How Green Becomes Wood

"Pottery would be nice," Dark agreed, "That is definitely something Daizi would be able to do. One of her friends makes her mugs for her birthday, I know she has been interested in trying it before. It may be a bit messy for the instructor, but it is certainly doable, if it is what you would like."
 
"I think it sounds like a fantastic thing to try, and it'll be so tactile," Alec said with a few quick nods. "I've never tried it before, but it's something new I've never tried before, and if it's just one of those one-time classes or however they work, it's not a full commitment."
 
"I am certain we will be able to find an introductory class for it, just give me some time to look for a suitable class, and I will book it. We can go out to eat after or before, as well, depending on the time of the class."
 
"What was easy? Deciding to go to a pottery class, convincing me to agree to a pottery class, or cooking dinner?" Dark asked, looking over at his son, "Because if it is the second one, I am absolutely committed to doing whatever you had suggested we do, regardless of what it was... Within reason, I suppose, if you had said you wanted to go on a private jet to New York City for the day, I would be unable to afford that."
 
"I will be sure to book it as soon as possible so you do not have time to change your mind," Dark very lightly teased, "Sometimes things simply fall into place. It will be a nice day out, I think, and we will see if you manage to remain decisive when it comes to choosing where we eat."
 
Alec laughed at Dark's words and nodded in agreement. "It's going to be a great day! And I am absolutely certain that I want to eat at a place that serves food. How's that for a decisive decision?"
 
Alec nodded and headed back to the living room. "Food is ready to be eaten! Are the people ready to eat?"

Xander stood and headed for the kitchen. "Always and ever. What's for food?"
 
Daizi was coming downstairs with Ivy, awake from her nap and cranky from an unusual schedule, "I think she is probably very hungry," She said sympathetically, rubbing Ivy on her back, "Poor girl, she's all confused. But she's had a very busy and unusual day."

"It would be very difficult to be the loveliest and sweetest baby in a room full of them," Dark agreed, after having told Xander what they'd be eating.
 
"What are you going to do if some other dad ever confronts you that Their baby is the sweetest and loveliest and most amazing baby ever?" Alec asked.

"Prove them wrong, of course," Xander stated.
 
Dark pointed at Xander with one finger, "Exactly that. All I know is I have never found another baby cute. We have mentioned Daizi's friend Beatrice before: occasionally we babysat her children when they were small, and I did not enjoy their company at all, unless they were sleeping." He wasn't lying, expressing his dislike for other babies, but the final part, about how he didn't like it unless they were sleeping, downplayed things a little. Despite having no real affection for those children, at least, none besides the normal kindness and care one shows a child, even then he loved holding them when they slept, just as he loved holding Ivy now. It made him smile to see how they melted against him, like there was nothing in the world that could harm him. That was the only thing he liked about babies universally. Everything else was specific to Ivy.

Daizi set Ivy down in the high chair, "She laughs easily and adores to cuddle, so that does wonders in terms of making her extremely sweet." She sat down, listened to the frustrated gurgles, and with a sigh said, "And when she is not being extremely sweet, at least she's cute about it."
 
"The man hates children and yet really wanted a kid. What kind of upside-down logic is this?" Xander remarked dryly, mostly teasing.

"She's always cute, probably the cutest baby ever, and she is nearly always sweet which is of the ultimate importance!" Alec agreed, watching Ivy.
 
"I liked teenagers," Dark replied with a simple shrug, "and even though I did not like playing with them by myself, I enjoyed watching Daizi play with them. When we would play with them together, I enjoyed that, too. So even though I did not particularly like babies, and besides Ivy I still do not, I realized I would enjoy the act of parenting. And since I liked teenagers, I knew I would enjoy watching them grow into people. I remember this one day, before we had even formally gotten back together, a few days before her wedding, we were on the floor with someone's baby, I do not remember if it was a niece or a nephew or a cousin or a friend's child, and I had this hideous rattle in my hand, and the child had drooled on me, but Daizi had picked them up and began to sing to them, like she does, and the baby hushed. I was just looking at the two of them, and I thought, for the very first time, I cannot wait to have a family with her, some day, and of course I squashed it down, because I still believed I never wanted to have kids, so the thought startled me. I did not like the baby, but I liked her, and I liked the thought of raising one with her."

Daizi turned to him, eyebrows raised in surprise, "What, really?"

"Yes," Dark replied, confused by her reaction, "I have told you that before."

"No you haven't," She argued, still stunned, "I had no idea. You wanted a family that early?"

