I have missed you. Life has been crazy. Writing time has been scarce.
And, of course, when I do write, it's something completely out of the blue.
Or... In this case, Sunshine yellow.
This piece was written for @sharpwindow, who drew this amazing picture that still has my heart in a chokehold
Artwork by @sharpwindow
Thank you for this beautiful piece, Sharp. You have no idea how much it means to me 💛☀️
Jey's Buttercup
A familiar warmth spread its way through her chest and extended upwards, reaching her face.
He was on his knee, kissing her hand, and her heart was betraying her.
Sunshine’s hand flew to her mouth as her innocent blush flourished into a million butterflies, sending her pulse into overdrive. This wasn’t supposed to happen. They were only friends.
Her interest in the overgrown mutant turtle-man started the day she met him. Tall and quiet, he was nothing like any of his rambunctious brothers. His presence was exceptionally serene, and his energy had immediately soothed her anxious nerves.
The moment their eyes had locked, she wanted nothing more than to shower him with affection. To wrap him in a tight embrace and never let go. He looked exhausted and a bit apprehensive. Like he’d never been cuddled or properly cared for. And she wanted it to be her arms he sought for comfort.
But that was insane even to think. She had just met him, and she didn’t want to scare him away before they could even become friends.
So, Sunshine set out to find out as much as she possibly could about the yellow-banded brother. She knew out of all of the turtles, Leo was most likely to spill. Especially the elder one. A bit of friendly flirting got her the info dump of a lifetime.
Jey had been created in a private lab in upstate New York. They had injected him with the same mutagen as the other four and used the same human DNA. They then tweaked his genetic markers by threading in specific traits and physical attributes in hopes he would be a superior version of his brothers.
Which he was.
Jey had a ton of hidden and unexplored “potential,” as the elder Leonardo put it. Although the look on his face said, he didn’t believe for a second that it was neither hidden nor unexplored.
And this just made Sunshine’s curiosity blow right through the roof.
Lucky for her, Jey had finagled his way into a maintenance position, and she was able to submit work orders for things to be fixed or built for her laundry room. This allowed her to feel her way into what he was comfortable sharing with her - which was a lot, surprisingly.
Every time he came down to complete a job, she gave him her complete attention. She asked questions about what he was doing, why he was doing what he was doing to fix it, and if she could help. He was always happy to explain and even helped her, help him - usually through hearty laughs from him and a pouty expression on her face.
After the first few times of her extreme interest, he began to relax and open up, telling her about his empath abilities and energy work training. She learned how hard it was for him to be around others, more specifically, touching or coming into contact with them.
At that point, Sunshine made a conscious effort to always keep her head and heart clear of everything except love and happiness. She became the sunshine he so desperately looked like he needed. She wanted him to be comfortable around her. She wished to be his escape from the overwhelming everyday life on base.
And it helped.
Jey started to frequent visits to the basement - even on his days off! And he never showed up empty-handed. The man always brought at least one little yellow flower with him. A Buttercup. That and a cool beverage for the woman that currently had his heart in a vice grip. The way her face lit up every time he showed up in her laundry room made his heart sing. She always thanked him for the small gifts he brought her, and he could tell she was genuine in her appreciation.
“Why a Buttercup? Are they your favorite flowers?” She asked him one day as she took the tiny flower from his giant hand, a loving smile on her face as she looked up and locked eyes with him.
“Because they remind me of you,” he said quietly, a sweet smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Oh?” Sunny said, her smile spreading into that sassy, skeptical grin she saved to antagonize his elder brothers.
Jey reached his hand toward her, brushing the stray hairs from her face, and tucking them behind her ear. “Yes. Small. Pretty… As bright as the sun… And makes my heart happy,” he told her, not a hint of sarcasm or teasing in his expression.
That was the first time she blushed for him.
Sunshine looked down, a shy huff of a giggle escaping her as she tried to keep her heart from exploding into fireworks.
“You’re my Buttercup,” Jey confessed, tilting the woman’s head back with one finger under her chin, so he could appreciate the deeper blush he had coaxed from her.
Sunshine mentally shook it off and smiled at the mutant. “I’m not sure about all that, but thank you. No one has ever said anything so sweet to me before, and meant it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she took a step back, turning around to put her gift in the tiny vase he had brought down for her recently.
After that moment, she became Buttercup. His Buttercup.
And Sunshine secretly loved it. Her heart skipped a beat every time he called her Buttercup. She couldn’t help but smile every time he said it. She knew he meant it in a friendly manner, so she stuffed down the growing feelings that kept threatening to rear their ugly head. She had to remind herself that she was his safe space. Where he came to escape. She couldn’t let her feelings ruin his happiness - he needed the sanctuary of her laundry room. It was the only place he could come to be himself without others bothering him. In fact, Jey was off-limits in the laundry room. Sunshine had made it quite clear to everyone that their undergarments would suffer the consequences if they so much as breathed in his direction while he was there with her.
Unfortunately, that went for her too. Her and her stupid feelings.
And now here she was, eyes locked with his and wishing it were her lips Jey was pressing his against, instead of to the back of her hand.
Heart crumbling to a million pieces as he released her, and already missing his warm touch, she turned quickly and walked back to her folding table to hide behind the towers of clean towels, and hoped that her red face hadn't given her away.
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