By My Side - Sam/Aomaris Fanfiction

35) Sam's Acceptance

Time passed quickly once I started college. The first year, nothing particularly interesting happened. Mika decided that she was going to work for the company, in a roundabout way. She started a charity running off of the toy company which gave toys to kids all over the world who didn't usually get stuff like that. She and Erik moved into a lovely little house in Chicago; Mika didn't like how big the mansion was and she was barely in America anyway, let alone Chicago. Matthew moved out next and started living with Ronnie in a loft in the centre of the city. Both my best friend and I were going to the same college and he was at the mansion every weekend, so I didn't have to worry about losing touch with him.

Sam decided to join the Chicago police force, which I had to admit, was a very Sam thing to do for a living. He was quickly promoted to a detective and he was great friends with his colleagues and his boss, so he had no issues there. Soon after he joined the force, James decided to move out and Damien left soon after. James had become CEO of the toy company not long after I finished high school, which is how Mika was allowed to start her charity in the first place, and Damien bought and ran a little bookshop not far from where Mika and Erik lived. So then it was just me and Sam in the mansion and it took a while to get used to it just being the two of us. We still saw the others often (except Mika, but we spoke on the phone a lot) but there had been seven, practically eight people living in this house for half a year. But that was all that really happened.

In the summer holidays between my first and second years of college, James met a young woman named Iridessa and all of us could tell that he was instantly in love with her. We were all proven right when they began dating only two weeks after they met. However, everyone was surprised when they turned up three months later and told everyone they were engaged. Their wedding was lovely and that was where Damien met Twila, who was a friend of Iridessa's and perfect for the youngest incubus. Just like James with Iridessa, Damien was instantly enthralled by the young woman but they took a few months to get together.

It was my second year of college and the middle of November when Ronnie and Matthew announced they were engaged and set to marry in early June, to signify the day Matthew had come out as bisexual and introduced Ronnie as his boyfriend. This didn't surprise me, however, as Matthew had called me in a panic a month before, ranting that he desperately wanted to propose but had no idea how. I'd done my best to give him advice and it clearly worked, although I was certain that Ronnie would've accepted the proposal no matter what Matthew did.
Then that Christmas, Mika was given the time off to spend with her family and she was enjoying dinner with the rest of us when she and Erik sprung it on us that they were engaged as well. Sam was quiet that night and I soon figured out that he was embarrassed to have not proposed to me yet. So to calm him down without giving away that I knew what was up with him, I nonchalantly started talking about how I didn't want to get married until after I finished college because it would only add to my stress. Mika and Erik laughed at my response and I felt Sam relax beside me.

Both marriages coincided with Damien eventually proposing to Twila, and he did it in front of everyone, making her blush furiously and nod at him. Sam wasn't there that day though, he'd gotten called in to work because a criminal in holding had escaped. Damien and Twila got married very quickly as well; only about a month before the 2-year anniversary of when I met the incubi. Things calmed down after that. There were no more marriages, there were no events in the near future... My life with Sam fell into a natural rhythm as time slowly drifted by. I spent most of my focus and energy on my college work and Sam was working hard as a detective. Of course, there were a few days when one of us was in a bad mood but we always did our best not to piss each other off and we only fought once in those two years, if could even be called that. It was quickly resolved within maybe five minutes.

Something happened on the anniversary. I'd woken up later than usual because I wasn't in college that day. Usually, Sam was free on these days as well but he wasn't in bed when I woke up, so I assumed he'd gotten called in. I was a little peeved but it couldn't be helped. Instead, I dragged myself out of bed and took to wandering the mansion aimlessly. I had nothing to do. No assignments, no essays, no lectures... this could only lead to boredom. Ronnie did have college today and I'd tried calling everyone else to see if they were free; nobody was. As I meandered my way down the corridor where the incubi used to sleep, I froze at the sudden chill I felt, directing my attention to the open window.
"Did I leave that open last night?" I muttered to myself, gazing at it curiously. No, I definitely closed and locked all of the windows before I went to bed last night. My dilemma was quickly solved though, as a faint voice drifted through the window.

