Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The ear splitting cries of a rooster call woke Leo from his slumber. He groaned, dreams still scattering his mind as he rubbed his eyes blearily. From outside his window, the misty skies were painted in a peachy orange color from the trickling beacon of sunlight, and the grass was stained with dew, signalling that it was nearing dawn.

'Might as well get up,' He thought, seeing as there was no way he was going to fall back asleep. Especially with Raph's thunderous snores growling every second.

He reached down for his birch walking stick which had toppled to the floor at some point during the night. Even though it was a few inches away, he struggled to grab it. His bones creaked, his muscles twitched with discomfort at the simplest of tasks—picking things up. At last, after what felt like an eternity of straining, his fingertips brushed the top, and he managed to wrangle the damn crutch relatively snug under his arm.

He cursed under his breath, taking one hesitant, shaky step forward. Then another. Then another. Then one more. Until he was finally out of bed.

'The first challenge of the day. Getting out of bed. Awesome job, Leo. Father would be so proud of you' He mocked  sarcastically at his own pathetic self.

As each step became more difficult, he silently debated on thrusting the cane to the ground in pure frustration. But then he too would fall which wouldn't be any good. Though lying on the floor would surely feel better then hobbling around the farmhouse like a penguin missing a flipper.

It wouldn't be so bad if his leg didn't hurt all the time or go into involuntary spasms. The spasms were the worst. At first, all would be fine, maybe a slight twitch or ache. Then, a horrible burning sensation would hit the top of thigh, causing his leg to shake and tremble in shock. Sometimes they would last so long, that he would pass out from the sheer agony alone. Or burst into anger filled, strained tears. Those days made him want to curl up into a ball and hide from the others, so they wouldn't see him behave so weakly.

It wasn't the pain that made everything unbearable. It was the helplessness he felt as soon as he received the cane from Donnie assuring him that it would be alright soon. Or everyone else acting as though he was made of glass. He was supposed to be the leader. Not some damsel in distress.

"It'll be alright Leo. Just take it easy for the day."

"Dude, you look terrible! Better not train today."

"Yeah man, you don't want to bust up that other leg."

"You can watch us spar though!"

"Do you need help Leo? I'll walk you to the bathroom."

"Don't lean so hard on your cane, bro! You'll flop over."

"Have you been doing your physical therapy? It'll do wonders, I promise!"

"Sorry Leo, but it's probably better if you sit this game out until your leg heals."

"What were you thinking, trying to walk up the stairs? You know you can't do that! Are you out of your mind?"

He gritted his teeth and forced a grin each time he heard them express concern over him. There wasn't any point in arguing. At least they cared. But he did wish they weren't so...hesitant around him. Like he was some fragile doll that would break in pieces if he was pushed too hard. He was the same Leo. He wasn't any different then he was before.

Well, mostly. He wearily glanced down at his leg.

Mornings now had a routine. Wake up, meditate, physical therapy, eat, maybe practice some katas if he had the strength. And of course, the dreaded rest.

Now Leo didn't mind resting in theory. He slept through the night with ease unlike Donnie. But resting through the day made his frustrations grow. It made him alone in his thoughts to think about how his life was different now and would most likely never be the same. No matter how much he craved some sense of normalcy. He hated lying around. He hated not being able to train and improve his skills. He hated feeling weak and useless. He hated it all.

His lower leg muscles twitched, signally another spasm was approaching.

He sighed.

After his meditation, Leo headed to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for his family. It would be a simple way of showing he was capable and give appreciation for all they've done for him. But to his surprise and discouragement, Mikey was already there, humming to some random pop song as he stirred some butter in a pan.

"Morning Leo!" He chirped. "Take a seat, I'm almost done! The eggs are just setting."

"Thanks," He placed his cane down as he sat. "That smells delicious," He commented, sniffing the air contently. It truly did smell wonderful, and he could feel his stomach rumble and growl with hunger.

Mikey carefully placed a garnish on the folded omelette, smiling brightly as he examined his work. "Done! I'll serve it to you,"

"I've got it," Leo replied, reaching to take the plate from his seat, but his younger brother was one step ahead of him.

"No way, dude. If you move around too much, you might get hurt!" Mikey set the plate down on the table like a waiter, an exaggerated grin plastered on his face. "Service with a smile!"

"But I—"

"For once, and it pains me to say this, but Mikey's right," Raph said, passing by with his own plate of food. "You've gotta build your strength up," he shoveled the omelette into his mouth, chewing with his mouth open as he mindlessly stared at a wrinkled newspaper.

Leo smiled, amused by Raph's lack of manners. Despite that all four turtles had Master Splinter's constant reminders of good table manners instilled in them, only two seemed to follow said rules.

Two more figures strolled inside the kitchen. "Good morning!" April yawned.

"Are we training today?" Casey asked, taking a plate from Mikey eagerly.

"Of course we are," Raph raised an eyebrow. "I'm not letting any of you slack off," His lips curled into a smirk. "Any of you." He turned to his older brother with a voice that sounded caring, but underneath sounded unintentionally condescending. "Well, except Leo. Don't wanna push him too hard,"

Leo's smile vanished.

"But you can watch us!" April added quickly, shooting Raph a glare.

He thought for a split second, wondering if it would be worth it, but he shook his head. "Better not. Donnie said I should focus on my physical therapy more," It was a valid excuse, but really he wanted to leave anyway to avoid any more awkwardness.

"Ugh, speaking of which, where is Dontron?" Casey stabbed his omelette with a fork. "I was hoping we could train together,"

"Of course you'd wanna train with Donnie," April quipped, taking a bite out of her own breakfast.

"Are you implying something, Red?" He challenged, blowing her a quick kiss. She rolled her eyes.

As the conversation started to disinterest him, Leo decided it would be wise to retreat now. Leaving his plate untouched, he left the room as quickly as he possibly could. His crutch thumped against the wooden floor with every step, causing it to creak slightly.

Keep moving. You've got this.

"So, how are you feeling today? Physically, I mean," Donnie asked, reviewing some notes on his lab table. The leader in blue was currently sitting across from him, watching him with a bland expression on his face.

There were quite a few words to describe how he was feeling. Awful. Terrible. Humiliated. Dejected. Frustrated. Helpless. Weak.

But he settled on one that was easiest to say.

"Fine, I guess." He shrugged, the lie escaping him in a bland tone. "Just sore, as usual."

Donnie glanced at his brother knowingly, but didn't push him to elaborate. "How has your physical therapy been going?"

He didn't want to sound like a broken record, so he merely hummed.

"I know the recovery process is hard Leo, but you'll get through this,"

He felt a twinge of annoyance as his face contorted to a frown. Hard? Hard didn't even begin to describe it. But he had to stay calm, keep his composure.

