Trouty Mouth and the Leprechaun
Author's Notes: Not much to say in the notes this time really :p Just thank you for reading and leaving reviews (because reviews make me squishy inside) and I hope you are all enjoying Season 2!
Beta Credit: Ragnarok45
Recap: Sam finally returned home to Lima, but was bored to tears and his mom had to break bad on him and force him out of the house for a while, but that's okay because he ended up taking up a hobby, meanwhile Rory and his family went on a cruise and it gave Rory ideas for something to do with Sam but now it's the end of the summer break and that's what you missed on Glee!
Episode 29: Return
Sam paced nervously in the airport waiting area where arriving passengers could reunite with their families and friends. His mom and dad were waiting in the baggage claim, just like how—when he'd arrived in Ireland—Rory had made his parents wait. Sam knew his parents would've let him come to the airport alone, but Rory would have a lot of luggage and they'd need the extra trunk space.
"Flight 3245, inbound from New York City has arrived and will be deplaning shortly," came an announcement over the loudspeaker. Sam's ears perked up; that was Rory's flight. New York had been his layover. He would be exhausted by the time he got in, the time shift throwing him off yet again. It would be late afternoon in Lima, but bedtime in Derry.
Ten minutes later, a crowd of passengers started filtering out through the exit. Good thing, too, since Sam was about to wear tracks in the floor from pacing. He kept looking through the crowd, scanning for the familiar brown hair and blue eyes of his boyfriend.
"Sam!" he heard a voice cry out. He spotted Rory as soon as the Irish boy spoke. Sam ran up to him, threw his arms around his boyfriend, and picked him up off the ground, the carry-on bag in the smaller boy's arms falling to the floor as the hands holding it were now otherwise occupied attempting to crush the blond boy's ribs.
"I'm glad to see ye' too," Rory chuckled. He kissed Sam on the cheek, picked up his bag from where it had fallen, and they made their way to the baggage claim. Or, rather, Sam picked up his bag. Ever the gentleman, he insisted on carrying Rory's luggage.
As Sam and his parents had predicted, it ended up being a good thing they had the extra space; even with his winter wardrobe still at the Evans' house, Rory still had a ridiculous amount of baggage.
"Are you hungry?" Sam asked, grabbing Rory's hand and squeezing.
"No, I ate in New York. I'm just really tired out," the teen replied, his eyes already looking droopy. He yawned, his eyes watering. He went to wipe them with his hands, but Sam refused to let go not wanting to release the boy he had missed most of the summer.
"We'll get home and then you can get comfortable and go to bed. I'll keep watch," Sam offered. "I'll unpack some of your stuff while you sleep, so you don't have so much to do tomorrow."
Rory smiled. "Thank ye', Sammy. I'm not back an hour yet and ye'r already trying to spoil me."
"Damn straight," Sam said. "Anything for my man." He pulled him closer, still clutching his hand. Rory thought he may never get it back, that amputation may be necessary should he ever need to do anything that might require both hands. Mrs. Evans peeked into the rearview mirror, grinning as she noticed her son's bright smile – a smile she hadn't seen in over a month.
Upon arriving at the Evans', two blonde blurs zipped from the living room floor and latched onto Rory's legs with vice-like grips.
"Oh Mr. Rory, we missed you so much! It wasn't the same without you!" Stacy squealed happily.
"Yeah, Sammy was a big grump the whole time. Mom had to force him to play with us, and all he did was-"
"Snitch," Sam said playfully to his little brother. Stevie looked up at him and beamed. While the kids were welcoming their favorite friend back, Mr. and Mrs. Evans settled payment with the babysitter, and Sam started bringing in luggage.
"Jeez, what do you have in here, rocks? Dead bodies?" Sam grunted, bringing in one of the larger suitcases.
Rory laughed at him. "No, just me little brother. He wanted to visit, so I had to pack him away. Check and see if he's still alive when ye' get the chance. Mam and Pap wouldn't let me poke holes in the nice suitcase, so I hope he didn't run out of air."
Stacy and Stevie giggled at the thought of Seamus being locked up in a large suitcase like a pair of dirty socks as Sam groaned at the Irish teen's attempted humor. Oh, how he'd missed Rory's cornball remarks.
Having been properly welcomed back, Rory was tired and in bad need of sleep. Sam smothered him in wet kisses before letting him strip down to his boxers and climb into bed. He would have climbed in with the other boy, but he was nowhere near tired and knew if he did, he'd end up trying to molest the brunette all evening. Instead, Sam turned out all but the desk lamp so that he could see enough to start unpacking.
Sam was surprised at the amount of clothes Rory had packed. He didn't remember him having so many outfits. Some of it had to be new. He couldn't wait to see Rory wearing them; the boy could wear garbage bags and look hot.
He'd unpacked and put away most of Rory's clothes when dinnertime rolled around. At his mother's summons, Sam turned off the lamp and joined his family in the kitchen.
"Where's Mr. Rory?" Stacy demanded as soon as Sam walked in the room.
