How Green Becomes Wood

"I think that is just a normal book," Dark said, keeping his sleeves rolled up for the time being.

Charlie came closer to Dark, still a bit nervous around him, and looked at his arms closer, "They look like Halloween."
 
Charlie turned around to look at her dads, "Papa, I want like that!"

"Maybe when you're a grownup," Sean said apprehensively, getting up, "But I think it's probably time to get you and your brother ready for bed, okay? It's very late for both of you."
 
"Yeah. Way more." Matt agreed, looking again at his ex-boyfriend, who was busy fixing his sleeves and redoing his cufflinks, "...How many more?"

"As many as I always said I wanted." Dark replied, adjusting Ivy, who was herself getting sleepy but was more than content to snuggle up against her Baba's chest.

"So you're just..." Matt waved one hand over his own torso.

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"So---" Matt waved one hand in disbelief, "You walk around, a forty-year-old man--"

Dark's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "I am thirty-nine."

"A thirty-nine-year-old man," Matt corrected himself dryly and then got back to his point, "Completely covered in tattoos, dressed like that, as a former-teacher, pushing around a toddler in a stroller."

"To be fair the stroller is also black. The canopy is shaped like bat wings."

"How did..." Matt stared at Dark, equally baffled and impressed, "What happened to you? I mean---how did you go from who you were to... being a father of three with a baby sleeping on you?"

"I could ask you a nearly identical question," Dark pointed out, unbothered by his shock, glancing around the room, "You are only missing a Live, Laugh, Love sign."
 
"No, he was, I remember fighting to try to get him to wear something with a rainbow on it when we went to Pride, but, you know, he couldn't afford to commit to it like he can now, clearly. I guess I just thought it was..." Matt hesitated, searching for the right word.

"A phase?" Dark offered.

"...Performative?"

"Matthew, must you go for the heart every time?"

"I'm sorry I don't mean anything by it. When we were together you were just... so, so messy. So although your whole goth thing was very attractive I always figured it was like... I don't know. Armor, like you were just doing the whole bad boy thing as a shield or something."
 
Xander sat down near Daizi, careful to touch only what was absolutely necessary. "Just because it's armor doesn't mean it can't be cool or useful or look rad."

Alec smiled. "He supports in his own way. A rainbow is just a pretty little band of color compared to what he does to support... well, everything. Surely he supported in his own way back then?"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top