Chapter Twenty One

Sam

With Regionals done and conquered, New Directions was stronger than ever. They were so confidant; they figured Nationals would just be another notch in their belts. But, of course, then they would remember they would be competing against Rachel's team and three others from across the country. Mr. Schuester kept telling them not to think about it, but none of them could help it, not even Josey. Divine Vocals won their Regionals, even going so far as to scaring one of the other teams away.

They couldn't agree on a theme for Nationals, but they figured they had a few months to go so that was plenty of time. Of course, Josey sprang up and started ranting on about preparation and teamwork almost every day, allowing everyone else, including Brad and Mr. Schue, to fall into a deep sleep until she was done. Other than her, they all felt content just going along with Mr. Schue's various assignments, hoping they would find the right songs. They had a few candidates, but nothing as good as what they had pulled off before.

No matter how well the Glee club was going, Sam's grade took a turn for the worse. His dyslexia was getting in the way of pretty much everything he did, and he could hardly tell his w's from his m's anymore. He was getting slushie after slushie and the word fag had been written across his locker more than once.

"Sam, you cannot let these fools get to you," Kurt said sadly one day in the girls' bathroom as he washed the blue slushie out of his boyfriends' hair. "Soon it all becomes routine and you won't even notice it."

"You don't notice it," Sam replied. "I do. And it hurts, Kurt."

"I know, Sam," Kurt said, washing the blond head a little more vigorously. "It was me all last year, and the year before it. I've faced more hate than you. I've gotten pee balloons thrown at me; they've nailed my lawn furniture to my roof... You know why dad and I never got a pet? In seventh grade, I had a cat named Boots and they shaved it when it was trying to get back inside. So yeah, I do notice."

"Sorry," Sam mumbled, squeezing his eyes together. "I just forgot-"

Kurt cut him off and the jock felt his hands leave his head. "I'm glad one of us can."

At that, he got off, dried his hands, and left. Sam groaned and beat his head off the sink a few times at his stupidity, both for saying that to Kurt and beating his head off the sink. He blindly finished rinsing his hair and left the bathroom, dripping. He was about to head to his locker to go home and sulk, but he was cut off by Finn.

"Hello," Sam said dully, trying to get past the Frankenteen, but Finn's size was simply more than Sam's.

"Don't do the duet with Kurt," Finn blurted out.

Duets were the assignment for the week. It went without saying Sam and Kurt would be partnered, excited to find the perfect song to express their feelings for eachother to the club, especially one Noah Puckerman who's advances on Kurt didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Sam frowned.

"Why not?"

Finn shrugged. "Because, if you do a duet with another dude... about love and stuff... you'll get-"

"Called a homo?" Sam finished in a monotone. "Yeah. I already do, dude."

Finn changed his tactics. "I mean, you can't do a duet with another dude. I have no other way of saying this, don't be offended, but it's really gay."

"No shit," Sam replied. "I'm kind of queer as a rainbow in a snowstorm. Now if you'll excuse me, I just got into a fight with my mini fag, as Karofsky likes to call him, and I'm rather upset. I'd like to get to my locker so I can go buy some ice cream and mope around."

"Dude!" Finn shouted. "Don't just announce stuff like that in the hallway!"

Sam cocked an eyebrow. Finn exhaled deeply.

"The guys... they think me and you and Kurt are having gay threesomes and when you talk about chick stuff like that... it doesn't help any."

Sam laughed loudly. "You wish, Hudson."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Just... don't do the duet with him, okay? Can't you duet with like, Josey or someone?"

"Finn Hudson, your obvious homophobia never ceases to stun me."

Sam craned his neck over Finn's shoulder to see Kurt standing there with his arms folded. He gave Sam a small smile as Finn turned around.

"I'm not... I mean I'm not..." Finn sputtered.

"Yes you are. Now stop talking before I am forced to repeatedly bash my head against the wall and damage my perfect hair." At this, Kurt gave said hair a haughty toss. "Come on, Uncle Homo, let's go buy that ice cream you were talking about."

Kurt offered his hand and Sam took it and they walked away from the stunned Finn, who was still trying to form a sentence.

"Baby, I thought PMS was a chick thing," Sam joked as they walked. "Not just five minutes ago you were pissed at me."

Kurt smiled. "I realized it was over nothing. I apologize. And I'm not on my period."

"I accept your apology. But, how do I know if you're not on your period?"

"First of all, guys don't get periods." He waggled his eyebrows. "Wanna find out anyway?"

Sam figured that if he was in a bad sitcom, he would jump and kick his heels together, yelling something stupid like 'hot dog,' but he somehow refrained. He settled for practically dragging Kurt out the nearest doors and to his car, not just jumping at the chance, but attacking it and burying it in the ground.

When Sam told Mercedes, Alice and Quinn about the dirty deeds he and Kurt had gotten into the next day before Glee started, he could have sworn Mercedes' eyes were going to fall out, Alice held her hands in prayer position, gawking, and Quinn looked like she had just peed her uniform. While they stood and stared at him, mouths open and eyes popping, Sam shuffled his feet and waited for one of them to come back to life. Mercedes snapped out of it first.