"He's sleeping. His body is still stuck in Ireland time, and it's five hours later there," Sam explained to his sister. She seemed to accept that answer and removed the scowl from her face. "You can see him in the morning."
After dinner, Sam finished up moving Rory's things in their room, hooking up his boyfriend's game system and laptop. He wanted absolutely everything to be just like it was when he'd left, so, when he woke up, it would be like he'd never departed from the house.
Sam carefully put away Rory's toiletries, noticing he was in need of a new toothbrush. He threw it away in the trash and replaced it with one of the spares in the closet. Mrs. Evans kept a healthy supply of toothbrushes, loofahs, and sanitary wipes on hand as if she expected the entire army to commandeer the house.
Satisfied and anxious to take his rightful place in bed, Sam stripped down to his boxers and slid in next to his boyfriend. As if on instinct, Rory rolled over and draped his arm over Sam's chest, nuzzling his head in the crook of Sam's neck.
That night was the best night's sleep Sam had gotten all summer.
-ooo-
Rory woke up earlier than the rest of the house, his body having not yet adjusted to American time. If past experience was any indicator, it would take almost a week before he got acclimated to the change. He disentangled himself from his sleeping boyfriend and slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, noticing his luggage was empty and stacked neatly in the closet next to his shoes, his pants and shirts hanging right above them. He checked the drawers – his underwear, socks, and pajamas were already in place. He saw his Wii was hooked up already, and his laptop sitting on the desk, plugged in with the charge light blinking steadily.
It made him feel warm inside, seeing how Sam had taken the initiative to move him back in. Sam wasn't the neatest boy in the world; his room could often be rather messy, especially before Rory came around, but the way he had so neatly placed everything spoke volumes about how important it was to the blonde to have everything just right for his boyfriend.
He pulled on his clothes from the previous day, kissed Sam on the cheek, and then left the room, taking his laptop with him. He set it down on the couch and then browsed the kitchen, taking care not to slam any cupboard doors. He smiled when he saw a fresh jar of peanut butter on the shelf. He took off the lid, stuck in a spoon, and enjoyed the first spoonful since he left for Ireland, suppressing a moan of sheer pleasure. The smooth spread tasted just as good as he remembered.
A little restless, he padded out to the pool, noticing the addition of a few toys. He had an urge to swim, but didn't have his suit, didn't want to risk waking Sam by going back in the room, and was not about to attempt skinny dipping again after his embarrassing encounter with Mr. Evans last year. He would just have to go in his underwear, he decided. He stripped off his shirt and jeans, then lowered himself into the pool. The water felt so good against his jetlagged body, still sore from sitting in uncomfortable airplanes for hours on end.
Rory let himself float a little before working into a backstroke. He made laps around the pool, basking in the warmth of the sun coming in through the windows and the soothing water on his skin.
"I see you didn't waste any time," Sam's voice echoed in the room. Rory stopped abruptly, almost drowning in shock, and popped his head up out of the water, sputtering.
"I didn't mean to wake ye'." He apologized, swimming up to the edge.
"You didn't. I woke up when I felt you weren't in my arms anymore," Sam replied. "It's been months since I got to sleep with you; don't you think I might notice something missing?"
Without ceremony, Sam dropped his boxers on the floor and shucked off his shirt and jumped right into the pool.
"Sammy! Ye'r mum and dad are here! What if they catch us?" Rory protested.
"Oh they won't be up for a little while yet. Besides, we're just swimming."
Rory looked a little nervous. "O-okay. But just for a few minutes." Sam nodded in agreement and waded over toward him. He wrapped his arms around his treasure, kissing him. He felt Sam pressing against him, but noticed the other teen wasn't stiff with arousal.
The first time he noticed that, he worried that perhaps he wasn't turning the blonde on anymore. Later, Sam explained that just because he wasn't hard didn't mean he wasn't attracted to him: it just meant he wasn't horny; in that moment, he wanted nonsexual physical attention. This was a new concept to the Irish boy, having not been in a relationship before. Not long after that, Rory noticed the same occasionally happened to him, too; he'd just never realized it before.
They tread water for several minutes, kissing and holding hands until Rory finally felt too nervous to enjoy it. "I'm sorry, I'm just… they might catch us. I mean, I have on me shorts, but ye'r kind of lacking those."
"Okay, okay. But after we dry off, come cuddle with me?" Sam pleaded with the sad puppy dog face. Rory smiled and nodded lovingly. They got out of the pool, Sam drying off and pulling his clothes back on. Rory had to put his jeans on without underwear, an odd feeling since he had never gone commando before. When they got back in their bedroom, he put on a fresh pair of boxers. Both boys tossed their shirts aside and climbed back into bed. Sam wrapped his arms around him as Rory fumbled through the channels, looking for something to watch. He was too awake to sleep, but Sam quickly dozed off again. Rory put it on the History Channel and within minutes had fallen right back asleep.
