How Green Becomes Wood

"Thank you." Dark told him. It didn't matter how often he was told that, it never stopped hitting him deep in his heart. He had been so afraid of all of this for so long. "I love you." He turned his head to the side as Alec hiccuped again, "I will give you ten dollars if you hiccup in the next minute."

Daizi hummed her lullaby to Xander, shifting slightly under his weight, but at least he was lighter than her husband.
 
"Aw, so I don't really get to get ten bucks? How about if it happens again?" Alec asked. He waited. "Darn. I think it did work." He stood and offered a hand to help Dark up.
 
"Agreed!" Alec waited. He hoped! But the hiccups were gone. He sighed and shook his head. "Does this mean I owe you twenty bucks now? Only fair, I suppose," he said, pretending to be far more morose than he actually felt. Actually, all things considered, he was feeling remarkably better. He turned and started toward the house to let himself inside.
 
"I believe the terms of the deal were clear, you do not owe me anything." Dark replied, glad to see some level of peace restored as they went in to clean up. He stopped, though, at the sight of his wife caring for Xander the way that she was, and he took a quick picture, just in case they moved before he had time to sketch it.
 
Alec looked to see what had stopped Dark, and his breath caught. "He's been held! By not me!" he whispered, shocked and awed. "I never thought I'd ever see the day." He glanced at his mother, wondering if she was comfortable and if they should try to move Xander. Or should they leave him as he was? He looked like he was having the most peaceful sleep he'd had since returning from their vacation.
 
"Yes, he is," Dark agreed, equally amazed, but he was more drawn by the expressions on his wife's face. She had been longing for this, he knew, and the pair of them looked like a pieta.

Daizi raised her head, "Don't just stand there talking," she whispered at them, "You don't want to wake him up, do you?"
 
Alec smiled and came over to gently pull the blanket over Xander a little more and then made sure Daizi was comfortable. He stared at them, wishing he could join the snuggle pile, but there wasn't much room and he didn't want to disturb Xander anymore than necessary. So, he grabbed his own blanket and making himself comfortable on one of the other chairs.

Xander heaved another sigh, sounding slightly annoyed, and shifted to make himself more comfortable. He didn't move away from Daizi in the slightest.
 
Dark smiled softly at the sight of Alec settling down also, and then quietly left to clean up the spilled tea and shattered cup, since it needed to be done, and Alec needed rest just as badly as Xander did. When he shifted, Daizi rubbed his back gently and smoothed down his hair, treating him as gently as she treated Ivy, who was likely to be finishing up her nap soon, but her father was up, he could get her. Everything would be okay, for now. Everything would be peaceful.
 
After a second of delayed reaction, Alec realized Dark was cleaning up without him. He got up and went to help, mopping up the floor thoroughly to ensure all the shards had been collected. No one wanted to step on those! Especially not Daizi or Ivy.

When Ivy woke and began her usual noises, those were enough to stir Xander into wakefulness. He slowly started to push himself upright with a groan, bleary and confused. Where was he, and why did the surface he was laying on feel so weird?
 
"I would have gotten it," Dark assured Alec, although he was glad for the help, "You should rest too, it has not been an easy day for you, either."

"Sabah al-khayr habibi," Daizi told him gently, even though it wasn't morning, as she swiftly withdrew both of her hands because she didn't want him to feel trapped. "Did you sleep well?"
 
"I like helping, and, besides, it was a mess I'd made," Alec told him with a smile. "After this, then I will rest, too."

Xander rubbed his eyes, even more confused now. "Why are you here?" he croaked, trying to remember what had happened last. What he last remembered was a sort of warm embrace and then... absolutely nothing but comfort. He'd slept so hard he wasn't sure if it had been five minutes or five hours.
 
"Good, you should." Dark replied, emptying the shards into the trashcan, before washing his hands, "I have to go get Ivy, I am sure she is already wondering where I am."

"Why am I here?" She tried not to laugh, "You fell asleep, it'd be hard to be anywhere else."
 
Alec nodded. "She'll be missing you sorely!"

Xander blinked rapidly and finally brought the room into focus. "Wait." He looked around again and then at Daizi. "Was I sleeping... on your lap??" He goggled at her, at a loss as how to respond to this.
 
"I didn't want to move you and risk waking you," Daizi replied simply, like it was the most natural thing in the world because to her it was, "I was content to wait until you woke up."
 
"It's okay, I didn't mind. It's probably only about an hour before when we usually have dinner, it sounds like Ivy just woke up from her nap. I think we'll probably order in, tonight. I'm not sure any of us feel like cooking after that." She replied, noting how it felt like Xander may have drooled a bit on her knee.
 
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