A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for clicking this fic. So, this is the first in a series of Song One Shots. I hope you guys enjoy it. Their not connected but if at any point I write one that is connected to another, I'll let you know.

So, Happy Reading!

And as always, REVIEWS = LOVE!

NOTE - During the dialogue any words in bold are the song lyrics.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own: Glee, any of the character or anything else from that realm or Don't Think I Can't Love You by Jake Owen.

Sam Evans had been...lounging, on his friend's couch for a long time. He sighed heavily as the days passed by and they busily move around the loft off to this place or that. It was depressing. What was more annoying than depressing was the fact they thought he didn't know they were all talking about him behind his back.

Ok, so yes, he'd been in New York for a few months now and he had done practically nothing but it wasn't for lack of trying. None of them understood how hard it was to actually be a male model. Go-sees, head shots, stand this way, turn your head this way, bend your arm like this, put your leg there, whoa, keep that monster at bay. It was hard work; but that was once you actually got a job.

Sam pulled the covers over his head as Kurt and Blaine moved around the kitchen. They were on they're way to school and being loud about it.

"Rachel is so lucky she got Funny Girl." Blaine said as Kurt poured him a cup of coffee. "I'm really proud of her."

"Me too. She's always wanted to be Fannie Brice." Kurt said as he poured coffee into his own cup.

"Yeah but as proud of her as I am, I wish she hadn't got the part." Blaine whispered. Rachel had just moved back into the loft and she was sharing a room with Mercedes.

"That's a terrible thing to say." Kurt said shocked as he peeked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear.

"I know. I mean it's for purely selfish reasons." the shorter man said. "Cassie July is a tyrant and people are saying it's worst now than before because Rachel is having success as a star when everyone knows that her career blew up like a comet crashing to the Earth."

"Have you guys reported her?"

"No way! I heard the last person who reported her is working as a hooker." Blaine said.

"Was it Brody?" Sam commented from the couch with a chuckle, his head still covered.

"Sam!" Kurt said covering his mouth. "That's not funny." he said. He slapped his boyfriend's arm for laughing out loud.

"What he meant was Brody's an escort." Blaine said. "He's classier than a hooker on the street."

"Gross." Sam said sitting up on the couch.

"Anyway, what are your plans for the day, Sam?" Kurt asked.

"Mercedes has a photo-shoot or something. She asked me to go along." he said rising to his feet. "So no Kurt. I don't have a job yet." he said he headed to the bathroom. He could hear Kurt and Blaine have a hushed argument as he shut the bathroom door.

Sam and Mercedes arrived at the location of her shoot. There were tons of people milling around. He grabbed her hand as he helped her out of the car the record label had sent for her.

"Thanks." she said nervously.

"You ready?" Sam asked as they walked toward the hair and make-up trailer.

"As I'll ever be." Mercedes said with an uneasy smile.

"Don't be nervous." he said in her ear. "You're gonna look beautiful; so all you've gotta do is show the photographer what all your friends already know."

"What?"

"That you're the cream rising to the stop." he smirked. She playfully rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you later." Mercedes said as she stepped inside the trailer. Sam wandered around the set. He looked at the set. He didn't think it was Mercedes but what did he know about the music industry. When he made his way back around he saw her walking with a girl dressed similarly to her. He was about to make his presence known when the girl spoke.

"Who was that guy I saw you with?" the other pretty black girl asked.

"Sam." Mercedes said with a smile.

"Sam? Wait, wait, wait. Sam Evans. As in your ex, Sam Evans." the girl said shocked.

"Yeah. We share a loft with some friends." Mercedes said.

"Bad move."

"What?"

"Moving in with your ex is a bad move. Among other things." the girl said.

"Do I even want to know what you're talking, Terry?" Mercedes asked rolling her eyes.

"Listen, girl. Moving in with an ex is a bad idea. Especially one that's unemployed and white." Terry informed her.

"What does white have to do with anything?"

"You going into R&B music. You can't be somebody white."

"Robin Thicke, Paula Patton." Mercedes said.

"He's a man and you know the rules are different for them." Terry said matter of factly.

"Sam and I aren't making any moves to get back together." Mercedes said. Those words made Sam cold inside but he remained silent.

"Does white boy know that?" Terry said as they sat in the director's chairs behind the camera.

"He's just naturally flirty." Mercedes insisted.

"I hope so because the white, people would maybe get over but the poor. No." Terry said as she watched the set decorators put finishing touches on the set.

"He's a male model. He just hasn't had a lot of work yet."

"You're defending him is telling me that I was right." Terry said. "Stop it girl. Stop while you're ahead. Getting in again with this white boy is only going to cause a problem and a shitload of bad press." Mercedes didn't say anything. Sam stayed back. He couldn't believe that she had bought into this Terry girl's bullshit. People don't care who you date. And so what if they did?

