Pre-chapter Conversation
"Well, here we are in Chapter Two!" I yelled.
"Oh joy…" Izzy said, rolling his eyes. "Before I forget, what names would you give our feature couplings?" I groaned and glared at him.
"Do you always have to ask that whenever I work with new pairings!?"
"Well yeah!" My partner replied, glaring back. "So get talking!"
"Fine." I sighed, turning to the camera. "For Sam/Twister, if Sam was dominant, the pairing would be called 'Squidster.' As you can see, it uses Blondie's full nickname and the last four letters of Twister's name."
"Hmmm… And if Twister was dominant?" Izzy asked. I got into a thinking pose.
"The pairing would be called 'Twistid.'"
"Twisted?" Izzy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No! Didn't you see the way I spelled it?! It's Twistid!" I yelled. "It uses the first five letters of Twister's name and the last two letters of Sam's nickname! Got it!?"
"I guess…" Izzy scratched his head. "So how about Sam/Otto, as weird as that pairing is?" I glowered at him.
"If Sam was dominant—"
"Yeah right!" Izzy scoffed. I rolled my eyes.
"—The pairing would be called, 'Squotto.'" Again, my partner raised an eyebrow.
"Is that supposed to be Native American or something?" I nodded.
"Sounds that way, doesn't it? Anyway, if Otto was dominant, it would be called…" I shrugged. "'Ottid?'" Izzy shook his head weirdly.
"I don't think I wanna know. Now what about that last pairing?"
"Ahhh yes. Sam and—" I smirked. "—your 'delectable pineapple.'" Izzy's left eye twitched at that.
::WHAM!::
Izzy panted as he held his mallet over my downed body.
"Shut up and tell the names!!!" He roared.
"Alright, alright! Sheesh! Can't even take a joke!" I yelled as I got up. I dusted myself off. "Anyway, if Sam was dominant, the pairing would be called, 'Squidoni.'"
"What, like how they end every other word with 'oni' in those Kraft macaroni commercials?"
"Yep." I replied. "It's a shame they never made any for Rocket Power though. Not that I'd buy it if they did."
"You sure they didn't?" Izzy asked, giving me a doubtful look. I shrugged.
"Maybe, maybe not. I don't remember if they did or not. Anyway, if Keoni was dominant—"
"And he should be." Izzy interrupted with a nod. I smirked at him.
"Why Izzy? Had previous experience?" I snickered at that one.
::WHAM!::
"NONE OF YOUR BEESWAX!!!" He screamed with a monstrous blush.
"Ow…" I again got up. I rubbed my sore head. "Like I was saying, if Keoni was dominant, the pairing would be called…" I scratched my head. "'Keony.'" Izzy raised an eyebrow at that one.
"Let me guess, the first four letters of his name and the last letter of Sammy's? Didn't somebody misspell Keoni's name like that somewhere before?"
"I had no other ideas!" I yelled defensively. "Leave me be, foul creature of my imagination!"
"Riiiiiight… Anyway, we better get to business."
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Triple the Squid, Triple the Trouble
Chapter 2
Three Lucky Guys
"Uhhh…" Sam groaned as he moved around in bed.
"Hey, he's coming to!" A voice said cheerfully.
"It's about time." Another voice grumbled.
'That's odd…' Sam thought. 'Whoever's out there sounds just like me… But why is he talking to himself?'
Slowly, his eyes opened. He was lying in his room. Everything was blurry. He reached over to the dresser and picked up his glasses. When he put them on and sat up, he saw a truly unbelievable sight.
"Whew! I thought you weren't going to make it." The owner of the cheerful voice said.
"Yeah. You were out for at least two days." The owner of the second voice added. Sam gaped in utter disbelief. His eyes were as wide as saucers.
"B-but h-how?" He finally said after a few minutes. He shook his head. "You two look just like me. What happened to me, anyway?"
"Correction: We are you." The owner of the cheerful voice answered.
Standing before Sam was, well, himself. Actually, there were two himselves. Both of the boys were the same height as the blond. They had the same hair, the same glasses, the same everything. It was almost like looking at two mirrors. The only difference was the shirts they were wearing. The Sam on the left (with the cheerful voice) was wearing a red shirt while the Sam on the right (with the more serious voice) was wearing a blue shirt. Both of them, like the original Sam, had Ns displayed on their shirts.
"You mean I was cloned?" The original Sam asked.
"You got it." The Sam in the blue shirt said with a thumbs-up.
"And to answer your earlier question, we don't really know what happened to you." The Sam in the red shirt added. "We woke up and saw you lying on the ground. It was raining." The original Sam sat on the side of the bed, allowing his two clones to sit beside him. He put a thumb to his chin.
"Lying on the ground… Raining…" He muttered before he gasped. "Now I remember! I was struck by lightning while I was playing."
"That's another thing. Don't you know that you're not supposed to stand in an open area during a thunderstorm?" Blue Sam asked.
"I wasn't aware the storm hadn't passed." Sam replied with an embarrassed expression. His eyes widened as he turned back to his clones. "What about my GBA?" Red Sam pulled the mangled game boy out of his pocket and handed it to Sam, whose eyes welled up with tears.
"My system… My game… My data… All gone in the blink of an eye…" He sniffed.
"Chill out. It's not the end of the world." Blue Sam said, rolling his eyes. Sam's head shot up as he realized something.
"Oh man… What am I supposed to do about you two?" The two clones looked at each other before glancing at Sam in confusion. He slapped his head. "I can't exactly tell Mom that I was cloned because I got struck by lightning! She'll freak!"
"Once again, chill out." Blue Sam said. "It's a no-brainer, anyway."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"It's easy." Red Sam answered. "We'll stay out of the way so that no one would get suspicious." Sam gave them a tentative look.
"Hmmmm… I don't know. Mom's not exactly easy to fool. Besides, she cleans the house almost every day."
"Well maybe instead, whenever you go out, we'll leave the house as well." Blue Sam offered.
"What!?"
"Hear me out. We all go out separately and we just stay as far away from each other as humanly possible. That way, nobody will suspect anything."
"That actually doesn't sound too bad." Red Sam commented. Sam still looked unsure.
