cw: slight mention of vomit… it's not a lot but just in case

this is an insanely long chapter that honestly i probably didn't need to include but i thought a blamtike road trip would've been really fun and i definitely had a lot of fun writing it… i am warning y'all that i'm not american so if my us geography is all wrong i'm sorry i did my best!


day 1 – lima, ohio

Early in the morning, Mike picks up Tina and Blaine in his car and together, they drive to the Hudson-Hummel's house to meet Sam. After returning to Lima upon Finn and Rachel's insistence, the Hudson-Hummels graciously kept their home open to him for the past two years and for that he is so grateful but now it is time for him to leave. Since their first stop on their road trip is his family's house in Kentucky, he decided to pack all his things in the Hudson-Hummel house to leave some of his stuff back home.

When Sam finishes loading his belongings into Mike's car, he bids farewell to Burt and Carole and thanks them for everything they have done for him. The four friends are about to head inside Mike's car and start their journey when Kurt hurries down the stairs and calls for them. He is scheduled to take the train back to New York with Rachel later in the afternoon and wanted to spend the morning with his dad.

"You're leaving already?" Kurt asks. "Did you even eat breakfast?"

"Oh, we were gonna stop for McDonald's on the way," Mike responds with a shrug.

Kurt grimaces and shakes his head before ushering them all back inside his house. "No, no, no. I know I can't stop you from gouging on disgusting fast food all week but I will not allow you to start your road trip off like that. Nope, nuh-uh. Get inside, I'm making you all something with sustenance."

"Kurt, we're gonna be fine," Tina insists with a roll of her eyes.

"Nope, sit your butt down and let me make you something," Kurt demands. They all groan and reluctantly sit down in the dining room while Burt and Carole just laugh at them in amusement.

Shortly after, Kurt emerges from the kitchen and places a plate of blueberry pancakes and eggs benedict in front of them. "Eat," he commands, his eyes widened threateningly.

"Okay, we need to set some ground rules. If this road trip is gonna work, we all have to agree that nobody makes out with Tina," Sam declares as he shoves eggs into his mouth.

Blaine chuckles at the way bewilderment crosses Tina's face while Mike nods his head in understanding. "Fine, no making out with Tina," Mike concedes with a serious expression.

Tina stares between them in disbelief while Sam turns to look at Blaine sternly, "Blaine?" Sam and Mike look at him expectantly, waiting for his response.

Blaine looks up from his plate at the two boys sitting across from him, his face stuffed with food, and raises his eyebrows in surprise and points to himself. "Oh, me too?" he asks, his voice muffled earning an eye roll from Sam. Blaine swallows his food before responding, "Uh, yeah, no, I have no plans to make out with Tina during this road trip. My fiancé is right there and I am gay, in case you forgot."

Sam ignores Blaine's sarcastic comment with a wave of his hand. "Good, so we're all in agreement."

"Um, do I get a say in this?" Tina finally cuts through, waving her hands wildly. "What makes you all think I wanna make out with any of you?"

Sam scoffs and gestures at himself and the other two boys sitting by him. "Pfft, come on… Look at us."

Tina looks around the table at the boys, their faces stuffed with breakfast, syrup dripping from their mouths. "I think I can control myself."

"Well, you don't have to since we already agreed that none of us are making out with you," Sam points out and she rolls her eyes in response before returning her focus to the meal in front of her.

Shortly after, they finish their breakfast, thank Kurt for the meal and say goodbye to the Hudson-Hummel's for real.

"Shotgun!" Sam calls when they exit the house.

Tina and Mike exchange a look and Mike sucks in a sharp breath. "Yeah, I don't know about that, buddy," Tina bellows.

"Tina has permanent shotgun in my car," Mike elaborates with a sympathetic pat on Sam's back.

Sam grumbles and pouts about how unfair it is while Blaine rubs his arm comfortingly. "It's okay, Sam, we're gonna have a blast in the back."


lexington, kentucky

After driving for almost three hours and blasting Taylor Swift songs (because Sam and Blaine wouldn't stop pestering Tina until she gave in), the four of them finally arrive at Lexington, Kentucky where Sam's family currently resides.

When they arrive, Sam runs up to hug his parents and his younger siblings, excited to reunite with his family after spending the entire school year away from them.

"These are my friends Blaine Anderson, Mike Chang, and Tina Cohen-Chang," Sam says, introducing his friends to his family.

They all exchange polite handshakes when they enter Sam's home. Sam's younger sister, Stacey looks up between Tina and Mike. "Are you two married?"

Mike and Tina exchange a look of confusion. "Um, no we're not married," Tina denies.

"Then why do you have the same last name?" she asks, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

They nod their heads in realization. "Chang is a very common last name," Mike elaborates, a sentence that he is well accustomed to saying in his two years dating Tina. "We didn't get married.

