Waiting. Waiting for him was an anticipation like no other. In this tiny loft of an apartment, shut away from the world as I made my creations I waited for him to appear.

Painting seemed to be the only way to pass the time. Painting and sculpting were the only way I kept my thoughts away from him. And even then, as I tried my damndest to finish the piece commissioned by Wendu Gordon, thoughts of him bled into my work. If I wasn't careful every piece started to turn green and orange and blue…sky blue like his eyes…or were they sea foam green? They seemed to change colors with his moods, which were ever changing.

With a life so unstable…it was no surprise. But I could be his stability..couldn't I?

I painted until the noon sun turned to dusk, blending colors, mixing shades of red and brown and gold. When I was finished I stood back and admired my work. A large phoenix stared back at me, its eyes the same blue as Mikey's. "Shit." I squinted, cocking my head, it was still pretty cool. Maybe Gordon would like the new addition to the work. Shrugging I wiped my paint covered hands on my ragged paint towel and brushed my blue dreadlocks away from my face, making my way into the kitchen to get a beer. As I turned the corner, I was met with the familiar sight of a battered brown shell eclipsing my refrigerator. It was almost as big as the man-boy-turtle…yes, the turtle under it. A broad smile graced my pierced lips.

I hadn't even heard him come in. He was standing in the light of the refrigerator raiding a half empty box of Marco's Pizza. Shoveling the last of a pepperoni, cheese and pepper pizza into his mouth he let out a satisfied burp and let the cardboard box slide to the floor from his large three fingered hands. I leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen and let myself admire this strange, beautiful unearthly being so familiar yet so foreign to me.

"Hey babe." He said, not bothering to look at me as he gulped the last of the soymilk and grimaced, wrinkling his flat nose in disgust. "Why don't you buy regular milk? This is totally gross babe, totally gross."

"Hello to you to." I rolled my eyes and closed the distance between us, taking the now empty carton from him. "I'm lactose intolerant, and if you'd only looked a little closer, you'd see I bought you your own milk." As I grabbed the carton my fingers brushed his. I was always taken aback by how soft his skin was; soft and cool despite its rough, reptilian appearance. Giving me a skeptical brow raise he stuck his head back into the refrigerator.

"Ohhh! My bad. I totally missed it."

"Yep."

"Sorry babes." He tried and failed to look apologetic, then settled on a smirk, his blue eyes twinkling.

"It's okay..Come here." I pulled him into my arms and he froze slightly before wrapping his muscled arms around me and resting his chin atop my head. It was only our second hug. "I missed you."

"You did? I mean…you did huh?" He sounded surprised and uncertain. I'd have been hurt by his surprise were it not for the realization that he probably didn't hear those words, or any kind words from most people. Sightings of Michelangelo and his brothers were more often than not met with fear and then relief after New Yorkers realized they were friend and not foe.

I knew that from the beginning.

"I did." I let my head rest against the ridged muscle of his chest and inhaled his scent, the smell acrid yet familiar. Mikey always smelled of earth and ocean water. "I didn't hear you come in either."

"Babe…I'm a ninja. You're not supposed to hear me move."

"That's true." I felt his arms loosen and released him from the hug, too soon for my liking. I knew however, he wasn't really used to being touched by anyone. I hoped he'd get used to being touched by me. "So," I canted my head upwards, searching his face." Shall I let you get back to raiding my fridge, or you wanna see something cool?"

"Ummm…" He glanced towards the refrigerator then back at me, "That's a toughie. How bout I keep eating AND you show me something cool?" He gave me a toothy grin.

"I guess Michelangelo." I rolled my eyes.

"You had to use my full name." He'd move onto the freezer and was shoving his hands into a carton of blue bell.

"It's the only way you know I'm serious, and use a spoon! Sheesh!"

"Hey hey…ninjas-"

"Don't need spoons I know."

"Exactly." He nodded sagely and began licking chocolate ice cream off his fingers. I blinked to keep myself from fixating on the sight of his bright pink tongue darting out from between his lips, its pointed edge skilled and adept.

