punkish furball – Greetings, all! Happy St. Patrick's Day! :3

Words to Ponder:

Thank you for reviewing: Orihime-San, redangel2463, MyworldMyImagination, fallingyuki, Silversun XD, ZeAwsumOtaku, chibi-Clar, Guest, majishan, and Myra the Dovahkiin!

As promised, this installment is a Mikey/Kagome budding friendship/romance story that could possibly have a sequel or two. I got the idea with all this cold/snowy/rainy/sleety/trippy weather we've been having lately.

Also, what time is it? Shameless plug time! I have recently updated my Young Justice/InuYasha crossover, Forgotten Hero, and have posted my first collaborated work with the wonder Nozume, a TMNT/InuYasha crossover titled The Crow's Last Cry. Check the out if you have the time! (* ^ω^)

Installment 9: Warmth

Michelangelo nervously chuckled as he stood against a brick wall with his hands held high above his head and his baby blues keenly focused on the arrow tip pointed right between his eyeballs. The one time he went out on his own after practically begging and pleading for his brothers not to follow, he got caught off guard by some random chick that happened to be in the same dark alleyway he was. He just couldn't catch a break!

They'll never left me live this down! he lamented, assuming he got out of this in one piece.

"Hey. How's it going?" Michelangelo asked, sheepish, "Name's Michelangelo. My friends call me Mikey. Feel free to call me whatever you want."

He paused hoping the girl in front of him would speak or, at least, lower her weapon. Unfortunately, she did neither.

"So…" he continued, "Come here often? I spend a lot of time in alleys, and I've never seen you before." He gulped with her fingers twitched over the shaft of her arrow.

"Not that I always hang around back alleys! That would be beyond creepy. I chill on rooftops too and some of the abandoned subway tunnels."

Mikey squeaked when he heard the stranger shift and closed his eyes. He did not want to see himself become a turtle kabob at pointblank range. He waited several seconds before he cracked open his left eye. The mystery archer had long sense lowered her arrow and turned her back to him, walking away. Michelangelo let out a deep breath and relaxed. He'd never been so scared in his life, but, since she backed down, the girl was no longer a threat. That meant she could be a friend.

"Hey, wait up!" Mikey called out before she could reach the street.

He grinned with she stopped and waited but didn't turn around to look at him. He remedied that quickly by standing directly in front of her. Michelangelo didn't notice because he was understandably distracted earlier, but this girl was short about his height. He couldn't pick out anything else about her because the top half of her face was hidden by her fringe and a black winter coat covered the rest of her along with a light blue scarf and a matching pair of earmuffs. Her wardrobe made sense; it was starting to get colder.

"You already know my name. What's yours?" he asked and waited, still smiling. He soon realized he was waiting in vain, but he was undeterred.

"I see you're an archer. Cool! You look like you're pretty good at it."

Again, Mikey waited for her to respond watching the girl in front of him even though he didn't have a clear view of her eyes. She was still and silent until she ultimately stepped to the side and walked around him without saying a word. Mikey frowned. Maybe the others were right, and he simply wasn't meant to be friends with a human.

Before he retreated, Michelangelo heard a soft, even voice echo throughout the empty alley.

"It's cold. You shouldn't stay out too long."

Michelangelo turned and grinned as he watched the girl disappear and blend seamlessly into the New York City crowds. It wasn't much, but she did say something to him. It certainly beat her ignoring him completely. He counted it as a definite step in the right direction.

About three weeks passed before he saw her again. He spotted her from the rooftops in Chinatown wearing the same heavy coat and earmuffs while walking down the sidewalk carrying a large paper bag. Mikey wasted no time jumping down from his perch to join her. It was very late, so the streets were relatively clear.

"What up, chica?" he greeted her, "Been a while, hasn't it?"

Again, she didn't say a word but slowed down until Mikey fell in step with her. If she was surprised to see him, she didn't let it show. Mikey grinned, undiscouraged. It didn't matter if she would rather stay quiet. He could talk more than enough for the both of them.

