Donnie x Pink confession oneshot
“Some risks are worth taking”
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The night had only started a couple of hours ago. Pink arrived at the lair. Everyone shared their greetings.
With Leo declared the victor, it was decided he chose the next game. With everyone huddled in a circle, a tenuous game of "Sorry" was played.
The game stretched on. Everyone shared their two truths and a lie. Interesting facts were discovered. Everyone was having a great time. However, the more they played, the more tense the air became. Everyone was avoiding it... until they couldn't. This brings us to now (the true beginning of the confession scene).
"Okay, okay... I once tried to practice my cool walk in front of my crush before tripping over a pebble... thank goodness I totally played it off and started moonwalking... I even got complimented on my smooth moves!"
Leo put a hand on the bridge of his nose, giving a sigh. He had explained the rules to Mikey at least ten times. "Mikey... the point of the game is to make the lie seem like a truth. And we were all there when Renet saw you trip."
Pink giggled at how comical everything seemed. It felt like something out of a movie.
Mikey puffed up, sticking his tongue out at Leo. "Tomato, tomato!"
Raph only shook his head in response. It was clear he was done with Mikey's antics for the night. While it was hard ignoring the hostile tension between Raph and Donnie, everyone else seemed to do a great job at it. She supposed that's what it was like having brothers.
"Okay, Raph, your turn. Everyone has gone except you."
After Donnie finished his sentence, you could see Raphael's face contort with rage. It was like everyone had been splashed with a cold bucket of water. Donnie's need for everything to be perfect and Raph's pride being questioned was a bad mix.
"Okay, you want a truth? Fine! Never have I ever had a secret crush."
Everyone went still. Raph's statement landed like a bomb.
Mikey froze, a slice of pizza hanging out of his mouth. Leo's brow furrowed deeply, knowing exactly what Raph was implying. Donnie's entire body went rigid. He could feel the blood drain from his face.
"Well... well... well... looks like I struck a nerve. Who's putting a finger down?"
Raph sat up to look across the room, then his focus landed on Donnie. You could throw a knife through the air and it wouldn't even make it to the other side of the room—the air was too thick.
After a long pause, you could hear Leo's voice. He sounded like he was trying to tame an angry animal. "Raph, maybe that's not a good question right now..."
Everyone looked to Donnie. He had stood up from his spot beside Pink and was the perfect picture of mortified. Concern for Donnie flooded Pink's features as she brought her knees to her chest in a small attempt to self-soothe.
There was nothing she could say right now that would help.
Raph seemed to realize it himself. No—he knew exactly what he did. Guilt set in, and Raph threw his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, hey, it was just a joke... I didn't mean—"
His words trailed off. He had planned what he was going to say, but it suddenly didn't seem good enough.
Donnie spoke, his words sounding more robotic than human. He didn't even make eye contact with anyone, his shoulders so tight they looked like they might snap. "I just realized something in my lab requires maintenance... I'll be in my lab..."
He didn't wait for a response and left the pillow fort. The silence he left behind was heavy.
Pink sat in the silence and focused on what she knew. She knew what it was like to have the room's attention like that. She also knew that when Raph was angry, it was hard not to fold under it. But Donnie grew up with Raph... he had shown on multiple occasions that he could hold his own. That only left one thing: Raph's comment.
What about it had made Donnie so upset? Turning the information over, Pink came to one conclusion: either he knew about her crush on him, or he didn't like the idea of them being something... more...whatever that looked like. The thoughts didn't sit well in Pink's stomach, and ultimately, above all, she needed to check on Donnie.
The sound of a chip bag rustling snapped Pink out of her thoughts. Raph was gone. She assumed he had gone after Donnie.Should she go check on him? Was it even her place?
"Maybe my sleepovers have some type of curse." Pink's poor attempt at a joke fell flat.
Leo offered a soft smile Pink could only assume was pity. Mikey scooted a bit closer to her. That's right—he wanted tonight to be good for her.
"It's not a curse... stuff just comes out sometimes... and that's okay."
Pink's eyes darted to Leo. He was right. "I just wish I knew what was bothering him..."
From outside the fort, you could hear the lab doors locking—a mechanism Donnie used when he wanted nobody inside. You could hear Raph pounding on the door.
"Jeez... Raph really hit a nerve this time. I bet he'll be in there for three days. Last time this happened, he made the kitchen a new pizza oven..."
Pink shifted to stand up. That didn't sound right. Donnie staying in his lab? What about food? Water? "I—I'm going to go to the bathroom! Uh... BRB!"
Without another word, Pink left the fort, leaving Leo and Mikey behind. "Uh... is anyone going to tell her the bathroom is the other way?"
Leo smiled knowingly but gave Mikey a shrug.
