Here is part two! I've realized that I stopped putting in the disclaimer, so just for the record, I don't own anything Glee related or any of the pop culture references mentioned. There's a lot of formatting in this chapter. Forgive me if it doesn't come out right. Warning: there is some... ahem, "adult" behavior in this chapter.
Thanks again to all the readers, reviewers, followers and favorite-ers! Enjoy! And PLEASE read the A/N at the end.
Chapter 10
The next afternoon Sam parked his truck on the curb, hopped out, and jogged up Mercedes' porch steps to ring the doorbell. He anxiously wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and jammed his hands in his pockets.
The door swung open to reveal Mercedes in her signature black skinny jeans and a hot pink leopard print tee that hung off her right shoulder.
She grinned up at Sam. "Hey, Kim K. Glad to see you made it through the apocalypse."
Sam groaned in response and blushed lightly. "Come on, will you ever let me live that down?"
"Eventually. But for now I haven't made nearly enough jokes yet."
"Well it doesn't even work because Kim actually got married. I didn't."
"Details. Just be happy you're Kim and not Kris Humphries. Anyway, come inside before you let all the heat out."
Mercedes moved to the side to let Sam through, closing the door behind her and leaning her back to it, silently gazing up at Sam the whole time. Sam looked back at her, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"What?"
"Nothing. I just really missed you."
Sam's heart flip-flopped at her words. In all their conversations he still couldn't get over how good it felt when she said she misses him. Sam scooped Mercedes up in a tight hug and then held her back at arms length for further inspection.
"You shrank," Sam said with a slight frown. "It looks good on you though." His eyes scanned her slowly from her cropped haircut down to her painted toes. And my favorite parts are still present and accounted for.
"Thanks, I think." Mercedes responded with an eye roll. "You sound as bad as my parents. I swear it's not that dramatic. Just a couple of pounds due to exercise and a tight budget. The last of my baby-fat really."
"Well, I trust you. And you look good." Sam pulled her in for another hug, breathing her in this time. "Where are your folks anyway?"
"Daddy's at the practice and Mom's running errands. Now let's go upstairs, we have a lot of catching up to do before you get on the road."
Sam happily followed Mercedes, taking in the sight of her. Yup, all my favorite parts are right where I left them.
When they arrived at Mercedes' room, Sam paused in the doorway across from the deep purple accent wall to view what was once a familiar sight. Mercedes would be the first to admit that as the youngest child and only daughter, she was spoiled. Her large room included a walk-in closet that held tons of brightly patterned clothes. However, most of the clothes were now missing, having made a new home on the west coast. Sam noticed that her posters were also gone, as well as the pictures on her vanity. One thing that hadn't changed was what was in Sam's opinion the best part of the room. The queen sized— or as Mercedes called it, diva-sized— bed complete with a four-post frame and an open-topped canopy with cream colored curtains. The unchanged presence of her bed brought back one of Sam's favorite memories.
Lima had been going through a rash of summer thunderstorms, putting a halt on Sam and Mercedes' lakeside plans. After three days of cancelled plans Sam had had enough and decided to take matters into his own hands. Late one afternoon, Sam bounded up the Jones' front steps holding his purple hoodie over his head to shield himself from the downpour. Shortly after ringing the doorbell, Mrs. Cynthia Jones opened the door with a welcoming smile.
"Hello, Sam! I didn't expect to see you today."
"Hello, ma'am. I came by to get Mercedes' help with my summer reading, if that's alright." Sam gestured to his backpack. "She had the same book last year so I figured she'd know how to explain it all."
"Mhmm." Cynthia hummed with a knowing smile. Sam blushed, realizing he'd been figured out.
"How's your family doing?"
"Good, ma'am."
"Aww, Honey, save all that 'sir and ma'am' business for 'Cedes' father and grandma." She laughed and pulled Sam in for a hug. "Now go on upstairs. I'm sure 'Cedes can use a break from reading Crime and Punishment. I swear they're punishing her for picking an AP class."
Sam chuckled and flashed her his signature crooked grin before rushing up the stairs, resisting the urge to take them two at a time.
"Tell Mercedes I need to see her in the kitchen!" Cynthia called after him.
