Chapter 37: Contigo En La Distancia, Part 2 – Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
The next morning, Chad and Will were getting dressed in their bedroom. Chad watched and knew that something was on Will's mind. Putting his shirt on, Chad walked over to Will. "What are you thinking about, Will?"
Will put his shirt on and looked up at Chad. "A lot of things I guess. I sort of feel bad about not being able to go up with Sonny today, and then I can't stop thinking about tomorrow night's family meeting." Will gave Chad a nervous look. He also thought about the conversation he had with Sonny the night before, but he decided to keep that to himself.
Chad gave Will a kiss on the forehead. "Everything is going to be fine. Dario is going with Sonny, so he won't be alone. Besides he's in for a surprise tonight, remember?"
Will still didn't feel comfortable with Dario going with Sonny.
Chad grabbed Will's hand as he continued, "Tomorrow night will be fine. I'm nervous as hell about it, too, but I know that it's the right thing because I want to be with you for the rest of my life."
Will looked into Chad's eyes and thought about how he felt insecure about himself. He really struggled that he didn't have the personality that Chad desired. "Are you really sure of that?"
Chad pulled his head back and gave Will a cautious questioning look. "Yeah, of course." Chad paused so he could try to read Will before posing his next question. "Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"
Will looked away trying to overcome his insecurities but couldn't. "I guess…" Will let out being rather truthful with the way he was feeling, but when he saw the disappointed look on Chad's face, he quickly realized his mistake. "I mean, of course. You know I love you, Chad."
Chad shook his head because he knew Will loved him even if doubts were starting to stack up next to the doubts Mia planted in his head. "Yeah, I love you, too." Chad pulled Will into a hug and tried his best to fight the doubts that continued to plague his mind. He wondered if Will wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. Deciding he needed to get out of the situation, Chad suggested, "We should probably get out there so we can say goodbye to Sonny."
Will agreed.
Chad and Will walked into the living room and saw that Justin and Adrienne had just arrived to say goodbye to Sonny. Justin went for a hug first. "Happy Birthday, son. Have a safe trip."
After Justin let go, Adrienne gave Sonny a hug. "Yes, please be careful. Happy Birthday, Jackson."
"Mom, you know I'll be fine. Dario's coming with me so I won't be alone." Sonny let go of Adrienne and gave his mother a look to let her know she could trust him.
Adrienne smiled and patted Sonny on his right cheek. She did trust her son but knew he had been through so much the past week. She didn't like to see him so tormented and hoped that this weekend away would help him. "I do feel a lot better by the fact that Dario is going with you."
Sonny turned to Justin as he thought about Victor. "Have you talked to Uncle Victor, dad? He told me he would give me space, but I am a bit surprised I haven't seen or heard from him since Monday."
"Well, your mother and I haven't seen or talked to him since then either. Brady told me he went out-of-town," Justin answered. "I have no idea where he went though." Will and Chad traded glances because they knew where Victor went and why.
"So when is everyone else heading up to the cabin?" Adrienne asked.
"Chelsea, Abigail, Josh, Melanie, T, and Nathan are coming up tomorrow afternoon." Sonny thought about being alone with Dario for so long. "It's kind of weird that Dario and I will have the cabin to ourselves for almost 24 hours."
"Will, Ignazio, T, and I will come up as soon as we can," Chad informed Sonny. "We don't know when our family meeting will end."
"Oh, I thought T was coming up with the others," Sonny said.
"No, T is coming with us," Will shared. "He's coming over later as I am supposed to hang out with him."
"Is there any news on T and Kinsey?" Adrienne asked. She thought about how she ran into T at the police department.
"I am not sure," Will answered. "T has kept to himself since he found out Kinsey is carrying his baby."
Sonny grabbed his suitcase and other things. "Well, I have to go, so I should say goodbye." Sonny gave his parents another hug and said goodbye to them. He then turned to Will and Chad. "You two don't have too much fun without me. I'll see you tomorrow."
Chad and Will wished Sonny a happy birthday. Adrienne and Justin decided to help Sonny with his things as they walked him to the car downstairs. After they were gone, Chad turned to Will and gave him a smile. "I'm excited that we have the apartment to ourselves now."
"Well, not completely. T is coming over later tonight," Will reminded Chad.
Chad pulled Will closer to him. "He won't be here that long. Let's add a little excitement to our lives. Just the two of us." Chad really wanted to forget about what happened earlier in the bedroom and make a new memory for the day.
Unfortunately, Will took Chad's statement the wrong way. When he heard Chad use the word excitement his fear of being too boring for Chad reared its ugly head. "I don't know. I feel like there's something I need to work on."
Chad watched as Will began to walk away. He didn't understand why Will was shutting him down. He knew he had to say something to reel Will back to him. "Will, wait." Chad walked over to Will and looked into his eyes. "I don't want you to leave. We have this time together and I don't want to spend that time not being able to look at you. There must be something wrong with my eyes because I can't stop staring at you."
Will began to laugh believing that Chad was making a joke, but then he realized it was just Chad's corniness coming out. "Wow, Chad. Your corniness always amazes me. It's cute."
Chad smiled but felt a bit embarrassed that Will always seemed to call him out for telling Will how he felt. "Yeah, I do what I can." Chad let go of Will as he was no longer in the mood. "So what do you want to do? We could go see a movie or something."
At the DiMera guesthouse, Arianna, Manny, and Isobel sat on the couch as Dario finished packing for his trip with Sonny. Gabi stood in the kitchen as she finished breakfast for everyone. "Do you have everything you need for this trip? Do you need money?" Isobel asked.
Dario stopped what he was doing. "No, Mama. I still have plenty of money." He looked around quickly to see if he had anything else to pack or bring.
