some people are so unnecessarily mean and rude to sam for literally no reason. AND sam lane too. if any of us said half the things people say about sam, it would be the end of the world. sam makes us happy, just like josh, jake, and danny make you happy. but when we speak up when people shit talk him, we're "annoying" and "overdramatic." it's honestly so frustrating seeing people talk shit about and look down on the person that brings you comfort. sam is a valuable asset to the band and so many people pay him dust. he has an instagram for his dog, his favorite place is his garden, he's so passionate about music and loves art, and this is the person that you have "one-sided beef" with? i don't care if i get called annoying or overdramatic for this, i'm just simply so tired of seeing people talk like this about someone who brings me and so many other people joy.
It felt like you’d time traveled back to the fall, back to the parties and the falling-in-love, as you got yourself ready for the show. Your heart pounded in your chest, your hands shaky with nerves as you perfected every strand of hair in the mirror. Was your outfit cute enough? Did your makeup look nice enough? Would anyone think your necklaces were cute? Should you take these earrings off? Your mind ran a mile a minute, anxiety coursing through your veins as if you were about to go on a first date with the man of your dreams.
Sam would be knocking on your door any minute to take you over to the house. It’d been a beautiful day, the weather still nice enough to walk even as the sun dipped below the horizon. When the knock finally came, you could feel your blood pressure rising by the second. You opened the door, greeting Sam with a hug, your arms scraping against the sequined fabric of the jacket he wore. His chest was bare, his collarbone bearing a mark you’d left who-knows-how-long ago.
“You might wanna cover that up,” you said softly, trailing your fingers over it.
“Why? It’s kinda rock and roll, don’t you think?” He gave you a half-smile, before taking your hand and leading you out of the building.
The smell of summer was on the warm breeze that blew between the buildings. Music thumped loudly from every other house on the block, rings of lawn chairs and piles of cans decorating most yards. Despite the residual aches in your heart, and the anxiety that still gnawed at the back of your mind, things felt alright.
The two of you finally strolled up to the house, cars lining the street outside. The porch was adorned with the usual attention to detail you were used to seeing from the family. A wreath of plastic tulips hung on the door, and the hammock, which had been missing during the winter months, was swapped out for one that bore pastel hues and cream-colored ropes.
Inside, the house was warm with the heat of dozens of bodies. It was just as overwhelming this time as any, and you stuck close to Sam. The brothers were in deep conversation with a group, but they noticed you immediately, cutting off their sentences to greet you.
“You’re here!” Josh exclaimed, stepping around the crowd to pull you into a hug. “I didn’t know you were coming. It’s so nice to see you.” He trailed his arms down to your biceps, giving them a firm squeeze. “You look lovely, as always.”
You blushed a bit as his compliments, his words never failing to warm your heart. “Thank you. You look nice too.” He was dressed in the typical attire he’d wear for shows, tight shiny pants and some kind of eclectic top.
The time before the show passed quickly, almost too quickly, with Sam keeping a distance from you as he mingled with the crowd. You felt a bit lost without him by your side, sticking close to at least one of his brothers, trying desperately to contribute something to the conversations with strangers. When it was time, you followed the crowd out to the garage, sitting in the grass nearby and watching as the group set everything up, testing their instruments, tuning, checking that everything was right.
You stayed off to the side as the rest of the partygoers filed out from the house, drinks in their hands, smiles on their faces as they waited to hear the band play. It was a great show, every attendee grateful to hear them playing in a more raw, real format than their usual performances at bars. Every song had you captivated, and you even knew some of the words by this point.
In the middle of a song, one you hadn’t heard before, you were struck by something you hadn’t felt before. A realization, or perhaps an intuition. These four, what they were doing here, it was going to be big. Far bigger than what it was right now, jamming for free to an audience of a few dozen. You could almost see it, like a vision, them on a stage far bigger than this. Hundreds, thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, lining the stands and knowing every word. You couldn’t place it, couldn’t put words to it if you’d tried, but you just knew. They had something going here. Something very, very special.
Your eyes were fixed on Sam the entire time. The way he moved his body, the way his fingers moved, every expression he made, it was all entrancing to you. When he came bounding over to you after the show, glistening with sweat, it took every ounce of willpower in your body not to pounce on him like a feral animal.
“Did you like it?” He asked, a bit breathless. “The new song? I don’t think you’ve heard that one yet.”
“I loved it! It was so, like…different. I don’t know how to describe it.”
He talked at you for a while about it, getting into the technical details, and the things that inspired it. Though you only understood a solid half of what he was saying, you listened intently, hanging off of every word. You felt blessed to simply be in his presence, to be able to talk with him like this. It had been a while since the two of you had felt so normal.
A small part of you wanted to take Sam’s hand in yours and drag him back to his bedroom. But another part, the more sane part, wanted to stay right here. In all honesty, this was enough. Just being able to talk with him, under the dusky sky, both of your voices raised above the commotion around you, was like a piece of heaven. Eventually, the two of you wandered back inside, to the comfort of the living room and the brief silence while everyone else was outside.
“So, there’s something I want to tell you, but I swore I wouldn't tell anyone,” he said, his tone far too nonchalant, as he handed you a drink he’d just finished making for you in the kitchen. “Can you keep a secret?”
You gave him a quizzical look, your head cocked to the side. “A secret? Are you sure you should trust me with it?”
He nodded. “I feel like I have to tell you, or I’m gonna explode.”
“Alright. Lay it on me.”
“Well…” He suddenly looked very nervous, his fingers fidgeting with the condensation-soaked glass in his hands. “Nothing’s official yet. And I don’t really know the ins and outs of it all. But we’re pretty sure Jake’s going to land us a record deal. Soon.”
“That’s incredible news, Sammy! Congratulations!” You reached a hand out, resting it on his knee and inching a bit closer to him.
“Yeah. I don’t really know what the whole thing means, to be honest with you,” he said with a short laugh. “That’s not really my wheelhouse. That’s all Jake’s side of the ship. But if all goes well, we’re gonna go record some shit. An actual album, not just recorded in someone's basement.”
“Are you serious?” You ask with a wide grin, excitement welling up in your body. “I can finally force everyone to listen to you guys?”
“Yeah, I expect to hear our shit blasting from your headphones at every opportunity.”
“I can do one better. I’ll walk around campus with a stereo on my shoulder playing it.”
The two of you exchanged a laugh, and for just a moment, things felt entirely normal. But he spoke again.
“So, the plan is, after the album, and once summer break comes, we…want to tour. For a while. At least until next semester.”
“A tour?” Your stomach sank, your palms started to sweat, and you felt a bit dizzy. You slumped back down against the couch, your mind racing. In the back of your mind, you always knew this was a possibility. You'd feared it a bit, prayed this day would never come, when you'd be left behind while the closest friends you'd ever known went gallivanting across the country.
