Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“LEO!” Raph had called out, his arm looped around a drooping shoulder, padded and adorn in spikes. They dug ever so into the turtle’s cheek yet he carried on, pushing through into the lair. “Don-”

The turtle stops to shiver, a distance clanking sound ringing from the sky above drowning out his voice.

“Hell even Mikey!” He growled out, ignoring the rumbles mocking him. “ Someone!?” The red slider continued, an edge of panic dripping off his harsh tongue. Stumbling as the floor dribbled with the slick feel of rainwater, a single pair of shoes squeaking with the motions as they dragged across the floor.

He makes it to the living area the tv drowning out the room in light, then flicker’s off, there’s some scurrying that’s hard to make out in the pitch dark and next thing he knows there’s orange in Raph's face, lots of orange. “The f-”

A hand presses on his mouth, the sky crackling as blue eyes burn into his. “Is Casey alright?” The voice is soft and low, with a higher pitch to it than his brother’s and Raph finally recognizes it as April’s. Little Miss April ol Neil who nearly gave him a heart attack, he’d give her a one four for it too, if weren't for the bundle in his arms, right, the bundle in his arms-

“Does he look ok? He snaps, and Casey takes it as he cue to finally mumble something this past hour, it’s not tangible, just a string of loose vowels mumbled under his tongue. “See,” Raph adds to his friend's failed attempt at speech. “Now turn on the lights!”

“You could be nicer.” She snapped, turning around. “But yes I will.”

Raph simply snides, turning his head away from the girl

“Set him on the couch.” She instructs, already slinking away as she made her way to one of the light switches Don had set up around the lair.

Raph watched her go, her bright colours drowning out into the void as he groaned and lifted Casey a little higher, biting his lip as a spike scratched along his cheek.

“Your heavy for a scrawny guy.” He panted, setting his friend down ever so nice, pulling back as delirious hands reached out for him, a whine leaving the human's throat.. “Clingy too.”

---

“Raphh…” His friend called out, sounding most unlike himself as he slumped forward grasping at his head. “It, h-hurts.” his shoulders are shaking, trembling like a leaf in the wind, a low gagging sound in the back of his throat with each word, nausea from the brain damage Raph supposed.

“I know’ buddy..” He turns his gaze, “We’ll get ya some help ok.” He attempts to assure, blinking as they both hissed a light filling up the room.

Casey seems to take it the hardest though, groaning out as he buckles into himself, clutching his head right into his chest with a sniffled wail, high enough to cut through the noise echoing out around them. The couch turning an off color beneath him as he dribbled and shivered.

“Got the lights!” April yelled from wherever she was, her voice cutting and Casey cries further, yes, an actual fucking cry, the guy was heaving and wheezing and shit it must hurt.

Raph turns his attention back to him, the mop of wet hair, and dishevelled clothes, a normal appearance. He looked somewhat fine if it weren't for how he was acting, hell the kid didn't even have a bruise as far as he could tell. What kind of ray did they hit him with?

“Ya’ got ta’ breath.” He kneels reaching for him. “Breath ok.”

Casey hiccups breath hitching and sputtering.

“I said breath!”

“Easy there Raph, I thought you were the one who liked him.” A familiar voice cuts through the moment, it’s confident despite the tired wobbly edges to it and Raph turns his head to find two of his brothers behind him, Don yawning into his fist while Leo attempts to keep him upright.

“I got Don,” April announced, popping out from behind them, patting the tired turtle on the back before joining Raph to kneel closer to their friend. “He seemed like our best bet..”

Raph nods, gesturing Don over who stumbles forward and Leo shoots him a look, the rings around his own eyes clear as day telling the red one all he needed to know; Seems like Don has been spending too many nights up in the lab. He wants to say something, maybe ask a question but Leo is in front of his face, thumb swiping across his drying cheek, he's frowning that worried little look in his eyes growing and Raph groans.

"Tis a scratch fearless"

Don kneels down and Leo lets him, attention more focus on dabbing a furious raph with a hanky. That moment doesn't last though, Casey sniffles again with the crack of the sky like clockwork the three of them directed their attention toward the purple ninja who began to examine their friend.

“Hmm?” He pulled open an eyelid looking into the pupils. Casey whines, grasping for the turtle's limbs but Don pulls away, a flinch to his hand as he sets it back down on his lap. "Hmm, hm, interesting, very interesting.”

