Fic: An Enduring Fate (2/?)
Title: An Enduring Fate (2/?)
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Will/Rachel
Spoilers: Through A Very Glee Christmas
Disclaimer: All things Glee belong to Ryan Murphy and Fox. I’m just borrowing them.
Summary: Life is a series of starts and stops.
A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews. They really do motivate me to write more; so, please continue to let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome. :)
Chapter 1
NEW: Chapter 2
~~~~~
Three weeks later, Rachel stopped by Will’s office in tears. She wouldn’t tell him what was wrong or what had happened but he hugged her close while she cried. When she finally calmed down, she pulled away from him, smoothed down his shirt and thanked him quietly before turning and walking out of his office, leaving behind a very confused Will Schuester.
Will heard the next day that Finn and Quinn were dating again. He wanted to be angry that it made Rachel so upset, especially after what had happened between them but he knew that was irrational. She dated Finn. She had feelings for him. And Will knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about to someone who made you feel inferior; not two months earlier Emma had married Carl.
That day, he asked her to stay behind after Glee and she agreed. She helped him stack chairs in silence before Will finally spoke. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly.
Rachel continued stacking, purposefully avoiding his gaze and responding with false assurances, “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Will sighed, as he put down the chairs, “I don’t know. Maybe because Finn and Quinn are dating or maybe because you cried all over me yesterday.”
Rachel stopped what she was doing but didn’t look at him. She whispered, “I’m sorry that I cried all over you.”
Will stepped closer to her, “It’s okay. You know I don’t mind. I’m just … a little worried about you, Rachel.”
She gave him a shaky smile, “I’ll be okay.”
He looked unsure, “Rachel …”
Her face twisted as the tears started to build. She walked over to the risers and sat down with her face in her hands. Will took a seat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her back and rubbing gently.
“I know it doesn’t seem like it right now but it will get better. I had a bit of experience with this recently. And I know it hurts but you’ll get past this and you’ll find another guy. One who will appreciate you and make you happy and love you.”
Looking up at him, she smiled briefly before turning away. She whispered, so quietly he could barely hear, “I think I already have.” Will froze. He wasn’t sure he heard her correctly but he knew if he did, he needed to make things clear.
“Rachel-” He warned but she cut him off.
“I know. I know. This can’t happen.”
He continued, “I wish things were different, Rachel. But I can’t be that person. I’m not that person. I can’t do this.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment before standing and grabbing her things. “I should go. This is starting to feel familiar. We’ve been here too many times, and I can’t hear it again.”
“I’m sorry, Rachel.”
She smiled slightly, “Please don’t apologize. I’m going to go now. Thank you for being there for me.”
He frowned as she walked out of the room. “This is not going to work,” he mumbled to himself.
~~~~~
That night, Will lie awake in his bed, the only thing on his mind being the thought of a petite brunette. This was not good. Will did not normally think of his students this way. He had, in fact, never thought of a student this way. But with Rachel, everything wasn’t normal. Everything seemed different. Aside from her being beautiful and talented, they really did have a lot in common. He understood her, and she understood him. He just wished the situation was different. That she were five years older or he were ten years younger. He would take anything, as long as she wasn’t his 17 year old student.
His mind, however, soon turned from how it absolutely could not happen to wondering if maybe he could be that person. That person who gave into his feelings. The one who didn’t think about the consequences and instead did what felt right, even if others didn’t see it that way.
He tossed and turned all night, thinking over every possible scenario and outcome and finally deciding that yes, with her, he could be that person. Will reached for his phone, vaguely realizing that it was five in the morning before he texted her, asking her to come over to his apartment later that day.
He felt a weight lift as he hit the send button. Nothing had ever felt more right.
~~~~~
Rachel was confused when she woke up and saw the text from Will. She had spent the night before crying over something she would never have. Something she could never have. And now he was asking her to come over to his apartment on a Saturday. She didn’t know what to make of it. She tried to temper down the optimism she was feeling. She didn’t want to get her hopes up only to get let down once again. There were only so many times he could say ‘nothing would happen’ in that kind, caring way of his before he became more forceful about it. She didn’t know if she could handle it when he did.
She looked again at the text, noticing the time, 5:10. He sent it to her at 5:10 in the morning. What was he even doing up at that time? Why was he thinking of her? Why did he want to see her? She nervously responded to his text, telling him that she would be there around 2:00 that afternoon.
After sending it, she started getting ready. She didn’t know what was going to happen but she wanted to look great, even if she ended up leaving his apartment in tears.
