Hey all! I was finally able to crank out another chapter. Thank you SO MUCH to those who have been following and reviewing this story, I really appreciate your enthusiasm. I didn't die during surgery, by the way (lol, nice one guys). My doctor wanted to try a bunch of other methods of solving my problem before resorting to surgery, which eventually did happen and I'm about three weeks out and feeling much better. :) Usually when I'm not feeling well creativity is not my thing so I've had a lot of trouble getting stuff going again. But I'm back!

I do not own TMNT.

"All right." Leo tapped his papers together as he and Karai took their seats at the kitchen table. "Party planning!" He said with a smile. Karai looked at him skeptically, her eyes drifting to the stack of papers in his hand.

"Party planning." Karai huffed with a raised brow. "My favorite. Why are we doing this again?"

"Because, Donnie and April are too busy unpacking and I want to take some of the pressure off of them by throwing them a housewarming slash graduation party." Leo informed her before gesturing to the chair across from himself so she could sit down. She did, resisting the urge to rub the back of her neck awkwardly. She felt pretty uncomfortable. Sure, she'd been to plenty of parties around Tokyo and New York, but those were shady parties with thumping music and flashing lights where she could get some time away from her father and still not have to actually socialize. A small apartment party for family and friends? Not a scene she was used to. Not one she objected to, just unfamiliar with.

"And I'm helping..." She trailed off. Why on earth would Leo pick HER to help him plan? She had no clue what she was doing!

"Because I need the input." He answered, which didn't explain his choice to ask her at all. Karai gave a frustrated huff and elaborate,

"My input? Wouldn't Mikey be better for this?"

"Maybe...but...I wanna do this with you." He ducked his head and touched his forefingers together, a shy gesture she hadn't seen from him since...she didn't even remember when. Karai relented, taking the papers from him. This felt pleasantly...domestic. They were planning a party as a couple...it was different from just living together or their bedroom trysts. This was a more...public couple-y action. She liked that idea, surprisingly.

"Um...okay. I can help." She looked over the various lists he'd drawn up. "So...what are all these?"

"Lists of food, decor, and music we'd potentially use depending on what theme we decide on."

"Theme?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly perturbed. Leo nodded shyly.

"Yeah, I thought it'd be fun! We've never done a theme party before."

"I thought the theme was 'graduation slash housewarming'." She said, bypassing his three pages of Space Heros party ideas. Leo shook his head vehemently.

"No, that's what the party is FOR, Karai." He insisted. She rolled her eyes in response.

"You know, people do have graduation parties where the theme is, 'graduation.' It's not unheard of." She'd seen tons of cakes and balloons in different supermarkets with "graduation" themed decoration pop up around the end of spring (she used to make occasional snack runs; Shredder refused to give her any sort of junk food and Karai was nothing if not a little rebellious).

"But how boring is that? And wouldn't it be so much more fun to do a luau theme or a casino theme or like an 80's party?" He asked, looking hopeful she would accept the idea. Karai looked away from him, thinking about how to phrase what she would say next.

"...I mean, it would be more interesting, that much I'm sure of." She was trying to be as positive as possible. She didn't so things that were...silly, or outlandish in an outgoing way. Her humor was all sarcasm and barbs. The idea of costumes and dancing or whatever was really uncomfortable.

"You think it's stupid." He sighed, his shoulders dropping and his eyes looking downward. She hated disappointing him.

"No, Leo...I just, I don't know anything about this stuff." She finally admitted. Leo smiled softly, was that really what was bothering her?

"Well, neither do I. But you're my favorite person to figure things out with." He reached across the table to give her hand a brief squeeze and Karai responded with a small smile.

"Then, let's figure this out." She took his stack and spread out the rest of the lists.

...

"Okay...that's the last kitchen box." April mentally checked that off her list. "We've at least got everything in the room it will eventually reside now, I vote we take a break." She giggled madly when her husband tackled her in a thank-you hug.

"THANK YOU." He stood and stretched. "April, you have a LOT of stuff, you know that?" He gave her a playful grin. April scoffed and swatted him on the bicep.

"I do not, it just feels like a lot because you were up all night working on the party lights." She wrinkled her nose at him.

"Hey, don't forget that old karaoke machine Mikey begged me to fix up too." He scoffed. "I wouldn't get stuck all night just fixing LIGHTS, April. Give me a little credit." Pouting exageratedly, he went over to the sofa Kirby had so generously gifted them and sat down, slumping and crossing his arms. April gave a pouty smirk and approached him with swinging hips, settling her chin on his shoulder and reaching her arms around him, clasping her hands on his plastron.

"Aw, Donnie, did I hurt your feelings?" She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm sorry, baby..." she trailed her fingertips over where plastron met skin, knowing he was going to make her work for it sometimes. She loved that they could play little games sometimes; one of her favorite things was how no matter what, Donnie just couldn't resist her. He didn't get flush and stammmer-y like he had when they were teenagers, but she did hear his breath hitch when she trailed a bare foot up his calf.

"Yes, you did." He said with a little scoff, raising his chin (though April could definitely see the twinkle in his red-brown eyes). "I'm very distraught right now." He crossed his arms a little tighter. April, spurred on by his act, began to nibble along his jaw.

"Oh, I do wish there was something I could to to help..." she moved around so she was in front of him and straddled him. Donnie pretended to remain unfazed, turning his head to the side. April trailed her tongue up his neck as she undid his belt, pointedly rubbing her center over the spot where his member was housed within his plastron. He still wasn't looking, so she slowly began to roll her tank top up her stomach. She caught Donnie's eyes flicking over her for just a moment before looking away again, only to stare at her completely when he realized her top must have had a built in bra. April was rubbing on him again in just her shorts, the necklace he'd made for her shifting and swinging between her breasts as she moved.

"You might...there might be some way to mollify me." He decided, placing his hands on her stomach to hold her closer. She smiled coyly, bringing her arms together to enhance her cleavage.

"You think?" she ran her hands up her sides, caressing every curve Donnie wanted to touch himself.

"I most certainly do." He leaned forward to nuzzle her breasts and sighed, ending the game. "April, will there ever be a time when I'm able to resist you?" He asked, nibbling at the peaks of her breasts.

"I hope not." She dropped her hand to the bottom of his plastron, rubbing firmly. "I don't ever want you to." He picked her up with his large hands, turning so she was lying on the couch. Lovingly, he pulled off her shorts and kissed her stomach and mound before dropping down and parting her legs gently.

"Then I won't." He pushed inside of her, prompting a sigh of relief from them both at the familiar sensation of being connected. "Not ever." He leaned over to touch his forehead to hers as he began to move, delighting in her moans and mewls until they both reached completion. He flipped them over afterwards so she was lying on top of him. He gently ran a hand over her back, occasionally playing with the ends of her hair.

"You make me so happy, April. I love you." He said earnestly. April looked up at him, her love shining through her eyes.

"Donnie, you make me the happiest girl in he world."

Hope you all enjoyed! You're gonna get a nice dose of Casey and Raph in the next chapter (as well as an abundance of shenanigans) so don't worry, you Casey/Raph fans. Leave me a review if you feel so inclined, and I'll see you all at the party chapter. Thank you all for following my story and hanging in there, you all rock. 3