"Ten minutes everybody! TEN MINUTES!"
Sam rolled his eyes as he fiddled with the platinum cuff links at his wrists. The wedding party had arrived at the Mandarian Oriental about half and hour ago and the men and women were holed up in their respective suites getting ready to go down to the reception. Kurt ran back and forth between rooms barking orders, tying ties, pinning hair among a host of other things. Just five minutes ago he had run into the men's suite with Liliana holding on to him for dear life but before Sam could save his daughter Kurt found whatever he was looking for and swept out of the room with her.
In retrospect Sam wished he had just went along with Mercedes and said fuck the 100 plus guests who were currently enjoying cocktail hour in the ballroom's foyer and instead kept it simple and sweet with a handful of guests. Now instead of spending alone time with his new wife he was in a room getting dressed with a bunch of guys so that he could go out and spend the next few hour schmoozing with virtual strangers.
He was an idiot.
"How ya feeling man?" Mike asked as he came behind him and slapped him on the back. "Has it sunk in yet that you're a married man?"
Sam laughed slightly and looked down at the wide gold band on his left hand.
"Maybe it would if I got to spend more than five seconds alone with my wife."
"It'll come you just have to get through this reception and then she'll be all yours." Mike wagged his eyebrows suggestively and hit him again.
"Yeah I know man, I just want like five minutes alone with her before the reception."
"I'm the best man so I'm going to handle this okay? Let me see what I can do."
"Okay," Sam answered but he wasn't hopeful that Mike could get it done. His friend was formidable but Sam didn't even think he stood a chance against Hurricane Kurt.
Less than a minute later Mike came shuffling back in the room and he waved the other men out of the room but before he shut the door behind him he turned and gave Sam a thumbs up and a wink.
The sudden hush that fell over the room once the other men were out was slightly unnerving but Sam didn't have time to worry much about it because seconds later the door was pushed open again and Mercedes walked inside. Sam sucked in a breath at the sight of his wife standing in front of him. She had changed out of her wedding dress into another dress that was similar in design but sleeker and easier to get around in. Her hair had been pulled out of its clips and re-curled so that it lay in heavy waves down her back. She looked stunning and Sam could hardly believe she was his.
Mercedes pushed away from the door and sauntered towards him with a small smile playing at her lips.
"Hello, Mr. Evans," she said softly in a seductive tone as she made her way to him. Sam could feel his toes unvoluntairly curling in his shoes as he felt, rather than heard, the sound of Mercedes voice all over his body.
"Hello, Mrs. Evans," he replied back as he pulled her into his arms, "keep that up and we're going to miss our wedding reception."
"Mmmmm…promise?" She asked as she looked up at him through thick eyelashes.
He felt himself go instantly hard and he glanced at the bed across the room and quickly calculated what his odds were of getting her on it and the dress over her head—
"Don't even think about it Sam."
"What?" He asked with fake innocence.
"Don't what me," she laughed, "I saw that face…I know that face and exactly where it leads."
"Can you blame me?"
"Not at all because honey, you are doing things with that suit that should be illegal."
"Is that right?"
"Mmm-hmmm." She murmured before bursting into giggles that Sam couldn't help but join in with.
Once their laughter subsided he gently grabbed her face in his hands a brought her mouth up to his. He peppered small kisses on her lips and she gave quiet little moans ever time their lips met. Sam wanted nothing more than to deepen the kiss but he knew once he got started he wouldn't want to stop.
He murmured, "I love you," against her lips before kissing her one last time and he regretfully let her go and took a big step back.
"Wha-?" Mercedes asked in a dazed voice as she swayed slightly. She opened her eyes and blinked up at him in confusion.
"We have to stop otherwise…"Sam trailed off as he looked pointedly at the bed. "I don't think Hurricane Kurt would appreciate finding us in flagrante delicto."
"Hurricane Kurt?" She asked in an amused tone, "Santana has been calling him Cyclone Hummel all day long. He really has been at a 10 all day hasn't he?"
"10? Try 100. I don't think he's ate, slept or breathed in the last few days."
"He has done a remarkable job, almost nothing has gone wrong and if it did I didn't know anything about it. Do you think he'll like our gift?"
"He better considering how much it's costing us."
As a thank you for everything he'd done Sam and Mercedes decided that since he wouldn't take money they would send him on a vacation instead. For years Kurt had gone on and on about wanting to go to Tahiti so they booked him and Blaine a week long all expenses paid trip. Kurt had been going non-stop every since planning for the wedding began and he made Mercedes' life a million times easier than it would have been without him. The joked around about his method and his madness but at the end of the day they both knew he was invaluable.
"When are we giving it again?" Sam asked.
"Before we go down for the reception, remember?"
A quiet knock on the door interrupted Sam's intended response so he called out a quick "come in," instead. He was expecting Kurt to pop his head in and demand that they head down to the reception but the face peeking around the corner instead was Marilyn.
She did a quick survey of the situation and he could tell by the relieved look on her eyes she expected to find them doing a bit more than just talking. She pushed the door open and as she walked into the room Sam and Mercedes saw who she brought along with her.
"Lily Bug!" Mercedes cooed as she held her arms out for their daughter who was currently squirming in Marilyn's arms in an effort to get to her parents.
Marilyn handed Lily to Mercedes before dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. "Kurt said the two of you have five minutes of family time before we HAVE to be downstairs. The sitter is waiting in the next room to put Lily to bed once you guys are ready."
"Okay, thank you Mama."
"You're welcome baby. You both look gorgeous."
