Author's Note: I should be studying for a final while writing this. :) Be warned, this story contains M/M sex. If you're easily offended, not into that, or your local / state / federal government or God of your choice says you can't look at it, then don't. But you're going to anyway. I've been there. I started working on this story some years ago; it was lost for a while and I rediscovered it when cleaning out for a move. PLEASE! I need comments and constructive criticism to improve!

Desert Nights  
By Shilah (shilahwolf@gmail.com)

Baksa hacked and coughed as he received a face full of steam form the uplifted of his 85 Plymouth Reliant. He fell back, landing unceremoniously on his rear in front of the car, the fur on his face slightly singed.

Baksa got to his feet, running a paw over his face. The five-foot-six morphic red fox had a short, thin muzzle with piecing blue eyes and ears that twitched, sensing the sounds of the night. His fur was a dark, burnt brown, black at the paws and white across his chest to the

  underside of his muzzle, and his tail waved slowly behind him as he walked, red and tipped with a black point. His arms were muscled but not obscenely so, covered in a thin layer of red fur and ending in black-furred gloves. His chest and abs bore some muscle underneath his shirt, thick creamy white fur covering his chest. He was dressed in traveling clothes: brown sandals, a pair of faded cutoff jeans and a thin white t-shirt.

He waited for the steam to clear before peering into the engine compartment again and saw the problem immediately: two of the radiator lines had exploded and the engine had overheated as a result. Baksa sat on the bumper, allowing himself to slide down onto the ground and resting his head in his paws.

The whole trip had been nothing short of a complete disaster. In Atlanta, he had been rear-ended by a tractor-trailer, totaling his car and forcing him to use what little money he had to buy a new, cheap car. He had run out of gas in Louisiana, had several items stolen from his car in Texas, gone one hundred miles in the wrong way in Arizona, and finally this.

  He looked around. He was in the middle of the desert at night, and couldn't see anything in either direction. The stars shone above brighter than any on nights he could remember at home - he was far, far from anything that could put off enough light to disturb the darkness of the desert night. Moonlight revealed low shrubbery covering the desert floor, punctuated with the occasional Joshua tree or low sand dune. Crickets chirped and wind blew coolly across the desert from the mountains visible in the distance. The ground, still hot from the daytime heating, moved occasionally to reveal a small animal.

Baksa walked slowly back to his seat in the car and rummaged around on the floorboard, finally pulling out a battered and stained map. He spread the map out on the ground in front of the car, using the headlights for illumination, and traced his route as best he could with a paw to the last mile market he remembered. Looking ahead, he saw he was about twenty miles from a small road-junction settlement. Baksa looked forward in the distance, and quickly made the decision to walk it.

  He grabbed a backpack from the back seat, tossing the map, some snacks and a half-empty bottle of water in before slinging it over his back. Baksa grabbed a flashlight off the floorboard and reached down to turn the headlights off, plunging the whole area into an eerie darkness.

He had just closed the door and extinguished the last remaining light from the scene when a small glint caught his eye in the distance from the direction he was going to be walking. Against the wind, he heard the unmistakable sound of an engine; soon, the lights diverged into two separate headlights and Baksa could clearly make out as the shape of a car coming from ahead. He grabbed the flashlight and waved it over his head, trying to signal the driver. He flashed it several times and, as the car drew nearer, he saw it flash its brights and begin to slow down. Inside, Baksa cheered and thought that maybe his luck was finally turning around after the horrible beginning that was this trip.

As the vehicle neared, he saw it was not a car but in fact a large, old Dodge mini-van. Baksa could make out little detail from the dark but he could see the paint was peeling and it showed dings from years of wear. He couldn't make out anything other than a vague canine shape behind the wheel as the car did a turnaround in the middle of the road, pulled around him and over onto the shoulder.

  As it slowly came to a stop, the door popped open and the figure emerged. Baksa could tell a bit more in detail. He was a wolf, standing a head or so taller than Baksa, with fur as black as the night sky was dark. His piercing amber eyes seemed to glow with a light of their own, the

pink insides of his ears visible as they focused intently in front of him. Behind him, his bushy canine tail hung down, wagging occasionally as he walked on his finely toned legs. He was wearing a pair of ripped, faded and stained jeans, an oil-stained t-shirt and a black overcoat.

He walked slowly towards Baksa, hands in the pockets of his coat to protect from the cold desert night. He smiled as he approached, light glinting from the white of his teeth.

"Hey," he said softly, "need a hand?"

"Yeah," Baksa replied, holding out a paw, "name's Baksa. I'm heading west to California."

The wolf took Baksa's hand in his, his massive paw seeming to wrap completely around it and engulf it. "Cool. I was heading that way myself. Name's Kai; what's wrong with it?"

  "Radiator hose's busted," Baksa said. "I think there's a town about twenty miles up the road. If I could get a lift, that'd be great."

"We'll just lash your car to the back and tow you," Kai said, taking off his jacket and throwing it over his shoulder. "That way you won't have to come back out here tomorrow."

