One hour and seventeen minutes late…
Mercedes didn't even bother to pretend that she wasn't pissed off when finally when Kurt Hummel finally found his way to her front door. He had already been thirty-four minutes late when she'd received his text.
Sorry I'm running late. Will be with you in a bit x
That was all. And his 'bit' had turned out to be another forty-three minutes!
Unimpressed was an understatement of how she was feeling right now. They were supposed to be having a girlie night together, just like old days, with movies, snacks, face packs and footie pajamas. Or rather, in Kurt's case a silk kimono over his matching silk pajama set because he wouldn't be seen dead in footie flannel.
"Mercedeeeeeees!" He held his arms wide open with a grin and despite herself she gravitated towards his tight embrace. "I've missed you so much! You look gorgeous! Have you lost weight?"
She sighed. "A little. Between the long hours at the studio, school work and being permanently broke I don't really do anything but slurp my way through instant ramen!"
He appeared to only be half listening as he breezed his way through her front door. "So this is your place? I'm sorry I'm late by the way!" He was already shrugging off his jacket and casting a critical eye on her furnishings.
Mercedes stood stock still and stared at him. Over an hour late and that's the only apology she was going to get. Hell no! Over an hour late is belongs in the 'someone had better have died' category.
"That's it?"
He frowned at her. "Huh?"
"Over an hour and a quarter late and all I get is an 'I'm sorry I'm late but the way'?"
"Over an hour?" Kurt glanced at his watch. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry! We didn't realize the time-"
And then she noticed. The usually impeccably dressed Kurt was fractionally dishevelled. To the untrained eye, he looked as crisp as always, but Mercedes could see he had straightened himself up in a hurry. The flush on his face revealed even more. "You were just having sex!"
"I- We-" Kurt got even more flustered.
"You texted me nearly two hours ago to say that you were already in Blaine's car on the way over. So either you were lying and you hadn't left, or you were pulling a repeat of your disrespectful behaviour in the parking lot just before Mr Schue's wedding!"
Kurt's blush deepened and she actually felt slightly sickened. "If you were just downstairs the whole time Kurt…" At least he had the decency to look embarrassed. "Coz you know this isn't the most expensive of neighbourhoods. You could get yourself hurt for acting the fool."
"We haven't seen each other for a while and-"
"And you both have a hotel room. Together! That you've already been staying in for the last three days. I am seriously getting fed up of this unfair reputation of being a cockblocker for you guys!"
"You're not!"
"I know I'm not. But that's not how other people see it."
Kurt sighed. "I know. And I'm really sorry about losing track of time. Blaine and I won't see each other tonight and we just got carried away."
Mercedes rolled her eyes. "You saw each other all day. Besides, you guys did have an itinerary when you planned this one week trip to LA. You already said that you would spend a night with me while Blaine went to the bachelor do of his Warbler friend. It's not your fault it's a Warbler who left before you joined. Neither is it worth fussing when you've repeatedly said what they've got planned isn't your cup of tea anyway."
"That's true! This night is going to be just like old times! Only without Rachel!"
"Rachel wasn't always with us! We did do these way before Rachel started inviting herself over."
"Ah yes! You might just be right!" Kurt picked up an ornamental candle badly shaped like a teddybear and shot her a questioning look.
Her reply was an emphatic head shake. "Not mine. Libby's." Libby was Mercedes' roommate who was currently away at her boyfriend's where she was most nights.
"This Libby seems like an interesting person."
"It was a gift from a relative. She feels she should put on display in case they visit. Don't judge her for it."
"I guess taste is definitely not genetic!"
Mercedes ignored him and waved her arms around the tiny apartment. "So anyway, this is me! I know it's not the amazing place that you've been sharing with Rachel in New York but it's my first step to independence and I love it."
He smiled back at her. "I'm happy if you're happy."
"And are you happy Kurt?" She made her way into the kitchen and he followed close behind, giving her a second hug and pressing himself against her back.
