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sunflowerhae · 2 months ago

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-Forever.

• established relationship!hyuck, sickening sweet fluff, feeding into yalls delusions BAD. I just need haechan something evil yall and with the sadness surrounding the SMAU im writing abt him , I need to share some love.

• main masterlist

♬　 ❛ (｡•̀ᴗ-)✾🐚 ˚　♡　 𐚱

If every word I said could make you laugh,

I’d talk forever

I asked the sky just what we had,

It shown forever

If the song I sing to you could fill your heart with joy,

I’d sing forever

I’d be so happy loving you

Let the love I have for you

Live in your heart and be Forever

Donghyuck needed to stop staring.

At this point it was getting uncomfortable. Not in a “you’re a creep and need to stop looking at me” way, but instead a “my boyfriend is looking straight into my soul with the look that his whole existence is in the palm of my hands and I’m just trying to eat a sandwich” way. You laugh slightly as you finally acknowledge the look on your boyfriend’s face, setting down your lunch as you stare back at him with upraised eyebrows, “can I help you, lover boy?”

He sighs softly, looking down at his untouched food before glancing back up at you. You see the blush on his face - coated across his cheeks like an Aurora borealis in the night sky. He picks at his nails, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say your outgoing, extrovertive, attention needing boyfriend of 3 years was…shy. You stare at the sight, trying to imprint it on your mind; burn it into your memory. Donghyuck continues his gentle gaze with a laugh, “just looking at my beautiful girlfriend - what’s so wrong with that?” You roll your eyes and pick your food back up. If he was going to act weird, you were going to ignore him. After all, these little lunch dates in between the two of yours busy schedules were sometimes the only opportunity for you to intake substance in your jam packed day, so regardless of hyuck’s…unusual…attitude, you’ll continue eating.

You just finished taking a bite of your sandwich, and was currently chewing in peace when Donghyuck suddenly popped a question so insane that it was quite literally the last thing you would ever expect him to ask in a subway at 12:42pm on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, “y/n, will you marry me?”

He watched as your eyes went wide, and the bite in your mouth threatened to kill you as you coughed and reached for your soda. After a good 30 seconds of struggle, with Donghyuck just staring at you with a red face, silently handing you napkins to clean up, you finally managed a, “Thanks,” before continuing with a mumble, “Donghyuck respectfully what the fuck.” It’s not that you didn’t want to marry the man in front of you. In fact, it was only two nights ago that you were scrolling on Pinterest in boredom, saving wedding inspo pics to a board you effectively titled “Y/n and Donghyuck <3”. This, however, was never the way you envisioned him asking you. Ignoring the fact that the both of you were still in college, and had $2,566.12 saved in your bank accounts (collectively) - you also still lived with your roommates, and while you know there’s never a “right time” to tie the knot with your forever person, maybe right now wasn’t that time. You were honestly confused, because this was never really something you and donghyuck talked about. Sure, you had conversations about the future - but to you the future was years down the road when you were both financially ready for that type of thing. You suppose that for Donghyuck, the future was now.

You sat in stilled breath, waiting for your boyfriend’s reply as he looked down, gathering his thoughts. You felt bad - you don’t want him to think you’re rejecting him. You chose this as the moment to reach across the table and grab his hand in yours, softly squeezing it and smiling gently at him when he looks back up at you. With a deep sigh, donghyuck explains, “I’m sorry, I really don’t know where that came from. I wasn’t expecting to ask you that. I just…I don’t know what it is right now but I just felt like I had to ask. I needed to hear what you would say, I guess,” he trails off, connecting his thoughts together again, “you just…you don’t understand what you do to me, y/n.” He blushes again, as you cock your head to the side.

“What do you mean?” He laughs in almost disbelief, as if he can’t believe you don’t see it.

“I think of you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year, y/n. I always thought I knew love, I thought I could see it; that I could handle it. But then I met you. You changed my chemistry. You changed who I am as a person. I thought I lived for myself, my future. But as the years have gone by, I realize more and more every day that I really just live for you; your smile, your laugh, your love. I live to have you near me, to have your attention on me. Everytime you talk to me, look at me - even if I think you’re thinking of me - a chill runs up my spine and I feel sick, in the best way. It’s like a drug, what you do to me. I always felt this way about you in some form, and I thought when we first got together that was the most of it. I thought it would calm down and I would get comfortable. But I haven’t, really I haven’t. It’s gotten worse, y/n. I used to think of you a lot, now I think of you every moment; what you’re doing, who you’re with, how soon until you’re with me. I would do anything for you. You could ask me to run across the world, I’d do it. I don’t know what lengths I would go to for you, and I don’t really want to know to be honest. But I do know that the thought of not spending the rest of my life in your gaze, in your arms…that’s no life for me. We don’t have to get married now. But I want to, one day…soon. I want to make sure I have you forever, if you’ll take me.” He finishes with a sigh, sitting back in his chair in relief, like he finally got something off his chest that he was harboring for a while. You can barely see him, what with the tears pouring out of your eyes at a concerning rate. Donghyuck finally finds the courage to look at you, and immediately his own eyes go wide as he leans forward and dabs at your eyes with a clean napkin. You just sit there and let him do so, frozen. Finally, after a minute or so, he finishes and sits back to normal, suddenly anxious as he bites at his nails, “say something, please. I feel like a loser right now.” He laughs softly, obviously uncomfortable with how much emotion he suddenly shared.

“Donghyuck,” you softly exclaim, “I love you so much, I really don’t know what to say. I’ve never had anyone say that about me. I’ve never…” you can’t finish your sentence, the choke in your throat cutting you off. It was Donghyuck’s turn to comfort you, holding your hand tightly as if to say, “it’s okay…I know”. You nod at him, your chin wobbling as you find the strength to finish, “you have me completely, hyuck. I’m never going anywhere. Not today, not tomorrow - never. We can take all the time we want, you’ve got me forever.” His smile that spreads at your words is infectious, the both of you staring at each other in a warm glow of love and happiness, feeling complete together. Maybe you won’t get married soon, but it doesn’t matter, because the both of you know that you have forever.

