How Green Becomes Wood

"Hey, Goose," Daizi said, laying her hand on his arm, "Do you want to show them what you did?"

He looked up at the two of them and then shifted, suddenly a bit nervous. They were really satisfied with their gifts, and suddenly he worried if what he had done was too much and wouldn't go over like he thought it would.
 
Ale looked at Dark curiously. "You did something special? What did you do?"

"Carve a handful of tigers for me to tame?" Xander joked, knowing he was not the tiger tamer.
 
"No, it is not that," He replied, giving Ivy back to Daizi, "although if you wanted that, I could make them. When I have more time. No," he sat up a little straighter and rolled his sleeve up to his elbow, revealing his wrist, where his irritating little blank spot was. Only, now, it wasn't blank. He had gone, at some point, while the twins were at school, he had returned to his go-to artist, and now, there was a gemini astrological symbol in its place. At the top right of the symbol was a small X and at the bottom right was a small A.

"I know it is not really something you can keep with you," He said, looking down at the still-healing new mark and then up at them.
 
"Whoa," Alec whispered, his eyes widening. "Did you really? Is that... really? For us?"

Xander craned his neck to better see without getting closer. "What is it? A gate?" he asked, confused.

Alec frowned at him. "No, it is not a gate, it's the Gemini symbol, Gemini for twins!"

Xander's eyes widened. "Oh." He stared, new understanding dawning, but could say nothing more. Dark had actually gone through the trouble of permanently placing a reminder of them on himself? In a highly visible spot? Many other people Xander wouldn't have thought twice about it. Some people seemed to get tattoos at the drop of a hat or stick them where they couldn't be seen. Dark... Dark meant his tattoos. And that meant a lot to Xander.

Alec smiled, his eyes swimming in tears. "It's elegant."
 
"I told you," he said, looking at it closely, "I had an empty place. Now I do not." Then, he looked back at them, and he could see in their faces how impactful this gesture was. Even if they were unexpressive like he was, he would've known. And he had no idea how to address it, either, what exactly do you say to someone after tattooing their presence onto your body? The action said more than his words could. That was beyond certain, "It... Well, I am glad you like it. I was unsure if I wanted to do the astrological sign or the constellation, but... The constellation looks like two poorly drawn stick figures, and I trust my artist, but..." He shrugged, "And I liked being able to add your initials."
 
"I think the sign fits better with the rest of your tattoos," Alec told him with a watery smile.

"Even if stick figures would have suited us better," Xander drawled, pulling away from the uncomfortably vulnerable feelings.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Riiiiiight."
 
"I like them best when they're at this stage of healing, because since the skin is irritated they're a little bit raised, and I can feel the shape of them," Daizi spoke up, aware something like this was hard for all three of them to handle.

"The tattoo I have for Daizi is on the opposite wrist, and Cooger's is on my calf," Dark said, "I just like keeping my family as part of me."
 
"Where is Ivy going to go?" Alec asked, moving around to see Daizi's. He'd already seen it before, but he liked seeing it again, especially now that he and Xander had joined the tapestry.
 
"I have a lizard on the inside my bicep that is very old and blown out, I am going to get it covered up with something." He explained, rolling up his sleeve to show off Daizi's, which was a raven and spider to either side of a crystal eye, "Probably a hummingbird, for Ivy. But I do not know yet, she is too new."
 
"A hummingbird in an ivy leaf or sitting on a sprig of ivy," Alec said with a smile.

Xander frowned at Dark, head tipped slightly to one side. "Why do you have a lizard?"
 
"It was one of my firsts," He said with a shrug, "I heard that they are associated with death and resurrection... And I like to get a new one when I go on trips, when I still had the space. It never really meant a whole lot to me, which is why I do not mind covering it up."
 
"Lizards have to do with death and resurrection?" Xander asked curiously. He glanced at Alec, expecting his brother to offer some explanation, but Alec could only shrug. He wasn't familiar with that one.

"I think Daizi's is the best, and ours is the second best," Alec told Dark. "Thank you."
 
"I do not remember. Something about how there was a legend in Rome about them surviving the winter. It was many years ago." Dark replied, rolling his sleeves back down and picking up his coffee mug, "I do not have a favourite, myself. To me they are all..." He struggled to think of it, "I suppose they are like stamps on a passport for me, they all tell my history. But there are a few I find particularly special."
 
