#i always felt bad for the three boxed turtles that happened to get shoved into here. because They Can't Get Out

[postmakerkiwi]

🏖️ Sunny Beach Day - Cool Shade Room 🐢

Whew! Hot out there, huh? Lucky they've got this little spot so close to the beach. You cool off and get more sunscreen on you, okay? I'll stand watch by the door for you.

photos by CatbatQuartet

[jadethest0ne]

When the Moon meets the Morning, Chapter 3 - A Sense of Familiarity

Summary:  Raphael is going on missions with Captain Jupiter as he always does when he meets an orange-wearing turtle yokai who feels oddly familiar.

Word Count: 2690

Ratings/Warnings: General Audiences; some minor harrowing moments, but mostly fluff, emotional overload, emotional manipulation, self-deprecation

Notes: Longer chapter this time, but lots of good brotherly bonding! Big thanks to @undercoverwizardninjaturtle, @fraymotiif, and @frasierverse for helping me workshop this (especially to Charmy for the “friend-cheese” exchange). Also, special shout-out to @dovelydraws for creating the concept art for Infinity the phoenix and Buddy the aurax.

Read on AO3 For the RotTMNT Fantasy AU

———-

Raph thought that going on a trek with Mikey would help him understand the kid better, but it only proved to make him even more confused. A few of Raph's initial assumptions about Mikey were correct. He was indeed a turtle yokai - a box turtle to be exact. And he was only about 2 years younger than Raph making him 15. And the reason why he was so far north, despite apparently coming from the Soothing South, was that, like his attire suggested, he was a courier. But between those things, Raph was left with more questions than answers.

For one thing, Mikey was really good with animals. When Raph first introduced him to his aurax, Buddy, Mikey was enamored with what most people took as a rather large and intimidating cattle beast. But Mikey immediately started complimenting his fluffy curls and powerful stature, begging Raph to let him braid his fur. Buddy himself, who, while usually quite friendly, often had trouble distinguishing between roughhousing playtime and calm pets, and yet seemed to understand that Mikey was someone that he should be gentle with. The curly-horned creature even relented at Mikey's touch and flipped over onto his back to beg for belly rubs, which Raph had never seen him trust anyone else to do besides himself and Red Fox. Even the Captain had trouble getting on Buddy's good side sometimes.

Not only that, but it turns out Buddy wasn't even needed all that much to carry the packages, since Mikey owned a phoenix, an actual phoenix, to help him with his cargo and carry Mikey around. The large beautiful bird, he called Infinity, with iridescent feathers of reds, purples, and golds, snuggled up with Mikey often when they slept during their journey. He'd never heard of a phoenix being so close to another being before - yokai or human.

The other thing that really confused Raph was Mikey's personality. The kid was just so trusting.

 "You don't even have a sleeping bag?" Red Fox asked when they were packing their supplies.

 "Well, I DID have one, but there were these guys in purple who asked if they could borrow it a while back. They took some of my other supplies as well and said they'd meet me after I ran an errand. I came back at the meeting time, but they took so long and I had to deliver another package, so I had to leave. I felt bad for missing them so I left a note with a drawing. I hope they're okay," Mikey explains in his usual long-winded way.

 Raph starts to say, "Are you sure they didn't just steal--" before Red Fox cuts him off. "I'm sure it's fine, sweetie, I think I have a spare that you can use."

 "Really?! Thanks! Oooh! It's orange! My favorite color!" Mikey says, happily taking the sleeping bag and hugging it as though it was the best gift he had ever received.

Raph was just perplexed how he hadn't been robbed completely or had something worse happen to him. Then again, another mystery about Mikey was that it was really difficult to say no to the guy. He had somehow perfected the puppy dog look and turned any conversation, even the more negative ones, into something positive and light.

 "You mean you somehow convinced the owner of a castle to let you use it whenever you wanted?" Raph says incredulously.

 "Yeah! He liked my cooking so much he said I could use his summer home in the Soothing South, too!"

 "Man, Mikey, do you have some sort of niceness power?"

 "No, that'd probably be Todd - he's the nicest guy I know! Taught me practically everything! But that's why I wanted to travel! I wanted to learn more!"

 Raph pushes past the fact that he has no idea who Todd is and asks the more pertinent question. "Aren't you afraid of, I don't know, thieves or people tricking or hurting you along the way?"

 "No, not at all. Besides, if there was danger, then Infinity's instincts would let me know!" He gives the large bird he's riding a friendly pat, to which the bird replies with a cheerful squawk.

 Raph highly doubts that Infinity, who seems to be as cheery and naive as Mikey, would be able to sense anything like that.

Then there was the question of why Mikey seemed so familiar. After thinking back on it, Red Fox did often talk about the people she helped guide through the mountains, but he'd rarely met any of them. And he had a hard time conjuring up a memory of any time that he'd met Mikey with Red Fox in the picture. He almost felt closer than that. Like a friend he hadn't seen in a while. Mikey himself certainly kept acting like they were long time friends; constantly hugging him, invading his personal space, grabbing at his belongings to ask about them. Even Raph was beginning to think they had known each other for a long time. Then again, Mikey seemed to act like that with everyone.

 “What do you think of this?” Mikey asks Raph after they had set up camp, suddenly shoving a spoonful of the meal he is cooking into the snapper’s mouth.

 “Mmnghrff--” Raph says intellectually around the wooden spoon and hefty portion of meats and hearty root vegetables that it held. He chews slowly, at first trying to think of some helpful feedback, but then just to savor the flavor. He closes his eyes and hums in pleasure, as the savory sauces roll over his tongue. Raph could see why that one guy let Mikey have free use of his castle and summer home.

 “Mikey,” he says with absolute seriousness. “This is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.”

 “Really?!” Mikey says sheepishly. “You don’t think I went a little heavy on the cumin?”

 “No, it’s perfect!” Raph says, even though he’s not exactly sure what spice cumin is.

 “Ah great! Well, then dig in!” Mikey says handing some plates over to Red Fox and Raph. As they take the plates, Red Fox chimes in, “One of the reasons why it’s such a joy to guide you on these treks is that I get to taste your cooking again, Mikey!”

