Disclaimer: I still own nothing associated with Glee.
Beta Credit: jlbassmaster.
The Plan That Actually Worked
Chapter Eleven: Promise
After Rory woke up, Sam eventually convinced him that it would be a good idea for them to put their clothes back on. They rolled out of bed and dressed slowly.
They settled back onto the bed to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas. Rory had fallen hopelessly in love with the movie after watching it at Sam's. After the first time they'd watched it, Rory had made Sam put on it on every night before they went to sleep. Rory had said that it always made him feel better, so Sam couldn't find it in himself to refuse Rory's request. They would cuddle in bed and Sam would sing the soundtrack quietly in Rory's ear as the movie played.
About halfway through the movie there was a quiet, tentative rapping on the door.
"Who is it?" Rory asked, raising his voice to be heard.
"It's me," Brittany answered shyly.
Rory smiled and invited her to come in.
She walked wordlessly over to the bed, sitting down on the very edge next to Rory. She dropped her head sadly. Rory's face screwed up in concern. "What's the matter, Brittany?"
She looked up at him nervously. "Are you mad at me, Rory Leprechaun?"
Rory sat up quickly and slid to her side. He smiled at her and reached down to take her hand, linking their pinkies. She watched the gesture and looked up at Rory's face, her eyes now bright, and a smile spread widely across her face.
"Of course I'm not mad at you, Brittany. You didn't do anything wrong. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have talked to Sam in the first place. I could never be mad at you," he said brightly, hoping to reassure.
"I wish Santana hadn't said that. I love that you and Sam are happy together. He makes you smile, and that makes me smile," she offered, her voice kind.
"You're a very good friend to Rory, Brit," Sam said appreciatively. "And that makes me smile."
Brittany's face lit up at the compliment. Rory leaned back into Sam, pulling Brittany down and wrapping his arms around her.
"I love you, Rory Leprechaun," she said sweetly, resting her head against his shoulder.
"I love you, too, Brittany." He squeezed her tightly.
The three close together and watched the remainder of the movie in friendly silence.
-xXxXx-
Nearly a month passed without incident, aside from the usual, almost comical glee club drama. Sam and Rory managed to keep themselves out of it and instead spent all their time together. What Rory didn't know was that Sam had been spending every spare second planning his surprise for Rory's rapidly approaching birthday.
Rory had been sleeping when Sam snuck in his bedroom; it was just before six in the morning on a Saturday. Sam had barely slept the night before due to his excitement. He wanted to watch Rory sleeping peacefully for a moment longer, but his own impatience quickly won out over that desire. He tiptoed to the edge of Rory's bed, a bed he'd only left himself a few hours prior. There was a deep satisfaction in holding Rory as he fell asleep and then being able to be there as he woke.
He stroked his fingers lightly across Rory's cheek and spoke softly. "Hey, Rory. Wake up, sweetheart."
His blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Sam's breath hitched at the beautiful vulnerability of the moment. "Sammy?" he asked sleepily.
Sam smiled and slid his thumb over the apple of Rory's cheek. "Yeah, baby, it's me." His quiet voice was filled with hushed affection. "Come on, I've got a surprise for you. Do you know what day it is?"
Rory didn't answer, but a wide, knowing smile spread across his face. Sam couldn't help but return it.
Sam helped him out of bed and handed him his shoes. Confusion flitted across Rory's face, but Sam just continued to smile at him, pointing toward the shoes insistently. Rory giggled quietly and slipped them on.
"I brought you a coat," Sam said, taking the jacket he had draped over his arm and offering it to Rory, holding it open so he could easily slide his arms in the sleeves. Sam knew that Rory had a coat, but he also knew that it was hanging on the coat rack in the living room. He convinced himself that, for the sake of secrecy, he should bring a coat for him to wear, but he knew it was a lie. He just wanted an excuse to see Rory in his Letterman jacket.
He straightened out the front of the jacket before pulling Rory in for a kiss. He leaned down to whisper into Rory's ear. "Beautiful."
Rory beamed in response. Nothing made Sam feel better than to see Rory's response to compliments. The Irish boy's cheeks always flushed an endearing pink, and he'd cast his sparkling blue eyes toward the floor shyly.
