"No way!"
Donatello frowned minutely at his sibling, the boisterous proclamation startling him, nearly causing him to spill the chemicals he was working with. "Volume control, Mikey."
Said turtle blushed. "Sorry, broseph."
"And what, pray tell, is the cause of such an outburst?" Leo inquired, brow tilting as he awaited an explanation. Coming out of a meditation session to Michelangelo's boisterous clamouring was not all that uncommon... though Leonardo had yet to master the handling of his frustration at such interuptions.
The sibling in question's smile was the furthest thing from inconspicuous. "Well, uhh... we've officially been asked to go for a hang session with our lady friends."
"Absolutely not."
"Oh, come ooon, Leo! It's for the game!" Mikey pleaded.
"No."
"Why not?! It's our night off, and they already know about us!" the orange clad brother pleaded, getting down onto his knees. "Puhleeeease. We need new seats anyways!"
"Need I remind you that was because of your little incident?"
At this point the other brothers had crept closer, having overheard the commotion.
"You're bein' a killjoy, Leo. There's no legitimate reason we can't go,"
"Actually there's a perfectly viable reason we can't go, and that would be that unnecessary trips to the surface create opportunities for us to get caught," he replied, levelling Raphael with a challenging stare.
"Think of it as a stealth training exercise!" Mikey suggested hopefully.
The blue banded turtle was about to deny the request again when Splinter's steady voice gave him pause.
"The bamboo that bends... is stronger than the oak that resists." The old rat glanced slyly at his rigid pupil, whiskers twitching as he sipped his tea. "You must allow for flexibility if you are to walk the path of the leader, my son... and if you want to keep the peace among your brothers."
Leo mulled over the words, sighing as he admitted to himself that his sensei was correct. "Fine. We'll go, but I don't want any complaining when the game is finished and it's time to come home."
Michelangelo nearly leapt into his arms and kissed him. "Oh thank you! Thank youuuu! You won't regret it! It'll be so liiiit!"
Raphael fist bumped his enthused sibling, lifting a brow ridge at the concerned look on his stoic brother's face. "Why so glum? I'm sure you can get some real quality time in with Suz."
He huffed. "That woman is as unpleasant as-"
"You?" Raph finished for him, not bothering to hide a smirk at the answering scowl. "Geez bro, lighten up. If you let yourself relax a little you might actually have fun."
"Highly unlikely."
...
Straightening out the dark fan of her bangs as she pulled the tank top over her head, the young woman peered around the suite and, noticing the lack of other occupants, asked Holly, "Where'd the other girls go?"
The blonde cast her a look that was mildly suspicious, replying, "They went out to get food and beer for the game."
Frowning, Suzette went to the fridge and took a look at its contents, confirming her suspicions. "We already have beer, and plenty of food."
"Yeah, but... we're having friends over, so we want to make sure we have enough."
Friends? "Who?"
Holly put on her brightest smile as she turned to faced the more reserved woman, laughing under her breath as she began, "Don't be mad, okay?"
"Why would I be mad? How many-"
A knock on the front door – no – the balcony had both females turning toward the sound, where an unexpectedly jovial face was staring back through the glass.
"You invited the TURTLE MEN?!" the dark haired woman hissed.
Holly hushed her before moving to let in their guests, blonde curls bobbing around her shoulders as she scurried across the living room. Sliding aside the balcony door, she greeted, "Hey Mike."
Blue eyes twinkling, Michelangelo stepped inside to allow his brothers to come through. He took a look around the apartment, whistling low. "Sweet digs, Holly! You ladies rich?"
She laughed, "No. Well, my parents are. They own the building and they rent out the suite to us for a reasonable price. Finding an affordable place to rent in New York is not easy." She slid the door closed after the other three brothers made their way in, smiling at the way they very carefully moved their large frames through the opening.
She pointed across the living room. "Kitchen is over there, and the bathroom is next to the closet in the entryway. Make yourselves at home."
Raphael and Donatello lowered themselves into the massive crescent sectional in the center of the living room, Leonardo remained standing by the balcony, glancing periodically out the window. Mikey took a moment to explore the space while also shadowing Holly. "Need help with anything?"
Holly shook her head. "No no, make yourself comfortable."
When the orange masked mutant made his way to the couch to join his siblings, Suzette slid up next to her roommate and gave her a stern look. "Do the others know?"
"Yes," Holly answered honestly, setting the heat of the oven.
"Why didn't you tell me? Or ask me?" she pressed lowly, feeling a bit betrayed at being kept in the dark over this.
The blonde woman sighed, turning and leaning up against the counter. "Because we knew you would immediately say no and make a big deal over it."
"For good reason. This is my apartment too."
