Hear me out;
2012 Donatello just got rejected by the red headed girl with main character syndrome who's named April, and reader comforts him over the next few weeks giving then both time to develop a crush on each other but now Donatello is scared of rejection so he doesn't know how to ask out reader.
You can totally make the rest up if you do this idea 👀
The Equation of the Heart---TMNT 2012! Donatello X Reader (Fluff)
Author's Note: Writing about turtles is my only escape from the hell that is nursing school.....
Word count: 3952 words
--------------
The Equation of the Heart
The lab lights hummed softly overhead.
Normally, the space felt alive.
Machines whirred, monitors flickered with streams of code, and half-finished inventions cluttered every available surface. Donatello thrived in controlled chaos. It was where his mind worked best.
But tonight the lab felt… still.
Too still.
Donnie sat hunched over his workbench, goggles pushed up onto his forehead, staring down at a disassembled drone. Tiny wires spilled out of its metal shell like veins, waiting to be repaired.
He had picked it up almost an hour ago.
And hadn’t touched it since.
His mind kept replaying the same moment over and over again.
April standing in front of him.
Her expression gentle but firm.
"Donnie… I care about you a lot."
For one small, hopeful second, he thought that meant yes.
Then she continued.
"But not like that."
The memory twisted painfully in his chest.
Donnie exhaled slowly and rubbed his eyes.
Objectively speaking, rejection was a normal social experience. Humans encountered it all the time. Statistically, it was practically inevitable when expressing romantic interest.
But statistics didn’t make it hurt less.
A loud laugh echoed faintly from the living room down the hall. Mikey was probably watching something ridiculous again.
Raph’s voice followed soon after.
Leo’s calm tone cut through the noise occasionally.
The world kept moving.
Donnie felt stuck.
He reached for a screwdriver, then stopped halfway.
What was the point?
A soft knock sounded against the metal doorframe.
Donnie didn’t turn around.
“Come in.”
Footsteps padded quietly into the lab.
“Hey, Donnie.”
His shoulders stiffened slightly at the familiar voice.
You stepped inside, glancing around the dim room.
The first thing you noticed was the lack of movement.
The second was Donnie’s posture.
Usually he greeted you immediately with some enthusiastic explanation about whatever project he was working on.
Tonight he barely moved.
“Leo said you were down here,” you said gently.
Donnie glanced back at you.
“Oh. Hi, Y/N.”
His voice sounded tired.
You walked closer, leaning against the workbench beside him.
“You okay?”
Donnie looked back down at the drone.
“I’m fine.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve been staring at that thing for ten minutes.”
“…It requires careful observation.”
“Donnie.”
“…Twenty minutes.”
You smiled slightly.
“Want to talk about it?”
Donnie sighed.
“You already know what happened.”
You did.
The entire lair knew.
Mikey had accidentally overheard part of the conversation earlier in the week and, well…
Mikey was not exactly known for subtlety.
Still, hearing it secondhand wasn’t the same as hearing it from Donnie.
“You could still tell me,” you said softly.
Donnie fiddled with a loose wire on the drone.
“I simply miscalculated.”
Your eyebrows lifted.
“Miscalculated?”
“Yes.”
He gestured vaguely toward the room.
“I analyzed behavioral indicators. Conversation frequency. Shared interests. Emotional tone.”
You blinked.
“You ran data on your crush?”
“I’m a scientist.”
You couldn’t help laughing quietly.
Even Donnie cracked a tiny smile at that.
But it faded quickly.
“I just thought… maybe there was a chance.”
Your heart squeezed.
“Donnie…”
“She said she doesn’t see me that way.”
The words sounded heavier spoken aloud.
You didn’t know April well enough to judge her feelings. People couldn’t force themselves to like someone romantically.
But you did know one thing.
Donnie deserved someone who appreciated him.
“You know that doesn’t make you stupid, right?” you said.
Donnie frowned slightly.
“What?”
“For telling her.”
He looked unconvinced.
“From a logical standpoint—”
“I’m serious,” you interrupted.
“Putting your feelings out there takes guts.”
Donnie looked at you quietly.
“You really think so?”
“Absolutely.”
He seemed to consider that.
Then he sighed again.
“I still wish I hadn’t said anything.”
“Why?”
“Because now I know the answer.”
