#whygz

Mikey wanted to believe that his eyes were deceiving him at most, maybe not working at worst.

Because he really saw some peculiar stares on your behalf.

This whole crush thing was trickier now as an adult. When he was younger, crushing after April had been easy and fleeting.

Now? Some days he couldn’t chase away your scent to safe his life, he couldn’t remember what life before your proximity to him used to be. When had a song sounded better than the ringing of your name, carefully collected consonants and vowels crafted to melt on his tongue.

What had life been before the ache of watching you leave? The insane joy of watching you come home to grace his presence with honeyed bliss?

He felt silly, somewhat dumb, over all hopeless.

This all felt like a curse some days too. Not having the luxury of being topside with you, getting to experience the city night through you.

The wind picked up, cold little pin prick reminders of what he was. Mikey was fond of this roof, maybe because your building was across it, maybe because if he squinted hard enough he could see what your little life in your little apartment was like, and how he could fit into it.

“You plan on sulking all of patrol?” Raph’s deep baritone carried the chilly air as he sat on the ledge.

“I’m not sulking, that’s your job bro.” He was hugging his knees, chasing away the chilly air or maybe because he was truly sulking.

“That broad’s got you bent outta shape, you never got like this with Ape.” Because that had been childish puppy love, and somehow Raph couldn’t see that this ached for real.

It especially ached because there were too many moments where he swore you’d say something first, that you’d cave in and say something about the elephant in the room.

“I like her, she’s—she’s different.” It doesn’t do it justice but he doesn’t want to get mushy with Raph right now, not when his head isn’t cooperating and his heart feels heavy.

“Different alright, wants to hang around with a brat like you, laughs at your shitty jokes, caught her staring at your biceps once.” Raph numbered the facts on each of his fingers, nonchalant but aware of the gas he was pouring.

“Where ya going with this dude? Aside from giving me hope.” And hope was a tragic little word for their kind, something more akin to a light sprinkle of salt on a small wound.

“What I’m saying is, just go after her, tell her the truth. Ya want her, right? She probably wants ya.” Raph popped a toothpick in his mouth, an old habit dying too slowly.

“Of course I want her. I want her so much I can hardly breathe but I’m not going to force it. If she comes to me, it’ll be on her terms. Not mine.” It hurt to say it, it hurt to admit out loud that this was a luxury he couldn’t afford due to what he was.

Raph’s gaze soften, it wasn’t fun seeing his baby brother going through something that had his head spinning this badly. He reached out and clamped a hand on his shoulder, an affectionate squeeze of sympathy.

Mikey watched the building, swore he saw the light on your apartment come alive. Flooding the modest little living room, he could picture you tossing your stuff with a huff and a sigh, before settling into the normalcy of your routine. He felt his phone vibrate, pulling it out to see your name on the screen. It was enough to lift the black cloud.

Not enough to chase the storm away in his chest.

“Hey, angel, outta work finally?” He greeted you, that perfectly timed sigh of ‘fuck yes’ not (yes) sending a jolt through him.

“Are you still out on patrol? I got those disgusting heart attack inducing burgers from the bodega you like, wanna come over when your done being a superhero?” You cooed affectionately, he could hear the rustling of the bay.

Raph watched the smile, a smile only you were capable of sculpting out of Mikey.

He hoped, he hoped for a chance.

Leonardo!!

Your caring and loving nature is a huge factor in drawing him in! Kind to kids, kind to animals, nerdy, a lil shy... he’s SO in. He realizes he’s in love with you the first time he really makes you laugh. Dorky & infectious laughter... his weakness <3

He’s the best reader of nonverbal cues, hands down. He picks up on that shit so quickly, sometimes before you even realize what you’re feeling. He’ll give you a little bit of time, to see if you want to bring it up, but he’s not afraid of bridging that gap if you’re unable to. He’s also the KING of reassurance. He’ll kiss your forehead, hold your hands, and tell you all the things he loves about you. Sweetest motherfucker on earth tbh 

He’s a bit taller than you! You already know he’s gonna do the thing of holding something above your head so you have to get on your tiptoes and lean into him to grab it. 

