Chapter Thirty-Nine: Bedtime
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Bedtime
Normally, Fluttershy would find such bodily noises quite rude and would have frowned upon it - though, it had been so unexpected, it struck her as mildly funny, and could not help but emit a chuckle.
“Excuse you,” she said to the baby, approaching her side and leaning in to nuzzle her cheek.
“We’ll teach her proper manners once she’s old enough to understand them.” Smokey smirked, positioning himself at the child’s other side and lifting a hand to run it over her downy head. “You’ll be as well-mannered as Mama.”
The pegasus shuffled closer, rubbing her hoof underneath the griffon’s chin.
“You most certainly will be, won’t you? Mama’s perfect little princess.”
“Such a good widdle girl. Yes, you are, Chenoa. You’re our sweet widdle pwincess,” the winged reptile cooed to the bundle of white, his heart warming with affection as she squealed and giggled at the attention.
The mare giggled, taking her hoof away to touch it back onto the floor.
“You know… I wonder… if Chenoa really were a princess. Like, perhaps, her original parents were from a royal family of the griffons. Or at least some noble bloodline.
“… No, that’s probably just silly thinking on my part. That actually sounds that would be pretty contrived.”
“We would probably be seeing griffons everywhere looking for her if she were a princess,” he stated with a smirk. “No royal couple would allow their child to go missing for long.”
Fluttershy considered this factor and mulled it over, pursing her lips.
“… Very true. Still, it would be nice to pretend she was.”
“To us, she is a princess and nopony is going to make us think otherwise.”
Nodding, she slid her forelegs around her adopted daughter in an embrace. Upon letting go, she fluttered to the table to gather up the empty plates and forks and brought them over to the sink.
“We still never decided where we’re going to go.”
“Well… you know the area far better than I do. Any place you want to go is fine with me,” he replied as he watched Chenoa consume the final bits of her pie. “A relaxing movie does sound nice. As long as there are child-friendly films playing.”
“I’m not sure what films are playing. When we head into town, we’ll check. If there aren’t, we’ll think of something else to do.” Fluttershy turned to the dragon. “Or, better yet, I’ll check and let you know when I get back from Rarity’s.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Plucking Chenoa from her high chair, he carried her to the counter space beside the sink and set her down. Snagging a clean dish rag, he wet it underneath the faucet and proceeded to wipe the baby griffon’s face clean. “It’s a decent sized town. I’m certain there will be something if there aren’t any appropriate movies.”
“There’s always something to do here,” the equine chimed. “We have sports, we have restaurants, we’ve got the library, family events, and games galore every other week it seems… And there’s so many other things, too! Bird watching, bug watching, swimming.”
Smokey’s sea green eyes seemed to light up a little more with each activity Fluttershy listed.
“Those sound like a lot of fun! What sort of family events are there?” he asked, his voice heavy with his apparent excitement.
It was at this point that she gave pause.
“… Well… the only event that comes to mind is the Sister Socialhood we have every year. Sister teams of two form and compete against each other in games such as pie eating, grape crushing, and the relay race. But I believe there’s other events like family picnic days, musical nights in the summer where bands get together to play for crowds… and… um… sometimes Zecora comes into town and gathers the colts and fillies around to tell stories to them.”
“It sounds like we’ll have to adopt a sister for Chenoa if she wants to compete in that someday,” Smokey said jokingly as he drew the wet cloth away from the chick’s face.
Fluttershy emitted a second giggle before she went silent for a moment.
“You know, do… you actually think that might be a good idea? In case… she ever gets… lonely? Or wants a playmate at home?”
Now it was Smokey’s turn to silence himself for a few seconds in thought, surprised that she was even considering it. He was open to taking in more children, but he had been kidding.
“It seems like a good idea to me. But are you sure you are ready to take in another child already?”
“Well… No. No, not right now. Maybe, one day, in the future… but…” She shook her head. “Handling one is enough for the two of us right now. Considering everything else we’re facing at this point.”
“I suppose it’s something to consider further down the line when everything has settled in.”
“I suppose.” Yawning, the pony floated closer to the baby. “C’mon, sweetie. Let’s get you a bath, and then it’ll be time to get ready for beddy-bye!”
Wide grin spreading across her beak at the thought of a warm bath, the child squealed and stretched out her forelegs in her mother’s direction.
Smokey chuckled lightly, the familiar loving glow spreading over him.
“Why don’t you take her and give her a bath while I clean up here?”
“Alright. I shouldn’t be long.”
“Have fun, you two!” Smokey said in singsong, then directed himself to the sink to begin washing the dishes.
Taking Chenoa into her forelegs, Fluttershy glided upstairs. Once in the bathroom, she moved the griffon to one foreleg to reach for the tab. Checking the running water, she made the proper adjustments until she deemed that it was warm, but not too hot, and stuck in the plug. Deciding the bathtub was filled with enough water, she shut it off and placed the little one inside after removing her diaper.
“There we go!”
Chenoa sighed at the sensation of warm water caressing her body from the mid-section down. The griffon extended her short wings, flapping them with a blissful burble at the splashing she created. It was a normality for her to splash about whenever she was bathed; it was a sign that she had a good day.
