Chapter Text
“…despite her jaws being strong enough to crush bones, she carries her young in her mouth without leaving a scratch. The savannah lioness-“
Donnatello’s view of the television screen was suddenly blocked by a paint-stained sweatshirt. Great. Good. Fabulous. Just what he wanted – to have his nice lunch-and-science time interrupted by this.
“Hi Casey,” he sighed. All he could do was hope that this would be over quickly.
“Hey Donnie.”
Casey rested his hand on the couch beside Donnie’s head, leaning over him. He smirked. But it wasn’t his usual I’m-so-awesome smirk or even his i-just-did-something-hilarious-and-it’s-about-to-totally-ruin-your-day smirk. There was something different about it. Something…strange.
“Can I help you?”
“You can tell me what you did different today that makes you look so good.”
Donnie recoiled slowly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raph’s head snap around. Leo and Mikey let the pinball machine fall silent as they stared.
“What?”
“Seriously man, you look good! So what is it? New shell wax? New bandanna?”
“I…No? What is this about?”
“Nothin. I just thought maybe you’d like a little positive attention.”
“Oh…kay, uh, thanks Casey, I…appreciate the compliment?”
“No problem, Dee.”
Casey winked.
Oh god. Oh no. Oh god no.
Casey was hitting on him.
Donnie fought the urge to hide inside his shell.
“Okay well uh if that’s all I think I have some work to do in my lab--” He started to stand but Casey moved to block his path.
“Hey, hey, what’s the rush? The science isn’t going anywhere. Time is fleeting, Dee. You gotta…” and again Casey leaned in, again he smirked that awful smirk, this time with the addition of doing something truly horrifying with his eyebrows. “…enjoy the moment.”
Raph collided with Casey. Donnie had never been so glad of his brother’s temper in his entire life.
“What are you doing?” Raph demanded. Casey spread his arms, his expression all offended innocence.
“I’m not doing anything! You’re the one interrupting!”
“Oh you think I’m just going to stand there while you mess with Donnie’s head?”
“Dude! I was paying him a complement, what’s wrong with that?”
Donnie looked through the gap between Raph and Casey to make eye contact with his brothers. Leo and Mikey shrugged helplessly, equally confused.
“Back off, Casey!”
“I’m trying to have a nice conversation here--“
“Oh yeah? And since when have you and Donnie been so buddy-buddy, huh?”
“Maybe I’m trying to expand my relationship with him.” The way Casey dragged out the word was clearly meaningful, but Donnie had no idea what that meaning could be. Raph clenched his fists and tightened his jaw.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like, Raphael.”
Raph shoved Casey hard in the chest. Casey shoved right back.
“You need to stay away from my brother!”
“You need to step off my business!”
“Your business? Let me tell you what you can do with your business, pal!”
Raph’s punch caught Casey square in the mouth. Donnie snatched up his sandwich and scrambled over the back of the couch as Casey took Raph down with a flying tackle.
It became clear very quickly that this was not the usual friendly scuffle. This was a fight. Even for Casey and Raph, whose play-fights were already excessively violent, this one was bad. Someone threw a punch and blood went spattering across the floor. Casey elbowed Raph in the mouth. Raph twisted Casey’s arm. Casey scratched his fingers across Raph’s face and jammed a thumb in his eye. Raph pinned Casey to the ground with a knee on his chest.
“ENOUGH!”
Everyone froze, even Raph with his fist raised like the wrath of god. Mikey and Leo rushed forward and dragged Raph off of Casey. He went with no resistance, chest heaving, jaw still set. Casey lurched to his feet and wiped blood off his mouth.
“What is going on in here?” Splinter demanded.
“Uhhh,” Mikey said. “Well…okay, the thing is…um, they were sort of….uh…”
The words Casey was hitting on Donnie and Raph was defending his honor, floated above them like a panel from Mikey’s comic books. It stayed there, silent and unspoken because nobody wanted to actually admit this was happening.
“It’s nothing,” Casey said, darkly. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah.” Raph shook himself free of his brothers and glared at Casey. “Doesn’t matter.”
“I’m out of here,” Casey said, scooping up his backpack.
“You better be,” Raph said.
“I guess I better call off patrolling this week,” Casey called back as he walked away.
“I guess so!” Raph shouted.
“Fine!”
“FINE! Who needs you, you big ape!”
“Bite me, turtle boy!”
Casey hopped over the turnstile and was gone. All eyes slowly turned to Raph.
“What?”
“What was that?” Leo asked.
“It’s called a fight, Leo. It’s a thing that happens when people don’t like each other.” Raph stalked back towards his room.
“But you and Casey are like bestest buds forever!” Mikey said. Raph slammed the door shut loud enough to make them all wince.
“Dude. What just happened?”