I write! Mostly I wrote one giant TMNT fic that is now finished called Dog Days of Summer, which can be found on AO3. It's a beast of a thing coming in at 420k words and is a slow burn romance between BayDonnie (Bay with some other iteration elements) and an OC that takes place largely at the farmhouse.
But now that that project is done, I have the brain space to start writing smaller things. Will add to this as I go:
Bayverse (ish)
Donnie
Mysteries of the Universe
Spring Shed
Let Me Provide
Leo
To Pee of Not to Pee
Misc
Random Blurbs from this Speakeasy AU
I also draw! To find those it's really easier to search the tag adebauchedsloth art, but I also have a not always up to date art post that has a decent amount of them. So far the majority of it is chapter art for Dog Days of Summer.
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THE TURTLES ARE HERE ! FINALLY ! It was a really long road but her they are ! It took me some time to post this chapter, but it should be easier now that my exams are almost over. French's exams are terrifying.
Thank you very much for all the nice reactions I got on the first chapter, as well as my headcanons. You guys really warm my heart ! All the requests are on their way, but again, exams.
ALSO ! I made some big changes in the story's structure and there would be some NSFW content (in hella a long time). I was pretty unsure of myself at first, but it goes with the more mature and realistic tone I want to give to this fanfiction (It's not in this chapter, but you are warned).
I hope that you would enjoy reading this chapter as much as I loved writting it
Life was calm lately.
Nothing had prepared them for what would happen later that night.
The patrol was fruitful. They had tried some new techniques and butts had been correctly kicked. All they had to do was stay in the lair and do their things. And that was what they did. After a healthy breakfast made of bagels and whatever soda they had in store, each brother went to their occupations. Training, cooking, napping, tinkering with machines. Life was quiet these last months.
Michelangelo was in the kitchen. He was leaning over a large saucepan, waiting for some rice to cook. At some moments, he would have a ladle of broth simmering right next to it.
“Still trying to achieve this risotto ?” Asked Donatello, passing by him to get a can of soda from the fridge.
The youngest turtle grunted.
“I would succeed one day, I’m sure of it !”
Almost one year ago, they had received the key to the city after stopping the Krang. Chief Vincent had thrown a little party for them. Nothing fancy, only the 4 of them: Splinter, Casey, April, and some other police officers. That day, Michelangelo had eaten the most wonderful dish ever : a mushroom risotto. He had never liked mushrooms, but the rice was so tasty that he hadn’t noticed them. Since that day, he couldn’t forget this wonderful delicacy. And after days of dreaming about it, he had finally tried to make one. He had been awful. Like almost-burned-the-kitchen’s kind of awful. This had demotivated him, eroding his confidence. He felt like he was too hyper to cook and had promised himself never to try again.
But he was yearning so much for this god-like taste that he had tried again, properly following the recipe this time. It had been almost 4 months now that he was trying this recipe at least once a week, when Master Splinter allowed him. He was the one taking care of food after all. Sometimes, he would even try to do other dishes, even some cookies. Most of them turned out to be successful attempts, fuelling this newfound passion for cooking.
The Purple Turtle always took the time to take a big sniff when he walked near the pan. His little brother didn’t know it, but he loved when he was trying to make recipes. They always smelled so good that only one inhale could clear his mind from any problems.
“ I’m sure that this one is the one.” He cheered as he closed the fridge, a cold Grape Crush Soda can between his three fingers. He went back to his lab, plopping in his rolling chair. The wheels squeaked under his weight. At his feet, countless corpses of emptied cans.
His eyes immediately took in the information passing through his 9 screens computor. On them, surveillance cameras, police reports. Resources he had acquired legally for once. The NYPD had even given them to him. He was proud that they had recognised his genius.
After the Krang incident, the Government had proposed a collaboration. However, they didn’t want to get involved with them like that. They were scared to become puppets, without mentioning that this would increase the number of people knowing about them.
After weeks of talking, they came up with an agreement. The four brothers would keep helping the city and collaborate with the NYPD in the exceptional case of forces majeures. In exchange, they just had to cover their secret identity. It had worked perfectly ! The only humans knowing about them, aside from April and Casey, were Chief Vincent and officers who had helped them during the Krang Attack. According to Donnie’s calculations, it was a lot but still manageable. Every police officer involved with them had signed a document, preventing them from saying anything about the four mutant terrapins.
This agreement had permitted them to focus on themselves, on their training. They had been experiencing a period of extreme growth, of shedding. It wasn’t their first time experiencing integral shedding, their last time dating form when they went to childhood to teenage years. But this time, it was more painful. After almost 4 years fighting crime, their skins and shells had taken too much damage for their shedding to be occasional. They had suffered for some weeks, but emerged with stronger skin and some more inches. This pushed them to train even more, gaining more weight, more strength.
The team was stronger, and each of its members had evolved in a positive way.
Donatello, thanks to their agreement with the police, had access to more material. He didn’t have to hoard for them or acquire them illegally any more. He had more time for his project, and had brought a ton of updates to the team’s material. On top of that, he had delved into a more personal fighting style, bringing science and martial arts together to boost his capabilities. He was more sure of himself, more confident in a fight.
Michelangelo was still his sunny self, the life of the party. But he had become wiser, calmer. Knowing that some people knew about them but didn’t find them monstrous had changed his perceptions of things. He would always think twice before throwing a joke, reading the room more carefully.
But the most noticeable change had occurred between Raphael and Leonardo.
It had been almost a month that they hadn’t had an argument. Donnie would count days on a little white board in his lab. Weirded out, Mikey couldn’t help but joke about it. ‘Their arch-enemies arc is finally over !’ was his most recurring one. At that, his two older brother would just look away and shake their heads.
They had matured a lot since the Krang Attack. Leonardo had spent days meditating, trying to learn how to understand feelings. His brothers’, but also his. His sessions of introspection taught him countless things, giving him answers to questions he had never thought about. This helped him gain insight into how to grow into the best version of himself, the leader and brother he wanted to be. He still had a long way to go, pushing him to stay alone most of the time.
Raphael had worked a lot on his feelings too. More precisely, on how to manage his anger issues. At first, he didn’t know how to do that. Meditating wasn’t helping. Reading human books gifted by April wasn’t helping. He even tried to talk about it to Master Splinter. But it didn’t work either. He just felt like a helpless kid, whining to his father like that. And one night, as he was rampaging the sewers after another fight with Leo, he heard a noise. He initially thought that it was an enemy, arming his sais.
How surprised was he when he saw a cat on the other side of the pipe. The poor thing was a bag of bones, the colour of his fur completely hidden under the dirt. The only thing Raph could see was his troubled blue eyes piercing through him in fear. It kept hissing at him, its muddy fur bristling. The turtle didn’t move at first, staring at the little creature. It wasn’t the first time that he saw a cat. He had already seen some on rooftops, or others inert in the sewer mud, drowned. This kind of vision had always struck him to the core. How could people be so evil? How could they steal the lives of such pure creatures? But what had changed was that the cat was still alive. He could still save it. So he tried to approach, only making his hissing worse. He stayed back, his hands raised, to show him he wouldn't hurt him.
“I don’t wanna hurt ya, kitty.” He whispered softly, softly kneeling on the ground. He carefully took out something from his belt pocket. The cat hissed, making him flinch softly as he retrieved the little bag of beef jerky. Mikey had recently started to make some, and it became his favourite treat. He opened them very slowly, keeping his eyes on the cat. The little guy was sniffing the air, already smelling the food.
“Dat’s it. Easy.” He whispered softly, emptying the contents in his hand. He used the bag as a plate for the food to not touch the ground. The Turtle had to take a dozen steps back for the small animal to come forward and finally eat the food. Even if it was still on its guard, the little cat was happy to eat something, its tail raised and its ears upraised.
He felt the irrepressible need to take care of the animal. Raphael met the cat in secret several times after that day. He had done a lot of research to get it suitable food, as well as how to take care of a cat. He had even asked April to get it to the vet , making her promise not to tell his brothers. If they learned about it, he would die of shame. The young woman found it pretty strange at first, but did it anyway. He learned that she was a little female, approximately one year or so. This broke his heart. She was only a baby ! This strengthened his resolve to take care of her. Every day, he would get her some food he had snuck from dinner. He would also bring an old brush he had found somewhere to groom her fur. The little cat, that he had nicknamed Purrl, was becoming more and more comfortable with the huge terrapin. When he wasn’t in patrol, the red turtle would stay with the cat. His brothers found his behaviour extremely weird. He was less irritable, calmer. But they didn’t bother to ask him what was happening. As long as he was happy and safe, he could do what he wanted.
And one day, April addressed the elephant in the room :
“You can’t let her stay in the sewer like that.”
It was true that a box filled with old clothes wasn’t the ideal home for a cat as precious and cute as Purrl. But he wasn’t ready to bring her home yet. He was scared that his brothers would scare her away. What if Leo accidentally crushed her during practice ? What if Donatello tried to use her in some experiments ? What if Mickey intoxicated her by making her try his food ? He wasn’t ready to take the risk. But he had to do it, for her. For his Baby Purrl.
The day he brought her to the lair, he seemed to be extremely calm, holding the cat like a porcelain doll. The fur ball was purring, snuggled against his huge plastron. He could’ve been an adorable sight if he wasn’t scowling annoyingly.
“A’ight, guys. Dis is Purrl, my cat. She is stayin’ with us now.” His eyes were darting menacingly at each of his brothers. “Got it ?”
The three other turtles were astonished. When April had warned them that their brother would bring a ‘friend’ home, they thought that she was hinting at a partner. This would have made sense : why he would come back home late, how his eyes had softened. They were ready to welcome this mystery person, whoever it was. If they had succeeded in calming their brother, they must’ve been a miracle. But it was just a cat.
“She is adorable !” Beamed the youngest, leaping toward his hotheaded brother. “Can I pat her ?”
“Don’t you dare !” He snarled, clutching her closer to his chest.
Donatello and Leonardo were relieved. It was a cat. Just a cat. They didn’t even ask about her weird name. They just nodded.
“As long as you take good care of her.” He said in defeat.
And he did. He was crazy for this cat. He would always coo at her softly when no one was watching, caressing her with reverence. He had even knitted her a little shirt, for her to not get sick due to the Lair’s humidity.
She had become his new reason to fight. Of course, he fought to protect his family, his loved ones. But she was completely defenceless. And he would never let anyone hurt her.
Over time, he had become less overprotective. He let his brothers pet her if she allowed them, which happened more often than he would have liked.
“Mikey ! Get your filthy hands off Purrl before I cut them off!” He roared from the main area of the lair where he was training with some punching ball. His brother in orange was caressing the cat while cooking.
“Chill out, Raph ! I’m not doing anything wrong !” He protested as she gently licked his fingers.
“Ya are cookin’ rice ya idiot !” He barked, rushing to the kitchen. “Rice is cat’s poison !” His voice softened as he carefully took the ball of fur in his massive hands. She immediately started purring.
“Without mentioning that this is highly unsanitary.” Their smart brother shouted from his seat, sipping his beverage with a metal straw. The fuzzy drink made his mouth tingle. A satisfied groan escaped his mouth as he quickly moved his mouse, opening a new tab. He couldn’t help but click his tongue, almost overwhelmed by all of this new information. It was thrilling and scary at the same time. There were so many details to take into account; he couldn’t let himself miss even one of them. A street. People. Images from the police department. News reports. He analysed every one of them, humming thoughtfully.
“Is there something new, Donnie ?”
The genius shook his head, navigating between the different tabs.
“Aside from a little bit too much traffic at the Verrazano Bridge, everything is in order.” He opened a tab with CCTV to prove his point.
“An accident ?” Leonardo mused, leaning toward the screen.
“No. Just people being stupid, I guess.” He snarked, looking at another camera recording. “However, I noticed some stirring toward the Purple Dragon’s territory.” The videotape was showing an alley. Leonardo couldn’t tell where it was, but he immediately recognised the symbol painted on the brick wall. It was a purple spiral ending with a little streak. A rallying symbol.
“It’s still fresh. It wasn’t there yesterday.” He resumed. I think that they are plotting something.” He then presented a succession of videos showing the same symbol in different settings. Under a bridge, on the wall of an apartment, in a park. “They are obviously gathering people for something.” He leaned on his squeaky rolling chair. “I’m waiting for some police reports. They surely have something too.”
The leader in blue nodded, lightly hitting his brother’s shoulder in support.
“Thank you, Donnie.”
Then, they heard some familiar sound in the kitchen. Metals clanking and things being put on their wooden table. Michelangelo was putting on the table.
“I wish to keep searching for clues.” The purple turtle stated.
Usually, when they had the time to eat at the same time, they would all be scattered in their own part of the lair. Either that or all of them being squeezed in front of the TV. The rare occasion they would eat together was when April and Casey would come down to see them. But weirdly, they would all come together to appreciate Mikey’s food. They hadn’t planned it the first time it happened, yet it had come naturally. It had become a tradition. When Mikey was cooking, everyone would eat together. However, Leonardo knew not to bother his smart brother when he was in his bubble. He let him be, promising himself to bring him a plate later.
“No problem. Don’t forget to take a break.”
“I won’t.”
He totally would.
He went back to work, not paying attention to his surrounding any more. When he was working , time had a tendency to accelerate. Each time he was on a productive streak, time would bend to get shorter. A day would pass in a snap of a finger, and he wouldn’t even have noticed it.
How was he supposed to work correctly when the world itself was against him ? He didn’t have enough time. He never had enough time. He always had to be faster, more efficient , doing everything to maximize his researches. During the days, he would work on his inventions, repairing things that had been broken the night before. At exactly 4 P.M , he would focus on CCTV, and that that until the night was over. Sometimes, days would come quicker than expected. He would then take a quick nap and go at it again.
His brothers had tried to understand him, but it was impossible. None of them knew where his might came. Perhaps it came from the pounds of snacks he would eat every day, or some invention to minimise sleeping time. They didn’t know what was happening. However, they knew how unhealthy it was for him. They saw it in his huge dark circles, his hunched posture, his irritability. They had to help him somehow.
They had been trying to get him out of his lab, to strip his attention away from his huge screen. They succeeded twice before giving up. He was too stubborn for his own good, especially with his invention. Furthermore, they let him live in his own world, assuring that he would eat twice a day. Real meal, not sugary things.
“This time, it’s the one !” The youngest turtle exclaimed as he poured some rice into plates. The leader sat at the table.
“It smells very good.” He smiled, grabbing his fork. Raphael had carved them some forks after breaking all the ones they had.
“I know !” Michelangelo exclaimed. “I changed some little things. I put more salt in the broth to deepen the flavour. I also had some spices in the mushrooms and—”
Leonardo and Raphael glanced at each other. It was impossible to stop their younger brother when he was rambling about his cooking.
They heard a soft noise echoing in the lair. They didn’t even need to look away from their plates to understand what it was. It was their father, coming to eat with them. Silence fell on the room as the three brothers waited for their father to come to the table.
The old rat had become slower, his incredible speed disappearing under the weight of arthritis. He was less acute, his hearing dropping significantly. He didn’t tell his sons about it, obviously. He didn’t want to make them sad or anything, but they weren’t dumb. They could clearly see old age’s impact on their father. However, they never mentioned it, not in front of him.
