By the time Christmas arrived, not only were Sam and Rachel the best of friends (and practically inseparable), Rachel had developed a surprisingly prominent baby bump and a strange array of cravings.
Sam burst through the door quickly with five huge bags of shopping and dropped them all on the floor with a sigh of relief, frowning at his injured hands from the mass of weight they carried. Rachel, who was sat on the couch, stood up at the sight.
"I told you, I can carry a few little bags when you go shopping."
"And I told you Rach, I'm not taking any risks. And I got all your batcrap crazy food." Sam smiled.
"Shut up! Mock me all you want, but that stuff is GOOD."
"It is good, but not when you mix them together. I mean, grapes blended with custard and milk? When did you even discover you liked that?"
"When we forgot to go shopping and all we had in the apartment was grapes, custard and milk."
"You're a freaky lady."
"No, Samuel, I'm a pregnant lady. It's what we do. Now...where did you hide the blender?"
…
"Can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Day? It's all gone so quickly. I'm pretty much halfway through the pregnancy." Rachel said as she and Sam sat watching TV.
"I know; I can't wait. I'm a big kid on Christmas Day."
"You're a big kid every day, Sam."
"That is true."
Rachel laughed as Sam stared at the beautiful girl for a few more seconds. She had really started to glow recently, and he loved that about her.
"And I will warn you now, my present for you is legendary. There's no way in hell yours is better." Rachel said.
"We'll see."
"And I was thinking...maybe I should spend the day with Kurt and Blaine. I mean, I feel like I'll be intruding tagging along with you tomorrow to spend the day at your parents' house." Rachel said.
"No way. You're coming. Everyone's looking forward to meeting you. You'll be the centre of attention, so it's like a dream come true." Sam said, laughing as Rachel playfully hit him.
"Well, alright then. I'm looking forward to it this year. Last Christmas was horrible because I'd just lost my dads, but I know no matter what you'll put a smile on my face." Rachel said.
"That's a promise." Sam smiled.
"And we're going to Klaine's on Boxing Day, right?" Rachel asked. Sam nodded, staring at her intently.
"What?"
"...You called them Klaine."
"...No, I didn't."
"Rach, you so did."
"Shut up."
"You KNOW you did! FINALLY!"
"SHUT UP!"
The two started giggling and didn't stop for another forty minutes.
…
The next morning, Rachel emerged from her room to see Sam was already up and had made breakfast.
"Merry Christmas, Rach." Sam said happily.
"Merry Christmas." Rachel replied, hugging Sam. They broke apart and sat down on the carpet in front of their tree. They quickly ate their breakfast and Rachel put on some Christmas music while Sam got changed into a bright, reindeer covered jumper.
"Oh, wow." Rachel managed to muster at the sight.
"You won't find a better jumper. Ever." Sam replied with a cheeky grin. Rachel just looked around the room innocently; Sam knew exactly what she wanted.
"Presents?" Sam said.
"Well, since you mentioned it. But you're opening yours first!" Rachel squealed.
"Okay."
"Close your eyes; it's in my room and it's too big for me to move." Rachel explained.
"What? Is that why you haven't let me in there for a few weeks?"
"Maybe. Close your eyes!"
"Okay, okay!"
Sam closed his eyes and Rachel took his hand and led him into her room.
"Okay, open up. Merry Christmas, Samuel!"
Sam opened his eyes and they immediately grew wider at the sight of a beautiful piano in the centre of the room.
"Holy crap; a piano!" Sam shouted excitedly.
"Yep! You mentioned a few months ago how much you wanted to learn to play, so I've been going to music stores while you've been at shoots, and I thought this one just screamed 'Sam Evans'." Rachel explained.
"Not literally though; that would be terrifying." Sam said and Rachel laughed.
"Plus, I got Blaine to agree to give you lessons. He's gonna teach me as well, and he has to; I'm carrying his child. God, that still sounds weird to say. Do you like it?" Rachel asked.
"Like it? Rach, I love it! Thank you! But this must have been so expensive!" Sam protested.
"Well, I guess you must be worth it then." Rachel smiled as Sam pulled her into a soft, gentle hug. It wasn't like any of their previous hugs. It was something more, in a way. It lasted for much longer than any other hug they'd had, yet it didn't feel uncomfortable or awkward. It was just Sam and Rachel, and it didn't need to be labelled as anything else.
