Making It Work

Chapter 1 - Dashed Hopes

Sam stared intently at the clock in the school's hall, the seconds ticking by at an agonizingly slow pace. 11:59 and 40 seconds, 41 seconds, 42 seconds. His stomach knotted with anticipation. It felt like it had been the toughest week of his life, and although Sam had to admit that rationally that was probably an exaggeration, he was quite sure that it felt that way and by Sam's logic that made it true in a manner of speaking. 53 seconds! He was about to be able to speak to her again. He had imagined the conversation over and over in his head. It played out in slightly different ways each time, but in all his versions it concluded with her realizing that she was meant to be with him. 58 seconds! Sam swallowed and tried to remain calm as he heard the bell at last signaling his freedom.

And there she was – Mercedes, walking down the hallway wearing an aptly chosen necklace featuring the word LOVE. She smiled brightly as she took in Sam's anxious, happy face. This was it, the moment Sam had quite literally dreamed about for the past several nights.

Rory watched as the two sweethearts strolled happily toward each other. Everything felt so wrong to him. Sam was his best friend, and he was happy. Rory knew that that should have made him happy too, and it did. Sort of. But it also left him with a painful, empty feeling. What was even more confusing to the Irish boy was that everything seemed to be happening at half speed. It was just like in the movies...the horror movies, where the audience watches the nightmare unfold in slow motion.

As Sam got within about a foot of Mercedes, they both stop and smiled at each other. Sam opened his mouth to speak, so did Mercedes.

"There you are, baby. You ready?" Shane asked, plodding up behind Mercedes and interrupting the pair before they had a chance to say anything. Sam's face fell, as did Mercedes', leaving Shane confused about the disappointed glances he was receiving.

"For lunch, we're going off campus right?" he clarified. "Hey Sam."

Sam managed a small nod as he felt a crushing sensation in his chest and stomach. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all. Mercedes didn't say anything. She just gaped at Sam briefly before turning away and allowing Shane to lead her back down the hall.

Sam was wrong; the last week hadn't been the hardest of his life – this was. only it was compressed into one horrible moment.

"Ye' okay, Sam?" Rory asked as he came up quietly next to his friend and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. Rory realized there was just no winning today. For a very brief second it felt like divine intervention when Shane appeared...and then Rory had seen Sam's face and wished he could undo it. Sam shouldn't suffer like this. If Sam wanted Mercedes then Rory wanted him to have her, even if it did mean that Rory himself would end up heartbroken.

Sam glanced at Rory with barely contained emotion and just shook his head and looked away.

"I'm really sorry, man. Ye' deserve t'be with her, not him," Rory said as soothingly as possible, meaning every word. He moved his hand from Sam's shoulder to his back, rubbing gently a few times before trying to break the somber mood. If they were alone Rory would have given Sam a hug and just been with him while he processed his emotions, but Rory realized that letting Sam breakdown in the middle of the school hallway probably wasn't the best option. He would just have to help Sam push the pain down until later.

"Come on, Sam, I've been dying t'try that little diner on Maple Street and I think I've learnt how t'order me food in Na'vi. Well, as long as they 'ave chicken and mashed potatoes that is. Ye' up for it?" Rory was grinning as optimistically as possible and had already started to steer Sam toward the exit that would lead to the parking lot and Sam's car.

Sam felt like hell, but he found himself smirking in spite of himself at Rory's enthusiasm and the Avatar reference. Sam knew it was just for his benefit and he appreciated the other boy's obvious attempt to take his mind off of what had just happened. "Yeah, sure. How did you learn the word for 'mashed potatoes' anyway?"

-000-

"OK, now do Sean Connery introducing himself in Na'vi," Rory requested, turning in the passenger's seat of Sam's car to listen more closely to his friend.

Sam's face lit up before he got very serious and launched into the Pandoran dialect. Rory was laughing so hard he couldn't pay close enough attention to understand the individual words – despite the fact that basic introductions were the first thing Sam had taught him – but he had seen enough James Bond movies to know that the voice Sam was doing was dead on, even if the words didn't quite mean anything to him.

