Chad was beginning to get annoyed that he'd been standing at the door knocking for almost two minutes. Frustrated, Chad pulled on the handle and was a little startled that the door swung open.

"Will," he called out, closing the door behind him. Hearing no response Chad walked down the hall towards Will's room.

"Dude," said with an irritated tone, "Why didn't you answer the door? And why was it unlocked anyway, any creeper could get in here." Chad looked at Will in concern, noting he was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling blankly. "Uh, what's wrong?"

Getting no response Chad grabbed the empty water bottle next to Will and whacked him over the head with it, "Hey! Focus here."

Blinking rapidly Will moved his head out of the way, "Hey, would you stop that?"

"Oh, good, you're awake. I thought I was going to have to slap you," Chad breathed out relieved. He jumped next to Will on the bed, jostling him slightly. "So, what was with the zombie act there?"

"I'm not sure," Will admitted, reaching up to grab his throat. "I was with Neil and it was like I just fell asleep even though I was awake."

"Neil, huh," Chad questioned. "What did he want to talk to you about?"

"Um, he talked about you know, Sonny and Paul. He was upset but he forgave me," Will told Chad, rubbing at his neck.

"Forgave you? I thought he wasn't your boyfriend. Why would you need to be forgiven," Chad asked 'Something's wrong here.'

"Because I broke my promise," Will said completely serious. "I was bad."

"I know I call you little buddy but you're not five," Chad said face scrunched up in confusion.

"I know. I just, I needed him to believe I was sorry. And he did. I proved it to him," Will replied still uncertain by the situation.

"Sounds messed up to me," Chad told him honestly.

Will chuckled, "Yeah. But it made me feel better. I don't like it when people are pissed at me."

"Why are you touching your neck so much," Chad asked, turning on his side to face Will.

"Oh, just kind of sore," Will disclosed forcing his hands to move to the bed so he wouldn't touch anymore.

"Boyfriends too rough with their teeth," Chad jokingly asked.

"Uh, no, Neil kind of grabbed it and kissed me," Will said with a blush.

"Dude, what the fuck," Chad blurted out. Moving Will's head to the side, "That douche. Why was he touching you? Or kissing you?"

"That's what he wanted so he could forgive me," Will said with a sheepish shrug. "It made more sense at the time."

Side eyeing Will, Chad sighed, 'That jackass needs to go.' "You do not need him confusing you anymore Will. Or touching you like that. In fact, no one should touch you like that."

"I didn't tell him to stop though," Will said quietly, feeling odd about the whole thing.

"That doesn't mean you wanted it," Chad told Will looking him in the eyes, "If you didn't understand than he shouldn't have done it."

"I guess," Will told him, contemplating it.

"Plus, your boys might be a little pissed, don't you think," Chad asked raising his eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah, I guess so. I just, it just felt right in the moment. Like that's what I had to do," Will admitted. 'Oh my god why did I let Neil do that?' For the first time the reality of the situation was hitting him.

"Did you tell him you weren't going to see him again," Chad asked somehow already knowing the answer.

Will shook his head sadly, 'What is wrong with me?'

"You probably should," Chad suggested. "Or else he's going to keep thinking that's OK."

Will stood up off the bed. He felt so drained from everything that happened that morning and afternoon. He never would have guessed his day would go from one extreme to the next. 'And I still need to pack.' Will gathered the pile of clothes he dropped on the floor earlier and started packing.

"So, this weekend alone thing," Chad started, "Are you actually going to think about everything or what?"

"Yeah," Will told him carelessly shoving things in his bag. "I think I need to really think about it all. I mean, everything is still confusing to me. And everyone keeps trying to convince me of something new. I just want to be able to decide for myself what I want."

"That's probably the smartest thing you've said in a while," Chad told him teasingly. "So that intervention didn't go the way everyone thought it would."

"Well, no," Will said, "I didn't just agree to do whatever they wanted me to."

"Yeah that really threw them off," Chad said with a chuckle. "I think you confused them as much as they confused you."

