Friendly Boundaries
By Tyler X
Chapter 1
"Cut or uncut?" Kade asked with a smirk.
"Uncut," I replied without missing a beat. Kade's smirk dropped open into a grin and his eyes flicked behind me to where my boyfriend was standing in the kitchen, drinking from a jug of water before bed. Sensing the eyes on him, Toby cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Truth or dare? Really? How old are you guys?" He said, then continued drinking. I turned to him momentarily and caught him at the perfect moment: stood in nothing but tracksuit pants, illuminated by the warm yellow light of the fridge. His muscles curved and dipped in the light, contoured to perfection through a steady workout routine. His shaggy blonde hair, still damp from the shower, really contributed to his reputation as a golden-retriever in a boy's body. He was somehow the perfect himbo while also being intimidatingly smart, given that he was an engineering student. I didn't blame Kade for getting an eyeful, I was lucky to have him. A beefy, geeky boyfriend with a big dick is what most bottoms dream of (I know Kade certainly did) and I've had it right by my side for the past two years.
I don't know how my friendship with Kade worked but it did. He liked the more conventional aspects of gay culture: the nightclubs, the yacht parties, the Instagram modelling. I preferred the more quiet avenues of queer culture, and yet somehow we had a mutual understanding and respect for each other's lifestyle. Perhaps we were only friends since we were each other's first gay friend out of high school. Toby didn't understand my friendship with Kane either, and to be honest, didn't really like Kane being around that much. This worked most of the time for my friendship with Kade, however, since we'd usually only see each other about once or twice a month. Tonight was different, though. Tonight Kane was going through a breakup.
"I really thought it was going to work out this time," Kade sobbed to me earlier that day over the phone, "He was perfect in almost every way but just so lacking in the dick department. You can't have a small dick AND be bad at using it, you know? Yes I shouldn't have outsourced but monogamy is so old-fashioned, anyway." I ignored that last comment, knowing it was probably a sly jab at Toby and I's relationship.
"You're a fuckin' mess, dude. You're upset that he broke it off because you cheated on him?" I tried and failed to not sound too unsympathetic.
"No! I'm upset that he doesn't understand my needs!" Kane wailed with melodramatic flair.
"Well, did you try to communicate those needs? Or at least apologise for not trying?" I reasoned.
"I don't do apologies, alright? Look, Hugh, can I come over and get pissed tonight or not?"
I turned to Toby, who was sitting beside me on the couch and hearing Kane's whiny voice through my phone. He shook his head and mouthed "no!", but I caved anyway. Kade had been here for me in the past when I needed him, and now I had to be here for him. It's what good friends are for.
"Babe I have to study for this exam tomorrow, he's going to be so distracting!" Toby complained after the phone call.
"You have studied, Tobe, all week! You know you're going to ace the exam, I know you're going to ace it. You're over prepared. All you need is a good night sleep tonight, so if Kade keeps you up I'll kick him out, okay?" My boyfriend, the sweet, gentle giant, relented. Which is how Kade and I got here, sitting in my living room, playing drinking games, discussing uncut dicks.
"I prefer cut, personally." Kane said matter-of-factly, "more hygienic." Toby and I both groaned in unison, though this kind of ignorance coming from Kade was unsurprising to both of us.
"I'm going to bed," Toby added disdainfully, punctuating his groan. Kade made a puppy dog face, "Aww no stay up with us!" Toby shook his head in response and padded down to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
"Did I say something to upset him? Is he uncut?" Kade asked quickly, an inquisitive little glint in his eye. He was. We both were. Though while I had a perfectly proportioned boyfriend dick, Toby's uncut meat was obscenely large. He preferred to wear boxers around the house, but was forced to wear underwear under sweatpants when we had guests around, which did little to conceal his hefty bulge, and less to stop Kade from ogling it, much to my boyfriend's discomfort.
"I'm not answering that. Truth or dare?" I took a long sip. Kade gave a disappointed frown.
"Hmm dare."
"I dare you to follow Wayne on Instagram," I cracked a grin and Kade laughed.
"Oh my god do you think he has Instagram? I can't believe I haven't checked before, let me see."
Wayne was our psych professor from first and second year of college that we both thirsted over during our lectures, whispering obscene comments to each-other about how well he filled out the front of his trousers.
"Oh my god he has it! Aww but he has a wife and two daughters, boring."
I already knew this, having stalked his Instagram years ago.
"Done!" Kade said, flashing me his phone screen to prove it.
"Nice, okay my turn."
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Is Toby uncut?" Kade asked again in a low voice, the glint in his eye returning.
"Oh my god, you're such a dick pig. Why are you so interested in my boyfriend's dick? If you're craving rebound-dick so bad, go find some random stranger to raw you in a bathroom stall at a gay bar."
"Ooh ouch," Kade feigned offence. "That would be too easy. Anyway," I cocked my head at the last comment. Usually I didn't mind Kade playfully flirting with Toby, as I knew it was harmless and that Kade would never seriously try to overstep the boundaries of our friendship like that. Tonight was different, however. It might've been the alcohol, or the fact that Kade had just got dumped by his mediocre boyfriend-of-two-months for cheating, but I didn't really appreciate the insinuation that attaining Toby was a challenge for Kade to conquer.
