A/N: First I'd like to thank everyone for the likes, the kudos, the reblogs, the alert subscriptions and the reviews. You've all have been so kind and really inspire me to keep on writing. Really, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Anyway, remember how this was supposed to be just a fun little one-shot? Then I decided that I could wrap things up in just 2 chapters. Yeah, well… these boys have really taken over 'cause I started fleshing out the story in my head I thought three chapters would be enough. But now it turns out that it's probably going to be like four chapters plus an epilogue! Oh sweet merciful lord!

Also sorry this is so late. I really had every intention of having this ready sooner, but real life didn't leave me much writing time this past week.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. *hugs*

Dedicated to Loki Firefox – HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!

(Unbeta'ed, so sorry for any errors.)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the crazy thoughts in my head.

Sam lies in bed; he stares at the ceiling and wonders how things got so out of control so fast.

Last night was supposed to be a fun outing with his friends and instead it turned out being a complete disaster. He runs his hands through his face and hair, looks at the clock on the bedside table and sighs. It's 6:15 AM; Sunday morning and even though he didn't drink a drop of alcohol last night he still feels hung-over. He's tired and groggy and everything that happened the night before makes him feel slightly on edge.

He remembers how good Blaine looked last night, he remembers that funny feeling he had in the pit of his stomach and he remembers feeling jealous when that Bryan guy was all over Blaine at the bar. He remembers the dancing; the heat from Blaine's body permeating his skin – almost burning him. He remembers how good it felt to hold him close and feel his breathing in sync with his own. And of course he remembers the kiss. Oh, that kiss! He had never kissed someone like that before; so full of passion, want and longing.

Oh, God! I have feelings for Blaine! Romantic feelings! He thinks to himself as he stretches on the bed and moves to sit up. His eyes are bloodshot from crying and his head hurts from not being able to sleep well. Everything is so confusing that he swears he can feel the room spinning. This wasn't just some crush; he knew that much. He actually loved Blaine. And whoa! Now that's a plot twist!

He tries to remember when his feelings for Blaine began to change from just friends to something more. When did he start falling for the boy with the gelled hair, the hazel eyes and the kind soul?

He smiles.

He's never liked dudes before, that's for sure.

All he knows is that evenwhile dating Brittany he knew he enjoyed spending much more time with Blaine than he did with her. He loved Brittany, he really did. But with Blaine everything was so much easier somehow. He's never had to be anything other than himself with him. He never feels judged or like he has to live up to some unrealistic expectation. All he has to do is be Sam Evans and that's enough.

He found out about Blaine's crush early on. Nobody said anything to him about it and Blaine certainly tried his best to hide it, but there were always little things that gave him away. A lingering touch, a wistful look, a shy blushing smile – all things that made Sam realize that his best friend was crushing on him. He was totally cool with it, though. He was flattered that his gay bro appreciated him that way. It made him feel good; fed his ego a bit.

He remembers "Guilty Pleasures" week in glee club. He wanted so badly for Blaine to come out and tell him about his crush. But… why? Looking back he can't seem to understand his own insistence. Why did he try so hard to get Blaine to confess his crush? Was it then that his feelings for Blaine started to shift? He did all he could to get Blaine to tell him about his feelings. In the end Blaine didn't budge and it was Sam himself who had to let it all out. Blaine was scared of screwing up their friendship and Sam had to reassure him that nothing would change between them.

And then… last night happened.

Now the one worried about ruining their relationship was Sam. After everything Blaine has been through this year and after all the trust he had placed on Sam; he had to make such a dick move. There was no excuse for what he did last night and that is a fact. But it was almost inevitable. He had all these feelings bubbling up inside of him and Blaine wouldn't let him express them properly and the only way he thought he could get his message across was by kissing him. Blaine had responded, though. He had kissed back with as much force and desire. But then he ran away.

Sam remembers Blaine's words before the kiss and they still hurt as much today as they did last night. "You must think this is fuckin' hilarious, right? Let's make fun of Blaine's silly little crush! Well it's not, Sam. I thought you were better than that."

Blaine actually believed that Sam was capable of playing around with him like that. The thought made his stomach churn. He needed to talk to Blaine. He needed to tell him that this was not a joke, that his feelings for him were real.

Just then a sobering thought creeps unto the surface of his mind.

Kurt… Blaine loves Kurt. And even though they were broken up and Blaine had been crushing on Sam; he never stopped being in love with Kurt.

Did his timing suck or what?

He looks at the clock once more. It's 6:55 AM. He wonders if Blaine is awake. How would he react if Sam were to sneak into his room?

