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He’s married, Sam reminds himself, when he sees Jacob Anderson for the first time.
It doesn’t matter. This isn't about that. Even through two computer screens and across a distance of thousands of kilometres, he can tell Jacob is a professional. He doesn’t have the same attachment to the source material as Sam–to be honest, who does?--but he is eager and willing and he is good. Sam can’t wait to meet him in person, to see if what he thinks is an amazing connection will translate on camera. He hopes that both of them get cast and have the chance to find out.
***
He’s married, Sam tells himself, occasionally, while they’re in New Orleans. It’s fine. Jacob’s family aren’t around, so it’s not like he’s keeping him from them. And that’s a very good thing, because Sam wants to spend every moment he can with Jacob.
Sam was right. They have a great connection, everyone on set says it, but it goes beyond that. Sam has worked with good scene partners before, acted with people with whom he’s had terrific chemistry, but it’s never felt like this. On those occasions, especially after long days of filming, he was always more than happy to say good-bye. He never wants to say good-bye to Jacob. Instead, they spend their days, off-hours when they should really be sleeping, touring the city together. They have ice cream and go shopping and wander about, Jacob’s arm slung casually over Sam’s shoulders or around his waist. It feels amazing. It feels like the best friendship Sam has ever had.
***
He’s married, Sam thinks repeatedly while they’re on the seemingly endless junket of interviews and promotional events. For the first time–well, maybe not the first time, if he’s being totally honest–Sam is a little disappointed about that. Jacob is so good to him, and so good for him. Publicity has always been the part of his job Sam likes the least. If he could skip it, he would. But he can’t, and having Jacob by his side, always there to make him laugh and take his mind off the stress of it, makes it bearable. More than bearable. Being with Jacob makes Sam feel like he could do this–saying the same things, answering the same questions, posing for the same sorts of photos–forever. That’s something he never thought he’d say.
“Feels like love,” Jacob says, right into a microphone, looking into Sam’s eyes. Yes, Sam thinks, even as he laughs yet again. It really does.
***
He’s married. Sam groans at the thought, his arm slung over his face. Beside him, Jacob sleeps beneath the rumpled sheets of Sam's bed, his head on Sam’s shoulder and his arm protectively over Sam’s bare midriff.
He didn’t mean for this to happen. When Jacob took up Sam’s suggestion that he come to Australia, Sam was overjoyed. They had been apart for months. They’d kept up via daily texts and regular video calls, some of which lasted hours, but it wasn’t the same.
The day he arrived, Sam had been practically bouncing off the walls. His house was cleaner than it had been since he moved in. He’d stocked the fridge with all of Jacob’s favourite foods. Sam was currently not working, so he had two weeks, fourteen glorious days, to spend showing Jacob his home city. He couldn’t wait.
Jacob insisted on taking an Uber from the airport. He texted when the plane landed, a quick “I’m here!” with a smiley face that sent Sam’s heart beating a mile a minute. He forced himself to relax, to breathe deeply and not to worry over minutiae like whether he’d picked up Jacob’s preferred variety of apple, until the doorbell rang.
Jacob was bound to be jetlagged. Sam knew that, which was why he was planning on keeping things chill for the first day or two. He opened the door, ready to explain that to the no doubt exhausted Jacob. When he saw him, though, all of Sam’s words disappeared.
Jacob looked better than ever. Tired, but so beautiful Sam couldn’t believe he’d let them go so long without seeing each other. That could never happen again. He would convince Jacob to move his family here, Sam thought, wildly. He would move to England. Something. He had to figure out something.
Before he could voice any of that, Jacob stepped inside. Sam vaguely registered the thump of a bag dropping to the floor. He didn't look. It felt like he had tunnel vision, like he was once again wearing the Lestat contact lenses and all he could focus on was Jacob. "Hi,” Jacob said.
“Hi," Sam replied.
Half a second later, Jacob was in his arms, smelling like an airplane, kissing him with a fervour Sam returned instantly.
