Disco Inferno
Expect the unexpected, that's what we're told isn't it?
Mercedes's friends' relationship was in trouble again, the call didn't sound promising, she knew she had to go, and Sam wasn't going to be pleased, she took a breath, opened her phone, and started the conversation "Babe" her tone letting him know something was wrong
"What's up?" he laughed knowing that tone
"Brittany and Santana have sent an SOS, hopefully I'll be home later, but definitely as soon as I can, sounds like an inferno"
"More like a freaking disco inferno" he laughed "Just another chance to have a knees up"
"An SOS nevertheless"
"What about our dinner tonight?" he asked, knowing the situation was going to trump an intimate dinner "We've planned that for weeks"
"I know babe, but this is an SOS"
"I know" she could hear the sulk in his voice "Truth is I've got a bit of an SOS going on myself"
"You're insatiable" she laughed "I'll take care of that SOS as soon as we get home"
"Those are the words I was waiting for" he giggled
"How long are you going to be at work?" she asked laughing with him
"Well, I was leaving soon, but as there's no one home, I might as well go until I want to stop"
"I'll come to you when I'm done"
"You're so sure it's going to be that easy" he laughed
"I'll just ply them with drinks, start the disco, and scarper" she laughed
"You know their SOS is always end with loose chat and alcohol?"
"I know they cry wolf, but one of these days…"
"I know" he took a second "Anyway, call me when you get there" he blew a kiss down the phone
They lived less than two miles away from Santana and Brittany, but whenever they managed to get over there, they always got so intoxicated in was an overnight thing, so the fact that they had something going on for them right now, Mercy promising it was only going to be a few hours, was being way too generous.
In their little village near Lima, where they'd all come from, back when Santana and Brittany made their commitment, it had been whispered that it had all happened too soon. They'd just hit 20 and maybe it was an understandable assumption, but anyone who had taken the time to know them could see the love. However, the people of the village had spoken, so them coming straight out of college, without a penny between them, those against it forgot about the love, and honed straight in on the recklessness of the situation.
It wasn't a memorable day for the couple, with Santana's parents missing from the celebrations because they didn't agree with the relationship, and Brittany's parents going as far as to kick her out when she finally came out to them months before, it wasn't the family get together they'd hoped for. There were two cousins, on Santana's side and a cat on Brittany's, so when Sam and Mercy as their only friends had attended and stood as witnesses, to their union, it somehow meant they were the gatekeepers of their relationship
The couple had started out in a really basic one bed apartment on the outskirts of the village, as well as poverty they had a disapproving community to deal with for a few months. Then Brittany got a dancing gig in California, they moved into a nearby motel and over a few months earned them enough money to get a decent two bed apartment, Santana had dived into her singing and dancing, and a year later they were as financially stable as anyone else
But for Santana and Brittany the fact that their families hadn't agreed with or attended their commitment ceremony, meant that loneliness was definitely one of the down sides to their relationship. For the most part, with Sam and Mercy being busy, they only had each other, so when they did have a disagreement, it just seemed bigger, more final, and devastating to them.
"I will, and I'll call you when I'm leaving" Mercy laughed "Hey" she called down the phone
"I didn't forget, I just wanted you to remember" he laughed
"I remembered"
"I love you babe"
"Love you too" she cooed before listening to him close the call
Sam sat smiling at his phone, happy it was Mercy going to the rescue, the last time he was the one they contacted, because they thought Mercy was out of town, and it was just so embarrassing as a man, to have to deal with the sex issues in their relationship it just felt so awkward.
Sam's Flashback
For Mercy and I sex had always been a big thing, from broaching it in the first place, to doing it for the first time, and every time since she wouldn't let me close without hearing the words that seemed to open up her whole heart to me, and of course that only took place when we were in the right mind frame. For Santana and Brittany sex had a different focus, it was an act that had brought them together, a secret that had kept them together, and in times of distress, it seemed to solve every problem they ever thought they had, until it didn't, and then that was everyone else's problem namely Mercy and mine.
