And suddenly...practical Donnie was back.
He let go of her so quickly it was as if she'd burned him, stepping back against her wall. He glanced at her, afraid to see disgust or hatred or even hurt in her gaze, but she mirrored his same slightly shocked and abashed expression.
"Um..." he began. "Claire, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I – "
"Oh, I do," she cut him off with a sigh, finally looking away from him. She reached down and righted her desk chair and sat back down. He followed her lead and sat tentatively on her mattress. This time, instead of Salem growling at him, the little black kitten meowed softly and butted Don's hand with his head, asking to be petted. Donnie obliged, and soon the little kitten was tucked away in his lap.
"You want to explain to me what the hell's been going on?" Don asked the curly-haired girl.
She crossed her legs in the chair, holding onto her ankles, and gave him an apologetic look.
"The night you rescued me, my aunts cast a spell on me. If I happened to get into any trouble, only someone with a purely good heart would come to my rescue, and he or she would protect me until the danger had passed...even if it cost them their life."
Don just gazed at her for a moment, trying not to appreciate all the subtle curves she was unintentionally showing off. He focused on petting Salem, instead. "Well," he finally said. "That explains why I felt so protective of you that night."
That seemed to surprise her. "Y-you did?"
He nodded, not able to keep the tale inside any longer. "It was like something was guiding me toward you. I was frantic to get to you, even though at the time I had no idea who you were or why I was trying so hard to keep you safe. And when I saw those Purple Dragons trying to..." He paused, a sudden flash of anger reminiscent of that night making his blood boil. He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure all three of them are drinking through a straw now, if you get my drift." Donatello picked the little cat up and set him gently on the floor, leaning forward to look at Claire better.
"But that still doesn't explain what's been happening to me this past month or so."
"Six weeks, actually," she corrected him. When he gave her a questioning look, she stared at the floor and blushed.
"I've been counting," she said in a small voice. "Anyway, they apparently cast another spell on me that night, one without my knowledge."
"Go on..."
She seemed reluctant to tell him, and he finally started catching on. "Oh..." he began, clearing his throat. "It-it was a love spell. One that might have made you fall for your rescuer...and vice-versa?"
She grimaced, blushing an even darker shade of pink. Don told himself that he needed to focus on what she was saying and not how her blush made her eyes stand out even more.
"Sort of," she answered. "It was meant to...latch on to a certain attraction, for lack of a better term, and simply...increase the level of attraction between the two parties."
"So it took a small attraction and basically blew it out of proportion until it was all we could do to stay apart, is that it?"
She smiled at him, and had he not been sitting down he was fairly certain his knees would have gone weak. "Basically."
"So...what do we do about it?"
She dropped her legs and rested her elbows on her knees, putting her chin in her hands. "I'm not sure. I already asked the aunts to take it back but...they said it wasn't even a spell anymore. It was full-blown attraction."
"So then what we're feeling isn't a spell, then," Don said, and he could feel his spirits rising again. He hadn't been sure about the situation when Claire told him about wanting to take it back, but now that it couldn't be taken back... "This is real."
She blushed again and looked away, her voice growing small and shy. "I...I guess."
Donatello couldn't help it. He found it all extremely cute...and it had him suddenly moving towards her. He touched her bare shoulders gently, kneeling before her at the same time he slowly drew his palms down her arms. He felt her shudder, and also couldn't help but notice how soft her skin felt under his callused hands. He was somewhat surprised at his boldness. He'd never been romantically involved with anyone, but he'd seen enough of how Leo and Raph acted with their girls to have taken a few mental pointers. Claire blushed again, and Don's breath caught in his throat.
God, he hoped he was doing this right.
"So...what do we do about this love spell, for lack of a better term?" he asked, using her same words from before. His voice didn't even sound like his own – it was way too gruff.
"It's not a spell, exactly," she replied. Her voice still had that soft, almost whispery tone to it. "It's more like...extreme mutual attraction."
"Then what do we do about this extreme mutual attraction?" His hands slowly slid up her arms again.
"Let it – " She licked her lips. " – run its course?"
He let his hands slide down again, and this time it was like he was no longer in control of his body. There was no stopping him now, and judging by the way Claire had just reacted to his touch, he didn't think she would mind too much either.
…
She exhaled shakily, her arms still tingling from where he'd touched her. She was looking down into his eyes – those completely enchanting hazel eyes – and she could feel like she was losing herself in them. As if they had their own mind, her hands went to trace the soft material of his mask. She was curious – she hadn't seen him without it, and she wanted to know what he looked like underneath. Her hands trailed around to the knot in the back, her arms going completely around his head and her eyes asking a silent question.
"Go on," he said, his voice low and gruff. "I want you to take it off."
