Page 8 of Morning Walks & Midnight Talks

He blinked at me and nodded, pulling his lips into his mouth as if he wanted to savor the taste a little longer. “Don’t judge me if I do.”

3

MATT & CATO

The house was quiet. Having the whole place to myself was one of the advantages of being savvy enough to buy it in my early twenties when rates were still low. Everyone back then said I was crazy.Do you really want to settle in that small shithole? Shouldn't you save up a nest egg first?But after eight years, I had already paid off almost half the mortgage. I could be as loud as I wanted and invite anyone over at any time. Not that I had that many nightly visitors.

In the living room, Pounce and Sora were both knocked out on the rug, curled up next to each other as if they had been best friends forever. I stepped over their tangled legs on the way to the hallway, trying not to wake them, even though my heart was beating way too fast for how calm everything looked.

Matt had gone back to finish his shift. For some reason, we both thought it was a good idea for Sora to stay over, not thinking far enough ahead to realize that this would leave us with no easy way to back out if one of us had second thoughts—or at least not without having an uncomfortable conversation first.

I hurried through the hallway, as if walking faster would stop me from second-guessing everything. The bedroom was large enough for the king-sized bed, but not for my jittery nerves. I headed straight for the bathroom, turned on the light, and stared at myself in the mirror. My cheeks were redder than usual, maybe from the anticipation, but probably from the single beer I held onto all evening. I shook it off. Whatever was going to happen was meant to happen. If he just wanted to pick up Sora and leave, that would be fine with me. But I'd also be down to fool around all night.

I hopped in the shower. As I lathered up, my dick grew hard, letting me know it was ready for action, whether with Matt or without him. After drying off, I brushed my teeth again, even though I’d already done so earlier. Then I changed into clean clothes—nothing fancy or obvious, just a black slip, khaki sweatpants, and my lucky shirt with a pixelated heart on it. I wanted to keep things relaxed while still being prepared for everything.

My fourth glance at the clock within thirty seconds told me it wasstilleleven minutes to midnight. There was nothing left to do but wait for him to show up.

I shuffled back into the kitchen and yanked open the fridge to see what drinks I could offer him. But before I could look, three knocks on the door sent shivers down my spine.

The dogs jumped up and rushed to the entrance before me. Surprisingly, they kept their barks down as if they knew who was on the other side. I followed them, grabbed Sora’s collar so she wouldn't slip out, and opened the door.

There he was, windbreaker unzipped, hair slightly mussed, cheeks pink from the evening chill. He raised his hands, revealing two bottles ofHopsomnia. “I brought you a little something.”

“Liquid courage?” I joked, my breath catching more than I wanted it to. “Or a consolation prize?”

He squeezed his right eye shut. “No, just beer.”

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. We stood there for a second, like the earlier kiss had cracked something open, but we didn’t quite know how to handle the pieces yet. His gaze flicked to my lips, and mine dropped to his hands. His fingers tightened slightly on the bottles, mine on Sora’s collar as if we were both waiting for the other to make a move.

Before either of us could, Sora let out a sharp yip and pawed eagerly at his leg. Matt gave me a soft, knowing smile, making it clear that he knew I wouldn't mind if Sora claimed his attention first, and squatted down to greet her.

I let go of her collar, and she leaped between his legs, spinning in happy little circles. His unoccupied hand brushed over her short fur. “Have you been a good girl?”

“She enjoyed some quality time with her boyfriend,” I said, grinning. “They’ve been curled up together in the living room. It was cute as hell.”

Matt’s lips curled as if he had a cheeky comment on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down.

I raised an eyebrow, half daring him to say it and half already laughing. “Want to come in?” I said, nodding behind me. “I can give you a tour.”

“Definitely.” He patted Sora one more time before he got up, slipped out of his shoes, and followed me light-footedly.

I led him inside and past the entryway, where he hung his jacket next to mine on a hook above a worn bench stacked with shoes and dog leashes.

Pounce trotted ahead, his tail wagging on autopilot. Sora followed close behind.

“This is the heart of it all,” I said, gesturing around as we reached the living room.

Matt took it all in: the deep green walls that appeared nearly black in the dim light, the oversized leather couch covered with three throw blankets in different shades of gray, and a controller tangled in the cushions. “Cozy,” he said, his gaze wandering over the wall of books in the back, the framed indie game posters, and the action figures standing guard on floating shelves.

The dogs found their way to the living room rug. Pounce slumped down with a huff. Sora curled into the crook of his body as if they had decided that was how they would spend every night from that point forward.

I pointed toward a glass door in the left corner. “That’s the home office.” A peek inside would reveal two monitors glowing on a clean desk, an excessive number of sticky notes, an abundance of cables, and a calendar so scribbled over that it could pass for abstract art.

We turned to face the open kitchen, which was tidy enough thanks to my last-minute, nervous cleaning spree before hopping in the shower. A string of fairy lights ran under the cabinets, bathing everything in a magical glow. “I’m not a chef, but I try,” I said. “I make good pancakes.”

Matt smirked. “Noted.” He put the beers on the counter and followed closely behind me as I strolled toward the back of the house.

We passed a hallway table stacked with old game controllers and a Raspberry Pi project I had never finished. “Bathroom’s here,” I said, flipping on the light so he could see the tidy mess of bath products and an embarrassing plush robe hanging behind the door.

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