A/N: Well, let me explain what this is first: this story, or collection of drabbles if I continue, goes in the "A long race" universe. It's not a continuation, nor it's going to be multi-chaptered, just some little stories in relation which anything that happened in that verse (before, after or in between the main story). So if anyone always wanted to see more about a particular thing mentioned at any point in the trilogy, just let me know! It might happen!
This chapter especifically takes place a few months after the "The finishing line"'s epilogue. And oh, didn't we all desperately need some happy uncle Cooper? ;) I really really hope you like it.
A DAY AT THE BEACH
"Catch me if you can!"
Cooper chuckled at the endless energy of his nephew as the latter started running in front of him. He had been going on and on about going to the beach since he woke up –too early for his uncle's taste– and now that he had finally gotten the family moving, he was too excited to stop. So as soon as they had put a foot on the sand, Jason had let go of his Papa's hand and run to play with his favorite uncle.
"If you think I'm going to let a four-year-old brat like you beat me you've got another thing coming!" Cooper answered as he picked the little boy, turned him upside down and threw him over his shoulder while the child laughed unreservedly.
"Be careful, Coop" Blaine warned his brother out of habit, even if Cooper knew he was not really serious by the smile on his face as he watched them play.
"Aren't I always?" Cooper answered as he pretended to let the kid fall, to which Jason burst out laughing again.
"What do you think, Maddie?" Blaine asked in a playful tone to the baby looking adoringly at him in his arms. "Do you think we should let uncle Cooper around you guys that much?"
Sam smiled at the brothers' exchange, glad that they had decided to spend a few days in Cooper's house in Los Angeles. Since he and Blaine had started dating, all those years ago, there had been more than a few times in which he had been sure it was not possible to be happier than he was at the moment. And all those times he had been proved wrong, one right after the other. But this time he was sure it was really impossible for his life to get any better: marrying Blaine had only been the start of something amazing. Both their careers were going better than they could have ever imagined, with Blaine being a successful Broadway star –Tony award included for his amazing role in Hedwig and the angry inch– and his second album reaching a golden record. And Sam wasn't doing any worse, considering his comic book was still going, he was negotiating for it to become a movie and he was starting to get a name as a painter.
All that had allowed them to buy the house of their dreams in just a few years, with a big yard and a lot of space for the kids to run. So, of course, they hadn't been able to wait much to start a family, and Jason had come to their lives four years ago. Getting used to being parents had been hard but amazing, and their friends and family had been an awesome help. So when Cooper moved to New York some time later for his new TV show and then they adopted Madison only a few months ago, life felt so perfect that sometimes Sam felt like crying with emotion.
"You okay?" Blaine asked softly at his side, sensing all the emotions in him, to which Sam could only smile. Because Blaine becoming a father hadn't made him change at all and he still noticed and cared about every little thing about him.
"I'm perfect" Sam honestly answered with a smile as he threw his arm around Blaine's shoulders and brought him closer to him to kiss his cheek, and then Maddie's. "We're perfect"
Blaine's face beamed with happiness when he understood what Sam meant and nestled more closely to his side in a rush of affection.
"We are" he answered with a smile as he watched Cooper reposition Jason until he was sitting on his shoulders and thanked the universe for the wonderful family he had.
It didn't take them a short time to get everything ready for their day at the beach, as Blaine was practically obsessive with protecting the children from the sun. He got a couple of big towels for them out of his bag and laid them on the sand while Sam managed to get the enormous beach umbrella ready according to Blaine's instructions.
"Come here, sweetie" Blaine called Jason before the kid would start running and rolling down on the sand, as he usually did. "I need to put some sunscreen on you so you won't get sunburned"
"But daddy, you already did at the house!" Jason complained, though he still complied with his father's wishes and went to him, knowing he couldn't win.
"Well, a bit more won't hurt, just in case" Blaine answered as he placed Madison in the middle of the towels, that were lying together, and sat down himself next to her. "And you get ready, Maddie, you're next"
"She's not even under the sun" Jason said as he tried hard not to rush his daddy to be quicker with the lotion spreading, as he was getting pretty impatient to start playing with the sand.
"Just in case" Blaine repeated in a mutter, even though he knew Jay was right and Madison was happily sitting under the umbrella's shadow.
"You say that a lot, daddy" Jason observed with all the innocence in the world as Blaine finished getting him ready and gently pushed him towards his sand tools, at the feet of the towel.
