"Is she mad at you? Your mom?"

Sonny has to blink himself back to the conversation. "I wouldn't say mad. Annoyed, or confused. If she was mad, she wouldn't just tell me. She'd be all up in my face, chipping away at my self-esteem until I finally give in."

"Does she even want you to be happy?"

"Of course she does. We love each other so much it's ridiculous. She'd just be a lot happier if I was happy with her idea of happiness."

Will angles his head, and once again Sonny catches a flash of silver from the chain on his neck. "Why don't you just tell her how she's hurting you?"

"What?"

"If she doesn't know she's hurting you, how is she supposed to stop?"

"I disappointed them."

"No, you did not." Will replies, with a sort of sympathetic exasperation. "You seriously mean to tell me your family would rather you were unhappy and miserable? Still with a guy that wouldn't even tell anyone about you, in a career you never even wanted in the first place?"

"No. Yes." Sonny replies. "I don't really know."

"Then the next thing you should do is ask them."

"Do you have any siblings?"

'Yes, but we're not talking about me tonight. We can do that another night. Tonight's all about you. Did you find what you're looking for at the antique shops?"

"That's putting it mildly." More comfortable talking about his work than his family, he gives Will a play-by-play that gets them all the way to the main course.

"How do you know what you want for the room before it's even finished?"

"Just do." Sonny shrugs. "I really can't explain. I have this incredible sofa on hold for one of the rooms upstairs. That's my next project, and it's nowhere near as big as the kitchen job. Mostly just walls and floors. I want a head start on the interiors so i can focus on the verandas, the stairs, getting the painting started in April, if time's that generous. That way we're back inside before the summer heat."

"Why are you working yourself so hard? It's not like that mansion is going anywhere."

"Remember that single-minded, jealous attitude I was talking about?"

"That doesn't mean you can't relax a little bit. How many hours a week are you putting in?"

"No idea. Ten, maybe twelve a day?" Then Sonny smiles, reaching for Will's hand.

"Are you actually worried about me? I'll gladly take more time off if it means we can spend more time together."

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not that worried." But Will doesn't move his hand away, just lets it be held against that rough, calloused palm. "Still, St. Patrick's Day is coming. If you don't take time off for that, you might as well not be in Chicago, or Salem." Will looks as the waiter sets down the Gâteau au yaourt in front of them. "Oh wow. Wow." Will leans forward, closes his eyes, and inhales, before laughing as he opens them again. "What happened to yours?"

Sonny takes him dancing after, at a nightclub called the Spot, that plays a wonderful mixture of fast and slow songs, surprising Will by keeping him on the dance floor until his legs are about to snap.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You bet I am." Sonny pulls him into his arms, making his blood pressure spike when his hands run down his body, gripping his hips. Will's body rolls against Sonny's, like a wave sliding against another wave.

Sonny dips him, has Will laughing even as Will's pulse speeds up. Will lets his head fall back, lets his sweaty hair stick to his face as Sonny lowers his face towards his. Sonny's lips barely touch his chin, with just the slightest touch of teeth, before sweeping Wil up again, dancing around him, reeling him in.

The light's are hot and colorful, and Sonny's movements are so flexible, it's like watching a beautiful gymnast. The longing Will's not prepared for unfurls in his gut. Closing his eyes, Will reaches a hand into Sonny's hair, pulling his face closer, that one inch of separation closing so his mouth meets his.

"You belong, Will. We belong together."

Will shakes his head, turns to rest his cheek against Sonny's. "If you're half as good in bed as you are on the dance floor, you have to have at least a dozen guys you've already left in the dust."

"Give me a chance to show you." Sonny nips Will's earlobe, feels Will shiver in response. "I want you. I know how you feel under my hands. I've been dreaming about it."

Will keeps his eyes closed, trying to keep the longing at bay. "Let's just dance. It's getting late, and I want to dance to one more song."

Will rests his head on Sonny's shoulder. The music, wine, and the lights are still playing in his head, behind his eyelids. He feels like he's been hit with a tsunami of romance, and knowing that's exactly what Sonny was after didn't make it any less so. If anything, it magnifies it.

This is a man who cares about the details. Big and small. With the house he's bought, with the man he took on a date.

Will respects the hell out of that. Respects the hell out of Sonny.

"You really know how to show a guy a good time."

"Let me show you again tomorrow night."

"Can't. I have work."

"Then on your next night off."

"I'll definitely have to think about that. I'm not playing games, Sonny." Will sits up so he can actually look at him. "I don't like games. I'm being careful. Not too sure I like that either, but as far as you're concerned, I think it's the right thing to do. And I like being rational."

As the limo parks on the street outside Will's apartment, he trails a finger down Sonny's cheek. "Now walk me to my door, and kiss me goodnight."