"Hmmmm… Maybe I should ask someone else for help." He turned to the clones. "Where's Mom at, anyway?"
"Oh, she went shopping." Blue Sam answered. "She'll probably be back in a couple of hours." Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Question: What did she say when she discovered that I wasn't around for two days?"
"Nothing." Red Sam replied. "We sort of—ummm…—" He scratched his head nervously. "—Took your place so that she wouldn't get suspicious while you recovered." Sam sighed with relief.
"That's good to know. She would've gone insane if she found out what happened." He grabbed his shoes and put them on.
"Where are you going?" Blue Sam asked with concern.
"Yeah. Are you sure you're able to walk?" Red Sam added his input. Sam chuckled as he got up and walked around.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be right back." He started to walk out. "Stay out of sight in case Mom comes back." He left the room, but not before looking back inside. "One more thing, thanks for the help."
"No prob. Us clones have to stick together." Both clones replied, putting an arm around each other's shoulder. Sam nodded before leaving. When he left the house, he noticed that it was sunny unlike two days ago when he had his electrifying experience. He got into a thinking pose.
"Hmmm… Now who could I ask for advice?" He asked himself. He looked at the Rockets' house. "I'd ask Reggie, but she's out of town and I don't know if Otto's even around." He sighed lovingly at the mention of the redhead, but he shook his head before any distracting thoughts surfaced. He needed help right now. He then turned towards the street leading down the hill and into the pier.
"Could Tito help?" He looked at the sky for a moment. "Nah! I doubt he'd believe me. Actually, I still have trouble believing this whole thing myself." He thought for a moment, racking his brain for someone, anyone who could help him. After about five minutes of thinking, he turned towards the house right next to his.
"Maybe Twister…" He shrugged. "Worth a shot, I guess. But is he even home?" He nervously walked towards the house where one of his crushes lived. He slowly walked up the stairs leading up to the front door. When he reached the door, he took a deep breath.
'Come on, Sam, relax!' He thought. 'It's only Twister. I mean, sure, he's one of the boys that you've loved for two years, but you need help. Just ring the bell and ask for his advice. And another thing, don't think about how he would look without his clothes on!'
The blond gulped as he slowly held up his right hand and moved it towards the button. He pushed it and the bell that sounded felt louder than anything he's ever heard. It was like the sound of church bells magnified by a dozen or so megaphones. Sam's heart beat quickened as he heard footsteps come closer and closer. It felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest and beat him senseless as the door finally opened.
"I already told ya! We don't want any!" A voice yelled as one of the three most beautiful sights in the world appeared at the doorway. The owner of the voice immediately grinned at the sight of the blond.
"Squiddy-widdy! What's up?" He greeted. Sam retuned the grin and felt himself blush at the nickname. Twister has been calling him that for ages, though he has no idea why. The blond turned his head the other way to get rid of the blush.
"Hey Twist. How's it going?" He asked when he was sure his face wasn't red anymore.
"Great now that you're here." The other boy replied to himself. Sam's eyes widened.
"What?"
"Oh! Err… I mean I'm good! Yeah! That's what I meant!" Twister replied with a nervous chuckle. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Sam lowered his head in disappointment.
"Oh…"
"Hey, something's different about you today, Squiddy." Twister commented. Sam picked up his head.
"Oh? What?"
"I don't know. Something just seems different." The Mexican boy took off his trademark hat and scratched his head.
'Man, I want to feel his hair.' Sam thought. He mentally slapped himself.
"So, are you going to invite me in or what?" He asked with his hands at his hips.
'He looks so cute like that.' Twister thought with half-closed eyes before shaking his head.
"Sorry about that. Come in." He said out loud as he moved aside. Sam walked inside when Twister gasped. "Now I know what's different! It's your hair!"
"My hair?" Sam asked with an eyebrow raised. He then felt his hair. It was sticking up all over the place. Not to mention every strand was stiff. He looked confused for a minute before he remembered the thunderstorm. He had to think of something fast.
"Uhhh… You see, there's a very good explanation for why my hair looks like this." He gave a chuckle. He opened his mouth and prepared to speak, but the taller boy grabbed his wrist.
"Come on. I'll fix your hair for you." He said happily as he dragged Sam towards his room. The blond tried to shake off the new blush that implanted itself on his face.
"Wait! It's not that big of a deal." He tried. He made a futile attempt at resisting. Twister only pulled harder.
"I won't take no for an answer! I'd love to help you any way I can!" Sam coulda sworn Twister emphasized 'love,' but it may have been his imagination.
The taller boy dragged him past the door to Lars' room, which was ajar. The older Rodriguez was lying on his bed, listening to his CD player. His eyes caught sight of Twister pulling an unwilling Sam.
'Is he really going to do it?' The brunet thought. He shrugged. 'It's about time if you ask me.'
He's known for quite awhile that Twister has had his eyes on Sam, despite his pathetic attempts to hide his secret. The younger brother would always yell out Sam's name in his sleep. Not to mention he always caught the redhead staring at some picture that had the blond in a bathing suit on it. Of course, Twister was too afraid to admit his feelings. It took all of Lars' willpower not to blackmail him.
'Still though…' He began. 'I always thought he and Rocket Dork were gonna hook up.' He shrugged and went back to listening to his music.
Meanwhile, Twister had dragged Sam into his room and locked the door.
"Sit over there and make yourself comfortable while I get the brush." He said as he pointed at his bed. Sam gulped again as he sat down.
"Did I already mention that it's not a big deal?" He asked.
"Yeah. Didn't I already say I won't take no for an answer?" Twister shot back smoothly as he dug through his dresser. He soon pulled out a blue brush. After pulling out a few strands of orange, he pulled up a chair and sat in front of Sam. Their faces were inches apart.
"Now stand still. Ok?" He said. Sam gulped for the third time in five minutes as he nodded. He was so tempted to close the gap and live out one of his dreams, but he stood still. He knew perfectly well that Twister was just being nice. Possibly bordering on weird, but nice nonetheless.
Sam relaxed as Twister reached over and applied the brush to his hair. He took in the Mexican boy's scent as his hair was being tamed. He resisted the urge to moan as the orange haired boy made careful strokes. Twister pulled down every single strand of gold. He had to admit, he was rather enjoying pampering his friend.
