FBenson: Okay, I've got one.

FBenson: And considering Frank is asleep not five feet from me – he fell asleep watching 'The Unauthorized Galaxy Wars' documentary – we're going to have to break the rule and answer over messaging.

GiveMeMyHam: How long did he last?

Sam sat back with a slight smile, staring at her computer screen while flipping through her math textbook, not really taking in any trig.

FBenson: A little over a half an hour. I was rather disappointed.

GiveMeMyHam: Can you blame the guy? Anyway, I didn't even last fifteen.

FBenson: Yes, but you weren't physically here, so it wasn't hard to ignore you and finish the movie.

FBenson: And anyway, you are much cuter when you sleep. Frank, on the other hand, rolls around and snores like a boat horn.

Skillfully ignoring the compliment, Sam typed out her reply.

GiveMeMyHam: So what's your question?

FBenson: If you could be reborn into anybody, who would it be?

Smirking, she typed back almost immediately.

GiveMeMyHam: The Fat Priest.

Freddie burst into laughter.

FBenson: Are you kidding?

GiveMeMyHam: No! He's my hero.

GiveMeMyHam: What about you?

Freddie thought for a moment, drumming his fingers on the keyboard.

FBenson: Probably Leibniz.

Upon realizing she definitely had no idea who that was, he quickly typed out more detail.

FBenson: He was a mathematician in the 1600s. One of the inventors of calculus.

GiveMeMyHam: Oh, fancy. My boyfriend, the math wizard.

Shaking his head in mirth, he rolled his eyes. He could only imagine Sam's expression at that moment.

FBenson: I sense your sarcasm from 3000 miles away.

GiveMeMyHam: I take pride in the strength of my sarcastic signals.

FBenson: I wish they didn't need to be so strong.

Sam's smile faded.

GiveMeMyHam: You'd rather me be there, where my anger and violence is only a foot away? At least you're safe out there.

FBenson: Safety is overrated.

There was a pause in response, and Sam hoped that would be the end of it. But alas, the universe wasn't ready to let her off the hook just yet.

FBenson: I miss you.

With a sigh, Sam pushed her laptop away from her. It had been a month since she returned from Oklahoma, a month since she had seen Freddie. Right after she left, it had been so easy. Like it was when they were still physically together. They talked and bantered and it was like nothing changed.

That was, until she had received a call.

"Hello?"

"Sam?"

Sam turned her phone, checking the caller ID one more time because why was the nub questioning her voice?

"No, it's Heidi Klum."

There was unfamiliar laughter on the other line.

"Sam, it's Frank. Freddie's roommate?"

Suddenly it clicked, and she almost let out a sigh in relief.

"Oh hey!" She greeted, picking up her last piece of laundry and unceremoniously shoving it in a drawer.

"Hi Sa- Heidi. How are you doing?"

"Oh, you know," She shrugged with a ghost of a smile on her face. "Same old, same old. Photoshoots, magazine covers, endless amounts of cash. So tiring. How's life with the peasants?"

"Not too shabby, can't complain. Well… except for the reason I called."

"Which is…?" Sam implored, sitting on her bed in wonder and a tad– very small – bit of worry.

"Uh… it's Freddie." Frank told her, and she sucked in a breath. "There's something going on with him. He won't admit it or talk about it, but it's really starting to worry me."

She shook her head, hoping to whatever is out there that Frank is just reading into things. "No… no he's probably just worried about a test or something. I mean, it's Freddie, right? He's always stressed out about something-"

"He only smiles when he's on the phone with you, Sam."

Her heart skipped a beat. Honestly, skipping a beat, like in those stupid movies. "What?"

Frank just shook his head. "Otherwise he looks like his puppy just died. It's only when you call that he starts to look like himself again. Until you two hang up, then he slowly goes back to the kicked puppy face."

"I- I don't…" She stuttered, unsure of how to respond. She had noticed a change in him, but she, of course, had chalked it up to 'It's just Freddie being Freddie.' Being his girlfriend, she probably should have noticed…

"I'll be right there."

From: The Demon

How are you?

Freddie pulled out his phone as it vibrated, turning it over and immediately furrowing his eyebrows.

From: Frednub

Is that supposed to be a question? Because if so, you're really losing your touch.