Oh God…

"What?" He stared at me quizzically, chocolate ice cream dripping down the side of his mouth," You want some?"

Against my better judgment my body reacted and I reached out to him, wrapping my slender brown fingers around his thick green wrist. His blue eyes widened as I brought his hand towards my mouth and proceeded to lick the remainder of the chocolate ice cream from his long thick fingers. Never breaking eye-contact I slowly sucked the cold liquid off each finger.

"Whoa…." Shock, nervousness, and arousal danced across his face. And then…he smirked. "Good right?"

"Very." My hand was still wrapped around his wrist.

"Told you it was better that way."

"That you did." I released his wrist and reached up to thumb a trickle of ice cream off his chin, just as his pink tongue darted out to claim it. I inhaled sharply as he wrapped his tongue around my thumb deftly licking the ice-cream away. "Oh…" I murmured."

"Sorry.." He said sheepishly taking a step backward," It was my ice-cream first."

"Don't be sorry…I moved forward and he stepped back again, sandwiched between myself and the open freezer. "I was surprised that's all…but…I liked it."

"For real?"

"Yes."

"Oh.." He laughed, "okay then…cuz I can totally do that again sometime, I mean if you want." He darted his eyes towards mine before they settled on my lips then moved back to my eyes again, his cheeks turning bright pink. My heart swelled with love for the shy, gentle being in front of me.

I loved him…it had only been a few months since he and his brothers had rescued me from near death that night. Since then he and I had struck up a friendship based on our mutual love of pizza and art. He'd been coming to visit me almost weekly since then, and somewhere along the way my feelings had grown from friendship, admiration and respect to love. I'd known for a few weeks now but was afraid to tell him, so many things were in the way. One, his status as a ninja and a mutant, the other my status as a human and almost 7 years older than he was. With that love came a growing bloom of arousal and lust. He was unlike anyone I'd ever met or had the pleasure to see up close. Many more times than I'd care to admit, he was the center of my masturbation fantasies. I lay away till the wee hours of the morning calling out his name, hoping he heard, yet praying he hadn't. I didn't want to taint our friendship yet at the same time I wondered…wondered…did he feel the same?

"Uh….sooooo."

"Oh." It was my turn to blush. I'd spaced out on the guy struggling with my tortured thoughts, and currently I still had him pinned against the freezer. "I'm sorry. You must be cold." Reluctantly I backed away. He regarded me, his expression unreadable behind the orange mask.

"Yeah…something like that." He closed the ice cream and stuck it back in the fridge, closing the door behind him. The atmosphere in the room had changed from one of playful excitement to something tenser, darker. We regarded each other and as he shifted his weight, my eyes caught onto the sight of powerful thigh muscles flexing. I swallowed and tried to breathe evenly and he cleared his throat. I looked up into the blushing face of Mikey.

"You said you had something to show me?" He cleared his throat and shifted again.

"I did…I mean I do, I mean…damnit."

"You sound like me now." He smiled reassuringly and offered me his hand, the intensity of the moment broken by my blunder. "Lead the way babe." We made our way back into my studio/living room, and I made a beeline for the brown package I'd sat on the coffee table to wait for his arrival. Releasing his gentle hand, I offered him the package, staring down at it as I did so.

"It's for you." I said, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest.

"This, this is for me? You got me a present?!" His voice shook with excitement and I looked up into sparkling eyes. "Awww, angel face!"

"Well..I made it. It isn't much but…well…I hope you like it." I was wringing my hands in anticipation as he plopped down on the ratty patchwork sofa and tore open the gift. In his hands was a painting of him in full fighting action. It was a blur of oil-painted movement in vivid neon colors. I'd painted it from memories of that night and the poetic sight of him fighting to save me…me.

"Whoa…babe…this is…this is freakin rad babe! Oh my Gawwwd."

"Yeah?!" I moved to sit beside him. "You like it?"

"I love it! But…you didn't have to do this." His eyes were moist as he looked at me then back at the painting. My Mikey…my angel was touched.

My heart swelled. I leaned forward, touching his arm. "I know I didn't have to but I wanted to thank you for saving me that night."

