How Green Becomes Wood

Rose nodded, "Now that I don't have much to say about. My mam and dad are just very normal. They've never done anything quite like this, either. But it's good to feel trusted in something meaningful. It shows how much you mean to the people who asked and how much they trust you."
 
Alec smiled shyly at Rose. "They trust you, too. Ba thinks very highly of you, you know. You impress him, which you know is not easy to do!" He gave his fingers one last stretch. Shall we go impress everyone even further?"
 
"Thank you, although your father is just my friend. I don't need my friends to be impressed by me," She told him. Dark was someone she liked a lot and admittedly admired, but she didn't stand in constant awe of him. He was just her friend. She admired Art, too. Literally, she looked up at Dark, but didn't consider him a role model, so any trust he placed in her didn't mean nearly as much.

Then they went to the dance hall, where all the guests had by then moved to in preparation of the first dance and the actual party of the evening.
 
Alec looked at her for a moment, completely bewildered. How on earth could that not mean anything to her? It was Mr. G. M. Dark, for heaven's sake! Not to mention, the only people he really, truely cared about impressing were his friends. Yes, he enjoyed impressing people who weren't his friends and still got a thrill from it, but it wasn't nearly as important as impressing the people who already knew him. Rose's statement was the exact opposite of everything he desired. It made no sense. None at all.

He shook himself and drew up his smile, placing his metephorical "performing mask" on securely. It was time! Only, for this event, he needed to be a bit more reserved than usual. He followed Rose out and made certain his keyboard was set up properly. Then he glanced at her, following her lead.
 
Rose stepped out to the place they were directed to, just off the side of the dance floor, took a breath, and with the focus of a highly skilled, highly trained, and highly talented musician, began to play the opening notes of Come What May from Moulin Rogue once receiving her cue.

Perfectly in sync with each other and the music, Dark and Daizi began the dance they had been secretly rehearsing for weeks. Yet even though many people in attendance knew they used to take regular ballroom dance classes together, this dance looked organic not rehearsed. It consisted of little touches: her hand brushing against his chest or her fingers in his hair, his hand firmly and lovingly against her waist. He lifted her the way a magician levitates a woman, with seemingly the lightest of touches, as though she were no more than a mirage in his hands--yet ever touch of his was passionate and tender. When he spun her, in complete control, trusting she would be where he desired. It wasn't forceful or violent, but confident and trusting. Daizi moved with no less elegance: she was water cascading over a stone, her grace belying her own power. Who else but she could turn a bolder into a smoothed pebble? Dark lived in her pocket, she lived in his mind. And she was fire, the flicker of a flame, but he'd risk burning to hold her longer. They both burned. Dark's eyes never strayed from the lithe, nimble shape of his wife, breathing her in with every step.

When he dipped her low, she allowed an arm to drop, secure in the knowledge he had her, secure in the knowledge these were hands which knew every last and final inch of her body. Her breath was on his neck. His cologne was in her lungs. It had been a month since last they had touched like this. They had never been apart, never seperate. In the ancient days of the universe, she believed she knew, when the world and the galaxy was nothing but primordial stardust, they were one. When the last star went out, they would be one.

It was a dance, and only a dance, but a dance performed by two souls who loved and trusted each other implicitly and entirely performed by two bodies with many, many years of practice. Rose couldn't watch any of it, she was too focused on the beautiful sounds coming from her violin. She played with her eyes shut, lost in the music.
 
Alec watched, as did everyone else, and he never missed a note as he watched them twirling and dipping with an ease that made him sigh with the beauty of it and with a tiny bit of envy. Someday, he hoped to be able to dance like that. Maybe with someone he loved with the fire and passion that Dark and Daizi felt for each other. It was so beautiful!

Xander didn't think much of it. He didn't get why this "first dance" stuff was a thing. It made it feel and sound like it was some kind of competition that the newly married couple were engaged in. Or maybe it was just a way of showing off what they had. He didn't know or really care. He knew it was important to other people, so he made certain not to detract in any way and watched with only mild interest. They were very talented, yes, but he'd known they were doing something. He didn't know this exact song or dance, but he really wasn't taken by surprise. He kept his thoughts to himself, his expression one of mild interest, and waited patiently for it to end.
 
When the song ended, there was polite applause from their very impressed friends, but it wasn't really something either Dark or Daizi paid attention to. They were much too happy and in love to hear anything else.

"Fair play to you," Rose told Alec when the song finished, "I think you did really well, especially with how late you began learning the song."
 
Alec smiled bashfully. "Thank you. It didn't sound quite as organic as I'd have liked, but you more than made up for it! I was just your background. Your playing is so beautiful." He glanced over, watching his parents. "How long should we wait before starting the next song?" he whispered.
 
