Author's Note: The idea for this came to me while listening to Best of You by the Foo Fighters, and I ended up thinking of The Cure part of the way through writing, which is where the inspiration for the last lines of each "day" came from.
Also, I highly suggest you listen to Best of You when it's done acoustically, because it's just fjdksl;ajf amazing (just youtube it c: ).
Kum read, and enjoy!
When Mr. Schuester wrote out the word "struggle" on the whiteboard, everybody either tensed. Everybody has their own personal struggles, some more life altering than others, and those were the struggles Mr. Schue wanted them to express in their songs (if anything, just the emotion of it). He continued to talk, naming off different styles or songs that may be good places to start looking for ideas, but Sam wasn't really listening.
It had been almost two months since Kurt transferred back from Dalton, and Sam was proud that he had been the first to jump up and hug the countertenor when he walked back into glee rehearsal. He managed to keep in touch with Kurt after he transferred (casual conversations, seeing him when he went over for CoD sessions with Finn, and even playing Star Wars Battlefront online with him), and the two had become pretty close friends. Well, at first it was just casual, but then Sam called Kurt near tears after coming out (unintentionally) to his parents. After a long talk in the park, Sam had gained a newfound, meaningful friendship with Kurt.
Recently, though, Sam's nervous Kurt has been noticing the four-too-many glances, the jokes he says that have flirty undertones, or the way that Sam sometimes loses his train of thought during conversations with him after staring at his face a little too long. (He is thankful that Kurt doesn't speak Na'vi, though, because some of the phrases that come up like word vomit really don't mean the harmless nothings he says they do.)
It's only Monday, and Sam doesn't have a clue as to what song he should sing.
They're in the attic, where Kurt's mom's dresser is, and all the drawers are open and they're smelling her. They're lying side-by-side, staring at the little popcorn looking things on the ceiling, only occasionally saying a few words. But for now, they're quiet.
Sam's snuck a few glances at Kurt, and the expression on the former kicker's face is a mixture of sadness, nostalgia, and odd content. His eyes are glassy, but he's not going to cry—his cheeks would be pinkish if he was.
At first, he hesitates, but then the blonde moves his hand and curls his fingers around Kurt's, giving a comforting squeeze. Kurt turns his head to look at Sam, who just gives him a warm smile, and doesn't let go of his hand. Kurt blinks and returns the gesture.
It's Tuesday, and Sam wonders if Kurt's mom would've approved of him.
Kurt is standing at the front of the room, singing along to the piano, tears in his eyes.
Everybody's eyes are moist, actually. It's a beautiful song (Sam recognizes it from the scene in Phantom of the Opera when Christine was in the graveyard), and Kurt's singing wonderfully. Sam's stomach has that heavy feeling in it, and is biting his lower lip and blinking profusely. His mind wanders back to the previous day, and is surprised Kurt would sing about his mom in comparison to the abuse he deals with almost every day; Kurt usually avoided the topic of his mother, and even admitted to Sam that he was reluctant to share his habit of smelling his mom's old dresser.
When Kurt finishes, he sits back down beside Sam, who gives him a tight hug.
Later in the day, Sam gave him another hug when a few jocks shove Kurt down, and then slushy him. Kurt refuses the hug at first, saying it'd ruin Sam's shirt, but the blonde pulls him into his arms anyways, and that's when Kurt breaks.
He cries into Sam's shoulder, holding onto Sam as if he'll disappear at any moment. The blonde rubs Kurt's back, quietly shushing him, all in an attempt to soothe the brunette.
It takes a little while, and they miss class that period, but Kurt eventually calms down, his cheeks colored from crying in a way that Sam thinks is adorable.
Kurt regains his composure, sniffling, and looking at Sam. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that," he looked down at his feet, embarrassed.
Sam just puts a hand on Kurt's shoulder, rubbing a circle with his thumb. "If it helps at all, your eyes look really pretty when you cry," he gave Kurt his boyish grin, and the combination of the grin and the compliment made Kurt smile, flustered.
It's Wednesday, and when Kurt leaves the bathroom, Sam realizes what song he's going to sing.
Sam's swallowing down the lump of anxiety in his throat as he slides the acoustic guitar over his shoulders. He looks around the room, unsure of where to focus.
