Disclosed ambiguity

Adrian has been hanging out at the lair every so often since he met the turtles. He remembers it clearly, since it was during the ever so memorable battle nexus. Albeit the amazing event that took place in front of him, something else - or in that case, someone- captured his attention that day. He never would’ve thought about this happening; he never had such a hard time containing his emotions. He didn’t want to ruin his chances. This particular alien was usually okay with being expressive. Although, love is a very strange feeling to deal with. It’s even worse when it’s targeted towards someone who is used to suppress their own emotions; when that specific mutant turtle is surrounded by heteronormativity; when they’re from a completely different world. However, there was this new person around them for some time. A human. Mizuiro was introduced to him as a good friend, a quiet person and an alien enthusiast. She was nicer than Adrian had expected her to be with her ever so bland expression. It turned out, after getting to know her better, that he had discovered a secret of hers. He started to notice Mizuiro and him shared something peculiar. He perceived how different she acted next to one of their mutant turtle friends. It reminded him of… well… himself. The two of them didn’t share a lot except when they were physically at the turtles’ lair. 

~

So far, his day was boring, at best. While he wanted to spend time with Donatello, the latter said he really had to work on his computer. Adrian sat in front of the TV with Michelangelo, only being half interested by the superhero series he put on. In the middle of the afternoon, he saw her again. As she usually did when she came over, she removed her shoes and jacket upon her arrival, not without addressing a subtle smile at Leonardo who helped her with her backpack. Something strange crossed his mind, and before he knew it, he was walking towards her. 

“Hey Mizu!” exclaimed Adrian with a warm expression. “Maybe you want to hold onto these for a while.” 

Confused, she glanced at Leonardo. Then, she peeked at her shoes on the ground before bringing her attention back to Adrian. She was waiting for an explanation. 

“Is everything alright?” asked Leonardo, not sure what he meant either. 

“Oh, yeah!” Adrian reassured him. “I was just wondering if you had anything planned today? I mean, apart from hanging out here.” 

Her face turned, yet again, towards the oldest family member, not saying a word. 

“We wanted to train together.” Leo mentioned. 

“Can it wait until later today?” Adrian insisted. “I just realized she’s the only one here who didn’t travel with me. I’d like to bring you someplace nice!” 

Her eyelids opened completely. This peculiar alien was a portal user that could travel through dimensions. Who could refuse such a wonderful, life-changing invitation!? 

“Only if you would like to come, of course!” he added. 

“Is it… dangerous?” Mizuiro asked, her attention now fully directed at him. 

“Nah, I’m careful!” 

“Maybe it’s better if I come along, just in case something happens.” suggested Leonardo. 

“Dude!” they heard Raph yell through the other side of the lair. He gave his punching bag a break to insert himself in the conversation. “Adrian gave everyone a little private trip to the destination of our choice. Let her have this!” 

Mizuiro looked like she was almost going to faint. She was staring at Adrian like he was her idol now. Travelling on a different dimension or another planet has always been a dream of her; one she never ever thought she could ever have the chance to experience. Leonardo smiled, then helped her put her bag on her back.

“Just be careful, alright?” 

“Of course!” Adrian answered. “Now, where do you want to go? I’ll make sure there is oxygen there, don’t worry.” 

“There’s… too many options.” she said while lacing her shoes back. “Maybe somewhere with more than one moon? Someplace where we can witness the birthing of a star? Or a planet that’s really close to a nebula?” 

“Oh, I know just the place for you!” 

As quickly as she had become cheerful, she was speechless again. 

“Well, shall we go?” Adrian smiled. 

“I’m going to cry.” she answered with a tremor in her voice. 

“Wait until we’re there, silly!” 

~

The first things she experienced were a small breeze, a comfortable temperature and her eyes being covered. 

“Ready?” Adrian asked before slowly uncovering her face with his hands. 

She knew she wouldn’t be. She was completely out of breath by the second he let her witness a new environment. The air was humid and she could sense fresh grass, but it didn’t look like grass. They were walking on what seemed like purple moss. There were almost no trees around, except for maybe a few strange bushes. Her eyes instinctively drifted to the sky as she took a step back. Despite her attempt at keeping her cool, she clung on Adrian’s arm. 

