AN: Welcome back, readers! Enjoy yet another chapter. Enjoy! (:


Sonny was now engulfed by the warmth of Joel's big truck as they drove down the night streets of Toronto. Sonny didn't regret one bit leaving Rudy all alone. All he cared about was being in the presence of the man he loved. The only thing really bothering him was the fact that he had to tell Joel what was going on with Rudy.

When Sonny was waiting for Joel to come to the rescue back at home, his mother sat next to him and wanted to talk. Sonny was unaware of where the conversation was heading, but he screamed with glee when he heard about his mother's job promotion and how he was getting one thousand dollars to go toward his savings. She told him he could do whatever he wanted with it, whether it be going toward education, life, or just everyday necessities. Sonny couldn't believe it. It was so out of the blue.

The next thing his mother said surprised him even more though. He wasn't angry when she said this, but rather confused.

"Are you sure Joel's the one?" She said in almost a whisper.

Sonny stammered and thought about this for a second. If it were last year, he would've jumped to a straight "Yes, of course!" But because he's been going through a lot of hard decisions in these times, he's had assumptions.

Joel and Sonny did get into a few fights before, mainly about living conditions but never about relationship issues. Sonny trusted that Joel would tell him if he was interested in other guys. He would. But if Sonny was asked that, would he do the same? Would he actually tell Joel? Of course he's found other guys cute before, but he wasn't a flaming homosexual that checked out every guys ass that passed him by. He didn't wear tight clothing, talk about boys with his girlfriends or even promote any pride parades. He was just Sonny and he was just in love with a guy. Nothing else.

Sonny did think about marriage at one point and obsessed over finding a theme, a cake, and even wrote a list of whom he would invite. That was about the gayest thing he's ever done and it lasted him more then a few days. But the phase had gone over his head. It never crossed his mind again until his mother came up with that question.

The thinking process had dissolved when Joel's truck came to a stop. Sonny looked at his boyfriend and then at the house. It was a cute little bungalow that was painted a light beige. The frames and doors were painted white including the roof lining. Sonny couldn't help but smile. It was beautiful. He was happy Joel lived somewhere like this instead of out on the streets or in some dirty cheap apartment.

Joel turned off the truck and laid back in his seat. He took a deep breath and then looked at Sonny who he saw was smiling. He let out the air in relief and reached over to grab his boyfriend's cold hand. Sonny looked at him with the same smile.

"You ready to see my place?" Joel asked with a nervous squint, "It's probably not as nice as where the Toufa's live, but it's something," He shrugged.

Sonny nodded and they both left the auto-mobile.

A nervous kick busted in the back of Sonny's knees just as soon as Joel got out his keys. Joel caught Sonny in his arms and fumbled with him a bit before laughing.

"You're that nervous? I promise a wild bear isn't about to jump out and eat you, you're not that delicious," Joel chuckled.

Sonny both blushed in embarrassment and in rage, but he knew Joel was just poking fun at him. Joel rolled his eyes and then pressed his lips to Sonny's quickly. He then pulled back and put on a thoughtful face. He smacked his lips and then smiled.

"I think we're going to have a problem with the bear after all," Joel winked.

Sonny rolled his eyes and then waited patiently as Joel unlocked the door and opened it. The couple stepped inside the house and a light was flicked on. The door behind them was closed and the warmth of the house was welcoming.

Sonny couldn't help but look down the hallway that stretched from where they stood. It was very fancy-looking. The walls half-painted a pale yellow and the other half a crisp white. A tiny statue of a white Persian cat sit next to a painting of Mother Mary on the mantle near another room. Sonny wanted to inspect the rest of the house, but Joel pointed to a door to their left and smiled at him. Sonny had a close idea to where that led.

"Come," Joel said and jammed his other key into the lock.

It popped open and Sonny held his breath. The nervous kick came again but this time Sonny held himself up and followed Joel downstairs.

Sonny smiled when Joel turned on the light at the bottom of the stairs. The place looked comfortable. The walls were beige and the floor was panelled in oak wood. The furniture didn't all match each other, but that was the least of Sonny's concern. A little coffee table held a few magazines and a tissue box. Underneath the table there were used tissues and empty take-out containers. Sonny giggled as he watched Joel run over to clean up the mess.

Sonny followed as Joel took his hand and led him around into the tiny kitchen that connected almost entirely to the living room, but was bordered off by a marble counter island. Sonny sat on an uncomfortable, orange plastic-topped stool chair and smiled over the counter at Joel as he scrimmaged through the fridge. Finally, under mountains of take-out containers, Joel pulled a long bottle of cheap wine and set it on the counter. He grabbed two tall, plastic wine glasses and set one gently in front of Sonny. Sonny laughed.

