How Green Becomes Wood

At the touch, Milo jumped slightly and looked at Xander with surprise, but didn't pull away, although he didn't move in closer after Xander let go. But he didn't say anything more, choosing to wait quietly for their rides to arrive.

~~

"She is upstairs nursing," Dark replied, picking up on that particular suggestion, "there is no need for me there, at least not when we are getting her ready for bed. You know how fussy she gets if we don't start winding her down early."
 
After several minutes of silence, Xander said, "The school talent show is coming up. Our band is going to be doing a song."

~~

"Hmm, true, true," Alec nodded. "Wind down time is important and very soothing. You might not even have to worry about fighting her to go to bed when she's a toddler at this rate."
 
"Really?" Milo asked, shaking off the heavier feelings, "What song are you going to perform? I didn't even realize we were doing a talent show."

~~

"I am less certain of that. Daizi says she already tries to resist naps when she's having too much fun playing during the day," Dark replied, "what about you? Is it a soothing evening?"
 
"Amaranth. It's a song by a band called Nightwish," Xander told him. "We're still working out some kinks because it's an oparatic song by a larger band, and there's only the three of us."

~~

"Um, sure, sure, it's quiet and I've got a good book," Alec said with an unconvincing smile. He knew he didn't have to hide things from Dark, but he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed about what he was feeling.
 
"What instruments are you missing?" Milo asked, "it's less fun, but if you have a keyboard, you can record a good-enough approximation of other instruments and play it as a track."

~~

"Good," Dark said, nodding, and choosing to pretend to believe Alec, before settling down on the couch to seem more casual, "Cooger texted me not too long ago, he said he is going to pick Xander up."
 
"There's six band members that play a bunch of different instruments depending on the song, but for this one, the main thing we're missing is the bass," Xander told him. "Right now, we're going with the recorded track method to fill it out a bit."

~~

"That's good. I hope he enjoyed himself," Alec said, nodding a bit.
 
"Oh." Milo replied, sensing he had a sense of what Xander was attempting to hint at. "Bass is more important in a lot of songs than people realize."

~~

Dark searched Alec's face with a careful, thoughtful gaze. It would've seemed intense, were it not for his ability to be restrained in his expression, but it didn't stop his already-hawklike features from seeming more prominent. "I am sure he did," Dark agreed, "it is good he is making friends."
 
"Yep." Xander paused. He hadn't intended to hint that he wanted Milo to join the band, but he realized his potential implication suddenly. "I'm not asking you to join. You could if you wanted to, I guess, we'd have to talk to Peter, but there's not much time to rehearse or anything. Just passing the time." He winced, well aware of how awkward he sounded.

~~

Alec nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! I'm really glad he and Milo seem to be settling their differences. Even if Milo is leaving soon." His gaze dropped, and he looked at the floor mournfully. "But it'll be good for Milo. I hope."
 
"I don't know if... a crowd like that... I don't think I'd like that many people looking at me." Milo said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm pretty happy behind the camera, you know. I've never... performed, anywhere. But I bet that isn't surprising."

~~

"Is that why you are worried?" Dark asked, even though it jumped the easing-in he had planned, "because Xander is bonding with someone who will not stay?"
 
Xander shrugged. "Took me a bit to get used to it. It's still not my favorite thing, but it's fun to make the music. It's not for everyone. There's a bunch of musicians that don't like being the center of attention." He looked out the window, wondering what was taking Cooger so long. Maybe he got dinner first and had lines.

~~

Alec shook his head. "Maybe a little, but... not really. I know he'll have a hard time when Milo leaves, but I think he'll handle it." He bit his lip. "Eventually."
 
"I guess the perk of playing bass is that nobody cares about the bassist," Milo joked lightly, "Bands like Daft Punk and Tupperware Remix Party got it right. Perform behind a mask so nobody knows who you are."

As they spoke, a pair of headlights pulled up, and Cooger got out of his truck, "Hey kiddo, sorry 'bout that. The road was crazy backed up, you ready to go?"

~~

"Not being in the same physical space does not mean you have to fall out of touch," Dark reminded him gently, "It does not make it easy, but it is not the end of the world... If it is not that, though, what is bothering you?'
 
"Hsy, Cooger. Thanks for coming." Xander glanced at Milo. "Milo's grands haven't gotten here yet to pick him up. Mind if we hang out until they get here?"