“Yes. I…we’ll be gone for a few months, at least. Jake is already making lists of venues he wants to play. We’ll just barely be making a profit, but we have to get our name out there. Nobody knows us outside of this dumb little college town.”
The question hung in the back of your throat, unsaid yet screamed in your mind so loud you could scarcely hear anything else. When it finally came out of your mouth, it was weak, defeated. “Can I come?”
Sam’s smile faded, his expression stony and unreadable. “I don’t know.” It seemed like there were a thousand implications behind those three words. A million more words behind them that couldn’t be said out loud, but passed between the two of you like some kind of mental tennis match.
You knew better than to push it any further, so you left it alone. Took his answer at face value for now, to be addressed at a later time. It wasn’t that he didn’t want you to come with, but with the way things were, it surely wasn’t a good idea. The two of you shouldn’t even be talking like this at all. It was like you’d completely forgotten about your promises to forget each other, forgot about your willingness to be alone and heal. The pull to be in the same place at the same time, in whatever form that took, was too strong.
The silence between the two of you was heavy and long, and you were certain you would have stayed that way forever if Danny hadn’t come crashing through the door soon after. He looked between the two of you, a smile on his face and a drink in his hand.
He gestured between you and Sam, his every movement conveying just how wasted he was already, somehow. “Hey. You two friends again, or what?”
You and Sam stumbled over each others' words, rushing out hurried and half-sensical explanations. Danny only stared with wide eyes as you both tried to explain, told him to leave, told him to stay, argued and agreed all at once, your voices tangling into a loud mess of chaos and hand gestures.
“Jesus. Sorry I asked,” Danny said, backing his way slowly out of the house, his hands raised in defense.
When he was gone, and silence fell on the room again, you heard a sound. The sound of muffled, stifled laughter. Your eyes landed on Sam, his hand thrown across his mouth, his eyes squinted as he held back a laugh.
“I think we scared him,” you said, the hint of barely-suppressed giggles tainting every word.
The two of you burst into laughs, the kind where you were both grabbing each other for support, doubled over, one hand on your stomach.
“Did you see his face? God, we need to go say sorry or something!” Sam said, gasping for air between every word.
It wasn’t all that funny, but that only seemed to make it even more funny in your head. That, and the absurdity of the whole situation. You felt like you hadn’t been able to feel joy in weeks now. This was like a blessing, a glimpse of heaven, a vision into what could be and what will never be.
“So are we friends again?” You asked, wiping a tear from your eye as the last of the giggles died down.
“Good question. I guess…I want to say that’s up to you, but…” he trailed off, unsure of what exactly he was trying to say.
“I just want you to be happy.”
“I am. I'm very happy. But I worry.” The rest of his sentence went unsaid, but you knew him well enough to know exactly where his worries lied.
“Well, I should go,” you said quietly. “I should get home before it gets too late.”
You started to stand up from the couch, but his hand shot out, grabbing your wrist with gentle, calloused fingers.
“Don’t. Stay.” There was a pleading edge to his words, and it pulled at every single string of your heart.
“Sam, we can’t. We can’t keep doing this,” you protested, though making no move to pull away. “It’s not good for us. We shouldn't even be talking.”
“I know, I know, it’s just…I have nobody else.”
“You have your family. Your friends. You have to let me go. You can’t keep pulling me back, not after what I did.”
“But, I…”
You could see the conflict in his eyes, the painful internal struggle he was facing. The two of you were caught in some kind of cycle. He needed you, he wanted you, he would die for you. You needed him all the same. But you’d hurt him, betrayed him, lied to him. And he’d made his own share of mistakes. You both kept saying you needed time, telling yourselves you had to get away from the other, but you could never run away. You’d always circle right back to each other. You would protest, say you shouldn’t, say it’s bad for you, but it was impossible to resist the temptation.
“I just don’t know what to do,” he said, releasing his grip on your wrist.
You sat back down, despite your better judgment. “I don’t know either.”
“God, you’re just so beautiful, it hurts to look at you sometimes.” He reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “It’s like torture, seeing all those feelings behind your eyes, knowing there’s nothing I can do to fix this easily.”
“Maybe we should stop trying to fix it.” You shifted a bit closer to him, and the scent of him was intoxicating. “Maybe we should actually stick to the plan. No contact.”
“You know we can’t do that.” His hand came to rest on your thigh, his touch electric.
“Then…what are we supposed to do?”
“Same thing we always do, I guess.”
The rest of the night was lost in a tipsy, pleasure-clouded haze as he whisked you up to his bedroom. Hours later, there you lay, naked with him, your body battered and sore in the best way. It was a classic tale at this point, the same one every week. It felt too good to stop it, you needed him too much, your resolve was too weak to tell yourself no. But it wasn’t hurting anything, was it?
When you fell asleep in his arms, you had to wonder if this was all that bad. Breaking your own rules couldn’t possibly be such a grave sin if it felt this good. Though you had to wonder if this was it, if it would get any better than this. The mental gymnastics, the constant emotional agony, was that really all you had in store? Although, if it would end like this every time, there were certainly worse ways to suffer.
* * *
You were gone, back in your dorms. Sam had driven you back early, demanding that you get some rest and relaxation with what was left of your weekend. He’d returned back to the house, under the guise of going back to help clean up, though his motives were far from that. He crept into the house quietly, waiting patiently to see who would be awake upon his return. On the couch, Jake sat, his feet up on the coffee table in the small space he’d carved out from the piles of cans and cups. A bloody mary was in his hand, half-drank, the garnishes all still uneaten.
The two eyed each other for what felt like hours, not speaking. Since the fight, they’d avoided each other a bit more. There had been disagreements like this in the past, sure, but nothing like this. This was uncharted territory, and neither brother knew how to navigate it. Sam knew he needed to talk to Jake. It was the entire reason he’d come back to the house today at all. But, god, was he dreading it.
Jake spoke first, his voice quiet and level. “Do you want to talk?”
Sam nodded, sitting down on the chair beside the couch. He was every emotion but relaxed in this moment. “We should.”
“Well, first off, sorry I decked you.”
“Sorry I started it.”
Jake cracked a half-smile, taking another sip from his drink. “Mom would be pissed if she knew we were still fighting like that.”
“Oh, come on. I can’t even remember the last time we did something like that.”
“I’m just glad Danny and Josh were there to break it up.”
“Yeah, we probably would have killed each other.” Sam laughed a bit, though it was an empty sound.
“Alright. Let me say my piece, then you can say yours. Deal?” Jake asked, taking one more sip of his drink and setting it down on the table.
“Go ahead. I won’t interrupt.”
“So, I’m sorry I did all that. I…genuinely didn’t realize at the time that you and her were so serious. And I’m not lying. I knew you guys were close, and I had my suspicions, but I hadn’t had any, uh, proof until that night.”
