How Green Becomes Wood

"Are they?" Daizi asked, sitting up straight and turning, even though she couldn't see. It was the first time all day she had been surprised, although she didn't really have a reason to be. Of course they were waiting for them. Wild horses--literally--would need to keep Xander away from Alec, and Daizi knew perfectly well there was nothing that could keep Dark from coming to get her. And he always waited on the platform, if he got there first. But still, it was lovely to know.

They got off, and Dark quickly spotted their door, and led Xander over to them, and even though he knew exactly when he was going to see her again, he still couldn't help but smile in his little way at the sight of her. It was always good to be near her again, she was wonderful, "Hello Darling," he said, and she beamed to hear his voice, and embraced him right there, but quickly pulled away, wrinkling her nose.

"I know," he sighed, "I will shower when I get home," then he turned to Alec, and asked, "How was your day?"

Daizi slyly crossed her arms, and with a smirk said, "I know exactly how your day was, Xander."
 
Alec had to hold Daizi's arm as they walked across the platform to keep himself from running. When they reached Dark and Xander, he ignored Dark entirely and went straight to Xander. Xander trotted the last couple of steps, opened, his arms, and the pair hugged tightly, grinning ear to ear as they gripped each other. Alec buried his face in Xander's shoulder for a moment, feeling as though a massive fear had finally fallen from his shoulders. For Xander, the nagging thought of missing had finally quieted. The empty spot was filled again.

An older lady passing them smiled and murmured, "Aw, so lovely to see a family reunited after a long holiday. Wonderful!"

Xander and Alec let go of each other, and Alec hurried to hug Dark hello while Xander lightly touched Daizi's arm and said, "It was awesome! So fantastic! I can't believe you and the Professor put all that together." Turning to Alec, he said, "A horse ride! An actual horse ride on actual horse!"

"No way!" Alec cheered, letting go of Dark and turning to cling to Xander's arm. "Oh, that's so cool! What was it like?"

"The best! The absolute best! What about you? What did you do?"

"The orchestra!"

"Like you see in the movies with like a million instruments?"

"Yeah! Just like that! And the music! It's nothing like on record, it's more like a transcendental experience!"

"I might have to come to one of those."

"How long did you get to ride the horse?"

"A long while! It was a really nice one called Ghost."

The pair seemed to have forgotten Dark and Daizi were even there as they chattered at high speed to each other, walking back toward the car.
 
Following them back to the car, Daizi was glad to be back on her husband's arm. It felt right. Dark tried to hurry a bit to the car, because he could see on her face she was tired, but although this was true, she was in no rush. Neither of them said a word about it, but they felt enormously proud, and beyond that simply and quaintly satisfied, to hear their twins speak so gleefully about their different trips. Out of everything they had done since bringing them home, with the exception of the day they decided to officially and legally take them in, this felt the most like they had really done right by them. But that was an excitement they would voice later, when they were alone together. Probably that night, as they readied themselves for bed.

"I think the baby missed you," Daizi yawned, resting her head on his shoulder. They were nearly at the car, but she had no interest in letting go of him, and because she was blind, she didn't need to look where she was going, "she started kissing as soon as we kissed."

"Maybe you missed me, and she started kicking because she felt your excitement." Dark suggested, opening Daizi's door for her. She grumbled a bit, but knew she had no choice but to release him if they'd ever make it home.

Buckling in, she said, "I did miss you. You would have loved the orchestra, they played a few of your favourites."

"I am jealous I did not get to go. Perhaps next time I will." He took the top down and then got in behind the steering wheel and buckled his seatbelt before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles, "You should rest when we get home."

"I will. I think my feet are a bit swollen. You should take a shower."

"Do not worry, I am going to."
 
"I got you a CD," Alec told Xander, handing it over.

"Really? Nice!" Xander grinned, looking at the back. "These are some good songs. Oh! I got you something. Here. I thought it might be a bit of a jump-start."

Alec accepted the book and flipped through the pages. "These look really nice!"

They continued to compare the treats they'd gotten for themselves as well as each other, telling each other about bits and pieces that they'd done. Then they started whispering to each other and snickering. There was a rustle of bag in the back, more whispers, and Alec squeaked in laughter that he tried to smother with his hands.
 
