As always,
Darrinia: I hope you like this new chapter too, a little bit more of Coopbastian for you :) Estoy mejor, muchas gracias por ser como eres. ¡Y por todo el apoyo! Thank you so much!
Mildlifecrissis: of course Blaine would protest about taking the wheelchair ;) But tbh, I think it would feel weird to anyone in his position, to use something so important to a dear friend you've just lost... Puck tricked him alright, though. And yes, I think it makes sense for Cooper to be a leader, considering he is older than the rest and has had to take care of himself for a whole month, so he's learnt a lot. Plus, the Andersons are just like that :) And don't worry, as you said Blaine is not exactly the leader anymore bc he's still weak, but give him some time... Thank you so much, dear!
Raiderva: You know Sam usually calls Blaine babe in my stories, so yes, your request will come true :) I didn't get your comment about the stain on the wheelchair, I'm afraid, I'm too much of an idiot I think ;) Thank you so much!
THEMoDePo: Well, if you like both Blam and Sebastian I can understand you liking my fics :) Much more action in this new chapter! Thank you so much!
Me-Me157: I'm glad you liked all the action because it was really hard to write it! :) Thank you so much, as always!
A/N: It was kind of difficult to explain the action in this chapter, so I hope you get the general idea of what is happening!
CHAPTER 26
"Ok, who's got a rope?" Cooper asked as he took his backpack off his back to check if he had one himself, even if he was practically sure he didn't.
"You can't be serious" Sam retorted before he could stop himself. The last thing he wanted was to antagonize Blaine's older brother –both because he didn't want to cause a rift between the brothers and because he had seen how trustworthy Cooper could be in difficult situations–, but surely he was being too optimistic, or even careless, at the moment. "Are you thinking about crossing the river?"
"You've got another idea?" Cooper asked, kind of insolently even if he tried to remain calm and patient with those youngsters.
"Have you noticed the force of the water?" Sam insisted, and he took a second to look at his boyfriend, more than slightly surprised at the fact that Blaine still had to say something –he usually was very clear about his opinions–. But just one look at his face and Sam could clearly see the conflict on his face, the debate inside his head whether he should trust his brother's crazy but usually effective ideas or support Sam's hesitation. He didn't want to put any pressure on him, but there was not an opinion Sam trusted more than Blaine's, so he needed to ask. "B, what are you thinking?"
"I don't know" Blaine admitted, looking lost about what to think before turning to his brother for answers. "How are you planning on doing it?"
"We tie a rope around the person crossing, and the others hold it from the shore" Cooper explained as he started walking towards the water to inspect it more closely, motioning for the others to follow him. "I know the current seems strong, and it may be too much if we had to swim, but we can beat it on our feet, you know? We only have to walk carefully, trying for the current not to take us away. But even if we fell, the others will pull us out"
"How do you know it's shallow enough for us to walk it through?" Trent asked, wanting to give Cooper's idea a chance before refusing it completely.
"It can't be that deep, look at that car on the middle of it" Cooper answered, pointing at a nearby car in the middle of the water that had gotten stuck behind a rock. "We wouldn't see it if it was deep, right?"
"It could be piled on some rocks or other cars" Sebastian added, hating to go against Cooper but feeling the need to play devil's advocate in everyone's behalf.
"It's not" Cooper answered confidently, trying to stay patient. "This is not even a real river, just some water that got out of control because of the storm"
"It may not have been a river before, but it surely looks like it now" Sam insisted, unconsciously squeezing Blaine's body, still in his arms, more closely to him. Because how were they supposed to do something like that, especially considering how weak Blaine still was because of his shot wound?
"Guys, you know there is not another solution, right?" Cooper conveyed, slightly irritated by then by everybody's doubts –couldn't they see it was the only thing they could do? "We can't possibly go back with all those walkers"
"We could kill them, from here, we're good shooters" Puck suggested, even if he could see himself how feeble his argument sounded.
"And how many more are going to come if the shots attract them? And how long do you think our ammunition is going to last?" Cooper reasoned. "It's only a matter of time until they manage to get up here, so we should not waste any more time"
"They won't get here, they're not that clever" Brittany intervened.
"Maybe not, but what if some of them fall and pile up and the others use them to go up? There are enough of them for that to happen" Cooper tried to make them see. "Can you guarantee that is not going to happen?"
Everybody remained silent as Cooper refuted every one of the other's arguments as they all knew he would: they could see he was right, and they trusted him and his experience, but… what he was suggesting seemed such a crazy idea…
Cooper looked at the hesitation in every youngster face, how they wanted to agree but were afraid to do it. In the end his gaze reached his little brother's face, and he looked intently at him as if trying to silently ask him for support. After all, he had heard all the others speak wonders about him and how he had been their leader until he got injured. Maybe if Blaine agreed to do it the others would follow him… Cooper's heart broke at what he was asking of him, considering he could barely walk, but it was the only way to get him and all the others to safety, he knew that much. And he knew his brother understood when he nodded confidently at him before speaking.
"Let's do it" Blaine said, his heart warming at the proud smile he could see in his brother's face at his decision.
"But Blaine…" Sam immediately objected, though Blaine seemed to have been expecting it by the speed with which he interrupted him.
"Cooper is right, Sammy" Blaine gently put an end to his protests with a tender caress to his cheek. "There is no other way"
Just as Cooper had expected, everyone except for Sam got into action, incapable of disagreeing with a plan that had been devised and accepted by the Anderson brothers –they had seen enough of them to know they couldn't trust anyone more than them–, and started searching for a rope in every one of their backpacks.
"I've got one!" Sugar happily exclaimed as she ran to give it to Cooper.
"It's short" Cooper lamented as he took a good look at it.
"It's the only one we've got" Unique added with a sad expression.
"It will have to do then" Cooper answered, trying to sound optimistic. "We'll just have to walk a couple of steps into the water before tying it up around us, but we can do it"
That seemed to get Sam out of his stupor: no, no way. There was no way he was going to let Blaine get into the water without any kind of protection. As much as Cooper had tried to convince them otherwise, they didn't know how deep it was going to get or how strong the current really was. And Sam wasn't sure Blaine could do it even with the rope…
"Blaine can't do it" Sam unsurprisingly objected again, the fear of losing him stronger than ever.
