Brian held the door open for Sonny and then followed him into the pub. Sonny immediately went over to the booth in the corner and sat down. Brian followed him, looking around the see who was working. "Is Will working tonight?" he asked as he sat down in front of Sonny.

"I don't know." Sonny said. "I was just in the mood for chowder tonight."

"Okay." Brian said picking up the menu from the table. He began looking over the choices, not that he really needed to, at this point he practically knew the menu by heart.

Sonny was about to pick up his own menu when the bell above the door jingled as the door opened. He looked up and nearly groaned when Paul walked in. So far he had managed to avoid him since their talk at the club.

Brian looked up and followed his gaze. "Is that…" he began and then chuckled. "Nah, not in this small town." He muttered, dismissing his own question, turning his attention back to his menu.

He was debating between a burger and a grilled chicken sandwich when Paul walked up to the edge of the table.

"Sonny" he said. "How are you doing?"

Brian's eyes flew to Sonny's and he raised an eyebrow.

"Good." Sonny said. "Paul, this is my fiancé Brian, Brian meet Paul Narita." Sonny made the introduction that he had been dreading.

Brian immediately stood and offered his hand to Paul. "Major league pitcher, Paul Narita?" he asked.

Paul grinned the cocky grin that Sonny knew so well. "One and the same." He said, shaking Brian's proffered hand. "So nice to meet you, I have heard a lot about you."

"How's that?" Brian asked looking at Sonny expectantly.

"Paul and I have been friends for a long time. He stopped by the club last week when he got into town." Sonny answered. "We had a little time to catch up."

"I see." Brian said. "I had no idea that the two of you knew each other."

"Like I said we were friends years ago." Sonny explained, praying that Brian would just drop the subject.

"Would you like to join us?" Brian asked.

"Sure." Paul said agreeably.

Sonny scowled at Paul but he got up and moved around to sit with Brian so that Paul could take the seat across from them.

They all sat back down and the waitress came up to take their drink order. They all ordered beer and she went to get them. "So what's good here?" Paul asked, giving the menu a cursory glance.

"Basically everything, but they are famous for their clam chowder." Sonny answered.

"I will have that then." Paul said decisively, putting the menu to the side. He looked over at Brian. "So when Sonny and I talked the other day, he said you are almost done with med school. " He said making conversation.

Brian nodded. "A few more months of classes and then my residency." He said. "It has taken me along time and a lot of work, but it has always been my dream."

"Then it was worth it right?" Paul said. "Baseball was always my dream, and I worked for it, sacrificed for it… I have given up a lot for my dream, way more than I ever should have. But I did get to live my dream for a few years anyway."

"What do you mean?" Brian asked. "It sounds like you are saying that you are done with baseball."

Paul nodded, "Yeah, I threw my shoulder out, so playing is a thing of the past for me… but a really close friend pointed out to me recently that I could coach or something."

"Well with your expertise, any team would be lucky to have you." Brian said.

"Thanks man that means a lot." Paul said as the waitress appeared with their beer and took their food order.

"So what brings you to Salem." Brian asked.

Paul's eyes met Sonny's across the table as he took a minute to consider his answer.

"Well, I needed a quiet town to have my surgery, heal, and get my physical therapy behind me." Paul said, "And I knew that Sonny lived here, so I thought it may be fun for us to catch up."

"But I haven't so much as seen your name at the hospital anywhere." Brian said.

"Yeah, I have an alias there, I really didn't want the press to find me." Paul answered.

"That makes a lot of sense." Brian agreed, turning to look at Sonny. "You've been pretty quiet. Why don't you tell me how you met and befriended a major league baseball player?"

Sonny shrugged. "Uncle Vic offered me his box anytime I wanted to go to a game, and you know him, nothing but the best. The entrance to his box was on the club floor, where the player's lounge is located. One day I was there to see a game, I was in a hurry, running late, not paying attention to where I was going and I ran into Paul, recognized him and asked for a picture and an autograph." He said cutting the story short.

"And you two become close over the minute that it took to snap and picture and sign a piece of paper?" Brian asked confused. "How did you two know how to find each other?"

