Chapter 2.

When Will looked at Jackson Kiriakis' eyes, he saw the same eyes that have watched him in his dreams since puberty. Giving a small gasp, he utters the name that he hears every time he has seen those eyes, "S-s-sonny."

Without breaking eye contact, Jackson takes on an astonished look then his brow furrows, "Wh-what did you say?"

"Sss-stunning. Your eyes are stunning." Will's own eyes widen, "Oh, my gosh! Now, he thinks I'm flirting with him."

The older man's forehead smooths, his eyes soften, and a small but brilliant smile appears on his face, "Hey, William. You know what? It's all right. It's nice to know I can still have that effect on a young man. Your eyes, by the way, are spectacular! You must get a lot of attention. I bet your . . . boyfriend is jealous."

"No, I don't have a boyfriend right now. My eyes do get noticed, but most guys are more interested in what's below my eyes than what's behind them. I want something more."

Jackson's smile broadens and his eyes sparkle, "You want a connection. You want to be linked mentally and emotionally; not simply by the physical act. I had that once. It was amazing!"

Will feels a wave of heartbreaking pain and guilt wash over him as tears spring to his eyes. "That must be coming from Jackson. What could have happened to make him feel like that? Why am I sensing it?"

Both men look down at their hands, but instead of being clasped in a friendly handshake, the palms have moved and the fingers are interlaced. They both slowly and gently let go of the other hand just as Mr. K's phone beeps a text message received.

"William, it's been nice talking to you, but there seems to be a crisis at Common Grounds that only I can remedy. Let's talk again sometime," at that Jackson departs.

Will steps out of his bedroom into his living room. He has clearly just showered and is wearing only a bright orange pair of shorts and green flip-flops.

"Jackson Kiriakis, you are a man of mystery and I want to know what has wounded you. Time for some cyber stalking. I don't want to dig up everything. Let's just hit the highlights. . . Parents are Justin and Adrienne Kiriakis. . . Jackson is youngest of four boys . . .childhood in Dubai . . . Jackson "Sonny" Kiriakis helps deliver boyfriend's baby while boyfriend, William "Will" Horton, is shot in struggle with armed felon . . . Is that why . . . Hey, here's an engagement release. . . William Robert Horton and Jackson Steven Kiriakis announce their engagement. . . "Will" and "Sonny" are to be married on November fourteenth of this year. . . That was my parents' Tenth Anniversary . . . Let's see. . . I was born nine months later. . . August of the following year. . . Oh, my gosh. . .DiMera jet disappears in storm carrying wedding party members: groom, Will Horton; his fiancé's best man & business partner, Chad DiMera; and Mr. Horton's maid of honor, Gabrielle Hernandez. . . The other groom, Sonny Kiriakis, was scheduled to fly out the next day on the Kiriakis family jet with the remainder of the wedding party. . .Poor Jackson. . .no wonder he seems so broken. . .Hmmm. . . Jackson Kiriakis, Salem entrepreneur, adopts missing fiancé's daughter, Arianna Grace Horton-Kiriakis. . . Neat, he's a dad!

Will has the day off and has been investigating Horton Town Square. Wearing a bright yellow T-shirt and khaki cargo shorts, he has been garnering quite a few stares from the public.

"Time for caffeine and a little snack. Time to check out Common Grounds and possibly run into Jackson." As he walks in, he notices that one entire wall is occupied with dispensers filled with coffee beans, so that customers may choose and grind their own blend. Will scans the specialty menu on the wall opposite the door as he approaches the barista behind the counter.

"Hi, my name is Kim. What may I get for you?"

"Hi, Kim. I don't see it described on your menu but, if it isn't too much trouble, could I get a dark hot chocolate with a shot of espresso? Oh, and a strawberry, macadamia nut cookie, please?"

"I've got it, Kim. You may attend to the other customers." Kim smiles as she steps away. She doesn't interfere when the boss wants to give a customer special treatment. Jackson Kiriakis, looking suave in a smoky gray dress shirt and tailored black pants, turns to his customer, "Have a seat, William. I'll bring it out to you. It's on the house."

William takes a seat near the bar so he can watch the handsome man at work. As he witnesses the older man efficiently make his drink, Will also takes the opportunity to appreciate some of Jackson's other attributes; in particular, the rounded posterior well hugged by those black pants.

"Here you go, William, I hope it's to your liking. And do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. Please do, and you can . . . if you want . . . that is, if you're comfortable . . . call me Will?"

Jackson's public smile becomes even more charming as he sits opposite Will, "Ah, I see someone has googled me. Okay . . . Will, now that you know about me, tell me about yourself. Why are you here and where is your family?"

"I'm from California and the only child born to Lucie and Samuel Hutson. Both attorneys, and both decided to establish their careers before starting a family. They belonged to a very successful firm and they both specialized in high profile divorces. They were busy, but my parents always took time off during the summer to take me on a family vacation. We really enjoyed taking cruises around the world. They-they were killed shortly after I graduated from high school when an elevator . . . malfunctioned. After I turned eighteen, I came into my inheritance."

Jackson reaches across the table and takes ahold of Will's hand that happened to be resting there, "Wow, man. I'm so sorry to hear that. But what brought you to Salem from California?"

Will looks down at his hand upon which Jackson is thumbing small circles. He slowly withdraws his hand to the edge of the table in front of him as he responds, "I was twelve when my parents brought me to Salem while they worked on a case. In fact, I believe they were working with your father. I remember liking the small town atmosphere with big city amenities. Anyway, I decided to settle here." Will again looks into the eyes that have appeared in his dream life so many times, "Jackson, I like you a lot. Would it be a problem for you if we become friends?

Jackson's charming smile becomes incandescent, "I was hoping one of us would ask that. Yes, I would love to be your friend, Will!"

They both get up for a brief hug and shake hands since Jackson must return to work. As their palms touch, Will is again surprised by the sensation. His hand tingles with a sharp spark that becomes a warmth that travels up his arm and passes into his heart.

Jackson and Will started hanging out with each other anytime their days off happened to coincide. Curiously enough, that started happening at least once a week pretty regularly.

Jackson chose their first activity together. He took Will to the recreation center to climb the rock wall. "Hey, Will. You learn quickly and this is the intermediate wall. You sure this was your first time? You have no problem with heights?"

Yeah, this was my first time and it was fun. I have no problem with heights as long as they are attached to the ground. Just don't ask me to fly. Since I was a child, I've never wanted to even be near a plane. I have this recurring dream about a plane crash and I have never even been in a plane."

The two men also enjoyed doing Will's favorite activities together. They were pretty evenly matched on the tennis court, although Will's youthful energy remaining after the game made Jackson thoroughly exhausted. They also liked swimming together at Will's apartment complex. After racing laps across the pool, they could rest in the lounge chairs around the patio. They both immensely enjoyed each other's half-dressed state and giggled when they would catch each other staring.

Late evening in Salem and Jackson Kiriakis is descending the stairs into Horton Town Square. Two rather aggressive men intercept him at the last step.

"Look, Danny, it's that rich Kiriakis guy. Maybe he'd like some help carrying his wallet."

"Yeah, Al, and this one's a fairy. Maybe if we help him with his wallet, he might want to do something for us."

TBC