#tinaxmick

I said minors DNI, the hell are you still doing here, go do your algebra homework

ANYWAY

“Oh Micky remember!” Tina called out, holding the wall for support as she swung back gently, looking at Mick’s back as she tugged on her coat and grabbed the car keys. Mick turned to face her and Tina felt her heart start to race inside her chest, she cleared her throat and took a small breath. 

“Um j-junior mints.” Tina sputtered out, gently pressing herself against the wall for further support as she tried to quell the red hot blush that tried to creep up her face. 

“Junior mints, I know.” Mick said in her low smooth voice and Tina thought her knees would buckle out beneath her. She let out a small half sigh and felt herself smiling like an idiot as she watched Mick fix the collar of her coat and gently pull out her hair from underneath. 

Tina walked forward and looked up at the taller woman, Mick looked down at her curiously and Tina smiled as she reached up to fix her collar for her. Tina let her hands rest on Mick’s shoulders longer than necessary and tried to soak in the moment as much as she could before she had to leave and continue her mission. 

Mick’s large, warm hand reached up and cupped Tina’s face and Tina felt her breath catch as Mick gently pressed her lips against Tina’s and Tina kissed her back. Leaning forward, following Mick’s lips as the taller woman moved away and Tina all but snapped her neck pulling back when she realized Mick was trying to end the kiss. 

“Oh! Sorry I-” Tina floundered about for words but found herself losing her mind as Mick’s thumb gently rubbed Tina’s bottom lip as a coy smirk spread across her face. 

“See you soon.” Mick whispered and slowly let go of Tina, turning and heading out the door of their apartment. Tina fell to the floor when the door finally shut and she gripped the fabric over her pounding heart and took deep breaths. 

Tina groaned aloud and let herself fall over with a light thud, looking up at the ceiling as her heart soared in her ears and her face burned hotter than she thought she could physically handle. 

Twelve months, fifty-eight dates, many very long and very romantic nights of falling asleep in each other's arms, and god knows how many kisses and yet Tina still felt so lovestruck, so dumbfounded after each kiss and hand hold. It still hadn’t fully settled in her mind that it was okay to hold Mick’s hand when she wanted to, kiss her when the moment suited them both. 

As Tina’s watch beeped, signaling it was ‘go time’ Tina took in a determined breath and scrambled to her feet, making her way to the bathroom to freshen up, shower, and get ready to knock Mick Morrison’s socks off. 

It had officially been a whole year since Mick and Tina had ‘officially’ started dating(Mick had apparently thought they had been dating two weeks beforehand). While their confession wasn’t exactly ideal or as romantic as Tina had dreamed of, still, she wouldn’t trade the moment for anything else in the world(even the daydream that had involved Dolly Parton). 

Tina paused and let herself stand there under the running water of the shower and brought her hand to her lips as she recalled that night at the drive-in. She remembered the tears she had shed, thinking she had pushed too far, pouring her heart open since she couldn’t take it anymore. She could still feel Mick’s lips against hers, the wood biting against her the back, the passion of Mick’s careful hands as she-

Tina blinked and yanked the water temperature as cold as she could handle and took a deep breath. 

When Tina went through every step of her routine she hopped out the shower and wrapped herself up in her towel, crouching down and opening the cabinet door and taking out the most embarrassing article of clothing she had ever willingly purchased. She laid it down on the sink counter and did everything as she had practiced. 

This night had to be perfect. 

Tina let out a sigh as she started to cap the lipstick in her hands, trying to control the insistent fidgeting that kept overriding her control, making her twist the lipstick up and down making it harder to close the damn thing. 

She favored biting the inside of her cheek over gnawing at her lip in fear of staining her teeth with the fresh coat of color and turned to the mirror, holding back her groan. 

