I'll Be Here || TMNT

I'll Be Here

6/11/22 A/N:

This one-shot is heavily inspired by 'Never Alone', one of several TMNT fanfictions I (regretfully) deleted a few years ago. The recovery of 'Never Alone' is all thanks to Kittymasterofall14 — thank you again to Kittymasterofall14 for the recovery of 'Never Alone'!!

If anyone has any of my other old fics in their library that were deleted, and would like to help recover it, I would be very very grateful :) Currently, these are known to be among the ones still lost somewhere in the void: 'The Last Days', most of 'Mikey's Bullies', and 'Paper Thin'. I'm slowly reuploading the ones wonderfully recovered: 'Saving Mikey', 'Bloody Orange', 'Workaholic', 'Heartbeat', 'Emotionless', and 'Insanity'. (I'm sensing a bit of a theme to my preteen self)

I planned to edit 'Never Alone' only slightly — but its somehow turned from 3 pages to 23 pages, changed a lot of plot content (especially the second half), and adopted the title 'I'll Be Here'.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! :)
_____________________

I'll Be Here

        "But papa," I whine softly, pulling the fleece orange blanket closer to my quivering chin. "Waphie said that tonight he's going to turn off the nighty wight once you weave..."

An annoyed groan erupts from the corner of the small room that me and my three older brothers share, shortly followed by a thump of a head or fist against a pillow.

I only pout over in the general direction of my second-eldest brother, as due to my father sitting in the way — plus, with D's half-asleep form laying behind him — I'm unable to make out his familiar, dark figure laying on a similar mat to my own.

"Do not worry of it, my son." At the sound of my father's calm, reassuring voice above me, I look up through shining, purposeful tears. Even more warmth fills his wise russet gaze, directed down at me.

"I will stay until you and your brothers fall asleep. Just close your eyes, Michelangelo."

Arms gently wrap around me, accompanied by a growing warmth. My eyes brighten with success at the words, and my quivering lips widen to form a yawn.

"I'll be here, beside you. Always."

My eyes flutter shut on their own accord, and I sigh with complete content as his words begin to fade away. Although the world darkens around me, I know that he's right here with me, with us; just as he promised, always by my side, shrouded in a blanket of calming, warm blue light emitting from behind.

He's right here.

I stare at the ceiling for a long, long time, my eyes and mind equally empty.

It had only been another one. Another memory, in the form of an all too real-feeling dream. Though not long ago I felt surrounded by such warmth and love, it truly has been forever since what I just so vividly experienced actually took place.

And as always, I opened my eyes to find that I am, instead, alone.

Too often the memories I try to chase away during the day find me at night. Too often they are dark, overly graphic depictions of the events that I never want to face again — sometimes, I even dream of terrible things that haven't actually happened, or are just worse versions of events that did. Frequently, whether I realize I'm dreaming or not, I force myself to wake up out of a pure desperation to confirm whether or not it is real.