Will woke the next morning when Johnny did. Well, he woke to Johnny's knee in his gut when he tried to climb over Wiill. Already up, Will helped get the kids ready and volunteered to take them to school.
With everything going on in his life, Will forgot that it was Halloween. The kids didn't forget, though. They rambled nonstop about costumes and how excited they were for trick or treating. Sami planned to take the kids out for a while before bringing them to EJ and Will's show.
Will couldn't believe he forgot the holiday. It had always been so special to him growing up. In the hustle and bustle of helping plan the art exhibition, it slipped Will's mind. He didn't even realize he picked Halloween for the art show at all.
After dropping the kids off at school, Will still had time before his first and only class that day. He headed for Common Grounds. He didn't know if Sonny was on shift or if Chad would be there. Either way, Will needed some caffeine.
He walked into Common Grounds and stood in line. Sonny's pale, sleep-deprived face greeted him.
"Hey," Will said once he got to the front of the line.
"I guess I do get to see you after all," Sonny grinned around a yawn.
"For a few minutes," Will agreed.
"You're sure I can't see you later?" Sonny asked. "I have some Halloween stuff that I was going to take to the-,"
"Can't," Will said with a small smile. "EJ's got me booked all day. He wants everything perfect for tonight."
"How hard can it be to put up pictures?" Sonny wondered.
"It's bigger than that," Will let out a small laugh. "It's the launch of a whole new DE division. EJ's got a lot of big wigs coming and everything."
"DE?" Sonny asked while getting Will's coffee.
"You know, DiMera Enterprises," Will explained.
"And how is your family taking you working there?" Sonny asked, tone indicating his distaste.
"Mom doesn't care much now that she's seeing EJ again," Will shrugged. "Everyone else doesn't appreciate it but I like it. I mean, I thought about what you said, about thinking about a career and all that. Working for DE could open up a lot of doors for me."
"Or lead you to a lot of closed ones," Sonny muttered.
"Are you gonna go tonight?" Will asked with pursed lips.
"I might have to work," Sonny shrugged, putting a lid on Will's to go cup. "A lot of employees wanted tonight off."
"Alex is showing, though," Will said. "His photos are going to be our main attraction. Why wouldn't you be there for that?"
"I told you, I might need to work," Sonny responded.
"But he's your brother and you're my boyfriend," Will pointed out. "Don't you want to go with me?"
"Are you asking me?" Sonny stopped what he was doing to stare into Will's eyes.
"Yeah," Will nodded, "I guess I am asking."
"Then I'll go," Sonny smiled, "You gonna pick me up?"
"I'll find a corsage to match your eyes," Will teased. He picked up his cup of coffee and said, "Thanks."
"I'll meet you there, okay?" Sonny leaned across the counter to give Will a soft kiss on the lips.
Will left Common Grounds more confused than ever.
By the time Will got to work that afternoon, he was ready to deal with a frazzled EJ and he wasn't disappointed.
The art exhibition's location was on the ground floor of DiMera Enterprises. It was a former conference room renovated. Now, the entire room was one gigantic space, an almost blinding color of white. Each artist got to hand pick their own design for their designated section. As well as pick which type of lighting they wanted. At the end of the month, a new group of artists would come in and everything would start all over again.
Will, searching for EJ, noticed several construction workers putting the finishing touches on everything. Last minute paint touch ups or outlets that needed installing. Almost all the artists were bringing in their work. There were paintings, photographs, sculptures, and statues. One woman's display, as far as Will could tell, looked like she tossed Lush bath bombs on the floor.
"I do not get some art," Will told EJ once he found him.
"Neither do I but I wanted a variety," EJ said with a shake of his head. He lost his suit jacket somewhere and had his shirt sleeves pushed to his elbows.
"What do you need me to do?" Will asked, recognizing the familiar pulse to the vein in EJ's forehead. The man looked ready to blow up on someone and Will didn't want it to be him.
"Keep these damn construction workers out of my way," EJ listed, pacing. "Get me a macchiato and find your bloody boyfriend and get him set up. He's the only artist whose work I haven't finalized."
