Work Text:
Beef
“Delivery!”
Beef’s head snapped up from where he was hunched over his sales case in his small butchers shop.
It wasn’t much. Wasn’t huge, wasn’t excessive.
Then again, neither was he. And he was just happy the doors were open.
“Hey, hey! Thanks man, I appreciate it. Hand delivery, huh? What did I do to deserve that?” The cow hybrid asked as the door swung shut behind the swishing tail of XB.
His friend was standing there with a large crate balanced in muscular arms, sleeves of his black tee shirt rolled back. His fish-like tail swayed behind him as he walked in with an airy chuckle.
“I just needed to get out for awhile, that’s all! Here! First round of fresh stuff down from topside, should sell like hotcakes! Check the prices from the Boss?”
“Will do, will do, did he send those out? I’ve heard Doc has been busy as hell.”
“I mean, busy worrying?” Xb chuckled again, an easy grin on his face.
Beef felt a smile easing up on his face, and his tail whipped casually as he broke the crate open. Ice lined the base, and layers of packaged meats were prepared for sale inside.
“What a relief…” He murmured, almost to himself, and XB turned and leaned back against the countertop of the little butcher shop. He then reached down and gave a playful push to one of Beef’s wide bull-like horns, making him tilt and lose his balance a bit.
“Hey!”
“Don’t overthink it, man. We’re back in business.”
“It just feels so weird…finally having it back.” Beef said as he opened his sales case and started loading the meat inside.
“Doesn’t it, though? But who can complain after the winter we all had.”
Beef looked up at him and saw XB with a cheery lopsided little smile, amusement on his lips like he’d always been before…and it was such a relief to hear it again.
Such a relief for my door to be unlocked.
Beef let out a breath and his broad shoulders relaxed.
“You’re right. No use overthinking.”
“Exactly! Now, you let me know if you need to order anything else? I’ll expeidite it.”
“By that you mean you’ll blackmail Keralis with old texts about X?”
“Obviously.”
Beef laughed, the sound barreling from his chest, grinning in response to Xb’s jaunty wave over his shoulder.
“Sure thing…I’ll see you around!”
“Buh-bye!”
The door closed behind him, and Beef turned his gaze into the freshly refilled cabinet.
“Don’t overthink it.” He commented again, aloud, just to himself, and he patted the slightly fogged glass of the refrigerated case with one hand twice.
“Back in business.”
Contentment settled warm in his chest at the thought, and he stood up to keep preparing his store for reopening in the morning.