How Green Becomes Wood

"No, I will not wear anything absurd," Dark replied, "One of us needs to look sane."

"Or you can make the argument that with us three looking silly, and Dark looking normal, functionally he looks silly too. Like the straightman in a comedy sketch!" Daizi ardently defended... Only a bit grateful she didn't need to see the sight they must have been. Not that they were the only ones who looked a bit goofy, though, others had won prizes and walked here and there in squid hats or sporting other strange fashion choices.

From there, Dark led them to a few more games, which he won (and once the twins and Daizi swore they were satisfied on prizes, he simply didn't accept them), and then on most of the remaining rides. There were a few he had to sit out on, with Daizi, because he was simply too tall to fit safely, but for the most part he rode them. The only time Daizi made anything close to a complaint was when they rode her favourites, but it was mild. Dark had no complaints, even when the lines were long, and occasionally he'd look at the twins with a serene expression, spurned on by the simple joy that they were having a wonderful time at his favourite place.
 
Xander and Alec laughed but let it go, leaving Dark to his non-decked-out self, neither of them pointing out that the tattoos on his arms were nearly as distinguishing as funky glasses or a weird hat or a chunky necklace.

The twins agreed that their joint favorite ride was the rollercoaster. Alec's favorite alone was Gravitron, and Xander wanted to go on the Zipper a second time. In all, they had a grand time, chattering excitedly between rides, comparing scores on the games, neither of them minding when they didn't win or caring if the if the lines were long. They occasionally checked in with Daizi, telling her about what was going on around them, including her as best they could when they weren't lost in their own world of lights, music, and magic. It was a wonderful night! Sore feet and all.
 
Daizi was pleased with how hard the twins worked to make sure she was included, and sometimes she'd bounce from Dark's arm to Alec's for a little while. She would have walked on Xander's, but since he didn't like to be touched, when she wanted to speak exclusively with him, she would hold on to nobody and just stay near him. Technically she didn't need to walk holding on to someone, she did it because she preferred it, so it wasn't an issue for her. Although, even with how much fun she was having, her feet were killing her. She had a vivid recollection of when Sally came to their dinner party and had made the comment about hurting feet, and at that time, Daizi had said, 'no I'm okay, it doesn't hurt.' Oh to be young and naïve! Still, she was having a wonderful time, and wasn't going to complain to spoil anything for anyone.

After all, it was finally time to ride the ferris wheel! The only one she could actually ride herself! The line was a bit long, but it moved quickly, and soon enough Dark and Daizi were sitting across from Alec and Xander. Daizi sat with a quiet grunt and then immediately flopped against Dark while rubbing her bump. She felt massive and it was strange to imagine how much larger she was bound to get before the end.

"How is she?" Dark asked, as the ferris wheel began to move just enough to let the next riders into their cart.

"Holding in there... She's been rolling over." She smiled, and sighed, "It's really nice to get to actually be on the ride with you all, rather than waiting at the gate."
 
Alec and Xander, of course, immediately moved to lean over either side of the seat and stare down. And then stare up when they realized the wheel hadn't even turned yet, so they were looking at an exciting view of concrete and cement. The moment the wheel turned enough for the next passengers to get on, they went back to staring downward.

"Huh. We're a long way up and just sitting," Alec mused. "This is... high."

"Surprisingly high when you aren't moving," Xander agreed.
 
"It gets better when everyone is on and we can just enjoy the ride," Dark said calmly, enjoying the lights of the carnival, the distant Western sunset, and the pale, rising moon.

Daizi sat up a little straighter, "We're at the top already?" She inquired, putting one hand on his knee, "You know what that means, darling~! And we're about to be very sappy so you better just close your eyes or suffer."

Dark chuckled lightly at the way Daizi teased them, and then pulled her close to kiss her. They had just enough space behind the safety bar for Daizi to press herself entirely against him. Their kiss was more than a brief, emotionless peck, but they also certainly were nowhere near making out--Although it was quickly cut short by Dark putting his hands on Daizi's shoulders and pulling away and staring at her with wide, surprised eyes.

"Goose?" Daizi asked, confused and maybe just a bit insecure.

