This is an old story I had in my Fanfic file and thought I'll upload it instead of letting it collect dust.
Father
Starswirl sat at his desk with a feathered pen in his magical grasp, writing down notes in his personal dairy. It was late in the evening but after having spending so many late nights studying and practicing magic he has grown use to it. A quiet knock on the door made him looked at the piece of hard wood that separated his study room to the rest of his house.
"Come in." he called out to the pony behind the door.
The door opened and a small familiar white head poked out from behind it.
"Celestia what are you doing up?" The older stallion asked as he got up from his desk and walked over to the alicorn filly. "It's late, you should be in bed."
"I sorry Papa." Celestia said as she hid herself behind her long pink mane, something she would usually do whenever she was nervous or scared. "I had a bad dream."
Starswirl gently smiled at his daughter as he kneels down to her height. "Would you like it if I tuck you back into bed?"
The young alicorn nodded. "Yes please."
Summoning power to his horn Starswirl smoothly lifted Celestia up onto his back, the little filly quietly squealed as riding on her father's back was one of her and her sister's favourites things to do. She warped her tiny hooves around his neck, being careful not to squeeze too hard. Starswirl walked down the hall to his daughter's bedroom smiling as he felt her head resting against the back of his.
Celestia bedroom was much like any other fillies bedrooms, there were toys packs neatly in a chest in one corner, colourful drawings sticking to the walls, a small bed with yellow blankets with a stack of books sitting next to it. Starswirl pulled the half asleep alicorn from his back and tucked her in the warm blakets. The filly looked at her father and smiled but he knew that she wanted to ask him to stay but was too modest to ask.
"Do you what me to stay here with you until you fall asleep?" he asked as he fetches the stuffed phoenix toy she loved so much.
Celestia again shrink behind her mane. "Don't you have a lot of work to do?"
"Nothing that's more important than my little sunflower." Starswirl said earning a wide smile from the child. "Now move over. I don't want to accidently squash you."
Celestia giggle then quickly moved over to allow her father's larger body to lie down. The bed groan slightly as it took his wright but it held. The young alicorn snuggle up to her adopted father and lays her head on his chest, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
The older pony warped his hoof around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Sleep tight my little princess." He whispered.
And they both slept peacefully for the rest of the night.