'Oh how I would love to do more than this.' He thought as he continued brushing. Because he was so close, he took the opportunity to smell Sam's hair. He sniffed and almost withdrew his head immediately.
'Was that burnt skin I just smelled?' He pulled back to see that Sam had his eyes closed in pleasure. He blushed and went back to brushing.
'Hmmm… I wonder why he paused for.' Sam thought.
After pulling down one last section of hair, Twister pulled back to inspect his work.
"Still missing something…" He looked around the top of his dresser and spied a bottle of hair gel. "Perfect." He grabbed the bottle and scooped out a handful of the green substance. He placed it on Sam's head. The blond shivered at the feeling of the cold substance.
"Sorry about that." Twister offered sheepishly. "This'll make your hair stay still." He was blushing madly as he applied the gel to every inch of his head.
"O-ok…" Sam stuttered. He was really having a hard time suppressing a moan as the other boy continued to work. It felt so good to have his fingers running through his hair. It was over too soon as Twister brushed his hair one more time and sat down in front of him.
"Well, it wasn't easy, but I think I got your hair under control." He said, still blushing.
"Yeah. Thanks…a lot…" Sam trailed off as he stared deeply into Twister's eyes. The other boy also couldn't tear his eyes away. The boy in the striped hat slowly closed the distance until their lips met. He closed his eyes as he embraced the blond.
It took a while for Sam's mind to register what was going on, but when it did, he too closed his eyes and returned the kiss. He snaked his arms around the other's waist. Twister ran his tongue along the other boy's bottom lip. Sam gladly allowed access and both boys deepened the kiss. That all-too-annoying need for oxygen came too quickly as they separated.
"Twister…" Sam panted.
"Sam…" Twister breathed. He then blinked and turned his head away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"Twist." Sam made the other boy face him. "It's alright. In fact, I've always wanted to do that." He blushed.
"You…did?" Twister asked, his face reddening. Sam nodded.
"I love you. I always had." Twister grinned.
"Sam… I love you too." The two leaned their foreheads against each other as they grinned.
"So what are we going to tell everyone?" The blond asked, rubbing a hand against his new boyfriend's chest.
"Let's worry about that later." Twister replied, giving him a devilish smirk. "I've been thinking about you for years and I want to make up for lost time." And with that, they both leaned in for another kiss.
An hour later, at Sam's house…
"I'm bored." Blue Sam sighed. He and his red counterpart were sitting on the floor of Sam's room.
"So what do you expect? We can't go anywhere in case Mom comes back." Red Sam replied.
"Correction: Only one of us has to stay. I'm going out." The clone in the blue shirt got up and started leaving.
"Hey! No fair!" The clone in the red shirt protested.
"Look, we can't get caught. Just stay here for a bit and then I'll come back."
"And what if Sam comes back?"
"Just make something up. See ya." Blue Sam answered before he stepped out the front door. "Now where could I go for some fun?" He then noticed the Rockets' house. He grinned.
"I wonder if Otto is around." He walked towards the biggest house in the cul-de-sac.
(A/N: Seeing as they're Sam's clones, they have his memories, his hopes and dreams, and most importantly, his crushes. Just wanted to say that in case any questions arise.)
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Inside the living room of the Rocket household, we join Otto, who's currently laying on the couch in total silence. He was laying his head on his left arm while he played Connect the Dots with the spots in the ceiling with his right hand.
"Man, I'm so alone." He sighed. "Reg and Raymundo are at that skate competition and I don't know what Twist is up to, not that it matters too much. I don't feel like doing anything anyway."
'There was someone else…'
Otto stayed in that position, trying to think of someone who could alleviate him from this boredom. He even started to make out objects with the spots in the ceiling as if they were stars. He created a skateboard in one instance; a huge wave in another; even a half pipe was the subject of one of the "constellations." He continued this for a few minutes before he created the image of a face, but not just any face. The person depicted had shoulder length hair, a wide smile, a wise demeanor, and most notably of all, a pair of black rimmed glasses.
"Sam…" Otto sighed again.
He has known his feelings for the blond boy for at least three years. He was in love with him, pure and simple. He couldn't believe that of all the people to fall in love with, he falls for him. The one he has teased countless times about of his lack of skills on a skateboard, surfboard, and basically anything else associated with extreme sports. He wasn't quite sure what it was that he loved Sam for. Just that he loved him.
'It's probably his brains.' He thought.
Sam is quite possibly the most well-versed of the group. He can speak a few languages, he's great with computers, and he's managed to skip a grade. Otto's even heard that he may have a black belt in karate. Or was it tae-kwon-do? Then again, he heard it from Twister, so it may or may not be true.
'Or maybe it's because he never gives up.'
In every instance in which the group has done sports, Sam was always rolling along with them. Sure, he messed up quite a lot. Sure, he was probably a little on the clumsy side, but he never gave up, at least not too often.
'In any case,' He started with a sigh. 'If me and him ever got together, I'd never have to do taxes.' He chuckled at that idle thought. He frowned as he pulled out a picture from his pocket.
It was the same one that was taken about two years ago, one year after he discovered his feelings; the one of him, his crush, and two of their friends standing at the beach, wearing nothing but their bathing suits. Otto gave a grin at the happy expression of the boy in the center. That quickly turned into a scowl as he looked at the other two boys in the picture.
After he fell in love with Sam, Otto has had somewhat of a personal grudge against Twister and Keoni. He considered them rivals for Sam's feelings. Of course, he never allowed this to surface. He hung out with the other two boys like always. But he couldn't help but think they were after the same thing. He knew that Keoni wouldn't be a problem. He lives across the Pacific in Hawaii. But Twister on the other hand… The redhead smirked. He's always loved a challenge.
"No matter what, Sammy, I'll win your heart." He silently declared.
He sorely wanted to claim the smaller boy as his, not only for the sake of love, but so that he could laugh at the shocked expressions of his rivals. He'd take Sam over to Twister's house and give the blond boy a hug as soon as the orange haired boy opened up. In the case of Keoni, he'd take a picture of him kissing Sam passionately and then e-mail it to the brunet. He snickered at the very thought.
