Majji ☾

If Michelangelo is considered to be the heart, or the sun, of his family, then you would be his. You were his sun. You were his heart. His brothers always teased him at how they had thought he had been happy before you came around. Now, it was double, no triple the amount of happiness. Mikey could float, sometimes quite literally, whenever you were around, you made him that happy.

He’s definitely the type of boyfriend to always change your nickname. Mikey’s went through a couple already, my joy, sweets, honey, but mainly you were his baby.

And he had known you were the one as soon as the two of you met. That night, out of all his brothers he went to Donnie’s lab, knowing he would definitely be up. “Dee? You got a moment?” Mikey knew how he felt, he was Dr. Feelings after all, but it helped to voice them. And Donnie, the more rational one, could reign in Mikey’s urges to just straight up confess the next moment he saw you. It would be too soon, way too soon, not for Mikey but definitely to you who just found out mutant turtles even existed.

“Yeah, I can spare you a moment or two, I needed to take a break anyways.” Donnie who had been hunched over a project was now putting his tools down and stretching out, probably stiff from having been in such a position for too long. “Well, I just- I don’t know, needed someone to talk to.” Mikey said standing before his older brother as he tried to piece together words. Maybe he was a tad nervous to admit his feelings aloud for the first time.

Donnie was paying attention immediately, grabbing a stool that had been pushed underneath his worktable and placed it in front of Mikey for him to use. Mikey sat down, knees bouncing, it seemed he couldn’t be still. “About what?” Donnie prompted, an eyebrow raising. “Just you know… Y/n..” and as soon as he said your name his face broke into an infectious grin. “What about Y/n?” Donnie was holding back a small smile, he had noticed his brother’s reaction to meeting you.

He had completely frozen, like a deer in headlights. Then he was in motion just as quickly as it happened, introducing himself, approaching you with big smiles and easily taking your hand as you held it out in greeting. After April had carted you away, promising for more meetups in the future, the purple turtle had turned back to Mikey to see him looking down at his hand.

Unbeknownst to everyone else your touch gave him tingles. Even after the 10 minute intro he still felt tingly sensations as he looked at his hand full of joy and wonder.

“Dee I think, well no I know that I like them. A lot. And I don’t know what to do!” Mikey said quickly. Donnie didn’t seem too shocked which only made Mikey worry that everyone including you, already knew how he felt. “You did just meet them Angelo, why don’t you just pump the brakes and get to know them a little better?”

Mikey slumped at this, he had guessed that was what Donnie would say. But it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He wanted someone to affirm his feelings, tell him to go for it, to not be scared and maybe you even felt the insane attraction too. “Yeahhh, so how long should I wait?” Mikey couldn’t help but ask, sure he wanted to get to know you more, but he just had this feeling that he’d love everything about you, and it would only make it that much harder to keep his feelings a secret. “I’d give it a month-“

“A MONTH?” Mikey yelped as he fell off of the stool. He had thought at worst two weeks. At best one week! But a whole month?! He groaned from his fallen spot on the floor. Donnie’s chair rolled over and he peered down at his orange brother, “that’s what I would suggest, yes, but I doubt you’ll be able to stick to it if this is your reaction.”

With that Mikey was trying to explain, he told Donnie all of the things that made him just instantly fall for you. Not just your appearance but the way you carried yourself, he could tell you were a great person, with an even awesomer personality, and bonus points because you were friends with April! If April trusted you then it was just like icing on top of a seven layer cake.

Donnie had turned back to his project, humming his replies but mainly not paying much attention. Mikey got the hint after a while and made his way to the lab door. “Thanks Dee, I feel better!” And Mikey meant it, it felt good to speak his mind, even if it was probably a good idea to wait. “No probbles,” Donnie said throwing up a hand in goodbye as the lab door closed. Mikey would wait, he’d be patient, and hopefully, after getting to know you more, you’d feel the same way as him.

[ One Month Later ]

“Mikeyyyyyy~!” The turtle only had seconds to react as he opened his arms to catch you. “Hi gorgeous!” He mused, nuzzling his snout into your neck as he held you tightly. “This is just perfect! A picnic on the rooftop?! You are the best date planner ever” you beamed as he set you back down. Though he wasn’t letting go of one of your hands as he smiled right back at you, “why thank you! I made everything myself too heh,”

You were immediately skipping forward, over to the blanket and picnic basket. “Chef Michelangelo Ramsay?! Made me picnic delicacies?” He squeezed you hand, before letting go as he waggled his brow bones and opened the basket. Your nose was hit with delicious aromas that could only mean a full belly to come. “Smells absolutely divine Mike!” And he was blushing as he handed you a triangle sandwich, starting with finger food appetizers. He felt those same electric shocks when your fingers touched. He was off explaining the ingredients he used and handing you more food, napkins, and pulling out waters/sodas too.

And just like you had expected, your belly was full as you laid on your back looking up at the few sparkling stars above. “Hey, have I ever told you how happy I am to have met you?” You said aloud, still gazing at the stars. Mikey turned his face towards you, hearts in his eyes, “yeah, you tell me all the time!” he teased but it was true, you told him every other day. “Good, cause I mean it,” you said with a smile as you turned to meet his eyes.

This was the moment. The moment Mikey had been preparing for, his first kiss. And yet he couldn’t move forward, he wanted to so desperately and his eyes conveyed the message as they flitted down to your pretty lips. So you initiated, it was soft and fleeting, and you pulled away far too quickly for his liking. But that got him moving, chasing after your lips and catching them in a rush.

But by golly now he didn’t know what to do. What had you done? Soft kisses! He mimicked your earlier actions, leaving multiple soft kisses on your lips, unable to stop. That was until you cradled his face, holding him still as you kissed him long and hard, this one not as shy. It was more passionate and left the two of you gasping for air afterwards. “C-can I? Again?” Mikey breathed out, eyes darting up to yours for assurance. “Mhm yeah,” you said after catching your breath.

Mikey didn’t have the words, to describe how amazing kissing you felt. But it was like holding sunshine, and all the good feelings buzzing around quieted enough for him to feel an encompassing amount of love. “I-“ he kissed you, “love-“ once more, longer drawing it out “you,” and he punctuated the word with a final kiss. “You’re too freaking cute.” You moved above him peppering kisses all over his face as you told him again and again. I love you.

—————————————————————————

You…

His teeth bared at just the thought. He couldn’t think of you for one moment without a searing pain lancing through his entire being. Making his teeth ache and he found he was curling into himself. He straightened once he realized what he was doing.

Sitting wasn’t helping. He stood. Maybe going back to pacing would help. Help him to finally think. His eyes were to the floor. Watching his feet march a couple of paces here. Only to stop when he saw debris on the floor and to turn back the way he came.

Pacing.

He tried once more.

You… you’re.. his everything. His first real crush. His first kiss. His first love.

Of course the beginning with you had been a cliche, he had saved you. But that was one of the only ways he came into contact with humans. Maybe that’s what you had fallen in love with, a ‘hero.’ He was anything but that. He hardly felt up to par with his brothers. They were naturals. Wielding their mystic powers with ease while it was still a struggle for Donnie. But maybe that one heroic moment with him had been the reason why you fell so hard and so fast for him.

You had taught him a lot. He was never a vocal person. Not when it came to his emotions. You taught him to communicate better, better than Mikey had been able to. So much so that he had been able to confess a deep emotion like love to you. And you’d accepted him. Loved him back. For a time everything was great. You were around all the time. Nothing else seemed to really matter to Donnie. You were his world and he just circled around it. You continued to be his first for a lot of things. Time continued to pass by and his feelings for you never faded. They only grew stronger and that bond between the two of you would last forever.

Except.

It didn’t.

Unbeknownst to Donnie, your feelings had faded.

His pacing stopped. His eyes drilling holes into the ground before he forced his head to turn to his monitor. Ignoring the rest of the wreck. His heart started to race, in a sickening way that made him feel dizzy. He was looking at a you. His monitor held you.

And someone else. He felt sick as he forced himself to stare. The adoration pouring from your gaze as you held onto this..this stranger! His stomach rolled as he remembered what came after. What not even he could force himself to look at for a second time.

When you had said you “needed a break.” Donnie had thought it was because of school. That’s how you had made it sound. That you were stressed. You needed time alone. It had never sounded like a break up. In fact a kiss was shared between you two before you had left the lair that day. Reassuring him that everything was fine. That you weren’t leaving him. That you loved him more than anything. That this was just for you, and your health.

Donnie had distracted himself to not text you as much. To not call you as much. He still sought after you on social media though. He checked your location from time to time just to keep him from being restless with worry. It was especially hard when the days apart started to add up.

So when you had told him school was out for the summer…that you were out celebrating with friends.. he couldn’t stop himself. He just had to see you. Even if it was just for a moment. He’d tracked your location to some club. Had gotten on the roof to see that no you weren’t inside the building but on the side. Without even thinking Donnie had moved to the edge, moments from jumping down to make a grand entrance in front of you. Not thinking about the what-ifs of getting caught by other humans. He wanted to surprise you. To see that lovely smile light up your face as you took him in, maybe if he was lucky he’d get a kiss. He’d take anything you would give him.

The only thing that stopped him from jumping down was hearing your voice squeal someone else’s name.

Even then, Donnie hadn’t thought anything of it, just a change of plans, to not drop down but to text you saying ‘I’m here!’ or ‘Look up!’ or ‘Hang back for a minute.’

Then he looked over the edge and saw you pressed against the brick wall of the building he was on top of. Looking into the eyes of another with excitement, with anticipation, with love.

And kissing the stranger. Again. And again. And again. Over. And over. And over again.

He had staggered back. Shaking from head to toe as he tore off into the sky. Running away. Flying straight back home to ruin everything in his path. Mainly his lab. And when he could finally piece together two thoughts that weren’t to destroy shit. He already had the recording set up on his monitor. Paused on that look on your face.

He had fled the scene but as always he recorded everything. He couldn’t press play… he couldn’t. This image alone was painfully enough. In fact he had to turn away. Staggering back to his lone chair. It was one of the few things that survived his wrath.

“Fuck.” He croaked as he slumped over, elbows on his knees as his palms pressed into his eyes. Why was this happening? What had he done? You loved another?? He wasn’t enough??? Why had he thought he ever would be? What he didn’t understand was why you even bothered in the first place if this was to be the outcome.

Why had you taught him all of those things?

To love.

Pointless. It was all unbearably pointless.

Hadn’t he become someone more worthy? Now that he knew how to communicate properly and not shut down? To not crawl into his lab and sulk for weeks without speaking his mind? Why? Why. Why??? Why was he still not enough?

For some reason he had thought that love was unconditional. Undying. But it was a fickle thing. Something he now knew he couldn’t rely on. He would never make the same mistake again.

His eyes started to burn and he pressed the heels of his palms into them harder. He didn’t want this. If this was what he got for loving someone as much as he had loved you, he didn’t want it. It hurt. His breathing quickened, no matter how hard he pressed, tears leaked out, wetting his hands as he held back sobs. No. No. No.

And before he knew it the mantra couldn’t overpower his pathetic whimpers. Then it grew louder, more convulsive as the sobs turned to howls. This was worse than any physical pain. How would he be able to fix this. Was there a cure? He didn’t want to feel anything anymore.

After crying until he couldn’t, slowly he straightened in his seat. His tear ducts ached, the stains on his face burned, but it didn’t matter. He had cried so much, for so long, he was sure he would never do it again. Donnie stood, taking in the entirety of his lab. He’d have to clean up first. Then he could work on something. Anything. That would help. It always did. His wrist-tech vibrated, along with his monitor changing screens to show an incoming call from you.

He swiped it away.

He knew what a ‘break’ meant now. He didn’t need to hear you. He didn’t need your confirmation nor consolation. He didn’t need closure. He had lived without you before. He surely could do it again.

He fought against the pain that rushed forward. No he wouldn’t feel anything. He didn’t need you. It was all a sham. Another weakness that he couldn’t afford. He’d forget about this. About you. And he was sure one day he could convince himself this was all some stupid fever dream that he had made up to pass the time.

It would be like you never even existed.

Though it would never conceal the fact that he felt deficient. That he was lacking. That he was someone inadequate to love.

Deep down in the marrow of his bones he would always feel like he was never enough.

—————————————————————————

╰♥︎ ╮

There were two groups that ran this city. 

You were the heir to one.

Subtract a single primary color, and the Houses of Red and Blue stood infamous– their reputation consisted simply that of pure malice. Bloodthirst. Hunger. Most importantly, revenge. 

Each House was built around a single family. Yours, the “House of Red,” was what you believed to be your entire bloodline. Though your heritage still labeled themselves with a last name, there was no sense in using it. All you were to the weary citizens of New York was “Red.” Red, lurid and sacrificial. 

Betrayal did not exist here, in this family. No. Trust and loyalty structured every inch of a simple decision, just as it did in the House of Blue. 

The House of Blue, too, possessed a surname. Hamato. Somehow, more were aware of their last name– often calling these few creatures by the name of the “Hamato Clan.” Your family had simply deduced them to their vibrant colors, the same way the world had deduced you. Perhaps your bloodline had done this out of spite. Many things were done out of spite, by them– for their only purpose was to kill. 

As was the House of Blue’s.

You were called assassins, often. That’s mislabeling. An underestimation. Neither family would claim that title. Hunters was the word you preferred.

Red hunted out creatures that did not belong in this world. The ones that were hiding, waiting to make the world worse for others. 

Blue was formed by defense. They were made out to be the monsters, but, with power, formed into one of the most powerful training and defense rings to ever exist. They trained soldiers and kept their family core strong. Outsiders saw monsters because Red had painted them so. To them, that’s all they were. 

You knew it was quite the opposite. 

There was a pull you could not name. A longing to step past boundary lines… one that you have most certainly, but would not admit, crossed. 

╰♥︎ ╮

“Blue was found navigating the tunnels after our encounter. 0213, not much footage. Only entry.” one of your family members had analyzed. Your father, most likely.

“Goddamn it. He’s too clean. Too fast. How’s he managing to wipe the cameras that quickly?”

“It’s Purple and his tech interference. He intercepted our signals before they’d even reached the manhole,” your uncle muttered. His hands wiped his face. “I keep telling you! We need to be spending more on our systems, not weapons! Rifles, tactics, manpower—it’s all useless against them!” His fists slammed the table. Not much moved, in this locked-down environment. Not that you could see, anyway. It was dark. You had been placed at the far end of the table. 

“The Red one was on the east flank. Taking out our people. Orange was with him, likely recruiting,” another operative muttered, tapping a tablet. “It’s a distraction. They draw attention away from him every time.”

“He’s adapting to our attacks," you said quietly, before anyone could stop you. “He always adapts. If you have our eyes focused on tunnels, he’ll use rooftops. If you bait him with Red, then Orange will be somewhere else.”

"And what exactly would you know about their leader’s tactics, (y/n)?" Your father’s voice was a low growl that demanded a refutation.

Every bloodshot eye in the room was locked onto you; eyebrows furrowed and heads tilted inwards as if they had no other choice. 

