Chapter 11 - A Good Night

April and Donnie found themselves standing around the cement slab in the kitchen, eating noodles with the turtles in orange and red. Mikey was still going on about April's face-off with Karai. His story had grown quite animated and included a few impressions of April's move that had knocked out the earring.

April had her hip pressed up against Donnie, as they both tried their very best to act casual. Don's face was warm with a bright blush, but luckily for their cover, it was not something all that uncommon when he was near the girl, and something his brothers had come to expect.

Even though the room was filled with laughter and merriment, April couldn't help but notice the fact the eldest brother was missing from the room. She really did feel bad for the young man, even if his crush had tried, now on more than one occasion, to maim and kidnap her.

She slurped up the last of the noodles and broth from her bowl and leaned in to whisper to Donatello and he leaned in from his taller height to hear.

"I'm going to go find Leo."

He lifted his eye ridge so as to silently ask if he should come along. She shook her head and patted his arm in a discreet, but what she hoped was a loving manner. She placed her bowl in the sink and patted Mikey on the back.

"Thanks for dinner Mikey, it was delicious."

"Yeah well, enjoy the fresh stuff while you can, sounds like Leo's cutting off our delivery supply." He had a pout on his face, still upset that Leo had declared Murakami's shop momentarily unsafe.

"We're pretty well stocked, I think we can manage to make it last for a while." As she walked away, she shook her head lightly at his less than convinced face.

April knew she would only need one guess to find where Leo was hiding out and walked straight to the dojo.

Quietly sliding open the shōji, she was immediately met with a thick cloud of incense wafting from the darkened room, so strong and dense she could taste it on her tongue. The haze was more evident as it drifted through the small ray of sunlight that bounced and reflected just right, working so hard to make its way to this subterranean space. The lone tree it shone onto, so out-of-place, yet so fitting for this room, stood like a guardian in the center, overlooking the still turtle kneeling in the corner.

She moved one soft step, and took in the sight of the eldest brother. He knelt before several flickering candles, his gear and headband abandoned to lay on the floor beside him. The calmness in the room made her second guess the interruption. She had expected to find him practicing katas or blowing off some steam with a rigorous workout.

She was about to backtrack her exit, when the door let out a quiet creak. In a slight movement, that would have been imperceptible, had she not already been closely watching him from across the room, she saw Leo's head cock towards the sound.

"April." He stated quietly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were meditating." She mumbled out.

"It's ok. I wasn't." He replied softly. He meant it as an invitation, and April took it. She slid the door closed and walked over to kneel beside him.

"Hi." His voice was just above a whisper. He continued to talk to her in this tone, but did not look away from the candles in front of him. "How are you feeling? Did Donnie give you a clean bill of health?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a couple little nicks. But, you know how Donnie is." She followed his cue and kept her own eyes trained on the melting wax.

"I won't say anything to the others."

Leo's words felt out-of-place, and April turned toward him a bit confused.

"Whatever I walked in on with you and Don, it's your thing, and it's none of my business."

"Oh!" April was caught completely by surprise. "I wasn't… that's not…" She let out an audible sigh. "I'm actually here to talk about Karai."

She noticed his eyes expand with his own surprise, though he let out no other indication that her words caught him off guard. "There's nothing to talk about."

At least he wasn't trying to play dumb, he could have just as easily pretended to not understand why she was questioning him.

"I just… I could tell you were upset."

"She attacked you today April, and not for the first time! She's under orders to kidnap you… I realize that makes her 'off limits'." He waved his hand around as he explained himself, his shoulders sagging a little towards the end. Apparently his act of calmly focusing on the candles was over.

"That doesn't necessarily make it any easier. Love isn't always a logical thing Leo."

Leo whipped his head around to look at April. She took in his bright blue eyes, which looked so gentle and vulnerable without his mask on.

"Who said anything about love?"

"I didn't mean it like that… just that…" April stumbled, surprised by his reaction.

He let out a sigh. "I know what you mean." He turned his focus back to the candles, mostly to avoid eye contact with April. The way she looked at him felt like pity. He didn't want her to see him as anything but a leader.

