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She’s chewing his hair again.
He can feel it without having to open his eyes, evident by the snuffling breaths across his face in tandem with the tugs on his hair. Fort Worth tries to stay still, but it doesn’t quite work when a low moo rumbles against his temple. Grinning, he leans away- even as she keeps nosing his forehead, bumping into his ear. A slight yelp, finally blinking through the ticklish feeling to push her back. “Sprinkles- no-”
The longhorn pauses when she sees he’s awake, before giving a happy grunt and clomping down a hoof beside him. She lowers down on top of his chest, despite his attempts to sit up. Sighing, the cowtown runs his fingers under her neck, scratching gently- and it does the trick, making her grunt and draw back. Only to then rest her chin on top of his head.
“I’m fine, girl. Not that tired yet.” Fort Worth sighs, making sure to continue petting and scratching her anyway. Her speckled ears flick, already impatient to press down, soft bellows ruffling his flaxen hair. “Come on, now. Ain’t you got a nap to take too?”
She’s been growing well. But still, she shouldn’t be old enough to give him such a look of exasperation, head settling back down into his lap as she looks at him. Chuckling, he finally scoots up to rest his back on a bale of hay, ignoring the prickly sensation in favor of how Sprinkles moos in satisfaction.
Truth be told, he doesn’t mind this that much, being able to sit back in this old barn. His old barn. It’s quiet enough to sleep if he really wants to, especially with the young cow by his side, tail flicking back and forth against his leg. A hand idly combs back his hair, flattening the short blond strands best he can as he lets his gaze cast upwards, towards the ceiling beams.
If Fort Worth listens hard enough, he can almost hear Dallas yelling for him to get down from the ladder before it can topple. He can almost hear him running the calculations of how much wood they’ll really need, himself insisting they’ve got enough, his friend retorting and being unfortunately right.
Over a century ago at this point, probably. That’s how long this little building’s stood. And- sure, he’s rebuilt it plenty of times, and Austin would be bringing up some kind of Ship of Theseus paradox question if he told him- but he doesn’t really care about that.
It feels old, no matter what components he’s added or replaced or removed. That’s what matters.
A soft moo brings him back to the present, Sprinkles looking up at the ceiling with him. Fort Worth chuckles, nudging her head back down into his lap. If he could just lay here with her for eternity, he wouldn’t mind. Right in this barn he could walk through blind, and hear every creak deaf.
He still hears a lot, in the cracks between floorboards, the gaps of unclosed windows. There’s the high-pitched, whooshing scream of a faraway airplane- which he has to pat Sprinkles at, in order to urge her back to rest. There’s the distant scuffle of the stray barn cat he’s only seen peering out from the shadows of the hay bales, a rat at its paws. There’s a breeze that carries dust with it into the walls, prompting a sneeze from himself and a snort from the cow in his lap.
Wiping his nose, he relaxes back into the wooden planks, casting another affectionate glance towards Sprinkles. “I’m supposed to be rollin’ up the hay y’all knocked over in the pasture.” He muses, flicking her ear. She flicks it back. “Things don’t ever go accordin’ to plan though, huh?”
The cow presses further into his lap, eyes starting to close. He lets his own close too, returning to listening. The rhythmic sweeping of her tail against the ground reminds him of the days simply sweeping dust up and out of the walls, humming a jolly tune underneath his breath. A lost tune, at this point- no matter how much he strains to listen for it.
There’s a lot Fort Worth’s lost over the years, the decades. He’s lost his old fiddle he played his heart out on in bars, the first pistol he got and learned to shoot on, his first horse that he cherished to the elderly end, his first…
“Goddamnit- hey, I’m trying to find him here you walking glue stick, if you could just let me- fuck, watch the shoes-”
Well. He hasn’t lost his first friend.
Fort Worth opens his eyes, turning slightly as the annoyed voice gradually nears the ajar doors of the barn, shadows flitting through the evening light. Sprinkles’ ears twitch as well, head lifting and beginning to stand- and he watches as she trots off to greet who he already knows it is.
