I don't really know what happened today. I was doing my daily chores, wrote a little on my other fic on here ('Family Fever') and then suddenly I got this urge to write.. I swear I'm pretty manic at times and so I basically used my entire evening writing this one-shot. And I've never written a one-shot before..
Either way, I hope you'll enjoy this one. I hope it isn't too filled up with grammatical errors but by now it's like 2AM here and I'm not thinking that sharp and clear anymore. Lots of love and thanks in advance for any comments/reviews!
Sonny quietly closed the door to his apartment. The clock was coming close to midnight and he threw his coat down before letting himself fall on the couch. His uncle Vic had come by today again, asking questions Sonny didn't have the answer to. But at the same time, there was little Sonny knew the answer to these days. He was packed in work, but at the same time felt like he barely achieved anything. He basically walked around like a zombie, feeling drained and empty all the time. He knew his mum had seen him and Paul talking at town square the other day, but she hadn't mentioned it directly in one of her visits. He thanked the gods for that, as he didn't know what there was to say on that subject. He hadn't seen 'the love of his life' for years and within one glimpse things came back to him like there never was a Will.
Purely out of habit he had a drink in his hand before he realized it and felt the liquid burn down his throat. It always hurt best when he hadn't had a sip for an hour. He closed his eyes and licked his lips, thinking back to how Paul had kissed him like no time had gone by. Like he hadn't shattered Sonny's heart all those years before and made him feel like he'd never get over it. Sonny vaguely remember the dark days after Paul had let him down that final time, but knew he had to thank his family for getting him through that time. That's why he knew why Adrienne came to him today. She had seen him before and she knew what Paul could do to him. What she didn't know though, is how Will had cut Sonny so much deeper than Paul ever had. Will hadn't even snapped the cord, he kept shattering his heart over and over again on a daily basis, but yet again Sonny couldn't make himself to pull the trigger himself. He remembered how scared when he realized how empty he had felt the moment he found out about Ari for the first time and couldn't help but realize that Paul had never hurt him like that. If Paul had shattered his heart before, Will did that and much more. Sonny didn't even want to acknowledge the hurt he felt, how it even hurt to breath. So he did the only thing he could and opened another bottle to make him sleep at night.
Will closed his eyes for a second and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let his glasses fall on the table for a second and took a sigh. He just came out a meeting an hour ago and they basically needed the script rewritten within the week. An impossible assignment, but he knew better than to object too much. His eyes automatically went to his right were his phone was flashing and bit his lip as he saw 'Dad calling' pop up again. He didn't want to answer it, knew he'd probably only get chewed out again. He didn't know why people couldn't mind his own business. He was trying to accomplish his dreams, was it that bad of him to assume his husband would want that for him? He had never made a problem of all the time and energy Sonny had put into club TBD. He noticed his phone had gone black again and put his glasses on again tried to clear his head, when he was interrupted by an abrupt knock on his door.
'I'm pretty busy' he called out, before focusing his eyes back to the screen. He noticed the door open and close, but it stayed silent for a moment until he finally heard a sigh, 'Will, we need to talk..'
Hours later it was morning again in Salem and Sonny was woken abruptly by the alarm on his phone. He opened his eyes with a grunt and looked at the surroundings. He couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep, but wasn't surprised to wake up on the couch again. In fact, he actually was impressed he made it home as he woke up in his office more than home nowadays. A hand went through his hair before he stood up, taking his first sip of the day in the process. On his way to the bathroom he tried putting down the now empty bottle but ended up throwing both the bottle as the picture frame behind it towards the floor. He barely acknowledge the splattering of glass until he spotted his wedding picture lying in between shattered glass. He shrugged in the irony of the accident and walked on. He needed to brush his teeth and take a quick shower and get to work.
He arrived at work in a daze that started to feel normal, greeted T with a small smile and made his way around the bar to make himself some coffee. T had already opened the place up and was just adjusting the tables and chairs when Sonny quickly poured an extra kick in his cup. No way coffee was enough these days. He just wanted to leave to go into his office and go over some paperwork when he heard the door open and close another time. He looked up to greet Ben, but met another set of familiar eyes.
'Good morning sunshine' Paul smiled with a wink, 'You're up early after closing up last night, double shift?'