Gabi put the food on the table. "Breakfast is ready." She watched Dario and gave him an annoyed look. "You are going to eat breakfast before you leave, right?"
"I can't. I need to hurry up because Sonny will be here soon," Dario answered as he realized one more thing he needed. "I need to bring my guitar, have any of you seen it?"
"I put it in Mama's room when I was cleaning out here," Manny told Dario.
"Thanks," Dario said as he headed into Isobel's room. He could not wait until Sonny arrived. He looked forward to their trip together.
Gabi decided to follow him as the others got up to sit at the table to eat. As soon as she got into Isobel's room, she closed the door and began to chew Dario out. "This is ridiculous, Dario. What the hell are you doing? What are you thinking? Your feelings for Sonny are only going to get you into trouble and cause more pain. Stop making the same mistake over and over by allowing him to be a part of your life!"
Dario, who was now holding his guitar case, paused for a moment because he couldn't believe what Gabi was saying. "Where is this coming from, Gabi? I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised…"
"Dario, I am not stupid. You can tell me that you and Sonny are just friends, but I can see it in your eyes. You want more. You are up to something and you're going to take advantage of your time alone with him today." Gabi gave Dario a stern look. "Do I have to remind you about how Sonny has hurt you over and over?"
"Sonny didn't hurt me. It was the other way around. I'm the one who walked away," Dario reminded Gabi.
Gabi couldn't believe that Dario was taking the blame for everything when Sonny was the one that started dating Manny and rubbed it in his face. Getting desperate and without thinking, she verbally vomited about the Kinsey situation. "What about the fact that Kinsey was going to have his baby? Sonny slept with Kinsey and Sonny now has a boyfriend that's not you once again! Do I have to remind you that the last time Sonny rejected you, you were looking for a flight back to Alaska? You were going to leave the family behind because of him."
"Sonny is not the father of Kinsey's baby. They probably didn't even sleep together because Sonny doesn't remember it." Dario shook his head deciding not to discuss the Kai situation. "You are so desperate right now that you'll try to hit me with anything just to tear me down and keep me from what I want. Who are you? I don't even recognize my little sister anymore."
Dario tried to leave, but Gabi's next comment caused him to freeze in place. "What happens when Mama finds out about you and Sonny?" Gabi warned.
Dario slowly faced his sister again. Tears began to form in his eyes as he couldn't believe Gabi went there. "You really do need help. I don't recognize you at all. I'm done talking about this. I pray that your behavior is just due to the fact that T is the father of Kinsey's baby and you just don't want to deal with it." Dario wiped his eyes, turned around, and exited the bedroom.
When Dario made his way out, he spotted Sonny waiting for him. Sonny smiled when he saw that Dario had his guitar in his hand. "Awesome, you're bringing your guitar."
Dario smiled. "Yep! I'm ready to go." Dario gave Sonny a hug. He really needed it after his argument with Gabi. "Happy Birthday. I think it's so cool that our birthdays are a month apart." Dario then turned to the rest of his family, who were all at the table eating. "I'll see you guys on Monday."
Manny stood up and gave Dario a hug. "You won't see me. I have to head back to Brooktree on Friday."
Dario forgot that Manny wasn't out for good. "Right." Dario hugged his brother tighter. "Come back to us soon. I'll definitely visit you if that's okay."
Manny shook his head. "I would really like that."
Arianna walked up and gave Dario a hug. "I'll see you next year," she joked.
Dario rolled his eyes at Ari and then made his way to Isobel. "Mama, please take care of yourself. I'll be sure to call you when we count down into the new year."
Isobel grabbed Dario's hand and pulled him into a hug. "Mi hijo, te amo mucho. Tenga cuidado." Kissing Dario on the cheek, she hugged him tighter.
"I will be careful, Mama." Dario felt a bit guilty for leaving his mother, but he knew she wanted him to go. "I love you." After hugging Isobel, Dario turned to Sonny. "You ready to head out?"
Sonny nodded his head and helped Dario with his things so they could leave.
After they were gone, Gabi finally walked out of Isobel's bedroom. Isobel noted that Gabi didn't look too happy. "Why do you look so upset, Gabriella?"
"I'm just tired," Gabi answered not wanting to talk about the fight she just had with Dario. Gabi sat down and joined the rest of her family for breakfast. Manny and Arianna complemented her cooking.
Sonny and Dario were now on their way to Sonny's family cabin. Dario turned the radio down and looked at Sonny, who was driving. "If you need me to, I can drive the rest of the way after we stop for lunch."
"That would be awesome. I don't know if I can drive up the whole trip honestly." Sonny smiled and then patted Dario's left leg with his right hand. "Thanks so much again for coming up with me. It was so last-minute. Thankfully I was able to push back the time when the beds are delivered by a couple of hours."
Dario grabbed Sonny's hand for a second but let it go so Sonny could drive properly. "I'd do anything for you."
Things suddenly became awkward and silent. Both kept to their thoughts after Dario claimed he would do anything for Sonny. Sonny wondered if he could really handle being alone with Dario for this long and not have his feelings for Dario take control. He had been able to keep them at bay for the most part since Dario's return. He just needed to focus on Kai.
Dario also thought about being alone with Sonny for so long. He wondered if his slight forwardness was making Sonny uncomfortable because things were a bit uncomfortable now. Dario decided to break the ice with a different topic. "How did your first semester at Salem U go?"
Sonny was thankful that Dario asked something to interrupt the awkwardness even if it still lingered. "Things went really well. I enjoyed all of my major professors."
"I'm glad to hear that," Dario said. "Does that mean you aren't feeling restless in Salem?"