“Adrian.”

“Yes?” he smiled. 

“Where are we?” 

“On Plasma 1642!” 

She kept staring in front of her, witnessing nothing less than four moons in the sky. Three of them had shades of blue; the other had a pale green appearance. They went there during the night, when they could observe a dark sky with hundreds of visible stars. Right on top of their head, a purple nebula with hints of pink space dust was in view. 

“Am I… dreaming?” she let escape after a minute. 

“Nope! That’s awesome, right?” 

She let go of his arm, then sat on the moss beneath them. Adrian did the same, making sure to note her physical reactions. For some, the first time away from their home planet could be too much to handle. She seemed to handle it fine, although he did notice a few tears gathering under her eyes. 

“It’s … real?” she asked again. 

He pinched her. She didn’t even flinch. Her eyes couldn’t stop looking at the nebula. 

“You have this amazing place at the tip of your fingers…” Mizuiro stated, shivering. “For free.” 

“Ahah well. You get used to it, I guess? Nonetheless, I still love coming here.”

Mizuiro spent a few other minutes in silence, trying to regulate her breath. While she was observing this new part of space, trying to memorize the view, Adrian put his hand on her back. 

“So. About you and Leo…” 

“Eh? What about us?” she asked casually, not even bothering to look at him. 

“Let’s just say I noticed.” he smiled proudly. 

She stayed silent while still looking up. He really liked to make her languish on his words, but her attention was all over the place. A minute later, she finally understood why he said that. Her face became as pink as the nebula. 

“Wait”. Mizuiro finally turned her attention at him. “Is that why you brought me here? To talk to me in private?” 

“No! Well, kinda, but- You just HAD to see this, right!?” 

He was right. She couldn’t even bring herself to be mad at him even if she wanted to. Not after he shared this incredible piece of the universe with her. 

“Plus, I can tell you this planet is like… REALLY private. We’re the only lifeform capable of speech here.” he added. 

Seeing he wanted her to talk, she calmly resigned herself to observe the sky later. He was expressing a smug grin in her direction. 

“What did you notice, Adrian?” 

“Oh, just the way you look at him, you know. Like you’re in love or something.”

She blushed again, her stare drifting away once more. She breathed in, not paying attention to his face. 

“What if I am?” she eventually conceded. 

“I knew it!” 

He saw her fidgeting in the moss with her hand, in silence: true to herself. 

“Maybe you can help me then.” he said. 

Mizuiro didn’t understand what he meant. She looked at him again. 

“You see, I think…” Adrian paused. “No, I’m pretty sure, that I’m in love with Donnie.” 

After all, who better than a human to understand this emotion? Mizuiro, specifically, -she who, without any doubt, had thought about interspecies relationships before- could help him understand. Maybe she could also tell him if it was normal on Earth to be with someone who has the same physiology? Love on Earth sure was different than on his home planet. He just knew she could help him understand; even just a bit. 

“I know that.” she started softly. “I think Donatello knows, too.” 

“Oh, believe me,” he sighed. “He’s completely oblivious.” 

“B-but… is now really the best time to talk about this?” she awkwardly insisted. “Adrian. There is a nebula on top of us. With four moons!” 

Suddenly, he took her hand with both of his own, an incredibly serious expression taking place on his face. 

“Mizuiro, I beg you. It’s been around… two years!” He sighed again. “I have no one to talk too. You know Donatello. You know what it’s like to be in love with… someone like him. You told me about your experience with same sex relationships… I just- I never experienced any of this before, certainly not with an earthling.” 

Flustered about this sudden move, the general atmosphere of the place they were and what she was currently going through, Mizuiro removed her hand from his grip. 

“It’s not like I’m an expert at this either.” 

She looked over his head, thinking about how she could even bring herself to focus on the subject.

“Is it ok for us to lay down in the moss?” She asked him.

“Yeah, of course.”

Adrian threw his shell on the ground, crossing his arms behind his head. Mizuiro did the same, her heartbeat still adjusting itself to this wonderful sight. Perhaps the current subject was also the reason of her abundant bloodstream. 

“That way, I can at least look around while listening to you.”

