Will, careful not to disturb Ari, slid out of his hospital bed. He dropped to his knees in front of Amir. Not wanting to hurt the already mangled face, Will brushed his thumb against Amir's cheekbone.
Without thinking, without caring about the consequences, Will pulled Amir into a soft kiss.
Will sighed as Amir's facial hair tickled his upper lip. Amir's lips were soft and sweet, trembling against his own. Before Will could move away, Amir's hand cupped the back of his neck to hold him in place.
Amir deepened the kiss, overwhelming Will with its intensity.
Coming up for air, Will breathed against Amir's lips, noses brushing.
"I've wanted to do that from the moment I first looked at you," Amir confessed in a light voice.
Will nodded before kissing him again. His lips parted as the tip of Amir's tongue pressed against them. Caught up in the moment, Will almost didn't hear the door opening.
"Hem hem," Ramirez cleared his throat. With a sour look on his face, he said, "There are some people here to see you, Will." Ramirez emphasized Will's name.
With pink, flushed cheeks, Will nodded. He put the back of his hand over his mouth and nodded. "Right, thanks."
"What's his problem?" Amir asked as he helped Will stand up. The split in Amir's lip started to bleed again but he couldn't stop smiling.
"Um, I think he might like me," Will said with a shrug. "Or, at least, he asked me out once."
Will almost smiled when he saw Amir pouting. He knew he shouldn't have kissed Amir but tried not to think about it. It was easier that way. He had done enough thinking to last him a lifetime.
The door burst open, bouncing off the wall behind it.
"Will!" Lucas shouted with a panic Will had heard only a few times.
Ari, startling awake, sat up and held her arms out for Will. Will sat on the bed again and pulled her into his arms.
"Shh, it's alright," Will whispered, kissing over the shell of her ear.
"My boy!" Lucas rushed at Will, drawing him into a deep hug.
"It's alright, Dad," Will said, leaning into Lucas' arms. "We're fine."
Lucas kissed the top of Ari's head over and over but didn't try to prize her from Will's arms.
"What the hell happened, Will?" Lucas demanded, holding Will at arms-length. "You got kidnapped?"
"Yeah," Will nodded. It was then that he noticed someone else in the room, Sonny.
Besides setting his jaw, Will gave no indication he saw his husband.
"You didn't notice your busted door?" Will gave his father a reproachful look.
"I didn't go home last night," Lucas admitted with a pink rosiness to his cheeks. "Sonny said he was going to talk to you and I wanted to give you privacy. I didn't know what happened because I turned my phone off."
Will, grossed out by the implication, frowned. It still didn't explain why Sonny thought Will ran away. How could a condo filled with policemen and a broken door lead to running away?
"Will," Lucas sighed. "Are you alright? Who-what-why? I don't understand."
Will didn't know where to begin. There was so much he hadn't told Lucas, hadn't told Sonny.
"I told you I was helping the Fairfield police," Will said. "I just, I didn't listen and got in too deep."
"That isn't true," Amir interrupted. He kept his eyes on Will. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine."
"Yours?" Sonny whispered, stepping closer.
Ignoring Sonny, Amir said, "They lured Will into this because of me."
"What about you?" Lucas frowned, turning to stare at Amir.
"I-I got caught up in something in childhood and it all got out of hand," Amir didn't know how to explain it all either. "They wanted to use Will and Ari to hurt me."
"How would that hurt you?" Sonny glared.
Amir glared right back. "Unlike you, I actually care about them."
Sonny opened his mouth to retort when another voice cleared near the door. Detective Balewa and Roman walked inside.
"I think I should be the one to explain everything," Balewa offered. "It was my idea after all. I take full responsibility."
Amir's forehead crinkled. "What are you talking about? It's not your fault. It's mine."
"No," Balewa sighed. "Frick wanted to lure Will there but I was the one that insisted. I asked Will to go undercover on the police's behalf."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Will said, giving Amir a sad smile, noting his surprise. "I just, I wasn't sure who to trust."
After a few moments, Amir nodded, recovering from his shock.
With Amir and Will filling in the blanks, Balewa told the entire tale. How they found an article of Will's on three dead bodies. How he spoke to Roman, asking for permission to speak to Will. How he convinced Will to help them, even going so far as to bring in one of the widows to appeal to him. Strapping Will with wires and surveillance equipment. Letting him put on the shorts and the wings. Will tracking down the supply of drugs and sending the info to Balewa.
