Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

A/N: There must be a ton reaction fics already out there after last night's episode. I hope you don't mind me adding one more to the mix. I can't even begin to imagine what you will think of this, it's ... different, I guess. xo M

Proximity

It's Friday night, the first Friday night since the gun went off at school.

The Hummels' had invited Blaine over for dinner. He went there briefly, allowing Burt and Carole to fuss over him a little, and it had felt nice, but now, he is at Sam's, sitting in the living room, waiting for Sam to come back from upstairs.

After the two of them had read bedtime stories to Sam's brother and sister together, Sam doing his funniest voices and Blaine too trying his hand at some, Sam's siblings had loved it, Sam had told Blaine to go ahead if he liked and maybe fix them a snack and some drinks, while he gets the dvds to choose from, from his room. Blaine had agreed with a kind, if tired, smile, "Sure."

Neither of the boys has been in a mood for sleep the last nights, "... so why not suffer through them together," they had decided today, at school.

The boy crouched in front of the big, open bottom drawer to his wardrobe, in his bedroom, is surprised when his phone starts ringing.

"Sam."

Sam can tell the person on the other end of the phone line is crying. "Kurt?"

"Yeah," it is a sob.

"Kurt, what's wrong? I can get Blaine, he is downstairs. I just went to my room to get some movies. We're having a movie marathon tonight. We're both ...," Sam breaks off and tries again, "Trouble sleeping since ..., you know. The shooting."

There is another sob to be heard before Kurt answers, "No, no don't get him. I'm calling to ... I ... Thank you, thank you so much, Sam."

"I didn't do anything," Sam answers frowning, still not sure what this is about.

"Thank you. He needed someone. Thank you for being the best possible someone he could possibly have by his side. Thank you for being there for him. All this time, now especially."

"I ... Kurt ..."

But Kurt cuts him off, "Sam, thank you for giving him a place to let go. He won't, Blaine sometimes, he doesn't, he can't say, he can't find the words, so he pushes the feelings away too stuck in him."

"Kurt, I really didn't do anything special."

"You being you is special. You're such a good friend to him. He keeps stuff in because he thinks he will make people uncomfortable, will make people, who should and would only love him more for letting them in, leave him. I know because I too always kept my guard up in Ohio, except for when I was with him, and then with you guys too."

"Yeah, I noticed, I mean ..., I know, about Blaine ... and you," Sam says thinking back to his and Blaine's conversation the previous week. How afraid Blaine had looked of, sitting on that piano bench, just having ruined everything, of loosing Sam completely, for trying his hardest to be honest instead of acceptable, proper – and how hurt Blaine had looked too, how pained by the idea of being offensive in any way.

"His instincts tell him to put up a fight. So he sometimes won't acknowledge his own fear. That shooting, ... He is more afraid of running again, and not being able to stop anymore than of anything else. It sometimes makes him ... reckless. If it had been me in that bathroom, not Brittany, Blaine told me, he would have punched Schuester out and ... I am so sorry you and Britt had to go through this, and still you are here for him now. Thank you."

"Kurt, it's okay. It really is. He is hear for me, too. I love him, you know, he is amazing, he's one of my most bestest friends. He notices me and cares, he always cares so much," Sam says thinking back to the macaroni incident only a week ago.

Kurt's sniffle turns into a hiccupped sad laugh, "He does, doesn't he."

"Yeah."

"Yeah." It is no more than a whisper under Kurt's breath, "I miss him so much."

"Tell him? Soon, maybe? He still misses you like crazy, too."

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep both eyes on him, please! He needs you more than he lets on."

"I got his back, Kurt. I do."

"Never doubted that," Kurt replies softly.

"Listen Kurt, I got to go, he's waiting. I tell him you say hi?"

"Tell him ..., tell him I love him. And ... I just really needed to say it: thank you for being you, for caring about him."

"I always will, Kurt."

"Just ... thank you so much. Your friendship means the world to him."

"It means the world to both of us, Kurt."

"I miss all of you guys. Say hi to everyone from me?"

"Sure. Say hi to Rachel and Tana, too, from us. See you soon I hope."

"I hope so too, Sam."

"Bye, Kurt."

"Bye, Sam."