it's you i like! (jonatello)

it felt so unreal

donnie froze in shock. he'd never imagined casey, of all people, would be doing this...

i kinda like it.

WAIT WHAT! NOO. NOOOOO. WE LIKE APRIL STUPID BRAIN CHEMICALS. CASEY IS THE ENEMY. CASEY IS BAD. APRIL IS GOOD.

but this is good..

NO. THIS IS BAD. THIS IS WHAT WE SAID TO AVOID. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS! WHY ARE WE DOING THIS!?!?!??

casey's hand slowly fell from donnie's cheek as he released him. both were cherry-red in the face and gasping for air, staring into the other's eyes like deer in headlights.

"i- oop." a voice came from the door. they both whipped around to see mikey standing with one hand on the door and the other over his mouth.

"woahh. dudes!!" mikey squealed, making donnie blush even more with what warm blood he had. the younger turtle sprinted in the direction of raph's room.

"MICHAEL!! GET BACK HERE!" donnie screamed after him, giving chase. raph emerged, looking like he had lost a fight with an angered mother possum; leo following, both staring with tired glares.

"YA ME!" splinter called. "donatello, casey. come." after exchanging a wary glance, the two followed him into the dojo. splinter kneeled on the ground and gestured in front of him, signaling for the others to do the same. they sat, facing splinter, bracing for a long lecture.

splinter's gaze softened. "i see you two have been becoming closer lately." he chuckled. casey felt donnie tense beside him, but quickly relax.

"would either of you like to explain why michelangelo seems so energetic at this time of night?" splinter asked softly. donnie looked over at casey, tears brimming at his scarlet eyes against his will. casey simply nodded and looked back up at splinter.

"so.. donnie and i have kind of been fighting over april's attraction since we've known each other.." casey saw the rat's ears prick up a little. he went on. "but just recently we sort of have been developing feelings for each other instead, and.. i guess mikey just really wanted us together." splinter listened, ears pricked and tail twitching from side to side behind him. the rat studied the ground for a moment, then looked up at donnie with a loving smile. he pulled the two teens into a hug -- a rare occurence.

"casey, donatello, you know very well that i will always accept you, no matter who you choose to be." donnie let out a choked sob at his father's words. splinter let go of them and nodded dismissively, rising to his feet and walking off to his own room.

donnie fell into his bed upon him and casey re-entering the lab. he had always despised displays of emotion, but he allowed himself to cry just this once, even if he might have been embarrasing himself in front of casey.

"hey, dude, it's okay!" casey rushed to his side, bringing him into yet another hug and allowing donnie to sob into his shoulder. he knew the purple-masked turtle never cried and hated when people did it, so it really must have been terrible if he was.

donnie fell limp, weak from emotional exhaustion and crying for twenty minutes straight. casey, to his surprise, had simply let him cry, no judgement or anything. now the two sat, still wrapped in a hug, with casey soothingly tracing the marks and scratches on donnie's shell.

casey soon realized that donnie had fallen asleep on him. laughing softly to himself, he picked donnie up bridal style and set him gently on the bed, as not to wake him. donnie barely let anyone get close, let alone a hug, even less falling asleep on them. casey emerged into the living room where raph and leo were watching tv (it was still midnight, but everyone was already awake anyway).

"sup, case." raph greeted him without looking away from the screen.

"nothing much." he responded simply.

"dude, why's your shoulder soaking wet? what went on in the lab??" leo interrogated him.

"yo, chill. i just spilt some water." casey lied. donnie would kill him if he let the others know he had been crying. leo just shrugged and turned back to the tv screen.

the raven-haired teen wasn't paying much attention to the tv, but he sat out there anyways just scrolling through his phone. suddenly, he got a notification from donnie.

dee:
wya?

Me:
watching tv w/ fearless and raph.
why?

dee:
idk u just left

Me:
oh yeah lmao u fell asleep on me and i didnt wanna be stuck there so i just put you down idk

dee:
...
i did what 😀

Me:
lol yah just get out here u big nerd

he set down his phone with a smile, donnie almost instantly emerging from his laboratory to meet casey. donnie sat on the couch next to him; casey hooked his arm around the purple clad turtle's shoulder and pulled him closer, making his green facial scales turn bright red. raph and leo look over at the two, then at each other. both turn back to the tv with sly smirks on their faces.

_______________________________________

A/N: sorry this chapter was quite a bit shorter than the others but i've got a bad case of writer's block right now and i really just wanted to get this chapter out so sorry for the long wait and also short part! i'll try my best to get out of it but who knows.