"You wanna talk now?" Mike asked, rolling onto his back.
Feeling her heartbeat return to normal, Mercedes turned her head. "Yeah. Probably should have after the first time."
He smirked. "I think we had to burn through some energy first."
"Well it's been a couple hours." She checked the clock. "Or five. How is that possible?!"
"A lot of energy, Merce!" He laughed. "Five hours worth!"
She smiled and traced his laugh lines. "And it was worth it. I want to tell you I'm sorry."
He frowned. "About what? This?"
"No! No! No!" Her eyes widened. "This was great. I meant I'm sorry about last time. Instead of listening to you or explaining it better, I basically told you I wanted Puck and refused to see reason. I'm so sorry."
His face evened out. "I'm sorry I pushed you. You probably never thought of me like that and I just pushed my feelings onto you."
"What feelings exactly?" She peered at him in confusion. "It all seemed to come out of left wing."
He took a deep breath. "I've had a crush on you for years. Actually you and Quinn but yours never went away. Then I started liking T and I pushed it away."
She frowned.
"I really loved T so don't get crazy!" He clarified. "Then this year, I don't know. It came back but stronger. I've wanted to tell you so many times but I didn't want to say it over Skype or text. I wanted to see your face. But then we had sex and you told me about Puck."
She laid her hand on his chest. "I'm sorry I threw him in your face."
He patted her hand. "I felt like I wasn't good enough so I made up my mind to distance myself. It was killing me. But when I got here, it wasn't worth it. I'd rather have you as a friend than nothing at all. But then that couple at the mall? They got me to thinking. Maybe we could be more so I got advice from Q-Card."
"Which would be?!" Mercedes was all over the place emotionally but mostly flattered.
"To pursue you kinda like Sam did last year. Give you space but make sure I stayed on your radar. Show you how it would be if we were together." He admitted.
She laughed. "Quinn knows me too well! Since we're sharing; I got advice from Santana."
He made a face. "Do I even wanna know?"
"She told me to make her our kids' godmother." She watched his face carefully.
And wasn't disappointed. A smile bloomed across his features. "Really now?"
She nodded. "She said we made sense. And for me to talk to you. Before, too. She even said you were a better man than Sam."
"High praise." He mocked. "I guess she can be godmother."
She rolled over and sprawled across him. "We'd have to have kids for that."
"Are you fishin for a proposal, Jones?" He raised an eyebrow.
She snorted. "You know I don't fish for anything! But I am telling you that I'm more than willing to see where this will go."
"I'm going to tell you now..." He warned. "I fully intend for this to last for a century."
"We're 18! A whole century?"
"You know Mom has that cure-all made from panda hair and tofu."
"I'm not drinking that crap!" Mercedes' face showed her horror. "I remember she made me drink it when I caught that bug last year during booty camp."
His shoulders heaved from laughter. "Okay but you're not getting rid of me! You thought Sam was clingy? You're gonna have to pry me off with a crowbar!"
She hid her face in his chest, trying not to laugh. "I'm not that kinda chick, Chang!"
"Oh I'm puttin a ring on it!" He sassed. "Day after graduation."
"I was asked once when I wanted to get married. I said after my first Grammy."
He gave her a look that said he knew she was talking about Sam. "Which you'll get before we graduate. We're gonna get married a year after graduation. Find steady work and get started on our six kids. Then-"
"Hold up!" She interrupted. "Six kids from whom?! I'm not pushin out six kids!"
"You know you enjoy your siblings. You don't want only one or two." He shrugged. "Might as well have a lot."
"Says the lucky bastard who doesn't have to carry them for nine months then go through labor!"
He smiled. "How about we double up? Have a pair of twins or two?"
"No!"
He laughed. "Okay. The number of kids is negotiable. We'll find a house out in L.A.-"
"I don't wanna live there!"
"Really?" He cocked his head. "I thought you hated winter?"
"I did, too. Until I missed snow and winter clothes. Plus, it's too damn hot all the time. San Francisco is a happy medium. Close to the business but far enough away to be normal."
"Okay we'll find a place in San Francisco. Big backyard, studio for you in the basement, studio for me in the attic. A dog."
"I have a dog."
"A real dog. A real dog Puck didn't give you." He frowned down at her.
"Ozzie is a real dog! Don't talk about my baby!" Said dog barked at the mention of his name. He scratched at the bathroom door.
"He fits in my hand!"
"You have big hands!"
