Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Glee.
Warnings: I'm going to add a trigger warning for this, because it contains outright talk about what it is to have body issues which could be offputting to some readers, so I'll mention it beforehand so no one gets caught by surprise.

You're Beautiful, Rory

The shirt fit fine. It hugged the subtle curves of Rory's boyish frame. It was tight in all the right places, accentuated his smooth sides and flat stomach. However, when Rory appraised his outfit for school, he clicked his tongue in disapproval as he turned his back on the mirror. He couldn't stand to see his reflection any longer, disgusted by the skin that he could pinch between his fingers. Fat. Gross. Undesirable. It was all he could see in the mirror, but it was a lie created by his mind. As Sam constantly reassured, Rory was beautiful. Even if he didn't see it.

Rory cursed the fact that summer was fast approaching, taking away his excuse for constantly wearing Sam's hoodie. Even though it was already too warm to really justify wearing it, he slid his arms through the sleeves, zipping the front, and lifting a bit of the light green fabric to his nose. He inhaled deeply, a small smile spreading across his face. The jacket still smelled like Sam. Wrapped in his boyfriend's hoodie, he felt safe, warm, and best of all, he felt hidden.

"Rory!" Brittany called.

The Irish teen smiled and grabbed his messenger bag from his bed, making his way downstairs. He adjusted the hem of his jacket before turning the corner into the living room.

As Rory stepped into view, a beaming smile lit up the face of the blond boy waiting by the front door. He stepped forward and opened his arms. Rory ran right into them, smiling as he felt them wrap around his waist. Sam ducked his head into the crook of Rory's neck, pressing a kiss there, and pulled him into a proper hug.

He finally stepped back, sliding his hand down Rory's arm to lace their fingers together. "Ready to go, babe?"

Rory nodded and adjusted the bag on his shoulder. Sam smiled and shook his head lightly before reaching out, taking the bag, and slinging it over his own shoulder.

As the warning bell rang for first period, Sam quickly kissed Rory's cheek before disappearing to head to class with a parting, "Love you, Ror."

The brunet smiled and leaned back against the face of the locker to wait for Finn. It was their routine to walk to American History together.

Late, as usual, Finn came bounding to Rory's side, clapping a friendly hand on the younger boy's shoulder.
"Hello, Finn Hudson," Rory greeted, smiling.
"Hey, Rory. Ready to go?" Finn asked, squeezing Rory's shoulder lightly.

Rory nodded and adjusted the bag on his shoulder as he fell into step beside his friend.

They'd made it about halfway to class before they spotted Santana and Brittany walking out of the girl's bathroom.

Santana came to a stop in front of the boys, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Well, if it isn't Manboobs the clown and his pet Irish. You're just the giant I was looking for." She glanced pointedly at Finn as though she actually had been looking for him.

Finn sighed and attempted to sidestep the Cheerio only to be cut off with a smug smirk.

"Come on, Santana. We're going to be late for class," Rory whined. He grabbed Finn's arm and tried to push past the two girls. Santana locked her eyes on Rory and knocked his hand off the older boy's arm roughly.

"Why don't you go gorge yourself on some potatoes while I talk to Orca," Santana said rudely. Finn rolled his eyes at the nickname, clearly getting agitated.

"Go on, Rory. Tell Mr. Greene that I'm going to be late. Tell him I'm not feeling well or something," Finn said, patting Rory on the shoulder.

The younger boy nodded, distracted, and made his way toward class.

After getting lectured about being late, he took his seat. He fidgeted distractedly through the entire class though, thinking.

What had Santana meant by saying that Rory should go "gorge himself on potatoes"? He looked pointedly down at his stomach. Did it look as though he was overeating? Honestly, he tried to eat as little as possible, but maybe that wasn't enough. He poked a finger into his stomach, turning up his nose at the way the finger pressed into the softness. He wasn't toned like Sam. Or thin like Sam. He was apparently big enough that Santana thought he was overeating.

Rory put his head down into the cradle of his arms, acutely anxious of the way he looked. He was afraid that, if he looked up, he'd catch the eyes of his classmates on him, judging, appraising, mocking. He didn't look up when Finn dropped down into the desk behind him. He'd been unaware of the older boy's presence until he felt a pencil poke him in the middle of his back.

He slowly looked up, careful to avoid making unnecessary eye contact with any of his neighbors, and turned around to face Finn. The older boy's face was screwed up in concern, and he mouthed, "You okay?" Rory did his best to flash his friend a smile, feeling it fall just shy of genuine, and nodded. Finn didn't look completely convinced, but he nodded slightly in return, so Rory turned back around, resting his head against his hand and doodling idly on his notebook until the bell rang.

He shuffled out of the classroom, only vaguely aware that Finn was even speaking to him. He couldn't stop his eyes darting back and forth between people who could possibly be looking at him. He put his hands in the hoodie's front pockets and cast his eyes to his feet as he made his way to gym, another class he had with Finn.

Today, thankfully, Finn was too busy lifting weights with Puck to pay attention to the way Rory turned his iPod up just a bit too loud and ran on the treadmill with just a little too much determination. By the time Coach Bieste came in tell them to wrap up their workout so they'd have time to shower before class was over, Rory's legs burned from exertion and his lungs ached. He wasn't sure how far he'd run. He didn't care. It wouldn't be enough. Never enough.

He stepped off the treadmill and arms flew out to steady him before he hit the ground. His legs had been so shaky that they were fighting against supporting his body weight. He felt himself being led to a bench.

"Here, drink this," Puck insisted, offering Rory a bottle of Gatorade.

The Irish teen shook his head. There was far too much sodium in the drink. If he drank that, he'd have to work twice as hard tomorrow to burn it off. He was surprised by how shaky his voice sounded.

"C-Can I have some water, please," he asked politely. He heard retreating footsteps and some shuffling before a bottle of water was pushed into his hand. He had his eyes shut tightly to try and combat the fact that the room was spinning, but he thanked whoever handed him the drink.

Somebody whispered, "Maybe we should go get Sam. He doesn't look good." Puck, maybe? Mike?

Rory's eyes flew open. No. Sam couldn't know about this. Suddenly, the eyes on him had grown surprised. Oh, Rory thought. I must have said that out loud. Damn it! He decided to do some damage control. He swallowed and took a deep breath. "No, I'm fine, really. You don't need to get Sam. I'd actually appreciate it if he didn't find out about this. He worries too much as it is."

His friends exchanged apprehensive glances but all nodded. Rory sighed and thanked them quietly before getting up to go take a shower, legs still shaky, room still spinning slightly. He rushed to get into the handicapped shower, the only one with a single stall that he could pull a curtain over.

He'd been escorted to lunch that day. Finn kept a hand on Rory's shoulder all the way to the cafeteria, chattering the whole way about how Rory would feel better once he ate something. The younger boy listened in silence, nodding reassuringly even though he had absolutely no intention of eating anything. His stomach growled loudly in protest as he caught the smell of food wafting from the lunch room. He lifted the bottle of water to his lips, trying to trick his body into believing that the water would hold him over. He knew it wouldn't. It never did. He knew that, eventually, he'd have to eat something. It just wasn't going to happen today.

He took another swig of water.

-xXxXx-

Rory was pretty sure that he was about to pass out.

It had been almost two entire weeks since Santana's comment made him reevaluate his diet. He'd drank more water than he'd ever thought possible, but had eaten very little.

He stomach felt like it was eating itself. The pangs had been so bad the night before that he'd actually clutched his stomach and fought back tears. He rolled over in bed and saw Sam sleeping beside him. It was one of the rare nights they got to spend together. As he watched the blond, perfect even while sleeping, he knew that his efforts were going to be worth it. Sam deserved a boyfriend who looked as amazing as he did. And that wasn't Rory. Not yet. He slid closer to Sam and cuddled into his side, attempting to ignore the feeling of barbed wire twisting around his stomach.

When he woke, Sam was already awake. He had been watching Rory sleep against his chest, carding his fingers gently through the brunet's hair. The love was plain in Sam's eyes. Rory never had any doubts over whether or not his boyfriend loved him. He knew that Sam loved him with all he had. Rory had never loved anyone as much as he loved Sam.

At first, it was almost unsettling to feel that strongly about another person, but that feeling quickly faded, leaving a feeling of safety, security, and warmth in its wake. Sam was Rory's comfort. No matter how bad his day was, Sam could always make him feel better. He knew when Rory needed to talk about his problems and when it was best to just hold him in silence.

