"Breakfast!" Gajeel shouted down the hall, smiling as a chorus of squeals answered his call. He'd missed the endless noise that ran through the house and the three munchkins that supplied it. Adding a dusting of sugar to freshly brewed coffee he turned and took it all in. His life was better than any fairy tale, and the reason why was slowly making her way to the kitchen. Levy hoisted a giggling baby boy on her hip; she tousled his cerulean hair as his small fingers grasped a loose strand of hers. Their eldest daughter weaved in a purple blur between Levy's legs, nearly toppling her on more than one occasion. Lily followed behind with the final mess of blue hair in the Redfox household; Shutora waved her hands wildly, riding on the exceed's back like a warrior charging into battle.
Levy grinned at her husband, noticing her favorite mug filled to the brim with her morning brew. Once Yajeh was begrudgingly transferred from hip to high chair, she stretched and yawned, "I managed to get everyone cleaned up and out of their PJs, but that's all the functioning I can do before coffee."
Gajeel smiled, handing her a cup and a kiss. "Looks like not everyone's made it out of their PJs." His hand ran over her back, tugging playfully at the loose material. The shirt nearly dwarfed her. Any of his clothes that didn't go with him were liable to become Levy's sleepwear when he left on a job. Gajeel didn't mind; not only would they smell like Levy when he came home but his shirts looked damn good on her. The buttons came down especially low on this one so that even when it was clasped shut it offered him an ample view of her bosom.
"I had to make it into mine," she said, tossing him a sly wink and a swing of her hips.
Gajeel didn't have time to react when air was forced suddenly and forcefully from his lungs.
"Daddy! Daddy! Look," Emma laughed, ramming into his stomach again, "I can turn my forehead iron, just like yours."
Gajeel crouched down and lightly headbutted her back. "Daddy's so proud of you, kiddo." His hand caressed her hair. "I missed you." Emma pressed hard against his head in a battle of wills. Laughing, Gajeel took up her unspoken challenge as she tried unsuccessfully to force him back.
Levy had turned her back for only a minute to settle Shutora in her high chair when she noticed the touching albeit dangerous moment growing between her husband and daughter. Quickly, she shooed the two apart; Emma didn't have much control her magic yet, and Levy did not want a child sized hole in the kitchen wall—again.
"Sit down with your brother and sister and help them read," Levy chided.
"Yes, momma," Emma sang, snatching the twins' book off the counter. She shot her father a look that promised they would their challenge was far from over.
Lily sat at the table, admiring how the twins would clamber to turn the pages of their storybook, reading faster than any other child he'd seen and a few adults he knew. He snorted at just how much of a reflection of their parents they were. A thud roused him from his thoughts. The storybook lay haphazardly closed on the table; they were done already. Chuckling to himself, Lily stood and handed the kids another.
"I can't believe they're reading this much. No doubt they're your children, Levy."
She smiled in response, so happy that her kids had fostered the same love of books she had. A brush against her cheek made her turn, and she melted into a soft kiss. These moments were some of Levy's favorites, the small pockets of time right after Gajeel came home. They would hold each other tighter, let the world melt away longer, and appreciate every affection stronger than before. Gajeel parted their lips and nuzzled his nose into her tousled hair, taking in every ounce of Levy's scent. Muffled giggles and groans emanated from the table in annoyance. He merely smiled and kissed his wife again, enjoying how the grumbling grew louder. Giggling, Levy wrinkled her nose, ready to face the task at hand. Excitement sparkled in her eyes as she saw the makings of her favorite welcome home breakfast laid out across the counter: pancakes.
"Fresh pancakes?," she mused, licking her lips, "I wonder which girl gets the first one."
"My favorite does," Gajeel answered, wrapping his arms around her. "Cause yer making them." He could feel Levy's skin prickle at his words. She tried to bolt, twisting and whining in his grasp, but his arms were ironclad against her.
"My job is eggs and only eggs. I can do that. You're supposed to make the celebratory welcome home breakfast. Or did you forget the French toast incident?"
"True," Gajeel said with a gulp and a small shudder. "But we have three kids and a cat now. They can't live off eggs forever. It's time to graduate to the next level. Pancakes." Levy squeaked, fear rooting her feet in place. Gajeel laughed and placed a quick peck on her cheek. "I promise it'll be fine. Yer supposed to burn the first few in the batch anyways or the rest will be crap." That earned him a good smack on the chest.
"I don't always burn them."
"Yeah, momma only mostly burns them. It's not every—"
"Sit down at the table, or you won't be going to the bookstore with mom next time," Levy said, steel in her words. Emma squirmed back over to her chair without another noise, not understanding how her attempt to help had gone awry.
"Come on Lev," Gajeel crooned, taking her hand, "It isn't hard. I'm not even making ya make the batter. All ya gotta do is flip." Swinging around behind her, he leaned in close enough for his breath to tickle her ear. "I'll be right behind you the entire time." He gave her hip a teasing slap. "I'll walk ya through the whole thing."
