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hiddencitydweller · 9 months

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Kingdom Dance

Pairing: Donnie x GN!Reader

(Reader is wearing a skirt, so take that as you will)

Absolute fluff!

Summary: You somehow managed to convince your tech-loving boyfriend to attend a ren faire with you, where you find yourselves caught up in a dance.

(Basically Tangled meets Turtles)

Warnings: Does poor writing count? With the structure of this fic, I wanted it to be a little more from Donnie's perspective rather than the reader, which was considerably harder than I thought it would be rip.

Word Count: 3k

Song Referenced: Dulámán

A/N: You know in Tangled, that scene where Rapunzel and Flynn are in the town square and he is just watching her dance with this besotted look on his face? And then he joins in and it's the most electric and romantic thing in cinematic history? Well, this is that but with some minor tweaks.

For all the people who long for someone to look at them like Flynn looks at Rapunzel, this one's for you.

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Let's make one thing clear—Donnie did not want to be here.

At least, that's what he kept saying.

Wooden shops lined the dirt road you traversed, uniquely dressed owners promoting their equally unique wares in their doorways. In some of the many open air booths, you could see countless novelties one would sooner find in Witch Town than your beloved New York City. Crystals, wands, leather armor, chainmail, and countless other fantasy-related items could be seen anywhere you looked—and not just in the shops.

Everyone around you was intricately dressed in some fantasy or medieval fashion. No two people looked alike. You were surrounded by elves, royalty, warriors, and even the occasional time-traveler or two. Even with Donnie's experience in the Hidden City and his grumbling at being here, he had to admit it all came together to create one fantastical sight.

When you had suggested the gang go to the local Renaissance Faire, Donnie had been more than skeptical. Of course Leo and Mikey were immediately in, going as far as planning their outfits and characters right on the spot. Raph took a little more convincing, but once you assured him how safe it really was (and that they could keep their weapons on hand without looking out of place) he caved into the younger brothers' excitement.

Your tech-loving boyfriend, however, took some more convincing.

To put it plainly, ren faires just weren't his scene. For starters, technology was bluntly discouraged, to which Donnie took personal offense. Then there was the fantasy element, which simply made no sense to him. His history with magic wielders had left nothing but a bad taste in his mouth, and he couldn't imagine why anyone would actively want to seek out that sort of experience, fake or otherwise. Not to mention the clear and unparalleled superiority of science to the nonsensical magic.

However, as you repeatedly brought up in your own arguments, you had gone to countless Comic-Cons, Galaxy-Cons and whatever other Sci-Fi conventions he and his brothers were able to drag you to over the years. It was only fair for them to return the favor.

"Besides, you may find you enjoy having a little more non-mystic fantasy in your life," you had said with a sly grin and wink.

And that's how he had landed here, clutching a wooden bo-staff as he trailed behind your near-bouncing form.

He had to admit, he was enjoying himself far more than he would ever openly say. While, true to form, there was very little tech to be found, there were plenty of other little intricacies that called his attention. From other faire-goers' costumes to the effects at the shows, there was plenty for his mind to dissect and look at. And there was you of course. He couldn't help but smile softly to himself as he watched you flit from stall to stall, gawking at the unique wares and happily chatting with other guests. You were as excited as he was whenever he finished a new project, and seeing you brimming with joy was just as intoxicating.

"Come on Dee! If we don't hurry, we'll miss the performance!" you whined as you continued to nearly drag him through the crowd towards a stout building that looked to be an open air pub. The two of you had just split from the rest of the group, choosing to visit some more shops and see some musical performances while the others went to watch the sword fights and jousting tournament (which Leo was determined to sneak his way into, much to Raph's dismay).

"There's only so fast I can go in this getup!" he shot back, but he still made an effort to pick up the pace. His usual gear had been replaced with a plain white linen shirt, brown pants, and an alchemist's apron with bottles of "chemical compounds" and "ingredients" strapped on. Heavy brown gloves, boots, and his signature goggles finished out the look.

"Are you kidding me?" you had said this morning when he came out of his lab, decked out in his alchemist gear.

"What? Alchemy is commonly used in fantasy and historical fiction, plus it's science! It's a win-win!"

Really you shouldn't have been surprised by his choice of costume, this was Donnie after all. He may have agreed to go along with this idea, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to bring science into it anyway he could.

Speaking of science...

"Based on the open structure of the building, the number of people, and the location of the stage, this table should have the optimal acoustics and volume for listening to the performance," Donnie rattled on, leading you to said table as he frantically typed calculations on his tech gauntlet which he had cleverly hidden underneath his glove.

"Really Donnie? Couldn't go one day without it?" you respond in mock exasperation. Honestly you were surprised that was the only piece of tech he had managed to smuggle in.

"Hey, it helped didn't it? Couldn't have found the best seats in the house without a little bit of, say it with me now, science!" he sang out, striking a pose and pulling some jazz hands. It had the desired effect as you laughed at his antics before softly pushing him down on the bench at the, apparently, best table in the house.

"Okay, okay, you got me there wise guy." You joined him on the bench but couldn't seem to stop moving with excitement. Donnie smiled as he felt your bouncing legs jostle him slightly, your eyes already trained on the stage where the musicians were setting up.

"So what exactly are we about to listen to? I'm assuming I shouldn't get my hopes too high for my usual?" Donnie had heard you talking about the group when you were discussing plans with everyone else, but he never picked up on what kind of music they actually played. Nevertheless, he was pretty sure techno and EDM were out of the question.

"Hardy har har, nice try. I think you'd be pretty hard-pressed to find anything off of your playlists here. This group does a mix of fantasy-based and traditional folk music. Every show they do is completely different, so you never really know what you're going to get. It'll probably be some more mainstream fantasy soundtracks and some of the folksy stuff. Ooo we may even get some sea shanties!" you practically squealed, your legs speeding up in their bouncing as you considered the possibilities. You couldn't help it. Even though your life was quite literally a living, breathing sci-fi movie, fantasy was your thing! You never felt more powerful than when you had a sword or bow in your hand or a corset wrapped around your waist.

Donnie let out chuckle at your antics, knowing full well how much all of this meant to you. While he couldn't exactly understand it, he found that he didn't really need to. Anything that made you this giddy was clearly something to be acknowledged, regardless of how confusing it appeared to him sometimes.

He turned his gaze from you and considered the stage, trying to see if he could analyze the instruments and predict any of the songs that might soon fill the space. Sure, it may not be exactly his taste, but he wasn't exactly unknowledgeable of this type of music. After all, you had shown him plenty of your own playlists. Maybe he should have spent more time listening to them and learning the music for this event. That was something he'd have to rectify for the future. Perhaps he could have S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. compile most of the songs so that he could...

"Hey Dee?"

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice you had stopped your excited leg bouncing and were now looking at him with a slightly abashed expression. He hummed in response, mind still whirring through instrument combinations and crossing off songs in a mental list.

"Thank you for doing this," you said in a small earnest voice. That had him finally turning his full attention back to you, a slight furrow between his brows. "Dressing up, leaving most of your tech behind, humoring me and my weird fascination with all this," you gestured at the faire around you, "I'm just... really happy to share it with you and am grateful you've let me. And I know it's not your cup of tea, and we can definitely go check out the weapons displays and everything or whatever else you may—" your ramblings were cut off by a soft kiss on your cheek.

You stared at him, eye wide and mouth in a small O. Donnie was never one for PDA, but you were finding there were occasionally some exceptions to the rule.

"I'm grateful that you want to share this part of you with me. I want to know every part of you, even if it's not technically my thing. Goodness knows you've dealt with enough techno-talk to last a life time," he said softly, smile still playing across his lips. Seeing you so concerned about including him in this precious part of your world had his chest filling with warmth he wasn't quite sure what to do with.

That seemed to be your specialty, completely rocking his known universe with a single line and a smile.

You huffed a laugh and leaned forward the extra few inches to rest your forehead against his, your own smile broadening. "I happen to like your techno-talks thank you very much."

"How could you not? They are chock full of brilliance!" he smirked as you laughed, leaning back far enough to playfully shove at his arm.

It's then that you both heard the first few notes float from the stage as the music group made their entrance and introductions. You quickly swiveled yourself away from Donnie and towards the stage. Donnie chuckled at your immediate response, watching your face light up before he turns as well.

True to what you said, the group did perform a variety of music, none of which matched up with the list Donnie had conjured in his head earlier, much to his chagrin. (He would definitely need to connect with S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. about it when he got home.)

The flitting notes and boisterous chords were quite a contrast to his usual tastes, but he still found himself nodding and stomping along to the thick beats and steady rhythm. He could feel the sound reverberate around him, creating an almost electric energy throughout the space that left him in excited awe. At one point, the group played a popular sea shanty that even he knew. The two of you sang and stomped along to the song, bumping each and smiling the whole way through.

