Chapter Two
The drive to Blaine's house was filled with thoughts of sadness and sympathy. Sam couldn't have predicted that Kurt would ever break up with Blaine, let alone break up with him the way that he did. He might have not known Blaine very well, but he knew what being broken up with was like and he also knew how much it stung. What confused Sam the most was the fact that Blaine hadn't turned to anyone after the break up. According to Artie it had been days since the actual break up, and this was the first Sam was hearing of it. Whenever he had had his heart broken, he knew the first people he needed to turn to were his bros. And the fact that Blaine hasn't turned to anyone made Sam really upset.
Maybe Blaine hadn't wanted to turn to anybody? That couldn't be true. He knew that Blaine was probably the most charismatic, friendly person he'd ever laid eyes on. The boy could lighten up your mood just by walking into the room and jauntily strolling your way. He was such a people person, it intimidated Sam sometimes. And for Blaine to be such a people person and not want to open up to people was an odd combination, in Sam's opinion.
Which meant only one other thing: he had no one to go to.
It took a while for Sam to come to this conclusion, but looking back at the last year of school, he realized that Blaine had never really left Kurt's side. Sure, he was acquainted with everyone and he was part of the New Directions family, but beyond all of that he didn't really have a set of bros, or close girl friends even. He also didn't have The Warblers anymore, seeing as none of them came to his side when that jerk Sebastian slushied Blaine and hospitalized him.
So Sam knew what he needed to do for Blaine; he needed to be his friend. And truthfully, Sam might have secretly always wanted to get to know Blaine. He was always so interesting to listen to when he spoke out in glee club, he had his own opinions but he still listened to others and he never tried to take the attention away from anyone else. So maybe this was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to connect. Blaine obviously needed a friend, and Sam needed a bro with all of his gone now.
Pulling into the driveway of the Anderson Mansion was always intimidating for Sam. He had only been here a couple of times in the past, for small gatherings of friends and once by himself to get help from Blaine on an English paper. Of course, Sam knew that Blaine was never one of those spoiled rich kids who were stuck up and thought low of the poor, but he could never shake the feeling of intimidation from the grand house.
Sam made his way up the front of the house where he knocked confidently on the Anderson's front door. When he wasn't greeted with an immediate response, Sam knocked again. And again. And Again.
"That's weird..." Sam said to himself. He was sure Blaine wouldn't have left the house from what Artie had said about Blaine's current state. Sam was tempted to knock again when the door began to open slowly and a body emerged from the other side of the door.
Standing in front of Sam was Blaine, but not the Blaine he knew at all. This... "person" was staring at him with bloodshot eyes, tear-stained cheeks, an Iron Man t-shirt, and a pair of silk pajamas. This person looked like they hadn't slept in days, almost to the point where he looked like he could faint on the spot if his body decided to give out. This person didn't have life in his eyes, or a sign of light in his demeanor at all. The only actual resemblance to "Blaine" was the gelled hair, but even that didn't seem to keep the image alive.
"Hey, man..." Sam said nervously. Why was he suddenly so nervous?
Blaine hesitated to speak, opening his mouth a couple times to start conversation but closing it, unsure of what to say. "Hi, Sam," he said in almost a whisper, "what's... what's going on?"
Sam was shocked at the lack of enthusiasm in Blaine's voice. "Oh, nothing really. I'm actually just in the process of moving into a new house with the family. It's not too far from the school actually."
"Oh really? So your family's in Lima now, huh?"
"Yup..." Sam replied, "I'm actually here to see you...or, to check on you, I guess."
Blaine sighed, "So you heard, huh?"
"I did..." Sam said with a sad expression, "and before I say anything else, I just wanna say I'm really sorry, Blaine. You didn't deserve the way it happened."
"That' what I keep trying to tell myself."
"I'm serious, man; you're too good of a person to have to go through that." Sam said with enough passion to show Blaine he cared.
"Thanks Sam, really." Blaine said with a soft smile. "I'm surprised you heard about it, honestly."
"Yeah I did... but not from you for some reason." Sam said sternly.
"Well, I haven't exactly been talking to anyone..." Blaine admitted shyly.
"Well, I hope you know I'm not just anyone," Sam said with a smile, "you can talk to me whenever you want. I'll listen Blaine, I swear. And not even in one of those 'my girlfriend is talking so I'll pretend like I'm listening' things, I'll actually listen and care."
Blaine stood looking into the honesty of Sam's eyes. He sighed before speaking, "Do you want to come in, maybe?"
Surprised by how receptive Blaine was, Sam smiled. "Sure, I'd love to."
Sam followed Blaine through the empty halls of the Anderson household, up the stairs and into Blaine's bedroom. His room looked just as disorientated as Blaine, with ripped up pictures, piles of clothes, and a tower of tissue boxes residing in the garbage bin.
"Sorry about the mess," Blaine said embarrassedly.
"Hey dude, it's cool." Sam sat on Blaine's bed, patting the spot beside him and gesturing for Blaine to sit down. "So, do you wanna talk about it?"