It was with a heavy heart that they looked at him sitting, a little grimace appearing on his face.
“This smells very good, Mikey. He exclaimed, a big smile on his quivering lips. Then, his smile dropped as he planted his fork in the dish. “But… You don’t like mushrooms. Why are there mushrooms in it ?”
“I… My taste changed, I guess.” He explained, looking at his plate.
He had been eating mushrooms for months.
They started eating, forcing a light banter between them. They joked about how Mikey’s voice had deepened lately, on how Raphael had started to knit another outfit for Purrl, even on how Leonardo had started to quote random philosophers. But their heart wasn’t in it. It wasn’t like before.
“Your risotto is really good, Mikey.”
“Thanks, Dad ! I’m getting the hang of it, I guess.”
“Actually, it’s better than the one we ate at dis’ party.” Said Raphael in a muffled voice, his face stuffed with rice.
“Are you crazy ? It’s not even close !”
“Are ya’ kidding ? It’s delicious !” He defended, swallowing with a big gulp.
“Raph is right.” Leo nodded, finishing his plate with eagerness. “It’s the best thing I ever ate in my whole life !”
“Stop being nice, guys.” The younger turtle sighed, pushing a mushroom with his finger, defeated. “It’s still missing something. It’s not perfect.”
“Mikey. Ya’ rice is incredible ! Stop ya bullshit and just accept the compliment ! ”
“Raph… I don’t think that…”
“Shut it, Leo ! This rice is incredible ! He is a master of risotto !”
“He is, but… It’s not the best way to put it, you know.” He tried to explain. But the red turtle wasn’t having it. He couldn’t understand how his brother couldn’t see how amazing his cooking was. His obsession with that dish was worse than Donnie’s with This was damn frustrating to him.
“Guys ! Guys ! You have to see this !”
Donatello’s voice cut through the arguing. Leonardo immediately stood up. Mikey and Raphael got silent, looking away.
“What is happening, Donnie ?”
“There is going to be a big meeting tonight, at the docks. However, it’s not only the Purple Dragons. The Foot are going to be there too. The police don’t know at which exact place the meeting is going to take place. But I did some research, and everything is pointing to a dock in Brooklyn. More precisely, the Red Hook Dock, which is the perfect place for such an important gathering.”
They were looking at him with big eyes. The purple turtle’s mind had always been impressive, so impressive that they couldn’t understand how he managed to get theses informations.
“How do you know ?” The leader asked, his fingers gripping his chair.
“It has to be there.” He resumed, scrolling on his gauntlet. “It’s in the middle of the two territories. It’s huge. Both clans have a tendency to meet in big open areas at night, where there isn’t much surveillance. Red Hood Dock is the place they are going to meet tonight , I’m sure of it.” He adjusted his glasses that were sliding from his jittery movement to explain. “And if my calculations are correct, it should happen around 2 or 4 tonight. We have the time to go to patrol before the meeting.”
A big silence.
Donatello was a genius. His thoughts were already hours ahead, and their brothers knew it. That was the problem. He had been so anchored in the future lately, that the present was just a foreign concept to him. At first, they had found it useful. They never had to worry about missing any details or wondering if his plan B would work. Donnie already had seven different outcomes in his head, each one with two solutions. But it was taking a toll on him. It was becoming more and more difficult to see him so tired and obsessed about what could happen. He was chained in his projections, in his theories, and they couldn’t leave it like that. They had to do something. But he was so stubborn that it was impossible to knock some sense into him.
“Donnie… What did the police say?” The leader sighed, trying to keep calm.
“The police ? They don’t know about this. I just told you that I did all the calculations.” He looked back at his gauntlet, muttering under his breath.
Leonardo sighed, stretching his limbs. His brothers and father gave him their (soutinet), nodding.
This would be a tough conversation.
“What if you were wrong ?”
“What ?” He wasn’t paying attention to him, typing something on his holographic keyboard. He was searching for the coordinates of Red Hook Docks, as well as the best places to put hearing devices. His eyes were focused on the screen, straining from fatigue.
“What if your calculations and your theories…” He took a deep breath. “What if they were wrong ?”
That made him stop. He slowly raised his head, licking his lips. He didn’t say anything at first, as if he couldn’t express exactly what he wanted. Being scared that he was wrong was a thing, but doubting him like that was another. He couldn’t help but feel confused, vexed even. He exhaled shakily, frowning.
“I’m never wrong.”
He was right. That was the most annoying part of it. He really was never wrong.
“What’s the problem, Leo ? If you are scared that my calculations aren’t exact, I can run them again.” His head was already back on his gauntlet. He chuckled to himself. “The result won’t change though.”
“Donnie… It’s…” He groaned in frustration, taking a step toward his brother. "We can’t just take the risks to be discovered based on assumptions and theories.”
Assumptions ? Theories ? What was he implying ? Did he really think that he could be so careless ? After all of theses researches, Leo really thought that he was forgetting some elements ? He had used this technic for months now. Searching for hints alone, completing what he could with police’s files, and using his logic to find the correct place. It was always like that ! How could simple assumptions saved hundred of citizens in some weeks ? How could vague theories could have helped preventing terrorist attacks ?
He choose to stay calm. Temper would lead to nothing. He just needed to prove his point, as always.
“It’s not assumptions. I know it’s going to be there. It’s the only logical place.”
Leonardo's fists clenched, his jaw set. Raphael and Michelangelo looked at each other, then at their father. The old rat looked at his sons, still eating his rice. In the distance, the vibration of the subway.
“Donnie.. We can’t just barge there and… and what ? Stop the meeting ? There would be too many of them. And… And there’s the police in this sector; it’s not Chief Vincent’s squad. We can’t take the risk of more people knowing about us.”
“You don ‘t understand ! We have to go there ! It’s… » He ticked his tongue, pacing back and forth. His tone had changed. His confusion had turned into annoyance. « If you are scared of danger, we could… We could just go on patrol, and put some hearing devices to record their meeting. We don’t have to stay there. » His movement stopped as he turned toward his brother. « We need information about them; they are our enemies. They are dangerous.”
He knew that he was being pushy, it could feel it. But his brother should know how important this was ! He was the leader ! He should know that gathering information was strategic.
“Alright. Listen.” He listened carefully, bracing himself for his answer. “We are going to this place, and wait near until something happens. And if Chief Vincent gives you information about another place, we will go there.”
Donatello nodded, understanding his brother’s point. However, he couldn’t help but still feel a remnant of annoyance.
“There won’t be another place. It’s going to be there, trust me.”
Leonardo sighed as he looked at Donatello. In the last months, he had learned to see beyond the genius. He had learned to see past his thick glasses and skulls. He could see the stubbornness in his eyes. The way his forehead was covered with wrinkles. He was annoyed.
But there was something else, something he couldn’t pinpoint. What could it be ?
Lack of confidence ? Yeah. It probably was that. What could he do or say to make him feel better ? After some seconds of silence, he chose to stay honest with his brother.
“I trust you, Donnie. I really do.”
Donatello’s eyes settled on Leonardo’s, trying to decipher any hint of a lie. He didn’t found any. He sighed in relief.
“Thank you, Leo.”
They smiled at each other and Donatello actually sat with them to eat something.
Leonardo's shoulders relaxed, glancing at his other brothers. Raphael was inspecting his fork, as if nothing had happened. Mikey shrugged, sharing his relief. Their father was acting like verything was alright.
Again, I'm posting last month's prompt late. I just got back from an eight-day trip and needed to make some final touches. @thelaundrybitch took my suggestion for the prompt this time, so of course I had to write it!
Soulmates - red string of fate, soul marks, matching marks, first words, names, tethers. Or make up a new one!
In her words: Time to be souled to your favorite turt.
Special thanks to @adebauchedsloth for beta reading this monster and to everyone who helped me brainstorm ideas. I appreciate you all so much!
In my version, it is a red string of fate, and I have put my own twist on it. Our TOC is Donnie this time, he's the one my muses decided to stick to and there's no arguing with the muses. Our Reader is female, no use of y/n, and I tried to portray her so that most people could picture themselves as her.
Summary: Bound by strings of fate, humans have quietly accepted this as a normal part of life, something to look forward to, but for a certain bale of turtles, such a thing appears to be entirely unattainable. Especially Donnie, who has merely accepted that his fate will be one of solitude... until he sees something appear on his wrist. Something that shouldn't be there.
Warnings: Contains smut, all characters are aged up, 30+years old. 18+ minors DNI. Acts include oral, female receiving, penetrative (p in v) sex and descriptions of Donnie's different turtley anatomy. Also warning for minor SA to our reader including using a knife to threaten her.
If you enjoy my work please consider leaving a like, or comment or reblogging, thank you!
In this world of modern living, where everything has changed so quickly and people rely on science-based explanations for life’s mysteries, one unexplained phenomenon remained constant: that all people were connected, bound by shining strings of fate that would suddenly appear on their wrists, leading them to the one they were meant to be with. It was a mystery that had long confounded science, yet no one could deny its existence.
It was not a perfect process no, rarely anything in life was. The string had the danger of being cut or torn away as a direct result of your life choices. Fate was merely a guiding hand; humans maintained their full autonomy in all matters of their existence, as they always have. Mistress Fate had standards and intervened only when absolutely necessary.
A mass murderer, for instance, would lose their fate string as punishment for crimes against humanity. The same would be true for anyone with true evil in their hearts. Most people lived by the unspoken agreement that a life well-lived would be rewarded. The fate string was akin to a legend, whispered among the people but never truly spoken aloud.
Some people waited their entire lives for a string to show up, while others had theirs as long as they could remember. There were individuals who crossed oceans and traversed their entire country for the chance to meet their soulmate, and those who thought otherwise. Whether it be from fear or an unwillingness to uproot themselves from their current lives, some never acted on that chance to find true love. Change could be a frightening thing, after all, and settling into familiar patterns was sometimes easier than facing the unknown. Most, however, ran headfirst into the proverbial ocean of chance, eager to follow their string at whatever the cost.
For a certain bale of mutant turtles, however, their existence in the game was not foretold. They were an anomaly, a perfect example of what one could only describe as a ‘happy accident’.
They were neither human nor animal; it made sense that none had received their fate strings and likely never would. As the brothers approached their thirtieth year, the cold, hard truth would further cement itself in their subconscious.
Mikey had taken it the hardest. Initially, he’d loved the idea that someone, somewhere, might be waiting for him, but with each passing year, the hope he’d been clinging to had steadily dimmed. He’d been so sure that by the time he hit thirty, his string would appear. On the morning of his thirtieth birthday, he’d quietly emerged from his room to explain to his brothers that he hadn’t felt up to celebrating that day.
The cruel mistress of Fate herself had seemingly decided that he and his brothers would be exempt from this whole soulmate business.
Leo had remained nonplussed; after all, he was motivated by duty, honour-bound to protect the city, and accepting his lot in life for what it was. It gave him purpose, stepping up when needed, especially when their father had fallen ill. The old rat had grown frail and weak in an alarmingly short amount of time.
Before he passed, he’d called his sons to him to impart one last piece of advice.
Do not lose hope, my sons. My story has come to an end, but yours are just beginning. Think not of what fate has denied you; instead, you must focus on what she can give. She may yet surprise you.
It was a difficult time; their father was cremated, and his ashes were released during a pilgrimage to the place of his birth—Japan. The Brothers had all gone to pay their respects in the land where cherry blossoms were plentiful and the air was as fresh and sweet as the petals that gently danced in the breeze.
Mikey had at least perked up a little in the months following his death and had even begun to reclaim some of the hope he’d lost. He’d taken to serenading his brothers with a carefully curated playlist of uplifting songs—ones that emphasised leaving love up to chance. Although it drove his brothers nuts, they never stopped him. There was a silent, collective agreement to let Mikey be Mikey. They saw little purpose in trying to ground him in reality, and by allowing him to retain this spark, they paved the way for his smiles and positivity to return.
Raph knew better, though. He’d fully accepted the fact that no stupid string of fate was going to show up on his wrist. They weren’t human, so why would it? Better not to hope for something so pointless.
Donnie viewed this phenomenon through an analytical lens of common sense. By all accounts, it made little sense for him and his brothers to be included in this.
Living underground, hiding, burrowed beneath an unforgiving city where there was no such thing as true love. He could be content with that; after all, he and his brothers weren’t made for this world- why would this be any different?
So sure that the string of fate would be an impossibility, the day it did show up, he thought he was hallucinating.
“I’m not supposed to have this.”
*****
Your string of fate was a conundrum, pointing in confusing directions ever since it had appeared five years ago, red, shining, and pulsing with life, occasionally carrying the hint of an emotion. Though it was distant and did not affect your daily life, you could sense how the other person was feeling. Sadness, anger, and happiness seemed to be the most prevalent, a sure sign that you were connected to this person, but it was the direction that confused you.
No matter where you’d gone in the city, your string stubbornly refused to move, always pointing down and, on some occasions, pointing straight up as though your soulmate possessed a pair of wings.
“He’s not human,” you’d muttered the last time your string had changed direction, pointing at an unnatural angle. Impossible to follow. You had to assume this was why they’d never looked for you.
This was just one of the reasons why you hadn’t tried to seek out whoever or whatever lay on the other side of that string either. Not only were you in a committed relationship, but you also lacked the courage to take part in such an endeavour.
Your partner had not received his string and had been content in believing that you hadn’t received yours either. You hadn’t told him; instead, you’d bought into the notion that many had fallen into that hadn’t received their string or chose to ignore it. Abject contentment. Settling. Acceptance for a life that was good enough but not fulfilling in the way having a soulmate would bring.
Taking into account that the recipient of your string seemed superhuman, you also couldn’t bear the thought of hurting your partner. He wasn’t a bad person; he treated you kindly, was supportive as a long-term partner should be, and seemed happy with you. This was why you were sure your relationship would stand the test of time, and yet, sometimes, in quiet moments when he hadn’t noticed you yet, you saw otherwise: his vacant gaze staring out into the city, a subtle glance at his wrist, and a quiet sigh of longing. A distant hope that someday his fate string would show up.
You really shouldn’t have been surprised by how quickly he’d left you the moment it showed up. Within twenty-four hours of its appearance, he’d packed his things, quit his job, and thrown away all five years you’d spent together with nothing more than a hastily applied kiss and a poorly worded goodbye. He was gone, and you were alone.
It took you a full five minutes to stop staring at the door, still in a good amount of shock from the recent course of events. So surprised, you were unable to even cry for a minute, a few angry tears slipping down your cheeks as you glanced out at the equally tumultuous sky, distant thunder rumbling as a precursor to an oncoming storm.
With your lip trembling, you wiped your cheeks, wondering why you’d been so naïve to think he’d stay. Of course, the string of fate would usurp anything the two of you had built together.
You were nothing compared to a soulmate, you thought bitterly, bound to be alone eventually. Yours couldn’t even be bothered to come find you, after all.
As lightning flashed, cracking across the distant clouds, the string on your wrist pulsed, a gentle reminder that you weren’t alone. It remained steadfast and true, flashing with life, pointing out into the city. That’s right, you’d almost forgotten.
If you were honest with yourself, you did want it. For a long time, you’d felt a deep ache, an emptiness that had nothing to do with your recent breakup. A sense that you’d never truly be whole as long as you refused to follow the path. Your soulmate was out there, somewhere, and maybe this was the push you needed.