"Good morning, baby," Sam said quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of Rory's hair. "How'd you sleep?"

Rory stretched, met immediately by the sick twisting of his stomach that he tried to ignore. He schooled his face into a mask of reassurance, smiling softly. "I slept like a baby," Rory said, smiling. "I always sleep so much better when you're holding me."

It was true; he never slept better than he did when Sam was there. Something about being in his boyfriend's strong arms helped relax him, made him feel safe. Rory let his hand slide across Sam's clothed chest, trying to distract himself from the pain in his stomach.

Sam smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Rory's head. "Good," Sam said, his voice almost smug. "That's the point." He let his fingers slide through the brunet's hair.

Rory smiled before his face screwed up in discomfort. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his nausea to go away, but it wasn't working.

Sam's voice was abruptly concerned. "Babe, what's the matter?"

Rory wasn't able to answer before he had to throw his legs over the side of the bed and make a dash to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him before falling to his knees in front of the toilet. He felt his stomach twist, working unsuccessfully to expel its contents. The answer for that was simple. There were no contents; it was empty.

Clammy sweat beaded on his forehead and he felt his ribs contract in another futile attempt to be sick. He was dizzy and beginning to feel more and more lightheaded.

"Rory? What's wrong?" Sam's voice was almost frantic, growing more desperate when he heard the sound of retching on the other side of the door. "Baby, I'm coming in."

Sam spoke the words as he opened the door and darted across the bathroom to drop down beside Rory and slide a hand across his back. Rory leaned back to rest on his heels, scrubbing his hand across his face. Sam made a sympathetic sound and stood up, crossing over to the sink to fill a small cup with water before handing it to Rory.

He carded his fingers through his boyfriend's hair as he watched him gratefully drink down the water. He felt the coldness of the liquid as it hit bottom in his empty stomach.

The room was still spinning and Sam's voice sounded as though it was coming from underwater.

Yeah, Rory was pretty sure he was about to pass out.

In a daze, he stood up too quickly and stumbled.

Sam sprang to his feet and steadied him with a hand on each hip. "Whoa," he remarked in surprise. "C'mon, babe. Let's get you to bed."

Rory nodded woodenly. He felt guilty that Sam was taking care of him. None of this was Sam's fault. He never wanted to be an inconvenience; he just wanted to feel as though he deserved Sam, and, now more than ever, he felt like he didn't.

Sam leaned down and swept Rory off his feet, carrying him bridal-style back into his bedroom and setting him gently on the bed. He pulled the blankets up to cover Rory before sitting down on the edge of the bed and sliding his fingers through the brunet's hair. "Relax, okay? I'm going to go make you some toast. It'll help settle your stomach."

Sam bent down and pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's forehead before leaving the room. Rory groaned as he heard the clattering of dishes coming from the Pierces' kitchen. There was no way to get out of it; he was going to have to eat. Sam would be watching him way too closely for him to be able to pull any tricks the way he'd done at dinner the previous nights.

The night before, it had been himself, Brittany, and Sam at the table; Brittany had cooked "Lord Tubbington's favorite chicken recipe", and Sam had been distracted by listening to Brittany's explanation of how she knew that it was the cat's favorite, so Rory was able to sneak a little bit of the food into his napkin.

When he saw the cat saunter into the room, he'd taken the opportunity to shake the little bits of chicken out of his napkin. The cat quickly ate the food from under the table. Maybe it was his favorite after all.

Rory had repeated the process several times, only actually having to eat a miniscule portion of the food. After dinner, he'd made the excuse that he wanted to go take a walk to clear his head. Sam had offered to accompany him, but Rory kissed him on the lips and suggested that he stay and help Brittany clean up. The blond had looked confused, but he let Rory go.

The Irish boy had run around the block seven times before he let himself go home. As soon as he walked through the door he drank a glass of water and excused himself to the shower.

But, now that Sam had seen how he wakes up in the morning, (and the sickness was quickly becoming a morning ritual) there was no way that he'd let Rory out of bed to go for a "walk". His stomach growled desperately at the promise of food, but his mind felt sick at the inevitability that he'd actually have to eat something. He knew that eating meant consequences. He was glad that today was Sunday; he'd be able to go back to school tomorrow and use his gym period to work off the food.

He was exhausted, but he did his best to hide it. Sam had laughed at him a few days ago after he'd fallen asleep against his side on the ride home from school. He'd woke up in his own bed, curled into Sam's side but felt disoriented as to how he actually got there.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead," Sam had chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "Y'know, I wonder if I should start to get worried. I must be the most boring person alive, because every time we're together, you always end up asleep." His affectionate tone took all the bite out of the words. Rory had rubbed his eyes and smiled.

"You're not boring, Sammy. I just—I haven't been sleeping so well, and I always sleep better when you're here," Rory had said, turning his head to kiss the exposed skin of Sam's bicep. The words were true. He had barely been sleeping the past few nights, and he always seemed to be falling asleep in class lately.

Since Sam had noticed, he'd made it a point to try and stay as awake and alert as possible whenever he was around, but it was getting difficult to hide just how tired he really was. He groaned again and rolled over, pressing his face into the pillow.

In the kitchen, Sam stood waiting for the toast to pop up.

He had never been the most intuitive of people. He'd understood and accepted that about himself. He cared deeply about all of his friends and he loved Rory more than life itself. That's why it killed him that he couldn't figure out what was wrong. He wanted to help. God, there was nothing he wanted to do more than help, but he didn't know how.

No matter how much Rory denied it, Sam knew that something wasn't right. Over the course of the past couple weeks, he'd watched his boyfriend go from the bubbly, happy soul to being withdrawn and quiet. Sure, Rory had never really said much, but now he rarely said anything. The only time he spoke was when he'd put on a smile that, even to Sam, didn't look quite genuine, and assure him that everything was fine.

Rory was acting strange. That was an understatement. Sam had begun to notice that, in addition to the fact that he seemed exhausted all the time, Rory was also starting to lose weight. That was what concerned Sam more than anything. Of course, Rory would be beautiful no matter whether he weighed one-hundred pounds of five-hundred pounds, but Sam loved Rory's body the way it was.

Rory was classically beautiful. He wasn't sculpted from marble or exceptionally toned and muscular, but Sam absolutely adored the way it felt like Rory's body was contoured for his own. He loved being able to rest his head on the little bit of softness on Rory's belly that never seemed to go away. And, sure, selfishly, he loved that sometimes Rory would have to roll his eyes and hand Sam a jar that he wasn't quite strong enough to open.

To Sam, nothing about Rory ever wouldn't be perfect, so it never occurred to him that Rory could ever think that he was anything less than beautiful. The thought seemed crazy.

He needed to figure out what was going on with his boyfriend.

-xXxXx-

Everyone was chattering excitedly about the end of the school year, passing around yearbooks and discussing summer plans. The buzz in the cafeteria was enough to lift anyone's spirits. School was over. Today was the only thing standing between the students of McKinley High and two and a half months of freedom.

Rory was leaned into Sam's side, asleep. Sam had his arm wrapped around his boyfriend's shoulder to make sure he wouldn't accidentally fall off the seat. It had become a well-practiced routine. Sam couldn't actually remember the last time Rory had stayed awake during lunch.

It had been two weeks since the morning Sam had watched Rory be sick and vowed to himself that he was going to find out what was wrong and he still didn't feel any closer to solving the mystery. He was pleased, however, by the fact that he was going to have plenty of time to figure it out over the summer since Rory was going to be staying at the Hudson-Hummel home for most of the break.

Rory's family had a tradition of going on a cruise every summer and spending some time in the Mediterranean, and since every one of the past trips had ended with Rory being seasick while on vacation, they'd decided that it would be okay if Rory stayed in America until they got back from their trip. He'd already moved most of his things into Sam's bedroom.

Well, Sam had carried most of Rory's belongings during the move. He'd made Rory sit down after a dizzy spell had nearly sent the Irish boy falling down the Pierces' staircase. Not that he'd been much help anyway, Sam noticed that Rory had become increasingly weak. It was something that terrified him. It started with just not being able to open a pickle jar, but soon it had progressed to Sam making Rory sit down as he took a barely-half-full laundry basket from his hands and carried it up the stairs.

