How Green Becomes Wood

"I'm so happy!" Alec grinned. "It's awesome! And Xander is ecstatic! Milo didn't know what to do with himself."

Xander sat next to him. "Yeah. It's pretty good," he agreed, and there was a lot of emotion buried in his voice.
 
"Yeah," Xander admitted. After a moment of contemplation, he added, "His mom thanked me for being his friend." He wasn't sure what to do with that information or how he felt. It felt awkward, but good. Flattering, even, to know how much he meant to Milo.
 
"He really needed one," Dark told Xander carefully, seeing in his face how emotional the day had been for him.

"Were you scared when you saw his mom had come?" Daizi asked delicately.
 
Xander didn't answer immediately, shifting uncomfortably.

"I hoped it was just for a surprise," Alec said to give his brother a little time to think. "The thought she might try to whisk him away did occur to me, but I thought for sure they were past that. That she was just there to surprise him. Or maybe that's just what I wanted it to be."

"Yeah," Xander finally said. "I thought she was going to take him. That she was going to smile, say it was going to be great, a whole load of shit that it was a new beginning... Yeah, I don't really put much faith in people. It's probably a problem. I think I was more scared that he'd agree. That he'd say it was a good thing and go with her, and that he'd just get hurt again." He fiddled with his pant leg, his expression taunt.

Alec gently put his arm around Xander. "But Milo said he didn't want that," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Xander said with a hint of a smile. "After she told him they were staying put, he said he didn't want to do the same old routine, and, you know, last year, he was ready and set to do just that. He... he knew what he wanted. Or didn't want. He never would have said that before."
 
"He's grown up a lot," Daizi said, smiling warmly, "It sounds like you might've been a good influence."

Dark opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again, not quite knowing what to say. It was strange side of the situation to be on. It wasn't his children who really had to grow up for this, but at the same time, they so clearly had. He was proud of them, of Xander especially since Milo was undeniably more of his friend than he was Alec's, and he was so glad this friendship wasn't going to be torn apart. It was something they both needed, he thought. And they'd have a lot more fun now, he imagined, now that they could both relax and not worry about when the other shoe would drop.
 
"He is," Alec said proudly.

Xander snorted. "Yeah, I'd like to think so." He gently pushed Alec off him. "I wanna get out of these glad rags and take a shower. You should, too."

Alec scowled at him. "Hint taken."
 
"I'm so happy it was a good party, and that it worked out so well for you all," Daizi told them, "And now you have an entire weekend to look forward to, which is always a good thing."
 
"Unless you have to work on weekends, but at least I like my job," Alec said cheerfully.

The twins headed off to get ready for bed, playfully fighting over who got to shower first. Xander won. After they were both ready, they hung out in Alec's room for a while, talking and just existing for a while. Then Xander headed down to his room, and Alec lay on his bed and stared up at his framed rainbow and the colors next to it until he fell asleep.

The next day, Xander took Alec to work, and then he went to work, himself. Alec threw himself into his job to make certain Tristan did not regret giving him the previous day off. Tristan did not, but it was amusing to see how hard Alec was working. He did a very good job and even earned himself a few tips while he was at it. During their downtime, Tristan and Alec talked about details concerning a certain item Tristan had agreed to procure. Actually, he'd already planned on it, but now Alec had given him a proper excuse. Xander picked him up later, and it was another day down.
 
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After the twins went upstairs, Dark and Daizi took a moment longer to reflect on what they had said before they found themselves laughing over the indecency their sons had nearly walked into. After finishing her glass of wine, she helped Dark clean up before demanding he carry her upstairs, and he was all too happy to oblige. With everything that had transpired, though, Daizi's bra, which had found itself lodged between the couch cushions, was completely forgotten... only to be found the next afternoon by Ivy, who paraded into the room as though it were a hat.

On Sunday, Dark decided he was going to go visit with Cooger, because although they were going to see each other next weekend anyway, sometimes he, too, needed time to get out of the house and socialize with his best friend one on one. Since it was just Daizi and the kids home, she went up to the twins and asked, "Would you like to go to the park or something? It's a great day, we can have ice-cream after, and a picnic."
 
"Capital idea!" Alec agreed. He scampered off to change his clothes, wondering, as he did so, where the phrase "capital idea" came from and what made it capital.

Xander also went to change. He was in a good mood, so he traded his usual black shirt for one of charcoal gray. Then he headed for the kitchen and got started putting together a picnic lunch. He'd have to ask his mother about some sort of basket to carry it in.
 
Alec yelling about the capital idea gave Daizi pause, but she didn't laugh about it until after he had run off. Since Ivy was having her nap, it was the perfect time for her to change, and she dressed in a dark purple chiffon dress, belted loosely at the waist to give her shape. Of course, she chose a big, overdramatic sunhat with moon phases on the brim to go with it, and her round purple-lens sunglasses, but she didn't have them on yet as she went to help prepare lunch.
 
Xander told Daizi about what he'd done so far and asked her opinion about it. He made any recommended adjustments and found a couple of lidded drink holders to take some lemonade with them. Alec had come down by that point, dressed in a vibrant yellow shirt with forest green pants and a sun necklace that sort of went with his mother's moon theme. Alec was put on drink duty, and Xander helped Daizi pack up the rest of the lunch.
 
Most of what Xander prepared was perfect, but after she fetched their picnic basket, she added in a few necessary toddler snacks just to be sure Ivy would be satisfied.

Once Ivy was awake, Daizi dressed her in a pair of cute, clean overalls so she could safely play while still looking put together and said, "We should bring Enkidu, it'd be a shame to leave him behind."
 
"We should take the stroller," Daizi said, "I want to have her try walking with us, but I know she'll be too tired on the way home. Ivy, are you excited to go outside?"

Ivy, like Enkidu, knew what outside meant, so she squirmed in Alec's arm, babbling back at them.
 
Xander got Enkidu leashed up, and Alec fetched the stroller and the diaper bag. They included a couple of Ivy's toys and Enkidu's toys like a ball. Then they double-checked and confirmed.

"Ready to go, Mama!" Alec told her.

"To the van!" Xander declared, leading the way.
 
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