It was hours later, when the other humans arrived. Mik was in her room where Becca now sat on Sara's old bed. The past day had been trying and Mik was ready to rest. If she were lucky, she would be able to escape the rowdy group early and get to bed before anything else happened. If she wasn't lucky, something else would happen and she'd have to stand witness to more than she was willing to see today.
Becca fiddled with her hair. Up, down, side, other side. Mik had to give the girl credit. She was trying everything within her power to hide her face with her hair. It was fruitless as the swelling in the girls face prevented the nasty bruises from being hidden. "You might as well not bother," Mik sighed. "They all seem to wear injuries like Olympic medals." Becca jumped. She was a fidgety girl. Mik hoped she would calm down after a few days. "By the way, has anyone warned you about Marcus?"
"Um… he's human, right?"
"You know, having two geniuses in this place, you would think one have them would have remembered…" Mik muttered. "He's scarred up, all over his body. He tries to act like it doesn't bother him, but if you could not mention it, I'm sure he'd appreciate it."
"Oh… okay… Do I need to know anything about the other two?" Becca settled her hair, pulling it back on Mik's advice.
Mik thought for a moment. She and April got along fairly well nowadays. April would be the easiest for someone new to get used to. Casey would be the problem, if there were one. Mik rolled her eyes as the picture of Casey and Raph's latest brawl came to mind. "Casey and Raph might fight, but don't worry, it's like that every time they see each other." Becca tensed up but nodded. No doubt, no one wanted any more fighting today after Mikey's little show earlier.
Inside, Mik debated telling the girl that she would have to get used to it. She was living with four young men and they would fight if given the slightest provocation to do so. Then again, this was a young woman who had been distanced from her family at a young age and hadn't had too much in the way of rivalry. Pulling her out of her internal conversation was a loud, offensive odor that made her eyes water.
Mik chocked as the air seemed to tighten around her. She couldn't pull a full breath. Her nose hurt. She looked around, trying to find the source of the foul stench. Spritzing herself with a bottle, Becca looked at her like she'd grown another head. Without thinking of what she was doing, her hands covered her injured nose and her tail lashed out, knocking the bottle out of Becca's startled grip. Mik rushed out of the room, coughing.
She ran to the living room. It was almost as bad as the time right after Sara had ordered the lair be painted. Both she and Splinter had had to stay at April and Casey's place. When they thought it would be safe, they'd returned only to flee their home, covering their noses. Sara poked her head out of the kitchen then rushed to Mik's side. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know what happened!" Becca ran out of the room, following Mik, bringing the stench with her. Mik gagged. She could taste it! "Becca?" Sara said, confused.
"I was just putting on some perfume and she-"
"Perfume? Get back in the room!"
"But-"
"Now!" Sara ordered. Becca ran backwards for a few steps before turning around.
The smell lingered but after a few moments, Mik could breathe. Her eyes watered and she sneezed a few times. Her nose tingled, painfully numb. Whatever cursed hell that bottle had come from, it could return to it. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Mik rasped. "Just, can you ask her to remove that smell?"
"Right, uh, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, Sara, I'm sure." Mik nodded.
"Okay, I'll get a pot boiling on the stove so the steam can help your nose."
"I'll get the water; you go make sure that she knows I'm okay. She's new, it's not her fault." Sara frowned, but nodded before heading off to Mik's room where Becca was sure to be. As she headed to the kitchen, Casey burst through the lair door, yelling at Raph who was carrying something. Mik sneezed and then sighed. No luck of tonight going smoothly then.
*)O(*
Sitting on the bed, tears threatened to fall again. How much could someone cry in one day? The day wasn't even over. A knock on the frame of the door alerted her to someone. "Hey," Sara said, timidly.
"Is she okay?" Becca asked.
"She'll be okay. She wants you to know that she's not mad."
"I, I don't understand, what happened? Is she allergic to perfume or something?" Becca looked to Sara for answers.
"Kind of… Because of her mutation, she has the best sense of smell I've ever seen; she'd give veteran drug dogs a run for their money." Sara leaned against the doorframe, watching her. Becca looked down at her hands instead of looking back. She should have thought. She should have asked. "I'm sorry." Becca strained to say. Damn tears, she wished they would either come out or go away.
