How Green Becomes Wood

"At some point it is just a caffinated milkshake." Dark chucked, somewhat guiltily finding Alec's battle amusing. Then he turned towards Xander, "I would prefer not to bring her. I think we should have Cooger babysit. I do not believe he needs to know she exists. At least not yet."

"I just don't see why it matters. Last year, with... him, it made sense, because she was so vulnerable, and we all were, and hiding her was not... too difficult. But now she's fully here, and only getting bigger."
 
"I think she should come," Xander mumbled around a mouthful of bread. "It's just one meeting and that's it, right? No biggie. Besides, if Cooger sits her, we'll have to explain everything to him."

"Cooger might not want to share uncle-ship," Alec agreed quickly, nodding before drinking a bit more coffee. He'd almost gotten it all done! Dark was drinking slow and savoring it, but Alec found if he stopped to think about it, he couldn't do it. As fast as possible was the only way! He did pause long enough to eat his fill of breakfast before finishing off his cup.
 
"He will learn eventually regardless," Dark said, folding his arms and watching his baby, "And he is not so insecure that learning you have another uncle will shatter his self-confidence. You are already not the only ones who call him uncle, his cousin's children do too, because it's easier than Cousin Jasper, Once Removed."

"We'll just bring her," Daizi said, tickling Ivy under the chin, "Even if we never speak to Tristan again, she won't even remember meeting him. I doubt he will end up screaming at her or turn violent, so there's really nothing to worry about."
 
"Plus, he's in a wheelchair, so if he does try anything like that, you can just tip him over," Xander smirked.

"I think that would be a bad idea," Alec said quickly, his hand shaking slightly as he munched on a piece of flatbread. "A handicapped person's chair or other device, such as a cane, but especially the chairs, are considered a part of their body, personal being, etcetera, so touching the chair would be like touching him." He waved the flatbread around absently as he talked before nibbling on it again.

"If he's yelling around a baby, I think that's just fine," Xander said, eying Alec uncertainly.
 
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"I would not do that," Dark said, although he wasn't so sure. If Tristan was just screaming, he wouldn't, but if he escalated beyond that? He might be less kind. Might be, it was hard to predict in a calm moment.

"I really don't think we need to worry about it to begin with," Daizi said as she finished her breakfast, "How would the conversation even devolve to that point?"
 
"Because someone would say something, and then someone would say something else, and then it would snowball into a huge thing," Alec said, rolling his hands rapidly. He sprang to his feet to help clean up. "I'll help!"

"I got it, don't worry," Xander said.

Alec pointed to the clock. "It's time to punch your dough. Which sounds like a euphemism for something, I don't know what, but something. I'll have to think about that."

"Oh, right, time to split the rolls," Xander realized and went to take care of the roll dough.
 
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"If you really want to," Daizi said, a bit surprised by Alec's vigor, "And I think we're all mature enough to prevent anything from spiraling before it comes to that point."

Dark turned to look at the rolls on the counter as he lifted up Ivy. Now that he was more awake, he wondered if this was some sort of an apology, but he definitely wasn't going to ask. "If we have too many, we can leave some with our preferred neighbors."
 
Alec jabbered at full speed as he dashed from one side of the kitchen to the other and back again. He wasn't being particularly productive, but he was enthusiastic! He picked things up, moved them, set them down in the wrong place so he could grab something else, and overall mostly rotating the mess rather than clean it up. A couple of dishes ended up in the sink. A few spoons found their way to the floor. Leftovers sat half in their container and half on the table waiting patiently. He even handed Xander a cup rather pointlessly.

Xander finished the rolls and left them to rise again before turning to his other bread and finishing up there.
 
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Dark turned to watch Alec who was failing to successfully clean anything, and instead only seemed to get in Daizi's way, and after awhile said, "Alec, would you like to play with Ivy?" He certainly had the energy for it. If caffeine continued to have this affect on him, he would just have to start dosing his son when Ivy started walking, and he'd always be able to keep up with her.
 
"Sure, okay!" Alec chirped excitedly, spinning around. He left a plate in the middle of the counter and came to pick up Ivy. "Ivy! Hi! You ready to play? Let's go play!" He held Ivy up high and half ran her to the living room. "Play time!"

Xander paused in the middle of mangling bread. He stared after his brother then turned to Dark. "What did you do to him?"
 
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"Do not blame me," Dark asked, rising to his feet and beginning to clean up the mess Alec had left behind, "I made coffee the same as I always do. He, it seems, simply cannot handle it."

"At least Ivy is having fun," Daizi chuckled.
 
"That is what I was thinking," Dark said with a low, deep chuckle.

