Sam fell asleep, waiting for Kurt and Blaine to finish talking in the living room. They had been in there for hours, and Sam found himself unable to do anything but sit in bed and wait.
Around midnight, Sam awoke to Kurt slowly lowering himself onto the bed. He sat beside Sam; lightly brushing a lock of hair out of Sam's startled face.
"Hey…" Sam said weakly, trying to be cool but immediately wanting answers.
Kurt cut right to the chase. "It's over. I broke up with Blaine."
"Oh." Sam said simply. He still wasn't sure what anything meant.
"Yeah," Kurt smiled sadly. "He's going to stay here for a few days, though. He flew all the way out here and I don't want to rush him. Is that okay?"
No. It wasn't okay. Sam knew this wasn't good news for him at all. "I don't know. What does it mean for us?" He asked Kurt.
Kurt hesitated. He looked scared to answer. "Well, I didn't exactly tell him that there was an us," He admitted. "Look, he's devastated enough as it is. I don't want to make it worse. Besides, it might do you and me some good to take a few days to cool off."
"Right," Sam forced a small smile of agreement. "Cooling off sounds about right…"
"Hey," Kurt sensed Sam's disappointment and gently cupped Sam's face in his hand, forcing the taller boy to look up at him. "This isn't at all over, Sam Evans. It's just beginning. You realize that, right?"
Sam's heart swelled as he leaned into Kurt's soft touch. His eyes fluttered closed as Kurt planted a kiss on his forehead. Sam was so unsatisfied. He ran a hand over the back of Kurt's hair and pressed a rough kiss on Kurt's mouth. Kurt accepted it, but broke away after several seconds.
"It will just be a few days."
Sam nodded, and watched Kurt leave the room. His stomach did another one of it's all-too-familiar somersaults, and Sam knew that he'd be living like this for a while; with the constant fear that it was too good to be true. The only way to calm his nerves was for Blaine to be gone as soon as possible. Until Kurt was free and willing to make an absolute commitment, Sam would have to tolerate the fear of losing him.
The next morning, Sam walked into the kitchen to find Blaine at the head of the table, a mug of coffee clasped in his hands. He sat completely still, and his eyes were bloodshot. Sam could tell he'd been crying, and immediately felt awkward. He considered turning around and going back to his room, but Blaine had already seen him.
"Good morning," Blaine told Sam lightly. He was trying hard to sound pleasant and nonchalant, but his voice was shaking.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, going over to the coffee maker to get a mug himself.
"Do I look okay?" Blaine shrugged.
Sam didn't know what to do. He poured his coffee and went over to the table, his nice guy instincts took over.
"Look, I know it's hard. I've been dumped before."
"And what was your longest relationship?" Blaine rolled his eyes. "A few months…? Yeah, why don't you tell me how hard it was when your beards left you to find guys who actually wanted to touch them?"
Sam took a deep breath. Blaine's words rolled right off him, because he knew the hostility was even more warranted than Blaine understood. "That doesn't mean I didn't feel the rejection."
"You've never had what me and Kurt had, Sam!" Blaine cried. "You came out of the closet and the first thing you did was fuck Sebastian fucking Smythe! Clearly, you don't even know the value of a real relationship."
Sam laughed cruelly. "You know what, this isn't about Me." …Even if it was.
Blaine blinked at him, something switching inside of him. "You're right. It's not. I'm sorry. This is just…it's been rough."
"Like I said; I understand." Sam hated his compulsive need to be the good guy all the time.
To his horror, Blaine finally accepted the unspoken invitation to bear his soul. "You probably know Kurt as well as I do." Blaine chuckled in realization. "You probably know him better. I mean, you're his best friend, right?"
"Right…" Oh god. Sam wanted to die.
"So, what's your opinion? This has to be temporary. He's freaking out now because he's afraid of commitment, but it will blow over, right?"
Sam took a long sip of coffee. "Honestly, dude, he seems pretty serious. Like I said, I know it's hard, but eventually you'll be able to move on."
Blaine blinked at Sam, pursing his lips in an intense sadness. "Okay…" He said finally, accepting Sam's words. "You know, I've been preparing myself for this. I couldn't admit it, really, but I knew it was over. Kurt was done. I think I just had to come out here and make absolute sure. So, now I know. It hurts like shit, but I've realized I'll be okay with it…I should just go back to Lima."
"Yeah, you should," Sam felt guilty, but at the same time he knew that he was going to get exactly what he wanted, and that felt good.
"Okay." Blaine blinked back tears, but also let out a sigh that indicated some sort of relief. "Okay, yeah…I'll book a flight."