“So?” Raph snaps, giving the floor a loud tap of his foot. “Is he alright?”

“He’s not concussed if that's what your worried about,” Don reassures waving his hand. “No, he seems relatively fine, he will probably experience some pain for a while but that should clear up.” He stands up, slumping back, and Leo catches him, forcing the purple one upright again.

“That is.” Don narrows his eyes, brushing Leo away with gentle taps of his hand. “He took a blow to the head correct?”

April raises a brow at that, mimicking Donnie’s own raised line of his mask, the two of them turning on him in question.

“Uh.” Raph scratches at his neck, wincing as Casey whimpers and curls back into himself again. “No, it was a ray.”

Don steps back and Leo ever the mother hen of the group moves for him. “Oh.” Don hums, “Well, I may have to inspect him further..” He moves back towards Casey again, the teen had grown quiet, his hiccups dying off, and Raph worries for a moment he had died.

He’s not dead though, and he knows this because when April place’s a reassuring hand on his shoulder his friend looks up, all blurry-eyed. He looks around the room, clinging to the corners as his brows furrowed, he looks Raph one over then moves over and lingers-

Something in his eyes changes.

“Hey, ape’s” Casey looks up at the redhead with a goofy little grin on his face, and Leo places a hand on the edge of Don's shell, holding him off. “Who’s your purple friend?” He asked the same silly grin stuck on his face, side-eyeing Raphs brother as if he couldn't hear.

“Amnesia?” Don questions, looking over at Leo for a moment, scratching the back of his head then his face drops into a frown. “Unless…” He turns his full attention to the two humans, crossing his arms as he leaned in-

“Casey, are you pulling my leg?”

The human wrinkle’s his nose, “Do we know each other?” He questions all wide and wonder like, “no, no I’d remember someone so pretty.”

April stiffens, digging her nails ever so into Casey's shoulder and Leo goes tight as well, wrenching his neck as he turned his gaze over to Don.

Raph can only stand there, not sure who to punch.

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah, your eyes are so red.” Casey compliments raising his hand into the air like fingers guns, and fires. “Like hot sauce,” he turns the gun into a point, straight at Dons' chest. “Cause your hot!”

Head damaged be damned Raph turns to his friend, reaching for shoulders to throttle him but Leo’s already there, pushing him away, putting some space, ever the cool head-

“Let's take a moment here.” Leo raises his hands, putting distance between them. “The ray must have altered Casey’s mind.”

“HEY!” Casey responds voice fumbled with the crack of lightning. “I feel perfectly fine,” He argues, pulling against April's tight hold on him. Thrashing as she held on, his limbs all jelly-like as he floundered. “My memories are just fine blue guy.”

“Not helping Case.” April whispers flush against his ear, continuing to run her hands against his sopping shoulder. “Let Leo talk.”

“Oh, so that's his name?” Is Casey's only response, looking at Leo with less of a frown. Don swallows at that and Raphs flame flickers out, even April seems more unsure raising a hand to press against his forehead.

“Do you not remember me, Casey?” Leonardo asks, a tilt to his head looking calmer than he should be, keeping his gaze locked onto April's fingers flat against the heat of the hockey player's temple, already hot and cool from the rain.

“No no, I do?” It comes off more questioning than reassuring, his sights locking onto Raph, and he smiles lifting his finger. “Your Raphs brother.”

Leo nods at that and Raph does too, and a grin breaks out further on Casey's face.

“Minor amnesia?” Donnie wonders out loud and then points at himself. “Do you remember me?”

“No..” Casey snorts shaking his head, “As I said before Purple, Im pretty sure I’d remember such a cute face.”

The room feels tight, an uncomfortable feeling restricting the blood flow.

“April.” Don raises his swirling head to face the redhead, finding her to be absent-mindedly stroking Casey's shoulder, a worry line to his lips. “I may need your help when giving him a checkup in the lab.”

“Don.” Raph groans, running a hand down his face. “Now is not the time for your-”

“I need her psychic powers.” Donnie snaps, already looking pissed despite his relative nature. The change in temp has even Leo on edge, the eldest eyeing Don warily. Raph simply shifted his stance.

....

