Fluttershy opened the door, humming to herself as she set down her saddlebags. She had just gotten home from a visit to Carousel Boutique.
”I’m so glad you could come,” Rarity had said, ”I was so touched when Mr. Yardage gave all of his remaining stock to me, now that he’s retiring. But I couldn’t POSSIBLY keep all of these fabrics for myself! So please, Fluttershy, pick whatever you want!”
Half of the shop had been filled with boxes upon boxes of all kinds of fabrics, from fancy silks and satins to simple muslin. Rarity had decided to donate most of it to students of fashion, who might not have access to a wealth of materials. But, she also wanted to give her friends the opportunity to choose a little something for themselves before that.
Fluttershy had browsed the collection, not really looking for anything specific, but something did catch her eye: a simple, light blue fabric with colorful birds, leaves, and flowers printed on it. She immediately knew the perfect use for it! Or at least a couple of yards of it.
She had thanked Rarity profusely for the lovely fabric, (and sweetly refused her invitation to help herself to more), and left.
On her way home, she found herself growing just a bit excited. She could just see how nice it would look, once it was in its proper place. So, as soon as she got back, she happily dug the bundle out of her saddlebag, and trotted to the nursery.
Peeking in, she saw the room was vacant. Well, it’s just as well, it is easier to plan things like interior design when there are no hyperactive little ones scampering under hoof.
She spread the fabric on the floor and took a step back to see how it looked. And it was wonderful!
The bright colors looked so cheerful with the eclectic decor, without being too garish. These would be the perfect summer curtains for the room!
But she wanted to see how it looked hung over the window. So, she grabbed the end of the fabric and flew up, holding it against it… only to realize she couldn’t hold it up AND get a good look at the same time.
She sighed to herself, before realizing the obvious: she had the sweetest helper she could ask for!
”Discord? If you don’t mind, could you please lend a paw with this?” she asked aloud. Usually, no matter where she was, her husband would hear her call and instantly appear at her side, even if she was on the other side of Equestria.
”Fluttershy,” came an answer.
”Oh Discord! Would you please hold this up, so I can…” Fluttershy said, looking around for her husband. But he was nowhere to be seen.
”Discord?”
”Oh sweetheart, I heard you. And I’m answering you telepathically.”
”Telepathically?” she replied, puzzled. This wasn’t the first time he had used telepathy, but he usually only used it when they were in company, and he wanted to say something to make her laugh (or blush furiously) without anypony else hearing.
”Yes darling. I would love to come and help you, but unfortunately, I can’t get up right now.”
”Can’t get up? Discord, where are you?! Are you hurt, I’ll…” Fluttershy babbled, immediately switching into worried mode.
”Relax, my anxious little birdhorse,” he chuckled before she could panic anymore, ”I’m in our bedroom, and I’m fine,” he assured her.
”I can’t get up because there are a couple of very sleepy babies using me as a pillow at the moment.”
Fluttershy had already made her way to the bedroom, her hooves carrying her there, before her husband’s answer sunk in. When her brain caught up with what he had said, she was already pushing the door open. And there they were: her beautiful family.
Discord was laying on his back on their enormous bed (he insisted a bed wasn’t a proper bed if you couldn’t go spelunking in it), their youngest laying on his chest and their firstborn curled on his lower stomach.
She smiled at him, and fluttered to the bed next to them. Giving him a peck on the lips, she asked quietly: ”Did you all get tired after playing an extra fun game or something?” Usually, her children napped at different times and her husband rarely stayed in one place for long, so it was a surprise to find them in a snoozy puppy pile like this.
”Not really,” he replied in an equally soft voice, ”I gave Ebbie their bottle and was rocking them to sleep on our bed, and they dozed off… And I guess I might have gotten a bit bleary-eyed myself, but suddenly, I realized another kid had materialized on my tummy,” he said, glancing at their daughter.
And indeed, Levity, their oldest, a draconequus with a pastel pony palette, was draped bonelessly on the lower half of her dad’s long midsection, her turquoise tail loosely wound around his goat leg. She was sleepily gnawing and drooling on Discord’s stomach fur, not that he would ever mind. If his precious baby girl needed his fur as a convenient slobber mop, so be it.