"Thanks Mari—Mama." Sam corrected himself when Marilyn shot him a knowing look. She told him months ago to start calling him Mama if he were comfortable and while it took some getting used to he realized he liked it a lot.
"I'm going to finish getting ready and get settled in downstairs. I'll see you two in a bit!"
With that Marilyn hurried out of the room and closed the door firmly behind her. Once she was out Sam came forward and placed a big, wet, sloppy kiss on Lily's cheek that had her blowing raspberries at him. He blew one back at her and the wide, joyous smile she gave him in return warmed his heart.
He led them over to the bed and it was the first time since Mercedes entered the room that his thoughts were completely pure.
They laid Lily on the bed and they both hovered over her and watched in amusement as she valiantly tried putting her foot in her mouth. She rocked back and forth working her foot up to her face but every time she'd get close she rock too far one way and ended up on her side. After her fourth attempt the frustration was too much for her and she started to wail plaintively.
"Awww honey," Sam cooed as he gathered her up in his arms and rocked her, "don't cry sweetheart."
Liliana's wide, wet hazel eyes blinked up at Sam as her cries quieted and was replaced by a big pout on her plump lips.
Sam's heart ached at seeing his baby girl so sad so he picked up her tiny foot and kissed the bottom of it. She squirmed in his arms but the pout was gone and was replaced with the beginnings of a smile. He picked up her other foot and blew a raspberry on the bottom of it and the tiny smile turned into a full-fledged belly laugh that had both him and Mercedes joining in. They took turns tickling her and peppering her face with tiny laughter until she was practically wheezing with laughter.
"Okay, that's enough," Mercedes said as she wiped tears from her eyes. "We have to stop before she gets worked up and gives the nanny hell."
"You're right," Sam admitted as he scooped up Lily and rested her against his chest. "Let's get her put down so we can get this reception over with."
"Ugh, excuse you?" Mercedes asked indignantly.
"Don't look at me like that, you and I both know the quicker we get through that reception the quicker we get to do what we really want to be doing."
The angry look melted off Mercedes face and she swallowed hard as she looked at Sam's mouth. He licked his lips deliberately and her eyelids fluttered shut. She shook her head slightly to clear it and when she opened her eyes they were staring up at him accusingly.
"Don't start that," she warned, "because there is nothing you can do about it for at least the next couple of hours."
"You sure about that?" Sam asked in a low voice as he moved closer to her. "We're the bride and groom and this is our day so I think if we wanted to leave after 15 minutes we could."
"We could," She agreed as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, "but we're not going to."
Sam dropped his forehead against her and groaned softly. "I just want to be alone with you for longer than five minutes…and preferably with a lot less clothing on."
"Soon…" she promised in a whisper. She kissed him again before dropping one on Lily's head that was now lying comfortably on Sam's chest.
"Her little eyes are starting to droop," Mercedes said as she looked at her sleepy daughter, "let's take her to Sugar so that we can get this show on the road."
Once Lily had been home for a while and seemed to be out of the woods the conversation about Mercedes coming back to work full time came back up. The idea of a nanny didn't sit well with Mercedes and she didn't like the idea of being away from Lily all day long and frankly neither did Sam. So after much discussion they finally decided that a daycare at the job was the thing that would make them the happiest. Sam had to admit that he was ashamed that with all of the employees that he had that were parents he never thought before to offer an on site daycare. When the idea was brought to the employees most of them loved the idea. He could tell that there were a few that weren't all that overjoyed at the thought of children in the building but nobody made too much of a fuss about it. It was decided that two of the largest conference rooms on the first floor would be combined and turned into a daycare and after a little over a month of construction it was completed. The dreary conference room was transformed into a colorful, fun, interactive place and the children loved it. Sugar Motta was hired on, along with five other women, to specifically take care of the babies and toddlers. Lily liked all the women at the daycare but she really loved Sugar and she lit up like a Christmas tree every time she saw her. One day when Sam and Mercedes went to visit Lily during lunch they were discussing who they were going to get to watch her during the reception and Sugar overheard them and offered her services free of charge. It was a no brainer because they both trusted her with Lily and they knew she would do a good job watching her.
As soon as they walked into Sugar's room she clapped excitedly and took the now snoozing Lily from Sam's arms.
"Oh my God," she stage-whispered, "you two look so amazing!"
"Thanks Sugar." Sam said graciously as he wrapped his arm around Mercedes waist. "We can't tell you how much it means to us for you to do this."
"It's my pleasure, you know how much I love Lily so it isn't problem at all. Besides this hotel is ah-mazing."
"Glad you think so," Mercedes said as she gave Sam a pointed look which he knew was his cue.
"So Sugar, I know you said you didn't want us to pay you—"
"And I don't." She interrupted.
"And we respect that but we still want to give you something to say thank you."
Sam reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a shiny red envelope and handed it to Sugar. She stared at it in confusion as Mercedes came forward and took Lily from her so that she could open the envelope. She turned it over to the front and gasped loudly at the words Christian Louboutin embossed in the front in black. She turned the envelope back over and opened it with trembling hands.
"2500 dollars?" She squealed as she read the paper inside, "You got me a gift certificate for TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS?"
Lily's head snapped up at Sugar's shrill words and her face scrunched up angrily at being woken up. Mercedes patted her back soothingly and Lily laid her head back down on her chest but she could tell by her breathing that she was still awake.
Sugar kept nodding and shaking her head like a bobblehead and Mercedes and Sam looked at her worriedly.
