The Definitive Guide to Limo Hire Sydney
Welcome to the epitome of luxury and sophistication in Sydney, a city that sparkles with more than just its iconic Opera House and majestic Harbour Bridge. As you seek to immerse yourself in the vibrant culture and dynamic lifestyle that Sydney is renowned for, consider elevating your experience from the ordinary to the extraordinary. This definitive guide to limo hire in Sydney is your passport to exploring the city in unparalleled style and comfort. Whether you're marking a significant occasion, conducting business, or simply indulging in the pleasure of luxury travel, limo hire presents an opportunity to make every moment memorable.
Sydney, with its blend of stunning natural beauty, bustling urban life, and rich cultural tapestry, offers the perfect backdrop for limousine travel. Beyond mere transportation, limo hire in this magnificent city is about crafting unforgettable experiences, making bold statements, and enjoying the seamless fusion of convenience and opulence. As we navigate through the essentials of limo hire, from the plush comforts of the vehicles to the professionalism of the chauffeurs, and the surprisingly accessible luxury they represent, you'll discover how to transform your Sydney journey into an adventure marked by elegance and exclusivity.
Join us as we delve into the heart of luxury travel in Sydney, guiding you through the benefits, options, and practical tips for hiring a limousine. Prepare to elevate your Sydney visit into an extraordinary exploration, where every journey underscores the magic of the city and the unforgettable moments it hosts.
The Professional Chauffeurs: Your Guide and Guardian
In the realm of luxury travel, the significance of a professional chauffeur cannot be overstated. These individuals do more than simply transport you from one location to another; they ensure your journey through Sydney is as seamless and enjoyable as possible. A professional chauffeur embodies the roles of a navigator, a confidante, and an expert in logistic precision. With an intimate knowledge of Sydney's sprawling metropolis, they adeptly avoid traffic snarls and navigate the most efficient routes, all while ensuring safety and comfort.
The value of a chauffeur lies in their ability to transform any drive into a curated experience. They possess a keen understanding of Sydney’s cultural heartbeat, offering insights into the city’s hidden gems, from secluded beaches to the finest dining. This personalized touch turns a simple transfer into an exclusive tour, enriched with local knowledge and tailored to your interests.
Moreover, the professionalism of chauffeurs extends to their meticulous attention to detail and commitment to exceptional service. Dressed impeccably, communicating courteously, and acting with discretion, they uphold the highest standards of hospitality. For business travelers, this means arriving at meetings on time and in the right mindset. For tourists, it means a journey that complements and enhances their exploration of Sydney. Ultimately, the chauffeur is your guardian, ensuring that every aspect of your travel is managed with precision and care, making your experience stress-free and thoroughly enjoyable.
Tailoring Your Sydney Limo Experience
Customization is at the heart of the luxury limousine experience in Sydney. The city, known for its dynamic culture and breathtaking landscapes, offers a canvas for creating personalized journeys. Limousine services in Sydney stand ready to tailor every facet of your trip, ensuring that your travel desires are not just met but surpassed. This bespoke approach allows for the customization of routes, on-board amenities, and even the theme of the journey, ensuring that every detail resonates with your personal taste and requirements.
Whether you're planning a surprise romantic getaway, complete with champagne and a sunset view of the Opera House, or organizing a meticulous corporate itinerary that demands precision and flexibility, limousine services adapt to your needs. The process of customization extends beyond the physical luxuries to include the intangible elements of travel - timing, privacy, and the atmosphere. Special requests, such as a specific genre of music, preferred routes, or stops at particular landmarks, are welcomed and executed with enthusiasm.
This level of personalization enriches the travel experience, making it uniquely yours. It's about aligning the journey with your personal narrative, whether celebrating a milestone, embarking on a new adventure, or seeking a sanctuary amid the hustle of Sydney. By tailoring your limo experience, you're not just booking a ride; you're crafting memories. The commitment to personalization amongst Sydney's limo services ensures that each journey is as individual as the passengers themselves, reflecting their preferences, dreams, and aspirations.
Elevating Special Occasions by Limo Hire Sydney
The act of hiring a limousine for a special occasion does more than just provide a means of transportation; it weaves an element of grandeur and timeless elegance into the fabric of your celebration. Special occasions, by their very nature, are milestones that mark significant moments in our lives. They are snapshots in time that stand out for their emotional value and their capacity to unite people in celebration. When you add a limousine into this mix, you're not just enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your event; you're elevating the entire experience to a level of sophistication and luxury that becomes etched in the memories of all who partake.
Imagine the scene: a sleek, gleaming limousine pulling up to the venue, the chauffeur stepping out to open the door with a flourish, and the guests emerging to the flash of cameras and the admiring glances of onlookers. This moment, symbolic of prestige and luxury, sets the tone for the event. It speaks of meticulous planning and a desire to celebrate life's moments with a touch of elegance that is both seen and felt. For weddings, it adds a fairy-tale quality, ensuring that the bridal party's arrival is nothing short of majestic. For proms, it signifies a rite of passage, marking the event as a significant milestone in the journey to adulthood.
