Hi guys! It's been approximately a year and a half since I've actually posted anything. Wow. I'm pretty sure this means I suck. _. Oh well. I've decided to do a re-write of the show, while keeping it as close to cannon as possible. While this story is SamxKurt, it will not start out that way. If you're looking for a quick, cute read, this fic is probably not for you. This story will be exhaustive as far as accuracy to the script and lines go. The only things I'm changing are several events such that Sam and Kurt wind up together in the end (because let's face it; that would be amazing). And, of course, adding my own exposition and what-not. Each chapter will pretty closely follow the story. As in, I'm watching on Hulu while typing and editing lines. I will include (or not) some events, so if something is missing, don't freak out! Anyway, without further ado, the disclaimer!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee. I merely have taken the original material and edited it in a manner I see fit. I do not make any money off of this representation of events. Any likeness to any real person is coincidental, and is not intentional. This fiction will contain SLASH, otherwise known as homosexual relationships or encounters. In the event this offends you then, please, for the love of God, do not read.
Internal thoughts/dialogue are going to be in italics, because italics are spiffy. Flashbacks will be in [brackets], because bold looks ugly and isn't distinctive enough ^_^. And finally, song lyrics in /x/ and \x\ for individual singers, and |for multiple singers|
This fic is dedicated to everyone who has reviewed and kept track of me all the time I've been gone. It's inspired by multiple fic's by Nikkithedead. It's also specifically dedicated to her, and to Sussiekitten, without whom I never would have made it through the year.
Here we go!
Kurt Hummel groaned softly as he drew closer to consciousness. He glanced at the clock, only to find the digits 5:45 glaring back at him in an unpleasant shade of crimson.
"…Ugh. Good morning, world. Here I come! Bring on the slushies," he muttered sarcastically. Kurt got out of bed, and walked into his bathroom. He showered, and spent the next hour cleaning up his skin and face. Finally, he got dressed (which took another hour), and trudged up the basement stairs to join the rest of his family.
Upstairs, Carole was making breakfast for the four of them. Burt was sitting and talking animatedly about sports with Finn. Kurt was not in a mood to talk to anyone, so he quietly sat down at the tablet and simply waited for his food. Carole had made pancakes, one of Finn's favorites. She set the food down on the table, and said, "Dig in, boys!"
The room was filled with the sound of chomping, silverware clattering and the general sounds of eating. Kurt finished quickly, and quietly left to go to school after thanking Carole for breakfast. Though Finn and Kurt went to the same place, they both took separate cars in case either one had plans.
"Bye Dad! Bye Carole! I'll see you later, Finn!" he called out before going out the door.
Kurt was not a happy camper as he sat in Trig. He had been slushied already, and this was only his second class. The dumpster dive this morning had not gone well, either. Karofsky was getting worse when it came to his abuse. Kurt wondered, for a brief moment, if it would ever stop, if he would ever be accepted, if he could just be happy for once. It was then he realized he was being called on.
"Mr. Hummel? Are you alright?" asked his teacher.
"Yes, sir, I'm fine," he replied.
"Okay, do you mind coming up to the board to do this problem, then?" his teacher requested. Kurt looked at the problem. (x-7)(3x+2). On his way up to the board, Kurt began to solve the expression in his head. By the time he made it to the board and began writing, he had it completed in his mind.
Take that, Rainman
The rest of his classes passed rather quickly. French was a blur, and English was boring. Glee, as always, was the best part of his day. Mr. Schuester came out of his office with a worried expression on his face.
"Alright, let's gather 'round," he said quickly. "Sorry I'm late guys. I was with Principal Figgins," at which point Kurt began to feel nervous. Mr. Schuester sat down slowly. "Bad news guys. Puckerman's in Juvie," Schue sighed.
Kurt felt ice form inside of his stomach. Without Puck, they had no chance at getting to Nationals.
"It really was just a matter of time," scoffed Tina.
"What did he do?" asked a shell-shocked Quinn.
Mr. Schuester sighed. "He drove his mom's Volvo through the front of a convenience store and drove off with the ATM."
At this, the entire club burst into laughter, but Kurt was still frozen from the inside out.
Rachel stuttered, but asked the question "W-well when is he getting out?"
"Unknown," replied their teacher.
"He is the dumbest person on the planet, and that's coming from me," said Brittney.
"Guys!" shouted Mr. Schuester. "Let's have some sympathy?"
