iHate Mistletoe... Honestly
[Companion fic to iDon't Want to Lose You - what happened that Christmas that Sam and Freddie got caught under the Mistletoe?]
Disclaimer: iDon't own iCarly, obviously. It belongs to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon.
AN: Special thanks to Tearlight, tayB, icecoffee18 and Mari13ssa who encouraged me to write this story, I hope they like it :)
Merry Christmas everyone xx
S&F
(Set during the gang's first year of uni)
"How much longer do you think she's going to be?" Freddie groaned. Carly yawned sleepily and lifted her head from his shoulder to check her watch.
"Twelve minutes." She mumbled, curling into a tighter ball against his side and closing her eyes again. "Aren't you excited?" he frowned.
"Of course I am," Carly yawned again, not opening her eyes as she spoke, "but I was up till four this morning helping Spencer decorate."
"Aw, why didn't you tell me? I could've met Sam by myself."
"I want to see her," Carly protested childishly, on the edge of sleep. Freddie smiled fondly and left her alone.
S&F
When Sam appeared in the greeting area, Freddie tapped Carly's forehead and she jumped up with a piercing shriek, swatting blindly at his hand. He burst into loud laughter and she glowered at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't ever do that again."
Freddie chuckled lowly and stood, following Carly over to Sam who abandoned her luggage in favour of throwing her arms around the smaller brunette. Carly hugged her fiercely for a minute before releasing her to Freddie. He pulled her off her feet in his enthusiasm and they both turned to kiss each other's cheek at the same time, their lips meeting as Carly giggled in the background.
"Oops, sorry," They both laughed, pulling away. Freddie grabbed Sam's suitcase, which was nearly as big as her and Carly picked up her backpack and slung an arm around the shorter girl's waist.
"Come on, there's a honey-glazed ham with your name on it in the fridge at home."
"Did I ever tell you that I love you Carls?" Sam beamed, kissing Carly's cheek.
"I know, I'm brilliant," Carly sang and Freddie reached over to ruffle her hair.
S&F
"Sam, wake up!" Carly's frantic voice pierced Sam's dreams and she shot upright, flinging the blankets off. "What's wrong, who's in trouble, what happened?" she quizzed Carly, who was standing beside the bed, her face pale and her eyes wide.
"You have to come downstairs and see this," she muttered, turning on her heel and disappearing from the room.
Sam shook her head and rolled out of the bed, hurrying to catch up with Carly and the two arrived downstairs together.
Freddie was sitting at the table, looking thoroughly pissed off and surrounded by newspapers.
"What's going on?" Sam asked, taking a seat beside him and leaning in to read the paper he was glaring at.
When her gaze landed on the page she blinked and then smacked the paper out of Freddie's hand; he didn't object.
"How dare they?" Sam fumed.
Every paper on the table featured some story about how Sam and Freddie were dating and that Carly and Freddie were secretly having an affair while Sam and Carly pretended to be best friends, even though they hated each other because they were in love with the same guy.
"You know I don't love Freddie, right Sam." Carly crooned, perching on the edge of Sam's chair.
Sam deliberately ignored Carly's statement and held up a page with a picture of the three of them from the day before at the airport; with Sam tucked under Freddie's arm, her arm curled around his waist and her free hand linked with Carly's.
"I'm cutting this out and framing it," she said, hopping up from her chair and fetching a scissors from a draw in the counter.
Carly and Freddie relocated to the sofa and Sam sat at the table, working her way through the papers and accumulating a pile of pictures. Once done she followed the brunettes into the lounge and dropped the pile onto the table, by-passing the nearest seat in the middle of the couch in favour of squeezing herself between Carly and the arm of the sofa.
"How can they take a perfectly innocent meeting and turn it into a drama-fest?" Freddie growled suddenly. He reached around Carly and tugged Sam onto her lap, then into the empty seat between them. "Don't be ridiculous," he snapped at her, leaning over to pull her legs over his, his fingers curling around her calves. He stretched his free hand along the back of the sofa, behind her head.
Carly laughed quietly and Sam turned to glare at her. Carly smiled back innocently until Sam's face softened and she too smiled.
"I'm going to shower," Carly sang, bouncing across the room and up the staircase. "See you later," Freddie called as Sam waved over the back of the couch.