Sonny laughed as he thought about when they went hiking over the summer when they went camping. "Well, I am getting away this weekend, which is much needed." Sonny checked his rearview mirror as he asked, "Have you ever thought about going to college?"
"It might be too late for me to do that," Dario answered. "I wouldn't know what field or major I would choose anyway. I'm not really good at anything."
Sonny looked through the rearview mirror again and spotted Dario's guitar in the back seat. "You should do something in music like Will. You are awesome on the guitar."
Dario began to feel depressed as he thought about his future. So much of it was unknown since his mother wasn't long for the world. He looked out his window and thought about Sonny and his mother. He decided to finally respond. "I can't really think about that now. There's so much up in the air right now." After Dario said that, he and Sonny went back to silent and thinking mode again.
When they were halfway to Colorado, Sonny and Dario decided to stop at a small diner next to a gas station for lunch and gas. As they got out of the car and walked into the diner, Dario placed his hand on Sonny's shoulder. "I'm paying for lunch."
"You don't have to," Sonny quickly told Dario.
"Let me do this," Dario asserted. "It's your birthday and I want to do this for you."
"Okay," Sonny caved with a smile. He found a table for them to sit at. As he looked across the table he couldn't help but appreciate Dario even more. It really reminded him of what they had over the summer. After a waitress came over to take their order, Sonny picked up the dessert menu to look through. "So how is your family handling living in the DiMera guesthouse?"
Dario began to play with his straw as they waited for their drinks. "Well, it's kind of cool to have the family together pre-Rafe's return from the orphanage." Dario shook his head at the thought of Rafe. "Manny is doing a lot better. I can see his old self coming back."
"Yeah, I can see it, too. I'm glad he's getting better." Sonny put the dessert menu down so he could give Dario his full attention.
"Arianna is okay. I think she is getting a bit restless though because all she does is take care of our mother. I think she wants to get a job or something." Dario thought about Isobel. "I think she knows though that our mother needs her and my mom definitely appreciates her for spending so much time with her."
"How is your mom doing?" Sonny asked with concern.
"She's okay, I guess. It's weird because she is weaker than she has ever been and that's her new normal. I don't think she'll ever return to who she was before – energy wise." Dario knew that was a sign that things could only get worse for her.
"If you don't want to answer, I'll understand. Do you know how much longer the doctors are giving her?" Sonny asked cautiously.
"Three months at most." Saying out loud like that hit Dario harder.
"She seems to be doing fine," Sonny said trying to give Dario a little hope.
Dario half smiled at Sonny. "I hope she can last longer – not in pain of course."
The waitress walked out and finally brought their drinks out. After thanking her for the drinks, Sonny turned back to Dario and noticed he couldn't make direct eye contact with him except for a few glances. "This is another weird question. Is your mom okay with the fact that you're with me – you know with me being gay?"
Dario thought about his fight with Gabi once again. "I haven't told my mother that you're gay, so she has no problem with you at all" Dario admitted. "It's Gabi who has the problem with me having anything to do with you."
Sonny thought about his friendship with Gabi and how it was never the same after she found out about Will. He thought things would get better after what happened this summer. Unfortunately, it didn't. Sonny looked and noticed that Dario could now keep eye contact with him. "Well, I picked up on Gabi's hostility against me ages ago," Sonny slightly joked.
"I can talk to her about that if you want me to," Dario suggested.
Sonny placed his hand on Dario's hand. "You don't have to do that. I think though that I need to take care of this – personally."
Dario nodded his head as he looked down to see Sonny's hand holding his. Everything in him told him this would work out in his favor at that moment. The moment was interrupted when the waitress brought out their food. Sonny quickly removed his hand from Dario's hand which lingered in the same place for a while as if it didn't want to let go of the memory of what just happened.
Sonny thanked the waitress again, and as he looked down to his food, he thought he saw someone in the corner of his eye. He immediately looked back up believing he might have just seen Kinsey. Looking around, she was nowhere in sight. Sonny decided to shrug it off so he could eat. Sonny knew he needed to stop obsessing over Kinsey. He glanced at Dario for a moment realizing that until now Dario had kept him focused on other things besides Kinsey and the baby.
As they began to eat, Dario thought about the closeness he felt with Sonny. "Do you remember our first run in?"
Before Sonny could respond, his phone began to ring. "That might be Kai. He told me he would call me for my birthday." Sonny looked at his phone and even though it wasn't Kai he still got excited. "It's my bro, Alex. Sorry. He's probably calling me to wish me a happy birthday." Sonny answered his phone and immediately loud voices could be heard singing from the phone. Sonny's eyes lit up as he looked to Dario. "I think it's all three of my brothers on the phone," he whispered to Dario. Dario smiled for Sonny. He didn't get to say another word to Sonny for the rest of lunch.
Dario had been driving for a while now when Sonny finally got off the phone with his three brothers and their families. Sonny put his phone in his pocket and immediately turned to Dario. "I am so sorry for that. Everyone had to talk to me and tell me happy birthday. I guess they are all together right now for the holidays." Sonny noticed that Dario was focused on the road. "I promise that I'm not expecting anymore calls to interrupt us – well Kai might still call."
Dario finally spoke, "It's okay. It's your birthday and they're family."
Sonny thought back and tried to remember what he and Dario were talking about before his brothers called. He then remembered that Dario brought up the first time they met. "So why did you bring up the first time we met?"
Dario turned to Sonny but made sure he kept his eyes on the road. "I'm just happy that you forgave me for what I said because you're my best friend now. I don't know where we'd be now if you never forgave me."