Staring at her, Dark couldn't imagine not having mentioned it, but he could tell by the look on her face he must not have, "I did, but I refused to accept it, then." He squeezed her hand, and then turned to Ivy and tickled her cheek with one finger, "Then she arrived, and I could hold her in one hand," he raised his hand, palm up, demonstrating, "and I thought---This baby is different from all the ones I had met before, this one fits into only one of my hands, so of course she is more precious than the other babies I have met, she is impossibly small."

Ivy gurgled, grabbing onto his hand with both of hers, definitely much too big to fit curled up inside of it, now, and tried to eat it, but Dark pulled himself free just in time, and concluded his whole spiel, "And now I get to have teenagers, who I still think are an overhated life stage by society, because teenagers are people, fully, with their own developed interests and goals, and you can talk with them about serious things, and I have the only baby who I have met that I actually like, and I get to raise you with Daizi, so there is nothing more I could want."
 
"I don't know how anyone can like teenagers. As a teenager, I don't like teenagers," Xander bluntly. "I think packing a bunch of them together day after day with minimal supervision is the dumbest idea society ever came up with. It's like young elephants without an old bull."

"You can thank Dewey for that because he wanted the ultimate factory workers," Alec said cheerfully. "But I think teens and babies are just fine! All babies. I don't know that I'd want to babysit a bunch of random babies, but I think the ones that come into the flower shop are cute. We get a lot of those because of the mothers coming in."
 
"I like watching you figure out your role in the world," Dark replied, "Especially... you meet a Freshman at 14 or 15," He held his hand to indicate height, "and they graduate at 17 or 18," He raised his hand higher, "but in that time, they transform from someone barely aware of themselves into someone who has plans for their adult lives, plans which will likely change through their later years, but plans nonetheless, who is learning to integrate family, friends, responsibilities, potentially work and romantic partners. And often teenagers can be cruel, or selfish, and they are rarely as mature as they believe themselves to be, but I like seeing how in four years, they become so much more aware of who they are, and if you squint and pay attention, you can guess at where they are going. That is only high school, too, if you consider age the teen years outside of those four? It is a terrible time to be alive, but a fascinating time to watch, because you enter your teenage years as a child, and you leave them an adult. That is why I taught high school. I am rather impressed with Ivy's constant development, she has come quite a way in just a year, have you not, my darling?" He held her tiny hand and kissed it, "but it is much too soon to tell the adult she will be. It is a different sort of development."

Daizi just grinned, wondering if the twins recognized just how pleased he was with their family.
 
The twins stared at Dark, genuinely having no idea what to say about that. His speech was far more... well, more than either had anticipated, and neither were sure how to follow it up. It was just awkward listening to a grown-up chatter happily about how awesome teens were and how they were growing up. It felt like they were at a school rally or something. The worst part was, they knew Dark was sincere. How were you supposed to respond to that level of sincerity when you were used to the fake stuff from people who didn't know them? So, since they didn't know what to say, they said nothing. They nodded, mumbled some positive affirmations, and started talking about how good the food was and praising Dark for his cooking skills.
 
Dark let it go easily, not really knowing what response he was expecting. It just felt like something he had to say, because he knew, externally, it didn't make much sense he was so excited to be a father despite only liking one baby. But he liked what came later, and he loved getting to be a parent to his teenaged sons. That was all.
Daizi very quietly chuckled, fully aware the twins were a bit uncomfortable and sure of what they should do. It was endearing, and a little sad. It was rare those boys did know how to react when Dark was open with them about how deeply he felt. But that was okay. She reached over with one hand to squeeze Dark's shoulder and then went back to eating while Dark turned to help Ivy with her dinner, another one of the tasks he never thought he'd enjoy, but did when it was his child.
 
When they were finished eating, the twins insisted on cleaning up since Dark had done the cooking and Daizi was looking after Ivy. It seemed only fair.

Xander had already put Dark's talking about teens and growing up out of his mind, at least for now, but Alec was thinking about it as he washed and dried the dishes. He wasn't entirely certain how he was "supposed" to feel about it, but he was happy to know that Dark genuinely loved watching them grow, being around them, and helping them find their way. He'd already known it, but it was nice to hear, even if it was in a rather awkward and spontaneous speech in the middle of dinner. It was a weird idea to think someone could not like being around children while still wanting one of their own. How exactly did that work? He still didn't know if he wanted children in the future or not, but there was a certain undeniable joy that accompanied taking care of Ivy. That was for certain.
 
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