Send him your memes... he always has like, a billion saved on his phone to respond with. (He’s also started saying “___.....my beloved...” out loud recently about the most mundane stuff. he’s so dumb <3 also most of his texts read like shitposts its so funny. he’s your boyfriend, but it’s obvious that you two were very good friends before you started going out together. It’s really cute.) 

At least once a month, he sends you a video of him trying to get Splinter to say Ratatouille quotes. “Dad, dad! I need you to say something for me.” “What is it?” “Anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great.” “No.”  It never works :( He’s not gonna stop trying though. 

ADORES how flustered you get... he plays into it so much. He loves to pepper you with kisses and watch how flustered you get. He’s also done the Gomez & Morticia kiss up the arm hundreds of times. 

He’s a hopeless romantic and proud of it! He’ll do it all. Flowers, candlelit dinner dates, watching the sunrise & sunset, making dinner together, everything. 

He likes to lay his head in your lap while you read. Oftentimes he’ll fall asleep, especially if you trace patterns on his shell with your free hand. 

He loves crystals a lot! He could spend hours inside of gem shops, to be quite frank. His favorite is Blue Tourmaline, and he’ll buy little bags of it in the Hidden City so he can make necklaces & bracelets for you out of it. Every time you look down at your wrist or at your necklace, it makes you think of him :) 

One way to make him really flustered? Trace his stripes! He practically melts into your hands, and he gets the sweetest smile on his face. His eyes close as he leans into your touch and it’s just... MUAH. 

He tries so hard to make you laugh!! Your laughter is his favorite sound in the world, and he’ll do damn-near anything to hear it. If you’re ticklish... godspeed </3 

Fellow lover of animated movies!! He’s always down to watch them with you, and chances are, they’re a pretty common pick on movie night. (He also FREQUENTLY sends you the “I wish all american animation studios a very make 2D movies again or else” meme. If he has to watch one more CGI remake again he’s gonna DIE.)

If you have freckles on your shoulders/arms, you already know he’s gonna trace them. He thinks they’re so pretty! He likes to connect them with markers to make little constellations. 

He has your hair products MEMORIZED. If you ever run out of something, he’s the first to track it down for you. He also likes to draw cat ears and whiskers on the products in your bathroom <3

On your first year anniversary, he wrote you a really sweet song. He ran across the rooftops of New York with an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder to get to your apartment, and you still remember the way he smiled as you grabbed his hands to pull him through the window. (He’s a good singer, too! It was the sweetest thing in the world <3) 

He’s SUCH a nerd... talk to him about your latest interest, do it!! He gets just as passionate as you do, even if he had no idea what it was beforehand! He loves passion. 

He has Houdini’s history memorized forwards and backwards: both his personal life and his performances! He gets so excited when he talks about Houdini, it’s cute. He’ll lay his head in your lap and ramble for ages, if you let him. His eyes light up like supernovas, it’s adorable. He talks with his hands, too. 

Super supportive of your art!! He frames/hangs up anything you give to him. And if it’s too small, you bet its going in his treasure box. (He keeps it under his bed, and it’s full of little things that remind him of you.) 

Speaking of which, he’s cool if you ever need a bit of space! It doesn’t hurt his feelings, I promise. Everyone needs a little bit of space sometimes, and that’s okay! So long as you know you’re loved, he’s cool with it. 

He’s a huge fan of personality tests!! Both serious ones like Myers-Briggs and the silly ones that you find on like. Buzzfeed. He’ll stay up for HOURS taking them to avoid going to bed. (He’s an ENFP & Gryffindor, for reference! He barely skirts into ENFP-T, [Around a 55-45, maybe 60-40 split] if you wanna be specific.) He loves sending them to you, too! 

