Heat Wave (Patreon)

“Gaaaaaahhh fuck!”

Chrysante’s bleached brows shaped a weary glare at the black screen on his cellphone.

“C’mooooon” he whined, shaking the device as if doing so would magically cool the overheating device. The civet scrunched his nose up as the E-Mobile insignia framed its silent warning, and he forced a melodramatic sigh through pouting lips.

There wasn’t too often a moment when he wanted to destroy his most prized possession, but dissuading the immediate urge to toss it across the room, he let it loosely slip from his fingers as he collapsed onto the massive mattress that his partner didn't seem too keen on sharing today.

Vance lazily eyed the civet but said nothing. Too exasperated by the heat and the weight of his own hair, he dared not make it hotter in here by scolding him. Truthfully, he lacked the energy to do anything more than sweat even if he wanted to. Chrys always talked too much… did everything too much, and yet the hyena found himself appreciating Chrys’s overdramatic entry a little more than usual. The expensive AC unit proved useless against the record highs of mid-June, but the slight breeze his boyfriend offered upon his arrival felt amazing in the moment.

He grunted something of a greeting.

Chrys had begun savagely kicking the air in an attempt to shoo the purple skinny jeans off his legs. He didn’t seem to hear Vance as he berated his choice of attire, cursing the pants as if the insults would unstick them from his thighs. As he jostled and shook himself about, Vance felt a smirk pulling at his lips. It wasn’t much air really, but combined with his adorable flailing, it was a treat to see Chrys struggle over something so mundane. If it were any other day, he might have offered a hand, but why ruin the moment?

He continued to watch until the civet’s paw finally slipped out of the snug garment.

“Wh-Wha… What.. the fuck is… with this heat?!”

Chrysante dragged the back of his paw across his forehead and wiped away the sweat he’d built up from his tussle. Casually flicking it away, he flopped to rest opposite the hyena, well aware that he’d finally roused his boyfriend.

“Power out here too?” He panted. His voice felt haggard, thirsty.

“Mhm.” Vance replied, still resolving to remain perfectly still. “Tired?”

His question was redundant, really. Chrys had only just walked in, and already his chest fur had sweat itself out. His hair was fuller than usual too. Whatever errand he’d set out on returned him a lot less tidy than when he’d left– though he hadn’t been gone very long. He was clearly warm.

“I look that bad?” Chrysante touched a hand to his face in disbelief. “Eh… whatever. It’s not like I care what anybody at that place thinks anyway. Buncha mental cases.”

He kicked his jeans away and toward the foot of the bed. Even when they weren’t worn, clothes made things hotter just being around. It was no wonder Vance got out of his so fast. He was careful not to shove his boyfriend’s belongings onto the floor as he made himself comfortable next to his curly-haired companion.

“So uh… I brought Tink.” He shot the hyena a bashful smile. “Since the power’s out everywhere, his Flute classes were canceled and they let em’ go early. I figured we could all hang out. Didn’t feel right droppin’ him off at home when everything’s dead...”

Chrys pat the spread suggestively, and a little turquoise aerial formed a heart over the side of the oversized mattress. Responding to the invitation of its owner, the dark creature lifted itself on webbed wings and gingerly sat down, setting its sights on the largest member of the trio.

“He likes you almost as much as I do.” Chrys added, a playful smile pushing through the uncertainty written all over his face. He still wasn’t sure how Vance felt about his pet…and he hadn’t exactly asked to bring him over.

Tinker cocked its head, mirroring the pleading look in its owner’s eyes. It seemed Chrys had managed to get them looking pretty similar– for the most part.

It was always hard to say ‘no’ to a face like that, let alone two of them.

Besides, if Vance was gonna die in this heat wave, it’d be nice to do it with company.