"Oh, but are you still boyfriend and girlfriend?" Stacey probes. "My brother told us you couldn't babysit us because you are."

"Um, no, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend anymore," Tina awkwardly answers.

"Oh, you two can babysit now since you're not dating anymore and we agreed to not make out with Tina," Sam mutters to Mike under his breath.

"Are you dating my brother?" Stacey questions.

Tina shudders in disgust at the thought. "No, I'm not dating Sam either."

"So, you're not dating anyone here?"

Tina shakes her head. "No, I'm not dating anyone right now."

"That's so sad," Stacey remarks before walking away, leaving Tina with her jaw hanging in surprise.

Then, Sam's mother, Mary is calling them over from the kitchen for lunch. The four friends and the Evans family gather in the dining room to enjoy the meal Mary has prepared for them.

"So, Tina, how in the world are you going to manage this entire trip dealing with all these boys?" Sam's mother, Mary, jokingly inquires.

Tina laughs while the boys in question all drop their jaws in offence. "You know what, I've had a lot of practice dealing with them throughout this past year. I think I can handle them."

"You know, Sam, we went to the Dairy Queen the other day and none of the people that work there remembers who you are," Mary recalls.

Sam chokes on his food while his friends try to contain their laughter. "Oh, that's weird… maybe they're all new."

"Yeah, maybe," she supposes.

"We need to go visit your old place of work," Blaine proposes.

Tina gasps excitedly and grips Blaine's wrist with her hand. "Yes, we definitely should."

"Yeah, Sam, you should take them to the Dairy Queen after lunch," Mary suggests.

Sam sighs deeply and shrugs, "Yeah, I guess we can go."

Shortly after, they finish their lunch and they visit Sam's old workplace, the local strip club. "So, this is where you used to work?" Tina muses as they enter the club.

"Yeah," Sam confirms as he waves at his old co-workers.

"Is that White Chocolate?" A voice cuts through causing all of them to turn.

Sam recognizes the man as his former boss, Wesley, and holds his arms outs with a smug smile. "In the flesh."

Wesley hugs Sam and when he pulls away, his jaw slightly drops at the sight of Mike. "And who is your friend over here?"

"Uh, hi, I'm Mike," he says, uncomfortable with the weight of Wesley's stare.

"Do you dance?" Wesley inquires.

"Yeah, I'm actually currently in school to be a dancer," Mike responds.

Mike is taken aback by the sound of Wesley scoffing at him. "You don't need to go to school to be a dancer — we're all dancers here. You can work here if you want, you definitely have the look for it."

Tina gasps and grips his forearm excitedly and whispers, "You could be Situ-Asian."

Despite her hushed tone, Wesley overhears the name suggestion and gasps, "Situ-Asian… I like that," he compliments with a point of his finger. "What do you say?"

"As honoured as I am, I think I'm gonna stick to going to dance school," Mike answers.

"Boo," Wesley replies with a pout. "What about a one-night thing? Situ-Asian and White Chocolate, huh?"

Sam looks at Mike with a raised eyebrow, "Well?"

Mike sighs and nods his head reluctantly, "Fine." Everyone jumps and claps in excitement before leaving Sam and Mike to prepare in the dressing room.

Tina and Blaine sit outside at an empty table with the rest of the crowd as they wait for Sam and Mike to come on the stage. "And now… for one-night only… please join me in welcoming old-timer White Chocolate and newcomer Situ-Asian!" an ominous voice announces through the speakers and Tina and Blaine rush to the stage to cheer for them.

Mike and Sam emerge from backstage and start stripping while the crowd gathered around them cheers and waves bills in their faces. Mike takes his shirt off and tosses it to Tina, winking at her, and she smirks and places a dollar bill under the waistband of his underwear.

Sam watches their exchange from the corner of his eye while he does his signature body roll and looks at Tina with his eyebrows scrunched. "And where is my tip?"


After spending hours at the strip club, the four friends return to Sam's home and immediately start getting ready for bed, exhausted from the long day they just had. Sam goes upstairs and shares his old bedroom with Mike while Tina and Blaine share the pull-out couch in his basement.

As soon as Blaine's head hits the pillow, he falls fast asleep while Tina lies beside him staring at the ceiling, wide awake. With a sigh, she gets out of bed and ventures upstairs, hoping that somebody was still awake to keep her company. To her delight, she finds Mike getting a glass of water in the kitchen.

"Hey, are you headed to bed yet?" Tina asks him.

"Nah, I came down because I couldn't really sleep yet," Mike shrugs before taking a sip of his water.

"Me neither," she replies as she grabs a glass of water for herself as well. "Do you wanna go get some air with me?"

He smiles at her and nods his head. "Sure."

