#heart pounding against his plastron

[sinestrosmind]

what if I gave Nightmare Chief the Parallax Treatment(tm) and gave him like. rows of fucked up sharp teeth

[fishsticksloser]

Just…talking this out.

I'd love to see a situation where Leo hangs out with a best friend of his and starts developing big feelings. He wouldn't know what these feelings were, testing simple things like hugs and hand holding with his other friend, April, to see if it's just an internal 'glitch' or something common.

Obviously, the reaction wouldn't work with April. Thus, he'd get to a point where he realizes he, of all people, is absolutely smitten with his best friend and begins unintentionally pursuing them (perhaps letting his hugs last a little longer than normal, kissing their knuckles occasionally in passing, leaning a tad bit closer to their face during each conversation…eventually to encase them against a wall on a rooftop, shielding them from the ongoing evening rain, finally and confidently uttering his confession).

Y'know���just…brain worms.

Close to You

Leo x gn!reader

Warnings: confessions, struggling with feelings, kissing, swearing

A/N: mmmm just brain worms? Let me eat them /silly.... Actually, can I use them to make a brain worm farm?

Something was off. He couldn't stop thinking about you. Your smile, your laugh, your touch. He often zoned out, thinking about you.

This is getting out of hand....

Sitting next to you, watching Jupiter Jim since you've never seen it. Feeling your arm brush his as you get comfortable, sparks flying over his skin. Leo glances at you, his heart pounding in his chest. He finds himself looking at your lips, wondering what they feel like against his.

He blinks, quickly looking away. People don't normally feel that way with friends, right?

He didn't understand what he was feeling. He decided to test it out. April. The perfect friend, always willing to help.

He definitely didn't explain or ask, but he knew if April knew it might skew results. Leo was getting scientific, something he didn't really understand. But it has to be done.

During a movie night you couldn't attend, he sat next to April, leaning against her and snuggling as he normally did with anyone he sat next to. Throughout the movie, his glances to her were seldom, mostly when she'd shift to get more comfortable or made a comment. Her arm bumped his and he felt nothing, he had no desire to get closer, no desire to touch her more.

That night he went to bed more confused, deciding to tell April about it later. Maybe she'd have some insight on what's going on with him. And of course she did.

Crush.

That was the simple word that echoed in his head as he went home.

Crush.

He shakes his head, trying to knock that one word out of his head.

There's no way...

꒦꒷⚔️꒷꒦

As time went on, he couldn't help himself. Leo would touch you, holding your hand, kissing your knuckles, cuddling with you during movie nights. He wanted to be close, he wanted to get closer.

He'd noticed your blush, the way you'd cover your face at times. It made him need it more. He had to see more.

When you two were alone in his room, he'd let you rest against him. Sitting between his legs, your back against his plastron. It became a norm. So did his fingers tracing over your skin.

You're so soft...

He nuzzles your jaw, making you tilt your head to the side. His heart pounds in his chest as he presses his beak to your neck.

You smell so good...

Eventually he decides he has to tell you. He can't do it anymore, he can't stand it. It itches, it's hard to not just spill it. Not blurt it out the moment he sees you.

꒦꒷⚔️꒷꒦

He had his jacket around you, your back pressed against his plastron. The pitter patter of rain, the feeling of the rain against his skin, the feeling of you in his embrace. Everything felt perfect.

Leo nuzzles your temple as you look over the city skyline. He sways slightly, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his arms wrapped around you. He takes a deep breath, basking in the moment.

"You're so warm." You hum, pressing back against him more. He churrs softly, burying his beak in your hair. You tilt your head back, laying it on the top edge of his plastron. "This is quite the view..."

"Kinda romantic, huh?" He teases, chuffing into your hair. Leo hugs you a bit tighter, feeling nervousness seep in.

"Perfect for a little date." You muse back, reaching up to rub his arm comfortingly. You watch the cars on the street, basking in Leo's warmth.

"I... Really like being with you." He murmurs, moving his arms as you turn around to face him.

"Don't tell me you're getting all mushy." The teasing words have him blushing, playfully pushing you away.

"Me? Mushy?" Leo laughs, trying to hide the big grin on his face with an eyeroll. You laugh back, letting him pull you back against him. His laughter dies a little, but still smiling widely. "I'm serious though... I love being with you... I.... I've realized some things recently..."

You listen intently, seeing the nervousness written all of his face. His grip on our waist tightened a little, taking a deep breath.

"I... Have a massive fucking crush on you..." He whispers finally, closing his eyes as if he was scared of your reaction.

"Really?" You gasp, making him open his eyes. The look on your face, you weren't repulsed like he'd thought you would be. He couldn't help himself any longer, leaning down as he cupped your cheek.

"Really..." He chuffs, pressing his lips to yours, sealing the confession with a sweet kiss.

[dandylovesturtles]

kids are about 8/9 here. idk what this is. happy 10 days to Halloween?

cw: violence, blood, gore (not the turtles'), cussing

-----

Later, Donnie would say going to the surface was Leo's idea, but really, it had been an unspoken joint decision. He wanted to search the trash in the alley for building materials, Leo was just annoyed at being treated like a baby. Sure, it made sense why Mikey wasn't allowed to go to the surface without Raph, but why were the two of them subject to the same rules? They were a whole year older!

So when Papa fell asleep in his chair, and with Raph chasing an uncooperative Mikey around, begging him to take a bath, Leo looked at Donnie, then at the exit to the tunnels, and Donnie followed him right out.

At first it was exhilarating. He and Leo had been to the surface several times now, but it was always with Raph or Splinter, and that meant it came with rules. Don't touch that. Stay where I can see you. Don't run off. There's too many humans that way. No you can't take that back to the lair, it's dangerous. On and on and on. But this time they were alone, and Donnie wasn't going to stop Leo from climbing the fire escape and petting the cats sitting on windowsills as long as Leo wouldn't tell him to put the old, broken electronics and jagged pieces of metal he found back in the dumpster.

And Leo didn't say a thing about it, other than to call him a nerd. Of course.

It was a cool night, but not so cold that it made Donnie shiver. It had rained recently, so everything was damp and there was a fog that held in the air. The only noise besides what the two of them made came from an old pair of vending machines right by the entrance to the street, buzzing and humming with electricity. Leo had already asked Donnie if he could "hack it" to get them some drinks and snacks, and Donnie had shooed him off so he could get back to his scavenging. But he was seriously considering giving it a try once his work was done.

Leo dropped off the fire escape and wandered closer to the street. It was deep into the night, but when Donnie looked he could still see Leo in the glow from the vending machine, so he didn't worry too much. He'd just found a perfectly good toaster that someone threw out, and he absolutely planned to take it back with him.

He'd just ducked down to tug at a box sticking out of the mound of trash, when he heard a voice echo off the bricks of the buildings.

"Yooo, dude. Did you see that!?"

"Shhh, shhh, hold on," said another voice, followed by some quick footsteps.

And then Leo yelped.

Donnie's heart was pounding against his plastron as he slowly and carefully peeked above the rim of the dumpster. Two big humans stood in the light of the vending machine; one of them had Leo, holding him by the lip of his shell where it opened for his head.

"The hell is this?"

"Looks like some kind of fucked up turtle."

"I knew the Hudson was radioactive, man."

Leo squirmed in their grasp, but they were way bigger and stronger, and they kept him from escaping. He didn't have his weapons, because Dad only let them have them when they were training ("You'll poke your eye out," he'd said). Fat lot of good that did them now.

"What do you think we could sell it for?" asked one of the humans.

"Who would even want it?"

"Dude, someone's gotta. A zoo or something!"

"Damn, you're right. It's worth a try, right?"

Donnie's blood ran cold. They were going to take Leo away. They were going to take his brother away, and he'd never see him again, never get to talk to him or play with him again, and Donnie

couldn't

let

that

happen.

Before he himself even knew what he was planning, he'd jumped out of the dumpster and shot straight toward the humans. They'd only just noticed him when he launched himself at the one holding Leo and bit, directly into the hairy, exposed flesh.

An agonized scream filled the alley.

The leg Donnie was biting began to shake and kick, frantically trying to dislodge him, but Donnie only bit down tighter, sinking all his teeth into the man, his jaws locking and refusing to let go. There was a thud as something hit the concrete beside him; the man was still screaming.

"GET HIM OFF ME! GET HIM OFF GET HIM OFF- OH SHIT-"

Human hands grabbed at Donnie and yanked, but he didn't let go. A disgusting, metallic taste filled his mouth, and something chewy and unpleasant was coming loose between his teeth.

The men were both yelling now, kicking, hitting, but Donnie didn't let go, he wouldn't, he couldn't-

Until he felt a hand wrap around his. Small, three-fingered, and as familiar as his own.

Donnie yanked back. The chewy thing between his teeth came with him. The man was still shrieking in pain, blood pouring down his leg and staining his socks and sneakers, snot and spittle hanging from his face.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" yelled the man.

Donnie and Leo scrambled backwards, hands locked tight together.

"Dude, we gotta get you to a hospital," said the uninjured man, grabbing the other human's arm and tugging. For a moment, the injured man fought back, waving his fists at Donnie and Leo.

"I'M GONNA KILL THAT THING!" the man screamed. A light came on in a window above.

"Come on, man, it probably has rabies," said the other human, still tugging. "Let's get out of here. Call animal control."

For a second, Donnie thought he would keep coming, even with a limp, but eventually he relented, and went with his companion. They could still here the man yelling as they disappeared from sight.

Donnie and Leo watched, still and silent in the shadows beyond the vending machines, for a very long moment. The only sounds in the alley were the electric hum of the vending machines, but it was louder now, somehow, louder and more annoying and pressing in on Donnie from all sides.

He suddenly became very aware of a sticky substance on his hands and arms and shoulders and face. The unpleasant taste was still in his mouth, as was the squishy thing, and it filled him with revulsion. He spat it out on the ground, and saw skin and hair and red stuff and-

He wanted to gag, but he couldn't. He could feel his muscles shutting down, the way they did sometimes. He hated this feeling, but he knew from experience he couldn't stop it. It was out of his control now.

The whine started at the back of his throat and built in intensity until it drowned out the sounds of the vending machines. His hands moved to clutch his head against his will, and he sank to the ground, curling up over his knees and pressing himself against them in a desperate bid to get it all to stop.

"Shoot, Dee," he heard Leo say, and then he moved away. Donnie couldn't open his eyes to see where he went, but a moment later he heard the sound of glass breaking.

A few seconds later, he heard a soft fizz, and then something cool was being pressed against his arm.

Slowly, he squinted his eyes open. He could barely stand it, but he had to do it, to see Leo in crouching in front of him, holding out a bottle of cola and signing at him to drink.

Clumsily, he took it. The mix of cola and the metallic taste in his mouth almost made him gag again, and he spat that out, too. Somehow, it helped. He repeated this action several more times, until the bottle was almost empty and his mouth was free of that terrible taste.

Then, slowly, a little at a time, he drank the rest.

The world backed down to a manageable level. Leo was still in front of him, looking worried. His eyes and face were wet, and Donnie didn't think it was from the mist.

Still, he met Donnie's eyes with a wobbly smile and asked, "Ready to go down?"

Hesitantly, Donnie stood up. When he didn't fall over, he nodded. Leo nodded back, then went to the manhole cover and opened it up.

Donnie didn't go back for the toaster. He didn't even remember it, really.

