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storypaint) wrote2010-03-04 08:27 am
storypaint) wrote2010-03-04 08:27 am
Entry tags:
[Glee] To Refresh the Eye (Will/Emma)
Title: To Refresh the Eye
Fandom: Glee
Length: 1310 words
Pairing: Will/Emma primarily; background Artie/Tina & other Glee kids gen
Prompt: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
penikitty in the ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
gleefics Valentine's Day Exchange. "I would love something very fluffy and cute but angst is also pretty good (happy ending though please!). A future fic would be cool, maybe what happens after high school? [...] WILL/EMMA ftw! Also Artie/Tina = <3"
Other: Title from a quotation by Margaret Fairless Barber. Also archived here.
It was Rachel's idea, of course. If she'd ever been a popular girl, she would have been the one organizing the ten-year class reunion. Since she wasn't, she was organizing a Glee Club reunion instead. The invitation was much too formal for the occasion, white with careful black calligraphy, and it implored the reader to "forget the class that has forgotten you" in favor of "your Glee Club family." She'd signed with a star, a signature that was worth some money on eBay nowadays, but that wasn't what preoccupied Will's mind when he ran his finger across the cardstock.
Had it really been thirteen years since he'd agreed to take on Glee? He could shut his eyes and imagine those first few years as if he were still living them: the ridiculous fights with Sue, the drama with Terri, the many times he thought that was it, that there was not going to be a Glee Club anymore.
And then there were the triumphs: the scratchy sound of Sectionals in his ear, the soft weight of Quinn's little girl in his arms, the way he'd spun Emma in his arms and kissed her when they'd won Regionals. That first year had been quite a year. After that, it got a little easier, but the magic had never faded. Each Glee Club was a little different, as freshmen joined and seniors left. The voices that lifted in song blended differently, but all had one thing in common: a love of music.
Rachel had channeled that love into a career on Broadway. There were a few of his other kids who had made their voice into their career, but she was the most famous. For a while, she'd sent him weekly updates on her progress, but he hadn't heard from her for a while. He was glad she'd chosen to include him in the invitation.
And Emma, as well. He found his wife in her sunny study and handed her the crisp invitation. Her eyes found the golden star in the corner and she smiled.
"Rachel will always be Rachel," she said. Will nodded, half-smiled.
"She invited you too," he said. "In honor of your substituting for me that first year at Sectionals." There had been a small slip of paper tucked in with the card. It noted that Emma would have been invited, regardless, given her proximity to Mr. Schuester, but that Rachel wanted the former Ms. Pillsbury to feel like she belonged with them, just like the rest.
"That's very sweet," Emma answered; her eyes were bright. She was touched.
"She says that they talked about your dressing down those other teachers for ages. You were a legend in the Glee Club," Will said, with a teasing smile. Emma opened her mouth in protest.
"I didn't do that in front of them!"
"Well, maybe I told them an interesting story," Will said, mischief in his eyes and a false innocence on his face. She swatted him playfully with the invitation, looking embarrassed. "I might have exaggerated a little," he continued, lifting his eyebrows.
"Will Schuester!" she said, frowning. "A guidance counselor isn't supposed to be known for shouting at people."
"You don't like being a legend?" he asked, grinning.
She got up from her desk and shooed him from the room, but he came back in a little while for the invitation. "I'll RSVP for two," he said, and she shook her head, but she was smiling.
*
The reunion was hosted at Rachel's fathers' house; Rachel didn't live in Ohio anymore, of course, and there weren't enough of them to bother renting a community hall. Will had only been there once before, the time he took Rachel home, and it was odd to make the drive again. Rachel herself met them at the door with a squeal and a hug, and Will thought wryly that she didn't look a day above twenty. She had that familiar vibrancy about her, and he could only smile in return to her own grin.
