Truth Serum
Ahhhh? Writing this took forever, and I rewrote it seven times. A little steamy in some parts. I wrote this with the beyverse turtles in mind, with mentions of characters that I know from 2003.
femreader because the princess nickname makes my brain go brrrr, but I can re-write it to be gender neutral when I'm ready to look at it again.
Word count: 4,474
TW: reader is drugged, use of needles, one line about adult magazines, handsy reader and Raph.
Classes had let out early the day you were taken, you remember walking to your apartment from the campus around noon. It was the middle of the day, sidewalks were bustling, your favorite turtle would be stopping by to escort you to work later that night. You were happy, happy enough to stop in front of a flower stand that you regularly passed on your way to and from school. The owner liked to keep a few red chrysanthemums aside for you, though you always hesitated to tell the owner why red was your favorite color. So distracted by the pretty blooms you didn't even notice the men dressed in black hiding behind a delivery van that was following you, that is you didn't notice until they grabbed you as you passed by a rather busy intersection. The men threw you into the bed of the van and your first thought was that it was the foot clan kidnapping you again. So far in your friendship with the turtles you had been kidnapped thrice now? Once by the Foot and twice by the Purple Dragons. Part of you was honestly relieved every time you were captured because it meant that your friends continued to evade the shadowy organization's grasp. Still it was kind of annoying. All of these thoughts died out in your head as you felt the pinch of a needle jab into your neck and all you knew was darkness.
The darkness turned into a blinding headache as you awoke, you grit your teeth against the pain, you knew the lights of the abandoned laboratory, the chains around your wrists and ankles. Finally blinking open your eyes you came face to face with a sneering scientist, you couldn't hear what he was saying over the ringing in your ears. But you suspected that he was asking a bunch of questions that you wouldn't have answered even before being drugged. The scratching of his voice wavered in and out of your auditory periphery as you looked around. You were chained onto a sort of X shaped thing, always good for a nice stretch, night had fallen, also amazing, it means that Raph would have noticed you were gone by now and Donnie should be tracking your position. A shock of pain bolts through you and your face is forcibly turned to the scientist in the white lab coat. He frowns, finally falling silent long enough for the ringing in your head to calm into a low buzz. Your eyes focus long enough to see the table next to you, you expected to see an array of knives, a taser, the usual torture gadgets but instead there was only a black cloth that seemed to cover something.
"Previous attempts at getting information did not work, so today we will be trying something a little more… drastic." The scientist walked around you, lifting the cloth to reveal a glowing blue syringe.
"Oh, wow, always wanted to try Zydrate." You joked before biting the inside of your cheek as another shock pulsed through your system. The lab coat chuckled.
"I must thank you for participating in our field test for this truth serum." The needle jabbed into your arm just as the door to the room broke down. The cold burn enveloped your arm as if you dipped it into a frozen lake, you could hear Raph calling out your name as the cold filled your lungs and every pump of your heart moved the icebergs that became your blood. Thankfully the burning cold melted into a chill as Raph dispatched the lab coat with ease just as his brothers entered the room. Everything in your head felt fuzzy, almost like a thin cloud of cotton candy formed around your senses.
"Don, they injected somthin' inta'er." The purple banded brother walked forward, taking the empty syringe from your arm.
"I'll run some tests when we get back to the lair." He did a quick check, noting how the limbic boundary (outer edge of the iris) was quickly turning a glowing blue color.
"Will she be okay?" Raph broke the chains that held you captive, moving quickly to catch you before you could fall to the floor. Standing was an issue for you at the moment. Along with everything else, you could barely focus on what was being said around you, as Raph's strong arm held you up with little to no problem. Donnie observed you with worried eyes.
"Until we figure out what it was that they injected into her, I can't say." You leaned against Raph's plastron, your head resting nicely against his shoulder.
"You're so handsome, Raphie." The words slurred past your lips as your eyes focused on Raph's face. "It's really hot when you get all protective." Silence swallowed the group as the turtles looked at you in absolute shock.