"All's fair in love and war, right?" He gave another chuckle.
He was about to turn on the TV when he heard a knock on the door. Curious, he stood up and went to the door. When he opened it, a very pleasant sight was before him.
"Sam…" Otto felt the air and his confidence leave him as he laid eyes on the blond boy of his dreams. He blushed.
'Chill Otto. This is only Sam.' He thought as he tried to slow his breathing. 'You can do this. Damn, he's fine!' He cleared his throat.
"Hey." He said suavely as he leaned on the doorframe. "What's up?"
"Oh nothing. I just wanted to see you, that's all." Sam replied. Otto gulped.
"So do ya want to come in?" He asked, trying to maintain his cool.
"Sure." Was it Otto's imagination or did Sam wink at him? He shook his head as he stepped aside. Sam walked into the house.
"Hey, that's a cool shirt you got there." The auburn haired boy said as he followed the blond into the living room. "Decided to change your style?"
"Oh yeah. Blue matches my hair better." Sam replied as he sat down on the couch.
"I can tell." Otto said under his breath as he sat down too.
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing!" Otto waved his arms wildly. He abruptly stood up. "Be right back." He walked into the kitchen. He leaned against the sink and took several deep breaths.
'Come on! Chill!' He inwardly yelled at himself. 'You can do this. …Maybe I should just tell him, before Keoni or Twist do.' He grabbed a couple of sodas from the fridge and walked back to the living room.
"Here you go." He said as he handed a can to Sam, who looked at it in confusion. Otto sat next to him and opened his can. He took a sip and looked at the other boy, who still didn't open the can.
"Well?" He asked. Sam looked at him and Otto gulped again. "A-aren't you going to drink?" The blond suddenly put on an expression of fright. He tried to think of something.
"Actually, I'm not really thirsty right now." He responded.
"You sure?" Otto asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yep!" Sam gave the other boy a grin. Otto thought he could melt right there. Sam sighed as he wiped his forehead.
"So do you want to watch a movie?" Otto asked.
"Actually, I needed to talk to you." Sam replied. Otto put their sodas down and turned to him.
"What about?" He asked. Sam shifted uneasily.
'Damn it! I had this whole thing planned!' He thought.
"Well, it's just that—you see, there comes a time when… No. Wrong line. Uhhh… It's actually like this…" Sam trailed off. Otto blinked in confusion.
"Go on…"
"The thing is—Oh screw it!" And with that, Sam grabbed Otto's head and pulled him in close. He closed his eyes as their lips met. Otto's eyes widened.
'He…He chose me!' He thought with glee. 'Sam chose me!!!' He happily closed his own eyes and returned the kiss. Soon the tongues came into play. After tongue wrestling for about three minutes, they parted for air.
"Sammy…" Otto sighed as he embraced the blond.
"Otto, I love you." Sam breathed as he returned the hug.
"Me too." Otto grinned. They stayed in that position for quite some time. Soon, they separated and he stood up, holding Sam's hand in the process. "Come on! We gotta tell Twister the good news!" He dragged him towards the door.
"Woah! What's the rush!?" Sam yelled as he dragged his feet along the floor. "I was thinking we could snuggle or something!"
"There's always time for that!" Otto replied as he faced his new lover. "Besides, don't you want everybody to celebrate our love?" Sam gulped.
"Yes, but—" He was cut off as the slightly taller boy kissed him again.
"Then let's go!" Otto dragged Sam out of the house.
'God, what have I gotten myself into?' The blond thought.
Ten minutes earlier, in Sam's house…
Red Sam, the only one that wasn't in the arms of another guy, was lying on Normal Sam's bed. He was reading a comic book. He soon closed the book and looked up at the clock.
"Man, I wonder where everybody is." He shrugged and reached under the bed to get another comic. Just as he found a new one to read, the phone rang. Sam's head shot up.
"I wonder who that could be." He got off the bed and walked into the living room. The phone rang a few more times before he picked it up.
"H-hello?"
"Hey cuz!" It was Tito. The reception on his end was kinda staticy, but Sam was still able to hear.
(A/N: I know Tito normally calls the members of the group "little cuz," but they're 16. Would it be acceptable if he called the kids "cuz" instead or should I just have him say "little cuz?" I honestly don't know.)
"Hi Tito! Where are you? The signal sounds pretty bad."
"Yea! I'm in the car!" Tito replied. About a couple of years ago, he got a car of his own. "I called because I wanted to know if you wanted to come to the airport with me." Sam raised an eyebrow.
"The airport?"
"Yeah! Don't you remember? Keoni is coming for a visit!" Tito yelled over the static. Sam covered the receiver and squealed.
"Keoni's coming! Yes!" He cheered as he danced around the room. He danced for quite sometime before he heard Tito yelling.
"Are you there!? Ugh! I really need to get rid of this PCS phone."
"Wait! I'm here!" Sam yelled.
"Oh. Good. So do you wanna come or what?"
"Sure! I'd love to!"
"Great! It means so much to Keoni that his friends are there to welcome him." Sam blushed at that. "Well, I'll be there in a few. I still have to call Otto and Twister." The blush disappeared instantly as Sam's eyes widened.
'Oh crap! They're still at their houses!' He thought fearfully. He saw the original Sam enter Twister's house an hour ago and Blue Sam go into Otto's not even five minutes ago. They'll get caught!
"Uhhh… Actually…" He started. "They're not around."
"Oh? Where are they?" Tito asked. Sam racked his brain, thinking of an excuse.
"Uhhh… They're surfing."
"But I didn't see them at the beach before I left…" Sam slapped his head.
"Oh wait. I think they said they were going to Mad Town."
"But I didn't see them there either."
'Damn it!' The clone in the red shirt slapped his forehead again. He grinned as he figured out the perfect alibi. 'Let's see him beat this one.'
"Now I remember where they went! They went mountain boarding!"
"Oh. And why aren't you with them?"
'Is he full of questions today or what?' Sam thought. "I've been a little under the weather today." He faked a sneeze.
"That's too bad. Maybe you should stay home. Keoni will understand."
'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' Sam slammed his head against the wall repeatedly. After about a minute, he heard Tito yell again. He put the phone against his ear. "I'm back."