She exhaled again, this time her heart thumping almost painfully hard as she slowly untied the knot. Her fingers fumbled over it a couple of times, but eventually she had it untied. Donatello's mask fell away, and his face was completely uncovered before her. His olive-green skin shone in the light from the single candle on her desk, and she realized with a small jolt that she wanted to touch him, wanted to feel his skin under her hands. She began to trace his head, his cheeks, his...nose? Beak?...whatever. She traced over that too. She trailed down to his neck, and wherever her fingers went he rolled his head the opposite way so that she could get to more of his skin. He sighed and his beautiful eyes closed.
Claire wanted to feel his plastron and shell, too, so she let her hands trail down his front to the hem of his hoodie and pulled it off. He didn't object as she tossed it aside and continued to trace his features. She moved back and forth across his collarbone, then went to the yellowish-tan plates of his plastron. She marveled at how hard they were, and yet they still gave the smallest bit under her fingers. She couldn't reach farther than his upper plates, so she just moved slowly up to his shoulders.
He sighed again, and his arms went around her waist. He leaned forward and rested his head on her thigh, allowing her to get a better angle at his exposed shoulders and shell. She traced over every single hard plate carefully, noting how they all felt almost as hard as rocks.
The way Donnie was situated, Claire could easily see and get to his side plates on one side as well. So, she leaned over a bit further and gently trailed her fingers down them as well. She heard him gasp and felt him shudder against her, and she suddenly pulled back. He did as well, looking up into her face.
"S-sorry," she barely managed. She didn't know what had come over her, but she just couldn't get enough of him. She wanted to say something more, but the feel of his hands on her bare back stopped her. His hands had found their way under her shirt, and he slowly moved his fingers up and down and across her lower back, all the while looking up with those eyes of his.
"See?" he said softly. "I can do it, too."
She didn't answer...instead she leaned forward and rested against his shoulder so he could get to more of her back. He moved up to her shoulder blades, then slowly traced up and down her spine with one finger. Then he suddenly pulled away from her back and out from under her shirt and pulled her down onto the floor with him so that she was kneeling with him, her body flush with his. He wrapped one arm around her waist, keeping her close to him, while the other hand went to run across the back of her neck and into her hair. She sighed again and let him touch her, leaning her head against his shoulder again. Gooseflesh rose up on her skin, but she didn't care. It was warm, tucked up against him.
Don suddenly ran his finger slowly down the back of her neck, then slipped it under the top of her shirt and traced her spine one more time. For some reason this time it was more sensitive, as it made Claire suddenly gasp and arch her body closer into his. She was suddenly very aware of how little she was wearing, and knew that Donatello could probably feel every curve of her body pressed so tight against him. His eyes grew wide, and she knew her guess was correct.
And suddenly, she didn't care any more. So what if this was only because of a stupid spell? The attraction had been real, and he was right. This was real – this exact moment was real.
And her desire was real.
"Donnie," she whispered, her hands sliding up to rest on either side of his neck. She licked dry lips again, and took a deep breath. What she was about to do was crazy, but at the same time it just seemed right. "Kiss me."
She felt his skin warm under her hands and saw his cheeks darken, but he lowered his face to hers nonetheless. Just before their lips touched, he stopped.
"Look, I...I've never done this before so I don't know if I'm doing it right."
"It's okay," she told him, and she closed the distance between them and planted a small kiss on his lips. "Neither have I." He stiffened against her, but soon relaxed as he initiated the kiss this time.
Those first few kisses exchanged were merely experimental. They figured out how to move with each other, how to give and take, together. Then the kisses turned hungry and frantic, more passionate. It was a fight for dominance and territory, one that Claire eventually won. With a small gasp, she forced him back against her bed, throwing out a hand to close and lock her bedroom door at the same time that she straddled Don's lap. As they kissed, his hands slid up her back again. She could tell that he was hesitant to go further, waiting for her permission to continue. But she could also tell he wanted to go further by the way he was holding onto her so tightly, his hands almost digging into her back. Which made her arch her body into his even more.
She gasped as he suddenly broke contact with her lips and instead kissed her neck. She couldn't stop the pleasure-filled sigh that escaped her lips, or how her breath caught when instead of kissing the skin at her shoulder he bit it. He kissed and softly bit his way back to her neck, then slowly moved down the front of her chest that wasn't covered by her tank top. Claire leaned back in his arms and let her head fall to the side, just enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin. One of his hands moved to support the base of her neck, tangling in her curls. She moaned softly as Donatello moved back to her neck and pulled her close again.
She knew he was a great warrior, but he was being so gentle with her. Claire understood that he could have been much rougher, and she had to admit that it would have been just a bit more exciting – she surprised herself by realizing she actually liked that little hint of danger. But the gentle way with which he touched her and kissed her was equally tantalizing. Where if their embrace stayed frantic and heated, the fire would consume them both too fast and it would be over with too soon.
What Donatello was doing now seemed to smolder just beneath the surface of their skin, ready to turn into true heat but being held back by sheer force of will. For the moment, they were both satisfied with simply touching and kissing each other softly.
