Sam is sitting on the edge of his bed. His suitcase is packed and his ticket for New York is in his hand. In his other though, is the ring Will had given him. His heart races when he thinks about how he's going to do it, to ask Blaine to marry him. He wants nothing more than for it to be perfect, so that when they look back on it, it'll be the happiest day of their lives.
Someone knocks at his door and his dad pokes his head into the room. "Ready to go?"
Sam smiles, "Yeah, dad."
Will puts an arm around his son, feeling more proud of him than ever. "You and Blaine have fun on your trip. And don't worry about when or how to ask him, son. You'll know when the time is right." Will shrugs, "You did after all help me propose to Emma."
Sam smiles remembering the scene at the pool. He couldn't remember a time when he was happier than now, but he'd decided a long time ago that he was glad things happened the way they did and wouldn't change anything.
Catching sight of his NYPD baseball cap he'd bought last year before Nationals, he grabs it and puts it on before giving Emma a goodbye kiss on the cheek. "Bye mom. Love you."
"Love you too, Sam. Have fun!" She says happily.
...
"See you in a few hours, little brother." Cooper says as he and Blaine facetime over the phone.
Blaine smiles, "Hey Coop, thanks again for letting Sam spend a couple of weeks with us, Coop."
Cooper smiles, "Anytime Blaine. I just want you happy and that guy is perfect for you."
"He's pretty great isn't he?" Blaine laughs.
"Hurry up or you'll miss your flight." Cooper says ending the call.
Blaine smiles and grabs his bags by his bedroom door. He makes sure everything in the apartment is off and unplugged except for the dvr, that thing has to record his Real Housewives. He takes his ticket from the table by the front door and opens to door just in time to see Sam standing in front of him about to knock.
Sam is beaming when he sees his boyfriend.
"What, do I have something in my teeth?" Blaine asks feeling like something was off.
Sam shakes his head quickly, "No, nothing like that, it's just you didn't gel your hair."
Blaine's eyes widen. He'd put off packing until this morning and his call with Cooper had taken longer than he'd thought. "I have to fix it!"
Sam grabs his arm when he tries to go back inside. "Leave it. It's sexy when you let it go free."
"But, it's so curly. If I don't do something with it, it'll go full-on Jew-fro. I can't go to New York with a Jew-fro, Sam!" Blaine's face is panicked and his body reeks of self-consciousness.
Sam sighs, "You'll be fine. There's lots of Jews in New York, besides, you can fix it at the airport. Your gel is in your carry on right?"
Blaine nods. "Yeah, I guess I can do that. Do you think I could wear your cap?"
Sam laughs and takes the cap off his head and puts it on Blaine's. He shakes his head, "You're lucky I love you."
"Love you too," Blaine smiles before kissing him quickly on the lips.
"Come on," Sam says taking him by the hand, "we're going to miss our flight."
...
The energy of New York is like electricity in the air. The second Sam and Blaine, whose hair is now perfectly gelled, feel it the second they step out of the airport. They hail a cab and head over to Cooper's new apartment. It's a huge brownstone with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. A decent kitchen and the living room is huge. Blaine's room is by the kitchen and Cooper's is down the hall.
"Oh look, a queen sized bed for us to cuddle in." Blaine says to Sam as they drop their bags.
Sam smiles and kisses his boyfriend, leading him over to the new fluffy mattress. They land with a thud and laugh through their kissing.
"God I love you so much," Sam says breathless between kisses.
Blaine smiles, "Too bad Coop's still here or I'd make you show me how much you love me."
They laugh and sit up, deciding to cool off before christening the new apartment. A few minutes later they enter the living space and find Cooper sitting on the couch.
"You two done fornicating? I was thinking we could go grab a late lunch and then go check out the Book of Mormon tonight if you guys want." By the look of glee in Sam's eyes he knows procuring the tickets was a good idea.
Sam is practically vibrating with excitement. "Are you serious?! That's like the best musical ever!"
Blaine snorts, "I thought you said Grease was the best musical ever?"
"Best movie musical, ever. This one's still only on stage." Sam corrects.
"I guess we should get going then. It's almost two, and if we want to have time to eat and then hit the five o'clock show we should leave now." Cooper says standing up.
