Twisted Wires Shouldn't Spark ---* Rise!Donnie

Thirteen ---* Video Archive

It had been two weeks and he had rarely left his lab. Something felt like it was crawling through him, tearing its way through his skin and leaving him with nothing left. He couldn't face his brothers. He couldn't work on any of the tech he had in his possession. He couldn't even watch a movie without the feeling over taking him.

Mostly he just sat at his desk, scrolling through the recording he had of you both. Barley eating, hardly sleeping, caffeine the one thing keeping him going. The large screen played recordings of the training sessions you'd done with one another. The small conversations you'd had with one another. The work you'd done on tech together. Pictures of your notebook and its contents. He found the recording of the walk you'd been on together before you'd left.

It was the last video in the queue. The last recorded evidence of the fatal flaw he'd made. To think this all started because he hates pineapple.

"Thank you. This was an amazing date."

Were you lying? Were you telling him what he wanted to hear? He couldn't tell anymore. He thought he'd figured you out. He was wrong.

He stands, moving away from the screen, preparing to turn it off and simply sleep for the rest of the night. Before another video pops onto the screen. It's of you, buildings whizzing past. You look determined.

"Hey, Tello." the voice says, he listens. "I figure this only has one outcome where I manage it. So I should give you an explanation. Hoping that somehow you see this on your gauntlet."

Your pause, taking a deep breath at a crosswalk.

"The Dragons sent me on my last job to ruin you. Upon meeting you, I couldn't bring myself to actually complete the mission. I got so sick of everything that I just decided 'what's one more job'?. But there was something I didn't expect."

You laugh a little, giddily continuing as the city lights cascade over your features.

"You remember those wires in the lab when we were making my gauntlet? They sparked when you least expected it and they were twisted as hell which made it even stranger."

You gasp for breath, continuing to run.

"Well I suppose you could say I'm that bundle of twisted wires, and when I least expected it, I sparked. I found something to come alive for. I'm gonna fix everything. You'll never be hurt because of me again. That spark came alive for one reason, Tello."

You stop running, the purple light of Dragon techs headquarters looming over you.

"I found you." A small smile flickers over your features as you seemingly recall a few memories. "God damn it, Donatello." You say loudly. Your breath catches in your throat as you move to stop the video, whispering something under your breath.

"I'm in love with you."

It ends there, and all he can see is the image of that serene smile on your face. His heart pounds in his chest.

I'm in love with you.

He leans against the counter top of his lab.

I'm in love with you.

He'd left you there for weeks. Weeks. When all you'd wanted to do was set things right. He moves, stumbling towards his lab door, slamming his hand down on the control to open it.

God damn it, Donatello.

He calls for his brothers, heart yelling at him, body aching. Mind racing. Begging for you to be okay. He could be angry later, you just had to be okay.

I'm in love with you.

"Woah, Don." Leo says, skidding into the room. "You okay?"

"It's Y/n. I made a mistake. I need your help to fix it."

"Dude, they broke your heart are you sure-"

"Leo, they didn't mean to." He looks up at his brother from where he lies on the wall. "Please." He whispers, begging. Leo looks him over for a moment. "Please." He says, his whole soul asking for his help.

Leo nods slightly, mouth open a little, before turning to the rest of the lair.

"Mikey! Raph!" He yells, into the space, voice echoing into every crevice of their home. "Gear up and call the Casey's and April. Donnie needs our help!"

"Thank you." He whispers as Leo looks back at him, concern flooding over his face, before a cocky smile replaces it.

"Well, I may be your older brother. But I'm no dick. No matter how much I dislike Y/n, they're important to you. So they're important to me."

Mikey walks into the hall, rubbing his eyes from lack of sleep.

"What are we-"

"Mikey! Get your act together. We got a rescue mission!"

Mikey immediately jumps into action, springing back into his bedroom and throwing things into the hallway in search of his gear.

"You're in love." Leo says, offering him an arm to help him to his room. "And it makes you happy."

Donnie accepts his disaster twins' help. Officially appreciating the name.

"I haven't seen you this happy since before the Kraang attacked."

He couldn't help but smile. Because he could vaguely remember during the war when he saved you, something had overtaken him. It just needed time to grow.

He loved you, and he was gonna make things right.