The closer Pink got to the lab, the more she seriously started to rethink going. It wasn't because she didn't care about Donnie..it was the opposite. She did care about him.
But this wasn't her fight. It was between him and Raph......but at the same time... maybe it did involve her? Maybe she was just being crazy. Maybe she was projecting.
But... what if she wasn't? That was the last thought she had when she was met with the steel doors..and a distraught Raph. Pink had expected him to be angry, but instead she was met with guilt.
"Look... I messed up big time. I hit a nerve I knew was there... he's not answering me. I've tried everything. I even volunteered to go to the dump to gather broken technology with him, but he won't budge..." Raph ran a hand down his face, exhaustion clear.
"He's probably in there rewiring every gadget or hacking government files... he won't talk to me at all... but... maybe he'll talk to you? You're good at the quiet stuff..."
Raph glanced at the door, then back at Pink. He was trying..really trying.
"What do you think set him off?"
"It's complicated... I just poked a bear with a really big stick..."
A sound from the lab echoed. Raph's face didn't reveal anything. Then he gave a small, forced smile, clearly hoping to persuade her. Lucky for him, Pink didn't need persuading.
She was going to talk to Donnie anyway. Pink nodded. Raph's entire body slouched in relief.
"Well... I'm going to go make sure Mikey doesn't eat all the snacks... and talk to Leo..."
That was the last thing Raph said before he turned and quickly made his way back.
Pink took a breath, turning towards the doors.
Could she really make Donnie feel better? She took another breath before knocking.
"Donnie...? It's me..." Her voice was soft: the same tone she had used to soothe him in the past. "Can I come in?"
The sounds in the lab stopped abruptly. Then came a long silence, broken only by the sound of the doors unlocking. With them open, Pink stepped inside. She paused. Donnie was slouched over his blueprints at his desk, his back facing her.
"Just an FYI—the lab is currently unstable for visitors." He pointed to a chemical spinning in a centrifuge. She would have laughed if Donnie wasn't so distraught. He obviously wouldn't have let her in if it was dangerous. Pink continued walking slowly until she reached the table.
"That's okay, Dee. No need to worry... I'm here to check on you. Mind telling me what got you so worked up? You don't have to answer now... but when you're ready..."
Another stretch of silence followed Pink's words. The only thing you could hear was the hum of the machines.
He picked up a tool, then immediately set it back down again, unsure what to do with himself.
"Your concern, while appreciated, is not needed... I didn't mean to react that way..."
Pink looked at Donnie..or what she could see of him. Her brow furrowed as she began to understand. She prided herself on being able to read him well.
"You don't have to correct what you're feeling, Dee... you don't have to explain if you don't want to... but it's good to talk about these things instead of bottling them up... but I'm sure you knew that already... you're smart."
Donnie went completely still at her words. Another quiet pause followed. Pink didn't know for sure, but it felt like he was at war with himself. Donnie turned slightly, and Pink could see the tear stains on his mask.
"I... I'm trying to think of this in every logical way I know how... but every solution... it leads to an unwanted variable... emotions... as undesirable as they are... this is something I can't... speak on!" Donnie's stoic exterior was slowly starting to crumble. Donnie looked away, unable to meet her eyes. Pink grabbed the stool next to him and sat down.
"That must be some secret, Dee... it's hard to carry the weight of one. I don't know what the secret is..and I don't have to...but it's hard enough carrying a secret... but having to calculate every word that comes out of your mouth because of one...? That's heavy, Dee."
Donnie stared at Pink like she was made of glass. His expression was unreadable, as if he was running through a million different responses and discarding them all.
Then he looked at her..really looked. His voice came out flat, but restrained.
"The weight of this... it's manageable. I... can't take that risk. Too much would change."
He turned back to the workbench, then paused again. "You're right, though... it is heavy."
Everything said and unsaid hung in the air. Donnie let out a short, breathy laugh and ran a hand down his face. It sounded like he was in pain.
"Raph's timing, as always, is impeccable..."
Donnie's deep brown eyes turned to meet Pink's. Pink gave a small hum in agreement. Tonight had been filled with so many emotions.
"You don't have to carry it alone..."
Donnie's voice came out shaky..vulnerable.
"Carrying it alone is for the best, Pink... introducing another variable increases the risk of being exposed. Like I said earlier, everything would then change... and that... that terrifies me."
Pink gave a sympathetic smile, placing her hand over his calloused one: evidence of just how hard he really worked.. Donnie's hand froze, then relaxed under her touch
"Donnie... when you rescued me from the Kraang, you stayed with me for weeks in the medbay... you know more things about me than anyone... but you stayed... even after everything... even after everything you found in their files... and you're still carrying those secrets. When I shared them, the burden of everything I was carrying became lighter."
