Falling For You Chapter 25: Incoming Call, a glee fanfic

Well, Chasing Aspirations, JasonDragon64, JustAStrangerPasingBy (x2), DylanDahl, eb012203, Tori Sohma and Ragnarok45, i'm so glad you're all enjoying my story and it makes me smile no end to read your reviews, so thank you very much :)

Okay, so i have a feeling RL is gonna be a bitch soon, and updates may be slightly more sporadic, but i'm still very much hoping on two chapters a week, so have no fear :)

I'm so glad about your positive reaction to Sam's parents in the last chapter, and most of you seem to feel the same as me about them (But hey, i did create them...)

Anyway, enough waffling, onwards and upwards...

Over and out x

When Mercedes and Rachel had finally calmed down enough to become coherent enough they both started bombarding him with questions faster than he thought people could speak. Damn, he had his suspicions that Rachel Berry was currently exceeding the speed of light, and that was too much of a mind fuck to contemplate.

"Rachel, 'Cedes, calm down! Sheesh, even I didn't react this obsessively!"

He heard laugher on the other end of the line as they both stopped their questions for a second, but he groaned out loud as one then both started up again at what seemed an even faster pace.

"You said what?"

"Who said it first?"

"What did you do?

"What did he do?"

He ran a hand though his hair and just stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

"If you don't both SHUT UP I will issue you a 'cease and desist' notice faster than even you can speak!"

Silence.

Then, a quiet giggle.

Then, full blown laughter.

Not down the phone, but from him. The girls on the other end of the line joined in as he doubled over in hysterics on his bed, gasping and holding his sides.

A voice echoed down the phone after he'd finally regained composure, sounding like the owner was trying not to laugh again.

"We're sorry Kurt."

"Yeah, shouldn't have been so insistent." Mercedes added. "But... details?"

He did roll his eyes this time, even though they couldn't see it (he didn't care. Some things had to be done.)

"Fine girls, every last little soppy detail. Here goes."

Lying back on the bed so he could lift a hand and examine his perfectly shaped nails, he smirked and started his tale of... well, romance, he supposed.

"We were at Common Grounds. Did I tell you about Common Grounds. No, I didn't, but we can save that for later. It's a café. With an amazing owner and an even amazinger piano. Long story short, we sang to each other. Yes, it's cliché. I don't care. When she - the owner - kicked everyone out we helped clear up. I ended up playing Taylor Swift's 'Mine' on the piano."

He took a breath and expected an onslaught of questions from them, but he just received silence and the sound of them breathing softly.

"Kurt? Carry the fuck on, because otherwise I will reach into the phone and strangle you. Okay?"

He nearly laughed at Mercedes' best bitch threatening voice, but decided against it, because he didn't doubt that she would do something equally painful to him if he didn't carry on.

"Okay 'Cedes, I got it. I played Mine on piano, and I didn't realise he was listening 'til right at the very end. He finished the song off, and then made some impassioned speech about how he didn't care who thought him loving me was wrong and sinful and whatever, because it didn't matter. He had no idea he'd just said he loved me, you should have seen his face!" He giggled, trying not to sound like the six year old girl he just knew that he did sound like.

"Ohmygod!" Rachel had apparently recovered the power of speech. He wasn't surprised.

"You can't stop there! C'mon Kurt, juicy details, we want the good gossip!"

Rachel Berry sat on her bed and twisted the pink phone cord around her finger as she tried to contain the huge grin that was threatening to overtake her face completely. Although she probably hadn't showed it very well until recently, she really did care for the excitable boy she was currently half shrieking at, and it was making her heart burst with happiness at the absolute adoration she could hear in his voice.

Mercedes was sat in nearly the same position in her house, her covers, formerly folded neatly, bunched up from where she had flung herself forward on her bed to be more comfortable as she laughed into the phone at her best friend and complete platonic lobster*. He deserved every vestige of his current joy and she wasn't even jealous. There was no room to be when she could hear in his voice how ecstatic it had made Kurt.

Kurt himself just grinned to himself and carried on.

"Well, he looked all panicked and tried to backtrack and I wasn't having that. He said it first, he wasn't pretending it didn't happen. Turns out he thought I'd get scared, pull back and change my mid about him. Like I could do that! I've been wanting to tell him all week that-"

A strange beeping started from his phone and he pulled it away from his ear to look at it. Seeing call incoming flash up on the screen he nearly dropped the phone when he saw 'Cinderella'** after the white text.

