Okay, so some of you may have noticed a slight bump in the rating. If not, you have now. Trust me, it's well deserved. Also, I'm debating on opening the next chapter as a continuation, but that would be a definite bump to an M rating. So I guess I'm asking if that's what people want. And for those people who will inevitably complain about moving too fast, don't worry. They won't go all the way just yet, but a young couple in love will do some…exploring. Just a thought. Leave me yours in a review ;)

"Put on a show, I wanna see how you lose control." - Jay Sean

"You know, sometimes our principal worries me," Emma told Will over lunch in his office. He had just recapped the morning's meeting with Figgins and Tina and, after an initial laugh, she responded just as he thought she would.

"How's Tina doing?" Will took a bite of his grilled chicken and let out an exhausted hum through his nose.

"She called her mom and got a change of clothes, but I'm really worried. She's been moping around in the halls; even Artie can't get a smile out of her." He felt his appetite slipping away but forced a few more bites down. They had longer practices for the next three weeks to get ready for Regionals, and he wouldn't get another chance to eat until almost eight.

"I'll talk to her after lunch. What did her parents say?" Emma was having a simple fruit salad, pre-washed, and Will marveled at how she picked at each small piece, piercing it with finality when she decided its time had come.

"They're upset, naturally. But I told them to give me some time to work it out before they took it to the school board. Tina's got enough on her plate as it is."

"You mean with glee?" Emma zeroed in on his meaning immediately, and he flushed. "Will, no one is going to think less of you because you're worried about your team. I just want you to remember that she's going through something serious here, and I think you should be sensitive to her right now." His eyes hardened at her implication, and his tone darkened.

"So you think I'll be more concerned about how this will affect our performance rather than the well being of one of my students?" She paused for a moment at his defensive tone, and her shock must have been on her face because he sat back in chair and ran a hand through his hair. "Emma, I'm sorry…"

"No, Will, I want you to think about why you got defensive just now. You wouldn't have snapped at me if you weren't thinking about it and beating yourself up over it." He stood up suddenly and paced in the small space behind his desk.

"Am I a horrible person? God, I should be talking to Tina right now, making sure she's alright, and instead I'm worried about some competition. I just…I want to win." He admitted out loud as he looked at his shoes, unsure of how she would respond.

"That's a lot of pressure to put on these kids, Will," Emma straightened a pencil on his desk more out of habit than necessity, but that little gesture told Will just how horrible he was being. He sat back down and caught her eyes earnestly.

"Listen, I'm sorry for unloading like that; I've just got a lot on my plate. And you're right," he sighed. "I should be focusing on having fun..."

"Hey, it's not a problem," she told him with a small smile. "It's why I'm here, anyway. And everyone wants to win, Will. Especially those kids." He knew in that moment that she was too good for him, and he sent up a silent prayer of thanks.

"No," he stood up and walked around the desk. "It is a problem. I don't need to be taking this out on you, and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" She stood up as well, looking into his eyes. She knew that his relationship with Terri had left him lacking in some areas, but she didn't realize just how much damage the woman had done until that moment.

"Will, this is what people in relationships do. We talk about things that bother us, about things that we want. If you need to vent your frustrations then I'll listen, and I'll even offer you advice if you want. We're not going to agree on everything, but I don't want you keeping anything to yourself just because you feel like you don't want to burden me." She reached out for his hand and held on tightly. "Don't think for a minute that anything you tell me is going to make me love you less or make me so mad at you that I don't want you around." He simply stared at her for a moment, completely dumbfounded at her speech. With a quick glance to make sure his door was completely closed, he pulled her against him fiercely.

"Can you come over tonight?" he whispered into her hair. "I know glee rehearsal runs late, but I want to hold you just like this without interruption and –" the bell rang, punctuating his point, and he let her go. "Eight-thirty?" She nodded and packed up her fruits, popping one last grape into her mouth before she walked out the door.

After several hours of discussing Lady Gaga and Rachel's overwhelming number of ideas, Will let himself into his apartment filled with exhaustion and contentment. He'd managed to achieve both of his goals in one fell swoop, and he felt like Tina was really going to be okay after seeing her so enthusiastic about their newest assignment. And with Rachel hard at work on a Gaga number, Will knew that the next few days were going to be exciting.

The knock on his door confused him for a moment, but then his mind replayed lunch and he jumped up off the couch. Emma was standing there in the same outfit she'd worn to school – probably another order from her therapist – and Will didn't hesitate to drag her through the door and into his arms.