"For a guy who put his needs before the team's? We need his voice! And his bad-boy stage presence," interjected Finn.
"Guys, we can't look at this as a crisis! It's an opportune-"
"For what? Further embarrassment and humiliation?" said Quinn as she cut Mr. Schue off.
"For welcoming our new member, Sam Evans!" said Mr. Schuester enthusiastically.
Kurt looked to the door, and almost melted out of his chair. For there, before him, stood the most gorgeous boy he had ever seen in his entire life. He was blonde, too blonde, and he had incredible blue eyes. He wore a white t-shirt with a blue jacket.
"Hey everybody! I'm Sam. Sam. I am. And I don't like green eggs and ham," he said with a smile on his face.
Kurt felt his heart flutter. In addition to being gorgeous, his voice was like molten honey; smooth, rich and deep. Not to mention completely adorable.
"Oh, wow. He has no game," sniped Santana in the background. Sam looked dejected, and Kurt wanted nothing more than to tell Santana to go shove it.
"Okay, this is gonna be great!" exclaimed Finn and jumping up to stand next to the blonde. "You're not gonna regret joining, Sam!"
"Oh, good," said Sam, incredibly relieved. He wasn't sure how joining the Glee Club would go, and was a roiling ball of nerves. The two took a seat next to Rachel.
"Alright! Question for the group," said Mr. Schue as he moved on, "What's a duet?"
"A blanket." Brittney immediately responded. Everyone in the room looked away for a brief moment.
"A duet is when two voices join to become one," Mr. Schue continued. "Great duets are like a great marriage. The singers complement each other, push each other to be better. Now, some people…"
"Pst!" said Kurt to Mercedes, no longer listening to their teacher. "He's on team gay. No straight boy dyes his hair to look like Linda Evangelista's circa 1993," said Kurt proudly.
Mercedes glared at him. "You're crazy, circa 2010!" she said.
"And that is what duets are all about. So, this week I want you to pair up and sing a duet. And, since you all seemed to love our little Defying Gravity diva-off, I'm making this into a competition.
The group began to murmur. Mike Chang was the first to speak.
"What's the winner get?" he asked
"Dinner for two, on me," Will said, pausing for a moment, "…at Breadstix!" he exclaimed.
The whole Glee club exploded with happiness and chatter. Mr. Schuester looked on with amusement. Mercedes asked her best friend, "Who are you gonna sing with, Kurt?" she asked inquisitively.
Kurt didn't respond, but simply looked at the gorgeous blonde hunk and proceeded to daydream.
Sam was putting his things away in his locker when he realized someone was standing next to him.
"Hi! I'm Kurt Hummel," said the boy. Sam's immediate reaction was one of longing. He was beautiful, covered in creamy pale skin, with hazel eyes that were deeper than the Sarlac. Okay, so maybe Sam was still a nerd, but the boy in front of him was still beautiful. Sam could do little more than respond with a one word response and shake his hand, trying to play it off cool.
Don't give yourself away, you're new, being gay isn't cool, stay calm.
"I just wanted to personally welcome you to the Glee club," said the smaller boy. Sam smiled.
"Thanks," he said, still unable to give more than a monosyllabic response.
"Just tell me." Said Kurt.
Oh, shit, he knows, he knows, he knows, what am I gonna do, I'm fucked. Sam played dumb.
"Look," said Kurt frankly, "maybe at your old school you could get away with the whole 'I just stayed in the sun all summer excuse', but I have three gifts. My voice, my ability to spot trends in men's fashion," at this, Sam grunted an acknowledgement, "and, my ability to know when it comes from a bottle," said Kurt with finality.
Sam was dumbfounded. How had he figured out the hair dye in literally 5 minutes? Sam shook his head.
"I don't dye my hair dude," he said calmly.
"Yes, you do," said Kurt, "But it's just between friends. That's not natural."
Sam was thoroughly freaked out at this point, because the boy had managed to break down so many of his defenses all at once.
"I'm gonna go…because you're kinda freakin' me out." He said.
Kurt backtracked.
"Wait…maybe my instincts were a little off. Let me make it up to you. Team up with me for the Duet competition. Listen, unless you team up with Rachel, I'm your best bet at winning," Kurt was proud of his phrasing, and sure he had one.
"Aren't duets supposed to be between a girl and a guy?" asked Sam.
"Well Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor would protest!" laughed Kurt. Sam was clueless, but happy to have the younger explain it to him. "Make 'Em Laugh? Singing in the Rain? 1952? Nothing? Okay, maybe you are straight!" mumbled Kurt. Sam heard the last bit, and felt at least a little happy the Kurt was curious.