"Oh god, Sam! That's awesome," Rory said between chuckles.

"You're awesome," Sam said with just enough sarcasm in his voice for Rory to pick up on the joke.

"Ye'r face is awesome," he responded on cue. Sam had taught Rory that popular piece of American banter that apparently worked with virtually any word in place of 'awesome', and though Rory still didn't quite understand the reference, he was grateful for having been let in on the joke since it seemed to keep coming up in all sorts of settings. In this particular instance, however, Rory had meant his statement and hoped Sam's was also at least partly based on personal opinion.

As Sam pulled into the Hudson-Hummel driveway and turned off his car he was surprised at how much better he was already feeling. He still had a dull ache in the pit of his stomach, but he suspected at least half of it was from all the laughing he and Rory had been doing. Sam smiled at his Irish friend. The other boy had been relentless in his efforts to cheer him up all lunch period and he hadn't let up when they got to the one class they shared - glee club - at the end of the day. What had really surprised Sam was the way Rory had practically insisted on coming over to hang out with Sam after school. Rory wasn't usually so forward and Sam appreciated the way he had put himself out there for him. Especially since if he hadn't Sam would have probably just sat in Finn and Kurt's guestroom, which had temporarily been transformed into his room while he was back in Lima, and sulked.

"So what do ye' want t'do?" Rory asked, unbuckling his seat belt and opening the car door.

"I dunno, whatever," Sam said with a shrug, his spirits starting to dampen just a little again.

Rory noticed too and decided that simply wouldn't do. "How about we see if Finn and Kurt want t'play with us and maybe we can all sing while ye' guys play the guitar and drums?"

Sam laughed at the way Rory had phrased his suggestion. He suspected that Rory meant 'play with us' more in the same way Sam's little sister Stacy or his little brother Stevie would have said it rather than in the band/singing sense. Sam found it adorably endearing. "I think Finn's out with Rachel. Kurt may wanna hang out though."

"Cool," Rory answered as confidently as possible. In truth he was hoping Kurt either wouldn't be home or wouldn't want to hang out with them. Kurt tended to make Rory nervous. He was always on his guard around Kurt and he felt like if anyone was going to figure out his secret it would be him. Finn on the other hand was easy to be with and next to Sam was one of Rory's closest friends.

"Hey Kurt, you home?" Sam shouted as he rapped on Kurt's bedroom door a little while later.

A few seconds later the door opened and Kurt smiled at Sam and nodded at Rory, unsurprised to see him. "What if I hadn't been?" he inquired, looking at Sam.

Sam shrugged. "Then I guess you wouldn't have answered. Hey, we wanted to see if you felt like going to the garage and singing a couple songs with us?"

"Sure, but only if we do at least one Broadway number," Kurt bargained.

"K, right after we do a good ol' country song," Sam countered. This type of deal was actually fairly common for them and although it seemed to work just fine for Sam and Kurt, it would have been enough to drive Finn out of the house if he'd been home in the first place. "You got any requests, Ror?"

"Nah, whatever is fine with me," Rory answered, happy to be agreeable and already looking forward to what Sam might have in mind for his song.

As the three friends made their way to the garage Kurt kept a close eye on Sam. He and Mercedes has been texting all afternoon and he was surprised his blond friend was in good enough spirits to socialize. He suspected that Sam's better-than-expected mood had something to do with a certain Irishman's boyish charms and easy grin. He had to hand it to Rory, the guy seemed to be able to make Sam smile just by looking at him. There had to be more going on there, but Kurt knew that whatever it was, Sam hadn't figured it out yet, not since he obviously still had his heart set on Mercedes. As long as there had been a chance that Sam and Mercedes would end up together Kurt hadn't encouraged things. After all he was first and foremost in Mercedes' corner, but he figured that after what had happened today that had pretty much closed the book on a Samcedes love story once and for all.

"So what do ye want t'sing, Sammy," Rory asked once they got to the garage.

Kurt smiled at Rory's use of his nickname for Sam. Kurt doubted that Sam would have let that fly with himself or Finn, but he didn't seem to mind Rory calling him that at all.