Sam had been sitting on that couch for months now and the only person who didn't treat his situation like a problem they had to handle with dog doo bag was Mercedes. They had really talked and they were finally in a good place. A place Sam thought was a jump off to getting back together; but if she agrees with or if she let's that Terry girl get in her head then a reunion was out of the picture and he knew it. He watched her pose the whole day. She was beautiful and he decided right then and there that he wasn't going to let some girl that didn't know him or his situation determine whether or not the woman that, (even though it took him going through two break ups and a big blonde Brittany size mistake), he knew was his for life. When they got back to the loft he knew it was going to be the two of them. One Three Hill had a gig and Mercedes told Kurt she'd make it to the next because she was gonna get home late. He'd cook her dinner, tell he heard her conversation today and explain to her why Terry was wrong about them.

When they finally got home, Mercedes went straight to the shower. Sam went to the kitchen and pulled a frozen pizza out of the freezer. He put it in the oven and set the timer. Sam put plates on the table and filled two glasses with juice. He pulled the pizza out of the oven when it was done. He let it sit a few minutes before he cut it. As he laid two slices on her plate she came out from her shared bedroom is black comfy looking sweatpant capris and a purple t-shirt that said YOU BETTER WORK.

"Dinner's ready." he said with a gentle smile.

"Thanks." she said returning his smile. He pulled her chair out for her and allowed her to sit. He took the seat across from her. They ate in a comfortable silence before Sam decided now was as good a time as any to start this conversation.

"I heard you and that Terry girl today." he said locking his eyes on hers. Mercedes looked away. She was silent. "Do you agree with her?" She took a bite of her pizza. "I'm not gonna stop asking, Mercedes. So you might as well tell me."

"Well, no but..." she said, meeting his green gaze again briefly.

"But what?" he said looking intently into her brown eyes. His stare forced her to look away.

"You don't have any money, Sam." Mercedes said. "I wouldn't want people to think you were using me."

"You didn't care about that before." Sam said sadly. "Listen, I learned the hard way real early in life. That money sure don't grow on a tree and there's a few things that a dollar can't buy; but The best things in life, they come free."

"Sam, I know. I'm sorry. Can you just please try to understand where she's coming from?" Mercedes asked. "Wait, no. I just mean..."

"Mercedes, I understand just fine where she's coming from. It's all bullshit." Sam said sternly.

"Oh."

"I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and say that I hadn't thought about getting back with you; because I have. I thought that since we were in a good place that maybe we could work toward getting back to feeling right."

"What does that mean?"

"I know that when we're together you feel like yourself. Your true self because that's how I feel." Sam explained. "So I figured that we would just work on our friendship and work our back to feeling the way we're supposed to feel."

"I don't want people to hurt you, Sam. With the things they could say in the media." Mercedes said, her hands in her lap.

"So, girl I can't buy you a big diamond ring, no house on a hill full of life's finer things and I'll tell you right now there's a whole lot that I just can't do. Oh, but baby don't think I can't love you." Sam said reaching his hand across the table. She looked at it before she put her hand in his. "I know that right now I don't work regularly but I don't plan on that being a permanent thing. You needed a big break to get everything you ever wanted. Well, I just need my break."

"Modeling though?" Mercedes questioned.

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's not really you. You love comic books and Avatar and music. Yes, models have those kinds of interests too, but modeling is what they wanted to do with their lives." she said looking in his eyes. "I know what your dreams are and modeling never came up."

"You're right. Modeling isn't my dream but it'll get me the money I need to go to school for graphic design which as you know is my dream." Sam said. "So the next time I have a photo-shoot and I get home after workin' all day. I'm beat down girl, I'm dead on my feet but as tired as I am if you wanna play. Well, playin' sounds real good to me." he said causing her to blush. Sam laughed at how even after everything they'd been through, he could still make her blush. "'Cause girl I can't buy you a big diamond ring, no house on a hill full of life's finer things, and I'll tell you right now there's a whole lot that I just can't do. Oh, but baby don't think I can't love you."

"Are you asking me out or something?" she asked with a chuckle.

"That depends." Sam said.

"Oh what?" Mercedes questioned.

"After you go a million times platinum and you're seen holding my hand and the press and Terry are all talking shit about us." Sam said, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand. "Are you just gonna ditch me?"

"No. I wouldn't." she said smiling. "I get that Terry was wrong and I was wrong for feeding into it. I wouldn't hurt you like that."

"Good. So girl I can't buy you a big diamond ring. No house on a hill full of life's finer things." Sam said as he got up and walked to her side of the table.

"I don't care about that." Mercedes said putting her hand on his cheek as knelt down beside her chair.
"And I'll tell you right now there's a whole lot that I just can't do. Oh, but baby, don't think I can't love you." he said as he leaned up and pressed his lips against hers.

"I love you." Mercedes said against his mouth. Sam pressed his forehead to hers. They made eye contact and for the first time in a long time, they both felt right.