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The Plan That Actually Worked
Chapter Four: Family

Sam wasn't sure when the realization had actually hit him. He'd been in such a rush to get back home before Burt or Carole woke up, that he'd barely had time to think about what had happened. The minute he'd snuck back inside, he'd quickly undressed and threw himself into his bed, kicking around the sheets to give the illusion that he'd been sleeping there all night. He was still so tired from the night before that he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The sound of heavy footsteps stomping up the stairs finally woke him up. Sam groaned and buried his face in the pillow. The easily recognizable footsteps belonged to Finn who, as usual, walked with all the grace of a stampeding elephant herd. Sam closed his eyes and prayed that Finn would just go away, but his prayers were ignored.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sam almost jumped out of his skin at the jarring sound that cut through the tranquility of the morning. His arm flew out and knocked his pillow to the floor.

"Dude, are you awake?" Finn asked.

The blonde threw himself out of bed and wrenched open the door. "Jesus, Finn, were you trying to break the door down or give me a freaking heart attack?"

Finn took an immediate step back, a sheepish expression settling on his face. "Sorry," he mumbled, dropping his eyes to his feet. "It was getting sorta late, and I wanted to make sure you weren't like, dead or something."

"Nah, I'm fine. I just..." Sam broke off, a smile suddenly pulling up the corners of his mouth. "Uh, I had a late night, last night." Finn raised an eyebrow questioningly, his face showing no signs of understanding the double meaning in Sam's words.

"Were you doing homework?" he asked lamely.

"Um...not exactly. Can I get by, I need to take a shower," Sam said, taking the opportunity to make a hasty retreat before realization hit Finn.

The sound of the water rushing out of the shower head filled the tiny bathroom, as the steam from the hot water began to cloud around. Sam slipped off his underwear and stepped in the tub. He let the hot water crash down against his tired muscles. In the warmth of the shower, he thought back to what had happened. He could almost feel Rory's fingers still wrapped tightly around his bicep as though his grip on Sam was the only thing anchoring him down to the Earth. He could still hear Rory's needy sounds echoing in his ears: the quiet, pleading whine that begged for more, the wrecked cry of when it all became too much, soft, panting breaths punctuated by whisper quiet whimpers as he came down from the high, and the contented hum that slipped past his lips as he curled into Sam's side, totally sated.

In a way, Sam thought, it was as if Rory wasn't the only one who had lost his virginity last night. He had never opened himself up to anyone the way he had for Rory. He let all his walls come down and just laid himself bare to his boyfriend. Sam smiled at the thought. He had spent every minute of last year trying to be strong for his family, never showing how devastated he really was. He had to be there for his younger siblings. There was no way he could ever show his vulnerability around them. The idea of letting anyone else see that side of him was cringe worthy, but something about letting Rory in on the secret that Sam Evans had feelings and emotions felt perfect.

Sam was smiling as he opened the bathroom door and stepped into the small hallway. He took a step and stumbled over a box marked "Christmas". Sam stared down at the offending box with a confused expression. He hadn't even realized that it was almost Christmas. He supposed that he had known that it was December because of all the commercials for toy stores and jewelers, but he hadn't put two and two together. He shifted the box out of the way and walked back to his bedroom to retrieve his cell phone.

Sam dialed the number quickly and threw himself down onto his bed. The phone connected and Sam could hear the sound of a playful struggle. "No. I swear, if you don't give it back...Ouch! Don't hit me." The blonde laughed as someone finally answered. Brittany had apparently wrestled the phone from Rory's hands.

"Hello, Sam," Brittany teased. Sam heard Rory grumbling in the background.
"Hello, Brittany. How are you today?"
She giggled at his formality. "Fiiiine," she drawled. Sam could almost see her staring at Rory teasingly as she spoke. "Can I help you?"
"No, but Rory can. May I talk to my boyfriend, please?"
"Hang on, let me see if he's available." The sound of laughter rang out on the other end of the phone, and Rory was still chuckling as he reclaimed his cell phone.

