Fic: Windows (Glee, Finn/Will, R)
Title: Windows
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Finn/Will
Rating: R
Summary: Will doesn't have any regrets. 3700 words.
A/N: help_nz fic #3, for glitzy09, who asked for DIWWCF Finn/Will and the reactions of Will's coworkers/students. This falls into the DIWWCF timeline a couple weeks after Constellations All Aligning. You can also read it at AO3, if you prefer.
The first time Finn insists on driving Will to work happens during the second week of January. There are a few inches of snow on the ground by the time they wake up, with more predicted in the forecast, so Will doesn’t even try to talk him out of it. Instead he smiles indulgently while Finn looks out the window, shivering in just a pair of pajama bottoms and frowning at the snow for a few seconds before he says, “You’re not driving your car in this.”
Will considers pointing out that he already has a mother, mostly because he likes the little wrinkle that appears just above Finn’s nose whenever he’s annoyed. But the fact remains that his own mother probably doesn’t even know what kind of car he drives, and it’s nice to have someone who cares about whether or not he makes it home in one piece. So Will just slides his arms around Finn’s waist and presses a kiss to his bare shoulder, and when Finn leans back into him Will presses his mouth to the soft skin just below Finn’s ear.
“You can give me a ride.”
“Then you really will be late for work,” Finn says, his voice dropping a full octave, and Will feels his laugh rumbling in his chest where his hands are pressed against Finn’s skin.
He catches Finn’s earlobe between his teeth and tugs, tongue sliding out to sooth the spot before Will turns his attention back to the side of Finn’s neck. “So you’ll drop me off at work, and after you pick me up we can see about that other ride.”
“Yeah,” Finn says, his voice catching a little when Will’s hand slides down the center of his chest. “Okay.”
He turns in Will’s arms until they’re face to face, then he reaches up and rests his hands on Will’s cheeks. Just looking, thumbs sliding absently along the stubble Will hasn’t gotten around to shaving yet. Will smiles back at him, lips parted to ask what’s on Finn’s mind, but before he gets the chance Finn’s kissing him. Soft and slow and full of promise, and more than anything Will wants to drag him back to bed and forget about school and work and all the responsibilities they both have ahead of them today.
But they’ve had a lot of time to themselves lately, and Will knows it’s selfish to ask for more. It’s selfish to ask Finn to skip his classes, especially since he’s fairly sure Finn wouldn’t even hesitate before he agreed. And classes are one thing, but Finn’s got a shift at the garage in the afternoon, and Will’s not going to be the reason Finn lets down his stepfather.
Then there’s the fact that if Will calls in sick, a substitute has to be called in to teach his classes. Figgins already knows about him and Finn, which means that Sue knows too, though Will’s still not sure how she found out. Not that it matters; what matters is that the first time he does call in sick, Sue’s going to make it her own personal mission to find out if he’s playing hooky to stay home with Finn, and he’d prefer that she not be right, at least the first time.
“Shower,” Will says when Finn’s mouth leaves his to trail along his jaw. His hands are on Finn’s hips, pulling him backward toward the bedroom door. “We have to get going or we’ll both be late.”
Finn nods and lets Will steer him into the bathroom, then he lets Will pull off their clothes and turn the shower on. His hands skim across Will’s skin as he undresses them, little touches every so often, as though he just can’t help himself. It’s nice - distracting, but nice - and Will mostly doesn’t mind that they probably are going to be late.
The weather gives them a plausible excuse, at least, and waking up with Finn is still new enough that Will plans to take any excuse he can get. He’s spent every night since New Year’s, but hasn’t moved all his things into Will’s - their - place yet, and until they’re officially living together Will’s not sure it’s going to feel real. So he’s willing to be late now and then if it means he gets to spend his morning reminding them both what they’re doing here, how they feel about each other and exactly why Finn’s worth the wait.
Once the water’s warm they climb into the shower, taking turns ducking under the spray before Will reaches for the shampoo. He lathers up his own hair first, then he ducks back under the water and tilts his head back to rinse out the shampoo. When he opens his eyes again Finn’s holding one arm over his head while he soaps up his armpit, suds running down his chest and legs and Will’s dick stirs at the sight.
