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Over the time they spent on the farmhouse together, Casey and Donnie had started to get along. They had started to be less aggressive towards each other, and had actually started to be more friendly! This newfound positive relationship mostly blossomed after the whole ordeal between Donnie and that weird mutant car they had gotten possessed by, with Casey saving them with such determination that it finally clicked - they didn’t really hate each other.
This is what led the pair to their current situation a few weeks after the mutated car incident, Casey standing in front of the stairs to the farmhouse as Donnie sat on the steps, the time bordering on six o’clock in the morning, only the two of them seemingly awake. Coldness was clear in the daybreak weather, frost covering the path to make skating a perfect activity in Casey’s eyes. The terrapin was sitting due to the pure anxiousness that strangled their heart because of the skate’s that were strapped to their feet - Casey had somehow convinced them for him to teach them how to skate.
Casey had one hand leaning on a bannister of the stairs, his left hand reaching out for Donnie to take.
“Come on, Dee, I’ll catch you if ya fall,” he chuckled out the last part, leaning his hand further towards the younger.
“Give me a second, Jones,” Donnie grumbled, pausing for a few more seconds before hesitantly linking a three-fingered hand with a gloved five-fingered one (though only the palms of Casey’s hands were covered by the material - the revealed skin was cold to the touch).
With a slight tug from the taller, Donnie stuttered to their feet, yelping a little at the sudden movement. They shot a death glare at the human boy, who only replied with a cheeky lack of teeth grin, taking their other hand in his with an uncharacteristically amount of care.
“Come on!” Casey repeated, his tone more upbeat this time. He carefully skidded away from the staircase, pulling Donnie along.
“I can’t exactly choose to ‘come on’ if you’re pulling me!” Donnie scoffed, attempting and failing to hide the bit of shake in their voice.
“Would you rather me let go?” Casey let a smirk creep onto his face, loosening his grip on the other’s hands. Although he never let go of the terrapin, the action struck a sudden anxiety into Donnie so quickly that they slipped from his hold - they squealed, feeling Casey grab them by hooking his arms underneath their armpits. “Told you I’d catch ya.”
A blush threatened to spread across Donnie’s face, their body going somewhat limp as they were spun around by the older. Casey chuckled at the dazed expression, moving his arms so that his hands lay on Donnie's shoulders, the other grasping onto the front of his hoodie in fear they would fall. With an impressive ease, Casey drifted his hands down from their shoulders, brushing against their muscles, and gently grabbing onto their wrists. He pushed them away from his own body carefully, before linking their hands once more.
“Don’t do that again,” Donnie breathed shakily, gripping onto Casey’s hands tightly.
“I was proving a point!” With another light snicker, he playfully spun Donnie around, appreciating the way their eyes widened slightly and sparkled, though they were still not fully relaxed.
“What point?” they argued back, the tremble in their voice dissolving, though it was still there. No reply came from Casey besides a small laugh, leading the pair away from the farmhouse and further along the path. He gave a half-spin across the floor, drawing Donnie in a little closer before sliding backwards.
“This…” Donnie really did attempt to hide the blush on their face, with little to no success, “is actually kinda fun!”
A beam was plastered on Casey's face, continuing to drift backwards as he casually pulled Donnie along, “told ya so, Dee.”
To the elder’s surprise, a small giggle escaped through Donnie’s widely smiling mouth, “just don’t let go!”
“I won’t,” Casey’s face softened towards his friend, using this calm moment to admire their appearance. Their twinkling brown eyes were fixed on their linked hands, the cold air visible from their breath in front of their smile. Although they were hesitant about this situation at first, seeing the pure joy the other clearly felt was a wonderful sight.
Donnie didn’t take much notice of their friend’s admiration on themself, legs still shaky as they meandered across the path. It felt alike to floating, becoming more comfortable with the action despite the nervousness still hammering in their chest. They looked up to Casey with a grand smile, making no note of the other’s ever expanding pinkness tinting at his cheeks.
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Donnie started, pulling Casey just a bit closer, “but you were right, Jones.”
“What? I didn’t catch that?” Casey leaned an ear towards the terrapin, knowing he would have cupped it with a hand for further dramatic effect if they were not linked with Donnie’s.
