WL Birthday week: Glee fic for appleautumn
It's my first time writing in the Glee fandom. So I hope you like it.
Rachel stared intently at Will, as he read through her second attempt at songwriting. She had put her all into her writing, and now, as he read through it, she felt oddly exposed, as she waited apprehensively.
Will finished reading the lines, and took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to word his thoughts.
“So… why did you write this?” Will knew, but all the same, he really wanted to know what brought the sudden burst of songwriting out, where no desire seemed to exist before now.
“Well, because we need a song for the competition, and to beat the other glee clubs we have to have something different…” before Rachel could finish the response she had rehearsed last night in front of the mirror again, Will held his hand up, and tried again.
“What… inspired you to try writing, I mean? It wasn’t just the competition, I can tell.” And he could. This was not just an average competition song.
“All great divas write their own work. They’re a triple threat - singing, dancing…” as she continued her lecture on all things diva, Will sighed.
He supposed he understood why so often, she was ganged up on, though it seemed cruel and unnecessary. It wasn’t that she was unlikable but her constant need to validate her obvious talent to herself and others built a wall between them. I was lonely, and what mystified Will was that there was no need for it. She was so much more than what she claimed to be, and yet she didn’t seem to know it.
She may not have realized it, but she was simultaneously building a wall right now, while bearing her soul completely. Will didn’t know how to respond to it.
“I don’t believe you.” It was simple, and honest. And from the look on Rachel’s face, it crushed her, even though he hadn’t meant for it too.
“But it was! I…” As her face fell, her voice wavered a bit, making Will feel more guilty. But he had to know why, even if he didn’t quite know why he had to know why. She started again.
“I miss my mom. And when Finn and I were over… I just… I wanted my mom. Not my mom, but my mom.” She looked at him significantly, trying to convey the meaning behind the confusing comment.
“It’s lonely.” Rachel whispered, near tears. She looked nervously at the page in Will’s hand, waiting for his critique, but not - so far, at least - receiving it. Or daring to ask for it.
It wasn’t till he saw that look that he realized she was worried about what he thought.
She doesn’t even realize that it’s good. How can she not realize that? As Will wondered, he decided there was no way he could get what he was thinking across adequately.
So he chose honesty.
“The writing is… amazing.” As relief flooded her, he felt the need to explain how pain breeds creativity.
“I know life is lonely, sometimes. But that stuff - the gut wrenching, heart breaking stuff - is what makes great music. This is gut-wrenching, and had a depth and maturity that can only come from life not always being perfect. It can’t be manufactured, it can’t be forced. It just has to come with experience. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Rachel nodded.
“So…it’s good?” She looked at him, hopefully.
“It’s good. Maybe a bit personal for competition, but it’s definitely a song that needs to be sung.” As he said that, he realized that a part of him was surprised, and a part of him wasn’t.
Rachel didn’t need the diva pretense. On her own, she was an amazing songwriter.
Rachel stared intently at Will, as he read through her second attempt at songwriting. She had put her all into her writing, and now, as he read through it, she felt oddly exposed, as she waited apprehensively.
Will finished reading the lines, and took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to word his thoughts.
“So… why did you write this?” Will knew, but all the same, he really wanted to know what brought the sudden burst of songwriting out, where no desire seemed to exist before now.
“Well, because we need a song for the competition, and to beat the other glee clubs we have to have something different…” before Rachel could finish the response she had rehearsed last night in front of the mirror again, Will held his hand up, and tried again.
“What… inspired you to try writing, I mean? It wasn’t just the competition, I can tell.” And he could. This was not just an average competition song.
“All great divas write their own work. They’re a triple threat - singing, dancing…” as she continued her lecture on all things diva, Will sighed.
He supposed he understood why so often, she was ganged up on, though it seemed cruel and unnecessary. It wasn’t that she was unlikable but her constant need to validate her obvious talent to herself and others built a wall between them. I was lonely, and what mystified Will was that there was no need for it. She was so much more than what she claimed to be, and yet she didn’t seem to know it.
She may not have realized it, but she was simultaneously building a wall right now, while bearing her soul completely. Will didn’t know how to respond to it.
“I don’t believe you.” It was simple, and honest. And from the look on Rachel’s face, it crushed her, even though he hadn’t meant for it too.
“But it was! I…” As her face fell, her voice wavered a bit, making Will feel more guilty. But he had to know why, even if he didn’t quite know why he had to know why. She started again.
“I miss my mom. And when Finn and I were over… I just… I wanted my mom. Not my mom, but my mom.” She looked at him significantly, trying to convey the meaning behind the confusing comment.
“It’s lonely.” Rachel whispered, near tears. She looked nervously at the page in Will’s hand, waiting for his critique, but not - so far, at least - receiving it. Or daring to ask for it.
It wasn’t till he saw that look that he realized she was worried about what he thought.
She doesn’t even realize that it’s good. How can she not realize that? As Will wondered, he decided there was no way he could get what he was thinking across adequately.
So he chose honesty.
“The writing is… amazing.” As relief flooded her, he felt the need to explain how pain breeds creativity.
“I know life is lonely, sometimes. But that stuff - the gut wrenching, heart breaking stuff - is what makes great music. This is gut-wrenching, and had a depth and maturity that can only come from life not always being perfect. It can’t be manufactured, it can’t be forced. It just has to come with experience. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Rachel nodded.
“So…it’s good?” She looked at him, hopefully.
“It’s good. Maybe a bit personal for competition, but it’s definitely a song that needs to be sung.” As he said that, he realized that a part of him was surprised, and a part of him wasn’t.
Rachel didn’t need the diva pretense. On her own, she was an amazing songwriter.