Mercy usually responded to their SOS calls, we worked opposite each other for half the year, so it was very rare we had any drama of our own, and to be honest the conversations about our friends SOS situations could carry us for days, they were so outlandish, entertaining, and sometimes childish. The time in question she'd flown in late evening, after a full schedule for a week, horny and tired, I'd done what I needed to, for her to get some well-earned sleep, and lay feeling proud of myself after she'd fallen asleep, until the call came
I soon established I really wasn't helpful in SOS situations, I couldn't help but cuss instead of helping them, I'd stepped into the apartment and Santana rushed into me sinking her face into my chest crying, as I tried to comfort her, I looked across the room to see Brittany out on the balcony crying too, I didn't know who to help first, what to say, or do
"What's happened?" I stood in the middle of the room trying to make sense of the reason behind me rushing across town to get to their place to find them both alive, because as far as I was concerned SOS means on the brink of dying right?
"She's accused me of sleeping out on her" Santana snapped at me, pushing me away like I was that person
"I didn't accuse her" Brittany snapped back; I stood in the middle of a catfight wondering what the hell I was doing listening to two women arguing about sex, before I finished thinking it, the words jumped out my mouth
"What am I doing here?" I asked, I was so pissed at having to get out of bed, where I'd left my wife I hadn't seen for a week, to drive for an hour to hear this crap "Did she hit you or something?" I asked Santana, hoping for something resembling a real emergency
"No" she snapped
"I didn't hit her" Brittany shouted at me "Who do you think I am, she fell"
"She was mad, I backed up and fell over the coffee table" Santana added
"So why am I here?" I asked again, damning the fact that Mercy was too tired to get up and deal with this shit
"Because she thinks I'm sleeping around" Santana looked at me like I had something to add "She wants to leave, but I didn't do anything"
For a second I felt like I was back in the school playground, stood between the same two bickering spoilt brats "So, you're sure you're not cheating?" I had to make sure, Santana was the biggest flirt back then, they both were
"I'm not cheating Sam" Santana turned to look at Brittany "I've just not been feeling myself for a while, I'm exhausted, still finding it hard sometimes to cope without my family…"
"…We both are" Brittany snapped
"Why is this an SOS?" I asked, I knew my voice was strained, this was just as ridiculous as the story Mercy had told me about the last time they'd called on her
"Because I'm not getting any sex" Brittany snapped at me, as if that was actually my problem
"Well, your call just cut all that off for me too" I snapped back enough for her to know I didn't appreciate her tone
"This is our SOS not yours" Santana reminded me, I had words, strong words, but I didn't use them, I decided to do Mercy proud
"It's my time you're wasting" I snapped "There's a simple solution, if she says no, then it's not happening, if she says yes go for it, same concept applies in all relationships you know?" I snarled at them "I don't believe you two" I looked from one to the other "This cannot be it, what did you call for?" I flopped onto the couch; this was unbelievable.
"I don't think you understand Sam" Brittany looked at me "Betrayal is a big thing for me"
"It's a big thing for me too" Santana sat on the couch near me "I know what I have to lose, I'd never do anything like that, especially not to you" she looked at Brittany
"I know a lot of people think our relationship is all physical and maybe in the main it is, but sex says a lot more to us than just… sex" Brittany walked into the room and sat down
"Britt" I rolled my eyes "Sex always means something to two people that are in love with each other, it's not just, a your relationship thing" I looked at Santana "I can't believe I'm doing sex education with you guys" I flipped my hands in the air deliberately showing my obvious frustration
By late evening as was usual, alcohol was flowing and the conversations had become a lot more graphic, as they shared details about the problems in their bedroom, I was so embarrassed, so when they finally hugged it out, I jumped up, made my excuses, and left them cuddled on the couch.
When I got home, I remember smiling thankfully watching Mercy still fast asleep, at least one of us had gotten some rest, I was so talked out I fell asleep almost instantly, and of course it goes without say that the next morning breakfast was good
End of Flashback
"Sam" Jakes called "Where's your head man?"