Leo gestured for Donnie to go down the ladder first, then covered over the hole behind them. They made their way to the bottom more slowly than they ever did with Raph, neither of them feeling up to any tricks tonight.

They walked back towards the lair in silent for a few minutes, while Donnie got his voice back. Leo waited for him to talk first, and Donnie appreciated that.

"...Where'd you get the soda?" he asked, when he could.

"Broke the glass on the vending machine with a rock," Leo explained. He gave Donnie a playful grin. "It's faster than hacking."

Donnie rolled his eyes at that. He could have done it if he'd had time!

They walked a bit further. Donnie was still covered in the sticky, gross substance, but when Leo reached for his hand again, Donnie took it.

"Thanks," said Leo, quieter now.

"I didn't want them to take you away," said Donnie honestly.

Leo's hand squeezed his. "I didn't want to go away," he said, his voice sounding strained.

Donnie stopped, and so did Leo. They turned to look at each other, as best as they could in the dark sewer tunnels.

Then Donnie launched himself at Leo, wrapping him in the tightest hug he could, and Leo hugged him back, burying his face in the soft place against Donnie's neck and shell. Donnie could feel something wet land on him, but he didn't mind because it wasn't sticky like the other stuff.

He just held Leo tight, and Leo held back, for a long while.

(They were still like that when Splinter and Raph found them. The blood freaked them out, and learning it wasn't Donnie's hadn't reassured them.

They were grounded for three weeks, but they still got to be together and read comics, so really, it wasn't too bad.)

[raphaelsrightarm]

Watch pt 2

Part 1

Uh ohhhhhh

Words: 1653

Warnings: NSFW 18+ only

Tags: @lovelyladylavie @auggiemty @serpentinefairy @miranexx @drowninghell @monsterroonio

He is a tidal wave. 

Moving and moving, sweeping along anything that may get too close. 

His hands found your waist without faltering for another second. His fingers twitched as he struggled to keep his grip loose. He wanted to touch you, he’s dreamed of touching you. Now that you’re standing before him with nearly as much need as him he’s worried he’ll do it wrong. That he’ll hurt you.

That he’ll scare you away. 

You pressed yourself against him, tracing the pathways of his scales as his breath quickened. You felt the skin of his arms, his shoulders, tracing the border of his plastron. He pressed his lips to your neck as you explored him, the evidence of his want hardening against your stomach. 

You moved to meet his gaze. Your face was only inches from his, and you felt any sense leave your brain as you closed the distance. He was stunned for a moment before you felt his arms wrap further around you. Strong hands splaying out on your back, desperate to have you as close to him as he could manage.

He broke away from you only to kiss your neck again, madly inhaling the scent of your skin before releasing a low groan. A grumble coming from his chest followed soon after, your heart raced at the intensity. 

You thought back to how he had touched himself just moments ago. The image of him stroking himself slowly, twisting his fist as the head that will now forever be imprinted on your mind. You mimicked him as you wrapped your hand around his cock. He let out a strangled gasp, and you realized how sensitive he must be. 

His eyes shut for a moment before returning to meet yours. Deep pools of malachite lit with the fervid flames of his lust. There was something else there that you couldn’t place. He watched you 

You figured it would be best to move slowly at first, since he had just cum moments ago. It wasn’t long before you felt his hips buck against you, urging for more friction. 

“Needy,” 

“You have no idea,” He whispered against your cheek before he kissed you again. 

Your hand moved faster, twisting at the tip just as he had done, as his lips traced your shoulder until he was met with the neckline of your shirt. 

There was the sound of stretching fabric until you felt your shirt tear completely. You gasped his name as the fabric slipped from your body and you felt him smile against your skin. His hands now roamed along the skin of your back, tracing the shape of your spine, the curve of your hips. 

You felt his legs twitch as you began stroking him faster. His restlessness grew with each passing moment of your hands working on him. He wanted more. He has wanted more for so long that it has turned itself into an unforgiving blade wedged into his side. 

Touching you, the feeling of you touching him, were the only things that eased it. Even in his frenzied state he was still in awe of you. 

So he allowed his hands to roam over your body. He wouldn’t last much longer with your hand working him the way it was, and he didn’t want to cum yet. It would feel too much like a waste. 

He felt you gasp again as his hand slid down the front of your leggings, toying with you through the thin fabric of your underwear. Your pace faltered slightly, burying your face into his shoulder as he formed circles over your clit. 

“Don’t get shy now,” His lips brushed against your ear as he spoke. “Tell me how it feels.”

Your body felt like it was on fire. Every inch of your skin was set ablaze the moment you arrived. But words slipped away everytime you tried to form them, too focused on his hand between your legs and yours between his. How the two of you moved together like you’d done this hundreds of times already. 

His free hand moved to grab your ass, kneading the soft flesh against his palm. “Now.” 

Your heart pounded as desire rolled through you like waves. “It’s so good, Raph, please,” You weren’t sure exactly what you were begging for, but just after he pushed your panties out of his way, his finger slipping between your folds to continue his work on you, savoring each whimper and moan that he pulled from you. 

Your hand left from between his legs and flew to his shoulder in an attempt to steady yourself. Though he ached from the sudden lack of pressure, he was too caught up in your breathy moans and pleas for him to make you cum for him to care. 

You were feeling yourself nearing the edge. Your heart pounded like you were running as you ran your hands down his arms, feeling the thick bands of muscle underneath his skin. 

He groaned into your hair. “I wanna fuck you so bad,” His voice almost sounded pained, desperate. 

You fell. 

Effortlessly, he held you against him as your knees buckled. His endless strength was something that had left you stunned a hundred times over by now. 

Your hips ground against his hand as you rode out your orgasm, eyes clenched shut, your fingernails no doubt digging into the back of his neck. 

He was breathing as hard as you were as you came down. His lips traced the curve of your neck. His hand slipped from between your legs, fingers covered in you. 

He inhaled deeply, tasting it off the tip of his finger. The fire inside you sparked back up. 

“Raph,” His name had never sounded more beautiful. “I need you, please.”

He was already helping you slide your pants down, your underwear following soon after. With the fabric in his hand he had the sudden impulse to keep them, just so he could breathe you in whenever he missed this. Though there was a bit of guilt, he dropped them behind him, separate from the rest of your clothes.

You were weightless as he lifted you, bringing you to rest your head on his pillow. He kissed you hungrily, settling on his elbows over top of you. You pressed your knees to his sides, spreading for him as far as you were able in an attempt to make your desperation clear. 

He entered you slowly, his other hand holding a firm grip on your thigh. He watched closely as your head fell back and eyes shut as you took all of him in. 

He knew now that he would never be able to replicate this. His fist would never be able to make him feel the way your cunt is, his body shuddering as he bottomed out.  

He couldn’t think straight, his mind melting from the heat of your velvety core. The churring from his chest had gotten deeper, and already he felt his end drawing near.  

You sucked in a breath through your teeth. His hand slid between the two of you to run circles over your clit. Slowly, he felt you begin to relax around him. 

He forced himself to go slow. Every inch of him was begging for another release, to cum inside you and claim you as his. His mind was so clouded with the scent of you and the strength of his own urges

He waited until you began lifting your hips to match his thrusts to start moving a bit more freely. 

“You’re fuckin’ tight, I’ll make you feel so good.” He felt like he was floating, lost your scent and your whines. “You’re mine.” His body twitched as you tightened around him. “Say it.”

“I’m all yours, Raph.” You tried saying more, and you would have if it didn’t feel so good. Your brain was empty of all thoughts other than his movements. His hands gripped your thighs with enough force you knew it would bruise and didn’t even care. 

Part of you wanted it to.

He watched every movement you made, like he was memorizing you as intensely as you were trying to do to him.

His thrusts picked up, falling out of the rhythm he had created. 

“So good,” He breathes out almost to himself. “So fuckin’ good”

He moved faster. The change of pace nearly made you see stars as his hand continued toying with your clit.  

He watched as your back arched as you met your second release. You held onto him so tightly as your legs shook against his sides. He could feel you pulsing, clouding his vision. 

He breathed you in one last time before his head fell back as he spilled inside of you. He lifted your legs up to his shoulders before he could convince himself not to. He held you there for a minute, kissing your ankles and rubbing your legs, whispering praises of how good you felt before he laid beside you. 

You pressed yourself against him, clinging to his body. The feeling of your bare skin pressing against him was something he never wanted to part with. 

He didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, and he couldn’t force himself to care either. He had your breath against his neck, your arm draped over his stomach.

The moon could fall from the sky at this moment, and the only sorrow he would feel would come from him never again being able to see how the light would fall against your skin. 

It hit him harder than it ever had before, the realization of how important you had become to him. He thought back to the days before you had entered their lives, and they all felt incomplete. 

You nuzzled your face closer into his neck and immediately, almost instinctively, his arm tightened around you. With a light sigh, he accepted that he was absolutely fucked. 

[the-cauldron-witch]

Eeeermmmm👉👈

13. "I'm not letting go, so you can stop fighting it." With raph pls(or anybody, people usually specify the character too but I see you didn't ask for that so I wasn't sure).. :^

That's absolutely okay! I probably would have written for Raph anyhow, it's a very Raph coded line honestly. I hope you enjoy! 🫂🫂🫂

Tag list: @silverwatergalaxy @thelaundrybitch @sophiacloud28 @thegirlwiththeninjaturtletattoos @iridescentflamingo @redsrooftopprincess @yorshie @truffle-draws-turtles @ninnosaurus @thepinkpanther83 @avery73 @luckycharms1701 @tmnt-tychou @suksiskovaikkakuuseen

The last set of stairs felt like a mountain as you trudged up them, each step sending a wave of pain from your feet up to your hips as you ascended. After standing on your feet all day working a double shift from 7AM to 7PM, not to mention every single break continuously being interrupted by coworkers asking for assistance or some stupid question they could literally ask anybody else, it felt like your day just had no end to it. Just a little further, you kept thinking despite feeling like the hallway was impossibly long.

Once at your apartment door you let out a withering sigh, you knew all too well your day wasn’t over just yet. Behind the beige painted door awaited more chores; the dishes you had been neglecting since yesterday, various laundry piles scattered about your room growing with each passing day, on top of the floors that needed desperate vacuuming and trash that you forgot to take out when leaving this morning. Keys jingling as you unlock the deadbolt, you dragged yourself inside and wanted to simply collapse.

Exhaustion weighed so heavily on your shoulders you almost didn’t register the sound of your kitchen faucet running. Did you leave it on this morning? No, you couldn’t have, you didn’t even have time to make coffee this morning because you woke up late. It didn’t come as a surprise to you though, knowing well who was using your sink. Kicking your shoes off with enough force for them to bounce on the floor once before joining the other pairs in a heap, you round the corner to the kitchen.

“Hey, you,” You called as you entered the kitchen, tossing your belongings onto your kitchen table. Cutting off the faucet and drying his hands Raph turned from the sink and smiled at you warmly, plucking the dish towel from where it hung on the wall. “Did you really do my dishes for me?”

“And your laundry and trash is taken out as well,” Raph stated proudly, grinning widely as your shoulders slouched with pure relief. It felt like a weight had been physically removed from your shoulders. Hanging the dish towel back on its hook Raph gave you no time to thank him, his massive arms sweeping you clean off your feet and holding you to his chest.

