We Build Then We Break - Chapter 3
Title: We Build Then we Break
Chapter: 3/5
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Will/Finn
Summary: Alternate time line. Remember, in the Pilot, when Will decided to leave McKinley to become an accountant because his wife was pregnant? He really did that. Now it's five years later, and he's still an accountant. Finn dropped out of high school to help Quinn raise her baby, and he's a janitor in Will's office building.
Notes: Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter - it really meant a lot to me, since I was maybe just a little afraid that no one was reading this.. Special love to kotay3 who has been reading everything I've ever written, and to perivates, whose couch is a great place to work on an epilogue.
Chapter 1 - When the Night Falls On You
Chapter 2 - Come On and Talk To Me Now
It was the following weekend. Will usually went into work on weekends, but somehow, knowing that Finn wouldn't be there, he couldn't bring himself to. He'd spent his entire week helping Finn janitor after hours, and had found it oddly enjoyable (Not that he was considering a career in the janitorial sciences or anything, he just loved spending time with Finn). So instead, he grabbed a novel and went to the park, figuring that he could read it under a tree. He was feeling too lazy to go to the gym, and it wasn't like he was going to stay in his apartment and spend time with Terri, even if he was off from work.
And so he went, bringing a bag of grapes to snack on. It was a nice day, cool but not cold, and he actually felt rather relaxed. And then he heard running, and looked up, just as Izzie crashed into him, wrapping her arms around him. "Willyyyy!!! Hiiiii!" Woofie was by her side, and immediately started licking Will's arm.
"Hi," he said, surprised, but hugged her back anyway. "What are you doing here?"
A moment later, Finn appeared. "Izzie! You know you're not supposed to run ahead of me."
"But I wanted to see Willy, and he was here all alone."
"Yes, but what if someone snatched you up on the way? Or you tripped?"
"I'm fine, Daddy. You worry too much." She looked quite content, still sitting in Will's lap and reaching over to munch on his grapes.
"Also, it's not polite to steal someone's food without asking them first."
"I'm sorry. Willy, can I have some grapes?"
"Help yourself," Will laughed.
Finn smiled softly. "Mind if we join you? I don't want to interrupt your reading..."
"I just needed something to do, really... a reason to get out of my house, you know? Away from my wife..."
"Yeah." Finn sat down and leaned against Will's tree, close enough so that their shoulders were touching. They sat quietly for a few minutes, with the only sound coming from Izzie munching on Will's grapes.
A woman walked by and beamed at them. "I just have to say, you three are the most lovely family."
"We-- we're not--" Will sputtered.
"Thanks," Finn said, shrugging as the woman walked away.
"That woman thought that we were..." Will started.
"There are worse things for people to think, really," said Finn. "I dunno, I'd probably be a lot happier if this was my family."
"Yeah?" asked Will, turning to look at him fully. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, and thought that Finn was leaning towards him slightly, when Izzie started giggling.
"Look! A butterfly!" she exclaimed, jumping up to catch it.
Finn and Will watched her chase it, and then deciding that she wasn't running far, turned back to each other. "I'm really glad we... I'm glad this is happening," Finn said, quietly.
"What's happening?" Will whispered, unable to break away from Finn's gaze.
"I don't know," Finn laughed. "I just know I like it."
Will touched Finn's cheek carefully. He'd wanted to do this for so long without fully realizing it - he'd wanted to be close to Finn, but he'd been scared. He stroked Finn's cheek as Finn's eyes fluttered close, and knew how easy it would be to do this, to just lean in and kiss him. "Finn," he murmured. "I--"
"The butterfly got away." Finn and Will broke apart and looked at Izzie, who was frowning. "I tried to catch her, but she flew away. Up there." She pointed up at the sky.
"A butterfly wouldn't make a very good pet though, would it?" said Finn. "It would make Woofie jealous, I think."