"The rope will hold him" Cooper answered confidently, even if it was not enough to put Sam's mind at ease.
"The rope will keep him from being dragged away, but won't keep him in the surface if he falls and right now he is not strong enough to swim against the current" Sam protested, not really able to understand how Blaine's brother couldn't see the danger he was putting him at. "What if he falls and he can't get his head above the surface? Can you be sure you will be fast enough pulling him out of the water before he drowns?"
"I won't fall" Blaine intervened, suddenly standing in front of him, the confident expression of his brother mirroring in his own face as he tried to convince his boyfriend.
"Blaine, you don't know that" Sam insisted, needing to make him understand he appreciated his courage but it wasn't going to be so easy. "The current is strong… and I'm afraid is much stronger than what you can deal with at the moment"
"So what can we do? We can't stay here" Blaine insisted with a painful expression, showing Sam what his real fear was –and how he was not even thinking about his own safety.
"We'll tie the rope around the both of us" Sam suddenly suggested, knowing the Anderson brothers were right about not being able to stay there, but the way Cooper immediately shook his head told him that would not be a solution either.
"That's impossible, Sam, the rope is too short as it is, it can't possibly tie around two people if we want it to reach the other shore" Cooper lamented, because it would have been the perfect solution if it had been possible.
"Then… we'll get it around him and I'll walk with him" Sam answered after some hesitation. He knew it was not an ideal situation, but he would make it work if it meant getting Blaine safely to the other side.
"Without a rope? You're crazy" Blaine, unsurprisingly, protested with a sarcastic and humorless laugh, indignant just about the thought of putting Sam at risk like that.
"I'm strong and perfectly healthy, the current won't drag me"
"You don't know that, and I'm not risking it, Sam. Not in a million years"
"There is no other way, love" Sam tried to convince him, taking Blaine's hand in his and looking at him with eyes full of love and by which Blaine tried not to be affected.
"No, Sam, I'm not risking losing my footing and have you fall with me" Blaine answered, shaking in head in negation as he closed his eyes, not even wanting to imagine if that happened.
"But I will be holding you the entire time!" Sam insisted, grabbing on Blaine's arms to gently shake him so he would listen to him. "If we fall, I'll just grab onto you and wait for the others to pull us out"
"And what if you let go?" Blaine insisted, his voice shaking at the possibility. "Who will stop you then?"
"That is not going to happen" Sam answered with the same confidence Blaine had used himself when trying to convince Sam he could do it.
"You're right, that is not going to happen because we're not doing it" Blaine stubbornly refused, crossing his arms over his chest to make more of an impression.
"Well, you either cross the river with me or we stay here, it's up to you" Sam retorted, equally stubborn as he threw down his ultimatum. If Blaine thought he was going to be more headstrong than him…
"You don't get to tell me what to do" Blaine answered, his low tone not being able to hide the anger inside of him. Who did Sam think he was, to make that kind of decisions for him?
"Neither do you to me" Sam answered calmly, not wanting to get into a battle of wills even if he wasn't going to relent on that either –and he was not leaving room for argument–. "If I want to get in the water with you I will, and you can't stop me. You can make it easier and safer by letting me hold onto you, but I will do it anyway even if I have to follow you"
"You damned stubborn mule…" Blaine angrily muttered under his breath as he turned around to give his back to Sam, not wanting to see the triumph on his face now that they both knew he had won.
"Oh, you want to talk!" Sam answered while trying to sound offended, though it was easier to detect the laughter in his voice.
"Are you two about done?" Puck sarcastically asked, trying not to laugh at Blaine's indignant expression.
"Come on, we don't have any more time to lose" Cooper encouraged them, failing to find the situation that funny if he got to think about what they –and especially his little brother– were about to do. "I'll go first"
"Coop…" Blaine tried to protest, his worry speaking for him, and Sam forgot about their argument in an instant to rest a reassuring hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. If it was difficult for him, he didn't even want to imagine how it was for Blaine, who had to worry about two people he dearly loved –his brother and Sam himself– instead of just one.
"It was my idea, Squirt, so I get to go first" Cooper answered, wanting it to sound as if it was a privilege instead of a risk. "I'll tie the robe around me and you can all hold me from here until I get to the other side. The only difference in holding me from here is that, if I fall and you have to pull me out, I have to start again"
"Be careful" Blaine pleaded as he sadly watched his brother make a tight knot around his chest with the only rope they had, which was too short to even make it safely to the other side.
"Aren't I always?" Cooper answered with a reassuring smile before resting a comforting kiss on Blaine's forehead that looked too much like a farewell to the smaller boy. "Come on, who is going to hold the other end?"
"I will" Sebastian immediately offered, still grateful to Cooper for saving his life against the rattlesnake and also wanting to do everything he could to help his good friend Blaine feel better –even if that meant making sure his big brother would stay safe.
"So will I" Puck added as he moved to stand behind Sebastian.
"And me" Mike said as he also grabbed the robe, slowly looking more and more like his old self as days went by.
Sam was about to offer too, but one look at the devastated expression on Blaine's face as he watched his brother tie the rope around him told him he would be needed somewhere else. With a sad sigh, he put his arm around Blaine's upper body and held him close to his side, trying to offer some silent comfort to the smaller boy. The rope was too short anyway, and the more people holding onto it, the greater the distance Cooper would have to do without it would be. And he could always jump to help if it came to that, anyway.
"Ok, I'm going" Cooper said, confidently walking towards the edge. "I'll see you in the other side"
Not waiting for an answer or a request to stay that would make him hesitate, Cooper sat on the floor and carefully let himself fall into the water. Blaine's heart skipped a beat at the gesture, but fortunately Cooper had been right and the water only reached him a little above the knees.