"Hey, Sammy," Rory said brightly. Sam felt his heart flutter at the excitement in Rory's voice.
"Hey," he answered back. "What are you doing today?"
"I don't think I'm doing anything. Hang on, let me check." Sam could hear Rory asking Brittany about their plans for the day. She launched into an answer, but Sam couldn't quite make it out. When Rory came back, his voice was a little sad.

"What's the matter?"
"Oh, Brittany and her family are going away for Christmas. I'm going to be home alone."
"What? I thought you were going home for Christmas?" Sam hadn't been particularly happy about that idea.
"My mammy called earlier this morning to tell me that she couldn't afford to fly me home on such short notice."

Sam could hear the disappointment that was thick in Rory's voice. "I'm sorry, Rory." Sam paused, unsure of what to say to comfort him. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Hey, I've got an idea. Let me call you right back, okay?" Sam asked excitedly.
"Okay," Rory answered, confusion coloring his disappointed tone.
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Sammy."

The blonde disconnected the call and quickly dialed a different number.
"Sammy?" Sam's little sister answered the phone, her voice bouncing with excitement.
"Hey, Stacy! Is mom or dad around? I need to talk to them, please."
"Yep! Daddy's right here. Here ya go, Sammy."

The phone changed hands quickly. Sam smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. He missed his siblings more than anything.

"Hello?"
"Hey, dad. I was wondering if I could bring a friend home for Christmas. He's a foreign exchange student, and he doesn't get to go home for the holidays. He's pretty upset about it. He'd have to spend his first Christmas in America all alone." Sam tried to lay it on thick in hopes of guilting his father into agreeing.
"Yeah, I don't see why not," his father replied easily. "He must be a good friend for you to offer to bring him here for two whole weeks."

Sam laughed nervously. "Yeah. We're very close. He's my best friend in a lot of ways."

He knew that his parents would be okay with the fact that they were dating, but this sort of bombshell wasn't something that should be dropped over the phone. He'd never been in a relationship with someone of the same sex before, and he wanted to tread carefully.

"Well, your mother and I look forward to meeting him."
"You'll love him. He's awesome." Awesome hadn't been Sam's first choice for a description, but he wanted to make sure he didn't overplay his hand. "I can't wait to see you guys."
"Your brother and sister are going crazy. They miss you so much. I wish you weren't so far away."
"I know, dad. I miss all of you, too. I'll call you later tonight, okay? I have to call Rory and tell him that he doesn't have to sit home alone on Christmas babysitting Brittany's cat."

Sam's father laughed and they said their goodbyes.

Sam smiled widely as he typed out a text message to Rory. "Guess who's spending his first Christmas in America with his boyfriend's family?"

The last week of school before winter break passed very quickly. Sam, having not realized that it was even close to Christmas, had to spend most of his free time doing last minute shopping. He only got to spend one day with Rory since their big night together, and he'd been so exhausted that he'd fallen asleep against Rory's side as they watched a movie.

Rory held him, letting him sleep. He'd looked so tired that he couldn't bring himself to wake him up when it was time for him to go back home. Rory fished Sam's phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed Finn's phone number.

"Hello?"
"Hello, Finn Hudson."
Finn chucked quietly. "Hey, Rory. Why are you calling from Sam's phone?"
"I need a favor. Sam is asleep right now. He was knackered when he showed up here, and he fell asleep. Even if I woke him up, I wouldn't want him driving. Do you think you could ask Mr. Hummel if Sam could sleep here tonight?" Rory's voice was hushed.
"Sure, dude. Hang on."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments before Finn returned. "He said that would be fine."

"Thank you. I'll talk to you later."
"No problem. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."

Smiling, Rory set Sam's phone on the nightstand and shimmied out from underneath him. Brittany and her parents were already gone, and he hadn't been too keen on spending the night in an empty house. He was glad that Sam was going to be there with him. He stood up to slide off his jeans and Sam stirred, awake. He sat bolt upright in Rory's bed, rubbing his bleary eyes. "Shit! I'm going to miss my curfew," he mumbled.