"I'm here" he looked at the guys waiting to play "Let's do this from forever" he strummed his guitar
Forever ain't forever if we're not together I don't want to put a load of pressure on you
I just want to tell you, I just want to tell you, without you I don't know what I'd do
I've only got one life and I want you in it, oh, tell me that you'll never let me go
Or bury my body or send it down the river, oh, I could never do it on my own… 'One Life' by James Bay
Brittana
Mercy took the hour getting across town to Santana and Brittany's apartment to gather every bit of empathy she could find in herself, it wasn't that she wasn't a genuine person it was that their shit was so trivial, it got her mad sometimes that they weren't being grown up about their lives enough to know the difference between a threatening relationship situation and a simple argument.
She finally got there and sat in the car looking at the building before taking a deep breath and making her way to their place "Okay" she stepped in when Santana opened the door "What the fucks up now?" she stepped further into the room to see three familiar faces sitting there staring back at her "Excuse me" her tone much softer as it became clear to her that they were Santana and Brittany's parents
"Mercy" Brittany smiled "You remember my mom and dad" she pointed at them as they spoke "And Santana's mom"
"Yeah sure" she smiled at the faces "SOS" she mouthed at Santana; her eyes widened as she walked towards them
"Mr & Mrs Pierce" Mercy smiled holding her arms open "Sorry about that" she hugged them looking at Santana's mom as she did, the woman's face threatening to freeze hell over "Mrs Lopez?" she grinned
"We're all grown now" the woman's face broke into a smile she wasn't expecting "Maribel please"
"Maribel" Mercy smiled "It's been a while" she hugged her
"And we're Pierce and Whitney now too" Brittany's mom smiled at her
"Nice to see you all again, it's been a while" Mercy looked around the room wondering what she was doing there "SOS?" she mouthed at Santana again, moving with the woman as she rushed her into the kitchen
"Our mom's and dad wanted to have a conversation about our sexuality" Santana widened her eyes at Mercy
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Mercy asked puzzled
"We thought we needed a friend" Brittany walked into the kitchen smiling
"She means a mediator" Santana corrected her
"I'm a singer" Mercy gasped "I don't know about stuff like this"
"The things Maribel said to me before our ceremony she's lucky she's in our damn apartment" Brittany hissed
"And the racist bigoted things Pierce said to me" Santana shook her head
"I don't know that I can forgive them" Brittany told them
"I don't know that I want to forgive them" Santana told them her feelings
"For the past four years this is all you two have talked about, you want this" Mercy reminded them
"Do we?" Santana looked at Brittany asking
"But they're here, and you're up for building some bridges, right?" Mercy looked from one to the other "Right?" she asked again
"Right" Santana and Brittany snapped
"Mediator" Santana pointed at her smiling
"You can do this" Mercy encouraged them "Come on" she stepped in front of them to make their way back to the living room
"Okay" Brittany surprised them announcing "We'll answer questions, but you won't change our minds" she warned
"We're not here to change your minds darling" Pierce smiled at her
"Good" they sat on one of the couches together, Mercy sat in a chair outside of their circle
"Hearing your say what you said came as a massive shock to me sweet" Maribel frowned at her daughter "I read somewhere that most parents are unprepared and even confused and that's what I was, I couldn't register what you said, it just wouldn't go in" she looked at Whitney "I mean you had boyfriends in school"
"You had boyfriends too" Whitney looked at Brittany
"We did" Brittany smiled "I guess we were in denial"
"But" Pierce smiled at them "We've been reading, learning, watching and listening about the LGBTQ+ community, looked into ourselves" he grinned "We didn't handle things right"
"To be honest, I've always had this wineglass view of what it means to be gay" Whitney frowned "Naïve I know, stereotypes I grew up with I suppose"
