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"Sigh, why are we doing this again?" Donnie moaned, observing his three other brothers climbing a homemade diving board. The planks of wood wobbled at the base, splinters frailing from the pressure of carrying three garbage cans, a fridge, five pillows and seventeen pizza boxes. Leo groaned from the top of the board, squinting down to the speck on the floor that so happened to be his brother.
"C'mon Donnie! It's totally safe up here!" he hollered, fists clenching to the wavering stack of cardboard boxes. Donnie let out a scoff, eyebrows twitching as he watched Mikey shimmy his way up the tower, "Plus if we wanna beat that diving record, we gotta be waaaaay taller than this!" the box turtle shouted. "Ah yes, that stupid Guinness book you're always looking at. Why do you want to beat the diving record again?" Donnie picked up the opened book that was laying unused on the floor, the spine had been broken and made to stay on one specific page.
"Cause then we get a cool certificate!" Raph chorused in, holding more pizza boxes under his arms as he continued to climb. Donnie pinched the skin between his brows, sighing down to the floor, "You're telling me you're all doing this to get a dumb certificate that says you dived from a high spot?"
"The world's highest diving spot!" Leo pointed out, duck taping the last of the boxes. The tower of random junk surpassed the second floor of the lair, looking rather like a beanstalk than a diving board. The tops of the turtle's heads cautiously skidded the sewer grate on the ceiling, truly indicating how high they really were. Mikey pulled out a megaphone that was launched in the trash tower, his smile dipping just a bit as the tower shook violently. Coughing, he turned on the mic for a loud squeal to echo around the lair. The brothers pushed their fists against their heads, trying their hardest to block out the ear-piercing sound.
"C'mon D, don't you want to impress a certain someone!" he cheered, waving the mic closer then further from his mouth to make a weird effect. "I don't know what you're talking about." Donnie pouted, crossing his arms over his plastron, gaze glued to the ground. Leo pulled the binoculars from his face, a Cheshire grin stretched across his profile at the sight of his brother's blush, "Got him." he charmed. Meanwhile, Raph began stretching for his dive, cracking his neck and knuckles, stretching his legs in front of him, rolling his shoulders, etc.
"Are you boys ready?" he gruffed, eyes set on the feeble paddling pool set up on the ground. The two turtles cheered, yelling compliments and teasing laughs at their leader in red. Raph took in a breath and closed his eyes, "Donnie you better be recording!" he shouted moments before he jumped, "DIVING LIKE A BOSS!" he screamed. Raph sunk in the air, coming in too hot for the small paddling pool. Mikey and Leo watched from over the edge, biting their fingernails out of nerves as they saw their brother fall further and further down.
Raph landed in the pool with a loud splash, immediately disintegrating the flimsy plastic within seconds. Donnie avoided the tidal wave of water with an umbrella, the soaked material flapping by his side with one of his robotical tentacle arms. Large cracks formed on the surface of the concrete, all leading back to Raphael, "Raph! Buddy, are you okay?" Leo meekly shouted after seeing no signs of movement. With a pain-stricken groan, Raph's hands shakingly clamped over the Raph-size hole in the ground. His face came up minutes later battered and bruised, some of his teeth were missing and his bandana was slightly torn, "Did- did you get it?" he asked weakly to Donnie.
"Hm? Oh, er, no. I forgot to turn the camera on." he stated, eyes going back to his tech-brace, fingers typing fast. Raph released a growl but was in too much pain to fight and fell back in the hole with a groan. "Hey guys, I'm going to bounce."
"How come?" Leo questioned, a blue portal closing behind him. Donnie sent him a quizzical glare, if he could portal this whole time why didn't he use it to make the tower? Doesn't matter. "(Y/N) texted me, said they're alone and wanted to hang out." he shrugged, using the camera to check his eyebrows were still intact. "Oooooh, Donnie's got a date~" Mikey sang, sliding down the tower like a cat, Donnie released a groan "It's not a date, it's just two friends meeting and hanging out; nothing date-like about it."
"Ah but you're forgetting something," Leo mentioned, finger pointed up in the air. Donnie squinted at his brother knowing whatever was going to come out of his mouth was most definitely a lie, "You like (Y/N)~" he teased. Okay, so that wasn't a lie, Donnie did like you, but it would never work; I mean, a turtle and a human? In what world?
Donnie frowned, his own destructive thoughts getting to him like they usually did when he thought too hard about starting a relationship with you. "Hello, earth to Donald?" Mikey prodded, waving his hand in front of Donnie's face, Donnie slapped the hand away with a huff "It's not a date." he repeated and marched out of the lair.
A sharp knock on your door broke you away from the idle chit-chat on the t.v, approaching the door you quickly tidied yourself up a little: Flattening your hair down, straightening out your clothes, etc. Opening the wood wide you beamed as your eyes meet the purple bandana, Donnie gave you a meek wave, his hand submerged in the over-sized purple hoodie he was wearing. Letting him in, you both ventured to the sofa where a calming silence took over. Your eyes would flick to his form briefly then back onto that random spot on the carpet over there, calming soon became awkward.
"Soooo," you spoke, voice a little hoarse from not using it all morning. Donnie flinched at the sound of your voice, his mind overworking on why it felt different, "Sooooo," he imitated. Your palms began to sweat, stomach rumbling out of nerves or due to the number of butterflies fluttering around in there. You needed to get out of there, it felt like you were both just sat there in an awkward state of silence for an hour, even though it had roughly been twenty minutes. "I gotta make a phone call!" you shouted, jumping from your seat; the movement made Donatello shake with fear, not being used to this sort of behaviour from you.
"O-okay." he weakly muttered, his gaze caught on your (e/c) eyes. You fled the room quickly, diving to the comfort of your bedroom, phone in hand and April's name flashing across the screen.
"Hey (Y/N), what's up?"
"Oh thank God, April, me and Donnie are hanging out but it feels weird."
"Weird?"
"Yeah, we've barely said anything and- and, it just feels so awkward and nothing like what we're usually like!"
"(Y/N), chill out, you're probably just overthinking things again."
"April, what if he knows? Maybe he hates me!"
"That doesn't sound like something Donnie would do (Y/N), be reasonable here."
"But April, what if he found out that I like him. He'd probably be disgusted, I mean, have you ever heard of a human dating a turtle? No! That stuff just doesn't happen!"
"What about Kermit and Miss Piggy?"
"They're Muppets, April!"
You heard the creak of your floorboard outside the bedroom door, swivelling your head to the bedroom entrance you caught Donnie's face flushed pink. Your mouth dropped open, eyes practically hanging out of your head. "(Y/N)? (Y/N)? What happened? Hello?" April's voice went unanswered, your finger opting to end the call immediately. "Donnie...I- I'm so sorry," you quivered out, eyes starting to water up out of fear of rejection.
Donnie stayed quiet, his footfalls creating a slight shuffling sound in the carpet as he stepped closer and closer to you. His face was void of emotion, hands were once again hidden by the long sleeves of his hoodie. The closer he got to you, the more you felt your body shake and shiver with nerves and guilt, he could never see you the same again! Instead of some long speech about how he didn't feel the same or how turtles and humans were never meant to be; he embraced you. His lanky arms wrapped around your torso and pulled you close to him, his head rested on top of your own, beak nuzzling into the soft strands of your hair.
You were so warm, so full of love and a part of that love was for him! He couldn't believe it, "Donnie?" you whispered, the air was once again quiet, but this time it was relaxing. "Just a little bit longer," he begged, his voice wavering between crying and sleep. You wrapped your arms as far as you could around his battle shell, tilting your head into the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent that was inherently Donatello. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance for you both after all.