How Green Becomes Wood

When Daizi woke up the next morning, she rolled over and wrapped her arms around her husband, pressing her face into his back.

"We need to get up, Spider," Dark groaned, hearing Ivy babbling on the baby monitor.

"She's fine," Daizi said, holding him more tightly, "She's not even crying."

"...you raise a good point," Dark agreed, allowing himself to shut his eyes again.

"I know," Daizi cooed in a playful tone of voice, kissing his shoulder before starting to fall back to sleep.

Almost immediately over the monitor Ivy began saying, "Mama! Baba! Vee! Ann! Ack!" on repeat, making both adults raise their heads again.

"...is she calling for us?" Dark asked groggily.

"I don't know." Daizi said, "It's going to be so cold in the bed if you get up."

"She is saying her own name, so maybe she is just practicing?" Dark asked. "It is a little creepy."

"She is your daughter."

Mama, Baba, Vee, Ack, Ann!

"...I think I should get her," Dark said, and with a groan started trying to get out of bed. Grumbling in frustration, Daizi wrapped her legs around him, "Spider, I hate to tell you, but I am stronger than you, and you cannot restrain me."

"Then carry me, coward," Daizi grumbled, forcing him to fully lift her out of the bed, and leaving their blanket askew. But once he was up, she realized it wasn't as nice as holding him when they were warm beneath the blankets so she dropped down, and rubbing her face said, "Let me brush my teeth, then I'll start breakfast."

"Shukran," He said, and would've kissed her were it not for the morning breath before he went to retrieve his daughter.

Soon enough, Daizi was downstairs making breakfast, waiting to wish her boys good morning since she was awake anyway.
 
Alec came up from downstairs with Kiki as Daizi went into the kitchen. "Morning, Mama," he said, his sleep-roughness voice indistinguishable from Xander's. He went upstairs to get ready for the day.

Soon after, Xander came upstairs and wandered into the kitchen. "Morning, Mama."
 
"At least, not in that way, right?" She laughed, cupping Alec's cheek for a second.

"Who is not crazy?" Dark asked, still sounding tired as he carried a very-awake toddler down the stairs, "Someone in this family?"
 
"Not in a misogynistic way," Dark said, setting Ivy down in her high chair, "but I know her too well to say she is totally sane."

"That's true," Daizi was forced to agree, hugging Alec with both arms, "after all, I did marry your father."
 
"That was a pretty crazy idea," Alec cackled. He gave her one more squeeze and let go to join Ivy.

Xander looked at Dark. "More or less crazy than picking up a pair of teens off the side of the road?"
 
"Less crazy," Dark said, "but if she had to be crazy to marry me, I think it speaks volumes about the sort of person I am, and I think, given the number of pills I need to take a day, I am allowed to joke thus."

"And you two were crazy enough to stay," Daizi shrugged, bringing breakfast to the table, "Even after I threatened to sacrifice you."
 
"I was stuck due to a sprained ankle," Alec pointed out.

"I was stuck because of him," Xander stated.

"And then there was too much snow," Alec added.

"By which point your ability to lower people's defenses worked," Xander said.
 
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