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Mikey and April aren’t as close as they are with the others. So in turn every Friday they have a sleepover movie night.
Candies, horror movies, staying up way past bedtime classics.
Today had a bit of a different story.
They’ve finally got everything ready and scrolling trying to find a they both could agree upon till Mikey spoke up.
“Um- could I ask a weird question…? I’m sorry but I’ve felt like this for forever and I think you’d be the only person who would understand.”
He hesitated to ask, fidgeting with his hand as he moved around in his seat. April looked at him a little concerened “Of course what’s up?”
“Is it normal for me, a boy, to feel like and want to be a girl…?”
April started blankly for a few seconds, she opened her mouth but the younger one quickly cut her off.
“Actually forget it, let’s just keep looking for a movie!” He practically spoke a million miles an hour from anxiety. April put her hands on his shoulders and smiled.
“Dude, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I can tell you you’re not the only person who feels that way, and there are many people who have gone through your same thoughts and feelings.”
Angelo visual became more relaxed by that statement alone but he still played with his hands.
“What is it thought? Why do I always feel like my body isn’t mine?”
“Honestly it could be a number of things, but the easier answer in my opinion is transgender. Long story short, sometimes things are mixed up in development and female traits can be placed in a male body or vice versa. There is a large community of them. I promise you’re not alone.”
April wiped a falling tear from his cheek.
“I love and accept you. I’m sure your family will too. Thanks for telling me, it takes a lot of courage to do this.”
The shorted one threw himself onto her, tightly wrapped his arms around her in a suffocating hug. They both stayed there for a few minutes both shedding a few tears. Angelo was the first to break the silence.
“Could I try on one of your dresses?”
April practically screamed from excitement “Oh my god yes! You’re gonna be like the sister I never had!!” She stood and took his- took her hand, leading her to the dresser.
After trying a few dresses and skirts they settled on a nice long black skirt and a white shirt with a fruit pattern across it. April offered to do her makeup but it was a bit hard considering green skin but they made it work with a very simple look.
Plenty of photos were taken all night, they both wanted to post them to their socials but waited till after Mikey officially came out to do so. The movie was abandoned and in turn they’d discussed names, pronouns, identity, and a few girl tips. By the end of the night they landed on keeping Mikey but with a few feminine nicknames instead of masculine, she/her and bisexual.
A few weeks later
Mikey still went to April’s every Friday, they became closer than ever both excited to have a sister figure to relate and connect to. Mikey always would doll up at her house together secretly, she had yet to come out to her family. Although she did start to act a bit more feminine around them, none of them really thought anything of it.
Some time into the movie Angelo suggested. “Could you help me come out to my family tomorrow?”
“Sure what do you need me to do?”
“Uh not much just be there to support I guess?”
“Alright sure I’ll walk you home tomorrow?”
And that was the plan.
The plan was there was no plan.
The day next rolled around, Mikey paced nervously around April’s room as she got ready. As they walked through the main entrance Mikey listed every possible worst case scenario while April followed her up with happy scenarios.
They first came out to her brothers, Mikey wanted to speak with Splinter separately and alone.
Mikey and April gathered her brothers in the main room.
“This better be good I’m in the middle of something” Donnie complained, Leo flicked him at the back of the head. “Hey! What was that for-“ Raph cleared his throat, signing them to cut it out.
Mikey picked at her freshly painted fingernails anxious. April smiled reassuringly and nodded, signifying for her to continue, she collected herself before speaking.
“Well uh… this is going to be hard to say but I love you guys and you deserve to know this.”
She quickly blinked away a few tears already forming, her brother’s body language softened in worry and empathy even Donnie.
“This is something that has been bothering me for… as long as I can remember I always t-told myself the feeling would go away but it never did. It wasn’t till a little less then a month ago I finally understood these feelings and learned how to accept myself.” Her voice started to waver, sniffling and rubbing tears away from her eyes.
The familiar hand of Raph rested on her shoulders, Mikey looked up. Raph sympathetically said “There’s no need to cry, it’s okay, we will love you no matter what you say.”
“Yeah and if we have no clue what you’re talking about Donnie can nerd out explaining for an hour” Leo joked which got a small smile out of Mikey.
It took a few minutes for Mikey to recollect herself before she could even speak again, everyone collectively comforted her reassuring everything’s okay.
“Would you like me to say it?” April asked barely above a whisper which Mikey shook her head no.
Mikey finally mumbled “I think… I think I’m transgender meaning I’m not your brother but rather you sister I um- I don’t want to be called he im a she. My body isn’t my body. I’m a girl trapped in a boy’s body it’s confusing and scary and I hate how I look because I don’t look like me but when I wear dresses and makeup I can finally be at peace with my looks because that’s how I feel.” She spoke quickly from nerves. Her crying soon pulled to a full on sob. “I can’t- Ple-please do-on’t hate-hate me.” She spoke very quietly and hung her head low, covered her face with her hands as she continued to cry.
She closed her eyes tight and tensed her whole body, waited for the worst but instead was greeted by a group hug, even Donnie joined in. It took a few seconds to process but she accepted the hug, heavily crying.
Leo was the first to speak. “Angelo, we love you so, so much we would never reject you.”
“Do you want to change your name?” Donnie questioned which Mikey shook her head no.
“And you said she/her yes?” Purple asked again which she nodded yes.
They all stayed for a while, lots of tears and little mumbles of love. They spoke about some changes and what’ll bring.
Mikey decided to wait a few days before telling Splinter, the fact that it took this much work to just tell her brothers it will take so much more prep to talk with Splinter.
Mikey finally decided to bite the bullet, no matter how much she wished it's not like he would just know all of a sudden.
She knocked on the door frame of the room where Splinter laid on the couch watching the tv.
“Uh- Pops? Could I come in? There’s something pretty important I need to talk to you about.” “Uh-huh, what do you need orange?” He said, not looking away from the screen.
She stepped in front of the screen, Splinter's face went sour for a second then immediately went to worry when he saw the distress Mikey was in.
“My son, is everything alright?”
Hearing those words stuck like a hundred alarms.
Son… son… son.
It broke her heart.
“I er- I’m not sure how you feel about this but uh.”
She just like last time already had tears rolling down her cheeks. Coming out is terrifying, you never truly know people till you show your vulnerability to them.
“Orange, my boy it’s okay-“
“No it’s not! I’m not your boy or your son! Please I can’t take it anymore, I'm a girl!”
She yelled without thinking about what came out of her mouth, she just needed to get it all out.
Splinter looked at her confused but steadily, waiting for her to speak more.
“I don’t… understand how my body and my mind don't match up, it’s almost like they have different thoughts and emotions it’s like they’re at war. They’re always fighting for leadership I can’t decide who to listen to, I’ve always just listen to my body’s emotions which is a boy's body but I’m not happy… I’m finally listening to my mind who’s a girl. Just listening to my mind for a month I’m already so much happier it’s like something was just taken off my shoulders. I hope you understand…”
Splinter took a moment to think about it till he placed both his hands to her face.
“Orange… my lovely daughter of course I understand, I love you no less than before. You’re perfect just the way you are and nothing could ever change that.”
Mikey tightly hugged her father, crying out her eyes. Splinter affectionately rubbed her back making it known how much she’s loved by all her family.
There are highs and lows but at the end of the day, she could never ask for a more accepting and loving family. They loved her and god, did she love them so much.