They nod, "Let me grab my wallet from my room," Sam says running back for the ring in his bag. He wants it on him just in case.
...
The day is fairly normal. They eat lunch at the Playwright . Sam won't shut up about how amazing the shepherd's pie is. Blaine laughs and says that he thought it was good too, but preferred his chicken pot pie because the top crust was like eating a fluffy baked cloud. Cooper gets a call just after the musical lets out and has to head off to the studio for a meeting.
"You two have fun and try not to get lost." He says before leaving his brother and Sam behind.
Blaine smiles, "Don't worry, I'm going to take Sam on the seaside cruise. I got a deal on a pass. I can show him all of the city and then some."
Coop nods and gives the okay for the cab driver to go. Sam kisses Blaine on the cheek and takes him by the hand. "Seaside cruise, huh?"
Blaine smiles, "Yeah, I kind of booked us a private tour." He wonders if this is Sam's thing and begins to get nervous. "We, we don't have to go if you don't want to. I can get my money back, I think."
Sam smiles and kisses Blaine on the lips to shut him up. "You're so cute when you're nervous. I want to go. It sounds fun." Sam says assuring Blaine.
...
On the boat, they're almost to the Statue of Liberty when Sam notices Blaine getting up.
"I'll be right back, I just want to check on something."
Sam gives him a nod and something shoots through his soul. This is it. This is the perfect spot. The view of the city and the Statue of Liberty. I can't think of a better spot.
Just then Blaine returns with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. "I thought since we deserved a treat on a special trip."
Sam smiles. "You're the best boyfriend ever. I can't imagine what I'd be like without you in my life, past present and future."
Blaine smiles, "I'm glad you said that, because I wanted to ask you something."
Sam's eyes go wide as he watches Blaine drop to one knee. The dark haired boy pulls out a black velvet box from his pocket, "Sam, I know we're both really young, and we still have another year of high school..."
"Yes!" Sam says interrupting him.
Blaine smiles, "You didn't even let me finish." He laughs and then his expression becomes a confused one as he watches Sam fiddle with something in his jeans pocket.
"I was actually going to ask you first, and this spot seemed as good as any and then you asked me first, but will you marry me back?" Sam flashes him his classic grin.
Tears fill Blaine's eyes. "Yes, Sam. Yes."
They take their rings and place them on each other's fingers. They kiss and hold each other, soaking in the moment. Sam takes out his phone and they take a few selfies before a deckhand offers to take pictures for them.
Once they return to the docks and leave the boat reality sets in.
"So when do we tell people?" Blaine asks thinking about how people will react to two soon-to-be high school seniors getting engaged.
Sam smiles, "Rachel already knows and so do my parents. Well they know I was going to propose."
Blaine's eyes widen, "I barely told Cooper. What did your parents say?"
Sam wraps an arm around him as they walk. "They said they were happy for me and asked that we try and make it a long engagement. At least a couple of semesters into college before we actually get married."
Blaine nods, "That's not a bad idea. Do you want to go to college?"
Sam shrugs, "I mean yeah, I want a degree, but I kind of like the idea of modeling or being an actor."
Blaine smiles, "Well I'm thinking either NYADA or NYU because of the theatre programs, but I think NYU would be a good fit for you. I kind of like the idea of UCLA too, but I'm still not sure. I just want to be on broadway or be in a movie, maybe release an album."
"We've got some pretty big dreams, don't we." Sam says thinking of how scary things would be if he didn't have Blaine by his side.
Blaine nods, "Yep." An idea comes to his mind and he can't help but smirk.
"What's that look for?" Sam asks perplexed.
Blaine licks his lips, "Cooper's probably going to be the studio for a while. Wanna go back to the apartment and try out the bed?"
Sam is instantly turned on. "Hell yeah, our first time as an engaged couple, in a new bed, in New York. This trip is perfect."
"Just like you," Blaine says before pulling him in for a long, lingering kiss.
...
Nearly a full year has passed. Sam has turned eighteen and he and the other members of Glee club sit in silence. It'd been three weeks, but the pain was still fresh. They'd all been blindsided by it. Blaine sits next to him. Holding Sam's hand he runs his thumb back and forth across Sam's ring finger, feeling the smooth, gold circle.