The boys woke up to the sensation of bouncing on the bed. Sure enough, Stacy and Stevie were far too excited over Rory's return to let them sleep any longer. They sat up in bed, reaching for their shirts. Stacy wrapped her arms around Rory the second he pulled his shirt down.
"Mr. Rory, I missed you so much! So did Sammy. He was really sad while you were gone," the young girl stated. "Don't ever leave again, okay?"
Rory laughed and didn't say anything. He knew he would have to go home during the summer, but didn't even want to entertain that thought yet.
"Will you help me get on the soccer team this year, Mr. Rory?" Stevie pleaded. "Sammy sucks at soccer!"
"Stevie, don't say 'sucks'," Sam scolded. He felt like a hypocrite, having said far worse before, probably even in the presence of his siblings, even though he tried very hard to be conscious of his language around them.
"Sorry, Sammy," Stevie said softly. "But it's true. You're not very good at all."
Sam screwed up his face. "Thanks for the support, buddy."
"Sure, I'll help ye', but ye' gotta help me get Sammy better at playing, too," Rory promised.
Stacy sat back on her feet and scowled. "You're not gonna get hurt again, are you? Last year when you got hurt, I was really sad. I don't want anything bad to happen again. You're gonna be real careful at school, right, Mr. Rory? Sammy isn't there to keep you safe anymore, and I have school."
Rory patted the small girl on the head. "Don't ye' worry, me girl. I'll take care of meself just fine. I've been exercising all summer, see." He flexed his arms, showing off the little bit of muscle he had gained. Stacy squeezed as hard as she could, unable to squish the bicep.
"Yay! Beat up anyone who gives you trouble, okay?" she instructed. "If you need help though, Sammy can come get me and I'll beat them up."
"He doesn't wanna be saved by a girl," Stevie said, rolling his eyes.
"I would be honored if ye' helped me out," Rory told Stacy, gently patting her on the head, "but I don't think ye' need to. This year is gonna be a lot better, I promise."
Mrs. Evans called them for breakfast, the two children bee lining for the kitchen as if there was gold on their plates. She and her husband asked Rory a multitude of questions – What had he been up to all summer, had he worked at all, did he go anywhere for vacation; how were his parents doing?
He told them about the cruise, keeping most of the details to share later with Sam. He debated on telling Sam about his desire to take him on a cruise, but ultimately decided to mention it another time. He also told them how much Seamus had enjoyed Sam's visit and how excited he had been to receive a package addressed solely to him, with a wonderful prize inside. Sam blushed at the gushing compliments that Seamus had given him.
"It'd be wonderful if they could come for a visit sometime and actually enjoy themselves. Or at least send Seamus for a visit," Mrs. Evans commented.
After breakfast, the boys decided to take a walk to the park, something Sam hadn't done all summer. He had purposely taken the kids to a different area of the park to fish, not wanting to be there without his mate.
"How're our friends doing? Ye' know, the ducks and the turtles?" Rory asked, smiling.
"Fine, I guess. I haven't been over there. It's not the same without you," Sam replied sheepishly, his face pinking slightly.
"That's okay. That's kind o' sweet o' ye'," the Irishman said, kissing him on the cheek.
Sam linked hands with him as they crossed the park. It seemed more and more natural to be affectionate in public. Sam wasn't nervous anymore – he was proud to have Rory by his side, and if anyone had a problem with it, they could go to hell. He even stopped noticing the disapproving stares they occasionally received. They weren't out to make a statement - they just wanted to be able to do the same things in public that any other couple could do.
After they arrived at the bridge, Rory leaned over and started greeting the fowl. The ducks quacked excitedly as he tossed down some stale bread, acting as if they hadn't eaten in months.
"They're so cute. I want some ducks when we get our own place," Rory said offhandedly.
"You want to get a place together?" Sam asked, knowing the answer already.
Rory shrugged. "Don't ye'?"
Sam nodded his head. "Of course I do. It's just a shame we can't afford it," he added, sighing.
"How much does it cost? For an apartment or a house?" Rory asked, ideas in his head already, but, sadly, he had no concept of the costs involved with renting a place to live.
"More than I got. Pizza delivery doesn't exactly pay rent," Sam explained. "I need to get a second job anyway. Or a regular full time. I need to get something to make more money."
Rory scrunched up his face in thought. "If ye' worked full time, could we afford it?"
Sam scoffed. "Uh, no, sorry. Rent is way more than what I could be making, and even if we could make rent, there's all the bills. Electric, cable, water. Food. That adds up quickly. And with you not being able to work, well, that doesn't help either."
"Yeah, true," Rory replied, disheartened. "What if there was some way to make it happen?"
Sam put his arm around his boyfriend. "If it was possible, I would do it in a heartbeat. You and me, on our own. All the privacy we want." He winked at the last part.
"Maybe I can find out how I can work. Then we can at least start saving money for when we do have enough to get a place of our own," Rory suggested. "Even if it's only a few hours, it's better than nothing."
"Maybe if it's something on the side, like under the table."
Rory looked confused. "Why would I work under a table? Doing what? I can't even sit all the way up, I'd hit me head."