Izzie giggled. "Will you push me on the swings, Daddy?" She turned to Will, looking quite serious. "Daddy's really good at pushing me on the swings. I go up really high when he pushes."
"Of course," Finn replied. He squeezed Will's hand quickly and stood, following his daughter.
--
It soon came to be that Will couldn't remember what his life was like before Finn and Izzie filled it up. It seemed that he spent all of his free moments with them, or at least with Finn. Every day at lunch now, he went to Pizza Place, and every day after work, he helped Finn clean the building. He spent his weekends teaching Izzie how to play the guitar, and going to the park or zoo with the two of them. And the thing was that he was having fun, for once in his life. He felt like he belonged somewhere, like the three of them were a little family, even though he knew in his heart that they weren't. But when Izzie saw him and ran over to give him a hug, or when he and Finn exchanged gentle touches or told each other their secrets, it felt like something warm. Something different than what he'd had before.
It was 11 A.M., and he was already hoping that lunch time would come sooner, when his receptionist buzzed him. "It's a... I think the last name was Hudson, sir."
"Hudson?" Will asked, confused. "Oh, Finn! Put him through, please. Hello?"
"Will," Finn said, sounding extremely upset.
"Finn, what's wrong?"
"It's Izzie, she--"
"Is she okay? What's wrong? Is she in the hospital? I'll be there in ten minutes."
"No, she's... she's sick. She has a fever. She's in the nurse's office but she doesn't feel well, and she's scared, and they want me to come take her home but I have to work, because the lunch rush is right about to happen and they won't let me leave in the middle of the shift or they'll fire me."
"What about Quinn?"
"She didn't answer her phone. I... Will, I know how inappropriate this is, I really do, but I don't know what else to do and--"
"Do you want me to go get her?" Will asked.
"Yeah. If you can. If you can't, I'll understand, but--"
"Finn. First, take a deep breath." He waited for Finn to do that. "Okay, here's what you do. She's at Lima Preschool, right?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Call there and tell them that I'm coming to pick her up, and that you've given me permission to do that. I'll go and get her and take her to my house, and I'll take care of her until you or Quinn are done with work. You just try not to spill a tub of spaghetti sauce on yourself."
"Are-- are you sure?"
"Yes. Call them right now. I'll be there in... twenty minutes, maybe. Less."
"Okay. Thank you so much, Will, you really don't understand--"
"Stop thanking me, and call them. Bye."
--
It actually only took fifteen minutes for Will to make his way to Izzie's preschool, which was the same school he'd attended. It didn't take him long to find the nurse's office. Izzie immediately spotted him and whimpered, holding her arms up to him. Will understood, and lifted her up into a hug. "Hey bug," he said, stroking her hair. "I hear you're not feeling well."
Izzie buried her face in Will's neck in lieu of a response.
The nurse surveyed them, carefully. "You're Will Schuester, then?"
Will nodded. "Yeah. Her father, Finn Hudson, gave me permission to take her home."
"Alright. If you could just sign here? And her backpack's right there."
Will did as he was told and carried Izzie out to his car. She didn't speak the entire way there. "You usually use a car seat, don't you?" he asked, frowning. "I don't have one... sit in the back seat, okay?"
Izzie nodded and Will sat next to her for a moment, calling her father. "Will?" Finn answered, in a whisper. "Is everything okay?"
Will handed the phone to Izzie, who said, "Daddy, Willy came to get me... no... I don't like it, I don't feel good... okay.... okay. I love you too." She handed the phone back to Will.
"Thank you so much for this, seriously," Finn said, breathlessly.
"Finn, calm down. I have Izzie now, and I'll take care of everything, okay? Trust me."
"I trust you," Finn replied, and hung up the phone.
--
Will knew that Izzie could walk on her own perfectly well, but it seemed that while she was sick, she wanted to be carried - and that was fine. She was light, after all, and it made Will feel like a real dad, something he knew he'd never be. Of course, walking up all the steps in his apartment building while carrying her wasn't really ideal, but, well, he managed. "Almost there," he said, kissing her hair. "A few minutes, and you'll probably be asleep, or eating ice cream."
