Before You Go | Future Leo X GN!Reader (Part I)

Before You Go | Future Leo X GN!Reader (Part I)

A/N: Time to make a series! Inspiration is taken from the movie and several fanart. Constructive criticism is appreciated as usual.

Summary: Heartbroken about a death of a dear friend, you and Leonardo debated on whether to co-parent Cassandra’s baby son, Casey.

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns are used. Second POV.

Pairing: Rise! Future! Leonardo X Reader 

Warnings: Blood. Death. Child becoming an orphan.

Word Count: ~1280

Parts: One / Two / Three / Four / Five / ...

~

“We’re.. keeping him?”

A wary expression on your face as you met eye-contact with Leonardo. In his arms held a baby boy, wrapped in a soft yet dirty blanket. 

“We are,” he confirmed. 

“But what about the other camps—.”

“I promised Cass we would take care of him.”

You went silent, wincing at the thought— the memory of your friend dying in that rubble. Leonardo shared the same feeling, replaying Cassandra’s final words in his head.

“You didn’t even ask me for my word!” you snapped. “We’re talking about taking care of a baby in an alien invasion! I want neither of us nor the team to get too attached. He’s going to get in the way and if something happens—.”

“We won’t let anything happen to him.”

Your hands curled. “...How can you be so sure?”

“(Name).” Leonardo stepped closer to you. “Think about it this way: he could be a hope for us. He could be the one to stop the Kraang and this mess.”

“No.” You wanted to yell and force him to look from your view. Except, you can’t risk scaring anyone else in the base. There were other humans, mutants, and yōkai taking refuge to hide from the Kraang.

This was one of the only safe havens in New York City, or the entire world at that rate. You wanted this to be a place of consolation, not panic.

Arms crossed, you turned away. “I was afraid you’d think that.”

“...What do you mean?”

“He’s young, Leo!” You faced him again. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about forcing the idea of ‘being the chosen hero’ on him!

What if he doesn’t rise to that challenge? What if he didn’t succeed? What would you think of him then?”

Leo’s mouth perked up.

And you realized yourself.

“Sounds like you’re the one with a personal attachment, (Name). I almost thought you don’t care about this little guy,” he teased. “I wasn’t being serious about the whole ‘hero’ thing. Splints threw me on the leader spot myself, remember?”

Your shoulders loosened. 

“I remember.” You sighed. “I never said I don’t care. Just worried we won’t be able to give him the childhood he deserves— the life he deserves. I wish that for every child, especially knowing this is the wrong place for them to grow up in.”

You grimmed. “We’ll be busy trying to take out Kraang, Leo.. How are we going to take care him, let alone give him enough love?”

Leo gave no response. But you watched his feet inching closer. Then, he held out the blanket-wrapped baby to you.

“..We’ll find a way,” he assured, “We’ll work it out together.”

You took the baby in your arms. He was snoring away all the problems, a bittersweet moment that warmed your heart.

“The others are going to co-parent too, right?” you asked. That one question making Leo freeze. You spoke again, this time raising an eyebrow. “..Right?”

He cleared his throat. “Well.. the thing is.. they.. probably don’t even know how to take care of a baby.”

“What.”

“But we’ll be fine on our ownn! Trust me, (Name), nothing’s going to go wrong under our watch.”

“And then you’re going to force all the parental responsibility on me.” You scoffed. “Are you serious? You had me thinking that Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and April will help too!”

“Cass trusted us to do this.”

“Exactly, us.”

“The both of us.”

“Why did she exclude the others out?”

Truth be told, you couldn’t understand what made his brothers and April any less qualified to take care of a baby. You knew Leo would be out a lot. You too had responsibilities with keeping resources in check and defending the base. Extra loving hands shouldn’t hurt.

Except, when you found Leo averting his gaze and coughing, a light blush on his face, it clicked for you. He wasn’t being completely serious. He just liked the thought of he and you— did Cassandra tell him?

A chuckle left your lips. 

“Look, as much as I’m willing to try for her,” you paused, “I don’t know if I can make a good caretaker, let alone a parent for Casey.” 

“And Cass knew you’d doubt yourself,” Leo held your hands, “but she still trusted you. She trusted that you can do it.”

You took a deep breath, tearing up a bit. 

“There.. are a lot of responsibilities....”

His arms brought you into a hug from behind. “I know.” 

He leaned his head on your shoulder, watching little Casey sleep. “Like I said though, (Name), we will make it work.” Leo reassured. “I’m here right next to you.”

Him being made leader changed him for sure. It was comforting to see him grow less cocky and more consoling, empathetic.

You kind of missed his overconfident, happy, sarcastic side though. 

.

.

.

“What are you doing?” A shaky breath. “We’re running the same way. Why are you handing him to me, Cass?” Leonardo felt his heart beating faster.

“Take care of him for me. He needs you all, especially (Name).”

“H-Hold on..” Leonardo taken aback.

He watched a couple of tears pooling up in Cassandra’s eyes. Her hand grasping his arm as they both ran for base.

“Y-You know (Name)’s been eyeing me for a while now.” Emotions caught up in her throat as she spoke. “They’ve always wanted a kid— I didn’t even have to ask them. So.. I-I thought that if I’m ever gone, Casey can be the one for them. (Name) can be the one who will love him just as much as I do.”

“What are you talking about—?!” Leonardo’s breath hitched when the woman let go and ran behind him. 

“Please tell ‘em that for me.. before I go..”

“CASSANDRA!”

“They’re just gonna keep following us if something isn’t done. I have to go distract them!”

You stopped in your tracks the moment you found your best friend turning the other direction. The baby gone from her arms and in Leonardo’s instead.

“Casey? Casey!” you shouted. “Where the hell are you going!?”

She was running towards one of the giant machines. A large rock into the eye with her hockey stick and a loud BOOM blasted from an ignition.

You immediately sprinted after her. “Casey! CASEY, STOP!”

“(NAME)!” Leonardo followed. 

Cassandra caught the attention of other nearby mechs, this time using her hyperbeam gun to strike. 

You were starting to lose your distance.

“Please! I don’t want to lose you—!” Leonardo yanked you back with his other arm. This was when you felt your eyes burning. This couldn’t be happening, not when you weren’t prepared to lose someone.

Leonardo kept a tight grip on your arm. “(Name)! We have to go back!”

“Casey’s out there! Let go of me—!”

“Yet you’re out here— I’m not gonna lose you too while we’re at it. Listen to me: we have to go back, or you’re putting everyone else at risk. We have to go NOW.”

You took one final glance at Cassandra, so far away. 

Suddenly, a bright beam of light shot down on her ground. You watched the dark silhouette in your sight evaporated.

And you screamed.

Leonardo pulled you into his chest, hand over your mouth. He carried you over his shoulder as you sobbed into your own palms. He fled, fled as fast as he could with stinging eyes, not because of the dust this time.

No one back at the base could’ve prepared to see you and Leonardo return with Cassandra’s baby alone. 

That ache hurt more when you found a photograph of her and everyone tucked in little Casey’s blanket. 

Comfort and Confession | Rise!Leo X F!Reader

A/N: This is my earliest one-shot on Tumblr, and I’ve decided to dedicate that to Leonardo from Rise of TMNT. He’s my favorite character due to his charismatic personality. 

Also, I included some Spanish at the end, but due to a lack of knowledge in that language, I resorted to Google Translate. Anyone with experience in Spanish please inform me if I made a mistake.

Enjoy yourself!