You crossed your arms thoughtfully.
“Maybe that’s a good thing.”
Donnie looked confused.
“How?”
“Because now you’re free to move on.”
Donnie blinked.
“…Move on.”
You shrugged.
“Yeah.”
You nudged the drone lightly.
“Besides, if you’d never said anything, you would’ve spent months wondering.”
Donnie considered that.
You weren’t wrong.
He had already spent months analyzing possibilities.
Still, the emotional variables felt… complicated.
You pushed off the workbench and stretched.
“Alright.”
Donnie looked up.
“Alright?”
“We’re fixing this.”
“There’s nothing to fix.”
“Yes there is.”
You pointed at the drone.
“This thing.”
Donnie stared.
“You’re cheering me up by assigning me repair work?”
“Yes.”
He thought about it.
“…That’s actually pretty effective.”
You grinned.
“I know.”
For the first time all evening, Donnie picked up the screwdriver and started working.
And for the next hour, the lab slowly came back to life.
Over the next few weeks, something changed.
You started visiting the lair more often.
At first it was small things.
Helping Donnie test inventions.
Bringing snacks when you stopped by.
Sitting on a stool nearby while he worked.
Sometimes the conversations were silly.
Mikey would burst in halfway through an experiment.
Raph would tease Donnie endlessly.
Leo occasionally checked on everyone like the responsible leader he was.
But slowly, Donnie started noticing things.
Like how you always listened when he explained complicated ideas.
Most people’s eyes glazed over within thirty seconds.
Yours didn’t.
Or the way you laughed at his jokes.
Even the terrible science puns.
One night you were sitting on the lab counter while Donnie recalibrated a small hover device.
“You know,” he said suddenly, “you don’t have to keep coming down here.”
You tilted your head.
“Why not?”
“I mean… you probably have other things to do.”
You shrugged.
“I like being here.”
Donnie paused.
“…You do?”
“Yeah.”
You gestured around the room.
“This place is cool.”
Then you looked at him.
“And so are you.”
Donnie’s brain promptly short-circuited.
“…Thank you.”
But long after you left that night, Donnie kept thinking about those words.
And something dangerous began to happen.
The feelings he thought were gone…
Weren’t.
–
Donatello prided himself on being observant.
Observation was the foundation of science. Patterns, behaviors, reactions—everything could be studied, analyzed, and eventually understood.
So when something started feeling… off, he noticed immediately.
The first sign appeared roughly twelve days after his conversation with April.
Donnie was in the lab adjusting the calibration on a scanning device when you walked in.
“Hey, genius.”
Donnie glanced up from his console.
“Hello, Y/N.”
You walked over, dropping your bag beside one of the stools before hopping up onto it.
“What are we building today?”
Donnie pushed his goggles up slightly.
“Technically, I’m refining the sensory input system for a tracking drone.”
You blinked.
“…In English?”
Donnie paused.
Then smiled faintly.
“It’s a robot that helps us find things.”
“Oh!” you said brightly. “See, that makes sense.”
Donnie turned back to his console.
But he couldn’t help noticing something.
You always sat there.
On that exact stool.
Leaning forward slightly with your elbows on the counter while you watched him work.
And for some reason… that had started becoming the best part of his day.
Donnie frowned slightly at the thought.
Interesting.
He tried focusing back on the scanner.
You swung your legs idly.
“So how’s the drone doing?”
“Functional.”
“That doesn’t sound exciting.”
“Well,” Donnie said, adjusting a dial, “it hasn’t exploded yet.”
You grinned.
“Low bar.”
Donnie huffed a quiet laugh.
Another observation logged.
You made him laugh more often than most people.
A few minutes passed in comfortable silence.
Then you leaned over the counter slightly.
“Hey Donnie?”
“Yes?”
“Did you ever fix that hoverboard thing you were working on last week?”
Donnie blinked.
“You remembered that?”
“Yeah.”
Most people didn’t remember his projects unless they were directly involved in using them.
You always did.
You always asked about them later.
Donnie’s chest did a strange little flip.
Curious.
He turned to face you.
“I actually did finish it.”
“Can I see?”
Donnie hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Sure.”
He walked over to the corner of the lab and pulled a small board out from behind a workbench.
You immediately jumped down from the stool.
“That thing actually works?”