"See, little brother?" Cooper said with his trademark arrogant smile, feigning he was just showing off for being right when in reality Blaine knew he was only trying to calm him down. "I could cross it with my eyes closed"
"Don't" Sam intervened in a scolding tone, not wanting to prolong Blaine's anxiety for one second longer than necessary. "Stop being an idiot and concentrate, please"
"Gosh, I managed to find the most annoying and unpleasant brother-in-law ever" Cooper muttered loud enough for all of them to hear, eliciting a few chuckles amongst the youngster that helped break the tension of the atmosphere a little –exactly what Cooper had been aiming for. "Ok, I'm going now"
Everybody held their breaths as Cooper started slowly walking through the water. The current was strong enough to have him fight it at every step, but his movements were confident and he didn't seem to be having much trouble. That is, until he reached the middle of the so-called river. The level of the water was higher than his waist by then so it was becoming more and more careful difficult to fight against the current. Suddenly Cooper lost his footing and was swept away by the current.
Sam heard Blaine's muffled agony as he brought a fist against his mouth to stop himself from screaming as he saw his brother being dragged by the water. Fortunately, Cooper was strong and agile, and he was able to grab on the car standing in the middle of the river and that they had seen from the beginning. Grabbing strongly into it, Cooper was able to firmly plant his feet onto the bed of the river again and shakily turned around to raise his thumb as a sign that he was alright.
Blaine's eyes never left him, not even as Sam tenderly picked his fist into his own hand and made him open it to entwine their fingers together and held them against his heart, hoping to keep him from going into panic. And apparently he did, because Blaine didn't make any other sound as Cooper resumed his walking and continued to the other shore.
Too soon for everybody's taste, the rope reached its limit. Mike let go of it first, followed by Puck, until only Sebastian's hands were on it.
"That's it, there is no more rope" Sebastian screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping for his voice to reach Cooper's ears above all the ruckus of the water. "We have to let go now!"
"Let go, I'm ready!" Cooper answered without even turning back, not wanting to risk getting swept away again.
With a heavy heart, Sebastian did as he was told and he couldn't help a furtive glance towards Blaine, to see how he was fairing. And he saw that only the arm Sam kept around him and his warm fingers holding strongly onto his were keeping him from screaming, or jumping into the water behind his brother. Or even both of them. And Sebastian hoped that Cooper would be fast, and that he'd be alright, or he didn't know if Blaine could survive it.
Cooper continued walking the little distance separating him from the other shore, and a collective gasp sounded around the youngsters watching him when he was close to lose his footing again. He regained his balance before falling, though, and in a couple more steps he was already grabbing the pavement of the other shore.
They all watched as he strongly fought to get himself out of the water and on the ground, and when he did, and he exhaustedly let himself fall on the safety of the pavement under him, a round of applause spontaneously broke amongst the others.
"He made it" Sam whispered with a relieved sigh, just before resting a comforting kiss on Blaine's temple. "He made it, babe"
Blaine wasn't able to find his voice to answer, but he nodded gratefully at his boyfriend before letting himself be engulfed in his embrace and willed his body to stop shaking.
"Let's not waste any more time" Puck suddenly said and, before anyone else could react, he threw himself into the water.
"Puck!" Sam yelled in surprise, even if he knew it was what they all were going to do.
"Someone had to be the next one, right?" Puck said over his shoulder as the only explanation he was going to offer before carefully walking a couple more steps in the water. "Come on, Anderson, throw the rope at me!"
Cooper hadn't been ready yet by any means, still exhausted by his own stunt, but at Puck's yell he hurried to stand up and untie the robe from around his body so he could throw it at Puck. They hadn't thought about that but, if Puck fell and Cooper had to get him out… it would not be easy, considering it was only a person. And Cooper thought that was probably why Puck had hurried so much, as he was probably the strongest of the bunch and the one with a greater probability of success without needing any help.
Puck waited immobile just before the rapids started, waiting for the security the robe would provide. And when Cooper made a lasso and threw the robe at him, it didn't come even close enough for him to reach it.
"Let me try again!" Puck thought Cooper yelled, though it was hard to say with all the noise of the passing water. It had seemed easier from above, and Puck's heart was beating at such a strong rhythm that he was sure a heart attack would kill him if the water didn't do it first.
A soft splash some feet in front of him alerted him that Cooper had indeed thrown the robe at him again, much more accurately this time, but still it wasn't enough to reach him.
"It's too short!" Cooper yelled the words Puck had been dreading to hear. "You're going to have to advance some more to reach it!"
His heart in his throat –as well as those of all the others–, Puck started moving forwards again. He could feel the increase in the speed of the water and, even if it wasn't that deep, he knew he only needed one wrong move and he would be in trouble. And he wasn't sure Cooper could hold him on his own against the current even if he managed to tie the rope around himself.
He was finally able to reach the lasso and hurried to put it around his chest, feeling a bit comforted by it, and continued under the watchful eyes of all the others. And just like it happened with Cooper, he had to use the car for balance at the most dangerous part. But also like Cooper, he recovered soon enough and was able to make it to the other shore amongst the cheers of his friends.
One by one all the kids started crossing the river. It proved quite difficult for Kitty or Marley, because of their low weight that proved of no resistance to the strong current, but the robe held them when they fell and they were dragged to the edge before any real damage was done. And, at the end, only Sam and Blaine remained at the other side.
Blaine had specifically wanted to wait until every one of his friends was at the other side before attempting it himself. He was very aware of how dangerous and difficult it was going to be to him, and he didn't want to risk for him to not make it and the others getting demoralized before they were safe at the other side. Plus that way they were all there to pull at the robe if they had to get him and Sam out of the water, right?
"It's our turn now" Sam's encouraging by shaking voice took him out of his reverie. It was obvious how scared his boyfriend was but how hard he was trying to hide it so as not to bring their morale down, and Blaine loved him all the more for it.
"Promise me something" Blaine said, looking very serious as he turned around to face his lover, strongly grabbing onto his biceps to make more of an impression.
"What?" Sam asked in confusion, as he was sure they had already discussed everything they needed to discuss about how to proceed.