"So, Sam, what will you be singing for us today?" Mr. Schue prompts him.
"Best of You, by the Foo Fighters," he replies. "Um, usually it's done with a band, but I think it's a lot more.." he pauses, looking at Kurt, "personal, when done acoustically." He licks his lips as he puts his fingers on the starting frets.
"Let's hear it, then," Mr. Schue leans back in his chair.
Sam gulps, and takes a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. And then he sings.
"I've got another confession to make,
I'm your fool.
Everyone's got their chains to break,
Holdin' you.
Were you born to resist, or be abused?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?"
Sam's voice isn't nearly as rough as Dave Grohl's, but he's managing (he hopes) to make it his own, and judging by the rest of the club, they seem to be enjoying the song. Although, Sam isn't sure if that's a good or bad thing—it's supposed to be a song about struggle, but he supposes he can't help if they sing along or like it, since it was a single off the album and therefore, on the radio before.
"Has someone taken your faith?
It's real, the pain you feel,
The life, the love you'd die to heal
The hope that starts the broken hearts
You trust, you must
Confess.
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?"
Sam's strumming softly now, looking right at Kurt as he sings. He can't really read Kurt's expression, except for his eyes, which are wide, and he can see that the tops of Kurt's cheeks are slightly pink.
"I've got another confession, my friend,
I'm no fool.
I'm getting tired of starting again,
Somewhere new.
Were you born to resist, or be abused?
I swear I'll never give in, I refuse."
Sam shakes his head as he sings, before strumming harder and picking back up.
"Has someone taken your faith?
It's real, the pain you feel,
You trust, you must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?"
Sam keeps strumming before ending rather abruptly, but cleanly, and the club breaks into applause. He's smiling, but more specifically, he's smiling at Kurt, who is returning the expression as he claps. Sam puts the guitar down, and pulls Kurt up and gives him a bear hug, who is at first surprised at Sam's gesture—especially in front of the glee club—but wraps his arms around Sam, sighing contently.
It's Thursday, and Sam can't stop grinning the rest of the day.
Sam decides today will be the day he tells Kurt that he likes him. He needs to man up and just lay his cards on the table, because he's really bad at this hinting stuff and he's worried Kurt will find out in some other, really bad and/or embarrassing way.
But when he's walking up to Kurt's locker, he starts to learn that what he's feeling is the horrid wave of cold feet. However, Kurt spots the blonde and gives him a broad smile, and Sam realizes there's no backing out.
"So there was a Twilight Zone marathon on the sci-fi channel yesterday, and I was going to tell you, but I decided to just record them instead. Are you up for a night in the Twilight Zone?" Kurt asked in that weird voice the narrator of the show talks in, and Sam chuckles nervously. If it were any other moment in time, he'd get butterflies at the knowledge that he's turned Kurt into something of a geek, but right now he just feels like he may barf if he doesn't get this over with.
Kurt notices, and shuts his locker, concerned. "Sam, what's wrong? If you're going to get sick, please move so you don't ruin my new Doc Martins—"
"I like you," Sam blurts out, and Kurt freezes, giving Sam a blank look. Stumbling over his words, Sam just goes on. "I mean, you—I have all these feelings, Kurt. And I realized that they're feeling for you, and, I, it goes beyond just friendship." He licks his lips, taking a shaky breath, hoping to calm his racing mind. "I'm not saying you have to be in a relationship with me at this moment, but I wanted to let you know how I feel. I want for us to have a shot, but only if you want it too. So, um, if you want, we can maybe give it time or go right into it, or I can just go to class and we can pretend I never said anything."
Kurt's just giving him that same look, and Sam's getting more anxious with each passing heartbeat.
"Kurt, say something, please. I'm kind of freaking out here."
The sides of Kurt's lips twitches upwards, and he leans in closer and presses the softest of kisses to the corner of Sam's mouth. Sam still felt the ghost of Kurt's mouth on his after the brunette pulled away, whom is smiling coyly.
"After school, we're getting coffee," Kurt tells Sam, and as he turns to walk away, he pauses, and adds, "boyfriend."
Sam watches Kurt walk away with a bounce in his step, and he's just smiling like a goof and he fist pumps excitedly, never having been more excited for a little bit of caffeine before.
It's Friday, I'm in love.