"What are you laughing at?" Daizi asked, turning slightly towards them. It was good to hear the sound again, but she was a sly enough person in her own right to recognize that stifled laughter and whispers meant some shenanigan was going on, "and, oh, babe, I forgot, Alec and I bought you a t-shirt. Apparently, it is dark blue and has a piano on it. I only know that it is very soft. I am sure you will love it."

"I am sure I will," He replied, and he glanced at Xander in the rearview mirror, before looking back at the road. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. It was obvious what her intention was with buying him a t-shirt, and it was the same as his intention in buying one 'for himself.' Having that same idea, so many miles apart... He couldn't help but smile like a schoolboy with a crush, "I love you, Spider."

"I love you too," She reached over and touched the back of his neck, and they weren't just saying words. They meant it as deeply as they had the first time they had ever said them to each other. But then Daizi turned back again and said, "I still want to know what's so funny!"
 
"Nothing!" the twins answered simultaneously. Alec broke into a fit of giggles while Xander shushed him.

"Did you tell him what you got for yourself?" Alec asked Daizi as he tried to contain himself.

"What did you get?" Xander demanded. "It has to be better than what Dark got for himself." He smirked at Dark and exchanged glances with Alec.
 
"Oh, yeah, that really sounds like nothing," Daizi replied, shaking her head, and then suspiciously asked her husband, "What did you get yourself? Is it embarrassing? Did you finally give in and buy yourself that cowboy hat you've been dreaming of?"

"No, nothing like that," He replied, stealing a moment to look at her before having to tear his eyes away and look at the road. She really was perfect, "but I am much more interested in what you got."

"Everybody gets to know but me!" Daizi huffed, sliding down in her seat slightly.

"You will know, I just want to know about you first."

She folded her hands over her belly, "Hummingbird, your Baba is mean. All boys are mean."

"I am not being mean, how am I being mean? I am trying to learn about your day!"

"All boys are mean." She repeated, and then turned sharply towards Dark, "Just you wait until she's born and I have a little girl to conspire with," she turned back towards the twins, "You too. Both of you. All three of you will pay."

Dark chuckled, rolling his eyes, "I am not telling you what I bought myself until you tell me what you bought yourself."

"Alright then, keep your secrets." Daizi grumbled. But then couldn't help but laugh a bit too, it wasn't like she was actually angry, and unfortunately Dark won their game of chicken, "I bought a charm bracelet. It feels really pretty, when we stop driving I'll show it to you."

"I bought myself a t-shirt." Dark replied, proud to have won the game.

Hearing this, Daizi instantly knew why he had bought it, and she cracked up laughing so hard that for a few minutes she couldn't say anything. When she finally recollected herself, she said, "Oh, Goose, darling, love of my life--I think we spend too much time with each other."
 
Alec nudged Xander. "Did you hear that? They think they spend too much time together!"

"Oh, how cute!" Xander drawled. "They really are adorable, aren't they, Alec?"

Alec giggled as he watched Dark and Daizi. "Indeed! It's not like they are saying that in front of two people who shared a womb."

"And spend every minute-"

"Of every single day-"

"Barely a few feet apart-"

"And have since birth-"

"Minus a few hiccups here and there."

"Like school."

"I'd say they have some catching up to do," Xander said sagely while Alec tried not to laugh and mostly failed.
 
Daizi smirked, "Xander. Oh sweet Xander." Her saccharine tone was challenging, "Dark and I spend so much time together that we said, 'hey, why not make a person that is just a literal combination of the two of us?' and now we are together forever. And until she greets the world, I am carrying half of his genetic code inside my body, and some of her cells, which are made up of his cells, in part, may stay in my body for decades." She leaned over and kissed Dark's shoulder, "But, I suppose," now her tone shifted, more closely matching theirs, "If you really, really think we need to practice more..." She swiveled in her seat, turning towards her husband, "I suppose that means we're free to do whatever we like together now. Regardless of if you're around or not, because you two stay together regardless of where we are,"

"Oh?" He smiled a bit, eyeing her.

"Although... to be fair, aw the poor babies, we've been together in this life since before they were born, and have been together, or trying to get to each other, in all of our past lives... And they can't compete with that, because they feel new to me. Maybe not brand new, but maybe only once or twice before, not like us."
 
