Okay, time to make a decision, Will told himself as he walked. Make a decision. Make a decision. Decision, decision, decision.
Will, singularly focused, paid no mind to the path he was taking. After leaving the apartment, he simply walked, letting his feet guide him. He was surprised to find himself along the bank of the Salem River.
The damp breeze, the musty scent wafting along Will's skin calmed him. The river, despite associations with questionable activities, always soothed Will. There was something about the gentle tide, the idea of floating peacefully away from it all that resonated with Will.
Lucas and Sami always warned Will away from any of Salem's waterways. They insisted they were too dangerous, that they couldn't bear it if something happened to Will again. As usual, Will ignored their wishes. He didn't remember the time he almost drowned at the docks along with his aunt Carrie anyway. He knew how to swim now so nothing would happen. Besides, Will enjoyed going against his parents' wishes. It gave him a little thrill even at a young age.
Will paused, kicking a rock into the river. He found a fallen log and slumped against it, head in his hands.
When Will first returned from his stay in Switzerland he spent a lot of time at the river. The forested area, the foliage, and the wind reminded him of his time away. A time when Will was tranquil and free. The hours at the river gave Will plenty of time to think without siblings distracting him. Or, more likely, his mother yelling about something or other. He'd spend hours lying on his back in a pile of fallen leaves. Watching the clouds drift by through the tree branches. His mind would drift, fantasies taking over.
Will imagined his future, could picture what he wanted so clearly. It didn't matter, though; Will knew it would never happen. Good things rarely happened to Will Horton even as a child. Will was the boy shuffled from parent to parent, a bargaining chip. He wasn't desired for who he was as a person only what he symbolized. He was never going to be the one with a happy ending.
And now I have two men vying for me, Will closed his eyes. He pressed the palm of his hands into his eyes. Of course, I had to be humiliated, derogated, and broken into a thousand little pieces for that to happen.
Will wasn't the guy fought over. He wasn't the one anyone wanted to be with either. Will was average and simple from a bad family with a reputation of his own. How Will managed to get one man's interest let alone two was beyond his comprehension.
I can't even enjoy it either, Will huffed out a sardonic laugh. There is nothing about this I can appreciate.
Will grew up watching men pant after his mother despite her eccentricities. He witnessed grandmothers, aunts, uncles, everyone he knew have multiple partners, someone always in the wings waiting to swoop in for the kill. Meanwhile, Will could barely get anyone to notice he existed. Will, apparently, didn't inherit whatever genetic marker indicated desirability.
Growing up, Will couldn't help himself from assuming he would be like his mom. Everyone told him often enough that he started to believe it. Will thought, in spite of his particular brand of crazy, that someone would desire him. That he would have partners fighting for him, wanting him. It didn't work out that way. The first girlfriend he managed to snag gave birth to his sister and wanted another guy the whole time. When Gabi showed an interest in him, Will thought he hit the jackpot. Gabi was beautiful and so easy to talk to. His family and Gabi's blended wonderfully. It was everything Will ever wanted.
Gabi was perfect and I couldn't feel anything for her. Nothing close to what I should. I finally had someone that wanted me and nothing.
Will knew now why he couldn't feel what he wanted to for Gabi. He understood he would never feel that way about any woman.
Then there was Sonny, Will sighed. And he was everything.
Sonny was so much more than Will ever imagined he'd deserve. Sonny was smart and handsome and so, so good. Better than anyone else Will associated with before.
And he wanted me, Will recalled He saw something in me. He wanted me, loved me. He battled Adrienne for me. He put up with all the crap I pulled, everything I put him through. He still wanted to be with me.
Will always wondered why that was. Why would someone like Sonny Kiriakis want Will of all people? Sonny had his admirers. He wasn't hung up for attention or companionship.
Sonny could have picked anyone. Why did he want me?
Whenever Will asked Sonny, Sonny would always laugh it off. Will envied Sonny for being so confident, for knowing his worth and not even bothering to deny it. Of course, Will didn't know the extent of Sonny's past. Will didn't know Sonny left the last man he dated despite being loved and desired especially a man like Paul.
If Will had known Paul was Sonny's long lost love he didn't know what he would have done. Been even more neurotic and insecure than he was, perhaps.
I still would have wanted to know. He shouldn't have kept it from me. It wasn't fair.