"I know what’s logical. He is highly intelligent, as are the others. Assuming he operates on a simple, predictable pattern is what has allowed him to evade capture for months," you responded, keeping your tone level, despite the tremor of fear beneath your breath. “We’re predictable, Dad. Face it.”

"God, you sound like you admire him. Yuck," your cousin accused, the sharpness in his voice cutting through the tension.

Your eyes squinted at the relative– you weren’t particularly fond of that one. "I admire efficiency. Something we clearly seem to lack. If we continue to underestimate him, this war you people demand to have will never end."

Your father leaned forward, his elbows resting on the dark, heavy wood of the table. "This isn’t a war of logistics. Your ignorance is flawed.This is a blood feud. It is about what they took from us." He slammed a hand onto the table, making the few papers resting there jump. "Do you forget the history?! Must I remind you?"

"No, Father," you murmured, the word "history" lurking in the back of that brain of yours. You wanted to store it in a file in the deepest depths of your mind and trash it. 

“Then remind me. Explain it,” your father requested, leaning back in his chair. 

God, how you hated doing this. 

“The House of Red is supposed to represent humanity. And tradition. That’s how it has been since… since, before I was born. For ages.” A sigh from your lips. “Us, the House of Red… Red has always believed that mutants, anyone who isn’t… like us… are threats. That they need to be controlled. And Confined. And… Eliminated. Anything else is weakness…” You repeated. Like clockwork. You knew the story– hated abiding by it. You didn’t want to live your life like this. Oh, it was so unfair! Cruel! Inhumane!

Your uncle snorted. In a sing-song voice, he started to mumble. “You are stallinggg~”

You pressed your palms into your knees, wishing you could disappear. Wising he would just shut up!

“We… we round up mutants. And the soldiers who are trained by the House of Blue. Force them to train, to bend to our rules. And if they resist… we kill them. That’s how it’s always been. That’s what Red is. That’s… our history.”

“It’s only necessary.” someone spat from the corner. Your cousin, again.

“Necessary?!” you echoed, disbelief threading through your words. “It’s cruelty! And you know it!”

Your father’s fingers drummed against the table. “Stop. You are speaking as if you sympathize with them. Explain the history, (y/n). Objectively, this time.”

“I am,” you said, voice low, defiant. Angry.  “Blue gathered the ones who resisted. The ones who don’t agree with our methods—methods they have every right to question—and he trains them. They protect the innocents. The ones who can’t control their genetic makeup, Dad. He’s teaching them how to survive. He’s–” 

“Quiet!” Your father’s hands slammed against the table. 

The silence that followed was deafening. The only sound was the low hum of the ventilation system, pushing stale, recycled air through the concrete bunker. You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks, a flush of defiance you couldn't quite suppress.

“You will not speak their leader’s name in this house. Ever.” Your father’s gaze was like ice. “He’s the reason that those mutant freaks continue to walk this Earth.” 

“They are not freaks!” you exploded, the volume of your own voice shocking even yourself. The careful control you’d maintained shattered, replaced by a searing, blinding rage. “They are fighting for their lives because of our cruelty and brutality! You think they don’t deserve to exist? You think we have the right to hunt them down? This ‘history’ you cherish is nothing but a trail of blood and fear! And I want no part of it!”

“Silence!” Your father's roar was a physical blow, cutting your outburst short. He rose from his chair, a towering, furious figure whose shadow seemed to swallow the dim light in the bunker. “You dare speak to me—to us—with such disrespect? You have forfeited your right to sit at this table.” He pointed toward the door, his hand shaking with suppressed violence. “Go. To your room. You are done here. I do not want to see your face again until you have learned the definition of loyalty to the House of Red.” 

You took a breath. Shit. 

“Out.” Your father spat. 

You pushed away from the heavy wooden table, the scrape of your chair against the concrete floor sounding deafening in the charged silence. Every eye followed you, but you didn't look at them. You didn't dare. To look back would be to give them the satisfaction of seeing your defeat, your fear.

You walked stiffly, your back straight, toward the exit—a thick, steel door that required a code to open. 

As the heavy door hissed shut behind you, sealing you out of the war room and into the dim, cold hallway, a shiver ran down your spine. Despite the chill, it was somehow hot in this manor– not cold.

You had gone too far this time. You knew it the second the word "cruelty" had left your mouth. Your father wasn't known for leniency, especially when the subject was the Hamato Clan. Not one bit.

The way he was able to command you around like a child– you hated it. Every single, little, meticulous piece of it. You were a grown adult, for fuck’s sake! Have some independence! Accountability! It was embarrassing, honestly. 

The black combat outfit that you wore scratched against its own material; the black boots you had trampling across the new tiled floor. Red and black, everywhere in this house; maybe some white. Not the worst color scheme, but also one you’ve grown to hate. 

The black had become stained with red overtime. A dark, liquid, crimson one. Especially after this morning’s fight. 

You didn’t want to fight. Not with them. But you were given no other choice. 

The bunker was underground. That’s what they had called it. In reality, the place was so huge, it grew out of the ground– your bloodline has been building and picking at it for decades upon decades. The walls were constructed of stone, your occasional ivy and other invasive greenery trailing up and down the walls. Nobody had bothered to trim it. The black and white tile was eventually covered by a large, velvet rug– one far too expensive to purchase. It was likely stolen. Hmm. How shocking. 

Your family was full of thieves. And liars. And murderers! And yet, you continued to follow them. You were a thief and a liar and a murderer too. You were a Red. By blood. By fate.

Your feet carried you down the long, twisting corridor. The air was heavy with the scent of old stone and layers of age-old dust, enough to give a Victorian child some mysterious disease. This whole place smelled like metal and blood, but you had grown used to it. That was the scariest part. You had grown used to it. It had taken you years to even realize that you hated this place. You didn’t even think it was possible for a kid to hate their home.

Your bedroom door was at the end of the hall; it was different from the other rooms in this damned bunker. You had a wooden door– not steel. It had a marble handle. A white lock. You were allowed to keep your door locked. It was the one thing they allowed you to have.

Air. I need air, you'd think.

There were some perks to living inside of a mansion. Your room was huge, which you were truly quite thankful for-- but that wasn't the star of the show. No, not your huge bed, or your large closet, or your absolutely humongous ceiling that trailed up so many feet. 

But your balcony. 

The cold breeze of February air was a nice contrast to the heat of your cheeks from the previous encounter; you had thrown the glass door open, but not before grabbing  a jacket. The leather of your black gloves you had slipped on felt nice against your skin; you could feel them rub against the fabric of your pockets, a small comfort in this suffocating place. Everything you owned was black. Tactical. Hints of scarlet. You weren't really given other options. 

You needed to get out. Just for a little while.

The stone railing of your balcony was cold against your gloved hands. You leaned over, peering down at the sprawling, illuminated city below. New York never slept. A million tiny lights blinked and pulsed, a living organism breathing in the night. From here, you could almost forget the suffocating red; the weight of a history that wasn't yours to bear, but even still, permanently bound to your mentality regardless.

Almost.

The red that scattered in your mind was only replaced by the red that illuminated Times Square. Red, pink and white had taken over the billboards, the advertisement screens. Hearts. Flowers. Cutesy little envelopes that opened with each passing commercial. Valentine's Day. Ah. Of course. The city was celebrating love, and you were absolutely entombed in a monument to hate.

It was pathetic. You were pathetic. A pathetic, lonely Red, staring out at a world you weren't allowed to be a part of.

The urge to run was a physical itch under your skin. To climb over the railing, to scale the ivy-covered wall, to disappear into the labyrinth-aligned streets below. To be anyone, anywhere, else. Just for an hour. An hour, that's all you need! 

You knew the patrols. You knew the blind spots. You knew how to disappear. Hell, you planned most of them. 

A plan, though naïve, began to form in the back of your mind. The thought was a spark in the dry kindling of your frustration. You could do it. You could slip away. No one would know. Not until morning. Sunrise? Could you make it until then? God, you needed it. 

Your fingers tightened on the railing, the decision solidifying into resolve. You wouldn't go far. Just a walk. To your spot. Hidden away from everyone else.

Everyone else, save one certain person. 

*Turtle.

╰♥︎ ╮

-Nine Months Ago-

You’d met him. Many times. You still remember your first. 

He had a name, of course. Leonardo. He wasn’t just Blue, as your family had denounced him to. Leonardo was the leader of the House of Blue, the primary subject of hatred from your own House– but the one person you knew to trust.

You knew him in a way no Red should know a Blue.

You knew he wouldn’t hurt you, if it came down to it. Never. He wasn’t that kind of a person! Sure, he may be a little snarky here and there, but… with you, it’s never serious. It’s playful. An interaction you so terribly desire after years of being trapped in this house. 

The first time you met him was right where you planned to go—the tallest building nearby. From that height, the view was clear and wide. Even with all the advances in technology, it was still comforting to see the bright colors of Times Square and the neighborhoods of New York City spread out below. Sitting on the edge, your feet hanging over, you felt a strong thrill. There was nobody else around to bother. You could think freely. Ignore every other being on this planet. It was your spot. 

It was an accident, that first time. You were relaxing. Him, observing. He was looking for a high vantage point; you were simply enjoying the view of the bay. You were wearing Red's colors; he was wearing Blue's. The confrontation should have ended in a fight. A capture. A kill, according to your family. That’s what they would’ve said. If they knew. 

Instead, it ended in silence. A little weariness from the both of you. 

"You're Red's heir," he had stated, his voice low, smooth and calm. No malice. Just an observation. Not a question.

"You're Blue's leader," you'd replied, your hand already hovering near the hilt of your weapon. The statement was a little confusing to bring to life. Leader of the House of Blue… and here he was, the blue one– such a strange way to label things. 

"Are you going to try and take me in?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"That depends, are you going to try to kill me?"

A pause. The wind whistled through the broken fencing.

"No," he'd finally said, sinking onto a dilapidated stone bench, resting his twin katana blades against the wall beside him. "It's too nice out to fight right now. I suspect you feel the same."

"I do," you admitted, the tension in your shoulders easing just a fraction. You lowered your hand from your weapon, though you didn't fully relax. This was insane. You were sitting on a rooftop with the enemy's leader, and you weren't fighting.

But you also… weren’t going to complain. He certainly wasn’t the worst thing to look at.

He studied you for a moment, his gaze sharp and assessing, noticing you looking– yet completely allowing it, because he, too, was mesmerized. He hadn’t met one like you, yet. Willing to speak. God. The rest of your family was just– how to put it.. Unbearable. He’s fought with your cousin. Uncle. Father, especially. He wouldn’t fight women often– he found it disrespectful. And, oh, honor boy was adamant about his respect. He carefully trailed his eyes across you as well, getting a good look at who he was conversing with that was so so different from the rest of the House. 

On your end, you noticed some things. Delicate things. The wind caught the long, black and blue tails of his mask, making them flutter momentarily against the dark stone behind him. He was striking, even in the gloom. His shell was a deep olive green, and the musculature of his arms was clearly defined even beneath the blue accents of his gear.

Your eyes were drawn, as they always were, to the intricate Japanese tattoos that coiled around his arms. They were patterns of flowing water and some japanese text, clean lines of traditional irezumi that indicated loyalty–a clear contrast to the harsh, violent symbols etched across your own skin: red marks for each member of the House of Blue you were trained to eliminate. You had few of them, though, finding the ritual cruel, immoral. In your family’s hands, these tattoos came at a cost. Mutants offering their flesh in exchange for the faintest hope of freedom, the slightest chance at acceptance.

His tattoos didn’t look like decoration, unlike yours. You thought his told a story. It was almost jealousy that you felt melting in your head. Envy? No. Regret. For being taught this about them. 

Is this who we’ve been fighting against? You’d think. He’s so… respectful. Not what they make him out to be. 

Sure, he and his brothers were killers, too, not to be denied. Was there something wrong with you for thinking this way?

"Why are you here, Red?" he asked, not a challenge, but a genuinely curious query. He tilted his head the other way this time, the movement slow and deliberate. He didn't interrupt or rush you, simply waiting for your answer. 

"The same reason you are, Blue," you replied, meeting his gaze. "To get away from it."

He didn't need to ask what 'it' was. You both knew. 

A small, genuine smile touched his lips, a rare expression that softened the sharp lines of his face. "A truce, then? For a bit," he suggested, gesturing between you with an open palm. "For the view."

You hesitated for only a second. This was treason. This was the start of everything your father feared.

Fuck it.

"A truce," you agreed, letting out a breath you hadn't realized you were holding. You sat down opposite him, finally allowing yourself to look up at the vast, indifferent New York sky. “Just for the view."

After that, it was consistent. Over. And over. And over again, you’d meet him here- your spot became both of your spots. Sometimes you’d find the other, converse for hours– lie to their family about where they were. It was a repetitive process, but a process worth risking. 

He grew more attached to you. You grew more attached to him, despite how pissed your family might have been at you for your actions. 

Your red and black against his blue and green were often found together. Leo and you would often walk alongside alleyways of the state, getting dangerously close to the manhole cover that served as the entrance to his home. He never let you get too close, though. He knew of Donnie’s cameras. He was a menace with tracking people down. 

The two of you always played it safe. Never, ever was there a mistake. There was too much of a risk to be seen in public; one eye on the duo you had fabricated, and the little story between Leonardo and you would be out.

…. Was it worth it? The effort?

You’d evolve soon enough and figure out the answer to that burning question.

╰♥︎ ╮

-Now-

Your fingers curled around the ladder, knuckles white. You hated climbing this thing. The loose screws did nothing for the anxiety coming up. It wasn’t much better coming down, but, you had worse things you could have been doing right now. 

It’s snowing again. The flakes fall on your pink cheeks. You’re not sure if they're this pink because of the snow– because, in all honesty, you were quite warm– or because of the reflection of the advertisement screens. Pink, again. Red. Hearts. Cupid. Roses. Love. Love. Love.

Christ, that was a wake-up call. This, the snow– good. This is what you needed. The holiday commercials thrown in your face, you could have done without, but… it was a nice atmosphere. 

The black combat boots slowly stampeded through the snow, leaving crisp and thick footprints in their waste. With haste, snow was kicked off of the roof; at least, what was left from the last flurry. It was bearable. Cold, but bearable. You shrugged off your jacket, folding it carefully on the ground to use as a cushion, and sank down onto it, letting the cold fade just a little beneath you.

You just wanted to think.

About everything. Anything. Just not what you had to do tomorrow.

Who knows if you’d be allowed out tomorrow? As long as you didn’t have to recite history again, you were fine. Still pissed, but fine. 

Not more meetings. No more patrols. You wanted to be done.

The silence was different here. It wasn’t stark silence. You heard a police siren wail, the chatter of civilians talking, music from speakers. Even now, it was more quiet than it was in the House of Red. 

Your head leaned back, your eyes closing as you took a deep, shuddering breath. The cold air bit at your lungs, sharp and clean. It was like a high.

You were drawn out of it fairly quickly.