"What?" asked Sam.
"Nothing," said Kurt. "Rent it, then look up the menu for Breadstix online and call me, because we are gonna win this!" said Kurt enthusiastically as he walked away.
Sam stared after him, feeling as though he was missing something now that Kurt was gone.
Finn watched the whole spectacle, a feeling of worry growing in his gut.
"You can't do this to him," said Finn angrily.
"You're over-reacting," responded Kurt.
"If he sings with you, you're painting a bull's-eye on his back," foretold Finn.
"Once again, your closeted homophobia seeps to the surface like the contents of a crack cesspool," seethed Kurt.
"Don't give me that," said Finn, trying a different angle. "Look, I know I shouldn't have used that word in your basement, but it's not like you were innocent. I really like you, Kurt, but the fact of the matter is…" he paused for a moment, thinking about how to phrase what he wanted to say. "The way you were all over me last year? If I did that to a girl, she'd take out a restraining order." He said, hoping Kurt would get his meaning.
"You have issues with me being gay, I get it!" said Kurt, trying to justify himself.
"No, actually, I don't, I have issues with the fact that you don't understand that no means no," said Finn
Kurt was hurt, but started to see the validity of Finn's point.
"I just wanna sing with him!" he said.
Finn sighed. Time to pull out the big guns.
"Then you don't give a damn about any of us," said Finn, "If he sings with you? I guarantee you that within a week he'll take so much crap, he'll have to quit Glee club." Finn drifted off for a moment to let his point sink in. "Your call, dude." said the footballer as he walked away.
"I don't see the big deal. The kid emailed me like, 60 mp3's of him singing. I thought it was Faith Hill…the kid's good," said Sam. Finn had caught up with him after football practice, and wanted to talk to him. Truth be told, Sam had listened to each of those mp3's at least three times. Kurt's voice was that of an angel's. Sam really, really wanted this duet.
"Look, this isn't about how good Kurt is," said Finn. "Being in Glee club…it's like walking down the double yellow lines of a highway. If you get just a little off course…you're gonna get crushed."
Sam continued to get changed.
"You're kind of confusing my head right now," said Sam. "I mean, do you remember what you said when you talked me into joining Glee club?" he asked.
[FLASHBACK]
"Nationals are in New York City," Finn said with his arm around Sam's back, "Can you imagine what it's going to be like, coming home with that first place trophy? Most of the kids in this town have never even seen the Ocean. We'll be Gods!" Finn said with joy.
[END FLASHBACK]
"I joined because I'm new here, and you said it would make me popular, and now you're telling me it's going to get me killed," said Sam with as much emphasis on killed as possible.
"Well, eventually you're gonna get popular from it," backpedalled Finn, "but until then, you gotta lay low a little bit, and singing a duet with another dude is not laying low."
Sam was pissed at that. "I didn't realize you had a problem with gay dudes," said the blonde, affronted by Finn's sharp comment.
"Look, I don't have a problem with gay dudes; everyone else does," claimed Finn, "And we're living in their world, and in 'their' world? You singing a duet with Kurt is a death sentence," said Finn, a small smirk on his face. He thought Sam was really starting to get it.
Sam sighed. He really wanted this duet with Kurt. Hell, it might be his chance at a boyfriend, something he seriously wanted. But Finn was right; it would be hard in the one horse town that was Lima, Ohio.
"Well, I gave him my word," said Sam, as he slammed his locker, "In my world? That's that," he stated, and left the locker room- only to be slushied for the first time by Karofsky and Azimio. Sam stood, the ice and sweet, sticky flavoring dripping down him. After he wiped his eyes, he noticed Kurt right there next to him.
Kurt dragged Sam into the nearest bathroom. He put a towel into the sink and started soaking it. He gently dunked Sam's head into the water.
"The blueberry flavor is the worst," Kurt explained, "especially if it gets down your pants. You've got the potential to look like one of the creatures from Avatar down there." Kurt said with a smile on his face as he cleaned Sam's hair. Sam looked up at him sharply.
"I saw Avatar like six times!" he exclaimed happily.
Okay, maybe it was more like 16, but who cares? Thought the blonde.
Kurt just looked up at the boy. Sam was so freakin' adorable. He didn't know how to respond, so he simply said "Oh, okay. Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Sam was perplexed, though.