"But we've talked" Maribel cut in "And we came up with one sure fact" she smiled "We love our children, and yes it's taken us four years to work that out, but we got there"
"Unconditionally" Pierce smiled at them "And we were very wrong to say what we said"
"All of it" Maribel added "I should have listened to you, supported you, given you a space to talk to me about it, we should have learned together" she held her hand out for Santana to grab "I'm so sorry sweet"
Santana was lost for words, this was a complete turnround from the conversation they'd had a little over four years ago, she'd used words like disgust, shame, hate, dead and now this "What do you want me to say?" she looked into her mother's eyes hesitant to grab her waiting hand
"Whatever is in your heart to say" Maribel smiled grabbing her daughter's hand "I want to understand this for you, know how to support you" she looked at Brittany "And you Brittany"
"Gosh" Santana gasped, that might have been the first time she'd heard her mother utter Brittany's name since they'd outted themselves
Mercy sat on the chair smiling, this was something her friends had wished for since before the ceremony, but the look on Brittany's face was telling her this wasn't going to be an easy ride
"We know we didn't make this easy for you, shutting you down before you even got to tell us the full story" Whitney pipped in "But we're willing to do whatever it takes to gain back your trust in us"
"And to be there for you both" Pierce smiled at his daughter "If you'll let us"
"I wanted you at our ceremony" Brittany snapped Santana's spare hand quickly grabbed hold of hers as they shared a look "So you're just going to give in to all this?" she asked Santana
"It's what we've always wanted, isn't it?" Santana asked her surprised "Our parents on board with this?"
"What's the catch?" Brittany asked
"We realised we loved you, and it was unconditional" Pierce told her
"We let our pride and inhibitions get in the way for a minute, and lost everything we hold dear" Maribel squeezed Santana's hand smiling
"We didn't look at any of this from your point of view, we were worried more about what people thought, and that was wrong" Whitney told them "There's no catch darling"
"Except that we're asking you to find it in our hearts to forgive us, and start again" Pierce told her
"With a reception, at home" Maribel looked into Santana's eyes "Maybe another blessing?" she looked at Brittany
"And family?" Whitney smiled "Lots of family"
"How it should have been" Maribel grinned
"What do you say?" Pierce asked
"Yes" Mercy jumped up clapping her hands with excitement
"Mercy" Santana grinned that grin they all knew was going to end in tears
"What?" Mercy grinned "Dream come true"
"So" Santana looked at Brittany "What do you say?" as tears rolled down her face
"To?"
"Will you commit to me?" she cried "Again"
"Yes" Brittany smiled hugging her
Mercy stood watching the women hug their parents before they childishly jumped around in celebration, it was as if they were children again, excitedly craving the acceptance that had never been there, that hug had closed so many scars for them, and that made her happy.
She was happy they were happy, but watching her friends just then made her feel a little empty, Sam and her had done five years together, and maybe it was because of the treatment Santana and Brittany got; she didn't really know, but marriage had never been on the cards for them, not right now anyway, but just then she felt it should be. They'd been too busy, too familiar to have the surprise proposal thing, or even a formal proposal, she'd got in her mind that at this stage it would be some sort of agreement, they'd been living together for over three years, take out weeks away for work, they didn't get much time for romance
"You'll help us plan, won't you?" Santana grabbed her hand bringing her back into the room
"Sorry?"
"Planning, you'll help, yes?"
"Sure" Mercy smiled sitting listening as planning got on the way "Sorry" she got up a while later "I told Sam I'd meet him, I've got to go" she made her excuses, said her goodbyes, and left their apartment, making the promised call to Sam before starting her car to make the journey
Studio
"Hey" Mercy walked in to see Sam sat on a stool strumming his guitar "Were you waiting for me?"
"I was, but I didn't expect to see you already" he got up as she entered the booth "You okay?"
