Glee 1. Living Room

Don't own Glee.

* * *

"I don't like it."

Mercedes sighed. This was the third store they'd been to. _Of course he didn't like it._ Instead of her replying, she turned her heel and walked away leaving her boyfriend to find something alone in the department store.

Mercedes and Sam had decided on a color scheme for their new home but Sam was proving to be difficult to please with the couch selection. They were about to go with the dark brown couch with sand colored designs when Sam thought that maybe he'd prefer a loveseat and a recliner instead. The store didn't stock those so they left, much to the dismay of the Russian owner who personally escorted them out while rambling on about 'indecisive imbeciles'. That was two stores ago and Mercedes was frustrated to say the least.

Sam followed her to the bathroom section and put her arms around her. "It wasn't us babe. Could you imagine Puck and Lauren coming over and us sitting on that? That was a couch that belonged in my Grammy's house."

She smiled. He never failed to make her do that. She turned in his embrace to face him. "I just thought that we could agree on something! I mean this wasn't like our shoebox apartment when we were 18, babe. We finally have the means to get something nice and something presentable and we can't agree on anything!"

He looked into her brown orbs and kissed her forehead. He knew he was going to have to give in sometime, but knew that her breaking point was still about 2 stores away. Deciding on a course of action, the pair exited the store and went to their new home to browse online.

Sitting on blankets and pillows, they used chairs from their dining table to build a fort. She was happily chewing on her pizza and browsing with her laptop when Sam gasped and exclaimed "We should do eggplant!" At her confused face, he continued. "We could paint the walls eggplant, a lighter shade, and get the ivory couch you loved in the second store. Then we can get the coffee table I wanted in the first place!" Exiting the fort, she looked around at her rather empty and bare living room and imagined it. Sam came out after her and said "Can't you see it, baby? You get your first color scheme back and I can get the recliner and the couch! You can sit and sprawl out when you watch your shows and I can have a recliner when I watch the game! It's prefect babe!"

She couldn't deny it- his vision had promise. To be difficult like he was, she shook her head. "That means we'd have to repaint the whole room and we already laid the hardwood down. I don't think so." She smiled at his pouty reaction. He squeezed her waist and was making his way back into the fort when he heard "Well we could cover the floor and get Puck to help us this time. I am not getting paint in my hair like last time." Sam turned around so fast he almost twisted his ankle. "Really baby? You like my idea?"

Smiling up at her boyfriend, Mercedes nodded and puckered up for a kiss she knew was coming. Instead of giving her a kiss, Sam grabbed her hand and dragged her down so they could lay in the pillows. He kissed along her jaw and up to her lips.

"Sam!" she squealed before giving into his kisses. He let her trail her kisses down his neck until a thought struck him. "Babe- this means we gotta go back to the first store!"

* * *

I hoped you liked it. Sorry for any and all mistakes. This was for my soul sister, Celine.

I'm updating First Time very soon, so be on the look out. :)


	2. Traffic

I don't own anything.

* * *

Sometimes I really hate my job. Lie.

It's the best job in the world. I get to draw and write and be creative and get paid for it? Coming in at 10 and leaving by 2, this job definitely has it's perks.

The biggest downside? Traveling. No, it's not traveling, it's the destination. This damn city.

Los Angeles, the bane of my damn existence. My luck always seems to leave me when I enter the domain of the City of Angels. My flight would be delayed to this city. The rental car place would have misplaced my reservation. This city would be going through a heatwave. New York is never this complicated.

I was sulking in my car as I sat on the 405 in standstill traffic. Another damn reason to hate this city. Naturally the air conditioner wasn't working so I had the windows down and envied those who didn't have to bear the heat. There was finally a break in traffic and we move along at a snail's pace, only to stop again. I think about switching lanes, but then I hear something on my left.

Someone is laughing, and it's not just a little giggle, it's a full blown, shoulder shaking laugh. It makes me want to laugh, and I'm in my own personal hell. I look around at the surrounding cars and spot the girl. She's in the car to my left, a little behind my own.

There's another break in traffic and we reach up to 40mph before stopping again. I hear the laugh again and to my surprise, the girl is to my immediate left.

She is breathtaking. Her hair long and has streaks of light brown in it. Her button nose is very cute, but those lips. Yeah, they could bring a man to his knees. I don't realize that I'm staring until her friend, the driver, points me out. I smile crookedly, and try to convey that I'm not some crazy loon checking them out. Which I guess I kind of am.