"Kurt, you're an amazing singer. Why do you get slushied?" he asked innocently.
Kurt paled.
"Well, I don't know if you noticed by how I sound, or how I walk, or how I dress, but…I'm kinda gay. Karofsky, Azimio…most of the guys in this school aren't cool with that, so I get slushied." Kurt said this at first while staring into Sam's amazingly blue eyes, but gradually looked down to the floor.
Sam tipped up Kurt's chin with his index finger to look him in the eyes again.
"Lor manari," said Sam passionately. Kurt looked at him, confused for a moment. Sam explained, "It means you have pretty eyes," but when Kurt still looked confused, he explained further, "It's Na'vi…the Avatar language?" Sam said while smiling like a fool. "Lor manari," he said, one last time.
Kurt, stunned by this, fled the room.
Later on that night at home, Kurt made dinner for his dad. All day, he'd been haunted by what Sam had said to him. He was reading too much into it. He needed to get his mind off of it, so he did what he did best; cooked!
"First course is served!" said Kurt joyfully, "heart healthy, vegan carrot soup with whole grain croutons…and you'd better eat all of it!" Kurt said. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find saffron in this town?" he joked.
"Alright, let me eat this at the table," said Burt, trying to get up, "You could make a plaster cast of my ass with the cushions from this couch!" he said with vehemence.
"Absolutely not!" said Kurt. "I am in charge of your care from now on. You have a serious arrhythmia Dad. The doctors say you need to rest until your stress test," finalized Kurt.
"You are my stress test," grumbled his Dad, and Kurt felt a twinge of pain, but knew it was just his dad being himself.
"So I guess this means I can't get salt?" asked Burt.
Kurt simply shot his father a look. Burt sighed heavily.
"Anyway, so what's up? How's school?" asked Burt. He wanted to connect with Kurt; it was important to him.
"It's fine, I guess," sighed Kurt. His father looked at him, so he elaborated. "There's this new kid, Sam in Glee club. He and I are singing a duet together."
"Is that a problem?" asked Burt.
"Finn practically begged me not to," whined Kurt. "Said it would ruin Sam's reputation."
"This kid Sam, does he, uh…play for your team?" questioned Burt awkwardly
"Undetermined," said Kurt
Burt looked up, realizing now was a good time for him to talk to Kurt.
"Maybe Finn has a point," said Burt.
Kurt was scandalized. "You're siding with him? After what he called me in our basement?" asked a shocked Kurt.
Burt responded quietly. "I was talking to Carole, and you weren't totally honest with me," said Burt, "She told me you had a crush on Finn, that you weren't afraid to show it?" he prompted.
Kurt was indignant. "So a gay guy can't be friendly to a straight guy without it being predatory?" asked Kurt.
"You gotta understand," said his father, "Most guys don't know how to deal with unwanted advances."
"So you're saying I shouldn't sing with Sam because it might upset a couple of homophobes? I thought you said no one pushes the Hummel's around?" claimed Kurt, feeling hurt and slightly humiliated.
"That's not what…what I'm saying…what I'm trying to say is that maybe it's you pushing this Sam kid around, trying to take advantage of him." Burt finally found the words he was looking for.
"Dad, you have no idea what it's like!" Kurt said desperately. "I am the only openly gay kid in my school, maybe the entire town. I mean, why can't I walk hand in hand down the hall with a person that I like? Why can't I slow dance at my prom?" At this, the soprano began to tear up.
"Come here," said Burt, feeling affectionate, "You think I don't want those things for you? I do. You know until you find somebody as open and as brave as you, you're going to have to get used to going it alone." Burt rubbed his son's back, as Kurt laid his head on his father's shoulder.
The next day at school, Kurt managed to dodge the slushy brigade and his dumpster dive. He could hardly believe his luck! He fell asleep in trigonometry (because let's be honest, it was trig), and aced his French exam. When he made it go Glee, he was super excited. He'd talked to Mercedes, and found out her and Santana were going to perform. During the whole time they were performing "River Deep, Mountain High," Kurt couldn't help but stare at Sam. The lyrics were just so poignant, and he felt strongly about it. He felt bad for not watching Mercedes, but he could always listen to her sing. He couldn't always oogle Sammy.
Oh, dear God. I've started referring to him as Sammy in my head. I need to end this, now
Mercedes began to sing.
/When I was a little girl
I had a rag doll
Only doll I've ever owned/
Santana cut in
\Now I love you just the way
I loved that rag doll
But only now my love has grown…\
/And it gets stronger, in every way
And it gets higher…/
|Day by day!