Sonny smiled widely as he thought about how much Dario meant to him and how things changed from the first time they met. "You're my best friend, too, Dario. Even though we've known each other for less than a year, we have been through so much together."
Dario let out a chuckle as he agreed. "I hope that all of that only made our relationship stronger." Dario made sure to make direct eye contact with Sonny before turning his head to watch the road.
Sonny was taken back by how much he could feel Dario inside of him. Looking down, he could feel his heart aching for more as the draw to Dario grew a bit stronger. Sonny knew he had to stop it though, so he changed the subject. Wrapping his arms around his body, he looked out the window. "I can already tell it's getting colder outside."
"You can turn the heat higher. It is your car." Dario picked up on the fact that Sonny didn't want to talk about them anymore. He questioned on whether he was doing the right thing or not. He wondered if he was only making Sonny's life more complicated by doing this. Dario watched as Sonny turned up the heat in the car. "If you need to get a little sleep, I'll be okay."
Sonny began to get more comfortable in the passenger seat. "Thanks, I am feeling a tad exhausted at the moment. You can turn on the radio if you want."
Dario turned on the radio and put the volume down so that Sonny could rest. Dario glanced at Sonny a few times as he got more comfortable and eventually fell asleep. Dario knew he couldn't keep how he felt inside. He had to tell Sonny how he felt even if his nerves overpowered him at the moment.
When Dario and Sonny arrived to the cabin, Dario commented on how the cabin seemed more like a mini-resort because it was so big. After a while the beds were delivered and placed in their designated rooms, where Dario and Sonny helped the men put them together. After the beds were done and the men left, Dario sat on the bed for a moment before asking, "Are you hungry?"
Sonny rubbed his stomach and nodded. Getting up from the floor, he patted Dario on the back so they could head to the kitchen. "I had the cleaner pack the fridge up for extra money, so I can cook us something if you're hungry."
"What am I supposed to do while you cook?" Dario asked. "I could help." Dario thought doing something together could possibly give him the chance to show and tell Sonny how he felt.
Sonny spotted Dario's guitar case by the couch. "I think you should play the guitar while I cook. You might inspire me like you always do." Dario blushed inside, grabbed his guitar, and sat on a stool in the kitchen.
As Sonny cooked, he watched Dario as he played his guitar. His thoughts wondered to what might have been if Dario had never left Salem to work in Alaska. Having this time alone with Dario seemed to really have an effect on him as he felt at peace even though his thoughts were racing a thousand times over. Accidentally dropping a knife, Sonny's thoughts of Dario went away. As he picked up the knife to throw it into the sink, Sonny began to berate himself for thinking about what ifs.
Dario played softer so he could ask Sonny a question. Whatever Sonny was making smelled so good. "So is Kai going to be here at all this week? You mentioned he was going to call."
Sonny grabbed a new clean knife and continued to work on dinner as he replied. "No, he's still with his family in Canada. His family is extremely conservative so they know nothing about us – let alone him being gay." Sonny thought about how Kai hadn't called him yet to wish him a happy birthday. He wondered if Kai was caught up in something with his family.
Dario continued to play while Sonny finished dinner. He thought about how Kai was in the same boat as him. Neither wanted to tell their parents about how they felt in fear of what they might do or say. Dario suddenly felt more optimistic about things. When Sonny finished, Dario put his guitar away so that they could sit and eat. "Everything looks so good."
Sonny smiled as he took the first bite. "Your playing really helped me cook at my best."
Dario dug in and appreciated Sonny for cooking dinner on his own birthday. He probably wouldn't have made the elaborate meal that Sonny was capable of. After a few moments, Dario looked up and asked, "So how did you and Kai meet?" Dario knew that bringing up Kai most likely would not help him in admitting how he felt about Sonny, but he needed to make sure he really wanted to do this.
Sonny found it odd that Dario brought Kai up a second time within the last hour or so but decided to tell Dario how it happened. "Kai and I were in organic chemistry together. We traded glances for a bit in the class and eventually sat next to each other. Kai realized he was gay and the rest is history."
Dario looked down at his food after Sonny finished telling him about Kai. He thought it was interesting how casual Sonny told the story of how he and Kai met. "That's very different from the way that we first met," he let out feeling a bit nervous. He could feel his heart beat harder.
Sonny gave Dario a curious look. "Why do you keep bringing up when we met?" He had wondered why Dario mentioned Kai twice, but he was more curious about Dario's wanting to talk about when they first met.
Dario felt his heart race as he put down his fork to grab Sonny's hand. Once his hand touched Sonny's hand, Dario looked into Sonny's eyes. "I really wish things between us had played out differently." Before Sonny could say anything, Dario continued, "I am sorry for making mistake after mistake in pushing you away."
Sonny continued to look into Dario's eyes. He knew he had to take control of where this conversation seemed to be heading. He shook his head as he spoke. "Dario, you don't have to apologize for all of that because we are close again."
"Are we close again? Are things good between us?" Dario questioned. "I am touching your hand right now, but I feel so far apart from you. It's not like how it used to be. Don't you remember what it felt like when you told me you loved me at the Penthouse Grille? You're keeping me at a distance – at a certain point. There's a wall."
Sonny quickly removed his hand from Dario's and stood up. He knew exactly what Dario was talking about. "We shouldn't go there. You know that things can't work for us. You said it yourself at the airport before you left for Alaska this summer. You can't give me what I want – I mean wanted." Sonny felt his heart beat faster even if he was trying his best to guard it by saying whatever to keep Dario at bay.
Dario stood up as well keeping his eyes locked with Sonny's eyes even though Sonny wanted to look away. "That is no longer true, Sonny. Do you remember that day I came over to your apartment and played Losing My Religion? That wasn't the song I originally wanted to play for you."