What was she thinking?- No! No, if was fine, this was fine. Nothing strange about it, she was just…standing here…in the bathroom…surrounded by a mountain of CYnThIa McHeNrY(gag)’s make-up products, hair products, and god only knows what that weird purple foam thing was supposed to be-

Tina let a groan rip between her teeth as her hands reached up, possibly to muse with her hair but she stopped herself cold, freezing before her hands could ruin her own hard work. It had taken her over an hour to perfect the peek-a-boo look with her new short hair and she was not going to mess it up over self consciousness.  

What on earth did she even have to be self conscious about?! She was Tina Fucking Walters! Daughter of the First Lady! Granddaughter of the Tabitha Walters, once head of the Trustees. Her father was such an undercover genius he got a new name on Thanksgiving! She was the raw untapped hotness that came out of a hail of gunfire in Peru nearly unscathed! So what if she lost a pinky toe, she looked great anyway!

Tina took another deep breath and started bouncing on the tips of her toes, trying to pump herself up. 

She was hot, she was dangerous, and she was ready. Tina nodded to herself in the mirror, taking in one last look at herself before opening the door of the bathroom. 

Tina strode confidently to their shared room and opened the door, ready to light a few candles to set a soft lighting mood, maybe spritz some perfume but what Tina hadn’t calculated was Mick standing there in their bedroom, facing the door Tina had just walked through. 

Tina froze, Mick dropped the lighter she had been holding(but thankfully not the candle). 

They stared at each other for what felt like forever. 

“I,” Tina began, trying to find wherever her voice had gone in the humongous vacuum of silence and confusing tension they had made. “I…didn’t hear you come in.” 

“Spy,” Mick said after another long pause, gesturing to herself with the unlit candle in her hand and Tina wanted to jump through the window, grab the neighbor’s 12-foot-tall skeleton, four packs of mint chewing gum, baby powder and-

“You um,” Mick cleared her throat and gently set the candle down on the bed and Tina noticed where her stare kept lingering and both embarrassment and pride battled each other in her head like two power hungry monarchs demanding control. Tina watched as Mick gently rested the backs of her legs against the bed frame and brought her hand up to her face, covering her mouth as her eyes slowly went all the way down the length of Tina’s body and then slowly(so slowly) back up to meet Tina’s eyes. 

“Yes?” Tina pushed and Mick closed her eyes and took a deep, shaking breath. She brought both her hands together like a prayer and opened her eyes and Tina leaned against the door frame, taking in every detail. 

“Oh god,” Mick said softly and sat down on the bed, lowering her head and dragging her hand down her face as she looked up at Tina through her infuriatingly long lashes(genetics were so unfair). 

“Micky?” Tina asked softly and took a step forward, and then another. Mick sat up straight as a flagpole as Tina took the three long strides from the door to the bed and stood in front of Mick. Mick’s squared shoulders lowered with the exhale of another shaking breath as Mick’s eyes wandered around Tina’s new outfit once more. 

“You’ve just…had this?” Mick stumbled out, Tina noticed how Mick had to turn her head almost all the way up to look at Tina without being tempted to glance back down. 

“I bought it some time ago,” Tina confirmed vaguely and Mick nodded quickly. 

“Cool, cool, yep I uh,” Mick cleared her throat a few times(four) and dragged her hands down her coat a couple more(seven). “You look- you look just…”

Mick trailed off, her hands seeming to be stuck in a time loop as she raised them up and down helpless and suddenly it all came together. It was like the universe had called Tina up on speed dial and said ‘let me do you a favor girl friend’ and whacked Tina with the phone receptor. 

Tina stared at the nightstand where Mick’s bulging purse sat, candles poking out of the open zipper of the bag. She noticed the lighter on the floor, the plastic flowers in the vase Mick stole from their kitchen(pollen was a bitch). 

Tina glanced down at Mick who just stared up at Tina, her brown eyes shimmering in the light of the few lit candles she had placed around the room carefully before Tina had walked in. Glancing around the room everything screamed the perfect evening Tina had envisioned for them both. 

Tina gently pulled away and started to giggle, gently kneeling to pick up the lighter Mick had dropped and walked over to Mick’s purse. She rested her hip on the nightstand as she opened the purse just a smudge wider. 

