How Green Becomes Wood

When Xander shot off, for a moment Dark considered if perhaps he should have asked what his limits were, physically, considering he did not like being touched. But he had challenged him after the threat of being thrown over a shoulder, so he decided he could only take him at his word. With that, he chased after him.

As expected, he easily caught up with the teenager. Longer legs and good stamina had that benefit, and when Xander dashed to the side, Dark did not stumble. Nor did he immediately move sideways. Instead, like a herding dog, he continued to run straight for a time, but then curved in a wide arc, until he was facing Xander, running head on towards him.
 
This was not Xander's first time running from an adult, though Dark was working smarter than most. Xander ran straight at Dark, getting closer than one might have expected, and at the last minute, before he got within arm's reach of Dark, he flung himself down and back, skidding like a baseball player heading for a plate, but instead of sliding far, his shoes caught the pavement, jerking him to a stop and allowing him to instantly change direction on a dime. He flung himself bodily back the way he'd come for four steps before dashing to the right and back to the left, moving in sharp sig-zags as opposed to Dark's long-legged, rounded lines. He used his smaller size to his advantage to whip around the various parts of Dazi's garden, ducking under the tree's branches where Dark couldn't go and running in another random direction.
 
Dark had expected Xander to just whip around, so when instead he threw himself down, he couldn't help but be impressed at the kid. He was thankful he had never neglected agility in his workouts, nor had he ever focused on bulk. This was not an offensive lineman chasing Xander down, he was clever, more of a jaguar than a lion, and enjoying the hunt, the child in him felt a strong urge to climb up in their largest tree and wait to pounce, but his logic won out. That would not do.

In his estimation, Xander's jagged path and use of the foilage was ultimately to his own benefit: it expended more energy than his continuous pace. If he could count on his stamina, eventually Xander, who was less trained, would tire just enough for him to make a mistake. So he did not try to follow his zig-zags, and only turned when it seemed necessary.

This was personal. Xander had locked him in the closet, it was only right he be caught.
 
Xander managed to stay ahead of Dark and just out of reach for some time. He'd pause now and then to catch his breath and check where Dark was, but it was only ever for a second once he was certain he was out of reach. He was steadily tiring and growing frustrated but in a challenged way. He'd gotten close to getting to the house, but somehow, some way, Dark was always just in the way. He'd never faced quite such a challenging opponent. It was fun! But he was growing more and more determined to raise his endurance until he could outlast Dark. Maybe he should try to take up running when Dark wasn't looking. How he was going to manage that, he wasn't sure.

Then he spotted a hole in Dark's defense. He charged forward with the last of his speed and strength and all but dove passed Dark, heading for the house.
 
It was pleasing--purely from the position of the game--to see Xander tire. Anytime he paused for breath, Dark could see his win coming closer. But that was not to say he did not, himself, tire as well. Not to the same extent, as he was more prepared (although why he had, it seemed, trained to chase someone down was a mystery, it certainly was not his intention), but they were not running with marathon intentions. And it was approaching mid-July, so it was hot.
Dark came from the desert, he knew heat, but it was humid, also, which was not like where he had been raised, and it made it more difficult. Once or twice, after a particularly sharp turn, he nearly stumbled, and he silently cursed the uneven ground.

It took no words to determine Xander making it to the house meant he was safe, and after the teenager dove past him as a last ditch attempt to make it to the porch, Dark skidded to a stop for merely a second. He would not lose to him again, he could not.

Charging forward, blocking him off, those moves were impossible. He could not stop him from reaching the steps that way. Instead, he crouched, and sprung forward. In the final moment, just before Xander reached freedom, he managed to sneak one of his long arms around Xander's waist, and in the same movement he used to stand, with his other arm scooped him up and over his shoulder, with just enough space to then slow down and stop, panting, without colliding into the porch.
 
Xander squealed when a pair of arms scooped him up off the ground and up into the air. "Hey! Put me down!" he yelped, struggling to get free. His struggles got him slung over a broad shoulder, and he wheezed as he folded in half, losing his breath as his lungs were crushed. "I am not a sack of flour!"

Alec sat in one of the chairs off to the side, daintily sipping a glass of lemonade. "And here we see the dessert jaguar has outmatched the fleet gazelle in its desperate dash for freedom," he said calmly.