"Thank you." Rose smiled, looking over at her friends. One thing she was unfamiliar with was that look in Dark's eyes. For all the years they worked together, she had seldomly met Daizi because until the twins, he never brought her to school events so it was only at parties they got to meet. Now, especially since he had quit, they didn't see each other very much at all. It was almost shocking, but extremely comforting, to see him so happy. "Do you want to go into it immediately or wait until the night is a bit older? This is your surprise."
 
"Let's do it now," Alec said confidently. "They already have their guards down, and we're already set up. It'll look strange if we come back up." He caught Xander's eye and gave him a little nod. Xander caught the look and disappeared into a back room for just a second before coming out to join Rose and Alec with an acoustic guitar. Their parents weren't the only ones who had planned something in secret.

The Hollises, Lex, and the others were still watching Dark and Daizi, either sitting in silence or murmuring to each other about what a beautiful display that had been. Ciara, especially, was moved by the vision. It had been truly glorious! Art in motion. There was no other way to describe it.
 
Cooger, standing near to Lex, watched her reaction after the dance concluded, privately praying she didn't expect him to be able to dance like that.

Agreeing with her student's position, Rose nodded and once Xander was ready also, she began to play the first notes of the song they had selected. The sound of the violin was enough to distract Dark and Daizi out of whatever lovesick reverie they had been pulled into to see what exactly Rose was doing. When Dark saw Xander with the guitar, he realized something special was about to happen and he whispered quickly to Daizi to prepare her.
 
Sally was hinting to Jack that perhaps they could take dance lessons, a proposition he was lovingly but firmly refusing, claiming his knees and back hurt just thinking about the idea.

Lex caught Cooger's look at her, and she guessed what he was thinking. While she appreciated the art and skill of the gorgeous dance Dark and Daizi had pulled off, it was not a style of dance she could see herself even attempting. She was far too rowdy for that. At Cooger's look, though, she leaned over and started mentioning something about how she wondered how many lessons he'd attended with his friends, but the first note of the violin distracted her, and her comment went mostly unsaid.
Alec smiled briefly to Dark and then focused on the piano. The song started low and slow but quickly built to an energetic tempo, not getting too carried away, but clearly driven by passion. Xander had agreed to be the singer as his slightly lower voice fit the mood of the song perfectly, so the trio began to perform an acoustic (mostly, save for the keyboard) version of "Carry You Home" by Alex Warren.

Oh, I hope you know I will carry you home
Whether it's tonight or 55 years down the road
Oh, I know there's so many ways that this could go
Don't want you to wonder, darling, I need you to know

We were talking to the sunset
Throwing dreams against the wall (oh-oh)
I know none of them have stuck yet
But I bet it on you, honey, oh, I would risk it all

These days, these nights are changing
Mama, my mind is set on you
I'm not afraid to say it, to say it's true

Oh, I hope you know I will carry you home
Whether it's tonight or 55 years down the road
Oh, I know there's so many ways that this could go
Don't want you to wonder, darling, I need you to know

In this and every life
I choose us every time (whoa)
Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh
 
Dark watched closely while Daizi gripped his arm, grinning while her eyes brimmed with tears at their children--at Xander, who had doubted the true existence of their love for as long as she had known him--singing them a love song.

When it ended, Daizi headed towards where the music sounded like it was coming from and, of course, Dark helped guide her so she actually made it there. "What was that?" She asked, trying to control her emotions, "It was so beautiful!"
 
"It was our little gift to you," Alec said with a smile, beaming at the sight of his happy mother and father. They liked it! He was so relieved! "Miss Rose was so kind to help us out, and Xander didn't even fuss."

Xander snorted as he stood to put away his guitar. "Don't say that. You'll ruin my reputation for being difficult."
 
"It was all their idea," Rose made sure they knew before stepping aside for the family yo talk.

"It's such a beautiful gift," Daizi said, pulling Alec into a tight hug, "Thank you."

"It was very moving," Dark added, giving Xander an approving nod.
 
"You're welcome, Mama," Alec said, hugging her back just as tight. "It's a good song for you, we think. For your love."

"Thanks," Xander said simply, but his chest swelled at the compliment.
 
"It has been so beautiful. I hope someday," Alec dropped his voice to a whisper, "I get to have a wedding as spectacular as this. Just in my style," he added with a note of tease. "If it is even half as romantic as this, and my partner and I half as in love... I can't imagine anything better."

Xander shrugged. "Alec said it sounded like you guys, and I guess it kind of does."
 
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