//------------------------------// // Hammock Hanging // Story: Domestic Drabbles of Discord's Dimension // by GeekCat //------------------------------// "...it looks like your cut's healing nicely," Fluttershy said to Harry, reapplying a bit of plaster on his nose. "Just remember to be careful around new mother cats, okay?" The elderly bear made a rumbling sound from deep in his throat, leaning forward to press his head against her shoulder in thanks. She smiled and patted his head, and he stood up and wandered towards the pile of mushrooms she had left for him. She smiled as he started to eat, checking that task off of her list. She had already completed most of it, with it being in the middle of the afternoon. But there was still a lot to do...enough that she had started early this morning, eaten a small packed lunch, had asked Dr. Fauna and Zecora for their help today, and there was still at least a page of things to be done. Still, thinking about it wouldn't complete them. Soon, school would start, and she'd have more student volunteers to help. But for now, she needed to take care of most things herself, including... "Bring extra material for birds to build their nests," she said, reading the next task aloud. She grabbed a basket full of gathered twigs, leaves, pieces of straw...and a few colorful yarn strands Discord had slipped in. He loved to make each nest look a little bit different in small ways, and she encouraged her bird friends to give the soft, colorful strands a chance. With the basket in her mouth and her long list rolled up and tucked under her wing, she visited every bird nest and offered her gatherings. A few of her avian friends told her that they were fine and didn't need anything, but most flitted down and selected a few items, carefully tucking them into their homes. Her basket was picked over but barely even depleted by the time she made it to her last stop—the small but thickly wooded grove, full of healthy trees that provided shade and homes for several sanctuary creatures, including several of her bird friends. But when she arrived and set down the basket, she looked up and saw that most of them were flying quickly from tree to tree, chirping at each other. They didn't seem panicked, and weren't flying away in a swarm, but they seemed very determined to share something with each other. "What is it, friends?" she asked, whistling a soft tune to catch their attention. Their heads turned to her. "Did something bad happen? Or did someone new fly in?" He didn't fly in! Betty the bluejay whistled to her. But he appeared in the middle of the grove, he's still there! H-he...he looks weird, said Stella the sparrow, a much newer arrival at the sanctuary. Y-you're sure he's not going to eat us? Some of the older birds, or ones who had been there longer, all tweeted assurances at once and said it was fine. The newer birds still seemed a little wary, though, and quickly grabbed things from Fluttershy's basket before returning to the safety of the high branches. "Who appeared?" Fluttershy asked. She already had a suspicion, though, even though she wasn't entirely sure why he would be here. "Actually...why don't I check it out myself, and you all help yourself to everything in the basket?" A few of the birds gave her directions, most of them tweeting over each other. She still couldn't make out who had appeared, but she already had a theory. She smiled and wished all of them well, heading further into the grove and following their directions as they picked through the basket, pulling several colorful yarns strands out and carrying them away. Soon, she was far into the shady area of the grove, though a few rays of sunlight still streamed through. She turned around the corner to see who they were all chattering about...and paused. There was a hammock made out of cloud strung between two of the trees in a partially sunny area, and lounging in it was none other than Discord, wearing bedazzled sunglasses and sipping a purple smoothie. "...Discord?" she said, raising an eyebrow. His head turned to her, and he lifted his glasses up with a grin. "Fluttershy!" he said. "Wonderful to see you here." Her eyebrow rose a little further. "This is...the sanctuary," she said, a little bit confused. "I think I should be saying it's wonderful to see you here, but...what are you doing here?" "Oh, not much," he said, dropping a few cherry tomatoes into his smoothie and mixing them around. "Just 'chillaxing', as my second-favorite pegasus would put it. How's work?" "It's been going well!" she said, smiling. "Mariella's foot is recovering nicely from that infection, and Samatha is almost ready to go back into the wild, I think." She held up her list and started to scan it. "Of course, the baby bunnies are developing huge appetites, and I still need to make sure the water in the pond is fine..." Suddenly, she was lifted up by a gust of wind. She squeaked, barely holding onto her list as the wind carried her over to Discord. He easily grabbed her out of the air and held her against him, kissing the top of her head. "Sounds like you deserve a break," he said. He slipped the scroll from her hooves and hung it on the closest tree, easily within either of their reaches. "Why don't you lounge with me for a bit?" It was quite tempting, but... "I have a lot of things left to do, Discord," she said. "Maybe later?" "Ah, but 'maybe later' could also apply to your chores!" he declared triumphantly. "And 'later' will be cooler...you wouldn't have to work directly in the hot sun..." He stroked her mane, looping his tail around her waist. He laid down again, trying to pull her along with him. She still remained sitting up, but...the sun on her coat was relaxing, and a cool, refreshing breeze came by every so often. Discord's fur felt soft and warm, and the sky was a beautiful, peaceful blue... "I mean, this is nice, isn't it?" he