Xander wriggled and squirmed, wheezing out complaints at Dark.
 
Dark laughed in his rich, rumbling way. It had always been a rare sound, and remained as suck, but pleasant to hear, "Really?" He asked, energized from the activity and thrilled of his win. Still, he set Xander down, despite his innate desire to drag it out longer. But he knew Xander did not like being touched, and his behavior always suggested to Dark it would be damaging to restrain him, not physically, but in other ways, "You weigh about as much as one."

After Xander was back on his feet, Dark leaned against the railing of the steps leading to the porch, giving a sportsmanly nod to Alec, to catch his breath, "You are certainly faster than a bag of flour, though, although I suppose that is not saying much. How did you find the world from my height?"
 
Xander brushed himself off, feeling unpleasant from the handling, but it had been worth it. He'd gotten so close to outmaneuvering Dark! So close to winning! He smirked at Dark as he pulled down his shirt where it had ridden up, exposing a thin, faint scar on his abdomen, a continuation from higher up on his chest. "Eh, overrated. You're faster than you look. Not bad."

"It was quite fun from my angle," Alec said happily. He nodded to the table. "I brought lemonade."

"Yum," Xander said, heading straight for a chair and dropping down wearily. "I'm too old for this! I'm already too hot and tired to move!" He wiped the sweat trickling into his eyes.
 
Dark noticed the scar, but said nothing. It was too hot, he didn't have sleeves to pull down to obscure the thin, faded and tattooed over scars on his forearms. The rest were still covered, but not those, although they were almost important to notice unless someone knew to look, which was the idea. But he knew, from when they were more visible how uncertain it had been anytime they were commented on.

"I train regularly," Dark said coolly, "not with the intention of chasing someone, although it will be a useful skill when the baby starts walking. Thank you, Alec."

He sat down, easier than Xander did, although his breathing was still heavy, and he pushed his hair out of his eyes, now hanging from sweat, not Xander messing with it, "You are not old," he said, taking one of the glasses and drinking from it, "Although being too hot and tired is a common complaint Daizi has been making lately," this was true, but the unintended implication was amusing, "I used to throw her over my shoulder. Obviously I cannot, now. But before, when she would be in a very teasing mood, I would retaliate by scooping her up, and putting her in a different room. She would just come right back, but..." A small, wistful smile spread over his face, and looked over the garden. They hadn't felt old, he and Daizi. They played like kids, still, at least in some ways. But now she was pregnant, very pregnant, and they couldn't play like that anymore, because it was dangerous, and she was so often tired and sore. For the first time, it made them feel old. They weren't, but the lack some of the things they had to temporarily give up, which he missed dearly, made them feel that way.
 
"I guess I'm going to have to start training, too," Xander replied.

"I think I am going to be quite happy not training," Alec replied cheerfully. "I have other things I'd rather be doing than running around in this heat."

Xander stretched. "I guess Daizi could take up swimming. Swimming is like the best way to cool off and stuff."

Alec made a face. "As long as there aren't a bunch of people in the pool, too. Why don't you build yourself your own pool or at least a pond?"
 
"A pond would be nice," Dark agreed, looking out over his garden, "a pool is too much work to maintain. And I think it would negatively affect the garden. A pond could not be deep enough to swim in, if we did add one. We could have frogs, though. Or koi..." He thought about it for moment, "No, that would need to be a future project. We are doing too many projects in the house right now. Some things need to wait."

He turned back to them, and took another sip of lemonade, "She does want to go swimming. We try to go to the beach at least once every summer. She would take those swim classes designed for pregnancy, but her schedule does not allow for it, we have too many other classes we need to take, so unfortunately she does not have the time for another, in addition to work. I wish she had a break like we do..." He sighed deeply, looking down into his glass, "I think it bothers her a lot she cannot spend as much time with you both as I can."
 
Xander frowned a little as he circled his glass with both hands. "Why would she? She has a really cool and important job, one she loves, and she spends more effort in being here than most other parents. At least we get to hang out on the weekends."

