Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Glee.
Beta Credit: jlbassmaster

The Plan That Actually Worked
Chapter Nine: Coffee?

The days leading up to New Year's Eve passed quickly but uneventfully. The highlight was when Sam and Rory took Stacy and Stevie outside a couple days after Christmas and taught them how to build a proper snowman. Rory had delighted in the wintery chill and the snow. Sam had just tried to keep as close to his boyfriend as possible to keep warm. He laughed as he watched Rory throw himself backwards into the fluffy snow, showing the two little blondes how to make a snow angel. Sam couldn't tell who was having more fun, the two seven year olds or his teenaged boyfriend. He offered a hand to help Rory up, finally putting his foot down about the cold.

The kids protested at first, but as soon as Sam promised to make them hot chocolate, they quickly ran for the door. As soon as his siblings disappeared, Sam took Rory's face in his hands, delighting in the flush of red that colored his cheeks and the tip of his nose from the chill in the air, and kissed him sweetly on the lips. He felt Rory's lips turn up into a smile against his own.

Sam broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Rory's. "I love you so much, Rory. I love how you are with Stacy and Stevie. I love how you help my mom around the house. You're amazing."

"I love you, too, Sammy," Rory answered, kissing the blonde quickly. "You're family is so amazing. They make me feel at home. I love them."

Sam smiled, overjoyed at Rory's happiness, and laced their fingers together. "Let's go get some hot chocolate and warm up," Sam suggested as he led Rory toward the house.

Now, Sam and Rory sat on the couch, watching the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square play out on TV. , waiting for the ball to drop and usher in the new year. Stevie and Stacy bounced around the room excitedly. Sam's parents had already gone to bed, having no interest in watching the new year roll in. They'd made Sam promise to make sure the kids went to be directly after midnight.

"We don't really have anything like this in Ireland," Rory said absently, referring to the mob of people flooding the streets of New York City.

Rory leaned his head against Sam's shoulder. The blonde automatically brought his fingers to card through his boyfriend's hair.

"Only ten seconds left!" Stevie announced excitedly.

Rory sat up and watched the crowd in Times Square usher in the new year as Stacy and Stevie counted down. The clock struck midnight and the younger Evans children bounced around the living room. Sam pulled Rory close and surged their lips together, kissing him with a sweet passion, breaking the kiss just before the kids turned back around.

"Happy New Year, baby," Sam said, a smile pulling up the corners of his full lips.

"Happy New Year, Sammy," Rory said, cheeks flushed from the unexpected kiss. He cuddled back into Sam's side as the blonde wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Stacy bounded over quickly and kissed Rory and Sam on the cheek, smiling. "Happy New Year!" She ran across the room to capture Stevie and kiss him on the cheek as well. The boy scrunched his nose and wiped his hand where his sister had kissed him. "Yuck, Stacy! Eww." She laughed brightly and twirled around the room excitedly.

Shortly after midnight, the weight of the day became too much for Stevie and Stacy. The twins fell asleep leaning against each other on the loveseat. Sam was the first to notice that the kids had fallen asleep.

"Rory," he whispered, pointing to where the two blondes were sleeping. "Look."

A wide smile spread across the brunette's face as he watched the children sleep.

"They're so adorable, Sam," he noted. "That's what I'm looking forward to most about the future."

"What's that, baby?" Sam asked affectionately.

"I want to have kids of my own someday. Maybe even kids of our own," he explained. The longing in his voice was evident.

"You'll make a great dad someday, Rory. You're amazing with them," Sam said, gesturing to his siblings as examples. "I've never really thought about it. Someday, I imagine we'll have our own kids." The idea struck Sam, and a smile began to grace his features. He reached up to stroke his fingers across Rory's cheek. "I love you, Rory."

The Irish boy smiled widely and leaned into Sam's touch. "I love you, too."

Sam leaned forward and kissed Rory chastely before slapping his hands against his own thighs quietly. "Alright, you want to get Stacy and I'll get Stevie. We'll put them to bed and then, I think, we have to turn in too. We've got a long drive ahead of us tomorrow."

Rory sighed and nodded his assent. He didn't want to leave the Evans' house. He felt accepted and welcomed in their home. It wasn't like anything he had in Lima. He scooped the little girl into his arms. She unconsciously nuzzled into the crook of Rory's neck as he carried her to her bedroom, tucking her in and kissing her lightly on the forehead before tip-toeing out of the room.

By the time he made it down the hall to Sam's bedroom, the blonde was already in bed. He smiled when Rory entered and turned down his side of the bed, patting the mattress invitingly. Rory quickly stripped off his jeans, brushed his teeth, and crawled into bed. Sam pulled him into his arms immediately. Rory cuddled closer into his boyfriend's side, sighing contentedly as he rested his head against Sam's strong chest.

"What are your new year's resolutions?" Sam asked conversationally, sliding his hand idly across Rory's back.