Rory eased down in bed beside him. "No, you're not. I called Mr. Hummel and told him you were asleep. He said you could stay here tonight. Go back to sleep, Sammy." Rory kissed the tip of his nose lovingly. A sleepy smile spread across Sam's face as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

The Irish boy rested his head against Sam's shoulder and kissed his neck lightly before whispering. "Lay down, Sam. We've got a long drive tomorrow."

Sam didn't even think about arguing. He settled back down against the mattress, letting Rory pull off his pants and cover him with blankets. The Irish boy slid underneath the covers and Sam wrapped his arm around his shoulders to pull him close. Rory sighed as he rested his head against Sam's strong chest.

Rory had a question on his mind all day, and he finally got the nerve to ask Sam. "Sammy, do your parents know about us?" After an extended moment of silence, Rory looked up toward Sam's face to make sure he hadn't actually fallen asleep. His face was deep in thought, his teeth worrying his full bottom lip. "Sam?"

"No. They know that we're really, really close, but they don't know that we're dating."

"Will they be angry?" Rory's voice was worried. His protective instinct fought against anything that would set Sam up to be hurt. If his father's reaction to his own coming out was going to be any indication of how the meeting with Sam's parents was going to go, Rory would rather just ask Sam to stay with him at Brittany's for Christmas instead.

"No," Sam repeated. "They won't be angry. I just didn't want to tell them over the phone. That's something that needs to be done in person. Have you told your parents about us?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I did," Rory's voice was very flat.

"What did they say?" Sam pressed.

"My mammy was fine with it. We've always been very close, but my father didn't take it well."

By Rory's tone, Sam knew for certain that the younger boy was editing out a good deal of the story. He slid his hand up Rory's back and slid his thumb back and forth across the back of his neck in the way that he knew relaxed him. "What happened?"

"It's in the past," Rory said, feigning a dismissive tone in an attempt to mask the emotion in his voice.

"Yeah, your past. I want to know all about your past. Even the bad things." Sam leaned down and kissed the top of Rory's head. Rory sighed deeply.

"Alright, I called my parents a few weeks ago to talk, and my mammy asked if I'd met anyone special. I wasn't going to lie to her, because I love you, and I felt like it would be wrong to lie about my feelings for you. I didn't know my father was listening," he said quietly, twirling the fabric of Sam's shirt nervously between his fingers. "I told her that I had fallen in love with you. I told her all about you. She was just happy that I had found someone. My father took the phone from her and told me in no uncertain terms that I was no longer welcome under his roof." His voice shifted to a whisper. "I think that's the real reason that I couldn't go home for Christmas."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before now?" Sam's voice was shocked and sad. He instinctively squeezed Rory closer.

"I didn't want you to feel bad for me, or think less of my family," he stated flatly.

"Jesus, Rory. How could he do that to you?" His voice was a mix of sadness and disgust.

"I'm fine, Sam, really. I knew that he was going to react that way, but I wouldn't lie about us. Let's not talk about it anymore tonight, Sammy. We're together, and that's what matters. It doesn't matter to me what anyone thinks about us, because I love you, and I'm proud to be with you."

"God I love you, Rory," Sam's voice was thick with emotion. He leaned down to kiss his boyfriend on the lips. He had known that Rory was strong, but he'd never expected him to be capable of handling something like that on his own. "Promise me something. Promise me that when something like that happens, something that bothers you, you'll tell me. Always."

"I promise, Sammy," Rory answered brightly, all traces of sadness gone. He was always cheered up whenever Sam mentioned words like always. It reminded him that, while he might be an ocean away from his family, he wasn't alone. He shifted in closer to Sam's side and intertwined their fingers. "I promise."

The four hour ride to Kentucky had been uneventful. They'd held hands and sang along to the radio, but Sam spent most of the time getting Rory mentally prepared for his two rambunctious siblings. The atmosphere in the car was very light. Sam was so eager to see his family that he was almost bouncing off his seat. He chattered excitedly about past Christmases and other family events. Rory sat with a smile as he watched his boyfriend reverting to the age of six. He'd never seen Sam so happy and bubbly.