After what felt like only minutes but was really closer to an hour, the group announced it was time for their final song. You sighed and leaned into Donnie's arm, content written across your features. He smiled softly down at you, perfectly content himself at your expression. The close proximity allowed him to feel more than hear your slight gasp as the final song started. His smile turned quizzical at your reaction, but your slowly widening eyes remained trained on the stage, leaving his question unanswered.

A repetitive, steady drumbeat rang out and was soon joined by low voices singing in a layered harmony intertwining with the solid beat. Donnie furrowed his brow as he listened. He couldn't quite pick up what they were singing, but he was sure it wasn't English. His hypothesis was confirmed when the lead singer, an ethereal looking woman with bright red hair, stepped to the mic and began to sing an upbeat and lilting melody. Her voice seemed to skip across the base created by the drums and other voices like a stone on a pond, creating an intricate blend of sound and lyrics that Donnie just couldn't understand.

Not one to leave the unknown alone, he shifted his arm and pulled up his tech gauntlet once again. He quickly used the audio feature to search up the song and analyze its mysterious language. Victorious in his endeavor, he turned back towards you to once again prove science's superiority, but he froze when his gaze fell on you.

In his quest to understand the song, he hadn't noticed your clear recognition of it. Or that you had started singing along.

"Bróga breaca dubha are an dúlamán gaelach..."

Your voice was soft, filling only the air around the two of you. Much like the lead singer, the notes flitted around the space, seeming content to fly through the air and never land. The Gaelic, as his tech claimed the language to be, rolled off your tongue as if it was made specifically for you.

"Tá bearéad agus triús are an dúlamán maorach..."

His gaze seemed locked on you, entranced by the sight. With an absent flick of his wrist, the now forgotten screen turned off, taking with it the typed out lyrics and their translation. Donnie suddenly no longer had the urge to dissect the song and its meaning. He was perfectly content to interpret it through your eyes and voice alone.

Completely unaware of your captive audience, you continued to sing. You felt the words take form on your lips as they had dozens of times before. Your eyes shone bright and your smile took on a dreamy nature. You couldn't help but move with the song, shifting your head along with the melody and even going so far as to bring your hands up to your chest on particularly powerful lines. You were completely lost in the melody and the story it held.

And Donnie was lost in you.

Donnie prided himself on his mental clarity, his ability to analyze and think through any and everything he came across. But in that moment, his brain came to a complete stop. The single-minded focus that had time and time again helped him create so many incredible and life-saving inventions was now solely on you and the wonderous scene you had unwittingly created.

And if that wasn't enough to make him fall in love with you all over again, you then began to dance.

The song hit a mild break, with the drums and backup vocals taking over for the lead singer. The base of the song still rumbling on, she stood at the mic and encouraged anyone who wanted to to come to the open space in the middle of the pub and dance.

Seemingly without a second thought, you shot up and joined the few other people who had taken the singer up on the offer. Donnie jolted backwards at your quick movements, so lost in your song he hadn't even noticed what the lead singer had said. Still, his eyes tracked you as you hastily made your way to the center of the pub.

With the thumping rhythm of the drums as your background, you danced like nothing in the world could stop you. Shoes long ago abandoned, your bare feet slid and stomped on the floor. You spun, causing your layered skirts to flare out in a moment of untouched beauty and passion. A laugh sprung from your lips as you continued to twist around and fling your shirts haphazardly. Nothing had ever felt so freeing, so magical.

If Donnie had thought he was mesmerized before, he couldn't begin to comprehend what he was now. There was absolutely nothing that could take his eyes off of your constantly moving and shifting form. Your face was lit up in such pure and unadulterated joy as you continued to spin and twist and stomp along to the music. It was as if you were a fire finally set free, and Donnie would gladly burn to see but an ounce of your passion.

The lead singer joined back into the song, bringing it to its full intricate beauty once again. At the shift, you turned, eyes locking on Donnie's. Somehow, your smile widened as you nearly floated back to his side, hands outstretched in invitation.

"Come on, they don't call you Booty Shaker for nothing, do they?" you asked cheekily. Chest heaving and face already pink from exhilaration, you looked radiant in your bliss.

Donnie couldn't contain his laugh as he accepted your hands. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Hand in hand, you led him back to the where you had been dancing. He instantly took the lead, pushing you away from him and then back in with a flourishing spin. The two of you swept across the floor, stepping towards and away from each other as you dodged other couples and guests. Donnie felt light as air. Nothing had ever felt so natural as twisting and turning you around the space. He caught sight of your smile once more, a beaming look created by and for him and him alone, and his heart completely melted. There was nothing more freeing, more right than this.

The song built to its crescendo, and so did your movements. You both continued to blaze a path as you dipped and twirled your way to the center of the floor. Just as the song flourished to its conclusion, you ended up tucked into each others' arms, trying to catch your breaths as you came face to face with the other's matching grin. Around you, the gathered crowd cheered. Even the music group applauded your efforts. But it all might as well have been background noise. Donnie heard and saw nothing but you, breath heaving and laughter on your lips. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Shifting his hands from their hold on your frame, he reached up and cupped your cheeks, gently pulling you into a passionate kiss. You melted into him, arms wrapping around his neck to pull him closer. When you finally pulled away, you didn't go far. Resting your foreheads together, you looked into each others' eyes and couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up.

Maybe he could get into this ren faire thing after all.

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hiddencitydweller · 9 months

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Somehow this only makes it worse 😭 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING!

I seriously can't get over the fact that each time one of them is brought back, Donnie is so surprised by their reactions to seeing him again. I know he's not always one for touch, but the fact that he is just... so shocked when he gets tackled into a hug by the brothers who literally watched and held him as he died? It just hammers in the thought that he truly doesn't know how much he is needed and loved. Not his tech. Not his solutions for the resistance. Not his ability to literally cheat death itself. But him, Donnie, their brother. To me, that's honestly the most gut-wrenching thing to see, intentional or not.

That ...and the fact that it hadn't been that long ago for Donnie. He died and immediately afterward he was in the past. From his perspective, it looks like he left his brothers only recently. He hasn't had time to feel the years of separation that they've experienced. So he's very prone to underestimate how much they all missed him. And exactly how much he himself was important to them.

Because, again, from his perspective - he left them without proper support. His tech wasn't good enough and it had cost his brothers a lot. He had screwed up. And for him, that was a very recent thing.

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hiddencitydweller · 9 months

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Omg, ‘Keep Going’ is the sweetest most wholesome fic I’ve ever read. I love it so much! 🥺💖

Awe thank you so much for the kind words! Seriously can't tell you how much that means to me, especially with this fic!! ❤️❤️

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hiddencitydweller · 9 months

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Keep Going

Pairing: Leo x GN!Reader

Slight Hurt/Comfort, but mostly some emotional fluff!

Summary: After an especially trying mission, you try to comfort Leo in an unexpected way: singing.

Warnings: Self-deprecating comments

Word Count: 2.9k

A/N: Hi again! Thank you all so much for all the love on my first fic! I truly didn’t think it would receive any traction, but you guys blew me away! I’ve actually been working on this fic for quite some time now. I just couldn’t seem to get the emotions the way I want them. I’m pretty sure I’ve rewritten different parts of it at least a dozen times now, but I think it’s time to just let it go. This is a topic that’s quite special and personal to me, and I can only hope it resonates with someone else.

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For a bunch of ninjas, your turtle friends sure were loud.

You could hear the boys’ playful banter and recounting of the night’s events echo through the sewer tunnels from your place on the Lair’s main couch. At this point, you were pretty used to waiting for your friends as they headed into the night on a mission or just patrol. Sure, some nights you would join them, putting your kickboxing and archery skills to good use. But for the most part, you decided to leave the crime fighting to the turtles in favor of some peace and quiet back at the Lair. Tonight was one of those nights.

As you heard the laughter and footsteps thump closer, you sat up on the couch and simply listened. The first few times the boys had gone out and left you behind, you could not calm the anxiety racing through your body. What if their communicators broke and they couldn’t contact you? What if something happened and you weren’t there to help? That anxiety only amplified when you started your relationship with Leo. What if he needed you and you weren’t there? At the end of the night, when they inevitably made their way home, as they always, always, did, you nearly pounced on them, checking them over for any injuries and constantly asking if everyone was all right.

Now, after a little over a year of the same routine, you were much more practiced. It was as if you had gone through your own training, learning all the little signs that could signify the difference between an emergency and a victory. You again listened closely to the voices getting steadily louder, a soft smile playing across your lips. There were no sounds of labored breathing, no panicked voices or hurried footsteps. Just the boys taunting and teasing each other as they finally made their way into the Lair’s main living room.