Do I love you,
My, oh, my!|
At this, they split into harmonies
|River deep, mountain high
Yeah, yeah yeah!
If I lost you, would I cry?
Oh how I love you baby!
Baby, baby, baby!|
The two girls began to shake their booties at the group. Most of the guys were mesmerized, except Sam, who thought of Kurt shaking his booty privately in his lap, and Kurt, who was still staring at Sam.
Mercedes started again.
/I love you baby like a flower loves the spring/
Santana joined
\And I love you baby, like a robin loves to sing\
/And I love you, baby like a schoolboy loves his bag/
|And I love you baby river deep, mountain high!|
The two did a few complicated runs.
|Do I love you, my oh my,
River deep or mountain high
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!
Iif I lost you would I cry
Oh how I love you baby,
Baby, Baby, Baby!|
The two gave each other high fives at the end of the song.
At the end of the song, Kurt began clapping to make up for his lack of attention. He knew they were good.
"Ladies!" Mr. Schuester called out, "What an incredible song!"
"And just so you know," Santana sang out, "I've already bought custom bibs for me and Mercedes here. You know why? Cause we's be goin'…TO BREADSTIX!"
Sam had just gotten through a difficult practice. Beiste was working them extra hard to make sure they succeeded at the big playoff game. He had turned on the water, and was just starting to enjoy the hot spray washing over him. He was the only one in the locker room, and he figured he might as well enjoy himself. He started soaping up his body, as his thoughts drifted to the one and only soprano on his mind…
"eh-hem," coughed Kurt, as he looked at Sam. Sam jumped, and looked over at his angel.
Play it cool. Don't freak out.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to go all Shawshank on you," said the soprano.
"This is…kinda weird. Guys usually don't talk to each other in here," said Sam, usually so we don't get boners from looking at such gorgeous people like you he thought.
"Well this can't wait," said Kurt bluntly. "I'm setting you free. You can do your duet with someone else in Glee. Someone that the world deems more appropriate," said Kurt forlornly.
Sam's heart felt like it would fall out of his rib-cage. He'd just found the perfect song for the two of them to sing, too!
"Did I do something to offend you?" Sam asked, hopeful the answer was something he could fix.
"No! No, I…it's not you. It's me," said Kurt. "You've been honorable, really, and I wish you the best…but I've realized that I need to sing with someone that matches my passion and talent level."
Sam was kind of offended. Didn't Kurt think he was a good singer?
"Who's that?" Sam asked, hoping to punch their face in so that he and Kurt could sing together still.
Kurt just smiled back at Sam.
"You know, they make special shampoo for color treated hair," said Kurt, as he gave Sam a quick once over and looked at the bottle of Aussie on the tile wall between them. Sam just looked at the boy with a sense of longing as the soprano turned around, before he realized what had been said.
"I don't dye my hair!" he shouted out of the locker room.
"Uh-huh" was the only reply he got.
The next day, Kurt got up to perform in Glee.
"Mr. Shue, if I may?" he asked quickly.
"You may," replied the Spanish teacher.
Kurt got up, and stood before the class, looking at all of them in turn. He spent particular attention to Sam, though.
"As many of you know, I had a duet partner, but due to sensitivities I'd rather not get into at the moment, I have dissolved the partnership," he said. He caught Finn's smile out of the corner of his eye, but he also caught Sam's distressed and sad look.
"Okay…" said Mr. Schuester, "…but who are you going to sing a duet with?" the Glee coach asked.
"Only the most talented member of the Glee club; myself," said the proud soprano.
Sam's head snapped up. THAT was who he had been left for? He was even more distraught now than before.
"When you're different, when you're…special, sometimes you have to get used to being alone. I've asked a few members of the Glee club, as well as some Cheerio's to help me out," He said with finality.
Santana, of course, interjected.
"How can you do a duet by yourself? That's like, vocal masturbation or something."
At this, most of the Glee club burst into laughter, except for Sam, who immediately began to picture a naked, blushing and panting Kurt, and had to then cross his legs to cover up what had just happened in his pants.
Kurt simply ignored her.
"I will be doing a number from the seminal classic movie Victor/Victoria. It's a show about embracing both the male AND the female sides. Watch and learn, Santana," he said.
He turned to Brad.
"Hit it."