Kai popped the rear gate of the van and took out a couple of lengths of chain. Baksa absent-mindedly admired Kai's shapely figure as he latched the chains around the bumpers of the two vehicles; he had nicely muscled arms and a certain smooth movement that Baksa couldn't quite pin down.

Kai put Baksa's car in neutral and they both climbed into the minivan. As Baksa opened the door, he stopped and looked down at the seat. A small handgun lay along with a few rounds of ammunition. Kai quickly grabbed it and placed it under his seat.

"It gets rough out here sometimes," he said, looking away.

The first little bit of the drive was uneasy and quiet. They could only do about 35 miles per hour with the vehicle in tow so it would be about a half-hour drive to the small dot on the map that didn't even have a name.

  "Why you going to Cali?" Kai finally asked, breaking the silence.

Baksa hesitated, at first. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. I guess one part of me is running away from my family back east. Tossed me out and told me they didn't want to see me again. An internet friend has a position for me at a dot-com in San Fran, so I packed up and headed west. Trip's been a disaster, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It seems like just about everything that could go wrong has."

A few more minutes of silence passed, the headlights of the van casting strange shadows from the trees and cacti of the desert.

"If you don't mind me asking," Kai asked, "why did your family toss you out?"

Baksa sighed, looking out the window away from Kai. "They found out that I'm gay."

"... Oh," was all Kai could manage.

When they finally arrived, they found the "town" to be no more than a junction of two roads with some buildings built up around it. There was a small gas station and auto repair shop on one corner, a hotel on one corner, a small diner on one corner, and a post office on the other. The surrounding area was dominated by small huts with corrugated tin roofs and trailers, all yellowing with age and sun. Desert shrubs bloomed in the sandy bottom of front yards and along the roads, broken by the occasional cactus or Joshua tree.

  Kai pulled into the auto repair and gas station and parked the van. As Baksa stretched, Kai walked slowly over to a side door that shown some light on the ground. He knocked, and after a brief conversation with a bobcat, he came back over.

"He says he'll get to work on it first thing in the morning. In the meantime, he suggests you check into the Sand Dune Inn across the street."

Kai and Baksa walked across the street to the small strip motel. It was no more than four guest rooms, once blue with color and now faded after years in the heat, the wooden boards of the building and walkway warped with age. As they approached the office, the light clicked on. A small morphic tabby cat hurriedly unlock the door.

"C'mon in," she said. "Tom called me from across the street to let me know you were coming. We don't get many visitors anymore. Ever since they routed the highway north, this place has dried up."

Baksa walked up to the desk. "Yeah, my car broke down. I guess I need a room for the night."

The tabby turned around to the rack behind her, grabbing a key and handing it to Baksa. "Room 1, first one outside the door."

  "Thanks," Baksa said, walking out as the tabby hurried back to bed. He left just as the lights clicked off, and rounded the corner to find the door to room one. A quick turn of the key revealed a relatively spartan room with a queen bed, small table with two chairs, an ancient-looking television, phone and a small bathroom with a shower.

"Well, now that you're safe and sound, I think I'll ride off..." Kai began, but Baksa turned to him, laying a paw up on his shoulder.

"Why not stay for the night," he asked. "You'll be fresh and ready to go in the morning. Heck, maybe we can caravan the rest of the way."

Kai thought it over for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Sure..."

Baksa climbed into the bed and under the covers, followed quickly by Kai on the other side. Kai switched the light off, plunging the room into darkness.

It seemed like only a blink of an eye, but the clock on the bedside table quickly went from reading 10:00 to reading 12:21, and Baksa realized that he was suddenly very intimately nestled with Kai; Kai's muzzle was resting on his cheek and his arms were wrapped securely around Baksa. Their legs were intertwined together beneath the sheets.

  Baksa sighed contentedly. It had seemed like ages since he had been held and Kai smelled so nice. He murred deeply at the feelings... And felt a tongue lick his ear. He jumped a little bit, and turned his head to find himself staring straight into Kai's amber eyes.

Kai just grinned a wolfish grin and kissed Baksa square on the muzzle. Baksa immediately spread his lips and the kiss deepened. He felt Kai's paw on the back of his head, pulling them together. They lay there in bed, kissing for what seemed like hours to Baksa, though he enjoyed every precious minute of it.

He felt Kai's paw drifting down his belly to the band of his boxers. The paw hesitated for just a second before working its way underneath and gently cupping the prize hidden within them. Kai gently fondled Baksa's furry orbs with his fingers, rubbing them gently and listening to the moans of pleasure through the kiss.

Kai finally broke the kiss and began to slowly nibble his way down Baksa, first starting along his neck and down his chest, stopping to suckle gently on each nipple. Baksa began to squirm from the feelings that were taking over his body as Kai nibbled on his naval. Finally, Kai

  reached a paw up and yanked Baksa's boxers off with a jerk. Before Baksa even knew what happened, Kai already had Baksa's throbbing member in his muzzle.

Baksa gasped and tried to regain control, fighting against the urge to thrust uncontrollably at Kai. He reached a paw over to Kai, delighted to find that he was already naked, and began to tug on his pulsing, rippled wolf cock. Kai moaned, sending shivers through Baksa as he felt the vibrations through his cock.

