Morningside Cuesta you have a good heart

come poke the dumpling!

Lavender rolled about as she had her first fitful sleep. Usually when she slept, she was comforted, she felt safe and warm, almost like she was in the womb again. Everything was dark and she didn't need to think of anything. But tonight she did not. This was because of a pebble that was under her stomach. It was poking her just the slightest bit, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't know what was wrong, so all she could do was roll about uncomfortable and hope somebody would help.

Grayday hadn't allowed himself to fall asleep around the pups since he'd accidentally kicked Lavender, but he did sometimes fall into a light snooze when left alone with them for long periods of time. The constant twitching of his nose and ears belied his watchfulness, but the steady rise and fall of his chest spoke of a certain sense of peace and comfort.

The male cracked an eye open as he sensed dissent among the troops. He quickly zeroed in on his painted girl, wriggling on the floor as if something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" he crooned to her, lifting her delicately off the ground and glancing around for a place to put her. After a moment of thought, he rolled onto his back and deposited her onto his chest, where she quickly slid down into the hollow of his throat. He'd meant to be able to look at her, but he supposed he was seeing just as much in this position as he would've in any other. "That better, sweetheart?" he asked, still not quite sure if they were able to hear him just yet.

At last Arushi's alarm system was answered, and she felf her entire body being lifted gently into the air. In that moment that she was up in the sky, she felt like she could fly. For once she didn't feel like she was falling, but rather soaring. As he whooshed her around she let out a rumbling bark, as she couldn't contain her excitement. The wind that ruffled her painted fur soothed her, and she loved it. But it was short lived, because only moments later she was sliding down a fluffy slide into the crook of her father's neck.

This time when Grayday spoke, Arushi actually heard something. It was just muffled sounds, but it was more than she usually heard. Her head shot up, and if they could move her ears would be erect. She turned her head wildly, as if she could see what was happening. When nothing else happened, she yawned and laid her head back down, gathering her tiny paws underneath her.

Song!

The male couldn't be sure, but he thought that Lavender might have reacted to his voice, at least a little bit. Perhaps she'd just felt the rumble in his throat. Had it scared her? Probably not - he couldn't remember being afraid of his own father's voice, and somehow, Grayday knew that Mud had once done these same things with him. Probably, Mud had talked a lot more than he was talkin' - Day remembered that his father liked to sing.

I should've sung to those kids, he thought to himself, wondering if things would've turned out differently with those two if he were the sorta dad that sang to his kids. Would they be together, now? Would they be happier?

Gently, in the back of his throat, he began to hum. The tune was a bit broken at first, but soon enough, he began to recall the words that went along with it. And then, still quietly, he began to sing - "Come a rolling down the mountain there's a girl of fourteen
She's the sweetest apple blossom just a hillbilly queen
I'm a coming round the mountain, don't you try to follow me
I'm a gonna be her daddy when I get to Tennessee - "

He could hardly remember what the song was about, but if any of his children were an apple blossom, it was this one. Besides, he'd always like the jauntiness of this tune when his father sang it, and hoped that his own children would grow to love it as well.

aww Grayday and aruru are so cute! <3

Arushi did not hear again, that'd been a one time thing it seemed, but she did feel what her father sang. Deep in her bones, and in her chest. It resonated inside her, and she loved it. Her little eyes fluttered behind her sockets, she wanted them to open, she wanted to see her father who sang so sweetly to her. They didn't yet, they weren't ready. Soon but not yet. Until the day where she could see the happiness behind his words, and hear the song that he sung, she would only feel the love in his heart.

She started to hum with him, and found herself deeply pleased when her chest and throat rumbled the way his did beneath her. She probably wasn't humming on key, but it was a sustained hum, and she liked the way it felt against his gentle rumbles.

Only during a lull in his own song did he notice his daughter's soft croons. Overcome by adoration, Day rolled over once more, dumping Lavender gently but uncerimoniously back to the ground.

"You're so cute!" he exclaimed, his voice going high and squeaky without his permission. He might normally feel a bit embarrassed to hear his own voice like that, but since he was alone, he decided to indulge in a bit of baby talk. "Who's the best baby girl in the world? You are! Who's the prettiest? You are!"

A moment later, he guiltily remembered his other daughters. "Well, one of three," Day assured her, after making sure that Easy was still snoozing happily with her brother.

Lavender was enjoying a nice hum with her pops, when all of a sudden she was rolled gently off of him. No! This wasn't what she wanted! She wanted to be snuggled up with him, and humming with him. But now she was just on the cold ground again, sitting there sadly. This time, she decided that she would do something about it on her own. With a few determined grunts she crawled back towards her dad and buried herself in his chest fur. She could feel him breathing, the rise and fall of his warm flank eased her.

Grayday nuzzled his daughter, completely enamoured with everything about her. She was the more even-tempered of his children thus far. However, he loved all five of them equally, and was quick to pull Dauntless and Easy into their cuddle pile as well. But since Lavender was still the only one awake, he paid the most attention to her, grooming and then simply massaging the length of her back. Already, she was three times the size she'd been when she was born - but she was still tiny to him.

"You're so pretty," he told her, ever-admiring of her strange coloration. He'd never tell anyone - and he'd have to stop telling her, when they got old enough to understand him - but he thought Lavender was the most striking of his children by far.

Now that she was snuggled up beside him again, she simply laid there in bliss as he massaged her back. She was so small, it would really only take him one paw to cover her entire back, but somehow he was gentle in his nuzzles and massages. She laid down flat on her stomach, her chin resting on the ground and her tiny legs stretched out behind her. She yawned again, getting sort of sleepy now. She could fall asleep right here, right now. And that's what she did, in a few minutes she was asleep, calmed by his loving grooming.

if you wanna fade with your post we can, thanks for the super adorable thread!