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It’s February 1st, and Donnie has no idea what to get April for Valentine’s Day.
He knows he shouldn’t stress over the holiday, one he previously didn’t really care for. But now he’s dating April. His wonderful and amazing girlfriend. The woman he would give up all of his inventions and technology for if she asked. This is their first Valentine’s Day together, and he wants to make it special for her.
The typical store-bought gifts of chocolates and roses won’t do. No, April deserves something unique and special, just like her. She deserves-
Snap!
Donnie curses, picking up the broken resistor with rubber-tipped tweezers and discarding it in the small glass container on his desk. He’s fixing a handheld gaming console Mikey found in the dumpster a few days ago. When Mikey handed it over, Donnie was surprised at the console’s decent condition considering its previous fate; there was very little damage to the hardware. This made for a quick and easy fix, allowing Donnie to think about April’s Valentine’s Day gift.
April. Right.
He goes back to work while thinking about what to get her.
Valentine’s Day occurs on a Tuesday this year. Unfortunately, one of April’s professors was cruel enough to schedule a mandatory exam that day. He wouldn’t see her until three in the afternoon, assuming the exam goes well. That throws out some of the breakfast plans Donnie previously considered. Granted, nothing was stopping him from showing up at the apartment she shared with her parents and cooking her breakfast. But she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it, not with the ever-looming threat of the exam over her head.
Maybe he could get her some donuts instead? He knows her order from the local bakery by heart. He’s sure she would appreciate a comforting donut in the morning.
But that still leaves him without anything unique and spectacular to give her.
Donnie sighs, removing a busted capacitor from the board and searching for a new one in his electrical components box.
He also considered making chocolates for her. Mikey has tons of molds he can borrow. But the gift doesn’t quite fit Donnie’s requirements for a special, unique gift, at least for this year. Besides, he would rather make the holiday-themed treats with April, but he knows she will be tired after her exam. So that idea is also out the window.
Donnie finally spots the capacitor he’s looking for. He grabs it and starts to solder it into place on the console’s hardware.
So, what are his options now?
Breakfast plans are a no-go, and she will be too tired to cook anything with him after.
If he remembers correctly, it’s a linear algebra exam. While April’s one of the smartest people he knows—excluding himself, of course—he knows exams stress her out.
She’s going to be tense all morning, and probably even more stressed during the exam. Her neck and shoulder muscles will be wound up painfully tight afterward. She’ll probably remark that she needs a massage.
Wait.
That’s something Donnie can do as a gift!
According to his brothers, Donnie’s a great masseur and his precise, strong hands easily work out tension from strained muscles. While he’s only done massages after missions and fights, Donnie doesn’t see why he can’t utilize his talent for April. If he needs an excuse to stop his brothers from asking for massages outside of missions, he can say that April was engaging in a battle of intelligence.
He doubts he will need the excuse, but it’s always good to have one just in case.
Donnie quickly decides on a game plan. He will give April a massage after she finishes class. He will also cook some delicious “finger” food for dinner. That way April can chow down while he gives her the massage. Donnie makes a mental note to ask Mikey with his vast cooking knowledge for help. He will also need some pillows, blankets, and a semi-decent romcom they can both mock.
Donnie puts the final touches on the console as his Valentine’s Day plan comes together. Once everything is in place, Donnie puts the console together and tests it.
It works perfectly.
Excellent.
That’s one task done for the day. Now he needs to deliver the console to Mikey and ask him for advice on dinner foods and semi-decent romcoms.
Donnie smiles to himself.
He thinks that April will be more than impressed with his Valentine’s Day plan.
April’s been having the worst day so far, which should be a CRIME considering it’s Valentine’s Day.
It did start out sweet, so she will give credit where credit is due. However, all the credit belongs to her wonderful boyfriend, Donnie, and not the day itself.
