Will hugged his sister until she squeaked that she could hardly breathe. Justin was smiling at them but he looked stiff. Adrienne must have complained and now he was sneaking behind her back. Plus Will had finally allowed him to tell his family he was alive and well. Which meant that Justin would now face Sami's irate temper. Luckily, she didn't seem to have found his address, like Adrienne had. Something in Will wasn't surprised. He had never felt very important to his parents. They fought for him but it was mostly to get the upper hand and hurt the other one, with Will as a prize.
He shook away the sad feeling and focused on Allie, seated at the coffee-house chair. She was beaming. Things were simple for a kid. She had been sad and now she was happy because he was there. To her he was important, irreplaceable. And to Sonny. And that was enough.
They walked home, each one lost in thoughts. When they reached the door, Will felt Sonny's lips on his temple. "You missed her a lot?" Will nodded. He didn't say the rest. That the child in him still hoped, stupidly, that his mother would care about him, just a little. He couldn't tell Sonny, who had rejected his own mother for him. So he told James at work, during a coffee break. His friend always looked extremely interested by what he had to say. But that day, he seemed distant, distracted. Will missed Abby, his confident. He took his cell to call her but his fingers didn't type her number. "Dr Evan's office, how may I help you?"
He missed everyone, and it came crashing over him, as he sobbed on his computer in the deserted office. His cell rang after a while. It was Sonny "Are you still at work?" "Yes, I..." He didn't want to lie, but things were a mess and Sonny was paying for all of it. "I needed to finish something and then I thought about home..." The line was silent. Will waited, silent tears still running down his cheeks.
"I don't suggest you go see Sami or EJ, Will, or even your dad. But what about Marlena? I remember how cool and supportive she was when we started dating. You could call her?" Will breathed in "She didn't believe me either. She was very nice but like you can be with someone who's guilty of something. I'm afraid she still thinks that way." "Dad says he talked to her first after Tyler confessed." Will's hand was shaking now "I don't know... I can't take the risk."
But at the end of the week, Sonny's hand in his, he was standing on front of one of Salem's building, for an appointment Sonny had taken. "You can always change your mind, you know. I'll understand. I can go and talk about a few things with her and she'll never know you were there." But somehow, Sonny's touch carried strength. So Will just whispered "Come with me?" Sonny's eyes were a little humid but he answered with a steady voice "Of course."
Marlena was reading a file when Sonny came through the door. She raised her face and Will let out a gasp. She looked ten years older. Her eyes were kind but a little dull. She was still perfectly dressed and made-up, yet her body looked different.
He froze in the doorway. He couldn't talk, he couldn't walk away. He didn't know what to expect. He wasn't feeling angry, he loved her. He was fragile, like a baby bird, barely managing it because Sonny was here, their two broken souls uniting in a bubble where life was possible.
Marlena, who always wanted him to talk and express what he felt, didn't utter a word. She run to him and hugged him tentatively. His own arms were shy, barely touching her. Something in him broke down and he started crying. For the first time, though, the tears felt liberating and his body relaxed so much that he shuddered. Somewhere near his ear, his grandmother was whispering "Will... My sweet Will..."
Everyone in the room was crying and it wasn't even funny. But sometimes a chuckle emerged and slowly, like the sun to a new day, their three faces were beaming, more and more. And Marlena listened. And then she talked, opening up like she rarely did with him. Telling him her sorrow, her worry, her guilt. For a brief moment, Will was left to hope the rest of his family would be as easily won over. It didn't last, as he was Sami's son and knew her better than anyone else. Sami didn't back down, never apologized. After Will insisted, Marlena confirmed that her daughter was acting like Will didn't exist and changed the subject if he was brought up. It hurt, but it was useful. This day was a good day, a victory. So instead of begging his mother for forgiveness, he asked his boyfriend if they could go to Chad's. Sonny looked even happier.
Walking around Salem was strange. Like a dream where you're aware things are a little weird and you wait until you wake up. It was real, though and familiar. They walked around for a while, until Sonny promised, solemnly, that Will's eyes weren't red anymore. He kissed him softly and led him to the back of the coffee-house where Chad was still cleaning up after his shift. He hadn't been warned and when he saw Will, he grinned at him "Will, man! I was wondering when I would see you here again. So how about that house-warming party we talked about?"
They slept at his studio, in his bed, while Chad took the couch. They were all a little drunk, careless and young. Sonny's hand was sneaky under Will's shirt and got slapped playfully. Once he hit the sheet, he fell asleep instantly and Will followed soon.
He woke up disoriented. It was 7 am, way too early for the other men who were snoring peacefully. Will went on the small balcony with his cell. There was a text, sent fifteen minutes ago from James, so he called him. James was single again and needed to talk. Will was in a good mood, doing his best to cheer him up.
Sonny's arm circled his waist while his lips pressed a silent greeting in Will's neck. After passing a hello to his Chicago friend, Will hung up but didn't move, enjoying his boyfriend's soft warmth, fantasizing about their next night, when they would be on their own...
"I think I'll stay here tonight, if you don't mind, love. That way, I won't have the hour and a half commute." Will's stomach became cold.
He agreed to coming back alone and didn't even flinch when Sonny implied he might wait until Tuesday to go back to Chicago. His reasoning was sound, it would save gas and allow more sleep. But to Will, it also said, somehow, that Sonny wasn't that OK with moving away. Will's good mood was tearing down, piece by piece. He fixed a smile on his face and texted James to see if he could see him in the evening.
He went to see his grandmother at her apartment, while Sonny met his father at the restaurant. He wanted to tell her about his uneasiness but didn't manage to confide in her about anything. It was too soon, they were busy finding neutral subjects of conversation. He took a train to the city, going straight to his old place, relieved to find his friend there, who looked depressed and needed his help.
Sorry to leave you on a melancholic note but I'll try and update soon. Don't forget to review, I miss reading from all of you!