How Green Becomes Wood

"Yeah, she's fine," Milo commented, "Paisley would've eaten the egg. But this is probably better. They're my dad's parents, they moved here after he died to be closer to their other kids. So I hadn't really seen them in a long time." He looked up from mixing the ingredients and move the bowl closer to Xander's for when they combined them, "but because I moved in she had to work for the first time since retirement. Which I'm sure is frustrating."
 
"Aw, she really loves you!" Alec grinned, hugging himself lightly. "That is fantastic!"

"'Kay, we need to start adding the dry now," Xander said. He took the bowl from Milo and tipped it in a little at a time while manning the beaters.

Alec started to hum as he watched his brother and Milo work. After a while, he started to sing quietly, but gradually, he was singing out loud, swaying slightly as he did so and tapping out the beat. Xander ignored him, concentrating on his work and only hearing snatches as he turned the beaters on and off again.

Let's wrap a blanket 'round us
And go flying into outer space
We could be famous, speak a different language
Make our great escape

I'll chase the stars inside your eyes
And follow you into the great unknown
We'll be alone

So let's just play pretend
And find a secret place
When the world around us says that we should act our age
The day is gonna come
When there's no time left to waste
But we'll never grow up
I say we hide away
 
"Or she didn't want to lose the house." Milo countered, not trying to discount what his grandmother had done for him, and he did know, because of course he knew, his grandmother loved him. He just didn't necessarily believe she began working again out of love for him rather than because she didn't really have another choice.

When Alec began to sing and sway, Milo turned slowly and stared at him before quickly looking away. It was so unusual for him to be around someone who just broke into song like that he wasn't quite sure how to react to it, but he didn't want to comment on it and make Alec feel bad about himself, but he was worried about if they were bothering his grandmother.
 
Xander was used to Alec's singing sessions - Daizi tended toward the same way - and ignore him completely as he got the oven preheating and asked Milo to help him roll out the cookie dough into little balls on a baking sheet. He moved a bit more slowly than he otherwise might have so that Milo could do his share, too, without feeling slow or left behind. He wanted to make certain Milo felt included in this mostly group project. And, blithely unaware of any discomfort he might be causing, Alec continued the cheerful yet melancholy song, tapping along lightly.

And build a city, something out of nothing
Make this place our home
Our home
Stay in make-believe
And we'll go disappearing
Who would ever know?

We'll never be too far apart
'Cause in the end, you and I both know
There's somewhere we can go

So let's just play pretend
And find a secret place
When the world around us says that we should act our age
The day is gonna come
When there's no time left to waste
But we'll never grow up
I say we hide away
 
The balling part was, for him, was the worst part. "The chocolate chips feel weird, right?" He asked, setting down his most recent ball and picking the dough from around his nails, "Like little pebbles." He made a face, and as soon as the last dough ball was made, he went to the sink and washed his hands, frowning.

Then he turned and looked at the trays, "That made a lot of cookies. Why would anyone need this many cookies?"
 
"Kind of reminds me of playing with partially dried-out playdough," Xander admitted. "I don't mind it, but it is different." He waited for Milo to finish and then washed his own hands. "Cause they last a decently long time, I guess, and you can always share them around." He opened the oven door and slid in the first tray. "You didn't think we were all going to eat every cookie fresh out of the oven, did you?" He flashed Milo a quick smirk.

Alec subsided into humming and tapping his knees as he watched Xander and Milo.
 
"No," he replied, "but I don't know who they'd get to. I guess you both have a bigger family, so there are more people to eat them." He picked at his skin while he spoke, and then carefully began to rinse the dishes they had used before loading them into the dishwasher, "My mom never baked, but she'd buy stuff I liked from the stores, when she could."
 
"Same," Xander grunted. He grabbed a cloth and started vigorously wiping down the counters. "You can give some to your neighbors. If you don't want to, keep as many as you and your grands want, and we'll take the rest. Keep some for ourselves, give some to others."

"Or you can freeze them," Alec piped up.

