Work Text:
"Time for the Jupiter Jim marathon to commence!" Leo announced loudly, bringing a giant bowl of popcorn to the living room.
"We've been waitin' on ya for a while now Leo," Raph said with a smirk.
"Yeah yeah, the popcorn wasn't gonna pop itself," Leo responded. "Besides, you got here earliest just to pick your favorite movie first. But since it's also mine, I was fine being late."
"One of you three always shows up first. Would it kill us to not watch Seven Galaxies as the first movie. Again. For the 8th time?" Donnie complained. He had been just behind Raph in getting to the living room.
"I don't mind letting you go first. If, you admit you cheated at Jenga," Leo said, munching on the popcorn.
"That was literally over a decade ago! Are you still holding a grudge?!" Donnie retaliates.
"Says you," Mikey comments, looking up from the book of DVDs.
"I- yeah ok that's fair." Donnie mumbled something to himself and burrowed down in the beanbag he had claimed. Leo and Raph high-fived, taking their victory.
"How about we watch in release order instead? We haven't done that yet," April asked, walking in with some sodas from the kitchen.
"True. Y'know what, Raph's on board!"
"Alright! Dee, pull up the release schedule would ya?" Mikey asked, flipping to the front of the DVD book.
"Looks like......Jupiter Jim: The Great Start is the first one. Makes sense," Donnie stated, sending the list to Mikey's phone.
"Let's get this started. And Leo, thank you for letting me wear the captain's helmet," Mikey said smugly.
"Hey I'm still impressed from that cargo ship throw, alright? It's the first marathon since that, so you've earned it." Leo smuggled the popcorn bowl back from Raph, who was occupied by the newly arrived Mayhem.
"I forgot how this one goes," April said, leaning over to steal some popcorn from Leo.
"This one just introduces Jupiter Jim, Red Fox, Atomic Lass, and the rival space fleet." Raph recited, ignoring the stinging from Mayhem scratching his face. Again.
"Ah so this is probably one of Donnie's favorites," Mikey teased, also trying to get some popcorn.
"I can have a favorite character," Donnie retorted.
"Not what he was teasing you about Don. He's teasing you about the giant crush you had on her when we were kids," Leo said, warding off the popcorn assailants.
"...I never had a crush on her?" Donnie said in confusion.
His brothers just stared at him, but April sighed, knowing rehashing the whole revelation she and Donnie already had would take a while.
"Seriously? But you were obsessed with her," Raph said in confusion.
"That's not what a crush is, Raphie. When you have a crush, you wanna spend your whole life with the person and kiss and junk," April said, looking at a note she'd written for herself, in case this same situation happened again.
"Ugh, gross," Leo said, having given up the popcorn fight.
"Yeah I mean who wants to actually kiss someone," Mikey added, having triumphed in the popcorn struggle. "It's so annoying when that happens in movies."
"And I don't understand the 'wanting to spend your entire life with only one person' thing. I mean, I have you guys and the rest of our friends; what more could I want?" Raph finished.
April gave a surprised look, then looked over to Donnie, who looked equally surprised.
"What about...the other thing?" Donnie asked, treading carefully.
Everyone proceeded to fake gag in a hilarious fashion, clearly disinterested in...that.
"I- I can't believe this!" Donnie said excitedly, looking over to April.
"Certainly not what I expected," April added, looking up from her notes.
"What are you two talking about?" Leo asked, looking between them suspiciously.
"I mean you guys being like me on this!" Donnie said, flapping his hands happily.
"Uhhhh...on what? My brain's slow on the pickup right now," Raph said, confused.
"You guys all are disinterested in romance and that other stuff. Donnie thought he was alone in feeling like that, so he's excited right now," April explained, furiously jotting down notes.
"Wait so you're trying to tell me people actually like kisses and other junk? It's not just an elaborate joke?" Mikey said in amazement.
"Well, yeah," April started, stopping her writing to look at her brothers. "I know this whole thing is probably a shock to you, Lord knows it was to Donnie, but the vast majority of people actually like that stuff. That's why it's it movies and comics and stuff."
Mikey, Leo, and Raph looked on in amazement and confusion, while Donnie and April sat back and waited for the questions.
Surprisingly, the first one was from Splinter, who had slid in.
"Are there specific words to describe this?" He asked, holding a cup of tea in his hands.
"Uh, yeah, the not wanting romance is aromantic and the not wanting...that other thing is asexual." Donnie said, looking at his dad a bit confused.
"Huh. I suppose I am asexual along with you boys. I had my fair share of girlfriends, but never wanted to take it to that step. They just called me a prude, hmph." Splinter took his chair, sipping his tea.
Everyone gaped at him in amazement, before shaking themselves out of their stupor.
"So...I guess that's the word for it. Huh. I- is it a...bad thing?" Raph asked hesitantly.
"Nonsense," Splinter interjected. "Means I have to keep less of an eye on future friends anyways!" Splinter laughed heartily, but slowed when he saw the look on his sons' faces.
"Alright, do not look like that. It is perfectly okay to not feel that way towards anyone. If anything, it is a better state for you four since it would be hard to meet anyone who could potentially date you much less form a biological family with. I do not see why it could be a bad thing. If anything, it is keeping you out of troubling situations."
"Yeah, but...if most people want that, would they even just be friends? Even after we tell them?" Mikey asked sadly.
"Oh of course some will still be your friend, sweetie," April placated, moving over to the turtle. "There might be some people who feel betrayed by it, but not that many. You four already have at least me and Sunita, and we ain't going nowhere because of a silly reason like that."
Everyone joined in a group hug, not speaking. There was a sadness hanging in the air, but also a new hope. They'd all stay together, no matter what. And maybe that was better. It certainly seems so to them.