Chapter five
FIVE
The power was still out when Marcus and Aiden woke up the following afternoon.
It was cold and quiet in the apartment. Marcus crawled out from under the covers and layered himself in a shirt and hoodie and left another hoodie on the bed for Aiden.
He shuffled out into the hallway and remembered the clothes that hadn’t made it to the dryer.
He pulled Aiden’s clothes out and draped them over the shower door to dry.
Marcus went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, knowing the selection was grim. He pulled out a couple energy drinks. He found a box of crackers and a jar of peanut butter in a cabinet. He carried the food into the living space, where Aiden was peering out the balcony door.
“What’s it look like out there?” Marcus asked, pressing behind Aiden. A light snow was coming down, and a couple inches of snow had formed on the balcony and the street below. More concerning was the shell of ice that was weighing down all the plants and powerlines.
“I don’t see anyone with power,” Aiden said. “Bryce texted, said the bar doesn’t have power and is closed today. His power’s still out too.”
“Damn. How do you feel about peanut butter and crackers?” Marcus asked.
“Yes, please.” They sat on the opposite chairs again, this time with a stack of crackers and a jar of peanut butter between them. Aiden downed the canned drink in a few swallows.
“I have some canned chili, but no way to heat it up,” Marcus said. “If you want to eat it cold…”
“Not that hungry yet,” Aiden said. Marcus nodded. He felt the same way.
“Bryce said he can come pick me up today,” Aiden said, popping a cracker in his mouth.
“Are the roads okay?” Marcus asked. Aiden shrugged.
“Probably not,” Aiden admitted.
“You can stay here,” Marcus said. “I’m just going to be sitting here in the dark on my phone.”
“I’ll… see what people are saying about the roads,” Aiden said, cautiously.
“I’m going back to bed, it’s cold as fuck,” Marcus said. He picked up his can. “You’re welcome to, you know, come warm my bed,” he smiled at Aiden, who seemed to relax a little.
Aiden joined Marcus under the covers and Marcus pressed close, burying his face in the hoodie he had loaned his guest.
“We could go walk somewhere and find someplace with power,” Aiden suggested.
“Do you want to? And remember, we’re on the 10th floor,” Marcus mumbled into the hoodie.
“No,” Aiden chuckled. Marcus felt an arm around his back. “I’m warming up a little right now.” Marcus scooted up and inhaled along Aiden’s neck.
“I could warm you up more, if you want,” Marcus said. He slide a hand under his sweatshirt and up Aiden’s chest. The man’s skin felt warm under all the layers. Aiden pressed his mouth against Marcus’s, and Marcus slid his tongue inside.