“So, you’ll help me!?” he asked, showing more excitement that he thought he would.

“I can try?” She chuckled. “Let’s see… what makes you think you love him?”

Without hesitation, his answer blurted out of his mouth like a stream of information. 

“Oh, his voice makes me swoon! I think I fell in love with his vocal cords at first, ahah! He’s really just so… loveable, you know? He’s kind, he has the most precious eyes I have ever seen, he’s so curious to learn everything… He wants to do good, you know? I think he’s remarkable. When I’m near Donatello, it’s like I want him to like me. I want to make him proud, to make him feel like he deserves the world and that I am ready to be the one giving it to him.”

His friend smiled and hummed in approval.

“It’s been around two years, right?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I could definitely tell. I was so sure Donnie knew something, too. I thought you guys were constantly flirting.”

“Well, I think he knows, but… can’t bring himself to deal with it?”

“Hm… Typical.”

“Did you observe him, too?” Adrian kept asking. “I mean, do you think… maybe he feels the same away bout me?”

“Oh… he definitely doesn’t hate you.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” 

“Well, he seems pleased to be around you.”

Adrian sat up quickly, looking at her with yet another serious stare.

“Really?” he asked.

“I- uh… I can try paying more attention in the future, but I think so?”

A beautiful expression flourished on his face. Mizuiro diverted her attention from the sky to contemplate how happy he looked.

“How about you? You’re a human. How do you deal with this? Is- is my reaction normal!?”

“Yes, it’s normal.” She scoffed. “It’s also different for everyone. Concerning myself… would you grant me another trip like this if I told you?”

“Ha! You’re wild! Adrian said, gently tapping her knee. “I bring you to the other side of the universe and you ask for more!?”

“Im sorry,” she laughed. “I didn’t mean to impose.”

“One planet a week for each love advice, then!”

In a flash, his friend got up on her feet.

 “Wait- Are you serious?”

“Yeah, sure!”

 ~

Unlike him, Mizuiro had a schedule for showing up at the turtles’ lair. Even if she had to juggle with school, her part time job and her training sessions with Leonardo, she made sure to dedicate an hour on Fridays to travel with Adrian. Of course, her motives were mostly fuelled by her more than curious nature. However, no moments were ever dull with him. Even if she tried her best to give him the advices he craved for, they often ended up simply mutually fantasizing about their crushes. She had to admit, it felt awfully nice to talk about her feelings with someone. The two of them were now sharing a close bond, constantly learning about each other. Adrian was so passionate when talking about Donatello and seemed like a hopeless romantic in general. It reminded her of… well… herself.  

~

Tonight, it was yet another exciting Friday in sight. It was time to explore a new world, just after 8PM. Adrian was always meeting her at the lair, succeeding her training. Her friend knew how much more she opened up following her private teachings. After three weeks, their common group of friends were confused by the recurrence of their little expeditions. Michelangelo once requested to come with them and Adrian invented a strange excuse. Questions were asked during the week. The portal user mentioned he could bring anyone on a trip at anytime, but never on Friday nights. There was absolutely no way for any of the turtles to know what they talked about while wandering in between planets and different dimensions. He stayed vague on that part or changed the subject. However, they were getting suspicious of why Adrian and Mizuiro preferred being alone together. If only they knew how wrong they were about it.

 ~

Parallel universe #08555 – On a hill somewhere in Hungary, at night

They stepped out of Adrian’s portal, Mizuiro immediately looking up. She recognized some constellations.

“Are we on Earth?” she asked.

“Yeah, but we’re about ten years in the future… in another dimension!”

It was quite hot, which Mizuiro could have cared about if it weren’t for this distraction taunting her mind. Quickly after their arrival, she let herself fall in the tall grass behind her. She sighed, then shoved her jacket onto her face.

“Woah, what happened!?” asked her friend.

It took her a while to answer; at least, enough time for Adrian to sit next to her and poke her head for a reply.

“He hugged me…” she whispered under her breath.

“Really!? Tell me everything!” he insisted.

“It was after our training. Urgh, I was so sweaty and disgusting…”

Adrian removed her jacket from her face, waiting for a detailed explanation.