Alec slimed faintly. "She would go crazy stuck here with us, that is for certain, and, yes, she at least tries. So many of the others at school, their parents complain that they 'don't know' their teen, but from the sounds of things, those same parents would rather send their teen to some kind of sport instead of actually spending time with them. No, this is much better." He sipped lightly on his lemonade.

Xander nodded. "Besides. Soon we won't get her at all, or you, so it's better that we don't get used to the constant attention, right?"
 
"Because she wants to spend time with you," Dark replied, like it was simple and obvious, "and because when she is here, she is much more limited in what she can do, both because of her pregnancy and her disability," he gestured towards the yard, "she could not have run like that, not now. She never would have been able to succeed in chasing you down, and she cannot zig-zag like that, not in this yard, anyway, but if it were last year she would still be able to run. It is never easy, being the only one unable to do what everyone else does," he nodded to Alec, "or could, if they chose to. And it must be isolating--when she comes come, we can tell her what we did, and she never gets to be a part of it."

He sighed, thinking deeply about it. Certainly it was also compounded by the fact she was the only woman amongst them, which separated her in other ways, "And you will still see us, after the baby comes. It is not like we are shutting ourselves up in the nursery until the baby reaches a certain age: we will be around, babies sleep a lot. What do you think parents do when they have a baby and a toddler? They do not leave the two year old to their own devices. We will not disappear," Dark seemed very certain of this. It would be different, he knew that, but they would not have completely separate lives. They still planned to spend most of their day downstairs, so they and the baby would not be kept in isolation. That would drive them really crazy. Although, if the twins expected them to do so, Dark realized they may be unprepared for some of what was to come, "...And, you must excuse me, because I am well aware this is awkward to mention, but since Daizi in particular will not be locking herself away... Are you prepared for when the baby eats? I know her, and she is not going to throw a blanket over her shoulder or scurry off to a different room in her own home."

It seemed unlikely they had considered that particular reality of a baby in the house, but he didn't linger on the thought more than he needed to. It was enough to mention it, instead he said, "And I suppose we will see if it does drive her crazy, being home, since she is taking a much longer leave than I am, since I am limited to only twelve weeks, we do not want to put the baby into daycare as a, well, baby, and her work is accommodating with these things. And because she supplies certain things the baby will need."
 
There was a lot to unpack in everything Dark had to say, and, in truth, neither Alec nor Xander fully followed him but in different ways. Xander didn't understand why Daizi felt left out. If she couldn't run around, so what? They would just do something she could do. She had to work, and she seemed to like her job, so they'd just do stuff with her when they could, like music and board games and whatever else she liked to do. It was no big deal.

As for Alec, he didn't understand her and especially Dark's strange unhappiness with pregnancy. At times it seemed like the thing that made them the happiest, but especially lately, it seemed to only bring them both pain. It was only nine months, and they had said she'd wanted nothing more than to be a mother, so while it looked as uncomfortable as wearing heels while mountain climbing, it wasn't forever, unlike her other disability. He understood why she'd feel left out thanks to her blindness, but he also knew that everyone in the household was more than happy to try to do whatever it took to meet her on her level. Anything. So why did he and - he assumed - Dark feel guilty for being able to do things she couldn't?

Neither of them believed Dark when he tried to assure them he and Daizi would be there after the baby was born. Sure, they'd both be there physically, but how present would they actually be? The twins weren't toddlers, and Dark and Daizi hadn't had to experience them as babies. This was going to be their first baby, they were going to be obsessed, they were clearly already obsessed, and that baby was going to have them wrapped around her finger from moment one. Dark and Daizi might be present in the house, but the baby was going to e the one getting the attention no matter how exhausted Dark and Daizi were going to be.

Then came the final piece of information, and Xander frowned as he tried to work it out. "What are you talking about? You can change a diaper, clean her, do all of that just like Daizi can. What does she have special?"

"I think he means Daizi wants to breastfeed," Alec said calmly. "I'm not sure how that's going to work out since she has work, and most reputable daycares have age minimums for babies anyway. I read it in the paper a while back when a daycare got into some kind of trouble for overcrowding and taking babies too young."

"Wait," Xander said, waving a hand. "Just wait. You mean Daizi wants to feed the kid from her..." He waved in the vicinity of his chest. "And she's not going to cover it up? Like at all?"
 