“Something tells me there was more to this ray than we may believe.”

Chapter Text

April had helped Casey to his feet, wincing at the wet feel as she shouldered the weight. The sky echoing outside as the two of them hobbled behind Don, keeping to the sides of the wall until they reached his lab.

“Do you think you could help him onto that table there?” Don asks, lifting a beaker and giving it a tap. Already falling into a simple routine as he gathered his supplies. A nimble three-fingered hand dusting off the top of a machine, then stroked his thigh to rid the clinging grit.

Casey follows the motion with rapt attention, blinking ever so as April pushes him on over, giving a firm point to the table-

“Sit.” She commanded, a firmness to her tone but her eyes bled a worry to them that only a fool couldn't pick up on.

“Sure sweetcheeks.” He conceded, propping himself up and groaning with swirling nausea, his head still not feeling screwed on right as he squirmed beneath the lights.

Light’s be dammed though for he squints his eyes to look up again, smiling at the way she crossed her arms, a flush to her cheeks as she look away, tapping away her foot.

“Don’t call her that,” Don demanded, turning around with a frown on his face, it didnt mar his features per se but it hid his gap, which stood out far more brightly with a smile.

Speaking of thar smile Casey couldn't help but recall how Dons eyes would light up talking about his gadgets; the sighy adorable, and Casey pauses for a moment. How did he know this?

“I can handle myself, Don.” April sighs a teasing roll to her eyes as he peaked over at his desk, balancing on her tiptoes for a better look. Don leans back at that, bracing against the smooth metal of the furniture, a strange device sitting upon it, its round shape hooked up to a mingle of wires. Distinctly it reminded Casey of those electric chair thingies you see in movies.

As if he were to be electrocuted. Casey shuffled his legs, feeling a crawling feeling up his neck watching the two, especially way Don looked at her, his tense face easing into a sort of peace. His hand wrapped around the scary-looking device without a care in the world-

“Would you prefer I called you that?” He asks, finding the words just slipping out. Because he wanted those eyes on him, and the way the turtle stiffens pressing a hand to his mouth with those word, and turning away with a flush was perhaps worth it. “Sweet cheeks.”

April snickers at that.

“No.” Don bites his knuckles, not till they bled but instead turned a sorta off the green and then lets go. “I would prefer if you didnt,” he admits, attempting to keep his voice level as he stepped forward, and Casey shrinks back eyeing the gadget ever so.

“Your right that name doesn't cut it,” Casey responds, swinging out his legs as he sat there, already leaning in, half his sights on the thing in the purple turtle's hands. “How about plum, hm?”

April looks over at Don, and Don looks over at her, and Casey could practically hear the gears turning in their respective heads.

“Why..” Don blinks for a moment, fiddling with a wire between his fingers, “Why plum?” He asks, looking off put yet curious. April was not far behind, already leaning behind him, her hands resting against his shell as she leaned in, nosing her way into their moment.

“Because.” Casey blanks for a moment, rolling the words on his tongue. "Well, plums are purple and sweet!” He exclaims as if he had hit a goal, his excitement mingling with the cracking sky as he propped himself up on his hands, leaning ever closer.

April run’s her fingers across the edge of Don’s carapace and then glides over to the table, taking to hover by Casey’s side as the turtle stood there.

“So..?” Don asks, shivering at the lingering feeling, a slow heat creeping into his cheeks.

“Well, your purple and sweet.” Casey just points out, setting himself back down, and turning to look at April, giving her a wide smile.

April shake’s her head, her brows ever so furrowed, a confused little expression as she looked between the two. As if conducting an experiment of her own she reaches over and place’s a hand on Casey's shoulder, immediately noting how Don’s strange expression shifted into a glare.

“Put this on.” He groans, plopping the device on top of Casey's head. “I need to get a read on your brain waves, and oh you won’t understand.” He waves his hands all dismissive, ignoring the human's frowns.

“I’d like to” Casey concurred, lifting his hand to adjust his makeshift hat, wincing as it dug into his scalp, his temple throbbing as he mourned the loss of his mask. “I like it when you talk about these things.” He adds on, dropping his hands down, and shivering as the coldness started settling in.

Don stands there for a moment, a shiver to his spine as if he were cold as well, his eyes unable to meet his, and neither can his words as the turtle turns his attention back to a screen. He fumbles with the device holding it up, and just glares at it as if stabbed his baby brother.

