"I have never been more excited in my entire life!"
Donnie believed every single word that came out of Mikey's mouth just two seconds ago. It had been a couple of weeks since they last visited Todd and the puppies, but it was finally time to drive there again.
This time, Raph and Leo included.
Donnie didn't know why his shell got heavier when he thought about it. It didn't make any sense; they were just visiting Todd to see the pups, the same way they always did. It wasn't as if Leo and Raph weren't allowed to come. What were they gonna do, drink all of Todd's lemonade?
It was unreasonable and stupid, and he couldn't let anyone see. He only had a soft shell, after all. He could carry it all day long, no matter how heavy it got.
"I can't wait to pull all the puppies into a big hug!" Raph said as they got out of the Moon Buggy—ironic how it was the reason they met Todd in the first place—and wrapped his arms around himself.
"Don't crush them," Donnie mumbled under his breath.
An arm was put around his shoulder. "Chillax, Donnie-o," Leo said leaning his entire weight on him. "We're just excited about finally visiting your secret hang-out spot.
That feeling again. Donnie bit the inside of his cheek. "Sure you are." He pushed Leo off, but the more he struggled, the more Leo pushed back.
"Awww Dee!" Leo started making kissy faces at him. "You need a hug!"
"And a nap," Mikey added, earning a laugh from Raph.
Even if I did want to nap, I couldn't with the amount of coffee I've drunk, Donnie wanted to say, but didn't. He grumbled instead.
Not two seconds later, Mikey jumped on Leo's back, making him lose his grip on Donnie. Finally.
"Leonard, help meee, the excitement is too much to handle!" Their youngest sibling always had a way with making his words sound dramatic. "You need to carry meeee!"
Leo laughed and kept walking, with Mikey on his back.
Seeing Todd again wasn't any different than the other times, even though they brought two more siblings along—Todd simply made two more lemonades.
Donnie didn't feel like drinking his.
He found himself leaning against a tree in the forest, playing with his fingers, trying to mute out his brothers' voices as they played with the puppies.
He felt someone nudge his arm, and he looked down only to see a corgi, whining at him to get up.
"Not now, Freddie," Donnie mumbled, but let his little friend slip underneath his arm and lie on his lap anyway. The puppy snuggled closer to him, and Donnie couldn't help but pet him.
He whined again.
"No, I'm not sad," Donnie said. Another whine. "I'm just tired and needed some alone time. That's all."
Great. You're talking to dogs now.
But it wasn't just any dog—if anything, Freddie was Donnie's favorite being at the moment. He and Mikey befriended him on their first stay at Todd's, and even though he stayed there, he was practically theirs.
Donnie sighed. "I liked it better when it was just Angelo and I."
"Ohmigosh, I knew it!"
Donnie gasped when he heard his brother's voice above him. Mikey was hanging from the tree's branch, upside down, because of course he was. Freddie shook his tail in excitement and barked at him to get down.
And so Mikey did just that. He sat down, no questions asked, just sat down next to Donnie. He gave Freddie pets for a while, but sooner or later both of them calmed down, and Mikey leaned his head on Donnie's shoulder.
"I'm sorry for inviting Leo and Raph," he said after a while. "I didn't know you'd get upset."
"I'm not—" Donnie stopped himself. He was upset. He took another deep breath. "I just wasn't expecting it."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Mikey," Donnie said, his eyes fixed on Freddie. "I…"
I just don't know what I'm feeling. I just needed a break from them. I just thought this was our safe spot.
I'm sorry if you hate me.
"Dee," Mikey said, placing a hand on Donnie's knee. "It's okay to want something for yourself."
Donnie shook his head. "But this isn't just about me. This place isn't mine."
"You're right. It's not yours. This involves me too. And Todd. And Freddie, and the rest of the puppies."
Donnie hadn't expected Mikey to agree with him. Usually, Mikey would try to convince him everything was fine.
"But it's okay to feel that way," Mikey continued. "You can't control your feelings, Don."
Donnie looked to the side, avoiding Mikey's gaze. "I don't like them."
"Well, you're going to have push through them." Mikey got up, and kneeled in front of Donnie, until their gazes met. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Our brothers are waiting for us to hang out! They've been wanting to see this place for months."
Donnie bit his lip. He knew Mikey was right, but not what to say.
"And we'll find another secret spot if you waaaant!"
He huffed through a laugh. "We will."
"See, that's the spirit!" Mikey stood up and pulled Donnie on his feet. "Now come on, the others are waiting, and you still have to drink your lemonade!"
Freddie barked at that, and Mikey picked him up, letting him lick his face. He cooed at him inbetween his giggles, and then pulled both him and Donnie in for a hug.
A smile crept up Donnie's face—he couldn't even remember what he was upset about in the first place.