"Sugar, are you okay? We didn't mean to overwhelm you." Mercedes said cautiously, "I got all of my bridesmaids a gift certificate as well so I thought it would be a nice thank you gesture for you too. You've been great with Lily these last few months and volunteering like you did really helped us out a lot and—oh hell, she's crying now."
Sam stepped forward and patted her awkwardly on her back while looking helplessly at Mercedes who just shrugged at him. Lily wasn't much help either with the slightly perturbed expression on her face as she watched them.
Getting Mercedes alone in a room away from all the madness was seeming more and more like a good idea the longer the night wore on. At this rate Sugar would be hysterical soon and she wouldn't even be able to watch the baby and Mercedes wouldn't want to put her off on anyone else which meant they would have her all night. Which meant no sex and that just wasn't going to work for Sam.
His mind worked frantically to come up with a way to calm Sugar down enough so that she could take Lily, so he and Mercedes could get down to the reception and that much closer to be alone. Thankfully for him he didn't have to think for very long because within seconds he could hear Kurt's very loud voice in the hallway calling for them.
"In here," Sam yelled out as he continued to watch a still shaking Sugar warily.
"What part of five minutes do you two not—what in the hell did you do to her?" Kurt asked in surprise as he walked into the room and saw Sugar. "Did you fire her? I do NOT have time to find somebody else to watch Lily and she can't come in the ballroom."
"Calm down Kurt," Mercedes cut in, "we didn't fire her, we gave her the gift certificate."
"Ah, I see. $2500 worth of Loubou merch is enough to make anybody cry." Kurt said matter-of-factly, "Sugar, honey, I get it but it's nothing to get hysterical over. Just breathe in through your nose and out your mouth so you don't have a panic attack and pass out."
Sugar nodded her head and drew in a few shaky breaths until she calmed down. Once is was clear she wasn't going to faint or burst into a fit of hysterics Mercedes felt comfortable enough to give her Lily back.
"Thank you two so much," Sugar said in a wobbly voice as she settled Lily into the crook of her arm.
"You're welcome," Sam and Mercedes said simultaneously.
They both blew kisses to Liliana and with promises to get her in the morning they left with Kurt shooing them impatiently from behind.
"Ok you guys the guests are already seated and ready for dinner." Kurt explained on the elevator on their way to the ballroom. "The wedding party is being introduced now and you guys will follow right after so we have to hurry!"
Sam felt a nudge on his side and he looked to see Mercedes giving him the same pointed look that she gave him earlier.
"Um, Kurt we have something for you and we wanted to make a bigger deal out of it but we didn't think Sugar would take up so much time having a meltdown so…here you go."
Sam reached into his inside jacket pocket again and pulled out another envelope, white this time, and thrust it in Kurt's direction.
"Another gift certificate?" Kurt asked curiously and he turned the envelope over to the front to find it blank.
"Just open it." Mercedes urged him with a smile on her face.
The elevator gave a loud ding signaling their arrival and the trio stepped off the elevator and headed down the hallway towards the ballroom. As the got closer they could hear the loud hum of voices and the soft tinkling of a piano.
The three of them stopped outside the door and Kurt gave them both an appraising look before tearing open the envelope. He pulled out to plane tickets and looked at them in confusion before raising his eyes back to Sam and Mercedes.
"They're round trip tickets for you and Blaine. To Tahiti. For a week."
"I…I…don't know…I'm speechless." Kurt breathed out as he continued looking at the tickets.
"Everything is paid for and all the information about the place you are staying at is in a packet at home. It's no Christian Louboutin gift certificate but we hope you like it anyway."
Kurt raised tear-filled eyes and he rushed forward and hugged them both tightly.
"I hate both you." He cried, "Only the two of you would do something like this right before your wedding reception knowing I had to MC the damn thing."
"Awww, we hate you too," Mercedes said playfully as she wiped at the few tears that fell from his eyes.
"This wedding wouldn't have happened without you Kurt so the vacation is the least we could do." Sam added.
"I love it and I'm sure Blaine will love it too. Thank you both so much."
"You're welcome."
Kurt hugged Mercedes tightly again and even pulled Sam in for a quick hug. He stared at his two friends for a second before shaking his head in disbelief and tucking the envelope with the plane tickets into his jacket pocket.
"Are you two ready? I'll go in and announce you and you'll come out wave at your subject…I mean guests and go into the first dance. After that we'll do the speeches and then serve dinner. Okay?"
"And when can we leave?" Sam asked as he moved to the side to dodge Mercedes' elbow.
Kurt just shot him a dirty look before spinning on his heel and stalking inside the ballroom.
Once he was inside Sam and Mercedes could hear the dull roar lower to a quiet murmur that was barely heard and the piano notes tinkled away to nothing. As they waited Sam grabbed Mercedes' hand and brought it up to his lips, he kissed her knuckles gently and smiled against her hand.
"I love you," he murmured against her fingertips and he smiled again when he felt her fingers grip his tighter in response.
The doors of the ballroom were pulled open by a couple of ushers and Sam and Mercedes knew that was their cue. They heard Kurt's clear voice asking the guests to stand to welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. Sam Evans. The sound of guests rising from the chairs propelled Sam and Mercedes forward and they made the long walk to the dance floor. As they walked into the room loud applause erupted and Sam felt Mercedes move in closer to his side. He squeezed her hand and continued leading her toward the center of the room.
Once they finally reached the dance floor Sam pulled Mercedes in close and for the first time since the day had began he finally felt like it was just the two of them even though they were surrounded by over a hundred guests.