"What?" Blaine asked as he heard Sam chuckle and turned to see him sit next to him.
"Nothing" Sam answered trying hard not to laugh as Blaine transferred Maddie to his lap to put some sunscreen on her skin even if everyone thought it was unnecessary.
"Even the kids can see how overprotective you're being" Cooper joked while he lied down on his own towel, right under the sun.
"Well, they'll thank me later when they don't look like a tomato like their uncle. You should really put on some sunscreen yourself, you know"
"No way" Cooper answered as he put his arms under his head in which looked like the image of happiness. "Haven't gotten my beautiful tan since I moved to New York, I'm not missing this opportunity now"
"Sure, red has always suited you anyway" Blaine sarcastically answered before turning to his husband. "And you…"
"You already put it on me before we left the house, remember?" Sam was quick to answer with his hands in front of him to stop his crazy husband.
"Oh, you're right" Blaine admitted, even if he couldn't stop himself. "But don't forget to put some again in a while, you know you get burned quite easily"
"I will, mommy" Sam answered in a joking tone even if he lovingly pinched Blaine's cheek to make himself forgiven for his insolence.
"You all need to leave me alone" Blaine complained with a pout even if he could hardly keep a smile out of his face.
"You love us" Sam answered with a chuckle, but he still stretched to kiss his husband's cheek over their daughter, still sitting in Blaine's lap while digging her own chubby hands on the sand just to experiment with it.
No one was in a rush to move for a good while, given the exquisite temperature and the gentle breeze caressing their skins. They wanted to have a bath, but they had all the time in the world, and Jason seemed to be quite entertained with his tools anyway, trying to build a castle.
"Can I go and get some water in my bucket so I can wet the sand?" Jason asked after a while.
"Of course you can, buddy, but don't go any further than for the water to cover your feet" Sam answered, sitting up so he was sure he would be able to see his son from his place, even if they were only a few feet away from the shore.
"Wait, I will go with you" Blaine immediately offered while standing up.
"We can see him from here, you can stay and relax" Sam intervened, wanting for Blaine to rest once and for all.
"It's not a big deal, I wanted to taste the water's temperature anyway" Blaine half lied as he transferred his daughter to Sam's lap with a smile to reassure him that everything was alright.
Sam sighed as he held the baby more closely to his chest, watching his husband taking their son's hand to accompany him to the water. He couldn't say he was acting exactly weird, as Blaine tended to be a bit overprotective of the kids every now and then, especially when they were not at home and in a familiar environment. But… there was something about him these days, as if he couldn't bring himself to relax even for a second. He never complained or made a wry face, not even sigh, but Sam knew him like the back of his hand and he knew Blaine was stressed, or even anxious. He hadn't stopped taking care of everyone since they had arrived to Los Angeles the day before, and he didn't seem to have any intention of stopping.
"Is there something wrong with Blaine?" Cooper suddenly asked, as if he had been reading his mind, and Sam had to smile at the way Cooper tried not to sound worried even if he had even sat up to look at his brother go too.
"No, not really" Sam answered, trying to play down the importance of it while he started rocking Madison in his knees until the eight-month old started laughing. "I think he's just a bit overwhelmed with the trip, that's all"
"So you noticed it too, right?" Cooper answered with a sigh, not happy that his suspicions had been proven right. "How he can't seem to stop for a second and needs to be in control of absolutely anything?"
"Of course I noticed" Sam answered, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of the question. As if there was a way he was not going to notice something about the love of his life. "But it's nothing, I know him. He just need a bit of relax and for someone to remind him he doesn't need to be perfect every minute of the day"
"I think I'll let you have the second part, though maybe I can help with the first one" Cooper answered, even if Sam didn't exactly understand what he meant.
Though he didn't have the chance to ask because Blaine and Jason went back to them in that precise moment.
"How was the water, love?" Sam asked with a loving and attentive smile towards his husband that was immediately reciprocated.
"It was a bit cold, but nice enough" he answered as he moved to take his place in the towels back, though he seemed to think twice about it and pushed his son towards it instead. "Jay, why don't you sit there under the umbrella?"
"There is no room for everyone" Jason distractedly answered, only interested in his tools.
