Delilah walked like a zombie when the shop opened. Dill noticed and was chuckling. After the breakfast rush, Dill said something to Delilah about it.
"Someone slept beautifully," Dill laughed, smiling geekily. Delilah rolled her eyes.
"You actually need to sleep in order to do it beautifully," she said. She used air quotes around "beautifully." Dill laughed harder.
"Want me to make you your favorite cappuccino?" Dill asked. "On me."
"Nah, you don't have to pay for it. But please do make it, I actually want to work properly today." Delilah paused as Dill started making her drink.
"Oh, I got into NYU by the way," Delilah stated off-handedly.
Dill had to remake the drink, for they had dropped it.
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Dill and Delilah sat at one of the bigger tables between the lunch rush and evening rush. Delilah read Dill the email NYU sent her the day before.
"That's awesome, DeeDee!" Dill smiled as she finished. "But how are you going to pay for it, with running the shop and paying your rent and such?"
"Columbus Place offered me to stay there for free for life, and I don't have to pay any fucking taxes for this place. City Hall heard about what happened and has the nearest church paying my taxes since they don't pay taxes and have money to spare."
"That looks good on their part, too, so a win-win," Dill shrugged. Delilah chuckled and agreed.
Delilah looked at the guitar that sat in a stand, sitting without being played for about two weeks. Dill noticed this and smiled.
"You should play, just a little. It's just us, and Mrs. Alderman. And Freddie, but he won't judge, for he is a cat," Dill explained.
"Oh, dear, please do. I remember when you, Marquis, and Leslie used to play. You are such a beautiful singer, dear," Mrs. Alderman smiled. "Go ahead, dear, I don't bite."
"You can't say no, now," Dill clarified. Delilah rolled her eyes.
"Fine."
"Shall I play the song that was named after me when the Plain White T's came to the Abraço that famous day?" Delilah smiled, asking Mrs. Alderman.
"Oh yes," the older woman smiled.
"Wait, really?" Dill asked.
"Yeah."
"Explain?" Delilah laughed.
"Sure."
"We weren't allowed to open until 2007, so we were just a coffee stand in Central Park. That's what we had a license for at the time. In 2005- I was three- the Plain White T's were in the city and stopped by. I was the only one of my siblings born at the time and they hung out with me in the playgrounds for the entire day. They said they'd write a song for me, then blurted out the first verse and chorus by the end of the day. The song is more about romance, but that first verse is about the friendship of a relationship- which I can proudly say I inspired."
"Lucky," Dill frowned. "I don't know a song about pickles." Delilah laughed loudly and Mrs. Alderman hid her laughter behind her hand even though her shoulders shook.
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Delilah gladly played for her two friends and Freddie who, as Dill said, didn't judge, for he is a cat. Dill smiled at her proudly.
"You've still got it, Delilah, dear," Mrs. Alderman smiled. Delilah blushed.
"It's been a long while since we played. I was scared my fingers were going to bleed just now because of it," Delilah explained, nursing her fingers.
"I'll get you ice-"
"It's okay, Dill. It's not unbearable. I need to wash up, anyways, for we have another customer."
♦️♦️♦️
Raph came to the shop at exactly 10:05, a millisecond after Delilah flicked off the lights. She jumped as he flung open the door and entered, but then laughed.
"Surprise, mother fucker," Raph smirked. Delilah rolled her eyes.
"Hey, dumbass." Raph scoffed. "Just you tonight?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No."
"Then it's just me."
"Okay," Delilah smiled.
"But, I need to take you somewhere," Raph stated. Delilah looked confused. "Mikey, Casey, and I decided that we trust you enough to take you to where we live."
"Oh..."
"You don't have to, we can just stay here," he suggested quickly.
"I want to, I just forgot if I fed Freddie yet..." She thought. "I did, okay. We leave now, or...?"
"Sure. Let's go out of the staff door to be safe."
"A-okay."
♦️♦️♦️
Delilah had never felt so close to free-flying in her life. Raph was carrying her bridal-style and was racing across rooftops, and she was full of adrenaline. They stopped near the Empire State Building, and Raph put her down. She gained her balance and looked around the city in awe.
"I've never seen the city from up here before..." she whispered. "And you do this every night?" She asked, turning to Raph. He was trying not to smile, but Delilah only saw a smirk.
"Yeah. I guess I'm used to it," he shrugged. She scoffed, turning back to the city.
"I would never. I'd always be amazed." He let his smile take full shape.
"Where do you guys live?" She asked, still looking out.
"We're close, I'm just letting you get your fill before we go because I know it's new and you want to take it in," Raph shrugged. She looked back and smiled at him. His heart nearly melted but he didn't dare show it.
"I'm ready when you are." He nodded and offered her his hand, which she took.
