Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They're just fun to play with.

A/N: I'd like to thank my beta, Cooley, for helping me with this chapter! You have the patience of a saint and your input has been greatly, greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The Wait is Over

Part II

The date had been going well, extremely well. As nervous as Emma had felt beforehand, the moment she saw Will in her doorway, the butterflies ceased in her stomach and she felt a cool surge of relief wash over her. Seeing him for the first time in weeks was enough to calm her every nerve.

Will's tension continued to plague him. This was his first date in years. He and Terri had been together since high school. He tried telling himself that this was Emma, the Emma that he'd grown to care for over the time spent at McKinley High School; the Emma who didn't expect him to change who he was. With Emma, he was able to be himself and she accepted him for just that. He'd stayed in touch with her after she left McKinley and after a few months of phone conversations, Will called and asked her out on a date. She said yes with a smile he could hear in her words. When the day finally came, his anxiety was tangled with excitement. He was nervous because it was a date and he was nervous because it was with Emma.

Will understood Emma's mysophobia well. She needed to be clean and her surroundings needed to be the same. Witnessing her cleaning each individual grape before eating it, wiping down the table with disinfecting napkins, or seeing the look of paralyzing shock when Terri licked her thumb and swiped away the lipstick from her mug, Will knew that germs and Emma's phobia were going to be the greatest challenge in deciding where to take her on their first outing. He ruled out a movie on his own; it was no place for talking, catching up, or quiet conversation. He knew that any dodgy restaurant would be out, so he'd settled for a small, quiet locale.

Not too far from his new apartment, there was a little café named "The Meeting Place" and after a stop to check out the scene, Will decided that that was where he would take Emma. At night, the café turned into a lounge, offering small tables that allowed for one-on-one conversation. Everything was made to order, so the staff could cater to Emma's every food request.

When he showed Emma through the door of the café, he watched her face for a sign approval and was pleased when she looked to him, grinned, and said, "It's cute." He returned the flash of a smile, pleased with himself for making the right decision on the location.

The evening was filled with hushed conversation at a small round table. Though she didn't normally eat out at restaurants, Emma was trying to take strides and push through her fear as best she could. She didn't bring her plastic gloves. She did, however, bring her own silverware and water, stashed away in her purse until the food arrived. Will made no notice of her otherwise peculiar actions. Emma smiled inwardly upon noticing this. Her entire life had been filled with stares and questions. For once, Emma was able to act naturally; naturally for her, at least.

Full and content, he leaned over the dimly lit table and asked, "Want to go out for a walk?" with a cock of his head towards the door.

Emma beamed and nodded her head, strawberry locks bouncing off her shoulders.

Will placed the bill, payment, and tip on the table before standing up and pulling out her chair as Emma stood from her seat. She walked back out into the cool spring night. Her emerald dress danced around her knees, coming to life in the light breeze that whispered in the night. Will fell in step beside her, casting a sideways glance. "You look great tonight."

"Oh," Emma replied, gently tugging at the a-line of her dress, "thanks." She felt the hint of a blush make its way into her cheeks.

The duo walked side by side down Market Street, passing shops that were closing their doors for the evening, greeting them with a smile and a wave. "So, how has your new apartment been working out for you?" Emma asked, peering over at Will through dark lashes.

Will was done being told what to do and how to live by anyone, so he moved into his own apartment. "Good," he started, "it's different, you know? I'm used to living with someone all the time and now I come home and I'm alone."

Emma bobbed her head. "It'll get better," she said, looking down at her hands, "I mean, you'll get used to it." Since moving out of her family home, Emma had always lived on her own. It was easier and simpler for her to maintain an apartment to her liking if she was the only one in it. It did get lonely at times, but she found complacency within a book or cleaning the bathroom. Her job was her outlet for being social, with those who she chose to be social with. Her apartment was her place to be completely herself.

As she'd told Ken, she didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone. Though the engagement was a sham, this feeling was not. She didn't want to live with Ken; she wouldn't be able to live with him. She could see sharing her space with Will; sharing her life with him. Being with him seemed like a better deal than reading a book or cleaning the bathroom. Emma was ready to move forward and take the next step in a relationship and she could see that with Will.

Will sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. I'm better off though, too." They walked along side each other, arms bumping against each other. "It's nice to have my own space; to have some Will-time."

She nodded her head slowly, understanding how oppressive Terri had been within their marriage. She looked at the sidewalk in front of her. "How are the kids?"

"They're good," he nodded. "Great, even. We're getting ready for Regionals. They're practicing harder than ever. Even though they took Sectionals, Vocal Adrenaline is still a monster of a competitor."

"They're great kids and they're great at what they do," she started. "You've helped get them through difficult situations before." A ghost of a smile played across her lips.

Will slipped a hand from his pocket and caught hers with his. He half expected her to pull away. Emma, though caught off guard, did not retreat. Instead, she tugged him closer, basking in the contentment of warmth radiating from his hand on to hers. He felt the mildly worried look melt away from his face as she pulled him closer, a grin growing across his lips.

She never let Ken touch her, but Will was so different. In their earliest dance lessons, with her dressed in that outrageous wedding gown, he'd held her hand and the feeling that came over her wasn't disgust or repulsion; it was bliss, like a shot of electricity that blazed through her. Even when she fell to the ground, after he tripped on her wedding dress, her hand landed on the ground and she wasn't fazed. Even with feeling the grit and sand beneath her fingers, all she could think on was the man beneath her. Being close to Will was her security; he made her feel clean and at ease.

Will and Emma, hand in hand, walked down one sideway and up another, walking in a circle back to the front of the restaurant. Standing beside his car, her eyes cast to the ground and she pulled at the edge of her sweater with her free hand, mentally preparing herself for her next action. What else would come next? Her inner monologue ran ramped. She certainly didn't want the evening to end. She pried her eyes from the sidewalk and said, "Want to go to my apartment?" She paused and then continued rather hurriedly, hoping the blush on her cheeks would conceal the flush rising there, "For coffee."

Will smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'd like that," he replied, releasing her hand from his to open the car door for her.

The loss of contact brought a near pout to her lips as she sank into the car. Will slid into his place and started the car. Emma laid her hand limply along the edge of her seat, begging for Will to snatch it up again.