"You sit there with Papa and Maddie. I'll sit here" Blaine answered as he let himself fall in front of his family, directly on the sand and out of the umbrella's protection. "That way you can teach your sister how to make a sand castle. You're quite an expert, after all"
"Okay" he easily agreed, as he enjoyed teaching his little sister anything very much because it made him feel big and important. "Just let her here, Papa"
"Okay" Sam answered with a chuckle as he obeyed and let the baby on the ground, making sure that her back was resting against his leg to prevent her from falling backwards, as she was still a bit unstable sometimes when sitting on her own. "You show her how to make a big castle, buddy"
Blaine and Sam could hardly keep their eyes from the pair, fascinated at the way Jason was so careful and understanding with his little sister and how adoringly she looked at him, as if she wanted to absorb everything he was telling him even if he couldn't understand a word. Every now and then, they exchanged a knowing gaze and a smile, as if wanting to share all their happiness with their significant other, and Sam was glad to see Blaine getting a bit more relaxed, even if he couldn't stop himself from supervising every minute of the game. And Sam was looking intently at him when he noticed how his shoulders seemed to be getting a bit redder than a while ago.
"B?" Sam said in a soft voice, not wanting to interrupt the magic moment of his family.
"Hmm?" Blaine murmured as he carefully helped Jay with one of the towers so it wouldn't fall for a third time.
"Did you put sunscreen on yourself?" Sam pointedly asked, and he had to fight hard not to laugh at how adorable his husband's expression was when he guiltily realized he hadn't.
"I think I forgot" Blaine answered, and by the shocked expression in his face, it was easy to see he was being totally honest.
"Get under the umbrella right now" Sam gently ordered him before he turned to the bag they had carried with their things to look for the sunscreen bottle. "Of all the irresponsible things to do…"
"I don't know how it happened" Blaine answered, his face blushing with embarrassment at the fact he had been bugging everyone with the lotion and he hadn't been using it himself, as he walked under the umbrella.
"Oh, I know how it happened" Sam answered as he grabbed Blaine's hand to pull him down and make him sit. "Can you stop for a second so someone can take care of you for a change?"
Cooper looked amusedly at the couple, fondly shaking his head at them, and knew there had come the time for him to intervene.
"Ok, I think I'm going to let you enjoy your moment" he said, not even trying to deny he intended for them to have a quiet moment for themselves, as he stood up from his place. "Give me the princess"
Sam hurried to comply, lifting his daughter from the ground so her uncle could easily pick her up, understanding now what Cooper had meant about helping Blaine relax.
"You don't have to, Coop" Blaine gratefully intervened, also understanding his brother's intentions.
"It's okay, I was getting tired of just laying down anyway" Cooper answered as he easily accommodated Madison in his arms and then turned to Jason. "Hey, Jay, let's take a walk"
"No, I want to stay here with Papa and Daddy" the child refused. "I want to finish the castle"
"Oh, don't worry, your daddies will take care of it in your absence" Cooper insisted, knowing it was precisely Jason the one he needed to take away to give the couple a moment –as Maddie was still so young she could have fallen asleep anyway.
"But I have to finish it first" Jason stubbornly protested, not even lifting his eyes from his masterpiece.
"Maddie and I are going, you know"
"It's okay"
"You don't want to come?"
"No, Daddy's helping me make a big castle"
"He can help you later" Cooper patiently insisted, not willing to let a four-year-old win.
"He can also help me now" Jason answered in his perfectly reasonable child-logic.
"And what if Daddy needs a rest?"
"Daddy's never tired" Jason easily responded, to which Blaine widely opened his eyes in surprise: so that's the image his son had of him?
One look at his husband, though, and Blaine could see that Sam was thinking exactly the same: that he really needed a rest.
"You can't win with this kid, right?" Cooper muttered under his breath before going for a last attempt. "Ok, stay here if you want to"
"Okay" Jason happily answered, to which Sam couldn't help but to snort.
"But it's such a pity, because Maddie and I were talking before about buying some ice-cream in our way..."
"Maddie can't talk yet" Jason replied with a distrustful tone.
"What do you mean? Of course she can talk! And she told me she was just going to have the biggest ice-cream ever! What flavor did you say, sweetie?" Cooper said before lifting the baby closer to his face so it would look as if she was whispering in his ear. "Oh, vanilla, that's right. Just as your daddy"
"Can I have strawberry ice-cream?" Jason asked after thinking in-depth about it for a few seconds, trying to asset if his uncle was pulling his hair or not.
"Of course, whatever you want" Cooper gladly agreed as he stretched his hand for Jason to take it.
"Ok, then let's go" Jason happily answered while rising up to his feet and taking his favorite uncle's hand.