Xander and Alec exchanged uncomfortable glances. Never mind the previous lives, they were pretty certain Daizi was referring to something a lot more intimate than they wanted to think about, which was not only gross, but also completely not fair to the subject.

"Half of that, I did not understand," Alec said bluntly.

"The other half, I do not want to understand," Xander stated. "This took a really weird turn."

"Can we walk home?" Alec asked.
 
"Hey, you started it," Daizi laughed, "Do not challenge someone if you are not able to risk losing."

"We are almost home anyway, there is no need to walk." Dark replied, taking the moral high ground since he had more or less stayed out of it.

But she remained mostly amused, and although she brought her hand back to herself, she did say, "It is a different kind of togetherness, being married--I don't mean that--because you're right, we haven't been together since we were zygotes. Dark and I have to find each other, and then fall in love, which is the easy part, and then choose to find ways in which our completely different lives, with completely different histories, fit together. And that's much harder, because sometimes we're pulled in different directions, so we need to find what works. I mean, until you both, we've had nothing holding us together except for the fact we loved each other. So it's different than you two, who are bonded together from different stuff."
 
"Yeah, but it's still pretty easy to let it all fall apart," Xander said with a shrug.

Alec smiled. "That's okay. All relationships take work, even twin-ships!"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Twin-ships is not a thing."

"It can be," Alec told him, leaning in close. "It can be! We can make it be."

"Nope. Not going to happen," Xander told him, pushing him away, pretending to be a lot rougher than he was. "Hey, come on! Stay in your seat. Driver, are we there yet?"

Alec giggled and settled back in his own seat. "There. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Xander drawled.
 
"It is and it isn't," Daizi replied, yawning slightly, "because it is easy to screw up and get so caught up in the difficulties of daily life, even as individuals, it's easy to get caught up with the stress from work and bills and all of the boring adult things you don't have to worry about yet. And it's easy when that happens to forget you are more than two people sharing a house, and in that way it's hard to remember to take the time to love and value each other, the way you vowed you always would," She smiled lightly, running her fingers down Dark's arm, "But at the same time, I think it's really hard, for us two specifically, to walk away from each other. I don't mean literally. Dark crossed an ocean to be with me. And we've saved each other's lives, literally, and been through things we've only survived because we could rely on each other. Fundamentally it's easy to let it decay and crumble, but practically? It's a lot harder. We make each other better. But I meant what I said when we married, and I've meant it ever since, and long before that day, too. Right Goose?" She asked, running her nails up and down his forearm.

He nodded, very softened by the things she was saying, "It is easier to let it fall apart, I think. Being in love is not easy, people always say it is easy, but... Love is not something weak people do, because it takes strength to know what is right, and it takes strength to know what you have is worth so much, that you would rather get through the difficult parts together than take the easy way out and separate. And I, I could never imagine taking the easy route, if the other option means I get to wake up next to her every morning." They hushed for a time, and then Dark looked at them through the mirror and said, "I do not mean to lecture you--I do not think either of us do--I am sure you would have much preferred it if we agreed it was easy and left it at that, but..."

"It's too important," Daizi murmured, as they pulled into the driveway at last, "I feel bad though, Goose, you clearly knew my plan, so now it feels like I didn't get you anything."

"Daizi," Dark replied, and his tone, and the fact he used her actual name, caught her attention, "You do not need to get me anything."
 
Alec and Xander exchanged looks and got out of the car, leaving Daizi and Dark to their conversation, if they wanted to continue it. They headed inside to say hello to the poor, neglected dog.

"I'm never getting into a relationship. It's way too complicated and too easy to mess up," Alec stated to Xander.

Xander nodded. "You have to give up your whole identity and become a part of a duo if you want to make it work. And you never get a moment's peace. Especially after you have kids from the way they talk, at least if you want to be a good parent. It's no American families tend to kick their teens out."

"I don't get it," Alec agreed. "Daizi and Dark have such a tight relationship, why would they want to add a third person that's always going to be there between them?"

"The great mysteries of love," Xander said dryly. He gave Enkidu another ear-scratching. "I'm going to go take a shower."
 
When the twins left without saying a word, Dark couldn't help but chuckle as he put the top up and got out of the car, "I do not think they listened, or at least understood, a word we said."

"No, probably not," Daizi replied, getting out and stretching, "but maybe they will one day. God, I'm exhausted."

