Y/n*Was having a break at the local Cafe and simply ignores the fight,looking back at your screen as the patrons run*...just five minutes,Can you boys just not fight...FOR FIVE MINUTES!?!-
Bots & Cons*Stop fighting for a minute to stare at you*....
Optimus Prime x GN!Human!reader (non-continuity specific)
Summary: It's a lovely, sunny day and your friend Optimus Prime comes to you for one of your favorite forms of self-care: a car wash!
(Fluff; Can be read as romantic or platonic; Thoughts are in italics)
Warnings: none other than scrubbing bugs off a car.
Word Count: 1,848
A/N: Welp, here it is, my first oneshot! Just a little something simple, born from my weird love of washing cars, haha. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out considering I haven't written anything for fun in forever. I hope you enjoy it!
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.
"How'd you get this dirty? I'd assume it was from a fight but I don't see any scuff marks or anything."
Picking your sponge out of the bucket of soapy water you had on the ground, you give Optimus' right side door a long swipe. It was currently a nice weekend afternoon, pleasantly warm and sunny - and a great time for your big bot buddy to stop by your house to ask for a wash. A much needed one apparently, as he was covered in a thick layer of dust before you gave him a quick power-washed rinse.
"I decided to widen the perimeters of our regular patrol routes. One of the areas I was scouting myself was much drier than usual, and the dust clouds were quite large."
You hum in acknowledgement, shuffling your feet on the three-tiered step ladder you stand on. Even at the top step, you still need quite the reach to wash from the top of his entire side panel. Already having washed his entire left side, you begin to clean the other. Huffing a little at the thought of cleaning his front, you think of the gross bugs that you probably need to scrub off of his grills and windshields. Oh well, it's worth it to pamper the large leader and get him all shiny, he deserves it after all.
Reaching tall, you shudder at the uncomfortable feeling of soapy water running down your forearm and dripping off of your elbow.
"Ah yes, the misfortune of landing on our big ball of dirt. You're lucky I actually like doing this. Was it a nice drive at least? You run into any trouble?"
"No trouble today, and it was a nice drive. As a matter of fact, I'd like to take you on a drive through that area sometime. I think you would appreciate the view."
You smile at that, always loving when he takes you on drives.
"Yes! I'd love to! Even if it means you need another wash, haha. Y'know what? With how often I offer to do this for you and the others, I should make an Autobot cleaning service. Start charging y'all cool alien trinkets and nice long drives."
He lets out a low chuckle at that and replies, "Oh, you'd have a fee, huh? You know we have washing stations at base, right?"
"Yeah, but this is more personal. I think you appreciate my hard work. You wouldn't come to me if you didn't prefer a good wash by yours truly. A giant shower doesn't have these magic hands after all!"
You step off of the step ladder and move it aside to start cleaning the middle and bottom half of his side, grabbing a smaller sponge from the bucket to get into the grooves of his door, door handle, and running board.
"I'm free tomorrow if you'd wanna go then. Are you busy? Cause I'd like to come over early anyway to see everybody and say hi." You lean up from washing under the running board and stretch your back after asking. A moment of silence passes and you pause, noticing his lack of response.
"Oppy? You good?"
"Who are you talking to?"
You startle and drop your sponge, spinning around as it makes a wet 'splat!' on the ground. Behind you is your neighbor, hands in their pockets with a bewildered look in their face.
How long have they been standing there?
You notice their eyes dart between your ears, looking for headphones or a Bluetooth connected device of some kind. You stare at them for a beat of silence before replying.
"To my beautiful truck, obviously." You say, as if it's the most obvious thing ever.
"…Uhh, right…" They look at you skeptically.
"Did you need something?"
This jolts them out of their confusion, as they remember what they had come over for.
"Oh, yes! Yes I do. Could I borrow one of your baking dishes for a while? My idiot roommate broke mine trying to make brownies."
"Uh, sure thing, I'll go grab one. Just a moment." You pat Optimus' side as you walk past to go inside, nearly stumbling over the water hose in your distraction.
You quickly speed-walk to your kitchen and grab your cheapest ceramic dish and head back out, catching the sight of your neighbor closely admiring Optimus' alt mode. They turn to you as you approach with a long whistle.
"Sure is a nice truck you got here. Not the kind of thing I'd expect you to have though. I've never even seen this thing here before, much less seen you drive it. Is this really yours?" They inquire.
Bro oh my god go away.
"Well actually, he's a friend of mine- er, belongs! To a friend of mine. It's his truck, I just borrow and care for it sometimes."
"Oh cool. Are they a trucker? This thing's realll heavy duty! I love the colors. Nice job washing it, it looks so shiny!"
"Haha yep! I love it too. Well anyways, I should get back to washing him- it! Washing it! Here you go," you say as you thrust the pan to them, causing them to step back a little in mild surprise.
"Oh right, thanks! I'll be sure to return it soon. See you around."
They turn to leave, stopping to give a pat to the door to Optimus' cab to hear the resounding metal sound, the soap having dried streaky in the sun by now, before finally leaving to go back to their home. You wait to move until they're a considerable distance down the sidewalk, and as they walk back to their own door, they turn to give you a smile and a wave.
You respond with your own and heave a sigh once they're back inside and out of sight. You pick your sponge back up and switch to the larger one to continue the wash and refresh the dried soapy smears on his pretty paintjob.
"Welp, that was one of my neighbors. They're pretty nice, though that roommate of theirs tend to break stuff pretty often. Let's hope they don't get their hands on my baking dish."
"You didn't seem too happy to see them." Optimus noted, once again free to speak.
"Well, it's not that I wasn't happy to see them, I just got a little annoyed. They were taking my time away from focusing on you, after all."
You step back up on the step-ladder to start from the top once more, the streaks disappearing under the new soapy layer dripping down his side. Making your way from the top and down again, now satisfied with your work, you grab the hose lying nearby and rinse his side off. You then grab the towel you used to dry the other side to do the same here, making sure no water droplets dry to make tacky little spots all over him.
"So you love my paintjob?"
"Hm?"
"When your neighbor was here they said they love my colors and you agreed."
"Ah, yes. I sure do! Such pretty shades, and blue and red is such a great combo. You're so pleasing to look at!"
He shifts on his shocks just slightly, preening inside under your compliments. The softness of the large towel was pleasant against his alt-mode, and he made a mental note to show you just how much he appreciated your detailed care later, perhaps with something in a addition with drive to the special view he found. Maybe your wish for some kind of trinket wasn't just teasing?
"Whew! Okay, done with that part! On to the front." You say, arms strained with the task of reaching to dry every inch with the now heavier weight of the towel, which turned from damp to nearly just wet. Walking to the front of him, you grimace at the splattered bugs that didn't come off in the pressure wash, still stuck in his grates. The thought of how that might feel to him crosses your mind.
That…seems very unpleasant. Dried bugs on someone's body…after millions of years of war, I think that would be my breaking point. Why does he still love this planet.
"…Dude…oh, oh you poor thing." You say as you shudder.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" He asks.
"Nope!" You say, popping the p. "Nothing wrong at all. Matter of fact, I'm making everything all righty."
You reach into your wash bucket and grab the smaller sponge from the bottom you brought just for scrubbing away stubborn spots and bugs and get to it. As you scrub away the spots, you remember your conversation before your neighbor showed up.
"Oh, I totally forgot about my question! Could we hang out tomorrow? If you're busy I could drive to base myself and chill with some of the bots."
"I don't have patrol tomorrow, just some review of reports and projects that need my sign-offs, though I could put those off for a day with you." He replies.
"Although," he adds, "as I mentioned, the area I want to show you was quite dry. I'd hate to spoil your hard work and get so dirty again tomorrow. Perhaps you'd like to go some other time?"
Aww, how thoughtful!
"Nah, it's no problem. Like I said, I actually like doing this. Something about the process and getting your metal all clean is really satisfying to me. If you need another wash I'll do it, easy peasy. Besides, maybe we'll get a little rain tonight and it won't be so dry tomorrow!"
If he were in his root mode, he would have a mile-wide smile. You were always so helpful to him and the other autobots in whatever way you could be, and your care meant more than you could know. He thought maybe you were exaggerating the fact that you enjoy doing this to make him feel better, but you weren't the type to be dishonest, so it seems a job well done really does please you.
"Very well then. I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning, and we'll spend the day together." He says.
Finally, you finish your scrubbing and rid him of his buggy plight. You dry the front of him off with the towel that gets even heavier with the addition of even more water, giggling at his rumble as you slide between each grate, then drop it by the bucket. You back up and take slow steps around him, admiring your hard work. His glossy shine is now more apparent, not a single streak of dust left on him. Your proud smile is as bright as he is now as the satisfaction of taking care of your best friend and the excitement of spending tomorrow with him fully sets in. You give his hood a firm pat and feel the warmth from his own temperature mixing with the bright sunshine.
Such a nice day, and there's still plenty of the afternoon left! Hmm, while we're at it…
"So, now that that's done, how would you like a detailed interior clean?"
Imagine being sick and so you take a 'quick' nap at the lair, while the boys are out on patrol and they never realised that you slept over at the lair, then all they spot is you sleeping on the couch, cuddled up in Raph's knitted blanket and a plushie that Mikey gave you on your birthday, meanwhile Leo is making you tea when you wake up and Donnie is checking up on your heart rate just in case
Raphael has always been the one with the tough exterior, 'rough around the edges', stubborn and fiery temper. Even though he is all of those things, he is also the sweetest, kindest and most thoughtful person when it comes to you.
Raph has a hard time saying how he feels. Words can just end up being too complicated for him and there's no doubt about that however, for what he lacks verbally he makes up for in action. Movie you've been wanting to watch? He's already got a date night at the lair figured out. You mentioned that you have been wanting to take self defense classes? He's got ya covered. He will teach you how to stay safe and kick all kinds of ass. Haven't been getting enough sleep recently? Yea, he can tell. He already has you a good pillow and blanket laid out for you to catch up on your beauty sleep.
