Will's POV
All through Will's body, a tingling started to journey, making him feel dizzy and excited and very worried. Was Sonny going to be a new Brian? He thought very fast, as not giving an answer was still giving one. He grabbed Sonny's hand and the contact did the trick. His mind calmed, his heart slowed down just a little from its frenetic race and he took a decision.
It was the way Sonny had said all this, maybe. For the first time in his dating life, Will hadn't been hit on. No line, no pressure. And he felt something very new. A touch of confidence. Enough confidence to deliberately flirt for the first time, and he liked it. He wiggled his eyebrows and pulled Sonny closer "No, I don't know. I look...? What do I look like, Sonny?"
And the words he wanted to hear rang in his ears "You look hot-as-hell!" Will couldn't believe it and then he felt Sonny grabbing his hand.
The tender touch did wonders and he couldn't help saying, "Really, is that right? Well, in that case, maybe you wouldn't mind seeing me again tomorrow."
Sonny smiled and replied "I definitely want to see you tomorrow and Allie still owes me that friendship bracelet lesson. What did you have in mind?"
Will's mind began racing "Well, you know I have the kids, so maybe you could meet us in the afternoon at the beach and then you could have dinner with us again?" His newfound confidence was running out and he began worrying a little. He trusted Sonny though and voiced his fear "Unless you want to do something else, I mean, that is very simple."
He waited anxiously and was rewarded by Sonny saying excitedly "Simple is perfect, Will. As long as I get to see you, and the kids are great."
Will felt overwhelmed now and when Sonny leaned towards him, he pulled out. He felt afraid of going too fast, of looking easy.
Sonny looked shaken and asked softly "What's wrong?" When Sonny asked like that, Will had no choice, but to explain. There was so much care in his voice…
"Nothing, really. It's just you aren't the first person to tell me I was hot, but . . ." He didn't feel like talking about Brian but he really didn't want to go through the same depressing experience. One main difference with Brian was that he always acted cool and composed. Superior, in a way, and completely unaffected. Whereas, Sonny seemed very affected, hanging onto Will's every words as if heartbreak was only a second away.
"I'm sure I am not. Did it bother you? The way I said that?" His eyes were even darker in the night and they were planted on him, intensely displaying Sonny's emotional reality.
Will chose to be direct and give his terms. "No, that was fine. What bothers me is when someone is only interested in that. I guess what I mean is that I am looking for a bit more."
"You are sexy, but you are so much more to me than that. I admire the kind of brother you are and you seem funny and smart and I would like to know everything about you."
Will took this all in and turned to keep his composure, saying "OK, Sonny. We probably better get back."
But Sonny put his hand in his and the sensation made him feel good again. He felt as excited as Syd about her sandcastle and that was saying a lot. He led Sonny to the house, not wanting to let him go just yet, although he didn't feel up to trying a kiss. He glanced at Sonny's beautiful smiling face as they came in and missed a breath. Then he got distracted when he noticed a note on the table. He had a very good idea who would have written it and he wasn't disappointed.
Will,
We are reading in our bedrooms and then we will put ourselves to sleep. Have a good sleep! See you in the morning.
Allie
P.S. Sonny if you are here. Have a good night and we hope to see you tomorrow. I can teach you the friendship bracelet.
Sonny had definitely won over Allie. Will was happy about that. He trusted his precocious sister's judgment and the fact that the kids really liked him meant Sonny could be around a lot. He handed him the note.
"Here, you can read it, Sonny." He saw Sonny smile and his eyes sparkled. He wondered what he was thinking.
After that, they agreed to meet the next day. Will's hand felt empty at the idea of Sonny going home so he reached out to his shoulder. Skilfully, Sonny turned this into a hug and Will closed his eyes and snuggled his chin against Sonny's neck for a few seconds. It felt like home.
The next morning, he focused on his siblings as he took them to town. They spent a long time in the postcard shop, looking for one to send to their mom. They picked the one Johnny found, with the sea at sunset, and a single long cloud with long streaks of pink.
"You think mom will find time to visit us here?"
