If We Work in Tandem
Title: If We Work in Tandem
Author: lennoxave
Pairing,Character(s): Mercedes, Rachel
Rating: G
Word Count: 930
Spoilers: Through 2.13, "Comeback"
Summary: The origins of Mercedes and Rachel's friendship.
If We Work in Tandem
“Okay, what's the deal?” Mercedes said as she walked up to Rachel Berry's locker.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Rachel said. Between her tone of voice, her ducked head, and the way she slammed her locker after speaking, Mercedes was pretty sure Rachel did know what she was talking about.
“Please. Rachel Berry does not just give up opportunities to sing. And that whole thing about me and Tina being the unsung heroes didn't make any sense. So I want to know: what's going on?”
Mercedes could see the tears starting to well up in Rachel's eyes and almost immediately regretted asking the question. She was not in the mood to hear Rachel's pity party about how she was protesting glee club for not letting her sing at Sectionals or whatever nonsense was going on in that crazy head of hers.
“Finn and I broke up,” Rachel answered quietly. “I guess I just didn't feel like singing today.”
“Oh,” Mercedes said. That was different. “Because of the Santana thing? 'Cause, really--”
“No,” Rachel cut her off. “I forgave him for that. But when I was mad at him, when we were . . . I guess you could say on a break,” she looked at her feet, “I made out with Puck.”
“While you were on a break?” Mercedes raised her eyebrows. “Honey, have you never heard of Friends?”
“I am quite familiar with all forms of popular entertainment,” Rachel grumbled, “so yes, I'm aware of the parallels.”
“And you thought making out with Puck was a good idea?”
“There wasn't much thinking involved,” Rachel admitted. “I just . . . wanted to hurt Finn as much as he'd hurt me.”
“That's kind of a terrible way to think. And you pretty much guaranteed that you'd break up. Either you wouldn't forgive him for the Santana thing, or he wouldn't forgive you for the Puck thing.”
Rachel sighed. “I realize that now. But at least Finn has friends to help him through. I--” She stopped suddenly, like she didn't want to admit something out loud.
“Don't,” Mercedes finished for her. Rachel's eyes looked anywhere else in the hallway than at Mercedes.
For the first time that school year, (and really, for the first time since the Shelby stuff went down) Mercedes felt bad for Rachel Berry.
“Listen,” Mercedes said. “Can I give you some advice?” When Rachel only bit her lip and looked morose in response, Mercedes continued. “When you're not in your super-selfish, I'm-the-only-person-with-any-talent mode, you're not horrible to be around.”
“There's nothing wrong with confidence and being competitive. You're competitive, too.”
“Yeah, but the difference between you and me is that, even though I think I'm the best singer in glee, I don't have to say it to everyone all the damn time.”
“You were mad that Quinn got the solo for Sectionals.”
“But instead of pouting or storming off, I walked with her to math class and talked about trashy reality TV because I am a normal person.”
“You think I take things too seriously,” Rachel frowned.
“I know you take things too seriously,” Mercedes replied. “I talked to Kurt. I know you can be different when you're not in direct competition with someone. You used to show that side of you sometimes. Maybe you should let us see it again.”
“I don't know that it will help. I think everyone's already made up their minds about me.”
Mercedes rolled her eyes. “Rachel? We're the ones who let Finn in, Quinn in, Puck in, even after they'd all been horrible to us. We're willing to meet you halfway. You've just got to give us a reason to.”
* * *
And that's the most they talked about it for the next month. Christmas got in the way, and then break, and then finals, and there wasn't a lot of time for Mercedes to hang out with the people she was definitely friends with, not just kinda/sorta friends with.
A couple of days after the new semester started, Rachel approached her after glee.
“Mercedes, I have a proposition for you,” Rachel said.
Mercedes mentally braced herself. “I'm listening.”
“I know you don't have a car and can only see Kurt on the weekends or if he drives out here during the week, but my dad just got a new car this weekend and gave me his old one, so I was wondering if you wanted to drive out to Dalton with me tonight to have coffee with Kurt and Blaine?” Rachel looked a little nervous after her rambling. Mercedes was just caught off-guard at the fact that Rachel was offering to do something nice and selfless.
Still, she couldn't just let Rachel off easy. That wasn't how Mercedes rolled with her friends. “Why, Rachel Berry,” she smirked, “are you asking me out on a date?”
At Rachel's confusion and stuttered attempts to explain herself, Mercedes laughed and rolled her eyes. “I'm just teasing. You want to leave right after school?”
“That's what I was planning.”
“Cool. I just have one condition: no show tunes on the radio, please.”
It was Rachel's turn to roll her eyes. “I do listen to other types of music, you know. I'm sure we can go through my i-Pod and find a compromise.”