"Wait what do you mean, `too easy'..?" I asked, a small smile tugging at my lips.
"Well I usually like a little chase, y'know. I want a boyfriend like Toby who plays hard to get and kinda flirts back by teasing me."
I scrunched my eyebrows at him, waiting to see if he was kidding. He wasn't.
"Kade he's not flirting back, he's taking the piss." I almost felt bad that Kade thought his attraction to Toby was reciprocated. Toby had even admitted previously that before we met, Kade had tried to hit him up on Grindr to no avail. Toby couldn't stand "try-hard pretty boys like Kade" as he described to me once.
"You're so naive, Hugh. It's banter, he loves it."
"I'm not naive, Kade, he just doesn't like you..." I sensed the sharp tone of my voice and tried to soften it, "You're not his type."
Kade kind of scoff-laughed, "The amount of times I've head that from guys who have later come crawling back to my bedroom to fuck me silly. Even the straight ones, like if I'm seriously invested enough I can pull pretty much any guy I want." Kade said completely unironically, which made him sound so much more smug. The worst part was, I couldn't even dispute this from what I knew of Kade. He had successfully bagged guys that he'd chased after long enough. The only problem was that those guys usually weren't like Toby, they were usually just more manicured, more entitled versions of Kade himself, the type he wasn't sure whether he wanted to be or to be fucked by.
"Wait so you think you could pull Toby?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"Yes. If I wanted to, but I wouldn't do that to you because you're my friend." I let out a barking laugh, which I tried and failed to restrain.
"Kade, he doesn't like you. I'm sorry, but you just have to accept that there are going to be some guys who just aren't into you. Not everyone is flirting with you all the time." I watched Kade's smug expression slowly dissolve into defiance as I spoke. I didn't initially intend to come across so bluntly but I was honestly getting somewhat frustrated by the idea that Kade thought the only thing coming in between my boyfriend and I was the fact that he chose not to, and even worse that he was doing me a favour by doing so.
"Fine, then dare me." Kade said after a moment of thinking. Silence swallowed the conversation for a couple more seconds.
"What?" I replied, finally.
"Dare me. To try and fuck Toby. If you're so confident." Jesus Christ, he was being completely serious.
"Oookay, I'm sorry. I was just teasing, alright? Relax."
"You're scared." He said flatly.
"I'm not scared, you're being ridiculous. Let's move on-"
"I'm not joking, just give me permission and I'll do it."
My annoyance with Kade had kind of transformed into baffled entertainment by now.
"Look, maybe in another timeline where we weren't together he would-"
"With or without you, I could do it." The annoyance was back. I considered what I was about to say next very carefully. I realised the implications of what could happen - Kade would inevitably be rejected by Toby, then he would get all embarrassed because his feelings would get hurt, and then he would take it out on me. He might not even want to see much of me anymore. A part of me didn't mind that idea. But if Toby knew I let Kade try to make a move... I'm not sure he would understand my reasoning.
I took a long gulp of my beer, polishing off the dregs.
"Listen, if Toby knew I agreed-"
"He won't."
Kade's unshakable confidence was kind of scary. He seemed laser focus, despite being broken up with a couple hours before and the numerous alcoholic beverages he'd consumed since. I didn't know this person sitting across from me.
I shrugged lazily, feeling the drunken murkiness suddenly fog my brain.
"Fine. You know what, come around one weekend when I'm not home and-" I couldn't believe the words were leaving my lips. I regretted saying them as I spoke them. Kade stood up before I could even finish my sentence and began walking down the hallway. As soon as I realised that he was heading for our bedroom I began whisper-yelling in his direction,
"Wait, Kade! Not now! Kade he has an exam tomorrow he's going to be pissed if we wake him up, c'mon!"
Kade gripped the bedroom doorknob and turned to me, winked, and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
I buried my face in my hands, upset I let him go wake up my boyfriend. I tiptoed to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water in an attempt to sober up before Toby stormed out and chewed my head off. I finished the glass and waited. Silence reverberated around the kitchen. I stepped into the hallway and stared at the bedroom door, waiting for it to fling open. But it didn't. I felt a foreign feeling tug inside my gut. Brushing it off, I stepped forward silently. I'm already in deep shit, I might as well enjoy the show of Toby telling Kade to fuck off, right? Carefully I slipped down the hallway and stood outside the closed door. Silence held fast. Toby was not a silent sleeper, he usually progressed from heavy-sighing to soft snoring the deeper into sleep he fell. I heard neither. After a few minutes of nothing I stepped forward and placed my hand on the door knob. I debated with myself for what felt like forever whether or not to turn it. I took my hand off the knob, crept back into the lounge room and laid myself down on the couch.
