Note from the Author:

This would have been up yesterday but I needed to stay away from it for a day, and come back feeling fresh to edit, if you know what I mean. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and subscribing. It's good to know that I am not alone in my Will/Rachel fetish :D

xxx

"Finn assured me that it was just his mom," Rachel told Will cautiously as they exited the school together. "And apparently she promised she wouldn't tell anyone, so we don't have to worry."

"As relieving as that is to hear," he sighed, scratching the back of his head, "I can't help but feel that this situation is getting out of control, Rachel."

"You say that as though it's my fault," she said defensively.

"I didn't mean it like that, it's just..."

"What?"

"Well, I've got a hell of a lot more to lose than you do."

"Do you honestly think that thought isn't constantly running through my mind? Reaffirming my knowledge that I am an unbelievably selfish person?"

"Rach, you're not...I didn't say that."

"Why don't you just throw in the fact that I'm too bossy and over-emotional. And that my nose is too big."

"Come on, Rachel," he pleaded. "You're gorgeous." Despite her anger, he wished he could cup her cheeks in his hands and place a soft kiss on the part of her face which she despised the most. But after being together for almost 10 months now, he'd grown accustomed to restraining in public.

Rachel chose to ignore the last comment; no matter how much confidence she had in her many talents, she'd always found it hard to believe she was beautiful. "But I am bossy and emotional, right?"

"Rachel..."

"Tell the truth," she demanded, though solemnly.

"It's been a rough day, and you have a hard time controlling yourself when you are frustrated. It's completely understandable." Rachel stopped in her tracks and took a seat on the curb.

"Why do I always do this?" she asked herself, not even caring that she was beginning to cry for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I push everyone away. I find a way to ruin every single relationship I've ever been in." She rested her head in her hands as she tried to recompose herself. Will took a seat beside her, leaving two feet of space between them.

"Rachel, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, the damage is done, why would I leave now when-"

"Damage?" She interrupted, wiping the fresh tears from below her eyes. "I have to go." He watched in silence as she leapt to her feet, smoothed the back of her skirt, and bolted to her little white car.

He wanted to convince Rachel that he wasn't giving up on her, but he didn't see how that was possible unless she finally gained some confidence. For now, he was hoping she just needed some time to cool down. He sighed and retreated to his car, hardly surprised when he had a difficult time starting it. He let his heavy head rest on the steering wheel, the only good thing about the day being that it was Friday. He didn't remember until he'd reached home that he had no food in the house. He hated grocery shopping as it was, but in such a small town he almost always saw someone he knew at the supermarket; often, it was a parent of one of his students wanting to know how their kid was doing, or otherwise someone he really would rather not see. And quite frankly, after the day he'd just had, he really didn't feel like faking a smile or attempting to carry out a half-hour conversation when he'd rather be at home with a beer.

"In and out in ten minutes," he told himself as he parked. He was about to step out of his car and into the parking lot when he noticed Sandy Ryerson walking his way and prayed he hadn't been spotted as he ducked back into the car and waited until the way was clear.

"Been doing a lot of sneaking around lately, haven't you?" The voice was vaguely familiar and belonged to a woman. At the trunk of the car beside his stood Carole Hudson. He stared at her, mouth agape while one thought ran through his mind: what are the chances?

"Remember me? I'm-"

"Mrs. Hudson, yes," he said as he exited his car and reached out his hand. "As awkward as this is, I, um, have to thank you for promising to keep our secret."

"It's not mine to tell, Mr. Schuester." She stated cautiously. "Finn really looks up to you. I used to understand why. Now, I'm not so sure."

"I guess I deserved that," he said awkwardly. "Although, if I may ask, what exactly did Finn tell you?"

"Just that you're sleeping with Rachel Berry. He used to talk about her all the time. He was really broken up about it."

"Look...I can see why you may have lost faith in me as an educator, but I promise you I'm not the type to 'sleep around' with my students." Though he rarely saw it necessary to spill his guts to a near stranger, he did feel the need to explain himself to this woman. She was obviously very kind; she did raise Finn, after all. They'd met before at parent-teacher interviews and various school functions, and she even proved to be quite accepting when she allowed Quinn to move in with her. (Rachel talked a lot about Finn's life). But the thought had crossed his mind many times that maybe what he was doing with Rachel was, in fact, wrong; he was hardly surprised that the first adult to discover them wasn't exactly on-board with the idea.

"You don't owe me an explanation," she said.

"I know, but I want to give you one nonetheless. I feel awful, really. That I stole her away from Finn. He is an amazing kid, by the way."

"Thank you."

"It's the truth," he continued with a careful, but genuine smile. "I realize that my relationship with Rachel isn't exactly conventional. You know the consequences as well as I do. But my feelings for her outweigh everything else."

Carole shut her trunk as she finished loading her groceries.

"I was surprised myself. I tried to fight it. But when you know, you know." Carole was silent for a short while, as Will wondered if she'd ever had feelings for someone she wasn't supposed to. He might have asked if he wasn't terrified of angering her.