Sam had plenty he wanted to say in return, but kept his mouth shut, biting at the corners of his lip to keep himself quiet.
“I got a little possessive. Maybe…maybe even a little jealous. I should have just tried to clear things up before I got mad. She’s just such a catch, you know? But she doesn’t want me like she wants you. And I have to respect that.” Jake took a pause, breaking eye contact to stare down at his hands, rubbing his fingers against a callus. “I figured she was only using me to get to you. Or to make you mad. That pissed me off. But she’s a good girl, and I don’t think she was acting with deliberate malicious intent. She was sad and hurt, because she couldn't have you, and I just happened to be there to help kill the pain. That's not your fault.”
There was a long pause, and Sam realized it was his turn to speak. “But that was pain that I caused her. I should have never put her through all that. I just figured she didn’t like me.”
Jake sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You both fucked up. But it’s not like you were both out here with daggers in your cloaks taking every chance you got to backstab the other. It was poor communication, and what I assume to be bad flirting.”
“Yeah, heavy on the bad flirting part,” Sam smiled to himself. “I have no idea how you do it.”
“I’d teach you, if I thought you’d need to use it. But you’ve already got the girl of the century waiting on your doorstep for you.”
Sam paused, pondering Jake’s words. “Either way, I’m sorry I lashed out. But this seems to be a common thread. I find someone, you end up seducing them, and I lose them. I couldn’t handle the thought of it happening again, especially not with her. She’s different. So I got mad at both of you.”
“I understand that. And though I can put some of the blame on myself, most of it lies with her. She made her bed.” Jake’s tone was nonchalant, but it felt forced. He didn't like this either, as much of your fault as it may be.
“I know. But I can’t live without her, I’m sure you’re able to tell. As much as I wish we could both just forget the whole thing, it’s not possible. She’s…really special to me. I can’t even describe it.”
“I know. I can tell.”
“So I have to be able to fix this. There has to be some way. I’ve been agonizing over it for weeks now, and nothing seems good enough. No apologies or cute dates will ever put us back to the way we were before.”
Jake thinks for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “No, you can’t go back to the way you were before. But that doesn’t mean you can’t move forward. She never meant to hurt you. And even if she did, she regrets it, and it will never happen again.” He draws a breath, locking eyes with Sam, his gaze stern. “You don’t have to worry about me. I want the best for you, and for her. She deserves it.”
“I know, I agree with everything you’re saying. But I don’t know what to do.”
“The way I see it, you’ve got three options.” Jake held up three fingers, counting each one off as he spoke. “One, you’re going to cut her off and pretend she never existed. Move on with someone else, someone you don’t have history with. Leave her here while we’re on tour. Two, you’re going to continue this dumb little game you’re playing with her, and break both of your hearts in the process. Or three, you’re going to man the fuck up, talk it out, get over what happened, and ask her to date you.”
Sam mulled it over for a long time. Jake's words were harsh, but he was saying what needed to be said. There was, really, only one way out of this. “But what about the tour? If I ask her to date me, I’ll just have to leave her again in a month, anyway.
“Then bring her with us. If we take the deal, there would be room in the back for one extra person. Wouldn’t hurt us at all, and I’m certain Josh and Danny wouldn’t mind. And if they do, they can tell me, and I’ll tell them to fuck off.”
“And what if she says no?”
Jake shrugged. “Then at least you did everything you could.”
Sam was silent for a bit, thinking it over, weighing his options.
Jake spoke first, his words slow and calculated. “There’s one thing I know for certain. If she’s still willing to try, after all of this, after everything the two of you have gone through, you need to take that chance. She loves you. She seriously loves you. Don’t let this be the biggest regret of your life, Sammy.”
a/n~ Roughly a year ago I had a crackship idea to write Sam as a profiler for the Quantico BAU and throw him into the world of Criminal Minds - which never happened until now. The serial killer mentioned in this case is not of my own creation but is one of @vanfleeter’s creation, who lovingly let me borrow her idea to get the gears turning. Thank you, my love. You’re the best 😘
WARNINGS: Mentions of crime scene photos, Death, gun shot wounds. The use of guns in a criminal investigation setting. Foul language. Any that I may have missed please please please let me know!
This wasn’t his life plan. Working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation- the Behavioral Analysis Unit to be exact, wasn’t exactly where he saw himself when he crossed that stage to accept his bachelors degree in criminal justice. Never once had he dreamed of working with the FBI - the weakness of his stomach around anything even slightly grotesque had made that decision for him many years ago.
Though his interests had changed immensely somewhere between walking the stage in his high school graduation and picking a major in college. A simple read through of a true crime book changing the trajectory of his thoughts and dreams. Long gone were the ideas that he’d don a space suit and blast off into the stratosphere with his colleagues. His mind full of the facts that would make him a brilliant astronaut, while his passions lie elsewhere in the midst of cold cases and unsolved mysteries.
He had been encouraged to join the BAU, the brilliance his mind held to create a profile, picking up on even the most minuscule of details causing him to be able to solve a case even those higher in the food chain couldn’t.
“That is absolutely his signature! Look, each woman have the same markings as,” he trailed off, sifting through the file folder spread out across the conference table.
Finding the one he wanted he quickly carded through the documents, placing crime scene photos of the victim next to the ones he was studying.
“Her! They all have the same markings, look at their ears - it looks like he may have taken a hole punch to them.. but why? An inch of skin isn’t any substantial trophy.”
Hotch had raised an eyebrow, his eyes dancing over the photos Sam looked through, placing his hands again the table as eh leaned his weight forward.
“So then what could it mean?”
“Wait look! She’s got one, she has one on each ear, but she has three and she, LOOK! She has two on each ear. He wasn’t a one time killer, this was the work of a serial killer. This is how he was signing off each kill.”
Hotch’s eyes grew wide as the realization hit him. Pushing back off of the table he steadied his weight, crossing his arms over his chest.
“You ever think of doing this professionally, kid?”
____________
“I still can’t believe the newbie cracked that last case as a stand in rookie cop, it’s never happened like that before.” Morgan chuckled, perching himself again the edge of Sam’s desk and clapped a firm hand down onto his shoulder. A sheepish smile spread across Sam’s face and he turned his attention back to the file folder sat in front of him.
“That’s because he wasn’t meant to be a cop, he was meant to be a profiler.” JJ chirped up from where she sat, her eyes never leaving the screen of her laptop.
“Actually, my calling was space. I studied to work in a space station, but a few of the degrees over lapped into this line of work. But then I read this book called Murder New England which was a collection of cases and it really sparked something in my brain. I found that I was able to profile right along with the story and well… the rest is history.” Sam shrugged his shoulders and realized he was rambling.
“No wonder you all said he’s just like Reid.” Emily shook her head and slowly made her way out of the bullpen and in the direction of Garcias office.