He mumbled something in Arabic, and her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to understand what he had said. Then, it seemed to click for her, and her hands floated up to find his. Dark opened and then shut his mouth while his hands were pulled from his wife's shoulders and enveloped between her palms, and his look of shock gave way to a new, strange expression, and it looked, maybe just a trick of the light, but it looked like tears had sprung to his eyes.

As the wheel began to turn again, he finally remembered how to say his words in English:

"I felt that one."
 
"Oh brother," Xander groaned, covering his eyes with both hands as they kissed. Why couldn't people keep this kind of affection at home? At least up here no one else could see, he supposed, but it was still awkward.

Alec smiled faintly and turned away, looking out at the rest of the carnival and feeling awkward. He didn't mind it as much as Xander did, but he still felt like he was seeing something he shouldn't. He looked down and swallowed hard, realizing just how high up they were. So high! So very high!

Then Dark jumped and babbled something incoherent, making both twins start in surprise and grab the edges of the chair as it rocked a bit from their movement. Not much, just enough to remind them it could move. "What? What happened? They both blurted.

When Dark repeated his statement, they stared at him, bewildered.

"Uh... one what? Or do we not want to know?" Xander asked, confused.

"You felt that particular hug?" Alec guessed.
 
Dark squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again, and breathed in while Daizi brought his hand to her middle. She kept her hand over his, while he just looked at her, and then out at the lights of his favourite place, and back again. Most of his face maintained his standard neutrality, but his eyes... His eyes were full of joy and relief, but neither of which belied shades of grief intermingled. Almost fourteen full years he had waited for this. And now, for the first time... His breath trembled.

"Her..." He said, not turning to face them, "I felt her kick. I feel..." He trailed off, too overcome to think of anything to say. He looked similar to how he had when Xander gave him the bracelet, which he wore on the hand he was now using to feel his baby kick for the very first time, but it wasn't the exact same. There was something different to how he looked, and Daizi, with her other hand, reached up to caress his face, "Here."

"She's your daughter," Daizi murmured. Of course it would be here.
 
The twins glanced at each other uncomfortably. Now they were definitely intruding in a private moment. Xander cringed hard at the thought of a baby moving and squirming around inside a person, feeling a bit nauseous at the idea, but even he knew what a big moment this was, so he tried his best not to show it too much. He looked away, instead, and pretended to be literally anywhere else. Alec was much more accepting and thrilled at the idea, but as much as he wanted to ask questions, like what it felt like, he kept his mouth closed and looked down.

Only to realize exactly how high up they were. He held tight to the edge of the seat and looked up instead. Down was really far!
 
Dark used one arm to pull Daizi in close, but kept his other hand where he could feel the gentle thuds against his palm. That was his child in there, a life he had helped to start. Once again he found himself thinking about what Declan had said, about it being easy for men to forget and move on. But Declan had run too soon, he never saw the ultrasounds, never heard his sons' heartbeats, and he had never felt this. Nobody could ever forget this. And his love for Daizi only grew stronger, because without her, none of this was possible. He rested his chin on top of her head, and kept his eyes on the carnival was they continued the rotations. Everyone was on, now, so they were finally able to just enjoy the ride.

To an extent, he wanted to recollect himself engage with everyone more completely, but he couldn't. Not yet. Daizi only rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand, but said nothing. She didn't want to interrupt him.

Eventually, as the baby settled down, Dark pulled away from her, and dried his face. Then, he exhaled shakily and pushed his hair back, and very slowly looked around them and managed to say, "The carnival is beautiful from up here."
 
"Quite beautiful," Alec agreed faintly, still clinging to the side of the ride seat.

"Real nice," Xander said in a similar tone, his fingers wrapped around the safety bar.

Both twins were similar shades of pale as the wheel turned slowly up and up and up. They were staring over the edge down, down, down. It was so far down! The good news was Xander no longer felt completely disgusted by the baby kicking Dark's hand. The bad news was Alec was no longer inwardly thrilled about the baby kicking Dark's hand. Both wished the baby - and the baby's father - the best, but right now, they were concentrating on something far more eminent. Namely, the long drop to potential death. Maybe later' they'd congratulate Dark on the fact that the baby had finally chosen to make her presence known to him.
 