Sam burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. Just the way Rory said it: dead serious, completely unaware of the blunder. "Working under the table just means you get paid on the side. Like you don't get an actual paycheck, they just hand you some cash. It's what a lot of young kids do."
"Oh," Rory said simply, his face flushing "I guess I am definitely back in America when the slang stops making sense again."
Sam kissed him on the top of his head. "You're just so cute it should be illegal. You can be the rowdy jailbird and I'll be the tough warden that has to keep you in line."
Rory blushed at the innuendo. "I bet I can find something. I want to contribute, too," he said. In his head he was already doing math, trying to figure out what it might cost to feed the pair of them. He still had no clue how much utilities or rent itself cost.
"Don't worry about it. If it were possible, I'd let you stay home and never have to work. I'd give you everything you ever wanted. You'd never be sad or want for anything ever again," Sam professed. Rory took his hand and squeezed, looking up at him.
"Sammy, as long as I'm with ye', I won't be sad. Not ever," Rory said. He gave Sam a soft smile and nuzzled his head against his shoulder. "We'll talk about it more later. I want to see what me mam and pap think about the idea."
Sam shot the Irishman a confused look, but refrained from asking any questions. He assumed Rory was asking for their opinion more out of courtesy than anything else. Although, Rory had told him all about how his father had been making a lot of effort to try and mend their relationship, so perhaps that was why. Of course, his dad had given him sound advice before regarding their relationship, so maybe they were a little closer than he knew.
"What are ye' thinkin' about?" Rory asked, noticing the look of deep thought on Sam's face.
Sam grinned. "I was just thinking how much I want to have some ice cream with you," he replied, the smile lighting up his eyes. "Come on, I haven't bothered to get ice cream since you were gone, either."
"Did ye' do anything while I was gone?" the Irishman asked, teasing. Sam shrugged.
"Pouted a lot. Worked on my models. I gave Optimus to my dad. He's gonna put it in his office at work, but I wanted you to get a chance to see it first. I played with the kids some. Other than that, and work, not much else," Sam confessed. Hearing the words, he realized just how pathetic he sounded.
"I think it's cool ye' made those models. I guess Seamus rubbed off on ye'," Rory pointed out. "He's so proud of the model ye' gave him. He told e'eryone he knows, from receiving his very own package to what was inside it. He has it on his dresser in his room. He wanted to take it to school and show off but Mam and Pap don't 'ave time to take off work to take it to school so it doesn't get ruined."
Sam chuckled. "I'm glad he liked it. I was worried it might not be good enough since it was my first one."
The younger teen gave Sam a playful punch in the arm. "Oh, please. It's wonderful. He loves it. Mam bought him a display case kind of thing, to keep the dust off of it. Pap put plastic over the letter ye' sent with it and attached it to the bottom for safe keeping."
"I'm just glad Seamus liked me. He was so quiet and shy the first time I met him, I thought he might not like me at all, but he seemed to really open up this time around." Sam put his arm around his boyfriend and pulled him closer. "Does he know… about us?"
Rory gave him a half smile. "Kind of. It's kind of like with ye'r sister. We're 'special friends.' He knows that means we're close like a boy and a girl but I don't know if he really grasps the concept o' what that really means. Now that he knows ye', I doubt he even cares."
Before they knew it, they reached the end of the wooded trail and crossed the street to the ice cream shop. Sam paid for their cones and they sat down to eat.
"I missed this," Sam said, grinning and licking away some of the melted drops that were trying to escape down his hand.
"So did I. Mam doesn't buy ice cream much."
Sam laughed. "No no, I meant I missed this. Spending time with you. Silly stuff like this, getting ice cream or walking down the trail."
"We 'ave a whole more year to think about what to do, ye' know. Me pap said I can stay here anytime, remember?" Rory reminded him. "I just wish it was that easy. To just say goodbye to Ireland and stay here."
Sam put his hand on Rory's. "Face it later. We have too much to worry about right now anyway. You start school in another week, and I have to get a full time job, or a second part time job."
They discussed job options for Sam – what he may want to apply for, having no real experience and not yet having a college degree. After having had so much trouble in high school, he had decided that college wasn't for him, at least not for the time being. Even still, he didn't want to serve fast food, and ideally didn't want to do anything too disgusting. Not having a guidance counselor anymore, he would have to rely on himself, or ask his parents for advice.
Rory needed to do some thinking, too. He had two years left, counting this one, to figure out what college he wanted to go to and what to study. He also had to figure out how to go about finding a job that paid under the table.
They spent the rest of the day inside, watching Avatar, playing FIFA on the Playstation 3, and then eating dinner. That night, when everyone else was asleep, they made love for almost an hour. Rory kept Sam on the edge for an agonizingly long time, drawing it out until they were both so close that they exploded simultaneously, coating each other inside and out.
After cleaning up, they laid in bed, nude, cuddling until they both fell asleep.