'I am the boss' Sonny shot back, whilst finishing his cup and letting it burn down his throat, 'Now can I take your order?'
'Pretty feisty for the early morning, Son' Paul smiled back, 'I take it Will hasn't called you since yesterday.'
Sonny bit his lip for a second, mostly due to hearing that familiar nickname, to notice Paul smiling like a Cheshire cat, 'You deserve better than someone who leaves you without notice, you know' he added, before they were interrupted by T.
'You do realize you're talking about his husband and my best friend, right?' T growled, making Paul jump up.
'Chill mate, I'm just laying down the facts' he quickly said while putting his hands up, 'Just letting Sonny know that he's way too special to be treated like yesterday's trash. That's what REAL friends do, you know'
T narrowed his eyes and watched Paul walking out of the club, before taking Paul's place and waiting for Sonny to start talking. Sonny, however, just turned around and made himself another cup of coffee.
'Sonny, who the hell is that guy?' T finally spoke up as he saw Sonny lift one of the bottles from the glass shelve and add a nice splash to his coffee, 'And what do you think you are doing?'
Sonny finally looked up and shot T an unimpressed look, 'T, I'm not in the mood for this. I hired you to work here, not to interrogate me. If you can't do that, then just go home and leave me alone'
T eyes' widened and he couldn't even respond, so he just let Sonny walk off to his office. The moment he heard the door close, he fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed a familiar number. Not even expecting his call to be answered, he waited on the voicemail and sighed, 'Will, it's T. I'll be bluntly honest and ask what the hell do you think you are doing? If you give a crap about your husband and your marriage, like I thought you did you should know that things here are going bad, I think Sonny..' He let out a frustrated sigh when he heard he reached the end of the message and threw his phone on the bar. He had to agree with that Paul guy, Will wasn't winning any awards for being a great husband at the moment..
Will looked up surprised in those familiar blue eyes and greeted his mother-in-law with a flat smile, 'Adrienne, what are you doing here?' he wondered aloud, but sighed when he saw the fire in her eyes ignite, 'You do realize I'm on a deadline?'
'I do, Will, so I'll keep it short and simple. Sonny needs you' Adrienne spoke clearly before sitting down in the chair on the other side of the desk, 'I know what an opportunity you've got here, but you have to realize the price you'll pay'
Will narrowed his eyes, 'Did Sonny sent you? Because I'm quite fed up with this. I'm busy with this script, a once in a lifetime opportunity and of course helping out with my mum'
Adrienne put up her hands, 'Don't give me that Sami-crap, Will. We both know that it's more like Sami is helping you out by babysitting your child, Sonny's stepchild'
Will pinched the bridge of his nose again, but didn't have it into him to finish this argument he knew he'd lose. So he just sighed and put up his hands, 'Well sue me for pursuing my lifelong dream. Sonny of all people should understand this, should support this'
Adrienne sighs and shuts her eyes for a minute, 'he does, that's what's the worst' she continued on a calmer note, 'that's why I am here. I need to make you realize what you're doing here.'
'You're starting to sound like my grandma' Will tried again, 'So I'll tell you what I've told her. Don't be overdramatic – Sonny is probably just as swamped with the new club – I'll be back in no time and we'll be fine'.
For a moment, Adrienne bit her lip to keep herself from firing up again, realizing she finally had a conversation with Will, 'And what if they offer you an extension. A new project?' she spoke, 'if this is an opportunity, how great must it be to write an original story'
Will didn't answer immediately, so Adrienne reached over the table and put her hand on his, 'Will, I think it's great what you're doing here and you deserve this, you really do. But Sonny is your husband and you're just leaving him behind like he's weighing you down. You've broke him, Will, and I'm getting tired of seeing him walking round town with a hole in his heart'
Will looked up for a second and Adrienne was relieved to see his eyes were slightly watery, clearly affected by her words, 'I need to finish this' he then finally spoke awkwardly while focusing back on his computer.
Adrienne closed her eyes, 'I see' she said, while standing up, 'I guess I overestimated the love you feel or my son'
Adrienne saw how the fire in his eyes returned and he shot up, 'So, that's what this is all about, you almost got me there!' he let out, 'I'm once again not good enough for your son. I thought we were over this!'