Donnie tensed at the mention of the medbay, memories flooding in. He turned back to face her slowly, his voice raw with emotion.
"Those weren't secrets... everything you shared was necessary for your healing... Pink, you were vulnerable... I'd listen to it all over again."
"Sharing the burden doesn't make it lighter... it only redistributes the mass... and if the foundation is unstable, then everything collapses... some equations aren't meant to be solved together..."
Pink couldn't help the small frown that formed on her lips.
"You don't have to share anything right now... but think about it, okay? You don't have to be someone you're not... especially around me... I already think you're wonderful."
Donnie gave Pink a small, tight nod. He looked away, but then caught the look in her eyes.
"...Donnie?" Pink's eyes locked onto his, a question evident on her lips. Should she even say it? She couldn't help but think the comment Raph made was about her. Maybe that's just what she wanted... but what if...?
"You would tell me if it had to do with me... right?"
The words hung sharp in the air. Donnie's posture stiffened as he stood, retracting his hand and immediately clenching it into a fist.
"I'm sorry... I can't answer that... it's risky. Why are you asking this? Did Raph say something?"
His attempt at redirection failed. If Pink had just met Donnie, it would have worked..but she knew him too well. Pink looked away, unsure how to feel. She was failing miserably at this point. Her attempt to help Donnie was slipping through the cracks fast. Maybe she couldn't help him... but he could help himself.
"Donnie... what would you do if you had a friend who was keeping a secret... but they tense up when a topic is brought up... the topic being on the subject of romance...?"
Donnie froze, clearly caught off guard.
"That is a poorly defined hypothetical... you're being too vague. What is the nature of the secret?"
Pink covered her smile with her hand. For someone so smart, the obvious often eluded him.
"I have no idea... the friend just got upset about a comment made... it had to do with a crush, maybe?"
Donnie took a couple of steps back before folding his arms. It dawned on him.
He understood exactly what Pink was trying to do.
"...Reverse psychology. Nice. To think you almost had me..."
Donnie let out a small chuckle at the irony of it all.
"...Sorry. I just wanted to see how you would handle yourself in your situation..."
Pink looked down, rubbing her arm. She knew she shouldn't have pulled that..but what other choice did she have? At the same time, it felt hard knowing Donnie couldn't trust her with this information.
"Pink... listen... I can't say... especially to you. I have a system, and it's worked for me... there are just some things I haven't calculated a safe way of going about..."
Pink didn't take her eyes off the floor. Her hand tightened around the stool she was sitting on. Why? Why did it bother her so much to see him keep something like this from her? They had been through so much together.
It was undeniable that Pink had a huge crush on Donnie. She couldn't help but think that this whole time she had been making something out of nothing. The thought brought tears to her eyes.
She didn't know when she realized it, but it was by his side where she preferred to be.
Maybe it was the way he called her name after finishing a gadget...
Or perhaps it was on missions, where he tried so hard to pretend like he wasn't worried for her safety...Maybe it was the way their eyes always found each other. Or maybe... it was the night they met. She woke up in the medbay, and he was there... checking her vitals. She was terrified, but she remembered his first words to her:
"You're in a safe place. My name is Donatello. I helped get you out." Those words had never rung truer. He was her safe place. She wasn't sure what he was thinking..but she knew how she felt. This much was clear: She was undeniably in love with Donatello.
The revelation shook her from her thoughts, and she stood up, tears threatening to spill. She had no idea how this would go... but she had to try. She had to take the risk.
"What if the system is worth the risk? What if you didn't have to calculate everything... what if you simply let go...?"
The question came out strained and thick with emotion.
The sound must have brought Donnie out of his thoughts as well, because when he looked at Pink, he didn't like what he was seeing. He shook his head.
"Letting go... I... the outcome is so unpredictable..."
He took a step closer, torn between wanting to comfort her and struggling to self-soothe.
Pink took a step toward him.
"Some risks are worth taking, Donnie... people don't stay the same... people grow... relationships develop... but people can also drift if you don't take action... it's a hard balance, but you should treasure the people in your life while you have them... take risks, ask the important questions... don't regret anything, because how would you know...?"
Pink looked into Donnie's eyes, her heart pounding in her ears.
She was close enough now that she could see the wear and tear of his mask. She could feel his gaze: intense and searching. She couldn't help but think that he was holding back.Some part of her wondered if she was wrong..but she needed to take her own advice She needed to know.
"How would I know...? What if I fail... what if—"
Donnie closed his eyes before he finished his sentence. He got the point. When he opened them, they were glassy. All that came out was a soft: "...you."
Confusion flooded Pink's features. She waited for him to say more, but nothing else came out.
"Me...?" Donnie swallowed, then grabbed Pink's hand, closing the remaining distance.
"You. You are the unspoken variable... how do I...?"