Rise! Leo X Female! Reader (One-Shot)

Word Count: ~2600

You were quietly seated at your study desk, your mechanical pencil maneuvering over your sheet of algebra homework. Your senior year would soon be coming to an end, and yet, your days kept getting overfilled with responsibilities. Not to mention your scholarships and university applications.

Headphones snuggled over your ears, you sighed, holding your chin up with your hand. The shuffled playlist of songs made your silence bearable, even against the loud streets of New York City during the late evening.

Nothing changed out there.

And here you were, feeling your own life about to flip over.

You tapped your pencil rapidly. You tried to shove away those questions, but they seeped in anyway. Have you done enough? Have you made the most of everything? Have you spent enough time with your friends? Soon, your grades wouldn’t be your worry anymore, but your career.

It scared you.

How you could never relax. Let yourself vulnerable.

You were quite popular among your peers: persistent, open-minded, and had always tried to maintain top-quality work. You should be happy, but you ended up being haunted by a fear of slipping up. People say they wouldn’t care, but is it really the case? You had underclassmen looking up to you, friends who admired you, so who’s to say they wouldn’t turn you away once you disappoint them?

Oh, how you could never settle down.

The hues of your eyes gazed out the window, which perfectly hung right by your desk. Your face looked solemn, scanning over the street lights hanging around your neighborhood. Then, you shook your head and took off your headphones, worried that you might have grown distracted. Your music playlist paused.

The mechanical pencil flickered around in your hand, while you turned to read the ninth unit of your AP Chemistry textbook. 

. . .

Tap Tap.

You smiled. Must be the rain. It should’ve been hot outside. Then again, rainfall comes often when you’re by the sea and the temperature’s high.

You felt a bit glad though. Rain had a therapeutic effect on your mind.

There was a pause.

You hummed. Well, that was a quick sprinkle. 

Tap Tap.

Now, the sound puzzled you. What kind of rain paused like that? 

You turned your chair, going to check the weather. Except, your body practically jumped for a second and lost your grasp of the pencil. In that split moment, you knew exactly where– or who– the sound came from. A figure tapped onto your window, waiting to be let in. Your heart still raced under your shocked breaths.

You ran a hand through your hair, trying to laugh your way to being calm again.

“Oh my God.” 

You recognized the person– turtle– who came by occasionally to bother you out of their boredom. He wore an electric-blue mask and adorn in his iconic red markings. He rubbed his nape, cheekily smiling. 

“Leon.” You lifted your window up for an opening. “You scared me. I thought it was some random homeless guy. Or some delinquent trailing me from school. You–. Please give me a heads up next time! You literally have a phone!”

Unfazed, Leonardo waved his hands. “Okay, okay. Relax, Cariña.” He grinned. “You have nothing to worry about! Anyone who tries to come after you will have to mess with me. And who’d be dumb enough to fight a guy like me anyway– did you say someone was following you?”

“Some underclassman, but one of my guy friends usually handles him.” You shrugged.

“I can handle him, (Name)! You could’ve called me!”

“You’re forgetting something, Leo.” You pointed your finger from down to up his figure. “You’re a turtle. I don’t know how well NYC’s gonna take you. Once someone sees you, you’re plastered all over the news.”

He huffed, making himself comfortable on your bed. His katanas laid on the floor. Hands behind his head, Leonardo shut his eyes. “Y’know, having my handsome face across billboards doesn’t sound so bad.”

You snorted. “I wouldn’t exactly say you’re ‘handsome.’”

His grin faltered. Ouch.

“Say whatever you want, Cariña.” He puffed out. “So? Gonna tell me whatcha up to, (Name)? Let me guess: homework here, homework there.” He wagged his feet as he went on.

“Pretty much.” You winced, not expecting your voice to be so strained. “Nothing really changes when you’re a student about to enter the ‘adult’ world.” You curled your fingers in quotations. Leo opened one of his eyes. The lightheartedness he had dropped when he noticed you pursing your lips. You seemed out of it. “Just more responsibilities coming my way. And I thought I’m already having it hard.”

“(Name).”

Leonardo sat up. He extended his palm to yours. His scaly yet gentle touch comforted you. Low-key, he caught you off-guard by how genuine he can be instead of teasing or joking around. You returned a weak smile, rubbing his hand with your thumb.

“Hey. Y’know I’m here to listen. I’m all ears.” He immediately rubbed his nape. He averted his gaze and whistled, “Okay, Leo, weird of you to say when you don’t have any ears– but you get the point.”

You took a deep breath.

Your spare hand twiddled with the hem of your top.

“You remember how I met you and your brothers as a high-school junior, right? Like by accident. Then some time of hanging out and fighting the Foot Clan passed, you guys and April accepted me.

Even when being so different in our personalities and standards, I guess we bonded well. I’ve always appreciated our friendship, because no one there tries to expect anything out of me. Like you guys only cared if I spend time. Although, you are all really goofy to be picky about a friend anyway.”

Leo snorted.

“Except, this year, I’m a senior.” A frown tugged on your lips, and your twiddling hand crept to hold Leo’s other. “The final stage of high school before moving on to college... Even if I attend a school close to here, I’ll be so occupied with my classes, I won’t have any time to spend with you like we normally do. I’ve put in so much effort to focus on my studies. I’m scared to disappoint my family and everyone, but that means I have to give up seeing you guys too.”

Your voice began to break. Your hands retreated and buried your face. The stress of your situation dawned on you.

The thought of you leaving almost stabbed his heart. He clenched his hands. “Hey.” he shook your shoulders. “Enough of that. Don’t get yourself down in the dumps. So what if you don’t come ‘round anymore? You don’t have to be the one to visit us, (Name).” 

Leonardo pulled your hands away from your face, meeting your eyes again. 

“I mean, my brothers and I are ninja turtles, (Name)! April even handled the Foot Clan on her own. If we could do that, busy or not, you bet we’ll trespass the school for you,” he declared, standing up tall with his arms crossed over his plastron.

He seemed a bit too serious with that one.

“Woah, hold on there, Leon,” you laughed, tugging his arms to stop him from continuing. “You’re overlooking a few things, again. Roommates are a thing.” You counted on your fingers. “And would April and your brothers even agree to this? You guys are risking your identities, and April, her journalism career if an officer comes by.”

“No worries.” He tossed the ends of his mask behind, as if flipping his locks of hair. “As the ‘Face’ of Mad Dogs, with my charming personality and for the sake of you, my brothers and sister will never turn down my idea. And since we have Donnie, our plans are unstoppable. We can meet whenever, wherever, s’long as you’re up for it.”

He held his palm out, this time, asking for yours. “So what do you say?”

You stared into his eyes. His sly and devious grin, his charismatic persona, and his oddly-effective methods of reassurance. No wonder you would let yourself fall too long for him.

Your fingers wiped off the trailing tears that linger by your hues, and you leapt off of your chair to embrace Leo to your bed in a hug. Face snuggled into his shoulder while your fingers played with the ends of his blue mask. “Of course.” The red-eared slider tensed– you could tell. Though it wasn’t long until Leonardo loosened up, returning the contact by sliding his arms over your waist. It remained that way for a while, feeling each other’s body rise and fall between each breath.

“Mind if I show you something?” Leonardo whispered.

A soft chuckle left your lips. “Sure.”

“We’re probably gonna have to climb to the top of the apartment, though.”

Now, you tensed up. You could feel your palms become sweaty. You grumbled, “Leonardo–.” “Come on, I’ll hold your hand as we go; you’re not gonna fall,” he promised.

