Emma applied the finishing touches to her makeup and paused, pulling back to gaze silently at herself in the mirror. She took in her bright red hair, big eyes and too-thin frame. What did Will see in her…? She couldn't believe how lucky she was; everything she had wanted for so long was coming true. She had Will…unhindered, with nothing to hold them back and everything to look forward to. Their decision to take things slowly had been a smart yet torturous decision, especially with having spent the first six weeks of their summer break apart...

Will had been invited to teach a summer program at a small fine arts school in Cincinnati shortly after Regionals. Apparently, while they had not placed, the director of the program was impressed with the underdog, come-from-behind quality of the New Directions and had put Will's name out there for the bid. Will was ecstatic, of course, and while the prospect of spending most of their summer vacation away from each other did not thrill either one of them, they had both agreed that this could be a good thing. Will was recently divorced -Emma herself had suggested that they proceed slowly- and it was a great opportunity for Will and his prospects for Glee Club. Besides, as he had assured her the night before he left, his gaze hopeful, her hands clasped in his:

"We've got all the time in the world, Em."

Emma believed in Will's words, hard as it was to be without him. And so she had allowed him to pull her back against him on the couch, and press a reassuring kiss to her temple, and talk her through his itinerary for the next six weeks. It would fly by, he'd promised, but he would miss her every day. They had talked and laughed well into the late hours of the night. They owed it to each other to do things right.

They had all the time in the world.


Dressed in a light, summery dress that left her freckled shoulders bare, Emma took a last look in the mirror before pulling the door to her condo closed behind her and locking up. She had been the one to take him to the airport six weeks ago, and they had agreed to meet at the baggage claim on the first floor for their long anticipated reunion. The nearest airport from tiny Lima was forty five minutes away, and Emma drove eagerly, inching her foot forward and applying a little more pressure to the gas pedal. She listened to the homemade, seven-song Acafella's CD that she had purchased from Will's father all those months ago -it seemed like forever now- and thought of her most recent conversation with the man whose perfectly keyed voice was currently flowing smoothly through her speakers:

"…I miss you," Emma admitted quietly.

'I miss you too, Em. God, you have no idea," Will insisted passionately. "You would love seeing some of the stuff we've put together-"

"I bet-"

"Every time they perform I think of how supportive you are for Glee-these kids are great, but-I miss New Directions," Will admitted wishfully. "…I wish you were here, Em."

"Two more days," Emma reminded. Though she would never admit this, she had been diligently marking the days on her desk calendar until his return.

"Beside the baggage claim," Will promised.

"Beside the baggage claim," Emma echoed resolutely.


They reunited next to circling piles of traveler's luggage as promised. Anticipation lit up Emma's features, while Will's own face looked renewed and happy. Gone from beneath his eyes were the dark circles gained from a marriage ended by deceit; his smile was genuine and elated as he pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss into her hair, hugging her to him. He toted his suitcase and a bouquet of flowers..'from the gift shop' he'd admitted bashfully. But Emma didn't care where they had come from -they were from him- and assured Will they were beautiful.

They drove back to Lima, Will turned eagerly towards her in the passenger seat, asking her questions about her summer, the mid-break faculty meeting he'd missed, and whether she had seen any of the kids from Glee. Emma felt as though she had never been as happy as she was on that drive back to Will's apartment. She couldn't stop smiling -Will was regaling her with stories from his time spent away- eliciting incredulous giggles from Emma that made Will's stomach squirm with adoration for the woman sitting beside him.

They still had four weeks of their summer left to enjoy before they were due back for faculty meetings and preparatory classes two weeks before the official start of term. That was four weeks of making up for missed time, spent in one others' company. Even the two weeks during which all of the teachers prepped for the return of students would feel like a vacation without after-school tutoring, Glee Club, and detentions to supervise. Will couldn't recall if he had ever been happier than on that return drive from the airport. Emma's cheeks were flushed with the thrill of his company; her smell tantalized him, her laugh, her voice…her smile. Her bare shoulders showed signs of a leisurely summer, sun kissed and dotted with freckles. More than once Will caught himself staring at her in awe.