Will looked at Allie's grave eyes "I'm positive. Maybe not next week-end but she will miss us too much." She gave a sly smile and he looked at his watch and said excitedly "Hey, you guys, we'd better hurry back home to eat lunch. I told Sonny we'd meet him at 1."
This time, Allie smiled frankly.
The kids were in a hurry, both for Sonny and for beach fun in general. They got there first and Will looked around anxiously. He spotted a figure coming to them but Syd beat him to the punch and threw herself in his arm. At that exact moment, Will's cell signaled a text and looking down, he realized he had two. Both were from Brian and both were the same kind.
'So, I thought when U back, we can go see the Cubs' game in Chicago?'
And then 'Or go to that restaurant you liked so much?'
That would have been sweet but Will knew Brian liked neither baseball nor seafood. He had spent the night at the restaurant fussing with his plate. This was pressure again, subtle and aimed. He remembered Sonny's respecting his boundaries the night before.
He frowned and didn't hear Sonny come forward until he said "Hey, Will! Is everything OK?"
He smiled widely "Oh, hi Sonny! Yes, everything is good. I was just reading a text."
Sonny didn't even hesitate "You looked worried or even upset. I can watch the kids for a minute if you want to call whoever it is or at least respond."
Will was grateful. He felt torn up between two men and as new and gratifying the sensation was, he wanted to make the right decisions.
"Maybe I will text him back real quick. Are you sure you don't mind watching the kids?"
"Sure," He sounded all helpful and sweet and Will felt bad about the situation.
Yet, when he thought about Brian, he also thought about home. Where did Sonny live? He hadn't asked yet. Even if they got together, would they have to try long-distance? He had heard of it very rarely working.
He didn't really know what he wanted from Brian, maybe friendship, maybe a slight, slight hope for a serious relationship with him, but he wrote 'I'll call U when I'm back. Maybe we can C where we stand?"
Then he went back to Sonny and said sincerely "Thanks for watching the kids and I am sorry I was distracted. It is so good to see you again."
"You too Will."
Later, they were lying on the beach towels when Sonny asked "So, Will, do you want to talk to me about your friend? You seemed worried before. I am a good listener and would be happy to hear about whatever it is."
"Thank you, Sonny. I do appreciate it, but I think this is problem I need to deal with on my own and I don't want to spoil our date" Oh, jeez, slip of the tongue. He blushed and corrected "...I mean day."
Sonny lifted Will's chin with a firm finger and answered "I meant what I said last night. I want to know everything about you. You said you wanted a bit more. I want that too which means being there for the problems as well as the fun. And... one last thing, I think this is a date too or let me say, I hope this is a date."
Oh, god, Yes!
"Thanks, Sonny! That means a lot to me, but I really do think this problem is one I have to solve on my own."
And a third message came in. Will read it, shocked.
'Don't worry about that. Just come back hot and tanned and ready for some action, if U know what I mean...'
"Will! Is everything OK?"
OK, that was it. He would answer later. Time to focus on the attentive sweet guy next to him "Yes, it's fine. It really doesn't even matter. You know, I think we should put Syd down for a nap and maybe you can get your lesson from Allie. OK?"
"Sure, Will. Sounds good."
Will had taught his brother to play chess the year before. So, he suggested they play a game while Syd did some coloring, and Allie and Sonny worked on the bracelets. She brought the colorful threads to the table and sat opposite Sonny. Will maneuvered to have Johnny sit next to Sonny and placed himself near his sister, meaning he had a great view every time he had to wait for his brother's next move. Johnny was a prudent, thoughtful player, so Will had all the time he needed to just drink in how adorably cute Sonny could be when dealing with a child once again. He looked very serious, mimicking her every move and frowning when things didn't go right. Will was invaded by tenderness. Sonny was so much more than a hot guy. Which reminded him of Brian's last text and he knew what to answer. He needed to know.
Johnny had to go to the bathroom, so Will went to the window and sent 'Is that all I am to you?'
They resumed the game and Sonny finished the bracelet. Will craned his neck to see it but Sonny closed his fist around it and thanked Allie "I guess I need a little practice. Could you maybe offer me some more threads, just a few?" Allie was beaming.
Will got so enthralled by the sight of them both that he barely heard "Checkmate!"
