Title: We could live forever but we'll never be this young again
Author: Lokisnow
Rating: M
Length: 5k +/-
Pairing(s): Rachel Berry / Mike Chang / Matt Rutherford
Spoilers: Not really, just the aired episodes
Disclaimer: Not mine in any way
Summary: Matt and Mike meet up again in New York, things happen.

The last place Matt Rutherford ever expected to see Mike Chang again is in the display window of Moo Shoes on the Lower East Side of Manhattan turning a pair women's ballet flats around in his hands. The last time Matt had seen Mike was 9 years ago at the end of sophomore year at McKinley High, his dad had just got transferred to a law firm in Yonkers and they had to move as soon as the school year was done. Matt had been excited for the new location, excited to leave Ohio and definitely excited to leave behind McKinley High and the threat of violence from the football team because he liked to dance and sing, albeit softly, in New Directions. The only thing he wasn't excited about was leaving his new found friends and his childhood best friend, Mike. They had be able to keep in contact through Facebook for junior year of high school but slowly drifted apart senior year as they both became busy with the demands placed upon them trying to figure out what do after high school.

Matt's about to knock on the glass to get Mike's attention when Mike looks up from the shoes and spots him through the glass window. They both stare for a minute as huge smiles start to stretch across their faces. Matt starts to move to the door but Mike beats him to it and is outside, shoes still in hand and pulls him into a tight hug with much back slapping in the middle of Orchard Street.

"What are you doing in New York, I thought you'd still be at Harvard, slaving away for your medical degree?" Matt asks as he pulls back from the hug, absently noticing how much Mike has filled out the last couple of years.

"No." Mike shakes his head, "I was able to convince my dad to let me study dance at NYU Tisch and was able to find some steady work here, so I stuck around. What about you, I thought you were living in California?" Mike asks.

Matt just shakes his head "Naw man, I changed my mind around the middle of senior year, mom passed away and pop wasn't coping so well." Matt just shrugs a shoulder when Mike offers his condolences and states "it was a long time ago now, but thanks man. It's just weird that we haven't run into each other considering I went to NYU's Silver School of Social Work, I mean it's like three blocks away from Tisch."

Before Mike can respond, a sales lady exits Moo Shoes and walks up to them, "Excuse me, Mr. Chang, but I'm afraid I need the shoes back in the store. If you want to purchase them I'd be happy to assist you."

Matt watches as Mike looks down at the shoes and then back to the sales lady, blushing from his neck all the way to the tips of his ears like he used to do anytime Brittany or Santana would get to hands on with him or each other. "Oh my god, I am so sorry Kelly, here you go. If you could gift wrap a size 6 1/2, I'll be right there to pay." Mike say flashing the Kelly a bright and earnest smile. She nods and smiles back as she takes the shoes and walks back into the store like people take shoes for a walk outside everyday, well this is New York so maybe they do.

Turning back to Matt, Mike asks"You got some time, this will only take a minute and then we can grab a bit to eat and catch up?"

Matt pulls out his phone to confirm the time and shakes his head in the negative "I can't, I'm teaching a Zumba class at the LES Dance Academy down the block in about 45 minutes and need to go get warmed up. I'm free tomorrow though, you wanna meet up some where? I'd love to catch up and hear about everyone from New Direction. Any of them also in the city, other then Rachel, I mean, I saw her West Side Story posters plaster all over E Houston St earlier today."

Mike smiles, a little slyly and says "Santana also here, she's a PR manager for ID PR over by Penn Station. My girl is throwing a dinner party tomorrow, why don't you stop by, Santana and her wife will be there and we can all catch up."

Matt can only shake his head in disbelief "Santana's wife? Just how much did I miss?" Mike only smiles. "You sure your girl won't mine if I crash her party?" He hands over his phone when Mike he says it's casual and she won't mine, and then puts in his girl's address and his contact info. "It's Brittany, Santana's wife I mean?"

"Nope, it's not Britt, she out in LA and they haven't talked in years, very messy breakup." Mike say as he hand back Matt's phone. Matt hits dial and watch as Mike saves his info in his phone when it lights up.

This time it's Matt who reaches forward to give Mike a hug "I can't believe how much I missed you, man. It's awesome we ran into each other."

Mike just slaps him on the back before pulling away and heading into Moo Shoes, "Ditto, man, I'll see you tomorrow."

Matt just nods and starts walking down the street, it only takes him a couple of minutes before entering LES Dance and heading up to the adult classroom where he teaches Zumba part time, mostly just for fun because as much as he loves being a social worker, he would missing dancing too much if he had to give it up completely.

He can only laugh quietly to himself as he stores his gym bag in his locker and walk over to the mats to start stretching out his body, making sure to warm up before the ladies get here, they're a wilded bunch of older Jewish ladies who just don't stop once their in the door and he loves every minute of it.

It just amazing, that they all have been in the city for 7 years and he's never ran into Mike, Santana or Rachel before now, it's crazy how big and small this city is sometimes.