Sonny put down his phone and closed his eyes for a second. Another draining call with a supplier and it wasn't even noon yet. He rubbed his temples for a second when his eye fell on the picture of Ari that was set behind the first empty bottle of the day. How he missed his baby girl and hoped she was having a great time in LA. He made another mental note to go through her wardrobe this week to give away all the clothing she wouldn't fit anymore, but already knew he wouldn't be able to. If there was any room more painful to enter than his bedroom that contained his empty marriage bed it was Ari's bedroom. He remember the first night after they left, how he fell asleep in the rocking chair and woke up with a stiff neck and realized he hadn't entered the room after that. A silent tear automatically rolled down his cheek, so he stood up and walk over to a pack of boxes in the corner. He proudly lifted a new bottle out of the top one and grinned, it saved so much hassle and judgmental looks since he decided to move some of his stock to his office. He just emptied his first glass when he heard the door open behind him.
'T, I'm not in the mood' he called out, 'I've still got several calls to make and will come help out after that'
When he heard the door close again he looked up to meet familiar eyes, 'Marlena, what can I do to help you?'
Marlena's eyes darted to the empty glass in Sonny's hand for a second before he sighed, 'I was wondering if you spoke to Will recently?'
Sonny resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but ended up shaking his head, 'Will's pretty busy I gather. I think he just handed in his first draft last week'
Marlena gave him a flat smile and finally focused on the glass, 'Isn't it a bit too early for that?' she wondered, before taking the glass from his hands and putting it on the desk.
Sonny let out a sigh, 'I need to know what I serve, don't I?' he justified his actions, 'I appreciate the concern but I'm fine'
Marlena didn't respond in words, but Sonny saw the look she gave him, 'You know I'm here for you anytime, right Sonny?' she mentioned before noticing Sonny had shuffled the pictures on his desk so that Will's face was now out of eye side stuck behind Ari's solo picture, 'If there's anything I can do..?'
Sonny fell silent again, feeling his chest burn. He saw the worried eyes and knew Marlena meant well, but why couldn't she understand that there's nothing she could do. Things were that messed up. As if Marlena read his thoughts she smiled flatly and moved closer to give him a short hug, 'I love you, Sonny' she spoke softly before she left back for the door, 'Call me anytime'
Adrienne jumped up out of her chair and the fuming look she gave Will made him automatically back down a little, 'You listen to me carefully, Will' she then started in a slow but dangerous pace, 'I might've made my mistakes in the past, but that's not what this is about. I've long let go of my feelings and realized you've made Sonny happier than I ever could hope, I've started to love you like a son. That's why I am here. Because I can see how you are losing each other, a little more each day. Sonny loves you too much to take this dream from you, but you must realize you've already taken his. You've diminished your marriage, the most important thing in his life, as a side-act in yours. You've ignored him and downgrading him as a partner and as a parent to your daughter. I don't think there's much more you can do to him as you've literally tore his life apart. I was there when you said your vows, I know you meant them. So that's why I am here, to remind you of them.'
Adrienne took a breath and waited for the words to take effect on Will. When she saw a silent tear roll down his cheek she sat down again and scraped her throat to continue her plea in a softer tone, 'I know marriages are hard work and sometimes things change. And I surely hope you'll work through this. But you need to realize that I can't sit by anymore and watch Sonny go through this. You need to choose'
Will's eyes met Adrienne's and saw the sincerity in it. He couldn't help but repeat that final word, 'Choose?'
She nodded, 'You can't keep doing this to Sonny and I know he loves you too much to stop you from hurting and punishing him. He'll let you destroy him until there's nothing left of him. So you need to decide if you either going to save him, or you leave him behind'
Will closed his eyes for a second while another silent tear fell down his cheek, 'I can't' he spoke the first thing that came to mind. Adrienne just grabbed his hand again and squeezed it softly, 'I'm sorry Will, I really am' she simply said, 'but I'm not going to watch my son go through this again'
'Again?' Will couldn't help but wonder, when he saw how Adrienne almost looked busted. She bit her lip for a second as of considering something before speaking up again, 'Yes, again. I don't know if Sonny ever told you about Paul?' she started, 'he was the first that left him broken behind, quite ironic that he's..'
As an instinct, Will wanted to protest on her first hurtful words, comparing him to the guy that broke Sonny's heart by going back in the closet and marrying one of Sonny's best friends, when he realized the impact of the latter words, 'Ironic?' he spoke confused, 'he's what?'