As the first notes of the music played of their song Sam dropped his forehead down until it was resting on Mercedes. The song they chose was not traditional and pretty much everyone that heard what it was going to be questioned why it was their choice but Sam and Mercedes knew it was perfect for them. He lost count of how many times he had fallen asleep to Mercedes softly humming it in his ears. He couldn't remember how many times it was playing in the background as they made love to each other. He only thought about one person whenever he heard that song and it was her. It might not be traditional but it was theirs.
Settle down with me
Cover me up
Cuddle me in
Lie down with me
And hold me in your arms
And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now
As they swayed from side to side Sam thought of the first moment that he saw her. If somebody would have told him in that moment that a year later he would be married and have a kid with her he would have never believed it. In fact, he would have bet his entire fortune that it would never happen. Some days he didn't know how he ended up here but he thanked God every day for it regardless.
Kiss me like you wanna be loved
You wanna be loved
You wanna be loved
This feels like falling in love
Falling in love
We're falling in love
He twirled her and brought back close and he smiled when he heard her little giggle. He pulled her close again and he buried his face in her hair. As the music flowed over him he tried to think back to the moment he fell in love and he realized he couldn't pinpoint the exact moment. He knew he lusted over her the second he met her but the love part snuck up on him. She literally jumpstarted his life and she didn't even realize it.
Settle down with me
And I'll be your safety
You'll be my lady
I was made to keep your body warm
But I'm cold as, the wind blows
So hold me in your arms
My heart's against your chest
Your lips pressed to my neck
I've fallen for your eyes
But they don't know me yet
And the feeling I forget
I'm in love now
Kiss me like you wanna be loved
Wanna be loved
Wanna be loved
This feels like I've fallen in love
Fallen in love
Fallen in love
He thought about the bleakness he felt when he realized that she had left him. That soul wrenching emptiness was only rivaled by how he felt when his mother had died. He was already a broken man but losing her and Lily forever would have crushed him beyond repair. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to truly let Mercedes know just how much she meant to him.
Yeah I've been feeling everything
From hate to love
From love to lust
From lust to truth
I guess that's how I know you
So hold you close
To help you give it up
So kiss me like you wanna be loved
Wanna be loved
Wanna be loved
This feels like I've fallen in love
Fallen in love
Fallen in love
As the final notes of the song rang out through the ballroom Sam pressed his lips to Mercedes forehead and hugged her tighter to his body. He wanted to remember this moment for as long as he lived because they would never have another first dance as husband and wife.
The room filled with applause as the song ended and Sam pulled away from Mercedes slightly forcing her to lift her head from his chest. She looked up at him with a dreamy look on her face and he bent down and tenderly placed a kiss on her lips. They pulled apart and they did a complete turn graciously acknowledging their guests surrounding them. Sam led Mercedes to their table which was already filled with their wedding party. The men all had wide smiles on their faces while the women were dabbing at their eyes. Santana was brushing tears away as well but she was glaring at them while she did it.
Once they were seated Kurt walked back out on the dance floor and announced that before dinner was served they would be doing the best man and matron of honor speeches. There were good-natured groans heard all around but after a few seconds of grumbling Mike stood and headed towards the dance floor. He and Kurt exchanged a few words before Mike took the microphone and turned his attention to Sam and Mercedes.
"So, here we are," Mike began with a wide smile on his face, "if you would have told me a few years ago I would be speaking at Sam Evans' wedding I would have laughed in your face and probably would have still be laughing to this day."
The crowd twittered with quiet laughter as Sam rolled his eyes in pretend annoyance.
"Sam is they type of man that has pretty much been good at everything he's ever set his mind to but romance…romance was never his strong suit." Mike said with a short laugh, "I've always wanted happiness for my friend but to be honest I always assumed that his happiness would come in the form of him being an old workaholic bachelor but then he met her. The first time I ever heard about Mercedes was when Sam came out to LA for work and we met up for lunch. I hadn't seen him in person in months but the man that was sitting in front of me at that time was like a brand new person. He was happy and in love and it was mind blowing for me to see because I never expected it. They had only been together for six weeks and he already had a ring and was ready to propose. I didn't know Mercedes then but I knew in that moment whoever she was she had changed my friend forever."
Sam slid his hand into Mercedes' under the table and she looked over at him with tear-filled eyes and gave him a small smile.
"They've had their ups and downs, as all couples do, but for them to overcome what they have and still be standing together is a testament to how the strong they are as a couple. I don't believe in fairy tales or even love at first sight but I do believe that if you're lucky enough to find the right person your heart just knows. So, I just want to say congratulations to my two dear friends and I hope that the two of you have a long and happy life together."
The room erupted in applause and Mike handed the mike back to Kurt and made his way back to the table. He reached for Mercedes first and gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek before clasping Sam's hand and bringing him in for a hug. Once they were settled back in their seats they all turned their attention to Emma who was staring back at them with eyes 10 times larger than their normal size.
Sam heard Mercedes murmur to Emma that she didn't have to give a speech but his former assistant shook her head firmly and said she was fine before getting up and heading towards the dance floor.
"Um, I'm not very good at this," she began nervously once she got the mike from Kurt, "Public speaking has never been something I was good at so please bear with me. I've known Sam for a very long time and like Mike I've always had my assumptions about him. I knew the boy he was years ago and I knew the man he had to become after his father's death. It changed him, which is to be expected but it hardened him as well. I think it's human nature when you blow after blow to your heart to protect it and shield it the best that you can. When I met Mercedes I saw so many of the same things in her that I saw in Sam. Ironically enough it was right there in front of me but I never made the connection. When I went on maternity leave and needed a replacement I just thought I was finding Sam a good employee, I didn't know I would be introducing him to the love of his life. I am so happy to say that you two are the best accident I've ever witnessed. I love you both and I wish you a lifetime of happiness together."
