Thank you for the reviews and follows! Wow I had never thought to get that many for a not 100% Blam story! Cool :-)
So, normally there's no need to tell you this because you all are adults or sensible teens but you know... if you don't like Sam and/or Blaine with Rachel then don't read this story. Okay. You've been warned. On we go.
Chapter 2: It's a date
Another three weeks later Rachel wished Blaine would find someone, too, even another Joey if necessary. It hurt her to see him look at Sam when he thought nobody was noticing. Heartbroken didn't even begin to describe it. She wondered how and why Blaine had allowed himself to fall that hard for a straight boy.
On the other hand Sam wasn't very dismissive and sometimes even seemed to encourage Blaine's crush.
After having had a hot and summery August September struck with its autumn winds now and the days were getting colder.
To Rachel's relief Kurt broke it off with Joey and started dating other guys. And then the miracle happened: Blaine did, too. Well, okay, he hooked up with someone but what a better first step could there be?
Rachel found out the next morning when she made coffee and saw a stranger coming out of Blaine's room, dressed and his jacket in his hand.
"Hey there", she said. His blond head turned to her.
"Oh. Hey. Uhm…"
"Do you want coffee? It's almost ready. Oh, don't worry, this loft has seen much more stranger staying for breakfast than can be good. You are welcome here. I'm Rachel! So, you're with Blaine…?"
"Yeah. Uhm, I'm Norman", he said, shaking her outstretched hand. And as she gave him a cup of coffee he finally sat down on the table.
"No reason for stress on a Saturday, right?", Rachel said. "Relax. Do you want a sandwich?"
If Blaine would start dating this guy he sure had to thank Rachel for keeping him in the loft after their first 'date'.
It would be so nice if both boys had boyfriends – and even nicer if Rachel would have one herself, maybe someone who was close to them already so no one would feel excluded. Yeah, she was thinking of Sam, alright. Only because he was around so often! And had the cutest smile in the whole world. His abs weren't too bad, too.
"Morning." Kurt came to the kitchen. He took a cup of their all-time favourite drink and sat down on the table, eying Norman.
"Who are you?"
"Kurt, be nice, Norman's our guest", Rachel said. "Well, Blaine's more than ours but still."
Kurt's eyes got big and his mouth fell open as he shot an unbelieving look to Rachel. She simply nodded, trying not to smile too much.
"That's great! We have to celebrate! We can go out on a double date tonight – what do you think?"
"Uhm…" Norman didn't look so convinced and Rachel quickly interfered.
"You already have plans tonight, Kurt", she said. He waved her aside.
"Oh, we can rain check, it's not like it's important. So, Norman?"
Rachel crossed her arms. "I'm not important?"
Kurt sighed. "Rachel. It's a millionth rerun of Funny Girl. You can take Sam, he isn't bored to death with that movie… yet. Where is Sam, by the way? It's already eleven on a Saturday and he hasn't shown up?"
"Oh, that's how you feel! Good to know!", Rachel said, ignoring Kurt's question. It was answered anyhow when the doorbell rang the next moment.
Norman used the opportunity of Sam coming in to slip out. Sam curiously turned his heat.
"Oh? Kurt has yet another one?", he said as Rachel closed the door. She sighed.
"No, that's –"
"Sam! Will you go with Rachel to the movies later?", Kurt cried from the table. They approached it.
"Oh, I haven't been for ages! What movie?", Sam wanted to know.
"Surprise!" Kurt grinned and got up. He patted Sam on the shoulder and retreated to his room.
"You don't have to come", Rachel said, glaring after Kurt.
"No, I want to. Will it be – just us?"
Rachel sat down and nodded.
"Oh. Cool."
She glanced at Sam who smiled. Rachel couldn't help but hold his eyes for some time.
"I don't think you'll like the movie", she said. "It's a Barbra Streisand movie about a poor girl who becomes a star and falls in love with a man. It's my favourite movie of all times but Kurt just revealed that he has enough of it. And that's called a fag! Tsk." She shook her head, raising her voice during the last sentence. But Kurt didn't react to it.
"For you, I'll watch it", Sam said and sat down, too.
"Oh – and would you also share a big box of popcorn and drink coke for me?" She tried to jingle her eyelashes as seducing as the women from the movies.