"A lonely spot to be tonight," a voice murmured from behind you, smooth as silk. You didn't jump. Your hand instinctively moved toward your weapon before you even registered who it was-- but you knew. The blue mask. The twin katanas resting on his back..

“(Y/n),” he replied, pushing off the door and stepping closer. His gaze drifted briefly to the skyline—pink lights, blinking hearts, obnoxious declarations of love—before returning to you.

A faint, almost thoughtful hum left him.

“Most people,” he said mildly, “don’t usually choose to be alone on Valentine’s. Especially in the freezing cold.” The turtle drew his katanas out; tossing them onto the floor beside him, though it looked as if he was going to pose into a fighting stance. Another tease.

"Some people don't get a choice," you deadpanned, though there was no real heat in it. "What are you doing here? I thought your family would be... busy." After the encounter this afternoon, you'd expected everyone to be laying low, licking their wounds.

“Could say the same about you,” he said, and the faint, almost teasing smile vanished from his lips. He’d dropped to sit beside you, close enough that the chill from the shell on his back seeped through your clothes. “Donnie’s monitoring all the public feeds for any sign of your family. Raph and Mikey are on high alert. I’d say we’re plenty busy.”

“Then by that logic, you shouldn’t be here,” you said, but your words lacked confidence. 

“I saw you leave your room,” he admitted quietly. “I was nearby. Thought it was you. Donnie sent me footage to confirm a red left the residence." You scoffed. But were you really mad about it? "I could tell you were angry. Or frustrated, of sorts. But I’d rather you were up here and angry than down there and… you know.” He gestured vaguely toward the city, toward your home. “With them.”

You let out a short, sharp laugh that wasn't really a laugh at all. "God, you have no idea. He made me recite history again. Like a fucking child." You stared out at the blinking lights, your vision blurring slightly. "I think I finally pushed my Dad too far." 

Leo was quiet for a long moment. His head had tilted, eyes baring into yours as you spoke. He flicked a flake of snow from your hair, but more would continue to fall. 

The fight had been brutal. Losses on both ends– you know your family didn’t recognize them, but as for the opposing team, they may have actually done some sort of action that showed their respect for the fallen. 

People were hurt. You were hurt. You noticed blood oozing from Leo’s skin, the brawl injuries wrapped by measly little wrist wraps on the cuts. They ranged from his lower legs to his shoulders, but some were worse than the rest; some cuts were dried, some looked fresh, as if he’d tried and failed to patch them up again, just messing with the wound.

"Your father," Leo had said, his voice low and dangerous. You saw a white piece of material drawn out from his belt mechanism near his waist; he pressed a sterile cloth to a cut above your eyebrow you'd gotten from him earlier. "He nearly took Raph's head off with that staff of his.”

“Shit.” You mumbled, shaking your head. Leo grabbed the low end of your face, softly, tilting it back towards him so he could keep working. “How’s he doing?”

“Pissed about it. He thinks because he got hurt, it makes him less of a fighter.”

“He’s not. He’s one of the best on your team, if not the best.” 

“I know,” he says quietly. “He’ll get over it. He always does.” There’s a small pause before his voice lowers, softer but firmer somehow. “But you… you have got to be more careful. Please. All of you.”

You flinched, not from the sting of the antiseptic, but from his words. "You know I don't want any part of this," you whispered, your voice hoarse from screaming earlier. "I hate fighting with you. I don't like hurting anybody."

"No," he agreed, his focus intense, his fingers gentle despite their size. "But you're part of it. Your house—Raph was lucky. A few inches to the left..." He didn't need to finish. The image of his hot-headed brother, bloodied and still, flashed through both your minds. "I'm telling you this as a warning. To be more careful. For your sake, not just ours." He tossed the dirty cloth aside, letting it rest in the snow. "Apologies, as well, for the gash here... I didn't mean to actually come close to you. I'm... I'm at fault, too. We all are."

You swallowed hard against the lump in your throat. "My father doesn't care about collateral damage. He never has. I can't convince him otherwise, Leo, I've tried. So hard."

"Neither does mine," he admitted quietly, his eyes meeting yours in the dim light. "If one of you hurts one of mine... and I know you, personally, wouldn't come close, but your family? If they hurt one of mine, they won't hesitate. Just like yours won't." He finished cleaning the cut and began to tape a bandage over it, his touch impossibly soft against your bruised skin. "I don't want to be the one who has to choose sides, (y/n). If something were to happen..."

You reached up, your fingers wrapping around his wrist, stilling his movements. The snow continued to fall around you, dusting your black combat gear and his blue accents in a layer of pure, untouched white. You could see blood seeping through his own wrist wraps. Damage, again, from earlier. He had extra gauze and likely planned on rewrapping it. "Let me help with that, please..." you murmured with guilt-- the sense stricken deep within you in apology for the irreparable damage your family has caused.

You gently unwound the bloody wrap from his forearm. The material revealed a deep gash that was still weeping blood. It was a clean cut, likely from a shrapnel or a blow from a blade. It didn't take a genius to know where that came from.

"This is bad, Leo," you murmured, your brow furrowed with concern. "We should clean this properly. Do you have any other supplies besides that wet cloth?"

He watched you work, his usual poker face and confidence replaced by a weary resignation. “I handled it, I thought it didn’t need stitches at the time.” His gaze meets yours. “I was wrong.” Leo’s mouth curved inward as you dabbed the wound with a fresh, sterile cloth, but his gaze never left your face. A soft chuckle came from him. "I also think you worry too much, (y/n). I’ll be perfectly fine."

"I worry about you," you retorted, a faint, almost nonexistent smile touching your lips. You pulled a small roll of gauze from your own utility belt—the House of Red’s supplies were always top-notch; one thing you were thankful your family spent their funds on. Even if their ethics weren’t humane, the medicine and care products you were provided with were quite... advanced, compared to the House of Blue’s. You began to dress the wound with intricate care and clear knowledge on how to aid a wound. "This is going to sting for a bit. Hold still."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, a low, playful note returning to his voice, though it was still strained by exhaustion. He didn't wince at your care; not once.

The snow falling would have completely frozen the average person with frostbite. Of course, you were the average person; but your body was too busy being held hostage by the warmth that was the heat radiating from Leo's body. Your feet were curled up to your chest, and you held the turtle's giant hand in yours as you worked to fix up the gash as best you could.

Leo didn't tell you, but that gash wasn't really harming him. He just found it amusing that you were willing to help him out.

No… willing wasn't the right word. Demanding was a better choice. You were simply and absolutely adamant to see him better.

When you finished securing the bandage with a small piece of tactical tape, you looked up. His eyes, the color of the vast, deep bay beneath the city lights, were already fixed on yours.

"There," you whispered, a sense of quiet satisfaction in your voice. "Good as new."

He gently took your hand, the one that had just dressed his wound, and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles. The unexpected intimacy sent a jolt through you, eclipsing the dull ache of your own bruises.

"You’re a terrible assassin, Red," he murmured, his breath warm against your skin. "You're too much of a healer. You should quit. Stay with me. For your own good," he would tease.

"And you’re a terrible vigilante leader, Blue," you countered, your voice barely a breath. "Too fond of sitting on rooftops with people who are supposed to be your enemy."

"You're the only one I sit on rooftops with, (y/n)." Leo responded. 

“That’s sad. You should find someone else to do that with. Your brothers, or something.” A silly claim, made by you. Leo shook his head.

“If I wanted someone else, I’d go find them.” 

The snow gathers along the ridge of his shell. He doesn’t move to brush it off. “You keep telling me to find someone else. But you’re still here.” he says, voice low, even. “... do you want me to find someone else?”

You shift, the leather of your gloves creaking slightly against the frozen concrete. "What? No, no, absolutely not. I was teasing," you whisper, though the defiance in your tone feels hollow. Your gaze drops to where your hands still hover near his arm, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his skin through your gloves. "I just... think it's stupid that you risk everything for this. That we risk everything for this."

"This?" His head tilts, the snowflakes catching in the blue fabric of his mask. A single flake lands right above his left eye, melting instantly against his skin. "Or you?"

"Both," you say, the word barely visible as vapor in the frigid air. "Both of us are stupid."

Leo's shoulders relax slightly, his usual guarded posture giving way to something softer. "Maybe." He reaches out, his fingers—calloused from years of training, yet gentle—trace the edge of your jawline. The touch is so light you almost imagine it, but the warmth that spreads through your cheek is quite literally impossible to miss. 

"But you like it, don’t you?"

Your breath catches at the intimacy of the gesture. The walls of the mansion have never felt so far away as they do at this moment.

"Leo," you whisper, his name reminiscent of both sugar and salt on your tongue. "My father... if he found out—"

"He won't," Leo interrupts, promising. His thumb brushes gently across your lower lip. The gesture sends electricity through you, makes your heart hammer against your ribs. "I've been careful. You've been careful. We are both careful people when we need to be."

He was right. There were no words to respond to his statement. Just a nod… and with that, you meet his eyes. Like they’re asking for permission.

Your own drops to his lips.

He leans in slowly, so slowly it makes your stomach twist, letting your lips meet his in a careful, slower kiss at first—testing, observing. It felt right.

Instinctively, your hands pressed to his chest. He held them there, allowing you to gain some sense of warmth and comfort that wasn’t sourced from his lips. His other hand rises, brushing against the side of your neck, tilting your head with that quiet control he possesses. This kiss deepens, slow, targeted; it didn’t need words. The pressing of your hands against his protected chest was enough to replace physical notions with the meaning behind a verbal one.

A gust of wind flutters around the rooftop, but neither of you moves. It’s just you. Him. Snow melting along the curve of your eyelashes, dusting his shoulders. He lets his forehead rest against yours for a moment, breath mingling with yours.

“You…” you start, voice tight, but he silences it with another gentle press of lips.

“Shh,” he whispers against your mouth, the single syllable commanding but tender. “You’re okay.”  He pulls away. “Cold?”

You nod. 

“Here.” He shifts, moving behind you, then urges you to lean back against his plastron—his shell. His arms wrap around your waist from behind, pulling you into him, shielding you from the wind. The heat of him is immediate, soaking through your clothes. The city spreads out before you both, blinking with red, white, and pink light.

You watch a couple walk arm-in-arm in the street below, their laughter faint and distant. A holiday. You’re not even sure if your House even knows of it. They certainly don’t celebrate it. That would require joy. They had none of that.

“Better?” he asks, voice rumbling in your ear.

“Better,” you agree. It’s better than better. It’s everything you’ve wanted and haven’t had. It’s quiet. It’s warm. It’s safe. It’s all the things your family should have been for you. But they never were. And you know he’s not supposed to be either. But he is.

You both sit there in silence for a long while, watching the city move around you, oblivious. His breaths are steady against your ear. His hands stay firm around your waist. The snow continues to fall. It’s almost peaceful.

"We should get you back before your absence is noticed," he says eventually. His tone is flat, matter-of-fact. He says it like he is not the one who initiated the kiss. Like he didn't just make you question everything you thought you knew about your life.

"I know," you whisper. The thought of leaving this bubble of warmth and safety to return to the cold, sterile world of the House of Red is almost physically painful. "What about you? They'll notice you're late, too." 

Leo chuckles. "I lead them. They don't get to say anything about me."

“Must be nice, huh? They ever get on your ass for that?” 

“You have no idea. I deserve it sometimes, though.” He buries his face in your neck, breathing in for a second. “You’re warm,” he mumbles. 

“Still kinda cold, actually.” Leo pulls you in closer to him, squeezing you tighter. That forces an involuntary laugh out of you. He peppers kisses along the side of your jawline, prompting more giggles. After a moment, Leo pauses; finally pulling back, satisfied that you’re warm enough. 

“I respect your father’s bloodlust too much to make this worse than it already is. Do you need help up?”

“Don’t think you’re off the hook, either. They place a lot of trust in you, Leonardo,” you whisper, standing up. He offers you his hand; you take it. “They being your family. Don’t go behind their back for me. You’re their leader, too. Don’t forget that.” An understanding nod from the turtle.

He doesn't let go once you're on your feet, his fingers lacing through yours with an ease that feels frighteningly natural. The snow around you, though beautiful, has admittedly began falling faster. The clouds accumulated in a large field of range, the flakes soon falling at a much quicker pace than before. The wind and the chill only grew worse. 

“I’ll walk you back,” he says, already moving toward the ladder. It’s not a question. The idea of you descending alone in this weather, with the ladder already treacherous even in good conditions, clearly doesn’t sit right with him. 

“You’re not worried about the cameras? Or someone noticing?” You whisper, pulling your jacket tighter around your shoulders. 

“I know the blind spots better than anyone else here does, (y/n.) Even if, I can just have Donnie intercept their tech. He does it all the time. I trust him. Nothing will happen, I promise.” 

You smiled warmly at his reassurance; your cheeks were already pink because of the frost. 

Leo goes first, one hand gripping the rail while the other remains intertwined with yours, guiding your descent. Each rung is slick with snow and freeing ice, but his presence and guidance makes the descent a little less terrifying. Finally reaching the end, you jump down and off of the ladder; combat boots crunching the thick snow beneath your feet, the soles chilled against solid ground. 

Leo's hand didn't release even after both feet were planted firmly on the snowy pavement below. Instead, his fingers tightened around yours.

The city streets were practically empty now, the snow muffling all sounds into a muffled blanket of white.

"You sure you don’t want to come back to mine?" Leo joked, though the words came out breathless as he pulled you close, sharing his body heat. His plastron pressed against your back, a solid shield against the elements. You could feel his heartbeat thrumming against your shoulder blades.

“Both of our families would want me dead if they found out I went back with you.” You chuckled, shaking your head, dismissing the issue as if it really was an offer you would refuse. You wanted to– oh, so, badly. But you knew better. 

“So let them. They won’t succeed with it. Yours, at least. They still have yet to get to me and my brothers.” Leo snorted. The House of Red may have lost their own mutant soldiers here and there, but there have been zero losses regarding the Hamato brothers. They’re unscathed. As far as you knew, unbeatable. 

But not untouchable. You glanced at his wound dressings again, fingers drifting over them as you held onto his hand. 

God, you worried for his safety. 

"You're going to be the death of me, Leonardo," you whispered, focusing on the warmth. Seeking it out and basking in it– like you were the reptile in this situation, rather than him. Maybe that’s why he was trying to get so close to you earlier. 

Your building emerged from the white haze, dark and imposing even softened by snow. Home. The word had never felt more like a prison than it did now. As you approached, Leo slowed, his usual confident stride faltering just enough for you to notice.

"Which one is yours?" he asked, though you suspected he already knew. He'd been watching you much longer than you'd been meeting on rooftops.

“Second floor. Most of our place is in the ground, so it's not that far up.”  You point to a large, limestone-structured balcony. “Hard to miss.” You chuckle. 

Without a word, but with a nod, he cupped his hands beneath your foot, giving you the boost you needed to swing your leg over the railing and land gracefully on the other side. He followed with an easy leap, his movements fluid and practiced, landing on the narrow stone ledge opposite you with the quiet grace.