From: The Demon

Yes, that's a question, so you have to answer. And since it is a question, you need to think about it as much as you would think about any other question I've asked and answer it truthfully.

With a gulp, Freddie quickly typed out a response before shutting his phone off.

From: Frednub

I don't have time for this right now, Sam. I'm fine. I'll talk to you later.

"Hello?"

"Nub."

Freddie groaned inwardly, cursing himself for not looking at his caller I.D. "Hey, Sam. What's up? I'm kind of busy-"

"Are you planning to answer my question within the year?"

This time, he actually groaned, flopping down on his couch. "Sam, I'm fine. You're being ridiculous."

"No she's not." Frank called as he walked by, pulling on his leather jacket. Freddie just rolled his eyes. "Ignore him."

"Stop lying, Freducation. I know there's something going on – it's pretty obvious." She peeked through the window, waving her arms and knocking quietly to get Frank's attention. "If you would just tell me, it would make everything like ten times easier."

"Yeah, well there's honestly nothing to tell, okay? I have to go, I was on my way out. I have class in ten minutes." Freddie explained as he guiltily ran his fingers through his bedhead hair.

"You know," Sam retorted as she stepped back, waiting for Frank to open the door. "I find it a little insulting that you still lie to me when I made it clear I stopped doing that with you. It's Friday, I know you don't have class on Friday." The door opened, and Frank looked so relieved that he hugged her. Once she was released, he wildly pantomimed that he was leaving until Sam waved him off with a roll of her eyes at his antics.

Sighing, Freddie stood up. "Okay, I don't have class, but I'm about to go to a study group in my class, so I have to-"

"You're going to a study group in your pajamas?"

Freddie narrowed his eyes, "For your information, half the school shows up to class in their- wait…" He turned around, seeing Sam behind him with her phone dangling in her hand, glaring at him. His mask deteriorated for a moment, and all he felt was complete relief.

"Sam." He managed to choke out, before she tossed her phone to the side and stepped up to him, taking him in her arms. He held onto her tightly, until she reached up and grabbed his face.

"Don't ever lie to me again, you got that?" He nodded softly, his eyes downcast. In a desperate attempt to get that God-awful look of misery off his face, she tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him, hard.

"Whatever you're going through, it's going to be okay. I'm…" She took a deep breath, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I'm here for you."

Ever since that night. That steamy night, clothes everywhere, hanging off of his lamp and bedposts, when they intimately connected for the very first time. That's when everything changed.

At first, it wasn't that noticeable. Once she got on the plane back home, he was normal. Then she got a text.

From: Frednub

I miss you.

Only caught a little off guard, she didn't think anything of it. Then came the follow up text.

From: Frednub

I've been afraid to say that to you for the longest time. But I feel like after this weekend… maybe I can?

Where was all this coming from? Okay, so she knew that things would change now that they took… that step but she had been trying so hard to act like it hadn't. Sure, she'd throw in an occasional 'boyfriend' or sarcastic 'sweetheart', but for the most part it was all the same silly banter. And she had been okay with that.

Until now, that is.

FBenson: Are you still there?

GiveMeMyHam: Could you stop with the cutesy stuff?

Deep inside, she felt like a complete asshole for it, but she honestly couldn't stand it any longer.

FBenson: What do you mean?

Practically feeling his hurt through the computer, she sighed.

GiveMeMyHam: All the 'I miss you's and 'I wish you were here'. Can't we just go back to how it was before?

GiveMeMyHam: And don't say 'before what?' because you know. You feel the change too.

FBenson: Look Sam, I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to play it down, everything that happened that night, everything that's happened since, to keep yourself in your comfort zone.

Sam sucked in a quick breath, her eyes glued to the screen. Shit.

FBenson: Well, I'm sorry, I really am. But I can't pretend nothing happened. I won't pretend.

FBenson: We made love, Sam.

Letting out a soft groan, she drummed her fingers on her keyboard. He knows she hates it when they call it that.

FBenson: That's what it was for me. And deny it all you want, but I'm pretty damn sure it was the same for you. Even if you won't say it.

Her groan grew louder. How the hell does he do that? Get into her head like that? It's downright irritating.

FBenson: I'm in love with you, Sam Puckett. You have my fucking heart. Now you just have to decide what to do with it.

FBenson signed off (6:34 P.M)