"Well in that case," she said, finally, "I suppose I'm glad I chose not to tell anyone. And since I'm assuming this is what you want to hear, I still think you're a good man."

"I'm so glad to hear that," he said cheerfully. "It was nice seeing you. Tell Finn I said hi." Despite the fact that Will had been hoping not to run into anyone, he was really glad he did.

xxx

Will cooked himself dinner when he got home. Though he'd made plans with Rachel, she never showed up as he expected. He was surprised, though, that she still hadn't called by 8; Rachel was anything but silent. If he knew her, and he did, he knew she must have been replaying the events of the day over and over again in her mind. Maybe even out loud. But he also knew that if he called her before she was ready, she would ignore it.

Then, as though she'd been reading his mind, his phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Will? Can you come over?"

"What about-"

"They went out. Told me not to wait up."

"Sure, Rach. I'll be there in 5."

He parked on the road a few houses away just to be safe. Though he'd only been there a total of three times, he loved being at Rachel's house. The front porch was decorated with charming wicker furniture, hanging flowerpots containing pink and white flowers and a matching welcome mat, no doubt Rachel's design. The main floor was very open, with arched doorways but no doors separating the rooms. Everything about the place was so welcoming, even Rachel's extremely girly room which, though at first reminded him of the age difference between them, also reminded him of her. Her backyard, where they had spent an afternoon looking up at the clouds as per Rachel's request ("You know how people in TV shows always look up at the clouds, trying to make shapes out of them? I've never done that...") was very large, and in certain areas, very secluded.

"Hi," she said shyly upon answering the door.

"Hi," he echoed. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Don't be," she requested, holding one finger up to silence him. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. It's just hard to believe anything will last, when nothing ever has." She took a long pause, glancing out the window at nothing in particular. "I feel sort of...exposed down here. Do you want to come upstairs?"

"Sure."

She led him up the main stairway toward her bedroom, but he just had to stop along the way to look at pictures of her growing up along the wall. She waited for him at the top, smiling when he smiled and laughing when he laughed, embarrassed but fully aware that she'd been a really cute kid.

"Come on," she said happily when he was finished, extending her hand for him to take.

"I'm sorry," she said again as they entered her room.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. Except maybe," he joked, "doubting yet again how I feel about you. You're amazing; I just need to work on convincing you of that."

"I don't know why-" she started, but he silenced her with a passionate kiss as he kicked her bedroom door closed behind him. "You're amazing, Rachel. Believe me." The kiss immediately became more urgent, as though they hadn't seen each other in weeks. In fact, it felt that way; ever since the teacher at Lima Central Catholic had been caught, their relationship had sadly become less physical.

Rachel threw off her sweater and took control, biting Will's bottom lip, then soothing it with her tongue and immediately being granted entry.

"Are you sure," he groaned, "your dads won't be home soon?"

"Yes! Will, yesss, just kiss me." Her fingers ran desperately through his thick curls quickly before placing her hands on his hard chest and forcing him up against the door.

"Oh my god," he moaned as she pressed her body against his and playfully unzipped his jeans for him. He wasn't used to Rachel being quite so forceful (not during sex, anyways) and was thrown off guard at first.

"Take your shirt off," she ordered, and he complied. She ran her fragile fingers over his immaculate abs (which she now liked to think of as hers) and let out a moan herself. "I need you. To touch me."

He tore off her shirt and smoothly switched positions, grabbing her wrists and holding them high above her head as he kissed her fiercely. He sucked and nibbled on her neck, his mouth slowly making its way towards her breasts (which, as it so happened, he liked to think of as his). The second he freed her hands, she removed and allowed her matching bra and panties drop to the floor.

He continued to tease her, but she was urgent, more so than usual. She undid the button on his jeans and pulled them down further, a not-so-subtle hint that she didn't want to wait any longer. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He caressed her thighs with his fingertips, starting on the inside then working his way towards her ass where he pulled her closer to him.

She sighed in relief as he entered her from underneath her skirt. With one hand she grabbed the coat hook on the back of her door, while the nails of her other hand dug into his back. She gasped at the fairly new sensation caused by their position; she became temporarily unaware of her surroundings as she squeezed her eyes shut and threw her head back, but she found herself wanting more. She practically sang the word into his ear: "More, please Will, more.." He raised his eyebrows mischievously as he ventured to go deeper than their 'norm'.

"Ow, oh my...fuck, yes!" she cried joyfully as her back arched towards him and she let go.

"You can't say 'fuck', you've never heard me say it." This position was proving to be particularly tiring, though he couldn't resist a smug grin as he observed her reaction. Finally, Rachel felt his body tighten, then tremble, and finally release as he placed her on her desk and rested against the wall. "Isn't that the rule?" He asked with great difficulty.

"You just said it," she panted, kissing him tenderly. "Now shut. The fuck," she whispered, "up." Her chest was heaving as she joked with him. "Last time, I swear," she promised, placing her hand over her racing heart and flashing him an angelic smile.

"You're amazing," he said one last time.

"No," she panted. "We're amazing." He laughed, placing a soft kiss on her lips. It would have to do.

xxx

Yay new chapter! Hope you guys liked it C:

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