"On it," Will rushed off before EJ could start yelling.
He headed straight for the café, getting EJ a few extra shots of espresso in his macchiato. Drink in one hand and his phone in the other, Will called Alex.
"What?" Alex grumbled instead of answering.
"Where are you? EJ's going crazy," Will said. "You better get here before I have to deal with him."
"Ugh, fine," Alex groaned. "I'm on my way. Don't get your panties in a twist."
"Uh-huh, hurry up," Will rolled his eyes.
Alex strolled in fifteen minutes later, backpack swung over his shoulder. He headed toward Will first.
"Finally," Will complained. "What took you so long?"
"I spent all morning editing," Alex said. "I still don't know if I'm that happy with it all."
"Let me show you your space," Will said, "then you can show me your stuff."
"Alright," Alex said. He followed after Will to a section in the middle of the expansive room. It was the first thing everyone would see when they walk into the exhibition. "This is bigger than I was expecting."
"You can still put in a request with the construction company if you want walls or anything like that," Will said as Alex walked the area a few times. Chalk outlined how much space Alex had to use.
"Get me one," Alex told Will. "I know what I want to do."
Alex explained to a construction worker his exact specifications. Once taken care of, Will lead Alex to the area where the appetizers and drinks would go. There Alex spread out his photographs, rearranging and arraying in all different positions. That way they were out of the construction workers' way.
"What do you think?" Alex asked almost an hour later. He took a step back and looked at his pictures, arms crossed.
Will tilted his head this way and that, the way he'd seen some of the other artists do throughout the day. He took a long time looking everything over. Alex's art he understood or at least tried to. But he wasn't sure he got this yet.
"I don't know," Will admitted. "It's missing something. I mean, individually everything is stunning. But I'm not sure I get them all together."
Alex sighed, rubbing his face up and down. "Tell me about it."
"What's wrong?" Will wondered.
"The reason it looks incomplete is because it is," Alex said, looking away from Will. "My best ones are yours. With all the other photos I tried to capture what I found in you. See," Alex pointed to some of the pictures.
Now that Alex pointed it out, Will understood. "Oh."
"Yeah, oh," Alex sighed. "You and I are the only ones that know that, though. In fact," Alex rummaged through his bag again and pulled out a folder. "Here, all your pictures. I have them on my computer still but I was messing around with placement. I figured you should keep them."
"Thanks," Will said. He hadn't seen the finished products before and was curious.
"If I could, I'd use them," Alex admitted, holding Will's gaze. "But I can't. I wouldn't do that to you."
"I know you wouldn't," Will nodded with a smile. "I trust you."
"I don't trust myself," Alex retorted. "So, you better put those somewhere safe."
Will made a face just thinking about anyone in Salem getting their hands on naked photos of him. "Yeah, I'll be right back. I gotta check on EJ anyway."
"I'll keep working here," Alex said, changing photos around again. "I'll figure this out somehow."
"I know you can," Will promised. He walked backward for a while, keeping his eyes on Alex.
Will took an elevator up to EJ's office, surprised he wasn't there. Will hadn't seen him downstairs.
Oh, well, Will thought. He had his own, much smaller and less ornate, desk in the office. Will sat down in his chair and opened the folder.
There were close to twenty pictures in all. Each one amazed Will. He almost didn't recognize himself in them. He looked so confident, so strong, and sexy in some shots. While in others, he looked fragile, vulnerable, and young.
Will thought it was an apropos comparison to his relationships with Alex and Sonny.
Will placed the folder in the bottom drawer of his desk. It had a combination lock. Only EJ and Will knew the code.
Will headed back downstairs. He was almost inside the exhibition again when he heard a voice call his name. A middle-aged woman with platinum blonde hair and too much jewelry approached him.
"Will Horton, I presume," the woman said, scrutinizing him.
"Yes, can I help you?" Will wondered. "If you're here about the show you need to check-in at the front desk first."
The woman let out a haughty laugh. "No, I'm not here about the silly show. I'm here on a much more personal matter."
"Which is what?" Will tilted his head, eyes wide.