“Mostly.”
“Define mostly.”
“There’s about a fifteen percent chance it may—”
Before he could finish the sentence, you stepped onto the board.
The hoverboard lifted three inches off the ground.
Your eyes widened.
“Oh my gosh—”
The board wobbled.
You flailed slightly.
Donnie immediately grabbed your arm to steady you.
“Careful!”
The board settled.
You laughed.
“That is so cool.”
Donnie realized he was still holding your arm.
He quickly let go.
“…Yes. Well. It’s still in the testing phase.”
You stepped off the board.
“You’re like a genius.”
Donnie adjusted his goggles awkwardly.
“I prefer the term ‘scientifically gifted.’”
You laughed again.
And once again, that strange little flip happened in his chest.
Donnie paused.
That sensation had occurred three times during this conversation alone.
Which was… statistically unusual.
–
Later that night, Donnie sat at his workstation staring at a tablet.
Except instead of schematics or code…
The screen displayed a list.
Possible Explanation for Recent Emotional Responses
Increased social interaction improving mood
Recovery from prior rejection
Psychological comfort from familiar companionship
Hormonal response patterns related to—
Donnie paused.
Then slowly typed another possibility.
Developing romantic interest
He stared at the words.
Then immediately deleted them.
“…That’s ridiculous.”
Except…
Was it?
Donnie leaned back in his chair.
From a purely observational standpoint…
He had begun anticipating your visits.
Your presence improved his mood significantly.
You made him laugh.
You listened when he talked.
You remembered details about his work.
His brain tried to run the numbers.
The conclusion it reached made him sit upright.
“Oh no.”
–
The next day, Donnie walked into the living room where Leo and Raph were sitting.
Raph was sharpening one of his sai.
Leo was reading a book.
Donnie stood there awkwardly for a moment.
Leo glanced up.
“Something on your mind?”
Donnie adjusted his goggles.
“Hypothetically speaking.”
Raph groaned immediately.
“Oh boy.”
Donnie ignored him.
“If someone were to experience renewed romantic interest after a previous rejection…”
Raph smirked.
“Dude.”
Donnie froze.
“What?”
“This about Y/N?”
“…No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I did not.”
Leo closed his book calmly.
“Donnie.”
“Yes?”
“Are you asking if it’s possible to like someone new after being rejected?”
“…Perhaps.”
Leo nodded.
“Yes. It’s very possible.”
Raph leaned back.
“Happens all the time.”
Donnie processed this.
“…Interesting.”
Raph squinted at him.
“So you do like Y/N.”
Donnie sputtered.
“I did not say that!”
Raph grinned.
“You didn’t have to.”
Leo tilted his head slightly.
“Donnie… do you?”
Donnie opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
“…I’m evaluating the possibility.”
Raph burst out laughing.
“You’re analyzing your feelings like a science experiment!”
“That is a perfectly valid methodology!”
Leo smiled slightly.
“Well… how do you feel when you’re around her?”
Donnie paused.
Then answered honestly.
“…Happy.”
Raph pointed.
“Boom. There it is.”
Donnie’s shoulders slumped.
“This is problematic.”
Leo raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because expressing interest carries the risk of rejection.”
Raph shrugged.
“Yeah. That’s dating.”
Donnie sighed.
“But if rejection occurs again—”
Leo interrupted gently.
“Donnie.”
Donnie looked up.
“You can’t treat relationships like equations.”
Donnie blinked.
“…Why not?”
“Because people aren’t predictable.”
Raph grinned.
“And that’s what makes it fun.”
Donnie frowned.
“…Fun is not the word I would use.”
—--------------------
That evening, you returned to the lair.
You walked into the lab like usual.
“Hey Donnie.”
Donnie looked up from his desk.
And the moment he saw you…
The realization hit him again.
You smiled at him.
And his heart immediately did that stupid little flip.
“Oh no.”
You blinked.
“…Oh no what?”
Donnie froze.
“…Nothing.”
You leaned against the counter.
“You look stressed.”
“I am not stressed.”
“You’re gripping that wrench like it owes you money.”
Donnie carefully set the wrench down.
“…I’m fine.”
You studied him for a moment.
Then shrugged.
“Alright.”
You hopped onto your usual stool.
“So what are we building today?”
Donnie looked at you.