"I know,"

Donnie turned back to his notes awkwardly. "But on the bright side, you've been recovering amazingly. I'm really proud of you," The words were genuine, but they fell flat with how many times he had heard it. It didn't feel real anymore.

Leo's eyes wandered to his crutch, then his leg. The crutch slipped out from under his arm and landed with a thud. He didn't even flinch, he was so used to the sound.

Before he could reach for it, Donnie had already picked it up without a single struggle. "No worries, I gotcha," He grinned, thinking he was helping. Which he was. But that simple act had caused Leo's frustrations to rise. "Here ya go,"

"I hate it," He growled under his breath, refusing to take it.

Donnie retracted his hand back, confused. "Sorry?"

Clenching his jaw, he repeated, louder this time; "I hate this crutch,"

"Is it because it's uncomfortable? Maybe I can upgrade it-"

"No, I don't- I don't want an upgrade. I don't want it at all, Donnie," His leg trembled as he threw Donnie a furious glare. "And uncomfortable? That doesn't even begin to describe how awful it feels. No kidding, it's uncomfortable! Thanks Captain Obvious!"

"Leo I..." His gaze was wary and concerned, but unsure how to properly reply. As if he wanted to say more but couldn't find the right words. No doubt his mind was whirling with possible solutions to the problem. But Leo didn't want to hear it. He already heard it all.

He exhaled sharply, choosing his next words to be less harsh. "I'm sorry, I'm just...really tired of it. I'm tired of this crutch, I'm tired of the spasms- it feels like they're getting worse. I miss training with you guys, and being able to walk up hills and enjoy the sun without a crutch jabbing into my arm." His voice choked up slightly; "Or worrying I might...fall." It felt like a punch in the gut to utter those words, taking the air from his lungs and shattering his world with one single phrase. He didn't want to fall anymore. He wanted to rise up.

He could rise up. He had to. For his team. For his family.

For...

He looked back at Donnie's mahogany eyes that glistened with tears of regret. The same warm eyes that he shared with their father. Their father.

"We choose what holds us back, and what moves us forward."

This is a part of me now. But it does not define me. Be brave for Sensei. Be strong for all of them.

"I shouldn't complain, I'm lucky to have all of you by my side. But, you know..." He reluctantly reached back for the cane, but stopped himself. "I miss what life was like before everything happened."

Donatello's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not going to pretend I know the challenges you're facing Leonardo, but I pray you understand how truly sorry I am. You should be able to do all of these things and it's my-"

Leo didn't let him finish. He already knew what he was going to say. "I don't expect you to understand. I don't want you to, there wouldn't be any point in it.

And I don't want you to feel guilty about what happened. I don't blame you, and neither should you. Okay?"

Donnie nodded. "Okay,"

"But, I need you guys to stop," He squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop with the whole, babying me deal. I'm still me, I'm still the same Leo. I haven't miraculously changed. Besides the obvious," He cleared his throat, chuckling at his obvious voice change. "Things are different now with my whole situation, but I don't want to be treated differently because of it. I'm still getting used to my disability myself and I can't get used to it if everyone is walking on thin ice just to talk to me. I'm still your brother, I'm still your leader and I'm still Leo. Things have changed, but I haven't changed. "

His eyes opened in surprise as two arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly.

"Donnie?"

"I'm so glad you told me." He whispered. "I had no idea. I don't think any of us realized...we were just so scared. We still are." He pulled away. "You need to tell the others this too, not just me. So we can all properly apologize for how we've been acting."

"I will," Leo vowed.

"So..." Donnie held up the cane. "Do you want this back?"

He took it gratefully, this time not ashamed to carry it. "Thanks," He paused for a moment. "Love you, brother."

Donnie's eyes crinkled into a smile. "I love you too Leo."

He smiled back.

Chapter Text

 he/him

'Something isn't right here.'

Donnie stared at his reflection in the mirror with a disgruntled frown. His eyebrows were furrowed, now more visible without his mask covering most of his face.  His battle shell was removed, since it was the middle of the night, and typically he would be asleep by now. Or rather, he was supposed to be sleeping now, but something was preventing him from doing so. That something was himself. The sinking pit in his stomach reminding him of all of his doubts and insecurities. That thing that he masked with his confidence and wit, just like the purple bandana wrapped around him for security. Or heck, the battle shells he used for protection and comfort. This was way deeper than all of that. The softshell turtle blinked the dust from his eyes, exhausted from the lack of sleep and all this self reflection.

His reflection blinked back.

'No, something definitely isn't right here.'

He glanced away from the dusty, old mirror, despising the way it looked. Really how he looked, but it was easier to blame the mirror. The mirror was the one showing his body off and making him feel uncomfortable after all. No matter what angle he looked at, something was off about him. Who else could he blame but the source? That damn mirror. Except it wasn't the real source.

"Alright," He murmured softly, taking one last peak at himself. His scaly emerald skin, his soft shell that curved in a way that made his back ache from time to time. His beak was pointed upwards at a perfect angle. His appearance was alright, and he didn't dislike it in theory, but something was still off. "This isn't going to work. Do you hear me?" He shoved his finger directly at his reflection's plastron to show he wasn't playing around. "This whole situation, this hating myself deal won't work on me."  His eyes flickered to his reflection's eyes. "I don't think its the mirror that's the problem." He bit his lip, exhaling sharply. "It's all me."

Donnie turned away from the mirror, scoffing. "Nah, it isn't me, I'm awesome. But I can't stay hidden anymore, it's not worth it. Even if I don't know who I am exactly. I'm not a boy. I'm not a boy. I'm just...me."

But he grew up as a boy. Everyone knew him as a boy. How could he possibly change everything?

Muffled voices came from outside his room. He froze, squeezing his eyes shut. His brothers were looking for him.

"Yo, is Donnie still asleep? He's been in his room forever." Raph said, his large footsteps echoing as he clumsily stomped about.

"Well he better hurry up! I wanna watch some Jupiter Jim: Revenge of the Space Pirates with him !" That voice was Mikey, cheerful and bright.

"Aw, just leave him be. He's probably working on something important." Leon assured the other two, their voices fading away, but the playfulness in his tone was there as usual. "You know how he gets with his nerd stuff,"

Donnie winced, taking one final glance at the mirror.

"This is who I am."

she/her

It took Donnie a few weeks to finally decide that it was time to tell her family. She wanted everyone to be there, and oftentimes it was difficult to outright say it without any awkwardness or blank stares. Donnie didn't want any of that. She wanted it to be perfect.

Breakfast seemed to be the best time, she concluded as she plopped down at the table between April and Mikey. "Morning!" She chirped, digging into a perfectly crafted waffle dipped in whipped cream and strawberries. It looked delicious, and tasted even better.