The girl I'm looking at can't be much younger than me, maybe a couple years. She looks straight at me and I suddenly feel very naked. I was about to look away when she starts singing. To me. At me? She's singing the infamous song by 'The Police', but she's laughing too so I can tell she's not offended or anything.

I shrug off my embarrassment and smile at her. She points to something on my right and I look over to see nothing. When I look back, her car has already taken off and the cars behind me are honking. It's just my great luck that this break in traffic lasts and I never see her car again. I sigh and resign myself to the fact that maybe I'll never see Car Girl again. The thought saddens me.

The event that I'm attending is just another corporate bs deal that the main writers have to be in attendance for. At least I see my fellow comic book lover, Puck. I usually see him at these events, both of us being the 'next generation of comics'. We talk for a few minutes about some crap when an announcer comes on stage to introduce the entertainment for the night. It's a singer by the name of MercyLove.

It was her! Car girl was singing at my work event! She begins her set and she is all I see. Puck was already forgotten. She sings two songs before she notices me. When she does, she smiles. For the next three songs, she looks only at me.

She exits the stage and I immediately make my way to help her down the small set of stairs. She grabs my hand and I feel an electric shock run down my arm, making my heart beat faster. She seems to have the same reaction. "Can I buy you a drink?" I ask before I can chicken out. She agrees and we spend some time getting to know each other.

She has completed half her album and is moving to New York the following weekend to complete it. I tell her I live there and we bond over little things like our love for Chinese food and comic books. Lie. Those are huge things.

We've only scratched the surface when her ride comes for her. I ask her for her number as she begins to walk away. Her step falters and she turns to me. She takes a pen out of her clutch and scribbles down her number on a napkin. "I look forward to your call, Sam."

She adds an extra swish to her hips as she walks away, ensuring that I'll have a cold shower when I get to my hotel.

Sometimes I love my job.

* * *

Excuse any errors. Yeah, so I just decided to turn this whole thing into a series of drabbles since I always have ideas. Hope you like it!


	3. Drive

The first time I saw her, we were at a gas station. She was at the pump across from my car. I looked at her and she nodded her head at me. Maybe Puck told her who I was. I only knew that she and Puck were friends and that she helped with the school fundraisers Blaine set up. I made sure to nod back before I got in my car.

I saw her a month later in the same spot. Well I was, she was just walking out of the store with a bag of Doritos and a Gatorade. I looked at her and she came up to me.

I wasn't planning on actually talking to her, but before I could stop it, "Where's your car?" popped out of my mouth.

"In the shop. It was making a noise." she said as she munched on a Dorito.

"What kind of noise?" I put the pump back in the slot and fished my keys out of my pocket.

Her eyes closed as she savored the chip. I got lost in the almost peaceful expression on her face. The moment was over all too soon. "Loud bangs, there was smoke", she shrugged and glanced toward the mechanic. They hadn't even looked at her car.

Again, I don't know what came over me, but I asked if she wanted a ride.

Her brown eyes looked into mine and I felt exposed. So exposed that I stepped back.

"I don't know much about want, but I do need one. My place isn't far", she said as she walked around my truck to get in the passenger seat.

We had been driving for ten minutes in the opposite direction of town when she asked what my full name was.

"Sam Evans."

"No, I asked your full name."

"Oh. Samuel Jack Evans."

She was quiet for a minute. "That's a nice name. Simple. Strong. You're going to go far", she laughed. Her laugh was lovely.

I saw the change in her demeanor before I heard it. Her gated community of homes had just entered our line of sight. I glanced at her and for the third time that day, words slipped out of my mouth before I knew what I was asking.

Her face whipped around to face me so fast, I got whiplash. "Yes. Anywhere but here, please."

* * *

The next weekend we headed East and the week after that, we went South. By the third week, I stole my dad's maps. She always paid for gas, and I never argued.

My mom was worried, but I think she was glad I had someone. Someone who didn't know about my past maybe. At that point we didn't speak much. I would pick her up at the ass crack of dawn and we would just drive. We usually were back by sundown, sometimes even earlier.

It was a month and half later when she told me that we should go further. I didn't understand at first and assumed she meant somewhere like Cincinnati or Cleveland. She looked at me and said "Further."

"I don't think my parents would approve of that."

"Don't you want to do something before we're off to college?"

I didn't reply and she stopped pushing. Twenty minutes later, as we were passing another farm she got an idea. "Stop the car, Sam!" I stopped. We parked on the side of the road, almost in a ditch, and sat on the trunk to eat Doritos and drink Gatorade.