Lately it's been the only thing holding them together. Finn's death has left a hole that none of them can even begin to know how to fill.
They take the week to sing songs that describe how they felt about their former co-captain. Sam's managed to talk to Rachel twice since it had happened. He wished he could be there for her more, but traveling to New York was expensive and he and Blaine were saving up for an apartment near her loft.
When she walks into the choir room, everyone gets quiet. Sam walks to her and hugs her tightly.
"I missed you, so much." He murmurs, fighting back his tears.
She smiles at him and takes in the look of her best friend. "I missed you too, Sam."
...
After school Sam and Rachel go for a walk. Something's been on his mind for days and he couldn't tell her over the phone. He leads her over to a park bench and they sit.
"I want to run something by you. I kind of want your blessing for something." He asks nervously.
She smiles at him. "You can tell me anything, Sam. You're my best friend."
"I know, that's why this is so hard." He says feeling like he can barely look her in the eyes. The very idea of what he's thinking is wrong, but he wants it so badly that if he weren't to at least ask, it would kill him.
She squeezes his hand, "Sam, just say it. Nothing you say can change the way I feel about our friendship."
"Rachel, you've been there for me, so many times, and since Finn died, I've barely been there for you." Sam says thinking about how he'd spent so much time with Carol and Burt when it happened. He even kept Finn's letterman jacket after Carol said she was throwing it out, when they cleaned out his room.
She rest her head on his shoulder. "Sam, you're way understating things. You texted me every morning to check on me, because you were staying close with Burt and Carol. You're their third kid. You're all they have left now. They know you've got Mr. Schue as your real dad, but Burt and Carol have always seen you as a son. Besides I barely wanted to talk to anyone, so don't worry about me. Now ask me your question."
Sam sighs. "Blaine and I want to get married, this weekend and I'd love it if my best man gave me her blessing. So what do you say?" His heart feels like it might burst from his chest as he lets her take it all in.
Her eyes light up, but tears fill the corners. "This is the best news I've heard in a long time. Yes Sam! You have my blessing and I will be there by your side. Hell I'll go online and get ordained if you want."
Sam laughs and hugs her tightly. "We're doing it in New York. We already filed the paperwork for the license and put a down payment on the loft across from yours. So we just have to figure out how to do this whole eloping thing the right way."
"Sounds like you've done pretty much everything you need to do." She says smiling. "Oh, Sam, I am so, so happy for you and Blaine. I really am."
"Me too, Rach." Sam says hugging her tightly before they leave to tell Blaine the news.
...
Sebastian and Puck are waiting at the airport when Sam and Blaine arrive with Rachel and Quinn, who insisted she make this wedding. They land in less than two hours.
"So where's the location?" Rachel asks grabbing her bag from the conveyer belt.
Sam smiles, "Well we wanted to feel like Finn was there with us."
Blaine continues, "So we picked the spot where he was at his most romantic."
Rachel instantly knows where they're talking about. "The stage where he kissed me at Nationals."
Sam nods, "Is that okay with you?" He asks hopeful.
She nods, tears in her eyes. "It's perfect."
Within the hour they're dressed and everyone is getting in their positions. Quinn got ordained online just for the day. Sam is in his dressing room with Puck and Rachel. "Do you guys think my tux is okay? Should I go with the skinny tie, regular, or bow?"
"Dude, whatever you wear won't matter. Blaine's just going to be thinking about the honeymoon." Puck says with a laugh.
Rachel rolls her eyes. "This one." She holds out the tie that had belonged to Finn. "Kurt gave this to him to wear during sectionals, but Mr. Schue changed the costumes, so he said he was saving it for a special occasion. I think this about as special as you can get."
Sam wipes a tear from his eyes and lets Rachel tie it around his neck. "Perfect."
There's a knock at the door and then it opens. Will and Emma stand there and Sam feels his heart drop. He was breaking the one promise he'd made them. He and Blaine were going to keep the marriage a secret until they got to college. They were going to copy that season of 7th Heaven, when the oldest son eloped and then had a pretend engagement until they got married again at the end.
