Disclaimer: I don't own glee or any of it's characters
I wrote this for my best friend who ships samchel hardcore. Not my fave couple, but they are cute ;)
Enjoy x
I need coffee.
Dance with Ms July has been extremely strenuating recently, and she seems to be in a very sour mood with me over the events between Brody, her, and myself. I had a paper for scriptwriting class due in today and was up until 3am perfecting it, as I dislike turning things in that are below par. This, of course, threw off my usually perfect sleeping schedule, and I have been suffering as a result of it. Funds have been running low, and so Santana and I had to pick up extra shifts at the Spotlight diner, and today is the first day in weeks that I have had enough change in my pockets to splurge on a beverage.
Kurt directed me towards a small cafe off the main street, telling me the coffee was simply 'to die for'.
The entrance to the cafe is below street level, so I have to climb down a few worn concrete steps to get in. The sweet aroma of freshly ground immediately assaults my senses, and already begins the gruelly pick me up process.
There is a small queue of 3 or so people already waiting by the till, so I quietly slip to the back and pull out my phone.
'Kurt, I have reached the coffee shop, would you like a beverage? - R'
His response is almost instantaneous;
'Blaine and I are out already. Dont bother.' Nodding to myself, i place my phone back in my bag, and step forward with the person in front of me. I have almost reached the till, now, and I glance up at the board to reaffirm if they make my favourite drink or not.
"Next." A soft voice calls from in front of me, and look up to meet the eyes of the barrista. The very familiar eyes of the barrista.
"Sam?" I question. He seems surprised by the use of his name, and glances up from the till to meet my awaiting gaze.
"Rach?" I nod. "Rachel! Hi! What are you doing here?" He smiles broadly, then falters slightly and glances at the clock. "Listen, I get off in half an hour, do you mind waiting for me so that we can catch up properly and you can tell me exactly what brings you to this shabby cafe?"
"Sure, I've got some time." He smiles again. "It's really great to see you again, Sam."
"So, what can I get you, Broadway?" He asks, winking conspirationaly. I blush slightly and glance at my feet before looking back up to meet his eyes, that were sparkling with mirth.
"Chai Latte thanks, Mr. August." I reply casually. He groans, a slight pink tinge colouring his cheeks.
"You saw that?" I laugh at how awkward he's being.
"Yeah, Blaine brought us one a couple of weeks after you made it." His blush isn't disappearing. "It's on our wall back at the loft."
"Our?" He questions, suddenly tense.
"Yeah." I reply slowly. "Kurt, Santana and I room together, it's cheaper."
"Kurt." He laughs gently. "Right, I forgot about that." I giggle. "So, Chai Latte for little miss Broadway, coming right up!" With another wink he retreats behind the large coffee machine placed on the desk and begins to prepare my drink.
I swivel and walk to a small booth in the corner, pulling out some of my notes from class today, figuring I could begin to neaten them up for study later.
A few minutes later, I see a shadow pass over my work and I glance up to meet Sam's gaze once more. He places a sweet smelling, steaming mug in front of me.
"One Chai Latte for Broadway."
"Thanks" I say, smiling to show my gratitude.
"You know I don't usually deliver." He replies, flirtily.
"Only for me?"
"Well up and coming celebrities like you need quirky little anecdotes like this for you memoirs, right? Think I can feature in a chapter?"
"Right, and what would I call you, Sam?" I ask, playing along.
"How about 'Super hot blonde coffee shop boy with abs that could cut steel'?" I giggle and he smirks at me. "Or just 'Coffee Shop Boy' for short?"
"You don't think I should call you Sam?"
"Um." He laughs again. "I guess there's always that. I really like the 'abs that could cut steel part', though."
"Well I will be sure to mention that then, Sam." He grins then straightens.
"You get back to whatever it is you were doing, I'll be done in a few." He returns to the till, stopping by a couple of tables to collect empty mugs left by other customers.
