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Sam took a deep breath and pressed his thumb against the doorbell. He heard the ring and fumbled with his fingers while he waited. He didn't know what he would say but he hadn't known it when he had planned on talking to Blaine in the first place anyhow. Somehow it would come out.

Mrs Anderson opened the door.

"Hey, Sam! I didn't knew you'd come over", she said as she let him in.

"Emergency, Mrs Anderson", he informed her.

"I hope it's something you can also share with Tina."

"Wh- She is here?"

Mrs Anderson nodded and went to the living room again. Sam sighed and went upstairs. Oh wow, great, now things would get specifically awkward. But if Sam played it well enough (and he would) Blaine would throw Tina out, right?

Sam knocked at the half opened door and went in immediately. Tina and Blaine were sitting on his bed opposite to each other and Tina held a magazine in her hands while many others were lying on the bed. When Blaine looked up and saw Sam his face was flooded with such obvious relief Sam had to grin.

"Hey, guess who could make it nonetheless!" he greeted them.

"Sam!"

"Hey Sam", Tina mumbled.

Sam put his bag on the ground and went to sit next to Blaine. He even laid an arm around his shoulders while looking at Tina. It was childish and stupid, yes, but revenge has always been the sweetest dish. Though he didn't even know what kind of revenge this was. Yes, Tina had had a crush on Blaine some time ago but she didn't have any more otherwise she'd picked him as her prom date.

"We were just talking dresses, Sam, are you sure you want to join in?" she asked.

"Tina, can't we… take a break? We've talked about that for days on end now", Blaine said.

"Yeah, and I have something really important to tell Blaine. In private", Sam said.

Tin crossed her arms.

"What is it?"

Sam snorted. He took back his arm and frowned.

"The word 'private' means, well, not you."

"I was here first" Tina stated. "And I bet everything I have my topic is more important. You can tell Blaine about your newest video game or how you can fit ten Oreos at once into your mouth tomorrow at school as well."

"Ten?" Sam snorted disbelievingly – for a matter of fact he knew he could fit at least fifteen if not twenty in there – but Blaine interrupted him.

"Tina, please."

"No."

"Oh, wow. Why am I not surprised about this utter rudeness? This is Blaine's house", Sam said. "Blaine's room. Blaine's decision."

"You've had your chance, and you missed it. Now…" Tina pointed to the door and Sam frowned.

"What?"

"Tina, what are you talking about?" Blaine asked. "We can talk on about your dress just as well tomorrow."

"No, I refuse to be thrown out because of Trouty Mouth!"

Sam drew in air. Oh no, she hadn't! Wow, now Santana was gone she had to take over… but yeah, he should've seen it earlier. That was Tina's life goal, actually! Santana Number Two!

"Tina, that's enough now!" Blaine said in a somewhat strict voice. Sam nodded supporting and watched Tina gathering her stuff. She mumbled under her breath and eventually hurried out.

"I'm sorry" Blaine said when she was gone. "I don't know why she keeps being rude to you."

"It's not your fault." Now they were alone Sam wasn't that cheeky anymore. Actually he didn't want to talk. Couldn't they just… watch a movie or, well, do homework? Yeah, homework seemed like the best idea ever right now!

Blaine put away the magazines Tina hadn't taken with her and laid them on his desk.

"Do you want to drink something? Or eat?"

"No, I'm good."

"What have you been up to?"

Sam took a deep breath and lay down on the bed. He figured it would be easier if he didn't have to look at Blaine. Just like in the morning in the choir room when he had dared to ask gay questions. But those questions had been about Blaine. Now… now Sam had to… well…

Blaine came to the bed and sat down at Sam's side so Sam closed his eyes.

"I can't", he said.

"Is it something bad?"

"No. I don't know."

Shit, he should've stayed with Ryder. But who was he kidding. No matter with whom he wanted to speak he'd back out. Better get it over with and yeah, better with Blaine first.

"I'm… I…"

But he couldn't say it out loud!

"Is it about the prom?"