"You are just precious," the woman cooed. She even reached out and patted Will's cheeks with both hands, smushing his face. "I can see why he'd fall all over himself for you."
Will ripped his face away from the woman. "Miss, just what the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, yes, you have been around my son," the woman grinned.
Will recognized the smirk behind the smile. They even had the same dark shade of blue to their eyes.
"Your Alex's mother," Will stated, giving the woman a more thorough look.
She wasn't what Will expected. She seemed older than she looked which Will attributed to a good plastic surgeon.
"But of course, Anjelica Deveraux, Darling," Anjelica held out one hand. "You didn't recognize me? No, I don't suppose you would. My son loves taking photos but he was never one to keep any lying around."
"Right," Will said, feeling a bit uneasy under the woman's stare. "Deveraux?" Will questioned once it dawned on him.
"My first husband's name," Anjelica explained with a smile. "I didn't deem it prudent to change it. And now, well, I've gone through so many that I wouldn't even know what name to take."
"Yes, Alex mentioned something about that," Will said with a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"I'm sure he did," Anjelica snorted. "My son doesn't approve of my relationships. Although he does approve of the nice fat alimony checks I receive. He stands to inherit a pretty penny one day on top of his trust fund."
"Alex has a trust fund?" Will frowned.
"A few," Anjelica replied. "I might not have raised my precious little boy but I will ensure he's taken care of."
"Does Alex know you call him that?" Will asked.
Anjelica laughed again, necklace almost blinding Will when she threw her neck back. "Yes, I do believe you'll do nicely."
"Uh," Will looked over his shoulder toward the gallery, "do you want to see Alex?"
"No, no, better not," Anjelica decided. "I'll be at the showing tonight, though."
"Good, Alex deserves to have all the support he can get," Will stated. "This is a big night."
"Yes, I'm sure it is," Anjelica said, eyeing Will up and down. She wiggled her fingers at Will and said, "Ta."
Will stood rooted to the spot as Anjelica sauntered off, high heels echoing across the lobby. He wondered just what Anjelica was doing there.
It couldn't just be to meet me, could it?
Alex switched two pictures and stood up again. His photos covered a large area of the floor. It was easier for him to see things this way. It still wasn't right and it was driving him fucking crazy.
"Any luck?" EJ asked, stepping up to Alex.
"No," Alex grunted, glaring at his photos.
"It looks fine to me," EJ said. "Take a break. I want to talk to you."
Alex only followed after EJ but only because he was sick and tired of looking at his own artwork.
"This showing is in a few hours," EJ said as the two walked around the gallery. "You think you'll be ready?"
"I'm not gonna fuck this up," Alex informed EJ.
"That wasn't what I was referring to," EJ bristled at Alex's language.
"Then what the hell are you talking about?" Alex demanded, not one for small talk.
"William, obviously," EJ refrained from rolling his eyes. "A lot is riding on this expansion of DiMera Enterprises, you know. William was instrumental. In fact, it was almost all his idea."
"I know," Alex blurted out.
"Tonight is big for him," EJ added in a strained voice. "A lot of influential people will attend. People connected to his interests. Did you know he's thinking of declaring a major?"
"Creative writing with a minor in English literature," Alex answered. "I know. We talk about it all the time."
"Do you?" EJ smiled. "Did you also know that he spends his free time here writing?"
"Sounds like something he would do," Alex acknowledged.
"I found this in the trash can at his desk," EJ pulled a crumpled paper out of his pocket. "Well, near the trash. He never was good at basketball. I thought you might find it illuminating."
Alex looked at the proffered paper before looking at EJ's face with raised brows.
EJ shook his head and smoothed out the paper. He cleared his throat and read, "his salty eyes told me stories that made my heart weep. I wanted to wrap him in a blanket, and tell him he was safe forever-and so I did."*
"Why would I want to hear that?" Alex asked in a low voice, refusing to believe what EJ implied.
"It's not the only one on there," EJ said.
Alex said nothing but stopped walking. EJ flipped the paper over.
