How Green Becomes Wood

"Well it feels like a piece of paper," Daizi replied, setting it down on the countertop, but soon touched the page and found the cat outline, "Is this the cat you were working on? I hope you didn't ruin it so I can feel it. I'm not smudging it, am I?"
 
"Yep! That's the cat!" Alec told her proudly. "You aren't hurting it at all, but if you turn it over, you'll be able to feel the lines better." Shd had smudged it a little, but he didn't mind. It was just for practice, anyway, and he loved being able to show her things like this.
 
She flipped it over as told, and after taking the time to examine the outline said, "You did a really great job, Alec. Thank you for drawing it so I could enjoy it. I never get to see Dark's."
 
Alec tried not to feel too proud with that statement. "You're welcome! I thought you might like to see the cat I saw. It's a nice cat, don't you think? I'll save the picture to show Cooger next time he comes by."
 
"In my defense, I seldomly show anyone my drawings." Dark replied, sitting Ivy up. More accurately in his defense, there wasn't a way for him to make deep impressions like Alec had done without ruining it, his style involved too much blending.

"I'm just kidding, Goose," Daizi promised him, "I do think it's a very lovely cat. He'll be thrilled to see it."
 
Alec smiled happily and took back the picture to put away. "Well. I'm out of things to do right now. Do you have anything I can do, or should I go bug Xander until he threatens to hold me upside down by my ankles again? I don't think he can really do it, but I don't want to risk it, of course."
 
Dark glanced up at Alec and Daizi shook her head, "Classic blunder, habibi. You can't ask if there's anything for you to do in front of your very neat father. He will find something for you to clean, I assure you."

"I am not like that," Dark replied coolly, "but if you needed something to do..."
 
Daizi shook her head, "I warned you."

"Well, really we need both done, but that seems a lot to ask all at once." Dark replied, raising his shoulders slightly, "I will pay you, it is only fair, I do not expect you to do free labour. I would probably begin with the outside, I think they are touched more."
 
Alec glanced at the nearest window and tried to figure out who would be touching the outside of someone's window. He couldn't remember ever touching them. "Okay, I can at least do a few. I'll get started right now!"
 
Rising to his feet, Dark went into the proper cabinet to hand Alec the correct cleaning supplies for the glass, so nothing was scratched or streaky, "Thank you, I appreciate the help. We have... perhaps too many windows, it has been difficult to find the time to keep them clear."
 
"What ever you can do, I appreciate." Dark assured him.

Daizi waited until he walked away before shaking her head, hardly able to contain her laughter, "Gabriella Marzipan Dark..."

"What?"

"You are evil."

"He asked if we had anything for him to do," Dark pointed out, although he did know he had taken some liberties with that request. He was honest when he said he'd pay Alec, and would have accepted a no, so he felt he was mostly fair about it.
 
Alec went out and scrubbed five windows, starting in the back and working his way around. His work was good... where he could reach. Even with a small step stool - he didn't want to try a ladder - there was still a small section at the top of the window that he could not reach no matter how hard he stretched.

Xander came out after a while, curious about where his brother had gotten off to, and watched him. He watched for two windows before saying, "You know you're missing a spot, right?"

"Something's better than nothing when it comes to seeing out a window, and I can't reach it!" Alec grumbled.

"Ladder?" Xander suggested.

"Not without a spotter!"

"Fair. Alright, then, how about another way?"

After a bit of back and forth, Alec got up on Xander's shoulders and sat there grinning like a buffon as he wiped the top part of the windows and scrubbed them clean. Xander was a good ladder or lift or whatever he was called and held Alec steady between walkin back and forth.
 
Dark turned at the sound of some clattering and watched Alec work for a little while before giving in to his more nefarious side, making a cup of tea, and going to stand on the inside of the window to watch his sons stacked on top of each other clean it from the outside. He simply could not resist.

Eventually, Daizi stepped outside with Ivy on her hip, ignoring her husband although, "The cake is cool. I've already taken it out of the pan, we just need to cut it."
 
"Cake!" Alec cheered, throwing up his hands. "Time for cake!" He grabbed what supplies he cold reach.

Xander picked up what was left, balancing Alec carefully, and strode to the house. "Cake is excellent."

They paused at the door, and Alec had to scrunch down before Xander could walk through, although the extra tall doors did make it easier to get through than a normal door. Still one on top of the other, they worked together to put away their cleaning supplies and then went to stand patiently in the kitchen. Alec grinned down at Dark, enjoying the extra height.
 
"Are you quite pleased with yourselves?" Dark asked, looking up at Alec. Unfortunately for the teen, Dark's hair had no signs of thinning, so there was no height-based secret to lord over him.

"Goose, you should put me on your shoulders so we restore the natural order of things," Daizi teased, while Ivy stared wide-eyed at her brothers.
 
"Yes, actually, I am very pleased because I got five windows sparkly clean all the way from the bottom to the top!" Alec told Dark. "It's a good view up here."

"Really? Maybe I should take a turn," Xander smirked.

"Actually, I'm not quite certain how to get down," Alec admitted.

Xander grunted and had to admit he hadn't thought about this part either.
 
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