"I think they broke her brain or something, Don." Mikey was the first to recover, your vision blurs as you try to focus on Mikey, frowning at his insinuation.
"They did not." Raph's arm tightens around you keeping you from your attempt to stumble towards Mikey.
"Easy there Princess." You settled still pouting. Donnie grabbed your attention, softly calling your name.
"Can you tell us how you're feeling?"
"Feels like my blood was replaced with glacier water, and my brain's been wrapped in dryer lint." Donnie was about to open his mouth to ask another question when Leo stepped in.
"We can continue this back at the lair, but for now, can you walk?" The question was directed to you and testing out your still wobbly legs you shook your head grimacing. Leo nodded and looked at Raph. "You okay carrying her?" Mid question Raph had picked you up hooking your knees over his free arm. Your head swam with the sudden movement, eyes closing upon facing the wave of nausea.
"'m not trusting any of yous to do it." Your hands rested against his chest as you pushed your face against his shoulder. Without warning he took off running after his brothers. "It's okay, 'm not gonna drop yah." His words were low and warm against your ear.
"I know, I trust you with everything I have." You whispered, lips pressing against his shoulder, you felt the muscle jump at your action. "'m just a little dizzy right now."
You arrive at the lair without ceremony, Donnie quickly ushering Raph and you into his lab where he had you seated on an old exam chair. The lights were dimmed and the various machines buzzed and whirred in the room. Donnie ushered Raph out of the room and got to work drawing blood for samples. Conversation was light between you two, almost easier under the influence of the drug, as you said pretty much anything that came to mind, earning a few laughs from Dr. Don. It was a natural lull in the conversation, when your eyes moved over to some blueprints Don had up on the wall, it looked like some sort of laser or gun.
"Don, you know you're probably smart enough to find a way to just wipe out the entire human race, but I really like how you're kind and compassionate enough to not do that. Even though I really wouldn't blame you." Don hummed pulling a machine up to your head for a sort of brain scan as you spoke. "I really wish your brothers acknowledged just how- how good you are? Like not just smart, because everyone knows you're smart, but you're also so full of curiosity and ingenuity and the world would be such an amazing place if more people were like you and your brothers. I wish the world was better for you." Brown eyes regarded you softly as the scan continued mapping out brain activity.
"I know you do." He pulled the conversation away from whatever else you were wanting to say, bringing up some tests where he asked you to lie about what you saw and marked how the activity in your brain changed with each request.
"She said it was a truth serum." Donnie gathered his brothers in their kitchen, you were still in the lab, having fallen asleep while Don continued his tests. "Activity of her brain is consistent with the claim, the neural pathways of the brain connected to inhibitions have pretty much shut off, and all tests just support the hypothesis that the foot has developed an honest to goodness truth serum."
"So she's okay, right? she's just physically incapable of lying, or stopping herself from talking?" Mikey asked, his eyes moving from Don to Raph. Donnie rubbed a hand over his eyes.
"So far she seems okay, I just don't know how long it will last. Or the side effects associated with it." Mikey grinned, rubbing his hands together.
"Oh, shell yeah! This is going to be fun, we can ask her all sorts of questions. Like what her favorite pizza is, what flowers she likes, her favorite color, whether or not she's in love with Raph." Raph walloped Mikey in the arm.
"Shut it, we don't need to ask her anythin' Mikey."
"What, you're saying you already know everything about her?"
"What? No! Of course not! I'm just saying those are a bunch of stupid questions." Raph's hands curled into fists as he faced Mikey.
"You got any better questions?"
"She's awake." Leo's voice cut through the tension that Mikey was needling. All of the turtles attention turned to you as you slowly made your way out of the lab. Raph wanted to say you looked like a newborn deer with how unsteady you seemed. He quickly made his way over to you, helping you take a seat at the kitchen table, ignoring the looks from his brothers.
"You okay there, Princess?" You nod, taking one of his hands into your own, fingers softly tracing over the lines in his skin.
