Mercedes stood in the doorway of her spare bedroom staring at the brand new Seally PosturePedic she had bought for Sam. The bed had been delivered earlier that day and Sam was expected to be there in a little less than an hour. Mercedes sighed heavily thinking about the mess she had gotten herself into. She cared very deeply for Sam, but things had been super awkward since they broke up, and now they were going to live together? Thanks Rachel.
Ding Dong
"Oh my gosh, he's early," Mercedes said out loud to herself. She started sweating and suddenly felt queasy. Looking through the peephole, Mercedes calmed down a little bit as she opened the door saying, "Come on in!" to Sam, Kurt, Rachel and Blaine.
"I hope you don't mind, just thought we would all stop by to help Sam get acclimated to his new environment" Rachel said in a sing song voice.
"No, no, I'm glad to see all of you. Welcome."
"Uh huh, yeah," Kurt said pulling my arm to the side, "Mercedes walk with me." Kurt promptly pulled me into my bedroom and closed the door as the others were immersed in conversation and hissed, "Mercedes are you out of your mind?!"
"What?"
"You and Sam living together is a recipe for disaster. You told me, that you moving here to New York was all about your album and making your dreams come true." Kurt said.
"And it is Kurt"
"Then why are you getting back together with Sam?"
"Kurt! I am not back together with Sam, he and I are just friends!" at that Kurt let out a little giggle.
"Since when Mercedes? When have you and Sam been just friends since you gave him a taste?" He looked me dead in the eye as he continued, "You and Sam have a history"
"And that's all it is Kurt, history" I don't know why my own statement made me feel a little sad.
He side eyed me saying, "As I was saying, you and Sam have a history of gravitating towards one another, it doesn't matter how many times you break up, if there is an opportunity you will get back together. Living together is all the opportunity that Sam needs; you know that boy is like a dog in heat when it comes to you."
Why did Kurt's last statement excite me?
"The two of you can't be just friends if we go by the way it has been between you since the last time you broke up. It's all or nothing with you two. You barely speak to each other unless forced to, so tell me again about the great friendship that isn't"
"Well maybe living together will give us a chance to mend our broken friendship. Why are you so against us getting back together anyway?"
Kurt laughed at that one, "Oh, okay…okay Mercedes I see you. In one breath you say you and Sam aren't getting back together and then in the next you get mad at me because I don't want you two to get back together? Right."
"I didn't mean it like that," Mercedes defended, "I only meant that you seem really against the idea of Sam and I getting back together and I want to know why?"
"I cannot believe this is a real conversation I'm having right now," Kurt said under his breath, "Look Mercedes, it's not that I am against you and Sam. I have never seen Sam happier than when he is with you….for about five minutes before you break up with him again because the sun isn't shining in your window."
"That's not fair!" Mercedes retorted in shock and hurt at her friends words, "I had good, sensible, valid reasons for breaking up with Sam. I did. A long distance relationship would never have worked so I did us both a favor by ending things when I did."
"Well then do yourself and Sam both a favor and don't get started again," Kurt blurted out in frustration as Mercedes rolled her eyes and looked down knowing Kurt had a point. He sighed heavily, looking on at her with her head down. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her head until their eyes met and said, "Unless this time you will give him a real shot and stop running away from him, don't give him any hope. Living with you is going to give him hope Mercedes. Don't break his heart anymore. Losing you the last time did something to him. He wasn't himself for a long time and I had a front row seat for the hot-assed mess that he was because he and Blaine became closer during that time. It was like, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, things got weird and he dated and hooked up with anyone he could find. I feel like he is just now coming back and trying to focus on himself, please don't ruin his progress."
Mercedes was crying now. "Kurt, I don't want to hurt him, but what can I do? I already told him he could live here I can't go back on my word."
"Can't or won't Mercedes" Kurt said knowingly.
"Look, all of this is crazy talk" Mercedes said wiping the tears from her eyes, "I doubt very seriously that Sam is still holding out hope for he and I because, like you said, when we broke up it changed him. We haven't really had much interaction with each other since the break-up so I'm sure this whole living situation will be just like roommates getting to know one another."
"Oh please! Honey, lie to me, but please don't lie to yourself."
"Kurt, I doubt very seriously that Sam wants me back."
"And what do you want Mercedes, do you want Sam back?"
Mercedes hesitated before saying, "You don't even want me back with him anyway so why does it matter?"
