A/N: This is for my new favorite couple, Sam and Mercedes! Takes place where 'Prom Queen' left off and into 'Funeral'. Please Read and Review

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Glee is property of it's creators and FOX.

"You didn't have to walk me home." She told him in a bashful tone. She was clearly

never one to be bashful and she didn't quite know where it was coming from, but at this moment, it was really the only way she could respond.

He gave her a smile, "C'mon now, what kind of part of a three way date would I be if I didn't make sure that my dates got home safely?"

She giggled, "You didn't make sure Rachel got home safely, you seemed pretty content with Jesse taking her home."

He blushed, "Well, Rachel, is, fine with Jesse. I mean what she sees in that douchebag, especially after hearing that he made breakfast on her head, I don't necessarily understand but I do think he's capable of taking her home."

Mercedes laughed and then they both became silent. Smiles still on their faces but their eyes wondering not really sure what to say next as they listened to the crickets chirping on her porch. Finally she broke the silence.

"Well, thanks. For tonight I mean, I had a really good time." she told him.

"I did too. You know that I meant it tonight right?" he asked her.

"Meant what?"

"You look really beautiful tonight, Mercedes." He said softly his hazel eyes looking directly into her brown ones.

Mercedes felt her heartbeat speed up and her cheeks becoming hot, as a fresh smile eloped across her face. She didn't even have time to let out a 'thank you' because he put his lips to her cheek; kissing it gently.

She didn't know what to do now. Should she give him a hug? Kiss him back? Take the time to finally thank him for the compliment or would it sound like she was thanking him for the kiss? And would that be weird? So instead she found herself saying.

"Goodnight, Sam." she told him, once again in that bashful tone that somehow came out of her.

Sam gave her one last smile, "Goodnight."

Mercedes quietly walked inside her house, knowing that everyone would be sleeping. She took off her shoes and carried them upstairs and walked up to her room.

"Did you have a good time?" she heard from her mothers voice. She turned around, to see her mom standing there in her robe and slippers, in her bedroom doorway.

"Yeah, yeah I did." She said happily letting some of her feelings seek out through the tone of her voice, "I had a really good time."

"I'm glad. Well you should probably get some sleep, goodnight sweetheart."

"Night, Mom." She told her as she made her way to her own bedroom. She sat on her bed, her dress still on, and her shoes still in her hands. Her cheek felt electric from where his lips had been and she couldn't stop her head from reeling or heart from fluttering. Sam had kissed her. It might have been just on the cheek but still, he kissed her.

Then she found her thoughts changing. Snap out of it, Mercedes. Sam may be a really nice guy, but there is no way he could like her, in that way. I mean they were friends, this whole date was a friend thing. I mean this was the guy who was on the football team, had the perfect blonde hair, had dated perfect Quinn Fabray, and perfect Santana Lopez. She wasn't Quinn Fabray. Why would he be into her like that? Mercedes knew the whole, 'obsessing, being freakishly self-conscious' thing that a lot of girls pulled was just a stupid amount of crap. She tried not to do it as much as she possibly could. She hid all of that with a killer amount of confidence, a tough girl attitude, and by just being fabulous. But she still felt that way sometimes. Every girl did. You just couldn't help it sometimes. Now was one of those times, because she knew she had to be practical. Sam would never be interested in actually being with her. At least not like that. She could be okay with that, because he was a great guy and as long as this meant that after tonight they had a better sense of friendship, than she could be happy with that.

The next week was an intense one. Nationals were approaching and everything was crazy. With this whole thing with Sue's sister's funeral, and the auditions for being showcased as the main performer at Nationals was crazy. Especially since it was all being dictated by Jesse St. Sucks (she had never loved Kurt more than when he came up with that extremely accurate nickname); she felt like her whole world was spinning. She was just leaving the auditorium after Mr. Schue said that he would announce the winner of the solo at the end of the week. She couldn't help but letting out a groan as she walked out and began to put a hand on her head that was beginning to pound.

"Whoa, you okay there?" she heard a cheerful voice say from behind her. She turned around to see Sam standing there giving her a sad smile.

"Jesse sucks. I'm beginning to think Nationals are going to suck. Everything is just a big pile of suck!" she exhaled.

Sam gave her a little laugh, "So let me guess, a good way to describe your mood right now would be, that it sucks?"

She lightly slapped his arm, "Very funny." She said dryly.

"Hey, maybe I can help you cheer up. Do, do you want to go to the park with me today after school? I know it's not exactly the coolest place to go but, it can be really relaxing sometimes." He asked her.

Mercedes than began to feel the some flutters in her heart that she had been feeling on prom night.

"Yeah, um okay. That sounds good." she mumbled out the best she could.

"Cool, I'll meet you at your locker at the end of the day?"

"Sounds good." She told him as he gave her a smile, gave her a little touch on the shoulder and walked away.

When the end of the day hit Mercedes found herself walking through the park with Sam. The May wind was lightly blowing and the sun was shining on her hair and she found herself not having to work on controlling her nerves like she thought she originally would have. Everything with him, talking, and hanging out was just, easy. Right now all she could do was find herself laughing as Sam was finishing off some of his dorky impressions.

"Oh my god." Mercedes let out with a laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just, you really are a dork." she said laughing some more.

Sam made a fake offended look. "Ouch! A little harsh there."

"No, I'm actually kind of glad. Dorks are more fun than guys who just try to play it cool all the time."

"Well that would officially make you the first girl to appreciate my impressions." He said with a smile.

"Well then I"m honored."

"I like you, Mercedes." He said abruptly and stopped walking. Mercedes stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him. "You, you're the first girl I've ever met since I've been here where I feel like I don't just have to impress you all the time. Not that you don't deserve to be impressed, because you totally do, but you're just really easy to talk to and well, I like you." he finished, and Mercedes couldn't help but be a little shocked.

"You, you like me?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I?" he asked confused.

"It's just I'm not like all those other girls, I'm, I'm not Quinn." she stammered out.

"I wouldn't want you to be, I mean it's not like it ended well with her, or with even Santana for that matter, but um I like you and if you're interested, I'd really like to get to know you better. Are you interested?"

Mercedes couldn't do anything but smile, feel her heart speed up and her cheeks get hot and before she could answer the words yes, he kissed her in the middle of the park. Not on the cheek this time, but this time on the lips.