said. "Just sitting back...watching the clouds...sleeping in the sun..." He took a long, slow sip of his smoothie. Her eyes began to droop, and she quickly blinked before she ended up drifting off. "I suppose it is...kind of nice," she said. "But Discord, the animals..." "Are being taken care of," he said. "Zecora and Dr. Fauna can handle it for a little bit, can't they? And you've already done so much work the past few days...surely a short break wouldn't hurt?" As he spoke, he summoned a blender and poured her a smoothie, adding a neon twisty straw and paper umbrella once it was filled to the brim. She hesitated for a few moments...and then took it, sipping slowly at it. "Just for a few minutes," she said, leaning back against his chest. He smiled, lazily wrapping his eagle arm around her and offering her a pair of sunglasses with his tail. She slid them on and tilted her head back, slowly sipping the smoothie. She could taste several kinds of berries in it, and the cold, tasty drink felt absolutely wonderful and refreshing. "This is really good," she said, tilting her head back further to look up at her husband. He smiled, loudly slurping his smoothie. "Why, thank you," he said. "Just tell me if you need it topped off." She shook her head. "Just this one will be good, thanks," she said. "Then I'll have to get back to work." "...well, at least I got you to take a small break," he said, tapping her nose. "You little workaholic." She giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. He stuck his out right back at her, making a sound like a party favor. She snorted, quickly pressing a hoof against her lips to stifle her laughter. He continued sticking his out and making a party favor sound in varying tones, until she finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Discord laughed along with her, his tail feathers brushing against her sides in an effort to make her laugh longer. In turn, she stretched her wings behind her and brushed her feathers against his chest. His laughter grew louder, almost booming, and the hammock swayed underneath them as they laughed and tickled each other. Eventually, their laughter calmed down, though a few giggles still escaped her. She fell back and relaxed against Discord's chest as she caught her breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him flick away mirthful tears. The hammock continued to slowly sway, rocking her into a relaxed state. She allowed her eyes to drift closed, sipping slowly at her fruity drink. She wasn't quite tired enough to fall asleep...but she still fell into a half-sleep stupor. It helped that everything about this felt so relaxing, from the warm sun on her belly, to Discord's heart beating against her back. A few of the birds were still singing and chirping, though they didn't seem bothered by Discord's sudden appearance anymore. Discord's fingers buried themselves in her mane, scratching against her scalp. A smile flickered across her muzzle, and she shifted to lean up into his touch. She swished her tail around until she found his, and was able to loosely tangle hers around it. Even in her drowsy state, she could feel his tail wrap a little more tightly around hers. His fingers continued to stroke through her mane, and he placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. A smile spread across her muzzle. Her body began to relax as she continued taking lazy sips of her smoothie. Already, she could feel the air grow a little cooler as the afternoon drifted slowly onward. After a while, though, when she went to sip her smoothie, all she received was a loud slurping sound and a few tiny flecks of ice. Her eyes flicked open, and she saw that her cup was empty, aside from a few fruity dredges. "Drat," Discord grumbled, his arms giving her torso a light squeeze. "I...suppose you'd want to get back to work now, then...?" "Yes," she said, wriggling out of his grip. She saw him pout a little, but he still released her. "There's still a lot to do." She yawned, stretched out her wings to try and wake herself, and started to roll off of him. "...thanks," she said with a smile, kissing his cheek before fully getting out of the hammock. "Just lying around for a little bit...it felt nice. Thank you for...for doing this for me." He smiled, kissing her ear as she dropped to the ground, making it flick. "I'm always happy to help," he said with a soft smile. "...don't overwork yourself, okay?" He handed her a glass bottle full of cold water. "Thank you," she said, grabbing it with her wing, along with her list of tasks. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?" "Oh...I'll probably work on my tan here for a little bit," he said, unfolding a reflective screen and shifting to make himself comfortable. "After that? I hear there are a few pretty big rainstorms near the Perilous Peaks...I might go check those out to see if they're any fun." "As long as you stay safe," she said with a smile. "I'll see you at dinner...or maybe sooner." His ears perked up. "I promise I'll stay extra-safe, especially if it means you might come home a little earlier!" He clasped his hands together and gave her an almost pleading look. She laughed a little, shaking her head and giving him a bright smile. She reached out and briefly placed the tip of her wing on his paw, smiling and trying to convey all her love through the simple touch. He smiled back, and based on the warm look he gave her, the message was completely received and returned. The moment stretched for the two of them, but it was still just a moment. She withdrew her wing, and with a final wave goodbye, turned and headed out of the wooded grove. While unfurling her list, she noticed that a blue cloud had started to follow her from above, shielding her from the hottest rays of the sun. Smiling, and feeling a little more rested, she continued onward and started to complete the rest of her tasks.