"We're all addicted to something whether it be cigarettes, alcohol, drugs or them fucking blue eyes," EJ read. He gauged Alex's reaction before saying. "I suppose all subtlety left him for this last one. I see your fucking blue eyes whenever I close mine and this is kind of getting unbearable holy fuck."*
EJ looked over Alex's still features before shoving the crinkled paper in his hands.
"I think you know what you need to do," EJ held Alex's eyes. "And you need to do it before you're too late."
"He's with my brother," Alex whispered. "It's already too late."
"I think that paper proves it isn't," EJ pointed out. "Besides, your brother isn't the saint he pretends to be."
"What?" Alex frowned.
"Sonny refuses to talk to Will about his past," EJ said. "I think we both know why that is. Or should I say who?"
At Alex's blank expression, EJ explained, "I grew concerned. So, I did some digging."
"And?" Alex asked although he didn't expect his brother to have any dirt.
"Let's just say he has one rather famous skeleton in his closet," EJ remarked. "Either way, we both know you want to be with Will. I know Will wants you too. Don't disappoint him."
EJ slapped Alex on the back and walked off. Alex turned back to his photos and groaned in frustration.
Now, what the fuck do I do?
"William," EJ bellowed across the lobby, "hurry it up. You and I need to get changed. The caterer arrived and everything is in its final stages."
"I didn't bring anything to change into," Will whispered, still staring off in the direction Anjelica sauntered.
"That's what I'm here for," EJ put his arm around Will's shoulders and steered him toward the elevator. "You know, I do hope Alexander pulls this off. I have a lot of hopes riding on him. Something tells me you do too."
"Alex's work is amazing," Will said as he followed after EJ. "Tonight everyone is going to see that."
"In more than one way, I hope," EJ commented. When Will gave him a strange look, EJ just pulled out his phone, whistling with an innocent expression on his face.
Alex stood in his finished section, nauseous. He arranged his photos and wasn't happy. He worried everyone would laugh at his pitiful attempt at art.
Alex kept a tight fist on Will's poetry. Every few minutes, Alex would smooth out the paper and read it over. Then he'd crumple it back into a ball with a lump in his throat.
He had no idea what to do. He wanted Will but he didn't think he could hurt Sonny to get him. They may not be the closest but Alex loved his brother. Sure, Sonny was a self-righteous do-gooder. Yes, pretty much everything he did drove Alex crazy. But Sonny was Alex's brother.
Then again, Will was Will. He wasn't just some guy Alex wanted to sleep with. Will was different.
Fuck my life, everything is horrible.
"Knock, knock," a feminine voice said behind Alex. Sami with a wide smile and several shopping bags at her feet.
"What?" Alex asked too frazzled to say much else.
"I came by to check on my boys," Sami said, adjusting a large black garment bag in her arms.
Alex furrowed his brows. "Will and EJ aren't here."
"I can see that," Sami huffed. "I have eyes, you know."
Sami continued smiling while Alex stared at her with a blank face.
"You, I'm checking on you. How are you?" Sami said while trying to remain patient.
Alex didn't get it.
"I care about you, you big, dumb mountain troll," Sami snapped. "Your Kiriakis is showing."
"You care about me?" Alex repeated, lost. "Why?"
"Gee, I don't know," Sami gave him an exasperated look. "Maybe because you're my son's best friend. Or, I don't know, because my children only want you to babysit them now. Or maybe, just maybe, because you're honest and protective and look at my son like he's your entire world. But, yeah, why would I care about you?"
Alex blinked once, twice, "…What?"
"Ugh!" Sami threw her arms up. "You're an idiot."
"I'm beginning to see that, yeah," Alex said, sighing.
"Look," Sami said in a gentler tone once she realized how lost Alex looked. "I know how you feel about him. But if you can't accept those feelings, you don't have to do anything. Just focus on tonight and everything will come together. But if you decide to take that leap, it'll be worth it."
"Thanks," Alex responded, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Now, I brought you something," Sami said. She held up the garment bag she carried. "I wanted to make sure you looked the part tonight. I'm pretty sure I got the sizes right."
Alex unzipped the bag, surprised Sami picked out something he liked.