She rummaged inside, laughing as she grabbed one of Mick’s many many candles(seriously, how does a grown woman fit 47 candles in a purse???) and lit a few, placing them down carefully before turning back to Mick and-

Tina froze, her eyes, once locked with Mick’s now stared down past her collarbone to the newly exposed skin and abandoned coat. Her eyes went over every roll, every curve, every inch of flushed skin that was fully on display for her to see. 

Mick had always been beautiful to Tina. How could she be anything less. Well before Tina’s wilder pining years, Mick was the most gorgeous girl in the world. Even back when Mick dared to disagree, back when she didn’t have to look down to stare at Tina, back when Tina had been the taller of the two. 

From her goofy smile, to the imperfections of her crooked teeth, her full cheeks and their rosy coloration, her brilliant brown eyes that could always find her in a crowd, the strong furrow of her brows, her messy hair, like a lion’s mane. There wasn’t an inch of her Tina hadn’t known throughout their years together, not a speck upon her body Tina dared to love any less than the rest of her, Mick was what all the stars and poets envied. She was the center of a mindless universe, day and night turned for her to shower her in their brilliant blankets of light. There wasn’t a thing Tina wouldn’t risk, a soul she would not reap, a gift she would not steal, a prize she would not win if Mick only asked it of her. 

Tina Walters would set the world on fire if she knew it would keep Mick warm. She would have held the burning sphere on her shoulders for eternity if it meant giving Mick a break. Tina would jump through any hoop, no matter how small if it meant forever would be preserved for the two of them. 

Poet’s call soulmates many names; the other half of a person, the complement, the missing piece. Tina called hers, Mick. 

“Tina?” Her voice, how could she have forgotten it? The gentle whisper that fluttered about the room was so strong and low, like the bellowing of a cello, playing a magnificent solo in a performance hall just for her ears alone. 

“You okay?” She asked and Tina blinked and snapped herself back to the present, coming down from her cloud. Mick tilted her head with a look of confusion and slight worry, her lips pressed tight in a poorly concealed smile. 

“Where’d your shirt go?” The words came strangled out of Tina’s mouth like she was just relearning to speak. Mick shrugged casually as though Tina asked about the weather. She learned forward, her hands resting between her open legs, gripping the fabric of the bedsheets as her arms pressed closer squeezing her chest-

“Which one of us is supposed to be the seductress here?” Tina huffed and crossed her arms and Mick’s brows shot up. That stupid smug smirk plastered wide across her face as her eyes took another loooong drag up and down Tina’s body. They hadn’t even finished their duty as Mick spoke. 

“Still you,” The words were breathy and full of whatever haze seemed to have fallen upon them both. Tina pressed her lips together and took a small step towards Mick and she watched as her eyes bounced up just a little higher. She took another step, then she took what few strides would lead her between Mick’s legs, her knee brushing against the mattress as Mick’s eyes climbed back up to meet hers and Tina’s legs began to wobble. 

Mick’s hands slowly rested upon Tina’s waist, hesitant, careful, and loose. Her beautiful brown eyes bore into her own as her brows started to try and meet in the middle, a question unsaid. Tina sighed happily, she rested their foreheads together and shut her eyes. 

“I love you…” She whispered and Mick shifted, her lips kissing Tina’s forehead before returning to how she was before. 

“I love you too.” Tina wrapped her arms around Mick’s neck and held her close as Mick’s hands rested on her back, hugging her. 

They stayed like that for a long time before Tina pulled away just enough to look at Mick. 

“It’s on the fan isn’t it?” Mick’s eyes glanced up and then beyond Tina’s head, she looked back and smiled sheepishly at her. Tina laughed and kissed her cheek. 

“You’re too cute Micky.” Mick snorted and raised a brow. 

“Cute?” Mick scoffed and as much as she tried to look slightly offended, her smile won through. 

