Chapter Text
The lair still smells faintly of incense when you finish practice with Master Splinter.
Your arms ache. Your legs feel like jelly. But you’re proud even if your pride is mixed with frustration.
“They all said no,” you mumble, pacing in front of him. “Leo said it’s too dangerous. Raph laughed. Donnie tried to explain physics at me. I didn’t even finish asking before he started talking about leverage and center of gravity.”
Splinter’s whiskers twitch.
“And Michelangelo?”
You blink.
“…I didn’t ask him.”
“Have you assumed his answer?” he asks gently.
You cross your arms. “He’ll just say no too.”
“Perhaps,” Splinter replies. “Or perhaps you have not given him the chance to surprise you.”
You hesitate.
Then he adds quietly, “And… if he agrees… it may be wise not to announce it.”
Your eyes widen. “You mean—”
“I am aware my sons do not wish for you to train beyond defense,” he says calmly. “However… learning to protect oneself is never wrong.”
You bow quickly. “Thank you, Master Splinter.”
…
Mikey is upside down on the couch when you find him.
“Yo!” he says, blinking at you upside down. “Why do you look like you’re about to confess a crime?”
You swallow.
“Can you teach me to fight?”
He drops.
Just falls straight off the couch.
“Like— like real fight? Or like, ‘defend myself if a purse-snatcher attacks me’ fight?”
You shift your weight. “The real kind.”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Uh…”
You brace yourself.
“It’s okay,” you rush. “You can say no. I just thought maybe—”
“Okay.”
You stop.
“…Okay?”
“Yeah,” he says, grinning. “But we gotta be sneaky about it. If Leo finds out, I’m gonna get a twenty-minute honor speech.”
Your eyes light up.
“Meet me topside. Rooftop two blocks east. Ten minutes.”
…
(The Rooftop)
The city hums beneath you.
New York at night is alive, sirens in the distance, wind whipping your hair.
Mikey stands in the moonlight, spinning one nunchaku lazily.
“First rule,” he says, tossing it aside. “We are not starting with weapons. You are five feet of emotional determination.”
“I’m 4’11.”
He squints. “That’s basically five feet in spirit.”
You try not to smile.
He teaches you balance first. Footwork. How to shift your weight. How to use speed instead of strength.
He doesn’t mock you when you stumble.
He doesn’t treat you like glass.
When you manage to dodge one of his slow practice swipes, he cheers like you just saved the city.
“YES! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”
You beam despite yourself.
By the end, you’re breathing hard, sweaty, proud.
“Thanks,” you say softly. “One day I’ll get good enough to fight with you guys.”
The wind changes.
And so does he.
The playful grin fades.
He steps closer…not towering, not intimidating, just steady.
“Y/N.”
You freeze a little.
His voice isn’t joking anymore.
“This stuff?” He gestures to the skyline. “It’s not rooftop practice and cool poses. It’s guys with real weapons. Aliens. Mutants. Stuff that does not hesitate.”
You frown. “I know that.”
“No,” he says gently. “You don’t. Not like we do.”
He kneels slightly so he’s eye-level with you.
“We’re mutants. We’re built for this. Stronger bones. Faster healing. We’ve trained since we were kids. And even we get messed up sometimes.”
His expression softens.
“Our job is to protect New York. And that includes you.”
Your throat tightens.
“So what? I just stay down there forever?”
“You live,” he says simply. “You have dreams. School. Sunlight. Pizza that isn’t three days old.” He smiles faintly. “You do your thing. Let us do ours.”
You look away, frustrated.
“I don’t want to be helpless.”
He reaches out, hesitates, then gently nudges your shoulder.
“You’re not helpless. That’s why I’m teaching you. Defense? Smart. Being able to get away? Awesome. You holding your own long enough to run? Perfect.”
He leans in slightly.
“But running into the middle of a battlefield because you feel left out? That’s not bravery. That’s scary for us.”
Your chest tightens at that.
“For you?”
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “For me.”
There it is.
Not dramatic…Just honest.
The wind fills the silence.
You nod slowly.
“…Okay. Defense only until it’s necessary.”
He brightens immediately. “Exactly! And hey — if you ever do fight beside us, it’s gonna be because there’s literally no other option and the universe forced it.”
You laugh softly.
“Thank you, Mikey.”
He rubs the back of his neck again, suddenly sheepish.
“Yeah, well. Don’t tell the guys or I’m dead.”
You grin. “Your secret’s safe.”
As you head toward the fire escape, he watches you a little too long.
Because yeah.
He’s sweet to everyone.
But he’s softer with you.
And he definitely said yes when the others didn’t.