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Ben and Travis were fairly well-adjusted people and neither one would mistake drinking one's problems away for a healthy behavior. But sometimes, when you were already feeling low and needed an escape, it was hard to avoid the temptation. Such was the reason the two of them were at the bar, downing a bit more than was healthy.

"Can't...fucking believe he broke it off like that..." Ben muttered sourly between his slugs of his rum and cola. The wolf's eyes were already pretty red, and his vision as bleary as his spirits. "Three years we've been together, three GODdamn years where I was there for him through thick and thin...and then his old jerkass flame comes back...claims he's changed, changed! After cheating on him four times and always being a jerk...and yet Cal just leaps right back into his arms and tosses me aside like a bag of garbage."

Travis had heard it all before, a few times, but Ben needed to vent and the lizard was too sloshed to care. "Sucks, man...like, no...no...honor, or dignity, or...uh...commitment. Something like that. You don't throw away a good thing for an old thing. It's stupid."

"Yeah...and you just knew when Gabe cheats on him again, he's gonna come bawling to me about it, like the whole fuckin' world didn't see it coming, and...fuck, what'm I gonna do then?" Ben put a hand on his head, groaning. "I can't take him back if he does...not when I know he's jus' gonna jump ship again. But maybe I'm just gonna be dumb and do it anyway 'cuz I still want him..."

"No way, man, you can't," hissed Travis insistently. "You gotta just...not even pick up. If he's gonna make fuckin' stupid decisions...you know, he's gotta eat that. That's his fault, you don't owe him anything."

The wolf groaned again. "I know, dude...it's just...ugh, I know it's a bad idea so why do I feel like I'd do it if I had the chance?"

"Because you wanna...you want it to not be real, that's just it. You just...hope that you wake up and everything's, you know, the way it was when you were happy. Or some shit like that." The lizard slammed back the rest of his vodka cranberry and raised a finger to the barkeep for another. "And so...when you get something that looks like it could be, you just wanna...do it. But it's not the same...never is."

"Yeah, it's not like...not like I'd forget about that. Hell...well, I dunno what I'm gonna do now...ugh, I thought that might just be the one, you know? I wanted that...the thing you and Deena have...that kinda...you know..."

Travis slumped down, putting a hand on his own head, looking incredibly pained. "No, you don't fuckin' want that, because that, that, ain't anything anymore."

Jarred, Ben's jaw dropped. "You're...you're shitting me."

"She dumped me. Told me I wasn't the right guy for her...that she needed someone with more...something Energy, ambition, something like that. Like...we were talking about maybe getting married, I was all in, I wanted to be there and do what I was supposed to do...I dunno what she was looking for. Like...ugh."

"How? You two were...fuck, so good together."

"Ngh. I don't even know. She's been...weird, since she found out I was bi. Like, it didn't matter that I didn't check out other dudes, that I wasn't looking for a thrill or something like that, she...I dunno, I don't think she trusted me. Like, I didn't even think it fuckin' mattered if I wasn't doing anything with guys, might as well just not go into it...she didn't say it, but, shit, I think she thought I was gonna jump ship at any moment to ride some hot dick."

"Fuckin' hell. I haven't seen you with another dude since...uh...fuck, that one guy. The guy who was dating both of us, and didn't tell us."

"Larry. Motherfucker...still can't believe he...strung us along for four months. We were idiots not to see it."

Ben huffed. "I guess love makes us all idiots. God, I'm just so tired of this shit...can't find anyone I can trust. 'Cept you...you've just...always been there for me, always been willing to put up with my bullshit..."

"Hey, man, it's not all bullshit. You're a good guy, I mean, yeah, we've had our disagreements...but...it's always come back to us." Travis slugged back half of his newly refreshed drink. "We've always been friends through good times and bad...and...uh...hell. I dunno where I was going with that."

"'s fine...I get it." Ben too ordered another one, and got it almost immediately, the bartender having made an apt prediction. "Goddamn, last time we fought, that was like...five years ago? Like really fought, not just...yanno. Little difference of opinion. Don't even remember what we fought about..."

"Me either. Was probably something stupid. I said a few dumb things that I don't remember...and wish I just could take them back anyway."

"Fuck, don't we all? Guh...at this point I wish I could take back all the 'I love yous' I gave to Cal. Gave too much of my heart to him, when he was just...killing time waiting for something else." Ben put his head on one hand, moaning. "Fuck. Do you...do you regret it? With Deena?"