“Hey. Sam." Later, in bed, Sam removes the arm from his eyes to see Jacob propped up on an elbow looking at him, a small smile playing on his well-kissed lips. “It’s going to be okay,” Jacob says, leaning in to kiss him again. It’s soft and gentle this time, like they have all the time in the world. Sam knew what a good kisser Jacob is onscreen. It doesn't surprise him he's even better off it.
I really want to believe you, Sam thinks. He just says, “Okay," and lets Jacob pull him close.
***
He's married. Even looking down at the brand new ring on his left hand, Sam can hardly believe it. It's not something he ever expected to happen; looking across the room at Jacob, laughing with Sam's sister with a matching band on his finger, it feels even more like a dream come true.
It didn't happen quickly. Jacob had to navigate his divorce, then he wanted them to wait awhile before going public.
"I don't want anyone to call you a homewrecker," he explained.
Sam looked down, at where Jacob was lying with his head on Sam's lap. "I kind of am, though." And he felt guilty about it, sometimes, but not guilty enough to stop.
Jacob grabbed Sam's hand and brought it to his lips. "You didn't wreck anything. You're perfect." He kissed the back of Sam's hand, a noisy smack that made Sam laugh.
Filming season two was awkward. The two of them had very few scenes together. Sam tried not to hang around the set when he wasn't meant to be there, but it was hard to stay away, both because of Jacob and because he really wanted to make sure they were doing the books justice. One day, when he wasn't on the call sheet but had stopped by anyway, Bailey cornered him in his trailer.
"Okay, are you guys fighting or fucking?"
"What?"
"You and Jacob. You've been acting off ever since we came back to filming." Before he could deny it, she went on: "Last season, you were the world’s cutest platonic couple, and now you're strange around each other. It's weird."
As an actor, Sam was a master of both his body and his expressions. Looking perfectly neutral, he was about to tell Bailey he didn't know what she could possibly mean, when she laughed out loud, then clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Oh my God! You are fucking!"
"It's not…"
"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you guys."
"Please don't tell anyone. Jacob wants us to keep it on the down low for now."
"My lips are zipped." Bailey made a dramatic zipping motion, then added, "Only, is it okay if I mention it to Assad? He owes me fifty bucks."
A few weeks later, it didn’t matter anyway. As Sam was about to leave the set for the day, Jacob kissed him, almost absent-mindedly, in front of a few dozen cast and crew. Nobody blinked. After that, it became a regular occurrence. When they were at their second San Diego Comic Con, a member of the audience asked if Sam and Jacob were able to maintain their friendship during the second season. It was a perfect set up. Sam saw the question in Jacob’s eyes, and although he felt a sliver of anxiety, he gave him the nod. Jacob leaned over and kissed him, long and slow. Applause echoed in Sam’s ears, and he pulled back before things could get too inappropriate. Not that Jacob would go there. He thought.
“I guess you could say we have,” Jacob said into his microphone, to the raucous approval of the crowd and Bailey, seated beside him. Beneath the table, Sam felt Jacob’s foot press against his own, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He smiled, too, three months later, when they were visiting the famous Père Lachaise cemetery on a weekend trip to Paris and Jacob proposed.
“Here?” Sam laughed. “Why not at the Eiffel Tower or something?”
“I thought you would appreciate this more,” Jacob replied.
“You know me too well.”
“You’re my favourite topic of study.”
“And you never get bored?” Sam joked.
“No one could ever get bored of you. You’re the most interesting person I’ve ever met.” What could Sam say after that but yes?
The wedding is in London, because Jacob has a bigger family. They’re planning an epic party in Sydney after they finish filming season three, though. Sipping his champagne, Sam watches as Jacob leaves his sister and comes over, crossing the room to slide an arm around Sam’s waist.
“Hello, Mr. Anderson,” Jacob says, grinning.
“Hello, Mr. Reid.”
“Nice night for a wedding.”
“Perfect,” Sam agrees.
“Feel like a dance?”
“I could go for one.” As his new husband–the word still sounds foreign to him, in the best of ways–leads him out onto the dance floor, Sam thinks, We’re married.
And he can’t wait to say that, over and over again, for the rest of his life.