Mikey was currently drowning his waffle into some syrup until it was soggy. He yawned drowsily, but gave Donnie a friendly wave to acknowledge that he had seen her enter. 

"How's everyone doing on this lovely—" She rechecked the clock. "noon-thirty. Yikes, I need to stop sleeping so late."

April gave a thumbs up, "I've got waffles, so I'm instantly in an amazing mood, D."

"You seem chipper," Raph noted, scanning the newspaper on the table.  His seat was a bit farther back, being so large, but he still fit snugly in his chair.  "I mean, for you." He teased, giving Donnie a quick noogie.

Donnie shrugged. "What can I say? Waffles put even mwah in a good mood."

"Hear hear!" Leo agreed, his mouth full.

"Preach it D!"

"Ditto!"

"You got that right!"

"I also agree with Purple. Though I will not oppose a Pancake Day once in a while."

"Let's not go crazy, Pops—" Donnie shook her head. "Pancakes wish they were as good as waffles. Of the holy trinity of breakfast foods, pancakes are the lowest on the totem pole. Tis a tragic, but true fact." 

"You always say such wise stuff," Mikey hummed.

"To you, Angelo," Leo said with a smirk. "No, but really, what's up with you, Donnie? You just asked us how we're doing and now—" He stared at his twin for a moment before taking another bite of waffle. Still chewing, he continued; "you haven't made one sassy remark since you've sat down, hermano. How am I supposed to make witty banter without my right hand turtle? I need my witty banter to live my life!" 

"Maybe I'm too tired to put up with you today," Donnie said dryly, earning a glare and a disgruntled huff from Leo. "Ah, actually there is a reason I'm acting a bit different," She waved a hand vaguely, then turned uncharacteristically serious, her eyebrows furrowing. "I'm just gonna say it. I'm not your hermano, capiche?" She said it quite bluntly, and it was no surprise that all of her brothers turned to face her in confusion. Leo himself looked defensive and concerned. "And I'm not a 'he' either. I'm not a guy, and I'd really prefer if all of you used she/her pronouns when referring to me. Surprise! Cue the jazz hands, fellas." She frowned when she was met with blank stares. "I don't see any jazz hands." She decided to take action and do her own jazz hands.

"So...you're a girl?" Raph wondered, scratching his head.

"Well, sorta." Donnie leaned back in her chair. "It's complicated. Right now, I'd really like to be called a girl. It fits me the best, ya know?"

"That's so cool! Do we still call you Donnie?" Mikey asked politely, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Correctamundo."

"Donnie, that's awesome!" April hugged her best friend tightly. "It's so nice to have another girl around to talk to! Can I tell Sunita? She'll be so excited!"

"Sure can." Her eyes turned to Splinter and Leo, the latter seemed to be covering his bloodshot eyes."Leo...are you...crying?"

"No!" Leo lied, wrapping his arms around her other side, sniffling into her shoulder. "Waffles make me emotional, that's all." He grinned. "Also I think it's super cool having a sister."

"Blue is right," Splinter rested a gentle palm on Donnie's carapace. "You were very brave sharing that with us, my child. We love you very much."

"You know what this calls for?" Mikey chimed. "Jazz hands!"

But in the back of her mind, through the ringing of cheers— even Shelldon exploding a confetti bomb in the kitchen to celebrate, there was something telling her that things weren't exactly right.

(they/them)

A year had passed for Donnie to realize she/her wasn't gonna cut it either, and after a while, those pronouns had the same effect that he/him had.They didn't mind the pronouns at first, but now it didn't fit. Like a puzzle piece that was desperately trying to be placed in the wrong game set. Months of struggling with their own identity took a toll on them, but Donnie refused to give in. This attempt would finally be the last. Their only hope was that their family would understand. Which was why they took it upon themselves to force their family to sit in the living room space to discuss everything.

"You're probably all wondering why I called you here today," Donnie said, pushing a button on their shoulder pad and typing a few coordinates in a specific pattern. A computer screen lowered down, facing the group.

"So, when are we gonna play mini golf?" Mikey raised a baby sized orange golf club. "I'm ready!"

"Mini Golf? Puh-lease, didn't you read Donnie's note?" Leo reached for a notepad scribbled in glitter pen. "She wrote: Come to the living room so we can discuss if centaurs qualify as insects or not. Right there in black and white," He shoved the notebook in Mikey and Raph's faces. "Well, actually it's more glitter and ink. But my point still stands!"

"That's what she told you?" Raph blinked. "I was just told to show up. Nothing dramatic or fancy."

"Same here," April said.

"I was told there would be food," Splinter admitted.

"Well, I may have stretched the truth a tad." Donnie grinned sheepishly. "Instead I've come to chat about my gender. Or lack thereof. " They pointed at the computer screen which displayed one, bold word. "Do you all remember way back when I told you guys I was a girl?" They glanced at their purple nail polish, faded now, but still visible. "Or even farther back when I thought I was a boy."

Their family nodded.

"Well, I hate to admit that I was wrong because I'm never wrong but..." They exhaled. "I was wrong this time. Really, really, really wrong. That's three reallys! I'm not a girl or a boy. I researched this, and all of the unanswered questions I had fit perfectly."

Raph gave a comforting, warm smile, which prompted Donnie to continue.

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm nonbinary."

The dreaded blank stares returned, causing Donnie's cheeks to heat up in embarrassment and mildly in horror.

"We love you a lot Don, but um...what does that mean exactly?" Raph folded his hands neatly. "I'm just a bit confused, but I want to understand more."

"Is that like being in between a guy and a girl?" Mikey asked.

Donnie chuckled. "Nah, think of it this way," They pointed at their purple mask. "Purple is technically a mix of red and blue. But it's still considered its own color. No one calls purple 'dark blue' or 'light red', that would be silly and plain wrong.  And although some parts of purple intertwine with red or blue, its not considered either of those colors. It's purple. Just like how I'm nonbinary. I use they/them pronouns instead, and that's who I am."

Mikey scrunched his nose, deep in thought. "I get it now. You're you...and instead of he or she, you'd like to be referred to as they or them."

"Woah, I like it!" Leo perked up. "It's snazzy!"

"But what's most important is that you like it D." April said, smiling softly. "And we're so happy for you!"

"And it makes you comfortable," Raph agreed. "Which is all that matters. This calls for a proper group hug!"

Donnie hugged their family as tight as they could. Each arm wrapped around them gently, squeezing them tightly until they could hardly breathe. But it felt so wonderful. Mikey's giggles swirling through their ears, Leo's wisecracks and jokes about how happy he was to have a ' twin sib', and Raph assuring them that everything was going to be okay. They were loved.

Things were finally right.