"What good reason?" Holly hissed back, her usually jovial voice peppered with frustration. "You haven't even given these guys a chance and they're really great! Not to mention they saved me, and then helped all of us get out of trouble and asked for nothing in return. Your distrust of them feels almost discriminatory."
Suzette was a bit taken aback by the statement, brown eyes softening.
"We hoped that having them over in a more relaxed setting would give you time to actually let your guard down and get to know them. Suz, I'm sorry we didn't say anything, but please... pleeaase give them a chance?"
Sighing in defeat, the dark haired women nodded. "Alright. But if they break our furniture they have to pay for new stuff."
Holly's sombre expression was immediately replaced by her usual cheery disposition. The shorter girl threw her arms around her friend's waist. "Thank you!"
Footsteps in the hall alerted them to the arrival of the other girls, along with keys jingling and muffled cursing. Suzette shook her head and went to the door, unlocking and pulling it open for an obviously struggling Cass.
"Thank you," the grey haired girl chirped while offering her the case of beer she had balanced precariously in the crook of her elbow.
Seeing their company had already arrived, Elinor gave a cordial greeting as she deposited her groceries on the counter. "Evening, gentlemen."
"Holly, there's a spot next to me with your name on it, girl," Mikey offered, patting the cushion to his left.
The shorter girl grabbed the already cold case of beer from the fridge and replaced it with the newly purchased one, shuffling over to the couch and setting the beverages on the coffee table.
Arranging appetizers on a handful of baking sheets, El slid them into the oven before turning to join the others, nudging Suzette with her elbow and motioning for her to follow.
The onyx haired woman followed Elinor to the living room, settling herself on the unoccupied side of the sectional. The brunette took the seat at the very end, and Cass hopped over the back of the couch to slide between her and Holly before snagging a beer. Suz looked up at the wall clock. Still half an hour to go before the game. Her gaze dropped and her eyes met momentarily with Leonardo's before they both promptly looked away.
"Wanna play never have I ever while we wait?" the blonde suggested.
"What's that?" Mikey interjected.
"A game in which players take turns making statements of activities they have never partaken in. Every other player who has partaken must take a sip of their drink. Or at least... that's what I've read," Donnie offered with a shrug.
"It's a great way to get to know new people!" Holly added.
"And embarrass your friends," Cass chuckled.
"Perhaps we could play a more... toned down version?" El suggested.
"Toned down?" the orange clad terrapin pried. "How come?"
"Well, Holly is a bit of a wild card and tends to get drunk waaaay too fast," Cass explained while cracking her beer open and handing her bottle opener key-chain to said friend. "And Suz – as the wet blanket of the group - hardly gets drunk at all."
Suzette laughed, "My decision to not go through life with the motto 'YOLO' hardly constitutes being considered a wet blanket. You're both just reckless."
Cass winked at her, and Holly stuck out her tongue.
"Is this really the best game to play with individuals you've just met?" Suzette asked. "What about something less personal to start?"
"Scared?" niggled Cass.
Shooting her sassy roommate a steely glower, she grabbed a beer from the case and clipped back, "Fine, I'll go first. Never have I ever been banned from an elementary school."
Cass huffed, sitting up a bit straighter so she could take a drink. "That lady deserved every expletive. She was a bitch."
"That lady was a grade two teacher," Suz pointed out, smirking.
"Still a bitch."
"I'm so confused," Michelangelo intoned.
Holly giggled, "I'll tell you the story another time. Your turn, El."
Elinor considered for a moment before grinning and throwing her blonde friend an apologetic look. "Never have I ever thrown up in a museum."
Holly blushed a little and took a drink, turning to Mike as he stared at her expectantly. "Class trip. The restaurant we ate at that day gave me food poisoning. My students were so horrified."
The group turned to Leonardo. El took a beer from the coffee table and held it out to him with a smile. Pushing himself off the wall, he closed the space between them and took the preferred item with a nod of gratitude.
"Never have I ever tripped Deandre Jordan with a piece of pizza," he uttered confidently, shooting Mikey a playful smirk.
The guilty party hunched his shoulders up, taking a long swig of his drink.
"That was you?!" the girls gasped.
"Eh heh... oops?"
Donatello studied his beverage for a moment, small grin tugging at his mouth as he stated, "Never have I ever measured my biceps."
Leonardo laughed outright as Raphael growled at his taller brother, the deep sound surprising Suzette, who glanced up at the usually stoic male with a considering look. He seemed... far less scary when he was smiling.
"So..." Cass hedged, leaning forward so her elbows rested on her knees. Locking eyes with the red banded turtle, she pressed playfully, "How big are they?"
Holding up his right arm, Raphael flexed. "This big."
"Impressive," the grey haired girl replied, amber eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Never have I ever measured my ass!" Holly burst out, unable to resist the opportunity.
Cass slapped her arm, "Hey! It isn't your turn!"
