why doesn't he freaking talk to her about it like two actual people?

This! Look, I once said to my partner, "would you ever consider growing a beard from time to time? It's sexy." He tried it for a couple of months, then decided he disliked it, and told me so, and that was the end of it. I asked, he considered, he said no, I accepted that because it's his body and we're normal adults who can have a normal conversation.