Rory was getting worse and Sam didn't feel as though he was any closer to figuring out what was wrong. He settled for continuing to observe Rory's strange behavior and just offer support whenever he could. It alarmed Sam that Rory kept losing weight. Sam was afraid to tell him that he was starting to look dangerously skinny, so he tried to subtly suggest that Rory eat more. Even though Rory took all the food that Sam offered him, nothing seemed to change for the better. Sam was starting to get scared. He'd never felt so helpless.

He pulled Rory closer to his side, instinctively, trying to shake the dark thoughts. He sighed deeply and pressed a sad kiss to the top of the sleeping boy's hair. If only his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders was enough to protect him from whatever was wrong.

"So..." Kurt prompted excitedly, gesturing towards Sam with the carrot stick in his hand. "Are you and Rory coming to the end-of-school pool party tomorrow or do you have plans?"

Sam forced a smile. He really was looking forward to the pool party. Even though it was still a little cold to go swimming, everyone was just so glad that summer was here that they were willing to brave the cold water. He was just too worried about Rory to really share in Kurt's excitement at the moment. "Uh...yeah. We'll be there," Sam said, distracted by Rory stirring lightly beside him.

He glanced down to see Rory's beautiful blue eyes flutter open before squeezing themselves closed again as though the light was hurting them.

Sam kissed the top of Rory's head again and softly whispered. "Another headache, baby?"

Rory nodded weakly and Sam helped him off the seat, picking up the apple from his tray and putting it in his backpack for later. Everyone at the table watched the scene with concern on their faces. Sam just gave them his best reassuring smile and offered, "I'm gonna get him out of here. The light and the noise hurt his head sometimes."

Sam led Rory into an empty bathroom. Once they were inside, he stopped and put his hands on Rory's shoulders, looking deep into his eyes. "Baby, maybe we should take you to the nurse. She might have some Tylenol or something." Sam knew that Rory needed more than Tylenol, but maybe the nurse would be able to figure out what was wrong with him.

Rory shook his head, forcing a smile onto his pale (God, too pale) face. Sam stroked his thumb across Rory's cheek and waited. He knew what was coming. Another reassurance that everything was fine. Except it wasn't fine. And Sam knew it. When Rory opened his mouth to speak, Sam cut him off.

"Babe, I know that something's wrong, but you won't tell me what it is. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong. Just, please, let me help you." Sam's voice was just shy of pure pleading.

Rory smiled and shook his head lightly. "There's nothing wrong, Sam. I've just been—I've been stressed over finals." He waved dismissively before reaching down and taking Sam's hand into his own and bringing the back of it to his lips. "Now that school's over, I'm sure I'll get back to normal."

Sam wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that everything was okay, or at least, it would be soon. He wanted to believe that soon, the brightness that he'd come to love would come back to Rory's eyes. God, how he wanted to believe it. So, for a moment, he let himself be comforted by Rory's words. He let out a breath in a gust and snaked his arms around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him closer.

"I just love you so much, Rory and I'm worried about you. It's like you're barely eating anymore and you spend all your time locked inside your own head. I'm just—I'm just worried, babe," Sam said honestly.

Rory smiled brightly, the first genuine smile Sam had seen in weeks, and leaned forward to press his lips against Sam's. "I love you, too, Sammy. I hate that you're worrying about me. You don't have to."

Sam shrugged. "I'll always worry about you. All I want to do is keep you safe and happy, and lately it feels like I'm failing." Sam's voice turned sad and he immediately felt himself be pulled closer to Rory, hearing a soft shush in his ear.

"Sam, you do keep me safe, and I'm always happy when I'm with you. I never want to be with anyone else," Rory comforted. The words were completely true. No one could make Rory feel better than Sam did. Even when he felt worthless (a feeling that was all too common lately) Sam could make him feel better without even realizing it. "You're amazing, Sammy." He kissed the blond's lips again, relieved by the way they turned up into a smile against his own.

Sam tightened his arms and squeezed Rory's middle and hugged him, very nearly lifting the Irish boy off his feet. Rory giggled against his boyfriend's shoulder and Sam rocked him back lightly in order to press a kiss to the tip of his nose, warmth flooding through him at the way it made Rory crinkle up his elfish nose. Even though they'd been dating for months, little things that Rory would do would always put butterflies in Sam's stomach. That was his favorite.

He kissed Rory sweetly on the lips before pulling away and heading toward one of the bathroom stalls. When he opened the door a few seconds later, Rory was standing in front of the trashcan. Sam watched silently as his boyfriend pulled a few wadded up napkins out of his pocket and tossed them in the can.

What caught Sam's attention was that they didn't just look like crumpled up napkins, they looked as though something had been folded inside them. Sam took a step toward the sink and Rory jumped as though he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing. "Oh, Sam. You scared me." He laughed out a nervous sound and quickly turned away from the trash can, coming over to kiss his boyfriend's cheek as he washed his hands.

Sam smiled, slightly ashamed for spying. "Sorry, babe." Rory reached up and patted his cheek lightly. Sam wiped his hands on his jeans and spoke. "Why don't you sneak out to the truck and get it started. It's just a half-day anyway. We're not missing anything. I'll be right out."

Rory gave Sam a conspiratorial smile and took the keys from his hand, leaning forward to kiss him before darting out of the room. Sam sighed, already feeling guilty for what he was about to do. He had to figure out what was in those napkins. For some reason, it seemed important.

He crossed over to the trash and lifted the lid. Sitting on top of a bunch of paper towels and soda bottles was one of Rory's napkins. It had fallen open to reveal little broken up bits of something orange that looked very much like the carrot sticks they'd served in the cafeteria. He'd seen Rory pick it up off his tray and move it toward his mouth. Had he actually seen him eat it?

He poked the other napkin and it fell open. This one, in addition to a couple of broken carrot sticks, had about four smushed up tater tots and a small piece of brownie. Sam remembered Rory's plate, remembered being pleased when he'd seen that there was food actually missing from it. Why would Rory lie about eating? It was one thing to say that he just wasn't hungry and pass on lunch, but wholly another to pretend to eat the food only to hide it in a napkin. He wondered how long Rory had been only pretending to eat.

The thought raised more questions than it answered. He just stood in the bathroom, staring down into the trashcan until he remembered that Rory was waiting for him. He took a deep breath, picked up his backpack, and left the bathroom.

He walked to the parking lot, lost in thought. As he rounded the corner and could see inside the passenger's side of the truck. Rory had his shirt pulled up over his stomach and was prodding at his belly, frowning. It looked like he wasn't happy with what he saw.

Sam's breath hitched as he saw Rory's stomach. He'd seen Rory shirtless a few times, none recently. Of course, he'd barely been able to touch Rory recently, let alone look at him in any state of undress. Sam's head spun with the thought of how different Rory looked now. He'd always kept himself covered up by wearing Sam's hoodie.

While Sam loved when Rory wore his clothes, he secretly wished he'd stop wearing that particular item for awhile. Since Sam's frame was bigger than Rory's, the hoodie hung loosely off of Rory's body, hiding the subtle curve of the Irish boy's hips. Sam had tried to convince him that, since it was warming up out, he didn't have to wear it anymore, but Rory refused to take it off.

The blond didn't push it. Anything that made Rory happy was in his good graces. Little did he know what the oversized hoodie was hiding. Rory had lost a scary amount of weight. His hipbones were sticking out and the skin of his belly was pulled taught between them, dipping down in a way that looked unhealthy. Clearly, Rory hadn't been eating for awhile.

Sam strode across the parking lot toward his truck, intent on getting some answers. He opened the door roughly, threw the bag inside, and climbed in. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have in the car. He wanted to be able to sit across from Rory and ask him point blank what was going on, so he sat in silence, holding Rory's hand across the seat.

The ride home had been awkward. Rory had known that Sam was upset, but it looked like the type of upset that meant he didn't want to talk about it, at least not yet.

As soon as they were inside Sam's bedroom, Sam spun on his boyfriend, holding the apple he'd taken from his lunch tray in his hand.

Rory's confused eyes flitted between the apple and Sam's face. The blond's face was unreadable, and it suddenly made Rory very anxious. "Sam, what's the matter?" He finally asked.

Sam stepped forward and held the apple out for Rory to take. "Eat this."

Rory had never heard Sam's voice take that tone before, never heard that level of stern insistence in his boyfriend's voice. He hedged around answering. "N-No, thank you, Sam. I just had lunch."

Sam's eyes flashed. His voice was sharp. "Did you?"

Rory swallowed thickly. He knew he was caught. He just didn't know how caught. "What do you mean by that?"

