Tragedy Ever After

Loneliness

        ~Normal POV~

     I woke up in the middle of the night, my body aching from how I was laying. My hand raised to rub my face, the skin feeling slightly sticky and splotchy. Had I cried in my sleep? Was it something I dreamt about?

     I sat up on the couch, pulling my knees to my chest and tugging the blanket closer to my body. The whole house was quiet, minus the TV that could barely be heard. Something about the silence made me uncomfortable.

     I uncurled myself and stood from the couch, making my way toward Don's door. My feet quietly padded across the floor and I found myself frozen when I reached the bedroom.

     "Donnie?" the nickname escaped my lips in a tired mistake. There was no response. I cracked the door open and looked inside. The turtle was laying on his side with his soft shell facing the door. "Don?" I called him again.

     "Y/n?" he sat up and wiped at his own eyes groggily. "Is something the matter?" I stayed in the doorway, nervous to enter the room.

     "I wanted to say sorry. I didn't mean to shut down again, I was just thinking about us and then I couldn't stop thinking about that night," I bit my tongue, not being able to make out the boy's face in the dark or from the distance.

     "Y/n, you don't need to apologize for your shutdowns. I know they aren't something you can control," I could hear his soft smile. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

     "Mm-mm," I shook my head and held the edges of the weighted blanket. I was scared talking about it would lead me to shut down again.

     "That's all right. Is there anything else you need?" he was always so gentle when he was tired. I missed this side of him during the day. His protectiveness was nice, but I liked this soft side as well.

     "Do you think I could stay in here for the night? It's so quiet and lonely. I don't wanna be alone," I murmured embarrassedly. I hated this feeling of weakness.

     "Yeah. Yeah, c'mere," he inched back on the bed to make room for me. I entered the room, closed the door behind me, and climbed onto the twin bed.

     "I'm not too close, right?" I tried to push back to give the mutant space.

     "No, you're okay," he hummed at the space between us. "You're so warm," he added quietly, the sheets rustling as his legs moved closer to mine. "Would it be all right if I held you?" my cheeks heated up at the thought.

     "Okay," I whispered. I could only hope my body wouldn't be against the contact. It wasn't like it would be the first time we had cuddled, but it just seemed different. Maybe it was because I still had that night on my mind.

     Don's hand draped over my waist gingerly, as if I would break if he was quicker about it. I helped him shift the blanket to fit us both under it and he gently pulled my back against his plastron.

     "I want you to know, I am sorry about that night. So many things have changed since then," he told me quietly. "I used to have so much hatred toward humans. I thought everyone was the same. I wanted to learn what it took to truly break someone.

     "When I met you, I saw an opportunity. I saw an unsuspecting plaything and took my chance. Y/n, you've taught me there is so much more to a human than anger and disgust. And I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe it's because I've bottled things up for so long and I've finally found someone who doesn't see me as a monster.

     "I don't mean to scare you or hurt you, or anything of the sort. When I'm around you, I feel accepted, and I think that's all I've really wanted. I'm sorry I tore you and April apart, I'm sorry I got you mixed up in some stupid shit that's my fault. I'm just sorry."

     My hand placed itself over Don's, feeling him reach to interlock our fingers. Maybe it was something about loneliness that made you confess things you normally wouldn't. My thumb brushed carefully over the mutant's cool hand. Or, maybe it was something about comfort that made you spill your biggest secrets.

     "Don, how much of you do I really know?" I asked him out of curiosity. "What bits aren't a lie?"

     "I think you know the real me. . . I'm an insecure kid who never truly felt accepted. You've seen me at my most vulnerable, you've seen me at my worst. The emotions I showed you were never a lie," he hid his head in the crook of my neck. "What about you?"

     "I'm insecure, too. I only ever had one friend, and the night I met you I was scared half to death. Sometimes. . ." I took in a deep breath. "Sometimes I'm still scared you'll come in and finish the job. Sometimes when I'm around you, I'm so scared. Even when I want to trust you, I'm scared to.

     "But, it's not all fear. Sometimes I'm nervous because I want to be close to you, to have moments like this, but I can't figure out how to tell you. All in all, I think the stupid shit is worth it to be close to you."

     "Gods, I think this is why I love you," a gentle kiss was pressed to the back of my head. "You always search for the good, even if you don't know if it really exists or not."

     "Love?" I echoed, cheeks flaring at the word. Don nodded, nuzzling further into me. "I think everyone deserves a chance to be seen as something other than the villain. Don't you, Don?"

     "Y/n?" he didn't answer, only calling my name and I hummed for him to continue. "Please never change."

     "I wouldn't dream of it," the arm around my waist tightened, me and Don's legs intertwined under the blanket. I loved the moments like this, where we could both trust each other.

     "Hey, Don?" I asked for my mutant sleepily, earning a just as tired hum from him. "I think I love you, too."

     Word Count: 1,056. Okay, I think I'm proud of this. It's currently 4 am, and I think I'm gonna pass out as soon as I publish this, so enjoy!