She woke up around seven in the morning, grumbling as she got ready for the day. She was about to head into the kitchen and raid her almost empty fridge for breakfast when she heard a knock on her window. Sure enough, it’s Donnie with a special delivery from Doughnut Delights. As soon as April opened the window, he handed over two brownie batter doughnuts and a large cup of their medium roast with cream and three shots of vanilla syrup. She graciously accepted the breakfast, thanking Donnie for saving her from a depressing breakfast of stale toast and the last boiled egg in the fridge.
Donnie couldn’t stay long, claiming he had places to be that morning. Before he left, he confirmed one last time that she would be available later. April nodded as she stuffed one of the donuts in her mouth. Of course, she would be available later. It was Valentine’s Day after all, and she wanted to spend time with Donnie. However, she let him know that she wouldn’t be home until past four, which didn’t bother him. With that, Donnie wiped some crumbs off April’s lips, kissed her goodbye, and left.
Donnie may have started her morning off sweet, but the rest of April’s day was awful.
By the time three o’clock rolls around, she’s exhausted and tense beyond comprehension. The only saving grace is that now she’s free from university and available to spend time with Donnie.
As she walks home, she wonders what he’s planned.
Donnie had been quite secretive over the past few days. He only asked if April’s parents were still away on their trip, making her home parent-free for the evening. At first, she was confused as to why he wanted to be at her apartment. Then she realized that her home was free of meddling family members. April quickly confirmed her apartment was available, not wanting to deal with Leo’s antics.
After a short walk, April rolls up to her apartment building. She waves briefly at the doorman before she enters the building’s elevator and hits the button to her floor. She fiddles with her backpack, looking for her keys as the elevator ascends. She hears the elevator ding just as she finds her keys. As soon as the doors open she exits the elevator, approaches her door, unlocks it, and walks in.
The wonderful smell of mouth-watering food cooking hits her the second she enters her apartment. She doesn’t quite know what she’s smelling but damn it smells good.
Her nose leads her to the kitchen, where Donnie stands in front of the stove cooking. One of her mom’s aprons is tied around his plastron and battle shell. Behind him, there are uncooked veggie skewers and some non-perishable groceries on the table. He’s completely invested in the cooking process, eyes monitoring whatever is in the skillet—slices of bread by the looks of it—with a bowl to his left.
“Damn Dee, what have you been up to while an exam kicked my butt?” April asks, setting her backpack down next to the dinner table.
Donnie whips his head around, smiles once he sees who it is, and quickly lowers the heat on the skillet before he embraces April in a tight hug.
“Good evening, April! I’ve been keeping myself busy. I went to the supermarket to grab some of the ingredients for the delicious dinner that we will be enjoying this evening, all made by your wonderful and attentive boyfriend. I also picked up some groceries because you were running frightfully low on basic items. I would be remiss if I didn’t ensure you kept up with the recommended dietary intake for human adults. Aside from that, I’ve been preparing the dishes I wish to lavish you with this evening. You can thank-”
Donnie keeps monologuing, and it humors April until she sees carnage on her kitchen counter.
She stops him mid-sentence. “Hey, Donnie? What happened to my toaster?”
Donnie turns, identifying what April’s looking at. On the counter is a deconstructed toaster, resting on top of black soot.
“Ah, yes,” Donnie starts, walking over to the toaster remnants, “Well, I have a question for you, my dearest April. Did you or one of your parents drop this toaster in a sink full of water? Because it has severe water damage. I loaded two slices of bread into it to speed up the cooking process and almost had a fire on my hands. Thank Jupiter Jim I had my battle shell on me.”
April squints at the toaster, trying to remember if she did something as silly as dump the toaster into water. She can’t remember doing anything like that…
Oh, wait.
Yeah, she does.
April grumbles, “Well… yeah. I accidentally spilled my orange juice into it a few days ago. I thought drying it out in the sun would fix it, but I haven’t used it since. Guess I need a new toaster.”
Donnie hums, walking back to the skillet and tending to the food cooking in it.