For the first time since feeling his daughter, Dark was able to really focus in on the twins, and squinting his eyes at them, he asked, "Are you two alright? Do not look down if it bothers you..."

Daizi was unable to see how the twins were sitting, so it wasn't until Dark said something that she realized something was wrong, "You road the Zipper with no problem, and that one flips you over wildly while reaching high up." Of all rides Dark or Daizi would guess to be a problem for the twins, the one toddlers could ride was not the one they guessed would be it. The Zipper was Xander's favourite, they survived the Kafka apples (barely), the gentle wheel seemed a serene denouement.
 
"Yes, yes, the Zipper was high and great," Xander agreed, sounding a bit far away. "But it was..."

"Moving really, really fast. Like the rollercoaster," Alec continued, also sounding distant. "When you're going that fast..."

"You don't realize exactly how high up you are," Xander finished, squeezing his eyes shut.

Alec seemed unable to look away. "Really, really high up with lots of time to consider exactly how high up you are."
 
"The ferris wheel was invented in 1893," Dark said casually, "if they were especially dangerous, they would not still be here, and since they are here, we know centuries of safety testing has been done to make sure there is no major danger."

"Look up at the night sky then," Daizi said, "since I can't. But by now there should be some few stars and I'm told if you look up it's not so bad. I never look down, so I never know what's below me."
 
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"That's nice. I'm glad they've been so solidly tested," Alec said with a little smile that looked more strained than usual. "I don't suppose they tested a way to make them shorter?"

"Stuck so high up and forced to listen about... things," Xander said with a shudder. "I think this is worse than apples." He opened one eye and looked up at the darkening sky. "Hmm. Nope." He closed the eye and hung on tight. "Nope. Nope. Nope."

Alec hunkered down and closed his eyes tightly. "It's a nice, slow ride. Good for romance. Very good. You should keep romancing. Nevermind us. We're not here," he babbled in false cheer.

Xander nodded. "He's right. Do that. That's at least distracting from... height. Lots of height."

Alec nodded without opening his eyes. "Yes, go ahead romancing."
 
"It is sort of disappointing out of all the rides, this is the one you hate," Dark sighed, resting his head once more against Daizi's.

"This is his favourite," She explained lightly, even though Dark had already said as much. She also knew exactly what Xander meant by 'things,' and although she wished she were more resilient against it, and she knew it wasn't personal, it still soured the moment a little bit for her. It was one of the most significant moments in her pregnancy, and it frustrated her to find herself worrying about if it was 'too disgusting' for Xander to handle. It's not like she could plan it. If she had known, she would've seperated them and rode privately with her husband, and let these two struggle with their fear of heights, rather than have them detract from... She sighed. It wasn't their fault, she knew that. But she also knew thay whenever she thought back to this moment, she'd remember the tone Xander had used when referencing it. Fourteen years... And it was just so exhausting trying to avoid disgusting him with her body and it was exhausting holding the important moments in until he wasn't around, even though it was all this miraculous thing she had been told she'd never be able to successfully do, and she felt like she deserved to get to relish in it. Sure Xander was a teenager, and therefore had yet to fully develop his awareness of others and of himself, but for godsakes, why couldn't he just work on his own feelings instead of making her coddle them? She felt guilty everytime she so much as had a craving or mentioned what her baby was up to, and she had basically given up on going swimming at all that summer because she knew Xander would be revolted at the sight of her. What had happened on the ride was important.

"I do not even know how to romance on command," Dark remarked, looking down at Daizi. If he felt any of the same frustration his wife had, he didn't show it, "and the ride will be over soon."
 
The moment the ride stopped to let passengers off, Alec and Xander bolted. Xander went straight to a nearby bench and sat down, hanging his head as he breathed deeply. Alec clung to one of the guardrails, glad to feel the solid earth beneath his feet. So safe! So secure!

"Well, that was an adventure in learning new things about ourselves and each other," he said weakly. He nodded to Dark and Daizi. "Now you two can go again!"

Xand nodded without fully lifting his head. "We'll be here when you get back."
 
