#the mikey thinking he was pan was me projecting too

[halogalopaghost]

Doctor On Call

read on AO3

“Hey Donnie, is this infected?”

Donatello jerked away from his workstation as Mikey’s foot came down on it heel-first. A large nodule stuck out from the lateral interior of his foot—red, angry, and (oh, goody) leaking.

He wrinkled his nose and used his screwdriver to push the foot unceremoniously off his desk. “How’d you even manage to get a blister there? We don't wear shoes, Mikey.”

He laughed. “You’re tellin’ me, dude. But uh, it kinda hurts, so—”

Donnie heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Hang on, let me go sterilize a needle.”

---

“Y’know how you said to never remove a weapon if you’re impaled?”

Don swiveled around in his chair, only able to see a green and red blur through his magnifying visor. He pushed it up and away from his eyes with the back of his grungy hand, and found a little more red decorating the scene than he would have liked.

“Raphael,” he began evenly, “would you care to explain how this happened?”

Standing on the threshold of his brother’s lab, Raphael shifted from foot to foot. The sai embedded in his shoulder wobbled slightly, but he didn't so much as wince. “No,” he finally said.

Donnie put a hand to his face for a moment, drawing in a steadying breath. “At least have the decency to go get the suture kit, then.”

Raph grinned guiltily, then went for the kit.

---

“Heeey, Donnie,” Leo drawled.

Donatello froze, hunched over his workspace. “What did you do?”

Leo must have taken that as an invitation to enter, because his bare feet padded farther into the room, stopping just behind Don. He rested a hand heavily on his brother’s shoulder. “Why assume I did something? Do I need an ulterior motive to check in on my little bro?”

Donnie’s mouth thinned into a line as he stared bemusedly at his latest robotics project. “Well we could start with the slurred speech and the weave in your gait.”

He shrugged Leo’s hand off and turned around in the worn desk chair. It was lucky he did, it gave him just enough time to snatch Leo’s arm before he completely busted his shell. The fast-bruising welt on his head proved Don’s theory.  

“Did you hit your own head, or did Raph finally snap?”

For a second, Leo looked like he was going to deny it, then his shoulders fell and he sighed. “I lost a fight with the cabinet above the stove. Think you could check for a concussion?”

“Only if I get lifetime mocking rights,” he shot back. “Fearless Leader Felled by Cast Iron Pan From Above, what a headline.”

Leo sat heavily on the spare stool. “Fine, fine.”

Don plucked his penlight from the pencil cup and swiveled toward his brother. “See, this is why Mikey doesn’t let you in the kitchen.”

---

“Excuse me, Donatello.”

Donnie startled in his chair. Master Splinter always surprised him like that; he could hear his brothers coming from a mile away, but never their father. He stood and turned to face him, bowing quickly. “Yes, Sensei—oh.”

Master Splinter stood on the threshold of the lab, holding out his shaking paws—the pads of which were an angry red, and growing blisters quickly. Donatello practically picked his father up in the process of getting him to a place to sit down.

“Leo!” He hollered in the general direction of the dojo, hoping that’s where his brother was. “Bring ice! Sensei, you should have put these under the faucet immediately,” he chided softly.

“Yes, my son, I realized that halfway here.” He chuckled, despite how painful it must have been to have Donnie poking and prodding at his hands. “What is it that you say? Six, half dozen?”

Donnie laughed too, he couldn't help it. Anything sounded like a wise old Japanese proverb when Master Splinter said it. And the fact that his first thought had been to go to his son…well, Donnie knew he was no doctor, but it was touching how much trust his family placed in him.

Leo, bless him, showed up less than sixty seconds later with ice wrapped in a thin dish towel. “Sensei!” He sucked a breath through his teeth, catching a glimpse of his burned paws before Donnie placed the ice on top of them. “What happened?”

He looked at his sons from beneath his thick brows, one ear twitching. “We shall tell your brothers a different story, but…I was trying to make tea,” he finally relented.

Donnie’s hand audibly smacked against his forehead. Leave it to the master ninja to give himself partial thickness burns with a pot of water.

Leo laid a hand on Sensei’s shoulder. “We’ll tell Raph and Mikey that you were training and save you the torment.”

Sensei laughed again, more heartily this time. “Thank you, my sons.”

Donnie took the ice away from his hands. “Hmm, that doesn't look good. Let's go back to the kitchen and run them under water, okay?”

“Of course, Donatello. Thank you.”

Holding onto Sensei’s elbow as they left for the kitchen, Donnie beamed at the praise.

---

Three things happened at once: first, a string of very colorful language drifted from Donnie’s lab over to where his three brothers sat in front of the television; the power flickered twice and then cut out; and in the very brief, very dark silence that followed, the fire alarm in Donnie’s lab began shrilling.

All three of them jumped up without a word to one another, expertly navigating their home in the dark. 

“Donnie!” Leo called, skidding into the dark lab.

Raphael clambered on top of a workbench to silence the alarm, sending Donnie’s projects and gadgets tumbling all over. There was no fire, just the smell of smoke.

