First off I want to thank PROFUSELY the lovely ladies: Tina and Rita. Both of them helped me with this story idea so much. Rita with the core story and Tina with the language part. Thanks again. Without you guys I couldn't have accomplished this.

Will wakes up early and rolls over in his cot. All of his fellow barrack mates are fast asleep, none of them being early risers. Will is glad everyone is asleep because that's them at their bests. Now his fellow soldier, Chad DiMera, isn't half bad; they even grew up together in Salem. However, he is just one guy and is easily influenced by his peers, which means he only talks to Will like a friend when they are alone. Will always felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb around these guys. His only reason for joining the military was to prove to his step-dad EJ, Chad's brother, that he wasn't a wuss. That and to get him away from Salem and the stigma that his mother's name brings to his back.

With a sigh and a rub of his face, Will remembers what woke him up so early. He had been sleeping soundly and having a wonderful dream when it had changed suddenly. He went from being in a store back in Salem to being on a beach on a surf board with a faceless hottie. The hottie had been well built and had messy dark hair. The two of them had been making out in such a manner that one could easily say they were passionate about each other. The hottie had been male, not that it bothered Will in the slightest. Oh how good that dream made Will feel. The part that had woke him up was the feeling that he knew this faceless stranger from somewhere. It's like that feeling you get when you see an old childhood friend after years of separation. Will can't shake the feeling. However, he does manage a smile in remembrance of his dream. That beach hottie was the answer to all his prayers.

Ever since he had realized he was gay five years ago, at the age of 16, Will had struggled with admitting it out loud to everyone else. A struggle which resulted in him only revealing his secret to his Grandma Marlena. Being in the military though he ran the risk of his secret getting out at any one point in time. Will was so afraid of accidentally letting slip his secret that he chose not to talk to his fellow soldiers. Thus, causing him to be deemed a social outcast by the whole group.

Not wanting to be there when the other's wake up, Will decides to throw on his shoes and go for a run. He always loved running, ever since he discovered it in junior high. The feeling of freedom as you feel the wind blowing through your hair, not that Will had much hair anymore. That was one of the things that almost stopped him from joining in the first place. Not that Will was vain or anything, but his beautiful blonde hair was his best feature, a source of pride. So this close crop haircut wasn't cutting it for Will. To him it made him stick out even more. With a splash of water on his face, Will wakes up enough to get started on his run.

Heading out of the Barracks, Will hangs a left and starts running towards the beach. It is still early enough that only the occasional diehard surfer is out on the water. The sun is still coming up over the horizon as Will lets the cool air clear his mind and heart of all its trouble of the last few months. This run is exactly what the doctor ordered for Will. He needs this sort of solitude in his life. It makes things more worthwhile. Will feels the breeze pick up and knows without looking that he must be bordering the surf now. In fact, the sound of the waves crashing the shore and birds crying over head has an extremely calming effect on Will. It is in this moment that Will wishes he could be stationed right here forever. He could make a great life for himself in Italy.

He sees a surfer catch a wave on the horizon. It makes Will long for the ability to surf. He wants to get lessons but, when would he have the time? His life is scheduled, every second of every day. Except when he wakes up early in the mornings, but no surfing coach would want to teach him at 6 o'clock in the morning. Come to think of it no one would ever want to coach him anyways. He would just screw it up like he always does. That thought leads him to think about the last conversation he'd had face to face with his step-dad EJ DiMera.

Will had been holding his notice to report in his hands for the last hour, trying to muster up the courage to tell his mom and step-dad. Just as he is about to go into EJ's study, EJ exits from it and glares at Will.

"William please tell me you are standing there doing something productive." EJ growls with a look of annoyance on his face.

"I've told you a million times, it's Will." Will whispers, not looking at the man towering over him.

"What's that in your hand William?" EJ asks as he grabs the notice from it.

"N-n-nothing." Will stammers, suddenly fearful of the outcome.

"They want YOU for the Army? You, a big sissy boy?" EJ sneers as he throws the notice back in Will's face and walks away.

He is halfway down the hall before Will musters up the courage to respond, "I'm not a sissy boy!"

EJ turns and walks back towards Will, "Right! And I'm not a sometimes cruel leader of my company."

"Well, if I was a sissy boy they wouldn't have let me into the Army."

"They let you into the Army because I pulled some strings. Yes, William, I already knew of your plans. I know it's because you want to escape Salem, and who am I to stop you? After all I am your father and I should be encouraging your dreams, not tearing them down." EJ says as he reaches out and touches Will's face.