“You were right,” a slight scowl hinted at their smile, though it was playful. “I’m really enjoying this.”
“And I’m glad you are!” Casey grinned, spinning Donnie around himself once more before pulling them close - a lot closer than either had before. Their linked hands were pushed against each other's chests, chilled breath being felt on both friend’s faces.
“Me too,” Donnie exhaled, meeting eyes with the older. Despite the coldness of the air, their faces were hot, twin blushes spreading across them both. Without a second thought, Casey moved his left hand to cup one of Donnie’s cheeks, shifting his other hand further up their arm to give better support, holding gently onto a bicep. The sudden icy skin meeting with Donnie’s face sent a slight shiver down their spine, not helping their blush, shooting out a hand to hold onto Casey’s side.
“You’re pretty like this,” Casey blurted out, “you know that, right?”
Donnie bit down on their lip, looking away from their friend as they leaned into his touch, “I do now.”
“Awe, you’re not gonna call me pretty?” Regardless of the blush clear on his face, Casey smirked towards the terrapin. The redness of the mutant's face only deepened.
“You are pretty.”
“I know,” Casey giggled lightly, still heavily appreciative of the words. It wasn’t often that Donnie expressed affection, especially towards him.
“I mean it Jones, you look…” Donnie very quickly checked him out before looking back to their clasped hands, “really nice this morning.”
“If I’m so pretty, kiss me, damn it,” Casey tried, the coldness going to his brain. He didn’t know why he was saying this, he didn’t have romantic feelings for Donnie! It was just… fun to see how dark their blush became. That’s the heterosexual explanation to this situation.
“Yeah?” Donnie breathed, sliding just a little closer. Their head was tilted up a little by Casey’s hand, a shy smile spreading onto their face.
“If it’s alright by you,” he hummed, doing a damn good job to hide his own excitement.
“It is,” was all Casey needed to hear before he caught Donnie’s lips in a soft kiss. An extremely gentle kiss, something Donnie did not expect from the taller in the slightest. Their eyes widened a little, before closing, tilting their head a little into the action - they were not very good at kissing, they’d admit, but they tried.
Casey was the first to pull back, gasping a little due to the lack of breathing he endured - he didn’t want to be the first to break the kiss, but with Donnie’s ability to hold their breath for prolonged periods of time, it should have been obvious he would pull away first. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, before meeting eyes with Donnie.
“That was gay.”
They chuckled a little, “it was.”
“Fuck, I think I’m in love with you.”
—
At around midday, Casey stood in the bathroom, picking at some spots and scabs covering his face. It was a few hours after he and Donnie had skated, still feeling the effects of the cold despite the time passing - he hoped that Donnie didn’t feel the weather too harshly. Speaking of his terrapin friend- partner? Oh God, they really needed to discuss what the hell their relationship was, but he needed to wait for a good moment. Currently, it was lunch, so trying to find privacy was nearly impossible. He smudged at a spot on his face, considering joining the other’s downstairs for food before noticing the figure of Raph standing in the doorway from the mirror.
“Oh, hey dude!” a smile was plastered onto his face, moving his hands to lean on his hips, still looking towards his reflection.
“Hey, Casey,” Raph took a couple steps forward, standing beside the taller and reaching up to place his left hand on his shoulder. “You know you’re my best friend, right?”
“Awe! Yeah, dude!” Casey’s smiles widened a little, looking down to the red bandana wearing turtle.
“Good,” Raph’s grip on his shoulders tightened a little, moving his other hand to hold onto Casey’s left shoulder, pulling him around and down so they faced each other, making eye contact. “Then you know I'm serious when I say- if you hurt my little sibling in any way… I will end you.”
Casey’s eyes widened a little, feeling the smaller’s nails dig into his skin. Meeting eyes with his best friend gave him the perfect angle to fully take in the genuine protectiveness he was feeling, a clear anger in his fully-white eyes. If he were in a cartoon, he would assume that flames would come from Raph’s head.
“G-gotcha,” Casey stumbled out, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Raph pulled his hands away.
“Good,” he smirked a little, starting to leave the room.
“How’d you know… something was going on between us?” Casey questioned, turning his entire body around to watch Raph leave.
“Dude, there’s no trees in front of the house. Seeing two figures kiss isn’t something easily missed.”