I met them on a rainy night in March. It was cold and the thin hooded sweat shirt I was wearing didn't seem to be shielding me as well as I thought it would from the harsh winds. Of course, I never thought myself to be going on the roof tops of New York City, being held in the arms of one of these guys that I had just met moments ago.
He said his name was Michelangelo, but I should call him Mikey. I wasn't scared, or frightened by his appearance as he thought I would be. Actually, I was rather intrigued by it. The physicality of what's going on with his body must be amazing. Of course I wasn't able to explain this to him seeing as though we were being trailed by an underground Ninja Mafia that call themselves the Foot.
He put me down and told me to watch my back. I nodded, trying my damnedest to keep my senses on high alter. Of course, I was only four-teen at the time and the biggest worry in my head was how I was going to explain my new jeans with the gaping whole in them to my mother.
It didn't take long for the Foot to catch up. I felt my heart leap in my throat as Mikey took down his nunchaku, twirling them at his sides. I backed away slowly, looking behind me as I saw more figures land in the shadows. I tried to control my breathing, steady my heart rate but nothing was working, I was officially freaking out.
"Took you long enough." I heard Mikey say over his shoulder as I darted my head towards him.
"Yeah well, we got tied up on somethin'." One of the shadows said as they came into the moonlight. My eyes widened slightly as I saw them all run past me into the battle over the rainy roof tops. One that spoke before, Raphael he had a bandanna the color of crimson and gleaming sais as his weaponry. Another, who I learned later was Leonardo held katana in a graceful manner, using them with his body almost as another appendage and bandanna in blue. Then there was Donatello the kind gentler of the brother's with a bo staff and violet colors around his face.
"Stay back." Donnie said as he broke from the fight and placed his large hands around my shoulders. I saw the kind, caring eyes through his mask and trusted it completely. I nodded my head slowly as I started backing up towards a heating duct. I crouched behind it covering my ears and putting my head on my knees with my eyes clenched tight. I couldn't remember the last time I cried as hard as that night hearing grunts and flesh being ripped apart as the brother's fought as one for reasons that seem so silly now.
Soon everything faded. Small groans could be heard over the lightly falling rain as I picked my head up feeling the cool wind brush over my flushed face. I wanted to just run home and hug onto my mother and sister for as long as I could. My fingers unclenched themselves from around my neck as I felt a large hand rest on my shoulder. I turned my face up towards him as a small smile crept along his lips.
"You're alright now." Mikey said kneeling down to my level as I nodded my head once again bewildered and tongue tied over the happenings of that night. He sighed looking over his shoulder at his brother in purple as Donnie knelt down next.
"Where do you live?" He asked softly as I opened my mouth and closed it quickly as Raphael and Leonardo appeared behind their younger siblings.
"Mikey you did make sure she could talk when ya save her right?" Raph asked eyeing me carefully as I furrowed my brow in offense.
"I can talk." I say in a shaky voice as I felt their eyes on me instantly. I sighed getting to my feet. Unsteady wobbly legs were the only thing I had to support me as I stumbled a bit. Leonardo was the first to catch me as I fell into his large arms. I felt the flex and tone, tight skin of his bicep as I let my eyes wonder slowly along his skin, up his strong shoulders and across the top of the yellowish color of his plastron and then his chest, neck and then face. In compassion from the darkness to the moonlight the color of his green shaded skin seemed to stand out more so than his brother's. Our eyes locked for a moment as I felt the rush of heat come back to my cheeks. His eyes were so beautiful, intense I couldn't keep my legs from buckling. He gripped his hands tighter around my forearms as I was finally able to steady myself up straight.
"Do you know where your home is?" Leonardo ask in a kind, soft voice as I let my eyes wonder back to his feeling the same weakening feeling I did a moment before. I nodded my head slowly tearing my eyes away from him to look at Donnie who originally asked me the question.
"It's…Uh…Price St. I'm not exactly sure where we are, but I guess I could just…"
"We're not far from there. Are you alright to walk?" Leo asked as his brothers still formed a tight barrier around me, my back tight to the heating duct.