"I guess this is it," you said softly, your breath clouding in front of you as you reached the edge of the balcony. Your fingers traced the intricate metalwork of the railing, the cold metal biting through your gloves. “Hey, Leo? Can you do me a favor? Please?” 

His head peeks over the railing; he rests his chin on his hands as half of his body rests on the opposite side of the balcony, practically hanging over it. Somehow, he was able to keep himself stable. 

“What’s that?” Leo hummed softly. 

“When you get home, patch these up? Properly, please?” You plead, voice quieter than usual. 

Leo’s gaze flickered down to the makeshift bandage you had applied. His expression was unreadable for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable in those deep blue eyes. He didn't have to ask how you knew he'd likely ignore it, that he’d chalk it up as another battle scar and move on. You knew him all too well.

"Alright," he agreed, the single word holding a weight that belied its simplicity. He pushed himself upright, balancing effortlessly on the railing as he leaned over, closing the small gap between you. "But only because you asked so nicely."

He lowered his head again, pressing a final, soft kiss to your forehead, right over where the bandage was. It was slipping off at this point. Not very useful for the purpose it was meant to serve. 

"Go get some sleep, Red. You look exhausted."

You managed a small, sleepy smile. "You too, Blue. Stay warm out there."

He pulled back, his eyes lingering on yours for a fraction of a second longer than necessary. With a dutifulwave and a bow that was almost completely concealed by the drifting snow, he turned.

He didn't use the ladder this time. Instead, he took two steps back, crouched low, and with an effortless jump, launched himself up onto the roof of the building next to your manor. His silhouette dissolved almost instantly into the white cloak of a storm and the dark sky that was the New York night.

The spot where he had vanished from felt full for a moment; disappearing as you began to think about tonight’s past. His body warmth has worn off. You’re forgetting the sound of his voice. Was this becoming nothing but a memory? You didn’t like that. 

But you could get used to it. Treason.

Yes. Treason felt like him. As devoted as the man was to loyalty, you were willing to dishonor your own family if it meant vouching for his, any day of the week.

You pushed the heavy glass door of your balcony open and stepped back into your room, the quiet 'clack' of the latch sounding loud in the silence. The weight of your gear held down your body like an anchor to the sea floor. The material became disgustingly restrictive on your own body; especially after being soaked with layers upon layers of melting snow. You (admittedly, with some difficulty) stripped it off quickly, leaving it in a dark pile on the floor… screw it. Something for you to deal with in the morning. 

Standing in the center of your room, you felt smaller than you should have. You were just another being in this tiny, stupid room– it wasn’t where you belonged! It wasn’t where you wanted to belong. And, by God, it wasn’t where you deserved to belong. 

You dragged a hand through your hair, wincing when your fingers snagged in the knots. It was still damp from the snow. The strands were clinging stubbornly to your skin, soaking the collar of your dry shirt and chilling the back of your neck. It was tangled. It was messy. It was blatantly  and abhorrently disgusting.

Your touch drifted upward, brushing the bandage at your brow. The cut throbbed beneath it. The dressing had already begun to peel at the edges; the adhesive was losing its grip, hanging on by a thread.

You stared at yourself in the mirror. Pajamas have been pulled on. Your hair was wet. For once you were warm, yet quite undeniably missing something. What was it? 

You knew what it was. Who it was. Regrettably… it was far too late to retrieve him.

Hell. There were so many things you wanted to say. You knew his tendencies to step in and help others, did that involve saying all of the words you wanted to say for you? Should you have stopped him, gave him a bigger speech on how much, just how much you had wished things were different?! You wanted to be too tired to feel guilty. You wanted to be too tired to panic about the meaning of this; there was far too much to comprehend. Instead, you’d dwell on it. For a long, long time.

You move slowly toward your bed, exhaustion finally catching up now that the adrenaline has burned off. The mattress dips when you sit, familiar and wide and far too big for one person. This bed was too empty, you’d think. Sure, you were warm physically… but not enough. Not as much as you desired to be. 

Outside, the snow keeps falling.

And for once, instead of red, you fell asleep— and dreamed of blue.

╰♥︎ ╮

You sat on the edge of the couch, phone resting in your hands, staring at the screen like it might light up on its own if you missed him hard enough.

It had been weeks since Sonic had taken off on this adventure, another world-threatening situation, another

“I’ll be back before you know it!”

tossed over his shoulder with a grin.

You knew he meant it. You knew this was his life.

That didn’t stop the ache.

You scrolled through your messages, rereading the last voice note he’d sent you. His voice was steady, confident, too far away.

Your throat tightened before you could stop it, eyes burning as the realization settled again: you hadn’t hugged him goodbye properly. Hadn’t told him how much you’d already missed him.

Your phone buzzed.

You sucked in a sharp breath before answering.

“S-Sonic?”

“Hey,”

his voice came through, warm and familiar like a hand on your back.

“There you are. I was worried; Tails said you sounded kinda quiet earlier.”

You tried to laugh it off, but it came out shaky.

“I’m fine. Just… tired.”

There was a pause. You could practically hear him slowing down, leaning somewhere safe.

“Hey,” he said more gently,

“you don’t gotta do that with me.”

That was all it took.

Your vision blurred, tears slipping down your cheeks before you could wipe them away.

“I just-”

You sniffed.

“I miss you. A lot. And I know you’re busy saving the world and stuff, but it’s really hard here without you.”

Another pause, longer this time.

“…Oh,”

Sonic murmured, softer than you’d ever heard him.

“C’mon. I didn’t know it was hitting you like that.”

“I didn’t want to worry you,”

you admitted quietly.

“You don’t worry me,”

he said immediately.

“You matter to me.”

You pressed the phone closer to your ear as if it could bridge the distance.

“I keep thinking about you getting hurt. Or not coming back on time. Or-”

Your voice cracked.

“What if you forget how much I need you?”

Sonic let out a small, breathy laugh; not teasing, just full of affection.

“Hey. Look at me-well, uh, imagine me,”

he said.

“I could run across the planet twice and I still wouldn’t forget you. You’re kinda hard to forget, y’know?”

You smiled weakly through your tears.

“I’m gonna come back,”

he continued, voice steady and sure.

“And when I do, I’m not lettin’ go for a long time. Pinky promise.”

“You swear?”

“Cross my heart. Scout’s honor. Speedster’s code.”

You could hear the grin now.

“You okay if I stay on the line for a bit? Keep you company?”

Your shoulders finally relaxed.

“Yeah… I’d really like that.”

“Good,” Sonic said softly.

“I’m right here. Even if I’m far away.”

And for the first time in days, the quiet didn’t hurt so much anymore.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯⋯⋅๑┈•✦

Ragged breathing filled the silence in Shredder’s lair. Heavy footsteps clamped down one by one. Metal on metal, steel on stone.

“They have foiled my plans.” Clank clank.

“They destroyed my army.” Clank clank.

“They mutated my daughter!” Clank clank.

The stomping came to a halt as Shredder lifted his head, eyes burning. “We are going to kill those wretched turtles ONCE AND FOR ALL!”

“Master.” Tiger Claw stepped forward. “I understand your frustration but perhaps we should strategise, come up with a plan.”

“The plan has already been set.” Shredder huffed. “We attack in two days time. I want you three to hunt down the turtles and capture them alive. Ensure their weapons are left behind.”

“But Master Shredder. In case you have already forgotten, those four have proven to be crafty opponents. Even if we manage to find them they could still prove… difficult to apprehend.” Fishface pointed out.

Shredder gave a lowly chuckle and pulled out a vial. “That is why you’re going to inject them with this.”

“What is it?” Rahzar growled.

“A sleeping agent. Something I snatched from that Stockman ages ago. I’ve been waiting for the right time to use it.” He shook it in the air. “It will infect their very blood. Making them weak and slow. They won’t be able to fight back. According to my spies Yoshi was last seen running around the city. I will hunt him down personally and we will meet at these coordinates on the fourth floor.” Shredder handed Tiger Claw a piece of paper with an address scribbled down.

“There will be a cage for you to place the worthless mutants in.”

Fishface flinched and growled at Shredders choice of words.

“When I bring Hamato Yoshi.” Shredder continued. “I will force him to watch as his as I tear his sons apart limb from limb! He will suffer tenfold for what he has done to me!”

“Excellent plan master.” Tiger Claw stepped forward. “My only concern is what of their human allies?”

“Destroy them.” Shredder sighed. “All but the one in pink.”

“The little O’Neil girl? What do you want with her?” Fishface inquired prompting the armoured warrior to turn away.

“Karai was valuable. Too valuable. With her gone we have a gap in our forces. We could use another skilled kunoichi, especially one with inside information.” His eyes narrowed sharply.

“But she’s allied with the turtles. She’ll never leave them.” Rahzar argued.

“Then make her!” Shredder shouted. “I’m sure you’ll find the right form of persuasion.”

🌸Cue intro🌸

The sound of cheesy action music rang throughout the lair as another episode of Super Robo Mecha Force Five began to play.

“I knew it would only be a matter of time before our paths crossed again.” A girl dressed in purple with dark teal hair stepped onto the screen.

“Oh snap, look who it is.” Mikey nudged Leo’s arm. “The princesses younger sister.”

“I thought she was only in the first few episodes?” Donnie asked.

“Well she’s back now.” Raph remarked before getting a hand shoved in his face.

“Everyone shut up, we’re missing all the details.” Leo hushed as they all turned back to face the screen.

“Sister!” Princess cried. “It has been so long.”

“It certainly has.” The girl raised her voice. “You thought you could take my place and get away with it? Never!”

Princess stepped forward. “But sister, I do not understand, I took nothing from you.”

The girl gave an angry snarl. “Nothing? Nothing!? You took everything! You already bare our mothers crown and then you went and took the only thing that brought me joy!”

“I did not mean to.” Princess flinched back. “You were destroyed by those asteroids, we thought you did not survive.”

“Well you thought wrong.” The girl snapped.

“Please Princess Lionstar!” Captain Dash Coolstar walked forward. “Accept our apology, there is still room for you on Mighty Super Robo Mecha!”

Princess Lionstar cackled. “You think you can apologise and I will forgive you? Never! There is no place for me with you all now!”

“P-Princess Lionstar, please.” Dr. Blip reached out.

“Oh Blip.” Princess Lionstar turned towards him. “I cannot believe how blind you have been. All this time you spent chasing after my sister when I was the one who loved you first!”

“Noooo!” Dr. Blip cried, dramatically falling to his knees.

“Woah, plot twist!” Mikey yelled, perking up from his spot on the floor.

Donnie took another handful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth. “Personally I’m on Princess Lionstar’s side. What kind of jerks just replace their friend like that?”

The turtles all mumbled in agreement. “Hey, do you think Splinter found Karai yet?” Leo looked at his brothers.

“Not sure.” Raph shrugged. “He’ll tell us when he gets back.”

Leo’s arms dropped. “Yeah, tomorrow night.”

Mikey gave him him a pat on the shell. “Hey it’s ok, we’re going to find her.”

“We’ll get her back Leo.” Donnie assured.

Leo smiled and sat back up straight. “You’re right, we can’t give up hope. Not yet.”

The uplifting atmosphere was cut short by a ringing from Donnie’s T-phone. He took it out and answered. “Hello hello hello this is Donatello.”

“Donnie!” April screeched on the other end. “You guys need to get down here now! There’s a tonne of footbots circling us!”

The turtles all looked up at each other in worry before focusing back on the phone. “Y/n has them handled for now and Casey’s with us but they just keep coming. I don’t know how long we can hold out!”

“Don’t worry April we’re on our way.” Donnie replied before closing the call. “C’mon guys. We’ve got some butt to kick.”

————————————

Down in the streets of NYC April, Casey and Y/n were fighting for their lives taking down bot after bot.

“I told you late night walks are a bad idea, they always bring trouble.” Y/n huffed as she stabbed another bot with her yari.

“Well sorry!” Casey yelled, whacking away with his hockey stick. “I thought it would be romantic!”

“Romance isn’t an excuse to endanger yourselves!” Y/n yelled, twirling her yari and blocking another footbot from attacking.

“Now is not the time to argue!” April shouted over the two. “The turtles are on their way, we just need to hold these guys back a little longer.”

Y/n glanced up at one of the distant buildings. “There’s another pack of them heading this way. I’m gonna go cut them off, you two stay here.” She announced before running off.

“Y/n, wait!” April called before huffing in defeat. “Ok then.” She then turned around to kick one of the bots in the face.

Y/n used her yari to propel herself onto the rooftops and stood defensively in preparation for the oncoming bots. Technically she shouldn’t be using a yari for jumping or vaulting but it was specially built by Donnie partly to assist in that purpose. Sturdy yet flexible as well as extendable so it could be hidden during the day. It was a marvel of modernised weaponry by Y/n’s standards. Donnie had put so much effort into a simple spear, it was honestly quite touching. 

“Come and get me!” She shouted, twirling her yari and lunging at her attackers. She took them down one by one, not realising she was slowly getting pushed towards the building’s edge.

“Casey, a little help over here!” April yelled as she got yanked back.

“Sorry red.” He called back, swiping another footbot. “I’m getting swamped!”

April began sweating bullets as one of the bots pulled her in, raising its blade. She closed her eyes and looked away only for it to get pummelled into a wall.

“Do not fear the turtles are here!” Mikey cheered, holding his nunchaku high as he twirled them around.

“Thank god you guys are here. I was about to be turned into confetti.” April gasped.

“Come on April.” Donnie beat up a couple more bots. “You know we wouldn’t let that happen.”

Casey scoffed and rolled his eyes, thwacking away another foot creep before skating over to the redhead. “Yeah no stress red besides I was totally going to come over and save you.” He flashed a cheesy grin making her frown.

“Wait, I thought you said Y/n was with you?” Leo inquired, looking around for her.

“She is, up there.” April pointed to one of the rooftops.

“She’s taking on all those footbots alone!?” Donnie panicked, eyes widening.

“Someone’s gotta help her!” Mikey cried.

“On it.” Raph nodded before running away to join her.

Y/n was struggling, fighting but struggling. With every bot that ran at her she found herself getting closer and closer to falling off the side of the building. Just as she thought the next footbot might take her out, Raph jumped in and sliced its head off.

“Need some help!” He gave a cocky grin as Y/n ran away from the edge.

“I mean I was doing fine.” She grunted before blocking the next bot as it pushed against her. “But I have always wanted a sidekick.”

“Sidekick!?” Raph exclaimed. “Ok do you want the help or not?”

“No no yes please, help would be very much appreciated.” She shoved away the footbot before getting back to back with Raph.

“Alright then, time to take these tin cans down.” Raph smirked. The two let out their own battle cries as they ran back into action.

“What do these guys even want? I don’t see any of Shredder’s usual henchmen around.” Raph twisted one of the footbots with his sai and threw it over his head, stabbing it in the chest.

“I’m not sure.” Y/n called back, using her yari to launch herself over one of the bots and kicking it from behind. “I was just at home when April called me saying she and Casey were under attack. It’s like they just popped out of nowhere.”

“Well whatever they’re trying to do, it’s gotta be one of Shredder’s plans.” Raph grabbed one of the footbots and spun it around before throwing it at another one, finishing them both.

