A/N: I haven't written in so long and I wanted to write something cute and Cherry. Not sure if this is what I was after, but, ah.
Title: You Have Me.
Ship: Cherry.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
Rachel's relationships since Finn haven't been all that successful and the current one is the worst. She's been hiding out at her old apartment for the past three days, because the thought of going back to her own, where she knows he's waiting makes her shudder. He's been ringing and texting her constantly, but she ignores them, turns her phone off, much to Mike's annoyance.
Mike is her best friend, well one of them. Throughout high school she would have classed him as a team mate, not much more. Once they left for college, she only saw him when the gang came back together on occasion. Santana tells her that hes moved into the city, four years after graduation, with his long term girlfriend and she hates that her stomach knots a little at this information. Sam Evans and Noah Puckerman have also moved to New York around the same time and Santana convinces them all to hang out on many occasions. Sometimes it's just the five of them, sometimes Mike's girlfriend comes along too, but that's a rare occasion as she doesn't seem to get on with any of them.
This is how Mike and Rachel become close. She has always been Noah's girl, not in the way that they have a relationship and are dating, in the way that if anyone ever dares mess with his princess, well he's going to kill them. Rachel likes that, she feels safe, but she just wants someone she can talk too. Sam is her brother and there are some things she doesn't feel comfortable talking to him about, even though they are close. Mike however, he's another story. She can't explain it, but she feels 100% comfortable with him, more than she's ever felt with anyone else, even Santana who knows the worst bits about her. Sometimes they'll meet for a coffee between classes and a few times they've watched a film alone at her apartment, these are the nights that she tells him everything, everything that she's felt since Finn, everything apart from the secret of her current relationship.
One night they're hanging out at hers, Mike's girlfriend at home visiting her family for the weekend. He knows she isn't happy when she calls and he says he's hanging with Rachel, but he shrugs it off because he knows nothing else more is happening and he's not going to let her dictate who he can be friends with. When he posts a photo on Instagram of himself and Rachel, his girlfriend texts him and warns him.
Rachel understands that Shelby dislikes her, but she doesn't worry about it, there's not much she can do. She isn't sleeping with Mike, the most physical they get is a hug, what's wrong with that? She notices that Mike is a little busier at one point and she doesn't see him in a while, she understands what is happening when Shelby posts picture after picture of herself and Mike over instagram and Rachel tries to ignore it.
There's a loud bang on the door of her old apartment and she refuses to answer it. Sam however gets up from the opposite sofa and answers, already knowing who it is. He greets the person, before heading towards his room, Rachel looking curiously at who had just turned up.
"Rachel Berry!" Mike runs towards her and she can't help but laugh a little at the worry on his face. "Why haven't you been answering your phone?"
"Sorry, I…" She stops because she isn't sure whether she should tell him the reason or not. "I needed time away from Brody, he hasn't got the hint."
Mike looks at her in concern as he sits next to her, "What has he done?"
She shakes her head, because she's not ready to tell him the whole truth. "Nothing…" He looks at her and she grabs his hand. "I promise."
He nods, but she knows he doesn't believe her, hell, she's surprised anyone does. Within the past two months she's dropped from her comfortable weight of 9st to just 7st 1lb and she knows she hasn't been herself. She tells them all the weight loss is just because she was doing eight shows a week on broadway, but she left that three weeks ago and Mike knows there's no sign of weight gain.
"Pizza?" He asks, shuffling his hand a little so that he can hold hers properly.
She shakes her head and his hand squeezes hers a little tighter.
Santana begs her for a night out and she agrees in the end, because tomorrow she's promised to meet Brody to talk about things and the alcohol tonight might be the courage she needs.
Mike is relieved when Shelby says she's heading away for the night with some of her friends, because it means he can head on this night out without her breathing down his neck about Rachel.
They realise it's a set up when they get to the restaurant they'd all agreed to meet at and the table is reserved for just two. Rachel sends Santana a text message that may or may not have contained curse words and then shrugs, because Mike is her best friend and although her friends are trying to make this awkward, it isn't, it just means they can talk.
Mike can't help but grin as he watches her tuck into a proper meal, the first thing he's seen her eat properly in a while. They decide to head to a club then, because Rachel wants alcohol and Mike wants to dance.
It's three hours later that the both are wasted that something happens between them that maybe shouldn't have. Mike kisses her, she's been rambaling about meeting Brody tomorrow and he doesn't want to hear it, because he doesn't want her to make a mistake.
Another hour later and Mike is unlocking the door of his apartment, lips not leaving hers for even a second. She laughs a little as he grips at her waist, pushing them through the door so he can close it.
They make it halfway to his bedroom, which happens to be the kitchen, before clothes are off and they're doing the one thing that neither of them are going to be able to come back from.
Rachel is first to wake the next morning and she rubs her hand across her eyes, before realising that someone is wrapped around her. She looks to her left and her heart starts beating a little faster.
Mike feels movement and groans a little, before he's waking himself up too. Once he spots Rachel, lay naked next to him, he can't help the grin the appears and she hits him hard.
"What have we done?" She fretted, pushing him off and standing up, pulling her clothes back on. She grabs her phone and sees the time, heart dropping a little. "I have to go."
He turns quickly at this, after pulling his own clothes on, sweats that had been on the sofa. "No, Rach, don't just walk out on this."
"Mike…" She starts and he shakes his head grabbing her arms.
"I don't want you to meet him, Rach." He tells her honestly. "Please, you're not happy there, you're not yourself, I don't know why, but it's to do with him."