"OH MY GOD WHITE BOY!" she screamed. This started the three of them chattering loudly. Sam could only pick out a few things out, such as Alice saying, "You guys are so cute!" and Quinn crying, "I love you two!" and Mercedes saying, "I'm so glad Kurt's finally got someone!" and Alice wailing, "I hope you two get married!" The three of them then screamed loudly, earning them looks from their fellow club members, causing Sam to blush furiously. Kurt shot him a look from across the room, and the blond shrugged. Puckerman had been watching the exchange and seemed to piece two and two together, because he promptly got up, squared his shoulders and stomped over to Sam.

"Me, you, fight, now," he said through his anger. Sam was about to protest, but Puckerman grabbed his wrist and dragged him out. Sam looked back at Kurt, who was trying to see over Finn's shoulders, because the jock had strategically placed himself in front of the fashionista.

"I don't see what this is about," Sam said, brushing himself off once the Neanderthal had released him.

"I thought we talked about this," growled Puckerman. Sam rolled his eyes.

"We did. Kurt's my boyfriend, not yours. I had every right."

Puckerman pushed the other boy into the set of lockers behind him. Sam looked desperately into the window of the choir room, but no one was there. He could faintly hear the Gleeks singing, obviously not noticing the absence of the two jocks.

"Listen to them," Puckerman said, punching the space beside Sam. "They don't even care that they're down a fairy."

"You're gay too!" Sam argued. "Don't go calling me the fairy when you're trying to seduce my boyfriend!"

Puckerman spit at Sam's shoes. "I'm not gay. It's just Hummel. He's girly enough; he could pass for a chick."

"Is that the only reason you want him?" Sam asked viciously, pushing the bigger boy backwards. "Because he looks like a girl? That's sick, Puckerman. That's fucking disgusting. He'd never want you."

Puckerman growled and gripped Sam's shoulders hard.

"Listen here, fag," he said dangerously. "No one talks to Puckasaurus that way-"

Sam cut him off with a scoff and quickly peeled the hands off his shoulders. "Look at you, you make up a nickname for womanizing. You're pathetic, and not worth Kurt's time. You can just get out of his life right now, thanks."

With that, he marched back into the choir room, earning a glare from Mr. Schue. He shrugged it off, going to sit by Kurt and placing a protective arm around the smaller form as Puckerman came back in the room, looking angrier than ever. Quinn reached down and smacked him in the back of the head. Sam smirked.

Sam, 1. Puckerman, 0.

"Why can't you and Noah just get along?"

The timid question was thrown at Sam after school on the way to Kurt's house. Kurt kept his eyes on the road, not sparing even a sideways glance to his boyfriend as he drove, so he missed the frown that was shot his way.

"I hate him," Sam replied simply. "He thinks he's got a chance with you, Kurt, but he really doesn't."

Kurt exhaled loudly. "And why do you think this?"

Sam was bewildered at this response. "Because, um, we're dating? Seriously, Kurt?"

Kurt, ever the ice queen, didn't show any emotions on his porcelain face. He just kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead and kept driving. He didn't say anything after a while, so Sam just turned the radio on. The rest of the drive was in silence, and Kurt didn't relent even after they had gotten to his room and Sam was inspecting his facial products.

He picked up one in a pink bottle, and Kurt slapped his hand away and placed the bottle back. Sam frowned up at him, but Kurt was already back on the couch, staring at the wall. Sam swivelled around to face the smaller teen.

"Seriously, babe, what's up?"

First off," Kurt replied icily. "Don't call me babe. Second, I don't want you and Noah to fight over me anymore."

"Well, see, Kurt, if I didn't fight the idiot over you, he'd probably be in your pants right now."

"Why do you bother?" Kurt asked suddenly, his eyes clouding over. Sam gaped at him.

"What kind of question is that!"

"A very legitimate one. And I see you have no reply."

Sam got up off the chair and went over to sit by Kurt, whose eyes were shining. He cupped the soft face in his hands and forced their eyes to meet. Sam kissed the delicate nose once, then each eye, then Kurt's chin, then lightly on the lips.

"Kurt," he said seriously. "I fight for you because... oh fuck. Because I... I love you, Kurt."

He had never said those three words to anyone in his whole life, not even his parents. He never saw much of them, and they basically just provided him with a roof over his head and enough money to get his own groceries. The only time the three of them actually came into contact at the same time was on Christmas.

Kurt's eyes went as wide as baseballs and a tear ran freely from his eye. Sam wiped it away and continued.

"Puckerman doesn't know what he wants. He's just upset that Quinn went back to Finn and figured that since he sees himself as a stud, he might as well have you, but he didn't factor me in. I know he'd never hold hands with you walking down the hallway. He's not gay. He doesn't have the same feelings as me."

Kurt smiled and sniffed. "You're so sweet, Sam."

He cuddled into his boyfriend and sighed contentedly. Sam held him tightly as the smaller teen made circles on the back on his hand. Kurt then reached for the remote.

"Let's watch Project Runway!"

Yes, Sam was happy.

A/N: Ah I am so not happy with this chapter... We needed some Hevan lovin though :) Also some anger. I think I might have said Puck would get some this chapter but he doesn't... He might soon, I haven't decided. I like Hevan and Purt the sam so it's gonna be a tough decision D: And yeah, that's all I have to say. From here on out, no more spoilers from me! You're just gonna have to wait :)

Also I still really enjoy reviews... just sayin ;D