How Green Becomes Wood

She put her hand on the back of his head, and nodded, "You're like me. It's your third eye that gives you those feelings, and I always trust them. But I can deal with it being hard, as long as we both survive it. I do worry about it, sometimes... I think you're right, and that we both will make it through. But I think, sometimes, about my own mother. She had a son, and then died having me. Well I've had a son, and now I'm pregnant with a daughter."

Daizi brought Alec's head back down to her shoulder, "But don't carry that anxiety with you. It won't happen, the situations are different, besides that thread. I just haven't been sleeping well, like I said, so I've had too much time to sit and think and worry, and anxiety is a common symptom at this stage. At least the book I have says so." She kissed the top of his head, and then after listening to the train announcement, released him and stood, holding her hand out to him, "Come on, it's about to be our stop. We need to go wait by the doors."

~~

"I do not even think my parents chose to get married. They hated each other as much as they hated me. Arranged marriages are very common where I come from, and some are very unhappy. Beyond unhappy, I suppose. And my father was himself a veteran, the year I was born he went off to fight in a war, leaving my mother and myself as only a baby behind," He sighed, drumming more on the steering wheel, although this time not because he enjoyed the music, "War is interesting, though. Living through it as a civilian, I mean. It becomes so normal, and everyone around you is going through it too, so you get used to it. And then I came here, and nobody I meet knows what it is like, and here it is not normal. I have had students who have family members who went over to kill mine."

They made one last turn onto a gravel road, and passed a large wooden sign which read "Sage and Spice Stables."
 
Alec smiled and gripped Daizi's hand tightly as they made their way to the doors. "I am not sure I recognize this area," he admitted. "It seems to be a nice area." He stuck close to Daizi as they stepped off the train, unashamed to be seen holding her hand at fifteen. He knew himself. If he got separated, he'd probably panic and not make wise choices. If he did keep his head, there was no way he'd find his way back to her.

~~

"Dude, that sucks," Xander groaned. "Like majorly. No wonder Cooger says you were basically shell-shocked. Talk about a culture change." He stopped when he spotted the sign and rolled down the window. He stuck his head out, leaning as far as the seatbelt would allow. Pulling himself back in, he stared at Dark. "Sade and Spice Stables?" he asked, confused. There was no way it was what he thought it was, was it?
 
Daizi held his hand securely, and with her other hand used her cane to navigate through the throng of people out of the train station and to the street, "It is nice. And you don't have to worry, I know exactly where we are. Have you ever ridden in a taxi before? It'll be quicker than walking, and no chance of getting accidentally separated."

Still holding his hand, she walked to the curb, and holding out her hand and whistled, successfully hailing a cab in a surprisingly short about of time. The driver, recognizing her disability, pulled very near to the curb and rolled down the window to let her know he was available and that they could get in. Daizi thanked him, and gestured for Alec to get in first, before sliding in after him, "Bingen Concert Hall, please," Daizi said brightly, and the driver went off.

Turning to Alec, she said, "It should only be about ten minutes before we get there, so not too much longer."

~~

"It does suck," He found Xander's choice of words strangely refreshing. It was true, it had felt insurmountable, and was why meeting Daizi was so refreshing for him. She hadn't lived through a war, like he had, but she had also lived under a dictator (although she was back in Egypt during those special 18 days in 2011), and as a result they could understand each other better than anyone he had ever met until that point, "It is better, now, but still... The way people perceive my country is still so negative, and especially back then, you would think we all slaughtered babies in the street for fun."

He couldn't help but smirk when he caught Xander whipping around like that, and deciding to play into the mystery shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oh, is that what the sign said? I had not noticed."
 
Alec's breath caught when Daizi said where they were going and looked at her with bright eyes. "Concert hall? Really? Are we going there? Will there be music? Or some type of show?" He tried to settle down in his seat and not bounce like a small child. If they really were going to a concert, then he needed to behave properly. Not like a toddler that had just been handed an ice cream.