Adrienne bit her lip, 'he's in Salem' she finally gave in, 'apparently divorced and retired'
Will didn't know how to process this piece of information when he saw Adrienne standing up, 'Don't get me wrong, this is not about Paul, Will' she cleared up her intentions for a final time, 'I just wanted you to realize Sonny's a mess without you. I thought you should know that, even if you're working on your dream out here. Don't expect things to stay exactly the same as you left them. Don't expect him to be.'
Sonny finally showed his face to his customers by the end of the afternoon. He was quite content with the amount of paperwork he'd managed to clear and quickly checked in with T. The place had done quite well during lunch hours and was now receiving the first guests for after work drinks. He automatically started to take some orders when someone sat down in front of him. He looked up to a familiar smirk and rolled his eyes automatically, 'What can I get you?' he asked unimpressed.
'I'll have a beer' Paul answered with a wink, 'how's your day going?'
Sonny made his beer silently and put it out in front of him, 'Fine' he answered before going on to a next customer.
'Still no word from Will?' Paul guessed, smiling a little so satisfied.
'Not that that's any of your business, but no' Sonny answered while refreshing some peanuts in front of him. Paul just observed him for a minute, noticing how Sonny took sips in between every order and started playing with the spare coaster in front of him. He waited till the rush went by again and casually took a sip from his beer, 'When I got divorced last year, I finally noticed how much my marriage was weighing me down. I felt so free and happy after that, just like I did when we..'
Sonny didn't let him finish and shot him a fiery look, 'Don't even start with me Paul, you married a girl while you knew you were gay. That's recipe for an unhappy marriage and/or divorce. My marriage is nothing like that'
Paul took another sip of his beer, 'I never mentioned your marriage, Kiriakis' he shot back smugly, 'You came to that conclusion all by yourself'
Sonny's eyes narrowed even more and he simply took the bowl of peanuts away, 'Finish your drink and leave' he stated, before moving his services to the other end of the bar. He could feel Paul's eyes on him and couldn't help the response his body was given. His muscles tensed up and he shook slightly, obviously affected by the predatory stares Paul was still giving him. He heard Paul order another beer when T walked by and smirked as T shot him down too. He waited a few minutes to calm down, before he couldn't resist the urge any longer and walked back to the middle of the bar.
'I know I was a dick, Son' Paul started another technique, 'But I mean it when I say it's different now. I'm different. We're different'
Sonny bit his lip, 'Is that why you kissed a married man?' he questioned aloud. Paul cheek's darkened for a second but he shook his head, 'I kissed you' he pointed out, 'and you did kiss me back, as far as I recall'
The both of them were interrupted by shattering glass besides Sonny and when he looked up he found that T was the responsible one. T, however, didn't look down to show the damage but had his shocked gaze focused on something else. Following his eyes made Sonny's heart stop as a few steps away from the door stood Will, his Will, with a hardened face. He didn't even know what to say as Will approached them silently. He saw Paul shuffle his seat with nerves and T came to stand beside him when Will finally spoke up. 'So it's true' he greeted his husband with a dark look, 'I turn my back for a minute and your tongue already ends up in someone else's mouth'
Sonny tried his best to form words, when Paul was the first to speak up, 'I don't think you have any right to..'
'I have EVERY right!' Will interrupted him, 'This is my HUSBAND, my LIFE.. You don't have the right, you let him go, you broke his heart..'
'Will' T pressed, when all three heard a faint laugh coming from Sonny. All three pair of eyes focused on the Greek, who responded first by untying the apron around his waist before walking around the bar. He, however, ignored Paul and T completely and shook his head while approaching Will. 'Isn't it ironic how you accuse Paul of breaking my heart all those years ago, when you're doing such a fine job yourself? When you left me here for weeks, you took my daughter, you took my life and you didn't even find the time to call? If you want to know, Paul indeed kissed me and yes, I let him. Because for a second, it was like I was a teenager again with no real care in the world and I could forget about how the love of my life, how my husband, told me he hated our boring life and left me all by myself. How the only one I want in my life told me I wasn't enough and didn't found me important enough to contact while he was living his dream, which clearly didn't involve me. How he took the baby girl I love like my own with him and made it clear he'll never let her be anything but his daughter. And you know what the worst part of all that is? That I let him do it, I let you hurt me like no other could and I let you break me until I can't even imagine the pieces ever fitting together again. That's how much I love you, Will, how's that for dependency?'