Beyond the visual spectacle, the choice to hire a limousine for such occasions is a testament to the value placed on comfort, convenience, and the joy of sharing extraordinary experiences with loved ones. It allows the celebrants to relax and immerse themselves fully in the joy of the occasion, knowing that every detail of their journey has been carefully orchestrated to ensure maximum enjoyment and minimal stress. In essence, limo hire for special occasions is not just a luxury; it's an investment in memories that will last a lifetime.
The Convenience of Hassle-Free Travel
In a bustling metropolis like Sydney, the convenience of hassle-free travel cannot be overstated. The city, vibrant and alive, moves at a pace that can be exhilarating yet overwhelming, especially for visitors or those planning an event. Herein lies the beauty of limousine hire: it transforms travel from a logistical challenge into a seamless, enjoyable part of your Sydney experience. This convenience is multi-faceted, encompassing ease of navigation, comfort, and the luxury of time.
Firstly, navigating Sydney's streets and finding parking can be daunting tasks, particularly during peak hours or in densely packed areas. By choosing limo hire, you entrust these logistical nuances to your chauffeur, a seasoned navigator who knows the city's layout like the back of their hand. This means you can sit back and relax, perhaps enjoying a glass of champagne, as you glide past Sydney's landmarks, free from the concerns of traffic jams or parking woes.
Secondly, the convenience extends to the planning of your itinerary. Whether you're heading to a series of business meetings, embarking on a scenic tour, or attending multiple events, a limousine provides a comfortable and flexible base of operations. It offers a quiet space to gather your thoughts, prepare for your next meeting, or simply unwind between engagements. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your transport is taken care of allows you to focus on the moment, be it for work or pleasure.
Finally, limo hire offers the luxury of time. Time spent traveling becomes an opportunity for relaxation or preparation, rather than a period of transit to be endured. For tourists, it means more time soaking in the sights and experiences Sydney has to offer. For locals, it transforms a routine journey into a moment of luxury and relaxation. The convenience of limo hire, therefore, is not just about the physical journey; it's about enhancing your overall experience of Sydney, making every moment count.
Making a Bold Statement
Arriving at any venue in a limousine is far more than a mode of transportation; it's a declaration, a bold statement of elegance, style, and sometimes, significance. This is not about ostentation but rather about choosing to mark a moment with the weight it deserves. In a city like Sydney, where the spectacular meets the cosmopolitan, making such a statement can set the tone for an entire event. It's a visual cue that this moment, this event, is extraordinary.
This statement resonates not just with the guests but with everyone who witnesses it. It creates a ripple effect of anticipation and excitement, enhancing the event's atmosphere before it even begins. For personal milestones like weddings or milestone birthdays, it underscores the significance of the celebration, adding a layer of grandeur and exclusivity. In a professional context, such as corporate gatherings or gala events, it conveys a sense of prestige and attention to detail that reflects positively on the organizers or attendees.
Moreover, the bold statement made by a limousine arrival goes beyond the immediate visual impact. It speaks to a mindset that values experience, luxury, and the creation of lasting memories. It's a testament to the effort put into making the event memorable for all the right reasons. In essence, opting for limo hire is about embracing the extraordinary, making every entrance memorable and every occasion more special.
Affordable Luxury: A Reality of Limo Hire Sydney
The concept of luxury limousine hire Sydney has evolved, shattering the myth that it's an extravagance reserved for the wealthy or for once-in-a-lifetime events. Today, this service is an accessible luxury, thanks to competitive pricing, flexible packages, and a wide range of options that cater to diverse needs and budgets. This democratization of luxury means that more people can experience the joys and conveniences of limousine travel, whether it's for a special occasion, a business need, or simply the desire to enjoy a day or evening out with a touch of elegance.
Limo hire companies in Sydney have responded to the demand for more accessible luxury by offering a variety of packages that allow clients to customize their experience to suit their budget and preferences. From hourly rates for short trips to full-day hires for weddings or tours, there is an option for almost every scenario. Additionally, by splitting the cost among a group, such as for a prom or a night out, the per-person cost becomes surprisingly affordable, putting limo hire within reach of a much broader audience.
This shift towards making luxury more accessible reflects a broader trend in consumer preferences towards experiences over material goods. People are increasingly willing to invest in experiences that enhance their lives and create lasting memories. Limo hire, once considered an unnecessary luxury, is now seen as a valuable addition to special occasions, adding a layer of comfort, convenience, and elegance that enhances the overall experience.
In debunking the myth of limo hire as an inaccessible luxury, it's essential to recognize the role of customer choice and market adaptation. As more people discover the affordability and value of limo hire, the service becomes an integral part of celebrating life's milestones and enjoying Sydney's vibrant culture and stunning scenery. This shift is not just about making luxury more accessible; it's about enriching experiences and making special moments even more memorable.