Chapter Text

"My sons," Splinter addressed his nearly three year old children in a soft, but firm tone. He flicked his tail back, knocking a fallen block away so his paw did not step on the toy. "It is time for a much needed rest. Please put your toys away," He started to pick up a few blocks, hoping they would join him.

Leonardo obediently started picking up as many blocks as his tiny hands could carry, following Splinter's example. He scurried to the back end of their makeshift playroom, setting them inside the toy box.

Donatello, who was in the middle of constructing a block tower, tilted his head curiously. He seemed hesitant to stop working.

"You may continue building your tower after your nap, Donatello. I will make sure it does not topple over,"

The olive green turtle nodded, now convinced to help his older brother clean.

Michelangelo was more reluctant. He pouted his lip with a devastated frown. "Wanna play mo!" He whimpered. "Peas, Dada?" His bright blue eyes glistened with tears, but he still remained hopeful that his very polite 'please' would work. It usually did, but the wise rat was too exhausted to fall victim to his youngest child's adorable manipulation tactics. Nap Times weren't just for children, after all.

"You will play more after your nap, my son," Splinter repeated, but his promise was genuine as he patted the little one's head.

"Kay!" Michelangelo finally agreed, clumsily assisting his brothers pick up the toys. Though Michelangelo's help tended to cause more harm. Case and point, the overeager child accidently knocked a set of marbles and the turtles' beloved teddy bear to the floor as he was picking up blocks, oblivious to the mess he was creating. Most of his help involved him chatting to his brothers about his favorite colors then actual cleaning.

Splinter fondly shook his head. His ear twitched, following the noise behind him caused by his middle son.

Raphael had ignored his father since he had entered the room. He was still playing with his blocks as if nothing had happened. Well, less playing and instead slamming them together to make a chaotic ruckus of noise. He lifted a block, tossed it in the air, then made it crash into the ground—airplane sound effects included.

"Raphael..." Splinter started, eyebrows furrowed as he prepared to use his stern father voice. "Playtime is over for now. Please put your blocks away and help us clean up,"

Raphael finally faced his father with a defiant scowl. Although he was still very young, it was clear to Splinter that his son was growing aware that he had his own voice. His own opinions and thoughts. Which Splinter was very proud of normally, but unfortunately this led to several ways of expressing these feelings in the only way he possibly could.

With his beak raised, his emerald eyes glaring and arms crossed, he spat; "No! Don't wanna sleep! Put blocks back!" 

Splinter stroked his beard thoughtfully, unphased. "You have played with your blocks long enough."  He slowly reached down to pick them up. "It's time for a nap."

Raphael let out a frustrated growl, falling to the ground to slam his fists against the floor, furious tears streaming down his cheeks. "No! No nap! No nap!"

The old rat exhaled sharply. So this was the 'Terrible Twos'. He never had a chance to experience this part of parenthood with his daughter Miwa, but seeing as he was once a temperamental child like Raphael, he figured that he would relate to his second son's frustrations—to an extent.

"My last statement was not a request, Raphael. I insist that you rest and stop causing a ruckus."

"C'mon Raphie, it's time ta nap," Leo said.  "Dada said so,"

Raph roared again furiously.

"Naps 'pposed to be quiet,'' Donnie rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Hate being quiet!" Raph roared, stomping towards Donnie's block tower. "I wanna play mo!"

"Raphael, don't!" Splinter warned.

With no hesitation, the tot kicked the tower with one swift motion, knocking the blocks over, scattering to the floor.

Splinter winced as the screeches of his middle sons shrieked into his sensitive rat ears. Donatello's sobs were of heartbreak, whilst Raphael's were of rage and exhaustion. The tornado of cries lasted for a few seconds, before he tapped his cane loudly on the floor. "Yame!"

"Da- dada he—" Donatello's lip trembled, prepared to tattle once he could catch his breath. "He broke my—" He scrunched his nose as he tried to form the sentence. "He broke my block tower!"

"I saw," Splinter sighed wearily, fighting the urge to massage his temples. He crouched down to face the toddler, allowing him to cry into his chest.

Raphael's eyes widened in panic, but then peered guiltily at the destruction he caused, finally calming down to see what he had done. "I didn't mean to," He fiddled with his hands sheepishly. "M' sorry,"

Donatello's wails only grew louder, though it seemed it was only for attention this time rather than being truly upset. His sobs turned into squeaky hiccups.

"S' okay Donnie!" Mikey hugged his sensitive brother, whispering assuring nonsensical words to make him feel better. "S'okay! Don't cry, peas don't cry!"

"We'll build it again!" Leo added. "After naptime."

Raph huffed. He had stopped crying, but he still remained moody after putting in so much effort to apologize, only to be ignored.

"Boys, I need a moment alone with your brother," Splinter said quietly. "Go to your tatami mats. I will be there shortly,"

His three sons nodded, exiting with a few giggles about how Raphie was in big trouble. Even Donatello, whose tears seemed to have been forgotten as he scampered off.

"I said I was sorry." Raph spat once they left.

"I appreciate you apologizing, my son,"  Splinter murmured. "But tell me, what made you decide to destroy Donatello's tower? He did not do anything to you, did he?"

Raphael sighed. "No," He relaxed his clenched fists, looking up at his father. "I just got mad."

Splinter hummed. "Oh?"

"I don't wanna nap," He admitted softly.

He smirked, gesturing at the mess. "That was made clear. Will you help me pick these up?"

"Yeah," The little turtle scooped the blocks easily, taking them and placing them back in their box. "I don't like naptime, it's boring and quiet. I hate the quiet," 

"Rest is important and so is the quiet," Splinter said in his soothing voice. "If you don't nap, you will not have any energy to play. Which is why we value these periods of sleep, and why I asked that you rest. And although the quiet can be upsetting, I promise it will not last forever,"

"It won't?" Raph looked up hopefully.

"It won't. It is fine to be upset, but next time I insist you do not throw your toys about when you're angry, Raphael," 

The little mutant turtle crawled into his father's warm, comforting fur. "Okay," He yawned, already starting to drift off. "Dada I'm tired,"

"I know, my son."

As the years passed, Raphael felt his confidence grow with him. He was the biggest, strongest, and bravest of his brothers—even at the age of six. Although the rambunctious side was often the cause of him getting into trouble, he loved to let out his energy in training or playtime.

This dreary evening however, the four tots had agreed upon a certain game: make believe. Raph had wanted to wrestle his brothers instead or sneak around in the sewers without Dad's permission but three outvoted one and thus he had to go along with their dumb game. No matter how much he wanted to sulk about how unfair it was.

Leo, bossy as ever, insisted on taking charge, much to Raph's distaste. "Alright, we're gonna play Space Heroes! I'll be Captain Ryan,"  He puffed out his chest as he struck a pose.