Sam wetted his lips. "No. Not really. Well, uhm… Look. I'm not saying I'm…"

Sam opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. His heart pulse rushed through his ears. It was one thing silently thinking stuff in his room but another to talk about it with an actual real person. But this was Blaine, so there was no risk whatsoever. He just had to say it, spit it out now.

Sam closed his eyes again and whispered: "I think I have a crush on…"

One heartbeat, two, three.

"On a boy."

Oh my God! Oh Shit. Sam put his hands on his face and inhaled. What would Blaine think now?

Sam dared to glance at Blaine, who just sat there, no reaction whatsoever. No disbelief, no shock, no pity. Just when their eyes met he nodded encouragingly and that was all Sam needed. He propped himself on his elbow and fumbled with the sheet on the bed.

"I don't know, I guess it kinda just happened. It's not very deep, I'm not in love or anything, I just think he's cute and…" Sam shrugged. He didn't have to mention the incident on Saturday, enough was enough.

"Okay."

"Okay? Just… okay?"

Blaine shrugged. "Yeah."

Sam held his eyes for a few seconds. He had known Blaine would be okay with it. But it still felt good, so good, so great!

"Aren't you surprised?" he had to ask nonetheless. Sam was supposed to be the straight one, completely straight.

Blaine shrugged again. "Well, yes, I thought you were straight. But you're only eighteen, too. It's not unusual to discover things like that in your age."

"I don't know if it's permanent", Sam quickly said. "Maybe I'm in a phase, you know?"

"That's possible." Blaine nodded. "Maybe my gayness has infected you."

"Oh, shut up!" Sam grinned and nudged Blaine's arm. Yes! He was out now, he could so go and… but Ryder would not want to do anything… and did Sam even want it for real?

"Don't tell anybody, okay?" he said to Blaine.

"It's your call", Blaine said. "Will you ask him out?"

"No, he's straight. And I'm… I don't know. Maybe thinking is the most exciting stuff here, you know? Cause…" Sam shrugged. "I've watched gay porn."

"Oh God! Oh God, Sam, please, spare me the details!" Blaine laughed, as did Sam. But man, it felt good to talk about things.

"Thanks, bro. Just… for listening. If you want to go on talking about Kurt now you can."

"Well, we spend the whole last week talking about me. It's only fair I get to return the favour", Blaine said. He got up and went to his desk so Sam lay down and closed his eyes again. See, it didn't matter if he thought things. Ryder was cute. Yes, there, he had said it.

If Ryder would want to go to prom with Sam would Sam agree? Would he want that? Openly going with another boy…? No, he would not, actually. Sam didn't want to have dates. He wasn't really gay after all.

"Stop overthinking, Sam", Blaine said. He said down again and laid a book on Sam's stomach. The blond looked up and took it into his hands.

"Development of sexuality, a guide for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Trans youth", Sam read. "Oh my God, you have…"

Of course Blaine would have books about that, why was he even surprised? Probably because he had never thought about it. Neither that there were books like that nor that Blaine had any use for them. He was gay, end of discussion. But maybe things haven't been always easy for him, too?

"It's also interesting if you're heterosexual", Blaine said. "So there's no harm in reading it."

"Thanks, dude."

"Anytime, Sam. And whenever you want to talk about something you can come to me, you know that, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Blaine nodded. Then Sam rolled around, propped himself on his elbows and went through the index.

The next day Sam passed Tina at her locker and she sent him an evil glare. He didn't even try to keep up politeness, returned the look and then opened his locker door so he didn't have to see her anymore.

Just his luck that Kitty approached from the other side.

"So. Seeing that you're free for prom now that Asian Wonder Woman has dumped you and I am free, too, we should go together."

"Uh… Aren't you dating Artie?"

"Na-uh. He didn't want to live out the Secret Affair Trope so I called it off."

"Well, I'm sorry. But I'm not interested especially since you'll only use me to not be alone just as Tina would have. You're not better than her."

"Oh, I am so much better than her!"

"No, you are not."

Sam rolled his eyes, grabbed his Spanish book and quickly left the hall of crazy.

