𝑴𝑴! 𝑳𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒐 𝒙 𝑮𝒏!𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

Enjoy reading!
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The New York night air was cold and striking. Horns from cars loud and booming, people walking with or without purpose on the sidewalk, the city is bustling as always. The saying "New York is the city that never sleeps" is truly an understatement, the city was alive.

Below the sky, on the ground, people walked freely. They hung out with friends, people continued to run personal errands, workers driving back home to their families and homes. Even in the darkest alleyways people breathed and lived. Spray painting and vandalizing walls, muggers waiting for an unsuspecting victim to fall in their clutches, criminals hatching their diabolical plans in dumpsters. With the occasional homeless people.

New York city, what a town.

But above the ground, on the rooftops of buildings where no one could see, there were people doing their own actions. More specifically 4 mutant people were performing stunts and jumping from apartment to apartment, restless in the night they hyped themselves up for what adventure lies ahead for them.

"What do you think we're doing tonight?" Raph cracked his knuckles, stretching and punching the air at the imaginary enemy with a manic look. "Stop a bank heist? Or a beat up a gang of criminals?!"

Donnie with his phone out went on google to search for any recent committed crimes as a lead, excitement in his smile "Maybe the internet will help."

The youngest in orange jumped onto their shoulders with a laugh, pent up energy spilling out of him like a flood. "That's so easy dudes!" He waved his hand out, stilling clinging onto his brothers.

"What if we stop an army of brain aliens from taking over the world?!" His hypothetical scenario made the other 2 give him uncomfortable confused looks.

As the 3 hyped over what they'll be doing tonight, Their leader in blue wasn't exactly in their bubble. He worried over what danger or trouble they'll be facing, especially if they were being this loud and clamorous.

"Guys!...Come on, seriously." He prevented his brothers from walking any further, stopping on a 5 story apartment. "If we're gonna fight crime let's at least be proper ninjas! L-like how dad taught us."

The 3 collectively groaned at their oldest brother, rolling their eyes and giving him an unimpressed look. It was a common thing for Leo to make sure they were following their dad's rules and teachings, effectively killing the fun vibe and dampening their moods.

"And how exactly do we be "proper ninjas", fearless always right leader." Raph used air quotes, mocking Leo's words. The rest stated their own words and mockery.

Tying not to let his brothers affect him as he looked around. To get his attention off his brothers ridicule, and be alert for any threats.

"Proper ninjas are silent and stealthy, which is what we need to be. So, come on guys." Leo turned back to his brothers, jumping slightly and stretching out his arms. "Let's be silent and stealthy...silent and stealthy, just like what Master Splinter told us."

His weak attempt to hype back up his brothers just made them give each other funny looks, muttering jokes about their leader under their breath, but their excitement didn't cease as they whooped and tussled each other.

They prepared to depart from this building to the next till—

"For ninjas you're not exactly silent nor stealthy, might need to take remedial classes."

A voice with an amused tone spoke out suddenly from a location out the turtle's peripheral vision, their pitch a monotonous humor.

The 4 froze up with fright and panic, sharing anxious looks. They had just been caught! The number 1 rule their father had given, had just been easily broken. So maybe they were being reckless, and their guard was down despite their master's lessons, but how could they have gotten caught just like that?!

Leo took the lead, Spinning towards the direction of the voice on full alert, they equipped their weapons, ready for the threat.

What they didn't expect to see was a kid around their age. Sitting on top of some vent, a textbook on their lap, their backpack open and sprawled on the floor.

Raph looked to his brothers in question, a hushed whisper of questions streaming out their mouth. "are they a threat? Do they fight them? Can we fight them?! What do we do?!?" Donnie and Mikey responded with a shrug, whispering their own thoughts to their unresponsive leader in blue.

In Leo's eyes, he was currently gazing at the most bewitching and coolest human he's seen. Their usual response to getting caught would, of course, be flight or fight, but he was currently caught up to seeing such an alluring person.

The way they didn't show panic or disgust to seeing him and his siblings, the bright city lights giving their face a highlight of color, their soft hair blowing effortlessly against the small gush of wind, the indifferent expression on their features. God, it felt like someone gave him the blessing of meeting the person of his dreams, the partner he's been dreaming to have, right in front of him.

"Leo!" He screeched in fright causing his voice to crack, his brothers staring at him weirdly.

They had been snapping and shouting at their brother to get his attention, but his eyes had stayed on the person, who was watching everything happen with a blank face. "You good dude?"

"Y-yeAh!-...I'm g-great!" Feeling pressured from the suspicious looks of his siblings he fumbled over his words anxiously.

Swallowing a forming lump in this throat he sent multiple glances in a flash to the person that went back to doing their homework.

"So like," they snapped their necks towards the person, their monotone expression mixing with a questioning quirk of an eyebrow. "What exactly are you guys. Obviously turtles...so more like who are you guys?"