"Om nom nom," Izzie replied.
Will fumbled for the key to his apartment and then stumbled inside. He glanced at the couch and then shook his head. "Nah, you can sleep in my bed, more space." He made his way to his bedroom and opened the door.
He gasped. "Terri."
Terri turned around to look at him, from where she was... oh god, Will didn't want to think about it, and he was so glad that Izzie's face was turned away so she wouldn't have to see it. "Izzie, close your eyes," he whispered, slowly backing out of the room. He was glad he was still holding her, because he wasn't sure what he would have done otherwise - possibly start throwing things, for instance.
"Will, it's not what it looks like," Terri said, tying a robe around herself. "I'm not cheating, I'm--"
"I'm pretty sure it's exactly what it looks like, actually," Will replied, biting his lip. "But we're not discussing it in front of Izzie. No way." In a sort of stunned daze, he made his way back out of his apartment and put Izzie back in his car, unable to believe what had just happened.
"Why are you sad?" asked Izzie, eying him carefully. "Who was that lady?"
"My wife," Will replied, automatically, before sighing. She probably wouldn't be for much longer.
"You're crying," Izzie said, reaching up to wipe a few tears out of his eyes.
Will forced a smile and pulled away. "I'm fine, bug. Don't worry. C'mon, let's go back to your house."
And that's what they did. They managed to find the spare key in the mail box. Focusing on putting Izzie to bed and wiping her forehead with a cool wash cloth helped distract him a little from what had happened. He was able to put Izzie to bed quickly, and then made himself comfortable on the couch, watching daytime talk shows. Of course, when the show was about cheating spouses, he couldn't stop his tears. "Fuck fuck fuck," he muttered, wiping his eyes furiously.
He heard a door open and then close, which meant that Finn or Quinn had arrived home. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Will," said Quinn, coming over to him. "Thanks for taking care of Izzie. I'm not allowed to use my cell phone at work or I--"
"It's fine," said Will, shaking his head and trying to smile. "Don't worry about it."
"It's not fine," Quinn said, sadly. "But thank you. Um... are you okay?"
Will smiled and nodded and stood. "I'm fine. I think I'm allergic to Woofie. Anyway, I'd better be going. I'll see you later."
Quinn frowned. "See ya."
--
"Will."
"Finn."
"Will, thank you. I owe you so much, oh my god."
"It wasn't a big deal, don't worry."
"Yes it was! It was a huge deal! I mean, you left work early. When's the last time you did that? You're not in trouble, are you?"
"I'm not in trouble because I never do it. Trust me, I'm fine."
"Alright. I will make this up to you, though, I swear."
"Make it up to me by taking care of your daughter, okay?"
"Yeah... okay."
Will smiled at the phone briefly before putting it away, and then went back to packing his suitcase.
--
It was a few days later, and Will was proud of himself and his ability to hold it together. He was emptying a trash can, smiling, acting normal, when Finn said quietly, "Izzie asked me what cheating is."
"They haven't taught her that yet?" Will asked, looking up. "Her classmates must all be really honest when they play games together."
Finn shook his head. "That's how she got confused. She asked what game you and your wife were playing, because she didn't understand how she was cheating at it."
"...That's weird."
"And then Quinn mentioned that the other day, when Izzie was sick, you looked like you'd been crying."
Will went to empty the next trash can. "Weird."
Finn came over and put a hand on his shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was gentle. "Will, what's going on? You know you can talk to me..."
Will shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Will, c'mon."
"C'mon, what? I'm trying to empty this trash can, Finn."
Finn sighed and removed his hand. "You won't even look at me. I just wish you wouldn't hide things from me... but I'm here for you, anyway, okay? Whenever you need me."