Travis shook his head. "Mmph. Don't...don't know. Too soon. I can't...I can't sort it all out. At least I didn't...least I didn't ask her to marry me. That woulda just...made it so much harder..."

"Yeah...ugh. Well...guess it's just back to...all about us again, 'cept we're both feeling ugly. I guess I'd rather be drinking alone than...just...having your life suck, too."

"Same...but at least if it has to suck, it can suck together...better than sucking alone, when...when everyone else, they...they just got it all going, and ya...ya feel like shit even more because why do you have to suffer? Why's it always just...uh..." Travis blinked, downed the rest of his drink, and shook his head slowly. "Can't keep track of my words."

Grunting, Ben chugged his beer and set the glass down. "I'm...not feelin' like I can keep tracka much. I think...I need to sleep..."

"Mm...yeah...just tired, of everything, and...sleep sounds good. You wanna...you wanna crash on my couch?"

"Thanks...yeah. I ain't...ain't gettin' home like this...mebbe a walk'll help..."

Somehow, the two of them managed to stumble their way to their feet, fumble out payment to the bartender, and then totter on out of the bar. The moment the cooler night air hit their faces, everything else became a blur, and they could only wander through the fog of drunkenness towards their destination...their heads a metaphor for their dour moods, and uncertain feelings for the future.

---

When Ben came to, he was in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar pain. He hadn't downed enough for a hangover in years, and now he remembered why...he groaned a bit as he sat up, looking around with blurry vision. Where...am I?

His mind was still a haze, sluggish as he tried to put things together. Vaguely he remembered walking with Travis...maybe this was Travis's place. But why was he on the bed, then? Shouldn't he have slept on the couch or something? Not displaced his friend from his resting spot...his ears twitched a bit as he picked up on the shower running. Maybe that was Travis. Unless he'd somehow stumbled into a completely different apartment...but no, there was a scent there, familiar and comforting. He knew Travis's scent too well, this had to be his place.

Only then did he remember WHY he was drinking. His head brought it all back...the lunch date he had planned with Cal...the chance encounter running into Cal kissing Gabe, his ex that he had broken it off with ages ago for his repeated cheating...the crushing blow he'd felt when Cal said that Gabe had changed and they were getting back together, and didn't really even seem all that sorry about putting an axe through their three-year relationship over someone he had sworn up and down that he was done with forever...

Before he knew it, his head was in his hands, and he was sobbing freely. It hurt, so much...a betrayal of the worst kind, he wasn't so sure he wouldn't have rather found out Cal was cheating on HIM. It made him feel used, like that whole time was wasted on someone who had been waiting for someone else. All of it was too much, too quickly...he couldn't deal with it all at once, couldn't stop the agonizing despair from wracking him.

He felt arms against him, and leaned into a scaled body as it held him tight. Travis's scent, much stronger now...it was helping to calm him a little bit, but the sadness was still so much, he needed to let it out, just...bawl his eyes out until it had dripped out enough for him to calm back down and compose himself again. No words were exchanged, none were needed...he was pretty sure he felt some wetness on him, maybe just dripping water from the shower or maybe Travis was letting out his own anguish as well.

How much time passed was unclear...several minutes, at least, before they were both calmed down enough to separate a bit, though they were still leaning on each other. They still sat next to each other, quiet for a bit as they both came to terms with what had just happened. It had been a while since that kind of emotional moment between them...certainly not the first, though. For two people who had been friends since kindergarten, they had spent a lot of time being each other's rock of comfort in hard times, seeing each other at their worst as often as their best. There were virtually no secrets between them, about the only person in the world they could each say that for. This display might have embarrassed them in front of anyone else...

"So...uh...sorry that I'm on your bed," Ben mumbled.

"It's fine...I thought you might need it more than I do." Travis sighed. "I'm okay with sleeping on a couch, anyway...had to do that a fair bit when...I was with Deena. She sometimes had trouble sleeping with another person in the same bed as her." He was quiet for a moment. "I guess it's a good thing I wanted to hold off on moving in together with her...was thinking it would be a thing where we would find a new place together, but, well, at least I have a place to come back to."

"...All that drinking didn't really help much, did it?"

"Not really, no...just about lost it while I was in the shower. Hurts like the dickens, when you feel like part of you was ripped out...I don't know how I'd get through it alone."

"Me either...thank heavens you're here. It's net easy, but if I didn't have you to talk to...I don't know what I'd do." Ben leaned in close again, sighing as he rubbed against Travis's scales...he'd always liked how they felt, he remembered finding them so comfortably smooth when they were younger and so good against his fur. Of course, he didn't usually rub against them like this, nor could he most of the time these days...they were only available because the lizard hadn't had time to get dressed from the shower before comforting him, only a towel wrapped around him. Maybe a bit selfish of him, but he rather didn't mind that...

