+ The only one that mattered

*Trigger warning: mentions past dubcon. See A/N for details*

"At what point is this thing gonna get named after me?" Will asked with a strained smile.

He popped off the table and away from the CT scan machine, ready for this whole thing to be over. He wanted to get back to his father's bedside and back to Paul. But, of course, one of the doctors on shift this late at night just had to be a part of the group who studied Will.

Now, Will endured test after test. He had his knuckles covered in liquid Band-aids. Had more blood drawn than he felt necessary. Went through X-rays and CT Scans and MRI's.

He was beyond done.

Will walked down a familiar hallway back toward a familiar room, exhausted. The only bright spot at the end of his literal and metaphorical tunnel was an anxious-looking Paul loitering in the waiting room.

As Will opened his mouth to call out to Paul, two large hands pulled Will around into a warm hug.

It was Brian.

"What the hell?" Brian asked. "You disappear for a few days and this is what happens?"

"Yeah, I'm talented like that," Will said with a slight huff. He squeezed Brian back before stepping away.

"We're gonna hire a bodyguard for you," Brian threatened. He pushed Will's head this way and that, appraising the damage. "Get someone to take care of you 24/7."

"He's already got one," Paul interrupted.

He put his arm around Will's waist and gave the fakest smile Will'd ever seen.

Brian raised one brow and gave Will a quizzical look.

"Oh, right, um, Brian, Paul. Paul, Brian."

"Paul?" Brian asked, shaking his hand. He sighed, lips pressed together. "Right. That's how it is."

"How what is?" Paul looked between Will and Brian.

"So, Doc, any chance I can get out of here?" Will ignored Paul.

"Soon," Brian said with a sigh. "You can go sit with your dad while we wait for the test results."

"Thanks," Will nodded. He gave Brian a small smile. "I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah," Brian confirmed. He went to walk away before turning around again. "You freaked me out, Horton. Don't do that again."

"Occupational hazard, I'm afraid. But thanks."

Paul waited until Brian walked away before asking, "What was that all about?"

"I'll tell you later," Will evaded. "Let's check on my dad."

By the time Will and Paul made it back to Will's apartment, the sun had already risen. They spent a few more hours in the hospital. They sat at Lucas' bedside until he was given a clean bill of health. Dealt with well-wishers and concerned family and friends.

They were exhausted.

Without needing to say a word, Will and Paul began their former bedtime routine. Brushing their teeth side by side in the mirror. Passing the bottle of mouthwash between them, taking turns gargling and spitting. Paul pretending not to notice when Will used his much more expensive face wash and moisturizer. Only leaving each other's side to take turns with the toilet while the other changed.

With barely more than a few words, the two stumbled, half-asleep into bed. Paul holding his left arm up, Will snuggling into his side.

Both slept better than they had in months.

They didn't wake for hours and when they did it took a long while to get out of bed. Neither wanted to let the other go.

Only nature, and their stomachs, calling got them to move. They ate a strange combination of all the things Will had left in his refrigerator, two mushy bananas, half a container of yogurt, and week-old garlic knots.

Once they finished eating, Paul insisted Will hold a package of frozen corn to his face.

"Ow," Will hissed when the white package touched his already black and blue cheek.

Paul shook his head, face scrunched in concern.

"When I left I didn't know something like this could happen. I didn't even consider it."

"Wasn't near the top of my to-do list," Will muttered.

"You know I would do anything to protect you, Will."

"I do," Will smiled at Paul.

The two stood at the foot of Will's bed when Paul grabbed Will's hand.

"My dad didn't give me all the details when he called. Only that you were in trouble and you needed me."

"He didn't?" Will asked.

"No," Paul licked his lips. "He didn't have to say anything else to get me to come. When he picked me up from the airport he mentioned Ben. When I saw you in the hallway I didn't even think. I just-I had to get him away from you. So, what was going on while I was gone?"

"I didn't even know until a few days ago but apparently Ben was stalking me," Will said.

"You didn't know someone was following you?" Paul crossed his arms and gave Will a rather stern look.

"Okay, I know, Mr. Big Bad PI. I was a little busy worrying about Sonny stalking me to notice anyone else. Anyway," Will said before Paul could interrupt, "I kept seeing someone everywhere I went. Not in an obvious sort of way. You know, a guy at the end of the hallway. Someone sitting near my table at a bar. Walking by someone at a club or the hospital. I never got a good look so I never even thought about it. Until Ben said something the other day."