“Maybe he’s out looking for Karai too.” Y/n suggested. “After all, he still sees her as his daughter.”

“Yeah well she’s not.” Raph grunted. “The lunatic seriously needs to get over it.”

Y/n kicked back another foot bot, twirling her yari and stabbing the next one before stopping in thought. “But why would he- agh!” She was cut off as a bot ran forward and kicked her harshly in the side, sending her over the edge of the building.

“Y/n!” April, Casey and the turtles cried, turning to face her as she fell down and smacked against the pavement. Her yari followed shortly after, the spearhead cracking on impact. Donnie ran over and delicately held her up, back being lifted by his right hand while his left held her head.

“Oh nononononononono. No!” He freaked out, noticing her seemingly unconscious state. “Y/n? Y/n!“

She immediately jerked upwards in shock, eyes opened so wide they looked like they were popping out. “I’m alive!”

“You’re alive? You’re alive!” Donnie cried, hugging her tight.

“Thank god for this.” She smiled and pulled a rogue trash bag from behind her head. How she managed to land perfectly on top, we’ll never know.

“And the foot have been kicked back to where they belong.” Leo remarked, Raph jumping down from the building as they all gathered together.

“You know what this calls for?” Mikey grinned.

“Pizza!” Everyone cheered, basking in the glow of their victory.

————————————

The lair was filled with chatter and joy as everyone sat spread out around the couch. 

Super Robo Mecha Force Five was playing on full blast with pizza boxes scattered as far as the eye could see.

Leo was sat cross legged to the far right with Mikey draped over his lap. The orange turtle in question had just pulled a stray pizza slice off the floor and was attempting to make quick work of it.

“Ew Mikey, gross!” Leo’s face contorted in disgust as he leaned back from the horror.

Raph and Casey were busy stood behind everyone, throwing popcorn at each other’s faces as they tried to catch some.

“Hey Raph! Betcha can’t catch this one!” Casey called, backing up further away.

“Oh yeah?” Raph smirked. “Bring it.” Casey hauled the popped cornel across the room, sending it flying into Raph mouth and accidentally lodging it in his throat.

“Casey, I can’t- *cough* I-I just need you to *cough cough*. The thing it’s- *cough* stuck! *cough cough cough*”

“Hold on Raph I got you!” Casey shouted, running over and holding him from behind, trying to stop his choking.

All the while April and Donnie were sat directly in front of them, smack bang in the middle of the couch. Donnie kept trying to sneak side glances that April noticed but never acknowledged till he built up enough courage to speak.

“H-hey April, there’s only one slice of pizza left! Uh… wanna share?” He awkwardly smiled, shoving the cheesy tomato dough in her face.

“Um no thanks Donnie.” She declined, of course. Curling up uncomfortably as she gently pushed the pizza back towards him.

Just as she was doing so, Casey popped up from behind, snatching the pizza from Donnie’s hand. “I’ll be taking that. You can share pizza with me any time you want Red. How’s that restaurant across the street from my place sound?”

The red head immediately brightened at the offer. “Papa Rossy’s? I love that place, yes!”

“It’s a date!” Casey smiled, giving Donnie a purposeful look as he took a bite of the pizza prompting a less than pleased response from the terrapin.

What Donnie didn’t notice though were a pair of longing eyes observing from a distance. Y/n, who had been taking note of the whole debacle from the moment he sat down beside April. It’s wasn’t fair, it never was.

The two of them were so close beforehand, heck, he even showed the same affection towards her for a while but then something changed. She couldn’t tell when it happened exactly but all of a sudden his focus shifted to April. 

Suddenly she was the one he always seemed to look after. She was the one he gazed at any time they entered the lair. She was the one he loved and it didn’t make sense! What happened?

Y/n felt like she’d been slipping more and more into the background lately and it was completely ridiculous. She knew the turtles long before they were even allowed up on the surface so how come she wasn’t the front liner out of all their human companions? Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway. She was still a valuable and recognised part of the team and that was enough. Or so she thought.

“I’m going to head into the dojo for a second, need to replace the spearhead on this thing.” Y/n mused, taking out her yari. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

Everyone gave their own replies, waving her off as she left before going back to their previous activities. April smiled and whipped out her laptop as she began typing while carefully glancing the screen.

“Watcha doing there April?” Donnie asked, leaning in to look at her screen.

“Just doing some research to see if there’s any reason those footbots were chasing after us tonight.” She replied casually.

“Good idea.” Leo sat up, accidentally sending Mikey to the floor. “Whatever they were doing it couldn’t have been for any good and with Splinter away it only makes this stuff more dangerous.”

“Maybe they went rouge you know?” Mikey weakly rose from the floor, rubbing his head. “Shredder hasn’t always been good in a managerial position.”

“I don’t buy it. Shredder’s had those things for ages why would they suddenly go berserk now?” Casey questioned.

“It’s possible they were just sent to attack you guys. April at least.” Raph suggested.

“But that still doesn’t make enough sense. Why only go after April? They aren’t exactly interested in hunting her anymore and we know they didn’t explicitly go after Y/n.” Donnie put a hand on his chin in thought not that he could think much. It was like their brains reached a dead end.

As April continued scrolling on her laptop she stopped and gasped. “Guys you gotta see this!” Everyone gathered around her. Bar Y/n who was still in the dojo, clueless to everything going on outside. April kept clicking on her laptop frantically. “Multiple kraang sightings spotted down near the docks, it looks like they could be transporting heavy machinery.”

“Oh no. The invasion!” Donnie gasped.

“I knew they’d be back soon!” Raph growled.

“We gotta stop them dudes!” Mikey exclaimed.

“You got that right.” Leo stood tall, addressing everyone in front of him. “Let’s go beat their sorry behinds.”

Everyone cheered and immediately rushed out of the room without a second thought, weapons in hand and gear at the ready.

Y/n exited the dojo but a moment after, admiring her new spearhead when she looked around. “Guys? Guys!?”

She walked around for a second before stopping and glancing at April’s still open laptop, pictures of kraang glaring back at her.

————————————

“Yeah!”

“Woo hoo!”

“That was awesome!”

A mix of high-threes, fist bumps and playful shoves were passed around as April, Casey and the turtles re-entered the lair.

“Dude that was so awesome! We should totally do that next time!” Mikey pumped his fists in the air.

“Heck yeah dude!” Casey cheered “Swinging around on your kusarigama like that was the most fun I’ve had like ever!”

“Raph, the way you took down that shipment of kraang gear was incredible!” April praised.

“Aw thanks April. But can we talk about Mr hero over here!” Raph smiled brightly gesturing to Leo.

“C’mon it was nothing.” He shrugged bashfully.

“Nothing? You completely slammed those droids! We’d be dead if it weren’t for you!” Raph gave him a rough side hug before being gently pushed off.

“Okok but I couldn’t do it alone. It was Donnie who created the virus to hack into their system!” The blue eyed boy looked to his younger brother who waved him off.

“Oh Leo you flatter me.” Donnie chuckled. “But you’re right, it was totally awesome! And April, that psychic blast was incredible!”

“I don’t even know how I did it. I just felt something building up and then all of a sudden, whoosh!” She smiled, walking over to the couch.

April shut her laptop and grabbed it with ease but not before noticing something. A small pink note floated down to the floor. She picked it up, carefully examining it and all of a sudden the colour drained from her face. “Oh no. Guys, get over here now!”

Casey and the turtles ran over quick to read what was on the note.

Raph peered over her shoulder in confusion. “Hope the mission went well?”

“Y/n!” Leo gasped, causing Donnie’s face to go slack.

“Oh no.” He spoke, eyes empty.

“Do you think she’ll forgive us if we send her flowers?” Casey offered anxiously.

“Not unless we travel to an alternate universe!” April panicked.

Mikey stared at the note, a look of pure regret plastered on his face. “Sewer apples.”

————————————

While the others were busy fighting the kraang, Y/n was busy doing her own sort of thing. Running across the rooftops of NYC to help process the overwhelming emotions filling her head.

On one hand maybe it was too serious to take the time to alert her. The kraang were moments away from invading after all and any activity from them should be considered an emergency. On the other hand it doesn’t take that long to call out a name. Even if they had called while running off.

Well maybe they did call out to her and she just didn’t hear or her phone was on silent. No, impossible. The lair walls weren’t exactly soundproof and the dojo was open so any slightly loud noise would have traveled through easily. Also she was pretty sure her T-phone didn’t even have a silent mode and even if it did, she didn’t receive any missed calls or voicemails.

So that left one of two possibilities. Either they completely forgot about her or they just didn’t want her going. Both pretty bad, one more so than the other. At least if they didn’t want her going they could provide a reason of some sort (a good one hopefully). But just forgetting she even existed especially when she was in the room with them moments before was a whole new low. How the heck did her sister of 15 years, friends of 9 years and Casey of… well… Casey didn’t really count here but still! How did they manage to forget about her so easily? And more importantly, what did this say about their relationship? Did they not view her as a valuable member of the team!? Was she really that forgettable!? Or maybe they just never wanted her around to begi-

Y/n stopped, halting in the middle of a rooftop. She glanced around cautiously, hand hovering above her yari just in case. In a flash of movements she gripped her yari, extending it and twirling around to point it at a familiar black and orange face.

“Tiger Claw.” She growled, grip tightening intensely, a perfect match to her glare.

“Little O’Neil girl.” He replied sternly. Eyes never shifting, hands never twitching.

“What do you want?” She shoved her spear further forward still getting no physical response.

“Not a fight. I only wish to understand why you are not currently with your turtle friends.” His cold stare began to falter a, still strong but showing some genuine curiosity that made Y/n lower her guard slightly.

“They left me. Went on a mission but didn’t think to let me know. And if you’re going to ask what it is, I’m not telling you.” She frowned.

“I was not concerned about that.” Tiger Claw snarled. “But it is unfortunate you were left out. Tell me, how does it make you feel?”

“Alright I’m done here.” Y/n answered, lowering her yari as she turned to walk away. “Sharing my feelings with one of Shredders lackeys? Yeah right.” She scoffed.

“Wait!” Tiger Claw caught her attention and she stopped to look back over her shoulder. “I do not wish to fight nor do I plan to use the information you give me against you.” He sighed. “I am trying to be nice.”

Y/n slowly turned around again, hand on her hip as she stood all sassy. “And why would a crook like you try to be nice to an enemy like me?”

“We have an opening in the foot.” He announced, finally moving for the first time since she spotted him. “With Karai gone we are in need of another kunoichi with your… freedom. The only reason you aren’t dead yet is because I was asked to recruit you. And it sounds like the turtles have betrayed you, wouldn’t you like a chance at revenge?” His eyes glinted viciously in the darkness making his presence all the more intimidating.

Still, Y/n rolled her eyes and sent him a questioning look as she carefully gripped her yari. “Sure I’m upset but I’d have to get pushed aside a thousand times by those guys before even considering joining the likes of you.” She got into a better stance, talked and braver than before, eyes matching Tiger Claw’s menacing gaze. “The answer is no.”

“I will give you one more chance.” The feline growled and cracked his knuckles. “Either join us or I’ll make you.”

She held her ground. “Come get me kitty cat.”

Y/n then darted for the edge of the rooftop, running as fast as she could manage. Tiger Claw followed, unsurprisingly, and darted after her at high speeds. She kept going, leaping over rooftop after rooftop before eventually dropping off one. Tiger Claw came to a halt and closed his eyes. He sniffed the air for a second before stilling, opening his eyes again and darting down.

Y/n had only managed to round a third building before Tiger Claw came up from behind. He wasn’t close but he also wasn’t far. She tried to use his mutation to her advantage. Tiger Claw being significantly larger and undoubtedly less flexible could be put at a disadvantage if Y/n made the right moves.

She jumped up onto a fire escape and used it to run up to another rooftop, taking a second to observe the city before a large thump came from behind. She took off running again, this time in a different direction. Tiger Claw was quick to follow as they continued to cross the city. Soon enough, Y/n found her desired location. She continued across a couple more buildings before jumping off the side of one once more. What Tiger Claw couldn’t see was her jumping off a dumpster and using her yari to assist in leaping over a large patch of wet concrete. Of course he jumped after but was quick to miss the dumpster and landed directly in the middle of the concrete. Due to his weight, the tiger almost immediately found himself wedged in by the waist, struggling to move in any way.

Y/n giggled victoriously. “You having trouble there Tiger Paw?”

He growled at her with rage. “Do not celebrate yet little girl. I will get out of here and when I do I will hunt you down across every inch of this city and drag you back to serve as Shredder’s slave! You have not seen the last of me!”

“Yeah I haven’t.” Y/n shrugged. “But neither has that concrete.” She smiled before leaning in close to Tiger Claw’s face. “Let this be a lesson. Don’t ever and I mean ever ask me to join your crummy little pity party ever again.” She stepped back, staring down at him in disdain. “Those turtles are my family, I don’t care if they forgot about me I would fight to the end for them.” She turned around, walking off before more trouble could arrive. As she went to take a step, she noticed a small peice of paper with an address written on it. She tucked away carefully before giving Tiger Claw one last glance.

“Have a good night.”

————————————

April entered the lair the next night as usual. The turtles collectively looked up at her expectantly only to be met with sympathetic eyes.

“She isn’t coming down tonight. She hasn’t spoken to me much since last night, just dad… but I’m sure it’s fine. She’s an understanding person and there’s no way she’s that upset.”

“Dudes Y/n is hella pissed!” Casey announced while walking in. April face palmed in annoyance as he continued. “I tried talking to her at school and nothing! It’s like I didn’t even exist!”

“How do you think she felt when we ditched her?”  Raph glared.

“I feel like such a failure.” Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m the leader, I should be alerting everyone when we go on missions.”

“No Leo it’s my fault. I’m her sister. If anyone should have remembered it’s me.” April frowned.

“We all should have remembered!” Mikey cried. “She’s our friend, you don’t just forget a friend like that.”

“Man.” Casey fell sadly onto the couch. “We are real jerks.”

Everyone sat in silence for a moment till Donnie spoke up.

“That’s it, I’m leaving, I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“Donnie just give her some space, she’ll come back on her own.” Leo reasoned.

Donnie looked back at him. “Y’know, I’d like to think I know Y/n pretty well Leo and I don’t know if she will. So I’m going.” He began walking out of the lair.

“Me too I can’t handle just waiting around.” Raph smacked his hands down and stood up, following after.

“Same here bro, we gotta go apologise.” Mikey frowned, running after the two.

Leo looked on desperately. “Guys, hold on! Ugh wait for me.” He groaned, chasing after his brothers.

Casey pointed a finger gun towards April in the, now empty, lair. “So… how about that pizza date?”

————————————

The turtles ran across the New York City rooftops, aiming to reach Y/n’s apartment as soon as possible.

“Hey, just like a super random hypothetical  but what if she doesn’t forgive us?” Mikey pouted, looking down for a moment with droopy eyes.

“She will, eventually. It might not be tonight but we know Y/n, she doesn’t hold grudges.” Leo replied assuringly.

