He found her crying in her office.
Working on the costumes and the production of the musical had kept her at school late for the past few weeks. Emma came home tired, but happy, always eager to fill Carl in on even the most minute details. And he listened enthusiastically in return—he shared in her joys, her concerns, her accomplishments, and he made sure to make every word that came from her mouth matter.
It was Friday afternoon, and the chill October evening was darkening quickly. Carl, unable to wipe the grin off his face as he stepped into the empty high school, had decided to surprise Emma with a spontaneous visit and perhaps a dinner date afterward to wind down from the busy week.
The school was silent—even the janitors had gone. Still smiling, he walked down the familiar halls, stopping in front of Emma's glass paneled office. His stomach dropped as the sound of Emma's hiccuping sobs greeted him.
For a moment, anger flared deep within him as the heated words danced at the edge of his lips. What the hell did he do to her? I swear, if that bastard...but he reigned them in, breathing in a steady stream of air as he tried not to jump to conclusions.
"C-c-carl, w-what are you d-d-doing here?" Emma choked over her words, speaking before Carl could.
She looked up at Carl with swollen red eyes, smoothing her skirt as she clenched and unclenched her anxious fingers. Her navy cardigan was askew, the buttons done up in the wrong holes. Her hair was mussed and her make up was smudged around her large brown eyes.
His heart hurt, looking at her in this distraught state. He wanted nothing more than to make her world right away.
"I came here to surprise you," he muttered softly, his voice gentle as to not upset her any more.
He reached out hesitantly to touch her shoulder. Though Emma's aversion to physical contact was becoming less and less of a problem, she tended to regress when she became upset, and Carl was always tactful in these situations, never wanting to send her over the edge.
But instead of shying away from his touch, Emma melted in his embrace, burying her face in his stomach. "I wasn't expecting you," she mumbled, her voice still thick with tears. Carl reached for her hair, beginning to gently stroke it. He felt Emma relax beneath his touch. "I was going to try to, um, pull myself together before I got home..."
Her voice was filled with guilt, and Carl hated to see her bent up over the fact that she could not hold herself together. "You don't have to hide anything for me, Ems," he assured her. He pulled away from her, crouching so that his eyes were level with hers. "Tell me what's bugging you..."
She swallowed heavily, and Carl watched her eyes fill with tears once again. "I feel awful, Carl—I didn't mean for it to happen, but Will asked for help, a-an-and..." She burst into tears once again, lowing her blotchy face away from Carl's gaze.
Carl gently lifted her chin, locking his steady eyes with hers. He kept his voice composed as he spoke. "What is there for you to feel awful about, Emma? Did he hurt you?" The last phrase slipped out before he considered his words. He watched her eyes widen, afraid for a moment he been too rash. Though he encouraged total honesty in their relationship, he did not wish to force Emma to share before she was ready.
"No, no, no, no...of course not. It just all happened too fast." The words flew from in mouth in an influx. "One minute, Will was telling me that, um, Sam was uncomfortable being Rocky, and he decided that he should play the part, you know, because it's an adult role...and the next thing I knew, I was, well, helping him rehearse Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me."
She swallowed hard, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, and Carl could only assume that the true nature of the risque song had seeped into their rendition.
He took her arm, helping her gently to her feet as he slowly wrapped his arms around her trembling form. "Carl..." she sighed, collapsing against him.
"Shh, Ems, I'm not mad at you," he assured her, his hands reaching for her hair once again. He was angry with Will, for pushing Emma too far in an entirely inappropriate manner. "I'm not going to get petty over something that doesn't change anything..."
Emma looked at her feet, fidgeting slightly, and Carl felt his own heart sink slightly as he dared himself to imagine the events that had taken place between the insufferable Spanish teacher and his girlfriend.
He sighed, looking at her sadly, though he tactfully considered his words. "And if it does, then I'm not going to stop you, Emma. I just want you to be happy."
He was surprised when she threw her arms around his so suddenly, melting against his chest. "And I am happy, Carl. I've never been happier."
He smiled, holding her tightly against him, never loving her more.
"Thank you, Carl," she muttered as she pulled away, her soft smile lighting up her tear stained face.
He smiled in return, reaching for her hand as he led her out of the office. "For what?"
She laced her fingers through his, her smile growing brighter as she let her hand nestle perfectly in his larger one. "For just being you."
A/N: So begins my obsessive writing of my new favorite ship.
Sorry, it's short, but I didn't want to drag it out for too long-just as I imagine Carl and Emma handling this. I'm not entirely in love with this, but I'm just getting warmed up.
I hope you enjoyed. Expect more Carma in the very near future 3