“So, see anything?” April asks, pulling her hand away from Casey, already trying to get a look.

Don raises a hand, looking up to give her a brief smile. “Give it a moment,” he responds, then mumbles something unrecognizable, the crack of lightning filling the blank void of nothing as they waited.

Casey feels ever so like Frankensteins' monster, the cold of the metal on his head and the rumble outside reminding him of the movies. As if any moment he was to be shocked back to life, except he was already alive he supposed.

“He seems relatively fine,” Don says out loud, tapping at the screen, the glow of the device highlighting the tired lines on his face. Casey felt his finger itch with the urge to wrap a blanket around the turtle’s shoulders.

“Relatively?” April repeats a question in her tone. “What does that mean?”

“His prefrontal cortex” Don begins then falls silent, sighing; “The part of the brain responsible for impulse control and other stuff, is off..” He explains in simpler terms, keeping his sights away from Casey, holding only a brief look with April then tapping away at his tablet again.

“Off…?” Aprils hums, unsure of the taste. “Is that bad..”

“Not necessarily, as long as he doesn't stab someone.” Don chokes, his humour fading as he took in their horrified faces. “A joke, it’s a joke…anyways April.”

“Yes, Donnie?” She takes a seat next to Casey, pushing away the hockey player's finger as he went to poke at her cheek.

“Could you take a look into Casey's brain?” He instructs, setting aside his device to pick up his notepad. “Try and figure out what exactly is off.”

April gulped, hands resting in her lap as she fiddled with them. “I'm not sure I can-”

As if to settle her mind Don place’s a hand on her knee, flushing ever so.

“At least try?” his eyes are soft ever so pleading and Casey finds himself reaching out towards him, almost close enough to touch when Donnie pulls away.

“Ok.” April nods, looking back over at the hockey player, raising a hand “You alright with it Cas?”

Casey keeps his eyes on Don and the way their eyes met and smiled-

“Go for it red.”

The girl shivers with a nod, pressing two fingers to his temple and squinting hard before they opened in a blooming low glow.

The world pans down into a single moment. Respective breaths held tight as Donnie watched his friend prod around in his frenemy's head. The two of them were still and quiet as she worked, it was peaceful almost. Well peaceful until the sky cried again, and April blinks as if awake-

“I don’t know.” She gasps a sniffle to her tone. “His memories are all jumbled and his feelings-” She presses her tongue down, fighting the urge to do something and instead grabbed onto Casey's hand, feeling the texture of his half glove as he connected back.

He appears out of it, yet the turtle pays him no mind.

“You tried your best,” Don reassures hovering closer, “we can try again-” He breaks off into a yawn, stifling it with his hand. “In M-morning.” The night echoes the word, rumbling overhead to warn them of a long dreary time ahead.

“Do you have any spare clothes?” She asks brushing off his words; rainwater on a raincoat. Taking the time to run her thumb over Casey's knuckles as he looked around. His eye’s unfocused and blurry.

“Why..?” Don blinks, looking at the two of them with a grimace.

April snorted “He’s soaked through.” She pointed out as she dropped his hand, and her shoe’s making a soft tap against the ground as he hopped onto her feet, dodging cases grasping fingers once more.

Don glances at the floor at his feet; an off-gray and gritty. “Right.” He pulls his attention back up, “April help him to the bathroom, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Gotcha.” She chirps, offering Casey her hand and he grips it, knuckles white and trembling as she pulled him up. He goes to move but freezes as she reaches forward, undoing the straps around his shoulder pads, noting the red of his cheeks. “Let's go Cas.”

………..

It had taken some time for him to figure out how to turn the shower on but he was soon enough stepping out fresh. A towel wrapped around his body.

“Did you use soap?” Is April's greeting looking up from her spot on the floor, having stayed around to listen in? To make sure he didn't fall and further damage that big head of his?

“Of course, I used soa-” his words die off because soon Donnie rounds the corner, a folded pile in his hands, and Casey can only find himself capable of observing as the turtle paused right in front of him.

“I got some of Mikey's disguise clothes and a belt” He drops the stuff into the hockey player's awaiting arms, stiffening as he grazed his arm against a digit. “You should be covered enough to get back home.”