Emma handed the mike back to Kurt and she scurried off the stage back to the table. She grabbed both Sam and Mercedes and the two surrounded her in a group hug. Sam dropped a small kiss on Emma's head and she gave him a teary smile in response.
As everyone sat back down their seats a quiet hum in the room started but it was abruptly stopped by the sound of Kurt clearing his throat.
"Um, I know this was just supposed to be best man and matron of honor speeches but I had something that I wanted to say." His voice broke slightly and Sam heard Mercedes take in a sharp shaky breath beside him. "I've known Mercedes practically my whole life, the first time I broke a bone she was there to hold my hand while I got it set. The first time I got my heart broke she was there to comfort me. When I was terrified to come out to my father she told me she would always be by my side and love me no matter what. When she fell in love with Sam it terrified me because I was sure it meant I was going to lose my best friend…my sister. I didn't like Sam at first, I really didn't but while I told myself it was because I didn't trust him and didn't think he was good for Mercedes the truth is I knew, whether I wanted to admit it to myself or not, I knew that if they could get their stuff together and be on the same page he would be her best friend and she would be his. Despite their differences they fit like two pieces of a perfect puzzle and there wouldn't be room for me anymore. Thankfully I was wrong, I didn't lose my best friend but instead I gained a new one. Your love story inspires me because it gives me hope that if I've found the right person, and I know I have, then we can make it. I'm not a religious person but I 100% believe that God or some higher power put the two of you together and gave you the tribulations that you've had because He knew you would make it. I love you guys so much and I want to thank you so much for letting me be a part of your perfect puzzle."
Kurt blew a kiss to them before discreetly brushing tears away and clearing his throat. "Between Mike, Emma, and myself I think we've made enough people cry so it's time to eat!"
The room because a bustle of energy as waiters came out of the wings to start with the first course. The guests had a choice when they RSVP between a chicken, beef or vegetarian menu and they were seated accordingly. If all went to plan the dinner portion of the reception should flow like a well oiled machine.
A little of an hour later it was proven that the method was a successful one. Aside from a few near collisions with a couple of waiters there wasn't a single problem the entire dinner service. The food was delicious and it was clear from the murmurings throughout the crowd everyone was impressed.
Kurt, who had just downed his fourth glass of champagne, practically skipped onto the dance floor to announce that before the cake cutting they would be throwing the bouquet and garter. Sam resisted the urge to rub his hands together excitedly at the thought of getting the garter off of Mercedes' leg. He was ready to go and he knew a surefire way to make sure she was as ready as he was.
First they called out all the single ladies for the bouquet toss. A ridiculously large group of women practically sprinted out on the floor and posted up just feet away from Mercedes. Suddenly the sound of Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' burst out over the sound system and the women became a barely restrained heaving mass of bodies. Mercedes laughed loudly at the women before making a big show of readying herself to toss the bouquet. Finally after a few teases she flung the flowers over her shoulder and the women jumped on it like it was a slow zebra and they were a pack of hyenas. Finally after a borderline violent scuffle Santana practically rolled out of the group with the mostly intact bouquet clutched triumphantly in her hands.
Sam shook his head in disbelief at the women while Mercedes and Kurt stood next to him practically howling in laughter. As the disgruntled women sulked off the floor a significantly smaller group of single men came onto the floor reluctantly. Sam helped Mercedes into the chair that was brought on the floor by Mike and he gave her a salacious wink before getting down on his knees and lifting up the skirt of her dress. Instead of pulling up the skirt so that they guests could see what he was doing he practically dived underneath and he felt her jerk as his cool hands touched her bare thighs. He could hear the men behind him whooping and hollering as he slid his mouth up her leg. When he made it to her thigh he bypassed the garter completely and made his way quickly to her center where placed a quick, hot kiss right against the fabric of her panties. He heard her give a yelping noise and her thighs clamped around her head momentarily but it was enough for him to know he had her. He slid back down her thigh and licked the skin on her thigh right under her garter before grabbing it with his teeth and dragging it down her leg. By the time he emerged from under her dress the crowd on the dance floor had grown exponentially and they were loudly rooting him on. He glanced down at Mercedes and he could tell by the shallow breaths causing her breasts to press heavily against the bodice of her dress that she was affected but the glare she was giving him let him also know she wasn't too happy about it. He gave her a quick wink and a smile before turning and shooting the garter directly at where Kurt and Blaine were standing. Both men got a hand on the garter and they smiled sheepishly at one another as the crowd roared around them.
Sam reached out his hands to help Mercedes up and she gripped his hand tight—tighter than necessary—and she continued to glare at him while simultaneously giving him a sickly sweet smile that he knew was solely for the guests benefit.
"You are in so much trouble," she said in a low voice through gritted teeth, "what if somebody knew what you were doing?"
"I was under a mile of fabric Mercy, nobody could see me much less what I was doing." He whispered as he bent down to kiss her throat, "you can admit you liked it you know."
"I didn't—" She started to say but she could barely get the words out as Sam gently teased her earlobe with his teeth.
"I'm ready to go Mercedes," he whispered in her ear and he could feel her shiver. "Ten more minutes is all I'm willing to stay, anything beyond that and I'm dragging you off this floor."