Still, old habits die hard. From your spot on the couch, you looked over each turtle intensely, trying to scope out any injuries or strain, but thankfully found none. Your eyes landed on Leo last, who was lightheartedly shoving Donnie for some comment he had made about a portal from the night’s escapade. Leo laughed and made some jab right back at his brother, but his shoulders seemed more tense than usual. You followed the movement, a tinge of concern niggling it’s way to the back of your mind. As if feeling your eyes on him, Leo turned to face you, a smile alighting his features.

“Don’t worry, the wait is over! Your heroes have arrived!” Leo said with a flourish, making a grand gesture towards himself and his brothers, who laughed and rolled their eyes before giving you their own greetings.

You laughed at the display and the brothers’ lighthearted annoyance before piling on. “There’s my knight is shining plastron!”

“Oh baby you know I’m more of a prince,” Leo said, confidence oozing from his voice. “You just can’t hide this face under a helmet. Gotta give the people what they want!” He struck a pose, finger and thumb framing his apparently princely face as he smirked down at you. His brothers groaned in protest before choosing to ignore you both in favor of heading down the hall to the kitchen, following the smell of the pizza you had brought with you about an hour ago.

Even with the blithe reply, that tinge of concern in the back of your mind alighted again. You could tell something was off. The smirk may be trademark Leo, but the light didn’t quite reach his eyes. You cocked your head slightly, your own smile just barley slipping as you once again raked your eyes over his frame, looking for any potential injuries you could’ve missed the first time. But you still came up empty handed.

Leo noticed your gaze travel over him. “Like what you see?” he purred, hand going to his hip as he raised an eyebrow.

Your eyes shot up to meet his. Of course he could turn your routine concern into an innuendo. You felt warmth reaching your cheeks, but you refused to acknowledge it, deciding instead to beat him at his own game. “Hmmm, I haven’t decided yet. Do a little turn, I need to see all the angles.”

He laughed and did as you requested, gracefully making a small circle as he held his hands up, presenting himself. You leaned back on your hands as your feigned appraising him. However, you couldn’t help but take the chance to quickly run your eyes over his shell, noting no cracks or blemishes. The back of his head and his muscled legs yielded the same result. Not a physical injury then. “Well?” He was facing you now, an expectant look gracing his features. “Do I meet your expectations?”

You sighed dramatically, flipping a hand dismissively at him, “I suppose you will do.”

His laugh rang out again as he sauntered over to your place on the couch, lightly flicking your nose in response. “Oh how gracious of you mi amor.”

“What can I say? I know what I like,” you replied playfully, leaning forward to place a quick kiss against his lips. A softer smile spread across his lips as he followed your retreating form, lightly nuzzling your nose with his before stepping back.

You blinked at the sudden retreat, very much expecting another kiss at the very least. Instead, he took off his gear and laid it haphazardly on a random beanbag chair. You could almost see the playful energy dwindle out of him as he flopped next to you on the couch, head lolling onto your shoulder as a huff of air escaped him.

The slight concern turned into a full-on warning bell in your mind. Snuggling after a mission was nothing new, Leo’s main love language was touch after all, but it usually didn’t happen as soon as he walked through the door. Normally he would be too wired to sit still, practically bounce around the room as he regaled you with his heroics of the evening (always exaggerated just enough to make him out to be the true hero of the mission of course) and scarfed down enough pizza or take out to make any normal human sick.

You decided you’d had enough beating around the bush. “All right Champion, what’s eating at ya?”

“Who says anything’s ‘eating at me’? Can’t I just cuddle up with my partner after a long mission?”

“Come on Leo, I know you better than that,” you replied softly, nudging him gently with the shoulder he was resting on.

He sighed, “Sometimes I think you see me a little too well.”

“You said it yourself, you just can’t hide such a beautiful face.”

He snorted at the remark and then fell silent. You reached over and grabbed his nearest hand, intertwining your fingers. The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes, you waiting patiently and rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hand as he sorted his thoughts. It was always this way with Leo. For someone who seemed to hide behind words, he always chose them carefully, especially with you.

“Tonight was just...hard.” He finally said softly.

“Hard how?”

Another sigh escaped him as he kept his eyes trained on where your hand held his. “Things didn’t go the way they were supposed to. The plan was to take out some Foot faces before they did something stupid, simple as that. But by the time we smashed into that warehouse, we were surrounded. It was an ambush, a trap. And I didn’t see it coming.” He took a second to huff out a frustrated breath, and you waited, not wanting to interrupt.

“It wasn’t like it was anything we couldn’t handle, I mean the Foot clan hasn’t exactly upped their recruitment policies. But I was so caught off guard. I’m the leader, I’m supposed to know what’s going on and how to handle it, but I didn’t. I led my team, my brothers, into a literal trap. And it could’ve been so much worse. Hell, it almost ways. I was so preoccupied with trying to make sense of everything that I couldn’t even make a portal properly!” He flung the hand not holding yours up in frustration. “If it wasn’t for Donnie’s tech, I would’ve been knocked out cold. What kind of leader does that?! What kind of leader can’t figure out a situation or manage to hold his own?” He leaned his head into your shoulder more, dragged down by his own guilt.

Your heart tightened at the confession. Ever since being named leader, and especially after the Kraang incident, Leo had been impossibly tough on himself. You’d lost track of the number of times he had chosen extra training over coming to bed. How many strategy textbooks and medical journals he had read and reread between training and patrol and family time. He put in so much of himself to be the best leader, the best brother, he could be. And yet, in moments like these, he couldn’t seem to see that.

As much as you wanted to bring all of this up, you knew from experience that it wouldn’t assuage the guilt tightening his expression. So instead, you said, “A leader’s job isn’t to know everything. There are times where you’re simply going to be surprised, whether it be for better or worse. I bet even Raph couldn’t avoid that when he was leader.” You received a small huff at that. “What’s important is what happens after.”

“Yeah, and I froze. I messed up.”

“What happened,” you pressed on, “is your team worked together to solve the situation. No one expects you to know everything that’s going to happen or to fight it all on your own. You may have frozen, but your team was right there to have your back, just like you would have theirs if the roles were reversed. It’s not all on you.”

He mulled over your response before sighing. “I just thought after everything we went through, everything I went through, I would have this figured out by now.”

“I don’t think there really is a way to figure it all out. You just need to trust your brothers as much as they trust you. Leader or not, you’re not alone.” Leo hummed in reply, seemingly deep in thought at your words.

You pulled your eyes away from their focus on your joined hands and glanced at him sideways. You could tell the night and conversation were taking their toll from the way his forehead was creased and his drooped, exhaustion clearly pulling on his features.

After a minute, you carefully leaned away from him and gently nudged his head off your shoulder, causing him to look at you, an eyebrow raised. Rather than respond to the question in his eyes, you shifted so that you laid on your back across your half of the cushions, your shoulders and upper body supported by the arm of the couch. You looked at where Leo still sat upright, now caught between your legs, and smiled as you opened your arms invitingly.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging!” you said playfully, yet softly, mindful of everything running through his head. Still, he could use some lightness right now.

He returned the smile and gladly made to lay on top of you, his plastron fitting snuggly against your stomach and his head nestled on your chest. He wrapped his arms around your torso and sunk in, nuzzling his face further into you. Still smiling, you placed one hand on his shell as the other came up to rub against the back of his head.

Leo sighed contently at the motion, somehow pulling you even closer. Looking down, you felt your heart both melt and tighten at his response. He carried so much responsibility on his shoulders: his brothers, his father, you, hell even the fate of the world on occasion. It was such a heavy burden to lift, even with the mutated muscles and shell on his back. You wanted nothing more than to take that weight, to give him a reprieve if only for a little bit. To show him just how important he was, leader or no. Lost in these thoughts, you closed your eyes and lightly dragged your nails across his skin and shell, receiving a pleasant shiver in return.

Then you started singing.

The lilting melody began softly, as if hesitant to break the comfortable silence the two of you had created. The notes gradually floated from you in an almost whispered caress. You couldn’t help the small smile that tugged on your lips as they formed around the familiar lyrics you’d sung so many times before. Only a few bars in, you felt Leo stir from his position on top of you. You abruptly halted your song, eyes flying open as you tensed.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision really. You often sang to yourself when you wanted comfort, always feeling calm and centered when the music surrounded you. It seemed only natural to want to bring that same comfort now, to wrap the two of you softly in your voice.

But maybe that was selfish of you to think. Your mind flashed to other times you had found yourself singing around others, their smiles and compliments masking the annoyance you could see in their eyes. Maybe Leo didn’t want to hear you right now. Maybe he thought you were showing off when all he really wanted was comfort.

You cringed softly as you looked down at him, apology already on your tongue. But his face made you pause once more. He looked up at you, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. While the exhaustion remained, there was a twinkle of wonder and affection in his gaze that had you blowing out a light breath of air.

“Keep going,” Leo whispered into the small space between you. You stared back at him unmoving, the moment feeling delicate and indescribably precious. He waited, eyes never leaving yours.

