A/N: Hello! I'm back with another Tartie fic. I honestly can't get enough of them. This idea hit me when I was taking a shower, I don't know why, I seem to get the best ideas when I'm wet.

.. Holy crap that sounded so wrong. Anyway.

It seemed a little weird that Tina tried to help both her partners achieve their dreams, and was it a coincidence that both of their dreams was to dance? Not to mention, one of them had his dad standing in the way, the other just couldn't, dad or no dad. I don't know. But I should stop rambling and let you read the story. Please give me your feedback, it'll help me alot! Enjoy!

The Ex-Boyfriend's Intuition

Tina waited patiently in the hallway by her locker for Mike, people swarming around her, most heading home, others heading to the football field and some heading to goodness knows where. She perked up when she saw Mike bid Brittany farewell and jog slowly over to her. She smiled and leaned up to peck him quickly, but as she pulled back she noticed him frowning slightly and her eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

"Mike?"

"I'm breaking up with you." He said suddenly, his voice not at all sounding like Mike. Tina's face turned into one of shock.

"What?"

"I'd – I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to someone else." Was his explanation, his voice small and mousey. Tina felt like she should be pissed, she felt like she should be yelling and screaming and making him feel like a cheater, because he had been lying to her when he said "I love you", but she didn't. Then she looked past him, and then she felt like yelling and screaming.

"Brittany?" Her voice barely coming out as a whisper. Mike only nodded, eyes downcast. He opened his mouth to… apologize, maybe, but she didn't find out, because next thing she knew, words were flying out of her own mouth in a yell. Well, more like whisper-yelling, but the intention was the same.

"Brittany? Santana's girlfriend?" Her eyes were set ablaze, her face turning slightly red. Mike seemed to cower slightly at his now ex-girlfriend's harsh tone. "I'm not even angry that you broke up with me. I'm angry that you want to pursue Brittany, who's clearly taken by Santana! She's already in a relationship, Mike!" Then her eyes softened a little, and she continued, "and I really don't want Santana to cut off your head." Mike actually smiled a little at that, but worry was still evident in his eyes.

"Look," he said suddenly, his voice finally sounding like Mike again, "I know you still have feelings for Artie."

Tina stopped short.

"And it's okay," he pressed on gently, "I have feelings for someone else too. And Tina, this relationship has been really fun, and you've been a great- no- fantastic girlfriend, but we both know that we're only doing this to put a band-aid on our hearts. "

Tina's eyes were filling up now, but she bit her lip, refusing to give in, especially in a crowded hallway. She's cried too many times in public already.

"All the make-out sessions – they were good, but they were a distraction. Everything was. The abs, dancing… everything."

"Tina." Mike lifted her chin so he could look at her, " you know that the reason why you tried so hard to help me pursue my dream was because-"

"Was because I'm a good girlfriend, and I actually care about you, and because dancing is what you really want to do!" She fought back, refusing to think that…

"That's true, but you know that there's another reason. It holds a small percentage, but you know it was there." Tina wanted to scream, she wanted to stick her fingers in her ears and go "LALALALALALALALALALA" childishly at the top of her lungs so she wouldn't have to hear what Mike had to say next.

"You know it was also because you couldn't help Artie achieve his dream."

He said it.

He said it.

He said what she didn't dare to say.

But as always, she fought back, because she was a rebel, damn it. She had been a good girlfriend. "No, Mike. It was because you wanted to dance your whole life and it wasn't fair that your dad didn't allow you to do it, I mean you're a dancer, there's no one here that dances better than you do, and just because your father thinks that being a dancer won't earn you a stable income, and you'll never make a living out of it doesn't mean you shouldn't stop fighting for it, for your right and your privilege, because some people can't even get up and dance."

She stops abruptly. Mike smiles a little bit, tilting his head to the side knowingly.

"My father told me what you said. I know you told him to help me honor my gift. And it's so sweet of you, and I can't thank you enough for helping him change his mind, but you know you said that because no matter how hard anyone tries to help Artie, or honor him, he's still not going to be able to dance."

Tina felt her heart beat faster. Her palms were sweaty, her eyes were glazed over, but she couldn't care less. Her mouth was slightly ajar, and her mind was racing, a thousand thoughts entering and leaving her mind all at the same time.

"Tina. Tina, listen to me." Mike tried to snap her out of her daze, looking at her kindly. He saw her try to regain her focus, and looked at him, the haze in her eyes clearing up.

"You know that this relationship wasn't working as well as you wanted it to. And Tina, I was your boyfriend, and you were a fabulous girlfriend, but we never were best friends." Tina seemed to be struck by his words once again, freezing up noticeably. "But Artie- Artie was always your best friend. Before Asian Camp, I never even took one look at you. I never looked at you twice. But Artie has always been there. And you've been there for Artie. I saw your reaction when he used his Re-Walk last Christmas. Brittany was happy and it was so adorable, but you knew how much it meant to him. Everyone was happy that he could walk, but you were the only one who knew that it was one step- literally- closer to reaching his dream. " And then he said the one sentence that Tina had been pushing away, the one thought that was always at the back of her mind, the one she was most afraid to admit to herself.

"The point is, Tina: You can live without me. But you can't live without Artie."

Tina closed her eyes, finally allowing the tears to take over and run down her cheeks. Thank goodness the halls had cleared up by now. She leaned into Mike's embrace slowly, her body shaking with sobs. Mike stroked her hair, holding her tightly against his chest, shushing her quietly. And it was weird how… brotherly this felt.