As good brothers do, they pick on him about it but not too much (they try not to get TOO far on his bad side). It really just makes poor Raphael more bashful than anything. He tends to get a bit shy around you when approaching with his manifestations of affection but it's just because he really wants you to like whatever it is that he has in store this time.
Even though he might seem uninterested about a lot of things, he is always interested when it comes to you. He constantly pays attention to every detail about you and the littlest things you mention. No matter what he will always do what he can to show that he is listening and that he cares
Soo ummm I still don't think I'm great at writing smut but I've had this idea with Bay! Donnie for...a while so here. An offering for my fans ૮( ˶˘ ³˘)♡
The Night Shift
{Bay! Donnie x Fem! Reader}
This is smut! Somnophilia smut specifically! 18+ obviously so you are reading this at your own risk!! Please be aware!! Thank you and enjoy <3 (also this is long, the longest thing I've written I believe so be aware)
The lair was quiet, save for the hum of electronics and the occasional clatter of Donnie’s fingers against his keyboard. The blue glow of multiple monitors bathed his face in sharp contrasts, his goggles pushed up over his brow, eyes narrowed in concentration. He was deep in the guts of a new program, lines of code scrolling like water, and he’d been at it for hours.
You were curled up in the worn armchair beside his desk, the one he kept there specifically for you. A thin blanket—tugged from his cot—was draped over your legs, your head lolled against the padded back, lips slightly parted. You’d come by an hour ago, complaining of a long day, and he’d offered his chair while he worked. You’d hummed, stretched, and within twenty minutes, your breathing had evened out into soft, steady sleep.
Donnie’s attention kept drifting.
Not to the code. To you.
He watched the slow rise and fall of your chest beneath your loose tank top. The way your fingers twitched occasionally, palm resting open on your thigh. The gentle flutter of your eyelashes catching the light. Vulnerable. Trusting. Completely unaware.
His cock stirred against the fabric of his cargo shorts, and he shifted in his seat, trying to refocus. But the red strings of error messages glared at him, and he couldn’t care less. The longer he stared at you, the harder he got, the more the idea burrowed into his mind like a persistent worm.
You had an arrangement. Friends with benefits, no strings, no expectations. You’d fucked in his lab, in his room, on the rooftop, in the back of the Shellraiser. Always when you were both awake, both eager, both vocal. But this…
This was different.
He could taste the fantasy on his tongue. The thought of sliding into you while you slept, feeling your body respond without conscious permission, claiming you in the quiet, taking what you both knew you’d give if you were awake. It was a particular flavor of intimacy that made his pulse throb in his throat, his palms sweat.
You wouldn’t say no, he told himself. You never say no.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was that you couldn’t say yes. That you’d wake to the sensation of being filled, stretched, fucked, and the shock would melt into arousal, your body remembering what it liked before your mind caught up.
He bit his lower lip, hard, and killed the program without saving.
Carefully, silently, he rose from his chair, the cushion sighing with relief. His bare feet padded across the cool concrete floor, each step deliberate, measured, predator-slow. He stopped in front of you, looking down at your sleeping form. A strand of hair had fallen across your face, and he resisted the urge to brush it away. That would wake you.
Instead, he lowered himself to his knees.
The blanket was soft under his palms as he gently, slowly, eased it down. You stirred slightly, a soft murmur in your throat, then settled again. He held his breath, waiting, counting. When your breathing resumed its deep rhythm, he let the blanket pool beside you.
You were wearing those old sleep shorts, thin cotton, worn soft from washing. Your tank top had ridden up, revealing a strip of your stomach, the curve of your hip. He ran a hand along your bare shin, featherlight, testing. Your skin was warm, smooth. No reaction.
His cock was painfully hard now, pressing against the fly of his shorts. He freed it slowly, the thick, green shaft standing upright, pre-cum already beading at the tip. He stroked himself once, twice, just to relieve the pressure, then leaned forward.
First, his mouth.
He pressed his lips to your knee, a whisper of a kiss. Then another, higher on your thigh. Then another, closer to the hem of your shorts. He watched your face the entire time, waiting for any flicker of awareness. Nothing. You were deep under, lost in whatever dreamland your brain had conjured.
He hooked his fingers into the waistband of your shorts and tugged them down, inch by inch. The fabric slid over your hips, your thighs, baring your pussy to the cool air. You wore nothing underneath. Of course you didn’t.
Donnie’s mouth watered.
He spread your legs gently, settling between them. Your cunt was soft, closed, innocent in sleep. He could see the faint glisten of your natural moisture, but nothing more. You weren’t aroused. Not yet.
He would fix that.
His tongue, long and dextrous, traced a line from your entrance to your clit. A slow, exploratory stroke. He tasted the salt of your skin, the faint musk of your scent. Your body responded instinctively—a small shiver, a slight clench of your thighs. But you didn’t wake.
He did it again, this time circling your clit with the tip of his tongue, lapping at it in soft, teasing motions. He could feel the heat building, your flesh growing slick under his attention. Pre-cum dripped from his cock onto the floor, but he ignored it. His entire world was between your legs.
He sucked your clit into his mouth, gentle suction, and your hips twitched, a soft sigh escaping your lips. His heart hammered. He pulled back, watching. You shifted, your hand sliding off your stomach, but your eyes stayed closed.
Yes. Keep sleeping. Let me take care of you.
He nuzzled deeper, his tongue plunging into your cunt, tasting the growing wetness. He fucked you with his tongue, slow and deep, savoring every drop. Your body was beginning to respond more openly now—your hips rolling slightly, a low moan bubbling from your throat. But you were still under, a puppet of pleasure-driven reflex.
He pulled his mouth away, a string of saliva connecting his lips to your slick folds. He wiped it with the back of his hand, then positioned himself between your thighs, the head of his cock pressing against your slit. He wanted to watch your face when he entered you.
He pushed.
Slow. So slow. The head breached your entrance, stretching you open around his girth. Your lips parted, a faint gasp. He paused, letting your body adjust. Then he sank deeper, inch by inch, until his hips were flush against yours. He was buried inside you, fully sheathed, and you hadn’t even stirred.
The feeling was exquisite. Your cunt was hot, tight, gripping him in reflexive pulses. He could feel your heartbeat through your walls. He stayed still, savoring the sensation, watching the peaceful expression on your face. You were so beautiful like this—open, relaxed, completely his.
Then he began to move.
Long, slow thrusts, pulling almost all the way out before sinking back in. He built a rhythm, steady and unhurried, each stroke pushing a little deeper, a little harder. Your breath hitched on each inward slide, small sounds escaping you—whimpers, half-formed moans. He loved every one.
He leaned forward, bracing his hands on the armchair’s sides, his face hovering over yours. He could feel your warm breath on his lips, could smell the faint scent of your shampoo. He whispered your name, barely audible, just to taste it on his tongue.
You didn’t answer. You were still sleeping, though your hips had begun to move in counterpoint to his thrusts, a dreamy, unconscious rhythm. Your hands twitched, fingers curling into the cushion.
Donnie’s pace quickened. The need was building, a coil tightening in his gut. He wanted to bury himself deeper, to fuck you harder, to make you whimper loud enough to wake. But he held back, maintaining that gentle, possessive cadence. This was about the slow burn, the quiet greed.
He reached down, thumb finding your clit, pressing and circling in tandem with his thrusts. Your legs tightened around him, your breath quickened. He felt your walls flutter, a telltale sign of imminent climax. You were going to come in your sleep, your body surrendering without your conscious permission.
That thought alone nearly made him spill.
“That’s it,” he murmured, his voice rough. “Let go. I’ve got you.”
Your back arched, a soft cry breaking from your lips, and your cunt clamped down on him in a series of pulsing waves. He watched you come, your face contorted in pleasure, your eyes still closed, your mouth open in a silent O. It was the most erotic thing he had ever witnessed.
He didn’t stop. He kept thrusting through your orgasm, drawing it out, milking every shudder. Your body was limp, pliant, accepting everything he gave. He felt the last spasms fade, and then he was chasing his own release, fucking deeper, faster, harder.
“Ah—fuck,” he groaned, his voice breaking.
He came with a guttural sound, buried to the hilt, his cum flooding your depths in hot, thick spurts. He pressed his forehead against yours, breathing harshly, feeling the aftershocks ripple through you both. For a long moment, neither of you moved.
Then he felt your hand brush his.
Donnie froze.
He lifted his head, meeting your eyes. They were half-lidded, hazy with sleep and something else—recognition, acceptance. A slow, lazy smile spread across your face.
“Took you long enough,” you murmured, your voice rough with sleep.
A grin cracked his beak. He kissed you, tasting himself on your lips.
“You were dead to the world,” he said against your mouth. “I had to be thorough.”
You laughed softly, your legs tightening around him, keeping him inside. “Thorough. Right.”
He thrust once, shallowly, and you gasped, your eyes fluttering.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, pulling back to look at you. “I’m not done. I’ve got all night, and you’ve got a cot that’s much more comfortable.”
You arched an eyebrow, but the heat in your gaze gave you away. “Is that so?”
He lifted you out of the chair, still buried inside you, and carried you toward the corner of the lab where his cot was shoved against the wall. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your legs around his waist, and let him lay you down.
The night was just beginning.
The cot groaned under your combined weight as Donnie laid you down, his body still pressed against yours, still buried deep inside. The thin mattress sagged, but neither of you cared. His arms caged you on either side, his breath hot against your neck as he stayed perfectly still, letting the moment stretch.
You shifted beneath him, a deliberate roll of your hips, and he hissed through his teeth. His cock was still half-hard, slick with his release and your arousal, and the movement sent a jolt through both of you.