“Yeah.” Raph agreed. “She didn’t stay mad at Casey when he broke her phone.”

“Or when Kirby kept her from seeing us.” Leo pitched in.

“She didn’t even stay angry at that guy who ghosted her before prom!” Donnie remarked. “I offered to take him out but no Donatello, it’s not okay to beat up random people on the street.” His brothers sent him questioning looks. “What?”

“Dude, you have it so bad for her.” Mikey shook his head as they continued running ahead.

“I do not!” Donnie screeched, cheeks growing in colour. “I like April now.”

“And that’s somehow going even worse than before.” Raph rolled his eyes.

“Well you’re the ones who told me to get over Y/n, so I did!” He glared.

Leo gave a nervous smile and glanced away at Donnie’s comment, a memory coming to mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was night time, about a year or so before April met the turtles. Leo was sat in Y/n’s open window facing the inside of her room, legs swinging back and forth as the two talked about life.

“I don’t know.” He mumbled. “Love is just too weird for me. First there’s different types of love, then they each have their own names for like the amount of love you feel for someone and then there’s all this mythology about fated love, forbidden love, doomed love. It makes no sense!” He rolled his head backwards in frustration. “It’s all too complicated. I think people should just love each other and not spend their whole lives worrying about what kind of love it is, you know.”

“Yeah I get what you mean.” Y/n acknowledged. “But its complexity is kind of what makes it so amazing. It’s like how Splinter feels paternal love towards you guys, because he’s your father, and I feel familial love towards you all because you’re like my family.”

“Aw.” Leo smiled sappily.

“Yeah.” Y/n continued. “You, Splinter, Mikey Raph.”

“And Donnie.” Leo added.

“Right, yes, Donnie.”

“You don’t love Donnie?” Leo leaned forward, brown raised curiously.

“Well I mean I do just not so much family-like.” She reasoned.

“Huh?” He frowned. Y/n pulled Leo down closely and began so speak in a hushed tone.

“Okay, I’m going to tell you something Leo because you’re my best friend and I trust you.”

“Alright.” He replied, prompting her to continue.

“But you have to swear you won’t tell anyone alright, not even your brothers. Especially your brothers.” Her tone got serious, eyes narrowed sharply.

“Okay I promise. I won’t say a word.”

“No but like I need something more. Like a ninjas oath or something.” She suggested.

“I don’t think that’s even a thing.” Leo snickered.

“Well it is now, so swear it.” She pointed an aggressive finger at the bridge between his eyes, causing Leo to back up a bit.

“Okay okay. I, Leonardo Hamato, solemnly swear to not repeat a word of what you’re about to say.”

“Cool.” Y/n took a breath before looking back at him anxiously. “I like Donnie.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, Leo felt kinda bad for teasing Donnie to the point of believing Y/n didn’t want him. But in fairness, that was mostly all Raph. Also he took an oath so it’s not like he could tell Donnie that Y/n liked him that way, he wouldn’t betray her like that.

Everyone suddenly came to a halt as they hopped onto the next building.

“Alright, Y/n’s apartment is just up ahead. How are we gonna go about this?” Donnie looked back at the other three.

“You’re the one who took off first, how were you gonna go about it?” Raph crossed his arms and tilted his head in his usual machismo way.

“Well I didn’t really think that far ahead.” Donnie admitted.

Leo palmed his face. “Look, she’s not gonna take it well if we all go to see her at once but it also isn’t great if we go one by one like a routine. She’ll pick up on that pretty quick.”

“Well then how we go two at a time, like a tag team!” Mikey exclaimed.

“I dunno Mikey that seems a little-“

Thump

Leo stood still, the others following his actions. The four stood together, weapons raised as they waited for someone to attack.

“You guys heard that, right?” Mikey trembled.

“Yes, we all heard it. Now shut up!” Raph whispered.

A rush of wind blew past Donnie’s ear. He turned around, ready to black whatever it was with his bō but was instantly knocked onto his shell by Tiger Claw.

“Turtles.” He announced. “How lovely to see you again.”

“Tiger Claw, what do you want?” Leo snarled, keeping a closer eye on his surroundings.

“Nothing more than your attention.” The Tiger smirked, moving back a couple steps.

Raph looked at him with suspicion. “Our attention? What, like a distraction?”

“Agh!” Leo fell to the floor, gripping the side of his neck. The brothers surrounded him.

“Exactly.” Tiger Claw grinned.

“Leo, you good bro!?” Mikey cried out.

“I don’t know. I think Rahzar and Fishface are here. Watch out!”

Suddenly Raph was tackled from behind by Fishface and had something injected into his neck. He screamed in agony for a moment as Mikey and Donnie went back to back. They began twirling and swinging their weapons rapidly. Fishface ran at them but flinched back from their weapons.

“Mikey, whatever you do don’t stop moving. So long as we keep a strong defence Fishface can’t get to us.” Donnie briefed, rapidly spinning his staff like his life depended on it.

“That’s why I’m here.” A voice called from the shadows.

All of a sudden, both boys were rammed by Rahzar as he charged his way through. Mikey was quickly pinned to the floor and injected by Fishface.

Donnie attempted to fight back against Rahzar but was quickly pulled into Tiger Claw’s tight grip from behind. He struggled as much as he could but deflated once Fishface finished injecting him.

The four turtles sat on the ground in a pile, cool air waving around them as each tried to get their bearings. Leo attempted to stand but fell back down immediately. Raph’s vision began to grow spots and Mikey felt like his whole head was shaking.

“Donnie, whats happening?” He croaked.

“I’m not too sure.” Donnie rasped. “But if I had to guess, I’d say we’re being poi-p-p-poiso…” He collapsed onto the floor, bō rolling out of his hand and stopping at Tiger Claw’s feet. The rest fell unconscious quickly after, everything around them going dark.

————————————

Y/n decided to head back to the lair that night. She was still a little, scratch that, a lot upset but it wasn’t good to dwell on it. The least she could do was stop by and try to talk things out.

Unfortunately those plans were cut short when she entered the lair and only found two lonesome humans, wrapped up in their devices.

“Ahem.” She announced, getting the two to turn their heads and notice her presence.

“Y/n! You’re here? Uh shoot! I should call the guys, they just went out to talk to you.” April rambled, whipping out her T-phone.

“You doing okay?” Casey asked, expressing far more sympathy than normal.

“Yeah I’m good.” Y/n mumbled.

“Uh oh.” April gasped and continued frantically typing on her T-phone.

“What’s wrong?” Y/n looked over to her.

“They’re not picking up!”

“None of them?” Casey leaned over her shoulder.

“None of them.” She answered back. “Y/n, maybe you could try-“

“No.” She grabbed and extended her yari. “I’m gonna go out to find them. Who knows what they’ve gotten themselves into.”

“We’ll go with you.” April stood up.

“While I appreciate it I think I need to do this myself. Trust me.”

The two held each others eyes for a solid second, an exchange of understanding before Y/n turned and walked back into the dark sewers alone.

————————————

Up on the surface Y/n began her search. She stuck to the shadows just in case, scouring back alleys and crawling up fire escapes. She flipped up onto the roof of a building and began to run and leap, the glow of the city overpowering the faint stars in the sky.

Each footstep was heavy, purposeful but quick. The longer she was out the faster she got. Y/n was upset, naturally, but they were still her family. If anything happened to them she’d probably go crazy. Soon enough she spotted something, a glint in the moonlight. She immediately changed course and landed a couple blocks later.

What should she find but a scattered pile of weapons. Smoke bombs and shurikens even their T-phones were sprawled out, among other things, but that wasn’t what caught her eye. No, Y/n began to panic when she saw Leo’s blades, Donnie’s bō, Raph’s sai and Mikey’s kusarigama with a nunchuck tossed next to it. It seemed the turtles, somehow, had been well and truly disarmed.

Y/n stopped to think for a moment, the likelihood of this happening at all was extremely low. Even if they lost their main weapons the chances of them losing all their weaponry was almost impossible. So maybe this wasn’t actually what it looked like. Maybe it was a trap laid out by the foot or the kraang. Tiger Claw said Shredder wanted her on their side by any means. Maybe this was how they planned to capture her.

She began to twirl her yari around, forming a shield to defend herself from any unexpected threats. Slowly, she bent down and grabbed Donnie’s bō, tucking it behind her back. Nothing. She put her yari to a stop and looked around. Sensing no lingering presence, Y/n decided to reach down and grab a smoke bomb next. Still nothing. She glanced down once more at the discarded tools before a thought crossed her mind. She reached into her pocket for a moment before pulling out the peice of paper she found the other night, noting the address. “Hold tight, I’m coming guys.“

————————————

The warehouse was cold, damp and dark. The air was filled with a musty essence that didn’t seem to be coming from any particular source.

Donnie was the first to awake, eyelids bouncing up and down as he groggily attempted to stand. Hands on metal, head ringing with an invisible force pressing down on his temple. He looked down through blurred vision to get a sense of his surroundings.

The space was large and empty yet full of an assortment of items. Wooden crates sat stacked haphazardly in a pyramid over to one corner. Unidentifiable scraps of metal were resting in another. The floor below was rancid and filthy, likely containing patches of water and liquids of other kinds. The roof was the worst part. A combination of rotted wood and loose screws mixed with broken lights and exposed circuitry that made the whole thing look like it belonged in a horror movie. Not to mention the amount of cobwebs and bugs bound to be hiding everywhere.

Donnie glanced back at the sound of groans, a sign that his brothers were coming to. It was only then that he properly registered where they were. The purple masked turtle glanced down and freaked out. His legs slipped from under him causing him to collapse directly on top of his newly awakened brethren.

“Ugh Donnie.” Leo mumbled, shoving him off by the shell.

“Sorry guys.” Donnie rubbed the back of his head in pain.

“What was that for?” Mikey squinted, eyes still adjusting to his new environment.

“Yeah and where- hey, wait! What is this? Where are we!?” Raph stood up in a split second and began banging on the bars, only just having noticed the cage they were trapped in.

“Hehehe. Hello turtles.” Rahzar’s voice rumbled from the darkness as he stepped forward confidently.

“Rahzar!” Leo called, reaching behind to pull out his katanas only to find himself empty handed.

“Looking for your swords?” Fishface smirked proudly. “Don’t bother, you won’t find them. Or your stick or your sai. We made sure to strip you of your toys, left them on the building were we caught you.”

“Why you little!” Raph shouted, smashing his shoulder against the cage in a futile attempt to break free.

“Please, rest, save your energy. You’ll be needing it.” Tiger Claw approached. “We have much planned for you four.”

“How’d this even happen. We were going after Y/n and then all of a sudden-“

“Y/n? Bahahaha!” Fishface broke down hysterically. “Last we heard you didn’t want her around. She’s with us now.” He gave a sly smile.

“No, no way. She wouldn’t!” Donnie yelled, banging his fists on the bars.

“She hasn’t joined us yet. But she will.” Tiger Claw growled, remembering the events of the previous night.

“And with you turtles out the way there’ll be no one to protect her, nothing to stop us.” Rahzar grinned menacingly.

“No.” Mikey’s gaze fell to the floor solemnly.

“But that is nothing compared to the treat we have prepared for you lot.” Fishface narrowed his eyes with a wicked tone.

“For now, we await Shredder’s arrival with the rat.” Tiger Claw spoke. “But before then, we’re free to do whatever we please.”

Rahzar chuckled, grabbing a canister of mutagen.

“Is that… mutagen?” Leo questioned.

“Good eye.” Rahzar grinned, carefully opening the mutagen canister.

“You turned us into freaks!” Fishface screamed. “Time to return the favour.”

Rahzar pushed the mutagen forward in front of Mikey’s face forcing him to lean back. He withdrawed it with another chuckle, the three mutants stepping away with dark expressions.

“Enjoy this moment turtles, it will only get worse from here.” Tiger Claw growled before finally backing off, leaving the brothers alone.

“We’re gonna be turned into double mutants!” Mikey cried, falling onto the floor of the cage with a dramatic thud.

“Us? What about Y/n!? They’re gonna force her to be a foot soldier!” Donnie shouted, panicking like a madman.

“Did we miss the part where Shredder’s hunting Master Splinter? And how about Casey and April? Are they hurt too? Did the Foot manage to get to them?” Leo freaked.

“This wouldn’t have happened if we’d just- ugh!” Raph yelled and punched the bars of the cage, barely forming a dent.

“Yeah.” Donnie sighed. “If we hadn’t left Y/n we would have never been caught like that.”

“Wait, before we passed out you said something. Like we were being poisoned! Agh, we’re gonna die of poison!” Mikey screamed, flailing his hands around.

“We’re not dying!” Leo shouted. “At least, I don’t think we are.”

“No Leo’s right.” Donnie agreed. “The initial effects seemed to have worn off now. I suspect we were actually injected with some kind of sleeping agent to slow us down and prevent any resistance when we were being attacked.” 

The three brothers stared at him for a moment before Raph clapped is hands. 

“Well that’s great Donnie, glad you figured that out. Now if you don’t mind can we please focus on how to get out of here!”Raph screamed in his face.

“What was that.” Rahazar muttered.

The four turtles went quiet, watching as their captors walked around cautiously.

“What’s going on?” Mikey whispered.

“I don’t know Mikey, why don’t you ask them?” Leo rolled his eyes.

“Okay. Hey Rahzar, Fishfa-“ Raph quickly smacked his hand over Mikey’s mouth.

“What are you doing you idiot!” He hissed.

“Leo told me to ask them!” Mikey retorted after finally freeing his mouth.

Donnie smacked his palm against his forehead, glancing back at the three henchmen. “Seriously though, what is going on with them.”

Leo sat in thought for a brief moment before his eyes flickered. “No, I hear it to. Listen.”

The turtle brothers remained silent as the sound of pattering feet became more audible. Donnie glanced up and saw a shadow dash across the blurred yellow plastic that formed certain sections of the roof.

A second passed before a massive smash erupted, alerting everyone to a nearby window. And who would jump out but the one and only Y/n O’Neil.

Her usual pink bandana was now tied around her face as a mask, revealing the typically hidden eye holes.

“Oh Tiger Claw!” She called, storming into the warehouse with a passion. Every step held a level of confidence only achievable with subsequent anger, moving at the rhythmic speed of a fast-paced song. Tiger Claw, Fishface and Rahzar all stared down at her, surrounded by an army of footbots.

Fishface smirked. “Well well well. Look who it is. The useless one came to pay a visit.”

“Dudes look.” Mikey nudged his brothers. “It’s Y/n, she came to save us!”

“I dunno Mikey she looks more like she’s ready to kill us.” Raph frowned, watching the scene go on below.

“Wait a second.” Leo looked closely through the cage bars. “Are those our weapons!?”

Sure enough, Y/n had each of the turtles weapons on her. Leo’s katanas slid in front of Donnie’s bō. Mikey’s nunchaku were tucked away on her right and Raph’s sai on her left.

“She’s going to get herself killed!” Donnie shrieked, hands holding his head in a panic.

