How Green Becomes Wood

"She looks like sunsets." Dark mused, a big, lovesick smile crossing his face. "I want to show her the stars. I did, once, I--" He sat up quickly at the big clang sound and practically leapt to his feet before scurrying over the fence and peering over it at Lex. "Marhaban," This time it was not purred, like it was when he greeted his wife, but it wasn't mean, either.
 
Lex jumped at the sudden introduction and stared at the head popping up over the fence. "Uh, marhaban," she greeted, surprised but willing to be neighborly. "Having a good 4th? Sounds like a party."
 
Lex studied Dark guardedly. "Uh-huh," she said slowly. "No, I am not having a party, but it looks like you're having a party for one. Not something I'd have expected, but alright."
 
"Oh." Dark blinked. "I am sorry. I am... very high." He blinked, looking at her carefully. Then he widened his eyes again and said, "I have PTSD, and I have C-PTSD, and I have a lot of other things because my brain is f***** up, because I watched people be exploded when I was a kid, so fireworks make me feel like I am dying, and my therapist said 'hey buddy, just get high,' and so I did because I have a baby."
 
Lex considered this sudden flood of traumatic information for a moment. Then she shrugged. "I've heard worse reasons to get higher than a bat's ass. Seems pretty reasonable. Is it working? Or are the fireworks still freaking you out?"
 
"I have not heard any yet but when I do I will let you know." Dark replied. Come morning, if he remembered, he would regret telling her so much, but at that moment it seemed like a perfectly normal thing to say.

Cooger looked at Xander, "We should stop him."

"You should come over because Cooger is here and he likes you," Dark said, but then took a step back from a fence, pointing a finger at Lex accusatorily, "Do not read any more into that!"

"...I am going to stop him." Cooger said, getting up and putting his arm around Dark's shoulder, pulling him slightly back, "Well, howdy, Lex."
 
Xander watched, completely hypnotized. He couldn't have stopped this if he wanted to. It was fascinating! He wondered how much Dark would remember tomorrow.

Lex suppressed a smile at Dark's words. She nearly lost it when Cooger pulled Dark back, but she managed to maintain her composure. "Evening, Cooger," she greeted him as if this was all the most natural thing in the world. "I see you've gotten yourself invited to quite the party."
 
"The rest of us, I assure you, have more control of our faculties." Cooger said, unable to help but laugh as Dark squirmed away from him.

"Faculties," Dark huffed, "I quit my job, I do not have faculties anymore."

"I know you don't," Cooger replied, patting Dark on the shoulder.

"I was just inviting her over!" Dark said, flipping his arms up.
 
Xander got up and moved to join them, keeping a slight distance from Dark. Dark looked liable to hug him. "Yeah, Lex, why not come over?" he offered, grinning.

Lex glanced at Cooger briefly and then smirked. "Alright. Why the hell not?" she agreed amiably. "I want to hear more about Dark quitting his job. Give me two secs." She walked into her house and disappeared for a while.

Xander glanced at Dark. "So. Cooger likes Lex, does he?" he teased as if Cooger wasn't right there.

Lex took a few moments to reappear, coming around to let herself into Dark and Daizi's back yard. She'd washed up to clean off the soot, brushed out her hair, and changed into a bright red tank top and jean shorts with a brown belt. She'd even taken the time to dab on just a little makeup. She looked for Daizi first, more than willing to crash a party, but she didn't want to completely break it.
 
Dark spun around on his heels while Cooger hung his head, "You do not get to ready any more into it, either!" He exclaimed, "Your compulsory heterosexuality is showing! A man can like a woman without," he wiggled his shoulders, "Like-liking her! I am not the one who made English confusing!"

When Lex came into the yard, Daizi was sitting on the porch with Ivy in the kiddie pool, splashing the water with her. She had overheard Dark invited Lex, so when she heard unfamiliar footsteps, she only jumped slightly. "I heard my husband invite you over."
 
Xander stared at Dark, bewildered. "You do not get to ready any more into it, either... Huh?" He shook his head, amused. "I have no idea what you are talking about, but you go right ahead and talk."

