When We Touch: Will & Finn
Title: When We Touch
Part: 4: Will & Finn
Author: Squeeka Cuomo
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Will Schuester, Finn Hudson
Author Notes: A series of one shots, this project was inspired by, and started for story_lottery.
Warning: N/A
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Random moments. Simple touches. Unforgettable encounters.
When We TouchWill & Finn
The moment Will saw Finn’s face, he could tell something was wrong.
At first, when Finn had walked out onto the stage, Will hadn’t been able to tell. The boy had been too far away, and the lights hadn’t been totally up. He’d just figured that maybe Finn wanted to talk to him about some extra dance rehearsals or maybe some extra-credit for Spanish. So, without even thinking, he’d said, “Hey Finn, what’s up?”
But as Finn walked towards him, his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach, Will felt a knot of panic in the pit of his stomach. The worry and fear that had twisted Finn’s features into an almost unrecognizable version of himself, were glaringly obvious. So obvious that Will would have to be blind not to notice it.
As he got closer and closer, Finn’s eyes filled with tears that refused to be held back. He tried to answer Will, but all that came out was a mumble that sounded like “I… I’m sorry.” Looking lost and alone, Finn shifted his weight from foot to foot as if he didn’t know what to do.
“Hey…” Will’s voice was soft, concerned, which only seemed to upset Finn more. Just as Finn’s face crinkled up in a last ditch effort to keep from crying, Will pulled him into a tight hug, not thinking or wondering about what he should do. All he could think to say was, “It’s ok” as Finn cried into his shoulder.
Hugging Finn, Will realized that putting his arms out to the boy had been his first instinct. The fact that Sandy had been fired for touching another male student only months before never even crossed his mind. Nor had the fact that Sue had probably set up surveillance cameras everywhere to catch him doing something wrong.
In retrospect, Will knew that he should have probably thought all of those things. But the moment he saw Finn, all that mattered was making the pain on his face go away. But despite that urgency, as Finn snuffled into Will’s shoulder, all Will could think about was his father.
When it came to his parents, Will had always considered himself lucky. Sure, his mom liked the booze a little too much, but his mom and dad loved one another. More importantly, they loved him. And looking back, Will knew that had made all the difference in his life. Deep down, he knew that without their unyielding love and support, he wouldn’t have become the man he was today.
Of course, that didn’t mean that everything had always been perfect between them. They’d had their fights and angry moments, but in the end, they’d always managed to make things right.
But as much as he loved both of his parents, Will and his father had always shared a special bond.
It was a bond that began over late night feedings when his mom had been just a wee bit too tipsy to hold him securely enough. His mother, in a rare sober state, had told Will about that a few years ago. As far as she could remember, his father would rock him to sleep, singing whatever song popped into his head. And if his mother was to be trusted, that included everything from Bob Dylan to Mary Poppins.
Whether or not any of that was true, Will wasn’t sure. Because, as much as he loved his mother, her memory wasn’t always the most reliable source of information.
There had been a couple of times when Will had thought about asking his dad to tell him about those nights. But he couldn’t bring himself to. When it came down to it, Will liked his mother’s version of events, and he didn’t want to let that go. So he’d held onto the vision with the faith of a small child looking forward to the Easter bunny.
But other than what he couldn’t remember, Will knew how the rest of the story went, of how his and his father’s relationship progressed. Of course, Will’s parents occasionally liked to surprise him with stories from his “terrible two’s” and, as they liked to call them, his “unfortunate four’s.” But other than that, he stuck to, and preferred, his own memories. They weren’t skewed by alcohol or fatherly amusement. And as far as Will was concerned, his version of events was much more accurate because they were based on his memories.
And as Will felt Finn’s hand tighten in the fabric of his shirt, Will was reminded of all the times he’d been in the same position with his own father. When he was little, it had been because of bumped elbows and scraped knees that had sent Will running for his father’s embrace. As he got older though, the reasons had shifted from things like minor injuries to father/son binding and girl (i.e. Terry) problems.
But no matter how old he was, or what the reason, his father’s hugs had always made him feel the same exact way:
Warm, safe and protected.
Like nothing could ever touch him so long as his father was there, by his side.
