As always,

THEMoDePo: Ooops, you said you couldn't wait and look how long it took me to update, sorry! Thank you for your patience! :)

Guest: Thank you so much!

Darrinia: Poor Sam I think he is just confused and scared, it's not like he's hurting Blaine on purpose... And don't worry, Sam is going to be jealous enough ;) Thank you so much, sweetie!

Midlifecrissis: You're right about the fact that Sam is afraid, but come on, you know he's not using Blaine even if he's not doing things right... And Blaine... well, he just gets what he can, you know? But don't worry, he's not going to take it much longer. I miss Cooper too! :( Thank you so much, dear!

Me-me157: Yep, Sam wasn't ready for more yet, I'm afraid. Or he is too scared to accept it. Of course he doesn't want to hurt Blaine, but he doesn't know how to help it. Oh, they are all going to have trouble soon, don't worry XD Thank you so much!

Gleeville: Hehehe, not sure if Sam is ready for that yet ;) Thank you so much!

Misz: Done :) Thank you!

Raiderva: Well, they are not murderers, they can't go killing people like that, don't you think? That's totally a whole new step! Sorry about the heartbreak, but... it's not going to end yet :( Hehehe, sorry about not providing more happy blam, but I already warned you this one was not going to be like the rest of my stories, so... But they will get there, don't worry ;) Thank you so much!

A/N: Well, I really need to apologize for the delay... As you know, I've been busy writing my very long fic for the blam week. Don't know if it was worth it, but well, it's done now, so... sorry! ;) Plus my new job has been very demanding!

And sorry too for all the drama... I promise the action will start again at the next chapter! And a lot of things are going to happen to compensate! Thank you for your patience and I hope you haven't lost all interest in the story yet!

CHAPTER 15

It didn't feel right. Waking up cold and thinking Blaine's warm back against his chest would make it better, searching blindly for him at the other side of the bed and finding it empty again; though this time it wasn't because Blaine was sitting up. It was because Blaine wasn't there at all.

Sam had managed to open his eyes a crack –it was still heavily raining outside, so the light was not that intense even if it was already morning– and he was very disappointed and more than a little hurt that Blaine was nowhere to be seen. For the first time since they had… since they… well, since the first time they had slept together, that's it. Whoever woke up first would always wait for the other –or, in Sam's case, he usually woke Blaine up if he was feeling playful–. That way, they could talk and joke and kiss and start the day on the right foot and confront their harsh reality in better spirits. Blaine's sudden absence felt so… wrong. He knew Blaine was not feeling good last night, and he knew how the rain didn't help in the least to improve his mood, so he probably had needed to move and hadn't wanted to disturb Sam's sleep considering he had already kept him up for a while in the middle of the night because of the storm. But still… Sam had that horrible feeling that Blaine had left because he didn't feel comfortable with him anymore.

With a sudden urge to see Blaine and embrace him to remind both of them how important they were for each other, Sam quickly got up from the mattress and searched for some clothes –not being able to help a little smirk on his face when he noticed there were clothes scattered all around the room that they had thrown there on some of their fits of passion–. He got dressed as fast as he could and practically ran towards the common room, expecting to find everybody there, as it was quite late.

And most of them were: some still having breakfast, others doing different tasks. Sam was glad Blaine was busy moping the floor –he remembered he had said it was his turn last night– so he was virtually alone in the crowded room and he could go to him and have some kind of discreet tender exchange that would put both their hearts at peace. But before he could reach him, Sebastian –always Sebastian– beat him to it, appearing out of nowhere with a bunch of clothes in his arms that he left on the nearest table so he could turn to Blaine.

"Hey, Killer" he said, smiling warmly at the shorter boy. "You want some help?"

"Oh, no, thanks, Seb" Blaine answered with a reciprocating smile, though Sam was sad to see it lacked its usual sparkle. "It's my turn today"

"I wouldn't mind" Sebastian insisted, and Sam sighed in annoyance as he sat down to eat, even though his eyes never moved from that flirtatious and obnoxious fucker.

"I believe you, but I can do it, it won't be more than a second" Blaine answered with a grateful smile.

"I just wanted to help you because… you look kind of sad today" Sebastian said, lowering his voice so as to have more of a private conversation in the crowded room, and Sam had to prick up his ears to hear them over the conversation Puck, Artie and Kitty were loudly having around him.

"Do I?" Blaine asked, clearly annoyed that he hadn't made a better job at pretending everything was fine. Or maybe Sebastian just knew him too well.

"Yeah" Sebastian confirmed with worry, squeezing his shoulder as he tried to offer some comfort even if he didn't know from what. "You okay?"

"I guess I'm just nostalgic" Blaine answered with a shrug of his shoulders, stopping his task for a second to look at Sebastian as he leant on the mop handle, being the perfect picture of misery. "I got to thinking about my brother Cooper last night and it reminded me how much I miss him"

"Aw, poor thing, come here" Sebastian said as he comfortingly put his arms around Blaine's frame and held onto him strongly for a few seconds.

