It's...been a while, so...hey! *waves* I'm pretty much copy/pasting this series from my Tumblr/LJ, so nothing new has been added for those following the story there, except for the title, which I finally figured out! Be proud! It comes from the song "Then Came You" as recorded by Dionne Warwicke and Spinners. It just took oh...almost a month and a half of me working on this fic (which had only intended to be one one-shot, "Beautiful Glow", but I've been writing long enough to know you don't-can't-resist the muse). So, new readers welcome and old readers welcome back! I hope you enjoy this series of one-shots and please forgive any lingering errors! It's already AU (since this will continue beyond Glee season 2) and Glee and none of these characters, unfortunately, belong to me. Otherwise, Mercedes Jones would have a harem!

- bana05

The illuminated light at the front door served as a beacon directing the car to pull up to the curb at Mercedes' house. Mercedes sighed but smiled at an exuberant Rachel and a slightly smug Jesse wishing her a goodnight.

"You had fun, right?" Rachel asked, practically bouncing in her seat.

She looked at her three companions for the night, doing her darnedest not to linger on the blond one of the group. "I did, thank you."

"Me, too, even though Jesse and Finn started a fight over me," Rachel said with muted bite, arching an eyebrow at the car's driver.

"He had it coming," Jesse said with absent apology. "He had his own girl but couldn't take his eyes off of mine."

"I'm not your girl, Jesse," Rachel reminded him, "not anymore."

"Perhaps not officially…"

Mercedes rolled her eyes at her lap and gathered her things. "Well, on that note, I'm going inside. Thanks again—"

"Wait!"

The deep voice caused three heads to snap up in time to see a blond and black blur leave the car. Rachel and Mercedes looked at each other askance before Mercedes' passenger door opened revealing Sam and his quirky smile.

"I'm walking you to the door," he declared.

"You don't have to—"

"Yeah, I do," Sam said, presenting his hand to her. "It's what any proper Southern gentleman would do, after all."

She paused, her mind rewinding to that moment during prom when he'd called her beautiful and had asked her to dance. She'd frozen for a split second, just long enough for a tender warmth to take root in her belly, disbelieving he was saying the very things she'd wanted to hear in her deepest heart of hearts. Even as she'd told the words to Rachel earlier that week, she'd wanted to curse herself for her vulnerability. She didn't need a man, and she'd always stand by that; but some days…it would be nice to be wanted for just a little while.

For just one night.

Even if a mutual friend had whispered the request in Sam's ear on her behalf, no doubt.

As before, Mercedes gifted him with a tiny smile and accepted his hand. As before, it felt sincere and solid around hers, and Mercedes prayed her palms wouldn't sweat too badly. She'd never thought about Sam as a boy on his own; he'd been just another one of the guys in glee club who was part of the relationship carousel she'd often observed with haughty amusement along with Tina and Kurt. However, he'd always secretly impressed her with the strict, ethical code he'd followed for himself. That was why she'd been so snide with him the other day right before he'd told the club about his family situation; she'd felt almost betrayed when it seemed he could be just as messy as Puck and Finn.

"I should apologize for that," Mercedes said just as they'd reached her door.

"For…?" Sam prodded, frowning. "From where I'm standing, there's not an apology to be had from you this night. I mean it when I say it was an honor to take you and Rachel…maybe not so much Jesse, but I think he'll be okay!"

Mercedes giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand. "No!" She waved away the word and squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "For not trusting you to be a true friend, especially to Kurt. I got caught up in all the rumors and I've yet to learn better. I'm sorry for being mean; and the fact you decided to take me to prom with Rachel despite it shows you're a really cool guy, Sam Evans."

Sam's blush was stark against the porch light and she squeezed the hand she hadn't realized she'd still been holding. "And thanks for walking me to the door. In the week Puck and I 'dated', it took him the last night to actually do so!"

"You dated Puck?" Sam asked, clearly surprised.

Mercedes was glad her blush couldn't be visible and she rolled her eyes self-derisively. "Yeah, if you can believe it, but we had an understanding. I'd been a Cheerio then and he'd wanted to be popular; and it's not as if guys are beating down my door to—"

She immediately clamped her mouth shut, surprised by the sudden tightness in her throat and the pricks in her eyes. She looked down to give herself a moment and rebuild her sassy-girl armor, but a gentle finger lifted her chin.

"That's because guys don't think they're fit enough to walk to your door, let alone beat it down to get a chance with you."

Mercedes scoffed at that, even if it were sweet of him to say. "Kurt doesn't have that problem."

"Kurt is a bit more self-confident than many guys…and he's your best friend; he knows he's in."

She arched an eyebrow. "You didn't."

"But that's because I have you with me."

She blinked, suddenly unable to recall how to make speech. That warmth in her belly spread throughout her and she ducked her head to hide the stupid grin trying to form on her face. "You really are sweet, Sam. I don't know what Quinn and Santana were thinking to let you get away!"

Sam laughed self-consciously and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm a dork, as you know."

"Yes, I did, but we all are because we're in the glee club!"

"You're not a dork, you're a diva," Sam corrected with a grin, squeezing her hand. "Dorks don't sing like you do."

"And don't you forget it!" Mercedes sassed, and they laughed together again.

Sam settled into a small, silent smile that had Mercedes quelling the urge to fidget. She looked around him to the car, not the least bit surprised to see Rachel's face pressed against the glass, enraptured by them just…standing there talking.

"I suppose I should go in; don't want to keep them any longer," Mercedes said.

"All right," Sam said with a nod and squeezed her hand once more before dropping it. "Have a good night, Mercedes."

"Goodnight," she said, "Sam?"

He'd only taken a few steps and immediately stopped to regard her again. "Yes?"

"Thank you for…" she took a deep breath… "for giving me my Cinderella moment. Even though I know Rachel told you about it, it still means a lot to me that you did it."

That lopsided grin she was starting to really like appeared once more. "She did, but that was only because she wondered why I was telling her you were beautiful instead of you yourself." He began walking backwards for a few steps, his grin growing wider, before he gave her a little wave and turned to walk forward to the car.

Mercedes remained on her front steps long after the taillights had disappeared, unmindful of the chill because Sam's words made her glow.