"Thanks, Coop" Sam said with a grateful smile towards his brother-in-law, who no matter how much time passed, was still so protective of his little brother.
"No problem" Cooper answered with a mischievous smile. "Those kids are going to be a chicks magnet"
"Wait, Coop, you're forgetting Maddie's cap" Blaine said while handing the cap to his brother and trying to ignore his last comment.
"Of course, how could I forget?" Cooper sarcastically replied, even if he obeyed and carefully put the cap in Maddie's head.
"Maybe I should put some more sunscreen on her before you go?" Blaine suggested, and he was getting a bit too anxious for Sam to still find it funny. "Babies' skin is so delicate"
"More?" Cooper exclaimed. "Blaine, she's so slippery from the last time you put sunscreen on her, which was about two minutes ago, than I'm afraid she will pop out of my arms"
"Then maybe you should just take Jay and leave her here with us" Blaine replied, stretching his arms in front of him to receive his previous child.
"Ok, B, you really need to relax" Sam intervened, more seriously this time, while taking Blaine's hands in his to make him lower them. "Nothing will happen to Maddie, Cooper will take care of her"
"I know, but..." Blaine tried to find the words to justify himself without offending his brother.
"I was just kidding, Squirt" Cooper added, putting the joking aside to calm his brother down while his eyes turned to his niece, still in his arms. "You really think I don't love this little thing with all my heart? I would never let anything happen to her or Jason"
"I know that, Coop. It's just... she's still so little..."
"Look who's talking"
"I would tell you where you can go now, but I won't because there are children at earshot" Blaine mumbled in a fake angry tone, but he knew he hadn't fooled anyone when both Sam and Cooper burst out laughing.
"We'll be back in a little while" Cooper announced while taking Jason's hand again. "Don't get too comfortable"
"Don't rush it!" Sam practically yelled at their back, hoping to get Blaine in a better mood.
And he was glad to see he had achieved it when he saw his husband smiling, even if his eyes were still on those three people he adored so much. Well, time to relax and for some loving action, Sam thought.
"Now come here" Sam tenderly ordered even if he didn't give Blaine time to react and moved instead to sit behind him, one leg at each side of his husband's, and let some sunscreen fall in Blaine's back. "It's time someone takes care of you too, you know"
"Be my guest" Blaine joked, even if he couldn't help himself and sighed at how pleasurable Sam's hands slowly sliding along his back felt.
"You're a bit tense" Sam commented while his hand stopped just spreading the lotion and started working on losing the knots on Blaine's back instead. "What's wrong, love?"
"What's wrong?" Blaine repeated, a bit confused at the question.
"I asked first" Sam answered with a fond smile: of course Blaine wouldn't even realize how tense he was. "I mean why are you so anxious?"
"Am I?" Blaine asked even if Sam's miraculous hands were making it hard for him to care about anything else.
"You are" Sam confirmed. "Look at how hard it was for you to let Cooper take care of the kids for a while, even though you know how good he is to them. Some would say you're a first-time dad"
"I know I'm not, but... it's been so long since Jay was that small..." Blaine admitted with a frustrated sigh. "I guess I've forgotten how to act around babies"
"Come on, as if you weren't the most wonderful parent there is!" Sam said as his arm appeared to close around Blaine's shoulders and those wonderful and full lips rested a kiss on the side of his neck. "And I'm sure Jay would agree with me on that"
"You think I'm going to do it right?" Blaine asked in a hopeful tone, letting himself fall slightly backwards until his back made contact with his husband's chest.
"Of course, Blaine!" Sam answered with a fond chuckle as his hands moved to spread some sunscreen around Blaine's chest and belly too. "Same as you've been doing with Jay all this time!"
"But it's different this time, you know?" Blaine continued, wanting to be completely honest and expose all his worries to the person he knew would never judge him. "There are two of them now, depending on us, and they need us so much..."
"Well, so we'll just have to divide our attentions and administer our time better, that's all" Sam easily reassured him, glad Blaine was trusting him with his insecurities and that they hadn't lost their ability to communicate even after all that time. "Everything else will be alright"
"You think?"
"Of course!" Sam answered with a chuckle before his hands moved a bit more mischievously around Blaine's chest and he gently bit on Blaine's earlobe.
Blaine sighed at his lover's ministrations even if they knew they couldn't take them further than that –they were in a public and family-friendly place, after all, and Cooper and the kids could come back any moment–. But that wasn't going to stop him from enjoying what he could get and he let himself fall completely on Sam's chest, the latter's arms immediately closing around his waist in the most loving way.