"Girls, I've got a call on the other line, I'm gonna have to call put you on hold for just a second."

Switching to the other line he answered "Sam?" breathlessly.

When he just heard silence, punctuated by what he thought was trees rustling, he started to get worried.

Then Sam spoke.

"Kurt? Can you... can you come and get me?"

He immediately jumped up off his bed, forgetting completely about the two girls on the other end of the line. Grabbing his jacket from where he had draped it earlier, he headed up the stairs two at a time.

"Where from? Sam, what's happened? Why..." His voice trailed off.

He heard a sigh from the other end, very strained, and hurried even more as his arm got stuck in the sleeve and he hissed in frustration.

"The park. Where I took you after we first kissed. Do you remember it? I'll... I'll tell you what happened when you get here. I just... please hurry Kurt."

Sam sounded so down, so upset that he didn't even care about his parent's response. He just yelled that he was going out and flew out the door like a tornado, sprinting for his car and trying desperately to remember the exact way to the park.

"Sure Sam, I'm coming now. I'll be as fast as I possibly can. I... I love you Sam. Yeah. I'll see you soon."

He didn't remember much after he'd left the house. He'd just started running. And running. Not knowing where he was gong, not caring, not really needing to know. He was just running. He could cope with that. It was simple. What had Ross said to Chandler on Friends? (He had to admit, Mercedes had made him want to rewatch all the ten seasons after their marathon session at Quinn's, so sue him if he'd got about five hours sleep at night until he'd finished them.) One step at a time. He had to get out. He had to run. He had to find somewhere to stop. He had to call Kurt. Nothing else. He could deal with that when he got to wherever his feet were taking him.

He had known they wouldn't be okay. Couldn't be okay. His dad had thought he'd got some girl pregnant. His mom. He didn't know about his mom. She had just sat and looked at him, so calm, frozen, no emotion. She was always good at controlling her emotion. He couldn't tell if she'd been okay or not. Or horrified or disgusted.

Before long he started to notice his surroundings as they blurred past. He was making his way in the direction of the park he had taken Kurt to the first time they had kissed. Just remembering that night made his spirits lift a little. Blanking out everything else but that memory he carried on letting his feet and subconscious do the work, focusing on Kurt and how he had tasted, and smelt, and felt against Sam.

Soon after he realised where his body was taking him he was slowing to a jog as he made his way down the path that led to the gate. The locked gate. Oh shit. No hairpin. I make myself run here, of all places, but can't get in. Great work dumbass!

The gate loomed before him and he stopped short just before the cold wrought iron made contact with his skin. Looking at the lock, he could see that there was no way he was picking it, or breaking it, without a hair clip, like the last few times. Backing up, he resigned himself to the only other conceivable option. Placing one foot on the metal, he tested it's sturdiness before hoisting himself up and climbing over.

Jumping down with a thump on the other side, he walked over to the branch where he and Kurt had sat the last time they were there. He was breathing deeply now, making up for the oxygen deficiency his fast paced run had created in his muscles. He could feel them burning as the lactic acid registered.

Striding over to the branch that was still raised off the ground, still under the beautiful canopy of trees, he could almost pretend he didn't possibly ruin his family life forever. He could sit there and remember being with Kurt, goofing around.

Who was he kidding. He just told his parents that he was gay. And then run out the house. In the middle of the night.

It might have been minutes, or hours, or maybe even days (just very dark ones) before he realised he was just sitting there, in the cold and the darkness, staring at nothing and wishing that something would happen.

In a locked park? At practically midnight? Nothing was going to happen. He considered just staying there until it was morning, making his way to Kurt's like nothing had happened. But he got the feeling Kurt might be able to guess something was a little off.

Kurt.

Amazing, beautiful, perfect Kurt.

He pulled out his phone before he realised what he was doing. And called.

The ringing went on for so long he almost hung up, leaving it and just assuming that Kurt must have been asleep. Then a breathy, sunshine infused voice answerd and suddenly his world got infinitesimally brighter.

"Sam?"

He slumped on the branch, realising he had been sitting rigidly like an army general, and nearly broke down at the sound of that voice.

"Kurt? Can you... can you come and get me?"