"Hmm..." Rory said, thinking. "I want to try and get the courage to stand up to my father." Rory's voice turned a little sad.

"Baby, I don't know if there's much you can do-"

"I know, but I just want to know that I was strong enough to stand up to him for Seamus and my mammy."

"You are strong, Rory. He's the weak one." He squeezed Rory tighter instinctively.

"Still...I just want everything to be okay again," Rory added, quiet sadness in his voice.

Suddenly, Rory's phone lit up on the nightstand, vibrating madly against the surface of the table. Rory lifted his head and checked the clock-it was two thirty in the morning. He reached out and grabbed the phone, checking the number of the caller.

"The number is from Ireland," he said, incredibly confused, pressing the button to answer the phone. He immediately put the call on speaker phone. "H-Hello?" he asked hesitantly.

"Rory?"

The brunette gasped audibly and his voice hitched in his throat. "Seamus!"
"Hi, I can't talk long. I'm on my way to school. I'm calling from a phone box," he said hurriedly. "I just had to talk to you."

Tears were flowing freely down Rory's cheeks and a smile was stretched broadly across his face. "I love you so much, Seamus. I just need you to know that. No matter what."

"I love you, too, Rory. No matter what. I didn't get a chance to say it before da came in last time. He broke my webcam, Rory," the boy's voice was indignant.
"I'll buy you another one. It's my fault it got broken."

"It's not your fault, Rory," Sam said automatically.

"Is that your boyfriend, Rory?" Seamus asked.
"Yes, that's my Sam," Rory said happily, lacing their fingers together.

The younger boy's voice was bright as he answered. "Hello, Sam. I'm glad that Rory has found someone who makes him happy. You seem like a very fine man."

Rory laughed freely. The sound resonated through Sam, warming him to the bone.

"Seamus," Sam asked. "Does your mother know that you're calling Rory?"
"Yes, Sam. She was the one who gave me the money for the phone call," Seamus answered easily.

Rory's face lit up and another wave of relief swept over Sam. "Rory, mammy wanted me to tell you that she loves you and that she's going to call you as soon as she gets the chance. She misses you so much, Rory."

"Tell her how much I love her. Oh God, I miss you both so much," Rory said, longing plain in his voice.
"I miss you, too. Oh...I have to go. I'm going to be late. I love you, Rory. It was nice to talk to you, Sam."
"I love you, too, Seamus," Rory said, a smile on his face. "Goodbye. Call me again as soon as you can."
"I will. I promise. Goodbye."

The phone disconnected and Rory pulled it close to his chest. Happy tears still streamed down his face, and his eyes were bright. "I can't believe it," Rory breathed.

Sam waited for him to continue, but he didn't. The blonde just kissed the top of his boyfriend's head and smiled. "I told you that your father wouldn't be able to keep Seamus away from you," he said quietly. A laughed sob shook Rory's body. Sam pulled him closer into his side and kissed his hair again.

The two just lay in comfortable silence, Rory falling asleep first. Sam traced his thumb across the smile on the sleeping boy's face, delighting in the fact that his boyfriend wasn't hurting anymore. He fell asleep soon after.

-xXxXx-

"Sammy, I don't want you to leave," Stacy cried, sniffling as she tightened her hold around her older brother's neck.

Sam shot Rory a helpless glance and he crossed the small living room to help his boyfriend comfort his sister. Sam shifted as he readjusted the little girl in his arms.

"Stacy," Rory soothed, rubbing a hand across her back. "We'll be back, love."

"B-But I don't want you to go," she whined, clearly on the verge of hysterics. She reached out for Rory and he took her into his arms. She squeezed tightly around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Rory could see how difficult this was for Sam. Stevie stood a few feet away, stoically watching the scene, his eyes wet with unshed tears. Sam adored his siblings and seeing them so upset on his account was devastating. Rory reached down and took Sam's hand, squeezing gently.

Mr. Evans crossed the small room and clapped Sam on the shoulder. "Well, we hate to see you go, son, but you'd better leave now if you want to be home by dark."

A small sob escaped Stacy at her father's words. Rory automatically turned his head to whisper "shh" into her ear and press a kiss to the top of her hair. "We'll be back, sweetheart," he soothed. "And besides, we've got Clover with us. He's going to be riding in the truck with us all the way home, so all we have to do is look at him and we'll think of you. Okay?"

The little girl pulled her head from the crook of Rory's neck, looked at him, and nodded slowly. He used his free hand to wipe away her tears. She gave him a watery smile and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'll miss you, Rory."

"I'll miss you, too, Stacy," he said, setting her on her feet.

Sam had walked over to say his farewells to his parents and Stevie. Rory crossed the room to say goodbye to his hosts and shake Stevie's hand. The little boy's face turned serious. "Rory, please take care of Sammy," he said, tears barely hidden behind his show of confidence.

"I will, Stevie," Rory promised, pulling the boy into his arms and squeezing quickly before pulling back to look toward Sam. "Ready to go?"

