The next morning, a comfortable and well rested Rachel rose out of bed with a smile, happy with how well she slept and how comfortable her new bed was. She got out of bed, got dressed and as she opened the door and laughed as she thought of Sam not having a door handle to open his with, she was overcome with an incredible smell coming from the kitchen. She could hear sizzling and bubbling as she approached the area, where Sam was stood in a red shirt and boxers placing some bacon into a sandwich, looking pleased with himself. He turned around and smiled at Rachel as he noticed her.
"Morning!" Sam said.
"Good morning, Samuel."
"Stop it." Sam said, sitting down with his sandwich and taking a huge bite. Rachel laughed as she moved to the kitchen area.
"Oi, sit down. Yours is nearly ready." Sam said before taking another huge bite. Rachel did so.
"You didn't need to make breakfast." Rachel said.
"I know, but you're cooking tonight and I wanted to show you my awesome cooking before you tried to think you're better than me." Sam explained.
"Oh, I see. Well, thank you. Did you make me bacon, too?" Rachel asked, nervous to tell him she didn't eat meat.
"Yes. Well, no. Kinda. Kurt told me you don't eat meat so I bought Quorn stuff. There is no real meat in this apartment, I promise. It's actually not that bad." Sam said in between bites.
"How can you tell? You're practically absorbing that sandwich." Rachel laughed.
"I'm proud of my appetite." Sam smiled, finishing his breakfast and taking more freshly cooked Quorn bacon out of the oven and into a sandwich before handing it to a grateful Rachel.
"Enjoy." Sam said.
"Thank you." Rachel smiled.
"And I'm sure you appreciate that I'm wearing a shirt this morning. Less than 24 hours and you've already changed my living habits." Sam teased.
"Yes, that is appreciated. Wouldn't have killed you to put trousers on, though." Rachel smiled.
"Shush. Are you a 'legs' girl, then?" Sam asked.
"Some days I am, some days I'm not. Nice legs, by the way." Rachel said with a friendly wink. Sam gave an amused look as he walked into his room. Rachel took a bite of her breakfast.
"Crap, this is good! I applaud you Evans." Rachel said, hearing Sam's laugh coming from his room.
"Thank you. As good as your cooking?" Sam asked, coming out of his room with trousers on.
"Oh, nowhere near, but it's still nice." Rachel teased again.
"Walk the walk, Berry. So, still up for some shopping?" Sam asked.
"Definitely. Kurt gave me twenty dollars as a mini thank you, and told me not to tell Blaine. Blaine then did the same and told me not to tell Kurt. It was a good day, so I better spend the evidence quickly." Rachel explained and Sam laughed.
"That's brilliant. Classic Klaine."
"Klaine?"
"Kurt and Blaine. KLAINE."
"You're a nerd, Evans."
…
Rachel and Sam walked into the mall, and Rachel smiled.
"It's been a while since I've been here. First time since I moved away, I think." Rachel said.
"So, do you have good memories of here? Or bad? Are you secretly a Canadian pop star called Rachel Sparkles?" Sam asked, growing excited.
"...Huh?"
"...You don't watch enough TV."
…
"It's honestly one of the best shows of all time. How have you not watched it?"
"Sam, I've never heard of it before. I can see plenty of DVDs here of shows I've heard of, but not this. What's it even about?"
"A girl living her dreams, Rachel! She lives her dream in the fashion industry, has an awesome boss and her best friends are there too!" Sam explained.
"I doubt I'm gonna like a show called 'True Jackson, V.P.', that's all."
…
"Does this dress make me look fat?"
"Give it about seven months."
…
"Come on! That was funny!"
"Shut up, Samuel."
"You smirked! You definitely smirked!"
"Shut up, Samuel."
…
"Ooh, ice cream! Let's get some!"
"Sam, we just ate, like, ten minutes ago."
"If you could watch a Broadway show again and again forever, would you?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Ice cream is my Broadway show."
…
"I'm SO buying this hat! I love it! I'm kind of a hat person." Rachel exclaimed.
"It suits you." Sam commented.
"It's just so nice!"
"It is a nice hat."
"And comfortable!"
"It looks it."
"Part of me never wants to take it off!"
"Part of me wants that hat."
…
"NO WAY! Is that a Barbra Streisand poster? She is a Goddess!" Rachel shouted.
"Yeah, it's been there for years, never sold."
"Until today! Would you mind if I put it in my room at home?"
"Rachel, it's your room. Do what you want in it."