Will explained the call from Balewa. Getting distracted after Ari's tumble. The drugs. Waking in a basement with Ari. Amal arriving several hours after. Frick explaining why he killed three men. How Will witnessed Amal and Frick argue, that they said and did a lot of things Will didn't understand. Amir rushing in and rescuing them. Now they were here, waiting for word on Amal and for Will and Ari to rest.
"That's why you were at the club?" Lucas asked Will. "To help find a murderer?"
"Yes," Will said, head resting on the top of Ari's sleeping head.
"Not to, not because you wanted to, you know?" Lucas gave Will an apologetic look.
"No, Dad," Will tried his hardest not to roll his eyes. "It was not my life's ambition to become a stripper. Although, I was quite popular."
"You weren't a stripper," Amir interjected. "You were a dancer."
"What? You watched?" Sonny glared again.
Back to glaring at Sonny, Amir said, "If any of you had bothered to ask that night, Will could have told you the truth. But you didn't. You wanted to think the worst of him and wouldn't listen to reason."
"The police and Amir told me to stay away from the club," Will sighed. "And I didn't listen because I can't seem to help myself from making terrible decisions. Amir saw me and scolded me. That's all you saw."
"Will," Sonny opened and closed his mouth several times. He didn't know what to say.
"Don't," Will looked at his husband for the first time. "Just don't."
"But I-," Sonny tried.
"I don't want to talk to you," Will said.
"Sonny, enough," Lucas declared with a dangerous look on his face.
Sonny bowed his head and nodded.
Balewa continued with his explanations, getting into the technical aspects of the job with Roman and Lucas.
Will realized how stupid it all sounded. Why did he go back to that place when he could have sent in the police? There would have been enough for at least a search warrant.
But I have to stick my nose where it doesn't belong and get in over my head, don't I? Well, not anymore. Now, I'm going to stay out of it.
Before Will knew it, Balewa and Roman left. Encased in an awkward silence and too many stares, Will sighed.
"I'm hungry," Will announced. "And Ari needs to eat when she gets up."
Amir rose to his feet, wringing his bandaged hands together. "I'll get something. I need to see if there's news on my ammi yet anyway. Excuse me."
"Thanks," Will said with a hint of a smile.
As soon as Amir left, door closing behind him, Will sighed again. He knew he'd have to suffer through questions he didn't want to answer.
"You met him in California?" Lucas asked, confirming Will's fears.
"Yes," Will said, refusing to look at either his father or his husband.
"That's, he's-he's the writer you knew," Lucas said, glancing at Sonny out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes, although, he's not a writer after all," Will answered. "Frick forced him to pretend he was one."
"The one that you-that-um- the one you-you know," Lucas didn't know how to say anything without offending Will.
"You're asking if I slept with him?" Will lifted one brow. "No, no, I didn't."
"But you said-," Sonny tried to say.
"No, I didn't say," Will argued. "You asked if I cheated on you before and I said it only happened once. It only happened with Paul once but you never listen to anything I say anymore. You hear what you want to hear."
"But you never, you never corrected me!" Sonny yelled. "You let me think that you-!"
"I didn't let you think anything," Will cut off. "It didn't matter what I said, you wouldn't have believed me. And Amir? Were we friends? Yes. Did we share intimate moments? Yes, but none of them sexual. We were close. I could tell him anything."
Sonny's mouth opened and closed several times. "That's-that's why you reacted to Paul. That's why you went so far. You knew what I was feeling."
"Yes," Will sighed once more. He didn't know how many times he'd done that during the conversation. It felt like the only response he had. Just a great big sigh was all he could emit that showed his feelings.
"But," Sonny shook his head and licked his lips. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you call me after I left?"
"I called you every day," Will spat. "I sat at home and waited. I waited even when that home was taken away. I waited for you to do something to acknowledge me and you didn't care about anything to do with me. What more do you want from me?"
"Why do you keep saying that?" Sonny threw up his hands in frustration. "You're the one that never called me. You didn't answer any of my messages or any emails."
"You didn't send any!" Will shouted, causing Ari to stir.
