A Year Late
Summary:
Sam Evans went to Dalton before transferring to McKinley. Blaine and he had been friends, okay maybe a bit friendlier than friends. They spent most of the year avoiding the awkward situation that would be actually speaking to each other despite being thrown together by Kurt's continued connection to the New Directions.
Notes:
This was written for Blam Week 2014, for the prompt season 2 AUs. As such, it was posted on AO3 and Tumblr a while ago. I just realized I didn't post these here. Since I really liked this one, I decided to post it here.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
When Sam Evans sang his way down the Sectionals' aisle, Blaine was a little surprised. He hadn't realized Sam even attended McKinley, let alone joined show choir of all things. It had never even occurred to Blaine to invite Sam to audition with him for the Warblers the previous year. Sure Blaine knew the boy could sing, but he hadn't connected his guitar-playing friend (though that word didn't quite sit right with Blaine) with a show choir. Though Blaine did suppose the New Directions weren't the Warblers. The New Directions were, well they were loose and fun—and a little part of Blaine felt like it was just luck that the Warblers had tied with them. Blaine noted to himself that he should talk with the council about switching things up a bit for Regionals.
Anyway, back to Sam Evans. "I didn't know Sam went to your school," he commented lightly to Kurt as they were packing up their stuff and getting ready to leave. Kurt would be joining his step-brother and parents from here while Blaine was taking the bus back to school. His parents were out of town again and missing the competition couldn't be helped.
Kurt's eyebrows rose. "You know Sam Evans?"
"He went to Dalton last year," Blaine informed him, keeping his tone even. Kurt didn't need to know everything behind that statement.
"Huh," Kurt responded. "That might explain his lack of homophobic tendencies if he came from Dalton." Kurt glanced at him. "I'm guessing you know him?"
"We shared a tutor," Blaine shrugged. At Kurt's curious gaze he continued. "I was a mid-year transfer. I needed some help catching up and Sam…well, Sam had just fallen behind."
"Then come say hi with me," Kurt announced. "I wanted to congratulate them. You can catch up with Sam and I can introduce you to the rest of my friends." He seemed eager but Blaine wasn't too sure.
"Maybe some other time," Blaine told him patting Kurt on the shoulder and wondering how quickly he could duck out of there. Whether he would have to make any excuses. Things between Sam and Blaine may not have had a dramatic ending but as Sam had made no effort to stay in touch, Blaine was pretty sure Sam didn't want anything to do with him. Blaine didn't fit into the "normal" Sam was trying to be.
SILLY LOVE SONGS
Somehow, Sam found himself talking to Kurt after the Warblers performed "Silly Love Songs". Sam didn't mind so much. His other options involved continuing to sit by himself now that his girlfriend was sick, talk to Santana which seemed sort of dangerous, or to actually go over and say hello to Blaine. He wasn't sure if he could do the whole Blaine thing right now. Not when his girlfriend was home sick with mono—which she had mysteriously come down with at the same time her ex-boyfriend had. Not when he was sitting alone on Valentine's Day despite finally having a girlfriend. So, no he didn't mind talking to Kurt.
"So why didn't you join the Warblers?" Kurt asked, breaking Sam away from his thoughts.
"What?" Sam asked before his mind could catch up with the conversation. "Oh, you mean last year? Wasn't really my thing. I wouldn't even have joined New Directions if it weren't for Finn." Who might've just gone behind his back and after his girlfriend. Some friend.
"I get that," Kurt nodded. He took a quick look behind him to make sure no one was listening. "I love to perform but the Warblers are…well it's all very uniform and only Blaine gets shine. You know?"
"Well, Blaine's amazing," Sam shrugged. He paused, hoping that wouldn't have given anything away. No, Blaine was an amazing performer. Anyone could see that. That wasn't a suspicious statement at all.
"Why didn't you tell anyone you went to Dalton anyway?" Kurt asked.
Sam shrugged. "It didn't seem to matter. I mean I didn't have much to do with the Warblers. And Blaine wasn't even the front man last year."
