How Green Becomes Wood

When the twins sat down, Dark lightly touched the blanket, looking at it for a few moments before looking at either boy. Then, tipping his head in his proud way said, "It is not that cold. I run warm."
 
"I know," Alec said with a faint smile, "but sometimes a blanket feels good just because it's a blanket."

Xander looked up at the sky. "It's not going to be very warm for much longer."
 
"Yeah, it is relatively warm," Xander agreed.

"I think it's a bit chilly," Alec said, "but not as chilly as past falls."

They lapsed into silence, wanting to give Dark what he needed. Casual talk? They could do that. Silence? Equally doable. Something more serious? They'd give their best shot!
 
"I know it's not necessary," Alec said.

"I know you're okay," Xander said.

"But it is a nice evening," Alec mused. "Probably one of the last nice ones of the season."

"Be a shame to let it go to waste," Xander agreed.
 
"The night is my favourite time of day." Dark told them, taking another sip of tea. He wanted to comment that if they just wanted to enjoy a nice evening, they wouldn't have come out with tea and a blanket, but it didn't seem worth mentioning. So, after another quiet period he said, "When you marry someone, you also marry their family. However it is they come."
 
"Unless they don't have contact with their family for whatever reason," Xander drawled.

Alec elbowed him. "I suppose that is true. I had not really thought about that aspect of a relationship."
 
"Then you marry the fall out of why they are not in contact," Dark replied easily, "My family is dead, but Daizi is still tied to them, because she has to deal with me, the way I am. She has never met them, but she deals with the result of them. So." He rubbed his thumb against his wedding ring, which once upon a time had belonged to his father, and his father before him, "The problem is, most of the time you do not know how you feel about their family before it is too late. So you take it as it is."
 
"I guess so," Xander agreed, not sure what to say about that. Seemed like another reason to not want to get into a relationship.

"But sometimes the whole family is like Amty, aren't they?" Alec asked with a smile. "All warm hugs and good advice and welcoming!"
 
"I suppose some must be." Dark nodded, looking back up at the stars, "and by now, most of Daizi's family have come around on me. Some, like Amty Zeinab, never disliked me. But it is worth it, in the end. Dealing with him means I get to be with her. Everything in life is about learning to live with what you get."
 
"Except," Xander said slowly, "even if it's dealing with the fallout and stuff... you still get to set boundaries. Right? That's what you taught me. Setting healthy boundaries for how far he's allowed to go. I get that he's pissed, but it's been like twenty years. He can grow up and have a problem with you in private, not in front of your kids."

Alec sucked air in through his teeth. "I hate to agree with Xander on this, really hate to, but he is right. Because while you're a grown up and can handle it, what does you rolling over to pacify him this much teach us? What does it teach Ivy?"
 
He looked at the two of them for a few minutes and then looked back up, "That I do not play games I know I cannot win. I used to argue with him more. Stand up for myself the way I would if anyone else, anyone else, said the things he says about me. But it only made things harder. For myself, for Daizi, for the family stuck in the middle... He throws his tantrums, I do not engage, everyone in the room is aware he is being unreasonable and I am being remarkably patient. I have built up a lot of good will, that way."

With a sigh, Dark looked back down at the cup of tea in his hands, "Daizi said she is prepared to forbid him being around you both and Ivy, if he cannot restrain himself. She is angrier about it than I am."
 
"She should be, and so should you be," Xander stated. "I know, I know, I'm a kid who doesn't even like relationships, and this is complicated, but I don't believe you'd let it slide if one of us had a dad-in-law that treated us like he treats you."

Alec drew up one knee to hug. "It's not our fight," he said softly. "We don't fully understand the stakes. But it hurts to see him talk to you like that and then fuss over Ivy - who is half you - and give us attention and interest. People are complicated and fully capable of being entirely contradictory, I know that, but it... it is unpleasant to see it."

Xander blew out a harsh breath. "I guess he's right. It's your fight. You've chosen how you'll fight it. Or not. But we're on your side. However great a man he might be in every other regard, it's not cool how he treats you. You're worth a hell of a lot more. Just remember that when he's acting like a precious little teen click girl who got handed the wrong coffee."
 
"I would not let it slide, but you are my children. It is different." Dark replied, "But I am sorry it hurts you." He drank a sip of tea, not looking at anything in particular and after swallowing, he took a shallow breath and said, "We had reached an uneasy peace, Saladin and myself. We found something which worked. It was unpleasant, for me, but it worked. We have not... figured out what our relationship looks like, now that Daizi and I are parents. As much as I despise him, I do not want Daizi to lose her father again. I do not believe she likes him, but I know she loves him. I do not know what he feels for her. She wants a relationship with him, she always has. It is something she is willing to sacrifice, because she does not want it to hurt any of you three. That is what I have been thinking about, sitting out here. How to manage it now."

Side-eyeing the twins, he added, "That is not an invitation for you both to tell me what you believe is the correct response."
 
"Fair enough," Xander agreed.

Alec reached over and delicately patted Dark's knee. "You are doing a good job. Whether you get something right or wrong or somewhere in between, you are doing a good job."
 
"Thank you." Dark told them, finishing the last of his tea and continuing to hold the mug. Nearly, he said something more, but then shut his mouth again and pushed the swing gently back with one leg to get a bit of that energy out.
 
Alec didn't push it, watching the sky in silence.

Xander shifted to a new position and settled in. After a minute, he pulled something out of his pocket and started playing with it. It was not readily apparent what it was, but if one looked and knew what to look for, they could see it was one of the smaller puzzles that had once been hidden inside a much larger puzzle.
 
Dark turned his attention away from the house and towards the house. He could see Ivy's bedroom from where they were sitting, and he wondered what it would be like when she was older. Then, Xander's movement caught his attention, and blowing air out of his nose he said, "You got it open."
 
"Yep." Xander held it up slightly so Dark could see the puzzle better. "I got it open, but it looks like my work is never done." He shot Dark a quick, crooked smile. "I still have a few more puzzles to crack."
 
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