Sonny knew Will was a fan of the San Francisco Giants. He also knew Will was a fan of Paul in particular. Several times, Will tried to get Sonny to watch a game with him. He'd lay out a spread for the two of them; try to get Sonny to sit. Without fail, Sonny would leave whenever Paul was mentioned.
Will never made the connection before but in hindsight it was obvious Sonny was hiding something.
Why would Sonny want to be with a loser like me when he had someone like Paul? Paul's rich and famous and even if they couldn't be together in public, I'm sure there were perks.
Paul's gorgeous and cultured and everything I'm not.
Will vividly remembered one of his and Sonny's first dates. They drove a few towns over to go to an outlet mall. They spent the day holding hands and sharing a smoothie. For dinner, Sonny took Will to Olive Garden for the first time.
Will's cheeks burned recalling how eager he was over it. To Will, the simple, commercialized food chain was daring and new.
I bet Paul never felt excited over something so mundane. I bet Paul never ate his weight in breadsticks and fettuccine Alfredo. I bet Paul never got car sick on the ride home and puked on the side of the road.
Will had no idea how Sonny could go from someone like Paul to someone like him. Beyond that, Will had no idea how someone like Paul could form an interest in Will.
I was an unprofessional, small-town wannabe-journalist that bitched about his relationship, Will shook his head. What the hell did Paul even see in me? Let alone what could he see that made him stick around all this time?
Despite the progress Will made in his therapy, he still didn't see what others did when he looked in a mirror. He didn't see the positives. He didn't see his strength or his heart. He didn't see his spirit or his good looks. He'd see a tired, lost boy trying to be a man.
I had such a crush on Paul before I ever met him. And when I did meet him he was even better than I expected. But him having any sort of feelings for me? God, it doesn't even sound right.
Will didn't know how to make this decision. Was he to choose the man he gave his heart and soul to, the man that broke his heart? Or was Will to take a chance on the lingering crush that slept with his husband?
Not for the first time, Will wished he led a normal life.
Why can't I have normal people problems? Worrying about student loans or getting a job. Oh, no. I have to be trapped in the world's most convoluted love triangle.
Will stood up off the log and gingerly moved closer to the water. He got caught in the familiar musky, damp smell. The feel of the wind blowing through his hair, moistening his skin.
Will looked down at the edge of the river and noticed something peculiar in the river bank. Trapped in the reeds was a large pink stone. Carefully stepping in the sand, Will reached into the icy water and pulled out the stone.
It was an opaque soft shade of pink and fit in the palm of his hand. There were several bumps and edges but the stone wasn't jagged.
I bet Ari would like this, Will decided. He held the stone, squeezing it tight.
The stone reminded Will of the health food store he frequented. In addition to herbal supplements and essential oils, the store sold healing crystals. Will never had much of an interest but, with the stone in hand, he felt curious.
Will pulled out his phone, opening his Chrome app. He quickly looked up pink healing stone and recognized the first result.
Rose quartz crystal, Will summarized. Lovestone. Helps to open the heart for true love and friendship. Nurturing, comforting energy. Brings inner peace.
Will didn't know if he felt inner peace or not. But it couldn't be a coincidence that he found this specific stone on an unintentional stroll by the riverside.
True love and friendship, Will thought.
Will pocketed the stone and began to walk. He didn't know where he was going only that he had to move.
Make a decision, Will thought. Make a decision.
"Adam!" Paul bellowed as he jumped the last few steps on the staircase and landed in the back hallway of the Brady Pub.
Adam, talking with his friend Jude in the back, jumped when he heard someone shout his name.
"What?" Adam turned around, jittery.
"Have you seen Will?" Paul demanded, searching frantically around the pub.
"No," Adam relaxed once he saw it was only Paul. He didn't care if Paul saw him flirt. "He hasn't been in today at all actually from what I heard."
Adam pouted slightly. He knew he blew whatever chance he might have one day had with Will but he still wanted to see him on Valentine's Day.
Jude looked between Paul and Adam. He didn't know if he should be star-struck at the handsome celebrity or annoyed Adam was mooning over Will still.
"Damn it," Paul groaned. "If he comes in keep him here, got it? Don't let him leave."
"What? Why?" Adam pressed a little weirded out by Paul's frantic behavior.