Emma found an old vase in Will's kitchen, cleaned it out and put her flowers from Will in water while he carried in his luggage, depositing it in the entryway. Taking a deep breath, she stepped delicately back into the foyer where he stood, her expression timid. Will sensed her come up behind him and straightened, allowing his gaze to travel up her small frame and to her face, her expression unreadable. They stood still like this for a moment, their chests rising and falling evenly. Finally -it could have been forever to Emma- Will dropped his keys into the bowl by the door and slowly stepped towards her, closing the distance between them. Emma kept her hands down at her sides, staring doe-eyed at him as though frozen, waiting for further inclination on his part. Six weeks had passed, and although she had indulged in many fantasies about the man standing before her during that time, they had been struggling to keep things slow and careful before his departure, balanced on that awkward line between close friends and couple. The silence in the foyer was deafening, Will's every exhale was registered in Emma's brain and reminded her to breath as well. She inhaled shakily and waited for him to clear the last eight inches of space between them.

When he did, it was worth the wait. Will didn't need to ask permission -Emma was standing before him waiting only for him to make the first move- but always the gentleman, he silently asked for her okay, his eyes traveling once down to her lips and back up again.

Emma nodded.

Will cleared those last eight inches in one step, bringing a gentle hand up to Emma's chin and angling her head back so that he could kiss her: sweetly and carefully at first but with a hidden fire that ignited something in Emma's stomach - something thrilling. Emma felt the fingers of his other hand weave gently into the curls at the base of her neck and she opened her mouth to his kiss, sighing into his touch as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

They kissed like this for a moment: silent but with an intensity that stoked the new-found fire in the pit of Emma's stomach. She leaned further into his kiss, reaching up to twine her arms around his neck, sighing his name. Will kissed her deeply, then eased the pressure of his lips on hers and kissed her sweetly, and then deeply again. It made Emma's head spin, and she found herself pressed up tightly against him, almost without realization. Will's hands fell to her shoulders; they skimmed lightly down her arms -making Emma shiver- before traveling to her hips and settling there. Emma liked the feel of his hands there -so close to the eager flame doing flips in her stomach- and so she showed him she liked it by pressing her hips to his own.

Will let out his breath in one surprised whoosh- startling Emma. She let her hands fall away from his neck and come to rest protectively on his chest. His heart thudded rapidly beneath her fingers and she looked up at him questioningly, worried she had done something wrong.

"Emma…" Will's voice was low and slightly hoarse, and Emma followed his embarrassed, begrudging glance down to the front of his pants and blushed furiously at the result of her actions.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry…" Will apologized, "Emma, I'm sorry-"

Emma stared at his chest, unable to make herself meet his gaze. Her own chest rose and fell quickly, but the tingling feeling in her lower stomach was still there.

"Emma…"

She took a step closer to him and looked up briefly, her eyes searching his worried expression before resting a finger carefully against his lips. She held it there for a moment before standing up to press a kiss to the spot where her finger had just been, letting her other hand snake back up to wrap around his neck.

"Em…" Will hesitated, unsure, as Emma pressed another kiss to his lips, then another, lightly, this time on the corner of his mouth. Finally, she pulled back, and the resolution in her eyes made Will's heart pound.

"Will."

"You're sure?" Will seemed to fight an internal battle for a moment before repeating himself, "Emma? You're sure?"

Emma glanced down at his obvious excitement and then pulled her gaze up to look at him from beneath her soft eyelashes.

She nodded.


Will hoisted Emma and carried her fireman-style in his bedroom, his heart thudding with nerves and his head dizzy with anticipation. Depositing her gently onto the edge of the bed, he took a deep breath and allowed his gaze to settle into her wide brown eyes. Emma bit her lip and nodded encouragingly, sitting up a bit on her elbow, and Will exhaled slowly and let his glance travel down past her waist to the exposed skin of her legs. He rubbed the back of his hand down from the hem of her dress and against the smoothness of her calf, traveling until he reached her soft yellow pumps. He removed them carefully, one by one, and lined them up at the foot of his bed, his hands shaking slightly, before rising and capturing Emma's lips in a loving kiss.

