Note: This blog is opinion based on fact.
Recently I have come to the realization that people believe that there would be no reason for Freddie to like Sam and that he would have to be insane for liking her. I've also realized how serious some people take Sam and Freddie's relationship. Even more serious then he himself does. If Freddie doesn't consider himself to be Sam's victim, my question is why should we? If you truly believe that Freddie is just Sam's helpless victim, you've clearly misinterpreted their entire relationship. Freddie himself has clearly stated that he considers Sam and him to be really close friends. I'm sorry but if I had a "bully" torturing me daily and I considered myself a victim, I would not have said such a thing. I also wouldn't go out of my way to pick fights with said "bully" the way Freddie does. Sam may usually (not always) be the one to initiate the fight, but that doesn't mean Freddie just stood there and took it. He insulted her back. She mocks him, he mocks her back. In some cases (iPie, iCook, iSpaceout) he fought back by pulling her hair, slapping her face, and wrestling her on the ground. Freddie is not a victim. This is a game they play. Neither of them genuinely believed the other felt hatred.
I won't deny that Sam does take things farther than Freddie would (ex: iKiss), but that's because it's in Sam's nature not to see the line before she crosses it. When she realized just how bad she hurt Freddie (something she had clearly been in denial about all week) she resorted to drastic measures to make it up to him. She humiliated herself live on iCarly. I'm sure that's something every bully would do for their victim, right? When she said "Hate you too", Freddie knew that was her way of assuring him that they were still playing the game. As seen in ihurt lewbert, Freddie knows that Sam will quit playing their game long enough to help him when he's in need. "NO jokes Puckett! This is serious chiz!" Also, Freddie clearly accepts Sam for the abrasive aggressive rude person she really is.He stated in iCarly saves tv "SHE IS PUSHY AND AGGRESSIVE!" as if that wasn't even a problem or concern. Because to him, truthfully, it wasn't. In iWill Date Freddie when Valerie accused Sam of always calling him names and putting him down, he responded "She can't help it! She's just naturally vicious!" When Sam is insulting/talking back to others (ex: Ginger Fox, Mr. Howard, the petographers), Freddie is visibly amused by it. In ibelieve in bigfoot Freddie stated "It's refreshing when she hurts someone who is not me." These are things that Freddie actually likes about Sam. He has always liked being around her, he just wouldn't admit it.
Could it have been platonic at the time? Yes. But once he allowed his feelings to expand the comfort zone of only being Sam's frenemy he realized those were the things he liked about her. He likes her for the person she is, he loves her for her flaws not despite them. She challenges him, excites him. I know people think Sam doesn't deserve Freddie and he only tolerates her, but people seem seriously blind to who Freddie would be without Sam. He would be shielded from pain and hurt. He would be weak. His mom is an overprotective crazy lady, Carly is a sweet innocent nice girl, but Sam is the person who helped Freddie man up and go through so much character development. Freddie is not Sam's victim. She is his abrasive rude aggressive lovable girlfriend :P