"Alright," Sam said, determined. "We've got to go or else we'll miss it."
"Miss what?" Rory asked as Sam helped him climb out his window.
"The sunrise," Sam replied, helping Rory get steady on his feet.
Rory's heart fluttered. No one had ever done anything romantic for him before, except Sam. Even though Sam was a hopeless romantic, this was a personal best. Sam took Rory's hand and laced their fingers together as he lead them toward his idling truck, parked a safe distance away from the house. He opened Rory's door before heading to the driver's side.
"Where are we going?" Rory asked excitedly.
"I know a spot overlooking the lake. The sunrise is so beautiful there."
"Sam, this is perfect. Thank you. So much," Rory said incredulously.
"Well, watching the sunrise together is only one part of your birthday surprise," Sam said teasingly.
Rory bounced anxiously in his seat as Sam parked the car and shut off the engine. The gods were smiling on Sam because the morning had turned out to be unseasonably mild—around forty-five degrees.
Rory looked at Sam with confusion as he watched him getting out of the truck. The blonde walked around to Rory's side and opened the door.
"Come on," he prompted, reaching for Rory's hand. "I've got a blanket in the bed of the truck."
Rory smiled and took Sam's hand, allowing himself to be led around to the back of the truck and helped into the bed. Sam climbed up and slid back so that his back was resting against the metal of the cab. He pulled Rory into his arms and covered them both with a thick blanket. Rory snuggled against Sam's side.
"Oh," Sam said suddenly. "I almost forgot..." he trailed off, reaching into the toolbox sitting next to them and grabbing a thermos and two tall styrofoam cups. "I figured it'd be chilly out, so I brought coffee." He poured a cup for Rory and handed it to him before pouring one for himself and screwing the lid back on the container.
Rory held his cup between both hands, warming them with the radiant heat. "Sam, this is amazing. I've never been so happy in my entire life," he breathed, his voice full of emotional sentiment.
"That's all I want. I just want you to be happy, baby," Sam answered, pressing a kiss to the top of his hair.
The sun began to rise over the water making it sparkle as the light of the new day reflected off it. The sky brightened to shades of orange and purple before turning into a light, clear, cloudless blue. The pair sat quietly enjoying the beauty of the morning for a moment before Sam shifted slightly and began subtly fishing around in the toolbox for part two of Rory's present. The Irish boy didn't even notice Sam's distraction.
Sam wrapped his arm back around Rory's shoulder. Rory was completely taken by surprise when a small, velvet box appeared in front of his face. His mouth fell open dramatically.
"S-Sam...is that...?" Rory asked, dumbstruck.
"Uh-huh. It's a promise ring." Sam said, kissing Rory on the cheek before continuing. Rory's eyes were glued to the box in front of him. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything in my life. I want to give you this as a promise that I'll always love you, and I will never hurt you. I'll be here to support you. No matter what." He opened the box to reveal a shiny silver ring with a dark gray accent band stamped into the middle of the silver. Rory just continued to stare, a tear slid down his stunned face.
Sam took his hand and kissed each of his fingers before putting the band onto Rory's left ring finger. All at once, in a fraction of a second, Rory threw his arms around Sam and kissed him deeply, tears streaming silently down his face. The older boy broke the kiss, breathless, and rested his forehead against Rory's.
"Happy Birthday, Rory," he said quietly. "I love you more than you'll ever know."
"Sammy..." Rory breathed incredulously. It was all he could say, but it was enough. Sam understood the meaning behind the breathless whisper, and his face lit up into an Earth-shifting smile.
Too soon afterward, Sam had to take Rory back to the Pierce's. He helped the younger boy back through the window to his bedroom before climbing in behind him. Rory dragged him the rest of the way through the window and wrapped his arms around him tightly, almost tightly enough to knock the wind out of him. The blonde laughed quietly at the sudden show of affection.
"Sam, you have no idea how much this means to me," Rory said, his voice thick with emotion. "This has been the best day of my life, and the day has barely even started yet," he laughed, burying his face in Sam's neck to muffle the sound. "I love you so much and this ring is the best present I've ever gotten. I promise that I will always love you and be there for you. Forever," he said earnestly. "You make everything worthwhile."
