Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so I would appreciate any comments or criticism you have for me but please be gentle! :)
Please let me know any errors, I wrote with at like 2 in the morning.
Enjoy! :)
Mercedes stood staring at the white wooden door for a good 5 minutes before she got up the courage to knock. She'd been on that porch many times before. It was the Hummel/Hudson residence and Sam was living here. She held the neatly wrapped parcel in both hands as she waited. The door was pulled open and there stood Sam. He had jeans and a t-shirt on, one shoe on and the other in his hand.
"Mercy… What are you doing here? Kurt's not home." Sam said, leaning down to slip on his other shoe, his voice was calm and melodic.
Mercedes gave a small smile before responding.
"No, I actually came to see you." Sam straightened up, his shoe half on, and the gorgeous half a grin the Mercedes found so weakening, on his face.
"Really?" He asked.
"Yeah." Mercy and Sam just stared at each other for a moment.
"Can I come in?" Mercedes prompted. Sam broke out of his dazed stare and moved out of the doorframe. He followed Mercedes as she walked to the middle of the living room. Sam gently reached out and touched Mercedes shoulder. She spun around and faced Sam, smiling gently up at him.
"Sorry I wasn't there to help out at the shelter sooner." Her eyes were downcast studying the parcel in her hands. Sam frowned and placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to look at him.
"I know that the T.V special was important to you. It's okay Mercy." Mercedes was still frowning slightly.
"Anyway, I know I should have backed you up before about the Christmas spirit debate, and I'm sorry. Now, I know Christmas isn't for a while but I wanted to give you this." Mercedes pushed the package forward into Sam's abdomen. Sam smiled at the present.
"Oh! Wait here, I have something for you too." Sam quickly spun, almost tripping over his own untied shoelaces as he ran up the stairs. Mercedes looked around a room she had spent many an afternoon in. She admired the effort that the family had put into their Christmas decorations. A tall tree, decked out in lights and colour co-ordinated tinsel and baubles (courtesy of Kurt no doubt). Stockings were pinned to the fireplace, all the family members had their stockings labelled, and one had been added for Sam and Rory individually.
"Okay," Mercedes turned to see Sam jogging, carefully, down the stairs with a clumsily wrapped box. "I know it's not as nicely wrapped as yours but the sticky tape got caught in my hair." Sam stopped in front of her; a half embarrassed half proud expression on his face. He grinned as he handed her the present that was suspiciously shoebox sized. Each of them held their present, trying to figure out what the other was thinking until Mercedes broke the stand off.
"Do you want me to open this now or-?"
"Yes!" Sam almost shouted. "Sorry. I mean I really would. Here, we'll sit." Without thinking Sam reached out and grabbed Mercedes hand. This seemingly innocuous act had Mercedes' summer memories racing through her brain. She stopped the nostalgia when Sam pulled her down next to him on the families lounge.
"You first!" Sam insisted, the smile on his face similar to a small child. Mercedes smiled at his refreshing enthusiasm.
She gently bit her lip as she carefully unwrapped the package, trying not to rip the paper, trying not to destroy anything that Sam given her. Her expression didn't change when the wrapping paper revealed an old shoebox. Mercedes carefully removed the lid and couldn't help the gasp that escaped her throat. It was them. Their 'summer fling' wrapped up in a shoebox, smiling at her. Photos of Sam and herself, mostly taken on her camera but shared between the couple; a ticket from a movie Sam had saved to take her to; scraps of paper with their absurd 'hangman' games on them; a drawing Stacey did of their 'fairytale' wedding; a letter from Stevie giving Sam permission to date Mercedes; music sheets with the songs Sam had written for her; Mercy carefully extracted the photos and the souvenirs from their romance taking in each one, savouring the emotions they evoked within her, but it was the final piece of the present that made Mercedes swell with emotion. A picture, from their summer, they were in the local park, Stevie and Stacey in the background, Mercedes had her arm stretched out to hold the camera with her best and most sincere grin on her face, Sam was next to her, almost oblivious to the photo bing taken. His green eyes locked onto her chocolate skin, staring in almost tangible adoration at his lady. Without a thought to her boyfriend, or the complicated emotions, or even her location, Mercedes turned to Sam and hugged him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his neck, her fingers finding their way into his golden hair. Mercedes felt Sam take a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.
"I'm glad you like it." Mercedes just nodded, not trusting her voice enough to speak. Finally she pulled away and smiled at Sam.
"Thank you Sam, truly. This is so amazing… it's perfect Sammy." The nickname had slipped out without her realising it, but the smile on Sam's face told Mercedes that he'd noticed.
"Rory and I are going out, to ring the Christmas bell of charity." Sam told her excitedly, his eyes staring at her hopefully. "I'd love you to come along, if you want?"
Mercedes managed to control the automatic impulse to say yes, instead she looked at the time, and almost leapt off the sofa.
"Oh God it's 6 already! " Mercy quickly began packing up her present. "I'm really sorry Sam, I'd love to but I promised Sha-" Mercedes stopped, glancing over at Sam, his face a cold emotion blocking stonewall she hadn't seen in a long time. "I have to meet someone." She finished. "But here." She reached into her pocket and drew out $20. "Consider it your first donation." She smiled at him as he stood. Then walked to the door, but as Mercedes was about to leave, Sam grabbed her hand.
"You do know that I will do anything to get you back right? Even if that means waiting forever? Because my future doesn't seem that bright without your star shinning there."
A softly whispered "Sammy" was all Mercedes could muster before he smiled, lifted her hand to his mouth, gently kissed it and let her go. Mercedes was half way to her car when she turned back to Sam and called after him.
"Sam! Remember to open your present." She smiled at him before climbing into her car and driving away. Sam shut the front door and lent his back against it. He slowly slid to the floor, the present in his hand. Sam ripped the paper, his underlying joy manifesting in a child-like excitement. And as the contents were revealed his smile turned to a grin. A set of their superhero movies; Spiderman, Batman, X-men and Superman; the movies they had watched. With Sam explaining the nerdy quirks excitedly whilst Mercedes made a loud (but hilarious) commentary on the characters and their 'super-outfits'. Wedged in between the DVD's was a note that made Sam's heart swell with happiness, and a touch of hope. Because even if she meant what she wrote platonically, she still wanted him, needed him. That was enough for Sam, to be close to Mercedes. Of course his intentions, and hope would always be known, but just to be her friend made him happy. Sam's happy green eyes read of the note again as he imagined 20 different futures, each involving Mercedes.
"For my personal hero, the man who'll always be there for me." Mercy's curly script read.