“Even with the fire escapes, you can’t expect me to trust them with how rusty they’ve gotten over the four years of living here. We’re five stories high!”

“Just trust me, (Name).”

You rubbed your palms onto your clothes, drying away the blood-rushing feeling in them. An hesitant smile appeared on your face. “All right. Fine, I’ll go.”

“You won’t regret it, Princesa.”

You shoved his shoulder lightly. Your ears flushed. 

“Please don’t.”

You and Leonardo ducked underneath the window toward the fire escape. At such a height of meters over the bustling streets, your heart rate began to speed up. But like the turtle promised, Leonardo took your hand firmly and guided you up. Your vision quickly adapted to the darkness, so you noticed there was actually– barely any rust on the escape. You could assume the metal had been galvanized. 

At least you could confirm that there’s a lower chance of the escape breaking apart. 

You narrowed your eyes. But never zero.

“All the way to the top, Leon?” Your voice held hesitation. 

“We’re close, (Name). You got this. Just keep holding onto my hand.”

The creaking of the ladder continued, until the two of you finally made it to the apartment roof. You heaved a loud sigh, relieved nothing went wrong. You dusted off your hands. “So, what exactly would this ‘something’ be, Leo?”

The red-eared slider grinned. Placing his hands on your shoulders, he turned you around to face the city. 

And your breath left. 

Your eyes practically glittered.

From that height, the city looked more enchanting. All those vehicles and voices sounded more quiet. So much so, the one thing you could hear were the cool breezes. You walked over and leaned by the edge, taking in the landscape. The mutant held his hand on your waist, making sure you won’t get caught up in the sightseeing.

“Leo.” You sighed in awe. “The view’s so beautiful.” Glancing between him and the scenery, you remarked, “You see this every night, running and hanging on those rooftops? I’ve never gone this high up during the night. And now, I wish I could do this all those nights ago.”

Leonardo only hummed. His hand held his chin, eyes closed, as if he was thinking of something else. You called to him. “Is something up? Do you have to go somewhere?” Your heart almost fell at the idea.

He opened his one eye, before huffing lightheartedly. “No, nothing’s wrong. There’s something–. I swear it should be here–.” Then, he whipped his head up. “Oh-ho! There we go! About time!”

“Huh?” Your eyes gazed up to the sky, covered in layers of clouds. From what you could tell, those clouds were heavy.

Pit. Pat.

Pit. Pat.

Pitter. Patter.

You felt something cold touch your head. It dripped down your face. “Raindrops,” you realized and faced Leonardo, strolling back to your side with a pleased smile. “You were expecting rainfall?”

The red-eared slider sat down by the edge, letting his legs dangle off. He patted the space next to him, meeting your eyes as he did. 

You remembered the height of this building. 

Being cautious, you hesitated. But after months of interaction with someone who’d helped save the city countless times– despite the idea most humans likely wouldn’t treat him back too kindly– you had always put your trust in him. 

“Sí, Cariña,” Leonardo responded. “What would be a better, relaxing day than some rain in New York City~?”

You raised an eyebrow. “I never realized you’re a rainy-day type of guy, Leon. I thought you’d prefer the sun... I mean, sunny weather feels more like your personality after all.” Your contented mood died down, when you found the turtle turning his head away. You quickly felt troubled.

“..Have I said something wrong–?”

“What? N-No, nothing like that.” Leonardo shook his head as he waved his hands. The silence caught up again, so you decided to continue speaking. “You know, Leon. Rain being part of your ‘something’ for me is really a coincidence, because–.”

“I overheard you.”

“I... I’m sorry?”

The red-eared slider felt his blood rushing and heart beating quick. He should be comfortable expressing his feelings. He was supposed to be overly confident! That daring kind of guy! That one mutant with the audacity– as Donnie often reprimanded him. But the embarrassment he felt here was high.

“When you were hanging out with April and Sunita that one time, I... might have or might-have-not overheard you say how much you like rainy weather.” Leonardo rubbed his nape with his clammy hands. His blush was becoming more apparent– even under thick clouds that covered the moonlight. 

“And since Donnie has a weather forecast that predicted a 70% chance of rain, I thought today would be a perfect day to show you the city lights.” His words slowly died into a sheepish mumble.

You were stunned. Your face couldn’t hold back the light blush either. “That was so long ago, I can’t believe you even remembered that.”

You pursed your lips and told him straight on. “I really appreciate it, Leon.”

Anything for you. Leonardo felt his heart flutter inside. “Yeah. O-Of course. I mean, you’re not wrong: I prefer the sunny days and all. Doesn’t mean I don’t mean it when I say rainy days are chill. Never thought I’d feel any more unwinded until today.” He brought his knees close to his plastron.

Soft winds blew. The sprinkling rain pitter-pattered. You could confirm: they were all reasons why you found rainfall soothing. “So,” Leon murmured, “You have any idea on where exactly you’re gonna go past graduation?”

Your face faltered, slowly looking back overhead the city. “Not sure. I could go to the one in Massachusetts to pursue my studies in a high-class school, or stay in New York. I hope to stay as close to here as I can, to be honest. Close to you and everyone: Raph, Donnie, Mikey, April; Casey and Splinter too.”

“You know Mikey’s gonna miss you treating him so well.” Leonardo rolled his eyes and scoffed. You snickered and spoke with the most annoying voice you could conjure up, “Aww. But he’s so precious, how can I not resist giving him special treatment?”

“Youngest child privilege,” he grumbled.

“Thought you love your little brother, Leon~?”

“Woah-woah. Hey now, Cariña, don’t get me wrong. I’ll always love my brothers when they’re not abusing their benefits,” he defended. “Speaking of which, how come I get any?”

You couldn’t tell if your forehead was sweating, or if they were only raindrops. Either way, you sensed some blood rushing to your face. You playfully crossed your arms. “Oh come on, I-I can’t answer that.”

“I’m being serious, (Name)! Let me count my hermanos off.” Leonardo extended all three fingers. “One, you treat Mikey like a mother to a kid. ‘He’s a teenager?’ My point’s still kind of there. Two, you buy a bunch of snacks for Raph whenever you visit. Low-key, I think he’s getting obsessed with shrimp chips. Three, you occasionally have Donnie to tutor you!”

You stopped him. “I wouldn’t even consider that last one a benefit, Leo.”

“Trust me on this one, (Name). As his brother, I know he loves it when he gets the chance to– in his words– ‘share his intellect.’” Leonardo did the bunny-quotes. “But what about me? I’m not looking for any favors– not trying to be that guy. I’m just trying to understand if I did anything wrong to be treated any differently from my brothers.”

You would have continued to tease him, thinking nothing serious of it. However, his fallen shoulders and pained expression told you otherwise.

You fell silent. 

You began, slowly moving your hand toward his, “Leo... I’m sorry, I can assure you you haven’t done anything wrong to upset me.”

“Then, what is–?”

Pit pat, pit pat, pit pat.

Plop, plop plop, plop plop plop.

As more sounds reached your ears, you cursed. “Oh my God. They’re getting heavier. I shouldn’t get sick for tomorrow’s assembly!” You leaned over the fire escape, stopped upon the height, and glanced toward the red-eared slider. 

“L-Leon–.”

“Don’t worry.. I’m here.”

The rainfall became dense. Leonardo held your hand all the way until you two reached your apartment window, where the water had condensed onto the glass, and where some of it fell into your bedroom.