"Its okay, Mik will be fine after she clears out her nose. You are going to have to take a shower though, to get the smell off you." Sara seemed wary. Becca tuned in to the cue and looked up. Sara's head was tilted, her hip and shoulder pressed against the door, her arms crossed, her face passive, almost over looking Becca. She seemed a million miles away, but there and present at the same time.
"Sara?"
"Huh?" Sara blinked, coming back.
"Welcome back, where did you go?"
"Oh, I was just listening to Raph yelling at Casey." Sara dismissed, standing up straight. Becca strained to hear anything, but couldn't make anything out. Maybe Sara was close enough to hear it, though. It certainly felt odd, since Sara was only a few feet away. "They're here?"
"Yep, they come down a manhole that it pretty close, so it doesn't take them long to get here. Come on, I'll show you where we keep the towels." Becca stopped the redhead, grabbing her clothes first.
She was still worried about Mik. The female rat was in the kitchen as they passed, her head under a cloth, steam pouring out of a pot at the table. A glance in the other direction showed three humans, one dark haired male wrestling Raph. The woman, April, sat back, smirking before seeing Becca and offering a confused look when Sara pulled her away.
Sara made short work of the tour of the linen closet and explained that the hot and cold markers in the shower were backwards and to be careful before leaving Becca alone. One shower later, Becca came face to face with her reflection in the mirror. The steam had clouded it over, but she took a deep breath and swiped the glass with her fingers. Green and yellow melted into a blue-purple that turned almost black. Everything on her face was swollen. It looked like she was squinting, almost glaring. She looked worse than she'd thought. 'They all seem to wear injuries like Olympic medals.' Mik's voice soothed. Nodding to her reflection, Becca pulled her hair back again. Ready, she faced the door as if it was an enemy. She was so not ready for this.
*)O(*
Mikey steered clear of the wrestling match in the middle of the living room, navigating to Marcus who stood on the other side of their old couch. "Hey, Marcus."
"Mikey," Marcus smiled, nodding. "I heard that you did exceptionally well today in training." The grin that Marcus gave was accentuated by a scar that ran up the human's left cheek. A left over from Karai that had yet to fade well enough that it would be easy to ignore. Mikey blushed and rubbed his head. He should have figured that everyone would know by now. "Yeah, uh, that's kinda why I wanted to talk to you." Intrigued, Marcus lifted an eyebrow. "You know how Donnie gets sometimes, with Sara? All protective and stuff."
"Yes, I've seen it once. It's quite impressive."
"Yeah, well, I kinda did something similar because of Becca." Marcus stayed quiet. "I- Do, um, could you help me with that at all? I scared her pretty bad and I don't want to do that… again." Mikey looked to Marcus with all the hope he had. He didn't try to use his puppy dog eyes. He was sincere and he wanted Marcus to understand that.
The human seemed to consider it for a moment. "We'll talk about that later, but I'm not sure how much help I can be." Mikey nodded, hopeful.
"Ow, damn it, Casey, watch where you put your fat feet!" Raph howled as he hopped on one foot, holding the other. "Mine? Yours are like three times as big as mine."
"Well," Raph started, suddenly smug. "You know what they say about guys with big feet."
"They have small brains," Mikey threw out, laughing. Marcus chuckled. Raph growled. Casey reached over and gave a friendly punch to Raph's shoulder, distracting Raph.
Mikey did a quick head count. Each couch would only hold three people. He didn't mind sitting on the floor, but they were still four seats short. He recounted because no matter where Donnie sat, Sara would probably just sit on his lap. "I'm gonna grab some chairs," he excused himself. He went and got a beanbag from his bedroom first before snatching two from the kitchen. When he got back, Donnie smiled. "I'll get mine from the lab." Mikey nodded. Sara must not be in a clingy mood then.
Speak of the devil; she joined them in the living room, forcing Marcus to take a seat before starting a conversation with him. Mikey looked around. Splinter was in the kitchen with Mik now. April took her favorite seat on the old couch. Raph and Casey were talking about something, probably ready to start another wrestling match. Leo was still absent. The person he was waiting for had been forced to take a shower.