Author: lennoxave
Pairing,Character(s): Mercedes, Rachel
Rating: G
Word Count: 930
Spoilers: Through 2.13, "Comeback"
Summary: The origins of Mercedes and Rachel's friendship.
If We Work in Tandem
“Okay, what's the deal?” Mercedes said as she walked up to Rachel Berry's locker.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Rachel said. Between her tone of voice, her ducked head, and the way she slammed her locker after speaking, Mercedes was pretty sure Rachel did know what she was talking about.
“Please. Rachel Berry does not just give up opportunities to sing. And that whole thing about me and Tina being the unsung heroes didn't make any sense. So I want to know: what's going on?”
Mercedes could see the tears starting to well up in Rachel's eyes and almost immediately regretted asking the question. She was not in the mood to hear Rachel's pity party about how she was protesting glee club for not letting her sing at Sectionals or whatever nonsense was going on in that crazy head of hers.
“Finn and I broke up,” Rachel answered quietly. “I guess I just didn't feel like singing today.”
“Oh,” Mercedes said. That was different. “Because of the Santana thing? 'Cause, really--”
“No,” Rachel cut her off. “I forgave him for that. But when I was mad at him, when we were . . . I guess you could say on a break,” she looked at her feet, “I made out with Puck.”
“While you were on a break?” Mercedes raised her eyebrows. “Honey, have you never heard of Friends?”
“I am quite familiar with all forms of popular entertainment,” Rachel grumbled, “so yes, I'm aware of the parallels.”
“And you thought making out with Puck was a good idea?”
“There wasn't much thinking involved,” Rachel admitted. “I just . . . wanted to hurt Finn as much as he'd hurt me.”
“That's kind of a terrible way to think. And you pretty much guaranteed that you'd break up. Either you wouldn't forgive him for the Santana thing, or he wouldn't forgive you for the Puck thing.”
Rachel sighed. “I realize that now. But at least Finn has friends to help him through. I--” She stopped suddenly, like she didn't want to admit something out loud.
“Don't,” Mercedes finished for her. Rachel's eyes looked anywhere else in the hallway than at Mercedes.
For the first time that school year, (and really, for the first time since the Shelby stuff went down) Mercedes felt bad for Rachel Berry.
“Listen,” Mercedes said. “Can I give you some advice?” When Rachel only bit her lip and looked morose in response, Mercedes continued. “When you're not in your super-selfish, I'm-the-only-person-with-any-talent mode, you're not horrible to be around.”
“There's nothing wrong with confidence and being competitive. You're competitive, too.”
“Yeah, but the difference between you and me is that, even though I think I'm the best singer in glee, I don't have to say it to everyone all the damn time.”
“You were mad that Quinn got the solo for Sectionals.”
“But instead of pouting or storming off, I walked with her to math class and talked about trashy reality TV because I am a normal person.”
“You think I take things too seriously,” Rachel frowned.
“I know you take things too seriously,” Mercedes replied. “I talked to Kurt. I know you can be different when you're not in direct competition with someone. You used to show that side of you sometimes. Maybe you should let us see it again.”
“I don't know that it will help. I think everyone's already made up their minds about me.”
Mercedes rolled her eyes. “Rachel? We're the ones who let Finn in, Quinn in, Puck in, even after they'd all been horrible to us. We're willing to meet you halfway. You've just got to give us a reason to.”
* * *
And that's the most they talked about it for the next month. Christmas got in the way, and then break, and then finals, and there wasn't a lot of time for Mercedes to hang out with the people she was definitely friends with, not just kinda/sorta friends with.
A couple of days after the new semester started, Rachel approached her after glee.
“Mercedes, I have a proposition for you,” Rachel said.
Mercedes mentally braced herself. “I'm listening.”
“I know you don't have a car and can only see Kurt on the weekends or if he drives out here during the week, but my dad just got a new car this weekend and gave me his old one, so I was wondering if you wanted to drive out to Dalton with me tonight to have coffee with Kurt and Blaine?” Rachel looked a little nervous after her rambling. Mercedes was just caught off-guard at the fact that Rachel was offering to do something nice and selfless.
Still, she couldn't just let Rachel off easy. That wasn't how Mercedes rolled with her friends. “Why, Rachel Berry,” she smirked, “are you asking me out on a date?”
At Rachel's confusion and stuttered attempts to explain herself, Mercedes laughed and rolled her eyes. “I'm just teasing. You want to leave right after school?”
“That's what I was planning.”
“Cool. I just have one condition: no show tunes on the radio, please.”
It was Rachel's turn to roll her eyes. “I do listen to other types of music, you know. I'm sure we can go through my i-Pod and find a compromise.”