"Do you think your family is coming tonight?" Sami questioned, grinning at the look on Alex's face.
"My mom will, maybe my dad," Alex said. "Don't know about everyone else."
"Well, we'll all be there," Sami reminded him. "You know, Will, the kids, me, and EJ. So, you'll have plenty of family around you."
Alex's eyes widened when he realized what she meant. That Sami thought of Alex as family.
Sami checked her watched and cursed. "Damn, I gotta go. Don't feel nervous. You'll do fantastic. See you later."
Sami stepped on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Alex's cheek, grabbed her bags, and rushed off.
"The fuck is happening here?" Alex put his head in his hands.
Will stood next to EJ in the elevator. The two were on their way down. The art exhibition was just about to start.
Will tried not to fiddle in his new clothes. EJ bought them both new outfits. EJ wore an expensive black suit, more stylish than his usual business wear. While Will wore a pair of perfectly tailored khakis, a light blue button-down shirt, and a navy blazer.
"You look fine," EJ said. "There will be several business contacts connected to the art world. You're representing this company. I need you to make a good impression. Try not to fidget so much."
"I'm freaking out," Will confessed, worrying his lower lip. "What if I mess things up? Tonight is so important, for Alex, for you, for me."
"You have no reason to worry," EJ promised. "Tonight will be perfect. I just finished doing the final run through while you played with your hair. Everything looked amazing even Alex's display."
Will put a hand on his hair and looked at his reflection in the elevator's mirror. "Does it look bad? I don't want to look bad. I can't do this."
"Yes, you can," EJ assured him. He grabbed Will's shoulders and fixed the collar on his blazer. "You can, William."
The elevator doors opened and Will swallowed seeing the crowd mingling in the lobby.
"There are so many people," Will said.
"That's the whole point," EJ said. "Now, put on our business smiles. It's time to socialize. Follow me."
Will tailed EJ as they worked the crowd. EJ introduced Will to dozens of important publishers, editors, art directors, curators, any and every job Will could think of. Will's face hurt from fake smiling for so long.
"Yes, this is William Horton," EJ introduced, "my best intern. This whole event wouldn't be possible without him."
"Horton?" an older gentleman shook Will's hand. "Any relation to old Tom and Alice Horton by any chance?"
"They were my great-grandparents," Will answered with a smile.
"Aw, yes, I thought so. Wonderful people, wonderful," the man nodded with a matching smile. "Now, EJ, I've been meaning to talk to you about…"
Will tuned out, staring around the lobby. The entire place was crawling with smartly dressed people. Appetizers, bottles of wine, and champagne were flowing. Will hadn't seen Sonny or Alex yet. He wasn't even sure how he would find them in this crowd.
Letting EJ know he was leaving, Will walked through the throngs of people. He nodded and chatted with people he recognized. It felt like the whole town was there.
"Will!" a voice yelled, Lucas.
"Dad?" Will questioned, greeting Lucas with their customary handshake. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard around you got involved with this. I might not support who you work for," Lucas said, "but I support you in everything you do. Even if I-sometimes mind you-come off as less than supportive and accepting."
"Thanks," Will grinned. "Grandma and Mom scared you good, huh?"
"Something like that," Lucas lifted the glass of water he held and said, "Go mingle, Mr. Bigshot."
Will rolled his eyes but continued on his way.
Near the front of the building, Will spotted Justin and Adrienne. Just behind them, walking by himself, was Sonny. He looked rather handsome in a pair of black trousers and a white cashmere sweater. His usual spiky hair combed back for the night.
Will lifted up both hands and waved as he walked over to the three.
"Will," Justin greeted, a small frown on his face. "Looks like you've had a large turnout."
"Yeah, it's huge," Will agreed. "Cocktail hour is almost over. EJ is gonna make a speech soon, introduce the artists, and open the exhibit."
"Is Alex here already?" Adrienne wondered, looking over the crowd.
"He's been here all day," Will said. He stood on his tiptoes and searched too. "I haven't seen him in a while, though."
"Hey," Sonny snagged Will's hand. He pulled Will closer and grinned. "You look amazing."
