OK, here's the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, alerted, read, anything! Thank you very much. I've had so much fun writing this and exploring the characters, and I hope you're all happy with the outcome.
Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.
It had taken a while, but eventually things had improved.
Once the storm had subsided that night, Freddie and Sam had returned to Carly's apartment, although Sam was still reluctant. Carly, who had been anxious at losing both Sam and Freddie in the storm, was pacing around the room, her eyes wild with unwanted scenarios. As soon as her friends had walked through the door, she had sprinted towards them and enveloped them into her arms. When she had released them, she noticed they were both shivering.
She ushered them into the dry apartment, and had grabbed some towels from the cupboard upstairs. No-one spoke; the room was already full with emotions and unspoken words.
Freddie had left to go home after about half an hour. He thanked Carly for the towels and the hot chocolate, and had turned to the blonde and pressed his lips against hers. It was quick, and Sam herself was taken aback.
Carly waited for the pain to arrive; the never-ending jealously that she was sure she would feel if her best friends ever got together.
It never came.
Her and Sam had talked everything out that night. It was the first time they'd talked, properly, in a year. They'd both apologised for letting a guy come between them, even when they'd promised to tell each other everything. Sam had been unsure of Carly's reaction to her and Freddie, but she gave them her blessing; truly meaning it.
"That boy is in love with you," She'd declared, and Sam couldn't disagree.
In the morning, the blonde had left to get ready at her own house, and Carly was left alone. She exhaled a breath, a smile working its way to her expression. It had taken them a while, but finally, things could get back to the way they were.
Six months on
"Hey, I was watching that!" Freddie protested, his eyebrows drawing together in annoyance.
"So? I wasn't!" Sam countered, idly rotating the remote in her hand as the channels flashed before their eyes.
Freddie turned to their friend. "Carly!" He whined, "Tell her I was watching that!"
"Hey, she's your girlfriend!" The brunette responded; deciding not to get involved. It was a Saturday night, and the three of them were lazing about in the Shay apartment as usual. Freddie moaned, taking a swipe at Sam's hand. He'd forgotten she had sharp reflexes, and he ended up with a slap in the face. Sinking back into the couch cushions, he rubbed his cheek and pouted.
"Listen, no-one wants to watch a documentary about worms or whatever," Sam muttered, sticking her hand into the bowl of popcorn.
"It wasn't about worms. It was about the mammal reproduction process, where-"
"Eww," Sam grimaced, "Why could you be watching that? You perv."
Freddie blushed; groaning inwardly at how feminine he was. "No! It's for my biology assignment. It's nothing like that."
Sam smirked, looking over at Carly and hitching an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I believe you, Freddo. Have you got some weird obsession with the mating habits of different mammals that I should know about?"
"It's. For. Biology." He responded stiffly, his jaw set. He knew getting upset would only feed Sam's incentive to wind him up.
"You know, I'm open to any suggestions," Sam offered, "Would you like me to make whale noises when we next make-out?"
"You already do."
Carly slapped a hand to her forehead as soon as these words tumbled from Freddie's mouth. The sharp sound of this made Freddie flinch; afraid that Sam would pounce any second. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to say to your girlfriend. He was still on a learning process with Sam. With Carly, things had been easier, like it was in the movies. But with Sam, it was all new. He had to tread carefully, knowing she could blow any second.
Instead of attacking him, her eyebrows shot up, impressed.
"Hmmm. Who knew Benson had a backbone?" She tossed the remote his way, settling back into the couch. "C'mon then. Lets see some gorillas get it on."
Carly pulled a face. "Sam! There's no need to put it like that!"
"Seriously, Carls. At seventeen, you'd think you'd stop being so prissy!" The blonde remarked, but not unkindly.
"You'd think," Carly shrugged, shoving some popcorn in her mouth as Freddie found the right channel. He draped an arm around the back of the couch, a not-so-subtle way of putting it around Sam. She eyed him as she felt his hand curl around her shoulder, but she didn't pull away. In-fact, as the program went on, she found her eyelids drooping. She fell asleep against his arm, her light snores interrupting the animals on the screen every so often.
Freddie looked down on her. She looked so harmless when she was asleep.
"I never really said this..." Carly announced quietly, "But I'm really happy for you guys. Really."
"That means a lot, Carly," Freddie smiled, shifting his arm slightly. Sam's head was pretty heavy, and his arm was getting cramp. As he wiggled from beneath her, her head fell against his chest, leaving him pretty stuck. Carly giggled.
"Good luck getting out of that one."
Freddie's lip curved upwards. He didn't tell Carly, but he didn't mind. Holding Sam was still a new experience, one he'd dreamed about even when he had been with Carly. At the time, he'd dismissed these as teenage hormones, but looking back, he knew it had meant something. That was something Sam had taught him; everything in this world means something, whether it's a television program or an algebra equation or that girl you thought you hated but secretly found yourself falling for.
He concentrated on Sam's breathing; enjoying the way his body rose and fell in step with hers. He listened to her heart pulsate through the layers of clothing, the rhythm calling his name. He tucked a strand of blonde behind her ear and kissed the lobe softly.
Sam ruined the moment by letting out a large and very un-ladylike snore. Carly laughed, and after a moment, Freddie joined in.
Yeah, it wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn close.