How Green Becomes Wood

"He went through all this trouble, I think it's only fair to put the star on," Daizi said brightly.

Cooger scowled down at Xander, "Hey I'm taller than you, is that why you need me to do it?"

"And you are also very small," Dark teased, bending down to be eye level with Cooger and grinning like a cat, "I can fetch you a box if you need it."

"Yeah, we can't all be Gumby," Cooger replied, elbowing his brother.
 
Last edited:
"You told us to," Xander reminded him with a smirk as he went to fetch the step ladder.

Alec laughed. "True. You did want," he paused for a significant look, "anyone to be able to look down at the top."

Xander returned and set up the ladder, standing by in case Cooger needed him to steady him.
 
"Tip it to the left a little," Alec reported. "No, not that far. Perfect! Right there!"

Xander frowned. "It's tipped right, but it needs to be rotated. The right side should come toward you a little."
 
Dark stood back with his arms crossed, staying perfectly still as he gauged the angle of the star while Cooger grumbled, "Dark, you raised your boys to be little perfectionists."

"Cooger, you've got a pen with a level in it in your pocket at all times."

"That's 'cause I'm a professional, not 'cause I'm fussy," Cooger replied, but did take out his pen to check how even the star was after adjusting it to Xander's suggestion, "How's that."
 
The twins studied the star for a long moment, humming quietly. Then they both gave a decisive nod. "It's perfect!"

"It looks so beautiful!" Alec smiled. "Can I plug in the tree?"
 
"Give it a moment," Cooger said, stepping off the ladder and moving it aside before shutting off the lights in the room, including all of the lamps. Once they were in a much darker enviornment, he said, "Now turn on the tree!"
 
Alec scurried forward to plug it in while Xander stood back with the rest of the family. Alec plugged it in and backed up to stand with the others. "Oh, wow, that is so pretty!" Alec breathed. He fell silent, smiling as he watched the light glitter. It had been rare that the twins had had a "real" Christmas tree of any size. This was the second year, and yet... this year hit differently. Deeper. He felt tears wink in his eyes, but he blinked them away. It was beautiful! Without thinking, he reached out and took Xander's hand in one hand and then reached out for Daizi's hand on the other side.

Xander didn't fully smile as he looked up at the tree, but his expression was soft, lost in his own thoughts. He remembered the trees they did get to have with their mum, the good times they had, the random gifts they'd gotten and given during the times they could. Christmas had never been a particularly big deal, but there had been warmth and hominess. Now, now they had a new home. New traditions. More love. It was perfect. All of it. He felt Alec's hand and took it, squeezing it gently as the tree seemed to glow brighter. "Really cool," he finally said.
 
Daizi smiled when Alec took her hand and she squeezed it back, leaning her shoulder against his. The amazement in his voice and the fervor with which he grabbed her hand made her tear up. She couldn't see the lights, she didn't know how the ornaments all looked together, but she liked the scent of the pine and she liked how delighted her children were. It wasn't just her boys either, once the lights had switched on Ivy's eyes had gone so wide Cooger was fairly certain she was about to start boggling like a rat and she flapped her arms and legs like a starfish as she made amazed cooing sounds followed by a delighted screech.

Laughing at her, Cooger made sure he held her a bit more securely as he walked closer to the tree, "I'm real glad you liked it, Kitten, 'cause we all worked real hard on it. It is real pretty, ain't it?"

Dark stood behind them all, looking for a while at the tree but then looking more so at his family. Being in the US, he had been forced somewhat against his will to listen to an unceasing tide of Christmas songs and Christmas revelry and it never really moved him. Even now, the tree was pretty, but it was a tree indoors, and although his primary reaction to its existence was playing up this curmudgeon role for their delight, some part of him did earnestly look at this thing and worry about how many needles it would drop and how hard it'd be to care for it. He was glad to have it again because it mattered, but he didn't understand it. It was beautiful. The lights gleamed and made the garlands glisten. The ornaments shone---torturing himself through the use of glitter was a good call, they looked amazing.