And realized something terrifying.
He really did like you.
Which meant…
Eventually…
He might have to tell you.
And the thought of hearing “I don’t see you that way” again made his stomach twist.
So instead he turned back to his workbench.
And pretended everything was perfectly normal.
Which would have worked…
If his brothers hadn’t been watching the whole thing unfold from the hallway.
Mikey whispered excitedly.
“OH MY GOSH.”
Raph grinned.
“He’s got it bad.”
Leo folded his arms thoughtfully.
“…This is going to be interesting.”
—
Donatello had solved some extremely complicated problems in his life.
Alien technology.
Dimensional portals.
Mutagenic compounds.
But somehow… this problem felt worse than all of them combined.
Because this one involved feelings.
And feelings were messy.
Unpredictable.
Illogical.
Donnie sat at his lab workstation staring at a blank tablet screen.
Not because the screen was broken.
Because he had been trying to write the same sentence for fifteen minutes.
“Y/N, would you like to accompany me to a movie?”
Delete.
“Y/N, statistically speaking, two individuals with compatible interests—”
Delete.
“…No.”
Donnie groaned quietly and leaned back in his chair.
Why was this so difficult?
Across the lab, a small drone beeped impatiently.
Donnie ignored it.
Instead, he opened a new note.
Possible Methods of Asking Y/N Out
Casual invitation to shared activity
Direct romantic confession
Gradual escalation of emotional intimacy
Written message
Text communication
He stared at the list.
Then sighed.
None of them felt safe.
Because each one had the same possible outcome.
Rejection.
And Donnie wasn’t sure he could handle hearing that again.
Unfortunately for him…
He wasn’t alone.
From the hallway outside the lab, three turtles were watching.
Mikey whispered dramatically,
“Bro has been staring at that tablet for an hour.”
Raph smirked.
“He’s writing a love thesis.”
Leo folded his arms thoughtfully.
“He’s trying to ask Y/N out.”
Mikey gasped.
“THIS IS SO EXCITING.”
Raph cracked his knuckles.
“I say we help.”
Leo glanced at him.
“…I’m slightly concerned about what you think helping means.”
Raph grinned.
“Confidence training.”
Leo sighed.
“…I regret agreeing to watch this.”
Inside the lab, Donnie was still staring at his list.
Then suddenly—
Raph kicked the door open.
Donnie nearly jumped out of his chair.
“RAPH!”
Raph walked in like he owned the place.
“Alright nerd. What’s the plan?”
Donnie blinked.
“…What plan?”
Mikey slid into the room behind him.
“The ask-out plan!”
Donnie froze.
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Leo stepped in last.
“Donnie.”
Donnie groaned.
“You’ve been spying on me?”
Raph shrugged.
“You left the door open.”
Donnie rubbed his temples.
“This is exactly why I didn’t want anyone involved.”
Mikey bounced excitedly.
“So when are you asking Y/N out?”
“I’m not.”
All three turtles stared at him.
Raph frowned.
“You’re not?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Donnie gestured helplessly.
“Because the probability of rejection is significant!”
Raph rolled his eyes.
“Dude, you can’t calculate your way through dating.”
Leo nodded.
“Raph’s right.”
Donnie stared.
“…I cannot believe I just heard you say that.”
Mikey leaned over Donnie’s shoulder to read the tablet.
“Oooo you made a list!”
Donnie grabbed the tablet.
“Stop that!”
Mikey pointed.
“I like option three.”
“What’s option three?” Raph asked.
“Gradual escalation of emotional intimacy.”
Raph blinked.
“…That sounds fake.”
“It’s not fake,” Donnie argued.
“It just means getting closer slowly.”
Mikey nodded.
“Like in romance movies!”
Donnie sighed.
“This is not helping.”
Leo stepped forward calmly.
“Donnie.”
Donnie looked up.
“Yes?”
“Do you like Y/N?”
Donnie hesitated.
“…Yes.”
Raph smirked.
“Good start.”
“And do you enjoy spending time with her?”
“Yes.”
“Does she enjoy spending time with you?”
Donnie paused.
“…It appears that way.”
Leo smiled slightly.
“Then ask her.”
Donnie stared.
“…That’s the entire plan?”
“Yes.”
“That seems statistically reckless.”
Raph slapped him on the shoulder.
