How Green Becomes Wood

Ivy revealed her face again and continued the game until she grew bored, at which point she went back to other toys, once again emotionally regulated.

Eventually, Daizi returned to the kitchen and said, "Dinner is ready. Should we try to eat it in here?"
 
"Yes! That would be fun," Alec agreed immediately.

Xander shook his head. "Nah. It's more comfortable for you guys in the dining room."

"But then you'll be all alone. That's sad," Alec pointed out.

"Ivy needs her chair."
 
"She's not getting soup," Daizi replied, "She has to be sick the first time she has it, and she hasn't been sick enough to need it, mashallah. I just have chicken nuggets for her."

"She does often eat her lunch on the floor," Dark said.
 
Daizi went to the kitchen to prepare the soup on a tray, while Dark followed to pour drinks for everyone. Although he was trying to play it cool, he was absolutely thrilled to get to have his favourite food that evening. To help, he did carry the tray himself to the living room since it was heavy and handed Ivy her tray of dinosaur chicken nuggets, green beans, and star-shaped tater tots. Even she, with the family she was raised in, sometimes was fed simple, easy, toddler-friendly food and she was so delighted by it, she didn't even notice the rest of her family was enjoying something else.
 
Alec and Xander both smirked at the sight of the "American" food, but chose not to make a deal of it. This was a special meal, after all. A truly special event. It took Xander a few awkward moments to figure out what to do with his foot, but once he had it in place, he was more than ready to receive his soup. While not quite as wild about it as Dark, both twins were more than enamoured by the deceptively simple meal.
 
It didn't take more than a few spoonfuls before Dark leaned slightly against Daizi and murmured to her about how he loved and appreciated her.

"I love you too, Goose," Daizi replied, able to relish in the joy her food brought to her family.
 
The twins, sitting side by side, said nothing, but the occasional happy sigh said more than words. They leaned into each other a little, enjoying the warmth and comfort that the soup brought. If asked, Xander would say it was because he was distracted, but in the moment, he thought for certain the soup was easing the discomfort in his ankle to a deeper level that not even the drugs touched. It was amazing.
 
After they finished eating, Dark kissed Daizi on the cheek and cleaned up for her, deeply believing she deserved it after feeding them with such unmatchable skill. Then he brought Ivy upstairs for her bathtime, wanting to get any remaining paint remnant off of her.

Daizi, meanwhile, stayed downstairs with Xander so she had time to really talk with him, now that she was free of any other responsibility for the evening. As the evening drew on, she was delighted to find him in the mood to talk about her practices, and deeming him unusually open, decided to risk explaining more esoteric ideas to him, more than pleased to engage him in conversation about the details while attempting to foster his curiosity.

The next day, after seeing how Xander was feeling, Dark drove him to school, where Milo tried not to hover and did his best to keep his anxieties to himself. Sloan, meanwhile, lamented that Xander didn't have a cast for her to sign.

Come Friday, when Dark drove to pick up Alec, he actually did step out of the car and go into the flowershop. He had been avoiding it since shaving, knowing how people in this store tended to react to him, but this, he deemed, was worth the risk.
 
Xander enjoyed his conversation with Daizi. His focus wandered a little now and then, but a little prompt was usually enough to bring him back. He asked a few questions, some of them sensical and some of them not, but mostly listened and tried to follow Daizi's lines of conversation, relaxed and receptive.

At school, Xander was very glad he did not have a cast since it seemed everyone wanted to sign his non-existent cast. He didn't even really notice Milo's occasional hovering, busy focusing on getting around with his walking boot and crutches. Alec did his best to keep the way clear, and Becky had done a good job getting all the notes together for the various classes. It was a hassle, but it worked.

Alec was sweeping up the floors, and Tristan was in the back double-checking the stock. Alec grinned when he saw Dark. "Hi, Ba!"
 
"It was really good! A little slow, but with several large orders," Alec said happily. "We sold so many flowers!"

Tristan came in from the back, smiling. "Ah, Master Dark! I thought I heard your voice." His smile wavered when he saw Dark's face. His pause lasted a little too long, but he did not technically say anything about it. "How is your family doing?"
 
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