So you began again.

As before, you started softly, the melody gracefully whispering into the silence around you. Then your voice began to grow, the song taking full form.

The melody floated off your tongue and hung suspended in the air like ribbon. You softly dragged and pulled the notes as you wove them together, blending them seamlessly. The tapestry of your song surrounded you both and softly wrapped you in its warmth. All the while, you found yourself unable to look away from Leo’s wonder-filled eyes.

As you came to your favorite lyric, you reached up and gently grazed the tips of your fingers down and across his cheek, trying to imbue the words and motion with every ounce of love you felt for him. He leaned into your caress as his eyes went glassy. The true vulnerability and intimacy of the moment threatened to take your breath away, but you pushed on, determined to give him this gift, this piece of you however small.

Because that's what it was, you realized. Singing had always been a part of you that you cherished, even if no one else seemed to. And here he was, the love of your life, soaking up every emotion-filled word and comforting note as if they were the last he would ever hear.

Words couldn't begin to describe the emotions swirling through your chest.

Without even meaning to, you had found your own way of showing just how much he meant to you, how much you admired and cherished him, regardless of any mission. Your heart soared at the thought as your eyes watered. Yes, you would gladly give him this piece of you over and over and over again. Every lyric, every note, every breath could be his if it brought an ounce of comfort. If it showed even a fraction of the love that filled your heart. He could have it all.

With a newfound purpose, you brought the song back down to a whisper, something meant only for the two of you. You shifted your hand so it was cupping his cheek. He once again leaned into your touch, a soft smile wobbling across his lips as a tear slowly made its trek down his cheek before your thumb brushed it away. You returned the smile knowing he understood. He knew exactly what you were trying to say, even if the exact words never left your tongue.

Too soon the song ended, leaving the two of you suspended in its afterglow. For a long moment, neither of you spoke, simply breathing in the comfortable silence. If it were up to you, that's exactly how you would stay, basking in the comfort and love that surrounded you both.

However, Leo could only stay silent for so long. “You’re incredible,” he finally whispered. Even having not moved for the entirety of you song, he seemed breathless. “After all this time, you still continue to amaze me.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” you replied equally soft, thumb still rubbing soothingly across his cheek. His smile broadened slightly at the remark, but there was no quick retort.

Instead, voice still low, he asked, “Would you sing another?”

And that’s how you stayed for the rest of the night, Leo pressed against you, his own churrs vibrating from his chest in tandem with your swirling notes, and you, singing softly until you were both lulled into a peaceful sleep.

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hiddencitydweller · 10 months

Text

Deep Waters

Pairing: Leo x GN!Reader

Angst with a happy ending!

Summary: You and Leo decide to take a trip to the beach, but things quickly go south when you are caught up in a riptide you can’t escape from.

Warnings: Drowning, riptides, near-death experience, mild cursing, slight innuendos

Word Count: 4.2K (this got away from me REAL fast lmao)

A/N: Hey and welcome to my first one-shot! Actually, welcome to my first fanfic in general! I just couldn’t get this idea out of my head and figured someone else might enjoy the pain I put this poor turtle through. Hope you enjoy! (I promise it’s a happy ending!)

As soon as the two of you made your way through the portal onto the sandy shore, the slider made a beeline for the water, and dragged you along with him. You squealed and giggled as you nearly tripped over your own feet in your haste to keep up with your boyfriend. When you finally reached the water, he let go of your hand and splashed in with so much force you found yourself covered in the spray. Squealing again from just how cold it is, you reached out to smack him for the sudden drenching, but he was already out of reach.

---------------------------------------

The beach was your idea, but with how Leo commandeered the whole trip, you’d think he had come up with it all on his own.

You laughed and waded farther into the water, letting it reach midway to your thigh. You watched as Leo continued to swim and splash in the water. A soft smile tugged at your lips as you were unable to stop yourself from marveling at just how natural he looked in the water, how happy. The last few months had been difficult for everyone in your little turtle family. Healing from the devastation the Krang had left behind was nothing short of challenging, and even that word seemed too insignificant to cover all of the hardships and breakdowns you all weathered (and continued to work through). You fought back a shiver thinking of those strains, of everything you lost and the more you could have. It all made these moments, however small, that much more meaningful.

You had him, and he had you, and in this moment that was enough.

Unaware of your train of thought, Leo finally took a break from his splashing around to face you, a look of unadulterated joy and contentment gracing his usually tense features. Your smile widened as he smirked and made his way towards you, mischief dancing in his eyes.

“And what are you doing all the way over here?” he asked, wrapping his wet arms around your waist, causing you to shiver against the cold.

“Oh you know me, just enjoying the view,” you replied with a smirk of your own, hands resting naturally on his plastron.

“I knew you were just into me for my looks,” he said as his smirk widened.

“Well it certainly wasn’t for your subtlety.”

He laughed as his hands tightened on your waist. “Oh I’ll show you subtlety.” You squealed as you felt yourself being lifted out of the water and thrown back in away from the shore. You splashed back to the surface with a gasp and pushed your now drenched hair back from your face, hearing Leo laughing all the while.

“Leo! I was trying to keep the salt out of my hair!” You crooned half-heartedly as you tried to ring the saltwater from your hair.

“You thought you were going to go to the beach with an aquatic turtle and not swim? Pft, I thought you would know better than that.” With a flick of his hand, Leo sent a small wave of water splashing into your face. You cried out, trying your best to protect your hair from the assault, but the attempt was futile. Oh is that how he wants to play this? With another cry, this time of determination and vengeance, you jumped on him, pushing him beneath the waves. The two of you grappled with one another, playful sending splashes into the other’s faces.

“Well sorry not all of us are literally born to be in the water!” You exclaimed after you’ve both calmed from your small battle. You wrapped your arms around his neck to keep yourself from floating too far from his warmth, and his hands found their way to naturally sit on your hips.

“Are you finally admitting that I’m better than you at something?” You rolled your eyes at the challenging spark in his gaze.

“Oh no no no, I never said that. Aquatic turtle or not, I’m sure I can match you stroke for stroke.” To emphasize your words, you released one of your hands from their hold around your boyfriend’s neck and lightly dragged a finger down his arm. You felt a shiver run through him that you were sure had nothing to do with the chill water now up to both of your shoulders. You fought to keep the victorious smile from your lips and maintained a look of innocent neutrality.

Leo’s hold on your hips tightened as he pulled you even closer, your bodies now flush together. “Care to test that theory?” he breathed, lips just inches from yours. A soft laugh escaped you, blowing a breath of hot air over his lips. He closed his eyes and leaned in.

But you weren’t going to let him win that easily.

“Sure,” you said, too loudly for the intimacy of the moment, as you gently pushed away. You laughed at the startled expression on your boyfriend’s face, his arms still out stretched to where you had been just seconds before. You could already hear the whine of him missing the feel of you in his arms, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss that same warmth. But you’d be damned if you let him get the better of you. “So how about a race? Last one to that buoy,” you pointed to a small floating figure a few yards away, “has to give the other one thing of their choosing.”

Upon hearing this, Leo’s dejected face lit up with mischief. “Anything of their choosing?” He asked, trademark smirk already back in place. God that mouth was going to be the death of you.

“Within reason,” you replied, the same mischief dancing in your eyes.

He made a face and looked to sky as if thinking long and hard about the proposition. “Okay, but you can’t whine and be a sore loser when I win,” Leo said as he drew his shoulders back and stretched his arms. You gently shook your head, knowing regardless of how this race ended you would be anything but a loser.

“Don’t be so sure of yourself, Faceman,” you scoffed, lining yourself up next to Leo to create a makeshift equal starting point. “Ready?” At his nod, you continued, “On my mark. Three, two...” before you finished the countdown, you took a large breath and dove into the water, making sure to create as big of a splash as possible as you vehemently kicked your legs. Hopefully the spray and slight head start would distract Leo just enough to give you a chance at reaching the buoy first.

You felt your heart racing as you kept pushing your arms and legs to move you forward in the water. If you weren’t underwater, you would’ve laughed at the burst of adrenaline you felt pulse through you. It had been so long since you felt such a surge of energy in a playful manner and not during a fight for your life. You relished in the feel of your body humming as you continued to push yourself towards the buoy and the tantalizing prize it held.

The salt of the ocean stung your eyes and turned everything around you into a blurry background. Luckily, you could still make out the faint shadow and shape of the buoy just a few feet ahead. With another frantic kick of your legs, you angled your body upwards, head breaking the surface of the water with a gasp as you take in some much needed oxygen. You treaded water for a moment as you gathered your bearings, praying you wouldn’t be met with the smug face of your favorite turtle in blue. Pushing your now thoroughly salt-infused hair out of your face (Oh April is going to have WORDS about your hair care later, you’re sure of it), you glanced around the buoy. A smirk found its way to your face as you noticed the only sign of him was the bubbles and ripples coming from where you came. You let out a “Whoop!” knowing you’d managed to best the turtle literally at his own game. Oh you are never going to let him live this one down!

