“Daaaddy, we’ve already heard that one, tell a new story!”
Gajeel chuckled, rolling his eyes at his daughter’s insistence. It was getting late, but neither of the twins were going to settle without a story for bedtime, and it was his turn to enthrall them with a new tale. He could hear Levy giggle in the next room, and silently vowed to get back at her later on, when the kids were safely tucked away and sleeping. Right now, he had each twin perched on either knee, bouncing them gently.
“Eh? Ya don’t wanna hear about the dragon and the princess?” He teased, ruffling Shutora’s wild locks. So much like her mother’s…
“Nope! Mama told us that one last night,” she replied, and Yajeh nodded sagely, a serious look in his eyes.
“Yeah, so we wanna hear a new one,” he added, and Gajeel couldn’t help but ruffle his hair as well. Yajeh was more like his father, though he did have a few silly moments thanks to his sister. Despite the years that he had been a father to these two miscreants, he was still in awe that he was something he’d never thought was possible. Maybe he’d give Levy a bit of loving instead of teasing, just to thank her for the millionth time for this.
“Aight then, what did ya have in mind?”
“How’d you and mama meet?” Yajeh piped up, tucking his feet up under him while Shutora nodded wildly at him.
Gajeel froze at the question, a cold sweat pooling at the base of his skull. He clenched his teeth slightly, fighting the shudder of dread that threatened to sweep down his spine. ’Fuck,’ he thought, lcikign his lips nervously. ‘I didn’t think they’d ask this early.’
Two sets of dark honey eyes were staring at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. Obviously, they were hoping for a pretty story that involved anything but that. He knew that they’d ask one day, and then he and Levy would have to tell them honestly; he certainly didn’t want anyone else to do it before they could. But as to how to tell them now…
“Ah, that,” he said, sighing after a long moment. He hugged the twins closer to him, settling for a more vague story that he hoped they would be happy with. After all, they had attention spans of a kitten, hopefully they’d get bored enough to ask for a more entertaining story.
“You know how all your friends are scared of me?” He asked, and the twins bobbed their heads in response. “Well, it was like that with me and yer mom too. I wasn’t exactly the nicest of guys back then, either,” he said, his voice taking on a slight edge.
“So you were mean to mom?” Shutora asked, snuggling closer.
“… Yeah, a bit.”
“Did you say sorry?” Yajeh asked, staring at his father seriously. Gajeel blinked, almost shocked by the question. He nodded slowly, exhaling deeply as he regarded the kids seriously.
“Yeah, I did. Lots and lots, too.”
“Good!” The twins chorused, hugging Gajeel and surprising him. Good? He bit back a mirthless chuckle. It was anything but good, but the kids’ simple answer had him reeling. They were just as forgiving as their mother, he realized.
At least, for now, till they learned everything. And he hoped that when that day came, they would still just be as loving and forgiving as they had been tonight.
“Okay, it’s late guys,” Levy popped her head in, gracing the trio with a warm smile. Gajeel nearly sighed in relief; she had rescued him from elaborating further in his story. He lifted the kids in his arms, ignoring the protests that the kids expressed. Whirling around lightly, he rolled one twin into one of the bunk bed and hoisted the other into the top bunk.
“There, story time’s over, you’re getting the princess and the dragon next time,” he growled, tickling Shutora before ruffling Yajeh’s hair. “Now, get to sleep, brats.”
~~~*8*~~~
“You didn’t tell them,” Levy mused gently, threading her fingers through his mane. He only grunted, nuzzling his face into her lap as she substituted his head for a book stand. It was the last hour before they would drift off into sleep themselves, the time where they could finally cuddle and share their day without the kids bounding in excitedly.
“Couldn’t.” He said simply, sighing deeply. She rubbed a slow circle on his scalp, making him rumble in content. Gone was the anxiety that he had felt earlier, yet he still felt uneasy. It never truly went away, the regret that he felt when he thought back to the fateful event. Despite her eternal forgiveness, he still couldn’t stop the tendrils of guilt wrap around him, threatening to drag him into nightmares.
Her fingers continued their dance on his skull, sliding down to his shoulder as she set aside her book. “Need a distraction?” She asked simply, and he chuckled. Count on her to know exactly what he needed. No words were required, just simple love and understanding.
“Gods yes.”
Heyo! Shoutout to @spikerr for this awesome fic!!! Here’s a lil something something for ya ( ^ 0 ^ )/// Hope you like it :3c
(After August died, Lucy, Gray, Happy and Mavis are running to the guild)
Lucy:“Hey, did any of you see a little boy who looked a lot like the first master before disappearing?”
(Mavis’s eyes bulge out of her skull)
Mavis:“W-what?! That’s impossible!”
Gray:“Come to think of it, yeah. I saw him too.”
Happy:“Aye!”
(Mavis stops in her tracks and begins to remember something. Flash back to her first kiss with Zeref)
Zeref:(after kissing Mavis) “You know, I really want to show you how much I love you……. maybe behind that bush over there…” (points to a bush)
(Mavis looks and smiles)
Mavis:(smiling) “Oh Mr.Black Wizard! Hehehe” Zeref picks Mavis up bridal style and takes her behind the bush)
Had to go to the store to buy new supplies. Needed a new clay storage unit, some more clay for the hall, and sketching stuff because they were at a good price. So I decided after I got home, to clean out my artwork area. Literally found stuff I long forgot about: colored pencils I bought before Mom got me my giant pack, old papers that I never threw out, x-acto knife heads, even an art book I don’t need anymore. Some of the stuff I don’t need I gave to a family friend, others I plan to either donate to good will or give to a friend who’s looking to get into art. Gonna have to think it through
Attention non-artists who commission artists: don’t fuckin do this???
Actually had someone do this to me too. Was doing a art stream, it took me over 2 hours to do his inked commission, he got a refund cause ‘it took too long’ that he figured I wasn’t going to do it after I gave him the file.
Don’t do this. Do not.
I’ve had this happen to me with a $350 comic I had already finished it, it was full color, 6 panels and had a full bg in every panel. I was lucky in that I didn’t spend him money yet, but it left me without funds. I’ve also had the above happen to me as well.
Don’t do this shit to artists. We’re people too. Drawing for you is more than a hobby. It’s a job.
Use Paypal Invoices.
I cannot stress this enough. That shit helps A LOT when it comes down to Paypal refunds/disputes.
There’s a description box that let’s you put in what the product is/how long it’ll take/yadda yadda, and then there’s another little memo box that only you and paypal can see where you can say it’s a digital commission and doesn’t require shipping (So Donald Mcfuck can’t say that they never got their commission).
And there’s also a box for your Terms & Conditions where you can say, if you have any conflicts/want a refund – email me, or you can actually tell the user that this is a digital commission and they won’t be getting a hard copy of it.
ARTISTS. PLEASE USE PAYPAL INVOICES. it will SAVE you. And to: the people who do this to artists – Fuck you. It’s okay if you change your mind and want a refund. But freaking TALK to us and let us know what’s going on. Let us WORK with you.
ALSO A HUGE TIP: Invoices paid will automatically set up a shipping notice which, if not fulfilled, can land you in SERIOUS hot water with PayPal. Since a lot of artists don’t print and ship the commissions, this is a huge problem.
However! Totally manageable. Just go to your PayPal, scroll down to find Seller Preferences
>> Shipping Preferences
>> Display Ship Button. Make sure all the boxes are unchecked. Then you’re all set!
I had already finished it, it was full color, 6 panels and had a full bg in every panel. I was lucky in that I didn’t spend him money yet, but it left me without funds. I’ve also had the above happen to me as well.
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