"You mean lead soloist," Kurt corrected. "Front men are for bands." Sam didn't really see the difference. "So a Warblers without the great Blaine Anderson at center stage. I can't imagine it. Those guys worship him."
Sam shrugged, eyes landing on Blaine who had been pulled into conversation with a couple of the Warblers, Rachel, and Mercedes. He was laughing at something someone said. "Blaine used to be real quiet. He kind of stayed off everyone's radar for a while." Sam wasn't sure if he should be proud of the fact that Blaine had gotten on his radar far earlier than he had the rest of the school.
Kurt looked over at Blaine for a moment, tilting his head as if imagining a quiet Blaine. For a moment Sam wondered if Kurt had gotten his way yet. He knew from the rest of the New Directions that Kurt seriously liked Blaine. And that they weren't dating. But Sam and Blaine hadn't been dating when they were fooling around. Not that they wanted to. Sam was just curious and so was Blaine. Kurt and Sam must have been watching Blaine for a little too long, because he looked up as if sensing their eyes. He sent a grin and a little wave at Kurt, his smile dimming a little bit when he looked at Sam. But he nodded, so Sam nodded back. Sam dutifully turned the conversation away from Blaine for the rest of the night.
COMEBACK
Sam was sipping a Lima Bean smoothie, trying to get his bangs just right when someone sat across the table from him and interrupted.
He choked a bit on his smoothie as he looked up and saw Blaine across from him. "I know we don't talk but I need to say something," Blaine said, placing his own coffee down. Sam braced himself, wondering of all the things Blaine could say to him what it would be. "Justin Bieber? Really?"
Sam stared. "Of all things we can be talking about, you want to talk about Justin Bieber?"
Blaine shrugged. "You're the one dressed like Bieber. And according to Kurt, you've started a Bieber cover band." Blaine looked down and wet his lips as if choosing his words. For a moment, Sam got a glance of the quiet Blaine from Blaine's first couple of months at Dalton. And then Blaine was looking up at him with those incredible eyes and he really was experiencing deja vu. The familiar pang in his chest only drove that home. "I always kind of liked you as Sam Evans. This Bieber thing is a little…weird."
Sam sat back in his chair a little uncomfortably. "The girls seem to like it."
Blaine let out a breath. "Okay, I'm not like spying on you or anything, but Kurt likes to go on about all the New Directions high jinks he's missing and he kind of told me what happened between you, your girlfriend, and Finn. And…" He trailed off, gripping his coffee cup. He looked up earnestly at Sam. "Anyone you're with should like you for you. Not for the fake surfer blond hair, the Bieber-whatever you're up to, just you. Because I always thought you were pretty awesome." Sending Sam one last tentative smile, he got up to leave.
But that annoying little pang in his chest wouldn't let Sam just let him go. "Blaine, wait," he got up, not very gracefully as he knocked into his chair a little. Blaine turned back to look at him. "You're pretty awesome too. With or without the Warblers."
"Thanks," Blaine sent him a soft smile before backing out of the Lima Bean. Sam couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his face when Blaine looked back one more time.
BLAME IT ON THE ALCOHOL
Okay, it's not like Blaine didn't realize he was drunk. He totally did. Completely understood. The great thing was just that he didn't care. He didn't care that he was laughing at everything and dancing like a loon. He was loose and having fun and there were no expectations. The gel was fading from his hair and he didn't even care. He felt free and happy. And kind of dizzy. So when Rachel Berry yelled out "Spin the bottle!" he was more than happy to take a seat. Now things were still great just with the world spinning a little less.
He watched as people took their turns, laughing as people pretty much laughed through their kisses. Then he was distracted by Brittany spinning the bottle and the way the bottle seemed to spin to the music. And then it stopped on Sam whose mouth spread in a pleased grin. Blaine knew better than to tell Brittany this was going to be good because he had kissed those lips. Sam and Blaine had learned how to kiss together as freshmen, when Blaine just wanted to kiss another boy so that being gay could be more than being bullied and Sam just didn't want to be bad at it for that pretty hypothetical girlfriend in his future. It wasn't supposed to happen more than a few times but, like Blaine was trying not to tell Brittany: kissing Sam felt good. He tried not to think about it as Brittany and Sam kissed, only cheered with the rest.
