How Green Becomes Wood

"See, you have frightened him," Daizi murmured, stroking Ivy's hair, "Are you frightened, Hummingbird?" She paused just long enough for Ivy to coo, and then said, "Of course not, darling. You've never been frightened of anything."

"She should be apprehensive, it is healthy to be apprehensive." Dark responded, "The music can be overwhelming, that is why I still wear earplugs when I go, not that any of us have in a decade," this comment caused Daizi to make a face: she wasn't worried about getting old, but she was extremely worried about being old and boring... but the thought of stepping into a club did feel like the last thing she wanted to do, "And good, always text updates."

"Just when you arrive and leave a place," Daizi told him, "You don't have to sit on your phone giving us minute-by-minute descriptions of what you're doing."
 
"Minute-by-minute updates sound like more fun," Alec said. "I am getting up." He did so. "I am taking my dishes to the sink." He did so with great care. "I am running water over the dishes to make them easier to wash later."

"I am getting abandoned by my brother in the gym at school if I keep it up," Xander warned.

"Ah, come on! I haven't even gotten to the part where I mention that if we don't leave in the next five minutes, we'll be late!" Alec laughed.
 
"What a coincidence, I was just about to get to that part, too." Daizi chuckled.

"I am ready to go," Dark said, stooping over to kiss his wife and daughter before going to fetch his coat, "but I am not going to bark commands to my sons on their birthday. Have a nice day, Darling. And do not drive your mother crazy, my sweet girl."
 
Alec paused to hug Daizi farewell. "We'll see you after school! Bye, Ivy!" He scampered off to collect the last few bits of things he needed before running to the front door.

"Bye, don't do anything I wouldn't," Xander said cheerfully to Daizi and Ivy. He already had everything he needed near the door, so it was a simple matter for him to collect his shoes and things while waiting for Alec to join him. Then they headed out with Xander angling hopefully toward the driver's seat of the car.
 
"Have a good day at school! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!" Daizi told them, hugging Alec with one arm. "Say bye-bye, Ivy!" She only got up when they headed out so she could stand in the window and wave Ivy's tiny hand goodbye.

Dark followed them out, but still when he stepped outside his broad shoulders slumped slightly, and he took just a moment to look back. Under his breath he murmured, "I would turn to salt," but then took a breath to steel his nerves before getting into the car, handing the keys to Xander.

Once at school, Sloan met them in the gym, which was unusual for her since she normally had no reason to be there that early, but there she was, and she came happily up to them, "Hey! Happy Birthday! ...Birthdays? Have you visited your lockers yet?"
 
"FIrst day at school at 16!" Alec crowed softly to himself as Xander proudly drove the car to the school.

Xander made sure to toss the keys back to Dark before they headed inside. He slowed when he saw Sloan, confused. "No, haven't made it that far yet. What are you doing here?"

"He means thank you," Alec translated, practically bouncing up to Sloan, "although we have not made it to our lockers yet. Why?" He turned to walk toward them. "They made our favorite breakfasts! Both of them! They are so awesome."
 
"Woah, that's awesome," Sloan said, doing her best to shepherd them to their lockers, "My parents don't make me breakfast on my birthday. It sounds like they're really going all out!" The rocked on her heels as they turned down the hall and then gestured excitedly to reveal their decorated lockers. Both doors were wrapped up with wrapping paper--although not so much that they couldn't be accessed easily, and both had individual birthday signs. The actual details on both lockers were specific to each twin, the colours and styles of each one were carefully planned out, and accordingly, Xander's was much less noticeable from a distance.

It was a fairly common school tradition, but Sloan considered herself a master of the art, and had spent the past few weeks planning exactly what would go on each, including which specific inside jokes to reference.
 
"Yeah, it was really..." Alec's words trailed off as he spotted the lockers. "No way!" he breathed, eyes widening. "Oh, that's..." He waved a hand speechless.

Xander didn't say anything, but a slow grin crept over his face. He walked over to his locker and examined some of the smaller details. "Looks like we were the target of a very detail-oriented vandal," he remarked. "What are we going to do about that?"

Alec patted his locker affectionately and then turned toward Sloan. "Hug them and say thanks?" he suggested toward Xander as he held open his arms.

"Well, maybe the say thanks part," Xander said with a nod.
 
"Ah, it's no big deal," Sloan replied almost sheepishly, "I bet you both would've done the same for me if my birthday were during the school year." She hugged Alec briefly before stepping back, "I had to get here really early to do both so I'll probably fake an injury and nap in gym. Honestly though, I think I should be excused from gym, I can do a backflip, does it really matter if I can play soccer?"
 
"I think we're doing dodgeball today," Alec mused. "I am not a fan of hurling hard balls at people with force and hoping they'll aim low enough not to hit my head."

Xander shrugged. "I'm with you," he told Sloan. "Even if I do enjoy slinging balls around."
 
"I just keep thinking about how some of these students are overly competitive, and if one of them ends up breaking my wrist and I'm out for a few months, I'll be so pissed." She snorted, "I'm pretty good at dodgeball though because I've spent my entire PE career dodging balls." A beat, "Don't take that out of context. But, so, your party tonight, we're meeting at the thrift store, right? And are we eating at the arcade?"
 
"Oh, I totally will," Xander told her with a smirk.

Alec hadn't caught the joke, but he moved on regardless. "We're meeting at the thrift store, yes, and then eating at the arcade. They have shockingly good pizza. They also have options for people who don't want to or can't eat pizza, but I haven't tried those." He gave his locker one last look before turning to head to the gym where they were supposed to wait until time to go to class. There had been a few issues with the children of some of the teachers causing trouble in the classrooms or hallways, so now anyone who showed up early was relegated to the gym.
 
"Alright, I just wanted to make sure." She said, walking back with them to the gym, "How do you both cope with getting here this early every day? If you get a car while in high school are you still going to come early with Mr. Dark?"
 
"I don't know. I hadn't thought about it," Xander admitted thoughtfully.

"I don't mind coming early. It's like a nice jumpstart to the day, or maybe a long run-up," Alec said cheerfully. "Have you seen Milo anywhere? He comes early sometimes."
 
"Oh, um," she looked around, "No, I haven't. But he likes to hide, right? Like a... I don't know what animals like to hide, there are a lot of burrowing ones. We really have to get him to give us a map of where to find him."
 
"Rabbits, mice, moles, chickens..." Xander listed off dryly. "What's it matter? He'll find us when he wants to. It's not like we're friends."

"Says the fellow who invited him to his birthday party," Alec whispered to Sloan.

"Maybe he'll show up this evening, maybe not," Xander shrugged. He wasn't going to pretend to be optimistic.
 
"I like how you said 'when' and not 'if.'" Sloan pointed out with a tiny smirk, "He's probably under the bleachers. That's where he was the first time you met him, right? Unless he's abandoned it since then."
 
"Because he doesn't like getting pummeled, and he won't stand up for himself, so what's left?" Xander said, plunking himself down on one of the seats.

Alec clicked his tongue at Xander as he sat next to him. "No need to speak so harshly."

"It's not harsh, it's truth," Xander stated. "I'd never do it, but I can see why he does."
 
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