"Look, she's just a girl ok? She was the first one I met, that didn't scream at the sight me. She was interesting, and she seemed interested in me." He paused for a moment. "But it's not like I meet a lot of girls, so I thought about her more than I probably should have. I'm over it now."

His tone at the end gave April the sense that he was done talking about it, whether she really believed him or not.

"I appreciate you coming to check on me and I'm glad that you're ok." He added as an afterthought.

April nodded silently.

"So…" Leo's tone shifted to curious. "Do you want to talk about whatever is going on with you and Donnie?"

April's mouth opened in a mock indignation, but she chose to reply with a sly smile and a simple, "Not yet."

Leo nodded silently, not really all that surprised. He picked up his bandana and tied it back in place with such care and precision, one would think he was folding a flag.

April watched him use the antique snuffer to put out the candles. He stood and picked up each katana and swiftly slipped them into the sheath on his back. Before departing, he turned to April and placed his hands together, bowing respectfully and bid her goodnight. She returned the gesture and sat watching the last embers of the incense burn away long after he left.

The long and strange day somehow ended with the entire group lounging around the living room floor playing a game of Monopoly. They had been moping around the sunken living room quietly reflecting on everything that had happened, when Michelangelo who seemed to have been able to sense the discomfort in the air had suggested it as a way of winding down.

April had arrived late to the game, having gone off to shower and prepare for bed. Finishing her talk with Leo, she found that she felt drained after the adrenaline from her fight with Karai and excitement of confessing her feelings to Don had worn off. She also felt more than a little grimy after having been tossed around the sewers during the tussle, and wishing she had been a little more presentable when she had had her talk with Don.

Standing under the hot stream of water, washing away the uneasiness of the close-call her run-in with Karai had been, she reflected on what had transpired between her and the tallest of the brothers. She wasn't really sure what they were supposed to do next or what it all really meant, but she was riding on cloud nine as she relived the memories of finally kissing him. It might be all completely new and unknown, but she was so excited to venture forward with him.

Feeling more comfortable and relaxed in a long-sleeved t-shirt and pajama bottoms, she finally joined the boys, opting to simply watch. Stealing a cushion from the benches, she placed herself between Donatello and Raphael who were propped up in bean bags. Lounging on the pillow, she glanced over at Donnie to find him looking at her and immediately they both blushed and looked the other way.

It was amusing to watch the brothers compete in such a casual setting. Sure they made a great team when the time called for it, but the game seemed to bring out their clashing personalities more than usual. And while she had never played a board game with the group that required such concentration, she had the feeling that this one was going a little less smoothly than usual.

Leo sat across from her, kneeling on the cold hard floor, serious and focused. Trying his very best to act unaffected from the events during the day. While Mikey was currently doing a victory dance around the group at the small fortune he had just earned from his disgruntled brother in red.

"This is bullcrap! Mikey never does well at this game." Raph muttered under his breath, loud enough for April to hear.

She had to giggle to herself as she watched the youngest brother take his turn, which started with him using Raph's money to load up several of his properties with new real estate. She noted that while the board itself seemed to be the original incarnation of the game, the game pieces seemed to be a collection of various found objects, consisting of pennies for houses and small pebbles for hotels. Mikey rolled the dice and moved around the board, landing safely on one of his many self-owned squares.

"Haha and $200 for passing Go for me please!" He chuckled.

April nudged Don's leg with her elbow, as the role of banker seemed to be automatically assigned to him for such games. And just like the last three times she had nudged him, he seemed to be staring off into space.

He looked down at the soft touch and smiled at April, completely unaware as to why she was getting his attention in the first place. She raised her eyebrows and gestured over to Mikey, who had his hand palm up, wiggling his fingers in a way that said, "gimme gimme".

He picked up two of the golden papers and handed them over to Mikey, who dropped them on the top of his heaping mountain of multi-colored bills.

"Ugh - how can you stand to keep your money in a pile?!" Raph blurted out, annoyed with the disorganized mess in front of Mikey. "How can you even tell what you have?"

"Dude, they're color-coded. All I need to know is that the pile is big and most of them are gold or orange." Mikey gestured from his growing stack of mostly $100 and $500 bills.