The doors are shoved wider open, a scowl on Dallas’s face as he shakes out his leg. The edge of his pants is stained with grass strands and dirt, turning to glare back out the door- before finally giving up and dusting his hands off with a grimace, face turning to the waiting cow in front of him. A soft snort escapes him, reaching out to finally pet her head. Until he seems to scan the floor, and meets his eyes, even through those signature sunglasses. “You. Raise menaces.”
“You’ve been a menace back, Dal.” He chuckles, propping himself up a little less tiredly against the hay. Even from a distance, he knows that scrutinizing gaze, the way his mouth’s wiring itself shut to not say something he’ll regret.
Fat load of good it does. He knows him too well.
“Oh, yeah, because I totally took the time to step on your horses’ feet.” Dallas scoffs, glaring down at his shoes. Admittedly, the dirt-caked hoofprints on the leather is a tad excessive. “The hell are you doing down there? Have you even been looking at your phone?”
“...What?”
A long sigh. Fort Worth can parse the disapproving look Sprinkles gives him, head bunting his leg- though to his credit, Dallas doesn’t do anything but tap her back, frown deepening just a little. “I sent you a couple texts, but since it’d take too long to go all the way to your little shack that’s conveniently right next to this barn- oh, whatever.” He crosses his arms, even as the young cow continues to try and push him back towards the doors. “Our wonderful capital mentioned you were seeming mopey recently, and now that I’m here I can definitely see it and- would you stop trying to shove me out?”
Sprinkles lashes her tail, giving a low bellow. Fort Worth shakes his head, trying to hide a grin as he gets up, snapping his fingers- and reluctantly, she trots back over to him. “Just the heat, y’know how it gets durin’ summer. Hard to want to do anything.” He insists. “‘M gonna bounce back like usual.”
The other city gives him a scrutinizing look- and even with the shades between them, Fort Worth fights the urge to avert his eyes. “Even if I believe that, and with how hard all your animals are trying to get me to leave I don’t- I’ve booked a place already for two.” His fingers drum against the side of his elbow. “Michelin star sushi and sashimi. And you need to get out of all this dust.”
“Okay, okay, I get it.” He smiles sheepishly, trying to dust off his own pants. “...You’re gonna need to teach me how to work the chopsticks again, though.”
“I know.” Dallas’s voice is a little too smug, but he’s glad to let it slide in favor of focusing on the relief there too. “Anyways. We’ve got to go in half an hour.”
“Dangit, alright.” The cowtown sighs. Time to check the back of his closet and hope it’s not too dusty. “What kinda wear do I need this time?”
“You’ll find out soon. I’ve already prepared something.” He waves a hand dismissively, stepping over to him. “And no, it’s just a good three-piece, so you can’t complain.”
Fort Worth blinks in surprise, looking back at Sprinkles for a moment- before starting to chuckle. “Oh, come on, you didn’t have to do that for-”
“It’s my place. I can’t have you over if you’re not looking your best.” Dallas holds out a hand, palm up, blue veins visible through the pale skin. “And you at least need a good shower. That’s not even in question.”
He hesitates a moment longer, glancing around his barn- the barn that still hasn’t been cleaned up, the hay that still hasn’t been cleaned up outside either- but his best friend’s hand is still there, out expectantly, expecting him.
Wanting to take him along.
“Alright, time to play dress up again.” Fort Worth grins, grabbing on. He stifles a chuckle as the other scrunches up his nose in turn.
“It is not just- ugh. This is in the name of fine dining.” He mutters, even as his slimmer fingers wrap around his stubby ones, flicking his temple with his free hand. The cowtown can’t help a giggle- and it earns him the slightest smile in turn. “So, are you ready or what?”
“I thought the point of going to your place was to get ready.”
“You can’t get smart on me now, you were the one dissociating in a pile of sawdust.”
“I wasn’t-” He cuts himself off in a defeated sigh. “Okay, fine. I’m ready.”
“Good.” Dallas gives a curt nod. “Because you have good dining and good clothes waiting for you. And good bath… a good bath. One good bath.”
The last sound Fort Worth hears in his old barn is his own laughter, as they teleport away.