“Well, I suppose getting you a new and improved toaster will be a future problem for us to address. For now, I would much rather get to the holiday festivities. Everything should be done at five o’clock. I believe that should give you enough time to take a shower if you would like.”
April sighs at the thought of a shower, “Oh god, yes. I desperately need it. The stupid linear algebra exam did a number on my back. The hot water might help a bit.”
"It definitely won't hurt," Donnie agrees.
He keeps cooking while April disappears into her bathroom. She wastes no time cranking the hot water on, throwing her clothes off, and stepping into the hot, steamy shower. While the shower alleviates her mood a bit, her neck and shoulders are still tense.
Realizing that prolonging the shower will not make her sore muscles any better, she turns off the water with a sigh and dries herself with a fluffy towel. She wraps the towel around her body and steps out of the bathroom.
As the bathroom door opens, Donnie addresses her from the kitchen, “Everything’s done cooking, my dear April! Are you just about done?”
April yells back, “Yeah! Let me get some clothes on.”
“Excellent! Make sure you wear a tank top or something similar. I promise it’s for a good reason.”
April raises her eyebrow but doesn’t question it. She doesn’t want to throw a wrench into his romantic Valentine’s Day plan. She just shrugs and heads into her bedroom.
April quickly dresses in her softest sweatpants and tank top. Feeling that her skin is dry, she goes to grab her favorite lotion only to find it’s not on top of her dresser.
Did she run out of it? April tries to recall the past week, mentally retracing her steps to see if she misplaced it. Nothing comes to mind. She sighs, making a mental note to look for it later.
Before she leaves her bedroom, she grabs the neatly wrapped gift and letter on her desk. It’s Donnie’s Valentine’s Day gift, and it was one of the few things that went spectacularly well over the past week. April is honestly surprised she lucked out with the gift, all things considered. She can’t wait to see the look on his face when he unwraps it.
She leaves her bedroom and smiles at what awaits her in the living room. Donnie’s rearranged the furniture in the room, making it look like a deconstructed pillow fort. There are multiple blankets and pillows on top of the sofa and ottoman. Next to the ottoman is her coffee table with heaps of food on top of it, along with a couple of plates, napkins, and utensils. Donnie himself is standing next to the table, fiddling with her TV remote. His battle shell is off and there is a movie keep box underneath his arm, but she can’t make out what the film is.
“Wow Dee, I have no idea what’s going on but I’m excited! Are you finally going to tell me what we’re doing tonight?” April asks, placing her gift down at one end of the sofa while she walks over to her boyfriend.
“April! Yes, I will finally enlighten you on the romantic Valentine’s Day plan I have for us today,” he gestures to the set-up as he continues talking, “Knowing that you had a laborious day at school that would no doubt leave your muscles tense and your stomach ravenous, I decided my gift to you would be a dinner, massage, and a movie! I’ve made mini Philly cheesesteaks, fried dill pickles, and roasted veggies skewers for you to enjoy. I’ve also grabbed a couple of supplies from home for a massage. I stole your favorite lotion from your bedroom to use as well. I hope you don’t mind.”
April, overwhelmed with the sentimental gift Donnie’s presented her with, lets a tear fall as she embraces and kisses Donnie. He quickly reciprocates, wiping the tear away with a thumb before wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.
“Thanks, Dee. Honestly, I think this is the best gift you could have gotten me for today. My neck and shoulders thank you. Also, what’s the movie?” April asks.
“Ah, yes! Well, when Mikey was helping me practice the recipes of the delicious food you see before you, he was ranting about this terrible romantic comedy he had the displeasure of watching. Based on his review, I thought this movie would be delightful to watch and tear apart.” Donnie flashes the DVD box in front of April.
April gets a good look at the box art. It’s done in the classic “released straight to DVD” style with the couple in the stereotypical back-to-back pose and a poorly photoshopped pizza in the background. The title slapped on the top of the box is Mingling in Italy.