She pulled a folded up piece of paper from her jeans and laughed. Up until that point, I made it a point to never actively check her out, but it was hard when her boobs started shaking. I didn't know why she was laughing and I didn't ask. She needed it, I guessed, because the next second she was unfolding a check and ripping it to shreds. She threw the scraps at the field, but most of them ended up back on the highway. I couldn't ignore it any longer.

"What the fuck was that?"

She looked at me like it was news that I was even there with her. "That, Samuel, was a check from my grandfather for finishing up my two years of therapy."

I didn't know what so say, so I didn't respond. Her next question caught me off guard.

"Are you tired of being what other people want?"

"Huh?" was my clever response.

"Do you ever get tired of being a placeholder? There, but not important enough for them to notice you?"

It took me a few minutes to reply, but I did with a "Yes."

"Sometimes I see you, Sam. I see you and you look so sad. I think you should fix that."

I laughed. "You think I should fix myself? You're the one that just tore up a check for finishing therapy. Fix yourself."

Her laugh was dark. "I would if I could."

She turned her back to me and shouted at the fields. Or maybe she was yelling to them, willing them to listen. She came back to the car after an hour or so and we headed home.

"Next week, we'll go further."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

She couldn't go the week after that because her family was having a dinner.

I couldn't drive the week after that because my grandpa had hip surgery and we had to stay at the hospital. During these two weeks, we only spoke to tell each other of cancelled plans. I was elated when she called on a Friday night and asked if we were still on for the next day. I said we were and waited for the click, but it didn't come. I listened to her breathe for a few minutes and then she broke the silence.

"Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight, Mercedes."

I was happy to wake up before dawn to pick her up. We raced the sun that day and headed west. We made it all the way to the state line and stopped. Parked the car at a Denny's and walked along the highway until we were in Indiana. We took a few pictures by the state sign and then went back to the Denny's to eat.

"Let's go further."

"We just did Indiana."

"I know, now let's go all the way."

"Maybe."

* * *

She took my response as the affirmative because the day after graduation she was at my house with a bag full of clothes and a couple thousand dollars. My parents didn't think I was serious, but when I came out of my room with my own bag, they saw that I was. It took a few minutes for my mom to wrap her head around the idea that I'd be gone for awhile, but she couldn't stop me. They handed me some money and told me to be careful. We left that day, with bags of chips and cases of gatorade in the backseat. We drove for a few hours and made it past the stateline before stopping at a Wal-Mart, stocking up on snacks and buying sleeping bags. We locked up the back of the truck and made the back seat into a makeshift bed. We had only been on the road for a couple hours, but Mercedes was already tired of the radio.

"It's the same ten songs on a loop. Is there anyone even doing it anymore?"

"Probably not." I answer.

"I have my iPod, do you have yours?"

"Yeah, it's somewhere in my backpack."

"Cool." she says.

Thirty minutes later, we had a playlist. I liked it. I guessed it was made on hers because there was a lot of stuff I didn't recognize. We only stopped for gas once and drove well into the night. At some point we agreed that we'd just sleep in the truck and I was fine with that. We stopped at a Motel 6 parking lot to sleep.

She woke me up at 9am, urging me to get a change of clothes and my toothbrush. We walked around a bit, and we were able to break into an empty hotel room and shower before the maids came around. It was probably the fastest shower I had ever taken, but it worked. It was thrilling- the thought of maybe being caught.

We made it out and ate breakfast at the diner across the way. Chicago. That was our first stop.

I bought us sweaters because it was unusually cold and windy for a summer's ate pizza and did the touristy things.

Neither of us were talkers, and the silence was comfortable. It always was. She got us some money beating old men at Chess in the park. That night, before we headed to the truck we stopped and bought souvenirs. I bought a snow globe for Stacey. I got another memory card for the camera my mom packed in last minute. I called her to tell her we were alright. Mercedes didn't call anyone.

* * *

We never stayed in the cities for too long, always something more to see. We talked a lot, we talked about what we liked and what we didn't. We bonded over music and over movies. I learned a lot about Mercedes during that time. It was never too boring. Only when she would fall asleep and the playlist would stop. She said she didn't mind driving so I let her. Drove a full five hours at the speed limit and I even snagged a nap.

Mom was surprised that I let her drive. Congratulated me on 'letting go of my control' for a little bit. She cried and my dad said he put money on my card. I didn't get it, but I let it happen.