Giggling with a wide smile, the mare felt happiness course through her as she watched Chenoa, resolving to introduce her to deeper water when she got older and bigger. Grabbing the shampoo and applying it to the fur, she imagined the two of them and Smokey at the lake giving her swimming lessons.
The little chick chirped, closing her eyes to take pleasure in the feeling of the pony’s hooves massaging her coat. A different kind of shampoo was used on her upper body and wings where her down grew. She was ticklish in the patch of skin underneath the area where her wings spouted from her body, and always broke into a fit of laughter when touched.
The pink-maned pegasus let out a laugh as well. She had to admit that while she wasn’t a cruel pony, even she had her moments where she indulged a more mischievous side of her. Sometimes, without warning, she would sneak her hooves under her wings to very lightly tickle her, and usually at the times she would least expect it - not that she would expect it often considering she was just a baby.
Hearing Chenoa’s laugh was like listening to chimes ringing in the wind. It was such a light sound, and Fluttershy loved to listen to it.
The child could be heard from downstairs where Smokey just finished drying off the last of the dishes. He immediately knew what Fluttershy was doing. Softly chuckling, he concocted the nefarious idea to do the same to her.
Tiptoeing, the dragon made his way upstairs and into the bathroom and waited by the door frame for the opportune moment.
“Oooh! Look out, Chenoa!” Fluttershy snickered, slipping her hooves around the baby’s sides and underneath her tiny wings. “The tickle monster is coming after you again! Coochee, coochee, cooo!”
Giggling again, she drew her hooftips against the skin, intending to illicit the appropriate response.
Chenoa laughed harder, her body wriggling and wings twitching from the physical contact. Smokey fought hard to prevent himself from laughing, and the instant Fluttershy lifted her own feathery extremities, he made his move.
Silently stepping closer, he slid his fingertips over the sensitive fur underneath the pegasus’ wings.
The instant Fluttershy felt claws on her fur, she released a light shriek. Hooves jerking away from Chenoa’s sides, a chill shot up her spine, wings bristling, as she began laughing.
Chuckling, Smokey continued to tickle the mare while keeping an eye on Chenoa. The baby appeared quite amused, her giggles slowing to soft pants. The griffon babbled in encouragement for her adoptive father to keep it up. He needed nothing further. With a mischievous smirk spreading across his maw, he wiggled his fingers over his friend’s flesh more vigorously.
“Hahahahaha! Smokey! I’m… I’m ticklish there!” Fluttershy laughed with a sad attempt to feebly swat away the dragon’s fingers from her sides, shivering as more tingles went up her spine and across her wings.
“I know,” Smokey chortled deviously, tossing a wide grin at Chenoa. The baby griffon was obviously amused at watching the pony endure the wrath of the tickle monster for once. Leaving of her wings, he furled his now free arm around the pegasus’ mid-section to pull her closer, standing up straight and holding her against his torso as he continued his onslaught.
Fluttershy’s howling laughter increased in volume and pitch as she tried pulling away from him, squirming around in his grip.
“HAHAHAHAHAPlease!” she cried out in mirth, her eyes squeezing shut. “Mercy! I can’t… I can’t take it anymore!”
“Alright, alright.”
Smokey chuckled once more, removing his hand from her side, but he still didn’t let her go. The dragon just stood there, holding her and keeping his watchful eyes on the baby.
Taking a few breaths, relaxing, Fluttershy allowed herself to lean up and rest against him. Subconsciously snuggling closer to him, she smiled as she felt the strength in his arm and chest as he held her…
Such a powerful dragon, she mentally mused. Able to protect her and Chenoa, and all of their animal friends, no matter what was out there, be it beast or something else. … But so gentle all the same.
The large reptile sighed, a jolt of intense warmth originating in his chest. As much as he would’ve liked to remain in this position with the sweet pony, Chenoa was beginning to make a mess, splashing and babbling, sending water over the edge of the bathtub. Those suds weren’t going to rinse themselves off either.
“I… suppose I should let you go and allow you to finish bathing Chenoa.”
With that, Smokey released Fluttershy from his hold.
A small frown crept onto the pegasus’ face as she was let go. She didn’t want to, but she nodded, figuring the same thing.
“Alright. We should be done soon.”
Settling back onto her haunches with her front hooves resting on the lip of the bathtub, she reached for a plastic cup sitting near the rounded corner. Dipping it into the water to scoop some up, she very carefully poured it back over Chenoa’s head so as not to get it into her eyes or ear holes.
Smokey caught that disappointed note in her voice, feeling another twinge of remorse for letting her go. However, he forced the slight frown upon his face to disappear, replacing it with another impish grin.
“You know… we can always cuddle once she’s dried off.”
Dropping the cup and turning her head over her shoulder, she blushed rather heavily.
“I… um…” she started, but couldn’t find the words to squeak out. After a second of silence, the mare simply returned her attention back to the baby to resume rinsing the soap out of her pelt.
The dragon crossed his arms, arching a brow with a slight tilt of his head.