"What did he say?" Paul demanded.

"He mentioned - uh - well he mentioned people he saw me around with and I thought it was super creepy. Actually, everything he did was super creepy. So, I thought about what you would do and it was obvious."

"Tell my dad," Paul said at the same time Will said, "Tell John."

The two shared a smile and a little laugh.

"Here," Paul tossed the bag of corn to the side and pulled Will into a hug. "I'm so glad a few hits were all that happened to you. That you didn't get hurt any worse."

"I wouldn't say that's all he did," Will mumbled, arms wrapped around Paul's neck.

"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be hard to not look over your shoulder for a while," Paul agreed. "Worrying if someone's following you around."

"Wasn't exactly what I meant," Will confessed. Only then realizing Paul, and the police for that matter didn't know about the full extent of what Ben told Will.

"What did you mean?" Paul

"Ben said a lot of crazy things, you know, before I tried to run away," Will said with a swallow. "A lot of crazy, creepy things."

"What did he tell you?" Paul rubbed up and down Will's spine, soothing himself and Will.

"He said he did a lot of thinking while locked up, about me. A lot of it had to do with him not planning to kill me. Like somehow that makes it better. Or worse. I don't know. Anyway, he said he wanted to make it up to me. That he was gonna keep me safe and make sure no one ever hurt me again. That he'd do anything to make me happy, anything."

"Wait," Paul took a step back, hands grasping Will's face. Eyes flittering around, eyeing a few errant marks on Will's neck he didn't pay much attention to before. "Did that son of a bitch touch you?"

"No," Will said, holding onto Paul's forearms. "No, no, no, no, of course not. Well…"

"Will!" Paul half-shouted, half-whispered.

"He didn't touch me, touch me. There were only a few unwanted kisses. But nothing else, nothing worse, like you said."

"Nothing worse," Paul muttered. "I meant like a broken bone or him strangling you again. Nothing worse! He tried to-he could have-this is the very definition of something worse."

"But I'm fine," Will squeezed Paul's arms. "He freaked the hell out of me and I'll have a few nightmares. But I'm fine. Okay?"

"No, it's not okay. This is not okay," Paul turned toward the door, dead serious. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Paul," Will reached out and snagged his arm, pulling him back to face each other. "No, you're not. It's fine. It's over."

"It is so not fine," Paul insisted, face reddening with anger. "I shouldn't have stopped hitting him when the police got there. I should have killed him."

"Stop it," Will soothed, running his hands up and down Paul's arms and over his neck.

"No, we're going to the station and the minute I see him I'm gonna-,"

"Paul," Will said, forcing him to look Will in the eye. "Stop it."

"You have to tell someone. You have to tell the police. This is so much worse than stalking. Okay? He could have-,"

"But he didn't," Will interrupted. "I'll let the police know what he said but he didn't do whatever you're thinking. Okay, he didn't."

Paul held Will's gaze for a minute and sighed with a nod. Will wasn't ready to face what Ben did or didn't do, not today, not yet.

"Alright," Paul squeezed Will back against him. He pressed his nose to Will's hair. "Promise me you'll talk to the police about it. We can't let him get away with this. Because I swear, Will, if they don't put him in jail, if I see him walking around-,"

"I said I would," Will curled his arms around Paul's neck. "And I'm fine, okay? It wasn't much worse than anything else I've dealt with since you left."

Paul, nuzzling the side of Will's head, snapped his eyes open.

"What does that mean?"

Will scrunched his face together in annoyance. He mouthed the words, 'stupid, stupid,' at himself.

"You're gonna take this the wrong way," Will said.

"Take what the wrong way?" Paul asked. When Will didn't say anything right away, he prodded, "Will?"

"A short while after you left, I was alone and Sonny came over and…"

"…And what?"

"And he was talking about all these half-remembered events and you had just left and I was so mad and sad. I started remembering what he was talking about and you know how I get when that happens, right? Sort of there but not there."

Paul tensed, hold on Will a little bit too tight.

"I mean, I knew what was happening, but I didn't really know what was going on. And when I realized it, I was in my underwear and so was Sonny. I started thinking about you and I couldn't go through with it."

It took Paul a good few seconds to say anything.

"What happened next?"