He gets up, walks to the door and stops. His reaches for the handle and he hesitates. What if Blaine throws him out and tells him he doesn't want to see him anymore? What then? God, his head really hurts now and his heart is pounding uncontrollably. He can't lose Blaine. He just can't! He's the best friend Sam has ever had! He sighs and goes back to look into his bag. He grabs what he needs and decides a shower will help him clear his mind. He heads into the guest bathroom down the hall and gears himself for what may be one of the most important days of his life.

Blaine sits quietly at the kitchen table; sipping his now lukewarm coffee. He's been sitting like this for almost an hour; barely moving. He holds the coffee cup tightly between his hands; the only thing grounding him in this moment.

His thoughts wander to Saturday night.

Sam kissed him - Sam… his straight best friend. Sam Evans. Sam Evans kissed him.

He goes around the same thought over and over in his head.

He had felt incredibly at ease after Sam assured him he was okay with Blaine crushing on him and that their friendship wouldn't suffer. They were okay. He could have a crush on Sam and it was alright; it wouldn't ruin the one true friendship Blaine had at McKinley.

Sam was safe. Sam didn't judge him; Sam didn't ask him to be anything more than who he was already. He was in love with Kurt and he had an innocent crush on his best friend and everything would work out in the end, right?

Only it didn't.

Kurt had said no to his proposal. He had said no to being together again. "I'm sorry Blaine, but I can't. I love you, but I'm too scared of being hurt again. I thought I could do this, I really did. I'm so sorry!"

Kurt's words still rang loud and clear and they still hurt as much as they had weeks ago.

He laughs bitterly as a tear runs down his cheek. He wipes it with his hand in an angry gesture. He was tired of crying. He was tired of feeling weak and defeated. He was tired of feeling sorry for himself.

And it was because of this that he was almost thankful that his friends insisted he get out of bed yesterday. Almost!

Last night had been the true definition of disaster. Tina had gotten so drunk that she was sleeping it off in the guest bedroom and he was sure she would wake up any moment with the worst hangover of her life.

And then there was Sam; Sam… beautiful Sam.

Sam wouldn't hurt him? Would he? He wouldn't make fun of Blaine's feelings while he was in such a vulnerable state, right?

He kept replaying last night's events over and over in his head. The flirting before they left for the club, that guy Bryan at the bar, Sam acting all possessive and then there was the dancing.

Being held tightly in Sam's arms; swaying to the music. Sam's strong and warm body pressed close to his – making him feel safe and loved.

He sighs as he remembers the kiss. Why would Sam do that? Why would he kiss him? Was this all a big joke to him? It can't be. Sam's not like that. And yet… he kissed him.

He knew they needed to talk about all this. He knew it.

He was certain that Sam was awake. He heard him get into the shower a while ago, so he could just go upstairs, wait for him in Cooper's old room and get it over with. Clear the air and make sure they were still friends, right? But he couldn't move from where he was sitting. If he was honest with himself - he would have to admit that he was terrified of that talk. Terrified of what the kiss and the flirting really meant.

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the wooden floor creaking softly underneath him. He swears his heart stops for a minute. Oh my god! It's Sam! I'm not ready to face him yet!

"Ugh! My head is gonna explode!"

Blaine breathes easily as Tina drags herself into the kitchen; hands clutching the sides of her head as she groans.

"Well, good morning sunshine!" Blaine says as he smiles softly; relief spreading through his being.

"Oh, God! Please kill me now! I beg you!"

Blaine laughs as he gets up and helps guide Tina to the kitchen table.

She rests her head on the kitchen table while Blaine fixes her something to drink.

He comes back with a glass of orange juice for her and a new coffee for himself. He sits down across from her in silence.

"Thank you." Her voice is so soft and vulnerable it makes his heart ache for her.

"What for?"

"For this." She points at the juice. "For taking care of me; like you always do. Ugh, and basically for putting up with me; I'm like the worst friend you could ever have. Last night was supposed to be about you, about making sure you had fun and I just had to get drunk and ruin everything."

Blaine laughs as he teases her. "I don't know, drunk Tina was kind of fun. I especially enjoyed the part of the night where you wanted to stay and dance with all the pretty gay boys."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." She sticks out her tongue at him and smiles.

He gets up to place his cup in the sink and as he returns to his seat Tina starts to speak again.

"You know? Last night I saw these two guys slow-dancing in the middle of the dance floor and I could have sworn that it was you and Sam! I mean, how drunk was I, right?" She laughs at the absurdity of her words.

Blaine tenses slightly and is left speechless for a moment.

