Raising a doubtful eyebrow, Ben asked, “Do you know how to do that?”
“I would hire someone, obviously.”
“Obviously.”Ben leaned onto the back of the couch, chin hovering over Phil’s shoulder while the game recap showed the New York Liberties losing 1–3 to the Montreal Wyverne.“What about when we want to use the internet for messed-up shit?”
“I think you can enter a password to get around the filters?I don’t know this stuff.I’m old.”
“Hey.”Ben poked him in the shoulder.“If you’re old, what am I?”
“Geriatric.”
“Thanks.You’re serious about the phone thing?”
Phil sighed and tilted his head up to look at Ben.“Yeah.I mean, we don’t have to be super strict about it, and we should definitely talk to him about it before we do anything.But I don’t want him to get sucked into anything too brain-rotting.Mooney and Breezy were making TikTok videos with the kids in the locker room, and honestly, if I could delete that app from the universe, I would.”
He really was old.A wave of fondness overtook Ben.“Hey,” he said.“How’s your knee tonight?”
Phil made a face.“You want me to admit you were right, and I shouldn’t have gotten on skates?”
“No.I wanna know if I can draw you a hot bath.Maybe some Epsom salts.”
“Oh.”Phil’s face smoothed out into a smile.“That would be great, actually.”
“All right.Come on, old man.I’ll help you up the stairs.”
Strictly speaking, Phil didn’t need help with the stairs anymore and hadn’t since Ben had put the rope up.Since he used his crutches less and less now, Phil could manage even better.
But Phil said, “Sure.”
So, Ben got the pleasure of wrapping his arm around Phil’s waist, the heavy pressure of Phil’s arm over his own shoulders, and the heated line of their sides pressed together.For a defenseman, Phil ranged more on the tall and slender side, at least in comparison to Hayes and Breezy.Ben liked that he could take on some of Phil’s weight, support him in this physical way.Especially when ever since he’d moved in, Phil had been supporting Ben as a coach and as an uncle to Charlie.Doing this, helping Phil, meant a return to form.Ben only lived in his house to provide physical assistance, and it was good to remember that.
The pale, rust-colored carpet in Phil’s bedroom felt plush under Ben’s socked feet as he led Phil through the room to the en suite.They stopped at the hamper for Phil to take off his shirt, his pants, and his socks, leaving him once again in nothing but loose boxers.Ben had seen it all before, had touched it, had licked it even, but he still couldn’t keep his eyes away from the swell of Phil’s dick or the firm muscles of his thighs.
“You know,” Phil said conversationally, “you should probably take off your clothes too.Might get wet.”
“In a minute.”
Ben got Phil situated in the bathroom, sitting on the closed toilet lid, and turned on the water in the enormous bathtub.He spared a guilty thought for the Bay Area’s perennially low water supply and let it fill as he sprinkled some Epsom salts in.As they dissolved, the bathroom filled with sharp, eucalyptus-scented steam.The humidity made Ben’s shirt cling to his skin, so he ducked into his room and pulled off his clothes, leaving his briefs on.
He didn’t look down at himself as he returned to the bathroom and locked the door.Phil was toned, and even sitting down, his stomach looked good.Ben, already stocky by nature, found that as he aged, it had become harder to keep the weight off.He didn’t mind; he felt comfortable in his own body.But his stomach and thighs jiggled much more than Phil’s, and he didn’t want to think about how he contrasted with the professional athletes Phil regularly saw naked.
A few inches of water now filled the palatial tub, so he helped Phil to his feet and led him over to the edge, keeping firm eye contact on Phil’s shoulder.
“You’ve seen it all before,” Phil pointed out, his voice deep and rich with amusement.
With such explicit permission, Ben couldn’t stop himself from looking, first at Phil’s face, at the crow’s feet around his eyes when he smiled, and then down the swell of Phil’s pecs, the planes of his stomach (just as flat and toned as remembered) and finally, to the apex of his magnificent thighs, where his dick rested, a little plumper than it would normally be.
Ben swallowed heavily.
Phil stepped into the tub, holding on to Ben with one hand and the stainless-steel rail by the side of the tub with the other.He lowered himself into the water with a gratified sigh.“Oh, that feels good.”
Phil was not the only one having trouble staying soft.
“So were you serious this morning?”Ben asked, desperate to change the subject.
“Yes, I do want to marry you if it helps you keep Charlie.”
“Good to know,” Ben said weakly.“But I meant about retiring.”