Finally, Sam couldn't play the game anymore and he threw the apple down roughly on his bed. His voice was furious when he spoke. "I saw what you did in the bathroom." Sam crossed his arms. "How long has this been going on?"

Rory sighed. "I don't know. About a month, maybe." He looked down, ashamed.

Sam's voice softened at the broken tone of Rory's voice. He let out a helpless sigh. "But why, Rory? Are you punishing yourself for something? Why would you do that?"

Rory just shrugged, breathing an internal sigh of relief that Sam hadn't stumbled on the real cause. Sam crossed the room and pulled Rory into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Rory, I love you more than anything else in the world, and I'm not going to let you do this to yourself anymore. If I have to watch you like a hawk, you will start eating again."

Tortured blue eyes flickered up to meet Sam's and the blond's heart shattered at the expression. "I wish you'd tell me what was wrong so that I could help you, baby." Rory shook his head and let it fall to rest on his boyfriend's strong shoulder. Sam wrapped his arms around Rory's back and pulled him closer, sliding a calming hand across the younger boy's back.

Sam led Rory to the bed and picked up the apple, putting it pointedly into Rory's palm with an expression that left no room for argument. He opened his mouth and took a bite. Sam's eyes stayed glued on him the entire time he ate. Rory actually felt a little better after he ate. Sam was pleased to see that his boyfriend seemed to have a little more energy than before. He hoped that maybe he'd finally figured out what was going on, or at least, had understood enough to fix it.

They stretched out in bed and Rory picked up the book on his nightstand, a soft smile on his lips. "Wanna pick up where we left off?" He asked. Sam smiled and nodded.

Over their Christmas break, Sam's English teacher assigned them The Gift of the Magi to read as homework. Sam had sat in his room in Kentucky for hours trying to just get past the first few pages. Finally, he'd thrown the book down with tears of frustration in his eyes, claiming that he was stupid and was never going to get it. Rory had slid into his side and picked up the book.

"How about I read you the story and you just listen, alright?" Rory had suggested affectionately, kissing the top of the blond's hair. Sam had agreed, closing his eyes and getting lost in a story for the first time in his life. He loved the way the words had sounded as Rory read them aloud. He soon found himself suggesting that Rory read more stuff to him and the ritual just stuck. They often spent afternoons in bed with a book.

Today, as Rory read to him, Sam felt the weight of the world come crashing down on him and was slowly becoming exhausted. He let himself melt into his boyfriend's side and let Rory's soft voice lull him to sleep.

Rory kept reading, unaware that Sam had fallen asleep beside him until he heard soft snores coming from him. He laughed quietly and kissed the top of Sam's head. He watched Sam sleep for almost an hour before looking down to notice that the blond had shifted in his sleep, his shirt rucked up revealing the toned muscles of his stomach.

Sam was beautiful. He looked as though he belonged on the cover of a magazine, and Rory didn't. He hated himself for making Sam worry. He'd done his best to keep his eating habits (such as they weren't) a secret from his boyfriend for just that reason. He didn't want Sam to be concerned. None of this was his fault. It was Rory's problem. It wasn't Sam's fault that Rory's body was too soft, too weak.

He slid out of Sam's hold and crossed the small room to look into the full-length mirror hanging on the back of the door. He lifted his shirt up to his ribs and took in the appearance of his stomach, reaching down to pinch skin between his fingers. Still too soft. Not toned. Nothing like Sam.

Sam deserved someone who looked like a model and Rory most certainly wasn't that person. He looked down sadly and poked his stomach again, jumping when he heard Sam's voice.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He asked, propping himself up on an elbow. Rory spun around and met his gaze. It wasn't angry; it was confused. "You keep poking your stomach and looking sad."

Rory couldn't think of an answer so he just shrugged again and crossed the room to sit by Sam, lacing their fingers together.

When Sam realized that he wasn't going to get an answer, he changed the subject. "Oh yeah, I think I forgot to tell you. Kurt and Finn are throwing a pool party tomorrow. Everyone's gonna be there." Rory felt his heart start to stutter out a disjointed rhythm. Sam continued, unaware. "I know you didn't bring swim trunks or anything, but I bet Kurt's got one you can borrow. His would fit you better than mine would, but I've seen Kurt's swim shorts." Sam chuckled quietly. "They're pretty freaking short."

Rory suddenly felt as though he was going to be sick again and his heart started beating in double-time. The thought of going out in front of a group of people wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, no matter how short, was enough to send Rory into a panic. He felt irrational tears spring into his eyes and his breathing start to quicken.

Sam's voice was suddenly much closer, alarmed. "Baby, what's the matter?"

Rory met his eyes and tried to speak but nothing would come out. He felt himself collapse into Sam's arms as shuddering sobs started to wrack his body.

"Rory?" Sam asked, his voice higher than normal with alarm. But he didn't get an answer. The only response he got was the sound of Rory's breath quickening to the point of hyperventilating. He pushed the Irish boy lightly on the shoulder so that he could look into his terrified eyes. Sam saw his own fear mirrored in them. Acting on instinct, he held Rory tighter and put a hand on the back of his head to hold him still against his shoulder. He still didn't know what was wrong, but he's sure by the panicked whimpers and tears, he's not going to get an answer any time soon, so he chose to just comfort Rory in hopes of somehow making it stop.

He brought his lips to Rory's ear, kissing the side of his hair, before whispering, "It's okay, baby. I've got you. You're okay."

The set of Rory's shoulders relaxed a little, but the tears continued to flow freely from his eyes and soak Sam's t-shirt.

Sam's words brought comfort to Rory on some level. He knew he was safe in the blond's strong arms, but it didn't help the fact that there would be a houseful of people expecting him to show up wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. He was sure that the entire glee club would be there, also wearing only their swim clothes. His mind ran over the images of Sam and Puck and Blaine shirtless. They're all toned in a way he'd never achieve. Even Kurt's body was amazing, he had soft curves and flawless skin.

Rory knew he was awkwardly stuck somewhere in the middle. Not quite toned enough to be hot and not quite well-shaped enough to be cute. His pale skin stuck out like a sore thumb; he had the wrong body type to pull off "pale". Kurt could pull it off, but Rory couldn't. His waist wasn't as thin as Blaine's, his muscles weren't nearly as defined as Puck's, and he wasn't even broad-shouldered like Finn. He was painfully and tragically stuck with having an awkward body.

There was no way he was going to be able to walk out there in just a pair of shorts and feel as though he fit in with everyone.

He hadn't realized that he'd said the last part aloud until he heard Sam's voice, reassuring and soft in his ear. "Baby, you'll fit in with everybody. The whole glee club loves you. The guys all think you're funny and the girls think your accent is adorable." He kissed the top of Rory's head. "Of course, I agree with both sides. I think you're funny and adorable."

Rory sniffled and pulled back to look into Sam's soft green eyes. "Sammy, I—I can't," he sobbed brokenly, shaking his head violently. Sam put a hand on either side of his face and held him still.

"I—I don't know how to help you, right now." Sam's voice was confused and desperate. "I don't know what's wrong. Why are you so afraid of what everyone's going to think? I've seen you in just shorts before and you look fine. Better than fine, actually."

Rory just shook his head. "I just can't, Sammy. You—You don't understand." Tears started to fall from Rory's tortured blue eyes again and Sam felt his heart break.

He squeezed Rory closer. "Then make me understand."

Sobs wracked Rory's frame again. There was no way he'd be able to explain to someone as perfect as Sam what it meant to be ashamed of his own body. Sam would never understand what it felt like to look into a mirror and hate what he saw, remembering every single piece of food he ate and hating himself for it. There was no way he could ever understand.

Sam felt Rory shake his head 'no' against his shoulder, so he just held him in silence, rocking him gently until the sobs quieted and he heard the other boy's breathing even out, having cried himself to sleep. Sam laid Rory down onto his bed and kissed the sleeping boy's forehead, brushing away a stray lock of chestnut hair with his fingers.

He felt broken inside that he couldn't understand what was hurting Rory so badly. Something clawed at his consciousness, trying to come to the surface. He couldn't fight the feeling that he should know what was wrong with his boyfriend. It felt like he was missing something obvious, but he just couldn't see it. He frowned sadly and carded his fingers through Rory's hair, leaning down to press another soft kiss to his forehead before sneaking out of the room.