"Jeez, how the hell did I end up here?" It said. I frowned. Sam? I'd thought he'd gotten called in, but clearly not. He must be on the roof again. I stepped closer, curious to hear what he was saying but not wanting to disturb him. "It's been years and I still can't believe I'm here... Heh, to think I wanted to leave in the first place. I'm such an idiot." I did remember that; the day I'd found them in the mansion. Sam hadn't been impressed when I'd offered to let them stay for a while, but he'd been shot down by his brothers who were all okay with it. To be fair, I hadn't been impressed with him that night either, as he'd stolen my first kiss the instant I met him. Obviously, I didn't mind now, but back then...

"Ughh... and I, of course, had the worst first impression ever... Why the hell did I do that?" My eyes widened slightly. So he was thinking of the kiss too. I smiled to myself. "Meh, I guess I can't take back the past... I can only make sure they get what they deserve from now on." I frowned a little at that. He already gave me everything I could ever want.
"Alright, Sam... No more fuck ups. I'll call up James and learn how to be a proper man. I need to be strong enough to support them no matter what comes our way." I froze. While it was adorable and humbling to know that he was willing to change for me, he would no longer be the man I fell in love with if he did. I fell in love with the incubus who, past the brash and straightforward exterior, was soft and caring and gentle. I wanted to go up and see him but I knew I had no hope of ever pulling myself up there, so I did the next best thing.

"Hey, Sam? You up there?" I called. I didn't want him to know I'd been listening in. I didn't get an answer but after a minute, a hand poked itself in through the window. Blushing and slightly afraid, I took hold of it and grabbed the edge of the roof with my free hand. With Sam's strength, he was able to pull me up onto the roof with him. Once we'd gotten settled, I noticed a slight blush on his cheeks.
"How, uh... How long were you there?" He asked.
"Oh, not long. I just... Noticed the window was open. I thought you'd gotten called into work, you see, so I was..." I trailed off at the look he was giving me.
"You know, doofus, you're a terrible liar." He stated. I sighed.
"Fine, but I wasn't there long, just enough to hear that you wanted to change for me." Sam fell silent and I, wary of more loose tiles, moved myself closer to him. As I moved, he gently grabbed me and pulled me to him, making me land in the same position I'd been in the first time we were on the roof together. He avoided my gaze, however, and I sighed at him.

"Sam, why would I want you to change?" I asked quietly. He was silent for a second before flashing me a shy glance and looking away again.
"You do realise that I'm a brute, right? That was my nickname in the Abyssal Plains... I'm a brute, a monster... I'm not what someone can really want." My heart melted, but he was being ridiculous. Well, two could play at that game.
"Okay, then I'm changing too," I said. Sam stared at me. "I have my faults. I was such a disappointment to my family that they literally disowned me. So... I'm not non-binary anymore."
"But... that's who you are. You can't change that. You shouldn't have to change that because of what other people think." I smirked at him.
"Exactly. Now what were you saying about wanting to change?" Sam opened his mouth to retort but closed it again quickly, which made me smile down at him.

"Sam, you are what I want. You're not a brute, you're not a monster. And even if you were, that would be the incubus I fell in love with and I still wouldn't want you to change. I love that you're a bit blunt and brash. I love that you're protective and gentle. There is nothing about you, Sam, that I don't love." He blushed bright red and his eyes flashed gold for a second as he gazed up at me. I gently ran my fingers through his hair and he sighed suddenly, pulling me to him and kissing me deeply, showing the extent of the love he felt for me just as I had for him. As he pulled away, my forehead rested against his and he smirked slightly.
"You've chained the monster deep inside this sick and sinful body of mine..." He sang quietly. I blushed as well, gazing at him.
"Really? You're pulling the 'I'm gonna sing something adorable' card on me? That's low, dude."

Sam chuckled softly at me, running his fingers through my own hair and caressing my cheek gently.
"I love you, Sam. I love you so bloody much." He chuckled again.
"You sound so British, you know that, right?"
"Yeah, well. I did live there for basically my entire life, and I don't think my accent is gonna change. Honestly, the number of kids at school here that thought I was actually British... Barely anybody believed that I was Mika's sibling."
"But you are. And not only that, you're my beautiful partner too, which I find so goddamn hard to believe." It was my turn to chuckle, blushing even brighter at his words.
"That I am, Sam. I love you."
"I love you too, you doofus."