Will polished off his second beer after arriving home half an hour earlier. His feet were resting on the coffee table, tie loosened, shirt unbuttoned, watching who knows what on the television. He burped, long and loud, freeing the bubble inside his stomach. But there was one bubble, one solitary, lonesome bubble, bouncing around his insides, refusing to leave. It made his feel sick.

Sick enough to drink one more beer. Sick enough to kick every freestanding object in his apartment. Sick enough to cry like he did the day he stubbed his toe when he was seven. His mum was there, ready with a bandaid and a kiss to make him feel better. Will wished Emma was here with him right now, kissing him, to make this pain go away. He imagined what that would be like, her sweet, tender mouth, gliding over his chest and shoulders, setting his body ablaze with delight. His lips would then meet hers, his strong hands stroking her slim figure, satiating his hunger for her body. If only, Will thought.

He yawned. The rain outside was making him sleepy. No point falling asleep on the couch. He'd rather fall asleep in a comfortable bed even if he was to curl up next to a pillow instead of a warm body. But first; a shower. To wash away the memory of Prom, his disastrous evening, not to mention Emma's perfume. Throwing away the empty beer bottles in the recycling container, he stretched, walked to the bathroom, closed the door and began to undress. His suit, all crumpled, smelling on Emma, lay on the floor. He couldn't be bothered to put it in the laundry hamper. It would need to be dry cleaned anyway. The bowtie, the specifically Emma-matching bowtie, he carefully placed on the bathroom sink.

Will turned first the cold water, then the hot water tap. He allowed the water to heat up before stepping into the steam-filled cubicle. Lathering up, Will sung softly to himself. The spot where Emma socked him was tender to the touch, and a little swelled. He shoved his head under the shower, drowning out any thoughts and noises. He didn't hear the buzzer.

Emma tried for the third time. No answer. She called his home phone. Still no answer. She had parked outside Will's apartment complex two minutes earlier and ran for shelter at the front of the building carting the suitcase behind her. She was drenched; the rain not letting up. The bottom of her dress was soaked, her hair all askew and sticky. Emma pounded on the glass doors, trying to grab somebody's – anybody's – attention. It was around midnight; everyone would be tucked up in their beds. More mascara inked down her cheeks, she thought she had already cried it away, no such luck. She could no longer tell if it was rain dripping down her face or tears. She pressed Will's buzzer again. "C'mon, c'mon!" Emma called out. There was no way she was going to sleep in her car. First one, then two sneezes, surely all this rain would give her the flu; goosebumps began to dimple her cold skin.

Emma was desperate to get inside, to stop shivering. The only way, it seemed, was up. She left the suitcase underneath the buzzer panel and circled the building, looking for the fire escape to Will's apartment. Her high heels dug into the soft earth, making it extremely difficult to move around. Those beautiful shoes would be ruined, all muddy and dirty. Luckily Will was only on the third floor; Emma had a slight fear of heights. She found the metal scaffolding staircase and began her climb. Each footstep wobbled, clanging as she stepped higher and higher. His apartment was one over from the corner apartment. She was so determined to reach his window; there was no time to think of germs, messes or what lurked on the railings she touched.

With her heart thumping and breathing growing heavier by the second, the treacherous climb was almost complete. Emma was scared; she had almost slipped twice before kicking off those shoes. She watched them plummet to the ground. There was not one part of her that wasn't completely saturated. The rain really had it in for her tonight, beating on her face, making it hard to see. It bucketed down and was supported by a huge clap of thunder. She jumped; the lightning not far behind the thunder. Finally, finally, she reached Will's window. Peering through the rain, she could make out a light coming from the bathroom. She banged on the glass with her fist, anxious and upset. Everything that Carl said to her, especially that last cutting comment, pierced her heart over and over.

"Will, Will!" She cried out, fully aware that he wouldn't hear her through the rain.

Bang. Another bang. Will, out of the shower and drying himself, heard the dull noise. He thought he heard a ringing noise or something earlier, but couldn't be sure. Bang-bang. This was definitely coming from outside. Wrapping the towel around him, he ran to the living room towards the window. It was pitch black out; a few orange security lights cast enough light to see someone, a female, sitting on the stoop, frantically hitting the window. He looked closer, recognising that familiar shape, could it be…

"Emma?" What the hell?

"Will, open up!" He couldn't hear what she was saying, but was able to read her lips perfectly. Emma looked miserable. Will unlocked the window and helped the rain-soaked guidance counsellor inside. She clung to his bare body, shaking, sobbing, in dire need of comfort and warmth.

"Oh my god, Em, how on earth did you get up there? What are you doing here?" He wrapped his arms around her cold body to help thaw her out.