~~

"True, though it is easier to lose track when far away," Alec said, looking out the window again. "I think things will work out. I hope they will."
 
"Oh sure, no worries. Don't wanna leave someone unattended and at risk," Cooger replied, with a little nod to Milo, who was already preparing to say they didn't need to wait on his account, "Hey, kid."

"You don't have to wait, sir," Milo began to quickly say, and, miraculously, before Cooger had a chance to reply and tell him he really didn't mind waiting, Milo's granddad pulled up, saving them all the headache.

~~

"Slowly falling out of touch does not always hurt as much as you expect it would," Dark advised gently, "but even then, it does not need to happen at all... If they do not work out, though. What do you think will happen then?"
 
"See you tomorrow at school," Xander told Milo. "And, hey, thanks for showing me the thing." He nodded toward the dark room to underline what he meant. "It was really cool." He started walking for Cooger's truck, giving Milo's granddad a polite lift of his hand as a wave.

~~

"We'll all move on, but it will be a while before Xander tries again," Alec said with a little shrug. "That, or perhaps he'll realize that friendship isn't so bad after all and gather more friends faster than I would guess."
 
"See you tomorrow," Milo mumbled, walking quickly to his granddad's car, where he wondered if he should explain Xander was meeting his uncle, not his dad, or not, or if it mattered, or if it mattered to anyone.

"Photography darkroom, huh," Cooger said, looking at the building as the exited it, "Guess I didn't realize places like this still existed. Or that kids were allowed inside 'em without an adult. Thought you didn't like pictures, though."

~~

Dark listened carefully, but felt there was a difference between what Alec was saying and how he appeared to feel, and he wasn't sure what to say to address whatever Alec was hung up on, "He has done well so far, I think."
 
"I don't, and I didn't know, either, but it's Milo's thing," Xander said. He waited until Cooger got into the truck before climbing into the passenger side. "The developing part is kind of cool. Real mad scientist vibes. The pictures have to sit and do their thing before he can do the final steps, and I'm going to miss that part." He scowled briefly. "But maybe there will be other times, and I can see the pictures do their magic act."

~~

Alec nodded and checked out the window. "It was really rocky there for a bit, but I think they are both slowly figuring out how to be friends to each other."
 
"If he's a teenager who goes to dark rooms, I'm sure there will be other times where he's making pictures pretty." Cooger said with a casual shrug, "You really learn something new about this old town every day. This is why I always have my business cards on me. Gotta be able to advertise."

~~

"Everybody needs to learn to be a friend before they can be one," Dark explained softly. "He will be home soon ."
 
"Yeah." Xander glanced out the window toward Milo's grandfather's disappearing car. "I hope so." He shook off the thoughts of the last conversation he'd had with Milo and turned to Cooger. "Speaking of business, how's work? I noticed you slowed down on the neighbor's house."

~~

Alec smiled a little at Dark's statement. "That's quite a nice, um, what do they call them? Proverbs? Yes, that's quite a nice proverb." He didn't want to respond to Dark's comment of how Xander would be home soon. That would be acknowledging the twisting anxiety in his stomach.
 
"Work is just fine. A lot of the repairs next door are about finished, but it's a big enough town. There's always something that needs doing somewhere. Nothing I can really complain about." Cooger replied casually, "After tax returns go out, then it'll really pick up. That's when everybody and their mother wants to do home renovations."

~~

Normally, Alec opened up much more easily than this. But it wasn't like he could force him. Both twins were already sensitive to suggestions of trying to step out of their codependency, and he didn't want to do harm by being so forceful. So, he took a breath, and instead simply said, "I do not know it is a proverb. Just something I had to learn."
 
Xander looked at Cooger curiously. "What do tax returns have to do with home renovations?" he asked, not understanding the implication of a tax return. It was something they'd touched on at school, but it wasn't something he fully understood yet. It did remind him that he'd have to check that he didn't have to do taxes on his business. He didn't think so since he didn't make much, but it was likely safer to check.

~~

"Oh, it's a very wise thing," Alec hastened to tell Dark. "I think you are right. I just thought the phrasing sounded like an old Chinese proverb or something. In a good way." He paused and looked down at his book. "I think I forgot my bookmark upstairs. Is there something down here I can use?" He started looking around the immaculate living room for even a scrap of paper to save his fingers from the indentations caused by the edges of the book.
 
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