Donnie bit his pencil so hard, he was surprised it didn't break in his mouth. The taste of wood flooded his taste buds and he cringed. When he had promised April he'd help tutor her...he did not imagine that things would turn out like this.
The red head beside him huffed, her small features scrunching up in frustration. He dropped his pencil and punched in buttons into the calculator he held. They had been going over problems for over an hour or so, and so far, the study session itself had become a problem of its own.
Donatello sighed and tried to clear his head. Things had been going so well. They sat down to go over stuff she might be missing in school, were fully agreeing until she grew frustrated over how he didn't simplify his explanations just right in the last few equations.
"Look, how about we-"
"How about we not?"
"April..."
"Donnie, we've been going over the same stupid problem for so long now and I STILL don't get it. I obviously don't understand and I'm confused."
"I know, but we-"
"I need a break."
She dropped her pencil, stood up, and walked out of the kitchen. Donnie watched after her, his eyes wide. He sighed and pushed the books and papers away, leaning his cheek onto the palm of his hand.
Even when he tried doing things right, he felt like he just messed things up. Donatello knew he shouldn't blame himself. This was April, a girl who could out stubborn a brick wall. She wasn't angry at him, she just needed space.
The mutant stood up and left the work behind. He rubbed at his eyes, not realizing how much energy that had taken out of him. Donatello waltzed into the living room, his eyes immediately snapping to the couch. Maybe T.V would make him feel better?
Donatello plopped down on the couch and turned the T.V on. It was a simple cartoon, but it was good enough to try to immerse himself into. He watched the colourful images flash by, one bad joke after the other and minor violence that would guarantee to make Mikey giggle like a schoolgirl.
He wasn't sure how long it had been, but it wasn't until the sound of April's voice calling out to him did he snap out of the mind numbing coma the show had put him in. Donnie fumbled with the remote and the T.V immediately clicked off.
The red head walked in with another book, the anger and frustration that had been on her face not too long ago was now long forgotten. That fact made Donatello smile, his body relaxing into the couch.
"Hey, Don...sorry for snapping earlier. I-"
Donnie waved his hand as she came into the room. "Nah, it's okay. I deserved to be snapped at. I forget that, sometimes, when I explain stuff, it's not always clear. I know I'm not the greatest tutor, so don't worry about it."
He flashed her the gap in his smile and April smiled back. She cracked open the book she was reading and his eyes glided over the title: "A Brief History of Time." A personal favorite of his. He probably had read it a couple dozen times growing up.
"You're not a bad tutor, Donnie...but, anyways, I was thinking we could have a topic change?" She lifted the book up a little and back down again, gesturing that she wanted to study that book.
Donatello grinned and nodded. "Perfect. Ah, science...my personal forte. Come on over and we can start."
He set the remote down and waited for her to plop down beside him. But, instead, she sat right down on his lap. Donatello blushed at the sudden move, sweat building up on his brow.
April, as though oblivious to his shock, snuggled into him and rested her back into his chest. She cracked the book open to the first page that contained a huge block of text on one page and a picture of the galaxy on the other.
Donatello swallowed the lump in his throat and gained the courage to wrap his arms around her and held the book in his own hands. To his pleasant surprise, April let him and rested her arms on his, relaxed at his touch.
The mutant blushed and gazed down at the book, trying to make the words make sense. He swallowed and began to read. When he was done with the page, April gingerly flipped the page for him.
Donatello smiled, liking this new way of studying. When she had a question, she'd ask. Satisfied with an answer, she'd nod her head and go back to listening or she'd ask another until it made sense.
April felt so warm against him. And soft. Honestly, he wanted to close the book, hold her and just take a nap. It had been a long day and, as much as science interested him, she was so...distracting.
But as he glanced at April, being able to smell the jasmine on her skin from whatever delightful shampoo or soap she used, he realized he really liked having her so close to him. To have her feel this comfortable. He continued to glance from her to the book and back when he could. Donatello smiled. If this was how their studying was going to be from then on, he knew the future couldn't come soon enough.