Note: I had to do it! This is not really a "part two" but the previous chapter in Mikey's POV.
Dis: Don't own TMNT.
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Michelangelo sat on a plush, blue sofa, knee bouncing restlessly while looking over his shoulder at the clock for what seemed to be the hundredth time. One of his favorite shows was on now but he wasn't really paying attention to it. He was overly anxious and nervous tonight because tonight was the night he was going to tell a girl, for the first time ever, that he liked her.
No, not a girl: a woman. A woman he met on the rooftop above his head after a very bad skirmish with the Foot. He and his bros had been fleeing them after a fight that landed him with a mild head wound and a broken leg. Raphael had practically been carrying him that night and when they'd made a large leap to a rooftop they'd been unable to stop themselves when the door opened. He remembered her shocked, caramel colored eyes taking them all in and his pleading with her not to scream. She hadn't, instead looking at him with concern and then determination when telling them to come inside. He remembered her touch on his brow after cleaning his wounds and settling him on her bed to rest his leg. She had her hair in a braid that day, wore a Coke branded shirt, and jean shorts that had fringe along the bottom hem but it'd been her immediate concern that had made him infatuated with her from the start.
He'd quickly fallen into the role of friend. No way in hell did he even dare to believe she would want him at the time. They were a different species, from different worlds, but as time passed he quickly found out that HE was the one she spent the most time with. HE was the one she called after a particularly hard day. HE was the one that she asked to come over every Friday night and now it was becoming too much for him to bear. He had to tell her. Tonight. If things went south he would brush the whole thing off as one large joke. He was good at doing that, making everything into a joke, and hopefully she would believe him and he could restore everything back to the level of friendship while gluing the broken shards of his heart back together. Yes. Tonight was the night…
If she ever got home.
As if hearing his thoughts he heard a key in the lock of the door and she was pushing herself in holding a large pizza. She looked ragged, as if she'd just gotten done running ten miles at a sprint and suddenly he grew nervous and whipped back around to face the television instead.
"Hey Mikey," she called, locking the door with the two bolts that were installed as well as the chain.
"Hey Dudette!" he called, waving the remote at her, eyes remaining on screen, a lump of nervousness slowly traveling up his throat.
"Brought you some pizza!"
"Really?" He tossed the remote aside, twisted in his seat, then effortlessly vaulted over the back of her sofa to stand before her: hands outstretched. "You're the bestest friend this turtle has ever had, Frey!"
He winced. Wasn't the point of tonight trying to see if she would be more than that? She didn't notice the wince while tossing her keys and purse on the small table after he grabbed the pizza. He had noticed the orchids and a small part of him grew jealous, wondering if she bought them or if someone else bought them for her.
"Don't mention it," she said, pulling off her coat. "I'm going to grab a shower before I eat, kay?"
"Rough day?" he asked, blue eyes concerned as he gathered paper plates and napkins from the cupboard and sodas from the fridge.
"Yes," she groaned, pressing a hand up to her forehead and acting as frail and weak as a Southern Belle. "Dreadful."
"Well you take that nice shower and when you get back we'll start the movie magic!" he said, smiling at her comedic performance. It was one of the reasons he fell for her. Not only could he make her laugh, but she always had him going until he had a stitch in his side. Well, on her really good days anyway. On her extremely bad ones he was walking on eggshells around her like he did Raphael after a fight with Leo!
"Try not to eat all the pizza before I get back!" she said while rushing to the bathroom.
"No promises!"
With her in the bathroom he took the time to settle and relax. He tried everything from breathing exercises to push-ups to calm his nervously wrecked self and by the time she came out he was relaxing on the sofa with the movie's main screen on the television. She was in her favorite A&M sweatshirt, a piece of clothing he usually saw on her, and pajama shorts that showed him the expanse of her legs, as well as those cute little slippers of hers.
"Seriously?" groaned Frey. "THIS is what you picked out?"
"I thought you liked Shia?" he asked, biting the inside of his cheek.
"That's beside the point, though he is the main reason I bought it, eye candy that he is. Half the movie is trying to make Carly into a large figured character, practically shoving her down our throats, a forth of it has great actions scenes, and the rest of it is Megan Fox bashing. Childish on Michael Bay's part. He always ends up ruining perfectly fine franchises with dumb ass decisions."
