Chapter Text
"Yeah, I'm just tired." Donnie probably said for the 3rd time that night.
"Okay.."
It sounded as if Mikey finally gave up asking if he's okay, but the softshell knew he was probably gonna ask again later if he kept staring at his spaghetti like that.
He couldn't help it.
The noodles stringy-ness made him think. The way they squelched in his mouth as he chewed and the flavor of tomato sauce tasting ever so rich on his sensitive taste buds..
It didn't feel disgusting or uncomfortable in any way, it just.. ..made him think.
It was interesting; The way textures danced across his tongue and filled his senses-
"-Donnie. Quit it." Raph sighed.
Donnie's eyes met his older brother's tired ones.
The other 2 brothers tried to ignore the tension and continued to eat, avoiding the lazer eye contact between Raph and Dee. Their eyebrows furrowed.
"My bad." Donnie spoke up rather casually, continuing to shovel his food in his mouth.
It was unusually quiet without Donnie's brother's usual banter and laughs.
"-Why are we all so focused on me tonight?"
Leo nearly spit out his drink. He was coughing and sputtering out some "I'm okay!"s once he finally started to catch his breath.
Donnie took his time looking at each of his brother's reactions. They were clearly nervous, hiding something with their wide eyes.
Mikey smiled uncomfortably.
"It's really nothing Donnie, we just.. uhm.."
His smile began to falter.
"..We're just.. really sorry for what we did to Sheldon.."
The mood shifted, and everyone was frowning.
Donnie didn't want to admit he was still upset about that. He plastered a slight smile on his face.
"You're fine guysss, cmon, I'm literally a genius, remember? I told you I can fix him!" He said in a half annoyed tone as if forgiving them.
Their faces lifted.
"Yeah, I guess you're right haha." Leo muttered, grinning a bit.
Suddenly Donnie stood up from his seat and pointed at Leo with a large finger.
"HAH! YOU JUST ADMITTED I'M A GENIUS!!" Donnie shouted with pride.
Mikey laughed as Leo gasped.
"HECK NO!!!" The blue masked turtle retorted.
~(°□°)~ ☆Time skip☆
The night was slowing down after a bunch of laughter.
Donnie was sat at his desk, listening to music. It didn't seem to cheer him up.
Sheldon's split 'body' lay beside him on his desk.
His heart tugged in his chest. He didn't feel like crying, but his mind felt empty.
Donnie stopped his music and basked in the silence, staring at his broken project. Sheldon was everything to him. Maybe more than a son, but a best friend. Possibly better than April.
He remembered back when they would talk about topics he couldn't have with anyone he knew. Politics, the professionalism of IQ tests, etc.
Suddenly a flash of a memory intruded his brain.
"DONNIE!-" screamed Sheldon's pixelated voice.
Donnie's chest tightened. The intrusion of memories continued as he gripped his head.
Dee remembers how heavy his feet felt when he ran for Sheldon.
His lungs now felt tight.
'In and out, in and out..' He thought, his breath picking up pace, hyperventilating.
God he felt stupid. Panicking over not even a sentient human being.
'It's just an AI I created, God, stop it Donatello.' The softshell scolded himself
'What if that was Raph though?' Sudden thoughts kept rushing.
'Maybe Leo?'
No.
'Mikey?'
No, stop..
'..dad?'
A mention of his dad hit him in the gut. His lungs hurt from every breath. Donnie watched his chest rise and fall faster than he'd ever seen.
He felt stupid!
Upset over the silliest of things!!
His body moved quick to his personal bathroom. His hands shaky, rapidly turning the bath knob.
Yes, yes. A warm bath will calm him.
The spund of gushing water felt like a relief. Donnie took in as large of a breath as he could and dunked his head in the warm water.
The heat comforted him and surrounded his head. His squinted eyes began loosening.
His hand's grip on the edge of the bath tub began to relax.
He was running out of air so Donnie went back up for a breath, feeling the water drip off his face. He breathed in loud, and felt himself calm.
"You're okay Donnie." He talked to himself.
"You're here and okay.."
Clutching his chest, he sat on the noodle textured bath mat.
"Your family wouldn't leave you.."
"It's okay.."
He curled into a fetal position feeling more drops of supposed water drip down his cheeks from his sore eyes.
"You can fix Sheldon.. You always fix stuff.. It's okay.."
Donnie knew his brother's wouldn't come to save him this time. They'd probably just laugh in his face for 'crying' over a robot.
He doesn't think fixing Sheldon is a good idea currently.
The thought of Sheldon, matter of fact, makes him feel anxious.
Donnie steadily stood up from the side of the bath, pulling the plug with him. He sighed a sound of dread as he stood.
He stared down at the tub, dissociating as the tub drained.
The swirls of the water slowly dissapearing entrapped him in thought. Why did he constantly think?
The swirls reminded him of the "golden ratio." It is said to be the perfect shape. Why must it be perfect? It looked like a sea shell, or waves at a beach. If you looked at a human (or in Donnie's case, a mutant turtle/human), you wouldn't find a golden ratio anywhere on the body.
Donnie's eyes traveled to the mirror just on his right. He looked depressed. Maybe he was. No wonder his brothers looked at him like that, he looked disgusting.
'Maybe some sleep will take care of it. Just a few hours. I still have things to do and fix.'
The lanky mutant swiftly shifted and limped his way out the bathroom to rest in his bed once again. He didn't feel the motivation to do anything else. Especially after a full blown anxiety attack.
(< ° ×°)>
○♡Just Take My Wallet ~ Jack Stauber♡○
"..What's the softest way to say.."
"..you took away my friend, my buddy.."