You quickly grabbed two towels from the bathroom, drying any water off your head and on the floor. Walking back to the opening, where Leon waited, you picked up the turtle’s twin swords, knowing he’d have to leave soon. “I hope it won’t be too cold for you to handle out there, Leon.” You handed his weapon.

He shrugged. “Eh... What’s a bit of rain going to do to a mutant turtle living in the sewers? Don’t forget, I got Lou Jitsu’s blood in me too.” He winked. “‘The cold never bothers me anyway.’”

You huffed lightly. “Stay safe.”

“Will do.” Right as Leonardo was about to leave, by instinct, you took your chance and suddenly grabbed his hand, holding him back. The red-eared slider– with wide eyes– gazed down at you, confused yet expectantly.

“I.. I never answered that other question.”

Leonardo’s shoulders slumped. “Forget it.” He waved off. “You said you couldn’t tell me... I shouldn’t be begging you to spill anything personal.”

“No, not like–.” You sighed. “Just come here.”

Leonardo leaned down near the window, concerned. But then, your hand reached out through, fingertips tracing along his jaw, caressing his skin. Your intentionally slow pace gave him enough time to process this moment.

Your red-eared slider leaned right into your touch, and he gulped. His face bringing out a light blush. The very charismatic and overly confident mutant melted under your hold. You moved him closer and closer. Your hues locked in contact, before you both slowly shut them.

The tiny space between your lips gone as you crashed into a kiss.

“Mmm.” His shoulders visibly relaxed. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, as he did around your waist. The heat on your face not going away. Leo’s hands trailed down and gripped your thighs, while you went on playing with the ends of his mask.

After what felt like a minute, you both broke from the kiss, panting softly. Those breaths can be seen against the cold.

“Eres buena para tu primer beso, Cariña~.”

“Como si tuvieras alguna experiencia con los besos, Cariño~.” You used your finger to close his gaping mouth. 

“H-Hold on, you speak Spanish–?”

“High school requires at least two years of a foreign language.” You kissed his neck. “Next time we get a rainy night, you wanna climb up the roof again?”

Before You Go | Future Leo X GN!Reader (Part III)

A/N: I am conflicted over using gender-neutral terms to replace “Mama,” because I haven’t found a single one that holds the same vibe as the initial. If there are any suggestions, let me know! Remember that constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Summary: You’re both adopting-parents of Casey. Leonardo returned from a patrol to find his family surrounding Casey, about to say his first words.

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns are used, except the terms “Mama” and “mother-figure are used as well. Second POV.

Pairing: Rise! Future! Leonardo X Reader

Warning(s): Insecure of one’s parenting.

Word Count: ~1980

Parts: One / Two / Three / Four / Five / ...

~

“No way, is Casey saying his first words?” Michelangelo gasped. He was followed by his older brother, coming back from an area patrol together. 

That question stopped Leo in his tracks. "H-Hold on, really?"

In front of him, April and his brothers surrounded you, while you sat 2-year-old Casey on your stronger arm. He glanced around curiously at the small crowd, but paid no mind as he played with your hair.

"Bwuah.. bah." Sounds bubbling from his mouth. You smiled. "I have a good feeling, Mikey."

Leo stared from afar. 

..It had been so long since he felt this kind of warmth. All the smiles on his family’s faces were enough to give nostalgia.. back to when life was relatively.. normal.

"What'cha doing, standing over there!" April called out, waving her arm up. "This is a moment of a lifetime! Don't tell me you're backing out of being a parent." Donnie snickered from hearing her teases.

Leo shook his head. Then, he rolled his eyes. "Hey hey, c'mon, don't put me down like that, April. I'm not some deadbeat guy."

Being the Doctor Feelings he once proclaimed, Mikey held his hands to his chest. A bubbly smile grew. "Ohh! I’m getting it now: Lee’s having his inner, emotional, father-moment!"

And of course, a dark blush appeared on his face, embarrassed he was figured out so easily. Granted, he was talking about his own brother and Doctor Feelings. "Yeah yeah, whatever you say, little brother," he huffed. "Let's not tease me right now, guys. I just got back from a patrol with the others."

Leo strolled closer to you from behind, head leaning on your shoulder. "So.. what’s he’s saying?"

"Yet to find out." You slowly rocked your body back and forth.

“Y’know,” April wondered, “I’ve been thinking: aren’t kids supposed to start talking before they turn two?”

You and Leo felt yourselves freezing at the realization. Supposed to? But what about Casey? Did this imply that you two hadn’t done enough?

Fortunately, Donatello noticed your unease. 

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, “I mean, we are living in an underground base during an alien invasion. I doubt any of us would own time to cater to a human child full-time.” Donnie raised his “eyebrows” once, giving the message to April.

“Yeah yeah, that makes sense.”

"..Moving on...

Allow me to make a guess: he’ll begin by praising my name and intellect with, 'I love you Donatello Von Ryan and you're the greatest being this universe has to offer,'" Donnie claimed right from his heart and ego.

"God dang, Donnie, I swear," Raph murmured, "if this kid grows up to praise you like some sort of egotistical saint—."

"Scoffs! That could mean one thing for sure, Raphael: Casey will grow to be one of the most intelligent children, taught under by yours truly."

April put her hand on her hip. "Huh. Not gonna lie, I still can't believe Cassandra would name him after herself."

"Doesn't sound far from her, really," you chuckled. "In fact.. I'd be surprised if she managed to make a whole different one."

"Bah.. boo mah.."

"Ooh, ooh!" Mikey leaned his head closer to Casey. "He's going to say something!"

"Putting my bets on 'Mama!'" April raised her hand. Donnie, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and feigned, "Wow! That is so original. Yawn."

"Uh, excuse you." Leonardo looked offended. "Where's the amor for the father-figure?"

You deadpanned. “Since when have we established the ‘Mama’ label?”

"Ever since Leo kept calling himself ‘Papa,’” April chirped. “Sorry, Leo, being the mother-figure, (Name) comes before you." 

"Hm. Raph’s gotta agree."

"Seriously? Even my own brother!?"

"No worries, Lee, I got you!" Mikey leeched onto him.

Donnie coughed. “Continuing to believe he’ll say my name.”

Your eye twitched. “Hey, don’t be disappointed if he says a whole ‘nother word, you guys.” The baby laughed, his giggles drawing the attention of everyone from their debate. 

"Luh..," he blubbered, "ooo."

“...”

"Oh my gosh!" Mikey tightened his grip onto Leo. It was slowly making him struggle to breathe. "Did you hear—? Are you guys thinking—? I think he just said, 'Love youu!'"

"Sorry to break your bubble, but I'm pretty sure they're random syllables, Michael."

"Don't be so pessimistic! We should be happy! Casey’s finally said his first words to us, and they’re ones of love!" "Ew."

Mikey smacked Donnie.

"..Next word has gotta be 'Mama.'" April crossed her arms.

"Uh, I think you mean 'Papa.'"

You sweat-dropped. “I don’t think the debate’s necessary, guys.”

“Leave 'em,” Raph laughed, grabbing your attention. “This is probably one of the only times we’ll ever have our good moments together.” You smiled, watching Mikey and Donnie getting into a passive-aggressive argument themselves. “How’re you and Leo doing with the kid?” Raph asked, inching his giant finger closer to Casey, who proceeded to chew on it.

“The good thing is.. taking care of him is starting come naturally.. and Leo’s still taking my advice to get some rest before we switch roles.” 

