DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE BUT THIS ONE SHOT I DO!

ENJOY :)

Mercedes wanted to cancel but she just couldn't. She actually had planned to skip all of her classes, so she could curl in her bed and watch movies all day. God, she was a complete idiot. She couldn't believe that she did that. After a much needed nap, she had woken up with the biggest headache ever but all the alcohol influences had worn away. The party was without a doubt still going on, an indication as her head started to pound more. Sam was up. Sam was shirtless. Sam was waiting for her with a glass of water and two pain pills. After she gratefully took it, she sat the glass down, which he all of sudden remarked that she looked so beautiful in this disheveled state. Why did he say that? Why was he an idiot too? Because what he said, and as they stared into each other eyes, the atmosphere shift between them. That moment changed everything. That kiss that they both leaned in for changed everything. It started with a simple, shocked but responded kiss. Then it progressed to a deep, passionate one. One thing led to another, clothes were off and hands couldn't be kept off each other. They were so stupid. She was stupid. She slept with her brother's best friend. What. In. The. Fu-

"What are you thinking so deeply about?"

Mercedes came out of her thoughts when she heard her brother's voice, looking up from her seat, she swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw the person she didn't want to see standing next to him, her next words directed towards him and ignoring what her brother had said, "I didn't know you was coming."

"I invited him last minute." Quinton responded as he slid into the booth, picking up a menu, "He had a long night. He's lying about it but he had company over and won't tell me who."

That's the problem. It was your sister. Sam thoughts internally screamed, thankful that the waiter had came to get their orders.

Mercedes stared at her brother in disbelief, after he basically just ordered the whole menu. She snapped out of when the boy asked her what she wanted, "I'll just take some orange juice please."

Quinton faced scrunched up as he looked at her, "Why you not eating?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Okay, but I'm not sharing my food in case that change."

Mercedes pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, "Wow, how brotherly of you."

Quinton smirked as he shook his head, "I wondered where you disappeared to last night and you weren't answering my calls but Sam told me he took you back to your room and you had crashed once you landed in your bed."

Mercedes looked from her brother to the man beside him. He took me somewhere but it wasn't there she thought.

Sam met her stare for a minute before diverting his eyes and clearing his throat when their drinks came back. He was ready to go. He needed to leave. Maybe he could make up an excuse or something. This was insufferable.

"Thanks man." Quinton told the waiter as he grabbed his juice and took a sip before speaking again, "Did you have a good time last night though?"

"A very good time, thank you for letting me come."'

Quinton nodded his head as he looked at her with a shrug, "I'm sorry if I seem overprotective, it's just your my sister and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"You don't have to apologize." She said as she gave him a small smile, "You were just trying to keep me safe and I love you for that."

Quinton sent her a smile, "So, want to tell me what you're coming as tonight so I won't fly off the handle."

"I'm not coming."

"After all the begging you did and Sam practically making a case for you? Why not?"

Mercedes picked up her glass, that was filled with apple juice as her eyes darted quickly to Sam before back to her brother, "I-I have a test due Sunday and haven't studied for it."

Sam gazed at her, watching as she chewed her bottom lip, he shook his head before training his eyes to back to look out the window. She always did that when she was nervous. Why the hell do I know that?

"You know better. You should've taken care of that earlier in the week." He said, looking over to his best friend, he elbowed him, "You haven't said a word since we got here, what's up with you?"

"Just tired and hungry, that's all."

"Mhm, or thinking about that mysterious girl that you said didn't exist."

Oh, she exist alright. She exist to the point to where she's sitting right in front of you Sam thought once more, clearing his throat as he picked up his coffee and took a long sip.

Mercedes was thankful that her phone dinged when it did. Looking down at the message, she saw that it was her friend, giving her to the perfect excuse to get out of this situation, "I have to go."

"What? Come on."

"Nope. I have to." She slid from the booth, slinging her purse over her body before going over and kissing his cheek, "Love you, bye." She hurried out of the diner, taking a deep breath once she got outside. She ran her hands over her face and grunted. This wasn't going to be easy.

Three weeks later, the trio had headed back home for Thanksgiving break. Their families had decided to do one big dinner at the Jones' home. It was torture for both Sam and Mercedes because as soon as they touched down, their parents had been relentless in them running errands separately and together, with Quinton of course. The thing was, it wasn't awkward, the two just didn't know what to say to one another.

Mercedes grabbed the stack of plates from the kitchen, listening to her mother's last minute instructions. She had spent the day in the kitchen with her, assisting with the delicious spread that she has prepared. They had decided to start eating early, so the men could be face front in time for the evening football games. As she made her way to the dining room, she stop short when she saw Sam standing there, looking like he was waiting for her. She was confused as to why he was coming to her, staring as he grabbed the plates out of her hand, prompting her to step back. The silence between them wasn't working for her and she had to make that known, "Are we ever going to talk about what happened?"