"You seem much better," she commented as they sat down on the couch. He recapped the glee rehearsal, and made sure to include Tina's excitement as well in the retelling. Emma smiled at him in a way that warmed his heart, and they sat there simply gazing at one another until his stomach interrupted them.

"Gosh, Will, was lunch the last thing you ate?" He nodded sheepishly and she quickly moved away from him toward the kitchen. "And I guess you just got home," she added as she stepped over his bookbag. He grimaced in embarrassment as he stooped down to pick it up.

"Sorry, I just sat down and then I didn't want to get back up. It's been a long day." She stopped her movement and turned around.

"Oh, are you tired? Should I go?" she stepped back toward the door and he took a step to intercept her.

"No! Don't go. I just need a few minutes to relax and I'll be fine." Emma pursed her lips and looked around, her eyes falling from the hallway to the kitchen and back again.

"Why don't you go get a shower? I'll make something for dinner."

"You don't have to do that," he protested, but inside he was thrilled at her offer. He'd practically had to beg Terri to make dinner for him on his late nights, and most of the time he'd end up scrounging for food anyway.

"I want to," she told him with a modest smile.

"You are an angel," he praised her, kissing her quickly as he passed her on his way toward the bedroom. "I won't be long." She watched until the door closed behind him. She forced herself to focus on finding food instead of the man on the other side of the door, who was probably getting undressed at this very moment. Shaking her head clear, she continued into the kitchen to distract herself.

As she rummaged through his cabinets, her eyes fell on certain items that made her smile. There was a large jar of Jiffy peanut butter next to a loaf of wheat bread, and a whole bunch of bananas sitting in a bowl on the counter. She opened the fridge, fully intent on ignoring the large gallon of milk that she was sure Will had in there, but as the light came on she was surprised to find the top shelf rather barren. Further inspection discovered no dairy products of any kind, and her heart hammered in her chest as her mind flew back months ago when they'd shared a sandwich and talked about his life.

"God, I haven't had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a really long time. My wife's allergic to nuts," he admitted as she pulled a perfectly square Tupperware container from her bag.

"Oh," she smiled and began unpacking her sandwich. "Well, that's really sweet though. Not eating something because she can't. It's very nice." He'd smiled modestly, but she could see even then how he'd soaked up the praise as if he were starving.

She snapped out of her memory and shut the door, but not before grabbing the grape jelly. She smiled to herself as she made two sandwiches, her heart singing as she tried to hum along.

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged in loose cargo pants and a black t-shirt with a hand towel slung around his neck. He leaned against the wall, watching her as she hummed some generic song and finished cutting the crusts off each sandwich. Deciding he probably shouldn't startle her while she was holding a knife, he took a few steps back and made a little more noise as he entered. Smiling at him, she handed over his plate wordlessly, and he wondered briefly at the look in her eyes. But something told him not to question it just yet, and they ate in relative silence standing in his kitchen.

When they were finally seated on his couch with the news muted on the television did she finally speak. "Will, why don't you have any dairy in your fridge?" His face flushed as he realized he'd been caught, and he tried to stammer through an explanation that he hoped didn't make him sound completely pathetic. He knew she'd find out someday, but he honestly didn't know how she'd react. She'd been upset at the thought of him giving anything up for her, but he knew in his heart he would live on bread and water if she asked him.

"Emma?" she hadn't said anything yet, and it was beginning to worry him. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, and he could see her mind processing everything. When their eyes locked, however, he was taken aback at the emotion she displayed. Without warning she descended on him, attacking him with her lips in a way he'd only ever dreamed about before.

Her unexpected assault forced him back onto the couch, and he felt her stretch out along his body, her legs tangling with his as their lips continued to battle for dominance. Her hands were all over him, spreading across his chest one minute, then traveling down to his hips where she bunched his shirt into her fists tightly. He slid effortlessly sideways then rotated so that she was underneath him, never losing their connection as he let his tongue dart out and taste her. When his hand brushed across her stomach she moaned, and he took the opportunity to deepen their kiss.

Tongues tangled as her hands moved from his back to his abs, her fingernails ghosting over the muscles. It was his turn to moan with pleasure, and he felt her relax as she realized how much she could do for him. He knew that was a big concern for her – not measuring up to some standard – just as he knew the physical aspect of relationships was entirely foreign to her. But he was willing to show her just how good it could be.

How's that for mean? Anyway, I've got a great idea for this next part, but only if people want to see it. This will be bumped to M if that happens, so let me know!