Judging by the speed and movement of the bubbles and ripples heading your way, you guessed you had maybe thirty seconds before Leo reached you. Still riding high on the adrenaline of the game (and the fact that you actually won), you quickly maneuvered yourself to the other side of the large buoy, hiding and thinking of the best way to make a dramatic reveal that even Donnie would be envious of.

But that moment never came.

As you leaned back against the buoy, hands covering your mouth as you tried to contain your giggling, you suddenly felt your legs aggressively swept from under you. In a split second, your body was being quickly and roughly pulled back into the water by an impossibly strong current, farther from the shore and away from the buoy. Away from Leo.

You involuntarily let out a small yelp as you are suddenly dragged under the water, causing the air to leave your lungs and water to take its place. You frantically start to move your arms and kick your legs, trying to make your way back to the surface. But which way was the surface? The riptide, as you quickly realized it to be, had you pinned in its current, spinning and pulling you around so you no longer knew which way was up. You had no idea which direction the surface and the air you so desperately needed were. For all you knew, you could be pushing yourself further down into your own demise. With that realization, panic truly set in. The ripples of adrenaline that were so thrilling earlier now turned the blood in your veins to ice.

Your lungs burned as they fought for oxygen, and pretty soon you could no longer resist your body’s urge to take a breath. Sea water once again filled your mouth and your lungs, causing the burning to intensify. You couldn’t think, couldn’t call for help, couldn’t find a way out. This was it. You’d fought aliens and mutants for years, but this unrelenting force of nature is what was going to finally kill you.

As your vision began to grow dark, you thought of your life. All you had seen and done. Late night pizza and game nights with the turtles. Nights out on the town with April. And most of all, Leo. Cuddling with him on the couch. The small smile he saved for you and only you. The way he would grab you from behind and nuzzle his face in the crook of your neck when you weren’t looking. The two of you dancing around the kitchen as you laughed and your dinner inevitably burned on the stove.

You kept your thoughts focused on those blissful memories, those moments of happiness, as you finally succumbed to the dark.

----------

“On my mark. Three, two...” Leo was suddenly blinded as a large spray of water hit his face, causing him to sputter and frantically wipe at his eyes, even if his turtle biology meant he really didn’t need to. By the time he opened them again, he saw that you were already a few yards ahead.

“Hey that’s cheating!” he yelled with a laugh before diving in himself.

Splashing and playing around in the water had been amazing, but this? This was a completely different story. He could feel himself swiftly glide through the water as he swam with all his strength, unleashing his pent up tension on the now churning waves. His arms and legs burned slightly from the exertion, and he reveled in it. Reveled in the complete freedom he felt as he quickly chased after you.

Even from so many yards away, the bubbles caused by your frantic kicking obstructed his view of you. Anxiety at not being able to see you niggled at the back of his brain, but he pushed it down. You were here, right in front of him, with no one else around for miles. You were safe.

And beating his ass.

Leo put on another burst of speed, trying to think of any way he could gain an edge on the lead you had so unfairly taken. He already knew exactly what he was going to do with his prize, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let your underhanded start to the race derail his plans.

He thought back to the way you had looked after he had dunked you in the water, skin glittering in the dying light, lovely curves framed in the sunset reaching the horizon behind you. Your beaming smile (even as you berated him for the state of your hair) left him breathless in a way the pushing surf could never do on its own. You were the picture of perfection. He still couldn’t believe that after all these years you were his.

The smile his thoughts pulled to his face dropped an inch as he realized the bubbles leading to the buoy had stopped, meaning you had made it to the finish line. Damn it! He resigned himself to the gloating you were sure to subject him to as he angled himself towards the surface.

“Okay there’s no way that counts! You so cheated at the beginning!” Leo was already exclaiming as his head broke the surface of the water. He looked around, his feigned exasperation turning into confusion when he wasn’t met with your bragging smirk. You had beaten him, hadn’t you? Surely he hadn’t bypassed you without knowing it. He looked back the way you both had come, but sure enough there were no ripples, bubbles, or you to be found.

“Y/N?” he said, anxiety again starting to pull at the back of his mind. He took a deep breath. Surely you were just wanting to rile him up for a grand reveal, or maybe you wanted to jump out and scare him. With this thought in mind, he edged around the buoy to see if maybe you were hiding there, but the other side remained empty as well. Swimming closer, he felt a slight tug and surge of water around his legs, the remnants of what must have been a strong current now fading away. A strong current...

Leo felt his heart seize as he looked past the buoy and into the vast open water beyond. He remembered his father’s warnings about riptides and the immense power and danger they possess. Leo himself had never really been afraid of them, after all he was predisposed to be a natural in the water. But you on the other hand...

He dove back into the water, steering himself in the direction of the current. His mind was spinning with dread as he pushed his arms and legs hard and fast. How long ago had the riptide taken you? What if it had changed directions? What if it had dragged you even further down? What if he couldn’t find you? What if, if he did, it was too late?

He shook off the thoughts with a growl, even as his chest tightened in panic. No, he would find you. After all you had been through together, all the plans you still had yet to do, there was no other option. He frantically scanned the water ahead of him, double checking every bubble and varied flicker of light, straining for any sight of your bright blue swimsuit. The very ocean and sun above seemed to be mocking him with short glimpses that turned out to just be tricks of the light. Leo’s muscles burned, but he kept going, kept scanning, kept trying to calm the racing of his heart and the panic seizing every ounce of common sense he had left, until suddenly, there!

Just a few yards ahead, you were suspended in the water, limbs floating aimlessly above you, any fight you had clearly depleted. The bright blue of your swim suit shown against your skin like a beacon, and Leo made a beeline towards it. Just as he was a few feet away, arms outstretched towards you, he saw your eyes shutter and fall closed as the tension in your body seemed to leak out.

No, no no No NO NO NO! Leo wanted to scream, to cry, to beg you to hold on just a little longer. With another frantic kick, he reached you, arms encircling your now limp form, immediately angling his body upwards. He kicked and twisted his core until the two of you finally broke the surface, him gasping for air and you bone-chillingly silent in his arms.

“Y/N? Y/N?! Come on, please wake up, I’ve got you,” Leo looked down at you in his arms, one hand coming up to press against your face as he pleaded with you to just open your eyes and end this nightmare. But nothing changed. Your eyes remained resolutely shut, and your chest stayed still.

As the family medic, Leo was well-versed in CPR, but to do it in the middle of open water was out of even his abilities, and he knew it. He looked back to the shore. The riptide had dragged you about a half a mile away, well past the buoy and safe waters the two of you had enjoyed mere minutes ago. He had to get there, had to get you on land if he had even a chance at saving you.

“Hold on Y/N, I’ve got you, just please hold on,” his voice broke, but he looked determinedly back at the shore. Clutching you to his chest with one arm, he fought with all he had against the still fading current. He kicked his legs and surged the arm not holding you forward and back, trying desperately to keep your head above water. Leo watched as the shore slowly, too slowly, got closer and closer. His mind reeled with panic as he silently begged with the universe or anyone that would listen to get you both to the shore in time, to let your eyes open.

Finally, Leo reached the shallows of the beach. He planted his feet on the ocean floor and lifted you bridal style in his arms as he continued his race to the shore. He nearly fell, his body jarring as it shifted from the relative fluidity of the water to the harsh gravitational pull of solid land. He felt himself pitch forward, but managed to keep both of you upright on his shaky legs. As he ran, you stayed limp in his arms, head lolling back and arms dangling to the sides. Leo whimpered at the sight and pushed on until he finally made it the dry sand.

Immediately, he laid you on the ground and started doing chest compressions. His limbs were shaking both from the overexertion and the panic coursing through them, but he continued to apply rhythmic pressure, never faltering in the beat. After a few seconds, he lifted his face and shaky hand to yours, plugging your nose as he forced air back into your lungs. He couldn’t help the shiver of absolute dread as he felt just how cold and unmoving your usually plush and warm lips were against his own.

He pulled back and continued the cycle again, his movements and breathing becoming more and more frantic as time went on. “Please, please wake up. I can’t-” he choked back a sob, tears already flowing freely down his face. This was actually happening. He was losing you. He wasn’t fast enough, wasn’t strong enough. All those plans for the future had been ripped away and thrown into the deep waters. He was on his fourth cycle of chest compressions now, putting what little strength his adrenaline and panic would give him into the action. “Please mi amor, please, please, please,” he was too exhausted, too panicked to do anything but beg as he threw everything he had into saving you.