“Ah! What’re you doing?” You giggled as Raph began walking to your living room, squirming and kicking your feet in a half-hearted attempt to escape his grasp. Rolling his eyes he didn’t respond to you verbally, simply holding you tighter against his chest to keep you there.

“I’m not letting go, so you can stop fighting it” He chuckled, squeezing you firmly against his chest while leaning down to press his lips to your forehead. Not giving you a chance to question further, Raph hopped himself over the back and flopped onto the couch as lightly as a three hundred-something pound turtle could. Pizza, some of your favorite drinks, snacks, and plenty of blankets.

Grabbing one of the many blankets crumpled onto the couch, Raph kept you pressed against his plastron gently while getting comfortable on and settling down on the couch. With how little energy you currently were running on there was absolutely none left to argue, so you didn’t. Resting your head against his chest and listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat you finally allowed your body to relax against the warmth of your boyfriend.

[theanonymousninja247]

Just Imagine

Wanted to try something a little different today, a pick your own vibe kind of adventure if you will.

Before reading, please pick one of these song to set the mood of your choosing Rise Raph ❤️🧸:

Bayverse Raph ❣️💪🏼:

“Give me a few days of peace in your arms-I need it terribly. I'm ragged, worn, exhausted. After that I can face the world. “ ~Henry Miller

Just imagine It had been a long day. A long week even, and Raph was was feeling drained.

He glanced at the city that never slept below him as he lurked in the protective shadows from his position on the roof. The pulsing city lights and the intense scents of food vendors, car exhaust and just that oh so “homey�� NYC street stench wafted around him like a pungent punch to his senses. Usually he loved sitting up here and watching the hustle bustle of just a normal crazy NYC night, but for whatever reason, it all just seemed like too much today. Everything seemed too much of late.

He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders dropping with the action, and ran a weary hand down his face.

Raph was tired. Tired of holding it in, holding it back and just tired holding it together when once again the overwhelming feeling of everything felt like it was falling apart. All he wanted was just a little peace and quiet, a warm place to safely break down. Somewhere he could rest before having to pick up all the pieces, face this cold heavy world and do it all over again. Unbidden, your face came to mind as it often did when he was left alone with his musings. Your soft smile, the one that caused that little twinkle and the wrinkles at the corner of your eyes, beckoned to him.

And all at once Raph was hit with a moment of clarity. He didn’t have to hold it all together.

What Raph needed right now was to hold you.

Just imagine His heart thumping at a thundering pace, each beat echoing with your name as Raph raced along the rooftops at a dizzying speed. Raph jumping from building to building, ninja skills fueled by the heady thought of having you in his arms again. Just imagine

Raph finally making it to your building and climbing through his signature window without even a second thought. By muscle memory alone, Raph traced his path through the apartment towards you, not even needing to think. This was home, you were his home.

And he’d always find a way back to you.

Imagine

Raph finding you in the kitchen and without hesitation, stepping up behind you. Gently sliding his arms around your waist, and pulling you back flush up against the rough keratin of his plastron.

Silencing your squeak of surprise by pressing his beak to the nape of your neck underneath your hair where your scent was the most potent. Relishing in said scent, and felt it work it’s magic as his pounding heart rate began to slow.  Tightening his arms around you in a protective embrace. Whether for your security or for his, he didn’t know. What he did know was that he needed you in his arms, right now.

Needing the peace and warm that he could only associate with you when you were close to him like this. Just needing you. Just imagine

Raph slow dancing with you in the lowlight of the kitchen.

Raph turning you to face him, wanting, no needing to see that smile that had been haunting his thoughts that night. A slow almost hesitant finger coming up to stroke the curve of your beginning to pink cheek. An almost relieved sigh when you leaned into his touch with curious eyes. A tenderly aware hand sliding from your waist to the small of your back and pulling you further into his embrace to rest against his chest. Gently rubbing said hand in a slow rhythm up and down the notches of your spine and shoulders as the other hand gently wrapped around yours. Holding it in a soft fist close to his heart as he began to dance with you in his arms.

Well, it wouldn’t be much of a dance per se; your kitchen really wasn’t equipped to hold the giant turtle. So it was more of a small shuffle as Raph gently led you around the perimeter in small circles as he swayed back and forth with you held snug in his arms. There was no snarky trash talk, or signature playful joshing around. Just Raph resting his cheek against the top of your head, his slow breaths puffing against your hair. The sensation would tickle a little bit and make you shiver slightly. The movement would cause Raph to peak down at you with a fond smile quirking the corner of his lips. Prompting him to instinctively pull you closer, making sure to nestle your head under his chin so you could rest over his beating heart. Raph using the beat of said heart to set the rhythm of his sways as he whispers these lyrics in your ear

Rise Raph ❤️🧸:

“When I think of you sometime And I wanna spend some time with you

Just the two of us We can make it if we try Just the two of us”

Bayverse Raph ❣️💪🏼:

“I take your hand, hold it closer to mine Thought love was dead, but now you're changing my mind

My heart's a stereo It beats for you, so listen close”

Imagine

Raph wanting nothing more in this moment than to be soft with you. Going against his baser instincts and just wanting you close. He just likes these small moments where he can let down his guard and drop all the weight of the world and just be soft.

Being soft and gentle because he knows that it makes you feel safe with him.

Churring softly with the feeling of you being close to him because that means he finally feels safe with himself.

Just…Just imagine.

Thanks for the proofread @doreen090 💜

Dedicated to @anobodyinabog and @lotus-sunn

Thinking about y’all lovelies 🧡🫰🏼

[truths33k3r4]

CHAPTER 5 - The Stain of Guilt

The quiet of the living room was abruptly interrupted by the sound of shifting on the couch.

Mikey’s eyes wrenched tightly shut as he twisted and shuddered into his oldest brother’s shoulder. Squeaked whimpers escaped his lips, as his hands twitched and gripped the air. His plastron rose and fell in between sharp, quiet gasps through his clenched teeth.

“Mghhh….n-no..”

He buried his face deeper under Leo’s chin.

“Ghhhh…don’t…”

His hands unconsciously wrapped around Leo’s waist, striving for safety and comfort. Leo’s still slumbering form slowly leaned further into his shaking embrace. 

“Hhh.. stop.. HhHHh.. Stop…”

Mikey’s heart beat rapidly, pounding from the inside of his plastron. His quiet gasps quickly worsened as he began to frantically choke on each cracking breath.

“...Mgghhh...No…No!...NO!!!!”

Mikey shot up from the cushions of the couch, reaching his arm out to grasp something that wasn’t there. His dazed pupils searched around the room as his hand clasped onto his heaving chest.

Leo’s oldest brother instincts prevailed against his need for sleep as he too leapt to his feet, patting his shell down in a sloppy search for his missing katanas. He nearly slammed into the nearby coffee table in his dazed state.

“-WHHaaaaAAAT?!?! Whaaaaasss wrong?!?!” The oldest brother slurred and shouted as he scrambled to find his bearings, grabbing his phone from the table and holding it as if it were an impromptu weapon over his head. 

Mikey’s ears rang with the fading echoes of Don and Raph’s agonized screams. His heart pounded into his ribs, making him wince and press his trembling hand onto his chest. A pellet of fear fell down into the depths of his stomach, disintegrating the outer casing and unleashing a vile acid into his core. The hand squeezed to his chest shot up to clasp over his mouth as he felt noxious fumes expel a bitter taste into the back of his throat.

Oh crud. 

I cannot throw up in the middle of the living room- this is the ONE ROOM in the lair with a carpet- Dad will KILL ME.

Mikey recalled the time years ago when Klunk, his cat, had coughed up one heck of a hairball on that very carpet. Master Splinter banned her from that room for eternity, and would always chase the tortie out whenever she got close. 

His mind got ripped back from his loving memories of his cherished cat by the clawed grasp of the growing doom climbing its way up.

Swallow. 

J-JUST. SWALLOW!

With a shuddering but stubborn wince, he forced the acid back down his throat. Tears sprang to his eyes by the vile taste and lingering burn in his mouth.

Ughhhh that was so gross.

 I’ll just wash it down with some pizza later.

Both of Mikey’s hands hesitantly lowered from his mouth, planting themselves onto his thighs. His hunched shoulders relaxed, and he took a much-needed deep breath.

Chill. It was just a dream. It was all in your head. You’re fine. Leo’s fine. Don and Raph are-

alive and home.

To distract from the nausea, Mikey watched Leo as the leader blinked the sleep from his eyes and scanned the room for any intruders. His posture quickly tightened into a defensive stance as he gripped his phone with one hand and formed a slightly quaking fist with the other. Finding no enemies in the general vicinity, he began to search through the room, continuing to hold up his phone as if, in the scenario he did find someone, would beat them to death with it.

His search came to an abrupt halt when he turned around to see Mikey.

“W-whoa. Mike, you alright?” 

Leo’s tight fist opened as he reached out his hand to the youngest. Gentleness and concern masked over the tenseness in his eyes, as his voice quieted to a soothing chime in the settling winds of panic. A firm hand landed on Mikey’s knee as the eldest knelt down in front of him to be at the same eye level.

“Mikey. What’s wrong?”

DANG IT. Didn't think of his big brother senses going off...

“I-I’m fine. Everything’s goo-UGH- d.” 

Mikey’s hands shot right back up over his mouth at the feeling of acid creeping up his throat again. He didn’t mean to allow a gag to escape through his last word…When Mikey looked back up to see the eldest’s face, the concern flushed over Leo’s expression had multiplied tenfold.

“-Michelangelo! Are you sick? What’s going on? Do you feel warm? Chills?...” Leo reverted back to ‘Medic Mode’ faster than Mikey could scarf down a pizza, searching over his brother by taking his pulse, craning his neck to spot any injuries, and placing a cool palm on his forehead.

“Hmm no fever- Your color seems a bit greener than normal.. Pulse is a little elevated...” Leo mumbled to himself as he sandwiched the youngest’s face in between his hands. 

“Leo! I’m fiiiiine!” Mikey stated in an exasperated sigh. “I just… woke up weird.”

Leo’s icy irises constricted, peering into Mikey’s soul like they always did. The eldest’s mouth closed and slid into a thin line sitting slanted on his face. His firm palms squeezed into Mikey’s cheeks impelling an actually honest answer. Classic older-brother-speak for ‘You got two seconds to tell me the truth before I beat it out of you’.

Mikey sighed exaggeratedly as he gave in to the icy gaze that had made him crack under pressure for as long as he could remember. He’d never been that great at lying. Especially to his oldest brother who was capable of breaking any poor soul with his patented ‘disappointed mom’ look.

“Ok…fine. I…” Mikey raised his hand and began rubbing at the back of his neck, averting his eyesight from the piercing stare his oldest brother was shooting at him. “...It… it was just a n-nightmare.”

Leo’s laser-pointed gaze fizzled out instantly, leaving nothing but a fallen expression of understanding saturated in remorse. The cool palms surrounding Mikey’s face slowly released their grip, falling and landing onto the fabric of the cushions.

“Oh…I’m…I-I’m sorry.”

Mikey’s aqua eyes searched through the freezing tundra of his brother’s, looking past the dutiful worrying, and finding something far more unrelenting and destructive. The nausea quickly morphed into an unsettled pit of concern for his oldest brother.

He leaned over and placed his quivering hand onto Leo’s shoulder.

“It’s not your fault…I had the nightmare.”

“No…I guess it’s not…” Leo whispered to himself.

…not this time.”