Dark couldn't help but chuckle at them. It was such a strange fear. Totally fine up in the air, unless it was too slow. Second to the carousel, it was probably the safest ride there. While Dark and Daizi stood across from the twins, a child, probably about five years old, ran past them, begging his grandmother to ride the ferris wheel again.

Neither he nor Daizi wanted to be unempathetic but this reaction did seem a bit absurd to them, "Well, you're both much closer to the ground than we are," Daizi mumbled, "it only makes sense they're more attached to it..."

"Do you want to ride it again?" Dark asked his wife, who shrugged mildly. It would be nice to have those private moments with him... But her feet hurt, and she wasn't sure how she felt about waiting in that line again.

"I don't know if we should leave them," She said. Frustrated as she was with Xander's continued disgust at her condition, she didn't want to just abandon them there. But, when Dark pointed out it was their idea, she gave in, and the two of them got back into what was, thankfully, a much shorter line than last time.
 
"We're fifteen, not five," Xander pointed out. "We'll be fine. Go and actually enjoy yourselves."

"You'll have a lot more fun on this one without us than with," Alec said with a knowing smile. "Besides, this is one of the few rides an expectant mother can go on! You should take full advantage of it."

Xander nodded. "We'll be right here when you get back."

Alec and Xander sat on the small, uncomfortable bench and waited for Dark and Daizi, glad they'd decided to actually go a second time. They deserved a little bit of alone time together talking about the things they wanted to talk about and celebrating this latest milestone.
 
Once more, Dark and Daizi found themselves sitting side by side, with the simple lap bar pulled over them. They sat near to each other as they could, and Dark kept his hand right on her belly, hoping to feel more of the kicks, "I hope she is not afraid of heights like they are," he mused, his gaze alternating between her face and her bump.

"Oh, she won't be. We'll start her early... And as long as she doesn't ride with them, there will be nobody to teach her the fear," Daizi replied, laying her hand over his, "I'm so happy you were able to feel her today."

"I cried."

"I know," She smiled, gently kissing him, "but it's sweet."

Dark lingered with his face near hers for a few moments after the kiss ended, caressing her face with one hand, "I did not expect... I mean, she is strong, those were not meek fragile little kicks."

"No, I know. Believe me, I know. I'm pretty sure by the time she's here, I'll have a hundred tiny bruises on the inside... But it will be worth it, oh, darling, we're actually going to have a baby." She took off her sunglasses so she could lay her head closer against him without the awkward metal and plastic getting in the way.

Dark nodded and took a breath, "I am so happy. I never thought... Spider, you are incredible, what you are doing... I swear, you never need to buy me any gift ever again, after this. I love you so much."

"I love you too." She replied, closing her eyes and letting the sounds of the carnival below, and the feel of the gentle sway of the cart surround her, "...You don't mind it, right? That I'm all bellied out and stretched?"

"No," He took no time to answer her, "No. You do not look the same as you used to, but... But what you are doing is miraculous, and every little line brings us our daughter. Our hummingbird."

Daizi sighed, relieved, and ran her hands over her middle. Since there was nobody around to overhear, she called her daughter by name, then, because they had decided on one, and Dark repeated it. Then they settled in and enjoyed the rest of the ride.
 
Meanwhile, Alec and Xander watched the wheel go round and round until they were both dizzy. Alec still had his ridiculous hat firmly on his head, and Xander held his oversized glasses in one hand, twirling them absently. A middle-aged woman standing in line with her kids started up a conversation, the result of which had both of her teen daughters beet-red in embarrassment. They looked ready to bolt from the line and be anywhere else in the carnival but here. Alec did most of the talking, staying perfectly polite while Xander looked away to avoid laughing at the poor, clueless woman. Everyone involved - except the woman - was relieved when the line finally moved forward.

"That was the longest ride in the history of carnival rides," Xander told Alec in a low tone.

Alec nodded in agreement. "I hope those two enjoyed themselves because I would really rather not go through that again." He paused and finally let out a snicker. "Even if it was kind of funny."

Xander chuckled. "Good job being nice. I couldn't have been. I would have told her she needed glasses badly."

"That's why I do all the talking," Alec said brightly and stood to stretch and wait for Dark and Daizi to rejoin them.
 
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