#I spent like a week on Leo and raph this was only super quick so apologies for the drop in quality

[seagull-scribbles]

A day after valentine's, but here's a simp

[fanfic-inator795]

RotTMNT/Baron Jitsu fanfiction: Dating… With Children - Chapter Four

(Also on AO3 if you want to leave a comment or kudos)

Plot:  Benjamin Draxum hardly considered himself a man of high social standing. Not because he was uncouth or unworthy of it, mind you, but simply because he didn’t have much of a social life. Hard to have one when he usually spent his days at work, cooped up in a lab for so long that he often had his lunches in there, and his nights at home reading or doing research for more personal projects. But perhaps meeting handsome semi-retired movie star - as well as his four young sons - could change all that…

First off: Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments, it's just so SO encouraging that people are supporting this AU ^v^ Your kind words and feedback mean the world to me!

Secondly: That hiatus I was gonna go on to work on original stuff? Yeahhhh, didn't really pan out... BUT, i'm still gonna try to work on original stuff the best I can, I'm just gonna also work on fanfics when I'm in the mood. I figured trying to limit myself and divide my focus is better than going cold turkey on fanfics and not having anything to work on when I hit writer's block on my original stuff. So yeah, expect semi-frequent updates, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ^v^ Quick note: It takes place directly after Lou and Draxum's date in the last chapter (but before the little bit at the end of ch. 3 with Draxum going into work and Huginn and Muninn noticing his good mood, heh). Okay, here we go!

“...So, how come we’re meeting Dr. Draxum for breakfast?” Raph asked, glancing away from his window and the passing New York architecture.

“Actually it's brunch, but yeah, why?” Donnie said from the back-left seat, though he didn't bother to look up from his book, “Didn't you guys JUST see each other yesterday night?”

“I bet you guys are really good friends now!” Mikey grinned, “Just like us an’ April!”

Looking up from the road for just a moment, Lou smiled at his youngest son using the rear view mirror. “Yes, we are… But, Dr. Draxum wanted to see you all again too.” He left it at that for now, wanting him and his new boyfriend to explain the situation to his children together, as well as answer any questions they may have had.

Thankfully, three of his four kids were satisfied with this answer and went back to either looking out the window or, in Donnie’s case, reading. Leo however couldn't help but stare at his father. Something was up… He knew something was up! Maybe he wasn't as smart as his twin, but Leo still liked to think that he was a bit more observant than the average six year old, at least.

He saw the extra smiles his dad would make whenever Draxum was mentioned, and how excited he was to see him again. And his face would sometimes get sorta red too… While yeah, Leo would've been happy with his dad just making a new friend, there was something about how he hung out with the long-haired doctor that made him seem like way more than a friend. How happy his dad was to see or hear from him, how long they'd talk over the phone, how close they'd sit or stand near each other…

Oh yeah, Leo could see it clearly. The boy tipped his blue cap low over his face, trying to hide his smirk. He'd seen enough Disney movies to know EXACTLY where this was going - and maybe he hadn't shared his theory with his brothers yet, but he was still gonna rub it in their faces that he knew all along.

Soon enough, the family of five arrived at one of the big city’s cozy local diners. Before moving to help his kids out of the car, Lou made sure to swap out his normal yellow tinted glasses with his darker sunglasses - or his ‘sneaking around so no one knows I'm a movie star’ glasses, as dubbed by his kids. (Not that they even really minded whenever their dad was ambushed by fans, usually making a game out of who could sneak into the most photos or who could get the most compliments.)

Thankfully, the glasses did their job, and the hostess greeted them like she would any family. “Table for six, please,” Lou told her, “we’re still waiting for one other person.” The hostess nodded and led them to a large, round table near the back of the restaurant.

It was only a few minutes later, after they were given coffee, milk and free crayons to draw on the kids menus with, that Draxum arrived looking the most casual that Lou had ever seen him. The scientist was wearing a dark green polo with brown jeans, and his long hair was actually loose rather than in a ponytail or braid, instead simply resting over his broad shoulders. Lou quickly waved him over, flashing his boyfriend a grin that in turn made him smile softly.

“‘Morning, Dr. Draxum!” Raph greeted while Mikey waved and the twins nodded.

“Good morning to you as well, boys,” he nodded back, sitting down, “And to you, Lou.”

“Yes, a very good morning.” Lowering his voice a bit, Lou added, “For the record, you should definitely wear your hair down more often.”

Draxum rolled his eyes, though let himself smile back at the man just a little. “I’ll consider it. So, what's everyone get-?”

“Waffles!” “Pancakes!” “French toast!” “Breakfast burritooooo!”

“Boys, inside voices, remember?” Lou lightly scolded. His boys mumbled an apology before eagerly making additions to their breakfast requests, now at a much quieter volume. Draxum smiled, a bit amused by the wholesome scene. How Lou could manage to keep a level head while raising four slightly rowdy boys on his own, Draxum didn't know, but it was certainly impressive. Maybe fatherhood was just easier after dealing with the stresses of Hollywood, Draxum supposed.

“I’ll probably just get one of these bacon and cheese omelets,” Lou told him, “and what are you getting?”

