"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

Lao Tzu

Sonny's POV

"Do you think I am weak?"

"What?"

His blue eyes pierce through me as his hands rub together showing his insecurity. He shrugs:

"You always help me with things… I seem to need it… doesn't that make me weak?"

I frown and walk over to him. His hands finally hold still when I hold them in mine:

"No, you're not weak… not at all…"

"But what about you having to help me and support me all the time…"

"Everybody needs help and support, Will… that's called being human."

"Yeah, but…"

"And besides, you help and support me just as much as the other way around…"

He seems to want to deny that, so I quickly lean forward to kiss him on his lips. When I let go he mumbles:

"You just kissed me to shut me up…"

"Are you complaining?"

A smile paints his face and his hands come up to wrap around my neck. While he leans in he pulls me towards him and I feel the soft brush of his lips against my cheek:

"Never…"

We smile and then I walk over to the fridge to get us a drink, expecting he has let go of the subject he was on about. However, while I poor the drinks he says:

"So you don't mind when I need your help?"

I hand him a glass of juice and shake my head:

"Of course not… why are you so worried about this."

He walks over to our desk and with his back towards me he confesses:

"You are always strong… it is one of the reasons I fell in love with you… you deserve someone just as strong… instead of someone you have to look after all the time."

I frown but this time he is the one to make sure I cannot respond. He turns around and before I can say anything he smiles a lopsided smile. The one that turns me on because it is just too cute to be legal:

"Never mind… I am tired… let's go to bed."

Then he is in the bathroom and I wonder what I could say or do to put his mind at ease. I undress and lie down under the covers in only my boxers. When he walks in he does exactly the same. I turn on my side and curl up against his shoulder. He plants a kiss in my hair and whispers:

"Goodnight…"

And suddenly I know how to sort this out and I whisper back:

"Not yet…"

While I curl myself even closer around him I explain:

"There are just a few things I would like you to remember…"

"Why…?"

I shrug:

"So you will believe me…"

"About what…?"

"That you are strong and that I need you just as much as you need me…"

When I lift my head just for a second to look into his sky blue eyes I see the emotion they hold. I smile and rest my head back on his chest and softly start talking about the memories that are dear to my heart

(…1…)

After listening to Kenzie and her ideas to get her singing career starting, I am happy to go back to the lake and do some swimming or play some basketball. With a tray of drinks in my hands I am almost back at our picnic spot when I hear voices that I recognise as Will's and T's.

"Gabi, I thought you would be off making sand castles with your new best friend Sonny…"

I don't like the sarcasm in T's voice and immediately I hear I am not the only one.

"OK, that's enough…"

"Excuse me?"

"OK being down on Sonny for something that he did is one thing. But being down on him for something that he is is different, man… we are not going to put up with that anymore."

From the first time I met Will I thought he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, someone who seemed to care about others. This comments is just confirmation that what I thought is absolutely right. T seems even angrier now and seems to address Gabi:

"You're the reason why is acting this way, aren't you… You got him all riled up against me…"

"Yeah right… that's because I am Latina and I am also emotional…"

I can't help a smile when I hear her feisty tone.

"Oh common…"

"OK… you are acting like a jerk…I don't know… I don't know how else to put it…"

That is Will taking over again and I feel my heart jump a little bit when I hear how he is defending me.

"So that's it…"

While T says those words I step out from behind the bushes and see a certain defeat in his eyes. Will, with his muscled smooth back turned towards me, answers him:

"No… it doesn't have to be man… OK… apologise to Sonny, show him some genuine respect and then we are good."

I don't think Will even realises that with these words he gives T second chance, but T doesn't seem to want to agree to that and he walks away while saying:

"This is messed up."

The moment my eyes meet Will's I feel how my heart skips a beat. The honesty and apology for T's behaviour is almost too much.

"He man… you didn't have to bat for me."

"Yeah, I euh… did…"

I sigh, slightly overwhelmed by the way he almost brushes away how he stood up for me, still a stranger, against T, who seems to be a good friend. While I hand out the drinks I just mumble:

"Thanks."