He didn't know what made him say it, he didn't need Kurt seeing him like he was, all over the place like he'd been scattered to the winds. He had wanted to talk over the phone, just unboggle his mind listening to his boyfriend prattle about whatever he'd been doing, or his conversation with Mercedes or something.

"Where from? Sam, what's happened? Why..." He sounded concerned and Sam's heart leaped as he felt the worry Kurt infused his voice with, just knowing he was there a comfort.

He sighed. Despite what he'd blurted, he didn't really want Kurt to see him, as he'd said, he wanted to talk. But still, he couldn't renege on it now.

"The park. Where I took you after we first kissed. Do you remember it? I'll... I'll tell you what happened when you get here. I just... please hurry Kurt."

He knew that much at least, if Kurt was coming then he wanted it to be as soon as possible. Preferably before he broke down with stress.

"Sure Sam, I'm coming now. I'll be as fast as I possibly can. I... I love you Sam. Yeah. I'll see you soon."

His breath caught as the soprano uttered those words, his voice hitching but still strong, still believable. He could hear a door slamming somewhere in the background on the other end of the phone, and then as he opened his mouth the call cut off. He said it anyway.

"I love you too Kurt."

Mercedes just laughed as she heard the click that signified herself and Rachel had been put on hold.

"I bet that's lover boy, calling to whisper more sweet nothings." She laughed again, pinning the phone between her ear and shoulder as she got up and started to change for sleeping. She managed her pyjama bottoms and then had a struggle to get the top on without loosing connection with the phone. She dropped it momentarily, and just picked it up again to hear "-will be, he's really got it bad. I guess we'll hear all about it when he comes back to this call."

"I s'pose we will, but I'm thinking it'll be a while before that happens. I know Kurt, he's one for soppy declarations of undying love and all that crap."

As Rachel thought about how much she and Kurt were alike she smiled and paused as if to listen for the conversation going on the other line.

The pause was taken by Mercedes as well, but just as they were about to start speaking again another click made them freeze.

The soft humming of the phone line as Kurt kept them on hold suddenly jarred to the cold, charged static of a dead line, a noise that burned their ears and grated on them, leaving them screwing up their eyes like nails scraping a blackboard would.

"Woah."

"I'll second that. Something's happened. He would never hang up. He normally clicks back to a conversation straight away, or makes an apology and rings back. Sometimes he'll be brusque, or rushed, but he's polite. No way did he just cut us off, hang up." Mercedes whispered.

She was worried. As she had said, she knew Kurt wouldn't just hang up on them in the middle of a conversation. He normally always carried on his original one after telling the other line to ring back, or informing his dad or Finn or Carole of the message. And when he didn't he always apologised, let you know why the other line was more important. But that time... nothing.

"I agree. I have an undisputable and uncomfortable feeling about the mechanics of this situation and I strongly advise our discretion in the matter, but it may be prudent to inform his father or ask him if anything is wrong. What do you think? Shall we make contact and discuss the ramifications?"

"White girl you talk absolute crap. Did you just regurgitate a dictionary or is it still lodged in your throat?"

Rachel hummed in annoyance but pressed on with her original point, just in more Mercedes friendly speak.

"We should call his house and see what Burt says."

"Why couldn't you have just said that in the first place?"

"Because I like to exercise my vocabulary, and it's pointless with Finn because he normally doesn't understand a word."

Mercedes just rolled her eyes, but agreed with Rachel's plan.

"I'll call though. He knows me better."

Rachel nodded and then said "I think that's for the best. I hope he's alright Mercy."

A slightly panicked Mercedes just breathed a thanks and hung up, already thinking about what she should say to Kurt's dad.

As Rachel replaced the phone on it's cradle she tried to think of anyone who might know where he was, or what had happened.

She knew someone who might be able to help so, swallowing her pride and her fear, she dialled the number she'd only ever called once before.

The girl in question picked up on the second ring.

"Hello? Do you know what time it is?" A grumpy voice answered.

Rachel breathed out through her nose and said "Quinn it's me, Rachel. It's about Kurt."

She heard a bed creak and knew that Quinn was sitting up, giving her her full attention.

Quinn pushed her bedcovers off and then demanded "What about Kurt? What's happened?"

