46. Candice
Chapter 46
Two Years Later
I finish the last stroke of paint, and put down my brush. Iggy looks fabulous, in a long red cape, and armor, riding a horse…ok, so it is a large anthropomorphic iguana, but she did save me, and I felt the need to immortalize her in paint. It came out so much better than I expected.
I have the rest of my recent work hung up around the room, but they’re all under painter's cloths right now, waiting for the big reveal. Xan, Jacks, and Gabe renovated the old nest and put in more windows for natural lighting, and it is an amazing studio and office. Shortly after it was done I started working on paintings for each of them.
I go downstairs and collect my guys, it’s the weekend, so everybody is home. I grab Xan and Gabe out of the garage; I can’t get them to leave cars alone even on their days off. Leo is in the office downstairs that he shares with Jacks and now Xan, and Jacks is pulling a cake pan out of the oven.
Double chocolate fudge cake. Smells so good!
I lead them all upstairs and into the studio, standing them each in front of their gift. I had to wait until they were all done, so I didn’t ruin the surprise. Jacks gapes on his way through at the painting I just did of Iggy.
“Wow, Iggy’s lookin’ good!" He laughs, I don’t do as many commissions anymore, mostly just for fun, but I still take some on to feel like I’m contributing. Though the money I got from selling my house after it was rebuilt means I wouldn’t have to worry about money anyway, it’s still nice to stay busy. Plus a lot of the clients I had at the time are friends now, so I don’t want to just leave them hanging.
“Yes, she’s lovely, but look what I did for you” I turn Jacks back to the covered canvas hanging on the wall, and once he is in position, I pull off the cover.
“Holy fuck, Little Lion…It’s amazing…what is it?”
I bump him with my shoulder, “It’s you.”
“Oh, well, yeah, I recognize me, but…” All the others are looking at the canvas in front of Jacks right now.
“It’s how I feel about you, how you feel in here." I tap my chest. I look at the canvas again, and it is Jacks, it took a long time to get the face just right, photorealistic has never been my strong suit. He’s lying on his back in a field of flowers. It’s very Sound of Music, but with more rainbows, and butterflies, and a unicorn with a disco ball after a comment that Xan made once.
“I did one for each of you. You’re not the only ones who have trouble with words sometimes, and I figured if I couldn’t tell you how I feel properly, then at least I could show you how you make me feel.”
One by one they each removed the cloth covering, staring at each one before moving on to the next. Xan is second, standing beside Jacks and he pulls down the cloth. His painting is heavy on the shadows, and he tilts his head looking at it from different angles, before chuckling a bit.
“Jekyll and Hyde, eh?” he smirks at me, and yes, his image is two-faced.
“Xan, I love you dearly, and you are the most amazing and brilliant man I have ever met in my life, but sometimes you are also a right bastard." He looks at me and blinks several times before shrugging.
“Eh, that’s fair" He kisses me on the cheek and we move on to Leo
He pulls down the cloth and even I blush a little bit, and I painted it. There stands Leo in nothing but a tiger loincloth and a taiko drum. He looks at it for just a second.
“You painted me as Raijin?" Gabe and Jacks both look at me and Xan cackles.
“Yes, I did, you are huge and powerful, and amazing, you make me feel safe and protected, and I thought a god of thunder would suit you…totally did not just want to paint you in a tiny loincloth…not at all." I grin up at him, but his only response is to lift me up and kiss me until I feel like I am melting into a tiny puddle of omega goo.
“ You’re amazing.” he says against my lips before putting me down on my wobbly legs.
“Now I’m a little afraid of what I’m gonna see here.” mumbles Gabe, as he pulls off the last cloth. His mouth drops open, as he takes in the image of himself, wearing a bearskin hood and barbarian style armor, a long battle-ax in one hand, the other reaching towards the viewer.
“Ok, yeah, I’m a badass.” Gabe smiles, puffing out his chest.
Xan snorts again. “Check the foreground." Gabe looks at him and blinks.
“Look at the hand, Mr. Badass." Gabe’s head swings back to the painting, squinting to take in the details. The kind eyes and soft smile…and the teddy-bear hamster cupped in his painted palm. He grumbles a little, but I can still see the smile in his eyes when he looks between me and the paintings.
“These are amazing, Little Omega. Thank you,” he pulls me close, and whispers in my ear. “But I kind of feel like you deserve a spanking for that last one." And I can’t stop the shiver of anticipation that runs down my spine.