Sam crept up to Mercedes' room as quietly as possible and poked his head in. Mercedes sat cross-legged on her bed with her back against some throw pillows. She seemed to be having a staring match between her and the closed tome lying on the bedspread in front of her.
"I didn't know you had x-ray vision. That's awesome!"
Mercedes jumped at Sam's voice. "Oh my God! What are you doing here? I thought we cancelled?"
Mercedes got off the bed to greet Sam with a hug. Before she could pull away, Sam kept a firm grasp on her hips and held her close.
"We did," Sam stole a quick kiss from Mercedes' lips. "But I thought I'd come by and say 'hi.'"
Sam leaned forward to kiss Mercedes again, but this time he went slowly, deepening the kiss and brushing his tongue across Mercedes' bottom lip. Just as Mercedes parted her lips, Sam backed away just far enough to brush his nose against hers.
"Hi," he whispered.
Mercedes' eyelids fluttered open and she softly cleared her throat. "Hi," she whispered back.
Sam stood taking in her shy smile and lightly smirked. We've been flirting for ages and been official for two weeks, but she still acts shy. Adorable.
"Before I forget, your mom said she needs you in the kitchen."
Mercedes groaned and removed Sam's hands from clutching her hips. "Of course she does. I'll be back in a minute."
Sam watched appreciatively as Mercedes walked out of the room. As soon as she was out of sight, Sam sprang into action. He cleared her book and highlighters off the bed and grabbed his sketchbook out his backpack, frantically turning the pages until he came to the last used page. Then he pulled out the small bag containing his most recent purchase, kicked off his shoes and stood on the bed. He was well at work before Mercedes returned, carrying a plate of turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches and two cans of Diet Coke.
"Boy, I know you're not standing on my bed!"
"Calm down, I took my shoes off." Sam replied while keeping his eyes trained on the ceiling.
Mercedes put their lunch on the nightstand and took a closer look at what Sam was doing.
"Glow-in-the-dark stars?"
"Yup. I drew the stars visible from Lima," Sam tapped his foot on the sketchbook, "and I'm copying them up here. So we can stargaze without the rain."
Mercedes quietly watched Sam work with bright eyes. This guy is so sweet and I am so lucky.
Sam hopped down from the bed.
"Finished?" Mercedes asked.
"Not quite." Sam closed the blinds but opened the windows slightly to let in the scent of wet grass, lit the candles on Mercedes' vanity and switched off the lights. When he went to close the door she opened it again.
"Mom's conversation in the kitchen wasn't about food. I had to promise to keep the door open," Mercedes explained. "But it's okay." She untied the curtains from the bedposts to form a mock-tent.
The two climbed into the bed and lay on their backs, gazing at the artificial celestial pattern on her ceiling. Mercedes turned on her stereo, took a deep breath of the damp earth scent and let out a sigh.
"I think this is my favorite type of camping."
Sam chuckled, "You may have been raised in the suburbs, but you're a city girl at heart."
The couple chatted softly as the music played, updating the other on their lives. Sam rested his right hand behind his head and closed his eyes but was distinctly aware of Mercedes nervously fiddling with a throw pillow. The conversation dwindled to a silence as Adele's "Daydreamer" poured from the speakers.
Daydreamer
Sitting on the sea, soaking up the sun
He is a real lover
Of making up the past and feeling up his girl
Like he's never felt a figure before
Sam found himself empathizing with the subject of the song. His fingers always itched to stroke his girl's curves.
A jaw dropper
Looks good when he walks, he is the subject of their talk
He would be hard to chase
But good to catch, and he could change the world
With his hands behind his back, oh
Sam crept his free hand close to Mercedes', brushing the backs of them together. To his pleasure she turned her palm over so she could grasp his hand tight.
You can find him sitting on your doorstep
Waiting for a surprise
And he will feel like he's been there for hours
And you can tell that he'll be there for life
Sam turned on his side and gazed down at his girlfriend. Her eyes met his and watched as his flicked down to her lips and slowly tilted his head until their lips met.