"Yeah...I guess anything's easier if you have someone to talk to, to help...get through it, I guess." Travis sighed again, though with a little less weight this time. Ben's rubbing against him...he'd forgotten how good it felt. It happened a lot when they were kids, but they'd grown out of that...or, he thought they had, anyway. Maybe they had just buried their vulnerable sides, and that was coming out again...he didn't really mind, though...

It happened without warning to either of them. Ben finally caught himself a little bit, and raised his head up, a bit embarrassed...his nose brushed against Travis's, and he caught himself looking into those amber eyes of his reptilian friend. Travis's breath caught a bit as he almost saw his reflection in Ben's sky-blue eyes, almost shimmering a bit from the tears he'd been shedding. Their noses held together, their mouths opened a bit...they pressed into each other, tongues twining in a kiss, tentatively at first, and then more decidedly once contact was made and was found mutually desirable.

Once it started, there was nothing that could stop it. Ben and Travis both pulled each other closer, their mouths pushed together, tongues pushing and wrapping and dancing together. The pain that had been ever-present within them both seemed to slowly melt away as they felt that comforting touch of fur against scale, reminding them of ages ago...all the good memories of their times together were blossoming and growing into something much bigger, feeding off the pain and draining it from them far more effectively than the booze had.

The two slowly fell onto the bed, maintaining their grasp on each other as if they were lowering each other onto the soft surface of Travis's comforter. Now laying, they could get even closer together, scooting towards each other and twining limbs like they were trying to meld into one. The lizard's towel pulled away from him eventually, and he made no motion to cover it again; instead, he pushed himself against Ben's pelvic area, rubbing the wolf through his boxers and feeling the bump of his sheath against him. It wasn't long before Ben spared a moment and a hand to grab and pull at the fabric, drawing it down enough to where he could kick the undesired garment off of him, allowing his furred sheath to stroke directly against Travis's slit. Their moans into each other amplified as the rubbing intensified, slowly drawing them to firmness and eversion, their members seeming to want to further that close contact between them in an even more intimate way.

As the pain ebbed further, the two got a bit more animated, shifting and rolling around on the bed a bit more as they started to truly revel in the mutual pleasure. Their muzzles broke away infrequently, only for their gazes to once again meet, to see each other in their partner's eyes, see the peace and happiness rising within, and then to renew their kiss with even more levity and desire. They started to buck against each other, the rounded and bumpy shaft Travis had stroking more vigorously against the pointed and smooth one Ben had, sharing their own wetness almost as if in competition with the pair's tongues.

Finally, they pulled apart again, coming to a rest with Travis above Ben. Panting, the lizard looked down at his lifelong furry friend, feeling a warmth in his heart as he saw the tranquil expression on his face. Such a difference, so quickly...perhaps the same on his own face. He wanted more of that closeness, more of what was saving him from his despair...Ben rubbed his hands along Travis's side, a not-subtle signal that he wanted more, too. "Do you mind...I...haven't, uh..."

Ben nodded gently, a bit of a smile on his face. "Go ahead...I want to feel it..."

With his own nod and slight smile, Travis shifted a bit, lowering relative to Ben in order to place his shaft against the wolf's tailhole. After not having been with a male for six years, he wasn't sure he was in the right shape to receive on such short notice...thankfully, Ben had much more recent experience. Even so, he pressed in gently - this wasn't just a romp, this was something to savor, and he wanted to make it last as long as possible. As hard as that was going to be once he felt that warm, tight passage clinging to his flesh, making him moan and shudder in pure bliss...

Ben's head craned back, his own moan escaping him as he felt Travis push in slowly. He might have been familiar with the act, but the sensation of the lizard inside him was something entirely new, that textured surface rubbing his inner walls in a unique fashion. He pulled Travis closer to him, allowing him to feel those wonderful smooth scales more clearly again; with Travis starting to hump a little bit, there was a lot more rubbing going on, and he was so in love with it, it made him feel so good...and then Travis's face was up near his own again, as he reached his full depth inside Ben. He could feel the lizard's tongue licking on his neck as the sex began in earnest, yet another sensual touch that made it all feel so right.