“Don?” Leo tried again. He stilled, briefly confused that he couldn't find his brother in the dark. Usually he would at least hear his breathing—

Oh shell, he wasn't breathing.

The three of them realized as one, and the scramble began anew. Leo fell to his hands and knees to find his brother, Mikey went for the emergency floodlight on the wall, and Raph left the lab altogether. By the time he came back with the AED, Leo was already halfway through a round of compressions.

CPR on a turtle was…complicated. Their hearts were dead center in their chest, to begin with, which meant ‘the medial joint of their plastron’s scutes prevented compressions too deep’, as Donatello had so technically said. Donnie assured them all that if a scute was cracked or bruised during compressions, it would be okay. But now that Leonardo actually had his brother's plastron beneath his palms, hearing and feeling the groan of it every time he pressed down, he didn't feel so certain.

Raph knelt on Donnie’s other side while Mikey stood over them with the flashlight, trying to illuminate as much of the scene as possible.

“Do you smell that?” Mikey asked, voice shaking.

Yeah, they smelled it. Burned flesh was hard to miss. But treating whatever other wounds Donnie had sustained had to come second to his heart.

Raph tore the paper off the AED pads and carefully placed them just like Don taught him, then pressed the on switch. They all nearly jumped out of their shells when Donnie’s voice, thin and tinny, came out of the AED. “Analyzing cardiac rhythm,” it said. 

Raph wanted to cover his ears. If the last time he heard his brother’s voice was from the stupid AED—

“Administering shock. Stay clear of the patient.”

“Clear,” Raph said.

“Clear,” both of his brothers echoed, Leo holding his hands up near his head to prove it.

“Shock will be delivered in 3…2…1…” Donnie jolted once as electricity shot through him. “Shock administered, check pulse and breathing and resume compressions if necessary.”

Raph put his fingers on Don’s neck, then shook his head. Leo moved to resume compressions, but he signaled him to stop. No, there was something there…

Both brothers froze.

“I have a pulse, but he’s not breathing.” Without giving his brothers any time to respond to that information, Raph lifted one meaty fist and brought it down hard on the center of Don’s chest. 

Donnie took a deep breath, eyes flying open in terror. He wobbled on his shell, off-balance in a panicked effort to flee. Three sets of hands came down on his chest to stop him.

“Donnie, don't move,” Leo said urgently. He took his brother’s pulse, actually timing it this time, and listened to his heavy, ragged breathing for a moment.

The power came back on.

“What the fuck, Don!” Raph yelled.

He looked between his brothers, clearly disoriented, but less panicked with a good view of his surroundings. “Sorry,” he gasped out. He accepted his their help as he struggled to sit up, hands over his plastron. “Ough, my chest. What happened?”

Leo grabbed his hands, flipping them palms up. He wrinkled his nose. Well, he figured out where the burned flesh smell came from—Donnie’s palms were both blistered and slightly charred, but it didn't seem to cover too much surface area.

“We were kinda hopin’ you could tell us,” Raph sighed out, adrenaline ebbing.

Donnie eyed the AED, then looked over Raph’s head up to his workstation. He blinked a few times, then smiled sheepishly. “I, uh. I think I forgot to unplug it.”

They followed Donnie’s eyes up to the unidentifiable appliance on the workbench. Whatever it was, Donnie had long stripped it of its housing and any other identifiable features. Other than that it was made of metal and plugged into the wall, they didn't have a clue what it was.

“You knucklehead,” Raph muttered. “I’d kill you if I hadn’t just finished savin’ your skin.” He ripped the pads off Don’s chest and tossed them in the AED bag, standing up to wash his hands of the whole affair.

Mikey scooted into Raph’s spot and threw his arms around Donnie’s neck. “Don’t ever do that again! I thought you were toast, bro!”

“Don’t do what again?” Splinter appeared in the doorway, body-blocking Raphael. He tapped his cane on the ground, whiskers twitching.

“Oh—Sensei, uh. I just had…an accident. Everything’s okay now. No need to worry.” He tried for a smile. It was too wobbly to be reassuring. 

He gave all four of his sons an incredibly unamused stare. They all ducked their heads, still unwilling or unable to stick their ground in the face of that all-knowing look. “Leonardo, how badly is he wounded?”

“It’s not too bad, Sensei.” He held Donnie’s burned hand out, showing him the minor damage. “I’m more worried about the fact that your heart stopped, Donnie.”

Donatello had the decency to look ashamed. “It probably didn’t stop,” he muttered. “Most likely, it was ventricular fibrillation.”

“Oh, that sure makes me feel better,” Raph drawled sarcastically. “I guess he’s fine, guys, let’s all hit the hay. Are you stupid, Donnie? No—don’t answer that.”

“I’m fine! You guys knew exactly what to do, so I'm fine. Just a little bruised up.”

Splinter, with his ears pressed flat against his head, closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. “You four will be the end of me. Donatello, be honest—what side effects should we prepare for?”

He pulled his hands away from Leo, using the side of one to rub absently at his chest. “Uhh, nothing much. Just, uh, that my heart doesn’t…stop again. Or something like that.”

“Oh, sure, nothin’ too serious,” Raph scoffed.

