LUNA'S POV

During the course of that afternoon, Sam and I talked, laughed, and recorded some music together. 11:00 arrived fairly quickly, and without an ounce of fatigue amid the long day, I heartily walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth and change into my nightgown. Perks of staying up late: nobody is awake to hog the bathroom.

Upon arriving back into my bedroom, I notice that Sam has already changed into her pajamas. She sports a teal T-shirt and fuzzy, musical-themed pajama pants. I would have been more fazed by her adorable attire if it weren't for the fact that Sam's face is sporting an expression of anxiety. The girl is gazing down at her phone, evidently troubled by something.

"Sam…" I start, the events of the past few weeks rolling like a film within my subconscious. "What's going on?" I whisper, and Sam glances up, biting her lip anxiously.

"Luna, I…" Sam's train of thought falters, and I take the silence as an opportunity to grip my girlfriend's hand. I guide Sam to the top bunk with me, Sam slightly reluctant regarding the bed's weight capacity. I try my best to ease her anxiety, holding her hands and willing her to look into my eyes.

"Sam." I repeat. "What's the matter?" Sam releases a shaky breath, and I allow her a moment to compose herself. Moments later, Sam flingers her arms around me, shaking. I coo to her gently, wrapping her within the hug.

"I-It's so stupid, Luna." Sam whimpers, voice breaking with emotion.

"I doubt it's stupid," I murmur sympathetically, and with the hope of alleviating Sam's anxiety, I give her back a gentle rub. With a couple gentle rubs, Sam's tremors die down. She breaks away from our hug, eyes glistening. Her mascara received the worst of it; it was smudging due to her tears. I didn't give a care in the world. I kiss Sam's cheek affectionately.

"I was given an opportunity." Sam finally pipes up feebly.

An opportunity? What could that possibly mean? My mind skims over the many possibilities. Is Sam leaving the country? Who is she working with?

"What… kind of opportunity?" I croak, uncertain as to Sam's response.

"Well, it's for the Royal Rumble." Sam reveals, sounding rather ashamed, though I don't see why she should. I take the distressed girl's hands, allowing her a moment to think. Sam's gaze remains on our intertwined hands.

"Mrs. V gave me an opportunity to perform an original song at the concert." Sam states feebly, and my heart ignites at the news. I won't deny that I experienced a shred of relief knowing that Sam isn't leaving the country.

"Sam, dude, that's awesome!" I gasp, allowing my excitement to get the better of me. I draw Sam's hands to my chest, clasping them tightly. "You're totally qualified. Seriously, your voice is so angelic, I wouldn't be surprised if-"

I stop mid-sentence upon diverting my attention back to Sam. All giddiness gone, I watch as Sam's eyes swim with fresh tears.

"Aw, hey." I murmur meekly, releasing Sam's hands and resting mine upon her cheeks.

"Luna, you're so sweet, but you know I'm not qualified." Sam wipes at her eyes, sniffling gently. "I can't even perform at an open mic without having a panic attack."

Sam curls herself within a tight ball, her lip quivering. Without hesitation, I pull my girlfriend into a tight hug, rocking her gently.

"And w-whenever I make a mistake in front of Mrs. V and Michelle, all I can imagine is hundreds of eyes watching me make that mistake." Sam sobs, curling further within my embrace. Hearing Sam sob sends shock waves of sadness throughout my whole body.

Gosh, I hate hearing you cry, Sam.

"And-and…" Sam stops to release a couple sobs and regain her breath. "And it's s-stupid, 'cause I've always dreamed of performing before big crowds." Sam releases a hiccup, nuzzling her face within my chest.

"I admire your confidence, Luna; the fact that you can perform anything at any time with impeccable talent." Sam murmurs, her voice choked with tears.

Evidently flattered, I chuckle shyly. "I'm not sure about that, Sam." I state, hoping to divert the attention away from me. I don't wish to make Sam any more upset than she already is, and my eccentric stories about my past performances will most likely do just that.

There's a brief silence within the bedroom, the only sounds being Sam's gentle hiccups and sniffles. Finally, however feebly, Sam's voice pipes up, muffled within the folds of my nightgown.

"I think there's something wrong with me…"

There's a pause as I allow Sam's words to sink in. I tense up, only able to feel the trembling form of my girlfriend in my arms. Tears spring to my eyes as Sam's sadness, in waves, cascades from her body. It's practically palpable.

"Luna?" Sam whimpers, confused regarding my sudden silence.

"Sam… no no, honey. There's nothing wrong with you." I murmur in the most comforting manner possible, kissing the top of Sam's head. We break away from our hug, and I place Sam's head within my hands. Tear tracks run down the length of Sam's cheeks, tinged black from her mascara.

"Samantha Sharp." I begin in a firm, yet gentle tone. Sam, startled by the use of her full name, perks up with interest.

"Don't you dare say things like that about yourself. Do you hear me?" I state. I kiss Sam's flushed nose, as well as wipe the tears from her eyes. Sam nods feebly, and though she's no longer crying, her cheeks and eyes are still red. I pull her back into a tight hug.