The rest of the day was back to their routine, but the following day, they all loaded into Dark's car and drove to the same park as last time, admittedly tense, but trying to stay calm about it. Hopefully, if Dark and Daizi were able to keep it together, then hopefully it would be easier to the twins. Ivy only sat in her car seat, chewing on the ear of her stuffed rabbit, completely unaware.
 
Tristan had already arrived at the park and sat in his chair at the end of one of the tables. It was another suit, this one charcoal grey with a white shirt and grey vest, complete witha black hat. A fedora or similar. Alec was pretty sure he spotted a gold chain for a pocket watch draped across, but he couldn't be sure. Before getting out of the car, the twins glanced at each other and gripped their hands. Then, solemnly, they got out and waited for Dark to take the lead before following.

Tristan noticed them and smiled, turning to face them more fully, but he waited for Dark to make the first move.
 
Dark did not look towards the table until after they had set up the stroller and set Ivy into it, still uncertain if it was correct to bring her, but it was too late now. Then, with a deep, almost resigned sigh, he nodded to Tristan. "Good afternoon," he said, "You remember Daizi. This is Alec and Xander," he took one hand off of the stroller to gesture to both boys in turn, and then, to them, said, "This is Tristan Walsh."
 
"Good afternoon," Tristan said, giving them a polite nod. "It's good to see you again, sir, ma'am." He hesitated just a little when looking at Daizi. He noticed something about her he hadn't noticed the first time. He quickly moved on to the point of his visit. The twins. He started to greet them, but the words died. There were elements of their father, certainly, but also a lot of their mother in them. They did not look like a copy and paste of either parent. They were their own people, and they were not quite what he was expecting, though he'd tried hard not to expect anything. "Hello," he greeted them softly. "It's good to meet you for the first time."

Alec smiled and inclined his head, returning Tristan's gesture. "Hello! We're pleased to meet you, as well."

Xander didn't say anything, just glared.

Tristan rolled slightly away from the table and gestured toward it. "Would you like to sit down? I picked out the finest of picnic benches."
 
"It is good to meet you again," Daizi said, sitting down and folding up her cane as she did so, noting how Dark hadn't introduced their daughter, but since he was so uncomfortable with bringing her at all, she decided not to unless they were asked, since it was clearly purposeful.

Dark did sit beside Daizi, pushing the stroller to be partially blocked by his body. He wasn't quite glaring, but his intense gaze shifted between Tristan, watching every single thing he did, and the twins, to make sure they were okay. Resulting, he noticed Tristan's moment of hesitation when he greeted Daizi, although he, too, did not mention it.
 
"I like that it has a cover. It's nice to have shelter from the sun," Alec said with a little smile. He slipped onto the bench and slid down so he'd be farther from Tristan.

Xander slid onto the bench as well, still glaring.

Tristan glanced at the stroller and nearly said something, but considering how Dark was sitting, he decided against it and focused on Alec and Xander, instead. "I thought about bringing a gift of some sort, but decided against it since I didn't want to seem like I was attempting to buy your affections, and I didn't know much about you." He gestured slightly with one hand. "Anything, really. I did not even know if you were identical or fraternal twins."

"And whose fault is that?" Xander challenged.

When Tristan hesitated, caught off guard, Alec timidly said, "We appreciate the thought, but that's okay. You don't have to do anything for us."
 
"They are identical." Dark answered the not technically posed question, somewhere impressed with Tristan's decision to not simply buy them anything to smooth over the awkward meeting.

Daizi wanted to do more to smooth over the conversation, but didn't quite know how to do that without revealing information Xander wanted to keep private, so instead she said, "It is a nice park, we don't come here very often."
 
"Identical save for the hair," Tristan said with a little smile. "The blue tips really work for you Xan- ah, Alec?"

"Alec," he confirmed with a nod. "Thank you. I just got them."

"They look good," Tristan told him. He glanced around briefly. "I've been here a couple of times for some events, but I've never simply been here. It is quite nice."

"Events for work?" Alec asked.

Tristan nodded. "Sometimes my company sponsors a fundraiser or does something to attract more attention and business like a cook-out for employees."

"Yeah, because banking companies really need more money," Xander said sarcastically.

"Morgage lenders, actually, though you can work with a bank for a mortgage loan, so I see your confusion," Tristan said patiently. "Money that lenders work with is usually just numbers. Like a curtain the economy hopes no one will look behind."

"That's confusing and terrifying," Alec said uncertainly.

Tristan shrugged. "It pays the bills, and the math isn't too complicated once you get the hang of it. As with most jobs, the hardest part is dealing with the people."
 
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