"Mmm-hmmmm," she murmured brokenly as she pressed her body against his. "Ten minutes."
Sam looked down at her and he could tell by the way her pupils dilated and her already dark eyes got impossibly darker that she was all in with the ten minute plan.
"Kurt!" Sam called out, "we're ready to get this show on the road…where's the cake?"
Kurt glared at them because he knew exactly why they were rushing him but he made quick work of getting the guests attention focused to the tables where he cake was set up. The four-tiered white cake with purple and silver ribbons around each tier was a sight to behold and one that Sam wished he could better appreciate but he could barely concentrate with the feeling on Mercedes fingers trailing along the back of his hand. The subsequent cake cutting and pictures were all a blur in his mind and he hoped someone got it on film because he was sure five minutes from now he would remember none of it.
Sam's very thin hold on his control almost snapped into a million pieces when he was feeding Mercedes her piece of cake and caught his index finger in her mouth and bit down lightly on it. That was bad enough but the slow wink that she gave him after and the overly exaggerated lip licking that followed had Sam ready to officially shut the reception down. The guests seemed to be oblivious to the electricity crackling between Mercedes and Sam but Kurt had seen it enough times to know exactly what was coming. He once again got the guests' attention. They still had the ballroom for a few more hours so the dee-jay was getting set up to begin in a few minutes. Sam and Mercedes had originally planned on staying at least an hour for the dancing portion but plans changed and Sam was more interested in doing the horizontal tango than the Cha Cha slide.
The crowd converged on them as people tried to get in some last minute well wishes. Sam and Mercedes accepted them all graciously but it was clear to everyone around them that they weren't interested in chit chatting. Just feet away from the door they were stopped by Marilyn and Kenneth and Mercedes looked a bit ashamed and Sam knew she felt bad because with their shared one track mind they were about to leave the reception without saying goodbye to her mom and step-dad. Lucky for them Marilyn was no fool and she gave them both a knowing look with a smile.
"I know you two want to get out of her so I'll just say that I love you both very, very much and this has been a beautiful and blessed day."
"We love you too, Mama" Mercedes said as she leaned forward to hug her mother tightly. "Thank you so much for everything."
"Don't mention it, in fact, because I'm feeling extra gracious Kenneth and I are going to get Lily tomorrow and spend the day with her so the two of you can take your time doing…well, you know."
Sam could feel himself blushing and he looked up to find Kenneth visibly holding back his laughter. Sam knew he should probably feel more ashamed but it was hard to when he knew what he would be doing in just a few short minutes.
They exchanged hugs and 'I love yous' one more time before Sam and Mercedes made their way to the door. They turned one last time and waved at their guests and shouted 'thank yous' before Sam grabbed Mercedes by the hand and practically dragged her towards the elevator. Once they were inside he tugged her in, pushed their floor number and before the doors had even shut his mouth was on hers. They both moaned loudly in each other's mouths at the contact and their hands moved wildly over each other as they sucked and licked at each other's mouths. In just a few seconds they were on their floor and Sam pulled his mouth from Mercedes so that he could lead them to their room. Instead of going all out on some honeymoon they two of them decided to just spend the night in the honeymoon suite at the hotel and then plan a bigger, nicer trip for a later date when Lily was older.
As Sam slid the key card in the lock he had a hard time concentrating because Mercedes was placing little tiny kisses in the 'v' of his now opened dress shirt and fumbling with the belt and buttons on his pants. After the third attempt he was finally able to get the door opened and they practically stumbled inside the room. Neither one of them bothered with the lights and they let the glow from the lights in the buildings across the street help guide them through their suite.
After a few run-ins with some furniture they finally made their way to the bed and by then Mercedes had managed to get Sam's pants halfway down and his shirt hanging on by the cuff links He made quick work of that, tossing the cuff links carelessly on the bedside table and kicking the pants and shoes haphazardly across the room.
Mercedes was reaching for his boxer briefs but he stepped back out her grasp and gently removed her hands.
"Wait, let me see you."
She looked up at him demurely and did a slow turn in the dress. When she was facing him again she looked back up at him through her lashes and smiled almost bashfully. The glow from the outside lights played across her smooth brown skin and although Sam always thought she looked beautiful in that moment she had never looked more radiant.
"You are so beautiful," he whispered huskily.
Her smile grew wider as came forward and put her hands on his bare chest before kissing him softly right over his heart. He closed his eyes and dropped his forehead down on the top of her head. She continued running her lips across his pecs before turning her face up and kissing along his neck. He groaned softly and twined his fingers in her head.
"Turn around."
She kissed him one last time before turning in his arms. He swept her hair hair of her shoulder before dropping a few light kisses across her bare shoulder. She tilted her head to the side to give him better access and he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He followed the curve of her neck until he reached her earlobe. He tugged gently on it with his teeth and he heard her slight hiss of breath as she intertwined her fingers with his at her waist. He breathed in the sweet scent of her for just a moment before trailing soft, wet kisses down her spine. Once he reached the fastener of her dress he stared in disbelief at the long row of buttons down her back.
"It's going to take me all night to get these all unbuttoned." He whined.
Mercedes giggled and shook her head slightly before reaching behind her to show him the hidden zipper beneath the row of buttons.
"Oh thank God," He breathed out in relief causing Mercedes to laugh again.