"If at any time you are at risk while trying to help me, you will let go of me and save yourself" Blaine answered, and he was so far of trying to sound heroic, just devoted and desperate, that it was all Sam could do not to break down in sobs.
"I'm not promising you that" Sam retorted with a humorless chuckle, as if he was indignant just to hear that kind of request.
"I'm not doing it if I know you can die because of me" Blaine insisted, and Sam's heart broke when he noticed his eyes getting shiny with unshed tears, very well knowing they were for him.
"But Blaine…" he tried to refuse, even if he knew how stubborn his boyfriend was, especially about anything regarding to him and his safety –ever since he woke up from his coma, Blaine still hadn't lost the need to make sure Sam was safe at all times, as if it was his responsibility.
"As you very well said, there is no way I can get to the other side on my own" Blaine interrupted him, leaving no room for arguments. "So if you die trying to save me, it won't be worth it because I won't make it on my own anyway, so at least I need to know you're going to be alright"
"No, but…" Sam tried to protest. How dare Blaine think Sam's life was worth more than his?
"Promise me" Blaine interrupted him again, more sternly this time even if it still wasn't enough to content Sam.
"Blaine…"
"Just… promise me, Sammy"
Blaine's voice broke into a half sob as a tear finally found its way down his cheek, and of course it was enough to break Sam's resolution. After all, he had never been able to deny Blaine anything, much less now that there were tears in his eyes and his heartbreak was so evident. He knew Blaine would never give up until he made that promise. That didn't mean he had to keep it anyway, right?
"Ok, I promise" Sam finally relented, taking Blaine into his arms to engulf him completely before he broke down, hoping it wouldn't be the last time he would get to do that.
"I can't do this without you" Blaine whispered in his ear, and Sam knew he was not referring to crossing the river but to the very real and constant fear he had about losing Sam.
"And you won't have to" Sam confidently answered as he broke the embrace to cup Blaine's cheek with one hand and entwine their fingers with the other. "Let's just do it, ok?"
Blaine only nodded in response and closed his eyes for a second when Sam's lips tenderly made contact with his temple for a second. Then, and before he was ready, he only got to watch as Sam carefully got into the water and motioned for him to sit on the edge so he could help him down to.
Blaine felt the strength of the water as soon as his feet made contact with the ground under it, and he would probably have ended falling if not for the strength of Sam's hands still on his waist from helping him down. He quickly understood that Sam had been right from the beginning, and there was no way he could cross the river on his own. He just wished it didn't end up costing them more than they were ready to pay –if something happened to Sam while trying to protect him… only his promise about not putting himself at risk was keeping Blaine sane at the moment.
"Come on, babe" Sam encouragingly said as he gently pushed him forward with his own body, having placed himself firmly behind Blaine with his arms keeping a strong grip around his waist to keep his balance.
Blaine obeyed, and wordlessly started moving his feet against the current, although he couldn't say it was an easy task. He felt completely exhausted already from the way there since the wheelchair broke, and his weakness hardly let him fight against the current. He could feel the tension on Sam's muscles, as he was probably as scared and doubtful about their chances as he was, and he wanted to tell him not to worry, that he would try his very best, even if the effort he was doing didn't let him find his voice. So instead he had to content himself with putting his hands on the arms Sam was keeping around him and hold strongly onto them.
"We're going to make it" Sam promised him in his ear, and Blaine was glad that his message had been understood.
They covered the less dangerous part of the river in a longer time than expected, and Blaine wondered how his brother would be faring at the other side: he was probably going crazy with worry just at that moment, having to watch his little brother, his wounded and weak little brother, having to put himself at risk like that, after everything he had had to do to reach him. He wished he could spare him that, as well as he wished Sam didn't have to put his own life at risk for him. But having that kind of thoughts wasn't going to help anyone, so Blaine tried to get them off his head and concentrate on the hard task at hand.
It was then when his brother's strong voice reached him from afar, as he yelled for them to be ready because he was going to throw his lasso at them. Sam readied himself to catch it, but it was difficult to do it with just one hand and without being able to move, as he had no intention of letting Blaine go completely for even one second, having noticed how unstable he was.
"Sam, you're going to need to get a little closer!" Cooper told them from the distance, his voice filled with anguish at what he was seeing. "The robe is too short!"
Sam cursed under his breath –and Blaine knew him enough to know he would have been screaming and kicking his rage away if he wasn't trying to keep him from panicking–, and removed his arm from around Blaine's waist until the only link between them was their joined hands.
"Don't move" Sam ordered him, as he walked by him and put himself in front of him, as there was no way he was going to let him enter the rapids without a strong robe tied around him. "Try again now, Cooper!"
It didn't take them more than a couple of tries this time until the lasso got caught in Sam's outstretched arm. His heart about to stop with fear, he carefully turned around and looked at his boyfriend with badly hidden desperation.
"I need you to walk to me now, babe" Sam said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone as he gently started pulling on Blaine's hand. "I won't let go of you"
Nodding confidently back at him –not sure who he was trying to reassure more, Sam or himself–, Blaine obeyed and started walking towards his boyfriend. He knew the most dangerous part was about to begin, so he made a conscious effort to firmly place his feet on the ground at each step he took. However, he was not ready for the force of the water at that part of the river and as soon as he entered one of the rapids, he lost his footing and felt himself engulfed in that freezing water that wouldn't even let him scream.
It took Sam every ounce of his self-control to stop himself from panicking –especially when he heard Cooper and Sebastian's desperate scream from the other edge–, not wanting to make the wrong move. Fortunately he had been able to keep the tight grip he had on Blaine's hand, and he strongly pulled against the current to get Blaine out of the water, though it wasn't enough. With a scream from the effort, he pulled again and this time he was able to get Blaine close enough so his other hand could grab Blaine's arms and raise him above the water.
Blaine gave a desperate breath as he finally got to the surface, practically without any air on him, and let himself be manhandled by Sam's shaky hands that were helping him to try and stand on his own two feet again. He could feel how Sam wanted to embrace him –and he wanted it even more–, but they couldn't lose any time.