"Impatient?" he murmured, his mouth brushing the shell of your ear.
"Just checking if you're still in there." Your voice was sleep-roughened, but your hands were already sliding up his arms, tracing the ridges of his biceps, the curve of his shoulders. "That was a hell of a wake-up call."
He pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark, pupils blown wide. A smirk tugged at the corner of his beak. "You seemed to enjoy it."
"You know I did." You reached up, fingers threading through the edge of his mask, tugging him down. "But I'm awake now. I want to feel everything."
He didn't need to be told twice.
He withdrew slowly, the drag of his cock against your sensitive walls making you gasp. He watched your face, the way your lips parted, the way your eyes fluttered half-closed. Then he pushed back in, harder this time, a full, deep stroke that punched the air from your lungs.
"Like that?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.
"God—yes."
He set a pace that was relentless, no longer gentle or cautious. Each thrust was deliberate, aimed, calculated to hit the spots he'd mapped out through weeks of fucking you in every possible position. He knew your body like he knew his machines, every switch, every button, every sensitive node.
Your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper, your heels digging into the small of his back. The cot squeaked in protest, but the sound was lost beneath your moans, the wet slap of skin on skin, his guttural grunts.
He lowered himself, chest to chest, his plastron pressing against your softness. The weight of him was grounding, the heat of his body seeping into yours. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, his breath ragged against your skin, and fucked you with a focused intensity that bordered on desperate.
"You feel—" He cut himself off, a shudder running through him. "Fuck. You feel so good."
Your fingers raked down his shell, nails scratching against the edge. He groaned, his hips stuttering, and you felt him thicken inside you, knew he was close.
"Not yet," you whispered, your voice a command. "I want to ride you."
He pulled out immediately, despite the visible strain on his face. He rolled onto his back, the cot groaning under his larger frame, and pulled you on top of him. His hands found your hips, guiding you as you straddled him, your knees sinking into the thin mattress.
You reached down, wrapping your hand around his cock, feeling the heat and slickness. You guided the head to your entrance, teasing, rubbing it through your folds, watching his eyes roll back.
"Don't tease," he growled, his grip tightening on your hips.
"Make me."
He did.
He thrust up, impaling you in one sharp motion, and you cried out, your head falling back. The angle was different, deeper, hitting a spot that made stars burst behind your eyelids. You braced your hands on his chest and began to move, a rhythm born of mutual hunger.
He watched you, his gaze fixed on where your bodies joined, watching himself disappear into you, watching the glisten of your slickness coat his shaft. His hands roamed your body, palming your breasts, pinching your nipples, sliding down to grip your ass, guiding your movements.
"Look at you," he breathed. "So fucking perfect."
You leaned forward, your hair falling around your faces like a curtain, and kissed him. It was messy, all teeth and tongue, the kind of kiss that wasn't about tenderness but about possession. He bit your lower lip, pulling, and you moaned into his mouth.
He flipped you again, faster than you could process, pinning you beneath him, your legs hooked over his shoulders. The new angle had you nearly folded in half, and he drove into you with a brutal precision that left you gasping.
"Don—Donnie—"
"Say my name," he growled, each word punctuated by a thrust. "Say it when you come."
He reached between your bodies, his thumb finding your clit, pressing hard, circling in time with his strokes. The pressure built, coiling tight, your walls clenching around him.
"I'm—fuck—Donnie!"
Your orgasm crashed over you, a wave that started in your core and radiated outward, your back arching, your vision going white. He fucked you through it, his own control snapping, his hips slamming into you as he spilled inside you again, hot and thick, a groan tearing from his throat.
He collapsed on top of you, his weight a comforting pressure, his breath hot against your neck. For a long moment, the only sounds were ragged breathing and the distant hum of the lair's systems.
You lay there, tangled, sweaty, satisfied. His lips pressed lazy kisses along your collarbone, your shoulder, the curve of your jaw.
"You're going to be sore tomorrow," he murmured.
"Worth it."
He chuckled, the vibration rumbling through his chest, through you. "Stay the night. Actually sleep this time. I'll wake you up again if you want."
You smiled, your eyes already growing heavy. "Promises, promises."
He pulled the thin blanket over both of you, his arm draped across your waist, his hand splayed over your stomach. You could feel the slow beat of his heart against your back, steady and real.
The lair settled into quiet. The monitors flickered on standby. And Donnie held you, his mind already cataloging the sounds you made, the way you moved, the things he wanted to try next time.
Because there would always be a next time.
Ermm please let me know what you thought of this! I'd love to know! As always if you have a request feel free to put it in and have a wonderful day!! Love you guys ❤️
Operation: Ask her out - Success || Optimus Prime ||
A/n: He's doing his best
The next morning arrived with an unusual tension that only one Cybertronian seemed to notice.
Optimus had commanded troops through impossible battles, negotiated fragile peace treaties between warring civilizations, and stared down enemies capable of extinguishing entire worlds.
Yet standing just outside the garage while watching you laugh with Bumblebee somehow proved infinitely more.....intimidating.
Jazz noticed immediately.
The silver Autobot now in the more humanized android body leaned casually against one of the support beams, sipping from a paper coffee cup someone had insisted humans carried everywhere. Whether he actually needed the coffee was beside the point. It completed the illusion of normalcy his android body was trying to project.
“You’ve been standin’ there for six minutes.”
“I have.” Optimus states, hands rigidly behind his back.
“You gonna ask her?”
“I intend to.”
“…you gonna do it....Today?”
Optimus hesitated. “I intend to.”
Jazz sighed into his coffee. “Prime.”
“I am… considering my wording.”
“Boss, you’ve been considerin’ your wording since yesterday.”
Before Optimus could answer, Ironhide wandered past carrying several ammunition crates balanced effortlessly against one shoulder. He took one look at the pair, followed Optimus’s line of sight toward you, and immediately understood.
“I wish for her to understand that my intentions are sincere.”
“She will.”
“I do not wish to make her uncomfortable.”
Ironhide stared at him for a long moment before throwing one hand into the air. “Prime, you’re the only guy I know who could turn askin’ a woman to dinner into a military campaign.”
Jazz couldn’t help but start laughing. “He’s got you there.”
Optimus looked genuinely thoughtful. “…Perhaps I have overprepared.”
“You think?”
Across the garage, you were blissfully unaware of the crisis unfolding several yards away.
Ratchet in his own humanized android form had handed you a scanner while muttering something about calibration, and you obediently followed his instructions despite understanding perhaps half of the technical explanation.
“So if this line goes into the green…”
“Good.”
“And red is…”
“Very bad.” He states, glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.
“What happens if it turns purple?” You blinked tilting your head.
Ratchet paused. “…Do not allow it to turn purple.”
You blinked. “I appreciate how that answered absolutely nothing.”
Before Ratchet could respond, Bumblebee’s radio crackled. “Mission objective: Don’t let it become purple.”
You laughed. “Even Bee doesn’t know.”
The radio immediately switched to exaggerated game-show applause.
Sam arrived moments later carrying two sodas and far more confidence than experience.
He glanced toward Optimus, noticed the leader still standing exactly where he’d been several minutes earlier, and groaned. “Dude…”
Jazz immediately pointed at him. “No.”
“What?”
“You are not helping.”
“I was just gonna...!”
“No.”
“I learned from yesterday.” Sam protested.
“You absolutely did not.”
Sam frowned. “I kinda did.”
Jazz folded his arms. “You told a ten-million-year-old alien robot to introduce himself as ‘potential romantic partner.’”
“…When you say it out loud…”
“It gets worse every time.”
Optimus drew a slow, unnecessary breath, he had delayed long enough.
Before another interruption could present itself, he crossed the garage with measured steps that somehow felt heavier than armor.
You looked up the moment his shadow fell across the workbench as your face brightened instantly.
“Morning, Optimus.”
Every carefully rehearsed sentence vanished.
The notebook.
The crossed-out greetings.
The disastrous lessons.
Gone.
There was only you smiling at him as though seeing him was the easiest thing in the world.
“…Good morning,” he replied softly.
Something about his voice made you tilt your head.
“You okay?”
“I am.” He clasped his hands behind his back, a familiar gesture that usually accompanied battlefield briefings. Today, however, there was the faintest hint of nervousness beneath his composed posture. “I just wished to ask you something.”
“Of course.”
Across the garage, four heads slowly rose from behind various pieces of equipment.
Jazz spotted you both immediately. “Oh, no.”
Sam.
Bumblebee
Ironhide.
Even Ratchet had stopped pretending not to watch.
Jazz sighed. “We are all terrible.”
Sam shrugged. "At least it's entertaining."
Meanwhile, Optimus remained blissfully unaware of his audience.
“I have recently come to understand…” he began carefully, “…that you have never been invited on what humans consider… a proper date.”
Your eyebrows lifted in surprise. “…I may have mentioned that.”
“You did.”
“I didn’t realize anyone heard me.”
“My hearing is… rather difficult to circumvent.”
You laughed softly. “Fair enough.”
His sapphire eyes met yours,not with the unnerving, unblinking intensity Sam or any other human had once suggested, but warmly.
“I found myself thinking about your words for quite some time.”
Your eyes went wide as something fluttered unexpectedly in your chest. “You did?”
“I did.” His expression softened in a way that seemed almost vulnerable as he then continued his speech. “I have faced many difficult decisions throughout my life.” He smiled faintly, almost amused with himself. “Surprisingly… this has proven to be among the more intimidating.”
Your heart melted. “…Really?”
“You are.....very important to me.”
A simple honest answer.
“I enjoy every conversation we share. I find myself seeking opportunities to spend time in your company. When I witness your kindness toward others…” His smile grew just enough to reach his eyes. “…it reminds me that even after countless wars, goodness continues to exist.”
Warmth creeped up your neck and behind a nearby support pillar, Sam clutched Bumblebee’s hood.