As I stared up at the ceiling I felt the haze of alcohol recede from my mind and was able to contemplate exactly how stupid this situation was. I was still anticipating to hear the bedroom door open at any moment, to see Kade come out looking deflated. But it didn't. I thought about sleeping and letting either Kade or Toby wake me once this whole circus was over. But why should I have to sleep on the couch? Was sleeping in my bed apart of Kade's plan? Was he spending the night in there just to spite me? This was the only conclusion I arrived at, and I realised I had to do something about it. I sat back up and marched as quietly as possible down the hallway. I stood in front of our door and listened once again. Still, nothing. I pressed my ear against the door. For a moment, there was nothing. I squeezed my eyes and concentrated on the silence until I heard the softest thumping sound. I could've almost been imagining it, yet it was too constant, too steady. Thump thump thump. In a panic, my mind jumped to a conclusion that made my stomach twist. I could almost envision the picture it in my mind. My face got hot. The pace of the thumping increased. I pulled my head away and listened. Silence again. I furrowed my brow and lifted my hand to my chest. The steady, soft thumping of my heart pumped away under my shirt. I let out a slow breathe. Of course that's all I had heard, my pulse in my own ear.
I put my hand on the door knob. If I was quiet enough I could drag Kade out of my bed and kick him to the couch. I turned it. Locked. What the fuck? Toby never sleeps with the bedroom door locked. I lifted my fist up and prepared to knock. Then I dropped my hand back down and stared blankly at the bedroom door. If I knocked, I would surely wake Toby up and also alert him to the intruder in our bed. He'd be double-pissed. I dragged myself back to the couch and laid back down, my eyes burning but not quite from tiredness. A sticky paranoia lingered somewhere in my mind, and I had to fight to dispel it. Simple logic, combined with how well I knew my boyfriend revealed several truths: there was no way Toby would be dumb enough to cheat on me in the next room over. There is also no way he was going to lose sleep the night before an exam just to fuck a twink he doesn't like. Thirdly, even if he was aware of the whole `dare' fiasco, he would definitely come and ask me about it before entertaining Kade in bed.
After I had put my own mind at ease, the night presented another whole hour of silent, agonising waiting for nothing, until my blinking grew slower and my lids got heavier. I shut my eyes and promised myself not to open them again until morning.
Somehow, I slept in late. The sun was shining through my living room window. I felt as though I hadn't slept at all, the inner dialogue from last night picking up right where it left off. Where was Toby? Where was Kade? I stood up uneasily and paced to the bedroom, where the door was left ajar. I felt that feeling in my gut again and registered it as a warning. I'd wanted to open this door so much last night and now I was unsure whether I should. What if I didn't like what was on the other side? But before I could stop myself, I nudged it.
I stepped in silently, my head rounding the corner, my eyes landing on the first thing they saw: Kade, naked, sprawled, stomach-down across our double bed. No Toby.
"Wake up," I demanded, not trying to conceal the sheer anger in my voice. Kade lifted his head and turned it to Toby's side of the bed. Then he looked back over his shoulder at me. He propped himself up on his elbow, the bedsheet barely covering his butt-crack slipping dangerously lower. He looked like a Calvin Klein model. I wanted to kill him.
"Get the fuck up out of my bed, Kade," I repeated. This time he moved quicker, pulling up the blanket to his chest as he rolled over.
"Woah! A little privacy, please?" He asked, a shit-eating grin already plastered across his face.
"Where's Toby?" I asked bluntly.
"Umm," Kade reached gently for Toby's side of the bed, "he went to uni early to study for the exam."
I snapped back around and left the room. I couldn't bare to look at his any longer. My mind raced as I waited for him to get dressed. I wondered why Toby hadn't woken me up when he left. I wondered if Kade could be telling the truth.
I heard staggered footsteps coming down the hallway and didn't turn my head to look at him. He was stepping deliberately, carefully. I realised after a moment that he was limping.
"How'd you sleep," he asked after a heavy, awkward silence.
"Fine," I replied shortly. He went silent again, waiting for me to return the question. I didn't.
"So... don't you want to know what happened?" He pressed.
"I already know what happened Kade, you locked me out of my room and slept in my bed. That's it." I finally turned back to him and found an expression I wasn't anticipating: confusion.
"Locked? I didn't lock-" He stopped mid-sentence and his face morphed into one of recognition, then content.
"Oh. Are you sure you don't want to know what happened?" He added, an oozy grin creeping back onto his lips.
"Kade get the fuck out of our apartment, I have to get ready for class. He didn't say anything else as he collected his belongings and limped to the front door, yet he didn't stop grinning the entire time. Once he finally got to the door he paused on his way out and turned to me, "We're still cool, right? Like it was just a bet, and a deal's a deal, y'know?" I stayed silent, refusing to look in his direction again. My face remained passive, but inside I was seething. Not because I quite believed him, but because he had the nerve to pretend that it was true, despite everything. He paused and waited for an answer he wouldn't get, before turning and leaving finally.
I let out a long sigh and pressed my fingertips into my skull. My skin prickled and itched, my scalp burned. I needed to collect my emotions before Toby got home. I needed to be rational.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. My throat clutched my breathe in anticipation. It must be Kade texting me an apology, admitting he took the joke too far. But Kade doesn't do apologies.
"You're right," the text read, "uncut is better."
Chapter 2 coming soon.