Mike grinned and used those hands to position her more securely atop him. "You like 'em."
She nipped at his bottom lip. "So? Anyway, Ozzie could use a friend. The house will be amazing. Tonnes of closet space and the kitchen will be huge!"
He saw the way her eyes lit up at their future home and his chest grew warm. She was honestly giving it thought. "No guest rooms! I don't want other people staying with us. People don't know how to leave!"
She swatted his chest. "Stop that, Mikey!"
"Only one guest room!" He allowed.
"You're so gracious." She deadpanned. "You know Q will want to visit. Santana. Or Puck."
He made a face. "Maybe he can sleep under the house?"
She giggled. "You're friends. Be nice! In fact, we should see him before we leave tomorrow."
He agreed, extremely put upon until she kissed him back into happiness. "If we end all arguments like this, I hate your animal prints."
She laughed. "We will have some issues if you try to start stuff!" She smiled before groaning. "Shoot!"
"What?" He raised his head slightly to look at her.
"I just realized that when we get back, we'll be über busy. I have a tonne of things to do for the label. My album is almost ready."
He squeezed her tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"
She squealed. "Thanks! I can't believe I'm releasing an album! I feel like a real singer!"
"You are a real singer!" He caught her chin and gazed into her eyes. "I don't care if you sing in a hospital like Robin Williams did comedy for those kids in Patch Adams, you'll always be real."
She wiped away tears. "Thank you. And you'll always be my Dancing Demon."
M&MC
Puck opened his mother's front door. He was surprised to see Mercedes and Mike. "What's up, guys?"
"We wanted to talk." Mercedes told him. "Open the door, simple! You never could learn manners!"
He shoved open the door and ushered them inside. "I have, too Mama!"
"Mercy!" A small girl flew into the room and attached herself to Mercedes' middle. "I haven't seen you since last summer!"
"Nic!" Mercedes laughed. "I can't breathe, girlie! You gotta let go."
Puck pried the girl away. "She's just excited cuz Jake's here and now she thinks it's her birthday."
As if putting it in the universe made it possible, Jake Puckerman appeared. "Hey!"
Mike waved. He barely knew of Jake from the club and Puck. He only met their little sister a few times. He felt slightly out of place.
"Not a lick of manners, Noah!" Mercedes put her hands on her hips.
"Ooooh!" Nicolette "Nic" Puckerman taunted. "She called you Noah!"
Puck groaned. "What I do now?"
"You're just gonna leave us standing in the foyer?" Mercedes shook her head. "Your mother would be ashamed."
"I am!" Nadine Puckerman confirmed, walking into the ever decreasing space. "Come in." She smacked Puck upside his head.
"Ow!" He rubbed the spot.
They all moved to the living room and made themselves comfortable. Jake's mother, Vivian Johnson, who was in the kitchen with Nadine prior, was introduced to Mike and Mercedes. Mike was reintroduced to Nadine and Nic.
When settled, Nadine asked, "What brings you two over?"
"We wanted to tell Puck something." Mercedes started.
Mike nodded.
Puck shrugged. "Okay. What is it?"
"Mike and I are dating." Mercedes told him.
Puck's eyes widened. "No way! Go, Chang!" He lifted his hand for a high-five before his mother slapped him again. "Ow!"
Mike hid his snicker behind his glass of tea.
"Noah, show some respect!" Nadine shook her head. "Honestly! I don't know where I found him!"
"The cabbage patch?" Nic offered.
Jake laughed. "More like a barn." His mother slapped him upside his head. "Ow! I was kidding!"
Mike lost it. Until Mercedes slapped his arm. "All of you need spankings!" When it looked like the boys had a retort, she hurriedly went on. "Savage beatings rather!"
"Not that I mind getting threatened-" Puck deadpanned. "But why'd you come over to tell me?"
"This part is a little tricky." Mercedes admitted, eyeing his family.
"I was jealous." Mike told the truth.
"Of what, man?" Puck didn't understand.
"Of you." Mike said simply. "I wanted to date her for a while but you were there. I mean you weren't dating but it still wasn't an option for me. So I got jealous."
Puck's face cleared. "Oh! My bad, dude. I would have moved out or something if I knew."
"We can go back to the kitchen." Nadine caught on. "Come on, Nic."
Nic pouted. "I wanna stay! I never see Mercy!"
"I'll make sure to visit you every time I come back to Lima." Mercedes promised.
