Coalesce.

“You look fine.” Santana says with a roll of her eyes as Sam stands in front of her in his sitting room at six forty-five. He fumbles with his tie, and she bats his hands away and reties it for him.

“There. Wonderful.” She laughs. Sam pouts at her, and she kisses him on the cheek before sitting down on the sofa beside her fiancée and their baby.

“Why am I so nervous?” He mumbles to himself, but Santana hears him and raises an eyebrow at him.

“Sammy.” She stands again, gripping his shoulders so that he looks at her. “You haven’t been on a real date in, what, two years? It’s fine that you’re nervous.”

“I know, it’s just that, well, I really like him and I don’t want to mess this up.” Sam tugs at the cuffs of the white dinner shirt Santana had picked out for him.

Santana rolls her eyes and mutters in Spanish, reaching up and brushing a few strands of his bangs away from his eyes.

“Just be yourself, don’t be a douche, hold his hand in public and kiss him goodnight when he walks you home. Woo him, Evans.” She says with an almost sly smirk, and he swallows nervously again. There’s a knock at the door and he starts.

She kisses him on the cheek again and pushes him towards the front door.

“Go get him. And don’t forget your wallet!”

“Hi.” Kurt says with a shy smile when Sam opens the door. He’s dressed impeccably, in a black suit that Sam figures is probably vintage Westwood, given the decals on the buttons. He’s wearing a white button-down shirt with a high collar, his hair pushed back into an almost messy bouffant.

“Hey.” Sam smiles, stepping out of the door and closing it quietly behind him. He falls in to step beside Kurt and slides their hands together. “How did your audition go?”

“I think it went okay. I overheard some of the other auditions; one of the guys’ voices cracked so badly towards the end. Made me feel a little better.” Kurt says with an almost shy smile. “I’ll know if I have a callback by this time tomorrow.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great.” Sam smiles, holding the front door to the apartment building open. “The restaurant I’ve booked into is a few blocks away, we can walk it, if you’d like.”

“Okay.” Kurt smiles, squeezes his hand and tugs him through the doorway. “Oh, and by the way, Rachel told me to invite you to the opening night of Wicked. Pepper could probably come too, but she might get a little scared.”

“Okay. I’m sure Pepper will be okay. I’m pretty positive Rory accidentally let her watch The Shining when she was four so I think she’ll be fine with witches.”

Kurt laughs openly with him, swinging their interlinked hands.

They arrive at a quaint little restaurant after a few minutes. There’s a soft orange glow falling from the windows, and a small hanging sign above the door reads ‘Pearce’s’ in almost peeling red paint.

Sam pushes the door open and a small bell above the door rings. A small, dark haired girl wearing a grin and too-bright red lipstick bounces up to the server’s stand at the front of the restaurant.

“Hey, Sam!” She says, flipping through the book of reservations in her hand. “You booked ahead, right?”

“Hi, Harmony. Yeah, I did, I think Sugar wrote it in if that’s any help.”

“Oh, yeah. Here. Follow me.” She grins again and leads them towards a small table in one of the front windows. “Here are your menus; I’ll be back in five to take your drink orders.”

“She seems nice.” Kurt says with a small smirk as he shrugs off his jacket and makes to pull out his chair. Sam stops him and pulls it out for him with a pink blush dusting the tops of his cheeks. Kurt rolls his eyes but sits anyway.

“She’s alright. If you can get past the whole broke-your-best-friend’s-heart thing.” Sam says as he sits down opposite and opens the menu.

“What?”

“She’s Rory’s ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him about six months ago. Kind of destroyed him emotionally.” Sam explains almost nonchalantly, perusing the wine list with vague interest.

“Oh. And you’re still friends with her?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m her friend. I tolerate her, she tolerates me. She gives me preferential treatment whenever I decide to eat here. Brings orders faster and stuff. I give her a bit of discount at the store whenever she stops by. Do you prefer red or white wine?”

“White, but I can’t drink. I have to drive home, remember?”

“You could stay with me.” Sam states. Kurt stares at him wide-eyed and Sam blushes fuchsia. “Um, wow, sorry, that was way too forward of me, forget I said that.”

He runs his fingers through his hair, rests the menu closed on the table. Kurt reaches over and takes hold of his hand.

“Sam, it’s fine. I’d love to.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t have to, I’ll sleep on the couch if it would make you more comfortable-”

“Sam. It’s fine, really. I’ll just have to leave kind of early to get home and shower before work.”

“O-Okay. I have to take Pepper to kindergarten anyway.” Sam blushes even harder. Kurt smiles at him and leans across the table to kiss him.

“Can I take your drink orders?” Harmony reappears from somewhere and smiles at the two of them.

“Yeah, just a bottle of house white.” Harmony nods and disappears again.

“So.” Kurt says with a coy smile after Harmony has poured them both glasses and taken their orders. “Tell me about yourself.”

Sam laughs at him, taking a sip of his wine before setting it back on the table.

“That’s your opening line? Okay.” Sam laughs lightly, tugging at the cuffs of his shirt. “Er, I’m twenty-eight, I graduated from Illinois State University, where I met Pepper’s mom. I was born in Tennessee but was brought up in Kentucky, which I guess is kind of why my accent is all over the place? I met Rory when I moved to New York just after Pepper was born, when I was twenty-four, and I’ve been stuck with him ever since. I like stupid, nerdy movies and TV shows and I laugh at pictures of cats on the Internet. Does that about cover it?”

Kurt laughs at him and leans over the table to hold his hand again.

“I would think so.” Kurt laughs a little louder and squeezes his hand.

“Now you.”