“Dude,” he whispered.
Jazz elbowed him. “Quiet.”
“I am being quiet.”
“You whispered ‘dude.’”
Optimus looked down briefly before returning his gaze to yours. “I realized there was no speech I could prepare that would express my thoughts more honestly than the truth.” His voice remained gentle. “So…”
For perhaps the first time in millions of years, Optimus Prime looked genuinely uncertain, his gaze drifted away from you. “If it would make you happy…” His smile was small but unmistakably real as he finally looked into your eyes. “…would you allow me the privilege of taking you on a date?”
The entire garage seemed to stop breathing.
You stared at him for one stunned heartbeat, this was the last thing you were expecting. “You’ve been stressing over asking me?”
“…Perhaps.”
“For how long?”
“…Longer than I would prefer to admit.”
Your smile became impossibly softer. “Optimus…”
Without thinking, you reached out and took one of his large hands between both of yours.
His fingers instinctively curled ever so slightly around yours, as though afraid to hold too tightly.
“I would absolutely love to go on a date with you.”
For a fraction of a second, the ancient Autobot Commander simply stared.
Then relief swept across his face with such quiet sincerity that it transformed him.
The tension in his shoulders disappeared and behind the support pillar, Sam forgot every promise he’d made to stay quiet.
“YES!”
The shout echoed across the garage.
Everyone froze.
Sam’s eyes widened. “…Oops.”
Optimus slowly closed his eyes. “…Samuel.”
“I got excited!”
Ironhide barked out a booming laugh, Bumblebee’s radio erupted into triumphant fanfare, Ratchet muttered something about everyone in the building behaving like adolescents, and Jazz simply rubbed a hand over his face before grinning.
“I told you he’d blow it.”
Sam pointed toward the two of you, entirely unashamed. “But she said yes!”
You couldn’t stop laughing.
Neither, to your surprise, could Optimus.
The deep, warm sound rumbled from his chest as he looked down at you, your hands still wrapped around his, and in that moment every disastrous rehearsal, every terrible piece of advice, every crossed-out sentence in a discarded notebook suddenly seemed worthwhile.
Because in the end, the only words that had mattered were the ones that had come straight from his spark.
💌 not my favorite thing i’ve ever written, which is probably a given, considering how long it took— but hey. it’s some words on paper (tumblr) ❤️🩹 lots of scrambled words. may rewrite. enjoy beautiful ppl
requests are open! <3 getting to them slowly
tags: bayverse, request part 2, not a pre-established relationship, apologies previous anon, angst w/ comfort, distant reader (?), raph comforts you through a breakup
synopsis: raph hears the banter from you and your now ex-boyfriend over patrol one night. he comes to ease your mind a little, unexpectedly.
╰♥︎ ╮
It was late. One in the morning, maybe? Your hands had that throbbing kind of hurt in them again. They burned. They were tender. Sore. It was agonizing.
It was impossible to tell whether the ache in your chest was physical or emotional this time… all you knew was that your hands were tight– quite literally fists of rage– as you shoved your ex-boyfriend out of your apartment. Rain drenched his brittle, straw-like hair while you became utterly soaked with tears that were soon to stain your absolutely exasperated face.
Still, his screams surpassed the thunder; the rage in his eyes shining brighter than lightning, his anger everlasting.
“Oh, that was so long ago, get over it!”
“You think that changes anything?! You were with another girl! Another girl! You ignorant piece of shit—I can’t believe you!”
“Goddamn it, why don’t you take a second and think about how I felt? Seriously! You act like I committed some crime! I mean, from how I see it, you’re acting like it’s the end of the world because I got drunk once and kissed her–”
“You did more than just kiss her.” A hiss from your throat reverberated. “You know damn well.”
“Oh, come on. It was one mistake.”
“So you admit to it?! And you still, in your right mind, think that this relationship is gonna be okay?!”
“Fine! Jesus, yes! I did!” he yelled. “But if you weren’t so damn emotional, maybe I wouldn’t have been tempted! You’re always checking up on me, questioning everything I do! It’s getting old!”
“So now it’s my fault that you cheated?” you spat.
“Maybe if you weren’t always so controlling, none of this would have happened!” Oh. My. God.
“Get out.” You whispered. He was silent.
“Get. Out.”
His eyes—venomous—fixed on you. Almost violent with the way he stared. You didn’t like it. Others would question why he acted like this, but you knew. This was in this insolent little man’s nature.
And, shit, he couldn’t even pay for dinner because he was too “broke” from paying for another woman’s meal! Too busy taking an endless rotation of girls out on dates, too busy hooking up with coworkers, too busy scrambling for yet another new job after getting himself fired from the last one– whatever it was, he was far too busy for you.
And thank God for that.
Your now-ex boyfriend turned on his heel, muttering something vile under his breath, and stormed down the street without another word, leaving you shivering and alone on your apartment doorstep.
You felt the rain cascade down your shoulders. Cold. Soaking. Murky.
It’s your fault.
That’s what he thinks. That this entire relationship– the one you finally had the guts to end– he thought that his adulterous actions were your fault. Hah.
You wanted to scream. You wanted to cry. You wanted to go back in time and make sure you never even met him.
But you couldn’t. You couldn’t do any of that.
So, you stared. You stared until that man was gone. Hidden by the rain, locked away from you as long as you would never allow him to return.
But while your eyes peered into this man’s back, another pair watched from afar; a pair of eyes that was supposed to be out on patrol, but was much, much more interested in something else.
╰♥︎ ╮
The moment he was gone, the moment he turned around the block, every meticulous piece of a glass wall you had spent years methodically building, had shattered. Into a million pieces. It’s your fault, it’s your fault, it’s your fault– the floor felt unstable. Fuck, get inside, will you?
And so you did. You had never scrambled to close a door faster. Your breath hitched as your hands trembled, fumbling with the deadbolt before you locked it– once, twice, three times.
The click of each lock echoed in the suffocating silence of your apartment. You slid down against the wood, body giving out. You buried your face in your knees and finally let the sobs take over, racking your entire frame with the force of them.
Sobs turned into heaves. Heaves turned into dry coughing. Dry coughing turned into… retching. Great.
The nausea hits again, goddammit, and you clamp your hands over your mouth, but it doesn’t matter. Stupid crying. Stupid symptoms. Stupid anxiety. Stupid, God, all of it! You scrambled to your feet, lurching unsteadily toward the bathroom. Your stomach heaved. Nothing came up. This useless body of yours can’t do anything right, can it? Fuck. Just painful, dry retches that left your throat burning and your head pounding. You slumped against the cool porcelain of the toilet, your body shaking, trembling, so angry at yourself you want to destroy the walls, the sink, the whole goddamn room.
You forced yourself up, your legs feeling like jelly. You stumbled to the sink and splashed cold water on your face, the shock of it momentarily clearing your head. When you looked in the mirror, you didn't recognize the person staring back. Eyes swollen and bloodshot, face pale and blotchy. A stranger. Living in your skin.
This was rock bottom. It had to be. You dragged yourself out of the bathroom, leaving the light on. Your parents had told you to do that when you were little when you got stressed… whatever coping mechanisms work, work. You took a look around the place.
The apartment was a mess of discarded clothes and half-empty boxes of tissues. Most clothes were his; you were more than happy to trash them. Bottles of random drinks you’ve never heard of. Food he left out that he did not trash. A window he did not decide to shut.
“Stinks ‘n here,” you heard a voice mumble.
…that little shit left the window open.
Resting at the window was Raph; perched by your fire escape, his soaked red bandana clinging to his wet scales and skin like a magnet.
A sigh reverberated from your lungs. Your legs gave out once again, sinking down onto the floor, the purpose of your feet practically nonsensical by now.
“You heard all that?” You mumble. “What are you even doing here? You’re supposed to be on the other side of town this time of night.”
“S, uh, patrol got cancelled or somethin’. My end, at least… thank Leo for that.” He shrugged. “Heard the banter. Came to check it out.”
His facial expression was his typical pick-- you'd known him forever, that his angry face was his casual-- but there was nothing casual about it, this time. Raph’s upper face had somewhat contorted into the bottom; if he had eyebrows, they would have been flipped. Almost like he was concerned.
“Right,” you mumble. “You heard it all. So you can go. I’m fine.”
“Yeah, sure.” You swore you could hear a scoff come from his throat. Annoyed, your gaze lifted to meet his.
"Seriously think I'm leavin'? Dumbass." His eyes moved slowly over the scene again, taking in the shake of your hands, the slump of your shoulders, the mess crowding the room around you. It didn’t take much to see you weren’t okay. Not at all. So why weren’t you telling him? His mouth tightened in a quick grimace behind the windowsill, and he covered it by turning away with a cough, grumbling something about inhaling a bug.
You allowed Raph to talk to you like this. It was his way of showing his affection to people, whether that be his brothers, or you. Blunt and dry. Unnecessary cursing. Awkward back-and-forth arguments. But he was trying, always, admittedly; so you allowed it. Momentarily.
“Can you just leave this be? I want to be alone.” Your voice was barely a whisper.
“Not gonna happen,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind.
He finally moved, swinging his legs over the windowsill and landing softly on the floor inside your apartment. He was careful, observant, as he was taught to be– maybe he was afraid you might shut down. He straightened up, his imposing frame seeming to fill the small space. Droplets of rain dripped from his bandana and shell and fell mercilessly to the floor.
“If you ask me, jerk had it comin’,” he said, nodding toward the road your ex had disappeared through. “Heard every word. You were right to say what ya’ did.”
Oh, come on, every word?! You didn't respond. You just wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling a fresh wave of tears pricking at your eyes. You refused to let them fall. Not in front of him.
