It starts when they're younger, twelve or thirteen maybe, and it's no big deal.

Derek, still awkward and growing and unsure, presses his lips experimentally to Sam's when he knows the rest of the house is asleep. They had been up all night talking and the sun was just begining to peek over the horizon through the treeline when Sam fists his hands through Derek's hair- like he had seen in the movies.

Later, when they trudge half-asleep to the kitchen for a late breakfast Derek steals Friut Loops from Sam's bowl and Sam punches him affectionately in the arm.

That night, Derek sleeps at Sam's house. They kiss again.

It's still not a big deal as they get older. It really isn't. Sometimes they have dates, with girls, but on Saturday nights when there's nothing going on they find themselves in each other's beds; touching, kissing, whispering.

They have girlfriends sometimes, too. It's never really stopped them.

And really, it doesn't change much of anything. It even brings them closer as friends, as just friends.

And sometimes they sit too close, and sometimes their touches linger but no one says anything, so it's probably okay.

Well, it's okay until Derek sees Sam talking to a girl in the hallway. He sees that all the time, Sam is nearly as big a success with the ladies as Derek himself. But that day Sam looked good and Derek had caught a whiff of him earlier and he smelled amazing.

But it freaks Derek out. The girl has gigantic boobs and her hair is obviously dyed and she'd probably put out if Sam just smiled at her and Derek fumes. Sam touches her arm and Derek clenches his fists, but then unclenches them because, what the hell is he doing? Sam can talk to whoever he damn well wants.

He just kind of looks away and goes about his day totally not avoiding Sam, that's completely ridiculous, and ignoring the jealous feeling brewing deep in his gut.

He's coming up on his third day of expertly avoiding Sam when Sam walks into his house and stands right in front of the cartoon on TV and says, "You've been avoiding me for three days."

"You know me entirely too well," Derek says, followed by a mumbled, "Sorry,"

"No biggie," Sam states. He smiles crookedly at Derek, "Want some snacks? The game's on in a few." and Derek really can't argue with that.

And, for the record, Derek isn't gay. He likes girls because they smell like flowers and vanilla and they're soft and sweet and giggle.

But he just likes Sam, too. It's a Sam-specific thing, if you will. Because Sam is so awesome, probably. Because he completely understands Derek, even when the rest of the world fails to. Because he's always there, being Derek's rock.

It never really went beyond a physical thing, though. Derek only ever longed for Sam's body to be pressed up to his, only longed for sex and make out sessions and things of that nature, but when he finds himself ignoring science class one day to wonder what if would be like to cuddle with Sam and watch dumb romantic movies with him and hold his hand, Derek realizes he's officially fucked. He contemplates how much damage he would suffer if he threw himself out of the second-story window.

Not enough.

Sam has never been a stranger to Derek's dreams.

Sometimes he's there with him on he ice while Derek makes the winning shot. Sometimes they fuck. Sometimes, in nightmares, Sam dies or runs from monsters with him.

But this is in a league all its own.

They had been on a beach at sunset. It was entirely too cliche. But the golden sun was dancing off Sam's skin and he was smiling all big and beaming and he reached for Derek's hand and then Derek woke up.

His alarm clock cheerfully blinked letting him know it was 3:35.

He lets out a groan and goes back to sleep,

The next day he talks to Amber. Smiles at her, laughs. and leans in close to compliment her.

Amber is pretty and funny and smart and actually very cute and she's totally into Derek.

There's a warm inviting scent wafting off her. Vanilla, probably. She grins and asks Derek if he's busy this Saturday and he's about to say no when Sam's face just kinda pops into his brain. HE starts to say he's not busy again but his mouth can't even form the words.

"Are you okay?" Amber asks. She looks concerned.

Derek smiles at her as best he can, "Sorry. I think I'm coming down with a cold or something. Next weekend, though?" Amber doesn't look convinced but she agrees.

Later, Derek's pouting. Most people would call it scowling and walk on eggshells around him for fear of him snapping. But Sam calls it pouting because one) Derek would never snap on him and two) it's ridiculously adorable. He pushes his hair in his eyes and crosses his hands over his chest,\.