A comfortable silence fell over the three profilers remaining in the bullpen as they went back to the tasks they had originally been working on. It wasn’t long before a commotion rang out somewhere down the hall and the doors to the bullpen sprang open as Hotch barged his way into the bullpen followed closely by Garcia and Prentiss.
“A new case just came out of the DC area, they need our help ASAP - wheels up in thirty.” Sam’s head shot up at the authoritative tone in Hotchs voice. His eyes danced over to Garcia who - in a tizzy - was handing out case files for them to go over on the flight. JJ stood from her desk and threw a look over her shoulder at Sam who was frozen in his seat.
“You comin’, Sam? We gotta jet.” Her voice was light and airy, a tone that shook him out of his thoughts and he pushed himself to stand. Holding his hand out he allowed Garcia to place the file in it and wrapped his fingers gently around it before taking off at a jog behind his colleges.
Garcia began pacing in front of the conference table as she waited for the crew to take their respective seats. Pulling a deep breath in through her nose she turned on her heel and, using the remote in her hand, brought the screen to life behind her. On it were gruesome crime scene photos of three separate victims.
“Asher Max, Mariah Lambert and Colby Rodriguez. All three were found dead on the steps of various museums within the Smithsonian.” Sam cocked his head to the side, trying to examine the photos on the screen as best as possible.
“There’s duct tape around their wrists and a GSW to their foreheads… what do you think the unsub does to get them in space where they can restrain their hands and bring them down execution style?” Sam offered, turning his attention to the file folder that sat on the table in front of him. Garcia clicked through to the next slide, presenting photos of the crime scenes, the offices in which the victims worked.
“They hang around long after the museums are shut down for the night, find a way in and ambush them in their offices - they’re found on the front steps the next day. No one has stepped forward outside of those reporting the findings of the body and crime scenes in the offices.” Sam shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.
“Someone had to have seen something, anything. What about security guards or cameras? Have they pulled the footage?” Garcia nodded and clicked over to another slide.
“They ceased the investigation until we could get there. So far there are no ties to anyone or any real motive as to why the murders are happening.” Garcia scanned the faces of her colleagues and her gaze came to rest on Spencer.
“What are you thinking, Reid?” She mumbled, leaning forward to rest her hands against the conference table.
“There’s something telling in the male, female, male, pattern in which they’ve killed. Meaning the next kill may be…” Spencer was cut off as Hotch brought his hand down against the conference table.
“Another female was found outside of the American Woman’s History Museum. Let’s wrap this up. Wheels up in five!” Hotch spoke with a sense of urgency as he pushed his chair out and rose to his feet, making his way quickly out of the conference room.
“Someone’s had to have seen something. Is there any connection they’re aware of?” Spencer asked, rising to his feet and collecting the file folder from the table in front of him. Garcia shook her head and turned off the screen behind her.
“So far no… go get em tigers, I have faith in you.”
Sam sighed as he rose to stand and followed JJ out of the conference room.
~*~*~
“Agent Rossi, what brings you here?” Hotch was quick to address the senior agent as they made their way over to the American Woman’s History Museum. Rossi raised his eyebrow and turned on a heel to face the BAU members standing behind him.
“They called me directly. Who do you think tipped Garcia off to compile the files?” Rossi kept his tone even, not wanting to tip off the crew that he was peeved. Hotch nodded solemnly and they slowly made their way into the police station.
“I’m Agent Aaron Hotcher of the Quantico BAU. This is Agent Reid, Rossi, Jareau, Morgan, Prentiss and Kiszka.” Hotch rattled off a quick introduction as they were escorted into the conference room.
Sam’s eyes danced over the expanse of the map of the Smithsonian they had set up, taking in as many details as his mind would hold. Reid stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Sam, eyeing the newest member of the BAU quietly before turning his attention to the map on the wall.
“Look… even the order of museums is odd, he bounces from one side to the next… male, female, male, female… so if he hit the Woman’s History Museum last…” Reid’s voice trailed off and he reached up to cup his chin in his hand.
“If he follows the same trajectory…the National Gallery of Art is next. Hey Hotch? Is the director of the Gallery of Art male or female?” Sam called, glancing over his shoulder at his senior Agent.
“That would be David Saunders. He’s one of the best historians around these parts.” The police officer standing next to Hotch spoke up and turned to face the agents.
“Shit… and it’s almost closing time. That’s his next target - we gotta go!” Sam’s voice took on a tone of urgency as he turned on his heel and took off out of the conference room with both Morgan and Reid hot on his heels. Rossi turned his attention to the commotion for a brief moment before returning it to the CCTV footage that was pulled up on the computer screen in front of him.
“See him? With the bucket hat?” The security guard working the cameras zoomed in on the man and waited patiently for him to tip his head in the direction of the camera.
“That’s Chase Rivera, he parted ways with us a few months ago due to ‘Unforseen circumstances’… do you think?” His question trailed off as he looked up at Rossi. The senior Agent nodded his head vigorously before pulling his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a number.
***
“Talk to me, Rossi.” Morgan spoke down the phone, his free hand resting on his holster as he scanned the crowd for any suspicious activity.
“The guys name is Chase Rivera. He’s wearing blue jeans, a Hawaiian shirt and a black bucket hat stood just inside the door to the National Art Gallery. Keep a close eye on him, I think he’s our guy.”
“He just walked past me and Reid mumbling under his breath but I couldn’t catch what was said. Newbies been trailing him since we spotted him. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Morgan ended the call and slid the phone safely back into his pocket.
“Hey kid, they’ve got a birds eye view on the guy Sam’s trailing, I’ve got a good feeling about this.” Morgan chuckled and slowly began to make his way over to where Sam stood in the crowd. Reaching out he placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder as to not startle the boy with his presence.
“He keeps watching the director every time he goes back and forth to and from his office… wait, look at his belt. Is that a… gun holster?” Reid took a step closer, the unsub none the wiser that he was being watched from all angles. Slipping his hands in his pockets, Reid leaned forward slightly and squinted his eyes, just barely making out the glint reflecting off of the revolver.
Chase rocked on his heels as he watched the few people that still remained in the museum disperse. All three agents shuffled backwards, pressing up against the wall as to not be seen. Reid crouched down next to Sam and leaned sideways just enough to see Chase’s shoes, watching to see if he dared to move.
“There goes David into his office… shit!” Sam mumbled, his hand going instinctually to the gun that hung on his hip. Reid pushed himself up off of the ground and followed suit, drawing his gun and turned his attention to Sam for the next round of instruction.
“He’s not luring them into their offices, he’s waiting where no one will look and following them in. We’ve got him now.” Sam’s voice held steady between a whisper and his normal tone as he slowly began to walk towards the directors office. A commotion could be heard coming from inside the office. Muffled voices and furniture being tipped onto its side.