"Thanks," Will lowered his eyes and licked his lips. "You look great too."
"You okay?" Sonny asked, wrinkling his forehead.
Will could feel Justin's eyes on him and nodded. "Just nervous. There's a lot of people here. I don't want to screw things up."
"I don't think you need to worry," Sonny said. "Everything looks nice."
"But not as nice as me," a voice interjected, Sami.
"Wow, Mom," Will said, looking over her outfit. "You do look beautiful."
"Thank you, I know," Sami accepted a kiss on the cheek from Will and grinned. She looked resplendent in a plum, form-fitting dress.
Behind her stood Will's siblings in their Halloween costumes. Johnny as Iron Man, Allie as Princess Merida with a wild red wig, and Sydney dressed as Tinkerbelle.
"Wow!" Will cheered. "You guys are awesome!"
"Watch," Johnny made shooting sounds out of his mouth as he flashed the palms of his hands just like Iron Man.
Will pretended to get hit and fell back forcing Sonny to catch him.
"Where's Alex?" Sami asked after Will righted himself. "I want to see how he looks in the clothes I picked."
"What?" Adrienne snapped her head to stare at Sami. "You did what for Alex?"
"Yes, what was that?" another voice joined in, Anjelica.
Will didn't think it was possible for Anjelica to wear even more jewels but he was wrong.
"I bought Alex the nicest outfit," Sami explained. "He's going to look so handsome."
"Oh, good," Anjelica nodded, linking her arm with Sami's. "I knew I forgot to do something."
"What the hell is this?" Adrienne asked, eyes wide and horrified.
"Mom? Anjelica? How do you two know each other?" Will wondered, hefting Sydney into his arms.
"We met around town," Sami rushed. "Never you mind."
"What does that mean?" Will demanded, eyes going from his mom to Anjelica several times.
"Look!" Sydney yelled in Will's ear, diverting his attention. "It's Alex!"
Walking down a seldom used staircase near them was Alex. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a black blazer, and a basic white shirt and tie. He somehow managed to make the simple outfit look sophisticated. Combined with a five o'clock shadow and messy hair, Alex looked amazing.
Sydney wiggled out of Will's arms and dashed off toward Alex. Johnny and Allie followed after her.
Three bodies slammed into Alex's legs when he got to the bottom of the staircase. "God," Alex complained. "Get off, get off."
When they didn't let go, Alex sighed. He picked up Sydney and attempted to walk with Johnny and Allie sitting on his feet.
"I believe this belong to you," Alex told Sami, handing her Sydney.
"She does, yes," Sami agreed, placing Sydney on the floor. She kissed Alex's cheek and brushed her hands over his shoulders. "I was right. You look handsome."
"Hard to improve upon perfection," Alex tugged on the bottom of his jacket. "You look nice too. Mother," Alex nodded at her, "you look like a disco ball."
"Hush, you," Anjelica ordered, kissing his other cheek. "Don't make me blush with your never ending compliments."
"Son," Justin greeted with a handshake, unnerved by Anjelica and Sami's greetings. "Tonight's your big night."
"Yep," Alex nodded, ignoring Adrienne as usual although he could see her pout out of his peripheral vision.
"Hey," Sonny gave Alex a tense smile, clutching Will's hand tight. "You clean up nice."
"I know," Alex said. When Justin cleared his throat, Alex relented, "you don't look terrible."
Although Alex didn't give Sonny anything more than a cursory look. Sonny was too close to Will and Alex couldn't look at Will. He couldn't, wouldn't. Not if he wanted to make it through tonight.
Will wanted to say something to Alex but didn't know what. He didn't have to make a choice either; EJ's voice came over the speakers near the front of the room. He called for the artists and Will to head toward the entrance to the art exhibit.
Will and Alex walked together. Will walking close behind Alex as the crowd parted to let them through. It was so loud and there were so many people they couldn't make any conversation. With the way Alex almost charged through the crowd, Will thought something was wrong.
Alex never ignored Will, ever. Will didn't get a chance to question Alex, though. As soon as EJ saw them, he launched into his speech.