-ooo-
It was only a week until school started again, and Rory was rightfully nervous. He wouldn't have Sam there with him at all, though he would have the remaining glee club members: Blaine, Tina, Artie, and Sugar.
"What are you nervous for?" Sam asked after Rory confessed his apprehension. "Last year you started school knowing only Brittany, and she didn't even really hang out with you. You put up with teasing but you made it just fine, and then I came along. Trust me, you can manage."
Rory leaned his head on Sam's shoulder. "Thank ye', Sam. Ye'r right, I shouldn't be nervous. I guess I just wish ye' were there with me."
"I dunno, I think it might be good for you. I mean to have something you have to do on your own, without me," Sam suggested. Rory looked back with a half-confused, half-hurt expression on his face. "No, no, I mean it will be good for you to face everything without me in the way." Sam realized there was really no way to put it without sounding insulting. What he really wanted to say was You have to toughen up and be strong on your own, because I can't always be there to protect you.
Their discussion over, they simply stayed sitting on the bed, cuddling. Sam had been more and more cuddly as of late, it seemed.
"Rory, baby?" Sam said, breaking the silence.
"Yes, Sammy?"
"I… I really am sorry. About, you know, nationals," Sam answered, his face turning a dark shade of crimson, hanging his head as if in shame.
Rory scrunched up his face. "I thought we agreed to put it behind us. Not to dwell on it."
Sam shrugged. "I know, but… I still feel really awful about it. Sometimes, when I look in your eyes, I just see that hurt there, and it kills me. Doing anything to make you cry is like one of the seven deadly sins to me. I have to do something to make it right."
The young teenager sat up straight and pulled Sam's chin over with his fingertips. "Sam, I forgive ye'. What more do ye' want?"
The blonde looked him in the eye and replied, "To make it up to you."
Rory sighed. Sam was having serious guilt issues about something he was ready to put past them. "There's nothing to make up for. I'm not sad about it, so there's no hurt to see in me eyes, ye' understand Sam?"
Sam smiled and nodded, dropping it for the time being. Even if Rory insisted he was over it, Sam could still look at him and see the pain, almost like he was looking deep into his very soul, seeing the scar he had left. He'd never forgive himself as long as he could see that.
-ooo-
Rory's gifts to the Evans family were very well received. Mrs. Evans loved her scarf, anxious for the cold weather to settle in so she could wear it. The festive colors seemed just right for her personality. Mr. Evans put his shot glass to immediate use, testing with a shot of coffee. The children were excited about their paintings. Almost instantly they were demanding their brother mount them in their rooms.
"Next time give them something that doesn't put me to work," Sam teased, nudging Rory in the side as the children went on and on about their pictures. Lastly, Sam received his guitar strap. His eyes lit up upon opening the wrapped package. He knew immediately what it was, but neither of his siblings had the slightest clue. Stacy thought it was a belt, and Stevie thought it was a necktie of some sort. Sam ran to grab his guitar and swap out straps, proudly throwing it over his shoulder to show it off.
"You are so awesome. I love this! I've wanted a new strap, because this one's worn out, but couldn't find anything I liked. This is perfect!" Sam exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek. Neither Stacy nor Stevie said anything about the display of affection, both having stopped questioning why their brothers did such things.
Later in their bedroom, Rory was going through his messenger bag when he came across Seamus' envelope. "Oh yeah, here. This is from Seamus." He handed the decorative envelope over, Sam grinning as he took it.
On the front was Sam's name scrawled in messy handwriting similar to his own. He tore it open and took out the card. Several snapshots fell out of it onto his lap. Sam picked them up and started to look through them. They were various pictures of Seamus' model, some of them on the track of Lego's that Sam had constructed.
Sam,
Thanks for the awesome model! I love it! You're the coolest big brother ever! I'll send you something special soon. I put some pictures of me model in here for you. I promised I would. Take care of Rory, he needs watching out for. Thanks again!
Love, Seamus
"Aww, that was so nice of him," Sam said, thumbing through the pictures again. Rory snatched up the card and read it.
"That little bugger. 'Coolest big brother ever.' What am I? Rotted soil? 'Take care of Rory, he needs watching out for.' What's that supposed to mean?" he pouted, tossing the card onto the bed. "No wonder he said not to open it."
Sam put his arm around him. "Don't be jealous. He's super excited. Let him be happy. Trust me, you're the coolest guy ever, no matter what Seamus may say," he said, kissing him on the side of the head. "He just wants to make sure I take good care of you."
Rory smirked. "He's still a bugger. I wonder what he's goin' 'to send ye'." Sam shrugged and pulled his boyfriend next to him on the bed, spooning him.
"Maybe another model to put together. Who knows? I guess we'll find out later," Sam replied. "Don't be bitter. Just snuggle with me."
"Okay, if ye' insist," Rory teased. He rolled over to face his blonde, looking into his beautiful green eyes. "I could get lost in ye'r eyes and stay there forever. They're like the sea."
