My Best Friend with Benefits

"Fuck. Your. Ex-wife," Lora said slowly interrupting me. "If that is what you're normally like in bed then she did womankind a favour by giving you up."

"Was it that good?" I asked still unconvinced.

"It was unbelievable!" Lora then went quiet for a moment, and I knew that what she was going to say next wasn't going to be good. "That is why what I'm going to tell you is not going to be easy. Oh god! Why can't you have been crap in bed?" she wailed. "I'm sorry, Zeus, I don't think we are going to be able to be together romantically."

When I didn't answer she pleaded in a tearful voice full of guilt, "Please say something! I'm so sorry to have done this to you!"

"I'm sorry, it is just difficult to take in right now," I replied in an equally tearful voice. "I've just had what I thought was the most mind-blowing sex I ever had with the most beautiful, gorgeous, and sexy woman I have ever met and afterwards I get friend-zoned. I guess my ex-wife was right all along. I suck."

Lora almost threw on top of me, facing me and giving me a long soft kiss.

"Zeus, I love you! You are the most incredible and handsomest guy I have ever met. You have made me so happy. I was in such a bad place when we first met but you're funny, you make me feel safe, and I can tell you anything and I know you will never judge me. I can't just friend-zone you. You are too important to me especially after you just rocked my world like that."

"I don't understand," I said in confusion.

Lora gave me another long soft kiss, "I'm sorry, I didn't express myself very well and I'm sorry if I confused you and hurt your feelings because that is the last thing I want. What I should have said is that you are too important to me for us to be involved romantically. You are my best friend who I love to distraction. If we were involved romantically, we could split up and I would lose you. I can't risk that. I want you in my life forever and after what you've just done, I can't just not have sex with you again. Your cock is amazing by the way." She paused and bit her lip in thought, "What I would love us to be is best friends with benefits, if you would like that?"

"Okay," I answered in my emotional state. I didn't know if I could do it, but I did know that I couldn't not have Lora in my life either. She was important to me too. If that meant being best friends with benefits, then so be it.

She kissed me once more, her eyes moist with happiness. Her hand moved down to my cock which began to stiffen with her touch, "Do you think you can go again? I think I should go on the pill too. I remember now why I don't like condoms."

So then began how lives as very best friends with benefits. We had a blast. There is something liberating about having sex with a best friend. There is something about loving someone platonically which makes having sex with them fantastic. There are no expectations, no demands. There is just so much love and respect involved. I thought it was going to be like that forever until I found the downside of being best friends with benefits.

Out of the blue, Lora started to become very busy, and I couldn't see her or even game with her online as much as I used to. Then I got a message from Lora saying we needed to talk.

She arrived at my door, and I knew right away she was going to give me some bad news. She looked guilty and tearful. Her short message saying we needed to talk had already had me on tenterhooks.

"Zeus," she began fighting to hold back her tears, "I have met someone. I have met someone I like enough to be involved with romantically. I'm so sorry but we can't see each other anymore. I can't have a best friend with benefits and a boyfriend. It isn't fair to anyone, and I am so sorry that I have to choose him over you," and she began to sob uncontrollably. "You are so amazing. I am so lucky to have met you. I am going to miss you so much!"

I just sat there numb. It turned out that there was something worse than catching your wife in bed with another man and that is your best friend telling you that they couldn't see you anymore. It felt like my world was coming to an end. When the numbness was going to pass, I knew it was going to hurt, it was going to hurt like nothing I had experienced before.

Lora knew what she meant to me, and she knew what I meant to her, so I knew that she came to this decision with a heavy heart. Her tears were real, as was her pain in telling me this. A romantic partner trumps a best friend, it always has.

"I love you, Zeus," were the last words she said to me. She gave me a lingering kiss on the cheek and embraced me before leaving. She knew she had to give me space to grieve.

When the front door closed behind her. I broke down. All the numbness disappeared, and I felt an overwhelming pain. For days afterwards, I couldn't eat. I missed her so much. I stopped gaming because it reminded me of her. I stopped watching TV shows we both enjoyed because it reminded me of her. I stopped going to places we used to hang out because it hurt too much.

Lora would message me to see how I was doing. Regularly at first then less and less until she stopped. I would lie and tell her that I was good. The truth was that I was anything but. My life was empty without her. I knew she was happy wherever she was because if she wasn't, I reasoned, she would come back to me.

****************

That was two years ago. Then, I got a message from Lora asking if we could meet. She asked to meet in the same coffee shop that we first went to. For two years I couldn't face going in there but now I was there to meet the cause of the pain I was still working so hard to get over.