When he takes the drink his fingers touch mine lightly and I can see the muscles work under his skin, making my mouth dry and my heart beat a bit faster. While we move our conversation to other things I know I have already fallen in love with the gorgeous blond with eyes so light they are almost transparent. And even though his looks are a bonus, it is his kindness to everyone around him that makes me want to be close to him. While his girlfriend touches his hand and laughs at something he says all I think is:

"I wish I that was me…"

(…2…)

After our basketball session we go to the pub for some refreshments. I smile contently when I see Will all happy and cuddly, curling his arm around my neck while we walk towards the pub. I enjoy the way he holds me in public, for everyone to see that I belong to him and he belongs to me. When we sit down at one of the tables he gets over to the bar to order some drinks. I am a little surprised to see Brian stand up and offer to help him. While T talks to me I can't help but keeping an eye on my boyfriend and the man I know he doesn't like at all. With some effort I can hear what they say and as expected the conversation is not about the weather or our basketball game.

"So uhm… when is this baby of yours due…?"

"Uhm… soon."

I can't help but smile a bit when I hear the tone of his voice. I know my boyfriend inside out and that tone is reserved for people he does not like.

"My guess is Sonny is not going to be too thrilled about that…"

I frown and wonder where Brian would get that idea from. I see how Will changes his position and the moment he starts speaking I am slightly turned on by the determination in his voice:

"You know what Brian? I cut you a lot of slack with all the crap you pulled on Sonny and me when we were having a rough patch… but you have hit your limit, man."

I wish I could see his face as I am sure the passion in his heart has set fire to his eyes.

"Ah Will, what's with the attitude, I just made a comment…"

"Look, I know you are Sonny's friend…"

"Kind of hoping I was your friend too."

"Really… does a friend convince me that he slept with my boyfriend?"

I cringe a bit when I am reminded of my escapades with Brian, thanking the heavens again I came to my senses before it was too late. Although I don't like this conversation at all, I like how Will refers to me as his boyfriend.

"You jumped to that conclusion all by yourself"

"No no no no no… you worded things to make sure I would jump…"

I know Will is pissed of now and I am slightly preparing myself to jump up and pull them apart the moment they start hitting each other. I know that Will dislikes Brian enough to give him a black eye when provoked, and I hope it will not get that far today.

"And by the way, I am more than aware of how you do your little thing around him all the time…"

"Excuse me?"

"Every chance you get you hang up an available sign…"

I smile inwardly at the way he says that. I cannot deny it as I know Brian flirts with me every time he sees me, but the way Will brings it up is hilarious. Brian doesn't really deny it as he just shakes his head but doesn't say anything.

"I mean… you're a bright guy and everybody knows it… I don't… I don't understand why you are so clueless…"

"Clueless about what…"

"Uhm… Sonny and I are together… Sonny is mine… So if you want to go ahead and take a shot? Try your luck? Go ahead man… go ahead."

I feel a stir in my stomach while my head repeats those three little words over and over again. Sonny is mine. Sonny is mine. Perhaps it is also the way he said it, no hesitation, no insecurity, just a confidence that I find very sexy. And I cannot believe that after waiting for him for so long I finally hear him say these words to another guy who seems interested in me. To hear him stand up for me and for us is the best thing he could have done to show me how he feels about me. When the ice tea arrives he immediately carries it to our table. When our eyes meet I give him the brightest smile I have and when he sits down next to me I whisper softly:

"I love you…"

(…3…)

The moment I see the blood stain on Hope's clothes I know it is Will's blood. Her eyes don't let go of me and I feel as though the world is spinning around me while I am sinking into a deep dark void. I walk backwards, unsteadily, as though I want to walk away from the realisation that the man I love is somewhere in this hospital, bleeding from an open wound. While Hope explains what happened I listen numbly, without saying anything. The moment I hear he took a bullet for Nick my heart breaks in a million pieces. I realise he is a better man then anyone else I know, including myself. Taking a bullet for a man who tried to ruin his life forever, trying to save his life while willing to give up his own. I tremble from emotions that are slowly taking a hold of me and cannot stop the tears running down my cheeks. Even when Sami and Kate show up I still feel like living in a movie, everything seems to happen around me while I just seem to stand here and watch. It is only when my father hugs me close I can finally say the words that have been spinning through my head all this time:

"He's gonna be alright… isn't he? He'll be alright…"

I needed to believe this so bad. When I talked to my dad I tried to tell him how much I loved Will Horton. I am sure it must have sounded a bit chaotic, but I am sure my dad understood that I was trying to say that I didn't know how to live without Will anymore. The moment Maxine told me he was OK and she agreed to me seeing him I felt like walking on air. When I saw him between those white sheets I remember thinking how he looked like porcelain, so beautiful. And when I started talking to the quiet figure in the hospital bed I realised I need him to make sense of my life, I need him to bring colour into my days, and most of all I him you to love me to make me strong.