"I'm better now, I feel safer with you at least." Donnie, Mikey, and Leo exchange glances before taking their places at the table. Raph opted to stand, allowing you to study his hand as you pleased.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Leo asked you, casting his red banded brother an odd look.
"Classes ended around noon, probably because the professor still had a hangover, I picked up some flowers on my way back to the apartment, a few guys in black grabbed me at that busy intersection, the one where you guys fought the strange ooze fellow, I guess with so much going on no one noticed when they grabbed me, and I was thrown into the back of a van, I felt a needle go into my neck and lights out." You felt the muscles in Raph's arm ripple with anger and you let your fingers focus on massaging the meat of his palm and wrist. "When I came to, I was still super out of it, couldn't even recognize the english language, and that's when I was shot with the truth serum, and you all saved me almost immediately after that." You pause, looking around the table slowly. "I'm sorry for making you all worry." Raph awkwardly cleared his throat as you looked up at him, his lips parted but Leo interjected before he could speak.
"Did they ask you any questions?" You shook your head, gaze returning to the three fingered hand in yours.
"No, the lab coat just thanked me for participating in the trial. I did compare the drug to Zydrate, from Repo, but I don't think he's familiar with the movie."
"The first injection might have been something that would allow the truth serum to be more effective." Donnie muttered to himself. "I should see if I can replicate the formula, I could get started on an antidote just in case it lasts too long." You smile and nod.
"Yeah, I don't think I can work while under the influence of truth juice. It's hard enough dealing with a few of the customers without it, and I will get fired if I tell my boss they smell like rotten milk." Raph chuckles, his free hand resting on the back of your chair. Donnie nods before excusing himself to the lab. Leo also stands, ready to return to his meditation now that the situation has been mostly resolved.
"You're always welcome to stay here for as long as you need." He reassures you before excusing himself to the training room. Mikey wandered into the kitchen, after asking if you wanted anything. You still had Raph's hand captive with your own, fingers tracing over the hairline scars he gained from years of training and fights he's gotten into. Raph has always noticed how different your hands were to his, and now it seemed even more apparent. He had opened his mouth to say something but you beat him to it.
"I've always loved your hands." He blinks, mouth closing around the emotion that he found himself afflicted with when he was with you.
"Yeah?" He flexed the tendons you were tracing over, taking a seat next to you.
"You're incredible, I've seen you punch through walls," the pads of your fingers dance over his knuckles, "rip through metal as if it were tissue paper," his eyes fixed on your face as you spoke focusing on the tilt of your lips, "so powerful, so strong, so gentle." He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with your praise. "These hands have saved all of New York, several times over, your hands have saved me more times than I can count." You bring his hand up, pressing your lips to a scar that's long since faded. His breathing is shallow as he whispers your name. "I want to hold your hands more often, I want to be held by you more often." His free hand moves to the side of your face and you lean into the contact with a sigh, the back of his neck prickled and he became aware of just how exposed the two of you were sitting at the table near the kitchen.
"Come on," he pulled you up with him, making a short trip to the kitchen to grab you both water. Mikey couldn't help but snicker at the sight of your joined hands, Raph shot the younger brother a glare as he led you towards his room.
"Shut it Mikey."
"I wasn't going to say anything!" The youngest protested, a can of soda in his hand. Raph grunted in disbelief quickly getting you to his room.
"There, uh, there should still be some of your clothes here if you want to change." He gently detangles his hand from yours, setting the waters to the side of his bed. You couldn't even remember when or why it happened but Raph's bottom drawer had long been home to your things for when you would stay over, either voluntarily like for a movie or game marathon, or involuntarily like the one time you were being stalked by Hun for a week. "I'll be back soon, I'll see if I can get your bag." He watches you carefully as you step towards him, wrapping your arms around him as well as you could manage. Your lips pressed against his shoulder for the second time that night and he enclosed you in his arms, eyes closing as he pressed his nose to the top of your head. He was used to you being affectionate, in the years that you've known the turtles you were always comfortable with them, you've never once flinched away from what he was, who he was. He doesn't remember when it started but he found himself craving your touch, craving your hand on his, he looked forward to the movie nights where you would curl up against his side, the tv marathons where you would fall asleep using him as your pillow, all the times you would stay over, all the times you would call him over to stay a few hours with you when you couldn't sleep. He tightened his grip on you, inhaling your scent, feeling your pulse and warmth as you melt against him.