Raph found you delaying in your response.

“But. I’m guessing there’s one somewhere.”

“Agh.. It’s just.. Leo seems to be doubting himself again. I was hoping for a chance to talk to him, but maybe.. this time isn’t the right time to do so.”

The snapping turtle moved his hand to your shoulder. “No worries, (Name).” His thumb gently rubbing your nape. “Leave it to me this time.”

“..Okay.”

"Oooh, don't you dare start with me, Leo,” she warned. “It's 'Mama.'"

"'Papa.'"

"'Mama.' Guess you don’t love your lover enough."

“Woah woah, hey!” Leo gasped. Flabbergasted from how April spat that out out of nowhere. "Are you being a mis.. misogynist!?"

“‘Misandrist,’” Donnie corrected.

"'Mama.'"

"Mah-mah!"

“...”

Everyone’s eyes flickered over to Casey, face beaming in the dim cavern.

Out of the stunned group, metallic arms rose from Donnie’s battleshell and tore up a sheet of paper apart. You had no idea where did that come from. "Sigh. Of course, my dreams of raising a follower is demolished once again. Back to the drawing board with my robotic—."

"AWW, he said, ‘Mama!'" The box turtle leaped. 

"Woo! Raph and I call for the air-conditioned room privileges!" April cheered, high-fiving the snapping turtle, who grinned. “We called it!”

“Mahmah!”

“Yes, Casey. It’s me.” An upward quirk of your lips and you snuggled your nose with his. “Mama is here.” The toddler squealed. 

It was this moment that none of you failed to see how Leo’s so-called smile falter. A distant look in his eyes as he came to lower his gaze. 

Raph nodded towards you and April. The both of you returned it, heading into one of the tunnels in silence.

That left the brothers.

It wasn’t until Leo finally tilted his head up that he registered the quietness and lack of your presence. He groaned. “Guys, c’mon. I know what you’re doing, and I don’t need another talk right now.”

“Leo,” Mikey reassured. “It’s okay to talk about your feelings with us, y’know. We’re your brothers! Your family! And family supports each other.”

“Besides,” Donnie crossed his arms, leaving one of his metallic arms to comfort his brother’s back, “it’s about time you quit ruining the mood whenever Casey is brought up.”

Raph hummed. “You’re thinkin’ too much on it, Leo. You know whatever the kid says don’t make you any less of a parent.”

Leo huffed. “I know, I know.”

“Uh huh.” Donnie scoffed. “If you really know that that’s the case, then what’s the actual problem?”

“Nothing.”

“We know it’s not ‘nothing.’”

“...”

“Okay, we can do this then.” Mikey held his brother’s shoulders. The Doctor Feelings side revealing. “I’ll ask the questions you answer by nodding ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

Is it about Casey?” Leo nodded ‘yes.’

“Okay.. Is it about his first words?” He shook his head ‘no.’

Mikey held his chin, pondering. “Is there a specific issue?” Once again, Leo shook his head. The box turtle figured it must be a general conflict. You told him not long ago that his brother was being reserved as of late. You often confided in him your troubles.

“Is this also about (Name)?”

He nodded.

“Is this also about the Kraang?”

..He nodded. This time, Leo proceeded to respond. “Nothing’s the same ever since they invaded.”

“Of course—.” Raph eyed Donnie.

“We could’ve had a normal life. We all could’ve gone for ice cream, jumping to a pool, see snow again.. But look what came to us instead.” A bitter tone. “This isn’t the life I wanted for all of us. This isn’t the life that Casey and (Name) deserves. I-I can’t accept it.

It doesn’t help to think back on their and Cassandra’s words.”

“What do you mean?”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “Cassandra told me (Name) wanted a kid. (Name) told me they couldn’t risk taking care of one in this fucked up place.”

“And they have Casey—.”

“But I know they’d be happier if things were different.”

“Oh? You mean if (Name) doesn’t have fertility issues?”

All eyes on Donnie. “..Huh?”

“Hey!” Mikey exclaimed. “How’d you know that? I thought I’m the one with secrets.”

“Well, Michael, being forced to stick down here and manage weaponry and defenses means keeping track of everyone’s biological systems.”

“..You.. kept trackers on us?”

“Correction: in you. Do I have to remind you that I’m the reason you all managed to survive this long?”

“Ah..” Raph was stunned. “Ah, uh, moving on..

Yeah, we would be happier if we didn’t have the Kraang up on our asses. But even then, this is our reality now. 

We can’t go back. 

And sometimes, your best option is to deal with it and make the most out of what you have. You got that?”

Leo’s breath hitched. He glanced upon reassuring smiles on his brothers’ faces (much less of a smile on Donnie’s, but the aura was there).

“You may be the leader, Leo, but I’m still your older brother,” Raph spoke softly.

A sigh left the red-eared turtle, and he pulled them all into a tight embrace. “Thanks hermanos.”

.

.

.

"Lee-oh," you pronounced slowly, leaning close to Casey. You hadn’t noticed your leader in blue lingering next to the cavern entrance. You always managed to forget that Donnie built an entire underground system for water and air. Yet, your resources weren’t enough to make decent rooms. 

The baby blinked and giggled. "Eeee.."

You wiggled his arms. "Lee-oh."

"Ohh.."

Leo couldn't hold back the wide grin on his face. His heart melted. “I always knew you love me, (Name)," he spoke up.

"God, Leo! You scared me!” you cursed, holding Casey back in the comfort of your arms. "..How are you feeling?”

“Comforted.. thanks to my brothers.”

Once he walked closer to your side, you leaned up to kiss him. “For you to know you’re making a great father-figure. And that you have nothing to worry for about me or Casey.”

Leo blinked and blinked. 

Then, being shy, he hid his growing blush behind his blue scarf. 

It was one you made for his birthday five years ago from a ball of yarn that Todd found, rummaging through wrecked shops. Even after that much time, Leo still became flustered around you.

“Bah.. lo...”

His left arm wrapped around your waist. “I’m glad to have you here, (Name).” You leaned into his plastron. “The same goes for you, Leo.”

“Ee.. oh.”

“Mhm—. Hold on.” The red-eared turtle sat upright. “Did he—?”

“Ee.. oh!” Casey sounded. Lacked a consonant, but the idea was there. 

You chuckled, seeing your boyfriend’s wide-eyed reaction. “He said my name!” he cheered, pulling the toddler from your arms to hold him up. “Leo,” he said.

“Ee-oh!”

“If you were worried about him not saying ‘Papa,’ I’m sure it’s only because April kept repeating ‘Mama’ back there,” you concluded. “Not sure if I’m completely comfortable with the whole label thing.”

“Being called ‘Mama?’”

“Hm.. If I ever feel like changing that up, I can wait until Casey’s a bit older to comprehend better.”

“Ohoho~.” Leo grinned, bringing the baby closer. “Say, ‘Papa.’”

“Ah..”

“‘Papa.’“

“Pa.. wah...”

“‘Papa.’”

“Papah!”

Losing My Guard | Kaeya X GN! Reader

A/N: This is my second imagine on Tumblr. I wanted to touch on some angst. People have usually leaned Kaeya towards a “charming and charismatic are his only traits.” However, I wanted for everyone to look deeper in his internal struggles. A cunning individual, who actually holds good intentions yet has an issue with keep a genuine relationship.

I’m still learning how to improve my writing in hopes to conveying a deeper side of characters better. If there’s any feedback, I welcome it!