Sonny remembered the change in song after telling Dario that he had a boyfriend. "I already know you decided to change the song. You wanted to tell me something that day, and when I told you about Kai, you decided not to." Sonny couldn't help himself as he moved closer to Dario giving into the pull that he felt between them. Sonny questioned his sanity for allowing himself to open up to what Dario wanted to tell him that day. "What did you really want to play for me that day?"
"I'll play it for you because my feelings are still the same from when I came back to Salem – well, I guess from even before." Dario broke eye contact with Sonny for the first time as he grabbed his guitar. "It's in Spanish. I hope you understand." His racing heart showed through his body. Dario swallowed hard hoping to calm his nerves.
"I took Spanish this semester, so my Spanish is better," Sonny shared as he looked on wanting to know Dario's feelings. His heart was racing as well.
Dario began to play and sing Contigo En La Distancia.
No existe un momento del día (There's not a moment in the day)
En que pueda apartarte de mi (That could separate you from me)
El mundo parece distinto (The world seems different)
Cuando no estás junto a mi (When you're not by my side)
No hay bella melodía (There's no beautiful melody)
En que no surjas tú (In which you don't appear)
Ni yo quiero escucharla (I don't want to listen to it)
Si no la escuchas tú (If it doesn't have you)
Es que te has convertido (It is that you have become)
En parte de mi alma (a part of my heart)
Ya nada me consuela (Nothing comforts me anymore)
Si no estás tú también (If you're not by my side)
Más allá de tus labios (Far beyond your lips)
Del sol y las estrellas (Of the sun and of the stars)
Contigo en la distancia (With you in the distance)
Amado mio, estoy (My beloved one, I am)
Es que te has convertido (It is that you have become)
En parte de mi alma (a part of my heart)
Ya nada me consuela (Nothing comforts me anymore)
Si no estás tú también (If you're not by my side)
Más allá de tus labios (Far beyond your lips)
Del sol y las estrellas (Of the sun and of the stars)
Contigo en la distancia (With you in the distance)
Amado mio, estoy (My beloved one, I am)
Contigo en la distancia (With you in the distance)
Amado mio estoy, oh (My beloved one, I am, oh)
Contigo (With you)
As Dario sang the lyrics and played his guitar, Sonny's heart began to melt as he understood what Dario was singing to him. He thought about his connection with Dario and felt it strengthen as the song continued. Tears began to form in Sonny's eyes as his emotions overpowered him in a way he had never experienced before. So much was happening in those few moments that he could no longer keep his walls up to keep his distance from Dario emotionally.
After Dario finished playing, he slowly placed his guitar on the floor next to him. Looking into Sonny's eyes, Dario put his hand out to Sonny. A rush went through both of them as they looked at each other. Dario spoke, "I'm no longer going to fight what I know in my heart is supposed to be. I hope that you won't fight it either."
Sonny looked down at Dario's hand as he struggled with understanding the strong feelings that had come over him so suddenly.
At the guys' apartment back in Salem, Chad and Will had finished dinner with T, who had remained quiet for most of it. Chad stood up from the table, and knowing that T most likely needed to talk to Will alone, volunteered to clean up. "You two should go into the living room and decide what we are going to do next while I clean up."
As Will walked into the living room with T, Will put his arm around T's waist giving him a side hug. "I'm glad you could come over tonight, but I can tell you're somewhere else."
T gave Will the saddest look. "I'm so sorry…"
Will quickly interrupted T. "T, I understand. You've got a lot on your mind because you have a lot to deal with."
As Will helped T take a seat on the couch with him, T looked down as he thought about everything running through his mind. "I feel like my life is falling apart because Kinsey is having my kid and I can't find her anywhere. Gabi is ignoring me because she is upset with me about all of this. I think she blames me."
Will couldn't believe that Gabi was making things worse for T. "I get that it takes two to make a kid, but how can she be mad at you when all of this happened before?"
"Gabi is just dealing with a lot and probably can't process the situation," T stood up for Gabi. Even if Gabi screwed him over by keeping him away from his friends, T couldn't help but try to rationalize Gabi's behavior and reaction.
Surprised that T still stood up for Gabi even with the way she was treating him, Will replied, "You really love Gabi."
"Yeah, I do – maybe too much," T shared. He hated that it had been forever since he and Will hung out like this and even so it was at a time when things were dark for him.
Will began to rub T's back. "Hang on, man."
Chad looked into the living room from the kitchen. Even though he knew that T and Will were just friends, he felt somewhat uncomfortable with how close they were. His eyes focused on how Will continued to rub T's back.
"What did your parents have to say?" Will asked.
A look of realization came over T's face. "I keep putting that in a place in my head so I don't have to think about it. I haven't allowed myself to entertain the idea of telling them really. I know they are going to be so upset." Thinking about it made T start to cry. "I can't imagine what they'll say or do. I might lose them."
Will pulled T in. He had never seen T look and feel so lost. "No matter what happens we'll always be friends."
T pulled Will closer and rested his head on Will's head. "I really appreciate you, Will." T tried to wipe the tears falling down his face. "I have felt so alone for so long even before the whole Kinsey situation hit the fan. I don't feel it as much now."
"I thought you and Josh were friends," Chad said as he walked into the living room. Will looked over to Chad sensing jealousy in Chad's voice but decided not to say anything about it because T was there.
After separating from Will a tad, T answered Chad, "Josh has been dealing with his own problems with Abigail, so we haven't hung out much since he returned from New Zealand." T removed himself more from Will as he wiped his face. Feeling ridiculous and embarrassed with the way Chad looked at him, he decided he needed to end the pity party. "Let's play some video games. I'm done thinking about life."
