iCarly - Things Can Change

Disclaimer: Oh, please.

Pairings: Sam/Freddie and Sam/Spencer fluff – non-romantic relationship

A/N: Okay, so I'll admit right now to being too old watch this show, but I cried for four days after I watched the finale. I decided the only way to quit moping was to start writing. Now, this isn't my first story, but it is the first time writing in this fandom. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 4

Freddie's questions about Sam were answered later after dinner that evening when he received a quick email.

To: Freddie

Hey- look, I told Sam… that I kissed you. She hung up on me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things awkward. But she's got her phone off now, so I'm sure she's mad… Geez, she's probably already strangled you by now. I'm such an idiot. I just- wasn't sure if she would come out and say it, or if she was going to act passively aggressively angry. Does that make sense? I thought I should warn you. I tried to catch you on video chat earlier, but I guess you weren't by the computer. I really am sorry. If you see Sam… tell her she can call and yell at me, okay?

Carly

Freddie groaned loudly after he read through the email a second time. Well, that explained things. Sort of. He wasn't even going to try writing a response to this right now. He fell back on his bed tiredly, arms covering his face. Carly didn't even know the half of it. He was surprised Sam hadn't sucker punched him.

'We need to talk.'

When Sam had called him while he was at the mall with Gibby, he had given into a cocky moment and acted like a douche canoe, assuming she wanted to get back together. To be fair, she hadn't called him that often after they had broken up. But then, instead of actually having the conversation, he had basically blown her off when he realized that hadn't been the reason for her call so they could focus on their friend. They really should have talked about that…

And then Carly went and kissed him. It hadn't meant anything more than a goodbye. And maybe Carly had given into her own moment of cockiness, thinking she was giving him what he had wanted for so long. His priorities had changed over the last few years though.

The fact that Carly had planted one on him before she left – not that he had hated it – should have come from him. The three of them had never been good with secrets.

He sighed and pulled out his phone to call Sam. It went straight to voicemail. He hung up without leaving a message and went across the hall to Spencer's apartment. He ignored his mother's insistence that he should be in bed, staring at the clock incredulously.

"Mom, it's eight-thirty", he said flatly. "I'll be back in a while."

Freddie knocked on the door and opened the door when he heard the muffled 'come in'. He found Sam sitting on the floor behind the couch attempting to put together the ping-pong table while Spencer watched from an appointed distance away.

"Oh, fantastic", Sam murmured dryly as Freddie stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "You're going to be no help at all."

"Hey", Spencer complained. "I tried to help, and you wouldn't let me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I'd rather the directions didn't spontaneously combust. I might actually need those", she teased.

Spencer made a pouty face, slightly insulted. "Not everything I touch catches on fire", he grumbled stalking back into his bedroom and slamming the door.

"Did you check for all the pieces before you started putting that together?"

Sam scowled up at him. "I'm not the amateur in the room", she rolled her eyes.

Freddie smirked. "Kind of in a mood today, aren't ya, Blondie?"

"Just get out", she returned flatly, looking back at the floor and picking up a bag of screws. "I so don't have the energy to do this with you right now."

"Sam, we need to talk about this."

"I don't know what you're whining about", she said seriously, "but we aren't talking about it."

"You know… you could just tell me that you're mad at me because Carly kissed me before she left – right after we played dodge ball with a conversation about getting back together", he said dryly.

"Why would I bother when you so clearly know everything?" she asked evenly.

"It didn't mean anything", he said quietly, crouching next to her. "I haven't been in love with her for years. You should have heard it from me, and I'm sorry. No one was trying to hurt you, Sam, least of all me."

"I was just surprised", she frowned.

"So surprised that you hung up on Carly and turned your phone off for almost two days?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yup."

"Sam-"

"God, could you stop being the chick in this relationship?" she hissed. "You can kiss whomever you want anyway, can't you? We broke up. It's not like I have the right to be mad. I'm not mad", she stated seriously.

"Will you forgive me?" Freddie asked quietly.

Sam arched an eyebrow at him, "Will you stop breathing down my neck?" she asked in the same tone.

He chuckled. "Call Carly. She's worried about you. She said you can yell at her, if you want."

"Wait, did she just get a hold of you tonight?" she asked incredulously. He nodded. Sam stared incredulously. "Damn. That's not much of a warning. You could have been in the ground by now."

Freddie grinned. "No chiz." He took her free hand and kissed the top of it playfully. "I'm ever so grateful for your benevolence, my kind lady."

Sam just groaned exasperatedly. "Get out before I slap you."