Before Sam could even wait for a response, he heard a sniffle. Followed by another sniffle.
It didn't take Sam long to realize what was about to happen, so to make things simpler and less awkward for Blaine, Sam immediately reached over and pulled Blaine into a hug. It wasn't long after that Blaine began sobbing, and Sam did his best to just hold him and let him know he wasn't alone.
Blaine continued to sob for a couple more minutes before looking up at Sam. The amount of sheer heartbreak in his eyes could have easily made Sam cry himself, but he knew that he had to be strong for Blaine.
"I...I just don't understand," Blaine finally said in between sobs, "I was there for him the whole year, I was faithful, I was kind, I even transferred schools for him for fucks sake!"
"I know man, I know," Sam said, tightening his grip around Blaine's tiny body, "people like Kurt don't realize the greatness of people like you. You were more than perfect to him, but he was too damn blind to see that."
"It hurts so bad, Sam..."
Sam's heart broke. "I know, Blaine, and I wish I could make you feel better. I really do." Blaine's sobs started up again and Sam wrapped himself around Blaine even tighter. He knew he needed to get his message across to Blaine that he was going to be there for him, but he didn't think talking to Blaine in this state really made a difference. Staring down at Blaine, Sam felt a sort of protectiveness over him. Knowing that Kurt had caused Blaine to be like this made Sam furious; no one deserved to be put through this kind of pain, let alone someone like Blaine.
Looking down at the broken boy in his arms, a song came to Sam's mind. Thinking he could reach Blaine this way, Sam began to sing.
Lean on Me – Bill Withers
Sam
Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on
You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
After singing the last note and looking into Blaine's eyes, Sam could feel the boy in his arms change demeanor. Releasing himself from Sam's grip, Blaine looked at Sam and smiled, the first genuine smile he'd had in a long time.
"Sam..." Blaine began, "I understand the sentiment of the song, thank you, but I just don't get-"
"Blaine," Sam interrupted, "I wasn't kidding around when I said I would be there for you. If there's anyone who knows what being broken up with is like, it's me. I know how much you're hurting and I just wanna be there for you... kind of like a best friend, maybe?"
Something about Sam's words sparked something inside Blaine. "A best friend?" Blaine stared down at his hands, "I've never actually had a best friend before..."
"You ever get that thing where you think you have a best friend, and then you hear them call someone else their best friend and it turns out they're best friends and not you?" Sam asked with a shy smile.
Letting out a small snort, Blaine admitted, "almost every time."
"Well, you and me have that in common then," Sam revealed, "Finn and Puck have each other, Mike and Artie were always way closer, and Kurt's... Kurt."
"You didn't mention me in that mix." Blaine pointed out.
"Because I don't know where you fit... yet."
"And what would that be inferring?"
"Well, Blaine Anderson, I'm in need of a best friend, you're in need of a best friend, why don't we tie the knot and make it official?" Sam said with a smirk.
Receiving Sam's joking request, Blaine wiped a few tears from his eyes and responded, "Why, Sam Evans, are you by any chance asking me to go steady?"
"In a best friend way, yes." Sam replied, "how 'bout it?" Sam saw something in Blaine that he had yet to see since he walked through the door; the old Blaine Anderson light.
"You know, I think I'd like that a lot."
"Great, well judging by that Iron Man shirt you got on, I can already tell you have great taste in superheroes." Sam gestured to Blaine's shirt.
Looking down, Blaine realized he was still in front of Sam in his pyjamas. "Oh...right. Iron Man is hands down my favorite Avenger."
"Ahh, Marvel fan. Yeah, this friendship is gonna work out great," Sam remarked, "and Cap is my favorite, by the way."
"I have the Avengers on blue-ray if you wanted to watch it?" Blaine asked, walking out of his bedroom.
"Oh. Yeah, this friendship is definitely gonna work out." Sam said as he stood up and started walking towards Blaine's living room.
X X
After spending the entire movie completely focused on the plot and the action (despite, apparently, the fact that both of them had seen the movie at least ten or more times) Blaine and Sam sat in a comfortable silence beside each other on the couch. Although both of them knew of each other's company, neither of them really knew how to get things started. Eventually, Blaine finally spoke.
"He thought that he could just leave," Blaine suddenly said, "I mean, is it so crazy that I get offended because someone I spent my last two years loving just decides to pack everything up and walk away from it all?"
"It's not crazy at all, bro. It actually makes a lot of sense for you to be so hurt." Sam stated, appreciating the fact that Blaine was opening up.
"What was I supposed to do? Just be ok with him suddenly disappearing? As if I wouldn't have noticed?"
"He's just a jerk who couldn't face you, honestly. He was just too big of a coward to break up with someone who treated him so well, so he thought running away was the answer."
"You really think he was a coward?"
"Total coward, dude. He thought that he could escape to New York and escape some sort of fight, but you were just smart enough and caught him before he could do it. If he was an evil villain, you totally would have been the superhero who busted his evil scheme before he could even leave his secret-but-not-so-secret lair."