"Of course I am. I made it to New York! I got into NYADA after all and I'm working my way up to finally living my dream. I have friends, I have connections and even though I have Blaine, I can still admit that the guys in New York are also pretty hot too."
"I guess I'll have to come over to check that out for myself! What about Finn? How is he?"
"He's got himself on a proper teaching training course in Lima. I think he's really found his niche."
"Good for him. It'll help him get over Rachel too. And how's your dad doing?"
"As well as can be expected. He's responding well to the treatment and we speak every few days. I'm so happy that he had Carole to support him too."
"I'm glad. I miss Burt and Carole. They always made me feel so welcome and Carole's baking was the best."
"Damn right it was. I miss it like crazy, although in New York there's this bakery just across the way that sells the most amazing French pastries."
Mercedes rolled her eyes and paused before starting to move around the small kitchen space. "So I'm assuming you followed my instruction of eating before you got here. I just need to know what you want to drink. There's a bottle of red wine left over from our housewarming party, or I have juice, coffee- instant only- or hot chocolate."
Kurt smiled. "I vote for hot chocolate. But none of your cheap stuff!" He pulled out a small bag. "These are fine quality shards of luxury Belgian chocolate. You just have to add them to hot milk. There's a deli near our apartment in New York that imports it by the caseload and it's heavenly. We drink it all the time so I brought this one for you! It's not cheap but the taste is worth every cent."
"Wow Kurt! Thanks!" She reached forward and squeezed him into a hug again, taking the packet and examining it closely. He grinned against her head and she remembered how much she loved his hugs. All her annoyance at his tardiness was now forgotten as were the stress and strains of her long day. She was finally having a treat and spending time with a friend from home. She didn't admit to the moments of homesickness, not wanting to appear weak, but it did happen and she often craved for a bit of familiarity when everything around her was brand spanking new.
"And I guess I don't have to ask to know that things with Blaine are still going good?"
He grinned. "Better than ever! We talked through our issues and decided to start again from scratch rather than taking each other for granted. It's really refreshing actually."
"I'm just glad you were able to work things out."
"So are we. I'm just sorry that you and Sam didn't get to work things out too."
"We already decided before I moved here that a relationship was going to be impossible while he was still in high school in Ohio. There was nothing to work out."
"I mean the tension at the wedding."
"Oh that... It was simply a case of if he and Brittany decide to act the fool, that's their business, just don't do it on the pew behind me in church. That's all I ask. The Sam I dated used to be far more respectful than that." It wasn't a subject she wanted to dwell on so she quickly changed it. "Anyway, I know you always disapprove of my unhealthy snacks so I thought we would play it safe with popcorn. Is that okay?"
"That's fine."
She popped the bag into the microwave and turned to him. "Okay, can we just deal with the elephant in the room right now and get it over with? Do you really hate my footie pajamas that much that you can't even bring yourself to mention them at all?"
Kurt threw back his head and laughed. "Am I allowed to say yes to that question without being shot down?"
She glared at him, but with a partial smile playing at her lips. "No you're not. I happen to love this onesie and I wear it round the apartment when I'm cold as well as when I sleep. It's great for everything except for when you need to pee!"
Kurt simply grinned and looked with curiosity at the other items in her small kitchen. "So what's Libby, your room mate like?"
"She's pretty cool. Very cool actually because she's always out so I have the place to myself a lot of the time. She's trying to break into music too but she doesn't have a contract with a record label like I do so she's working in a diner to make ends meet while she works on her dream."
"Rachel can be a bit hard to live with but we make things work."
"Santana did say it got awkward when she crashed with you."
"You speak to Santana?"
"Sure. She's the one who gave me the Skype tour of your apartment. You waved but you never actually said hi."
His eyes widened. "Oh that was you! I just thought it was some girl she was trying to impress."
"I called out 'Hi Kurt'. I really thought you would have acknowledged me."
