LMK: NEXT GEN

The Princess & the Plushie.

A new short chapter I think is really adorable.

💤😴🛌😪🎶📚[Huo Household. 7pm in the evening.]

MK had just finished giving his lively one-year-old daughter, Xiao, a warm bath and was now preparing to put her to sleep.

Xiao however, wasn't sleepy in the least.

After her Monkie Dad had finished drying her off, the tiny stillborn girl burst into laughter as she sprinted out of the bathroom, completely naked, towards the playroom.

"Red, she's loose!" MK called out to his husband.

Red Son was sitting in his study, working on his latest project, when he heard his mate call out to him.
"Coming!" Red Son replied back, setting the laptop aside and headed to playroom as well.

Xiao loved the playroom more than any other room in the house.
At times, in the middle of the night, she would quietly escape from her crib and make her way from her bedroom to the playroom. There, she would snuggle up amidst a huge collection of stuffed toys and drift off to sleep.
Her parents made a great effort to ensure she stayed in her crib at night, going as far as to fill it with plushies to create a cosy playroom vibe.

And it worked, most of the time.

Xiao seemed completely relaxed whenever she was nestling with cuddly stuffed toys.
Her most cherished toy is a strawberry pink and white cow plushie which she calls Milkshake.

As soon as MK and Red Son entered the playroom, they saw their adorable little one giggling happily as she played on the floor with her toys.

"Man, this kid is such a bundle of energy!" MK remarked fondly as he crouched down beside his daughter and began tickling the side of her belly.

Red Son chuckled in amusement. "She gets that from you." He teased.

MK smiled brightly at that. The Monkie Kid then turned his attention to his daughter, reaching out to pick her up. "Alright little missy, time for beddy bye." He told Xiao softly.

His daughter pouted as she continued playing. "Nuh!" She whined stubbornly.

Both fathers blinked blankly at the infant.

"You want to stay up and play, don't you?" Red Son asked, glancing over at Xiao.

The baby nodded enthusiastically.

As much as the couple wanted to give in to their daughters request, they knew they couldn't. They both had work in the morning.

Then MK suddenly thought of an idea. "Oh Xiao, want story time?" He asked sweetly.
Xiao cooed in response, smiling widely as the Monkie Kid carried her out the playroom.

"We should put her pajamas on first." Red stated softly.
MK nodded in agreement.
Xiao just made a cute noise in confirmation.

Red Son chuckled, grabbing the cow plushie and following behind his husband. He watched as MK placed a fresh nappy onto Xiao's body, before Red helped to dress her in a Monkey King onesie and carefully placing her into the crib.

MK then cleared his throat and began his story. "Once upon a time, in a beautiful lush jungle, there lived a little monkey princess named Xiao," MK began, stroking Xiao's cheek gently with his thumb.
"Her parents loved her very much, so much that they would do anything to protect her. One night, the princess decides to climb up to tallest tree to watch the stars. After about an hour, she makes a wish, hoping for a forever friend. Suddenly, she notices one of the star constellations start to move."

"Ooh." Xiao hummed in delight.

"Then the constellation began to shine so brightly! The princess was shocked, but intrigued, for the glow was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Soon the glowing light came closer and closer, causing Xiao to squeal in fear. Before she knew it, the bright light touched her skin, and she felt warmth throughout her entire being. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the shining light belonged to none other than Milkshake, the Moon Cow!" MK exclaimed excitedly as Red handed him the pink and white plush toy and then gave it to Xiao, who immediately clutched it tightly in her arms and started cooing again.

Red Son was staring at his husband lovingly, loving the happiness that radiated off of his mate, and how much his heart swelled each time he witnessed MK's joyous expressions.

"...Princess Xiao and Milkshake went on so many adventures together. They even helped defeat evil, saving countless people throughout the world! The two became inseparable. And one day, the princess invited Milkshake to her birthday party. But Milkshake wasn't sure about attending. She was afraid the other creatures might laugh at her for being different." MK said, smiling softly when the baby giggled cutely.

MK grinned at his adorable baby. "But despite all her doubts, Milkshake decided to attend nonetheless. When she arrived at the party, all the guests were surprised. But not by fear, but by wonder..."

After a brief period, as MK reached the end of the story, Xiao let out a yawn, her eyelids growing heavy.
With a shared smile, MK and Red Son delicately draped the blanket across their precious girl, before tiptoeing out of the room, leaving her alone in blissful slumber.

As they settled into their own bed, Red Son pulled his husband close, cuddling him.
MK snuggled close and sighed contently.
"I love you." Red Son murmured.
"I love you too." MK replied with a soft smile.
He leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss against his husband's lips, before falling asleep within minutes.