He takes a step forward before he remembers why it’s a bad idea, then Finn’s arms slide around his waist and he decides that he doesn’t care. Will smiles and reaches up to push his hands through Finn’s hair, pulling him closer until Finn’s chest is sliding against his.
“If they close school early, call me and I’ll come get you,” Finn says, his hands moving up and down Will’s back and lathering up Will’s skin.
“I can probably catch a ride with Shannon. You don’t have to leave work early to come get me.”
Finn’s hand slides down his back again, across the swell of Will’s ass to dip the tips of his fingers between Will’s cheeks. He presses forward to brush a kiss across Will’s lips, and when he pulls back his voice is a little lower than it was a moment ago.
“Call.”
And he still doesn’t want to be the reason Finn starts shirking his responsibilities at the garage, but he can’t bring himself to argue when Finn’s fingers push a little deeper. His breath hitches when the tip of Finn’s middle finger presses against his hole, and before he can stop himself he’s spreading his legs a little wider.
“Finn,” Will says, and he means it as a warning, but it comes out sounding more like a moan.
Finn’s lips brush his again and Will’s hand tightens in his hair, holding him close for a slow kiss. His finger’s still teasing Will, not quite pushing inside and Will can’t decide if he wants Finn to push for more or stop before things get out of hand. Then Finn’s grip on his ass tightens, and when Will gasps against his mouth Finn’s tongue pushes past his teeth.
And he knows how big Finn’s hands are, but they feel even bigger when they’re pulling him open until he’s stretched wide, thumb pressed against his hole now and pushing the tip inside. Will moans into Finn’s mouth and pushes back into his touch, fucking himself on the tip of Finn’s thumb and yeah, they’re definitely going to be late for work.
“Will,” Finn murmurs, pulling back far enough to breathe Will’s name against his cheek. “I went to the clinic on campus last week and got tested.”
For a second Will’s heart stops, but when he pulls back to look at Finn he doesn’t look like he’s about to confess that he’s dying of some exotic illness. His cheeks are kind of pink and he’s breathing heavy, and there’s a little nervousness around the edges, sure, but mostly he just looks like he wants to forget they have anywhere to be today.
“Oh?” Will says, and when Finn pulls his thumb free Will bites his lip to stifle a moan.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m clean, so I figured if you are too, we could ditch the condoms, you know?”
It’s been a long time since Will had unprotected sex. Since the last time he slept with Terri, since the one time after their divorce that he lost his mind long enough to let her back in. But he remembers what it’s like, remembers the difference it makes to connect with someone with no barriers at all between them. He’s nodding before Finn even stops talking, and when he does Will leans in to brush another soft kiss against his lips.
“I’ll go to the clinic as soon as the weather clears up.”
He’s not sure why he hasn’t gotten tested already. He wishes he’d thought of it before now, because if he had they could ditch the condoms as early as tonight. Granted, the risk is minimal, and Will knows Finn trusts him enough to take him at his word if Will says he’s okay. But Finn got tested for him, and he loves Finn too much not to give him the same respect. So Will just kisses Finn one more time, then he smiles and lets go of him to reach for the shampoo again.
“I hope you realize just how distracted I’m going to be today,” Will says, hands sliding through Finn’s hair to work the shampoo into a lather.
“Good,” Finn answers, and when Will laughs Finn grins at him.
They manage to get through the rest of their shower with a minimum of distractions, and by the time they dry off and get dressed they’re only running a few minutes behind. Finn’s shrugging into his coat when Will meets him at the front door, a travel mug of coffee in each hand, and when Finn looks up and grins Will smiles back at him. He holds out a mug and Finn reaches for it, but instead of pulling it out of Will’s hand Finn grips his wrist and pulls him forward.
He grins at Will up close for a second, then he leans in and presses a soft kiss to Will’s lips. When he pulls back again he takes his coffee, and when Will holds out the other mug Finn laughs and takes that one too. Will reaches for his own coat and pulls it on, wraps a scarf around his neck and swings his bag over his shoulder before he takes his mug back.
“Thanks,” he says, hand closing around the front of Finn’s coat to pull him forward for another lingering kiss.
They make it out of the apartment fifteen minutes later than they should, and by the time they pull up in front of the school the parking lot’s pretty full. Finn pulls up to the curb in front of the building, leaning forward to look out the windshield at the school for a minute.
“Feels kind of weird to be here,” he says, then he leans back and looks at Will. “I mean, considering.”