Only the telltale twitch of their father’s whiskers alerted them to his vague irritation. “You will be sleeping in the infirmary bed tonight, my son. Come, help your brother up.”

Mikey and Leo got Donnie to his feet pretty quickly, and Raph put a hand on the back of his shell as if to say ‘there, I participated, are you happy?’ They helped him the few steps to the infirmary cot, which Donnie was surprised to actually need. Not only did his legs seem unwilling to comply—it seemed that the electricity had left an exit wound on the bottom of his left foot.

Master Splinter sat in the chair beside the cot, pulling the rolling cart of medical supplies closer to himself. “I will treat the burns while you set up the heart monitor.”

“Guys, really, I'm okay.” Even as Leo started sticking EKG nodes on him and Raph clipped the pulse oximeter on one green finger, he protested. “The likelihood of going into v-fib again is infinitesimal.”

“Ahh, darn, looks like we can't comply with your complaints if we can't understand the words yer usin’,” Raphael drawled.

Splinter gently drew Donnie’s burned hand into his own. “My son, it is you that so often cares for us when we are injured or unwell. Let us return the favor now and care for you.”

Donnie smiled in spite of himself, looking down at his lap as he felt heat rise in his cheeks. “Okay, I guess that makes sense. Thank you, Sensei.”

“Didja hit your head on the way down?” Raph asked, standing behind his head.

“Uh, I don't think so. No bumps, no headache.”

“Good.” A smack reverberated around the room. “Be smarter next time, genius.”

Don lurched forward, hands raised instinctively to protect the head that Raph smacked. “Ow! Talk about insult to injury!”

“That's actually injury to injury,” Raph corrected, leaning into his field of vision. “You die, an’ I'm gonna dig you up just to kill you again. You hear?”

Donnie winced as Master Splinter made his first pass with the antibacterial gel on his hand. “Loud and clear, boss,” he grumbled.

Maybe, just maybe, it would be okay to let himself be taken care of.

Just this once.

[neptuniadoesstuff]

Le main crew of Mortal's Curse! (Also TW for some scarring/injuries)

(Update: Had to remove a slight error I made in the drawing)

I spent way too much time on this just for Screb to make the quality trash. :( So yeh uh... Enjoy this "masterpiece" I made in IbisPaint-

Also some close-ups lol.

Btw the pink stuff on the knife is just jam.. ITS JAM NOT BL00D!

ANYWAYS, HERES SOME INFO I DECIDED TO COPY OFF MY SCREB PROJECT (but with some changes bcs frik u):

Elara "Velvet" Shelley (Velvet is just an online aliase as she is referred to "El" irl) (My ver of Canon Elara Shelley)

Jeremiah Samuel Greenbel/"JJ the Rascal" (JJ is a online aliases & his nickname) (My ver of Canon Jeremiah Greenbel)

Sirius "Foxglove"/"Fuax" Grant (Both Foxglove & Fuax are online aliases) (My ver of Canon Sirius Grant)

Harper Halmor Tolnek Turner (Often refered to "Hall" or "Harp") (My ver of Canon Harper Turner)

Miren'Aska Lao Middleton (Just referred to as Aska or Miren) (My ver of Canon Aska Middleton)

Facts are gonna be in a new post of mine so u goobers after to wait.

1: || Elara Shelley | Age: 27-28 | Female, She/Her | Straight Ally (Is prob a Gray-Ace as well) | Is Greek/Japanese American | Engaged to Sirius | Born a Mortal but was given the "Curse of Immortality" at a early stage of life ||

2: || Jeremiah Samuel Greenbel/Turner aka JJ | Age: 34 | Cross-Gender (Male), He/Him (Sometimes He/They or He/They/It) | Bisexual, Demi-romantic | That of European Ancestry + Korean-American | Married to Harper | Born with "Greenbel Syndrome" (a family-based gene) & a mutation that made him have a tail ||

3: || Sirius Grant | Age: 30 | Male (Trans), He/Him | Straight | Russian-American | Engaged to Elara | Last name was originally called "Alexeyev" but he was adopted by a mixed family ||

4: || Harper Hallmor Tolpek Turner/Greenbel | Age: 34-35 | Male, He/Him | Gae | African-American, Mexican (& is somewhat descended from the Ferronox Tribe) | Married to JJ | Is a complete coffee-adidct & will become feral when given decaf ||

5: || Miren'Aska Lao Middleton | Age: 32 | Demi-boy, He/They | Pan | Filipino & British but born in New Zealand | Married to a Russian/German woman named Rushka | Is often called Miren or Aska by his friends but is referred to as "Michael" or "Mikey" by close friends ||

Plz note all of this info I made up is only Canon in Mortal's Curse & not MO: Astray. Also my ver of Aska & Sirius are not related to their canon counterparts family-wise. + MC takes place in the later future of the good ending.

Characters: The main crew of MO: Astray but my vers (All designs are mine ig but originally by Rayark & Archpray)

Art: Mine.