He’s been quiet for most of the journey, and you followed his lead. There was no need for camaraderie; other demon slayers have failed to extend a friendly hand to him. Even if you tried, you would have no idea what to say. You’re not the best conversationalist, or much of one, really.

That same quiet envelops your campsite. It’s still light out, but it will be dark in an hour’s time. The journey back to headquarters can wait until early morning.

For now, you need to focus on healing and rest. You return your attention to your wound. You wash blood away with some water from your flask, wincing at the pain it elicits. You inspect the claw marks. Not life-threatening, but they will require stitches.

Demons aren’t known to travel in packs, but these ones did. There were three of them; it took some time for you and Tomioka to dispatch them. The demons had practice working together, you did not. Moments before you landed the killing blow to one demon, it had successfully swiped at your arm.

(You’re a little irritated to learn that Tomioka is as talented as rumored. Not because you’re jealous, but because his arrogance is somewhat justified. He’s likely to become a Pillar, should he survive long enough to kill fifty demons.)

You sigh, grabbing the suture kit and spreading it open beside you. Stitching with one hand was going to be annoying.

“Are you planning to do that yourself?” You jump slightly at the sudden question, turning to your companion. Tomioka stares at you from across the fire, his expression unreadable. His blade is sheathed, you’d heard him do it earlier but hadn’t paid it much mind.

“…I have no choice,” you say, after some hesitance. “I’ve done it before.”

Having climbed the ranks, you’ve gone on solo missions before. Every now and then, the nearest safe house had been too far, so you stitched yourself up. You’ve gotten better at it with time and practice.

You’re attempting to thread the needle when Tomioka crosses the campsite and sits beside you. You look over at him, eyes wide. He doesn’t say a word. Instead, he motions to the needle and thread in your grip.

Once you pass them to him, he gets to work. He’s as gentle as can be, his touch light against your skin. (You do your best not to flush or make a deal out of the simple contact.) He focuses on the task as intensely as he had cleaning his blade.

You stare, perplexed. There’s no need for him to help. You told him that you’d done this before. Yet he offered anyway.

In the end, it doesn’t take him long to stitch the wounds closed. It would’ve taken you longer with one hand.

Tomioka scowls at your arm. “They’re crooked,” he says. If you didn’t know better, you would think he’s upset. But he can’t be.

You look down at his work. “I’ve seen and done worse,” you say softly. You’re not trying to placate him. Of course not.

His shoulders relax at your words, but the furrow between his eyebrows doesn’t go away. He looks at the needle and thread in his hands, as if just remembering he has them. You try to take them from him. He goes to put them away. You pull back. He offers them to you.

“I’ll just…” he trails off, then ducks his head and places the needle and thread in the kit. You have to purse your lips hard to not smile. He’s surprisingly awkward. Just as you are.

You watch as he gets up to return to his previous spot. Before you can think better of it, you call out. “Tomioka-san.” He pauses. “Th-Thank you.”

It must be the firelight playing tricks on your eyes, because you swear the corners of his lips turn up the slightest bit. He inclines his head and walks away. “I’ll take first shift for lookout. Rest,” he says over his shoulder.

“You look like a lovesick puppy,” he remarks, glancing up from the papers in front of him to you, who just smiled at him. 

“Do I?” he stares at your expression of feigned ignorance, knowing full well that you knew exactly what you looked like and what you were doing. 

“Yes.” 

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“Yes it’s distracting.” He murmurs with a sigh, then returning his attention to the papers, hoping that you might get the memo and allow him to get some work done. 

“Sorry for being so in love with you.” You retort, he doesn’t even need to look up to know your grinning at him. He hopes that if he focuses on the work, it might stop the blush that he can feel creeping up on his cheeks disappear before you see it. “Aw you’re blushing like a rose.” Nope you saw it. 

“Not helping.” he mutters and you let out a small giggle, standing up from your seat and moving towards him. He looks up at you again trying to figure out what you’re going to do now.