Will nods, because he knows what Finn’s saying. It’s a little weird for both of them, but it’s a little less weird every day, and he knows eventually they won’t even remember when it felt strange to lean across the cab of Finn’s truck and kiss him goodbye in front of the school.
He does it anyway, just to get the first time over with, lips just brushing across Finn’s before Will pulls back to smile at him. “Thanks for the lift.”
Finn smiles and leans in again, but before he kisses Will his gaze shifts to a point over Will’s shoulder, and he blushes and pulls back again. Will turns to follow his gaze, his own face flushing when he spots a small group of sophomores watching them. He recognizes a couple of faces from his fifth period Spanish class, and he knows that before lunch the gossip about his new relationship won’t be limited just to the faculty.
Will clears his throat and turns back to Finn, gripping his chin and holding him in place long enough to plant a firm kiss square on his mouth. “I love you,” he says when he lets go, and when Finn blushes and smiles at him Will remembers why it’s worth all the gossip.
It’s worth the whispers he’s going to have to put up with in the halls, worth the distracted students in his classes and it’s even worth the chance that one of their parents will find out he’s dating a former student -- a male former student -- and call Figgins to complain.
“So you’ll call, if they let you out early, right?” Finn asks, and he sounds a little nervous, as though maybe he thinks Will doesn’t want Finn to pick him up.
“I promise,” Will says, his hand coming up to cup Finn’s cheek. “We still have to finish what we started this morning.”
Finn laughs and blushes even harder, hand coming up to cover Will’s where it’s resting against his cheek. He turns his face into Will’s touch, lips brushing his palm before Finn pulls his hand away and squeezes it. “You better go before the bell rings and Figgins assigns you to detention duty.”
He makes a good point; Figgins does tend to use detention duty as a punishment for teachers as much as students, and if he hears about Will making out with his boyfriend in front of the school, Will might be stuck after school babysitting the usual crowd of delinquents. Will nods and forces himself to let go of Finn’s hand, then he opens the truck door and glances back one more time before he steps out into the cold Ohio morning.
When he gets to the front door he looks back to find Finn still idling by the curb, and Will smiles and lifts a hand to wave before he goes inside. He’s smiling just a little more brightly than usual as he makes his way down the hall to the teachers’ lounge, warmth fluttering in his stomach every time he remembers the look on Finn’s face when Will promised to go get tested.
He’s too busy trying to figure out when he can make it to the clinic to notice someone falling into step next to him, but when he hears a familiar voice Will rolls his eyes and pauses just in front of the door to the teachers’ lounge.
“Morning, Mary Kay. I saw Vili out there dropping you off. He’s not afraid you’re going to find a younger model to trade him in for already, is he?”
“Finn’s an adult, Sue,” Will says, glancing over his shoulder at her as he opens the door to the teachers’ lounge. “There’s nothing illegal about our relationship.”
“The law may be on your side, William, but I wouldn’t put money on the school board. They tend to put their stock in so-called ‘moral integrity’,” she says, following him into the lounge and letting the door swing shut behind her. “And just think of what all the parents of your precious Glee kids will say when they hear you’re bedding your former star singer. This could finally end you, and I didn’t even have to do anything. It’s like Christmas all over again.”
It’s not like Will hasn’t considered that. He knew the minute Sue found out that she’d try to use his relationship with Finn to her own advantage, and he knew she probably had a leg to stand on this time. But it’s been two weeks and she hasn’t done more than make vague threats about the school board, so either she’s not really planning to do anything, or the school board doesn’t really care.
The law is on his side, after all, and if they try to make an issue of his personal life, they have to know they’ll have a law suit on their hands. So chances are good they’re choosing to look the other way this time, and that’s probably killing Sue.
“Give it a rest, would you, Sue?” Shannon says from somewhere behind him, and Will turns in time to watch her pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Obviously you’re the only one with a problem here.”
Will flashes a grateful smile in her direction and gets a small smile in return. And he is grateful, but the truth is that Sue’s not the only one who has a problem with the idea of him and Finn. Will knows for a fact that Figgins is uncomfortable with it, and Will’s parents were less than thrilled to hear that he’s living with a man now. Then there’s Finn’s mother; she’s coming around, but even though Finn hasn’t said it, Will can tell she’s the reason Finn hasn’t really moved in yet.