Once they were done and Blaine was done thinking about Sam's lips (seriously he was), for no apparent reason except that Rachel wanted to, it was Rachel's turn and the bottle was spinning again. When it landed on him, he laughed with the rest of the room. He grinned as Rachel crawled over to him, promising to rock his world. And then, well then she kind of did. At first it was just a kiss, not too different from any other even with his limited experience. But then it struck him how good it actually felt. Her lips were soft and moved nicely against his. He reached out and cupped her jaw, going in to deepen the kiss. He vaguely heard Kurt telling them it was enough but it only sunk in as they pulled away. Blaine sank back to his original position a little dazed but then Rachel was calling for a duet and there was nothing else he rather be doing.
So Rachel and he sang together, bouncing around the stage, having the time of their life. It only felt natural to let her pull him into another kiss once they were done. They stumbled together for a moment until they were both sitting against the couch. Blaine was just thinking about deepening the kiss when they were separated.
"Alright, guys that's enough," Sam said, pulling them apart. He guided Rachel in Kurt's direction. Kurt who didn't look too happy. Blaine hoped he was okay. "Come on, Blaine, let's get some water and fresh air."
"Okay, Sam," Blaine nodded along, taking the water Finn handed off to Sam. He let Sam guide him back up the stairs and to the backyard, giggling as Sam banged into the kitchen counter.
"Don't laugh at my pain," Sam practically pouted.
"You're drunk!" he accused.
"Well, you're one to talk," Sam said pointedly. Sam was probably right. Blaine only didn't walk into anything because he kept a hand up watching for any walls. As soon as they got out to the back porch though, Blaine threw himself to the ground none to gracefully and pulled Sam along with him. Sam laughed as they both landed hard.
They giggled together for a few moments before they both quieted down. Blaine noticed he was shivering though he didn't quite feel the cold. Sam threw an arm around him and Blaine smiled at him gratefully.
They sat again in silence. "Rachel's pretty, isn't she?" Blaine announced to the dark. "You know, despite the dress."
"Dude," Sam gaped at him. "I thought you were gay. First the kissing, now you want her out of her clothes."
Blaine stared blankly at him for a moment. "It's the worst dress I've ever seen."
Sam blinked. "Oh, the dress! Yeah, okay." He opened the bottle of water and handed it off to Blaine. He sipped at it slowly, suddenly very grateful for something non-alcoholic. "I guess Rachel is pretty." He squinted and Blaine wondered if he was picturing her. He glanced over at Blaine. "Is that why you kissed her? The second time?"
"The kiss felt good," Blaine said. He had never kissed a girl before and was a little confused by wanting to go back inside and find Rachel to kiss her again.
"Of course it did," Sam nodded knowledgably. "Kissing is nice."
Blaine peered at him. "Like you and me?"
"I don't know. Was it just nice or did you feel like you were going to pop a boner at any second?" Sam grinned at Blaine's shocked expression.
"Sam!" he scolded.
"All I'm saying is there's a nice and there's…" Sam waggled his eyebrows and Blaine couldn't help but burst out laughing at how ridiculous he looked. His laughter sent Blaine a little closer to Sam and he sighed as Sam's arm only seemed to tighten around him.
"So which was I?" Blaine asked once he stopped giggling.
"Last time I kissed you, we both came in our pants. I think that says it all," Sam said.
Blaine found himself pulling away, remembering the last time he had been this close to Sam. "You freaked out."
"Yeah," Sam sighed. "I did. I don't…" he heisted before grabbing Blaine's water and taking his own sip. Feeling suddenly less giddy, Blaine wondered if he was hoping for something stronger. "I don't think I was ready. I was confused."
"Because you're straight," Blaine filled in for him.