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glorious-sunset · 8 months ago

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Character Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

What’s in a name? For the characters of LBFAD (Love Between Fairy and Devil), a whole lot of hidden meanings! These are not apparent to English viewers. Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

DongFang Qing Cang - 东方青苍: “East, Cyan, Dark blue”

The surname “DongFang” means East, the direction of the rising sun. Both Dongfang Qingcang’s (DFQC) personal terrace at Silent Moon Palace and the replica Arbiter Hall he built for Xiao Lanhua (XLH) face East, and capture the most beautiful sunrises. DFQC (and previous generations of DongFangs) are well-respected by their people and enjoy the best locations and residences in Cangyan Sea.

The “Cang” in DFQC was named for his realm, “Cang” Yan Sea, as he was expected to be its leader and follow the path set for him by his father, and Lady Yan before him. Lady Yan chose to rid herself of emotions in order to wield Hellfire, and DFQC’s father forced the same decision onto him. The hanzi (mandarin character) for “Cang” in DFQC and Cangyan Sea means dark blue, and the darkness of this colour represents the darkness of the path he was expected to follow.

But “Cang” is not the only colour in DFQC’s name! The “Qing” in his name means lighter shades of blue/green, or cyan. And despite his prescribed mission to emotionlessly conquer the three realms, DFQC has many lighter, more peaceful shades to his character that reveal themselves as the series progresses. He forms a friendship and brotherhood with his enemy Changheng, who shares with him a love of playing music, art and cuju! And he rises above the cruel dictator of Shuiyuntian who almost annihilated his people, by sending his people to aid Shuiyuntian.

(The aurora borealis in Cangyan Sea is also cyan and dark blue :D DFQC might have been named for this as well as for Cangyan Sea!)

Xiao Lan Hua - 小兰花: “Little Orchid Flower”

We are first introduced to our female lead as “Xiao Lanhua”, which is not a name, but a description of what she believes her true form to be, a little orchid flower. But this was a disguise given to her by her parents and upheld by Siming. Her real name is Xiyun.

Xi Yun - 息芸: “Every breath”

The character for “Xi” in XLH’s true name is the same as the “Xi” in her realm, “Xishan”, and means breath (of life). Just like DFQC, she is named for her realm, as she was the intended leader of Xishan as its Goddess. The Xilan tribe of Xishan had powerful healing magics, and hers is the most powerful of all, with the ability to resurrect the dead with her blood, thus providing the breath of life. She uses this to great effect, resurrecting DFQC in ep. 26, everyone who died on the battlefield in ep. 31, and freeing the 100,000 sealed soldiers of the Moon Tribe.

The “Yun” in her name meaning every, combined with “Xi” can be interpreted as “every breath”. Sadly, XLH’s every breath is for one purpose and brings her closer to her one destiny. She is fated to sacrifice herself to save the three realms from Taisui. If this had happened, then like Lady Chidi before her, her sacrifice would soon have been forgotten.

Chi Di - 赤地: “Red/Barren Earth”

The “Chi” in Lady Chidi’s name means red, and paired with “Di” meaning earth, can also mean barren earth. She is the only official in Shuiyuntian seen wearing Red, as even the current God of War, Changheng, conforms to the same white and pale blue robes that other officials wear. Chidi is therefore a standout who asserts her individuality and does not conform to expectations. Her way of thinking outside the box, led to DFQC and his 100,000 Moon Tribe soldiers being completely blindsided by her sacrifice 30,000 years ago. It also led to her breaking heaven’s laws to resurrect Ronghao, to her later detriment.

Chidi wields powerful earth magics, as represented by her name. These are so powerful that she is able to seal the 100,000 soldiers of the Moon Tribe within the barren earth of Xuanxu realm. Her mighty Shuofeng sword is also swallowed by the barren earth and her magic cannot be reversed without her primordial spirit.

Xun Feng - 巽风: “Obedient wind”

The “Xun” in Xunfeng means to obey, and the “Feng” means wind. His name can be interpreted as either “obedient to the wind” or an “obedient wind”. Like the wind, Xunfeng lacks substance, confidence and ability, and is disrespected by his people during DFQC’s imprisonment. Many contenders try to steal his position as Moon Supreme, and he almost dies on the Wind Plain until DFQC arrives to save him.

But Xunfeng cares fiercely for his people. In his attempt to protect them, he collaborates with Ronghao without knowing his identity or motivations. He is thus “obedient to the wind” where Ronghao is an unknown and unseen entity, like the wind. Xunfeng is unable to discern that Ronghao is keeping Cangyan Sea in a constant state of civil unrest and tormenting the souls of deceased Moon Tribe members until much later, with DFQC’s help!

Shang Que - 觞阙: “Watchtower”

“Que” meaning watchtower is an apt description for DFQC’s lieutenant and right-hand man. Shangque has many talents suiting him to this role! These include his ability to be stealthy, gather information discreetly, undertake covert missions successfully, act as a powerful defensive force, and a healing one due to his skill with Chinese medicine. Like a watchtower, he kept watch for 30,000 years during DFQC’s absence on all events occurring within the three realms. His loyalty and love for DFQC, whom he views as a brother and whose return he awaited for 30,000 years, are astounding!

“Shang” paired with “Que” can mean lacking sustenance. This is the state Shangque was in when orphaned as a young boy, and many tried to take advantage of him and his dragon body. If not for DFQC saving him, he would likely have perished from hunger or been murdered :(

Jie Li - 结黎: “Dark knot”

Jieli suffers from much internal torment which is like a dark knot inside her. From the moment she was born, she never knew or received love, and was raised by people who continually exploited her, physically harming her and threatening her life. That she is even capable of loving and caring for others is a miracle! Unlike Shangque, nobody like DFQC ever stepped in to save her and care for her.

Jieli cares deeply for both XLH and Shangque. Her life under threat, she makes some bad choices such as spilling a drop of Chidi’s blood onto the Bone Orchid. This is one of many dark and knotty situations she encounters. Although she soon decides she would rather die than hurt XLH, Dieyi poisons Shangque to force her obedience.

Yun Zhong - 云中: “Among the clouds”

Yunzhong literally lives among the clouds, but his head is also in the clouds. He is very narrow-minded and cannot think outside the box. When XLH does not fit within the eight-class system of Shuiyuntian, he immediately decides she is Moon Tribe (even before the Bone Orchid protects her) without considering other possibilities. He is so strict with Changheng that he would rather execute the most powerful asset to Shuiyuntian (and his brother!!) than tolerate the slightest disobedience! Throughout the series, he is intent on exterminating the Moon Tribe and almost does in ep. 31 on completely false pretences.