Program: IbisPaint x

Bubs' TOS: Plz don't repost/steal, trace, or recolor my art WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! If you do, I'll take yur femur and pelvis.. SO, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT! (The PNS on my Blog's pinned project clearly means "Please No Steal" plz follow that rule.) If you do post my art on anything like yur blog or somewhere else (With my permission) PEASE CREDIT ME!

[lunar-lair]

Oooh, can I hear about "Note: Hands and Heart Required for this Recipe"?

figured id answer these at the same time since you both asked! also hi charlie lmao @teenagemutantninjatrauma dw the masses will get to see the donnie madness. also adding a read more bc frankly this got LONG i really like this wip so i ended up talking abt it WAY too much alkfsdj

this is a little baking fic ive been putting together! the idea is that donnie starts out being offended that people in baking videos say macarons are hard and tries to make them with a stand mixer he made himself. he Fails Horrifically. then he goes back to brownies, and is Instantly compelled by the kind of science that baking entails. the thing as a whole is kinda of...it turns into a coping mechanism, for him to say, i have something other than tech, another way for him to be useful, a way to support emotionally as well as physically. hell make muffins when leo seems crabby, hell make bread when mikey has been down, hell make cake when raph's smile is straining, and hell smile the whole time, hell put his weight into kneading that dough, hell put his heart into this. thats why its called that! its kinda like those notes at the beginning of recipes like 'btw youre gonna need a stand mixer and a springform pan for this' but saying 'welcome to baking! pick up your heart and hold it close, and make sure your hands are ready, because while machines can do what we can, whats the point? dont give me that look, youll understand soon enough.'

initially this was going to be a oneshot but it QUICKLY evolved. i havent even finished writing the brownies part and its already about 4k. also leo appeared and made himself Known as he always does, so its a lot of disaster twins so far. i do have some of this one written though, so i can find a snippet! lemme see, uhhh...ok you guys are getting at LEAST two i cant choose. here, this first one is from earlier on, it points out the earlier reasoning/the theming kinda well:

He finally threw his hands in the air after an hour of this, giving a loud ‘UGH!’ and pausing it, setting his work aside. “Fine!” He huffed, stomping over to his blueprints table. “If you’re so insistent that it’s so difficult, I guess I’ll have to prove you wrong!” He’d already been proven wrong so many times that his tech, his projections, his work couldn’t stand up to a challenge. That it would crumble under the grasp of the sharp claws of a demon, or the megaton punch of a battle suit.  He was 15, and he was sore, and he wanted to prove himself.   Well, he’d thank himself later, but for now, he pulled out the blueprints and called, “Shelldon, pull up schematics for commercial stand mixers.” He’d proven he could do better, with Shelldon and with Raph’s eye and his shells.  He could do something as simple as this. 

dont ask me how shelldon is alive i didnt think that hard abt it. just . the robots alive get used to it. this next snippet is later on, and is more on the disaster twins/donnie knowing his family kind of side

Leo leaned back and curled into himself, hand rubbing at the back of his neck, eyes averted. Jeez, he really felt bad, huh? Well, in that sorry, man way and not I’m sorry I’m not good enough way, but still. “But this seems like you’re really getting into, you know? I didn’t wanna criticize you right when you started out. “ Donnie thought, for a moment.  A lot of times, Leo did things because he was projecting.  This was, often, perfectly fine. He rarely did it in a bad way, but in this sort of sense? When he was saying, I didn’t want to criticize you right when you’re starting out? Leo knew Donnie could take criticism.  It’s Leo who can’t.  And Donnie can still remember Raph asking if Leo could really memorize all that medical knowledge, and Mikey asking for Raph instead, and Donnie having to guide him through a lot of the bigger words, getting frustrated now and then.  Or when he started drinking tea, and they all called him an old man, because they expected him to bounce back, to bite back, to be fine with it.  Or when he got his first scarf from April and Donnie asked him why he was still wearing it around 2 days later. (Hypocrite.)  And he wondered why they rarely saw him drinking tea even if the bags dwindled, why those scarves disappeared for a year or two. 

ok i was lying take ONE more snippet. i really like this doc it all came together pretty well even if it isnt quite finished yet/i wrote it at 8-10 pm the night after an all nighter

The whole time, Leo had this smile on, a little childish and fun. Not…not quite as blinding as it had been in the past, or as blinding as it might ever be again, but big and bright and simply excited. Like eating the brownies his brother made by hand was the only thing on his mind.  It settled something worried and loving and warm in a corner of Donnie’s heart, the same something that settled when he made machines and modified security and kept careful watch when he noticed something amiss.  He let it happen, let it settle, let this be warm.  Leo was the one who was sent to tell the others there were brownies, because he was excited and Donnie had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to sit still around them while they cooled for longer than the two minutes he had already been sitting there.  Donnie only chuckled something fond under his breath as he gathered up some small plates. 

my favorite thing about this doc is just. leos so excited the whole time and its this part of him i dont get to discuss NEARLY enough when i write. hes so bouncy the WHOLE time and its genuinely perfect. donnie agrees, too, so it all works out, hehe.

[autisticenbydonnie]

for the hyperfixation ask game: 📌, ✨, and 🏳️‍🌈?

📌 how did you find your hyperfixation?