"Good," Will muttered squishing his boxers in the bag. "Now they can feel what it's like."

"I'm kind of surprised you haven't exploded on anyone yet," Chad commented, standing up, snatching the bag from Will and re-packing it.

"I think I'm too confused to be angry really," Will said looking at the floor.

"And," Chad asked looking at Will, knowing there was more.

"And I just, I don't know, I think they might be right. It's hard to be mad when I'm feeling the same thing" Will confessed quietly.

"That Sonny and Paul are bad for you," Chad confirmed in shock. 'Huh.'

Shrugging Will replied, "That I'm just an experiment they're going to get tired of eventually."

"If you really think that than maybe you shouldn't be with them," Chad advised. 'I did not see this coming.'

"That's why I agreed to go to the hotel. I need to really think about everything," Will said, handing a pair of socks to Chad to pack.

"I'm not saying I want you with them or not dude but maybe you should tell them either way," Chad suggested.

"I will. Just after I figure out what I'm feeling," Will promised. Will pulled out a pair of pajamas and handed them over.

"So, how crazy was it that Adrienne felt bad for you," Chad laughed, changing the subject, "I think she wanted to hold you in her arms and rock you to sleep."

"Yeah what was that all about," Will laughed along. "It was a far cry from calling me a whore this morning."

"You're not, you know," Chad told Will softly, pausing to look at Will's face.

"You don't think so," Will asked shyly, looking at the floor.

"You've only slept with Gabi for starters," Chad elaborated. "You didn't go looking for Sonny and Paul. They came to you."

"I know. I'm just afraid that if I do sleep with them than everyone will think I am," Will told Chad truthfully.

"Who cares what they think," Chad explained. "You're not a whore or a slut or any other bad thing."

"I care," Will whispered. "People already judge me based on my parents. I mean look at Adrienne. I don't want to deal with that all over again."

"I guess it's a good thing you're going to get some time to think about all this," Chad decided, clapping Will on the shoulder, "Is this everything?"

"Just let me get some stuff from the bathroom," Will told him with a grateful smile before leaving the room.

Chad fiddled with Will's phone after he took it from his packet. 'I really hope they stay away at least a little while. Give Will some time to weigh all his options.'

Will came back in the room shoving a small bag of toiletries in his already full dufflebag. He stuffed his laptop and charger in his backpack quickly. "OK, I'm ready."

"You know it's only like three nights right," Chad asked amused by the amount of crap Will was taking.

"Shut up. I don't know what I'm going to need," Will said with a chuckle, elbowing Chad as they walked out the door.

Will sat on the big hotel bed feeling uncomfortable. Despite knowing he was alone he still felt odd. His laptop was open and he was attempting to research more about a relationship with three people. The results so far hadn't been too favorable. No matter what he typed in the search engine he could only find porn. 'There has to be some secret phrase I don't know about.'

Staring at the screen morosely Will snapped it shut. The porn might come in handy at a later date but right now it was just annoying him. 'It has to be about more than sex. We can't be the only ones who feel this way.'

On top of that Will felt terrible that he kept leading Neil on. He also wasn't even sure what had happened earlier with Neil. He could try to look it up online but was almost certain the results would terrify him.

Will knew on an instinctual level he enjoyed Neil telling him what to do. But he also knew he would have liked it even if it wasn't Neil doing it. Neil almost wasn't even a factor. Everything in his life was confusing enough he didn't need Neil adding to it. 'I'm gonna have to tell him we can only be friends.'

Will felt so frustrated with himself. 'Why did I let him kiss me? Are Sonny and Paul going to be mad at me?'

Still unsettled Will quickly changed into his workout gear and headed down the elevator hoping to work off some of his frustration. After asking the bellboy for directions Will made it to the hotel's gym. Spotting tape near a punching bag Will automatically started wrapping his hands up. He remembered his Uncle Austin showing him this in Switzerland. The proper way to box so he wouldn't injure himself. It had been a long time since he had done it but he really needed it now.