Chang Heng - 长珩: “Steadfast bird”

Like the golden bird brooches that the celestials wear to represent their tribe, Changheng is a model citizen of Shuiyuntian. He is steadfast and loyal to his duties and puts these above his personal desires. When trying to rescue XLH from Cangyan Sea in ep. 13, he is honest with her that he cannot break the rules of Shuiyuntian, and only hopes that Yunzhong will be reasonable and lenient towards her! Changheng is far more steadfast and loyal than the average celestial. He is the only one apart from Ronghao to visit Chidi’s grave on her death anniversary, honours his brotherhood with DFQC after returning to the immortal world, and after learning Ronghao’s secret identity, listens to his side of the story.

Dan Yin - 丹音: “Crimson tidings”

Twice, Danyin is the bearer of important news, relaying her visions from the Tianji mirror to the sacrifice of her own desires. First, she tells a wounded and imprisoned Changheng about his wedding to XLH in the mortal realm, causing him to start a mortal tribulation. Then, she tells Yunzhong and the High Council about XLH’s true identity as the Goddess, saving Changheng from execution and leading to his wedding with XLH.

Rong Hao - 容昊: “Vastly compromising”

Ronghao has “one tiny earthly desire”, that his beloved master can live. What he is prepared to do to achieve this includes burning the souls of dead celestials and Moon tribe, massacring the entire Xilan population including their women and children, forcing his master to endure 30,000 years of cruel mortal tribulations and using evil qi to keep her alive. His willingness to vastly compromise both himself and her leaves Lady Chidi aghast.

Die Yi - 蝶衣: “Butterfly costume”

Dieyi is a shape-shifter and the different forms she takes, butterfly or woman, are her costumes, which help her to be sneaky and nefarious.

Xie Wanqing - 谢惋卿: “Withering sigh”

Having forgotten her life as Lady Chidi, Xie Wanqing feels incomplete without knowing why, expressed by her sad sighs. Chidi is forced to endure countless mortal tribulations just like this one and die (wither) repeatedly. In each of these lives she is condemned to be murdered by the one she loves!

Xiao Run - 萧润: “Mournful wealth”

Both Xiao Run and his true self as Changheng come from positions of wealth and noble status. But both of them mourn the loss of freedom that comes from this – although Xiao Run is more of a carefree rebel! :D

Si Ming - 司命: “Arbiter of fate”

Using the power of her position as Arbiter of Fate, Siming has repeatedly defied heaven’s laws and changed fate! She resurrects Ronghao as an immortal, creating a new destiny leaf for him. She released the convicted dragon Chang Yuan and married him. And she instructs DFQC on how to also defy nature’s laws and change destiny! :D

Chang Yuan - 长渊 “Steadfast abyss”

He is the deep abyss that Siming falls into, as in choosing him, she accepts the fate of being imprisoned with him in the Ruins of Myriad Heavens for the rest of eternity. But at least he is steadfastly loyal to her.

Tai Sui - 太岁: “Very Ancient”

This most ancient of tricksters could not be defeated by numerous generations of Goddesses, who merely sealed him beneath Xishan. Over his very long life spanning hundreds of millenia, he has learned to tell whatever lies are needed to manipulate others and ensure his survival.

Here is a link to my article: Location Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

All of my LBFAD articles can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

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afreakingdork · 3 months ago

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You Are My Sunshine, My Only Moonshine - Chapter 12

RotTMNT x Reader

Donnie and grapes were meant to be in this week's chapter art by @matchstique

Rated: Teen and Up Audiences

Relationships: Michelangelo (TMNT)/Reader, Michelangelo (TMNT)/You, Donatello (TMNT)/Reader, Donatello (TMNT)/You

Warnings: POV Second Person, Gender Neutral Reader, Anxious Reader, Introverted Reader, Stuttering, Aged-Up Mutant Ninja Turtles, Romance, Love, Love Confessions, Falling In Love, Unrequited Love, Rejection, Aromantic Asexual Michelangelo (TMNT), Bisexual Donatello (TMNT), Pansexual Leonardo (TMNT), Lesbian Cassandra Jones | Foot Recruit, Demisexual April O'Neil (TMNT), Implied Cassandra Jones | Foot Recruit/April O'Neil/Sunita, Endgame Donatello (TMNT)/Reader, Romantic Love, Platonic Love, Panic Attacks, Sexuality Crisis, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety, Happy Ending, Fluff

Synopsis: You’ve lost most of your life to anxiety and fear. Now, in your late 20s, you are desperate to reclaim it and during one such outing you encounter the sun personified. With his and his similarly celestially inspired family, will you finally reach your goal or will you lose yourself along the way?

Also available on Ao3

First 💛 Previous

It felt like tipping cosmic scales that you would avoid concussion only for Mikey to suffer one. The overnight Ice Capades were canceled the moment Mikey was not easily roused. The tone of the evening switched to a dutiful one that was punctuated with prepared scenarios. Each Hamato took their role from preparing Mikey for transport to actually moving him. It was the first time you got to see them as a team and they were surpassingly serious when need be. It was particularly amazing to watch Casey, of whom you had never heard quiet, not celebrate her victory.

It was only when Mikey was situated in a hospital bed did she grumble something out about not having won fairly. While Donnie prepared a machine for a scan, Leo reassured her that he understood the feeling. The blue brother had won that bet to wipe his debts on the back of Mikey’s loss and you thought one of the others might blame him for injury. You waited for the supposed show to drop, but instead Raph returned from grabbing the rest of the belongings. He had reviewed the scene and found Mikey’s fall was caused by a crack in the ice. Since destruction was the point of the evening, there wasn’t a way to assign blame. Any of them could have caused the break just as all of them had been a source of distraction for Mikey to look away from the ice.

It was all a terrible accident.

You waited in an adjacent hall as the scan was done. Once it was read and Mikey was cleared, he seemingly heard his positive prognosis and came to. He passed his concussion assessment with a ‘minor’ label. There was a collective sigh of relief and the first non-medical related question Mikey asked was if Leo could take you home.

“That what you want?” Leo ignored Mikey and looked to you for the answer.

“No… If that’s… o-okay…?” You checked with Mikey who looked one step away from crying tears of joy.