Raph shifted his weight, the floorboards groaning beneath his substantial frame. His hands, those massive green hands that could crush concrete but had once carefully aided a broken appendage for you, fidgeted at his sides. He hated this – seeing you broken like this, all crumpled on the floor like a piece of discarded paper. Hated himself more for the stupid reasons he'd never made his move sooner.
For someone who wasn’t very people-apt, people-friendly– as you’d put it… he did have a soft spot for you. A very, very, soft spot.
Raphael had a hard time trusting any human that was introduced to their lives at first. Naturally. He wasn’t similar in physicality to that of a regular person– that much was just a fact of life for him and his brothers. But… he’d gotten used to you far quicker than he should have. Leo, Donnie and Mikey would tease him endlessly about it! Raph always brushed them off. If anyone asked, he’d just shrug and say you were easier to trust. That you treated him like a real person instead of a monster. Wasn’t it obvious?
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that you didn’t scream when you first met the family of mutants. The fact that they never heard you utter a word about them behind their backs. Not a peep.
You’d actually met Raph, first. He was weary when approaching humans, as he always was. He often just lingered in the shadows. But you had broken some part of your body by the fault of a foot soldier… the responsibility of you had fallen to him. So, it was duty, you know? That’s what he had called it. It drew him in a little bit more than average considering you didn’t seem scared, at first glance.
His brothers would only say it spiraled from there. Apparently, the turtle simply couldn’t shut his mouth about you for as long as he’d known you. Raph, of course, would claim the opposite– he’d only say his life has gotten better because he had finally found someone he could trust.
Raph had known about your stupid, disgusting relationship for months. He’d been your shoulder to cry on when you knew your ex had screwed up, but were so willingly ready to give his manipulative ass another chance. The turtle always listened. Without judgement. Every insult your previous boyfriend would hurl at you– every dismissal, every piece of your life that he controlled, every single bit of it– was infodumped to Raph. He logged it in his head. Not typically something he does, but, you were a different story.
Over time, that anger for your boyfriend had developed. Jealousy, was it, that he had felt? Anger for his actions? Was all of it an option?! Raph knew he was a turtle with a temper, but this felt so ridiculously out of bounds for him! He can’t control you. He doesn’t want to control you, no. Not ever. But if he could just convince you to see the carnage that man has wreaked on your mentality…
This worthless human had been taking up space in your life, space that Raph increasingly, desperately wished he could occupy. He would think about you constantly. More than your ex did. Oh, how he was positive of that. He knew what you liked. Your interests. Favorite colors. Music. You shared so many things in common– and with that man, there were none.
He hated that he couldn't just be with you, not like a normal guy. He was a mutant turtle. The idea of this thought had plagued him since birth.That fact had been sitting in the back of his mind his whole life, something he knew would matter eventually. Feelings amplified times ten, the mutant had no idea how to deal with this. Pure jealousy and hatred for something he simply could not control.
"You, uh," he started, then stopped, clearing his throat. "You need anything?"
You shook your head without looking up, focusing instead on a darkened stain in the carpet.
He scanned the room again, his gaze lingering on an overturned picture frame – you and the ex at some beach, your smile genuine then, his already fake. Raph's jaw tightened. He'd met the guy twice. (Watched him from afar– he respected you too much to impose. He was terrified he would have disposed of the manchild.) Both times, something had felt off. Wrong.
"Been wonderin' something," Raph said, taking another careful step into the room. "Why'd you stay with him so long?"
His question settled into the silence between you. Do you tell the truth? Your mouth stayed closed, your head giving a faint shake instead. You knew the answer. You’d known it the whole time. But, good god, did it hurt to admit it. It hurt so bad. Raph knew that all too well. He didn't try to push for a response.
You didn’t move, didn’t respond. That was fine. He’d wait. Waiting was nothing. He’d always wait.
"You deserve better," he finally said, voice low and rough as gravel. The turtle found himself crossing the small space with intricately placed steps to stand beside your crumpled figure. He didn't sit, just stood there, his gaze fixed on some distant point before drifting down, eventually landing on you.
"What better is there, Raph? I thought he was going to be the-"
"Someone better? Someone who… I dunno," He struggled for the words. “Someone who actually gives a shit? Me?”
The confession lingered in the space between you, awkward, the room suddenly feeling far too small, far too quiet. Raph hadn’t meant to say that. Not like that. Not while you were already hurting. He watched your shoulders tense, but you still didn't look at him. He felt a hot flush crawl up the back of his neck. This was a disaster. He should just go. He should swing back out the window and let you be. But he couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot, trapped by your silence and his own stupid, runaway mouth.
You stayed silent for a long moment, the only sounds being the gentle patter of rain against the windowpane and the distant rumble of thunder. Raph’s heartbeat hammered in his own chest, a wild, frantic rhythm he was sure you could somehow hear. Then, you slowly lifted your head, your tear-streaked face finally meeting his. A sad, watery something-of-a-smile pulled at the corners of your lips. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Was that… a good sign? He couldn't tell.
"Okay." you whispered, your voice hoarse from crying. Your gaze wasn't one of disgust, or fear. Just… tired. So incredibly tired. But there was something else in there, too.
A wave of… something, crashed over Raph, hot and overwhelming. He took a half-step back, the floorboards groaning in protest. "Forget I said that," he grumbled, turning away, unable to hold your gaze. "Stupid."
"No," you said softly. "You’re not. We’ll talk about it. Eventually."
There was a sensation brewing deep in Raph's stomach. Butterflies?
Raph chanced a look back. Your head cocked just so, gaze combing through his. He could see the questions there, the confusion, the exhaustion. But he didn't see complete despair.
He was searching for that emotion. He saw a tiny smile, something finally the tiniest bit hopeful-- something that looked a whole lot like you. The you he knew.
"Look," he said, sighing, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just… let me help, alright? Lemme clean this place up a bit. Let me-"
"You're a mess. Let's go clean up in the shower or something, c'mon..." You mumbled, sleepily pulling him up, walking a very willing turtle towards your bathroom.
"Yeah, and you're soaked, (y/n), don't you wanna put on some dry clothes?" He was gentle with you. You wanted to take him somewhere, so be it, that's where he went. No matter what it was you said to convince him to do so.
"And you're covered in dirt from patrol. Let me do something that has me focus on someone I actually like, rather than him, please?" You mumbled, using slight force to shove Raph down onto the ledge of your bathtub. He accepted, manually sitting himself down; you couldn't really push him if you tried.
Did you really not want to talk about anything that happened tonight?
Ah, well. It had him confused for a second.
The sensation of a warm, soapy washcloth was in your hands, and you were gently wiping the grime from his scales.
Raph froze. He could feel the heat from the cloth, the gentle pressure of your fingers against his arm. He could smell the faint scent of your soap, something floral and clean that was so drastically different from the stink that your boyfriend had sprayed into this place like a protective skunk defending its territory. This was quite intimate. More so than any fight, any battle he had ever partaken in.
Fuck, he was falling so hard. Falling deeper into this hole he'd dug himself.
He watched you, your brow furrowed in concentration as you carefully cleaned a particularly stubborn patch of dirt from his forearm. Your hands, which had been shaking so violently just moments before, were now steady, purposeful. This was your coping mechanism, he realized. You didn’t want to do any talking. No thinking, no nothing. No nothing, other than focusing on some simple and repetitive task in front of you that took your mind off of the world for a few brief moments.
He held his breath as you moved up to his shoulder, the soft cloth tracing the lines of his muscles. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks again, a deep green tint he was grateful you couldn't see in the dim light of the bathroom.
Still, with your hands gently drying off his skin with an older towel, he didn’t move a muscle. He just breathed– in, out. In and out again. Watching your miniscule hands wash his ginormous form with such care and attention. Attention he’s been wanting to reciprocate to you.
"Raph," you started, your voice a little shaky.
"Mm?"
“You… you’re staying, right?” You chewed your lip. “It’s pouring out there."
"You want me to?"
You nodded, folding the towel and placing it in a bin, soon to be added to your laundry pile. “Please?”
He nodded, moving out of the bathroom with a grunt. "Yeah, 'course. Ain't leavin' you here by yourself.”
He followed you out of the bathroom and into the main room, which now felt slightly less oppressive, though still littered with the debris of your breakdown. Raph quickly began gathering the strewn clothes and damp tissues, tossing them into a pile. He made quick work of the mess. You watched him for a moment, the sight of him quietly cleaning your space doing more to settle your nerves than any amount of cold water had.
"You don't need to worry about the mess" you finally said, your voice still rough. "It can wait. He'll come pick it up eventually."
Raph grunted, dropping a bundle of wadded-up paper. "No. Can’t stand a mess. He doesn't need his stuff, anyways." Ironic. His room was always a mess. He shot a quick glance at the window, which he then shut firmly, locking it this time. The apartment was now sealed, the sound of the outside rain muted to a dull, steady drumming.
Once the worst of the clutter was gone—most of it belonging to your ex, now confined to a garbage bag he’d happily designated for his things—Raph turned to you. "Go get changed. You’re gonna catch a cold."
You didn’t argue. You slipped into your bedroom and returned a minute later wearing some oversized, stained t-shirt and a pair of worn pajama bottoms. At least they were clean.
You moved toward the couch, sinking into the corner cushions. Raph, after checking that his weapons harness was completely empty, followed. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the available space on the small sofa. It was a tight fit for him on his own, let alone with you.
He settled gingerly on the other end, his shell pressed against the armrest, a gap of several feet between you. Your eyes still sat on the floor. Unmoving. But, you did have the energy to nod him over closer to you.
“So… all that,” Raph started, his voice barely audible over the rain. "Your ex. you really done with him?”
You pulled your knees up to your chest and rested your chin on them. “Yeah. Completely. No chance. I meant it. I just… I don’t want to feel that stupid again."
"Don't say that." He whipped his head directly at you. "Jerk just took advantage of the fact you cared. Kept pushin’ to see how much he could get away with. Happens.” He paused, scratching the back of his neck. “But he’s gone now." He let out a slow breath in addition to a pause. “You gonna be okay?”