"You okay?" Sam asked, looking worriedly at Blaine while the latter tried to regain his breath.
"Yeah" was all the answer Blaine was able to give, but he managed to put a hand on Sam's arm as the latter tried to tie the rope around him, stopping him. "We can advance a bit more until we have enough rope to tie it around the both of us"
"No way" Sam contradicted him, not even trying to discuss it as he gently but sternly removed Blaine's hand from his arm and used his superior strength to get the lasso around him. "We're not moving an inch again until I know it's safe for you to do it"
"But…" Blaine tried to protest, but Sam was already strengthening the knot and turning him around to hold him from behind, like before.
"I'll hold onto you" Sam promised to reassure him right before he started pushing him again. "I'm not intending to let go, don't worry about me"
They started moving through the worst part of the river. Sam could feel the enormous effort Blaine was doing by the tension on his muscles, but he was making a good job anyway, as if there was something Blaine was, that was stubborn.
"You're doing great, love" Sam praised him, wanting him to know he was very aware of how hard he was trying and how much he appreciated it. "I'm so proud of you"
Blaine was unable to answer, the effort he was making to remain standing was so great, but Sam's words still warmed his heart to no end and gave him strength to keep fighting. After all, he had to do it for Sam, who was risking his own life for him, and for Cooper, who was waiting for him at the other side.
They were already half-way through the river, the water already to their waists, and Sam was smiling because he could see they were going to make it, when Blaine stepped on a little hole on the ground that made him lose his balance and he lost his footing again. It all happened so fast that Sam didn't have time to react and hold him more strongly, and as soon as Blaine's feet weren't on the ground the current took him away without neither one of them being able to help it.
Sam's heart skipped a beat as he saw his boyfriend moving away from him against his will, but he felt momentarily relieved when he remembered he had a rope around him and his brother would never let go of him. But that relief disappeared in an instant when he noticed that, even if the tautened robe kept him from continuing down with the current, it did nothing to keep him above the water, and he still had to appear again.
Sam walked as fast as he could towards him, his heart in his throat just thinking about the horrible feeling Blaine would be experiencing right then as he was unable to draw a breath, but he knew he would never make it on time at that rate before Blaine would drown. Hardly needing to make a decision, even if he knew it was very dangerous and exactly what he had promised Blaine he wouldn't do, Sam threw himself in the water completely and let himself be carried by it, hoping against hope he wouldn't pass Blaine by and could grab onto him before being dragged too far away.
When he arrived more or less to the place where he knew Blaine was, even if he couldn't see him, he straightened his arms to the limit, trying to find him. He couldn't feel anything and he yelled in frustration when he realized he was involuntarily moving away from him thanks to the current. But the tip of his fingers finally made contact with something, and he used the last of his forces to try and swim against the current. And when he found that something again, and he realized it was Blaine's leg, he strongly grabbed it and used Blaine's body to keep himself from being dragged again. And when he was finally all the way up to Blaine's upper body, he put his arms around Blaine's chest and pulled him up as quickly as he could until Blaine's head was finally up the surface.
Blaine didn't seem to be able to get enough air as he was finally freed from the water trap the river had become for him. As hard as he try, he didn't feel as if any oxygen was making it to his lungs, and his struggles to breathe were not enough.
"Come on, B" he could hear Sam urging him from behind, and he would have loved nothing more than to make Sam happy and start breathing normally, but he couldn't, as much as he tried.
"Don't do that again" Blaine managed to say between breaths, wanting for Sam to understand that it was okay, that he had tried, that it was what he wanted, and Sam had never felt a greater anger than the one he felt at the mere notion of staying still as Blaine died in front of his eyes.
"Shut the fuck up" he answered before he could stop himself, and just held more strongly onto the smaller boy, who still had to regain the ability to breathe.
Sam knew Blaine wouldn't last a lot longer. There was no way he could regain his breath if he had to keep fighting to stay above the water and the rope was constricting his chest and keeping him from taking deep breaths. Plus the water that kept splashing him on his nose and mouth wasn't helping. Sam didn't trust Cooper and the others to get them out fast enough, and he needed to find a way to make them stand on their feet again and not depending on the rope.
They could use the car in the middle of the road, as Cooper, Puck and most of the others had done. It was close enough that they could reach it with a little effort, and Blaine would have the chance to regain his breath and Sam would have the chance to hold himself on his feet again if he could hold onto it.
Swimming wasn't easy while trying to keep Blaine above the water, but they were lucky that the car was in the direction the water was taking them so it wasn't as difficult as he had expected. Sam pushed Blaine towards the car and lifted his arms on it to make sure the shorter boy would grab onto it, which he did. But when Sam was about to grab on it himself, his still tender shoulder gave way; only for one second, but it was enough to make him miss the car by mere inches and he was swept away by the current.
"Sam!" Blaine shouted at the top of his lungs when he saw his boyfriend disappear, forgetting in an instant about his lack of breath from a moment before.
It was only half a minute later –even if his eyes were already filled with bitter tears– when Blaine started sobbing at the relief of seeing Sam coming out to the surface again and being able to hold onto a rock so he wouldn't be carried even further away.
Blaine immediately thought about getting into action: there was no way Sam could get out of that situation without a rope, as the water naturally swirled around the rock he was grabbing onto and it would be too dangerous to try. So it was up to him to reach him and make sure they both could hold onto the rope until the others could pull them out.
"Don't!" Cooper yelled from his place, instantly guessing his brother's intentions. "You're not up to that!"
"I'm not going to leave him there!" Blaine found the strength to yell back, his voice sounding terrified. "He's there because he was trying to save me!"
"Let us pull you out first and then I'll use the rope myself to get him out for you, buddy, I promise" Cooper insisted, knowing he would do anything in his power to erase the terror he could see in Blaine's face at the possibility of losing Sam.
Blaine was thinking about agreeing –he was not an idiot, even if it killed him to let others save Sam, he knew they were in a better condition than he was– when a sudden noise made him turn around towards Sam again and he was appalled to discover the rock he was grabbing onto was shaking.