“Cute.” Tina confirmed and kissed the corner of her lips. 

Mick rolled her eyes as they drank in every detail, trailing down as her hands started to travel down Tina’s sides. 

“Cute.” Mick said again to no one in particular. Her words trailed off like there was more to be said so Tina stayed silent. “Not, hot or outrageously sexy or…” her fingers found one of the many straps to the lingerie and snapped it lightly causing Tina to release a sound she didn’t even know she could make. Tina covered her mouth with her hand and pulled Mick close, resting her chin on top of Mick’s head so the other woman couldn’t see what effect she had on her. “Damn, what’s that thing Eva always says?”

Mick tsk-ed her tongue and gently nudged Tina, kissing a soft spot on her neck and Tina muffled the high pitched whine that broke out of her. Her nails dug into Mick’s shoulder when Mick’s strong hand snapped another strap. 

“Come on Tina,” She whispered and then breathed softly into Tina’s skin. “Help me out here. What does Eva always say?” 

“I am NOT talking about Eva right now.” Tina growled out from between clenched teeth. Mick kissed her neck and Tina tilted her head without thinking, granting her better access. Her lips were like a torture Tina wished to never end, trailing up to her ear and whispering to her in a huskier tone that Tina heard before during their night at the drive-in. 

“Hella bewitching?” Of all the things-

Tina pulled back and looked at Mick bewildered, confused, wildly stimulated beyond belief and that is what gets whispered in her ear?

Mick just grinned at her and Tina kissed her to shut her up. Mick said nothing else as she deepened the kiss, holding Tina as close as she could to her body as if she were trying to wield them together. Tina let out a soft sound that fluttered from the pit of her stomach and rumbled in her throat as she felt Mick start to pepper her in sweet kisses up and down her neck. Tina tilted her head, giving Mick as much access as she could ever want and Tina had to bite back a moan when she felt Mick’s teeth gently sink into the flesh of her shoulder. 

Tina rested her hand on Mick’s shoulders and gently fringed the straps of her bra, she looked down Mick’s body and raised a brow. 

“Since when do you own this bra?” Tina asked bluntly, swearing if she had ever seen Mick wear this before she would definitely remember. 

“Since when do you own lingerie?” Mick muttered between kisses and bites. 

“First of all, it's technically a costume and- hey, don't forget to chew you vampire.” Tina teased and she giggled when she felt Mick gently nibble at her neck. 

“But I’m hungry.” Mick pretended to whine and Tina saw a chance and took it. With Mick momentarily distracted by the light banter Tina pressed her down on the bed, straddling her hips with her thighs, looming over her and smiling when she saw Mick’s stunned expression. 

“Is that so?” Tina hummed and dragged her finger nail down the length of Mick’s collarbone and then up the hills of her breasts before stopping just millimeters away from the lacey fabric of Mick’s bra. Tina saw Mick gulp, audibly heard the sound, and Tina felt drunk on a power she had never known before. Mick nodded slowly and Tina gently brushed her finger against the strap of the bra. 

Tina Walters was not nervous. She had no reason to be nervous! She was just at a nice drive-in theater with Mick(and it was not a date). So there. Perfectly normal roomie activities that didn’t require the infuriating rapid beating of Tina’s heart. She was fine, everything was fine!

UGH!! Expect this infuriating thump thump thump that Tina was sure was shaking the bed of Mick’s dad’s truck. It was driving(pun not intended)(okay maybe a little) Tina up the non-existent walls of the drive-in. Tina smoothed the blanket on her lap, fiddling with the unrelenting wrinkles and huffing withfurtation as they refused to bend to her will. Tina turned her attention and forkleing thoughts to the radio Mick had attached to the side and made sure(again) that it was tuned in correctly and that the sound would come out alright.