His date hummed. “I think I may get a couple pieces of French toast, as well. Though just so you know, we’re getting separate checks-”

“Ah-ah, no way,” Lou told him, insistent, “You made dinner last night, I can buy breakfast today.”

“Technically it's brunch, and honestly Lou, this was my idea and I'm perfectly capable of buying my own breakfast-”

“Didn't say you weren't, Ben.” The ex-star then angled his face down a bit so Draxum could see his eyes over his glasses. “I'm just saying that I'm the type who likes to treat a guy right.”

Draxum huffed. “How annoyingly chivalrous of you,” he retorted, even if his expression was anything but annoyed. Lou just flashed him a grin.

While his brothers continued to draw and talk, no longer interested in the strange conversation, Leo just made a face at the two adults across from him. What was that thing grown ups called it? Flirting? Was this flirting? Groooooss - even if it was another bit of proof that he was right in his deduction.

Eventually, the waitress returned and took their orders. Having more than a few minutes until their food would be brought back, Lou decided that there was no better time than now. “So, my sons,” he began, getting his kids’ attention. Draxum also made sure to sit up a bit straighter, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

...Hoping for approval from kids under ten years old. Huh… What a strange turn his life had taken in just a few weeks.

Lou seemed to feel the same, fidgeting his hands slightly as he made sure his tone stayed calm. “There was a reason why we - er, Dr. Draxum and I - wanted us all to have brunch together, because there is something we wanted to tell you all. Ah, don't worry, it's nothing bad, though it's also okay if you aren't too sure about it or have questions, okay? We just want to be honest with you all.”

“Well, what is it?” Raph asked, voicing what he as well as Donnie and Mikey were thinking.

“Well… Dr. Draxum and I have decided to officially start dating.” Lou felt himself grin, still feeling the leftover excitement and happiness from the night before. “As of last night, he is my new boyfriend.”

“Yes,” Draxum stiffly nodded, figuring he should participate in this too, “We are dating and, and we hope that you are all alright with that.”

Raph began to speak when Leo let out a cheer. “YES! I knew it! I knew you guys were gonna say that!” The boy in blue exclaimed.

“What?! Nuh uh!” Donnie argued, “you couldn't have known!” At the same time, Mikey asked in awe, “How'd you know?”

“Cause I saw how Dad would give Dr. Draxum weird smiles, and he'd do the same to Dad,” Leo told them, “And I saw how they'd get all lovey dovey and do the weird-gross flirty thing too! So I just knew they were in love!”

Draxum held back a chuckle. As embarrassing as it was to have it all laid out in the open like that - and by a child, no less - there really was no denying it at this point. He had fallen in love, and had done it more quickly than he ever would he thought. Perhaps Lou just had that special something, or maybe it was just easy for him to drag people up to his speed. Either way, Draxum couldn't say he wasn't grateful for it. Not when the results were this surprisingly satisfying.

“...Hey, Dr. Draxum.” Brought out of his thoughts, Draxum directed his attention squarely on the boy in red. “How come you think we wouldn't be alright with you dating our dad?”

“Er, well-”

“Cause you're really cool-”

“And nice!” Mikey chimed in.

“And super smart,” Donnie smiled.

“And really tall with pretty hair,” Leo added.

“Yeah! So you seem like a good boyfriend to us!” Raph finished, nodding at the doctor in approval, “Just as long as you keep bein’ nice to our dad and don't make hurt his feelings or cheat or anything!” At this, all four boys put on a bit of a scowl, a silent (and unfortunately for them, sort of adorable) warning.

Still, even while being a bit shocked that kids so young apparently knew what cheating was, Draxum made sure to look serious as possible as he nodded back at them. “I promise to try and be the best boyfriend I can be to your father.” After he said this, he felt a hand grip his from under the table. Looking back at his date, he saw a much softer smile now.

“And I will promise the same thing,” Lou said simply. And that was all Draxum needed.

“...So, what made you wanna start dating Pop anyway?” Donnie asked, raising an eyebrow, “Wouldn't you wanna date someone as smart as you?”

Draxum quickly brought his other hand up to his mouth, trying to cover up his muffled laughter while Lou gave his middle child a bit of a look. “Geez, Donnie, you should be a bit nicer to your old man, don't you think?”

“I'm not trying to be mean!” Donnie argued, “I just thought it was kinda weird. Don't scientists date each other?”

“Maybe in the movies and comics,” Draxum told him, “Not so much in real life. But as for why I wanted to start dating your father, well… It's the same reason why I chose to keep in contact with him after meeting him at the museum: I enjoy his company, and I feel comfortable with him.”

“And I'm ‘less annoying than other people’, you can't forget that,” Lou quoted with a grin. Draxum nudged him with his elbow, and Lou nudged him right back.

“So, wait,” Leo said, grimacing as he began to realize the downside to being right, “if you're boyfriends, does that mean you guys gonna start making out all the time now?”

Draxum immediately blushed, which in turn caused Lou to laugh, too amused to be embarrassed. “No, we are not going to be making out all the time. We are however still going to kiss and hug sometimes, but we’ll try to do it when you kids aren't watching, okay?”