~~~~~
Will was anxious. He knew this could be the start of something wonderful. But he also knew it was dangerous. He had to be careful. They had to be careful.
He was pacing the living room when there was a knock on his door at exactly 2:00. He took a deep breath before opening it. Rachel looked just as nervous. Will let her in and she took off her coat. His voice faltered as he looked at her. She was wearing a blue and white polka dot dress, one that clung to every curve. She handed him her coat and giggled when he just stared at her. Finally though, his brain came back to him and he took the coat from her outstretched hand.
“You look beautiful, Rachel.” He said, breathlessly.
She blushed at the compliment, as he hung up her coat. He turned back to her and watched as she stood awkwardly in his foyer. “Do you want anything? I could get you something to eat or drink.”
“I’m fine, Mr. Schue.” Will started at her response. She reminded him of who he was. He took a breath, remembering how he felt last night when he made this decision. She was here in his apartment, and he wasn’t going to turn back now.
He guided her to the living room. They sat down on the couch, facing each other. Now that she was here, Will didn’t really know how to start this. Thankfully, it was Rachel who broke the silence first, “I was surprised to see your text this morning.”
“Yeah, I was doing a lot of thinking last night. And I had to see you,” he said honestly. “Rachel, how do you feel about me?”
She stared at him, a bit shocked and unsure of how to respond. He had told her the day before (for what was the third time now) that nothing would ever happen between them. She was afraid to tell him the truth, afraid of him rejecting her. “I don’t understand what you’re asking. Just yesterday--”
“I know what I said yesterday, three weeks ago, a year ago. Forget all that. How do you feel about me?” He pleaded.
She hesitated before giving in and telling him exactly what she felt. “I think I am falling in love with you.” She looked him in the eye, continuing, “The way I feel about you, I’ve never felt before. Not with Finn and not with Jesse. It scares me but it excites me. And I know I shouldn’t feel this way but I can’t help it. I feel like I have this connection to you and it feels ... right.”
He held her eyes as he moved closer to her leaving no room between them. “No one can know, Rachel.”
Her eyes widened when she realized what he was saying. “Mr. Schue--”
“Will. You should call me Will outside of school, if you want this. But I’m serious. No one can know. The consequences are great and we have to be really careful.”
“Will,” she smiled, “how do you feel about me?”
He looked at her, allowing himself to speak the truth for the first time, “I love you. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you.”
Smiling, she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her close. Rachel was the first to voice the thought on both of their minds.
“How is this going to work?”
Will hesitated, collecting his thoughts before answering. He knew what she was asking. She was his student. How were they possibly going to have a relationship?
“We have to be very careful, Rachel. Nothing can be said or done while we are at school or out in public. We have to be careful about you coming over here. I don’t think anyone will notice but we’ve got to be discreet. You can’t tell anyone, Rachel. No one can know.” He felt her shaking her head against his chest. He took a deep breath before continuing on, knowing she wouldn’t like what he was going to say next. “And I can’t favor you in glee. You can’t expect to get every solo you want.”
Rachel pulled away, confusion written on her face. “But you don’t favor me now. You never have.”
“Rachel, you get more solos than anyone-”
“That’s not true.” She argued, “I haven’t gotten a solo in months. You didn’t even let me sing at sectionals. And now you’re saying that you’re going to give me even less because we’re together? Will, singing is all I have; it’s who I am. You can’t keep taking that away from me.”
“Rachel, honey, I’m not going to take anything away from you. I’m not going to give you less. I just don’t want you to be expecting more.”
Hurt, Rachel responded, “Is that really what you think of me? That I would expect more solos because of this?” Will, looked down in guilt. “Because if that’s really what you think, why would you want to be with me?”
His head shot up. Will reached forward, cupping Rachel’s face with his hands. He looked her in the eyes, begging her to understand, “I don’t think that, Rachel. Honestly, I don’t. Look, this whole thing is hard for me. I want to be with you. I’ve made that decision and, like you said, it feels right but that doesn’t change the fact that this is dangerous. That I’m your teacher and you’re my student, and if just one person finds out, it could ruin everything.”
She took his hands in hers, squeezing them tightly as she spoke in what she hoped was a reassuring (and not desperate) tone. “I’m not going to tell anyone, Will. We won’t be anything more than teacher and student at school. And outside of school, we’ll be careful. We can make this work. I know we can.”
