Along the Coast

Their van has a view of the ocean, of overlapping waves and the practicing surfers and early morning beach-goers. It was a quiet kind of movement, and even in the laughter of those on the beach further down on the public side, it felt like the ambiance of a movie, everything in slow motion and silent.

Adrian scrapes the eggs from the frying pan. It was a beat up thing that he and Don fished out with the artistic eye of Mikey to bring out the potential in the thing. And it’s not like they couldn’t have taken the TurtleTank or anything, but having an RV type of van just added to the ambiance of beach-going.

That, and it’s December, and the hottest beaches were miles and miles away from New York.

“The funny thing is,” Donnie had said, while packing a shitton of Hawaiian tourist-esque shirts April picked up from the thrift shop, “We’ve been to space, lightyears away from here, but never to Florida.”

And when Adrian really got to thinking about it- that was the funniest and cutest thing ever. Maybe it was the innocent way Donnie said it, so casually and all, or maybe it was just that Adrian’s spent the greater portion of his life moving- he can’t really wrap his head around the stagnant way Donnie and his brothers tend to operate.

But it hadn’t taken too much convincing for Raph at least; at the mention of a break from bitter cold nights of patrolling he was sold and Mikey had the whole navigation sorted out and so all the left pretty much was Leo.

Who can be an ass as much as Adrian can be a little shit. It balances out, and two hours and bullying the leader into it later, Leo was pretty much on board to say the very least.

“Crime won’t just take a break, you know…” he’d said wryly, watching his brothers pack, “And Casey doesn’t count as a replacement ‘us’, okay- he’s-”

“Gonna be fine,” Raph cut in, “‘Sides it ain’t like we haven’t taken days off before, we can let the Foot enjoy an early freakin’ Christmas present or whatever.”

And so dragging a begrudging Leo and perhaps a too excited Mikey along, they hit the road, making little stops in the evenings in North Carolina and Georgia. Adrian snaps a couple pictures of Donnie standing outside their van, watching the sunset beyond them, and he thinks this is it- this is what it’s about. And finds himself wondering what he’s done to deserve someone so wonderful.

Then they’re bickering over directions the next morning and Donnie spills his coffee on the map and, somehow, Adrian is loving Donnie even more.

But even with a coffee-stained map it still brings Adrian right here, making Terran food for breakfast with his boyfriend and his brothers, staring out into the Floridian ocean.

He wouldn’t be lying if he said the ocean didn’t scare the hell out of him, that seeing the repetition of the waves, crashing in and drawing away, didn’t make Adrian want to stay inside this RV forever. He’d almost wished it would rain or something but it’s six days straight of hot sun and besides, rain wouldn’t stop the Splinterson brothers.

Earth rain is so tranquil compared to any other planet Adrian’s been too. It’s practically like a sprinkle.

As he’s thinking of ways to still get out of stepping foot in the sea, something brushes up against his arm, and Adrian doesn’t even have to think to know it’s Donnie. To know his skin.

The smile that spreads across Adrian’s face is almost involuntary, a second natured reaction to being near Donnie- a kind of smile that’s effortless in every way.

And Donnie’s is placid and easy as he takes the little frying pan from Adrian and slides the egg off onto a plate.

“Happy Birthday,” he says and it sounds so… Adrian can’t put it into words the warmth it gives off. Just two words that Don says and it’s like he’s recited the most intricate of poems.

And the guy doesn’t even notice he does this cute shit.

“I figured I’d say it as early as I could because this is as quiet as the day’s gonna get once Mikey gets the b-day festivities up and running.”

“Oh yeah?” Adrian hasn’t stopped smiling. He doesn’t think he can.

“Mm-hm,” Donnie’s still smiling too, “He went out way early, I think he’s collecting shells to spell out ‘happy birthday Adrian!’.”

Adrian can’t help but snicker, “That’s a very Mikey thing to do and if he’s definitely getting a Vrly’n hovercraft for his birthday for that.”

“Oh god, you sure you wanna give him that much power?” Donnie laughs, but it’s cut off by the way Adrain turns his head and presses his lips into Don’s, kissing him around the laugh.

It’s a fun little hobby Adrian’s picked up, and the way it makes Donnie’s eyes widen- it’s a treasured thing.

“Thank you,” Adrian says when the kiss breaks, “For letting me tag along on your vacation.”

