How Green Becomes Wood

"Does it?" Daizi asked curiously. It wasn't somewhere she ever went because it was mostly just animals behind glass.

"I love the aquarium," Dark mused, looking down at Ivy. He had always wanted to bring her there.
 
"We went once for a field trip, so it might be different now, but there was this tank where you could put your hand in, and all these tiny fish would eat the dead skin from your fingers. It felt so weird and tickled so much!" Alec giggled.

"They had little shrimp things that didn't tickle nearly as much that might climb onto your hand if they felt like it," Xander said, finally peeling away the wrapping paper. "Couple of other little things. Don't know what's still there. Oh, wow. This is cool."
 
"It's a keychain from Aunt Ciara," Xander said. There was a small plastic safety cap on the sharp edge, which was cleverly tucked inside the K of "Dark," so he handed it over to Daizi to inspect. "It's for emergencies and stuff."

"She gave me a really nice bag," Alec said. He showed it to Dark first since Daizi had the keychain. "And Uncle Tristan gave us both memory books. Obviously, today has to be the first memory."

Xander wondered if the day they'd been picked up in the snow should be the first memory, but he chose not to say it. It'd be interesting if they kept two seperate books without showing each other and compared when they were both full.
 
"Oh, interesting." Daizi murmured, feeling it in her hands, "She put our names on it... So she knew, then? In advance? That's so clever of her..." As she fiddled with it, completely unaware of what sort of emergencies it was meant to be used for, she found the safety cap, and as she fiddled with the oddly shaped object, accidentally popped the safety cap off. Thankfully, Dark saw, and quickly reached over with one hand to stop Daizi from accidentally slicing her finger.

"Careful, it is sharp there."

Immediately setting it back down on the coffee table so Xander could recap it she said, "I'm glad I didn't find out the hard way. If I had, I would've made you send a picture to Ciara telling her it works."

"This bag is lovely," Dark commented, going back to examine it, "It has deep pockets for you to lose everything in."

"We're going to put out Ivy's memory book at her party, we want all of the guests to sign it."
 
Xander picked up the keychain and quickly slipped the safety cap back on. He made sure it was secure before offering it to Dark to look at. "We talked to her first when we decided to change our name."

"It was my idea," Alec admitted. "I thought she was the one person who might be hurt by the idea, and I at least wanted her to know in advance. She actually encouraged it. She said our mum would be proud to know we'd found a family we trusted that much." He pointed to the bag Dark held and said in a lower tone. "I am going to lose all the things in it. But it's not too big, so there's a limit to where they can hide. I hope."
 
"At least when you lose things, you'll have a good idea of where to look first," Daizi pointed out with a grin.

Dark turned his face to Cooger, "You did not bring Tarot and I gifts."

"Nah, your kids are the gifts," Cooger teased.

"Surely that goes both ways."

"It does not." Cooger lightly shoved Dark but then went into his wallet, "I do still own ya a twenty though, so here you go."
 
"Does it really count since he lost because he was trying to help someone else?" Alec asked.

Xander frowned. "Come to think of it, no one brought you guys gifts. Is that a thing?"
 
"I was not the one to bring it up," Dark replied, putting the money in his pocket.

"A bet's a bet," Cooger shrugged. "I think nobodu brought y'all gifts 'cause we're all bringing gifts to your vow renewal."

"We explicitly put on our invitations that we don't want gifts," Daizi exclaimed.

"Like anybody is going to listen to that." He angled his thumb to the the twins, "They get gifts today, Ivy gets gifts on her birthday, y'all two get gifts on your anniversary."
 
"Makes sense to me," the twins said simultaneously.

"Thanks for coming, Cooger. It means a lot," Alec told Cooger. "Really, you are one of my top two uncles of all time!"
 
"Wow, only top two?" Cooger asked, feigning offense, "I can't believe I don't got the top spot. I was calling y'all family from the first day I met ya, them two weren't even doing that yet!"
 
Cooger leaned back, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and putting one arm around Dark's shoulder while ignoring his brother's glare. "I got the word these two were finally getting to foster two troubled kids. Knowing what you know about them now---how else do you think that arrangement mighta turned out?"
 
"Fair enough," Xander admitted while Alec nodded. "True, true."

Alec went over and sat next to Cooger on the other side, doing his best to put his arm around him. "And now we're a happy, growing family! When are you going to bring someone else into the fold?"
 
Cooger rolled his eyes and began to pull away, "You sound like my mother."

