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 49th cycle. Now cycle 50!

CYCLE 50 SPECIAL FAVORITES CHART - So I've done 'favorites' cycles before, and this is another one, but since it's cycle 50, I wanted to do something special for it. So instead of the usual top 16 with a 6-chapter Boston Britt installment for Brittany (who has always been and remains number one ;)), this is how it will be: It's shift days through the cycle. Shift B will be a 21-chapter/day Boston Britt. In shift A, after the first day's 'extra' dedicated to New Directions, there will be four Top 5 lists, working their way down (all the number 5 spots, all the number 4 spots, number 3, 2, and finishing with all the number one spots)

The Top 5's are as follows (all are my 'top 5 favorite...'):
* Top 5 Series (my series)
* Top 5 Friendships
* Top 5 Characters
* Top 5 Relationships

TODAY: Top 5 Relationships: #3 - Mike/Tina

This is a double shift day. There will be one more upload today: Those Are Wooden Wings, chapter 13.

"Confidence Girl"
Mike/Tina

Any time he would address the fact that he would soon leave Lima, for any reason, and therefore leave her behind as she finished her own senior year, he felt like he shouldn't, that he was only reminding her – and himself – that they'd be split by distance.

She'd been nothing but supportive all this time though, and he knew she wanted him to follow his dreams. He just couldn't help but feel like he was leaving part of that dream behind by leaving her. Already they'd been dating almost two years, and she meant so much more to him than she perhaps realized herself. Especially in the time when he couldn't make himself share his desires with them, at least he had her. That might have made it sound like he would use whatever he could get his hands on, but it was far beyond that.

Tina believed in him in ways he could only admire. She made him want to make her even prouder of him every day. He dreaded having to be away from her as much as she did, if not more, but that was supposed to drive him, too, and it would.

When he'd first gotten the Alvin Ailey offer, she'd been right there with him and, seeing the expression on his face, she'd ask what was happening, surging with excitement without even knowing why because, from the look he had, it could only be good news. He had told her, and then her joy for him had increased tenfold. She'd thrown her arms around him and he'd drawn her closer. Her words were of encouragement, congratulations; his arms were insecurity and the need to know it wouldn't change everything.

Then came the envelope from the Joffrey school. It wasn't so much that he had forgotten about it, but once he'd gotten Alvin Ailey he didn't think about it. But now it was here, and… he was opening the envelope before he knew it. He pulled out the letter inside. He unfolded it, scanned quickly until he found words that amounted to one conclusion.

He went out seeking Tina, once he'd told his parents – he couldn't not, once his mother had seen the look on his face. She was home, and again his face betrayed him, forcing him to confirm that, yes, he had good news, as soon as she saw him. He showed her the letter and she practically bowled him over. He caught her, carrying into a roll over on her bed, where they'd sat. She was now on her back, staring up at him as he rested on his side, staring down.

"What are you going to do? You're all in demand now," she smiled and he laughed.

"Well I figure, if I play it right, I could do both. Go to Joffrey, study, get better, and then maybe I'll get Alvin Ailey again," he pointed out.

"I like the sound of that," she told him, nudging so he'd fall on his back and she could turn in to him, rest her head on his shoulder. "Wish I could go with you."

"Me too," he promised, holding her near. "At least I'll be closer, so I can visit, and you can visit," he added.

"It'll still be days, sometimes weeks, without moments like this…" she was saying, maybe more to herself than to him, and when she caught herself saying it, she blinked. She didn't want this to fall into sadness. This was something good, and it should be treated as such. "Wait until everyone at school finds out. They'll be as proud of you as I am."

"I don't think that's possible," he smiled.

"Okay, well they'll be close… in the vicinity… There will be pride," she had downgraded as far as she could go.

He had to think about how this had all almost not happened, how she'd facilitated the whole thing… Everything she did for him, he knew how much she loved him a little more every time. He would do right by that love, that much he was sure of.

"How about we go to the movies to celebrate," he suggested.

"Now?" she asked, and he nodded. "Homework…" she pointed out to her desk.

"After dinner, so you have time?" he asked. She smiled, moving to stand she brought her books to the bed, where he sat at one end and she sat at the other. She wasn't sure when or how he'd gotten hold of her foot until she felt her sock get pulled off and she looked up.

"You better not tickle me…" she warned.

"After you nearly broke my nose last time, I've learned my lesson," he promised and she smirked. He rubbed at her foot, then the other, while she worked. It passed the time, and he had to admit he got a laugh whenever he nearly tickled by accident and she would yelp.

They'd had dinner – Tina's parents shared congratulations – and then they went to the theater. Tina wouldn't let him pay, insisting this would be her treat.

The movie became one more excuse for them to remain close to one another, to share a kiss here, two kisses there. They would hate the goodbyes but love the hellos. They would miss each other, and that'd be normal. But then they would visit, and they would get that jolt, to see each other again, and then they would be reminded that they were loved, and missed, that they mattered to this other person in ways that were theirs and theirs alone. If that didn't make it a little more bearable…

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!