"Hey, you know what? I'll help you practice your song." I pipe up after a brief silence. "You'll be ready for the stage in no time!"

Sam chuckles weakly within my embrace, though I can tell that, however weak, it's genuine. "I would love that." She murmurs contently before releasing a large yawn. "Just… maybe not right now." She mumbles, cuddling against me.

Grinning at the feel of her warm body pressed against mine, we lie down, drawing the blanket over us.

"Is... this why you couldn't sleep last night?" I question feebly, and Sam nods. "Well," I begin, kissing the girl's forehead. "Maybe you can rest easy tonight, eh love?" I murmur into her ear, and Sam smiles at the show of affection.

I begin fondling Sam's hair, experiencing an odd pleasure in the silkiness of it.

"Sam?" I pipe up curiously, and Sam doesn't bother answering, just provides a sweet murmur in response. "How does this connect to your tears during band today? Did something happen during your rehearsal?"

I brace myself as Sam exhales thoughtfully, for more reasons than one. Did Michelle say something hurtful to her? What if Sam starts crying again? I don't know if I can handle anymore heartbreak, man…

"Sort of…" Sam murmurs, a lengthy pause following her words. "I was stressed out about performing, and on top of that, Doug yelled at us for engaging in physical contact, which, really, was no more than a hug."

I nod, recalling this afternoon quite vividly. The growl to the judge's voice as he leered his angry face over us. The scent of afternoon coffee on his breath. As childish as it sounds, it was terrifying, but I don't admit it.

"Well," Sam says, sighing exasperatedly. "It reminded me a lot of my uncle."

I cock my head in interest, unable to hold back the giggle that issues forth. "Is your uncle an asshole?" I question, immediately regretting my words. Insulting Sam's family is the last thing I'd wish to do. Thankfully, Sam doesn't take my words to heart. She cracks a sly grin.

"Well… yes. I guess you could say that." She states. She sits up, and I draw her in with one arm. Sam giggles as I kiss her warm neck.

"Just recently, actually, my aunt and uncle visited." Sam continues, rekindling a fragment of my memory.

"I feel like I can recall this..." I murmur, tapping my chin in feigned thought. Of course I can remember Sam telling me about such things; I tend to remember everything Sam tells me with acute recollection.

"You may remember." Sam states. "That's when my mom was going on a baking craze when you guys were over." Sam chuckles at the memory, and I smile, both at the memory and at Sam's joyful expressions.

"The days when the two of them were visiting were not fun, let me tell you." Sam states, working a migraine out of her temples. "My uncle is extremely homophobic." Sam swallows hard, and my heart sinks.

"That's so hard." I murmur, well aware of how hard it can be to bottle up your beliefs in the presence of family.

"Yeah." Sam releases a shaky breath. "Honestly, I was forced back into the closet, and I did not like it." Sam chuckles meekly. Though the subject is in no way a laughing matter, I find myself chuckling alongside Sam. Most likely from sheer discomfort at the very idea of being forced back into the closet. A veil of seriousness shrouds us moments later, and Sam rubs the back of her neck in a nervous and contemplative manner.

"I mean, to put it simply…" Sam picks at the hem of her shirt awkwardly. "Doug's hostility towards us reminded me of my uncle towards the LGBT+ community. Is there is the possibility that Doug could be homophobic?" Sam asks the question rather suddenly, not allowing me enough time to conjure an adequate answer.

"It's definitely possible." I state, watching as Sam runs her fingers through the fabric of her T-Shirt. In hopes of alleviating the tense energy within the room, I nudge Sam gently. "Or maybe not, cause seriously, that man can't get any more evil." I snort, and Sam cracks a small smile.

Prying Sam's hands away from the hem of her shirt, I hold them gently, admiring their smoothness and the way they fit comfortably within my hands.

"Are you alright, hun?" I quietly rasp, peering into Sam's worn face.

"Yes," Sam begins, glancing up to meet my eyes. "This week has been…" She shrugs her shoulders in thought. "A whirlwind." She expresses, and I can't help but grin. "You could say that." I reply.

I lie down once again, Sam following my lead. I comb my fingers through Sam's hair, allowing my hand to flow down her cheek and graze her lips gently.

"Just lay your weary head to rest, sunshine." I murmur lovingly, earning a blush from my girlfriend. She complies, nuzzling her face into my neck and curling her arms and legs around me.

Sam falls asleep fairly quickly, which is no surprise to me, seeing how emotionally exhausted she was. I recall Sam's adorable cooing as she slept, before I myself lapsed into sleep.


Author's Note:

First and foremost, I want to thank everybody who has supported me throughout this story! On Wattpad, I reached 5.8K views, and I have so many of you guys to thank for that! You are all amazing and are constantly making my dreams come true (as cheesy as that sounds)!

Something I wanted to note (which you may recall me saying back in story #1), Sam's stage fright is something that I created, and it is not canon to the show by any means. I tend to keep this fanfiction as canon as possible, but this was something that I created on a whim at the beginning of the story. :)

That being said, thank you again! 3