Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Losing My Religion.
Note: Again, some sex ahead, but nothing too graphic.
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think, I thought, I saw you try
"I really don't think I can do this."
"Come on," Sam said. "You survived both your first Sectionals and your first Regionals. Heck, you survived Sectionals without Rachel! Trust me, you can handle this one."
"But it's Nationals," Rory pointed out. "I'll only get to go to one of these. What if I mess it up for everyone else? What if I trip and fall off-stage? What if…"
"Shh," Sam put his hands on Rory's hips, drawing him close. "You'll be perfect." Somewhere across the room, Santana fake-retched. Sam ignored her. "You're my angel, Rory. Even when you're gone, I'll still feel you here with me." Sam never would say it aloud, but he loved watching Rory sleep. He looked so pure and innocent, just like a little angel, all curled up, his cute nose twitching every so often. Once in a while, Rory would sigh in his sleep; whether in content or sadness, Sam didn't know, but he found it insanely adorable, and wished he could capture these moments forever.
Rory closed his eyes. "Kiss me," he murmured. Sam happily obliged, despite the fact that they were in full view of everyone.
"Get a room," Santana yelled at them.
"But it's kind of hot," Sugar admitted.
"Well, I guess it is a little hot," Santana rolled her eyes. "As long as Trouty Mouth over there doesn't try to swallow the poor Leprechaun."
"He already has," Rory grinned wickedly.
"Damn," Santana nodded in approval. "Auntie 'Tana likes this."
Sam turned bright red. "One time," he mumbled.
"As riveting as Sam and Rory's sex life is," Rachel said quickly, "we really should be heading into our final dress rehearsal. Nationals are tomorrow morning."
"I hate that we can't sleep in the same room," Rory sighed.
"Yeah, it sucks, but I can see why Mr. Schue doesn't want me and you or Kurt and Blaine in the same room together. Don't worry, I'll be with Artie. And you get to hang out with Joe."
"Who are Kurt and Blaine rooming with, then?"
"As far as I know," Sam said, "Blaine wanted to room with Mike and Kurt decided to stick with Rachel, since there's an odd number of boys and girls anyway. Look, even Brittany and Santana aren't in the same room together. Santana's with Quinn and Britt went with Sugar."
Rory's brow furrowed. "So I take it Mercedes is with Tina, then?"
"Yep. They've been best friends since the very start of New Directions."
"Oh." Rory frowned. "Do I still get a good-night kiss?"
"Is the sky blue?" Sam smiled, and pulled Rory in for a sweet, lingering kiss.
Two days later
"I can't believe we won!" Rory looked around the decorated choir room in awe. "It's still so, so surreal!"
"It does feel amazing," Sam snaked an arm around Rory's waist.
Rory leaned his head against Sam's shoulder. "I don't want this feeling to go away."
Sam craned his neck to look at the smaller boy. "Victory?"
"You and me," Rory clarified. "Us."
Sam instinctively held on tighter. "It won't," he promised, his voice wavering. "It won't."
"I'm so worried about them," Kurt whispered to Blaine.
"Them?" Blaine's eyes flashed even darker. "What about us?"
"You know what he said," Kurt said in a very hushed voice. "We don't have to worry about a single thing. They do. Sam doesn't even know yet. That worries me."
"Rory and I talked earlier. He's planning on telling him soon. Stop being such a worrywart, Kurt. That's my job."
"I can't help it," Kurt groaned. "I mean, he's-"
"I know, babe. Don't forget, he's-"
"I know, I know," Kurt grumbled. "How can I forget?"
Blaine smiled. "They can handle it, I'm positive. Sam's a really great guy. He'd never hurt a fly, let alone Rory."
"I hope so," Kurt muttered. "Because if he does, I'll kick his ass."
That night
"So how about we have our own post-Nationals celebration, now that we're home?"
Rory gulped, but nodded. "Okay."
"Come here," Sam said huskily, wrapping his arms around the shorter boy. He kissed Rory roughly on the neck, sucking on it for a moment.
"S…Sam," Rory gasped. "You're…you're going to leave a mark!"
"I want everyone to know that you're mine, and they can't steal you away from me."
"Everyone knows that," Rory closed his eyes in pleasure at Sam's kisses along his neck and collarbone. "No need to tell them what they already know."
"I want the world to know," Sam said hotly against Rory's pale skin. "That you're mine."
"Oh, Sam," Rory was getting a little teary-eyed again.
"Wait," Sam pulled away suddenly. "I have something for you."
"But my birthday was in January," Rory said, "and it's not Christmas."
"Doesn't have to be a special day to get my boyfriend a present," Sam winked. He fished for something in his jeans pocket. "Close your eyes first." Rory did. "Now hold out your hand." Rory, confused, did. Sam slid something onto Rory's finger, and the Irish boy's stomach dropped to his feet. His heart pounded faster; no, this wasn't happening…
His eyes burst open. "Sam," he breathed. "What…this isn't…"
"It's a promise ring," Sam said quickly. "Look, I told you I'd wait for you forever. I wasn't just talking about waiting for you to say you'd be my boyfriend. I was also talking about you being away and me waiting to see you again."