Heavenly seemed too tame a word to describe it, as far as Travis was concerned. His member rocking slowly in and out of that hot wolf rear, clinging to him and rubbing him so wonderfully...the stroking of that soft fur against his body, the best touch he'd ever known and had been missing for so long...the quiet moans and soft cries of euphoria he was giving off as he expressed his own delight...even the taste of Ben on his tongue, both from the kiss earlier and from his nape now, he couldn't imagine anything being better than what he was getting right now. Already the events of the previous week felt like a distant memory, the arms of his best friend pulling him from that mire and holding him in the light once again. And if he was doing the same, then he could truly not have been happier at that moment.

Their coupling grew slowly faster, though never approaching anything more than a genial pace, the slow and sensual lovemaking of longtime lovers seeming to come perfectly naturally to the two of them. It was getting wetter as their pleasure began to hit the fore, fluids spreading within Ben's rear to smooth Travis's entry and make it easier for those bumps to rub nicely against him while he emitted his own onto his own fur and Travis's scales, their rubbing spreading it around and allowing them to share in its warmth. In the closeness of their bodies, Ben's shaft was getting nicely rubbed, especially on his sensitive knot, and his shaky moans were getting higher as the pleasure built in a slow crescendo, preparing himself for a glorious finale.

Travis could feel himself getting towards his limit as well, that tingle in his groin suggesting that he was getting very close to his limit...it had been several weeks since his last time with Deena, that was making it especially hard to hold back. Part of him didn't want it to end so soon, yet the desire to have this wonderful experience culminate in the ultimate pleasure was too great to be ignored...but he needed Ben to be there with him, it wouldn't have been right if the wolf wasn't right with him in the pinnacle. And he thought he might know how to get him there...his hand pulled out from underneath Ben and trailed down towards the wolf's member, reaching for the base and clenching down as he bucked in a bit more sharply, bringing himself past the point of no return.

Almost as if on cue, the two of them hit their climax virtually at the same time. The lizard's cry and the wolf's half-howl rang together in rapturous symphony as they released onto and into each other, spreading and mixing their essences between them just as they had their souls. At the peak of ecstasy together, everything felt a million miles away except for the two of them, feeling closer than they ever had before in their lives...like there was nothing else but the two of them, and they couldn't have wished for anything more. They clutched each other, trying to bring out as much of the other's seed as they could, to make the high last and linger every second they possibly could, neither one wanted to concede this glorious moment any sooner than necessary.

It had to end sometime, and that crest faded into a placent contentment. Breathing hard onto each other, they rolled into position on their sides, still holding each other close, Travis still holding himself inside Ben and the two making as much body contact as they comfortably could. Their eyes met once more, and then their muzzles met once more, a slow, lingering kiss between them as they settled into rest against each other. As their tongues broke apart one last time, their eyes closed again, and they slumped against each other, breaths calming as they fell into a much more restful slumber.

---

In the immediate aftermath of what happened between them, Ben and Travis were a bit apprehensive about how it would go - after the pain that they had been through so recently, the fear of it being a rebound rather than a solid thing between them was certainly there. But as the days turned to weeks and the feelings between them remained, even intensified, they became fully comfortable embracing their newfound love. Not only did the opportune discovery soothe the pain of their losses much faster than it otherwise would have, they both quickly were convinced that it was a better relationship for both of them than what they had lost.

"When I look back...honestly, I'm not sure how it didn't end sooner with Deena. The way she didn't feel comfortable with my bisexuality even though I wasn't playing around, that was just one of several ways she didn't trust me." Travis took a sip of his coffee, enjoying the warm sun at the table outside the café. Ben was setting next to him, leaning on him a bit as he enjoyed his own drink. It had been two months since their first encounter, long enough that they could look back without regrets or lingering ache. "I just kind of overlooked those hints...I guess I wanted to believe that things were just fine, rather than ask why she had issues with things I said or did. So I guess I wasn't a great communicator, either."

"It's hard, though, when you're starting from a place of distrust," replied Ben. "How do you talk freely when you're not sure if they'll believe you, or you believe them? And when they're insecure, you know it's likely to lead to a big deal if you say anything...I don't blame you for not wanting to have to deal with that whole mess."

"Yeah, she hated if I ever asked her why when she wanted to dig into me. I guess I thought that was kind of normal. Was Cal ever that way?"

"Not really, but...I think I needed to ask a few more questions, honestly. I think maybe I took for granted that he really was over Gabe...maybe I should have known better, he spent a lot more time talking about him than he should have if he really was over him. I guess if you can't get someone off your mind, for better or worse, you're still attached."

Travis nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good point...it's a warning sign. I don't think I would have thought of that."