"Because something big just hit the news and he's going to freak out," Paul explained. "I have to find him."
"I'll call him," Adam suggested, yanking out his phone. "He's more likely to answer me than you anyway."
"Good thinking," Paul said as he jogged down the back hallway and out the door.
Jude, curious, pulled out his phone as well. He opened up Twitter, wondering if he'd find what Paul was talking about.
"Oh, shit," Jude mumbled.
"Hmm?" Adam, phone pressed against his ear, hummed.
"Adam," Jude brandished his phone. "Look at this."
Adam's eyes slid across the screen, mouth dropping open.
"Fuck, this is bad," Adam gasped. He looked back in the direction Paul ran. "I can't believe everyone got the rumors so wrong."
"Yeah," Jude agreed, opening up a link to an article on Sonix Magazine's website. "Will didn't sleep with Paul. His husband did."
Sonny held Will's Valentine's Day gift under his arm. He felt good about this. If he could get Will alone, talk with him openly and honestly, Sonny was certain he would succeed.
I don't want to go back to what we had. I want to take things slow, one date at a time. I want Will to fall in love with me all over again. But more importantly than that, I want Will to love himself. I want him to love me the way I love him.
Sonny walked past a Girl Scout troop sitting at a card table at the entrance to the park. Pausing, Sonny backtracked. The troop was selling flowers.
"Can I get one rose, please?" Sonny requested. He adjusted the box under his arm and fished his wallet out of his pocket.
"Just one?" a girl with long blonde pigtails asked. "I'm sure your girlfriend needs more than that."
"Just one," Sonny offered a lopsided smile. "And it's not for my girlfriend. It's for my husband. Goodnight."
Sonny laughed inwardly when the girl turned to her troop leader with zillion questions. Normally, Sonny would provide a lecture on inclusivity and the necessity of teaching love in the 21st century. But not tonight. Tonight was going to be special.
Tonight would be a turning point in Sonny's relationship with Will. A step in the right direction towards rebuilding their lives together.
Sonny made to follow the path that led to the apartment he hadn't seen in so long. As Sonny arrived at the juncture, he heard strange shouts up ahead.
Sonny planned on leaving it alone when he recognized one voice. One familiar voice that made his heart beat faster and his skin flush.
What the hell is-? Sonny thought when he heard a gut-wrenching scream.
Without another thought, Sonny ran as fast as he could in the direction of Will's voice.
Will walked through the park. The light overhead sprang into life as the sun began to set. Will paused under the street light, taking in his surroundings. Again, he found himself in a place he did not expect.
I really need to start paying attention, Will realized. I could walk into traffic or something.
Okay, Will inhaled and exhaled steadily. Decision, make a decision.
Wherever I end up, whoever I see next, that's going to be my decision. I can't make up my mind. My mind is stupid. I'm stupid. I can't be trusted with this. Fate's going to do it for me. So, whoever I see next is going to be my ch-
Will's thoughts were interrupted by a loud shout of relief behind him.
"Will!" Paul stopped running in front of Will. He bent forward, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. I'm more out of shape than I realized.
"Paul?" Will whispered, eyes widening.
It's Paul? Will swallowed. Am I supposed to be with him?
Just as Will decided to put his destiny in fate's hands, Paul appeared.
Is this another sign, like the stone? Is this fate's way of telling me who I'm meant to be with?
Will didn't hear anything that Paul was saying. He could see Paul's mouth moving, knew sounds were coming out but nothing resonated.
It's Paul? Will didn't know if he felt relieved or terrified.
"Will!" Paul yelled, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Come on, listen to me!"
"Wh-what?" Will snapped out of his daze. "What?" he pushed Paul's hands off and took a step back. "Why are you acting like a lunatic?"
"If you were listening you would know," Paul snapped, running his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry," he apologized for snapping. "But, god, I swear, I have no idea how this happened. I don't. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you again."
"What are you talking about?" Will wrapped his arms around his waist.
"Someone found out," Paul stated gently. "They found out the truth, that you didn't sleep with me."
"What are you saying?" Will asked in a low tone, disbelieving.
"Everyone knows I slept with Sonny," Paul confessed. "It's all over the news. I don't know how this could have happened. The news station said something about a magazine but I don't know."
"Magazine?" Will whispered, dread freezing his insides. No, oh god, no.