A genuine smile, the first of the night, touched your lips. "I think so. I hope so. Thank you."
Without a second thought, you shifted, sliding across the cushions until you were right beside him. You laid your head on his shoulder, your temple resting against the rough, warm surface of his scales.
Raph went rigid, a statue of surprise. You felt his body momentarily lock up. You snuggled closer, letting out a deep, cleansing sigh.
“You can relax, Raph,” you mumbled, your voice already heavy with exhaustion. “I like you too."
The words tumbled out thick with sleep, barely coherent but carrying their weight all the same. The warmth of him beside you damn near made you surrender yourself to the vulnerability. It was exactly what your restless mind had been searching for, and now that you had it, your body finally began to let go.
After a minute, something in Raph’s mind slowly allowed him to relax, a feeling that washed over him like sunlight. He let out the breath he’d been holding, the tension draining from his shoulders.
With a gentle movement, you lifted his heavy, muscular arm and draped it across the back of the sofa, settling your head against his bicep. He made a surprisingly comfortable pillow—far better than your dismissive ex, though you certainly weren’t thinking about that.
"Let me know if you want your arm back," you muttered sleepily into his scales, your eyes drifting shut.
Raph grunted, though it came out more like a snort. “Sure.” You felt the deep, steady rumble of his chest beneath you. His arm stayed exactly where you’d placed it, comfortable and stable. He’d lifted his fingers a bit to brush them against your hair. They soon began to move to their own accord, softly scratching your scalp.
You were just so tired. You wanted to sleep. Hard. Deep. Without dreams. You just wanted comfort. And that was what he was able to provide you with.
In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, your breathing had steadied into soft, rhythmic puffs against his scales. Raph remained perfectly still, afraid that even the slightest shift might break whatever fragile peace had settled over the apartment. He watched your eyelids flutter in sleep, the wet remnants of tears dried on your cheeks. His eyes traced the gentle curve of your shoulder where it rested against his bicep.
He gazed at your sleeping form in his arms. Watching you doze off, Raph had some trouble brushing off the small, rare sense of thanks curling in his chest. For once, in a million years, he’d never admit this aloud– he was grateful for Leo, who had purposefully dismissed him from patrol so he could check on you.
The leader had heard shouting from afar. Leo went to check on the disturbance, thinking it was the classic Foot Clan kidnapping case-- he found the situation was very up Raph's alley.
Each brother would have a hard time putting into words just how much complaining he had to hear every night about your ex from his angsty brother. Maybe sending him off would fix it, Leo thought.
Raph had stayed up countless nights thinking about this moment. Not exactly this, but some alteration of this where you finally saw what he did. How he cared for you, why he did. God, how he wanted to shove the thought into your mind that you deserved someone who'd show up, who'd listen, who'd actually care. He never imagined it would happen like this, though. Never imagined the catalyst for your previous encounter would cause you such raw pain.
Your words reverberated in Raph’s mind.
You’ll talk about it. Eventually.
╰♥︎ ╮
i may rewrite this one. we'll see lol
other parts soon to come: links will update as they release <3
series: frustrated reader / turtle of choice (request)
blue hour: bay! leo x reader
sweet nothings: bay! donnie x reader
on my last nerve: bay! raph x reader (you are here)
bayverse tmnt x reader | raphael x black! fem! reader
for years, raphael has followed/crushed on you, an up and coming music artist and starlet, ever since your debut. now, when you comes back to new york to throw a premiere party, he finally has a chance to see you in person... though, a foot clan attack threatens to ruin the festivities.
cw - violence, injury, fighting, romance, love at first sight-ish, raph is adorable, leo is leo, mikey is mikey, 16+, pretty tame
The clang of metal echoed through the lair’s weight room.
Raphael lay flat on the bench, his massive green frame straining but steady as he pressed another rep of a weight well over two thousand pounds.
Sweat gleamed along the ridge of his shell, muscles taut as he lowered, lifted, lowered again with practiced rhythm.
Beside him, propped against the bench, his beat-up phone streamed a live interview.
The glow lit his face, and though his jaw was clenched from exertion, his mouth curved into something rare—an unguarded smile.
Onscreen, you were mid-story, eyes bright, hands moving animatedly as you spoke.
“—so, it was my first fight scene ever, right? And I’m supposed to, like, fake-kick John in the chest,” you laughed, shaking your head. “But my wires got crossed and bam! I nailed him right in the face. My kickboxing coach would’ve been proud, but oh my God, I felt horrible.”
The interviewer chuckled with you, and you added quickly.
“Of course I apologized, like, fifty times. John was such a good sport about it, though. He laughed it off, told me it added to the realism. Still, I wanted to sink into the floor.”
Raph’s chuckle rumbled low in his throat as he re-racked the barbell with a heavy clank.
“Heh. Attagirl,” he muttered, pride sneaking into his voice.
Standing, he wiped his hands along the towel draped over his shoulder, then reached for the six-hundred-pound dumbbells stacked neatly in the corner.
Curling one in each hand, he glanced back at the screen, his gaze softening.
He’d been following you for years—long before movie deals and red carpets.
He still remembered stumbling across your account by accident, scrolling through late one night after an intense session in the Ha'shi.
Back then, you were just another face, uploading mixtapes, vlogs, and snippets of your music career starting out.
He’d clicked because—well, yeah, you were gorgeous.
But the more he watched, the more he realized you were like him.
You liked old-school rap.
Boxing.
The occasional video game.
You cracked jokes, you were down-to-earth, real in a way he hardly ever saw from people outside his brothers.
And over time, it stopped feeling like he was just some random follower.
It felt like he knew you.
He’d watched every clip, every interview, every post—twice, three times, more.
You were one of the first semi-real connections he’d ever made to the world outside the lair, and because of that, he held your things quite close.
“Well, thank you so much for joining us today. And don’t forget, folks—tonight is the big meet-and-greet event in New York!”
Raph froze mid-curl, his dumbbells lowering to his sides.
Wait....
What?
With that signature spark lighting your features, you nearly bounced in your seat, turning toward the camera.
“That’s right! Y'all know I could never let this movie drop without giving props to where I started. So, surprise! Tonight, party in my hood! I cannot wait to see y’all there!"
Thud!
The weights slipped from Raph’s hands, crashing against the floor with a tremor.
His eyes went wide.
“The Bronx?!” he blurted, voice booming in disbelief.
Before he could soak it in, a familiar whirr of jets cut through the room.
“Yoink!”
Mikey swooped in on his hoverboard, snatching the phone right off the bench mid-stream.
He held it aloft like a trophy as the board zipped in a wide arc.
“Aw, big bro,” Mikey teased, grinning ear to ear. “Your girlfriend's comin' back? No way!”
“MIKEY!” Raph roared, charging after him, fists clenched. “Gimme that back!”
Mikey laughed, weaving around the doorway into the lair’s common area, the hoverboard carrying him smoothly over the couch.
“Don’t worry, bro, I’ll tell her you said hi! Maybe I’ll DM her—‘Hey girl, my brother’s totally simpin’ for you!’”
“Shut up! I ain’t—!” Raph leapt, swiping, but Mikey ducked low, skating under his arm and spinning in a lazy circle just out of reach.
“Oh, c’mon, Raph, you been followin’ since her mixtape days,” he wagged the phone tauntingly. “Man, if she only knew the big, bad turtle had a huge—”
“MIKEY, I SWEAR TO—!” Raph lunged, nearly toppling the coffee table in his wake.
The lair shook with Raphael’s thunderous footsteps as he tore after Mikey, who zipped circles around the couches and tables on his hoverboard, the stolen phone still streaming in his hand.
“MIKEY! I’M GONNA BREAK YOU IN HALF!” Raph bellowed, knocking a lamp clean over as he lunged again.
“Chill, Raph!” Mikey whooped, his grin wide as he glanced at the screen. “Your girlfriend’s still talkin’, bro! She’s sooo pretty when she smiles—hey, hey, what’s that? Is she sayin’ where the party’s at?”
“GIVE IT BACK!” Raph roared, his fists clenching, every muscle bulging with fury.
“What the hell’s going on?” Leo barked as he strode in from the hall, his arms crossing tight over his chest.
Donnie trailed in behind him, barely looking up from the holographic display glowing over his forearm, fingers tapping with rapid precision.
Mikey dodged a swing from Raph, zipping past Leo with a laugh, “Oh, nothing, big bro. Just Raph watchin’ his boo again. No biggie!”
“She ain’t my boo!” Raph’s voice cracked like thunder, his nostrils flaring. “I was watchin’ somethin’! You wouldn’t understand—”
“I understand you were about to get the deets to the party!” Mikey cut in, darting around the coffee table.
He gasped, his whole face lighting up.
“Wait... wait, are you going?! Bro, you’re actually gonna go see her?!”
Leo’s brows furrowed deeply, “What? Raph, you’re not seriously considering—”
“I don’t know! Maybe!” Raph snapped, teeth bared, still chasing Mikey around the room. “I was tryna hear where she’s at before this idiot swiped my phone!”
“Okay, okay, but if you do go, can I come? Pleeease?” Mikey begged, eyes wide with exaggerated puppy-dog glee.
“You’re not comin’—!”
But Mikey’s excitement killed his focus.
The phone slipped from his hand mid-spin.
“NO!”
Raph’s eyes went wide.
His legs coiled like springs, then he launched himself off the arm of the couch, ricocheted off the wall, hurdled a chair, and dove—snatching the phone just before it could hit the ground.
He landed hard, rolled to one knee, clutching it in both hands.
The interviewer’s voice came through one last time:
“And that concludes today’s interview. Thanks again for joining us!”
Onscreen, you waved with that radiant smile.
Then the feed cut, the screen going black.