Fluttershy smiled at her, and then brushed the emerald green bangs off her other baby’s face, and gave them a kiss on the forehead.
Their second child, Ebben Floe, came as a bit of a surprise for both of them. They were born a tiny pegasus, with a dark-ish chestnut brown coat with near-black spots on their hooves and along their back and flank… but they kept changing their mane and tail color and style, and their gender, seemingly at random. Even more curious, these transformations seemed to happen only when nopony was actively paying attention to them, so even Discord wasn’t totally sure how it happened. They could be put to sleep in their crib as a colt with a curly blue mane, and take their morning bottle as a filly with a flowy sheet of magenta and purple hair.
Fluttershy and Discord often wondered if they could do these changes whenever they chose when they were old enough to choose, or if they happened with time, or something else entirely. Them being a child of Discord, anything was possible.
Right now, the little pegasus was making quiet sniffles as Discord cradled them against his heart. Fluttershy looked up at him, and gave a tender smile when she saw his eyes sparkle with emotion as he looked at his babies.
”Thank you for taking care of the children while I was out,” she whispered, ”Hope they weren’t any trouble.”
”Not at all, love,” he muttered, kissing her on the snoot, ”But we did miss you!” He added, giving her a little pout.
”Oh dear! How can I make it up to you?” Fluttershy giggled, returning the kiss.
”Welllll…. I think we all could use some extra cuddles,” he said, batting his eyelashes.
”Hmm… is that so?” she hummed, wrapping her forelegs around him. ”I think I would love some as well,” she muttered into his fur.
Smiling, Discord sat up and carefully coiled his lower body into a round nest shape and laid little Ebbie next to their sister, freeing his arms, so he could scoop up his wife.
Immediately, he buried his muzzle into her neck, drinking in her sweet, springtime scent. He rubbed his velvety snout against her sensitive skin, making her shiver and giggle. Fluttershy returned the affection by nuzzling his face, placing little butterfly kisses on his cheek, the corner of his eye and his forehead.
This drew his gaze to her face. For a moment, they simply looked at each other, both of them getting lost in the tenderness reflected in their love’s eyes.
But you can only look for so long, and the urge to touch grew too much to resist for them both.
Letting his claw slip into her gorgeous tresses, Discord started to scritch her scalp, making her coo. While leaning into his touch, she took his paw in her hooves, buried her face into his palm and gently kissed and nuzzled his pads. This always sent a shiver down his long spine, as his paw pads were surprisingly sensitive.
Groaning, he cupped the side of her face, and gave her a heartfelt kiss. If their little ones hadn’t been present, he would’ve gone a bit further…. Ah well, maybe later, when they had been put to bed for the night.
Finally, Discord lay Fluttershy on his chest. Softly, he petted her wings, her back, her hooves. She sighed in bliss, gently stroking him back, enjoying his warmth. They could have stayed like that forever, if there wasn’t a tiny whine coming from behind Fluttershy.
They turned to look at their daughter. She was half awake, her amethyst eyes blearily focused on her parents. Giving a little grumble, the toddler started to inch worm herself up Discord’s stomach, until she managed to sandwich herself between her parents, her head pillowed on Fluttershy’s chest.
Discord and Fluttershy chuckled a bit, and proceeded to kiss, hug and pet their obviously affection-starved baby. She purred, and quickly fell back asleep.
Carefully shifting his grip, he nestled Fluttershy and Levie in the crook of his eagle arm, and gently took Ebbie in his paw. They were no bigger than his forearm, so the teensy pegasus had plenty of space to nap. He softly blew the silvery white tresses out of their eye.
Laying there, with the three most beautiful, precious creatures imaginable safely snuggled against him, Discord wondered what he had done in his long, tumultuous life to deserve such happiness.
”I sometimes almost can’t believe what a wonderful family we’ve built together,” Fluttershy sighed, out of the blue, ”I must have done something truly good to have all of this now,” she mused.
Discord stared at her, it was almost as if she had read his mind!
”Indeed, my dear,” he answered, holding them all a little closer, ”you have done good, my heart.”
”So have you, my love,” she whispered, closing her eyes, ”so have you.”