How Green Becomes Wood

"There ain't never been a living chipmunk in my beard," Cooger said.

Laughing, Daizi asked, while running her fingers through her husband's beard, "Does that mean you've found a dead chipmunk in it?"

"No," Cooger said, "That's not what I meant. And I comb it. I even braid it at night. But regardless of what I do, she thinks it's messy looking."
 
Xander laughed at Daizi's comment, unable to help himself. "Glad to know there's no animals in your beard, living or dead. The braids have to be good, though. Very Viking."
 
"I can make them look very Viking when I want them to, but at night I keep it simple. I just want to protect the hairs." Cooger explained.

Frowning at her husband, Daizi pulled him in for a very quick kiss and then continued to frown, "Yeah, Goose, I don't think I'd like it if it was longer. I... well... No, I wouldn't. It'd be harder to touch your jawline. Hm. I'll have to talk to Lex."
 
Xander went upstairs to find Alec. Alec was stretched out on his bed, sound asleep. The kitten had made herself comfortable on his belly and lay curled up and sleeping as well. Various kitty items like a basic bed and toys lay scattered about on the floor where Alec had been looking at them. A notepad and a pencil lay next to them. The other gifts sat in an orderly row on the floor next to the other bed, waiting to be properly put away.

Xander reached down and gave the kitten a delicate scratch behind the ears. Then he stretched out on the bed next to Alec with a tired but happy sigh. Birthdays were happy but so exhausting. He checked his phone tiredly for a text saying if Milo and Sloan had arrived home safe.
 
Both Milo and Sloan had texted him, letting him know it was a good party and they had made it home.

Downstairs, Cooger finally saw and answered Lex's text, promising he'd stop by and letting her know Daizi had questions for her about if his beard was annoying. Then he sat back and the three adults just got to talk, enjoying getting to hang out together and recognizing how screwed Dark and Daizi were, considering how deeply Ivy was sleeping.
 
Xander made a reply to show he'd seen their texts and asked Milo once again what kind of cake, pie, or other he wanted for his birthday. Then he tossed his phone aside and closed his eyes. Soon, he was out with his brother.

Lex, meanwhile, was at work in her garage with the door open for a breeze. February or not, it was hot in here! She was in a tank top and knee-length shorts, her hair tied back in a messy bun as she focused on putting some fine touches on a small piece she was working on. Her eyes were laser focused on the bit of metal as she sat next to her anvil, long tongs in hand. She put the metal in the fire just long enough to soften it, pulled it out, tapped on it with a small hammer, and repeated the process.
 
Eventually Cooger knew it was time for him to get gone---after getting cake, of course---and so he made his goodbyes, let his family nap, and headed over to Lex's.

"You look busy," He said, walking up to her forge with his hands in his pockets.
 
Lex finished the bend she was making in the metal before looking up. Her eye lit up as she smiled at him. "Never too busy for you." She set the piece aside with great care so it wouldn't bend under its own weight and ruin what she'd done so far. "Well, actually, I could be. Some of this stuff waits for no man or woman." She took a moment to bank the forge and let it start cooling down. It was a lot quieter without the roar of the fire, and she faced him, cheeks pink from heat. "What's this about Daizi wanting to know about beards?"
 
"Oh," He laughed, "We were all talking about an ex of mine who broke up with me over a mood ring. Xander said he thinks she probably didn't like my beard. Daizi was trying to figure out if she'd find a beard as long as mine annoying."
 
"Oh," Lex nodded. "Yeah, sure, I can talk beards with her and compare notes." Then she frowned. "Wait, an ex broke up with you over a mood ring? What, did you tease her about it or toss it or something?"
 
"She worries it'd tickle her neck," Cooger told her and then sighed, putting his hands in his pocket, "Nah, it just turned black. She said it meant our relationship was causing latent stress and she had to end it before she felt true stress. It was an ugly ring, though, it turned her finger green."
 
Lex snickered. "Wow. Maybe it was for the best before you started feeling the stress. Hope she learned from it, too." She turned and led the way to the door connecting the garage to the house. "Come on inside. I had something I wanted to talk to you about. Plus, I want to hear how it went with the cat. Drink?"
 
"It's nothing like that," Lex reassured him with a chuckle, closing the door behind them.

As they walked into the kitchen, Soup came scampering in with a thud of paws. The little calico slid to a stop when it spotted Cooger and reared up in an arch, fluffed up as much as its scraggly kitten fur could manage. She bounced toward him sideways, keeping her distance.

"Yes, you're very scary," Lex said dryly, going to the fridge. "Come on, you know him!"
 
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"Oh good," Cooger sighed, admittedly relieved as he followed her inside. Seeing Soup thunder in, he crouched down and reached out one hand for her to sniff him, "Hey there, Soupie! How've you been, girl?"
 
Soup sniffed, realized who it was, and happily slammed her head into his hand before rubbing up along his arm.

"I think she remembers now. You have quite the way with women," Lex told him with a wink as she handed him his coke.
 
"Good, but pretty hyper," Lex said, opening her own coke. "I'm not sure if it's regular kitten hyper or more than that. She does tend to wander around looking a lot. Like she's trying to find something. That, or I'm projecting."
 
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