Seriously, Tina knew Mick hated it when movies were too quiet for her to pick up what was being said or done and since Tina highly doubted subtitles would be a thing tonight she wanted to make sure. Thought it was kind of annoying that subtitles wouldn't be a thing. You’d think they’d just have them on just in case someone’s radio decides to burst or the static crackles get too strong and block out an important sentence.Tina decided she would leave a good few strong emails asking for subtitles, accessibility was a simple necessity.

“Hey, I’ve got your butter.” A strong voice called out and Tina turned, her heart leaping into her throat as Mick Morrison appeached the bed of the truck and Tina sucked in a small breath. Sure, she already knew what Mick was wearing(they did share a college dorm after all) but nonetheless she managed to rob Tina of any other coherent thought.

Throughout their years at Gallagher Mick kept her wardrobe simple, t-shirts and pretty skirts, athletic shorts and plaid pajamas but god was Tina still not ready to watch as Mick climbed into the bed of the truck, smoothing her skirt and adjusting the sleeves of her turtleneck sweater(yeah! Mick Moriison in a turtleneck SWEATER).

Tina held the buttery popcorn in her hands and hoped for the love of all things good and holy that her grip was controlled and she didn’t have a chokehold on the poor bag. Mick turned to her with a bright smile and Tina bit her lip to stop the strange strangled noise that crawled up the pits of her expanding heart.

“Excited?” Mick asked, her brown eyes dancing with joy as the reflection of the bright screen before them played with the color. Tina could only nod and smile(please oh sweet merciful lord, please don’t let her be smiling too much because like normal smiling is fine but when-)

“T?” Mick asked and Tina snapped out of her mind.

“Yes?” She breathed out the word like they were suddenly stuck in a world of their own and not in a parking lot surrounded by smooching couples and cars. Mick blinked at her and then leaned forward and Tina’s eyes went WIDE.

OH MY GOD THIS WAS A DATE!

Oh how could Tina be so stupid! Of course this was a date they’re playing fucking 13 Going On 30. Mick knows Tina loves that movie! She knows Tina loves overly buttery popcorn that could put Cammie Morgan in a butter coma. She knows that the quilt they were currently sharing was Tina’s favorite fall blanket and that she loved corny, cheesy dates like drive-ins and movies.

Oh my god she’s leaning in. Okay breathebreathebreathbreathe-

Mick’s hand reached up and Tina wasn’t sure to close her eyes or not but she leaned in anyway and-

Mick’s finger flicked at her cheek and Tina froze, snapping open her eyes as Mick looked down at her index finger and then showed it to Tina.

“Eyelash, sorry.” She smiled and Tina wanted to eat the bag in her hands and forget she existed.

Maybe if she grabbed the next car’s radio cord and a pack of llamas she could-

“So I was thinking,” Mick’s voice whispered into Tina’s ear, the cool mint of her breath fanning on Tina’s cheek as the screen flickered and started playing the movie. “After this we could go grab some ice cream?”

Tina was going to scream. Seriously, she would! Mick Morrison was trying to kill her.

“Sure!” Tina answered quickly and Mick turned to look at her but Tina snapped her attention to the screen.

“Tina-” Mick tried to ask but Tina just shoveled some popcorn into her mouth and smiled like a mad woman as she tried not to choke on kernels.

“I love this movie!” She whispered and then whipped her head back around to look at the screen.

Three movies. THREE WHOLE MOVIES they stayed like that, listening to couples overcome the obstacles in their way and profess their love on the screen for all to see as romantic music swelled and filled the bed of the car and reverberated inside the ever rattling mind of Tina Walters.

Tina thought she was going to go ballistic. Every second or so she would catch one couple or even two sharing a kiss under the dark canopy of the night and whisper ‘i love you’s into the cold air. Her legs wouldn’t stop shaking and more than once she happily volentured to grab more snacks to fill the silence of the truck and to try and quiet the explosive thoughts in her mind.

“Hey Tina I-,” Mick began but Tina just smiled and took the empty soba from between them and winked.

“I’ve got you covered Micky.” She beamed and wiggled out of the truck as swiftly as she could and started to walk off to the concessions booth again.