His words faded off. It did have to do with her. Pink couldn't help but love this dork.
She could see it now—all of it. She was the crush. She almost smiled to herself but decided to play along.
"You won't know until you try... that's why it's called a risk. Variables are constantly changing and making their own decisions... you can't assume anymore, Donnie... take your chance while you still can."
Donnie looked down at their conjoined hands, then back up at Pink's face. His expression was that of a battlefield and longing. He seemed to come to a conclusion of his own.
"It doesn't matter what way I try to solve this... Pink... when we met, you were just someone I was helping. Just another rescue. Just another mystery to solve. But the deeper I looked... the harder it was for me to pretend it wasn't data anymore... and when the Kraang took you, I didn't know what to do with myself. The only thing I could think was that I didn't want to lose you." His voice faltered slightly.
"It got scary. Everyone seemed to realize that I had these feelings before I fully did... but when I found out... it scared me. I was worried things would change between us. And now that you know..."
His words died off as he closed his eyes. Then he brought his other hand up and cupped her face. His gaze was deep..direct..like he could see every inch of her soul.
"But I'm taking the risk... Pink, you are the person that I have learned to enjoy the small things with. You teach me something new every day... I don't want to lose that... I don't want to lose what we have."
Donnie's words were raw, his voice thick in his throat. Pink's heartbeat pounded in her ears. Everything—everything—led up to this moment. For Pink, in that moment, everything had come full circle. The late-night laughs. The time in the lab. All of it.
Pink rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to Donnie's forehead. It was light, gentle—and very much her. Pink took a couple of steps back, the blush evident on her face.
Donnie looked away, stuttering. Nothing made sense anymore. He had been so sure he would be rejected... but now... he knew nothing. All logic left him.
"The system is failing..."
"Then let's rebuild it... together."
Donnie let out a shaky breath. All he could do was stare at Pink the way the warmth radiated from her eyes. He was completely speechless. The words coming from her felt like something pulled straight from his dreams. His heart hammered in his chest as his brain tried to catch up with the new information. This had all started as an attempt to comfort him. That was just like her. The thought made a smile spread across his face. It wasn't a normal smile. it was shy, bashful. It suited him well.
Donnie took a small step forward, like somehow they weren't already close enough, and pulled Pink into a gentle hug. But it wasn't just comfort anymore. Pink could feel it the way his arms wrapped around her, the way his fingers gently traced up and down her spine. Everything Donnie did was intentional.
She let herself lean into his plastron, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her cheek. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. Both of them sharing warmth. Breathing the same air.
"Donnie..." Pink's voice was soft, like waking from a long dream.
He froze at the sound of his name, almost like he had forgotten she was there. But he didn't pull away. He just looked down at her. Their faces were impossibly close nearly touching.
There was a breathless quality to the air. Pink searched his expression. What she found was hesitation. "You're overthinking again," she whispered, her voice light and airy. A quiet laugh more like a puff of air escaped him.
"...I am acutely aware." A small smile stretched across Pink's face.
"Then stop, silly." The words weren't harsh or commanding. They were soft. An invitation. Donnie felt it. He wanted to retreat. To stay where it was safe. But when his eyes met hers again... he didn't want to look away.
Taking the risk, Donnie shifted his hold. One arm settled at the small of her back, his hand firm. The other lifted, brushing a strand of her pastel pink hair away from her face. Then, slowly, he leaned in. It wasn't rushed but it wasn't entirely calculated either. It felt like a question. Like he was giving her the chance to stop him. Pink didn't.
If anything, she closed the remaining space. Their lips met. For a moment, it was hesitant uncertain. Then something shifted. The tension Donnie had been holding onto the fear, the restraint gave way to something deeper. Something warmer. His hand came up to cup her cheek as he pulled her closer. Pink's arms threaded behind his neck, gently pulling him in.
The kiss deepened still soft, but filled with something long overdue. Emotions finally finding their way to the surface. When they finally pulled apart, it wasn't by much. The air between them was warm, laced with quiet, uneven breaths. For a moment, neither of them spoke. "That..." Donnie's voice came out quieter. Shaky. "was not a part of the original system."
Pink tucked her head into the crook of his shoulder, smiling softly to herself.
"Good..." She paused, her voice gentle. "Because I think I like this version better."
Thankyou so much for reading this oneshot! I added the chapter on tumblr because I figured it would be easier.
This oneshot is loosely connected to the events of Experimented Fate…so if you did enjoy this oneshot of Donnie and Pink then feel free to give it a read!
Also this chapter was one planned for experimented fate originally but I wanted something darker for the book that would match the vibe! However I could not pass this cute opportunity for fluff! Thus it became a oneshot!
Let me know what you thought of the oneshot and if you would like more! I also take suggestions!
