Imagine stumbling into the turtle’s lives by pure accident, falling from a fire escape and landing right into their arms. They’re expecting you to be shocked or scared or something…but you’re barely even phased at the sight of the giant turtles standing in front of you.
“Well, I’ve seen at least one of you over the years…like, a lot.”
Stupidly, obviously stunned. Always so proud of his ninja training, he takes great pleasure in being the “unseen.” Just a shadow in a darkened alley, a swift blur in the corner of a stranger’s eye, a stolen sight that one might brush away as mere imagination and nothing more. So knowing that you’ve caught them numerous times is, well, a little embarrassing for him.
Okay, it’s more like a lot.
“Who have you seen?” He asks quietly.
“Well,” you said as you carefully gathered the books and papers that had spilled from your bag, “I’m actually pretty sure it was you. I’ve seen you running over the rooftops a lot and I remember your swords.”
And now it was just plain humiliating. Raph scoffed in utter delight, already coming up with a million and one smug remarks to make, and he could see Donnie and Mikey sharing smiles. All the times he’d scolded his brothers about being more careful, warning them to avoid being seen, were now coming back to haunt him. Oh, he was never going to hear the end of this, he just knew it! They would be bringing this up for years and years.
Leonardo looked away from his brothers and back towards you, watching as you carefully inspected your phone for chips and cracks.
“If it’s damaged, I can fix that,” Donnie said helpfully.
“I think it’s okay…” you replied, “But thank you. And thanks for catching me before I, you know, fell to my death.”
“Uh…anytime.” Leonardo replied, his brain feeling fuzzy from the embarrassment and confusion.
And just like that you were gone, walking off into the city and leaving Leonardo standing with his brothers. At once the teasing he’d already been expecting started up, Raph ragging on him and the other two only joyfully encouraging him, but for once…he didn’t care. Not even when Don joked about telling Splinter, not when Raph told him he ought to train more. Instead he watched you walk away and wondered when he might see you again.
Perhaps next time he was running across the rooftops, he’d stop and say hello…
Donatello isn’t really too surprised.
Statistically speaking, a good number of New Yorkers have seen that turtles from time to time. After all, they’ve been living in the city for all of their twenty-two years and have been active on the surface for eight of those now. There are quite a few humans out there who’ve caught a look at them, leading to stories of some sort of man-eating turtle cryptid living in the city waterways…there are some interesting sites out there.
But math doesn’t lie and you’re not the only one who has seen them…just one of the few who has gotten to actually meet them.
“Really?” Mikey piped up.
“Yeah,” you replied with a shrug. “But it’s not really a big deal or anything. I mean, this is New York City after all. I’d honestly be a lot more surprised if there weren’t giant turtles running around here at night.”
“How many times have you seen us?” Leonardo questioned, his blue eyes glancing sharply at his brothers.
“A lot of times through the years. Running around on the rooftops, getting into a few fights with gang bangers…actually, you know, I think I’ve seen him more then the rest of you.”
You had pointed right at Donatello when you made that little comment and already he could feel Leonardo’s glare settle on the back of his shell. He wondered if his elder brother would care too much about his argument for statistics…probably not! But you were smiling a little, brushing the dirt off of the Dittos that covered your black dress.
“And…you’re cool with that?” Donnie asked.
“Then…so are we! Right, guys?”
His brothers chimed in, agreeing with the sentiment. And with that, you were off, grabbing your button-covered bag and walking away to catch your bus.
“Uh, Donnie. My name’s Donnie.”
Forgetting about the impending doom that loomed over him (he could already hear Leonardo’s scolding and feel that sting in his muscles from Master Splinter’s punishment, which was sure to be brutal and terribly clever), Donatello grinned to himself as you vanished into the city…but he was certain that he would see you again.
And maybe you wouldn’t mind that at all…
You saw them? For years? And you didn’t freak out or anything? That was rare for humans. Even compassionate people like April got a little freaked and, yeah, he couldn’t really blame anyone for screaming…still hurt though. They were no monsters, even if some people thought otherwise (Donnie had shown them those cryptid sites and he hadn’t liked that much). He’d been expecting screaming or fainting or something…
And yet here you were, cool as a cucumber!
“Just one of us?” Donatello asked, clearly eager for answers. “Do you know which one?”
“Oh…I dunno…” you murmured, running a hand through your hair as you thought it over. “He’s an artist.”
At once Michelangelo felt his Leo and Don glaring at him and Raph, both who claimed that honorable role as artists. The two brothers shared a guilty glance, each of them wondering who had earned himself one of Leonardo’s long lectures.
“I’ve seen him spray painting these gorgeous pieces! There’s these blue angel wings and this neon melting heart by the place I work-”
“Mikey!” Leonardo snapped, Don slapping the back of his head simultaneously.
Well, his secret was out. Michelangelo had been sneaking out every so often to paint the worn out brick and cracked concrete of New York City with his art…and now everyone knew. Including the pretty human in front of him. The fact that she liked his art so much made it possible to pretend that he wasn’t about to be destroyed by his brothers.
“I love your art…especially that roses beneath the bridge!” you chirped happily. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen it around.”
“Well…” you said, picking up your sharpie-covered messenger bag, “if your schedule clears up, I hope to see your work again.”
Then you were gone, giving the turtle a little smile as you walked away. Already he was planning a new piece, something with neon pink…and a girl with a bright smile. Leonardo’s lecture began as Raph and Don walked away, laughing to themselves.
And Mikey was stunned totally stupid, wondering what you would think of his next piece…
Maybe he’d get to ask you!
From the second you nearly fell on top of Leonardo, he’d been expecting the whole shebang. Screaming, panicking, all that good stuff. It happened to them about every time a human managed to find them, a guy starts to expect it. But you could not care less and he…
He’s the confused one right now.
Since getting back on your feet, you hadn’t been even a little phased. Perhaps the fall had scared you but the turtles had not. Straightening your jacket, the metal and plastic pins caught his eye. A lightning bolt, several sarcastic phrases, a red eye. They were cool. You were cool, sighing as you looked back at the turtles.
“When have you seen one of us?” Leonardo asked. “Who?”
“I dunno…which one of you likes to stand on rooftops and angrily scream into the sky a couple times a week?”
At once all of his brothers turned and looked right at him, an unspoken answer to your question. Raph looked away, face hot and eyes burning. Raph’s temper was well known to his family…and apparently to you too.
“Actually, I screamed back at you once. I believe I told you you to get your crap together and stop throwing fits at four in the fucking morning.”
Hands on your hips, you looked at the turtle with confidence and attitude. It was almost like you were daring him to snap back, ready for a bite back…he almost wanted to take you up on it! You were not, he realized, even a little bit afraid of him. Shocking for a human but strangely comforting at the same time for the turtle.
“Why ain’t ya mad at me?”
“I was for a while. But then I saw you beating some Purple Dragons into the dirt and I thought, eh, give the guy a chance.”
Raphael grinned, chuckling beneath his breath. Clearly, you were not like most other humans. He felt certain that if aliens landed right here in font of you, you’d probably just tell them to get out of your way because you were late and trying to get home.
“I gotta go. It’s nice to finally meet you…?”
He liked it. The glint in your eyes and edge to your grin, the way you said his name…there was just something about you that he liked. And there was something else telling him that this wasn’t the last time he’d see you.
He was looking forward to it.
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