Raph stared at it, chest heaving.
“…I missed it,” his voice was low, dark, simmering.
Mikey winced, “Heh… my bad.”
Raph’s head snapped toward him.
In one swift movement, he seized his little brother by the plastron, yanking him right off the board and dangling him in the air like a misbehaving puppy.
“You're dead."
“Easy, Raph,” Donnie’s voice was calm as he finally looked up, adjusting his glasses. “I can find out where its happening.”
Raph froze, turning just enough to glare over his shoulder, “…What?”
Donnie gestured to his bank of monitors.
“Event permits, venue setups, crowd control patterns—they all leave digital footprints. Gimme a sec.”
He spun into his chair and his fingers flew across the keyboard.
Within moments, a satellite image lit up one of the larger screens.
He pointed at the highlighted structure.
“Here. Uptown Bronx. Judging by the equipment load-in, stage, and security detail, that’s your girl’s event.”
Raph dropped Mikey without a second thought, his fury dissolving into sharp, hungry focus as he stalked to the monitor.
His breath caught slightly, the glow of the image reflecting in his eyes.
“…That’s it,” his voice softened, just for a moment.
Leo scoffed, striding up beside him, “Raph, no. There’s no way you can go to that party. It’s completely open, you’d be seen instantly.”
“I’ll figure it out,” Raph muttered, transfixed.
“No, you won’t,” Leo’s voice sharpened. “What would Sensei think?”
“Sensei don’t gotta know,” Raph turned on his heel, determination etched across his face as he started toward the exit tunnel.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Mikey popped back up, bounding after him with both hands in the air. “If you’re goin’, I’m comin’ too! I gotta meet my new sister-in-law—”
“Shut up, Mikey!” Raph snapped, not breaking stride.
Leo’s patience snapped, and he marched after them, “Why?! Why is this random girl so important to you, huh?!”
Raph spun, eyes blazing.
“She ain’t random!” his voice cracked raw with conviction. “And I don’t gotta explain myself to you.”
Inside, though, his chest tightened.
He knew this could be his only shot.
His one chance to see you before Hollywood swallowed you up, before you became untouchable.
He couldn’t miss it.
Not now.
Donnie, still at his console, spoke up matter-of-factly, “If you stick to the rooftops, you can avoid most direct lines of sight. With the right route, you’d stay clear of cameras, too.”
Raph shot him a look, the first real grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, “Exactly what I was thinkin’.”
“I wanna come!” Mikey sang, already skimming back onto his board. “Rooftop party with my bro! Let’s gooo!”
“Shut up,” Raph shoved past him, heading for the sewer exit.
Leo groaned, dragging a hand down his face, “Donnie, why would you tell him that?”
Donnie simply shrugged, adjusting his glasses again. “He was gonna go anyway.”
With another groan of exasperation, Leo stomped after them, “When Dad finds out, this is on you.”
“Noted,” Donnie muttered, finally standing and following as well.
And just like that, the four brothers disappeared into the tunnels—Raph at the head, driven by a single thought:
Tonight... he was gonna see you.
.
.
.
The rooftops of Uptown Bronx buzzed with the muffled roar of a crowd below.
Floodlights painted the streets in white and gold, and the line of fans stretched for blocks, all pressing in toward the stage at the center.
Four shadows crouched above it all, watching.
Raphael gripped the edge of the roof so hard his knuckles went pale green.
Down on the street, the crowd surged and shouted, their excitement feeding into the storm building in his chest.
He swallowed hard, his throat dry.
This was it.
After years of screens and secondhand connections, this was the first time he was about to see you—in the flesh.
“Dang, Raph, you’re shakin’,” Mikey whispered, leaning close, his grin ear to ear. “Butterflies hittin’ you, huh? I knew you were a softie under all that Hulk Smash.”
“Shut up, Mikey,” Raph muttered, though his voice cracked.
His stomach was flipping in ways he couldn’t fight.
“Bro, this is your moment!” Mikey beamed, elbows digging into his side. “The big reunion! Except, like, it’s not a reunion ‘cause you haven’t actually met. But still!”
Donnie chimed in without looking up from the tablet balanced on his knee.
“Technically, your odds are in your favor. I ran the probabilities—given her personality profile, there’s only about a 12% chance she’d reject you based on appearance alone. Statistically speaking, she’s far more likely to—”
“Thanks, Donnie,” Raph muttered, rolling his eyes.
Mikey gasped, clutching Raph’s arm. “Bro, listen to me. You pull her aside after the show. Get some private backstage action. Boom! Romance city.”
“Backstage action?!” Raph scoffed, heat crawling up his neck. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
“I’m talkin’ about you, bro!” Mikey swung his arms like he was drawing sparks in the air. “You’re the full package! Tall, dark, handsome, big muscles. What’s there not to love?”
Raph shook his head, lips pressing into a thin line.
“Soon as she takes one look at this mug?” he jabbed a thumb at his face. “She’ll run for the hills.”
Donnie didn’t even blink, “Highly unlikely. Eleven-point-seven percent chance, remember?”
Raph shot him a look.
From the other side of the roof, Leo leaned casually on the ledge, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
“Doesn’t matter. The second she shows up, we’re out. Got it? We’re not here to mingle, we’re here to keep Raph from doing something stupid.”
Nobody responded.
“Hello?” Leo raised his voice, scowling. “Am I the only sane one here?”
But then the house lights cut, and a booming bassline rattled the street.
The crowd erupted in screams, and Raph nearly toppled right off the roof in his excitement.
He caught himself, shooting a glance back at his brothers—only to find smirks plastered across their faces.
“Don’t,” he growled, pointing at them. “Not a word.”
A party planner in a headset jogged out onto the stage, hyping the crowd up even more. “Uptown, are you ready?! Make some noise for—”
But you burst onto the stage before the words finished.
“What’s up, Uptown?!” you squealed, your grin wide and electric.
The crowd went ballistic.
Mikey threw his hands in the air, yelling right along with them, “WHOOOOOOO!"
Even Raph let out a raw, uncharacteristic whoop, his chest swelling, eyes damn near starry as he took you in.
Up close, you were even more beautiful than every pixel and clip had ever managed to show.
And that laugh—God, that laugh—was pure music.
From the corner of their eyes, Donnie and Leo turned toward each other, eyebrows raised.
This was the first time in a long time either of them had seen Raphael genuinely excited about something that wasn’t fighting or threatening Mikey.
Their silent look said it all.
Onstage, you threw your arms open wide, “How’s everybody doin’ tonight?!”
The cheers were deafening.
“I’m so happy to be back home, y’all don’t even understand,” you pressed your hand to your chest. “None of this—none of it—would’ve been possible without you. From the ones who were with me when my songs only had fifteen listens, to the ones who just heard of me today, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Mikey gasped, slapping Raph’s shoulder like a madman, “She’s talkin’ about you, bro! That’s you! Fifteen listens! That’s you!!”
Raph shoved him off with a growl, though his ears burned.
You laughed, waving a hand, “Alright, enough of the sappy stuff. Y’all wanna hear a little set before we party or what?!”
The crowd went feral.
Mikey lost his mind.
Even Raph threw his fist in the air and roared, “YEAH!”
The beat kicked in—
—but the celebration shattered in seconds.
Black vans barreled down the street at full speed, tires screeching as they plowed into the crowd.
Screams erupted.
People scattered in terror as the vehicles skidded to a stop right at the stage.
“What the—” Mikey’s grin faltered. “Uh, Raph? This part of the show?”
Raph’s gut twisted cold.
His eyes widened, “…I don’t think so.”
Security rushed forward, but masked men poured out of the vans like a flood, swarming the stage.
They tore through the guards with brutal precision.
You held your ground, fists flying with sharp, practiced kicks.
For a moment, you even dropped three of them, your kickboxing skills cutting through the chaos.
Raph’s jaw dropped.
“Damn—” he couldn’t even finish, half stunned, half smitten.
But there were too many.
Hands grabbed, forced, dragged.
You shouted, fought, twisted, but in seconds they overwhelmed you, shoving you toward the van.
Your scream ripped through the chaos as they hauled you inside.
“NO!” Raph’s roar shook the rooftops.
He sprang to his feet, pointing at the vans.
“We gotta go NOW!”
He didn’t wait.
He leapt off the roof in one bound, the wind howling past his ears.
“Raph, wait!” Leo shouted.
“I got your back, big bro!” Mikey whooped, hurling himself off the ledge, hoverboard screaming as he nosedived after Raphael.
Donnie exhaled through his nose, pulling out his bo staff with a flick.
“Here we go again…” he sprinted forward and dove clean off the roof.
Leo groaned in frustration, tightening his grip on his katanas as he finally leapt too, “Unbelievable.”
The street was chaos—screams, overturned barriers, and bodies darting in every direction.
Black-clad masked men swarmed the stage like a plague, but the second Raphael hit the ground, he was a beast unleashed.
“GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY!” he roared, plowing through the thugs like a tank.
His sai tore through batons, his fists sent men flying.
He wasn’t fighting clean—he was tearing, ripping, bashing skulls against pavement, pure rage driving every blow.
His brothers had seen him angry, but this?
This was feral.
By the time you were dragged to the van, Raph was already there.
He barreled through four men, tackled another straight into the side of the vehicle, then yanked the door clean off its hinges.
Scooping you into one powerful arm, he swung a thug into a light pole with the other.
Your eyes widened as your whole body lifted against his chest, “Wha—?!”
“Yeah, I know how this looks,” Raph blurted, awkward even in the middle of mayhem. “I know how I look. But I ain’t here to hurt ya. I’m here to help.”
You blinked, catching the unmistakable rasp of his accent, “…Wait. You from the city?”
Raph stopped mid-swing, brow furrowing. “That's what you’re concerned about? Not that I’m a huge, talkin’, turtle monster?”