He made it to the kitchen and took a Coke from the refrigerator before dropping down heavily into one of the kitchen chairs, scrubbing his hand across his face and losing himself in thought. He was missing something. Something obvious.

The sound of uncoordinated, thudding footsteps pulled him from his thoughts. Finn.

The tall boy padded into the kitchen, unaware that he wasn't alone. As he walked through the doorway, his eyes were cast toward his stomach, poking it with his finger.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, confused.

Finn jumped at the sound of his friend's voice. "Oh, dude, I didn't know you were in here. I figured you'd be with Rory or something." His face was still screwed up in concern, distracted. He took a deep breath and looked at Sam with a pleading expression. "I know dudes don't normally ask each other this kinda thing but..." He shifted his weight awkwardly. "Do—Do you think I need to lose some weight?"

Sam's eyes widened at the question. He'd never thought of Finn as having body issues. "Nah, man, you look fine."

Finn's lips twitched downward at the corners and he poked idly at his stomach again. It reminded Sam too much of Rory's actions. Finn spoke before Sam had a chance to change the subject. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

"I know...it's just...Santana has been getting to me lately. Like, a few weeks ago when I was walking to class with Rory, she kept calling me names, and I can usually tune it out, but I sorta couldn't that day or something." Finn was rambling. It happened a lot. Sam's eyes flashed with anger but Finn kept talking until Sam cut him off, realization starting to sink in.

"Did Santana say anything to Rory?" He asked, his voice just barely hiding his rage.

Finn rambled on dumbly. "Umm...yeah...I think she said something about him needing to go eat some potatoes or something. He seemed kinda messed up after that. I remember asking him if he was okay. He said he was, but like...I don't know."

Sam was only half paying attention, suddenly reminded of when the glee club put on Rocky Horror and Mr. Shue had told him that he couldn't play Rocky anymore. He had been devastated and thrown himself into working out, feeling as though he wasn't good enough. That's why it had seemed as though he was overlooking something obvious. It was something he should have seen a mile away. Of course, with all the bullying he'd faced, Rory would start to feel inadequate.

In Sam's eyes, everything about Rory was perfect. He couldn't understand how he could ever think that he wasn't good enough, because he'd always be perfect.

Sam's hands were suddenly shaking with fury. "Damn it, Santana!"

Sam stood up quickly, slamming down the soda can in his hand. Finn jumped and asked what was wrong, but Sam just shook his head and stormed out. He grabbed his keys from the bowl by the door and climbed in his truck, turning the key and speeding toward Lima Heights.

-xXxXx-

The entire drive over, Sam barely paid attention to where he was going. He's sure he ran more than one stop sign, but couldn't bring himself to care. The idea that Santana made Rory feel bad enough about his body that he would actually starve himself, had him unable to see straight.

He knew that Rory's self-image was a sensitive subject. Ever since he made the remark about Rory not wearing his hoodie anymore, he knew that it wasn't something that his boyfriend was comfortable with. He'd let it go, though. He'd stopped asking why Rory would dress in clothes that seemed to hang loosely from his body. He just thought that maybe it was an Irish thing. He wasn't sure. But he never expected the cause to be Rory thinking he wasn't good enough in some way.

The thought was enough to boggle Sam's mind. How could Rory, sweet, innocent, and beautiful, possibly think that he wasn't the most amazing person on the planet? Many nights, Sam would just lay awake and watch Rory sleep, cuddled against his side, and send up a prayer of thanks that by some miracle, he'd managed to get a boyfriend that amazing. How could anyone, even Santana, bring themselves to hurt Rory?

Sam was getting angrier and angrier as he drove, finally throwing the truck into park as he pulled up against the curb, not even bothering to kill the engine. He ran up the tiny walkway and pounded on the door.

Santana pulled it open, a smug smile on her face. She folded her arms in front of her chest. "Well, if it isn't Lisa Renna."

Sam stepped forward and pointed his finger in the Cheerios face, unfazed by her taunting. "What did you say to Rory?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry...I haven't been after your gay little leprechaun."

Sam's voice was livid. "Yes! You obviously have, because he's been starving himself for God knows how long because of something you said!" He was shouting now, but he couldn't bring himself to keep his voice down. He was beyond caring.

Santana faltered back a step, surprised. "Whoa. He's been doing what?"

"You heard me," Sam bit out.

She looked down at her feet. "I-I saw that something was wrong. He—He kept falling asleep in Algebra, but I just thought you'd been keeping him up all night."

Sam was still furious, but he no longer felt like yelling. He tried to ignore how wrong Santana's thought was. There had most definitely been no "keeping him up all night". Rory barely let Sam touch him at all. Whenever they'd kiss, Rory would always flinch away from his hands. At first, Sam was afraid that it meant that the Irish boy wasn't attracted to him, but Rory soon found ways of erasing that doubt. He'd lavish attention on Sam's body, but whenever Sam would make a move to touch him, he'd freeze and change the course, turning his attention back to Sam.

Santana's voice, low and repentant, pulled Sam from his thoughts. "God, I'm so sorry, Sam," she apologized sadly.

Sam didn't have the patience for her anymore. He wanted to get home to Rory. "Yeah, well, it's not me you need to apologize to."

He turned on his heel and left Santana standing, ashamed, in the doorway. She didn't matter anymore. He'd said his piece and now all that mattered was Rory.

He drove at warp speed to get home, hurrying through the door and waving politely to Kurt and Blaine on his way through the living room.

When he got inside his room, he locked the door behind him and turned to face his bed. Even fast asleep, Rory was beautiful. Sam watched his chest rise and fall, focusing on the movement to calm himself. It worked quickly and before long, he took a deep breath and crossed over to sit next to Rory on the bed, running his fingers through the sleeping boy's hair.

He dropped a kiss to Rory's forehead. "Rory, baby, wake up," he said softly, still letting his fingers play in his boyfriend's hair. Rory's eyes slowly fluttered open and a soft, sleepy smile touched his lips. It was enough to take Sam's breath away. He returned the smile and couldn't resist the urge to lean down and kiss his small lips, letting his thumb slide across the apple of Rory's cheek.

"You're so beautiful, Rory," Sam whispered in awe. He kissed him again sweetly. "So. Beautiful."

Rory blushed at the compliment and looked down, not meeting Sam's eyes.

The blond lifted Rory's chin with his finger. "You don't believe me, do you?" He asked sadly.

Rory swallowed thickly and shook his head minutely, his voice no higher than a sad whisper. "I—I love you, Sam. I just wish I deserved you."

Hearing the beautiful boy talk about himself that way, Sam could feel his heart break, but he was determined not to show it, determined to be strong for Rory. He reached down and took his hands. "Rory, I know there's nothing I can say to prove to you that you are beautiful and you do deserve me. I understand. Believe me. I understand."

"How could you, Sam?" Rory asked sadly, sitting up. "How could you understand what it feels like to know that you'll never be good enough? You're perfect, Sammy. You're amazing and gorgeous and everything that everyone wants to be, and I'm just..." he trailed off, gesturing to himself and sighing. "I'm just me."

Sam smiled sadly. "Rory, I love you. I lay awake at night and wonder what I could have possibly done to deserve someone as amazing as you when I'm just me."

Rory's eyebrows knitted, confused. "Just you?" He asked, incredulous that Sam could think he was anything less than perfect. "You're everything, Sam."

Sam stood up and crossed over to his dresser, reaching into the top drawer to pull out a picture that he kept hidden away. He didn't want to throw it away because it captured such a special moment for the glee club, but he had to put it somewhere he wouldn't see it constantly. He held the picture out for Rory to take. The Irish boy's eyes widened as he took in the image of Sam wearing nothing but a pair of tiny gold shorts (the pair he had to wear before Mr. Shue had allowed him to wear a tank top and longer shorts).

He swallowed thickly and asked, "Rory, what do you see in that picture?"

Rory's eyes were still wide. He knew exactly what he saw. He'd never seen Sam wear so little. Sure, he'd run around shirtless wearing just a pair of shorts, but these gold things weren't shorts, they were nothing short of a miracle. He raked his eyes across the exposed skin, his mouth hanging open. He said the only thing that came to mind, "So hot, Sam."

Sam took the picture from his hands. "You think so?" He asked, distracted. "Wanna know what I see in that picture?"

Rory nodded. Sam slid close into his side and held the picture for both of them to see. He pointed to himself in the picture, letting his finger land right above the waistband of the gold shorts. "When I was wearing them I felt like my stomach was hanging over the top of the shorts. I felt like I could actually see it."