"Well, I told Sonny I didn't want him and he got mad. So, I got mad and kicked him out. And I didn't want him. It didn't feel right and I couldn't go through with it."

Paul nodded, still holding Will in a tight squeeze.

"Are you angry?" Will asked in a small voice. "Because you told me to be with Sonny."

"Yes, I'm angry," Paul said in a loud voice, making Will jump. "But not at you. I left and you had every right to be with anyone you wanted. But I am so furious at Sonny."

"Oh," Will let out a sigh of relief. "Wait, why?"

"Why? Will, he tried to take advantage of you when you were at your most vulnerable."

"I didn't tell him to stop right away," Will mumbled.

"You didn't give him permission either," Paul insisted. "And he had no right to get upset you told him to stop at all."

"But he did stop and nothing happened. Well, nothing except cementing the fact that I don't want to be with Sonny."

"There's the silver lining," Paul said with a shake of his head. "Now, please, tell me that's all the drama you dealt with. Because I don't know if I can handle much more."

"Well," Will squirmed against Paul, voice getting a little too high-pitched at the end.

"Oh, god, what else?" Paul demanded with a low groan.

"I don't wanna tell you until you answer something first."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you want."

"When you were away, were you with anyone else?" Will asked. He wasn't too sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"I didn't exactly have time for anyone else where I was. All I focused on was work. And, I couldn't get you out of my mind," Paul confessed. "So, no. No one else."

Will winced. Not that it didn't thrill him to hear Paul wasn't with anyone but it would make everything else all the more difficult.

"What?" Paul asked, warm hands spread across Will's back. "Don't believe me?"

"No, I do," Will sighed. "You're not gonna like what I say next, though."

Paul held onto Will's biceps, pushing far enough away to see Will's face.

"What does that mean?"

"I-well-um-," Will stalled while he thought of a nice way to put everything. "You left and I was less than thrilled."

"And?" Paul lifted one brow, face stern.

"You told me to find the man I wanted to be with. So, I did. Find men, that is. Men that I wanted - um - physically."

"Men? As in plural? As in more than one?"

"Yes," Will answered with a nod completely unashamed of his exploits while single.

Paul didn't say anything for several long, awkward moments. Eventually, he sighed and pulled Will back into a hug.

"Okay, thank you for telling me."

"That's it?" Will wondered.

"I left you so you could find someone else. Would be hypocritical of me to get angry that you did."

"Right," Will nodded. "But, so you know, it was only sex. I made that distinction clear to them every time it happened. And I was safe and everything. All those million blood tests at the hospital proved it."

"Good," Paul nodded, trying to keep his cool. He did understand Will could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted with his own body. Paul just didn't have to like it.

Then Paul remembered how they stumbled onto this subject.

"Why are you telling me this?" Paul asked.

"I don't want there to be any secrets between us," Will said. He waited a beat. "I slept with someone you know and he'll most likely reveal it in a very public, humiliating situation. Well, not humiliating for me. I'm gonna feel pretty smug about it actually. But, you know, others will be humiliated and I don't want one of them to be you."

"I'm not gonna like this, am I?" Paul asked, eyes closed, face tilted toward the ceiling.

"No, not at all," Will answered with a smile at Paul's exasperated face. "But, as I said before, it was only sex, if that. And when I said men I meant two to four guys depending on how you look at it."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means I kissed four guys. Well, I kissed two guys. The others kissed me and my involvement wasn't really necessary."

"Will?" Paul barked, holding Will out at arms-length again.

"No, hey, that sounded bad. And it was bad. Lots of, you know, dubious consent happening. But I already told you about Sonny and the times with Ben, so you know that part."

"Times?" Paul asked. "Times as in plural? As in more than one time?"

"Uh," Will frowned. "I didn't mention that earlier?"

"No," Paul huffed.

"The thing last night, was, you know, horrifying. But before that, when I figured out Ben was stalking me. He was a little drunk and I was a lot more drunk. And, you know, I made out with him a little or a lot. Which I wouldn't have done if I was sober, probably."

Paul mumbled something under his breath. Something that sounded remarkably like, "I am never leaving you alone again."

"Anyway," Will cleared his throat, squeezing Paul's shoulders with a strained smile. "The main take away from this is there were four guys. I slept with two of them which was completely my choice. And I had fun with them. Doing what I want whenever I want was fun. But they weren't you."