Sam grinned. "Mine are like the sea and yours are like the ocean. And I'm trouty mouth and you're a champion swimmer. I think this relationship has an unhealthy obsession with water." They both giggled at his observation. It did seem rather amusing that their relationship was so "aquatic," as it were.
-ooo-
And lost he became, as the next week passed by quickly. He re-acclimated to the time change and started to prepare for the next week, when school would start again.
Sam was dreading the beginning of school more than Rory was. The beginning of school signaled the time that he needed to start looking for real work. His parents had allowed him to keep up with just the part time pizza delivery job through the summer, with the understanding that once Rory went to school, he would take on full time work.
The graduate had no idea where to start. When asked what his goal was, he would say that he wanted to make an album of his own one day. After a long conversation with his father, he realized that he had a long way to go, and would need to find some way to get himself more familiar with the business.
Taking his dad's advice, Sam started to look into media-based jobs around the area. News casting, public access television, radio. He was willing to even be a janitor if it would get him in the door. Getting inside was the hard part. Once he was in, working his way around would be the less challenging part, or so he thought.
-ooo-
"Bye, baby. I'll be thinking about you all day long," Sam said, kissing his boyfriend on the mouth. He got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door, letting Rory out. The Irishman stood up out of the car, grabbing Sam's hand as he did.
"I'll be fine. I've got our friends, remember?"
"I know. I guess it's just weird for me. It's the first time I'm not going in there, and everyone else is," Sam admitted. "Now I have to find a real job, too. It's kind of scary. I feel like a kid trapped in a grown-up's body."
Rory gave him a warm smile. "Don't stress, just focus on what ye' need to do and do it. That's what they say on the telly."
Sam suppressed a giggle at Rory's word choice for a television before replying. "You're right. I guess you better get going. I'll be here to pick you up as soon as your last class lets out. I promise." He kissed Rory one last time and watched him go into the school. He couldn't help but stare at the boy's rear, accented by his snugly fitting pants.
-ooo-
Sugar Motta was the only person in Rory's homeroom that he really knew. They sat next to each other, relaying their summer vacations. Sugar's was by far more impressive with a new trip every other week, all involving luxurious hotels, yachts, and beautiful beaches, all of which she had pictures of on her iPad.
Rory smiled and nodded kindly as she showed him picture after picture, recounting the tales of her travels. His summer was far less fascinating, but it meant a lot more to him than her trips did to her. For Sugar, luxury was her life. She was used to getting whatever she wanted, and having anything she could imagine. Even though Rory's family was decently well off, they still didn't live to the extreme Sugar did. Sam's visit in particular meant way more to him than anything else. Sam's visit brought a lot of change into his home life, particularly with Pap. Things like that couldn't be bought. Things like that didn't have pictures, or hotels, or yachts, but they had memories, and those were far more valuable.
The Irishman was glad when homeroom actually called to order; anything to get Sugar to stop with the pictures. Rory liked Sugar well enough as a friend, but she definitely tried way too hard to get people to like her. Rumor had it, too, that she had a little bit of a crush on him, but that was last year.
Rory made it through his first couple of hour-and-a-half long classes and then it was time for lunch. He was excited to see Tina, Artie, Blaine, and Sugar all sitting together in the cafeteria. Tina waved him over to make sure he saw them.
They exchanged tales of their summer vacations. Tina spent her summer mostly with Mike, going on a trip to China for two weeks. He didn't leave for college until a week before school started, but thankfully he was only a couple hours away.
Artie spent his summer at A/V camp. There, he learned more about directing, synchronizing audio and visuals, and all around gaining more experience with the technical side of performing. Over the past two years he had found that part of the art to be much more to his liking, since he was unable to dance and often felt like spectacle or gimmick.
Blaine had spent as much time with Kurt as possible, taking a week's vacation in California together. Kurt moved to New York with Rachel a full month before college began; securing an apartment and getting settled in before everything got hectic again. The two men had agreed to maintain a long distance relationship, with hopes that once Blaine graduated, he would either attend NYADA himself, or at least find reason to move to New York.
-ooo-
Glee club wasn't scheduled to start until Tuesday, and from then on meeting every Tuesday and Thursday and Fridays were reserved for glee performances should they have one. The swim team wouldn't be meeting until after the new year, when the season started. Nonetheless, Rory was going to be very busy. It would make life without Sam at school a little more bearable. So much to do, it would keep his mind off of missing him all day.
As he had expected, Sam was standing by his locker at the very end of last period. Rory's face lit up when he saw him leaning cooly up against the locker, a smug grin on Sam's face.
Rory hurried up to him, sticking his hand out to touch him. "I just had to check and make sure ye' were real. I've been thinkin' about ye' all day, I thought I might be seein' things."
Sam grinned and pulled his hand from behind his back, a single white carnation. It had green tips on it; obviously dyed through colored water. He handed it to his boyfriend and kissed the blushing teenager on the forehead.
"How was your first day back?" Sam asked, paying no attention to the strange looks a few people gave as they walked by them.