"You didn't have to thank me. It's what I do." He shrugged and cleared his throat, wiping his hand across his eyes.

"Don't cry Mikey," I moved closer.

"I'm not." He coughed again. "I mean, no ones ever…you know…painted me."

"I don't understand that."

"Well, I'm not exactly GQ ya know." He laughed and shrugged, "I'm my own kinda sexy. Yeahhh."

"You're beautiful."

"Whaaaat?" His eyes widened and his jaw hung slack.

"You are…Mikey I…" I bit my lip, "Well..We've been friends for a few months now and I…I've really liked having you around. Like…a lot." What on earth was I trying to say?

"Aww babe! I like being around you, and hangin out with you, and eatin all your pizza. I never had a girlfriend before-I mean a friend that's a girl you know." He blushed deeply.

"Girlfriend?" My heart raced in my chest at the sound. Did he just say what I thought he said?

"My bad babe you know what I meant right?" He let out a nervous laugh. And I leaned closer searching his eyes. Did he want me to be his girlfriend? I'd been longing to hear those words. I'd be his girlfriend, his friend, his anything as long as I could be a part of his life…was it a mistake when he said it, or was he really thinking of me the way I thought of him? His blue orbs held a fear I recognized in my gut because…I felt it too.

"I was hoping…you meant the first part of what you said," I said slowly, biting my lip.

"The hangin out and eatin your pizza part?"

"No silly…the girlfriend part."

"Whaaaaat?" He drawled incredulously.

"Yeah…I mean…I really really really like you."

"Really really?"

"Really really really."

"For reals babe?"

"Yes." We were both 20 different shades of red at this point, and suddenly I was aware of how close our bodies were. His left hand rested idly against the couch, the digits slightly touching the bare skin of my leg. My hand was poised on his arm, fingers splayed over his bicep, which now tensed under my touch. I let my gaze drop to his chiseled abs and trail back up his chest, past his half open mouth and freckled cheeks up to his eyes which were smiling with excitement.

"So…Annabelle Adams, you're my girlfriend." He smiled broadly and took my free hand in his.

"Yes, Michelangelo…" I trailed off, realizing I didn't know his last name.

"That's it. No last name."

"Okay. I'm your girlfriend." I nodded and returned his smile.

"Yay!" He pulled me into a hug which I happily returned, laying my head on his shoulder. I couldn't believe this was happening. He was mine…none of my fears really mattered because he liked me too. Maybe one day he'd love me. I ran my hands up and down his shell and he froze for the third time that evening.

"Did I do something wrong?" I said stopping suddenly.

"Nooo…um…AnnaB"…

"Yes."

"Since, you're my girlfriend and all…can I…."

"Yes?" Anything…

"No no no…nevermind."

I pulled back from our hug, my arms now wrapped around his thick neck, and searched his eyes. Inexperience and fear laced with questions lay there. "Listen..you don't have to feel shy or nervous with me. You can tell me anything. I'm yours now." And I always want to be..

"Oookay." He swallowed. "Since…you're my girlfriend…can…I kiss you?" He closed his eyes tight as if waiting for rejection.

"Please." I inhaled deeply and tried to calm the ragged breathing that began at the mention of a kiss. Not only did I want him to kiss me…I wanted so much more. I wanted to feel his soft cool skin pressed up against my own. I wanted to touch him…everywhere. I wanted to feel his soft slippery tongue all over my body. Oh God…I wanted….No. Not yet.

"O-okay." He swallowed again and leaned towards me, closing his eyes. I inhaled again and tilted my head to the side, gently pressing my lips against his in our first kiss, closing my eyes as I did so. I could taste remnants of chocolate ice-cream on his lips, the flavor combined with the feel of his skin was intoxicating. I licked his lips, and as he parted them slightly, I slid my tongue in between searching for his. Silky and hesitant against my own, he licked the tip of my tongue. I shivered and pressed myself more firmly against him, cradling the back of his head with my hands.

"Mmmm." I couldn't help the sound that escaped me as he broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

"Whoa…" Wide blue eyes stared into my brown ones, his chest heaving.

"Yeah…" Whoa was an understatement.