I hear a slight squeak from across the table, and look up to see Sam settling in across the booth from me. His legs are long, and his knees gently brush against mine as he shuffles around on the brown seat.
"Wow, these seats are a lot less comfortable than they look." I laugh, and he smiles again, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "So, whatcha doing, Broadway?"
"Just notes from class today."
"Ahh, form the illusive NYADA. How's it going in the school of your dreams?"
"It's perfect." I reply happily, then I from slightly, adding. "But it's hard."
"Why is it hard, Rach?"
"It's just, back in Lima I was really something. I was good, and people didn't really compare to me, but since I've gotten here, I have been surrounding by people so much more talented than I am, and it's hard to stay motivated." I sigh.
"That can't be true!" he exclaims. "You're the Rachel Berry. Rachel Barbra Berry. You're destined for Broadway, this is where you belong. You're the very best of the best."
"Thanks, Sam." I don't understand where this is coming from."So what brings you to New York?"
"I'm studying at NYU."
"Oh, that's great! NYU is a great school. What are you studying there?"
"Um, psychology."
"Why psychology?" I ask, curious.
"It's like, people studying, and that's always been really interesting to me. It means I can help people and learn about why people do stuff, Ms Pillsbury recommended it for me, and so far it's been great!" He rambles, clearly quite passionate about the subject.
"That sounds really fun, Sam. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." I glance at my phone. "I really should be going now, but it was lovely to catch up again." I gently begin to shuffle my papers together, and he reaches out to help me.
"Hey, Rach?" I hum to acknowledge the question. "Do you mind giving me your number, so that we can meet up again or something, you know, if you want...?"
"Sure, that would be fine, pass me your phone." He looks surprised for a moment.
"My phone? Oh, right. My phone. To put your number in, of course. Why else would you want my phone?" I giggle at his ramblings. It's kind of cute how nervous he gets. He retrieves his phone from his pocket and passes it to me. I save my number under 'Rachel Berry' and quickly send myself a text so that I have his number too.
"Here." I hand him his phone back and reach for my bag. Shouldering it, I nod to him and say. "It really was great to see you again Sam. Bye."
"Bye Broadway." He replies, smiling. I pull my coat around me, and leave the warmth of the cafe, entering the cold, bustling streets of New York.
"What's got you smiling like a donkey on helium, short stack?" Santana fires at me as I enter the loft. I laugh softly at her insult.
"Hello to you too Santana. How're you?" She grumbles at my response.
"Fine. Now tell me, Berry, why are you so happy? I don't like it." I stick my tongue out at her and waltz past and into the kitchen. "Rachel." She growls.
"Honey I'm home!" Kurt calls as he slides into the loft. He quickly enters the kitchen carrying bags of take out, and places them on the table. "Thai?" Santana lunges for the nearest bag and rips it open before roughly putting back on the counter.
"Vegan crap for Berry." I reach for it and pull out the containers of food. "Oh yeah, Kurt."
"Hmm?"
"Don't you think short stack looks jolly?"
"Oh yeah, Rach! You went to the cafe. It's amazing isn't it?" He asks, beaming at me.
"Yeah the coffee was perfect. Hey, did you know?" I decide to probe to see if he knew of Sams job at the cafe.
"Know what?"
"Sam works at the cafe, he's a barista."
At this moment a couple of things happen. Firstly, Santana bursts into a hysterical coughing fit, her whole body shaking violently as she grips the counter with her fists, and secondly, Kurt looks very confused for a second, before and odd, cat-like grin spreads across his face. Santana soon calms down and then raises her hand to point accusingly at me.
"So he's what's got you grinning like a stoned teenager?" Now it's my turn to splutter.
"What- I- It was nice to see him, that's all."
"I think you like him." She states.
"I do not." I reply, seriously. "I just got out of- I mean, after, you know, I'm not really ready for a relationship. We just chatted. It was- is - purely platonic." Santana seems as though she is about to argue with me, but Kurt calmly steps forwards and speaks before she has the chance.