"It was alright. I got to see our friends. It seems kind o' weird though, so many o' them gone," Rory answered. He opened his locker and stuffed his textbooks in it, switched out what he needed to take home with him, and crammed them in his bag. He was about to reshoulder it when he felt Sam's strong hand taking it from him.
"Yeah, I bet it's weird. Especially not seeing Brittany. I mean, you started the school year with her last year. And Kurt, and Mike, Rachel and Finn. Wow, yeah, it must be really weird," Sam lamented. "At least there's no Santana."
Rory scratched his chin. "It seemed kind o' empty. Like something was missing all day," the Irishman stated. "At least all we did all day was go over syllabuses and sign out texts. They should 'ave just sent the paper in the post. I can read."
The Irish boy felt thick fingers tickling his own as Sam's hand found his, fingers linking together. Sam led him outside to the parking lot, where his car was. The chivalrous graduate opened the door for him, and then shut it behind him. Before he got in himself, he turned around and looked back at the school.
Sam had never considered himself particularly sentimental when it came to things like school, but for some reason it seemed so odd coming back, but not going to class. Instead he was just dropping off and picking up his boyfriend, not worrying about studying, or tests.
"Sammy? Sammy?" he heard the young teen calling. It snapped him out of his daze, letting him finally duck into the driver's seat.
"Are ye' alright?" Rory asked, concerned over Sam's seemingly strange behavior.
"Just remembering stuff. I guess actually going back inside brought back a lot of memories," Sam answered, a content look on his face.
Rory raised an eyebrow. "Good ones, I hope."
The smile on his boyfriend's face was enough to answer Rory's question. "Yeah. Lots of them. The past two years sure were a wild ride." Rory just smiled in return and Sam began the drive back home. Rory told him about particulars of his day, explaining Sugar's photobombing and the activities their friends had over summer break.
When they made it home, Sam followed Rory inside just long enough to change into his delivery uniform. "I'm working until ten thirty, so if you're tired, you don't have to wait up," he said, pulling his shirt over his head.
"And miss kissing ye' goodnight? I don't think so," the brunette argued with a smirk. "I went a whole summer not getting me kiss goodnight. I'm not passing any up now that I'm home."
Sam smiled at the sound of Rory calling their bedroom 'home'. Even though he had lived there with Sam and his family for half a year, it was nice to see that Rory still thought of them as his home, his family. A summer away didn't change that one bit.
Sam went on to work, leaving Rory to amuse himself with a video game until the others came home. The children were excited to see him as usual, Stevie begging for him to play soccer with him. Stacy sat outside and watched them, scribbling on her drawing pad with her markers.
During dinner, he relayed his day to the rest of the family, feeling like things were already falling into place again. He sat on the couch and watched Family Guy with Mr. Evans before calling it a night. He sat up in bed, reading on his Kindle, a content smile on his lips. Next to him on the bedside table, the white carnation sat in a glass of water. What a wonderful way to end the school day – finding his boyfriend standing by his locker to greet him with a pretty flower and a kiss.
About ten, his phone started to vibrate on the table. A text from Sam.
Gonna be around 11. Gotta help with cleanup at the shop. I'll kiss you when I get home, asleep or awake. Love you!
Eleven wasn't too late, but Rory was already yawning. His eyes weren't focusing on his Kindle screen anymore, so he turned on the TV. There was a rerun of The Simpsons, which sent him off to sleep before he had the chance to even slide down in the bed.
-ooo-
The first day of glee club was a little somber. The only students left were Rory, Sugar, Artie, Blaine, and Tina. The rest of the original group had graduated. That meant they needed seven more people to join the club in order to qualify for sectionals. In the past it had been a chore to recruit one or two people, let alone seven.
"I know it might seem a little discouraging, but Artie, Tina, you both remember what it was like when we started out. There was only you two, Kurt, Finn, Rachel, and Mercedes. By sectionals we had the twelve needed, so I know we can do it again, right guys?" Mr. Schuester tried to encourage.
Sugar stood up. "Uhm, in case we can't find anyone, I can always pay some people to join. Daddy would never let us disband the club," she said excitedly.
"Thank you, Sugar, but I think we'd really prefer to have people join because they want to, not because they were paid to," Mr. Schue replied. Sugar shrugged and sat back down.
"Don't turn her down just yet, Mr. Schue. If we get desperate…" Artie began. Mr. Schuester sighed, knowing that Artie may very well be right.
"In the past, we always did a performance to rally participation. Don't you think we should start there?" Tina suggested. "Sign up sheets and a song usually are a good place to begin."
Blaine nodded his head. "I agree. We should do a really awesome performance in the quad this Friday. If people see how much fun we're having-"
"Not to interrupt your enthusiasm, Blaine, but nobody ever seems to care how much fun we're having. They just try to break us down either way. Come to think of it, we usually end up getting people for the oddest reasons," Artie said.
"Don't knock him down so soon, Artie," Rory piped up. "I think they 'ave the right idea. What else are we gonna do anyway?"
