Sam's chest rising and falling, the room filled up with steam from the running shower, Sam's hair all wet and mussed. Green eyes gleaming, hot breath on his face so close now and the touch sending a jolt through him spiking every nerve, and then soft lips on his own. The towel dropping to the floor, both naked pressing together. Hot, wet. Sam kissing his neck, his collarbone. He writhes with pleasure and with a gasp... Blaine woke up.

Sam wasn't surprised. He knew he was good-looking, he'd had enough people gawk at his body to know that by now. But his own reaction! He seriously had no control of himself, did he? Come on! What had he been thinking? Nothing as usual, that was the problem. He couldn't really blame Blaine for stopping to stare at him, he couldn't even have blamed him for whatever else might have happened if they hadn't been inter... If Burt hadn't called them downstairs. Jeez, sitting through that dinner had been tough. Blaine was good at acting like nothing had happened though. Well, nothing had happened, but still he was mortified and also the images of what could have happened wouldn't stop swirling around in his head. This was so bad. He'd promised Blaine over and over again to be his friend and yet he seemed totally incapable of it. Thank god for spring break – he could really use some time away from Lima right now. And of course he was also anxious to find out what new tricks the kids had learned since Christmas.

The thought of Kurt leaving was killing Blaine. Kurt had always been there. He hadn't let himself think about it before but now Kurt's graduation was inevitably drawing closer, sucking the air out of him. When Kurt left Blaine would be all alone. Well, he guessed he was kind of friends with all of the New Directions now, especially the guys. But Puck, Finn and Mike was graduating too, leaving only Artie and Joe and he didn't exactly know Joe. And of course Sam. But were they friends? Not really. They hadn't talked since he walked in on Sam in the shower – it was just too weird. It'd made everything weird – even being with Kurt felt a bit weird. So he found Sam hot, what of it? Of course he did, anyone with eyes would! It didn't mean anything. It's not like he wanted to have those dreams, it's not like he wanted Sam.

"Blaine! Your brother is the best looking man in North America!"

Blaine really didn't need to be told that. Especially not by his boyfriend. Anyway, wasn't Kurt supposed to think that about him? Or at least maybe pretend that he did. And the way everyone was so impressed with Cooper's moronic "master class". Watching him in awe, taking goddamned notes! But what bothered Blaine the most was how some part of him still got excited every time his big brother visited, still hoped that it was all going to change, that maybe he was finally going to measure up.

When we go to New York, let's go to the front of the Plaza and reenact the ending of The Way We Were. Blaine felt sick as he stared at the words on the screen.

"This is cheating, Kurt."

"This is texting!"

"You like this guy."

"I like the way he makes me feel. I mean when was the last time you complimented me, or told me how special I was?"

Blaine's head was spinning – this wasn't happening. "I transferred schools to be with you! I, I changed my whole life! That doesn't make you feel loved?"

"This song is for anyone who's ever been cheated on."

Sam really couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cheating? Kurt? He must have misunderstood. Blaine looked like he was really hurting though, and when the song ended and he left, everyone was just staring at Kurt and Kurt didn't go after him – no one did. Sam mumbled some apology to Mr Shue as he left the choir room. He spotted Blaine walking down the empty hallway, and sprinted after him. "Blaine, wait up!" He didn't though, but Sam caught up and fell into pace with him. "Hey! What's going on? Did something happen with you and Kurt?"

"It's really none of your business, Sam."

"Sure it is! If he hurt you in any way I swear..."

"Drop it, Sam. It's nothing, okay?"

"It didn't seem like nothing back in there, though."

Finally Blaine stopped, his shoulders dropping, "Well, there was this guy..."

"Seriously?" Sam blurted, "He was with another guy? Is he crazy?!"

Blaine was leaning against the lockers, looking down at his hands, "He was texting with him..."

"Texting?! Are you crazy? You're seriously accusing him of cheating for texting with some guy after what happened with..."

"Shhh!" Blaine hissed. "What are you..."

"No one is gonna hear, it's just us around." Still Sam moved in a bit closer and hushed his voice. "But seriously? What's going on with you and Kurt?" Even as the words left his lips he realized he shouldn't have let them, "Are you really happy with him?"

"You know I don't need this from you." Blaine walked away.

After weeks of awkward silence Sam had finally worked up the courage to actually try to talk to Blaine again. He found him at his locker.

"Hey, Blaine!"

"Hey, Sam." Blaine glanced at him before returning his focus to the locker.

"Got a minute?"

"I guess."

"You know, your five months are up."

Blaine turned to look at him, scowling slightly. "What?"

"You've been avoiding me for five months now since I came back, so I figured we're even."

"Is this some kind of game to you? You don't get it do you?"

Sam wasn't going to let Blaine get rid of him that easily. "I get that I miss you. That I miss us. I can tell you've sort of needed a friend lately but you just won't let me."