"Well, we're not really sure. Myself and Mercedes were talking to him in a three way call, and then he got a call waiting and apologised to take it. He never picked back up. The line just went dead thirty seconds later."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and then Quinn said "Shit. Well you did the right thing assuming the worst, because he would never do that. Who else are you checking with, because I'm afraid I don't know anything?"

Rachel swallowed at the thought that even Quinn thought it was bad and said "Mercy's calling his house to see if he's there, and I called you."

"I hope he's alright."

"He seemed to happy and functioning fine just minutes before. He and Sam had told each other they loved each other. He was ecstatic."

Quinn sighed, suddenly conscious of what seemed to be an obvious cause of the night's events.

"He told them."

Rachel was unsure what she meant, wondering "Who told who what?"

Quinn face palmed and replied "Sam. Told his parents."

"Holy shit! How do you know?"

She wondered just how it was possible to piece that together from the small snippets of information Quinn was working with.

"Because I know him. We used to date, remember? He got all happy and hyped up on love, got home still hyped up and decided to take the plunge. I'm guessing he didn't stick around to see their reactions, he has a history of bolting. That call was probably him calling Kurt to go find him."

Rachel was stuck between hoping she was right and dreading it.

Kurt didn't think he'd ever driven faster in his life, he was amazed he didn't get caught for speeding or crash into anything. He made several wrong turns on the way to the park and had to execute three point turns in the middle of streets, hoping no other traffic would come by.

Flying out of his Navigator when he finally swung onto the kerb beside the pathway leading to the park, he locked it without a backward glance and ran up the path towards the gate praying that Sam had left it unlocked.

No such look, the padlock didn't even seem picked when he reached it, rattling them loudly in an attempt to get Sam's attention.

When that didn't work he pulled out his phone and dialled Sam's number. Talking to him again was probably a good decision anyway.

When someone picked up but no voice answered he said "Sam?" and once again rattled the gates.

"Kurt. Are you nearly here?"

Backing off the cold metal he answered "Yeah. I'm at the gate. Can't get in though."

He could hear Sam's sigh through the phone.

Sam realised what had happened when he heard the gates rattle in the distance again, and said "Oh. Sorry, I didn't have a hair clip so I climbed over."

Kurt knew it wasn't the time to get annoyed at him, so he just rolled his eyes and placed a foot on the metal of the gate. It seemed sturdy enough to him. Grasping the top, he boosted himself up and then dropped to the ground, bending his knees for like Coach Sylvester had taught him.

"I'm in Sam. Just tell me where you are in the park and I'll be there in a second."

He could hear the footsteps as they hesitantly made their way towards him and he replied, a little louder than he would normally have, "I'm on the tree branch!"

Kurt suddenly rememberd the last time he was there and, hearing Sam confirm it, ran towards the giant, high branch, brushing through the plants and bushes until he could see it all, and see Sam huddled up on the end of it, his knees drawn up and his arms locked around them. If he hadn't been perched so precariously Kurt would have sworn he'd be rocking, and he sprinted the last little bit until he was in line with his boyfriend.

"Sam? Sam!"

Blinking at the heavenly figure before him Sam's one thought was that he loved Kurt more. Who else would have come to a dark, cold park at midnight to comfort their hysterical boyfriend who should be dealing with his own problems?

"Kurt. God, I'm so glad you came. I don't know what i..." He gave up trying to speak and just leant down off the branch. Easily pulling Kurt up and onto it beside him, before letting him catch his breath and staring at him. He knew he was being a little creepy. But he didn't care.

Head in his hands, he thought over his night and wondered how it had gone from 'I love you' to their current situation.

"Sam, what happened?" Kurt's gentle voice snapped him back to reality and he found himself speaking on autopilot.

"I told them. My parents. I was watching Star Wars, where Darth Vader tells Luke he'd his father, and I couldn't not tell them. I had to be brave."

Kurt stared at Sam incredulously, wondering how the hell he had found someone who was so charming. Odd, but charming.

Putting his arms around the footballer he shh'd him and then giggled.

"Sam, did you just say you got inspired to come out to your parents by Darth Vader?"

When someone put it that way it was hard not to laugh, and Sam let out a small chuckle.

"Well, yeah, I suppose I did." He murmured to Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt just stared. "You are amazing, you know that?"

When Sam just looked up at him with a tiny smile on his face, he pressed on.

