How Green Becomes Wood

"I'm doing really good today, so you don't have to worry about my exhaustion," Daizi promised, "and I'll get no work done with you all here, but I was about to head to the train station soon anyway, so we can leave now. It's a bit too early for dinner, but we're pretty close to the downtown part of the city. There's always something going on there."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Dark agreed, "and most of your favourite restaurants are there anyway, right?"

"I just wish I was better dressed, if I had known I'd have worn something different," She picked at her dress. She didn't hate it, but she would have worn something different. Her momentary disappointed quickly cleared, "but good, I'm glad we have your permission," she stretched up to kiss Dark's cheek, "And don't worry, I can't see your faces anyway. But does the rule about being sweet apply to the baby? Because it's possible she's starting to hear you all now, too."
 
"You can't see them, but he can," Xander pointed out, making a face at Dark to prove his point. "I guess Mini can be a part of things, too."

"Don't worry, you look better than probably eighty percent of the people currently walking the streets," Alec assured her. "You have a great sense of dress style. Do you have anything in mind you want to do downtown?" He reached out and lightly took her hand, happy to bring her joy. He'd let go the instant she indicated she didn't want to hold hands with him.

"Isn't there some kind of art thingy that way?" Xander asked, trying to remember the places they'd passed before.
 
"Oh, you guess, that's very generous," Daizi laughed, teasing him, "and thank you, Alec. I used to be somewhere between liking clothes and being neutral towards them, but now I pretty much just hate getting dressed every day." With the hand Alec wasn't holding, she touched her belly, the cause of almost all of her clothing woes, and murmured, "The things I put up with for you," before more openly saying, "I thought we'd just go to the square. There's a sculpture garden in the park right by it, that's probably what you saw, Xander."

"The weather is perfect for it," Dark nodded, "and since it is Monday, it will not be too crowded, thankfully."

"I'm just glad it's not too hot, I swear I'm this close to wearing my pajama shorts and a sports bra everyday and being down with it."
 
Xander bit his tongue before the words, "please don't" escaped his mouth. It was close, but he managed to keep it inside.

"That sounds warm," Alec mused. "Why not one of those flowing white dresses made out of linen? Oh, wait, you've likely not felt one of those, and you might not like the feel of linen. It's supposed to be very cooling."

"Lead the way to the art in the park," Xander said, opening the door and holding it for them all.
 
"I know about linen dresses," Daizi laughed, walking out of the office after gathering her things, since she was the only one who knew how to actually leave the building, "and I know about wearing loose fit clothes in the heat. I'm Egyptian, remember? Look at how we dress in the desert. It would just be nice to not have to worry about..." She trailed off, knowing it was unnecessary to explain where the problem was.
Dark caught the look on Xander's face, but said nothing about it. It was a shame, he thought, because it probably would be more comfortable for Daizi, but he knew she didn't need to see the teen's face to understand how well that fashion choice would go down, "I suppose you will just have to spend more time at Cooger's cabin. It's always cooler by the lake."

"The lake!" She exclaimed, tipping her head back, "Oh, I wish we could have gone swimming today. I always forget."
 
"It probably would be. My condition... It sounds so clinical. I just can't wait for Autumn. We really got our timing right, babe, if I was in my third trimester right now I'd--" She stopped suddenly, and found Dark's hand to squeeze it. She had been about to say that she'd die, but it was her birthday. And her mother had. Not from the heat, but... Still. "I've never been pregnant on my birthday, you know? I was supposed to be a few times, but, obviously never made it that far. It's strange."

"Has she been very active today?" Dark asked, trying to be delicate.

"Oh god, yes, but she always is. Which makes me think she probably doesn't hate me, because if she hated me she'd be a lazy baby and make me worry. Or she's evil but dumb and doesn't realize... Not that I like her keeping me up all night," She frowned for a moment but them smiled, taking a deep breath of fresh air after stepping outside, "I think we can walk to the sculpture garden from here, I've been sitting too long today."
 
Xander tried not to gag at the thought of a baby wiggling around in Daizi's abdomen. It was such a gross and unsettling thought! Why did anyone ever want to get pregnant? Ever?? He looked away and tried to tune out the conversation. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, he was not going to ruin Daizi's nice birthday.

"It is a really nice day. Warm, but not scorchingly hot, and we have sunscreen and moisturizer." Alec paused with a frown. "Did you get sunscreen, Daizi? Should I get you some sunscreen? We need to protect ourselves from sunburn and take proper care of our skin as it is our first line of defense!"
 
"Yes, I'm wearing sunscreen," Daizi replied, and then pulled on Dark's arm, "Are you happy with yourself? You broke him, now he's anxious about skincare!"

"Why is everyone blaming me for that? All I did was mention its importance." Dark said sullenly, while Daizi rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

"You don't have to worry, Alec, Dark got me on a skincare routine shortly after he got himself on one, I'm very cautious."
 
"Oh good! So it's just me and Xander, then," Alec said in relief.

"Hey, I wash my face and wear sunscreen whenever I go outside," Xander protested. "I think that's enough."

"And moisturizer," Alec said severely.

Xander let out a heavy groan. "Fine. Maybe."
 
"Why would you actively choose to avoid wearing moisturizer?" Daizi asked, walking along. She knew the way to the park, but chose to let Dark lead so she didn't have to stress herself out trying to remember it all. It was much easier to allow herself to be guided, since it was an option.