Reid pushed past Sam and turned his attention to the agents at his back. Raising his hand he counted down from three before kicking in the door to David Saunders’ office.
“FBI! I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Chase!” Sam’s voice carried in from the hallway and a stunned Spencer stood still in his tracks.
Chase raised his head slowly and finished securing the duct tape shackles he was weaving around David’s wrists, rendering the man helpless. He straightened his back and stood to his full height, taking in the scene in front of him.
“And why not? There’s nothing a boy like you could do anyway.” Chase spoke in a drawl, dragging out his words longer than was necessary. Sam swallowed hard, the words he wanted to speak becoming fully entrapped in his mind.
“Drop the weapon, Chase. There’s an easy out standing right in front of you. He’s done nothing to you, there’s no rhyme or reason for the way you’re acting. You left on your own, you brought this upon yourself now… drop the weapon.” Reid’s voice was soft and level, knowing just how to speak to someone on the edge.
Chase turned his attention to the gun he held in his left hand and slowly lifted it, pressing the barrel to David’s temple. Sam swallowed hard as he watched the scene in front of him unfold, scooting his feet shoulder width apart he steadied his hand and took aim for Chases shoulder.
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t empty this barrel into his head. He forced me to resign, took my job from me. My lively hood! Doesn’t matter what I did to provoke it. He ruined my life.”
With a slight nod of Reids head both Sam and Morgan discharged a bullet from the barrels of their guns, lodging them both into Chases shoulder and caused the man to drop his gun. Sam was quick to place his gun back in the holster and stepped forward, slipping his handcuffs off of his back belt loop.
“Chase Saunders you are under arrest for the murder of Asher Max, Mariah Lambert and Colby Rodriguez. You’re going to have a lot of time to think about what you’ve done where you’re going.” Sam rambled off, placing the cuffs securely around Chases wrists and pulled the man to his feet. Stepping forward Morgan slipped his hand around Chases arm and yanked, pulling him in step with him.
A shaky breath slipped past Sam’s lips and he looked up, meeting Spencer’s gaze. Nodding his head in the direction of the door, Spencer turned on his heel and slowly made his way out of the office.
“He needs medics, but we got him. Sam got him.” Morgan beamed, handing Chase off to the EMT who was waiting for them outside of the museum. Hotch turned his attention to the main door of the museum and watched as Sam slowly dragged himself over to where everyone stood.
“Looks like our work here is done, good job son. You alright?” Hotch spoke, placing a reassuring hand on Sam’s shoulder. Sam nodded gently and turned his attention to the older man at his side. With a reassuring squeeze and a tilt of his head, Hotch motioned for everyone to head back to the cars knowing that their presence would soon be needed at the police station before they could head back to Quantico headquarters.
a/n~ I’ve missed my babies something fierce! Here’s a little glimpse into their Easter festivities!
“Have you ever made someone an Easter basket?” Sam asked, laying upside down on Danny’s bed with his head hanging off the edge.
Danny quirked a brow, finishing the scribbling of words on the page in front of him before turning his attention to Sam; a questioning look kissing his facial features. Danny thought for a moment, back to the year that his sister turned fourteen and their mother broke her heart by declaring she was officially too old for an Easter basket.
“Yeah, once or twice when my sister was younger and mom thought she was too old for a little bit of Easter joy. Why, what’s up?”
Sam rolled over and righted himself, pushing up off of the floor with his long arms and caught himself on the edge of the bed to push up into a seated position. A soft smile spread across his face as he thought of the conversation he had with Sophia earlier that day.
Sam’s eyes held a light of childlike wonder as he spoke about the conversation he had with Sophia, recounting just how her mom would make her an Easter basket every year, the contents of it changing with her age and how it always contained the same colored peeps - even though she didn’t like peeps and knew they were her moms favorite. Danny nodded along as he listened to Sam drone on about the things she’d put in the basket for her and how her mom would sift through bags of jelly belly’s for her favorite flavors.
“I’ve noticed she eyes that Peter Cottontail hollow bunny our moms used to get us when we were little. I wonder if that’s the same one her mom got her.” Danny nodded and thought for a second before pushing his office chair out from under his desk and rose to his feet. Crossing the room he snatched his keys off of the dresser and stuffed his feet into his tennis shoes before nodding towards the door.
“Well? Are you coming with me or am I in charge of making her basket?” Excitement filled Sam’s features as he scrambled off of the bed and followed Danny out of the room.
~*~*~
Sam perused the aisles of the local Walgreens, having high hopes to find everything he would need in one place. His eyes landed on a hairbrush she had been gushing over wanting to try and he plucked it off of the hook before turning to Danny.
“Do you think a brush is a weird thing to put in here?” Sam asked, holding up the basket he had chosen from the selection the store had to offer. Danny shook his head, plucking a pack of the hair ties he knew she used and they always stole from her off of the hook he was standing in front of.
“Not really, it’s something she’ll get use out of and let’s face it, you’ve all but stolen her paddle brush.” Danny chuckled, tossing the pack of hair ties into the basket.
“What about this?” Danny asked, holding up a pastel pink flower shaped claw clip. A soft smile spread across Sam’s lips as he took the clip out of Danny’s hand and slowly tucked it into the basket.
“That’s perfect! I may have sat on her last one and destroyed it last night. She never learns to not leave them lying around.” He chuckled.
Sam made quick work of collecting some of her favorite things and tossed them into the basket to make sure it would all fit snugly and securely. Turning his head he made eye contact with Danny before nodding towards the front of the store and making a beeline to the registers to pay for everything he had found.
Later that night, he snuck out of bed, leaving Sophia curled up around his pillow and made his way to the hall closet where he had stashed his purchases. He made quick work of piecing together her Easter basket with all of the goodies he had found and placed it on the kitchen table. Scooping the shopping bag up off of the counter he slowly made his way into the living room and perched himself on the couch, the next task at hand to sort her favorite jelly beans out from the rest.
“Sam… what are you doing?” The sound of Danny’s voice cause Sam to jump and scatter the jelly beans he had cupped in his hand across the living room floor. He shot a glare over his shoulder, huffing a tried and frustrated sigh through his nose before lifting the bag and emptying more into the palm of his hand.
“I’m taking out all the popcorn and bubblegum flavored jelly beans and putting them into one of your honey jars. It’s something her mom used to do and I know it’s special to her.” Sam grumbled, tossing a few jelly beans into the jar before dumping the rest of the handful into a separate jar. Danny nodded his head and slowly made his way into the living room, placing a small basket packed tightly with skin care products down on the table.
“I couldn’t help myself. So I snuck a few things she’s been eyeing during shopping trips over the last few weeks. She was none the wiser.” Sam smiled at Danny and reached up to clap a hand on his shoulder.
“You spoiled her too? She’s not even expecting one basket and she’s getting two? Her reaction is going to be priceless. Now get the hell outta here, stop distracting me.” Sam chuckled, shooing Danny off in the direction of the kitchen.