"I'll do everything I can to make this better, I swear," Paul promised. "I'll do whatever I can to keep you and Ari out of this. Anything you need from me, just say it and it's yours."
"This can't be happening," Will mumbled, hands dropping to his sides. "This isn't possible."
"I know," Paul agreed, misinterpreting Will's words. "I'll get to the bottom of this. I don't care how much litigation it takes."
"No," Will shook his head. "No, no, no, I didn't, I didn't. I stopped."
"Will?" Paul titled his head, worried. "Will, it's alright. I'll take care of it. Now, come on," Paul held out his hand. "We need to get you out of sight. The press is probably looking for us by now. You don't want them to find you."
Will looked down at Paul's hand, mouth drying up. Will didn't know what to do.
Was he to follow fate's design and take Paul's hand? Or was Will meant for something else, something more?
Fate brought me to this spot. And fate brought Paul here as well. It has to mean something. It has to.
Will gingerly placed his hand in Paul's, shivering.
Paul, unaware of the significance, linked their fingers and pulled. He wasn't kidding when he said they needed to get out of sight.
Staring at their hands, Will needed to say something. He had to say something. This moment was huge, for him and for Paul.
Will opened his mouth, feet planted firmly on the ground, withstanding Paul's yanks.
"Will, seriously," Paul tried not to get frustrated but it was hard. Had Will always been this stubborn?
"No, I have to tell you something," Will glanced between their linked hands and Paul's eyes.
A loud cackle interrupted Will, slashing through the still air.
Will turned on the spot, staring at the unfamiliar twins before him.
"Well, well, well," Angelo Salerno snickered. "I thought this job was going to be difficult."
"Settle down," Anthony Salerno rolled his eyes. "It's not finished yet."
Paul didn't like the look of the men before them. They didn't look like paparazzi but they certainly didn't sound friendly.
Paul took a step forward, blocking Will from sight. He squeezed Will's hand in support, hoping Will would let Paul handle this.
Angelo wasn't interested in what his twin had to say. This was their big chance to prove to Victor Kiriakis their worth. For years, they had trained for this moment, this opportunity.
Angelo was going to make the most of it.
"At first," Angelo said, looking Will up and down judgmentally. "I almost felt bad for you. But here you are, with him," Angelo nodded his chin at Paul. "I don't think that'll make the boss man happy."
"No," Anthony agreed. "It won't."
Anthony cleared his throat, standing up straighter.
"This is going to go one of two ways, little boy," Anthony ordered, staring straight at Will. "You come with us willingly or we'll make you."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Will denied, indignant, moving out from behind Paul. He did not appreciate either man's tone or the way they spoke to him.
Paul shoved Will back. He somehow knew Will would make this situation difficult for him.
"You are out of your mind if you think I'm letting him anywhere near you," Paul crossed his arms, voice calm and authoritative.
"You're not gonna have a choice," Angelo smiled, showing off one chipped front tooth. He patted the pocket of his jacket threateningly.
Will, annoyed with the entire situation, said in exasperation, "Yeah, I think I do. Do you think a gun is gonna scare me? My entire family is in law enforcement. My mother could chew you up and use your bones for toothpicks and my best friend can buy and sell your sorry asses. So, you know what? Why don't you just fuck off?"
"Will," Paul admonished. He didn't think it wise to anger the potentially dangerous men. He eyed the man's jacket pocket warily.
"Cute," Angelo sneered, reaching his hand into his pocket.
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Anthony reached out, putting his hand on his brother's arm, stopping him.
"No," Angelo chortled, smoothing down his jacket lapels. "He kisses him," Angelo pointed at Paul.
Will set his jaw, sucking in his cheeks to keep from responding with something biting.
"This has been…interesting," Paul said in what he hoped was an appeasing tone. "But we're leaving."
"I don't think so," Anthony took a step forward, getting into Paul and Will's space. "You're not going anywhere."
"We already told you," Angelo smirked. "You're coming with us. You forfeited your right to choose."
"This is ridiculous," Will argued. "Who the hell are you?"
"Just come with us and no one has to get hurt," Anthony requested. He preferred to handle this situation without force.
"And if we say no?" Paul questioned, once again shifting in front of Will.