The young turtle had found a few tapes washed up in the drain one afternoon, and was now obsessed with the corny cartoon. Raph thought the show was horribly boring, but Leo was obsessed with it, practically worshipping the main character to an embarrassing degree.

"I wanna play pirates..." Mikey groaned in disappointment.

"We'll play pirates tomorrow," Leo promised. "You can be Crankshaw, Mikey! And Donnie can be Dr. Mindstrong! Cause he's super smart,"

Donnie shyly nodded while Mikey gave a thumbs up.

"And what about me?" Raph demanded. "Don't give me anyone lame."

"Commander Grundch, duh," Leo rolled his eyes. "We need a bad guy though," He tapped his chin. "How 'bout we use Spike? He can be the space alien attacking our ship!"

"Rawr!" Mikey cheered, bounding towards the resting turtle on the sofa and making various growling noises.

"No way!" Raph snapped, stopping his younger brother from lifting his pet turtle in the air. "You are not making Spike some evil monster! He's not evil!" His eyes flickered to the unmutated baby snapping turtle happily chewing on a leaf, oblivious to whatever his owners had planned.

"It's just a game Raph," Donnie assured him. "It isn't real."

"And we need a bad guy!" Leo insisted. "That's how the show goes," He thought for a moment, then made a surprisingly wicked decision. "How about you be the monster instead. Since you look like one anyway," His lips curled into a smug smirk, infuriating the hothead.

"Why you—" His threat was cut off by a fierce growl, tackling his brother to the ground. Leo, at first was startled, but immediately started fighting back using the skills their father had taught them. The young turtles rolled around a bit, until Leo lifted his knee up, kicking Raph swiftly in the midsection. He cried out in pain, but instead of backing down, he lifted his fist up and slammed his fist into his elder brother's face. 

"Ow! Stop!" Leo yelped, clutching his cheek. His eyes were glistened with tears, real genuine tears. "Raph, that really hurt!"

"You hurt me too!" He cried, rubbing his plastron.

"You attacked me first!"

"You called me a monster!"

"You just proved my point!"

"You—"

"What is going on here?" The thunderous voice of their father bellowed, shattering the silence instantaneously.

The two oldest sons looked up at Master Splinter guiltily from their positions wondering how to defend themselves from getting into major trouble.

"We didn't do anything!" Donnie answered defensively.

"It was all them!" tattled Mikey. "They were fighting n' being all loud n' stuff!"

"I was in the middle of a deep trance," His whiskers drooped downwards. "But seeing as it is impossible to meditate with all this noise, I ask what has brought this on?"

Leo sat up, bowing his head. "Sensei, Raph hit me," He pointed at the bruise blossoming on his cheek, an ugly purple and yellow mark. "Which is why I screamed,"

Raph glared. "He kicked me!"

"He started it!"

"Tariru! It does not matter who started it.  You both know you are not allowed to fight outside of the dojo. Especially without proper safety precautions,"

"Sorry Dad, it won't happen again," Perfect Leo said, and Raph had the sudden urge to smack him again just to wipe that smile off his face. "Sorry Raph."

"But Dad, he was mean to me! I had to do it," Raph protested. "For my honor," His fern green eyes stared at his father, showing a rare moment of wisdom from such a small child.

"The honorable action would be to not let those words impact you," he replied. "Raphael, I have told you many times to not attack your brothers,"

"But he-"

"I ask that you and Leonardo take a time out." Before the hothead could open his mouth, he added; "a very quiet timeout to reflect,"

Scowling, he grumbled a very disgruntled "Hai Sensei," and stormed to a corner. Leo simply nodded and sat on the opposite side.

Raph hated being in trouble. He hated stupid Leo. But he hated the quiet most of all.

The four boys sat side by side in the far end of the dojo and observed their father. Their katas were finished and it was time to move onto the lesson of the day.

"Today we will be discussing," Splinter ignored an obvious groan from Raph. "Yes Raphael, we will be discussing, but still training on using the ninja's most powerful weapon. Would anyone share what that might be?" He prompted, hoping they had been listening.

"Cool masks?" Mikey suggested, gesturing to his brand new orange mask. The freckled turtle seemed the most ecstatic to have a mask, insisting it made him a real ninja.

"Punching stuff?" Raph said, uninterested.

Splinter shook his head. "Donatello?"

Donnie jumped in surprise like a frightened fawn. He never liked being called upon, always getting flustered and tripping over his words. After his brief moment of panic he finally collected himself;  "Um...th-their mind, Master Splinter?" He stammered, barely above a whisper.

"Very close, my son, but not quite what I meant," he smiled fondly.

Leo raised his hand without a second of hesitation. "Stealth, sensei." He glowed with pride once he saw Splinter's approving smile, the teacher's pet that he was.

"Well done Leonardo." He praised. "Yes, we will be focusing on stealth."

"Woah cool!" Mikey's eyes sparkled in delight.

"Stealth's lame, it's just hiding around." Raph taunted, poking Leo's head.  "Can't we go back to the kicking and punching stuff?"

"Stealth is more than simply 'hiding around'. When a foe is nearby, you must stick to the shadows before rushing into battle," He raised an eyebrow. "Otherwise they will know you're coming. But when you stay hidden and silent, you'll have the upperhand if you are ever attacked," He hesitated, trying not to imagine his four young boys needing to use their ninjutsu training someday.

"So like...a surprise attack?" Donnie wondered, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

Splinter nodded. "Precisely. In order to properly practice the art of stealth, we will be doing a training game." There was a pause for dramatic effect. "Hide and Seek."

"Yay!" Mikey clapped his hands cheerfully. "I love hide n' seek, it's so fun!"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yeah, if you're a baby. We're nine, not five. Sensei, I want to do real training." He looked at Mikey bouncing with excitement. "Not play games."

Splinter stroked his beard. "Very well. If you would rather do twenty push ups instead, that can be arranged."

Raph stiffened, knowing Splinter was a rat of his word. "Ah, I'll pass. Hide and seek is fun."

"But Sensei, you've got a huge advantage!" Donnie protested, frowning. "You've got better depth perception from when you were human, your sense of smell is better, your ears are super good too. Logically, we would be found instantaneously!"

"And logically, you're a massive dork," Raph sneered, earning a scowl from his younger brother.

"Donnie's right though. There's no way we can hide with your skills, Master Splinter." Leo said.

"You are correct. So let's make this a bit more fair," Splinter reached for the mantel nearby and pulled out a long piece of fabric. He tied it around his eyes. "The sense I rely on most has been removed. I shall count to thirty, and then I will look for you. Are you ready, my sons?"

