TMNT2014-2016 Reader x Turtles

3. First Meeting Donatello

"I, uh, almost forgot!  I need to call April about, uh, our shoot tomorrow!  I'll see you at home!"

He quickly turns to walk away, almost beginning to jog towards the exit gate of the park. 

He doesn't even have to work tomorrow. . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours had passed and you had finally made it home.  The whole way you kept thinking about why Vern left in a hurry; he never mentioned anything about other plans that evening.  Could he have known what was in the picture? Could it have reminded him of something he needed to do? It left questions in your head while you walked back home. 

Dragging yourself into your bedroom, you pulled out your camera from your bag and set it on the computer desk.  An exhausted sigh came from your lips and your back met your mattress, your body feeling suddenly overwhelmingly tired.  With your eyes now staring at the spinning ceiling fan, it wouldn't be long you figured until your crashed for the night.

Sure enough, it didn't take you long before you started dozing off.  Sleep seemed like the best idea then, but it was delayed when your phone rang. It was Vern's ringtone. You sit up and pick up the device, putting it up to your ear.

"Vern?" you say. 

"Hey," he says on the other end. "I need you to do me a favor, (y/n)."

"Sure."

Vern sighs heavily before he speaks. He almost sounds nervous.

"I need you to go to the roof and wait."

Your eyes blink a couple of times in confusion.

"What?" You hear him sigh.

"Just. . . go to the roof please."

And then he hangs up.

You bring your phone down into your lap, staring suspiciously at it with your brows furrowed. Was this a joke? A prank?  You release an annoyed sigh as you stand and grab your sweater, making way to the staircase just outside the apartment door.  

Upon opening the door you are greeted with the nearly set sun and the blaze of neon lights and lamps below. It had gotten colder as the day went on so you immediately pull your sweater closer to you, looking around for any signs of your uncle. He is nowhere to be seen.

"Uncle Vern?" you call out, looking all around you. There was nowhere to hide up here, so where could he have been?

You are suddenly scared out of your wits as a loud thud can be heard from behind you. Quickly spinning around you are greeted with what appears to be. . . well, you didn't quite know. But it was big, green, and adorned with electrical gadgets you couldn't have possibly dreamed of. It wore a purple cloth around it's eyes as well. 

"Oh, SH-" you begin to holler. It holds out it's arms and lowers it's head to try and appear less threatening to you.

"No please!"  It begged quietly, "I won't hurt you, I promise!"

It talks?!

No words came from your mouth as you stood there, staring into the creature's eyes. It held it's hands up to tell you it truly meant no harm, hoping you would hear it out. 

"I'm sure this is new for you," it says, "but I mean you no harm."

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you gather what courage you had and try to speak.

"What. . . are you?" you ask shakily. You had never seen a creature such as this, but you would be lying if you said it hadn't piqued your curiosity. 

"I'm. . ." It pauses, letting out a sharp exhale. "Not a monster. I'm a mutant."

You can't seem to speak again, so it continues.

"My name is Donatello," he says, a hand on his chest. "I'm a friend of your uncle."

Your demeanor seems to change at hearing that as well as your posture. Head tilted and brows furrowed once again that day, you stare at Donnie and shift in your spot.

"You. . . know my uncle?" you ask. He nods. "Is that why-"

"-he left in a hurry earlier?" Donatello adds. "The photo you have- It's me and my brothers."

Now your brows raise in question as well as more curiosity. 

"You have a family?"

Donatello hums his answer, rubbing his hands nervously as he looks at you. He seems desperate with his stance, and almost pleading with his eyes.

"You have to get rid of that photo (y/n)," he says, taking a step closer to you. "Please, if anyone else saw it, my whole family would be in danger. At risk of being found out."

A pause between you two.

"Please," he begs, "you already know what I look like, you don't need the photo."

 This was all so bizarre to you. How long had Donatello and his family been living under your nose this entire time? How long did your uncle know? You felt somewhat betrayed that he couldn't have trusted you enough to tell you all of this.

But upon seeing the pleading in Donatello's eyes, you can't help but feel your stomach knot with guilt. His words race through your mind over and over; you couldn't put him or his family in harm, no way. You couldn't do that to anyone.

Sighing heavily, you turn for the door to the staircase.

"Wait here," you begin. Donnie nods and anticipates your return eagerly. It's not long before you're back with your camera in hand. However he wasn't expecting you to hand it to him.

"Here," you say. "You do it. Then you'll know it's gone."

Donatello was pleasantly surprised, albeit a bit shocked, at how much you were giving your trust to him then. He slowly takes the camera and turns it on, secretly admiring the photos you had taken while he searched through them to find what he needed. You stand in place awkwardly as he handles your camera. It's not long before he sends a smile your way and you take it back.

"Thank you," he smiles, a small breath of laughter leaving him, "I'm sure you have questions."

"Oh, you have no idea."

His lips perse together as he looks at his feet, nervously shuffling them before looking up at you.

"Maybe we can get together in the future," he begins, but suddenly he's mixing up his words and nervously rambling. "Uh, to talk! I mean- not like. . ." Donatello huffs. "You know what I mean. To know what's been happening behind the scenes."

With your camera in hand, you exhale softly and nod to him.

"I'd like that," you say. "I had no idea about this."

"A lot of people don't," Donatello begins, "and it's safer that way. For you, for them. For us."

It was understandable. A mutant like himself, along with his other family of mutants; if anyone got their hands on them, it surely would have been the end. Or maybe not. After all, with all that tech he was wearing, along with his sheer muscles alone and what appears to be a staff strapped onto his back, he probably could have gotten away like nothing happened.

"But if you tell anyone about me being here, we will come for you."

You gaze turned from inquisitive to nervous, as his own seemed to shift when he spoke to you. He meant it. Like, really meant it.

You nodded nervously and pretended to zip your lips with your hand.

"No one but me will know about this.  I promise Donatello."

A kind and warm smile is sent your way, nodding to you as a way of saying goodbye. Donatello turns to prop himself up on the edge of the building, leaving you below him to stare in wonder. He turns to you one last time.

"I'm pretty sure we're gonna see each other again," he chuckles, "sooner than you think. Goodnight (y/n)."

"Yeah." You sigh. "See ya."

With that he left, leaving you in awe with your camera in your hands. 

Whatever the case, Vern was going to have a good talking to in the morning for sure.