"What was that banging sound?"
"Nothing. Anyway, I'm well enough to go with you to greet Keoni."
"You sure, cuz?"
"Positive."
"Well, I'm right outside." Tito said. Sam walked over to the window and glared at the sight of the blue sedan that was parked in front of his house.
"How long have you been out there?"
"For the past few minutes."
"And you didn't say anything why?"
"I was enjoying our conversation." Tito replied. Sam slapped his head.
"I'll be right out."
With that, he hung up and walked out. He got in the front seat and put on a seatbelt. They exchanged hellos and basically stayed silent except for the occasional question. When Tito drove out of Ocean Shores and onto the highway, Sam's eyes widened and he muttered a curse.
"Something wrong, cuz?" Tito asked.
"Oh no. Nothing at all." Sam replied.
'I can't believe I forgot! I wasn't supposed to leave!'
At Twister's house…
Clothes were strewn all over Twister's room as he and Sam giggled. They were both lying in bed, naked under the covers. They were both sweaty and incredibly sticky.
"That was great." Sam sighed as he laid his head on Twister's chest.
"Yeah…" Twister said with a content sigh. He ran a hand through Sam's disheveled hair and chuckled. "I guess I wasted all that time brushing your hair."
"Then you'll just have to brush it again, huh?" The blond said, closing his eyes. "It felt good to be brushed by you."
"Then I'll just have to brush your hair more often." The redhead laughed. "You're beautiful, you know?" Sam picked up his head and stared into the other's eyes.
"No I'm not. You're beautiful." Twister put on a surprised expression.
"Me?" Sam nodded. "No way. I'm ugly. I don't even know why you chose me." The orange haired boy looked away.
"Listen to me." Sam said, making Twister face him. "You're gorgeous, handsome, and a little cute." Twister chuckled at that. "I wouldn't choose anybody else in the world. I love you, Twister. Nothing will change my mind." The Mexican boy's eyes watered.
"Sammy… Thank you. I love you too." They leaned towards each other and shared a quick kiss. Sam wiped Twister's tears away. "By the way, didn't you want to come over to tell me something or was that it?" The blond gave him a confused look before he gasped.
"Oh yeah! Now this may seem unbelievable, but—" He was interrupted by the slam of a door and the sound of a couple of voices.
"Come on! Let's go back inside! I'll whisper sweet nothings in your ear!" A familiar voice pleaded.
"As tempting as that offer is, no way Sammy! I wanna tell Twist the good news!" Another familiar voice replied.
"Otto? 'Sammy?'" Twister asked in confusion.
"What's going on out there?" Sam asked as he crawled over his boyfriend to the window. There, he saw Otto and Blue Sam coming towards the house. The clone was pulling on the redhead's arm in a desperate attempt to stall. They were both arguing. "Oh crap!"
"What's the matter?" Twister asked as he moved to join Sam by the window. The blond panicked.
"Get down!" He yelled as he pushed the other boy's head down.
"Hey!"
"Shhhh!"
"Man! Can't a guy get any sleep around here!?" Lars' voice yelled outside the room. "Between these two doing it and those two screaming outside, I can't take a lousy nap!"
'What is he doing outside and with Otto?!' Sam thought fearfully. He started biting his nails.
"Sam, what's the matter?" Twister asked.
"Oh man, oh man, oh man!" Sam chanted as he held and shook his head.
Outside Twister's room, the doorbell rang. Poor Lars, who was already suffering from a headache, trudged angrily towards the front door. When he reached it, he heard two voices arguing.
"Stay still already!" Otto's voice scolded.
"B-but Otto…" Lars raised a sleepy eyebrow at the nervous voice.
"That sounds just like…" He turned towards Twister's door, which was still closed and judging by what was probably going on in there, locked as well. He faced the front door again.
"Then who—"
The ringing of the doorbell broke him out of his musings. He grabbed the doorknob and yanked the door open. If he was stronger, not to mention wide awake, he could've pulled the door right off its hinges. On the other side stood Otto. Someone was behind him, but Lars didn't care at the moment. He sent the redhead a cold glare.
"Ok Rocket Dork, what were you going on about!?" He yelled. Otto ignored him though as he grinned.
"Hey Lars! Meet my new boyfriend!" He stepped aside. The boy standing behind him was cowering in fear. Lars rubbed his temple.
"Ignoring the fact that you just revealed something about yourself that I can, and will, exploit for a minute, I could care less! Now let me go back to sleep!" His eyes widened as the figure stood straight up and faced him.
"B-but Squid!? How?!" He pointed at Twister's room. "But I saw—and heard—the house was shaking! And—ohhh…" He fainted. Otto and Blue Sam raised an eyebrow at the outburst.
"Weird. I guess Twister's in his room." Otto grabbed the other boy's hand. "Come on." He started dragging Sam.
Meanwhile, Normal Sam was sweating bullets.
"Oh crap. If he comes in here, it's over."
"Sam, snap out of it!" Twister said worriedly. He gently shook his boyfriend, but it had no effect. After a few moments of trying, he did the only thing that could get the blond to come to his senses.
He kissed him.
"Wow…" Sam said dazedly as Twister broke the kiss. "Thanks. I needed that."
"Glad you returned to the world of the living. Now will you please tell me what's going on!?"
"Oh man!" Sam yelled as he jumped off the bed and ran over to the door. Twister got a full view of his butt.
"Did anybody ever tell you you have a cute ass?" He asked as he walked up to Sam and kissed his neck. Sam turned around and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"I can say the same to you, babe, but later." He winked before turning back to the door. He unlocked it and cracked it open. He saw Otto and one of his clones entering the hall. He quickly closed it and turned back to Twister. "As my boyfriend, I need you to trust me. Don't ask questions, ok?"
"Ok…" Twister said with an eyebrow raised.
"You gotta hide me man!"
"Alright, alright!" Twister looked around the room before he noticed the closet. "Quick! Get in!"
"But—"
"In!" He opened the door and shoved Sam inside. He closed the door and proceeded to put away their clothes. Sam quickly opened the door.
"Another thing, put something on! I don't want Otto to see you like that!"
"What's the matter? Afraid he'll sweep me off my feet?" Twister asked with a smirk. Sam glared at him.