"I'll set it up," Chad said as he walked over to the TV.
As Chad set up the Xbox, Will turned to T to make sure everything was okay. "I'm happy that you're coming on this trip with us."
"I'm not sure it will do me any good," T shared and continued, "but I am glad that I get to be with you." Chad's eyes widened as he continued to set up the Xbox.
Celeste sat in her dimly lit apartment thinking about her family as she looked at a picture of them. She decided she needed to turn to her cards for answers because she sensed danger all around them. She placed the photo on the table and grabbed her tarot cards. After shuffling her cards, she chose the first card and turned it around. Panic filled her whole body as she gazed upon the Death card.
The worst case scenarios began to play through her mind as she feared that someone in her family would die. She stood up to grab her phone, but then stopped herself to take a deep breath. "Celeste, calm down," she told herself. She reminded herself that the Death card could mean other things other than someone dying. It could also represent the end of anything else – person, object, relationship, job – anything. It was not exclusive to just the end of a human life.
Celeste studied the card closely and said aloud to give her comfort, "This card is also about transformation and not just about loss. In the end, all will be even greater if we nurture and welcome the new piece that is created." Even with the ability to calm herself and look at the good qualities of the Death card, Celeste wondered who the card was meant for.
Azzura searched for Ignazio and finally found him in the dining room of Maddalena's mansion eating a snack at the table. "I hope you are enjoying the pie I made for after dinner," she let out rather annoyed.
Ignazio continued to eat slightly ignoring Azzura's presence. "Did you need something?"
Azzura decided she didn't have time to waste so she got to the point, "Ignazio, we need to talk." She wanted Ignazio's full attention.
Ignazio motioned for Azzura to take a seat next to him. "Talk. I can listen and eat at the same time."
"I don't need to take a seat. This will not last long." Azzura moved to the end of the table but didn't take a seat. "You are going to meet with EJ tomorrow, right?" Ignazio nodded his head as he took a bite of his food. "I am going with you to the mansion to meet with EJ. There is something I have to do."
Ignazio stopped eating and shifted his chair so he could look at Azzura directly. "I do not think that is a good idea. I already believe that he is suspicious of me. If you come as well, it will only get worse."
"I need to do this. Do not worry. I will not be with you the entire time." Azzura thought about how she needed to find a way to get in between Sami and EJ. "You can argue with me, but I am going."
Annoyed, Ignazio moved his chair back towards the table. "Fine. Can I have some peace now?"
"One more thing," Azzura responded.
Ignazio let out a sigh. "Yes?"
"What is the update on Ric and that girl?"
"I do not really want to talk about this," Ignazio quickly answered. "I need to focus on EJ and Chad at the moment." Ignazio continued to eat the rest of his piece of pie.
Azzura decided not to push the topic and walked away after stating, "You know your nonna will be upset that you cut into her favorite dessert before we could sit down for dinner, which will be served in the next twenty minutes."
Back at the cabin, Dario could tell that Sonny was still trying to fight what they both felt for each other. "What's keeping you from taking my hand, Sonny? Am I too complicated for you to commit to now? Did I mess everything up? I know that I really pushed you away, but that was because I was fighting my own feelings for you. I was afraid because of how my mother and siblings raised and what they said to me about homosexuality, but I'm done with that. I don't want to fight it anymore."
Sonny finally grabbed Dario's hand because it was what he really wanted. "I don't want to fight it anymore either." The moment that Sonny grabbed Dario's hand, everything that told him to fight his connection with Dario disappeared but some fear and doubt remained.
Dario stood up and smiled at the fact that Sonny grabbed his hand. "Everything in me is connected to you, Sonny. I know you feel it, too."
"I do." Sonny couldn't believe what he was doing and saying. "I have tried so hard to shut the idea of us down so I could move on because you told me to. The truth is Dario that you've always been in my heart and I have always wanted you to be a part of me. I guess I just don't know what that means now. Things are different now, right? I mean, you mentioned that you don't want your family to know. I am with Kai and you once told me that you couldn't give me what I wanted. How can I trust this? Things have to be different, but they aren't." Even though Sonny had said he didn't want to fight it anymore, a part of him took control of him in an attempt to rebuild his defenses against letting Dario in.
Dario didn't say anything but let go of Sonny's hand. For a moment Sonny believed that this meant that he was right and that Dario couldn't give him what he so eagerly wanted from Dario even if he had found happiness with Kai. Sonny's body began to relax again as Sonny believed it was safe to let his guard down.
Dario raised his left hand and placed it on Sonny's chest to show Sonny that things were different. He could feel Sonny's heartbeat and it almost seemed like he could hear it as well. Even though Sonny seemed to want to continue fighting it, Dario knew that Sonny wanted to give in. Looking down at Sonny's left hand which seemed to be shaking with nerves, Dario decided to grab it with his right hand. He raised Sonny's hand and placed it on his chest, so Sonny could feel Dario's heartbeat. Looking up, Dario made direct eye contact with Sonny and finally broke the intense silence. "I love you, Sonny."
Sonny looked down to Dario's lips after Dario said those words. He got so lost in the moment that he moved his head in closer allowing his lips to meet with Dario's. Dario returned the passion as he kissed Sonny back. Sonny could not believe this was really happening. He never imagined it could feel this good.
Dario lifted Sonny up so that he could carry Sonny over to the fireplace. Sonny allowed Dario to hold him as he wrapped his legs around Dario's torso. Once they made it to the rug by the fire, Dario gently laid Sonny on his back as they continued to kiss. Dario then moved to Sonny's neck causing Sonny to moan softly. Dario made sure to take a moment in between kisses to say, "Tell me how you feel."