"So... how big is it?" Raph interjected, waggling his brows.
Standing, she twisted around, presenting her posterior. "This big!"
"Impressive."
"Damn right!"
By the time the game was about to start they had all finished their first drink and loaded up on appetizers. Leonardo had eventually migrated to sit next to Donatello on the end of the couch, and much of the initial tension had all but disappeared.
Noticing the time on her phone, Holly clapped as she announced, "It's time to place the wager!"
"What wager might that be?" Donnie asked.
"It's a tradition. Every game the Knicks play Cass and Suz guess what their final score will be. Whoever made the closest guess has to fulfill the condition they agreed to."
Suzette nodded. "I'm going with 108. If I win, you have to quit smoking."
"Hey now! I only smoke casually. What's the big deal?" Cass complained.
"Scared?" the dark eyed woman jibed, mimicking the other girl's tone from their earlier game.
"Fine. I think it's gunna be closer to 115, and if I win, you have to kiss my ass. Right here, in front of everyone in this room. Skin on skin."
Not one to back down from a wager, Suz extended her hand. "Deal."
Cass reached out and grabbed the extended hand before the other girl could change her mind, shaking it firmly. "Deal!"
Mikey glanced hopefully at Raph, who gave him a shove.
The entire affair was riddled with an extra layer of suspense, the apartment filled with enthusiastic cheering and gruff complaints about questionable calls. By the final quarter both Suzette and Cass seemed to be gripping the edge of the couch to the point where they might tear it, sweat beading on their foreheads as they followed the plays with baited breath. It was in the last twenty-five seconds of the game that Randle made a successful layup, bumping the score from 111 to 113, securing their win, but also tipping the scale in Cass' favor.
They all cheered (with the exception of Suzette), and Cass leapt to her feet, high-fiving everyone around her. Hands on her hips, she looked pointedly at the onyx haired young woman who seemed to be sinking into the couch. "Time to pay up, babe."
"Is it really necessary to do this while they're still here?"
"Those were the terms," the grey haired girl reminded her as she shuffled by, standing in front of the sectional and pushing down the waist of her leggings to reveal the side of her right ass cheek. She tapped the skin with her finger expectantly.
Holly grinned as Suzette pulled herself to her feet, readying her camera.
"NO pictures!" Suz told her firmly. "That wasn't part of the deal."
Pouting, the blonde let her phone fall forward onto her lap.
At this point the dark haired girl resembled a tomato in shade, her hands balled up as she prepared to humiliate herself. Bending forward, she pressed her lips to the exposed skin as quickly as was humanly possible... but it wasn't quite fast enough to evade the blonde's expert camera skills. A wicked smile curved her full mouth as she promptly flipped her phone back up, thumb poised on the already prepped photo button. Tap.
Cass looked elated. "Oh my god, please tell me you got that?"
Suzette looked horrified. "Oh my god, please tell me you didn't!"
Holly glanced at the picture and chuckled, "Oh, I got it."
The grey haired woman all but leapt over the coffee table. "Let me see!" Upon viewing the perfectly timed shot, she cackled, "That's my new lock screen!"
Suzette fumed, fingers crooking into a parody of strangulation as she promised darkly, "I'm going to murder you."
"Quick, Holly, hide it in your boobs!" Cass instructed, snatching the phone from her friend and stuffing it down her t-shirt.
"Don't think that'll stop me!"
"I think now might be an opportune time to take our leave," Leonardo chimed in as he rose.
"I feel like right now is the worst time we could possibly leave," Mikey argued, eyes wide and pleading.
Leo sent him a scolding look, but it was halfhearted, and began cleaning his mess. The others followed suit, picking up after themselves and stacking their dishes in the dishwasher, empty bottles in the recycling bin by the door. Donatello even took some time to rearrange the couch cushions so they looked more orderly again.
He addressed their hosts, bowing politely. "Thank you for your hospitality."
The rest of the males did much of the same, dipping at the waist in a show of gratitude. Not used to such formal displays, Suzette stopped her murderous rampage momentarily to reply, "Y-You're welcome."
"It was a pleasure," Elinor added. "We'll have to do this again soon!"
As all of them said their goodbyes and filed out, Leonardo stopped next to the dark haired woman, who looked at him questioningly. He dipped down a bit to whisper conspiratorially in her ear, "If you need help getting rid of any bodies, I'm sure we can arrange something."
"I don't know if that should make me feel more comfortable or more wary." While her words were skeptical, he tone was playful.
The grin he sent her was wry, and she couldn't help but smile back.
When all four of them had exited, closing the door behind them as they left, Holly stepped up alongside her and pointed out, "See? They're great."
She lifted a brow. "I suppose they're not all that bad... you, on the other hand..."
Holly grinned unabashedly. "Love you too, Suz."
