Cubbi's Room, Gummadoon

Cubbi, though he was reading below the level a cub his age should be reading, was doing his best for Plucki. He'd been working on it, really! Sure, he spent more time doing other things he didn't like, and he really didn't like reading at all and that's why he always did it last, if he had time. And, yeah, sometimes he didn't make time for it but... Well, a knight's got other responsibilities. And he WAS trying. He wondered as the knight-captain came into his room if he saw his effort.
"Cubbi," started Sir Plucki, standing beside his bed that evening. "Even though you have not been reading much during my absence, you do seem to have picked up a little. Tell me, have you been reading on your own?"
Cubbi blushed and nodded. "Well, sometimes at night when I couldn't sleep I would peek at the story book you would read to me. Sometimes I'd do it after Grammi tucked me in and I couldn't sleep. I think she'd find the book on the floor 'cause I'd find it on my night table in the morning."
Plucki smiled. "You know if you want I can read to you like Grammi did, Cubbi."
Cubbi beamed when he heard this. "You'd do that for me?"
Plucki grinned. "You like being read stories huh?"
Cubbi nodded eagerly. "Yes, that's how I learned about Gummadoon, when Zummi read to me and the others the night before we first met."
Plucki smiled, remembering when he had for the first time met Cubbi on the one hundredth night of that year for the spell that affected all of Gummadoon. After a 100 years spell. So much time gone by... And yet, he could easily relate to Cubbi. He hadn't been the best of students as a cub either and had required tutelage as well. Always playing around too much with his fellow 'brothers' Gumlittle and Blastus. But that was done, the spell was gone, and he was very glad Cubbi was his squire.
Plucki tried not to think of how close he felt emotionally toward Cubbi, and how guilty it'd make him feel later on because it was as if he were taking on a new son to replace Aldi. It wasn't so. He'd never ever thought of Cubbi as a replacement for Aldi. Never... Could he trust himself not to think of Cubbi as a son? Would it be so wrong if he did, in time, do so? Plucki sighed mentally. Not now. No guilt now. He was trying to HELP the lad. Plucki picked up the story book he read Cubbi from at night as he snuggled down in the oversized pillow on his bed.
Plucki read him a story about a gummi knight who battled a dragon. As the knight-captain read, he watched as Cubbi. Soon, the young squire's eyes became droopy. Cubbi's eye soon closed. Despite his age, the cub then started to suck on his thumb.
Plucki smiled as he watched Cubbi. All cubs were the same when asleep. Absolutely perfect. Happening to glance at the floor, Plucki saw a small bag near the cub's bed. He picked it up and found a loved stuffed toy bear. Plucki figured perhaps Cubbi slept with it at night and put it near the squire's right arm.
By instinct, Cubbi sensed it was there and grabbed it, holding tight. Not waking one ounce, he hugged it and went back to sucking his thumb.