This one actually sat in the back of my head for a damn year while I tried to figure out how to do this, so aren't we glad I revamped on a note app during a slow day at work; and it's a 2 parter!

"Mikey, I can't play another round, I have to get home! And you'll just beat me again, anyway." Dana pushed up from the deep cushions of the couch, stretching as Mikey reluctantly turned off the console before standing.

"Y'know I think I might have the worst Mario Kart score on your system." She winked as her orange banded companion passed in front of her to take the lead in bringing her home. Mikey snorted loudly, waving off the comment.

"No that would still be Raph, he can't avoid banana peels for shit." Dana choked back a chuckle behind him, trying not to laugh at her favorite turtle when he wasn't there. She scolded herself mentally, not very fair to all her turtles to pick favorites. Mikey had come calling earlier to have some free time with his favorite ladies, but April had to leave earlier in the night for an early morning and Dana had been all but too easy to beg to stay late despite an incoming 830 dance class. She couldn't help but give in to him absolutely whining with those big blue eyes, so she figured an extra shot of espresso and no morning workout before class wouldn't kill her. Besides, Mikey was easy to spend time with, a bright and vibrant personality that just made her feel very easy.

"So how're things with your boy toy?" Mikey asked partway through their relatively quiet walk through the sewers. He preferred to walk whenever bringing one or both of the girls home, unlike Raphael who usually grabbed Dana over the shoulder to run through the rooftops only to let her down and stand awkwardly in the window, strangely hesitant to leave. Dana grumbled, then heaving a large sigh let out her grievances.

"Ugh, I don't know. I think I need to break up with him but I'm so chicken I haven't texted him in a week. He took me out with all of his rich suit friends and said I love you. In front of everyone. It was so fucking embarrassing that I hid in the bathroom until he agreed to take me home." Dana could feel herself getting red, Gerry wasn't an awful person but she truly didn't expect anything that serious.

"… so you don't love him?" The young terrapin by her side seemed very confused; yeah he couldn't remember when she started seeing the man exactly, but he vainly liked to believe love could be a little like the romantic comedies he'd binged so often when he was younger.

"I mean, honestly? No. And even so it's been like 2 months and he proceeded to PROPOSE to me when he coaxed me out of the bathroom. After 2 months?! I guess I didn't realized how much he was into me because I didn't really like him all that much to begin with." Dana knew she was in deep shit, Gerry had been nothing but nice but she just couldn't find it in herself to reciprocate, and of course he needed an answer or he'd be stuck in limbo, but it all made Dana feel so … icky? Mean? April told her she shouldn't feel guilty about having honest feelings, but she needed to talk to him. "Yeah, it does sound like you need to break up with him. But if you didn't really like him, why'd you keep dating him in the first place?" At that, Dana stopped. She had to think about that; well, no she didn't, but she had to figure out a less embarrassing explanation. She resumed walking silently, rolling around in her head how to make a reason so dumb sound totally logical, but after failing to find anything good to spin it to, she caved. Screw it, it's not like Mikey's never embarrassed himself. "Well, Raph got like super aggressive about me having a boyfriend after the first date so I got mad and figured I might as well have a boyfriend for him to be mad about. Oh my god, it's so embarrassing and now I've been trying to figure out how to break up with him for like weeks." Against his own instincts, Mikey decided to keep that new information to think on, rather than tease the blonde trailing behind him.

"I mean I'm no expert at love, angelcakes, but I think you just gotta tell him you don't feel the same. Just thinking about him makes you look grumpy." The large terrapin hung back in order to sling an arm over the small woman, giving her a gentle squeeze. She released a large sigh, leaning in to the small embrace.

"Ohh sweet Mikey, what would I do without you?"

"Die of boredom, my brothers are lame." Mikey paused, a thought coming to the forefront. "Can I ask you something? Speaking of brothers." Dana looked at him expectantly, albeit a little confused. "How come sometimes you come down and just sit in the weight room to read while Raph just ignores you?" Dana blanched, was it that weird? Taking a deep breath and trying to keep the color from rushing to her face, she smiled gently.

"Sometimes it's nice to have alone time with another person. I don't do it with April because if we don't hang out out of the apartment we'll kill each other, but it just feels nice to have someone around while you're having a quiet time. And he doesn't ignore me, we'll take breaks to talk and stuff."

"Well you could do that with me, or even Leo and Donny!"

"Mikey, you couldn't be quiet that long if we super-glued your mouth shut. And I get twitchy if I spend too much quiet time with Leo, feels like he's watching me with his eyes closed… and Donny types too loud." Well, most of those things were true, but Mikey didn't need to know the strange amount of comfort being near his older brother brought. The turtle seemed satisfied, shrugging it off as they approached the ladder to a manhole closest to her apartment. After climbing up the ladder and pulling Dana up after him, something felt odd in the air. Mikey couldn't quite place it as he replaced the manhole cover, but he didn't want to stay on the ground longer than he had to. As if on cue, a shadow moved just at the edge of his periphery, and in a panic to keep the newest member of their little human family safe and hidden, he found the nearest place to hide her. Unfortunately it was a dumpster, but he didn't have time to think. As gently as he could, he heaved the girl up as he opened the lid of the trash receptacle and unceremoniously dumped her in. Dana was very surprised, and incredibly disgusted, to be tossed into a dumpster without so much of an explanation. Unfortunately for her, the angle that she was deposited and the darkness made it impossible to push the lid up to give the overgrown turtle a piece of her mind. A few noisy moments from the outside of the walls, and the lid had lifted itself very gently, with those familiar blues peeping in at her. Dana took this as an invitation to lose her shit.

"Mikey what the fuck was that for, why would you do that?! Do you even realize how gross this is? Or how dangerous it could've been if I landed wrong?! What is your problem?!" In the darkness Mikey could still feel the heat rise from her face as she clambered out of her dump prison. He reached a hand out to assist but she angrily slapped it away.

"I'm sorry but I saw someone moving and I had to make sure you'd be safe, it looked like a foot solider! I had to make sure to scare him off before you were seen!"

"Mikey, do you think I can't fucking take care of myself? You didn't say anything and then threw me in garbage?! You're such an ass, I can't believe you." Picking something non-descript and slimy out of her hair, she turned sharply as she quickly made her way to the light of the Main Street. Mikey sniffled after her.

"Wait, where are you going?!" She turned in the light, stopping just short of whipping around.

"I'm going home and showering, you dick." And just like that, she disappeared past the edge of the building, leaving Mikey to stew in his misery.