How Green Becomes Wood

"Who's Jon Lennon?" Xander asked with a frown.

"Xander hates that song so much that he has a physical reaction to it. I don't think he does actually know who preformed it," Alec told Milo with a smirk.
 
"Who was assassinated?" Xander asked, bewildered.

"John Lennon by Chapman," Alec informed him.

"Oh, right. That whole thing seemed nutty to me," Xander muttered.

Alec clicked his tongue. "It's not nice to call people nutty. He was an artist. And possibly a druggy. And the other guy was definitely unstable."

"I like nutty better. It covers everything because there's a wide variety of nuts," Xander said then hit the breaks and cursed out a small car that suddenly cut him off. The smaller car zoomed ahead, not at all bothered, and Xander, still muttering curses, turned down Milo's street.
 
"I think it's okay to call someone who murdered another person nutty," Milo said, not reacting to the sudden breaking, "It's one of the least severe things you can say about a person who murdered someone. I don't know if I'd call Lennon nutty, but I think it's okay to say Chapman is."
 
"Fair," Alec agreed. As Xander pulled up in front of Milo's house, he said, "Tell your birds and dog hi from me!"

Xander got out and went around the back to help Milo retrieve his bike. "All in one piece?" he asked, checking the bike over.
 
"I will," Milo said, going to get his bike, "Yeah, it's fine. We didn't hit the breaks that hard, and if all it took to destroy the bike was it hitting the back of some seats, it's probably not a very good one, you know?"
 
"Yep, true enough," Xander agreed. "Guess I might see you tomorrow at school. Rest up." He headed back toward the driver's side, but he didn't leave until he watched Milo go safely into the house.
 
Once Xander was back on the road, he commented, "I think you're a little too much for him. Try dialing it back."

Alec glanced at him and frowned. "Dialing what back? My positivity?"

"Basically, yes," Xander admitted.

Alec huffed and folded his arms. "Well, excuse me for not just nodding along and agreeing to how terrible everything is and was and will be."

Xander glanced at him, a little surprised by the caustic tone in his twin's voice. He recovered and said, "Look, he's just been through a lot, and maybe you should chill just a bit."

"No duh he's been through a lot, but he's choosing to believe that everything is awful. I don't need another optimist, I would just like to not be fighting against a constant wave of negativity on both fronts!" Alec cried, waving his hands.

"Yeah, that's what you think he believes, which is different," Xander protested.

"Am I wrong?" Alec challenged.

Xander hesitated. "Seriously, dude," he said, unable to argue that point, "it's like you're about to tell him to smile more."

"That's stupid," Alec said flatly. "And not what I want for him. I'd just like him to consider that maybe his way of thinking might be contributing to how sad and anxious he is. Would it be easy to change? No! Would it solve all his anxiety problems? Also no! But maybe, just maybe, he could actually enjoy the life he has sitting right in front of him instead of constantly fantasizing about the amazing life he might or might not have in the future!"

"Come on," Xander said as he drove into their neighborhood, "what's wrong with anticipating a life with a family member? A happier, less stressful life?"

"You know full well the answer to that question: it's the fact that he's so focused on what might be that he's completely missing what he actually has!"

They pulled into the driveway, and both hopped out. "It's not that easy, and you know it," Xander shot back.

"Not being easy doesn't mean you can't try!" Alec retorted.

"He is trying! He's got us as friends, he joined us for the music thing, and he let us do ice cream," Xander argued as they walked into the house.
 
When the twins entered, Enkidu quickly scurried to them, followed by Ivy, who liked spending much of her day chasing him around. The sound of her jingling away made her parents pull away from each other and go make sure she didn't get into trouble--previously, they had been sitting together on the couch, murmuring to each other with those, admittedly a bit sappy, lovestruck looks on their faces.

"... How was school?" Daizi asked when she met them in the hall, scooping up Ivy, who was the only one who didn't quite recognize the tension and was just happy to see her brothers.
 
"Fine," both twins said shortly as they took off their shoes. They both paused long enough to scratch Enkidu behind his ears.

"Sure, he's trying, that's great, but he's also sabotaging himself at every step of the way!" Alec snapped at Xander. "He's trying to have feet in both worlds, and it's not working!"

"One foot in two worlds is the saying, and you're exaggerating," Xander huffed. "He's fine! You're the one who is way out of line here. Not everyone has to be all sunshine and rainbows!"

Alec half stomped toward the stairs. "And when have I ever asked you to be like me? When have I ever asked you to smile more or be a cheery Pollyanna?"

"He's not me, and he's got enough struggles without the Pollyanna of the group always trying to suggest things!" Xander half-yelled after him.