Even Shannon’s not thrilled for him; she’s trying to be supportive, and he appreciates the effort, but he saw the look on her face when he first broke the news to her. At first there was surprise, which was pretty standard, then she said, “Finn Hudson?” as though they knew another Finn. Or maybe she was hoping Will knew a dozen of them, and the one he was talking about didn’t happen to be a former student and Glee club star.
Once the truth sank in she asked if he was sure he knew what he was doing, but the way she said it told Will that she thought he’d lost his mind. He nodded anyway and assured her that he knew it would be hard for people to accept, but that he was sure how he felt about Finn. After that she just patted him on the shoulder and said, “As long as you’re happy,” but Will could tell what she meant was, “I hope you don’t live to regret this.”
He doesn’t regret it, though, and he’s not going to, no matter what happens with Sue and Figgins and the school board. He hasn’t regretted it from the first moment Finn kissed him, and as long as Finn wants him, nothing Sue does will matter.
Will smiles to himself and hangs up his coat and scarf, then he waves to Shannon and makes his way to his first class. As the students start pouring in he braces himself for whispers and pointed looks, but his juniors either have better things to talk about than Will’s personal life, or news doesn’t travel quite as fast through the grapevine at McKinley as he thought.
His second class of the day is a little different. It’s his honors Spanish IV class, and he’s not expecting the college-track seniors to care much about the latest gossip, but there’s an obvious increase in the whispering as the students make their way into class. The pointed looks are more obvious too, and by the time the final bell rings Will’s pretty sure the news has started to spread.
And the funny thing is that he doesn’t mind, because the sooner everyone knows the sooner they’ll get used to it, and then this will just be his life. Their life, his and Finn’s, and with every day he wakes up next to Finn, it’s a little easier to believe that they can make it last.
It’s when the freshmen show up that he knows people are talking, mainly because Puck’s sister is already blushing when she takes her seat, and every other girl in the room is whispering behind their hands.
“Guys, let’s focus,” he says, clapping his hands and turning toward the blackboard to write down the day’s assignment. As soon as his back’s turned the whispering gets a little louder, and Will feels his cheeks start to heat up, but he ignores it and focuses on getting through the class.
By the time the hour’s up he’s given out a three detentions and threatened half a dozen more, but it doesn’t do much to stop the whispering. He’s so exhausted just from trying to keep the class under control that he doesn’t notice one of his students lingering until the rest of the class has cleared out. When he finally looks up Sarah Puckerman’s standing in front of his desk, looking nervous and more than a little embarrassed.
“Sarah,” Will says, frowning up at her from behind his desk. “Something on your mind?”
“I didn’t say anything,” she says, mouth set in a defiant line that makes her look a lot like her brother used to when he was in high school.
“I’m sorry?”
“Everybody’s talking about you and Finn,” she says, rolling her eyes like she can’t believe he’s making her say it out loud. “But it’s not because I said anything. I told Noah I wouldn’t, and I didn’t. A couple kids saw you guys before school, out in the parking lot.”
“I know, Sarah, I was there,” Will says. He pastes on his most understanding smile, the one that makes him look like a teacher. “And even if you had told someone, it would have been okay. Finn and I have nothing to hide.”
For a second she just frowns like she doesn’t believe him, then she glances toward the door as though she’s expecting to find someone watching them. “Just...if my brother asks, I didn’t say anything, okay? If he thinks I did he won’t let me come visit over spring break, and I already told my friends I’m going to L.A.”
Will doesn’t laugh, a fact he’s prouder of than he probably should be. Instead he smiles again and stands up, hand on Sarah’s shoulder to steer her toward the door. “He’s not going to ask. But I promise if he does, I’ll tell him you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Thanks, Mr. Schuester,” she says, and when she smiles she looks a lot like her brother too. She takes a few steps toward the door, then she thinks better of it and turns back. “Everybody’s saying how you and Finn are totally hot together. In case you wondered what people were whispering about in class.”
As soon as she says it she turns away again, slipping out the door and into the hall before Will can answer. And that’s fine, because he has no idea how to answer a confession like that. Still, he’d rather his students gossip about his hot boyfriend than whisper behind his back about how much older he is than Finn.
Will smiles to himself and crosses to the window, watching the snow come down and hoping that maybe they’ll close school early after all.