~~

Xander narrowed his eyes at Dark, his heart fluttering excitedly no matter how much he tried to tell himself to calm down. They could just be passing by it on their way elsewhere, but where else was there to go? And with the wide open fields with the pristine fences, there were only so many conclusions to draw. "Don't play with me, old man. What are we doing?" he asked suspiciously, a tiny, hopeful smile fighting to come out.
 
Daizi beamed at him, "We are going there. But you'll need to wait to see why we're going there." His excitement warmed her, and she settled into the short cab ride, her hands resting exactly where they always did these days. It was just more comfortable... She rested her head against the window.

In only a little while, they pulled up outside the concert hall. It was a lovely place, a big, old building, with large posters decorating it to advertise a Symphony performance that weekend. She paid the driver and then, after being told what side of the cab the street was on, got out. First she stretched, then she reached out for Alec's hand, "Are you ready?"

~~

"Old man!" Dark repeated in mock pain, putting one hand over his heart as he drove down the gravel road, "Oh, I drive you an hour for insults! I am not even 40, you know!"

Once more he smirked at Xander as he pulled into the parking lot, and then without another word got out of the car, "Yalla," he said, locking the car after Xander got out, and walking towards the front building.
 
Alec took Daizi's hand, unable to keep from bouncing just a little. "Oh, Daizi, it's beautiful!" The building stood before him, welcoming him with open, mysterious arms. What could be waiting inside. "I am ready," he said, making sure his tie was straight, his shirt tucked, and his belt buckled. "I am extraordinarily ready!" He actually stepped out first then forced himself to wait for Daizi to lead the way.

~~

"Wow, that is like half way through life," Xander said as he got out of the car. "So taking in a pair of psychotic twins was some sort of midlife crisis? I know it!"

He followed Dark toward the building. He shoved his hands into his pockets, both excited and nervous. What was going on? What was happening right now?
 
She didn't stop beaming as she led Alec close to the building. After going through security, she went into her purse and handed Alec his ticket so he could be scanned in.

The building was just as beautiful inside as it was outside with tall, vaulted ceilings and large mirrors on the walls. In the hall was a concessions stand and a small booth to buy merchandise for the symphany: t-shirts, scarves, CDs, charm bracelets, and the standard coffee table book.

They weren't alone in the lobby, and keeping her hand on Alec, she led him to an usher, who handed Alec a program before helping them to their seats. They sat with Daizi on an aisle, raised up slightly so Alec could definitely see, right where the sound would be best.

"I told you," She said, squeezing his shoulder, "there are some things you would love, that your brother wouldn't, and you should still get to enjoy them."

~~

"Maybe," Dark teased, "but be careful, or else you will be required to view your seventh birthday as your midlife crisis."

Inside the building, he presented his phone to the man behind the front desk, and a few minutes later, a woman with a low ponytail in riding gear came out to greet them, "Hi!" She said cheerfully, "Are you both here for the Trail Adventure? My name's Cindy, I'll be your guide and instructor today. Why don't you come on back and we can have a little safety talk before going to meet the horses!"
 
"Oh my goodness," Alec whispered, eyes sparkling as he followed Daizi like a star-struck puppy. "Oh my goodness!" He almost forgot the take the pamphlet from the usher he was so excited. He took his seat and looked down at the stage, leaning over as far as he dared to see as much as he could. "Oh my goodness. This is so amazing!"

He sat himself down and tried to breathe and relax. "Do you know where we are? Of course you do, of course you do, but we're here! Here! At a concert!" He got ahold of himself and took a few deep breathes. "You're right, though, Xander would hate this."

~~

Xander's eyes widened. "Trail Adventure? Horses? Safety talk?" He turned his wide eyes to Dark. "Are you serious?" His voice squeaked embarrassingly as a nervous, excited smile took over his face. He shook himself and turned to the instructor. "I mean, yes, Miss Cindy, I'm ready for a safety course."

He felt like he was going to pass out. He was going to ride a horse? Seriously? On a trail? HIM? He focused on breathing and not doing a backflip. He'd embarrassed himself enough already.
 