I think I saw clips of the show on twitter and tiktok for years honestly. I def remember seeing people having a problem with April (for sadly obvious reasons :/) finally decided to watch the show after seeing people talk about the movie.

(More specifically, I saw skulltrot's video about Donnie's autism and some tiktoks and that did it for me (I think the one that made me say "fuck it I'm watching the show" is @friccafracc's 'holiday boys' one lol) )

✨ what draws you towards your hyperfixation? what is interesting about it?

Honestly, I'm a huge sucker for characters, if I care about your characters, I'm hooked. And I care so much for the turtles and others!

Also, the art style, I like the graphic and 'edgy' look to it. + Plus the character designs!! *Chef's kiss*

🏳‍🌈 do you have any headcanons (lgbt, race, neuro, etc) that are important to you?

I'm of those people who likes having multiple different headcanons for the same characters. but ill post the one closest to my heart <3

Donnie

he's non-binary, full stop. no arguing. this is my hill. they/he and bi.

goth/alt/emo (no this isn't projection shoosh) and does their eyeliner as well as their eyebrows.

autistic (but that's canon). chronic pain/disability, mainly in his back and legs. chronic headaches.

stoner

Leo

I mainly headcanon Leo as transmasc gay, but I love transfem lesbian Leo with all my heart! (if I was to fully form this headcanon I'd change her name to Venus cuz I think that would be fun)

ADHD, insomnia

stoner

was the last one to like/trust draxum

Raph

*slams fists against table repeatedly* SHE/HE RAPH! honestly Raph using she/her at all is just <3333333333

also aroace :)

either blind in one eye or lost it after the kraang attack

autistic and dyslexic.

red is still her favourite colour but he also LOVES pink

Mikey

Pan, genderfluid or pangender, either way, she/he/they.

started growing hair at like 16-18 or something. he dyes it :)

ADHD (but I think that's canon too?), dyspraxia and muscle spasms.

after running out of space in the lair for graffiti, Donnie got her a drawing tablet. he draws with it a lot! (but also goes out and spray paints in new york too. sometimes he takes someone else with them, mostly he goes alone)

cat magnet, cats just love her!

(wish I could come up w/ ones from the other characters but these 4 are the ones I think about the most and are the most important to me)

Edit: I miss read the second question so i re-wrote it and moved the other answer.

[ask game]

[byfulcrums]

ROTTMNT sexuality Headcanons!

All of the turtles are LGBTQ+. Leo's gay and asexual, Donnie's aroace and bi, Mikey's aroace and straight (projecting, but I'm a lesbian) and Raph is pan. Also, April is an asexual lesbian.

• Leo was the first one who came to terms with his sexuality. He knew since he was a kid that he didn't like women. He realized because of how he never felt the “butterflies” around them. Before, when he read books or watched stuff and saw the falling in love cliché, he thought that the only reason why he couldn't relate to that was because he never met anyone else besides his fam. Then, he sneaked out and saw a human boy. Poor guy was so in love he almost fell and let the humans discover him. His true gay awakening.

• Mikey at first thought he was pan, because he didn't really care about gender. Then he realized he didn't care at all. He didn't mind it. In fact, he was actually happy to discover his sexuality. The only problem he has is that most of the people who are around his age he meets fall in love with him. I mean, that guy's a sweetheart, who wouldn't love him? He always panics because he doesn't want to hurt their feelings. After a while, he decided to use Doctor Delicate Touch on them (instead of spinning around the love confession, he'd just say “yeah no i'm aro”).

• Raph only figured it out recently. At first he thought he was bi because he was attracted to both genders. Then, after a long talk with April, he came to realize that he wasn't bi, he was pan. April had to explain the term to him because he didn't understand it. Why would you be attracted to pans??? April sometimes laughs at him because of that. With love, of course. He has yet to have a serious relationship with someone because the very few partners he had either left him, or they fell apart. If it was because of the second one, then they definitely stayed friends.

• Like Mikey, Donnie thought for the first seventeen years of his life that he was pan. He only came to realize he was aroace about a year after the movie. He doesn't deal with the “oh no everyone falls in love with me” problem because he scares most people away (he does that on purpose. Whenever he realizes someone is staring at him in a non-platonic way, he scares them off. It's hilarious to watch). He thought he was in love with April when they first met because almost all of the TV shows he saw had a straight relationship as the main cast. Then, he realized that he only thought that because she was the only girl he knew and he didn't know how romantic love felt like. They love eachother like siblings btw.

• April has always known she was a lesbian. It started when she was like five, when all of her friends were crushing on this boy who was like, the hottest guy in kindergarten for the kids (the hottest guy turned out to be the teacher after he came out as trans. Idk why I added that). They would come to her like “omg he talked to me!! Isn't he amazing?” and she would be like “uhh no??”. Anyways, she started crushing on the girl all the boys were in love with. It was complicated. They dated for like a month before she moved out (plot twist: the girl was Sunita, who was trying to experience a human life for a while).