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Finn/Will
Rating: R
Summary: Will doesn't have any regrets. 3700 words.
A/N: help_nz fic #3, for glitzy09, who asked for DIWWCF Finn/Will and the reactions of Will's coworkers/students. This falls into the DIWWCF timeline a couple weeks after Constellations All Aligning. You can also read it at AO3, if you prefer.
The first time Finn insists on driving Will to work happens during the second week of January. There are a few inches of snow on the ground by the time they wake up, with more predicted in the forecast, so Will doesn’t even try to talk him out of it. Instead he smiles indulgently while Finn looks out the window, shivering in just a pair of pajama bottoms and frowning at the snow for a few seconds before he says, “You’re not driving your car in this.”
Will considers pointing out that he already has a mother, mostly because he likes the little wrinkle that appears just above Finn’s nose whenever he’s annoyed. But the fact remains that his own mother probably doesn’t even know what kind of car he drives, and it’s nice to have someone who cares about whether or not he makes it home in one piece. So Will just slides his arms around Finn’s waist and presses a kiss to his bare shoulder, and when Finn leans back into him Will presses his mouth to the soft skin just below Finn’s ear.
“You can give me a ride.”
“Then you really will be late for work,” Finn says, his voice dropping a full octave, and Will feels his laugh rumbling in his chest where his hands are pressed against Finn’s skin.
He catches Finn’s earlobe between his teeth and tugs, tongue sliding out to sooth the spot before Will turns his attention back to the side of Finn’s neck. “So you’ll drop me off at work, and after you pick me up we can see about that other ride.”
“Yeah,” Finn says, his voice catching a little when Will’s hand slides down the center of his chest. “Okay.”
He turns in Will’s arms until they’re face to face, then he reaches up and rests his hands on Will’s cheeks. Just looking, thumbs sliding absently along the stubble Will hasn’t gotten around to shaving yet. Will smiles back at him, lips parted to ask what’s on Finn’s mind, but before he gets the chance Finn’s kissing him. Soft and slow and full of promise, and more than anything Will wants to drag him back to bed and forget about school and work and all the responsibilities they both have ahead of them today.
But they’ve had a lot of time to themselves lately, and Will knows it’s selfish to ask for more. It’s selfish to ask Finn to skip his classes, especially since he’s fairly sure Finn wouldn’t even hesitate before he agreed. And classes are one thing, but Finn’s got a shift at the garage in the afternoon, and Will’s not going to be the reason Finn lets down his stepfather.
Then there’s the fact that if Will calls in sick, a substitute has to be called in to teach his classes. Figgins already knows about him and Finn, which means that Sue knows too, though Will’s still not sure how she found out. Not that it matters; what matters is that the first time he does call in sick, Sue’s going to make it her own personal mission to find out if he’s playing hooky to stay home with Finn, and he’d prefer that she not be right, at least the first time.
“Shower,” Will says when Finn’s mouth leaves his to trail along his jaw. His hands are on Finn’s hips, pulling him backward toward the bedroom door. “We have to get going or we’ll both be late.”
Finn nods and lets Will steer him into the bathroom, then he lets Will pull off their clothes and turn the shower on. His hands skim across Will’s skin as he undresses them, little touches every so often, as though he just can’t help himself. It’s nice - distracting, but nice - and Will mostly doesn’t mind that they probably are going to be late.
The weather gives them a plausible excuse, at least, and waking up with Finn is still new enough that Will plans to take any excuse he can get. He’s spent every night since New Year’s, but hasn’t moved all his things into Will’s - their - place yet, and until they’re officially living together Will’s not sure it’s going to feel real. So he’s willing to be late now and then if it means he gets to spend his morning reminding them both what they’re doing here, how they feel about each other and exactly why Finn’s worth the wait.
Once the water’s warm they climb into the shower, taking turns ducking under the spray before Will reaches for the shampoo. He lathers up his own hair first, then he ducks back under the water and tilts his head back to rinse out the shampoo. When he opens his eyes again Finn’s holding one arm over his head while he soaps up his armpit, suds running down his chest and legs and Will’s dick stirs at the sight.
He takes a step forward before he remembers why it’s a bad idea, then Finn’s arms slide around his waist and he decides that he doesn’t care. Will smiles and reaches up to push his hands through Finn’s hair, pulling him closer until Finn’s chest is sliding against his.