Tiger Claw growled, still angered from last night’s events. “I will make you join us by any means necessary.”

Y/n sighed, eyes turning a ghostly white. “No. You really won’t.”

Immediately footbots came running forward. She twirled her yari and swiped at a few before shrinking it and tucking away. She kicked the next two bots before ducking down as another went tumbling over her head. She quickly grabbed one of the sai and turned around, stabbing the bot in the head. She then threw a series of ninja stars that decommissioned another three footbots while she pulled out Donnie’s staff to whack away another group.

The brothers watched from their cage. “Wow Splinter was right.” Raph’s eyes widened in surprise. “She really is versatile.”

Y/n kicked away more footbots before turning and throwing Leo’s sword to impale another on the wall. She sliced two more with the second katana before running and snatching back the first one. She sheathed his swords behind her again as she narrowly dodged another footbot’s attacks. She then whipped out Mikey’s nunchaku and transformed it into his kusarigama, using it to swiftly tangle the bot before kicking it down and slicing off its head.

Y/n finally took a breather, but quickly backed into something stiff. She heard a growl and turned around to find Rahzar’s disgusting grin. “Huh, I was wondering when you were going to join the fight.” She mused before throwing a smoke bomb in his face. Rahzar rawed at the top of his lungs while Y/n took the opportunity to tie the kusarigama around his feet and topple his down. She beat him a couple of times with Donnie’s staff before running off. She quickly grabbed a stray brick off the ground and hauled it at his face, knocking him out cold.

The sound of yelling came from behind but Fishface didn’t get much of a chance to attack as she quickly stuck up a fist, hitting him in the face. She twisted around and kicked him in the stomach before dropping down and gripping one of his robo legs. She lodged one of Raph’s sai into the joint where his left leg connected to the main compartment.

“Get off you annoying child!” Fishface tried shaking her off but she remained attached.

“Not a chance.” Y/n spoke, eventually twisting the sai enough to break off the leg, leaving him toppled on the ground. Y/n quickly fought off a couple more oncoming bots before slamming Mikey’s nunchaku against the wall, causing debris to fall down from the and upper edges of the wall, properly trapping Fishface on the floor.

Last was Tiger Claw who wasted no time in launching at her side. “Why don’t you just give up now? No one has defeated me. Not Shredder, not Karai and certainly not you.”

Y/n glared up at him while taking a few steps back. “Don’t worry Tiger Paw. I don’t need to defeat you, I just need an easy way up.”

He shook his face in confusion before getting back into his fighting stance. But just as he lunged forward to deliver his next blow Y/n jumped up. She kicked off the wall and landed on top of his head, running and leaping off it to reach the turtles' cage for a brief moment, swiping a gloved hand across the bars.

She landed back down in a somersault and pointed her yari back at Tiger Claw, fierceness in her eyes.

“Woah that was so cool!” Mikey gushed. “She was like flying.” His eyes sparkled as he reached for the bars Y/n had touched only to get slapped back by Donnie.

“Do not touch that!” The purple turtle screamed.

“Ow! Why!?” Mikey complained, rubbing his sore arm.

“See the glove Y/n just threw to the floor?” The other turtles leaned over Donnie’s shell to get a look.

“It has some weird looking water on it.” Raph pointed out only for Donnie to face palm.

“That’s not water Raph it’s sulfuric acid.” Donnie walked over to inspect the bars at a distance. “She must of taken some from my lab and rubbed it against the bars to corrode the metal! Genius!”

Meanwhile, Y/n was still busy avoiding swipes from Tiger Claw’s blade. The remainder of the footbots were long defeated, leaving just the two against each other. She eventually used Leo’s katana to counter him and scattered his sword to the other end of the room. He growled furiously before pouncing on her. She held him steady, back planted against the floor as Leo’s katana kept his jaws away.

“You insolent girl!” He shouted. “Shredder will have your head for this!” Her eyes darkened as she lifted her head slightly to look him in the eye.

“Oh buddy I don’t think you understand. If I ever see Shredder again, I’m gonna be the one taking heads!” With that she grabbed the small vial of sulfuric acid she took from Donnie’s lab and threw the remainder of it at his face. Tiger Claw recoiled in anguish allowing Y/n to push off the ground causing him to stumble backwards.

He launched at her again but this time she blocked and shoved him with Donnie’s bō, turning around and using one hand to toss Leo’s sword up towards the cage.

“Duck!” Leo shouted, leading the four of them to crouch down with their hands over their heads. The sword slammed against the corroded bars and broke them with ease, giving the turtles an easy escape. 

Y/n pointed the bō at Tiger Claw’s chest. He clutched his right eye in pain as his left hand struggled to swipe at her to no avail. She carefully pushed him with the bō towards one of the windows, where he soon crashed through and fell out of the building. Y/n looked down to see if he was still in commission only to find his burnt face and unconscious body laid out atop a, now crushed, dumpster.

The four turtles hopped down one by one, shamefully avoiding her eyes. Y/n tossed each of them their weapons before retying her bandana around her head.

She walked past them towards the exit as Donnie turned to her with a weak smile. “You wore your mask.”

Y/n didn’t return the look, keeping her gaze straight ahead with a dulled expression. “Yeah, I did.” She stopped for a moment to look at the ground before looking ahead again. “I’m glad you guys are ok.” She kept moving after that, not bothering to look back.

Mikey sighed, his arms drooping. “Dudes, we totally messed up.”

“You got that right.” Raph commented with his arms in their usual cross.

“We gotta figure out a way to make it up to her.” Leo clenched his fists before releasing them loosely.

“I don’t know if we can.” Donnie muttered, a mix of hurt and guilt filling his brain.

————————————

Shredder’s lair was eerily quiet. Stone walls dripping with the pain of a thousand men. Tiger Claw hesitantly took a step forward, bowing in his usual manner before the throne. “Master shredder, I regret to inform you that the mission was a failure. We successfully captured the turtles but the pink O’Neil girl was able to free them.”

“It is alright Tiger Claw.” Shredder huffed, standing up from his hardened seat. “It pains me to say I too was unsuccessful. The turtles grow stronger every day as do their allies. Perhaps it is time we began seeking some external assistance.”

Tiger Claw’s eyes went wide, a look of apprehension crossing his face. “Surely you are not considering-“

“I will not determine it as of now.” Shredder raised his hand. “But as it stands, we are failing on our own. We could use the help from something more alien.”

————————————

The walk back to the lair was painfully quiet, no one dared to say anything more after their departure from the warehouse.

The boys eventually reached the familiar entrance where they found April and Casey anxiously waiting on the couch.

April looked up and a wave of relief washed over her. “You guys are ok!” She ran over to give them all individual hugs. “Splinter’s back and resting in his room.” They all let out a sigh of relief as April kept talking. “I thought for a moment that the foot had actually caught you all for good.”

Leo looked up in confusion. “Didn’t Y/n tell you we were ok when she got back?”

“We haven’t seen Y/n since she left to get you guys. She came back grab some things but hasn’t returned. I don’t know where she is.” April announced with worry. 

The brothers each exchanged anxious glances but Donnie faltered for a moment.

“You guys go ahead and get patched up, I need to check on something real quick.”

Casey hopped up and watched Donnie as he ran off. “He’s going to find Y/n?”

“He’s going to find Y/n.” April and the remaining three turtles spoke together.

————————————

Donnie treaded lightly on the sewer pavement, allowing the faint sound of tears to guide him.

He soon found her, body crumpled and curled in on itself as she violently cried into her arms. The sight was enough to break him.

“Hey Y/n, you ok?” Donnie stepped cautiously towards her.

“Donnie just go.” She waved him off, only for him to stand his ground.

“No! I want to know what’s going on.” He pleaded. “Now are you ok?”

“No. Of course I’m not ok!”

Y/n cried from her spot on the floor, sobbing as the sewer water flowed by.

“Mind telling me what’s wrong?”

Donnie asked gently as he moved to sit down beside her.

“I just… I feel so selfish and stupid. And I hate you all but I also don’t. I can’t. And on top of it all I-I think I’m jealous of April!” She let out a shaky breath. “How pathetic is that? My own sister! I’m a horrible sister.” Covered her face with her hands continued to sob.

“Don’t say that, you’re an amazing sister.” Donnie peeled back her hands, getting her to look at him. “You’ve fought off foot soldiers for her, stood by her side when no one else could, heck you even took on the kraang alone just to keep her safe!”

“That doesn’t make it any better.” Y/n looked away, gaze returning to the water.

Donnie leaned on his shoulders as he watched his reflection in the water beside hers. “Why are you feeling jealous?”

“No, it’s so embarrassing.” She leaned back, face contorting in shame.

“Y/n, you’re talking to the king of embarrassing. Trust me whatever you’re bottling up is nowhere near as bad as the stuff I’ve done.” He gave her a reassuring smile, prompting her to speak.

“I’m jealous that… she’s spending more time with you guys.” Y/n reluctantly let out.

“O-oh. Oh.” Donnie’s eyes widened in shock. Y/n looked down at her feet, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes as she spoke with a cracked voice.

“I just- you were all like my family, my escape. I could just come down here and pretend my normal life didn’t exist. And you know at first I thought April knowing about you all was great, finally I don’t have to keep my two lives separate but I’m starting to think maybe I liked it better that way. I know there was no avoiding it and I know this has turned out better for everyone. You, April, your brothers, heck even your dad seems happy to have someone new to train. But I just keep feeling like the more time she spends here, the more my worlds keep clashing, the more I’m getting replaced.” She frowned at the floor.

“Y/n, you’re not getting replaced that’s not happening.” Donnie sternly replied.

“Really?” Y/n croaked. “Because last I checked, you all made the decision to go on a mission last night without me. What, did you just forget I was there? That I was literally a room away? Or maybe you just forgot I exist at all!”

“I… I’m sorry. That wasn’t cool of us. It’s been really tense since our trip to dimension x and I guess we all just kinda saw red and ran. We should have waited, or let you know. We shouldn’t have just ignored you like that. Besides, it was a kraang mission and you know April’s psychic abilities help with that.” Donnie tried to reason, hands making gestures all around the place.

“But that’s it!” Y/n snapped. “When she finally masters ninjitsu and becomes a proper kunoichi what use will you all have for me? You have a ninjitsu master, four highly-trained turtle ninjas and a psychic kunoichi. You’re smart, Raph’s strong, Mikey’s creative and Leo leads. My thing was the whole human situation, my topside access and insider knowledge. But then you had April getting that to you. So my thing became my skills, protect April on the surface so we can search for more in-depth intel. But then, of course, she started training and can now solo Karai. So where does that leave me? I have literally nothing else to bring to the team, I’m completely useless and the worst part is that the one place I could go to escape this all is the centre of it!”

Y/n began to break down into more tears. Eyes getting red and sore as she desperately rubbed them.

“You ever wondered why I wasn’t totally distraught about my dad being turned into a mutant? It wasn’t because of how long I’ve known you guys, though I’m sure that helped, it was because he and I were never close. He and April are both into science and I’m into whatever this is!” Y/n angrily threw her yari across the stream making it smack against the opposing wall before resting on the ground. “I never felt like I could connect with him when I was younger so I stopped reaching out. What I didn’t expect was for him to stop reaching out to me aswell. That’s how I found you guys, that’s how I ended up here because I didn’t have a home or a family! Just April, a shell of a dad and that stupid boring apartment! I just want a place, you know? I-I don’t have one with April and my dad heck, he didn’t even notice all those times I disappeared as a kid. I don’t have one on my mum’s side because lucky me, second born, I was spared the one thing that could’ve connected me to my mother! I don’t have a place at school and now I don’t even have a place here. A-and when you’ve spent your whole life trying to fit in somewhere only to get pushed out at the last second, you’re left with no options. None! I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Donnie stared at Y/n in shock, his typically fast brain slowing down till it almost reached a stop. It didn’t take long before tears began to well in his eyes too, chest getting heavy.

“Y/n I… I’m so sorry. If I knew you even felt that way in the slightest I, well I don’t know what I would’ve done but I would’ve talked to you a lot sooner about it. Please, trust me when I say you do have a place here. You keep us all together. Remember when we were younger and Splinter would yell at my brothers and I for the dumbest stuff? You were the one who spoke to him and got him to calm down and apologise. When April wasn’t willing to talk to us you bridged the gap and kept us all in line. If it weren’t for you we probably wouldn’t have even known April and your father were attacked and this whole kraang thing would’ve blown completely over our heads. Not to mention, you’ve saved my brothers and I from some of our worst moments. You call us out and that means we can see how we’re hurting one another and stop. You’re everything to this team, to this family.” Y/n gave a soft smile and turned to face him. Donnie paused, centring himself before he continued. “Look I should also apologise for-“

“No need. That already made me feel a lot better.” Y/n cut him off with a kind gaze.

“No but Y/n I really should tell you this because it’s important you know, as much as I don’t want to have to say it.” Donnie pulled back, nerves dancing around him like little bugs.

“Ok, I’m listening.” Y/n sat tall, giving him her undivided attention.

“Whew.” Donnie took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly in preparation. “I liked you before April.” A moment of silence passed, Y/n felt her entire body still as Donnie kept himself straight. “Like long before April. And I may be at fault for causing some of your feelings of replacement because truth be told I have been replacing you with her.” He looked down shamefully.

“What?” Y/n spoke, breath leaving her body.

“I know it’s messed up. I know I’m messed up. It was only a little while ago when everything kinda shifted for me. I- I was feeling insecure and the others teased me a little too hard, so I kind of came to accept that you weren’t going to feel the same way about me. I felt helpless and in my moment of despair I saw April. She was understanding and kind and ever since I guess I really have been trying to swap you guys around. The spot in the lab I use to save for you is now for April. All of our old hangout ideas like going on walks or running on rooftops is now what I do with her. She occupies your space in the shell raiser more than you do. Gosh even- even the stupid picture I had of us I replaced with one of her and I. And now I’m saying this all out loud it really sounds way worse than it did in my head. But, you deserve to know and I’m sorry.” He looked away in shame, eyes refusing to leave the floor.

“So do you actually like April or?” Y/n asked, pushing him to give her more information.

Donnie halted. “Well actually I don’t know. It wasn’t long and I’ve kind of just accepted relationships aren’t really for me so I guess not? Maybe? I don’t know!” Donnie cried, collapsing onto his shell. He sat up again, this time facing Y/n directly. “Look, point is I just didn’t want you to find this out in the middle of a fight or battle due to I dunno a truth serum or something. I wanted to tell you now, honestly, before it’s too late.”

Y/n exhaled deeply as the weight of everything set in. “It’s really messed up.”

“I know.”

“You should have just talked to me.”

“I know.”

“But that honestly makes me feel so much better.”

“I- wait what?” Donnie asked, eyebrow raised in confusion.

“Question, did Leo take part in convincing you I didn’t have any feelings for you?” Y/n asked curiously.

“Yes… why?” Donnie hesitantly responded.