As soon as the first picture of Becca in the shower popped into his head, he forced it away. Now would be a perfect time to get some snacks started. Going to the kitchen and reaching for the popcorn automatically, he stopped himself. This could be a great time to show Becca that he could do more than work a microwave. He mentally went through everything they had and settled on something easy. He got everything he needed and nodded, satisfied. He would probably only have ten minutes or so before everyone was gathered together. He smiled. He liked a challenge as well as the next person.
Setting a skillet on the stove and throwing in some veggies, he hummed to himself. "Well, I know my nose works now." Mik spoke. "That smells great, Mikey."
"Indeed, what are you making, my son?" Splinter agreed, removing the pot of now cool water from in front of Mik. "Just something for everyone to munch on before we order pizza."
"That's right; it is Leo's turn to cook tonight, isn't it." Splinter laughed.
"Like Sara would let him in the kitchen again after he caught grilled cheese on fire." Mikey laughed. Chopping with one hand, he shook the pan on the stove. He kept his eyes on the cutting board, the weight of the pan enough to let him know what was going on in it. "Or when he tried making pancakes," Mik laughed.
"I get it, I can't cook," Leo barked at the three of them as he passed, going to the living room. The trio laughed even harder.
Mikey pulled the veggies off the heat, plating them on a serving platter. Next, he added the meat to the pan before starting to heat up oil in a pan. A couple sprinkles of Sara's fresh herbs and Mikey had to grin. Taquitos would be perfect. Small and simple but well done and fresh, and quick as long as he got the meat done right. He dunked the shells in the oil, frying them slightly so they would hold their shape.
A soft voice made him nearly send the frying pan flying. "Are you okay Mik?" Becca stood on the threshold of the kitchen, not daring to enter it. "Yes, dear, don't worry about it anymore… Just, please refrain from putting so much perfume on next time." Becca stood there, her blush starting on her neck as she nodded. "Sara wears it, so it's okay, just, not so much." Mikey tried to turn back to his cooking, but Becca noticed him. As if she was afraid the kitchen was going to eat her, she walked to the counter slowly.
Mikey could tell she was ready to bolt at any time. She even kept her body half turned to help, her weight on the foot closet to the door, ready. "That looks good," she almost whispered. Mikey jerked back to the stove. He nodded and kept quiet, continuing to cook. No way was he going to mess this up. He'd thought he'd have days, even weeks before she'd even talk to him. "Mini tacos?"
"Kinda," Mikey agreed. That's what most people would think but they were actually different. Not to mention, he'd tweaked the recipe numerous times. "Where's the lettuce and stuff?"
"Tacos are actually usually served with sautéed peppers and onions and beans." Becca looked at him. He could feel her eyes boring into the side of his head. "I'm pretty sure that when I go to Taco Bell, I get lettuce and tomato." Mikey chuckled at Becca's rebuff.
"Sure, but that's not Mexican food, that's tex-mex."
"I get it in a taco shell, it's Mexican," she argued with a small laugh.
Mikey relaxed a little. Maybe he would be able to make amends. "Whatever you say, dudette." Mikey smiled at her. Finished with cooking, He started to make up the snack. Mik and Splinter left, going to the living room. Alone with him, Becca tensed up again. Mikey sighed a little. Forgiveness seemed like it wasn't as close as he thought. "Um, do you, uh, need any help?" Becca whispered. Mikey looked over to her as he stuffed the meat into the shells and rolled them up.
Her face was a mess but he clearly remembered what she'd looked like before the bruising had started. Her light blond hair was darker, still wet from her shower. Her arms were wrapped around her torso. She leaned away from him and didn't meet his gaze when he looked at her. She was anything but comfortable around him. Mikey took a moment to think. How could he smooth this over? Usually he'd just make a joke and sweep the uncomfortable atmosphere under the rug. He took in what he had and what his hands were doing. There really wasn't anything she could really do to help him. Shaking his head, defeated, he sighed again. "No, I got it from here, but thank you, Becca."
Becca nodded and went to leave. She looked sad. Mikey mentally bashed his head against a wall, he was an idiot. "Hey, Becca?"
"Yeah?"