He looked down at your still expressionless face as he shifted his hand up to cup your jaw, a sob finally escaping his own lips. He brushed his thumb against your cool cheek before raising his hand back up to plug your nose so he could again try to breathe life back into you. As he angled his face downwards, your chest heaved and water gurgled from your mouth. Hope flaring, Leo quickly brought himself back upright and tilted you on your side, gently patting and then rubbing your back as you coughed and heaved sea water onto the beach.

After what felt like an eternity, water stopped pouring from your mouth and you were able to draw in a much-need, if shaky, breath. You heard a voice cooing at you from above, telling you to breathe, that you were okay, that you were safe. You latched onto the voice, even though you couldn’t see its owner. Breathe, okay, safe. You followed the voice, breathing in as much air as your battered lungs would allow. You stared at the infinite shore ahead of you as it all came rushing back. The race, the riptide, the endless pushing and pulling you down, down, down. Your shoulders shook as you struggled to draw in breath again. You had drowned. You had been dragged deep into the waters, never to see your family again, never to see Leo again. But here you were, on the shore, out of the water’s devilish grasp. The voice continued its mantra, and you felt soothing circles being rubbed into your back. That voice. You’d know it anywhere, how could you not?

You shifted your weight so that you laid on your back and no longer stared at the expanse of water. You looked up, and there he was, tears still streaking down his face as his eyes scanned yours and landed on your gaze. For a moment you both just looked at each other, the only sounds being your grating breaths and the crashing of the ocean behind you. He was here. Despite the water’s attempts, you were here, looking into his beautiful, heartbroken face. The terror was still there, but hope surged in his eyes as he continued to look at you, still silent for once, almost as if not wanting to disrupt the dream.

Not breaking eye contact, you reached up a shaky hand and cupped his cheek, thumb rubbing away some of the tears. He immediately leaned into the touch, a shuttering breath ripping out of him. “Oh Leo,” you managed to croak.

That seemed to break the trance. The tears renewed their freefall as Leo’s face crumbled. He pulled you into his arms until you were sitting in his lap and crushed you to his chest. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he buried his face in the crook of yours, letting out shuttering sobs that broke your heart. As he had done for you earlier, you whispered comfort into his ears, saying you were all right, that you were here. You felt your own eyes misting over as he desperately clutched to you, still shaking with emotion.

You stayed like that for a long time, Leo’s sobs slowly quieting and his shaking lessening. Finally, he pulled back just enough to see your face, which was now wet with your own tears. Ever so gently, he lifted his hand to trail his fingers along your face, wiping away the wetness he found there. Closing his eyes, he pressed your foreheads together. “I thought I’d lost you,” his whispered, a single tear escaping his closed lids.

Your chest ached at the utter agony that laced those few words. You couldn’t imagine what he had just gone through, seeing you so unresponsive, dragging you to shore. If the roles had been reversed... You shuddered at the thought.

“I know love, I know. But I’m here, thanks to you.” You kept your hands interlocked around his neck, needing to keep him close. “It’ll take a lot more than a little water to take me away from you,” you reassured with a watery smile. At that he pulled slightly away and locked his gaze with yours. You sucked in a breath at the pain in his eyes.

Dragging your hands from his neck to his cheeks, you pulled his mouth towards you, sealing your declaration with a kiss. You felt him melt into the contact as his hands found your waist and pulled you that much closer to him. The kiss was soft, desperately slow, as if you were both trying to memorize the way the other moved and felt. Finally pulling away for breath, you rose your eyes to his, as you both finally relaxed into the comfortable silence.

“You know, even though I definitely won the race, I think I’ll give you the prize,” you said cheekily. You smiled as you were rewarded with a soft chuckle from Leo.

“You better, especially after you cheated to begin with,” he snarked back, lightly pinching your waist, causing you to squirm in his lap.

“And what does my hero wish to receive as his reward?”

His gaze softened, once again pulling you close. “Stay with me,” he whispered.

You felt yourself melt under the weight of his words. “Always.”

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hiddencitydweller · 10 months

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Krang infection 33

Masterpost

#JUST EAT THE PANCAKE LEO HE IS TRYING #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt leo #krangified donnie #rottmnt disaster twins

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hiddencitydweller · 10 months

Text

the gemini - " worst. "

[ start ] [ prev ] [ next ]

#oh I'm so scared #please don't hurt yourself #living for this protective angst

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hiddencitydweller · 10 months

Note

Can you do Donnie breaking down over what he did to Leo's hand

I think it would be cool if he was alone in the room and just started crying or something like that! And then maybe Leo finding him after or maybe not. I leave that one on you.

No pressure of course, but I hope you'll do it.

#istg im not crying #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt donnie #krang infection comic

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hiddencitydweller · 11 months

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All the medical shows I’ve watched…and I learned 1% of anything from them

Anyways sorry for 2 pages

Previous——Next

#I'm totally normal about them #istg im not crying

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hiddencitydweller · 11 months

Video

Completely forgot to post this??? At some point at the end of the production for the movie I had a few days free in between assignements, I decided to make a blooper reel. Clips are taken from me, India Swift, Allison Smith and Ifesinachi Orjiekwe.

Should I post it on Twitter tho? is the movie still hyped?

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hiddencitydweller · 11 months

Text

Dumb, dumb feelings.

|Donatello X Reader one shot | Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff |

After you’ve been gone a whole college quarter, you come back to the New York sewers to spend winter break with the Mad Dogs. Except Donatello is acting rather strange…

………………………………………………………………

“Y/N!!” Mikey screeched, throwing himself at the girl. She was able to drop her bags just before contact, grasping onto the box turtle so that he wouldn’t fall to the floor.

“Woah! Be careful, I coulda dropped ya!” She mustered, as the boy was squeezing the life out of her.

“It’s nice to see you again, Y/N! How’s college going?” Raph put his hand on his hip, his signature snag tooth popping out of his smile.

“Oh, we’ll it’s been-!”

“BOOORIIIIING! Have you met anyone? Found any cute guys? I’m sure college is just FULL of em!”

“Leo!”

“Yes yes, everybody is positively thrilled to see Y/N again, now can we PLEASE focus on the task at hand?” Donnie sighed, rubbing his temples.

“What, the Jupiter Jim Jupithon?” Raph raised his brow.

“yeES! We haven’t even made popcorn, and while my palette is very refined, TUMMYTELLO IS HUNGRY! Can we at LEAST order a pizza before we get all mushy?” Y/N picked her bags up, struggling to walk as Mikey had attached himself to her leg.

“Someone is hangry, I see.” She smiled, making Donatello pout. Little did she know, Donnie had been seemingly unreasonably moody, almost gloomy, for the last two or so months. It was something everyone noticed, but nobody really knew why.

“It’s nice to see you too, hun.” Her gaze softened. No one questioned it, seeing as she had a habit of calling people nicknames, such as sweetie, honey, etc.

It had been awhile since he heard her refer to him as such though. His expression softened, no one particularly seeing his cheeks change hue slightly.

“I’ll go put my stuff in the lab. Thank you so much again for letting me stay during winter break, D.”

“Yes, yes, you’re welcome. Just hurry, or else I’m starting the movie without you.”

He was unusually dismissive towards her, which didn’t escape her as her smile lessened and she turned away and headed towards the lab. The turtles all turned towards Donatello as he walked to the kitchen and reached into a lower cabinet, trailing behind.

“You know Donnie, she came all this way to see us. Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know…a little nicer?” Raph prodded.

“She’s been gone for SO LONG!” Mikey dramatically whined.

“Please, Michelangelo. She’s been gone for a little over a college quarter. Besides, we have-what, three weeks with her?” He nonchalantly grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, closing the door with slightly more force than usual.

Besides, what do YOU know about her, anyways? He clenched his jaw. He knew he was being unreasonable, but something was just nagging at him. Something was bothering him, and the fact he didn’t know what it was…it was driving him insane. He wanted to watch the movie, but he wanted them to go away. He wanted to be left alone, but he didn’t want to be alone. Nothing was making sense, his contradictory wants and desires making him grasp at straws. And his brothers were simply just distracting him from figuring it out…or so is the logical conclusion, he thought. Clearly, that’s why he was upset…right?

“Seriously. Broski. You’ve been even more grouchy than ever, and being grouchy is like, your thing! So, it’s a little impressive, but also…kiiind of a mood killer.” Leo chimed in, as Mikey nodded enthusiastically.

“I mean, you’re kind of acting like you’re not happy to see Y/N. Did you not miss her?”

“What? Wh- of COURSE I missed her! Did you just happen to forget she’s my BEST FRIEND?” He strained his tympanum to make sure she wasn’t coming back yet, there’s no way she’d get over him calling her that in front of someone else. Let alone his brothers. He took a bag from the box of popcorn off the counter, before tossing it into the microwave and putting it in for 3 minutes…promptly ignoring the popcorn button that his brothers loved oh-so-much, despite the packagings instructions advising against it.