“Wait Tina,” Mick softly called out but Tina just turned on her heel, smiled and shrugged.

“I gotta go to the bathroom anyway, it’s fine.” She was calm and cool and breezy like a summer wind. Or at least a spring gust. Tina kept the pep in her step as she walked away and then veered off from her path, dodging in between cars and making a beeline for the bathrooms(if she had to face the poor teenager running the concessions booth one more time she was going to bury herself alive out of embarrassment).

Thankfully there was no line this time so there wasn’t a soul around to question anything as Tina scooted around the small building and paced.

What on earth is she doing?! She should be out there enjoying rom coms like any other girl in the parking lot, eating Baby Ruths and Junior Mints until she regrets it in the morning. She shouldn’t be back here behind some smelly bathrooms thinking about how she leaned in, about kissing Mick Morrison. Since when has she ever thought about kissing Mick Morrison?! I mean sure she was smart and pretty and god when she’s going her morning yoga routine or exercising- OH MY GOD TINA WALTERS GET YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT!!

Tina paused her pacing and then let out a small string of cackles that led to giggles that led to leaning against the bathroom’s back walls and groaning in frustration. Tina buried her head between her knees, folding her hands behind her neck as she groaned for what felt like forever.

“Are you feeling okay?” Asked the last person on earth Tina wanted to see right now. She looked up and was met with the towering stature of the very girl who’s lips she kept staring at all night long.

Mick looked beautiful, her hair was teased and it framed her face in soft layers, the tight knit fabric of her sweater hugged her chest and arms, leaving almost nothing to Tina’s wild imagination. And with the seeping light of the moving screen shining upon her, bringing every feature Tina loved to light and laying it all out for the world to see. Tina couldn’t take it anymore, she stood up, walked right up to Mick Morrison even though every part of her screamed to turn back, say her stomach hurt and to go home. Forget about the night with a pint of ice cream and toss and turn in bed for forever. Ignore the warmth that burst into her chest as her eyes locked with Mick’s.

“Tina.” Mick started and when Tina opened her mouth Mick raised a hand to stop her….and Tina’s stomach filled with cold acid. Mick closed her eyes tight and Tina felt small, smaller than she had ever felt before in her life. She was no taller than the blades of grass beside her as Mick took a deep breath and squeezed her words out.

“Did I do something wrong?” She cracked one eye open and Tina was nothing but a pile of knocked over building blocks.

“What?!” She cried out and when Mick turned away she reached forward and put a hand on her arms. “No! No, no, no, no, no! Mick- Micky, no you- you haven’t done a thing what on earth-”

“It’s just you’ve been acting all weird and I-”

“-how could you even say that you’ve been perfect a evening if anything-”

“-and I don't know if it’s me or the movies or-”

“Mick!” Tina cried and she didn’t much care who heard her now as her hands trailed down Mick’s arms and held her hands.

“Micky?” She asked but Mick wouldn’t look at her, and it didn’t matter if Tina was never hit again in her life or if she was tortured for the rest of it. Nothing could compare to the absence of Mick’s gaze.

“Mick.” Tina pleaded and Mick finally looked at her, a requiem of warmth futtered it’s way out of the box Tina kept locked deep inside her chest and Tina knew that while it was a shot in the dark, humanity is nothing without a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

“I-...” the words started to fall and Tina was on a crumbling bride at the end of her tower and she had to decide to be buried or jump and see if she could fly. “I have had the most amazing time with you tonight and I just- I just…”

So Tina chose to spread her wings.

She leaned forward and kissed Mick Morrison, it wasn’t sweet or firework worthy. It was small, it was frail, and it was nothing more than a peck.

“I’m sorry.” Those two little words wobbled out from under Tina’s trembling lip as she pulled back, letting go of Mick’s hands as she stared down at the dirt, tears blurring her vision.