“No.” April groans, “He’s staying here, we can't send him back like this.” She reasons gesturing at him as if that alone made her point. Perhaps it did because Donnie sighs, the fight leaving his shoulders.

“Where will I sleep?”

“You can share the couch with me.” April smile’s, keeping her distance as Donnie frowns.

“I’ll get you a mattress.” Don groans, “Like I offered to get for April earlier.” He shoots her a look as if her refusing his favour was some sort of crime. The human only grins, a bat to her eyes-

“You do that.”

…………….

Don had dragged one over and sat it down with a plat. “Here you go.” He rubs off his hands, “This should be good.” He grimaces looking between the two, hesitating for a moment only to spin on his heels to leave-

“Stay..” April whines, patting the side of the couch. “There’s enough blankets sleepyhead.”

Don goes rigid, a swallow stuck in his throat as he eased back around, sights lingering on the tv and then down to the mattress Casey had already buried in, cocooning himself up in half the blanket supply already.

“Yeah, join us plum.” Casey grins, mouth all wide and toothy sticking out from his wrappings.

The turtle stared, a calculation in his head until he settled on taking a seat next to April, who gladly picked up a blanket and tossed it at him.

“See that wasn't so hard.” She giggled, curling up on her end as she tucked her own blanket to her chin.

“Where's Leo?” Don squints scanning the room.

“I texted him, told him to go to bed and we were fine,” April reassures, waving her hand. “Now sleep.”

Casey gets the memo, already with his head against the mattress and the two take a moment to observe him-

“If you say so April”

The sky crackles as if giggling.

Chapter Text

The gracing hand of wakefulness nudges Don's face upward, cupping it with its fingers to tilt it into the light-The rumble of the sky was long gone as Donnie processed the warmth around him. He blinks through the haze, feeling the pounding ache in his chest.; April must have snuggled up to him in his sleep he theorizes, a stiffness to his chest as he lay there. The tingly feeling fluttered around the edges of his skin only to bury deep and tickle the inside of his stomach lining, a sick feeling blossoming as he felt her stir. He goes rigid at that, taking into better account the state of the walls of the lair, counting the cracks and filling away the number for applying it to an equation to gather the equivalent of cement he would need to prepare to cover the gaps. However, he would also need to bring into account width and depth. He shakes his head, stilling feeling awfully warm-

Despite the soothing reliability of counting he cannot chase away the knowledge that her body is wound around him tight from behind, the touch scalding. Her arms looped around his middle steady and comforting, her fingers stretched out to press against his chest alarming, a digit hovering over his heart dragging forth its uneven beats.

Should he wake her? He wonders, his stomach stirring wildly as he tastes the inching of stomach bile at the back of his throat. Jolting as the leg wrapped around his tugged him closer, pining his limb further upon the soft material below him, the shape strange and flat.

Why would it be flat? He finds himself lost in his head again, another question added to his forming list this morning. The answer for this one was at least more accessible than his first, for one looking down he was on the mattress which must mean he had, looking up following the drag of the blanket his head rested upon, he had fallen off the couch. He trails his gaze up even further to spot a small mound, a mop of red sticking out from the pile..

His breath hitches the heat of his cheeks fading to a cold feeling, a stirring in his gut, less fluttery as the bile burns. It's a slow boiling pot in his stomach, an acidic brew he found himself choking on. His hand raised to press against his mouth to prevent a mess, the taste slipping past his tongue and into his awaiting fingers, burning the sensitive flesh.

The clock above them strikes seven, and he wipes his hand off onto the blanket below-

“Wake up.” He hisses, kicking out with his legs, “wake up Casey, Leo will be up.” He worries out loud, uncowardly enough to admit the anxious dread of his older brother discovering him in such a position. “Wake up!”

Hmm? The human had mumbled, the heat of his voice tickling Don’s shell as they lay there. “OH.” the human breathed, a hint of recognition in his voice although it was void of whatever shame the turtle had assumed should be within it. There also was no expected snickering sneer, instead the hockey player simply greeted him as if this were an average Tuesday-

“Good morning plum.” The nickname rolls off the human's tongue, and it tickle’s the sides of Donnie's head. It brings something warm to his face again, a feeling he cannot understand and so he file’s it away, tucked away in a pretty little folder.