Claire suddenly got an idea, and moved from his mouth to his cheek with a small, mischievous smile. She trailed soft kisses across his cheek to his jaw, then down his neck and shoulders. Knowing he probably wouldn't expect what she was about to do, she smiled wider even as she bit softly at his skin.
He suddenly gasped, and his arms held her like a vice to him. Thinking she'd hurt him, Claire pulled back.
"I-I'm sorry," she said. "If I hurt you, I didn't...mean..." She trailed off at the heated look in his eyes. He didn't say anything...just guided her mouth back to his as he slowly pushed her back onto the floor. She let him, finding she rather enjoyed the sensation of him holding himself just above her.
He went for her neck a second time, then moved the strap of her tank top down around her arm to kiss her shoulder better. She sighed his name...which only made him bite and kiss her harder. The one hand that wasn't holding him up suddenly went to the hem of her tank top. He slowly slid his hand under the fabric, tracing slow fire all the way up her stomach...her ribs...her sides...her –
"We're goin' at it tonight, tonight! There's a party on the rooftop top of the world. Tonight, tonight, and we're dancin' on the edge of the Hollywood sign."
Donatello suddenly pulled back and cursed, searching for something in his belt. He stayed positioned over her though, but Claire could tell the phone call was extremely annoying to him. She giggled – it was kind of cute how flustered he'd gotten.
"I don't know if I'll make it, but watch how good I – "
"What, Mikey?" Donnie finally was able to reach the phone and answer it, a scowl on his face. He'd turned away slightly from Claire to be able to speak into the phone, but he was still supported by his elbows on either side of her, and her arms had gone back around his shoulders. She could barely hear Michelangelo on the other line, talking about another girl named Hannah and wondering where Don had gotten to.
"I'm busy, okay? I'm...checking up on a few things for April. I'll be home soon."
Claire doubted Mikey would have heard the hesitation in Don's voice, but she could tell it was definitely there. Mostly she knew why he hesitated – she'd leaned up and had started kissing his neck again.
"Y-yeah, Mike, tell Leo...tell Leo I'll be home soon." He pulled the phone away from his ear so he could kiss Claire again. Then he answered Mikey's other question. "But don't wait on me for dinner." He didn't say goodbye as he hung up and flung the phone across the room. He sighed exasperatedly and turned his full attention back to her.
"I'm sorry about that," he said.
"It's fine," Claire answered laughing. "We probably needed to stop anyway before it...progressed too far."
"Oh...right..." He moved away from her and sat up, and Claire thought he looked a little disappointed. He helped her sit up, then pulled on his hoodie.
"Not that I didn't want it to," she told him, smiling. "God knows you took care of that."
"Really?"
She laughed and pushed him playfully back against her bed again and kissed him softly. "Mhm."
His hands went back to her shoulders. "Well, y'know, we don't have to stop."
"Yeah, we kind of do." She pulled back and stood up, stretching. "I need to finish this homework, and you need to get home."
"They won't miss me," he told her. But he still retrieved his phone from where he threw it and replaced it back in his belt, also standing. He moved to the window, and Claire followed him. Before he left, he suddenly turned and pulled her into a tight hug. She let him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her for just a few more moments before she had to say goodbye.
"So...am I ever going to see you again?" he asked. "Or was this just a way for us to get back to our normal lives?"
Claire thought a long moment about how to answer him. She finally pulled back and looked up at him. "Donatello," she began. "This was never a way to get rid of the spell."
"Extreme mutual attraction," he interrupted with a grin.
She smiled back. "That too. And I don't think either of our lives is ever going to be 'normal' again. At least, I know mine won't. If you keep kissing me like you did tonight, you'll never get rid of me."
He smiled wider and kissed her lightly. "Just tell me one thing."
"Okay, shoot."
He fixed her with a probing look. "How was it for you these past weeks?"
She sighed. "Well, I...it was like I couldn't get anything done. I started off the year being one of the top in my class, and now I've fallen so far behind I don't think I'll be able to catch up. I couldn't focus on my work. I...I kept seeing you, hearing you, dreaming about you. I saw you so much in my mind that you eventually took over every aspect of my life.
"When I saw you outside my window tonight...it was the most joyous feeling I've ever known. And, just being like this, in your arms...Donnie, I can do anything."
He suddenly kissed her harder than before. "It was the exact same for me. I heard your voice in my dreams...I couldn't work on anything either. I searched for you for weeks until I finally had a breakthrough tonight. And it was purely luck. You live next to some more of our friends."
"Oh, really?"
Donatello nodded. "Had I not had the bright idea to visit them, I wouldn't have found your sister's shop. And therefore...you."
He kissed her again, this time slowly. It built up until it was full of passion and heat, and it had Claire clinging to him as if her life depended on it. As he pulled back, she couldn't stop the word that escaped her lips.
"Stay."
*shrugs* It was a love spell. What did you think was going to happen? ;) Review you guys, and tell me what you think!