The two of them head outside and lay on the hood of his car, looking up at the stars in the night sky. "Do you ever miss quiet nights like these when you're in Chicago?" Tina wonders.

"Yeah, sometimes… I mean, it's fun in Chicago but I get homesick all the time," he responds as he turns to look at her.

She turns to meet his glance and for a moment, they stare breathlessly at each other. As she looks at him, she notices the way his face sparkles in the darkness and she laughs uproariously. "You still have glitter all over your face," she points out as she reaches out to wipe some of it away.

He smiles sheepishly as he gazes at her while she tries to remove the specks of glitter from his face, admiring how beautiful she looks under the starlight. "Did you get it all?" he whispers.

"No… that's not coming off your face for days," she answers before sticking her tongue out at him and he groans in response.


day 2 – lexington, kentucky

"So, tell us more about this Matt guy," Blaine probes the next morning as the four of them enjoy breakfast with Sam's family before having to go back on the road.

"He's been my best friend since kindergarten," Mike explains. "We actually joined glee club together but he moved to South Carolina with his family the summer before Sam moved to Lima."

"You're gonna love Matt, he's such a great guy," Tina enthuses.

Matt moved with his family to Columbia, South Carolina three years ago and received a football scholarship at the University of South Carolina after graduating from high school. He and Mike have remained in close contact throughout the years, making sure to keep up with each other at least once a month.

When they finish breakfast, the four teenagers offer their gratitude to Sam's family for opening their home to them and letting them stay the night while Sam promises to visit more often now that he's out of school.


columbia, south carolina

After driving for almost 8 hours, they arrive at Matt's place around 5 pm. Matt currently shares a townhouse with four of his college roommates off-campus.

"Hey! You made it!" Matt calls from his front door when he notices Mike pulling up his car in the driveway.

They exit the car and Matt pulls Mike in for a hug and then Tina, greeting them both after years of not seeing each other.

"Sam, Blaine, this is Matt. Matt, this is Sam and Blaine," Mike introduces his best friends to each other with an excited smile.

"So, you're my replacement, huh?" Matt asks Sam, narrowing his eyes as he shakes his hand.

"I guess I am," Sam responds with a shrug.

"Yeah but Matt wouldn't make out with Tina behind my back," Mike counters.

"Well, I don't make any promises," Matt quips earning an unamused glare from Mike and he just raises his hands in defense. "Kidding."

"It's nice to meet you, Matt," Blaine says as he shakes Matt's hand.

"Okay, so two of my roommates are out on vacation so two of you can stay in their rooms tonight and we've got a spare bedroom and a pull-out couch in the basement," Matt informs them as he helps them carry their bags inside the house, "I know you guys have to be tired from all that driving so you can rest for a little because later tonight we are going to party."

"A party?" Tina echoes in amusement.

"Yeah, one of my college buddies is throwing one a few blocks down and you're all coming with me," Matt declares with a wink.

They rest and nap for two hours before heading over to Matt's friend's college party. It doesn't take long for Blaine, Sam and Tina to get drunk, thrilled about their first taste of a real college party. Mike, on the other hand, watches the three of them in amusement, choosing to remain sober as their responsible designated driver.

Blaine and Sam are occupied playing beer pong with Matt's friends while Tina still lives up to her happy drunk label, causing her to lower her inhibitions to the point that she is on the dancefloor, dancing with an older guy. Mike watches from the sidelines, clenching his can of soda tightly in his hand, as this guy runs his hands along Tina's body.

Mike tries to take slow, calming breaths when Matt approaches him, chuckling. "Some things never change," Matt muses as he grips Mike's shoulder.

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away from Tina, Mike looks at Matt, confused. "What?"

Matt just shakes his head in response, a smug grin plastered on his face. "Nothing, never mind."

Mike is about to press further for clarification when he feels his phone buzzing in his pocket. Matt sees him take his phone out and peers over his shoulder to see who is calling Mike. "Santana's FaceTiming me," Mike reveals.

"Answer it," Matt commands while tapping Mike's shoulder enthusiastically.

"Hey, San! Look who I'm with!" Mike crows when he answers the phone.

He is greeted by the sight of Santana's typical annoyed visage and Brittany's bright smile, and he can't help but marvel, thinking about how different the two girls are yet they fit together so well. "I know, that's why we're calling," Santana responds with a roll of her eyes. "I can't believe you went to visit Matt without us!"

"Well, you two went to Lesbos without us!" Mike counters.

"It's called Lesbos," is all Santana can say in response. "Are you guys at a party right now?"

"You know it!" Matt exclaims. "But Mike's been glaring daggers at every guy Tina's been dancing with."

"Of course, he is," Brittany replies with a shake of her head.

"Why don't you just ask her to dance?" Santana advises exasperatedly.

"Idon'tknow," Mike mumbles under his breath.

