How Green Becomes Wood

Despite wanting to tell him, again that he didn't have to thank her, and that she was glad to do it, but she wondered if, maybe, that wasn't what he wanted, or needed. Instead, she said "You're very welcome." Then, told him, "I know you ate out, but I'm going to cook dinner for myself, and Dark, if he wakes up. Do you want anything?"
 
"If you'd like to," Daizi replied, turning and walking to the kitchen. Again, she resisted modifying her statement with, but you don't have to, have fun, because she knew Xander liked to cook. Downstairs, Dark was still dead asleep on the couch, face down, and Ivy was still dead asleep, face up.
 
Xander followed her down and paused to look in the living room. He thought about making some kind of joke about sleeping like the dead and looking like it, too, but decided that was probably in bad taste all things considered. So, he bit his tongue, disregarded the jokes, and went to help Daizi with dinner. He was tired, but moving about in near-silence felt good. Refreshing.
 
Daizi didn't try to force him to talk. As chatty as she could be, silence didn't bother her, and sometimes it was nice to just exist in the same place as someone. Even had Dark and Ivy been awake, she didn't seem much in a mood for chatting, at least not for the sake of just hearing herself yap.

When Ivy woke, she quickly fetched her and quieted her, and it wasn't until well after dinner that Dark stirred from the couch, and staggered up to wherever the nearest signs of life were. He tried to smooth his hair down with one hand and rubbed his face with the other, "What time is it?"

"Good morning," Daizi chuckled, "it's not tomorrow yet."
 
"Did you sleep well?" Alec asked with a grin, sitting curled with a cup of tea in hand.

Xander sat with his back to the wall, muttering quietly to himself as he flicked through something on his laptop.
 
Dark mumbled something unintelligible and then, blinking himself slightly more awake than before said, "...I did."

"Does your back hurt?" Daizi asked sweetly, getting up to get him water.

"My back always hurts. It's part of being this height." He replied, stretching deeply.

"But I doubt sleeping on a couch helps. Not that I was going to wake you, you needed the sleep."
 
"I do not trust chiropractors," Dark commented, sitting down.

"He just has me stand on his back," She explained, "You should make him sleepytime tea, if we can get him back to sleep, we'll almost get him somewhat caught up."
 
Alec set aside his cup and went to fetch Dark the tea. "Oh, yes, because standing on someone's back is so much safer than trusting someone who went to school for years and years," he said dryly.

Xander looked up. "Ignore him. What's this week look like? Schedule wise."
 
"You can become a chiropractor in three years," Dark grumbled mildly, while Daizi walked up behind him and rubbed his shoulders.

"I don't think we have anything planned," Daizi answered for him, "Why do you ask?"
 
Xander indicated his laptop. "There's three cars that I'd like to check out for possibly buying. Do you think you could come with me to check them out?"

Alec brought over the tea for Dark and handed it to him.
 
"Tuesday is probably better." Dark said, after thinking about it for a few moments, "It'd be better if we went immediately after school, rather than when I am finished with my day, and it would be easier for me if I could let my coworkers know I will not be available after school. You should text Cooger to see if he can join, or for a list of what to check for, he knows more about cars than I do."
 
"Cool!" Xander grinned. He grabbed his phone and did just that.

Alec huffed. "I still think you're way too eager for all of this. Here, have more tea." He refilled Dark's cup.

"And you need to stop spending your money on clothes so you can afford your cyr wheel," Xander told him.

"It's not a cry-" Alec paused mid-protest. "Oh, you said it right."
 
"It is good to be able to transport yourself," Dark said before thanking Alec again and sipping his tea as if it, despite being designed to soothe before bed, would help make him at all less groggy. The unplanned late afternoon nap hit him hard and it showed, very much to his wife's quiet amusement. "And it is good to purchase something you have saved for."
 
"Exactly that, what he said," Xander nodded.

Alec frowned at his brother but didn't protest any further. He wasn't too happy about this idea of Xander owning and driving a car, but it wasn't like he could stop him. Besides, they were all right, and Xander had promised to be his ride anywhere he wanted to go. That had to count for something, right?
 
"Oh, speaking of transport," Daizi said, suddenly remembering her earlier conversation, "Lex said if, when she's not busy, I need a ride somewhere, she would be glad to help me, so I won't be trapped at home all day anymore."

"Really?" Dark asked.

"Mmhm. She said she'd watch Ivy, too, if I needed a break and nobody was around. I'm not really sure how that would work, because it seems like a lot of work to bring over all of Ivy's belongings to her house, go home, take some time to rest, and then recollect everything, but it's a very, very kind gesture."
 
"Wouldn't it just be the things that you take with us when we go out together?" Alec asked curiously. "And if she's willing to watch Ivy, I bet she'd be willing to come get her. Either way, whether it worked or not, that was nice of her. I'm starting to feel very happy that she moved in next door, even if she isn't the quietest of neighbors."
 
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