He reached up and ran his fingertips gently over the bare expanse of her back right above her zipper before finally putting them both out of their misery and pulling it down slowly. The lower the zipper went the more shallow Mercedes' breath came to the point that when Sam got the zipper all the way down she was practically panting. He slid the dress down her hips and legs and he helped her step out of it. He picked it up off the floor and looked around for somewhere to hang it but Mercedes just took it from his grasp and threw it towards a chair over in the corner.
He looked at her in surprise but it was clear by the look on her face that the dress was the least of her worries. His gaze lowered and he swallowed hard at the sight of her in her wedding lingerie. The white corset hugged her curves and it pushed her breasts up until they were almost overflowing from the cups. A frilly pair of panties completed the look and it took everything in Sam not to rip it all off of her.
He brought his hand up to the front closure of her corset and when his fingers touched her skin he realized they were trembling slightly. They both stared at them for a second before she grabbed his hand and brought it to her mouth and kissed it gently. He framed her cheek with his hand before leaning down and rubbing his lips lightly against hers. They breathed in one another's mouths for a second before finally Sam turned his attention back to her corset. With steadier hands he unsnapped the closures one at a time until he could feel her breast spilling over the back of his hands. He slid his hands inside and ran his fingertips over her already distended nipples. Mercedes moaned at the contact and her head fell back.
He continued unbuttoning the corset until it was completely open and pushed open the two sides until they fell away from her body. Sam stared down at her hungrily and his mouth literally started watering at the sight of her he pushed her backwards until her knees hit the back of the bed. She sat down so heavily that she bounced slightly as she looked up at Sam with expectant eyes.
He gave a slight head jerk towards the head of the bed so she started scooting backwards and in the meantime he jerked down his boxer briefs and kicked them away. Mercedes ascent faltered a bit as her eyes trained on Sam's straining erection and he took advantage of her pause to reach up to her panties and snatch them away from her body. She gasped in shock at the torn piece of lingerie hanging from Sam's hand but it dissipated quickly as a look of pure lust took over and she opened her legs in a clear invitation.
Sam was sure the look on his face was almost predatory as he crawled quickly up the bed towards her. He started licking and sucking her right inner thigh until he got to the apex. He gave her pussy one long lick that had her jerking almost violently on the bed. She grabbed his hair and tugged it hard but it only fueled him instead of deterring him. She licked and sucked on her until she was writhing in the bed and screaming his name. He could tell she was almost close but he wanted to be inside the first time she came that night so with one last lick he moved his way up her body. He kissed her on her c-section scar before trailing wet kisses up her full stomach and over her breasts. He spent a few moments laving each nipple with his tongue until they both shined like two ripe berries. Mercedes breath was coming out in short choppy pants and she was moving against him trying to create some kind of friction to ease the ache she was so clearly feeling. Sam had planned on hours and hours of foreplay and he knew he had all night to love on Mercedes but he knew that right now they both needed to get off before they exploded.
After releasing her right nipple with a loud pop her kissed Mercedes along her neck before burying his face in it. He settled himself more comfortably between her thighs and he rubbed his throbbing dick against her folds and he slipped in fractionally before slipping right out.
"Goddamnit Sam!" Mercedes screamed out in frustration as she dug her nails in his back, "stop teasing me!"
Sam smiled against her neck but he refrained from admitting to her that he couldn't tease her anymore if he wanted to. He pulled his face away from her neck and looked down at her disgruntled face.
"I love you." He whispered right as he slid inside her to the hilt. He loved watching her pissed off expression melt away into one of pure bliss as he filled her.
"Sam...God, I love you too." She whispered shakily as she clenched his biceps, "Please move."
He stared at her for a second longer before he started to move his hips slightly. He started in a slight rocking motion before gradually changing it up to long slow thrusts. Soon the only sounds in the room were the sounds of heavy breathing, whispered words and the wet sticky noise of two sweaty bodies moving in sync. Sam lost track of how long the two of them moved together as one but before long he could feel the telltale signs that Mercedes was close; her breathing became almost erratic, the sounds come from her became higher and her grip on him became almost painfully tight.
He reached between them and moved his finger across her clit and it was enough to have her falling apart in his arms. She screamed out his name and dragged her fingernails down his back. The combined feeling of pleasure and pain and Mercedes body contracting around him had Sam falling over the cliff right behind her. They held each other tightly as their bodies were wracked simultaneously by the aftershocks of their climax.
Minutes, hours, or days later Sam really didn't know or care which he eased out of Mercedes and they both hissed at the loss of contact. He rolled over until he was laying next to her and he promptly pulled her into his arms.
"So on a scale of one to ten what was married sex like?" Sam asked jokingly.
"Mmmmm...about an eleven but I think we can do better."
"Really? After that, you think we can do better?"
"Well..." Mercedes said in a sultry voice as she moved over him, "we have a whole lifetime to find out."
3 YEARS LATER
"Mommy...Mommy...Mommy!"
Mercedes watched in amusement as her daughter sprinted across the park towards her with a fistful of flowers in her hand. At 3 and a half Liliana had already grown into a stunningly beautiful girl much to her father's chagrin. The light, almost white skin she had when she was a baby had darkened to a light medium brown and her heart-shaped face was surrounded by a cloud of dark brown curls. Her petite upturned nose was all Mercedes but her lips were all Sam. Arguably her most arresting feature was her doe shaped hazel eyes that were a little bit of both of her parents. She was a gorgeous little girl and aside from a few temper tantrums here and there she was an absolute joy to be around. As predicted she had Sam wrapped around her little finger and if she asked him for the whole world tomorrow he would find a way to get it for her. And even though Mercedes would never admit it out loud she knew she wasn't much better.