Suddenly, your apartment felt too small, too suffocating to stay in, sad and dark with the absence of warmth and comfort that it used to have when your partner was there.
Fuck it. You had nothing to lose, and if they weren’t going to find you, then you swiftly made the decision to find them, no matter where the stupid string was pointing.
After making sure you were properly dressed and packing a small bag with a change of clothes for yourself, you left. The storm was closer now, rumbling in warning, but you were determined; this time, you were going to be brave.
*****
Over the past five years since his string had appeared, Donnie had somewhat obsessively thrown himself into researching the phenomenon of fate and was no closer to explaining how or why it existed. There was no scientific basis for what could safely be described as a series of small miracles, and Donnie didn’t believe in miracles.
He took stock of what could be recorded and measured, something he could apply the scientific method to in order to make sense of it. This string did not conform to any of it. He was inclined to ignore it, to refuse to acknowledge its existence because he could not explain it. This proved to be extremely difficult, and worst of all, he could feel their moods transferred through the damn string like a telephone wire.
Generally, the string remained neutral, but on occasion, the warmth of happiness and contentment would bleed through, calming him instantly and making him want to pause and bask in the feeling. However, when he felt anger or sadness, he fought the urge to toss his insecurities aside, find whatever was creating those feelings, and get rid of it. Ignoring the string at moments like this left him unsettled and restless until the feeling passed.
With a stark realization, it was easy to deduce that if he could feel their emotions, they could feel his as well. From that moment on, he did his best to stay as neutral as possible.
He never told his brothers. He’d seen Mikey’s despair and didn’t want to spark jealousy or worse: hope for something that might never happen for Mikey. Leo and Raph didn’t need to know either; no point in stirring up something that was unnecessary to discuss.
When he could no longer find ways to explain how or why he had it, he recorded what he could, documenting the pattern of the string, taut and pointing straight up, revealing this individual’s daily walks through life.
The pattern would repeat on weekdays, likely outlining the commute to work and back home. On weekends, it varied, but whoever this person was, they mostly stayed close to home. He could recall one time when the string stretched diagonally across the city and beyond, a sure sign they’d travelled far.
His hesitation to follow the string stemmed largely from a deeply rooted fear of rejection. The thought that they might take one look at him and refuse to believe their mate was a giant, freakishly tall mutant turtle haunted him. He also hated the idea of disturbing whoever it was. Statistics suggested they were likely in an established relationship with someone else, and tearing them away from that made him feel physically ill.
No, he had to think about it and consider all the variables before he went ahead and found this person. Unfortunately, pondering this notion had turned into nearly a year and a half of doing absolutely nothing.
Perhaps it was pure curiosity or his constant thirst for knowledge that drove him to finally take a chance. Regardless, he’d still needed to build himself up to go above-ground for that search to commence.
His intent had been innocent enough, just a glance to see who lay on the other side of this pesky string on his wrist. He’d followed it to a modest apartment building not too far from his own home. There, he kept his distance, set his goggles to binocular mode, and could easily see straight into the apartment window. It was a decision he regretted immediately, for what he saw only confirmed the fears he’d been grappling with for months. There was his mate, beautiful and shining like the sun…in the arms of another, laughing and smiling. She looked…happy.
So, his intuition had been correct, and for once, he was cursing himself for always searching for answers and poking his nose into things he should’ve damn well left alone. The price of knowledge in this case was a sobering reminder that he was always meant to be alone.
He saw no good reason to pursue the matter any further. After all, he’d thought bitterly, why would she choose to be with him when she could be with someone normal?
What he didn’t see upon leaving, however, was you quickly turning to look out of that very window, your expression sad and contemplative, for that was the closest your mysterious partner had ever gotten and you could feel everything, especially the turmoil of thoughts that had to be present, leaving you unsettled and wondering what just happened.
From that moment on, Donnie had decided to bury himself in his work. He was so set on forgetting and moving forward that he refused to look up anything pertaining to the woman he’d seen. He could have very easily hacked into the apartment building manifest to see its occupants, but even just knowing her name would only add to his suffering. Better just to drop the idea completely and move forward with his life.
His resolve had stayed strong for a whole five years since his string had appeared, until the night he felt it pulse violently, shocking him out of whatever task he’d been absorbed in. Something was wrong: ever since this stubborn string had appeared, he’d felt many things, but never real fear.
Donnie stood so abruptly that his well-worn office chair shot back against his workbench, loud enough to alert his brothers.
Before they could emerge to question him, he had already gone.
*****
You’d been on the streets for nearly an hour, steadily following the path. Still pointing down, the string acted like a compass, leading you exactly where you needed to be. You’d never realized it before, but it was almost as if it needed to know you’d finally decided to embrace what was essentially your destiny.
Instinctively, you knew exactly where to turn, walking with purpose towards your intended goal. If only the weather conditions were more ideal. Rain slaked down around you, darkness blanketing the city as the sun had set over an hour ago, but at the very least, the thunder and lightning had ceased. Weather aside, you expected this to be difficult. The danger was very real for those who decided to attempt their long journey in the dark of the night.
However, with great risk came great reward they said, and it was moments like this that tested your faith and how brave you could be.
Your string was now pointing down an alleyway, and while you were so absorbed in your search, you nearly ran into a questionable group of individuals blocking the entrance.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I was just—” you stammered, but they’d seen what you were doing and knew exactly where you were headed. Then a large hand clamped down on your shoulder.
“Oh, we know exactly who you’re planning to see, sweet thing. Too bad you’ll never get the chance to meet him.”
String-Rippers, you suspected, the cold rush of fear invading your senses and causing you to panic. Those who had either lost their strings or never received them. Bitter people with darkness in their hearts and vengeance on their minds. This self-proclaimed group aimed to find people in the process of searching for their person and to prevent them from ever meeting them in the worst possible way. Scorned by the Goddess of Fate herself, these people were full of rage and predatory intent.
“Don’t worry, we’re not gonna kill you…yet, we’re just gonna take a little taste of what you have to offer.”
“Then, we’ll kill you,” the other one chimed in with a tone that sounded much too pleased for your liking.
No, no, no, no, no! Your heart leaped into your throat as they dragged you further into the alley. With three of them and one of you, there was little chance you’d get out of this unscathed. The only course of action you could hope to take was to look at that damn string on your wrist and try to send a message, because whoever was on the other end would never hurt you. You somehow knew this.
If you’re listening, if you’re there, help me, please!
Donnie had never run so fast in his life. He’d gotten the message. The pulsing of the string on his wrist grew stronger, more urgent, as a fresh wave of fear poured through him. He could feel it more intensely the closer he got.
Finally reaching the ladder and manhole cover that he’d need, his string was pointing straight up, pulsating rapidly. His mate was right above him; he was almost there.
That’s when he heard her scream.
The three men had you cornered, crowding you with their imposing frames and leering stares. One of them pulled a switchblade from his pocket, the blade glinting menacingly in the harsh electric light. The one closest to you began ripping at your clothing while you fought hard to stop him, even though you were outnumbered. You scratched, kicked, and even tried to bite if the opportunity presented itself. You were not going to make this easy for them; you’d rather die than let him violate you like this.
Finally, growing impatient with your unruly display, the one with the switchblade growled in frustration and slashed the knife across your cheek. By a timely movement of your head, the sharp edge of the knife did less damage than your assailant had intended, but the sudden sting of the graze caused you to freeze.
“Bitch, that’s enough!”
Warm liquid began to ooze slowly from the wound as you stood, quivering with fear.
Satisfied that he’d secured your compliance, he motioned to the other two to finish what he’d started.
They began to pull at your jeans, trying to shove them down your hips. They were almost successful, having gotten the zipper down and just about to proceed when an absolutely menacing growl emanated from the shadows far back in the alley, causing them to pause.
It was him!
“Step. Away. From. Her.” He spoke, intent on sounding as threatening as possible.
The supposed leader sneers, motioning to his lackeys to draw hidden weapons in preparation for an impending fight.
“Who the fuck are you? Trying to be a hero?” he scoffed.
Donnie menacingly stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself, his next words delivered with deadly conviction. “For her, yes. For you, your worst nightmare.”
The three men did appear taken aback by the appearance of this tall, nonhuman, turtle…man? They even looked slightly intimidated for a moment.
For you, it was as if the air had been sucked from your lungs as you stared. The string on your wrist pulsed wildly, pointing to him. The string on his wrist was doing the same, only towards you. Nothing had prepared you for how it would feel to finally reach this moment. To feel such relief and elation, and the immediate need to go to him. Everything clicked into place: why you could never make sense of where your string led and why he never ventured out to find you. He probably thought you’d never accept him, but to actually see him? He was truly a magnificent sight to behold. Even the rain had decided to let up at that moment, allowing you to see him clearly.
He was about to kick some serious ass on your behalf.
The tall turtleman seemed to be wielding a long wooden staff with some kind of tech modification at the end that crackled with electricity.
All at once, your captors released you and rushed at him. You quickly took the opportunity to adjust your clothing and pressed the sleeve of your hoodie against the cut on your cheek, wincing in pain but hoping the added pressure would help slow the bleeding. For a moment, you worried you might need stitches, but the battle unfolding before you had drawn your full attention.
You watched the turtleman move with practiced grace and athleticism, perfectly dodging their attacks while delivering incapacitating blows laced with electric shocks. Those three men didn’t stand a chance against him. Within what seemed like seconds, all were unconscious, and you were left staring in wonder as he retracted the weapon into itself and tucked it into his belt.
He approached you carefully, stepping toward you, almost as if you were a wounded animal that might bolt at any moment from fear, but you weren’t afraid.
Instead, you felt a deep sense of peace, coupled with soaring hope and acceptance. He looked extremely nervous, licking his lip and drawing a shaky breath. Funny, really, that this encounter was more anxiety-inducing than taking down three armed men.
He cleared his throat, his tongue poking out nervously as he spoke. “A-are…you okay? Don’t be afraid…I’m…your…I’m Donatello.” You saw his tongue dart out again as he continued, regret showing on his face. “I…understand you’ve been waiting a long time for me.”
“Yes…” You whispered, telling him your name. “You’re not the only one to blame…I hadn’t exactly been trying to find you either. I just decided it was time.” You let out a rueful laugh, still holding your cheek. “I picked a bad time to start looking, apparently.”
With the lighting of the alley being dim at best, it was difficult to make out his facial features, but he wore a thick pair of tortoise-shell glasses and a band of purple fabric over his eyes. He was shirtless, aside from a pair of suspenders holding up tan cargo pants and large, heavy-looking leather combat boots on his feet. There were wraps around both forearms, and a tech device rested on his right. His weapon had been slipped into a belt that wrapped snugly around his shell and across his chest, and he had a backpack as well. He was so tall.
Donatello took you in as well, immediately zeroing in on your covered cheek and the presence of blood staining the sleeve of your hoodie.
“Are you hurt?” At your nod, he suddenly looked very concerned and slowly reached for you, “May I take a look?”
Gingerly, you lowered your hand, wincing at the sensation of peeling the fabric away from the slightly oozing wound on your face. “One of them cut me when I was fighting them.”
For a moment, he looked upset, a brief flash of anger in his eyes as he drew a controlled breath and released it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. Let me. I can take care of that.”
“It’s…it’s okay. It’s my fault for walking late at night, and—”
He cut you off with a shake of his head, while bringing his large hand to carefully cradle your cheek so he could see. “No, it’s not. I should’ve—”
The moment his hand made contact with your skin, you both gasped. His touch was like fire, the kind that burns with passion, and your fate strings glowed hotly, pulsing once and then disappearing. It was as though the act of touching each other was the catalyst that finally made the strings retreat, still present but no longer visible.
“Whoa…” Donnie breathed, keeping his hand there with an expression of pure reverence. “It really is you…”
You had tears in your eyes as you choked out an answer. “Yes…finally…”
He stroked your uninjured cheek with deep affection, looking you in the eyes with a softness reserved only for you. “Why did I wait so long when I could’ve had you years ago?” he knew why, but still felt this deep-seated regret from not even entertaining the notion of what could have been.
You blinked back a few tears, wincing as they made contact with the torn flesh on your cheek. “We’re both idiots.” You laughed haltingly, wiping your eyes with your other sleeve.
The slight pain in your expression had him reluctantly take his hand away and swing his backpack off so he could rifle through it. Pulling out a small white box, he guided you to sit on an old wooden crate while he knelt in front of you. He cleaned your cut and secured it with butterfly bandages, his long fingers gentle and precise as he cupped your chin again, angling your head gently to survey his work.
“There…luckily it wasn’t too deep. I have some cream back at the lair that should keep it from scarring; we just have to—” he stopped, realizing you had no idea what he was rambling on about.
It was easy to forget that the two of you had just met and knew next to nothing about each other. “Where is the lair? What is the lair? Your home?” you asked, three questions in quick succession, then stopped him before he could answer. “Wait, it’s underground, isn’t it?”
“Yes…but if you’re not ready, we don’t have to go down there. I…honestly don’t know how all of this is supposed to work,” he said, chuckling softly.
Considering your options, you’d rather not return to your lonely apartment that still held memories of your recent ex, and his ‘lair’ did fill you a sense of intrigue.
“I’ll go,” you said calmly, watching Donatello look surprised by your choice. “I need to see why my string was always pointing down to the ground.”
“Okay,” he answered, relieved. “It’s not far from here; we will need to go down into the sewers, so I apologize in advance for the smell. I’ve installed a state-of-the-art air filtration system, so everything will smell a whole lot better once we get there.”
With that, he moved to a heavy manhole cover you had just noticed was left ajar. Donatello lifted it as if it weighed nothing, gesturing for you to come over.
“So,” he began, “climb down first and I’ll follow after you; just wait for me at the bottom.
Nodding, you moved to the ladder, accepting his help as his large hand took yours and held on until you’d disappeared below the ground. When you were halfway down, you heard him slip the cover back into place, climbing down after you.
It was almost pitch black when your feet finally touched the ground, and you felt a shiver of fear in the unfamiliar territory. There were a few yellow electric lights in the distance, but none where you stood.
“It’s alright.” His quiet voice sounded as he climbed the rest of the way down. “Nothing to fear, I’ll guide you there safely.”
His assurance was calming, and you turned to him once you heard his boots touch down on the smooth bricked floor. It was then that you realized you’d never thanked him for saving you, and you quickly said, “Thanks, Donatello.”
“Oh, please call me Donnie, or Don if you prefer, Leo is the only one who uses my full name when he’s in lecture mode…Mikey does sometimes too when he’s being annoying...” he rambled, forging on ahead with you following next to him.
“Leo?” you questioned, causing him to slow down while turning to look at you again.
“Oh, right, you don’t know, um, Leo and Mikey are my brothers. I live with them.”
“Oh…” You were not expecting brothers. Surprised at this turn of events, you hadn’t thought there might be others like him. “Just the three of you?”
“Four, actually,” he corrected, gently. “I also have a brother called Raphael, or Raph.” He drew out a soft breath as he paused a moment. “They’re…going to be really surprised to see you.”
“Do none of them have…” The term you were searching for hung in the air as you grasped for it from your scrambled mind. “Partners? Mates?”