"Zeus, how are you?" Lora greeted me with a genuine smile and a tentative embrace. "This is Ian, my boyfriend, the someone I told you about and the love of my life."

"Pleased to meet you," I said holding my hand out for Ian to shake as I sat down with them. "It is good to see the person who is making Lora so happy."

"And you're the famous Zeus? Is that really your name?" Ian asked not believing it as he shook my hand.

I nodded, "The one and the same," I wasn't offended by the question. I got it a lot and not everyone believed me.

"Lora still talks about you," he said a little bitterly.

I looked a little surprised, "Did she tell you everything about me?" I asked more than a little worriedly.

"She said that you were her best friend with benefits, whatever that means."

"I told you, Ian, it meant we were best friends who had sex together," Lora told him a little irritably.

"And you brought me to meet him? Jesus Christ Lora!"

"Please don't be rude to Zeus. He doesn't deserve it."

I could feel the tension between the couple, but I knew I had the power to break it.

"It is perfectly understandable, Lora. I can see where Ian is coming from. He has every right to feel that way," I said to my former best friend.

"Zeus?" Lora looked at me with confusion and surprise.

"Ian, yes, myself and Lora were best friends and yes, we had sex together but for what it is worth I think she ended our friendship when the two of you started dating. I loved Lora but only platonically. We were never romantically involved. But saying that, when she ended our friendship, it was the worst day of my life." I wiped away a tear. The memory still hurt. Ian looked a little confused at my reaction. This wasn't what he was expecting, maybe a bitter ex. Lora looked crestfallen. "We were never going to be romantically involved because we were too important to each other. I caught my ex-wife in bed with another guy but even that didn't hurt as much as being told by my best friend, Lora, that she didn't want to see me again."

More tears began to fall, and I realised that I had just buried the pain of losing Lora instead of getting over her. "So, you see, you have nothing to worry about me. I'm not going to try and steal Lora from you or want to sleep with her again. I don't want to break you two up. I am just happy that she is with someone who makes her happy. It is what she deserves."

"Alright, I believe you," Ian said a little sheepishly looking uncomfortably at the tearful and emotional guy in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Ian," I said wiping away more tears and forcing a laugh. "Our friendship was very intense, and I don't think I ever got over it.

"Zeus, I had no idea!" Lora said as she began to cry. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you."

"Are you going to tell him why we're here?" Ian asked his girlfriend, clearly wanting to get on with things and leave.

"Yes," Lora said, wiping away her tears with a serviette, "I thought meeting Zeus would be happier. I had no idea what I did to him. I'm so sorry, Zeus. I should have handled it better I never wanted to hurt you as much as I did. Maybe I could still have been friends with you and been with Ian. Anyway, I wanted to meet with you because, well two reasons now, firstly I want us to be best friends again."

"WHAT!" Ian exclaimed. "We never talked about that."

"I'm sorry, Ian, but I never had a friend like Zeus before and I still don't. I have always missed him. I convinced myself I didn't but seeing him now has me realise I did. Telling you, Zeus, that I couldn't see you again was the worst thing I have ever done in my life and my biggest regret. I want us to be friends again, I want to be best friends again. I miss you so much!"

"Wait a minute, I'm not sure I am comfortable with you being friends with a single guy," Ian vigorously objected.

"Well deal with it," Lora snapped at her boyfriend. "Didn't you listen to a single word Zeus told you? You have nothing to worry about him. I would very much like it if you were friends with Zeus too. He is an amazing and generous guy."

"Lora, I don't want to get in between you and Ian. I think I should go," I told her uneasily.

"No! Please stay! I need your friendship again. I always needed your friendship. I was stupid to end our friendship. Please tell me we can be friends again!" Lora desperately and tearfully pleaded with me.

I was feeling very uncomfortable but all my feelings about Lora were flooding back and I wanted that hole in my life that she left me with filled again.

"I would like that," I said trying to sound stoic. "But only if Ian is okay with it."

"Fine!" Ian said giving his consent grudgingly. "But it will take me a long time to be okay with a single guy being friends with you, Lora."

"Thank you, Ian, I appreciate it. I promise you that you have nothing to worry about me and I hope we can be friends too. If you're with Lora then you must be a decent guy," I tried to reassure him.

"And, Ian," Lora began a little tartly at Ian's attitude, "Do you remember the main reason we are here?"

"Oh, yeah," he said looking like he was now feeling very silly.

"We are having a dinner party next weekend, and WE would love it if you came," Lora still sounded angry with Ian who looked like his jealousy had made him look very stupid.