"There is no time for that, the rock is about to give in!" Blaine screamed.
"Blaine, listen to your brother" Sam tried to convince him, worried that it would be too much for him even if he knew there was a big chance that the rock would give away before Cooper could reach him. "It will hold"
"Shut the fuck up" Blaine answered, repeating the same words Sam had used with him only moments ago, before he took a deep breath and decidedly let go of the car to let himself be pulled in Sam's direction.
"No!" Sam yelled, his heart in his throat as he got to watch Blaine disappear under the water again, but he had to concentrate on hanging onto the rock as it started trembling with more force with his weight.
As this time he was going with the current, Blaine was able to go up to the surface a couple of times to get some breath, and Sam wondered what was taking him so long to reach him. Had he maybe gotten stuck on something?
"Blaine!" he yelled, his eyes filling with tears at the struggling he could see in his boyfriend not to drown.
"The rope… is too… short" Blaine explained between sharp intakes of air. "I can't get… any closer"
"Then stop!" Sam yelled to make himself heard, and when it took a whole minute for Blaine's face to appear over the surface again he knew what he was doing. "Don't untie yourself! Shit, Blaine, don't!"
But of course Blaine wasn't listening. With a lot of difficulty he finally managed to untie the rope from his chest and contented himself with holding onto it with only one hand, praying –even if he was not religious– that his forces wouldn't fail him and he would not let go of the rope before he could reach Sam.
Blaine let himself float and straightened his body as much as he could, so hopefully Sam could grab onto one of his feet.
"I can't reach you" Sam groaned as he failed to reach him, even if he knew Blaine couldn't hear him because his face was again submerged under the water.
So Sam knew he didn't have a second to lose and didn't hesitate, making a jump from his place and hoping against hope he wouldn't miss his shot. And he didn't, he thought with a sob as he strongly grabbed Blaine's ankle, not a minute too soon because the rock finally gave away with the extra pressure and ended up swept by the water.
"Come on, guys, pull as fast as you can!" someone yelled, but Sam couldn't even determine who it was over the roaring of the water.
Sam couldn't even see what was going on because of all the water splashing into his face, but he guessed all the others were probably pulling on the rope because they were moving far more quickly that he would have expected. He wondered if Blaine had been able to get his head out of the water, but at least he knew he was still hanging on because he was still holding onto the robe.
"Blaine!" Cooper desperately cried as he gave a final pull and at last was able to catch one of Blaine's arms to lift his upper body and keep his head above the water.
He only waited a second until Sebastian managed to take his other hand, and then they both pulled with all their forces until they were able to raise Blaine's body from the water and got him to the ground at their feet. With a quick look at Sam, and he was relieved to see that Mike and Puck were doing the same for him, Cooper's attention turned again fully to his brother, who hadn't found the strength to even raise himself from the floor, where he was lying face first, and was clearly struggling to breathe amongst all the coughing.
"Blaine!" Sebastian exclaimed this time, seeing his friend in trouble but not knowing how to help.
Cooper didn't hesitate, though, and in one quick movement he turned his little brother to his side and lifted his upper body from the floor so he would find it easier to take deep breaths and he could start decongesting his battered lungs.
"Easy, little brother" Cooper whispered reassuringly to him as he held him in his arms, trying to get him to calm down so he would concentrate on his breathing. "Come on, deep breaths, come on"
"Sam" Blaine managed to softly murmur between all the coughing, but it was enough for Cooper to know who he was worrying about.
"He is right here, he's ok, don't worry, just concentrate on breathing" Cooper answered in a comforting tone, wanting to keep Blaine calm at least until he recovered his breath.
"Blaine" a strained voice sounded behind him as a warm hand tenderly landed on his back, and Blaine didn't need to see him to know who it was, so he turned around as quick as he could manage and let himself fall on those arms that were waiting for him.
Sam hurried to close the embrace around the smaller boy, needing to feel him close enough so he could hear his heartbeat and convince himself that Blaine was still alive. And by the strength which with Blaine was embracing him back, Sam knew he was feeling exactly the same, so he squeezed his smaller frame even more strongly to his chest, hoping to reassure him as well.
"You okay?" Blaine's shaking voice asked against his ear.
"Yeah" Sam quickly answered, ignoring his exhaustion and the pain on his shoulder, because he knew they were small prices to pay considering how they could have both ended. "You?"
"Yeah" Blaine answered also too quickly even if he still hadn't completely regained his breath and he seemed about to faint with fatigue.
"See? We did it" Sam said when he broke the embrace, looking happily at his boyfriend with a triumphant smile that quickly disappeared at Blaine's unexpected reaction.
"Why the hell did you do that?" Blaine yelled in a sudden rage just before giving and angry slap to Sam's chest, surprising everyone.
"Did what?" Sam asked in total bewilderment.
"Let yourself go into the water to reach me! You promised you wouldn't put yourself at risk for me!" Blaine retorted back at him, practically screaming and in an obvious fit.
"But Blaine, I..." Sam tried to justify himself, beginning to understand where the anger was coming from, even if he hadn't been expecting it at all.
"You promised, you fucking liar!"
"I know, and I'm sorry, but I never had the intention of keeping that promise, you know"
"You could have been killed!" Blaine angrily answered, his eyes starting to fill with tears in spite of himself, his fear and rage were so real.
"And what was I supposed to do, stand aside and watch you drown?" Sam retorted, not knowing how to calm his boyfriend down, as the last thing that he needed in his state was an emotional breakdown like that.
"Yes!" Blaine answered without hesitation, surprising everyone with his honesty. "You promised!"
"But Blaine, you should have known I would have never…" Sam tried to make him see –did Blaine really thought he was going to let him die, even if he had promised?–, but Blaine was totally beyond himself and wasn't willing to listen.
"You lied to me!" Blaine interrupted him again in a loud voice as he hit Sam's chest with his fist, not hard enough to hurt him but enough for the blond to see how serious he was –and he was terrified to see some blood starting to soak Blaine's wet clothes around his shoulder, which probably meant his wound had reopened with the whole ordeal.