"I-I think so…" I stammer, taking a step forward as if it's my first steps in life. They all take a step back, almost in unison as I walk toward them. Mikey put his hands up, ready to catch me if I teeter over as Donnie gives my body a once over to check for any other damage. I make a successful couple steps on legs that feel like are made of jello as Leo gives me an approving nod.
"Follow us. Mikey, you go up ahead with Raph and check to make sure there aren't any lagging Foot around. Donnie and I will watch…" He stopped and turned towards me as I hug my arms around my torso, using my soaking wet sweat shirt as warmth. "What is your name?" He asks arching a brow, almost amused that no one cared to think of it before now. I smile at his expression, letting my head fall with a soft chuckle as I lift it back towards those eyes.
"Megan." I say with a shrug as Mikey smiles and steps in closer to his brothers.
"Megan, nice to meet you." Leo says and hearing my name come from those lips for some reason made my heart leap up for just an instant. "These are my brother's, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo and I am Leonardo." He said bowing his head slightly as I smile nodding at all the names.
"Nice to meet you all too."
After that night almost eight years ago now I still get chills thinking of it. I still live in the city because I really couldn't think of a better place to live. If I move, they're not there. It's not just a protection thing anymore. Lately, I've been thinking about what exactly I would do without Mikey's horrible jokes and pranks, Donnie's big words and explanatory manner to everything and anything under the sun, Raph's rude comments and pessimistic attitude towards everything and Leo's…Well, just Leo.
I never thought about it until now, the first touch, the first eye connection the first feeling. I did experience more flushed feelings, stammering tongue and summed it up to be my hormones at that age, and his. He was always just so blah growing up with all of them. He kept to himself, rarely talked to me unless he was forced into conversation. I basically over looked him for those first couple of years.
I mean, if I really think about it I think I've had a crush on all of them at all different times of my young adult hood. Mikey's way to always make me laugh and the feeling of him tickling me. The way his hands would feel in a hug as he clenched the back of my shirt almost as a reassurance to himself that it was truly happening. His romantic spirit and young heart that could always bring a smile to my face, and myself never letting on that I could hear him sniff my hair in close contacts.
I always had a thing for smart guys, so Donnie was an easy target. He'd be able to make me laugh and I'd always protect him if Raph or Mikey were teasing him. He's actually the only one I've kissed so far, besides cheeks. He did deserve it however. It was a night that I was being mugged on the way home from work.
It was summer and I had just turned seven-teen. He himself was on the verge of turning that same age. I guess he was going back to the lair from their other human friend April's house and heard my scream. He would have stopped at any scream but once he saw me he instantly took action.
I was thrown against a dumpster as the bo staff wielding turtle fought off my attackers. There was three burly men with small knifes that they tired to hold to my throat as they said they'd take turns with me. I could have thrown up right then and there to the thoughts of what they might have had planned for me, but thankfully for Donnie being there I put them out of my mind. Donnie saved my life that night, and even if they didn't kill me, what they had planned would have been the same.
He came over to where I sat shaking against the dumpster and before he could form a question to if I was alright I wrapped my arms around his strong shoulders, bringing his body hard against mine as our lips connected. His beak smashed against my cheek, but I ignored it and tilted my head to better suit the position and kept out lips attached. His eyes were open the whole time, wide and his hands never touched me until I pulled back from him.
"Thank you Donnie." I said in a breath as I finally released him of the force interaction. He fell back, putting his hand behind him as he looked at me, still with an expression of surprise written all over his face. I couldn't help but laugh as I sat up and put my hand out for him to walk me the rest of the way home.
None of his brother's know of that kiss, or that episode in the alleyway. We kept it a secret and he never asked me why I did it. He was grateful I had, even if he never said anything I could still tell. I knew it was hopeless to get into anything with that turtle anyways, I saw the way he talked about their other human friend April. The way his eyes would light up from him telling a story about how she helped him figure something out, or just from the simple sound of her name being said, you could easily tell.
I tired not to get jealous of it at first, but being that age it was hard not to get jealous of an older, beautiful woman. She was uneasy about me those first years. I was a troubled kid and usually spent most of my days out of my broken home and down in their lair.
