How Green Becomes Wood

"I guess once you actually know them, and they feel real, they seem less like a miracle, too." Milo replied, scratching the back of his neck. "I think not having kids is probably the smarter, safer choice, honestly. I hear adults talk about it like it's a radical decision, but like. I love my mom, and she does try really hard for me, but all it took was one fall in a race, and look where we ended up, you know?"
 
"A lot of parents forget that whatever decisions they make affect their kids, too, or get a real cockeyed idea of what it means to put their kids first," Xander agreed. He paused, thinking back. "But... I dunno." He shrugged. "It's kind of hard to deny how much joy that mini brings them. It's like watching fireworks in their faces whenever she does something new. I guess it's a case-by-case basis and knowing that there's a lot of rainbows and puppies, but also a lot of drama and hardship." He stared down at the apple tree. "I'd suck at being a parent. That's okay, though, 'cause I never want anything to do with any of that kind of life, anyway, so it works out."
 
"My dad was a really good dad." Milo said quietly, following Xander's gaze but not understanding the significance of the tree. "It was a really long time ago, now, but I remember everything I did made him so excited. One time, I had this really bad fever, and he picked me up, put me in the car, and drove to get popsicles. He was a firefighter, before he got sick, so he'd have two days off, and one twenty-four hour shift on, so I got to spend a lot of time with him. Then when he was at work, those are the days I'd be with my mom, so it was kind of like spending the weekends with your other parent, except it was scattered throughout the week."

He swallowed, looking away from the tree, "That's why I think I'd like to have kids, you know? I'd like to be like that. Not a firefighter, but... My dad would come home from saving lives and still take me on a bike ride the next day."
 
Xander didn't say anything for a while, just sitting with the thought and the emotions. The raw vulnerability Milo showed him for just that minute.

"Hey, do you guys want dessert?" Alec called up the stairs, his voice filtering through the door.

"You'll have to try to be a little less... over-thinky or else kids will drive you literally insane, but..." Xander turned away from the window and put his hand on Milo's shoulder in a gesture similar to what Dark would do, squeezing ever so lightly, "you'll make a great dad as is." He let go quickly and started for the door. "I could use some sugar. Want some?" He opened the door and called down, "Yeah, we're coming!"
 
"I have to be less over-thinky or else I won't have someone to have kids with, but I'm not in a rush. Can't imagine having kids before I'm thirty at the earliest," Milo replied, easily shrugging out of the thoughts from... before. From before both befores. He was going to ask why Xander didn't think he'd be a good parent, but then it was time to have dessert, so he didn't have the chance to.
 
"Good thing you're waiting!" Xander said a touch forcefully but also cheerfully. "Gotta at least figure out high school first, right?" He led the way downstairs where Alec was waiting. "So, what's for dessert?
 
"I don't think I could go from being who I am to finding someone who would want to do the things you need to do to make a baby in two years." Milo replied flatly, following down after him.

"We have some mannasama," Daizi said, setting out a small, wooden box, "I've been saving it."
 
Xander wanted to say, "You'd be surprised," but he also didn't want to continue this conversation, especially with the direction it was starting to take. So, he let it drop and slid into a seat. "Nice. Thanks!"

Alec gave Daizi a little sideways hug. "You saved this? Thank you! It looks and smells so good!" He gestured to Milo. Guests first!"
 
"Not really for a special occasion," Daizi said, opening up the box of what seemed like a variant on Turkish delight, "It's just nice to keep around for when we want dessert, but don't have time to make anything. Milo, this is a dessert from Iraq, not Egypt."

"It is good," Dark said, bouncing Ivy, "Old, it is referenced in the Old Testament."

"Very old," Milo agreed, hesitantly taking a piece.
 
"I thought Narnia was old," Alec commented. He took a piece after Milo and nibbled on the corner happily.

"These exact ones are that old?" Xander asked suspiciously as he took out his piece. He was totally teasing, but it was too good to miss.
 
Dark frowned at Alec, "They look like Turkish delight, they are not the same thing," and then completely ignored Dark. It was too good for Xander to miss, and therefore, not acknowledging it was better for Dark.

"They are not too difficult to make, but it is difficult to get actual manna here in the US. Luckily, the Arab Market we go to imports them," Daizi said, taking a piece, "Technically we can just make it the exact same way without it, but it feels different." That said, she had never made it with or without that particular ingredient.
 
Xander smirked at Dark, knowing full well his father was deliberately ignoring his joke. Then he happily ate his piece and enjoyed. Delicious! Weird, but good. Like most of the food he was discovering.

"The Arab Market is really cool," Alec told Milo. "I haven't been there often, but it's fabulous!"
 
"It's nice to have places like that," Daizi said, giving a piece to Dark, who was still walking around their kitchen with Ivy, "Especially since it has some ingredients that are difficult to get elsewhere. It's part of why Dark shops by going to a million different stores."

Milo chewed on his little cube and glanced at his friends, not brave enough to say how miserable that sounded.
 
"It is just as miserable as you're thinking it sounds," Xander said, guessing the look on Milo's face.

"But it results in really good food!" Alec grinned.

Xander shrugged. "That is usually true."
 
"I do not go to a million stores all on the same day, I still only go shopping once a week," Dark said, feeling like they were exaggerating the misery of it, "You have to shop that way if you want actually fresh food and it is cheaper because stores do not price things the same." Ivy squeaked in his arms and tugged lightly on his beard, feeling positively ignored in the entire conversation.

"My grandma works at Target," Milo said, "so she shops at target. I should probably have her pick me up, soon, it's a school night."
 
"But what you save on food, you spend on gas and time. Not to mention the stress of driving," Alec pointed out.

"Cool," Xander nodded to Milo. "Thanks for dropping by. It was cool hanging out." And he didn't feel... forgotten. Milo was busy. He had his own troubles and drama. It meant a lot that he was willing take the time and the stress to come by.
 
"I would need to go shopping once a week regardless," Dark replied, rubbing Ivy's back.

"Yeah," Milo nodded, "It was cool. Thank you for having me. I like your house a lot. And the food was good, thank you for cooking dinner, M--Daizi."

"You're very welcome, Milo." Daizi smiled.
 
Xander and Alec moved away slightly to give Milo the privacy to text his grandparents. Alec then started chasing after Dark, trying to "steal" Ivy from him. Gently, of course, and it was one of the slowest chases ever. Xander took the opportunity to steal another square of the treat when no one was paying attention.
 
As much pleasure as Dark took in spending time with his daughter, he felt obligated to foster a good relationship between her and his sons, so after playing as part of the game for awhile, he eventually gave Ivy over to him.

After getting ahold of his grandparents, Milo put his phone away and looked up at Xander, "When are you going to go back to school?"
 
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Alec crowed in delight and carried Ivy away, holding her high in the air as if he'd truly won her. She was his prize!

"Next week. Just in time for finals. Yay," Xander said dryly. "It's going to be... so awesome."
 
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