Tina gets up to place her glass in the sink next to Blaine's cup and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge as she makes her way back to the kitchen table; this time sitting next to Blaine.

"Like how funny would that be? You and Sam? Slow-dancing? I was sure hallucinating or something last night."

"Except you weren't." Sam enters the kitchen slowly, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans and a small smile on his face as Blaine stares blankly at him.

Tina frowns. "Except I weren't what?"

"Hallucinating. Blaine and I were really dancing together last night, right dude?" He gives Blaine a pat on the back as he strolls past him trying to be as nonchalant as possible. He makes his way to the fridge and serves himself a glass of orange juice.

Blaine still says nothing. He stares intently at Sam as he sits down across from where he's sitting next to Tina.

"Wait, so you guys were really slow-dancing together? Why?" Tina asks; clearly confused. Her alcohol-induced headache starting to come back; it is way too early still and she is way too hung-over for this revelation.

Sam shrugs. "Some guy was all over Blaine at the bar and as his wingman I had to make sure the dude didn't get out of hand, so I pretended I was Blaine's boyfriend for a while, right bro?"

Blaine finally speaks. "Uh, yeah… yeah. You know Sam; always there to save the day!" He forces a smile and Tina looks from one boy to the other and just knows there's more to the story.

The tension is palpable and an uncomfortable silence falls upon them. Suddenly their inner thoughts are interrupted by the growling in Tina's stomach. This seems to both humiliate Tina and make the tension between them go away for a moment. Both boys laugh out loud as Sam comments; "I guess someone's hungry."

Tina hides her face in her hands as she groans. "Will I ever cease to embarrass myself in front of you guys?"

The boys laugh again; all tension between them seemingly gone.

Tina stands up and slaps her hands on the table. "Ok, here's what we're going to do. We need to make things up to Blaine for the epic failure that was last night. So... we're all going out for breakfast. Deal?"

"Sure!" Sam replies; almost too happily.

Blaine hesitates though; he's not sure he can just go out and have breakfast with Sam like nothing happened. "Uh, are you sure you're up to it? I mean, you're so hung-over and everything? I could make you something if you want?"

"Uh, no way. Not that I wouldn't want you cooking for me, but I think it would be better if we just go out. It's a beautiful Sunday morning and the weather seems kind of nice, so we should make the most of it."

"Yeah, dude! Tina's right, let's just go out!" Sam sends a pleading look towards Blaine while trying to calm his nerves and keep Tina from suspecting something's up.

Tina isn't fooled though; she notices both of her friends exchange strange looks – not to mention that the tension between them could be cut with a knife. "Okay. What is up with you two?"

Blaine speaks quickly. "Nothing! Nothing's up with us? W… why would you think there's something going on?"

Sam nods; his smile too wide to be genuine.

"Riiight… Okay, fine… be that way. Don't tell me anything!" She crosses her arms against her chest as she eyes her friends suspiciously.

"Tay-Tay, I promise you… nothing's going on." Blaine says; hoping the term of endearment will help assuage his friend's suspicions.

She sighs dejectedly. "Whatever. I'm gonna go get ready."

After she leaves, Sam and Blaine find themselves staring at each other; neither knowing what to say.

Blaine is the first to break the silence. "Well, I guess I better go change." He lifts himself from his place at the kitchen table and starts walking out. He's interrupted by Sam's voice behind him.

"We need to talk… you know that right?" His voice firm; yet full of emotion.

Blaine turns around and looks Sam in the eye. He takes a deep breath and replies; "I know, Sam. Just… not right now, okay?"

"Of course, dude. But we are going to talk. And I mean really talk. Not just you assuming things about me or my intentions."

"I know, I know. We'll talk. I promise."

After a hearty breakfast in a little coffee shop near Lima, they drop Tina off at her house. Sam insists on driving them back and since Blaine isn't really in the mood for anything he accepts without much argument. He knew what was coming. He knew that Sam would want to talk as soon as they got back to the house and he was definitely not looking forward to it. He notices that Sam passes by his street and just keeps going.

He frowns and asks; "Sam? Where are we going?"

Sam takes a deep breath. "Well, I figured we needed a quiet place to talk and I don't know… your house seems kind of stuffy for such a heavy conversation. I wanted to be outdoors, breathe some fresh air, so I decided we could go to Otterbein Lake. Is… is that okay?"

Blaine is a bit stunned for a moment, but then responds. "Uh, yeah. Yeah… sure."