"I didn't, either, but I think I know better now. Sometimes you need to look at those little things to see what people really feel like...though, I don't think I have that problem with you, I already know all the little things about you." Ben chuckled a bit.

"That is an advantage of having such a long history. We've seen all the good, all the bad, all the big, all the small. If we mesh together well knowing all that, I think it's a good foundation."

"You're not the only one. I told my mom we had started dating...she told me she was amazed it took this long, she thought she'd have to be kicking us out of the bedroom when we were teenagers."

"Hah! I almost feel like I should apologize to her! How's she doing, by the way?"

"Better, the operation went well. Hopefully that'll help ease the pain in her knees, but they won't really know for a few months whether it'll stick or not."

Travis thought for a moment, and gave a quiet laugh. "You think she'd still kick us out of the bedroom?"

Ben chuffed the lizard playfully. "I don't think I want to find out!"

"For the sake of her knees, I won't push it. If things go well, maybe we'll be able to get our own place to break in."

"Let's not rush into that...I know that can be stressful, and I want to feel totally ready before we jump into that."

"Agreed. Building up a bit more of a nest egg would be good, too. We've been doing fine so far spending nights at each other's places...heh, almost feels like our old sleepovers sometimes, except more X-rated..." Travis blinked and looked up. "Did you hear something?"

Ben's ears pricked up too. "Yeah, I did...it sounded like someone calling my-"

"BEN!" A brown-furred rabbit hurried up to the pair, panting and looking out of breath. The wolf's eyes widened as he laid eyes on the new arrival.

"Cal?!"

"Hey! Ahaha, s-sorry, didn't mean to interrupt anything." Cal looked plenty nervous, which didn't come as a surprise to Travis given how he'd broken things off. The lizard didn't have much good will to spare for him, but decided it was best not to make a scene over it and let Ben handle it as he would.

Ben's response was definitely cool enough to chill. "It's fine...haven't seen you in a while."

"Ah, yeah...that was my bad. Look, I need to...I need to apologize. It was really low of me to kick you to the curb like that. I should have been a lot more respectful and thoughtful towards you, I guess I just got caught up in the moment. I've really been feeling low about how I broke it off with you, and...well, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm getting over it," Ben replied simply. "It hurt, a lot, but I've been able to move on."

"That's great to hear! So, I, uh, wanted to know if you wanted to catch a drink later? You know, for old time's sake, to catch up with each other, kinda reconnect a bit?"

Both of them caught the hint of quiet desperation in the rabbit's voice. Ben was quiet for a moment, wondering if he should say it, before deciding he didn't mind if this bridge was burned. "Gabe cheated on you again, didn't he?"

"Whaaaaaat are you talking about, hahaha! That's not why I'm here, no, of course not! I'm just...uh..."

"Come on, Cal."

The rabbit's expression fell. "Okay, okay, look, I fucked up big time. I'm sorry. I was stupid. You were so much better, I should never have gone back to him. I'm begging you, please, give me another chance, I swear I'm done with Gabe forever, I never want to see his stupid face again-"

"This is the same thing you said the first time we hooked up."

"I...y-yeah, maybe, but it's different this time!"

"Yeah, it is." Ben leaned into Travis, who put his arm around him. "I've got someone else. It's not happening, Cal."

"What? No, hang on, I know this is your best friend, you're not together with him. Come on, I swear I'll get onto my hands and knees and worship you if you want!"

"We ARE together," said Travis, finally deciding he was suitably irritated enough to join in. "We got together after you broke his heart. I'm almost tempted to thank you, except you hurt my best friend and now-boyfriend very badly and I don't particularly like you for that reason."

"My sentiments exactly," agreed Ben, giving Travis a brief kiss on his chin before looking back at Cal with a hard look. "It's over between us, Cal. Like I said, I've been able to move on. And I've found what I've been looking for, in a place I probably should have looked before. You're right, you fucked up. You're going to have to live with that...but I hope you learn from it and next time you find something good, you make sure you keep it."

"But..." Cal's ears drooped, and he visibly deflated. Whatever protest he wanted to give seemed to die away, and he turned and walked away in defeat. Ben and Travis watched him go, waiting to talk more until he was out of earshot.

"Is it wrong that I feel a bit sorry for him?" Ben finally asked.

"Nah...we all do stupid things sometimes. But it's a good thing if that's all you feel."

"Yeah, and it is." The wolf nuzzled Travis a bit. "The other feelings are all for you...including this one. I love you."

Travis flushed a bit as he rubbed his wolf. "I love you, too."