Will gave Paul a small smile. Paul didn't react at all, only stared at Will with a blank face.

"Neither of them make me feel the way you do. I don't think anyone can. And hey," Will nudged Paul with his elbow. "I might have slept with them but my feelings for you never changed."

Paul's lips twitched, a smile threatening to take over.

"You're sure? You don't want to keep up your single and ready to mingle lifestyle?" Paul asked, half serious.

"Paul, I'm never going to choose anyone over you, ever. I would never have been single in the first place if you didn't leave."

Paul's eyes slid over Will's face.

"And you're okay, physically, emotionally? Do you need an emergency session with your therapist or anything?"

"One-hundred percent okay," Will insisted. "Okay, well eighty percent. Seventy-five and I want a new therapist."

"Why?"

"She encouraged me to go on, what turned out to be, a date with Ben."

"What?"

"She's crazy. Ben's crazy. Look, the point is, I sowed my wild oats or whatever the saying is. And, while fun, it's not what I want especially when I can have you."

"Okay," Paul said in that tone of voice Will knew meant they would talk more about this later. "If you're sure about everything."

"Of course," Will insisted with an easy grin. "I'm just gonna need you to feed my newly discovered exhibitionist kink every now and again."

"Oh, is that so?" Paul smirked. "That's what you learned while I was away?"

"Yep," Will nodded. "Also, is there a term for getting off on sleeping with someone you know will piss another person off?"

Paul gave Will a blank look.

"Not you," Will added. "But Sonny's gonna be really mad at me, even more than usual if he finds out. And it didn't deter me in the slightest from sleeping with them."

"I don't know if I even wanna know," Paul said after staring at Will incredulously.

"You said to go after a Kiriakis," Will shrugged. "I interpreted that loosely."

"Please, dear god, tell me it wasn't my brother."

"Ew," Will shuddered, smacking Paul's chest. "Don't be gross."

Paul mockingly sighed in relief, enjoying Will's display of disgust.

His smile dropped real quick at Will's next words.

"It was Xander."

"Will!" Paul yelled out, jaw dropped open.

"Don't tell me you never thought about it," Will said, holding his hands up in mock innocence. "He might not be the greatest guy in the world but you should be thanking him. I learned a lot of things from him you'll benefit from."

Paul teasingly smacked Will's stomach, trying and failing to stay upset.

"You're terrible," Paul shook his head. "And Sonny is gonna kill you and Xander."

"Yeah, I've seen the two of them argue," Will shrugged. "I don't think anyone has to worry about facing Sonny in a fight."

"I can't believe you slept with his cousin. You're the actual worst."

"I haven't even told you who the other one is yet," Will said with a laugh. "That one might put Sonny over the edge."

"Dare I ask?"

"So, you know the doctor from earlier? Brian?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "I knew it."

"Oh, shut up. Anyway, I knew him from a long time ago. Sonny and I both did."

"Wait, that name sounds familiar? Isn't that the guy who-?"

"Yep," Will said with a wide, proud grin.

"The worst," Paul laughed while pulling Will into a tight hug. "You are the actual worst."

Will shrugged, enjoying the smile on Paul's face.

"It's not like I set out to sleep with either of them," Will said. "It just happened. The fact that it would irritate Sonny is a coincidence, honest."

"Now, I know why you went after me," Paul teased. "You just wanted to piss Sonny off."

"Which time?" Will asked with an impish grin. "When I came back to Salem and kissed you every chance I got? Or when we spent hours locked in a hotel room?"

"Take your pick," Paul settled Will against him, hands resting on the curve of his spine.

"You know," Will played with the hair on the back of Paul's neck, "I don't think I seduced you at all the first time, in the hotel room. Despite what you and everyone else told me. From what I remember, you were the one pushing for me."

"Maybe," Paul admitted with a grin. "But, who's going to do the seducing now?"

"I think we're way past that," Will whispered before their lips met in their first kiss since Paul walked away all those months ago.

Will moaned, fingers gripping Paul's neck, pulling him closer.

This was what was missing with all the other men. As attractive and engaging as they were, none of them made Will feel so much in such a simple kiss.

Paul traced his tongue along the seam of Will's lips, groaning when their tongues touched.

They nearly tripped wriggling out of their clothes, falling to the bed in a tangle of limbs and tongues.