“No… as far as I’m aware, I’m the only one who managed to get a fate string,” he said quietly, continuing to lead. “And I didn’t tell them because… well, I wasn’t sure this was going to work out for me.”
His admission tugged at your heartstrings, and you found yourself reaching for his hand, brushing your fingertips against his unique, scaled skin. “I understand,” you whispered, hoping he’d accept your offer with your hand next to his.
Donnie gave you a brief but genuine smile as he took your hand in his, holding it tightly throughout your trek. It felt comforting and warm, the connection filling you with a sense of calm.
“Thank you,” he said. “Please don’t take their initial reactions personally; we don’t have much interaction with other humans, so they may be slow to trust…except Mikey, but he’ll be…”
He stopped, and you felt a flash of guilt through your connection. You decided not to pry, confident everything would be explained once he brought you into his home.
“I’m looking forward to meeting them,” you replied, trying to sound reassuring.
Donnie seemed satisfied with that and continued guiding you through the damp, dimly lit tunnels beneath the city. True to his word, the rest of the journey was uneventful, with nothing jumping out to scare you. The smell wasn’t that bad; it was mostly wet and earthy, with a hint of something oily or industrial.
Upon arrival, it looked like every other tunnel you’d been through, nothing to suggest a lair was present. Donnie explained that their entrance was hidden for their safety and revealed a hidden panel in the wall. A code was punched in, and you jumped back slightly as the wall itself opened right in front of you.
“Welcome,” he said, leading you in and closing the entrance behind you.
All you could do was stare, wide-eyed, at his home. It was incredible, larger than you had thought it would be, with all the common areas of a home: kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and other rooms you could not yet see.
There was little time to appreciate it, as the brothers he’d told you about almost immediately decided to make themselves known.
“Don,” a sharp but cool voice said. “Where did you rush off to in such a…” His slightly shorter brother, wearing a blue mask, entered the room and fell silent at the sight of you. His deep blue gaze hardened for a moment before he addressed his brother again. “Who is this?”
Before he could answer, another turtleman walked in from a different direction. His body bulged with muscle, and he wore an expression of both confusion and distrust, along with a mask of red. You shivered slightly in his presence; he oozed intimidation, and you felt Donnie take your hand again.
“Who’s she?” he asked in a low voice.
Now a little flustered, Donnie tried to speak again when the third brother bounced into the room. He seemed much friendlier, positively vibrating with energy. “Yoooo, who’s this? Didja rescue a new friend, D?”
Donnie let out a harsh breath, never releasing your hand, and finally able to address his brothers. “She’s my…soulmate,” he said, holding up your clasped hands, where the invisible string of fate still connected you both.
All three showed varying degrees of shock at the sudden news. Leo was the first to recover, nodding to Donnie and you, then approaching you both and extending his hand in greeting. He didn’t question it; instead, he chose acceptance, knowing Donnie would never make such a claim unless he was absolutely sure. “Welcome to our home.”
You took his hand while letting go of Donnie’s, told him your name, and confirmed what Donnie had just said. His brother introduced himself as Leo or Leonardo and said either was fine to use.
The Red one approached next, but he didn’t bother to shake your hand; instead, he introduced himself as Raph and quietly bid you welcome before disappearing.
The last one, ‘Mikey,’ whom you identified by process of elimination, said nothing. Along with shock, his expression showed apparent betrayal and sadness. He left the room abruptly, turning towards his own bedroom and closing the door behind him.
Donnie winced, turning to you with an apologetic look. “Um, sorry about him. He just needs some time. It’s not you.” He took your hand again, leading you somewhere else to explain further.
It was a large room with an automatic sliding door he must’ve installed at some point. Inside, a large computer station and workbenches filled with tools and unfinished projects. Your soulmate liked to tinker, it seemed. The doors slid shut, and Donnie clicked a button to lock them, sealing you both away from his nosy brothers.
“Mikey was the one who believed in it the most. He was so sure he’d get a string and was crushed when he never got one,” Donnie explained.
This broke your heart. No wonder Mikey had left; it hurt to know you were indirectly the cause of this, and there was nothing you could do to fix it.
Still, you apologized. “I’m sorry…”
“It’s not your fault,” Donnie said, giving your hand a squeeze. “He’ll be alright. I’m sure he’ll be up bright and early, ready to apologize to you.”
You nodded, still feeling a bit guilty for inadvertently upsetting him. So many things were on your mind: your ex leaving, the thunderstorm, being attacked, meeting Donnie, and being in his home with his brothers. It was almost too much. Your brain felt like an old computer struggling to load Windows 95.
“Hey…” Donnie said, gently squeezing your hand again to pull you out of your thoughts. “Let’s just get you cleaned up. I’ll find something to eat and a place to sleep.”
“Okay.” You said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s start with that.”
Attached to the lab were Donnie’s bedroom and an attached bathroom, handy and convenient. He gave you some privacy to change and shower if you needed to. You were grateful to peel off your wet jacket and bloodstained sweatshirt, shower, and change into the dry clothes you’d packed. When you peeked out, you found Donnie sitting at his computer and noted the chair he sat in. It was made from skateboards and its unique curving design accommodated his large, curved shell.
He turned to look, smiling as you emerged fresh from the shower and looking a little more human.
“I got you something to eat if you’re hungry. I’m sorry I’m not much of a cook; that’s more Mikey’s area,” he said, showing you a plate with a sandwich and some chips.
You smiled a little shyly and replied, “That’s perfect, and I am hungry.”
There was a conveniently placed stool beside him for you to sit on. His thoughtfulness was appreciated as you began to eat quietly and observe what he was doing. It was no surprise that Donnie delighted in explaining his interests and the projects he was currently working on. You were astounded at how smart he was and got the complete lowdown on his origin story, how he and his brothers came to be, and what his life was like growing up as a mutant turtle.
It was almost regrettable to tell him you were tired, because you just wanted to hear him talk more. His voice was calming, a perfect blend of softness and a slightly nerdy lilt that was adorable.
Donnie moved to walk you to his room, intent on letting you have the bed and taking the cot in his lab just in case you weren’t ready to share a bed with him yet. At first, you took him up on the offer, slipping into bed and trying to let sleep take hold, but it felt wrong. With your connection holding strong, you couldn’t ignore that Donnie needed to be in that bed with you.
The lab was dark, with only the hum of his electronics breaking the silence, making it feel both calm and slightly eerie. You could faintly make out his dark silhouette on the cot, his shell facing out, and for a moment you nearly abandoned the idea of asking him to join you.
“Donnie?” you quietly called.
You heard him shift, turning over in the cot, making the springs squeak as he went to a sitting position. It was a movement that told you he hadn’t fallen asleep either.
“Everything okay?” he asked, standing and heading toward you.
His feet and torso were bare, and he’d traded his cargo pants for a pair of grey sweatpants.
You swallowed, gathering your courage. “I couldn’t sleep…I was wondering if we could…cuddle for a bit?”
He answered with a bit too much enthusiasm for his liking, but it made you smile. “Yeah! Yeah, I mean, of course we can… anything if it’ll help you sleep.” He stepped in behind you and gestured for you to get into bed first.
You did, slipping under the covers with your heart thumping in nervous excitement. Donnie entered behind you, shifting to lie on his side while inviting you to cuddle up against him.
“Is this okay?” he asked softly while moving his arm to slide around your middle.
“Yes…” You cuddled against him as the small spoon in this equation, feeling instantly calmer. He’d moved his arm up so you could lie on the pillow with his bicep above you. You tucked your head under his chin, and you felt him inhale the scent of your hair and tighten his grip on you slightly.
This felt right. He belonged right here, next to you with you in his arms. Sleep came easily after that, and you woke feeling infinitely better. Your cheek still throbbed slightly, but it was healing, and you felt comfortably warm and relaxed, still in his embrace.
Donnie still appeared to be asleep, except now both of his arms were wrapped around you, and his breath came in soft puffs against your hair. You were content to let him keep holding you until he finally woke, but the pressure in your bladder said otherwise. As carefully as you could, you tried to extricate yourself from his arms without waking him.
He snorted once, adorably, but otherwise stayed asleep, shifting so he was lying back on his shell. Quietly, you padded to the bathroom to relieve yourself and have a drink of water from the sink. Glancing up at the mirror, you noticed the cut on your cheek still looked a little angry, but you otherwise looked okay. You took a moment to smooth your hair and seriously considered brushing your teeth, just in case he was awake and… wait, what were you thinking? He barely knew you. There was little chance he’d want to kiss you yet, right?
Deciding to brush your teeth later, you returned to his quiet room and admired its simplicity for a moment. His bed was very large, no doubt to accommodate how ridiculously tall he was. There was a bookcase stacked with all kinds of books, including an encyclopedia set, books with older, worn spines bound in leather, and newer ones mostly on different sciences. He’d grouped them by author and type rather than strictly by author, just like a library would. The room was clean and minimalist; you surmised he was only in here to read or sleep, preferring to spend most of his time in his lab.
Donnie still appeared to be asleep when you approached the bed. Still half on his shell, he now had one long arm slung over his middle and the other curled around his head. The covers had been pushed down, leaving his entire chest exposed, and you could see that the waistband of his sweatpants hung lower than it had last night. You were immediately drawn to his exposed torso, including the front of his hips, and how the muscle dipped beneath the fabric in a very aesthetically pleasing V. Wait, there’s a term for those muscles. Your brain scrambled to find it as you were mesmerized by the perfection. It came to you a second later—the Adonis belt! Fitting, for he was quite possibly the most beautiful man you’d ever laid eyes on.
His entire body was long and packed with lean muscles, honed by years of training. With a flash of shame, you averted your gaze, feeling the stirrings of arousal from just looking at him.
Wait, he was your mate, right? You needed to remind yourself that it was okay to look at him and admire his body. As you slowly drew your gaze back, starting with his impossibly long legs and moving up to his beautifully toned upper body, you jumped back with a squeak of surprise. His lovely hazel eyes were open, staring at you, and he looked highly amused.
“S-sorry!” you stammered, turning around immediately, your face aflame with embarrassment. Donnie chuckled deeply from behind you, saying your name and telling you to turn around.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just… interesting to be the object of admiration, especially to someone as pretty as you.”
Oh, that was very smooth. You turned to see he was in a more reclined position, propped up by the many mismatched pillows on his bed for comfort.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, finding his glasses and slipping them on his face.
“I did, actually, really well.” Now that the embarrassment had faded, it felt awkward to stand there with him still in bed. You badly wanted to go back and be in his arms again. After just a taste of what being with him could offer, you were craving his closeness, and he seemed to be watching you with a curious expression, waiting to see what you’d do.
Slowly, you inched your way over to him while still making conversation. “Did you? Sleep well, that is.”
“Best sleep I’ve had in a long time,” he replied, trying to keep his tone light and neutral, though he was highly amused. When you got close enough, he reached for your hand and gently pulled you in.
Your knees hit the mattress first, and you scrambled to avoid landing completely on top of him. Donnie just laughed softly and tucked you against his side, throwing the covers over your bare legs and pressing his snoot against your hair again. You felt him inhale deeply, his large chest flexing as the plates expanded, then settling back down as he exhaled.
“You can cuddle with me any time you want,” he said, rubbing gentle circles into your arm.
As you settled in, calm on the surface, your mind was whirling; you had so many questions and were unsure if you’d have the nerve to ask them all.
Donnie made it easy, though, his calm energy flooding you through your connection and giving you the courage you needed.
“Donnie?” you asked and he hummed in response, prompting you to continue. “Do we just…jump right into the relationship? Should we just start all of that physical stuff too?”
His chest rumbled as he spoke. “I think… we just go with how we feel. We can do whatever we want, but if you’re asking what I think about it all, I’d like to date you, court you properly. Just because we’re ‘soulmates’ doesn’t mean we need to automatically be boyfriend/girlfriend.”
You felt infinitely calmer, something he noticed as he hugged you a little more tightly. “I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with,” he finished. “So, please don’t worry about that.”
“I’m not uncomfortable. I feel very safe here.” You said, honest with your words.
Donnie was quiet for a moment, breathing calmly, his chest rising and falling beneath your head as he rubbed your bare shoulder. You were flooded with warmth when he pressed a soft kiss to your head.
“Good.” He shifted a little, inhaling again, “Mikey is cooking breakfast, but I’m finding it hard to leave the bed.”
You couldn’t help but laugh softly. Although you felt the pull to stay with him and cuddle a little longer, you felt the need to apologize to his brother and clear the air, if that was even possible.
“I should talk to your brother.” You moved to get up, feeling Donnie release you with a hint of reluctance.
“You don’t have to. I can speak with him.” Donnie had moved to stand behind you, his presence warm and solid, like a wall of comfort.
Damn, he was tall. You turned to look back at him and had to look up to meet his gaze. “I’d like to try. If it doesn’t go well, you can talk to him.”
“Alright.” His fingertips brushed against the small of your back. “I’ll hang back then.”
You nodded and picked out a few new items of clothing to wear before slipping into the bathroom. It felt a bit silly to get dressed in there instead of with Donnie, but baby steps, you supposed. Plus, you needed to brush your teeth and fix your hair.
Donnie was dressed in a familiar pair of khaki pants when you emerged, having gathered up your dirty clothing into a pile.
“Oh, I can do that.” You reached for the bloodstained clothing, embarrassed that he was seeing it, and figured it was beyond saving when he stopped you, gently placing his hand on yours.
“I got it. We’re quite adept at removing bloodstains from clothing.” He cleared his throat. “For…obvious reasons.”
“Alright, thank you.” You smiled gratefully because you really did like that hoodie. “Okay, I’ll…see you in there.”
“Be there in a minute,” he assured you, following behind you but turning down a different hallway to take care of the laundry while you found your way to the kitchen.
Donnie’s brother was indeed in there, softly humming to a Bob Marley song as he flipped pancakes in the pan with effortless ease. Though you were trying to enter quietly, he still turned to see who was entering his space. He was so surprised he yelped, and the pancake he was cooking launched into the air and landed with a plop right at your feet.
You both just stared for a moment with Mikey looking mortified and about to apologize, but then you snerked with laughter, unable to contain yourself at the hilarity of the situation. The floodgates were open as Mikey laughed too.
After laughing together for a few minutes, Mikey finally went to clean up the fallen pancake before tossing it out. He apologized before you could, looking earnest as he spoke. “Hey, listen…I’m really sorry about last night. I have no excuse. I was just…upset that Don didn’t tell us.” He left unsaid that he was also slightly jealous that it didn’t happen for him, but he was trying to be fair to you and to accept that none of that was your fault.
“Thank you, um, Mikey, right?” You told him your name and held out your hand. “Let’s start over.”
Mikey shook your hand happily, with a bit more strength and vigour than you’d expected. He was more than relieved to make things right. After all, you were important to his brother; therefore, according to him, you were already a member of the family. He told you as much, inviting you to sit at the breakfast nook while he served you pancakes that didn’t fall on the floor.
It had been a long time since you’d felt this kind of support and connection. You were the result of a non-string pairing; your parents were ‘happy’ but always lacking in affection, and both seemed committed to a tolerable marriage. Your upbringing was normal, and both of your parents loved you, but you could always tell they didn’t really like each other.
It would be later that you would discover a deep-seated resentment between your parents. For nearly the entirety of their marriage, your mother had ignored her string for the sake of the family. She’d never thought to look until you were grown, and by then it was too late. It had been a long time since you’d spoken to either of your parents.