Once they get to their destination, they step out of the car and walk towards the lake. They sit at a bench nearby in silence; each taking in the scenery. The sun is bright and warm; a light spring breeze brushes against their skin. There were a couple of cyclists on the bike path, and a few families were out fishing, but it was still relatively quiet and calm. It was actually the perfect place to talk and Blaine was grateful that Sam chose to come here instead of going back to the house. He looks towards him and sees that Sam is deep in thought; his blond hair falling over his eyes, his lips pursed and his hands resting on his thighs. He is so beautiful; it actually hurts to look at him.

Suddenly, Sam turns to look at Blaine. He smiles shyly at him - a soft blush appearing on his cheeks. He turns to look at the lake once more before he begins. "You know you're my best friend, right?"

Blaine nods even though Sam isn't looking at him and he struggles to find his voice. "I… I know, Sam."

"Good. And you know I would never do anything to actually hurt you, right?"

"Sam, what I said last night… I was in shock… I didn't think about what I…" He's interrupted by Sam.

"Just… Just let me talk, man. Let me say everything I need to say and then you can do or say whatever you want, okay?" He looks back at Blaine who just nods once more.

"Okay." Sam sighs. "Um, last night… I… don't know what came over me. I saw you with that guy and all I wanted to do was drag you out of there. At first I thought I was just being protective of my best friend, but that wasn't it, man." He laughs in disbelief. "I was jealous. I wanted to get you as far away from that dude as possible, but not because I wanted to protect you; but because I wanted to be him. I wanted to be the one flirting with you, to be close to you."

Blaine looks down for a moment trying to process everything Sam is saying. He wanted so badly to reach out and take Sam's hand in his, but he knew it wasn't the time or the place for that.

Sam continues. "And then we were in the middle of the dance floor and you were so close and all I wanted was to have you in my arms and as much as that confused the hell out of me; I still wanted it so bad."

"Then back at the house; all I wanted was to tell you what I was feeling. I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel like I was goofing around. I'd never ever do that to you, man. You have to believe me. I was so caught up in all these new emotions and I wasn't thinking clearly. And then I went ahead and kissed you; which I know I shouldn't have. And I am so so sorry, dude. I didn't think a minute about all the things you've been going through. I was just thinking about myself. It's just… all these things I'm feeling… they're scaring the hell out of me. I've never felt this way about any girl I've dated and I've never in my life had these feelings for another dude. I don't even know what I want out of all this. I mean, I'm not stupid. I know you're still in love with Kurt. I know that. And I just broke up with Brittany. And… man; my head is such a mess right now."

Blaine listened to his friend in silence; allowing him to pour his soul out to him. He has no idea what to say. His head was a mess too. They both stare at the lake before them; the sun gleaming on the water, the leaves from the trees around them rustling with the soft breeze.

After a while; Sam speaks once more. "I need you to understand something, Blaine. What I'm feeling for you… all of this… as confusing and terrifying as it is… it's real. All of it; one hundred percent real, dude. I would never play with your feelings. Never! That is a fact! And if you don't want to know anything else; at least know this – the love I feel for you is so real it hurts."

"That's all, man. Whatever you wanna do or say… the ball's in your court." Sam looks at Blaine with so much love and honesty that it leaves him breathless. He doesn't know what to make of all this. He loves Kurt. He knows that. But he would be a fool to think he didn't have some feelings for Sam.

Blaine clears his throat and asks; "I don't know what to say, Sam. C…Can I have some time to think about all of this? Please?"

Sam seems taken aback by this, but recovers quickly. "Sure, dude; whatever you want. Um, we should probably go. I promised my little brother I'd teach him to play a new song on the guitar."

Blaine nods. "Of course."

Sam stands up while Blaine remains seated for a moment. He looks up at Sam as he questions; "Sam? No matter what happens, we're always gonna be friends right?" His voice is soft, vulnerable and filled with emotion.

Sam smiles because if there was one thing he was sure of; it was this. "Of course, man. You'll always be my best bro; no matter what!"

Blaine smiles as he stands and starts to walk alongside Sam towards the car. He had a lot of thinking to do and a lot of things to sort out, but he could breathe more easily now that he knew for certain that Sam would always be there for him.

A/N: I have never been to Ohio in my life, so I did a bit of research on Westerville and that's how I found Otterbein Lake. Descriptions are loosely based on the website pictures of the lake. Also, in my haste to post this I may have overlooked some errors. I'm sorry if that's the case

I will try with all my might to have Chapter three ready for the end of the week, but can't make any promises. Real life can be a bit hectic, plus it's Blam week on Tumblr and I really want to try to write something for that.

Thanks for reading!