EJ spoke about the importance of the arts and what the company's vision entailed. How essential art and all it encompassed was to the world around them. How he wished to instill a sense of appreciation and culture into his children's lives, into the lives of everyone in Salem.
Will's face heated when EJ mentioned him. EJ explained Will's involvement, giving Will almost all the credit for the night.
Will's hands twitched at his side, fighting the urge to cover his face and hide. Instead, Will felt Alex's elbow brush against his. It gave him a jolt of confidence, the way Alex's presence always seemed to do.
Will lifted his hand to greet the crowd, smiling at the polite smattering of applause.
Alex fidgeted next to Will. The crumpled up paper was in the inside pocket of his blazer. He couldn't seem to put it down, afraid it would disappear if it was out of his sight. He didn't even know for sure if it meant what he thought it did.
Alex still hadn't looked at Will. He didn't think his willpower could hold out much longer. As EJ introduced an artist, Alex gave into his urge. Will looked so good it made the stupid butterflies in Alex's stomach take flight.
"You look-uh," Alex licked his lips, "you look good."
"So do you," Will said, smiling now that Alex finally acknowledged him. "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm not sure," Alex admitted, voice shaky. "I think that-,"
"And our featured artist of the night," EJ's loud voice said, "Alexander Kiriakis."
Alex lifted one hand when the crowd clapped although he kept his eyes on Will.
The different shades of blue Will wore brought out his eyes. Made them luminescent, reminding Alex of long days on the beach. The sun on his skin, the waves rolling in with the tide. It was beautiful. They were beautiful. Will was beautiful.
"There's something I need to tell you," Alex said to Will. "Something I've had to tell you for a long time."
"What is it?" Will put a hand on Alex's forearm. "What's wrong?"
There was no time, though. EJ finished his speech, inviting everyone to tour the gallery.
Will and Alex got swept up in the crowd. Artwork, from modern to classic, drawings to photographs, filled the area. Large and small sculptures, strange things Will didn't understand and beautiful portraits Will envied. In the center of it all was Alex's photographs. The construction workers installed a wooden post in each corner of the space. Alex hung wires between and clipped the photographs to them.
Alex was proud of his efforts even without Will's photographs. After his talk with Sami, Alex got frustrated. Not only with the pictures but life itself. He snatched all his pictures up and tossed them to the ground in a rage. It ended up being a stroke of genius as it showed a near perfect way to arrange them all.
Instead of forcing each photo to fit, Alex embraced the lack of coherency. He showcased how incomplete the set was because that was life. Alex's photos showed humanity at its barest, imperfect, unbalanced, raw, and real.
Will reached Alex's display first, almost knocking Alex over to get there. Will knew he was biased. Knew he ought to walk the room, give each artist proper attention but he couldn't not now, not yet.
Walking in a circle, eyes taking in everything, Will felt in awe. He'd seen the pictures all day but not like this. Not polished and presented with just the right amount of lighting. It swept Will away.
Alex stopped in front of his display, watching Will. It almost hurt to see Will look at his art. Will fit into his vision, made it all come to life.
"Alex," Will said in a low, reverent voice, "this is amazing."
"You say that about everything," Alex crossed his arms, trying not to let it get to him.
"This is different," Will denied. "This is-this is everything. I just-I look at it and I-," Will bowed his head, taking a deep breath. He stepped closer to Alex, gentle smile on his face. "I look at these pictures and all I see is you. Everything you're going to accomplish. Everything you're going to achieve. I just see you."
"Funny," Alex mumbled, "I look at them and all I see is you."
Will didn't know why but his heart pounded in his chest. "Wh-uh-you said you had to tell me something."
"Yeah," Alex nodded, holding Will's eyes.
"What was it?" Will whispered.
"Wow!" a group of people gushed as they took in Alex's photos, breaking their moment.
"Later?" Will asked, staring up at Alex.
Alex looked away and didn't answer.
Author's note:
Things are coming to a head. I hope everyone's as excited about it as I am.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought.
*All poetry by Atticus, P.M.