"Not funny."
"Twist! You in there?!" Otto yelled as he knocked on the door. Twister snatched a pair of boxers and put them on.
"Better?" He asked his boyfriend.
"Not really, but it'll have to do." Sam replied as he pulled his head inside the closet and closed the door.
'Man, I wonder what's wrong with him. It's only Otto.' Twister thought with a shrug as he grabbed the door knob. 'How bad could it be?' He opened the door and almost gave a scream.
Standing on the other end was Otto, but he had his arms wrapped around—
"Sam!? Otto!?" Otto grinned as the taller boy cleared his throat, trying to get over his shock. Twister glanced towards the closet door before turning back to his best bro, who still had his arms wrapped around his boyfriend, who somehow got dressed and put on a different shirt.
'But I just saw Sam—' He shook his head.
"So what's up?" He asked, trying to act like everything's normal when it's far from it.
"Notice anything different, bro?" Otto asked with a defiant smirk. Twister put on a fake thinking pose.
"New haircut?" He offered.
"No…" Otto said with a sing-song voice. He could play this game too.
"You got a new pair of shoes?"
"Nope."
"Oh I get it! You got a new trophy!"
"You could say that…" Otto smiled before turning to Sam and kissing him full on the lips. It took Twister all of his strength to not lash out and beat his best friend senseless. He glared and clenched his fists at his sides.
"Oh." He started shakily. "You and Sam are a couple. Congrats." He practically spit out that last word. Otto separated from Sam and gave the taller boy a cheeky grin.
"Thanks. I was thinking we have a party at the Shack to celebrate. Once Reg and Raymundo come back, of course."
"Of course." Twister replied, trying very hard to keep his cool.
"Great. See ya later." Otto turned and started walking with Sam. "Come on, Squid. Now what was that you were saying about whispering sweet nothings in my ear?" He said that last part louder, hoping to piss off Twister. He wasn't disappointed when he saw the look on the Mexican boy's face. He smirked again before leaving. Twister walked back to the bed and started sobbing.
"Whew! That was close." Sam said with relief as he came out of the closet (pun unintended). His eyes widened when he saw his lover hunched over the bed, practically drowning in his tears. "Twist! Calm down!" He ran over and rubbed the other boy's back. Twister immediately moved away. "Twist…"
"What are you still doing here? Why don't you go back to your new boyfriend!?" Twister yelled. His voice was muffled by the bed. Sam sighed.
"I guess I have some explaining to do." He said solemnly. The orange haired boy turned to him. He noticed that Sam wasn't wearing anything again like earlier.
"How did you do that? How could you do that to me!?" He yelled. "We just told each other our biggest secret not even an hour ago! We even made love! How could you!?"
"Look!" Sam shot back. "I can explain!"
"Well go ahead. I'm all ears." Twister crossed his arms as he sat on the bed. Sam sighed again as he prepared to answer.
"You remember that thunderstorm two days ago?" He only got a nod as his response. "Well, it had cleared up for a moment, so I went outside with a game I was playing. At some point, a bolt of lightning struck me and I was knocked out for the past two days." Twister raised an eyebrow, but it didn't look like he believed a word. Sam continued.
"When I woke up, I was back in my own room. It seemed that I was brought there by two guys. The thing is, they looked just like me. Down to the last detail, they were similar to me. I was cloned by the lightning and the game, Twister. That's why you saw that other me earlier." Twister still looked unconvinced. "Come on! You have to believe me! You know I'd never make up anything like this!"
"Assuming that I do believe you for a minute," Twister started. "What was that other you doing with Otto?" Sam gulped, afraid to answer. He saw no other option. He had to tell him the truth. He sighed.
"Ok. It's like this: I'm kinda in love with you, Otto, and Keoni. I guess since they're my copies, they love you guys as well." He shut his eyes, expecting to get yelled at.
After about a minute or two, he cracked open an eye. Twister wasn't lashing out at him. Instead, he tapped the area of the bed next to him. Sam took that as an invitation and sat down right beside him. Twister wrapped his arms around him and leaned against his left shoulder.
"So does this mean you believe me?" Sam asked. Twister pulled away and looked into his eyes.
"It's weird but yeah. I believe you." He said. He kissed Sam's cheek. "You know, that guy may have been your clone, but he's got nothing on you." Sam chuckled at that. "So tell me, out of me, Ottoman, and Keoni, who do you love more?" Sam looked at him incredulously.
"You, of course. You're the most beautiful out of all three of you. If I had to choose between you, Otto, and Keoni, I'd pick you in a heartbeat. Like I said before, I wouldn't choose anybody else in the world. Never forget that, got it?"
"I got it, I got it!" Twister laughed. "Sorry I yelled at you."
"It's alright. Sorry I kept this from you."
"Hey, no problem. I'd hide it too if that happened to me." Twister replied as he grabbed his clothes and put them on. Sam followed suit. "So if that clone is with Otto, where's the other one?" He helped Sam put on his shirt.
"Thanks. Well, the other one should still be at home. After all, it's not like Keoni's…coming anytime soon…" His eyes widened. "Damn it!" He slapped his forehead.
"What?"
"Don't you remember? Keoni's supposed to come up here from Hawaii today."
"So?"
"'So!' What if Tito decided to call, asking us if we wanted to greet him?"
"Then that would mean the other clone is…" Twister's eyes widened. "Oh crap…"
"Now you get it! What am I supposed to do?! I don't want anybody to know!"
"Calm down. There's nothing we can do now, except try to hide this from everybody."
"How? One of them's with Otto, the other is about to see Keoni, and I don't want to be separated from you." Sam said, hugging Twister protectively.
"Maybe we can have some kind of system." He said, returning the hug. "We'll think of something, ok?"
"Ok. I know this is a lot to take in, but thanks Twist."
"Anytime, love." Twister replied, kissing the blond.
Meanwhile, 10,000 feet in the air…
"Ahhh… There it is. Ocean Shores." Keoni said with a sigh as he looked at the coastal town from the window by his seat on the plane. "Finally, I've come back and this time, I won't leave until I've won his heart." He took out a picture from his pocket. It was the same exact one that Sam, Otto, and Twister have. He stared intently at the blond in the picture.