He's in the process of pouting when Sam plops himself down on Derek so they're bother sitting in Derek's chair.

Derek glares.

Sam smacks a kiss on his forehead with a huge grin. Warmth spreads all over Derek's body.

It's at that exact moment he realizes he's not just desperately school-girl crushing on Sam, but totally in-fucking-love with him.

Shit.

That Friday when it's very late, Derek and Sam are watching TV.

Sam's slumped against the back of the couch and Derek has his head on Sam's stomach. They landed that way after and ill-fated wrestling match for the remote.

Sam's playing with Derek's hair and watching some old, dumb movie. Derek's nearly asleep and a little out of it when he murmurs, "That girl you're going out with tomorrow, with the huge boobs?"

"Tiffany," Sam supplies.

"Yeah, I heard she has herpes." Derek yawns. "You probably shouldn't go out with her."

Sam regards him in a nearly amused fashion, "Then what do you suggest I do on my Saturday night?"

"Spend it with me, I'll fuck you and it won't burn when you pee." He buries his face into Sam's belly.

"Cancel my date with a pretty girl to hang out with you?"

Derek nods a little as sleep takes him over.

Sam leaves the Venturi-MacDonald house to get ready at about five.

Derek yells at Edwin and tells Casey her hair looks stupid and throws some stuff around his room. He's watching the stars fly by on his screensaver when he hears someone walk in his room. "Get out," he says rather angrily.

"Is that any way to treat the guy who ditched his date just for you?"

"Sam-" The blonde is standing in his doorway looking spruced up and bemused. He's got his arms cossed over his chest and he's leaning on the oak frame. He's trying to look cute, Derek knows this pose of his.

He stands but Sam just crosses the room and pulls Derek close to him and crashes their lips together. It's kinda dumb but really perfect and all to soon Sam is pulling away and just fucking walking out of his room and leaving Derek panting, bewildered, and alone.

On Sunday, Derek has no new texts from Sam. No new e-mails from Sam. Sam doesn't call him. Sam doesn't come over. Sam even avoids Casey.

It's a little worse on Monday because they have quite a few classes together. Sam would pointedly not talk to Derek and never, ever look him in the eye and he acted like there was an invisible force feild around Derek, keeping him at a distance of at least five feet.

"This is ridiculous," Derek says on the walk home from the bus stop,

"I, uh, have to go. And feed my cat."

Sam's cat died three years ago,

Sam's house is always quiet because his parents work all the time. They never really put up personal pictures or did anything to make their house a home. That's probably why Sam spends so much time at the MacDonald-Venturi zoo, despite the pandemonium.

When Derek shows up there on Friday after a near week of silence, Sam opens the door. He just studies Derek for a long time, plotting his next move.

He leans forward and kisses Derek kinda hard and then he apologizes and closes the door and really, Sam's kind of a huge dumbass.

Sam approaches him in the hallway the next day. The shirt he's wearing is old and thin and Derek doesn't even register what Sam's saying for a second. But when Derek gets back in touch with reality he hears, "I don't think we should be friends."

"Wait, what?"

"I can't really handle being your friend. It's just-" And Sam is still talking but Derek's studying his body language. He's so easy to read it's ridiculous.

"Would you rather be my boyfriend, then?" He interrupts.

Sam stops dead mid-sentence. The bell rings and the crowds clear out. All but a few stragglers are left and they're too interested in their own business to listen in."

"I thought you-" Sam sputters, "You never said... I've liked you forever and-" Derek just kinda takes that as in invitation and pulls Sam closer to him. He presses his body into Sam's and leans them into the lockers. They kiss, soft and slow and Derek savors it because it's their first kiss as boyfriends, (Derek's inner teenage girl squeals.)

Derek presses their foreheads together and Sam asks, "Is this when you walk me to class?"

Derek shakes his head, "Nope. This is when you skip the last two periods with me because my house is blissfully vacant until school lets out."

Derek grabs his hand and pulls him to the exit and Sam can't really argue with that.