Leo still stuck out his tongue, “Grossss.” Lou just chuckled again, leaning over and ruffling the boy’s hair.

“How do they know what ‘making out’ and ‘cheating’ are?” Draxum whispered.

His boyfriend sighed slightly. “Let’s just say that Donatello is way too good at hacking the parental locks on the tv.”

Draxum shook his head, an amused smile returning to his face. Unbelievable… Yet completely fitting. As he spotted the waitress returning with their food, he felt himself relax. That had gone over pretty well, actually. The kids were okay with it, they answered all their questions, and there had only been maybe one or two awkward moments, and they were going to have a decent, hot meal to finish off the occasion. All in all, not bad.

His French toast was looking really good as well, topped with powdered sugar and brought with hot syrup. Everyone else quickly dug into their meals - with the exception of Mikey and Lou, with the latter helping the former cut his breakfast burrito up into a more manageable size for such tiny hands - so Draxum didn't hesitate to do the same. He cut off a piece, brought it to his mouth, and-

“Are you two gonna get married?”

Draxum sputtered, nearly choking on his bite but forcing himself to swallow. “W-Wha-?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lou sitting up a bit straighter, forcing a sheepish smile. “Ah, heh, Mikey, that's-”

“Oh yeah!” Raph said, nodding at his youngest brother, “Grown ups who date always get married.”

“Not always,” Donnie lightly argued as he poured syrup on his pancakes, “They also breakup sometimes.”

“But that counts as being mean, right?” Leo asked, “So if Dr, Draxum breaks up with Dad, are we allowed to beat ‘im up?”

“You boys will not be beating anyone up,” Lou said sternly, “And, ah, marriage is, well, i-it's a long way off. Very long way. We just want to enjoy dating each other for right now, understand?” The boys all sort of shrugged and nodded, accepting it more than understanding.

“Though, I will probably be around a bit more often to visit you all as well as, well, taking your father out on dates,” Draxum added, “Which means you all don't have to be so formal with me. I won't mind if you don't use my title or call me Benjamin or Ben instead.”

Mikey hummed, scooping up a forkful of burrito. “Nah, I'm gonna keep calling you Draxum.”

“It does sound cooler,” Leo commented, “Way cooler than just Ben.”

“Well, fair enough, I suppose,” Draxum told them, not minding the technical insult.

Thankfully there were no more surprise questions for the rest of their meal, even if the conversation itself was still primarily controlled by the children at the table. Donnie and Leo happily shared the books and comics they would be hoping to find at the library later that day, sparking a discussion for all three of them about their favorite books and stories. Granted most of Draxum’s favorites were a bit too high-concept for children, but he was happy to break them down for them, endeared by their comments and observations.

On the other side, Lou listened to his oldest and youngest sons tell him about the puppet show that would also be happening that day - both the good and bad things about it. (“Raphael, baby, I promise you that the puppets are not actually alive, nor are they evil, no matter what the older kids say.”) When Mikey decided to invite Draxum to come along with them to watch, Lou had to hold back a laugh when he saw the taller man’s face twist into a forced smile.

“As… fun as that sounds, Michael, I have a few errands I need to run before the day is over, so I don't think I’ll have the time.” He may have liked Lou’s kids, but he had his limits. “But I hope you and your brothers enjoy yourselves.”

“We will!” Mikey grinned, while Raph just slouched in his seat, looking much more unsure. Lou gave him another pat on the back.

Once the dishes were cleared away and Lou paid the bill, the six of them headed out to Lou’s car, with Draxum once again taking the extra step to walk him to it.

“Well, that went over pretty well, don't you think?” Lou asked, leaning on his gold painted vehicle, his kids already inside.

Draxum nodded. “Yes, I'd say it was the best reaction we could've hoped for.” He chuckled lightly before adding, “Though, I’ll have to keep your sons’ warning in mind.”

“Oh, I'm not worried.” Maybe they would last and maybe they wouldn't, but Lou had a feeling he didn't have to be concerned about his new lover cheating on him or doing anything else extremely hurtful. Although, there was one other thought in his mind… “But, ah, I'm sorry if any of the boys’ questions caught you off guard.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his smile a bit more sheepish. “Like… The whole marriage thing?”

Draxum stared at him for a moment, taking him in as he tried to wrap his head around the image of such a normally open and bold person actually looking somewhat bashful. He felt his own smile soften a bit. “While it may have surprised me a bit, yes, I supposed we should have expected it. It's only natural for a child to jump to things like that, after all. ...But, I think that you were more flustered by the idea than I was.”