Mikey had reminded you how family is supposed to feel.
He handed you a glass of orange juice and served two fluffy pancakes with syrup, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream. Everything tasted delicious. Mikey was quite a good cook and regaled you with tales of their ‘adventures’ from when they were younger. It was like dinner and a show.
Eventually, his two brothers, the ones you’d met briefly last night, joined you in the kitchen. Raph went straight for the coffee pot, making himself a cup with a generous splash of cream and sugar before dropping into a seat. Leo seemed mildly relieved that Mikey was back to his usual animated self and getting along with the new arrival. He made himself a fragrant pot of tea and offered you a cup. Since hot coffee wasn’t your thing, you gladly accepted, sipping it carefully.
When Don finally entered, he was freshly showered and wearing a different pair of pants, a pair of relaxed jeans with suspenders and purple socks on his feet. His expression brightened the moment he saw you, and you felt a small flip of excitement in your lower belly when he sat down beside you.
Mikey served breakfast to all his brothers, apologizing to Donnie and telling him everything was ‘cool’ between him and you now. Your mate was glad to hear it, enthusiastically digging into his huge stack of pancakes with plenty of syrup, strawberries and whipped cream. The man had a serious sweet tooth.
All of them ate a lot, one of the many things you were discovering about them, and afterwards they gave you a tour of their home. The lair was much bigger than you realized, with a full gym, a dojo, and a garage to house their vehicles. They also spoke a little about their deceased father and brought you to his old room, where a small shrine had been set up in his memory. It was a lot to take in.
Later, you’d gone to take a nap, still weary from the previous night’s events, and slept for a little over an hour. You returned to find the brothers sitting around the table, deep in discussion about you. Instead of making yourself known, you hung back a little to listen, the nosy, anxious part of you curious to hear what they were saying.
“Well, obviously, she needs to stay here. You can’t guarantee her safety if she continues to live above ground,” Leo’s voice cut in.
Don spoke next, his voice a bit sharper than he meant. “I’m not going to take away her freedom, Leo. I can outfit her apartment with a security system, and she can split her time between here and there if she chooses.”
“That sounds… reasonable,” Leo said with a resigned sigh. “I just worry about the ones who attacked her. If they tried once, they’ll try again.”
A cold shiver ran through your body at the thought of meeting them again. Leo had a point, but so did Donnie. You weren’t sure whether you were ready to leave everything behind and move. You still had a job you enjoyed, too.
“She’s family now,” Mikey piped up. “We just gotta make her feel more welcome, and then she’ll wanna stay!”
Raph scoffed. “Oh, like it’s that easy, numbnuts. As if stayin’ down here is more appealing than livin’ up there with actual people.”
“Regardless,” said Donnie again. “It’s her choice, and I’ll know where she is and how she’s feeling through our connection. For instance, she’s been right there this entire time.” He gestured to the space just outside the kitchen and called for you. “You can join us; this discussion requires your input.”
Your cheeks were pink as you emerged, ashamed of being caught eavesdropping on their conversation. “Sorry…”
They all shrugged, no judgement from any of them. You were invited to sit next to Donnie and take part, although you still needed a minute to compose yourself.
“I…” you began, trying to sort your thoughts before taking a breath. “I would like to split my time between my apartment and here for now, until… things progress a little more.” Donnie’s hand found yours under the table, and he squeezed it gently.
“That’s fine,” he said kindly. “I’ll get started on that security system right away.”
Leo’s expression was neutral, his lips a thin line until he spoke, trying to inject some of his hard-earned leadership logic into the discussion. “May I suggest we lay down some… let’s call them safety protocols? For example, walking alone at night may call for an escort. You wouldn’t see us, but we’d ensure your safe arrival. It might also be prudent to begin teaching you self-defence, and you should carry at least a can of mace or a concealed weapon.”
Although the idea of using a weapon, even pepper spray, on someone seemed unnerving, Leo did have a point. In your last encounter, you would’ve done anything to get those men off you. You nodded in approval, turning your head to make eye contact with him. His stormy blue gaze softened, and some of the tension he’d been holding in his huge shoulders eased at your willingness to go along with his suggestions.
“Thank you. Mikey is correct; you’re now part of our family, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety,” he finished.
Both Raph and Mikey nodded in agreement, with Mikey especially promising to keep the bad guys off your back. He exaggerated his claim with air punches and audible sound effects accompanying his moves until Raph flicked him in the head, telling him to knock it off.
Their openness and willingness to help and provide this kind of support made your heart clench as you struggled to contain the torrent of emotion threatening to spill over. Your mate squeezed your hand again, feeling everything through your connection and perhaps worried that you were upset.
You tried unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in your throat as you thanked them. It almost felt like you were building connections with them, despite the fact that Donnie was your soulmate.
“This is…more than I ever could’ve expected, and I’m…just so grateful.” You were trying not to cry and pathetically choking back a sob. “Jeez, I’m such a mess…”
Donnie seemed to know exactly what to do, leaning in to kiss your cheek as a tear slipped out, adding an acute saltiness to the taste of your skin. His brothers suddenly had other places to be than at that table, chairs scraping lightly on the concrete floor as they all left the room. Mikey tried to coo a sound of reverence, but Raph dragged him out without another word.
“You’re perfect,” he said softly, his expression warm and brimming with affection. Instead of having the desired effect of soothing you, it only made you cry more. Donnie looked concerned before scooping you into his arms and taking you back to his bedroom.
“Hey…it’s okay.” He whispered, sitting on the bed with you cradled in his arms. Of course, he fretted that the kiss was the reason for your upset and stammered out an apology.
“I’m sorry if I…if the kiss…”
“No…” You shook your head, sliding your arms around his neck and curling into him. “It’s just… everything is a lot right now, not in a bad way… just… a lot.”
“You’re not wrong, but I have a feeling this is more than what happened last night. Call it a hunch.”
Smarty pants, you thought, laughing softly. “You’re right. Before I began searching for you, my…partner left me.”
Donnie took a breath but otherwise stayed silent, waiting for you to continue.
“He and I had been together for five years; neither of us had found our partners. He hadn’t gotten his string, and I was afraid to look for you because my string made no sense…” There was a modicum of shame in admitting it, even though you knew he hadn’t tried to find you either. “I thought I could be content with him and he with me, but the second he got his string, he left…”
“I see…” Donnie sounded thoughtful, absentmindedly rubbing your arm. “It happened last night, didn’t it?”
“Yes…” you whispered, burying your face in his front. “That’s why I feel so guilty about everything… I feel… so many things right now.”
“Then, let’s just go through them one by one.” He didn’t sound like he was judging you for your decisions; he was coming from a place of understanding, hoping to learn more about you and the life you came from.
“I feel… stupid for being sad about him leaving now that I’ve found you. I feel… overwhelmed by everything that’s happened, from being attacked to finding you to meeting your brothers…I feel… emotional; my heart is so incredibly full at the prospect of developing a relationship with you, but it’s all slightly terrifying at the same time.” A sob caught in your throat as you finally said, “I feel… guilty… this is supposed to be something amazing and life-changing and wonderful, and it is, but then why am I crying, why am I feeling like this?”
Donnie’s response to all of this was to hold you closer, kiss your forehead, and draw a deep, steadying breath. “What you’re feeling is completely normal. This is a natural response to everything you’ve just been through. Any normal person would do exactly the same thing.”
His words brought comfort, easing much of your shame and anxiety as his calm energy flowed through your connection, yet one pesky thought still bothered you: “But…if my partner hadn’t left, what if I’d never gone to find you? What if we’d never met?”
He was quiet for a moment, still holding you close, before putting his thumb under your chin while you felt a rumbling in his chest.
“Look at me,” he said gently. When you did, and your glassy eyes met his magnified hazel ones, he continued. “If you hadn’t, I would’ve braved the storm eventually and found you myself. If anyone should be ashamed, it’s me for being a coward. I must confess, after a year and a half of having this string, my curiosity finally got the better of me and I did go up just to see what you looked like, at least, that was my intent.”
Shock was evident on your expression as you shuffled through memories of the last five years, able to pinpoint the day you’d felt his presence closer than ever before. “I remember that day.”
He nodded somberly. “Yes, and I saw you were with him, you looked…happy, content with your life, and I knew it wasn’t my place to disrupt that, so I left, tried to forget, but I never really could. My hesitance was multifaceted, complicated by overthinking and misplaced logic. As a mutant turtle, I couldn’t bear the thought of subjecting another to this life, a relationship that can’t be made public, where our dates are hidden in the shadows and you’d have to pretend on the surface that you hadn’t found me.” His expression of regret nearly broke your heart in two as you cupped his face in your hands.
“Please don’t be ashamed of that; based on your logic, we were bound to meet at some point.” You paused, then brushed your thumbs over his scaled skin. “I understand this isn’t going to be a conventional relationship, but my life before you was going nowhere. For the first time in my life, I feel alive.”
That feeling had ingrained itself in you from the moment he touched you. It was that awestruck, worlds-colliding, zing feeling that could only be described as being forever changed.
Donnie smiled as you took your hands away.
“I do too, and in case if you couldn’t tell, I’m a man of science, so it took a lot of convincing for me to even believe in this higher-power fate-string phenomenon. But now that you’re here, I believe. And you know what else?” He waited for you to shake your head no before replying. “I’m scared, too. There’s no rule book or list of peer-reviewed journals for me to research this subject. This is uncharted territory for me…” He paused and corrected himself. “For us.”
It brought you comfort to know that he was just as ‘green’—literally—on this subject as you were. Donnie seemed to possess a wonderful gift for helping you feel heard and for validating your feelings. You were quiet when he spoke again.
“Maybe you need a change of scenery. How about this: after dark, we get you packed up, and I take you back to your apartment so you have some time to think in your own space.”
You considered this, idly tracing the lines of his chest. On the one hand, you didn’t really want to go home and be reminded of your ex, but on the other, you did want to show Donnie your place. You also had a job to return to on Monday morning.
“Okay.” You felt him nod as his chest rose with each breath.
“Then, it’s a plan,” he said, holding you as long as you needed him to.
*****
Donnie ended up staying overnight at your place. You were relieved to see that your ex had returned to clear out the rest of his stuff, leaving his key and a small note wishing you well and thanking you for all the happy memories. The note also offered a sincere apology for how quickly he’d left, emphasized that this was for the best, and said he was sure that one day you too would find your own happiness. You were surprised to read that he’d known all along that you’d had a string, and bless his heart, he’d believed he’d been the one holding you back from looking. Now you no longer had to do it for his sake. You were free to look because surely someone was waiting for you.
Everything clicked into place: why he’d left so suddenly and seemingly without care. He had known all along that this was necessary to spur you into looking. His note made it clear that he wanted nothing but the best for you.
Not only was the note a welcome reminder that you didn’t waste the last five years with him, but it was also a source of closure, clearing the way for you to explore this new relationship with Donnie.
Full of relief and happiness, you’d been so overcome that you’d thrown your arms around his neck and pressed yourself close, initiating your first hug. Donnie had automatically put his arms around you, lifting you off your feet slightly because of his ridiculous height. In doing so, he’d brought your face right up to his, and that moment of eye contact seemed to knock the air straight from your lungs.
You really wanted to kiss him, and you didn’t need your connection to tell you that Donnie’s brain was also racing along the same train of thought. His pupils seemed to have shrunk as his breath came out shakily, his hands shifting with nervous intent. He was just like a teenager seconds away from his first kiss.
He’d already flicked his gaze down to your lips, but he appeared frozen with indecision, waiting for your consent before closing the distance between his mouth and yours. When you ever so slightly tilted your face toward his, that was all the confirmation he needed.
Your first kiss with Donnie was careful, tentative, a barely-there brush of his larger lips against yours before a more deliberate press that somehow ignited every neuron in your brain.
If you’d thought the first time he’d touched you was intense, you had no idea how intense everything else could be. Kissing Donnie was like jumping off the diving board at the deep end of the pool. You were simultaneously burning with a passion you’d never felt and drowning in him.
After a few minutes, Donnie pulled away with a deep intake of air, his eyes wider than you’d ever seen them, as if he were trying to form words but unable to make his brain cooperate.
It was that good.
You managed a breathless laugh. “Wow… now that’s a kiss…”
Donnie wheedled out a wheezy little laugh of his own, finally able to speak. “I…yeah…I really liked that.”
Instead of answering, you leaned in to kiss him softly before pulling away. “I could get used to it…”
Donnie held you for a long time after that, content to keep you close, slowly lowering you until your feet were firmly planted on the floor again.
A soft rumbling sound began emanating from the hard plates of his chest, sort of like purring? It was strangely calming, and when you looked up at him in question, he was happy to explain.
In layman’s terms, the sound was called churring, a turtley behavioural act, long left over from before he was mutated. Your mate had used more descriptive terms, of course, happy to ramble on about his extensive knowledge of his own biology.
It wasn’t long before you were deep in discussion about the mutation and how wonderfully different he was from human men. The one subject you didn’t broach was more personal, directly related to the reproductive aspects of a mutant turtle. Though you were curious, it was far too soon to have that conversation.
As the night wore on, you dozed off on his shoulder, and he made the unilateral decision to take you to bed. Though it was smaller than his, he still made do by spooning you from behind and holding you close as the two of you slowly drifted off to sleep.
*****
Unlike most new relationships, which often require a probationary period to settle in, yours and Donnie’s transition was smooth, effortless, and easy in a way you couldn’t begin to describe; it just…was.
The result of two people coming together, tethered by fate, you supposed, unwilling to question it further. You both texted; sometimes he called, sometimes you did. Your conversations ranged from daily check-ins to Donnie’s current projects to your frustrations about your day at work. Donnie would always send you a little meme or a nerdy quote, something to make you smile and let you know he was thinking of you.
True to his word, he was taking things slow with you, only going as far as kissing you and keeping his touch respectful, over your clothes and never below your waist. His actions might have been innocent, but you knew better; you could feel through your connection how much he wanted you, yet he wasn’t willing to act on those urges. Not yet; he was waiting for you to be ready.
Now, weeks into the relationship, you finally felt like you were, and Donnie had planned an actual date for the two of you that night, taking you out on the town to places you’d never dream of going. Being a tech-savvy mutant turtle had its advantages, including sneaking you into the Museum of Natural History and playing you a show in the astronomy section, filling the area with projected constellations on the ceiling and floor.
It was possibly the most romantic thing you’d ever experienced, and as he looked down at you with actual stars reflected in the lenses of his glasses, you pulled him down by his suspenders and kissed him as if your life depended on it.
The hunger was there; you could feel it in the way his hands gripped you tighter and in the slight growl under his breath when you slipped your tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss slowly and with more passion than you’d ever felt for another person.
Things were escalating quickly as Donnie pulled back, silently asking if he could do more, the hazel in his eyes nearly gone as his pupils widened with lust.
You nodded, quickly asking him to take you back to your apartment because you didn’t want your first time with him to be anywhere but a bed. Again, Donnie had never moved so quickly in his life, but this time for a much better reason.
The heated, desperate kisses continued once the two of you were safely inside your apartment, the curtains drawn. Finally, Donnie ventured to touch you under your clothes, his fingers skimming the soft skin of your midsection as you used your hands to explore the unique textures of his skin and chest.