Sam hated that tickling sensation on his guts at what he was seeing that had become so familiar lately and that he couldn't keep pretending it wasn't jealousy. Sebastian shouldn't embrace Blaine like that, even if he was only trying to make Blaine feel better, because that was Sam's responsibility and he should be the one doing it –Sebastian should know that already–. And in spite of how much that hug bothered him, it was not even the worse of it: what really hurt him was the fact that Blaine would confide Sebastian about Cooper but he hadn't told him when he had asked him why he was feeling so sad last night. He was supposed to be his best friend after all, why would he talk to Sebastian and not him?

"Look, I think this might cheer you up" Sebastian said, completely oblivious to everything that was going on inside of Sam's head, as he pointed at the small pile of clothes he had left on the table a minute ago.

"What is this?" Blaine asked, looking questioningly at his friend.

"Well, as I told you yesterday, it doesn't seem fair that I have a full suitcase of clothes and you hardly have anything, so… there" Sebastian said, smiling obviously proud at himself at the amazement he could see in Blaine's eyes. "Half of my stuff is yours. I know it might look a bit big on you, but… you'll kill it anyway"

"No, Seb, how could I…?" Blaine tried to say, but he seemed too moved even to put some words together –which sent another sting of pain to Sam's heart, as he hadn't been able to put that look in Blaine's face for a long time now.

"Just say thanks" Sebastian interrupted him, reassuringly rubbing on his shoulder as Blaine started going through the clothes to see what there was in there. "You know me enough to know I'm not taking no for an answer. And we're not in a fashion show, I don't need so many things" Sebastian looked so happy at his success in lifting Blaine's mood that he unsurprisingly went into his usual flirty mood that Sam hated so much. "I even made sure to include the green sweater, it will go great with your amazing eyes"

"Thanks, Seb, you're the best" Blaine said, and this time Sam rose from the table without a single word and left when he saw the shorter guy go for another hug of gratitude.

The day was spent trying to fix the broken fence outside. Of course there was no possible way to replace the portion with the hole or to fix it, but they decided to tie the loose ends much more strongly and with a whole lot more of cable, as Trent suggested.

"This is a good idea" Puck said, appreciating Trent's idea, as he used a tie-wrap to tie one of the loose areas. "That way they can still cut it, but it will take them a lot of time and we will be able to see them from inside if they do"

"Do you still think they will be back?" Tina asked, turning to Blaine, but the latter seemed to be lost in his own mind as he looked into the horizon, his gun held high in case he needed to use it to defend those of his friends who were working on the fence. "Blaine?"

"Sorry, what did you say?" Blaine asked, shaking his head to get rid of some worrying thoughts in his head, when he heard his name being said.

"You okay?" Sam asked as he rested his hand between Blaine's shoulder blades before he could remember he was kind of annoyed at him, because taking care of Blaine was second nature to him and there was no way he wouldn't try to comfort him if he was not alright, in spite of how at odds they were.

"Yes, it's just…" Blaine answered, trying to put his fears into words. "I feel like we're being watched"

"I feel it too" Mike intervened, even if he hadn't said anything before because he thought he was imagining things.

"Guys, don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?" Unique asked, and she sounded desperate for an answer that would calm her nerves down.

"Yeah, probably" Blaine answered with a smile, not wanting to worry the others unnecessarily, but of course he couldn't lie to Sam and the knowing looked he shared with him told the blond what he really thought about it.

"Let's just go inside and get our head off things for a while" Sam suggested as he brought a hand to Blaine's shoulder and squeezed it understandingly.

"That's another good idea" Puck intervened as he and Brittany finished tying the last of the cable and followed everyone else inside.

The rest of the day was spent indoors, thanks to the cold, the rain and the strange sensation of danger every time they so much as set a foot outside. So run-outs, basketball games or even walks had been forgotten and replaced by cards, silly games and napping. Which didn't help to keep up the moods of the most restless of them, like Blaine. Or Sam. Sam was not someone who couldn't be still, like Blaine, but he usually needed some kind of physical activity to get the extra stamina out of his system, so being locked indoors wasn't really his thing. Especially if he still felt annoyed at Blaine, and Sebastian kept getting in their way every time he got a chance.

It was Blaine's and Sam's turn to keep watch that night, on top of everything, and Sam thought there couldn't have been a worse day for that. At least in their room they were great at keeping all their worries and complications outside the door and being themselves, having fun and comforting each other as if there was no one else in the world. But keeping watch was hard, tiring and boring, and being at odds would surely not help make it any easier.

Of course only Sam knew they were at odds. Blaine had no idea what was going on in his head or how much his friendship with Sebastian was bothering the blond, but he could feel there was something going on. That's why he had been asking Sam if he was alright every now and then for a good while, after the first three or four attempts at starting a normal conversation had failed. But if Blaine was stubborn, Sam was even more, and he had refused to answer each and every time because he knew he was being an idiot with the whole Sebastian thing and he didn't have the right to reproach Blaine for it. But Blaine's eyes were getting sadder and more confused every time, and he knew he was not going to resist much longer.