She shakes her head this time. "What am I supposed to do, Mike? I have no-one else."
"You have me." It was a whisper, but she catches it and wants to lean forward and kiss him more than anything, but she can't, because he has a girlfriend.
"And you have Shelby."
Like it as some kind of badly timed film, the key in the lock makes the both of them jump and Rachel grabs her things, standing in the kitchen, not sure what to do. Mike pulls his top over his head and heads towards the kitchen, trying to catch Rachel's eyes.
"Hey babe." Is the call as she pulls her bag through the door, before she catches Rachel. "Hi… what are you doing here?"
Mike glares at Shelby a little, because she could at least try to be a bit nicer. "She came over to help me sort Pucks birthday out."
Rachel smiles and nods, grateful that Mike is quick to think and she notices that maybe Mike's relationship isn't as good as she thought it was. "I really have to go though."
Mike shakes his head as she's walking towards the door. "Rach…"
Rachel turns as she steps outside of the door and smiles sadly at him. "You have Shelby." She repeats and walks off.
Santana is the first to realise Rachel has been missing for a few days, it's not anything serious at first because the girls are busy and they usually go for a while without talking, but Rachel isn't answering her phone and not even Mike has seen her, which is strange.
"Did something happen the other night?" She outright asks, because if Mike has upset Rachel, she's about to kill him.
"We slept together." Mike blurts out before he can stop himself. "San, oh god, I don't know what to do, I'm so in love with her."
Santana grins, patting his back. "Tell her then dude."
"I tried, I swear. She told me that I have Shelby and then you know Shelby turned up." He places his head in his hands and sighs. "I ended things with Shelby yesterday, told her the truth."
"What did she say?" Santana asks, curious.
"She wasn't happy, she screamed for a little bit, chucked a few things around. I tried to apologise, not that it would have done much, but I wanted her to understand that it just happened, it wasn't planned. I didn't want her thinking that all those times she accused me she was right."
Santana nods and she has nothing more to say.
"I saw Brody the other day, heading back to Rachel's apartment, with some blonde girl." Sam throws out a few days later as they all sit around watching a film. Santana is still worried about Rachel, but Brody tells them she's on a trip and won't be back until Sunday.
"Something's going on." Mike points out, looking at the rest of them. "I don't like it."
"Maybe we should pay him a visit?" Santana suggests and Puck shakes his head.
"He won't let us in, we wait, wait until he goes out and then go and investigate, have I not taught any of you?"
That's how they find Rachel, the next day, curled up in the bathroom of her apartment, barely dressed and sobbing her heart out. Santana instantly rushes to her, dragging the duvet from the bed with her and wrapping the smaller girl in it.
"What the fuck?" Puck spits out and looks around, before he's grabbing Sam and pulling him out of the apartment, shouting to the others that he's going to kill Brody and he's going to make it painful.
Mike stands there, feet frozen, unsure of what to do. He wants to be sick and it takes everything for him not to be.
"Mike." Santana's light call pulls him from his thoughts and he nods as she asks him to grab a few towels and some clothes for Rachel. He sits outside the bathroom door after helping Santana lift Rachel into the shower and waits for the former to help the latter. He still hasn't said anything and he's still not sure what to say.
The door opens and Santana smiles at him before asking if he can carry Rachel to the living room whilst she packs Rachel a bag. He does as he's told and his heart beats a little faster as Rachel's arms grip around his neck. He kisses her forehead and whispers that she's okay, he's here.
Santana hails them a cab and Mike coaxes Rachel to walk out too it, before shes curled against him in the taxi. They head to Mike's because he has a spare room and Santana kisses her friends cheek before telling Mike she's going to find the other two and grab food.
Rachel looks up at Mike, before her head curls onto his shoulder again.
"How long has this been happening?" He asks her and she shakes her head.
"About 8 months." She feels him clench his arms around her and she lets out a sob.
"Why didn't you tell me, Rach?" He knows he won't get answer, so he just hugs her tighter.
"I need you." She murmurs and he knows she's referring to the other day when he'd told her she has him.
"You've got me." He promised.
Rachel sees Brody three days later, walking past her on her way home, she grips Mike's arm a little tighter, but realises that Puck and Sam had let him see just how angry they were.
Mike smiles down at her, before pulling her gently in the other direction, trying to ensure that seeing him doesn't upset her too much.
"He got off lightly," Sam smiles as he catches up with them. "Trust me, it's only because I stopped Puck that he didn't kill him."
Rachel smiles at Sam, before loosing Mike, much to his distaste to hug Sam.
"I love you guys."
"We love you too."
Mike grimaces as he sees Shelby walking towards them, because he doesn't need this right now and neither does Rachel.
"So, finally got what you wanted then?" She snarls and Mike isn't sure if it's at him or Rachel.
"I…" Rachel starts before she stops and looks up at Mike. She turns back to Shelby and shakes her head.
"Look, I told you, I never meant to hurt you, all those other times you accused me, nothing was happening. I'm sorry for what I did, but you're better off now, without me and without constantly worrying." Mike answered.
Shelby snarled again, before turning on her heel, Sam laughing lightly.
Santana helps Rachel to get her lease on her old apartment ended, meaning Brody gets kicked out. Mike throws away some of the things that he and Shelby bought together and takes Rachel shopping to buy new things for their apartment. Once they're settled in, Santana makes them throw a party and as Rachel watches her friends having fun, she can't help but smile.
"You had me before, you have me now and you'll have me forever." Is the whisper as a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she can't help but grin.