“Of course he did.” Y/n sighed. “Well look if we’re going to be sharing all our embarrassing secrets today then I may as well get this last one out the way too.” Y/n closed her eyes before opening them again. “I did have feelings for you Donnie. And that was a large part of why I began to feel so deeply replaced by April. And I always thought I was being dumb and selfish but now it makes so much sense.”

Donnie gave a dry laugh and put his hands over his face. “We’re disasters, aren’t we?”

“Yeah.” Y/n agreed.

“I promise you you’re not getting replaced.” Donnie shook his head.

“And I promise you you’re not as unlovable as you think you are.” Y/n smiled.

The two sat in slight awkward silence for a moment before Donnie let out an obviously forced cough.

“So uh what do we do now?”

“Probably talk it out with the whole team.” Y/n shrugged.

Donnie groaned, leaning his head back. “Looking forward to that conversation.”

Y/n snorted, covering her smile with a hand.

“So you said you like me?” Donnie glanced at her with a cheeky smile causing Y/n cheeks to turn pink.

“Donnie, I think the last thing either of us needs right now is to get into a relationship much less with each other.” She held his hands and his gaze. “I say let’s just take it slow and figure things out as they happen ok?” 

“Yeah, ok I can do that.” Donnie nodded reassuringly.

“Thanks for having my back.” Y/n pulled him in for a tight hug, head tucked under his chin.

“Always. I will always be here for you.”

🌚Cue Credits🌚

“Yeah. Like, ‘baby’s first data trap’ kind of thing.” You tapped a few keys in a precise sequence, flipped a hidden switch under the panel (Donnie gasped), and smiled when the screen blinked green and the transfer began.

“Voilà,” you said brightly. “Tidy little bypass.” Donnie stood in stunned silence, looking at the now-perfectly-working console, then at you, then back to the console.

“I think I just short-circuited,” he mumbled. Fifteen minutes later, you were strolling through an abandoned subway tunnel, the data crystal safe in your backpack, and Donnie still hadn’t said a word.

“Everything okay, purple genius?” you said, peering up at him through your lashes. He blinked like he’d forgotten how to speak.

“You just hacked a multi-layered Foot Clan security system… without asking what the system specs were.”

“They were obvious.” You shrugged.

“That was not obvious! There were at least six decoy failsafes!”

“Well,” you said lightly, “maybe next time they’ll try harder.” He paused.

“I—I don’t even know how to feel right now.”

“Turned on?” You grinned. Donnie audibly choked on nothing.

“I—I mean—maybe?! Is that bad?!”

“Relax. You’re still the smart one.” You laughed as you slipped your hand into his.

“No, I’m not!” he blurted. “You solved in five minutes what I was panicking over for twenty! You didn’t even break a sweat! You were drinking a Capri Sun!”

“It was a Hi-C, actually.”

“That’s worse!” You leaned into him as you walked, bumping his shoulder with yours. “I just don’t usually show off. I’ve spent a long time letting people underestimate me. It’s fun watching them freak out when the mask drops.”

Donnie looked at you sideways. “Was I freaking out?”

You stopped walking and gave him a slow, flirty smile. “You looked like someone told you math wasn’t real.” He made a strangled noise. “Okay, that’s not funny—math is very real!” You giggled and leaned up, brushing your lips gently over his cheek.

“You’re cute when you’re panicking. He just stood there, short-circuited in real time. After a long beat, he exhaled shakily.

“…You know I’m completely in love with you, right?” You nodded, still grinning.

“Yeah. I figured.”

“I mean, I thought you were perfect before the god-tier hacking. Now I’m just…” He gestured helplessly. “There are no words. I’m just noise now.”

“You’re adorable.”

“I’m fragile.” You pulled him into a hug and laughed into his shell.

“You’re mine.” His arms tightened around you immediately.

“Forever.”

Word count: 700

You dont really remember how you got the position as The Feeder of Vox sharks. And honestly ? You did not care.

You used to work with animals back in your living days, so what if the animals from hell were different from the ones above and a bit more agressive ? You still prefered them over other sinners and demons alike.

Plus, this was better work than...whatever other things went down with the Vs.

And you had your favorite.

"Vark! time to eat" you called from avobe the water of his big tank. Behind you, a couple of sinners tied up, begging with their eyes to be spared. But hey, you were not a hero, and hell was hell.

You never felt guilt after giving Vark his food, He would look rather happy and make your dead heart beat up in awae.

Said sharks dorsal fin appear and you tossed two sinners into the water without a care, only listening to Vark biting and seeing the blood come up.

You loved Vark. He was a perfect specimen. Even if you were scared of him at first (who would not?), you used to keep your distance from the water. Only getting close enough to leave the sinner and run back away before Vark would feed.

But time passed, you were not sure how much. You never asked if he had any other feeder before, maybe he did...and said feeder became food too.

You respected him. The water was his home, his territory, and you were only a guest...maybe less than that. It was a slow process for both. Vark not feeling like you were going to get in his dam home, and you respecting his space. Did you baby talk him? Only in your head at first. Then, when you were assigned to clean the outside of the tank and saw not only Vark but other sharks too, you could not help yourself and talk out loud about them, of how beautiful and also scary beings they were. How their red neon lights made the tank look better.

And one day? when said task was assigned again, you found yourself face to face with Vark. Even if a tall and tight glass separated both of you, you still felt the power he radiated.

And between, fear, and exciment you waved at him, and Vark seemed to recognize you as his feeder. Because in response his big red lend did a blink at you.

And so, Vark would come up earlier than usual, to greet you with his dorsal fin, sometimes he would make waves towards you. Other times he would splash doing a show off moment.

You got a umbrella later, because being soaked for the rest of the day was not an option.

You even found a resemblence between him and his owner, Vox. Even if the overlord never gave you a second look, you have seen Vox baby talk Vark and honestly? It was cute to see two powerful beings being cute with each other.

A splash of water broke your thoughts, Vark was close again. He have been coming closer the last days, sometimes you felt like these trainers from above. The big scary shark was also a big puppy, and liked to be touched...at least from you. And liked to beg for more food too.

"Sorry big boy, not extra food today" You said softly caressing his skin, your hand soon getting wet. Another splash came and you just laughted "I know, i know....but i was in deep trouble last time..."

A few bubbles came up, as if he was saying "Sorry" but you said nothing, just gave him some more pets and prepared to leave. You still had tasks around.

"See you tomorrow big boy!!" You saluted, getting something like a roar? from him.

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Vox liked to keep everything he own in check, That included Vark and his other sharks. Truth to be told, it was a pain to find someone who could do the basic task in feeding them. Every idiot would try and for some reason lean into the water ? And Vark was a territorial and possessive bastard (like him), of course no one came up alive.

But then, you happen. Out of nowhere, he was not sure who or how you got the task, but he could not complain. You were good, you respected his beloved pet and even liked it.

You knew boundaries and that was a first in hell.

And when he saw the developen between him and you?

First, Vox was jealous. Vark was his. Why was his beast of a shark giving you his soft side? And of course he rant about it to Vark who only ignored him till Vox gave up and said "Ok maybe they are not that bad"

It was scary how much Vox knew about you, and how he did his best to try and keep you only in his building.

Possessive bastard he was.

He would watch you over the various cameras, and well, learn. Would fall on his chair when you and Vark bonded. Would want (and later do it) to crush whatever sinner would come towards you with ill motives.

And try to keep you in late, because he liked to know you were around.

Even if the time you two crossed paths could be counted with one hand, Vox kept these in his memory and re played them.

Was he a hopeless and idiotic sinner with a crush? Yes. Did he care? No.

If Vark had claimed you as his, then by default you were also his.

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Another day came, you were pushing the cart with three bodys (one more since you were able to sneak it for Vark).

"Vark" you called and soon the big shark was at the top of the water. "Is time to eat! and guess what" you said in a low tone "i got you one more" this made Vark send waves towards you making you laught.

You throw the first sinner, being it catch middle air by Vark who splashed water once his full body went into the tank, but you were ready, opening the umbrella.

Then the second came, this time you did a show of dancing with the sinner till you were at the limit of the tank and dropped him.

Vark (who was swiming in circles below you while you danced) ate the sinner, his tail moving quicker, knowing todays there was an extra one.

Just as you turned to get the last one, you were suprised when a punch landed on your face. You fell out of suprise, and looked up to see the dam sinner who was supposed to be food, be on their feet.

Well fuck, someone did not tie up this one.

You quickly went to your feet once again, only for the sinner to get you back on the floor, and start to choke you.

"Fuck, i wont die as fish food, you parasite" the sinner said pressing his finger deeper.

You tried to get free, sensing Vark below you getting agitated.

"No- if you were dying again, then you were doing it on your own terms.

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Vox never run....only when a new about Alastor was said but that was case apart.

This ?

THIS WAS LIFE OR DEATH!!

He teleported from screen to screen, fuck the security he had, it prevented anyone with the ability to appear from air in any room.

He was enjoying watching you feed Vark, and enven got a laught from the little show you gave when dancing.

And then, things went south.

As much as he wanted to believe Vark would know you, he also knew that...Vark was his shark. A shark, who had ate others for less. So if you just happen to fall into the tank, there was not a full chance of you getting out alive.

Just as the door opened Vox saw it, his eyes and yours met for maybe the first time, and if Vox was not close to lose his mind, he would have swear he felt a dam spark between you both.

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Just before making eye contact with your Boss for the first time, and getting a sparky feeling, you gave a smile and pushed yourself and the dam sinner into the tank.

Oh, Vark would enjoy another food, right?

Now this sinner was persistent, they kept on chocking you, now more desesperated when they realized where they were. And when they tried to get back up ? You were the one keeping them down now, no way, no fucking way.

From the corner of your eye you saw a big shadow coming at fast speed, and with little force left, you pushed the sinner away to see in full display how Vark swimed past you and tore apart the sinner.

It was....a sight to be seen. There was nothing left, only a bit of blood that seemed to combine with the water itself, and be around Vark like it belonged to him.

Your consciousness started to drift away, as you saw Vark coming towards you, a small smile on your face. Because going being Vark's food was better than dying in a random sinners hand.

---------------

Vox waited, oh fuck he waited for something. For what? he was not sure. He saw the blood, and felt his non heart stop, did....did Vark.

But soon Vark's body showed up, and on top of him, you. Passed out but alive, and Vark carring you towards Vox like nothing.

Vox took you from him, getting a few sounds from Vark that were his way on making worried sounds.

Vox checked your vitals, you were still here.

Just not fucking breathing.

And so, Vox did what he expected no one would see. He kissed you, trying to get you to wake up and vomit the dam water, once, twice. He felt Vark below swiming like he was in distress.

And the third did the charm, you blinked, pushing him away and getting water out from you. Your chest hurt and so did your head, plus what was going on? Did not Vark...

Wait, and who kissed you?

"Yeah let it out, you almost died idiot" You hear a voice besides you and turned to see a blushing Vox.

Wait-

DID YOUR BOSS SAVE YOU ?

BY KISSING YOU ?

Well, it was not a kiss per se but-

Before you could pass out again, Vark rose up, splashing both with water. Vox teleported away so only you ended soaked...but Vark got closer so you would give him a pet, and like...he wanted to check on you.

"You....you saved me?" you asked suprised getting some waves back from Vark.

"Well, not only him" A pissed and still blushing Vox said being outside a random device now that Vark stopped splashing.

"Oh- yes, sorry Sir" You were going to get up and apologize properly but a sound from Vark tould you to stay up.

"Save it. It was....not your fault. The ones who prepare the dam sinners did a poor job" Vox responded looking away

"Uh....still thanks for getting me back"

Vox said nothing for a few moments "Yeah well, Vark likes you, so maybe you are not much of a waste of air" He said not wanting you to see just how much effect you had on him. Or the fact that he had kissed you...somehow, not a kiss. Not the kiss he wanted to give but close enough.

"We will need two peopel now in here" Vox said taking a seat besides you and watching Vark be....calm.

"Sir! i can handle myself, and Vark seems rather territorial and-"

"I know that!, I will be here while you feed him from now on"

You wanted to protest but honestly? what could you say? This was Vox from the Vs and your Boss.

"Oh...yeah, i doubt he will have a problem with it" You responded looking at the big shark who now felt like you were safe enough besides his owner and left to swim around.

"....You two seem close" Vox said cuting the silence.

"I like to think we are" you said back with a gentle smile, one that made Vox look away.

"You were lucky he did not eat you"

"I know"

"And it was stupid to fall into the tank with that sinner"

"Uh yes, but i would prefer to die by Vark than be killed by that dam sinner"

Vox gave you a look that screamed, you are crazy, but said nothing only smirked.

"I agree, dying by Vark's bite is way fancier than in the dirty hands of a low life"

You nodded, not really sure where the conversation would go from now on, or why was Vox here in the first place.

He was not watching you feed Vark....right?

"Get up, lets get you dry, you can clean his tank so he will not get too agitated" Vox said getting up and offering a hand.

"But- i cleaned it yesterday?"

Satan, could you be more stupid? Vox wanted you to be close to him and Vark just in case.

"Well, it got dirty again" was all he said before pulling you up to walk besides him.

"Wait!" You stopped and went near the tank again. "Vark! im fine, i will be back soon" you shouted getting waves back again. Then you ran back to Vox who did record that.

"Ready to go Boss"

"Vox, just Vox is fine"

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You were very offended when you found out he eats all kinds of meat, but I mean lamb. "Oh, monster! How can you eat lamb? I'm practically a lamb myself!" "Would you prefer I eat human or demon meat?" "Yes!"

He also adores the size difference; he likes how your small hand rests in his, and he always kisses your knuckles. Whenever you break something, he's always there to fix you with his powers.

Imagine: The first time you give your hand to Alastor, and he accidentally pulls too hard, and well, he rips off your porcelain arm. "Oh, my, forgive me, my dear, I didn't know you were so fragile, literally…" "Oh, go to hell!" and you snatch your arm away.

Your sheep adore Al. They follow him everywhere; he even learned their names. "Awww, you learned my babies' names?" "Our babies, dear."

Am I forgetting someone? Oh yes, Woody, your demonic ex-cowboy. Alastor hates your ex-lover, or boyfriend, or whatever he was. He can't stand seeing how his eyes light up every time you approach him to say hello, as if you were going to get back together with him and leave the radio demon.

Niffty adores you. When Alastor introduced you two, well, she was thrilled. "Oh, by Lucifer, you're a porcelain doll, and you're so clean!" "Ah…yes, little one."

The "problem" was Rosie. Alastor is a brat when he wants to be, and Rosie knows it. She's like his mom now, hahaha. When I introduce them, well… "Aw, look how adorable and sophisticated you are, darling. Very good, Alastor, you finally found someone who can put you in your place."

Before you can throw yourself anywhere without asking if it's dangerous or not, Alastor stops you with his tentacles. "Don't even try it." "Ow, Alastor, let me go, they're in danger!" "And they will be forever, my dear."

His favorite move is when you grab your staff and hook it around his neck to pull him into a shower of kisses. "Mwah mwah, come here, my love. Your woman needs her dose of unconditional love." "W-wait!" Then a love-drunk Alastor appears with kisses all over his face and feeling dizzy.