"I'm assuming it didn't go... as planned. What did they say?" Kurt asked softly, hoping he wasn't prying.

Sam pulled out the hug enough to look into Kurt's eyes and said "I didn't wait for that. I took one look at them and ran."

He realised as Kurt stared at him how foolish it had been. He should have waited, talked, heard at least what they had to say. Instead he had just run, blindly, too scared to hear it.

Covering his face with his hands he groaned, saying "I should've stayed. I'm such a coward."

"You are not a coward. Bad judgement of a situation, maybe. Guilty of listening to your fight or flight instinct, yes. But a coward? No. You just did one of the bravest things you will do in your entire life, and I am so proud of you right now."

Kurt pulled him back into the hug again and started rubbing soothing circles on the other's back. He remembered the anxiety of telling his parent, knew what pain Sam must have gone through, wanted to make it better. He had told the truth, he was enormously proud of his boyfriend.

"But I ran! I wimped out before I even knew how they were thinking. I was so afraid that they'd reject me, tell me I was an abomination like the woman at the ice rink, or just be cold and disappointed, tell me it wasn't what they wanted from my life, that I was a let down, a nobody. I just couldn't handle their rej-rejec-r-r-r-r..."

He screwed his eyes tight as he cried on Kurt's shoulder, not caring that he was probably ruining some piece of designer Ralph Lauren or Marc Jacobs or Alexander McQueen.

Kurt could feel as well as hear the sobs wracking Sam's body and before he knew what he was doing he found himself singing softly, gently to Sam, trying to soothe his pain the only way he knew how.

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea
I'll sail the world to find you
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see
I'll be the light to guide you

He spoke/sang the first few lines, still rubbing Sam's back as he felt the bigger boy's tears soak his clothes and start to cool against his skin.

Find out what we're made of
What we are called to help our friends in need

Sam could hear singing, a quiet melody washing over him, and he smiled even through his tears as he recognised Kurt's voice. Of course he's singing.

You can count on me like one, two, three
I'll be there and I know when I need it
I can count on you like four, three, two
And you'll be there 'cause that's what friends
Are supposed to do, oh yeah, ooh, ooh

He knew they were more than friends, but bizarrely he needed Sam to hear that they were friends, because a relationship couldn't work if there wasn't that friendship, that camaraderie, in there somewhere, not in his book anyway. And he desperately wanted their relationship to work, maybe too much.

If you toss and you turn and you just can't fall asleep
I'll sing a song beside you
And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me
Everyday I will remind you

They both thought of their words at Common Grounds again, and this time Kurt's eyes sparkled with tears even as Sam's dried up, because he was remembering much more than that. He was seeing their fledgling relationship side by side with his mother, and how she had written something almost exactly like that to him before she died. Never forget how much you mean to me. Carry it in your heart forever baby boy. Before he knew it, tears were flowing silently down his cheeks too.

Find out what we're made of
What we are called to help our friends in need

You'll always have my shoulder when you cry
I'll never let go, never say goodbye

Sam had to laugh when he heard that. Because it seemed like it was written just for that moment, for when he had foolishly skipped out on reality for a while and needed to be set back on the right path.

You can count on me 'cause I can count on you

Finishing his song softly Kurt pulled back, feeling Sam still shaking slightly with laughter and glad that he'd calmed him down enough.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

Kurt touched his face with his fingertips and raised it so that their eyes met.

Smiling tentatively, he said "Can I see your phone?"

"Um, sure."

Sam didn't think too much into Kurt's request as he handed over his phone slightly numbly.

"As I suspected. Nineteen missed calls. They want to talk to you Sam."

He looked down at the phone and reached out to take it, but stopped with his fingers poised over it. He wasn't ready.

"I can't. I can't face it. Can you... can you call for me?" He looked hesitantly at the small brunette with hope in his eyes.

"Of course."

Kurt took the phone back and flipped it open, searching Sam's contacts for his home number. Pressing the call button he raised it to his ear and waited.

"Sam?"

"No, Mrs. Evans. It's Kurt Hummel."

A/N: The song used is 'Count On Me' by Bruno Mars, i love it :)

* Just, go and watch Friends, okay? That's all i have to say :D

**This is what Scar called Sam when they were at Common Grounds in Chapter 22/3.

As always, hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think? x