After a mild scolding about sinus pressure and its effects on concussions, the others shared what sounded like parting words with their little brother. They filed out one by one before Splinter came by. He was worried about his little boy, much to Mikey’s chagrin, and, after listening to him drawl on for a bit, Leo returned. You figured this was your actual goodbye and weren’t prepared when Leo then immediately launched in medical jargon. It took a few delirious seconds for you to produce your phone, but you were eventually taking down notes of how to routinely check Mikey’s coherency.

You were then left alone with your friend and he lazily told you what had been planned for the evening. Donnie had rigged the place for black light skating which Mikey deliriously told you looked like the aurora borealis three separate times. There were also plans for mock ice fishing which would have come around the time when the ice inevitably became busted beyond repair. Then something about hopping ice floats which made little sense to you along with perfect s’mores created by a certain genius' high tech system. The crown jewel of the evening had meant to be lying about and staring up at an aurora holograph which Mikey had hoped to surprise you with.

“I’m sure it would have been amazing…” You squeezed Mikey’s hand where you had been holding it a while.

Mikey hummed, a calculated drowsy from his third rousing. “Did you save that baby bird?”

“Baby… bird…?” You wondered nervously because Mikey had just passed his last comprehension check.

“Yeah the coo-coo… I’m pretty sure…” He squinted against heavy lids. “I heard it right before I fell… Maybe Leo snuck it in? Magicians like that kinda thing… Donnie sounded mad… Maybe an ecosystem thing…?”

You were rushed with the memory. “Turtle dove…”

“Is that the one?” Mikey hummed.

“It… it was Leo…”

A single chuff lolled his head. “That makes sense. Leo learned a bunch of bird calls to mess with Don. Nature walks are a usual thing. Categorizing species… gets boring. Leo’s pretty good. He’d throw Donnie off with all these tweets!”

You lowered your gaze.

“Turtle dove…” He snickered. “Like the song.” With a finger up, he gave a half hearted tune. “Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree!”

You couldn’t help but give a small smile.

“Oh, hey, hey.” Mikey waved for your attention.

You looked up.

“Turtle.” He pointed at himself. “Dove.” He pointed at you.

“I d-don’t think…” Leo hadn’t been looking at Mikey when he’d made his bird call.

He’d been looking at you and Donnie.

“Doves are symbols… of peace and love…” He made a heart with his hands and let it sit against his chest. “What’sit…? They like… mate for life or something…?”

You ducked to bury your erupting blush until you saw a twitch of Mikey’s hands going slack. Glancing at him slyly, you found him dozing off. It felt terrible to blot your brow at having dodged whatever conversation that was, so you offset your guilt by tucking Mikey in to rest.

“The platform goes there!” Donnie pointed.

He was in full directorial mode with his goggles down and a digital clipboard somehow held in his hand. You couldn’t examine how as there was a flurry of movement around you and you were trying your best to stay out of everyone’s way. You had been designated the job distribute blankets, but that only came after the necessary ground coverage was laid. Until then, besides minimizing your existence, you ended up mostly reassuring yourself that your task wasn’t given out of pity. You were only human and didn’t have lifetimes of training like the others. As soon as you were given the go ahead, you immediately rolled out four blankets in what you hoped was a satisfactory way.

Giving a weak sigh, you hunched on your knees and looked over where additionally softness was required.

Your group had set up on a building across from where they were playing a movie in the park. Apparently the Hamatos had been commandeering this rooftop for years. It seemed like when they were younger, the family used to just lean against ledges, but with age came skill. They now had what was essentially a collapsible theater that they knew how to construct or break down at a moment’s notice. The structure was one that had been perfected to mimic stadium seating so everyone had a view without having to sit right up against the edge of a building.

Years had also given each member a preferred spot. Raph crowned the top row so he could comfortably sit however he wanted without impeding anyone’s vision. Leo had a bed rest pillow that he’d jammed against the lowest step for an easy front row seat. You and Mikey were sat beside him, manning what was essentially a picnic amongst layers of blanket. On the middle tier, the girls had their own flight with a variety of chairs that they were currently bickering over.

Since there was some time before the movie started, Raph was regaling you on his specially made pillow. It looked like an oddity with its various soft appendages, but you were assured it was spike resistant and made it so it could tuck his bulky arms in any number of ways. The oldest brother then demonstrated by curling up like a cozy king of the mountain. His lazy posture acutely contrasted Donnie who was now sat beside him on a beanbag throne. He had a cocky attitude, bolstered by a successful set up, and you refused to linger. You asked Mikey to make you a snack of his choosing for the film. Lit by the idea, he cobbled together little toasts with crumbly cheese and some kind of jam all while telling you about their origins.

Nodding, but absorbing little, he ended up making you a tasting tray of treats before the movie began.

Casey hissed a shush despite no one talking and with that silence fell over the roof.

Images on the screen were a little faint from light pollution, but the picture was a classic film that you assumed everyone had seen before. Appropriate for a wide range of viewers, you tried one of Mikey’s snacks and found it palatable in a challenging sort of way. Something that made you think, you snuck the little jars away from him as he gawked openly at the film. Turning your body so you could catch the light for the labels, you read the scrawl while pondering his endearing idiosyncrasies.

You had been forewarned that Mikey tended to fall asleep during these outings. He asked you to help him avoid it for once so you grabbed a thermos of coffee. You held up the container in a shy turn to see if anyone else wanted on and Leo held up a hand. You nodded dutifully and prepared the cups which you passed off. Mikey took his blindly and sipped it without looking. You watched him nearly miss the lid in the process and chuckled as Leo bumped his little brother while taking his own cup. Tonight would be an evening of cute interactions and you returned to your line of snacks in their adorable row.

Since your overnight stay in the med bay, you and Mikey had been closer than ever. It made the swimsuit debacle almost seem worth it, if only so the two of you could work out your relationship kinks. You felt more assured than ever in where you stood with him and that was a place of comfort. Previously, you had always felt that there was some kind of surprise coming with the way Mikey spoke of wanting to see how things panned out, but it was becoming clear, at least you thought, that his phrasing had been hyperbolic.

You were also beginning to realize you might not have heard everything he’d said the night he pitched you his feelings because you had been spiraling quite a bit at that point.

