Lovers under the moon

It'd been a couple hours since they'd set out from the the site of the attack, Heart had tried to walk besides Cross for a while but eventually had to get back on the wagon, and had bagun to play with her toys, Dawn being one of them though she only kept her sitting besides her.

As he hauled the wagon along, Cross was lost in thought, how long was I out for? he asked himself, it was almost dawn when I finished that thing off and now it looks like the sun set barely an hour or so before Heart woke me, it couldn't have been more than a day or two...

How bad were my injuries? as Cross kept on walking he didn't notice Heart calling out to him until it hit him.

As the tree shook Cross brought a hoof to his face, leafs falling around him, slowly he pushed the wagon back enough he could sit on his haunches, behind him he heard Heart hop of the cart and trot towards him.

"Are you ok Dad?" she asked as soon as she had him within reach, "does your head hurt?" she asked as she grabed his face with her hooves and brought it near hers.

"I'm fine," he growled more at the slight pain than to what Heart was doing, "just leave it, it doesn't even hurt anymore," he said trying to put a little resistance to Hearts actions but not really pulling away, but then he realized something as she got close to him.

As she looked at his face to make sure the tree hadn't hurt him much she realized his crimson eyes hadn't looked away from hers, she tried to ignore him but found herself getting more and more flustered, eventually she gave in and took her hooves off his face backed up to see him clearly.

"I-is something wrong dad?" she said as she tried to look him in the eyes, "did I do something I shouldn't have?" she asked as she pulled her hooves right to her body as if she feared she'd annoyed him when she tried to look at his face.

Cross then took her face in his hooves and gave her a quick look, "how long was I out for?" he asked once he'd made sure to look at her from top to bottom, "you look hungry and tired, just how long did I sleep for?"

Heart tried to look away but found that she couldn't, whether it was because she couldn't look away from those entrancing eyes or maybe because if she did he'd just turn her head so she'd face him she did not know but eventually she stopped trying and decided to answer him.

"It's been about, a week" she said almost not making a sound, slowly she began to form a small sheepish smile and play with her hooves, "depending on if I slept for a day or two in the fire, did you want to sleep more?" when she received no answer from him she stopped smiling and looked down at the floor as she hung her arms to her sides.

"Why didn't you wake me up before?" he shouted with a bit more force than needed, "what did you do the whole time?

didn't you get hungry?" he continued having noticed that she looked starved so an answer wasn't needed, "if you look like this over a week of me being on the Phoenix bath that means you got out at some point and barely went back in, why didn't you wake me?"

"I just, I just saw how calm you looked when you were asleep, and thought that it'd be nice if for once I gave you a bit more time to sleep like you do to me," she explained.

Cross shook his head at her response, "Heart you don't need to do that for me, I'm an adult, plus I could sleep for a month using the Phoenix bath and I wouldn't need to wake up to eat, but you got out and I'm guessing you didn't eat much, that's why you should have woken me," he explained to her, trying to sooth his voice, "look how about we stop for a bit to eat, there's gonna be some change in plans so we can take a bit longer, how does that sound?" he asked and saw a smile come back to her face giving him all the answers he needed.

After a bit they'd begun preparations for their meal, Cross had set the wagon aside and unloaded some things for them to use while Heart went off and began gathering some fire wood, when she came back from  her third trip he'd gotten out cooking items and a stool for Heart to use when they sat down to eat, slowly he began pulling the items for their meal, some fruits to make some juice, and part of Hearts meal and some herbs and flowers to finish her meal, his on the other hoof, a chicken he'd gotten from some gryphin back in Appleloosa, as he put the bird to start roasting with some of the wood heart had already gathered he went and mashed some of the fruits for their drink of and chopped the rest to put in their plates, he hummed all the while of this process, and not until he'd finished seasoning the herbs and flowers for Heart did he notice her sitting there watching him go about his task.

"Heart," he said looking at her through the corner of his eye, "have you collected enough wood for the fire?

I don't want you complaining that you're cold later," he finished as he got around to serving her the salad and got the drink pitcher.

"Yeah, it's all there by your seat Mom," she answered beaming him a smile, "you were having so much fun you didn't notice," she went past him to the wagon and got the their plates onto her back, "come on lets go eat," she cheerfully said as she went past him.

When they had reached their seats Heart stood still and slowly tried to use her magic to set their plates in front of their respective seats, she lowered them slowly and once she felt herself almost loosing her hold on them she dropped them like she usually did, "still can't do it all the way huh kiddo?" said Cross as he reached his seat, then he noticed that Heart had moved her seat next to his, this also was an action that usually took place whenever they ate, she always found a time to switch her seat to be next to him, I guess I really got distracted if I didn't notice her moving her stool, or gather this much wood he thought to himself as he looked from the stool to the larger pile of wood to his right.

"I think I got closer this time," said Heart snapping him out off thought, "soon right?" she asked, more to herself than to Cross as she sat down.

"You'll get there," said Cross as he sat down and poured both of them a glass of juice, he then proceeded to take the chicken apart and place it on his plate, he then began eating like Heart who was getting her salad out of the way before moving onto her fruits, Cross continued on eating alternate bites from his salad and chicken until he noticed Heart had stopped eating and was looking at his plate, "something wrong?" he asked, already guessing what she might ask.

"Whats that thing you're eating?" she asked, her stare frozen on the chicken, "it smells nice," she said as she looked up to Cross.

"It's meat, a chicken to be precise," he explained, "it's not pony food," he said as he kept eating.

"Then how come you're eating it?" Heart asked as she looked back to her plate, "aren't you a pony too?" she finished as she took a sip of her juice.

"We've been over this," said Cross finishing the rest of the chicken, "I only look like a pony, but I'm not one, I think I only look like one because ponies are the dominating race here," he explained, though she might not understand, "now finish you fruit, we have to get moving," said Cross as he got up.

As soon as Heart got done with her meal they began to put things away, once everything was either on the cart, or beside it waiting to be loaded onto it, Cross got some water to put the fire out but Heart stopped him by pulling on his tail, "Mom?" she asked sheepishly.

"What is it Heart?" said Cross setting the bucket down on the floor next to the fire.

"Before we go can you..." the rest was but a mumble or maybe a squeak, when she saw Cross was only looking at her she took a deep breath and tried again, "b-before we go, could you, if you don't mind that is, couldyoumaybereadmeastory?" she said as she gasped the last part out.

I took Cross at least two tries before he could figure out what she had said, she wants a story he thought to himself, well she's been waiting for me for a couple days so I guess she could use one to get some sleep "sure kiddo," he said while giving Heart the most heart felt smile he could muster.

Just before turning the fire off Cross warmed up some milk for Heart to drink and got on the wagon with her, once she was ready to sleep he gave her her milk, as she slowly began to drink it he laid next to her, and she nuzzled up to him as he thought of a story to tell her.

"Have I told you the story about the two princesses before," he asked.

"Twice I think," she answered as she let out a yawn, " but I want to listen to it again."

"Okay," answered Cross smiling at the sleepy filly that lay next to him, better make it quick he thought, "once upon a ti-" he began but was interrupted.

"NO, I want you to sing it," protested the filly, "and do the voices," she said looking up to him.

Cross let out a breath as he understood what she meant, "okay, here I got then."