I lived with room mates back when I was living on my own. They all drank.To be honest I never really talked to them when I was sober. I was busy being miserable and jealous that they could drink and not me. I remember always getting grouchy to myself whenever my landlord was getting ready to party as I headed out to my night shift. It was a hard thing to deal with because I felt I didnt belong. Even though the very beginning when I first moved in everything seemed fine. Well not exactly fine. my landlord was late on my moving day because she was out with her mom and yes she was drinking. She even admitted she had a couple of wines but nothing serious. Father said there was no drinking from me. But of course within a week I was at it again and everything was "fun" landlord and room mates and I had a blast supposedly. One room mate who joined us in April 2011 was a daily drinker. And I know he's an alcoholic. He drank beer everyday but not to the point of hammered. Always offered me a beer and when I tried to stay sober I always managed to say no thanks but then the temptation rose more and more until one night he asked me again and I said sure. But when I wasn't drinking he kept to himself in the basement room (He moved out once I moved into the basement later on) There was no conversation when sober. But when drunk I always hung with him before going out.
Another past example was with my old friend who was also a drinking friend. We'd have a blast and talk the night away while really hammered. One time we even stayed up till 6am drinking, went to sleep for 3 hours, woke up hung over and slightly drunk still and drank more. But.... when I was trying to stay sober and I tried to have a friendship with him without booze we were the same like you... we sat there in my parents basement and didn't speak much, we had no idea what to talk about and it was boring. But then I was at it again a month later and we had a blast again... well I did. I was getting progressively worse. I was starting to be a jerk and got mad at alot of things.
As for suggestions. I haven't a clue. My friendship with that guy ended because it was all we knew, was to drink and chat. nothing more. So I don't know what to say. Are you both in the program? maybe if you both went to aa and figure things out it might help a bit until you get past the haze of being newly sober.