Sam nodded and set his little sister back on the ground. "I guess," he replied quietly.

"Goodbye, boys. Drive safely," Mrs. Evans said, opening the door. "You have to come back soon. Rory," she paused. The Irish boy turned around. "It was so nice to meet you. Sam is lucky to have someone as wonderful as you." She patted his cheek and smiled.

-xXxXx-

After spending two weeks with Sam around constantly, Rory wasn't handling alone well. Sam had dropped Rory off at Brittany's before heading back to the Hudson-Hummel house. Rory had quickly thrown his dirty laundry in the washer to give himself something to do. Brittany and her parents weren't going to be back until Sunday night and it was only Friday. He sighed deeply and dropped down onto the couch, waiting until it was late enough to justify going to sleep. When he finally went to bed, he'd tossed and turned. There was too much room and not enough warmth in the bed; he missed having Sam's arms around him.

He fought the urge to text Sam and ask him to come over and hold him until he fell asleep. Sam had promised to help Mr. Hummel at the shop for the weekend, so Rory knew it was too risky for Sam to try and sneak out after being gone for so long, especially when Mr. Hummel was going to wake him up early. Rory hated the idea of not being able to see his boyfriend for two whole days. He sighed miserably and rolled over in his bed.

By the time Monday rolled around and it was time to go back to school, Rory was eager. He hadn't gotten to see Sam since he'd dropped him off on Friday. When Sam's truck pulled up outside to pick him up for school, Rory all but launched himself in the car, connecting his lips to Sam's immediately.

Sam laughed softly against Rory's lips. "I missed you, too, baby."

Rory pulled back and smiled brightly, leaning forward to give Sam a quick peck on the cheek before settling in and buckling his seat belt.

The day had passed quickly and before Rory knew it, it was time for glee club. He packed all this things in his locker and shut the door only to find Santana leaning against the face of the lockers, smiling at him. He couldn't remember Santana ever being nice to him before. Usually, his only interaction with Santana was when she was threatening him over what would happen if he even thought about coming into Brittany's bedroom while they were having one of their "ladies' nights".

"H-Hi, Santana," Rory said hesitantly.
"Hello, Irish," she said brightly. "Coffee?" She held out a tall styrofoam cup. Rory took it tentatively. "I didn't poison it. Don't work yourself up into a potato eating frenzy." She rolled her eyes.
"Thank you," Rory said, ignoring the last jibe. The two began to fall into step as they walked toward the choir room. "What's this all about, Santana?"
"Well, I'll tell you. I'm not sure if your boytoy told you, but Sam and I used to date. I was the one who deflowered your boyfriend," she said, her tone condescending and sickeningly sweet.

"Yeah, I know that," Rory said, beginning to get annoyed. "What about it?"
"Ol' Trouty Mouth hasn't been telling you the whole truth about his past," Santana said smugly.
"No offense, but why do you care?" Rory asked. "You don't like me, and you've done nothing but try and make Sam miserable since you broke up."

"You're right. I don't like you, but you're Brittany's best friend. You look after her, and I respect you for that. I just want you to know what you're getting into."
"Thank you, Santana, but Sam told me about what his family went through last year."

Rory sipped his coffee as the pair walked into the choir room, Sam jumping out of his seat and walking toward his boyfriend. He wanted to get him away from Santana as quickly as possible.

"So, Irish," Santana said conversationally. "Did Sam tell you what he used to do to make some quick cash? By the way, how do you like that coffee?"

Rory looked confused by the way she combined the questions. The coffee was good, the taste of coffee masked by something sweet that he couldn't quite identify. Sam was fuming beside him.

"I-It's good," he answered, perplexed.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? It's coffee with a little bit of white chocolate," she said, her eyes drifting smugly to Sam.

A nervous silence fell over the members of the glee club. The atmosphere of the room was buzzing with awkwardness and anxiety.

"Santana," Sam warned, his voice rough and threatening.

"What? I'm just telling your boyfriend here how you got your spending money."

Rory turned to face Sam. "What's she talking about?" His face was screwed up in confusion. Sam was very much aware of all the eyes in the room on him.

"Can we talk about this later?" he asked his boyfriend desperately. "Please?"

Santana continued anyway. "I thought you just 'did what you had to do', Sam? Why are you ashamed to tell him you were shaking your cute little moneymaker at a strip joint?"

Rory's mouth fell open and his gaze locked onto Sam. Sam was still staring daggers at Santana.

"Sam," Rory asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Is that true?"
The blonde quickly turned to face his boyfriend. "Rory, I-" he started.
Rory just shook his head and pushed the cup of coffee toward Santana before turning to swiftly leave the room. The cup landed at her feet, flooding over her white sneakers with a satisfying splash.

"Why would you do that, Santana?" Sam asked, his voice a mix of exasperation and fury. He quickly ran out after his boyfriend.

A/N: Reviews are always appreciated. Please don't hate me for the cliffhanger.