He gives the best hugs.
She's smells incredible today. Well, every day.
…
Rachel was sat on the living room floor once again, this time with her eyes closed. Sam placed an object in her hands.
"Okay, open up."
Rachel opened her eyes and saw a very neatly wrapped present in her lap; a large, thin rectangle with 'Rachel' neatly written in the middle. Rachel had always admired how neat Sam's writing was.
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Rachel squealed and Sam laughed as he sat down opposite her. She ripped off the wrapping paper and as soon as she saw the present she froze in shock.
"Rach? You okay? I just thought you might like it if-"
"-Sam, shut up. How…how did you…?"
"I found the photo you keep in your purse on the side on day, so I took a picture of it and…there you go. You said you wanted a bigger version." Sam explained. Rachel remained stunned, carefully tracing her present with a delicate finger. Sat in her lap was an immaculate painting of her two dads, sat together smiling. It was a larger, beautiful replica of the photograph of them she always keeps on her; her favourite photo of them both.
"I…I don't know what to say. I think I need to thank the artist in person." Rachel whispered, welling up.
"You can do that right now." Sam said shyly. Rachel looked up at him as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"You painted this?"
"Yeah. I took it up years ago as a casual hobby. Turns out I'm okay at it."
"OKAY? Sam, this is beyond incredible. It's perfect. I'm lost for words. And that's a first. This must've taken so much time, and the money for materials…"
"I guess you must be worth it." Sam whispered, leading Rachel to put down the painting and fall into Sam's arms as she cried a little more.
"Thank you." Rachel whispered.
"My pleasure." Sam replied.
…
As Sam and Rachel drove to Sam's parents' house, Rachel's nerves had completely vanished. Sam had made them completely go away, just like he did when she first moved in. She as terrified of living with a stranger, but he made her feel better. She felt so safe with him, and she knew that Sam must come from an incredible, loving family to be even half as kind and genuine as he actually was.
"So, we both have our 'thing' now." Rachel said.
"What?"
"I'm the better cook; you're the better present giver."
"I'll take that." Sam smiled.
"And I really do love the painting. It's the best present I've ever gotten." Rachel said.
"I'm glad you liked it."
"They'd have really liked you."
"I'd like to think so, though the Trouty Mouth tends to put most people off." Sam said and Rachel giggled.
"So, what's the best present you've ever gotten? Was it a Christmas present?" Rachel asked.
"No, but the piano is a close second."
"So, a birthday present?"
"Nope."
"Oh…well, when did you get it?"
"Earlier this year. September 19th." Sam replied.
"That's the day I moved in."
"Yes, it is."
Sam looked at Rachel and smiled. Rachel smiled back, touched. She could've sworn her heart skipped a beat…or ten.
"I just never realised how lonely it was on my own until you came along. I didn't realise you were the kind of person I needed in my life." Sam said.
"…I feel exactly the same, Sam." Rachel said, momentarily placing a hand on top of his. Sam felt like kissing her in that moment (crashing the car to do so would have been worth it) but he refrained.
"Here we are." Sam said, pulling up on his parents' drive.
…
Sam opened the door with the key he had never given back and walked in to a loud living room with Rachel by his side. Rachel saw two kids, both sharing Sam's blonde hair, fighting over what channel to watch on the TV, assuming they were the younger siblings Sam had mentioned. She was surprised at just how much older Sam was than the two of them, but Sam's parents had him quite young, so she shook it off.
"Everyone, this is my friend Rachel Berry. Rach, this is my dad, Dwight, my mom, Mary, and my little brother and sister, Stevie and Stacy." Sam said as Rachel hugged and shook hands with all of Sam's family. Rachel was surprised at how at home she felt already.
…
"You were on Broadway? That's so amazing!"
"Yeah, I was the lead role. It was my dream come true." Rachel said excitedly.
"Wow!"
In the corner of the room, Sam and Mary sat eating chocolates and watching Rachel talk to a very excitable Stacey.
"I should've warned her Stacey's a Broadway nut." Sam chuckled.
"I think she likes talking about it with someone, even if that someone is nine." Mary said happily.