“We were done with our training and I… I don’t know, I think he sensed I was feeling kind of down today? I was exhausted. He just randomly gave me a hug, telling me I did a good job. It was very short… and awkward. I couldn’t move. I think I thanked him, but I’m not even sure! Then, you showed up in the dojo.”

Adrian’s face was beaming. He decided to shake her shoulder with his hand.

“Now, you have to hug him again and make it last! Tell him how you feel!”

“I would… probably die.” She answered, rolling her eyes and hiding her face with her hands. “I can’t do this yet.”

He laughed out loud, his voice resonating on the empty hills around them. He let her breathe for a while before thinking about his own experiences.

“Meanwhile, Donnie is still very nice with me, but he keeps his distance.”

“Oh?” Mizuiro inquired, removing her hands from her face. “Did something happen?”

“I don’t know…”

Mizuiro sat next to him and gently stroked his shoulder. 

“You know Adrian, it’s just a theory, but… maybe Donnie is afraid.”

“Of me!?” He asked.

“No, of course not. I mean… The main reason I’m not confessing to Leo right now is that I’m afraid to ruin our friendship and make it weird. Maybe Donatello is distant because of this?”

“So, you think he does have feelings for me?”

“W-well… like I told you, I have been paying attention more. Last Wednesday when you came at their place, I was with him. He was working on his computer and dropped everything when you arrived. He was smiling, too. I think that’s a good indicator.”

Adrian’s jaw dropped as his face became covered in red. 

“You’re serious?”

She smiled and her head made a small nod. She took a glimpse at the sky before suddenly remembering her plans.

“Wait…” she began. “Isn’t our sleepover movie marathon supposed to be tonight? With the turtles?”

“It is! Man, I almost forgot!”

“Ah, I need to get some clothes at home…”

“Hold on. I’ll portal you on your roof and we can meet back at the lair.”

~

The turtles were almost done preparing everything for tonight. While Donatello and Michelangelo were adjusting the sound system, Raphael was gathering cushions around their place to bring them in the living room. Leonardo was preparing snacks in the kitchen when Adrian came back from his trip. Alone. The former immediately enquired about Mizuiro. He reassured him, telling him that she needed to pick up some things at her place. 

“Are you really cutting veggies for a movie night?” Adrian scoffed.

Leonardo shrugged and smiled. Despite the slight mockery, the traveller offered his help at preparing the food. After he was done washing his hands, Leonardo came closer to the sink. He cautiously looked around to make sure no one could hear what he had to ask.

“Hey hum, Adrian? About you and Mizuiro…” He hesitated. “Are you two … together?”

Immediately, Adrian put his hand behind the turtle’s shell. He held himself from bursting out laughing, but a chortle expelled from his mouth nonetheless. He shook his head from left to right a few times. A suspicious smirk eventually made its way to his face.

“And why would you like to know, exactly?”

Leonardo removed Adrian’s hand from his back, trying to ignore the fact that his friend clearly understood the sub text of his question. He got back at the kitchen island behind them to clean it up.

“I was just wondering,” Leonardo justified himself with a shrug. “It seems you two have made a habit of travelling together every Friday.”

Adrian crossed his arms on his chest, still trying not to laugh.

“Leo, I can assure you it’s not like that.”

“What’s not like that?” Michelangelo pointed out while suddenly stepping in the kitchen.

Adrian witnessed the fearless leader showing a sudden apprehension. When he noticed his friend was probably about to invent a really bad lie, he took the responsibility upon himself.

“Well, that’s not how you should prepare snacks for a movie night, am I right?”

“Oh!” Michelangelo shrugged. “Leo always prepare veggies. That’s why I was going to make popcorn.”

“Ha, now you’re talking!” Adrian exclaimed, raising his hand so Mikey could hit it with his.