“Then what’s the DEAL, YO?!!” Mikey shouted, causing Donnie to tense. All the attention, confusion and noise was becoming too damn grating on his nerves. It was too much, all at once.

“THERE IS NO DEAL, “YO!” NOTHING IS GOING ON, I AM PERFECTLY FINE AND NORMAL AND NOT AT ALL UPSET!” He grated his teeth, body tense as he slumped and his volume increased.

There was a pause, as tension was thick.

The popcorn had started it’s signature popping process.

The other turtles stared, eyebrows raised.

“Ooookayyyy, sure Donnie. Whatever you say. Anywhizzle-“ Leo broke the silence. “-You’re gonna share that popcorn, right? Cause oh boy I am STARVING!” He turned, chuckling as he made way for the living room, shouting as he spun on his heel.

“Raph, order a pizza! We must be prePARED, to fight for INTERPLANETARY PEACE!”

The popping from the microwave slowed, the smell familiar and comforting.

“You know what I like, Raphie. THE CHEESIEST CHEESE PIZZA THEY GOT!! I can feel that warm, melty dairy bliss on my tongue as we speak!” Mikey turned to follow his blue brother, practically bouncing off the walls. Donnie grabbed the bag from the microwave, tearing it open before a large hand softly placed itself upon his shoulder. Donatello felt his muscles tense yet again.

“Donnie. I know something’s wrong. You can’t hide that from me. I may not be the brightest, but I’ll be damned if I don’t know my brothers.” Raphael said softly. Donnie inhaled deeply, relaxing slightly.

“Okay, fine. There may be a SLIGHT CHANCE…that something is wrong. BUT, HERE’S THE PROBLEM, RAPH-AI-EL.” His jaw tightened, turning to face his brother.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT THING MIGHT BE! NO CLUE! NOT ONE IDEA!” He gestured wildly upward, causing Raph to step back.

“AND IT IS SO INFURIATING. I HATE NOT KNOWING THINGS, RAPH YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT ME! HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO FIX WHAT IS WRONG IF I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS?”

“Oh man. This might be a better job for Doctor Feelings.” Raph looked on helplessly.

“No offense to Doctor Feelings…” Donnie paused.

“Okay, full offense- I hate Doctor Feelings.” He spat out the name like an unsavory strand of meat fat. Gross.

“What?! Why?”

“You know I don’t do well with…Emotions! They have no rhyme or reason, they’re inconsistent, they-“

“Okay, lemme stop you there, cause I know if I don’t, you’re gonna be at this all night.”

The purple clad turtle pouted and sighed, but knew he was right. He did tend to ramble, and no one was really fond of when he did…Except Y/N, but she was a rare exception. He felt the weird pang in his chest again, feeling his frustration only grow.

“Listen, I’m no Mikey. But I feel like while this has been an issue for a while, it got worse when Y/N got here. So whatever it is, maybe it’s gotta do with her. Maybe she said somethin’ that made you mad, or…I dunno, stepped on your shoes somehow. Figure that out, then go talk to her, alright?”

Donnie raised a finger.

“POLITELY.”

He lowered his hand.

“Alright, now come on, they’re gonna start without us!” He chimed, pulling out his phone as he dialed Tony Lou’s Pizza. Donatello sighed, putting another bag in the microwave. Something just wasn’t making sense.

………………………………………………………………………………

“Save me, Jupiter Jim! They’re going to make me swim in this comedically large piranha pit with also snakes and vipers and sharks if you don’t set me free!”

“Alas! Having to choose between saving planet JupiJarturNebula or save my partner…! What a heartbreaking, but extremely easy morally ethical decision!”

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, as the alien race of Angler-fish donkey people snidely chuckled with Red Fox in their clutches…Everyone but Donatello.

What could she have possibly done to make me angry? He questioned, occasionally stealing a glance at Y/n between fistfuls of popcorn.

I mean, we haven’t talked much while she’s been away, sure. How could one NOT want to talk to ME?! ORTHELLO VON RYAN?!!! However, he had to admit, college was difficult. Especially going full time AND having a job? He could see how she may not have had time. Besides, he was just as much at fault. As much as he missed her and thought about her, he never quite had the time between missions and projects to shoot her a text or call. Clearly, that couldn’t be the reason.

But nothing else came to mind. He had missed her so dearly, wanted to see her so badly…and now, here she was, hanging out with everyone. It wasn’t that he was upset she was here…what was it?

He paused as he stole another glance. The light brought attention to her nose, cheekbones…specifically her eyes. The reflection of the projection of stars, laser blasts and beautiful blues and purples made her eyes seem to shine. How he wished she would look at him, give him a better view, give him the unadulterated attention she was giving the projection on the wall.

His chest felt heavy again. Or…was heavy the right description? It felt like…a burning, but not the painful kind that a triple cheeseburger from McDonalds would give you. Once he embraced it, it felt…almost…nice.

Something happened in the movie that made her burst out laughing, and yet he couldn’t look away to save his own hide. If she looked now, she would most certainly notice his gaze. His face grew all the warmer, but he was too lost in thought to notice.

Her laugh was rather loud, he noticed. Unlike when they had first met. She was…quieter then. She had grown into herself a lot, gotten more comfortable. And it was…

Lovely.

Her voice struck a chord within him. It always had, but he never really noticed. He really had missed her. Her presence, her voice, her eyes…all he wanted was for her to notice him again.

And then it clicked.

“Alright, y’all! Two movies down, a JupiterJillion left to go!” She smiled, as the brothers roared in excitement.

“Oh! Uh, actually, Y/N…” Donnie started, before he felt a wave of nervousness splash him in the face once she turned to look at him. Her lips curved upwards towards her eyes slightly, as she made soft but direct eye contact.

Oh, God, what did Raph say? Run away and hide forever and throw away all means of communication and never ever ever - AND THAT’S TWO EVERS -under any circumstances talk to her ESPECIALLY ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL-yeah that sounded about right mhm totally!

“What’s up, D?” She gently prodded, urging him to continue.

“Can you…meet me in my lab in a moment? I want to talk to you about something.” He stood up, breaking the eye contact as he pulled out his phone, desperate to do something with his hands other than let them dangle awkwardly at his sides. The way she looked at him made him feel weak. He had gotten exactly what he wanted, for just a brief moment, before he had ruined it. Gosh, why couldn’t he just be normal around her?

“Of course! I’ll be there in just a minute.” She replied, cheery as ever, as she got to her feet as well.

“I’m just gonna start some more popcorn really quick.” She added as Donnie walked away, as he hummed a confirmation and made way to his lab.

As she walked to the kitchen, the brothers shot glances at one another as a familiar beeping sounded in the kitchen.

Another pause hung in the air, as they strained to hear her walk out of the kitchen.

“Okay, what’s going ON with those two?” Leo sputtered.

“I dunno, but I’m gonna make sure D ain’t being rude. It’s her winter break, after all! She deserves to have a good time, and I am fed up with his bad behavior.” Raphael concluded.

“Raph, are sure that’s a good idea? I mean…it seems pretty private if you ask me.” Mikey hinted with a raise of his brows. The snapping turtle, however, was dense to the implications.

“Nonsense! I’m sure nothing could go wrong by just checkin’.” He smiled, before heading off in Donnie’s footsteps.

…………………………………………………………………

Why was this so hard? He wiped his hands on his shorts a third time. His heart was racing, and he had no idea why. What was he going to say? His mouth felt dry, as he tried to think of what Mikey would say…

Just listen to your heart! You’ll feel much better if you’re honest with not only yourself, but the people around you! Communication is the key to any relationship, as is honesty.

Right, he scoffed. As if the truth does anything except hurt people. He found that no one really liked it when he told the truth, and sometimes all it did was hurt people’s feelings…or ruin a perfectly good friendship.

Yes, the truth can hurt. But sometimes, pain isn’t a bad thing. Pain is needed to learn, heal, grow as a person. And having someone lie to you can cause a lot more pain then telling the truth.

Well…that was true. What was he even going to say? He still didn’t really understand how he felt. How could he communicate it if he didn’t know what was going on?

Well, Mind Mikey wasn’t being very helpful anymore. He sighed, placing his hand on his plastron to feel his heart pulse rapidly. He hated this. He didn’t know what he wanted.

“Knock knock!”

He nearly jumped out of his own shell, as Y/N’s voice came from behind him.

She was barely peering in, hesitant to enter without permission.

“Did you seriously say that instead of, I don’t know-JUST KNOCKING?”

“You’re one to talk, hun.”

His stomach did a flip. Why now was the nickname giving him trouble? His eyes shifted, a soft hue of red accenting his cheeks. She didn’t fail to notice, brows furrowing.

“Donnie, is something…wrong? I know you don’t like talking about your emotions, but…” she spoke quietly, as she approached him. He couldn’t muster to look her in the eyes.

“I want you to know I’m always here for you. Whether you want to talk, just hang out…anything.”

