Will doesn't react for a moment, then tries to gloss over it with a teasing smile, "If that's just supposed to be foreplay before you feed me--"
Sonny draws him back, and when Will sees the look on his face, Will drops the smile altogether.
"I love you." Sonny repeats. "I don't think I ever really knew what that really meant before, because I don't think I was able to."
Sonny holds Will in place when Will tries to wriggle out of his hold. "You need to wind down." Will tells him.
"You're right, I do--but not the way you're thinking. I need to wind down right here. With you. I don't care if this is the first time we've ever met, or the millionth. You're the one."
"Sonny, you're turning this into something it's not." Will's voice is so close to shaking. His stomach is already there. "We had one date. We slept together. We've hung out only a few times."
"All it took was the first time I saw you."
Sonny's eyes are so deep, Will thinks, so clear. Like the surface of a lake at the witching hour. "You barely know me!"
Sonny pulls him back again, reminding Will of the hardness in him, along with a sharp edge. "You're so wrong. I know how smart and strong you are. Strong enough to take over a bar with almost nothing to your name. I know you always honor your commitments. I know how loyal and loving you are. I know you've been hurt by someone before, and it would take next to nothing for someone to hurt you again. Just like I know I'm scaring the crap out of you because you're trying to convince yourself you're not ready to hear this."
Will's heart pounds painfully, like stabbing a bruise. "I don't want to fall in love, Sonny. I'm sorry."
"Neither did I, and here we are. We don't have to rush anything. I wasn't going to say all of that just yet but...I knew I had to."
"Sonny, people fall in and out of love all the time. It's just chemicals in the brain."
"He really did a number on you, didn't he?"
Pissed, Will pushes himself away, and this time Sonny lets him go. "You're completely wrong. There's not some guy, or the ghost of an ex who broke me. Do I look like a cliche to you?"
"You're everything to me."
"Good God." There he goes again, making his throat get tight and close up at the same time. Will purposely fights it back so he can say very clearly. "I like you, Sonny, and I really enjoy hanging out with you. I want to have sex with you. If you're not okay with that, I'm walking away now so I can save us both all the hassle and future humiliation."
"Is getting pissed at someone after they tell you they love you just your MO?"
Nobody's ever gotten that far, Will almost says. Nobody who actually meant it. "I don't like being forced, and when I feel like I am, I see to it I don't fall for it."
"I can definitely respect that." Sonny's smile is easy as he stands up. "I like you too, Will. And I like hanging out with you, and I want to have sex with you. For now, that's enough. You hungry? I'll fire up the grill."
If this is some kind of trick, Will thinks, or some kind of ploy to keep him guessing, it's working.
Will just can't figure this guy out at all, and his perfect shift in mood is a definite way to challenge him to keep trying to figure it out.
Sonny cooks like a man who doesn't trust himself to not go overboard. Potatoes wrapped in foil on the grill, steaks. And he somehow buttered Will up into tossing a salad.
He doesn't bring up love again.
Instead, he asks Will about work, how his pub had managed on the two rainy days. He puts on some music, keeping it low, and talks through the door as the grill smokes as he chops the vegetables.
They could easily be just friends, or an old married couple.
They eat in his beautiful kitchen, by the light of the candles. Even the mansion is taking a break. Despite it--or maybe because of it--Will's still on edge for the whole meal.
Sonny takes a cake out of the fridge. Will takes one look and sighs. "I can't."
"Save for later?"
Sonny's making him uncomfortable, Will thinks. Best thing to do is to make him just as much, if not more, uncomfortable.
Will steps behind Sonny as Sonny scans his fridge, then Will wraps his arms around his waist, pushing his body against his own.
Sonny lets Will spin him around and shove him back against the fridge.
Oh does he know Will, Sonny thinks as he uses Will's lips to set off fireworks in his blood. He's wel aware how Will's trying to stay one step ahead of him with sex. By taking a step away from him.
If WIll doesn't realize Sonny can love him as much as he wants to have sex with him, it's up to Sonny to show him.
"You said we'd share a bed." Will's mouth is dangerous, restless as it goes all over Sonny's face. "Let's go to bed."
Will pulls Sonny towards the doorway. He almost pulls Will back, towards the stairs by the kitchen, but decides the long way around is better.
Sonny pushes Will against the wall in the hallway, attacking his throat with his teeth. We're getting there."
Sonny reaches down, pulling Will's shirt up, over his head, throwing it to the side. Wrapped up in each other, they roll along the wall, until they finally stop with Sonny against the wall. Impatiently, Will pulls Sonny's shirt open so the buttons fly right off.
They fight with their clothes on their way to the stairs. Shoes land with loud thumps. Will's undershirt lands on the railing, Sonny's pants falling on the third step up.
They're practically gasping for air when they reach the top.
Sonny's hands are rough, a worker's hands that thrill him as they stroke over Will's body. It's like his whole body is being ignited.
"Hurry." Will bites Sonny's shoulder as need barrels down on him, a fiery blast of heat that's burning all of his mindfulness away. "Please hurry."
Sonny almost takes Will right where they're standing, but he wants Will underneath him. Bucking and arching.
WIth his mouth devouring Will's, he wraps his arms around Will's waist, lifting him slightly off the floor. Something vulnerable and primal stabs him at knowing there's never really been a choice. No choice either of them could ever make but to make love.
Shadows cover them as they move towards the bedroom.
Cold from the doorways leak out, making Will shiver.
"Sonny."
"This is who we are. This belongs to us." As Sonny speaks, voice with a slight snarl as he holds Will in his rock solid grip, the cold retreats.
They fall on his bed, tangled up in their own limbs and urgency to be closer. When Sonny pushes into Will, Will digs his nails into Sonny's back. Dark and desperate pleasure soaks Will, the wild glory of it driving him up to where he wraps himself around Sonny to match the pace.
There's no control, nor real desire for any. Only the wild need to take it and take it until there's nothing left to take, and take that too. And with that, the gnawing need to give it all back.
Wil clings to Sonny, riding out the wave of pleasure, climbing up and up towards the unstable cliff once again.
Somewhere, Will hears a clock chime heavily. On the 12th bong, Will comes with Sonny.
When Sonny starts to pull away, Will's grip tightens. "Hold up. Don't you go moving away."
"I'm too heavy." Sonny rubs his lips on the curve of Will's throat.
"I like that. This too." Lazily, Will moves his head so Sonny can work his way up to his jaw.
Will feels like he's been used and bruised and left so unbelievably wide open. "Better than cake."
Sonny laughs and rolls over, taking Will with him so Will's laying on his chest. "There, now I won't crush you underneath me."
"A gentleman down to the bitter end." Sated, Will settles in. "I've always liked a clock that chimes the hour." he says. "But it's not midnight. You should get it set correctly."
"I know."
"Sounds like a grandfather clock. Where is it? The smoking room?"
"No." Sonny runs a hand through Will's hair, down his back. "I don't have a grandfather clock."
"Sonny, you were definitely ringing my bells, but I know for a fact I heard twelve bongs."
"As did I. And I still don't own a clock."
Will lifts his head, letting out a slow breath. "Oh. Well, does that bother you?"
"Nope."
"Then it doesn't bother me either." Will says, laying his head back over Sonny's heart.
