How Green Becomes Wood

"I'd like to go to the park, but I don't want to go somewhere you can't," Daizi said, holding Ivy close to her chest, "We can decorate cookies, though. But someone needs to make them, and the frosting, I don't think we have any that lying around... But also, I don't really care if we all just sit together, even if we're not actually doing something as a group. I just want to be near all of you.
 
"I don't mind making up the cookies," Xander offered, already standing.

Alec caught his arm and pulled him back down. "You've already been doing a lot today, and you aren't supposed to. Relax. I'm sure we can find something to talk about as a family."
 
"We can put on a movie," Daizi suggested. "One with audio description, obviously, so you can close your eyes if you need to but still get the full experience. Or at least as full of an experience as I get. I know some movies that are actually better with AD."
 
"That sounds cool," Xander agreed with some thought.

"Oh! I'm totally closing my eyes, too!" Alec agreed eagerly. "It sounds relaxing. Well, depending on the movie, I guess."
 
Dark and Daizi went down to the living room together and put on Honour Among Thieves, a movie Daizi mainly liked because they made the audio description track feel engaging and like a real part of the story, which she liked, because it made her feel like she wasn't missing anything.

However, despite how much she enjoyed the film, she fell asleep about halfway into it with Ivy, also asleep, on her chest. Dark was holding them both, so he was able to make sure Ivy didn't roll out of her mother's arms. As comfortable as he was, and as much as he might have wanted to fall asleep with them, he couldn't, because someone had to keep an eye out for Ivy so she didn't get hurt.
 
Alec tried but couldn't keep his eyes shut. He sat watching the movie, completely engrossed and enjoying every second of it as if it was his first time watching, even though it wasn't. He eventually noticed Dark' predicament and offered to move Ivy for him, expecting him to say no. They looked pretty cozy, even if Dark couldn't fully relax.

Xander, for his part, did not fall asleep. Fully. He dozed. It was a nice, comfortable time, and his body was still working on trying to fix itself. As frustrated as he might feel about how tired he was and how much he napped, it was what was needed, and he didn't feel too worried about it this time. It was a good day for nappy.
 
Dark did say he was quite alright where he was, and it was true. He was comfortable, and he thought Daizi might wake up if someone came and took Ivy from her. Or Ivy would, she was holding onto Daizi pretty tightly as far as he could tell, and if she woke up, Daizi would too. It was better off this way. These were his two favourite girls in all of the world, he was glad to be able to hold them both.

Daizi didn't wake up until about twenty minutes after the end of the film, and even it was only because Ivy woke up hungry, so she didn't have much of a choice to wake up. She went upstairs to the nursery, while Dark stayed downstairs to hunt for good options to hang the twins' present to Daizi, who would have the final say in its placement, but it would help her to know what options were available. A few relaxed hours later, Dark started on dinner, surprised to find himself feeling nervous knowing what they were approaching.
 
Alec stayed with Daizi to help her with Ivy, and Xander helped Dark in the kitchen. Xander didn't show it, but he was just as nervous as Dark. Perhaps a little more-so. This was a big, important deal, and he just hoped they'd handle it well. Was this a good day for it? Surely there couldn't be a better day. Was this fancy enough? Too fancy? He tried to shake off the thoughts and focused on working with the food. At least making a fancier-than-normal dinner kept his hands and mind occupied.

Just before dinner was ready, Alec slipped upstairs and fetched the gift, bringing it downstairs and leaving it in the living room. He wanted it closer so it wouldn't take too long to fetch after dinner, but not too close. His stomach was a knot of butterflies. Would Daizi be annoyed? Worried that he was being too flippant after what he'd already told her? Would she think they were turning this day about her into a day about themselves? No, he didn't think so, but his hands still shook as he set the table.
 
Since they had discussed eating outside, and the weather was nice for it, Dark went outside, lay a nice table cloth over their outdoor table, and, just when Daizi came outside to join them for dinner, he lit a few candles before bringing out the food. It was certainly the fanciest meal of the day, but she deserved it.

"You all worked way too hard for me," Daizi told them, extremely touched but worried for them, "You'll all be so exhausted tomorrow!"

"It is worth it," Dark told her, kissing her hand as he sat down with her.

"I just want you all to heal,"

He gazed at her lovingly, "This is healing. It would hurt us worse not to treat you the way you deserve, after everything you do for us."
 
"I hardly did anything at all. I'm fine," Alec assured her, waiting for her to sit down before sitting, himself.

"Same," Xander told her. "Besides, I'd get bored if I didn't do anything."

"And you are worth any bit of exhaustion we may or may not feel tomorrow," Alec agreed.
 
Daizi wanted to argue, but she knew they were probably right, and taking a sip of the wine Dark poured for her, she said, "I hope you understand how it felt when I was really pregnant and you all were trying to do everything for me."