With each punch Will contemplated all of his issues:

'I like Sonny and Paul, I know I do, but how is this going to work? How do I fit in with their relationship?'

Punch

'Will they wait for me to decide if I don't want to have sex right away?'

Punch

'What happens if they break up? Do we all break up?

Punch

'What if one of them decides they don't want me?'

Punch

'Are we going to go on dates?'

Punch

'What will Mom think?'

Punch

'EJ?'

Punch

'Adrienne?'

Punch

'What am I going to do about Neil?'

Punch

'Will I get jealous that they live together?'

Punch

'Can I handle seeing them kiss?'

Punch

'Fuck?'

Punch

'Are they worth it?'

Punch Punch Punch

After almost a half hour Will was exhausted and dripping with sweat. His muscled ached. Grabbing a towel Will wiped himself down. He chugged the water bottle he brought, panting. He walked to his room almost in a daze.

Inside his room, Will seized his pajamas and tossed them in the bathroom. He was just about to start the water in the shower when he heard a knock at the door. 'I'm really beginning to hate that sound.'

Will opened the door completely startled to see Paul and Sonny grinning before him.

Chad looked down at his phone anxiously. He sent Sonny a message saying to leave Will alone at the hotel until tomorrow. But he hadn't gotten a response yet. 'Please just give him time to think before he does something stupid.'

Chad watched EJ pour himself another Scotch and told his brother offhandedly, "You're going to become an alcoholic at this rate."

Ignoring his comments, EJ spoke aloud, "Just tell me again what happened."

"I told you all I know," Chad said with a roll of his eyes, "He grabbed Will or choked him or something. He got in Will's head and played around with him."

EJ growled, "I'm going to kill him."

"But not literally right," Chad asked in concern, "Will would freak out if you killed his douchey friend."

"I meant what I said," EJ muttered lowly. "He came into my home reassuring me of his devotion to William only to do this."

"Can't we just scare him off or trash him on the internet," Chad wondered in exasperation, "Why is murder always the first option in this family?"

"It's quicker," EJ informed Chad sardonically. "But first I need to know what he's planning to do with William."

"Couldn't you just ask him before you kill him," Chad questioned.

"You're not very good at this," EJ told him nonchalantly. EJ opened his laptop and began talking to himself, "Let's see how good he is at protecting his privacy."

Chad watched on in fascination as EJ used a program to hack into Neil's computer. "That was a little too easy," he stated lightly. 'Damn am I glad I let Will handle these things for me.'

"Here we go," EJ said triumphantly looking at Neil's internet history. "Facebook, Salem U website and redtube."

"Are we really going to see what kind of porn he watches," Chad asked uneasily. "That's a new level of weird even for you."

"If you aren't comfortable enough in your sexuality for this I suggest you leave," EJ replied in a dry tone. "It's just men having sex."

"Kinky sex by the looks of it," Chad said slyly getting a look at the titles in Neil's history. "Slut rides monster cock; sub on his knees; punishing my baby boy."

Chad and EJ looked at each other before EJ clicked the link for the last video.

The two watched as an older man slapped a younger, crying boy before grabbing him by the throat and squeezing harshly. EJ paused the video just as the boy was being bent over the older man's knees to be spanked.

"That son of a bitch," EJ hissed.

"Alright, let's talk," Sami said bossily, sunglasses on despite being inside.

"You're making us even more conspicuous," Adrienne said with an eye roll. 'Why did I ask her here?'

"Fine," Sami huffed pushing her sunglasses on top of her head, "OK, since it's apparent EJ is shutting us out we need to do something ourselves."

'Oh, right,' Adrienne remembered. Shortly after Will left the mansion EJ kicked both Adrienne and Sami out saying he had work to do without them getting in his way. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, now that it's clear Will is a victim in this we need to focus on getting Paul and Sonny away from him," Sami said like it was obvious.

Gritting her teeth Adrienne said sternly, "I'll admit Will isn't the entire problem but don't even start right now."