Will stood and looked at Finn. His took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. "I went back to my apartment with Izzie to find my wife in bed with another man. It's been going on for months. Apparently it's my fault for being at work so much."
"Oh... oh god, Will."
Will sighed. "Yeah. So, that's what happened."
Finn looked at him sadly for a few moments, and then hugged him. Even though he hated the idea of being pitied, Will couldn't help gripping Finn back. It felt good to be held in Finn's strong arms. He pressed his face into Finn's shoulder, hoping Finn wouldn't notice the tears he was unable to control. This, he knew, was the only place where he'd allow himself to be so weak, to finally fall apart. Here, with Finn.
They stood like that for long moments, Finn rubbing his back as Will wept. Eventually, Will pulled away and wiped a hand over his face. "Sorry about that," he muttered, embarrassed.
"Hey," said Finn, wiping away one of Will's tears. "It's okay, I promise."
Will smiled weakly at him, and was warmed by the smile Finn gave him back. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world, in that moment, to simply lean in and kiss Finn, this man who meant so much to him. And so he did. And Finn's arms went around him for a moment, as they kissed, and then Finn pulled away and stared at him. "What was that?" he asked, looking confused.
"I... I kissed you," Will said, frowning. He'd thought that part was obvious.
Finn nodded. "Yeah... um. Will..." He reached out to touch Will's cheek and then seemingly thought better of it, pushing him away instead. Will's back hit the wall with a soft thud.
Will stared at his hand. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."
"You shouldn't have," Finn agreed, looking like he was completely confused as to what had just happened. "But you're under a lot of stress right now... and stuff."
"Um, yeah."
They stared at each other for a long moment, but neither knew what to say. "I have some work I'd better finish," Will finally whispered, and walked away.
Chapter Four coming soon. It's written, so no worries. Oh, and it's from Finn's POV. Seriously, Will could have given him some warning or something, right? Way to just spring that on him.
All chapters of this story, once posted, will be be found HERE
The rest of my fic can be found HERE
Chapter: 3/5
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Will/Finn
Summary: Alternate time line. Remember, in the Pilot, when Will decided to leave McKinley to become an accountant because his wife was pregnant? He really did that. Now it's five years later, and he's still an accountant. Finn dropped out of high school to help Quinn raise her baby, and he's a janitor in Will's office building.
Notes: Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter - it really meant a lot to me, since I was maybe just a little afraid that no one was reading this.. Special love to kotay3 who has been reading everything I've ever written, and to perivates, whose couch is a great place to work on an epilogue.
Chapter 1 - When the Night Falls On You
Chapter 2 - Come On and Talk To Me Now
It was the following weekend. Will usually went into work on weekends, but somehow, knowing that Finn wouldn't be there, he couldn't bring himself to. He'd spent his entire week helping Finn janitor after hours, and had found it oddly enjoyable (Not that he was considering a career in the janitorial sciences or anything, he just loved spending time with Finn). So instead, he grabbed a novel and went to the park, figuring that he could read it under a tree. He was feeling too lazy to go to the gym, and it wasn't like he was going to stay in his apartment and spend time with Terri, even if he was off from work.
And so he went, bringing a bag of grapes to snack on. It was a nice day, cool but not cold, and he actually felt rather relaxed. And then he heard running, and looked up, just as Izzie crashed into him, wrapping her arms around him. "Willyyyy!!! Hiiiii!" Woofie was by her side, and immediately started licking Will's arm.
"Hi," he said, surprised, but hugged her back anyway. "What are you doing here?"
A moment later, Finn appeared. "Izzie! You know you're not supposed to run ahead of me."
"But I wanted to see Willy, and he was here all alone."
"Yes, but what if someone snatched you up on the way? Or you tripped?"
"I'm fine, Daddy. You worry too much." She looked quite content, still sitting in Will's lap and reaching over to munch on his grapes.
"Also, it's not polite to steal someone's food without asking them first."