"Because we were both barely fifteen. And I wanted you, but I had no idea what that meant. Still don't," Sam admitted. "But kissing you was always way better than nice." Sam studied his face for a moments, eyes lingering on Blaine's lips for a moment before looking into his eyes. He leaned closer, ever so slowly and Blaine remembered this. Remembered leaning towards Sam and just brushing his lips against his. That first kiss. His first kiss.
"I'm going to kiss you," Sam whispered.
"Okay," Blaine agreed still waiting for him. He wouldn't be the one to kiss Sam. Sam who was still confused, even after all this time. He felt terrible for wanting this but if Sam wanted to…
He closed his eyes, practically holding his breath so the only breath he felt across his lips was Sam's as Sam seemed to hesitate over his lips. He felt Sam's lips ghost against his and he pulled his hand up to cup Sam's jaw, so different from Rachel's—strong and angular and making desire pool at the bottom of his stomach. Finally, finally, Sam's lips fully connected to his in a slow kiss. Blaine suddenly breathed in, parting his lips and-
"Uh, guys," Finn said from the doorway. Sam and Blaine split apart both turning to look at Finn who seemed to, despite his gigantic height, be trying to make himself smaller. "It's like freezing outside. You should probably come in. Or put on coats. I mean, you can, like, continue that inside if you want."
Blaine stood very quickly, losing his balance as he did so, but Finn was quick to right him before pulling away awkwardly. "I'm just going to…" Blaine looked down at Sam. "I'm just going to go that way," he pointed towards the door and rushed into the kitchen. He didn't want to hear whatever excuse Sam would give to Finn.
SEXY
"Er, Ms. Holiday?" Sam asked, knocking on the health classroom's door. Ms. Holiday looked up from the papers she seemed to be grading. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."
"Please," Ms. Holiday responded, drawing out the word. "You would be doing me a favor. Do you have any idea how many girls in this school don't even know the basics of their own v-jay-jay, if you know what I mean?"
Honestly, Sam really didn't want to know what she meant and probably hesitated longer than necessary as she put her papers to the side. She motioned to one of the desks in front of hers and Sam quickly took a seat. He folded his hands in front of him. He unfolded them, drumming a bit on the desk.
Very suddenly he found himself blurting out: "Brittany said you helped her and Santana."
"We just talked. Sang a little," Ms. Holiday peered at him. "Though something tells me singing isn't in the cards right now. I'm a little afraid you might puke with how nervous you look."
"I'm not nervous," Sam told her but she seemed unimpressed with the lie. "Okay, I totally am, but can you blame me? I just broke up with my first girlfriend, narrowly avoided dating Santana Lopez, and just last week I kissed the guy I spent all of last spring making out with. And, like, having seriously dirty thoughts about. I thought it was a phase. A Blaine-phase."
Ms. Holiday's eyebrows flew up. "Gee whiz kid but that was an awful lot say in one breath." She leaned forward. "Now, let's see if I get this straight. Pun, totally not intended. Okay maybe a little intended." She shrugged. "You were into this guy. Blaine?" Sam nodded his head. "Okay, you were into this guy Blaine last year. You thought it was a phase. Which happens. Don't think it doesn't. The teenage years are confusing, especially with all the hormones. But you're thinking maybe it's not so much a phase because nearly a year later, here you are wanting to get with the kissing again."
Sam's mouth suddenly felt dry. "Yeah," he managed to get out.
"And this girlfriend that you had," Ms. Holiday continued. "Were you into her, too? Or were you just with her because that's what a nice jock heartthrob like you should be doing?"
"I really liked Quinn," Sam insisted. "I really like girls. I just…there's Blaine. And, maybe sometimes I think Puck is a little hot."
Ms. Holiday took a couple of moments to respond, but she eyed him seriously. More seriously than he had ever seen her. "No one said you can't like both. Well, actually people have but that's just stupid. It's okay to like both. Do you think you like both?" Sam nodded a little guiltily. She leaned forward, her eyes suddenly a lot less serious and perhaps a little mischievous. "Now the question then is does this Blaine like you? And are you ready to do anything about it?"