~*~*~
Sophia awoke the next morning pinned under the weight of Sam’s body. Turning her head to the side, she pressed soft kisses to the tip of his nose and the curve of his mustache hoping to wake him gently. He stirred slightly, throwing his leg over hers and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.
“Just five more minutes and we’ll go make pancakes.” He mumbled, wrapping his arm around her midsection and pulled her closer to him. She reveled in the feeling of his body against hers and let her eyes flutter shut as his breathing began to even out once more.
“It’s Easter, baby. Don’t you wanna get up and enjoy the day? We wouldn’t want to sleep half of it away - we have to cook dinner for your brothers!” She giggled, wiggling her way out of his grasp and pushed herself out of the bed.
“And besides - the Easter bunny left you boys a treat! Don’t you wanna see what he left you?” She giggled, pure excitement coursing through her body as she pulled the two small baskets out of her closet. Sam pushed himself into a seated position and stretched his arms high above his head, making sure to keep his eyes closed as she placed the basket on the bed in front of him.
“I think he did pretty good if I do say so myself.” She giggled, perching herself on the edge of the bed. Sam peeked an eye open and smiled at her all while reaching out and pulling the basket closer to him.
“Now what did this Bunny think I’d like, hmm?” Sam joked as he began to sift through the basket.
He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he picked up a small container of guitar picks and placed them to the side. Amongst the items were his favorite body wash, a cologne he had been talking about wanting to try, a gift certificate to their favorite sushi restaurant and a new toothbrush.
“The Easter bunny really decided to replace the toothbrush you dropped in the toilet?!” He joked, placing it to the side in favor of the plastic eggs filled with loose candy he began to munch on.
“I think he decided you needed one with all the Skittles you’re about to eat.” She giggled, reaching over to steal an orange one out of the egg he was holding.
“Thank you baby, that was sweet.” He cooed. Sophia couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face but kept her eyes downcast - not wanting the disappointment she knew played in them to be seen.
“Dan the man can get his when he wakes up. I don’t know about you but I am not waking the beast this early on a Sunday morning.” She giggled, pushing herself to stand and scooped the other basket off of the bed as she made her way out of the bedroom.
Sam was hot on her heels and quickly pushed past her, placing both hands on the hallway walls. Sophia’s bottom lip pushed out in a pout and she crossed her arms over her chest. Sam smiled sleepily at her and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips, a distraction while Danny snuck past them and placed her baskets on the kitchen table.
“What was that for?” She giggled and pulled a deep breath in through her nose. Sam turned and looked over his shoulder briefly, exchanging a quick nod with Danny before wrapping his arms gently around Sophia and turned them both around.
“Daniel was indecent, I don’t think you want to see that, sorry.” He chuckled, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead as he walked her backwards into the kitchen. She couldn’t help the boisterous laugh that slipped past her lips at the thought of Danny streaking across the kitchen.
“How are you going to be indecent in my kitchen, Danny boy?” She called, her voice muffled by the way she was wrapped up in Sam’s arms. The smell of chocolate chip pancakes invaded her senses as they entered the kitchen. Sam’s gaze found Danny’s and they exchanged a silent conversation all while Sophia remained tucked into Sam’s chest.
“The Easter bunny forgot where your room was, Danny. He left your stuff with us.” She giggled, tipping her head back just enough to breathe in the air around her and held the basket out in his direction.
“How dare he not know where to find me! Can you just put it on the table for now, please? I’ll check it out as soon as breakfast is done.” Danny called.
Sam unraveled himself from Sophia and took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest as she spun on her heel and her eyes landed on the kitchen table. She reached up and placed Danny’s basket next to the two that were already sitting there and cocked her head to the side.
“I think the Easter bunny only knew the vicinity you were in.” Sam said. Stepping forward he wrapped his arms around her midsection and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. Sophia took a couple of deep, steadying breaths and leaned back against Sam, reaching up to rest her hands on his arms.
“Baby I…guys you… you didn’t have to.” Her voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. The memory of the conversation she had with Sam earlier that month coming to the forefront of her mind.
“But we wanted to.” Danny chuckled, swooping past her, he ruffled her messy hair as he placed a plate of pancakes in the middle of the table. Pulling a deep breath in through her nose, she huffed it out and turned her head in Danny’s direction, shooting him a look with furrowed brows.
“Don’t give me that look. This was all Sam’s idea.” Danny chuckled, turning his attention to the basket Sophia had presented for him.
She stepped forward and pulled the bigger of the two baskets in front of her, carefully pulling the card that was tucked safely in the front of it out. Sam reached forward and placed a hand over hers, guiding her to place the card on the table.
“That’ll still be there later.” He chuckled, waiting impatiently for her to sift through the goodies in the basket.
She couldn’t help the giggle that slipped past her lips as she pulled the small plush chick out and hugged it to her chest - one of the many Easter traditions her mother carried on right up until the end. A hair brush, hair ties, claw clips and her favorite cheap perfume all sat to one side of the basket. It was then that her eyes traveled to the other side and she spotted the jar of popcorn and bubblegum flavored jelly beans, clearly hand picked going by the big mason jar of other flavors sitting on the counter.
“You picked them out like she used to…” her voice was soft as memories flooded her mind of Easter’s past and just how excited her mom would be to watch her pick apart the baskets she so lovingly put together.
Sam placed soft kisses to her cheek and gave her a reassuring squeeze as she dug to the bottom of the basket. Plucking the last item up her arm froze and she could no longer fight the tears that sprung to her eyes. In her hand was a three pack of blue bunny peeps - her moms favorite ones.
“How did you?” Her voice cracked as tears began to slip down her cheeks. Sam pulled back and spun her in his grasp, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a tight bear hug.
“I know you won’t eat them, but I know how much this meant to the both of you. I couldn’t put together a basket and not include a hug especially from her.” He mumbled, keeping his voice low so the moment remained between the two of them.
“She’d sneak them in every year, at the bottom of the basket knowing I’d make a face and give them to her. It was our thing.” She sniffled hard trying to compose herself before turning back to the task at hand. Sam placed a kiss to the crown of her head and smoothed his hand up and down her back, essentially calming her down.
“You told me all about it a few weeks ago, don’t you remember? When you told me that numb nuts told you Easter baskets were childish? I might have my stupid moments but I listen to every word you say. I love you.” Sam chuckled, pulling back to cup her cheeks in his hand and wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Happy Easter.” Sam kept his voice light and leaned forward to capture her lips with his in a soft and sweet kiss. Sophia pulled a deep breath in through her nose and held it to the count of ten before releasing it and turning back to the table.
“Daniel - you too?! How did I ever get so lucky to find both of you?” She giggled, slowly sifting through the small basket Danny had stuffed full of the skin care she had been gushing about to him over the last few weeks.