"I'm fine, you?" she watched him nod a yes before their lips met, she moaned when he pulled her in for a deeper kiss "Long day?" she smiled when he let her go
"The longest, easiest songs, but hell it's taking a while"
"Easy ones always do" she laughed throwing her purse onto the spare chair
"We got the first two but there's definitely something missing on the last one, I don't know what it is"
"Let's hear it"
"I want to go home" he leaned in and kissed her again
"Let's hear it" she grinned at him grabbing the lyrics off the stand
Sam: Strange things could happen, when you're next to me, next to me, yeah, it's like I imagine, there's an energy I can read
And I know where you go in your head, we're going down that road, there's some kind of magic something no one sees, only me
You gon' give me that look, look, look, look-look, you don't have to tell me that it's mine
When you give me that look, look, look, look-look, you said everything with just your eyes
"I got this" she smiled at him
Mercy: You don't need to say too much, words get in the way too much
And then we'll contemplate too much, I don't want to waste your time or mine, it's behind your eyes, you've been trying me all night.
So do it, it's your shot, shoot it ain't no other way out, got to go through it
You caught me the moment before I knew it, but I couldn't hide it, you see right through it, yeah, yeah, yeah… 'That Look' by Ali Gatie & Kehlani
"That's what was missing" he laughed stopping the song
"I'm always missing" she laughed
"I need to change a song on the album"
"Why?"
"I want to sing that one with you, I'll see what I can do" he put his guitar down "What was up with Santana and Brittany?"
"Would you believe their parents turned up, apologised and want to do them a reception"
"Wow, just what they've always wanted" he hugged her "A real SOS for once"
"I know" she laughed
"We've got time to go for that dinner if you're still hungry, but we'll have to go as we are, what do you say?"
"I'm starving"
"Okay, we'll leave your car here, and come back for it in the morning"
"Fine" she grabbed her purse, his waiting hand, watched him lock up and they left for the restaurant, the entire journey was her filling him in on the night's events at Santana and Brittany's place
Restaurant
"Reservation for Evans please" Sam smiled at the waiting man, watching him look down the list before directing them to a round table almost in the middle of the room, with white, short, stemmed, roses in a crystal vase and beautiful China crockery
"This is beautiful" Mercy turned to look at Sam "Someone's gone all out" she smiled as he took her jacket before she sat down
"It's been a while" he nodded at the waiter
"True" she watched him hang her jacket and sit down opposite her
"I thought we could maybe just have a conversation about us, we're always talking about what's next in our careers, with other people, or the past I just thought we could talk us"
"What about us, we're okay aren't we?" she looked at him seriously
"Sure" he nodded "No parents climbing out the woodwork anyway" he laughed calling the waiter "Fish?" he asked her
"You know me a bit too well" she smiled nodding her head, then watching him order
"I know you very well"
"So, what do you know about me?" she rested her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her entwined hands
"You give and expect total trust" he smiled "Your playful but passionate and god when you feel sexy you let me know it" he rolled his eyes "Your supportive, adventurous, ambitious, you like giving as much as receiving pleasure in bed" he laughed "You make me want to make time for our love" he grinned "And there you go fucking me with those eyes again" he grinned his cute grin "And you, what do you know about me?"
"Oh my" she looked up in the air "You're reserved, really don't like to be the centre of attention unless you're on stage" she grinned "When you love, you love deeply, honestly and unconditionally" she looked up in consideration "Super funny, kind, supportive, my best friend, and cute as hell" she looked across the room at their meals coming towards them "And you always know my food order" she giggled
"I thought hell was like an inferno?" he looked at her oddly
"More like one of those enjoyable disco infernos we have at tana and Britt's than one pertaining to hell babe" she laughed "Cute anyway" she raised her eyebrows at him
"Will this make me any cuter?" he picked up a diamond encrusted ring from his plate with his fork
"Babe" she grinned "Are we really doing this?"
"If you say yes"
"Of course, I say yes" she leaned over and kissed him "I didn't expect this" she sat watching him put the ring on her finger
"What is it dad always says," he held her hand looking at the well-placed ring "Expect the unexpected"
"Very unexpected, but welcomed" she grinned "Eat up" she pointed at the food "We've got some celebrating to do"