Sam swallowed thickly at the implications behind the words, his heart flying as he weighed the meaning. He meant enough to Rory to make losing the approval of his father, separation from his family, and constant bullying at school worth it. Sam smiled and took Rory's face into his hands, holding him still in order to press a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you, Rory, so much."
Rory lifted his arms to snake around the back of Sam's neck and was about to kiss him when the sound of clattering coming from the kitchen made them both jump.
"Oh man, I've gotta go," Sam said quickly. "Get back in bed."
Rory crossed the small room, toeing off his shoes on the way, and threw himself into his bed. Sam quickly pulled the blankets up around him and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back around noon, okay?"
"Okay, Sammy," he said brightly, his eyes still sparkling. Sam was this close to saying 'to hell with it' and climbing into bed next to Rory just to hold him. "I love you."
Sam leaned down to kiss him again. "I love you, too." He smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair from Rory's forehead before turning to leave.
"Wait," Rory said, his hushed voice urgent. Sam turned around to see Rory sitting up to shrug out of his jacket.
"You forgot your jacket."
Sam grinned devilishly. "Oh, I didn't forget. Happy Birthday, baby."
Rory watched Sam climb out the window. He clutched the blonde's Letterman jacket close to his chest as he lay back down, reveling in the way that it smelled like Sam. He held up his left hand to survey the promise ring he'd been given, smiling at the way the light glinted off the polished silver band.
Despite everything that had gone wrong in his life recently, Rory couldn't find it within himself to be sad today. The way Sam loved him made him feel warm down to the core and now he had a constant reminder of that love wrapped delicately around his ring finger. He yawned widely as the weight of not enough sleep began to press down on him. He clutched Sam's jacket close and fell back to sleep.
-xXxXx-
"Rory Leprechaun! Wake up!"
He cracked his eyes open to look at the display on his alarm clock—9:13 A.M. Brittany bounded across the room and jumped into bed beside him, wrapping her arms around him from the back. "Today's your birthday," she pointed out.
"Is it?" Rory asked, smiling brightly.
"Yep. But, it looks like someone beat me to being the first to wish you a Happy Birthday," she teased, eyeing the jacket that Rory was still clinging to. Brittany was the only one who knew about Sam's secret nightly visits. She'd walked in on them on more than one occasion. "What did he give you?" she asked, always nosy.
Rory sat up and launched into a descriptive account of his entire morning with Sam.
"Wait," she said quickly, throwing her arms in front of her as if stopping traffic. "He gave you a ring?" She reached down and grabbed Rory's hand, covering her mouth with her other hand as she saw the band on his finger.
"Yep, it's a promise ring," Rory answered excitedly. He told Brittany what Sam had said when he gave him the ring. She cooed and pulled him in for a hug.
"Brittany, Rory," Mrs. Pierce called loudly from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"
The remainder of the morning seemed to drag by. Rory sat, staring at his clock, waiting for noon. His phone rang and he'd answered it quickly, assuming it was Sam announcing that he was on his way over.
"Hello?" he greeted.
"Rory?" a feminine voice asked. Rory's heart flew into overdrive.
"Mammy?" he asked. It was a stupid question; he knew it was his mother. Tears began pouring from his eyes.
"My little love! How are you?"
"I'm amazing, mammy," he answered honestly. "I'm so happy to hear your voice. I miss you so much!"
"I miss you, too, love. I had to call and wish you a Happy Birthday. It's the first one in sixteen years that I haven't gotten to hug you," she said, her voice colored with disappointment. "I hope you're having fun in America."
"Oh, mammy, I am..." he trailed off as his bedroom door opened. Sam stuck his head in, surprised to see Rory crying and smiling at the same time. He didn't even notice the phone stuck to his ear.
"Are you okay, baby?" he asked, concerned. Rory gestured to the phone as an explanation. He pulled it away from his ear and put it on speakerphone. Sam came to sit on the bed.
"Sorry, mam, Sam just got here," he apologized for the lull.
