AN: Hey! I'm new here and this is my first fic. I hope you enjoy it. Feedback would be apreciated.
I don't own Glee.
"Bricks":
CHAPTER I:
She hugs her dads like she's never going to see them again and they say their goodbyes for the 100th time. The day has arrived, their little diva is all grown up now and ready to fly away from the nest. They are exited, they trust her, they expect great things for her in life, however, that doesn't make letting go any easier. On the other hand, she's never been more happy and terrified at once. She has been ready for this moment since she has a memory, which she swears, was in utero. Rachel has practiced her goodbye and I love you speeches for years and she can proudly say she has delivered them gracefully. It's real now, it's happening. Lima's resident star is going to make the world her oyster, or some vegan version of that frase.
Rachel takes a deep breath and walks away from them while "New York, New York" plays in her head, it's an acoustic version sung by herself. A sign everything will be as fabulous as she's always imagined. It's also her own head playing tricks on her, a placebo, but she doesn't mind. She smiles to herself while tapping her fingers to the imaginary tune on her pink suitcase.
Waiting near Gate 6, Will Shuester stares blankly at his feet. This new chapter on his life has a big fat question mark hanging over it. He is too old to try to make it on Broadway, he has no one to hug him goodbye and no one waiting for him once he's off the plane. His students are still celebrating High school ended, and they don't need him anymore. The world is unaffected whatever he does or doesn't do. That is how he feels. Nostalgic and worthless. Worn down and lonely. He has encouraged others to follow his dreams but he was an hypocrite, he has been a coward. He had played it safe long enough and now he was finally trying to make a change for himself, but the leap he was taking was giving him heartburn. It wasn't just the feeling something was missing, he felt HE had missed on everything.
Sure, he would have new students in a new school, more blank canvases to paint on but Ney York was not Lima so he believes they will have huge expectations when it comes to the new School Choir teacher. A man from a small town who had strugged to keep a group of twelve every year. A man whose wife had faked a pregnancy without him figuring it out... He shook his head trying to erase the recollections and dissipate the doubt that was making his heart so heavy and reached for the bottle of water in his backpack. When he had it in his hands he saw her, 5'2" of pretty, filled with anger and excitement, having an argument he couldn't hear with the lady in front of gate 6. He stood up and neared the two.
"Rach?" Rachel turned to him in surprise. "Mr. Shue!" Her whole body was smiling at him which made him smile in return. "What are you doing here? If you are about to beg me to stay and help you with your new students next year, save it. I'm sorry to crush your hopes and probably the only shot at having another national winning team but as you already know, Broadway is waiting for me." She stopped talking almost breathless and looked at him intently, waiting for him to say something in return (maybe to fight for her to stay?), only she had no idea what kind of answer he could offer her since she had practically told him what he was thinking, and what her answer to his alleged question might be. Will couldn't help but let a laugh escape. That was the Rachel Berry he so well knew. And if he had to be completely honest, she wasn't completely wrong.
"Rachel, that is not why I'm here." He said while he was still processing her words, it have never occurred to him to ask her to stay and help him. Now the question was why. It would have made sense for him to consider that instead of simply leaving. It would have been easy to do that, yes, one more easy way out. One more excuse not to face how passive he had been when it came to his own dreams...
"Oh." She looked down for a beat, then up again. Now her eyes were filled with curiosity. Was he there to say goodbye too? How had he managed to get to the gate? The Lady next to the gate was long forgotten but looking at them in utter confusion. "Is everything ok?" He asked Rachel looking briefly at the lady."Yes," She nodded, "well no, not really, I want a valid explanation as to why exactly I have to wait two hours if my plane is already here. It's rude!" Will laughed. "You are anxious, Rach. Let's sit". And with that, the poor employee was left behind as ex student and ex Glee coach headed to where he was sitting before spotting Rachel.
"I'm sorry Mr. Shue, now you are probably thinking I'm being unreasonable but I have the need to leave and be the star I was born to be, and gate 6 is keeping me from it! Not to mention these seats are not comfortable." Will thought she couldn't be more more adorable yet her attitude could be perceived as 100% annoying. For a second he recalled what his initial thoughts on Rachel were when he first met her. He understood the employee guarding the gate, but he knew Rachel and he could relate to her too. A younger version of himself could anyway.