Santana sighs deeply. "Matt, can you please take care of this, I don't have the energy to do it right now."

"I got it covered," Matt assures.

"Well, we're gonna head back to bed, have fun at your party! And next time Mike comes to visit, we're coming too," Brittany promises and the couple wave goodbye to their best friends before ending the call.

"You should just ask her to dance," Matt repeats Santana's advice from earlier.

Mike looks back at the dancefloor to see Tina dancing with Blaine and Sam. She laughs hysterically as Sam whispers something in her ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Mike's stomach turns with jealousy and for a moment he wishes he wasn't the designated driver and could get a stronger drink right now.

A girl then approaches Mike, a drink in her hand and batting her eyelashes. "Hey, cutie, you wanna dance with me?"

"No, thank you, I'm good," Mike replies absentmindedly, his gaze locked on Tina and Sam and the girl huffs away, offended by his lack of attention.

"Bro, you are hopeless," Matt points out while shaking his head before downing the rest of his beer and walking away.

Mike looks at his old friend in confusion as he walks away when Tina dances up to him. "Hey, just because you're not drinking does not mean you can just stand around here doing nothing," she tugs on his hand, leading him towards the dance floor. "You gotta show these people how to really dance."

"You've been doing a lot of dancing on your own tonight," Mike comments with a quirked eyebrow, trying his hardest not to make his bitterness apparent.

"Yeah, but you're my favourite dance partner," she admits and it makes Mike's heart skip a beat.

Then, she's placing his hands on her hips before wrapping her arms around his neck and the two spend the night dancing and laughing with each other. He spins her around and he pulls her in, her back landing against his chest and whispers in her ear, "You're my favourite dance partner, too."


day 3 – columbia, south carolina

It's 3 am when they all get back to Matt's place. Having had too much to drink, Sam, Blaine, and Tina are either passed out or about to, causing Mike, Matt and his roommate to carry the three of them inside the house.

Mike lifts Tina bridal-style to her bed and chuckles softly when she nuzzles into him. He gently tucks her into bed, making sure to adjust her position so that she doesn't asphyxiate before exiting her room. He swiftly returns, placing a glass of water by her nightstand and a small garbage bin on the floor by her bed before brushing her hair out of her face and pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Good night, Tee," he whispers and she moans in response.

Mike quickly checks on Sam and Blaine in their rooms, ensuring that they also have water and an emergency barf bucket in their near vicinity in case they wake up in the middle of the night.

"They're gonna be like hell tomorrow," Matt taunts when Mike flops beside him on the living room couch.

"Yeah and I'm gonna have to deal with all of it," Mike groans, leaning his head against the back of the couch.

"You like taking care of Tina," Matt notes teasingly.

Mike rolls his eyes in response before patting his legs and standing up from the couch. "Well, I'm gonna crash… it's gonna be a long day tomorrow. Thanks for the party and for having us over," Mike says before heading to bed.

He wakes up 6 hours later to the sound of gagging coming from Tina's room and he rushes to check on her. He finds her leaning over the bed, her face positioned by the garbage bin as she throws up. He sits behind her on the bed and holds her hair back as he rubs her back softly. Afterwards, he helps her drink the water that sits on the nightstand before she wraps her arms around him and hides her face in his chest He cradles her head in his hands for a moment to comfort her before he starts to get up.

"No, please don't go," Tina begs as she tightens her hold around Mike, not having any energy to open her eyes.

Mike laughs in response, tapping lightly on her arm. "I'm gonna quickly get you some stuff that'll help you feel better. I'll be back in no time," he promises.

"You staying here will make me feel better," she retorts, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"You'll feel much better if we get some more water, food and aspirin in you," Mike counters.

"Ugh, fine," Tina grumbles as she reluctantly releases her hold on Mike and instead settles herself further underneath the blanket, squeezing her eyes shut with a pout.

Mike extracts himself from the bed and promptly checks on Sam and Blaine, ensuring that they are hydrated and fed before going to Tina's room to find her asleep again. He is placing a plate of eggs and toast on the nightstand when she stirs awake.

"You're back," she mumbles as she rubs her eyes sleepily.

"I told you I would be," he says, watching her with a soft smile.

She pulls back her covers, her eyes still closed, "Now will you stay with me?"

"Sure," he responds before sitting down on the other side of the bed. He feels his heart in his throat when she immediately turns towards him and wraps her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest and they remain in that position until it's time for them to head for their next destination.


myrtle beach, south carolina

With a lot of grumbling and complaining from Sam, Tina and Blaine, the four friends manage to leave Matt's house and hit the road toward Myrtle Beach by 4 pm. They encounter a lot of traffic on the way there, presumably since it's summer vacation and everyone is heading there too. They also have to make frequent stops to use the restroom much to Mike's displeasure - "staying hydrated because I'm hungover means a lot of bathroom breaks, Mike!".