"I don't want you to go." Hands trailed from his waist up his shell to his shoulders as he pressed your face against his chest. He didn't want to go either, but no matter how he looked at it, you were still under the influence of a mind altering substance and if he didn't get a grip on himself...
"I'll be right back." He inhaled one last time letting out a long breath before moving you away one of his hands moving your hair from your face. "I'll be right back." You nod, hands clasped in front of you as you watch him walk out of his room. He shuts the door, leaning against it with a heavy breath. Collecting himself he headed out.
It wasn't long before he returned, your school bag miraculously untouched and with the chrysanthemums you had picked up before being kidnapped relatively no worse for wear. Don was headed back to the lab with a mug of fresh coffee when Raph stopped him.
"Did she say anything... weird to yah while you were checking her over?" Don looked over the rim of the mug, seeing the flowers and bag in Raph's hand.
"Nothing that she probably hasn't thought about saying a thousand times before. She did thank me for not murdering the entire human race." Raph chuckled at that.
"Yeah, I can see her givin’ ya props for that. Anything else?" Anything about me, he wanted to say.
"Well I was under the impression that the two of you were already dating, I was wrong apparently."
"Why would you think we were dating? Whadda'yah mean already?" Don gave Raph an unimpressed look.
"You get moody and irrational when you don't see or hear from her for more than 15 hours, she has hearts next to your name in her contact list, and when she wasn't at her apartment you were willing to tear all of New York City to the ground to look for her despite the fact that I have a subdural tracker on her. And the fact that she was the one who suggested having a subdural tracker installed so that if she were kidnapped, or running late, or out with friends you would know where she was?" Raph could only sheepishly rub the back of his head as all the evidence was put out in front of him.
"I just, it feels wrong asking anything of her when she doesn't have the ability to say no." Donnie rubbed his tired eyes.
"She can still say no, in fact it might be easier for her now since she doesn't have that worry of making people like her. Everything that she says or does right now are things that she's always wanted to say or do, but thought better of. Now if I can go back to work?" Raph sighs and nods.
"Yeah, uh, thanks Don." Donnie gives Raph a small wave as he heads back towards the lab, and Raph turns to go back to his room.
You had made yourself quite comfortable in his room, changing into an oversized t-shirt, and a pair of shorts. You had debated on just wearing a pair of underwear under the shirt, but that might be moving too fast, and you want Raph to feel as safe with you as you felt with him. You poked about his room while you waited, finding a few worn out nude magazines under his bed, a few comics that he claimed to outgrow, and your favorite book, the pages well worn and the spine broken in several places. You settled into his bed, hugging his pillow tightly as you settled with the book in hand, it wasn't long after that Raph entered.
He stood frozen in the doorway, you looked like a dream come true, the shirt sliding off your shoulder, the shorts that covered exactly what they had to and not much else, his pillow in your arms as you leaned against the headrest. He didn't even register the book in your hands as your eyes watched him, the blue glow standing out against the normal color, the glow seemed to twist a knife in his gut, as he's reminded of the drug. Shaking his head he places your bag and the flowers on his dresser, removing his own weapons and belt. You slip off the bed with this want to be close to him.
"You're gorgeous, Raphael." You whisper as your fingers trail over a design in his shell. Green eyes meet yours from over his shoulder as he slowly turns, letting your hand flow with the movement until your palm is resting against his chest. His hand raises to yours, keeping it against him as he watches you. "The first time I saw you, you took my breath away."
"You can't lie, can you." You shook your head, and he knew already, from what Don said and Raph trusted Don the most out of all his brothers.