"Uh, you know, about earlier?" Mikey started. He kept his gaze down, not willing to chance looking at her. "I'm sorry I acted like that, it won't happen again. It was stupid of me." He didn't hear anything for a little while and when he turned to look, Becca was gone. Defeated, he leaned forward and took a deep breath as his head smashed into the cabinet. He was screwed.
*)O(*
Mikey's words hovered around in her head. She couldn't believe them, not yet. Everything was happening so fast and she couldn't find the break. Judging from what she'd heard of the turtles, it didn't seem like there was one.
In the living room, she was introduced to the other people. April was nice, a little pushy, but overall warm. Casey was brash and slightly inappropriate, but easily reined in by April. Marcus was calm and quiet, introducing himself but then moving away to give her some space. A few moments later, Mikey came out with the mini tacos. The big tray sat on the coffee table and everyone rushed to get some. She heard the call for pizza being made as everyone else laughed over it being Leo's turn to cook tonight. Becca sat, silent on one of the kitchen chairs. She wasn't sure what do to with herself. Everyone talked, obviously close with each other. She pulled her legs up, hugging them. She just wanted for all of this to be over.
They were great people. Everyone had been kind. She knew that once she moved out, she'd never tell anyone their secret. They weren't hurting anyone, actually, they were just what New York needed. Silent guardians looking out for the people who needed them the most. She wasn't comfortable though. They were a loud group. They were close, a selective clique not accepting new members.
Then again, Becca mused. There was Sara. The strong, tall, redhead who flowed within them so easily. Becca didn't think she could ever be like that. Sara didn't seem to see the difference between the humans around her and the turtles… or the rats. It was like she saw past the green skin, fur, claws, and shells to see something that Becca struggled to find. She agreed that they were people, it wasn't like she only saw them as animals. Still the physical differences were so stunning, Becca couldn't move past them as she watched the group.
She felt bad about being so shallow. How could her feelings be so torn? She saw them as people, yet couldn't see them as… human. Weren't they entitled to everything that normal people would be? Of course, she chided herself. However, they couldn't be at the same time. Just because they looked different. Becca continued only a moment longer before a controller was thrown at her, landing in the gap between her legs and chest.
Becca looked at it, stunned. She picked it up, looking around. Mikey grinned at her. "Let's kick these losers' shells," he laughed. Sara and Raph both had a controller also. Mario Cart was loading on the large screen. Donnie was engrossed in a conversation with Marcus. April and Casey were murmuring to each other. Leo was absent. Mik and Splinter sat back, watching her. Becca swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She nodded, letting Mikey know she was game. She didn't know much about how Sara or Raph played but she was pretty sure she'd be able to beat them with Mikey's help.
At the end of the first round, the others were cheering on their favorite teams. She and Mikey had lost, just barely. Sara had finished in first. Mikey was second. Raph had saved a shell and used it right before Becca had crossed the finish line. "I've got my money on Raph," Casey laughed.
"Oh, please, that was just a warm up, wasn't it, Becca." Mikey who had taken a seat next to her nudged her playfully. Becca nodded to him, focusing on the screen. As much as the next person, Becca didn't like to lose. She had already decided that she was going to target Raph this round, revenge for the last round. The game started again, Becca ready this time for some fierce competition.
"Come on, not again," Raph raged. Becca cackled, watching his character fly off the path after she let a banana peel behind her. "Quit singling me out, Sara's the one in first place," Raph who was fuming threw out. "Not for… long…" Mikey said as he threw a shell, knocking Sara back to third place, stealing first for himself. Becca let out a whoop as she too passed Sara. For insurance, she dropped another banana peel in Sara's path. The redhead let out a frustrated noise. "Alright, Becca," Mikey whooped, blindly lifting his hand for a high five. Becca returned the gesture, surprised that his hand wasn't as sweaty as hers, before turning her attention back to the game. It was like he didn't feel the tension of trying to win. Mikey came in first, Becca in second.
They both stood up, cheering. Becca got another high-five and a wide grin from Mikey. "Don't go celebrating yet," Raph growled.