Meanwhile everybody was just getting ready to turn in for the night. As he looked for his pajamas in the suitcase he kept under his bed, Sebastian noticed his green sweater was still there, and he had not given it to Blaine amongst the other clothes as he had told him that morning.

He thought about going to the main door, where he knew he and Sam were keeping watch that night, and directly giving it to him. But if he knew Blaine, he was sure the short guy would downright refuse any more addictions to the already big pile of clothing Sebastian had given him that morning and that it had moved him so much, Sebastian remembered with a satisfied smile. He adored his friend, and if there was anything he could do to put a smile on his face those days, he would do it. Especially when he was guessing things with Sam weren't going as he would like them to go, as much as he denied it.

So if directly giving the sweater to Blaine was not an option, the easiest way to make sure he got it would be to go to his room and sneak it with the rest of the clothes; maybe Sebastian would be lucky and Blaine wouldn't even notice it.

Confident in the knowledge that neither Blaine nor Sam would be in their cell, Sebastian went up the stairs and walked directly into their room. He was grateful he was carrying a flashlight, because otherwise he would have tripped with those mattresses lying on the floor. Wait, what? Sebastian pointed the flashlight towards the makeshift bed and was surprised to find they had turned the mattresses into a queen sized bed, and the blankets covering them were set to be shared, and not one for each of them. Surprised and more than a little amused, he decided to investigate further, and one quick look around the room showed Sebastian there were some clothing items scattered and forgotten around the room, as if… they had been thrown there in a fit of passion? Was that even possible?

The corner of Sebastian's smile turned up on its own accord as he discovered the big secret those two had been keeping so well hidden. So they had been together all along, right? Just wait until he would get the chance to talk to Blaine again, he joked to himself, he was going to hear him for lying to him. And then he would congratulate him. But first he was going to hear him, that was for sure.

But wait… why would Blaine confide in him with that kiss and his feelings for Sam at the beginning and then lie to him so blatantly? And now that he thought about it… Blaine seemed to be sadder and sadder every day, instead of being over the moon as he should. Just that same morning he had seemed close to tears, for God's sake! Maybe things were not going that well in spite of everything? Maybe… maybe Sam was not giving him what he needed and he still thought it was a bad idea, even if they were so obviously sleeping together? Maybe that was what it was for Sam? Just sex?

Not so happy at his discovery anymore, Sebastian did what he had planned and put the sweater amongst the rest of Blaine's clothes on the top bed and left, his heart feeling heavier as he thought he really needed to talk to Blaine, even if it was for different reasons than initially planned.

Downstairs, as Blaine and Sam kept watch, the cold atmosphere between them was translated into real cold for the always sensitive Blaine, who suddenly shivered and hurried to throw another sweatshirt over him in an attempt of keeping warm.

"Is this one of the sweatshirts Sebastian gave to you?" Sam asked with a slight disdain that luckily Blaine wasn't able to detect.

"Oh, you heard?" Blaine asked, looking down at his new piece of clothing with a smile, great that Sam was finally talking. "He's great, isn't he?"

"Oh, indeed he is" Sam answered, and this time the sarcasm was so obvious in his voice that not even the usually oblivious Blaine could miss it.

"What's wrong, Sam?" Blaine asked in utter confusion.

"Nothing" Sam answered, deliberately avoiding Blaine's glance in embarrassment, knowing he was behaving like a spoilt kid even if he couldn't help it.

"Don't give me that, Sam. I can tell something is bothering you" Blaine insisted, surprised at Sam's attitude because he usually was the sweetest guy around and he was behaving very strangely –in fact, he had been doing it all day.

"Well, you're wrong" Sam answered too quickly, not wanting to say he was jealous of Sebastian because he knew he didn't have the right to be, although he knew he was going to blurt it out if Blaine kept insisting –which he was going to for sure because well, that was Blaine, stubborn like a mule, especially if it was over something concerning Sam.

"I'm not, I know you too well" Blaine insisted, and Sam couldn't believe that, in spite of all the shit he was giving him, Blaine still sounded reassuring, comforting, as if he was ready to accept and understand whatever it was that was bothering Sam. "Talk to me, Sam"

"Can I be totally honest with you?" Sam asked, unable to remain silent anymore.

"Of course" Blaine answered, almost offended at the idea that Sam would even need to ask.

"I don't like you flirting with Sebastian" Sam blurted out, and the total surprise that appeared in Blaine's face at his statement told him that he was probably imagining things.

"I'm not flirting with Sebastian" Blaine answered, his face a mixture of confusion and astonishment. Was Sam jealous of his close relationship with the warbler? Or was he jealous because he thought there was something going on between them?