“No? You don’t want to cuddle?” he asked in a playful note. He couldn’t help but play with her a little bit. She was just too adorable!
Chenoa shook her head to be rid of the water that soaked her down, her damp baby feathers and fur sticking straight up in tiny, stiff spikes by the time she was done with her bath. The child chirped affectionately to her mother, lifting her forelegs up once the pegasus pulled the plug to drain the tub. Another thing she loved about bath time was being wrapped in a towel and snuggling against Fluttershy or Smokey when she was due to dry off.
“Well, I…” Fluttershy spoke, uncertain of how to respond. Grabbing a towel, she leaned down to pick up Chenoa and wrap her up, drying her off and holding her close as she did so. Turning to Smokey with a blush still on her face, she squeaked out, “I… Okay.”
Hadn’t been expecting that, Smokey was mildly surprised Fluttershy actually had given him an answer in her flustered state. Sure, she was gradually getting better at responding to his playfulness, but she was still her shy self. He couldn’t help but feel a sliver of bashfulness well up.
“Heheh… Alright then. Uh, why don’t we read Chenoa a story while we cuddle?” he suggested, a rosy blush blooming upon his cheeks. Whenever he and the pegasus weren’t singing her a lullaby, they often read to the griffon before she settled down for the night.
Fluttershy smiled and nodded.
“Sounds… sounds good.”
Fluttering her wings, she took to the air to pass the dragon and out the door towards the staircase. Making her way downstairs with her friend following her, she stopped at the bookcase and waited for him.
“I wonder what story we should read to her tonight?”
Coming to a halt beside her, his eyes scanned the letters on the books’ spines. He mulled over the options in his head as he jumped from book to book in the section reserved for Chenoa until one in particular grasped his attention.
“How about this one?” Bending over slightly, he reached to grasp the selected book. “The Golden Book of Pony Tales?”
“Ooooh, that’s a good one!” Fluttershy said, moving over to the couch and sitting down, waiting for Smokey to join them. “Which tale are we reading tonight?”
Seating himself next to Fluttershy, Smokey cracked open the thick book to view the table of contents.
“Hm… Goldilocks and the Three Bears might be just a little bit scary for her,” he stated as he went down the list. “Hansel and Gretel? No, they get captured by a witch who wants to eat them… In Little Red Riding Hood, Red gets eaten by a wolf and the lumberjack gets her out… Definitely too scary for her…”
“Ummm…” The mare blinked, leaning herself against Smokey to read the selection. “Isn’t there anything in there that’s not so scary for her? Like The Billy Goats Gruff or Mr. Groundhog Turns Around?”
“That sounds fine,” he surmised, flipping through the pages. Folding a leg over the other to assist in propping up the book, he leaned back comfortably and wrapped an arm around the pony’s shoulders. His eyes slid to the baby griffon wrapped up in the towel in the warm security of the mare’s embrace to check if she was paying attention before beginning.
Chenoa focused on Smokey’s gentle voice, the steadily growing heaviness in her eyes spreading. By the time the scaly being was halfway through the story, she had succumbed to sleep.
Fluttershy herself listened, her eyes somewhat droopy from tiredness due to the busy day she had. Yawning, she sank further into the tall male’s warm hold - opening her eyes only once to gaze down at Chenoa’s sleeping form, and then up at Smokey. Closing them a second time, she lost herself in the dragon’s storygazing - and by the time he was done, she, too, had drifted off to a peaceful rest.
Taking notice that both Fluttershy and Chenoa - as well as a few of the animals who had inconspicuously listened to the story - were sound asleep, Smokey closed the book and set it down beside him. He took a few moments to watch them, a fluttering warmth brimming within his chest. Softly, he drew the back of his index finger over the baby’s cheek in an affectionate gesture, then moved it to the equine’s.
‘They’re both so adorable when they’re asleep…’ Removing his hand from Fluttershy’s face, he coiled it around her forelegs to give their child some additional support. ‘Well… they are when they’re awake, too…’
Emitting a yawn, he rested his head upon the pony’s and nodded off.
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the cuddles!
and Chenoa is so cute!
I totally LOVE your story! One of the few which don't need a villain. The cutness is enough^^
I'm still a bit sad there are not more picture for every Chapter. They where really awesome and bringing 21,74% more cuteness most of the time. Like the Cover Art.
Did you mean amused? because bemused means confused...
4356466 Crap! Yes. Thanks. XD
Hey. Great chapter I've read upto this chapter on fanfiction but this is the better site."flank kisser." screw you dash " you'd love, wouldn't you, I know I would. Ouch! What was that for?" to pop your ego dash. And any ways i prefer princess Luna " didst some one speaketh our name." Yeah Luna is here! Not only is she the coolest and best princess, but the best pony too. "flank kisser." shut up dash!
4365040 Thanks! Princess Celestia is my favorite princess. ;P
That tickle fight was adorable!
fluttershy gliding upstairs brings a weird picture since when you're gliding 1. you're not moving your wings & 2. you're usually going downward.
(like hang gliding for example) encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8IldzsRYbkknvnB6VE5LXlGFFU7Gs-kectz9Pt91JQ78vuzTK