How Green Becomes Wood

Alec yawned again and stretched. "No, I'm okay. I think I am going to take a shower. That'll wake me up the rest of the way." He wandered back toward the living room and half-heartedly folded the bedding before shoving them into the cupboard out of sight of any guests. Then he headed upstairs to get showered and dressed and ready for the day.

Not long after Alec went upstairs, Xander came in the front door panting and worn out from his run. He took off Enkidu's leash, kicked off his shoes, and tapped the salt. "Morning, Amty," he greeted her casually as if she'd lived there his whole life.
 
"Good morning," Zeinab replied, washing her hands at the kitchen sink. Over the sound of the baby monitor that was left downstairs, Ivy's cries were quickly calmed by her father's voice, "It sounds like your father has recovered from his illness yesterday."
 
Xander glanced at the monitor. "Sounds like it. Good thing, too. Don't think Mama could take much more of him being sick, and he couldn't take much more of being sick with no soup." He headed for the stairs. "I'll be down in a bit and I can help with breakfast."
 
"That soup," Zeinab shook her head, "I think she was so bothered because she had decided he didn't get any. And because we have a busy few days ahead of us, and if he was that ill on Qadi's birthday..." She shook her head, "You go on ahead, I really have everything covered down here."
 
"Alright. Back in a bit." Xander headed upstairs where he fought with Alec over the shower until he finally got a few minutes to wash off and get cleaned up. After brushing out his hair and getting dressed in less time than it took Alec to shower, Xander was back downstairs and ready to help.

Alec came down after a while, a little grumpy over getting his slow morning interrupted, but he quickly cheered up at the smells of breakfast. He'd chosen to dress in all solids today, but each article of clothing was a different color, and he'd allowed himself just a little very faint eyeshadowing. He still wasn't sure how far he could go without bothering Saladin and the others of the family. Seeing pictures was one thing, in person was another.
 
Daizi finally, and with great effort, climbed out of bed to get dressed while Dark readied Ivy for the day. By the time Daizi was dressed, Dark came downstairs, his comb nicely combed, "Good morning, Amty. You did not need to make breakfast for us." He looked over Alec for a few moments and then silently nodded in approval, "We are visiting the NICU where Ivy was last year to thank them. Would you like to come with us?"

"Oh, no no, I am going to help you clean here, then Neha, Fadia, Amira, and I have some plans," Zeinab replied, "You sit, I can make coffee for you Zalmi, you're still recovering."

"I'm much better today, I promise," Dark assured her.
 
"I can't wait to go! I have a special vest I've been saving for this event," Alec grinned. "It's got cute animals and things all over it. I thought maybe it might make the little babies smile."

"If they can even see the vest," Xander remarked with a smirk. "You'll sure as heck make the parents smile."

"I got you the same vest," Alec told him with a sly smile.

Xander frowned. "I don't wear stuff like that."

"Maybe not, but as is, you look like the grim reaper's apprentice. Are you sure that's the impression you want to make?" Alec pointed out.

Xander hesitated. "Fine. Only at the hospital," he relented with a growl.
 
Dark looked over the twins, "I am fine arriving looking like the Grim Reaper, and there is nothing you can say to force me into a vest decorated with cute animals."

"But Zalmi," Zeinab teased, pinching his cheek while she set down his coffee, "You don't want to scare the babies."
 
"Or their parents. Do you really want to show up to a NICU looking like an undertaker?" Alec asked, waggling his brows. "The slightly older children might love it, Mr. Vampire, but I don't know about anyone else."
 
"I do not dress for other people, they can think as they like." Dark said blandly.

"You don't want to scare the babies, Zalmi," Zeinab cooed, patting his face after releasing him.

"Exactly," Dark nodded, "and what would my baby do, if her father was suddenly dressed all in rainbows?"
 
"Ba," Alec said gently, "it's one vest one time, not a whole rainbow. Wouldn't you love it if someone came to see Ivy dressed like an epic Goth vampire? Can't you do that for someone else's baby?"

"He's got a point," Xander said, looking for some way to help Zeinab. "I said yes."
 
"I am not going to visit the babies, I am going to thank the doctors and nurses who kept my daughter alive," Dark retorted, "I am not Santa Claus bringing presents to all the good children. And having been the father of NICU baby, I can assure you I was not paying attention to what strangers in the hall were wearing." He pointed at Alec, "And I have never asked you to dress in the absence of colour to fit my sense of propriety, even while Ivy was so sick."
 
"I barely existed when Ivy was sick, and for good reason," Alec shot back. "If you had asked, I would have done it. Because you don't ask. But if you ever did ask or would ask, I'd do it."

Xander raised a brow at Alec but said nothing as he ate his breakfast. This was not something he wanted to be a part of.
 
"I would not have asked, because it is not my place to dictate how others dress. My style is my own, and not something I put onto other people to accommodate me." Dark replied calmly, taking a sip of coffee, "You are welcome to wear what brings you joy and I will do the same. I am not going to change how I look for the comfort of those I will never see again. There are occasions where I dress unlike myself. If you wanted to introduce me to the relatives of a friend, and knew I would not make a good impression as I am, I would gladly dress down for that. If you had threw a party with a dress code, I would adhere to the dress code. I wore a lavender suit to a wedding. But when I thank the people who saved my daughter's life, I am going to thank them as myself."
 
Alec huffed, suddenly and irrationally annoyed. "Fine," he said, pushing away from the table. "Then why don't we all dress in fancy black clothing so we look like a mourning party or maybe an undertaker group looking for business in an infant emergency room where their parents are waiting to see if their babies are going to life or die? Yeah, that's great! Marvelous idea! We're just getting a head start for them! That'll work since one guy doesn't want to wear one, small vest for five frikin' minutes because it wouldn't be him and he doesn't dress for others. Love it. Let me know when we're ready to leave so I can change to all black, too." He started to walk toward his room, remembered Zeinab was using his room, spun on his heel, and stomped out to the backyard instead, closing the door firmly but not slamming it.

Xander slowly sipped his tea, looking over the rim of his cup between his parents.
 
Dark and Zeinab both stared after Alec, shocked by his outburst. Zeinab looked at Xander first, silently trying to question him about what that was before shaking her head and turning back to cooking. Teenagers were always moody, she had known many by her day, that definitely wasn't the worst tantrum she had seen.

Dark rubbed his head roughly over his face and sighed heavily before going back to drink his coffee, unsure how 'you wear what makes you happy and I will wear what makes me happy' translated into 'the entire family needs to dress in black. Like Zeinab, he had known many teenagers, and seen many of them be irrational, but it bothered him how much he and Alec had been arguing lately.

Coming down the stairs, Daizi paused at the landing with Ivy on her hip, "...Um... What was that?"
 
"It sounded like it..." Daizi murmured, rubbing Ivy's back, "We're going only a few hours from now, I have most of the baked goods ready, but I just want to put one last thing through the oven. I made the dough yesterday, it needed to chill over night."
 
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