Dark took the forgotten bags from the car, "You look it. You should take a nap, I don't want you to push yourself too hard."

"I will, if you promise to join me. After you shower. I want to hear about your day." She waited for him to come around to her side before heading to the door, but he lightly caught her elbow, making her wait for just a moment.

"I meant it. What I was saying to them about love and waking up next to you? I meant it." He murmured, looking down at her while they stood in front of their door.

"I know," she replied, "I meant it too."

"I am really happy to have married you. I love you so much."

Daizi blushed. She always did, when he was so genuine and heartfelt with her, and standing on their porch like this reminded her of when they were kids and he walked her back to the Girls Dorm. But now they were adults, real ones, in front of the house they shared, with his baby growing inside of her, with two teenagers inside, probably disgusted by their antics, "I'm happier than I ever thought we could be. I love you, and I'll always love you, and I'd kiss you right here, except my feet hurt, and my belly is itchy, and you smell like horse."

Dark laughed, and lightly kissed her forehead before opening the door for her. Inside, they both gave the proper amount of affection to sweet Enkidu and then went upstairs, to shower and rest.
 
After showering and changing, Alec and Xander sat in their room with the door open. Xander sat on the floor struggling to get the horse out of the box. Why did the manufacturers feel the need to attach this thing in with so many twist ties?? And not the cheap, easy ones, either, the short metal ones. Alec sat on the bed flipping through the pages of the coloring book, looking at each of the different pictures.

Alec glanced at Xander. "Do you ever think that'll be us someday? With a girl? Or, I guess, boy?"

Xander glanced up at Alec. "Nope. Definitely not."

"Why?" Alec asked softly.

Xander paused and looked up at Alec, sucking on his thumb where the wire poked him. He studied Alec, puzzled. "Why do you care? Do you like someone?"

Alec shook his head. "No, I just thinking... It might be nice to be loved like that. No offense to you." He sighed and laid down on the bed. "Sorry. I think they're messing with my head. I'm just confused. I don't even know what I'm saying. I have you. That's enough."

Xander grumbled and stood. "No, it's okay. We're fifteen. We're supposed to be confused. I'm going to go see if I can find a pair of pliers. When I get this thing out of its ox, you wanna show me which picture you're going to start with?"

Alec smiled and nodded. "Yes. I have a few. I need you to help me pick one out."
 
Daizi didn't bother showering, or taking her hair out of its braid, she only changed, used her lotion, and fell quickly asleep in bed, snuggling her dog since Dark was in the shower.

She was already asleep when he got out, and seeing her so content lying there, he pulled the blanket over her, and didn't risk crawling in to hold her. Anyway, although he was tired, he didn't feel like sleeping. He whispered his love for her, and the baby, scratched Enkidu behind his ears, and left the bedroom.

He was restless, not knowing why. Was this nesting? It was early for it. No, this was a familiar feeling. He just liked to keep busy, that was all. But with what? The twins were occupied with each other, his wife was sleeping, his dog was sleeping, and he had just showered so he didn't feel like going to his shed to cover himself in wood shavings. Maybe he'd clean, cleaning was good. He walked past the twins' room, thinking about how it had been awhile since he last really cleaned.
 
Xander nearly walked into Dark as he stepped out of the room. "Ah! Da!" he yelped in surprise, stopping at the last second. "I thought you were up napping. You scared the living daylights out of me!"

Alec sat up in shock at the cry and then relaxed, snickering. "How did you not see a giant illustrated man walking down the hallway?"

Xander shot him a glare before asking Dark, "Where are the pliers? I can't get the stupid ties off."
 
"Da?" Dark blinked, but didn't linger on the thought, figuring it was only from surprise, "Daizi is napping, but no, I am very awake. Obviously. But good, I am glad to know I can still scare you." He hated the idea of losing his edge.

"I have a wide variety of pliers hung in my shed, but we have a tool box in the top of the linen closet, if you do not want to go that far."
 
Xander made a face at Dark before asking, "I can't reach the top shelf. Could you give me a hand? I just need to get the twist ties off, that's all."

"You could always use your sharp wits," Alec pointed out.

Xander glared at him. "I'm going to color one of your horses when you aren't looking."

Alec gave him a look of great offense and fell silent.
 
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