Rory's face screwed up in confusion. "That's completely ridiculous, Sam. There's not a bit of fat on your body." Rory was on the defensive. He hated when Sam would say anything bad about himself. He squeezed Sam's hand. He remembered seeing a different picture in Rachel's locker. "Is that why you were wearing a tank top and longer shorts in that other picture?"

Sam nodded. "But before that, I told Mr. Shue that I felt really naked in that costume," -He pointed to the little shorts in the picture- "And all of a sudden, Mr. Shue replaced me as Rocky. I felt like it was my fault. Like I didn't look good enough."

Rory shook his head and was about to speak, but Sam cut him off. "Do you know how much time I spent in the gym that week? I thought that if I'd been in better shape, I wouldn't have been pulled from the musical. It was just a misunderstanding, but sometimes misunderstands can hurt. They can make you focus on things that aren't nearly as important as you think they are until you've blown it up so much in your own head that it starts to pull you under."

Rory looked down to where he held Sam's hand in his lap, toying idly with his boyfriend's fingers, but said nothing.

Sam took a deep breath. "Rory, I talked to Santana. I know what she said to you. I'm so sorry I didn't catch it sooner."

Shocked blue eyes flashed up to meet Sam's. "What?"

"Rory, I know what she said, but she didn't mean it the way you took it. What she meant was for you to go away. She wasn't making fun of your weight, sweetheart. I can understand how you thought so, but she meant something else." He squeezed Rory's hand tightly in his own and looked deeply into his eyes. "She had no right to say what she did."

The Irish boy sniffled quietly, his eyes brimming with tears. Hearing Sam talk about it was enough to make Rory break down. He'd kept everything inside for so long, unable to talk to anyone about it. He heard his breath shake and his voice crack as he threw his arms around Sam's neck and sobbed, "It hurt so much, Sammy."

He needed to feel his boyfriend's arms around him as a promise that everything was going to be okay. He melted into Sam's arms and let himself be comforted, breathing a sigh of relief at the soothing nonsense Sam was whispering into his ear and leaning into the touch of Sam's fingers scratching lightly at the back of his head.

Sam rocked him gently, murmuring little reassurances of, "I've got you" until he felt Rory relax. He pulled back and looked into Rory's soft blue eyes, wiping away the last of the tears with his thumbs before pressing a kiss to the tip of Rory's nose. "Do you trust me?"

Rory nodded immediately, his smile actually touching his eyes. "Of course, Sammy."

Sam smiled and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "You're so beautiful, baby," Sam said reverently, shaking his head incredulously.

Rory just looked down again, avoiding Sam's eyes. He took both of Rory's hands into his own and whispered. "You don't see yourself right, Rory." He lifted his boyfriend's chin with his finger and kissed him softly on the lips. "Why don't you let me show you what I see."

Sam felt Rory freeze against his side. He looked down at their intertwined hands, a frown on his small face, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. "A-Are you going to-" Rory broke off, took a deep, shaky breath, and tried again. "Are you going to touch me?" The words sounded as though he was disgusted by the idea. He curled in on himself, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"I want to show you what I see when I look at you. You're amazing, Rory. I just want to make you see that," Sam said, genuine softness in his voice, stroking Rory's face.

The Irish boy's eyes fluttered shut at his boyfriend's touch.

"This for example, your face-" Sam let his fingers ghost lightly across Rory's delicate cheekbone and down to his jaw. "You have the most beautiful face. I love to make you smile, because it makes your entire face light up." He leaned forward and kissed Rory's jaw and the apple of his cheek before smiling and dropping a quick kiss to his nose, fond amusement coloring his tone as he felt Rory's nose crinkle beneath his lips.

"And that. That thing you do with your nose when I kiss it. You crinkle it up and it's totally adorable. I swear, I fall more and more in love every single time I see you, because you always do tiny little things that just take my breath away," Sam said, his voice whisper quiet and gentle.

Rory's opened his eyes slowly and there was a soft smile on his lips, a tear sliding silently down his cheek. Sam kissed it away and continued. "Your eyes are, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. I could stare into them for hours and just get lost." Sam chuckled brightly. "Sometimes, I look into your eyes and forget what I was talking about. My mind just goes blank."

The brunet giggled and leaned forward to kiss Sam sweetly on the lips. Sam smiled into the kiss, pulling the blanket from Rory's lap and pushing him back lightly until his head rested on the pillow. He deepened the kiss, letting his tongue slide across the seam of Rory's lips until they parted in silent invitation. He let his tongue explore the inside of Rory's mouth, swallowing the quiet sounds that escaped the Irish boy whenever he'd suck gently on his bottom lip.

Rory's hips canted up and met Sam's, automatically seeking some sort of friction. Rory whimpered and let them fall back to the mattress, ashamed at his forwardness. Sam was quick to soothe.

"No, babe. It's okay." He let his hand slide down the front of Rory's chest as he brought his hips down flush against Rory's. The Irish boy's breath hitched in his throat at the new contact, but Sam felt him trying to squirm away from his hand. Sam brought their lips together again, kissing him lovingly and caressing his cheek before pulling away to look into Rory's wide blue eyes.

"Rory, let me take care of you," he whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from his boyfriend's forehead. "Let me show you how beautiful you are."

Rory bit his lip nervously. He didn't want Sam to be disappointed by his body, didn't want him to see, close up, just how messed up his stomach and chest were, not to mention his non-existent muscles. He didn't want to let his boyfriend down, but there was something burning in the blond's eyes that made Rory believe him. He worried his lip between his teeth again and nodded in a small motion.

Sam's face lit up in a blinding smile and he kissed Rory's lips with a loud smack. "I love you more than life itself, you know that, right?"

Rory smiled and slid a thumb across Sam's cheek. "I know, Sammy. I love you, too."

Sam brought his lips back down to Rory's, kissing him, slow and sensual, until he felt his boyfriend's body start to relax. He dropped a soft kiss to Rory's lips before kissing along his jaw and down his neck, nosing at the collar of his shirt, not wanting to push too far right away. He pulled the shirt aside with his fingers and sucked lightly at Rory's collarbone, letting his free hand explore his chest.

He brought his lips to Rory's neck to suck at the pulse point. He felt the pulse flutter and pick up speed beneath his lips, and he couldn't fight the urge to let his tongue flick out across the heated skin, loving the way the action caused a desperate sound to slip past Rory's lips and made him squirm slightly.

This was the first time Sam ever got the opportunity to truly explore his boyfriend's body. He wanted to make sure he took full advantage of the chance to make Rory feel good. He let his hand slide down Rory's front as he mouthed over his jaw, his hand stilling on the hem of his boyfriend's t-shirt. "It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you. I love you so much."

Rory whined out a nervous sound and Sam kissed his lips softly, breaking away only as he pulled the shirt from his shoulders. His hand slid across Rory's front as he pulled back to look. Rory had done his best to curl in on himself and hide away, but Sam sat up, straddling Rory's waist, and using his hands to try and relax his boyfriend's tense posture, sliding them across his chest and stomach.

"So beautiful, Rory," Sam said softly, leaning down to press a kiss against the center of his chest, an encouraging smile on his face.

Rory felt himself relax at the words. At least Sam didn't sound disappointed. His eyes rolled back as he felt Sam's hand trailing lightly through the sparse trail of hair below his belly button, sliding just along the waistband of his jeans.

"What I love about your body, Rory, is that it feels like it was made for mine." Sam laughed quietly at his words. "I know that sounds stupid, but it's true. It just feels so natural to hold you or rest my head against your chest or stomach. It's not overly muscled and hard; it's perfect. I can't imagine what it feels like lying against my chest; I wouldn't think it's very comfortable, but yours, it's perfect."

Sam slid down Rory's legs so that he could lean forward and drop kisses to Rory's chest and stomach, trailing his fingers along the sensitive skin of his sides before deciding to press a kiss there too.

"I love your curves, too. I mean, they're not like girl curves or anything, but there's just something about them that's beautiful. The way jeans hang off your hips..." He breathed out a laugh. "It drives me crazy sometimes. That one day when I came over and you were still getting ready for school, and I waited on your bed while you got dressed, you were running around in just your jeans looking for a t-shirt. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to stop myself from throwing you down on the bed right then and there."

