Warning – This story contains scenes of hugboxing, good parenting and excessive use of caring. Reader discretion is advised.
Lazarus stared out the window, watching the men at work, he giggled and shook his stuffy-friend when he caught sight of Herman.
“Wook Mistah Cuddews. Is daddeh.”
Lazarus had been with them for almost two weeks and had fit into the family dynamic quite well, he looked up to Hickory with awe and amazement, he was kind and playful to Pamela, and Cinnamon… Lazarus treated his adoptive mother like the most important thing in the world, Herman would often find him trying to get as close to her as possible whenever the Fluffies were together and likewise, Cinnamon would want to be as close to her new babbeh whenever Herman had to clean him.
So far the only issue Lazarus had was using the litterbox, part of it was his feral mindset, even after only a few days living outside he’d been indoctrinated with the ‘Poop anywhere’ thought process but Herman and the Fluffies were working hard to teach him about good poopies. The bigger issue though was his walk, because of the wounds on his back, Lazarus’ muscles hadn’t healed properly, and as such were much tighter than normal, because of this, his legs were stiffer than usual for a Fluffy and he often had trouble keeping up with Pamela during their playtime.
Pamela understood that Lazarus wasn’t the fastest babbeh and had slowed down her play-style so as to allow him to keep up, it was only when he HAD to run that it became an issue. Herman considered a nappy until he read up on the self-esteem issues it caused on a Fluffy, particularly stallions, Lazarus was already mutilated for being an Alicorn, he didn’t need another reason to feel self-conscious.
Not that Herman had actually told him he was an Alicorn yet, he was still trying to work out how best to approach that subject.
Lazarus waved to Herman and Hickory from the window while Herman counted out some cash for his two workers. He quickly waved back and watched Lazarus turn from the window and leave to find some food.
“Cute little guy.” One of the workers, Johnny said, smiling at the infant Fluffy. “He adopted?”
“Rescue, was left here by his mothers after I smashed his Smarty father’s head in with a brick.”
The other worker, Gheorghe, suck in air through his teeth. “Ouch, he know this?”
Herman shook his head. Far as he knows he’s Hickory and Cinnamon’s foal, and I’m not going to tell him any differently.
Hickory stood beside Herman and puffed out his chest. “Wazawus am Hik-o-wee babbeh, dat am finaw.”
Johnny chuckled. “Easy there Hick, Gheorghe and me ain’t gonna tell him. You just make sure you raise him right, ok?”
“Hik-o-wee du dat.”
“Good boy.”
Herman finished counting out the cash and handed it to the workers. “That should be everything, plus a little bonus, sorry I pushed so hard guys but the weather’s dropping faster than I expected. Needed to get the harvest away quickly.”
Gheorghe smiled. “No worries old man, we happy to help. Look after little ones, they no like the snow.”
Hickory nodded. “Cowd times am bad fow babbehs, bad fow aww Fwuffies.”
Herman picked Hickory off the ground and tickled his head. “Don’t worry about that Hickory, I won’t let anything happy to you or your family. Thanks again guys, I’ll call you once the weather picks up.”
Johnny and Gheorghe waved at Herman as they got into their truck and drove off, thankful to the old man for his curt payments and his generous bonuses. Herman waited until they were out of sight before taking Hickory back inside.
In the house they found Pamela and Lazarus crowded around Cinnamon, by now she was days away from giving birth – if that – and had been confined to her birthing mat for the last week. She was happy though, she always had at least one family member with her at all times and Herman was giving her the best, most nutritious kibble to help her milk making.
He even upped her spaghetti portions on Sketti Day to make her feel better.
When Herman walked in, he saw Lazarus trying to get at Cinnamon’s teats, which were currently at an odd angle due to her beach-ball status.
“Mummah, can Wazawus hab miwkies pwease, hab tummeh-huwties.”
“Sowwy babbeh, mummah nu can gib miwkies, nu tiww babbehs come. Daddeh hab miwkies fow yu.”
“Come with me Laz, I’ve got some milk in the fridge for you.”
Herman put Hickory down, instantly he rushed over to nuzzle with Cinnamon and reaffirm his love for her, and picked Lazarus up in his place, carrying him through to the kitchen. He knew Lazarus wasn’t fond of the bottled milk, while it was Cinnamon’s own product, having come from her teats when Herman milked her, Herman could tell Lazarus missed the bonding. It was just that awkwardness of his age, usually if a Fluffy gets pregnant so soon after giving birth, the first litter of foals would be nearly weaned by the time the mother gets unable to properly feed them, then fully weaned when she gives birth to the second litter allowing there to be no overlap in feeding.
Lazarus was only barely three weeks old, he still had a few days of drinking milk left and now he couldn’t, at least not until Cinnamon gave birth and even then, the chirpies were going to get priority.
Herman turned on the tap to run some warm water, as he waited he looked over at Lazarus. “Laz, you do know why your mother can’t feed you, right?”