"Fine," Sami agreed crossing her arms.

"Now, how do we keep them apart without making it noticeable," Adrienne asked crossly.

"Neil," Sami said plainly. "He's nice looking, he likes Will and he isn't engaged to someone else."

"OK, or that Brian guy," Adrienne added.

"No, EJ hates him. We don't want to piss him off too badly," Sami said. "We have to be stealthy."

"Yeah that's probably a good idea," Adrienne admitted. 'Well she would know about how to scheme properly.'

"OK, I'll get in contact with Neil," Sami said, "And you try to find a way to keep Sonny and Paul occupied."

"I did hear talks of a wedding planning event at the convention center," Adrienne mused.

"Perfect," Sami said standing up. "Now, we never had this conversation."

"Nope," Adrienne agreed. They both walked out the door of Common Grounds going in opposite directions.

"Oh," Will said in surprise.

"Hey," Sonny answered with a wide grin. His eyes took in Will's tight tank top and shorts, plus the way his skin glistened with sweat. 'Damn'

Paul grinned in appreciation. "What's up with the taped knuckles, you beat anyone up," Paul asked jokingly.

"Just the punching bad," Will said with a shrug, one arm clutching his opposite elbow, feeling shy.

"You box," Sonny asked quietly. 'He's so hot.'

"Yeah, sometimes," Will admitted. "My Uncle Austin used to be a boxer and he taught me when I lived with him."

"Wow, baby," Paul said with a suggestive chuckle.

Will flushed, his skin already feeling warm from exertion, "Um, yeah. I wasn't expecting you."

"That's why it's called a surprise," Paul laughed. "So, you gonna let us in?"

"Oh, right," Will said uncertainly.

"Hey," Sonny said softly. "Everything OK? Chad told us where you were staying."

"I just, I just um I need to take a shower," Will told him. 'And I need to figure out what to do about all of this.'

"So you go take a shower and we'll wait over here," Paul said with a shrug, not seeing the big deal.

"Yeah," Will said softly. He opened the door wider to let them inside. 'OK, I can talk to them about how I'm feeling.' "I'm just gonna go, yeah," Will stuttered out before disappearing into the bathroom.

Sonny looked at Will oddly, "OK, that was weird."

"He's probably just embarrassed we saw him all sweaty. He's cute like that," Paul said sitting on the bed. "This bed is pretty big," he commented with a dirty smirk.

"Keep talking like that and you'll be the only one in it," Sonny promised looking at Paul in distaste. "Will still looked nervous about something."

"Well when he gets out ask him," Paul said with a roll of his eyes. Sonny had been getting on his last nerve lately.

"I plan to," Sonny huffed out. 'What is his deal?'

Will walked out of the bathroom in a pair of old pajamas. He noticed the annoyed looks on both Sonny and Paul's faces. 'Are they mad at me?' "Hey."

Paul and Sonny both turned to look at Will, expressions softening.

"Come here," Sonny asked softly, patting the bed in between him and Paul.

Will couldn't help but note the difference between how Sonny asked and how Neil asked. He felt compelled to obey either way but preferred Sonny's way of telling him what to do.

Will situated himself between the two, smiling a bit when they each laced their fingers with his. 'I definitely like this part.'

"Will, I want you to be honest," Sonny asked looking troubled, "Why were you so weird when you answered the door?"

"Honest," Will clarified looking at both of their faces. Sighing deeply Will began, "It's just, I told EJ I would spend this weekend thinking things through and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to if you're here."

"Why do you need to think things through," Paul asked, baffled. 'I thought we settled everything.'

"I just, I just do," Will said, looking at his knees, pretending to be fascinated in the hole in his pants near his kneecap.

"Honest, Will," Sonny reminded him gently, "You said you would be honest."

"I'm still really confused," Will admitted, "About us."

"What about us," Sonny asked again, throwing Paul a glare when he was going to open his mouth.

"I don't really understand how it's going to work," Will admitted sadly. "I think I need you to explain it to me. All of it. Everything you want."