They all migrated to the auditorium, where they found Kurt onstage, dressed in a rather unique costume that had Sam all sorts of confused about what he liked and didn't like. Kurt was wearing a black tuxedo-type suit
/"Bout 20 years ago…way down in New Orleans,
A group of fellers found a new kind of Music.
And they decided to call it…Jazz/
At this, Kurt spun around to reveal the other side of his costume; a white, female costume, that hugged all his curves in all the right spaces.
/No other sound has
What this music has…/
He spun around, and his tuxedo faced out again
/Before they knew it, it was whizzin' 'round the world'
The world was ready for a blue kind of Music
And now they play it…/
As Kurt spun again, and leaned on a Cheerio
/From Steamboat Springs to La Paz/
At this, the music picked up in speed, and Sam got a very nice look at Kurt's ass. Kurt leaned on the stage, and began to snap in time, exuding an aura of sex.
/Oh baby, won't you play me Le Jazz hot baby, and don't ever let it end
I'll tell you friend it's really something to hear
I can't sit still when there's that rhythm near me/
Kurt began to hump the air, and Sam's eyes veritably flew out of his head. He then shuffled up to the end of the stage.
/When you play me le Jazz hot baby
You're holding my soul together.
Don't know whether it's morning or night
Only know it sounded right/
Sam looked at Kurt with longing as the soprano did stage kicks
/So come on in and play me
Le Jazz hot baby cause I love my jazz hot/
Kurt held the note, and felt his lungs begin to burn with the exertion. He was glad it was toward the end of the song.
/Le Jazz…!
Le Jazz Hot!/
Sam realized he couldn't have done any better in a duet with Kurt, and applauded the soprano he was definitely sure he had feelings for.
Later on that afternoon, Sam told Quinn he needed to talk to her. The two met inside of the Astronomy classroom.
"I love Astronomy…something about all that space makes my problems seem kinda small." The two wandered around a bit. Sam pointed to one.
"That one's Venus, planet of love," he said, in a sultry voice, and blushing a little at how he sounded. He hoped that's how he sounded when he talked to Kurt.
"It's actually Mars. Planet of War," stated Quinn matter-of-factly.
"Which one are we on?" asked Sam cheekily, though he meant it as harmless flirting.
"Earth," said Quinn humorlessly. "So why don't you come back to it, and talk to me about duets. Tell me why I should be singing with you."
"Okay," said Sam. "Well, we'll start on the choreography. Singing will be easy, so I'll start playing…" as he strummed a few chords. "All right, now get behind me…good." The two stood awkwardly.
"I think it would be cool if you helped me play the guitar while the two of us were singing, don't you?" asked Sam. "Do you know how to play?"
Quinn whispered her reply. "No…"
"All right, it's easy," he said, "just put your fingers like this…yep, and then move them to here…good! You're making music!" he smiled at Quinn. The two looked at each other. Quinn felt a spark, though Sam felt nothing.
"Sam, why did you want to do a duet with me?" She asked bluntly.
"…Honestly?" he asked, realizing he had to tell her. He coughed a little, and then decided it wouldn't be fair to anyone if he lied. "To impress Kurt."
Quinn looked at him for a moment.
"Oh, wow. The first boy I dated was perfect, I cheated on him and got knocked up. I start to have feelings for another, and he cares more about a gay boy than me!" she shouted. "Duets don't work for me. I need to find a way to keep Santana off my heels. I need to find a way to torture Rachel and I need to start learning to ignore people!" Quinn sighed.
"I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I don't want to sing with you," she said, leaving a devastated Sam alone in the classroom. Now who would he sing with?
The next day in Glee, everyone sat down and watched as Mike and Tina talked in front of the class.
"I don't think I can do this," said a very nervous Mike.
"It's the perfect song for this very situation!" said Tina.
Mr. Schuester interrupted them. "Whenever you're ready guys!" he called.
"Yeah, hurry up! I needs to get myself to Breadstix," gloated Santana.
"Don't count on it," said Brittney quietly, "I'm mad at you, but you're still so hot."
"Trust me, you're gonna be great," said Tina, full of confidence in her boyfriend.
/See I really couldn't sing
I could never really sing
What I couldn't do is…/
\Sing\ Tina chimed in.
Everyone began to laugh.
/I have trouble with the/
\Note!\
/It goes all around my/
\Throat!\
/It's a terrifying/
\Thing!\
Truthfully, Sam had to admit that occasionally he felt a little like Mike…
/See I really couldn't hear which note was lower or was…/
\Higher!\
/Which is why I disappear if someone says let's start a…/
\Choir!\
Nope! Nevermind. Not feeling like Mike at all.