"Oh, yes! I'm buying it NOW." Rachel squealed, rushing over to the poster. Sam laughed at her as she went. A nearby man turned to Sam.
"Is your friend okay?"
"She's more than okay, look at her."
"I meant her mental stability."
"Oh, uh...before she saw that poster I would've said she was fine. Now she's kissing that poster, I'm not so sure."
…
Sam and Rachel returned to the apartment and fell on the sofa.
"That was exhausting but SO MUCH FUN. Thanks for taking me." Rachel said.
"No worries, it was worth it to get this beauty." Sam said, pulling a 'True Jackson, V.P.' boxset out of one of his bags. Rachel laughed.
"I got better stuff than that."
"I'm making you watch this when you're mean to me. So, what did you get?" Sam asked.
"Oh, I got lots of nice presents! I got a hat, scarf and boots from Kurt and an incredible poster and CDs from Blaine!" Rachel said with a smile and Sam laughed.
"Right then, Evans, time for your cooking to crawl into a corner and cry with shame." Rachel said as she stood up and started looking through the food cupboards and fridge.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you know where everything is?" Sam asked.
"I'll work it out."
"Cool, I'm gonna skype my parents and then call my agency. Call me when food's ready, but it'll have to be made from gold dust and love to come close to beating mine." Sam said and Rachel smiled.
"Go call your mummy and daddy, Samuel." Rachel teased and watched Sam go, who was chuckling as he walked into his room.
He's so funny. We're gonna be good friends.
…
"Sam, the best food in the world is ready!" Rachel shouted as she placed two dishes on the table. Sam walked out and took a seat."
"Ah, the sweet smell of a three-star meal." Sam joked and Rachel playfully hit him as she sat down. Sam closed his eyes, clamped his hands together and looked down, staying silent.
"...Are you praying?"
"Yep."
"I didn't know you prayed?"
"I don't normally, but this might be my last meal." Sam smiled as Rachel hit him again.
"Shut up and taste the awesome. This is the best pasta you'll ever have, so enjoy." Rachel said as she took her first bite and looked very satisfied.
"I'll promise to try my best." Sam said as he put a large bite of the pasta into his mouth. Rachel stared at him as he sat in silence.
"Well?" Rachel asked. Sam remained silent for a moment.
"It's, um...okay, I guess."
"You're a terrible liar."
"People have different tastes, what can I say?"
"You can say the truth, or I'm taking it away."
"FINE! It's the best thing ever, okay! It makes my cooking seem like dog food." Sam admitted.
"Told you."
"How did you make it so good?"
"I might tell you one day."
"You did good, Berry. I admit it."
"Thank you, Sam. Yours wasn't that bad this morning, either, but you can truly prove yourself tomorrow." Rachel said.
"Well, I'll have my work cut out to beat this." Sam said. Rachel smiled.
"Anyway, I have a surprise for you. After I phoned the agency I got in touch with someone else. Guess who's coming round on Saturday?" Sam asked.
"Kurt and Blaine said they were."
"Well, yeah, them too. But guess who else?"
"I don't know."
"Santana and Brittany. They want to see you." Sam said. Rachel smiled.
"No way! That's amazing! Thank you so much!" Rachel squealed, hugging Sam from across the table.
"No problem." Sam said, the two breaking apart and staring at one another for a moment.
…
"Just a bit more to the left and then a bit higher." Rachel said, watching Sam stood on a chest of drawers as he put up her Barbra Streisand poster, saying he wouldn't let her possibly hurt herself trying to put it up.
"There?"
"That's great, thanks." Rachel said as Sam jumped down.
"Awesome." Sam said. Rachel smiled before going over to Sam and kissing him on the cheek.
"Thanks for today."
"Uh, no worries." Sam said, taken back.
"What time does your shoot end tomorrow?" Rachel asked.
"Um...3pm. You gonna be okay on your own?" Sam answered.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll watch some DVDs."
"Well, if I had to suggest anything I'd say-"
"Sam, I'm NOT watching 'True Jackson, V.P.', ever."
"Fine."
"Actually, I was looking through some of them, and 'The Avengers' sounded quite interesting. Plus, Thor and Captain America in one movie! Yes please!" Rachel said and Sam smiled.
"It is awesome. Give 'Avatar' a whirl, too." Sam said.
"Okay. Well, um...goodnight, then." Rachel said.
"Goodnight, Rach. Can I call you Rach?" Sam asked.
"Of course you can."
"Cool. Night, Rach!"
"Night, Sam."
Sam closed Rachel's door as he left with a smile on his face, one that Rachel reflected on hers.