Alec whirled around and glared at Xander. "It's called trying to help! It's called trying to throw someone a rope before they drown! It's called being concerned for a friend!"

"He never asked you! And neither did I!" Xander shouted after him.

"Do you think I like being the 'happy ray of sunshine' all the time? Do you think I like being told that I'm always doing it wrong and should dial it back? Do you think I like being looked at like the ditzy optimist? I do it because I have to! I've always had to! It's not like you were ever going to do anything but be the dour one, and someone had to find the good things, or else this entire world would be a dungeon!" Alec yelled back. "But if you're tired of me, then fine! You can find your own ray of sunshine to light up your little dungeon, or you and he can both rot in the dark for all I care!"

"Fine! I will!" Xander shouted.

"Fine!" Alec yelled down and stormed up the stairs.

Xander tossed his backpack next to the stairs and stormed off toward the backyard.
 
Dark and Daizi both stood still, more than a little shocked at the twins coming home in the middle of a genuine argument. For her part, when both of them ignored her, Ivy burst into tears.

"Shh shh shh," Daizi soothed, bouncing Ivy on her hip, "It's okay, sweet girl." After kissing Ivy's head and rubbing her back, she turned towards Dark, "Are we going after them now, or should we wait?"

Dark inhaled through his teeth, "Give it until Ivy settles, so they have time to decompress on their own before being asked to explain it all." He looked at her, taking a step closer to help soothe his daughter, "Are we splitting up, then?"

"Don't ask it like that, it sounds like we're getting a divorce," Daizi very mildly teased, "You should talk to Alec. If they're fighting over having to be optimistic and letting someone be pessimistic, Alec should talk to you, because you're gloomy, and I'll talk to Xander, because I'm... I'm not a ray of sunshine, but I'm more cheerful than you."

"Anyone is more cheerful than I am," Dark replied.

Slightly nudging him, Daizi concluded her theory, "It'll be better for them, I hope, to get the opposite perspective. If it doesn't work we'll switch."
 
Alec went to his room and turned the music up a little louder than usual before flopping on his he'd to sulk.

Xander went into the back yard to his shed where he also turned up the music and started working on a bit of scrap leather.
 
Slighted and overdramatic, Ivy cried herself to sleep. Generally with how late in the day it was, her parents would have coaxed her into staying awake, but being able to lay her in her crib and know she will be safe and not in need of attention was needed. Dark probably could have managed to talk with Alec while bouncing Ivy in his lap, but the kid deserved his undivided attention. Xander also deserved Daizi's, and there was no chance she would bring him into either shed for more than a few minutes. Let her sleep for now, they'd suffer through the consequences later. So, she was given a kiss and a whispered request she stay asleep, and then Dark walked across the hall and knocked on Alec's door.

Daizi, meanwhile, went to Xander's shed and knocked on his door, "I made lemonade, do you want any? It has lavender and mint."
 
Alec heaved a sigh, having known and dreaded that knock. He got up and turned down his music before opening the door. He was a little surprised to see Dark and not Daizi. "I'm not saying sorry," he said bluntly. "Even if he is even kind of right, I'm right, too."

~~

Xander set down what he was working on and turned down the music before opening the door. "Sure," he said, guessing this was a ploy but going with it.
 
"Would let me speak before you decide what it is I am going to say?" Dark asked mildly, "It seemed a rather intense argument downstairs."

~~

When the door opened, Daizi handed him a glass of lemonade because if nothing else, she was honest about that, "Thought you might need it. I started making it yesterday, I thought it might be a nice treat for after your first day back. And I like experimenting.'
 
Alec mumbled briefly, caught between wanting to apologize for assuming and still being too annoyed. He left the door open and retreated farther into his room to sit on the bed. "It was just... Everything and almost everyone is stupid today," he huffed, pulling his knees up to hug them.

~~~

"Thanks." Xander took the glass and sipped. "It's interesting," he said. "The lavender is pretty mild." He stepped further into his shed but didn't close the door.
 
Dark leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, not entering the threshold of his bedroom until he was properly invited in, "Stupid how?"

~~

"Should I leave it mild or increase it if I make it again?" She asked, wandering in after him as she took a sip of her own lemonade, "The mint might be a bit strong, I think. Not to an unbearable degree."
 
"A perfectly lovely day gets blown to bits because of what someone says and how the other person takes it," Alec grumbled. "And, worse, how the bystander reacts."

~~~

Xander took another sip before sitting on the stool. There was another stool under the bench, and he nudged it out with his foot enough that Daizi could find it if she wanted. "I think leave the lavender as is and dial back the mint just a little. Then both can play easier."
 
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