"Sheesh, tell me how ya really feel!" said Mikey with an eye roll. GOD he loved this girl! "Fine! Pick a movie!"
"How about the original Batman? Tim Burton knows how to make a movie!"
"No protest from this turtle!"
They sat in silence, eating pizza and watching the movie. Mainly because he was trying to work out when to tell her how he felt. During the movie? After the movie? Right before he was about to leave so that he could make a hasty retreat? It wasn't until the Joker was gassing everyone that he noticed her moving around restlessly. He observed her rubbing at her shoulder and the small wince on her face was enough to have him asking:
"You ok?"
"Bad shoulder."
"C'mere," he said, holding up his hands, ignoring the sudden increase of his heartbeat.
"You sure?" she asked.
"Let Dr. Mikey help ya out." Frey smiled then twisted around so that her back was to him. He lifted her still damp hair over one shoulder before stalling. "You have anything on under this?"
"Yeah," said Frey. "Should I take it off?"
"Y-yeah," he said before coughing. Jesus he was a mess! She easily took the sweatshirt off, revealing a black tank top that matched her shorts, and shivered slightly at the change of temperature against her skin. His eyes took in the beautiful shape of her body from the column of her neck to the expanse of her shoulders, and the slope of her back. His slightly shaky hands were soon on her shoulders, almost immediately finding the knot, and she was moaning: head falling forward. That moan reverberated from his fingers through his shell and down to his toes and so he cleared his throat before teasing her. "Holy crap, girl, you're so tense!"
"I worked a double. It was awful. Between the drunken ass grabs and marriage proposals I was ready to knock someone's lights out."
A strangled growl, what one might mistake as a chuckle, came from his mouth and he pressed his lips together. Images of men grabbing her made his eyes narrow and he wanted to take them all on and beat the ever loving crap out of them. Thinking of them had him pressing his thumb a little too hard into her skin but she seemed to enjoy the increase of pressure so the guilt quickly faded as he continued to press deeper.
"Mikey this is wonderful," she whispered, making him smile.
"You're welcome," he said, gathering some still damp curls and replacing them over her shoulder before working down her back, fingers itching to go under her top but behaving instead.
"So what are your brothers up to tonight?" she asked, trying to make conversation.
"Don had some geek-out fest going on with his fellow nerds in an online chat tonight. Leo is doing what Leo does best: being boring. Sensei was watching his stories when I left. He's probably crashed out on the couch by now. Raph went to Zo's."
Raphael and Zoey were the main inspiration to him. Showing him that maybe there WAS a slim chance he could be happy. He's noticed a change in his brother first from meeting her, then finally getting his shell in gear and keeping her. There was happiness where there'd only been anger before. Raphael was transformed. Oh he still had his days that made Michelangelo run for his life, but Zo completed him, just like he was hoping Frey would.
"He still freaking out about her getting into that fight last week?" asked Frey, as his fingers made their way back up her spine to her neck and shoulders once more.
"Yeah. Took everything in her to get him to leave the guy alone."
"Well she did end up giving him a black eye," said Frey.
"But he took a swing first. Raph saw the dent in her wall where the other guy's fist landed. If… if someone I loved got attacked like that… I'd want retaliation too."
Just thinking about someone taking a swing at Frey had anger that only Raphael had expressed flash behind his usually carefree eyes. He'd hurt anyone that went after her in the way that asshole went after Zoey. Mikey had been ready to back Raphael up in finding him before Zoey talked him down, the same thought going through his head then as it did now. Frey turned her head around to look at Mikey, her soft brown eyes connecting with his determined blue. She twisted her body around, making his hands trail off her body, and put a hand on his cheek. Startling him slightly he did his best the swallow the lump in his throat as she smiled.
"You're a good guy, Mikey," she said softly, thumb caressing his cheek, making his eyes droop slightly. "Any girl would be lucky to have you."
She went to move her hand but he gently grasped her wrist, stilling her. She gave him a confused look while his blue eyes remained trained on her. He opened his mouth a few times to try and tell her but the words he wanted to say got stuck on his suddenly dry tongue.