"You wouldn't want us to carve up that pwitty witttle face would you?" Angelo asked mockingly, staring at Will.
Paul's eyes hardened.
"That's it," Paul shook his head. "I'm calling the police."
Paul shoved his hand in his pocket, yanking out his phone.
"That won't be necessary," Angelo snatched his hand out with a practiced precision and ripped the phone away. He threw it against the nearby sidewalk, shattering the screen instantly.
Before now, the situation didn't seem real to Paul. It was just a misunderstanding, something they could talk their way out of. Now, without his phone, any means of communication, Paul felt naked and vulnerable.
Paul looked around, hoping to find someone nearby. Someone walking their dog, someone on their way home from work, hopefully. But there was no one.
They were all alone.
"Will," Paul muttered quietly, for Will's ears only. "We're leaving."
Anthony and Angelo shared a brief glance. They knew each other better than anyone else. They'd worked together their entire lives and needed no words to communication. There was only one goal in mind- separating Will and Paul.
Anthony, quicker than Will or Paul anticipated, took a few short steps and grabbed Will by the middle. He jerked Will along, still determined not to use violence.
Angelo, unfortunately, had no such qualms. He ran at Paul full force, tackling him to the ground. While Paul was stunned, Angelo wailed on him.
"Paul!" Will shouted, attempting to wrestle out of Anthony's hold. "Stop it!"
Paul landed on his still tender shoulder and winced. Before he had time to even think, fists smashed into his face over and over.
Finally getting his bearings, Paul reached up to block the man, getting in a few swings of his own.
Will stopped thrashing around aimlessly. He took a few seconds to ground himself, to think. Will recalled the times he spent in Switzerland with Austin. How he taught Will a few basic self-defense moves.
Taking a deep breath, Will slammed his head backward, connecting with Anthony's forehead. At the same time, Will shoved his elbow into Anthony's solar plexus.
Anthony fell forward, wincing and releasing his grip on Will.
Will scrambled towards Paul, head spinning.
That was not as easy as Austin said it would be, Will thought as he grabbed Angelo's cocked fist, pulling his arm back as hard as he could.
Angelo screamed in pain, arm twisted unnaturally.
"Get off," Will loudly ordered.
Anthony, head ringing, rubbed against his chest before slamming into Will.
Will landed on the dewy grass with a loud yelp. Anthony stood up as quickly as he could. He used his large foot to shove Will's head to the side, foot resting on Will's cheek.
"Stop moving," Anthony demanded through clenched teeth.
Paul righted himself, eyes dangerous. He paused when he noticed the position Will was in.
Angelo stretched his arm and shoulder out, rubbing against it with his other hand while glaring at Will.
"Don't do anything stupid," Anthony said, speaking to his brother as well as Will and Paul.
"Get off of him," Paul commanded, ignoring the sting in his shoulder.
"All you had to do was follow us," Anthony reminded him. "Now, we have to do things the hard way."
"If you-," Paul spat out only to be interrupted.
"Shut up," Angelo hissed. He was fed up with this situation. This was supposed to be an easy job. Grab the kid and get back to the mansion. That's it.
Angelo was not going to be embarrassed by some washed up baseball star and his slut. Victor said to get Will by whatever means necessary.
"Watch it," Anthony warned, knowing his brother tended to lose his temper easily.
Angelo wasn't that stupid, though. He only needed to scare them into submission not actually hurt them.
Instead of reaching into his jacket pocket for his gun, Angelo whipped a switchblade out of his back pocket. He flipped the knife open and advanced on Will.
"Get up," Angelo ordered. He kneeled down to brandish the knife in Will's face.
Paul held his breath. He didn't know what to do. This was beyond his realm of experience. Despite that, Paul knew he wasn't letting Will go anywhere with these creeps.
Paul took a step forward. He didn't have a plan and wasn't sure what to do while facing a knife but he had to try. He'd do anything to protect Will.
Angelo anticipated Paul's move, wanted Paul to move.
With Anthony's foot holding Will's face in place, Angelo reached out lighting quick and sliced a thick, deep slash through one of Will's eyebrows.
Will screamed in pain. He could feel the sharp blade cut through his hair and skin, right into his bone.
Paul stopped in place, horrified.
"Will!" Paul shouted, hands reaching out for Will automatically.