"A lot of people do. Do you remember how hard I needed to fight Cooger to get him to do it?" Dark replied, and looked at Xander, "They have moisturizer that is both, for the daytime."
 
"That is more reasonable," Xander agreed grudgingly. "I just really don't like the way lotions feel, and they smell funny."

"I don't think moisturizer smell like lotions," Alec mused. "We'll have to go sniffing one of these days."
 
"They make scentless ones. I've been really sensitive to artificial scents lately, so I've switched," Daizi said, and then, after a pause, "I think that is all that needs said about lotion and moisturizer today. How long have you three been discussing this?"

"A long time," Dark replied.

"I figured--but really, I don't need to know about what kinds of creams you all wish to slather yourselves in. How have your days been?" She released Dark's hand to take his arm when they made it back onto the busy street's sidewalk.

Dark looked down at her face, shining in the afternoon sun, and then remembered what the twins had said, "Better now."

"See, even I think that's corny," Daizi replied, but nonetheless, she blushed slightly when she heard it, "Are you just trying to push their terms of agreement?"

"Maybe."

"Good," She beamed, and stretched to kiss his cheek, before turning towards Xander, "So, I know I've taken Alec up here twice--have you been to the city often?"
 
"Not really," Xander said, looking around. "There was that time for your appointment, but other than that, no. There wasn't usually a need. It's a pretty nice area, though."

"We did have to visit the hospital that one time because of you, does that count?" Alec smirked.

Xander lightly bapped his shoulder. "That does not count! For anything."

"Uh-huh," Alec said lightly.

"We did come here a couple of times when our mum needed to get something really specific. We had to wait in the car because it was usually later in the day," Xander told Daizi.
 
"Why did you need to go to the hospital?" Daizi asked, "You don't need to tell me, I'm only curious."

Dark wondered about what late in the day errands would bring the twins' mom to the city, but didn't want to ask, if they even knew the answer, but his imagination ran wild (but he doubted his more grim imaginings were not the truth), "It is a nice little city. Much quieter than the other two I have lived in."

"I fear we must have gotten old, deciding to move out to the suburbs," Daizi sighed, "but having a space to garden is too good to pass up on."
 
"It was nothing," Xander mumbled. "I just had a misunderstanding with a gang leader, but I totally won."

"I thought it was a robber holding up a store and you totally saved the day," Alec said mildly. "Or was it the insane martial artist on drugs? Or was it the ninja wielding garden shears? That one was my personal favorite. And, of course, the-" He broke off laughing and took a short dash away as Xander lunged for him.

"Alright, alright! None of that happened!" Xander admitted, still chasing Alec as his brother skipped around to hide on Dark's other side. "I fell."

Alec smiled sweetly at him. "Just a little fall? A wee accident?"

Xander huffed, his ears going red from embarrassment. "I was messing around and thought I could parkour like a video character."

"He was trying to walk on the tops of some fence posts," Alec explained, "but he slipped and fell between two of them. He has some wicked scars that anime tells me will have the girls wooing over him and wondering what fantastic feat of bravery gave him those, like badges of honor, or if it is a deep and dark secret history they can slowly lure out of him."
 
Dark rather instinctively put his hand on Alec's shoulder when Xander chased him over while Daizi laughed first at their antics and then cackled at the true story, "Winning a fight against a gang leader is definitely more exciting than that, but stupid mistakes are almost always the reality, aren't they? All of my scars are from stupid things like forgetting where I left a pair of scissors or falls because someone left something where they shouldn't have."

"I covered all of my scars, or if I couldn't, incorporated them into my designs," He said, planning not to speak about the origins of any of his, "but if you have a sufficiently tortured past, you do not need scars to get girls to fawn over you."

"Oh, really?" Daizi asked dryly.

"I got you to chase me, did I not?"

Even blind, she knew he was smirking, which she very much did not appreciate, "I had to make the first move because you were too awkward and nervous to do it, I wasn't chasing anything, I was coaxing you to get your legs under you."
 
"True, girls seem weirdly attracted to dark, tortured pasts and brooding visages," Alec nodded, happily taking refuge under Dark's hand. "I can't say I know why, but I'm amazed you were not swamped with girls throughout your single life."

"They probably did, but he was too dark and tortured to notice," Xander said, keeping his face straight. "And then, of course, he had a date with destiny since somebody had been chasing him down the generations, or however that works."

"True. Her very aura would definitely act as a shield if need be," Alec agreed thoughtfully.
 
"I have dated women other than Daizi, you know. She was not even my first kiss, although she was my first good kiss. And I wasn't hers. And when we were broken up I dated many people. Daizi was just in my past and future." Dark explained, and Daizi rested her head against his shoulder. In the distance, the statue park was visible, but they hadn't quite made it there yet, "I do tend to miss it when people are attracted to me now, though. Because they do not mean a thing to me."

"I feel bad for all of your exes," Daizi sighed, holding his arm a little bit tighter, "You weren't kind to most of them."

"No, I was not," He admitted somberly, and then looked at the twins, "I mean--I was not a good partner. I was not abusive or anything I just... I could not stay loyal."
 
"Then, clearly, her aura or whatever was still interfering because you didn't feel anything for those other people," Alec said with a shrug.

Xander frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Wait... you cheated on your partners?"
 
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