Will smiled at her earnestness, hoping that it would be true and choosing to ignore the sudden feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him otherwise.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Will/Rachel
Spoilers: Through A Very Glee Christmas
Disclaimer: All things Glee belong to Ryan Murphy and Fox. I’m just borrowing them.
Summary: Life is a series of starts and stops.
A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews. They really do motivate me to write more; so, please continue to let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome. :)
Chapter 1
NEW: Chapter 2
~~~~~
Three weeks later, Rachel stopped by Will’s office in tears. She wouldn’t tell him what was wrong or what had happened but he hugged her close while she cried. When she finally calmed down, she pulled away from him, smoothed down his shirt and thanked him quietly before turning and walking out of his office, leaving behind a very confused Will Schuester.
Will heard the next day that Finn and Quinn were dating again. He wanted to be angry that it made Rachel so upset, especially after what had happened between them but he knew that was irrational. She dated Finn. She had feelings for him. And Will knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about to someone who made you feel inferior; not two months earlier Emma had married Carl.
That day, he asked her to stay behind after Glee and she agreed. She helped him stack chairs in silence before Will finally spoke. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly.
Rachel continued stacking, purposefully avoiding his gaze and responding with false assurances, “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Will sighed, as he put down the chairs, “I don’t know. Maybe because Finn and Quinn are dating or maybe because you cried all over me yesterday.”
Rachel stopped what she was doing but didn’t look at him. She whispered, “I’m sorry that I cried all over you.”
Will stepped closer to her, “It’s okay. You know I don’t mind. I’m just … a little worried about you, Rachel.”
She gave him a shaky smile, “I’ll be okay.”
He looked unsure, “Rachel …”
Her face twisted as the tears started to build. She walked over to the risers and sat down with her face in her hands. Will took a seat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her back and rubbing gently.
“I know it doesn’t seem like it right now but it will get better. I had a bit of experience with this recently. And I know it hurts but you’ll get past this and you’ll find another guy. One who will appreciate you and make you happy and love you.”
Looking up at him, she smiled briefly before turning away. She whispered, so quietly he could barely hear, “I think I already have.” Will froze. He wasn’t sure he heard her correctly but he knew if he did, he needed to make things clear.
“Rachel-” He warned but she cut him off.
“I know. I know. This can’t happen.”
He continued, “I wish things were different, Rachel. But I can’t be that person. I’m not that person. I can’t do this.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment before standing and grabbing her things. “I should go. This is starting to feel familiar. We’ve been here too many times, and I can’t hear it again.”
“I’m sorry, Rachel.”
She smiled slightly, “Please don’t apologize. I’m going to go now. Thank you for being there for me.”
He frowned as she walked out of the room. “This is not going to work,” he mumbled to himself.
~~~~~
That night, Will lie awake in his bed, the only thing on his mind being the thought of a petite brunette. This was not good. Will did not normally think of his students this way. He had, in fact, never thought of a student this way. But with Rachel, everything wasn’t normal. Everything seemed different. Aside from her being beautiful and talented, they really did have a lot in common. He understood her, and she understood him. He just wished the situation was different. That she were five years older or he were ten years younger. He would take anything, as long as she wasn’t his 17 year old student.
His mind, however, soon turned from how it absolutely could not happen to wondering if maybe he could be that person. That person who gave into his feelings. The one who didn’t think about the consequences and instead did what felt right, even if others didn’t see it that way.
He tossed and turned all night, thinking over every possible scenario and outcome and finally deciding that yes, with her, he could be that person. Will reached for his phone, vaguely realizing that it was five in the morning before he texted her, asking her to come over to his apartment later that day.
He felt a weight lift as he hit the send button. Nothing had ever felt more right.
~~~~~
Rachel was confused when she woke up and saw the text from Will. She had spent the night before crying over something she would never have. Something she could never have. And now he was asking her to come over to his apartment on a Saturday. She didn’t know what to make of it. She tried to temper down the optimism she was feeling. She didn’t want to get her hopes up only to get let down once again. There were only so many times he could say ‘nothing would happen’ in that kind, caring way of his before he became more forceful about it. She didn’t know if she could handle it when he did.
She looked again at the text, noticing the time, 5:10. He sent it to her at 5:10 in the morning. What was he even doing up at that time? Why was he thinking of her? Why did he want to see her? She nervously responded to his text, telling him that she would be there around 2:00 that afternoon.
After sending it, she started getting ready. She didn’t know what was going to happen but she wanted to look great, even if she ended up leaving his apartment in tears.
