Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 41st cycle. Now cycle 42!
INTRODUCING "CHEAT SHEET" - If you want to know ahead of time when a certain series will be updated next, just reassemble the link below and check out the list, save it, print it, bookmark it, whatever you need!
Go to: gleekathon [dot] tumblr [dot] com [slash] cheatsheet
** UPDATED WITH CYCLE 42 CHEAT SHEET **
Countdown cycle #4 - Yes, it's that time again, where I select 16 favorite things (characters, ships, friendships...) from Glee and give them each a ficlet, and a chapter fic for #1. The previous countdown cycles, if you want to check them out, were c10 [days 190-210], c25 [days 505-525], and c29 [days 589-609]. Like the last countdowns, the #1 story is split in 3 blocks, the chapters posted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays over these three weeks, with #16 to #2 from Thursdays to Mondays.
Coming in at #11...
"My Weepy Valentine"
Mike/Tina
It had been like watching a building very slowly topple over before it could take a final and destructive dive. At first he'd thought Tina was just really… really into her performance, but then the more she went on, the more uncomfortable it got, and he had no idea what was happening anymore. Finally she was on her knees, practically hyperventilating with emotion and he'd rushed to her side to get her back up. Now she just kept repeating how she loved him, and he had to smile. He brought her back to sit, where he too promised that he loved her, wholeheartedly.
Once it had become possible, he'd taken her out to get some water, seeing how she still gave the odd small hiccup. Now she was coming back to her senses, remembering what she'd just done, before the whole Glee Club no less… and he could see her fill with sudden embarrassment.
"I can't believe I did that…" she shook her head when he handed her the cup.
"Drink," he pointed, so she did.
"They're going to think I'm crazy now."
"Yes, because we're so known for our sanity," he sat at her side, smiled when this got a laugh out of her.
"Probably right," she admitted.
"It won't be long, someone will do something else and they'll forget all about it," he promised.
"I hope so," she nodded, passing the empty cup from hand to hand.
"Also, I loved the song," he told her, and she gave him a look.
"Don't humor me," she shook her head.
"I'm serious," he swore.
"I stood there blubbering like an idiot until I was a mess on the floor," she reminded.
"Oh it was weird, I'm not saying it wasn't," he clarified, quickly speaking on. "But… I loved why you did it, why you got that way," he tried to meet her eye and get her smiling, succeeding after a moment. "As Valentine's Day presents go, that was pretty special," he went on, widening her smile. "You made a memory. Trust me, I won't forget it," he told her, and her smile reached its peak as it broke into a laugh.
"But I did get you something," she revealed.
"So I'll have two presents? Lucky me," he shrugged and she breathed, leaning to kiss him. "Does this mean I should get you something else, too?"
"Well I didn't actually 'get' you two things," she pointed out.
"Right…" he paused, then looked to her. "Want me to run down the hall shouting 'I love Tina Cohen-Chang' real loud? Because I'll do it," he nodded, and she burst out laughing. "I will!" he insisted, maybe to keep fueling her laughter, which was quickly stomping out any hint of her previous breakdown.
"Please don't," she insisted, holding on to his arm.
"You want me to do it quiet? Like…" he made as though he was stepping up to her, 'discreetly,' tapping her shoulder and leaning in. "Hey, me and Tina…" he tapped his chest over his heart with a nod. She smiled, bowing her head, perhaps taken by a blush.
"I think that right there… that's present enough," she breathed out, back to her serene self.
"Good," he nodded as they started back down the hall.
"You know, I think this is the first year I'm really looking forward to Valentine's Day," she admitted. "I'm not nervous about it, or annoyed by it… I'm kind of surprised. Never been big on the day as a whole… Except for chocolate… I always approved of the chocolate," she nodded.
"I figured you might," he smirked, being well aware of her moments as a cocoa fiend.
"But now… I just really want to spend that day with you," she redirected the conversation and it was her turn to make him smile. When he didn't speak for a while, she looked back to him. "You're thinking about the song again, aren't you?" she 'accused.'
"I thought it was sweet," he went back to defending himself.
"Please, I saw your face at first… you know, before I couldn't see because of the tears… You were freaked out."
"Well wouldn't you have been?"
"If you started crying like a girl during a song? Yeah, I might have thought you'd gotten body checked one too many times on the football field," she joked and he laughed.
"I just meant that it was startling, and I didn't know what was going on," he explained. "So if I freaked out, like you say, it was only for a moment," he promised.
"Right," she nodded slowly, 'suspicious.'
"I will run down that hall," he 'threatened,' pointing down the hall.
"No, no!" she jumped to pull his arm down, bits of laughter escaping her. "I believe you," she conceded. "But I do feel bad that I didn't get to finish my song to you."
"You'll get another chance," he promised.
"In there? When do I ever get a chance?" she pointed out.
"Whenever you want, in there or not," he went on, and she smiled.
"I guess I can do that. Any requests though, because I don't think I can redo that one without having a relapse," she admitted.
"Well…" he smirked. "I can find something. You could pick a funny song, no chance of losing it."
"I'd probably find a way to screw it up anyway," she frowned.
"You didn't screw up the first one," he returned to his previous stance.
"Right, I know, I know," she sighed. He tugged her close, somehow neither of them tripping over the other's feet as they walked together, and he kissed the top of her head.
"Hey," he called to her and she looked up. He leaned in. "Me and you?" he nodded and patted at his chest over his heart. She smiled, patting her own chest with a similar nod.
THE END
A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!