"Celebrate what?" Leo asked from the entrance. Probably a dozen pizzas were stacked between both of his arms. Two bags hung from his elbows, but that wasn't what brought Becca's attention to him so dramatically. He was wearing jeans and huge shoes. His torso was covered with a long trench coat. He must have had a hoodie on under it because the hood from it covered a baseball cap that was pulled down over his face. The thin strip of it that was exposed between the bill of the cap and the giant scarf he was wearing, at least. He had black gloves on. Almost every inch of him was covered in material. While the get up was odd to look at, it made Becca realize something.
If you stripped away all the clothes, you'd find someone underneath it all. Just like any stranger on the street. You'd find someone who had a family and friends. Although his job wasn't really a job, he kind of had one of those too. He had things that he liked to do, things he wanted to do. Hell, his favorite food was pizza. Becca looked to Mikey. He was the same. If you could force yourself past the outer appearance, he was more normal than someone you'd find on the subway.
Something inside of her settled. She watched Mikey as he jumped up, yelling 'Pizza!'. He was just a guy. A guy who looked a little different, but just a guy. This guy had saved her. He could cook. He liked video games. He was nice, liked to crack jokes. He was closer to his family than she'd ever been to hers. He'd treated her with nothing but respect. She relaxed for the first time since that morning.
*)O(*
Leo joined in on the fun that was taking place in the living room. He even tried to have a conversation with Becca. She'd been too interested in the 'Championship' to focus too much on talking to him though. He looked back and forth between her and Mikey. They both had the uncanny ability to eat while playing, without losing.
He'd been thinking of a time to apologize to Becca. He had been rude to her when they first met. He'd realized that when he'd listened to her with Splinter. This was an ordinary girl who had had a lot thrown at her in a short amount of time. Sara had even come to him after that morning's events and explained what she'd thought had happened. He agreed, concerned by the way that Sara had said Mikey's behavior had affected the girl.
Now she seemed happy. She was taunting Sara and Raph, joking with Mikey. He wondered if he should just let it go. He didn't want to ruin her mood and he'd yet to find the right time to say what he wanted to say. He wasn't even sure how he'd say it.
No one had to tell him, he knew what he'd done. He'd let him constant worry over his family's safety overrule the safety of someone who had needed their help. He wanted to blame some of it on Mikey, who had been too eager to let a stranger into their lives. When he looked back to meeting her for the first time, without bias getting in the way, he had to accept that it was almost all him though. She'd never posed a threat to them.
He grimaced at the thought of the katana in her bathroom door. It wasn't a functional weapon, but he did feel bad for it being stuck there. They'd have to make sure they removed it when they went to get more of Becca's stuff. He sat on the open chair, eating his pizza and thinking quietly. They should probably go back soon, before the PD destroyed anymore of Becca's things. He sighed. They'd have to take the van, go at night. Park in the alley behind Becca's apartment… He didn't want to think about the logistics of trying to move all her stuff without being seen. Maybe he could make up some of his earlier disrespect by not worrying too much about it and getting what they could, within reason.
He silently hoped that Becca would turn out like Sara. He doubted that Becca would ever become a ninja. However, maybe, just maybe, she'd stay with them, become family. Mikey had shown that he had interest in the girl. Leo would respect that. As the leader, it was his duty to make sure that he put his family before himself. He'd make sure he never walked in on them if they were in his room, that was for sure. He shuttered as he remembered Donnie flipping out the one time he'd done so to him and Sara on accident. Donnie hadn't been as bad as Sara who had refused to talk to him for almost a week afterwards. When she had, it had been barbs about privacy, peace and being able to have some 'alone time' with his brother. Not things Leo wanted to hear about his little brother.
Looking around, Leo studied his family. They all seemed happy. His gaze fell specifically on Splinter and Mik. He wondered how long their little dance would last before one of them figured what was up. Secretly, the rest of them had placed bets on the whole ordeal. He'd decided on about a year from when the bets had been placed. To him the idea that Splinter or Mik would move any faster than that seemed absurd. Donnie had the shortest bet and would soon lose if things didn't change. Mikey had the next closest time. Raph had said that it would never happen, that they'd both be too afraid to mess up being friends, but had still bet, just six months more than Leo.