"I think I'd like to do 'These Days' by Rascal Flatts," Sam answered after briefly considering his possibilities. "We can each take a verse."

Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes, not bothering to complain, but Rory seemed uncertain. "I'm not sure I've heard it," he said.

Sam thought for a second and then pulled his iPod out of his pocket. "Hold on, you can listen to it first and then we'll do it. You'll pick it up really fast."

Sam was right; after listening to the unfamiliar song on Sam's iPod, Rory had managed to pick it up with no problem. Kurt was amused as he watched Sam's and Rory's antics during their performance of the song. By the time it was over Kurt was pretty sure he could tell how Rory felt about Sam, but he was also reasonably certain that Sam still didn't have a clue and wasn't done pining over Mercedes.

Despite their silly performance, Kurt felt like the mood in the garage had sunk a little lower and he was determined to perk things up. That was why he suggested "La Vie Boheme" from Rent for his song. Sure enough the lively beat and playful melody seemed to cheer everyone up, even though he suspected that neither Rory nor Sam understood a good half of what they were singing about. He had to smile at how sheltered they had both been, each in his own way. Sure Sam hadn't had it easy with what his family had been through, and Rory was definitely brave to travel so far from home, but the naivete they both somehow retained was charming.

"OK boys, that's enough for me. I'm going to call Blaine and head to the mall," Kurt said.

"Aww don't bail, dude!" Sam implored, giving Kurt his best puppy dog eyes.

"Cute as your are, Samuel, I'm going to have to take my leave." Kurt winked at Rory as he walked past him on his way to the door. "Be good."

Rory gasped and choked in response, his brain already kicking into overdrive to figure out what Kurt meant by that.

"Why do ye' suppose he said that?" Rory asked once Kurt had left.

"What, you don't think I'm cute?" Sam asked, pretending to pout.

"Uh, oh well, um, I-I didn't mean that. I errm...well I mean ye'r eyes are...uh and o' course ye'r...uhh. Erm." Rory cleared his throat, unsure of how to finish but worried he might really have offended Sam.

"I'm just messing with you, dude," Sam said, grinning and throwing an arm over Rory's shoulders as he lead him back into the house.

The two friends spent the rest of the evening playing video games and listening to music, only taking time out to stop and eat dinner with Burt and Carol. At first Rory felt a little uncomfortable eating with Finn and Kurt's parents without either of their friends actually being there, but Sam seemed unfazed by it, and both adults assured him that they were just glad to have dinner with a couple of their teenagers even if it wasn't the ones that were biologically theirs. Their words made Sam happy since he recognized that they were claiming him, and by extension Rory, as their own, and it made both boys feel a little less homesick.

"So you wanna stay over tonight?" Sam asked a couple of hours later in between rounds of Mario Kart on the Wii.

"I don't want to be any trouble," Rory answered, thinking it was about time he went back to where he was staying at the home of Brittany S. Pierce.

"Good, then you won't make me drive your butt home tonight," Sam answered playfully.

"Oh, um, if it's any trouble maybe Brittany will-"

"Rory!" Sam exclaimed, cutting him off. "I want you to stay."

Rory's bright blue eyes lit up and he gave Sam his biggest smile. "Great, let me just call and tell the Pierces I won't be home tonight."

Sam chuckled to himself as Rory pulled out his cell phone and made the call. He loved how goofy his friend was. He got up and mouthed, "I'm going to hop in the shower," before walking out of the room.

Rory was working on some geometry homework at Sam's desk when Sam walked back into the room twenty minutes later, wrapped in only a towel and with his blond bangs wet and clinging to his forehead, almost covering his eyes. When Rory looked up he found himself at eye level with Sam's sculpted abs and impressive chest and before he could stop himself his mouth fell open and he broke the point off his pencil.

Sam wasn't paying attention, but he heard the snap as the pencil point broke. "What happened?"

"Oh um, nothin'. Just didn't realize ye' came in, and then I got startled and broke me pencil," Rory fibbed. He figured Sam would buy that since Rory was often a little jumpy anyway.