Mikey barely caught the last wisps of Leo’s words.

“You can’t control when these things happen, bro.”

Leo averted his gaze to the floor as his muscles all tensed under Mikey’s palm.

No. Stop it.

Mikey tightened his grip on Leo’s shoulder.

“You didn’t know it would happen.”

“...Not being prepared made it happen.” Leo snarled to himself. His jaw was taut, and his eyes began to shine with moisture. Just as a tear was about to fall, Leo forcefully blinked it away as he shook his head and growled.

STOP IT.

“There was no way you could’ve prepared! Being ready doesn’t always keep things from happening!!” Mikey raised his voice with determination. “You didn’t know that would happen to them. You didn’t KNOW, Leo. You can’t be ready for something that you never expected would ever HAPPEN.”

Mikey grabbed Leo’s shoulders with both his hands, and yanked the oldest close, causing a quick yelp to escape Leo at the rough treatment.

“You are an amazing leader, bro. And you worked your shell off to make it so our brothers could come home. You searched for days! You barely ate.”

Leo’s eyes mimicked saucers as he remained pinned down by Mikey’s increasing grip. His breath hitched in weak gasps as his pupils continued to shrink. 

Mikey let out a steadying breath as he relaxed his grip on his brother’s battered shoulders.

“Why are you trying to redeem yourself when you’ve done nothing wrong?”

Leo’s crystal irises became tainted by the stain of guilt in his heart.

“THEY GOT CAPTURED ON MY WATCH, MIKEY.” Leo shouted, clamping his hands onto Mikey’s arms in a death-like grip. “I let them go to the junkyard! I FAILED TO KEEP THEM SAFE!!”

The sermon on Mikey’s tongue vanished as his breath was knocked out of him by his brother’s fury.

“I am their leader…” Leo’s own breath hitched as he let go of his grip on Mikey’s arms and placed his hand onto Mikey’s face. “...I am your leader. I…h-h-have to keep…you all…safe.” Leo’s voice shattered into millions of fragments as he rubbed his thumb over the tears flowing down Mikey’s eyes. 

“You…are my responsibility, little brother…” Leo whispered in choked attempts to keep from crying. “Sensei chose me to lead you. God chose me to protect you. All of you.

...And I failed.” 

“You didn’t. You didn’t fail, Leo.” Mikey brokenly whispered as he flung himself onto his brother, wrapping his arms around the eldest’s neck as they both fell to the floor with a *thud*.

“You didn’t fail.” Mikey tearfully whimpered as he clutched Leo tighter. “We’re all still here, bro. *hic* W-we’re all h-home.” 

Mikey felt the shudders of Leo’s breath and body as the eldest fought to stay together. Strong arms encompassed Mikey, trying to return the comfort. A weak breath filled Leo’s lungs, slowly being let out in an attempt at a calming sigh.

“..Thanks, little brother.” Leo whispered as he nuzzled his face deeper into the brother’s embrace.

But do you believe it?

“But…d-do you believe me?” Mikey asked in a shaky but hopeful voice.

Everything went silent.

“...No. 

M-maybe. 

I… I don’t know.”

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Before Mikey could pull himself together to deliver one HECK of a message to his stagnant brother, Leo spoke up one more time. His words were the most quiet they’ve ever been, and sounded like they were almost painful to speak.

“...P-please pray for me, Mikey…Please pray f-for me.”

Mikey’s eyes widened at his brother’s broken voice. It brought him back to the night Don and Raph were taken. 

The night he watched Leo fall apart right in front of him.

Mikey tried to calm his hiccups and sobs by clearing his throat and taking a quick breath.

God wasn’t the only One Who needed to hear this prayer.

“D-dear Lord.. Please h-help Leo. Um..please help him to n-not blame himse-elf. Help h-him to speak truth in his heart. Help him not to b-believe the lies in his head…

…H-help him to remember how much he is loved.” 

Mikey felt the cool sting of tears prickle the skin on his neck as Leo wept softly over his shoulder.

“..I l-love you, bro. Never forget that. N-never forget it.” Mikey whispered.

“You didn’t fail. You n-need to forgive yourself, bro. You need to-”

“- I can’t.” 

“Yes you can.”

“I can’t!...”

“You c-can do all things through Christ Who strengthens you, right?”

“I…”

“You can!”

“I… I-”

“You need to believe that, L-leo. You need to remember you’re already forgiven. What gives you the r-right to refuse? Who are you to not forgive yourself when Jesus has forgiven you for e-everything??”

Mikey held down a pained yelp as Leo’s embrace squeezed even tighter around his arms and plastron. Drips of the eldest’s long-restrained tears unleashed into thin, remorseful threads flowing down Mikey’s neck.

“God can see everything, right?... S-so.. He saw that you couldn’t have stopped Don and Raph’s capture from happening. He knows it wasn’t your fault.”

Mikey wasn’t positive, but Leo’s grip felt as though it would soon draw blood.

“You n-need to trust Him with that.

 You need to t-trust Him with us.”

Mikey looked up from where he laid, wrapped tightly in his brother’s grasp. His tearful gaze rose to the wooden picture frame hanging on the wall. 

Thank You for pulling us all through. Thank You for bringing us home.

Thank You for giving us all a second chance.

“...T-trust Him, Leo.”

That's it for this chapter! :) This was both a treat and a pain to write- mostly because of how I wanted Leo to react to Mikey's words.

Something you should know about each of the characters in my story- all of the turtle's main weaknesses are mine as well: Leo's pressuring himself, Raph's guilt and anger, Don's responsibility and need to be useful, Lotus' weariness to trust, and Mikey's fear and worry for his family. These are all things that I'm sure a lot of other people deal with as well. And these kinds of weaknesses can dig DEEP. They can be so very harmful.

That's why I wanted this chapter to bring to light how we combat our guilt, anger, worry, and fear. We bring it to the foot of the cross. We bring it to God, and give it to Him. We study His Word, and meditate on the truths to combat the lies of our heart. We need to trust Him. We need to trust Him with all of us. Our good, our bad, our past, present, and future. Nothing is out of reach of His forgiveness.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make straight your paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

I pray this chapter touches hearts. I pray it leads others to the light of the cross. I pray it lets them see that they're not alone.

To God be the glory.

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

[phoebepheebsphibs]

.Dead asleeP.

Title: Chapter 6: AWAKE Prompt: You were peacefully sleeping when you suddenly wake up to the sound of a heart monitor steadily beeping somewhere nearby, and realize you are in the med-bay with no memory of what happened prior to this. // After watching movies with your siblings all night and passing out in the tv room, you wake up to find that you're alone. What happened? Fandom: ROTTMNT Word Count: 3,091 Author: PhoebePheebsPhibs Rating: Teen and Up (I changed the rating cuz of some bloody scenes that happen in this chapter...) Characters: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Splinter, Draxum, minor Casey Jones Jr. & April Warning: NA Summary: Leonardo catches up on everything as the story comes to an end. Notes: The end

@shr00mi3writefight @tmnt-write-fight @that-0n3-shr00mi3

Posted to AO3 <-

All eyes turned to look at Leonardo. He grinned and waved hello to them, waiting for the upheaval of the peace that was undoubtedly coming straight for him. And so it did.

Mikey was the first, pouncing on Leo and crushing his bruised ribs underneath him. He coughed and groaned as the wind was knocked out of him. Donnie and Casey came next -- though Splinter and Raph were in a close second, only half a step behind them. Leo was bombarded with questions, tears, people yelling loudly trying to be heard over the cacophony of noise.

"Everyone, back away!" Draxum bellowed, commanding attention. "Give the boy some air."

Leo chuckled softly as Casey and Splinter gingerly took steps back, letting Leo have some space. Mikey stayed on top of Leo, crying into his chest and laughing every few seconds.

"You're here, you're awak!" he whispered enthusiastically. "You're okay, you're okay... you're okay, you're really here again..."

"Are you okay?" Casey asked, eyeing him over nervously. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? Does anything hurt??"

"Uhm..." Leo croaked hoarsely, clearing his throat and coughing again. "I-I could use some water?"

"I'll go get it," he said quickly, dashing away.

"Does anything hurt, Blue?" Splinter asked, taking CJ's place and grabbing his boy's hand.

"E-everything?" he mumbled, shifting his weight a bit under Mikey. "It all aches... es-specially m-my head."

Mikey crawled off of Leo, sniffling and wiping his face as he smiled at him.

"Sorry," he giggled. "I'm just so happy you're awake!"

Leo nodded with a weak smile. He was awake, true, but every second felt exhausting and draining. He kept trying to keep his eyes open, move his hands and fingers... Raph came over and sat by his bedside, holding his hand and smiling at him. Leo smiled back, until he saw the scars over his eye and the large crack in his plastron, the hole in his nuchal shell. He lifted his hand up and traced over the gash, watching as Raph's smile wavered, but stayed firm. A bit forced and half-fake, but still there. Leo looked up lazily at him, eyes searching for an answer.

"How... how did that happen...?" he whispered.

"You still don't remember?" Donnie asked, one drawn-on eyebrow raised.

"I thhhhink I dooooo?" Leo murmured. "I... I remember the invvvvvasion, but... ugh, my head..."

He reached up and pressed his palms against his forehead, hoping to alleviate the pounding sensation he felt.

"Donatello, go get the pain relievers. We will try to relieve the pain as best we can," Draxum ordered.

"Won't that cause him to slip back into the coma?" Donnie asked with concern.

"Not if we're careful. Just something small to assist with headache will suffice."

Donnie nodded and headed to the back of the room. Draxum came forward and began his examination of the bedbug, shining a small flashlight against his eyes as he did. Leo typically didn't enjoy people poking around him, least of all Baron Draxum, but he let the old goat look him over. Leo happened to glance over the side of his gurney and see tons of smudged chalk scribbles on the floor. He weakly pointed at them, and muttered a 'wazdat' at him.

"Mystic runes used for mind infiltration spells," he explained. "Similar to the ones I made when you and your brothers entered your father's memories."

"When we what?" Leo asked, his forehead furrowing.

"You don't recall?"

"I don't really recall a lot," Leo admitted, grumbling from the continued headache. "Bits and pieces. The dreams... they made me think we were back after we first banished the Shredder away. I'm a lil' confused on the current timeline."

"What do you remember last?" he inquired, as Casey Jones Jr. entered the room with a bottle of water and a straw.

Leo took long sips from the icy cold water, which revealed just how dry his throat actually was. He coughed after drinking down the wrong pipe, and the hacking hurt his chest and back. Raph helped him to sit up, propping pillows behind him and taking his hand to assist as Leo crawled in reverse until he was sitting semi-upright. It made drinking easier. After a few more minutes of gulping the water, he gently pushed it away so he could talk again. Donnie came by and helped Draxum fiddle with the anaesthesia, as Leo thought it over.

"I... I kinda remember..." he paused, trying to recall just how much had been lost or misplaced in his mind. "The Shredder's arrival. And working with Big Mama to banish him. Then the lair games, Piebald... Uh... We got mystically poisoned? By Meat Sweats??"

It was more of a question than anything. He wasn't completely sure about that one. It was so silly and out of place, that it could have very well been a dream-fabricated memory. But the nods from the group let him know that was real.

"Did... did I go in the Maze of Death by myself?" he asked, recalling that memory.

"No, you didn't," Raph explained, still holding onto Leo's hand. "That was just a dream."

"Oh."

Leo blinked as he thought some more.

