How Green Becomes Wood

"No!" Trenton said, finally pushing himself up and off the floor, "he beat our ass! For no reason, he just fucking attacked us!"

"Sir," Milo said, turning to the teacher, "I'm sorry, but, do I look like I could--" He wiped his cheek, and feeling the wet on his hand, stared with surprise at the sight of the blood. Then he staggered, just a bit, "Oh... I-I'm sorry, I'm not good with blood."

The teacher looked at Milo and swore under his breath, "Jesus Christy, this kid looks like he's about to faint." He looked at Xander, "Take him to the nurse, hurry it up. But I'm gonna check the security cameras."
 
"Sure thing, sir, and you will totally see two small fellows laying out your prized football team because that's the most realistic conclusion," Xander said with a sharp nod. He took Milo's arm - touching him as little as possible - and started hustling him down the hall. "A little help before he passes out?"

Alec stepped forward, smoothly handing Xander his backpack before taking Milo's other arm and holding it in a far more supportive way. "Don't worry. It's not far. Does it hurt much?"
 
"I'm lying," Milo whispered as soon as he trusted they were definitely out of earshot of the teacher, but didn't pull himself away until he trusted they were out of eyeshot, too. "I'm fine with blood, less fine with being interrogated. And yeah, it hurts, but this isn't my first time getting my ass kicked."
 
"So you've said," both twins said simultaneously.

The instant Xander felt it was safe to let go, he did, dropping Milo like he was on fire and moving a step away. "You should still see the nurse."

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" Alec asked pleasantly. "Specifically, Friday?"
 
"Yeah, well, you'll have to forgive me, I just got my brains beat in." He replied, taking a step away from Xander at the exact same time, "Of course I'll go see the nurse, not that I'm wishing for an ice pack and a wet paper towel. If I don't then there will be a gap in my story if for some reason he decides to really investigate." He pulled on his backpack and scowled down at his ripped strap, then at Alec confused, "I'll probably end up watching Jeopardy with my grandpa again... why?" He genuinely seemed to not understand.
 
"Just wondering. So, no set plans, then?" Alec glanced at Xander, and the pair of them began to have a silent conversation as only two very close-knit people can do with Milo stuck between them. Alec raised his brows. Well?

Well, what? said Xander's slight frown.

A tiny nod toward Milo, barely a twitch of the head, then another brow raise.

Understanding clicked, and Xander sowled with a tiny shake of his head. No.

Alec rolled his eyes and gave a tiny nod, gesturing slightly with his hand. You should! Why not?

I'm not his nanny! said Xander's headshake and tiny hand gesture.

You owe him. Come on!

It took a couple more weird expressions, but Xander finally broke down and asked Milo in a flat tone, "Do you want to come to my birthday party?"
 
He laughed, actually laughed, but from surprise and not derision, "Me? You want me? at your party? You don't even know anything about me, I could be that kid at school who is a devoted communist and will talk about Marx and Lenin like they were deities and idealizes Holden Caulfield, or the kid who Naruto runs and tries to play the devil's advocate all the time. Why would you want me there? Unless you need a human pinata?"
 
"If you don't want to come, you can just say no," Xander huffed. "Seriously." He scowled in annoyance, but he was actually just a tin bit disappointed. Alec had invited two friends he'd made in the drama club - real, actual friends, he called them - and Sloan and Peter were coming, but they shared Sloan and Peter. Xander had no friends that were actually his friends to invite. That had never been a problem until recently when Alec had actually started to make an effort to make friends and put himself out there. It had left a bit of a void in Xander's life, or perhaps pointed out a preexisting one.

"Communism actually has a lot of good ideas going for it when kept strictly on the small scale level and on an actual voluntary basis, though I have never actually read Marx or Lenin," Alec mused. "I always get Lenin confused with Lennon. It's not a good thing. The occasional devil's advocate is a good thing, too."
 
Xander lifted a shoulder awkwardly. "Why not? It's not like I'm asking you out on a date, man, I'm asking you to a party where there will be other people and we're going to try to have a good time."