Either way, you found yourself thinking of your friendship with Mikey in the long term. You could easily imagine the two of you meeting up in your golden years. It was with that level of trust that the two of you were discussing an international trip. Nothing immediate, but also not a pipe dream, Mikey wasn’t rushing as you thought me might. He, at some point, had found your speed and was becoming more adept at it by the day. You could now push back when he said travel would be a breeze with Leo’s portals. You didn’t want to take advantage of his older brother even if Mikey’s mutant status would make airport security difficult. It had brought up an interesting discussion on what something he called cloaking brooches were. You learned about the Hidden City and it became yet another destination you would one day visit.

Mikey had impressed upon you that he considered that one further down the line than Japan.

Something about it being a little too mind blowing if you still had trouble with the subway.

His understanding was another little marker of how far you’d come. You liked to think yourself content with your current trajectory. Not plateauing by any means, but also not having intense growth, you had fallen into a pattern of small victories. The more you went out, the more the daily treks became easier. Going to work rarely proved to be challenging anymore and even grocery shopping was now something you thought more of as a task to knock out instead of something to dread every week.

You could maintain a quiet life and still live it.

The lead actress spoke a quintessential line and you felt the weight of a support system.

Something nearly as cozy as the blankets you were perched on, they were all around you in a literal sense. They were people who welcomed you and asked what you thought no matter how little you imagined you brought to the proverbial table. You hadn’t doubted him, but when Mikey mentioned Sunita had asked if you were coming to this event, you’d thought you might combust from excitement. It was a foreign emotion that had you pumping your fists into the air. Mikey had teased you about it, calling Sunita with video right then to capture your live reaction, but in doing so you felt he was reassuring you. Sunita exclaimed that she couldn’t wait to see you again and that was Mikey’s way of cementing that it hadn’t been his idea.

It was her.

It was the way Leo had given you the blanket task before you had to ask.

It was the way Donnie felt comfortable touching you.

It was the way Raph had approached you to talk about his pillow.

I was the way April clapped your back.

It was the way Casey would give you a curt nod of acknowledgment.

You felt it.

You would get closer to the others.

You weren’t sure if you were an honorary Hamato, but they all wanted you around.

Head bowing, you could only thank Mikey more.

He’d not only shown you a path, but he’d paved it too.

You had friends.

You had plans.

You had palpable growth.

The little throb in your heart wondered.

Selfish.

A little control and suddenly you thought you could ask for more.

You hated it.

In all the events following skate night, you had skirted Donnie. Not in a literal sense because you were nowhere near stealthy enough to actually avoid him, there simply hadn’t been a time where the two of you were alone enough to communicate. From being jammed in a karaoke box to the bar of some tiny improv show that someone’s friend of a friend had needed to fill the few seats with, none of the outings allowed interaction. For you it had mostly been a test of maneuvering foreign spaces without messing anything up and in that regard you’d done fabulously.

You were also hyper aware of the purple turtle.

Something you despised yourself for doing, you could find yourself carrying a bouquet to an unknown comedian and knew exactly how many steps Donnie was away from you at all times. His voice found your ears in a crowd no matter how mundane and you could nearly sense the second he decided to leave an event he was no longer interested in.

He’d been the first to exit every time.

You bet tonight would be no different.

Forcing yourself back to the screen, you tried to ignore the weighty purple aura behind you and actually watch.

You rewatched movies.

You had never had a problem before.

It shouldn’t be one now.

You would watch this movie.

You would pack up the set.

You would go home.

It would be fun.

You weren’t supposed to get close to him.

This was how it was supposed to be.

You were Mikey’s friend.

The others knew the distinction.

They asked you to come along, not out themselves.

It was attention you reveled in, but you knew your place.

Missing another exchange in the movie, you tried not to sigh at the spiral of your thoughts and turned to Mikey with the intention of asking him to pass the basket. Working out exactly which silent gestures would work, your eyes fell on his slack form. Coffee tipped and clearly empty in hand, he was fast asleep with a hanging jaw.

You covered your mouth to stifle a giggle and unearthed your phone.

Imagining this was what the sun did at night, you took a few quiet pictures until you heard a voice above you.

“Send me those.” April whispered with a wide grin.

You nodded before realizing you didn’t have her number. You meant to translate it, but April whipped out her phone and held it up in a knowing hand. Trading with her and exchanging contact information, it was ducked in close that you both heard a creak. Something faint, almost like cranking wood, you watched a single nervous bead of sweat drip down April’s brow before she was flung backwards.

Your hands flew to the step that separated you and you found her legs up and her chair broken.

Beside her Casey arched her whole body out of her own seat and it garnered your attention. The woman’s top teeth tore into her bottom lip and her leg came up for a blurry flurry of movement as she held herself back. Tears forming in her eyes, you were caught wondering over who you should check on first when Sunita poked her head out, last in line.

“Casey, stop. It’s not funny.” Sunita held a hand above Casey’s head so a blob of green dripped and swallowed her up.

You thought the woman might suffocate, but instead you watched as she took the cue to burst out into laughter that was completely silent from within the goo.

“Aps, you alright?” Sunita crawled around Casey’s spasming form.

“Pride. My pride hurts most.” April shoved an arm behind her.

Donnie snorted once and turned his head as soon as April shot him a death glare.

Beside him you watched Raph’s tail flick with amusement, but he kept his eyes off the scene.

“You know…” Sunita led, taking on an odd flare to her usual bubbly nature. “We could share mine…”

April’s rage turned to the semi-translucent direction.

“You only have to admit my hammock chair is the most comfortable.” The slight menace disappearing, Sunita clasped her hands sweetly.

“Oh, hell no!” April flew onto her knees and glowered. “This was a technicality! You know how old my shit was!”

Sunita pressed a sticky finger to her lips. “Huh? I thought you took great care of it.”

“Cut the cuteness!” April ripped the goo off Casey’s face just as the woman was starting to turn a shade of dark teal within the green slime. “I bet you sabotaged it! You’ve been trying for months to get me to sit in your dumb ice cream scoop or maybe ugly miss soccer mom ‘it has an umbrella attachment’ here finally got tired of us ragging on her!”

Casey tried to show her resentment even though she was desperately siphoning oxygen.

Leo gave a single sharp shush.

Sunita continued to beam. “Guess you’re stuck then… Shame! We could have gotten so cozy...” With that the slime yokai retreated and rocked down with a comfy wiggle back into her seat.

