Brain Weasels
Hoofclid called them Brain Weasels. Braeburn hated them.
Those were nothing like Miss Fluttershy's critters, playful and cuddly. They were not like the feral ones of the Everfree Forest either; those were shy and secretive. No... those weasels lived inside Hoofclid's brain and they were nasty, sneaky, harmful and they whispered horrible thoughts in his mind.
And they always came back, waiting the right moment to strike down the poor stallion. And Braeburn could do nothing about that.
That was probably the worst part for him: the powerlessness. He was a simple farm pony used to simple problems with simple solutions, and this was clearly not one of those. When things had gotten serious with Hoof, he had promised himself he'd take care of him, he'd protect him like he was the most precious apple tree in the orchard, heck, like he was the whole darn orchard and all its apples... And yet here he was, being forced to stay on the side while his Hoofy fought those nasty things. No matter how he tried to turn that around, it sounded like a betrayal of this promise.
Braeburn shook his head. Darn weasels are trying to take root in my mind too, he thought. I'm here. I'm helping. Hoof's a strong unicorn. He can do it. And I'll be right next to him.
"You okay Hoofy?" he asked softly.
The unicorn didn't answer. Braeburn wondered if he had fallen asleep and stopped stroking his mane.
"I'm okay, Brae..." the unicorn finally let out. "Could you... continue please?"
"Of course," he said warmly, stroking the chestnut hair again.
"Thanks," the unicorn whispered.
"Hey, Hoof?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Hoofclid didn't answer, not with words anyway. Instead, he clung his lover tighter for a few seconds.
"You know, I'm no unicorn with fancy magic... I can't fight those darn weasels for you. Heck, I can't even fight 'em by your side. I wish I could giv 'em a good old fashion buck between the two eyes... but I can't."
The farmer stopped talking for a moment, passing his hoof deeper into the mane, careful not to pull his hair. The unicorn relaxed further, appreciating the moment.
Braeburn continued after a time. "It's okay though. I know you. You're a strong unicorn with a good heart. You're stronger than you let on. I know you'll get through this. And I'll be there for you."
The hoof let the brown mane to caress the unicorn grey fur.
"If I can't fight the weasels for you, then I'll just hug you until they get calmer. I may not make them shut, but maybe I can make them less audible. I'll do it as many times as necessary."
"And if I never stop? And if..."
Braeburn gently took Hoofclid's face into his hooves, making the unicorn face him. The green eyes fixed the mathematician. Those comforting eyes that seemed to see only the best about him. At that point, Hoofclid had already stopped talking, but Braeburn did not take any chance. The farmer closed the gap between them, sealing his lover's lips with a kiss.
It lasted one eternity, maybe two, but was still over way too quickly. Braeburn broke the kiss, slightly out of breath and simply said:
"It's a good thing I'm never planning on leaving your side then."
A small story and illustration for @hoofclid ^^
