Theme: Putting it Into Perspective

57. Santana

They're so freaking adorable. Santana rolls her eyes, listening to the giggling and laughing being done by Mike and Tina halfway across the choir room.

Those two managed to make McKinley High, hormone-central, look straight out of a Disney film. Freaking impossible.

No teenage couple could be that sugary-sweet and pure and innocent. Not even Artie and Britt (which surprised everyone, to be honest, that they could actually have sex), sure as hell not Puck and Rachel. Maybe Mercedes and that Anthony kid, but they weren't dating-dating, yet. Maybe Sam and Quinn, but she was devout and all that stuff happened to her last year, so she's not going to go there.

Interrupting Finn's recall of his first encounter with the Starbucks menu, she mutters, "Wait here," and gets up from her chair, heading straight towards the happy couple.

She taps Tina's shoulder and gains both of their slightly shocked, slightly intrigued attentions, which doesn't bother her. They were friends and all, but it wasn't as if she and Tina had quality bonding time since, well, ever.

"Hey Santana," Tina greets. "What's up?"

"You got any plans for later?"

She blinks. "Well, Mike and I were—"

"Well, reschedule, okay? You and I are going to hit the mall after glee, if you want to."

Tina stares at her for a moment. She knows the if you want to is just a Santana courtesy and she isn't really giving an option to say no.

"Um, okay," Tina agrees after a pause. Brightening a little and flashing a smile at Mike, she adds, "Sounds fun."

.

After they've gotten smoothies and hit a couple of stores, they find themselves trying on dresses and Tina gets her to try on a Gothic dress. It was actually kind of hot.

"Try this," Santana orders, handing Tina a red halter dress with a dip in the back. It was a pleasant surprise to know that they were actually the same size, which may have been more beneficial if they didn't have vastly differing style choices. Still, this meant Santana made Tina try on everything that she had just finished.

Tina takes the dress with the same um, okay look on her face she's sort of had since they stepped into the store.

When she is back in her stall, she starts somewhat hesitantly, "So, why did you suddenly want to go shopping with me?"

"I wanted to ask you a question," she informs.

"And that would be- aw, crap," Tina mutters. "Santana, I think the zipper is caught on the tag."

"Okay, I'm coming in," she says, getting off the small couch and yanking the stall open without hesitation. "Let me- whoa."

Tina looks at her through the reflection of the slim mirror. "What?"

"This!" Santana nearly exclaims, fingering the black strap of the black and red lace bra she has on. "Damn, Tina, I didn't think you had something this downright sexy on under all that Gothic crap!"

Habitually, Tina blushes. "Santana!" she hisses, as if there is anyone else in the dressing room that could hear them, which there isn't. "And what are you talking about, anyway? I thought you said that the Gothic look was kind of hot when you tried it."

"It was, but that wasn't your kind of Goth, remember?" Shaking her head, she adds, "And it's sure as hell not as smoking as this thing."

Blushing more, she mutters, "Just take the damn dress off."

Santana laughs but chooses not to sexualize the comment for fear the girl may pass out of all the blood rushing to her cheeks. "Damn. I wonder if Mike has a clue of what he's missing."

She didn't really expect to say it aloud, nor did she realize she has until Tina is staring at her strangely. "What?"

Huh. Not the reaction I was expecting. "Okay, I'll come clean. As fun as this all was, the real reason I dragged you with me today is because I wanted to find something out."

"Which was…"

"Are you banging Mike Chang?"

It is silent for a full minute before Tina bursts into laughter. She's fucking laughing at it. "Sorry, sorry. It's just- I can't believe you asked me that. Who else would I do… it with?"

"So you two do have sex?" Santana asks. "Because, the way you two are at school, it's like you guys are- I don't know- so innocent or whatever."

She gives the Latina a patronizing look.

"It's me and Mike. We wouldn't feel the need to show that at school." Smiling at her through the reflection, she shrugs one shoulder. "Even if it isn't about the sex, sometimes it's healthy to forget about that. It reminds me that I fell for Mike because of Mike and not just his abs. And," she chews her bottom lip softly, blushing a little more, "it's all reserved for when we're alone."

Santana holds up a hand. "No need to get into detail, Tee," she stops her, earning a laugh. "And I guess that actually makes sense to me."

"Is that why you've been staring at me and Mike all week?"