Despite the heat returning to his face ever so slightly, the ex-star scoffed. “What, me? Nahhh, never!” Lou insisted. He might have gone on, if he hadn't noticed Draxum’s flat stare. “...Well, I mean, maybe a little. But, but not because the idea is unappealing or anything! I've got nothing against commitment, I can assure you I have been in exclusive relationships before-”

Lou cringed. Yeah, tell him about your past loves, that's JUST what your new love wants to hear! “I just, ah- we don't want to take things TOO fast, you know? We just started dating, for goodness sake! I may enjoy life in the fast lane sometimes but- Er, but like I said, I wouldn't mind getting married either. Totally cool with marriage! Definitely wouldn't mind if it was with you! That is, as long as you wanted to-” Wait, you guys literally got together YESTERDAY, are you seriously-? “N-Not that you have to decide that this very moment, that would be ridiculous! Heh…”

Lou held back a groan, feeling like he could slap himself as Draxum continued to stare at him, eyebrows raised. When it came to things like flirting and getting people on his good side, it felt like he could do know wrong, words and smiles flowing through him like air. But sometimes, when it was time for much more emotional and personal things - the more awkward things - it was like being shoved into a soundstage without a script! “Look, what I'm trying to say is-!”

*BEEEEEEEEP!*

Both men flinched at the loud horn, with Lou nearly crashing right into Draxum’s chest. “Daaaaad, are we gonna go yet?” a muffled voice from the car asked.

“I will be there in a moment, Leo, now please get back in your seat!” Sighing, he turned back to Draxum.

“So,” Draxum began, his gaze still soft and free of judgement despite everything, “what were you trying to say, Lou?”

“...I think, what I am trying to say… Is that I do not want to pressure you into anything, or push you into anything because… I don't want that either.” Even if Draxum was the first person he felt fairly serious about. Feeling a smile come onto his face, if only a little, made his thoughts come to him a bit more easily.

“You… You are a good man. Smart and interesting, fun and kind and-” And hot, so VERY handsome- “and, I want to just enjoy being in these moments with you, without really thinking of- without worrying about the future, because… Well, you're the first person that I've wanted to do that with in a long time. Not in a ‘this is a fling’ sort of way but, just in an ‘I enjoy being around you, and this feels good so let's just roll with it, a-and I also really don't want to lose this feeling or scare you off’ way, you know?”

“...Well, maybe not the fling thing but, yes, I do understand,” Draxum told him, taking a step as he kept the space between them close, “and, considering that you've kept me for this long… I think you and your kids would have to try a lot harder if you ever did want to scare me off.”

Lou grinned, taking his boyfriend’s hand. “Heh, I will keep that in mind…” Speaking of his kids, even without any more blasts from a car horn, he could hear them start to complain. Draxum could hear it too, and gave Lou a quick peck on the cheek before he needed to leave.

“Until our next appointment, doc?” Lou said, stepping back and putting his hand on the driver’s door handle.

“Are you going to keep using that line?”

“Sure am!” Draxum sighed, briefly wondering why he was agreeing to all of this again, and remembering only a second later as he watched Lou smile and cheer along with his kids as they finally left the parking lot…

He was nearly in bed when he heard from Lou again, only it wasn't a phone call but a text. Specifically, a text and a photo of a simple, fairly messy drawing of the two of them, holding hands and surrounded by a giant pink, glittery heart (as well as small, multi-colored hearts).

“Look what Mikey drew at the library arts and crafts table. I think he supports us - and he captured your likeness pretty well!”

Draxum scoffed despite his smirk as he texted back, “That boy of yours is too adorable for his own good.”

Lou’s reply came in only a couple seconds later. “I’ll let him know you liked it. ;)”

Draxum nodded at the screen. He expected to be bombarded with numerous similar looking drawings the next time he visited the Jitsu home, but it was just as well.

Taking a moment to save the picture to his phone, Draxum then set his alarm before getting into bed, a fairly relaxed and content expression on his face as he slipped into sleep.

((Splinter's awkward dad apology/speech at the end of 'Evil League of Mutants' is so sweet, he's trying his best, ya'll... Such a good rat dad... But yeah, that's pretty much where I got my inspiration for quite a bit of Lou's dialogue in this chapter, lol. Just another side of him I wanted to show. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! ^v^))

[fanfic-inator795]

RotTMNT/Baron Jitsu Fanfiction: Dating... With Children - Chapter Two

(Also on AO3 if you want to leave a comment or kudos)

Plot:  Benjamin Draxum hardly considered himself a man of high social standing. Not because he was uncouth or unworthy of it, mind you, but simply because he didn't have much of a social life. Hard to have one when he usually spent his days at work, cooped up in a lab for so long that he often had his lunches in there, and his nights at home reading or doing research for more personal projects. But perhaps meeting handsome semi-retired movie star - as well as his four young sons - could change all that...

((Chapter two, ya’ll! Thank you to everyone for their support on this story so far, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^v^))

“...What’ve you got there, baby?”

Mikey smiled, and held the drawing - consisting of crayon, marker AND a bit of paint - up for his father to see. “Lots of drawings!” he replied, “Didn't wanna choose one, so I made ‘em all! Like this guy here is a super cool dragon, an’ here's his friend who’s a turtle that can skateboard, and this is a bee that's always makin’ up words and making people spell them!”

“Heh, I'm sure I know what that's inspired from,” Lou chuckled, remembering how Raph shared that his class was having a spelling bee a couple weeks ago. He sat and listened to his youngest explain each doodle, nodding and making quick comments of his own as he did so.