"It's okay, love," she said brightly. "Did he get you anything special for your birthday?" she asked, unaware that Sam could hear her.
"Yes, ma'am, I did," Sam answered. He handed Rory a box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. Rory looked at him confused, and Sam shrugged. "Sorry, Rory, I had leftover paper," he said sheepishly. "Open it!" he insisted.
"Sam already gave me a present earlier," Rory told his mother. "He gave me a ring and..."
"A ring?" she asked, her voice an octave higher with excitement. "Rory Daniel Flanagan, you better hang on to that boy!"
Rory's face flushed at the use of his full name. Sam smiled and looked at him. "I didn't know your middle name was Daniel," he said, teasing. Mrs. Flanagan laughed over the phone.
Rory batted at his shoulder and started unwrapping the new gift. His face lit up as he saw what the present was. "Sam bought me a CD, mam!" he said excitedly, turning over the jewel case to read the front. It was the soundtrack to The Nightmare Before Christmas. "Oh, Sammy, I love it! Thank you, so much!" He leaned forward and kissed Sam quickly on the lips.
"It sounds like that boy is very good to you," Mrs. Flanagan noted.
"I love him, mammy. So much," Rory admitted. "He makes me so happy."
"That's all that matters then, little love," she said earnestly. "If he makes you happy then he's okay by me."
"You have no idea how much that means to me, Mrs. Flanagan," Sam said, squeezing Rory's hand. "I love your son more than anything else in the world."
"Just take care of him, Sam," she said lightly. "Lord knows he can't take care of himself."
Sam grinned at his boyfriend. Rory's cheeks were flushed bright red. Sam slid his thumb along Rory's chin, lifting his face until he was looking into his bright blue eyes when he said, "I promise, I'll take care of him."
"Good," she replied. "I like you, Sam. I'd love it if you came over with Rory this summer when he comes home."
Rory's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Mam, do you mean it? What about da?"
Mrs. Flanagan sighed aloud and thought her answer through before responding. "We'll think of something, darling. I promise. You'll always be my baby, and I'll be damned if he's going to keep you out of this house." Her voice was determined.
"I love you, mammy," Rory said, emotion clear in his voice. "I miss you so much!"
"I love you, too, Rory. It's not the same without you here. Seamus is lonely."
"I know," Rory said, his head dropping slightly. "Tell him that I miss him so much and that I love him, too."
"I will, love. I have to go. I will call you again soon, okay?"
"Okay, mammy," Rory answered. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Happy Birthday, love. And, Sam," she said. "It was very nice to finally talk to you."
"You too, Mrs. Flanagan. Thank you for being so supportive of Rory. He's lucky to have a mother like you."
"Thank you, Sam. He's my baby and that's all there is to it. I love him no matter what."
Rory's face lit up, his eyes sparkling.
"Goodbye, boys," his mother said easily.
"Bye," Sam and Rory replied in unison.
The phone disconnected. Rory turned to face Sam, his trademark heart-stopping smile spread widely across his face.
Sam pulled him into his arms and kissed him happily. He could even feel Rory's smile as he pressed their lips together.
The two stretched out on the bed and spent the afternoon alternating between spirited conversation and companionable silence.
The Pierce's had the traditional birthday cake and ice cream. They even relented and, since it was Rory's birthday, decided that Sam could spend the night.
Sam called Burt to ask him for permission. He'd been less than thrilled, but, like the Pierce's, he too gave in because it was Rory's birthday. Rory rode along with Sam to the Hudmel house to get some clothes and pack an overnight bag.
Finn and Kurt attacked Rory as soon as he walked through the door. He tried to run, but Kurt headed him off as he tried to go through the door to the kitchen, grabbing him long enough for Finn to get his arms around him and pin him down. They then proceeded to sing Happy Birthday at the top of their voices while violently shaking him. Sam wanted to help but literally didn't have the strength to move; he was laughing too hard. Rory just looked like a giggling rag doll, laughing until his stomach hurt.