“Wazawus knyo, jus hab heawt-huwties, wub mummah su mush.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but this isn’t a permanent thing, once she has her babies she’ll be able to feed you again, although not as much as you’re probably use to.”
Herman smiled at the sight of Lazarus, the skinny little thing had become quite portly in his short time on the farm, a healthy baby weight if Herman’s internet research was to be believed. The tape finally reached a good temperature, allowing Herman to hold the milk bottle underneath and heat it up.
“Daddeh? Wai did mummah hab Wazawus if nu hab enuff miwkies?”
Herman froze, he didn’t expect such a question from the young foal, he didn’t expect any questions. He had to think of something and fast.
“Uh… because you were a little miracle, her last litter went all forever sleepies, we thought you would as well. By the time we realised you were still alive, Cinnamon was already pregnant.”
The look on Lazarus’ face told Herman that the little guy didn’t fully believe him, but the sight of the milk in the now warm bottle took over any other feeling until the hunger was all that remained. Lazarus stuck his arms out, fruitlessly reaching for the milk, Herman chuckled and picked him up, cradling Lazarus in his arms as he fed him his milk.
It wasn’t the same as feeding from his mother, but Lazarus still fell asleep smiling in Herman’s arms.
Because Herman was still new to Fluffy ownership, he spent a lot of his time reading up guides online, and something he’d come across frequently was an unofficial tic in biology called ‘Fluffy Time’. Basically, a Fluffy would always wait until the most awkward time to do anything important so you had to drop everything and focus on them. It wasn’t confirmed but it was an in-joke among Fluffy owners.
For Herman, that time was 3 in the goddamn morning when Cinnamon gave birth.
“BIGGESH POOPIES!”
Herman took of a second to wake up, figure out what was going on, and panic, he grabbed a towel and a wash-cloth and rushed through to the safe-room, Cinnamon was already panting and straining, Hickory licking her face clean and hugging her while in the corner, Pamela held onto a very scared looking Lazarus, one hoof wrapped tightly around Mr Cuddles, the other in his mouth to be sucked on.
Cinnamon looked up at Herman, tears in her eyes. “Daddeh, speciaw-pwace hab wowstesh huwties.”
“It’s ok Cinnamon, it’s just the babies coming. Come on, I’ll help you through this.”
Hickory nuzzled his mate. “Hik-o-wee am su pwoud of speciaw-fwiend, gun be bestesh mummah.”
Herman quickly lifted Cinnamon up to lay the warm towel under her, just in time as when he placed her back down he could see the first foal starting to push out.
“Alright Cinnamon, I got ‘em. You just focus on yourself.”
“EEHHHAHAH! Babbehs, pwease nu huwt mummah.” Cinnamon pleaded with her infants as she felt her special-place stretch to its limits.
Lazarus hugged Mr Cuddles tighter and looked up at Pamela. “Wha wong wiv mummah?”
“Nuffin, jus habben babbehs. Dis am nowma. At weast, Pamewa hope it is.”
The first foal dropped out and only the soft towel, Herman gave it a quick stroke on its throat to incite breathing, and was rewarded with a cough and a healthy chirp. Hickory looked back, seeing their first newborn, a brown earthie colt with a black mane.
“Babbeh am hewe, wook gud. Speciaw-fwiend du bestesh job.”
Cinnamon had just enough time to smile before the next foal came out, a cream coloured unicorn filly with a light brown mane.
Then a green unicorn colt with a cream mane.
And finally a dark brown earthie filly with a green mane.
Herman did the breathing trick with all of them, getting their lungs working as soon as possible to make sure they were all healthy. Finally back to her normal shape, Cinnamon turned around and looked over her newborns with Hickory, both of them crying with joy.
“Babbehs. Cin-a-min hab babbehs gain. Hab biggesh heawt-happies, wub yu speciaw-fwiend.”
“Wub yu tuu, wub bein daddeh gain.”
Cinnamon walked over to Herman and sat on her butt with her back against his legs, Hickory then took two of the closest foals to him and carried them over to her teats while he hugged the other two. The brown colt and the cream filly were first, they each could smell something warm and amazing, and after a few seconds of blind fumbling, they each latched onto a nipple and began suckling, Herman could see their tiny faces smiling as they hugged their mother’s breasts.
“Babbehs am safe, Cin-a-min awways wook afta babbehs. Mummah wub babbehs, babbehs wub mummah, dwink da miwkies, gwow big an stwong.”
As Cinnamon sang to her new foals, Pamela and Lazarus approached their new siblings, Pamela joined her father in playing with the green colt and the brown filly while they waited to be fed. Lazarus however stayed back, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes, hearing the mummah song again brought back memories for him, memories of a coldness being melted away, of an ignored love being returned. Of opening his eyes and seeing his mother for the first time.
But there was another reason he was crying, a question on his mind that his young brain couldn’t comprehend, and yet couldn’t ignore.
Why did none of the new foals look like him?
like slice of life of fluffies without the terror.