But it was the sight of his family which truly moved him. Seeing his sons and his wife holding hands around the tree, hearing the tone in their voices, even without seeing the look on their faces, he knew. It was in their postures. His daughter was flailing in delight and his brother was laughing that deep, mirthful sound. It was the closest he had ever heard anyone earnestly get to the ho-ho-ho laugh Santa Claus was claimed to have. Daizi was near to laughing at the cacophony coming from their daughter, he could hear it in her breathing. The only reason why she wasn't yet, he guessed, was because of how tightly Alec was holding her hand. She'd need to take a breath first. He supposed this is why there are all those songs singing about the Christmas tree, and why the creatures the Grinch robbed held hands and sang around the tree. It had always looked cultish to him before.

He was part of it. It was his family, they had decorated the tree in his living room in part with ornaments he had made for them. It was his, too. And it was beautiful. But he couldn't... All at once he felt utterly and completely moved by it and nothing at all.
 
Last edited:
"Oh, wow! Ivy is so excited!" Alec laughed. He let go of Xander's and Daizi's hands and moved around to take a video of her with his phone, getting Cooger's laughter as well. "What do you think that is, Ivy? What is it?"

Xander folded his arms and moved closer to Dark. After a moment of watching Ivy and the tree, he said, "Thanks. The whole 'decorate the tree' thing probably doesn't mean a whole lot to you, and you're probably thinking about all the pine needles right now, so... thanks. For putting up with this again. Means a lot."
 
Ivy continued to flail while Cooger brought her closer to the tree, "You're too little to remember last year's," He grinned, "This is just like your first tree ever."

Once Alec let go of her, Daizi finally laughed at her daughter's antics, and when both her Uncle and her Mama were laughing, it only increased Ivy's excitement.

"Oh no," Daizi giggled, "I'm worried she's going to explode!"

"She just might," Cooger agreed grinning.

Dark continued to look at Ivy for awhile while Xander spoke before looking down at him, "You are welcome. The needles are worthwhile if they bring you all such joy."
 
"Uncle Cooger, lift her up a little higher! Show her a different angle!" Alec called, shifting his position.

Xander kept his eyes on the tree. "Yeah. Wish you could have some, though."
 
Cooger did so, walking around to another part of the tree. Ivy was utterly amazed and every time she begun to settle, something new caught her attention and made her squeal all over again.

Dark shrugged, watching his daughter, "I am okay."
 
"I know." Xander glanced at Dark and reached out with his elbow, leaning over just enough to give Dark's arm a nudge. "Happy Holiday Hell, Ba." He returned to watching Ivy. He knew Dark was okay. He knew Dark would likely never feel particularly attached to this holiday, and he was fine with that, but he did wish he could give Dark an impossible Christmas gift that year. Just a small one. Just enough to ease the edge. That wasn't possible, so he'd take whatever he could get for his adoptive father. If "Okay" was the best it got, that was alright. "Okay" was better than a lot of other options.
 
Dark pressed his lips together and nodded. The way Xander touched him should have been moving because he knew exactly what it meant, but it didn't affect him as strongly as it might've. "Happy Holiday Hell." He repeated. Truthfully, he wished he could feel more connected to it all. Maybe one day he would. This year was hard.
 
Xander stayed with Dark, not talking, just staying with him.

Alec finally finished videoing Ivy and moved to sit on the edge of the couch, alternating between watching Ivy continue to experience the tree and sending videos to the usual list of people, including Dark so he could send it to even more people. He paused occassionally to snap a couple of pictures or get a short video if Ivy did something particularly cute.
 
When Ivy was beginning to settle, Cooger finally sat her down while Daizi, after asking Cooger to point her in the right direction, went over to her husband and hugged him tightly, reaching upwards to kiss his cheek. She wasn't about to start wearing a Santa hat and dressing for the season, but she was delighted by their delight. Knowing he wasn't in the right place for it, it seemed imperative she give him affection, "I hear it is a gorgeous tree," she said to him and Xander.

"It is," Dark agreed, resting against her, "I did not expect Ivy to react like that."
 
"It looks kind of... fluffy," Xander told her. "It's not, it's pokey, but it looks fluffy." He glanced toward Ivy. "It's a lot of bright color happening, that's for sure. I think she likes it. At least she didn't start crying."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top