"I love you, Dario," Sonny exclaimed quietly and passionately. "I wanted to be with the one I love for my birthday and it came true." Sonny kissed the top of Dario's head as Dario continued to kiss his neck. Sonny then ran his hands through Dario's hair. When his hands reached the back of Dario's neck, Sonny moved Dario back up so they could make out again. As soon as their lips met, Sonny reached for the bottom of Dario's shirt so he could lift it off Dario.
When his shirt came up closer to his head, Dario sat up and took over taking his own shirt off. Sonny's hands immediately went to Dario's chest as Dario threw his shirt to the ground next to the couch. "I want to make love to you, Sonny," Dario stated hoping Sonny would be okay with the idea. Dario began to unbutton Sonny's shirt so he could massage Sonny's bare chest and stomach.
After Dario finished unbuttoning Sonny's shirt and took it off, Sonny pulled Dario close to him and whispered, "Make love to me Dario. Show me how much you love me." Sonny pushed Dario's head down after one quick kiss. He really wanted to have sex with Dario. All of the confusion Kinsey had caused him about his sexuality was now gone. Dario took it all away.
Dario began to kiss Sonny's chest. Sonny's feet kicked when Dario got to his nipples. He looked down to make sure he was not dreaming. He never thought he and Dario would ever do this. Dario lifted his head and body to kiss Sonny on the lips again. Breaking for a moment, Dario asked, "Do you want me to take complete control here? There's so much I want to do with you."
As much as Sonny always hoped for a lover who knew how to take control, Sonny wanted to share in this experience more since it was their first time. "I want to make love to you, too, Dario." Sonny grabbed Dario and pushed him to the ground so he could climb on top of Dario. Sonny rubbed Dario's chest for a while before kissing Dario's abs as he laid his body on top of Dario's.
Dario smiled and giggled with pleasure. "You definitely know what you're doing." Dario smiled even wider when he felt Sonny's hands grab his pants to unbutton them. Pretty soon, Dario's pants were off. Sonny smiled as it surprised him how excited Dario was about making love. "Don't be too shocked, Sonny. I've been dreaming about this moment for a while now. I love you, remember?"
Sonny thought about how he could really see the love Dario had for him in every part of Dario. Sonny hoped Dario could see the same in every part of Sonny in this moment. Sonny stood up and decided to drop his pants and briefs so that he was completely naked in front of Dario. He was now completely vulnerable.
Dario gazed and took in the beauty of Sonny for a moment before sitting up to pull Sonny back on top of him. "I can't believe how lucky I am to have you."
Sonny moved his body up so he could look into Dario's eyes. The way that Dario looked at him was different from when they first met. In fact, Sonny realized that Dario's gaze on him had been different since Dario returned to Salem from Alaska. Sonny had shut Dario out so much that it caused him to not fully notice before. "Do you really feel lucky?"
"Of course. Every man dreams of finding his soul mate and I found mine," Dario shared with absolute sincerity. Dario noticed that water began to form in Sonny's eyes after he answered Sonny's question. "Did I say or do something to upset you?"
Sonny wiped his eyes and shook his head. "No. It's just that I have waited so long for you to say that to me." Sonny immediately leaned down and passionately kissed Dario. He continued to passionately kiss Dario's body as he made his way down to Dario's hips. Removing Dario's briefs, Sonny threw them to the ground by the other clothes.
Sonny looked into Dario's eyes as began to take Dario completely. Dario threw his head back, closed his eyes, and moaned in delight. Dario made sure to run his hands through Sonny's hair as Sonny continued. He never imagined that making love to another guy could feel so good, but he knew why now because of what Sonny meant to him.
After a while, Dario grabbed Sonny's arms and pulled him up so they could kiss some more. Dario flipped Sonny over onto his back so he could return the favor. He had never done this before and hoped that he could convince Sonny that he knew what he was doing by showing Sonny how much he wanted this. Dario flashed Sonny a smile before going down on him.
As Dario continued, Sonny began to feel complete ecstasy that he had no control over. Looking down, Sonny pulled Dario up as he began to moan uncontrollably as his whole body stiffened. Dario smiled as he realized he had given Sonny an orgasm. Kissing him, Dario grinded his body against Sonny's body. Feeling so close to Sonny, Dario could not help but orgasm too as Sonny ran his hands all over Dario's back. After Dario finished, he let out a small laugh of excitement as he fell onto his back next to Sonny. Both made eye contact with smiles on their faces.
After catching their breath for a moment as they beamed in the afterglow of what just happened, Dario ran his hands through Sonny's hair. "We should probably get cleaned up."
Sonny smiled as he thought about what just happened between him and Dario. He never thought it possible. "There are quite a few showers. We could choose any one of them."
Dario stood up and grabbed his and Sonny's clothes. "The closest one is fine just as long as we are using the same one." Dario made sure to wink at Sonny.
Sonny stood up as well and took Dario's hand. "I'll show you where it is." Sonny led Dario into the bathroom and then started the shower. After the water was warm enough he grabbed Dario's hand again so both could get in.
"I never imagined it would ever feel this good," Dario admitted.
Sonny blushed and agreed. "Yeah. Would you like me to wash your body for you?"
Dario quickly started to get aroused again. "Sure, but let me do you first since it's your birthday," he replied with a wink.
As Dario grabbed the soap and lathered it in his hands, Sonny gave Dario a peck on the lips and turned around so Dario could start on his back. "This is the best birthday ever!" Sonny had never felt this high before. He felt so high that he hadn't even thought about Kai.