Before he could get up, Dark passed Ivy over to Daizi and then hooked his arm around Cooger, "It is a very good question, though, my friend. There have been so many potential partners for you, and here you are, almost 40 and still single. Do you know how much that hurts me?"

Cooger tried to pull away but Dark held him firm, able to be rougher with him than anyone else, "How does it hurt you?"

"You rob me of my chance to write the greatest best-man speech ever put to paper," Dark replied simply, "It is cruel."

"You couldn't do that anyway," Cooger protested, "I already delivered that speech a decade ago."

Dark shook his head, "Everybody knows I am more eloquent than you."

"I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Oh Cooger," Dark said, "You could not."
 
Alec gasped, holding onto Cooger far less effectively. "Ba! You have a best man speech ready? Oh, it would be epic! Truly fantastic! And then Uncle Cooger could have someone to help him look after his cats. I wonder if she could get a good cat-related name? Aunt Puma? Aunt Tiger?"
 
"I would if he would ever settle down," Dark replied while Daizi, laughing, moved to the chair so she, or worse, Ivy, was not accidentally elbowed, "Maybe if he and our---stop. struggling---neighbor would actually---"

"I ain't joking, Dark, I'm gonna kick your tattooed ass and I'll do it right in front of your kids!"

"I cannot believe you would threaten me, it is so uncouth."

Giggling, Daizi couldn't help but add, "But we could go on double dates! Dark and I and you and Lex!"

"Aw hell, I can't fight Tarot."

"Because you'd lose," She grinned crookedly.

"He would lose to me, also," Dark added, then looked at his friend, "He is losing now."

"Only 'cause I don't want to accidentally give your kid a black eye."

"A double date would be so much fun," Daizi sighed, "If only you'd actually commit..."

"Your husband would hate a double date."

"His enjoyment isn't as important as you may think."

Now Dark rolled his eyes, "Thank you, my darling."
 
"You and Lex have dated, right?" Alec demanded, smirking as he did his best to hold Cooger. He was mostly getting in Cooger's way as he tried to escape Dark rather than really holding him, but it seemed to be helpful. "I think you have, but how come we never hear you actually talking about her?"

Xander sat on the arm of Daizi's chair, keeping out of the way. "I bet Lex and Mama would enjoy the double date," he remarked, "and Cooger and Ba would be along for the ride."

"Is it because she doesn't have a cat?" Alec asked. "You don't actually like her because she doesn't have a cat."
 
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"Because it's none of your buisness!" Cooger huffed, considering if he could just elbow Dark in the stomach or elsewhere and free himself. "I don't gotta tell y'all everything I do anything, some of us are more private!"

"Dark would enjoy it more than he thinks, if Lex and I are hanging out the entire time, that means he's allowed to just spend time with his best friend all evening," Daizi teased, adjusting Ivy, "If anything, we'd be suffering more than they were."

"It's got nothing to do if she's got a cat!" Cooger huffed while Daizi made a brief expression. "Gross, Tarot."

"Do you not like Lex then?" Dark asked, squeezing him in tighter.

"What? No---"

"No you do not?"

"No--"

"No you do?"

Again Cooger tried to get away, and when he still failed to be scowled at his friend, "I hate when you look excited about something. It's never good for me."

"No, it is not," Dark agreed, smirking.

"Judas," Cooger accused him.

Dark chuckled, "Are you declaring yourself the Son of God?"

"I'm declaring you a betrayer."

Dark paused for a few moments, staring at his friend's face, weighing his options against what he had been called and then, committing, kissed Cooger on the cheek before saying, "You like her."

This was enough to make Cooger pry himself free and shove Dark over with enough surprise to topple him over down on the couch. Dark couldn't help but chuckle as he sat back up, knowing he had deserved it.

"You're a bastard."

"I know."

"You still got that look."
 
Xander smirked as he watched the three. "Could be a lot of fun for you guys. 'Course, we'll be missing out on the whole thing because we'll be home and not being creepy by watching you guys out on a date."

When Cooger finally shoved free, Alec squealed in surprise and tumbled over into Dark. "Aw, the big cat got free! Darn." He pushed himself back upright and brushed himself off. "If you like her, you should probably do something about it. I don't think she's going to sit there and pine over you for long."

"Pine over him?" Xander asked dryly. "That's just weird to think about. But, come on, they're both adults."

"Which means they'll drag it out forever and not do anything because they don't want to make it 'weird,'" Alec said, hooking his fingers in mock quotations. "Unlike teens who know everything they do is awkward and weird already, so they go for it. Or sit on the sidelines and lose it all. That seems universal."

"You're very well versed," Xander remarked.
 
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