"Well, then he's flirting with you, and you're letting him" Sam reproached him before he could stop himself.

"He is not, it's just how our friendship has always been. He's not interested in me more than as a friend" Blaine explained, trying to defend himself even if he knew he had done nothing wrong. "Is this because of the clothes?"

"No"

"Because I left everything on the top bed of our room, so we can both use it, we'll share it like everything else"

"I don't want anything coming from him" Sam said, and he hated how childish that sound even to his own ears.

"What? What's your problem with him?" Blaine asked in complete surprise: he had always thought Sam to be so sensible and kind, what was happening to him now?

"Why didn't you talk to me about Cooper?" Sam asked in what felt like a total change of subject, which only made Blaine get more confused.

"What does my brother have to do with this?" he asked, trying to keep up with a conversation he could not understand.

"I asked you last night why you were so sad, and you told me it was about the stupid storm. Yet you opened your heart to Sebastian in the morning, didn't you?"

"Sam, it was the middle of the night, I didn't think it was the right time to have a heart to heart conversation"

"I would have listened to you" Sam retorted angrily, and he seemed so offended that Blaine felt momentarily guilty, even if his only intention had been to let Sam sleep.

"I know, that's why I didn't say anything, you needed your sleep" Blaine tried to make him understand, but Sam was so blinded with jealousy that he was not ready to be convinced.

"Yet with Sebastian it's always the right time, right?" Sam reproached the shorter boy, who by then was starting to get angry at all the accusations he didn't think he deserved –nor Sebastian did.

"Excuse me? What the hell did Sebastian do to you?" Blaine angrily asked, more than a little tired at Sam's irrational attitude.

"I told you, I don't like him flirting with you even if you don't see it" Sam answered with a sigh, as if he was tired of explaining the obvious, which only seemed to make enrage Blaine even further.

"I don't see it because it's not true!" Blaine practically yelled at him, feeling angry he was being forced to defend himself about something that wasn't true. "But what if he was?"

"Well, I don't like it"

"Why?"

"Do I really need to tell you why?" Sam asked with a humorless chuckle.

"Yes, please, enlighten me about why I should keep away from my friend" Blaine answered with all the sarcasm he could muster.

"Because… Because it bothers me, isn't that enough for you?" Sam asked, sounding as if he saw himself as the victim in all that, something which Blaine was not going to tolerate.

"Oh, because you happen to care so much about what I feel lately, right?" Blaine retorted in full sarcasm, and he was about to continue until he saw Puck coming to them and he bit his tongue before he said something that would put them in a difficult situation –because even if he didn't agree with Sam's desire to keep their relationship a secret, he was not going to make that decision for him.

"Hey, guys" Puck waved at them, but the tension must have been very obvious in their faces because he could instantly see something was wrong. "Oops, am I interrupting something? Lovers' fight?"

"Do you always have to say these stupid things, Puck?" Sam angrily answered, something Puck surely hadn't been expecting.

"Hey, I was only kidding, no need to bite my head off" Puck responded in a pacifying tone, not wanting to be driven into a silly fight when Sam was probably just tired after his watch.

"Well, maybe I'm tired of you kidding all the time"

"Ok, I'm sorry. I was just coming to replace you, Jake is on his way too"

"Great" Sam answered as he stood up without a second glance to his older friend. "Come on, Blaine, I think we really need some sleep"

Of course the last thing Blaine felt like doing was obeying Sam, but he didn't want to make a scene in front of Puck so he just smiled apologetically at him and stood up to follow the blond. Sam's angry pace was fast, and Blaine struggled to keep up with him, but as soon as they were in the security of their room, he couldn't stay silent anymore.

"Did you have to be such a jerk to Puck?" he reproached the other guy, who was already getting his sweater off to get into bed.

"Don't give me that" Sam answered in a menacing tone, just wanting to get himself under the blankets and sleep until all the anger in him would disappear.

"Yes, yes I will give you that if you're behaving like an asshole" Blaine replied, for once not caring so much about how his words were going to be received.

"Oh, I'm sorry, since when are you in the position to tell me what I can or cannot say? Who do you think you are?" Sam retorted sarcastically while he sat on the mattress, but he regretted it almost instantly when he raised his glance and saw the raging pain that has appeared in Blaine's eyes at his hurtful words.

"I'm no one, I get it, I will shut the fuck up once and for all" Blaine answered in merely more than a whisper as he silently lay down in the other side of the bed, as far away from Sam as it was physically possible.

"Blaine, I'm sorry" Sam immediately apologized, regretting that he had let himself be so blindly jealous that he had ended up hurting the one he was trying to protect.

"Save it" Blaine answered, turning on his side so he would give his back to Sam.

Sam sighed sadly and lay down too, and he could feel his heart breaking at the distance between them –both physical and emotional– that had never been there before. He could feel his eyes swarming with tears at the sadness that emanated from the other boy, and his hand moved on its own accord to lightly trace the path of Blaine's spine on his back.