Rory giggled quietly, but the sound changed to something deeper when Sam squeezed his hips and let his hands slide deliberately up his sides as he started kissing around his belly button. He wanted to shy away from the touch, but Sam's words had him flying and the press of his boyfriend's lips was almost too much. He couldn't bring himself to stop it. As he listened to Sam talk, the way he said the words like a promise, he found himself almost believing them.

He trusted Sam completely with every bit of his body. He knew that there was nothing that Sam wouldn't do to make him feel better. He knew that Sam knew what he needed better than he did, so he let him continue. His hips arched off the bed as he felt him suck lightly at the skin right above his belly button.

"Did that feel good, baby?" Sam asked honestly.

Rory nodded against the pillow. "Mmhm."

Sam smiled and repeated the action, his hands sliding up and down Rory's chest and stomach, letting his blunt nails drag across the skin. As he felt Sam's tongue dart out to flick at one of his nipples, he whimpered and knotted his hands into the blond's hair, surprised by his own forwardness. Sam closed his mouth around the nipple and gave a particularly hard suck before dragging the flat of his tongue across it.

Words slipped past Rory's lips without his consent. "Oh God, Sam." He tightened his hold on his boyfriend's hair.

Sam's hand slid down to tease Rory's hipbones, causing Rory to arch off the bed and something that sounded very much like Sam's name to pour from him. Sam was spurred on by the reaction. "God, so beautiful, Rory. You have no idea." He dropped another kiss to Rory's chest before straightening up and surging their lips together, moaning into the Irish boy's mouth as he felt Rory's desperation become evident in the way he kissed.

Sam's fingers trailed across Rory's waistband before sliding a flat palm against the front of his jeans and squeezing lightly.

Rory gasped and bucked up into Sam's hand. Sam swallowed the moan that escaped his lips and took the opportunity to let his tongue slip inside his boyfriend's mouth and slide across the back of his teeth. He continued to massage the hard line in Rory's jeans until he felt Rory start panting into his mouth. He knew Rory was close and he wasn't ready to end things just yet so he pulled back. Rory whined at the loss, his hips chasing Sam's hand for as long as they could.

Sam broke away and kissed his way down Rory's front, stopping to flick his tongue across one of his nipples. Sam rocked back to rest on his heels, still letting his fingers ghost across Rory's belly. His eyes took in the image of Rory lying, willing and wrecked, beneath him. His pale cheeks were flushed the most amazing pink and a few stray locks of hair were stuck to his forehead. His lips were swollen and kiss-red. Sam leaned down quickly to kiss them, mumbling the words, "God, so sexy, Rory."

The blond's hands worked the button on Rory's pants as he kissed a trail toward the waistband. As Sam popped open the button, he pressed open-mouthed kisses the tiny triangle of newly exposed skin. Rory whimpered and arched up toward his lips. Sam's hands slid across his thighs, teasing the sensitive skin through the denim.

He felt Sam so close to where he so desperately needed contact. He felt his reservations slipping away, replaced by the feelings of being loved, cared for, and cherished. The way Sam pressed soft kisses to his body, his eyes wide and awed, made him feel like he was floating. He'd been so scared for so long that he wasn't good enough or his body wasn't just right and Sam was slowly erasing all of those fears. Constantly reassured by Sam's words, Rory started to believe him. Seeing the warmth and love in Sam's eyes was enough to make Rory feel worthy of that kind of emotion.

The way Sam took his time and explained all of his favorite things about Rory had him seeing himself in a new light. He was beginning to want to believe that maybe he was what Sam professed. Maybe he was beautiful.

He felt Sam tap on his hip so he lifted them and allowed his pants to be pulled off and tossed off the bed.

Rory tried instinctively to cover himself, but Sam stopped his hands, bringing them to his lips and kissing each knuckle before lacing their fingers together and saying simply, "You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life."

A shy smile touched Rory's face and Sam leaned down to kiss his boyfriend's lips, allowing his hands to continue roaming across the newly exposed skin of his waist and pressing open mouthed kisses to the spot directly under Rory's ear that never failed to make the Irish boy squirm and whine before finding Rory's mouth again.

He pulled away, smiling as Rory's lips chased his own. He dropped another chaste kiss to his boyfriend's lips before shifting down to kneel between his knees, sliding his hands across Rory's thighs and massaging the tense muscle there. Slowly, he reached down and lifted Rory's leg up and kissed his calf, the side of his knee, and the inside of his thigh before setting it down on the bed and letting his fingers ghost across the tops of Rory's thighs, idly tracing patterns.

"You know why I love your legs, Rory?" Sam asked, a smile playing on his lips. He let his eyes take in the sight of Rory's body, his chest was rising and falling unevenly, flushed pink at the top to match his cheeks. Rory just shook his head, a soft smile on his own lips. Sam kissed Rory's knee again. "You're faster than I am."

Rory's face screwed up in adorable confusion. Sam laughed softly and his grin widened. "No one's ever been faster than I am before. It kinda turns me on." Sam winked and Rory blushed darker.

Sam lifted Rory's leg again, sliding the tip of his tongue teasingly across Rory's inner thigh. Rory whined and shifted down on the bed, unconsciously trying to get the rest of his body closer to Sam. The blond had never seen his boyfriend looked more wrecked or more beautiful.

His lust-blown eyes were half closed and his hand was knotted in his own hair, pulling unconsciously and letting out a quiet noise of desperation each time Sam would find a new patch of skin to explore with his mouth or hands. Sam sucked a mark onto Rory's thigh, warmth flooding his stomach as he listened to the sound it elicited. He let his hands slide up Rory's leg and massage the front of his underwear again.

Rory was achingly hard, straining against the confines of his tight briefs. Sam kissed his way up to the tented fabric, mouthing over it and letting out a breath through his mouth, seeping through the fabric and ghosting teasing heat over Rory's cock.

A sobbed whimper slid past Rory's lips and his hips shifted on the mattress before arching toward Sam's mouth. The blond rose to his knees, sliding his flat palms in a circuit over his stomach and chest as he mouthed over the fabric. He could feel Rory's cock twitch beneath his lips and heard the quiet, desperate noises coming from the Irish teen's chest.

"S—Sam...'m close," Rory whined, his hips arching up again toward his boyfriend's lips.

Sam leaned back, an action met by a disapproving whimper from Rory. "Just from that?" Rory nodded quickly. His entire face was flushed a dark shade of pink and the brilliant blue of his eyes was now only visible in thin rings around his blown pupils. Sam massaged Rory's sides and leaned forward to bring their lips together. He let his hands slip down to the waistband of Rory's underwear, bringing his lips to his boyfriend's ear and softly asking, "Can I take them off?"

Rory whimpered at the words, turning his head to kiss Sam again. "Yes." The word came out as a breath against Sam's lips.

Sam slid down and kissed his way down Rory's neck, chest, and stomach, dropping kisses into the light trail of hair right below his navel before letting his lips hover just above the waistband of his boyfriend's underwear. He hooked his fingers under the elastic and slowly eased the underwear down, kissing every new patch of skin that was exposed as he did so. Rory was squirming and making little whimpering sounds. Sam pressed another kiss to the bottom of Rory's belly and slid the underwear off in one fluid movement, tossing them on the floor beside his jeans.

"K-Kiss me, Sam," Rory choked out, reaching forward and grabbing desperately at Sam's bicep to pull him closer. Sam stretched out beside him and Rory whispered a rushed "I love you" and connected their lips. Sam brought his hand to card through the back of Rory's hair as he kissed him, scratching lightly at his scalp in a way that made the Irish teen moan into the kiss. Sam took the opportunity to let his tongue slip past Rory's lips to explore the warm cavern of his mouth, moaning softly when he felt Rory start to suck on his tongue before breaking away.

Rory's head fell against the pillow roughly and Sam kissed along his jaw and mouthed at the side of his neck as he let his hand slide down his boyfriend's chest and stomach. His hand hovered for few seconds as Sam looked down and let himself take in the image. He could see the muscles of Rory's abdomen fluttering as his chest rose and fell. The skin was flushed and covered by a light sheen of sweat. "You are so beautiful, Rory," Sam murmured against Rory's neck, his voice low and awestruck. "So. Beautiful."

The tone of Sam's voice shot straight down Rory's spine and his hips arched off the bed, bumping into his boyfriend's hand. He whined at the sudden friction and lifted his hips again to rub needily against Sam's hand. He felt the hand press down against his belly, holding him to the mattress, and Sam's lips found his own again. Sam's fingers ghosted across his hipbones, dragging his blunt nails across the skin before trailing down to where Rory's cock was resting, hard and aching, against his stomach.