"I pressed the buzzer so many times and called your phone; there was no answer, so I climbed the fire escape. I didn't know where else to go, C-Carl…marriage…o-over…suitcase," Emma was becoming harder to decipher, her cries interrupting her words. Will closed his eyes, devastated for her and held her tighter, offering more solace.

"Oh Em, I… I'm so, so sorry to hear that." And he sincerely was. "But you could have hurt yourself, climbing up here in that dress, you could have tripped or fallen or worse, all that rain… uh… where are your shoes?" He saw her bare feet.

Emma's teeth were chattering. "They k-kept getting caught in the f-framework, I had to take them off. They're on the ground, s-somewhere." She looked at him, her big eyes all red and hair scruffy like a bird's nest. He wiped some of the water off her face, pushing her damp hair away.

"Don't worry about the shoes. Look, how about I go and get them, and your suitcase? You can have a shower, and I'll… get dressed," Will forgot he was wearing just a towel. Embarrassed, he gave a nervous laugh and walked to his bedroom to put some clothes on. Just a towel. He was practically naked in front of her. Now he had the shivers. He swiftly put on a cotton t-shirt and boxers and returned to the living room. Emma was still standing there, she looked so helpless and fragile, more so than ever before. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms like his did the day of Regionals, but this time take her to his bedroom.

"Uh, Will… can you unzip me? I'm having a bit of trouble," Emma asked. He stepped behind her and wrestled with the zipper until it finally gave, the wet fabric uncovering her smooth back, lightly dusted with freckles.

"Thanks," she smiled sadly at him. She unpinned the brooch and placed it on the table. It was the most beautiful brooch ever and didn't want it to get ruined.

"I'll be back with your suitcase soon," Will replied. "Just grab a towel out of the linen cupboard, under the sink." Emma nodded, her dress swishing all the way to the bathroom.

Emma was still in the shower when Will returned upstairs. He placed the suitcase next to the bathroom door. "Hey Cinderella," he called out, "I've got your shoes and your suitcase is just out here, okay?" The water stopped. Will heard her step out of the shower. Emma put a towel around her and opened the door a peep. She smiled at him, grateful for his assistance.

"I'll give you some privacy, use my room if you like," Will stepped away and went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. He filled two cups with chamomile tea and placed everything down on the coffee table. He took a sip of the tea and waited for Emma.

"Mmmm… is that chamomile I smell?" Emma inquired. She sat on the couch next to Will in her purple nightgown. The same nightgown that she wore that night the last time she was in his apartment. Will felt his body heat up, and it wasn't just from the tea.

"It sure is; I made you a cup." Will pointed to the table. Emma took a small gulp.

"How's your face? I apologise for hitting you."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll live. And I had it coming." He rubbed his cheek.

Emma sniffled. "I screwed up Will. Big time."

"What happened?"

"I told him I changed my mind about working in the surgery and wanted to remain a guidance counsellor. He didn't take it very well. He asked me what else I wanted and I said I wanted out. You were so right Will. I need to follow my dreams, what my heart wants, what feels right for me. Carl didn't get it. I wanted his dreams to be mine too, but somewhere along the line…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"You realised that the two of you were on the same island yet so isolated from each other. And he wanted everything his way. No give and take."

"Uh-huh. We should never have gotten married. He did care for me but only when it suited him. I went through so much and ended up detaching myself because I felt so alone." She covered her face with her hands.

"Emma, you're not to blame here, okay? Things like this happen all the time."

"Do you think I'm distant? Do you think I push people away? Carl and I were never sexually intimate and in the end he used it against me. He used it against me and it hurt so bad," Emma blinked back those tears that fell so freely now.

"Y-you never… oh Emma," he sighed softly, holding her hand. "He's a jerk, such a jerk to make you feel this way, you deserve so much better."

"And as much as I loved him, I was confused by my feelings for you. I told him I loved you instead and he hit the roof." Emma stopped, catching her breath. The silence was deafening.

"I love you, Will."

For what seemed like eternity, Will had craved hearing those words from Emma's lips. I love you. It gave him an instant surge of life. His heartbeat picked up, and tears formed in his eyes. "Em, there's no one else I would rather hear those words from. You are the most adorable, sweetest, wonderfully intriguing woman I have met. I'm so in love with you," he smiled broadly. The merriment inside his head was exhilarating.

Emma turned to him. "Why couldn't Carl see what you see? Why couldn't I control my OCD around him but with you I don't think about it? What's wrong with me, Will, what's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you. You're beautiful… so beautiful." He repositioned himself closer.