"Santana, if she says it's nothing, then it's nothing." He turns to face me. "That being said, please tell me you at least got his number, I haven't seen Sam since graduation, it would be nice to see him again." I nod. "Good. Well then, let's eat and then I can tell you both how romantic Blaine has been today and watch as you both turn green with envy!" He exclaims happily, pulling a container of food out of one of the bags and settling down on a stool.
I pause to think of what I told them. It's true that I just got out of a relationship, and that I'm not looking for anything with Sam, I didn't lie.
Sam never showed interest in me anyway, we're just friends.
Yeah, friends.
"Hey Broadway." Sam called out as I stepped into the near deserted cafe. "You want the usual?" He asked as I approached the till. I nod and murmur a quick thanks, making him smile widely at me. "Okay, you go sit and do whatever work you've brought, and I'll bring it over when it's ready." I smile politely to him and turn towards my usual booth.
It had been a week since I reconnected with Sam again, and I had been coming to the small cafe almost everyday after class to grab a coffee and go over my notes. We had settled into a rhythm of sorts; I would come in, order my drink, and then sit at the back of the cafe, and he would join me at the end of his shift.
We had short conversations with each other; I would vent to him about Ms July's atrocious behaviour, and he would update me with his classes or stories from his senior year at McKinley.
"Chai Latte for Broadway." I look up as Sam slides a mug in front of me, smiling broadly as is customary for him.
"Thanks Sam." I smile warmly at him. The bell at the door rings, and he whirls around, returning to his place at the till. I watch him as he retreats behind the counter, smiling brightly at the customer. I feel a slight twinge in my stomach when I see him interact with the woman, but I push it down and return to my notes.
After his shift is over, Sam approaches my table and slides into his normal seat, across from me. I look up to meet his eyes, and see him pushing another mug of coffee towards me.
"Figured you could use another one since it looks like you have a lot of work to do."
"Sam, I can't-" I begin, but he interrupts me.
"Rach, I've already payed for it, okay? Just drink it." I glance at the cup. "Think of it as a thank you for keeping me company in this dead-end job." He continues, smiling encouragingly. "Please?" He just his lower lip out, pouting, and that's when I give in.
"Fine."
"Don't act like you don't want to, I know you love my coffee." He says, winking. I throw my hands up, sighing dramatically.
"You got me." I take a large gulp of the coffee, savouring it. "How do you make it so tasty? It's like heaven in a mug!" He laughs and I take another large swig of coffee.
"So Rach, I was thinking we could go Central Park on the weekend, maybe we could hang out outside of this little cafe...?" Kurts words from earlier in the week spring to mind.
"I could do you one better." I reply. "Kurt's been bugging me about seeing you again, so you could come over on Saturday to our loft, and we could have a movie night or something?" He sighs slightly, before smiling at me softly.
"Sure thing, Rach."
"Great! I'll text you my address and you can come over at around 6. We'll have food, so don't worry about that." I quickly shuffle all of my papers together and put them inside my bag. "Oh, Kurt's going to be so excited! I have to go and alert him, we'll have to clean up." I jump to my feet, shouldering my bag. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sam, at 6 o'clock sharp!"
I smile broadly at him, before rushing to the door.
"See ya, Broadway." I hear him sigh as I breeze out of the small cafe and onto the bustling streets.
Saturday is going to be interesting.
I hear a sharp tap on the door and move from the kitchen to allow them in. I pull the door back, revealing Sam holding a bouquet of yellow flowers and a bottle of red wine. He's wearing a crisp white button down shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and some dark jeans. A grey scarf is tied around his neck, and his blonde hair is hidden beneath a dark beanie.
"Sam, hi." I look down at my watch, it's ten minutes to 6. "You're early." He smiles nervously, shifting from foot to foot.
"I remember punctuality being important to you, so I didn't want to be late."
"You remember that?" I'm surprised.
"You're a hard person to forget." I feel my face heat up, blushing, and I look down at the floor. "Here, these are for you." I look up, and he hands me the flowers.
