How Green Becomes Wood

Dark did his best to help where he could while also trying not to do something which would immediately break the illusion he was attempting to put forward. When they finally left, he said to Tristan, "If they come back and I am not here: I have been discovered and slain. And you had no idea. But I do not mind drawing signs, on occasion." He looked over at Tristan, and after a moment began studying his face intently beneath his heavy brows, "Are you feeling okay?"
 
"Oh, just a bit tired after all the fuss," Tristan said, waving a hand dismissively. "It is surprisingly not very fun to have too many flowers appear at your door." He checked the clock. "It is an hour and a half before closing time, but... it has been shockingly busy today. What do you say we knock off early? You came in early, after all, you deserve to leave early."
 
Having no interest in prying into another man's health, "I like to think of myself as someone with a good work ethic," he told Tristan instead, "but I cannot deny I have been longing to go home. Although the argument can be made I am just going to my other job. Take care of yourself."
 
"Of course," Tristan smiled. "And I shall be certain to protect your secret, Master Dark! Oh, before you leave, do you mind bringing in the sandwich board for me? I will tidy and lock up."
 
"I thank you for your discretion." Dark replied, and stepped outside to get the sandwichboard and bring it inside. Then, before he forgot, he took the pad of paper on the counter and wrote down a more direct line to who Tristan would need to speak to in order to arrange flower-grams at the high school.

Holding out his hand to Tristan, he said, "It has been my pleasure. You will have your usual aid again when next you open."
 
"Thank you, and thank you for this!" Tristan said, smiling as he raised the paper. "You have been a fantastic help, and I truly thank you. Do take a dozen daisies home with you." He gave Dark a wink. "And one each of your wife's and your favorite flowers. You have put up with more than enough to earn that much."
 
"I will take daisies because I know you are trying to get rid of them," Dark replied, not being the sort of person who would make a pun out of his wife's name, but being the sort who would think it. He spent some time picking out the flowers: a larkspur, a rose, a crocus, a lily, and an iris. He looked at it for a moment in his hand, this small bouquet of individual flowers, wistful nostalgia passing over him. "This is most of the flowers she carried in her wedding bouquet."
 
"Really? What is missing?" Tristan asked curiously. He'd just finished locking the front door and closing the window blinds and was now sweeping up, moving slowly but deliberately.
 
"Purple Alyssum, Asphodel, and Astralagus," He looked at the flowers they had, and down at his tiny bouquet, "There was also a lot of greenery, but that was not chosen for specific purposes, to my meaning. These," He held the flowers he had, "Are what Homer said Persephone was picking when Hades came for her. Alyssum means 'worth before beauty,' Asphodel has connections to the Underworld, and Astralagus..." He fell quiet, "I chose that one to wear."
 
""And you as well, Master Dark," Tristan said.

He waited until Dark was safely out the door and clearly not coming back before going back to work. He finished cleaning up the front room, but as he rolled into the back, he looked around and let out a quiet sigh. They had made a significant dent in the flower numbers, but there was still so much to do. He simply could not handle it right now.

"That will be a problem for tomorrow," he said firmly to himself in the empty room.

He rolled through the room and to the back door, ignoring the flowers as he went. His father would be so disappointed in him. You did not leave the job until the job was done no matter what was happening or how you felt. Tristan had gotten himself into some trouble trying to follow that teaching after the accident, and he'd had to learn that sometimes a job left undone was better than attempting to finish and at best botching the job and at worst harming yourself. It was still difficult to ignore his father's teachings sometimes, even all these years later, but he was getting better. The backroom was kept at a low temperature that would help keep the flowers vitalized, they all had water, and they would wait for one night. So, he left the building, locked up behind himself, and painfully forced himself and his chair into his car. Time to go home.
 
Dark drove home, knowing with absolute certainty Tristan was unwell, but also knowing there was nothing he could do to help. So he went home, and with relief and quiet joy, rejoined his family. Ivy clung to him like she had clung to Daizi earlier, and he sat down on the couch to just decompress after a long, long day of being flirted with by people he had no interest in.
 
Alec had been spending some time sitting on the couch drawing, but he turned his entire attention to Dark when he sat down. He waited, shifting impatiently, but forcing himself to be quiet. Finally, after what he felt was an appropriate amount of time to let Dark sit and be hugged by Ivy, he demanded, "How was it? How did it go?"
 
"Working at Tristan's store?" Dark asked, "It went well, I think. I enjoyed most of it. The customers were... unique. I am sure the regulars will be glad to have you back." He nodded towards the kitchen, "I brought home daisies and a small bouquet which looks similar to Daizi's wedding bouquet."
 
Alec brightened. "I was missed? Oh, that's sweet! Who was the nicest person you got today?"

"Why are there flowers everywhere?" Xander called from the kitchen as he came in from the backyard.
 
"Because Tristan gave us flowers. The vase with more than only daisies looks like our wedding bouquet," Dark called back, shaking head, redirecting his thoughts towards Alec's question, "Of course you were missed. I think the nicest people I met today were two children who inquired if I were a vampire or an undertaker. I met some former students again, also."

"Why does the kitchen smell like our wedding?" Daizi asked as she entered it, hoping for a quick cup of tea.
 
Alec grinned. "A vampiric undertaker isn't one I've heard of yet, but it is so obvious! And I bet you totally told the kids you were a vampire, didn't you? Were your students horrifically awkward?"

"Ba brought home a bouquet for you and a bunch of daisies," Xander said as he hunted through the cupboards for something he was not finding.
 
"I absolutely did, I told them my wedding ring is what allows me to be outside in the daytime," He replied, extremely satisfied by how he handled it. While rubbing Ivy's back, he took some time to consider what he wanted to say about his students, eventually settling on, "I found they were a bit inappropriate, and did not understand safe boundaries. But they are young, still."

"Really? That's lovely. Thank you Goose!" She called to the kitchen.

"You are very welcome, my darling," He called back.

Daizi felt around until she found them, and then spent careful time feeling the petals. These were special flowers, she remembered them. Hearing Xander rustle around, though, she asked, "Are you looking for something?"
 
"Nice," Alec said in admiration to Dark's explanation about his wedding ring. The ring looked properly mystical, too. He'd have bought that explanation. He wasn't sure what to say about the students.

"Yeah, I can't find any rubber bands. I swear I saw, like, twenty just yesterday, and now I can't even find one," Xander grumbled. Raising his voice a little, he called, "Does anyone know where I can find a rubber band?"

"They are in the top drawer to the left," Alec called.

Xander ignored him. "Mama? Know where I can find a rubber band? Or even a hair tie would work."
 
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