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It was dark by the time I made my way outside.

Aunt Ruth wasn't home which was good. I didn't need questions about where I was going or why my eyes were red from crying.

I unlocked my car and jumped into the driver's seat.

The rain was pattering harder against the windshield as I pulled out of the driveway. I flicked the wipers on and began driving down the street, trying to memorise the route to Lachlan's place.

I had driven it with him and by myself, yet as the rain grew harder and pounded against my windows I found it harder to see. I fumbled for my phone to enter his address, but my paw was shaking and I dropped it in the footwell.

"Fuck," I cursed. I wanted to stop to grab it, but there was a car tailgating behind me. "Sod off!" I shouted at the car, but I knew pointless swearing was of no use. The other driver couldn't hear me.

I kept driving as the rain hammered against the windshield. I had reached the road that intersected with Aunt Ruth's and I knew I had to turn right. The turning led me out into open country.

Good, that means I'm going the right way.

The car behind was still tailing me and I had nowhere to pull over to retrieve my phone. I kept driving and allowed the car behind to go roaring past, throwing up a wall of dirty spray.

"Wanker," I muttered.

The country road suddenly went dark as I left the houses and street lights behind. I turned my full beams on, trying to illuminate the road ahead.

I kept driving and glanced around, trying to locate the lights of Durlington Green to give me a reference. The rain was falling even harder and my wipers were struggling to clear the windshield. I had never driven in conditions like this, but I gritted my teeth and kept going.

The lights of a small town appeared in the distance and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I knew the entrance road to Lachlan's apartment should be coming up soon.

Part of my mind was telling me that my idea was mad, but I ignored it and willed myself on through the pouring rain.

The car jolted and the engine let out a faint cough.

"No, not now, please not now," I growled.

The engine let out another cough followed by a splutter. A dashboard warning light began flashing. I glanced around frantically, trying to find somewhere to pull over.

The road was narrow, but thankfully there were no cars behind me.

The engine let out another splutter and the car didn't feel right. The steering wasn't responding and the engine was clearly dying for whatever reason. I cursed under my breath, hit the hazard lights and pulled the car up at the side of the road. Wet grass squelched under the tires.

My mum had once told me to get out of the car if I had a breakdown, but with the rain still pounding the glass I wanted to disobey that advice.

Another car swerved around me, its horn blaring.

Okay, maybe I'd better take the advice.

I opened the door. Wind and rain immediately howled into the car. My fur was plastered over my eyes and my clothes were soaked in an instant.

My phone was still in the footwell and I grabbed it before retreating back from the car.

There wasn't much room between a prickly hedge that lined the fields and the road itself. The grass squelched under me as I tried edging along. I pulled out my phone and tried hitting Lachlan's number.

The screen spelled out two words I did not want to see; No Signal.

I yelped in desperation and tried moving further down the grass verge. The rain was falling harder than ever, it felt more like a tropical monsoon than English winter rain. My fur was dripping wet and I couldn't help but marvel at the situation.

This is the second time I've been caught in the rain after romance problems.

I glanced back down at my phone.

No Signal.

"No," I moaned out loud, before letting out a sneeze.

I knew I could end up seriously ill if I stayed out in the rain, but I kept walking along the grass, trying to find a field gate or a pathway I could use to get away from the road.

There was a block of square lights in the distance which could only mean one thing; windows on the side of a building.

That has to be Lachlan's home, it just has to be.

I kept edging along the side of the road, glancing down at my phone. I knew the logical thing to do was to call the breakdown company to tow my car away, but I wanted to speak to Lachlan first.

The lights were getting closer and No Signal disappeared from the screen.

I stabbed Lachlan's contact as hard as I could and placed the phone to my ear. I could faintly hear the tone ringing above the wind and rain.

"Please pick up, please pick up," I panted.

Hello, this is Lachlan Ross. I'm sorry I can't take your call right now. Please leave a message after the tone and I'll call you back as soon as I can.

I let out a howl in desperation as the bleep sounded.

"Lachlan, babe I'm near your flat. It's raining really hard out here and my car has broken down," I gabbed. "I'm scared, please, please if you're home come out and find me, I'm near the driveway to your place standing at the side of the road. I don't wanna get sick or hit by another car. I don't know what to do!"

I hung up and gritted my teeth. The rain was still falling and my clothes were so wet they had practically melded into my sodden fur.

I no longer cared about what the rules advised, I was going back to my car. Having someone rear-end me suddenly felt a lot more preferable to catching pneumonia.

My phone began vibrating in my paw and my eyes widened as I saw Lachlan's number on the screen. I jabbed the answer button.

"H... hello?" I panted.

"Malcolm? Where are you darling, are you still by the road outside?"

"Yeah, the one leading towards Durlington Green."

"Wait where you are. I know it's cold and raining, but don't move and keep as far back from the road as you can. I'm coming out to find you right now."

"O... okay."

The rain seemed to be easing off but I was shivering like mad.