/Hey, when I begin to/
\Squeak\
/It's a cross between a/
\Shriek\
/And a quiver or a/
\Moan\
/It's a little like a/
\Croak!\
/Or the record player/
\Broke!\
/What it doesn't have is/
\Tone!\
Kurt, on the other hand, was having a riot with Mike's song.
/Oh, I know you're thinking what a crazy/
\Ding-a-ling…\
/But I really couldn't/
\Sing\
/I could never really/
\Sing\
/What I couldn't do is/
\Sing!\
/But what I lack in pitch, I sure make up in.../
\Power!\
/And all my friends say I am perfect for the/
/SHOWER!/
/Still, I'm terrific at a/
\Dance\
/Cause I'm messing up my/
\Pants\
/I'm a birdie on the/
\Wing\
/But if I begin to/
\Chirp\
/They'll say who's the little/
\Twerp\
/Going pong instead of/
\Ping!\
/And when Christmas comes and all my friends go…/
|Caroling|
At that, everyone joined in.
/It is so dishearten…/
\Ning!\
/It is so disquiet…/
\Ting!\
/It is so discourage…/
\Ging!\
/Darling, please stop answer…/
\Ring!\
/But I really couldn't/
\Sing\
/I could never really/
\Sing\
/What I couldn't do is/
|Do re mi fa so la ti do!
Do re mi fa so la ti do!
La!|
/La!/
|La!|
|Sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing…|
/SING!/
The whole Glee club came together for the last few notes.
"Now that is a duet!" shouted Mr. Schuester. "Thank you, Tina, for introducing us to the amazing voice of Mike Chang!
Finn came storming into the weight room where Sam was working on the punching bag.
"You made her cry! Major Glee party foul, dude!" he shouted.
"Look, I know, and I'm sorry!
Meanwhile, Rachel was in the girls bathroom, chatting with Quinn.
"Hey Quinn, can we talk?" asked the Prima Dona.
"What do you want to talk about?" seethed Quinn.
"About Sam…I heard that you backed out of doing the duet with him."
"Maybe it's for the best she backed out," said Sam, depressed he had lost what could have been a close friend. "Besides, if that Puckerman kid gets out of juvie, he's gonna beat my ass. And I'm sure you still have feelings for her too!" said Sam. He noticed the flicker in Finn's eyes, though Finn responded negatively.
"No, no, no way. I'm with Rachel now. I mean, she's a lot shorter than Quinn, and she talks a lot, but I'm in love with her," stated Finn matter-of-factly. "Look, this isn't about you dating, this is about you singing a duet with Quinn to raise your musical rep in the group.
"Look, I understand that your reputation is important to you, but…wouldn't you want to do whatever it takes to be on top of the proverbial pyramid in every aspect of your life?" led Rachel, trying to feel out Quinn's emotions.
"Singing with Sam won't change that," said Quinn.
"Oh, but winning the competition will," said Rachel quickly, "And partnering with Sam is really your only shot at it."
"What's your angle?" asked a furious Quinn.
"Angle, what-" stuttered Rachel.
"Me winning means you losing, and you'll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen, so what is in it for you?" asked Quinn, her voice full of venom.
"Look, I agree, okay? You're probably not gonna beat Finn and I, but I just thought, that, as the team captain, it would be good for the team to have some healthy competition for second place," said Rachel.
"Look, I'm not saying you're gonna win, but I'm just saying that even coming in second would go a long way with the rest of the team," said Finn.
Sam thought about it, and realized that it was his only shot to sing to Kurt.
Sam caught up with the Queen Bee later on that day.
"Hey, I wanted to apologize for the other day. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," said Sam
"Good, because we're gonna have to spend a lot of time together practicing if we're gonna win that dinner at Breadstix," stated Quinn.
Sam smiled. It might work out with Kurt after all!
Sam and Kurt watched Finn and Rachel's performance in utter horror with the rest of the Glee club.
"That was rude!" exclaimed Sam.
"Really rude," added Tina
"I seriously wanted to punch both of you!" said Quinn.
"I'm…really disappointed in both of you," said Mr. Schue. "Getting back on track! Who's next?"
Sam and Quinn stood up, as Kurt watched with a sad expression on his face.
"Okay, I just want to say that I'm really excited, and that Kurt, although I missed working with you this time, we will work together at some point." Sam's eyes gazed fiercely into Kurt's as the song began.