Daydreamer
With eyes that make you melt, he lends his coat for shelter
Plus he's there for you when he shouldn't be
But he stays all the same, waits for you
Then sees you through
After moments of kissing, Mercedes' shyness was a thing of the past. Her tongue tangled with Sam's and she pressed her body flush against his.
There's no way I could describe him
What I've said is just what I'm hoping for
Sam now had one hand cupping Mercedes' face while the other roamed from her waist to her hips and down to her ass, squeezing with his broad hand, only to work his way up again. Sam repeated this motion until he gathered enough nerves to cup her breast— uncharted territory.
But I will find him sitting on my doorstep
Waiting for a surprise
And he will feel like he's been there for hours
And I can tell that he'll be there for life
He was encouraged when Mercedes responded with a moan and pushed even closer to him and ran her hand across his abs. Her kisses got more aggressive and Sam decided to take a chance and try to liberate her from her t-shirt.
And I can tell that he'll be there for life
Mercedes was on the same page as Sam. She was too eager to be self-conscious about being shirtless, too focused on his lips moving down her neck and towards her cleavage to register the changing tracks on her stereo. To Sam, the only music he could hear was Mercedes' labored pants for air and deep moans. That was, until they were interrupted by his phone.
Sam leaned in Mercedes' doorframe with a glazed look on his face. Mercedes noticed his silence and asked:
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"Just thinking about our first indoor camping trip," Sam replied with a smirk.
Mercedes smiled, "You know, you never did eat lunch that day."
"That's alright. I had a different appetite that needed satisfying."
Mercedes blushed deeply; she remembered that day as vividly as he did. She knew that if his mother's phone call hadn't interrupted them when it did, they would have hurdled past second base and onto third.
Mercedes cleared her throat and tried to change the subject, pulling out her laptop and tossing Sam some DVDs to choose from. Once everything was set up, they settled on the bed, trying not to think about all the previous activities held on that surface. They quickly fell into the same comfortable position of the past; Mercedes rested her head on Sam's chest and burrowed her face in to smother her laughter as he quoted Anchorman, and mimicked the actors' voices.
At times their attention strayed from the well-loved movie in favor of comfortable conversation. They spoke in soft tones, covering a variety of subjects. It was during a pause in conversation that Mercedes shifted her eyes to study Sam's face. After a beat, she tilted her head upwards and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Sam sat up with a start, putting space between their bodies. He looked dumbfounded. Mercedes stared back with wide eyes.
"Sorry?"
Sam's eyes focused in on Mercedes' face. "What?... Oh! No, don't... No," flustered, he ran his hands through his hair. "Umm, no."
"No?"
"I can't. I'm just not…" Sam tried to search for the right word. "…ready."
"Oh."
An awkward silence settled between the two.
"Umm... I think I should go." Before Mercedes could respond, Sam was putting on his shoes, heading down the stairs and opening the front door.
"Wait! Here." Mercedes held out a small gift bag.
"I can't—"
"Please. Just... take it, ok?"
Sam nodded his acceptance and mumbled a soft, "Thanks."
As he crossed the threshold into the late afternoon air, he turned back and looked at the girl he'd just rejected.
"MJ, I really am sorry."
Mercedes responded with a brusque nod and shut the door behind him. She rested her back against it as she had done when he arrived. But this time, she slid down to a seated position, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her forehead on her knees. Her shoulders shook with her sobs.
Outside, Sam tried to ignore the sound of heartbreak and shuffled to his truck. Once inside, he rested his gift on the passenger's seat and banged his head several times against the steering wheel. When he realized that it was doing nothing to organize his tumultuous thoughts, he started the ignition and pulled away from the curb, wondering if he had made a mistake.
Sorry! Sorry! Please forgive me! I know there were hopes that this wouldn't happen, but as corny as it sounds everything happens for a reason. This had been in my mind since a few chapters ago and I found it necessary to include. Also, this is in the angst category for a reason. But never fear, Samcedes is endgame.
"Daydreamer" seems to have become Sam's theme song in the fanon and I'm a big supporter of it cuz I think that's perfect. Hence, the appearance.
Random self-criticism, Sam's phone seems to interrupt quite a bit. He should just silence it, haha.
Stick around for the next chapter and please review with your thoughts! (Sorry, again)