The two sat, talking softly to each other, or cheering on whoever was losing the current round on the game. Mik, who was startled easily by any quick movements, jumped each time someone jumped up in celebration. Splinter would touch her arm and smile. Leo kept watch for another moment, careful not to let Splinter catch him. Leo hid a smile behind a slice of pizza. Splinter was doing the same thing to Mik. He'd watch the female out of the corner of his eye, but looked away the moment she'd look at him. Maybe he should rethink his bet, he chuckled to himself.
*)O(*
It was getting late. Everyone was leaving, the gathering calming down. He moved to the couch. Becca followed, grabbing another slice of pizza as she transitioned. That would make her fourth and Mikey had to grin. He liked that she wasn't afraid to eat and be herself. Even though the middle of the couch separated them, he felt closer to her than he had. It seemed like once Leo got back with pizza, Becca had relaxed a little. Her guard was down and she laughed easily.
He was sure that no matter how many times he heard it, it would still make his heart throb. She passed him, stealing the win. She was damn good with those banana peels, he mused. "Alright, alright, you're getting too good at this game." He huffed dramatically. Becca laughed, glowing in his eyes. He could almost forget the fear-frozen look she'd given him earlier. "Let's play something else."
"You're just tired of losing."
"Hey, usually games are the only thing I don't lose, give me a break here," he pouted. Becca giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, trying to keep some of the pizza from falling out. "So," Mikey said as he stood up, looking over the games they had. "What do you want to play next?"
"What do you have?"
"A couple RPGs, all of the CODs, all of the Borderlands…"
"Borderlands!" Becca called out. She raised her glass, as if toasting. "Which one?"
"The first one, of course, where else do you start when playing with someone else?" Mikey nodded and put in the game, listening to the opening and humming along. Becca on the other hand, sang it, nodding her head, exaggeratingly playing an air guitar. She leaned over and nudged him, getting him to sing along. He blushed, singing softly.
Signing in, Becca teased him. "Oh, come on, you could have done better than that." Mikey blushed. She was stunning when she was like this. Her easy attitude, her gaze critical as she chose her character, her face held in an almost smile as she gave the game her attention.
They co-opt the game, quickly getting the shell out of Fyrestone. Before they could start on the second town, Becca let out a yawn. Mikey looked her over. It was hard to tell by her face alone, but she was tired. "You should head to bed," he said as he took the controller away from her.
"Hey!" Becca protested.
"Nope," Mikey jumped up as she lunged to get the device back.
"Mikey!" She huffed, pushing fly-aways out of her face, annoyed. "Give it back!" She lurched off the couch, jumping, trying to grab the controller again. Mikey stood still, her jump not high enough. It was kind of funny, but when she jumped again, he sidestepped, playing keep away. "Not happening," Mikey told her as she jumped, off the couch and straight for him, her eyes on the controller. "You're tired," he tried as he moved away from the couch and Becca. She was hot on his shell, chasing him around the coffee table. "Am not!" She protested. Her fingers hooked onto the top of his shell, trying to make him lose his balance. He shook himself, dislodging her. "You yawned!"
"That was because you were taking too long choosing your gun!" She latched onto his arm, trying to pull it down. She weighed almost nothing, he smiled as she huffed. "They were both good guns!" He laughed.
Becca continued to try to pull his arm down but only ended up hanging by his bicep. She tried jerking his arm like that but only succeeded in making herself sway. Pouting, she put her feet down. She tried jerking his arm again but he held firm. Then, a moment too late, he noticed a glint in her eyes. Her hand lashed out and the sudden sensation made Mikey yelp before laughing. Her fingers tickled him right under his armpit. Trying to stop her, he lowered his arm. She took her chance and snatched the controller away. She grinned like a madman though, not letting up as he tried to dislodge her hand. He laughed hard, trying to pry her fingers away from the ticklish area, begging her to stop.
She tossed the controller onto the couch and attacked the opposite area. She laughed now too, grinning at his predicament. "I give, I give, please, stop!" He begged. She took some mercy on him. He took a few deep breaths before glaring at her. She looked back, sheepish. All's fair in love and war, he decided. Not giving her a chance to fight back, he attacked her sides. Becca gasped before laughing loudly. She squealed, taking a step back, trying to escape. She stumbled, landing on the couch. Mikey didn't let up, following her decent, tickling her ribs. Becca thrashed, laughing, trying to push his hands away. "Okay, I'm sorry," she squealed. Her neck and face were pink. Her eyes were squeezed shut, a few tears forming in the corners.