"I can't explain why I get cold feet. I want to know what it's like, how it feels, everything, just like the next person. I want to be touched Will, I want to."

"Like this?" He swooped towards her pretty face, gathering her lips with his. She let out a squeak from the back of her throat, drinking in the touch and taste of Will Schuester. How she missed it. He deepened the kiss slowly, sweeping his tongue through her mouth, rediscovering territory that was always his. Emma placed her hands around his neck, drawing Will closer with her need for him increasing by the second. "Mmhmm," Emma hummed.

The kiss continued, neither wanting to come up for air. Will murmured a deep sigh, teasing her slowly with his tongue. Deliciously slow. She clutched his curls as he pressed himself harder against her body. Emma had never felt so wicked in her life. Yes, she had made out with Carl, but this, tonight, held no comparison.

"I want you, Emma Pillsbury," Will whispered in her ear after nipping kisses along her jaw line. He squeezed her soft ear lobe between his lips, causing Emma to whimper. He had found her weakness. He ran his fingers down her side to her thigh, hovering near her centre. All her nerves tingled from his touch. I want you. No one had ever said that to Emma before. She felt desirable and loved for the first time.

Emma met his mouth again, tracing her tongue around his lips, before coming to rest on his bottom lip. His bottom lip was so supple; she enjoyed nibbling on it, giving him a rush of satisfaction. Her hands slipped under Will's shirt, scratching her nails upwards over his stomach and chest. "I want you, Will Schuester," Emma gasped as she felt his arousal against her leg. He ripped his shirt off, allowed her better access to his upper body. She loved the cut of his muscles, her fingers flexing, touching and groping at his chest. Emma felt his lips latch onto her neck, his tongue making circles and his hands cupping her breasts through her nightgown. She was braless, making Will's appetite for her crazier than ever. I want you. A jolt surged through her body, the lower part of her desperate to experience all of Will.

"Do you want to go further?" Will pushed away any thoughts of regrets or mistakes he had with Emma in the past. Tonight, well, this morning, Emma was finally his, and he would surrender everything to hang onto the woman he loved. He wanted her to know that what they were doing now came second to his love for her. And he wasn't going to push her to do something she wasn't prepared for, but he yearned for her to say yes. Even if she said no, he just wanted to be close to her, to hold her, longing for Emma to finally release herself from whatever it was that was detaining her emotions.

Emma grinned at him uncontrollably. She nodded, breathless, "Uh-huh, I really do." That was all the encouragement Will needed. He gathered her up off the couch and carried her to his bed, kissing her all the way. At this moment, he felt powerful, as if he could conquer anything with Emma in his arms. She made him feel bold. He was her knight in shining armour, or in this case, boxers. No body armour, clothes or otherwise, would keep them apart for long.

He laid her tenderly on the covers, kissing her cheek. He kneeled next to the bed, bringing his face close to her, his eyes sparkling.

"What?" Emma asked playfully, tickling under his chin.

"I'm looking at the prettiest woman on earth. She had no idea how much I love her and want to make love to her, right now."

"Well, the prettiest woman on earth is waiting for the most handsome man on earth to make love to her." She kissed him full on the lips, long and hard, a kiss urging him to take her now.

He climbed into bed with her, his excitement becoming apparent; it was almost possible to camp under his boxers. More than ever, he wanted to see Emma naked, the sheer nightgown of hers clinging to her body drove him wild. He undid the bow at the neck, kissing her collarbone. Emma relished in his moist kisses, Will knew just where to touch her to elicit her senses, like he knew her body inside out.

Her body was shaking with nervousness as Will's hands slid under her nightgown, lifting it at the same time. He noticed her breathing had changed and she stopped him with her hands.

"Uh… Will, I, I'm not sure…" Emma panted.

"Em, do you trust me?" He asked. She nodded, looking into his eyes.

"You know I would never hurt you. I'll guide you through. Just let yourself go, the rest will take care of itself," Will kissed her stomach. Emma sat up, pulling her nightgown over her head, tossing it onto the floor. "Is this letting myself go?" Emma smirked at him, lying back so he could take in her naked body.

"You little sneak you, you're in for it now," Will examined the female figure which lay in his bed, trying to comprehend how all of his imaginings about Emma finally became reality. Emma giggled, beckoning him to come closer.

He fondled the elastic on her underwear, tracing an invisible line with his index finger just above her area. Emma became jittery, these new feelings making her fizz like soluble aspirin in water. He kissed her stomach again before moving north, clutching both breasts with his hands, massaging and tweaking her nipples. He gripped her shoulders and sucked on the valley between her breasts, moving his lips to the right peak. As he suckled on her erect nipple, Emma found her voice, moan after pleasurable moan escaping from her mouth. He moved to the next one as she grasped his head, pushing him further into her chest.