It was a feeling that Will could easily recall from his earliest childhood memories and trace through out his life. He could remember the loving touch of his daddy with such intensity that it brought tears to his eyes. And though that simplistic feeling was gone, Will loved the connection that they shared now so much more.
Because now their bond was more than just that of father and son. Now, it was filled with the mutual respect and love between two men who considered one another friends.
And Will wouldn’t have traded that for the world.
With a noisy sniffle from Finn, Will was brought back to the present. He was no longer five years old and wrapped in his father’s arms. Instead, he was standing on the stage of the auditorium with an upset student clutching him for dear life.
But there was something about the hug that felt familiar and comforting… If only from a different perspective.
When Finn buried his head further into Will’s shoulder, Will realized what it was. Because, for just a second, for the very first time, Will felt like a father.
And the feeling was incredible.
As Finn’s chest heaved, Will couldn’t help but wonder if that was how his own father had felt every time he’d hugged him.
The feeling was so wonderful, so intoxicating, that Will never wanted it to end.
Will was so desperate to hold onto the feeling that he felt himself cling to Finn almost as desperately as Finn was holding onto him. As they hugged one another, Will imagined, for the millionth time, what it would be like to hold his own little boy for the first time. But what touched him the most were thoughts of all the hugs that would follow through the years.
In the space of a few seconds, Will saw his son’s life flash before his eyes. Normally, seeing the entirety of one’s existence in the blink of an eye was terrifying. But it filled Will with more hope than he thought he could handle. Because in the life to come, he’d seen late night feedings, school pageants, and baseball games - not to mention homework, tears, and most importantly, hugs.
Lots and lots of hugs.
And as he watched it all, Will could only hope that he would or could be as wonderful as his own father.
The next day, Will stopped by his parent’s house just so that he could hug his father and tell him how much he meant to him.
Squeeka Cuomo’s Notes
- This was originally written for story_lottery. The prompt I chose for “Will & Finn” was “a second”.
- Quack: Thank you so much. My tenses thank you as well. Thanks for being so awesome.
- Reviews are love.
When We Touch
1: Kurt & Mercedes
2: Tina & Quinn
3: Puck & Rachel
Part: 4: Will & Finn
Author: Squeeka Cuomo
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Will Schuester, Finn Hudson
Author Notes: A series of one shots, this project was inspired by, and started for story_lottery.
Warning: N/A
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Random moments. Simple touches. Unforgettable encounters.
When We TouchWill & Finn
The moment Will saw Finn’s face, he could tell something was wrong.
At first, when Finn had walked out onto the stage, Will hadn’t been able to tell. The boy had been too far away, and the lights hadn’t been totally up. He’d just figured that maybe Finn wanted to talk to him about some extra dance rehearsals or maybe some extra-credit for Spanish. So, without even thinking, he’d said, “Hey Finn, what’s up?”
But as Finn walked towards him, his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach, Will felt a knot of panic in the pit of his stomach. The worry and fear that had twisted Finn’s features into an almost unrecognizable version of himself, were glaringly obvious. So obvious that Will would have to be blind not to notice it.
As he got closer and closer, Finn’s eyes filled with tears that refused to be held back. He tried to answer Will, but all that came out was a mumble that sounded like “I… I’m sorry.” Looking lost and alone, Finn shifted his weight from foot to foot as if he didn’t know what to do.
“Hey…” Will’s voice was soft, concerned, which only seemed to upset Finn more. Just as Finn’s face crinkled up in a last ditch effort to keep from crying, Will pulled him into a tight hug, not thinking or wondering about what he should do. All he could think to say was, “It’s ok” as Finn cried into his shoulder.
Hugging Finn, Will realized that putting his arms out to the boy had been his first instinct. The fact that Sandy had been fired for touching another male student only months before never even crossed his mind. Nor had the fact that Sue had probably set up surveillance cameras everywhere to catch him doing something wrong.
In retrospect, Will knew that he should have probably thought all of those things. But the moment he saw Finn, all that mattered was making the pain on his face go away. But despite that urgency, as Finn snuffled into Will’s shoulder, all Will could think about was his father.