"Do you need another one?" Sam asked, walking to the desk where Rory was sitting. Sam leaned past Rory, all the way to the far side of the desk and opened the top drawer, rummaging around for a pencil. This put Rory's face mere inches from Sam's water-glistening chest, leaving him with little choice but to chart the muscular planes and sinewy ridges of Sam's upper torso; heat and the fresh, crisp scent of his body wash were still radiating from his body. The proximity immediately aroused a very primal response in Rory – a response that Rory realized Sam could easily observe from his angle if he happened to glance down.

Rory quickly pulled his geometry textbook off the desk and onto his lap, pretending to be studying the problem carefully.

"Here you go, Ror," Sam said, steadying himself on Rory's shoulder and handing him the pencil.

As Sam passed him the object, his fingers touched Rory's hand, and when Rory looked up nervously in response, he found his face mere inches from Sam's. Then Sam smiled at him, his full, sensuous lips parting as if in invitation. Rory wanted nothing more than to close the tiny distance separating his mouth from Sam's; he wanted it with every fiber of his being, but instead he forced himself to look away, returning his gaze to his homework. Sam was in a vulnerable place right now, and the last thing Rory wanted to do was give into temptation now of all times. Rory sighed to himself and realized he wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon.

"You want to take your shower?" Sam asked.

Fuck! Rory thought. Were you reading my mind, Sam?

"Uh, I think I'd better finish me homework first. I'll probably want t'just lay down after me shower," He answered, readjusting the book on his lap.

"K, suit yourself," Sam said, casually pulling the towel from around his waist and tossing it on his bed before crossing the room to his dresser to get some pajama bottoms. Sam had never been shy about his body. Between changing and showering for football and swimming – and of course thanks to his brief stint as a male stripper – Sam didn't really have any vestige of physical modesty, especially when it came to other guys.

As soon as Sam's towel dropped, Rory's heart all but stopped, and then it started beating entirely faster than was healthy. The next thing Rory knew he'd broken another pencil point.

"Whoa, seriously dude?" Sam asked, snapping his head back in Rory's direction as he stood there, still completely naked and rifling though his dresser for the pajamas he wanted. "Don't press so hard."

For a split second Rory thought Sam was referring to the way he was pressing the textbook against his swollen crotch, a sensation which Rory was finding quite pleasant, especially given the unexpected inspiration he was receiving. Then Rory realized Sam had been referring to the pencil, and he blushed a deep red and started to feel extremely guilty. Sam was his friend. He shouldn't have been objectifying him like this, especially without Sam even realizing he had these feelings. It made Rory feel horrible, like he was lying to and exploiting Sam.

"I'm so sorry, Sammy," Rory said, his voice breaking on Sam's name.

"Hey, no. Don't worry about it. It's nothing. It's just a pencil, Ror. I have plenty," Sam said, confused about why Rory was so upset. He immediately crossed the room, still nude, and patted Rory's back as he leaned over him again to retrieve a third pencil from the desk drawer. "See, no harm done."

Rory swallowed hard, took the pencil, and did his best to make his mind a blank. He had stayed with Sam and his family for a week in Kentucky for Christmas. He and Sam had even shared a bed – Sam had insisted, refusing to let him sleep on the floor – and of course he had stayed over a couple of times here at the Hudson-Hummel home. However, despite all that, Rory had never seen all of Sam and it had never crossed his mind that he would tonight. He briefly wondered if it would be okay for him to jerk off in the shower. Then he felt bad for even considering the idea. Then he thought again and realized that he almost didn't have any choice if he was going to be sleeping next to Sam again tonight. Then he felt his cock pulse at the thought of sleeping next to Sam and realized he'd better start all over with that whole making-his-mind-a-blank thing.

When at last Rory had finished his homework, and his erection had finally given up, he stood up to stretch. Sam glanced up from his own homework, realizing Rory was done. "You want to borrow some pajamas?" he asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great thanks," Rory answered.

"K, you know where they are. Help yourself. And hurry back; I want to get to bed," Sam said before returning his attention to his history assignment.

Damn, Rory thought. Why does he have to make that sound so intimate? Like we're a couple or something.