00

Carly had been gone nearly six weeks, and they were all finally adjusting into a new routine.
Sam had half her possessions at the loft by now, and she was currently crashing there for several days by herself. Spencer had left Thursday afternoon to go camping with Socko... somewhere - she hadn't really been listening to the finer details. He said he would be back some time Sunday. Her mother had decided to go on an unplanned vacation with her boyfriend last week and had yet to return. So, if she was going to be alone, she would prefer it was in the Shay apartment.

Friday evening, just as the sun was beginning to go down, Sam was walking back to the loft with her tub 'o' chicken tucked in her arms when she saw a blur coming down the sidewalk across the street.
Sam came to a full stop, a hunk of chicken hanging indelicately for her mouth when she realized it was Freddie. She was stunned. Firstly because she was shocked his mother let him wander the streets without her - and running was dangerous. And secondly... since when was Freddie athletic?

Sam followed him around the corner and watched him enter their apartment building. She waited until he was out of her sight before crossing the street and went inside as well.

0

Sam gave an obnoxious drum roll knock to the Benson's apartment door before using her key and unlocking the Shay's door. She left it open slightly and flopped onto the couch with her chicken, turning the TV on to finish a recorded episode of Fear Factor.

Twenty minutes later the show ended, along with her bucket of chicken, and she realized Freddie hadn't shown up. She went and banged on the door again, not stopping until he opened it.

"Dude, chill before you put a hole through the door", he rolled his eyes.

Sam snorted. "Oh, please. We both know your mom got a special steel-reinforced door installed after I kicked the door in last time."

"Yeah", Freddie nodded. "She still doesn't like you."

"I'm not exactly-" she stopped abruptly. "Well, hello, Mr. Muscles", she teased, suddenly realizing he had answered the door without a shirt on.

He flushed slightly. "I just got out of the shower. Let me get a shirt."

She smothered a grin at his discomfort and followed him, standing in the doorway to his bedroom while he tugged a dark blue t-shirt over his head with his back to her.

"Stop ogling", he muttered over his shoulder.

Then she did laugh. "I saw your nipples."

He grabbed a pillow from his bed and threw it at her. She caught it, the corners of her mouth still twitching. "You are so immature", he sighed exasperatedly.

She shrugged and chucked the pillow onto his bed. "Come over. I'm bored."

0

They were trading taunts and trash talk over a heated game of ping-pong when Sam went on the offensive. "So, when did you get all buff and stuff?"

Freddie smirked. "'Buff and stuff'?" he repeated. "That sounds like a gay porn shop."

She choked, and missed the next shot he sent in her direction. "That was dirty", she accused, sounding a little proud.

He grinned. "My point."

She groaned and retrieved the tiny ball from inside a stray tennis shoe. Sam tossed it back and let him serve again. "Seriously, though. How'd you get those nerd-boy muscles? I didn't realizing playing with your joystick could have so many benefits", she smirked.

He gaped at her for a split second too long.

"My point", she teased glibly when the ball whizzed past him.

He chuckled and bounced the ball back across the table to her before answering her question. "This place has a gym, you know."

Sam shrugged. "I saw you running earlier. I didn't know you did... that", she made a face.

"What? Run?"

"Exercise", she clarified with a slight amount of disgust. "I mean, seriously. Running is sooo boring", she groaned. "Besides, I ate a bucket of fried chicken for dinner and I'm fit as a fiddle."

Freddie raised his eyebrows. "How would you know if running is boring? You've been skipping gym class since fifth grade."

"Communal showers", she spat disgustedly, "Like we're all a bunch of freaking nudists."

He laughed. "Come on, Sam. A little exercise won't kill you."

"Lies!" she retorted. "You just hope I keel over so you can practice your CPR technique."

"You should try it", he insisted, sidestepping her comment completely. "Come running with me."

"Hah, no."

Freddie shrugged. "Suit yourself. Probably better if you don't. We both know you'd never be able to keep up with me anyway", he said mildly.

"Excuse me?!"

He rolled his eyes. "That wasn't an insult. It's just a fact. I've been running for months. The only thing you've ever chased was a Fat Cake truck - and you only lasted for three blocks."

She scowled. "I could take you, Benson", she growled.

"Doubtful", he teased. "You've got low stamina."

"What?!" she squawked incredulously. "What did you say about my stamina?"

He smirked.

"I'm gonna run circles around you", she hissed

He quirked an eyebrow at her tone. "Prove it, Puckett", he taunted.

"You're on."

00

A/N: Oooh! Game, set, match… Wonder what the result will be? I already know. ;) The next chapter is a doozy.