Kai moved his head slowly at first, then faster right until he sensed that Baksa was about to shoot, then he stopped and waited. It went on and on, Kai bringing Baksa right to the edge and then letting him fall back, all the while Baksa was slowly jacking Kai away.

Finally, Kai misjudged and Baksa let out a loud yip, sending his seed spurting into Kai's muzzle. Baksa lifted his waist, thrusting into Kai's muzzle quickly, trying to empty himself. He jacked quickly and forcefully on Kai's member and within seconds Kai shot his load all over Baksa's chest.

  They lay there panting for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Kai moved up and laid down face to face next to Kai smiling, Baksa's cum still showing on his muzzle. They kissed again, Baksa tasting the bitter, salty taste of his own cum in Kai's muzzle.

He drifted off to sleep, contentedly curled up against his Kai...

\* \* \*

The light of a street light shone through the blinds of the hotel room. He stirred slightly, rubbing his eyes with a paw. He saw a figure move in the room. He heard a car starting. He drifted back into darkness.

\* \* \*

Baksa sat bolt upright in the bed suddenly. The light was shining through the blinds of the room as the first rays of the sun peaked through the window, warming his face. He rubbed his eyes, waiting for the fog of sleep to clear.

Then he remembered. He remembered the road and the van. He remembered Kai. He remembered last night. Baksa looked around. The soiled sheets lay in a heap around him and the room was quiet.

No Kai.

He called for Kai, but got no answer. Slowly, he ventured to the window, prying the blinds apart with a finger and looking through. His heart skipped a beat, and then felt like it sank to his knees.

  The van was gone.

Baksa burst into tears, collapsing into a heap on the floor. He pounded the floor with a fist, crying and yelling. All the frustrations of the journey and the heartbreak of gaining and losing someone that seemed so special in one night came crashing down on him, and he let go. Baksa cried and cried until there were no more tears left to cry.

He sat, sniffling, with his back to the window and his head in his paws. He looked up, noticing a small envelope sitting on the edge of the table. With shaking paws, Baksa took the envelope and began to slowly open it. He unfolded the letter and began to read...

My Dearest Baksa,

We all have our secrets. You shared yours with me last night and it's only right that I do the same for you. I lied to you last night. I was not going to California. I was going out into the desert to kill myself, when I happened upon a stranded motorist. Little did I know it would change my life...

My life has been going nowhere fast forever, and I thought that running away into the darkness could solve the problem. Last night I learned how wrong that was. Only the light of true love can solve it.

  I have some things I have to do. But we will meet again.

Love always,  
Kai.

Baksa held the letter to his chest, sobbing. Kai was gone.

He slipped the letter into his bag, grabbing his shampoo. After a short shower in a bathroom that had clearly seen better days, he slung his night bag over his shoulder and left the room. He walked around the corner into the office, the door ringing with a bell as he entered. The tabby looked up at him, surprised.

"I thought you'd already left..." she began.

Baksa placed the key on the desk and began to pull out his wallet, but she smiled at him. "Room's paid. Have a nice drive."

He wandered away from the office a bit disoriented. Looking in both directions, Baksa couldn't see a thing other than desert. The temperature was already starting to shoot up, and he quickly decided to take shelter in the Silver Dollar Diner across the street.

Pressing open the squeaky door, he wandered in to find a diner seemingly trapped in time. A jukebox hummed out some long-forgotten tune softly in the corner, a long counter stood before a row of stools, ripped and tattered with age, the counter scarred from years of use. A display case with scratched glass held some rather good looking doughnuts and muffins.

  Baksa took a seat at the counter just as a kindly-looking old lioness walked up from the kitchen.

"Greetings," she said. "What can I get you?"

"Cup of coffee," Baksa said, looking down at his paws.

She slowly grabbed a cup and poured a bit from an aged browning pot. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Baksa looked up at her. For some reason, she reminded him of his grandmother. "I think I lost my true love..."

The old lioness smiles at him, "Oh I know it hurts right now. But cheer up, hon. You never know what the road might bring..."

A phone rang and the lioness hurried off to fetch it. Baksa quickly downed his coffee, tossing a few quarters onto the counter and heading out. He wandered across the junction to the repair station, just as his car was being pulled around the side by the bobcat he'd seen last night.

It pulled up next to him and the bobcat hopped out.

"She's all set. You've got new radiator hoses. I also flushed and cleaned the system for you, so you shouldn't have that happen again."

Baksa reached for his wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

  "Nothing. Your friend paid for it this morning."

Baksa sighed, and thanked the bobcat for his work. As he pulled out of the repair station and back onto the road, he glanced up just in time to catch a sign: You are leaving New Hope, Nevada; Population 27. Please Drive Safely!

He revved the engine and sped down the highway. In the back of his mind drifted the phrase, "We will meet again..."

Baksa smiled and cranked the radio up. It was a new day. Who knew what the road might bring?

End...?

Copyright (c) 2004 Shilah