"Hai Sensei!" The boys chorused, looking incredibly serious. Their desire to win this game was more important than anything.

"Hajime!"

They sprinted off to find the best hiding spots.

Splinter silently counted in his head up to thirty, purposely counting a bit slower to aid in his sons' efforts. It was true even without his sight he had quite the advantage. He wanted things to be fair, especially since they were still only children.

His nose twitched. One particular scent had not even left the room, which was strange but not surprising. He inched closer, the scent growing stronger until he reached the dojo's ever growing tree. He rested one paw on the edge of the trunk, frowning.

There was a recognizable chirping sound, followed by tiny shuffles climbing up the branches further emphasizing Splinter's suspicions.

"Donatello? Is that you?" He asked, picturing his intelligent son desperately trying to stay hidden and as quiet as possible and trying not to burst out laughing.

He heard someone suck in their breath, and he chuckled.

"...no." whispered Donnie, followed by more shuffling sounds and a crack of a branch.

"Perhaps I did find you," Splinter quipped, helping his son down.

"I thought I could hide up in the tree." He explained, embarrassed.

"It was a very good try, my child. Will you help me find your brothers?"

"Hai Sensei."

"Now, I cannot see, so I will need you to be my eyes for the time being. Where should we look first?"

"I know just the place!"

Michelangelo predictably was found in the kitchen, hiding behind the cupboards. Had he not been munching on worms and algae so loudly, he wouldn't have been found.

The trio padded towards the pit, hoping to find Leonardo or Raphael next. Though to Splinter's dismay, it was clear they already had.

A sewer pipe connected from behind the T.V started to shake. Splinter pressed a paw to his lips, ears flicking to the side to listen.

"Shhh I got here first!" hissed Raphael. "Find your own hiding spot, Leo!" There was a long silent pause, but they all knew Leonardo was there too. "You think you're so special, but I know you were following me just so you could find a hiding spot in time! When Sensei finds us, he's gonna be wondering..."

"...He will be wondering why you hadn't followed my instructions." Splinter finished for him, poking his head from the other side of the pipe to face the furious green eyes belonging to his son. "Raphael, in order to be stealthy, you must be..."

"Quiet, I know." Raph mumbled bitterly.

"I do believe I mentioned that in our lesson."

"You did, Sensei. I just was so mad at Leo for stealing my hiding spot!" He crawled out of the pipe. "I was there first, I swear I was!"

"Where is Leo anyway?" Mikey wondered, already poking his head through the other side of the pipe. "He isn't in there anymore!"

"I don't know, perhaps he-"

"Papa, he's on your kimono!" Donnie exclaimed. "Behind you!"

Splinter chuckled, reaching behind and grabbing ahold of the young boy who had attached himself to his back, as if he was a spider monkey and not a turtle. "Very excellent work, Leonardo. I did not even see you leave the sewer pipe."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Sensei." Leo bowed his head politely, but his smile was full of pride.

Splinter removed the eye mask he had, and  placed a hand to his oldest son's shoulder. "I am very impressed with your improvement." He turned to the rest of his sons. "All of you have shown such growth. I am so proud of you. That is all for today."

Raph huffed, rolling his eyes when Splinter's back was turned. Any fool, even Mikey could tell Splinter was only really praising Leo, and the rest of the kids were simply an afterthought. Everything Leo did was perfect. Perfect form, perfect katas, perfect mediating, perfect patience, perfect chosen weapon.

He clenched his fists, shooting Leo a dangerous glare, resentment burning inside him.

Stupid, perfect, Leo.

Ever since Leonardo was made leader after their disastrous first mission, Raphael made it a personal goal to trip him up at every opportunity. Whether it was simply questioning his orders, making snide comments, or purposely showing off in front of their younger brothers to tick Leo off. It was a fun game that he liked to play, just to see how he'd react.

Not that he was jealous or anything. Sure, it sucked he wasn't made leader (especially since he was a stronger fighter) but he couldn't help being a bit resentful that Leo seemed to have everything handed to him on a silver platter. This was just more salt to the wound.

Leo wasn't oblivious to Raph's taunts though. And to his annoyance, everything seemed to backfire in Leo's favor.  He was now purposely pointing out how Raph could have improved on a certain attack, or heck, even sometimes bring up how his temper ruined the mission for everyone.

After that old bozo filmed them fighting the Kraang, Leo made a show of chewing Raph out as they walked home; "Nice going Raph! I told you to be quiet! Now not only did you alert the Kraang, but that man got us on video! Who knows what he'll do with it?" 

"Probably upload it online for millions of people to see, send it to scientists so that we can be tested on or-"

"That was a rhetorical question, Donnie!" Leo threw his hands up in exasperation.

Raph lifted the manhole cover aggressively. "It wasn't my fault, he was pissing me off! What else was I supposed to do?"

Leo tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Oh I don't know, maybe simply ignore him? They're just words Raph! Ugh, if you had just been quiet and followed my orders this wouldn't have happened."

"So I can be your little puppet to control? No thanks! Maybe you should quit nagging and stay quiet yourself."

"That's not what I-" He exhaled, climbing down the ladder leading to the sewers. "You know what I meant. You're just intentionally trying to make this difficult. That's your goal, isn't it?" He landed with a small splash. "To make us fail?"

Raph opened his mouth, then closed it. Shame washed over him, embarrassed that he unintentionally sabotaged the mission with his own rage.

"Some ninja..." Leo grumbled to Donnie. "Can't even stay silent when he's supposed to."

He wanted to retort, to snap back and prove Leo wrong. He couldn't though. Because deep down, he knew he was right. So he trudged after his brothers, feeling more miserable than ever.

Mistakes had been made over the past years of being a ninja, saving the world and earning the honor of being a hero. Some mistakes were caused by himself, whether that be his temper, his disrespecting snark towards Leo leading, his inability to focus when someone (particularly one of his baby brothers) got injured, or a careless action he made during a fight that left the team incapacitated.

However, some problems were beyond his control. When he was mind controlled by the horrible brain worm, sucking his soul out and making him a ruthless monster eager to kill his own family. Even after he was turned back to his normal self, he refused to talk about it. Especially not with Leo or Splinter. He didn't want to burden them or make them believe he was weak.

He always hated being quiet, but now when it came to his own problems, that's all he ever did. Stay silent. 

He grew after that day. He didn't change entirely, the recovery process was slow and agonizing. But as each year came and went, he still kept quiet.

Until now.

"Sensei..." Raphael uttered, his voice raspy with each voice crack. "Father...I wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything.  For all the trouble I caused as a kid and since then. I was so impulsive and awful and-" He squeezed his eyes shut, preventing any tears from escaping. "I regret all the times I acted like a jerk and disrespected you. I realize now how foolish I was. I just hope you can forgive me."