"B, please…" Sam pleaded when his touch didn't elicit any reaction.

"Just… let me sleep, ok?" Blaine begged as he moved even further away to avoid Sam's touch.

And Sam had never felt lonelier and guiltier than what he did in that moment.

Sam realized he must have been really tired to fall asleep even after what had happened between Blaine and him that morning and that it had shaken him so much. Blaine hadn't been that lucky, apparently, because of course he wasn't there when Sam woke up and the sheets on his side of the bed were barely wrinkled and very cold by then.

But come on, that was stupid. He knew he had been completely over the line, but it was just a silly fight, right? He would apologize and he would beg for Blaine's forgiveness as much as the other boy needed, because he deserved that and much more after how great he had always been to Sam and how stupid he had been to him in return. There was no place for stupid prides in his relationship with Blaine, and he was going to show him how sorry he was for his words and the pain they had caused.

With a renewed hope that he would be able to make everything better, Sam jumped from the bed, got dressed again and practically ran downstairs, feeling really impatient about seeing his friend. But he wasn't on the common room, as expected, and Sam didn't know where he could be.

"Has anybody seen Blaine?" he asked to the people there, trying to sound casual so nobody would guess about their fallout.

"He's on the kitchen garden" Sebastian replied, looking judgingly at Sam even if the latter couldn't understand why. "But he was still feeling kind of sad. He said he felt like being alone for a while" he warned him, because Blaine had come down from his nap looking worse than ever and he had refused to talk to him, claiming he really needed some time for himself.

"That doesn't include me, you know?" Sam answered with a snort as he turned to go, because that should be obvious, right?

"Maybe it is precisely about you" Sebastian replied before he could stop himself, and he regretted it when he saw Sam stopping to look questioningly at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused and annoyed in equal parts.

"Nothing, just… forget it" Sebastian answered when he noticed a couple of surprised looks around him, and he turned his attention to the game of cards he was playing with Kitty, pointedly ignoring Sam.

Sam seemed to take the hint and decided to ignore Sebastian in return and continue his search of his best friend. As Sebastian had said, Blaine was on the little garden behind the kitchen where they had planted the seeds Brittany had picked on the supermarket, taking advantage of the fact that it had stopped raining for a while. He looked as if he was pretending to be taking care of them, but Sam could easily see his heart was not in it by the lost expression in his eyes. He must be feeling really upset to be out in the open like that even if just that morning he had said he felt as if they were being watched, Sam noticed, and he knew he had to make things better and quickly if he didn't want to lose him forever.

"Hey" Sam said, trying to sound cheerful, but Blaine's serious expression instead of the sweet and warm smile he usually gave him immediately told him it was not going to be easy.

"Hey" Blaine answered as he looked up and saw who it was, sounding as if he didn't want to even reply to Sam's greeting but was too well-mannered not to do it.

"You didn't wait for me" Sam kindly reproached him as he arrived in front of him.

They never kissed outside the privacy of their room, but Sam could feel Blaine needed some kind of loving gesture –and frankly, he did too–. So after looking everywhere around them like a thousand times to make sure there was no one-around, he went to find Blaine's lips with his own, though the latter refused him by turning his face to the side. Something that had never happened before, and it made Sam quickly realize things seemed to be even more screwed up than he had thought.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, his voice a mixture of worry and repentance that almost made Blaine surrender –and maybe he would have surrendered if only Sam hadn't checked so many times around him before trying to kiss him–. "Are you still angry at me because of what I said this morning? Look, I was being an idiot, I'm sorry, ok? I'll apologize to Puck too later, I promise"

"What am I to you?" Blaine suddenly asked. He hadn't mean to be so harsh and direct, but by then he was hurting so bad there was no other way for him to put it. And it surely was time to stop beating about the bushes anyway.

"What is this?" Sam asked, and he sounded as if the was just trying to gain some time to think about what to answer.

"Just answer me, please" Blaine begged, making Sam wonder if his eyes had ever looked sadder.

"Do we need to talk about this here?" Sam asked, feigning to want to avoid making a scene even if there was no one there right now –though what he really was terrified about was the conversation they were about to have.

"Yes, you're not avoiding me anymore" Blaine answered, defeated but resolute. "What am I to you?"

Sam took a moment before daring to say a word. He knew he couldn't avoid it any longer, he knew Blaine was hurting and that he owed him an answer, but… he was afraid he was going to make things even worse with his answer.

"You're my bro" he finally answered, and he felt a stab of pain in his own chest when he could see Blaine's heart breaking through his expressive and gorgeous eyes.

"That's it? That's what I am to you?" Blaine asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"What do you want me to say?" Sam replied, defeated, feeling like the greatest coward of all times.

"I don't know, but… your bro?" Blaine insisted with a humorless laugh, and Sam couldn't decide what he was feeling the most, angry or sad, or it was a mixture of both. "We've been sleeping together for weeks!"