 “Aww shucks, Red! Thanks!” Mikey grins widely.

Raph thinks to himself that maybe it was Mikey’s niceness that kept him alive. His naivety was worrisome, but he was also really good at lots of things like that - caring for animals, cooking, and after all, he did help save him from the fire, which brought Raph to a question that he finally voiced out loud on the third day of their trek.

"So how did you do that thing with the fire? You were in the middle of it all and then you like, ate it?"

"Oh, I'm a fire mage!" Mikey says while riding atop Infinity as they make their way through the mountain paths. As a way of demonstration, Mikey cups his hands and produces a tiny ball of fire within them. He holds the fire gently, almost as if he's carrying a tiny animal in the palm of his hands. “Fire doesn't hurt me and I can use it to help with cooking and stuff. It's also why I can keep pretty warm in the winter.” He lifts up his palms and lets the small flame dance in the air. Infinity explores the flame with her beak and nips at it, but Mikey maneuvers the fire just out of her reach. He twirls the small fire around her and she tries to catch it in her beak. He giggles and she squawks happily as they play their little game.

Raph smiles at the display. "Thanks again by the way, for helping out back there."

"No problem! I mean, you had a lot of it handled by yourself. You saved a bunch of people! I'm surprised that you didn't make it into any of the Aetherwave announcements or the news clippings. Just some guy named, er..., Jupiter Jim, was it?"

"Uh, it's Captain James Jupiter, actually." Raph fails to hide his appalled tone. "And of course he was talked about! He saved everyone! He's a famous hero!" Seriously for all his travels, how did Mikey know so little about James Jupiter?!

"Did he, though? I mostly just saw you and Red Fox while I was trying to stop the fire. I saw another guy in some sort of hero suit, but he was mostly staying outside of the forest."

"He was leading! Everyone would've been a mess without his guidance!" Raph tries to bury the annoyance bubbling up in his chest with his adoration of the Captain. "His strong, guiding hand of justice makes us all feel safe!" Raph tries to gain validation from repeating the mantra often used by the Captain himself, but he felt more upset and defiant - as if he was trying to defend the Captain. The Captain shouldn't need defending. Obviously he was great! So why did Raph's stomach twist in such a way?

For once Mikey has something less than a smile on his face. Instead his eyes wander around Raph's entire frame as if seeing something new on him he didn't like.

"I just..." Mikey hesitates. "I just think you should get the credit you deserve. You pulled like three families out of that fire, and at one point you were carrying almost ten people." His face shifts back into a smile. "That's pretty heroic if you ask me!"

Raph eyes him warily. Something about his statements don't really connect at first in Raph's mind. The Captain is the one who is the hero. He's just a student at best. But why did happiness flutter in his untwisting stomach at being called such?

"OH MI GOSH I JUST REMEMBERED!"

The sudden shout makes Raph jump, and a small yelp would've escaped his mouth if Mikey weren't immediately in front of him squishing either side of Raph's face and beaming at him excitedly.

"’Remembered...?’" Raph tries to ask between squished cheeks.

"What I wanted to tell you!" MIkey threw his hands in the air, releasing Raph from his hold. "I wanted to tell you that I like your cape!"

"My cape?"

"Yeah it's like super heroic looking!"

Raph looks at his cape as if trying to see what Mikey sees.

"Oh, and I wanted to know if Buddy knew any female aurax's that could make friend-cheese for me,” Mikey continues.

"Oh, um, thank you?" Raph lets out a small chuckle. "Also, I could, uh, ask around when we get back to town about… ‘friend-cheese?’" Raph thinks a moment before continuing. "Why was that so important though?"

"Because friend-cheese is Todd's favorite, because of the method of farmers asking aurax’s nicely before they milk them."

"N-no, not that." Raph can't help but smile; man this kid's attitude is infectious. "Why did ’ya have to ask about my cape?"

"Because I thought it looked really cool with the flames and the moon and your powers and I wasn't sure then that I'd get a chance to tell you again." Mikey beams brightly enough to show off his gap tooth and rear molars.

"Well, thank you." He's still not used to so many compliments.

He looks to Red Fox with a confused expression, but she just smiles back and says, "He's right, it does make you look rather heroic."

Before Raph can sort his thoughts out on the image of himself as a true hero, he suddenly feels something land on his neck hard enough that he jumps and nearly goes on attack mode, until he sees Mikey's legs trail down the side of his neck. Raph looks up to see Mikey craning his head downward looking at him with round, inquisitive eyes. "Can I ride on your shoulders for awhile? I wanna give Infinity a break," Mikey asks.

Raph gives Mikey a soft smirk and a quiet chuckle. This guy really does have some sort of niceness power. "Yeah, sure," the snapper says.

Mikey punches both fists in the air and his legs stick out as he shouts out a triumphant "Yes!"

"Hey Mikey, we've still got another hour or so before we make our first stop," Red Fox says. "Why don't you tell us one of your stories from your travels?" She then says as an aside to Raph, "He's a very good storyteller by the way; he was able to keep me entertained on our previous trips through the mountains, as well as many other folks along the way."

Mikey looks at her with joyful, watery eyes. "Red Fox, you really think I'm a good storyteller?!"

Red Fox nods sweetly.

Mikey bows as best he can while perched on Raph's shoulders. "Aw shucks! Why thank you, my friend."

The rest of their trek for the day is filled with Mikey's melodious voice recounting several strange tales which continue to add questions to Raph's mind.

---

Mikey's storytelling stopped only long enough to deliver his first package. It was to a local store in a tiny grouping of houses nestled in the mountains. Afterwards, they went to the barely-a-village's tavern to get something to eat before resting for the night. Once in the tavern, and in between mouthfuls of food, Mikey continues to tell his stories to the patrons, which seem to grow in number as the evening wears on. Raph guesses that they don't get many travellers here this high up in the mountains, because they're all enraptured by Mikey's tales. Raph is just finishing up his dinner and he is feeling rather content, allowing Mikey's voice and the patrons' reactions to drift into background noise when he perks up at the mention of his name.

"What?" Raph snaps to attention looking to where he was called.

"Mikey is right, Big Red was indeed quite heroic." Red Fox gives him a pleased look.