April sat in a dark shade of humiliation that rivaled Casey’s.

The latter of which got back into her own chair and made only the sound of clearing her throat as she returned to the movie.

You stared helplessly at April, not wanting to add to the injury, but also concerned.

She eventually felt it along with the loss of her other options. “I’m fine…”

“Y-You… um… i-if y-you wanted… you could… sit with us?” You gestured and scooted over to show you could easily make room on the blanket.

There must have even more chair based conflict you missed because the downcast gaze April gave your option had a sharp bitterness to it.

“S-sorry…” You shrank down though the step was nowhere near tall enough to hide you.

“Nah, you’re good. It isn’t your fault…” She sighed heavily before her next inhale seemed to give her an idea.

You watched with growing curiosity as she calculated the wattage of a bright smile and sent it behind her.

“Hey, Donnie…” She cooed saccharine sweetness.

“No.” He didn’t look.

“But you haven’t heard-”

“I’m not getting on Sunita’s bad side again.”

“Again?!” April spun to check with the slime yokai and found the jelly woman eating gummy candy.

Your lips turned down at the thought of the pseudo-cannibalism.

“She put googlyschootz in the tank’s gas tank after I sided with you in the koala debate.” Donnie glowered down.

“They’re dumb!” April huffed.

Leo turned around with a vein popping out of his head.

April gave him a pleading smile.

He narrowed his gaze with a threat that said she was on borrowed time before turning back to the screen.

April turned silent desperation up at Donnie.

He offered only a flick of his gaze before he went back to listlessly watching the screen.

It felt like ticking seconds before April climbed the step with renewed vigor. “Move over!”

“No! No, no, no!” Donnie squabbled as she tried to shove him out of the bean bag. “No touchie!”

You tented your hands over your mouth as you watched the two try to silently slap each other.

Leo gave a loud groan. “What’ll it take to shut you both up!?”

“Halve the debt.” Donnie spoke without missing a beat.

“Get out of here!” Leo spun around.

“It’s still more than you owed me!” Donnie seethed.

“You’re a grown ass man! Learn to share!” April tried to wedge her way in, but Donnie butted her out with his hip.

“Joke’s on you, having brothers only made me creative!” Donnie edged mania.

Leo tapped a weighty finger before giving a growly exhale. “Third.”

“Two-fifths!”

“I only work with real numbers.” Leo’s lip curled.

“That is-Would you stop!?” Donnie kicked April off the bean bag.

She landed on her ass and Casey hunched forward with the threat of another cackling fit.

Other than little spurts of Casey trying to contain herself everything quieted for a moment until April rose up with her head hung. Looking almost like she’d thrown in the towel, you got a front row seat as an evil glint appeared in her eye.

You resisted the urge to pull the blanket over your head.

“Enough!” She shouted and threw out her arms. In a flash of ghostly green energy, a bat appeared in her hand. In an audible squeeze of the handle, she then turned with it ready to swing at Donnie. “Wanna talk about debts, D? Let’s chat!”

The fear that ran across Donnie’s face was palpable.

You could feel the similar terror rip through Raph and Leo.

You were sure Mikey had once said April was a true-blue New Yorker.

“How about the summer school I had to take after you blew the science lab every-” She rolled her neck. “-single-” She flexed her grip. “-semester!?”

Donnie’s hands meekly began to lift.

“Or the Vomitello incident of ‘22? The zombie food awakening during my Channel 5 internship?! Throwing away my signed Warren Stone lavalier!?!? Hmm!?!?”

In a crawling inch, Donnie slid out of his seat until he sat at the base of it.

“That’s what I thought.” April’s shoulders fell with an eerie calm and her bat disappeared. “You know I hate pulling rank, but you were being a real jerk.”

Donnie’s legs fell over onto the middle platform and his feet skirted the wreckage of Aprils’ chair. April happy snuggled into his beanbag and everyone else went slack as the tension passed. The sounds from the film returning, you watched Donnie openly sulk. April’s legs tucked to one side which game Donnie room to use the front of the beanbag as a backrest. He refused to slouch and instead hunkered forward were, every so often, he would toe broken chair bits. He was the picture of sadness and your heart squeezed.

There was nothing you could do.

You slithered, your own sorrowful, back to your spot and found Mikey now curled up on his side. His snoozing form gave you a bubble of happiness, but it wasn’t enough to buoy yourself. You moved his empty coffee cup away just for something to do. It led to you cleaning up a few other things and adjusting the basket until he had a more than enough space to toss and turn if he wanted. Reviewing his slack form, the thump of your heart beat a sad drum and you tried to will your gaze up to the screen.

A something rattled not unlike maracas to your left.

Lifting to look at it by instinct alone, you found Leo was holding out a box of candy with a reach that spanned over Mikey’s form.

You blinked a little straighter at it before tracing up Leo’s arm to his face.

The slider had a tilt to his lips and only flicked his gaze behind you before returning his pupils to yours.

You understood.

It was for Donnie.

Leo was trying to pass on a gift for his guilt.

You had a feeling Leo felt bad for not accepting the bet splitting offer.

He felt responsible for Donnie getting kicked from his spot.

It wasn’t the best peace treaty offer, but it was one all the same.

You shifted your weight, preparing to reach for it when you remembered a certain someone.

You did you own pupil flick toward Sunita who was sat behind Leo and very much able to see exactly what was occurring in front of her.

Leo only shrugged and gave the box another faint shake.

You guessed he was taking his chances with upsetting the slime yokai.

You had a feeling as the messenger, you would be spared.

You grabbed the candy with careful attention so the contents wouldn’t shift and glanced back to Donnie’s crestfallen form. He hadn’t moved in the slightest, let alone noticed what had just transpired. It made you feel worse for him as you crawled up the little step. The moment the rubbish before him was disturbed by something other than his own feet, he shot his gaze up with wary concern.

He caught you mid motion, with one leg hoisted, and you felt like an intruder crawling in through a window. Scrambling for it, the box slipped between your grip and rattled loudly which garnered an irritated click from Leo. Donnie moved to help, doing a sweep with his leg to kick away the rest of April’s chair, and knelt down in the new space afforded. You met him in the middle where he caught the other end of the box and you both leaned in for a hushed exchange.

“From Leo.” You told him.

Donnie rolled his eyes. “If he thinks this makes up for…”

“I’m not… sure? He didn’t say anything. He only asked me to pass his.”