And Donnie gives him a deadpan look, that’s not so very deadpan because it’s broken up by a smile, “Don’t be weird, I’d never think to go all the way out here if it weren’t for you. And in addition to that you literally let me tag along to 67 different planets since we’ve met so- take it as an ‘I owe you’.”

And this time it’s Donnie who initiates the kiss, though maybe it’s bad timing because there’s Leo in the little entryway to the kitchen portion of the RV, awkwardly trying not to stare but also-

“Just seeing if breakfast is done,” he says, trying to sound composed but Raph is snorting from behind him and so Leo’s words tremble a little with uncomfortable laughter, “Uh...oh, and happy birthday, Adrian.”

Raph gives a few whoops, brushing past Leo and throwing his arms around Donnie and Adrian, “Give it up for the mister and mister,” he laughs, and musses Adrian’s head, “Birthday shots on me, aight?”

“It’s nine in the morning,” Leo says, squeezing past them to grab a plate, “We’re not drinking.”

“We?” Adrian snorts, eyeing Raph, “This guy speaking French or somethin’?”

It gets a barking laugh from Raph, the kind that Adrian enjoys so much- the belly laughs he does that contrasts Donnie’s quieter and snickery ones.

And Leo shoots Adrian a bemused look, but it holds no animosity, only the brotherly irritation that Adrian’s grown a fondness for; makes him get why Raph likes pissing Leo off sometimes.

But Leo’s look doesn’t last much longer, and he starts chuckling, not over Adrian’s tease- but out the window, where Mikey stands a few yards away on the sand.

A whole bunch of sea-shells spelling out ‘Happy B-Day Bro-InLaw!’ with little hearts drawn in the sand.

It’s a perfect way to start a birthday.

////

They make a wager and start drinks at 12. The compromise comes because they can’t get drunk here; in the off chance somebody wanders onto this private rented place they’ve got, they can’t afford to not be cautious.

But their disguises haven’t failed them for years and so Donnie’s not so worried about being spotted, even less worried about being too drunk.

Right now he’s more relaxed than he’s felt in months, and it may be a silly thing, but he almost feels normal. Like just a guy, with his brothers and his boyfriend on the beach with a slightly beat up but nicely renovated RV.

And in this moment nothing could be better, his hand interlaced in Adrian’s grasping one.

“I can’t believe you’ve never been in the ocean,” Donnie laughs, but not in a mocking way, just mostly out of surprise,taking a step forward.

Though he can’t say he’s too shocked, up until now he and his brothers have mostly swam in the sewers and in the lake on the small trips they’d take up to the farmhouse.

Still, in all the places Adrian’s been to, Donnie’s at least a little shocked his boyfriend’s chosen to avoid the water this long.

“Geez, the water is cold, how can you stand it?” Adrian says, moving his feet away from the trickles of seafoam that manage to make its way up to where they stand now.

“Gradually,” Donnie says calmly, offering up a small, reassuring smile, and takes a few steps further, “Jumping in too quickly might be a shock, but when you just go in slowly…it’s not so bad. You know, I’m not a marine biologist or anything but I went through this phase when I was nine and took in as much knowledge on the ocean as I could...”

Donnie keeps talking, and Adrian is so invested in his words that he doesn’t realize he’s taking steps with Don, further and further into the ocean. He vaguely feels the cold splash of waves on his lower plastron, but Donnie’s still going on, and so Adrian still listens.

“...and I guess maybe a lot of that information I retained. I think I just liked learning about the ocean I knew- or I...I thought- I thought I’d never see it, you know. And even after going into space, I think I was still kinda fascinated by the water,” Donnie says wistfully, “But now we’re here, and I guess I’m finding it a helluva lot more fascinating than I imagined if that makes sense.”

Adrian blinks, and he’s in the ocean, chest deep and eyes locked in Donnie’s.

“Yeah…” is all Adrian’s brain produces for him to murmur as he keeps on staring into Donnie’s eyes, “It does.”

He swears those eyes rival every star Adrian’s ever seen.

//

Everyone’s bone tired by the time the vacation is over, but simultaneously they’re more refreshed than they’ve felt in ages.

They roll back into New York still smelling the ocean and finding sand in every crevice of the RV, and though the cold is back and bitter and Christmas lights line the streets, Adrian still feels infinitely warm.