"I definitely remember dinner with you," Leo chuckled, shakily pointing to Draxum. "And then... I think I remember some kinda basketball game?"

"With Tim Dunkman," Donnie nodded. "Then you'll obviously recall how I single-handedly won that game of baské-ball."

"What?" Leo laughed. "Did you actually? No, you totally didn't! ........ Did you??"

"Stop messin' with him," raph scolded, smacking Donnie upside the head. "We all collectively won the game. You made the winning score, though. But keep going, anything else?"

Leo continued to describe his memories one by one, and had a few adventures filled in the blanks that he forgot. He remembered Doing some kid of pirate-brother-bonding experience with Señor Hueso, but barely recalled doing the Jupiter Jim sidekick contest. He remembered some kind of spa day at the Hidden City, but had absolutely no idea what his brothers were talking about when they mentioned an adventure with 'Warren Stone 2'. It took some memory-jogging, but Leo eventually remembered the time April and Splinter fought the weirdly obsessed actor Kristoff Van Bradford. At first he couldn't remember the final battle with the Shredder, or how his family had been mystically trapped in an orb by Big Mama and they were made to fight her champions. He did not remember the months after. Not until he saw Raph's awkward expression, and smelled his 'I'm uncomfortable and feel kinda guilty' stink.

And then it all came flooding back.

And Leo wept bitterly, because the words of his nightmare came flooding back, the desperate want to escape and atone for sins. Months wasted fighting and digging a rift between himself and his family, fueled by ego and selfish pride. He remembered all the hateful words exchanged, all the fistfights, and the tears, and the screaming matches, and the sleepless nights. Leo sobbed so much that snot drooled from his nose. His face was soaked. Donnie was kind enough to blame the reaction on the meds he was dosed with affecting his emotions and overstimulating them. True, he did feel kind of odd and his feelings did feel ramped up. But this was genuine, all the same. Even so, he let them believe Donnie's excuse.

Raphael held Leo's hand tightly. He smiled. No, he sh-shouldn't -- he, he can't just... forgive him! Not after everything he did to them, not after how much he hurt him... Leo continued to sob until he started to hiccup. The hiccups hurt his chest, stalled his breathing -- Casey Jr. shoved the cup back into his hands and ordered him to drink. Leo did, confused, but found that it's very hard to cry and drink water at the same time. He nodded to CJ in gratitude as he finished the water and requested more. As soon as Casey left, Leo asked for more information about the invasion.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Splinter asked, his voice hushed as he came and rubbed Leo's head affectionately. "We can wait --"

"N-no, I wanna know," Leo whimpered. "I-I remember... I remember the ship, and the Prison Dimension."

The room fell silent.

"But I don't remember what came next... Was... There was a portal? Who did that, how did that happen?" he asked, looking around the room for a face that would reveal it all.

Mikey slowly raised his hand. And Leo only now noticed the odd spiderweb scars that traced down his arms, like broken glass.

"I did," he announced, a smile creeping on his face. "That was cool, right?"

"YOU did that?" Leo asked, eyes wide. "Really??"

Mikey nodded with extreme enthusiasm. He looked so proud and pleased with himself.

"Wow. Okay. I missed a lot, then... So, if Mikey pulled me out of the Prison Dimension, does that mean that the Krang..."

"He's gone forever," Raph insisted. "We promise."

Leo almost started crying again, out of relief. Nope, scratch that, he was crying again.

"Maybe turn the dosage on his meds down, Dee?" Raph suggested.

"And then what?" Leo asked in between sniffles. "Mikey pulled me out, happy ever after... How did I end up here?"

"...Well, you were fine at first," Mikey mumbled. "At least, we thought so. You were talking, cracking jokes, and then..."

"You fainted," Donnie finished. "You mumbled something about getting pizza and feeling sleepy, and the next thing we knew your eyes had rolled back in your head and you went limp. Raph carried you all the way home."

"I held your hand, though!" Mikey chimed in, not wanting Leo to assume that he'd left him alone.

"Thanks, Miguel," Leo smiled. "So, I just... tapped out?"

"Your injuries were extensive and severe," Draxum jutt in. "You were incredibly lucky. If they'd gotten you back to your abode any later, you might not have made it."

"What do you mean? I might not have --" Leo swallowed. "You-- you're saying I almost --"

Every pair of eyes darted away. Splinter looked pale, like he might puke or faint or burst into tears. Raph squeezed Leo's hand, and Donnie fidgeted with his battle-shell. Mikey rested his chin on the gurney, not looking directly at Leo but still with him.

"...Oh. Is that why you guys were so... the way that you were in the dreamworld?" Leo wondered.

"Partially," Raph admitted. "Mostly... you were asleep for seven whole days, Leo. We were getting really worried."

"Draxum mentioned that the Yokai had a mystical procedure to help wake up patients who had gone comatose, and suggested we try it," Mikey continued.

"It... was a long shot, but we took it," Donnie sighed. "We weren't sure what would happen to you if you stayed unconscious and unresponsive for much longer. We were desperate."

Leo exchanged looks with his three brothers and smiled.

"Well... thanks, guys," he exhaled. "Really. Thank you."

Mikey squealed with delight before climbing back up onto the bed and hugging Leo again. Donnie came over and rubbed his head. It looked like Raph would never let go of Leo's hand.

"So... can we, uh, not talk about some of the stuff that happened in my dream?" Leo requested.

"Are you kidding me?" Mikey asked, half-joking. "Dr. Feelings is ready and chomping at the bit! Leo, the best cure to face a nightmare is to talk about it!"

"Yeah, I get that, but I don't. Want to. Is that okay?"

"...Y-yeah. Okay," MIkey relented. "We don't have to talk about yet. But we should. You NEED TO, Leo. I can tell."

Leo sighed and pet Mikey's head as he laid his own head down on the pillow he sat against.

"Sure thing, mi hermanito. Recibo el mensaje."

Mikey nodded and then laid his head to rest once more.

"Well, if you four are finished with your little reunions --" Draxum interrupted, parting Donnie and Raph like the Red Sea, "-- then I believe some rest is in order."

"What!" Leo gagged. "You're crazy if you think I'm going back to sleep!"

"I wasn't referring to you," Draxum corrected, reaching over and lifting a half-asleep Mikey off of him. "Your brothers spent an exorbitant amount of mystic energy to rescue you. They need rest to replenish that energy."

Leo watched as Raph yawned, struggling to stand up from his energy deprivation. Donnie stood beside him and hoisted him up as best he could.

"Do... do they have to go?"

"Do they not need sleep?" Draxum asked, exercising the fullest extent of his sarcasm. "I did not know that I programmed that into their DNA."

"So funny I forgot to laugh," Leo grumbled. "But for real, c-can they stay in here? Like -- like, can they get the cots out or -- or m-maybe I could stay in one of their rooms?"

"I cannot tell if you are joking or not," Draxum sighed.

"It's cool, Drax," Raph sighed, giving Donnie a break as he strode over to Leo and began to push the gurney out of the room to follow the rest of the Hamatos. "I got an idea..."

One phone call to April later, and the whole gang found themselves resting in the main living room of the new lair. April had come in with soft drinks and softer foods for Leo to try and eat. Nothing heavy or too rich. Mikey and Donnie filled the room with pillows and blankets, even a few mattresses they had stored away. They'd set up the projector to play Lou Jitsu and Jupiter Jim films on loop. Leo was placed centerfold on the couch, an IV bag carried in with him to help. They spent the night talking about anything and everything. April cried when she saw Leo on the couch, as he waved hello to her and laughed at her expression. Though, he ended up crying, too. Leo refused to sleep for quite some time, and understandably no one forced him to. April stayed awake the longest, sitting beside Leo as the movies droned on. Mikey was the first to pass out, considering how much energy he depleted in the dreamworld. Raph and Donnie were next, falling asleep in each others' arms and snoring together. Casey Jr. was next -- he might not have helped in the dreams, but he had spent the entire two days (yes, two days) they were in there tending to Leo and helping around the lair, assisting Splinter in any way he could. Casey was unofficially/officially his son now.

But Leo was scared to sleep again. And could you blame him? After everything that he had been through...

The good news was, his family was there to stay with him. Through everything -- the good and the bad and the earth-shattering. They were there.

Leo relaxed. He watched the breathing patterns of his brothers as the rested. He watched Casey as he slept, still clutching his hockey-stick-weapon-thing as he rested in a sitting position against the couch. Old habits die hard, Leo guessed. He watched April drool onto her pillow. He snickered. This was good. This was safe. He was safe. Leo spread himself across the couch, embracing the full comfort of home. His eyes closed.

No, wait!! That was just what happened last time!!

Leo snapped awake, anxiety filling him up again when he realized that he had been asleep. He scrambled, kicking the blanket off the couch as --

Wait a minute, he wasn't on the couch anymore?

Leo looked around him, and found that he had been moved to sleep onto a mattress cushion with his siblings. His jostlings had woken Raph up, who stared at him wide-eyed as he tried to find the danger. Leo glanced around the room, trying to figure out what had happened. He was sleeping on the same mattress Raph and Donnie had been on, but now Mikey slept along with them, April and Casey joined in at the corners. Leo was in the center, encompassed by them all.

"W-what happened --???" he panicked.

"You were whimpering in your sleep earlier," Raph whispered, comforting Leo as best he could. "We moved you to sleep with us. It seemed to help."

"I... I don't want to sleep anymore," Leo gasped, gripping Raph's hand as tight as he could.

"That's okay," Raph smiled. "You don't have to sleep tonight. It's okay, you're okay..."

"Th-this happened before," Leo frantically sputtered, still twitching from the shock of being woken up from anxiety. "I-I woke up and they were gone -- they were gone, this is too good, I'm dreaming again -- Please don't tell me I'm dreaming again, I can't --"

"Leo," Raph grabbed the injured slider and pulled him into a cradling hug, rocking back and forth to calm him as he kept the panicked teen in a bear hug. "You're not dreaming. You aren't back there. You're not trapped anymore. It's okay, we're real. I swear on my life that you are safe."

Leo watched as Raph took his hand and formed a red hologram over it. The ninpo covered over Leo's hand as well. He felt the sparkling energy fill him up from the inside out. This was real. Raph was real. He was awake and alive and safe.

"...Thank you," he mumbled. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

"You're welcome."

Raph stayed with Leo, holding him close and rocking him back and forth. Leo drifted off and snapped awake several times in the night, over and over again. Raph was so good to him, staying awake the entire time to make sure he could comfort Leo if he needed it. At some point, Leo realised it was okay. He could rest. And Raph needed the sleep, too.

"Raph?"

"Yeah?" the big brother replied, still smiling kindly at him.

"...I'm sorry for. Everything. Before the invasion. And during. And after."

"I'll forgive you," Raph whispered. "If you promise to forgive yourself."

Leo sucked in a breath and nodded.

"Okay."

"Good."

It was quiet. Apart from the films playing on the projector screen.

"...Raph?"

"Yeah?"

"...I'm tired."

"Yeah, me too."

"...I think I wanna try going to sleep."

"Okay. I think you should try."

"Yeah. Hey, uh... could you promise to be there when I wake up?"

Raphael hugged Leo one last time before helping him get situated back into the turtle pile.

"Absolutely."

And in the morning, he was true to his word.

And Leo had no dreams that night.