"I know we are!" Daizi replied, showing as much excitement as Alec, even though it wasn't her first time, "It's a really well respected Orchestra, too. I'm so glad you're excited, I've had these tickets for a month." She reached over and smoothed his hair, "Maybe it would've been easier if I had told you in advance, it would have given you something to look forward to, but I really wanted to surprise you."

She did feel a bit guilty about not revealing it sooner, but listening to his excitement and joy made it very, very worth it. They were here now, and that's what mattered, "I know that he would, but I promise he is probably screaming right now where he is--in a good way. I'll bet he's just as excited as you are."

~~

Dark couldn't help but smile at Xander's reaction. He tried to keep the calm act up, but it felt so, so good to know that he had done well, "I am always serious," he replied, but grinned while he said it. Xander had lived with him for eight months at this point, or just under, they would hit eight months in a few weeks, and in all that time, he had never heard Xander look so much, well, like a kid.

"We love to see that excitement!" Cindy chirped, and led them back out of the building where a beautiful white horse was grazing behind a fence, "This is Tiffany, and I know that's kind of a funny name for a horse, it's a very long story. Now, the first thing you need to know, is never stand directly in front of or in back of the horse, because they have blind spots there, and you always approach the horse from the front, towards their shoulder." She went on to explain all the basic safety rules about how to exist in the presence of a horse, and then went into the bag at her hip and pulled out a treat, which she handed to Xander, "Would you like to feed her a snack? She'll love you forever if you do."
 
Alec turned and gave her the best hug he could in the awkward position seated side by side. "Thank you!" he whispered. "This is the best surprise I've ever received. Thank you!"

He felt he was going to burst from happiness! He was trying very hard not to as that would be disruptive to the other patrons. It wasn't even so much what the surprise was - though the orchestra was fantastic by itself - but the fact that Daizi had obviously put a lot of thought and work into this event. She had taken what he liked into consideration as well as how much anxiety it would cause. This was something they could enjoy together. That meant more than anything.

~~

Xander tried to take everything she said to heart, listening intently to her every word. His heart thudded in excitement, but he tried to keep his head. It wouldn't do to start acting like a lunatic and scare the horse. Then Cindy offered him the treat, and he looked at her in surprise. "Really? I can? What's the best way to offer a treat without accidentally losing a finger?" He eyed the horse curiously. They were a lot bigger in person.
 
Daizi turned towards him and did her best to hug him back, feeling very limited by her baby bump, since it meant she couldn't as easily lean over the arm rests to reach him, but she held him as tightly as she could, "You're welcome," she whispered, rubbing his back, "You deserve this. You deserve so, so much."

The lights dimmed, although she didn't know (she had already turned her phone of when she sat down), but she pulled away from Alec as she heard the basic safety announcements about where the emergency exits were. Then the curtains drew back, where all of the musicians sat ready to play. A wave of anticipation washed over the entire theatre as the conductor went to his spot and raised his arms. Then, the music began to play. The first song began softly, but still it filled the space, and the musicians all appeared almost like apparitions, their movements gentle and divine.

~~

"Approach her just like I explained, and present it with your palm flat and your fingers together," Cindy held up her hand in demonstration, "and hold your hand low at your side, like this, so Tiffany can lower her head to your hand, and then she'll just eat it up. I'll warn you though, it tickles. And you can pet her nose, too."

The horse eyed Xander as curiously as he eyed her. Or, she eyed the treat, it was hard to tell. Either way, she was standing with her head over the fence, waiting.

"Go on," Dark urged quietly, standing beside Xander.
 
Alec went very still as the music began to play. For just that moment, he forgot where he was. He forgot Xander, dark, and even Daizi. There was just music. He leaned forward in his seat, eyes half closed, and listened with what felt like his entire body. The music surrounded him, filling him with peace as the gentle music swelled around him. So this was what it meant to "experience the music."