He quickly looked back at the game and drew an exaggerated sigh "God! I can't believe you beat me! I must have been distracted..." He caught a sparkle in Sonny's eyes and gave him a shy sideways smile.
That night, it was Sonny's turn to maneuver and suddenly he was seated in close quarters to Will's shaky leg and bumped his knees against Will's a few times during the meal. The adrenaline shots were wonderful. The stains that resulted on Will's shirt when his hand trembled too much, not so. When a big red blotch started running down his shirt, everybody laughed.
"You look like you're bleeding with the tomato sauce, Will!" Sydney was in hysteric, not very far from staining herself too.
"Or like a vampire after his dinner." added Johnny.
"Gross!" Allie's face was what made Will laugh too.
He stood up "OK, OK, I'll take it off, so you guys can continue eating without choking on your pasta." He should stop cooking pasta anyway. Or eat tomato sauce. His attractive factor surely shrunk a lot with that stunt. It was still warm so he figured he could let his chest bare. He took of his shirt and walked to the bathroom. When he came back, Sonny was staring, his fork midway to his mouth, frozen. Will felt much, much better.
Sonny helped Will wash the dishes while the kids got ready for bed and they chatted a while, about music and sports. Then, after Sonny got half-strangled by Syd in a sweet-dreams-hug and he had given reading Allie and Johnny a kiss on the cheek each, they went back to the kitchen and Sonny asked "So, Will, I thought, tomorrow, we could go on one of these tour boats, you know? I'm sure your brother and sisters would love that." Will liked how Sonny had stressed the 'brother and sisters' as if to make up for the past misunderstanding.
He tried to sound cool when answering "I'm sure they would, it's a great idea. But, if you have other things to do, I'll understand, don't worry. Just tell me what you really want to do..."
Sonny sighed and said "OK. What I really want is spend as much time as possible with you. The whole day and even the evening. We could watch a movie together if there's a television."
"There is but without reception. It's just for DVDs."
"Well, I saw a movie renting place in town. So, are you in for all of it?"
Will fought his smile but it plastered itself on his face "Oh, yeah!" Sonny grinned and put on Will's cheek the same peck he had given his siblings. It felt just right and Will melted inside. He smiled fully and walked Sonny to the door.
"See you tomorrow, then. What time?"
Sonny looked shy and uttered "Whenever you're all up? I mean... As early as can be."
"OK, I'll text you, then. Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams, Will. Can't wait for our next date."
Lying in bed that night, Will's mind went through every smile, every significant look Sonny had given him. He wondered if Sonny was doing the same thing. Well, with his constantly fussing about the kids, he had to be sleeping soundly... Will liked how they took their time. It was a very good sign about Sonny's intentions.
That night, he dreamt of the seaside under the moon and Sonny walking on the shore, his hand in his pocket, his head cast down. Then, Will saw him look up at the sea and smile softly. The vision faded away and was replaced by sillier dreams but the calm impression remained throughout.
He was woken up before the kids, with a text aggressively beeping. He gave the cellphone an angry look, then opened it and read 'Man, that was a compliment. What do you want more?'
What do I want more? I want to matter, I want to be taken seriously. I want... Sonny…
Yes, that was the thing he was sure of, now. Even if Sonny and him had to part ways, even if he came home alone, he would not settle for the likes of Brian. It was fate that had brought Sonny his way, to show him there were great people out there and he should only search this kind of company.
'I guess I want someone who likes who I am on the inside as well. Thanks for the compliments but I don't think we should see each other again.'
He walked to the door and stepped out to watch the sea. The transparent surface stretched to the horizon, letting his mind expand and fly. He had let off all anchors and was now ready to let himself fall for Sonny. Whatever would happen, it would be worth it, even if heartbreak was somewhere down the road.
He felt free and young and... actually attractive. He decided he could even improve on that and went to the bathroom to watch himself in the mirror. He took some hair gel and fixed his bangs carefully, then went to his room and searched among his shirts and jeans. He found a cotton shirt that could unbutton until mid-chest and reflected on how many buttons he would open for a while.