Only after History did he get the chance to talk to Ryder. It was terrible, though. Sam forgot what he wanted to say when he stood before the brunette boy, made a noise that sounded like "hgnarf" and felt Saturday night heat climbing up his neck. Ryder's hair was the most distracting thing. And his lips, too.

"Sam, are you okay?" Ryder asked. He was leaning against a wall, talking to Marley so it was even more embarrassing.

"Who are you going to prom with, now?" Marley asked.

"Uh, uhm, why, with who do you go?"

Marley frowned. "Jake of course."

"Oh, yeah. And you?"

"I already told you yesterday", Ryder said. "Unique."

"Huh. Okay, well, being dateless isn't bad, right? Kitty asked me."

"Oh… what? Really? Do you… did you say yes?" Marley asked.

"No, duh. She'd be using me. I need someone who is sweet and, like, honestly likes me" Sam said. In doing so he looked at the wall and at the ground, anywhere but at Ryder.

"How about Blaine?" Marley said.

"Oh, yeah", was all Sam could answer. He dared to look at Ryder now, who studied him. The attention lay heavy on his shoulders, so heavy.

"I don't have to have a date", Sam said to Marley. She shrugged.

"Of course not. I just thought it's your senior prom and maybe you'd like to go with someone…"

"I really care about? Yes, I do", Sam said. But he had meant it romantically. What difference would it make if he went dateless or with a platonic date? No difference at all; being dateless would end with him and Blaine spending all of the time together, anyway.

"Isn't Blaine, like… engaged?" Ryder asked. "I vaguely remember something from last week."

"If I'd go with Blaine it would be purely platonic", Sam said, head shaking lightly because what else. Honestly, sometimes Ryder was so… so….

Cute.

"Platonic or not, the prom is about having a great time, a night to remember and talk about later in life. Well, I don't know about you guys but I will make the best of it." Marley smiled sweetly and turned around, leaving Sam alone with Ryder.

"Yeah, uhm, I have to go, too…" Ryder pointed over his shoulder but Sam couldn't stop looking at him.

"You didn't answer any of my questions yesterday."

"Well, you didn't answer any of mine."

"You want to try again tonight?"

"Uhm." Ryder's eyes flew over the passing students, uneasy and maybe nervous? He avoided Sam's eyes when he mumbled "No, I've got… homework" and then went away, too.

Shit. Sam bit his lips and briefly closed his eyes, pressing down the funny lump in his throat. Boys weren't any better than girls. He would never find love, never. Why did he even try? To hell with hopes, to hell with Saturday night experiments, to hell with that gay book.

Sam blew his nose with a tissue and went on to his locker. It was lunch break now but he wasn't hungry. Two more hours than he could go home and cry and… Wow, he sounded like a girl. So whiny. And moody. Maybe he should rather say 'to hell with self-pity' because that was exactly what he was bathing in right now.

A locker got slammed and pulled Sam out of his thoughts.

"Damn! Do you have to…" Sam gestured to the locker.

Blaine frowned. "Have you cried?"

"No! Fuck, why do you think that? Are my eyes…?" Sam opened his locker door more to look into the mirror. His eyes were not as red as he had thought but he looked shaken, alright. He put strands of his hair behind his ears and applied a chap stick. To hell with Ryder! He would have the best prom ever. Marley had been right it was his senior prom. From all the proms this was the one he'd think of first if anyone would mention high school dances.

"Blaine, do you still want to go to prom with me?" Sam asked while wiping over his eyes. Okay, everything was okay now. And he would not cry, not now, not at home. Eventually he looked past his locker at his best friend who leaned against his with a critical look on his face.

"What? Yes or no", Sam said.

"I thought you –"

"Yes or no?" Sam repeated, interrupting to make it clear he didn't want to talk about his change of heart.

Blaine sighed and nodded.

"Well, okay, done deal. I'll pick you up at seven. We're going to Breadstix and we're going to have the best platonic date ever. Even better than the real ones Ryder and Marley are having", Sam said.

Blaine still didn't change his facial expression. Sam literally saw questions coming out of his eyes so he quickly closed his locker and went to the cafeteria.