"You influenced their decision to allow me into the Army?" Will responds incredulously. He turns away before EJ can see his tears of frustration because that would just make the man angrier.

"I'm not finished talking to you yet, William." EJ yells.

"Well, I've got nothing left to say to you." Will retorts.

Suddenly he finds himself whipped around and a stinging on his left cheek where EJ's hand had made contact. The angry tears are burning behind Will's closed eyelids.

"What gives you the right to talk to me like that?! I help you out with your dream to enter the Army and you disrespect me? Now you are going to cry like a sissy because 'that hurt'. Man up and stop being such a whiney brat!"

"I wanted to prove I could do the Army ON MY OWN!" Will finally shouts in anger.

"Well, then you would have failed and let's face it, the shame would have done you in. I am doing you a favor." EJ smiles wickedly at his stepson.

Will is about to retort when Johnny comes running up yelling "Daddy!" This gives Will an excuse to just leave it there and walk away. As he is retreating from his step-dad he finally allows the tears to fall.

Will shakes his head to bring him out of that terrible memory. Bringing his hand to his cheek he feels the sting of his step-dad's slap as if it had just happened. With a defeated sigh, Will decides to abandon the idea of ever getting surf lessons. After all, he wouldn't want to fail at something and make a complete fool of himself. After all that would definitely get back to EJ and Will needed to maintain an invisible existence with that man.

Will starts up his running again. Spotting a drink stand a few yards away, Will decides that will be his turn around point. He runs towards the stand, once again allowing his thoughts to flow free. He is looking around without actually seeing because to Will all of this is paradise, an escape. He is so wrapped up in the beauty of his surroundings that he doesn't see the dark haired stranger until he has almost ran right into him. The sight of the man stops Will in his tracks.

Will just stops and stares. The man before him has an angelic glow to him. He is squinting in the sun and smiling back at Will. The smile is as dazzling as any star in the night sky. Will holds in the urge to touch his seemingly soft skin. His board shorts are riding a little low and Will can see a little bit of hair trailing down to -. Will stops looking at the man's crotch area and looks back up at his face. He has dark brown, almost black hair that is shaggy and partially in his eyes. The eyes are of a lighter shade of brown. A shade that reminds Will of melted chocolate. The man's eyes, looking back at Will, turn his insides to mush. Will feels the blush coming to his cheeks as he realizes he finds this man attractive. Once his brain begins to clear Will realizes something else. He knows this guy from somewhere. Will can't quite put his finger on it, but he feels that he knows the guy.

Finally the sexy surfer clears the silence by speaking. His voice rings like bells from heaven, but his words hold no comprehension for Will.

" Posso esserti d'aiuto?" the man speaks in what Will can only assume is Italian.

"Huh." Will looks at the man quizzically.

The man chuckles and then waves his hands as if saying, let me try again. " Qual รจ il tuo nome?"

Finally Will decides to clear the air between the man and speaks the only Italian phrase he knows, " Non parlo Italiano."

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought that you knew the language." the dark, handsome surfer finally says in English. "I asked you 'Can I help you' and 'What's your name.'"

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize that I was staring. PFC William Horton, sir." Will says with a hand held out for a shake.

"Sonny." the surfer reveals as he smiles at Will and shakes his hand. "Do you always give your rank with your name when asked?"

"It's kind of habit. When someone military talks to you, you have to list your rank with your name. Old habits die hard I guess. I'm sorry." Will awkwardly gives the man a smile.

"Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry about." Sonny says with a smile.

"I was staring at you. That is rude."

"Depends, why were you staring at me?"

"I don't know, I felt like I knew you from somewhere."

"Well then you weren't being rude by staring. Where do you think you know me from?" Sonny says, placing his hand on Will's shoulder.

"Uh, nowhere. Let's talk about something else okay?" Will says nervously, his blush returning with a vengeance.

"Sure, do you surf?" Sonny asks.

"No, but I want to learn. However, I don't think that I would be able to find someone who could teach me."

"I could. On one condition though."

"What's that?"

"You have to learn around this time of day, because I own a bar and I keep pretty busy all day and night."

"I'm a soldier, busy is my middle name. However, early morning is best for me because it's before the other's get up."

"Sounds great! If you want we could start right now." Sonny says eagerly.

Will looks at his watch and, noticing that it's almost 7, freaks out. "Sorry, can't today. I have to get back to barracks before the wake-up call ends. Maybe tomorrow."

"Sure, tomorrow is great. We can meet right here, say about 6. I want to get an hour of training in each day." Sonny says with a look of pure excitement on his face.

"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow." Will calls as he runs back towards barracks.