“Nothing’s wrong, I just…” he hesitated. What to say? Would it really be…okay? He bit his lip, feeling his face begin to burn as he only grew more nervous.

“Okay well maybe SOMETHING is wrong but I’m not really sure what but I think I maybe know what it is? But at the same time I don’t know for sure and I-I just-“ he rushed through his words, speaking with his hands before sharply inhaling and restarting.

“I…I feel as though…I may have made you feel like I wasn’t happy to see you again, which is absolutely not the case. I just…” another pause.

“It’s okay, take your time Donatello.”

He looked at her with big eyes. Her expression was soft, understanding and comforting as she smiled patiently. He felt himself melt ever so slightly. Taking a moment to compose himself, he looked away again.

“…I just…missed you so much, I…The fact that I wasn’t able to spend time with you first made me upset, when in my mind I had envisioned something different…I felt like…” this was humiliating. He could just see Dr. Feelings watching and giving him a thumbs up in his head…he hated it.

“Like…my brothers were stealing you away from me, and that…you liked them more than me.” Dr. Feelings shot him a look.

“Did I make you feel that way?” Her brows turned upwards.

“No. I realize that, while I want to spend time with you the most…my brothers want to spend time with you too. So therefore…this was the best solution. To spend time with everyone at once before spending time with people individually. But at the same time, knowing that…didn’t change how I felt.” He shrunk in on himself, feeling small. Until she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s completely normal. And, if you want, we could stay in here for awhile and spend some time one on one. I wouldn’t mind, I missed you too, you know.”

The look in her eyes were so warm, and the gentle touch made him lean in slightly. He folded, hugging her around her waist and burying his face in her stomach. The feeling of her touch after so long…he didn’t realize how much he longed for it. He felt her hand pull his goggles off, setting them to the side, before she started gently petting his head as the other laid on his battle shell. Normally, he hated being touched. But she…she was an exception. When it came to her gentle, graceful hands…he melted further and further into her.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Raph huffed as he made his way to the lair, his steps quiet.

“Man, if that Idiot is hurting her feelings I swear…Good thing Raph’s not gonna let that happen!” He chuckled to himself, before preparing to peer in.

“I’m surprised I’m not hearin’ fighting-“ looking in, he stopped in his tracks.

They were both sitting on the floor, Donnie with his arms around her and face rubbing into her lower abdomen, eyes wet as she held him and cooed softly.

“It’s alright, Donnie, I’m here now. We have so much time to spend together, and trust me…you’re going to get the brunt of the attention.” She laughed softly.

“Three weeks isn’t enough.” He murmured, making her blush slightly as Raph’s jaw dropped. Never in a million years did he think he’d see Donnie this open with someone. Honestly, he felt a little jealous that he wasn’t that open with him, but clearly something happening between them that was…much different. Suddenly, he realized exactly what Mikey has meant by private.

“I’ll only be gone for another two months or so, again.”

IT WAS TWO MONTHS?? Raph connected the dots in his brain. The whole reason Donnie had been a gigantic grump was because…he missed her? God, Donnie is a real knucklehead when it came to feelings.

“I know…I don’t want you to go.” He whispered, a single tear threatening to spill.

“I missed you so much. I don’t want to miss you again.”

The blush on her face only worsened.

“Oh, Donnie…Honey, it’ll be alright. I’ll always come back. You think I could ever go without you for more than a quarter? You’re my favorite person in this world. You’re the one I’ll always look forward to coming home to.”

Donnie pulled away, her words striking a chord within him as he looked at her. With a single sentence, she had made him melt to his core.

You’re the one I’ll always look forward to coming home to.

Suddenly, in one movement, Donatello moved up towards her face, hand cupping her jawline as he suddenly embraced her.

Her eyes were wide, taking a moment to process, before she melted into him with a small, content hum. His brows turned upward, resting his other arm over her shoulder as he slightly twisted his head to better fit her lips.

Welp. Despite his utter shock, now was absolutely the time for Raph to dip, he thought. However, he didn’t move an inch.

Hey, wait. What’s going on?!! I should probably get moving! He thought again.

HE HAD HIS FIRST KISS BEFORE ANY OF US?!! DONNIE?!!! Mind Raph roared.

Uh, Mind Raph, We should probably go. This is getting kinda creepy.

What? This is like a Soap Opera, I gotta know what happens next!!

Hey, that’s our brother, not free entertainment!

Even better, we should record them. I mean, no one’s gonna believe us otherwise.

WHAT?!! ARE YOU INSANE?!!

No, I’m Mind Raph. Thought that was pretty obvious.

That would be SUCH AN INVASION OF PRIVACY!!

Yeah, but it’d be funny.

…

Raph quickly pulled out his phone, and snapped a quick picture of the two. I mean, how much blackmail does Donnie have on him, I’m comparison? Plus…It was just too gosh darn cute to see his baby brother have his first kiss. With that, he walked away.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Her soft lips pressing against his made him shiver, wanting to feel them thoroughly as he pressed again and again. He wanted to spill everything, how inexperienced he was, how sorry he was for randomly embracing her the way he did, but also how long he had wanted to do it for. And yet, he didn’t need to. And when she had hummed the way she did, he felt weak to his core. Her lips were heavenly, sweet with a hint of popcorn, and just the fact that he got to know what her lips tasted like made him utterly breathless. He felt her arms around his waist, hand caressing the lower back of his battle shell, and suddenly he had the urge to take it off.

Am I ready for that? He pulled away, looking into her eyes as he thought.

Would she love me the same? He bit his lip nervously.

“Donnie?” She murmured, sending a chill up his shell.

Only one way to find out.

He let go of her for a moment, reaching up to the straps connected to his Plastron and pressing two small hidden panels simultaneously. The battle shell fell behind him as Y/N moved her hands out of the way slightly. Her eyes widened, a blush accenting her cheeks.

“Donnie…I…” she paused, as he listened tentatively and nervously.

“Can I…?”

He nodded.

He felt her hands gently place themselves onto his soft shell, another shiver going through his body. Her hands were warm, soft…nice. He felt his eyes flutter closed as he bit his lip. It felt amazing, her delicate touch as she caressed. He leaned into her, before fully wrapping his arms underneath hers and leaving his hands on her upper back as he buried his face in her shoulder.

“God…” she whispered beneath her breath, before chuckling softly.

“I hate how in love with you I am.” She smiled, turning her head to place a kiss on his head. He responded by nuzzling further against her.

“I love you so much.” She cooed.

Normally, he would despise being treated this way. And yet…he had never felt more loved, more safe.

It was quiet. The only sounds were those of their breathing, and her hands moving across his shell. It was cold in the lair, and yet, he felt the most warm he had ever felt. She smelled ever so slightly of perfume, and he could faintly taste her on his lips. It was fairly dark in the lair, but the purple lights comforted him in a way he couldn’t describe. And everything was just so…warm. Perfect, safe, warm…

He pulled away slightly to press another chaste kiss into her lips, feeling almost entranced by the atmosphere and by his own feelings for her. When the kiss ended, he only moved far away enough to give him room to speak. When he did, he could feel his lips brush hers ever so slightly.

“I…I’m so in love with you.” He whispered breathlessly. “I never want you to leave.”

She only smiled, gently pressing her forehead into his.

“I may leave, but I’m still yours. No matter how far away I am.”

She held his face in her hand, and all he could do was nuzzle into her touch more. No matter how close they were, it just wasn’t close enough. For once, he wasn’t thinking. All of his focus was directed towards her loving embrace.

RING RING! RING RING!

As if snapped out of a trance, Donnie jumped and reached for his phone in his pocket. His screen displayed Red Leader, as he felt himself flush.

“Hey Donnie~ How’s it going with Y/N?~” His older brother said, his tone slightly strange.

“O-OH, UH- Marvelously, fantastic, why?” He sweated, face red.

“Oh, I bet. Enjoying some…quality time?” He cooed, and Donnie could practically see his eyebrows wiggle.

“Uh- why are you talking like that?” He answered, monotone, trying to mask his nervousness.

“No reason…no reason at all.”

“Right…why did you call me?”

“Well, when are you two coming back down for the marathon? We’re already done with the next movie!”

“Oh! Erm, well…Soon?”

“Alright then, hurry it up!…Buncha smoochers.” He added teasingly at the end.

“WH-WAIT HOW-“ Click!

How the fuck did he know? DOES HE KNOW?!!

“Well, what’s up, D?” Y/N touched his shoulder, making him even more of a flustered mess.

“OH WELL UH-“ he cleared his throat. “Raph was uh-just-curious if we were coming back for the marathon soon.”

“Are we?”

“…”

“Ok maybe another few minutes wouldn’t hurt-“

“Oh yeah absolutely they probably won’t notice.”

#I'M SCREAMINGGGG #This made my heart so happy!

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