"Wow I must have been distracted."
The microwave beeped and she pulled out a bowl and tipped the hot snack into it. It annoyed her that he didn't actually apologize but he put the finishing touches to their chocolate and grabbed the mugs as she led the way.
"Come on, I'll show you my boudoir!"
It wasn't a big room but it was her personal space. Having parents obsessed with tidiness meant that she already knew how to keep things minimal. That meant she could exist quite happily in a room which consisted mostly of one huge bed, a vanity unit and a TV.
Kurt was clearly shocked at the lack of space. "Yikes! This is pretty… compact!"
Mercedes' eyes challenged him to add to that statement. "It may not be big but the space works for me. I still don't quite understand how you can afford to live in that gorgeous loft in New York, but the rest of us in the real world have to make do with what we can afford and are truly grateful for the opportunities we have."
"I wasn't saying-" Mercedes took the mugs from him with a sigh. "It's a freshly made bed Kurt, what side do you want?"
He eyes the purple covers with the matching purple and silver throws and cushions. "I think I'll go on the left so that I'm nearer the door."
They both climbed onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard sipping their drinks. Mercedes smiled "It's been such a long time since we last did this. It seems like an entire lifetime away."
Kurt nodded at his drink. "Yeah. It was forever ago now. It was the night Rachel dropped the bombshell about marrying Finn."
"And look where that's landed her!"
"True. But then I also remember you watching Twilight and moping about being into two guys."
"Shane filled a hole that Sam left. I already knew at that point that I wanted Sam."
"And now he's with Brittany."
"Yeah well the less said about that the better."
"You should have said something and claimed him back when we were all back in Lima. Everyone knows those two are just messing around because they're not with the ones they really want to be with." He was texting as he spoke.
"Kurt I don't want to lay claim on anyone who puts a trail of cereal on the floor to make a girl come to him. That's not my Sam. I don't need that new dumbed down version of him in my life. I've moved on now!"
"Yeah right." He shot her a knowing look that made her blood boil. Why would Kurt think that she couldn't move on from Sam? "He is to you as Blaine is to me."
"You know what? You're wrong, totally wrong! But I'm too tired to even try and correct you on it." Mercedes was wondering if she was crabby because she'd had such a long day. She stifled a yawn, "It's getting late so I suggest we skip the pampering and just get to the movie."
Kurt glanced at the watch and gasped. "Wow! It's nearly ten!"
"Well yeah Kurt! Like I said, some of have had a long day. One of us has been in the studio from eight til seven then waiting here for her friend who were supposed to be here at eight! Not all of us are on vacation you know!"
"Shit. I am so sorry about that!" This time he sounded more apologetic once he realized the kind of day she'd had. "I haven't even asked you how things are going at the studio!"
Mercedes smiled. "Really well actually. We managed to finish the track we've been working on this week which should be released as a single sometime next month. Then for my big news… my next project is singing the hook in a song with a rapper called DubzT. It's a sample from a Diana Ross song with a hint of a Motown feel and I really hope I can do it justice."
"Oh I'm sure you will." He was lost in thought. "Why have I heard the name DubzT before?"
"I don't know. I think he's pretty new."
"Oh wow! His girlfriend graduated from NYADA. She was already modeling and has just landed herself a role in Wicked. She had a party in New York and Rachel and I snuck in. We figured trying to hang around successful people like that would bring us luck. Rachel says she's adorable but when you get close up you can see that she has really huge feet." His phone was out and he was texting again.
Now she was pissed. It had taken Kurt forever to even ask about her life and when she told him her news he still managed to spin it back to New York! Since his arrival little things about him had been grinding at her but now it was really starting to piss her off! Taking a calming deep breath she painted her smile back onto her face. They were supposed to be catching up. It wouldn't go well if she couldn't lighten her mood. "Okay so we have hot chocolate and we have snacks. Time to pick a movie!"