The Ultimate Sydney Experience
Choosing limo hire in Sydney is about more than just selecting a mode of transportation; it's about choosing to make every moment count, to elevate ordinary experiences into extraordinary ones. Whether it's making a grand entrance, enjoying the city's sights in unmatched comfort, or simply adding a touch of elegance to a special occasion, limo hire offers a unique blend of luxury, convenience, and style.
The benefits of limo hire extend beyond the tangible comforts of plush interiors and professional chauffeurs. They touch on the intangible joys of feeling pampered, making a statement, and enjoying hassle-free travel. As limo hire becomes more accessible, it invites more people to experience Sydney in a way that was once considered out of reach, making luxury travel a part of the city's vibrant lifestyle.
In essence, limo hire in Sydney transcends mere transportation. It is an invitation to indulge in the city's beauty, culture, and energy with a level of sophistication and ease that only a limousine can provide. Whether you're a local celebrating a milestone or a visitor seeking to experience Sydney's allure, limo hire is your key to unlocking an unforgettable journey filled with luxury, comfort, and unforgettable memories.
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100 Different Kisses
4. breaking the kiss, instantly pressing your lips back together
“I need you to be my boyfriend.”
"What?" Sonny asks, startled, looking up from his inventory book at Will who's slid onto a stool in front of the bar.
Will winces. "My mom and EJ are getting remarried in Italy next week. I told her I was coming with a plus one so she would stop nagging me. But, uh, I don't actually have a plus one and if I go alone she'll start asking me all kinds of questions about what happened."
"So, you want me to be your plus one."
Will grins sheepishly. "Please? If you don't mind," Will pleads. "They paid for two tickets for me. It's only a week. Ben can look after the club, right?"
"Won't Chad and Abby and your grandparents be there? They know we're not dating."
"I'll talk to them. Get them to play along. Please, Sonny. I really can't take a week of my mom hounding me about boys."
Sonny sighs. He knows Sami and he knows the dangers of having a pestering and persistent mother. "Alright," Sonny agrees against his better judgment.
Will grins, wide and bright, and hops onto the bars of his stool to bend over the bar to kiss Sonny's cheek. "Thank you so much! You're the best! We leave Saturday at noon."
As he watches Will leave, Sonny is absolutely certain this is going to be a disaster.
* * * * * * *
"So what are you comfortable with?" Will asks halfway through the flight.
"What?" Sonny looks up from his book to look at Will.
"The fake dating! What are you comfortable with? Holding hands? Cheek kisses? Light pecks?"
Sonny shrugs. "Sure. That's all fine. I don't mind."
"You're sure?" Will asks. "If I thought that we could get away with none of it, I would. But my mom will see right through it if we don't do PDA."
Sonny snorts in amusement. He's known Sami his whole life. He knows Will is right. "Yeah. It's all fine. I promise. I don't have a problem giving Sami a show."
Will grins and turns back to the story he's writing.
* * * * * * * *
Their trip to Florence starts with a thunderstorm. The sky opens just as they exit the airport and they get drenched in warm, summer rain as they run to the limo waiting for them in the long queue of cars at the Arrivals.
"Excellent start," Sonny says as they slide into the backseat.
Will laughs. "Let's hope it's not an omen."
The drive to Sami and EJ’s villa is surprisingly short. Within twenty minutes, the limo is pulling through wrought-iron gates into a vast driveway lined with tall cypress trees.
Sami and EJ greet them with umbrellas and usher them inside while two footmen retrieve their bags from the limo.
As soon as they're in the foyer, Sami turns on them. "Sonny is your plus one? Why didn't you tell me you were dating!" Sami smacks Will on the arm.
Will laughs nervously. "It's, uh. It's pretty new. I didn't want to jinx anything until we were sure it was going somewhere," Will answers, smiling softly at Sonny and lacing their fingers together.
On a whim, Sonny kisses Will’s cheek. Will blushes and Sonny’s stomach does a funny little twist.
"Well, I'm so happy for you!" Sami says with a huge grin, pulling them both into a hug.
Just then, Allie, Johnny, and their respective wives arrive at the same time, distracting Sami and EJ. Sydney is already there, waving from where she’s seated on the staircase leading to the second floor of bedrooms.
Will lets out a relieved sigh. "One week," Will mutters, and Sonny grins, as a servant shows them to their room.
"There's only one bed," Will says when they’re left alone to unpack. "Of course there's only one bed. What was I thinking doing this charade? This is ridiculous. I'll just tell her and they'll give you another room."
"Wil!!" Sonny steps into Will's sightline and grabs Will's face with his hands to focus him. "It's okay. I don't mind sharing."
"You're absolutely sure?"
Sonny nods. "Remember when we used to have sleepovers when we were kids? It'll be just like that."
Will scoffs but smiles and Sonny lets go of his face.
"I owe you so much for this. Thank you again, Sonny."
"You had me at 'free trip to Italy'."