"I'm sorry. Willy, can I have some grapes?"
"Help yourself," Will laughed.
Finn smiled softly. "Mind if we join you? I don't want to interrupt your reading..."
"I just needed something to do, really... a reason to get out of my house, you know? Away from my wife..."
"Yeah." Finn sat down and leaned against Will's tree, close enough so that their shoulders were touching. They sat quietly for a few minutes, with the only sound coming from Izzie munching on Will's grapes.
A woman walked by and beamed at them. "I just have to say, you three are the most lovely family."
"We-- we're not--" Will sputtered.
"Thanks," Finn said, shrugging as the woman walked away.
"That woman thought that we were..." Will started.
"There are worse things for people to think, really," said Finn. "I dunno, I'd probably be a lot happier if this was my family."
"Yeah?" asked Will, turning to look at him fully. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, and thought that Finn was leaning towards him slightly, when Izzie started giggling.
"Look! A butterfly!" she exclaimed, jumping up to catch it.
Finn and Will watched her chase it, and then deciding that she wasn't running far, turned back to each other. "I'm really glad we... I'm glad this is happening," Finn said, quietly.
"What's happening?" Will whispered, unable to break away from Finn's gaze.
"I don't know," Finn laughed. "I just know I like it."
Will touched Finn's cheek carefully. He'd wanted to do this for so long without fully realizing it - he'd wanted to be close to Finn, but he'd been scared. He stroked Finn's cheek as Finn's eyes fluttered close, and knew how easy it would be to do this, to just lean in and kiss him. "Finn," he murmured. "I--"
"The butterfly got away." Finn and Will broke apart and looked at Izzie, who was frowning. "I tried to catch her, but she flew away. Up there." She pointed up at the sky.
"A butterfly wouldn't make a very good pet though, would it?" said Finn. "It would make Woofie jealous, I think."
Izzie giggled. "Will you push me on the swings, Daddy?" She turned to Will, looking quite serious. "Daddy's really good at pushing me on the swings. I go up really high when he pushes."
"Of course," Finn replied. He squeezed Will's hand quickly and stood, following his daughter.
--
It soon came to be that Will couldn't remember what his life was like before Finn and Izzie filled it up. It seemed that he spent all of his free moments with them, or at least with Finn. Every day at lunch now, he went to Pizza Place, and every day after work, he helped Finn clean the building. He spent his weekends teaching Izzie how to play the guitar, and going to the park or zoo with the two of them. And the thing was that he was having fun, for once in his life. He felt like he belonged somewhere, like the three of them were a little family, even though he knew in his heart that they weren't. But when Izzie saw him and ran over to give him a hug, or when he and Finn exchanged gentle touches or told each other their secrets, it felt like something warm. Something different than what he'd had before.
It was 11 A.M., and he was already hoping that lunch time would come sooner, when his receptionist buzzed him. "It's a... I think the last name was Hudson, sir."
"Hudson?" Will asked, confused. "Oh, Finn! Put him through, please. Hello?"
"Will," Finn said, sounding extremely upset.
"Finn, what's wrong?"
"It's Izzie, she--"
"Is she okay? What's wrong? Is she in the hospital? I'll be there in ten minutes."
"No, she's... she's sick. She has a fever. She's in the nurse's office but she doesn't feel well, and she's scared, and they want me to come take her home but I have to work, because the lunch rush is right about to happen and they won't let me leave in the middle of the shift or they'll fire me."
"What about Quinn?"
"She didn't answer her phone. I... Will, I know how inappropriate this is, I really do, but I don't know what else to do and--"
"Do you want me to go get her?" Will asked.
"Yeah. If you can. If you can't, I'll understand, but--"
"Finn. First, take a deep breath." He waited for Finn to do that. "Okay, here's what you do. She's at Lima Preschool, right?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Call there and tell them that I'm coming to pick her up, and that you've given me permission to do that. I'll go and get her and take her to my house, and I'll take care of her until you or Quinn are done with work. You just try not to spill a tub of spaghetti sauce on yourself."