The two fell into a comfortable silence, until Freddie tapped her legs and she turned to look at him questioningly.
"Sooo..." he trailed off awkwardly, lifting his hand from her leg to run it through his hair.
"So?" Sam prompted, sitting up a little and laying her head in the crook of his elbow.
"Anyone catch your attention while you were away?" he asked, refusing to meet her eyes.
"Well, there is this one guy... he's a brunette, kinda cute – he's got these warm brown eyes that just pull you in and he's... really sweet; there's just one problem,"
"Which is?" Freddie asked, looking pleased that Sam's crush had a flaw.
"I didn't see him the whole time I was at uni." She laughed, flicking his forehead gently and sliding closer to rest her head on his shoulder. Freddie grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She folded herself against his side and closed her eyes.
"It's Carly's Christmas party tomorrow; she'll probably make us go to bed early tonight so we're 'alive' for the festivities." Sam shuddered – Carly's last Christmas party had ended with Tasha, Gibby and Mrs Benson singing a rendition of Good King Wenceslas that would have made a Banshee proud, Carly herself unconscious on the sofa whilst an extremely drunk Griffin tried to corner Sam under the mistletoe until Freddie had taken pity and rescued her; and Spencer and Melanie getting a little too cosy on the couch – much to both their embarrassment the next morning.
Freddie chuckled, reliving the same memories as Sam and rubbed her arm sympathetically. "I don't think I've ever seen you speechless before – Griffin should attempt to seduce you more often.
"I don't want to think about it, that was a highly traumatizing experience. He's not nearly as smooth drunk as he is sober. He told me my eyes looked like inkwells, inkwells!"
"Yeah, not the most romantic thing I've ever heard, unless you're into poetry."
"Which I'm not," "Which you're not." He agreed, closing his eyes too and letting his head drop gently onto hers.
Carly came down from her shower to find her two best friends fast asleep. She shook her head fondly and pulled her phone out to take a picture of them, then headed into the kitchen to prepare their lunch.
S&F
"You're a great cook Carls," Sam smiled, slouching down in her chair and patting her stomach happily.
"Why thank you," Carly replied in a posh voice as she cleared the table of cupcake wrappers and glasses. "Sam, you and I have to go shopping for dresses. We're leaving in half an hour." She added. Sam groaned "Do we really have to?"
"Yes. No arguments."
"Gah, you owe me huge for this."
"Well, you could always come to the party in your underwear," Carly retorted sweetly. Sam crossed her arms and muttered something under her breath, throwing herself off her chair and storming up the staircase to get dressed.
"So how come you don't want me and Sam to see each other's outfits?" Freddie asked,
"I... can only handle one of you at a time."
"Huh, that doesn't even make sense."
"It takes all my concentration to get Sam into the perfect dress, and even more to get her into stilettos."
"Point taken."
A few minutes later Sam bounded down the staircase, dressed in a denim mini skirt with baby blue leggings, a dark purple short-sleeved top over a bright pink long-sleeved top and purple converse. There was a faded silver heart on the front of her outer t-shirt and a frown across her face.
"Yay, let's go," Carly sang, snatching her bag from the chair and dragging Sam out of the door behind her.
"Bye," Sam called over her shoulder to Freddie as the door slammed shut.
S&F
Carly opened the door of her apartment to see Spencer and Freddie in the kitchen, building what looked like a giant reindeer out of cubes of jelly.
"Spencer, you know I need the kitchen free to cook the food for tonight," she groaned as Sam shut the door and made a beeline for Freddie who obligingly offered her a few cubes of the jelly. Spencer shooed them both away and gave Carly an apologetic look. "I wanted to make you something to display later."
"That's sweet Spence, but food is more important than decorations." Spencer nodded and began pushing the wheeled table his sculpture was on out through the back door.
"Sam, go start getting ready for the party, we only have two hours. Freddie, you too, I'll need you here later to keep an eye on the cooking while I change.
"Kay'" the other two agreed, heading off to follow her instructions – when Carly went into organisation mode it was best not to oppose her.
An hour later Sam came down the stairs, fully made up in a dark red knee-length dress with black velvet roses on the bodice; the skirt flared our from her hips, swishing as she walked steadily in her heels which consisted of thin black straps from her toes to her ankles. All twenty of her nails were painted a deep crimson to match her dress and she was wearing glittering silver eye shadow and red lipstick.