Meanwhile, Leonardo nodded in his direction. Adrian saw the tension diminish in his friend’s shoulders as they brought food near the television. Only ten minutes later, Mizuiro came back at the lair with new clothes and two bags of chips. Because Raphael had already claimed the armchair, the couch places were taken by Donatello and Leonardo. Michelangelo was sitting on some pillows on the floor and he was accompanied by Adrian. Mizuiro didn’t mind joining the younger brother on the floor, insisting that the last place on the couch should belong to Adrian instead. She wanted him to sit next to Donnie, hoping this night would lead them to get closer to each other. Of course, she would’ve wanted to sit next to Leo, but she was still so apprehensive of making a move. After two martial arts-oriented films, they made a small pause before the next one. Tonight’s picks were Raphael and Michelangelo’s selection, which meant a lot of action movies. It was not the first time they hosted that kind of event at their place. All of these guys sure could talk during their viewing, but it was fun to hear everyone’s thoughts about specific parts. Curiously enough, while Mizuiro was checking her messages on her phone, she heard some movement on her left. Leonardo came sitting next to her while offering her some popcorn. She accepted, then received a text message from Adrian.

[“You should make a move!”]

She immediately hid the message from Leo and looked behind her. Adrian looked amused while Michelangelo jumped on the couch to take Leo’s place.

[“Why don’t you?”] She teased him, putting her phone back in her pocket on the spot.

She went to get some water in the kitchen. To her bewilderment, when she came back, she noticed Adrian had put his arm around Donnie’s shoulders. He was more courageous than she would ever be, that’s for sure. Donatello seemed shy about it, but he didn’t move either. That made her smile. During the third movie, comments were becoming more occasional. Mizuiro couldn’t help but notice Leonardo’s expressions when he watched TV. He did catch her peek in his direction twice, to which he’d always respond with a tender look. She felt like her whole body was becoming difficult to move. Eventually, she took the liberty of laying down on her stomach to concentrate on the current movie. Little did she know it would make her miss half of the show, because she fell asleep after putting her head on a pillow.

 ~

Adrian woke up in front of the closed monitors of the living room. Only a faint light was noticeable from the kitchen, which made him realize it was probably late… or quite early in the morning. Slowly regaining consciousness, he felt a weight on his neck and looked on his left. He froze, -and completely stopped breathing- when he realized Donatello was sleeping on him. His thoughts were going everywhere in his mind. His friend was comfortably caved-in in his shoulder, his body clumsily leaning on his side. Of course, Arian was faced with a dilemma when he realized why he woke up. His throat felt dry. He would’ve liked to drink some water, but he couldn’t deprive himself of being so close to Donatello. When he remembered that he had to breathe, Adrian looked around him, analyzing his surroundings. Raphael was sleeping on the armchair and Mizuiro was also asleep on the floor pillows. Michelangelo and Leonardo probably went to sleep in their own room. Now, he wanted to get up, but he simply couldn’t. He stared at his friend and delicately stroke his arm. He was so happy in this instant; he leaned his head on top of his to feel even closer to him. Only a few seconds later, he felt Donatello moving and got his head back up. He woke up slowly, realizing the situation he was in. His shoulders became stiff, and he expressed himself in a stressed murmur.

“Oh, my… I’m so sorry Adrian I-”

“It’s okay Donnie. Don’t worry.” He cut him, not yet removing his arm from around him.

They both smiled awkwardly at each other before Donatello looked around.

“What time is it?” he quietly asked.

His friend reached for his phone on the table next to the couch. The light on his screen made him squint his eyes before he could analyze what was written on it.

“It’s nearly four A.M.”

“Ah…” Donatello sighed. “I’m not even tired anymore. Would you like to hang out in the lab? I want to check if my computer is done updating.” 

Adrian agreed, and as they both go up, he smiled towards his human friend sleeping on the floor. A blanket has been placed carefully onto her, and he remembered seeing Leonardo being the one responsible for that. He couldn’t wait to tell her about it. The awaken pair passed by the kitchen before going to the lab, glasses of water in hands. After Donatello fiddled with his keyboard for a few seconds, he turned his chair towards his friend. He invited Adrian to sit on a stool in front of him and placed his glass on his desk. True to himself, Donatello timidly avoided looking at him in the eyes.

“Adrian…I’m kind of glad we’re the only ones awake right now.”

His friend’s face showed redness. He wasn’t expecting him to be so straightforward.

“That’s because I have something to ask you. It’s kind of weird, really. Uh… sorry in advance.”