"Wine, my dearest male?"

"I don't like wine, you know that,"

"Well, it's not really wine," Joel picked up the bottle and swooshed around the liquid inside, "It's more like acid,"

Sonny laughed and then touched Joel's hand. Joel looked down into Sonny's eyes and smiled. He leaned down to plant a soft kiss to his lips. Sonny pulled him in closer and deepened the kiss almost instantly. Joel moaned and grabbed a fistful of Sonny's long, raven hair. His hair smelled like... mmmmm... chicken.

Joel's eyes popped open then and he let go of Sonny, "Chicken!"

Sonny was confused but then sniffed the air and smiled,

"You made me dinner? Since when are you romantic?" Sonny joked.

Joel laughed, "Sofi helped me make it, but I thought of it," He half-lied. Never in his lifetime would he have thought up something so brilliantly romantic. He owed Sofi the world at that moment.

As soon as Sonny entered the little dining area, he stopped and almost took a step back until Joel came up from behind him and wrapped his slender arms around his boyfriend's waist. He smiled at Sonny's surprised and flabbergasted reaction. But as soon as he felt the smaller boy quiver under him, he jumped in confusion. Sonny was crying.

"Babe, what's wrong? Please don't be upset, it's probably better then it looks," Joel bit his lip and prayed that the food was indeed better then it looked.

"N-no, it's perfect," Sonny shooed Joel away and wiped his eyes, "Oh my God, Joel..." He whispered and held his tongue.

He's never had anyone do this for him before. Joel once surprised him for his sixteenth birthday by throwing a surprise party, and it was emotional, yes, but something as careful as a dinner being thought of for your boyfriend... that was something different. Sonny felt the warmth from Joel's presence. The first time entering his place. The first time getting a surprise dinner. The first time he's ever been so scared and so unsure in his entire life. He thought about Rudy and then quickly shoved him out of his mind. The thought of that gorgeous, conceited idiot was not about to ruin this beautiful night.

"This is honestly the best dinner I've ever had," Joel laughed.

"Me too, tell Sofi I say thanks," Sonny winked at his boyfriend from across the table.

"I will, she's honestly amazing," Joel laughed and then quickly died down when he noticed Sonny lower his gaze at his dinner with a faded smile. Shit, I didn't mean it like that. "Like, sometimes she cooks me dinner and whatever," Sonny didn't look up. Joel mentally kicked himself. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Sonny thought about this for a second. Sofi made his boyfriend dinner before? They must hang out a lot for them to be so comfortable with each other like this. Even the memories of Sofi had stained Sonny's mind... the way she acted toward him when Joel wasn't around was very fishy and not to mention suspicious. Sonny had a feeling Sofi didn't like him much... but was she in love with Joel? Sonny's whole body was heated up by that thought and he suddenly felt almost jealous.

"You guys hang out often?" Sonny asked in a lowered voice, examining his dinner with his fork and not daring to look up.

"N-not always. We liked to hang out sometimes, but not usually. Like, we play video games and stuff and whatever, nothing much really," Joel seriously didn't have a filter.

Sonny wanted to cry. So they do hang out a lot. Seems like they hang out a little too often too. Sonny wanted to find this girl and beat her up. Even though he was against violating a girl like that, this was no girl to him. Sofi was a relationship-wrecking monster. Sonny's anger deepened but he tried with all his might to keep it inside him, even though it snarled and ripped at the walls of his throat for a release.

"She's such a nice girl," Sonny finally said and looked up at Joel, "Very tasteful and not to mention pretty," Sonny confessed with a fake-as-can-be smile, and Joel knew it.

"Yeah, I guess," Joel shrugged. Everything went quiet. Joel wanted to murder himself brutally then and there.

As the boys ate their dinner in silence, Sonny was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable. Almost as if he was guilty for leaving Rudy all alone in the theatre. He still wanted to have friends and be liked, but that note at school and the fact that Rudy kept kissing him... and now knowing the fact that Joel and Sofi are more involved with each other then he originally thought... Sonny wanted to gag. He held his stomach under the table and took a deep breath. He couldn't handle the fact that Rudy's eyes left stains in his mind. He couldn't be forgotten and it made Sonny quickly loose his appetite.