They walked together for approximately twenty minutes before the girl stopped in front of an apartment complex. Michelangelo halted alongside her.

"Guess this is your stop, huh?" he guessed, "It was nice seeing you again." Mikey didn't wait long before turning away from her.

"Well, goodnight!"

Before he could get too far, the girl called out to him, still facing the apartment's entryway. "Michelangelo, could you wait out here for a minute?"

Mikey looked at her, beaming. "You got it!"

She nodded before she stepped into the building and returned after she shed most of her winter wear. She was left in a pair of dark denim jeans and a worn black sweater with the sleeves falling over her wrists. She also tucked her raven colored hair behind her ear, giving Michelangelo a clear look at her face. Her cheeks were rosy red from the cold, gently caressed by the soot colored lashes covering her bright blue eyes. She would have been very pretty if there weren't such large, dark bags under her eyes clashing with her milky white complexion, her gaunt and hollow cheeks, and chapped lips clearly abused by the cold weather and her teeth.

She must have it pretty rough.

Michelangelo frowned when the redness on her face grew and she bent her head even lower. She must have noticed him staring, but that made him want to befriend her even more than before.

"Take this," she said and, for the first time since she reappeared, Mikey noticed the small takeout container she held out to him. He took it and peeked inside.

"Gyoza?" he questioned before he took a big whiff, "Pizza gyoza! Alright! Thanks!"

She nodded, bashfully lowering her eyes, and said, 'Thank you for walking with me. Goodnight."

"Night," Mikey replied and remained on the stoop until she was safely inside and closed the front door. When she was gone, he took to the rooftops and returned to the lair, eating his gyoza along the way. There was no way he planned on sharing with anyone.

-O0o0O-

Michelangelo managed to cut the time in between his meetings with the mystery archer down to ten days. When he saw her again, she was on top of her apartment complex striking down several Kraang droids. He watched wide-eyed with his nunchaku withdrawn as the alien race was completely obliterated in bright pink starbursts as she struck with the tip of her arrow. Mikey was immensely grateful he survived being on the business end of her bow and didn't wind up a pile of dust in the wind.

"Awesome!" he shouted once every threat was eliminated, throwing his fist in the air.

The girl looked at him and said nothing as she returned to her seat, placing her weapon beside her before retrieving a small bundle from the ground and placing it in her lap. Mikey hurried and plopped down next to her, excited.

"That was so cool!" he gushed, "How'd you do it? Explosive arrowheads? Plasma bow? Tell me!"

She didn't answer his questions, only held out a plaid thermos she kept by her feet. Michelangelo took the container, turning it over in his large hands. It was pleasantly warm to the touch.

"What is it?"

"Barley tea. It'll warm you up."

"I hate tea," Mikey told her with a pout.

"Drink it," she iterated, "It's good for you."

The turtle grumbled but finally unscrewed the cap and downed the contents of the thermos in three gulps. He felt warmer after he drank the tea, but it tasted like hot water and boiled grass just like it always did.

"I hate tea," he said and put the container on the ground.

She nodded and began working on the misshapen tangles she picked up before. Michelangelo wasn't sure what she was doing, but he was more focused on how her appearance changed from the first time he clearly saw her face. She had to be getting more rest. Her cheeks and lips were much fuller, and the rings around her eyes were starting to shrink in size. He was even sure her eyes sparkled and her thick, black hair was bouncier and shinier than before.

Much cuter than before! he decided, happy.

The two of them continued to sit in silence as Mikey watched her work, deftly moving her pale, delicate fingers. He didn't want to interrupt her, but he wanted to say something.

Asking her what she's doing is no good, he thought. He had enough experience with his brothers and his sensei to know that was a bad idea. Asking her to tell him her name again wouldn't do either. He didn't want to chase her away now that she was so close.