"Pretty much." Pulling the zipper down, she hums in contemplation. "I think you may have convinced me of something."

"You're not actually going to try it, are you?" At her smirk, Tina laughs a little harder. "Oh, I'd love to see the look on Finn's face when he sees you trying to be normal."

She scoffs. "You're meaner than I thought. I think I like you even more, now."

"Good to know." She tilts her head slightly, chuckling. "This was surprisingly. We should do it more often."

"Surprisingly, I agree." Yanking the dress off (finally), she places a hand on her hip and smiles a very Santana smile. "Now let's keep shopping. I want to put you in something that'll give Mike an instant hard-on."

58. Quinn

She has free period with him in the library and it's their quality bonding time since she and Finn had been together freshman and sophomore year.

"No, damn, Mike, stop- stop- Mike!" she hisses flinching away from his attempts to tickle her side. Oh, how she regrets the day he accidentally found that weakness out. "You'll get us in trouble!"

He laughs at her and retracts his hands, and they walk to their usual table towards the back. Sliding into chairs opposite of each other and dropping their bags beside them, he quickly looks around and whips out his phone, checking a message and instantly brightening up, laughing silently.

"Let me guess," Quinn smiles, "Tina."

"Who else?" He quickly texts his reply and slides the phone shut again.

She smiles and reaches into her backpack, searching for a notebook and pen, when she hears him laughing softly again less than two minutes later. "Another?"

"Well, yeah, what did you expect?"

She slides the notebook between them, clicking her pen. "You know, if I didn't like the girl so much and the fact she makes you so happy, I'd say she's trying to take my time with you," she jokes.

Mike smiles. "Oh, definitely." They share a laugh and she opens the notebook to the back, flipping through their many pages of doodles and games of hangman and tic-tac-toe. "Nah, she has Algebra 2 honors this period so she has to stay focused. Plus, she knows that this is our quality time. She wouldn't try taking that from you."

"She does?"

He raises his eyebrows slightly. "Of course. I don't keep things from Tina."

"And she wasn't the least bit jealous or mad when you told her about it, and instead she encourages it?"

He blinks. "Is this about you, or something, because you know you're pretty, right? And Tina likes you, so she doesn't want to upset you, and she knows we are good friends."

"There. You just said I was pretty," she points out. "Tina wouldn't get jealous of that?"

"Well, no, because I told her from the beginning that my friendship with you is never like that, and she believes me. That's kind of what it means to be in love with someone. Or, in my opinion, it is."

She presses her lips together.

"Tina isn't the jealous type, anyway. I mean, when she was with Artie, it was the same thing. You and Artie are so close and he was there for you, and she admires you so much for it."

"She told you about things that happened when she was with Artie?" He nods. "That's just- I mean, I know it's important to not lie and keep secrets, but you tell each other everything."

"Pretty much." He shrugs one shoulder and smiles. "I tell her things, she tells me things. Everything is out in the open between us, that's just how we are. And it helps a lot with everything because I never have to guess with her, I just know, and she never doubts how I feel. I think that's how love is supposed to be, isn't it?"

She knows that the last sentence was a joking, rhetorical one, but she answers it with a faint, "Yeah."

He hums. "I think I'm caught on. It's Sam, right?"

She blushes slightly, and he knows he's right because she only blushes uncontrollably in front of a few select people and, much to her dismay, he was one of them.

"You know Sam is awesome, right?" Mike asks. "He really cares for you, Quinn. He loves you. But I guess he's not sure if you love him as much as he does you."

"I do," she blurts out. "It's just, after everything—"

"I get it, you're just being cautious," he assures. "I know you've got this whole putting-up-walls thing, but if you really love Sam, one way to show it is by letting him in more."

She blows out a sigh, doodling on the corner of the page before smiling at him. "I guess you're right."

"You only guess I am?"

She rolls her eyes. "Shut up, and let's just get to the hangman. We're doing bets again because I could always use another $40."

"That was one time and you're not winning again!"

59. Rachel

"…insufferable, haughty, childish, immature—"

"Rachel."

"…unbelievable, rude, sarcastic, arrogant, imperious—"

"Rachel."

"…crass, overprotective, censorious, presumptuous—"

"Rachel!" Tina yanks her sheet music from her hand to gain her attention.

