How Green Becomes Wood

"I would caution against you being so bold, Xander," Dark said carefully, "because if I am remembering properly, it was decided the winner of this match is required to kiss me, and I suspect that is something neither of us would enjoy."

Daizi snorted, taking the liberty to feel up the chess board to remind herself of where all the pieces was. It was unlikely Xander would take issue with it, as it wasn't fundamentally different from looking at the board, "Don't scare him, I want a real victory, not one where he quits to avoid the consequence of winning."
 
Xander shrugged. "Just because I win doesn't mean I have to accept my prize," he reminded them both. He waited patiently for Daizi to finish "looking" the board over. "I'll totally win and donate my prize to the mini mouse over there or something."

"How heartfelt," Alec said dryly. "I feel that's kind of cheating, but there's nothing about it in the rules, so... I guess he can."
 
"I'm not sure that's fair," Daizi huffed, sitting back to let Xander make his move, remembering it had been his turn when they had taken a break to celebrate Ivy's smile, "Ivy isn't even old enough to give kisses, she hasn't figured that out yet." Still, she wasn't sure why she was stressing. Xander was on the ropes, she had made sure of that, the game was coming to an end, soon.

"I think it would be him donating his prize to me, under a specific condition," Dark said, and for a brief moment he thought maybe it would be a good thing if Xander did manage to win, so he could give Ivy much-needed kisses, but then he remembered, feeling foolish, that he was able to kiss his baby anytime he wanted.
 
Xander's eyes narrowed, and he took great care in moving his piece, making sure to tell Daizi. He could feel the game was coming to an end. He still didn't think he would win, but there was still a distant chance!

Alec thought about that. "I guess that's right," he agreed.
 
Hearing Xander's move, she hummed lightly, and thought for a little while before making a move. Xander wasn't in check yet, but would be in the next move or two, she suspected. "Have you ever thought about joining chess team?" She asked, "You play well, you'd learn quickly."

Dark leaned towards Alec again, "Could you imagine him on chess team? I have met the students on the team, I am not sure if they are his crowd."
 
Xander snorted at that and shook his head. "Oh, heck no! No way. I've seen some of the team members, and I wouldn't last two seconds before wanting to hit something." He took great consideration and moved a piece. "Check," he told her as he announced his piece position.

Alec giggled quietly. "I wish I could see that happen," he admitted in a whisper. "That would be hilarious! Especially if he could beat them."
 
Despite making a great effort not to, Daizi snorted at the move Xander made. Strange as it may seem, he had done exactly what she wanted him to do. With that Rook putting her in check, it freed up a space for her to take his remaining Bishop, which also served the purpose of blocking his pawn, thereby breaking the last defense of his king. Raising her head, she flashed her crooked grin and said, "Checkmate."

"He would be able to beat a few of them," Dark had begun to say, but then he looked at the board prior to Daizi's move, and saw clearly what she was about to do, and resultingly, his eyes darted to Xander to watch for when the teenager realized the game was lost.
 
Xander's eyes narrowed when Daizi snorted. He knew she'd planned for him to do that, but he couldn't figure out why until too late. He had the sinking feeling of helplessness as his bishop vanished and the pieces moved. He hated this feeling, this knowledge that he was definitely going to lose and he couldn't stop it. Older Xander would have tossed the board in anger. Now, he just slumped back with a scowl. "Yeah, I'd fit in perfect at a chess club. 'Kay, you win." he stood and started putting the pieces away. "Not like I wanted to win anyway. Not with that prize on the line."

"He's getting better," Alec remarked to Dark.
 
"Second place isn't bad," Daizi said, helping to clean up, "and people lose in chess club, oh, fifty percent of the time, on average. So, statistically, you're perfect for it. It was a good game, though, I was nervous a few times, and you've got to remember, you've been playing for less than a year, and I've been playing since before you were born."

"He is," Dark agreed, quietly, "and he played well. He, well, survived longer than I would have guessed. I rarely beat her. What do you think second place's prize should be?"
 
"That's a long time to be playing a game," Xander remarked. "Shouldn't you be a grandiose master by now, or whatever they're called?"

Alec considered this and admitted, "I don't know. I hadn't thought past first prize."
 
"No, I'm not that good. I never joined chess club myself, even. It's just for fun, Dark and I like competing against each other, and it's a two person game, so it's been perfect." She picked up the set and put it back on the shelf, "Now we need a board game that's four to six players, I guess. And we'll all be new at that one, so you'll have a chance."