Before Raph can figure out if Red Fox is playing some sort of joke on him, Mikey glides over to Raph's side and puts an arm around his shoulder. "And that's when I saw him under the blood moon, with glowing eyes and glowing arms, picking up an entire family of squirrel yokai!" Mikey says sweeping his arms wide. The patrons’ eyes are all on Raph now, and the attention has his heart pounding, though out of sudden stage fright or pride he's not sure. Either way, Raph is sure his face is burning more than it ever had in that forest fire. But luckily the patrons quickly turn back to Mikey as he continues his story. It's weird for Raph to hear Mikey talk about something he did in a similar way that the Aetherwaves trumpet the stories of the great Captain Jupiter. Raph is not worthy of such a grand retelling, but Mikey is so excited about it that Raph just puts on an easy smile and focuses on his theatrics, drinking a bit from his cup to hide his face.

When the story ends the people in the tavern clap in amazement, some even patting Raph on the arm, offering congratulations, but he respectfully waves them off. He's caught off guard a little bit by the look Red Fox gives him. There's a twinkle in her eye and an earnest smile on her face, wrinkling the scar above her nose. Raph buries his face in his cup again before getting up to start pitching a tent for them to sleep in when the tavern keeper insists that they stay the night free of charge as payment for Mikey’s wonderful stories.

Raph feels bad for the tiny hint of suspicion that he has at that moment that maybe Mikey is actually using some sort of niceness spell or something, but he quickly changes his mind when he looks over at Mikey. He's not unhappy, per se - the kid is still smiling - but there's something in his face that falls almost imperceptibly at the suggestion that they stay at the tavern. Noticing Raph's observation of him, his smile brightens and he thanks the tavern keeper for his generosity.

<–previous   ///   next–>

[undercoverwizardninjaturtle]

Shattered Part 2: A ROTTMNT Fanfiction

Summary: The Best intentions don’t always don’t always have the Best results.

Word Count: 2545

Pairing: NONE

Rating: G

A/N I base Donatello’s struggles and Autism on my own experience and those of my family members who also have Autism. Also don’t be too mad at Leo, he’s trying

also I tried for HOURS to make a link to the previous chapter. I gave up, i’m sorry. I can’t even edit this thing after I post it to fix it, so this is it i’m sorry

Believe it or not, a family of mutants can have a normal morning.

 For eleven year old Leo, that involved a bowl of Lou Jitsu Cereal, drowned in sugar (because the cereal was three years past its expiration date), and a morning of cartoons along his brothers. All crowded around the new projector Donnie had set up a few days ago. Which was a blessing, seeing as up until then they had to make do with an old rabbit antenna tv set that was always green.

Raph laughed loudly at the cartoons antics just as Donnie joined them, a plate of plane toast in his hands and his newly built tablet shoved under his arm, “Alright who has it?”

 ‘Has what?” Leo said without looking away from the screen

 “My headphones,” As usual, even though Donnie was only eleven he spoke as though everyone else was the biggest idiot in the world. Leo never took offense though, if anything he thought it was flattering to be considered that stupid, “It’s 10:00 which means its time for my Ted Talk hour. I need my headphones back.”

Mikey finally tore his eyes away from the screen before popping up to his feet, ‘Oops! Sorry D, hold on,” he put his bowl precariously on a stack of magazines before hurrying away.

“See? No worries D.” Leo gave his brother one of his smiles, only to be returned with a scowl

“Leo, he took my headphones.”

 “He borrowed them.”

“He took them without permission, I took me weeks to get all the parts I needed from the dump.”

 Leo knew where this was headed, and unfortunately Raph was a little too wrapped up In the Looney Toons to pay attention to them. He set his bowl down as well before walking over, “D,” he thought carefully about what he was going to say, “He took them, but he didn’t’ do it to hurt you. You know, that right?”

 Donnie glared at him, but Leo could see the anger and frustration slowly fading from his eyes. It had taken Leo a while to figure out how to calm Donnie down, usually facts did the charm. Information, something irrefutable, a word he had learned from Don, and thankfully Donnie was more forgiving of Mikey then the rest of them.

And it worked like a charm, Donnie took a deep breath,” Yeah…yeah, I know…” he exhaled a slowly breath, “he was curious…”

 “Only cause he’s never seen a set of Bluetooth headphones before. Or headphones at all.”

 Again, Donnie went silent, then nodded, “Maybe…I should make him a pair too.”

 “I bet he’d like that. And if you want to go ahead and make us a third official unofficial twin robot-”

For the first time Donnie smiled, “That would be a triplet, would you and Raph like a pair too?”

 “yes!’ Raph called from his spot without looking. Mikey hurried back into the living space, headphones in his hands with a guilty look on his face, “I’m sorry D, I cleaned them off with those wipes you like.” He held them out to him,” I’m sorry.”

 Donnie again took a small breath and Leo worried that maybe he hadn’t calmed down enough but instead Donnie took the headphones back, “Just ask next time.”

“I will.” Mikey glanced over to Leo before walking back over to their cartoon morning. IT helped that Leo knew Mikey was truly sorry, but out of all their family members he was sure Mikey understood Donnie’s situation the least. That was something he had to fix soon before he did something Donnie couldn’t forgive. Leo smiled back at Donnie, “See?”

 “Yeah,” Don’s eyes fell back on the purple headphones in his hands. Leo knew they were more than just a frivolous gizmo. They not only hooked up to everything electronic in the lair that had audio but also acted as noise filtering headphones when there was too much noise stimulation for Donnie to handle.  “I didn’t mean to get worked up thanks Leo.”

“No prob.” And with that the morning almost seemed redeemable. Until Leo gave Donnie a pat on the shoulder with a large grin, “See? Aren’t you happy I’m always around to defuse you?” before he went back over to his breakfast, enjoying a morning he would forget by the next morning.

 Leo didn’t notice the pain that filled Donnie’s eyes, or how Donnie stood completely still for several moments before scrubbing at his eyes and hurrying back to his room. Just like no one noticed the muffled sobs that came from his room for a few moments

 Just like Leo didn’t ‘noticed Donnie changed after that day

-now-

 Believe it or not, Leo did not like always being right. Well, he enjoyed being right most of the time. It was a sensation he never tired of. But sometimes being right wasn’t a great reward.

