i, a native English speaker, have no idea what that anon was saying lol
good to know we’re on the same level then dkfjg
fevertowrite
IM GUESSING that they're asking that if the turts being sexual to each other as a joke/brotherly way is okay with you??? IDK TBH IVE READ THAT ASK 10X??? but like you don't really say that to your bros ?? Thats just awkwarD
yeah if that’s the case then uuuuuuh nope no nah não nada
22. "Can I open my eyes yet?" M TEAM EHEHE,,, have fun flaux :D.
"Can I open my eyes yet?“
Behind him, Raph groans. This little theater is a tangible test to his patience. Donnie can practically feel him glaring daggers at his shell. They must have cut short a punching bag session in the living room.
“No!” From the sounds of it, Mikey bounces up and down a few feet in front of him. “That’s the point of a surprise, brah!”
“Okay, fine.” Donnie can’t help but laugh a little. Just being up and about has him in a good mood. And a week after what they call the ‘Alien Crystal Incident’, he’s glad they’ve let him out of bed altogether.
“We’re almost there,” says Leo as he guides him, both steady hands placed on Donnie’s shoulders.
By the time they reach the small set of stairs, the scent of Isopropyl alcohol, mechanic oil and old, stale coffee gives the lab away. But Donnie remains quiet. Inconspicuous. Michelangelo is too excited about this. He will not ruin whatever ‘surprise’ his brothers have prepared for him.
There’s steps and rearrangement of things as Leonardo shifts away from him to place himself into his line of vision. Then Mikey adds, “Okay, now you can open them!”
Donnie does. And he freezes.
“Tada!” Mikey raises both arms in the air gesturing at his usual now spotless work-space.
“… Wow.” He forces the corners of his lips up into a smile. “This is-” Horrible, horrible, horrible!
This is the worst kind of violation of privacy. Did they realize how dangerous these chemicals are? Had they used the right equipment to handle the more volatile, toxic ones? Had they placed them in a safe spot considering each chemical’s specific properties, the environment conditions they require and- Oh God. He’s never gonna find anything. It had taken him months to alphabetically catalog every single tool, beaker, substance, salvageable part - He has a system!
Donnie breathes in and out. “Great, guys. Thanks.”
Leo crosses his arms over his chest, a pleased gleam shines behind his mask. “Yeah, we figured after the mess the Crystal caused, it’s the least we could do.”
Donatello makes all effort to hide the grimace behind a straight, relaxed facade. So this is what’s it’s about. A ‘I’m glad you’re not dead’ gift. Part of him wants to either moan or burst out laughing. The rest can’t blame them. After getting napped by a mobster gang, surviving exploding buildings and being molecularly scattered, it hasn’t exactly been his month. In fact, Donatello’s surprised they haven’t done something like this sooner.
“Thanks.” It’s all he says through clenched teeth.
“Okay, okay!” Mikey hops in front of him. He holds one of his white-erase markers as if it is a microphone. “But that’s not all! Raph, show Donnie what else he has won. Let’s take a look behind door number two!”
Please don’t let it be the Shellraiser. Not my son. Or the Stealthbike or – Donnie forces his face into a neutral expression and whirls around. He’s not ready for another surprise.
There’s no door number two. Thank the stars.
Raphael rolls his eyes. He stomps towards Donnie and simply drops a box in his hands. “There, Happy Mutation Day.” He leans sideways to catch a glimpse at Leonardo. “Can I go now?”
“No way, dude!” Mikey interrupts turning Donnie around so he’s facing all three of them and pushed the newspaper wrapped gift towards his plastron. “He has to open it first! Come on Dee, open it! Open it!”
Okay, who gave Mikey sugar? He hasn’t been this excited since he found Leo’s secret stash of animal cookies.
Donnie swallows. Better get it over with. He tears apart the newspaper wrapping and lets it fall at his feet.
Fingers meet a smooth, cool surface that squeaks with every touch. His eyes widen at the sight of the thin plastic layer surrounding the packaging. This… this gift wasn’t scavenged. It wasn’t rescued from the junkyard like his usual Christmas presents. He turns around the bright blue and white box to find the product’s name in shinny, thick orange font. Right underneath the company’s slogan, a single photograph of his present’s contents pops into view-
His heart stops.
He looks directly at Raphael.
“Do you love it?!” Mikey intervenes. “Tell me you love it ‘cuz we all pitched in and Casey went to the store and-”
“I love it.”
Michelangelo squeals in delight and before Donnie knows what’s happening his little brother shoves himself against his plastron for a quick hug. Then he steps away and starts swinging himself back and forth on his toes. “I knew it! Techy stuff never fails! High-three, Raph!”
Raphael sighs at first, but moves forward to grant Mikey’s request nonetheless.
“All right!” says Mikey completely satisfied with himself as he salutes them all. His voice turns deep and serious. “My job here is done.”
He marches as he exits the lab.
A beat of silence.
“He didn’t find my poptarts, did he?”
There’s a look of grim acceptance from Leonardo as he shakes his head. “Splinter’s white chocolate coated Pocky.”
Michelangelo is a goner.
A clank, metallic and loud, comes from the kitchen within seconds. After a cat-scream and a sheepish 'Oops, sorry Kitty,’ Mikey’s voice reaches their ears, “I’ll fix that! Don’t worry, everything’s fine!”
Leo sighs. “I’m gonna make sure the kitchen’s in one piece.”
Immortal words from the guy who sets it on fire at least once a month.
“Seriously, Donnie,” says Leo stopping on his tracks to place a comforting hand on Donnie’s shoulder. “We’re glad you’re okay.”
And Donnie feels himself smiling at Leo’s retreating shell.
Then it’s just Raph and him in the lab. For a moment Donnie stands stupidly there. And Raph does the same. Donnie glances down at his gift then back at his immediate older brother. Now understanding perfectly why he had wanted to leave before he opened the present. His thumb brushes over the clear picture on the box. It’s not the most advanced technology. Not anymore. Which is also probably why they could afford it. But Donnie doesn’t mind. Just the fact that Raph remembered sends a warm wave inside his chest. It spreads through every limb and puts a soft smile in Donnie’s features.
“Raph-”
“Look.” Raphael jabs a finger in his direction. “Before you get all mushy on me this was Mikey’s idea so there’s no need to-”
“Is this the next-generation cadmium processor with quantum encryption?”
Raph stops talking. He might as well be in another place. Another time. The memory of a night, that now seems to belong to someone else, a lifetime ago. A lost part of their lives, when everything was simpler, their food toned greener and yet, their smiles somehow bloomed faster. And he must have been thinking the same thing, as he he mumbles the next words barely meeting his eyes.