When it came to his parents, Will had always considered himself lucky. Sure, his mom liked the booze a little too much, but his mom and dad loved one another. More importantly, they loved him. And looking back, Will knew that had made all the difference in his life. Deep down, he knew that without their unyielding love and support, he wouldn’t have become the man he was today.
Of course, that didn’t mean that everything had always been perfect between them. They’d had their fights and angry moments, but in the end, they’d always managed to make things right.
But as much as he loved both of his parents, Will and his father had always shared a special bond.
It was a bond that began over late night feedings when his mom had been just a wee bit too tipsy to hold him securely enough. His mother, in a rare sober state, had told Will about that a few years ago. As far as she could remember, his father would rock him to sleep, singing whatever song popped into his head. And if his mother was to be trusted, that included everything from Bob Dylan to Mary Poppins.
Whether or not any of that was true, Will wasn’t sure. Because, as much as he loved his mother, her memory wasn’t always the most reliable source of information.
There had been a couple of times when Will had thought about asking his dad to tell him about those nights. But he couldn’t bring himself to. When it came down to it, Will liked his mother’s version of events, and he didn’t want to let that go. So he’d held onto the vision with the faith of a small child looking forward to the Easter bunny.
But other than what he couldn’t remember, Will knew how the rest of the story went, of how his and his father’s relationship progressed. Of course, Will’s parents occasionally liked to surprise him with stories from his “terrible two’s” and, as they liked to call them, his “unfortunate four’s.” But other than that, he stuck to, and preferred, his own memories. They weren’t skewed by alcohol or fatherly amusement. And as far as Will was concerned, his version of events was much more accurate because they were based on his memories.
And as Will felt Finn’s hand tighten in the fabric of his shirt, Will was reminded of all the times he’d been in the same position with his own father. When he was little, it had been because of bumped elbows and scraped knees that had sent Will running for his father’s embrace. As he got older though, the reasons had shifted from things like minor injuries to father/son binding and girl (i.e. Terry) problems.
But no matter how old he was, or what the reason, his father’s hugs had always made him feel the same exact way:
Warm, safe and protected.
Like nothing could ever touch him so long as his father was there, by his side.
It was a feeling that Will could easily recall from his earliest childhood memories and trace through out his life. He could remember the loving touch of his daddy with such intensity that it brought tears to his eyes. And though that simplistic feeling was gone, Will loved the connection that they shared now so much more.
Because now their bond was more than just that of father and son. Now, it was filled with the mutual respect and love between two men who considered one another friends.
And Will wouldn’t have traded that for the world.
With a noisy sniffle from Finn, Will was brought back to the present. He was no longer five years old and wrapped in his father’s arms. Instead, he was standing on the stage of the auditorium with an upset student clutching him for dear life.
But there was something about the hug that felt familiar and comforting… If only from a different perspective.
When Finn buried his head further into Will’s shoulder, Will realized what it was. Because, for just a second, for the very first time, Will felt like a father.
And the feeling was incredible.
As Finn’s chest heaved, Will couldn’t help but wonder if that was how his own father had felt every time he’d hugged him.
The feeling was so wonderful, so intoxicating, that Will never wanted it to end.
Will was so desperate to hold onto the feeling that he felt himself cling to Finn almost as desperately as Finn was holding onto him. As they hugged one another, Will imagined, for the millionth time, what it would be like to hold his own little boy for the first time. But what touched him the most were thoughts of all the hugs that would follow through the years.
In the space of a few seconds, Will saw his son’s life flash before his eyes. Normally, seeing the entirety of one’s existence in the blink of an eye was terrifying. But it filled Will with more hope than he thought he could handle. Because in the life to come, he’d seen late night feedings, school pageants, and baseball games - not to mention homework, tears, and most importantly, hugs.
Lots and lots of hugs.
And as he watched it all, Will could only hope that he would or could be as wonderful as his own father.
The next day, Will stopped by his parent’s house just so that he could hug his father and tell him how much he meant to him.
Squeeka Cuomo’s Notes
- This was originally written for story_lottery. The prompt I chose for “Will & Finn” was “a second”.
- Quack: Thank you so much. My tenses thank you as well. Thanks for being so awesome.
- Reviews are love.
When We Touch
1: Kurt & Mercedes
2: Tina & Quinn
3: Puck & Rachel