She leaned over for her collection of disks when Kurt was at it again. "In New York, Brody's got us this HD flat screen TV and we don't even bother with disks anymore. We just order movies through the screen and watch them when we're ready."
"Well I'm sorry this isn't New York. We're a little behind the times here in Brokeassville, Los Angeles, but I'm doing the best I can!"
"Hey I wasn't trying to make you feel-"
Another sigh. Why is this being so difficult? "Just pick one please Kurt." She handed him the disks but he didn't even bother looking at them.
"I've already brought our evening entertainment." Leaning over the bed he grabbed his bag and pulled out a disk of his own.
"What's this?" She turned the blank DVD over in her hands.
"Our latest NYADA production. We did The Wizard of Oz and I played the cowardly lion. I personally think it was one of my best performances ever but I need you to give me your critique because I know it will be honest."
"You've come over for a girlie chickflick sleepover and want me to critique your performance?"
Clearly he wasn't getting the annoyance and frustration in her voice because he simply grinned and nodded. "You already know how much I trust your opinion Mercedes!"
She took another deep breath and counted backwards from five to one slowly before yet again forcing a smile. This was not how the night was supposed to be! Not at all! They'd already had to skip the facials because he'd come so late. "Okay. Let's do this. Are you going to get changed?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. Once we've finished this I'll get changed and do my nightly skincare routine all in one go. Then we can fall asleep to one of our faves like old days."
She turned out the lights and they watched the production with Kurt giving a running commentary all the way through when he wasn't texting. When it got to the parts he was in he would often pause and rewind to show her one specific thing that he was doing, or look that he was trying to achieve. When it wasn't comments about himself it was comments about the other performers, people she didn't know and didn't give a shit about. And in between all of that there were various statements about New York, what he had done, what Rachel had done, what he had done with Rachel, how everything in New York was amazing, how she should come to New York, how she would be able to get into NYADA if she applied herself, how the New York version of everything was better than the ones they had already experienced…. And so it went on until the production finally came to a close.
Kurt literally squealed with delight when she turned on the light and retrieved the disk for him. He took it from her as if it were the most precious object in the world and placed it carefully back into his bag. "So, I know I've already asked throughout, but what was your overall opinion of the whole thing? And when I say the whole thing I mean me of course!"
The question was the final straw. She'd made positive comments all the way through, even in the parts when she had felt he actually could have done better and now he was wanting his ego stroked again. Only there were no more strokes left to give.
"My overall opinion was that Rachel Berry gave a dazzling performance in the show."
He frowned. "But Rachel Berry wasn't in the show!"
"I'm talking about you Kurt! You have suddenly turned into Rachel Berry!"
The frown deepened. "What?"
"Let me break this down for you. Deep down, Rachel Berry isn't a bad person, she has talent but she's so driven that the good parts of her are squeezed out of view because when she's about, the whole world has to conform around the Rachel Berry Show! I didn't conform and that's why our friendship drifted the way it did, and now that you're in New York with her you've become exactly the same way!"
Kurt stiffened. "I admit, Rachel can be pretty dramatic sometimes, but I'm not like that. You and me are still friends. Our friendship hasn't drifted!"
"Yes it has Kurt. It drifted a long time ago but I was in denial until right now!"
"If we weren't friends I wouldn't be here right now."
"And I'm starting to question why you are here right now!"
This time his eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?"
"From the moment you walked through the door, not just late but extremely late I might add, it's all been about you. It's been months since we saw each other but you haven't shown any interest in my life."
"I asked you about how things were going at the studio!"
"Eventually! After I mentioned having been at work! After I welcomed you in and got us settled. After I asked about you, Blaine, Finn, Burt and Carole. You even asked information about my roommate before you asked anything personal about me!"
Kurt bit his lip guiltily. "Okay I admit, I got caught up about things but you did tell me in the end."
"I started to tell you Kurt. I had big news and you just flipped it and somehow still made it all about you before I could get to the end!"