Will closed his eyes for a second while the final blow hit him like a ton of bricks, until Sonny simply took a few steps towards him and shook his head once more, 'No more, Will, there's nothing left for you to break' he concluded before walking out the door.
Will didn't even realize his legs were shaking until he finally felt an arm around him to help him stand. He met T's eyes and let himself being guided to the couch in the corner. He simply gazed in front of him and finally took the glass of water T handed him. Like a simple sip of water could solve his problems. He couldn't even begin to realize how much he'd screwed things up. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and gave it a glimpse in the hope it was Sonny, but threw it across the room when he realized it was the studio. He heard a small yelp and dared to look up to meet some loving eyes, sitting down beside him and pulling him in for a hug,
'T called me and told me you had a tough afternoon' Marlena smiled warmly while stroking Will's back in calming strokes, 'You want to tell me about it?'
Will didn't know when he started crying, all he knew is he couldn't stop. He wanted to tell her, but couldn't even begin to form the words. Besides, only the thought broke his heart, actually saying out loud what he'd done would confirm it. Luckily, Marlena didn't press and let him cry for a while until Will finally realized he was still in club TBD. He finally loosened his grip and looked around him with red eyes. Marlena caught his gaze and smiled warmly, 'Shall we go home?' she suggested simply, while she pulled Will up lightly. A simple mention of home made the tears come back full force, but Will let himself be led across the square to Marlena's car.
He had a flicker of hope that Sonny would be home, but that went out the window when they opened the door and the flat was dark. Turning on the lights gave a better look at the shattered life Will left behind. He barely acknowledged the smell, but did see the many empty bottles and take out cartons scattered around the place. A quick glimpse in the bedroom learnt that the bed was neatly made, something he couldn't place with the current state of the apartment, and when he walked back into the living room he saw how Marlena just came out of Ari's bedroom with a headshake – Sonny wasn't home. Will couldn't help but stare at the mess in front of them while Marlena did a quick sweep of the room, when his eye fell on the scattered picture frame in front of him. He quickly picked it up and pressed it close, like it was a lifeline. He felt how Marlena guided him back to the couch and sat him back down again.
Across town Sonny was just walking out of his second bar. His vision had gone slightly blurry, but his mind hadn't gone hazy enough. The bartender, however, had decided to cut him off and so he had no more reason to stay. It was another case of bloody irony, that a club owner was cut off from alcohol, but he didn't dare to go back to TBD. For a second, he couldn't help but think back at the vision of Will, looking at him with tearstained eyes when he suddenly realized where he could go. Damn, he knew a cellar that was never empty. He grinned for the first time that night and signed for a cab.
He clearly fell asleep during the cab ride, but he was woken abruptly when the car stopped. After paying the driver he took the back entrance into the house. He was in no state to see his parents tonight. He scolded himself for not thinking about this earlier and quietly found his way into his uncle Vic's cellar. He took the first bottle of scotch he could find and took a big sip. Not as cold as he'd prefer it, but it burned his throat the way he liked it just the same. He took a seat down on the ground and let his head fall back, finally letting the buzz haze his mind further.
He guessed he sat down there for quite some time, he couldn't recall any time or amounts anymore when he finally had an epiphany. Will had came back for him, Will was home. He suddenly saw his tearstained face before him again and realized Will was hurt. His Will had been crying. He quickly grabbed his phone out of his pocket, ignored all the missed calls and messages, and looked up the number of the one person he knew would help.
'Marlena, you told me to call anytime' he spoke immediately when his call was answered, 'I need your help'
'Of course, Sonny, what is it? You need me to come to you?' Marlena spoke clearly and slowly, but with a worried undertone Sonny hadn't heard before.
'No, you need to check on Will, I think he's hurt' Sonny tried explaining, trying to remember where he'd last seen Will, 'he was crying, I'm sure of it'
The line went quiet for a second before Marlena scraped her throat, 'Will is here, Sonny' she finally spoke, 'Now tell me where you are'
Sonny took a second to look around and had another sip before answering, 'I don't know' he told her honestly, 'but are you sure Will is okay?'