"Nothing can stop you, Rachel." He sat and motioned for her to do the same. She complied silently but that silence didn't last long. "Then I fail to understand why you are here." He breathed in feeling he was about to disappoint her with his answer. "I'm not here to stop you. That would never cross my mind. I'm leaving too." He pointed at his lugagge causing Rachel's jaw to drop. "Where?" Was all she could manage to say.
"New York City. I guess you've heard of that place." He teased and both shared a small smile. "So you are following me. I never pictured you as a stalker Mr. Shue." She nudged him. "Who's to say I'm the stalker? You could be following me, Rach." He replied with sudden confidence, but that confidence faded fast. As she scanned his face. "Oh my God, am I flirting with my stu… ex student?" Was the question/worry that invaded his mind. That was highly inappropriate. Wasn't it? Perhaps it wasn't because if they were in fact flirting, she had started. The problem was that that was a childish reasoning. Then again, she had always made him remember of his younger self. He felt how conflic building inside and wondered if she could see that, not sure if he wanted her to.
"I guess you would be right. As my track record clearly shows I have stalked you before. However, I am happy to inform you this is not the case. I wasn't aware you were leaving too, which leads me to an obvious question." For a reason she couldn't understand she felt slightly betrayed by him. She was also confused as to why she was somehow proud of her acknowledgment as a stalker. She had been ashamed of her little crush years before but not now...
She tilted her head and lowered her tone. "Why didn't you tell us?" He shruged and proceeded to give her the simplest explanation he could think of. "No one asked if I had any plans after you graduated." There was sadness in his tone. He was a bit pained no one had asked him but at the same time, since he wasn't graduating there was no reason to indicate his life would take a new direction. Rachel had just realized that and felt a little guilty. They didn't know this but in that moment they were both feeling sorry for him and how predictable he seemed to be.
"I'm happy for you, Mr. Shue. Congratulations on your new job." She said politely while trying to read him. She noticed hurt and disappointment in his eyes. And something else she couldn't quite put a finger on. But she was Rachel Berry, she was going to get to the bottom of it.
"Thanks." He said with a smile. "It's the least I could do after you rescued me from the gate lady. She was mean! She probably doesn't have the faintest idea of what having my talent and potential feels like. Granted, I was somewhat harsh at her but… sorry, I'm rambling." He took his bottle in his hands again and offered her some water. "That's ok." He simply said. He had gotten it right from the start, Rachel was nervous and eager to be in NYC in equal measure. "I'm not sad, Mr. Shue." She said a bit defensively, throwing him off guard. He didn't know what she was talking about, after all she had never shared with him the fact that she got thirsty whenever she was upset. For some reason she expected him to know, though. "Good." He said still confused. "Me neither, Rach". He offered a smile.
They spent a while in silence. Each one of them lost in their own thoughts. She was checking her mental list of the things she would do as soon as she was in the city of her dreams while he was asking himself if them being in the same place again and not knowing anyone else was a blessing or a curse. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed she was tapping her fingers on her knee. "Nervous?" He pointed at her fingers. "Just happy." She smiled. He meant to say something back but was interrupted by the announcement their gate was open. The both of them stood up and walked towards the gate, that suddenly, seemed bigger than before. They showed their one way tickets proudly to the gate lady, who faked a smile at them and then walked away from her. Without a warning, Rachel abruptly stood still. Will did the same and looked at her without saying a word. He could sense nerves were kicking in since his own butterflies were driving him crazy. She took his hand in his and bit her lip. He stared at their linked hands and smiled at her as if he was giving her permission. The honest truth was he felt a bit like a creeper holding the young lady's hand, specially since her actions mimicked a little girl reaching for her dad's hand before crossing the street, but he also knew as brave as she was, she might have needed to feel safe, he knew he did, so there was no harm in their actions. They shared a sigh and continued to walk again, hand in hand.
That is how they were starting a new journey.