Relationships: Kaeya X Reader

Summary: You confronted Captain Kaeya about his aggression.

Warnings: Argument.

Word Count: ~ 400

“..Did something happen, Captain Kaeya?” you asked, closing his office door behind you. The room was dark, only barely illuminated by two candles. You found Kaeya by his desk, writing on sheets of paper with a quill and bottle of ink. 

He was frowning. “What makes you wonder?”

Unusual, you thought.

Your eyes trailed down to Kaeya’s black boots, tapping against the floor. “You’re treating the other knights rather aggressively. If I may be so bold, you’re not being yourself today.” 

“A simple act of discipline,” he spoke. “It seems ever since Grandmaster Varka left on his expedition, our.. grounds have loosened up too much.

“I’m afraid I have to disagree.” You creased your brows. “Their behavior shows nothing more than obedience to orders, Captain.”

You paused. There was a sense of hesitation.

“I’m well aware you have other things to say, (Name).”

“Kaeya. I’m speaking not as your subordinate, but as your friend.” You shut your eyes before uttering, “Did you have an argument with Master Diluc?”

Kaeya’s hand tensed on his quill. Then, he dropped it. 

He scoffed. His breaths quickened, and you immediately sensed you ruffled his feathers. “My, if I am not mistaken, you do not seem to understand your boundaries, (Name). Is this a common trait among Anemo holders?” He stood up from his chair. “No wonder Master Jean thinks you’re special.”

He did not like anyone mentioning his familial relations. You deducted that. “Kaeya, you know I never meant to–.”

Kaeya slowly walked to you. You were beginning to feel intimidated. Your feet stepped backwards until your back was up against the door. The man’s right hand slammed onto the wall beside you. 

His left brought your chin up, and you were forced to meet eye-contact. 

Your body tensed under the heavy glare his eye gave. Kaeya leaned close to your face. Your breath hitched.

“Don’t ever speak of my feud with Diluc. My business is not yours.”

Your voice croaked, “Kaeya.”

“Don’t mock me,” he snapped.

Your hand snatched his left wrist holding your chin. Your tight grip threw him off guard as you pushed him and his hand off.

His eye widened.

“And don’t confuse my concern for mockery, Captain Kaeya,” you hissed.

“The intention was never to show pity either. Is it so wrong for me to worry about your well-being? You were being aggressive with your subordinates!”

Kaeya fell silent, his one eye meeting your two. 

“You’re charming, Captain. I admit that much.” You averted your gaze, wincing. “But this personality of yours is only a mask, is it not? I’m speaking as your friend, remind you.”

The bitterness remained on his face. Yet you also found it softening. 

Kaeya turned away, returning to his desk. His elbows rested on the table with his hands held up. He leaned his head down against his intertwined fingers, releasing a heavy sigh. “I apologize, (Name). I.. have a lot on my mind as of late. Just leave me be.” No fluctuation in his tone, no playfulness, no gentleness. He spoke in a blunt, plain voice.

You furrowed your brows, unable to handle more tension. “I apologize for stepping too far. I don’t know your history with your brother, but I only hope the best between you and Master Diluc.” You turned around and left.

Then, his room stood in silence.

...

Slowly, Kaeya lifted his head and stared at his left wrist. There was a red mark left from your grip. His index finger trailed just along it. 

A strained.. chuckle fell from Kaeya’s lips. 

“I’m slowly losing my guard around you, (Name). I’m doing everything to hide the vulnerable side of mine and my past. Yet you somehow always know how to pull it out.” He took a glass frame from underneath the desk, thumb reaching over a photo of he and his red-headed brother. He recalled the childhood moments, when he had Diluc’s trust. 

Trust.

Maybe, he thought, earning back my brother’s trust requires putting my own in someone. And it would be a good time to confide his inner feelings in someone.

Like You | Donnie X GN!Reader (Part I)

A/N: Aha, confession imagine with Donnie? This is a part one, because I wanted to make a dramatic scene with you and Donnie during homecoming. Actually, this is the first time I’m applying two parts. Anyway, remember that constructive criticism is appreciated, and enjoy!

Summary: You were avoiding Donnie, so he pleaded April to talk to you, hoping he’d understand what happened. But low and behold, he found his own brother there.

Pairing: Rise!Donnie X Reader

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns used. Mostly mentions. Few actual appearances.

Genre: Dramatic Fluff & Humor

Warning: Not proofread? I was in a hurry to get the argument part in.

Word Count: ~1430

Part: One / Two

~

“They’ve been avoiding me April!” Donatello complained, falling back on his chair while covering his face in dread. “I don’t understand. What went wrong— what is it did I do wrong?”

“Are you for real? That’s what you called me in for?” April crossed her arms. “(Name)’s probably just a bit shy around you.” 

“Oh the naïveté, it is never that simple.” He shook his head. “I hadn’t detected any signs of discomfort a couple of weeks ago. Then, suddenly, they don’t even respond to my texts until 48 hours 20 minutes later!

In fact,” the soft-shelled turtle slouched over, grumbling, “they decided to see another guy for calculus tutoring.”

April raised her eyebrow. “How did you even know—?” “And he’s not close to having the brains like I do!” As per usual during his rambling, Donnie ignored the question. 

She rolled her eyes.

“Don, you gotta calm down.” April placed her hand on his shoulder. “Maybe they’ve got a crush on you too, and they don’t know how to tell you that. They do owe you an explanation though….”

“Hah, sure, give me false hope that they’ll return—.”

“Oh no. Don’t you dare switch up on that cocky attitude of yours from just a second ago.” April hushed him. “Look, Donnie, if it bothers you so much, I—.”

Donnie slammed his hands on his armrests and sat upright. 

“—can secretly get (Name) to reveal their thoughts to you, while wearing a camera I can attach to you?”

“Wait what, I never said—!”

“I thought you’d never say so!”

April’s eyes widened. “Hold up, I’m not about to put (Name) on the spot like that! What if they say something that they don’t want you to hear?”

“Ignorance is bliss, April, they won’t have to know.”

“Well, for one, Don, I’m not that close to them. We don’t have any classes together. Also, I don’t wanna creep them out by asking personal stuff out of nowhere!” she said. “Are you trying to embarrass me!?” 

He groaned. “All right, I give in! Just at least ask them how’re they’re doing before I start chewing on my tech-bo.”

—

“At least I got something to entertain myself in school for once,” April muttered to herself, hiding behind one of the beams. “But I don’t see (Name) around, not with so many kids in the hall.” The camera on her glasses blinked. “Seriously, how much money does this school want?”

“April, over there by the lockers—. Who the hell is that?” 

April glanced to where Donnie mentioned. You were talking with a guy in a basketball uniform and cap. Oh boy, she could hear the bitterness through her earpiece.

“So, this must be her new, pathetic calculus tutor. Really, a guy in gym shorts?”

“Don, I can hear your muttering. And quit trash-talking about (Name)’s choice in tutors.”

“Whatever,” he scoffed, burning holes into the guy’s head when you started to smile with him. “Let me activate the human identification program based on your school’s database, so I— I mean— we could get a name.” 

Donnie paused for a moment. “Although, he does seem oddly familiar—.”

April’s eyes widened. “Hold up, is that Leo?”

Donnie monotonously replied, “Ha, that’s funny, April. Leonardo would never go to a school willingly—.” The student turned around, revealing the red markings on his green face. Not just that, his own program flashed a message in red. 

[ ERROR! NOT HUMAN ] 

“...”