You shivered when he traced the underside of your breast and moaned into his mouth from the plunge of arousal suddenly pooling in your core.
Donnie pulled back after taking a sharp inhale through the slits in his snoot, muttering that he needed to stop for a second before things went any further.
The conversation about his reproductive aspects needed to happen now. He told you about his anatomy—more specifically, his cock—how large it was, how it…emerged from his body and paused before explaining how inhuman it looked. He was telling you all of this hoping that you didn’t back down from either nerves or…possibly disgust.
You didn’t care what his dick looked like; you’d spent too many years having mediocre and mostly vanilla sex, so you were more than ready for this.
Donnie spoke with barely contained shakiness as you gave him your consent to continue. “Okay… as long as you’re sure, if you decide at any time that you want to stop, then we can stop.”
“Okay, the same goes for you.” You gave him a slight smirk, fairly confident that you would see this through to the end.
With a snort, Donnie laughed softly and kissed you again, just quickly. “Fair, then, shall we convene in the bedroom? Is there anything you’d like to do to get ready first?”
A sudden, anxious thought about your personal hygiene came to mind, and you felt the need to quickly freshen up…just in case. “Actually…yes, give me five minutes. Wait in my room, okay?”
He nodded, grinning at you in amusement and went to do as you asked. He proceeded to take the time to undress, at least remove his gear and unbutton his shirt in what he hoped was a sexy, mysterious, cover-of-a-romance novel level of enticement for you.
In the bathroom, you’d used the toilet and then stripped off the clothing from your lower half to give yourself a quick wash downstairs. It wasn’t as if you’d assumed Donnie would even participate in the corresponding act anyway, but you were not willing to risk smelling anything less than fresh as a daisy for him should he decide to go that route.
Just a quick wash with soap on the outside, then hastily drying yourself with a towel before joining him.
Donatello, or should you say… Casanova, was lying on your bed in quite the provocative manner, somehow stretched across the whole thing. With his shirt open, he had both legs bent, one up, one down; he was on his side, his head propped in his palm, his elbow resting on the bed while his other arm rested on his upturned knee. It was sexy, but also a little…
You must have been staring for half a second too long before he broke the silence with “Too much?”
“N-no! It’s…you look good, I just wasn’t expecting…” You were fumbling hard, both from nerves and from an unwillingness to criticize his decision even a little. “I’m just gonna…stop talking…”
Donnie laughed, relaxing out of the pose as he crossed the distance between you and took your face in his hands, kissing you. “You didn’t have to say it. I could feel your sentiments exactly. I’m new at this. I wasn’t sure how to…wait.”
He really had this wonderful way of easing the tension by creating endearing situations that made you laugh. You stood on your toes to kiss him back. “I loved it. Very sexy.”
You giggled softly at the way he puffed up a little, showing his pride in making you feel more at ease with the situation. He bent his head again, drawing you in for a third kiss, rougher, hungrier, the kind that weakened your knees once again and had you fisting your hands in his shirt to hold on.
Donnie let his hands glide over your body, sliding down your back as he felt each notch of your spine until he found his way to your ass, squeezing it gently. Your sharp intake of breath made him smirk slightly, and he pressed a few kisses to the column of your neck while whispering.
“How many ways can I make you give me more of those sounds?”
The husk in his voice made you shiver, and you gripped his lapels to find an answer for him.
“Every way you know how.”
Things progressed quickly after that, with Donnie removing his glasses, carefully lowering you onto the bed, pressing hot kisses to every inch of your exposed skin as he slowly removed your top and surveyed your beauty. Soft, skin, delicate, round breasts with dusky-tipped nipples. He was in awe, admiring you while taking one of your breasts in his hand and giving it a squeeze.
Flicking his thumb over your nipple elicited a gasp from you, and after spending some time drawing more soft sounds from your lips with just his fingers. When he moved on to use his mouth, it made you cry out audibly, and he gave you a wicked grin. Where had the Donnie gone who was so careful, nervous and sweet? This one looked like he wanted to eat you alive, and he knew exactly how he wanted to do that.
While placing kiss after kiss on the smooth skin of your belly and scenting your arousal, he asked you with a desperate edge to his voice, “Can I taste you, please?”
You felt confident in giving him the go-ahead to do that. After all, you were clean and very ready for his mouth to go even lower.
Your pyjama bottoms and underwear were removed in quick succession, and he breathed shakily, licking his lips in anticipation of tasting you. When his tongue actually did lick a stripe up your center, he was in for a surprise, and you were blown away by how good it felt.
After another lick, Donnie lifted his head, his brow ridges knitted together in confusion and then understanding.
“What?” You were confused as well, wondering why he’d stopped and already spiralling a little as your brain tried to fill in the reason. Were you not as clean as you originally assumed? Did you miss a spot?
“Did you, um… clean yourself here? Using, ah, soap or something?” he rushed out the next part before you could answer. “N-not because you’re not tasting clean! In fact, you taste a little too clean… a little… soapy.”
The Lord Almighty could’ve struck you down then and there. Cause of death: embarrassment to the highest degree. You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “OhmyGod…I was just trying to…”
Now Donnie felt guilty for pointing it out and his mind spun to try to find a way to fix this and salvage the situation as much as he could. “Hey… hey… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… embarrass you; I know what you were trying to do.” He began to babble in his nervousness. “There are pre-existing social norms associating cleanliness with the act of cunnilingus, and that might be what the average man would’ve expected you to do as a requirement, likely refusing to do it unless you were showered and ready.” You’d peeked out from behind his hands as he kept going. “But as we know, I am not… average by any means, and nothing… is more intoxicating than your natural scent and the taste of your arousal.”
You relaxed a fraction as you finally took your hands away. “It was the only way I’d ever get my ex to go down on me.”
Donnie rubbed his large hands up and down your thighs as he leaned in close to you. “Then he was a fool…” He kissed you, then got up, disappearing into your bathroom for a wet cloth, which he brought back. “I appreciate what you were trying to do, but I’d much rather just taste…you.”
You gasped softly, shuddering slightly as he took the cloth, cleaning up any last remnants of soap and then slowly dragging his fingers from your hot center, bringing the wetness right from the source and circling it around your clit as your legs shook.
When he next placed his head between your thighs and gave another lick, he rumbled softly. “That’s more like it…” He was like a man starved after that, licking and sucking, thrusting his tongue inside of you while your legs tried to clamp around his head from how incredible his tongue felt, exploring every inch of your anatomy.
You emitted sounds you never knew you could make; his grip on your thighs was strong, but not uncomfortable, keeping you open while he gradually brought you to your first release of the evening. His tongue had been massaging your clit at just the right spot, bringing you higher and higher until you were deliriously begging him to let you cum.
“I’ll do anything to hear more of those pretty sounds, my darling,” he husked before going right back to what he was doing.
And then you were flying, brought to the height of your peak by your mate, drowning in one of the most intense orgasms of your life.
Donnie groaned, feeling you come apart at his touch, and you heard a sound that you couldn’t identify, a wet slide of something emerging, and you could see it tenting out from his trousers when he stood up to remove his shirt and unbuckle his belt.
Holy shit.
You were still breathless from your recent release as you propped yourself up to watch.
He gave you a shy smile and snorted softly as he noticed how intense your gaze was, completely focused on his…lower region.
“It’s…I know it can be a lot, but we can go as slow as you need.”
“I need to see it, Donnie.” You said, trying not to appear too eager to see what he was hiding under his well-pressed slacks.
“Alright, brace yourself.”
You could’ve laughed; the way he was acting made it seem like he was uncovering a hidden treasure of epic proportions. When he did finally drop his pants, you just stared, because you’d seen the size and shape of his manhood before… but not from him. From quite a different source, actually. Years ago, a very good friend of yours had sent you a link to a unique dildo of similar design that you'd purchased… and used… and loved, and now you were looking at basically its equivalent made of flesh and blood rather than silicone.
“It looks like a flower,” you blurted out, finally.
The head of his cock did flare out, similar to the petals of an orchid. The tip of him was a deep purple that travelled down the shaft—his quite lengthy shaft—fading into the green of his skin at the base. It was strangely beautiful, and you were very intrigued by what that would feel like.
“It—yes, it would look similar to that.” He laughed softly, unable to form a good argument against the comparison. “Not the worst way I’ve heard it described.”
You felt like laughing as well as you beckoned him over, both of you now completely undressed, and you needed to feel his body on yours.
Donnie was very happy to oblige you, carefully covering your smaller body with his larger one and cradling your chin with his tridactyl hand.
“So…I’ll take that as a yes, you wish to continue?”
“Yes…definitely, although I can’t promise you’ll be able to fit…all of that inside of me.” You tugged him in for a kiss. “I still want to try.”
“I can’t guarantee that either…I’ve done some fairly extensive research on the matter. I have a pretty good idea of how much the average woman can take, and I’ll be very gentle, I promise.”
He sounded so sincere you wanted to melt; you would’ve believed him no matter what, but it was really nice to hear. “I know you will, and I want this… I want you.”
Donnie, instead of answering you, was kissing you again, capturing your mouth in long, slow, sucking on your bottom lip and tangling his tongue with yours.
His hands were a different story, caressing, squeezing, fluttering over your skin, your breasts, the softer parts of your curves and finally, your thigh. He hiked it up, slowly grinding his length through your folds. The flared head of his cock was brushing over your clit, making you gasp. If possible, you had even more slick forming between your legs, and you wanted him desperately.
“Please…please, Donnie…I need to…I need…”
He was groaning softly, his control slowly being whittled away by your desperate plea.
“Yeah…? I’m gonna give it to you, darling…just…breathe…” He’d reached down to grip himself while speaking, gently aiming himself at your soaked entrance.
You exhaled sharply, clutching tightly at his shoulders suddenly upon the slow breach of his cock, digging your fingernails into his tough skin as he worked himself in inch by inch.
He needed to remind you gently to relax once again, as you hadn’t realized your entire body had gone rigid of its own accord.
“Just relax…I’m only a few inches in, I promise I won’t hurt you.” He waited for you to adjust, pressing soft, gentle kisses to your neck.
Drawing a somewhat shaky breath, you instantly felt better. Fueled by your link, Donnie was sending his calming energy directly to you, so you were not gripping his shoulders quite as hard and felt ready for him to continue.
He knew, feeling your body become even more open to him and pushed in those last few inches that your body was able to take. His expression was tight with pleasure as he hissed out a moan.
“S-so…tight…and wonderful…you’re wonderful…my…my love…” It was as though he was delirious with pleasure since he hadn’t confessed his feelings yet or used the word ‘love’.
You whimpered slightly, feeling so incredibly full for the first time in your adult life. It was indescribable; nothing felt as right as it did with him being inside you in that moment. Grabbing his face, where he still had his eyes screwed shut, you kissed him and tried to use your link to tell him how much you wanted him, needed him in more ways than just this, feelings you couldn’t quite find the right words for.
“I love you.” He whispered it against your lips like a reverent prayer, and you just kissed him harder; this sentiment you needed him to show you in more than just words.
“Show me your love, Donnie, I need you…”
Shifting his leg and taking hold of one of your thighs, Donnie finally began to move, a slow drag of his hips in an experimental thrust.
The air was knocked from your lungs as you gasped, tightening your grip on him briefly from that first movement alone. His eyes were blown wide open as they were fixed on yours, and you both needed more.
He began moving more, starting with a series of deep, slow thrusts, readying you for what came next.
It was so good, you were uttering curse words under your breath, urging him to go faster. Pleasure was building within your core and steadily growing with every second Donnie remained inside of you.
He was keeping his pace with soft grunts, watching you as your face contorted in pleasure, and below where your bodies were joined and seeing himself disappear and reappear from within your depths.
It was quite possibly the most erotic thing he’s ever seen, and hearing your breathless sounds of pleasure only made him want to redouble his efforts, losing a bit of control but still ensuring he doesn’t thrust too deep and hurt you.
You were already telling him to go harder, and crying out as he adjusted himself to better enhance your experience, somehow knowing that he needed to lift your hips and bend over you so that flared head of his cock would stimulate that sensitive patch of nerves within your channel. To say it bumped things up a notch was an understatement.
Your body was trembling now, legs shaking, chest heaving with quicker breaths, and the squeezing of your inner walls signalling your impending release.
“I…I’m close, Donnie!” Heat was bubbling up inside of you, painting your body in a new, flushed state of arousal as you scrabbled for his biceps, holding on tight as though you might fly away if you didn’t.
“Do it, fall apart for me, Love…” Donnie was close as well, trying to keep himself contained until you finished first, but his thrusts were becoming erratic, and with his hips snapping into you harder, he was finding it increasingly difficult to stay on track. “Mine…” The husk in his voice was almost like a growl and exactly what you needed to push you over the threshold, drowning in the most intense pleasure of your life.
Your cries had increased in pitch, and your body shook, muscles flexing and tensing as you rode your high as long as you could. In that moment, you were no longer in control of yourself; it was all heat, muscle spasms and ecstasy.
Donnie, without warning, suddenly pulled you as close to his chest as he could manage, giving you one final thrust, the tip of his cock kissing your cervix as he came, filling you with everything he had to give with a deep, guttural noise of relief.
Both of you were panting, breathing heavily as your collective heartbeats raced, almost in tandem; you could feel it even through the thick keratin of his plastron.
After what seemed like reluctance on his part, Donnie slowly removed himself and turned to his side with a soft groan while still making sure to sling at least one arm around your still-trembling body.
You were mourning the loss of him already. This could be a problem, you thought to yourself, amused.
“That…was…” you began, still mostly incoherent.
“I know…” He snort-chuckled softly, pressing his snoot into your neck and nuzzling your flushed skin. “I don’t have words for how incredible it was.”
Wiggling down a bit, you dislodged his teasing lips from your neck and captured them with yours instead. “I’ve never had an experience even come close to what I just had with you.”
Donnie held your kiss for a long moment before slowly pulling back. Without his glasses, it was slightly difficult to focus on you, and he looked adorably squinty-eyed, as if he needed to ask you something. “What I said earlier…telling you I loved you, I know it was in the heat of the moment, but…how do you feel about that?”
“I—I’m sorry I didn’t say it back.” You swallowed, suddenly feeling shy as you prepared to confess once again what you’d been feeling for far longer than you cared to admit. “I love you, Donnie. I wish I’d found you sooner.”
He looked humbled by your response, his expression giving you so much insight even before he spoke. You felt it through your connection as well. He’d loved you just as long, if not longer, possibly from the moment he touched your face.
“My love for you goes as far as the most distant galaxies, unending and eternal.” Perhaps his confession could be read as the ultimate in nerdy corniness, but to you, it was the most romantic words ever spoken. You curled into him, cuddling as close as you could while he wrapped his other arm around you, whispering more words of reverence and throwing the covers over you both.
Washing the sheets could wait; cuddle time and eventual sleep for you both was all that mattered.
*****
Your budding relationship had blossomed into something truly beautiful. Despite coming from two different worlds, you were both committed to making this relationship work. Even when separated by the many responsibilities of daily life, you never truly felt his absence. His energy was calm and unyielding, always expressed as a soft, yearning love that had settled comfortably in your heart. He appreciated your gentle energy, a constant and much-needed source of comfort and focus in his sometimes chaotic life.