"I should have stayed with you…Why did I have to listen to you, huh?"

No response and he just lies there, perfectly still, slowly breathing in and out.

"From now on we are together… no matter what, OK?"

I wish he could agree with me to put my mind at ease that he will never leave me and that I will have him with me for the rest of my life. I kiss his hand, knowing he likes it when I do that. For some reason I just have to talk to him about everything. I think that is because we always do that, we always talk about things that happen. I tell him about his little baby girl, how beautiful she is and how I think she looks just like him.

"She needs her dad… she needs you to be there for her… so, don't keep her waiting long, OK?"

I can't fool myself and know that Ari is not the only one who needs him awake soon. I start rambling about the day we met, about loving him for so long while he was struggling to come out, about hearing him tell me that he loved me. I lean over as I just have to kiss him on his soft, red lips. And just before I do I whisper brokenly:

"I just love you so much…"

The silence in the room is filled with emotion. His arms are locked around me so tight I cannot move. Not that I had any intention to move anyway as I love being wrapped up against his chest. He coughs and I wait for him to speak. When he does it is a deep whisper:

"I didn't know you heard me speak to Brian… and you never told me about the time when I was unconscious at the hospital…"

"Yeah, well…"

I can't help but feeling emotional after telling him of my fears while he was fighting for his life. Even though I am safely curled around him, I don't like remembering those dark days.

"Actually… Brian isn't the only one I told to back off…"

I chuckle:

"Brent as well, right?"

"Well, in my defence, he was trying to invite my boyfriend on a camping trip…"

"He wanted to invite both of us, Will."

"That's what he told you, Son…"

I kiss his chest and take a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of his hand going through my hair. While his fingers roll strings of my hair between them he continues:

"Perhaps I did overreact a bit with Brent… I just didn't want to lose you…"

"I know honey… and just so you know… I do like it when you become all possessive and territorial."

I know he is blushing the moment he abruptly changes the subject:

"I'm glad T came around… at that time at the lake I never thought you and him would be friends one day."

"I know… I even trust him with my business now… how things change…"

He laughs and softly pulls my hair. His fingers gently touch my skin and I say softly:

"But I hope you understand the point of these stories… about you being strong, I mean…"

It is quiet for a while and then he mumbles:

"OK, I guess you were right…"

I laugh happily and mumble with my lips against his skin:

"Did you just say I am right…?"

"Yeah… don't rub it in…"

I cannot stop smiling:

"You know what, Will?"

"Hmmm… "

"I guess there are different kinds of strong… you are very strong… you will stand up for what is right without hesitation… you care more about your enemies than some do about their friends… You will fight for those you love without shouting it from the roof tops… you will always look for the good in people, giving them second chances if they need it… and I love that…"

I can feel he is smiling and my head raises with his chest as he takes a deep breath:

"Sounds like you know me well…"

"Which is why I never want you to say you are weak ever again…"

"OK boss…"

I lean up and cup his face so he cannot avoid my eyes and has to look at me:

"I'm serious Will… never again… you are strong and perfect to me… OK?"

"Perfect huh?"

We both smile a wide smile and I can see in the depths of his blue eyes that he is thinking about exactly the same moment as I am. In his blue eyes I suddenly see images of the first time we made love. I see how I pushed his shirt of his strong shoulders, while he looked at me with such intensity and trust that made me lose my breath. I see the way he closed his eyes, heavy with emotion, when we were completely skin on skin for the very first time. I see how his body trembled while I took my time to explore every part of it. I see how our bodies found a rhythm and moved together in one of the most beautiful dances ever danced. And I see the way his face split into a bright smile when we looked at each other in our sparkling afterglow. I climb on top of him, immediately feeling how he melt into me. I lean down and with my lips against his I murmur:

"Perfect… perfect is the word…"

Thanks to everyone for writing to me either in reviews or in personal messages. Some almost made me cry! Hope you all like this one shot too! Love you all!