When Johnny came in last, rubbing sleepy eyes, Will took his cell and sent his pre-typed text inviting Sonny over. He had made pancakes and hoped Sonny hadn't eaten breakfast yet. He was giggling after a funny remark Syd had made, when Johnny looked through the back door's glass.
"Look, Will, Sonny's here!"
Will waved him in, welcoming him with an enthusiastic smile. Sonny stepped in and smelled the air.
Allie chuckled and teased him "Oh, Sonny we just ate all the pancakes. Sorry!"
Sonny flinched but smiled again and shrugged it away "It's OK. I didn't expect..."
Will bit his lower lip and murmured "Actually, I saved some for you and me. In that cupboard." He caught Johnny as he dived to where Will was pointing
"No, Johnny, you had enough. You know what, you and Allie can go play on the beach as long as you don't go in the water and stay just near the house."
Johnny hadn't wait for all the instructions but Allie replied "We won't! See you in a bit!" and dashed out too. They were left with the pancakes and Syd who was falling asleep on her plate.
After a few minute, Will asked "Sweetie, you want to go back to bed?"
Syd shook her tiny head "No... Will said we'll go on a real boat today. I don't want to miss it."
"We would wait for you, of course. And what do you mean a 'real' boat? Is mine not good enough?"
Syd smiled "You have hidden yours. Why don't you ride it anymore?"
Sonny looked slightly taken aback and he answered thoughtfully "I guess, I've been busy..."
Syd got up and ran to her room "I'm getting dressed very quick, so that we don't miss the boat."
Will laughed at her cuteness. But he still asked Sonny "You looked really into riding that yacht thingie, though. What happened?"
Sonny grinned and answered "I used to ride it with my brothers. I needed to change my mind so I thought it would be a nice project." His eyes looked darker and sad for a second. Will was burning with curiosity. But he didn't dare ask about that. Sonny went on "Then I met you all and... I found I felt much better..." He looked straight into Will's eyes, who was reminded of his dreams. The expression was exactly the same and it overwhelmed him.
He got up to walk to Sonny but his legs got grabbed by behind "Lessgo, lessgo!" "OK, Syd, we're off..."
They bought their tickets and gathered on the deck. At this time of the day, they were the only passengers. The kids ran around the boat, pointing everywhere. Will grabbed Sonny's hand as casually as possible. They stayed in the exact same spot the whole ride. Will felt like his feet were concreted on the deck. He looked at the sea with a big smile and turned to Sonny.
"You're not afraid of the water..."
Will smiled widened "Why would I be? I can swim. I can't fly though, so if I were to fall from a cliff, I'd die for sure."
"You wouldn't fall, I'd be next to you, and I would catch you." The way he said that made Will feel faint. His breathing quickened. He leaned to Sonny's inviting face but a loud siren startled him. The boat was turning back and the children came to talk to them. Will sighed inwardly. How many missed moments till he would lose his courage?
They got back to the boarding plank and Will very carefully watched the kids go on land. There were a group of people on the dock, waiting their turn to embark and, as Will and Sonny began walking on the plank, a large mountain dog ran to the deck between them and before they could understand it, they had been knocked off and had fallen in the dock waters.
Three little faces were laughing at them from the pier. Will swam to Sonny and tangled his legs with his. Sonny swallowed a mouthful. They approached the dock and were helped out by the apologetic dog owners. They stood facing each other and Will, feeling audacious, winked at Sonny and slowly took his soaking wet cotton shirt off.
"Are you OK, Sonny? Why are you coughing?"
"It's... It's nothing, Allie, I swallowed water, that's all... I'll.." He coughed some more and Will rubbed his back firmly.
Sonny whispered "Not helping here, Will."
They went back to their respective houses and changed in swimsuits. Will didn't even bother wear a shirt as those tended to all go off when near Sonny now, as if he had mad horny magic powers.
After jumping in the waves and putting the kids on their shoulder so they could wrestle, they all walked to the sand and Sonny stole Will's towel when he grabbed his. Will ran after him, grabbed his arm and they fought a while.
When they found themselves staring at each other, they halted and Will put both hands around Sonny's neck. Now or never. He wondered how Sonny's lips would taste... Salty?