Especially after last night.

The red slider turtle squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the sound of a gurgling coffee pot and overwhelming smell of the rancid bean drink. It wasn’t his favorite smell, but one of Donnie’s favorite things in the world. Responsible for many late nights, it was a personal joke for him to try and hide Donnie’s coffee maker wherever he could. Mostly to see his official unofficial twin tear the lair apart in a half-awake rage to find it. He didn’t’ much feel like laughing right now.  Right now, he just wanted to make his brother coffee.

 “-but I still don’t’ get how the Soup Minister found the Soup Princess- “

“You gotta pay attention Raph, Lou Jitsu was in a love triangle with Minister Minestrone and Princess Pumpkin - Yo Leo! What are you doing up this early? Are you putting dirt in Donnie’s coffee again? You know he hates that.”

 For a moment Leo couldn’t bring himself to turn around, instead he focused on the brown liquid dripping to the coffee pot, “I’m not putting dirt in it.”

“fertilizer again? Seriously? That made him sick last time- “

 Leo turned around, “I’m not making him dirt, or anything! I’m just making him coffee.”   For a moment, he felt better to see Raph’s face slowly fade into confusion. Satisfied, in a way he didn’t like, “you ok man? You look awful?”

 “Do I? Gee I hadn’t noticed, I was just up half the night with Donnie weeping in my arms then the other half cleaning up his room while he slept in my bed, so no Raphie I bet I do look awful.”

Raph blinked at him, others might have thought his inability to comprehend his words was because of a limited intelligence, but Leo knew better. Raph was capable but morning brain could take down anyone. Finally, it seemed to hit the largest brother, “Is Donnie ok?”

 “NO, he’s not, he came home trashed his room, and came to room in mumbling about some weird facts. When I tried to talk to him, he just fell apart.”

 “Where’s he now?”

 “Sleeping, he cried but after a while he just pulled away and curled up on my bed. I thought it was better to let him sleep there. I checked on his room, a breaking mess even by Splinters standards I picked up whatever I could. I only got done recently then I came in here.” Uh oh, he could feel the anger coming back, building in his stomach,” I told you something was wrong. I TOLD YOU something bad would happen! And now- “Leo paused, taking a breath, sometimes he forgot to do that when he was riled up, “Now he’s home, with a black eye, and I don’t know what’s going to happen when he wakes up- “

 “This isn’t’ dirt is it?”

 For a moment, Leo almost forgot whey he was so mad. In unison the three brothers turned towards the sputtering coffee pot to where said Donnie was standing, giving them all a confused if not suspicious look “Which one of you heathens made this?” Before exhausted eyes fell on Leo, “It was you wasn’t’ it? I got sick last time when you put fertilizer in my coffee- “

 “I- “ok shock over, “NO its just coffee I promise D.”

 Donnie narrowed his eyes at him, before looking back to his coffee mug. Sniffing it, “Ok I trust it for now, but if I end up getting poisoned again, I will NOT be happy. Now, if you will excuse me, I have A LOT of work to do.” Before exit the room

 For a moment, the remaining group could only stand there, before Mikey spoke up, “Um, yeah Leo he’s a total mess.”

 “I-He- “it wasn’t often he was at a loss for words, but it was known to happen. Instead he waved at Raph and Mikey, “Just give me a minute!” before running out of the room. By the time he reached Don’s bed room, Don had already set his cup down and was picking up one of the boxes, “I supposed I should thank you for cleaning this up, soooo consider this that.”

“No problem.” Back in the bed room and the remains of everything Donnie had destroyed last night. Now that he was more awake, he could see that, thankfully, the monitors and more complex equipment was undamaged, but Don’s personal computer anything else had been broken in one way or another. Don’s loft bed had even been knocked over, “I guess you had a rough night?”

 “I guess.” Donnie picked through the box before looking to Leo for the first time since he entered the room,” Have you seen my phone?”

 Leo thought back to that night before reaching into his satchel, “I found it in here last night, I’m sorta surprised you didn’t’ have it on you.”

“Thanks.” Donnie took the phone from him before setting it on his desk, calmly pulling out the head piece of his bust, and slamming the large piece of metal over phone a dozen or so times with such ferocity Leo leapt back to avoid the showing of metal and glass. He jumped back so far, he collided with the chest of his oldest brother who had come to investigate the noise, “What the hell just happened?!”

“Uh, “Leo wasn’t’ quite sure himself, “I think Donnie just destroyed his phone with his own face.”

 “Would you two calm down,” Donnie called from his spot, “I have extras and it backed up to my server.”

 Calming down would have been fun, except he had once seen Donnie yell at a kitten for looking at his phone. But instead he gave Raph a pat on the stomach, “I’ll take care of this go ahead.’” Except when he turned to walk back into the room, Raph grabbed his shoulder and yanked him out of the space hard enough to make Leo yelp in surprise. Spinning him till Leo was facing him, two giant hands on his shoulders as Raph glanced back into the bed room then to him, “Look I know you want to help Donnie, and that you’re way better at this then I am, but doesn’t it seem like you should leave him alone before he treats your face like his phone?”

“I know Donnie’s a little unpredictable sometimes, but I can handle him. It’s a twin thing, if there’s anyone who can help him chill out it’s Leon.”

 Raph gave him a look that clearly said, ‘do you REALLY have this or are you just saying that to make me go away’ but did so anyway. For a few moments, Leo stood at the doorway as Donnie puttered around the boxes. Donnie glanced at his direction with enough heat to stop him.  He probably would have stepped closer except Donnie still had a death grip on his bust and it was becoming more and more likely by the second. So instead he took a different approach, “Have you eaten yet Don?”

 “I’ll eat later, there’s too much work to do.”

 “I can see that.” He took a step deeper into the room again, “Do you want to talk about it?”

 “No.”