“And that's all I really have so far,” Mikey finished, setting the paper down, “but I think I wanna try to add a few more drawings. Maybe some stickers too, THEN it'll be perfect!”

“Alright,” Lou nodded, “But when you're finished, would you please clean off the table? Remember, we have company coming over tonight.”

“Oh yeah! Don't worry, Papa, I will!”

“Good,” Lou smiled, ruffling his curly hair and making the boy giggle, “Thank you.”

“I'm glad Dr. Draxum is coming over,” Donnie spoke up from the beanbag, looking up from his textbook, “I wanna talk to him more about science stuff. And look!” He held up his book - ‘The Building-Blocks of Life’. “I'm reading up on genetics too! And I'm pretty sure I’ll be about as smart as him on it by the time I'm finished.”

Amused, Lou raised an eyebrow. “I didn't realize they were teaching genetics in the first grade.”

“They aren't. I finished my work early and got to go to the library again.” “Ah.” Lou made another mental tally in his head. The school hadn't said anything yet, but if this kept up, he'd have to go there himself and look into possibly moving Donatello up to Raph’s grade. “Can you believe that some kids aren't even interested in looking at the big kid section of books? Or at the non-fiction section? Those are the best sections!”

“Heh, no, I can't. But then it's a good thing that you can appreciate them.” He began to stand up, but stopped when his ears picked up on something. Some quiet whispers, a couple soft footsteps… The martial artist smirked, and prepared himself.

After a couple seconds, he felt something heavy run into him, slamming him to the carpeted floor. He let out an “OOF!”, unable to help himself, while giggles filled his ears. “I got you, Pop!” Raph grinned, “You're pinned!”

“Oh, are you sure?” Lou asked, “because I think-” He twisted his body quickly, knocking a surprised Raphael off before scooping him up into his arms, making the boy squeal. “That I have YOU!” Raph squirmed in his father’s grip while Lou gave him a couple quick noogies before kissing him on the top of his head.

“Daaaad!” Raph groaned, sticking his tongue out. Lou just laughed, letting the boy go.

“Told ya you couldn't beat him, Raphie,” Leo said, grinning at the whole scene as he sat on the arm of his pop’s chair, growing legs swinging, “He's like, the best fighter in the whole world!”

“Yeah well, I still pinned you for a second, right Pop?”

“Mm-hm,” Lou nodded, “Though next time, make sure to actually pin them once you have them on the floor. Don't just sit on them, but try putting your hands and weight on their shoulders. Makes it harder for them to move, slows them down some.” After a moment, he added “But, maybe don't try to tackle our guest tonight, hm?”

“Heh, I won't.” “Good. Now why don't you and your brother wash up?” Raph and Leo both glanced down at their grass and dirt covered limbs, grimaced at them and dashed out of the room.

Still chuckling a bit to himself, Lou picked himself off the floor and headed back into the kitchen. He had already started prepping a couple dishes, but he still had plenty left to do for their meal. His smile softened a bit as he thought about their guest…

It had taken five days for Draxum to call him. In that time, Lou had tried looking him up online. Draxum’s social media was pretty standard, nothing offensive or red-flag raising but nothing too interesting either. The only other piece of the man online was a brief biography on his lab’s research site along with a photo - where he had a very serious and professional expression on his face. A far cry from the fairly casual man he had met at the art gallery.

When he did finally call, it had been late at night, just after he'd put the boys to bed and right before heading to bed himself. Lou had wondered if perhaps this was planned, as a sort of “welp, I tried calling but there was no answer, oh well” type of thing. But Lou had answered, and much to his (and certainly to Draxum’s) surprise, they had ended up talking for a couple hours.

The conversation had started out pretty slow and standard. Lou asked how his day at work was, and Draxum asked how he and the boys were doing. After a while though, things became a little more natural, and their conversation almost became more of a banter. They’d go back and forth, discussing their favorite forms of entertainment, hobbies they enjoyed, and even sharing a couple personal anecdotes. And after all that, there was no way Lou wasn't going to end the call by inviting him over.

Draxum told him he'd have to check his schedule. It only took until the next morning for Draxum to text, letting him know that he would be free the following weekend. Again, Lou couldn't help but wonder if Draxum actually had to check his schedule or if he just didn't want to appear to eager, but said nothing. Instead, he simply gave him a date, time and his home address, and let him know that he was looking forward to it.

Lou had to admit, Draxum wasn't usually his type, but he was still unique enough to catch the ex-movie star’s interest. After all, how many buff science-type bookworms did one meet in their life? Draxum was certainly intelligent, and had a bit of a dry wit but never seemed like a snob. He was a bit stiff but not boring, spoke his mind and, if Lou was really being honest, was so hot. (Again, buff bookworms. Who knew?) Plus, his kids really seemed to like him too. In Lou’s opinion, that last bit was the most important one of all. So, with all that in mind, Lou just figured: “Eh, why not?”

It was funny how often that phrase came up during the big decisions in his life - like when he had decided that he wanted to try being a father when almost everything else in his life seemed hollow, and ended up adopting four kids instead of just one.