You gave a scoff, even as you clung to his shoulder, “You’re a huge, talkin’, turtle monster saving my life. I'm not complaining.”
For the first time that night, Raphael smirked, a flash of boyish charm slipping through his feral exterior, “Manhattan. Born an’ raised.”
That earned him a quick, genuine smile from you—and he nearly fumbled his grip.
Internally, he was screaming.
The other turtles finally crashed into the fray—Donnie’s staff whipping out, Leo slicing through weapons with precision, Mikey somersaulting into a cluster of guys like it was a video game combo.
“Alright, stay right here,” Raph muttered, setting you behind an overturned barricade.
He turned, cracking his knuckles.
“Lemme handle this.”
“Handle?!You’re—” you cut yourself off, stunned as he threw himself back into the mob like a wild animal.
As he laid out another masked man, he rambled without even thinking, “Y’know, this ain’t exactly how I pictured our first meetin’ goin’ down!”
Brows raised, you peered over the barricade.
“…Huh?”
Raph froze for half a second mid-fight, then winced.
“Aw, hell. Uh... I mean... I been followin’ you for years. Not you you. Like... not in a creepy way. But like your work. Your music, your stories.”
He punched a guy so hard the man flipped onto a car hood, then kept going.
“I think your music’s amazin’, your jokes kill me, you’re one of the funniest people I ever heard, and you’re… you’re beautiful.”
As soon as the word left him, his eyes widened, heat rising under his green skin.
He backpedaled like crazy, chopping through another thug with his sai.
“I-I didn’t mean it like...well, I did, but... not like a creep.... I mean... ugh, forget it, I’m screwin’ this up—”
Your lips parted in surprise, warmth hitting your chest, “You don’t have to apologize. That’s… actually really sweet.”
Raph nearly choked.
“And, seriously, you’re holding a conversation while beating the crap out of thirty guys. That’s impressive.”
He couldn’t help the little chuckle, “Heh. Thanks.”
Curious, you asked, “So… how long have you been following?”
Without hesitation, he grinned sheepishly, “Since your SoundCloud days. (s/n). I had that song on replay for a month, easy.”
You gasped, “Wait... wait, wait, wait... are you... RedWarrior300?”
Raph froze mid-step, eyes as wide as yours.
“...How did you know?”
You beamed.
“Are you kidding? I’ve seen that username everywhere! The comments, the reposts, the likes—you were on every page. I always wondered who that was. You are the sweetest, most detailed commenter ever.”
Raph’s jaw went slack.
You actually remembered.
Inside, you exhaled in relief—thank God he wasn’t some basement creeper.
He was RedWarrior.
A regular guy… or as regular as a six-foot mutant turtle could be.
But still—your eyes traced over him.
Tall, scarred, muscles like stone, that gravel-deep voice.
And damn, was he handsome.
“Sorry, shorty,” Raph muttered, scooping you back up just as his brothers regrouped, Leo slashing through the last of the swarm.
The nickname hit your chest like a warm shock, making your brain fuzz out for a second as you clung to him.
“Path’s clear! Let’s move before the cops swarm in!” Leo barked, sprinting toward the shadows.
“Name’s Michelangelo,” Mikey said, practically running backward as he stuck close. “And lemme just say wow. You are crazy hot up close. Like, supernova-level hot. Also, I’m single. And funny. And flexible. And—”
“Mikey…” Raph growled through his teeth, shooting daggers at his brother.
“—also, my bro Raph here’s been crushing on you so hard he—”
“MIKEY!” Raph snapped, his whole face burning red under the mask.
Donnie pushed his glasses back, already jogging.
“Guys, can we move before the cops ask what four reptiles and a pop star are doing in the middle of a crime scene?”
You couldn’t help it—you laughed.
A real, genuine laugh, even as Raph vaulted with you into the shadows.
Somehow, despite everything... you felt safe.
.
.
.
The lair was calmer than the chaos aboveground, though the energy was still buzzing in your veins.
Leo sat in the corner, sword drawn and eyes never quite leaving you—watchful, skeptical, like he was waiting for you to slip up.
Donnie was back at his console, muttering to himself while screens flickered with code and satellite feeds.
Mikey had already torn open three pizza boxes and was double-fisting slices, happy as ever.
That left you and Raphael at the worn couch tucked into the corner, a little bubble of peace in the middle of the madness.
What started as small talk about music and movies stretched into hours.
He asked about your writing process, and you asked about his training.
You shared stories about your early gigs, and he admitted what it was like growing up under the city, in the shadows.
Somewhere in between, Raph realized that the girl whose voice had carried him through long nights was sitting across from him—real, kind, and laughing at his dry jokes like they actually landed.
Not just beautiful online.
Not just beautiful on stage.
Beautiful, period.
And to you, Raphael was nothing like the cold, intimidating exterior he carried like armor.
He was thoughtful.
Sweet.
And yeah—different.
But somehow that difference only drew you in further.
The scars, the size, even the three-fingered hands—it all just made him more him.
And you liked that.
But time caught up.
Your phone had been buzzing nonstop, your publicist probably on the brink of a meltdown.
You sighed, standing, “Guess I should get back before the city sends a search party.”
Raph nodded, standing with you, “Yeah… makes sense.”
The others gave their goodbyes—Leo with a stiff nod, Donnie barely glancing up but offering a quick “nice meeting you,” Mikey giving you an over-the-top salute with greasy fingers and a heartfelt, “Call me.”
You rolled your eyes, smiling, before heading into the tunnel with Raphael at your side.
For a while, the only sound was water dripping from pipes and your footsteps echoing.
Then Raph cleared his throat, rough and hesitant.
“So… uh… now that your movie stuff is done... you gonna go off to Hollywood?”
You let out a light chuckle, shaking your head, “No, not yet. Movie’s done filming, but they’ve still gotta do all the CGI and stuff. So I’m here until then. Once it premieres in LA, I’ll have to go.”
His shoulders eased a little, “Huh. That’s… good.”
Another beat of silence stretched before he asked, “How’s it feel? Bein’ famous.”
You thought about it, smiling softly. “Honestly? Kinda weird. I used to sit in the park with my lunch and write lyrics. Now, I can’t even step outside without getting swarmed.”
You sighed.
"Not that I'm not grateful. It's just..."
"Different," Raph glanced down at you, finishing your thought for you.
You nodded, “Exactly.”
Another silence fell before you piped up again, your tone warm.
“Hey… thanks for saving me back there.”
He scoffed, waving it off, “No need. Was no big deal.”
“It was,” you insisted, looking at him sincerely. “But in a way, I’m glad it happened. Otherwise, I never would’ve met RedWarrior300.”
That got him.
His lips curved, and despite the red mask, you could see the faint blush burning across his cheeks.
Curious, you tilted your head.
“So what’s the three hundred stand for, anyway?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh… that was my max bench. Back when I first started listenin’ to ya.”
Your brows shot up, “Three hundred pounds? Back then?”
He shrugged like it was nothing, “Been a while since I checked. Now I think I'm a little over three thousand.”
Your jaw nearly hit the tunnel floor.
“Three. Thousand.”
The mental image had your stomach flipping, though you fought to play it cool, forcing your voice to stay casual.
“Right. Totally normal.”
Raph smirked faintly, picking up on your reaction even though you tried to hide it.
Just then, the tunnel curved into one of the older access hatches, rusty metal and chipped paint marking the way out.
You slowed, hand brushing the ladder.
“This is my stop,” you said softly, glancing at him.
“Yeah,” Raph muttered, his huge frame leaning against the wall, arms crossed but his eyes betraying every ounce of nerves.
A quiet hung between you, awkward but not uncomfortable.
“Well... guess I'll se you around?”
“Yeah... see you around,” he echoed, rough voice catching just slightly.
You turned to climb the ladder when his voice stopped you.
“Wait—”
He stepped forward, fists clenching and unclenching.
“Am I... Am I ever gonna see you again?”
You turned back, warmth spreading across your face.
Slowly, you reached into your pocket and pulled out a black Sharpie.
His brow furrowed as you stepped closer.
Then your hand slid into his.
He flinched—instinct, he wasn’t used to anyone touching him.
You noticed the way his breath hitched, the faint tremor in his shoulders.
Your fingertips brushed across his thick, calloused skin, tracing over the lines of his palm.
His muscles tensed like stone, but he didn’t dare pull away.
Click.
The Sharpie popped open.
You carefully flipped his massive hand palm-up and began to write, the ink gliding bold across green skin: your number, clear and neat.
To finish, you added a playful touch.
Three small hearts.
When you capped the marker, you smirked up at him and gently closed his palm over the numbers, sealing it there.
“Call me,” you said, voice low, teasing yet warm.
You made the classic hand-phone gesture, thumb to ear and pinkie to mouth, your smile almost daring him.
Raph froze, staring down at his closed hand, then back up at you.
“Y-Yeah,” he mumbled, dazed, almost like he’d forgotten how to breathe. “Yeah, I’ll… I’ll call.”
You gave him one last warm smile before turning to climb the ladder, your footsteps echoing faintly until you pushed the hatch open and disappeared into the night above.
Raphael stayed rooted there for a second, blinking like he wasn’t sure it had really happened.
Then slowly, his grin spread wide across his scarred face.
He looked down at his palm again, tightening his fist protectively over the numbers like they were the most valuable thing he’d ever owned.
The biggest, baddest turtle in New York… and his heart felt light as air.
“...She gave me her number,” he muttered to himself, breaking into a grin so wide it hurt.
Turning back toward the lair, he couldn’t stop the low hum in his chest—the tune of one of your old mixtape songs he’d memorized years ago.
Shoulders loose, grin still plastered across his face, Raphael strutted through the tunnels, humming louder now, like he’d just won the lottery.
Not only had the girl of his dreams been in his house tonight but the girl of his dreams had given him her number.