AN: Hi! This is my first attempt at a Samcedes fanfic so go easy on me!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. You couldn't pay me enough to claim that train wreck

In the ten years they had been together, Sam had already proposed to Mercedes three times. Three times that he made promises of eternity. Three times where he intended to cherish and love her for the rest of their lives. Three times where he put his heart on the line only for Mercedes to turn him down. Every. Damn. Time.

The first attempt was when Mercedes graduated a year ahead him and she was preparing to head to UCLA. As Sam helped her pack up her things to ship off to Los Angeles, anxiety began to creep over him. As his mind began to compile a list of all the challenges they would face this coming year, he grew increasingly fearful of the long distance and the words just flew out of him before he even realized what he was doing.

At first Mercedes burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, but then she noticed the crestfallen look on her boyfriend's face and realized how serious he actually was. The look Sam saw on her face was a mixture of amusement, concern and what seemed like a hint of pity. None of those were the reaction a guy hoped for when he proposed to his lady. But she assured him that he had her heart and she didn't need him to put a ring on it to know that she had his. She was so sure of herself. So sure of THEM. By the end of their conversation Sam felt a little foolish for losing faith so easily.

The second proposal was during a pregnancy scare about two and a half years later. After Sam had gotten a full scholarship to CalArts, the couple moved into a small apartment together. One afternoon Sam came home to find his distressed girlfriend sitting on their bed clinging to an unopened pregnancy test for dear life. As they waited on the test results, Mercedes nervously paced the short length of their bathroom as Sam sat on the edge of the tub focusing intently on the timer in his hands. Suddenly he blurted out what seemed to be the only logical decision in his mind. "We should get married."

Sam was certainly not expecting the "Hell to the no!" that flew from Mercedes lips. Nor did he anticipate the heated argument that followed soon after. While Sam wanted to take on his responsibilities as a man, she was adamant about not being a part in some shotgun wedding and trapping him into a marriage he wasn't ready for. The timer's buzzer interrupted them with the negative results and it led to an awkward silence. Instead of relief, Sam felt weighed down by all the tension in the cramped bathroom. It took a few hours before they managed return to their discussion. After a long emotional talk they agreed to put off any talks of marriage until they both had at least graduated.

The third time was after Sam's father had passed away. In the days leading up to the funeral Sam didn't allow himself to cry. Not once. He told himself that it was for the sake of his family. He needed to be a rock for his mother and siblings in order to fill the void that was left behind by the Evans patriarch. The truth was that his goal was to avoid his emotions by any means necessary. When the sorrow started creeping up on him and he felt as though he would soon drown in it, Sam looked to Mercedes as the only light in his sudden world of darkness. She was his patronus. His safe haven. When he proposed to her it was an act of desperation. A last ditch effort to avoid the inevitable pain of losing his father.

Mercedes saw right through his act of course. She didn't even dignify his proposal with a response. Instead she drew him into a fierce hug. "It's okay baby," she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise." In that moment something in Sam broke. With just a few simple words she managed to break down his walls and reduce him to a mess of tears. He buried his face into her neck and his sobs grew in intensity as she held him tighter and softly recited her affirmations to him.

Looking back on those proposals now, Sam realized that he was completely fine with being turned down each instance. The timing was always off and it was usually a result of desperation or impulsiveness on his part. And with Mercedes being the perfect woman that she is, each time she would turn him down she did so in a way that he never actually felt rejected. He understood in his heart that her "no" simply meant "not yet." At the end of each conversation Sam knew that thirty or forty years down the line the end result would always be the same. He would be old and gray sitting on the front porch of his house in some pleasant suburb. Maybe his grandchildren would be playing out in the yard within the safety of a white picket fence. Perhaps his guitar was lying across his lap while he strummed a nameless tune. And right beside him humming along to the melody as she rested her head on his shoulders would be Mercedes looking just as beautiful as the day he first laid eyes on her. It was just a matter of time.

And now, ten years after he first asked Mercedes to dance at her junior prom, Sam was certain that now was that time. They were both done with school and settled into their careers (Mercedes was the choir director and head of the arts department at a local high school and Sam co-owned a restaurant with Puck while he did freelance graphic design work for an ad agency), they upgraded to a larger living space where they wouldn't need the maintenance man's number on speed dial, and every aspect of there life together was just... perfect.

"Almost perfect," Sam thought to himself as he stood in his kitchen admiring the engagement ring he had purchased a few weeks earlier. The piece of jewelry took him at least six months to save up for and although Mercedes would probably wring his neck if she saw the price tag, it was worth every penny in Sam's eyes. Tomorrow was the big day and he was determined to get it right this time. He had every detail planned to the last minute and all he needed now was his 'yes' and all would be right in the world.

The sound of keys jingling outside the front door snapped Sam out of his reverie. He quickly placed the the velvet box back in it's hiding place in the cabinet above their refrigerator. Mercedes never bothered to use it since she deemed it was "rude to the vertically challenged" so he knew it was safe place.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?"

"Oh! Um... sorry. I-I just... wanted give my girl a hug," Sam sputtered as he stretched out his arms in greeting.

Mercedes eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "Okay..." she finally responded, stepping into his hold. As Sam held on to the love of his life a smile spread across his face. He couldn't wait until the day he could officially call her Mrs. Evans.

"Soon," he thought. "Real soon."

AN: Love it? Hate it? Let me know in a review! I was thinking about doing a set of oneshots for each of the failed proposals but I haven't decided yet.

Also, every chapter will be titled after a song. Some will be mostly relevant to the chapter but if I can't think of a fitting one it'll probably be some random song that are stuck in my head at the moment. Thanks for reading!

"All We Are" by OneRepublic