Sam left Rory to his fate and went to quickly toss some things in his backpack to take back with him to the Pierce's. He jumped slightly when Rory snuck up behind him and snaked his arms around his waist. Sam turned around in Rory's arms and kissed him softly on the lips before slipping out of his hold to finish packing.
Rory dropped down on his bed and watched as Sam busied himself with packing. The blonde pulled open his top drawer to grab a spare pair of boxer briefs, and a glimpse of something blue caught his eyes, reminding him of something he wanted to tell Rory.
He picked it up and turned around to face the younger boy.
"Think fast," he said, tossing the blue object toward Rory. He caught it right before it hit him in the nose. "I got that in the mail yesterday. It cost me a fortune but I got it."
"Sam, you got a passport?" Rory asked, slightly confused. "Why?"
"Because, I promised you that, whenever you needed me, I'd be there. Well, if you were in Ireland, I couldn't very well get there without a passport."
"You did that for me?" he asked as if the answer wasn't completely obvious. Everything Sam did was for Rory.
"Of course I did," Sam said sweetly, sliding onto the bed next to Rory. "I made a promise that I intend to keep."
"Thank you, Sam," Rory said, leaning forward to press his small lips against Sam's full ones. "You're amazing."
Sam tossed the bag in the back of the truck and opened Rory's door, waiting for the boy to get inside the truck before closing it behind him and climbing in the driver's side.
Rory chattered excitedly about how much Sam would love Ireland and how he couldn't wait to show him around his town. They were close to Brittany's house on a deserted back road when Sam got an idea. He pulled the truck to the side of the road, earning a confused look from Rory.
"Okay, so, I don't know how it is in Ireland, but in America, you can get your license on your sixteenth birthday. Since you're here in America to get the full experience, I want you to drive the rest of the way to Brittany's."
"What?" Rory asked, excitement creeping into his voice. "I can't drive in America. You guys drive on the wrong side of the road."
Sam laughed at the irony of Rory's words. He'd never considered how foreign things seemed to Rory. "You can do it. It's not very far. This truck is an automatic, so you don't even have to shift. Just...don't kill us," Sam laughed, leaning across the cab to kiss Rory. "Alright, come on," he said, awkwardly shifting to trade places with Rory.
The Irish boy clicked his seat belt on with shaky hands.
"Have you ever driven before?" Sam asked calmly.
Rory shook his head. "Well, I tried once, but mam said I scared her to death, and she wouldn't let me try anymore." He laughed freely at the memory.
"It's okay. You can do it," Sam said, sure. "Alright, put it in drive."
Rory struggled, furrowing his brow adorably as he tried to move the gearshift. Sam laughed as he realized the problem. "Babe, you need to hold down the brake as you shift out of park."
"Oh," Rory said sheepishly, his voice almost inaudible. Sure enough, that had been the hold up. "Now what?" he asked.
"Let off the brake and slowly give it some gas," Sam answered.
Suddenly the car lurched forward before stopping just as abruptly. Sam stifled a laugh. "Too much gas."
Rory turned his head to glare at him.
Sam continued. "Try it again. Use the tip of your shoe to push the pedal down," he instructed.
This time the start was much smoother. "Alright, get us on the road now."
Rory steered to the left and piloted the truck onto the road. After a helpful reminder that Americans drive on the right side of the road, Rory was doing well, even if he was white-knuckling the steering wheel and going a grand total of twenty miles per hour.
Brittany's house was visible in the distance and Sam explained that Rory needed to slow down and turn on his turn signal before turning into her driveway. Sam flinched as Rory narrowly avoided wiping out her mailbox. He stopped the truck, put it in park, and killed the engine.
"And, that's how you drive in America, Rory."
Rory turned to face Sam, his eyes sparkling with pure joy. "I did it!"
"You did it," Sam mimicked happily, smiling widely. He leaned across the seat and captured Rory's lips. "I love you, Rory."
"I love you, too, Sammy," he said brightly.
Sam climbed out of the truck and grabbed his bag out of the back, crossing to the front of the truck to take Rory's hand. The two walked to the front door, already talking and giggling about what they were planning to do as soon as they were inside Rory's bedroom.
A/N: Reviews are always appreciated! :) Anything you'd like to see in upcoming chapters?