"We're starting off with a visit to the thrift store where everyone has to pick out an outfit that they wear for the rest of the time," Alec explained excitedly, forgetting that Xander had only said "my" birthday party, and if Milo hadn't figured out they were twins, might be confused. "Then, after that, we're all going to the arcade where we are going to try to get loads and loads of tickets and stuff ourselves with pizza! Our dad is insanely good at the types of games where you throw the ball into hoops and things like that, but he never keeps his tickets, so we might raffle his tickets away or something." He gasped and grinned. "I know! I'll ask him to give them to the person he thinks has the best outfit. No, our mum should! Oh, she'd find it hysterical."

"Anyway," Xander said, firmly interrupting Alec to get him to stop babbling, "You have until Friday morning to say yes or no."
 
"I dunno. Nobody really invites me anywhere. I think the last time I went to a party was sixth grade, and that was just because they were required to invite the whole class. And they spelled my name wrong on the invite." He rocked back on his heels, "It sounds like fun. I'll see if one of my grandparents can drive me."
 
"Just let us know by like Friday morning so we can let our folks know," Xander told him.

They arrived at the nurse's office, and Xander waited outside while Alec went in with Milo to help answer any questions.
 
"I will," Milo murmured, still bewildered that people actually wanted to spend time with him.

There wasn't really much to do in nursing, they gave him an icepack and a bandaid and sent him away with a note for his teacher, and also gave a note to Alec for himself and Xander. Not knowing them, he didn't suggest they give it directly to Xander.
 
When Alec and Milo went to leave, Xander stopped Alec. "Did you get a note?"

"Yes! I have it right here." Alec held up his hand.

"That's only one note," Xander sighed, taking it from him. "How did you lose one note and only one in the space of a few feet?"

Alec turned, looking around on the floor and checking everywhere he could have set it down. "I... have no idea," he admitted, blushing.

Xander put one arm around his shoulders and started off. "Come on. Hopefully, the teacher will understand and accept one note for the both of us."

Alec waved at Milo. "See you around!"
 
"See you," Milo said, walking slowly to class.

The next day he specifically sought out the twins to say he'd be attending their party, and took careful note of all of the details.

Then came Friday morning, and the entire first floor was decorated with streamers and balloons, both in vivid rainbow colours for Alec and more muted, simple shades of Xander's favourite colour. The very first thing visible when someone came down the stairs, though, were two seperate banners, each of them wishing the Alec and Xander a happy birthday separately.
 
Alec started to run down the stairs, like always, but slowed when he saw the banners and balloons. Xander nearly ran into him and looked to see what was stopping him. The two stared in awe as they descended the stairs, craning their necks as they took in the sight of all the streamers and the balloons and especially the banners. It was beautiful!
 
"Happy Birthday!" Daizi cheered, rushing out of the kitchen at the sound of the footsteps, "Happy Birthday!" It was a highly intentional choice on her part to say it twice, without adding names, so both received their birthday well-wishes at exactly the same time. "Ivy, baby, say Happy Birthday to your brothers!" Ivy did successfully coo in response, but she was definitely looking more at a balloon than she was at any person.

Dark, also, stepped out of the kitchen, "Happy birthday," he couldn't be exuberant like his wife, but he still clearly meant it sincerely.
 
"Wow! This looks so beautiful!" Alec ran to Dark and Daizi and hugged them both, giving Ivy a tiny kiss. "Thank you, Mama and Baba!"

Xander shoved his hands into his pockets self-consciously as he looked around, but a tiny grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. This was epic! The most epic birthday they'd ever had! The day could stop here and he'd be happy.
 
Daizi beamed and squeezed Alec as tightly as she could with one arm, since she had Ivy in the other arm, "You're welcome, habibi. We wanted to make it special."

"The balloons and streamers were Daizi's idea," Dark said, catching Xander's eye, "I chose the colours."
 
"It's already special just because we're here," Alec said earnestly. "Thank you." He reached up and batted at a streamer gleefully.

Xander nodded approvingly. "Looks really good." He reached out and tapped on of the balloons, amused by it. "What's for breakfast? Or is breakfast hidden in a balloon?" He tapped the balloon again, unconsciously following it as it lazily rolled along.
 
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