"I’ll never understand why you keep doing this. You know it's hurting her!"
River looked furious. Donatello has never seen him lose composure like this before. ‘Her’? Is he referring to Rosa? Ugh, what did I do this time? He stared up at the older and taller male with slight confusion.
The yellow spotted turtle let out a frustrated sigh, "How many times have you broken her heart? Yet each time she goes back to you anyway." he sounded incredulous as much as hurt, maybe jealous even.
Donnie couldn't help feeling a twinge of pride, feeling superior to the other turtle for once, "Not my fault she's head over heels for me. Rosa is free to do as she pleases. No one is forcing her to stay by my side."
"Then treat her better!” River angrily retorted. “She's crying again because of you!"
Donnie was starting to lose his patience, he's a busy turtle after all. He doesn't have the time for any of this shit. "Whatever, I've got stuff to do…” he dismissed, “If Rosa wants to talk she knows where to find me,” satisfied to have brought home the point that it should be solely between the couple, he turned his back on the meddlesome yokai turtle.
River was so pissed he wished he could punch his lights out, but he knew that no fists nor words would get through that thick skull of Donnie's to solve anything. He sighed in resignation, "I don't know what she sees in you, if it were me--" he stopped himself, realizing he just admitted still having feelings for her.
Donnie whirled around, eager to pounce, "Oh yeah? Do you think perhaps you can do better???" Donnie smirked, almost too smug for his own good.
River stared down at the purple-clad turtle with narrowed eyes, "I know I could." he quietly responded.
Donatello rolled his eyes. "Well guess what, dum-dum?!” he sneered, “You had your chance,” he raised his voice to stress his point, “And you blew it!" with accusing eyes he hissed “...Liar.” Considering the conversation over, he turned away again to go to his bedroom...
And bumped into Rosa. She heard everything. Unable to look at him, she awkwardly averted her eyes.
"Rosa! I..."
"It's okay,” she reassured, “I'll be okay..." With a sad smile, she went back inside Donnie's room, her boyfriend following close behind.
Donnie gave a last glare at River before closing the curtain serving as the ‘door’ behind him.
River could only look on helplessly at the curtain. "I wish I could have you back," he thought forlornly.
“I hope you can see, the shape that I'm in While he's touching your skin He's right where I should, where I should be”
Inside the bedroom, Donnie pulled her into his arms, “I’m sorry I forgot about our Valentine date, Rosa,”
“It’s… S’not really Valentine’s anyway, it’s just the Friday night before it…”
“Precisely!” typing on his arm device, “There! Reservations for this Sunday… AND calendar alerts so I won’t forget again.“
Rosa stayed quiet, she could never get used to his mercurial mood swings.
He gently wiped tears off her face. “I shouldn't have exploded on you like that.”
“I… I told you,” she sniffled, “It's okay.”
He kissed her wet cheeks, “I’ve just been so frustrated!” hugging her tight, he didn't know how he could tell her that he’s hit a wall trying to find a better cure. “You know I’m doing this for you, right?”
The short turtle in pink looked up at him, silently nodding.
“You don't need him,” bending down to whisper against her lips, “You have me.” The purple genius could only synthesize more of River’s antidote at this point, but he’s satisfied enough if only to keep her from going to the yellow turtle yokai for future doses.
~💛🐢🤍🐻~
River went home, bag heavy with chocolates given to him throughout the day at school. He opened the door to find Ice, still in his gakuran with the top open, already sorting his chocolates on the kotatsu.
“Whut’s wid da look on yer face?” Ice looked up from his sorting pile, “Didn’t get enough chocolates?”
He trudged over to the kotatsu, “Donnie made Rosa cry."
The bespectacled bear huffed, “Again?” rolling his eyes, “So what’s frickin’ new? She goes back to ‘im anyway!” Gesturing at the chocolates on the low table, he changed the subject. “Every dang year, right?” he looked up at him with a smirk and scooted over to make space, “Go on, might as well figger out how much white chocolates we owe errybody next month.”
River mutely upended his bag. Chocolates of all shapes and sizes fell on top of the table, the last one dropped down with a heavy ‘thunk’.
“Hey, watch it!” the white bear protested, paws circling protectively around his pile, “Yer gonna mix ‘em up, champ.”
‘This is new,’ he leaned down with knitted brows and picked up the largest box of them all, untying the yellow satin ribbon. He lifted the luxurious looking cover to reveal “Turtles?” Smiling, he picked up a piece of the DeMet's confection and happily indulged, sinking his teeth into the caramel and pecan chocolatey goodness, ‘How did they know this is my favorite?’ He rooted around for the tiny card to find out who gave it, “Ice??”
“Yeah?”
“You gave this?”
“Yeah. Got a problem wid dat?”
“N-no,“ he stammered, still puzzled, “I love these.”
“I know, duh.”
“Thanks… I mean, why?”
“Why not?”
“I thought girls give chocolates to guys they like?”
“Well dat’s jus’ sexist, man,” he smirked.
“Is this another one of your pranks?” River asked with a hurt expression, “I’m not in the mood after I just watched Rosa run back to that…"
“Whoa whoa whoa!” his best friend quickly interrupted, paws raised placatingly, “It’s uh…” cerulean eyes wide, “It’s not a prank,” he weakly said as he looked down.
“Whu-... what?”
“I like ya.”
“Well, we’re best friends, so uh… I love you man.”
“Rrr!” a frustrated growl escaped the massive bear, burying his face in his hands as he collapsed backwards into the thick blankets and cushions around the kotatsu, “I luv ya too, but I mean...!” he threw his hands up, “Y’know,” before letting his arms fall down beside him, trailing into silence as he laid in silence looking up at the ceiling.
The turtle watched his best friend push up his glasses and laid an arm over his eyes with a heavy sigh. “Are you… are you gay?” he asked quietly.
Ice turned to face him, masking his fear with a sardonic smile, “Ta-da,” with a flourish of his arms. “Thought I’d stop… hiding dis stuff from ya,” he hesitantly propped himself up on his elbows and averted his eyes, looking and feeling vulnerable.
“Well... I don’t love you any less, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“Good,” the bear muttered, “...I mean, I’m not afraid of anythin!” looking down to his chest. “Anyway, ya don’t hafta deal with dat shit. ’S just FYI.”
“Well,” he softly laughed to himself, “Thanks,” beaming at his housemate, “For turning my worst valentine into the best.”
“Anyti~...” his response was interrupted by his first kiss.
Ice just felt so good after everything he’s been going through since Rosa left him and went back together with Donnie... Chelonian lips pressed against ursine, feeling delicately pointed fangs as his tongue sought warmth in the other’s mouth.
Hesitantly the bear responded, careful to not nip him as he rolled on top of the turtle. He opened the turtle's gakuran top and ran a paw down, down the smooth plastron, making his best friend shudder and close his eyes.
