair.
“Wait, don’t move,” Mon-El said as Winn tried to focus back on the TV. “Winn, have you dived in your hair?”
Winn froze and looked totally confused. What was he saying?
“Please elaborate.”
“Your hair. Some of it is white,” Mon-El answered. “Have you dived in your hair?”
“Oh!” Winn understood what he meant and couldn't help but chuckle out loud. “You are asking if I dyed my hair, right? No, I didn’t.”
“Then why would you have white hair?”
“We call it gray hair.” Winn paused for a few seconds. “Wait, you Daxamites don’t get any gray hair, do you?”
Mon-El shrugged.
“What’s great about this great hair?”
“No, it’s GRAY. The color GRAY.”
“Oh!” Mon-El smiled. “Then how do you humans deal with your gray hair?”
“We don’t. Gray hair is totally normal for human beings,” Winn explained. “As we become older, we will grow more of it. It’s totally normal, so most of us choose to let it go. Unless you choose to dye your hair, wear a wig, or something else.”
“That makes sense.” Mon-El nodded, continuing to steal more popcorn from Winn’s bucket.
“Hey, you almost finished mine as well.”
“I’m keeping you healthy.”
The next day, at the DEO.
“Winn! I brought something for you,” Mon-El said with a straight face.
“Hey!” Winn turned his head up from the monitor. “What did Mon-El of Daxam bring for me?”
“Hi Mon-El, good evening!” Kara’s smile was bright as usual. “What’s that?”
“I brought this for Winn. You can say it’s a gift.” Mon-El was affected by Kara’s energy, sped up unwrapping the package. “We mentioned the wig yesterday. Winn said humans use this to deal with gray hairs.”
“Oh, Mon-El. That’s not what I meant. I don’t need a wig. You didn’t buy me a wig, did you?”
“I’m sorry. I assume I didn’t come-pray-hand your words well yesterday. I thought you needed this to deal with gray hairs.” There was some disappointment on Mon-El’s face.
“Okay. That was hypothetical. I don’t really need it, but thanks still, buddy.”
"Winn, at least put it on and try it. Ignoring someone's gift is very rude on Daxam," Kara said seriously.
Mon-El glanced at Kara with a hint of confusion. Kara's expression was somewhat subtle, but he quickly put on a serious expression as well.
“That’s right, Winn. Please at least put it on and try it.”
Winn looked back and forth between the two of them with suspicion.
“Fine, I’ll try it.” Winn threw his hands up in surrender, grabbed the wig, and strode toward the locker room.
"As far as I know, Daxam doesn't have a custom like that." Mon-El turned to Kara.
“I know. But don't you want to see what Winn looks like in that wig? Mon-El, admit it—I know you do.”
After a while, Winn walked over from the direction of the locker room with an awkward gait.
“Winn!” Mon-El exclaimed. “That fits! Kara, what do you think?”
“It does.” Kara grinned.
The wig was similar in color to Winn’s natural hair. The difference was that it was slightly longer than his usual short, slightly curly hair. It fell down to his eyebrows. Winn placed the black baseball cap he was holding onto the wig and spread his hands.
“Mon-El! Are you happy now?”
“I am happy! You should keep it!” Mon-El pulled Winn closer, examined Winn’s hair (which was not Winn’s technically) closely. “No more gray hair!”
“No, I won’t. I’m comfortable with my natural hair, and I’m not bothered by just a few gray hairs.” Winn made some distance between them. “But thanks, buddy.”
“Fine, I will have it on for the rest of today. But not after that, okay?” Seeing the look of disappointment on Mon-El's face once again, Winn compromised. "Now I've got to rush back to work."
He looks really cute in that wig, Mon-El thought.