He sucked at Rory's lip as he let his fingers tease up and down his length. Rory whined into Sam's mouth and pushed up toward his hand again, desperate for more of his boyfriend's touch. Sam swiped his thumb over the leaking slit to gather the beads of precome that had formed before wrapping his hand around Rory's cock and giving an experimental stroke before setting a rhythm that had Rory's hips bucking up into the tight circle of his fist and panting into his mouth. He broke away to mouth along the Irish teen's jaw and down his neck, just letting his lips explore Rory's body.

"O-Oh, God, Sam-" Rory keened as he felt Sam sucking roughly at his collarbone. There was definitely going to be a mark there, but he could bring himself to care. He wanted to feel more of Sam's lips everywhere. He felt a familiar heat pooling in his stomach and his mind went into overdrive processing everything that was happening. He felt as though he was almost glowing from the love and affection that Sam had been showering on him, words like "beautiful" and "sexy" swimming in his head. He could feel Sam's lips on his skin, kissing and sucking lightly while whispering little endearments as though he hoped they'd sink into his skin. The way Sam's hands had felt as they moved across his skin earlier, it was almost reverent, as though he held something of precious importance. And the way it felt now, with his hand working over his cock was almost too much.

It was as though he could still feel the ghost of Sam's hands moving all over his body, setting every nerve on fire as his fingers slid over his skin. He felt himself getting close and he heard his own whines growing desperate. He felt like he should be embarrassed by the sounds escaping him, but he was too far gone to care. He heard Sam's voice, low and insistent, warm breath ghosting over his hear with each whisper.

"Come on, baby," Sam murmured, letting the fingers of his free hand slide across Rory's belly in a maddening circuit. "So perfect, Rory. I wish you could see yourself. So sexy." Sam pressed his lips to Rory's ear, sucking the shell into his mouth and nipping at it lightly with his teeth. That was all Rory could take. He cried out so loudly that his voice cracked as he bucked into Sam's hand once, twice before coming in thick ropes across his stomach. His hips fell back onto the mattress, but the spasms continued to wrack his body. He whined and clutched tightly at Sam's hair as his release continued to crash over him, the intensity causing him to see stars behind his eyelids. He heard himself babbling Sam's name, his own voice pleading and helpless under the weight of his orgasm.

"I've got you, baby. I've got you," Sam whispered in his ear as he continued to stroke him through his release. Rory whined one final time before pulling Sam's lips to his own and kissing him urgently. He felt Sam let his hand slide down to pet his shaking thighs. Rory felt himself slowly float back down into his body as his breathing began to even out and the fog in his mind started to clear. Sam's soft voice broke the silence.

"W-Was that good?" He asked, as though he was unsure. He let his free hand rest against Rory's cheek.

Rory barely had the strength (or the control) to nod. He let the hand that was resting on the back of Sam's head pet softly at his hair. "So good, Sammy." He turned his head to kiss Sam's palm.

Sam laughed out a soft, affectionate sound and kissed his boyfriend's lips. "As much as I hate to move, baby. We should probably go get you cleaned up."

Rory lifted his head off the pillow with a tremendous amount of effort, looking down to see that he did in fact need a shower...and a clean bedspread. He sighed and let out a breathless giggle, too boneless and happy to really care. Sam was already off the bed, holding out a hand for Rory to take. The Irish teen smiled and took Sam's hand, standing up. As he stood, a fit of giggles bubbled past his lips followed by a "whoa" as a dizzy spell hit that nearly sent him falling back onto the bed.

Sam laughed and steadied him. "You alright, babe?"

"Yeah, that was just...really intense," Rory answered, his voice dreamy. He lifted the back of Sam's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the skin.

Rory tried to take a step, giggling and feeling very much like a newborn foal as he tried to walk on shaky legs. Sam shook his head fondly and swept him off his feet, carrying him to the adjoining bathroom and turning on the shower, kissing him softly on the lips. "You gonna be alright for a few minutes or are you going to fall down again?" Sam asked, his voice sounded almost smug.

Rory leaned forward and kissed him again. "I'll be fine. Though, technically, this is your fault."

Another bright laugh came from Sam. "Pretty sure I'll happily take the blame for that, babe." He captured Rory's face between his hands and kissed his upturned lips. "I love you, Rory. So much."

"I love you too, Sammy. You'll never know how much," Rory answered, his voice low and reverent. He sighed and took Sam's hand, looking deeply into his eyes. "Thank you."

Sam smiled and let his thumb slide across Rory's bottom lip, his smile widening when he felt Rory kiss the pad of his thumb. "You're beautiful, Rory," Sam promised lovingly. "And I'll be happy to remind you of that any time you forget."

-xXxXx-

Rory woke up the next morning, tucked under Sam's arm. He smiled and nuzzled closer into his boyfriend's side. He couldn't ever remember sleeping so soundly. He'd fallen asleep still feeling boneless and content. Sam had wrapped his arms tightly around him and he fell asleep, safe and relaxed in his boyfriend's arms. Slowly, the realization of what was going to happen today began to seep in. He found himself wondering just how short the borrowed swim shorts were going to be. Though he was feeling a bit more confident in his own skin after what had happened last night, there was no way he could go out wearing a pair of Kurt's shorts. He'd seen, first-hand, some of the skimpier items in Kurt's wardrobe from spending so much time at the Hudson-Hummel house with Sam.

One late night trip to the kitchen was still at the forefront of Rory's mind. He had snuck out of Sam's room to get a glass of water in the middle of the night only to find Kurt standing in front of the refrigerator with Blaine crowded against it. He remembered, as he quickly fled the scene before he could be spotted, wondering how exactly Kurt had managed to wiggle into that particular pair of skin tight shorts. He had laughed as he climbed back into bed, resigned to going back to sleep without his drink, thinking about how he didn't admire Blaine's task of trying to peel the shorts. He vaguely considered walking back out and offering Blaine a pair of scissors to help the job along.

He knew, with his luck, those would be the shorts he'd end up getting. He felt his heart start to beat faster in his chest as panic threatened to take hold. He untangled himself from Sam and sat up. His eyes scanned the room and landed on a shopping bag on Sam's desk that hadn't been there the night before. He got up to investigate.

Inside the plastic bag was a three-pack of plain tank tops and a pair of knee-length swim trunks in his size. His eyes teared up and he put the items back in the bag.

He had been so lost in the moment that he jumped when he heard Sam's unexpected voice. "I know how it feels, babe. I'd never push you past where you're comfortable, but I'd still love it if you came to the party. You don't even have to wear those things now. You can wear your jeans and a t-shirt if you want. I'll tell everyone that you're getting over sun poisoning or something. Whatever you're comfortable with."

Rory turned to face Sam, a watery smile on his face. "You have no idea what this means to me, Sam."

Sam smiled and opened his arms. Rory quickly crossed the room and let himself be enveloped by them, snuggling into Sam's chest and falling back to sleep.

-xXxXx-

"Come on, baby," Sam said through the bathroom door, his voice eager. "Everyone's waiting for us before they get in the pool."

Rory had told Sam that he didn't feel comfortable swimming just yet so he wouldn't be going in the water. Sam had come up with a reason, but Brittany had nodded and offered, "No, it's best if he stays out of the pool. Chlorine makes leprechaun's sick."

Sam offered her a smile and a friendly pat on the head before going back inside to get Rory.

The door opened to reveal Rory standing in a gray tank-top and dark green swim-trunks that came down to almost his knee. He lifted a baseball hat to his head as he was stepping through the doorway. Sam's smile was breathtaking and Rory couldn't help but return it.

"How do you feel," Sam asked, his voice full of genuine concern. "It's not too late to say you're not feeling well or something. I'll stay with you. It's not a big deal."

Rory silenced Sam's worrying with a soft kiss. "I feel okay. I can do this."

Sam smiled again and pulled Rory into a hug. "I love you so much. I know how hard this is."

"I love you, too, Sammy," Rory said, leaning forward to kiss him again. "It's not nearly as hard as I imagined. Not with you by my side. I couldn't do any of this without you."

Sam held out his hand and Rory took it, a shy smile on his face. As they walked out to the pool, Rory felt everyone turn to look at them. Sam kissed his cheek and went to help Finn with the barbeque. He looked around at everyone laughing and talking and he sure: He could do this.

A/N: Reviews would be greatly appreciated. :)