Sonny's stomach lurked and he closed his eyes and took another deep breath. Heart burn. He quickly got up from his chair and then regretted doing just that. The bile rose to his throat and he stammered a bit, clutching onto the table with all his might. Joel quickly got up and ran around to the other side of the table to help Sonny up.

"You okay?" Joel tried to look at Sonny, but Sonny kept looking away, "Come, I'll take you to the bathroom,"

The boys spent about an hour sitting in the bathroom as Sonny occasionally threw up. Joel cursed himself. What did Sofi put in the food? Maybe she didn't like Sonny that much after all... maybe his own words made his boyfriend sick? Joel's mind grew miserable with rage.

"What did you do before you came here? Did you already eat?" Joel meant to ask kindly, but the words came out with his own self-disgust.

Sonny wiped his mouth and glowered at Joel, "I was at the movies..."

Joel went silent and stared at Sonny in a surprising and yet slightly annoyed way. What was he doing at the theatre? Was he hanging out with his new friends?

"With who?" Joel asked quietly, looking down at the floor, not really wanting to know the answer.

"With Rudy," Sonny said bleakly.

Joel didn't snap. He just stared at the floor and listened to his boyfriend get sick again. He felt a welling of tears in his eyes and quickly brushed them away. That was it then, Sonny officially lost interest in him. He knew it was just a matter of time. They haven't had sex in such a long time and Sonny's attitude was changing drastically the past few weeks that they've known Rudy. Did they already kiss? Probably. No doubt. Rudy does have those amazing eyes and luscious looking lips. Joel suddenly wondered how Sonny would feel if it were he who spent hours preparing dinner with his friend and cleaning up his house to impress his boyfriend and then finding out he's been cheating all along.

Joel closed his eyes and let the thought kick in. He didn't move though, as frustrated and angry and sad as he was, he just sat there and looked after his... whatever Sonny even was at that point to him.

Would he be mad if I kissed him goodnight?

Joel waited until Sonny got up and flushed. Sonny turned around and saw Joel look up at him with moistened eyes. Sonny tried not to melt into his arms and stood his ground. He just looked down at Joel, feeling greatly disappointed in him... and himself. He shouldn't have said he was with Rudy but he couldn't get the fact that Joel was spending more time Sofi then himself out of his jealous side of the brain. He cleared his throat and looked to the floor.

"I guess... I should go now," Sonny said quietly, "Thanks for dinner."

Joel gave him a watery smile, "No problem." He managed to croak.

They stayed there for a couple minutes more in complete silence until Joel got up from the edge of the tub and rubbed his arm, "I guess I should drive you home, right?"

Sonny stammered but before he could say anything, Joel left the bathroom. Sonny stopped breathing. What has he done? He turned to look at the mirror and pressed his lips together. He forced himself not to cry, though it was so painful not to.

He stared at the mirror but he didn't recognize who was looking back at him. It seemed like the little frightened child in the reflection had too big of a nose and too small of lips. His eyes were too dark and the circles shown under them from lack of sleep were just too noticeable. His hair was too long and unclean and messy. His skin was too blotchy and what the hell happened to his charming and inspirational haircut? No wonder Joel wasn't interested in him anymore... he was just a hopeless wreck. And what about Rudy? Did he really like Sonny like he said he did?

Rudy just wants to destroy you. He wants to make you believe he likes you and then he'll go and step on you and make fun of you and tease you like everyone's been doing all along. You're such an easy target. Just look at yourself...

Sonny took a couple deep breathes and then tore his eyes off the mirror. He ran out of the bathroom and then stopped when he saw Joel waiting patiently by the stairs in his thin jacket. His expression was somewhat saddened and angered. Sonny sighed. He guessed that was it then.

Joel drove Sonny home and like he expected, no kiss. Just a sullen goodnight and then he watched Sonny run into the front doors. As soon as Joel drove off, he burst into struggling tears and panicked trying to catch his breath and hold the steering wheel.

What happened to us?

As soon as he went back to his apartment, he flopped on the couch and sighed. He was completely drained from crying and his throat was raw from sobbing so hard. He looked at his phone in hopes Sonny texted him, but the only message that was there was from Sofi. He rubbed his eye and read the message more clearly.

"Hope you had a fun night! if you need me, just text or call. I'll be upstairs!" ~xo Sofi

Joel pressed his lips together and thought about Sonny. He wanted to see Sonny as the boyfriend he so desperately loved, but now that he pictured him, Sonny was alone and beautiful as always. He was next to Rudy. Rudy with a conniving smile on his face and his arms stretched around Sonny's perfectly slim waist and his lips on Sonny's perfectly structured neck and his hands touching... touching... Joel bit his lip and shook the image out of his mind. He instantly called Sofi.