"It is difficult because the first place prize was to be affectionate with myself, and trying to figure out second place feels akin to offering myself up at the market." Dark commented. He had become, over the year, more comfortable being physically affectionate with the twins (or, with Alec, since Xander maintained his boundaries), which is why he didn't pull away from Alec as much as he used to, and why he now sat closer to either of them on the couch, but if first place was to kiss him, second place, logically, would be to hug him... It simply seemed a strange thing to put out into the universe and simply there would be a different prize selected or nothing. "It all seems a bit attention seeking," he commented, as he tried to think it through, "I still do not like being everyone's focus."
 
"There's a game store in town that has board games and stuff," Xander remarked. "We could all head there someday and pick one out. Maybe two so it doesn't get old."

"This is a good point," Alec said, trying to suppress a smile. "What if it's something that has nothing to do with physical affection? Or hugging Enkidu instead?"
 
"Yeah, we'll have to. Not for your birthday, though." She poked him, "Before, or after. I'm just saying, we're not only doing family time on someone's birthday."

Dark looked down at their poor, confused dog, "Hugging Enkidu is a fine idea. Xander--since you won second place, you need to hug Enkidu."
 
"Works for me," Xander agreed. He turned and frowned at Dark. "I need to do what now?"

"And you need to claim your prize, Mum- Mama," Alec said, stumbling a little over the last word and regretting it a bit. He hoped Daizi would just roll with it.
 
"We had been discussing, Alec and I, what the prize for second place in our little tournament would be, and I did not quite feel like whoring myself out, so, you may hug Enkidu. That way you still 'earn a prize' and we all still get to maintain healthy boundaries." Dark explained, finding his own explanation amusing.

"You know, studies show the person who takes second is generally less satisfied than the person who takes third, because the third place person won their last match, and are comparing themselves against fourth place, whereas second place lost their last match and are comparing themselves against first." Daizi mentioned. She didn't react at all to Alec's slip, since really she had no issues with being called 'Mum' by the boys, and anyway it was so subtle she hardly noticed it in the first place. "You're right, habibi, I do. Come here, darling," she said, sitting on the couch beside her husband and kissing him. Whild pulling back, she lingered for a moment with her hand on his chest, and then made herself laugh with the thought of some stupid quip she knew was better off unsaid.
 
Xander shook his head. "You lot are so weird," he commented, knowing full well he was opening himself up to all sorts of come-backs. He went to Enkidu and gave him a thorough ear scratching. "What about you? Do you want hugs? Is that what you want?"

Alec chuckled and made plenty of room for Daizi. "If you want to do anything more than that, you'll have to find a room, you two."
 
"Oh stop it," Daizi replied, pressing her face against Dark's shoulder to hide her blush, "This was your idea, you know!"

Looking down at the way his embarassed wife was using him as a shield, he couldn't help but smile a little bit. It had felt like they had aged a few years since last January, and especially now that he was acutely aware in a year he'd be starting an entirely new decade of life, he had been feeling sort of, well, old. But Daizi was, just them, reminding him of who she was when they were still young--actually young--and paradoxically, it seemed she had changed so much yet hadn't at all. "That is true, Alec. This was your idea." He shifted, "Would you like to hold Ivy for a little while?"

"She'll probably be getting hungry, soon."

"Soon, but not yet. And by the way, Xander, you are not any less strange."

Enkidu, meanwhile, scrambled up towards Xander when he approached, and after accepting the ear scratches flopped onto his back for a bellyrub, his tail wagging and his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
 
"Sure, I'd be happy to hold her!" Alec said happily, holding out his hands for the baby. "Until she gets hungry, that is. I'm not sure what I can do about that."

Xander snorted as he knelt down to give Enkidu a belly rub. "As if. Enkidu and I are the most normal ones here. Right, boy? I am absolutely right."
 
"Then I'll take her upstairs," Daizi said while Dark passed Ivy over. Ivy wasn't too bothered, mostly she was looking at her fingers. When she was fully in Alec's arms, though, she looked up at his face and squeaked, her eyes crinkling up in her little (for her, quite large) smile. Then, once his arms were free again, Dark hugged Daizi closely, choosing to spend some few moments not seperated by their infant.

Enkidu didn't respond in any really discernable way, but he did close his eyes, absolutely adoring every moment of attention.

"Wow, that is very close minded of you, Xander," Daizi teased, "How are you the arbiter of what is normal?"
 
Alec's face lit up when Ivy smiled at him. She smiled at him! At him! It was so exciting! She knew his face and liked him! "You really are so adorable. You really are. I bet you are incredibly smart, too, and clever. What will you be like as you grow up?"

Xander sank his fingers into the dog's thick fur as he explained, "I would say I'm the arbiter of what is normal by laws of average and the fact that I'm possibly the most common stereotype ever seen on television."
 
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