Chapter Text
you haven't known the turtles for long, but the time you have known them has been nothing but fun. you and leo get along really well, even if he is mildly infuriating sometimes. donnie and you don't talk much because you're nervous of ever unintentionally upsetting him, but you're pretty sure he tolerates you. mikey is so friendly and energetic, and you love it. it's kinda hard not to get along with mikey considering how accepting and inclusive he is.
however, you can't help but be drawn to raphael. he is such a sweet guy — or, uh, turtle —, he does anything it takes to protect the people he cares about and you find it very endearing. despite your feelings for raph, you have a hard time approaching him because you're scared of embarrassing yourself in front of him. you know he would never make fun of you for it, but it would be so humiliating.
currently, you were having a sleepover in leo's room. leo reading a comic, and you doodling in your sketchbook. your doodles consisted of many things: a tbh creature, stick figure ninja turtles that may or may not have been based on some of your friends, anything interesting in leo's room (which was a lot of things).
oh, and of course, raph, tiny raph, detailed raph, happy raph… quite a lot of raph. you just thought that raph was an admirable guy, really! that's all it is, trust!
…
yeah, you spent a lot of your time in denial of your feelings.
leo looked up from his comic at you. you were sprawled across his legs as he was lying down on his bed. you had this frustrated look on your face, so, like any good friend, leo asked what was wrong.
"why do you look like that?"
you looked at leo, offended. "excuse me?"
"sorry, sorry. what i meant was, why does your face look like that? you look mad about something."
"you could've just said that, dude." you sighed and rolled over, your back on leo's thighs.
your eyes quickly scanned the room, as if the action figures on the shelf would whisper a believable answer other than the honest one. leo cleared his throat, gaining your attention and wordlessly asking again. "i dunno. guess i was just spacing out." you say, placing your sketchbook onto the bed and looking over to leo. he stared at you with a very disbelieving look on his face.
"what?"
"i'm not dumb, dude. i know that's not true. were you having a hard time drawing something? were you just thinking of some bad things? whatever it is, i won't judge, bro." he shrugged his shoulders and continued observing you. you pursed your lips.
a beat of silence passed before you hesitantly opened your mouth to speak. nothing came out for a few short moments as you debated whether or not to tell leo the whole truth.
"lee, do you have someone you find yourself thinking about often?" you tried to look anywhere other than leo's inquisitive gaze, but nevertheless found yourself making wavering eye contact with him anyway. you felt too seen under his watching eyes, like he was reading your mind rather than hearing your words.
leo hummed thoughtfully, mischievously, before answering.
"i suppose i do," the snarky turtle drew out the last sound as he squinted his eyes, his attention never leaving you. you shifted on his legs. "why? do you seek wisdom from the all-knowing leon?" he smirked. you scoffed and rolled your eyes playfully. "no, i just wonder if you guys have ever, y'know, liked someone before." you shrugged. "and i mean like-liked someone."
leo burst into a fit of giggles. "'like-like'? what are we, first graders?" he said incredulously. "maybe one of us." you joked pointedly. leo gasped, slapping a hand against his chest in offense. "woww. and here i thought you were being mature, using big words, like 'like-like'." he snickered to himself. you groaned. "whatever, lee. just tell me, please." he put his hands up as an act of defense. "alright, alright. sorry, querida." you punched him lightly on the arm for the nickname. leo rubbed the spot you punched with a pout on his face and an 'ow…'.
"thing is, me and my brothers don't meet people who we would date often. since the only people we see are — well — evil, adult mutants." leo explained with a grin and a shrug. "but don't you wish you could meet people? i know i would…" you looked at leo curiously.
"of course, man! i would get all the ladies." leo winked at you. "i don't think human girls are really looking for mutant turtles to date." you chuckled. leo placed a hand over his heart, closed his eyes, and tilted his head down. "ouch, dude." he whispered playfully.
"but," he interjected. "why do you want to know anyway? have you finally fallen victim to my effortless charm, hermosa?" leo puckered his lips, rose a brow bone and struck a seductive pose (whatever that means). you burst out laughing, holding onto leo's legs in an attempt to stay on the bed. "what? why are you laughing?" leo started laughing, too. you wiped a barely-formed tear from your eye as you tried to regain your breath, chest heaving up and down against leo's legs as you repeatedly rolled over.
in your fit of laughter, you disregarded your sketchbook and failed to notice as it tumbled off the bed and onto the soft floor, for any to see. you were far too caught up in trying to regulate your breathing to notice leo look at your notebook, at the last page you had opened a few minutes ago. his laughing slowly died down as he bent his torso down to grab the book, taking a closer look.
"is this why you asked me?" the blue-clad turtle quietly asked, eyes never leaving your half-hearted drawings. you shifted your attention to him as you caught your breath, slowly sitting up with a grin on your face. that grin quickly vanished.
