How Green Becomes Wood

Dark didn't realize until he was driving them how nice it was to be driving his kids to school again. While making sure he didn't make them late, he drove a little slower than he normally would to savor it. When he made it home, he almost immediately left again to bring Amty Zeinab to her airbnb and returning for the second time, he stepped inside to find Daizi in one of her littlest shirts and a skirt with the slit up the side, fully aware of what she was doing and pretending like she was completely oblivious. Exhaling a controlled breath, Dark pretended like he also had no idea what she was trying to do and they spent the bulk of their day doing their best to ignore it while caring for Ivy and Daizi spending working from home.

When it was time to pick up the twins, Dark arrived there early because he knew if he didn't poke his head into the school to greet his former coworkers and they found out he was there, he'd never hear the end of it. Finally, he came around to get them, dressed as he always was--impeccably goth--and drove their curious group to the shop he commissioned his suits from.

"They sell suits off the rack here, which is what you will pick from, "We do not have the time to commission a bespoke one."

"So that's where the term off the rack comes from," Alec mused, looking around. "This is... kind of intimidating. Oh! There's pastel colors over there. I know, no bright colors, but maybe they have darker, moodier," he dropped his voice low for the word, "colors near there."

Xander heaved a sigh looking around. "They look uncomfortable. I still don't get how you can wear them."

"This is why," He confirmed as they walked towards the coloured options, "But it is too difficult for me to buy off-the-rack for many things. It is difficult to fit my chest, waist, and height all at once, it is the problem with being tall but not particularly wide. I believe when you have one which fits properly it is not as uncomfortable as you suspect."

"Like a corset!" Alec said cheerfully.

Xander eyed him. "What do you know about corsets?"

"I may not have done theater long, but that was one of the things I did learn," Alec sniffed. "Modern corsetry is, in general, absolutely horrendous, accurate and comfortable replicas are expensive, and corsets were for guys at many periods of history."

Xander shook his head. "Okay, whatever. We'll see if that compares to suits."

Alec smiled and went to one that was a lighter-toned forest green. "How about this one?"

"When they are fitted properly, I have enjoyed it, the few times I have worn one," Dark said casually, lifting the forest green one and turning it over, "It reminded me of a weighted blanket. This colour is not bad, but we should keep looking at options."

"I am choosing to once again wipe that image from my memory. Again," Xander muttered to himself. To Alec's choice, he said, "No. Ba, a green that light will make him look like a leprechaun."

"What's wrong with that?" Alec demanded.

"A leprechaun at a vampire's wedding?"

"Oh, good point."

"Some of them just look like a standard vest from the front and they are laced in the back," Dark said casually before looking at Xander and then back at the suit, holding it up against Alec, "I did not know if that is a comment I was allowed to make or if I needed to be of your phenotype for it to be acceptable. You both also need to actually try them on because not all cuts will suit you, and you both may not need the same cut. I cannot wear shoulder pads without looking ridiculous, Cooger cannot wear a slim tie. Technically I have been advised against wearing peak lapels and pocket squares but I refuse to listen."

"I think the pocket squares look good on you," Alec said before going on an investigation of suits.

Xander followed a little less enthusiastically, but he did seriously look at the different styles and try to envision himself in them.

Alec reemerged with a much darker green suit and presented it to Dark. "How about this one? It comes with a vest of the same color, and I think it is slimming. And I think it is dark enough to not make me look like a fae folk."

"I do not think you need to worry about if your clothes are slimming," Dark assured Alec, taking the suit and holding it up to him, "This is a good colour. You will need to try it on. Have you thought about what colour shirt you would want to wear with it?" He looked at Xander, "Is there a particular colour you are interested in?"

"Would white be alright? Or even an off-white or a cream?" Alec asked musingly.

"I was kind of hoping for maybe a dark red or something," Xander admitted. "Haven't found one yet that I like. I might just go with a matching green one. Black shirt."

"Either white or cream is fine, the dress shirt matters less. I just needed to be certain I did not need to dissuade you from an orange because then you would resemble the Irish flag." Dark answered, "I am sure we can find a dark red if we look hard enough. I will help you."

"Hmm, green and orange," Alec pretended to consider and then snickered as he went to find a shirt to match for when they were ready to try on the suits. He also needed a tie. Nice, safe black, green to match, or something else?

Xander eventually found a deep purple jacket and waistcoat that might be a mauve or a plum color. He preferred to think plum. It went well with black suit pants and a black dress shirt, and the waistcoat's buttons were set at an angle rather than straight up and down. He rather liked that detail, and he hesitantly showed it to Dark for his approval.

Dark took the plum suit from Xander and took a step back to hold it up to the teen for a few moments with a serious expression. Finally he handed it back, "That is good. I like it."

"Really?" Xander asked, somewhat doubtful but wanting to believe him. He didn't doubt Dark, he doubted himself to pick something that actually looked good. "You don't think it's too... I don't know, fruity? Try-hard?"

Alec popped up one rack over and held up a suit in a color that could only be described as 'fire engine red.' "You could give this one a try!"

"No," Xander said flatly. Then looked at Dark for one more validation just to be sure.

Alec snickered and disappeared.

Dark looked at Xander almost sadly, "I can promise you as a bisexual man this is not 'fruity.'" He handed it back over, not turning his head to see Alec's suggestion because this was the suit Xander had chosen, "And I can promise you nothing that you wear will look more try-hard than what Daizi and I will be wearing. There is nothing wrong with wearing something a little bit dramatic. If this is what you like, you should try it on."

"Alright," Xander finally agreed with a slight nod. "Yeah, I can try this on."

Alec rejoined them and said, "Are we trying them on now? I was good and did not leave the brief."

Xander rolled his eyes and started for the dressing room. "And I meant literal fruit, not anything else."

"The dressing rooms are this way," Dark nodded and then paused to look at Xander for a moment, "What? Why would it make you look like literal fruit? Because it is purple? Do not be absurd."

Seemed about as absurd as using that kind of euphemism around his very proud and open father, but he supposed that was up to the individual. "It is very purple," Xander said instead.

"Not that kind. "I think you'll look epic," Alec assured him.

There were four stalls, thankfully larger-sized ones, and the twins each took one to change in. They waited until they were both ready and then stepped out, Alec with confidence, even if it wasn't the style he was used to, and Xander with only a little hesitancy.

Dark sat back and waited for them to change with his arms folded over his chest. When they stepped out, his expression didn't change much but his eyes absolutely lit up in pride. He could see in some places where they needed some minor alterations, but overall? His boys looked very handsome. "How do they feel?" He asked, "Can you move well in them?"

"It feels a bit stiff, but I don't hate it," Xander said almost questioningly, like he couldn't believe he was saying such a thing.

Alec moved cautiously in his. "Same, but I think I like it," he approved. "The pants are just a smidgen too long, but I like how they feel on my waist."

"My waist pinches a little," Xander said after some movement. "The rest feels okay."

Alec looked at Xander and nodded. "You look good in that color!"

"And you do not look like a leprechaun or a flag," Xander told him.