“Tina?” Mick’s voice cracked and Tina looked up at her, squaring her shoulders as much as she wanted to hug herself and be nothing more than a pebbing in the grass. But there wasn’t any more room for that as Mick’s lips captured her own. Kissing Tina so feverishly Tina’s few thoughts were how Hollywood could never do this right.

Tina’s hands started to tangle in Mick’s hair as she was pressed up against the wall of the bathroom behind her, Mick’s hands on her waist and trailing down to her hips. Tina only had a moment to suck in a sharp breath of air before Mick’s lips were upon hers again, sloppy and missing their mark on multiple occasions as her strong hands roamed cluelessly along Tina’s body before they found their way farther down than both of them had expected and Tina let out a yelp of surprise.

They both froze, Mick’s hand on her ass and Tina’s eyes wide and looking into hers before Mick stumped back, hands up by her head like Tina was ready to shoot.

“I’m so sorry I-I just that was- I hadn’t meant to,”

"Please don't stop." Tina whispered into the nook of Mick's neck and Tina felt her hand lift and her fingers gently cradles her chin as Mick tilted her head up to face her. Tears glittering in the corners of her eyes and Tina kissed her softly.

It was so at first but turned feverish as Mick returned the gesture, Tina warped her arms around Mick's neck as Mick's hand flew up her waist, taking the bottom of her shirt up with it and Tina closed her eyes and enjoyed what felt like the first and last kiss of forever.

Tina fiddled with the lock on the storage closet, groaning as the stupid key wouldn’t turn like it was supposed to. Like seriously, she’d been there for a whole 5 minutes! Five very important minutes of her very important career as a future spy! Didn’t the universe know she was a triple legacy? She’s got classes to ace and tests to conquer, she was Tina freaking Walters!

“Are you...okay?” A squeaky voice asked from behind and Tina jumped. Turning around she caught the snoop. She was a tall girl, almost as big as the Baxter girl, but she had light brown hair and fair skin. The girl had a very stocky build and her big jacket didn’t help her figure. 

“Yeah, the stupid key is being stupidly annoying.” Tina replied(because her mom taught her that it’s rude to not reply). She wiggled the key again and sighed, letting the lock flop back down and the key stayed stuck. 

“Oh,” the girl replied and Tina looked at her, trying to remember her name. She was in her class, Tina knew that but she wasn’t ringing any bells. The girl shuffled her feet and played with the ends of her shirt. “Professor Williams was wondering what was taking so long, I-I can just tell her that-”

“No!” Tina snapped quickly and a little ruder than she had meant. The girl jumped and Tina cleared her throat and fixed her posture. Back straight, head held up high, confidence oozing out of every word and movement. 

“Sorry,” She apologized. “I mean no, please, I’ve got it.”

“But I thought you said the lock wasn’t working?” The girl tilted her head confused and Tina sighed, shaking her head before she stopped herself. The girl did have a point. 

“Yeah but it’s no big, I’ve got it handled.” Tina assured and turned back to the lock, expecting the girl to take her word and leave but she walked up next to Tina and inspected the lock. 

“What are you doing?” Tina asked and the girl looked over at her. When she wasn’t hiding her face or looking at the ground the girl was actually kind of pretty, she had a round face and very pretty eyes. 

“Helping,” The girl replied. “My dad has a bunch of old locks, they rust, get stuck.”

Tina huffed, she didn’t quite appreciate her mission being taken over but...well she could use the help. They wiggled the key and it took then a while(much longer than Tina thinks would get them home safe in the field) but they finally got the door to open. 

“Yes!” Tina cheered before she realized she spoke too loudly again and shut her mouth, covering her lips with her hand and cleared her throat. Back straight, head held high. “Thank you,” She said as she turned to the girl who stared at her. 

“You’re welcome Tina,” The girl nodded and wiggled the key out of the lock, handing it back to Tina. “I’ll tell Williams you’re on your way.”

Tina nodded and started walking inside but paused and turned around to the girl’s retreating back as she started back down the hall. 

“Hey,” Tina called out and the girl turned around. 