Chuckling at Sam's comparison, Blaine put into perspective what Sam was saying. Maybe Kurt was a coward for just leaving. "I think you might be right, Sam."
"Of course I'm right." Sam said, looking into Blaine's eyes.
Blaine looked away from Sam, moving his gaze onto a spot on the floor. "Is it wrong of me to still feel sad about it though?"
"You can't help the way you feel, Blaine. You got broken up with like, a week ago or something. You're not just gonna bounce back right away."
"I wish I could."
"You and every other dude who's gotten his heart broken." Sam said, pointing to himself.
"I take it you're not with Mercedes anymore?" Blaine asked sympathetically.
"Nah, she's got a life to live in Los Angeles."
"Sounds a lot like Kurt..."
Sam sighed, looking up at the ceiling, "yeah, I guess so. But there is a big difference between the two of them."
"Oh?" Blaine asked curiously, "what would that be?"
"Mercedes has heart. Her drive for success completely comes second to the people in her life, and she almost didn't leave because of me."
"She was going to stay for you?" Blaine asked .
"She was."
"And what did you tell her?"
"I told her she was crazy to even consider staying here with me." Sam confessed.
"Really? Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"
"No, not at all. I guess I just knew that she had dreams and she had ambitions, and that they were lot bigger than some relationship with a boy in Ohio would ever be."
"But Sam-"
"Let me finish, bro."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Don't sweat it. Anyways, she kept insisting that she stayed, thinking she could find a career later on in life. But I told her that she was destined for greatness, told her that going to LA could really change things for her and that I would support her 100% of the way."
Blaine listened to Sam's confession closely. "And do you regret sending her off"
"No, of course not. This is where she differs from Kurt. Her intention for leaving was not to escape, it was to find a new path, and I know that as much as I still wanted to be with her, her heart belonged to the music. And the thing is, she still cares about me. A lot. We try to talk as much as we can but it gets pretty busy."
"I'm glad to hear that." Blaine stated with a smile.
"Yeah, it's awesome."
"I wish Kurt still cared." Blaine admitted sadly.
"Who knows man, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. All we know is that Kurt's selfish and cares way more about himself than any of us."
Blaine sighed, trying to put into perspective what Sam was saying.
"Look, I'm gonna say something and you have to promise me you won't get mad at me for saying it." Sam said to a confused looking Blaine.
"Um... sure?"
"After today, I want no talk of Kurt. He hurt you really bad and bringing him up will only make you remember everything, so I want you to try your best to avoid talking about him. The jerk hurt you, and we don't need him in our lives anymore."
"We?" Blaine asked skeptically.
"You're my best friend now, and if that jerk is out of your life, he's out of mine too." Sam replied.
Blaine smiled at Sam's compassion and kindness. It was weird to have someone reciprocate the same amount of care that he had for other people. "Ok. I promise no more talk of Kurt."
"That's what I like to hear."
Suddenly, Sam felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
Dad: Care to explain why Im the only one moving boxes into our new house?
Oops. Sam got so caught up in making sure Blaine was ok, he completely forgot that he was helping his family move today. As much as Sam didn't want to leave, he knew that he had to go back and help his family.
"Hey, I gotta go Blaine. Dad's not too happy about me ditching him during the move."
"Oh..." Blaine said disappointed. He was really enjoying Sam's company, "yeah, of course. I'm sorry for pulling you away from all that."
"No, don't even go there. Obviously I had to come," Sam replied. He could sense the disappointment in Blaine's voice, "but don't worry, I'll pick you up tomorrow and take you out to the Lima Bean. Judging from your room, I doubt you've been out in a long time."
Blaine smiled embarrassedly, "perhaps..."
"Ok, I have your number still so I'll text you tomorrow?" Sam said, standing up and walking towards the door.
'Yeah, sounds good," Blaine said, as he followed him to the door.
"Oh! Before I forget," Sam began, "I'm gonna assume that Mr. Schue sent you that email about being a co-captain, well he sent me the same thing so you and I will be running the show once school starts."
"Really?! That's awesome!" Blaine replied, a tad too excited. "You definitely deserve to be a captain this year."
"As do you, bro. We're gonna bring this team to Nationals, I can feel it."
"Totally." Blaine pulled Sam into a tight hug before he could leave, "thanks for coming by, Sam, you honestly have no idea how much I appreciate it."
Inhaling Blaine's strong scent, Sam smiled at the feel of the smaller boy in his grasp. "Anytime dude. But remember, it's all uphill from here, got it?"
"Got it."
Letting go of Blaine's embrace, Sam made his way into his truck, waving goodbye to Blaine as he backed out of the Anderson's driveway. Something about making Blaine feel somewhat happy again brought a sense of pride to Sam. He was surprised at how accepting Blaine was of his help, but he knew that Blaine needed someone to break down to.
If Sam was being completely honest, he was pretty happy that Blaine was so willing to spark up a friendship with him, because Sam really did need a best friend.
And if there's anyone who could potentially be the perfect best friend for Sam, it was Blaine.