“Oh. No, don’t worry!” Adrian answered, his heart beating loudly in his chest. “Please go on.”

He saw Donatello fidgeting with his own fingers, visibly having difficulty finding the correct words to use right now. Was he blushing, too?

“I think I meant to ask for a while, but I never got to it.”

Adrian couldn’t stop longing onto his words, and his friend was so bad at expressing himself. Gosh, he was incredibly cute, but terribly slow right now. Adrian was intensely listening, waiting for whatever the mutant turtle had to say. 

“I guess I’d like to visit that planet you showed me the other day. Was it uh- Zrtv… n? I will have a bit of free time next week, if you’re up for it? I’d love to study the vegetation there. I remember it was quite something.”

Of course, Adrian was surprised. He had hoped for a small acknowledgement of his feelings, a minuscule acceptance of the bond they seemed to share, especially after spending time physically close to him. However, that was not it. Be that as it may, it seemed what he had just asked was very similar to a date, wasn’t it?

“Donnie, you don’t have to ask me in private! You’re welcome to make these requests anytime, you know?”

“Oh it’s just- You’re often travelling with Mizuiro these days and-”

“And what?” he cut him with a small laugh. “I always have time for you!”

Realizing what he had just said so carelessly, Adrian tried to hide his diffidence behind a friendly beam. Donatello seemed shy too, his face showing a small rush of blood to his cheeks.

“T-thanks. I appreciate it.”

“So, are you free next Wednesday?” Adrian asked.

His friend addressed him a nod before changing the subject. He told him about this new project he was working on for the Battleshell and asked for his help at the moment. Even if Donatello didn’t want to talk about his sudden travel request, that was all Adrian could think of. At this time, he was just glad he could enjoy his presence.

 ~  

A weird noise made its way to Mizuiro’s ears before she realized her phone was vibrating next to her face. She quickly answered a call from her dad, who inquired about her well-being. Still trying to wake up, she answered calmly that she was still at her friends’ place. She heard Michelangelo in the kitchen, who had noticed she was now sitting on the floor instead of sleeping on it.

“Oh, hey Mizu! I’m making pancakes. Ask your dad if he wants some, I can make extra!”

“Uh… Dad… did you hear?” she answered, still barely awake. 

“I’m okay.” He laughed in her ear. “Just make sure you are home by dinner, will you? Auntie wants to eat with us.”

“Will do.”

She hung up, replaced her hair and looked at the time on her phone. It was 11 a.m., and it looked like she was the last one to wake up. Embarrassed, she started gathering the pillows on the floor to put them on the couch. 

“Let me help you!” Adrian popped out of nowhere, a huge smile on his face.

“You look cheerful.” Mizuiro mentioned.

“Oh dude.” he murmured. “I totally need to talk to you. Like, right now.”

They took some pillows upstairs and put them in a specific closet. Before coming back down, Adrian took his friend by the shoulders. He knew everyone else was downstair, but that didn’t stop him from whispering, just in case someone else could hear.

“Donnie spent the whole night sleeping on me…” he let out, his eyes as big as plates. “He even asked me to visit a planet with him next week.”

Mizuiro took one of his hand between hers. 

“A date?”

“I’m … not sure? Oh! I almost forgot. Did you notice you woke up with a blanket on top of you?

“Yes. Thank you, Adrian.” 

“Oh, I’m not the one responsible for that.” he declared with an even bigger smirk.

She new exactly who was implied, and her face became red in an instant. She froze after hearing this, but they were interrupted by Michelangelo yelling that breakfast was ready. They went downstairs to eat with the turtles and their sensei. There were some conversations about yesterday’s movies, but Mizuiro couldn’t concentrate on anything they were saying. After what Adrian had told her, she was already daydreaming about the slight possibility that her feelings were reciprocal.

~

Finally, Wednesday. At 8 PM, Mizuiro has finished the second of her weekly martial arts training. As usual, she checked her phone for new messages before heading home. To her surprise, she had received a text from Donatello.

[“Can I talk to you after your training?”]

She had no idea what that was about, but that wasn’t too odd of a request. Since he sometimes helped her with her biology homework, they were used to hang out in his lab. She thanked Leonardo for his time and made her way towards Donatello. Upon her arrival, she noticed he was meddling in the truck’s engine. Mizuiro approached cautiously, not wanting to throw him off his concentration. 