[the-peak-tmnt]

As promised, a small preview for Reciprocity Ch. 18 “The Parade: Part III”

Still more work to do this chapter, but I’m feeling pretty inspired right now! Trying to wrap this sucker up this week.

Content warning for blood, distress, and graphic depictions of a gunshot wound under the cut.

--

Raph’s cheek was wet. The gaping wound in his chest was still bleeding, the blood pooling around him where he lay on the street. Raph knew was just yards away from the open manhole where Leo had disappeared. He wanted to raise his head to look for it, but even the tiniest of movements sent white hot bolts of pain through him. He gasped, inhaling some of the blood that had gathered around his face. Raph sputtered and coughed, sparking another wave of blinding pain. The terrible cycle continued for a few agonizing moments before his brain caught up enough to tilt his head to the side and away from the blood.

Raph had been shot. It was almost too much to process, but with each excruciating breath, the reality of it was impossible to ignore. They’d had more than a few close calls when tracking down the gangs that worked for Superfly, but none as close as when Raph had almost been shot in their first fight at the chop shop. If Donnie hadn’t thrown a wrench at the thug with the shotgun, Raph would’ve had a hole in his shell much sooner than this. 

Holy shit. There was a hole in his shell. There was a fucking hole in his shell. Raph’s breathing kicked up a notch. This was bad. This was really, really fucking bad. Raph gaged with the realization that little yellow things still stuck to the tips of his fingers were bits of his own plastron. Even without being able to look at the entirety of the damage, Raph knew that this was so much worse than when Superfly had cracked their shells.

Over the sound of his own labored breath, Raph could hear the whir of a drone above him. Shit shit shit! It was still here! It had to have been what shot him, and it was still here. Was it going to shoot him again? It came to hover in front of his face, barely an inch above the ground. It was so close he could see the tiny lens of the drone’s camera. He tied to scramble away, but the pain was enough to make his strained breathing stop altogether. He choked on the metallic taste still on his tongue, his vision whiting out, the sound of the drone drowned out by the pounding of his own heart.

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t move. It was going to finish him off. He was going to die here. He’d failed to get to Leo, and now his brothers were going to watch him die. He was stuck. He couldn’t move. He was going to die—

“Your leader gave you an order, and you disobeyed,” The voice was back and thundering loudly above Raph. “You have dishonored your brother and his sacrifice.”

“Won’t…let you…kill him!” Raph managed to get out against the blinding pain. He was met with another round of insane laughter.

“Your brother will die, insolent child,” the voice sneered. “But take comfort in the knowledge that his death will be far more honorable than yours. Unexpected as it was, he has earned my respect. He is on his way to me now so I may personally provide him a warrior’s death.”

“No!” Raph growled, louder and stronger this time. He had to get up. He had to. In one last herculean effort, Raph managed to get his left elbow underneath himself. He had raised himself off the ground a few inches before his arm gave out, sending him crashing back to the ground. The pain of the impact was so intense that it was all Raph could do to stay conscious. He sucked a desperate lungful of air and screamed into the pavement. It was impossible to tell which was worse; the pain of his wound, or the pain of his absolute failure.

[luckycharms1701]

inspired by this post

head bonks: @yorshie @avery73

Leo’s arms tighten around you as he lands on your roof. You nuzzle into his shoulder to let him know that yes, you survived the journey warm and content in his embrace, he can quit worrying.

The two of you have not been dating long, but you had quickly figured out that the leader in blue was actually just a worried mother hen. It is honestly one of the things you lo-like most about him. No one had ever cared for you the way he does.

His beak brushes against your hair as he carefully sets you down, making sure his bulk shields you from the cold wind as much as possible. You look up into fond blue eyes. “Thank you for the wonderful time, Leo!” Your hands linger on his plastron, fingers tracing his scutes before you reluctantly step away.

“Anytime,” he says with a warm smile, sending a shiver down your spine. Then he hesitates, a small frown stealing over his face. You tilt your head at him curiously, keeping your posture open and inviting. If you give him patience and openness, you’ve found, he’ll let you know what he’s thinking.

He searches your face, then makes his decision. Leo takes a half step forward, reaches down, and grasps your hand. You watch, eyes wide, as he bends down slowly. His eyes never leave yours as he presses his lips to your hand.

You stop breathing.

The image of Leo, proud and courageous, offering you this respect, this obeisance, makes your heart pound. You swallow heavily at the implications of what he is offering you. Your hand trembles between his own hand and his lips.

The corners of Leo’s eyes crinkle in amusement at whatever your face is doing. He lingers over your hand for a moment longer before he slowly rises. His hand is still holding yours. He rumbles quietly, “Breathe, sweetheart.”

You take a gasping breath as heat floods your cheeks. Leo smirks down at you and squeezes your hand. “Sleep well,” and then he’s gone.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Prompt request: Dark Raphael x Reader.

Him saving Y/N from having got caught in between a gang battle/a street fight, then the two share a moment together (fluff).

The Streets of 2107 (Angst/Fluff)

Dark Raphael x reader

A/N: Gotta love the dark turtles🖤 Here ya go❤️

Warnings: Street gang being pricks.

In the bustling streets of future New York City, the dark turtles ran through the streets, looking for the Street Phantoms, knowing they were up to no good. The neon glow of the city's lights danced across the pavement, casting long shadows where danger lurked in the deep alleyways, making the four Kanabo clones more alert. After Bishop’s warning, telling them about the new weapon the Street Phantoms had gotten their hands on, they were slightly on edge, knowing all too well what distruction it could cause. They needed to stop the good for nothing gang, before they managed to do anything stupid.

But you knew none of that. As you walked through the streets of New New York City, with your newest earbuds in, listening to your current favorite song, you had no idea about the dangers that could be hiding around the corner, or the four clones that was looking for it.

You turned down one of the streets, not minding your surroundings, before you suddenly found yourself directly in front of a van, a group of men trying to move a big amount of boxes into it at a fast speed. You knew those cloaks. You had seen them in the news before - the Street Phantoms.

They saw you, yelling out and pointing in your direction. You had seen them and what they were doing. They couldn’t just let you go like that. So they dropped their boxes, getting ready to jump you. You had no idea what they thought of doing to you, but to your luck you would never know what they had in mind.

Out of nowhere, the four kanabo mutant turtles appeared, standing just behind you, making you turn in shock and confusion.

“It’s the turtles!”, yelled one of the Street Phantoms. “Quick! Get the weapon!”

Caught in the crossfire of a relentless street brawl between the dark turtles and the Street Phantom, you found yourself like a deer caught in the headlights. You stared in absolute bewilderment as the turtles rushed forward, trying to disable the gun-like weapon before the street gang could use it. But of course they managed to fire a shot, although it missed you and the turtles. But to your utter shock, the gun didn’t shoot mere bullets, but fiery explosion, causing the dumpsters behind you to erupt into a ball of fire. Your heart pounded in your chest as you scrambled to find cover, the sounds of combat echoing through the narrow alleyway, as the dark turtles began their attack on the Street Phantoms.

As you darted between abandoned crates and discarded trash, a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath you. Before you could react, a powerful arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you into the safety of the shadows.

"Stay down", a deep voice rumbled, sending shivers down your spine, feeling his muscles flex as he pulled you closer to him. You glanced up to see the face of the red turtle towering above you, his yellow eyes gleaming with intensity.

"Th- Thank you", you stammered, your voice barely above a whisper. You had heard of the turtles, but you had never been this close to one of them.

Raph grunted in response, his gaze never leaving the chaos unfolding before him, watching as his brothers captured one Street Phantom after another. But the one with the weapon was still not caught. With a swift movement, Raph pulled you closer to his side, shielding you from the violence that raged on, ducking into the alleyway.

Time seemed to stand still as you huddled together in the darkness, the sounds of battle fading into the background. You instinctively grabbed on to his broad frame, hiding your face against his hard plastron as another explosion shook the word around you. But that wasn't the only thing that rocked your world in its place. In that moment, you felt a strange feeling at the touch of the mysterious turtle who had come to your rescue. It was something warm, that spreaded from where he was holding you and throughout your body. It was a pleasant feeling, and you could not deny that you were enjoying it, even with the street shaking from another explosion.

"Are you alright?", Raphael's voice broke through the silence, his tone surprisingly gentle, making you look into his yellow eyes once more, a hint of concern swirling in them.

You nodded, unable to tear your gaze away from his eyes. "Y-Yeah, I think so”, you said, finding your mouth and throat had gone almost completely dry. “Thank you for saving me".

A faint hint of a smirk tugged at the corners of Raph's lips, a rare display of emotion from the usually stoic turtle. "Just doin’ my job", he muttered gruffly, his gaze softening as he looked down at you.

As the chaos outside the ally began to subside, the explosion ceased when Dark Leo, Donnie and Mikey had managed to catch the leader of the group of Street Phantoms, taking the weapon in order to bring it to Bishop, Raph reluctantly released his hold on you, letting his eyes linger on you for a moment.

"You should get out of here. It's not safe", he growled, his concern evident in his voice.

You nodded, offering him a grateful smile, looking briefly at his arms, hoping that he would wrap them around you again, wishing to feel their warmth and the flex of his muscles once more. "Thank you again," you whispered.

Raph gave you a smile, too wishing to stay with you for a little longer, but the calls of his brothers told him he had to go. And with one last smile your way, he disappeared into the night, he and his brothers going straight to President Bishop with the now confiscated weapon and the detained Street Phantoms.

You stood back in the dark alley, watching as they became one with the night, the world around you falling silent once again. Or as silent as New New York City could get. And with that, still slightly shaken from what had happened, you started to walk down the street once more, just like you had done before running into the Street Phantoms.

As you made your way home, you couldn't shake the memory of the mysterious turtle who had come to your rescue. Once again that warm feeling came to you, making your cheeks rush red as you did a small bite on your lower lip, thinking of how comfortable you had felt in his arms. You wouldn’t mind feeling them around you once more.

But unbeknownst to you, somewhere in the shadows, Raph watched silently, ignoring the calls of his brothers for a moment as he watched you walk down the street, his heart beating at every step you took. What is strange of him, to hope that he would be meeting you again one day?

[nani-nonny]

21, 26 & 27 APAF F!Leo say it to baby lou... Did something happen to baby lou? Probably... Maybe.. But it could happen outside at night, it can help with dialogue 27

And here I thought you don’t like angst? >:D (F!Leo referred to as Leonardo and the baby referred to as Baby)

21. “Please be okay. Please be okay, please be okay—”

26. “[Name]? [Name], this isn't funny. Stop... please...”

27. “Breathe... breathe. Look at the stars, kid.”

CW: child injury, implied child abuse

Lou is hurt while he’s on a mission maybe

Leonardo curses under his breath as he runs, ignoring how the cold air burns his lungs when it enters and exits. Fear, panic, anxiety, and frustration all collide and burst within his mind as he tries to understand how this could happen.

He shouldn’t have looked away for a single second. —shouldn’t have risked even blinking. How can he be so stupid? How can he be so fucking stupid?

He makes a sharp turn, slipping on the concrete and crashing into the nearest wall. This doesn’t slow him down as he’s quick to get back on his feet and continue running.

At this point he’s not even sure where he’s going. He knows the general area she should be in, but it’s only a matter of time before—. No. Don’t think that. She’s fine. Baby’s fine.

She has to be.

He raises his arm and taps his wrist comm, swallowing nervously but it results in him coughing lightly from the dryness in his throat. He doesn’t care. He needs his breaths to catch up with him.