"Thanks Sam." I realise that he is still standing in the hallway. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Come on in, the pasta is cooking." I pause, looking at him as he passes me. "You like pasta, right?"
"Pasta will be delicious." He confirms. He looks around the loft, smiling at the decorations.
"It's not much, but it's home." I shrug as I close the door.
"I thinks it's perfect." I smile. "It feels really homely, ya' know?"
"Yeah, I understand." I walk through into the kitchen, and fill up a vase with water, placing the flowers in it. "Kurt!" I call, placing the vase on the counter, and reaching over the stove to stir the pasta. "Kurt's been teaching me how to cook."
"She still burns toast, though." Kurt says as he enters the kitchen. "Sam, it's great to see you again."
"You too Kurt." sam replies, smiling.
"Give me a hug then." Sam laughs and complies, wrapping his arms around Kurt. "Do I see alcohol?" This draws another laugh from the blonde.
"You do. Consider it a late housewarming gift." He says, holding up the bottle of wine.
"I like him, Rach. We're keeping him." The timer goes off for the pasta, interrupting out laughter, and I quickly turn it off before draining the pasta and adding it to the sauce.
"And voila! Dinner is served." A stomping echoes around the loft, making Kurt and I laugh. Santana appears in the kitchen.
"Grubs up?"
"Yeah it is, and keep your paws off. You don't get to serve yourself this time." Kurt replies, pulling four bowls out of the cupboard.
"That was one time Kurt. I was really hungry." Sam looks at me, face scrunched in confusion.
"You're always hungry. How you stay so skinny astound me." I say, jumping into the conversation.
"Good genes." She replies, smirking. She looks past me, finally noticing the boy behind me. "Sam." She says, nodding at him before leaning across Kurt and grabbing a bowl full of pasta.
After eating, we all settle down in the living room. Kurt slides a disc into the DVD player,and starts it, before turning around and settling down next to me on the sofa. I am between him and Sam on the sofa, and Santana is sprawled across the armchair.
"So..." I begin, as adverts begin to come up on the screen. "What are we watching?" Kurt looks at me guiltily and I feel a sense of dread seep into me. "You didn't." I state, disbelievingly. I hear Santana scoff.
"Aww c'mon short stack. Kurt got it for me and I haven't had time to watch it with him yet. You know how busy we've both been." A new horror film had come out recently, and Santana hadn't been able to watch it in the cinema, so Kurt bought it for her on DVD. They had been planning on watching it for a while, but had both been busy. "Beside, you can cuddle with trouty mouth over there since he's your new bestie."
I blush slightly at the implications, but I know that Santana is as stubborn as I am, meaning I won't be able to change her mind about this.
"Fine." Santana smirks. "But after this we watch two musicals." The smirk becomes a groan.
"One." I sigh.
"Fine, one."
"Great, now shut up, the film's starting."
The film ends up being a gory horror film of massive proportion. Currently, I am holding Sam's hand in a tight iron grip, and burying my face in the crook of his neck at every sight of gore. Meaning near constantly.
Santana laughs, so I chance a glance back up at the screen, regretting it instantly. I whimper as I turn back to Sam, hiding my eyes from the film.
"You're such a wimp Berry, it isn't even that bad." Santana teases, mirth evident in her voice.
"Not that bad?!" I croak, as I flick my eyes to the screen and see another character being brutally eaten by a zombie.
"Leave her alone, San." Kurt says, not taking his eyes off of the screen. Santana scoffed but said no more. Sam gently prised his hand from my grip, before stretching his arm over my shoulders and pulling me into him.
"There's only 20 minutes left, Rach." He mumbles, squeezing my shoulder encouragingly. I sigh and snuggle into his comforting heat, the wine we drank earlier allowing me to be bold. Where there was previously the brutal sounds of the horror film, my ears are now filled by the calming beat of Sam's heartbeat, and soon, I find myself drifting away to sleep.
Any reviews are welcome and will motivate me to write more :)