[homesweetsewer]

Consolation Prize: Part 3 (Donatello x Fem Reader)

Hello! Part 3 is finally here (yay)! So glad I finally got some time this evening to work on this...its been killing me! I have one more part lined up to finish this one off and them I’m thinking of either doing an April-centric tie-in OR maybe a little Donnie x Reader intimate action OR maybe both if ya’ll are digging it. Let me know what you think :)

 Anywho, I’ll drop the links to the rest of this little saga below since quite a few of you have told me you appreciate having everything in one place.

Harmless: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Radiant: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Consolation Prize: Part 1, Part 2

Donatello rolled out of bed long before his alarm had ever gone off. Truthfully, He hadn’t really gone to sleep other than an intermittent light doze punctuated by dark nightmares in which you broke up with him over his unintentional neglect. Each time he’d been jolted back into an uneasy wakefulness, lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling as his conversation with Raph played over and over in his mind. Worry ate incessantly at him. Were things really so bad that he was actually at risk of losing you?

His stomach twisted in knots as he picked his way through the darkened lair towards the kitchen, his mind focused as he worked through different scenarios to earn your forgiveness. As if on autopilot, he set a pot of coffee to brew and reached for a box of strawberry pop tarts. He hummed to himself as he ripped open the foil package and released the pastries from their confines. Absently, he licked the frosting from first one and then the other before slipping them back into the pack and replacing the box before reaching for his favorite coffee cup and pouring himself a healthy dose of the freshly brewed, caffeinated beverage. 

Sipping the scalding liquid carefully, he finalized the details of his plan as he made his way toward his lab. The door swung silently open and his nimble fingers sought out the light switch with practiced familiarity, flicking it on and flooding the space with brightness before shouldering the door closed behind himself. He retreated to his chair, seating himself behind his desk, ignoring the various monitors that hummed and buzzed with incoming data and information, as well as the various half finished projects he had scattered about the room. He’d get to work later but right now he had a more important priority. The most important priority he now realized. 

He took another steadying drink of coffee before reaching for his phone. In his head, he ran over the words he’d say and hoped you were in a forgiving mood. He scrolled through his contacts which were admittedly few. He was a mutant turtle after all and, as such, his social circle was limited to put it mildly. He found your name easily and tapped on it, a whimsical smile tugged at his lips as he took a moment to admire the photo he’d saved to your contact information. It was a photo that his youngest brother had snapped, long before he’d had any inkling of his true feelings for you, and it remained one of his favorites. 

“Alright, fam,” Mikey had instructed, “squish together and smile!”

The two of you had already been seated closely together on the couch and you hadn’t hesitated to snuggle yourself into his side and wrap your arms around him. He’d pulled you closer, one arm around your shoulders and the other around your waist in a tight embrace. Neither of you had been looking at the camera. Instead, you’d been looking deeply into one another’s eyes, a faint blush on your faces as you both smiled timidly at each other. What had been so easily over looked then, what was so obvious to him now, was the absolute adoration he’d felt for you in that moment. It was written all over the tender expression he wore as he looked down at you and you...you were absolutely beautiful.

“How’s this?” You’d asked the question in an almost whisper, your eyes never leaving his. 

“Perfect,” Michelangelo had responded with a knowing grin before digitally immortalizing the moment forever.

A sigh of longing escaped Don’s lips as he brushed a finger gently over your image. He’d loved you even then, he now knew, but he wanted to make sure you knew it, too. Taking a deep breath to fortify his nerves, he pressed the call button and waited with a gut full of nervous anxiety as it began to ring.

“Hello?” A groggy voice answered on the fourth ring. “Donnie?”

“Good morning, love...” Donatello faltered slightly at hearing your sleepy tone. “I...I didn’t wake you did I?”

The soft sound of blankets shifting preceded your annoyed grunt. “It’s six o’clock in the morning...on a Saturday,” you emphasized.

Donnie cringed slightly into his shell. He’d been so eager to speak with you and clear the air that he hadn’t even considered your love of sleeping late on the weekends. Already things were not going as well as he’d hoped. “I’m...I’m sorry...”

You sighed, “Is everything alright? You never call this early.”

“Y-Yes,” he stuttered. “Everything is fine. I just...I just wanted to talk to you. And,” he took a deep breath, “and apologize for last night. I know it’s not an excuse but I got carried away with what I was doing and lost track of time.”

“Four hours,” you uttered, sounding more awake and emotional now. “I waited on you to finish for four hours and you never came out.”

“I know,” Donnie grimaced. The slight tremor that had replaced the tiredness in your voice shot a dagger straight through his heart. He hurt you, perhaps even worse that he’d originally believed. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean...”

“You don’t have to explain,” your voice was thick with emotion as you spoke, cutting him off. All your insecurities rushing to the forefront of your mind as you continued, “I know I’m not April O’Neil.”

Donatello’s brain faltered at that. You couldn’t possibly think...? Could you? He shook his head vehemently despite the fact that you couldn’t see it. “No, no, no, no, no! It-it isn’t like that at all...” 

“It’s okay,” you sniffled. “I understand if you’d rather spend time with her. I’m just...just...second place. I always have been. I know that.”