"Don't you ever get scared that we are going to fail in the most important job of our lives?" Blaine tentatively asked while his hands gently caressed Sam's legs, still resting at each side of him.
"Not really" Sam answered, one of his hands slowly getting lost in the wildness of Blaine's curls for one of those scalp massages that never failed to relax him. "Of course I worry sometimes and I think a lot about the best possible way to do raise our children, but… I'm not scared. We didn't do it so bad with Jason, did we?"
"No" Blaine was forced to admit with a smile.
"And we were so green then, now that we're experts we're going to do it even better"
"You're right" Blaine agreed as he twisted his neck to be able to plant a grateful kiss on Sam's cheek. "I can't wait for my father to meet Maddie tomorrow"
"Gosh, he's going to love her" Sam replied with the widest smile, his heart never failing to burst with happiness every time he remembered how Blaine had regained his relationship with his father, better than it had ever been, and how now he had become such an important part of their world, even if they didn't see him as often as they would like. "You know how great he is with Jason, so imagine him now that he finally will be getting his much desired princess, after always having boys around"
"I would have never imagined my father doing the silly things he does just to get his grandson laughing. It's amazing to see!" Blaine commented with a chuckle that was immediately reciprocated.
"It is. And now that he will have two kids to entertain, it will be even more amazing!"
Both of them burst out laughing about the possibility of watching the great Don Anderson making a fool of himself for such a demanding audience as his grandchildren just the day after, when he would be meeting for some family holiday at Cooper's Californian mansion. And judging by how much Jason adored him –and they hoped Maddie would too–, he was being quite successful. After all, Blaine's and Cooper's passion for entertainment must have come from somewhere, right?
"Thanks, Sammy" Blaine said after a while, breaking the comfortable silence.
"What for?"
"For always understanding me. Even when I don't understand myself"
"Come here" Sam answered, moved by Blaine's words even if he had heard them a thousand times before, while closing his arms more strongly around Blaine's chest in a strong embrace. "I think you're just finding it a bit difficult to adjust to being four of us at home now, that's all, and for us to leave home just magnified the feeling"
"Maybe" Blaine admitted with a nod of his head because, as usual, Sam had figured out what was wrong with him even before he did it himself.
"It's not easy dealing with a baby, and I know you've always worried about not knowing how to be a good father. That's the kind of a worrier you are, right? But let me tell you, that worry is completely unjustified"
"Thank you, love"
"But even the best of fathers need a little break every now and then. Why don't I take you out on a date tonight?" Sam suggested out of the blue. He hadn't thought about that before saying it, but the truth was they hadn't had an evening for themselves for so long… that suddenly it felt like the greatest idea ever. "A romantic dinner, just you and me. I'm sure Cooper won't mind staying with the kids for a little while"
"You think it's a good idea?" Blaine asked even if he knew he was going to let himself be convinced because he wanted it just as much as Sam seemed to do.
"Yeah! You and I know that we both need some time for ourselves, and it's also a good chance for you to show your brother that you really trust him, after just doubting him to safely get the kids an ice-cream"
"Oh gosh, you think he was offended?" Blaine asked, feeling mortified until Sam's laughter confirmed that he was only joking.
"Of course not, he knows you, he knows you just need a little reassurance that everything will be alright every now and then" Sam explained with a kiss to the side of Blaine's neck, as if to remind him how much he loved him and how he didn't mind at all being the one to do the reassuring.
"You're so sweet…" Blaine praised him while snuggling closer to his chest, even in spite of the warmth. "Ok, let's have a date. If Cooper agrees, of course"
"We could go to that little cozy restaurant we went when we were here the week before our wedding, remember?"
"How could I forget?" Blaine answered with a dreamy smile as he remembered those wonderful days prior to the happiest day of his life. "Did you ever think we would end up like this?"
"You mean this happy?" Sam asked, wanting to make sure he had understood.
"Yeah"
"Yeah" he answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Yeah?" Blaine repeated with a smile.
"Yeah. From the exact moment you said you loved me back and that you were ready to give us a chance"
"Gosh, I don't know why it took me so long" Blaine lamented, not for the first time in his life.
"I know, right? I was quite a catch already" Sam joked, his heart swelling with love when Blaine burst out laughing.
"That you were" he admitted between laughs.