"That doesn't mean… It's just… It helps us feel better and cope with everything" Sam tried to reason with him, because wasn't that how it had started?

"So what, we're just fucking?" Blaine asked, his eyes impossibly wide with indignation.

"Of course not, don't say it like that" Sam answered, offended that Blaine would think that about him –even if he had to admit it probably looked like that.

"Well, you made it sound like that"

"No, Blaine, you know I…"

"You what?"

"I… care about you"

"Like you would care about a friend" Blaine said, hoping against hope that Sam would contradict him.

"Not exactly, more like… a very special friend. The best of them" Sam answered, trying to convince Blaine that he wasn't just another one of his friends… even though he knew that was not what Blaine wanted to hear.

"Great" Blaine sarcastically replied, shaking his head in a sad motion. "Just great, Sam"

"But why do we have to make this more complicated?" Sam insisted, trying to make Blaine understand what his point of view was. "I thought you were okay with this, as I am"

"That was our mistake, I guess, we never stopped to discuss what it meant for us" Blaine admitted, because it was true that they hadn't talked about it. "Obviously it was not the same for me than for you"

"I thought it was about… comforting each other"

"Just tell me something: were you aware than it was more than that for me?"

"I wasn't sure" Sam answered in no more than a whisper, lowering his gaze in shame.

"But you suspected it" Blaine answered, more in affirmation than as a question. "That's why you never wanted to talk about it, in case I confirmed it and it made you feel guilty, right? It was easier this way"

"I never made any promises to you" Sam reminded him.

"You're right. You never did" Blaine admitted with the saddest sigh, knowing he was also to blame for not facing Sam sooner. "I'm sorry I assumed more than what it really was"

"Blaine, I'm so sorry" Sam apologized again, terrified when Blaine shook his head and started walking away from him at what felt like an ending he wasn't sure he could cope with. "I never wanted to hurt you, you have to believe me"

"Just forget it, Sam" Blaine answered with no more fight left on him as he walked by Sam, but he turned around first to say something else. "And just so you know, I'm not interested in Sebastian as more than a friend. Because I love you, it's as simple as that" Blaine confessed, breaking Sam's heart just a little bit more with the intensity of his emotions. "And even if you don't want anything to do with me, it wouldn't be fair for me to try and initiate something with Sebastian or anyone else for that matter while being in love with you, you know? But he's my friend, a very good one, and I'm not going to change my way of interacting with him just because it doesn't sit right with your ego. I don't owe you anything, after all. You made it pretty clear that I don't belong to you, didn't you?"

"Blaine, please, I care about you, a lot" Sam begged as he walked to Blaine and picked his hands in his in a desperate move.

"Sam, don't. Please" Blaine pleaded for him to let go, his eyes getting glassy as his voice broke. "Let's just leave it like that"

"I don't want to lose you" Sam insisted, squeezing his hands when he could see Blaine's resolution breaking.

"Please" Blaine begged with a sob, pleading for Sam not to make it even more difficult for him, and in the end Sam couldn't ignore his request any longer and he let go of Blaine's hands, his own heart breaking into a million paces as he got to watch Blaine practically running away from him.

They didn't talk for the rest of the day, as Blaine was clearly avoiding Sam and the latter didn't want to impose too much and wanted to give him some space, which he seem to desperately need after their conversation. The fact that they didn't talk didn't mean that Sam was not keeping an eye on him, and of course he hadn't missed his red eyes when he finally came down from their shared room or the way his hunched shoulders made him look smaller than ever. He was dying to go to him and wrap him in his arms until he could erase any trace of sadness from him –that he had put there, he was very aware of that–, but he would wait until they were alone in the security of their room at night to attempt to talk to him again.

Apparently Sebastian hadn't missed any of those signs either and he hadn't moved more than a couple of feet away from him since Blaine had returned to the common room. He had refrained from making any comments about Blaine's appearance or about the unusual fact that he was keeping himself far away from Sam, but he had been trying to entice Blaine in a conversation all afternoon, offering light words and frequent half embraces to the devastated boy that, in spite of all the jealousy they elicited, they also made Sam feel better because he knew someone was there for Blaine, even if it wasn't him.

"I'm supposed to keep watch tonight with Trent" Sebastian said to the ones remaining around the table once they finished their dinner and some of them had already gone to bed. "But he's feeling a bit under the weather, so I thought maybe we could spare him tonight"

"Sure, of course" Mike immediately agreed, as he had already noticed how Trent did look a little ill that afternoon.

"Want to take his place and keep watch with me, Killer?" Sebastian asked, turned to the boy at his side, as he didn't want to lose sight of him just yet.

"Well, that's a stupid idea" Sam intervened with a sarcastic snort before he could even stop himself.

"Excuse me?" Sebastian asked, and he was annoyed enough at Sam and about what he suspected he was doing to Blaine to let that comment pass.

"Well… Blaine always keeps watch with me" Sam explained, hating how he had brought all the attention on himself, but there was no way out now but to answer.