Sonny was crying in his mother's embrace. He couldn't help but realize how childish he must've looked, but he didn't care. He needed a comforting women's touch and his mother's arms was the safest place in the world right now. He didn't say a word to her but she instantly knew his little date with Joel went terribly wrong. She didn't even have to say anything because it was all mother's instinct. Sonny liked that his mother was so caring now.

She stroked his hair and hugged him tightly for what seemed like forever and then finally pulled him away to look at his face, but he hid into her blouse again. She then yanked his head up and he looked at her. He stopped crying so much.

"Whenever you want to tell me, whatever you want to tell me, I promise I wont get mad or upset with you or Joel, unless you want me to, alright?" She said to him with raised eyebrows.

He nodded and then sobbed into her shirt again. She rocked her little boy in her arms and sighed deeply. That moment brought back so many good memories.


Joel and Sofi sat at the dinner table. She ate a bit and then relaxed back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. Joel told her what happened and she just silently ate and listened as he confessed what he's said about them hanging out a lot and then went off to tell her about Sonny's little movie date with the troublemaker.

Sofi knew Sonny was just trouble from the start. She really had nothing nice to say at that moment so she remained silent and just looked at Joel as he mindlessly stared back at her, not really waiting for an answer, but more like waiting for some sort of comforting movement from her. So far the most she's done was just compliment on the smell of her own meal and then asked why Joel's eyes were red and if he took up smoking weed. The rest of the conversation-slash-rant came naturally and Sofi was a great listener when it came to stuff like that. But this time seemed different. She was less apathetic, but Sofi knew it was because she was right the whole time.

"Maybe you guys should take a break," Sofi suggested and watched Joel's face flash to horror, "Listen, before you go all ape-shit on me, remember that Sonny was going on a date with a guy that he knew had some sort of crush thing with him, you felt it too right? Isn't that what you told me?"

Joel nodded.

"So I think it's best if you just take a little break and if you miss him and if he misses you then it should all go back together. Give each other space, it helps," She honestly wasn't sure if she was giving the best advice at that moment, but she prayed that they wouldn't get back together for the sake of Joel's heart ache. She couldn't stand to see such a gorgeous man crying all the time and being leashed by a mate who did nothing but torture him.

Joel nodded and then looked down.

Sofi noticed how long Joel's eyelashes were just then. She couldn't almost feel them tickle her cheek as he blinked out a last tear or tear. She wished he would realize how much she cared for him, even though he probably didn't feel that strongly about her. As long as her friend was happy, she was happy.

"Come here," Sofi said, getting up from her seat with opened arms.

Joel looked up at her and then slowly got up and watched her mesmerizing hazel eyes follow his deep brown ones. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. She sighed into his shirt and held his head close to hers. Even though he smelled like super strong, nose-tingling cologne, she could stay like this forever. When they parted, she noticed Joel was still lightly touching her waist. A shiver ran up her spine and she took another glance into the man's eyes. He looked stoned out of his mind but she knew he was crying a lot and was probably tired from all the drama.

"Well, It's getting late, I have to go to work tomorrow," Sofi smiled and then stopped when she noticed Joel's eyes moving down to her lips. She looked at his lips and then back into his eyes. She wasn't sure what was going to happen so she took a step back away from his touch and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "Goodnight Joel," She smiled and quickly escaped the apartment.

When the door shut, Joel sat back down with a slump and held his head in his hands. That was when moments later he heard the door swing open again and quick-paced footsteps run down the stairs. As he looked up, he saw Sofi walk in front of him and then stop, almost out of breath.

"Oh yeah, one more thing," She grabbed his face with her hands and pressed her lips against his, tasting the bitter-sweet luxury that was Joel. She stepped back and reviewed his expression. He was severely shocked and she smiled. "Goodnight," She leapt off and ran back upstairs.

Joel stared after her and then licked his lips. He forgot how soft girl's lips could really be. He smiled to himself and then stopped. Sonny... he sighed and went back to sobbing.


AN: Thank you for those of you still killing yourselves over the suspense of this story, I hope you're enjoying it so far! I'd like to hear what you guys have to say! Don't be shy to send me a private message or review (:

And to a guest reader who is going through a rough time with the death of her pet... RibbonRevolution. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your bunny. Your pet is in a better, happier, and healthier new state. Thank you as well for the reviews, it means so much to me! I wish you had an account so I could PM you sometime. I wish you happiness!