"You owe me a duet."
Kurt looked up from trying to find a book in his bag, eyebrows raised as the expression he gave Sam was questioning. "Excuse me?"
Sam swallowed nervously. "You dumped me as a duet partner last year," he reminded him. Realization came over Kurt's face, and then embarrassment as he blushed. Sam smiled at his friend reassuringly, though. "It's okay, just be my partner for the duet competition this week, and I might call it even." When Kurt nodded, Sam had to hold himself back from jumping and fist pumping triumphantly, and instead just gave Kurt's shoulder a squeeze and said, "We got this, Kurt."
Picking the song proved to be difficult—Kurt was very much a showtunes and pop listener, whereas Sam enjoyed classics and some modern rock. However, they were lucky when the song happened to come up when Sam's iPod had been plugged into Kurt's speakers on shuffle for the hour and a half they spent looking for a song. So, after looking for a short while longer—"just in case" something else happened to come up—but Kurt was stuck on the song, and it was Sam's favorites, anyhow.
They were both aware of the obvious meaning and tone of the song, too, but neither of them said anything about it—they weren't best friends, exactly, but they were flirty enough with each other to know it wasn't weird or the odd dynamic that Kurt and Blaine had before their short-lived relationship.
"Far away, this ship is taking me far away. Far away from the memories of the people who care if I live or die," Kurt sings, his head held high with confidence that just radiates from his entire being. "Starlight, I will be chasing the starlight until the end of my life. I don't know if it's worth it anymore."
The good feeling is contagious—Sam's even standing tall as he joins in, his voice sounding almost powerful in comparison to Kurt's smooth countertenor.
"Hold you in my arms; I just wanted to hold you in my arms." He looks over to Kurt, trouty lips spread in a wide smile. "My life, you electrify my life. Let's conspire to reignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive." Kurt opens his mouth, and they sing in unison: "I'll never let you go, if you promise not to fade away; never fade away!"
They share a smile before looking to the rest of the club, who are clearly enjoying the show. Kurt sings on his own, his voice soft and high, repeating the line twice, "Our hopes and expectations; black holes and revelations."
Clapping to the beat, Kurt continues to sing, glancing multiple times in a semi-obvious manner at Sam. "Hold you in my arms; I just wanted to hold you in my arms."
"Far away, this ship is taking me far away. Far away from the memories of the people who care if I live or die," Sam takes over, and turns to look at Kurt with an over-joyed expression on his face. "And I'll never let you go, if you promise not to fade away; never fade away!"
The rest of the glee club sings along to the repeated line, all of them together. "And our hopes and expectations; black holes and revelations!"
The duet partners sing the last verse together; Sam is lost in the song and the butterflies in his stomach and the genuine happiness, and takes Kurt's hand in his. "Hold you in my arms; I just wanted to hold you in my arms. I just wanted to hold…"
Their breathing is labored but they're smiling, smiling first at the club members who've broken into applause, and then smiling at each other and their hands are still laced together. Before Kurt knows what he's doing, still high on the euphoric aura around them, he tips his head back just a little and leans in to press his lips on Sam's, forgetting momentarily that they're in front of the entire glee club.
Sam leans into the kiss too, though, and moves his lips gently against Kurt's, ignoring the cheers from their friends (and the groan he hears from Puck, not seeing the few bills he hands over to a smirking Santana).
Kurt pulls away, needing to breathe, and he just looks up at Sam, both of their faces flushed but with smiles on their faces.
Sam bumps his nose sweetly against Kurt's, murmuring so that only Kurt can hear, "I think we're even."
Kurt kisses him again.