"E-Excuse me... kid, are you okay?" 


Between my heavy sobbing, hearing that definitely startled me. My ears were still recovering from the loud noises from earlier, and I wasn't expecting anyone to find my hiding spot under the apartment stairs, so it definitely hurt more than it should have... and it's not like that voice had screamed or anyone, I was 100% sure he had just... spoken normally...


"S-Sorry Mister, I-I... s-s-sorry..." Why am I such a screw-up? Now this man will worry about me too because I just can't keep it down. I'm useless, good for nothing, only to eat food and-


"It's okay, it's okay. You mice have more sensitive ears, right? I should have been more careful." Before my mind could think of a hundred different scenarios to why I'm a problem, he spoke in a soothing tone... it felt nice... he sounded nice, different from what I was used to... and he was right too, my ears were much more sensitive than normal thanks to how big they were... big, round and pinkish on the inside, while the outside was just as white as the fur that covered my small body... small and frail, as I've heard many, many times.


"Y-Yes.... thanks..." I'm not sure why I thanked him... but he was nice, so it felt like it was the right thing to do. Still, I wasn't expecting the person behind the juvenile voice to be a horse. Usually, the horses I've met had much deeper and rougher voices... but this one sounded nice, and as he went down the stairs to take a look at me, I quickly wiped away my tears. He wasn't that tall, but much taller than a mouse his age would be. He was also somewhat scrawny-looking, with deep-black fur covering all of his body, though he had a cute white spot on his nose


"Are you okay? Why were you crying?" He asked me as he sat down on the ground, putting his back against the wall I was leaning on while sitting by my side... his voice was so soothing and he was so... nice... but those questions reminded me of what made me come here. Quickly, tears started to swell up my face as all the pain came back. My body ached and my brain felt heavy. I just wanted it all to end and- "O-Oh, sorry, w-we don't need to talk about it. Here, do you want an ice-cream?" 


Once more, he interrupted my thoughts and took out an unopened popsicle out of his pocket. It was lemon flavored, which conveniently was my favorite "Hmmmm.... I-I.... shouldn't accept things from strangers..."


"It's okay, I wouldn't hurt a cute little mouse like you." The teenager-looking horse chuckled as he took out another popsicle from his pocket, opening one for himself before leaving mine on my lap "Sorry, haha... I don't... talk to kids much... or anyone closer to my age really... or... anyone at all" He laughed it off in a funny way... it made me laugh too, even if it was more sad than funny.


Taking the popsicle from my lap and opening it, I slowly started to lick it. As always, that taste always made me smile and it definitely cleansed my palate from earlier. "Y-You're funny mister..." I commented as I started focusing more on my popsicle, giggling slightly while thinking about the man beside me. He was so different from the men I've met before, it was weird.


"I-I am?" For some reason, he seemed surprised by my statement, which made me chuckle even more and nod to him "Well, maybe you just think I'm funny cause you're still a kid. How old are you?"


He was probably asking because, well... I'm a kid crying under the stairs of our apartment complex. That would make anyone worried, though I was really counting on my hideout hiding me from prying eyes "I-I'm... 10... and you mister? You look young..."


He chuckled thanks to my statement "Why, thank you! I'm actually 21, but people say I look younger all the time. How old would you say I look?" He asked me with a big, dumb smile on his face.


"Hmmm... I dunno... 16...?" I replied, but it was really hard to guess like that, and his appearance definitely didn't help, especially with his disheveled mane and somewhat untidy appearance... he was still nice though. "Thanks... for the popsicle... why did you have popsicle in your pockets? Especially lemon!" 


He didn't really seem to have an answer for that, so he just shrugged. I guess he just conveniently found me crying under the staircase with a lemon popsicle in his pocket... I didn't really think much of it though, it was good enough for me to just continue licking my popsicle and finishing it, though the way he looked at me while I did felt... embarrassing... it wasn't disgusting or anything, but it's like he followed my tongue and lips as it touched the popsicle, gulping down hard and sweating slightly as I chuckled. He was so weird.


"Anyways... ice lollies always make me feel good, right? I hope it helped!" He said, continuing to show me that kind smile. His voice carried a tone that I wasn't used to. It was usually yelling or anger but.... this... it felt like he wanted to know more of me without any sort of bad feeling. It felt good for once.


"I-It made me feel better mister... thanks... I-I.... should get going now or uncle will be mad... I don't like it when uncle gets mad..." I noted as I got up, though my weak legs almost gave up on me and made me fall. Luckily, the horse grabbed onto me and made sure I could stand, having quickly stood up as well.


"S-Shit, are you okay? S-Shit, sorry, shit!" It seems his reaction to saying a bad word just made him say even more bad words, and with him getting flustered, I couldn't help but laugh once more.


"I-I'm okay... thanks..." I said while leaning back against him. For some reason, I felt something hard press against me, but it was probably just more popsicles, and I wasn't going to be rude and ask for one more so I just ran away to go to uncle's apartment


"B-Bye kid! I-I'm in apartment 305 in case you need anything, okay?" With a reassuring tone from his voice, I nodded to his statement before continuing to run up the staircase. Well... at least that day wasn't so bad, it could have been worse... Thanks weird mister... for the popsicle.