/Do you hear me? I'm talking to you,
Across the water, across the deep, blue
Ocean, under the open sky,
Oh my, baby I'm trying/
Sam had to look away from Kurt to his guitar in order to hit the chords. Kurt blushed. Surely Sam wasn't singing to him? No, he couldn't be.
\Boy I hear you, in my dreams.
I feel your whisper across the sea,
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard\
Sam looked back to Kurt again for the next few lines
|I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Oooooooo….|
The two sang the next part in sync.
/They don't know
How long it takes/
\They don't know
how long it takes\
|Waitin' for a love like this|
/Every time we say good-bye/
\Every time we say good-bye\
|I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you, I promise you
I will...|
|I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Oooooooo…|
The entire song, Sam looked almost nowhere else but at Kurt. He really wanted Kurt to understand it was him Sam sang about, but Kurt seemed to have missed it.
After Sam and Quinn were announced the winners, Rachel ran up to Kurt in the hall.
"Hey, I had something I wanted to talk to you about!" she said.
"Oh, please, not another pregnancy…" snarled Kurt.
"I think that you and I are a little more similar that you think," said Rachel.
"That's a terrible thing to say," commented Kurt.
"I know you're lonely," Rachel said. "I can't imagine how hard it must be to have feelings in high school that you can't act on for fear of being humiliated, ridiculed or worse. We're going to win Nationals this year, and you know how we're going to do that?" Rachel asked, grinning. "Because we have you."
Kurt just stood there silently.
"That's 12 people who love you, just for being exactly the way that you are. Look, I know you're lonely, but you are not alone. That's why…I was wondering if you would sing a duet with me?"
"But the competition is over," said Kurt.
"I know, I just…I thought this one could be for me and you," said Rachel quietly. Kurt smiled.
"You know, I hear they don't even make these fresh?" commented Quinn at Breadstix. "They fly them in frozen from some factory in the Dominican Republic."
"I once caught some pretty sweet waves down in the Dominican," said a happy Sam, his mouth full of salad.
Quinn looked at him awkwardly.
"Hey, hey hey! It's my Matthew McConaughey impression; come on!" said Sam
"Does that work on the girls where you're from?" sniped Quinn. "The impressions, the bad jokes, the Na'vi?"
"I don't know. I went to an all boy's boarding school before this," said Sam, his voice tinged with sadness.
"Makes sense," said Quinn.
"It must be hard," commented Sam, "I think if I went through what you went through last year, I would have transferred to a school on the moon or something, out of embarrassment." He saw Quinn's face fall, and realized he'd said the wrong thing.
Open mouth, insert foot.
"Okay, that-that didn't come out right," he said, "I mean, you're really brave to come back like you have. I don't judge you or anything. I know what it's like to have a secret that you're ashamed of," said Sam, staring at the salt shaker.
"Oh, holy crap!" said Quinn. "So…so you are gay?" she asked finally.
Sam didn't speak for a long moment.
"At the boarding school, it was easy. Everyone was a little gay, but no one said anything. Here, I see Kurt going through all this shit, and I can't do anything, because I just want to stay popular," said a disheartened Sam. "Quinn, please, I'm not ready to come out yet. Do you mind if we keep this between us?" he asked.
Quinn was shocked, but knew she had to do the right thing.
"Of course," she said. "Your secret's safe with me." Sam breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he repeated.
"BUT I have one condition," she said.
Sam felt a pit open up where his stomach was located.
"What?" He asked, dreading the question.
"Do you have a crush on Kurt?" asked the cheerleader.
Sam looked away and blushed, then mumbled something. Quinn simply squealed from behind her hands.
"Oh, my God! This is so great!" she was thrilled that Kurt would finally have someone to be with.
"Can you help me, Quinn? I don't know what he likes, and I don't know where to go from here," he pleaded.
"Of course. I just have one question," she said.
"Shoot," said Sam
"Is Kurt right about your hair?"
"Maybe," was the only reply.
That's all for now, folks. Tune in again for Rocky Horror Glee Show (Good lord, I've got a lot of these to write, don't I?)
Again, most of the material in the story is actual sourced content from the episodes. I've taken the time to painstakingly transcribe them as I watch, and make determinations and edits as I go. These take time. I apologize if I update slowly, but that's why.
Thanks for tuning in, and please, leave a review? Cookies if you do. Flames will be used to power the oven!