Eventually, they make it to their motel and check in around 9 pm, and having remnants of their hangover, all they want to do is crash in bed. The four of them stay in a tiny motel room with two queen beds, with the intention of Blaine and Tina sharing one while Mike and Sam share the other.

They take turns using the single washroom to get ready for bed, Sam and Blaine going first. Afterwards, Tina starts her nighttime routine while Sam and Blaine look through a brochure of Myrtle Beach, planning together their itinerary for the next day on one bed and Mike lays on the other, scrolling through his phone. When Tina emerges from the bathroom, it's to find Blaine and Sam fast asleep, their faces sticking to the still-opened brochure on their bed.

Mike watches as Tina peaks over at them. "Well, they're completely knocked out," she observes.

"Yeah, they went out a few minutes ago," Mike confirms. Tina lightly shakes Sam on the shoulder in an attempt to wake him up but he swats her hand away with a groan causing Tina to huff at him in frustration. "If you want, you can sleep on this bed and I'll sleep on the floor," Mike offers.

"I'm not gonna make you sleep on the floor," Tina asserts while rolling her eyes "You've spent the whole day taking care of us and you drove us here — by the way, you really should let one of us drive."

"I like driving," he says simply with a shrug. "So, what do you propose we do about our sleeping arrangements."

"We can share a bed, Mike. We've done it before… You were literally in my bed this morning," Tina points out.

"But that's because you were miserable," he sheepishly justifies.

"It's just one night," she reasons.

Mike takes a deep breath and nods. "Yeah, it's just one night."

Tina gives him a tight-lipped smile before climbing into the other side of the bed while Mike excuses himself to use the washroom. When he enters the washroom, he splashes cold water on his face before shaking out his face and staring at his reflection in the mirror, silently giving himself a pep talk.

You can do this, Mike. You can spend one night sleeping beside Tina — you've done it so many times before. Sure, she might've been your girlfriend back then and you were free to hold her the way you wanted without any fear of awkwardness and oh, God, I don't think I can do this.

Mike finishes his nighttime routine in the bathroom and when he comes out, Tina is fast asleep as well, facing outwards. He slides under the sheets next to her and she subconsciously turns toward him, seeking his warmth. Mike tries to take calming breaths in an attempt to stop his heart from racing when she wraps her arm and leg around him, snuggling into him. This is going to be a long night.


day 4 – myrtle beach, south carolina

The sun is still rising when Mike's eyes flutter open the next morning. He peaks down to find Tina sprawled across his chest, their limbs tangled together and he smiles contentedly, savouring the feeling of her being in his arms again. He tightens his hold around her waist, pulling her body impossibly closer to his and resting his cheek on top of her head before he begins to drift off again.

A few hours later, the sun is up in the sky and its rays are streaming through the window, shining right on Tina's face causing her to blink her eyes awake and she flushes when she notices her and Mike's current position. At some point, her hand found its way underneath Mike's shirt and it rests on his abs that she loves so much. With a flush of her cheeks, she tries to subtly remove her hand from under his shirt and instead rests it under her chin as she nuzzles into the crook of his neck.

The feel of Mike gently stroking her hip makes her start to doze off again but the weight of someone staring at her causes her to peek one eye open behind her and she is started to find Blaine and Sam looming above them with their arms both crossed. Sam narrows his eyes disapprovingly at them while Blaine smirks in amusement. "Nice sleep?" Blaine teases.

Tina just grumbles in response before extracting herself from Mike's embrace and using the washroom. The sudden lack of warmth causes Mike to stir awake as well and he jumps at the sight of Blaine and Sam standing above him. "What's up?" Mike asks cautiously.

"Good morning, Mike," Blaine greets with a cheeky grin while Sam just shakes his head.


Having fully recovered from their hangovers and feeling much better than they were the day before, the four of them decide to spend the beautiful, warm summer day at the beach. Despite the many people at the beach, they manage to find a vacant spot and place their beach towels on the ground.

Mike pulls his tank top over his head, revealing his chiselled physique, and Tina's mouth suddenly becomes dry as she tries not to stare at him. With a clear of her throat, Tina manages to tear her eyes away from him and slips out of her sundress, taking Mike's breath away for a moment. He subtly watches as she sits on her towel, legs outstretched, and starts applying sunscreen all over her body. Mike tries to hold back a laugh in amusement when Tina struggles to reach her back. "Do you need help?" he offers with a chuckle.

Tina sighs in defeat, handing him the bottle of sunscreen. "Yes, please," she concedes before laying on her towel with her stomach down.