"Are-- are you sure?"
"Yes. Call them right now. I'll be there in... twenty minutes, maybe. Less."
"Okay. Thank you so much, Will, you really don't understand--"
"Stop thanking me, and call them. Bye."
--
It actually only took fifteen minutes for Will to make his way to Izzie's preschool, which was the same school he'd attended. It didn't take him long to find the nurse's office. Izzie immediately spotted him and whimpered, holding her arms up to him. Will understood, and lifted her up into a hug. "Hey bug," he said, stroking her hair. "I hear you're not feeling well."
Izzie buried her face in Will's neck in lieu of a response.
The nurse surveyed them, carefully. "You're Will Schuester, then?"
Will nodded. "Yeah. Her father, Finn Hudson, gave me permission to take her home."
"Alright. If you could just sign here? And her backpack's right there."
Will did as he was told and carried Izzie out to his car. She didn't speak the entire way there. "You usually use a car seat, don't you?" he asked, frowning. "I don't have one... sit in the back seat, okay?"
Izzie nodded and Will sat next to her for a moment, calling her father. "Will?" Finn answered, in a whisper. "Is everything okay?"
Will handed the phone to Izzie, who said, "Daddy, Willy came to get me... no... I don't like it, I don't feel good... okay.... okay. I love you too." She handed the phone back to Will.
"Thank you so much for this, seriously," Finn said, breathlessly.
"Finn, calm down. I have Izzie now, and I'll take care of everything, okay? Trust me."
"I trust you," Finn replied, and hung up the phone.
--
Will knew that Izzie could walk on her own perfectly well, but it seemed that while she was sick, she wanted to be carried - and that was fine. She was light, after all, and it made Will feel like a real dad, something he knew he'd never be. Of course, walking up all the steps in his apartment building while carrying her wasn't really ideal, but, well, he managed. "Almost there," he said, kissing her hair. "A few minutes, and you'll probably be asleep, or eating ice cream."
"Om nom nom," Izzie replied.
Will fumbled for the key to his apartment and then stumbled inside. He glanced at the couch and then shook his head. "Nah, you can sleep in my bed, more space." He made his way to his bedroom and opened the door.
He gasped. "Terri."
Terri turned around to look at him, from where she was... oh god, Will didn't want to think about it, and he was so glad that Izzie's face was turned away so she wouldn't have to see it. "Izzie, close your eyes," he whispered, slowly backing out of the room. He was glad he was still holding her, because he wasn't sure what he would have done otherwise - possibly start throwing things, for instance.
"Will, it's not what it looks like," Terri said, tying a robe around herself. "I'm not cheating, I'm--"
"I'm pretty sure it's exactly what it looks like, actually," Will replied, biting his lip. "But we're not discussing it in front of Izzie. No way." In a sort of stunned daze, he made his way back out of his apartment and put Izzie back in his car, unable to believe what had just happened.
"Why are you sad?" asked Izzie, eying him carefully. "Who was that lady?"
"My wife," Will replied, automatically, before sighing. She probably wouldn't be for much longer.
"You're crying," Izzie said, reaching up to wipe a few tears out of his eyes.
Will forced a smile and pulled away. "I'm fine, bug. Don't worry. C'mon, let's go back to your house."
And that's what they did. They managed to find the spare key in the mail box. Focusing on putting Izzie to bed and wiping her forehead with a cool wash cloth helped distract him a little from what had happened. He was able to put Izzie to bed quickly, and then made himself comfortable on the couch, watching daytime talk shows. Of course, when the show was about cheating spouses, he couldn't stop his tears. "Fuck fuck fuck," he muttered, wiping his eyes furiously.