"I guess.
"Did she like the painting?"
"Loved it. I was really proud of it; I think it's my best one." Sam smiled.
"You were always so excited when you told me and your father about it." Mary said.
"Well, you know what they say, there's nothing more exciting than watching paint dry."
Mary laughed off her son's poor general knowledge that she had gotten far too used to as Stevie joined them, sitting on Sam's lap.
"You okay, buddy?" Sam asked.
"Yep. I like her." Stevie said, looking at Rachel.
"We all do; she's a lovely girl." Mary commented.
"Is she your girlfriend? Is that your baby?" Stevie asked.
"No, and no. She's just-"
Sam stopped at the sight of Mary's glare begging him not to tell Stevie about his roommate carrying a gay couple's baby for them just yet.
"Doesn't matter. I'll tell you some other time. But it is a nice thing she's doing." Sam said.
"That is true." Mary added.
"Do you want her to be your girlfriend?" Stevie asked.
"Stevie! Don't get involved in my business." Sam said, growing red.
"Ooh, Sammy's got a crush!" Stevie giggled.
"Be quiet, you. Go play with your new remote control car which I'm so thinking about buying for myself." Sam said, and Stevie obeyed.
"You know if you were to ask her out, or marry her or whatever, we'd be fine with it." Mary teased.
"Mom!"
"She's a nice girl, Sam, and you've barely looked at anything or anyone else. You're focusing on her and her alone." Mary said.
"Really? Do you like the hazelnut chocolates?" Mary asked.
"No, I can't stand them. You know that." Sam replied.
"Then why, by my counting, have you eaten fifteen of them since you got here?"
Sam was silent for a moment and looked at his mother.
"I like to live dangerously."
"Yeah, okay." Mary said with a chuckle and walked into the kitchen, leaving Sam with his thoughts before Dwight walked in.
"Rachel, you don't eat meat, right? Is Quorn okay?" Dwight asked.
"Quorn's perfect, thank you Mr Evans."
"Rachel, call me Dwight. You're practically family, we know you so well. Sam barely shuts up about you. We barely heard from him until you moved in, now he's on the phone to us every other day." Dwight explained with a smile and walked away. Sam followed him into the kitchen.
"What did you say to her just now?" Sam asked.
"Nothing, dearest son."
…
"SHARK INFESTED CUSTARD!" Stevie exclaimed as the whole family forced a fake laugh at the awful cracker joke that Stevie somehow found hilarious. Sam had been looking forward to Christmas dinner for weeks, and this year's one certainly didn't disappoint. He looked to his left and was gobsmacked at Rachel's nearly empty plate.
"Woah, Rach, you ate fast!"
"I'm eating for two, Sam, and this little one's growing." Rachel replied.
"I know, but we've been eating for six minutes." Sam said.
"Oh, really? Wow. Well, it is an amazing dinner. Thank you for having me over, everyone. It's been an amazing day." Rachel said.
"The pleasure is all ours, Rachel. You're welcome whenever you like. No one should be alone at Christmas." Dwight said with a kind smile. Rachel smiled back, looking around at the five warm faces smiling at her. For the first time in a while, Rachel felt like part of something. Part of a family again, something she'd desperately missed.
…
Sam walked out the house to where Rachel was sat on the small wall that bordered the outskirts of the house. She had been crying.
"Rach, what's wrong? I saw you through the window."
"Nothing, Sam, don't worry. It's just the hormones getting to me. Mood swings and all that. Like when I cried for five hours the other week because I felt bad for winning that game of Jenga." Rachel explained.
"Hey, I cried for six hours. I win." Sam teased and Rachel laughed.
"It's just you and your family have been so nice to me today, and I guess I'm just missing my dads. Now I have that painting it can start feeling like I'm coming home to them again." Rachel said, wiping away a tear as Sam pulled her into a hug.
"You're an incredible human being, you know." Rachel said.
"So are you, Rach." Sam replied.
"…Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
From the window, Dwight and Mary watched their son hug his beautiful friend.
"I bet you they get together the day she gives birth." Dwight said.
"NO WAY. It'll be the day after." Mary replied.
"Ten dollars says you're wrong."
"Bring it."
With that, the two shook hands and couldn't help but smile.