Sometimes I Do Just Feel Like A Giant Turtle Pile Could Make Me Feel Better - Tumblr Posts

Me reading this like

14. Three more hours

Hello sophia!!! 👋 Thank you for sending in this prompt! I had to sit on this one a bit, but I hope you like what I whipped up!

#14 "Three more hours." w/ all 4 turtles! (aged up Bayverse - some tension and some comfort ahead!)

><><><><><><><><

"Three more hours," you reassured yourself in a hush. "Just three more. You can do this. It's fine. Everything is fine."

What it was exactly that made you nervous in the first place, you couldn't say. You'd been more than ready to climb into bed. Eager as you crawled in under your weighted blanket, happily looking forward to sweet dreams that were hopefully waiting for you just on the other side of conscious thought. Tired eyes falling closed readily, sleep coming to quiet your mind, when suddenly, fear clutched at your chest, starting you wide awake.

Worry over four brothers flooded you. Four brothers who were out, moving about in the darkness of night, doing their part to protect this city you called home. Putting themselves in harm's way just as they did every night. Four brothers who, if you were really honest with yourself, you loved very deeply.

But why the anxiety tonight? Why the sudden stress? Sure, you worried about them all the time. Always the lingering concern for their safety and well-being. The secret life they lead was far from being risk-free after all. But it'd never shook you from sleep like it had tonight.

Something had to be wrong. Really wrong.

So here you were, pacing about an uncomfortably quiet lair, fretting over what dangers your four dearly cherished humanoid turtles had to be battling against right now. Trying in vain to occupy your worried mind. Distract yourself from your thoughts, imagination embellishing each into bleaker and bleaker scenarios.

Another glance at the clock. Another anguished sigh. "Two more hours." Could you do it? Could you remain there, drowning in perturbation, obediently waiting for their scheduled hour of return?

Your fingers tapped your phone. A quick text message couldn't hurt, right? You'd done it before. But what if that made things worse? What if they were in a bad position, injured and waiting it out for the threat to subside? And then the chime of your text gave them away? No. No, you couldn't risk it.

But surely, if there were something that serious going on, there'd be signs right? More sirens and alarms than normal. The media buzzing on the news with Breaking Reports. Chatter and static all over the guy's radios. A call from April or Jones at least. Right? Right???

A rumbling groan let loose as you slumped down onto their reinforced couch. How in the world did Master Splinter handle this? Especially when they were younger??? No wonder his brown fur was already grey, going on white. You were sure at this point you'd be joining him in that department soon yourself.

You couldn't handle this sitting and waiting any more.

You'd taken to scrubbing the floors throughout the common areas of the lair so intently that you didn't even recognize the next couple of hours slipping by. It wasn't until you heard heavy footsteps drawing near that you snapped out of it and rushed to the entrance. Nerves reaggravated and your stomach turning as you braced to be met with the terrible state they must be in.

But instead of confirmed dread, you were met with four very tired terrapins dragging themselves home. Exhaustion evident in their slumped shoulders and dropped heads. No apparent signs of injury or duress.

You could have cried in relief.

The four looked to you then glanced around to each other, then at the clock, and back to you. But there were no smiles. No hugs. No expressions of normal greeting.

Oh great, something really was wrong.

"What - what are you doing, (Y/N)?" Donnie inquired. He looked you up and down, taking in your rolled up sleeves, disheveled hair and the mop bucket just a few feet away from you. "And why are you cleaning? What's wrong?"

"Oh," you glanced back at the bucket of soapy water. "I - just - um - nothing's wrong. Just couldn't sleep," you lied.

Four flat expressions met your words.

"That's your stress cleaning," Leo stated matter-of-factly. "You only use that mop when you're stressed. What's going on?"

The four remained still in front of you. Each blinking slowly and giving slow, heavy breaths tied to weariness.

Guilt settled in where worry had currently been bedding. You twisted your fingers nervously. It was true. You were stress cleaning. And they were all looking like they were on the verge of collapsing. Yet here they were, waiting for your explanation.

You dropped your eyes. "I couldn't sleep because I was worried about you guys. Something just - just felt like it was really, really wrong. I just needed to make sure you guys were okay. That you were safe. I was scared - well - I guess I was just scared. For you guys."

No reaction.

When you raised your eyes back to the four, their expressions hadn't changed at all. Not one of them spoke to dispel your concerns.

So something was wrong!

Leo sounded off a few clicks. The other three immediately turned to their respective rooms. Leo following behind. Leaving you standing alone without a word.

Okay, you thought to yourself. Okay. They're just really tired. That's all. It's okay. It's alright. You wiped a shaky tear away from your eye. They're home. And they're all safe. That's what matters. You could talk to them about what happened later. They just to get some sleep.

Emptying the mop bucket, you tried to keep yourself from tearing up. Constantly retelling yourself that as of right now, there was nothing to stress over anymore. They hadn't meant to be outright rude. Or hurtful. Or show total disregard for your worry. They were just tired. That was it. It was okay.

Raph reemerged just as you were throwing your jacket around your shoulders. He was only wearing a loose pair of red shorts now. A heap of blankets atop his shoulder and his mattress pulled along under his other arm. He cast a look down on you under heavy eyelids. "Where you goin?"

Donnie and Mikey came into the room as Raph dropped his mattress down in front of the couch. For the first time you'd ever seen, Donnie was wearing shorts, and Mikey was in a baggy pair of lounge pants. They were carrying their mattresses and bedding as well. Leo, in silky blue sleep pants, joined right after.

Nothing was said as they began making their beds. Each mattress pressed against the other, fashioning a massive bed topped with extra blankets and pillows. You watched on, still unsure what the guys were doing.

You felt a pair of large hands on you, nearly making you jump. Mikey was carefully working your jacket back off your shoulders as Leo reached up, wrapping an arm around your waist. His pull was gentle as he encouraged you down into the middle of the bed. Donnie, Raph and Mikey climbed in right behind. The four of them settling in around you.

Raph's heavy hand curled around one of your calves. Mikey draped an arm over your waist. Donnie rested his hand over the back of your shoulder, his thumb stroking gentle circles as his tired eyes finally closed. Leo threaded his two fingers between yours and held your hand tight.

"Sorry we scared you." The words were quiet. Almost sounding ashamed.

"Hey," you soothed back. "No apologies. That's my job. To love you guys. And with love comes worry."

A gentle squeeze from Raph's hand and a heavy sigh from Mikey met your words.

"You guys are worth it. Especially to me." The five of you sat in silence a moment, taking comfort in all being together. "Goodnight, guys. Sweet dreams." You let your own heavy eyes close and snuggled in, happier than you thought having them all so close as you slept.

"G'night."

"Sweet dreams, (Y/N)."

"Night."

"Goodnight. Have sweet dreams," Leo whispered.

The lair fell back into silence. The four brothers laying still. Allowing the comfort of you being here, of them all being together, to help them drift off to sleep. Each silently resolving to themselves to not let you know how right you were. And how very terrible the night had actually been.

><><><><><><><><

@luckycharms1701 @yorshie @justalotoffanfiction @celticvix @writinandcrying @donniesgirlie @gornackeaterofworlds @thelaundrybitch @tmnt-tychou