"Don't be a sore loser Raph." Leo groaned as he rolled the dice, moved his little car and then handed over a $50 to Mikey.

They continued to play for awhile longer, enjoying themselves for the most part. Until Donnie, who obviously wasn't paying attention, agreed to trade a deed with Mikey that gave him yet another set.

"Argh! You've got to be kidding me Donnie! Now he's got the whole damn side!" Raphael roared in annoyance.

Don who had already been mid-roll, didn't even get the chance to argue back when the number Mikey had been hoping for came up. He looked down to realize that the roll landed his character on a square that not only belonged to Mikey, but called for rent that was about triple the amount of money he currently had.

"Well, I'm out anyways." Was his simple response as he stood up, his knees cracking from being in the weird position for so long. The youngest turtle dove across the way to greedily collect up the few properties Donnie had owned as he bid everyone goodnight.

He smiled softly in April's direction and then headed off down the hall.

"That's it! I'm done too!" Raph angrily declared as he stood, accidentally-on-purpose kicking the board with his foot, causing Mikey's properties to roll out of place.

April quickly ducked out of the way, seeing the gleam in the youngest's eyes, before he barreled over, knocking his sour-faced brother down. The scuffle was already in full form before Leo could jump up and scold the two for behaving so badly. Not wanting to really be a part of this as Leo was quickly being pulled into the match, April bid her goodnight to no one in particular and exited down the same hall.

She shook her head as she left the arguing brothers and headed towards her room. Along the way, she passed Donnie's workshop and paused outside the door. She couldn't decide if it was strange to seek him out to wish him a goodnight when they had never really done so in the past.

Finally concluding that it wasn't too weird, she let herself in and closed the door behind her. Not surprised, she found him at his desk, staring off into space. She was able to walk right up and playfully smack his arm before he even noticed she was there.

"April!" He remarked, pleasantly surprised to see her.

"You are so distracted! The lab could have caught fire and I doubt you'd notice."

"What?" Don questioned, oblivious to his actions that evening.

"Your mind has been elsewhere all night, what are you thinking about?" She asked, a smile on her lips.

"You." Don answered without any hesitation. "Kissing you." He looked a little embarrassed at his admission.

April was slightly stunned at Don's answer. She could have guessed it was on his mind, she had certainly been thinking about it that night, but she would have never expected that he'd admit to it.

"You've been this distracted just thinking about kissing me?" She asked, warming at the thought.

He nodded, "And… thinking about how much I really want to do it again."

"And what exactly is stopping you?" She asked. A sly smile, daring him.

Don's eye ridge raised in surprise. He had already had it bad for this girl, but the playful, flirty side of her was quickly making him realize just how much harder he was falling for her.

"Well, you have to remember, I spent the last year or so trying very hard to resist that urge." His nervous chuckle quietly erupted. "This is all so new, I feel like I need to ask your permission or something." He knew he sounded like an idiot, but he couldn't help that lingering feeling of doubt that reminded him that this was too good to be true.

"You always have my permission for a kiss." April answered, trying her best to sound sultry. It had been her that had to make the first move, and while she was certain he truly did return her feelings, she wouldn't mind seeing him prove it.

Without hesitation, he placed his hands on either side of her head, tilting her face up to meet him as he leaned in from his taller height. Unlike their first gentle kiss from before, he crashed his lips down into hers. April angled her head, finding the perfect spot where they molded together. He caressed her softly but urgently, sliding his tongue along her lower lip and being rewarded as she invited him in.

Their tongues lightly danced together, as the shy unexperienced teens gently explored. One of April's hands slid up the side of Donatello's neck caressing his smooth reptilian skin, before gently tugging at the ends of his mask tails, in an effort to pull him closer. Donnie responded as his arms slipped around her waist, grabbing her hips and pulling her flush against him.

The scientific side of his mind was taking in every move and reaction, making mental notes of what she appeared to like. His large fingers slowly brushed along the base of her spine, her sleep shirt having shrugged up in their passion, he heard her release a moan and quickly filed it away as a place to revisit in the future.