“Could you let go?” Don asks, having settled on something he knew he wanted for sure. Mourning to an extent the warmth as the human breath fell short for a moment, no longer tickling as those arms snaked back to their owner's side and the rest rolled away-

“Of course!” Casey had agreed, giving him his space in a blink of an eye, not even allowing the turtle to truly process the loss. “I didn’t know you were a cuddle bug.”

The human's eyes look over at him as he turns around, catching his barring's only to lose them; a scattering of marble’s as that stare pierces something fierce into him, the accusation snapping a thin little wire in his brain.

“I fell off the couch,” Don replies lamely despite the fire beneath his skin. Looking off as he raised a finger to scratch at his chin, a settling thought came to light. “Oh, and stop calling me plum.”

Casey falters and Don can see the gears in that little head turning, the hockey player's mouth a little open showing off his tooth gape as he thought. “Uh, sure, don, it's don right?”

The turtle finds his feet, pulling himself up-

“Correct, that is indeed a variation of my name.” He confirms, adjusting the strap around his chest, groaning at the pins and needles within his arms and legs, falling asleep with his training pads on was never a pleasant experience. “And your Casey, you do remember who you are right?”

“Huh?” Casey utters, kicking off his covers. “oh yeah I do, no worries.” He waves his hand, a sureness to his tone as he propped himself up onto his knees.

“I just, why don’t I remember you?”

Don doesn't give him a response at first, taking his time to adjust the straps around his arms further, smoothing out his aches and pains. The hockey player doesn't seem to mind that much though, watching the medical precision of the purple one’s movements, an accuracy to it despite the averageness of the action blooming something in the human's gut.

Don finishes with a tightening of a strap and gives Casey one long look-

“You hate me Casey Jone’s.” He speaks out loud and honest, paying no mind to the stirring on the couch, only allowing his focus to lie on stepping away. “Our area of interest has created a gap, a conflict if you will, I can see why your mind would elect to forget an unfortunate obstacle.”

The human just looks at him in silence-

Silence is a fickle thing really, because it's not really silent, April breathes a little heavily in her sleep and there’s always something creaking somewhere in the lair. There's no way to escape sound and yet Dons mind does it for him, dragging him into the depth of nothing that only a certain pitched annoying sound could pull him out of-

Casey snorts a little, the sound broken as he hauls his ass back up into a stand. “Wow, Don your hilarious.” He giggles, swiping a finger under his eyes, a dew drop collecting at the tip of his nail. “Obviously the krang erased you for a reason, there must've been something important there.”

Donnie swallows. “The krang,” he murmurs allowed, turning around again to rub at his chin. “Well that was some useful context to have last night.” He glowers at the ground.

“Wait.” Casey's laughter dies out. “You were serious?”

“He’s always serious.” A voice cuts through, an overconfident sureness to the gruff tone as the two turn their heads to Raph.

The red-banded turtle just gives them a grin, glancing over at April briefly and then settling back onto them.

“Morning raph!” Casey greets, making his way over, while Don keeps his spot. “My head is feeling better.”

“I wasn't worried.” Raph snides, a roll to his eyes only to settle to keep half an eye on his brother. “Now want some toast before Leo breaks the machine once more?”

Casey looks unsure again, “Leo broke the toaster?”

“Um.” Raph shake’s his head, “Forget about it, just let's make some toast.” He places a hand behind the human's shoulder, giving him a push and he follows looking back just once to Don before they left.

“Ok!”

..............

“You two were cute.” April smiled, a lightness to her eyes as Donnie shivered going rim rod straight as he shot up to spin around-

“You were awake!” He screeches, the olive of his skin darkened around his cheeks “How much did you see!?” He demanded, voice still breathy as he placed a three-fingered hand upon his beating chest.

“A bit.” April teases leaving her words vague as she wiggled out of the blankets. “It's sweet when you two get along-”

“That wasn't getting along.” Donnie countered, “It was uncomfortable”

April stiffens, gripping the soft fabric and digging her nails into the fibres to simply feel.

“How so?” She had asked, and Donnie wished he was still wrapped in comfort as well, but all the turtle could do is hang his head-

“I just.” he scrambles, a formula of a reason hanging on his tongue and yet it just explodes dribbling out his throat in gibberish. “It's just, he’s a guy, and he’s being flirty, and I don't know why he’s being that way, and then he cuddled me, and, and-”

He falls silent, looking further into the concrete, “Oh, never mind, you wouldn't understand.”

