Page 33 of Truth or Spare

Instead of breaking a spell with a kiss, Theo had cast one and had claimed all of Dewey’s dreams. Every time Dewey closed his eyes, he heard their song and Theo’s laughter and felt Theo’s hands on his body. Theo’s ass had become the center of the universe when Dewey was awake. He stared and his eyes followed it around the alley as Theo chatted and laughed with Keith and their other patrons. Whenever they were close, Dewey found himself leaning in and silently begging for another kiss from Theo, to end his suffering.

He wasn’t safe for long in the workshop, unfortunately. “Hey, Brooks,” Theo said as he came around the corner with the paper and Walter trailing after him. “This says there’s a donkey basketball game at the high school tomorrow night.”

“Right,” Dewey nodded. “I haven’t been in years. I’m always here when they do it.”

Theo’s neck swiveled and his brows knitted together. “But there aren’t actual donkeys are there?”

“Yup. The donkeys are real. They don’t play basketball, though. The kids ride the donkeys and try to play a game. It’s just chaos, but it’s a good fundraiser for the basketball program.”

“I…” Theo’s eyelashes fluttered as his jaw flapped. “I have to see that,” he said and turned to leave, but paused and spun back around. “Is it really bothering you, this business about us getting married? I’ll put an end to it this instant if you tell me it is,” he said sincerely.

“Maybe a little,” Dewey mumbled at his boots. It was harder for him to lift his head when he was tired. “I know they’re laughing at me because they know it’ll never happen. Like they used to laugh at me for being bi, because they knew I’d never find an actual man who’d want a big oaf like me.”

“That’s not—! Das ist Blödsinn, Brooks,” Theo stated angrily, then held up a hand. He pinched the bridge of his nose and whispered something else in German and Dewey thought theremight have been a little Italian mixed in there as well. “If we had met underanyother circumstances and if I wasn’t so sure that I was meant to do somethinggoodhere…” Theo’s eyes were large and hard as he wagged a finger at Dewey.

“What?” he asked in a hoarse rasp. He was afraid to say anything else or move as Theo prowled toward him.

“I would fuck you in every conceivable position known to man and then I would invent a thousand more. I would put my tongue and my dick in places you have yet to imagine and I would suck every ounce of moisture from your body. I would fuck you right now and I would not stop until our souls were slivers. Do you understand me?”

Theo gave him a fiercely threatening look, causing a weak “Erp!” to slip from Dewey as he nodded.

“Wunderbar. Now, please stop with this Quatsch about no man wanting you,” he said with a hard jab to Dewey’s chest. Dewey stumbled back and dropped onto his stool. “Do you understand?” Theo snapped again and Dewey nodded quickly.

“I… Yes?” he attempted, then nodded again when Theo’s nostrils flared. “Yes!”

“Ausgezeichnet,” Theo said sarcastically, giving Dewey a threatening scowl as he turned and stormed out of the workshop with Walter on his heels. “Cassie is at the dentist so I ordered pizza for lunch. Or whatever it is you Americans call pizza. It should be here soon,” he shouted before disappearing around the first pinsetter.

“Okay... Thank you,” Dewey called after him cautiously.

He was afraid to come out after that. It took Dewey twenty minutes to drag himself out of the workshop and back to his office.

“Can I come in?” he asked as he peeked around the door jamb.

Theo pulled a face and gestured at Dewey’s chair. A large pepperoni and an order of wings were waiting on the desk. Theo held out a paper plate, giving it an impatient wave. “Our ‘pizza’ is getting cold. My ancestors would weep if they saw this.”

“Sorry,” Dewey said as he took his plate and obediently hurried to his seat.

There was a satisfied humph from Theo as he sat across from Dewey. “No need to apologize,” he said. “Here is your blue cheese.” Theo smiled pleasantly as he passed Dewey the cup. “I took the liberty of posting a sign at the front desk informing everyone that the wedding is off and that anyone who mentions it will be banished from the bowling alley.”

Dewey nodded slowly as he took the lid off the cup and dunked one of the drumsticks. “That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” he said, then ducked and laughed when Theo swatted him with an empty plate.

“I am sorry if I went too far,” Theo said as he helped himself to a slice. He took a large bite, then wiped his lips with a paper towel.“With the marriage joke. I meant what I said in the workshop and about this greasy abomination,” he continued. “I thought I was reminding everyone that you were a desirablequeerbachelor and that youcouldmarry a charming, funny, and incredibly handsome man. Like myself,” he added with one of his mischievous winks. “I never intended to mock you and I would never encourage that.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” Dewey said with a dismissive shrug. “It’s fine.”

“But I think you’re wrong, Brooks. I don’t think that people like Keith were mocking you because they don’t think I’d want you. I think they were just enjoying how flustered you get. I honestly think Keith would be delighted if he thought it was true.”

Dewey covered as much of his face as he could with one hand. “I don’t get flustered,” he said, shaking his head.

“You do too!” Theo smirked and pointed. “You’re doing it now. Your ears are turning red and it’s adorable.”

“I’m going back to my workshop,” Dewey said as he stood.

Theo caught his wrist and gave it a good tug. “No, you don’t. Sit down and find a game for us to watch, you gorgeous tree of a man.”

“I’m a what?” Dewey choked out, aiming the remote at the TV mounted over the office window.

“You heard me,” Theo said and nodded at the television. “Find a game unless you want me to start climbing.”

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