Strolling
Jet strolled down the smooth white sidewalk, paws stuffed deep into the pockets of his tan cargo pants. His stride was calm and collected. His ears were perked up, the edges of his jowls curved into a light smile. His eyes, halfway open with content, had a bright gold color and shone brilliantly in the sun. His blank white tee shirt felt loose and cool against his short chest fur. His leather jacket shifted its smooth, firm surface over his shoulders as he walked. The air was slightly cool and not humid at all. Jet loved it. He ran a padded paw though the long fluff of his mane; he loved the way his fur felt on days like this.
Jet was about thirty feet from his destination, a small book shop, before he stopped dead in his tracks. Was that... could it be...? It was. Standing in front of the bookshop, hands deep in the pockets of his jeans, staring at his feet, was his ex-boyfriend. The tall black wolf paced around the front of the shop, obviously waiting for something. Or someone.
Jet felt the urge to run up to the wolf. He wanted to throw his arms around his waist and hold him tight. He wanted to ask the wolf so many questions. How was he? How was his life? Was he getting by alright? But he didn't. He resisted the urge. The black wolf had made it very clear that he didn't want any contact with Jet, ever. Jet's ears pressed flat against his head and his eyes went soft. He whimpered slightly as he thought about the conditions of their breakup.
"Listen," Jet had said thirteen months before, his eyes moist with tears, "I hate this! I hate that is must come to this! But... but it has to. I want you to be happy, and you can't be with two people!"
The tall wolf was also choking down tears. "But... Jet..." he had said, "I... I don't want to lose you! You don't know how badly I want this to work out! I love you, Jet!"
Jet had smiled weakly, eyes glistening wet. "I know you do," he had said softly, "but you love him more. It's obvious you love him more; you told me you did yourself. I want you to be happy, Hun, and... well, you'll be happier with him. I can see it in your eyes when you look at him, when you talk to him! You don't talk to me that way! You don't look at me that way!"
"Please Jet, don't do this!" the tall wolf pleaded, his eyes slowly turning red from crying. "I don't want to lose you!"
Jet felt tears streaking through his black fur beneath his eyes. "You're not losing me!" he exclaimed. "We can't be together as mates, you've shown me that." He said, his voice cracking as he choked back his own sobs. "But I promise you," he had said, taking the tall wolf's paw in both of his own, "I swear to you, on my life, that I will never, and I mean ever, leave your side." Jet smiled weakly, the fur beneath his eyes matted from their conversation. "You and I will always be the best, and I mean truly the best, of friends."
The wolf's face turned from one of despair to a scowl of anger. "I... I don't want to be." He had growled, pulling his paw from Jet's. "I don't want to see you again. Not after this. Don't call me, don't text me, don't contact me. Delete me from everything. Erase all record of me ever being there. Don't ever contact me, not for anything."
Jet's eyes swelled with fresh tears. "Don't do this..." he begged softly.
"Good bye, Jet." The wolf snarled as he turned around and began to walk away. Jet could do nothing but drop to his knees, clutching his paws to his chest as he watched his friend fade into the distance.
Jet snapped back to reality as someone exited the bookshop. A fox, slightly shorter than him with standard orange, white, and black markings, stepped through the doors, clutching a few books to his thin chest. The fox let out a small cry of delight when he looked up and saw the wolf standing there. He approached Jet's ex, throwing his thin orange arms around the wolf's neck. The wolf hooked his arms under the fox's, pulling the small fur up to him and nuzzling the top of his orange head.
Jet watched with a wide smile as the two held each other. They exchanged words, but Jet couldn't hear. He didn't want to anyway. He just watched, staring past the rest of the furs who walked about the sidewalk, blending into the crowd.
After a while the couple separated, making space between them. The wolf, a massive grin plastered to his face, dropped down to one knee, producing a small black box from his pocket. The wolf mouthed a few words, and although Jet couldn't hear them, he knew exactly what the wolf was saying. He flicked open the box's lid, revealing a small ring glinting in the sunlight.
The fox drew in a quick breath, both of his paws flying to clutch his heart. The fox's eyes grew wide and an ecstatic smile spread across his white muzzle. The wolf stood up again, throwing his arms once again around the fox, pulling him into an even tighter hug than before. The hug only lasted a moment before they pulled away. The wolf removed the ring from the box and slid it gently onto the fox's finger. The fox inspected the small diamond for a moment, a huge grin on his face, before once again pulling the wolf into a tight hug, burying his muzzle in the wolf's shirt.
Jet felt a few warm tears glide though the short fur beneath his eyes. With a warm smile on his face, the short wolf stuffed his paws deep into his pockets once again and turned to leave. The smile never left his face as he walked away from the bookstore. His friend was happier than ever, and that was the greatest form of pleasure Jet could ever feel.
~I hope that you and him are happy together this Valentine's Day, even if it isn't with me.~
This story's theme song: There is Romance by Kevin Macleod (search google for free downloads!)