They were nearly the first to arrive, and Emma whispered something in his ear about "being old," but after a while the rest began to trickle in. It amazed Will that Rachel had managed to gather nearly everyone. He and his wife might have stayed in Lima, but most of the Glee kids scattered across the country after graduation, pursuing one dream or another. In the end, Rachel told them, only Finn had declined-- his wife was nearly eight months along and unable to travel. But here was Kurt, fresh off a plane from Milan, where he'd been promoting his fashion line; he greeted them in melodic Italian and looked Rachel up and down pointedly, muttering something about how coming home didn't mean one had to lower standards. Even so, he kissed them all on a cheek and settled down comfortably on the couch to wait for the rest. Mercedes was next, and their reunion totally overshadowed Tina and Artie's entrance. While Mercedes was filling Kurt in on recent trials (she was a prosecutor in Cincinnati now), the others came to greet Will and Emma. Rachel might be the first at the door, but each of the Glee kids came to say hello to their former teachers in turn. Silver wedding bands glinted on Tina's and Artie's fingers. Tina might have washed the blue out of her hair, but she was still the sweet and quirky girl she'd matured into. Artie's hand was firm on hers, and Will was glad to see it. He hadn't quite been able to figure out what had been going on between them when they were both in high school, but it seemed that they'd worked it out. One by one they came, shaking Will's hand or (in the case of Brittany) throwing their arms around him. It was enough to bring a lump to his throat. They were all happy to tell him how they'd been since they'd graduated, how much ten years had changed them.
"I still sing sometimes," Puck admitted, as if it were some sort of sin. He'd grown out the mohawk when he'd gone into business, and it changed his look so much that Will almost hadn't recognized him at first. Will smiled to hear it.
He wasn't quite sure who suggested it, but after all acquaintances had been re-struck, the group of them headed out to the bowling alley for karaoke night. Will pulled Emma up on stage with him and made her sing too. For a few hours, it was as if the years had fallen away, and they were young again, reliving their first Sectionals and their first tread to glory. He found himself giving the eyebrow of "you're not quite on pitch" and "that's perfect!" more than once. They all laughed at him for it.
When finally the group parted, Will and Emma stepped into the cool night, comfortably hand in hand. Her gloved fingers brushed against his.
"It is nice," she said finally, "to watch them all grow up, isn't it?"
He nodded. He and Emma had no children of their own. It was a combination of his concern for her problems, and bad timing, and finally it had been a decision they'd made, consciously. There were no little Schuesters running around.
But getting to see who the Glee kids had become, he thought, was just as good. And Emma seemed to agree. He began to wonder if Rachel would do something for their fifteenth anniversary from graduation. If she did, he and Emma would be there.
The thought made him smile as he climbed into the car and they drove on home.
Fandom: Glee
Length: 1310 words
Pairing: Will/Emma primarily; background Artie/Tina & other Glee kids gen
Prompt: For
penikitty in the gleefics Valentine's Day Exchange. "I would love something very fluffy and cute but angst is also pretty good (happy ending though please!). A future fic would be cool, maybe what happens after high school? [...] WILL/EMMA ftw! Also Artie/Tina = <3"Other: Title from a quotation by Margaret Fairless Barber. Also archived here.
It was Rachel's idea, of course. If she'd ever been a popular girl, she would have been the one organizing the ten-year class reunion. Since she wasn't, she was organizing a Glee Club reunion instead. The invitation was much too formal for the occasion, white with careful black calligraphy, and it implored the reader to "forget the class that has forgotten you" in favor of "your Glee Club family." She'd signed with a star, a signature that was worth some money on eBay nowadays, but that wasn't what preoccupied Will's mind when he ran his finger across the cardstock.
Had it really been thirteen years since he'd agreed to take on Glee? He could shut his eyes and imagine those first few years as if he were still living them: the ridiculous fights with Sue, the drama with Terri, the many times he thought that was it, that there was not going to be a Glee Club anymore.
And then there were the triumphs: the scratchy sound of Sectionals in his ear, the soft weight of Quinn's little girl in his arms, the way he'd spun Emma in his arms and kissed her when they'd won Regionals. That first year had been quite a year. After that, it got a little easier, but the magic had never faded. Each Glee Club was a little different, as freshmen joined and seniors left. The voices that lifted in song blended differently, but all had one thing in common: a love of music.
Rachel had channeled that love into a career on Broadway. There were a few of his other kids who had made their voice into their career, but she was the most famous. For a while, she'd sent him weekly updates on her progress, but he hadn't heard from her for a while. He was glad she'd chosen to include him in the invitation.
And Emma, as well. He found his wife in her sunny study and handed her the crisp invitation. Her eyes found the golden star in the corner and she smiled.
"Rachel will always be Rachel," she said. Will nodded, half-smiled.