Sam knew that at the end of the day, this was exactly how things were supposed to be happening. He hadn't expected to feel so bad about being the other man, though. He wasn't lying to Blaine. He did know how it felt to be dumped. He remembered when Quinn had cheated on him with Finn; when Santana had started dating Karofsky without telling him (even if it turned out later that every variable in that equation equaled raging homosexual). It had sucked to be alone in the end; unsure of when someone would come along and love you. Sure, Blaine had been an asshole to him on several occasions, but the guy was human, and Sam didn't want to be completely responsible for his unhappiness. You're getting everything you want, Sam told himself. The least you can do is leave him with something in return.
"We'll still pay for your flight," Sam told Blaine confidently. Without even thinking, he added, "And the car. You can keep the car."
Blaine laughed. "Seriously? I don't know if I could do that."
"You can absolutely do it. I think Kurt's going to feel too guilty to ask for it back, anyway. He'll think about it, but he'd never actually do it."
"And how do I explain to people how I afforded it without sounding like a complete prostitute?" Blaine joked. "The guys I date won't be too impressed by my wheels if they know it came from the teenage millionaire ex."
"Your parents are loaded," Sam laughed. "Just say you got an advance on your trust fund."
"Alright," Blaine shrugged. "I'll keep the car."
"Good," Sam said, feeling better about himself. "You still mean a lot to Kurt, and he wanted you to have it. I want you to have it."
Blaine stared at Sam for a few minutes, a strange look on his face as he tried to figure him out. Finally, his expression softened. "I'm really sorry that I've been so hard on you, Sam. You're actually a good guy."
Sam's heart was racing. He felt like he could crack at any moment, but he knew he had to be strong. "Well, I try…"
"Every long lost dream…led me to where you are…others who broke my heart…they were like Northern Stars…" The Rascal Flats pounded through Sam's headphones as he jogged rhythmically through central park. "…God bless the broken road that led me straight to you."
The lyrics were hitting close to home, and he had to remind himself that Blaine wasn't actually gone yet. He shouldn't be feeling as light and optimistic as he was. Everything seemed to be working out, though; going in the right direction. Maybe, for once, fate was one his side.
He'd left the apartment because he desperately needed to pass the time. He couldn't wait any longer. He just wanted to change his relationship status on Facebook, and make Kurt breakfast in bed, and daydream about the day he'd put a ring on Kurt's finger. He thought about their first talk show appearance as an actual couple; how great it would be to not have to lie about his feelings. He had too much hope; too many happy thoughts right now. He didn't know what to do with them.
He was so wrapped up in his own euphoria, that he almost didn't notice a familiar person on the path ahead of him. Even with Blaine's reminder during their breakfast confrontation, he'd kept Sebastian pretty far from his mind over the course of the last few days.
Sebastian was talking pretty closely with another guy. The two men did a quick handshake and Sam was suspicious as Sebastian's hand went right into his pocket afterward. The other guy glanced around nervously before escaping down the path. Sebastian held back for a moment, probably only seconds away from his own escape. Then, his eyes met Sam's.
He put on a predatory smile; probably in an attempt to act like nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Well, well," Sebastian strolled toward Sam. "It looks like my little plaything survived the wrath of Pinocchio. Good job. Although, I am a little disappointed… I thought for sure that you were murdered by the mighty Hummel and that's why you haven't called."
"Like you never learned to dial a phone," Sam teased. His eyes instinctively traveled to the pocket of Sebastian's shorts, where Sam had seen him slip his hand just moments ago. "What were you talking about with that guy?"
"Who… Jack?" Sebastian glanced in the direction that the other man had left in. "He's an old friend."
"Sebastian…" Sam knew that he had no right to ask, but his curiosity got the best of him. Maybe he could no longer filter himself around Sebastian due to the fact that they'd seen each other naked. "Did you just do a drug deal?"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. He licked his lips confidently. "Why, are you a narc now?"
"No, not at all," Sam said in response. "I'm just surprised to see you making such bold decisions in broad daylight."
"Look," Sebastian said quickly. "It's not like I'm an addict or a dealer. We do coke at parties, and I told Lara I'd bring the stuff tonight. It's so much cheaper to plan ahead, you know?"
"Can't say that I do…" Sam replied smartly.
"Well, you get the idea," Sebastian rolled his eyes. "And it's a little late to be judging me."
"I'm not judging," Sam said honestly. "You can do whatever you want."
"Fine, I will…" Sebastian said in return. Sam noticed a weird strain in his voice, though; something resembling shame. "So, you know…we're partying at the girls' house tonight. They've been asking about you, and nagging me to invite you to hang out with us again."
"Oh yeah…?" Sam raised his eyebrows, only slightly flattered and intrigued. "Why haven't you?"
Sebastian hesitated. "I didn't want to cause any problems for you. Besides, I'm tired of wasting time with guys who are hung up on Kurt Hummel."
"Yeah…" Sam looked awkwardly at his feet, wondering if Sebastian even deserved an update. "That's probably wise thinking…"
"So, look, I gotta go," Sebastian said, giving Sam an awkward pat on the shoulder. "We'll meet up soon, though, okay? Nothing wrong with having cocktails with a friend, is there?"