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF, JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Kurt yelled
"I don't know," Mercedes answered honestly, "I didn't think that I would until I saw him in the coffee shop with Rachel a couple of days ago, I felt something, I don't know, something that I didn't expect to still be there. I mean it was hella awkward, don't get me wrong, but beyond that, I mean when he touched me there was that…spark, still there. I'm not saying that I want him back, I'm saying that I don't know."
"And that's always been your problem. If you do go for it be sure this time okay." Kurt said kissing her on the cheek while getting up to leave the room. Mercedes followed Kurt out into the living room to see Sam entertaining Blaine and Rachel with his impersonation of Forrest Gump. Their eyes met briefly before Kurt announced, "Time to go" wrapping his scarf tightly around his neck.
"But you guys just got here, you should stay for a while" Mercedes protested while Kurt kissed her cheek as he went to open the door.
"oh, no we couldn't. I have to be up early." Rachel said with a smile on her face. As she went in to kiss Mercedes cheek she leaned in a whispered in her ear, "Give love a shot" and walked out the door.
Blaine was all, "Okay, well I guess I'll see you guys later"
"Yeah cool, buy guys, and thanks for everything." Sam said
When the door was shut and it was just her and Sam the realness of the situation started to hit her in the face, she couldn't think of a single thing to say.
"So…" Sam said rocking back on the heels of his feet trying to break the ice.
"So…" Mercedes echoed back before glancing at his bags in the middle of the living room floor, "Why don't I show you to your room so you can put your things up."
"Yeah, good idea. After you." he said gesturing for her to lead the way.
She walked him to his room and said, "Ta da, I know it's a little on the smaller side what with all the clothing taking up a good portion of the room."
Sam walked inside beaming and grabbing her hand pulling her in with him, "It's perfect, I've never seen so many colors, it is so you." He smiled at her.
"Yeah, like where am I going to wear most of this stuff?" She said choosing to ignore the last part of what he said. She grabbed a one piece bathing suit from the rack that that was more like a piece of fabric that wouldn't cover any of her lady parts and held it up saying, "Like this, where would I ever wear this?" Sam traced his fingers along the crotch of the bathing suit as he said, "In my dreams" Mercedes slapped the bathing suit out of his hand with a shocked expression on her face and Sam broke out in another smile before letting out a laugh claiming, "I'm just playing, you're so easy to get a rise out of, sometimes I just can't help myself."
"You're an ass Sam! Anyway, I think that's my cue to leave." And she turned to walk out but Sam grabbed her from behind wrapping both his arms around her and holding her in place. The feeling of him around her was suffocating, intoxicating and overwhelming all at the same time. She forgot what it was she was even doing, oh that's right, walking away.
"Don't be mad at me." Sam finally said while still hugging her from behind, "We're gonna have fun together. Where should I put my things?"
"Huh" was all Mercedes could get out seeing as she hadn't heard a word he just said. She was too busy lost in the feel of him.
"Where do I put my things, clothes and what not?"
"Oh" Mercedes said and broke out of his grasp to walking over to the dresser, "I cleaned this out for you, there is also some space left in the closet" Mercedes said absentmindedly as Sam walked into the closet looking in and reaching for a box on the top shelf saying, "What's in here?"
Oh shit! "Nothing!" Mercedes said lunging for the box. Sam smiled wide holding the box out of her reach, "Then why can't I see it?"
"Sam, just give me the box!"
"Sorry!" he said as he took off running for the living room. Mercedes chased him and hit him hard in the back, causing him to stumble. He placed the box on the coffee table and turned around grabbing her as she attempted to tackle him. He grabbed her flailing arms and pushed her down on the couch straddling her lap to keep her from kicking him and then stretched her arms up above her head. He leaned in so close to her face that she could feel the light sheen of sweat on his forehead. Still breathing heavy from their struggle he said, "Just relax"
For a moment she did, with his face pressed up against hers, she got comfortable, but then he raised himself up and pushed her hands together so that he could use his enormous hand to hold both of her wrists, actively freeing one of his hands. Mercedes knew what was coming next and she struggled to free her hands, but it was too late, he opened the box.
For a moment Sam was just quiet, his face a mix of emotions. He let go of her wrists and turned his attention to the box before lifting it out to examine it. He opened the red heart shaped candy box to find Saint Valentine still in place, "You still have my heart" was all he said before Mercedes shoved him off her and snatched the heart out of his hand shoving it back into the box and fleeing into her room with it leaving him sitting on the couch. He just sat there.