Will grins and hauls his suitcase onto the bed to unpack.
Dinner that night is thankfully just them, Allie and her wife, Johnny and his wife, Sydney, and Chad and Abby. EJ and Sami are off doing last-minute food testing at the caterers and John, Marlena, Roman, and Kate are off getting dinner by themselves. Still, Will drapes his arm over the back of Sonny’s chair when they’re done eating, his fingers absentmindedly scratching through Sonny’s hair.
It feels amazing and, mixed with the two glasses of wine he’s had, Sonny is in danger of falling asleep from the sensation. But he manages to stay awake listening to Johnny’s wild and most likely wildly exaggerated tales of actors he’s met on his quest to become the next Quentin Tarantino, and unconsciously leans into Will’s side, his hand falling on Will’s thigh under the table.
Just as they’re all getting ready to head up to their respective rooms, Sonny sees Chad and Abby sharing a strangely knowing smile, their eyes flicking over to where Will and Sonny are standing holding hands.
“What?” Sonny mouths at them but they just shake their heads.
“Nothing,” Chad says quietly in his ear when they hug goodnight. “You and Will just seem happy.”
Sonny furrows his brow, not sure what Chad means, but then Abby is also hugging him goodnight and Chad has moved on to Will, and Sonny doesn’t get a chance to ask him to elaborate.
“Are you sure this isn’t weird?” Will asks an hour later when they’re settled in bed for the night, facing each other.
“Sharing a bed?” Sonny asks with a slow grin.
Will nods against his pillow.
“No. It’s kind of nice actually. It’s been a long time since I shared a bed with someone.”
“Yeah,” Will agrees. “Me too.” Neither of them has had a serious boyfriend in almost three years.
They lapse into quiet for a minute, just staring at each other, until Sonny says, “You know what I miss most about being with someone? Sleeping with them.”
Will quirks a crooked smile.
“Not like that!” Sonny says with a laugh. “I mean actually sleeping. I miss those moments before you fall asleep when you’re cuddling, and the sound of their heartbeat and the feel of their arms around you or them in your arms lulls you into unconsciousness. Hook-ups don’t usually like cuddling and it’s not the same as with someone you love anyway. That probably sounds stupid,” Sonny adds as an afterthought.
“No it doesn’t,” Will assures him immediately. “You’re right. It’s not the same and I miss that too. Jason never wanted to cuddle. After sex, before bed, even on the couch,” Will adds after a beat, his eyes darkening and his mouth twisting sourly at the memory of his last relationship, which was bad and ended even worse.
“Neil did though,” Sonny replies. “I remember you were always cuddling, even when we were in public.”
“Yeah.” Will’s lips curl up a little at the memory of his college boyfriend, even though the break up was rough. “You’re one to talk. You were always in Paul’s arms.”
Sonny’s face heats at the mention of his high school sweetheart, but he smiles softly and nods. “Brian hated it though.”
“Stupid boys who don’t like cuddling,” Will deadpans.
Sonny shakes with laughter and buries his face in his pillow. When he comes up for air, Will is grinning at him, and his heart does a little flop in his chest that he chooses to ignore.
“Wanna cuddle?” Will asks.
Sonny nods and shuffles closer to Will, who lifts up his arm in invitation. Sonny slides into the space Will makes for him and pillows his head on Will’s shoulder.
His head still fuzzy from the wine and the food, the comforting weight of Will’s arms around him almost immediately lulls Sonny towards unconsciousness and he swears he feels Will kiss his hair just as he falls into sleep.
* * * * * * * *
Sonny blinks awake to the sound of water running. Will’s side of the bed is empty. He must be in the shower, getting ready for the day.
Sonny stretches lazily thinking about how nice it had felt falling asleep in Will’s arms. Safe and warm, like home. He hadn’t quite realized how much he’d missed falling asleep wrapped up in someone else until he had it again.
Sonny curls into the empty side of the bed, the memory of Will’s arms around him, and buries his face in the pillow. It smells like Will, woodsy and minty at the same time. Sonny’s lips curve into a small smile and his eyes droop closed again.
“Morning,” Will says, waking Sonny from his doze.
Sonny opens his eyes to find Will fresh out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist and his chest sparkling with the droplets of water dripping from his hair.
Sonny blinks rapidly and swallows against his suddenly dry mouth.
“Morning,” Sonny says, a beat too late. “You could have woken me earlier.”
Will shrugs, turning to rummage in one of the drawers for clothes. “You looked peaceful. I thought I’d let you sleep.”
Sonny smiles softly, ignoring the swooping in his stomach.
“We’re meeting everyone downstairs for breakfast in a half hour,” Will says, disappearing back into the bathroom to get dressed.
“Okay,” Sonny says and slides out of bed.
At breakfast, Sami grills them about when they first started dating and how it happened.
“Uh. I don’t know. Two months ago,” Will answers, looking at Sonny for confirmation.
