How Green Becomes Wood

"I know, it's been a hard day for you." She raised her hand to run through his hair on instinct, but stopped herself in time before she touched him, "Go shower, I'm sure it'll be renewing."
 
"Okay." Xander ran his hands over his face and head. He felt a little weird. Painful? No, not quite. Kind of, but now it was lighter. Different. His skin also felt a little weird as if something had been touching it. Had it? He shook it off and stumbled off blearily for a shower. Showers were good. Showers meant clear thoughts and fresh minds.
 
While Xander was showering, Dark brought Ivy downstairs, so her parents went about pretending like nothing at all strange and emotional had happened earlier and it was just another great day for her.
 
After a really thorough shower and a good dinner, Xander seemed more or less his normal self. The exhausted, quiet, reserved version of himself that was not currently interested in violent outbursts of anger. He hung out with the family, not exactly constantly engaged with them, but staying close.

The next morning, Alec came down first, looking better than he had for the last few days. Xander came down much later than usual still looking a bit like he'd gotten into a fight with something. Possibly a truck. Still, he was awake and present.
 
Dark and Daizi seemed like themselves. Dark probably hadn't been sleeping, judging by his choice to drink coffee that morning instead of tea, it was one of his few tells, but that wasn't unusual for him. But Daizi seemed herself, although she had accidentally put on a shirt that showed her bruise. "I think I might call Spence today and tell her I can't come, I don't feel right running off on you all today."
 
"Why on earth would you do that?" Alec blurted. He'd been staring at her bruise, but her statement shook him out of his thoughts.

Xander frowned at her as he munched on a granola bar since he'd gotten up too late for regular breakfast. "Aren't you doing something bridey today?"
 
"I'm supposed to be," She confessed, bouncing Ivy on her knee, "All of the bridesmaid dresses on Spencer's side came in, so we were going to try them on and see what needs alterations. But after what happened yesterday, I don't want to leave you all alone."
 
"Bride stuff happens like once a life, hopefully," Xander pointed out. "Teen drama happens, what? Monthly?"

"Hmm, weekly, I think," Alec agreed. "Hardly worth skipping a 'bridey thing' for. Right, Baba?"
 
"Absolutely positive," the twins said simultaneously.

"What time do you leave?" Xander asked.

"Can I help you get ready to go?" Alec asked.

"And don't stay out too late," Xander warned.
 
"We're going to get dinner after, so I'm probably going to leave around three, I'd get there at four, and we'd probably be ready for dinner by seven." Daizi explained, "Our dresses are the type where you can tie the top in different ways, so we also need to figure out how each of us are going to wear it."

"Are you bringing Ivy?" Dark asked, and Daizi frowned, briefly hiding her face in her daughter's hair.

"I don't know," She grumbled, "I think it would be easier if I didn't bring her, because we're going to be changing and moving around a lot, but I love getting to show her off, and all of my friends love her. I like having her with me. I don't know if I'll be more distracted keeping an eye on her there or if I'll be more distracted worrying about how she's doing without me."
 
"Changing a bunch would be way, way easier without Ivy, sorry, little sis," Alec remarked. "And maybe you can then focus more on Spencer and her upcoming day. Wouldn't that be better than chancing Ivy grabbing the wrong thing and ruining a really expensive dress?"

"Yeah, seems like trying on bridesmaids dresses wouldn't be a great baby playground," Xander agreed.
 
"And she is crawling now..." Dark added gently, and Daizi dropped her shoulders, knowing that they were all correct.

"Okay..." She murmured, letting Ivy grab at her face before kissing her forehead, "I'll leave her with all of you. Would you like that, baby? A night with your Baba, and your brothers? It'll be so much fun, sweetheart!" Her tone was more cheerful than her face looked, and pulling Ivy close to her chest, she said, "I've never left her home when it's just me who is leaving. How is she already so big?"
 
"I think so," She nodded, "We're all in peach. And then, August 10th is the Bridal Shower, which Dark is going to also, and the 23rd is the Bachelorette Party, and I think that is all we have before the Rehearsal Dinner. Are you both okay babysitting those days? Dark will be here on the 23rd, but the rest we need someone to watch her. We'll pay you, I think it'd be unfair if you didn't but most of those dates you will be back in school, so if you do not think you can we need to ask someone else." She explained.

"I need to pick up my suit from the tailors," Dark commented idly, "Mittz let me out of most of the wedding responsibilities, since I am only in the bridal party to make sure the person Daizi is paired with remembers to help guide her when it's needed. I do like everyone, but I would have felt awkward at the bachelorette party."
 
"Oh, yes, that sounds like fun!" Alec was quick to assure Daizi. "You don't even have to pay us. Watching Ivy is fun. Right, Xander?"

Xander was caught in the middle of a yawn and had to finish his yawn before answering. "Sure. I'll do it. As long as I get to see a certain professor in a peach suit. That'll be payment enough."

"It's probably not a peach suit," Alec told him. He looked at Dark. "Is it?"
 
Alec paused as stared at him. "Lavender?" he repeated carefully.

Xander took a long sip of water. "Yeah, that'll do," he agreed. "The sight of you in lavender as payment for the first day, a picture of you in lavender for the next day."
 
"Yes," Dark confirmed with a slow nod, "and if Mittz and Spencer ever questioned if I care for them, they need not have that worry now. It is a lavender suit with a cream shirt with a lavender tie."

"Shiloh on our side is wearing a suit too, so Dark isn't the only man up there. But, we aren't all matching for the rehearsal dinner or the bridal shower, so you will only get to see him in his bridesman suit for the wedding itself. For the rehearsal, both parties just decided that those of us in dresses are going to pin peach or lavender flowers to our dress, depending on what side we're on, and Shiloh and Dark will have a peach and lavender pocket square, respectively, as a nice surprise for Spence and Mittz."
 
"I'm willing to work on credit," Xander said with a nod.

"As am I," Alec said, trying hard not to seem to excited by the prospect of Dark in a peach and lavender suit. They sounded like his kind of colors, and therefore as far from Dark's colors as possible!
 
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