 That was about what he expected. Leo moved over to lean on Don’s desk. Without really thinking about it, he drifted his hand out to land on his brothers’ shoulder, “D, bro its me. It’s Leon Neon. You can talk to me ok man? Why don’t you tell me what happened at the Yokai Mart? Did you get mad at someone? Did you get lost- “

“I said no, now let it go. I went out, came back and now I’m working. End of story. Why don’t you go calm someone else down?”

A flush of shame filled him, of course Donnie had heard him say that. But he shook it off, “Come on you know I have to talk that way to Raph he doesn’t get you like I do.”

 “Yeah you get me, you can read my mind, you can defuse me. Now leave, I have a room to rebuilt”

 “Yeah it needs to be rebuilt because you destroyed it, don’t you understand that?!”

Don’s shoulder jerked free of his hand and turned to him, “I understand, Leo because I did it. I know what I did. If it had been or Mikey or even, you none of you would have given it a second thought. But because I have Autism, everyone’s freaked out. So, they have to send in the bomb squad.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to help, you’re the one who blew up- “

Before Leo could finish his thought, and to be honest he wasn’t sure wanted to before Donnie’s hands came up and shoved him hard in the chest. The red slider turtle stumbled back, his shell hitting the desk to his right with a crash before falling onto the ground. His head was spared any contact with the ground, but he looked at Donnie with shock, only to be met with the same shocked expression “Leo-I-I’m sorry are you alright?”

 “Yeah, just a little bruised.” He was about to climb to his feet when Donnie quickly took his hand and yanked him up hard enough to make him stumble. He danced for a little bit to keep standing before turning his attention back to Donnie, his eyes swimming in tears. “D- “

 “Can you please go now? I don’t want talk anymore.”

 “I- “Leo paused,” Donnie- “he wanted to argue. He wanted to stay. He wanted to assure Donnie that he was fine, that he was still here to help him. But now his brother was trembling so hard he was afraid he would fall apart altogether. And he knew if he tried to hold him like he did last night, it would only make things worst.

 Donnie didn’t want comfort, or a shoulder to cry on

 He wanted to be alone.

 “Ok. I’ll go. I’m sorry,” Leo took several steps back, unwilling to let his brother out of his sight incase he changed his mind and asked Leo to stay. But he knew better, “I love you bro.” he said before leaving through the curtain.

A moment later he heard Donnie burst into tears for the second time in twenty-four hours.

And he was left helpless

Part 1

Part 3

[homesweetsewer]

Harmless (Donatello x Fem Reader)

This one kind of got away from me...I may add to it later, I haven’t decided yet:)

Part 2 is HERE

Part 3 is HERE

Anger welled up inside of you once again as you watched April cozy up to Casey, linking her fingers through his as the three of you traversed the sewer tunnels in route to the turtles’ lair hidden deep beneath the streets of New York. You trudged along behind the giggling pair, boxes of pizza held firmly in your grip as you bit your tongue to keep from snapping at the other woman...and Casey, too, for that matter. It hurt to watch. The pain wasn’t for yourself, though. You hurt for Donatello.

The sweet, smart, bespectacled turtle was head over shell in love with April O’Neill. You knew this because, if the smitten way Donnie acted when she was around wasn’t enough of a clue, he’d come straight out and confided his attraction to the other woman to you...and that did hurt you as you were pretty damn sure that you were completely and irrevocably in love with him. Not that he’d ever notice, not with April filling his every waking thought. It was a difficult revelation for you to come to terms with and you had your bad days, certainly, when Donnie would mention how beautiful April looked or how wonderful she smelled and all you’d want to do was find some dark corner and cry your eyes out. But, you didn’t.

You’d decided to be the bigger person and an even better friend. All you wanted was for Donatello to be happy and, as much as it pained you, if April was able to do that for him you wouldn’t stand in the way. In your eyes, his well-being and happiness took precedence over your breaking heart. And so you’d patiently listen as he sung her praises, give advice when asked, and steadfastly encourage him whenever he was feeling down. All the while you’d feel as though someone was twisting a knife in your heart but you’d never let on. Getting to spend time with him and see his smile, though, made it all worth while...almost.

It hadn’t escaped your notice that April seemed almost blissfully unaware of the turtle’s major crush on her. Or, you mused, maybe she did know. Regardless of what she did or did not know, she’d flirt with him, seeming to delight in the way he’d become a stuttering, fumbling mess in her presence. At first, you resented it...he never blushed or stumbled over his words when you were around. He seemed to have zero qualms where interactions with you were concerned and conversation always seemed to flow easily between the two of you like water from a tap. Eventually, you’d resigned yourself to the idea that the the purple-masked ninja would never see you in a romantic light. You hid your disappointment well but was happy for Donnie that his affection seemed to be returned. If anyone deserved a bit of happiness it was the turtles...and in your eyes, at least, especially Donatello.

Then, purely by chance, you’d stumbled upon April and Casey Jones in a diner near your apartment and you honestly weren’t sure how you managed not to lose your mind. The two were tangled together in a booth in the very back of the small restaurant, engaged in a heavy make out session as they awaited the arrival of their order. The feeling of betrayal and righteous indignation that came over you was enough to have you seeing red and the only thought in your head being how glad you were a certain turtle wasn’t with you to witness the scene playing out before you. The strangled gasp that left your throat must have done a fine job of conveying that fact as the pair sprang apart to stare up at you wide-eyed.

Casey grinned up at you, obviously pleased with how things had been going before your arrival, “Oh, hey!”

“H-hi,” April had stuttered, her face flushed and her lipstick slightly smeared. “What, uh, what are you doing here?”

Instead of answering you looked back and forth between the two of them, asking a question of your own, “Are you two, like, a thing now?”

Casey, oblivious as usual, nodded enthusiastically, “Totally a thing.”

“Yeah,” April tentatively confirmed. “For about a month now...”

“A month?!” Your eyes widened as your thoughts spiraled, concern for the lovesick turtle first and foremost on your mind. “What? How?”

The woman shrugged, “It just sort of happened.”

Thankfully, at that moment, the man at the counter called out their order number and Casey rose from the booth to retrieve their tray. “Back in a sec, babe,” he crooned, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek before heading off across the diner.

“What the hell are you doing,” you hissed angrily, catching the other woman off guard once Casey was out of earshot.