Sonny nods and Will continues with the story they’d come up with on the plane.
“It’s not really an exciting story. We were at the movies one day just the two of us and we looked at each other and decided it was a date.” Will shrugs and twines their fingers together atop the table for effect.
Will smiles softly at Sonny and Sonny can’t help but smile back.
The rest of the day passes uneventfully, the guests who have already arrived free to do as they please while the remaining guests make their way to the villa. Tomorrow, Sami and EJ are treating everyone to a tour of the vineyard five miles from their villa.
Will and Sonny spend the day exploring Florence with Allie, Johnny, and their wives, visiting museums (David is the largest statute Sonny has ever seen), eating delectable food, and drinking wine with ice cream.
Since they’re in the presence of Will’s siblings, they walk around the city holding hands, and it feels so natural, his hand fitting so perfectly in Will’s, that Sonny can’t remember why they haven’t been doing it for years. The selfies they take are of their faces squished cheek-to-cheek, Sonny kissing Will’s cheek, and one of them half-kissing, half-looking at the camera, both of them grinning, their lips just meeting at the corners.
But as he looks at the photos in his camera roll later as Will is brushing his teeth, Sonny thinks his favorite is the candid that Allie took of Will staring at him adoringly. The others were staged, part of their charade, proof of a relationship that doesn’t exist, but this one - this one was real. Sonny doesn’t want to examine too closely what that might mean, but his heart goes a little tight in his chest and his stomach flip-flops in a way that he chooses to ignore.
“It’ll be like a scene from a Jane Austen novel,” Will says as he slips into bed.
“Huh?” Sonny asks, his attention snapping away from his phone.
“The hosts taking everyone out on an excursion,” Will clarifies.
“Like the disaster picnic in Emma,” Sonny adds, remembering that Will is talking about the trip to the vineyard tomorrow.
Will chuckles. “So far this week has not been the nightmare I was expecting.”
“It’s only been a day,” Sonny comments.
“It’s only been a day,” Will agrees as he puts on the TV. “Want to watch something?”
“The Devil Wears Prada? It is what we saw on our first date,” Sonny teases.
Will grins, finds the movie on Netflix, and presses play. They curl into each other as they watch quietly, and Will’s head drops onto Sonny’s shoulder halfway through, Will’s breathing deep and slow.
Sonny smiles to himself and once again ignores the swooping in his belly and the quick pitter-patter of his heart.
* * * * * * * *
The trip to the vineyard is a disaster.
It starts peacefully, Will and Sonny again walking around hand-in-hand, admiring along with everyone else the grape fields and enjoying their wine tasting. But an hour into the visit, half of the guests are drunk and the indoor storeroom is too small to hold the fifty person party.
Will and Sonny aren’t sure how it happens but suddenly Johnny and Chad are brawling, knocking into other people and into the shelves. Three bottles of aged and expensive wine come crashing to the floor, shattering and spilling, before John and EJ are able to pull Johnny and Chad apart.
Sami apologizes to the owner profusely as they’re ushered out the door and Sonny knows that EJ will be paying for the broken bottles and that it will be a long time before they can show their faces here again.
“Well, that went about as well as expected,” Will says an hour later, as they make their way to the pool behind the villa.
“Did Chad or Johnny say anything about what happened?”
Will shakes his head. “Neither of them is talking.”
“Weird.”
Will shrugs and asks, “Do my back?”
“What?”
“My back?” Will repeats, holding out a bottle of suntan lotion. “I’ll be a lobster in a second if I don’t put it on.”
“Remember that time in summer camp you got so red from the sun the other kids started calling you Clifford, the Big Red Dog?” Sonny says, taking the sunscreen and rubbing it into Will’s shoulders and along his back.
Sonny resolutely ignores the feel of Will’s muscles under his fingers or the soft little noise Will makes when Sonny massages his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t go in the sun for three summers after that!”
Sonny laughs and hands Will the bottle back.
“Want me to do you?” Will asks.
Sonny blinks, panicked, before he realizes what Will means. “Uh. Sure. Thanks.”
Sonny turns around. His face flames the second Will’s hands are on him and he thinks that maybe he can’t ignore his reactions to Will anymore. But he tries valiantly nonetheless and he has a lovely rest of the day, with just Will as company.
* * * * * * * *
The next three days they spend running around Florence on various errands for the wedding. Sami has a habit of incessantly changing her mind on decorations, food, and party favors that has them and half the vendors in the city scrambling in time for the wedding.
Thankfully, they and everyone else are so busy that they don’t have much necessity to pretend to be dating, so their touching is minimal and Sonny can continue to ignore the niggling at the back of his mind.
But on the morning of the wedding, Sonny blinks awake to the sun illuminating Will sleeping next to him, and the sight is breathtaking. Will has been up every morning before Sonny this week, so Sonny hasn’t had the opportunity to see him sleeping.