"Hey," he said, the sound of his voice making her stop, "the other day, why didn't you shoot me?"

Mikey wasn't sure where that question came from, but he wanted to know. However, when she didn't speak or move, he panicked.

"Not that I'm complaining!" he quickly added, "And not that you couldn't hit me either! You're a really good shot!"

He was cut off by her light twinkling laughter that sounded like little bells. He might have looked like a fool, but it was worth it to hear her laugh.

So pretty! Mikey thought as he watched her duck her head and cover her mouth with her hand.

"Sorry for laughing," she said as she sat up and brought her hand back to her lap, "You just remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. Someone who also stayed out in the cold when he shouldn't have."

The girl packed all of her things away before she stood with a dingy yellow backpack slung over her shoulder. She smiled as she reached out to playfully pat Mikey on the top of the head. He grinned and shot to his feet, pulling her to him and holding her tightly against his shell. She stiffened at first but eventually got comfortable in his embrace and relaxed.

Mikey sighed. The tiny human girl was so warm against him. Or maybe she had a point about staying out in the cold too long.

"Goodnight, Michelangelo," she whispered as she pulled away.

"Goodnight."

-O0o0O-

For the several weeks after that meeting, Michelangelo decided that ten days was far too long to wait and began visiting his mystery archer more frequently. He still did not know her name, but she was always seated on the roof of her building ready to keep him company and give him something warm to eat or drink. He loved going to see her whenever he could especially when she started serving him hot chocolate instead of tea, but it was getting harder and harder to sneak away unnoticed.

"Hold it!"

Mikey froze midstride with his foot still hanging in the air at the sound of Leonardo's voice. He was definitely busted.

"Hey, Leo," he said as he lowed his foot and turned around. He gulped when he saw his other two brothers standing with him.

"What's going on, guys?"

Raphael snorted. "We should be asking you that question. You've been sneaking out during patrol every night for three weeks!"

"I have?" he asked, "Gee, I didn't notice. But, if we are done here, I'm just gonna—"

"Gonna what?" Leonardo asked, "Where have you been going all this time?"

"Nowhere!" Michelangelo answered, "…to do nothing."

"Really?" Donatello replied, painfully unconvinced by his excuse, "Well, since it's no big deal, why don't you take us nowhere to do nothing?"

Mikey replied wearing a smile so large and fake it was painful.

"Okay," he tersely answered and continued walking toward his destination, trying to think of a way out of this. He could try to ditch them, but there was no way he could lose them all. Leading them to an alternate location wouldn't work either. Lying under pressure was not one of his strong points.

I gotta think! Gotta think! There has to be a way to get out of this!

Michelangelo grimaced as his worries continued to mount. His friend always received him warmly, but he wasn't sure how she'd react to meeting his brothers so abruptly. He was even more uncertain how his brothers would react to her. They were understandably wary of humans and would approach her with as much caution as possible.

What if they tell me I can't see her again? he thought before he shook his head. Going straight to the worst case scenario wasn't helping either.

I'm totally over thinking this! It's not like we don't have human friends. She's no different from April, Casey, and Murakami. Since I like her so much, they'll have to like her too!

"So how much longer until we reach nowhere?" Raphael asked, exasperated. This particular winter night was especially cold and uncomfortable to travel outside.

"Almost there," he answered with a nod and hopeful smile.

When they were a few blocks away from his archer's apartment, a stray laser broke through their formation and their concentration. Michelangelo nearly froze. The last thing he expected to occur during this outing was another encounter with the Kraang. For some reason, they seemed interested in his unnamed friend, but, between the efforts of the two of them, they haven't succeeded in capturing her.

"The Kraang?" Donatello questioned, "What are they doing here?"

"You've been tracking the Kraang by yourself?" Leonardo asked Michelangelo.

"Sorta. I'll explain later," Mikey replied, quickly withdrawing his weapons.

"Right! Let's move out!"