"Dad! Mom! I can explain!" he says jittering.
Will smiles, "Did you really think we'd miss our own son's wedding?"
Sam is taken aback, "You're not here to stop us?"
Emma smiles and walks over to him. "Sam, you've been through so much for someone your age. Blaine makes you happy, and you make him just as happy. I can't think of two people other than your father and I, that belong together more."
He can't help himself. He hugs her tightly. "Thank you, mom. I love you so much."
He feels Will hugging them both. They all look up and have tears in their eyes. "We're so proud of you, Sam." Will says patting his son on the shoulder and then hugging him again.
"Thanks, dad."
Quinn walks in just as they're all wiping their eyes. "It's time guys."
...
Blaine is waiting by the auditorium entrance when Sam walks into view, taking his breath away. "Wow."
"Wow is right, you look amazing." Sam says taking in the sight of his groom. They take each other by the hand and smile.
"Ready," Blaine asks just as the music begins.
Sam nods and they push open the door. They pause when they see Burt and Carol standing with Will and Emma and Cooper. Sebastian and Rachel are standing by Quinn in the middle of the stage. The look at its edge and the entire glee club, past and present, is there singing the wedding march. They're joined by the Warblers, save for one named Hunter, who was kicked off earlier in the season for juicing his glee club.
Sam smiles at Blaine the entire time they recite their vows. The I dos are finished and Sam dips Blaine as he kisses him for the first time as his husband. The room of family and friends cheer for them.
They head to dinner at a small Italian restaurant that puts Breadsticks to shame. Toasts are given, and then Cooper gives them his gift. Two tickets to Los Angeles for the week.
"Good thing we have spring break this week." Blaine says laughing.
Sam smiles, "Thank you, Cooper."
Cooper smiles, "Anything for my brother, just remember that you two get to live with me until after graduation."
Blaine groans, but accepts it. "Not like you'll be around that much anyways."
It was true. His brother's career was taking off in all the right directions and since there were only a few months left of school.
They left for L.A. the next morning with their friends and families seeing them off. Just before he turns his phone off Sam checks his phone to find three text message.
RACHEL: SAM, YOU ARE THE BEST FRIEND I HAVE EVER HAD AND I LOVE YOU AND BLAINE SO MUCH. HAVE FUN AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME. YOU'VE GIVEN ME THE HOPE THAT SOMEDAY I'LL BE READY TO MOVE ON.
DAD: SON, HAVE FUN. EMMA AND I LOVE YOU AND ARE SO PROUD OF THE MAN YOU'VE BECOME. JUST DON'T START HAVING KIDS UNTIL AFTER COLLEGE. I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE A GRANDPA. ;)
BURT: SAM, YOU MIGHT NOT BE MY BIOLOGICAL OR STEPCHILD, BUT YOU ARE A SON TO CAROL AND I. WE LOVE YOU AND WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HAPPY FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR INVITING US. WE WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD.
Sam lets a tear drop from his eyes reading them. Blaine kisses his cheek. "I love you, my perfect husband."
"I love you too, my hot sexy, curly headed, husband." Sam says running his fingers through Blaine's ungelled hair.
The plane takes off as the sun beams through their window. They know the odds are stacked against them, but then again, when haven't they. Whatever life throws at them, they'll face it together. That's what people do when they're with the one they love.
The End.
...
A/N: I would like to start off by apologizing for the lack of updating this story. I knew almost immediately after I posted the last chapter, that I was going to only write one or two more on this story. After Cory Montieth died, if felt weird trying to write the rest of this story and I couldn't come up with any ideas for even a single Glee fic, so I focused on other projects. I want to thank all of you who have stuck it out with this story and have reviewed every time I posted a new chapter. Shanehardy, GleekShip, and TV Time deserve a huge shout out for all the times they let me bounce ideas or vent to them about my issues. Thanks, buddy. I am going to continue to right fan fics, but right now I don't have any plans for anything concerning a new Glee fic. I'm working on a Teen Wolf one at the moment which is currently 9 chapters deep. Again thank you to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed. You guys have made me feel like my writing actually matters, so thank you.