"Blaine, please, your wound must have reopened and it's bleeding, let me just…" Sam said in a reassuring tone, resting a gentle hand on Blaine's shoulder so he could keep him still while he checked the wound, but he immediately saw it was the wrong move when Blaine practically jumped backwards to avoid him.
"Don't touch me!" Blaine yelled, verging on hysterics by then, which worried Sam very much as he had never seen his boyfriend like that.
"But Blaine…" he said, not even trying to touch him this time, but still Blaine recoiled again.
"Let me, Sam" Cooper felt obliged to intervene, wanting to stop his brother's breakdown before it went too far.
"Blaine, listen to me…" Sam insisted, but Blaine refused his touch once again and this time Cooper physically put himself between the couple.
"I'll help him now, Sam" Cooper said in the same calm voice he always used when he was trying to fix the situation, gently pushing Sam away from his brother so he could kneel in front of him instead. "Just give him some time"
Sighing tiredly, his heart breaking at how Cooper was able to embrace Blaine and console him when he hadn't been allowed to, Sam got on his feet and moved a few feet away from them, giving them the space his boyfriend seemed to be needing so much. Even if he had been nearly hysteric, Sam knew Blaine was more scared than really angry; after all, how many times had he voiced his absolute terror of losing him? And how close he had come to do just that only a couple of minutes ago? Sam knew he shouldn't have lied to him and made promises he didn't intend to keep. Of course he didn't regret anything he had done, but maybe he should have been honest with him and tried to convince him some other way. He totally understood Blaine's anger, and he was completely sure his sweet and calm boyfriend would be back when he had had some time to cool off. But that didn't make it any easier having to watch from the distance as it was Cooper and Sebastian, and not him, the ones to take care of him for once.
"It's nothing, Sam" Sebastian's voice, suddenly at his side after a while, took him out of his reverie, probably wanting to erase the worry from his eyes that Sam knew he was sporting. "It just bled a little, nothing to worry about"
"Thank, Seb" Sam honestly answered, even trying to give him a smile although he was sure it came out more as a grimace.
"He just… He got really scared when the current swept you" Sebastian tried to comfort Sam at the same time that he defended his friend. After all, he had been a witness to those two's loving relationship and it hurt him to see them at odds.
"I know" Sam answered with a nod, making the taller one understand he wasn't blaming Blaine for his outburst and perfectly understood it.
"But he will come around soon" Sebastian insisted, hoping he could make Sam feel better, even if only slightly. "You know he can't live without you"
"Thanks, Seb" Sam repeated with a sad smile.
Sam had to remove some treacherous tears from his cheeks every now and then as they walked, knowing how lousy his boyfriend was feeling –he had seen tears in Blaine's cheeks too more than once for a while now– and that he was not allowed to try and make it better. After crossing the river, Blaine was so obviously exhausted that he hadn't even tried to deny it, and had instantly agreed to be carried on his brother's back. And when Cooper had become too tired, Blaine had been transferred to Sebastian's back for a while, and then Puck's. But Sam hadn't still dared to approach him again, afraid of sending him into a full rage again now that at least he seemed to be calmer. He hoped it was only exhaustion keeping him from even protesting about being carried, and his wound reopening didn't mean he was going to get sicker again. And to know he couldn't be with time at times like these… it only made his heart break a little more with each step.
"He will come around" Marley said, suddenly appearing at his side.
"I know he will" Sam quickly answered, his heart breaking once again as he looked at his lover and noticed him fighting to hold his head up in his exhaustion so as not to bother Puck, knowing he would have let it fall on his shoulder if it had been him the on to carry him, as the other times. "He was just scared, I know, but… it kills me to see him always so afraid for me"
"He just loves so much" Marley tried to help.
"I know" Sam answered, wishing for the first time that Blaine's feelings for him weren't that strong, even if it was only for a second. "Gosh, I know"
They already thought they were going to be spending the night in the open air –which wouldn't be an easy thing considering it was very cold and they were still drenched, especially Blaine and Sam– when they found a small abandoned farm that had them yelling and cheering in excitement before they were even inside.
It wasn't a big thing; quite the contrary, it was small and modest. But it was cozy and offered them a roof over their heads. And it even had a fireplace, and this time they weren't going to hesitate to use it: after all, it was already too dark for the smoke to be seen unless from very near, and they doubted there would be someone around such an isolated place.
They searched the place for food, clothes and blankets, and they all got out from their wet clothes before anything else. Then they divided the tasks between them –as Blaine got to sit in front of the fire, hoping he would stop shaking soon– and everybody got into action.
Cooper took care of the safety of the place, and he soon started doing the same things Blaine always found so necessary: checking every corner of the place for walkers, blocking all the entrances… And it was like then, when he was trying to move a big shelving against one of the windows, that Sebastian decided to approach him and help him.
"Thanks" Cooper said with a grateful smile after they both efficiently moved that piece of furniture. "That should keep us safe for the night. Maybe it would be better to seal us up, but after what happened the last time…"
"I know, we can't be too careful" Sebastian immediately agreed, before turning serious. "Listen, I… wanted to thank you for before. With the snake, I mean. You saved my life, even if that meant putting everyone, including your brother, at risk"
"Nobody is left behind" Cooper answered without hesitation, and by the sadness which crossed his face for a second Sebastian could see he had probably lost some people on his way. "I've seen that happen often enough and I don't want to see anybody else die if I can help it. Besides, my brother seems to really appreciate you, and from what I know you've saved his life more than once. I would never forgive myself if I had to see him mourning a dear friend like you if there was anything I could do to stop it"
"Thanks, Cooper" Sebastian managed to find his voice, after almost been left speechless by Cooper's appraisal. "I can now understand why Blaine feels so deeply about you"
"You're a good kid after all, Sebastian" Cooper commented with an amused smile that immediately told Sebastian what he was really talking about.