"You enjoyed it a little bit," Dark teased, clinking his glass with hers, his eyes lighting up when she leaned against him.

"A little bit," She agreed, "Eventually. I had to learn to adjust."
 
"Well, now it's just a single special night. Er, day," Alec corrected himself, fidgeting with his fork. "Not always."

"How come no one ever does stuff like this for me?" Xander asked mildly.

"We tried. Like three days ago. When your head was bad. You hated it," Alec pointed out.

"Oh. RIght. Well, I got pringles and mac-and-cheese out of it, so I'm happy."
 
"It has been really special," Daizi agreed, not at all picking up on his slip of the tongue, "and, Xander, you know I would baby you in a minute if you would let me. Not that any of you are allowed to baby me. You may not accept it well, but I'm always going to fuss over you, habibi. That's my job. It's my job to fuss over all of you."

Dark shook his head and then looked at her like it was the first time and the last time all at once, "That is true, you have fussed over me hundreds of times."

"And I'm going to keep doing so, somebody has to."
 
Alec giggled at that. "And I'm the back-up fusser! In training."

"You're going to make someone a great wife someday," Xander said drolly to his brother.

"Why, thank you very much!" Alec chirped. "You'll be an excellent Grumpy Dwarf in the next Snow White production."
 
"Ouch," Daizi laughed, putting one hand over her heart, "My worry isn't because I'm a woman, it's because I love deeply. You can be a man and a husband and still fuss."

"That is true, I have an unending supply of worry." Dark said with a solemn nod of his head.

"I know you do, babe," Daizi murmured, caressing his poor, anxious face. He was going to give himself an ulcer one day, she was sure of it. "I'll always be glad we ran away together. It's so much fun to run away with someone. And then start a life." She squeezed his arm, "Thank you for cooking dinner."

"You are welcome. You should eat it before it gets cold." He told her, and then took a quick look at his boys.
 
"I know," Xander shrugged at Daizi's comment about it not being because she was a woman, but he didn't feel the need to follow up on that. Dark did an excellent job anyway.

"This is delicious!" Alec told Dark, though he'd only taken one bite. He was trying really, really hard not to fidget, but his eyes kept cutting to the door. As soon as dinner was done and before they'd go inside, he'd go get the gift.

Xander was eating steadily, but if one looked closely enough, his hand was trembling ever so slightly.
 
Having had such a relaxing, pleasant day, Daizi didn't notice anything was amiss. It had been a great day, and she was enjoying her time talking with her family, oblivious to how rapidly her husband's heart was beating. He wasn't involved in the reveal, he didn't even know how they were going to announce it. But he knew they were going to. And things were going to be different, they wanted to be, legally, their official children. And it was wonderful, and he would be able to celebrate it with Daizi like he had been wanting to for two weeks.

When dinner was wrapping up, Daizi sat back, her weight against her husband, and Ivy snuggled tight in her arms, "This has been a really, really nice day."
 
"It has been an awesome day," Alec agreed.

"It's not over yet," Xander said. He got up and went to fetch the gift while Alec quickly cleared away the table in front of Dark and Daizi. It had taken a lot of effort on their part, but they'd finally managed to obtain a copy of official adoption papers and one unofficial version that was set up exactly like the official one, but in braille. Daizi and Dark would have to sign the regular, printed one, but the twins had both agreed they wanted Daizi to be able to actually read it herself. They'd put both copies in a moderately ornate, gothic-inspired frame without glass for Dark and Daizi to be able to look at together. Getting the papers to actually stay in the frame had been one of Xander's greatest feats. They'd then put it in a cardboard box, and Alec had wrapped it in the embroidered tablecloth.

"Here," Xander said, setting the box on the table in front of Daizi. "This is from both of us. Kind of all of us, really."
 
"Oh?" Daizi asked, sitting upright and taking the box from them. "I thought we already did gifts." The table cloth surprised her, slightly, but she quickly figured out it was wrapping, which she removed and set aside. Needing something to focus on at least some of his energy on, Dark picked up the cloth and folded it neatly before setting it back down.

She picked up the frame, "What is this?" She asked, but soon found the braille. Confused, she set it down on the table and ran her fingers over it, but pulled her hands back upon reading Certificate of Adoption and she repeated her question, but differently, raising her head with wide eyes, "What is this?"
 
Alec took a deep breath, moving to stand next to Daizi while Xander joined him. "Xander and I had a long talk, and we came to a joint decision," he stated.

Xander took up the discussion next. "You've been our mother since the day we turned up on our doorstep. You are not our mum, and you won't ever replace our mum.... but you are our Mama. The only Mama we've ever had."

"This has been a truth we might not have always wanted to see," Alec said cautiously, "but you and Dark have been our parents for over a year now. Unofficial or not."

Xander tapped the frame lightly. "We want to make it lawful and official. For real. So no one can ever challenge your claim to us, or our claim to you."
 
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