001

( on hold )

. . .

Genres: Angst, friendship.

Based on: The Reason by Hoobastank.

Author's Note: You're probably wondering what's going on. I'll explain in the note down below, after the oneshot. For now, read on!

. . .

and so i have to say before i go

that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me

to change who i used to be

"How long will you be gone for?" Cat asked, her chin propped on her palms.

It was midnight and the two had been sat on the couch for hours, talking and breathing in awkward silence after Sam broke the news that Carly had returned to Seattle and that she wanted to see her old best friend.

Sam said nothing, instead chewing on her lips and keeping her eyes away from the redhead's inquisitive stare.

"Will you come back?" Cat pressed.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, Cat."

"How come?" Cat frowned, putting her hand on Sam's leg. "You can tell me. I won't get mad."

"Because," Sam replied, this time looking Cat in the eyes. "I don't want to make promises, okay? I don't want to get your hopes up. I don't want to keep you waiting."

"So you're not coming back?"

Sam felt, with a sting and a held breath, Cat's hand remove itself from her. It scared her because it only assured her growing fear that her departure would deeply upset the redhead. "I don't know, Cat. I'm sorry."

"Well, I can't keep you in L.A.," Cat said in a slow exhalation.

When Sam met her eyes, they were sad and perhaps a little hopeful, but below it etched an even sadder smile. No dimples. It hurt her too much, but she couldn't help it. She had to leave.

"I'm sorry, Cat," Sam repeated. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, you know that, right?"

Cat nodded slowly. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, too. Starting from the garbage truck, to staying with me, and everything."

"Are you gonna be okay?" Sam asked. She did so only out of formality. She didn't want to know the answer. It would only hurt her more. It would only make her want to stay more.

But she had to leave.

Cat's graduation was due in a few months, and she wanted to avoid the inevitable before it got to happen. She was never sure what would become of her by the time Cat finished school, since their babysitting business would no longer work out, and she always hesitated bringing it up because she wasn't sure Cat would know the answer too. She wanted to be the one to say goodbye before Cat had to.

When Cat said nothing, Sam put an arm around the girl's shoulders and pulled her into a one-armed hug, Cat's head snug on her shoulder. "You'll be okay, kid. You taught me a lot of things."

i wish that i could take it all away

and be the one who catches all your tears

Cat had put the babysitting business "on hold" the day after Sam left. She was never good at handling the kids on her own anyway, and now with Sam's absence hanging over her all the time, she couldn't deal with the kids at all. They reminded her too easily of all the times she'd spent babysitting with Sam.

A week after Sam's departure, Cat saw that they had gone back to their webshow, iCarly. And she was a little glad that she could see Sam in realtime and see how she was doing, because by then Cat had known Sam enough to know when she was upset or hiding anything. And as horrible as it sounds, Cat had spent many days hoping she could spot Sam feigning a smile or looking upset. Anything to show that she could return to her.

But the only thing Cat saw was Sam being friendly with Freddie Benson and best-friendly with Carly. And it hurt her.

Sometimes Sam mentioned Cat during random iCarly episodes. Sometimes Cat would get featured on the show to sing via video chat or just through a phone call, and Sam would always tell her she missed her and L.A. so much, and that she missed her hugs.

And Carly would always be there to give her a hug right after she says that. It happened so many times it became a quick running gag in the show.

And it hurt Cat because that was her thing with Sam. The hugging. And Sam was supposed to say "Not a hugger!" but she never did so with Carly. And she wished she could be there, or that Sam could be there with her in her Nonna's apartment.

She just wished Sam never left.

. . .

Note: So, new deal. You can now request Puckentine oneshots from, well, yours truly!

Simply leave a review stating what song (and by whom) you want your oneshot to be based on, and what genres you want it to be written in (angst, fluff, horror, action, mystery, anything!), and I will write the oneshot for you. You can include a plot idea if you want, and I'll try to write it that way, or don't leave one so I can let my imagination run wild. Puckentine only, alright?

Feel free to check out my other fics to see my writing style and all that.

Just don't rush me because a) it'll take the fun out of it for me, and b) writing something at least presentable to the internet takes time for me.

And I won't do tv show alternate universes (like a Breaking Bad Puckentine or OITNB Puckentine or anything like that) because I don't have the time to watch those shows and do my research, so original plots only, yeah?

Also, remember that I'm only writing oneshots, not multi-chapter sagas, so take it easy with the plot ideas or my brain might pop while writing.

What's in it for you, you ask? Well, you get to have your Puckentine fantasy written for you, no charge. Do you see? You don't have to do anything!

What's in it for me? I get exposed to new music and get writing prompts for my favorite ship. And hopefully improve as a writer. And I might finally stop writing depressing angsty stuff for this bubbly couple, but that depends on you!

Win-win, you see.

All I ask is, if you like a oneshot I wrote for someone here, share it to tumblr and help keep the #puckentine tag alive. Fair enough deal?

Sorry this was really long.

Now, to get the ball rolling, I'm just gonna...

- - Coming next: She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 - -