"I don't know. Popcorn and coke sound a lot like a date", Sam said. "I'm sure you wouldn't want that."
Rachel's stomach tingled. She held his gaze and tried to figure out his intentions. Or her own, for that matter. She'd love to try it with Sam but… what about Blaine? Then again, hadn't he started to move on today?
"How would you know?", she quietly said.
Sam wetted his lips and his eyes switched sideways for a second before looking back at her.
"Well, would you? Go on a date with me?"
Rachel leaned a bit closer and smirked. "Maybe."
In this moment the second boy from this loft came to the kitchen, yawning. Rachel leaned back and grinned at Blaine who went straight for the coffee machine.
"You've missed the departing of your guest."
"What guest?", Sam said.
"Uhm – I think his name was Nick…" Blaine scratched his black curls.
"Norman, it was Norman. Kurt tried to suck him in a double date."
Blaine jerked around. "Oh no, but he said no, did he?"
"Wait, I don't follow! Who's Norman? Why –"
Sam interrupted himself and stared at the table, biting his lip. Rachel looked from him back to Blaine.
"I think he did. He was fast to leave."
"Oh, thank God!" Blaine sat down opposite to them and nuzzled his mug.
"Not the best night?", Rachel asked.
"Nope." Blaine shook his head.
"Did you fuck him?", Sam wanted to know. Blaine chocked on his coffee and turned very red, while Rachel hit Sam's arm.
"None of your business!", she hissed. But Sam wouldn't take his eyes off of Blaine who shook his head.
"No. No, we didn't… do it."
Sam puckered his lip and lowered his gaze to the table again. Rachel wondered whether Blaine told the truth but it was none of her business, too. And she honestly wanted to know why Sam cared so much. He couldn't be in love with Blaine, he had just made an attempt to ask her out. What the heck...?
Later they went to the cinema and Sam bought popcorn and coke. Rachel didn't know if this was a date or not. At least he laid an arm around her and that's how they spent the two hours of the movie.
It got a bit awkward when they went home. With linked arms they came to a halt in front of Rachel's door. They separated. Sam took a deep breath while wringing his hands and then looked at her.
"So… It was nice."
"Kurt and Blaine are probably planning on going out" Rachel said. She somehow didn't want to part just yet and if it was any other Saturday Sam would spent the night anyhow.
"Do you want me to come, too?"
"Well, do you want to?"
It was bit pointless, all that talk, but then Sam grinned from one moment to another.
"Only if this is a date. Yes or no. Maybe doesn't count."
Rachel had to smile, too, and her whole body warmed up. As an answer she stepped closer and kissed Sam on the cheek. He laid his hand on her waist to hold her close and Rachel didn't complain.
"Is that a yes?"
"It certainly is", she said. Sam turned his head slightly and Rachel didn't move back. His lips looked really inviting. She touched them with her mouth and had to congratulate herself for this decision. It was a kiss that Fanny herself couldn't have done better. Little sparks shot through her body as she felt his warmth all around her.
When they parted Rachel laid her head on his shoulder, feeling more relaxed than the whole evening. Still, one question was on her mind.
"What should we tell… I mean Blaine won't be very happy", she said.
"He just has to get used to the idea. And he's on his way of moving on, anyway, isn't he?" Sam let go of Rachel who stepped back and got out her keys. She hadn't failed to notice his somewhat bitter tone though so she closed her fist around the keys and didn't make any attempt to open the door.
"And you don't like that because…?"
His eyes flew to her.
"I didn't say I don't like it."
"Maybe not with words. But I'm not blind, Sam… and this morning you acted a bit weird when you heard about Norman. Something is going on but I can't figure out what."
Sam bit his lip and shrugged. "Okay, maybe I don't like it. But so what? It's not that I love him, don't be afraid."
"But then what is the reason?"
"Has anybody ever told you that you are too curious?" Sam smiled and stepped closer, kissing her again. Rachel looked at him for a few moments, knowing she was not too curious – it was normal to be concerned about one's friends after all! But his lips were quite delicious and returned the kiss that let the insides of her body burn up. Though of course she didn't let it get too hot – this was the first date and how could she know if he was serious with all that Blaine talk?
Upstairs Kurt, his recent boyfriend Phil and Blaine were sitting on the sofas, drinking and laughing.