“Hi Mizu!” he exclaimed while reaching for a towel to wipe his hands. “It’s 8 already? Oh, hold on- I will wash off that oil.” 

She followed him to the sink, kindly waiting for him to start the conversation. He seemed a bit awkward, although it wasn’t the first time he acted like this. 

“So…” he hesitated, ignoring her stare. “Did Adrian mentioned he’s supposed to travel with me at 9?” 

She suddenly remembered, smiled, then hummed in affirmation. 

“Well, what do you think of that?” he asked. 

“Uh?” she uttered, wondering what this had to do with her. “Why do you ask?” 

“Oh, o-okay.” He said. “I thought, maybe you might be… jealous? I-I wanted to make sure-” 

“Jealous?” she unwillingly stepped back. “Jealous of what, exactly?” 

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong.” 

She suddenly understood what he was trying to ask. Oh, he didn’t want to admit it, but she was now certain he had fallen for her friend. She didn’t show her excitement, but she was already looking forward to hear Adrian talk about today’s journey. Donatello seemed so uncertain and jittery; she wanted to reassure him as much as possible. Softening her voice, she tried to re-establish visual contact with him. 

“Donnie, Adrian and I are just friends. I mean, good friends, I think… but we don’t have that kind of relationship.” 

Confounded, he peeked at her while closing the faucet.

“Is that so?” 

“I promise.” 

He sighed, realizing now that she probably had made the link between his question and tonight’s excursion. If she knew already, he thought maybe he could allow himself more knowledge on the subject. He moved towards his computer, his friend still following him.

“So, uh… does Adrian ever… talk about me, or something?” 

He saw her blush, and suddenly, she was the one trying to avoid his eyes. 

“Oh. Sometimes, yeah.” 

“It’s dumb, I mean… I-I don’t even know why I’m asking you.” He mentioned while tidying his desk. 

He needed to do something with his hands so she wouldn’t know he was trembling. Ignoring her own bashfulness, Mizuiro concentrated on his movements. She put a steady hand on his shoulder and invited him to sit on his computer chair. Casually, she sat on his desk and showed a sincere face. 

“You can tell me anything, Don.” 

“Well, it’s just that… I feel weird around him. He gives me some kind of strange vibes and I’m-” he sighed. “I’m confused.” 

“These vibes…” she repeated. “Are they good?” 

“I guess?” he chuckled. “I wonder how he feels around me.” 

The fact that he would open up to her was so endearing. She didn’t want to explicitly tell him how much Adrian loved him, but she had to encourage her friend not to keep his feelings to himself. 

“He did mention that he enjoyed your presence… Once or twice.” 

If only she would have been able to tell him that all the time was the correct expression to use in this sentence. 

“Really?” 

“Really.”

She saw his face turn redder than ever. She couldn’t help herself and let the right corner of her mouth go up. He has been granted many hints through the years, but for some reason, he looked like he had just grasped the meaning of them. His friend smiled at him once again before heading out. Donatello thanked her, and as soon as she was out of his sight, Mizuiro sent a text message to Adrian.

[“Good luck on your date”]

[“Mizu, it’s not a date. At least not for him, I think?”] he answered quickly.

[“Oh, I think it is :)”]

[“Pff…”]

~

Zrt-vn was always a sight for sore eyes. With its 3 suns, the warm colors of the planet were more than welcoming over this orange soil. Except for the ambient oxygen, this place was nothing like Earth. Even the gravity was slightly different, always making Donatello a little dizzy. That was a small price to pay for enjoying this wonderful place. As soon as they arrived, he walked towards the forest, Adrian following suit. Well, it could have been similar to a forest if it was an agglomeration of trees. However, they walked under what seemed to be different types of fungi. Donatello started collecting samples of these strange mushrooms, for their luminescence surpassed anything he has even seen.

“I want to check if I can replicate their chemicals.” He mentioned while he admired the small piece he had picked. “We could light up the lair with half less electricity!”

