The car forged a lonely path down the unplowed street, the crunch of tires on snow muffled by the foot of powder that had accumulated over the last few hours. The car's headlights illuminated bright cones of thick flakes still falling from the dark sky, making it difficult to see much of anything.
Diego hated driving in snow. The Sonoran coyote still wasn't used to these Midwestern winters, and even with snow tires and all wheel drive, the occasional loss of traction, even fleeting, caused his heart to skip a beat and his grip on the wheel to tighten. If it were anyone other than Fay, he would have already turned back.
He ignored the doubt in the back of his mind that reminded him that they were no longer a couple, and that they hadn't spoken in the six months since breaking up. They'd been friends long before they'd been a couple, and even though Diego was still furious at how their years together had ended, some sense of obligation pushed him onward.
Harder to ignore was the worry about why Fay had called him for help. The marten had no shortage of friends. Diego did live near Fay's work, so it may have been simple convenience. But, what if Fay had an ulterior motive? What if this was his attempt to reconnect so they could finally repair some of what had been broken all those months ago? What if he wanted to get back together?
By the time he pulled into the lot, the defogger was struggling to keep up with condensation creeping up the windows. Fay worked at one of those massive pharmacy chains where every building looked the same no matter what corner they occupied. Diego pulled up next to the only other car in the lot. Before he'd even finished putting the vehicle in park, a diminutive marten, bundled in a bulky white coat and knitted had rushed from the darker car, a cloud of condensation briefly obscuring his features, before he climbed into Diego's passenger seat and let out a relieved sigh.
The other male's scent - a mingling of floral deodorant, a breath mint, and the natural musk accumulated through a workday - reminded the coyote of nights spent curled up together, his nose buried in the marten's chest or the back of his neck.
Fay had reddish-brown fur covering most of his body, with an alluring patch of creamy orange across his throat and chest. He had bright green eyes that were deceptively innocent, large and kind, concealing a sharp wit.
Next to Diego, Fay shivered and rubbed his delicate paws in front of the middle vent. The coyote cranked the heat, though the windshield began to quickly fog.
"You all right?" the coyote said, unsure what else to say.
Fay glanced at him from the side. "Not really. But I'm glad you came."
He hesitated, then gestured to the pharmacy. "Why are you even working in this? Most of the city's been shut down for hours."
Fay blew into his paws and rubbed them together for warmth before moving them back to the vent. "It's not like I set the hours. Corporate keeps us open as long as they think we can make money. The only reason we're closed now is because the power went out and the pharmacist went home."
"It's hard to imagine you putting up with that," he said after several beats of silence.
When they were teenagers, Fay had made a habit of walking out on jobs with little provocation. To help ends meet, he'd shoved some of that rebellious streak aside while Diego worked on his degree, but he'd still gone through three jobs in as many years.
Fay shrugged. "Can't lose the money. Fuck knows what this is gonna cost," he gestured at his car through the window. Most of it was obscured by a blanket of snow.
YOU ARE READING
While the Lights Were Out
Short StoryDiego (coyote) and Fay (pine marten) were childhood friends turned lovers until Fay ended things to pursue another relationship. Now circumstances have brought the former couple together during a blizzard, forcing the ex-couple to confront lingering...