“Don. Give me an update on Baby.,” Leonardo demands.

Nothing in response.

Shit. Not them too.

“Leo? Raph? Mikey? Come on guys, give me something,” he begins to plead.

He waits. —Waits with hopeful anticipation that dies with each passing second they don’t respond.

He hooks left when he hears the smallest sound, following it and hoping it’s his baby. It’s not a sound she makes, not a sound he would ever think it could be her, but he’s grasping at straws hoping for something.

He’s still following where the sound came from when he asks Donnie through the comms again, desperation clearer in his voice. “Leo? Donnie? Don, come on, this isn’t funny,” his breath hitches in his throat and he clears it. His voice is quiet but he doesn’t press the comms this time as he pleads, “Stop… please…”

He clenches his jaw shut as his heart pounds against his plastron. He narrows his eyes, focusing on the path before him. Each step he takes he has to be another step closer to his baby. He has to be.

He can only hope he’s not too late.

“Please be okay,” he pleads aloud. He’s met with a fork in the road, three paths with no indication of where he should go. He can’t waste time, he goes straight.

He strains to listen for anything, any sign of that sound from before or anything closer to a sound Baby would make. As if mocking his efforts, the surrounding area and beyond it is quiet. Eerily so. Not a single sound can be heard in any direction. He can barely hear the sounds of his own breaths over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears.

“Please be okay,” he pleads again.

The echo of the sound he had heard is all that plays in his mind. Trying to pinpoint where he is now compared to how far the sound was prior to him running after it. It can’t be far now. But he can’t tell where it could be. It hasn’t repeated itself. He can only work off his memory.

Even if he can’t tell where it came from, he can’t stop moving. He has to keep trying.

He hooks right, grabbing the corner edge of a nearby building to fling himself forward to avoid crashing and burning again. The building’s material crumbles under the pressure of his grip, but he doesn’t care. He keeps going.

“Baby? Come on, it’s Papa. Where are you, Baby?” He calls out in hopes she might hear him.

And, like a miracle, he hears the tiniest chirp in the distance.

He doesn’t hesitate to turn toward the sound and run faster than before.

“I’m coming!” Leonardo calls out to her. Hope blossoms in his chest, trying to overwhelm the anxiety and fear in his body. But as much as he can hope, the intonation of her chirp isn’t good.

So he pleads aloud as he runs, unaware of his voice leaving his throat, “Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay—.”

He stops.

He nearly freezes in his tracks. Every emotion that riddled his body pauses, frozen in time as he registers the discoloration of his baby’s skin. He can even feel his own heart stop.

Left abandoned on the cold, wet, stony ground is his baby. She barely has the strength to acknowledge his appearance, forced to curl herself into a fetus position as she holds her little swollen and bruised arms. Tears stain her perfect red crescent stripes, and her pained frown warps her perfect little yellow diamond stripe. She attempts to retreat in her shell, but her entire body flinches at the attempt and she’s forced to, yet again, curl into a fetus position.

Leonardo nearly lunges at his daughter, falling to his knees beside her as he carefully tries to assess her body.

Baby reaches for him, tiny hands opening and closing at her father as she winces and whimpers at the attempt.

Leonardo is quick to stop her movements, carefully holding her hands as he consoles, “Shh shh shh, don’t move. Papa’s here, okay?” His hands lightly brush over her injuries, searching for deeper wounds but when he finds none, he quickly scoops her in his arms. He cradles her with both arms, tucking her arms to herself to keep her from moving.

He has to heal her. He has to get her to the medbay. Fast.

He breaks into a sprint, avoiding dips and crevices in the ground that can jostle her in his arms. But despite his efforts, she whimpers against his chest.

“I know, I know, Baby,” he reassures and lifts his cradle hold on her to bring her up to his neck. “Please don’t move, we need to get home.”

He presses his comm with his shoulder, “Don, Leo, Raph, Mikey. Whoever hears this, retreat if you can. Meet me in the medbay—please. Please be okay.”

Baby whimpers at the movement, tiny hands grabbing his plastron. He pulls her hands off to hold herself, anything but risking injuring herself more than she already is. “No, Baby,” he pleads. “Breathe, Baby. Breathe.”

She fights against his attempt to keep her still, clicking her jaw with frustration. He looks down to see her pained expression, her little face burning with fever. It makes him want to cry. But he has to keep moving.

So he looks up, finally looks up for a distraction as he runs. And he notices the stars. They’re bright and twinkling in the night sky, illuminating the darkness with their brilliant beams. He remembers how desperately she wanted to see the outside world. How she wanted to see something more than Draxum’s lair in the future, and the Hamato subway lair…

“Look at the stars, Baby. Look up,” Leonardo tells her as he avoids a pothole in the stone path. “Breathe… and look at the stars.”

Baby finally stops fighting against him, not aware that he’s already tucking her arms in. Her pained expression finally lessens and her eyes reflect the stars’ shining lights. Her pupils dilate as she stares, unable to look away.

“That’s it,” Leonardo praises softly, “They’re pretty, aren’t they?”

She seems to have failed to hear him as she doesn’t make a sound in response. Her little breaths are calmer now, soft exhales dancing across his plastron. And it’s all he can ever need from her in this moment.

Now he needs to continue doing his part.

She’s safe in his arms now. He can promise that. He can’t let her go, not now, not ever. And he’ll have to figure out how this all happened after she’s okay. He can only hope the younger Hamatos can handle their end until he can get there.

[kinky-asexual]

Ended up writing a little over 1000 words from a little side au @reagi-df and I have been working on together. Out of context dream sequence where F!Leo, who doesn't have his memories, dreams of the doomed timeline.

Under the read more bc it got so long holy shit 😅 Anyway, enjoy! <3333 I know I did!

Hot.

The air burns his lungs as he runs, panting heavily with pain jolting through his body with every step. He looks down at something in his hand. Its blurry, a mishmash of colors, the most prominent being red, purple, orange, yellow, silver, and blue. They swirl together, mocking him in his confusion.

An explosion. The heat gets worse for a moment and his eyes flash up around him. The sky is burning. Some kind of machine, one that flys through the air, catches fire, plummeting to the ground a short distance away as people scream and flee from something that's shooting at them.

The source is unimaginable. Giant, metal beasts, eyes ablaze with a horrifying red glow. One rises to its feet, its eye glowing bright hot before some kind of beam shoots out frrom it, causing another exposion. And even if its far, the shockwave washes over him followed by more unbearable heat. It burns his skin. It burns his eyes. He's burning. He's drowning.

There's something chasing him, something he knows if it catches him, death would be a mercy.

Another stab of pain has him wincing, his hand instantly reaching down to his side along with his eyes to quickly follow. Blood. His blood. Leaking out of him at a pace that's hard to fathom. Its why his head pounds, why his vision swims.

"I got you Sensei!" a voice says, his vision shifts sideways and more red comes into his vision, stripes of color going over the person's eyes. "Stay with me-"*

He wants to ask what happened, wants to ask who they are, why are they helping him?

But he can't hear what he says. He can hear he uses his voice but he doesn't understand the words.

The red stripes move and the persons masks shifts up revealing a kid. A child. Why is a child here of all places?

The kid says something else but he still can't hear. The explosions around them making his ears ring painfully. He wants to stop. His body begs him to stop. But he knows if he stops its over. The beasts that nip at their heels will make sure of it. But he can't take it. His knees give out and he drops, dragging the kid to the ground with him. The growling at his back grows louder and he braces, ready for more pain.

But then warmth.

Not heat like everything else. This is warmth. Like the sun he hadn't felt in so long.

Golden chains encircle them, protecting them from the horrible beasts at their backs. He turns over, his heart leaping into his throat as someone, another turtle suddenly appears, burning away the evil that had been chasing them with his massive holy light. And relief fills his body. Until the pain reminds him of his position.

The kid helps him down to the ground fully, helping him lean against some of the rubble in the shadow of the ruined statue they're sheltering under. The turtle, floats over, concern written into his aged features. And looking at this other turtle hurts, seeing his age, and the world burning around him.~This isn't how it was supposed to be...

"Help him Michaelangelo , he's hurt bad. " the kid pleads, emotion bleeding into his voice. And speaking of bleeding. He looks down at the hand he's got clamped over his side. Cold and metalic and as he pulls it back, covered in blood. The crack in his plastron, more like a hole, a puncture wound of some kind. But without the prerssure he had placed onto it, the blood seeps from the crack again. He clamps his hand back against it, sucking in breath through his teeth. It hurts.

But looking out to the landscape around him. Torn apart and blazing. Those metal beasts are everywhere, burning the land they stand on, killing everything in their wake. And flying above them all....the destroyer. A star in the center of the sky that these beasts worship and it commands are absolute.

The end of the world

His mind reels. He doesn't understand. He's saying things he can't hear, and the two others look at him with different expressions. one confused, the other determined. The turtle nods. "It'll take everything I have." and with that he floats away. And for some reason, he feels like he'll never see him again.

He starts speaking to the kid, watches the emotions flicker over his face, how heart broken he seems while golden light burns a few paces away from them. He gives him something, drawn crudly on the back is a blurry picture he can't recognize. But then his hand is on the kid's shoulder, and the kid looks like he's about to cry.

"I don't wanna lose you..." The kid practically whispers.

And this time he can actually hear his own words.

"Casey...its not about me-"

He's cut off by Red.

Coating them, drowning them in its light.

Looking up, his heart stops as the beast stares down at them. And then more rise up from behind them.

He looks to the turtle. He calls to him but can't hear his name. The turtle doesn't respond, too prreoccupied with what he's doing. Ripping the air in half. With a final push of effort, the turtle succeeds, sending a wink and reassuring smile back at the pair before his body bursts into brillaint rays and flakes of golden light. Leaving a bright, gloden circle floating in the space he once stood.

It hurts.

It hurts so fucking bad.

He can't breathe. He can't think.

He doesn't have time to think.

There's more of those beasts encircling them.

And he knows he's dying. He's already lost too much blood.

But there's a kid with him. And whatever lies beyond that portal is better than this hell.

He grabs his shoulder, throwing him roughly toward the portal, sending him through alone.

And it hurts.

And then the beasts are upon him. They leap at him and he blocks, using his large prosthetic as a makeshift shield. Another tries to flank him but his sword slices through its jaw. They're coming for him. The wolves circling their injured prey.

And he's terified. He can't keep this up. They'll rip him apart. Piece by piece. Tear into his flesh and soul. Just like before.

He glances up for a second, just as he feels one of the larger metal beasts step closer.

He doesn't get the chance to take a breath.

Its just heat.

Its just red.

[bambiraptorx]

Got bitten by the writing bug and stayed up last night writing this out lol

---

Leo's up in the middle of the night- nothing unusual for him- a glass of water in his hand as he makes the trek through the darkened lair back to his room. Normally he'd just drink it in the kitchen, but this is shaping up to be a night where he can't get to sleep no matter how much he tosses and turns and presses his shell against the wall and stares into the dark, waiting in the horrible silence for something to move-

Point is, he'd rather have some water in his room, for the next time he decides his throat is a little dry. Really, he should have invested in a water bottle by now. He skirts around the edge of the living room, half muttering to himself under his breath just so he stops listening so intensely to the utter lack of noise around him.