“Actually,” April replied, pushing away his moping, feet making a thwacking sound against the floor as he hopped off of the couch. “I would.”

Donnie narrows her eyes, giving her a once-over. “How would you-”

“No, listen!” She raises a finger, waving it in front of his face. “You are going to listen to me, Donatello.”

The turtle nodded, a wide weary look in his eyes as he took in his full name and could only respond with a tilt of his head.

“Leo and I had been talking.” She began, her fixed gaze falling away as she took to nudging the floor with her feet. “And he’s been helping me figure something out, and I need to tell you that-”

“Are you joining us for breakfast or not?” Raph's voice interrupts, body leaning against the doorway. “Also, Leo needs to talk to you, Don.”

“Talk to me?” Donnie asks a twitch in his eyes. “Talk to me about what?”

“I dunno’” Raph grins, and the purple turtle shivers ever so. “I just know it's important, so are you coming or not.”

“Sorry, April.” He shoots her a look, and she nods ever so a burn to her cheeks as she turned away.

“It's..” She struggles for the word, pushing it out with a grimace when she does. “Fine.”

Chapter Text

This work of fiction is unfortunately to be discontinued. I am a rather weak soul, and after having received two comments each implying something I found rather uncomfortable; what little motivation I had left has died. The ship to me was cute but not something that really held my attention, I just really liked the whole idea of a fix-it fic, and using moments to teach consent and boundaries and exploration of attraction.

I never fully planned out the story, but to give some closure I shall tell you what I had so far planned.

Chapter 4:

Donnie meets up with Leo, and Leo sits him down to ask what he's found about Casey and Donnie tells him what he's found out so far to the best of his understanding. Leo takes it in and then they go eat breakfast.

During breakfast, Casey and Raph are goofing off as if nothing has happened, and April asks when Mikey will be back (Hadn't figured out who exactly he was visiting) Casey gets confused and asks who Mikey is? all of them get rather worried.

After breakfast April and Don gather up Casey and run a few more tests, Casey is semi-flirty with both until Don pulls April aside

He then asks her if she knows why Casey is flirting with him. April tells him she has a theory, and Don implores her to share.

April confesses when rummaging in his head she could feel what Casey is feeling, he genuinely seems to feel something for Don, something that must've been there before he was hit.

Don gets confused and says the only affected parts of his brain are regulation and impulse control and memory. April responds with exactly, leaving it all to sink in.
----------------
chapter 5:

Don had excused himself from the lab and left them all day, taking a moment to himself to come to terms that Casey had feelings for him, that was no longer held back by bad memories and things like embarrassment. Don then also tries to sort out how he feels about Casey

Over to April

April spends time with Casey a bit more, then hands him off to Raph, she then takes a moment to herself on the couch until Leo joins her.

he sits down to chat and Leo asks her if she'd told don yet. She confesses that she hadn't, but she wants to and will when the moment is right

Leo then asks if she will tell Casey

She replies yes, but once his mind is back or if she has to

Leo then asks if she'd like him to bring some of it up with Don first to make it easier. She tells him no, and that she can do it herself

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Idk what chapter six was supposed to be

But eventually April confronts Don on his stalkerish behaviour and his lack of understanding of Boundaries. He gets defensive at first, but she's able to get through to him.

They have a touching moment of understanding and the April apologizes for giving him the notion she was into him, and comes out that she's on the aro/ace spectrum, and that she was confused on how she felt because she couldn't feel it the way Don did.

(all of this was what she was working on with leo)

Donnie takes it all in, they hug, and its all sweet or something

Donnie eventually does some of his own research and they talk again about it, and Don starts researching his own sexuality, and they bond more over him trying to figure himself out.

Donnie realizes he does have feelings for casey, but hides it because he doesnt know if casey would be open to it once they return his memories.

Donnie does though sit casey down and they have a chat about boundaries and they set up some ground rule's and its very sweet, lots of blushing and stuff but they come to better understand each other

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Thats all I really had mapped out.

Don and Casey do get together in the end, and a queer platonic relationship is brough up between them and April declines but with a maybe down the road.