"She is not going to work until the baby is weaned. Or at least not until the only feeding of that sort is in the morning or at night, so her job will not interfere." That was the easier thing to explain. The other part, although natural, was understandably concerning and bizarre to a fifteen year old.

Mildly amused by Xander's tactful use of gesturing, Dark nodded slowly and said, "It is what breasts are for, so it only makes sense to use them as intended. And the baby is going to cover the part that would be censored on TV, so really you will only end up seeing a bit more than what you have already seen in some of her dresses. Baby will have a head like this when she is born," He held his hands in a circle to estimate the size, "and will only continue to grow after that. And Daizi will only have one out at a time, so really--There is nothing to trouble yourself over."
 
"I don't want to see any boobs," Xander said flatly. "I don't even like them on TV. It's pathetic that they think they can get away with only coving that one bit. It's like having a curse on something but it's okay because one letter has an asterisk. Who do they think they're fooling? No one. I don't want to be here if she's not going to cover up."

Alec ignored Xander as he tried to remember how old babies were when they were weaned. He remembered seeing some people on TV feeding them that way until they were three or so, but then other people said that was weird. How old were they supposed to be? He'd try to remember to look it up later. It seemed Xander was about to start an argument about something, so now was not a good time to ask Dark.
 
"Okay, well," He held up one hand, magnanimously, not angered but nonetheless firm, "If you would prefer to stay in your room while she breastfeeds, that is your choice, but remember that Daizi is a person, and will be in a vulnerable time, exhausted, and just trying to feed a baby. When the baby is screaming for food, I do not think modesty will be the first thing on her mind. Your discomfort is yours to handle, and I trust you can be polite about it. You have many months to prepare."
 
Xander shrugged. "Fair, but if it's her house to wander around with a boob hanging out, it's my house to say I don't want to see a boob hanging out, no matter how natural it is. I'm not looking at boobs, and I'm not changing a girl's diaper."

"I thought mothers liked to be comfortable when feeding, so won't she have a nice, special chair in the nursery? Maybe a special spot in the living room?" Alec asked.
 
"She will not be 'wandering around with a boob hanging out,'" the word sounded strange in his accent, "she will only take it out when the baby wants to eat, and then put it away when the baby is full. It really is not a big deal, her shirt remains on... But I think it is important to remember it is part of her body, so if at some point you catch sight of it, and you react in disgust, it will be hurtful, for her. Whatever issues you have with breasts are not her fault, and it would be wrong to make her feel there is something wrong with herself or what she is doing. Like I said, she will be at a vulnerable time, and if you, intentionally or otherwise, make her feel ashamed about what she needs to do, then it can have very real consequences for her."

He leaned back in his chair. Dark had anticipated 'ew, gross!' reactions, but this felt almost near to hate, or if not, much stronger of a reaction than he could have predicted, "She will have a rocking chair in the nursery, but it will be mostly for morning and night feedings, not the daytime ones. It is unfair she should lock herself into seclusion when she is doing what she is designed to do. The rest she will probably do in the living room, but I do not know. But, yes, again, she will not be wandering the house."
 
Alec nudged Xander as he was about to reply and answered for him. "I think you misunderstand," Alec told Dark. "It's not disgust. Our mum instilled in us a very strong sense of what boys and girls are never, ever supposed to see concerning each other. Ever. Age was never a factor in those talks, and I think you can guess why she was so adamant about it. Xander's not disgusted. He's scared of breaking a rule."

"I am not scared!" Xander protested.

Alec continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Our mum never got around to explaining to us the difference between seeing a naked woman and changing a baby's diaper or even really what happens if you want an actual relationship. It's not a conversation that ever happened, so while we might both logically know there's a difference, instinctively we want nothing to do with, uh, exposed flesh. To us, it's not something to be ashamed of anymore than being ashamed of needing to go to the bathroom, but you still don't talk about your constipation at the dinner table." He paused, frowning. "That's not exactly the best analogy... that makes it sound far worse than it is."

"Farting at the dinner table? Belching? Even if it feels really, really good?" Xander suggested.

"Not helping." Alec shook his head. "Anyway, it's not something to be ashamed of, just not something we feel comfortable with. I think I can speak for both of us when I say talking about breasts triggers memories of some very harsh lectures."
 
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