Then peace will guide the planet and love will steer the stars. (Or Not.)

[morbidbubbles]

Who: Artie Abrams and Tina Cohen-Chang
What: Relationship discussion that'll likely turn into comforting over recent events
Where: Artie's house (bedroom?)
When: Day after Lima fireworks
Episode: Between seasons
Rating: PG-13

Comments

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie had been completely shaken up by the news that people he knew were involved in a car accident - a car accident caused by drink driving. He'd refused to leave his room for almost anything, worrying his mother, but he wouldn't talk to her about it. Wouldn't talk to anyone.

He was sitting on his bed, and he looked up as Tina entered the room, giving her a tight smile. "Hey," he replied in response. He was terrified, and he knew it was showing - and he hated it. It was a weakness he didn't need.

[morbidbubbles]

Tina's nerves were far from soothed when she saw Artie. It used to be when she'd come and visit him like this her worries would melt away. But not so much this time - he looked just as worried as her, if not more so.

After her feet met the floor, she took a few awkward, unsure steps toward his bed. Eventually she sat on the edge of the bed, her body angled towards him. "You too?" She asked, hinting at their mutual worry.

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie caught her gaze - worry in her brown eyes, her whole demeanour scared. He nodded. "Why? Why does it have to happen to people we know?" He knew his tone was almost petulant but let's be honest, for him it was a reasonable question.

[morbidbubbles]

"I...I don't know," she replied honestly, her hands in her lap. "Why's it gotta happen at all?" She asked, her voice quiet as she reached for his hand.

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie didn't hesitate in reaching for her hand. Truth was, he needed the comfort himself. He thought for a moment, then opened his arms out - if she needed a hug he was happy to give it. That would have been the case even before they had agreed to try dating again. "It sucks," he murmured.

[morbidbubbles]

Tina practically leapt into his arms with a thwump sound against the bed, her arms wrapping around him. "Yeah, you can say that again," she replied solemnly, inching closer to him. "How, uh....how're you feeling? With...y'know, everything?"

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. It was a comfort, he had to admit, knowing that he wasn't alone.

Even though something made him hold back. "Worried about everyone. I mean, people are hurt. This sucks." He wasn't going to tell her about how terrified he was, about how many memories were clamouring at the surface of his mind, how he knew that the nightmares were going to be a lot worse over the next few days.

[morbidbubbles]

Tina had a feeling Artie wasn't giving her the whole story. "If....if you don't wanna talk about it, it's...it's okay, we can talk about something else. I just...I'm here, you know?

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie looked down at her, somewhat surprised by how much Tina had snuggled into his arms. "There's nothing to talk about," he said, smiling at her, and hoping it looked genuine. "Unless you want to? How are you feeling with all this?"

[morbidbubbles]

It did look genuine, genuine enough for Tina to drop the subject instead of pressing further. She shrugged against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Honestly? Sometimes I feel I'm being overly paranoid, and then other times I'm really worried that someone's gonna be seriously hurt. I mean, I was just talking to Sam last night about how cool it is that we're friends with the Warblers and how it's not like that dumb competitive rivalry we had with Vocal Adrenaline, so I'm gonna gonna be so worried if one of them's really hurt, you know?" Not to mention they still didn't know Mike's whereabouts. Then again knowing him he was probably just passed out in bed....

[dancnwithmyself]

"It's a car accident," Artie said in a level voice. He was actually proud of himself for that. "People get hurt in them. It's... worse when it's someone you know."

[morbidbubbles]

She nodded a little, unsure of what to say. However, she didn't need to think of what to say, as the sudden ringing and vibration of her phone distracted her thought process. Tina frowned a little, adjusting to sit up as she looked her phone. "It's my mom," she said aloud, somewhat perplexed. Why was her mom calling? She'd told her very clearly where she was going...

Her facial expression didn't get any less confused when she put the phone to her ear. "What? No, I haven't, why....?" At her mother's reply, only a muffled response from where Artie was sitting, Tina felt her blood run cold, and her body stiffened. "Wh....wh-what?" She listened to her mother for a moment before glancing over at Artie and cutting her off. "M-Mom, I....I have to go." And she closed her phone quickly, suddenly feeling very, very sick.

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie watched Tina as she talked to her mother, frowning at her response. He couldn't hear what was being said, but by the way she stiffened, then cut the phone call shirt, he had a bad feeling. "Tina?" he asked gently. "What's up?"

[morbidbubbles]

She didn't respond right away. Instead she flipped her phone back open and pulled up facebook. Her mother had no reason to lie to her, but...this couldn't be happening, could it? But there it was, plain as day on Sam's status. Her fingers typed a brief message before she dropped her phone onto the bed, turning to Artie with a very pale face.

"It's....it's Mike," she finally replied, her voice wavering. "Mike was in...in the accident."

[dancnwithmyself]

Artie froze. Mike? Mike was in the accident? He was going to ask if she was sure, but he knew how stupid that was. Of course she was sure. "Oh god, Tina..," Tina's ex. He wasn't sure how he should be responding, what to do, but he sat up and hugged Tina.

[morbidbubbles]

Tina felt like throwing up. She had terrible images running through her mind, and were it not for Artie's embrace and the familiar, calming scent of her boyfriend, she was sure she would have spewed on his floor. "Him and..s-some of the other football players. I, I dunno who else..." She whispered into his ear, her arms tightly fastening around him.