How Green Becomes Wood

"I know it was stupid," Daizi told him gently, "but it is what it is. I've had enough piercings that I know how to care for them, so long as I can keep these little hands off of it. Right, Ivy?" She nuzzled the top of Ivy's head, "You're why I didn't get it earlier. Come on, Hummingbird, Mama has to go eat her breakfast." She stood, but still held her daughter, who was simply not ready to let go, yet.

"Thank you for cooking for me, Xander, it smells good," She told him, "I promise I'm not going to go on a string of bad choices."
 
Alec smiled, pleased she was serious but doing well, and let it go.

Xander shrugged. "Shame. If you did, I could either use it as an excuse for a bad choice bender of my own or come out looking like the white sheep of this family."
 
Daizi chuckled, "I'm told all the time to go have a night out, then I go and have a night out, and everyone loses their minds. I don't want to know what your father will say to me later."
 
"Hey, I didn't lose my mind, it's still right here," Xander told her. "You didn't do nearly enough to justify me doing anything - unless video comes out later - so if anything, I'm disappointed in you."

"I think it's still great you went out, and you should do it again! In like a month or so," Alec stammered.
 
"I don't know if there are videos of the piercing, but I'm sure there's photographic and video evidence somewhere," Daizi chuckled, "but the wedding itself is right around the corner, and afterwards I think I'm done showing my face in public for a little while. There are too many wild nights ahead."

~~

Finally on his break, Dark was glad to escape to the backroom for a little while, a small reprieve from his adoring public. It was a helpful for Tristan, he thought, because surely it helped him sell these exess flowers, but it still made him feel... odd. He'd talk to Daizi about it. Speaking of, he wanted to call home, while he had the chance, and check in.

He didn't even know if Daizi was awake, yet, but was relieved when she answered, "Spider?" He asked, "How are you feeling."

"I'm okay, it's not like I'm sick," She replied, "but I'm glad it's a Saturday and I get to have a peaceful day home. How is Tristan's shop?"

"Busy. I do not think it is quite what I expected." He answered, going to the door of the backroom and listening for a moment.

"Really? Why not?" Daizi paused, and said to her sons, "It's Dark, if it wasn't obvious," then, speaking on the phone again, "Sorry, I'm just having a late breakfast with our children. I'm probably being very rude."

"Be rude, I only have so long of a break, and I needed to know how you are doing. You are okay?" He checked in again. "...Do you remember last night?"

"Yes, Goose, I remember last night," She laughed, "I've never been blackout, you know that. Neither of us have been."

Dark relaxed a bit, and relaxed enough to say, "I am worried Ivy is going to rip out your piercing. Do you remember where you went?"

"I probably have the receipt in my purse... Babe, it's not that serious--"

"It is that serious, you are not regretful but that does not mean others will not be. Piercers and tattoo artists should not be working on drunk clients, they cannot consent, it is an ethical violation. I just want to talk to them."
 
"That's true, we all have something awesome to plan out!" Alec chirped.

They fell silent when Dark called. Alec did whisper, "Tell him I said hi! And to check the tea stash. Tristan has great tea for the employees."
 
"I'm very nervous about it," Daizi had admitted to him before calling, "Alec says hi, and also to check the tea, because Tristan keeps great tea for his employees."

"Does he?" Dark asked slowly, "I will have to ask him about it. How is Ivy?"

"Oh, she's very happy. We've just been cuddling since I woke up. You know how she gets." Daizi replied, smoothing down her daughter's hair with one hand.

"May I say hello to her?" Dark asked, and of course Daizi held the phone so he could, but Ivy didn't really understand.

The rest of the call was brief, because Dark did need to get back to work, but before he hung up, he did briefly check in with the twins, and then said, "And by the way, before anybody comments, when I still worked, I always called Daizi on break, even before any of you three were in our lives."

"It's true, he did," Daizi added, before she and Dark said a quick goodbye, and hung up. She held the phone for a moment before setting it down, loving him so much and feeling so much anxiety for her surprise next weekend.

~~

After hanging up the phone, Dark spent the rest of his break enjoying the quiet and then went back into the main area of the shop, walking directly over to Tristan. Resting one hand on the counter, he looked at the other man in the eye and said, "I heard you have been holding out on me."
 
"I remember him calling you," Alec said as Xander said, "Yeah, he did call you before, and back then wasn't a weekend."