Though the Mistress of Fate could at times show how fickle and fleeting life could be, your journey with your red string of fate seemed to be a test of patience, a proverbial ‘good things come to those who wait’ personified as a tall, lanky turtleman with cobbled-together glasses, a soft, shy smile, and more brains than brawn. A peaceable man who would rather tinker and research to his heart’s content than fight. Both you and he were working toward making that dream possible: a life without having to hide your love, and hope for others who had not yet found their life partners, because they might have been looking for love in all the wrong places. Sometimes you just need to look a bit…lower.
Now, the story is not quite over; Donnie still had three brothers whose strings had yet to appear, but rest assured, all did eventually make themselves known.
Mikey nearly shook down the entire lair with his scream of surprise the second his string appeared. It certainly caught the attention of his brothers, who had to stop him from immediately barrelling toward the recipient of that string. Leo insisted on a plan and some reconnaissance first, just in case. Again, he was being overly cautious, especially since Mikey had been waiting for this moment for years and he did not want his little brother to be disappointed in any way.
With Leo’s final approval, Mikey had been practically vibrating as he’d quickly followed his string to his future partner, nattering on about how wonderful, perfect, amazing and incredible—all the adjectives his ADHD brain could come up with to describe how he thought his partner would be—until he was stunned into silence, skidding to a halt on the rooftop and barely keeping himself from careening over the edge.
To their absolute surprise, she, the literal girl of his dreams, was already on her rooftop, waiting for him. She appeared nonplussed by his arrival and instead showed excitement, waving and beckoning him over. It was instantaneous on Mikey’s part, moving so fast you’d think he’d unlocked the ability to teleport to the adjacent building. It was a match made in heaven, for she was his angel in every sense of the word.
Raph was next to receive his string, and he likely wouldn’t have made a move or even told his brothers he had one until she found him. Raph’s future partner seemed to embody the same values as he, including a fearlessness that had surprised even him. The quiet, red grump had woken one morning to find his string pulsating for what could only be one reason. His mate was close, and in the sewers.
Their meeting was one of fire and passion, with him dumb enough to ask her what the heck she was thinking, going into the sewers to find him like that. She didn’t take his shit for even a second, challenging him instead and asking when and if he’d have had the balls to look for her. His being a turtleman hadn’t even registered with her as they were arguing one moment and kissing the next. Another perfect match, though he’d needed a bit of convincing.
Leonardo, Mr. Stick Up His Ass, uptight and stubborn in every sense of the word, needed his partner to be proficient in the anal stick removal business. Surprisingly, he did not take long to find her. Since his three brothers were already in long-term relationships, he saw no harm in seeking her out and…observing her. The first week of reconnaissance was spent learning her daily patterns and whether she already had a partner. He was taking no chances and, in true Leonardo fashion, trying to exert control over when and how they’d meet.
What he failed to realize throughout this one-sided mission of his was that this woman—his future partner—was already aware of his presence. Had he forgotten that their connection made this glaringly obvious? By the end of the second week, she’d had just about enough of this man, who apparently still lacked testicular fortitude, and decided to take matters into her own hands. When he next appeared, obviously shrouded from her view yet close enough for her to sense him, she’d deliberately stepped onto her balcony in her robe, posturing like royalty while daintily sipping her tea from a tumbler. To Leo’s chagrin, she’d projected her request into the night air, telling him to show himself and that she’d wait all night if she had to.
Finally deciding to reveal himself, he was stunned into silence as she asked if he was always this much of a gentleman. He was both impressed and humbled to learn that she’d been aware of him the entire time, yet she held no fear of him, merely noting that she now understood his need for secrecy. Somehow, she’d expected him to look different. He’d fallen hard for her, right then and there. Not only was she his soulmate, but she was also his equal, his other half, so to speak. After all, much like chess, a king is no use without the queen.
Four strings, four connections, and four lasting, meaningful relationships, carefully curated by the Mistress of Fate herself. To be blessed by her promise of happiness, one must embody trust and be content to give up control, though that may be difficult. You might just find yourself where you were always meant to be. In this case: in the arms of a large, mutated turtleman. Fate certainly works in mysterious ways.
Honestly, I don't know why I fixated on this. Also, the title just made me laugh.
I was writing what I consider a ‘part 2’ to the Spring Shed blurb, but then there was going to be a line in that where Donnie pees while he and reader are both in the bathroom getting ready for bed. Couples do that. I like the realism. Anyway, the mention of it was going to be all of a single sentence, but then I went down a rabbit hole of how large mutant turtles would use the bathroom if they had more turtle leaning anatomy, and then this happened.
Except I decided to give Leo a try. Look at me branching out.
SFW, unless you consider talk of going #1 problematic. Just a weird slice of life (I guess you could call it that).
Word count: 1,700
Your bathroom was tiny. Why was it so tiny? He knew you lived in a small apartment, but this? This was ridiculous. In fact, how did anything get done in here? There barely seemed room to turn around.
With hands on hips Leonardo stood before the porcelain toilet bowl and grimly assessed his next move.
Your commode was unfortunately tucked into a sort of nook between the wall and sink, and the narrow space left him little to no room to maneuver, despite his ninja agility.
Still, he tried, and confirmed that a forward approach was risky because he couldn’t get his legs on either side of the bowl well enough to get the angle he needed, and a backwards approach was nigh on impossible, what with the shell and all.
He bit down his sigh of frustration.
If he’d been human, this would be so easy. All he’d have to do is unzip his pants and aim. But he wasn’t human, and his equipment wasn’t located on his body quite the same. No, it was instead in his tail, which was right now tucked between his legs under his boxer briefs and twitching slightly from how badly he had to go.
With a sour curl to his lip Leo again wondered why on earth the mutation left that part au natural. It gave him human-like arms and legs and eyes and he was bipedal because of it, so why keep that bit as was? Surveying the angles of approach to the toilet again, he cursed his turtle anatomy.
What was he going to do?
The first thing he should have done was scope your bathroom out the one other time he’d been in your apartment. What had he been thinking? A ninja should always know his surroundings.
Second, he should have made sure he peed before rushing out of the lair. It was only he’d been so distracted by the thought of seeing you alone, that he didn’t think of it. When you’d called and told him your Tea of the Month Club package had been delivered, and then asked if he wanted to swing by for a cup if he wasn’t busy, he was up and on his feet before he realized it. Yes, it was true that he and his brothers might not have known you for all that long, but there was something about the way you would smile at him that tickled a part of his brain, a tickle he found hard to ignore, though goodness knows he tried.
Which led him to this moment, and this tiny, tiny bathroom.
At home in the lair this wasn’t an issue. Given that reptilian cloacas were a slit and not a hose, Donnie had modified their bathrooms to accommodate their uniqueness and so they could sit without fear of breaking something or their tails dipping into the water. And at April’s apartment they simply used the shower as a urinal because over time they’d all learned that that was just less problematic (and easy to clean).
Here, in your shoebox of an apartment, however, even that wasn’t an option. Your shower was also petite and enclosed in glass and there was no way he could wedge his shell in through that small door without scraping and possibly breaking something. And wouldn’t that just be perfect? He finally gets to spend some time with you one on one, and what does he do? He shatters your shower glass.
Hands still on hips, Leo lifted his face to the ceiling, silently cursing.
So his choice was between likely missing the bowl entirely because he couldn’t position right, possibly breaking your shower, or lying so he could go to the roof and relieve himself. And he’d have to say something. He couldn’t just sneak out because you were sitting and waiting for him right next to the only window that was large enough to accommodate him.
His dignity hated all these options, and with leg bouncing because of the strain on his bladder, Leo took a deep, meditative breath to calm down.
Mind over matter.
He would just hold it. Simple as that.
It was only a cup of tea or two, and it was only a full bladder. He’d been through worse endurance strain in the hashi plenty of times.
Or he could just figure it out and urinate, he scolded himself, eyeing the bathroom sink.
What? No. He was civilized. He would not be peeing in your sink, but he had to think of something. After all, he wanted to be able to come and spend time here, with you, and he could never admit to you that he had to go outside to urinate like a dog because your bathroom didn’t meet his needs. So he just needed to—
Leo froze when you knocked softly at the bathroom door and called his name, and then embarrassment rose up to swallow him like floodwater. How long had he been in the bathroom? It hadn’t seemed like that long, not long enough for you to come looking for him, that is.
“Leo?” You say from the other side of the door, also sounding a little embarrassed. He also hears you clear your throat when he fails to immediately respond. “So, um…Donnie was here the other day and he dropped off some stuff. Some medical supplies as a precaution and…and some other things he said you guys might need… Um, look below the sink, just in case you, uh…yeah, just have a look.”
And with that you quickly retreat back to the living room, leaving Leo to blink at the back of the closed bathroom door.
Donnie did…what?
With some trepidation Leo then knelt down to peer into the little storage space under your sink, and there amongst your hair dryer, curling iron, and other miscellaneous items, he spied a very Donnie like box of medical supplies along with a black canvas drawstring bag and his hope soared.
Oh Donnie. Blessed Donnie. He was 100% being excused from patrol the next time he asked.
Inside of the bag was a bit of kit Leo hadn’t seen since April’s old apartment years ago, but was thrilled to see now. The flexible funnel with an attachable tube was something a much younger Donnie had first rigged up back in those early days of knowing April. She, too, had had a small bathroom back then, though not quite as bad as yours.
The aid was simple, and easy to direct and easy to clean and Leo had never been happier to see it, even though embarrassment washed over him again because now he knew you knew. Still, the pressure to relieve himself overrode his embarrassment and his hand was on the button of his pants before he realized it.
Now equipped with — and he hated this, but Mike had dubbed the thing the T-Wee when they were young — he did his business quickly. Then he cleaned both it and his hands thoroughly before returning it to its canvas bag and shoving it back under the sink like he could rehide this secret. He knew he shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. They were just formed differently and this world wasn’t made for them, but he still felt his cheeks warm at the thought of going back out to face you and you knew that he needed help to do something as simple as urinate in your bathroom.
Standing, he caught his reflection in the vanity mirror and grimaced at how deep the frown lines were creased upon his face and scrubbed a hand hard over his forehead as if it could wipe the lines away. That failing, he then took a deep breath to gather himself before exiting the bathroom. He couldn’t hide in there forever, after all.
The tea kettle began to whistle as Leo found you in the kitchen. You were just finishing setting up a tray of tea things with two cups, two spoons, two napkins, and one larger plate of sweets in the center. It was so charming, he noted, the way you had arranged the assortment of cookies on that little plate meant for the two of you to share. Also charming was the way you smiled at him as you looked up from your work to see him hovering there just outside the entrance to your tiny kitchen.
“Did you find what you needed?” You asked nonchalantly and Leo couldn’t help but dart his eyes away to focus on some wayward junkmail you had left sitting on the counter.
“I did,” he replied quietly, and hoped you wouldn’t ask more. Mercifully you did not and instead moved to pour the hot water into your pretty blue teapot and then placed it too on the tray before lifting it all and walking towards your coffee table. Leo blinked and remembered his manners in time to take the tray from you before you’d taken two steps, and as he did your fingers brushed his.
You both stall there for a moment, looking at where your hands had touched. Then you smiled again as you looked up into his face.
“Good,” you almost whisper before seeming to remember to find your voice and saying, “I…I just want you guys to feel welcome here. Anytime. Alright?”
You say it so sweetly that Leo’s breath catches in his throat as you continue past him into the living room and then take your seat on the couch, waiting for him to follow with the tea.
It took Leo another deep breath to calm his slightly racing heart before he could make his feet move.
“You’re a very thoughtful host,” he reassured quietly, thankful for your acceptance, or at the very least your discretion.
Leo gently set the tray down on the coffee table before taking his seat next to you. Then with a soft smile of his own he offers to pour your first cup of tea.
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Bayverse!TMNT and the sacrifices for their human girlfriend
Leonardo:
If his girlfriend's life is on the line, Leo will completely shatter the ninja code of secrecy. He would march out into the middle of Times Square in broad daylight if that is what it took to save her, fully exposing the existence of mutants to the world without a second thought.
He would willingly disobey a direct order from Master Splinter. If Splinter told him that rescuing her was a tactical trap that endangered the brothers, Leo would hand over his twin katanas, step down as leader, and walk out of the lair alone. He would rather become a rogue ninja and lose his title than lose her.
Raphael:
Raph would drop his pride entirely. If an enemy had her cornered and the only way to save her was to surrender, the angriest, most aggressive brawler in New York would literally drop his sai and fall to his knees. He would beg. For Raph to look an enemy in the eye and say, "Take me, let her go," is the ultimate destruction of his tough-guy ego.
On the flip side, if an enemy hurt her, Raph would break the "honorable combat" rule. He wouldn't fight fair. He wouldn't care about the ninja code of discipline. He would unleash a level of sheer, unhinged brutality that would genuinely terrify his brothers, completely abandoning his self-control.
Donatello:
Donnie would completely abandon reason. If she was caught in a situation where she only had a 0.001% chance of survival, the logical move would be to retreat and regroup. Donnie would ignore the math. He would throw himself into an entirely suicidal mission, letting pure, irrational emotion override his intellect for the first time in his life.
To keep her safe from the Foot Clan or TCRI, Donnie would break every digital law on the planet. He would hack government databases, delete her existence from public records, drain the bank accounts of anyone who threatened her, and turn city infrastructure into a weapon. He would weaponize his genius in a way that crosses every ethical line he usually upholds.
Michelangelo:
If his girlfriend is threatened, the jokes die immediately. He would stop holding back. Mikey is arguably the most naturally gifted and agile of the brothers, but he uses his nunchucks playfully. For her, he would drop the flashy tricks and become a cold, ruthlessly efficient weapon.
Mikey would be willing to permanently lose his innocence. Master Splinter taught them to incapacitate, not destroy. But if someone put their hands on the woman who made Mikey feel like he belonged in the world, he would cross the line from vigilante to executioner, sacrificing his own sunny soul so she wouldn't have to get hurt.
I just had to pic a Donnie gif. And we get to see his actual eye here so there we go.
Anyway, I woke up with this thought, and the sentiment could technically apply to any of them, but it's more Donnie leaning (as are all my thoughts):
You and Donnie have finally gotten together. You've been friends for quite a while, and you know him really well. His funny quirks, the things that tick him off, what makes him laugh the hardest...but that doesn't mean you know everything about him.
Donnie, for his part, never thought you'd choose him for all those good ol' chestnut reasons. But you did, and he cannot wipe that smile off his face.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have his insecurities. Maybe one day early on you make an offhanded comment about a co-worker of yours and the big shot hedge fund manager she just got engaged to. You don’t give one fig about it, but maybe you said jokingly, “well, she’s set for life”. And that hits a soft spot for Don, though at the time you don’t realize it.
One day you’re both at your apartment for the night and you’re doing something mundane, like washing the dishes, when Donnie calls you over to your coffee table. You dry your hands and take a seat next to him on the couch and eye an unfamiliar folder with a reasonably sized stack of papers in it, and one by one he starts pulling sheets out and laying them down for your review.
It's his bank account balance. His list of patents. His whatever. He wants to show that he can provide for you in that traditional sense, too. Maybe he can’t reasonably provide routine vacations to far flung places, but he wants you to know you he has plans and security. He doesn’t want you to worry about what you'll both do when you're old and gray (because he very much wants to grow old and gray with you).
