It's Okay To Be Different | TMNT Donnie X OC Love Story

good riddance, space

"Finally, everything's normal again!" Mikey exclaimed, basking in the night sky of New York.

Obviously everyone should have just stayed in their home, but the gang just saved the world, which unfortunately wasn't their first time. Despite some screams of terror from the passersby, Mikey was happy.

"I'm gonna bring Iris back." Jophiel stressed and flew away to her home.

"I can't wait to see them!" Leo whisper-yelled to Maya.

"We saw Iris like an hour ago."

"Yeah but that's like an hour wasted without them."

"You need professional help."

Jophiel came back with her breezy presence. In her arms was a miffed Iris, their large eyes narrowed. It seemed like if they stayed in the expression forever, they would have normal sized eyes. Around their eyes were a blended raw red color. Oh no, Leo thought to himself.

"Leo..." They growled lowly as they stepped up to their lover. "You! You can't just toss me around whenever there's trouble! I'm a human being! I know I'm not as strong as you guys, but Zayton taught me to be self reliant. I don't need to be hidden away like a dark secret. I'm cognitive and conscious...and self aware. I'm. Human."

"Iris, I'm really sorry. I know you don't want to be left out, but I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I'm just trying to protect you."

Iris stomped closer to Leo, their eyes enlarged to their normal size. Tears began spilling down their cheeks. They weakly slammed their fists in Leo's plastron as they sunk to the ground. "He's gone! He's gone! I know he sacrificed himself to save us! That's exactly the kind of thing he would do! You knew and you didn't tell me! Nobody did! I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

The group was silent as Iris sobbed out their woes. All of this from such a small teenager. No, adult. Iris was, a newly blossomed adult.

---

"I'm hungry." Mikey moaned, grabbing his growling stomach.

Raph rolled his eyes playfully and patted Mikey's shoulder. "Don't worry, little brother. We'll grab some pizza in a minute."

"On it." Raziel dashed away, giving everyone else some time to talk amongst themselves.

Donnie rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly chuckling. "I should probably tell you guys that me and Raz...are kind of...a thing."

"We know." Everyone else deadpanned.

"Oh, okay good."

"I didn't know!" April yelled.

"So...does anyone else have a traumatic association with space and absolutely hate it now?" Maya asked in one breath. "And no Leo, you don't count! Your special interest automatically disqualifies you."

Everyone collectively raised their hand, especially Iris and Raphael. Iris still had the sniffles, but they were quick to stifle them with slaps to the face. Raph was very concerned about that.

"I already hated space and stuff so, yeah."

"It reminds me of the sea. And I just lost my best friend. That is, as you say, no bueno."

"Good. So we never going to space again?" Maya rubbed Iris's shoulder soothingly, after which she clasped her hands together and smiled.

"Agreed."

"I brought pizza!" In one of Raziel's hands was about five boxes of pizza. In the other held a black cuboid apparatus.

"Finally!"

Everyone began to grab slices of pizza and devour it wholly. With greased up fingers, Mikey pointed at the item in Raziel's now less occupied hands.

"What's that?" Mikey asked. Without asking, he inspected the object between his dirty fingers. "Why'd you bring a camera?"

Zi's face went bright red. It seemed like the top of his hair fluffed up with him in embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, no reason. It's stupid, I'll go put it back."

"Did you want to take a picture?" Casey sprayed out some food with his query.

"Um...yeah."

"Aw." Donnie smiled.

"Aw, that's so cute, Razi!"

"Sh-shut up, Jo!"

Jophiel grinned, her eyes creating an arched shape. "Alright, let's take a picture together!"

With some squabbling, the group downed the food in their hands and posed for a photo.

Maya handed the black camera to the purple turtle. "Donnie, press the camera since you could probably get back the quickest."

"Hey!"

"Just do it!" Raph yelled.

"Okay, ready?" Jophiel asked everyone.

"No!"

"One, two, three!"

With a staggeringly bright flash, a photo was taken, and a square of film was spat out from a bottom slit. Within a minute, the film developed into a photo containing the ten friends.

"Aw man I blinked!" Leo complained.

Raph growled. "We're not taking another one."

"I like it!" Jophiel beamed.

"To us! For saving the world!"

"Again."

"To us!"