Emma felt heat between her thighs and rolled on top of Will, straddling him. She gave him an open mouthed kiss, her tongue swirling viciously around his month, pressing herself against him as much as she could, feeling him hard against her leg; his hands kneaded her backside, fingers probing up and down her back, his last round pulling down her underwear, then his own. He touched between her legs; she was slick and warm. Emma bucked her hips in response; it felt so good.

"I need you now, more than ever," the breathless voice panted in his ear. Emma kissed his neck, her fingers running through his head. Will groaned, "Good, 'cause I don't know how much longer I'm going to last, you're so sexy, you set me on fire." He turned her over so he was on top. Will reached in to the top drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a foil packet. He ripped it open with his teeth and covered himself as he positioned his body between Emma's legs. She brought her knees up ever so slightly as he lay on top of her.

"Ready?" Will puffed. "It's going to hurt a bit, but I'll take it slow." Emma whispered back, "Ready." He placed his tip at her entrance and pushed himself through gently, as far as he could go for the moment. Emma winced, but Will held his position, as well as eye contact, and then started to slide in and out, allowing her body to get used to the size.

Her breathing quickened, as did his. She arched her back and the next time he pushed himself through, she pushed back, hard. "Deeper please Will, I need all of you." He thrust himself further into Emma's body, meeting her resistance. She cried out as he broke through, her yelp muffled by his mouth over hers. He pinned her arms down with his, interlocking fingers, kissing away every tear that fell, every cry she made, as their bodies moved together in harmony. She called out his name repeatedly, each one more desperate than the last. Will responded with breathing her name into her ear. He moaned into her mouth and neck, biting and imprinting his mark on her velvet skin. This was tipping Emma over the edge. "Mmm…more, Will, more!" The feeling inside her changed from pain to illicit pleasure; she wanted Will inside her forever.

"Ohhh Emma, I'm about to, uh, you know, release," Will struggled for breath. She wrapped her legs around his thighs as his continued to plunge himself even further, giving him better access. "Uh-huh…" was all she could say, overwhelmed with bliss. One final push and as she surrounded him fully, he came, bellowing her name, collapsing on her. Emma grunted, the noise originating from the depths of her stomach. She whimpered in delight as she coiled her arms around his back. He kissed her on the forehead, then the lips, nice and slow before realising he might be crushing her. Will removed himself and lay next to her, arms around her waist. They got underneath the covers and Emma cuddled up into his body, their earlier friction creating endless heat; she was all warm and cosy, albeit at bit sore.

"Mmm, Will, you were amazing. Right now, there's no place I'd rather be than here, with you."

"No, my sweet, you were amazing. Our bodies make beautiful music together, we're a perfect match." He rubbed her stomach as she leaned up to kiss him.

"I just-just love you so much, and I'm sorry it took so long to admit it."

"Well, we'll have to make up for lost time. Let's not rush this, we've been given a second chance and I can't afford to lose you again." Will ran his fingers through her hair.

"I don't want to lose you either," Emma said.

"Do you want to have a shower? We, uh, got a little messy," Will laughed.

Emma smiled. "Uh-uh. I want to lie here with you forever in this wonderful mess. We can clean up in the morning."

Will kissed the back of her neck. "Goodnight my fair Emma."

"Goodnight my handsome prince." She drifted off to sleep, enveloped in the arms of her hero.

The storm cleared by early morning. Everything outside sparkled from being washed clean and the sun was busy awaking the residents of Lima to a new day.

Will could smell the faint scent of Emma all over his body. She lay there, wrapped up in the sheets, wearing one of his t-shirts. Her ginger hair was strewn over the pillow, curled and tousled. Will watched her sleep. Unable to control himself, he kissed her on her red, swollen lips. Her eyes blinked open and she grinned up at him.

"Hey you."

"Hey, beautiful."

Will's eyes looked lovingly at her, full of adoration for the attractive guidance counsellor. Emma cupped his face with her hands, rubbing her thumb over the stubble that grew overnight. He smelt incredible, making her melt inside. Happiness was etched on her face. So Will was surprised when she started to cry.

"Emma, why are you crying?" He wiped a tear away with his index finger.

"Because, I never imagined you and me, what we did, it's real, it's really real and you're still here, I'm still here and nothing else matters. I love you more than I ever thought possible." Emma held him tightly.

"Hey, hey, no more tears now, we're finally together," he kissed her nose. "I love you too. We're meant to be, soul mates. I never want to give you up again. You're a hard habit to break, Emma."

She kissed him sweetly on the lips. "So are you."