"It's not that I..."

"And also," he cut Blaine off, "do you know what Sunday is?"

Blaine sighed, but a small smile appeared on his lips "Of course I know, Sam."

"Yeah, but I mean do you know what this particular Sunday is?"

"Yes, that's what I meant," Blaine chuckled.

"Oh! Right. So I was wondering. Would you please come with me to see the Avengers, because y'know Finn and Puck doesn't really care and it's gonna be totally epic and it's like everything we've ever dreamed of and you know Cap and Thor – I don't think you'll be able to handle that on your own, not that I..."

Blaine was laughing now. "Okay."

"What was that?"

"Okay, I'll go!"

"Really? Awesome! And you know after you can totally go back to hating me if you want."

Blaine's grin faded into a soft smile. "I don't hate you, Sam. I could never hate you."

Sam had pulled out every one of Blaine's comic books onto the floor and was now frowning at the sight. "So what's the use of having this prep session at your house when your comic collection is so fantastically lousy?"

"You're an ass, you know that?" Blaine punched him in the arm, not too hard though, because he really didn't want to get into any kind of fighting.

Sam was apparently also willing to let it go "So you're really not going to prom?"

"Well, I can't can I?"

"Um, why not?"

"Brittany issued a ban on hair gel, remember?"

Sam gave a tiny but annoying chuckle, "Oh that." He composed himself quickly again, "But you don't need all that gel anyway. Your hair is amazing without it."

"No Sam, it's definitely not."

"It is. I mean it's really nice like this too, but..." Sam cut himself off under Blaine's incredulous stare. "Um, I'm just saying it seems you're using even more gel nowadays; maybe not gelling for one night won't kill you?"

"Oh, I think it might," in spite of himself Blaine felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Really? Then how 'bout this?"

Blaine spotted the mischievous twinkle in Sam's eye and ducked out of the way before Sam's grabby fingers could have their way with his hair. "Stop it!" he laughed, moving away from Sam. "How 'bout you then?"

"Uh, what?"

"Prom," Blaine smiled. "Are you going?"

"Yeah – with Mercedes."

"Oh. Cool. So you two are going strong again?"

"I don't know about strong. I mean she's awesome, I really dig her and all but..." Sam trailed off.

"But what?"

"Well, she's kinda very religious."

"Is that a problem? Weren't – aren't – you like in the God Squad too?"

"Well, yeah. But we don't exactly have the same views on everything." There was a brief pause and for the tiniest moment Sam glanced at Blaine through his bangs before adding "Like sex."

Blaine was blushing, taken completely by surprise. Just the way he said the word... "Oh, okay." He was doing well with being friends again but he really didn't need to talk about sex with Sam. Especially not about sex that Sam might or might not be having with his girlfriend.

Sam sighed. "She wants to wait until she's married. With, y'know, like everything except kissing."

"Oh, yeah?" Blaine kept staring at his hands. "I get that that can be... complicated."

"Yeah? So you and Kurt? He's not – you're not..."

"Um, Kurt's fine! We're just fine..." Blaine scrambled off the floor, "So... I'm thirsty. Are you thirsty? I'll go downstairs and get us something to drink."

Blaine wasn't sure how he'd gotten himself talked into ditching third period and now found himself sitting up in the bleachers with Sam sipping milkshake. But to be honest after returning from Chicago as national champions all of the glee club were a bit giddy with the excitement and seeing as only a few days remained of spring semester none of them could be bothered to take classes very seriously, not even Blaine.

"It didn't make sense to try the long-distance thing last year and it makes even less sense now. She'll be super busy with her, you know, career and stuff and LA is really far. I won't afford to come see her. So, how 'bout you and Kurt?" Sam slightly shifted his elbow to nudge Blaine's arm. "He's going to New York, right?"

The prospect of a long-distance relationship scared Blaine. How could they be together if they couldn't actually be together, if Kurt wouldn't be there – what was the point? Talking on the phone, skyping; it was nice but it wasn't what he wanted – what he needed – from Kurt. But what was the alternative? "Yeah, we haven't really talked about it yet but I guess we're doing the long-distance thing."

"Oh, yeah of course." Sam nodded, looking down at the field in front of them.

"I'm kinda looking forward to visiting him in New York. Not so much to being alone, though."

"Hey, you won't be alone, silly!" Sam smiled leaning against his side.

When Kurt found out that he wasn't accepted to NYADA, the decision to stay together made even more sense. He could almost feel it again. What he'd felt when he'd let Kurt convince him that they were going to be alright. When he'd looked into Kurt's eyes, so full of love, as he went on about their future together Blaine could no longer have said how he'd been doubting it. That this was real. This was it. But as wonderful as it was that they got to spend the summer together, it was still just dragging out the end, painfully. Because Kurt would inevitably leave; he didn't belong in Lima, he belonged in New York.