We were a little outside of Colorado when she made a request. The first of the trip. I looked at her and shrugged. Didn't matter to me. She took over and we had to backtrack it about 100 miles to make it onto another highway, but by the night, we were at some caves in New Mexico. They were closed and the hotel near there seemed super expensive so we camped out on the bed cover on the truck.

We set up the blankets and our two pillows side by side. The stars were above us and everything was just, there. Quiet and unchanging. It was calming.

"I don't like being alone," she said so quietly at first I thought I'd imagined it. Before I could even begin to try and think of a response, I heard her soft snores. We woke up just before the sun, cuddled together for warmth. Even after we were fully awake, we stayed like that.

The caves were alright.

* * *

"...then we all stipped down naked and had dinner with the president."

"..."

"I'm really an alien from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius."

"..."

"SAMUEL JACK EVANS!"

I swerved the truck, taken aback by her sudden outburst. "God, Cedes!" I screamed back. "You can't just yell shit out of nowhere!" I looked over and she looked normal. Feet on the dash, book on her lap, long forgotten.

"I was talking to you about this book and when I realized you weren't listening I did what I do best to get your attention," she explained calmly.

"I didn't hear you talking. Go on."

"No. Why were so spaced out?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well I do."

"Mercedes..."

"Samuel..." she replied in a mocking tone.

I cut her a look but she was undeterred. It took a few minutes, but she waited. "My brother has been dead seven years today."

I expected the apologies or the looks of sympathy, but all she asked was how old he would have been.

"8," I replied.

"He would have fit in the backseat, maybe. If you didn't bring the big ass blanket. He'd probably have better music taste than you too," she added before going back to her book.

Her comments didn't make me feel better, but I figured nothing could. She did make me smile though. Better music than me? Ha.

* * *

Somewhere in Nevada the tension was unbelievable. She was mad that I had fallen asleep before I had told her which exit to take to get to the main highway. She was mad that we didn't exactly know where we were. She was mad because our phones were dead.

I was mad because she almost broke skin with her fingernail when she poked me awake. I was mad that she was mad. Words were said. She called me names and hit me. I called her names and she slapped me. I'm sure at that point we both looked a mess, but at that point I also couldn't stand her and the further away from her I was, the better I would be.

I grabbed my wallet and a water bottle and got out of the car. She didn't look at me.

It was only twenty minutes later when the clouds start forming that I finally cooled off enough to think clearly. I had plans on walking back along the road until a car came, but none had passed yet and I couldn't even see the truck from where I was. The rain started falling a minute later and I cursed to myself.

I finished off the water bottle and kept walking. After a few minutes, Mercedes's face flashed in my mind and I remembered her words. "I don't like being alone."

She had said them in her most vulnerable state to me and there I was, leaving her alone in the middle of the fucking Nevada desert. I ran back as far as I could until I couldn't anymore. The rain had only came down harder and I pushed myself to get there faster. I only stopped when I ran into a warm body. A warm body I knew.

She was shivering and so was I, but she was also crying. "Sam!" she screamed before throwing herself into my arms and crying into the crook of my neck. Her grip on me was tight so instead of even trying to disentangle our bodies, I wrapped her legs around my waist and walked us both back to the truck.

Her cried had stopped and there was only small hiccups coming from her. We took off our wet clothes and changed into whatever was on top in our bags. When we had calmed down enough, I held her face up into the light of the car and saw that she was okay. Her eyes were frantic still, as were mine.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

We chuckled at that but she became serious once more. She looked into my eyes and I saw her bottom lip quiver, but she caught herself and instead of hiding from me like she usually did, she climbed into my lap, straddling me, and laid her head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Sam. I didn't mean any of those words. I take it all back. Just don't ever leave me alone again, okay?"

I promised I wouldn't.

* * *

Las Vegas. We spent the more time there than any other city. Three days. It was possibly the best time I'd ever had. We used my card and stayed at some hotel off the strip. There was a lot to see, but we spent most of our time just walking from buffet to buffet. I tried my hand at gambling and won some money and I gave it to her. She blew it all on some shoes, but I wasn't even mad.

Everyone looked at us when we showed up at places for dinner and people even asked if we were there to get hitched. We gave them weird looks and wandered around some more.

She opened up to me about her past and her fear of storms and being alone and doesn't accept my apology when I bring our incident up. She said, "That night- those two things weren't why I was crying." I didn't know what to make of it, so I just switched on the TV and we cuddled and fell asleep like that.

On our way to California, she tells me to pull over. There's a little highway that leads to a lake and she wants clean nature again before smoggy Los Angeles.

