A/N: First off, I'd like to thank everyone who left reviews. Your input really motivates me to keep writing. :D

I will get to everyone's prompts eventually, but I'm not necessarily going to go in order, just so that I can get stuff posted right after it's been written.

This one is based off a prompt requested by guest user TurboFan, who wanted something involving the 'Turdmark' pairing. Hope you like it! ^^

(Warning: Contains a same-gender (slash) pairing between Turbo and Skidmark. If you don't like it, you know how to close the page. No flaming, please.)

Rain.

Rain was everywhere, pouring from the sky in silvery sheets and hitting the ground in cold, wet plops.

Skidmark sighed, sloshing through a puddle; misty droplets sprayed his face, but he didn't care. He didn't seem to care about much of anything anymore. His brain was in a jumble, and he didn't quite understand why.

Something new had taken hold of his mind; it seemed that his heart was always racing much too fast, and his tongue was always tied in a knot. No, not always. Only when one snail was around, one snail in particular: Turbo.

Skidmark didn't understand it, but every time he was around the orange snail, he found himself tripping over his words, blushing uncontrollably. It just didn't make sense. They'd been friends for quite a while now, so why did he suddenly feel like he was seeing Turbo for the first time?

Skidmark slid over to the small window on the side of the clubhouse. Rubbing off some of the moisture with an eyestalk, he pressed his face to the glass and peered inside. The sound of the downpour seemed to fade into the background once he saw Turbo; the orange snail was smiling, talking happily with Whiplash and Smoove Move.

Skid couldn't help but notice the way Turbo's eyes sparkled whenever he was excited about something, sort of like blue diamonds held up to the light.

Stop it! he told himself sharply, backing away from the window.

He doesn't feel the same way about you. Never has, never will.

Skidmark sighed. No matter how badly he wanted it, Turbo would never see him as anything more than a teammate and a friend.

Heart aching, the blue snail slumped down next to the clubhouse wall, still not bothering to take shelter from the rain.

He was getting soaked, but he didn't care. It would be far worse to go inside and face Turbo, who knew nothing of the emotions he always kept bottled inside.

I'm better off out here, Skid thought.

He was there for several minutes before the door slid open.

Skidmark looked up; instantly his heart began pounding and his face started to burn. Turbo!

What's he doing out here?!

The orange snail was carrying something; as he got closer, Skid realized that it was a snail-sized blanket, made out of a scrap of turquoise fabric. His first thought was that the shade of the cloth matched Turbo's eyes perfectly; then he shoved the thought away, remembering that Tito had given the blanket to Turbo in the days before Starlight City had been built. It was one of the orange snail's most treasured possessions, and for a heartbeat Skidmark wondered why he'd brought it out here in the rain, risking that it might get ruined by mud and water.

"What are you doing out here?" Turbo demanded; once he got close enough, he threw the blanket over both himself and Skidmark, shielding them from the rain.

Skid's face began to burn; he was close enough to Turbo to hear the beating of the other snail's heart.

And in that very second, Skidmark knew that there was no way he could keep the intense emotions he felt towards his friend bottled up any longer.

"Why don't you come into the clubhouse and get dried off? This is crazy, even for you." Turbo's voice snapped Skidmark out of his thoughts.

Skid shook his head quickly. "No - I mean... that is -"

Turbo tilted his head in confusion. "Skid, what are you trying to say?"

Skidmark let out a long sigh. "I... I need to tell you something." he murmured, dropping his voice to a whisper.

Turbo nodded, his light blue-green eyes sparkling; he was clearly ready to listen to anything his friend had to say. The pounding of the rain and the rumble of thunder in the distance faded into the background, and Skidmark forced himself to make eye contact.

"Turbo, I..."

Skid trailed off, then took a deep breath. There was no way he could back out now, not when he was so close to telling Turbo how he really felt about him.

"...I love you." he blurted out.

Instantly Turbo's eyes widened in shock, then his expression changed to something Skid couldn't recognize, halfway in between horror and excitement.

He's going to reject me!

Skidmark instantly wished he could take his confession back. His mouth opened to apologize, but somehow he couldn't make the words come out. Finally, he managed to choke out:

"I... I'm sorry... I know you don't feel the same way, but - "

Turbo's eyes suddenly softened. "Skid... I... I feel exactly the same way." he murmured.

"I've loved you since day one, but I... I guess I just never knew how to tell you. I guess... I guess I was just afraid."

Shock washed over Skidmark like a wave, and he felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him.

"...You... you love me?!" he stuttered.

Turbo nodded, his turquoise gaze brimming with emotion. "Of course," he said softly.

"Why else do you think I let you lead me into a giant albino spider's cave to track aliens, or helped you tranquilize a great white goldfish, or always had your back whenever someone called you crazy?"

Skidmark smiled, his eyes filling with tears. He was too wrapped in emotion to think of a response, but words weren't necessary. He leaned in for a hug, happiness flaming in his heart as he embraced the orange snail.

Suddenly, Turbo drew back. "Shouldn't we go inside?"

Skidmark blinked. He'd been so lost in the moment, he had forgotten all about the rainstorm raging on outside. But the two of them were perfectly sheltered under the blanket.

Skidmark shook his head, smiling. "Come to think of it, I kinda like it out here."

A smile crossed Turbo's face. "Me, too."

As the two snails huddled together under the blanket, oblivious to the pounding rain outside, Skidmark leaned close to Turbo.

"I love you." he murmured.

"I love you, too."