Being back in Kentucky was like having warped almost a year back in time – that'd be an awesome power to have! Though if he did Sam wouldn't exactly have chosen that time to go back to. The job at DQ was the same, most of the people was new though. Josh had left. Sam hadn't expected him to be there, he'd seen the pictures on facebook; sandy beaches and green jungles most of them with a cute redhead smiling lovingly into the camera. The sting in his heart wasn't jealousy exactly. What had made them great together, among other things, was that neither wanted more from the other than he could give. But while it seemed that Josh and Kyle had found their way back to each other, for him... Well, he had gotten his best friend back, hadn't he? He should be happy. He was happy. It just sucked being alone.

Two familiar blond kids ran up to the fence around the yard and watched him get out of the car.

"Blaine!"

"Stace!" Stacey came running towards him through the gate, and threw her arms around his waist, draining his nervousness. Blaine laughed, "Wow! I've missed you guys!" He gave Stevie who was still on the lawn a wave, "How are you doing, buddy?"

"Saaammyy! Saaaam!" Stacey was running up to the house, still hollering as she flung the door open "Saaam! Sam! Look who it is!"

"What's with the racket?" Sam showed up in the doorway, squinting against the light, scratching his head. Those gray sweats again. "Blaine? What, wh... Hi!"

He grinned and wrapped his arms around Blaine. Hugging him the way only Sam did – sloppily, but softly, pulling him into his body, not giving a second thought to if Blaine's face was crammed against his neck or chest, just holding him close. It might probably be uncomfortable, but Blaine couldn't imagine any other place he would rather be, he laughed against Sam's shoulder. "Hi, Sam."

"But what are you doing here? Not that it's not great to see you! Oh, you should totally come in!" Sam ushered him through the door. "Stevie! Let's go inside!" Again turning to Blaine. "So, you were saying?"

"Remember how you brute forced me into hanging out on your, birthday? It worked out kinda great, so I thought I'd try it." Blaine smiled. "And I had the day off, so a road trip seemed like a good idea. Besides there's only about four people in town for my party tomorrow, so I figured this was the only way to make it not suck."

Sam smiled fondly at him, "You're supposed to be the smart one, but you didn't think to call?"

"Yeah, but you seemed more likely to come like this." Sam gave him a look he couldn't quite figure out and he hurried to add "Don't worry I'll have you back by Sunday evening."

For the first time since Blaine had gotten there Stevie spoke, turning to his big brother. "Can we come too?"

"Please!" Stacey pleaded. "We want to go to Blainey's house!" Sam looked at Blaine, eyebrows raised.

Blaine bent down so that he was face to face with the girl. "Why not? But we've gotta ask your mom and dad first." To Sam he added, "The party is gonna be family friendly, you know Puck's out of town, and my mom will be home. We'll go play laser tag or something."

"Really!?"

"Okay, I know we won't really play laser tag, but a boy can dream, right? Point is it'll be fun to take the kids."

"Awesome!" Sam beamed at him.

"And just so you know, you're driving!"

"Oh, we should totally stop for laser tag somewhere on the way though!"

Sam realized that Blaine had been silent for a while now, it wasn't unusual that he was carried away with something and Blaine didn't do much talking for a bit, but he would always add his Mhms and No way!s and the occasional chuckle, but now he was really quiet. "Are you still there?"

"Yea." There was another pause but shorter this time. "I'm really glad we're friends again, Sam."

Sam smiled. "Me too."

"Um, can I ask you one thing though?"

"Of course."

"I know I should just drop it, but..."

Sam wasn't about to let Blaine worm his way out of it, he was way too curious now. "Come on, man! Spill!"

"You know back when... you know... When it all went bad between us?"

"Um...?"

"When, we – you know..."

"Oh... Oh! That. Yes." Sam couldn't help but smile. "What about it?"

"I just... I... Your dare. Why did you? I mean if you hated it so much, why did you let it happen?"

"I didn't! I didn't hate it at all, why would you... I dared you to kiss me because... Because I wanted you to. So bad."

"What?"

"I know, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have."

"No! No... what was the reason again?"

"I wanted you to kiss me?"

"Why?"

"Why? Um... Well... um." Sam's free hand was rubbing the back of his neck and he was glad that Blaine wasn't there to see how much he was blushing.

"You were curious about kissing a boy?"

"No. Well, yes! But no, that wasn't it. It wasn't that you're a boy. I mean, it was just you. I wanted you."

"You... wanted me?"

"Yes. I did." Sam swallowed, just barely stopping himself from making things infinitely worse. I do.

"No! You can't tell me that! You can't say that to me! How...? What? What does that even mean, Sam? - I can't do this." Blaine hung up.