"You just took the time you needed to make sure everything would work out because you didn't want to hurt me" Sam explained with a kiss to the side of Blaine's face, wanting to make him understand he would never reproach him for that. "And considering how everything went after that… I have to say I wouldn't change a thing"
"Me neither" Blaine agreed while resting his hands on top of Sam's, still resting on his own belly, to entwine their fingers together.
"I mean we just celebrated our tenth anniversary a couple of weeks ago. That's quite impressive"
"It is"
"Who knew I was going to put up with you for so long?"
"Hey!"
"What?" Sam asked with feigned innocence, hardly able to stop himself from laughing. "You steal the blankets EVERY night! And you make me eat broccoli practically every day!"
"That's not true!" Blaine protested with a playful slap at Sam's arm.
"It so is! And you make me watch Finding Nemo all the time! You even gang up on me with Jay so I won't be able to say no!" Sam continued with his tirade about how hard it was to live with Blaine, even if both of them knew it was completely fake.
"You love it!" Blaine accused him, even pointing his finger at Sam's face for a better effect.
"I did the first twenty times! And speaking of the kids, you won't even let them near me when you push me into my office for work as if I was a little kid!"
"Well, someone needs to keep you in check when you work at home! Otherwise you would never get anything done!"
"See? All in all you've been quite a nightmare for the last ten years" Sam finished with a dramatic sigh.
"Well, thanks, I love you too!" Blaine sarcastically replied, even if he couldn't help a snort at his husband's silliness.
"But you know what?" Sam said, and his voice sounded so tender and loving that Blaine knew he was not going to joke anymore and he sighed in preparation for it. "If you get to steal the blankets every night it's because you have given me the chance to sleep next to you every single night for the past ten years and for your smile to be the first thing I see every morning. And that makes it all worth it, you know? Especially when it makes us cuddle all night long for some extra warmth. And if you make me eat broccoli every now and then it's because you're so amazing that you cook for me every day and because you care so much about keeping me healthy"
"Of course I care, you're my hubby" Blaine answered, his voice not more than a whisper in fear it was going to break with emotion.
"And don't think I don't know why you love Finding Nemo so much and why you forced it on our son so it would be his favorite movie and he would want to watch it all the time. It's because it was the first movie we ever watched together, right? We were supposed to meet to go to the comic store, shortly after we started becoming close friends in senior year, but it was pouring so we decided to shelter in that horrible cinema on our way. The only movie showing there was Finding Nemo 3D and we decided to go in even if both of us had already watched it before and thought ourselves too old and mature for children movies. And although it was such a sleazy theatre and the 3D system and the sound was horrible, we had the time of our lives impersonating the characters, remember? Even the kids in the place told us to shut up!" Sam explained, fondly laughing at the memory. "We were speaking whale between us for weeks after that"
Blaine half laughed, half cried at Sam's words, moved to no end that he would remember something like that after more than fifteen years, and the fact that he had guessed exactly what was going on in Blaine's head and why he loved that movie so much.
"I didn't know you remembered that" Blaine confessed, and he wasn't surprised when one of Sam's thumbs came to collect a stray tear in his cheek without making a fuss over it.
"How could I forget?" Sam asked, equally moved at the memory. "It was our first date, in a way"
"I guess it was"
"And I also know you make me lock myself in my office at home so the kids won't bother me while I work because you've always cared so much about my career…" Sam continued, unconsciously squeezing Blaine's body more strongly to him in gratitude for all those years of unconditional support and faith in his talent. "There was a time in my life when I just met one failure after the other and I thought I would never achieve anything and… Look at me now: happily married for ten years, father of two wonderful kids, with my own successful comic book about to make it into Hollywood and starting to get a name as a painter. But it was you who made everything happen. The common aspect in all my successes is you"
"Sammy…" Blaine tried to say something, anything to let Sam know he felt exactly the same way about him, but the knot on his throat didn't let him find his voice.
"So do you really think I can be scared of anything with you by my side? It's impossible" Sam continued, placing a loving kiss on Blaine's forehead. "Because you can do anything. And together we can take care of one, two or twenty children if we want to. And it will be amazing, just like everything else was"
Blaine turned partially on his side so he would be able to embrace his husband with all his forces after the declaration of love he had just given him. He would have let himself break down in tears –happy tears– if he didn't know their children were going to make an apparition very soon. Just the strength of Sam's arms around him, and the warmth of Sam's chest under him, kept him from breaking down at the reminder of how lucky he was. Because Sam was right: as long as they were together, there was nothing they couldn't do.