Mike kneels down beside her and starts rubbing the sunscreen on her back. Tina smirks at the way Mike's breath hitches when she reaches behind her and undoes the strings of her bikini, allowing him better access to her back. His large hands continue massaging the lotion onto her skin causing a low moan to escape the back of her throat. She attempts to hide it with a cough but having dated for two years, he knows her noises well enough to be fooled.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Mike pats her on the back to signal that he has finished his job and she reaches behind her to re-tie her bikini strings. "Thank you," she whispers when she sits up straight.

"No problem," Mike chokes. Tina adjusts herself and lays down on her blanket, her head facing the sky as she works on her tan.

Mike is about to get back up when Sam abruptly sits in front of him, his back turned towards him. "My turn," Sam declares cheerily.

Mike stares at Sam's bare back in confusion. "What?"

"Make sure you cover it all," Sam instructs, handing Mike the bottle of sunscreen. Tina watches this exchange from her position where she tans and bites back a laugh.

When Mike finishes applying sunscreen on Sam's back, Sam goes to lie down beside Tina and joins her in tanning under the blazing sun while Mike and Blaine join a group of young people playing volleyball.

As the two boys play, Tina peaks over her sunglasses to see two girls approach Mike, caressing his arm and batting their eyelashes at him. She rolls her eyes at the way he smiles politely at them and nods. He's always been too oblivious to notice when girls are flirting with him. With a huff, she readjusts her sunglasses and leans back in her beach towel, shutting her eyes to focus on her tan.

Shortly after, Tina reopens her eyes when she feels something blocking her sunlight and finds Mike and Blaine staring down at her and Sam, resting their hands on their hips.

"You two can't just spend the entire day working on your tans," Blaine chides.

"We're pretty comfortable here actually," Tina retorts and Sam nods in agreement.

"No, you're not," is all Mike says before bending down and lifting Tina over his shoulder.

"Oh my God, Mike put me down," Tina demands, wriggling in his arms, as he strides toward the water.

"Okay!" Mike concedes before dumping her in the ocean.

"You can't do that to me, I'm way taller than you," Sam tells Blaine.

"That doesn't mean I can't dump a bucket of water all over you to get you out there," Blaine points out with a quirk of his eyebrow and Sam's eyes widen in fear before he runs to the ocean to join Mike and Tina as they splash around.


After exhausting their time on the beach, they decide to visit Pavillon Park because Sam and Mike wanted to enjoy some carnival rides. Together, the four of them ride the Ferris wheel, carousel, and wave swingers when Sam starts to feel dizzy — "Sam, I told you not to go on that ride after eating three hot dogs!" — so they walk around the park a little. They stop in front of a ring toss game causing Mike and Tina to immediately turn to each other challengingly.

"Are you up for a rematch?" Mike raises his eyebrows at her daringly.

Tina leans in closer to him and narrows her eyes, smirking. "Prepare to carry all my prizes again," she teases before tossing her purse at Blaine and they compete against each other.

They spend the next hours or so battling each other at the little carnival games. Much to Mike's dismay, Tina still ends up winning most of them but eventually, he does win her a prize. A small stuffed Batman plushie that Tina gratefully accepts.

Cutting his losses while he's ahead, he suggests that they go back down to the boardwalk to watch the sunset. When they arrive, the four of them lean against the railing as the blue sky turns into a mixture of beautiful colours. Mike notices Tina shivering in her dress beside him and he takes his hoodie off, wrapping it around her shoulders, and she smiles at him appreciatively.

When the sun sets and it's dark outside, they start walking towards Mike's car and they pass by a lady selling flowers. "Carnation for the beautiful girl?" the lady asks, holding out a flower and directing her glance at Tina.

Tina opens her mouth, starting to say "no, thank you" but Mike interrupts her, his hand already digging in his pocket for his wallet. He pulls out a five-dollar bill, handing it to the lady in exchange for the carnation. He hands the flower to Tina and her face flushes as she accepts it, bringing it towards her nose to smell. "Thank you," she whispers and he grins at her in return before the four of them continue their way toward Mike's car.

Mike and Sam walk in front while Blaine and Tina trail behind them, Blaine watching Tina distractedly admire her flower in amusement. They walk slowly, allowing Mike and Sam to be out of earshot when Blaine clears his throat to capture Tina's attention. She glances at him and rolls her eyes at the sight of the smirk that's plastered on his face. "You're just jealous that he didn't buy you one," Tina tells Blaine before sticking her tongue out at him.

Blaine chuckles in response before nudging her shoulders with his. "I can bunk with Sam again tonight if you wanna spend another night snuggled up together," Blaine pesters.

Tina narrows her eyes at Blaine. "And what's your fiancé gonna say when he finds out that you keep sharing a bed with your best friend that you also had a huge crush on while you were broken up?"

Blaine gasps in shock. "Kurt doesn't know I had a crush on Sam and he never will," he threatens.

