TMNT x Reader - In a Turtle World

"It's complicated..."

Donatello

It had been a day like any other. I had just opened by eyes to find myself slouched over the desk in my lab. Groggily, I sat up in the uncomfortable wooden chair and rubbed my eyes. As soon as I straighten my back, I heard my spine crack so many times I sounded like one of Mikey's prank firecrackers.

I have to remember to replace that stupid piece of junk. I thought to myself, placing my feet on the cold floor and spinning around in the swivel chair. The wheels made a familiar creak and I groaned in annoyance. Somehow, despite being a genius, I could not figure out how to fix that creaking problem.

Oil the axles?

No effect.

Replace the wheels?

The sound only got louder and more high pitched.

At this point my only real option was to chuck it, but I kept forgetting. My mind was already cluttered with ideas for new inventions, stopping Shredder and the Kraang invasion, and of course April.

I blushed at the thought of her dazzling smile and shining eyes. Just the other day when she walked past me on her way topside, she brushed my arm with her hand and I almost died. But even my thoughts of April weren't sacred from my crowded mind.

She was becoming complicated too; well more complicated.

It wasn't like I didn't notice the way Casey acted around her. He was like a lovesick guard dog, ridiculously overprotective and constantly following April, as if he was her shadow. It was pathetic, infuriating and above all a real thorn in my side.

How am I supposed to win over April if I can't even spend time with her?

And it wasn't like I didn't try. Just last night, I had pulled April aside while we were topside to ask her if she wanted to go to Murakami's with me after that night's patrol; just the two of us.

When I had finally stopped stuttering and rambling about the material they used to construct New York's rooves, taken a deep breath and was mid-sentence in asking April if she wanted to come with me, Casey swooped in and wrecked it.

"Hey Red." he said, smirking. Casey jumped down from an electrical box and landed right in between April and I. 

I clenched my jaw and tried to move around him, but Casey kept blocking my way. April seemed not to notice.

"Oh, um, hey Casey. Donnie was just about to-"

He interrupted April by grabbing her hand and pulled her into a twirl, leading her away from me.

April sighed in playful annoyance, but went along with it.

"You coming Don?" April asked over her shoulder, Casey was now resting his left arm over her shoulders casually, as if it were nothing.

"Yeah, I'll catch up in a-", but I didn't even bother finishing because April wasn't listening to me. She was laughing at something Casey had just said, following every word and listening intently as he continued.

She didn't even hear me.

If I had just gotten to the point earlier...

Why the shell do I have to be so awkward? I wish I was more like Raph, fearless.

Well, except for cockroaches; but I'm not trying to date a sewer bug.

Now I've definitely destroyed any chance of going out with April, she probably thinks I'm a idiot.

I can battle alien robots and dangerous mutants, create technology way beyond that of inventors and scientists three times my age, but I can't ask April on a date.

Some ninja you are Donatello.

I sighed and looked around my lab to try and distract myself. The blueprints for my next project were scattered all over the nearby wall, several of which had multiple coffee mug stains from late night sparks of inspiration and all nighters, along with lines that ran through different numerical values and my cramped writing. Timothy was in his tank staring at me, as usual, but when I looked back at him I couldn't help my thoughts drifting back to April.

Casey wasn't the only reason my situation with April had become more muddled. While he was a key factor, my recent encounter with another human had turned the entire dilemma on its head.

I absentmindedly picked up a stray pencil off my desk and began to sketch in the corner of a blueprint for the Shellraiser's next weapons upgrade, drawing slowly as I thought.

Ever since I saw April I assumed that she was the only girl I'd ever like, ever want. Then, I bumped into (y/n); or rather she fell into me. Her expressions, features and vibrant eyes looking back into mine, it was, beautiful. Per usual, I became a blubbering mess. Unable to form a complete and logical thoughts without stuttering, or making myself look like an clown. Plus, I had become utterly perplexed.

Is it possible for someone to like two people at the same time?

Do I even like (y/n)?

Why'd this have to happen to me? The other guys were just fine with (y/n). To them she was just a girl.

I continued to draw, listening to the scratch of the pencil against the rough grain of the paper.

That night when we found her in the alleyway, gasping for air in the hands of a Kraang bot, fists clenched, slowly turning pale as blood pooled below her, it was terrifying. To think that we had only just met (y/n) and her life was about to be snuffed out by those emotionless, extraterrestrial life forms, it had made me realized how dangerous we could be. (y/n) should have stayed far away from us.

But now I didn't have a choice, and neither did she. With her injury being as serious as it was, (y/n) was going to be here for awhile.

I smiled at the thought.

And maybe, she'll even stay after too.

Mikey had grown quite attached to (y/n) and latched onto her whenever she came by, demanding her attention.

The only time I got to spend with her was when (y/n) came by to get her bandages replaced, or the occasional smile she would give me.

If I was Mikey I could just speak to her freely and not even care.

I sighed, propping my elbows up on the rough surface of the desk and resting my head in my hands.

What's wrong with me?

I looked down at the blueprint I had been doodling on, letting various equations come rushing back into by head.

How am I going to rewire the backup electrical generator in the Shellraiser so it doesn't drain electricity from the mainframe?

Still holding on to the stray pencil I begin to go over what I had written and designed earlier, pouring over hours of last night's work and crossing out various ideas.

"No, I can't connect it through the main electrical wire..." I muttered to myself. "Rewire it through the computer system? What was I thinking..."

I must have been half asleep to put this down.

Then as I came to the bottom right hand of the page I saw what I had been unconsciously drawing. 

Right next to my revised single-phase circuit formula was a sketch of (y/n). Her head was tilted slightly to the side and she was smiling back at me, just like she always did. It wasn't my best work, but even Mikey would be able to tell who it was.

I gazed down at the drawing, and had a sudden realization.

I couldn't get (y/n) out of my head.

And honestly, I hope it stays that way.