“If they close school early, call me and I’ll come get you,” Finn says, his hands moving up and down Will’s back and lathering up Will’s skin.
“I can probably catch a ride with Shannon. You don’t have to leave work early to come get me.”
Finn’s hand slides down his back again, across the swell of Will’s ass to dip the tips of his fingers between Will’s cheeks. He presses forward to brush a kiss across Will’s lips, and when he pulls back his voice is a little lower than it was a moment ago.
“Call.”
And he still doesn’t want to be the reason Finn starts shirking his responsibilities at the garage, but he can’t bring himself to argue when Finn’s fingers push a little deeper. His breath hitches when the tip of Finn’s middle finger presses against his hole, and before he can stop himself he’s spreading his legs a little wider.
“Finn,” Will says, and he means it as a warning, but it comes out sounding more like a moan.
Finn’s lips brush his again and Will’s hand tightens in his hair, holding him close for a slow kiss. His finger’s still teasing Will, not quite pushing inside and Will can’t decide if he wants Finn to push for more or stop before things get out of hand. Then Finn’s grip on his ass tightens, and when Will gasps against his mouth Finn’s tongue pushes past his teeth.
And he knows how big Finn’s hands are, but they feel even bigger when they’re pulling him open until he’s stretched wide, thumb pressed against his hole now and pushing the tip inside. Will moans into Finn’s mouth and pushes back into his touch, fucking himself on the tip of Finn’s thumb and yeah, they’re definitely going to be late for work.
“Will,” Finn murmurs, pulling back far enough to breathe Will’s name against his cheek. “I went to the clinic on campus last week and got tested.”
For a second Will’s heart stops, but when he pulls back to look at Finn he doesn’t look like he’s about to confess that he’s dying of some exotic illness. His cheeks are kind of pink and he’s breathing heavy, and there’s a little nervousness around the edges, sure, but mostly he just looks like he wants to forget they have anywhere to be today.
“Oh?” Will says, and when Finn pulls his thumb free Will bites his lip to stifle a moan.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m clean, so I figured if you are too, we could ditch the condoms, you know?”
It’s been a long time since Will had unprotected sex. Since the last time he slept with Terri, since the one time after their divorce that he lost his mind long enough to let her back in. But he remembers what it’s like, remembers the difference it makes to connect with someone with no barriers at all between them. He’s nodding before Finn even stops talking, and when he does Will leans in to brush another soft kiss against his lips.
“I’ll go to the clinic as soon as the weather clears up.”
He’s not sure why he hasn’t gotten tested already. He wishes he’d thought of it before now, because if he had they could ditch the condoms as early as tonight. Granted, the risk is minimal, and Will knows Finn trusts him enough to take him at his word if Will says he’s okay. But Finn got tested for him, and he loves Finn too much not to give him the same respect. So Will just kisses Finn one more time, then he smiles and lets go of him to reach for the shampoo again.
“I hope you realize just how distracted I’m going to be today,” Will says, hands sliding through Finn’s hair to work the shampoo into a lather.
“Good,” Finn answers, and when Will laughs Finn grins at him.
They manage to get through the rest of their shower with a minimum of distractions, and by the time they dry off and get dressed they’re only running a few minutes behind. Finn’s shrugging into his coat when Will meets him at the front door, a travel mug of coffee in each hand, and when Finn looks up and grins Will smiles back at him. He holds out a mug and Finn reaches for it, but instead of pulling it out of Will’s hand Finn grips his wrist and pulls him forward.
He grins at Will up close for a second, then he leans in and presses a soft kiss to Will’s lips. When he pulls back again he takes his coffee, and when Will holds out the other mug Finn laughs and takes that one too. Will reaches for his own coat and pulls it on, wraps a scarf around his neck and swings his bag over his shoulder before he takes his mug back.
“Thanks,” he says, hand closing around the front of Finn’s coat to pull him forward for another lingering kiss.
They make it out of the apartment fifteen minutes later than they should, and by the time they pull up in front of the school the parking lot’s pretty full. Finn pulls up to the curb in front of the building, leaning forward to look out the windshield at the school for a minute.
“Feels kind of weird to be here,” he says, then he leans back and looks at Will. “I mean, considering.”