Donnie’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to wrap his head around what you were saying. You seriously believed he’d settled for you when things hadn’t panned out with April? That you were some sort of filler? His anxiety melted into anger. Not at you. Never at you. He was angry with himself. He’d made you feel this way. Even worse, he could hear the tell-tale hitch in your breathing that told him that he’d made you cry. 

“Sweetheart,” his voice cracked and his own eyes took on a glassy sheen. “Please, don’t cry.” He swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. “I don’t know what I’ve said or done to make you think like that, but it absolutely is not true. I wouldn’t trade the time I spend with you for anyone or anything in the world! You...you are my world! You’re amazing!”

“Right.” You sounded anything but convinced. “Just not amazing enough, I guess...not like her.”

“Listen to me, love,” Don exhaled a shaky breath. “I know that I got too wrapped up in the project we were working on to realize how it must have looked to you, but April is a friend. Just a friend. I admit, I may have been slightly infatuated with her at one point in time...”

You scoffed at his understatement, “slightly infatuated?”

“But,” the ninja continued, "in retrospect, all I really feel for her is close friendship and a sense of gratitude for all she’s done for my family...and myself,” he confessed. “If it weren’t for her and her relationship with Casey, I wouldn’t be so happy. I wouldn’t have you.”

“If things has worked out with her,” you argued, “you wouldn’t know the difference.”

Donnie stated with certainty, “It wouldn’t have ever worked out with her.”

His declaration gave you pause. “Why not?”

“Because,” Don smiled wistfully, his grip on his phone tightening, “she isn’t you. I’m right where I was meant to be. With you.”

Your breath hitched at his words and you felt like crying again. “Oh, Don...”

“I know I haven’t done a very good job lately of letting you know, but,” the turtle’s voice softened, “you’re the most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t take back the last few weeks, but if,” he took a deep breath, “if you’ll let me, I’d like to make it up to you.”

“Donnie...” The sincerity in his voice helped to begin soothing your aching heart but your nerves felt ragged after your outburst of emotion. 

The ninja pleaded. “Give me a chance to make this right between us.”

You took in a ragged breath. “How?”

“Come over tonight,” he requested. “Nine o’clock. No brothers. No April or Casey. No projects or experiments. Just the two of us.”

Your feelings may have still been hurt, but you had to admit that the proposition sounded wonderful. Still, you hesitated. “I don’t know...”

“Please,” Donatello spoke the words softly into the receiver. “I love you.” He poured every ounce of emotion he could muster into those three simple words, his heart pounding in his chest. “Only you. Always. Let me show you how much.”

You snuffled, tears once again flowing freely. “l-I love you, too.”

Donnie let out a breath that he hadn’t even known he’d been holding. Relief flooded through his veins at hearing the words repeated back in your trembling voice. “You’ll never know how wonderful it feels every time you say that.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” you sniffed. 

Hopeful, he asked, “Will you please come over tonight? I need to see you. Nine o’clock?”

“Yeah,” you finally agreed. “Nine o’clock.”

Donnie bid you farewell but not before again telling you how much he loved you. As soon as you hung up, he was back up on his feet and moving. He had a lot to do and not much time to do it in. He grabbed his now cold cup of coffee and exited the lab, making a beeline for the kitchen. Just as he’d hoped, he found his brothers there, still half asleep and gathered around the table for breakfast.

“Guys,” he announced as he approached, “I need a huge favor...” 

[dyns33]

I love the way you write about baby Michael and his mommy so I wanted to give you an idea of her softly singing Disney songs to him while gently stroking his hairas he falls asleep 🥺!

Thank you sweet Anon. I guess it's obvious that I truly love this baby and it shows in my writing... This ask is very cute, I hope you will like the result, it's so short, I'm sorry !!!

           Before the arrival of her little Mikey, (Y / N) did not sing much. Sometimes in the shower, or in the car when she was bored and stuck in traffic, but otherwise her life was rather quiet. Now the house was filled with laughter, shouts of joy and songs. It had become a habit for her, to sing when Michael was there, to punctuate the preparation of the meal, to animate his bath, to cradle him when it was time to sleep. With all the movies he watched, it was mostly Disney songs that swirled in her mind, almost a nightmare sometimes, that she hummed as she cleaned up. Whenever he heard her singing, Michael stopped playing, he turned to her to listen, his eyes shining with love.

           "You are beautiful mommy." he said. "I like when you sing, you look like a princess."

           "Oh, I'm no longer a knight ?"

           "You're my princess knight. Would you sing Once upon a dream for me ? Please please ?"

(Y / N) would do everything that her baby wanted if it pleased him. So she was singing again and again, even though she was sure her voice was not as good as Mikey was saying, not in tune,  not so sweet, but he was happy anyway, so she was singing. Sometimes he sang with her, they began to dance in the living room, until she pushed him on the couch to tickle him. There were songs that the little boy loved more than others. For example, he did not know why, but he did not really like I'll make a man out of you. He did not like the songs of the bad guys either, even if they were catchy and fun. On the other hand, he loved songs that spoke of friendship, family, hope, like The Bare Necessities or Try everything. He was crying every time he heard Tarzan's You'll be in my heart, because it made him think of his relationship with his mommy and he was afraid she might think he wanted to go back to the Murder House, when she was his mommy and he never wanted to leave her. He was very excited when she bought him CDs of the best Disney songs, which he could listen to whenever he wanted, even in the car.