Silence. That dreaded silence that made his heart plummet to the ground, like the trickling rain falling by his side.

"I was so scared of being alone." He continued. "I still am. And losing control of my anger. You've always been there to help me deal with my temper. I think I've improved a little bit but I don't know.

Please Father. Please say something. I hate the quiet, I hate it-" He collapsed to his knees. "I need your advice more than ever." He choked back a sob in his throat. "Father...I'm so sorry. Forgive me."

"Although the quiet can be upsetting, I promise it will not last forever.”

He lifted his head to face the stone cold headstone, the letters fading away with time. There was still no response or sound besides the tapping rain.

He never liked the quiet before.

"Raph?"

He didn't look up, but he recognized the warm voice of his elder brother. Leonardo had joined his side, blue eyes wet with tears, but he was smiling weakly, as if to hide the pain that they shared.  Gently, he raised his hand to Raphael's palm, squeezing it. There was a beat, before he whispered; "He's so proud of you. I hope you know that."

He paused, a watery smile forming away his previously devastated expression. "I...thanks Leo."

Chapter Text

April let out a dejected groan as she trudged down the sewer tunnels, a miserable scowl on her face from her terrible day. Even her normally perky afro puffs lacked any joy or movement, seemingly drooping down without any reason other than to convey her cruddy mood. Laws of physics be damned.

Everyone had rotten days, that was just a part of life. But this day in particular seemed like a snowball effect of the hours growing worse and worse until it smacked her right in the face. Not literally, though it sure as hell felt like it.

When she entered the lair, she was immediately greeted by Leo and Donnie both sitting opposite each other, shell to shell, beaks pressed against their phones.

April smirked, dropping her bookbag on the sofa and taking a seat beside them, watching the twins with mild interest.

Leo rapidly texted something, pressing a button with a huff. "And send!"

Donnie let out a squawk of annoyance once they caught a glimpse of the new message. "You did not just say that!" Then started tapping frantically on the keys as if their life depended on it. "Take that, Mr. Dum Dum."

A notification popped up with an obnoxious chime. "Hey, not cool!" Leo narrowed his eyes, already typing his own nasty response.

"Are you two text fighting again?" April glanced at both of them with amusement, though her expression was sour. "Can y'all do that some other time? I need to vent to somebody." If she had energy left, she would have rolled her eyes. Those two were constantly getting into petty arguments over the most ridiculous things.

"Not until Leo admits he's wrong," Donnie grumbled.

Leo turned around furiously. "Except I'm not wrong, sibs."

"You absolutely are 100% wrong."

"What are you two even fighting about?"

Donnie's eyebrows furrowed. "He thinks Jupiter Jim VIII: Attack of the Space Slugs is a better movie-"

"...which it is," Leo finished the sentence for his twin with a smug grin.

"But I personally believe wholeheartedly that Jupiter Jim V: The Great Galaxy War is a much superior film in terms of acting, directing, and amount of space related violence. It's not just a movie, nay, it's an experience!"

"...which it isn't."

"That's great," April sighed, her tone genuine but her voice sounding irritated as she slumped down on the sofa, her head in her hands.

Leo caught on quickly to April's mood shift and frowned. "Say, you okay? You seem less April-y than usual." He flopped down next to her, gesturing for Donnie to join her other side, which they did.

"Not an actual adverb 'Nardo..." Donnie whispered under their breath.

"What's got you so down in the dumps, amiga?" Leo ignored Donnie, his expression softening for his sister. "Normally you're eager to join in our wonderfully important discussions."

"I know, I'm sorry guys," April removed her glasses, cleaned them with her shirt, then placed them back on her face. "But since you asked...this day has just been awful." She took Donnie and Leo's confused, but concerned stares as a cue to elaborate further; "I overslept this morning and missed the bus first off. Then as I sprinted to school like I was running a freakin' marathon, I stepped in a huge muddy puddle and fell over!" She lifted up one combat boot which was still soaked and smelled slightly. "I was late to class, I was a huge frazzled mess, my socks were all wet and my teacher yelled at me for being two minutes late. That's not even the worst part!"

"What happened next?" Donnie asked, fully listening with rapt attention as if they were watching a drama series.

"You know how Prom is at the end of May?" April replied. "I was gonna ask Sunita to go with me. I had it all planned out, this whole romantic gesture to really wow her."

"Awww that's so sweet!" Leo squealed.

"But I messed up. Badly." She cringed, as if she was reliving the moment. "She was just standing there looking like a beautiful model while I had lint on my sweater and mud coated boots. I chickened out and didn't even say hi to her. Which is weird, because we're friends, I shouldn't have freaked out like that."

"How did she react?"

"She was nice and sweet as usual but still!" April groaned. "I messed up so badly and I don't know why."

"Aha!" Donnie examined the tech gauntlet on their wrist, typing in a few coordinates as the screen popped up. "I know exactly what happened. You experienced the cultural phenomenon known as 'bi panic™—pause for dramatic effect followed by a gasp of horror."

"Is it contagious?" Leo winced. "Usually you only state your stage directions when shits about to get real."

"Very," Donnie replied flatly, then turned to April confidently. "But no worries, we'll help you out!"

"You will?"

"Duh," Leo stood up, spinning on his heel. "If anyone can help ya out, it's us! Sure we've never actually dated anyone, let alone asked anybody to the prom..."

"But we have really good social skills!" Donnie chirped.

"Well I have really good social skills, which is good enough," The red ear slider put a hand to his plastron, smirking.  "With Donnie's wit and my chivalry, you'll have that date to the prom, easy peasy like a game of parcheesi!"

"And I won't freeze up again?"

"Heck no! April, you've fought crazy mutants armed only with a baseball bat. A mystic baseball bat but my point still stands. Asking Sunita to the prom will be a cakewalk compared to that. Besides, why wouldn't she want to go with you? You're awesome."

April smiled bashfully. "I guess you're right. So what's your advice?"

"The best way to get good at something is to practice." Leo said. "So in order to do that, we'll be doing some role-playing!" He pushed Donnie towards her, grinning ear to ear. "Pretend Donnie is Sunita."

"I don't believe I agreed to this." Donnie deadpanned.

"C'mon Dee, consider it like you're acting for a role in a movie! You got this." Leo gave an encouraging thumbs up for his twin, who reluctantly nodded.

April shook her head. "I can't pretend that they're—"

"Just give it a shot?" Leo pleaded, using his best puppy dog pout.

She couldn't say no to that face. She took a deep breath, sweat dripping down from her forehead and started the exercise; "Fine. Hi...Sunita." She couldn't even look her best friend in the eye; it was too weird.