Will nods, because he knows what Finn’s saying. It’s a little weird for both of them, but it’s a little less weird every day, and he knows eventually they won’t even remember when it felt strange to lean across the cab of Finn’s truck and kiss him goodbye in front of the school.
He does it anyway, just to get the first time over with, lips just brushing across Finn’s before Will pulls back to smile at him. “Thanks for the lift.”
Finn smiles and leans in again, but before he kisses Will his gaze shifts to a point over Will’s shoulder, and he blushes and pulls back again. Will turns to follow his gaze, his own face flushing when he spots a small group of sophomores watching them. He recognizes a couple of faces from his fifth period Spanish class, and he knows that before lunch the gossip about his new relationship won’t be limited just to the faculty.
Will clears his throat and turns back to Finn, gripping his chin and holding him in place long enough to plant a firm kiss square on his mouth. “I love you,” he says when he lets go, and when Finn blushes and smiles at him Will remembers why it’s worth all the gossip.
It’s worth the whispers he’s going to have to put up with in the halls, worth the distracted students in his classes and it’s even worth the chance that one of their parents will find out he’s dating a former student -- a male former student -- and call Figgins to complain.
“So you’ll call, if they let you out early, right?” Finn asks, and he sounds a little nervous, as though maybe he thinks Will doesn’t want Finn to pick him up.
“I promise,” Will says, his hand coming up to cup Finn’s cheek. “We still have to finish what we started this morning.”
Finn laughs and blushes even harder, hand coming up to cover Will’s where it’s resting against his cheek. He turns his face into Will’s touch, lips brushing his palm before Finn pulls his hand away and squeezes it. “You better go before the bell rings and Figgins assigns you to detention duty.”
He makes a good point; Figgins does tend to use detention duty as a punishment for teachers as much as students, and if he hears about Will making out with his boyfriend in front of the school, Will might be stuck after school babysitting the usual crowd of delinquents. Will nods and forces himself to let go of Finn’s hand, then he opens the truck door and glances back one more time before he steps out into the cold Ohio morning.
When he gets to the front door he looks back to find Finn still idling by the curb, and Will smiles and lifts a hand to wave before he goes inside. He’s smiling just a little more brightly than usual as he makes his way down the hall to the teachers’ lounge, warmth fluttering in his stomach every time he remembers the look on Finn’s face when Will promised to go get tested.
He’s too busy trying to figure out when he can make it to the clinic to notice someone falling into step next to him, but when he hears a familiar voice Will rolls his eyes and pauses just in front of the door to the teachers’ lounge.
“Morning, Mary Kay. I saw Vili out there dropping you off. He’s not afraid you’re going to find a younger model to trade him in for already, is he?”
“Finn’s an adult, Sue,” Will says, glancing over his shoulder at her as he opens the door to the teachers’ lounge. “There’s nothing illegal about our relationship.”
“The law may be on your side, William, but I wouldn’t put money on the school board. They tend to put their stock in so-called ‘moral integrity’,” she says, following him into the lounge and letting the door swing shut behind her. “And just think of what all the parents of your precious Glee kids will say when they hear you’re bedding your former star singer. This could finally end you, and I didn’t even have to do anything. It’s like Christmas all over again.”
It’s not like Will hasn’t considered that. He knew the minute Sue found out that she’d try to use his relationship with Finn to her own advantage, and he knew she probably had a leg to stand on this time. But it’s been two weeks and she hasn’t done more than make vague threats about the school board, so either she’s not really planning to do anything, or the school board doesn’t really care.
The law is on his side, after all, and if they try to make an issue of his personal life, they have to know they’ll have a law suit on their hands. So chances are good they’re choosing to look the other way this time, and that’s probably killing Sue.
“Give it a rest, would you, Sue?” Shannon says from somewhere behind him, and Will turns in time to watch her pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Obviously you’re the only one with a problem here.”
Will flashes a grateful smile in her direction and gets a small smile in return. And he is grateful, but the truth is that Sue’s not the only one who has a problem with the idea of him and Finn. Will knows for a fact that Figgins is uncomfortable with it, and Will’s parents were less than thrilled to hear that he’s living with a man now. Then there’s Finn’s mother; she’s coming around, but even though Finn hasn’t said it, Will can tell she’s the reason Finn hasn’t really moved in yet.