April sputtered in shock, “Wh-what are you talking about?”

Your gaze hardened, “What are you doing dating Casey and still stringing Donnie along?”

“I’m not stringing anyone along,” April shook her head, a slight smirk playing on her lips. “It’s not a big deal...just some harmless flirting.”

“Harmless?” You frowned, your hands balling into fists at your sides. “Maybe it is for you. What about Donnie? That man worships the ground you walk on and you don’t even care.”

April looked offended, “What? I care,” she insisted. “He’s my friend. Besides, I’ve known the turtles a lot longer than you have.”

“Oh,” you snorted. “You’re gonna play that game? So...what? You’ve known him longer so you care about him more? Could’ve fooled me.”

“That’s not what I meant,” April shook her head. “I can’t help it. It’s just that...Donnie’s really sweet, you know?”

“Yeah,” you suddenly felt sick to your stomach. “I know.”

“Oh...” A look of realization seemed to come over April’s features and she opened her mouth as if to say more but Casey’s sudden return with their tray of food had her mouth snapping shut again.

“Oh? That’s all you have to say?” You wanted to demand a better explanation on Donatello’s behalf but were cut off by the sound of your carry out order number being called. Afraid you’d say something you’d later regret, you’d simply turned on your heel, grabbed your food from the counter, and quickly exited the establishment with your head pounding and your stomach churning leaving April looking flustered and Casey looking utterly confused.

How could she? How could anyone do something like that to someone as amazing and wonderful as Donatello? True, it wasn’t like he and April had ever been an item. Quite the opposite, in fact. April would have had to be completely blind not to see how the turtle fawned over her, though. Honestly, it seemed to you that she enjoyed the attention, stringing him along with a coy smile here and a batted eye there...giving him false hope that he actually stood a chance with her. And yet, you seethed, she hadn’t even considered him or his feelings before shoving her tongue down Casey Jones’ throat. She may as well rip Donnie’s heart out with her bare hands and stomp on it. Actually, that would have probably been kinder.

Later that evening you’d sat alone in your room, cellphone in hand, staring at Donnie’s name in your contact list. You felt strongly that he deserved to know what you’d seen. You also knew that it would absolutely break his heart to know that April and Casey were together. Donatello made no secret of his dislike for Jones and the way he pulled away April’s attention. Having the two of them together in the same room always created a weird tension as the two vied for the woman’s time. In your mind’s eye you could already envision the tears that would well up in his beautiful brown eyes as you delivered the news. How his lip would quiver. The strangled sob that would escape his throat.

No. You shook your head. You couldn’t do that to him. As much as you disliked April right now for leading the turtle on, you couldn’t be the one to break his heart by spilling her secret. Tossing your phone aside, you grabbed one of the many pillows adorning your bed and, taking a deep breath, pressed it to your face as you muffled your screams of frustration. Eventually, you’d drifted into a fitful sleep as the day’s events caught up with you.

It was the buzzing of your cell that finally roused you. Rubbing sleep out of your eyes, you groped for your wayward phone and couldn’t help the smile that curved the corners of your mouth at seeing you’d received a text from Donnie. Swiping the message open, your smile widened into a full blown grin.

‘Hey! Any plans for tonight?’

You bit your lip as you quickly tapped out a reply. ‘Hiya! No, not really...’ You held your breath as you waited for the terrapin to reply. You didn’t have to wait long.

‘Come over!’ The almost immediate reply came. ‘Downloaded the original Star Wars trilogy, Mikey’s making popcorn, and April’s bringing pizza!’

Immediately, your smile fell. The pleasant feeling of butterflies you experienced every time you spoke with Donatello suddenly felt more like a lead brick in your stomach. How could you possibly look him in his handsome face knowing the one person he cared about most in the world was essentially lying to him. You couldn’t. You couldn’t sit there and watch him try so hard to show April how he felt about her and watch her flirt back all while knowing she was with Casey. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.

‘You still there?’

The ping of your phone brought you back to the present and you realized you’d spaced out while considering your options. Taking a deep breath, you slowly texted back, ‘Yeah...still here...’

‘So...? What do you say? Pizza and a movie?’

You shook your head. You just couldn’t. ‘No can do, Donnie...’ As an afterthought you added, ‘Tonight’s not a good night.’

A moment ticked by, then two before your phone pinged again.

‘Is everything ok? Do you need me to come over?’

You felt your smile return, albeit halfheartedly. That was your Donatello, always so concerned. ‘Nah, I’m fine,’ you lied. ‘Just been a long day...thought I’d turn in early.’

‘Oh...’

You could almost hear the disappointment in his reply and quickly tapped out, ‘Raincheck?’

‘Yeah...Absolutely :)’

You sighed, ‘G’night, Donnie...have fun.’

‘Goodnight,’ came the turtle’s instantaneous reply. ‘Sleep well.’

With a groan of frustration you fell back onto your pillows. “Yeah,” you whispered to yourself. “Sleep well, my ass...”

That had been over a week ago. Since then you’d carefully dodged every invitation to stop by the lair using family and school obligations as an excuse. It was the longest you’d gone without seeing the guys since you’d met them and though it pained you to blow them off (being giant mutant turtles, they didn’t have many friends and you knew they all looked forward to your visits) you knew you wouldn’t be able to look Donatello in the face and pretend things were okay...especially when you knew the chances of April and Casey also being present were high. You were starting to draw the turtles’ concern, however, and you knew you couldn’t avoid them forever.

Which brought you to your current predicament. You’d reluctantly agreed to a movie night when Michelangelo had shown up outside your window the night before with his adorable pout and big, blue puppy dog eyes. You couldn’t resist the combination and he very well knew it and used it to his advantage. Damn him.

As you wound your way through the sewer, April and Casey seemed to be oblivious to your foul mood or else just didn’t care. You guessed the former as they seemed too busy discussing their date plans for the following evening to really pay any attention to the scorching glare you kept sending their way. Your knuckles turned white and the cardboard pizza boxes bent under the strain of your grip as you neared the lair, the knot in your stomach drawing tight as you heard the familiar sounds of the television and playful bickering up ahead. As if on cue, the lovebirds broke part, April taking point.