"So?"

"So that's it, he…"

"He can speak for himself, thank you very much" Blaine intervened, a quick anger replacing the deep sadness from the hours prior to that.

"Why do you always have to do everything together anyway? It's not like you're a couple or anything, right?" Sebastian pointedly asked, and Sam wondered, not for the first time, if Sebastian knew more of what was happening than he should.

"Of course not!" Sam hurried to answer, not missing the flash of hurt that crossed Blaine's face at his denial so he tried to fix it. "But we're best friends and we know each other like the back of our own hands. We make a great team and we should take advantage of that"

"Best friends" Sebastian repeated cynically.

"Yeah"

"You know what? Sebastian is right, there is no reason why we shouldn't work with other people, is it?" Blaine intervened, looking intently at Sam and pleading for him to contradict him and say that there was indeed a very good reason for that. But of course Sam was going to disappoint him once again.

"I guess not" Sam answered with a small voice, hating to hurt Blaine yet once again but not being able to avoid it in front of all these people.

"Good" Blaine answered, almost defiantly, as he stood from his chair and rested his hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "I will stand guard with you tonight, Seb"

"Great" Sebastian answered with a small victorious smile as he stood up too.

"You can't, you stood guard all night yesterday and you didn't sleep much after that, you need your rest" Sam tried to convince him to let it go, not thinking about Sebastian this time but about Blaine's wellbeing.

"You don't get to tell me what I can or can't do, bro" Blaine retorted angrily, surprising everybody even if they refrained to comment on it, and Sam wondered if the real reason for Blaine keeping watch again that night was that he didn't want to go to their room with him. And that thought scared him more than any words could. "Let's get some food ready for the night, Seb"

"After you, Killer" Sebastian answered as he gently pushed Blaine in front of him to get him moving before he changed his mind.

Everybody sat there in silence, watching the two boys go and wondering what the hell had happened for Blaine to sound so angry. They had all noticed his red eyes in the afternoon, but he had said he was nostalgic and missing Cooper in the morning, so they had assumed it had something to do with that. But fighting with Sam instead of going to him for comfort? And Sam accepting it instead of just following him to make it better? It was all too strange.

"Sam…" Artie started, wanting to ask the blond if everything was alright between them, but Sam sighed and got up before he could even begin his question.

"Good night, guys" Sam said before turning to leave the room, effectively putting an end to any possible questions of his friends. He knew they meant well, but there was no way he could answer them without revealing too much. Or without breaking down. So the only thing he could do was to go to bed and hope he could get some sleep, which he knew it was not going to be easy.

An hour later Sam was still tossing and turning on the mattress, and he hadn't been able to close his eyes for even a second. He couldn't stop thinking about Blaine and the pain in his eyes, and his hand kept moving to Blaine's empty side of the bed to rest there without him even noticing. He missed him, it was the first time they were not going to sleep in the same room, or even the same bed, since they had left the hospital, and Sam couldn't forget for a second that it was entirely his fault.

But come on, that was absurd! Were they going to throw away everything that had happened between them because of a stupid misunderstanding? Of course Blaine meant the world to him. Of course he was not just a friend for him and of course he hadn't been just sleeping with him just for the sake of it. And it broke his heart that Blaine could think that, even if he had practically told him that himself. They just needed to talk about it and find a solution that would satisfy them both. They had always been able to talk about everything, what was different that time?

Promising himself he was not going to take no for an answer, he got up from the bed and made his way downstairs. Ok, Blaine was supposed to be keeping watch, but Sebastian could spare him for a few minutes while they talked, right? Or maybe Sam could take his place and stay there with Blaine the rest of the night. That would give them more time to make up and be with each other, right? He desperately needed to be with Blaine, to hold his hand in his and kiss it every now and then, to hug him and squeeze him to his chest, marveling at how well his small frame fitted against his bulkier one… They were made for each other, independently of the label they used to describe what they had, and he was going to make him see that.

He almost shouted with surprise and indignation when he arrived to the entrance and found Blaine tightly wrapped in Sebastian's arms. So it was just his imagination, huh? Blaine hadn't taken that long to replace him, especially considering he claimed not to have any feelings for Sebastian…

He was still trying to decide if he should make a scene or simply walk away from them when a noise caught his attention. A sob. From Blaine. And a shushing sound from Sebastian as he comfortingly run his hands along Blaine's back as more sobs came along. And Sam's heart broke all over again at hearing the anguish of the person who mattered the most in the world to him. Because Blaine wasn't cheating on him by any means, but suffering as Sebastian tried to comfort him.

"Come on, Blaine" Sebastian urged him as he held him even more strongly. "You know you can talk to me. I know this is about Sam, why can't you tell me what happened?"

"I can't tell you" Sam heard him answer, and he couldn't believe how in spite of all the shit he had put him through and how much he had hurt him, Blaine still was loyal to him in every way and was still incapable of going against his wishes about the others knowing about them. Even Sebastian, who seemed to have figured everything out anyway.