"So you were aware of the slushee incident, then" Sebastian answered, trying –and failing– not to blush at the realization that Blaine's big and very protective older brother knew it had been him sending him to the hospital just some months ago. "I was wondering if you had made the connection"
"I did" Cooper answered with a chuckle that put Sebastian's mind at ease, as he didn't seem to be too upset about it after all. "And I have to say I kind of hated you when it happened. But I think you've made it up to my brother already, right?"
"I hope so"
"I know you have. Sometimes we need tragedies like this to get the best out of ourselves, right?"
"Looks like so" Sebastian agreed, his eyes following Cooper's gaze that had fondly settled on his little brother after their conversation. "Should we go and keep little Blaine some company?"
"I have a feeling is not our company the one he is desperately needing right now" Cooper answered with a smile as he watched Sam slowly approaching Blaine, almost as if the latter was a wild animal and he was afraid for him to attack again. "Let's just give them some time to realize how idiots they are"
"Ok" Sebastian chuckled at that, turning around to look for other tasks to give the lovers some privacy.
Blaine was the perfect picture of misery, Sam could see, sitting all alone in front of the fire while tightly wrapped in a huge quilt that only made him look even smaller. He was shivering in spite of the high temperature of the room by then and there was so much sadness and worry in his face that Sam wondered if he would ever be able to erase them from him, as much as he tried. But he was surely going to try.
"Hey" Sam said in a soft tone, not wanting to scare the other boy who seemed to be so lost into his thoughts.
"Hey" Blaine answered equally low as he looked up at his lover's face, and Sam got encouraged by the fact he couldn't see the obvious rage that had been so present only a few hours before in his eyes anymore.
"Can I…?" Sam asked while making a gesture to indicate he wanted to sit next to him, to which Blaine immediately nodded.
Not being able to stop a smile from breaking into his lips at the small victory, Sam rushed to sit next to Blaine. And when Blaine unconsciously leant slightly towards him instead of rejecting him like he had done after the river incident and lifted the quilt for Sam to get under it with him, Sam didn't hesitate to obey, even if he was practically sweating because of the fire by then, and put his arm around Blaine's shoulders to bring him to his side, hoping to offer some comfort in the form of physical contact, as he couldn't stand seeing Blaine looking so lost.
"How is your wound?" Sam asked, knowing very well Blaine would never ignore his worries and answer him in all honesty.
"It was nothing, it barely bled" Blaine, as expected, answered so Sam wouldn't have to worry anymore. "What about your shoulder?"
"Not that bad, it just aches with some movements, but it's nothing I can't stand" Sam answered, even making a rotator movement with his shoulder so that Blaine would see it was not that bad, but he stopped immediately to also put that arm around his boyfriend when the latter wouldn't stop shivering. "Gosh, I wish I could stop you from shivering like this"
"Your embrace helps" Blaine answered, his voice and the smile he rewarded Sam with full of tenderness that the blond reciprocated with a kiss to his forehead.
A comfortable silence, only broken by the comforting crackling of the burning wood, fell upon them for a couple of minutes. They had missed each other for the last hours like crazy, and now, being in each other's arms in front of the fire, safe and sound and together, was all they needed to feel contented again.
Even if Sam knew they needed to talk about what had happened.
"I'm sorry" Sam broke the silence while he devotedly rubbed Blaine's arm to get more warmth into him.
"No, Sam, you don't have…" Blaine, sounding again like his usual sweet self instead of the angry young man from some hours before, tried to stop him, but Sam really needed to make a point.
"No, let me talk" Sam pleaded. "I'm not sorry I helped you, of course, but… I guess I shouldn't have lied to you"
"It's okay" Blaine, unsurprisingly, forgave him in an instant, and Sam's heart warmed to no end when his boyfriend let his head tenderly fall on his shoulder, as if trying to feel him even closer or wanting to show him he still needed him and trusted him as he had always done. "I'm sorry too, I… completely overreacted. But we had just lost Artie, and you were so close to…"
"I know" Sam was quick to interrupt Blaine when the latter's voice started breaking, and he rested his head on Blaine's with all the love in the world.
"It scared the hell out of me" Blaine confessed in a barely restrained voice, and Sam suspected that his shivering was not only product of the cold anymore.
"I get it, B" Sam reassured him, perfectly understanding how Blaine had felt –as he had gotten to experience that same fear more than a couple of times since the whole apocalypse started–. "And I'm sorry I made you feel that way. But I don't regret it if it meant keeping you alive"
"I don't want anyone giving up their life for me. Especially you" Blaine said, his gaze so intense when he raised his head from Sam's shoulder to look at him that the latter felt he could almost see the bottom of Blaine's soul… and it was full of fear of losing him.
"Well, I'm sorry but… I guess that's not your decision to make anymore, you know?" Sam replied, hating to contradict him now that they were alright again but needing to make a point, because situations like that were probable to happen again and he needed Blaine to be ready for them.
"But Sam…" Blaine tried to insist, but for once Sam didn't let him finish.
"You wanted me to love you, right? Well, I do, more than anything. But that's the price you have to pay for it" Sam explained, leaving no room for argument. "Besides, you're being a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"
"Why?" Blaine asked in utter confusion.
"Do you want me to believe you wouldn't have done the same for me? Hell, how many times have you put yourself at risk for me? Remember how you got shot on the first place?"
"But that was…"
"And don't get me started on how today you undid the knot on the rope holding you so it would be longer and you were able to reach me. You could have ended letting go of it too, you know?"
"I… hadn't thought about that" Blaine admitted, his cheeks blushing slightly at the realization of how he had let himself lost it like that with Sam, when it was clear he had been doing the same.
"Well, do" Sam replied, though he softened his tone immediately when he saw the regret in Blaine's face. "And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I guess… it's just how things are now because we love each other. It's as easy as that"
"Alright" Blaine finally relented, snuggling closer to Sam's chest so he could put his own arm around the blond's waist to embrace him more intimately. "But please, just… live"
"I'll try my very best" Sam promised with a kiss to the top of his head, wishing that, even if it was only for a second, he could find a way to erase that permanent fear of losing him from Blaine's eyes.