Unsure if they could be trust worthy the guys suddenly jumped into each other, having a not so discreet whisper huddle, discussing whether the person is a threat or not.

"Can we trust them? I mean they seem cool."
"For all we know they might be part of some criminal gang! WE SHOULD FIGHT THEM-"
"Raph, no! W-why would a teenager be apart of a criminal gang?!"

Slowly breaking apart from the huddle, the 4 turtles turned towards the human. Staring each other down, the phone in their hand made the boys start to panic, the thought of being filmed and exposed on the internet suddenly hitting them.

"Hey! What're you-"

"Do you guys like pepperoni, or is 4 cheese good enough for you?" You scrolled through the multiple pizza selections on domino's. You had let the 4 discuss among themselves, taking the time to order pizza.

"Pizza?" Leo asked out with confusion, the rest of his brothers muttering words of opinion. "Uh—any of the two are good, I guess...right guys?"
"I like both, both are good."
"I'm ok with 4 cheese..."
"Pepperoni's pretty good."

Snorting out a laugh you set your order. You gave the 4 turtles a sort of nonchalant and uncaring vibe, it made them agree that you could be trusted.

-

"S-so...why are you doing your homework up here?" Leo finished his slice and went to grab another, the 3 boxes of pizza giving him a hard time deciding which flavor he should take this time. "Like, d-don't you usually do homework inside,...at a desk?"

You shrugged with a small "Meh.", the 4 cheese pizza melting in your mouth. It was a simple but delicious pizza flavor, people really need to stop hating on plain cheese.

(If you don't like plain cheese, literally why don't you. it's just cheese😪)

"It's more relaxing to do it up here, the New York city light flood provides enough light to see what I'm writing." You finished the last problem in your textbook, you currently had physics homework. Sure, it was your least favorite part of science, preferring biology more than anything, but it can be fun sometimes.

Remembering the personal reasons why you did honework on your roof, you suddenly became uncomfortable, the sense of vulnerability hitting you.

"Doing homework in an always empty apartment can be...suffocating, sometimes."

The boys shared stumped looks, they knew what you could have meant but not wanting to assume anything to avoid feeling rude.

"What do you mean," Mikey had the courage to ask more, comforting words already constructing in his head. "Are your parents not home?"

"More like "never" home, apparently their business is more important than their own child." Your offhand expression made them wince, feeling bad.

Raph cleared his throat, awkwardly biting into his remaining slice. "What about your friends? Why not just invite them over to do like a...I don't know, a study group?"

"Would if i had any."

"That's just sad." Donnie didn't mean to blurt it out, almost immediately apologizing once the words came out, but your chuckle just made him feel embarrassed instead of guilty.

"It's like outright cringe being a loner and a child of a broken family, honestly such a skill issue." Watching you joke about your own problems put the turtles off, they felt bad but they didn't want to show their pity. They could see you were strong and independent, but you were obviously lonely.

"W-we could be y-your friends?" Leo rubbed his arm nervously, avoiding eye contact with you.

The other 3 didn't exactly mind being your friend, you didn't freak out when you first caught sight of them, and you seem cool too!

(Plus the pizza added extra points.)

They smiled at you with warmth you didn't expect, or never experienced. You struggled making friends at school because they could barely care about who you are, just seeing you as some kid whose parents neglected them. Even in your young childhood years, the other kids laughed at you whenever your parents missed a parent event. Never showing up for you. You never hoped they would anyways.

But for some reason, 4 teenage mutant ninja turtle dudes telling you they'd be your friend, smiling at you like you were human, made you feel tingly. As if a light inside you was being lit again, the suffocating darkness in your heart feeling light again, after many years. You'd almost cry, if you hadn't cried since you were 6.

"Right." snorting out a laugh you gathered your books, standing up and preparing to go back inside, the chill of the city air making you shiver.

You gave your phone to Leo, who was the closest to you, signing to him to insert him and his brother's numbers into your contacts.

He took a double look at you and your phone, in awe at your soft but contented smile. Carefully taking it off your palm, he quickly added their numbers into your phone and even took the liberty of naming each contact.

You laughed at their names, they were named after renaissance artists? Cool.

"Well, it's a school night so I gotta get to bed." pocketing your phone you made you way to the door that lead to the stairway downstairs, before leaving you looked back at the the turtles, a thankful shine in your eyes.

"Goodnight guys."

Hearing their own "goodnight"s and "goodbye"s you twisted the doorknob, opening the door you closed it behind you with a click, taking your descend down the first few steps before hearing a shout from Leo making you laugh quietly.

"THEY ASKED FOR MY NUMBER!!"

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I added a lil more effort to writing this one, but still cute and short.

If you have any ideas for a scenario or one shot, feel free to request.

The next oneshot is about mikey!