He heard Marlena let out a sigh, 'Will is in one piece' she spoke vaguely, 'What can you remember about what happened?'
Sonny bit his lip and tried to think back at the crying Will in front of him. It wasn't a pretty sight and he wasn't sure why he hadn't rushed over to make it better, until the reality finally hit him like a ton of bricks, 'Marlena, I think I hurt Will' he stammered, 'I said horrible things'
Before Marlena could say anything, Sonny started crying and threw his bottle through the cellar, 'I'm sorry, Marlena, I'm so sorry' Sonny rambled on, 'I'm so sorry I let him down. I'm such a bad husband'
Will still had the broken picture frame with his wedding picture pressed against his chest while listening to his grandmother talking to Sonny. It sounded like his Sonny was crying, though he didn't know he could still call Sonny his. Marlena had clearly indicated to stay put and was now walking around the room with her calming voice and tried to tell Sonny to stay calm and tell her where he was. He tried to follow her with his eyes when he finally saw the front door open. For a moment his heart jumped, when he realized it was just his dad. Lucas observed Marlena for a second before sitting down next to Will and putting his arm around him, 'What happened buddy?' he asked carefully like he used to when Will was a teen.
Will sniffed a little, but didn't dare to look up and face the judgmental look he was bound to get, 'I screwed up my marriage' he admitted and felt the words heavied his heart instantly. Just saying it aloud made it more real. He, Will Horton, had failed as a husband and had broken the best man he'd ever known. He felt how Lucas pulled him even closer without saying a word when they suddenly heard Marlena's voice getting loader.
'Sonny, please answer me, Sonny, are you okay?' she called out into the receiver. Both Lucas and Will looked behind them and saw how Marlena took the phone from her ear and looked more desperate than she ever had before, 'I think Sonny's in trouble' she spoke, before she dialed another number. Will barely heard her talk to the other person but realized it was Adrienne when he realized he was crying again. Sonny had to be okay, he couldn't live without Sonny. He felt how Lucas stroke his back, before Marlena sat down on the other side. For it seemed like hours there wasn't a spoken word between the three, until Marlena's phone started ringing again. A moment a glimpse of relief passed her face but that was quickly replaced by a frown of worry. Will tightened the grab of the picture frame to his chest automatically, knowing his grandma didn't have good news.
Sonny groaned softly as he opened his eyes to be met with bright light. His head was still buzzing and he felt surprisingly empty. He tried to make notice of his surroundings, as he realized he must've had a tougher night than usual. As finally his vision sharpened bit by bit he realized he was in a hospital bed. He tried to sit up a little but felt his body was unresponsive and numb. He almost wanted to call out, when he finally noticed the blonde man sleeping in the chair besides him. His skin was pale and there were clear circles under his eyes, but to Sonny he still was the prettiest guy he'd ever seen. He observed him for a second and noticed he had a frame pressed into his chest, when he suddenly opened his eyes and looked around confused for a second. He finally looked up and he met his bloodshot eyes.
'You're awake!' he exclaimed, getting up from his chair, 'How are you feeling?'
Sonny squeezed his eyes shut as a respond to the sudden noise, 'Empty' he finally answered, 'What happened?'
'I should call a doctor, and your parents should be here any minute' Will responded softly, 'I am so happy you're awake again'.
Sonny couldn't help but feel confused as Will got up to call a nurse. He noticed some of Ari's drawings and pictures beside his bed and was greeted by parents when he looked back. They had a certain hesitancy surrounding them that made Sonny worry. Before he could address it, however, Will returned with a nurse. Sonny noticed how Will tensed up when seeing his parents, but he also saw how Adrienne pulled him in for a hug. Sonny remember the frame and his eyes went to the chair besides his bed. Then, all of a sudden, he felt the memories came flooding back. He let the nurse check his vitals, before he looked at Will, 'You left me' he spoke without accusation, 'I remember now'
Will shut his eyes for a second but nodded, 'I am so sorry' he started, but he was surprised when Adrienne stepped in and opened her mouth to talk. Sonny was quicker, however, and continued, 'Why are you here?' he wondered aloud, 'Did you finish it?'
Will shook his head and dared to take a step closer, 'Please stop thinking of that stupid screenplay' he stated, 'how are you feeling? Lightheaded? Nauseous?'