The turtles rushed forward with their target clearly in their sights. Their shared adrenaline rush warmed them as they fought and snow began to fall. As the brawl continued, Michelangelo reluctantly realized was right to worry. The alien race dispatched way more droids than they did before. His archer may have beaten the droids on her own before, but such a large number of them could easily overpower a lone fighter. While his brothers handled the fighting, Michelangelo searched for her.

Where could she be?

"Mikey!" Raphael called out, "Watch your back!"

"What?" he absently replied, turning around to find himself cornered by the slime bots.

"Crap," Mikey uttered and quickly went on his guard. There was no way he was going to get out of this unscathed.

Then a flaming pink arrow whizzed passed him and grazed his forearm before striking the Kraang robots preparing to attack, destroying the last of the surrounding enemies.

"Ah! That really stings!" he cried out, covering the small abrasion on his arm.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted as he and the others gathered around him, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he answered, trying to reassure them with a smile as he pressed his hand to his wound. He had the sinking suspicion that they did not believe him.

The crunch of the freshly fallen snow alerted the turtles of the remaining combatant, a skillful archer garbed in a thick winter coat with a light blue scarf and matching earmuffs holding a wooden bow and a backpack slung over her shoulder. As she slowly approached, the turtles slipped into their battle stances. With the Kraang gone and their brother injured, they quickly decided to turn on the new arrival.

"Wait!" Mikey cried as he rushed ahead of them and stood in front of her with his arms spread out, "Don't hurt her!"

"Mikey, why are you protecting her?" Leonardo asked.

"Get out of the way!" Raphael demanded.

"It was an accident. She didn't mean to hurt me," he asserted, completely confident in the girl he was defending, "She's not that kind of person. I know it."

"You know it?" Leo repeated.

"So I'm guessing she is why you go nowhere to do nothing, right?" Donatello deduced, frowning alongside the others.

"Well, I—"

Michelangelo stopped speaking when he heard his archer shift behind him. When he looked over his shoulder, making sure he kept an eye on the other turtles, he saw her slip her scarf from her neck. She approached him, ignoring the threat the others posed, and gently took his arm in her hands. Methodically, she used the woven cloth to wrap his injury, securing it with a loose knot. When she finished, she opened her pack and rummaged around before she pulled out a crumpled mass of light orange and white fibers. Mikey recognized it as the same bundle she started working on after their third meeting. With a quick flick of her wrist, it unfurled, an orange scarf with tiny snowflakes knitted along its edges. With the same care she used to apply the makeshift bandage, she wrapped the muffler around Mikey's neck.

When she pulled away, she announced, "I'll go in and make some tea."

Mikey grumbled. "But I hate tea!"

"It's good for you," she said before turning around and walking to the door to the roof access staircase. She paused just as she placed her hand on the door handle.

"It's cold out. Come inside before you get sick."

Awesome! Michelangelo thought, excited, She's never invited me inside her place before. This is the best night ever!

The only thing that threw a kink into things was the fact she was making tea. She knew he hated tea, but Michelangelo quickly decided that now was not the time to bring that up. He approached the door, smiling as he fingered the fringe of his new scarf. He stopped when his fingers found a small white tag hidden among the loose tassels. He lifted it up and silently read the short inscription.

To: Michelangelo, From:

When he heard Donnie clear his throat, Michelangelo became instantly aware of the others. He quietly gulped before turning to face them. Fortunately for him, they sheathed their weapons, no longer in the mood to fight.

"Umm, Mikey," Donnie began to ask, "who is that girl exactly?"

"Let me guess," Raphael interjected with roll of his eyes, "Nobody, right?"

"No!" Mikey said, beaming, "Her name is Kagome."

-O0o0O-

punkish furball – And that's a wrap! Cute and fluffy just as any Kagome/Mikey pairing should be. Until next time, TCB! p(*^-^*)q

(edited 03.17.2015)