"Stop teasing me about Mike and he will never find out," Tina negotiates.

"Deal," Blaine sighs. "You're no fun."


day 5 – patrick county, virginia

The following morning, the four friends check out of their motel at Myrtle Beach and after enjoying a hearty breakfast at a local diner, start heading up to Patrick County, Virginia to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway. They drive for six long hours, stopping for lunch in between, and check in to the Blue Ridge Motel at 3 pm. After getting settled into their motel room, they stretch their limbs, sore from being cramped in a car for 6 hours and try to decide what activity they should do now.

"We've been sitting for hours, I say we go for a hike," Mike suggests while bouncing on his heels.

"Yeah, a hike! Let's go!" Sam agrees enthusiastically.

"Ugh," Tina grumbles as she flops back onto one of the beds. "Do we have to?"

"Yeah, Tina and I can just stay here while you two go do that," Blaine proposes, taking a seat beside Tina and lightly patting her leg.

"No, come on. We've gotta stay active, you know?" Sam says while bouncing energetically.

"We can take a baby trail," Mike compromises before he and Sam lean forward, giving Blaine and Tina their best puppy-dog faces.

Tina and Blaine look at each other for a moment and sigh deeply. "Fine," they reluctantly agree in unison.

They quickly change into more comfortable hiking gear and set out for the smallest trail they could find. It, however, does very little to dampen Blaine and Tina's disdain towards hiking and eventually, Mike and Sam end up carrying Tina and Blaine on their backs in an attempt to silence their complaints.

"I swear we've seen that tree before," Blaine observes, tapping Sam's shoulder as he carries him down the trail.

"No, we haven't. All trees look the same," Sam retorts, trying to shrug Blaine's hand off his shoulder.

"That's not true. That tree looks nothing like that tree," Blaine quips in return.

"You know what I mean," Sam says, rolling his eyes.

"No, but I think he's right…" Tina voices from her position, perched on Mike's back. "We've passed by the tree before."

"What?" Sam asks in disbelief.

"Yeah, we've literally been here already," Tina contends.

Mike stops in his tracks, adjusting his grip on Tina's legs and sighing. "Are we lost?"

Sam just shakes his head in response before continuing to lead the way, staring down at the map in his hands. They walk down the trail for another 10 minutes. "Sam, it's the same tree again!" Blaine insists.

Sam groans, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay, Blaine and I are gonna go look for help."

"Why me?" Blaine wonders.

"Because you're the one on my back since you insisted on being carried," Sam responds, slightly tightening his hold on Blaine as if to ferment his point.

"I just didn't think it was fair that Mike started carrying Tina around because of all her complaints when I was doing the same amount of complaining," Blaine defends.

"Whatever," Sam dismisses before redirecting his attention to Mike and Tina. "You two stay here and start a fire or something so that we can get rescued," Sam instructs as he starts to walk away, Blaine still latching onto his back.

"Yeah, we're not doing that," Tina calls to Sam.

Mike gently sets Tina back down on the ground as they wait for Sam and Blaine to return, hopefully with detailed instructions on how to get out of here, when it starts pouring. He starts ushering them beneath the infamous tree they've passed by three times already but Tina protests. "Oh, please it's just a little bit of rain, Mike, it's not gonna hurt you." She runs out in the open and starts jumping around in the rain, calling to Mike, "Come on, you know you want to join me!"

Mike takes a moment to watch her in amusement and delights in her current joy because honestly, this is the happiest he has seen her since they started this hike. Tina spins around in the rain, letting herself get drenched, before holding her hand out in front of him and wagging her eyebrows. Mike chuckles as he accepts her hand and they dance in the rain together.

Mike spins Tina around and pulls her in, locking his arms around her waist as she wraps his arms around his neck. Tina closes her eyes and tilts her head toward the sky, letting the rain wash all over her and she smiles brightly. When she opens her eyes again, her breath hitches, finally realizing her close proximity to Mike.

His smile slowly fades when he notices the way her eyes flit back and forth between his eyes and his mouth. He takes a deep breath, feeling himself being pulled towards her by some outer force and she slowly inches her face forward in return. He swallows the lump in his throat and brings himself even closer without touching her. But she moves slightly and their noses are rubbing against each other. He closes his eyes and breathes against her, licking his lips in anticipation, when she finally does it. She grips the back of his neck and closes the gap between them.

He tightens his hold around her waist and pulls her in closer until there is physically no space between them, sighing contentedly against her lips. He releases one hand from her waist and brings it up to cup her face, kissing her harder.

When they both run out of air, they rest their foreheads against each other, not wanting to pull away from each other just yet. "You said you could control yourself," he teases, his breath warm on her lips.

"You're the one who has an agreement with Sam," she retorts.

