Risetober 2022

Clothes

"What are you wearing?"

April glares at the blue clad turtle lounging in a large armchair, comic book held loosely in his hands as his eyeridge is raised, expressing his displeasure at her clothing choice of the day.

"It's not like you have any fashion sense to compare it to, Mr. I only wear the absolute minimum," she crosses her arms.

Leo, in typical Leo fashion, rolls his eyes, rolling off the chair and stretching, "I know a thing or two, O'Neil."

April rolls her eyes in response, but she doesn't say anything more. Two months ago, April found four turtle mutant ninjas in training on her roof playing basketball. She remembers how they were terrified of her, but she was just fascinated and immediately wanted to play. Leo may have been the first to play with her, but it has been painfully obvious to April that it was only the first of many tests that she passed. He was not happy when the others brought her into their home.

She was really hoping to run into one of the others. Mikey is always super excited about the latest fashion trends.

"You coming?"

April blinks at the turtle, about her height, standing in the doorway, "You're not gonna try to murder me again?"

Leo snorts, "Nah. It's not fun when you see it coming," his hands rest behind his head, fingers entwined, "Besides," Leo sing songs, turning to smirk at April, "Raph said no murder."

April rolls her eyes again, but this time she smirks back, "Well, what Raph doesn't know won't hurt him."

Leo turns around, walking backwards with impressive grace from the turtle she saw trip on nothing once, wide grin on his face, "You offering to cover for me?"

April grins, shooting a pair of finger guns, "I'll help you with the body."

That sets Leo off cackling and April can't help but join in, his pure joy contagious. Even once they both calm down, April can't help but treasure the memory of that twinkle in his eye, the softness of his smile, the relaxation in his shoulders. She finds that she wants to see this again, the same way she wants to see Donnie's face after they infodump about their recent project or the way Mikey bounces in one spot after he finishes he recent art project or the way Raph fiddles with his elbow spike as he explains that he crocheted this just for her.

Leo knocks on the wall in front of them, although the purpose is defeated as he saunters into the room anyway, hollering, "DONTRON! WE HAVE A FASHION NONO!"

"I am trying to work, Nardo," Donnie pokes their head up from the underneath of a desk, wires in hand, only to receive a finger pressed against their lips.

"Shhshhshh!" Leo shushes, removing the finger from a scowling Donnie's face to flick his mask tails over his shoulder, "Your amazing twin here has a new project for you to work on."

Donnie clearly tries to hide the twinkle in their eyes by moving their head back under the table, "Uh-huh. What sort of project are we talking, Leo?"

April watches Leo's grin turn into all teeth and gulps. She suddenly very much wishes she had gone to her mother for advice instead of looking for turtles.

Leo, the traitor, steps aside, arms out to the side, framing her figure, "A fashion project."

April is sure that if Leo had eyebrows they would be wiggling.

Donnie sits up and their eyes travel up and down, taking in her appearance, before a match grin appears on their face as they look at Leo, "Raid Raph's fabrics."

Leo skips off and April feels like a bug under a microscope.

This is not going to end well.

———

This ended so well!

Donnie spins in their chair, arms raised and giggling. Leo's hands flap up and down as he stomps in place.

"Give us a twirl!" Leo demands for the seventh time.

April only obeys because damn she feels fabulous and her little cheer squad squealing and congratulating themselves certainly help.

She can't wait for her next school dance!