~~

Xander stood frozen for a second. Horses were huge! No picture in a book or seeing them from a distance had quite prepared him for that. Then Dark gently urged him forward. He let out a quiet breath and gingerly stepped forward, trying to stay in the horse's field of view. He held out a shaking hand, held flat, the treat on his palm. Closer, the horse had a scent. He hadn't thought of that. It smelled like grass, hay, and something else distinct. Horse smell, he supposed. It wasn't bad, but different. He watched the big, liquid eyes, seeing himself reflected there as the horse looked back at him.
 
Daizi sat calmly beside him, gently nodding and swaying to the music. She didn't lose herself as completely as Alec did because she was tethered down by the little feet and rolls she felt, out of time to the beat. But she enjoyed it all the same, not at all bothered by the little intrusion. Alec's joy and contentment radiated off of him.

At the end of the song, the audience began to applaud, and even though Daizi had never been fully transported, it still startled her, because she had been moved enough to forget there were people in the room besides herself, Alec, and the little fetus tucked away inside, but after a moment of surprise she joined them, until it died down and the second song began. This one, was a bit more intense.

~~

Gently, and with little hesitation, Tiffany bent her head down and ate the treat from Xander's hand, and seemed to enjoy it. Dark, secretly, knowing Xander was probably too distracted from getting to feed a real, living horse took out his phone and took a few pictures of him. Once the twins had said they didn't do pictures, but they didn't seem to mind the pictures of them on the fourth of July, and if anything... Dark knew Xander would want to see these. And he'd want to be able to show Alec later.

And he wanted them too. School wouldn't start up again until September, but it would begin, and in his desk, he kept a picture of Daizi, and his baby's sonograms, but he didn't have a picture of Alec and Xander. He hadn't found the right ones, yet, but seeing the light in Xander's face as he got to live his dream? That felt like the right one.
 
Alec jumped at the applause and didn't join in mainly out of surprise at the sound. He sat back and took a deep breath, letting it out with a happy sigh. It was so beautiful, it seemed a shame to ruin it with a jarring round of applause. Still, he supposed that was how the musicians knew they were doing a good job. He leaned over, eyes scanning the orchestra, trying to pick out each instrument. Despite the school's best attempts, it was still only a middling public school. They didn't have the funds for a lot of these instruments. He hadn't ever seen some of them in real life. Violins and trumpets, sure, but never a gong! At least there weren't any cannons, meaning they probably weren't going to do the 1812 Overture.

~~

Xander stiffened, trying to to quake as the horse's warm breath brushed over his hand, and her feathery whiskers tickled his palm. What a thrill! A tentative smile emerged, and he reached up slowly with his other hand to stroke the horse's nose and cheek. He didn't say anything, not sure what to say, but this moment was perfect! If they did nothing else that day, he would walk away happier than he'd been in a long time.
 
Daizi reached over to him, deciding she wanted to be absolutely certain she didn't lose him completely. They were there together, and since she couldn't just steal glances at him, she instead rested her hand against his upper arm and lightly tapped her fingers against him, the way she would with Dark. It was a silent gesture, which from the outside seemed like nothing, but being on the receiving end of it felt like love.

~~

"Alright!" Cindy said cheerfully, after the horse raised his head, "Let's go check out the stable! It's where we keep our helmets, which all riders are required to wear, and you'll get to meet all of the horses, including the two you'll be riding! They're already saddled and ready to go, we just have to lead them out! And don't worry, we'll teach you about riding them before we hit the trail!"

Dark followed her towards the stable after waiting for Xander, and as they walked, in a low tone he said, "I had originally planned to bring both you and Alec here, because I searched up riding stables months ago, and have really only been waiting for the season here to begin, but since Daizi can't join us, it seemed better for all of us to let her do something with him, and take you here alone."
 
Alec smiled at Daizi's touch and sat back, enjoying himself. He didn't know how this could possibly get any better! It was amazing.

~~

Xander grinned as he rubbed his hand on his pants. "Well, I've learned that I'm terrified of horses, so I'm probably going to completely embarrass myself, but I'm all for giving riding a try even so! I wonder if they have a shire horse for you. Those are the biggest horses, so big that even you would look small on one." He looked around before saying quietly, "Thanks. This is awesome."
 