"Get him up," Anthony took his foot off of Will's face. He was done playing games. They had a job to do. They weren't going to fail now.
Angelo, knife held securely in one hand, dragged Will up from under his armpit.
Will weakly pulled away, blood dripping into his eye.
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Paul raged, seeing the full extent of Will's cut. He moved closer.
"Don't come any closer," Angelo pointed his knife towards Paul. "He'll be fine, eventually. Either let us go, or I'll cut something much more valuable next time."
Angelo directed his knife towards Will's face again, tracing a path from his eye to his ear and down to Will's mouth without touching the skin.
"It's alright," Will said, looking at Paul through one eye. He hoped Paul believed him, hoped he would understand.
Will and Paul weren't getting out of this. Paul needed to stay behind and get the police.
Will mouthed the word, "Police" to Paul.
"Alright," Paul held up his hands and nodded. "Alright, just don't hurt him."
"We're going now," Anthony stated. "Don't follow us."
Anthony grabbed the crook of Will's elbow while Angelo held his switchblade threateningly. Will stumbled in the direction they pulled him. His cut stung fiercely and he they held both of his arms so he couldn't wipe the blood away.
Paul ground his teeth together, hands clenched into fists. He couldn't let Will go with them. He couldn't.
Will turned his head to stare at Paul desolately. He didn't want to admit how terrified he was. Will had to be strong now, for his and Paul's sake. He couldn't have Paul doing something stupid.
"Let's go," Angelo hissed in Will's ear.
Paul couldn't watch Will go, not without doing something.
Just as Paul moved to follow, a figure flashed around the corner, headed right for Will.
Sonny, box and rose still in his arms, ran faster and harder than he ever had in his life. He knew that scream. It was the same sound Will made when Sonny convinced him to go rock climbing on one of their first dates. Will managed to get three feet off the floor before looking down. Sonny would never forget the heart-wrenching sound Will emitted. The pure terror and humiliation in his eyes as Sonny had to coach him down.
At the time, Sonny found it hilarious. But now? Oh god, Sonny had never been so terrified.
Sonny searched everywhere on the path he took but there was no sign of Will. The sun was nearly set. Sonny wouldn't be able to see properly soon. He had to get to Will, now.
As Sonny rounded the bend, he quickly surmised the situation. Paul, face white, vibrated with anger, eyes set on three people walking away.
No, not three people. Sonny's husband and the two idiots that followed his uncle around.
All Sonny saw was red. Red like the rose Sonny bought. Red like the blood sliding down Will's face. Red like the blood dripping ominously off the knife in Angelo's hand.
With a strangled scream, Sonny ran full force towards Will. He used the box in his hand to smash into Angelo's side, separating him from Will. The rose flew off into the distance.
"Sonny?" Will whispered in disbelief as he was jostled to the ground.
It took Paul a moment to respond. The only time he had seen Sonny react so violently was when Sonny punched him in the face those few weeks ago. But even that didn't match the savagery behind Sonny's punches.
Shaking himself out of it, Paul charged ahead.
Will pulled off perfectly placed punches and jabs into Anthony's side, desperate to shake off his grip.
Sonny wrestled Angelo to the ground, hitting his face over and over. He had lost the box in the tussle but he didn't care. This idiot hurt his husband. No one was allowed to hurt Will. He'd already suffered enough.
Angelo hissed in pain, trying to block the barrage of punches. His blade dropped to the grass beside him.
Paul cracked Anthony on the side of the head, getting him to fall to his knees.
"Will," Paul wrapped one arm around Will's waist and pulled him away from the scene. He placed his hand on Will's face, examining his wound.
"Will," Paul whispered again, wincing at the white peak of bone seeping through the smear of blood.
Will shook his head, wiping at the blood pooling around his eye, smearing his face with red.
"Where's-where's Sonny?" Will asked, looking around Paul's side.
Angelo's hand groped along the grass, fending off Sonny the best he could.
Will watched, heart pounding in his chest. It felt like he was watching the scene in slow motion like he knew what was going to happen and was powerless to stop it.
"Sonny!" Will screamed, voice breaking.
Angelo's fingers wrapped around the handle of the switchblade. He waited for the man's arm to raise back for another punch when he shoved his arm forward. The blade sunk into Sonny's shirt and flesh, bone crunching, blood flowing.