The smaller girl blows out a sigh. "Sorry," she mutters. "I've been trying to maintain my cool and not take it out on everyone in glee, but, if you must know, Noah and I had a fight today."

"Could've fooled me," Tina mutters, frowning at the eyebrow Rachel raises when she realizes she accidentally blurted the thought aloud. "Sorry. Just, what happened?"

"He- he was just being himself, his overbearing and juvenile self, just because we happened to be around his football friends. I mean, I get it, I'm happy for him that he is able to keep their company despite the fact he is in glee club, but that is no reason for him to just pretend it's okay to be sexist and egotistical and—"

"Just like Puck?"

Rachel crosses her arms. "He can be better than that, so much better, but he chooses not to, and it can be very, very upsetting."

"Well, for one, they are guys," Tina points out. "I know it's not an excuse but it's an explanation."

"But Mike and even Sam are never, ever like that," Rachel reminds. "I mean, Quinn, okay, I get that too, she's head Cheerio again, she's on top, why wouldn't you want to flaunt her around? But even with Mike, he lifts you up on a pedestal and I'm jealous."

Tina blinks. "What are you talking about? To Puck, you're like a goddess."

"If so, why does he do this with me?"

Tina laughs. "Because he's Puck! He does this to everyone, even people he hardly knows."

"As opposed to his girlfriend. Thanks, Tina, that makes me feel so much better."

"Okay, bad example. But ever since he got back together with you, he's improved so much. We all see it," Tina reminds.

"So he sings more in glee," Rachel mutters.

"Oh, you know it's more than that," Tina corrects. "How about the fact that he actually shows up to class? Or the fact the most he's gotten in the past month and a half is a warning, but no detentions? Or that his tests and quizzes come back with A's and B's instead of D's and F's, and that he actually does his homework sometimes? He does all that stuff for you."

She sighs. "Maybe so, but it still doesn't change the fact that he has a tendency to revert back to his old ways around his football friends."

"Because they're guys," Tina shrugs. "He doesn't act much differently with everyone in glee and you seem fine with it."

"That's because it's glee club. No one cares how we act with each other." She crosses her arms over her chest. "But the moment he is near enough to the football team it's like it doesn't matter."

Tina studies her. "So, what you're saying is, it's not about how he's acting but the fact he acts that way towards the football team, who is popular. Is that it?"

Slowly, she nods. "I know it may seem petty but it's not, not to me, at least. I've had reputation get in the way of relationships before." Tina presses her lips together because it doesn't take a genius to figure out she was referring to Finn. "He may not see it, but I do, and it might change him again. And I don't want to see that."

Tina offers a smile. "Rachel, I think you're over-thinking this."

"But I—"

"Just, let me finish." Rachel presses her lips together. "I think you're over-thinking this because you make reputation a big deal, when it's not."

"You don't understand, I can't have his reputation come between us like it did with me and Finn," Rachel sighs.

"I don't understand? Rach, you and I are in the same situation here," Tina reminds. "We're both outcasts dating football jocks. Quinn, Britt, and Santana are all Cheerios, and Mercedes is so awesome that she doesn't give a damn. But, because of who we fell for, it's hard to feel like reputation doesn't matter."

"It does."

"No, it doesn't. Not if Puck really loves you, which he does. It was the same when Mike and I fought about it."

"You and Mike fought?" Rachel asks. Tina arches an eyebrow and Rachel shrugs her shoulder. "Well, you two are so perfect, it seems unlikely."

"Oh, please. Don't go there," Tina laughs. "Yes, we fought. And we still do, occasionally. Nothing too serious, but the right kind of fighting means that the relationships is fairly healthy."

"Then Noah and I must be going great," Rachel mutters. "So, wait, when was this?"

"A little after we first got together," Tina explains. "Do you remember that Jacob kid, and how he did those reports on our summer vacations?"

Rachel nods. "He caught the two of you holding hands on tape. I remember that."

"Right. I wanted to keep it a secret because he was a football player. He was already pushing it, being in football and in glee, of course I didn't want the fact he was dating me to destroy his rep. But I didn't tell him this and he sort of got mad because he wanted to know why I didn't want to tell anybody." Tina shrugs one shoulder. "I thought for sure he'd break up with me, but instead—"

"He got up in front of the whole cafeteria and told everyone how amazing you are and threatened to hurt anyone who bothered you two," Rachel finishes, smiling widely. "I remember that. It was so sweet. I didn't imagine it was over that, though."