Sam sat the plates down in front of the chairs, speaking lowly, "I really don't know what to say."

"Well, say something because you kind of got me feeling bad over here. I know you probably feel like it was a mistake but damn, at least be vocal about in saying so."

Sam paused what he was doing and looked at her, his next words sending a chill down her spin, "Nothing with you is ever a mistake."

Mercedes stared back at him, snapping out of it when she heard someone coming. She watched as her father came in and started to set the food on the table, unknowingly breaking the tension with some of his jokes. She was grateful for them now and especially throughout dinner.

Deciding to take a break from football and come get some fresh air, Quinton was leaned back on the patio couch deep in thought. He had been glancing between Mercedes and Sam all during dinner, noticing how the two were both on the silent end and not as talkative as they usually were. Everyone questioned it, which in returned they just brushed it off as them both being tired from homework and the long drive made earlier in the week. However, he knew that wasn't true. One thing was that he knew both of them like the back of his hand. He knew when they were frustrated, sad, happy and in this moment, he knew when they were hiding and lying about something. They probably didn't know he noticed but they both have been acting like this ever since the Halloween party. He watched as his best friend came out with a beer in his hand, watching him seat on the couch in front of him. The feeling that he's been having since that day of their breakfast, only was confirmed tonight and he didn't know how to feel.

"I don't know what it is but your Mom kills the pies every time."

"I know what you did."

Sam looked at him confusedly at his response, eyebrow raised, "What?"

"I know you slept with my sister." Quinton stared at his friend, watching as his eyes went wide as saucers, "Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

Shit. Shit. Dammit to hell. Sam felt the shift in the air as he stood up, seeing that blank expression on his face as his own started to turn red. There was no way he could get out of this now, "I-I um..."

"She was there that morning in your room wasn't she?" Quinton asked as he watched the man stare at him for a long while before nodding his head reluctantly, knowing that he couldn't lie his way out of this one. He let out a shaky laugh as he started to roll up his sleeves, "I'm going to give you a head start, twenty seconds to be exact, to get out of my face."

Sam watched as he stood up too, prompting him to take a step back, "Quin..."

"Forget us being best friends, you slept with my little sister, you ass."

Mercedes was in the kitchen washing dishes when she glanced up at the right time to see the two out the window. The plate in her hand slipped back into the water when she saw her brother's fist connect with Sam's face one good time. In shock, she saw him walk away and head into the house. He stopped and looked at her then left out without another word. She sighed as she grabbed a towel to dry her hands, making her way to the pantry.

Sam sat back down on the couch, picking up his abandoned beer bottle and downing it. It was expected and honestly, he couldn't even be mad or react to it because he deserved it. Hearing the door open, he thought that he was back for round two, but it was someone else.

Mercedes walked over with a bag of ice in her hand, holding it for him to take. She took in his right eye that was already swollen and beginning to turn black and purple.

"Thanks." He took the bag from her and placed it on his eye, the coolness taking a slight affect, "Never thought I'd be on the other end of his fist."

"We should've known he would've found out eventually. We're both so sucky at lying."

"So true."

Mercedes watched as he glanced at her, giving a small smile, which prompted her to do the same, "I guess we skipped the whole 'I like you more than a friend' part."

"Yeah, we most definitely did." Sam chuckled a bit before shaking his head, sighing, "But I think I might've lost my best friend because of it."

"I didn't want that to happen."

"It's too late." He said seriously as he dropped the bag from his throbbing eye, turning to look at her fully, "As wrong as it feels that I might have lost the best friendship I've ever had, I can't help but still want to explore a possible relationship with you."

"Sam."

"Hear me out." He said softy as he grabbed her hand, thankful that she didn't pull back, "I like you, I have for awhile now. You're beautiful, smart, funny, reckless and you have a big heart. I love that about you."

Before Mercedes could get a chance to respond to him, she heard the door open, figuring that it was one of their parents coming to ask what was going on but to their surprise, it was Quinton. She stood up and got in front of Sam to try to prevent him from going after him again. She opened her mouth but stopped when he began to talk.

"I'd rather it be you than somebody else." He directed his comment to Sam, catching the two off guard. He had took some time to cool off and as much as it pissed him off, he really thought about things clearly. Sam was a really good person. He trust that man with his life, and looks like he was about to do the same with his sister. He didn't like that they slept together but quite frankly, he couldn't do anything about it, "We can talk about our friendship later when I'm not pissed off, but I just want to make it very clear in whatever you do with my sister, Sam. I swear on everything holy...if you break her heart or she comes crying to me for the smallest thing that you've done, I'm going to beat your ass. Point blank. That's a guarantee."

Sam watched as he gave them both one final look before walking away, his eyes going over to Mercedes in shock.

"So..." Mercedes looked back at him with a smile, her next words earning a chuckle from the man, "When's our first date?"

A/N. A short little continuation of the last one-shot. Happy Thanksgiving! Stay safe & enjoy yourselves!