"She invited you too," he said. "In honor of your substituting for me that first year at Sectionals." There had been a small slip of paper tucked in with the card. It noted that Emma would have been invited, regardless, given her proximity to Mr. Schuester, but that Rachel wanted the former Ms. Pillsbury to feel like she belonged with them, just like the rest.
"That's very sweet," Emma answered; her eyes were bright. She was touched.
"She says that they talked about your dressing down those other teachers for ages. You were a legend in the Glee Club," Will said, with a teasing smile. Emma opened her mouth in protest.
"I didn't do that in front of them!"
"Well, maybe I told them an interesting story," Will said, mischief in his eyes and a false innocence on his face. She swatted him playfully with the invitation, looking embarrassed. "I might have exaggerated a little," he continued, lifting his eyebrows.
"Will Schuester!" she said, frowning. "A guidance counselor isn't supposed to be known for shouting at people."
"You don't like being a legend?" he asked, grinning.
She got up from her desk and shooed him from the room, but he came back in a little while for the invitation. "I'll RSVP for two," he said, and she shook her head, but she was smiling.
*
The reunion was hosted at Rachel's fathers' house; Rachel didn't live in Ohio anymore, of course, and there weren't enough of them to bother renting a community hall. Will had only been there once before, the time he took Rachel home, and it was odd to make the drive again. Rachel herself met them at the door with a squeal and a hug, and Will thought wryly that she didn't look a day above twenty. She had that familiar vibrancy about her, and he could only smile in return to her own grin.
They were nearly the first to arrive, and Emma whispered something in his ear about "being old," but after a while the rest began to trickle in. It amazed Will that Rachel had managed to gather nearly everyone. He and his wife might have stayed in Lima, but most of the Glee kids scattered across the country after graduation, pursuing one dream or another. In the end, Rachel told them, only Finn had declined-- his wife was nearly eight months along and unable to travel. But here was Kurt, fresh off a plane from Milan, where he'd been promoting his fashion line; he greeted them in melodic Italian and looked Rachel up and down pointedly, muttering something about how coming home didn't mean one had to lower standards. Even so, he kissed them all on a cheek and settled down comfortably on the couch to wait for the rest. Mercedes was next, and their reunion totally overshadowed Tina and Artie's entrance. While Mercedes was filling Kurt in on recent trials (she was a prosecutor in Cincinnati now), the others came to greet Will and Emma. Rachel might be the first at the door, but each of the Glee kids came to say hello to their former teachers in turn. Silver wedding bands glinted on Tina's and Artie's fingers. Tina might have washed the blue out of her hair, but she was still the sweet and quirky girl she'd matured into. Artie's hand was firm on hers, and Will was glad to see it. He hadn't quite been able to figure out what had been going on between them when they were both in high school, but it seemed that they'd worked it out. One by one they came, shaking Will's hand or (in the case of Brittany) throwing their arms around him. It was enough to bring a lump to his throat. They were all happy to tell him how they'd been since they'd graduated, how much ten years had changed them.
"I still sing sometimes," Puck admitted, as if it were some sort of sin. He'd grown out the mohawk when he'd gone into business, and it changed his look so much that Will almost hadn't recognized him at first. Will smiled to hear it.
He wasn't quite sure who suggested it, but after all acquaintances had been re-struck, the group of them headed out to the bowling alley for karaoke night. Will pulled Emma up on stage with him and made her sing too. For a few hours, it was as if the years had fallen away, and they were young again, reliving their first Sectionals and their first tread to glory. He found himself giving the eyebrow of "you're not quite on pitch" and "that's perfect!" more than once. They all laughed at him for it.
When finally the group parted, Will and Emma stepped into the cool night, comfortably hand in hand. Her gloved fingers brushed against his.
"It is nice," she said finally, "to watch them all grow up, isn't it?"
He nodded. He and Emma had no children of their own. It was a combination of his concern for her problems, and bad timing, and finally it had been a decision they'd made, consciously. There were no little Schuesters running around.
But getting to see who the Glee kids had become, he thought, was just as good. And Emma seemed to agree. He began to wonder if Rachel would do something for their fifteenth anniversary from graduation. If she did, he and Emma would be there.
The thought made him smile as he climbed into the car and they drove on home.