A short, simple casual teef. Unwinding from work taken to a whole new level!

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Rosco was tired.
This was not for lack of a better word. To be more precise, he was agonizingly, stupendously, outrageously tired such that the energy seeped from every pore down into the damp muck of the sewer drain below, fueling a monster of unimaginable sloth and despondency that would one day tear apart the very foundations of the city he lived in with its repressed woes.
But that would have taken far too many words to describe, and he was tired.

Rain drizzled and sputtered, not entirely sure if it was really supposed to be raining here, but doing it anyway out of habit. It was not quite enough for Rosco to pull up the hood of his beaten dim-green jacket, for that would have looked foolish, yet it was still enough to irritate. Agitate. All sorts of tates that he really wished would just go away thank you.
“Rough day at the office?” It was a friend, as far as work friends went. He had a name, but since no one was holding Rosco in judgment it didn’t matter.
“Always. They’re working me like a dog.”
“I guess that makes sense. You are a dog.”

Something about that seemed wrong to him, but he didn’t have the energy to argue. Maybe it would be better if it was true. It would make a lot of sense.
“Planning on heading home then?”
“Not yet. Need to get some strength back.”
“Is that what they call it?”
“Sure, why not.”
“Well, don’t let me drag your tail around. See you later.”
“See ya.”

Rosco waved, but it wasn’t a very good wave. He was tired, and people had been dragging his tail around all day. Do this. File that. What do you think about th- I Don’t Caaaaaaare. Aaaaagh. Pointless people ninnyammering all day long about pointless work.

The bar was nice though. Less drizzly. More welcoming. He hadn’t actually paid attention to anything inbetween the bad workplace and the good bar. Had it been five minutes or ten? He forgot.
“That time already, Rosco?”
“Yep. Just… need to forget about things for a bit.”
“I hear you. Well, don’t get too forgetful. There’s still a girl waiting for you back home.”
He slumped on the counter, tail wagging ever so slightly at the mention. He did have a person waiting back home, it was true. That was a long ways away though, and he was still in a work sort of mood. The beer tasted awful, as usual, but perhaps that was its way of balancing out the awful feelings that left soon afterwords.

Rosco perked up slightly at the light touch of someone’s hand on his head, another patron at the bar. The hand mussled his hair, and scritched gently at his ears. “Who’s a good boy? Is it you? Is it you?”
“It’s me.” He grinned gently, tiredly, and moved his head into the scritches. It was nice when random strangers could just give him a little appreciation now and then. Maybe if they were all like that, things wouldn’t be so bad. So bad as… what was it again? He forgot.

Tab paid, beer drank, and back into the slightly less oppressive drizzle, Rosco meandered towards the subway. He never liked the subway much. It was awkward, and cramped, and everyone spent their time pretending they knew what they were about.
Rosco never knew what he was about, least of all on the subway. He groped and fidgeted with his cards, but they splattered out on the counter. “Here, let me help you with that.” A nice man picked up the card, and put it into the little slot for him. “There we go.”
“Thank you.”
“No worries. It’s hard to work things with paws, I imagine.”
“It’s okay, as long as people like you are around.”
“I try to be.”
Rosco managed to get his things back in the pocket of the coat. It was bulky, and a little stifling. Clothes were weird. Strange things made by people who didn’t have fur. Compensating for something, he imagined, though it would make more sense if they’d just get fur themselves.

The subway wasn’t too crowded, perhaps because of the time spent at the bar. Just long enough to miss the rush, he thought, and his tail wagged again. He took of his coat, letting it sink onto his shoulders like a cape of sorts. Looking aorund, there was a small girl on the subway near him, with a little backpack that was all colorful and happy. “Hi there.”
“Hi.”
“I like your fur. It’s so floofy.”
“Thank you. I like it too.”
“Can I pet it?”
“Sure. Go right ahead.”

He felt happy like this. Something had been bothering him, but it wasn’t important anymore. He forgot.
Rosco almost forgot to get off the subway too, but the nice man announced the stop for once. He did that occasionally, but he didn’t do it often enough to rely on. That was okay. He tried his best. Rosco tried his best too, and sometimes it even worked! That thought made him happy.

He’d left the coat behind on the subway, but it didn’t really matter. It was already too hot anyway, and he took off the shirt too while he was at it. There. Fur was like clothing anyway, right? He sniffed, smelling the calm smells of his territory. Home! That a way. Around and through and past the parking lot, up to the apartment stairs.

The stairs were tall, but he knew how best to climb them. Humans always did it the hard way, with their feet alone, but Rosco knew better. He set his hands down on the stairs, climbing up on all fours quickly, eagerly. Up at the top was the best part of all! He didn’t mind as everything else fell to the wayside to be picked up by some other bystander. Third floor. Fourth floor. Around the corner, and boop the doorbell. *bing bong*

After a few seconds, the door opened, and a tall woman greeted the golden retriever with a hug. “There you are, Rosco. Did you have a good day while you were out?”
He did! There were so many nice people today, and while he played with them all, he most enjoyed playing with his person. She was his person, and he was a good dog. Yes he was, yes he was!