Dario rubbed Sonny's back with the soap in his hands. "Honestly, there was a lot more I wanted to do with you tonight, but I guess the excitement and the pleasure got the best of both of us," Dario shared.
"Oh yeah?" Sonny asked with a smile. "I can't imagine it getting better, but doing more could help I suppose." Sonny moved his hand and grabbed Dario to pull him closer to him. Dario's arms went around Sonny as he began to wash Sonny's chest. Sonny leaned his head back and rested it on Dario's shoulder so they could kiss. They had managed to get lost in the moment again.
Dario and Sonny realized that washing each other would only lead to more sex and they didn't want to prune up. After separating, Sonny washed and rinsed off first to allow Dario to wash and rinse himself off. "Take your time. I'm going to see which room has the biggest bed."
Sonny dried off and then headed to his suitcase to get dressed. He found a room with two beds in it and put on some pajamas and found some shoes to put on because the floor was cold. After getting dressed, Sonny headed to the main room to clean any messes. As he walked by Dario's guitar, he smiled widely. He stood there for a moment as he took in everything that just happened with Dario.
Sonny walked over to the rug and decided he needed to replace it with another one in the closet. As he picked it up after folding it, there was a sudden knock at the front door. Sonny jumped as it was completely unexpected. "Who could that be?" he asked himself. After putting the rug in the closet for the moment, Sonny went over to the door and opened it. Once the door was open, Sonny felt the world rush back into his body. Kai stood on the other side of the door. "Kai, what are you doing here?"
Instead of answering Sonny's question, Kai walked in and gave Sonny a kiss. As Kai kissed him, Sonny kept his eyes open in shock. He wasn't sure how to respond, but he froze somewhat in place. Kai then grabbed his bags from outside and brought them in so the front door could be closed. Looking Sonny over, he giggled. "It looks like you've seen a ghost. Your Great-Uncle Victor set this all up so I could be here."
"He did?" Sonny said in a daze. He remained somewhat frozen as the guilt ate at him. Processing the fact that Kai was now here and also processing what he and Dario had just done made it so hard for Sonny to react. What did this mean for his relationship with Kai? What did this mean for him and Dario?
"Yeah," Kai smiled. He gave Sonny a hug. "Happy Birthday, Sonny!"
"I think I forgot my suitcase in the car trunk!" Dario shouted as he walked out to the front door wearing only a towel that barely covered his hips. Noticing that there was someone else in the cabin now, Dario quickly fixed his towel so that it covered him more. "Sorry, I didn't know someone else was here. Who are you?"
Sonny, who was battling speechlessness, turned around and managed to get out, "This is Kai, my boyfriend."
Everything hit Dario as well in the same manner that Kai's presence hit Sonny. Things were really screwed up now. Seeing the look on Sonny's face made Dario feel so guilty for the position he had put Sonny in. "It's finally nice to meet you, Kai." Dario decided against shaking Kai's hand and waved instead so he could hold the towel to his body.
"Who are you?" Kai questioned. He couldn't help but notice how attractive Dario was. The fact that Dario was only wearing a towel made Kai want to know even more as he asked more questions in his mind.
Dario could tell that Sonny didn't have the ability to answer Kai's question, so he took charge. "I'm Sonny's friend, Dario. I drove up here with him so he wouldn't have to be alone on his birthday." Dario looked down at his own body and then back at Kai. "I apologize for being half-naked. I just got out of the shower and I accidentally left my suitcase in the car."
Sonny suddenly snapped out of his complicated thoughts that had rendered him speechless. "I… I'll go grab your suitcase." Sonny grabbed his coat from the coat hanger and headed outside.
After Sonny shut the door, Kai turned back to Dario. He still could not believe how attractive Dario was. He remembered how Adrienne had brought up Dario before he left for winter break. "So what have you and Sonny done since you've been here?"
Knowing that he needed to protect Sonny, Dario decided not to tell Kai that he and Sonny made love. "Well, we set up some extra beds for everyone that's coming tomorrow. Then Sonny cooked dinner." Dario looked over to the floor by the fireplace and noticed that the rug was gone. He didn't allow that to faze him as he continued, "I played a few songs on my guitar." Dario motioned to his guitar which Kai had noticed before. "Finally, we decided to get cleaned up for bed. Sonny took his shower first and I took the next one – and now we are here." Dario and Kai traded glances for a moment. Feeling awkward, Dario excused himself. "I'm going to wait in this bedroom over here because I am freezing."
Before Dario could go into the bedroom, Sonny came back in the cabin with Dario's suitcase. "Dario, here you go." Sonny handed Dario's suitcase over to Dario and turned back to Kai as Dario disappeared into another bedroom to change.
Kai walked over to Sonny and smiled. "It's so good to see you again." Kai decided not to let his questions about Dario ruin their reunion.
"It's such a nice surprise," Sonny said. He was able to get a better grip of things while he was outside. He could hide the guilt better. Grabbing Kai's hand, he continued, "Thanks so much for coming out here. I didn't think it would be possible."
"I've missed you." Kai pulled Sonny close into a passionate kiss. His hands began to wander around Sonny's body.
After a moment, Sonny pulled away from Kai. There was no way he could sleep with Kai after what happened with Dario. "I'm really tired, Kai. It's been a long day. Dario and I worked hard on putting the extra beds together."
Kai rubbed Sonny's cheek. "That's fine. I'm tired myself from the last-minute packing and traveling. We can make up for being apart for so long tomorrow."
Dario had watched the scene from the bedroom door. He remained in the bedroom as he closed the door. He had never seen Kai before and seeing Kai with Sonny now made him worry about his future with Sonny. He wondered what would happen now. Dario knew he couldn't bear to lose Sonny right after finally having him.