Hurry to me my dear fox, please hurry.

I stood by the roadside, hoping he would show up soon. Through the darkness and the rain I saw a familiar set of powerful headlines and my muzzle broke into a shaky grin.

"Get in!" Lachlan called.

I hurried over to his car and opened the passenger door.

Oh, I can't describe the joy of the familiar scent of vulpine fur and aftershave filling my nose as I dived into the passenger seat.

Lachlan had already laid out of towel on the seat and he wrapped it over my shoulders.

"Wait here," he instructed. "I'm going to look at your car, I'll be right back."

I shivered and watched as he hurried outside into the rain. The heating in Lachlan's car was on and the windows were steaming up. I tried sluicing some of the water off my fur with the towel which was already soaked through.

The driver's door opened and Lachlan climbed inside. I noticed he was wearing his leather jacket and a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"I grabbed your car documents and rucksack," he explained, throwing both onto the back seat. "You mostly drove the car off the road, so it should be safe. We'll head back to mine and I'll give the breakdown people a call."

I nodded.

"Thanks babe," I sniffed.

Lachlan fixed me a brief but reassuring smile before he turned his car around and we drove back in the direction of his apartment.

The rain was continuing to ease off, but we hurried indoors and Lachlan took me by the paw as he led me up the steps to the living room.

I opened my mouth to thank him, but instead I let out a sneeze.

"Sorry," I said, splaying my ears with embarrassment.

"Don't worry," Lachlan replied, setting my rucksack down on the floor. "You need to change out of your clothes, have a warm bath, and whilst you're doing that I'll sort your car out."

I nodded and began trying to tug my clothes off.

"Here," Lachlan said gently. He took hold of my shirt and helped me to pull it over my head. I wriggled out of my damp jeans and underwear before Lachlan took my paw. "I'll get the bath going, I'll make the water very warm so feel free to add some cold to it."

I shivered but fixed him a smile as he led me to the bathroom.

The familiar sights of the apartment felt comforting, the paintings, the decorations, the Shepworth posters.

The bathroom also felt warm and bright. I stood naked, watching as Lachlan began filling the bathtub.

"Here darling, climb in," he said, gesturing at the water. I eased myself into the tub and Lachlan scooped up some warm water in his paws and gently poured it down my back. "Just relax, I'm going to call about your car now."

He stood to leave and I watched him shed his leather jacket as he walked out of the door. He was wearing just a black tank top underneath.

He must have been getting ready for bed when I called

It seemed an early time to go to bed, but I just felt grateful that he hadn't actually fallen asleep when I called.

The bath was getting fuller so I reached out and turned the taps off to stop it overflowing. The warm water felt good and I lounged back, allowing it to run over my chest and stomach. Lachlan's voice drifted into the bathroom and I could tell by his manner of speaking he was on the phone.

I allowed my head to slide beneath the water.

"Malcolm?"

I surfaced again to see Lachlan had poked his head around the door.

"Hello my dear fox," I grinned.

Lachlan splayed his ears and fixed me his bashful face before straightening himself up.

"I called about your car, someone is coming to take it away," Lachlan explained. "When you get out the bath you ought to message your mum and aunt to let them know you're safe."

"Shall do," I replied.

"Your clothes in the rucksack were a little damp, but I've hung them near the fire and I have some spare you can wear tonight," he added. "And there's a clean towel here."

I responded with a grin as Lachlan hooked the towel over the door before sliding beneath the water again.

The water around me was starting to turn grey, a sign it was time to get out. I pulled the plug out and grabbed the towel Lachlan had left. It felt delightfully soft and warm as I wrapped myself in it.

I smoothed my fur down and wrapped the towel around my waist before making my way out to the living room. There was a fire in the fireplace which felt wonderfully warm and gave the living room the cosy feel I always associated with Lachlan's place. The sight brought a smile to my muzzle.

Lachlan was on the phone again.

"He's safe with me. Please don't worry, I'll have him to speak to you." He turned and I realised with a jolt of shock that he was on my phone. A guilty expression crept across his face and he held my phone out in his paw. "It's Hudson," he explained. "You'd better talk to him."

I gingerly took my phone.

"Um, hey," I said sheepishly.

"Dude, what the fuck!" Hudson exclaimed. "I've been messaging and calling all day since you took off, and now you're at Foxybutt's?"

"I am," I sighed. "I'm safe, like Lachlan was saying."

"Dude, I thought you were gonna kill yourself or something when you didn't answer my texts. I took a taxi to your aunt's place and your car was gone."

"Oh god, you didn't see Aunt Ruth and tell her I'd run away or anything?" I asked, feeling alarmed.

"No, she wasn't in," Hudson said. "But man, I feel really pissed off and worried at the same time."

"I'm fine," I insisted, before turning to face Lachlan who was sitting on the sofa fixing me a reassuring smile. "I'm just where I want to be."

"Hmm, okay, but I called Charlotte and asked around class to see if anyone had heard anything from you," Hudson said.