Lucas, realizing this was something private, helped ease Ari out of Will's hold. The two went out to the waiting room with more of Will's friends and family out there awaiting news.
"Yes, Will, I did," Sonny insisted, continuing the argument. "I called and called. God, did you just ignore the stuff for your birthday?"
"What stuff?" Will stared. "What are you talking about?"
"I sent you a plane ticket online," Sonny said, drawing his lower lip into his mouth. "I had it all arranged. We were," Sonny lowered his head, "We were gonna spend your birthday together. Only, you never showed up."
"What?" Will whispered.
"I was waiting for you and you didn't come and I thought-," Sonny paused. "I thought that meant you didn't want to be with me anymore."
"I didn't get anything," Will said. "You didn't send anything. You didn't. It was only Mom and Dad and Austin and Amir. You didn't remember. You didn't."
"Yes, I did," Sonny said stepping closer. "Will, I did. I wouldn't forget you. I'd never forget you."
It was everything Will longed to hear. He just didn't believe it.
Will shook his head. "You ignored me for months just like you did when I was in California. I'd call and you'd never answer. You forgot about me and Ari. You did. You left us and you took all the money. You spent it on clubs and restaurants and trips and Ari and I had nothing."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonny pleaded. "I didn't take any money."
"Right," Will scoffed. "That's why Ari and I got evicted. And that's why I danced on a stage in my underwear. What do you take me for?"
"Will, I promise!" Sonny implored.
"I don't believe you," Will said with a shake of his head. "I saw you yesterday night. You took one look at me and you hated what you saw. If you wanted me, you would have come back. You would have come to see why I didn't show up for this alleged trip. But you didn't. You stayed away. And you only came back because Paul told you to. So, don't stand there and act like you care about me at all."
"I had to come back," Sonny said. "All I knew was you were doing something dangerous. And how would you have reacted if it was me? If you saw me in that place, dressed like that, in someone else's arms?"
"Oh, like you care how I dressed," Will sneered.
"Do you think I want anyone to see my husband dressed like that? To see that much of his skin? Because I don't," Sonny hissed. "You're my husband, mine! I'm the only one that should see that. Oh, but wait, I forgot. Paul's seen you like that before."
Will glared at Sonny. "And what are you referring to, hmm? When he watched me at the club and didn't bother to come up to me until it was convenient for him? Or when he fucked me?"
Sonny flinched at Will's crude words.
"What?" Will said. "You don't like the reminder that your precious, perfect Paul isn't as devoted to you as you think? Or do you like to pretend that I slept with someone else? Does that make you feel better about wanting to jump Paul's bones?"
"Would you stop it?" Sonny said. "I know who you cheated on me with. You're the one that cheated, remember?"
"Does that make you feel like you're superior? That I slept with someone else. Whereas you, you spent years coveting Paul, running to him every chance you got when he was back in your life. But yeah, go ahead, blame me for everything," Will said. "Just like you always do."
"That's because you make it so easy," Sonny spat.
Will looked at Sonny. Looked at him properly for the first time in months. Will didn't recognize this man, didn't know him. This wasn't his husband.
"Get out," Will said, turning away. "Go."
"No," Sonny sighed. "I shouldn't have said that. I was just upset. Will, talk to me, please. The way we used to talk."
Will shook his head. "I don't know you anymore and you don't know me. We're not the same people."
"I-no," Sonny said. "I don't believe that. We're different but I still love you."
"I don't believe you," Will answered. "Get out."
"Will-," Sonny stepped forward, hand outstretched.
"No!" Will yelled. "Get out!"
Sonny sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not giving up. I refuse to."
Will didn't look but he heard as the door opened and closed. He sat by himself in silence, trying not to think of anything at all.
Sonny was a liar. He had to be.
Knock Knock
"Hey," Amir said as he walked inside with some food for Will. "I left Ari's with your dad. Um, I can go if you want."
"Any word on your mom?" Will asked as he took the food and drink offered to him.
"No, nothing," Amir frowned. When Will didn't tell him to leave, Amir sat in his vacated chair. "I told them I'd be here, the doctors, when they found something out. But, like I said, I can go."
"No," Will whispered. "I want you to stay."
For some reason, it felt like Amir was the only one he could trust now.
Author's note:
Thanks for reading!