Those were both really good questions.
"Take your time," Ms. Holiday told him. "Don't rush yourself. Not even for someone you really like."
"Because it didn't end up being as much of a disaster as I thought the sex talk with my dad would be, I've decided I'm not going to be mad at you," Kurt told Blaine very seriously once they were both alone in the Warblers' rehearsal room. Blaine looked up guiltily. He was really hoping Mr. Hummel wouldn't say anything about Blaine visiting him at his shop. "Okay, I'm only a little mad. You should've respected my boundaries."
"I get that," Blaine told him slowly, as he searched for his words. "I just…what if someone else didn't respect your boundaries. Or if one day something just happens. I want you to be safe."
"It's not your job to make sure I'm safe," Kurt pointed out. "And I don't plan on that day coming any time soon."
Blaine closed his notebook. "I know it's not my job, but I am your friend and I worry. Anyway, sometimes plans have nothing to do with it. Sometimes it's just a kiss until it's not."
Kurt peered at him curiously. "Did that…" he cleared his throat, closing his own book. "You said you've never been anyone's boyfriend."
"And I haven't," Blaine admitted. "I didn't need to be Rachel's boyfriend to kiss her, did I?" Maybe that wasn't the best example to choose as, though they had both moved past it, neither of them had apologized to each other after the post-drunken bisexuality argument. If he were to be honest with himself, he would have to admit that he was still pissed at Kurt for denying the possibility of him being bi. For anyone being bi really. If bi wasn't possible, then Blaine had been the little experiment for a confused straight guy. And Blaine really didn't want to have been just that for Sam.
"Was it the Gap guy?" Kurt asked as if scandalized. "Because he's right, that would land him in jail."
Blaine shook his head quickly. "No, it wasn't...listen there was this guy at Dalton last year. He was my first kiss. We were only ever friends but we kissed a lot. One day it just didn't stop at kissing and he freaked out. He wasn't ready." Blaine looked down at his notebook. "I don't think I was ready either."
"Was it someone I know?" Kurt asked and Blaine couldn't tell if he was curious or concerned.
"He doesn't go to Dalton anymore," Blaine told him before smiling it off. "It's no big deal. I mean it wasn't planned and I wasn't ready but I was okay. I knew next time I would just wait until I was actually ready. It's more the other guy I worry about."
Kurt nodded. "Blaine, thanks for telling me." He offered Blaine a little smile. "Sometimes I feel like we don't really talk enough. You know, about the real things." He paused and hesitated over his next words. "You don't still like him, do you?"
"A little," Blaine admitted. "Not that it matters."
ORIGINAL SONG
Sam watched as Blaine and Wes shook Mr. Shue's hand and congratulated them. Though clearly disappointed, they certainly took the loss more gracefully than he knew most of the New Directions would have. The Warblers had really rocked the house with "Raise Your Glass" but "Candles" had been a weird choice.
As the New Directions celebrated, Sam tore himself away and chased after the Warblers. "Blaine!" he called. The Warblers glanced at him a little curiously but continued on, with only Blaine and Kurt stopping.
"Hey, Sam," Kurt said with a forced smile, obviously not taking the loss very well.
"Hey," Sam responded a little distractedly, eyes glued to Blaine. Blaine peered at him curiously, eyes growing wide when Sam grabbed his hand.
There was a beat and then Kurt's shocked voice rang out. "Sam Evans? The guy from last year. It was Sam Evans?"
Blaine didn't respond. He had taken to staring at his and Sam's hands. Sam himself was a little distracted by it too, but he got himself under control. "I know it's like almost a year late but I was wondering if you wanted to go out on a date. With me. I mean, if you want."
"A date?" Blaine repeated. "You want to date me?"
Sam sent him a small smile. "I'm not confused about it anymore. And I can't stop thinking about kissing you at Rachel's party."
"Yeah," Blaine breathed. "Me neither."
"So let's do this properly this time, yeah?" Sam offered.
"Yeah," Blaine agreed, mouth splitting into a wide grin.