Eventually, but too quickly, the first half of the performance came to a close, and the lights came up for intermission. When she heard everyone milling around and the quiet roar of conversations start up, Daizi turned to Alec brightly and said, "How was that?" She asked, still touching his arm.
~~

"I do not think you are terrified," Dark replied earnestly, "only nervous and excited. And I called ahead to let them know I am the size that I am, and they promised they had a horse large enough for me, but I did not ask the breed." He took a step closer to Xander and hunched his shoulders slightly, he bent down just a bit to say, "You are welcome. I thought you needed something..." He couldn't think of the right word to he let his sentence hang in the air, unfinished.

Inside the stable, Cindy handed them helmets and then went through introducing the different horses in the stable. She stopped at a sleek grey horse and said, "Okay, Xander, this is Ghost, he'll be who you're riding today. We thought about giving you Mitch over there," she pointed to a brown one, "but he's been giving some attitude today, so Ghost was the smarter choice." She walked down a bit to a massive black horse, "And this is Brego, who you will be roding."

"Brego?" Dark repeated, looking his horse up and down, "His name is kingly."

Cindy laughed a bit too hard at this comment and said, "Wow, we don't get many people who get the reference!"
 
Alec reached up and gripped Daizi's arm gently. "This is truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Thank you so much. It's fantastic!"

~~

Xander redded a little at Dark's earnestness, but despite his discomfort, he appreciate it deeply. Dark had arranged all of this with him in mind. With all of them. It was something he didn't know how to properly handle, even after nearly eight months of living with him. He forgot any discomfort, though, as they walked through the cool barn and passed the horses. He stopped at the grey horse and looked it over. He couldn't help grinning. A nice, solid grey horse. Yes, he had decided it. If he had absolutely no other goals in life, if he achieved no other goals, he was going to have a horse. Someday, somehow, he was getting his own horse. He hadn't even gotten up on one yet, but he knew with ever bone in his body, he wanted one. Other kids wanted a dog, he wanted a horse. He ignored Dark and Cindy bonding over movie references and stepped up closer, holding out a hand flat to introduce himself to the horse. He stayed within reach but didn't push, giving the horse all the space it wanted to get a good look at him.
 
"I'm really glad..." Her smile faltered for a moment, and she held Alec a bit more tightly, "I've been so worried about you. About both of you. And I don't want you to hear that and feel guilty because you don't need to be... I just..." She gently cupped Alec's face, "I'm really, really happy that everything will be okay, now. That it'll be you, and Xander, and Dark and me, and this baby, and nothing will ever rip us apart, because I want you and your brother in my life forever." She rubbed his arm with her thumb, "I know I'm not your mom, and I'm very happy only being, well, your Daizi, I guess, but... You are like my son. And I want to give you experiences like this, and I want you to be so, so happy. Because I know it's been really hard for you to be happy."

~~

Ghost lowered his head and allowed himself to be stroked, showing no hesitation around Xander. Dark and Cindy both turned, seeing it, and of course Dark took more pictures and after giving them a few moments to get acquainted, Cindy slowly interrupted the conversation to ask, "Are you ready to lead him out into the pasture?"
 
Alec smiled at Daizi, fighting tears. "It is an honor to be your son, and I am so, so grateful we trusted the scary teacher and got in his car that snowy day. I'm so grateful we found each other, because I never want us to ever split up! Ever, ever. I am happy now. I'm happy with you, I'm happy with the professor, I'm happy with the baby, and I'm even happy with the pets! I wouldn't want to change a single thing, even the bad bits, because the bad bits showed me I could trust you. Deep-down, trust fall over a lake of lava trust you. I've never trusted anyone like that before. I never want to lose it."

~~

Xander took a shaky breath. "Yes, ma'am, I'd like that." He stepped back, waiting to be shown what to do. "He'll trust me to let me lead?"
 
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