"Missed you," Paul panted against the hollow of Will's throat, slurping and kissing all along the sensitive skin. Needing to replace Ben's marks with his. "I missed you so much."

"Paul," Will praised, arching off the bed when his teeth dragged against one nipple. "Want you, want you so much."

Before Will knew it, he was flipped on his stomach as Paul dug around for a well-used bottle of lube.

The next few minutes Paul spent murmuring praise against the back of Will's neck. Will screeched and shuddered as Paul's wet fingers slid inside him, opening and stretching.

"Come on, baby," Paul urged, guiding Will atop his thighs, his front to Will's back.

Will, head thrown back against Paul's, moaned and panted, thigh muscles burning as he rode up and down Paul's perfect, thick cock.

Will, mouth wide open and gasping for air, clutched Paul's thick thighs for purchase, almost screaming Paul's name when he took Will in hand.

Paul gave Will a few lazy strokes before rearranging them on the bed. Needing to see Will's beautiful, red, splotchy face.

Will wrapped his legs around Paul's waist, easing back onto Paul's cock.

The two picked up an easy rhythm. Will bearing down while Paul's hips thrust forward. Will babbling nonsense when Paul fisted Will with a twist of his wrist. Hands gliding from Paul's shoulders to his waist to his thighs, worshipful. Sweat mingling, bodies gliding together, panting into each other's mouths.

Will gasped when Paul hitched his hips up higher. Keening out a sound he'd never made before when Paul started circling his hips, his pelvis flush against Will's ass. The wet, slap of their skin faded into the background when Will's muscles contracted around Paul, spurting all over his own chest.

Paul nearly bent Will in two, knees pushed toward his chest while he pounded hard and deep, so close.

"Fuck," Paul hissed, slipping out of Will with less finesse than he usually did. He ripped off his condom, tossing it beside him. He gathered up the white mess on Will's chest, using it to ease his way as he stripped the base of his cock.

Will ran his hands up and down Paul's body, whispering how much he loved Paul between filthy praises.

"Love you, Paul. I love you so much. Fuck me so good. No one can make me come as hard as you can. Fuck, you're so sexy for me. Need you so much. Want your come so bad. Come on, baby. Come all over me. Mark me. Make sure everyone knows I'm yours."

Paul came with a loud groan, wrist tirelessly working as he hit Will with wave after wave.

"Damn," Paul collapsed next to Will's side. "I missed that so much."

"Mmm," Will moaned his agreement, fingers dragging through the mess all over his chest and neck.

Paul couldn't resist licking into Will's mouth after Will slurped up one come covered finger.

The two took a long time cleaning each other up, licking and laughing along the other's skin. Chasing each other's mouths and breathing the other in.

They got just as distracted in the shower. Will grinding shamelessly onto two of Paul's thick fingers. Paul thrusting between Will's thighs before they almost slipped to the floor. Finishing up with Will on his knees, bobbing his head up and down Paul's length, desperately jerking himself off.

By the time the two tumbled into bed again, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Wresting orgasm after orgasm from the other until they were too sore to even twitch in excitement.

Between rounds, they talked. Whispering into each other's skin. Laughing at stories the other told. Reminiscing over their time together. Will leaning against Paul's chest, fingers entwined, comfortable in every way.

They didn't start yawning until the first purple tendrils of the morning sun glistened through the window.

"We stayed up all night," Will pointed out.

"Again," Paul smiled. "Better circumstances this time."

"The best," Will insisted, angling his head up to meet Paul's mouth in yet another gentle kiss.

"Mmm," Paul sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too," Will flipped over to snuggle into Paul's neck, ready to drift off to sleep. "And to think you were originally gonna leave me in Memphis without saying anything."

Paul, hand firm against the curve of Will's butt, gave it a light smack, smiling at the way Will laughed.

"Well, you were right, I must be an idiot," Paul admitted, eyes closed and face soft. "Only a moron would leave you behind."

"My moron," Will sighed, splayed across Paul's body, safe and comfortable where he belonged.

THE END (but not really because I'm posting a bonus chapter immediately after this)

A/N

Trigger warning: Will explains his encounters with Ben where Will drunkenly makes out with him as well as Ben stalking him and kissing him against his will. Also, Will explains his time with Sonny where he did not give Sonny consent but also did not push him away. Which Paul explains is problematic.