Sonny, arm held backward, gasped, breath hitching. His lips trembled, chest heaving. He slowly looked down, seeing the handle of the knife imbedded in his side.
Angelo finally looked into the newcomers face and paled.
"Get up," Anthony hissed at his brother from beside him. "Get up, now."
They both knew they had no other option. They could never show their face in Salem again, not after knifing Victor Kiriakis' nephew.
Anthony helped pull his brother out from under a shell-shocked Sonny Kiriakis. The two scrambled to their feet and ran away.
"Sonny!" Will screamed again. He yanked out of Paul's hold and dropped to his feet. "Sonny!"
Sonny, already on his knees, lilted forward. He would have collapsed face first if Will didn't catch him.
"Oh, god," Will gently pushed Sonny onto his back, unintentionally rolling him onto the smooshed box of Sonny's present. "Oh, god. Sonny, oh god."
Sonny, face and lips bright white, smiled when he saw Will.
"Will," Sonny croaked, eyes fluttering.
Will's hands hovered over the knife sticking out of Sonny's side. He didn't know what to do.
"I'm glad I'm with you," Sonny smiled, blood trickling out the corner of his mouth.
"No, no don't say that," Will begged. He grabbed one of Sonny's hands and clasped it between his own.
Paul hovered nearby. He did his best to ignore what he was seeing, both the horror of the scene and the implications behind Will's tone.
Focusing, Paul noticed Sonny's phone fell out of his jacket pocket in the melee. He picked it up and dialed 911.
"I need an ambulance to the oak street entrance of the park," Paul requested. "Someone's been stabbed. Yes," Paul answered, "The weapon is still inside. Alright, yes."
"I love you," Sonny promised, voice weak but certain. "And I am so sorry."
"Stop it," Will ordered. "You have to tell me later, okay?"
Will didn't even notice that he started to cry.
"I need you to know," Sonny argued, coughing. "I have never loved anyone the way I love you."
Will shook his head, panicking. He had to do something. Sonny was not going to die, not when it would be Will's fault.
Will's hand moved towards the knife again, blanching at all the blood.
"It's okay," Sonny coughed again. "I'm just glad I'm with you. I want the last thing I see to be your face."
"No," Will whispered. "You're not, you can't. Please, Sonny, please. If you ever loved me you won't leave me now."
"I do love you," Sonny reassured him, eyes closing. "Told you, you'd be my last love."
"No!" Will screamed when Sonny's eyes remained closed.
Will's hand closed around the knife when something clasped his wrist.
"Don't move it. It'll just make him bleed more," Paul stated, pulling Will's hand away. "We have to try to stop the bleeding as much as we can with it still inside."
Paul took off the light jacket he was wearing and bunched it around the knife.
Will watched on helplessly, eyes floating from Sonny's still face to the wound.
"Will," Paul touched his face, getting his attention. "Sonny needs you to do this, okay? He's still breathing, Will."
Will nodded, terrified.
"Paul, is he gonna-?" Will asked, unable to say the word.
"We're gonna make sure he's okay, together, alright?" Paul requested, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt.
If Will needed Paul to be strong, he'd be strong.
"Okay," Will replied, trusting Paul with everything he had in that moment.
Paul and Will held down the jacket around Sonny's wound as best they could. They tried their hardest to make sure they didn't touch the knife and cause any undue pain.
"He said," Will said brokenly, sobs wracking his body, "He said that-,"
"Don't do that, Will," Paul pleaded. "Don't. He's going to be fine."
Will opened his mouth to respond when Sonny emitted a pained, rattling sound and his chest stopped moving.
"Paul!" Will shouted. "Paul, do something!"
"Keep holding this," Paul ordered, taking his hands off the jacket. "Don't let go, Will."
Paul put his ear to Sonny's mouth. Nothing came out.
"I'm gonna do CPR," Paul told Will. He positioned Sonny's neck back, opening Sonny's mouth.
Will wailed as Paul pushed air into Sonny's lungs.
"Please," Will cried. "Oh, god, please."
Paul breathed into Sonny's mouth, hoping against hope that he would be alright. Paul wasn't happy with Sonny but he didn't wish him dead. He meant so much to Paul at one point. Sonny couldn't die, not like this, not in front of Will.
"Breathe, Sonny," Paul yelled angrily.