Sonny frowned in confusion and took the three faces in, before focusing on the nurse beside him, 'What happened to me?' he asked directly. The nurse looked up at the others in the room and continued when Justin gave her a small nod, 'You had an acute alcohol poisoning' she explained, 'you're stomach was emptied and we are currently giving you some fluids and medication. I'll send the doctor in to talk about your recovery further'
Sonny couldn't help but stare at the IV in his arm and finally dared to look up again, 'Recovery?' he wondered.
'You might get some withdrawal symptoms they need to prepare you for, depending on your consumption' Justin stated simply, 'and they might want to talk to you about what should happen next, like a rehabilitation centre'
'Rehab?' Sonny concluded, 'I have to go to rehab?'
For a moment, his parents just walked over to the left side of his bed without speaking, when Sonny noticed how Will didn't dare to come any closer than his feet. He bit his lip and tried to recall what exactly happened, but failed.
'Will, I can't remember' he finally admitted sleeplessly, 'Please tell me'
He saw how Will's eyes started to water and he shook his head, 'Please don't make me..' he started, when Sonny simply put his arm out. Will hesitated for a second, but finally took the hand in his and let himself being pulled closer towards his husband.
'Whatever it is, tell me' Sonny asked again, 'I promise I won't..'
'Don't promise me anything. I'll tell you and let you judge' Will interrupted him, before he got a quiet squeeze in his hand. He finally sat down on the free chair, their hands still interlocked and let out a sigh, 'I screwed up Sonny. Your mum visited me in LA and made me realize how selfish I've been. I only thought about myself and didn't realize how much I was hurting you. So I came back and we had a fight. You finally let me have it for all those weeks of torture and you stormed off to get drunk apparently. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am'
Sonny just squeezed his hand once more, 'You came back for me?' he finally concluded with a soft smile. Will frowned, 'That's all you remember of all I just told you?'
'That's all I care about' Sonny smiled warmly, before pulling their intertwined hands towards his face and kissing Will's hand softly, 'I love you, Will Horton'
Will didn't even know how to respond, when Adrienne quickly decided Sonny should get some rest. She promised they'd be back later and suggested Will to go to the airport. Will's heart broke all over again when he saw Sonny's eyes close shortly in disappointment before he let out a sigh, 'Yea, I guess you need to finish that screenplay' he then spoke flatly, 'When's your flight?'
Will tightened the hold of Sonny's hand before shaking his head, 'Sonny, you'd really think I'd leave you like this? Marlena is bound to arrive soon with Ari' he explained, 'besides, I've quit'
Sonny's eyes widened, 'You quit your dream job?' he exclaimed, 'Why would you do that?'
'Because my family is more important' Will shot back simply, 'Besides, they were quite interested in me writing our problems and your addiction into a second screenplay. Didn't set too well with me'
Adrienne smiled proudly, 'He told them to go screw themselves!' she added with a grin.
Will was quietly typing away on his laptop when he finally heard some sounds coming from the bed besides him. He quickly put the laptop of his lap and jumped up to warn Sonny. Sonny, however, instinctively kept his body still and opened his eyes. He greeted Will with a smile and simply readjusted his arm to change Ari's position slightly, but she moved her head a little to sleep on without problems.
'She wanted to give you a kiss when we got here' Will tried explaining, 'Then she went for a cuddle and fell asleep instantly'
Sonny smiled warmly as he stroke Ari's back, 'I'm sure she was dead tired from the flight'
Will nodded, 'Marlena said she didn't sleep a wink. Too excited to see her Sonny bear again, hence why she immediately took her here'
Sonny felt his heart overflow with love and pressed a careful kiss on Ari's temple. Ari slept on quietly, when Will sat back down again. 'I'm really sorry, Son' he started again, 'Also about taking Ari and implying she was mine. I hope you know that's not true at all'
Sonny closed his eyes for a second as he felt the hurt reach his heart again, before opening them again and seeing the sincerity in Will's eyes. 'It hurt pretty badly' he admitted, 'but we'll be okay'
Will smiled, but before he could speak again their conversation was interrupted by two bright blue eyes that opened in between them. Sonny felt his heart warm even more when he saw the instant recognition in his Ari's eyes and pulled her a little closer, 'Da' Ari exclaimed with a big grin and let herself be pulled even closer into Sonny's chest.