"Hope that's alright," Lex said, squatting down to be more on their level. "Hey, Ivy! Are you cool if I crash your party?"

"Hi, Lex! Want a hot dog, or bubbles?" Alec called.

"Bubbles?" Lex repeated, looking up. She spotted Alec running around still playing with the bubbles and grinned. "I'm good on bubbles, kid, but I like your style."
 
"I told Lex, and I'm telling you, I just said---What I said, and I am implying nothing!" Dark said confidently, and stumbled away.

"I don't mind," Daizi said, picking up a duck and waving it in front of Ivy like how Dark had been waving his hand earlier, much to her baby's delight, "I don't really celebrate the holiday anyway. Although I'm admittedly a bit worried he might regret letting you see him like this come morning. Maybe don't mention the things he told you." When Lex squatted down, Ivy held tightly to her duck and then turned in the pool towards her mom, grabbing for her. "She's hitting a shy moment, don't take it personally."
 
"Well, okey dokey, then," Xander said and went to see what food was next on the menu.

"Ba! Ba, look! I figured out how to stack bubbles!" Alec crowed in triumph. He showed Dark a mound of bubbles he'd managed to create by blowing one to stick on top of the next.

"That's alright," Lex grinned. "I get shy too, sometimes. She straightened and turned to watch Dark stumble around a bit. "It's been a while since I've seen something like that."
 
Dark came to a screeching halt in front of Alec, looking down at the bubbles balanced on the wand, and then he giggled, looked up at Alec, looked back down at the bubbles, and raised his hand slowly, the remnant of the rational part of his brain warring with the fun part, "Wow," he said, "Those are... pretty cool bubbles. That is a lot stacked up."

Daizi removed Ivy from the tub and toweled her off, cuddling her close, "I'm not sure I've encountered him quite like this, but really I just hope it does what it needs to do. If it doesn't..." She turned her head to the side, trailing off, unsure of what it'd be like if he was out of his head like this and triggered.
 
Alec watched Dark suspiciously. "Are you going to pop them?" he asked warily. He wasn't sure how he'd feel about that, but he didn't think he'd mind too much.

Lex patted Daizi on the shoulder. "I'll help you keep an eye on him," she promised, though she wasn't sure what she could do against a guy that size. Still, she could keep him from grabbing anything dangerous. She sniffed. "I smell food. Is Cooger the supplier for that?"
 
"I... I wanted to..." He said, looking at Alec, trying not to laugh.

"Thank you," Daizi replied, rubbing Ivy's back, "both the twins and Cooger acquired a veritable mountain of provisions. I think Cooger has taken command of cooking the hot dogs, but feel free to help yourself. We also have drinks in the cooler."
 
Alec relaxed in a smile and held them up. "Go for it. They'll pop anyway, right? Have fun!"

"Thanks. Now, Ivy, if you ever get over your shyness, I'd love to hold you for a bit," Lex told her. "While you think about that, I'm going to go see about getting some grub." She headed off, flip-flops flapping as she did so.
 
Dark swung his hand down on the bubbles, forgetting his own strength, and he knocked the wand out of Alec's hand. Although it didn't break, he stared at it in surprise, having not expected that outcome. "That was unsatisfying." He picked up the wand and put it back into his son's hand before patting him on the head.

"I'm sure she will. She's just starting to learn for the first time that strangers exist." Daizi said, and then pulled the towel back a bit, and explained to Ivy that Lex was very very nice, and she didn't have to worry about her.

Cooger squinted up at Lex, the sun in his eyes, and said, "I can't believe you were working on the Fourth. That's like... Unpatriotic, or something."
 
"I'll try to make you a new one so you can try again," Alec promised, surprised yet oddly pleased by the head pat.

"The dangers of being your own boss and the main employee and accidentally taking on too many projects at once," Lex admitted. "It's my own fault, although I did finish the baby gate for your brother. I think I should wait until tomorrow to give it to him," she said, glancing over.
 
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