"Well, that's because we never told anyone what the issue was," Tina explains. "The point is, he proved he cared for me more than his reputation."

"I always knew Mike was a complete gentleman," Rachel declares. "And I always knew he completely loved you."

Tina blushes lightly. "Anyway," she continues, "this thing with Puck? All you have to do is tell him, and if he loves you as much as we all think he does, he'll probably do the same."

Rachel sighs. "I suppose you're right."

"Oh, you know I am." Then Tina nudges her shoulder in Puck's direction, where he has been glancing at them from across the room every thirty seconds. "Now go talk to him."

60. Mercedes

"Okay, it's official," she declares, shoving the textbook from her lap, "I hate this subject. I'll just take my F now, please."

"You're giving up way too easily, Cedes," Mike says.

Said girl frowns at him and gives a playful shove. "Just because you and Tina are Asian geniuses and never get below an 85 on anything doesn't mean all of us are like that."

Tina laughs. "You're exaggerating." But, with her slumped shoulders and stiff neck, she too was reaching her maximum capacity of honors Algebra II for the day, and they were only halfway done. "But I say let's take a break. I think my legs fell asleep, woke up, and then fell asleep twice."

"Agreed," Mike yawns, pecking her lips with his when she stretches her arms. "I have to give my mom a quick call. I missed her twice."

"Okay. Tell her I said 'hi,'" Tina calls out as he enters the hallway. When he's gone, she unfolds her legs and swings them off the side of her bed. "Let's open a window."

"What?" Mercedes questions. "Girl, it's freezing."

"Really? I feel kind of stuffy," Tina admits.

"It's because what you're wearing is so thick and doesn't breathe," Mercedes points out.

Tina laughs and rolls her eyes. "I thought we agreed that poking fun at my Goth is off limits," she reminds as she cracks the window open.

"Sorry. I can't help it, I'm a fashionista, it's instinct," Mercedes cries. "I love you and all but you know if you ever want a style change—"

"No thanks, Cedes," Tina interrupts.

"Well, can I at least pick out something from your closet for you to change into?" Mercedes asks. "You're almost sweating bullets."

Tina laughs and begins to unbutton her dress. "That'd be awesome, actually."

Mercedes slides herself off of the bed and opens the closet doors. Had she not known any better, it was as if Tina bought strictly from vintage department stores from the medieval period and Halloween costume boutiques. Not that she thought Tina looked bad, of course, but she knew how much potential style-wise the girl had, and it was a shame to see it hidden.

"So, has Mike ever said anything about your style?" Mercedes asks curiously. It hadn't occurred to her until just then that Mike has never voiced his opinion on that department, but then again, Artie had made his fair share of comments and it was obvious a touchy subject for her.

"He likes it," Tina assures. "I mean, at least it seems he does. He's actually bought me things."

Mercedes looks at her with intrigued eyes. "He what?"

"Only a couple of things," she reconsiders. "But he is a guy so fashion isn't exactly his forte. Plus, I'm not sure if he can tell Goth from emo quite yet."

"Like what, exactly?" Mercedes pulls out a hanger at random, holding up a lacey black dress. "Something like this?"

"More like just the accessories," Tina corrects.

"Oh." She puts the dress back, flipping through some more hangers.

And that's when she stumbles upon something that is completely out of place: a white sundress dress with rows and rows of multi-colored dots and a green cardigan thrown over. It looks like something Quinn wears when she was out of her Cheerios uniform.

"What is this?" Mercedes asks incredulously, yanking the dress from the closet and holding up for her to see.

Tina, who was changing into her old Asian Camp tee and shorts, looks up and pauses at the dress. Her eyes widen ever so slightly, her jaw falling open with a faint, "Oh."

"Hey, Tee, my mom says that she—"

Mercedes turns to look at Mike, who was paused in the doorway, his words dead on his tongue as his eyes are fixed on the dress. Quickly, his eyes cut to Tina. "What's going on?"

For what felt like a few minutes, no one answered. "I was just asking her that," Mercedes finally responds. She gestures to the dress again, only this time at Mike. "Do you know what this is all about?"