"Oh, what was your big news?"
"It doesn't matter anymore!" Her head was pounding and her eyes were filling. "Tonight was supposed to be about rekindling our friendship and catching up on old days. You only actually told me you were coming one week before you got here. I heard it first from Puck who got it from Jake who got it from Blaine! I wanted you to have a nice chilled out time because I knew you didn't want to go to the Warbler night when you found out it was a class you hadn't been involved in and you wouldn't know anybody. I knew I would be tired tonight after a long day at the studio but I still offered to spend time with you to give you something to do so you wouldn't be stuck in the hotel alone. I thought it would be good to rekindle what we had because whatever you might say our friendship has changed. Somewhere along the line you and Rachel became besties long before I left McKinley!"
Now he was on the defensive. "That's not true!"
"Yes it is Kurt!" She was crying properly now. "I missed our friendship. I missed our friendship so much, especially at the beginning."
"At the beginning?"
"When you left to go to Dalton. It wasn't just McKinley you left, it was me! But I was happy for you because I knew you needed to get away from the bullying and I wanted to see you happy. I couldn't bear to see you spending your days in fear at our school. But once you were there, Blaine was your obsession. I was a non-factor, even when I was sitting right with you guys I was only ever the spare wheel. Then you and Blaine started dating and we never talked anymore. He was you go to person for everything. I had no idea what was going on in your life anymore."
Kurt shook his head and watched as she wiped tears from her face. "That went both ways Mercedes. You didn't say a thing to me about you and Sam getting together. I had to find out about it along with everyone else!"
Her lips narrowed. "Where exactly were you when Sam and I first started to properly get to know each other at Nationals? Oh yeah, you were sneaking out to theaters with Rachel! You were probably one of the factors me and Sam getting together in the first place!"
"Me?"
"Where were you that summer? Question, how many times did we actually hang out? Answer? Once! A grand total of ONE TIME Kurt! And what was I doing the rest of the time? You didn't know because you were with Blaine. I was hanging with the guy who needed help with juggling work and babysitting because the people who used to help him out AKA Kurt and Quinn, were suddenly busy. You were off with Blaine and Quinn was dying her hair pink, smoking and going through a late teen crisis. I was hanging with the guy who didn't have the cash to go to the fairs and the Lima Bean and Breadstix with everyone else. I was hanging out with the guy who, when he wasn't around everyone else, could be his beautiful true self without having to worry about popularity or dyslexia. I was the one who was there. I was in the eye of the emotional storm when he suddenly had to move to Tennessee. Where were you when all of this was happening Kurt?"
Mercedes was starting to feel bad for him. He had visibly paled at her sudden and emotional tirade. But now that she had started, she couldn't stop. If he was going to hear it then he had to hear it all. There wasn't a single word that wasn't the absolute truth anyway. Without giving him a chance to respond she continued. "We hardly spoke anymore Kurt. Senior year you were Rachel's friend, not mine. You didn't invite me to that last sleepover, she did and we now know it was only because he wanted to talk about her getting married to Finn."
"I didn't mean for it to be like that."
She could see that she was finally getting through to Kurt and he reached to take her hand but she refused to be comforted. "But it was. I had to stand back and watch you and Rachel constantly jabbering about your NYADA plans. You didn't care at all about my plans. Everybody knew what you guys were doing. You didn't even ask about what I was going to do. It took you a week to actually get around to asking what Sam called me away for that day in the hallway. I missed our talks Kurt. I missed our friendship."
"I miss our friendship too."
"Do you? Do you even remember it? Do you remember that I was the one you came out to? The very first person that you admitted to that you were gay. It was me Kurt, not Rachel, not Blaine. We used to laugh, we used to share looks, we used to roll our eyes at Rachel for the same things that you and Rachel do together on a regular basis. If I had told you in freshman year that you and Rachel would be besties living in New York you would have cursed me out, flicked you hair and strutted off! All that after laughing at me in my face. We were the besties back then. We used to come to school in shocking outfits but think we looked the bomb! We used to hug all the time. We used to communicate non-verbally as much as we did verbally with taps and touches and looks whenever people were being foolish around us. Now all that's gone. People grow up and people move on, I get that. But we didn't move on. I got dropped. That's why it hurts so much."