Paul loved Will. He knew that now. The events of the past half hour proved that. He wanted to be with Will more than anything. But not at the expense of Sonny's life. That wasn't a real victory. It would be a pairing out of necessity. Will would be with Paul only because he couldn't have Sonny. Paul would never know who Will really would have chosen.
"Damnit, Sonny," Paul wanted to scream when he remained motionless. "Come on."
Paul tried one more time, Will's broken cries echoing across the empty park.
Finally, finally, Sonny's chest moved.
"Thank god," Paul sighed. "Will, Will, look."
Will's sobs were deafened by the ambulance siren permeating the air. The blue and red flashing lights highlighted Sonny's drawn face.
"Over here," Paul shouted as he moved to his feet and waved his arms around. "We're over here!"
Will, keeping his hold on Sonny's wounds, laid his head on Sonny's stomach.
"Please, Sonny, please wake up," Will begged. "Please!"
Three paramedics and a gurney raced to their side. They unceremoniously shoved Will aside, assessing Sonny's damage.
"Call the hospital," one of the paramedics noted. "We need the ER ready when we get there."
"Lift him on one, two, three," another counted down as they lifted Sonny and rushed him to the ambulance.
Will, too stunned, didn't move to follow them. Instead, he stared at the smashed box lying in the place Sonny just vacated. Will reached out and opened the ruined box. He pulled out a journal.
It was warm and sticky. Will turned it over to see an anchor on the front cover. An anchor that was once white and now stained red.
Sonny's blood, Will realized, staring at the book. Anchor, I'm his anchor. So much blood.
"Will," Paul kneeled beside him. "Will, we need to get to the hospital."
"What?" Will startled, tilting his head, holding the journal reverently.
"Hospital," Paul repeated desperately. "Come on, baby. I need you to get up."
"Oh," Will nodded, allowing Paul to pull him to his feet.
Paul reached out oh-so-gently and wiped the still trickling blood smeared over Will's eye.
Will winced. He forgot his own wound in the aftermath of Sonny's presence. He forgot the blood blocking his vision and gooping along his eyelashes.
"Sorry," Paul frowned.
"S'alright," Will mumbled as everything came rushing to him.
His vow to make a decision, walking right into Paul. The stone safe and snug in his pocket. The strange men, the knife against his brow. And Sonny. Sonny coming out of nowhere and leaving in the back of an ambulance.
Will's lips trembled, chest heaving.
I put my choice in fate's hands, Will grasped. And now Sonny could be dead.
"It's my fault," Will whispered, horrifying realization washing over him.
"No," Paul denied. "None of this is your fault, Will. It was an accident. A horrible, horrible accident."
"I decided," Will didn't hear Paul at all. "I decided and fate took him away. It's my fault."
Paul didn't understand anything Will was saying.
"Will, no," Paul argued. "None of this is your fault."
Paul cupped Will's face with both hands, forcing him to focus.
"Sonny is going to be fine. He is probably already at the hospital," Paul stated. "Which is where we need to be."
"He's going to be okay?" Will asked child-like and innocent.
"The hospital staff will do their best," Paul promised.
"Because of you," Will knew.
Paul was the one to call an ambulance. He was the one to keep his head while Will panicked and cried.
Sonny's alive because of Paul, Will gasped. He saved Sonny, literally breathed life into him.
"I did what I could," Paul nodded. "But Will you need to get to the hospital. You need to get checked out and find out about Sonny."
"You saved him," Will breathed.
"I-I did my best," Paul agreed. "Now, Will, please. I can't look at your eyebrow anymore."
Paul felt like if he saw any more blood he would be sick.
"You saved him," Will reiterated, body quivering. "You saved him."
Will threw his arms around Paul, clinging. The journal smoothed between them.
Will kept repeating his mantra over and over against his sobs.
"It's okay," Paul ignored the ache in his shoulder to hold Will against him. "It's okay."
Author's note:
Then Sonny dies and Will and Paul make plans for their future on Sonny's grave. The end.
Just kidding, I'm not as stupid as the show. Although, Victor bringing Will at gunpoint to yell at him will always be one of several (!) moments I hated on the show. So, fuck Victor, he just caused Sonny to be stabbed.
Thanks for reading!
Also, sorry for the delay in posting. I had internet troubles.