“Oh.” Donnie’s lips rounded.

“Do… do you like these?” You wondered.

Donnie’s lids lowered as he looked at the box. “They’re my favorite movie theater snack.”

“Not your favorite usual snack?” You tilted your head at his distinction.

“Occasion is of the utmost importance.” He gave a version of a smug smile.

“True…” You ruminated over the snack Mikey had given you. “Something not too loud for movies.”

“Exactly.” His eyes shone as you understood.

You nodded and felt the alarms in your head that you were prolonging the exchange. “I…I hope… it helps…”

“Are you not enjoying the film…?” He asked, having not properly taken the candy yet.

You also hadn’t let go. “It’s… fine… I’ve seen it before…”

“I see…” Donnie’s gaze shifted as he seemed to think of something.

Let go.

You willed your fingers to release.

“Want… some?” Donnie tapped a waiting finger to the box.

No. “I-it’s y-yours, I c-couldn’t-”

“I don’t mind. Seems like you do.”

You didn’t. “W-well…”

“Come on.” With a tug to his end, he used the candy to pull you over.

You haplessly followed and sat behind him on the top step.

Finally letting go, your heart raced out of your chest as he opened the box up. Once he peeled back the cardboard to his liking, he then offered you the first pick. You grabbed a few pieces and held them close to your chest.

“How many times?”

You jarred and looked at him.

“Have you seen it?” He used gesturing to the film as part of his movement to toss some candy into his mouth.

“A b-bunch… I guess…?”

Donnie hummed with faint interest before offering you the box again.

You shook your head and revealed you still had your first handful.

“I told you, it’s fine.” Even though his voice was turned down low, you could still hear the scoff to him.

Only feeling worthy because of it, you took a single piece and put it in your mouth. The sweetness tickled your tongue and for the first time in you couldn’t remember, you saw the screen. “Oh…” You slurred a little around the treat you hadn’t bitten yet. “That’s parmesan cheese.”

“What?” He leaned closer to you with an incredulous air.

Your blood pressure noticed. “N-Not t-the c-candy! T-the… dandruff… I-n the m-movie! It’s…It’s a fun… fact?”

Donnie bobbed with a bit of laughter and ate some more candy. “A bunch was not hyperbole. You must be a big fan.”

“I’m not… I don’t know… I g-guess I find, um… behind the scenes… interesting?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” You confirmed and ate another sweet. “Seeing…” The swirl on your tongue seemed to help loosen it. “… what they decide… to keep or cut… how creative they get… it’s an interesting process…”

Donnie nodded. “I’ve got my own encyclopedic knowledge of something similar.”

“You… do?” Usually people got fatigued after one or two facts.

He had a hum to him that seemed to think you already knew.

You searched your mind hoping to place it.

For a moment, you had nothing.

Then you were struck with a sharp memory that also happened to be about movies. “Jupiter Jim and Lou Jitsu.”

Donnie grinned brightly. “Not common knowledge, but it’s the masses' loss and my gain.”

You blinked as if forcing a shutter to go off so you could remember him like this always.

He offered you the box again.

This time you took a few more pieces.

“Tell me another.” He urged.

“T-the… d-drugs they smoke… it’s actually oregano…” You looked away toward the screen to hide your embarrassment.

“They actually smoked it?”

You gave a tight nod.

Donnie swallowed a chuff and leaned back against the beanbag in what looked like an uncomfortable contortion of his body.

“I…”

He waited with a lazy smile.

You wished you had debated as you pressed your head to the cushion beside him. “I’ve… always wondered… d-did it smell like pizza? When they l-lit it…”

This time a little of his laugh leaked out. “Sounds like an easily testable theory.”

“Mikey’s going to miss his spices.”

“If he notices.” Donnie wiggled his brows and rolled onto his side to face you with the beanbag propping up his body. “Keep going.”

You mirrored him, but curled your hands up beside your cheek. “Each actor took a piece of the set home.”

“Which parts?”

You told him that and more. After exhausting what you knew about this movie, you started telling him about others from this director. He filled in spaces, knowing some factoids himself, but otherwise continued to prompt you. Before you knew it, you had both run off on some sort of tangent and were talking about crash test dummies when Leo stood and stretched loudly.

“Dinner? I’m craving biscuits and gravy!” Leo rumbled with desire.

“You’ve described a breakfast dish and it is night.” Casey flattened her hand out in the air as if watching Leo commit some heinous act.

“There are no brinner haters. Only people who haven’t had good enough brinner.” Leo smirked in return.

“Sausage, bacon, eggs, ham…” Raph swooned and rolled over to squeeze his pillow dreamily to his chest. “We’re going with or without you Case!”

“With!” She protested with her hackles up. “I’m already here!”

“Of course you are…” Sunita patted the other woman on the shoulder.

“Traitor says what?” April rushed.

“What?” Sunita blinked before it set in and she gave a burst of laughter. “You got me!”

April smirked and jumped straight down to Mikey’s level. “Hey, Chef. Time to wake and bake!”

“B-bake?” He roused, blearily. “I leave the oven on again?”

“Nah, we’re getting artery clogging diner food.”

“Biscuits and gravy?” Mikey rolled over with purpose to glimpse Leo.

The blue brother gave a thumbs up and looked skyward with the promise of grease.

“Let’s go!” Mikey cheered and went to look for you.

“Up here.” You waved from where you had stood up to put a little distance between yourself and Donnie.

He squinted at you for a long moment.

The scrutiny had you feeling dizzy.

“April wasn’t your chair right there?” Mikey blurted out.

Your eyes rolled back with relief.

“I’ll catch you up.” She tucked her hands under his arm and yanked him up before he was ready.

Mikey squawked and got to his feet before scolding her.

She took it in stride and Donnie stepped into his directorial position. “Alright people, let’s get this packed up!”

You lingered until he was done giving a few instructions. “Thanks… for listening to me.”

“I asked.” He said simply and you couldn’t tell where his gaze was due to his goggles.

You gave a faint nod and meant to step away before you threw something over your shoulder at him. “I’d… love to hear what you got about your movies...”

Fleeing the scene, you nearly tripped over a step.