"I thought we already made that clear, though," Paul said, glaring back at Sonny.

"You told me, but I still have questions," Will told him firmly, "And I want answers before anything else can happen."

Sonny smiled slightly, he liked it when Will was adamant about things, "Whatever you want to know, go ahead."

"What do we tell people," Will asked, twisting the bracelet on Sonny's wrist.

Paul poked Will in the side, "We don't have to tell anyone anything if you don't want us to. But I have no problem telling anyone about my hot new boyfriend."

"That's another thing I don't get," Will said, now that he started talking he wasn't sure he could stop, "You two are engaged. You're getting married. How do I fit in this equation? Am I just something fun for you to play with until you get married?"

"No, Will," Sonny told him patiently. "Paul and I both have feelings for you. OK, feelings that transcend sex. You definitely aren't just some hot boy toy we want to experiment with. We're going to be like any other relationship. They'll just be three of us instead of two."

"Are you getting married still," Will wondered, looking between the two of them.

Paul and Sonny both paused, silent.

"We aren't planning to get married any time soon," Paul admitted softly. "But until everything settles between us we'll just say that it's postponed."

Sonny nodded, not sure how to feel about it, "Yeah, definitely no wedding planning."

Will tried not to look as relieved as he felt. "How are we supposed to act? Are there rules we need to follow? Am I only allowed to spend time with both of you?"

"I don't think there's any rules in these types of situations," Paul told Will looking at him sweetly, "And I think it would be impossible for us to only spend time all together."

"So, if I want to study at Common Grounds I can spend my breaks kissing Sonny," Will questioned, "Or if I want to watch cheesy Hallmark movies I can cuddle with Paul, and no one will be mad?"

"Hey, I do not watch those movies," Paul said with a red face.

"OK, liar," Sonny told him pointedly, "But Will that's fine. If this is going to work we all have to be committed to it. I know I want to be with you and Paul. Paul wants to be with you and me. Do you want to be with both of us?"

"Yes," Will said immediately. "I've had a crush on you for forever, Sonny. And I started liking you, Paul, a few weeks ago, once you stopped hating me," Will laughed. "I just, I've spent all this time thinking that it was impossible to feel this way. That having feelings for either of you was wrong. I wouldn't even let myself imagine anything of this sort because I felt too guilty."

"I didn't have that problem," Paul muttered to himself. 'I definitely didn't.'

"We're aware, you're as subtle as a bulldozer," Sonny informed him smartly. "Will, that just proves how loyal you really are. You were going to such extremes to make sure you didn't do anything to make us uncomfortable. That's one of the reasons I like you so much."

Will smiled to himself. "Oh," he said suddenly remembering, "But what about our families? Mom and EJ pretty much hate you right now. I don't want them to do anything."

"As much as going up against EJ terrifies me," Paul told Will confidently, "We're willing to do whatever it takes to prove to him we're serious about you."

"We might be unconventional," Sonny told Will, "But I'm certain once everyone sees that we're committed to each other then they'll try to understand."

"You won't leave me even when EJ tries to take over your lives," Will asked, somewhere between dead serious and teasing.

"Nope," Sonny promised. "You're kind of stuck with us now. Because even if you decide you need more time we're still going to be here waiting for you."

"Yep," Paul said brightly, throwing his long arm around Will and Sonny. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

"I think that you just need to decide whether it's worth the risk," Sonny told Will suddenly, "If you're prepared to possibly be hurt. If we're worth the hurt."

Will smiled to himself. He was still a bit confused about how everything would work out but they talked about some of his fears. 'Sonny was right anyway,' Will thought to himself. 'We might not work out but I won't know it if I don't take the risk.'

Will slowly turned on his knees until he was facing Paul and Sonny. He smiled shyly and kissed their cheeks one right after the other. "You might still need to help me through this but I think this is what I really want."

"That's more like it," Paul whispered happily. "Now come here," he slipped his hand behind Will's neck and tried to pull Will in for a proper kiss when Will pulled away suddenly, clasping his throat.