"Ready for me to pick you up?"
"Yeah," she responded.
He easily picked her up like she was nothing and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He jumped into the alleyway between the building they were on and the next.
"I'm going to warn you now, where we live is a bit less than appetizing." Raph grimaced a little. He opened the manhole cover.
"Okay," Delilah responded, unfazed.
"Okay?" Raph looked at her, still cradled against his chest. "You're not grossed out?"
"A little, but you guys need a place to hide safely, and the sewers are a completely logical place to go," she responded. Raph smiled.
"Okay."
♦️♦️♦️
Delilah looked around. They had built an entire lair- a safe haven- for themselves to stay. She was in awe. Raph chuckled as she walked around. She looked at all of the details that they had, even to the small details on the wall that they had etched into the concrete.
"This is amazing... Y'all live here?" Delilah asked, looking at Raph.
"24/7," Raph responded.
"Damn," she sighed. "Want to give me a proper tour?"
"Sure," Raph shrugged.
"On our way in, we went through the training room and weapon area. Pretty self-explanatory," Raph chuckled, as did Delilah. "And right now, we're in the main room. We have a living-room-type place over there. Donnie found a way to hook up an old, beat-up TV with all of the best channels," he laughed.
"Over here is the kitchen, we often keep pizzas in there, but they don't stay long. Then the training or meditation platform, if you ever feel like meditating or do solo training. Leo and Master Splinter were the ones who used it most.
"That's where we come in from the city, usually, if we're in a rush. All sewers connect somewhere, so we make our way here. Then we have our bird's eye view. Donnie hacked into several personal security cameras around the city, and also the police scanner.
"Here is my weight room. I only let Mikey in because if I let anyone else, they'd say I'm doing something wrong when they know I'm doing it right," he laughed. "That's Master Splinter's chamber, and no one has been allowed to enter- even Leo, surprisingly enough. And over there's Donnie's lab, where he does smart things. That little hole in the wall next to it is his bed, where he spends more time writing notes along the wall than sleeping.
"Mikey's game wall is over there, right next to his bed. Then Leo's bed is right there, that raised hammock along the wall. It's right next to that other hole in the wall, where he does personal meditation and such. My bed 'room' is right there, that other chamber. It's smaller than it looks, but it's big enough for me to get through with room to spare."
Delilah watched him explain everything and was beaming. He looked back at her once he was done, and he looked confused.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Why not?" Delilah asked in response. Raph rolled his eyes.
"Anyways, that's the Lair."
"It's awesome," she smiled. "Can I go check out the lab?" she asked.
"Go right ahead, Donnie's not here to stop..." He stopped and held his breath. "No, don't. He'll be mad I let someone in..."
"I understand. I hate when people touch my stuff without asking," Delilah stated. "Can I go see Mikey's game wall?" She asked.
"Sure, just don't touch anything or Mikey will know in 0.02 seconds and fight you," Raph responded. Delilah chuckled.
"Woah... Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Tetris, Frogger, Mario Bros, Doom, Sonic- all of the most popular games from the 80s and 90s, and Minecraft! Bean would be so jealous," Delilah smiled. "She was the gamer of the family. She would tell everyone within a five-foot radius about the game she was currently playing or had just beaten." She smiled warmly.
"Random question," Raph stated after a while.
"Yeah?"
"So, between me and my brothers, Mikey's the heart and gamer, Donnie's the brains, I'm the muscle and Leo is... Leo was the leader. What about you and your siblings?" he asked. "Just curious." Delilah smiled.
"I am the leader and brains. Marquis was the muscle. Bean was the gamer, but she and Mark were equal in being the heart- I'm barely as sensitive as they are... Were..." She stated, looking sad.
"He was a bragger, Mark. He always talked about how much he could lift, which was a fair amount for the average human male. About 215, which was twenty pounds more than the other boys in his class." Delilah smiled at the memory.
"Like Leo. Always bragging how he was the oldest and how he was chosen to be the leader. Or how Donnie always has to have everything perfect. Like, his desk is always organized and his grammar is always 100%," Raph chuckled.
"Everything's changed now, isn't it?" Delilah asked after a moment. Raph sighed.
"Yeah. For sure," he responded.
"And Mark and Leslie aren't coming back."
"And neither will Leo."
"But Donnie will," Delilah stated, looking hopeful.
"It'll be hard for him to stay out of range forever. You said he's the brains, after all. He'll probably find holes in the Foot's plans, and work his way out. And the police have officers working day and night throughout the city, and all throughout New England to look for that truck." Raph smiled at her, loving her interest and hope.
"You're a piece of work."
"Oh?"
"You put so much into everything, every little thing. I don't think I could do it." He chuckled and shook his head.
"That's what makes me who I am, I guess," she shrugged. Raph scoffed a laugh.
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