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that. Stick them in one of those zip-lock type bags and stuff them in the freezer. They'll be good for like a month, and you can have cookies without buying or cooking them," Xander agreed. He finished the counters and started washing some of the other dishes, getting things as clean as he could.
 
"Maybe I'll freeze some for when my mom gets out... I don't think I can mail her baked goods..." He frowned, shuting the dishwasher, "I'll take some for myself and my grandparents, but you two can have the rest. I don't really need them... They already smell pretty nice, though."
 
Alec chuckled and hopped off his chair. "Come on, Milo, cookies are something you need like a coat in winter time. They are something you need for your soul, like a good hug or soup when you don't feel well," he smiled, holding his hands up to his chest.

"Or we can take them all and I'll eat them," Xander said dryly.

Alec sighed and dropped his hands. "A likely scenario."
 
Shrugging in response, Milo said, "Maybe, but I wouldn't want to forget about them and let them go stale or get freezerburned. I'd much rather they go to someone who will definitely eat them, even if they're eaten the first weekend they exist," A tiny smirk passed over his face when he glanced at Xander. "And it's fair, right? We all helped... in our own way... and there are three of us, so if we split them in thirds, your household would end up with the larger portion."
 
"Sounds fair to me," Xander agreed. He looked at Alec. "So, who are you sharing your third with?"

"You do not get-" Alec gasped in fake offense, "Milo! He's trying to steal my cookies, and they haven't even been baked yet!"

Xander snorted a laugh. "Why are you yelling for Milo like he's going to help you? Like he's a parent or something?"

Alec stepped closer to Milo. "Because he doesn't have a history of eating half the pantry in one sitting, and you won't tackle him like you would me, so he's the perfect candidate to guard my cookies! At least until we leave."

Xander had to pause to consider that.
 
Milo stepped back, startled by and not knowing how to respond to being placed in the middle of their debate, and eyes wide he said, "I don't really know--shouldn't you.... I mean, they'll still probably be pretty hot when you're ready to go home, right? So I don't know if I can really... defend you, but... there are always lockboxes."
 
"Maybe the last ones out of the oven will be hot, but the first ones out should be decently cool," Xander said. "Fine! I won't touch your cookies. They're all yours."

Alec smiled brilliantly. "Thanks, Milo, that was perfect!"

Xander rolled his eyes and wandered off to wait for the first batch to finish.
 
As the second batch was finishing, the door opened, and an older man walked in, stretched deeply, and hung up his coat, "Hello Millie-Beth, hello Milo... Oh, what's that smell? Whose baking?"

He walked into the kitchen and saw the twins, "Oh, look at that, you actually brought friends over! Hey there, I'm Clark West."
 
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Alec grinned and waved to him, his wide-sleeved coat waving with him. "Hello, sir! I'm Alec! That's my brother, Xander."

Xander lifted a reserved hand in greeting, standing back against the counter.

"Would you like a chocolate chip peanut butter cookie?" Alec offered. "How was your day at work, sir?"
 
"Oh sure, sure," Clark said, "thanks. Never thought I'd come home to find a bunch of high school boys cooking in my kitchen." He took one of the cookies and took a bite, "Oh these are good, real good. I thought if you brought friends over, I'd find you playing sports or something."

"I don't play sports, Granddad," Milo said quietly.
 
"An understandable assumption, sir, and I think an understandable stereotype, although I think these days it's video games instead of sports," Alec mused. "Unfortunately, none of us are gamers like that or sports people. Well, he's into Judo, but I don't think that's a fun sport to just randomly play." He indicated Xander, who just shrugged.
 
Clark chortled, taking an additional cookie, "Oh, I don't know anything about video games. It's important to take self-defense, though, it's good you're doing that. But I don't know how helpful judo is in a real fight." He waited for Xander to reply and then said, "I see why you and Milo get along. I bet you have really elucidating conversations."
 
Xander grunted in reply and gave a half shrug. Then he frowned a little at Clark's statement, but he couldn't really argue with that.

"They're both deep thinkers who need time to work on their words, that's all," Alec said with a smile. "Unlike me. I speak far more freely and usually say things of far less importance."
 
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