How Green Becomes Wood

"Imagine how bad it would be if Daizi was not here and we could not make use of the handicap spaces," Dark said, putting his keys back in his pocket. They very rarely used the spots, because Daizi preferred to leave them open for people with mobility issues, but in places where the parking lot was more or less a grass field, or when it was an area with high traffic, or otherwise a stressful parking lot, it just seemed safer to make use of them. It took her a long time to be comfortable with it, but by her late 30s, she had come to the understanding with herself that they wouldn't have given her the pass if she didn't need it. And, now that she was approaching the classification of heavily pregnant, there were definitely days she was grateful for the shorter walk.

"Let nobody say there aren't advantages to total blindness," Daizi said dryly, not at all upset with her family, "It's amazing how many people I hear saying they wished they had a disability so they could skip lines and use the handicap spaces."

"People rarely think outside of their own immediate inconveniences," Dark replied, handing her the funnel cake and the small container of cheese, as well as her actual meal, "I got the cheese, so you can drizzle at your pleasure."

Daizi laughed, "'So you can drizzle' sounds like you're trying to use slang to seem cool and 'with it.'"
 
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Alec and Xander stared at the sweet treat in hypnotized revolution. Was she really going to put cheese sauce on it? Was she really going to eat it? Both of them managed not to voice their questions, but it was a struggle. Instead, they turned their attentions to corn dogs the size of a small child's arm, still sizzling and fresh. Alec had gotten sweet potato fries, and Xander had his container of onion rings. They'd decided to share on jumbo-sized soda and had it between them with two straws. Desert would come later.

"This corn dog is criminally good!" Alec moaned happily.

Xander crunched on his onion rings for a bit before asking, "What's your favorite ride or game?" It wasn't clear if he was asking Dark or Daizi.
 
"The games I don't really care much about, to be honest," Daizi said, pouring the cheese sauce onto the funnel cake, "I like them, but a lot of them aren't really accessible. And it's not like I can see the prizes to get excited about which ones I'd love to win... But the rides..." She thought for a moment, "I really like the music one. You go so quickly around this track, and it pushes you into the person next to you, if you're on the inside, and since Dark is so much bigger than I am, I don't have to worry about hurting him. And the boat ride is fun, I like getting to sit all the way in the back... And the Zipper. Those are probably my top three."

Dark didn't need much time to think about it, and after Daizi gave her answer, he quietly said, looking up, "I like the Ferris Wheel the best. The carousel is my favourite in theory, and it is the heart of my carnival back home, but I am too big for it. So when it comes to which one i most like to ride? It is not the most thrilling, but from the top, I can see everything. The entire fair grounds..."

"You always kiss me at the top," Daizi said, scooting closer to him on the bench.

"And I always will."
 
"Aw, young love!" the twins crooned simultaneously.

Xander snickered and crunched down on two onion rings at once. "I dunno. I think you two make all the young kids going on their first date annoyed."

"Why annoyed?" Alec asked curiously.

"Because those two are setting the bar really high and absolutely slaying it," Xander pointed out factually.

"Hmm, you have a good point," Alec mused, "but it's a good thing you aren't going on a first date. Those onion rings smell!"

"Yeah, smell delicious!" Xander grinned at his brother.
 
Daizi blushed lightly, resting her head on Dark's shoulder, "Maybe we just give them something to strive to. And I'm very glad to not be on a first date with him."

"Why?" Dark asked, looking down at her with soft eyes.

"Because if it was our first date, there is no way I'd be able to eat this in front of you," She laughed, "I know it's by no means the most attractive dish I might have chosen."

He shook his head, and then kissed the top of hers, "You do not need to worry about that. It is still my baby, so that makes me think if this was our first date, we would not be strangers to each other, and I know you well enough to know you would not be eating that if you were not with child."

Daizi wrinkled her nose, "Ugh, don't say it like that. 'With child.' It's almost as bad as when you read a book set in the Middle Ages and it says 'he gat a child upon her.'"

"Nothing is as bad as that," Dark said gravely.

"You ga--"

"Stop." He cut her off, which made her laugh.
 
Xander pulled a face and finished off his onion rings and then his corn dog in only a few bites. "Right, well, if you two are going to sit here and be all mushy and gross, Alec and I are going to hit some games without you."

"Oh, come on, spoilsport," Alec giggled. "At least give them a bit more time before you threaten to abandon them."

"Yeah, except I just realized we're intruding on their date," Xander said dryly. "I bet if we leave, they'll have a lot more mushy fun than if we stay."

"Hmm, it does strike me as very date-like," Alec agreed slowly. "Alright, let's go lose some money and not win any prizes!"

"Sounds like a fantastic idea of fun!" Xander agreed.
 
Dark shook his head, while Daizi smirked. "If you would like to go off and have fun, you are welcome to," He said blandly, "I do not care if you win prizes or not, the point of carnival games is never to earn the prizes."