“That’s what happens when you fall in love with a package deal, you get him and me no questions asked.” Danny chuckled, ruffling her hair once more as he made his way out of the kitchen.
Sam watched as Sophia picked up the mason jar full of jelly beans and twisted it in her hands, a soft smile playing across her face as she opened the jar and picked a few popcorn flavored ones out. Cupping they in her hand she quickly popped them into her mouth before turning and offering Sam the jar.
“You gotta eat four bubblegum ones now - it’s tradition.” Tears welled in her eyes as her voice cracked once more, many more memories flooding her mind. Sam did as he was told, picking four pink jelly beans out of the jar and popped them into his mouth.
“Thank you… you guys didn’t have to do all this.” She mumbled, screwing the lid back onto the jar and tucked it safely back into the basket. A soft smile spread across Sam’s cheeks as he took a step forward and wrapped her in his arms, holding her close to his chest.
“There was no obligation in what we did. We do these things because we want to… okay? I love you, Daniel loves you, Sabrina loves you. Everyone loves you. I know holidays aren’t the easiest, but I want to make them as easy and fun as possible.”
Sophia took another deep breath and steadied herself as she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly to her. She nuzzled her face into the soft fabric of his t-shirt and began to sway their bodies gently. Sam breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she was okay with the little thing he does for her, not wanting to overstep a boundary. He pressed soft kisses against the crown of her head as she relaxed in his grip.
“Happy Easter, baby.” She mumbled, causing a smile to tug at the corners of his lips and he hugged her a bit tighter, letting her know she was safe with him.
a/n~ Just a short little something something Miss. Fia has gotten up to.
As much as Sam loved attention, he didn’t enjoy bringing attention to his birthday. There was something somewhat melancholy about turning another year older, leaving yet another year of his youth behind.
Sophia had never pried, knowing how he felt where his birthday was concerned. But Danny had let it slip one night that Sam’s birthday was coming up and she took the information and ran with it. She made quick work of crocheting him a new cardigan, the red and black yarn she had recently purchased just screaming his name.
She tucked it away safely in her side of his closet, making sure it was perfectly wrapped in red wrapping paper and the birthday card she so lovingly made for him taped on top. Sophia was nervous to acknowledge his birthday - remembering only one time he had mentioned that he was an April baby.
Awaking early the morning of she slipped carefully out of bed and made her way to the kitchen to whip up some of his favorite breakfast foods. Sophia plated up his breakfast and placed the plate on the small tray they used for movie nights in bed, gingerly picking it up off of the table and made her way back into the bedroom.
She placed the tray on the dresser and made her way to the closet, pulling the wrapped cardigan out of its hiding spot and tossed it onto the bed next to Sam’s sleeping form. A soft smile caressed her lips as Sam stirred in his sleep and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow.
“Hey baby.” Sophia cooed, perching herself on the edge of the bed. She reached out and brushed the hair that was covering Sam’s face to the side, revealing his sleep puffed face and warmed skin. Sam crinkled his nose but tilted his head into her touch, chasing the feel of her cool hand against his warm face.
“I made you some breakfast, you should probably get up while it’s still hot.” Sophia kept her voice light, trying not to startle him away. She danced her fingers softly over apple of his cheek and a soft smile spread across her face as the corners of his lips twitched up into a smile.
“Pancakes?” He mumbled, his brows lifting in an excited manner. Sophia took a deep breath, calming nerves she wasn’t sure why she was battling and nodded her head.
“And your icky mushrooms and a fruit smoothie just for the birthday boy.” The last two words slipped past her lips on a whisper and she gauged his reaction as his smile grew wider and he peeked open an eye.
“You remembered?” He mumbled. Sam rolled over and reached up, wrapping his arms around Sophia’s midsection and tugged on her to lay next to him. She allowed him to pull her down and snuggled close to him, pressing her nose into the dip of his collarbone.
“Of course I remembered, how could I forget the big twenty five?!” She giggled, slowly beginning to press twenty five soft kisses to his bare chest. Sam let his eyes flutter shut and sighed softly.
“I don’t remember telling you about my birthday…” he trailed off, wracking his brain for any time they had spoken about birthdays. She giggled softly and pulled back from where she had previously been latched onto, admiring the light purple mark that now kissed his skin.
“Danny let it slip. I just wanted to make you feel special is all.” she cooed, pushing herself up into a seated position. Reaching over she pulled the wrapped cardigan over and laid it on his chest. He shifted his gaze from the package to her eyes and back again, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
“What’s this?” He asked, holding the package above his head before he pushed himself up into a seated position. Sophia shrugged her shoulders and began to fiddle with her hands - a tell that she was nervous.
“It’s just… a thing.” She smiled sheepishly at him as he plucked the card off of the front and opened the envelope, pulling the hand drawn card out. He glanced at her quickly before opening the card and read the words she had written in it. A wide grin spread across Sam’s face and he leaned over to press a series of soft kisses against her cheek.
Picking up the poorly wrapped package he shook it next to his ear and earned him a giggle from Sophia. She nodded towards the package in his hand, a soft and silent encouragement to open it. He tore the paper back slowly to reveal the crocheted cardigan and his eyes lit up as realization washed over him.
“Did you make this?” Excitement flooded his tone as he held the cardigan up in front of him so he could see it better. Sophia nodded sheepishly and leaned against him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.
“Your green one has seen its better days between you and Danny wearing it so… I thought what better than to make you a new one for your birthday.” Sam laid it out on the bed in front of him and admired the buttons she had chosen to use.
“Those are so cool, sweetness. Thank you.” He cooed, turning his head to press a soft kiss to her lips. She breathed a sigh of relief and let her body rest fully against his.
“So you’re not mad?” Her voice was just above a whisper. Sam cocked his head to the side and reached out to cup her cheek in his hand.
“Mad? You made me another comfy cardigan, why would I be mad?” He asked, running his thumb over the apple of her cheek. She pulled a deep breath in through her nose and steadied herself before speaking.
“You don’t like your birthday and I still did something for you without really thinking. I didn’t mean to be selfish.” Sam couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped past his lips and he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
“You are far from selfish. I’ll never be mad at you for doing something with good intentions. Thank you for the cardigan. And you said food right? We should probably go eat before Daniel devours it all.” Sophia couldn’t help the giggles that escaped her as she nodded towards the dresser.
“I have ours right there so he wouldn’t eat it all on us.” She said, getting up and picking the tray up gently. Turning on her heel she placed it on the bed over his lap and sat back next to him, making herself comfortable.
“Pancakes, portobello mushrooms and a fruit smoothie with all your greens.” She said, scrunching her nose at the mushrooms.
“Breakfast of champs.” Sam chuckled, picking up a mushroom and began munching on it. Sophia took a deep breath before turning her attention to the food and began to eat, watching as Sam devoured what was sat in front of him. Leaning over she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, causing a blush to bloom across the apples of his cheeks.
