#ositabear26

Barrett (edited photo of Tom Holland)

ONLY ON WATTPAD: BY OsitaBear26

Chapter 17: Am I Crazy to You?

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Osa ran back to the tents late in the night while people carried infected bodies out of the community. Some others still needed time to relax and gather themselves. Osa found that Donnie wasn't in the tent, so she ran back out to see if she can spot him. She did.

Donnie was returning from the park with six horses following behind him on lead ropes. They nickered and nipped each other as they came back to the little shed near Mikey's tent. Osa sighed and walked up to him. "Donnie." She said as he tied the six animals up again. Osa pets Stamina and Lucky as Donnie looked each horse over. "Are they okay?"

Don nodded. "Yeah. They're just a bit spooked, that's all." He rubbed Stamina's neck and scratched Rain, and Streak's forehead. The mule, Dally snorted and so did the bay horse, Cash. After he finished tying them up, Donnie came out of the shed-like structure that the horses stood under. Osa's mind matured in a matter of months and hadn't comprehended how much muscle Donnie had. When the fire from the oil drums and flashlights cast on him a few times, Osa saw every detail on him. His sweating biceps, tough shoulders, a thin and healthy plastron.

She bashfully looked down. "I came to see if you were okay." Osa blinked once she met his eyes.

"I'm okay." He said, placing his hand near Osa's as they stood in front of each other. Then he speaks again. "Hey look... Osa--"

"Don. I don't really understand what's been going through your head lately. But I-I... think it's time I bring up the topic." She grew nervouse. Here goes nothing...

Donnie just stands there staring at Osa's face. She's serious and not going to leave him without a solid answer. Osa's mouth is shut tightly. Teeth on teeth. Donnie takes a deep breath in through his nose and out his mouth. He's trying not to become emotional because he knows how sorry he is. For everything that's happened.

"Don, it started when you scared April out of the tent. I heard you talking to yourself-- Arguing with yourself in fact. That's not normal, Don... So, do you even know what that was?" She asked. Donnie, now embarrassed at hearing this he looks at the ground and is trying to hold back tears because he really feels like he's going insane. Not only does his brother Raph says he's crazy, now Osa is, too. And at two separate times! He was the smart one, he was supposed to remember that being alone would cause this type of suffering and trauma. "Don, I really want to know the real you."

"Osa..."

"Don, I understand if you don't want me in your life right now... But my instincts are telling me that I... I need to be with you." She says. Those words caught him off guard. "Work on whatever it is you're going through-- make sure you start to feel like yourself again."

"Why do you feel like that-- like you need to be with me?" He asked. He desperately wanted to know. "Do you just think I'm sick and need a crazy home? Do you think I'm crazy?!"

Donnie composes himself after trying to process what Osa is trying to say. Maybe he is taking this the wrong way. But he feels like the odd man out. Two people have called him out and know whos how many others would stand up and say the same after what took place here at Edgeport.

"No! That's not what I'm trying to say at all." Osa is starting to feel like she's getting butterflies in her stomach and her confession is making her feel shy. But she's trying to power through so she can get the weight off of her chest.

"Then what are you trying to say, Osa?!"

"I love you, Donnie!" She turned around quickly because she didn't want to see a face of rejection or an awkward response. Osa clenched her eyes shut and waited for something to happen.

Donnie uses his left hand to turn Osa around slowly and peer down at her brown and blue eyes. He lifted her chin upward to him and went in for an unexpected touch they shared together for the first time. He realizes what he is doing and that he's finally where he belongs. When their soft lips touched, they felt each other. Don, cupped Osa's cheek and she gladly kisses back with all the feeling she had.

Shortly after sharing their first kiss, Donnie and Osa's lips disconnected before they looked into each other's eyes, stuck in romance. "I love you, too." He scoffed, staring into her eyes. Don felt peaceful again, like how he used to be before he changed. "It's everything they say it is..." The turtle whispered.

"What is?" Osa smiled, tracing her index finger on his plastron.