She knew he was kidding about letting them just wander off, or at least that he was only partially kidding, just like they were probably only partially kidding about leaving them behind, but still his willingness to abandon them to spend more time with her, "I'm perfectly fine staying here a bit longer... The music is nice." She gestured towards the bandstand where a small crowd danced near to where they ate.
 
"We could always go dance," Alec suggested to Xander with a grin.

"In your dreams," Xander stated. "Come on. Let's to check out the deep fried oreo line and maybe check out the booth next to it. It looks like some kind of game."

Alec grinned and nodded. "That sounds like fun! That'll give these two time to actually eat and enjoy themselves." He stood and followed after Xander.

Xander glanced back at Dark and Daizi. "We'll be right back. Behave, you two. You are in public, after all."

"When has that ever stopped them?" Alec asked as they headed down the makeshift courtyard toward the small trailer advertising deep fried everything.

"Good point. Just don't get us tossed out for indecency, then."

The pair hurried off toward their destination.
 
"Okay, dad," Daizi replied flatly, but couldn't help but smile at them lightly.

"We are never indecent," Dark felt he was righteously indignant. The two of them had gotten up to a lot of shenanigans in their time, but there were certain activities they had never engaged in out in the public. At least, not in this kind of public space. In a car on some back road, maybe. But not in a busy place like this. And especially not at a Carnival.

As the twins ran off, both of them chuckled and settled down to finish their food, when they had finished, Dark got up to throw away their trash. When he came back to the table, Daizi had spun around on the bench to focus on the music and was swaying to it.

He stood and watched her for a little while, and then said, "Spider? You are wonderful." She turned to him, then, with a bright smile, and reached her hand out to him, which he gladly took and pulled her to her feet.

Daizi happily led him out towards the music, and as the next song started, they fell into each others arms. With the strength game, she had been worried about losing balance and falling, but now she let her husband whirl her around. But one was an unfamiliar movement, and the other was one she knew perfectly well... And in one, she was able to rest against the strong arm of the person she loved most.

Still, they danced slower than they would have were she not pregnant, and more cautiously, but not so slow and dottering that they lost the joy they felt in it. Daizi had a bright grin on her face, and would tip her head back and just laugh. She had only lost a little of her grace with her increased size, and she sometimes moved close to him to run her fingers through his hair.

Dark, meanwhile, was looking at her as if it was the first time he had, and last time he ever would, seen her.
 
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Alec and Xander walked back toward the bench where they'd left Dark and Daizi but paused when they saw the pair was no longer there. It wasn't hard to spot the tall couple on the dance floor and stood watching for a bit, Alec holding a deep-fried Oreo, and Xander holding a deep-fried twinkie.

"Should we let them know we were going to share?" Alec asked Xander.

Xander shook his head. "Nah, let's let them enjoy this. It won't be our fault they don't get to try it fresh."

Alec smiled and started humming a song that popped into his head. It wasn't the one the band was playing, but he felt it suited them, especially with how Dark was looking at Daizi.

So suddenly, I'm in love with a stranger
I can't believe she's mine
Now all I see is you with fresh eyes, fresh eyes

Xander nudged him. "Okay, okay, don't you get lost in sap-vile too."

Alec laughed and nodded toward a nearby booth. "Would you like to lose some money? The balloon-popping game is right over there."

"Let's do it," Xander agreed, and the pair left Dark and Daizi to dance in the warm summer evening, choosing instead to bring death to some latex spheres.
 
"I love you," Daizi murmured, in Arabic, shifting closer to him so she could lay his head against his chest as the band shifted to a slower song.

He enveloped her and closed his eyes, not wanting to remember anyone else was there, "I love you too... Is the baby kicking?"

"Mm-mn... It's just the two of us right now..."

"Good... I want it to be only us. For a little while..." He didn't need to give the reminder that soon they really needed to find their kids again and regroup as a family, because they couldn't just spend the rest of the night dancing while the twins got up to whatever they wanted to. They had a real life and a real world, and there were more games they wanted to play, and more rides they wanted to ride, and it couldn't just be the two of them in the near twilight air forever and ever. But maybe just a little while longer.

Eventually, although she hated it, Daizi needed to pull away, because the dancing had tired her a bit, and since they still had so much left to do, she didn't want to leave herself with nothing.

"Okay," Dark said, making himself okay with holding only her arm, "Where do you think they have gone?"

"I don't know why you're asking me, Goose, it's not like I can spot them in a crowd... But if I had to guess..." She shrugged her shoulders, "somewhere they wouldn't need to acknowledge our 'sappiness.'"
 
