Page 71 of Tobias

“What’s this for?”

I shrug. “We drink a lot, and I thought it was only fair.”

He grins, putting it on the coffee table as I sit on the couch. Biscuit jumps up and lays down on my lap, resting her head on the arm rest. “If I were a child, I’d be smothered.”

Theo laughs, sitting as close as he can and running his hand along her back while I scratch behind her ear.

“She’s a good dog,” he says.

“Seems like it. Good job picking her.”

“She picked me, I think.” He gives me a smile before saying, “So, are we drinking this?”

“Yes, but I was hoping we could play a game.”

“What kind of game?” he asks carefully.

“It’s called Break the Silence. It requires lots of drinking… on your part, probably.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asks, humored.

“You’ll find out when we play.”

“When is that going to be?”

I lean over, grasping his chin and pulling him in for a gentle kiss. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

We find a movie to watch, and the three of us cuddle on the couch and laugh at Adam Sandler as he goes back to Elementary school as an adult. I try not to obsess over how easy this is, and how it shouldn’t feel so normal, but I fail too many times. I should just let it be and enjoy that I’m happy, but… I can’t be with Theo. Not like this.

When the movie is done, Theo takes Biscuit outside to pee, then puts her in the crate to sleep.

“I hated doing it at first, but she’s been calmer and sleeps better.”

“That’s what it’s there for. Maybe as she gets more used to you and the house, she won’t need it.”

He nods. “I plan to let her settle for another month or so, then leave it open once she’s inside. Give her the option and see how it goes.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.” I grab the bottle of whiskey and move toward his bedroom, turning on my heel to face him before going inside. “You ready to play?”

He eyes me warily but nods.

I crack the bottle open, putting the cap and the bottle on the nightstand.

“So, here’s how we play,” I start. “We both get naked.”

“I like where this is going already.”

I shake my head. “I’m going first, since I brought the alcohol. You’re going to lie on the bed, and you can’t make any sounds. I’m going to do whatever I can to make you—”

“Break the silence,” he says with a groan, his head falling back to show off his slender throat. “This sounds like an awful game.”

“Each time you make a sound, you have to take a shot. We each get two minutes.”

With a huff, he tears his shirt off. “I’m going to get so drunk.”

His dick bulges against his sweatpants, and I salivate as I watch it pop out from his pants. I’ve yet to put him in my mouth for more than a second, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. We are friends with benefits, after all. I can think these things now, without it being a problem. It’s been busy so we haven’t been able to reap many of the benefits yet, but once the holidays are over, I will change that. I forgot how nice it is to have someone to fuck consistently, even if we’ve only made out and messed around so far. Knowing it could happen at any time, like if I called him at three am, is tempting. I didn’t do that because I didn’t want to wake him, but if I had, he would have let me come over.

“Are you getting naked?” he asks.

---