“Welcome to feelings, genius.”
–
Later that evening, you arrived at the lair.
Donnie was already pacing.
Which was unusual.
Normally he was working on something.
Now he looked like a nervous wreck.
Behind the hallway corner, three turtles peeked around the wall.
Mikey whispered,
“OH MY GOSH IT’S HAPPENING.”
Raph grinned.
“Showtime.”
Leo simply watched quietly.
Inside the lab, you walked in like usual.
“Hey Donnie.”
Donnie spun around.
“Oh—hello.”
You blinked.
“…Why are you pacing?”
“I am not pacing.”
“You just walked back and forth four times.”
“…Thinking loop.”
You smiled.
“That’s not a thing.”
Donnie adjusted his goggles nervously.
“Actually it’s a cognitive processing strategy.”
You leaned against the counter.
“You look like you’re about to explode.”
“I am not about to explode.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“You’re gripping that wrench like it personally offended you.”
Donnie slowly put the wrench down.
“…Point taken.”
You watched him for a moment.
Then asked gently,
“Everything okay?”
Donnie swallowed.
This was the moment.
He could feel his brothers watching from the hallway.
His brain screamed ABORT MISSION.
But Leo’s words echoed in his mind.
Then ask her.
Donnie took a breath.
“Y/N… may I ask you something?”
You smiled.
“Sure.”
Donnie froze.
His brain immediately produced seventeen worst-case scenarios.
He opened his mouth.
Then—
“Do you… want to see a hoverboard prototype?”
From the hallway:
Raph slapped his forehead.
Mikey whispered loudly,
“THAT WAS NOT THE PLAN.”
Leo sighed.
Inside the lab, you blinked.
“…A hoverboard?”
Donnie internally screamed.
“Yes.”
You smiled.
“Sure.”
He had chickened out.
Completely.
And as you stepped onto the hoverboard and laughed when it wobbled slightly…
Donnie realized something.
If he didn’t gather the courage to ask you soon…
He might lose the chance completely.
Which was somehow even scarier than rejection.
—-----------------------------------
Donatello had made a terrible mistake.
That was the only logical conclusion.
Because instead of asking you out like he had planned…
He had demonstrated a hoverboard.
And while you had seemed impressed, that had absolutely not been the objective.
Now Donnie sat in the lab several hours later staring at his tablet again.
The screen displayed a new title.
Why Am I Like This
Below it was a list.
Reasons Donatello Failed to Ask Y/N Out
Fear of rejection
Poor timing
Excessive overthinking
Raph and Mikey breathing loudly in the hallway
Hoverboard distraction
Donnie groaned and dropped his head onto the desk.
Across the lair, Mikey whispered loudly.
“He’s spiraling.”
Raph snorted.
“Hard.”
Leo leaned against the wall thoughtfully.
“We may need to intervene.”
The next day, Donnie tried to act normal.
Which meant pretending nothing was wrong.
Which meant failing miserably.
When you arrived at the lair that afternoon, Donnie was already in the lab adjusting a piece of equipment.
He looked up the moment you walked in.
“Oh—hello.”
You waved.
“Hey.”
But instead of your usual relaxed conversation…
Donnie immediately turned back to the machine.
“…How was your day?”
You blinked.
“…Fine?”
“That’s good.”
Then silence.
You tilted your head slightly.
Donnie was usually the opposite of quiet.
Normally he would be halfway through explaining some complicated invention by now.
Instead he looked like he was trying very hard not to look at you.
Interesting.
You leaned against the counter.
“Donnie.”
“Yes?”
“You’re being weird.”
“I am not.”
“You definitely are.”
Donnie adjusted his goggles.
“I assure you, my behavior is entirely normal.”
You crossed your arms.
“You just asked how my day was and then stared at a toaster for thirty seconds.”
“…It’s not a toaster.”
“That’s not the point.”
Donnie finally turned around.
“What’s the point?”
You studied him carefully.
“Did I do something wrong?”
The question hit Donnie like a truck.
“What? No! Absolutely not!”
“Then why are you acting like I accidentally broke one of your inventions?”
Donnie froze.
His brain scrambled for an explanation.
“…I am experiencing minor cognitive distraction.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“Translation?”
“…I’m nervous.”
You blinked.
“About what?”
Donnie hesitated.
