How Green Becomes Wood

"When you say we have everything covered, it sounds like this was a buisness meeting," Sloan teased, "Are you going to open presents here or wait until you're at home and open them in private?"
 
"Sorry," Alec giggled. "I was just trying to make sure to cram as much awesomeness into one day as possible. I think we're opening them here, unless you'd rather we open yours in private?"

Xander sauntered toward his parents. "Sounds like we're moving toward gift opening."
 
"It doesn't bother me, but it we've checked off everything else on the agenda, I suppose that's what is left."

"Exciting!" Daizi grinned, getting up, "Now is a good time for it, too, because your sister has finally fallen asleep."

"I thought she would not, and we would suffer," Dark said, holding Ivy against his chest, "Where is the best place to open presents here, do you think?"
 
"I can't wait for you to open mine!" Becky grinned, bouncing up and down.

"How about where we had cake?" Xander suggested. "It's got decent space and somewhere to put the stuff."
 
"That will work," Dark said, very carefully getting up so as not to jostle Ivy, heading with Daizi that way. "We should move the presents a bit closer for ease, but it is good there is room to sit."
 
"Alright," Xander agreed. "We'll do that."

The twins moved the gifts, Austin and Peter quickly pitching in, and everything was moved in a matter of moments. They made a pile on each side, splitting the twins' to either side. After some discussion, they decided to open them in alphabetical order, but backward. That meant the order would be: Sloan, Peter, Milo, Emma, Becky, and Austin.
 
Sloan brought up two of the gifts she had brought in, distributing them to Alec and Xander, "Claire also gave me gifts to pass along to the two of you, do you want those now are just before you open Becky's?"
 
"Emma's not here, and she had to go in order, so how about just before Becky's?" Alec asked.

Xander shrugged. "That works for me." He studied Sloan's gift. "Thanks. It's not a glitter bomb, is it?"

Alec paused. "Hmm. That's a love-hate prospect."
 
"Honestly, I have absolutely no idea what it is," Sloan answered, "We'll find out together. But you can open mine."

Sloan's gift to Xander was a box which had two sets of clip-on earrings and a pair of socks. One set was a small sterling silver horse, another was a silver stirrup. She wasn't sure if he'd like that one because it dangled, it wasn't just a stud, but she hoped he'd appreciate the fact it was subtly about horses and a stirrup wouldn't look like if it were merely a stud. The socks were black with burning dumpster decorations.

To Alec, she gave a great set of gel pens (both with and without glitter ink), a set of washi tape, an assorted pack of stickers, and sequin socks.
 
Xander studied the gifts, his face splitting into a big grin when he saw the socks. He picked up one of the dangling stirrups and replaced one of the dangling silver earrings he was currently wearing, tucking it into his pocket. "Thanks, Slo. These are awesome."

Alec's eyes lit up when he saw the gel pens and the washi tape. "No way! These are brilliant!" he crowed. Then he saw the blue sequin socks and practically purred. "Oh, I cannot wait to wear these! Thank you, Sloan!"
 
Sloan beamed, delighted they had gone over well. She had absolutely no concern about Alec, but she was more hesitant about the earrings she had selected for Xander. He dressed so simply, she wasn't sure if they would be right for him, but she thought they were cool.
 
Peter came next, and his gift for Xander was a new, very simple MP3 Walkman player and a speaker that went with it for his shed. Xander had mentioned, in passing, once, that his was going out, and since it was his preferred way to listen to music, Peter had gotten him a new one. He had been tempted to get Xander a record player, but he'd been afraid that it would take up too much space in a working space.

For Alec, Peter had gotten him a tabletop easel that could adjust as well as a new, large sketchbook. He knew Alec didn't need a lot of new stuff, but he figured an artist could never have enough paper, and the easel was a tool.

"This is awesome and going to be used so hard," Xander told Peter, fiddling with the player.

"I took the liberty of downloading you a few songs I thought you'd like," Peter said.

Alec set up the easel and grinned as he adjusted it. "This is perfect! Thank you!"

"I expect a really cool picture in the future," Peter told him.
 
Since it was Milo's turn, he went up to the twins, handing them their presents. As he did, he mumbled, "When, um, my mom was here, I uh, was telling her that I feel kinda bad that... I dunno, I always give presents late, and they're always just photographs, and she crochets constantly, so she, um, made these. She said, um, you were doing her a favour."

Inside Alec's was a granny square vest made of bright colours and it also included a key chain which read, Not all those who wander are lost. I might be, though. The design didn't quite fit Alec's aesthetic, but he figured Alec probably has house keys, and he probably misplaces them.

