Will felt uncomfortable the next time he saw James. The absolute certainty in Sonny's tone that he had feelings for him made the good-byes a little harder to bear. He felt so grateful but he didn't want to give him ideas at all. Sonny was all charm as always. Will was happy that after Neil's incident, he hadn't turned into a overly jealous boyfriend. Will had a hard time believing he was as hot as he had said, though. Sonny's perception was probably altered by his feelings. That was a nice thought. Him loving Will was like a fuel, a way to overcome his own limitations and insecurities.

Will hadn't forgotten his promise, though. He would stand aside for Adrienne, just not as much as she would wish. Sonny would need support too, through all this and he was ready to give it all.

Sonny had found a possible apartment for them to visit. It was roomy but not as nice as the one in Chicago. They discussed it and decided that they needed a place right away and it would do. Will decided to use some of the time Sonny would be with his mom, to go hunt for furnitures and decorations.

One day, he roped Abby into going to a junk shop and found plenty different candle holders and some nice chairs. He went home, tossed the old garden chairs they had been using in between, then lighted the candles just before Sonny came home.

Sonny opened the door looking tired and worried. He looked around, puzzled, then his face softened and he even had a small smile. Will committed this moment to memory.

He was very busy with his job, college and having to do most of the chores (he had volunteered and been firmed about it) but it was a good thing. He was so sexually frustrated he sometimes wanted to scream. He and Sonny would sleep in the same bed of course but apart for cuddles and kisses, nothing else happened. It was hard, even though Will knew very well that he had to respect that.

Justin came to dinner a few times. He also looked tired and even older. Will didn't ask too much but listened with interest to keep updated a little. Sonny almost never talked about Adrienne's state of health and he never pushed it. It seemed she was getting worse. Will felt horrible hearing that. He hated her (and he rarely 'hated' anyone) but he was still felling bad for her. It was a disagreeable feeling so he chose to focus on Sonny instead. He tried to buy treats he thought Sonny would like. It took him a little while but he finally found what the best choices were. He left little notes around the apartment for Sonny to find telling him sweet things.

One evening, as he was waiting for Sonny's shift at the coffeehouse to end, he broke down. Silent tears dripped down his nose. He had wanted to spend time with his mothers and siblings but apparently EJ had vetoed it, saying his son should not spend time with him, and had then issued an invitation to all the kids to an amusement park they loved. Sami had been put on the spot and apologized on the phone (her saying sorry... never happened, but Will still felt bummed.)

He tried to work, tried to clean or thought about calling Chad or Abby (but they would certainly hear the sobs and he didn't want any questions. He wasn't homeless anymore, nor had a sick parents, he didn't have anything worth crying about.) so he just lay on the couch and let it out.

At one point, a hand delicately pushed his bangs away. He turned to Sonny, panicked and tried his mightiest to stop crying immediately. Sonny sat next to him and asked softly:

"What is upsetting you, honey?"

"No... nothing much, don't worry about it."

"Of course, I worry, it's my job as a boyfriend, remember?"

"You don't have to, Sonny, I don't want to burden you. It is nothing serious, I can deal on my own"

Sonny fidgeted with the plaid that was covering Will. He was looking down so Will couldn't see his eyes but he heard the hurt:

"I don't want you too. You've been the greatest boyfriend ever, even after I acted like a jerk. I want to support you too, you deserve it and, well, if it isn't serious, it will help change my mind."

Will took a moment to answer. He was contemplating the reason of his breakdown. It wasn't just the cancellation. He felt alone and that had brought back awful memories. Sonny was right, they needed each other. He pondered, then whispered shyly:

"How about you hold me really tight and we don't talk much. What I need now is to calm down, not stir up my emotions. I promise I will explain later."

Sonny hugged him as requested. Will felt himself going limb. After about ten minutes, he suggested they go to bed and cuddle there. Sonny nodded but once he hit the mattress, he said:

"We could do something other than cuddle, though... I mean, if you're up to it. Oh! of course, you're upset, it wasn't a good idea, I shouldn't have said that."

Will cut him with a kiss. He rubbed his now dry nose and replied:

"I think that's a great idea. It might help us feel better and more relaxed."

Sonny grinned and started opening Will's shirt. They were giggling, like teenagers, and it felt good to allow themselves to be selfishly happy to be together. Having sex was like breathing in a big breath of fresh air. He felt renewed. Sonny wriggled his fingers between Will's and smiled blissfully. That night, Will slept wonderfully. The next day, he was back to feeling stressed and worried but just a little less and it made a big difference. So did Sonny's 'I love you' before leaving for the hospital. He hadn't said it in a while and felt wonderful.