Will looks beautiful like this, the sun peeking through the curtains making Will’s blonde hair shine golden and softening the features of his face. Sonny itches to trace his fingers along the shape of Will’s eyebrows, the planes of his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, but he resists the temptation.
As his eyes memorize the picture, Sonny thinks that he could get used to waking up to this, could get used to falling asleep in Will’s arms, that he would like nothing more than to live in this moment for the rest of his life. The thought hits Sonny so forcefully, combining with his unusual reactions to Will’s closeness this week, and Sonny can no longer deny that he’s in love with his best friend.
Sonny slips quietly out of bed, careful not to wake Will, and makes his way into the bathroom to take a shower. He undresses slowly, his mind a riot of memories and thoughts.
His mind focuses first on this week, all the ways that they’ve pretended they’re together: the little cheek kisses, the soft smiles at each other, the hand holding, the photos. And the one way time they haven’t pretended: sleeping. In the privacy of their bedroom, there was no one to see them, and no need for them to pretend. But they’d slept curled up in each other every night this week anyway, and Sonny’s felt the most rested he’s felt in a really long time.
It’s all felt so natural and so good that Sonny never stopped to question why.
As he steps in the shower, Sonny thinks about other things too:
Seeing Will has always been a highlight of his day, ever since they were kids, but none more so than the last few years since they’ve both been single. Sonny’s been lonely since he broke it off with Brian, he’s known that for awhile, but whenever Will walked into his coffee shop after that, his day got a little bit better, his loneliness a little less, and the rest of the day he’d usually spend smiling, thinking about the conversation they’d had, or laughing to himself about some stupid joke Will had made.
He remembers that time at the beginning of their sophomore year of college right after he’d broken up with Paul because they were living halfway across the country from each other and it wasn’t working. He and Will were roommates and he’d spent nearly every free minute with Will in the aftermath of his break up, trying to mend his broken heart, but then Will started dating Neil, and Sonny had been irrationally jealous. At the time, he’d thought it had been about Will having someone else to spend his time with, and leaving Sonny to wallow in his heartbreak. But what if it hadn’t been about that at all?
As the water cascades over him, he thinks about those late nights they spent tucked into one of their beds watching trashy shows and movies on Will’s laptop, eating popcorn or ice cream. He thinks about meeting Will for lunch when they shared free time and Will waiting for him after class to walk back to their dorm together. He thinks about all the times they sat in the library quietly studying together, and all the ways Will cared for him that year, even after he started going out with Neil.
It had felt so nice being cared for by Will, and he remembers missing it desperately when Will and Neil got serious, and Neil took up more and more of Will’s time and space. As he rubs shampoo into his hair, he distinctly remembers the pit in his stomach he carried with him everywhere as his time with Will dwindled and he spent more and more nights going to sleep alone in an empty dorm room.
Had he been in love with Will then and just not realized it?
He remembers the day that Neil broke up with Will. It was a week before graduation and Will had stumbled into their half-empty dorm room in tears. Alarmed, Sonny had gotten the story out of Will. Neil had accepted a job in Atlanta and he’d decided unilaterally that Will shouldn’t move with him, even though Will could have easily found a journalism job there. Sonny remembers as clear as if it had happened yesterday, that he had seriously considered murdering Neil, as they’d sat on Sonny’s bed, Will sobbing in his arms.
As he absentmindedly rubs soap over his arms, Sonny knows that he hated Jason. He hated Jason for the way that he treated Will, always snapping and sniping at him, belittling him, making Will shrink into half the person he is. Will never smiled during his relationship with Jason, and Sonny hated that he could never get Will to smile even when Jason wasn’t around.
He’d thought that he’d just hated that Jason was an asshole and that Will didn’t deserve to be treated that way, but he also distinctly remembers that time at the Horton Town Square New Year’s Eve party when Jason had made Will cry, and Sonny had thought to himself that, if he was dating Will, he would never make Will cry.
Oh.
Sonny bangs his head against the shower wall. He’s pretty sure he’s been in love with Will since college and he’s been too stupid to see it.
Sonny lets his panic subside to a minimum before turning off the shower and emerging from the bathroom.
Will is awake and rummaging through his drawer when Sonny steps back into the bedroom.
“Oh great. You’re out,” Will says, turning his head to look at Sonny, and then turning back to the drawer. A second later, he closes the door and clutches a pair of underwear, khaki shorts and a polo shirt to his chest. “We have breakfast in a half hour and then three hours before we have to meet in the garden for pictures.”
“I’m doing pictures?”
“Duh. You’re my boyfriend!” Will says with a smile and Sonny’s heart flip-flops. This time he does not ignore it. “Or y’know,” Will says, clearing his throat, once he realizes what he’s said. “My mom and EJ think you are.”
“It’s fine, Will,” Sonny says, because it is, and because he likes the idea that this week of dating Will will be immortalized, and Sonny can forever pretend that it was real.
“You’re the best,” Will says, squeezing his hand as walks by into the bathroom.