To Xander, he gave a simple black crochet hat and fingerless glove set. He hoped the difference in size of the crocheted item wouldn't be disappointing, but it was something he felt more certain Xander would actually need. Then, he included a keychain shaped like a roll of film. On the pull-tab it said Ohana and when he pulled it, the "film" was made up of of various pictures Milo had taken, ones he knew Xander liked. It included a nice one of Xander and Alec together, a cute one of Ivy when she was covered in cake, a nice one of Sloan from her gymnastics meet, one of Peter from the Judo meet, one of Dark and Daizi at the Vow Renewal, one was of Enkidu, and the very last picture at the end of the reel was the one Xander had taken of Milo a year ago.
 
Alec gasped as he held up the vest. "Oh my word! She made this? For me? That is so special and amazing! Please, tell her I said a thousand thanks. I love it so much." He laid it across his lap and stroked it. "Oooo, so soft, too. One thing." He smirked as he held up the keychain. "Are you trying to tell me something?" he gently teased.

Xander held up his hat and nodded in approval as he turned it around in his hands, and then looked at the gloves. "These are going to really come in handy. Thanks. Tell her thank you, too, please." It took him a moment to realize he was supposed to pull the tab, and when he did, he looked at each picture with care. They were the perfect pictures. They were beyond perfect. "Thanks," he said simply, but with warmth in his tone.
 
"I don't know, um, how well it'll fit, because obviously I don't, uh, have your size, so we tried to base it kinda on me because you... you know. Wear big things anyway." He rubbed the back lf his neck, "And no, no, it's not like that---I just thought if someone found your keys, or whatever you put it on, they'd know the deal. You can put your, um, information on the back, but I didn't, in case you didn't want that."

The he looked at Xander, "Yeah, uh, we went with fingerless because you do so much with your hands. It seemed better. And, uhm. You're welcome. Yeah. I'm really glad you like it."
 
"I'm teasing, Milo," Alec confirmed with a smile. "The keychain is excellent! And I think the vest looks like it's going to fit really well. Thank you."

Xander slid on one glove to test it and flexed his hand. He smiled and nodded again. "Nice. Perfect fit." He took it off and set it and the keychain and the hat carefully off to the side.

Emma's gift was next. She'd gotten both twins the same gift, but altered slightly for each: A personalized "legend" planner. It was a full year to track daily, weekly, and yearly goals, including a vision board, a habit tracker, life goals and dreams lists, and a spot to review each week. It also came with three sheets of stickers and three bookmarks. Alec's was dark red embossed with gold, and Xander's was dark grey, also embossed with gold. It honestly looked pretty cool, and also intense and overwhelming, judging by the look on Alec's face.

"Looks like I'll have a place to put those gel pens to good use!" he said cheerfully.

Xander was quietly cursing because it looked like something he'd actually use.

Next up was Claire's gift!
 
"You know, I considered throwing a planner in, but I didn't want to get you one that didn't vibe with your style," Sloan admitted as she brought up the gifts from Claire. Alec's was a mug similar to the snail one, except inside it had a calico cat, the outside had an incised rainbow with stars, and the mug was a more fun shape. She had asked Sloan what Alec's favourite animal was and the answer she received was "I dunno, but I know he's been wanting a cat."

Xander's was a simple black mug with a black stirring spoon which slotted into the handle. Written on the side were the words, "Single colour kind of guy", done using clay letter stamps. These were glazed silver.
 
Alec keened in delight and held up his mug in excitement. "This cat is so cute! Oh my gosh, it's amazing! That was so nice of Claire. I will so use this!"

Xander put the spoon in its slot and took it out three times. "She makes good stuff," he said with a nod. "Very nice."

Next was Becky's gift, and she bounced in excitement when she brought over the two for Alec and Xander. Alec's give was a carefully curated palette of theater makeup. Bright, bold, shiny, solids, neutrals, and glittery, but nothing that didn't look out of place for him to wear to school now and then, or just to have fun with. Alec loved them, of course, and looked forward to trying them out.

"You are ridiculously hard to shop for, you know," Becky told Xander when she handed over his gift. "I had to ask my dad and semi-dad for ideas!"

Xander wondered what the heck a semi-dad was but didn't dare ask. His gift was a gift card to a hardware store and one to the biggest online marketplace. "This is cool. Thanks. It'll come in real handy," Xander assured her.

Austin's gift was very simple. It was a nice pocketknife for each of them. Alec's had an artistic stone handle in mabled colors like an opal, and Xander's was part of an antler.

"Oooo, I am going to stab so many things!" Alec crowed in delight.

"Please don't," Xander said.
 
"Yeah, she's great," Sloan agreed, "I love her work."

Then she sat back and enjoyed watching the rest of the presents be opened. When Alec gleefully exclaimed his intent to cause grave physical harm, Dark couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you intend to stab?"
 
Alec considered this. "Fallen branches," he decided. "Loaves of bread! String!"

Austin looked very concerned. Maybe he'd gotten a very bad gift for Alec without realizing it.

Xander, on the other hand, looked quite pleased. "This is useful. And it looks cool. Thank you."
 
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