Coughing deeply, Lily gave the pair a glare. "We're right here you know."
"My house, Lil. You live here, you gotta put up with how much I love my wife." He gave Levy a little squeeze. "And my kids." Suddenly, Gajeel's arms were around the whole Redfox clan, holding them in a massive hug. An air of calm settled over the room, warm and comforting; the whole house seemed to sigh, relieved that they were back together again. A growl from Gajeel's stomach broke the comfortable silence. "Time to make breakfast." Swaying behind his wife, he slowly shuffled them over to the stove. "Come on, Lev. It's time to learn. Call it mommy skills."
"I'm a damn good mom," she muttered.
"And now you'll be a damn good mom who can cook pancakes."
"Fine," she sighed, "What do I have to do?"
"Let's get started," Gajeel said, chuckling. "I'll show ya a practice one."
Levy watched reluctantly as Gajeel set up the stove to begin making pancakes. Her cold demeanor barely lifting at the smell and sizzle of batter hitting the pan. Deftly, he flipped the batter. It landed with a little splat. Gajeel squinted at it and grunted.
"The first two are always shit while you figure out the heat." He handed her the spatula. "You try. Wait for the bubbles."
Batter ran in a lopsided mess as she poured, leaving a strange amalgamation in the pan. Tentatively, Levy snuck her spatula under the amoeba-like pancake and tried to flip the wobbly mass. It ran across the skillet every which way as the pancake crumpled under its own weight in an utter mess. As disheartening as it was, Levy had known the outcome all along.
"I told you I was no good at these."
"Ahh don't worry. We'll just give that one to Lily."
The exceed perked up at his name. "Fight me, dragonslayer," he grumbled.
"After breakfast, cat. Come get yours!" Gajeel barked back. Low rumbling resounded in Lily's throat as he rose and retrieved the sad offering. He sat down with a thud, nibbling the undercooked bits and cutting up the more done pieces of pancake for the twins. Refocusing on Levy, Gajeel had her try again. His hands guided hers as they walked through the process, waiting for the moment when the bubbles were just right. Nestled in his touch, Levy turned the pancake and was surprised to find the final result was decent. "See," Gajeel crooned, "not so bad."
"I kinda did it!" Levy said, biting back giggles. The rush of making pancakes her family would be excited to eat coursed through her. She'd never thought they would feel that way about anything but her eggs.
Gajeel kissed her on the forehead. "Sure did, love."
"Mom!" Emma called from the table, "Can I have that one? I'm hungry."
"Wait til we have a few ready, honey."
Gajeel nudged her arm. "Ok. Try it yourself."
Huffing, Levy tried once again to face the flipping alone. Although it was not as bad as her first attempt, the next paled in comparison to the one they'd made together. Her lips pursed as the misshapen pancake stared back at her from the pile.
"I guess I still need some help."
Gajeel draped his arms around her waist, giving her a reassuring hug. "What else am I here for?" His chest pressed against her back, and the slow pressure of his breath steadied her nerves. He watched as Levy stared at the batter intently, waiting for the bubbles that signified it was ready to flip. "Better," he said as she removed a respectable looking disk from the pan. Levy smiled up at him sweetly, her unspoken request clear in her eyes.
"I think I need just a little more help."
Gajeel exhaled softly, kissing the top of her head before resting his chin on her crown. "Of course, dear." He began to sway slowly behind her, giving Levy's hip a gentle squeeze at the right moment to flip. His hand grasped her own as they turned the spatula, and the pancake came out perfectly. He didn't need to see Levy's blush to know it was there; her cheeks always gave away her emotions, and right now she was damn proud of herself. "Looks like we get it right when we're a team."
"Guess so," she said with a chuckle. His finger lifted her chin up for a long kiss. Neither noticed as Emma tiptoed over to the steaming pile of finished pancakes. Levy's heart was spinning as she started the next one. Everything was better when she was in Gajeel's arms. Her hands moved with confidence as she simultaneously took off the finished pancake and scooped up more batter, but all rhythm abandoned her when she saw Emma. Her daughter stood on tiptoe at the edge of the counter, eating a pancake like a wild animal. "Emma!—"
But she didn't get to finish her thought. Until the batter hit her skin, Levy wasn't even aware that she'd dropped her ladle. Bits and pieces of it skidded across the counter and into the pan. Before Levy could make another move, Gajeel grabbed Emma, still munching on her pancake, and placed her on his shoulders. Deftly, he flipped the sizzling smidgen of batter and handed it up to his daughter.
"For my shorty," he chuckled. Levy looked up at him and wrinkled her nose annoyance. "You're my Shrimp," he said, giving his wife a quick bop on the nose. His answer was satisfactory, and Levy tilted her head back to rest against his chest. She watched them, smiling, then blew lightly on Emma's feet, eliciting wild giggles and squealing. It was a perfect Sunday morning in the Redfox household, and pancakes would be just the beginning.