Sweat dripped down the side of Dave's face, and for maybe the hundredth time that day, he reminded himself to do it for Bro.
It was entirely too fucking hot, burning sunlight shining merrily down in bright yellow streams. Shadows cast by the trees were almost black, the umbra an equal equivalence of the light-- Dave could literally internally monologue about the physics of illumination for hours, but he had to focus up.
He also forgot his camera back at the apartment and was keenly regretting it. Say la vee, or whatever.
Dirk was a perfectly still mannequin, he wasn't even breathing, which was making Dave cover his mouth with a hand to hide his smile. Honestly, the fact that Bro's Striderian Chill could be thoroughly ruined by a petting zoo? Dave wished he could tell his ten year old self, it'd probably solve at least like, 20% of his trauma. Maybe 25%.
There were kids all around, little trolls and carapacians, their parents standing behind the low wooden fencing and observing the proceedings with soft smiles and coos. Inside the ring were some farm animals, real Old McDonald type shit. Chickens clucking away and li'l chicks peeping in sublime yellow fuzziness, sheep so obscenely fluffy Dave genuinely wondered how they were handling the heat, and the piece de resistance: ponies.
Yeah, Dave brought his big bro to see some lil horsies, and the guy was handling it Extremely Well. It took everything he had to not fall over himself laughing.
"Do you wanna get in there?" He nudged Dirk's shoulder with his own, speaking lowly as if he were a horse he was trying not to spook. The comparison made Dave want to snicker, but he smothered it.
Dirk blinked, as if in a daze, and watched the miniature horses that barely reached their knees slowly amble around and nibble at the grass. A little girl troll stroked a white pony's nose and it nickered; Dirk made a high little sound in his throat.
"I bet if you get a sugar cube one would eat it out of your hand."
Bro was off like a shot, scrambling over himself in an attempt to flashstep to the pony handler to ask for a sugar cube please, ma'am. Southern boy through and through, even when there wasn't even land, it was impressive.
Dave pulled out his phone and surreptitiously snapped some shots, fine, he was man enough to admit it. Seeing his teenaged Bro, with eyes so huge they couldn't be hidden by his shades, carefully crouching down so he could extend his hands to a pony, a little sugar cube in gloved palms? He was only human, well, a god, but also he was only human.
The pony had pegasus wings strapped to it, and a rainbow dyed mane. Her eyes were tranquil as she leaned forward and gently licked the sweet from Dirk's hands, snuffling and nuzzling her nose as if looking for more, or encouraging him to pet her. Dirk's bottom lip was trembling as he stroked up and down the pony's muzzle with a single finger. He seemed to gain some courage after a bit though, lifting his other hand to scratch behind her ear.
Too soon, some kids wanted to pet the pretty pony, and Bro flashstepped away and back to Dave's side without a word.
"This is the greatest day of my life." His voice too serious for a man who just pet a frickin' mini rainbow pegasus. "Thank you, Dave."
"Any time, bro." He grinned, and pulled Dirk into a one armed hug. "Any time."