Mikey chuckled below you as he picked up the basket and asked how you liked the snack he’d made. You barely remembered and offered your best vague descriptions. Doing part two of your blanket-related job, retrieval, you helped pack up and Leo sliced a portal that he promised held decadence in the form of a truck stop bathroom. He was bemoaned for his description and you were eventually ushered through where you emerged outside a 24-hour diner. Something classic, the family flowed around you until you were inside.

A smart looking pig mutant in an adorable waitress uniform took your order and had Raph openly stumbling as he bit back on ordering his meaty delights. She openly teased him for it and dismissed the discrepancy about pork products. Writing his meal down for him as he was a ‘biggun,’ she moved through taking others’ decisions down. You meant to peep out something small, but Mikey cut in asking if you’d share with him. Nodding as it helped alleviate your choice, he ordered, and you sunk into the booth you’d shoved into.

Without a big corner seat to sit the whole group, the gang had split up between two booths, back to back. With you squished into the middle, Mikey flanked you and April had dragged Raph with her across the table. It meant immediately behind you sat Donnie with Leo and Casey and Sunita were in a tactically advantageous position as far away from April as possible. Knowing you were in the middle of some cold war zone, you listened to Leo and Mikey yak about what kind of gravy it was and if it ruined their New York heritage.

“Firstly, there are 80 titular films.”

Your eyes shot wide as Donnie’s voice coaxed your ear.

“If we start in order-”

“There’s no way.” You turned to find the purple brother’s chin resting on the backrest that separated you two.

“Pardon?” He brought up a brow that regarded your challenge as a weak one.

“Godzilla has like 30! There’s no way this… space guy I’ve never heard of has more than twice that!” You sent huge eyes at him.

“The Godzilla franchise has its merits, but it’s not Jupiter Jim.” Donnie grinned deviously.

“Show me.” You straightened to see him better.

As if knowing you’d ask, Donnie’s arm slunk over the back of the booth with a wiki up.

You scrolled up and down it. “How…?”

“Anything is possible with a low budget, which brings me to my first fact…”

Buckling up in a very metaphorical way, Donnie began to tick off movie facts one at a time. Keeping the plot vague as there seemed to be an implication that you would soon watch the movies, you became enthralled with the many little details. A true work of passion, the story spanned a scripted galaxy until Donnie began to piece in what they found out was real. There were actual yokai who the sometimes delusional Marcus Moncrief would confuse for aliens and it turned out several of his films had mistakenly captured true events.

Your food arrived and you only snuck bites of it in order to continue to listen to Donnie’s spiel. Asking your own questions or positing your own thoughts gave him a chance to eat. Finding a good balance, you often caught Mikey in some of your backswings. He seemed to be openly enjoying the conversation which broadened your sphere of consciousness. Now realizing the entire group was quiet and listening in, you flushed at being the center of attention and poked at a complimentary bowl of fruit.

The lull prompted Donnie to taper off where he was explaining something about a Pluto Vacation.

Moving a honeydew around, you heard him give a faint huff. “If you’re going to play with your food, give me your grapes.”

You offered them up and tried not to look at him.

He plucked only one when he’d mentioned plural and you were forced to glance as he left you holding the bowl.

His profile was waiting and only when he was sure he had your eye did he bring the morsel to his lips. A contrasting shade of purple to his own, he bit only the tip of it and in a quick suck, shriveled the berry.

“W-what?” The syllable popped out of you.

He extracted the rind and it disappeared over into his booth to be disposed of. “Problem?”

“What was that?” You giggled and tried to see where he’d put the grape husk.

He blocked you with his body. “I don’t like the texture.”

“Then why eat it?” Your features scrunched in smiling confusion.

“I like the juice.”

“Then order juice!” More laughs leaked from you.

He looked to be near gloating. “I dislike the sugar content.”

“Grapes are sugary!” You covered your mouth.

“Added sugar.” He clarified, now smarmy.

“Make your own.” You offered the bowl.

He plucked another single grape. “There’s a process that includes straining the pulp.”

“Of course, you’ve tried.” You shook your head, hopelessly.

“Even the finest sieve did not catch all the particulates! This is truly the only way.” He held a purple bud up high and tipped his head back ready to suck another’s juices.

“You’re a grape vampire!”

“You know there were color sucking creatures in Jupiter Jim and the Sepia Chase…”

“Trying to save money on color film?” You stole the grape back from him as he was distracted.

He turned with a faint leer. “Nice catch, but no…” In a sweep he caught the other two from your bowl. “There is more to it!” Biting the end of both at the same time, he expertly drained them.

“You desecrate fruit’s good name!”

“And he’s not even caught up on the comics.” Leo mused.

“There’s comics?” You glanced at the blue brother, on too much of a high to even notice he had butt into the conversation.

Leo’s eyes gave a similar glint to Donnie’s.

“We’re discussing film!” Donnie hissed.

“I don’t know…” Leo swirled his head. “I was hearing mostly fun facts and I’m chock full of ‘em!”

“Leo owns every single Jupiter Jim comic.” Mikey added.

“No, back to the movies! We do sing-a-longs to the musical ones every year. You should come!” April offered.

“Oh, oh! Does that mean I’m allowed back?” Sunita bounced in her seat.

“Did ya learn the words?” Raph folded his arms. “I may not be much for musical theater, but three strikes you’re out on the lyrics is a pretty good one.”

“Pretty sure they don’t kick the performers if they mess up Rose's Turn too many times…” Leo pointed with his fork.

“They should! What’s the point of studious practice if there isn’t the threat of torture?” Casey grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ve all seen you cry at Carmen.” April remarked.

A gasp heard round the dinner, everyone lit up with debate and you were left blinking at what happened.

Suddenly alone amongst a crowd, you turned to find Donnie staring at Leo with an odd expression.

It brought your eye from studying him to the grape you’d stolen and something in you urged you to reach out to touch him.

He animated with a silent startle and you offered him the berry in your outstretched palm. “Do… the color suckers come before or after Star-Gazer Chacón?”

Donnie’s gaze oozed affection as he both took the grape and your detail-oriented attention in. “Before…” You butted up close against the back of the booth where he pressed to meet you and continued his facts.

💛 NEXT 💛

Thank you kindly to my betas @tmntxthings and @thepinkpanther83

#sunshinemoonshinefic #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader #donatello hamato #donnie x reader #rise donnie #rise donnie x reader #rottmnt donatello #rottmnt Donnie #me #fanfiction #my fanfiction

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