           "There is Peter Pan !" he exclaimed excitedly, reading the list of music. "And Pocahontas ! And Cinderella !"

           "Yes, Mikey, there are all the songs."

           "We're going to sing everything ! We're going to become a band ! Mommy and Mikey !"

           "Oh, I like that idea a lot, darling."

Finally Michael forgot about this project, realizing that it implied that his (Y / N) would sing for other people than him, who were going to realize that she was really great and who was going to try to steal her from him again, so he imagined they were already famous singers, who only did private concerts in their living room for his toys and stuffed animals.

           "Everyone applauds very loudly for... Mommy ! Yes, Mommy ! Mommy ! Mommy !"

His favourite moment was still when he was lying on her, in front of the television or in  bed and she sang the songs he wanted by rubbing his belly, stroking his hair, putting his warm and soft hand on his neck and, listening to her melodious voice and her heartbeat, he sank without being able to struggle in a deep, pleasant, serene sleep. The first time it happened, they were on the couch, watching Mary Poppins, (Y / N) had sung Feeds the birds with Mary, and Michael had finished like the two children, deeply asleep, his head buried between her breasts, his arms around her. It was when she heard a little hum that his mommy turned her eyes away from the screen to look at him.

           "Mikey ?" she said in a low voice. "You sleep ?"

Not daring to wake him up because he was too cute, they slept on the couch that night, and (Y / N) had promised herself to never sing so late again if they were not in the bedroom, because her back had hurt her a little after that. Of course, they slept very often on the couch, since she could not refuse to sing for her baby and he could not help but fall asleep, rocked by his mommy.

[fanfic-inator795]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Er, well-”

“Cause you're really cool-”

“And nice!” Mikey chimed in.

“And super smart,” Donnie smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Are you two gonna get married?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*BEEEEEEEEP!*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Are you going to keep using that line?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[brightlotusmoon]

Headcanon: Shinigami’s Craft

 Notice how Nick 2012 TMNT′s Shinigami is known as a Mystic Witch ninja, yet so far all we’ve seen are her ninja skills, feline reflexes, and hypnotizing power? I’d love to know what fans think she can really do, like spells, castings, and rituals. My thought is that she’s a hedge witch, like me. It’s been my calling since I was six but I didn’t realize it until I was 19. (See: http://www.spellsofmagic.com/coven_ritual.html?ritual=2902&coven=6 and http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=caon&c=words&id=11899)

Now, a Mystic is, by most definitions:  “a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.” The Foot Mystics, of which the original Mirage Shingami was part, similar to IDW Kitsune - also an actual kitsune - could be defined as this. 2012 Shini, who knows. She’s named after the concept of a Japanese Death God. She carries around a stone that creates illusions. She’s a kickass ninja who wields one of the most powerful and dangerous weapons in martial arts, the kusarigama. She’s also a video game warrior, she likes shiny things, she’s wild, she’s got a sense of humor, she’s friends with and possibly bi for Mikey of all people (hey, just because she and Karai are canon girlfriends doesn’t mean there needs to be bi erasure, than you). Any part of that could be used in a ritual incantation. Sometimes I use movie quotes. My main point is...what do you think Shini does for her craft? How does she work her magic beyond the hypno stone? What sort of spells would she cast? I call healing, naturally, which has its own flip side of harming, if we can heal a wound we can pull it apart. Let’s see, clairvoyance and remote viewing, sensing spirits and mystical energies. Potential telempathy, meaning that she can use emotions to psychically receive and project, to communicate via emotions, which can be translated to thought. She uses stones, herbs and brews in her spells. Possible use of nature, say, moonlight work. Ooh! Plant powders. Kava, kratom, certain edible fungi. See, I am asking for a story. My biggest “Mikey The Lifegiver” story, which features a poly triad between Karai, Shinigami, and Michelangelo*, has several moments between Shini and Mikey doing healing work. Maybe Karai and Leo breaking out that fucking "what was the point Dad” Healing Hands thing. Look, Peter DiCicco himself called the two of them Ninja Girlfriends at last, and I am stoked for that as if I’ve got a girlfriend myself...but I am bisexual/pansexual, and I will headcanon Shini as bi/pan until the sun burns out. We are queer and here too. I’m a queer witch. I’m also technically studying physics. Magery, witchcraft, and sorcery altogether is its own branch of physics, probably quantum. Magic is what you call the unknown. Science and Art is what we call Shit You Don’t Believe In. Keep not believing, it makes me feel safer. *stims with gemstone jewelry* *malachite in orgonite is amazing* (*Fun fact: Peter Laird has said often that all the turtles are asexual. However, aces can have and enjoy sex, they just do not experience sexual desire. Now, he may have only been talking about the Mirage characters, but I’ll be honest, even 2012 Donnie only had fumbling first crush semi-romantic stalker feelings for April, I don’t know if they can feel sexual desire, and this is coming from a demisexual human.)