Alec and Xander were not far away, currently on their thrid game. Alec now sported a large felt stovepipe hat colored like the Cat in the Hat's hat and held a Rubix cube and a small keychain platypus. He'd won the hat in the dart game more by luck than skill, Xander had won the cube with skill, and Xander had won the keychain in a ball toss game thanks to Dark's pointers when they'd gone to the arcade. Alec had lost the ball toss miserably but didn't mind. He now stood watching as Xander took his second attempt at the ring toss game.

Xander squinted at the bottles and carefully tossed the little plastic ring. It nearly made it over the mouth of the bottle but clipped the very edge and bounced off.

"Ah, bad luck, kid! You get one more try," sneered the carnie, clearly enjoying himself.

Xander grunted. "Not exactly a fair try," he muttered, holding his last ring. He knew the game was nearly impossible, especially with the ring only a centimeter or so bigger than the bottle, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. He tossed the ring. it bounced just like the other one had, but instead of going off to the side, it flipped inward and landed directly on the bottle with the highest points.

"No way! That was fantastic!" Alec cheered excitedly. "Well done!"

The carnie scowled and grumbled about blind luck but handed over the prize Xander picked out. Xander grinned smugly, trying not to show he was just as surprised as anyone. Talk about a lucky shot!
 
Dark scanned the crowd for two red heads, and when at last he spotted them, aided in his search by the ridiculous hat Alec had acquired, he and Daizi walked over to them, "You look like you have been busy," he said, "Good job on that toss, Xander."

"What have you both been up to?" Daizi asked.

"Winning games, it looks like," Dark replied, and then turning towards the carnie, he paid the fee, and said, "I would like a turn."
 
"I've already lost twice at this one," Alec said cheerfully. He handed the cube to his brother and turned to Daizi. "I got a new hat. Would you like to feel it?"

"I'm considering the wisdom of burning it," Xander told her, turning the cube around in one hand. "Good luck with that toss. 'Course, you'll totally get it in one."
 
"I would love to feel it," Daizi said, but finding her way to it, and learning the absolute size of it, she couldn't help but laugh at it and say, "You look ridiculous."

"There is wisdom in it," Dark agreed with Xander's arsonist fantasies, "but I am not imperfect. It is very likely I may miss." His first toss, as he said, missed, but there was something about his toss that looked as if he might have done it on purpose, and his next two hit perfectly, on the exact bottles it was expected he would land the ring on.

When it came to picking the prize he turned to Alec and said, "Do you want to pick or do you want me to try again and see if I can get you something better?"
 
Alec grinned at Daizi, ducking a little so she could feel the whole thing. "I know, and I adore it! It's so fuzzy and hilarious! And I think I might be the only one who chose a hat like this."

Xander raised an eyebrow at Dark. "Oh, yes, so incredibly infallible," he said dryly. "Only missing on purpose once. It's amazing you get anything done at all."

Alec turned when Dark offered to get a prize for him. "Don't you want anything for yourself? Some giant glasses, maybe? Or the kind with the funny nose? A tacky necklace or twelve?"
 
"You very well might be," Daizi agreed, "What colour is it? So I can get a real understanding of how you look."

"Do not encourage him, darling," Dark said dryly, but then clarified his positive on prizes to Alec. With a very grave look he said, "Here, at this place, winning the game is my prize. Everything else is a mere trinket. Pick something for yourself." Saying so, he turned again towards the carnie to play a second round--He felt it too hard to leave the game imperfectly beaten.
 
"It's red, white, and black in thick bands all around," Alec told her. "The brim is all black." He paused and rubbed his chin. "Daizi, would you like some necklaces? They have some very nice ones. I'm happy with the prizes I've won, but would you like some necklaces to match my hat?"

Xander snickered. "If she gets the necklaces, I'll wear a pair of those dorky, giant, fake glasses."

Alec grinned. "Now you have to!" he laughed to Daizi.
 
"Oh, that sounds like something that would crush Dark's entire spirit!" Daizi exclaimed, and then swiftly added, "Let's do it!"

The carnie, obliging her, then gave her the big clunky necklace to go with the hat. For a brief moment, Dark considered just throwing the game, but he couldn't commit to it, so with a resigned sigh, he played a perfect game (which seemed to annoy the carnie, who didn't seem to particularly enjoy winners), and let Xander have his big, stupid sunglasses.

"Perfect!" Daizi laughed, and Dark gave her a look which so clearly said, 'you are so lucky you are cute.'
 
Xander stared at the glasses in horror. Absolute horror. "Why?" he asked Dark, giving him a look of deep betrayal. "Why would you do something like this?"

"You're the one who agreed to it," Alec reminded him. "Suggested it, even. So I'd say you're just getting what you wished for."

Xander heaved a sigh and put on the glasses. They were lime green and twice the width of his face. It was a wonder they stayed on. "Fine. They're on. See? I look as ridiculous as you. That leaves just one odd man out for wearing something from this carnival."

"That's because we haven't found a sash that says 'Carnival Game Slayer' or some such nonsense," Alec said cheerfully. "What's next?"
 
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