Donnie fell off his chair, choking. 

April immediately touched her earpiece. “Don! You good back there?!”

“Of course not! Why the hell is Leo in your school!?”

He grimaced even more at the sight of you laughing (more like chuckling) alongside his oh-so opposite brother. “April, quick, get closer to them without being noticed!” Donnie commanded. “I demand answers!”

“I thought our plan is to talk to them, not eavsdrop!” 

“Hey, plans change when it is necessary…. It-is-necessary, and I’m paying you twenty bucks for this!” 

April facepalmed in embarrassment. She snuck closer in, turning her head away so you and Leo wouldn’t recognize her. There, while the camera couldn’t catch your faces, its microphone did pick up on your conversation better. 

“I’m thankful I can count on you, Leon.” They could hear you sigh. “Calculus is taking up so much time, and my tutor isn’t being helpful..”

“Anything for mi amigue.” The red-earred slider grinned, leaning on the lockers. 

Donnie frowned. He didn’t want to question it, but.. were you feeling more comfortable with his brother than him..?

Then, Leo coughing brought Donnie back from his thoughts. “I do got something to ask you, though, (Name).” The soft-shelled turtle narrowed his eyes at how Leo rubbed his neck nervously. Worry was bubbling inside. 

“You said homecoming’s coming up soon, right?”

It piqued everyone’s interest. “In a week, I mean, there are posters everywhere for it. Why.. do you ask?”

“…You don’t have a date yet, do you?”

April gasped, covering her mouth.

That was it. Donnie’s heart dropped.

Suddenly, the microphone lost focus on you two. Instead, the host’s heavy breathing was heard. Donnie’s camera was shaking up a lot, making him panic. 

“Hey hey hey! They’re not done talking yet, April! I need to know what their answer is!”

“Dale’s coming my way!” she exclaimed, shuffling between other students. “And I’m not about to get asked out to homecoming by him again!” 

Not long after, Donnie’s camera disconnected. He sat there in shock… until he clutched his head. “No, no, no! This shouldn’t be happening!” 

Questions ran through his brain. It wasn’t adding up: how could Leonardo like you too? You and he had no common interests! Why did it have to be him out of everyone else!? 

“AHRGH!” Donnie groaned, slamming his head against his desk. Then, he stood up from his chair, storming out while punching numbers into his phone. “That’s it! I’m going to have a civil discussion with this traitor!”

—

A tennis racket flew across the room.

“Don, Donnie, I know what you’re going to say, but I promise— OOMPH!” Leo was knocked hard in the face by a thrown tennis ball.

“You!” Donnie snapped, picking up another one. “You traitor! You knew I like (Name), yet you proceeded to ask them to this homecoming dance anyway!” The red-eared slider dodged the second throw. 

“Is that why you randomly asked me, last week, to do your calculus problems for you! Taking my notes and answers only to give to them and take credit for my calculations!”

“Don.”

“I knew it was too good to be true: Leonardo, who’s never read any novels or understood mathematics beyond basic algebra, wanted to learn calculus!”

“Hey! I know more than you think, okay!” Blue took offense. “Donnie, listen to me—.”

“It just had to be another cliché, doesn’t it! The ridiculous ‘love interest picks the jock over the nerd’ scenario! Oh, I’ve had enough of your stupid stunts ruining everything, Leo!” Donnie tried to throw a punch, but he fell over onto the ground when his brother jumped to the side.

“Listen to me for once, Donnie— I never asked them to homecoming with me!”

“Oh, but Leonardo, why in the name of logic would you ever ask them whether or not they have a date to homecoming— while looking soo nervous back there— without any intention of asking them out?” Distaste dripping from his words.

“Bro.. I was asking for you!”

Donnie shook his head, tsking. “Excuses, excuses....” When his brother’s words loaded, he froze. “Excuse me, did you just say you asked them out for me? Why would you ever—!?”

“Hey, you had an opportunity waiting, and I took it for you.” Leon nudged him. “Don’t act like I didn’t just do you a favor.”

“I could’ve done that myself! There were posters everywhere; I would’ve known, therefore, I would’ve asked them!”

“Hah, mi hermano, you’re saying you’d actually have the confidence to tell them?”

Donnie scrunched his face and stared down at the floor. His smug brother wasn’t wrong on that; he used to be more sure, but with your distance, he had a hard time confronting you with his feelings. He didn’t want to make things any more awkward.

“Hey.” Leon grabbed Donnie’s shoulders. “Just be yourself, Don. Knowing them, they’ll love you no matter how weird and science-y you get.” 

Purple deadpanned. “Wow, you sure know how to reassure someone.” He touched Leon’s hand, gazing up to meet his eyes. A small smile formed on his face. “…Thanks.”

"Espera un minuto, repeat that again? I, uh, I didn’t catch that.” 

Donnie shoved him away.

Even If We’re Different | Turbo X F!Reader (Human AU)

A/N: This is based off of the Turbo F.A.S.T series. I decided to make this a human a.u., otherwise I’d be automatically tagged as insane for a snail and reader pairing. Now, if I did do that, the reader would have to be a snail too. 

The snails’ names are considered racer nicknames in this a.u. I cannot imagine having “Turbo” as an actual student name. Turbo is Theo. Whiplash is Whitney. Chet is Chet. Burn is Bernice. Skidmark is Yahir. Smoove Move is Darion. White Shadow is Matthew. 

(Picking these names other than the canon ones is hard as heck.)

You’ll only see Turbo (Theo), Burn (Bernice), and Smoove Move (Darion) here though.

–

Pairing(s): Turbo (Theo) X Reader

Universe: Human, where the F.A.S.T Crew are university students with racing as a hobby. Turbo is officially the youngest racer, winning a national competition at 18 years old. (I have no exact clue how car racing competitions work in real life, so take this fan fiction with a grain of salt.)

Summary: You get insecure of your friendship with Turbo when you start believing that he and Hayaku get along well. (You also have a crush on him, but you haven’t confessed yet.)

Word Count: ~1700

Warning(s): Insecurity of appearance and interests.

– 

You could only scoff. Your pencil scribbled harshly across your notebook. All while you overheard Hayaku giggle at whatever Theo said. 

You glanced up at the man to find his eyes and infatuated smile for her. You scowled. The sight irritated you, but you could not help yourself from your insecurity. 

Hayaku did look beautiful with her silky hair. Besides— you thought as you frowned to yourself— she was a professional drift racer and a celebrity for her infamous hot sauce back in Japan. She had something in common with Theo, while you were only a university student taking on art minor and computer science major. 

Speaking of which, you sometimes wondered how you even managed to become friends with Theo’s bunch of racecar drivers. You and Theo’s brother Chet were the only ones not obsessed with the sport. Regardless, you were grateful for having such friends at least. 

Though your heart felt bitter, you shook your head. You needed time to debug a program, not to grieve over Theo. You groaned, “I forgot the other brace at the end of the if-statement—.”

“You’re a very funny man, Turbo-san!” Hayaku laughed behind her hand. “I surely look forward to our official drift race.”

Theo smiled. “As do I.”

The grip on your pencil tightened. You could not handle this, so you turned away from the race track, putting in a pair of earphones to distract yourself. Your arm leaned on the empty row behind you. Then when you were finally about to settle down, somebody snatched your earphones out, holding them overhead.

“H-hey Smoove!” Darion, otherwise known as Smoove Move, was one of yours friends and a member of the F.A.S.T crew. 