"You told people I was at Lachlan's?" I gasped.

"Hell no," Hudson cut in. "I just asked around to see if anyone had seen you, I was worried and thought something bad had happened."

"Oh no," I sighed. "More gossiping."

"Hey! I was worried," Hudson snapped. "I don't care if it causes gossiping, I wanted to know you were alive."

"I know, I know," I replied. "I appreciate that, but more gossip is not what I need right now."

"Hmm, okay," Hudson huffed. "But I'm worried sick, Charlotte is worried too. She thought you'd run away because of her."

"No, I didn't," I insisted.

Inside, I felt annoyed that I had only just driven from my aunt's to Lachlan's, yet everyone seemed to be acting as if I'd vanished for several days.

"Okay then," Hudson grumbled. "Well, so long as you're safe. Speak soon man."

He hung up and I sat down on the sofa.

"I hope you didn't mind me answering your phone," Lachlan said apologetically. "I noticed he'd left about twenty messages and multiple calls, and then he tried calling again when you were in the bath. I didn't want him calling the police on you."

"It's fine," I replied, snuggling up to Lachlan's arm. "I just feel glad to be back here."

I glanced around the apartment and noticed it looked more unkempt compared to how it used to.

Some of Lachlan's clothes were strewn over the armchair and there were several empty of half-drunk glasses of water or mugs of coffee on the coffee table.

"Forgive the mess," Lachlan sighed. "As you can imagine from your end, these past two days have been a mess."

"What has happened?" I asked, and before I could help myself words began tumbling from my muzzle. "You went all quiet, Dr Godwin took your class, I feel like everyone is talking about us."

Lachlan gave my paw a squeeze and I fell silent.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I guess."

"You'll be pleased to know I have more food than just bread," Lachlan said with a wry chuckle. "We should get some food in you, and then I'll explain what happened but I think it's best that you're calm and relaxed first."

"Okay," I replied, feeling unsure.

Lachlan gave me a quick squeeze and a nuzzle between my ears before getting up to open the fridge.

"I ordered a pizza yesterday but I barely ate two slices, would you like it?"

"That sounds good," I said, thumping my tail.

The prospect of once again having dinner with Lachlan calmed my nerves a little, but I wanted to know what was going on. I watched as he retrieved the pizza and placed it in the oven, but I couldn't bite my tongue any longer.

"Please, just tell me what happened?" I asked.

Lachlan paused before nodding.

"All right. I should have been in contact with you more so you didn't try driving in the rain here, but I thought it was best to stay away and limit the damage," he sighed.

"Limit the damage?" I repeated.

"Someone sent an email anonymously to the history faculty saying that we were seeing each other," Lachlan explained as he sat back down beside me. He reached out and took my paws. "Of course, an anonymous email could be a jealous student who was angry that I gave them a low grade. Believe it or not, universities are prepared for that sort of thing to happen, so I was initially given the benefit of the doubt. However, they also knew I went to Italy without taking a post-grad student and there were rumours starting to circle around, people talking online and such, and the person in the email claimed they'd seen us being romantic together. I've been hauled into a few meetings to determine what's going on, and now been told to stay away from the university temporarily, more so everyone can protect their reputations than fix the problem."

"Oh god," I breathed. "Did they fire you?"

"No, not yet anyway. There's no tangible proof, unless they want to review security camera footage of me driving you away from campus, but I doubt they are that obsessed. It's not like we murdered anyone," Lachlan shrugged.

"That's something I suppose," I said quietly. "But everyone outside Stenning-Brown's class today knew something was up, I had one guy literally ask me to my face about it."

Lachlan opened his mouth to say more, but the oven timer began bleeping. He shook his head with disbelief before standing to retrieve the pizza.

"This certainly won't be Italian standard, but I hope it makes you feel a bit better at least," he said, setting it down on the table. "I do have some ice cream too, if you're still hungry."

"Thanks," I replied, taking a seat at the table.

The pizza was pepperoni and did look quite tasty. I took a slice and put it in my mouth. The hot cheese burnt my tongue and I dropped it.

"You all right?" Lachlan asked, picking up a slice for himself.

"Yeah, just hot," I sighed. "I miss having dinner with you, especially when you used to make it unclothed."

"As do I," Lachlan replied, although I could tell by the look in his eyes that his thoughts were far away.

I didn't want to worry myself any further. I had made it back to Lachlan's and that was all that mattered. No more rain, no more uncertainty or idiot classmates asking me questions to my face.

Just me and my fox.

I reached for another slice but inadvertently let out a colossal yawn.

"You should probably sleep soon," Lachlan chuckled.

The warmth of Lachlan's laugh also put me at ease. Part of my mind wondered if it was safe for me to sleep in his bed, but the only person who knew I was at Lachlan's was Hudson and he was unlikely to tell anyone.

I reached out, took Lachlan's paw and fixed him a smile.

"May I stay here?" I asked.

Lachlan hesitated and then his muzzle broke into his signature smile.