"I still have to tell you something," Will said frowning at the two. "Um, I just, I don't really know how it happened. Or why. But Neil kissed me. Today, in my room."

"Excuse me," Paul gritted out angrily. 'What the fuck?'

"Will," Sonny said sharply, "You need to explain what happened."

"Neil was at the weird intervention that EJ planned for me," Will started off, not sure if they knew about it or not, when he saw them nod their heads he continued, "He took me home so I could pack. He wouldn't say anything to me. He just stared at me. I just wanted him to get mad at me. Or, or something."

"Then what happened," Sonny asked Will with a scowl.

"I just, I kept telling him I was sorry. Because I am. I didn't mean to lead him on but I didn't even know we were a possibility. I felt bad that he was hurt," Will tried to explain. But even Will had a hard time understanding it himself.

"What, so you kissed him," Paul questioned, upset.

"No! No I just I asked what I could do and he started talking about you two. Making me question if we would work out or not," Will told them sheepishly. "Then he told me I was bad. But he understood that I try really hard to be good. So, he told me to close my eyes and he kissed me. Then he said he forgave me."

Sonny stared at Will in shock. 'What the hell did Neil just try to do?'

"You can't be around him anymore," Paul told Will. "This time isn't even me being jealous anymore. This is me telling you he is bad for you."

"Bad for me? He only hurt me a little," Will admitted to Paul, head titled in confusion, hands stroking his throat.

Sonny moved Will's hands out of the way, eyebrows raising at the tiny, faint thumb-shaped bruises. "Will, what is this?"

"Neil grabbed me. He was talking about the marks you left," Will told them in a soft voice. "I know he shouldn't have but why are you both looking at me like that?"

"Will, did you let him do that," Sonny asked completely concerned.

"I don't know," Will said slowly, "I didn't know he was going to do that. I didn't really understand why he did either. Will you explain it to me?"

"First, you have to promise you'll stay away from him," Paul demanded with his arms crossed, eyes locked on Will's neck.

"Can I at least tell him in person I can't see him anymore," Will asked meekly.

"No," Paul said strongly, leaving no room for arguments.

"OK," Will promised without a fight.

Sonny glanced at Paul, "We'll tell him for you, Will."

"Can you tell me what happened now," Will questioned still confused.

"Neil was clearly trying something out on you that he shouldn't have," Sonny said carefully. 'Jesus how do we even explain this?'

"Did you like it," Paul asked suddenly. He was finally looking at Will again. "Did you like it when he told you what to do?"

"I guess," Will said, "I was mostly just confused and scared. But I did it. He was talking about me being good and I wanted to prove that I was. Why? What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Paul said softly. "It just means that you don't like disappointing anyone."

Sonny, staring at Paul strangely, "Neil's bad news. Just let us deal with him."

"OK," Will said with a nod. "I trust you."

"And you can't kiss anyone else either," Paul told Will sternly. "You're only allowed to be with us. Only we get to kiss you. Or touch you. Or tell you what to do."

"OK," Will said simply. "But EJ tells me what to do all the time so that might be difficult."

Trying not to laugh at Will, Sonny assured him, "That's a little different. Don't worry."

'It's not that different,' Paul mused.

"Speaking of EJ," Will said with a bright smile, "Since he's paying for the room I want room service."

Author's note:

Chad and EJ are on to Neil so it's only a matter of time for him. Of course that might conflict with what Adrienne and Sami are planning. And what Paul and Sonny are going to do.

Also, Will has a bit more reassurances about his relationship now. It's still going to be hard for him but at least he knows where he stands with Paul and Sonny. I think he definitely needed to talk to them again before he jumped into anything serious.

Thanks to any guest reviewers that I can't reply to.

Please review with any comments or critiques. Good or bad I'd like to hear them. There's been some healthy debate over Will's characterization in this fic. I definitely welcome this kind of discussion with me. Please let me know anything that you have concerns over or find extremely annoying.

Also, there will be smut coming soon. I promise.