“Happy Birthday, baby.” She whispered, watching as a soft smile spread across his face and a comfortable silence fell over them as they ate. A soft sight escaped Sophia as she fought the thoughts in her head, silently reminding herself that her loved her and she was safe with him.
kait i saw doing their makeup for them on the prompt list and you already know i thought about our sweet sammy
Beth my beautiful beloved, you KNOW I am all about this with Sammy lala!
You weren’t sure how long you were staring at your phone, sitting at your makeshift vanity in the living room. Your mirror was sat atop a few books on the coffee table, the contents of your makeup case spread all around you and on the table. A fine tipped brush was in your hand, awaiting use as you watched the makeup influencer on tiktok demonstrate how they did the graphic liner you were so hoping to perfectly copy.
"Hey baby, what are you doin'?" you barely glanced up at Sam as he entered the room, your hand now poised by your eyelid, beginning to draw the image you saw on your phone.
"Just trying out this new makeup trend, it looks cute." you replied slowly, as if saying the words too fast would break your concentration. It was no use anyway, your hand was a little too shaky for the ultra smooth line you wanted to recreate. "Shit,"
Sam came over, leaning over to see what you were trying to do.
"That looks really cool," he smiled. "That would be nice for my stage makeup." you pulled the liner brush away from your face and glanced up at Sam, before back at the influencer on your screen.
"It really would." you agreed. "Do you want me to try it out on you?" Sam looked down at you with a small, blushing smile.
"Really?"
"Yeah," you nodded, patting the floor next to you. "I can't promise it'll look good," you pointed to your own squiggly line. "but we can get the idea." Sam moved to your other side, sitting down and pulling his hair back and out of his face, securing it in a low bun at the nape of his neck.
You dipped your brush back into the gel liner pot you were working with and tapped the pause button on the video, watching it again to really get the technique down. Taking Sam's chin in your hand gently, you tilted his face up slightly bringing the tip of the brush to his eyelid.
Once again, your hand just wasn't steady enough, and your line ended up squiggly.
"Dammit," you huffed, taking a makeup wipe from the package on the table and gently swiping the line away. "I know practice makes perfect but I cannot get these lines nice."
"I can show you a trick I saw on tour," Sam offered. "Jenn did it when she did my makeup, and it seemed to help."
"Sure, why not." you felt defeated, waiting for him to tell you the trick. Instead, he slid the brush from your hand, and the makeup wipe, taking the uneven line from your eyelid and waving his hand to dry it quickly.
"Okay, so she would take my face like you did," Sam reached out his free hand, gently cupping your chin and turning your face slightly. "And then she would put her pinky on my face like this," the pad of Sam's pinky finger rested gently on your temple. "then she would just," the brush in Sam's hand glided over your eyelid smoothly. Sam adjusted his hand and flicked out the end. He let go of your face and picked up your mirror. His line was so even and smooth, you were amazed.
"Sam, that's really good!" Sam shrugged at the compliment.
"You use your pinky as an anchor and it helps steady your hand. Try on me." he handed you back the brush and closed his eyes, presenting his face to you like a canvas. You gathered more color on your brush, and took his chin in your hand again. This time, you followed his example, using your pinky as an anchor against his temple, and slowly dragged the brush across his eyelid. This time, the line was near perfect, you almost ruined it in your excitement. You moved to do his other eye, and that one was a little more difficult but still turned out well.
"Can I finish the look on you?" you asked him softly. Sam hummed a yes, and you cleaned off your brush, going for the other color in the look, and using the tip he shared again, this time following the curve of his eye socket. It wasn't as nice as the first line, but it was better than anything you'd done before.
Sam was patient as ever with you, encouraging you as you had to clean up the lines here and there, or the colors weren't working the way you hoped. Even though you were focused, you couldn’t help but relish being this close to Sam. Yes you were partners and close in more than enough ways, but there was such a softness of being able to look at him so up close for the first time in an long time. Some freckles had popped up on his nose and cheeks from days on the river near your home, and being out in the garden with Rose. It was easy to lose yourself in Sam’s beauty, discovering new things you may have taken for granted in day to day living with him.
"Do you want to add a few rhinestones?' Sam asked, opening his eyes slightly.
"Sure, why not," you reached over and grabbed your little case of stones. You didn't use them much yourself, but kept them around for fun every so often. You picked out coordinating colors to the eyeliner, and began to wing a design along his under eye and cheeks. You had found thin, longer gems, and were able to make a few patterns that looked like starbursts around his eyes, making them look like they were sparkling more than they already did.
“Okay, tell me what you think,” you picked up your mirror and turned it around, showing Sam your work. He moved his head around, catching glints of sunlight in the rhinestones.
“Baby I love this,” Sam looked at you over the mirror and grinned. “Imagine this with my suit,” Sam reached back, tugging his hair from the bun and shook it out, letting it fall over his shoulders again. He tossed you a sultry look that he would do on stage, making you laugh.
“I think it would be amazing with your suit and harness.” you agreed softly. Sam pulled the mirror from your hands and scooted forward, picking up the fine tipped brush and cleaning it off before going back to the original gel liner pot. “What are you doing?”
“I want us to match,” Sam replied simply. He took his time, making sure the lines were as precise as he could get them. You held in a giggle at his concentration, his tongue gently poking out from between lips. He was gentle with his movements, ever the artist’s hands, he knew just how to apply pressure where it was needed for bolder looks. He smiled to himself when he moved onto the rhinestones, still doing starbursts like his but placing them differently. “There, want to see?”
As you nodded, Sam handed you the mirror, and you smiled when you saw your reflection. Sam had done more than just the identical graphic liner. He’d managed to place a few hearts around your lids in the design, accompanying them with the rhinestones.
“Bursting with love,” Sam murmured as he gazed at you taking in your appearance. “Just like you.”
“Sam,” you dropped the mirror, closing the small space between you two and pressing your lips to his. “I love it. I love you. Thank you.”
“I love you too,” Sam murmured into the kiss. “Now, let’s go find some fancy clothes to match and have a night on the town in our new look, what do you say?”
some people are so unnecessarily mean and rude to sam for literally no reason. AND sam lane too. if any of us said half the things people say about sam, it would be the end of the world. sam makes us happy, just like josh, jake, and danny make you happy. but when we speak up when people shit talk him, we're "annoying" and "overdramatic." it's honestly so frustrating seeing people talk shit about and look down on the person that brings you comfort. sam is a valuable asset to the band and so many people pay him dust. he has an instagram for his dog, his favorite place is his garden, he's so passionate about music and loves art, and this is the person that you have "one-sided beef" with? i don't care if i get called annoying or overdramatic for this, i'm just simply so tired of seeing people talk like this about someone who brings me and so many other people joy.