She giggled a few more times after Mikey backed off. She grinned at him, wiping her eyes. "You win," she giggled. Mikey laughed back. He couldn't express how happy he was to see her like this. She yawned again. "See, I told you so," Mikey pried. She shot him a dirty look but yawned again. He chuckled, she sure was stubborn. "I don't want to go to bed yet," she pouted. She put her head down, looked up at him through her lashes and pouted.
It took him a moment but then he realized he was seeing a classic puppy dog face. He laughed. Becca slipped on a smile, turning her head before trying to start the game back up. "Nope, still not going to happen," Mikey laughed, taking the controller again. Becca huffed and crossed her arms. "I'm not going to bed," she pouted. Mikey rolled his eyes. She was obviously tired.
"Fine, but no more games, you'll keep me up all night, trying to beat you." He teased. He switched the TV from game mode to cable and started to flip through the channels.
Becca got up and headed for the kitchen. She came back a little later, two orange pops in her hands and the left over Taquitos balanced between her hands. "We still have pizza," he noted.
"These are better," she blushed. She handed him a can of pop and sat her things down. Not paying attention to the fact that she was staring at him, well trying to act like he wasn't, he opened his drink. Foam rushed out of it, spraying him in the face, covering both of his hands, and coating his plastron. He sputtered, surprised. Beside him, Becca fell backwards, holding her stomach as she laughed hard. She just got him with one of the oldest pranks in the book. He looked between the can and her, shocked.
He knew to never just open a can that someone handed you. He got his brothers like that all the time. He hadn't even considered the fact that Becca would do something like that. He had mixed emotions. As the self-proclaimed king of pranks, he was embarrassed. Also as the kind of pranks, he was impressed. Becca stopped laughing long enough to produce a couple of wadded up paper towels. He sighed and took them.
"Aw, come on, don't be a spoil sport," Becca needled. Still thoroughly impressed with herself. "Oh, don't you worry, if it's a war you want, it's a war you'll get."
"Hey, all's fair," she giggled.
"Shell yeah," Mikey laughed. He would be sticky soon. "Just remember, you're the one who started it," he warned. Becca laughed a little more before stealing the remote and channel surfing herself, settling on an anime. Mikey took a moment to appreciate her. He'd had no idea she'd like anime. She just got, like, ten times hotter in his book. "I'm going to go take a shower," He grumbled. Becca hummed, acknowledging him as she munched on a Taquito.
By the time he was out of the shower, Becca had fallen asleep on the couch. She was curled up in a little ball, her arms wrapped around herself, trying to stay warm. Mikey wondered for a moment if he should wake her. Maybe he could lie next to her again. An image of her scurrying away from him on Donnie and Sara's bed stopped him. He sighed to himself. He never did get the chance to talk to Marcus. He couldn't just leave her there on the couch though. He went around and carefully picked her up. She blinked, looking up at him, confused. "I'm just taking you to your bed," he reassured her. She wiggled, getting comfortable in his arms.
She sighed, falling back asleep, her fingers grasping the top of his plastron. She was beautiful. Asleep, peaceful, a small smile trying to take hold. Her blond hair falling over his arm as she crammed her face into his chest. Her little fingers holding onto him. She was light. He could hold her like this for hours. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed deeply, only a tiny bit of a snore as she exhaled.
He sighed, walking to Mik's room. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't hold her like that. He had to give her space. He had to prove that he wasn't going to force his company on her. She was free, to do as she wanted. He wouldn't stop her. He set her down on the spare bed, covering her. Her fingers stayed latched onto his plastron.
Gulping, Mikey leaned down. Maybe, he thought, since she's asleep. He hovered above her forehead, debating with himself. He could kiss her like this, she'd never know, right? What if she woke up? The risk was too high. He grasped her small hand and pulled her fingers away. Looking at how it fit inside of his, he smirked. He feathered a kiss over her knuckles before leaving the room.