"Sam, I…"
"Don't worry about the cost," Sam rushed on. "And look, it fits perfectly. Just…promise me you'll wait for me, too."
"Sam…"
"Promise me," Sam begged.
A tear streaked down Rory's face. Not out of happiness, but out of pure sadness. "I do."
Sam slipped a hand up Rory's shirt. "I want to undress you." He reached up and gently tugged at Rory's nipples.
"P…please, Sam. U…undress me," Rory softly begged. "I…I want nothing more."
Sam unbuttoned Rory's plaid shirt, exposing his soft, pale skin. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as you. You take my breath away every time I see you."
Rory ducked his head, embarrassed. "No. Impossible."
Sam furrowed his brow. "Why is that impossible?"
"Because you take my breath away," Rory explained, "and there's no point in both of us being breathless."
Sam chuckled. "Doesn't change the fact that you're beautiful. I wouldn't mind being breathless over you. If I need to use an inhaler when you're in the room, so be it."
Rory blushed all the way down to the waistband of his jeans. Staring into Sam's dark eyes, he let the blonde unbutton his pants and pull them down, leaving the brunette in his boxers. Rory stepped out of his jeans and kicked them aside. "Now, sit back." Rory went and sat on the bed. Sam slowly, tantalizingly unbuttoned his own shirt, one button at a time, exposing a small space of chiseled stomach with each move. Rory's eyes grew wider; no matter how many times he saw his boyfriend shirtless, it always astounded him at how built Sam was. He had heard a rumor that Sam had been a stripper to earn more money for his siblings, but he wasn't sure if it was true, and didn't have the heart to ask Sam. He feared that if it was the truth, it would just make things very awkward between the two. A small voice in the back of his head said that it had to be true, for how else would Sam be so good at teasing him like this? He wanted to touch Sam, to kiss Sam, to have Sam touch and kiss him back. He wanted Sam to hold him, to hear his heartbeat again, to fall asleep in Sam's strong and loving arms. He couldn't take his eyes off the blonde as Sam inched his own jeans off and down to the floor. Rory lay back on the bed as Sam climbed on top of him, kissing him heatedly.
"Oh, Sam," Rory groaned. "Sam…"
"My lips aren't too big, are they?" Sam sucked them in self-consciously.
"I've told you a thousand times; they're perfect," Rory reminded him.
"And I've told you a thousand times; you're perfect."
Making love to Sam the second time was even better for Rory than it was the first time. He was slowly learning to let go of his inhibitions and give himself over, to not think about their inevitable split at the end of the summer. He could already feel Sam's erection straining against the fabric of his boxer briefs. Sam relieved himself of the cumbersome material and reached down to pull Rory's own underwear away from his body. He reached for a condom and the bottle of lubricant that was left over from Prom.
"I don't think I've ever wanted something more than I want this."
"Me, neither," Sam rolled the condom on. "Every day I give thanks to God for pointing me towards you."
Rory closed his eyes; did he believe in God? One of his parents was religious, and the other wasn't, so he was pretty much left to decide what he believed. On one hand, he wanted to believe that someone had guided him and Sam towards each other, someone much more powerful than he. On the other hand, if there was a God, how could He be so cruel as to give Rory these gifts that destroyed him inside? Still, his heart and his body wanted Sam so badly that he thought he would spontaneously combust if he didn't get it. He flinched in pain as Sam inserted a finger, then two, into his tight hole to try and prepare him adequately.
"Shh, baby," Sam whispered comfortingly. "I won't hurt you. I won't hurt you."
Rory whimpered, half in pain and half in desire. "No…I know you won't…please…S…Sam…I w…want you in m…me."
Sam didn't think he could become harder than he already was, but he did. Once he was sure Rory could take his fingers comfortably, he lined himself up and pushed in slowly. Rory hissed in the flash of pain. Sam reached up and stroked his cheek, murmuring sweet words to him to get him to relax. "Look at my face. Look into my eyes." Rory managed to do so. "There. Better?" Rory nodded, little by little getting used to the feeling of Sam being in him again. Sam, with Rory's silent consent, began to move. Rory locked his arms around Sam's back, occasionally digging his nails into the flesh as Sam moved a little deeper or harder, but he never cried out in pain. Sam knew he wouldn't last too much longer, but he wanted Rory to get pleasure out of this too. He moved a little to the right and hit Rory's prostate. The brunette moaned deliciously.