Tina blinks, snapping out from whatever trance she had been in, and rushes over to Mercedes. "It's nothing, it's a long story," she blurts out, snatching the dress from her hand before she has time to respond. "Let me put this back in my sister's room."

And she nearly bolts from the room, leaving Mercedes to stare at Mike questioningly.

"Why does she have that dress?"

"It was a while ago," Mike answers, his hand curling and uncurling around his phone. "I don't exactly remember."

"Really? Because it seems like whatever it was has you scared to death."

Mike stares at her for a long moment before blowing out a sigh. "I think she was going through this phase of denial, like she felt the need to dress… differently when we got together."

"She did? Why have none of us seen that dress then?"

"I talked her out of it before anyone else saw," he explains, sitting himself on the edge of her bed. "She showed up at my house and looked so uncomfortable being in it. Even my parents noticed but I don't think anyone wanted to say anything. I think she felt like what she wore was embarrassing to me or something. It was the same way with the whole reputation thing."

"Oh." Mercedes studies him. "Well, maybe if you had encouraged it, she would've been open to change. We all know how amazing she looks, she shouldn't hide it."

He makes a face. "I don't want her to think anything is wrong with how she looks. I know she's beautiful in whatever she wears, and I tell her all the time, but I want her to feel beautiful, too."

Mercedes hums contemplatively. "I guess I never thought of it that way. Man, I feel horrible."

"You're her friend, you just want to look out for her, like I do," Mike reassures. "Don't feel bad about it."

"I guess, but I still owe her a huge apology." Mercedes sighs and sits on the bed as well. "So, she really tried to change for you?"

He shrugs. "I guess."

"That's kind of huge, you know," she informs.

"I felt awful," he admits. "Do you know horrible I felt when she did that? It was like I didn't make her feel like I liked her enough for her to be herself."

Mercedes shakes her head. "You're looking at it the wrong way. Kurt and I and even Artie had nagged her since forever to change her style and she never budged with us. She just got angry. But if she was willing to change so much because of you—it means she really cares about you."

Mike looks at her. "You think so?"

"I know so," she corrects. "You two are kind of perfect."

He laughs lightly as Tina re-enters the room, the color seeming to have returned to her face. He gets up before she's barely through the doorway, kissing her sweetly and looking at her worriedly. "I'm fine, Mike," she reassures, a quick laugh escaping her throat before he's kissing her again.

Mercedes smiles and looks away, feeling intrusive on their little moment. And just when I thought they couldn't get any cuter…

61. Brittany

She's always thought Tina was pretty cool, how she stood up for herself, though she had this underlying suspicion that she was some sort of half-vampire or whatever. But they are over at Artie's house, baking cupcakes (because Artie loves her family's recipe) while he and Mike shoot each other in the living room, and it's not the first time she's noticed how Artie and Tina like to reminisce.

"You know you have nothing to worry about, right?" Artie had asked before Mike and Tina got there.

She nods, but apparently she's not the best actor because his face fell slightly.

"Okay, what me and Tina had was great, and all," he had reassured, "but you're the one I want to be with. Me and Tina are just friends now. You have nothing to worry about."

He kissed her lips and she smiled as the doorbell rang.

But when the couple had gotten there, Tina and Artie laughed from time to time in the inside-joke kind of way, obviously recalling their past, and she didn't understand how this didn't seem to faze Mike. He didn't seem at all uncomfortable with the fact his girlfriend's ex so frequently brought up their past while they were in the room together.

"Do you want to know how I can tell these cupcakes are going to be delicious?" Tina asks.

Brittany looks up. "How?"

Tina scrapes her finger along the used bowl, collecting some of the batter, and sticks it in her mouth. "This batter is to die for."

Brittany laughs and mimics her, licking the batter clean off of her finger before dipping it in again for more. "I didn't know you could eat it like this," she says excitedly. "It's so good."

"Don't eat it too much," Tina warns.

"Why not?"

"It can get you sick," she tells the blonde, sliding the bowl just out of reach and placing it in the sink.

Brittany smiles and licks her lips. "Can we put frosting on the cupcakes? And sprinkles?"

"Of course," Tina answers, wiping her hands on a towel. "Hmm. I think I remember that Mrs. Abram keeps her cake stuff in the lower cabinet."