Adrian loved seeing him being so enthusiast about anything, really. He loved travelling with Mizuiro, but with him, it was a whole other mind set. Nonetheless, he was glad he could bring either of them across different dimensions and in space without them trying to change everything in their own world. There was something respectful about them simply passing by these places and enjoying a variety of new experiences. If his friends weren’t like this, he probably wouldn’t have told them about this power in the first place. Donatello may be curious more than anyone else he knew, he was also very wise when it came to deal with forces beyond his understanding… not that he wouldn’t find a way to understand them, though. That’s one of the many reasons he loved him.

Disrupting his accidental contemplation, Adrian heard a noise coming from the sky. He looked behind him and saw red clouds coming their way. Immediately, he took Donatello’s hand and started to run in the opposite direction.

“Wait, Adrian… what’s wrong?”

“The rain,” he huffed. “It’s boiling hot here.”

“Oh!” Donatello exclaimed, putting his bag on his shoulder. Where are we going? Don’t you want to just portal us back home?”

“Nah. We can find shelter until it passes.”

“O-okay.”

They ran until they reached the side of a mountain, which had a wonderful concordance to the environment. It seemed like it was formed from the same components as the ground, which resembled dry clay. Adrian eventually found a small cavern that looked big enough for the both of them. He bolted in its direction, making sure to pull Donatello inside first. Shortly after they had found cover, the rain drenched the ground outside. They both sighed, trying to catch their breath. They felt the air becoming humid in an instant, steam coming out of the dirt only a few feet from them.

“Oof!” mentioned Adrian. “That was close.”

Donatello closed his bag and held it closer to his body, trying to give his friend some space in this confined spot. He looked kind of down after realizing he wouldn’t be able to do his research as he thought. Adrian noticed and he put his hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, Don. If you want, we can go back, you know.”

“I’d like to wait for the rain to settle, I think. But… please tell me if it’s boring.”

The portal user got surprised, not expecting this statement coming from him.

“What? Watching the rain on Zrt-vn is not boring!”

 “I… can’t tell if you’re joking or not.” Donatello chuckled.

Adrian quickly put his other hand on his friend’s shoulder, now staring into his eyes to express his seriousness.

“I’m having fun, don’t worry!” he loosened his grip on him, the following words escaping his mouth way too casually for his taste. “Besides, I’m never bored with you.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Donatello blurted out awkwardly.

“Well, I mean… I don’t really care if it’s raining, you know? Being with you makes up for it.”

Realizing his utter spontaneity, Adrian decided to look at the ceiling of their improvised shelter. Meanwhile, Donatello couldn’t stop looking at him. He was taken aback, and as much as he knew how his brain generally worked, he couldn’t even bring it to produce a sound through his mouth. Although, he just knew he had to do something following this affirmation. Without really understanding how, he delicately slipped himself in between his friend’s arms. Because it was such a strong embrace, it didn’t take long for Adrian to tighten his arms around him. 

“You really think so?” Donatello muttered under his breath.

“Yeah…” 

They kept hugging each other in silence for a while, mutually trying to decipher any movement that would lead to the so uncertain following of this. Donatello didn’t have a way with words when it came to expressing himself. Adrian was used to be the one expressing insinuated attachment to him. He wasn’t expecting to receive affection so clearly. He didn’t know what to do either. This time, he felt like words just wouldn’t be enough anyway. He brushed his cheek against Donatello, patting the back of his shell softly. When he felt him pressing himself against him even more, Adrian moved his head to the side of his face. Timidly, he bestowed a kiss onto his cheek, apprehending a resistance of some sort. To his surprise, he felt a shiver passing through his friend’s body as he nudged his face in his neck. Slowly, Adrian brushed his hand against Donatello’s cheek while rising his chin towards his. Under the speechless, dazed expression of his friend, he caressed his beak with his own. This kiss was everything he had ever wished for in the past two years.

The thunder suddenly rumbled, making Donatello shudder and unconsciously putting an end to their kiss. Adrian smiled, this reaction being so typical of him. When he noticed the redness of his face, Donatello stared at the floor, too embarrassed to say anything. At the same time, Adrian received a text message. Thinking it could be important, he looked at it right away. It was from Mizuiro.

 [“So? 👀”]