Even Shannon’s not thrilled for him; she’s trying to be supportive, and he appreciates the effort, but he saw the look on her face when he first broke the news to her. At first there was surprise, which was pretty standard, then she said, “Finn Hudson?” as though they knew another Finn. Or maybe she was hoping Will knew a dozen of them, and the one he was talking about didn’t happen to be a former student and Glee club star.
Once the truth sank in she asked if he was sure he knew what he was doing, but the way she said it told Will that she thought he’d lost his mind. He nodded anyway and assured her that he knew it would be hard for people to accept, but that he was sure how he felt about Finn. After that she just patted him on the shoulder and said, “As long as you’re happy,” but Will could tell what she meant was, “I hope you don’t live to regret this.”
He doesn’t regret it, though, and he’s not going to, no matter what happens with Sue and Figgins and the school board. He hasn’t regretted it from the first moment Finn kissed him, and as long as Finn wants him, nothing Sue does will matter.
Will smiles to himself and hangs up his coat and scarf, then he waves to Shannon and makes his way to his first class. As the students start pouring in he braces himself for whispers and pointed looks, but his juniors either have better things to talk about than Will’s personal life, or news doesn’t travel quite as fast through the grapevine at McKinley as he thought.
His second class of the day is a little different. It’s his honors Spanish IV class, and he’s not expecting the college-track seniors to care much about the latest gossip, but there’s an obvious increase in the whispering as the students make their way into class. The pointed looks are more obvious too, and by the time the final bell rings Will’s pretty sure the news has started to spread.
And the funny thing is that he doesn’t mind, because the sooner everyone knows the sooner they’ll get used to it, and then this will just be his life. Their life, his and Finn’s, and with every day he wakes up next to Finn, it’s a little easier to believe that they can make it last.
It’s when the freshmen show up that he knows people are talking, mainly because Puck’s sister is already blushing when she takes her seat, and every other girl in the room is whispering behind their hands.
“Guys, let’s focus,” he says, clapping his hands and turning toward the blackboard to write down the day’s assignment. As soon as his back’s turned the whispering gets a little louder, and Will feels his cheeks start to heat up, but he ignores it and focuses on getting through the class.
By the time the hour’s up he’s given out a three detentions and threatened half a dozen more, but it doesn’t do much to stop the whispering. He’s so exhausted just from trying to keep the class under control that he doesn’t notice one of his students lingering until the rest of the class has cleared out. When he finally looks up Sarah Puckerman’s standing in front of his desk, looking nervous and more than a little embarrassed.
“Sarah,” Will says, frowning up at her from behind his desk. “Something on your mind?”
“I didn’t say anything,” she says, mouth set in a defiant line that makes her look a lot like her brother used to when he was in high school.
“I’m sorry?”
“Everybody’s talking about you and Finn,” she says, rolling her eyes like she can’t believe he’s making her say it out loud. “But it’s not because I said anything. I told Noah I wouldn’t, and I didn’t. A couple kids saw you guys before school, out in the parking lot.”
“I know, Sarah, I was there,” Will says. He pastes on his most understanding smile, the one that makes him look like a teacher. “And even if you had told someone, it would have been okay. Finn and I have nothing to hide.”
For a second she just frowns like she doesn’t believe him, then she glances toward the door as though she’s expecting to find someone watching them. “Just...if my brother asks, I didn’t say anything, okay? If he thinks I did he won’t let me come visit over spring break, and I already told my friends I’m going to L.A.”
Will doesn’t laugh, a fact he’s prouder of than he probably should be. Instead he smiles again and stands up, hand on Sarah’s shoulder to steer her toward the door. “He’s not going to ask. But I promise if he does, I’ll tell him you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Thanks, Mr. Schuester,” she says, and when she smiles she looks a lot like her brother too. She takes a few steps toward the door, then she thinks better of it and turns back. “Everybody’s saying how you and Finn are totally hot together. In case you wondered what people were whispering about in class.”
As soon as she says it she turns away again, slipping out the door and into the hall before Will can answer. And that’s fine, because he has no idea how to answer a confession like that. Still, he’d rather his students gossip about his hot boyfriend than whisper behind his back about how much older he is than Finn.
Will smiles to himself and crosses to the window, watching the snow come down and hoping that maybe they’ll close school early after all.