When the sobs had become whimpers, Mike continued talking to her in a quiet voice.

"You know, Tina, I bet you've felt the pressure to be-" here he released her for a split second to do the gesture for speech commas "-normal-" and she was back in his arms, "when you were with me, right?" When he felt her nod against his chest, he continued, "but I bet you never felt that way with Artie. Well, except for that one time he asked you to get rid of the goth makeup, but other than that, probably never." He heard her groan in response, and chuckled lightly.

"I mean, look at you. No streaks in your hair, no gothic accessories, normal dressing, this isn't you!"

"Yeah, but I'm growing up, Mike! People change when they grow up, my gothic phase of my life is just over." He shook his head slightly. Even when she had given in, she still refused to give in. He opened his mouth to speak again, but got cut off by her (again).

"Wow, I'd never thought I'd be practically begged to get back with my ex by another ex." Tina laughed a little, her laugh coming out chocked and watery. "Usually I would expect Mercedes to be the one doing this, but you? Not in a thousand years." Mike chuckled again. "I guess it shows how deep in denial you were." Tina grew quiet at this, and finally let that part of her brain, the I-know-you're-in-love-with-Artie-but-you're-so-stubborn-you-don't-want-to-admit-it-but-I-know part of the brain take over and stopped being in denial about her love feelings for the boy in the wheelchair. She suddenly realized that Mike was right. Even after they stopped dating, she always encouraged Artie to go after his second dream of becoming a director, and was pleased when he started believing in himself. She and Mike had even gone on double dates with him and Britt while they were dating. She never let herself think about how much she had wanted to be going on a double date with Brittany and Mike instead of Brittany and Artie. She had barely spent time without Artie.

As if Mike was reading her mind, he suddenly interjected, "don't punch me for saying this, Tina, but whenever we went out on double dates with Artie and Brittany, I kinda wanted Brittany in change for you." Tina shook her head, indicating that no, she wasn't gonna punch him. After all, she had had the same thoughts about Artie.

Mike held her in his arms, smiling at how ironic his was. Shouldn't he be fighting for her? Shouldn't he feel a sense of jealously, and maybe a twinge of I-want-to-kill-Artie-for-stealing-my-girlfriend? But he didn't. Truth be told, he liked Artie. They had become friends over time, despite the fact that he was dating Artie's ex, and they had grown close friends, him even hanging out with Artie when Tina wasn't available. He was shocked at how similar Artie and Tina were in some ways, and how they were polar opposites in other ways. The few times they had been talking about the common factor in their lives(Tina), he had also found out a few things about said factor that he hadn't known before. Like the fact that she had asthma. He had listened with rapt attention when Artie answered his question on what to do when Tina had a asthma attack. It was crazy, the amount of things he had learnt about his girlfriend.

Mike's thoughts were interrupted when he felt Tina slowly pulling away from his grasp.

"You good?" Mike looked at her uncertainly, but with the tiniest of smiles on his face.

"Y-yeah." She stumbled a little after moving away from Mike, but then she stopped, turned around, and then engulfed Mike in a huge bear hug.

"Thank you." She whispered, her words simple but sincere. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Mike smiled, pressing his face into the crook of her neck.

"No problem, Tina." She released him after a minute, swiping at her tear strained face. Then she looked up at her previous boyfriend.

"But you- what about Brittany? She's with Santana… And…" Mike cut her off, knowing what she meant. "It's okay, Tina. I'll love her from afar. But it'll be terrible of me to love her and keep you holding on at the same time. I'd rather let you go and then be free to love."

"But it doesn't seem fair that I get with Artie and you have no one to call yours!" Tina argued.

"Don't worry about me, Tina. I have a feeling I only like Brittany, she'll fade eventually. I haven't found my soul mate yet, as cheesy as it sounds. But I'll be damned if I let you give up Artie." Mike smiled. He looked over her shoulder, and her smile grew when he saw a set of wheels. He gave Tina one last hug. "I'll miss you, Tina. Don't be a stranger, okay?" She nodded fiercely, her arms wrapping themselves firmly around Mike. "I'll miss you too. You're the one who shouldn't be a stranger." She mumbled back, words muffled since she had buried her face in his chest. He pulled away and kissed her forehead. Then, he gave her a final wave and walked away.

Tina watched him go, before turning around to head in the other direction. When she saw a very person in a very familiar wheelchair parked at the end of the hallway, she broke into a run, and dumped her bag on the floor halfway, since is was hindering her from getting to Artie as fast as possible. She slowed to a walk upon nearing Artie, who was facing away from her, staring out the window.

"Artie." She had said it under her breath, but he still heard her. He always did.

Artie's head snapped in her direction, and he turned his wheelchair so that she was directly in front of him. Taking in her tear-stained face, he didn't have to guess twice about what happened. His heart melted as she sniffled, and reached out to her. "Come here." And immediately she slipped into his lap, pulling him into an embrace that was a tad too intimate to be seen as something 'just friends' would do. Artie closed his eyes, and tugged her closer, noticing that although she had lost a little weight, Tina still fit perfectly into his arms.

When she leaned back to stare at him, Artie worked up the courage to do something he had done every night in his dreams since Tike started- he leaned in and kissed her.

When Mike passed Artie and Tina the next day, he couldn't help but smile at Tina pushing Artie again, he didn't miss the "thank you" the both of them mouthed at him, and it certainly did not take Mike much to notice that Tina had worn a black dress, fishnet tights, and a necklace with a skull attached.

End.