---------

Draxum looked at his watch. 5:17. A bit early but, wasn't that better than being late? Really, it was a good sign he was there at all, given that he was still a bit surprised at himself for even accepting the invite. ...Not that spending more time with Lou was necessarily a bad idea...

He then glanced up at the house he was now in front of. Having never actually been invited to a celebrity’s home before, he hadn't quite been sure what to expect. But a medium sized, cozy looking and slightly run-down home in Brooklyn certainly was a bit of a surprise. Maybe making action movies didn't pay as well as Draxum thought.

Still, he kept these comments to himself as he went up the walkway that was littered with chalk drawings and up to the door, knocking twice. It took a couple moments for someone - one of the boys, the one with light patches of skin around his eyes who was wearing a blue tee - to open the door. “You know the password?” He asked.

Draxum’s expression twisted slightly in annoyance, but he kept his cool. “Open says me?” He guessed.

“Mm nnnnope, sorry.” With that, the door was slammed in his face. From the other side, he could hear more young voices, scolding and lightly arguing with each other. The door opened again, and one boy had become four. “I was just joking!” Leo insisted while Donnie continued to glare.

“Hi, Dr. Draxum!” Mikey greeted with a wave.

“Sorry about my dumb brother-” “Hey!” “You can come on in,” Raph added.

Draxum nodded. “Thank you,” he said, moving his arm a bit so he could reveal more of the small box he had been carrying. “If you hadn't let me in when you did, this probably would have melted.”

Leo’s eyes widened. “Wait, you brought cake?! Well you should’a said so!”

With a ghost of a smile on his face, Draxum walked inside. The living room to the Jitsu home was inviting and very much in-use, but not the cluttered and messy space that Draxum had been worried it might have been. There was a reclining chair, a love seat, two kid-sized beanbags, a coffee table with several colorful marks now permanently on it, and a flat screen tv that was playing some cartoon. There were a couple toys on the floor, though not enough that Draxum had to worry about tripping over anything, as well as a few framed pictures on the wall. One of Lou at what looked like some award ceremony, one of him with a Chinese woman (ex wife, perhaps?) and of course, one of him with his children that looked like it was taken just a couple years ago.

“Hey, Doc!” a voice called from the kitchen, bringing Draxum out of his thoughts, “How’s it going? You find the place alright?”

“Yes, there's this wonderful thing called a gps that really helps,” Draxum dryly replied.

Lou chuckled, smiling at him over his shoulder, and blinking when he saw the ice cream cake in the taller man’s hands. From the look of the packaging, he could guess that it came from a pretty high end bakery. “Oh, you didn't have to bring anything.”

“Well, you said you were making supper, I figured the least I could do was bring dessert,” Draxum told him, “Should I just put this in the fridge, then?”

“Yeah, go right ahead.” Draxum did, and then sat down at the table. He noticed that Lou was just in a loose fitting, pale yellow tee and some jeans. Immediately, he felt overdressed, even if he himself was just in a button-up long sleeve shirt and some dark khakis. Still, Draxum tried to look as ‘casual’ as possible, but clearly it wasn't working by the way Lou kept glancing back at him from the kitchen counter

“I'm glad you could make it, by the way,” Lou spoke up, trying to break the ice a little, “I'm sure you get pretty busy, being a scientist and all.”

“Actually, unless I hit a big breakthrough or doing work on a time sensitive project, it's pretty much a nine-to-five job most of the time,” Draxum replied, “The work stays steady, at least.” Lou nodded, and went back to his cooking. Not wanting to risk falling into uncomfortable silence once again, Draxum decided to ask something that had been on his mind since they first met. “And what do you do for a living these days, given that your last film was in, what, the early 2000s?”

Rather than being offended or caught off guard, Lou just smirked. “...You sure you're not a fan of my films?”

“Definitely not,” Draxum retorted so quickly that it made Lou laugh

“If you say so! Anyway, yeah, that was about the time I moved from LA to here. I was smart about my last few paychecks, so I pretty much live off my savings.

Draxum blinked. “...Seriously?”

“Seriously. Though, I know I can't use ALL of it - I know at least one of my kids is going to be going to college - so I do odd jobs when I need to. Make appearances at conventions, do a quick commercial or two sometimes- heh, last year I was even paid to play on a gameshow. A stagehand kept an eye on the boys as they watched me play from the audience, I won some money for a charity, and then the next day I took them to Disneyland. Used most of that paycheck to do it, too. So, I guess you could call me a bit of a sellout.” Though judging by his tone, Lou didn't seem bothered by this at all.

“I don't think anyone could really blame you for taking less time consuming work,” Draxum offered, “Still, do you ever miss making movies, as cheesy as they are?” Or rather, were.

Lou thought for a moment as he tossed the last few ingredients into the frying pan. “...Yeah,” he admitted, “I do. Though, there are plenty of things about the industry that I definitely don't miss, and besides…” His smile softened a bit. “I've got plenty of other things to occupy my time.”

Suddenly, there was a shout. Turning in surprise, Draxum looked through the doorway and watched as Donnie tackled a laughing Leon to the floor. “...Speaking of which, do you know that your kids are tackling each other?”