As Lily finally made it to the blanket that Mercedes was sitting on she proudly held up her latest batch of daises. Mercedes made all the appropriate 'oohs' and 'aahs' as she placed them in the growing pile of wildflowers next to her.
"Wow, sweetie, that's a lot of flowers! Who are all these for."
"Well," Lily began matter-of-factly, "some of them are for you, some are for Daddy, some are for me and some for the baby."
"Awww, that's sweet." Mercedes said as she patted her swollen belly. She was seven months pregnant, this time with a boy, and getting Lily prepared for the new addition had been an uphill battle. It had taken a few months but Mercedes was glad that her little girl was finally getting to the place where she was excited for her little brother.
As Mercedes straightened the flowers she saw Lily looking back impatiently at a little blond-haired boy standing in the patch of flowers and he seemed to be waiting for her.
"Who is that, again?" Mercedes asked even though she knew the answer.
"That is my best friend, he helped me pick flowers."
"Best friend? I thought Aubrey was your best friend."
"Mommy..." Lily said in a overly dramatic exasperated tone, "Aubrey is my best girl friend, Sean is my best boy friend."
"Is that right?" Mercedes asked with a laugh at her daughter's theatrics. "Well, you better hurry and get back to him because it looks like he's waiting."
Without another word Lily turned and sprinted back to where her friend Sean was waiting with a two handfuls of flowers. Mercedes laughed as Lily bounced happily in her place as Sean tried to gather both bundles in one hand to give to her.
Coming to the park had become a ritual for Mercedes and Lily and when the weather was good they would sometimes come every single day. When Sam could, he would join them but today he was swamped working on securing a major ad campaign. With the new baby coming Mercedes decided to start her maternity leave early so that she could spend time as much time with Lily as possible before the new baby came. The assistant that was taking her place was a very capable new grad from NYU. Joe Hart was ambitious, hard-working, and he could put up with Sam's sometimes crabby mood almost as well as Mercedes could. His ultimate plan was to become an advertising executive but for now he was more than happy to play assistant to the CEO. Sam never missed a day telling her how much he missed her at the office but she knew if he really had a choice he would much rather be at home with them than her be at the office with him.
Lily's loud peal of laughter brought Mercedes attention back to her and Sean and she watched in curious amazement at how much the two mirrored each other. For the last few weeks Sean and a woman that Mercedes assumed to be his grandmother had been almost as frequent visitors as Lily and Mercedes. The two children had seemed drawn to each other and they had hit it off almost immediately. Sean and his guardian always had a strict schedule that afforded Sean only about an hour of playtime every day. Mercedes didn't feel it was appropriate to approach the woman and try and start up a play date so she just brought Lily at the same time every day and more often than not when they came, Sean was there as well. The two children played well together and the times that Aubrey joined them they included her with no problem. It was clear the trio was close but there was no denying that Lily and Sean connected in a way that Aubrey and Sean or even Aubrey and Lily didn't.
The two kids continued tugging flowers from the ground until finally they apparently had enough. This time instead of just Lily the two of them came flying back across the park towards where Mercedes sitting.
"Wow, you guys this is a lot of flowers!"
The two kids looked flushed and happy as they stared at the huge pile of flowers on the blanket.
Mercedes smiled up at their little happy faces but she felt the blood drained from her face the more she stared at the two of them standing next to each other. It didn't make sense but despite their coloring differences, and their eye and nose shapes, and their height and build there was something about them that was similar. So subtly similar that unless you were looking right at them you wouldn't catch it.
Mercedes eyes narrowed as she studied the children and she tried to put her finger on what it was about them that made her think they were similar. It had to be something right in her face but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was-
"SEAN! SEAN, WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Uh oh," Sean said worriedly as he looked around in the direction of the loud male voice calling my name. "That's my dad, he's going to be so mad, he told me to stay by the flowers where he could see me."
Sean's big green eyes filled with tears and Mercedes slowly made her way to her feet.
"Don't worry sweetheart, it was an accident. I will talk to your Dad."
Mercedes smoothed down the back of her maxi dress and grabbed the children's hands and they walked towards the angry man that was stalking in their direction.
"SEAN!" The man said in voice filled with relief but still tinged with anger as he bent down and talked to his son, "What did I tell you about leaving the flower patch?"
"I'm sorry Dad," the boy said as his chin quivered, "I was just helping Lily take her flowers to her mom. I wasn't going to be gone long I promise!"
"It's okay,"His dad said with a heavy sigh, "Just next time tell me where you're going, okay? I was worried."
The man ruffled Sean's hair before standing up and looking at Mercedes, when their eyes met they both gasped out loud and Mercedes instinctively tightened her hold on Lily's hand.
"Ouch Mommy," Lily whined as she tried to pull her hand free, "you're hurting me."
"I'm sorry baby," Mercedes said as she dropped Lily's hand, "I didn't mean to squeeze your hand like that."
"It's okay," Lily said softly as big tears filled her hazel eyes making them appear green...almost the same shade green as Sean's eyes.
Mercedes looked back and forth at the children and suddenly the nagging similarity made sense. They weren't mirroring each other or seeming similar because of spending lots of time together, they were doing it because they were family.
"Hello Mercedes."
At the sound of that voice so many things came rushing back and almost all of them were negative and painful. She reached for her daughter and pulled her tight to her side before raising her head to look coldly at the man that almost single-handedly ruined her life.
"Hello Stevie."
Reception Song: "Kiss Me" by Ed Sheeran