missing piece.
mike & tina
a/n: Just a quick little one-shot to acknowledge that the fourth season of Glee is out! Sorry for not posting in awhile, I've just been really busy with school (I know that's, like, everyone's excuse for not updating regularly but it's the truth). Truthfully I was sad when I heard that Mike and Tina broke up (while my mom was shouting distantly in the background that she knew it would happen eventually) but I won't discard my love for them. I know they secretly still love each other (winkwinknudgenudge)
title is from missing piece by david choi.
disclaimer: i own nothing.
Tina Cohen-Chang has always hated things long distance relationships, even before she and Mike started going out. The fact that the one you love couldn't be your side prior to the long distance relationship was just something that turned her off about a relationship. It was a cruel reality, and it was inescapable but she hated it anyways.
When she started dating Mike Chang, a part of her forgot that he was one year older than her—actually, she always knew but chose to ignore it—and tried to hold onto him as much as possible. High school was suppose to last forever, right?
(She would forever deny how wrong she was. She would forever deny how native she was, thinking that a love like the one she and Mike shared would last forever.)
Even though their breakup is mutual, she can't seem to erase the burning look in his eyes when she saw she couldn't keep up with a long distance relationship. Because as much as she loves Mike and even though she wants to be with him forever, even the mere thought of him gone can drive her over the edge with tears, and it's the right thing to do.
They promise to remain friends, even though a part of her knows it would never be the same.
In hindsight, it was smart to believe that things wouldn't be the same between her and Mike because they weren't. No more late night calls, no more carpooling together, no more laughing together at the lunch table, no much holding hands during Glee club... even just thinking about what she doesn't have any more is secretly killing her.
Tina's managed to distract herself during the rest of the summer preparing herself for Senior year and the classes she enrolled in. She's gone to the mall with Blaine and Kurt more times than she can count, but there's still that missing piece in her heart that she'll forever deny is Mike.
(She also changes her tattoo Mike Chang forever to Make Change forever. It may be weird, but it's time for her to take that quote under her skin, literally.)
When Jacob Ben Israel approaches her with his microphone, all ready to update the school with the Glee club gossip; she isn't prepared to talk about Mike. She isn't prepared for Jacob to bring up her tattoo, but she's quick witted enough to say that making change is good. Because, in reality, it's the only choice you have sometimes.
She may smile about her breakup with the other members of the Glee club, but they're not smart enough to know Tina's fake smile.
(Only Mike knows, but she takes this all in strides.)
fin