“My names Michèle but you can call me Micky.” Micky replied and Tina felt the blood rushing to her face. 

“Thanks, you have a really pretty name.” Tina looked down at her shoes embarrassed that she didn’t know her name before, seriously, she was a legacy, her mom would have known the girl-Micky’s name without ever asking.

“Thanks,” Micky replied and shuffled from foot to foot. “um, Michèle was my nana’s name so...you know.”

“My grandma’s name was Tabitha,” Tina confessed and looked away when Micky turned to stare at her again. “My mom said she was going to name me after her, she’s a Gallagher legacy you know, so it would be like passing it on to be but my grandma suggested Tina. It’s a nice name, I’m not complaining.” 

Tina clamped her lips together, trying to stop herself from rambling on and on but Micky laughed and Tina readied her mouth to defend herself. 

“I-”

“So they kept the ‘T’ of the legacy?” Micky asked and Tina paused. 

“Y-Yeah...I guess.” Tian shrugged and Micky smiled, nice and slow an friendly.

“So you’re a, what, double legacy?”

“Triple” Tina corrected automatically and began to gather what Professor Williams had asked of her. “It starts with my grandma, then my mom, now me.”

“Tabitha, Tina, and Tina’s mom.” Micky ticked the names off on her fingers. “What’s your mom’s name. Tiffany?”

Tina snorted and rolled her eyes. “Not all our names start with T. My mom’s name is Emilia.”

“Oh!” Micky turned a sight shade of pink and looked down at her feet, giggling along with Tina. 

“You’re not a legacy,” Tina stated and Micky nodded. 

“My dad served a few years though, so I’m still kind of apart of the alphabet.” Micky shrugged and leaned against the door frame. 

“Any idea where you wanna work?” Micky shook her head and Tina nodded. 

“I’m sure you’ll find something soon Mick.” Tina smiled and she started walking back to the labs. 

“Mick?” Micky asked and Tina turned, startled.

“Is that okay?” Tina asked and Micky paused before nodding, a small smile spreading across her face. 

“Mick sound good.” She walked beside Tina and grinned. “Thanks, Tina Tabitha Walters.”

Tina felt herself laugh and she shook her head. “That’s so not my full name.”

“What is?” Mick asked curiously and Tina shrugged, her footsteps felt lighter as she smiled at Mick mischievously. 

“You’ll just have to figure that one out!” Tina called out and started walking faster. Mick smiled and jogged lightly to keep up

---------------years later--------

“Tina,” Mick’s voice called out and Tina turned to look at her. Had Mick always been so tall? Tina swear she was taller than her at some point, she couldn't have always been looking up. 

“Yeah?” Tina asked, closing the book in her hands and setting it down on the end table beside her as Mick untangled her legs from Tina’s and their shared banket, standing up from the couch. “Mick?”

“Tina,” Mick said again, standing infront of Tina now, a nervous look on her face, her hands moved to her back, her right hand grasping whatever it was she was hiding. She was fidgeting, trying to keep eye contact, a shiny sheen of sweat pooling on her forehead.

“That’s my name?” Even as Tina spoke it the words came out like a question. She sat up and waiting for Mick to speak what she was holding back. 

“Tina,” Mick drew out the word in a way that made Tina’s heart flip up to her throat and bang on her ears. “Winnifred,” Tina eyebrows shot up and she fet some heat rise to her cheeks. “Walters.” Mick finished and Tina looked at her puzzled. 

“Mick what-” 

“I figured it out,” Mick declared proudly, a sparkle in her eye, she knelt down so she and Tina weren’t at such a difference though now Tina had to look down. 

“So you did?” Tina blinked and then the memory hit her. “Micky...” She whispered and Mick nodded, pressing her lips together, gesturing for Tina to go on. 

“Michèle,” Tina started out slowly and she watched as Mick puffed out her chest, adjusting herself on her knee. 

“Yeah?” Mick urged her on. 

“Michèle Reese Morriso-”