Sonny closes his eyes and prays for the strength to get through today without doing something stupid like confessing his love.
* * * * * * * *
Breakfast is uneventful and they spend the next two hours with Chad and Abby who keep shooting them looks every so often. Sonny thinks back to what Chad had said earlier in the week and wonders if maybe Chad and Abby have known about his feelings all along. He doesn’t ask them, because he doesn’t want to know if he’s been obvious for years to everyone but himself.
Pictures are also surprisingly uneventful. Will and Sonny stand where they’re told and Sami shockingly doesn’t make a fuss about anything. But Sonny spends the hour trying not to faint from how good Will looks in his tuxedo and from the overwhelmingly delicious aroma of his cologne.
Once, when they’re not in pictures but they’re standing close anyway for the ruse, Will catches on to Sonny’s tension.
“Hey? You okay,” Will asks, and gently cups his cheek with one of his hands.
Sonny breathes in sharply at the contact, his new understanding of his feelings making every touch now unbearable and devastating.
“Yeah. Just a little hot,” Sonny says with a smile he hopes isn’t a grimace.
“We should be done soon,” Will says and drops his hand from Sonny’s face. Sonny nearly cries, his cheek burning with the phantom touch of Will’s palm.
Sonny nods and, five minutes later, they’re ushered inside to dawdle for a half hour until the guests begin making their way into the garden for the ceremony.
“I’ll see you after, yeah?” Will says, with another squeeze of his hand, as he follows Chad fifteen minutes before ceremony time to line up for the wedding processional.
Sonny watches him go and Abby sidles up to him. “It’s not pretend for you, is it?”
Sonny sighs. “It was,” Sonny answers honestly. “I only just realized...” Sonny trails off, unable to say the words aloud.
She looks at him pityingly. “You should tell him.”
Sonny swivels his head to look at his cousin, alarmed. “It’d ruin our friendship.”
“How do you know that?” she challenges. “How do you know he doesn’t feel the same?”
Sonny blinks at her. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Will might have feelings for him too.
“You should tell him,” Abby repeats with a kind smile and a hand on his back.
“I’ll think about it,” Sonny placates as he follows her back out to the garden to grab their seats.
The ceremony goes off without a hitch and Sami and EJ are remarried a half hour later, although Sonny doesn’t process anything that’s said, including the vows, because he’s too busy imagining himself at the altar with Will and panicking about it.
Will finds him at the cocktail bar.
“Ceremony was great,” Sonny says, and he hopes that it was.
“Yeah. Surprisingly uneventful for Mom,” Will chuckles.
Sonny grins and they eat too many hors d’oeuvres. By the time they’re led to the covered area where the dinner and dancing will be, they’re already full and already half drunk.
“I’m so glad I don’t have to make a speech,” Will whispers to him when Johnny, the best man, is announced after they’ve had their fill of their appetizers and meals.
"Wanna dance?" Will asks when the speech is over and the music starts up again. He stands up and holds his hand out to Sonny.
"Sure," Sonny agrees, sliding his hand into Will's.
They find their way to an empty spot on the dance floor. It’s a slow song and Will’s arms fall naturally around Sonny’s neck. Sonny’s hands rest lightly on Will’s hips as they begin swaying to the music filling the garden.
“It’s really beautiful here,” Sonny says, because it’s the truth and because he needs a distraction from focusing on slow dancing with Will. “I can see why they don’t want to come back to Salem.”
“Yeah,” Will agrees. “I always thought their drama was just because they were Sami and EJ, y’know? But I think maybe it’s being Sami and EJ in Salem that’s their problem. Too many landmines. Plus, I think they like being on the same continent as Johnny and Sydney.”
“I guess they’re the favorite kids, huh?” Sonny jokes.
Will laughs, his eyes sparkling. “I don’t mind. I was the only kid for thirteen years. I like not having Mom around to nag me all the time. And I’m pretty sure Allie doesn’t mind either.”
“So sucks for Johnny and Sydney then?” Sonny says with a crooked smile.
Will throws his head back with laughter, his shoulders shaking with amusement.
They dance in silence for few songs after that, mostly swaying in place to their own rhythm. At one point, Will tightens his arms around Sonny’s neck and they end up dancing cheek-to-cheek.
Sonny swallows thickly, his heart beating a rapid and unsteady beat against his ribcage. Sonny closes his eyes and wills himself to remember that this is a charade, that they’re not actually dating, that Will doesn’t love him.
But it feels so good having Will in his arms, and Will’s arms around his neck, their cheeks pressed together, and Sonny fails miserably at remembering the truth, choosing instead to pretend just for a few minutes that this is real.
They come to a stop as the music fades out, the emcee announcing cake is making its way to the tables.
Will pulls his face away from Sonny’s so they’re looking at each other and Will’s gaze is so intense it steals Sonny’s breath away. They stare at each other for a long beat, the air between them suddenly charged and tense in a way it wasn’t even when they were dancing.