"He is leaving out a big chunk of the story." Paul said. "He didn't bump into me, he practically ran me over. And he was carrying what must have been the biggest drink sold anywhere in the continental United States." He said chuckling at the memory. "Anyway so he spilled the drink all over my uniform, I was soaked, and he was mortified. He bumbled his way through an apology, and it was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen in my life. I refused his apology and said that it was clearly my fault, and asked him to let me buy him another drink after the game. He accepted so I asked him to meet me at a local bar later that night. We met, and quickly became…." Paul paused and took a sip of his beer, before he finished. "friends."

"Wait…." Brian said, trying to understand. "You said you thought Sonny apologizing was the cutest thing ever…. So are you saying that you are…, I mean are you… " he stopped mid sentence and looked from Sonny to Paul.

"Yes, I am Gay." Paul answered his unspoken question.

Brian was quiet for a minute. "So are you two…. Were you… " he stopped, "I mean did you two have a uh…" he stopped again, since he couldn't seem for formulate a coherent sentence.

Sonny put his hands on Brian's arm. "Yeah, a long time ago we were." He answered.

"I see…." Brian said. "You never mentioned it to me." He accused.

"That wouldn't be his fault, it would be mine." Paul interjected. "I swore him to secrecy… in the end that was what ruined things for us."

"I don't see why we have to dredge up our past." Sonny said, "Anything that was between us was over a long time ago."

"Well." Paul said, stalling…. trying to decide how far he wanted to push things at that moment.

"I think I get it." Brian said, trying to keep his voice even. "No more need for secrecy in your life… so you are back for what you lost?" he bit out.

"Something like that." Paul agreed.

"That is not going to happen." Sonny said angrily. "I love Brian, we are getting married, there isn't room in my life for you or anyone else."

Brian stood. "Well Paul, meeting you was certainly enlightening." He sneered.

The waitress walked up with a tray laden with food. "I think we will take ours to go." Brian said in a clipped tone. She nodded and went back to the kitchen to box up the food.

Sonny scooted out of the booth, without a word for Paul and headed over to the counter to pay and wait for the food. Even though he was no longer hungry, and he was pretty sure that Brian wasn't going to eat either.

"You know I am not going to give him up without a fight." Brian said to Paul before he turned and walked out of the door.

Sonny got the food and hurried out the door, easily catching up with Brian.

Brian was silent the entire walk back to their apartment, and Sonny allowed him his space until they were inside.

"Can you just say something please?" He asked when Brian went over and sat on the couch.

"What is there to say?" Brian asked. "You didn't tell me that you knew him, you certainly never said that you dated him." Brian said. "And he's back now. How long has he been back by the way?"

"Well he had his surgery here and he has already almost completed his therapy. " Sonny answered. "So I guess a couple of months."

"So he has been here, in Salem, for a couple of months?" Brian asked. "And you two have been catching up… for a couple of months and you didn't think this was something that I needed to know?"

"No." Sonny snapped. "I only saw him once about two weeks ago."

"And why didn't you tell me then?" Brian asked.

"Because none of it matters." Sonny said sitting beside Brian on the couch, "I told him that I am with you, I told him we are getting married, that I am not interested in anyone else. I told him that I love you."

"You still should have told me." Brian accused.

"I could have." Sonny agreed, "But you already get tense and defensive when Will is around and I didn't want to add to that. Especially when there is nothing going on."

"I've never understood why you insist on being best friends with Will after all he put you through." Brian admitted.

"Will and I have been through a lot together." Sonny said. "We have a complicated past, but Will is a good guy, and he is a good friend."

"Now this major league super star shows up…" Brian said. "How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"Hey." Sonny said, taking Brian's hands, "I am with you, I am marrying you. You have me, you don't have to compete with anyone." He promised. "They are the one's competing with you."

Brian nodded. "Thanks for saying that, But I know how fiercely you loved Will…"

"I did." Sonny said, "But he broke my trust, and you helped me find myself again. I fell in love with you then, and I love you now."

"Fine." Brian said. "You're right you are with me and they don't matter, but don't expect me to be inviting them over anytime soon."

"Deal!" Sonny said wrapping his arms around Brian, pulling him close.

"I have to admit." Brian said grudgingly. "It was kind of hot to have you tell a major league baseball star to Fuck off for me."

"Yeah?" Sonny said. "How hot?"

"Let me show you." Brian said, pulling Sonny even closer, capturing Sonny's lips in a kiss.