He heard a door open and then close, which meant that Finn or Quinn had arrived home. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Will," said Quinn, coming over to him. "Thanks for taking care of Izzie. I'm not allowed to use my cell phone at work or I--"
"It's fine," said Will, shaking his head and trying to smile. "Don't worry about it."
"It's not fine," Quinn said, sadly. "But thank you. Um... are you okay?"
Will smiled and nodded and stood. "I'm fine. I think I'm allergic to Woofie. Anyway, I'd better be going. I'll see you later."
Quinn frowned. "See ya."
--
"Will."
"Finn."
"Will, thank you. I owe you so much, oh my god."
"It wasn't a big deal, don't worry."
"Yes it was! It was a huge deal! I mean, you left work early. When's the last time you did that? You're not in trouble, are you?"
"I'm not in trouble because I never do it. Trust me, I'm fine."
"Alright. I will make this up to you, though, I swear."
"Make it up to me by taking care of your daughter, okay?"
"Yeah... okay."
Will smiled at the phone briefly before putting it away, and then went back to packing his suitcase.
--
It was a few days later, and Will was proud of himself and his ability to hold it together. He was emptying a trash can, smiling, acting normal, when Finn said quietly, "Izzie asked me what cheating is."
"They haven't taught her that yet?" Will asked, looking up. "Her classmates must all be really honest when they play games together."
Finn shook his head. "That's how she got confused. She asked what game you and your wife were playing, because she didn't understand how she was cheating at it."
"...That's weird."
"And then Quinn mentioned that the other day, when Izzie was sick, you looked like you'd been crying."
Will went to empty the next trash can. "Weird."
Finn came over and put a hand on his shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was gentle. "Will, what's going on? You know you can talk to me..."
Will shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Will, c'mon."
"C'mon, what? I'm trying to empty this trash can, Finn."
Finn sighed and removed his hand. "You won't even look at me. I just wish you wouldn't hide things from me... but I'm here for you, anyway, okay? Whenever you need me."
Will stood and looked at Finn. His took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. "I went back to my apartment with Izzie to find my wife in bed with another man. It's been going on for months. Apparently it's my fault for being at work so much."
"Oh... oh god, Will."
Will sighed. "Yeah. So, that's what happened."
Finn looked at him sadly for a few moments, and then hugged him. Even though he hated the idea of being pitied, Will couldn't help gripping Finn back. It felt good to be held in Finn's strong arms. He pressed his face into Finn's shoulder, hoping Finn wouldn't notice the tears he was unable to control. This, he knew, was the only place where he'd allow himself to be so weak, to finally fall apart. Here, with Finn.
They stood like that for long moments, Finn rubbing his back as Will wept. Eventually, Will pulled away and wiped a hand over his face. "Sorry about that," he muttered, embarrassed.
"Hey," said Finn, wiping away one of Will's tears. "It's okay, I promise."
Will smiled weakly at him, and was warmed by the smile Finn gave him back. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world, in that moment, to simply lean in and kiss Finn, this man who meant so much to him. And so he did. And Finn's arms went around him for a moment, as they kissed, and then Finn pulled away and stared at him. "What was that?" he asked, looking confused.
"I... I kissed you," Will said, frowning. He'd thought that part was obvious.
Finn nodded. "Yeah... um. Will..." He reached out to touch Will's cheek and then seemingly thought better of it, pushing him away instead. Will's back hit the wall with a soft thud.
Will stared at his hand. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."
"You shouldn't have," Finn agreed, looking like he was completely confused as to what had just happened. "But you're under a lot of stress right now... and stuff."
"Um, yeah."
They stared at each other for a long moment, but neither knew what to say. "I have some work I'd better finish," Will finally whispered, and walked away.
Chapter Four coming soon. It's written, so no worries. Oh, and it's from Finn's POV. Seriously, Will could have given him some warning or something, right? Way to just spring that on him.
All chapters of this story, once posted, will be be found HERE
The rest of my fic can be found HERE