"That's pretty cool," Xander admitted. He looked down at Ivy. "What do you think? An ivy plant with a tiny bird, or a mouse? I think it should be a mouse."

"It should not be a mouse!" Alec scolded.

"What not? She's small, squeaks, is intelligent, and will probably be resourceful. And friendly and loyal. Just like a mouse."

"She is not a mouse," Alec repeated firmly.

Xander nodded to Ivy. "Burble weirdly if you think you're a mini mouse and stay quiet if you think you are not."
 
Ivy looked up at Xander with big eyes that hadn't settled into their permanent colour yet, and sneezed. Neither burbling nor staying quiet. Immediately Daizi laughed and kissed her head while Dark quietly looked on, internally melting.

"That's my girl," Daizi chirped, holding her baby close, "keep them guessing!"

"If it means anything, Ivy, I do not think you are a mouse. You are small now, but you will grow, and you squeak now, but one day you will talk." Dark told her softly.
 
"Of course, she will, which is another reason why she is not a mouse," Alec agreed confidently.

"Sneezing doesn't count," Xander protested. "It could have interrupted her burble."

"It could have interrupted her silence, too," Alec pointed out. "I say she was saying no to mouse!"

"I say she was saying yes," Xander said.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Look, you gave her a chance to agree with you and she declined. Therefore, the subject is closed," Alec said, flinging the end of his scarf to brush across Xander's face.

Xander coughed in surprise and then started after Alec. "Come here! I want to try the scarf!"

"No!" Alec giggled and scampered into the living room with Xander in slow pursuit.
 
Daizi laughed while Dark stood to clear the table. Both of them were thrilled to hear the twins so... happy, again. It felt like it had been so long since they were last playful with each other. Ivy squirmed, not quite fusing but working up to it. With a content sigh, Daizi gently bounced her and said, "Don't worry, Hummingbird. You'll be big enough to play with them soon."

Over by the sink, Dark looked out the window while listening to all the sounds of his house. Mother and baby, twin boys chasing after each other (amplified by four paws excitedly clamoring to join them), and himself. Shutting off the faucet, he turned towards his wife, who seemed to glow in his eyes, and after watching her for a few minutes, asked, "Did you expect we would be here today?"

She wanted to make a joke and drive him crazy trying to get him to explain exactly what he meant. But she understood. Deeply, she understood. And a year ago?

"No," she replied, "no, this is so far beyond anything I might have hoped for."

"Me too."
 
After a few rounds around the living room, Alec nearly tripped over Enkidu and had to stop to keep from falling over the dog. Xander caught up and pulled playfully on the scarf, threatening to steal it away, but in the end, both of them ended up on the floor on either side of Enkidu, petting and playing with him. Then they were up and running again, half chasing each other and half chasing Enkidu.

Eventually, they ended up back in the kitchen, tired out. Xander fetched his new jacket and bore it upstairs with great care. Alec still hadn't taken off his scarf, and he used the end of it to flip around when talking to make a point.

"When will the botanical gardens be blooming again?" Alec asked Daizi. "I think Ivy should see them!"
 
"They're open all year round, and have plants that stay green and bloom for each season, but I wouldn't take her there until Spring comes. It's too cold for her until then," Daizi replied, visibly excited Alec suggested a future plan for them. And anytime either boy said anything about or anything to Ivy, it was a source of great joy for her.

"By Spring she will be fun. Right now she is just barely getting strong enough to temporarily lift her head---which is so so special, Ivy--but by Spring she will be rolling and making faces," Dark added, very excited for when Ivy was less of a worm. He loved her, and new she would develop at her own time, but as much as he adored cuddles, two months with a newborn made him really wish she could be doing the things a 'normal' 9 week old could. The progress she had made was incredible, but he couldn't wait for when she could smile and laugh and really play.
 
"Oh, that's a shame, but makes sense," Alec agreed. He flipped his scarf around with a smile. "She is an adorable little potato right now, but she'll probably appreciate things a little more when she can actually see." He paused, tapping the end of the scarf on his chin. "Peter has been pestering us that we should get the band back together."
 
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