Ironhearted

Donnie Reconciles

Donnie thought that the pizza party went pretty okay, in his honest opinion. Nothing too major happened, except everyone panicking when Leo fell out of the wheelchair on accident. They all had fun, and Donnie never thought twice about it, but he missed Cassandra's presence in the lair, and seeing her and Casey get along is pretty chill, he supposes.

Currently, everyone is having another slice of pizza in the main area, chatting among themselves. Donnie eventually gets a bit bored of whatever conversation is happening, instead sticking his face in his phone, scrolling on his feed once again. As soon as he whipped the phone out, it was ripped from his hands.

He pouts as he looks up, seeing it was April, "Donatello, we're having a bonding moment and you're on your phone?" A faux anger was on April's face.

"Well I mean, duh. I always have to check in on the latest gaming news, 'Pril." April rolled her eyes, shoving Donnie's phone into her pocket, much to Donnie's dismay.

"Just let me know if you need your headphones, k?" April asked, in a quieter tone. Donnie nods, saying that he will. He allows himself to zone in on the conversation, an argument to say which kind of pizza was the best. Leo was strongly defending his opinion of Hawaiian, Casey siding with him.

"TRAITOR!" came a gasp from Cassandra, "PEPPERONI IS SUPERIOR!"

Leo wraps an arm around Casey, who was sitting down next to the wheelchair, "Sorry Cass, but it seems like your own son agrees with the amazing, talented, very-injured-but-still-functioning Leon!" His shit-eating grin appears on his face.

It got silent. Raph chuckled nervously to break it, "Too early for those jokes Leo, too early."

"Eh, worth a shot." Leo took a sip from his seltzer, a brief look of exhaustion passing his face. Donnie frowned at that, assuming that Leo was getting nightmares, yet isn't telling them. Well, call Donnie a hypocrite, because that's just what he is. All honesty, Mikey was the only one who knows, and Mikey thought the nightmares stopped a week or so ago. That's what Donnie thinks, at the very least. Maybe Michael still did indeed know that he wakes up in the middle of the night, trying not to scream in agony as a full body shudder runs through him.

A shudder runs through him in the present, yet his default expression remains on his face. Leo notices. He says nothing, continuing to joke around with the others, yet his focus remains on Donnie, primarily, who really looks like he didn't want to be there. But the tension in his shoulders were gone, and that constant worry he's not so used to seeing on his twin is gone as well.

Maybe he isn't the only one at masking pain. I'll have to rub that in Donnie's face later, he thinks. Leo suddenly sees a can of Coke aiming right for his face. He moved quickly, trying to tuck in his shell on habit. He feels the wind rush overtop his head, a laugh escaping him as he emerges from his shell. His neck ached. Fuck, it hurts. He didn't mean to, but a hiss of pain escapes him. Everyone's attention is directed at Leo, then at Cassandra. She must have been the one to throw the can.

"Sorry." She apologizes, voice quietly sincere, something Leo still isn't accustomed to.

Donnie didn't hesitate to go over and check Leo's neck, frowning. He seemed fine, must have just pulled a muscle. He groans silently, a bit furious at Cassandra, but otherwise, neutral. Maybe annoyed at Leo, but he couldn't put a name to the emotion. Leo protests that he's fine, shooing Don off after a moment. His muscles just weren't used to the sudden activity yet, Leo states. Donnie hates that he's right.

April suddenly spoke up, the room had gotten deathly quiet again, "Hey, about we do a Jupiter Jim Marathon? Like when we were younger, cuddle pile and all!"

Mikey lit up at that, "Oh me gosh April, genius!" He scrambles up, "I got pillows and blankets!" He runs off to go find as many pillows and blankets. Raph says he'll join Mikey, getting up and following Mikey. Donnie doesn't remember the last time they had a cuddle pile. Maybe when they rescued Leo a few weeks ago. Even so, cuddle piles weren't as frequent as they grew older. It saddened him.

Donnie felt someone pulling him up and taking him somewhere. It was April, "Don, you okay? Like, really," He's silent, so she continues, "Look, Donnie. We all know what Mikey went through with his portal, Raph and his Kraang possession nightmares, Leo's everything, but you've barely said anythin for the past few weeks. Mikey is the only one that was with you most of the time. Donnie...what happened? Did anything happen? Am I overreacting?"

Donnie avoids her gaze. He hates how often these confrontations are now, "I...you're not overreacting," He starts, "Remember in the plan I was supposed to fly the spaceship?" She nods, "Well. I did. But it didn't have a physical control slash captains control panel, it instead connected to the controllers brain and worked like that. My hands weren't enough, I...I had to fully submerge myself in it."

April's eyes were wide, "Don, your sensory issues, didn't they?-"

"Greatly."

He felt warm arms surround him, his previously tense body relaxing into April's arms, "Why didn't you talk about it?" She whispers.

"It connected with my brain. I...I didn't want to leave it. It- it gave me so much power it scared me, April." He whispers back, shoulders going tense again as he feels a shudder run through him again, "Then they- they- they ripped me out of it, I saw my own body, thrashing and- and my own screams-" He's hyperventilating. This is the exact reason why he didn't want to talk about it. It was easier with Leo, the banter and half-truths spilling out of his mouth carelessly. But April? He couldn't do that.

He listens to April, who was asking for him to listen to her. In, out. In and out. In and out. He came down from his high, strung up and even more tense than before.

"Does anyone else know?" She asks, quietly.

"Nardo and Mikey. I don't know how to tell Raph that I'm among the group of traumatized mutant turtle teens, and not the sane one out of them all. Nervous chuckle."

"Don, none of us are sane at this point."

"... You have a point."

April links an arm over Donnie's shoulder, gently guiding him over back to the main area. She made up a quick lie, saying that they were getting drinks.

She looks at Donnie, "Promise to tell Raph, okay?"

Donnie is hesitant, but nods anyway. They all gathered into one pile, Leo pouting as his wheelchair is just next to the pile instead. Hah. Loser. Donne turns his attention to the screen, the movie marathon starting. He smiles to himself, snuggling into the comfort of his family. He's missed this, truly, even if touch is a harder thing for him to process, he loves it nonetheless. The night got quiet again, but it was more of a comfortable one than before. The only noise was the victory cries of Jupiter Jim on the screen, even Cassandra being oddly invested in it.

Donnie couldn't ask for more. He'll tell them all eventually, with help from April of course. Leo will get better, Mikey's tremors will heal, Raph's eye can be fixed with a specialized contact. For once, Donnie was optimistic about the future ahead, his mindset being like Mikey's instead of it's usual pessimistic view of life. Wow, he really needs to start being more optimistic, because god, the future is beautiful.