He's outlined his financial plan and expected growth for the next ten years.
He has a spreadsheet of his patents and the net income they bring in annually.
He’s researched new apartment listings for you for places that are nicer and closer to him (and easier for him to access) and he’s worked out the financing and what the cost differential would be over your current place and how he could make up the difference...or pay more. He'd be happy to do it, but doesn't want you to feel pressured.
Or you could move down into the lair with him. He’s got blueprints for an extension to the lair he could build, one that would give you both more privacy from his brothers. And sure enough there’s a graph of how you could invest that money you're saving on rent and what that could look like in 5, 10, and 15 years.
He even has paperwork ready for you to sign so you can be added as a beneficiary to his accounts should something ever happen to him. He’s already got it set up for his brothers. It makes sense that you are on it, too.
It's a lot, and it's very sweet of him to be concerned about, but mostly you’re just stunned. You didn’t need or expect any of this.
When you turn to tell him that, however, he looks somehow both hopeful and afraid, like the next words out of your mouth carry so much more weight than you’re ready for. And now all you want to do is reassure him. So you kiss him, and tell him thank you.
You don’t need for him to prove to you that he can provide for you, but in that moment you sense that it’s important to him, and so you let him ramble on, and ask questions, and show how impressed you are. Over the course of the conversation he even puffs up a little, feeling pleased with himself and seeing him happy makes you happy.
Most importantly, though, is that you're letting yourselves dream of a future where you grow old and gray together.
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First I couldn't accept this version when I first looked. And then fell in love. It reminds me of real stories about how future husband at first sight did not like. And then...🤗
100% yes. I think the first time I saw the Bay Boys I just texted my childhood best friend with the words “THEY’RE WEARING PANTS”. It was such a far departure from the models I grew up on. And then they grew on me. I will tell anyone, Donnie is 100% husband material.
Watching the two movies long enough now I’ve seen the little details that Michael Bay has put on each turtle and in their living space. Very interesting how many little details you can fit on one single character.
The First Swords
Around eleven or twelve, Splinter gave Leo his first two katanas that he used in every sense. For practice, for play like when cutting pizza, making his mistakes early as he should before getting the real blades. Even after earning real katanas, one of those practice swords still sits on a shelf in the dojo, too worn to train with but too meaningful to throw away.
Learning The Wraps
When Leo first began wrapping his hands and forearms, they were always uneven and came loose during training. He would quietly unwrap them and start over until he could tie them perfectly. By adulthood, wrapping his gear had become a ritual something he could do almost without thinking before every patrol.
His First Leadership Journal
I truly believe this turtle has a journal he keeps quotes inside from Splinter, the many books he reads that are important and motivational, not only that but the little message on the inside either the front or the back of the book says “Protect them first.” He always puts his brothers first no matter what happens.
The Shoulder Guard
Raphael hated wearing armor when he was younger. After one too many bruised shoulders from sparring and patrols, Donnie pieced together a crude shoulder guard from old sports pads and scrap metal. Raph complained about the weight constantly, but after realizing he wasn't getting hurt nearly as often, he never took it off. And eventually we see that evolved shoulder pad in 2016.
The Dock Chain
One rainy night as a teenager, Raphael found a length of heavy chain tangled around an abandoned piling near the docks. He hauled it home simply because he thought it looked useful. It became a climbing tool, a training weight, and eventually a story to tell in a pile of work out gear.
The Repaired Sai
One of Raphael's sai has a handle reinforced beneath its leather wrap. It cracked during an early patrol when he blocked a hard strike. Donnie offered to replace it, but Raphael refused. To him, a repaired weapon had more character than a brand-new one. I’d like to think that’s the extra he keeps in his shell.
The Swim Goggles
Before the high-tech goggles, Donnie wore an old pair of children's swim goggles he found washed into the sewer. Like what we see in 2014 when he was a kid. They fogged constantly, leaked around the edges, and looked ridiculous but they sparked an obsession with improving everything he wore. Every version after that became more advanced.
The Backpack
Donnie's backpack started with nothing more than a screwdriver and a flashlight. Every time one of his brothers asked if he had something useful, another tool found its way inside. Years later, the backpack had become so overloaded that only Donnie knew where anything was.
The Shelf of "Useful Junk"
One corner of Donnie's workspace is stacked with broken radios, old circuit boards, cracked drones, and loose motors. To everyone else it's a pile of junk. To Donnie, every single piece is waiting for the right project.
The First Sunglasses
Michelangelo found his first pair of sunglasses floating through a storm drain after heavy rain. One lens was scratched, and they were much too big, but he wore them proudly anyway. Ever since then, sunglasses became part of who he was.
The Bracelet Collection
Almost every bracelet and necklace Mikey owns has a story. A colorful bead from Chinatown. A pendant discovered during patrol. A braided bracelet April tied around his wrist one afternoon as a joke. He keeps them all because every one reminds him of a good memory.
The Pizza Magnet
As a kid, Mikey found a tiny pizza-shaped refrigerator magnet. Instead of putting it on the fridge, he stuck it to a metal pipe beside his bed. It stayed there for years, becoming one of those little things that quietly made the lair feel like home.
The Meditation Mat
Long before the brothers were old enough to meditate with him, Splinter wove his own simple mat from old rope and fabric scraps. It became his place for reflection, prayer, and quiet thought, eventually wearing thin from decades of faithful use.
His Sons
In the clip in 2014 when he puts all the boys to bed, I love it so much all because he’s just trying to take care of these four babies sleepy. Also a bunch of respect to him for learning all that in such a random time because rats in general are smart.
The Old Couch
The couch in the living room came from an apartment renovation years earlier. The brothers spent nearly an entire night dragging it through maintenance tunnels. By the time they got it home, they were exhausted, filthy, and laughing too hard to care that one armrest had fallen off.
The Television
The television barely worked when Donnie found it sitting beside a dumpster. Over several weeks he repaired it piece by piece using scavenged electronics. The first movie the family watched together on it turned into an argument over who got to pick, but none of them ever forgot that night.
The Punching Bag
Raphael's first punching bag was nothing more than an old duffel bag stuffed with worn-out clothes. He destroyed it in less than a month. Every replacement became stronger, until Donnie finally built one sturdy enough to survive Raphael's training sessions.
The Kitchen Table
The large table where the family gathers wasn't built all at once. It started as a plain workbench that Splinter must have dragged when the boys were just tots. They had to have somewhere to eat. But as the boys got older then over the years it was repaired, replaced, and salvaged and made new. By the time of the 2016 film, it had become the heart of the lair—a place where they ate, argued, planned missions, celebrated victories, and simply enjoyed being a family.
They may not have had our ways of starting out in life but they made it work. They have a place to eat, sleep, talk, train, and all good memories on how they did it too. There is so much more stuff in the lair that I’m sure we as viewers can’t see everything, but this is what I see on the surface so far.
Lil blurb time! I never tag these, so I hope my people sees this. Suggestive, gender neutral, influenced by my sleepiness. Amen.
Sleepy Mikey who, even when you're just kissing, can't help but press against you, hip to hip. It's almost involuntary, rocking you both at a slow languid pace.
He's got one hand shoved up your shirt and the other shoved in your bottoms, not to stimulate but just to feel.
Mikey's always half awake and mumbling about how good you are, how warm you feel, how pretty you look, so different from his awake hyper self. More whiney, more open, more, more, more. The bed is warm and slightly suffocating, sweat collecting on your body, occasionally licked away when he becomes a little more lucid to notice.
Nothing happens, nobody finishes, and he's back to sleep, head tilted and mouth parted, hands twitching under your clothes.
Synopsis: Even in a crowded room - you still found him.
Tags: Angst | Established relationships | Aged up Bayverse Turtles | Heartbreak |
Word count: 477
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Even in a crowded room, surrounded by important and high ranking individuals, your eyes still found his. That magnetic pull, bringing your attention to one another after so many years apart.
It was as if the world around you both slowed down, allowing you to take each other in.
Your heart was racing, beating so loudly in your ears. You hadn't spoken to Leonardo in 5 years. Hadn't spoken to either him, Master Splinter or his three brothers; Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael or anyone within that circle.
And yet you still felt drawn to Leo after all these years. After his harsh words cut you deeply and left behind a pain you would probably never get over.
And for him, you still took his breath away. To him you held his heart in your hand, had a power over him that left him aching for more of you. But he knew deep down that having you close to him again, was nothing more but wishful thinking.
He remembered that day like it had only just recently happened. All the words exchanged in a fiery, assault, meant to hurt you both. But the thing that he remembered so clearly, was your face when you took in his words and the realisation of what he said, washing over him so quickly.
But it was too late. The damage was done.
He watched as you put walls up between you, watched as you stepped back and demanded he leave. He remembered watching, with utter heartbreak and guilt, you grasp the necklace around your neck and throwing it at his feet with tears forming.
"Please, [Y/N]" he has whispered in an attempt to reach you. But it was too late to go back.
"Just leave Leo," you asked through a sob. Your back was towards him as you leaned against the counter top of your kitchen bench.
He remembered picking up your necklace, taking one last look at you and leaving.
After that all means of communication stopped. Leonardo's brother's hadn't heard from you, neither had Master Splinter, Casey, Vern or April.
He had lost you.
That realisation hit you both and that deep ache in your chest returned, breaking you from the trance you were in the minute you saw Leonardo. You broke eye contact first, turning your eyes downwards and turning your head away from his direction.
He watched the way your face fell as you saw him and that broke his heart. You turned completely now, back towards him as you rushed out towards the exit of the building.
He watched you leave without a word, feeling that heartache return and felt that gap between you grow even more.
Leonardo hadn't realised his arm was reaching for you, his heart yearning for your return. But despite wanting too follow you, he couldn't move.
Because deep down, Leonardo knew it was too late.
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Note: Apologies this was so short. I am in the midst of writing more stories that, hopefully, will be longer than this hahaha.
[ Tags: @thelaundrybitch ]
if you would like to be tagged in my next one-shot/fan-fic/story let me know
As much as I love sweet fluff, I also like to see the characters sit and feel the weight of their actions sometimes. I can imagine a reconciliation if I want, but this on its own is just the right amount of angst 💙
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Finally finished my May story prompt, I'm behind but I've been steady writing. This one is based on the premise of an "accidental kiss" and all that ensues. Huge shout out to the amazing Laundry for keeping me in the loop and motivated.
Of course it's about our favorite leader in Blue. 💙 I would love any and all reviews to help me improve my writing! Love this community we have!
This is link to my story on AO3 - Once Upon a Maybe
As a biker myself, i love that there's a biker in the group. Feels appropriate that its Raph. We mostly see it in the Next Mutation, 2003, and IDW iterations, and there's a brief cameo of him on a bike in the second bayverse movie, but only to knock off a pursuer and not because he using it as a mode of transport. I havent watched the other iterations of TMNT yet to know if he rides in the other ones, but these are my headcanons based on the iterations I have seen:
Raphael's motorcycle
Raphael's bike is a custom build from whatever they could find and fix up for sure
He likes the positioning of a roadster, sitting upright helps with positioning his shell on the bike
Functionally, he'd prefer a scrambler, something multi functioned so he won't have to worry too much about tearing up the bike if he has to veer off the roads
He would probably do well on a sports bike but he seems like the type to prefer the retro aesthetic
The bike's looks are heavily modeled after a Bonneville for sure for sure for sure
Working on his bike (and probably by extension, other turt vehicles) is a bonding activity for Raph and Donnie
They custom build a 1200cc HP engine so he can have his big ass frame and some good speed
They add better suspension for frequency of impact (under Raph's mutant weight, itll give the bike a better fighting chance when he does all his dramatic off ramp jumps), thicker grips for his big ass hands, and wider wheels for enhanced load capacity (and just because Raph thinks it looks cooler)
Definitely has a full faced helmet or a open faced helmet with tinted visor instead of the half shell helmet he has in NM
Raph is pretty laid back about a lot of things, but not his bike
He has a monthly maintenence schedule he keeps up with religiously, which is also when he'll give it a good wash and wax
He and Donnie always go to the scrapyard together for car and bike parts
Besides himself, only Donnie is allowed to ride his motorcycle
Raph once tried to teach Mikey how to ride but it was a very long process over a span of week and ended when Mikey accidentally did a wheelie and crashed the bike into some bushes
Splinter has a picture of Raph holding Mikey balanced on the motorcycle like two kids learning on a bicycle; its one of his favorite memories
Raph did offer to teach Leo but he said he knew enough and refused to get on
Donnie was the only one he didnt have to teach, like the genius he is
Secretly, Raphael named his motorcycle the Doctor, because his and Donnie's initials are carved somewhere on the frame -- 'D. R.'
Raphael and a biker partner
They meet on a backroad outside of the city, both just wanting to cruise and feel the exhilarating freedom that comes with riding a motorcycle
Instead of being freaked out by his appearance, they were instead impressed by his custom build
Obviously the two have a race after talking bikes for a while
They smoke him, but just by a hair
The two continue to meet when they can at the same time and place
Sometimes they'll give Raphael some parts they switched out, and for his birthday, they buy him a much wanted upgrade, brand new
Thats how Raph got his genuine leather saddle bags
His family asks him where hes getting these things but its his little secret, for now anyway
Raphael offered to give them a ride on his motorcycle once but his shell took up the space for the passenger seat, so instead they stood up on the pegs and gripped his gear straps instead
Raph made sure to drive the speed limit and be extra gentle on the turns
They offered to give Raph a ride on their bike in turn
He refused at first but they eventually won out
Raph tries to keep his distance as best he can and grip the seat below but they simply grabbed his arms and wrap them around their waist
"Hold tight, I dont want to lose you."
The EYE CONTACT ✨️
Raphael almost passes out from blushing so hard
Eventually he relaxes against their body and allows himself to not be in control for once and put his safety completely in someone else's hands
It was one of the greatest sensations of his life
For once he didnt feel the weight of his existence or his duty, no expectations or hiding, he was just him, and this human, the one who didnt run screaming, who gifted him things just because and never asked for anything in return, held his heart
At the end of the ride, neither of them move to get off the bike, they let him stay and hold them a little longer as they turn off their bike, the stillness and the silence of the night taking them both
When Raph finally decides to pull away, its with a guilty feeling that hes overstayed his welcome and he makes the awkward excuse that hes expected home
He walks over to his bike but feels something at his back
When he turns, its them; they followed him over and leans forward, corners him against his bike so he has to lean back against it
They've taken off their helmet and they have messy hair and imprints on their cheeks but they've never looked more gorgeous than now
They lean forward even more and Raphael's heart is going a million miles a minute as they whisper, "I thought i asked you to hold tight.."
His eyes go wide and cross as they close the distance and gently kiss him through his helmet and oh my god he can see each individual eyelash
When they pull away, their body is pressed flush against his, and so, so warm
He doesnt miss a beat; he ungracefully removes his helmet, wraps his thick arms around them and pulls them into kiss, a real kiss
Their lips are the softest things hes ever had the joy to encounter and his heart explodes in his chest as their arms wrap around his neck, deepening their connection
When Raph returns home later that evening, hes still seeing stars and his cheeks hurt from smiling so much
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