"No, not at all," Sam smiled. He felt good about this. He didn't think anything could end peacefully with Sebastian Smythe, and it was comforting to know that the other boys seemed to have a reasonable understanding of their situation.
Sebastian gave him a final wave before retreating down the path. Sam watched him go, and turned the other way to continue with his jog.
Blaine and Kurt walked into the kitchen; their arms loaded with their pottery class creations that had finally come back from their final trip to the kiln.
"I can't fly back with all of this," Blaine told Kurt. "You can keep it. I have no use for it."
"I don't want it." Kurt told him. "You can leave it, though. I'll ship it back to Lima next week. It's yours."
Blaine smiled awkwardly, unsure how to admit that it would hurt too much to keep the reminder of the life he was supposed to share with Kurt. He couldn't keep any of it.
"Kurt," He heard himself ask, "Would you have asked me to give back the car?"
Kurt had to take a moment to think about it. "Honestly? No, probably. It's not like I need the money."
"Sam told me I could keep it," Blaine admitted.
Kurt started to feel a little bit on edge. "You can do whatever you want," He heard himself snap. "I guess Sam is entitled to an opinion. It's his money too."
Blaine sensed something strange in Kurt's voice. "Yeah, it is. He's a good guy. I guess I can understand why you'd want to be in this with him."
"Oh, so now you're okay with it?" Kurt couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand lying to Blaine, and letting him think that everything was okay. "You got on my case for a month about playing with him! Why is it okay now?"
"Sam helped me realize…" Blaine started.
Kurt interrupted. He couldn't believe it. "Sam helped you realize?"
"You and I are too young. It had to end. I can't be too bitter about what's happened, because at the end of the day, we just aren't ready for the commitment."
"I guess breaking up isn't hard to do when you're getting a car out of it," Kurt mumbled incredulously.
The two of them stood in silence for a minute, neither of them fully able to process what was happening.
"Okay, so, do you want me to be upset?" Blaine's voice rose. "Would that make you feel better, Kurt? Do you just want me to suffer as much as I possibly can?"
"No!" Kurt heard himself yell. The words began flowing before he could stop them. "If that was the case, I would've just told you the truth?"
Blaine rolled his eyes, expecting something trivial. "The truth about what?"
"...That I'm in love with him!" Kurt spit out.
The room fell silent, Kurt's words hanging in the air.
"…What…?" Blaine's voice shrunk.
"Damn it, Blaine," Kurt choked, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. "God damn it…I just…I couldn't tell you, but here you are treating us like good guys. We're not. We're just…paying you off and letting you walk away."
"You're…in love with Sam?" Blaine obviously didn't care why Kurt had decided to tell him. "I fucking knew it."
"I'm sorry," Kurt whimpered.
"So, what, you've been sleeping with him this whole time?" Blaine accused.
"Not this whole time…" Kurt muttered.
"Shit!" Blaine cried, growing hysterical. "Just…shit, Kurt!"
Kurt realized he couldn't even stand anymore. He lowered himself into a nearby chair, his arms wrapped around himself.
Suddenly they heard the front door open. Quinn had gone shopping and wasn't expected back until the end of the day, so Kurt and Blaine knew who it had to be.
"Well, speak of the mother fucking devil!" Blaine threw his arms in the air, wailing.
Sam heard this from the foyer as he timidly kicked off his Nikes. He felt a wave of immediate nausea, because he knew exactly what had happened. Kurt had told Blaine. Why on earth would Kurt tell Blaine? Sam knew he was a part of this. He knew that he had to help Kurt out. He entered the kitchen slowly. Blaine froze to look at him with an ice cold stare.
"You fucking asshole," Blaine growled. "How could you just sit at that table and lie to my face? I was actually starting to trust you!"
Before Sam could react, Blaine had rushed toward him. He gave the larger boy a powerful shove. Sam stumbled back and hit the wall, too sorry to defend himself. Kurt rushed over and pulled Blaine back before he could attack Blaine again. Blaine shook Kurt off, the tears now pouring down his face.
Blaine shook his head rapidly. "I can't be here anymore. I can't be in this apartment…" His breathing had sped up significantly, he was practically hyperventilating. "I feel like puking."
Kurt had to be understanding. It was his fault. He had let things get this way. Blaine's flight didn't leave until the next day, but at this point, he was willing to give Blaine anything he wanted. He owed him that much. "I'll put you up in a hotel tonight," Kurt told him as reassuringly as one possibly could in such a situation. "You'll stay there tonight. You'll fly home and…"
Blaine cut him off. "You bet your ass you're paying for a fucking hotel room!" His voice was low and vicious. He sounded scarier than Kurt had ever heard him. "And that's the last thing you're ever paying for, because I never want to touch your filthy money ever again."