Raphael would always call me a slacker and high school drop out those times I skipped class to hang out with them. He'd tease me and say I'm never going to graduate, that I'd be one of those kids spending the summer of my senior year in summer school trying to make up for everything. I was a smart kid, and I had Donnie to help with the really hard stuff. I always hated math. April would often asked me why I spent so much time there instead of at home and I told her the same thing all the time, "I don't wanna talk about it."
As the years went on and I finally did in fact graduate high school I started looking up to April. We spent days shopping and I'd help her out at her shop. I finally got to meet Casey and hear of all his and Raphael's stories of fights and brawls they have gotten into over the years. Slowly I started to understand why the guys held such a high thought of this woman. She had the most purist heart of anyone I've ever met. She would put Mother Teresa to shame.
Finally, I did open up to her about everything and my home life. I kept it to myself because I hate the pity feelings and fake 'I'm sorrys' from anyone who hears about it. In this day and age divorce just another run of the mill thing. I was twelve when he left and he barely stayed in my life and sometimes I would get sad about it but those other times that took up about ninety nine point nine percent of the time I felt grateful. I didn't need him in my life, I didn't need the man that broke my mother and my sister to be there for me. I didn't need his help picking up the pieces he and others have left of my heart.
I had boyfriends, not many. There was one that really did a number on me. His name was Dustin and I was with him for a year. In that year I started seeing less and less of those who really did care about me. I tired to keep contact but Dustin would always wonder, a little too much for my liking or any of the guy's for that matter. Soon enough I fell for him. A little too hard and a little too fast. I was young and trusted in something that seemed to be real, and I wanted it to be real so badly.
He broke my heart, that same old sob story about being cheated on. Raphael swore he would break his jaw for making my cry the way I did but I always told him to calm down and Dustin wasn't worth it.
Then slowly but surely I started to realize the reasoning why I put to much trust and faith into these guys, these turtles I called my best friends, is because they're everything any girl would want. They're strong and passionate about those they care about. They'd fight to the ends of the earth for those people they cared about and would fight to the death to keep them safe. There is a fire and undeniable connection there, a bond that is unbreakable and once you are apart of it you're in it for life.
I started almost picturing myself with all of them, starting with Donnie since I did give him his first kiss. I would image what my life would be like, how he would protect me and keep me safe from everything in my life. The feeling of home I got when I was around the lair, in his lab. The way his arms felt in a hug, being engulfed in his larger body. The feeling of his plastron as it brushed against my chest.
I went through this with all of them, sometimes in my room late at night when I tired to get to sleep. And sometimes while in the lair, watching them all intently. Until the day Leo crept his way back into my mind.
I saw him pass as I sat on the couch with Mikey, the both of us watching an old monster movie. It was late and everyone else was involved in their own things, Donnie working on something in the lab, Raph out with Casey. He kind of stood for a moment beside the couch, arms crossed over his plastron, an intense and focused look along his face as the lights from the television bounced along it. I looked up at him once I felt someone beside me and was about to look away, brushing the feeling off to be him when I felt my head snap back up towards him. I couldn't help but look at him. The form of his arms, the way his hands curved around his bicep, the way the leather strap from his katana looked against the texture of his own leathery skin. I swallow hard turning slowly back towards the movie as I felt Mikey's eyes look at me and then passed me to his older brother.
"Leo, you wanna join? It's like the middle but, its Godzilla there isn't much of a plot." Mikey shrugged as Leo turned his head with a small smile and shrugged back.
"Why not." He said taking a seat on the chair next to the couch. He even sat with a grace like I've never seen before. I watched as his legs slowly parted and he made himself more comfortable, uncrossing his arms and placing them on his belt. I watched as his fingers slowly traced along the leather, almost absent mindedly as he watched the movie. I let out a slow breath as I had to tear my eyes away from him and back on the movie.
Then it all came rushing into my head at once. Right then and there after all these years of knowing them, calling them my brothers, my best friends I realized I was in love with one of them.
something that just kind of came outta me. I felt like writing and this happened. Don't know if I wanna continue with it and make a few more chapters or just leave it as is? We'll see.