Emma responded, reaching up to tangle a hand in his curls, gasping as she felt Will's hand travel slowly from the hem of her dress and up her side to brush the peak of her breast through the thin fabric. His touch lingered there, soft and languorous, before he pulled away and pressed a gentle kiss to Emma's forehead, letting his lips rest against her soft skin. His hand found the zipper at the back of her dress- he reached around and toyed with it before slowly pulling it down and slipping it over her shoulders. Emma lifted her hips, allowing him to pull it down and around her legs before carefully slipping it off of her.

'What I want, you've got

And it might be hard to handle

But like the flame that burns the candle-

The candle feeds the flame'

Will gasped at the sight of Emma before him. Dressed only in a pretty lace bra and matching panties, she literally took his breath away. She was radiant; her creamy skin dusted with freckles, and Will lowered his head to press kisses to these spots: her arms, her shoulders, before moving lower to kiss her collar bone…her chest. Emma's chest rose and fell shallowly, the smooth skin of her stomach dipped low beneath her ribs as Will move still lower. Emma reached down and found the hem of his t-shirt, drawing it up and off over his head.

'What I've got, full stock of thoughts

And dreams that scatter

You pull them all together

And how, I can't explain'

Her hands shook as she reached the waistline of his jeans and fumbled clumsily with the button. Will covered her hands with his own, guiding her movements, releasing them as she pulled the zipper down herself and shrugged them over his hips. His stare found hers and stayed there, in her wide gaze, as he pulled his jeans the rest of the way off. He was so beautiful, with his strong arms and wide, chiseled chest. Emma swallowed, reaching up to run her hands over the wide plains of his chest and back to the sculpted expanse of muscle in his shoulders and back. Will dipped his head to reclaim her mouth in a kiss and Emma passionately responded, her touch light as she trailed her nails up his back and moved to wrap her arms around his neck. Without breaking the kiss, Will pulled her up with one arm, wrapping a hand around her waist and expertly unclasping her bra with a twist of the other in one smooth movement. Emma gasped into his mouth and blushed heavily as it fell away from her, revealing to Will a sight more heavenly than he could ever have wished for.

'But you,

You make my dreams come true'

"Emma…" Her name sounded soft and full of wonder on his tongue as his lips broke contact with her own and he stared down at her, "You're beautiful…"

"I'm nothing special," Emma admitted quietly, unable to meet his gaze.

"You're beyond special," Will insisted direly, cupping her cheek in his hand and directing her gaze so that he was looking into her eyes as he continued, "...You're amazing."

"Will-"

"I love you."

Emma's heart rate tripled at his words. She dipped her head in astonishment, sure that he had misspoken. His fingers threaded through her hair before moving down to stroke her cheek softly. Will wanted her to see herself the way he saw her. He wanted her to love herself the way he loved her…and so he settled on the truth:

"I've loved you for…a long time now. And I've never had the courage or the right to say it," he admitted freely. "But it's the truth...I love you, Emma Pillsbury."

Emma stared up at him, tears forming in her eyes as she absorbed Will's declaration. She pulled him tight to her, her arm around his neck, and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I love you too, Will Schuester."

'On a night when bad dreams become a screamer-

When they're messin' with the dreamer

I can laugh it in the face'

'Twist and shout, my way out

And wrap yourself around me

'Cause I ain't the way you found me

I'll never be the same'

Their remaining articles of clothing were removed easily now, as if the solution to some long unsolved problem had finally become available to them. Will pressed kisses to Emma's face, her lips…her breasts. She gasped when he took one of her nipples into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. She ran her hands through his curls as he moved lower, hooking a finger into her panties and pulling them away as she did the same with his boxers. Emma took in the sight before her; the shock of seeing a man completely naked was simultaneously lessened because it was Will, and heightened…because it was Will. He looked up at her, his gaze steady and unwavering, and waited for her okay to proceed.