About a year ago, he fell in love with Sam when he found that he couldn't stop staring at the picture. The image of Sam standing there, dripping wet and in only a bathing suit, drove him mad. This obsession has driven him up the wall so much that he practically begged his parents to send him on the first plane to Ocean Shores after school let out last year. And this year was no different. He just had to see the boy! A picture, e-mails, and AIM conversations just wouldn't suffice. He had to see him at all costs, even if he had to swim all the way from Hawaii to do so!
'I may have been too scared to admit my feelings last time, but I will not back out this time!' He thought with determination. He then sighed and leaned back into his seat. 'I just hope he isn't taken.'
Upon closer inspection of the picture, Keoni has noticed that the expressions on Otto and Twister's faces were a little too ecstatic if you ask him. They were practically beaming! Their grins were way too wide to be considered friendly. He even noticed a slight blush on their faces. There was no doubt about it. They were in love with Sam as well.
'Well I love him too and I won't go down without a fight!' He then smiled. 'I'll win him over with the gift I brought with me. He'll absolutely love me!' He gave a low chuckle as the plane began to descend.
At the airport…
"Are you ok, cuz?" Tito asked. He and Red Sam were at the gate, waiting for Keoni's plane to arrive. The blond was shaking. He stopped and looked at Tito.
"Oh yeah! Never better!" He replied with a forced grin. The truth was he was really nervous. For one thing, he was going to be in so much trouble when both Normal Sam and his fellow clone come to an empty house. He'll get yelled at for sure!
'On the other hand,' He thought. 'At least I get to see that hottie Keoni.' He grinned.
About twenty minutes later, the plane arrived and let off its many passengers. Soon, a familiar bit of brown hair can be seen. Sam gave a wide grin as Keoni faced them and waved. He and Tito waved back as well before moving towards him, Sam sprinting the whole time. When the blond reached Keoni, he held his arms out. He would've hugged the brunet if he didn't realize that one, they were in a public place, two, Tito was standing not even two feet away, and three, he couldn't allow the original Sam's secret to get out. He cleared his throat, put down his arms, and held a hand out to Keoni.
"Hey Keoni! Long time no see!" He said with a chuckle. He couldn't help but notice a look of disappointment in the brunet's face before it was hidden with a smile.
"Hey Sammy! Yeah, it's been a while." Keoni replied as they shook hands. Both boys blushed at the contact and longed for more. They stayed in that position for about a minute too long. For the sake of not getting caught, they let go. "Uncle Tito!" Keoni ran up to his uncle.
"Hey little nephew! Ready for a week of fun?" Tito asked.
"You bet!" Keoni replied, glancing at Sam. "Hey Sammy, where are the others?" Sam tried to remember the excuses he gave Tito earlier, as well as the whereabouts of Reggie.
"Reg is out of town and Otto and Twister went mountain boarding." He answered. Keoni grinned.
"So it's just us then, cuz?"
"Guess so." Sam replied. Keoni's grin widened.
'Maybe getting with him will be easier than I thought.'
"Come on. Let's get your bags and get out of here." Tito said. The trio started walking to baggage claim. Keoni walked behind Sam the whole time.
'Man, what a cute butt.' He thought with a giggle.
------------------------
Later, the trio exited the airport and walked over to Tito's car. The big man unlocked the driver's side door and popped the trunk. The car had power locks, so he also unlocked the other doors.
"You guys get in. I'll put the luggage away." He said as he walked back to the trunk.
"Thanks, Uncle Tito." Keoni said as he opened the right side door. "After you, Sammy." Sam, who was beside him, blushed as he entered the car. Keoni couldn't help but stare at his backside again. He desperately wanted to reach out and cup it, but he resisted the urge. After Sam entered, the brunet followed suit. Once Tito was done, he sat at the wheel and drove off back to Ocean Shores.
"So Keoni, how was your trip?" Tito asked as he entered the highway.
"Boring and lonesome, but now, it's a little better." Keoni replied, giving Sam a forlorn glance. Sam noticed the look and returned it with one of his own. Both boys stared at each other for about a minute or two before turning away with blushes on their faces. Luckily, Tito didn't notice this.
"So how's the family?"
"They're good." Keoni responded in a non-caring manner.
For the rest of the ride, that's how the conversation went. Tito would ask Keoni a question about their family, Hawaii, or his plane ride and Keoni would answer it with increasing boredom. His mind was on the blond boy sitting next to him. Sam was silent, thinking about the boy next to him. Soon, the car pulled up in front of the Shack. The sky was bathed in orange and purple for the sunset. The trio got out and noticed stars starting to appear.
"Do you have to go home anytime soon, Sammy?" Keoni asked as Tito began unpacking the trunk. Sam thought about his question.
'If I don't get back soon, I'm dead, but I want to stay with Keoni.' He whined inwardly. He shrugged. 'Heh. They can wait a little longer.' He turned to Keoni.
"Nope. Why you ask?"
"Well, I was hoping we can hang out a little. Just you and me." Keoni replied. He said that last part in what seemed to be a seductive tone. Sam gulped and nodded.
"S-sure. No problem." He said nervously. Keoni gave him a toothy grin.
"Great! I even brought some souvenirs from Hawaii for you guys."
"Oh, you didn't have to."
"Believe me, brah, I wanted to." Keoni said. The trio walked into the second floor of the Shack, each carrying a suitcase or two. After the younger brunet got settled in, he dug into one of the suitcases and took out a sack made out of a brown cloth. He walked up to Sam.
"Come with me." He said before turning to Tito. "We'll be right back."
"Ok. Don't be gone too long, alright?" Tito said.
"No prob, Uncle!" Keoni replied cheerfully before going down the stairs with Sam. When they got outside, they left the pier and walked along the beach. The area was devoid of any people other than them. Sam looked strangely nervous walking by the ocean. Keoni noticed this and frowned.
"What's the matter, cuz?"
"Huh?" Sam looked at him. He looked towards the sand. "Oh, it's nothing." He moved a little away from the sand. They walked a little further before Keoni stopped him.
"It didn't look like nothing." He said worriedly. "You looked really scared." Sam looked into his eyes and saw only concern.