Donnie crossed their arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Um..." April cleared her throat. "I was just—"

"Aren't you going to say that I look pretty?" Donnie asked, tapping their foot against the floor impatiently.

"That isn't your line!" Leo hissed.

"You didn't give me any lines, Leon! You just said I'm Sunita. How am I supposed to work with that?"

"Ignore them," He looked sheepish. "Go on April."

"You look very pretty today," April complimented, finally looking up to meet Donnie's eyes. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to go to prom with me?"

Donnie stared at her blankly, then glanced back at Leo for help. "Um. Line?"

"You're supposed to say yes!" Leo practically screeched in the softshell's ear slits.

"Well, yeah I figured that out, but then I started thinking. As the actor, I want to know my goal for attending this soiree with the apparent love of my life. What's my motivation?"

"Your motivation is that we're helping our friend." He gritted his teeth.

"Sorry, sorry, let me start over," Donnie cleared their throat. "Ahem. Sunita gasps in shock, twirling around with glee! Yes, oh yes April! Take me into your arms! I'm all yours, baby!" As they said each direction, they did the movements going along with it, even the ballerina twirl.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Sunita wouldn't do that." April nudged Donnie to stop them from spinning into the wall. "Can't you act a bit more natural? Less razzmatazz."  She gestured vaguely.

Donnie scoffed, putting a hand to their hip. "I can't act without any razz or matazz! The point of the performing arts is to be big, bold, and all that fancy razzle dazzle, glitz n' glam!"

"When did you suddenly get so sassy? How is this even helping my problem?"

"One more time," Leo prompted, interrupting the squabble before it got out of hand. Not that he wasn't enjoying the drama. Because he totally was. "Try again."

"Will you go to the dance with me, Sunita?" April said in exasperation.

"Eh, nah, I've got other plans."

"Donnie I swear to God-" April warned with a furious glare.

"I mean, sure! Sounds fun!" Donnie raised their hands in surrender.

"Great, I'll see you then!"

"Perfect! Bravo!" Leo clapped his hands and pretended to throw roses. "I think you've got this."

"Are you sure?" April rubbed her arm anxiously. "I'm not really confident."

"You've totally got this!" He said firmly. "Now, go out there and ask that slime gal to prom pronto!"

"Dressed like this? I look like I was wrestling pigs in a mud pile and lost."

"Y'know normally I would say a girl like Sunita wouldn't care about your appearance..."

"Buuuuuuut..." Donnie finished for their twin. "This is the perfect opportunity for a..."

"You know what I'm thinkin', Dee?"

"You bet I do!"

"Fashion Montage!" Leo and Donnie sang.

The trip to the mall was uneventful, except for Leo and Donnie's elaborate disguises. Two old ladies, the same as before. Donnie had even added a bit of fake wrinkles to their cheeks for added effect.

"Oh, Patty, isn't it such a glorious day?" Donnie said in an over exaggerated elderly voice, adjusting their lavender shaw just so.

"I still don't know why we're doing this again, Dee," Leo commented, yelping when his disguised sibling elbowed him in his fake bosom. "Ow! Dude, not cool!"

"That's Hortense to you," Donnie corrected, swinging the doors towards the dressing rooms and plopping down on the cushioned seats. "Go on, pick some outfits and show us whatcha got, dearie!"

April looked hesitant, but once she caught Leo's encouraging smile, she merrily entered the ladies dressing room with pep in her step.

She strutted through the door with a revealing yellow jumpsuit with way too many pockets. She struck a clumsy pose, giggling.

"Yikes, that needs to stay in the 80s." Donnie shook their head.

"Yeah, it's a bit much, isn't it?" April snickered. "Be back in a jif!"

She tried a variety of styles. Goth, preppy, grunge, punk, pastel goth, pastel punk, vintage...none of them really suiting her.

Until she settled on a classic yellow shirt, ripped jeans, and a peach colored jacket.

She stepped out shyly, unsure of herself. "How does this look?" She did a quick spin to show off the outfit.

"Woah!" Leo exclaimed. "I love it!"

"You look amazing!" Donnie agreed. "There's a certain je ne sais quoi about that outfit."

"Turns out simple is the best option. Besides, it's not like I'm wearing this to the dance anyway."

There was a clicking sound of high heels hitting the ground and April froze in her tracks.

"April?"

Her heart dropped down to her shoes, startled (and partially horrified) by the familiar sweet sounding voice. Turning ever so slowly, she faced the girl who had spoken; "Sunita?" She whispered in disbelief, her entire face brightening into a wide smile.

"Patty, I do believe we should be going now. Quick— to the maternity section before they spot us!" Donnie grabbed ahold of Leo's dress, pulling him behind a rack of clothes for expecting mothers.

"Didn't realize you shopped here." Sunita said with a light giggle as she adjusted her violet headband. "Especially not with 'the grandmas'." she joked.

"I don't normally." April admitted, her cheeks reddening as she continued to hear fumbling behind the clothes rack followed by a string of curses. She pretended she didn't hear it.

"You should, the clothes here are really nice. We can shop together sometime." Sunita glanced coyly at the taller girl, beaming.

"I'd love that."

Her dark eyes turned serious for a moment. "I'm so glad I found you. I've been trying to talk to you all day!" She held up her phone. "And I tried texting you, but you never responded. Is everything okay?" Distraught, she pocketed her phone. "Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No!" She rested a hand on her shoulder. "Sunita, I swear you didn't do anything wrong."

"Phew," She looked relieved. "When you ran away I got super worried."

April grimaced. "Ugh, yeah sorry about that. That was all on me." She stepped forward. "So you wanted to talk to me? Because I wanted to talk to you. What a total coinkydink!" She babbled. "Sorry, just...please say what you have to say before I embarrass myself further."

"Okie doke." Sunita brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I've been trying to say this for weeks now, but I panicked every time. Now I'm gonna be brave and do it." Their eyes met in flustered, breathless silence.

"Yes?"

"Will you go to prom with me?"

April stood there completely stunned, her mouth agape. "I- what- you- me?" She squeaked. "You wanna go to prom with me?"

"It's okay if you don't-"

"You don't understand, I've been trying to buck up the courage to ask you this whole time!" April swung her arms around Sunita happily. "Thank you for doing that for me, you're the best!"

"You wanted to ask me?" She asked, taken aback.

"Yes. For both questions by the way. I definitely want to go to prom with you. I can't imagine going without you."

"Just to clarify, this would be like...a whole date situation. Not just as friends. Is that...okay?"

April whooped. "Yes, yes, yes! That's more than okay!" She squeezed her tightly.

Their noses bumped each other accidently, both girls blushing. Sunita chuckled, pressing a light kiss to April's cheek. "I'll see you then."

"Patty?" Donnie smirked at Leo proudly. "I think our work here is done."