"hey! wait! that's mine, don't look at it!" you hastily tried to snatch it from leo's hands, and, more importantly, his gaze. leo dodged all your messy attempts of theft. he chuckled, "i know it's yours, that's why i asked."
you felt your face heat up, not only in embarrassment, but anger, too. "ugh! shut up, leo! this isn't funny. that's my property, and you're not allowed to look at it." his smile faltered and he deflated softly. "yeah, whatever, my bad. but… does this mean you find yourself thinking of raph a lot?" leo sounded genuinely curious, so you tried to calm yourself down.
deep breaths. deep breath in. deep breath out. breathe in. blow out the candles. make a wish… alright.
when you regained your composure, you didn't look at leo. you laughed nervously. it was soft, obviously only done to try and ease the tension. "um… i mean, yeah, i guess. it's silly, isn't it? it's just an admiration for the guy, i swear. it's not like i like-like him, haha…" you tried to joke. leo wasn't buying it, nor was he laughing.
"... maybe i do like him," you admitted. "b-but, i know i have no chance!" you hastily added upon seeing leo's eyes widen and 'eyebrows' raise.
"i know he just sees me as a little sibling. i don't want to trouble him, or any of you guys, with my feelings. so just forget about it, okay, lee?" you held a small smile, but there was obvious sorrow in your eyes and voice.
leo shook his head and dropped the book onto the bed, reaching out for you. you studied him, confused. he sighed.
"come on," he spread his arms wide.
"bring it in." he smirked — no, smiled… sheepishly —, averting his eyes.
…
well this is new.
you giggled weakly and shuffled over, wrapping your arms around his torso and pressing your cheek against his hard plastron. he loosely draped his arms around your shoulders, hand gently playing with your hair as his chin lazily rested on your head. the steady rhythm of his heartbeat was soothing. you closed your eyes as your heartbeat slowed down itself. you felt leo take a deep breath in and waited for him to say whatever was on his mind.
"y'know, i don't think raph sees you as a little sibling. that's just how he is with everyone. i think it just seems that way because he wants to protect you. 'cause he cares about you." leo spoke low into the silence. you considered his words.
i guess that makes sense…
"you'll never know if you don't at least try to make a move." okay, now that's just crazy.
"how about i try spending some time with him first? i'm sure spending every second of every day with you isn't getting me any romance points in his book." leo barked out a laugh. "yeahhh, probably."
…
"wait- but- romance points? what, do you think this is a dating sim or something?" leo regarded with a good-natured laugh. you giggled into his chest, slowly falling asleep with the small rise and fall of leo's chest with each breath he took.
"sleep well, clown."
"shut up, goofy-ass."
…
you woke up alone, tucked in leo's bed and hugging a blue unicorn plush. you rubbed the sleepiness out of your eyes and slowly sat up, grabbing the unicorn plush as you got out of the bed, not bothering to fix the sheets. you trudged out of leo's room, not fully awake, holding the stuffed animal as if it were a child in your arms.
"lee!" you drew out the nickname with a sing-songy tone. you heard a loud, "what?" from the television area. you called out, "i have your child with me. they're saying they want their papa." your ears picked up on the obnoxious laugh leo let out as you walked towards the sofa next to splinter's beloved recliner lazy boy.
as you rounded the corner, you caught sight of leo on his phone, relaxing on the cushion. you plopped down next to him and craned your head upwards, resting it against the back of the couch and closing your eyes, unicorn in your lap.
"good mornin', guys!"
you opened your eyes at the sudden sound, and it took everything in you not to flinch away at raph staring down and smiling at you from over the back of the couch. "hi," you drew out the last sound far too long. "'sup, bro." leo didn't even look up from his phone, but he did glance at you with the tiniest smirk you've ever seen. you glared at him.
"so, what's on the agenda today, big guy?" you turned your body around to talk to raph properly, chest against the back cushion of the couch as you sat on your legs with your arms on the top of the couch and your head resting on them. "nothin' really. but if any criminal starts causin' trouble," he cracked his knuckles. "they got an urgent appointment with the mad dogs." you laughed lightly and raph grinned. "well," your eyes shifted to leo as he spoke up. "since there are no plans today, how about you and raph go out and have some fun. lord knows you both need it." you looked between leo and raph, trying to discern raph's reaction to the idea.
"we- uh, well- wh- um, without you guys?" you stammered, chuckling nervously as you shifted your body to face leo on the couch. you pleaded with him through your eyes, hoping he knew that you were not ready to go on, what could only be called a date, with raph. "would- uh- would there be a problem if they weren't there?" raph fiddled with his fingers and wore an uncertain expression.
aw man, no!
"not at all! i just wasn't sure that you'd be comfortable with only me," you attempted to reassure raph.
however ironic that may be…
"aw, i was thinkin' the same thing, haha.." raph rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, his stance was the epitome of bashful. you smiled as warmly as you could at him. "well then, we'll have to plan something together in a bit."
raph beamed. "i'll be lookin' forward to it!" he walked away to the kitchen.
you sat down on the couch, facing the correct way. sighing heavily, you slouched and rested your elbows on your knees, holding your head in your hands. leo chuckled.
"you're welcome."
"i hate you, lee."
"oh, c'mon, you know you love me, cariña."