Kurt had visibly paled with shock. "Wow! I never know you felt-"
"Yeah well now you do!"
His phone buzz on the bed and both sets of eyes went to it. "And I swear, if you take that phone and look at it while I'm ranting at you I will throw it out of the window!"
Kurt's eyes widened and he looked away from it back to her. "Even when I'm with you you're still attached to Blaine electronically. Are you this bad in New York? Does Rachel have her conversations interrupted by you texting Blaine? You left him a couple of hours ago and you'll see him again in the morning!" He tried to answer but she cut him off. "Old Kurt, my friend Kurt, would make time for me, and that time would be mine and mine alone. I don't mind the odd message, it happens to us all, but you texted fourteen times during the DVD. Yes, fourteen! Or actually, it was more than that because a few went before I decided to start counting. I was hoping to spend some meaningful time together tonight but all that happened was that it was an evening all about you. We talked about you and we watched you and we talked about you while we watched you. You know nothing new about my life other than the tiny bit I told you before you changed the subject. It could be going through drama. I could be pregnant, I could be lonely, I could be suicidal. You would have no idea because you haven't even taken one moment to actually listen until I forced you to!"
Kurt grabbed her shoulder sympathetically. "Is that what the problem is? Are you feeling lonely out here? I know Puck's busy doing his own thing and to be honest I was scared to ask about Sam because I know how upset you are over the whole thing-"
That was the final straw.
"NO I AM NOT UPSET ABOUT SAM! AND IF YOU KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT ME YOU WOULD KNOW THAT!"
Kurt drew back as if he had been slapped and Mercedes did feel sorry for yelling at him. But not sorry enough to stop. And definitely not sorry enough to not put him straight. "I'm not lonely here. I have friends. I have more friends here than I had at McKinley. They're a really great bunch of people and we hang out regularly. Thanks for asking. And no I'm not upset about Sam. I have been unsuccessfully trying to tell you that I've moved on. I have a boyfriend, his name is Jayden. He's a model and he's deliciously hot. We've been seeing each other for over two months and I am falling hard for him. Thanks for asking. Oh and I also have the possibility of going on tour with my music. Just a short one with relatively small gigs but it's a start and I'm excited about it. Thanks for asking about that too. Oh and just so we're clear, I'm not pregnant or suicidal."
Kurt simply sat with his mouth agape when his phone began to buzz again. This time it was the long persistent buzzing of a call rather than a text. Mercedes had Kurt's eyes locked with hers. If he even looked at that phone she would completely loose her shit.
"Blaine's probably wondering why I didn't text back-"
He blinked then turned to the phone.
Game over.
She reached it faster and without taking her eyes from Kurt she answered it in her sweetest voice. "Hi Blaine!"
"Hi Mercedes! Good to hear your voice, how are you?"
"I'm good thanks. You?"
"Could be better." She could hear shouting in the background. "Tonight's been a disaster, I'm going to head back to the hotel early. We were supposed to go clubbing but I don't feel like it."
She smiled. "I'm sorry it didn't work out Blaine, but actually your night will get better. I answered the call because I wanted you to swing by to pick Kurt up!"
Kurt gasped and dived for the phone but she snatched it out of his way and backed off from the bed.
"Is everything okay?" Blaine's voice suddenly sounded strained.
"Not really. How soon can you get here?"
"About twenty minutes. I'm already in the car."
"That's perfect!"
"What's happened? He's supposed to be staying the night! Is Kurt okay? Where is he?"
"He's fine. He's sitting on my bed. It's just he's outstayed his welcome, that's all. I'm sure you'll be glad to have him back so you can continue what you were doing to make him late here tonight in the first place."