"Wow, you look amazing Sam," Freddie stared at her from the kitchen where he was now helping Carly prepare the food, while Spencer stayed in his room, away from anything flammable.
"Thanks Fredster."
"So Carly, why exactly did you dress us to match," Freddie asked casually, gesturing to his wine-coloured shirt and black trousers.
"Because." "Because...?"
"'Cause you're adorable okay." Carly stomped her foot, nearly tipping the plate of biscuits she was arranging and Sam laughed, "There's no need to throw a tantrum Carls; what do you need me to do?"
"Keep your dress clean – don't crease it. I'm gonna go get ready." Carly thrust the plate at Freddie and dashed up the stairs. Freddie set it down and took hold of Sam's hand, spinning her around.
"You really do look beautiful," he breathed, his eyes locked on hers.
"Thank you Freddie," Sam blushed and looked down, her hand still held in his. He squeezed her fingers and returned his attention to the dinner. Sam flitted around, helping him as much as possible and they had the food all laid out ready when Carly hurried down the stairs forty minutes later and Spencer sat on the couch. They only had to wait ten minutes before Mrs Benson knocked and came in and she was soon followed by Gibby and Tasha. A further five minutes later Melanie arrived with her boyfriend Liam, Ms Puckett and their cousins Greg and Annie.
Sam sprang up from the couch and leapt over to her family who pulled her into a group hug. They parted with Sam and Annie's arms around each other's waist as they all sat down and the smaller Puckett swung her legs over Freddie's lap. He didn't look away from his conversation with Gibby as he automatically rubbed her shins. Melanie sent Sam a knowing smirk and received a withering glare in response. She smirked harder and turned her back on her tiwn, starting a conversation with Mrs Benson.
Sam contemplated removing her legs from Freddie's lap or even moving away from him all together, but figured she would give Melanie all the more ammunition if she made a big deal out of it. She settled into the sofa, leaning against Carly and tuned into the brunette's conversation with her brother.
S&F
Two hours later...
"The party's going well, don't you think?" Freddie asked Sam, who he was dancing with in the middle of the living room, the two swaying in time with some sappy song that Carly and Melanie loved.
"Yeah, I think your mother may adopt my sister." Sam laughed, glancing at Melanie and Mrs Benson who were seated on the sofa, still chattering away like old friends. Freddie laughed too and twirled Sam around, drawing her back in to wrap his arms around her waist.
"Hey Freddie." Carly called and the two looked over to Carly, who was perched on the steps, beside Greg, her hand resting lightly on his knee.
Sam raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment and Carly pointed at the ceiling. They looked up to see a large sprig of mistletoe hanging from a think red silk ribbon.
"You have to kiss each other now," Greg teased. Sam gaped at Carly, taking a step away from Freddie. Annie, who was dancing behind her with Spencer, leant over to push her back towards him.
"You can't make us k..." Freddie trailed off; gazing at Sam with his head tilted a little. She stared back, her cheeks turning pink as she took a tiny step forward. "It is tradition," she mumbled. "Yeah," Freddie whispered back, his hands coming to rest on either side of her head. Her hands fisted gently into his shirt at his sides and they paused for a moment, their lips merely a centimetre apart, before Freddie closed his eyes and pressed his mouth firmly to Sam's. She froze for a second then suddenly yanked him closer, tugging his arms down around her waist and looping her arms securely around his neck. He responded by tightening his grip on her, lifting her onto her toes and nudging her mouth open, his tongue sweeping over her bottom lip. She gave a soft whimper and clung to him more tightly, burying one of her hands in his hair.
Carly whooped quietly and shot a triumphant smile at Melanie who beamed back, while Mrs Benson looked away pointedly. Spencer cheered and threw Carly her camera. She immediately set about taking several photos of her two best friends who seemed to have forgotten they were in company. Sam now had her legs hitched up on either side of Freddie's hips, his hands cupped over her butt to support her. Pam looked like she couldn't decide whether to encourage them or break it up. When Freddie let out a low grunt and Sam hummed in response un-tucking his shirt from his trousers however she called time.
"Alright Sammie, get off the boy. If you're going to take it further get a room; and use protection."