Will’s eyes flick down to Sonny’s mouth and back up to his face in quick succession. Sonny’s heart skitters in his chest as Will leans his face in and it’s all too much, too real and yet not, and Sonny pulls away like he’s been shocked.
“I’m - sorry,” Sonny mutters, and hurries away, leaving Will staring after him.
Five minutes later, Will finds him at the shore of the lake that sits on the edge of Sami and EJ's property. The setting sun is a burning pink on the edge of the horizon, silhouetting Sonny's shape in the water.
"Hey," Sonny says when Will is beside him.
"Hey."
"Sorry if I made things weird back there," Sonny says, turning his face to Will.
"I was going to say the same thing."
"You were?"
Will nods, turning his face to watch the sun sink lower into the horizon. "I shouldn't have tried to kiss you. I'm sorry. It felt right in the moment, like something boyfriends would do. And we had agreed that light kissing was okay."
Sonny sighs and swallows his heart, turning his face back to the lake. "The charade. Right."
Will must catch some hint of bitterness in his voice because he says, "Sonny?"
"You're right. We did agree that light kissing was okay. It's just. That was before I -" Sonny starts to explain but cuts himself off, afraid that finishing the rest of his sentence might cause irreparable damage.
"Before you what?" Will asks.
The sense of urgency in Will's voice makes Sonny turn his whole body to face him and he finds Will already turned towards him.
Sonny takes a deep breath. "Before I realized that I have feelings for you."
The words hang in the air between them, caught on the light breeze over the lake.
"You do?" Will asks, mouth parting slightly in surprise.
"I think I have for a long time," Sonny confesses. "I just didn't realize it or want to admit it because we've been friends our whole lives and I didn't want to ruin that."
"Me either," Will says, a look of relief on his face and his shoulders sag like a weight has been lifted off them.
"What?"
"I've been in love with you since high school, Sonny."
"You have?"
Will nods earnestly.
“What about Neil?” Sonny asks, because he can still feel Will shaking apart in his arms from their break up.
“I loved him,” Will concedes. “I loved him a lot and he broke my heart. But I loved you before him and I loved you even when I loved him. And I definitely loved you after him. I never said anything because I didn’t think you felt the same and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
Sonny can’t breathe. "And asking me to this week with you?"
"It wasn't a plot or anything, I promise. I really just needed a date to keep my mom from setting me up with someone and I thought you would enjoy the vacation. I thought that my feelings for you had maybe finally gone away but this trip made it clear that they haven't. I tried to kiss you when we were dancing because I really wanted to."
Sonny's mouth stretches into a slow grin. Abby was right. Sonny wonders if she knew Will loved him too but didn’t want to break a confidence.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I'd also really like to kiss you right now,” Will says, his eyes flickering down to Sonny’s mouth again.
Sonny takes a step towards Will, closing the distance between them, and settles his hands on Will's hips, an echo of the dance they just shared.
Will's arms snake around Sonny's neck, his hands cradling the back of Sonny's head, a soft smile curving Will's lips.
Heart rabbiting in his chest, Sonny presses their lips together in a soft kiss. They kiss close-mouthed for a beat, just lips against lips, testing this new and uncharted territory of their relationship.
Overwhelmed, Sonny breaks the kiss to catch his breath, but Will has other ideas, his lips chasing Sonny's, catching Sonny's mouth in another kiss almost as soon as Sonny has broken away.
Sonny’s lips part in surprise and Will takes it as an invitation to slip his tongue into Sonny’s mouth. Sonny whimpers, his own tongue darting into Will’s mouth, and he slides his arms around Will’s waist to pull him closer.
They kiss for a long time, the warm, evening breeze rustling the trees around them and the sounds of birds darting down to fish in the lake mixing with the soft music drifting over to them from the reception.
Sonny lets his forehead fall against Will’s when they break apart for air, his eyes still closed. “I love you,” Sonny whispers into the space between them, and it feels so good to say it out loud.
“I love you too,” Will replies quietly, and Sonny’s heart skitters in his chest, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering happily.
After a beat, Will asks, “Have dinner with me?”
“What?” Sonny says with a breath of laughter, pulling his face away to look at Will.
“When we get back to Salem. Have dinner with me. I want to do this for real. You and me.”
Sonny grins again, slow and wide, his cheeks hurting from the force of it. “Okay. Yes. I’ll have dinner with you when we get back to Salem.”
“Good,” Will says, a smile splitting his face, and he ducks his face forward to capture Sonny’s lips again in a quick, nipping kiss.
“We should probably go back,” Sonny says. “Your mom is going to start noticing we’re missing.”
“Eh. She’ll probably think we’re off having amazing sex somewhere.”
Sonny howls with laughter.
“We should go back though,” Will agrees and drops his arms from Sonny’s neck.
Will holds a hand out in invitation in the space between them and Sonny lets go of Will’s waist to take it.
They lace their fingers together and walk back up to the party, hand-in-hand, but this time it’s for real.
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