Then looked away.
“Several things.”
You watched him for a moment.
Then softened slightly.
“Donnie… you know you can talk to me, right?”
Those words made his chest tighten.
Because that was exactly the problem.
He wanted to talk to you.
He just didn’t know how.
Behind the hallway wall, three turtles were eavesdropping again.
Mikey whispered,
“THIS IS SO PAINFUL.”
Raph muttered,
“Just say it already.”
Leo sighed quietly.
Inside the lab, Donnie took a deep breath.
If he didn’t say something now…
He never would.
“Y/N.”
You looked up.
“Yes?”
Donnie’s hands fidgeted slightly.
“There’s something I’ve been attempting to ask you.”
You smiled.
“Okay.”
Donnie swallowed.
And then, very carefully, he said,
“…Would you perhaps be interested in going to see a movie with me tomorrow evening?”
The words hung in the air.
Behind the hallway wall—
Three turtles froze.
Mikey grabbed Raph’s arm.
“HE DID IT.”
Inside the lab, you blinked.
“A movie?”
Donnie nodded nervously.
“Yes.”
Then quickly added,
“Only if you’re comfortable with that. It does not necessarily have to be interpreted as a romantic outing unless you would prefer that classification—”
“Donnie.”
He stopped talking immediately.
You were smiling.
“…Are you asking me on a date?”
Donnie froze.
“…Yes.”
He braced himself.
Because this was the moment.
The moment he had been dreading.
The moment where you might say the same words April had.
I don’t see you that way.
But instead—
Your smile got bigger.
“I’d love to.”
Donnie blinked.
“…You would?”
“Yeah.”
His brain struggled to process the answer.
“You mean… you’re not rejecting the proposal?”
You laughed softly.
“No, Donnie.”
“I’m not rejecting you.”
Behind the hallway wall—
Mikey silently screamed into Raph’s shoulder.
Raph grinned like a maniac.
Leo allowed himself a small smile.
Inside the lab, Donnie was still trying to understand what had just happened.
“You… like me?”
You tilted your head.
“Of course I do.”
Donnie stared.
“But… why?”
You laughed.
“Did you really just ask that?”
“I’m attempting to understand the reasoning.”
You stepped a little closer.
“Donnie, you’re smart, funny, kind…”
You gestured toward the lab.
“And you literally build robots.”
“That is not typically considered a romantic quality.”
“It is to me.”
Donnie felt his face grow warm.
You continued,
“You also listen to me.”
“You remember things I say.”
“And you always try to help people.”
Donnie looked down slightly.
“…I thought you might still be interested in April.”
You shook your head.
“No.”
“That was weeks ago.”
You smiled again.
“And honestly?”
“What?”
“I was kind of hoping you’d notice me eventually.”
Donnie’s brain stopped functioning.
“…Eventually?”
“Yeah.”
You shrugged playfully.
“I’ve been hanging out in your lab almost every day.”
Donnie blinked slowly.
“…That was intentional?”
“Very.”
He processed that information for a moment.
Then finally smiled.
A real one.
Not the small awkward ones he sometimes gave when he was nervous.
A genuine, happy smile.
“Well.”
“Yes?”
“I’m very glad I asked.”
You laughed.
“Me too.”
Behind the hallway wall—
Mikey burst out from hiding.
“FINALLY!”
You jumped.
Raph walked in behind him.
“Took you long enough, genius.”
Donnie groaned.
“You were listening the entire time?!”
Leo stepped in last, arms folded.
“Congratulations, Donnie.”
You looked between all of them.
“…How long have you guys been spying on us?”
Mikey grinned.
“Since like… ever.”
Raph laughed.
Donnie buried his face in his hands.
“This is deeply embarrassing.”
You nudged his arm.
“Hey.”
He looked up.
“You asked.”
“…I did.”
“And I said yes.”
Donnie smiled again.
“…You did.”
Mikey threw his arms in the air.
“WE HAVE A NEW COUPLE!”
Raph pointed at Donnie.
“Don’t screw this up.”
Leo simply said,
“I’m happy for you.”
Donnie looked at you again.
And for the first time in weeks…
The fear of rejection was completely gone.
Because sometimes…
The equation solved itself.
And this time—
The answer was always you.
Authors note: I love turtles, dislike nursing school...