“Oh yeah, they do that sometimes,” Lou nodded, not even moving from the counter, “Boys will be boys and all that. They're going to roughhouse no matter what I say, and as long as they follow the rules, I usually don't need to step in.”

“Rules?”

Setting down his stirring spoon, Lou counted them off his fingers. “No holding anyone down for more than a couple seconds, no using force to get someone to play what you want to play, if someone says they don't want to wrestle then just leave them be, and no making anyone cry. They're good boys, so that last one is usually punishment enough when they accidentally break it.”

“Ah, I see,” Draxum nodded. Well, that was one way to teach kids how to control their strength and think about their actions. Still, he wondered how Lou would go about things once his sons got a little older and possibly became interested in following in their father’s martial arts footsteps.

It didn't take much longer for their supper to be finished. The kids came to the table without even needing to be called, smelling the food and eager to eat as well as being excited to talk with their guest again. While Raph and Leo told Lou all about the latest exciting climax in their cartoon, Mikey shared one of his drawings with Draxum, who could only stare at it.

“It's, uh…” He tilted his head a bit, staring at the mess of bright colors and scribbles. What on earth was it supposed to be? A natural disaster mixed with a rainbow? “...Very nice, yes.

Mikey beamed. “Really?! Which one is your favorite?”

Shoot, there was more than one drawing there? Well, that at least explained why everything was so cluttered. “Er, well…” He focused a little more on the drawing, and try to find anything that resembled something other than a blob or a tumbleweed to him. “I like this… Cat. Yes, this cat over in the corner, with the… Ice cream on it?”

Mikey looked back at the paper. “That's not a cat.” “Oh, sor-” “But that's a good idea!” The boy gave Draxum another bright smile. “I’ll draw you a kitty with ice cream later, kay?”

“Heh, very well,” Draxum nodded, relieved that he didn't offend the young artist.

“-And then, they used the magic sword, and blasted the bad guys right into the sky!” “Yeah, and the main hero guy said the BEST thing afterwards! He's soooo cool!”

“Well of course, he IS the main hero, after all” Lou chuckled, setting the last of the dishes down at the table, “Donnie, please put your book away now.”

Donnie frowned, reluctantly closing his half-finished textbook. “Fine…” As he placed it back into his ever-present backpack, Draxum managed to catch the book’s title.

“Genetics, hm?” He asked, smiling a bit. Perhaps the boy had been inspired. “Enjoying it so far?” Donnie nodded, keeping his eyes on the silverware in front of him.

The meal was fairly simple. A baked fish as the main course, with fried rice and an easy-to-make salad as the sides. Still, what it lacked in uniqueness, it more than made up for in good flavor. “I'm usually not much of a fish eater, but this is quite good,” Draxum commented, after only a couple bites.

“Mm-hm,” Lou smirked, “I'm not just a handsome actor-martial artist, after all. I know how to cook.” Draxum just rolled his eyes, mildly amused at his date’s cockiness.

“You should try eatin’ the fish and the rice at the same time,” Raph advised, “They go really good together!”

Draxum was the type to keep his food, as well as the tastes and textures, separate while he ate, but he did try the combination once just to appease the eldest Jitsu child. As he continued to eat, Draxum kept glancing over at Donatello out of the corner of his eye. The boy in purple nibbled and picked at his food, fidgeting a bit and staying silent. Certainly different from the eager and inquisitive boy Donnie had introduced himself as, so what had brought on this sudden shyness?

Was it something Draxum had said? He couldn't think of anything that could've been taken as discouragement or dismissal. So, maybe Donnie just didn't care for his field of science but didn't want to offend Draxum by saying so? No, that didn't seem right either. So then, what-?

He noticed Leo leaning over, whispering to Donnie for a moment before being nudged away. Rather than being annoyed, Leo just looked a bit concerned while his twin just looked… Embarrassed? An epiphany went off in Draxum’s mind. So THAT was why Donnie wasn't talking to him.

“Donnie,” he began, getting the boy’s attention, “I was wondering if you had any thoughts on your research so far?”

Donnie continued to squirm, squeezing his fists in his lap. “I-I mean, I'm still reading through the book so, so I'm not really an expert on it yet.” Truth be told, while he liked all sciences, he had really taken a shine to robotics and technology the most. “But talking to you ‘bout it before gave me a good head start, and I know the basics of it already and, um…”

“Yes…?”

“A-And, I…” Donnie scowled before suddenly shouting, “I have a scientific theory! A-About genetics, I mean.”

Draxum nodded, keeping composed (because, wow, even he could admit this was kind of adorable). “May I hear about it?” he asked, making sure to keep his voice neutral to avoid sounding patronizing, knowing that a child as smart as Donnie would definitely notice.

“Well… O-Our genes are inherited from our birth parents, right? So we only have a possibility of getting what they, or the rest of their people in their family, had. But, maybe there could be a way to, um, switch out genes somehow? Maybe with gene samples from other people, or with genes made by scientists, and then those new cells could develop and make whatever kind of person with whatever features they wanted.” Donnie winced a bit once he was finished, and waited for Draxum’s reaction.