"I can't lie, I can't stop myself from wanting to be close to you, needing to be close to you. But I will back off, the best I can, if you're uncomfortable." His hand tightens at the last part.
"No." He shakes his head. "I don' wan'cha to worry abou' me." He feels a little more in control of his heartbeat now. Now that he feels your own pulse in your wrist, and how it jumps with his words. "Jus' promise me you'll still feel the same way when the serum ain't in your head." You were pouting as you focused on his lips.
"I've been in love with you for three and a half years now, my feelings aren't going anywhere, I'm not going anywhere." Raph was never good with words, one of the things you loved about him, he was blunt and his actions always spoke for him. And they spoke now as he removed his mask, using the same hand to pull you closer, his eyes begging for an answer to the question he couldn't ask as he pressed his bare forehead to yours. "I've always been yours."
The kiss was clumsy, all teeth and lips as he pulled you against him, he moved his hands, one on your neck the other grasping at your back, balling the fabric of your shirt in his fist, you matched the energy, placing a hand on the back of his head so he wouldn't move too far away, the other grasping at his shoulder. With each parting of lips one of you moved to reconnect. He moves the two of you onto the bed, and you finally pull away as you feel his hand move to cup your ass.
"Raphael." He growls at the sound of his name on your lips. "I want you, all of you, but maybe not right now?" He takes a few deep breaths nodding at your words. "I want my first time to be in my apartment, with you. I have an entire outfit planned to seduce you and everything." He laughed at that, moving his hand up to rest on your waist. "And I really don't care if Mikey hears us, but I would be mortified if Master Splinter does, and I would rather not traumatize Donnie." He nuzzles your hair, pressing soft kisses to your forehead and crown.
"Okay, I waited this long, I can wait until you say it's okay." You hum, leaning against him.
"You are absolutely wonderful, and amazing, and I love you, and I know you somewhat feel the same, at least I hope you do because this would be really awkward if you didn't." Your rambling was cut short by his kisses.
"I love ya too."
The rest of the night continued with Raph holding you close, kissing you into silence when you compliment him too much, asking you questions that he always wanted to know. Finding out that you thought of him as the most attractive brother, you didn't really like pizza but would gladly eat it if it meant you could spend time with the guys. You stopped watching them train and spar because, in your own words, "You're too sexy when you fight and I didn't want to make you or your brothers uncomfortable with my ogling you when you're just trying to train." The conversation tapered down by mid morning, the lair was silent and your eyes were heavy. Raph's arm kept you tucked against his side as he curled himself around you.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why'da keep it to yerself for so long?" His voice was a low sleepy grumble and you nuzzled your face against his neck.
"At first I didn't tell you because I had no idea if you wanted a romantic partner, if you would even consider a human for a mate, and the fact that you gave no indication of finding me attractive," he tightened his hold on you at those words, "I didn't want to misread anything. Didn't want to put you in a position where you felt like you had to say yes. You're the type to put your happiness aside for your family and I wasn't sure how to approach you in a way that would put that fear at ease. So I hoped if you made the first move then it would be of your own volition." Your sentence was punctuated with yawns and sleepy kisses to his chin and throat. His churs easily put you to sleep, as he mulled your words over inside his head.
Evening rolled around and you were making everyone breakfast with Mikey, having spent a good hour in Don's lab per his request. Raph sat at the kitchen island, smiling as you fed him a slice of bacon or two, without Mikey noticing. You had the kettle boiling for Leo and Master Splinter's tea, and a pot of coffee ready for Donnie, who left his lab as you were preparing more batter for Mikey.
"I have good news." The purple banded terrapin announced, pouring himself another cup of coffee. "It looks like the serum is temporary, and should only last another day or two." You nod with a bright smile. "I would still like to study the after effects so I hope you won't mind coming down to the lair every day just so I can run a quick scan." You share a look with Raph.
"Sounds like another amazing plan to me." You take the plate of pancakes that Mikey finished making. "Oh, Don, do you know if it's possible for Raph and I to have children?"