"Can I talk to him?"
"It will only delay you. Blaine, I know this isn't your fault but please I need you to get him out of my sight stat!"
She ended the call before he could finish replying and switched off the phone before he could call back.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Kurt's face was red as he leaped over the bed and tried to wrestle the phone from her hands.
"I can't bear the thought of even breathing the same air as you, so for the sake of my relationship with the Lord, and only for His sake, I am removing you from my sight before I say or do something that makes me worthy of damnation!"
She could see him bursting to say something, but could also see that he knew her well enough to know that when she was this mad the only thing to do was to leave her to cool down. He stood slowly and grabbed his bag before holding his hand out for the phone. She shook her head. "I'll give it to you at the front door. Just be glad I didn't throw it out the window."
"For what it's worth Mercedes, I am sorry."
She laughed bitterly. "Sorry for what? Sorry that tonight didn't work out? Sorry that I called you out on your shit for becoming a selfish self-centered person that I no longer recognize? Sorry for looking down at my apartment because it doesn't compare to New York? Sorry that you made me raise my voice and shout you the things that I should have been telling you in an excited voice before we even got to the DVD stage? Or are you just sorry that you had to finally listen to some home truths? That you finally had your bubble burst?"
He stopped talking then, realizing that even the sound of voice was aggravating her.
The reality was that the sight of his face and his physical presence in her apartment was also aggravating her. She went to the kitchen, grabbed his hot chocolate and handed it back. "I appreciate you trying to educate me with your New York hot chocolate but I the truth is I'm perfectly happy with the cheap LA stuff. I'm happy with a lot of things here. I don't need you to come and save me. Your life with Rachel is yours. I'm happy for you both and wish you every success, but right now I just need you out of my sight before I totally lose my shit and make a scene."
She backed him to the front door and opened it before handing him back his cell. Kurt's eyes widened and he looked at his watch. "But Blaine won't be here for another ten minutes!"
"So just hang out in the lobby. There's no concierge but it's perfectly safe."
"You can't leave me out here! This neighborhood's a bit…"
That was the final final straw. Everything about him was pissing her off. "A bit what Kurt? A bit black? Well I think you'll be just fine. Once upon a time I was friends with a version of you that said 'you and I make culture'. I'm sure you'll deal!"
He opened his mouth to reply but she simply slammed the door in his face.
And then she sobbed.
"Was I too hard on him?"
"Probably. But don't sweat it tonight. Let him stew a little." Mercedes knew he was being diplomatic and she loved him for it. Within minutes of her call Jayden had been at her door despite the late hour. It helped that he only lived four doors away from her. He held her and listened as she poured out the whole sorry episode to him without passing judgement on her. He hadn't laughed at her footie pajamas or been put off by her tear streaked face. And now here he was, fully clothed in her bed, flicking through the movies that she had selected to watch with Kurt. "First up, you have to promise me that nobody ever finds out that I played replacement gay best friend. I'm still new in town with a reputation to build and its hard enough being straight in the fashion industry as it is! This alone is worth you coming to two basketball games in a short skirt to cheer me on." His eyes were still firmly trained on her collection and he suddenly he broke out into a big smile and waved a disk. "This one! Definitely this one!"
Mercedes took it from him and frowned. "Dream Girls? Really?"
He nodded seriously. "You're forgetting I have a twin sister! She loved watching this and I loved watching Jennifer Hudson's chest when she sings." Mercedes side eyed him and he grinned before reaching over and putting the DVD in the player before snuggling back under the crook of his arm and grabbing a handful from her bowl of popcorn.
"I thought all guys like Beyonce!"