"What is it?"
"I…" Mikey closed his eyes then grinned, letting her hand go, reopening his eyes to reveal a nonchalant turtle. He was chickening out. "Got any more soda?"
Frey laughed, swatting him on the arm before rising. As she went to get the drinks he put his head in his hands, mentally smacking himself upside the head much like in the way Raphael has done over the years. He really was a lame-brained domehead! He had just blown it! What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just grow a pair of balls like Raphael had and tell her how he felt? Usually he had no problem being blunt and getting to the point but Frey just messed with his head!
She returned with the sodas, slipped her sweatshirt on, then sat on the opposite end of the couch. Great. Now she was keeping her distance from him! She probably thought he was an idiot! He sure felt like one. Looking over at her he saw she'd fallen asleep. Now was the time to escape! However, he found he couldn't move. Instead of watching the movie he was watching her. Her still damp, curly blonde hair framed her face that had a slight spread of freckles over the nose. Her brown eyes were closed, dark lashes resting against her cheeks and those perfectly shaped lips that tempted him every time he glanced their way were slightly pursed as if the dream she was having was making be deep in thought. When the end credits started to roll he leaned over and placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake.
"Frey? You fall asleep?"
"Nah," she said as he sat back on the sofa, still watching her but keeping his hands to himself. "Just thinking."
"About what?" he asked nervously. She just stared at him. Silent. As if studying him. "Frey?"
Carefully she sat up, and then brought a leg out, sliding it over the tops of his thighs. He bit back a moan as she straddled his lap. His shell pressed deeper into the cushions of the couch and his hands clenched and unclenched at her hips while her hands went to his face and cupped it.
He stopped breathing when her brown eyes stared deeply into his. Then, she did something he didn't expect. She leaned down and kissed him. KISSED HIM! He hissed in a breath, hands remaining clenched at her hips, while her lips softly brushed over his mouth for a moment, and then pulled back. He hadn't kissed her back, he'd been too shocked. Seeing her now; wearing a slight smile on her lips, made hope spread like an uncontained wildfire in his chest.
"F-Frey?"
"I do like you, Mikey."
Wait… What?
"You do?" He bit his bottom lip, eye ridges drawn. Then an ugly thought came to his head. She had known, before, and maybe was just doing this because she felt bad. "You're not just sayin' that cause you feel bad for a mutant freak, are you?"
"Michelangelo! I swear to all that is holy if you call yourself a freak I may just pummel you like Zoey did to that douche!"
"Ok, ok," he said, raising his hands in defeat, slightly startled by the ferocity of her statement. "I won't." He then gently gripped her wrists, the same way he had before. "I'm different. My life is different. It's messed up and Zoey can accept it for Raph but can you? For me?"
"Yes," she whispered, making the hope and happiness in his chest to an Irish jig. It was the only word he needed before trailing one hand up her back, finding her curly blonde locks and entangling his thick fingers in the tresses before pulling her down for another kiss. This one was less tentative and both their eyes closed while his other hand trailed from her hip to her bare knee and back up, reveling in the feel of her skin while her hands remained anchored on his shoulders. When the kiss broke he watched her and smiled at the almost dazed look on her face, the smile remaining even after she opened her eyes.
"Thank you," he whispered, turning serious for a moment, twisting a strand of hair around his finger. "For giving me a chance. Us a chance."
"Growing soft on me, Mikey?" she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. She gave a small, girlish squeak when he twisted to the right, now hovering over her on the sofa.
"When you're around, I'm far from soft," he said, blue eyes wicked, making her blush then swat his arm.
"You hang around Raph way too much you vulgar, vulgar turtle!"
They burst out into laughter and when finally calming he trailed a finger down her flawless cheek, eyes boring into her. He loved her, GOD did he love her, but it was way too soon for those words. He didn't want to blurt it out and scare her out of a relationship that just started. He would wait. Maybe he wasn't known for his patience, but he could start: WOULD start, for her.
"I'm going to do everything and anything to keep you happy," he said, adding the silent promise that he was going to do anything and everything to make her fall in love with him.
And he kept it.
THE END
Hope you liked the addition of his side of the story. Comments welcomed! :)