Sam ripped herself away from Freddie and he let her drop gently to the floor.
"Mom!"
Pam laughed wickedly and winked at her daughter. Sam took Freddie's hand and began towing him towards the door. "We'll be on the fire escape, not having sex," She spat over her shoulder, slamming the door shut.
Freddie followed her silently, sitting in his usual spot on the metal staircase and curling his arms around Sam when she sat on his lap.
"We shouldn't be doing this," she sighed, nestling her face into the crook of his neck.
"Why?"
"We're going away again in a few weeks; you know I don't like long distance relationships.
"But, couldn't we-" "No, I'm sorry Freddie," Sam made to stand up but he stopped her, tucking her back into his chest.
"I love you," he promised, his lips pressed against her hair.
"Yeah, you too." Sam admitted, lifting her head to cover his mouth with hers before he could say anything else. He matched her enthusiasm and easily doubled it, holding onto her as if he were never planning on letting go, one of his hands twisting into her hair to tilt her head and deepen their kiss.
Soon Sam detached herself from Freddie and stood up, an unreadable expression on her face.
"What's wrong?" Freddie asked, also standing.
"Nothing; we still have about an hour before Carly's party finishes, your house is empty." She explained, climbing over the window ledge and heading down the hall without looking back. Freddie stared after her in shock for a moment before almost sprinting to catch up. He took her hand once more and they strolled to the Benson's apartment, going straight to Freddie's room.
"Are you sure about this?" Freddie asked as Sam locked his door.
"Yes, think of it as an extra present from me to you."
"I love you." He told her again, dropping onto the bed beside her. "I know." Sam smiled, turning to him and reaching to unbutton his shirt. The fabric slid easily off his arms and he helped Sam unzip her dress which rustled loudly as it fell to the floor.
"I love you," Sam reminded him as she guided him back on is bed.
His answering smile illuminated the room.
S&F
"Sam," Freddie brushed Sam's hair off her forehead, tucking a stray lock behind her ear and tapped her nose.
Sam wrinkled her nose and looked up at him tiredly, her eyes crinkling as she smiled warmly.
"Morning," Freddie grinned.
"What time is it?"
"Half past nine"
"Your mother's going to kill us isn't she?"
"Yes,"
"Let's get dressed; maybe we can convince her all we did was sleep... it'll never work will it?"
"I think she'll pretend to believe it, for all our sakes."
"Let's hope so, come on," she kissed him briefly and slid out of the bed.
"Why don't you take a shower, your hairs kinda... rumpled"
Sam laughed and nodded, dancing into his bathroom and closing the door.
Half an hour later they were both showered and dressed and Sam was sitting on Freddie's desk, towelling her hair off when there was a knock on the door. They gave each other reassuring looks and Freddie opened the door.
Carly bounced cheerfully into the room, grinning from ear to ear, her eyes dancing mischievously. Freddie gulped.
"So?" She asked expectantly. "So what Shay?" Sam retorted, hopping off the desk and tossing her towel at Carly who squeaked and skipped backwards.
Carly decided to change tactics; she'd get Sam alone later.
"Are you coming over for breakfast, there's bacon?"
"Silly question," Sam said, leaping through the door and down the hall. Carly looked at Freddie, "You two okay?"
"Yeah, Carls, we're good." His smile was so genuinely content and happy that Carly had to stop herself from cooing as she followed him into her apartment, where Sam was already seated at the table beside her sister as Spencer served them both plates of bacon and egg.
"Sam, you're not eating breakfast in that dress, go and change." Carly ordered and Sam groaned, rushing up the stairs. She was back two minutes later, wearing one of Carly's dresses – strapless and baby blue at the top fading down to royal blue where it stopped just below her knees and covered in tiny white flowers. She resumed her seat and dug happily into her food, glancing across the table at Freddie every now and then. Freddie sat staring at her, working his way slowly through a pancake.
He knew that when he and Sam returned to their universities, things would go back to normal and they'd be Sam and Freddie again, instead of SamandFreddie, but he also knew that Sam loved him and he loved her and that, no matter what happened, they'd be okay; together.
The End
S&F
AN: Hm, I'm not sure about this - it feels a bit rushed, I think I jumped the plot forward too fast, but I really wanted to post it today. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it :)
Review and let me know xx