It's nice and there are a lot of campers. We decide to spend the night there and just like New Mexico, we sleep on the bed of the truck. This time, we face each other.

She kisses me first. It's slow and long and so unbelievably good.

There's a moment, after we part where she looked so scared. So beautifully scared of what my reaction might have been, but there was no need. Never was any need for her to be scared. "Again," I whispered.

She just smiled and took control.

* * *

The Pacific wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Cedes loved it, though. Said she could picture staying here. I guess it was alright.

We take pictures and sing songs by the Beach Boys and it was all really great fun.

"We finally made it all the way," I said sadly.

She looked up at me and smiled.

"Nah, not yet. We still have plenty to see."

"Yeah?" I asked, tossing her the keys. She caught them and kissed me before responding.

"Yeah."

* * *

Don't own Glee. Please excuse any errors, I do this for fun. Got this idea from another fanfic, if you want it let me know and I'll send it your way.

This is dedicated to the lovely Zeejack. You're amazing, girl! :)


	4. Third

In another world, Sam said yes when she asked him to prom. Sure he was a little hesitant, but a yes was a yes. Despite the drama, his southern gentleman showed and he asked her to dance. She jumped at the chance and soon enough they were moving through the crowd. She thought he was just as nervous as she, because of his stiff posture. But then, his green eyes became soft and a goofy grin played on his face while looking at Mercedes Jones. A stab of jealousy hit her, but she smiled it off and tried not to notice Sam glancing at her friend for the rest of the night.

That's how their relationship was from then on. Rachel and Sam. Together. With stolen glances toward Mercedes.

They walked the halls with their hands awkwardly twined together. Their peers 'awed' at them, thinking that it was cute they had found each other after the year they had both had. Rachel reveled in the attention, but could admit that at times it felt wrong. It became apparent that she was the only one who noticed how his eyes never shone for her or how his body almost itched to part with her when _she_ was around.

He couldn't even if he wanted to anyway; Mercedes had started a relationship with Artie Abrams. She was also completely oblivious to the blonde's attraction to her.

* * *

"Sam. Sam. Samuel!" she hissed at him while nudging her elbow into his side. He was staring at them again. "Are you okay? You seem...distracted lately."

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking of some songs for Glee..."

Rachel couldn't exactly call him out on that because it was most likely true. After losing Regionals months ago, he had become more more involved in music selections, stating that he really wanted a win for the next year. In fact, whenever he wasn't staring at Mercedes he was looking for sheet music the whole group would approve. He loved 'jamming' with the guys and she knew it was his life. Their string of cancelled dates could vouch for his love of the club.

"I'm sure whatever you choose will be great and we'll all love it. I know I don't really have a say..after all it was my song choice that cost us regionals in the first place and -" she never got to finish her sentence because Mercedes was now walking toward them and Sam was already tuned to her.

"Hey Mercedes!" he said, happier than he ever said Rachel's name.

"Not much, Artie was just telling me about this film competition coming up next month. He's really excited about it and even drafted Lauren to help him. He's already planning on ways I could be in it- the boy thinks I'm his good luck charm. Isn't he the sweetest?"

"Definitely," Rachel said as nicely as possible. "Of course if he needs anything, me and Sam will be there for him," she said while looking up at Sam who nodded. It was already pretty much a guarantee though; wherever Mercedes was, Sam was sure to follow.

"Oh girl, I know he will!" Mercedes beamed, confidently.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "I gotta get to class." he said to Mercedes before turning to Rachel and kissing her on the lips and effectively taking her breath away. He pushed her up against her locker and pulled away suddenly at Mercedes's words.

_"You two are so made for each other."_

That, of course, wasn't the reaction Sam wanted. He smiled at the two girls and walked away. Rachel was used to it by now. Whenever Sam kissed her like that, it was only when she was around and it was only to make her jealous. Even though Rachel knew that- she still felt something when he did it. Some flutter of warmth in her that she was slowly becoming addicted to. Try as she might to be the better woman and let him be happy with Mercedes- she knew she couldn't. Not when it meant giving up that feeling.

"He so loves you. Did you see that smile? I think your ship name could be Samchel. Did you know that Pizes is already calling me and Artie Artcedes? I love it!"

She grimaced, but Rachel let her continue because there was some truth in what she was saying. Sam did love her, but there were two things he loved more. Mercedes and Glee Club.

But she would take being third on his list then not on it at all.

* * *

Another _unbeta'd _drabble.

I don't own Glee.


End file.

Glee, Romance