She watches Tina move around her and crouch down, opening a cabinet by the dishwasher and revealing various baking goods underneath. "Hah. I still remember," Tina says to herself, looking at Brittany and explaining, "Mrs. Abram loves baking."

Brittany frowns slightly. She hadn't known that.

"I think you'd love her," Tina goes on, pulling out different-colored frosting and sprinkles and placing them on the counter. "You both love to bake, plus she's pretty awesome."

"Tina," she says suddenly, and Tina turns to look at her, a little surprised at her tone. "Do you- do you want Artie back?"

She nearly drops a tub of frosting. "What?"

Brittany sighs. "It's just, you keep talking about him and when you guys were together, and sometimes he talks about you, but you have Mike and don't you love him?"

"Brittany," Tina exhales a laugh, grasping the girl by her arms, "Calm down. Okay?" Brittany nods slowly. "Look, we tried the whole dating thing and we're just meant to be friends."

"Oh," she says softly.

"Don't you know that Artie really, really likes you?" Tina asks. "When we talk, it's almost always about you. And you feel the same too, right?"

She nods her head furiously. "He's so sweet," she sighs, looking back over her shoulder towards the living room and then back at Tina. "He helps me a lot and is patient with me, and he always eats whatever I make him, and likes to go on walks and he's like a cute little puppy and I don't want to lose him. He- he makes me feel special even though I can be a bit slow and it's awesome."

"Wow," Tina murmurs. "You really like him, don't you?"

She nods.

"Then you have nothing to worry about because he's really into you," Tina assures.

Brittany bites her lower lip, her eyes watering slightly.

"Aw, Britt." Tina brushes some of her blonde hair from her face. "What's the matter?"

"Artie said that to me, too," she murmurs, "before you two got here. Is he going to hate me that I doubted him?"

"No, of course not. Look, I know what you're going through, and you're worrying over nothing," Tina explains. "I was the same way with Mike."

"You were?" she sniffs. "Because you two are related?"

"Related? Britt, we're not related."

"Oh," she says softly. "Good, because that would've been kind of gross."

Tina laughs. "I doubted Mike because he seemed too good to be true, like he could be gone in any second."

Brittany blows out a sigh. "I hate that feeling the most."

Tina smiles. "But you're still with him, which means that you're crazy about him. And if he loves you as much as I know he does, then in the end, you'll be glad you trusted him."

Brittany breaks into a smile and nods slowly, muttering a soft, "okay," before wrapping her arms around the girl in a surprising hug, which was quickly returned.

"Did we miss something?"

The girls pull apart to find Mike and Artie joining them in the kitchen, looking pleasantly curious.

"Nah, just girl stuff," Tina answers dismissively. "Had enough fun shooting each other for one day?"

"As if there's such a thing," Artie scoffs, and the four laugh. "But our girlfriends deserve our attention more, anyway. I was too excited to try Britt's delicious cupcakes."

"Really?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah, always," he chuckles, rolling closer to her and taking her hand, pulling her from Tina's grasp and onto his lap. "So," he asks lowly, so only she can hear it, "are we good?"

Brittany looks at him before a soft giggle interrupts her gaze, and she turns her head towards Mike and Tina. Tina is biting her lower lip and laughing, hands slightly covering her face, as Mike has his arms around her waist and is swaying them ever-so-slightly from side to side, whispering into her ear and looking at her with complete adoration.

She smiles, chewing on the inside of her lip and turning back to Artie. She knows she's seen that look before, because it's pretty much how Artie looks at her every day.

"Yeah, we're great," she murmurs, before pressing their lips together in a sweet kiss.

A/n. So, it was supposed to be just the girl's opinions on the Mike/Tina relationship, but I guess it ended up being a relationship-advice chapter instead. Sorry?

It was really hard writing Brittany's and Mercedes' parts because I just don't know how to write with them, so if help with whatever I did wrong, that would be much appreciated!

I didn't include the guys because: 1) that would be VERY long, considering this chapter's word count was 5,000 or so; and 2) I wanted to save them for a separate them because I honestly have no idea what goes on in a guy's head, so it would've been awkward to write about it, especially when it comes to relationships. I don't mean to be biased or anything, but that's why they're not in this chapter.

Thanks to Silent Musings who suggested "Mike and Tina's relationship from a third perspective." I really had fun exploring other characters as well!

So you read it. Love it? Hate it? Please review it!