“Oh god, this looks absolutely terrible. Let’s watch it!” April announces.
Both quickly get comfortable on the couch. April piles food onto her plate while Donnie sits behind her, situating his string bean legs on either side of her. She hits play on the remote and starts chowing down as Donnie’s strong, capable hands begin massaging the tension out of her neck and shoulders.
The food is delicious. The massage melts all of April’s troubles away. And the movie? It’s delightfully bad.
By the time the end credits roll, April’s completely relaxed and content. Donnie finished up her massage two-thirds of the way through the movie and now cradles her in his arms.
She wishes she could stay like this forever.
“Dee, I think this is one of the best Valentine’s Days I’ve had. Thanks.”
“Of course, April. For you, I would do anything.”
April hums, closing her eyes and simply enjoying the moment.
Then she remembers that she still needs to give Donnie her gift.
“Oh! Before I forget, I got you something as well. It’s balanced on the arm of the sofa, can you get it? My arms are too short to reach.” April informs, pointing to where the gift is located.
Donnie chuckles, kissing the top of April’s head before he grabs the gift. He opens the letter first. Inside is a cute, handmade Valentine’s Day card—complete with red glitter glue and red hearts—as well as two exclusive tickets to New York Comic Expo this summer.
“Fibonacci’s Sequence! Are these exclusive tickets to Comic Expo?! For this summer?! I thought I would have to sneak in this year, especially since Warren and Hypno distracted us with a museum robbery right when the tickets went live. Oh April, thank you!” Donnie exclaims, curling tightly around April while gingerly holding the tickets in one hand.
April feels a soft churr rumble beneath Donnie’s plastron, and she giggles.
“Yeah, I was able to snag a couple of tickets after Leo texted me. I got your brothers tickets too, but I thought I would get us the more premium ones. But that’s not all. Open the other gift! I’m so excited to see you open this one.”
Donnie nods, gently putting the tickets back into the letter for safekeeping and placing it on the coffee table. He methodically unwraps the next gift, placing the wrapping paper to the side before he pops off the lid.
He audibly gasps, and April can feel his jaw drop on top of her head.
“April… I… Is this what I think it is?” Donnie whispers, eyes glued to the gift’s contents.
“You bet! I have no idea how I got lucky enough to snag this at the local thrift store, but it’s an authentic 1998 Limited Edition Jupiter Jim Figure, only one hundred of its kind sold. I double-checked with some local pawn shops and action figure collectors, and it’s legit! It’s not fake gold paint or some shoddy remake. It’s 100% real, down to the unique stamp on the bottom of its right foot. You are now the lucky owner of Figure 42 of 100. Congratulations!”
Donnie’s quiet for a few seconds before he erupts into jovial chirps and clicks. He nuzzles the crook of April’s neck and leaves a flurry of kisses there. One hand gingerly holds the box with the figure while the other hand wraps tightly around April. She can feel his fingers drumming against her side. April smiles, doing her best to hug him back despite the position.
“April, you… I… I’ve been looking for this for years. When pawn shops get them, they go straight to auction and I always get outbid at the last minute. I… thank you, April. I love you so much.” Donnie says, voice thick with emotion. April doesn’t have to turn around to know that his eyes are tearing up.
“You’re welcome, Dee.”
Donnie hugs her for a bit longer before he releases his hold on her to inspect the figure. His eyes twinkle as he looks over every inch of the figure, completely in awe of April’s find. He mumbles to himself, something about needing to get a special glass display for it. After several minutes, Donnie is satisfied with his inspection and he gently places the gift on the coffee table.
After some discussion, they decide to watch one of their favorite shows for the rest of the evening. Donnie stores the leftover food in the fridge while April switches to a streaming service on the TV. When Donnie returns, they quickly embrace each other once more. Donnie adjusts the blankets around them while April starts the first episode. They relax on the comfortable couch as their favorite show plays.
They fall asleep in each other’s arms.