~~~~~
Will was anxious. He knew this could be the start of something wonderful. But he also knew it was dangerous. He had to be careful. They had to be careful.
He was pacing the living room when there was a knock on his door at exactly 2:00. He took a deep breath before opening it. Rachel looked just as nervous. Will let her in and she took off her coat. His voice faltered as he looked at her. She was wearing a blue and white polka dot dress, one that clung to every curve. She handed him her coat and giggled when he just stared at her. Finally though, his brain came back to him and he took the coat from her outstretched hand.
“You look beautiful, Rachel.” He said, breathlessly.
She blushed at the compliment, as he hung up her coat. He turned back to her and watched as she stood awkwardly in his foyer. “Do you want anything? I could get you something to eat or drink.”
“I’m fine, Mr. Schue.” Will started at her response. She reminded him of who he was. He took a breath, remembering how he felt last night when he made this decision. She was here in his apartment, and he wasn’t going to turn back now.
He guided her to the living room. They sat down on the couch, facing each other. Now that she was here, Will didn’t really know how to start this. Thankfully, it was Rachel who broke the silence first, “I was surprised to see your text this morning.”
“Yeah, I was doing a lot of thinking last night. And I had to see you,” he said honestly. “Rachel, how do you feel about me?”
She stared at him, a bit shocked and unsure of how to respond. He had told her the day before (for what was the third time now) that nothing would ever happen between them. She was afraid to tell him the truth, afraid of him rejecting her. “I don’t understand what you’re asking. Just yesterday--”
“I know what I said yesterday, three weeks ago, a year ago. Forget all that. How do you feel about me?” He pleaded.
She hesitated before giving in and telling him exactly what she felt. “I think I am falling in love with you.” She looked him in the eye, continuing, “The way I feel about you, I’ve never felt before. Not with Finn and not with Jesse. It scares me but it excites me. And I know I shouldn’t feel this way but I can’t help it. I feel like I have this connection to you and it feels ... right.”
He held her eyes as he moved closer to her leaving no room between them. “No one can know, Rachel.”
Her eyes widened when she realized what he was saying. “Mr. Schue--”
“Will. You should call me Will outside of school, if you want this. But I’m serious. No one can know. The consequences are great and we have to be really careful.”
“Will,” she smiled, “how do you feel about me?”
He looked at her, allowing himself to speak the truth for the first time, “I love you. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you.”
Smiling, she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her close. Rachel was the first to voice the thought on both of their minds.
“How is this going to work?”
Will hesitated, collecting his thoughts before answering. He knew what she was asking. She was his student. How were they possibly going to have a relationship?
“We have to be very careful, Rachel. Nothing can be said or done while we are at school or out in public. We have to be careful about you coming over here. I don’t think anyone will notice but we’ve got to be discreet. You can’t tell anyone, Rachel. No one can know.” He felt her shaking her head against his chest. He took a deep breath before continuing on, knowing she wouldn’t like what he was going to say next. “And I can’t favor you in glee. You can’t expect to get every solo you want.”
Rachel pulled away, confusion written on her face. “But you don’t favor me now. You never have.”
“Rachel, you get more solos than anyone-”
“That’s not true.” She argued, “I haven’t gotten a solo in months. You didn’t even let me sing at sectionals. And now you’re saying that you’re going to give me even less because we’re together? Will, singing is all I have; it’s who I am. You can’t keep taking that away from me.”
“Rachel, honey, I’m not going to take anything away from you. I’m not going to give you less. I just don’t want you to be expecting more.”
Hurt, Rachel responded, “Is that really what you think of me? That I would expect more solos because of this?” Will, looked down in guilt. “Because if that’s really what you think, why would you want to be with me?”
His head shot up. Will reached forward, cupping Rachel’s face with his hands. He looked her in the eyes, begging her to understand, “I don’t think that, Rachel. Honestly, I don’t. Look, this whole thing is hard for me. I want to be with you. I’ve made that decision and, like you said, it feels right but that doesn’t change the fact that this is dangerous. That I’m your teacher and you’re my student, and if just one person finds out, it could ruin everything.”
She took his hands in hers, squeezing them tightly as she spoke in what she hoped was a reassuring (and not desperate) tone. “I’m not going to tell anyone, Will. We won’t be anything more than teacher and student at school. And outside of school, we’ll be careful. We can make this work. I know we can.”
Will smiled at her earnestness, hoping that it would be true and choosing to ignore the sudden feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him otherwise.