"They do. But it takes a special kind of guy to see that Effie is the talented one, right from the start." He ran his eyes slowly over her breasts and she blushed. Considering he was a starting out as a model and spent his days surrounded by beautiful, barely dressed, stick thin women, he seemed to find her shape more attractive and feminine than anything he was exposed to on a daily basis. And now she had him next to her in her bed. Was she so upset that she'd let her guard down so much? She actually sound she didn't care and what was worse, she liked having him there.
Jayden was a gift that she didn't deserve. He had literally barged his way into her life by rushing into her at the front entrance of their apartment building, sending her bag of groceries flying. She had wanted to be mad but he was so apologetic for not looking where he was going and helped her with her things, having just been on a grocery shop himself. Travelling up in the elevator they found that they both lived on the same floor, Mercedes closer to the elevator than he was. Three minutes after saying goodbye, there was a knock on her door and the sheepish faced young man told her that she had his jar of coffee. He was right, her coffee hadn't fallen and she had picked up his seeing that it was the same brand and assumed it was hers. This time it was her time to apologize and he was gracious but rushed. The reason he had been flying around like Speedy Gonzales was because his parents were coming by for the first time to see where he lived and make sure he wasn't being a failure as a human being and she softened towards him, impressed that he was going out of his way to make a good impression with them.
The next time they met they exchanged names. The time after that they chatted for a good ten minutes outside her door. She found out that he was starting out as a male model and also did fashion design but was finding it hard because he was having to take work he sometimes felt was demeaning but it paid the rent. It reminded her of Sam and she felt for him. The time after that they talked for even longer exchanged numbers, and from then on, with their mutual attraction the rest was history.
The movie was long and way before the end she and Jayden had stopped watching, taking their relationship to the next level despite the cumbersome footie pajamas. It felt natural, it felt right and it made her happy. Kurt was very wrong in what he had said. She wasn't mad about Sam being with Brittany because she was still hung up on him. She was simply sad that he had sold himself out. Somewhere along the line he had stopped being the boy she had become a woman with over that glorious summer they had shared. He had regressed from being the guy that would fight to have her back to become a parody of the quirkier elements of his personality. He was no longer the guy she knew which meant he was no longer the guy she wanted. He was still a high school kid while she was so much more than that. Being with Jayden definitely wasn't selling out in any way. Sam may have been a tall glass of milk but Jayden was a tall glass of chocolate milk that wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
The Christian in her meant she wasn't going to leave the situation to fester forever and before he left she made the first move and called Kurt. She didn't apologize for what she said because they were truth bombs he needed to hear, but she did apologize for how she said them and the way that she threw him out. It was wrong, it was beneath her and it was uncalled for. Plus she should have listened better to his apology at the end.
Kurt accepted her apology and made one of his own, accepting his share of neglect in their relationship and resolving to do better. But something had changed. It was even harder making things work long distance with Kurt than it had been with Sam. He was busy with the stage and Blaine and Rachel and life. She was busy with her music, her friends and Jayden who was already telling her that he was in this relationship for the long haul. As well all that, she was doing some self-discovery and finding out who exactly she was. Mercedes Jones, the girl who had moved from Lima Ohio to LA to find her dreams.
Two years later, when she received the invitation to Kurt's wedding she had to send her apologies due to being in Europe on tour with the top band on her label. She did send them a gift and a video of her wishing them a great day and dedicating a song to them that night.
Her own wedding to Jayden was a more intimate affair. There was far too much press attention around them as a couple now. They wanted something small and he didn't even make the cut. It was a last minute job at a secret location. The only two from her McKinley life in attendance were Puck and Santana, the only two students she kept in regular contact with. Tina would have been there with Mike but as she was in her third trimester with her first child she decided not to risk it. Mercedes didn't count Tina and Mike as McKinley friends. They were life friends. Their connection was more than the fact that they just went to the same high school together and that's why it endured.
One day she would win her Grammy, Kurt would outshine Rachel on the Broadway stage and they would meet at a reunion, drink champagne and reminisce on the good old days. But for now, one chapter of their life was closing and another was opening and it was alright with her.
It was alright with both of them.