"It's just that…" He trailed off. He couldn't lie to one of the loves of his life. "Ok. Don't laugh, but I'm kinda afraid of water." Keoni raised an eyebrow.
"Afraid of water?" Sam nodded. "How could you be afraid of water, cuz? I've seen you surf lots of times." The boy in the red shirt gulped. He had forgotten that the original Sam can surf. He started sweating while coming up with an excuse.
"Uhhh… Well, you see, I wiped out really bad during this one surf session." Keoni pleaded for him to go on with his eyes. "The wave was at least uhhh… five—no—ten feet tall! It was just so rough, I thought I wasn't gonna make it! The wave sent me into a spin cycle. I couldn't make heads or tails of where I was. My lungs burned, pleading for air! I was almost done for when I found the surface. I swam up, kicking for dear life. Just when everything started to go black—" He took a dramatic pause.
"Yeah? What happened next?" Keoni asked, practically on his knees, begging for the ending to this tragic tale. Sam leaned in close. He was mere inches from the brunet's lips. A great blush spread across Keoni's face.
"I made it." The blond whispered with a smirk. He pulled back. "Only one thing was on my mind as I greedily took in air."
"What?" Keoni asked. Sam only looked at him. It took a few seconds for it to click in the Hawaiian boy's mind. "Me?" He pointed to himself. Sam nodded.
"Believe it or not, Keoni, I've always had feelings for you. You remember that picture from two years ago?" Keoni nodded. "I couldn't go one day without looking at it. Especially the image of you." Keoni couldn't believe his ears. His face was practically on fire! He was hearing what he's always wanted to hear!
"S-Sammy… Do you mean it?" He got a nod as his response.
"Keoni, what it all comes down to is…" Sam held his hand. "I love you." Tears came to Keoni's eyes as he embraced Sam.
"Oh Sammy! I love you too! I always have!" He cried into the blond's chest, happy that he has won the boy of his dreams. They broke the hug and leaned towards each other.
Their lips connected and it was pure bliss for the two boys as they finally let out their feelings for one another. Keoni dominated the kiss as he broke past Sam's lips, tasting every succulent inch of his mouth. Sam wasn't disappointed as he too got a taste of his new lover's mouth. Soon, their lips parted so that their owners can take in air. Keoni was lying on top of Sam. It seemed that somewhere within that first kiss, they wound up on the sand. It didn't matter to them though as they took in the sight of each other. It was silent as they looked deep into each other's eyes.
"Keoni?" Sam asked, breaking the silence.
"Hmmmm?"
"Will you be my boyfriend?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Keoni replied as they kissed again. They separated after a minute.
"So, what was it you wanted to give me?" Sam asked. Keoni sat up and grabbed the sack, which he dropped when they confessed their love for each other. Sam sat next to him and put his arm around the brunet's shoulder.
Keoni pulled out two necklaces. They were made out of shells. In the middle each of them was a rock that looked like it came from a volcano. He handed one to Sam, who put it on. He followed suit.
"The rock in the middle is lava that has cooled. It's said that as long as two lovers wear this necklace, they will remain together and happy forever."
"So even when you go back, we'll stay together?" Sam asked as he eyed the rock.
"In spirit, yes." Keoni replied. He wrapped his arms around Sam's waist. The blond leaned against him as they watched the moonlight gleaming in the ocean. They soon faced each other and kissed under the light of the full moon.
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Post-chapter Conversation
"Whew! That was intense!" I yelled, wiping my sweaty head.
"No kidding." Izzy said, raising an eyebrow at my outburst. I turned to the camera.
"Anyway, Sam and his clones have gotten with Twister, Otto, and Keoni! Will their relationships survive? Tune in next time!"
"Speaking of which, why on earth would you write for these pairings? None of them make any sense!!!"
"Hey! They make perfect sense!" I defended. Izzy crossed his arms.
"Oh really? Let's hear it, then." I scoffed in response.
"Sam/Twister makes the most sense out of all three pairings. It was hinted at on the show a couple of times."
"Like…?"
"Take the episode Sim Sammy for example." I started. "In the game, Twister's character kept saying to the Super Squid, 'You're my best friend.' If that doesn't say anything about Sam's feelings, I don't know what does!" Izzy shrugged.
"Heh. Whatever." He said doubtfully.
"Hmph! If ya don't think that means anything, look at the latest episode, Aftershocked (or was it Aftershock?). Right after the earthquake, Sam HUGGED Twister!"
"So? He was freaked out. I would be too if I went through my first earthquake." Izzy retorted. I rolled my eyes.
"Didn't you even see Twister's face? He had a half-lidded, happy expression! That shows something there!"
"Yeah, that you read way too much into these things." My partner snickered.
"Whatever." I sighed. "Besides, while the Rodriguez brother/Otto, Otto/Keoni, and Twister/Keoni pairings have a certain sex appeal, the Sam/Twister pairing has a degree of—errr…—" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "—cuteness to it." I blushed after saying that. Izzy caught it and gave me a sly look.
"Boss…"
"That means nothing!" I roared with a glare.
"Yeah sure." Izzy rolled his eyes. "So what about the other two?" I scratched my head, trying to think of an answer.
"Ok. I admit." I sighed. "Sam/Otto and Sam/Keoni don't make too much sense."
"Good to know you realized it." Izzy replied with a look of triumph. "So why do it in the first place?"
"Equality, my dear muse. Equality." I answered. "There should be at least one fic for every possible slash pairing on the show, or at least those that have the potential for being popular." Izzy scowled at me.
"Nobody is going to write a fic that pairs up Sam and Keoni, much less Sam and Otto!"
"You never know!" I shot back. "Besides, someone has already written a Sam/Otto fic." Izzy crossed his arms.
"They broke up in the first chapter."
"So? At least they were together."
"Hmph! Let's just end this discussion right now."
"Fine." I sighed before turning to the camera. "See ya next week!"
(Note: The next chapter will have a lemon scene in it! The fic's rating will be raised to R at that time. So, if you're following the fic, but don't have me on your author alert list, the next chapter will be posted next Friday. So now the question is: Which of our couples is gonna do the mattress mumbo!? Well, you're gonna have to wait til next week! :-P)