The little girl bit her lip as she thought. She agreed and left the room with the women.
Puck eyed his brother. "Beat it!"
"Why can't I stay?!" Jake argued.
"Beat it before I beat you!" Puck growled.
Jake huffed as he joined the women in the kitchen.
"Why you threaten that baby?!" Mercedes frowned.
"That baby hasn't had his eyes off you since you walked in the door!" Puck rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I cockblocked, Mike."
"You didn't." Mike took a sip before remembering he shouldn't have said that. One look at Mercedes' face told him he was in a heap of trouble.
"Wait!" Puck tried to wipe the salacious grin from his face and failed. "You were banging the both of us? I knew you were a pimp, Mama!"
Mercedes slapped him upside his head. "It's complicated. Mikey was my friend first. We stopped all that junior year and started again at Thanksgiving. You're the interloper!"
"I'm always the other man." Puck muttered.
Mike burst out laughing.
Both eyed him. "Anyway, he was jealous because of our special relationship so when we... he wanted to date but I told him we were... and he got mad." She went on.
"So I was the reason you didn't get together in the non-fun way at break?" Puck asked, genuinely remorseful.
"No, I am." Mercedes shook her head. "I could have called you and told you the deal or tried to figure it out but I hide behind you and let him feel terrible for months. That was my fault."
Mike rubbed her shoulder. "I could have understood. I let my jealousy cloud my judgement."
"So you're telling me this all why?" Puck was still confused about that fact.
"Cuz I don't want Mikey to compare what I have or had with you with what I have with him." Mercedes wanted both to know.
Puck nodded. "Makes sense."
"I have to adjust to being her boyfriend now and not her best friend with benefits." Mike said. "So we're not going to tell any more people."
"Meaning you want my trap shut?"
Mercedes nodded. "Satan and Q need to know so they'll stop matchmaking. But yeah. We want to keep this to ourselves so that we can find our way." Mike took her hand and she smiled. "You know how good I am at secret relationships."
Both boys laughed at that.
"I'm happy for you guys. Honestly. You're my best friends." Puck frowned. "If you tell anyone I said that,-"
"What?!" Mercedes challenged.
"I'll never reach for anything for you again!"
"Shut up!" She slapped his arm. "Besides, I have Mikey for that."
"You wanna be the godfather to our kids?" Mike nuzzled her shoulder.
Puck's jaw dropped. "Was it at Thanksgiving? Cuz there's a chance I could be-"
"Slow your roll!" Mercedes put up a hand. "One, he's joking. Two, he's talking about the future. Don't even."
"Oh!" Puck caught his breath. "I was just sayin."
"We're not having kids until we've been married a year or two. If we can help it." Mike added.
"Hopefully between the shot and condoms, we can help it." Mercedes spoke fervently. "So mums the word."
"What?" Puck was seriously confused.
"She means shut up." Mike laughed.
"I can keep secrets!" Puck snapped, affronted. "I never told about Beth."
"Let it go! It's been four freakin years!" Mercedes glared at him.
"Still happened." Puck pouted.
"Have I spilled anything else about you? Since then?"
"You told my mom on me!"
"Hey!" Mercedes jumped up. "If I didn't, you never would have!"
"Sure wouldn't have!"
Mike was lost. "What are you talking about?"
"It's private." Puck bit off. "She promised she wouldn't tell. But she did!"
"No, I promised not to tell if you did what you were supposed to do." Mercedes set her hands on her hips. "You didn't so I did."
Nadine returned to the room. "Noah, let it go! It's been a whole year and you're harpin on that still?"
"And you benefitted from it so stop being so-" Mercedes stopped, trying to think of a word.
"Ungrateful!" Nadine supplied. "Damned ungrateful!"
"Alright!" Puck raised his hands in surrender. "I'll let both incidents go. Though they happened."
Mercedes huffed and rolled her eyes. "We need to go so we can catch our flight. Bye, Ms. Nadine. I'll visit more."
Nadine hugged Mercedes tight. "You better, girlie! My mother has been after me for info on you!"
"I'll keep you updated more." Mercedes promised. "In fact, my album is nearly finished."
Nadine screamed. "That's amazing, child!"
The people in the kitchen flooded in. "What's going on?!"
"Mama's album is almost done." Puck answered.
Everyone congratulated the beaming girl.
"We really have to go." Mercedes apologized. "And keep our relationship a secret, Baby Puck."
"Yes, ma'am!" Jake saluted.