"It certainly makes sense for him to call you now," Alec agreed.

~~~

Tristan looked up from adding in the last purchase into his catalog so he'd know what flowers he still had in his inventory and blinked when he realized how close Dark was. "I... beg your pardon?" he asked, bewildered. "How have I held out on you?"
 
"Once he learned he can love, he discovered he loves deeply." Daizi murmured, finishing up her breakfast. "Thank you again for cooking for me, it was nice to have an easy start with her. And I know she's needed it, it's been a chaotic few days for her. For all of us."

~~

"I had a phone call while on break," He replied steadily, his gaze unwavering, filling up the space like a shadow, "I have it on the best authority you keep teas of the highest quality on hand for your employees, and yet, I have not been offered a single drop." He straightened up to his full height, looking down at who was, technically, his boss. This was his best attempt at being personable.
 
"It's been pretty chill for me," Xander said as he started cleaning up.

"It hasn't been awful for me. Ivy is so much fun to cuddle with. She definitely had the worst day," Alec told his mother, rubbing Ivy's back briefly.

~~

Tristan stared up at Dark, his face unreadable. Finally, he said, "I feel as though the mafia has put a hit out on me because I forgot to offer their boss tea." He glanced out at the shop, but, for once, it was blessedly empty. He turned and inched his way carefully around Dark and toward the back. "I do not know about 'highest' quality, but I do try to keep as good of quality as possible." He led the way to the breakroom and pointed. "In that cupboard. They are prepackaged in teabags, and some say that is what makes them lesser in quality, but having loose tea did not seem like a good idea back here. The electric kettle is just over there, and there are four coffee mugs next to it."
 
"Things have been unusual since Wednesday," Daizi mentioned gently, "but today, yes, today is worst for her. It's okay, baby girl," she cooed, standing Ivy up in her lap, "I know it was confusing, but it's okay now, right? Yeah, it's okay." Ivy cooed at her, reaching up for her mother's face, but Daizi gently grabbed her right hand so she couldn't try to grab for her ear, "Is Ivy hungry? Come on, let's go eat." She stood, bouncing Ivy on her hip, bringing her dishes to the sink with her free hand. Poor Ivy's schedule was already messed up, and she knew by now it was safe and possible to nurse, so she wanted to do so to try and get her back on track.

~~

Dark sat back, satisfied, and followed Tristan to the cabinet, "I feel your scenario would make me the goon, and I believe I deserve more credit than that. I am not hired muscle," He took out a cup and began preparing a tea, "Would you like any? I had called home while on break, Alec told me about this. Privileged information, certainly."
 
"True enough," Alec mumbled, watching them.

Xander said, "Just lemme know what you want done today. I don't have a busy schedule, so I can take care of stuff while you take care of Ivy."

~~

"Ah, the boss has come to take care of me himself for the tea disrespect," Tristan joked. "Thank you, but no, I am good. I usually have a cup at the end of the day to celebrate surviving." He parked his chair close to the door so that he could easily leave if any customers came in. The break room and the cold storage room were probably the two least wheelchair friendly areas in the store. Cold storage thanks to the lack of floor space and bulky door, and the break room thanks to the small square table and four folding chairs that always seemed to drift into the walkway. Also, the kitchenette with its higher cupboards, microwave, tiny fridge, and upper cabinetry were all built for regular height people. Not people stuck sitting down. Or particularly tall people, for that matter.
 
"Oh, it's a Saturday," Daizi replied, "I don't need to get anything done. Life isn't all about being productive, I'm more than happy to just relax."

~~

"I find that somewhat more respectful," He mused, fairly used to bending at an unnatural and uncomfortable angle to make use of anything while in public. Being at home, where everything was sized to him, made everything easier, but he had learned to cope, even if things looked tiny in his hands, "It is good it slowed down here, at least for the moment."
 
"Then relax away. I'll be around," Xander said, wandering deeper into the house.

"Me too. Have a good breakfast, Ivy!" Alec told his sister cheerfully.

~~

"I agree." Tristan looked out into the shop and sighed. "There are still... so many daisies. But we made a reasonable dent in them. I think due mostly to your sign."
 
"I do not know I would give myself so much credit," Dark replied, choosing to sit in one of the chairs with his tea so he was a bit closer to Tristan's height, "It should be nearing homecoming at the high school. You might consider calling the principal to arrange flower-grams, in the past students have enjoyed them as a way to ask their dates to the dance."
 
"I had forgotten about flower-grams," Tristan remarked, still looking out at the flowers. "I remember tormenting some of my schoolmates who dared be 'cutesy' like that. Naturally, I did not receive a flower-gram, nor did I send one. I also did not get a date to homecoming." He pulled out his phone and made a note to himself. "Call... highschool... flowergrams."
 
"I did not receive them either," Dark replied, "I would have had a date to homecoming, but I never went, until I was an adult and had to chaperone. I learned I had not missed out, and there was no reason to send a flower-gram if the only person I would ask already said she was not going to attend."
 
"I went every year I was in high school," Tristan remarked. "I think I had fun? Nothing particularly stands out." He held up a finger. "No, wait, a couple of things do stand out. Typical bully behavior, but thankfully nothing too off the rails." He glanced at Dark. "I am thinking that person was Daizi?" he asked with a slight, teasing smile.
 
He nodded, "We first met in high school. But we refused to admit we were dating. We thought it was uncool to be 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend.' It feels like a lifetime ago, but I suppose it truly was. It was when we met Cooger, too. Did you go to high school here?"
 
"Oh, no." Tristan named the same town where Ciara currently lived and where Tara had once called home. "That is where my family still lives and where we all grew up. I traveled a little bit before ending up here."
 
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