"They're gonna love you so much, baby," Sam said happily, squeezing Rory's hand, as they pulled into a small driveway. The blonde let the truck idle for a minute as he tried to slow his heart rate. Though he wasn't afraid of his parents judging him, this was still a huge step for him. Rory caught on quickly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You don't have to tell them anything until you're ready, Sammy."

Sam smiled back at Rory and kissed him quickly on the nose. "I love you, Rory."

"I love you, too, Sam."

Sam shouldered most of the bags. He refused, point blank, to let Rory carry his own luggage. The Irish boy tried to make himself useful and carried in the Christmas presents they'd brought. Sam wasn't happy about it, but he didn't protest.

The moment they'd made it inside, two waist high blurs streaked across the living room and attached themselves to Sam's legs.
"Sammy! You're home!" they cried, almost in unison.

"Yep, I'm home. I missed you guys so much!" He dropped down to his knees to hug his siblings properly. "Oh, I want you to meet, Rory."
"Rory, this is Stevie and Stacy." He gestured to the boy and girl in turn.

The children looked up toward where Rory was hovering over their brother. "Hi," he said. "It's nice to meet you both."

Stacy ducked behind her brother, her face flushing crimson. Stevie threw his hand out toward Rory. He shook the boy's hand, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rory."

Sam and Rory laughed at the formality of the young boy's greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Stevie."

Stacy leaned toward her brother's ear and whispered something. Sam's face lit up at whatever it was his sister said. "Do you want me to tell him?" Sam asked his sister. She shook her head violently and skittered out of the room, nearly knocking Sam's father off his feet as she blew past him. Stevie chased after his sister, desperate to be in on the secret. Laughter wracked Sam's body, doubling him over. He stood up, holding his stomach as his laughter began to subside.

Sam's father crossed the room and pulled his son in for a hug. "I missed you so much, buddy."

"I missed you, too, dad," Sam replied, returning the hug. He pulled away slightly, and put his hand on Rory's shoulder. "Dad, this is Rory Flanagan."
"Flanagan," Mr. Evans said, sticking his hand out to shake Rory's. "That's Irish, right?"
"Yes, sir. Born and raised," he beamed.

Mr. Evans sat in an easy chair and gestured for Rory to take a seat on the couch, and Sam disappeared with their luggage. Rory talked with Sam's father for a few minutes about what life was like back in Ireland before Sam returned, dropping down next to Rory on the couch.

"Where's mom?" Sam asked, glancing around the room.
"She went to the store for milk. I forgot it when I went earlier."

Sam's father spent the better part of an hour asking Sam question after question about what was happening in Lima and how he was doing in school. Was he still on the football team? Was he still singing in the glee club?

The blonde gave his father the full rundown of his life in Lima, leaving out one central detail. He figured that would be best saved for a time when both of his parents were present. His father asked the question of how the boys had met, and the pair shared a glance before launching, a bit too animatedly, into the story of how they'd become "friends", including details such as practicing for Rory's first solo but glossing over the part about Sam kissing Rory after finishing the song.

It was Sam who heard the car door shutting in the driveway. He threw himself off the couch and ran to the front door, wrenching it open to see his mother. He took the bag from her arm and set it inside the door before throwing his arms around her. Rory watched the scene. In that moment, he didn't see his tough, football player boyfriend. He saw a boy who loved his mother more than life itself. It made him miss home.

Sam gave Rory another introduction. Mrs. Evans crossed the room and pulled Rory in for a hug before pulling away and smiling at him. As he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but return the smile. Sam had his mother's eyes.

Mrs. Evans excused herself so that she could start dinner.

"May I help?" Rory asked. He loved to cook. He wasn't very good, but it was still something he enjoyed.

"Of course, I can always use an extra hand in the kitchen." Sam's mother stroked her fingers across Rory's cheek. His face lit up in response. "You are absolutely adorable, Rory," she laughed. Sam beamed. The way his family had embraced Rory made his heart swell. Rory followed Sam's mother into the kitchen, leaving Sam and his father to talk until they were called for dinner.