Rory sighed, gathered up the clothes he would be wearing after his shower, and stepped into the hallway...only to come face-to-chest with Finn – a shirtless and wet Finn, who also happened to be dressed in only a towel.

Geez, is that all these guys do around here? Walk about wet and naked or semi-naked?

"Rory! Hey man, what's up?" Finn said, exuberantly smacking his shoulder with his open hand in greeting. "I didn't know you were here,

"Hi, Finn Hudson," Rory said with a big smile, managing not to look too intently at his dripping torso. "Yeah, I'm staying with Sam tonight if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay, dude! Anytime," Finn said, clapping him again on the shoulder then brushing past to get to his own room.

Lord, how does Kurt handle these two? Rory wondered as he made his way into the bathroom, stripped down, turned on the water, and vigorously gave into temptation.

-000-

Later that night, after they'd been lying in bed with the lights off for awhile, Sam cleared his throat and started to talk.

"Rory? You awake?"

"Yeah," Rory answered, rolling to face Sam.

"Uh, can I ask you something?" Sam asked nervously.

"'O' course, anything Sammy," Rory responded. finding Sam's arm under the blanket and giving it a reassuring pat.

"Do you think something's wrong with me?" Sam asked, a heavy tinge of sadness in his voice.

"What are ye' talking about? O' course not!" Rory said immediately, moving closer to Sam and trying to see his face better in the darkness. It was difficult to see clearly in such little light, but Sam looked like he was very sad and very vulnerable. Rory instantly felt a pain in his gut.

"It's just that girls never want me," Sam whispered in a voice that was so low that if Rory hadn't been only inches from him he never would have heard it.

"O' course they do, Sam. Ye're really amazing," Rory said, shuffling higher in the bed and putting his arm around Sam.

"No, I'm not. I mean, thanks for saying it, but I guess I'm too stupid or weird or something. I'm never the guy girls pick," Sam said, leaning further into Rory and taking comfort in his friend's warm arms. "I mean Quinn left me for Finn. Santana left me for Karofsky. And now Mercedes left–Mercedes left..." Sam tried to get the rest of the words 'me for Shane' out, but he realized he was on the verge of tears and decided to just leave it at 'Mercedes left.'

Rory's heart broke a little as he heard Sam's desperate voice and realized he was about to cry. Rory and Sam were pretty open with each other. At least Sam was always open with Rory; Rory always felt like he had to keep an extra wall up to keep his feelings for Sam from spilling over. Regardless, as close as they were, Rory had never seen Sam this upset before and he was starting to panic, wondering what to say or do to comfort him.

"Sammy, listen t' me," he said in a voice so strong and confident that he surprised even himself. Sam tilted his head up to look Rory in the eye, giving the Irish boy his full attention. "Ye're a fucking awesome person. Ye're the hottest, kindest, funniest, coolest guy I've ever known. Ye're so good and caring. Anyone would be a jackass not t'see that. Quinn is...well a wee bit crazy, and Santana, she's a lesbian. Forget them. They don't know what they're missing. And I know ye're still in love with her, but Mercedes must be blind not t'see what she's missing. It's bad luck and I'm so sorry it happened to ye, but I swear, it's them not ye'."

Rory pulled Sam into a tight embrace and just held him. Sam didn't cry out loud, but Rory felt gentle sobs wrack his body. Without even realizing what he was doing Rory continued his speech. "Ye' know, I'd have probably tried t'leave the States early if it hadn't be for ye'. Ye're the only one who truly made me feel welcome. Ye're the best friend I ever had."

Rory had to stop himself from leaning down and kissing the top of Sam's blond head, but he realized just in time that that would have been sharing a bit more of his feelings than he intended.

At last Sam gave Rory a final squeeze and then pulled back enough to look at him. "Thanks Ror, I feel a lot better now. You're the best friend I ever had too. Good night," he said. Then he pulled Rory in for another hug, ruffled his hair, and kissed the top of his very surprised head.

For Sam that was the end of things as he rolled over and slipped into a peaceful sleep. For Rory it was just the beginning of a long night spent analyzing what Sam's final actions had meant.