At some point, he must have spun them around, because April was surprised when her lower back bumped up against the front edge of his tall desk. Don broke away from her lips just long enough to lift her up, placing her on the hard wooden surface, closing in the distance of their height. He returned eagerly to their embrace letting out a soft moan of his own as she ran her fingers up his sides, curling her delicate digits behind his neck, just barely dipping below the top edge of his shell, to tickle the sensitive skin beneath.

His hands found their way into her silky hair, which he found so inviting. With one gentle tug, he released the band holding it back and the ginger tendrils fell down around her shoulders. Her hair was still slightly damp and the aroma of her fruity shampoo that Mikey loved so much overwhelmed his senses. He nuzzled his snout down into the crook of her neck, inhaling the fresh scent, and leaving behind soft kisses along her collar.

He reluctantly parted himself from her, and stood back to his full height. He took in the sight of this girl he had come to care for so deeply. Her eyes were still shut as she perched still to one side allowing him better access, a soft smile of pleasure on her face.

April couldn't believe how intoxicating his touch was. She knew she had doubts over whether it was possible for the two of them to have a physical relationship, but if these first few kisses were any sign, she didn't think they had anything to worry about. She briefly wondered just how physical they would be able to eventually go, but was distracted by the soothing caress of his hands in her hair. A small moan escaped as his lips met her neck and she forgot who she even was.

At the loss of his contact, April was brought back to reality and opened her eyes to find him watching her. She blushed and ducked her head, feeling a little embarrassed at how lost in the moment she had become.

"Wow." He murmured. And she looked up into his half lidded eyes and realized he had been just as far gone.

"No kidding." April whispered in agreement.

The stood for a moment, both still breathing heavily. "I'm still afraid that I'll wake up tomorrow and this will all have been a dream." Donatello confessed, breaking the silence.

April smiled up at him and reached forward, pulling him into a hug.

"I mean, a damn good dream, but still." He added as an afterthought, gaining a small chuckle from the girl in his arms.

"Don't worry Donnie, it's real." She added from his embrace as he gently stroked her back.

"Thank you for taking a chance on me April O'Neil."

She leaned back out of the hug to look up into his large chocolate eyes. "And thanks for being my hero."

"Always."

April reached up and ran a nervous hand through her hair, not used to having it down. Before she could stop herself, her body betrayed her and let out a tiny yawn. She tried to hide it, but it was hard to slip such a thing past these ninjas.

"You must be exhausted after today." He said, noting the disappointed look on her face as she probably realized he was right.

"I really am." She said in a voice of defeat. The stress and excitement of the day had completely run her dry and she suddenly felt as if she could just curl up and sleep right here on Donatello's desk.

Noticing her fatigue, he scooped her up off the desk in his arms and held her across his body, one hand behind her back and one under her knees. Without saying a word, he left the lab, taking a quick glance to make sure his brothers were not around, noting their playful banter could be heard in the distance coming from the living room. He walked across the hallway and into her room and gently laid her down on her bed.

"Get some sleep." He said, lovingly into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

She reached up and grabbed his cheek, bringing his lips down to hers to lay one last kiss on them.

"Goodnight." She said quietly into the darkened room, lit only by the glow coming in from the hallway.

"Goodnight April." He replied as he quickly departed before his gentlemanly behavior was swayed by the sight of her in her bed. What he wouldn't give to just curl right up beside her. He hoped one day he'd have that chance.

Good night indeed. He added to himself, as he made his way down the hallway to his own bedroom. For once, content to simply go to sleep.

End Chapter 11 - A Good Night

A/N - A very big thank you to all of my dear readers who have stuck with me thus far! I have a few more chapters planned before wrapping this puppy up, but hopefully you are enjoying the two lovebirds finally realize what they've been missing!

A gigantic thanks to the dear people who nominated my story to be part of the TMNT Fanfic Competition over at Stealthy Stories (In the categories of Best Action/Adventure, Best Drama, Best Romance and Best Canon). It is such an honor to find my simple little tale listed among such wonderful stories and amazing authors. Please make sure to visit the ballot and read all the awesomeness that this fandom has to offer! stealthy stories dot prophpbb dot com)

As always I truly appreciate reviews and love to know what you are all thinking and what you are liking (or disliking)! Have a great one!