“You’re looking deep down in the dumps, hun,” Darion hummed, dropping the earphones back into your hand. “This ain’t the (Name) I know— the one always down to go with Turbo.”

“Yeah, her man’s busy talking to that Japanese girl,” Bernice, nicknamed as Burn, remarked, blowing a bubble.

You sighed. “Don’t say it like that, he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Yet.”

Your hands covered your face. “Can’t believe you guys know about my crush on Turbo except him himself,” you mumbled. “What’s worse is that he’s falling in love with someone else in front of my eyes.”

“Ay, don’t be hard on yourself. The right kind of love moves slowly.” Darion sat beside you on the bleachers. “There’s more to it than you know. I mean, even Turbo’s feeling all kinds of emotions for you too.”

You closed your notebook and faced your two friends. “What?”

Bernice shoved you. “Don’t tell us you never noticed a single thing the past few months. Especially our 2nd year party that one night.”

“Whoo, I remember it like it was yes-ter-day!” Darion laughed. “That look on Turbo’s face had me rollin’!”

Bernice smirked. “Hell, he was so pissed off when he caught you hanging out with one of our rival team’s star, Fusion.”

“Fusion?”

“Nickname. His real name’s Aiden.”

The name clicked in your head. “Ah….” You recalled how cocky he sounded, belittling your friends to make himself look good. You had to admit: Aiden was an entertaining guy, but when he asked you to a dance, you turned him down.

“You weren’t there, but he challenged our boy to a race. Couldn’t win even when they tried so hard to copy him.”

“But he still got a hard spot for Fusion.” Bernice crossed her arms. “Turbo was crushing his can and ruining Chet’s suit with soda all over him. At least you gotta have seen that.”

“How ‘bout that time when Hardcase tried asking her out, Burn?”

“Ah man, Turbo’s face was priceless!”

“Got his finger tapping so quick on the table and everything—.”

“If you are trying to tell me Turbo’s been crushing on me, then explain why does he look like he’s going to marry Hayaku after a few minutes of meeting her?”

“Hey, hey, I’m only telling you this from a man’s view: first sights in love are with the looks. I bet you even if they do get together, Turbo ain’t gonna last two dates when he sees what’s really behind her.” Darion grimaced. “And I’m picking up a bad groove. See how her smile’s turned over ‘round—. Hey, where’d my boy Turbo go—?”

“What ‘bad groove,’ Smoove?”

The three of you were startled by a voice from behind. You turned to find Theo walking down the bleachers.

“Don’t you scare us again, Turbo,” Bernice remarked.

Theo chuckled. “Sorry guys, I had to change out of my suit. Why are you two here anyway?” he asked. “You don’t usually come to my practices.”

“Team meeting’s not on until a couple of minutes later,” Darion answered. “Got nothing much, so might as well spend our time here. Besides, (Name) here’s looking a little lonely, so why not be her company?”

Theo’s eyebrows furrowed. Your eyes peered toward Darion, whose hand signaled you to wait. 

“So anyway,” Darion spoke again, “what’s new for you, Turbo?”

The man shook his head, a smile returning to his face. “Man, there’s this girl from Japan, right? Her name’s Hayaku. She traveled to here from Japan to race against me! Well, more like her hot sauce manager challenged Tito. But I think she likes me.” Theo grinned.

“Watch it,” Bernice warned, “I heard this Hayaku girl’s a competitive one.”

“Aren’t we all?”

“No, no.” Darion shook. “She mean she’s a hothead. May be pretty, but pretty rude too.”

“Look, Turbo,” Bernice said, “every competitor you meet who looks nice always backstab you.”

Theo crossed his arms. “Not everyone’s like that. I’m sure Hayaku’s different.”

“My boy, you’re racing over who has better hot sauce.”

You opened your notebook again, not getting into the conversation.

“Well I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt. She’s even offered to teach me how to drift!”

Bernice rolled her eyes. “Oh my god.”

Theo huffed. “Anyway, the sun’s about to set. We better get going before Whiplash starts lecturing us.” 

Darion and Bernice shared a glance and snickered. “Sure, brother, take. your. time.” 

Theo’s eyes widened. Flustered, he glared down at them as they stood up from the bleachers and walked off. Theo tapped his shoe, waiting until his two friends were gone, before he faced you. 

…

But of course, there was an awkward silence. You continued jotting down some notes, thinking Theo would leave you be.

“…You’ve been pretty quiet, (Name).”

You pursed your lips. “There’s not much to tell you, so I rather not bother you by talking.”

“What? You’re not bothering anyone. I actually like your voice— I mean— I don’t mind you talking at all,” Theo stumbled. “The only time that’d be a problem is when Skidmark is convinced the aliens are going to invade the stock market.” He leaned forward to see your face, but his small smile disappeared when he found no reaction out of you. “…I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were feeling lonely,” Theo spoke up. “If I’d known that before, I wouldn’t have forced you to come every practice, (Name).”

“I’m fine, Turbo,” you assured him. “I don’t mind watching you on my own. Plus, it makes for a great chance to study.” You paused for a moment. “It’s just that… there’s a larger crowd here today than any.”

“It happens when an international racer decides to visit.” Theo chuckled, trailing off into another silence. He rubbed his nape nervously. “…You’re also not coming with us?”

You huffed. “You forget that I’m not a racer like you, Turbo.”

“I—. Well, I don’t ever remember that stopping you from hanging out with us.”

“This is a crew meeting?”

“(Name), come on.” He pushed you. “I know for sure Whiplash doesn’t mind. You’re our friend.”

“A friend who isn’t into racing like you.” The words slipped your tongue this time.

“(Name),” Theo said sternly, “What’s gotten into you today? You never cared about this just a few days ago.”

You sighed. “I just don’t—. I’m sorry. I was just thinking about us.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re friends and all,” you closed your notebook and hugged your legs, “but I’m not sure how it even began. I’m an art and computer science student. You’re into mechanical engineering and racing.”

Theo sat down beside you. “Are you worried we couldn’t stay as friends just because we’re not into the same interests?” A frown formed on his lips. “Okay— I admit: most friends fall under that category. But you and I— the crew do have something in common. Something outside of our hobbies. For one, we all have dreams to work for. We’re big competitors in our fields. And….” 

Theo had to stop himself from mentioning his meeting with you at the university library, where he spotted you sprinting past him to borrow a well-liked book before someone else claimed it. Theo had to stop himself from talking about the time he watched you hype your teammates up for a competition. 

“There are times when I really admire your determination, (Name).”

His eyes told nothing but his true feelings. Theo himself was determined to stay friends with you.

“Stay.” 

Your ears reddened, and you turned to hide your flustered smile while pushing Theo away. You missed the way Theo’s eyes softened when the sunset’s golden light reached your features. 

“Yeah,” he spoke softly, “Hayaku’s wrong about you.”

~

Bonus:

“(Name)!” He waved his hand towards you, but your back was turned to him. “Huh, I guess she’s really busy with her project.”

“Is this friend of yours also a racer, Turbo-san?” 

“Well actually, she’s not.”

Hayaku peered at you. “But surely she must be a distraction to you, no?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Please excuse me. My experience is having friends who don’t have the same interests can pull you down, Turbo-san. Since we’ll be having a drift race against one another, I must teach you the art of drifting for a fair—.”

“You know, I don’t appreciate you talking down on my friend like that.” Theo narrowed his eyes. “But I’ll take on your offer for drifting lessons. See you.” He scoffed and walked off to the changing room.