After everyone had finished, Rory stood up to clear the table. Sam watched him with curious eyes before getting up to help him. His parents talked idly while the boys worked. Rory didn't hear the beginning of the conversation, but he turned when he heard his name, as did Sam.

"Oh, I know it was good wasn't it? Rory was the one who made that. He said it was his mother's recipe."

Sam laughed aloud, turning to Rory. "You actually cooked dinner?"

Rory nodded, smiling. Sam wanted to pull his boyfriend into his arms and kiss him, but had to fight against it. Later, he thought.

Everyone migrated from the kitchen to the living room to watch television. Rory slid in next to Sam on the couch, their legs pressed flush together. Stacy had climbed into Sam's lap, playing with his fingers as she watched TV. Rory loved how intimate the small family was. The next time Rory chanced a look at Sam, Stacy was fast asleep against his shoulder. Rory smiled at the sweetness of it all.

"I'd better take her up to bed," Sam whispered, tightening his grip on his little sister as he stood up. Rory quickly stood up to follow him. Sam carried the little girl into a purple bedroom and Rory pulled the blankets down so Sam could lay her down. Their hands met on the blanket and they pulled it up together before stepping back. Sam laced their fingers together.

"She's beautiful, Sam," Rory whispered. "I always wished I had a baby sister."
"I love her more than anything," Sam said earnestly.
"I see that."
"She likes you, too, ya know," Sam said with a hushed laugh. "You know what she said to me when we first got here?"
"What?" Rory asked, amused.
"She said, 'Sammy he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen. His voice is so pretty'. I couldn't really argue with her, baby." Sam risked a quick peck on Rory's lips. "That's why she's been so shy around you."

Rory smiled brightly. "That's so sweet." Seeing the little girl sleeping peacefully reminded Rory how tired he was. As Sam led him out of Stacy's bedroom, closing the door behind them, Rory yawned widely. Sam lifted his hand to brush Rory's cheek with his knuckles.

"You look exhausted," he noted.
"I didn't sleep too well last night. I was worried that your parents wouldn't like me, so I couldn't sleep."
"Well, come here, I'll show you the way to my room." Sam took Rory's hand and pulled him down the small hallway into a plain bedroom. "I was going to change into my pajamas anyway."

Sam reached for his duffel bag and began digging, pulling out a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. Rory looked around, confused. Sam laughed and pointed toward the opposite corner. Rory smiled and walked over to his own bag. Sam had turned around to change his clothes, and when he turned back, he saw what Rory was going to be wearing to bed.

Rory was clad in his boxer shorts and a gray t-shirt emblazoned with the words "McKinley High Athletic Dept.". The shirt hung a little to loosely on his shoulders, not quite filling the shirt out like Sam had, and it was a little long, but the way it looked on Rory made Sam's heart swell. The Irish boy hadn't even realized that Sam was staring, too busy collecting his toothbrush and walking toward the adjoining bathroom. Sam stood, transfixed by the pure beauty in the mundane scene. Its beauty was in its simplicity, the way Rory thought nothing of wearing his boyfriend's clothes. Sam loved how domestic it all felt. It was a moment of clarity when Sam realized that he was looking into his future. An adoring smile spread across his face as he watched Rory brush his teeth before coming back into the bedroom.

Sam crossed the small room and pulled Rory into his arms, kissing him sweetly on the lips. "You're so beautiful, Rory." The younger boy blushed at the compliment.

Rory climbed into bed and Sam kissed him again on the lips.

"I'll be back in a little bit. I want to talk to my parents for a little while before I go to bed."

Rory was too tired to think too hard about Sam's words. "Okay, baby," he mumbled sleepily.

"Goodnight, Rory. I love you."
"'Night, Sammy. I love you, too."

Sam pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before walking back toward the living room. He was in love with Rory, and he didn't want to keep that a secret from his family any longer. Sam sat down on the couch and looked between his mother and father.

"Mom, dad, we need to talk about something."

A/N: Reviews are always appreciated. :)