The scientist hummed. “Well, that is a sound theory. Perhaps a bit difficult to test at the moment, but I can understand the basis of it, as well as see how it could be possible one day.” Donnie’s eyes widened. He stared back at Draxum, and began to grin widely, as if he had just received the best compliment ever. Draxum held back a chuckle. “Would you like to discuss this theory further?” “Yeah!”

Unsurprisingly, once Draxum began sharing the concept of gene mutation, the conversation devolved into a mix of scientific theorizing with some sci-if-esque levels of speculation (Donnie) and a debate over which animal features and mutations would be best to mix with people (the rest of the boys). Still, the discussion was no less enjoyable, to the kids or to Draxum.

And as for Lou, he just watched and listened, a warm smile on his face. This may have been their first shared meal together, but Draxum already felt like a seat at the table that had always somehow been there

----------

“...I think I just made it impossible for your kids to go to sleep tonight.”

“Eh, they've had worse sugar rushes. Trust me, this is nothing. Besides, they'll burn it all up soon enough.”

The remaining slices of the ice cream cake had already been placed back into the fridge, and because it was still somewhat light out, the boys had been allowed to go play outside for a while. So, they raced out the door, leaving their father and his date to watch by the window while they started playing what Draxum could only describe as a mixed up version of soccer and cricket.

He wasn't even sure if they were keeping score. All he could tell was that the game involved running all around the small yard, using foam swords and hockey sticks to hit a ball as well as kicking it with their feet. Either way, they all seemed to enjoy it, with Raph happily teaming up with Mikey and offering him a piggyback ride whenever his youngest brother struggled to keep up.

Draxum hummed, taking a small sip from the tea Lou had made for him before setting the cup back down. “Your kids are definitely unique.”

“Heh, they sure are,” Lou agreed, “They really are good boys… And they really like you, you know.”

Draxum nodded. It was still sort of hard to believe himself, given how he often thought of children as nothing more than tiny annoyances. Yes, Lou’s kids were loud, and strange, and still a tiny bit annoying. But they were also clever and endearing, and even a little cute. So, he had no real problems with them liking him, or with liking them in return.

“...And,” Lou began, taking a step closer, suddenly making Draxum very aware of his presence, “I really like you too.”

“I-...” That was all Draxum could get out as he turned from the window, looking Lou directly in the eyes now. The handsome (‘ugh, why did he have to be so handsome,’ Draxum thought to himself, knowing this would all be so much easier if he wasn't) man stared back at him, lips curled into an honest smile. No cockiness or playing up his ego, Lou simply wanted him to know how he felt.

“And I mean it too. And uh, heh, no pressure or anything but… I hope the feeling’s mutual.” Draxum didn't say anything, but he didn't look away either. Lou took another slow step forward. Close enough together to do so now, Draxum dared himself to take his hands.

“I think… That's a possibility,” Draxum told him quietly, finally finding the words to reply.

Lou smiled, letting out a soft chuckle that made Draxum’s heart leap a bit. “Good to know…” They were closer now, enough for Draxum to see himself in Lou’s glasses. He told himself that he wasn't the kind of man to kiss on the first date, but Lou was making it SO tempting!

Their faces were getting closer, with Draxum’s own feeling much too warm. He placed his hands on the shorter man’s chest… And gently pushed him away.

The ex-action star blinked, the intimate mood gone in an instant, suddenly leaving him feeling cold. Still, despite his disappointment, Lou backed away.

“...It’s getting late,” Draxum stated, “I should probably get going.” He didn't waste time moving past Lou, now standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

Lou nodded. “Right, of course. Well, thanks again for coming over. I had a nice-”

“I’m-” Draxum suddenly began to say, still refusing to look back at him, “I’m… Available next weekend, as well. So, perhaps you could come over to my place and we could have dinner there.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Just the two of us. It, it's the least I could do, cooking for you in return.”

“...” Lou’s grin returned. So there WAS going to be a next time! “Yeah, that sounds great! Just text me a time and your address and I’ll be there!”

Draxum nodded. “I will.”

“Heh, I’ll be looking forward to our next appointment, Dr. Draxum.”

Even with the light blush still in his cheeks, Draxum turned back around halfway, scoffing at him. “You don't have to keep calling me that. I have a first name, I won't be offended if you use it.”

Despite his internet search on the man, Lou continued to be coy. “You never told me it, Dr. Tall, Dark and Handsome.”

His date rolled his eyes, sighing slightly. He was tall, definitely, but he wasn't anywhere near dark. His skin just barely had a tan! “It's Benjamin. Benjamin Draxum.”

“Ah. Well, Ben, I’ll see you next week.” Draxum nodded, hesitating for only a moment before moving once more. Lou followed him to the front door, and they each gave a quick good night before Draxum left.

“Heh, a second date,” Lou told himself, still grinning about it, “How about that?” With his steps light and earlier disappointment being unable to touch his now sky-high mood, Lou went into his backyard and began trying to wrangle up his kids and get them back inside for pajamas and teeth brushing.