"It's normal, totally normal. Dad fell asleep in his actual room for once, that's why he's not here. And if he was, someone would have come by to turn the lights off. Besides, didn't Donnie say he was building in an automatic timer so the TV goes off after one in the morning? And it's definitely past one now."

He rambles to himself quietly, pushing through the discomfort and the shadows that never hold anything worse than misplaced memories. It's fine, really, there's nothing in the dark anyway, and if there was he would see it, and none of them ever had a taste for hiding- right?

Something slithers against the stone.

His heart stops. It has to, because there's no other reason for him to freeze like he does. That sound, that sound that he knows all too well because his brain replays it so often he isn't sure at first if it's real or not. He whirls around, his cup sloshing- where's the source? Where is it? Where-

There. Up against the wall just a little further ahead, something that he can't make out in the darkness. Something... small, with yellow-y glowing eyes.

"B-B-Bee?" He stutters, and his heart kicks into high gear, pounding and thumping against the inside of his plastron with a vengeance. "Wha-what are you... doing up?"

"Hungee," they say tersely, unblinking. Their eyes (just two for now) shine unnaturally in the dark. Not the tapetum lucidum kind of shine, with light reflected from an outside source, but an internal near-glow. A strange half radiance, that he's only seen in one other... person... in his life.

"An..." Bea's voice drops low, a bare difference from the silence that she's interrupted. "Cold."

Oh, poor kid. If there's anything that the two of them have in common, it's a hatred of being cold. For Leo, of course, he knows where it came from (there's a reason he's currently wrapped up in the biggest, fluffiest robe he can find, even when the lair is barely dipping into 'chilly'), but Beatrice? Anyone's guess, really.

Leo crouches down, careful not to spill his water any more than he already has, and holds an arm out. "Okay, little hellion, let's find your dad. He might be up."

Bea stares at his hand for a moment. "Where?"

"His lab, baby beans. Y'know, the place he used to keep you?" And should still keep her- Leo clamps down on that nasty little thought as soon as it passes through his head. He can't show any sign of that type of thinking around Bea, she barely trusts him enough as it is. And he, well, wouldn't be comfortable knowing she's out here alone.

Uncontained.

Wow, his brain is full of all sorts of fun little surprises tonight! And it is far too late slash early to unpack any of that!

Beatrice tilts their head to the side, a little too far, and steps into his reach. He scoops her up against his side, watching carefully as she all but burrows into the side of his robe, no longer bothering to hold to her turtle form as she does so. Must have been out for a while to get that cold.

"Let's go find Donnie, mmkay little munchkin?"

A tentacle reaches up and tugs at his robe's neckline, just a little too close for comfort. "Sssstay?"

"Oh, of course you can stay with him, booger," Leo laughs, and deliberately misses the other possible interpretations of their question. There's multiple evident, of course, like her wanting to say with him tonight or to have him stay with her and Donnie, but any other meanings are wholly irrelevant.

He's not staying anywhere near Beatrice on a night like this.

[daboyau]

Hey, for the writing challenge, I'd be interested in seeing 38 for whichever of your AUs you prefer, if you're not overwhelmed!

Also, your latest chapter for the Hunger Games AU is so good! Donnie helping Digi and Gizmo is a little heartbreaking. He wants to be cold so bad, but no. And the descriptions were so excellent. I want to see all the designs! Especially the farmer and the corn haha. That cracked me up a bit:D Thanks for writing, I love to read it!

Sorry this took so long!! For some reason “hole” was just not wanting to cooperate with me! I had a handful of fleeting ideas (Zombie au, raph’s death in the bad timeline, shell rot, after the foot cass joins a cult that worships The Pit instead, etc) but ended up going with something for my Leave AU. I feel like I should have written you something RHG related since you gave me such a kind compliment about the last chapter. 😭 alas, my brain didn’t want to cooperate there. I hope you like this regardless!! @eb177

@boots-with-the-fur-club

It’s the fifth time they’ve run through this drill, but for some reason, Three just can’t seem to wrap his head around it. There’s something in the footwork, and the transition from one flowing movement to the next that he just keeps missing. His brothers are eyeing him nervously now. Their movements slow just a little, trying to give him time to catch up, or the opportunity to see how their steady movements differ from his own clumsy ones and fix his mistakes. 

Draxum has noticed. He’s watching them, eyes narrowed, lip curling with disdain. Three knows he should be better, just like he knows that his blundering and his brothers’ trying to cover for him will mean they get punished, too. He can’t let that happen, so he needs a way to draw all the attention (and all the ire) towards himself. Draxum draws closer, fury in his expression, a look that promises punishment for their unsatisfactory performance. Three’s heart is pounding hard against his plastron, and it’s easy to see that their creator is out for blood. 

When Draxum tells them to do it again, Three waits for him to circle closer. Then, he lets his ankle twist. He lets himself fall. 

One gasps and Four covers his mouth in a futile attempt to muffle his whimper. Two freezes, expression empty but eyes gone glassy and distant. Three barely has time to hit the ground before Draxum’s hand has circled his arm with bruising force, claws digging into muscle as he hauls him to his feet and drags him from the room. His brothers try to follow, but Three frantically shakes his head at them, eyes pleading. They fall back, watching him until the door slams shut between them.

He knows where they’re going. The fear is already rising like bile in his throat, choking him. It’s hard to breathe, and Draxum is so much bigger and he’s dragging him along now because Three is too short to keep up on his own, and the mark his grip leaves on his arm is going to take forever to heal, and he knows that this is going to hurt, and all he can think is at least it’s just me. 

The lab is usually forbidden. The only time Three is taken inside it is when he’s done something wrong. Something bad. Something that will require their creator to pick him apart to discover exactly what it is that has malfunctioned inside of him this time. Three doesn’t like the lab. 

There is a pit, tucked away in the corner. Maybe it used to be used for something good. Like a well, or a place to burn trash. Now it is used to hold them until Draxum has the time he requires to run his tests. To poke and prod and rip and cut and get answers to his many questions and grievances. 

Last time, he’d spent four days down there before Draxum had deemed it convenient to begin. Three trembles despite his best efforts to hide the fear that rises within him. The waiting is almost as bad as the tests. He wishes that Draxum would just get it over with, but he knows he’ll never get that lucky. After all, he’s the one who always puts himself into this position. He should just feel grateful that none of his brothers will be down there with him.

He hovers at the edge of the hole, his position held in the balance only by his creator’s hand on his arm. He wonders how long it will be this time. Draxum’s angry gaze tells him that he won’t like the answer. 

Draxum lets go of his arm. For one terrible, stomach churning second, Three remains where he is. Heels overhanging the emptiness, balanced only on his toes, swaying slightly as he stares up at his creator’s face. Draxum sneers. He presses one finger into the center of Three’s plastron. 

He tips backwards, into the darkness.

[boxfullaturtles]

Donnie + gagged and/or drugged

If he ever gets out of this chair, Donnie's going to cut out Kendra's tongue so he doesn't have to hear her stupid voice anymore.

She's spent the last ten minutes gloating and rubbing it in his face that she has him tied up and at her mercy. He's given up interrupting her because the banter's gotten boring. And his wrists are starting to hurt from the bindings holding him to the chair.

"--which means we obviously need you and your dumb brothers out of the way for a while," Kendra's saying, pacing in front of him as she preaches, "So in a few minutes we're gonna have a visitor. They're gonna give me a shit ton of money...and we're gonna give you to them. Don't worry, they take care of exotic animals, I'm sure you'll be fine."

That makes his temper flair, "Animal!? ANIMAL!? I am not some pet! This is human trafficking!" He snarls, wrenching against his restraints.

"It might be...if you were human," Kendra laughs, cruel and nasty and cold. Jeremy looks smug. Jase is nowhere to be seen.

Donnie snaps his teeth in frustration and decides he doesn't want to stick around to play her game anymore. His markings flicker as he calls his mystic powers to the surface. Constructs are clicking into an array of guns around him when a needle bites into his elbows. It breaks his concentration and he whips his head around to glare at Jase, who'd snuck up behind the chair while Donnie had been preoccupied by Kendra.

Fuck.

There's an empty syringe in his hand. Donnie's heart pounds in his chest as his gaze snags on it. He looks up sharply at Jase, who won't meet his eyes, and then turns to stare at Kendra.

"What did you do? What was in that?"

"You need to be less...bitey for our client," Kendra says with that mean smile of hers, "Rellaaaxxx, it'll make you feel good, Von Ryan. It'll be the best trip you've ever had."

Panic is making his breath come faster. Drugged. She's drugged him. And he swears he can feel it surging through his veins, his frantic heart pumping it through the rest of his body. He's never done hard drugs; he and Leo had the curious bit of weed every now and then but even that was a rare thing, done only in the confines of secrecy and solitude when they knew without a shadow of a doubt that they would not need their wits about them for several hours.

"Kendra--" Donnie chokes on his voice. This is ludicrous. It doesn't feel real. Sure, the Purple Dragons have tried to kill him and his brothers half a dozen times, but they're too stupid and incompetent to actually do it.

But now Donnie's tied to a chair, at their mercy, and he--

His head feels strange.

The room has started tilting like the deck of a ship. (He’s never been on a ship at sea. He's never been to the ocean.) He sways, rocks, his body is loosely connected by sinew and bone, wet meat and hot blood. Inefficient and easily damaged.

He doesn't like this. It's weird. Everything's wrong.

The world groans and vibrates with movements and sound. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block it all out. His own breath whistles down his throat and he can feel the creak of his lungs expanding balloons, pushing his plastron, stretching his flesh, muscles flexing and contracting, organs settling, blood racing--

Fingers dig into his face, tilt his head up, and he blinks against the lights. There's someone leaning over him, bigger than Kendra. A stranger. Donnie whines, feels the sound vibrate in his skull (he can count the vertebrae in his spine and so can Leo). His eyes roll. The stranger's touch is poison ivy; it makes his flesh itch and burn. He tries to pull away but they tighten their hold, grinding into his jaw bones. There are voices but he can't remember what sounds words make and he only catches a few things.

"-------old did you------------looks young---------"

"----teen I guess------never asked."

The stranger's thick fingers pry Donnie's mouth open, running a clinical finger over his gums and examining his teeth. He lets out a garbled wretch. He can taste the atoms that make them up, every place they've been sticking to their filthy hands, smearing dirt inside his mouth (stop stop stop stopstopstopstoptstop). But he doesn't have the strength to resist or even spit the horrid flavor out. He's floating a million miles away. There are stars in his bloodstream.

Hands leave heat trails over Donnie's arms and down his plastron. His gear is peeled away, the bindings removed. Some distant part of him screams to run, but his body and mind giggle and remain boneless rubber.

"----like this or------"

"----bites-------dose of some-------"

His body jerks, slumping forward. Someone's trying to pry the battleshell off his back and he lets out a high pitched keen that pops in his own eardrums.

("Don't be afraid, little Hamato...")

No. No no no no nononononono--

("You are not alone.")

Violet neon light erupts around him, blinding and avenging.

The world turns with rapid click click click click click.

A blaze of noise. He's dropped, the stranger's hands are gone. He hits the floor and he can hardly breathe, his head spinning in a million different directions, trickling into electrical outlets and clambering up grounding lines.

He's spread so thin...

...what was his name again? (where are his brothers?)

There's something sticky and warm on his hands. On his chest. It smells like iron. Metal and heat and something grinding to a halt. A dead engine. Ozone.

No one's touching him anymore.

The universe has gone quiet.