"Yeah, it would be great if you could come," Ian added trying to get over himself.

"I,er, don't know," I replied.

"Please, Zeus, we want to introduce you to Ian's sister. She has been upset that she is single and can't meet anyone. So, I immediately thought of you."

"Why me?" I asked a little quietly.

"I remember telling you once that you were the most incredible and handsomest guy, well second after this jealous numbskull," Lora said indicating Ian who scowled at her.

"I'm not sure I can be another friend with benefits to someone, Lora. I don't think I can go through that pain again," I replied sorrowfully.

"No, you misunderstand, Zeus, I don't want you to be her friend with benefits," she said trying to convince me with a hopeful smile. "I want to introduce you to her because I think the pair would be perfect together romantically. I truly think you would be perfect together. She is beautiful, smart and a wonderful person. She is the woman you deserve, and you are the man she deserves."

Seeing that she hadn't completely convinced me, she added, "I, also, want you to come to our dinner party anyway as my best friend. I miss you so much. Seeing you again made me realise I need you in my life. I caused you more pain than I ever thought, and it is breaking my heart."

"Okay," was all I could think of saying. My own heart was creaking. I knew I was taking a risk. I wasn't sure I could lose her friendship again.

Lora told me how she and Ian met when Ian started at the same company they worked at although in different departments. A year later, they moved in together and things were going very well with them, but it appeared that I was their first real bump in the road. I hoped I could persuade Ian I was never going to try to take Lora from him.

I nervously arrived at the house Lora shared with Ian. She gave me a big warm hug when I arrived much to Ian's uneasiness, and everyone else's raised eyebrows. Lora proudly introduced me as her best friend. People were looking at me suspiciously and I felt uncomfortable with their stares but surprisingly Ian came to my defence. He told me later that he and Lora spoke further when they got home from the coffee shop when we met, and he realised that his jealousy was telling Lora that he didn't trust her, and he told her he would work on his insecurities.

After a tour of her house, Lora finally introduced me to Ian's sister. She had arrived late because she had just finished her shift as a nurse.

"This is Hera," Lora said excitedly as she introduced me.

"Hera? You have to be kidding me," I said with a nervous laugh. As first words to a blind date, they probably couldn't have been worse, especially to someone as attractive as Hera. She was slim like Lora, but her brown hair was lighter and had blue eyes. She was someone you would want to make a good first impression with and I certainly didn't do that. Lora stifled a giggle.

She looked at me like I had slapped her in the face, "I admit it is an unusual name, but I don't think laughing at someone's name is very nice."

"I'm sorry," I replied bashfully. "I know what you mean about unusual names. I'm called Zeus."

Hera gave me a long and steady stare, "You think you're the first person to introduce themselves as Zeus? Lora, you told me he was a good guy." There was more than a little anger in her voice. Lora's eyes widened in panic because this was going far worse than how she expected.

"My name really is Zeus," I protested. I took out my driver's license to prove it to her. Hera's eyes widened as she saw that I was telling the truth. "My whole family are named after gods. I have a cousin called Thor if you can believe that. He is the nerdiest guy you'll ever meet."

"Thor?" Hera sniggered.

"I thought it wasn't nice laughing at someone's name," I told her somewhat cheekily.

Hera blushed as she failed her own test of manners before laughing at herself. We began talking and didn't stop talking all night. I explained how I knew Lora and our history. I assured her I was never going to get in between Lora and her brother.

As we talked, now and again Hera would ask, "You and Lora aren't sleeping with each other anymore, are you?" Each time I would reassure her that we weren't. Hera would look at Lora for confirmation and she shook her head each time.

"She likes you," Lora whispered in my ear. "It is fate. Don't fight fate, only people called Zeus and Hera can be together."

Hera and I exchanged numbers and began dating. Whenever Hera was on a night shift, I would return to game with Lora online. She still always beat me.

Maybe Lora was right about fate. Maybe Lora and I were fated to be best friends. Maybe Hera and I were fated to be together. Who knows? What I do know is that my and Lora's friendship grew. It was never as intense as it was before, and I think that is a good thing. Looking back, I think Lora was right to end our friendship when she first began to date Ian. Our friendship was too sexual and intense to ever include a romantic partner.

Lora and Ian got married, I became godfather to her and Ian's children with Hera as godmother and Lora will be godmother to mine and Hera's child with Ian as godfather when the baby is born. We meant to marry first but the baby surprised us, so the wedding will have to wait, but you can be sure the baby will have a suitable godlike name.