Emma nodded.

'Well 'cause you-

You make my dreams come true

I'm down on the daydream,

That sleepwalk should be over by now'

Will pressed a kiss to her hip bone and slipped a gentle finger inside of her. Emma gasped with the feel of it and squirmed a bit, unable to stop the blush that crept slowly up her features as Will continued his ministrations, kissing his way up to her belly button before working his way back down to her other hip. His finger moved slowly in and out of her, and Emma felt the fire in her stomach unfurl into a hungry blaze. Will continued the motion, eliciting a tiny, breathy moan from Emma, one that made his rock hard attraction for her throb with want.

Moving up her body now, he continued to kiss every beautiful inch of her, his finger still working steadily inside of her until he could claim her lips with his own again and move a supporting hand to either side of her body, positioning himself carefully at her entrance. Emma's hips bucked at the absence of his finger, and Will paused, his gaze filled with trepidation.

"You're sure?" he asked worriedly. "If you're not ready-"

"I'm sure," Emma insisted, cupping his face with her hands and kissing him gently, "I'm ready, Will."

Will nodded, exhaling nervously and moving to spread her legs a little wider.

"You're beautiful," he promised, and slowly entered her. She gasped and gripped the sheets on either side of him tightly, her hand balled into fists. "I love you. You're so beautiful," Will let the words drop out of his mouth, each one a reassuring promise devoted to easing her pain. He lowered himself a little further until he was halfway inside of her and then stilled as she whimpered, his heart hammering.

"Emma-"

"Don't stop."

"Em-"

"Don't stop," Emma commanded, her eyes shut tightly, voice low, "Keep going, Will-"

Will hesitated. He wanted to pull out of her and gather her up in his arms. He wanted to apologize for hurting her and promise that it would never, ever, happen again. He opened his mouth, torn between continuing and insisting that they put an end to her pain. He debated this for a moment, but it seemed Emma would make the decision for him:

She opened her eyes and rolled her hips up to meet his, a look of determination upon her delicate features. Will's breath was forced from his lungs in surprise and he very nearly came right then.

"Emma-" her name fell from his lips as a choked exclamation, his desire close to uncontrollable. She moved stubbornly to do it again and Will quickly held her hips down…Boy, she was going to keep him on his toes. A moment passed. Will's chest heaved with surprise as he struggled to rein himself in. He captured her lips in passionate kiss and slowly released the grip he kept on her, wanting to be as gentle as possible, and he lowered himself a little further, entering her entirely. A single, quick tear rolled down Emma's cheek and he caught it with a kiss, pressing the pad of his thumb to the spot as he pulled back to survey her.

"I'm okay," Emma insisted, reopening her eyes, and Will nodded.

The fire in Emma's stomach raged uncontrollably with feelings of pain and pleasure as Will began to move inside of her, his hips coming into contact with her own again as he rocked slowly and carefully against her. So this was what all the fuss was about…Emma didn't know if this was how sex always was or if it was because it was sex with Will, but she soon forgot to wonder as her pain was slowly and steadily overtaken by pleasure. Will smiled down at her knowingly as she weathered the transition, determined to hold himself off for as long as possible. A minute passed. He knew it was time when Emma began to meet his gentle movements with her own, rising up to mirror his thrusts. It sent shivers of pleasure through his body, and Will moaned, entering her a little deeper and a little harder than before.

When Emma came she shook around him, a perfect release of pleasure and love for the man above her. Her nails dug into the broad expanse of muscle just below his shoulders, and Will thrust a final time before giving in to his own shuddering release. They sighed in unison. Will was on top of the world; he supported himself on his forearms and cradled Emma's face in his hands, pressing his lips to her own.

"Thank you..."

They spoke in unison, too. Lovingly.

'I know-

Well you,

You make my dreams come true'