“Hello,” the woman called out cheerfully.

“April!” Donnie, of course, rose from where he’d been fiddling with the television to greet her. His cheeks flushing at her close proximity. “I was, uh...just, uh, switching out the HDMI cables.”

April giggled, “So, we’re good to go?”

“Ah,” Donatello nodded nervously. “Yes...Guardians of the Galaxy in high definition as it was meant to be.” Not without some difficulty, he managed to pull his eyes away from the beaming woman before him and, completely ignoring Casey, take note of your presence. The dreamy look in his eyes cleared as he looked at you and a happy smile touched his lips, “You made it!”

“Yeah,” you replied flatly. “Here I am...”

Donnie’s smile fell slightly at your tone and you immediately felt even worse. You didn’t have long to berate yourself over it, however, as April placed soft fingertips on the purple ninja’s arm, once again drawing his full attention.

She asked, looking up from beneath her eyelashes at him, “Where are the rest of the guys?”

“They’re, uh,” Donnie stammered, once again under April’s spell. “They’re finishing up in the dojo.”

April nodded, “I’ll go let them know we’re here.” Then, tilting her head quizzically, she looked up at the very tall terrapin and asked, “Are those new glasses?”

“These?” Donnie blushed, absentmindedly pushing the pair of tortoise shell frames further up on his snout. “N-no...I’ve had the frames. J-just got around to making the lenses...”

April nodded in approval and smiled, giving his arm a gentle squeeze, “Well, you look very handsome in them.”

Donatello practically lit up like a Christmas tree at the comment, beaming after the woman as she sashayed her way toward the dojo to collect the others. Once she was out of sight, he turned to you, the excitement clearly written on his face.

You felt your heart break just a little more.

“She said I was handsome,” he gushed.

“Yeah,” you nodded stiffly. “I heard.”

Donatello’s enthusiasm dimmed at your lackluster response. His smile faded to be replaced by a look of concern. He stepped toward you, his worry evident as he asked, “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” you forced a smile. “Just fine.”

He studied you, that brilliant brain of his seeing right through your lie. “You don’t look fine.”

You needed to leave before you broke down and started to cry. “I just remembered something I need to take care of.” It was a flimsy excuse but you ran with it. “Sorry, Don-Don.” You shoved the pizzas you still held  into his arms. “I can’t stay.”

His eyes widened in disbelief behind his glasses, “You’re leaving? But,” he protested, “you just got here and we haven’t hung out in forever!”

“I know,” you shrugged as you began to back away. “But I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun without me.”

“It’s not the same,” he murmured.

“I really am sorry,” you apologized again. “Another night, okay?”

You didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, you turned and began to power walk your way back in the direction you’d come from leaving a very confused and concerned Donatello in your wake. The look of utter adoration on his face when April had called him handsome played over and over in your head mashed together with your memory of April and Casey kissing in the diner booth and you weren’t sure if you wanted to scream in rage or bawl your eyes out. It wasn’t fair. You loved Donatello with all your heart, Donatello thought April hung the moon, and April wanted Casey Jones.

If he only knew.

But you wouldn’t tell him. You couldn’t. It wasn’t your place and you refused to be the one to break his heart.

To be continued...

[peachyteabuck]

the fifth date

summary: the story of how you met your alpha

pairing: alpha!bucky x omega!reader. non-avenger!au

words:  1870

trigger warnings: some mentions of a divorce, shitty childhood/boyfriend, etc. they watch ahs and there’s some mention of murder bc of it but it’s not super descriptive, mentions of some nsfw stuff

ask box / masterlist / commission info / ko-fi

The minute Bucky met you on your first date, he knew you were the one. It was a blind one, set up by your mutual friend.

Bucky thought he was just an excuse to get him out of the house, but no. It ended being the best thing that ever happened him.

The way you laughed, the way you bit your lip, the way you asked him about his day, the way you crinkled your eyes when you smiled. You were perfect, still are. The perfect mate, the perfect life partner, the perfect lover.

The next day, he started nesting in preparation.

“Stevie, I swear. I know she’s the one!” he told his best friend while buying almost a truckload of blankets and pillows at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

“Whatever you say, Buck” Steve told him as he struggled to close the trunk of the car.

When they reached his apartment and piled all the plastic-covered bedding in the living room, he shooed Steve out. He’s an alpha, this is his job and his alone.

When he mother told him about the process of courting his father, he knew it was something special. The process of nesting, the buying and making and killing of gifts, the scenting the first time they mated. It’s such a beautiful, sacred ritual, Bucky knew he had to do it perfectly for you.

“Whoever you choose,” She told him. “Know that it isn’t just about making you feel good, it’s about building a strong foundation to a lifelong commitment.”

Bucky always listened to his mother, but this he held especially near to his heart.

On your second date, Bucky brought you cupcakes from your favorite bakery. You ate them together on your couch and introduced Bucky to your favorite TV shows.

You had a really hard day at work, and when you tried to cancel the fancy dinner date Bucky had planned for you, he refused.

If you wanted to sit a home in fuzzy socks, leggings, and a comfortable sweatshirt, then that’s what you were gonna do. The only condition is that you had to do it with Bucky.

“I feel like this is a shitty second date,” you told him while liking some stray frosting off of your finger.Your legs were draped over his, your back supported by a few pillows. All Bucky wanted to do was lay there, inhaling your scent. But you needed something to keep your mind off of one of the worst days of your career, and reruns of Dr. Phil sure as hell weren’t gonna do it.

“Nonsense,” he said, wiping a smudge of cupcake from the side of your mouth. Heat rushed to your face at the intimate contact. “This is the perfect second date.”

You laughed a little, eyes glued to the screen across the room. “And why is that?”

Bucky smiled down at you, using his metal hand to turn your face to him. He knew what you were doing, trying to avoid eye contact because you were scared of...well, actually, you weren’t sure what you were scared of. All you knew was that you were absolutely petrified. “Because I get to spend time with you.”

All you could do hide the warm feeling in your face, you and him laughing at the woman who had hidden not one, but two pregnancies from her overbearing in-laws. You fell asleep soon after, with you head on Bucky’s lap. He readjusted you so that you were on top of him, and rubbed your back while you slept off the day.