Sugar stood back up. "If we need special effects, my daddy can totally make sure we have whatever we need. The flashier the better!" Nobody could really argue with that. To get seven more members, they were going to need a miracle, and flashy song and dance was all they had going for them at the moment.
"So what are we going to sing, Mr. Schue?" Blaine asked. He hadn't thought far enough ahead to have a song selection ready. "We need something that showcases all of us!"
"Agreed. Anyone have any suggestions?" Mr. Schuester asked. His five students all looked blank faced. They were dry on ideas, too.
They spent the remainder of the session thinking of song ideas that would give each of them a chance to show off their talent. That wasn't an easy task, either, since they had such a varied range of voices. They needed something that was going to catch the ears of everyone in the quad. Something they could add flashy special effects to. Something that would really 'wow' everyone.
They left that afternoon still undecided what to perform.
-ooo-
Blaine gave Rory a ride home, Sam having had to go to work before glee was over. Rory invited him in, asking if he wanted to dig around for a song selection. They went to Rory and Sam's room, Rory tossing his bag on the bed and booting up his laptop. Sam's computer was already up, but he preferred to use his own – somehow he felt it more respectful of Sam's privacy, even though they didn't really keep any secrets.
He plopped down on the bed, leaning on his elbows and moving his fingers around on the trackpad, pulling up his iTunes. Blaine sat in the desk chair, his ankles crossed, leaning forward, attentive.
"So, what do you have on there?" the brown eyed boy asked.
"Come look," Rory replied, patting the comforter next to him. Blaine got up and plopped down next to him, feeling a little awkward being so physically close to someone that wasn't Kurt. Of course, he rarely thought of such things, but ever since Kurt left for New York, he seemed to be more aware of what he didn't have. He had already been craving just to cuddle with his boyfriend, but from hundreds of miles away, that wasn't possible. He would settle for a good hug, and being so close to Rory, who gave great hugs, he was tempted to just wrap his arms around him and squeeze.
The only thing was, he didn't want a friend hug from Rory. What he wanted was a romantic hug from Kurt. The kind of hug where they pressed up against each other, feeling the heat between them, the contours of each other's bodies. The kind of hug that made his knees weaken just a little bit. The kind of hug that warmed his heart and drained away all of his stress and pain. That wasn't something he could get from Rory.
"Blaine? Ye' okay?" Rory's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, the Irishman's nudging him in the shoulder.
Blaine gave a weak smile and shrugged it off. "Yeah, sorry. Just having a moment. So uh, what kind of playlists do you have?"
Rory eyed him suspiciously. "A moment? Ye'r missing Kurt, aren't ye'? I had the same 'moments' when I was in Ireland." He went to ruffle Blaine's hair in an act of comfort, but there was so much gel in his hair that Rory's hand came away slightly sticky.
Both boys giggled and then went into a full laughing fit. "Kurt always used to tease me that I used just a tad too much gel. I guess that proves it!"
Rory got up and ran to the bathroom to rinse his hand off, plopping back down on the bed afterward. Blaine seemed slightly more at ease, as if for a moment, his thoughts of Kurt weren't plaguing him.
"Ye' know, ye'r welcome to visit any time ye' like," Rory offered. "I know what it's like, missing the person ye' love. Me and Sam, we can keep ye' company."
Blaine smiled, this time a happier grin of genuine contentedness. "Thanks. That means a lot." He looked back at the screen and started pointing at various artists, Rory clicking madly to keep up with Blaine's pointing.
-ooo-
Blaine left shortly before dinnertime, the boys having selected three songs they wanted to present to the rest of the glee club. Rory was going to ask him to stay for dinner, but he felt a little odd asking someone over for a meal when he hadn't even asked first.
When Sam came home, it was around eleven again. He hated staying out so late, but any extra hours were sorely needed. He was pushing for more and more hours, but the pizza place could only afford but to give him so many. If he reached forty a week they had to consider him full time, and that wasn't in their interest.
As he had the night before, Sam sent Rory a goodnight and his love on a text around ten, and then when he got home, he silently stripped to his boxers and climbed into bed, kissing Rory on the forehead and whispering his love once again, just to be sure.
-ooo-
When Sam picked Rory up from school, he dropped him off at home, changed, and ran out the door in a matter of minutes. He was running behind and didn't want to waste any time getting into his deliveries. More deliveries meant more money. He kissed Rory goodbye and went on to the shop to pick up his first route.
Rory spent the afternoon working on his first assignments for the semester, listening to music, and reading. He hadn't been asked to watch the kids yet, and truth be told, he wasn't anxious to get into that routine yet. He adored Stacy and Stevie, but they tended to wear him out, and he wanted to get back into the swing of things a little bit before taking up his babysitting duties again.
Around nine, he sent Sam a text message, asking if he was going to be much longer. Sam replied that he had two more deliveries and then he would be on his way home. Rory grinned in anticipation. He might actually get to see Sam for more than a few minutes! His excitement overtaking him, he started rushing about the house, trying to get some things ready for what would be their first evening—and not just sleeping next to each other at night—together since school started.