“Well, I’m twenty-nine in a few months, and I graduated from NYADA a few years ago, where I studied with Rachel. She and my step-brother got married not too long ago. I was the one that introduced my father to Finn’s mother; they were married while we were still in high school in Ohio. Which I realize is hardly a delightful place to grow up, but, humble beginnings, you know? My first ever stage production after college was a terrible off-Broadway production of Hair. I was in the ensemble cast and it was just atrocious. If I get this role in Rent it’ll be my first major role.”

He blushes, either with nervousness or embarrassment and Sam squeezes his hand back.

“Like I said, I’m sure you’ll do great. What did you audition with?”

“Well, I went for Angel, like I said this morning, so I sang his solo song, Today 4 U. As did seemingly everyone else. There were people there in costume, Sam. Costume. How am I meant to stand out against a well-made fur coat?”

“I’m sure you were brilliant.” Sam smiles at him over his wine glass and strokes the back of his hand.

“While I appreciate your blind faith, I’m not sure you’re right. I suppose I’ll find out tomorrow, but I don’t know. Rent is kind of a big deal.”

“I’ve only ever seen the movie. Santana lent me it a while ago in an attempt to make me a little more cultured. I don’t think I really got it.” Sam says sheepishly. He conveniently forgets that ‘a while ago’ was about four hours earlier, when he went bashing down her front door.

“Santana?”

“She’s my other best friend. After Rory. She lives across the hall with her fiancée, Brittany. And their daughter. She’s a Spanish teacher at one of the local high schools. She’s a sweetheart.”

“That’s sweet. Did they adopt?”

“No, San decided she was ready to actually have a baby, so they asked me to, y’know, donate, so I did. So she’s biologically mine, I guess. But they’re not going to tell her that her Uncle Sammy’s her dad until she’s way older. If they tell her at all.”

“So, technically, you have two kids?”

“I suppose. But it’s not like Alba’s really ‘mine’, is it?”

“Alba? That’s her name?” Kurt asks inquisitively as Harmony reappears and sets down their starters and another bottle of wine.

“Yeah. Santana has Spanish in her heritage, and Alba is Spanish for sunrise. Or so she told me, in any case. I think Britt just agreed with her because she thought it was pretty.”

Kurt laughs and releases Sam’s hand to set about his bruschetta.

They leave the restaurant about two hours later, stumbling slightly having consumed too much alcohol in too much time, and Sam waves exuberantly at Harmony through the window. She practically grimaces and waves her hand gently before turning back to her conversation with Sugar.

“So I guess you’re about to meet Santana and Brittany.” Sam hesitates for a second as he leans against his front door. “They’re sweethearts, they’ll like you. I mean, there’s a chance San might interrogate you, but she might wait a while, since the kids are probably both asleep.”

“Thanks. I’m really filled with confidence.” Kurt snips back as Sam unlocks the door and holds it open for him.

“Hey.” Santana says quietly from the sofa when they both step in to the living room. Alba is asleep in her Moses basket at her feet, Pepper is nowhere in sight (though the soft glow of her nightlight pooling in the hallway tells them she’s probably asleep in her bed) and Brittany is curled up with her head in Santana’s lap, eyes lidded.

Sam smiles at her and pulls Kurt in by the wrist.

“Kurt, this is Santana and Brittany. San, Britt; Kurt.”

“Nice to meet you.” Santana smiles up at him, extending her hand for him to shake. “I’m sure we’ll get along.”

Kurt takes her hand, smiles politely, and Santana stands. She is suddenly much more imposing, and Kurt has to stop himself from stepping back. She smiles again, softer this time as she helps Brittany to her feet and moves over to pick up Alba’s basket.

“I put Pepper to bed a few hours ago, made sure she laid out her clothes for school tomorrow and Britt read her a bedtime story. She should sleep until morning.” Santana stops in front of Sam and straightens the lapel of his jacket.

“Your daughter’s beautiful.” Kurt tells Brittany after watching the blonde rearrange her daughter’s hat.

“Yeah, because she looks like San.” Brittany replies with a smile, looking at him with bright eyes. “You’ll look after Sammy and Pepper, won’t you?”

The question is out of the blue, and Kurt falters for a second under her stare.

“Yes, of course I will.”

“Good. That way San won’t have to come after you.” Brittany frowns a little, her eyebrows knitting together. “I like you.”

“Thanks.” Kurt replies, bewildered, and watches as Santana pats Sam’s shoulder and kisses him on the cheek, then takes Brittany’s hand and leads her out of the apartment.

“They seem lovely.” Kurt says after a long pause. Sam laughs at him, shrugging off his jacket and laying it over the back of the sofa.

“They are, they can just be a little intimidating.” Sam says with a small smile. “The bedroom’s through there, I’m just going to check on Pepper.”

Sam dips in to Pepper’s room to find her sprawled out on her bed with her blanket tucked up under her arms. He smiles softly, presses a kiss to her forehead and heads back in to his own room.

Kurt is perched on the edge of his bed, jacket folded in his lap. The room is almost elegantly dishevelled, he thinks –there’s art prints of a few movies and superheroes framed on the walls, the bed is barely made and the desk in the corner of the room is covered in a variety of art supplies, computer wires and stacks of paper covered in drawings and sketches.

“Um, do you want pyjamas?” Sam asks awkwardly from the doorway. Kurt starts, looks up at him and nods quickly.

Sam rummages through his drawers for a moment and digs out two t-shirts and pairs of shorts. He hands Kurt a set before excusing himself to the bathroom.

Kurt unbuttons his shirt and folds it carefully, setting it on top of the chest of drawers. He unfolds the shirt –blue with a target symbol printed on the front- and determines it will be far too big for him before he tugs it over his head.

He’s folding his trousers after fighting against the shorts when Sam returns, hair tousled and gray shirt loose on his torso.

“Bed?” He asks, pushing his fingers into his hair. Kurt smiles and nods slightly.

“Yeah, okay.”