On your third date, Bucky basically asks you to mate with him. Kind of. Maybe.

“Do you wanna come back to my place?” he asked on your way home from dancing. That’s when you realized you had never seen it. Ever. You’d heard stories, heard him talk about his home. His large bachelor bad which he kept impeccably decorated for work. You were dying to see it, but you worried it was too early. He fell asleep at your apartment three days ago, why did you care so much about traditional timing.

“Mmm,” you say, genuinely thinking it over. “Depends on what you want to do after.”

He grabbed your hips, pulling your close to him on the street corner. It was surprising, but not unwelcome. The night air nipped at your sweaty, exposed skin and made you shiver. You leaned into him, watching the traffic go by.

“Anything you want, darling” he whispered into your ear. This, too, sent goosebumps all over your body.

You pushed him away. Lightly, playfully. A shove to let him know he needed to wait a little longer. Not a “never,” but a “not yet.”

Instead, you find some fast food place and eat your weight in french fries while you fight about the best tropical fruit. Bucky had argued pineapple, you chose mango.

At first is was friendly competition, but then it got heated. Now you were playing to win.

“I’ll kiss you if you agree with me,” You offered, munching in the last fry.

“Deal,” Bucky said, leaning over the couch for his smooch. It was your first kiss, but it felt like you had known his lips forever. It was beautifully and wonderfully cliche.

The day of your fourth date, you fell ill with a nasty cold. Your throat felt like a broken garbage disposal, your nose was running, your stomach hurt. You felt like the word “ugh.”

First you called out of work. Then you texted Bucky in an effort to cancel your date.

But, yet again, he wouldn’t let you. He texted back he’d be at your place with the perfect care package and that he was determined to take care of you.

You texted back he was being dramatic - it’s a cold, not pneumonia - and fell back asleep.

He showed up less than an hour later, knocking on your door with soup, Gatorade, ginger ale, and every season of American Horror Story.

Three pieces of toast and half the soup later, you’re cuddled under a thin blanket - the same one as last time, soaking up his warmth and comforting smell.

Occasionally, you’d use the cold of his metal arm to cool your forehead down. You weren’t running a big fever, you maybe were at 99 degrees, but it still felt really good.

“This is nice,” you murmured.

“Yeah.” he agreed, noticing your sleepiness. He turned the show down just as someone was being gutted, wanting to make sure you were able to get the rest you needed. You were cuddled in his chest, surrounded by him.

You felt safe with him wrapped around you, just like a good alpha should make you feel. After a short nap and two more characters brutally murdered, you start having deep conversations.

It started with him asking you met Steve and how you trusted him enough to set you up with his greasy, but adorable, best friend.

Bucky talked about how he lost his arm, how his prosthetic is one of kind. How he’s a lab rat, how it was the the only thing that got him out of losing his arm.

You talk about your childhood and how shitty it was. How you ended up with a shitty boyfriend in college who made you feel like shit all of time before you got up the courage to leave him two years after he asked you out.

“My old boyfriend never did this type of stuff with me.” you admitted. “He only liked to do stuff when he knew people he knew would be around. It’s like he needed someone else to get him through our dates.”

“Sounds like a real dick,” Bucky said. He traced the indents the blankets on your skin. He could stay right here forever, never moving again.

“Yeah,” you agreed. “He was. Almost made me swear off alphas forever.”

Bucky smiles, wide and toothy. “Glad you didn’t.”

“Yeah,” you joke. “Or else I wouldn’t have met the total hunk I’m cheating on you with…”

Bucky laughs, him lighting pushing you away in faux-disgust. “How could you!? Is it Steve, tell me it’s not Steve!”

It’s your turn to laugh, the deep cackles soon turning into coughs. You recover quickly, though, smile plastered on your face. This one’s a keeper.

You have your fifth date a few weeks after you feel better, both of your crazy work schedules preventing you from seeing each other sooner.

He takes you to an aquarium, and you both watch the sea turtles gliding through the water. It’s so beautiful, you’re both breathless from wonder.

After, he takes you to home. To his home, you mean. Or apartment. It doesn’t matter. It’s his.

He offers you a drink, which you gladly take. While he makes it, you take a look around. You admire the art, the beautiful decorating, the gorgeous marble countertops.

He gives you a tour, showing you around the kitchen, then the living room, then his office, then he bedroom.

The minute you step into it, you almost start crying. The large bed, the thick blankets, the distinct scent, the displaced furniture showing he had shoved his bed into the corner farthest from the door. All the signs were there.

“You started nesting,” you whisper, wiping tears from your eyes. The space is filled with Bucky, and it instantly makes you feel at peace, just like a good mate should. You feel so calm and happy and...is this what if feels like? To be in love? If so, you never want to let Bucky out of your sight. Ever.

“Yeah,” Bucky comes behind you, holding your back to his chest. “Knew we were gonna be mates the moment I first saw you, the night of our first date. Knew I wanted to be with you forever, and ever. Wanted to mark you. Wanted to be yours. Wanted to knot you real good. Wanted to make sure not a single shitty alpha ever touched you again.”

His brings his arms around you waist, talking lowly into your ear. “Then I heard about your awful boyfriend. About your parents bitter divorce. The custody battle. Knew you needed some lovin’, needed someone to show you how beautiful you are.”

He’s releasing calming pheromones, you can tell. It runs through you, sticks in your blood. The last few weeks have been hard, on both of you. This, whatever this is, is exactly what you need.

The pheromones release your tense muscles and give you a moment to forget the shittiness of everything.

He kisses your neck and you whimper. You got to grip his hips behind you and he rubs between your thighs.

“Eager, are we?” Bucky asks, his baritone voice sends shockwaves through your spine. It’s amazing, like a drug.

“Yes,” you moan. Your skin is on fire and it feels so fucking good.

He sets you down on the bed, pulling your clothes off. Your body is flush against the pillows and you feel so exposed. Normally, you’d be uncomfortable, but you trust Bucky. Trust him a lot. Trust him with everything.

“Then let’s get started, my beautiful little omega.”

You moan again. “Let’s, wonderful alpha. Let’s.”