Sam didn't know what to do: those devastated sobs were killing him, as he could see that Blaine was even more hurt that he had imagined. But if he walked to them right then it would look as if he had been spying on them to make sure nothing happened, and it would only make things worse.

"Ok, don't tell me if you can't" Sebastian continued in the same reassuring tone as before, still caressing his back diligently. "But you need to calm down. Whatever it is, I'm sure you both can work it out"

"No, not this time" Blaine answered, apparently unable to stop sobbing now that he had started, as he had probably been holding on for the whole day. "It can't be. It's over"

Sam felt as if he had received a punch directly to his chest. He couldn't even breathe after Blaine's words and the conviction in them. So that was it? Had he screwed it so much that it couldn't be fixed? Was Blaine that hurt that he couldn't even give him another chance?

His own eyes swarming with tears, Sam took advantage of the fact he hadn't been noticed to turn around and disappear again. And his heart had never felt emptier than how it did at the moment.

Sam hadn't fallen asleep until the early hours, too busy he was trying to control his tears and put his feelings in order. He couldn't believe he had lost Blaine like that. Would he now move to a different room? Would he always avoid him and choose Sebastian's company over his? Would he always carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, like he had done the day before?

Blaine had said it was over. That it couldn't be. Because he and Sam were not in the same place. But they were. There. He had admitted. He loved Blaine just as much as Blaine loved him, and the fact that he had been a coward until then didn't mean it wasn't true. He just needed to explain it to him. Because he couldn't believe they were over.

No. It was not that he couldn't believe it. He was just simply not going to accept it.

Sebastian and Blaine were just finishing their watch when Sam made it downstairs, and this time Sam didn't remain in the shadows and walked directly to the shorter boy. Gosh, he looked horrible: his eyes were red and puffy from lack of sleep –and from crying, Sam hated to remember–, and his shoulders couldn't be more slumbered. But even like that, he looked incredibly beautiful. And surprised when Sam stood in front of him and tried to stop his advances. But Blaine was still too hurt and tried to avoid him.

"B…" Sam begged as he took Blaine's hand to stop him, sending a pleading look at Sebastian to leave them alone, to which the taller boy immediately complied.

"Let go of me" Blaine answered in a soft but determined tone.

"I was hoping we could talk…" Sam insisted, refusing to simply let go and picking up his other hand instead, hoping to soften Blaine's huge heart so he would give him a chance to make it better.

"We said everything we had to say" Blaine answered, though Sam could see his resolution faltering and he knew he had to take advantage of that.

"No, B, come on, I need…" Sam tried to say, but Blaine interrupted him before he could finish.

"And I need to sleep, Sam, I'm exhausted" he retorted, regaining his stubbornness immediately when Sam had tried –again– to talk about what he needed, instead of the other way around.

"Blaine…" Sam insisted, his own voice shaking with fear as he squeezed his hands again.

"Someone will see us and we don't want that, right?" Blaine coldly answered before he extricated his hands from Sam's grip in one brusque movement and disappeared towards the stairs, leaving Sam there, standing stupidly and immobile without knowing what to do.

He debated with himself if he should maybe follow Blaine to their room and insist for him to talk until he surrendered, but he knew Blaine was exhausted and he needed to sleep before he could even try to put his thoughts in order. He needed some time? Sam would give it to him. He would give him anything he needed, he had already decided that. Even if the waiting was killing him.

The turmoil inside of him must have been pretty obvious, because as soon as he entered the common room all the eyes turned to him. He simply managed a smile that resembled more to a grimace as a greeting and sat down. He didn't feel like eating anything, but at least he could have a cup of hot coffee to clear his mind, right?

"Sam, you look awful" Brittany said, looking worriedly at him.

"I didn't get much sleep last night" Sam answered with a grateful smile even if he didn't offer any further explanation.

Puck was about to joke about how sweet it was that he couldn't sleep without Blaine at his side, but refrained from it in the last second, remembering how his last attempt of joking about their couply behavior had been received the day before. Sam had apologized to him already, but that didn't mean he would appreciate the comment, and the last thing Puck wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable –or be in the receiving end of his wrath again.

The quiet peace of their breakfast was suddenly interrupted with a terrifying din coming from outside that made them jump from their skins and even made some of them lost their grip on their cups.

"What the hell was that?" Sugar asked, looking at everybody else in a desperate need for an answer.

"It sounded like an explosion" Joe answered, before Puck and Kitty ran to the nearest window and took a peak outside.

"Guys, they blew up the fence!" Kitty explained in utter terror. "They're back!"

As everybody started pacing and screaming around him, without knowing what to do, the only thing that crossed Sam's mind was that they were in danger and someone was not there so he could check he was alright: Blaine.

A/N: So that's it! Again sorry for the lack of action and all the heartbreak! But as you can see, everything is about to change, so don't worry! Keep alert!