He chuckles in response before bringing his other hand up to her face and attempting to capture her lips in another kiss when they hear a voice yelling from a distance. "Mike! Tina! Where are you?" Sam calls as Blaine trails closely behind him, holding an umbrella above their heads.

Tina and Mike hastily pull apart from each other, not wanting to endure a lecture from Sam. "Woah, you two are drenched," Blaine comments when they reach the two of them.

"Okay, so, someone said to head the other way… We've apparently just been going around in circles," Sam explains before leading the way back to their motel, oblivious to the way Tina and Mike keep exchanging looks with each other as they walk.


day 6 – patrick county, virginia

As Tina lies beside Blaine in their shared bed, she stares up at the ceiling unable to sleep. Why did she kiss Mike? What did this mean for their relationship? They were finally in a good place and she had to go and ruin it all. But, God, she has missed the feeling of his lips against hers and she's dying for them to be on her once more.

Little does Tina know, Mike lies in bed beside Sam, facing the window as he stares out at it, replaying their kiss in his mind. She kissed him. Does this mean that they're back together? Their relationship would still have to be long-distance except this time Tina is going to be in Rhode Island while Mike is still in Chicago and the two are even further away from each other than Lima was.

They know that they need to talk about it and hope that when they do, they could make out with each other again but it seems like the following day, the two can no longer find a moment alone. Blaine and Sam are always around and they didn't notice how looming their presences were until now.

They try to sneak away during a stop for gas on their way back to Lima, lying about having to use the restroom but Blaine insists on going with Tina and Mike just has to check out the souvenirs they're selling.

However, eventually, on the road, Mike glances at his rear-view mirror to find Blaine and Sam asleep in his back seat, their heads resting on each other as they get caught in a little bit of traffic.

"Those two are asleep," Mike tells Tina, taking the stopped traffic as an opportunity to glance at her. "Should we finally talk about it?"

"I want to… but those two could wake up any moment. Especially since we're in traffic and aren't moving… they're like babies, you know?" Tina quips.

At that moment, Blaine and Sam begin to stir in their sleep and they both watch them carefully through their reflection. The two boys don't wake up but Mike still sighs, "But we'll talk later, right?"

Tina nods her head and smiles at him. "Yeah, we'll get rid of them eventually."

Mike returns her smile and drives forward a little before reaching over and lacing his fingers with hers. Her smile grows wider as he presses a kiss to her hand.


charleston, west virginia

They drive for almost 6 hours before deciding to stop for the night at Charleston, West Virginia. They enjoy dinner at a local diner together before Blaine and Sam run off for the night to visit the local planetarium. Seizing the opportunity to be alone, Mike and Tina decline their offer to join them and instead opt for a walk by the Kanawha River.

"So, we're alone," Mike notes, his fingers intertwined with Tina's.

"Yeah, we are," Tina responds, smiling bashfully at him.

Mike stares at her for a moment before taking a deep breath. "So, what are you thinking?"

Tina stops in her tracks and crosses her arms, looking out at the way the moonlight reflects on the river. "When Mr. Schue brought us all together in the auditorium a few weeks ago, you mentioned how with glee club… and Finn… that it was hard to believe that anything lasts." He watches her and she finally looks up at him. He nods his head, acknowledging that he said that and that he still feels the same way. "Well, I agree.

"If we get back together, I need it to be it," she says, turning to fully face him. "I can't keep losing you over and over again. I don't think I'll be able to survive it if it happens one more time."

Mike nods his head. "Yeah, me neither," he says, his voice a whisper. "But someday… maybe?" He asks with so much hope and uncertainty that it makes her heart hurt.

Tina nods her head in response and places a lingering kiss on his lips. "Someday, maybe."


day 7 – lima, ohio

The next day, they drive from Charleston for another 5 hours and arrive back home in Lima in the evening. Mike first drops off Sam and Blaine at his place so they can start preparing for their move to New York together.

Then, he drops Tina off at her place, helping her bring her bags inside the house. "Hi, Mike, it's so wonderful to see you! Did you have fun on your trip?" Judi enthuses as she pulls Mike in for a hug.

"Yeah, we had a lot of fun," Mike responds before wrapping an arm around Tina's shoulders, "I took good care of her, Mrs. Double-C!"

"If only you could take care of her when she's in college too," Judi quips earning an eye roll from Tina.

"Oh, I wish," Mike says, pulling Tina closer to him and she chuckles. "Well, I just wanted to say 'hi' to you while I drop Tina off but I have to head home to my parents."

"I'll walk you outside," Tina says, opening the front door for him.

"You know I can't actually be there to take care of you but you can talk to me any time when you're at Brown… or wherever," Mike offers as they approach his car.

Tina beams at him in return. "Then, you better have a killer cell phone plan, Chang, because you and I are gonna be talking all the time."