"I love you" Blaine said after a while, lifting his head enough to be able to capture Sam's lips in a sweet and long kiss full of promises of future.
"I love you more" Sam answered against Blaine's lips, feeling the smile in them at his predictable answer.
"No way" Blaine retorted before letting his head fall on Sam's shoulder again so he could continue enjoying the latter's embrace.
And it was like that that the others found them a while later.
"Guys, please" a mocking voice interrupted their peaceful and loving moment. "The kids"
"The kids know their parents love each other, thank you very much" Sam replied proudly, not making a move to let go of his beautiful husband just yet because it was not something they needed to be ashamed of.
"Oh gosh" Blaine exclaimed with a chuckle as he got to see his children's faces, very dirty and full of ice-cream. "So did you enjoy your ice-cream?"
"It was delicious" Jason answered happily, still licking his fingers, before rushing to fall in Blaine's arms, a bit jealous he was not being part of their parents' embrace.
Since the three of them were tangled on the same towel, Cooper moved to sit on the other one instead of his own, and he hadn't even made it all the way to the floor, with Madison still in his arms, when the baby stretched her arms towards the family too.
"Oh, this ungrateful lady wants her daddy" Cooper joked as he transferred said lady to Blaine's free arm.
"She's just crazy about her daddy" Sam commented with a smile, resting a knowing kiss to the side of Blaine's neck while Jason started climbing on them until he was proudly sitting on Sam's shoulders.
"Gosh, I need to take a picture of this" Cooper announced after a moment, smiling at the image of the full family in one big embrace, with Sam still hugging Blaine from behind with their son in his shoulders while Blaine held little Madison in his arms. So he took his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of the moment, glad to see his brother more relaxed.
"Little brother, you're looking 100% more relaxed than just a while ago" he commented.
"I know" Blaine answered, looking back knowingly at his husband.
"I think you're a bit stressed. Maybe you should go out with your husband every now and then" Cooper casually said, which Sam took it as an opportunity to make his request so he pretended to cough, hoping Blaine would get it.
"Speaking of that" Blaine said, perfectly understanding, "my husband and I were thinking about having a romantic date tonight"
"I think that's a great idea" Cooper agreed, thinking how that was exactly what Blaine needed that day.
"We're glad you see it like that, because well... you know... someone needs to take care of the kids" Sam continued with all the innocence he could muster.
"Oh no" Cooper answered, starting to shake his head.
"And we thought that you..." Blaine added in a tentatively way.
"No, stop it right there. I forbid you to continue" Cooper warned them with an accusatory finger.
"You said I needed to go out" Blaine argued.
"Not at my expense!" Cooper protested.
"Please, Coop, you know I wouldn't trust anybody else for the job and they love their uncle so much..." Blaine pleaded, hoping the love Cooper obviously felt for the kids would be enough to melt his resistances.
"You're not going to convince me with flattery, young man" Cooper warned him, even if Blaine was sure he was already caving in.
"It would be a good chance for you to bond with your niece and nephew, you know"
"I thought they already loved me so much!"
"And they do! But isn't it nice that we are having this vacation in your home so they can get to spend more time with you?"
"Blaine, I moved to New York two years ago, I live in your same neighbourhood! I see these kids practically every day!" Cooper protested emphatically, afraid he might be losing the battle.
"Ok, Cooper, we understand" Sam intervened, in what he hoped sounded like a comprehensive voice. "Taking care of two children so young is hard and I'm sure you've got more important things to do"
"Well..." Cooper tried to protest, starting to feel guilty, but Sam never gave him the chance.
"I mean, we haven't been out, not once, since before Maddie arrived, so of course we understand how stressful it is"
"Yeah, but..."
"It's a pity, though, you know? I mean if I had the time, maybe I could just send a message to my new and very beautiful, and did I mention single, editor? You know, to ask her if she's free next Friday to meet the great Cooper Anderson. You know, she's your biggest fan and she's been bugging me for weeks to introduce you to her since she found out you are my brother-in-law..."
"Wait" Cooper tried to stop him, but Sam knew he was winning so he kept on without giving him the chance to protest.
"But what are we going to do? We have to take care of the kids, I doubt I will have the chance to even send a text to her" Sam falsely lamented, to which Blaine nodded in faked agreement.
"Is she really that hot?" Cooper asked, not even pretending he wasn't interested in the blackmail.
"Coop, the kids" Blaine gently admonished his brother.