"Ah, they are back. Is Sam gay yet or does he have to watch another rerun of Funny Girl before that happens?", Kurt said.
"Not even hundreds reruns will make me gay. Better give up your hopes on me", Sam said.
"Damn, you looked right through me", Kurt said. He giggled while Blaine didn't look so happy anymore. Phil laid an arm around Kurt to mark his territory and Rachel had to suppress a smile. Men were all the same, gay or not.
Although Sam didn't make any attempt to mark her as his territory. He strictly went to Blaine and sat down beside him.
Rachel got two glasses from the kitchen and went to her friends, sitting down beside Sam. She filled their glasses with champagne and they charged them to each other.
"Here's to us", Sam said.
Now that was more of her liking than being ignored. She squeezed his hand and leaned towards him for a smack on the mouth with an accompanying sound. When she took a sip she looked at Kurt and Phil opposite to her. Kurt's mouth stood wide open.
"What?" Blaine's voice sounded high pitched.
"Oh, yeah, our movie night turned into a date", Sam said.
"Oh my – what? Is this a joke? Rachel?", Kurt asked.
"It's true", she said, finally daring to look at Blaine. He'd gotten very pale and didn't take his eyes off of Sam. Until he cleared his throat and got up to pull the Whiskey bottle to him, that is. From that moment on he avoided looking at him.
Rachel had hoped for a less depressing reaction. She wanted Blaine to be happy – why couldn't he just date Norman? They could all be happy if he just dated Norman or any boy at all. He didn't have to stay hung up on Sam!
When Phil went to the bathroom and Kurt got up to get something from his room Sam turned to Blaine who sat as far away from him as possible on the sofa.
"You okay, dude?"
"What, me? Why don't you ask Rachel?"
Sam frowned in confusion. "How would Rachel know if you are okay?"
Rachel laid a hand on Sam's knee. He took it while she leaned against him and looked at his black haired friend.
"Blaine, I'm so sorry if you feel ignored but I thought you were good. Aren't you good? You had that night with Norman and… you know that Sam is straight, don't you, it's not that you nurtured any hope, did you?"
Oh, now she had said it out aloud, that big thing that had been with them everywhere they had gone.
Blaine's face was coloured with a deep pink. He started at his glass for a whole minute and Rachel wondered if he tried to sit it out until the others came back. But as Phil came out of the bathroom he went to Kurt's room and the awkward silence didn't leave them.
Blaine cleared his throat and finally looked at Sam.
"Actually, I did. Did it mean nothing that we…"
He puckered his lips. Now it was Sam's turn to blush and Rachel's to blink in confusion.
"That you what?"
Sam looked onto his knees and his hand tightened around hers.
"We kissed. Once", he mumbled.
"Oh. You…" Rachel wanted to take her hand back but Sam didn't let it go and looked at her.
"Please, I didn't lie to you! What I said downstairs…"
Blaine got up, pressing the bottle to his stomach.
"I don't want to be the third wheel", he said. He went a few steps away and turned around again. "It just would've been nice if you hadn't led me on. I thought I could trust you."
Sam's hand twitched but he stayed put. Only as Blaine had vanished in his room he took back his hand and let his head fall back against the sofa.
"Shit! I'm such an idiot!"
"Why did you do it? Kiss him?" Rachel pulled one leg up and sat on it, turning completely to Sam. He closed his eyes, and a tear run down his cheek.
"Do you love him?", she whispered, still not knowing what to think. He shook his head.
Rachel softly wiped over his cheek to dry it. Finally he lifted his head and looked at her.
"I just wanted to know how it was. I'm such an ass, I should have known he'd read more into it!"
Rachel sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"But Sam… your behaviour… are you sure there isn't more to it?"
"I don't know anything except I'm not gay. I like you."
Rachel's heart fluttered at the same time as a heavy weight laid down on it. She didn't know what to think about it but there was something for Blaine in Sam's heart. It was obvious. Only he didn't realise it himself and Rachel wondered whether it would be clever to not start anything with him or if that thing he had for Blaine would turn out to be just strong friendship mixed with curiosity and it was worth fighting for Sam.
Right now she couldn't define it. She leaned against Sam and silently comforted him. But as Kurt and Phil joined them the mood didn't turn around. The evening had been ruined and they soon parted.
