Like A Rainbow

You with the sad eyes,
Don't be discouraged.

She was crying again. Why did she always have to cry over the silliest of things? Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, she was in denial, and there was a soft rushing in her ears. Tee, I forgive you. Let's just be friends again, please? had been his words, and she could hardly believe her luck; she threw her arms around him in a huge hug, the words echoing in her ears. She had her best friend back. For the first time since Stuttergate, she felt whole again.

Oh, I realise,
It's hard to take courage.

She had a newfound confidence as they walked the halls of McKinley together, and she ignored the glances shot their way. They were an odd pair, to be sure: the wheelchair kid and the Goth girl. But they'd found so much in each other, and Artie realised as he looked at her that he was glad to have her, stutter or no. When she told the glee club the truth about her falsified affliction that afternoon with her fake stutter completely absent, he had felt so proud of her. She was one of the bravest people he knew in that moment, and he knew it was not just a disability that would keep them together, even if it had brought them to this point; he knew he would stand by her forever, if she'd let him. Figuratively, of course.

In a world full of people,
You can lose sight of it all—

The reaction to her admission hadn't been great. Rachel was furious, though no one really knew why— something about holding back the club for her own gain, or something. The Cheerios sneered at her, but Kurt and Mercedes had congratulated her on her courage. Tina cried anyway, because she cried over everything; Artie pulled her into his lap and hugged her to his chest, telling her how proud of her she was, how brave she was. She smiled into his chest. Her Artie was back.

And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small.

The slushie-facial she received from the hockey team the next morning made her curl up in a ball on the floor of the girls' washroom, her confidence suddenly gone. Why had she thought that things would be any different once the truth was out? She shook with little sobs, wishing that she didn't cry over every little thing. Mercedes found her like that; a blithering, sticky mess holed up in the bathroom. She helped her clean up. Tina didn't stutter when she thanked Mercedes, who was diligently combing the syrup from her hair, and the smile she received made her think twice about being so down about everything. She smiled back.

But I see your true colours,
Shining through—

Artie beamed at her when she met him in math class, her back straight and her hair pulled into a ponytail. She smiled back at him, and he took her hand under the table while their teacher droned on. Tina didn't listen to a word that was being said about polynomials or whatever the hell was being taught, instead finding herself revelling in the warmth of his hand on hers. She felt her cheeks flush when he traced his thumb over the back of her hand, wondering how on earth she had been so lucky to have found a guy like him.

I see your true colours,
And that's why I love you.

Their weekly movie-nights resumed after their friendship did, and Artie found himself wondering how he could have ever been mad at her so something as silly as hiding herself. He watched her face intently as Zombieland played on his television, smiling slightly when she jumped and grabbed his hand. He pulled her close and she hid her head in his shoulder, peeking a little at the screen when she thought it was safe. She gasped when they killed Bill Murray, and told him that Ghostbusters was her all-time favourite movie, and how she would murder the makers of Zombieland for killing one of her idols. He chuckled and shook his head while she fumed of this, inhaling the scent of her shampoo as she continued to rest her head on his shoulder. It was moments like this that he realised they were made for each other.

So don't be afraid to let them show;
Your true colours—

She hid her face with her hail, biting back tears. They were taunting her, calling her Stutterfly, ganging up on her and forcing her back against the wall. She recognised one of them as being on the football team. She hated jocks with a fiery passion at that moment, and she told them to fuck off. They continued to crow at her, asking her vulgar questions about how well her cripple boyfriend was satisfying her. When one of them reached out a hand to touch her, she was off, her battle-cry startling the others as the kicked the offender between the legs. She watched him with a satisfying smile as he fell to the ground, hands in his crotch and groaning loudly. She raised her fists menacingly and asked the other jocks politely if they wanted to go. They all left her alone pretty quickly after that.

True colours, are beautiful,
Like a rainbow.

When she tells him about her after-school encounter with the jocks, and how she handled it, he was stunned. He couldn't believe how brave she was; it tugged at his will, and he did something he'd never thought he'd do again— he kissed her. Long and slow, it was sweeter and less awkward than their first kiss, and it left Tina breathless. She looked into his eyes and saw the love there, hidden just beneath the clear blue surface. She'd never felt so loved before in her life. So, she cried.

Show me a smile, then
Don't be unhappy!

He couldn't understand why she was crying this time. It'd been a week since their kiss, and everything had been fine; then all of a sudden she fell into his lap after Glee, her face a mess of tears and smudged make-up. She told him she was sorry, and he asked her what she was sorry for, hopelessly confused. She said everything— as if that would clarify it, which it didn't. He held her to his chest, cradling her like his mother used to do to him when he was a small child, and began to sing to her gently. She crying stopped and she looked at him, amazed. He asked her to smile for him. She grinned.

Can't remember when
I last saw you laughing.

Movie-night the next Friday ended in tears again. He'd picked a movie he thought she'd enjoy, Ghostbusters, because she had said it was her favourite. Halfway through the movie she started crying and hadn't stopped, so he stopped the movie and held her. He asked her what was wrong this time, and she shook her head, saying she didn't want to talk about it. She just couldn't watch Ghostbusters. He asked her if she wanted to watch something else and she said she didn't. She went home, leaving him feeling hurt and wondering what the hell he had done wrong this time. Monday, when they saw each other again, things seemed normal; they went back to their usual routine, though with Artie being a tad more careful around her. He hated seeing her cry, and would do his best to make sure it didn't happen again.

If this world makes you crazy,
And you've taken all you can bear;

The next movie-night, when the movie was over, she apologised for ditching him the week before. He told her it was okay and offered to walk her home this time around. She accepted, feeling grateful for the company. The night was a warm one, with a clear sky and a full moon. They walked and rolled in contempt silent, neither wanting to lose the wonderfulness of the moment at hand. Tina spoke first, softly, and mumbling. He asked her to speak up and she did. She stopped under a streetlight, and Artie was captivated by the way the light shone off her hair; she told him a story of watching Ghostbusters with her mother when she was little, and how her parents had gotten a divorce right after that. She always put the two together in her memories, and it still hurt sometimes. He patted his lap and she sat down gently, leaning into his chest and burrowing her nose in his shirt. They rolled the rest of the way to Tina's like that, comfortable with each other and the silence. When she wished him a goodnight, she was smiling again.

You can call me up,
Because you know I'll be there.

She asked him if she could tell him something. He asked her when she hadn't been able to. She didn't laugh at what she guessed was a joke, because she could remember a time when she couldn't tell him anything. After Stuttergate blew up, they had avoided each other like the plague; she shuddered slightly. He noticed, but didn't comment. She whispered something and her cheeks flushed, he asked her what she said, and she repeated her words, slowly. His eyes widened. He leaned in and kissed her after the shock wore off, and she grinned into his lips. When they pulled apart, he told her he loved her too.

And I'll see your true colours,
Shining though.
I see your true colours,
And that's why I love you.
So don't be afraid to let them show;
Your true colours—
True colours, are beautiful,
Like a rainbow.