"Sorry, is she really so beautiful and nice?" Cooper corrected himself, even if he still wanted his answer.
"Wait, I think there might be a picture of her in the company's website" Sam answered, searching for it on his phone until he found it and showed it at his brother-in-law. "Yes, there she is"
Cooper took the phone from Sam's hand and brought it closer to him so he could have a long look at the picture. And even if he could hardly deny he liked what he was seeing, he feigned thinking deeply about it just for the sake of it.
"You know what, guys?" he said after a few seconds while he handed the phone back to his owner. "I really think you need a break. And well, the kids will be asleep in no time, after all, right? I guess it's not that big a deal, I can watch them until you're back from your romantic date. I mean, you really deserve it, and what wouldn't I do for my brother, right?"
"You're so generous" Blaine sarcastically answered, but the smile in his face belied how really grateful he was to his brother. "But thanks anyway"
"You're welcome" he answered with an honest smile this time. "But wait, why haven't you told me about her before?"
"I was waiting for the right moment" Sam confessed with a mischievous smile.
"You bastard" Cooper exclaimed.
"Coop!" Blaine reprimanded him again, more sternly this time.
"Sorry! I can't help it!" Cooper half-heartedly apologized.
"I think we should reconsider tonight's arrangement" Blaine said, looking doubtfully over his shoulder towards his husband.
"No!" Both Sam and Cooper yelled at the same time.
"Ok, it was just a suggestion" Blaine answered in embarrassment, to which the other two started laughing.
"We're just going to go out as we planned" Sam told him, leaving no room for argument. "Cooper will stay with the kids, with a little bit of luck he will keep them alive…"
"Hey!" Cooper protested, feigning to be deeply offended.
"And we'll have the most amazing time until you're totally relaxed, completely happy and ready for our vacation, alright?"
"Alright" Blaine agreed with a smile.
"Because I love you" Sam insisted.
"I love you too, daddy" Jason added, because growing up in such a loving environment had made him totally unreserved and comfortable about expressing his feelings.
"Aw, come here, sweetheart" Blaine said, totally moved by his son's sweetness, as he left Madison on the ground for a second to kneel up so he could take his oldest son in the embrace he deserved. "I love you too, my little cupcake"
"Can we get into the water now?" Jason asked, already moving to other things, which made his parents laugh.
"Of course we can, buddy" Blaine answered as he left the boy back on the ground. "I'll race you there!"
"That's cheating!" Jason said as he ran after his daddy even if he could hardly stop laughing.
Sam smiled fondly at them before he turned to the little girl looking curiously at him and holding her little and chubby arms towards him as she didn't want to be left behind.
"What do you say, sweetie? You ready for your first dip in the ocean?" Sam said as he took her in his arms and stood up to follow the rest of his family. "You coming, Coop?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world" the other man answered with a tickle to Madison's middle that immediately made her laugh.
When Sam made it to the shore he was surprised Blaine and Jason were already in the water, not caring about how cold it was, playing like they didn't have a care in the world. Blaine immediately turned around at Sam's call, because Sam knew him so well that he knew he would never want to miss Madison's first swim in the ocean, and smiled in gratitude. Cooper took his place in playing with Jason, as the kid loved how his uncle would throw him up in the air so he would fall into the water –just as he used to do with Blaine when he was little–, and Blaine ran to the other two and took Maddie's hand in his while Sam started walking into the water. Maddie's breath got shorter for a second when the cold water reached her belly, in spite of how slow Sam was going, and both her parents laughed wholeheartedly when she realized she was surrounded by water, which she loved, and started splashing around in excitement. Blaine thought she had never seen her so happy as she was when Sam playfully pretended to throw her towards him and she laughed like crazy, so he could only hold her close to his chest for a moment in a rush of emotion. And he thought his heart was going to melt when he threw her back to Papa's arms and she let out another belly laugh that made Jason laugh too.
Blaine looked at Jason, playing with his uncle, who was pretending he was losing in a fight with the child, and at little Maddie, happily playing with her Papa's face as the latter jokingly tried to bite her hand, and wondered, not for the first time, what he had done to deserve such a happiness. But when Sam caught his eye and mouthed a familiar "I love you" to him, he decided he didn't care anymore. From then on, he was just going to enjoy it.
A/N: So it wasn't easy writing about a beach day with winter knocking on my door, but well... ;)
Please, let me know what you thought!
And well, if there is some episode mentioned in the "A long race" universe you'd like to see more developed, let me know! ;)