"Yes, Sammy…yes, that's it…right there…oh, don't stop!" Sam, fueled by Rory's mews and cries of sexual pleasure, kept pushing on the sensitive spot, desperately wanting to make his boyfriend come. It only took a few minutes of repeatedly pressing against Rory's prostate with his member to send the smaller boy over the edge. "S…S…Sammy! I'm…c…c…coming!" Rory gasped as he came, hard. Sam gritted his teeth, feeling the familiar tug somewhere behind his stomach that signaled an imminent orgasm. A couple of quick thrusts, and he was coming into Rory, the latter breathing heavily. Sam pulled out and quickly kissed Rory, the pair breathless. Sam got up, disposed of the used condom, and went back on the bed to spoon with his boyfriend.
"Rory," he whispered. "What does your name mean?"
"It's kind of embarrassing," the blue-eyed boy blushed.
"No, tell me," Sam insisted. "Samuel means 'is name is God' in Hebrew."
"Really?" Sam nodded. "Rory…it's Gaelic for 'red king'," Rory admitted.
"Red king," Sam said slowly, letting it roll around on his tongue. "I like it." He nuzzled Rory's nose with his own. "Maybe that means we were meant to be."
Rory felt his heart skip several beats. His stomach shimmied and he knew another attack was coming on. He started feeling sick, head pounding, hands beginning to shake. He leapt out of bed immediately, trying to make a break for the bathroom but only making it halfway across the bedroom before collapsing to the floor. "Rory!" Sam yelled as the small boy began convulsing. He was by his side in the blink of an eye, watching wide-eyed, unsure if he should call 911. "Rory, can you hear me?" Rory's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and Sam, trembling from head to toe, made a mad dash for the phone. "Hello? My boyfriend…I think he's having a seizure or something! Please, send help!" He stood, panic-stricken, to the side of the room. It hit him that they were both butt-naked, and he wondered if he should try to cover Rory up or not. He barely managed to get his own pants and underpants on before the paramedics arrived.
"Are you family?" One of the medics asked.
Sam almost couldn't find the words to speak. "His boyfriend," he choked out.
"And why is he naked?"
"That's none of your business," Sam spat, suddenly angry. He knew, just knew, that they would try to accuse him of rape. "We had sex, okay? We were cuddling, he started having this attack. Swear to God everything we did today was consensual."
The medic eyed him carefully. "All right. We'll believe you for now, son."
"I just want to know what's wrong with him!" Sam all but yelled.
"We're gonna find out, I promise," he said as the other medics attended to Rory. "Where are his parents?"
"He's an exchange student," Sam explained quickly, "his parents are in Ireland."
"Fine, you can come in the ambulance with us. We'll make some calls when we figure out what's going on with, err…"
"Rory," Sam whispered. "His name is Rory. Rory Flanagan."
"Right, yes," the other medics were hurrying Rory downstairs and to the ambulance. Sam grabbed a shirt and put it on as he ran downstairs.
Kurt tore up the front walk. "Oh my God, what's going on?"
"Rory…he's had a seizure or something," Sam said as he ran alongside the medics.
Kurt paled. "Oh, God. Look, I'll call the Pierces, you go with him."
"I'll call you later!" Sam called as he climbed into the ambulance and they sped away.
He wasn't allowed into the room with Rory. Instead, he paced the waiting area of the Lima Memorial Hospital's Emergency Room, alternating between trying to see what was happening with Rory and praying that he was going to be okay. Brittany and her family arrived a few hours later, white-faced and feeling responsible, although Sam reassured them that it wasn't their fault; it could've happened anytime. Luckily for everyone, Carole Hudson-Hummel was on duty in the ER that afternoon and was there to help.
"He's okay," she told them. "He said he's been having these attacks since he was two, three years old. Doctors haven't really been able to determine what causes them, and he never knows when one is going to happen until minutes before it does. He's stable right now, but should be on bedrest for a few days. I'd also like you guys to monitor him closely and bring him in immediately if something like this happens again."
Sam nodded seriously. "Can I…can I see him now?"
Carole smiled gently, taking pity on the boy. "You may."
Sam peered around the curtain drawn around Rory's bed. "Hey, baby."
"I'm so embarrassed," Rory mumbled. "I never…wanted you to see me like that, ever."
"You scared me," Sam let out a major sigh of relief. "You scared me so much." He walked over to Rory's bedside and held his hand, shuddering when he saw an IV stuck in the crook of Rory's pale, pale arm. "Why don't they know what's wrong with you?"
"They've never figured it out," Rory shrugged vaguely. "And these attacks…they happen at least two or three times a year. I was hoping they'd all happen when I was home again. If it had to happen here, the last thing I'd want is for it to happen in front of you."
Sam's eyes welled up as he slowly noticed how thin and frail Rory looked in that hospital bed. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he scolded gently.
"I promise," Rory murmured. He couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't have another attack before the end of the summer. In fact, he knew exactly why this happened to him a few times a year. Doctors could never give a specific diagnosis, but Rory and his parents knew exactly what was wrong, and they knew how to deal with it. Rory clutched Sam's hand, just wanting to be out of this damn hospital already. He knew that no amount of medicine would help him with his condition, that they could never stop the attacks from happening, and that this was all only going to be harder than ever to explain to Sam.
To be continued…