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 20th cycle. Now cycle 21! (I realized I didn't fix this line throughout the whole of cycle 20! *smacks forehead*)

A/N: Slowly working my way back to a decent schedule, yay! Do check out the last couple days' very-late postings ;)

"If I Don't Say It Now"
Younger-ish Mike/Tina (14yo)
Sequel to "Asian Persuasion"

He didn't know what it was… maybe that stutter… He hadn't actually thought about it too much. But he did feel something different when she was around. So when he turned on the game platform and saw her standing there… he stopped. He ran after her when she made to leave, begging for her to stay… If she stayed, then so would that feeling.

When he found out it was her birthday, it gave him all the more reason to get her to stick around, to make it all… one good birthday. They'd gotten ice cream, waited and then finally had a turn at the game together. He got to see she indeed had a 'freakishly strong' stomach… not to mention she had some moves, no matter what she believed of her abilities… If she saw what he saw…

After that dizzying dance, he could practically foresee her taking a tumble, so he helped her to a bench. And right before she left two things happened. She asked him why they didn't hang out more… and she kissed him on the cheek. For someone so shy, it had definitely taken him by surprise. But it was the question that got him… If he felt so good when he was with her, then why didn't they spend more time…

He paused when he realized he was alone, on his bench… Tina, she'd gone, she was… probably still in the mall…

He took off running, out of the arcade and looking… He thought he saw her go left… He went up to the railing and looked below, and there he saw her, walking off with her father. He tore off at a dash, barrelling down the stairs, making sure not to knock off people.

"Tina, wait!" he called, when she was within earshot. "Tina!" he called again, and finally she stopped and turned. He slowed and then stopped as well, just slightly winded.

"W-What are you doing?" Tina laughed.

"Just something I… forgot," he explained. "Can we…" he indicated for them to take a step to the side, away from her father. She looked to him.

"Two minutes," he told the two of them. "We're already running late as it is."

"Right," Tina nodded before following Mike. "W-What's going on?" Now that it was time to go ahead and speak up, it took him a moment to get it started.

"You were right… We do need to hang out some more," he told her, breaking into a smile, which got her smiling, too.

"W-We do?"

"Yeah," he bowed his head, and he saw something of a rosy color in her cheeks. "Maybe we could meet back at the arcade… tomorrow? Or next weekend?"

"Tomorrow's good, m-maybe at eleven?" he nodded. "O-okay, well… see you then!" she ran off back to her father. Mike watched her go, and had just turned…

"Mike?" It wasn't Tina who called him back, and when he turned, he froze… Why was her father calling him… and why did she look so shamed? He inched on back, almost cautious.

"Yes, sir?" he felt ten inches shorter.

"Is he always this nervous?" Mr. Cohen looked to his daughter, who tapped his arm.

"Dad, come on…" she begged.

"My Teeny here was just saying how you two were planning to meet tomorrow, but I wanted to offer, why don't you join us today? We're having a small party; we can always make place for one more."

"Well, I…" Mike hesitated, especially upon seeing the expression on Tina's face. "I wouldn't want to… intrude."

"Oh, not at all!" he insisted with a smirk. "We'd be happy to have you. That is, if Teeny here will stop squeezing my arm…"

"Oh…" she sighed, covering her face.

"I…" Mike tried to meet Tina's eye, but she still wasn't looking, so he had to make a decision. "Sure… thank you." Tina looked up, and he gave her a smile, maybe to reassure her. She still looked socially mortified, but then the idea that he had agreed to come over did something to help her relax.

"Good, good," Mr. Cohen nodded. "Let's go," he pointed toward the exit, and the two followed him. Tina still found herself stealing a look to the side from time to time, like she couldn't believe he was there, following her… to her house, and… He might see her room! She couldn't remember if she'd picked up everything…

"Are you s-sure about this?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I am. Come on, it'll be fun. Good birthday, remember?" She smiled.

"I remember." He nodded, as though to say 'well alright then.' Tina laughed. "My cousins will be all over you… There's loads of us, all girls…"

"That's okay," he shrugged.

"Really, they're crazy," she insisted.

"I've got you beat, trust me; you should meet mine some day," he told her.

"Okay," she found herself saying, soon stopping to think to herself… He just smirked and nodded.

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!