Recess peanut butter cups.

Hershey's chocolate bars.

Giant Kit Kats.

A box of hot chocolate powder.

And a large tub of chocolate fudge ripple ice cream.

Dani watched as each item was dragged across the scanner, ringing up to $21.78 on the screen. As the older woman bagged Dani's groceries, she smiled knowingly at the young woman.

"Getting a start on a Valentine's day pity party?" she asked lightly, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Dani laughed and nodded as she paid.

"That obvious, huh?"

The cashier woman laughed in return as Dani gathered the two plastic bags into her hands, slinging her small purse onto her shoulder.

When Dani stepped outside the cool February breeze stung her cheeks and blew her dark mahogany hair behind her. She hailed a taxi and got in quickly to escape the chill, giving the driver her address.

…

Two nights later, the night of Friday, February 14th, 19 year old Danielle O'Neil had absolutely nowhere to go.

All her friends were either out with their boyfriends or working. Unfortunately for Dani, this seemed to be the only Friday she wasn't scheduled to work. She actually would have LOVED to work tonight, simply to get her out of her small, one-bedroom apartment; but no, they scheduled Josh instead. And her professors didn't give her any homework either! Seriously?! College professors giving her a homework-free weekend?! What is this world coming to? Of course any other night no homework would be cause for celebration, but seriously? This was probably the saddest, most boring Valentine's day in her life!

So, she had planned out a sappy, chick flick marathon while she indulged in all her favorite chocolate goodies.

So, here she was, a 19 year old woman dressed in an old T-shirt and sweatpants with her hair up in a messy bun as she leaned back on her sofa. Her bare feet were propped up on the coffee table as she held a bucket of chocolate fudge ripple with a large spoon in her lap, a mug of hot cocoa and a ton of chocolate candy spread out on the table around her feet. The TV screen in front of her flashed with the beginning scene from 10 Things I Hate about You.

Near the end of the movie, on the scene where Kat was reading her poem to the class, and Dani was trying to keep the tears in, a low tapping made her jump.

Dani looked to her apartment window and saw a familiar green face with a sarcastic smirk, and sharp amber eyes framed with a red mask.

About a year ago, when she was invited to her cousin April's wedding, Dani had gone to the farmhouse a few days early, by April's request, and got to meet April and Casey's 'unique friends' she'd heard so much about. She had passed out, to which the orange-masked terrapin commented, "Hey, she's just like April, 'cept without the screaming!", which then resulted in the red-masked turtle smacking him upside the head.

Within that year, Dani had graduated high school; moved from Boston, Massachusetts to New York City; started college; and had become best friends with the turtles throughout that whole time. However, out of the four, she was definitely closest to Raphael.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Dani quickly wiped any stray tears from her face, paused the movie, and waved Raph in.

He opened the window, letting the cool, February breeze enter the room, before he slipped inside and closed it. He rested his hands on his belt as he examined the empty cocoa mug and candy wrappers scattered across the coffee table.

"'Dis is just sad." he stated, shaking his head.

"What?" Dani asked as she crossed her legs on the couch, the half-eaten tub of ice cream nestled into her lap. "You never heard of a movie night?"

He raised one eye-ridge at her. "Yeah…but wit' otha' people."

Dani's fair skin blushed a light pink. "Yeah well…all my friends had plans tonight. Anyway, is there a particular reason for this visit, like maybe you're using my apartment as a hiding place cause you pissed off some Purple Dragons? Cause I'm pretty sure you've got better things to do than criticize my movie choices and snacking habits."

Raph raised one eye-ridge at her. "First off, I don't hide. 'Specially not from PD's. Second, she looks constipated," he pointed at the TV, where the movie had been paused and the face Kat was making as she tried not to cry looked like she was trying to poop, "And third, if ya snacked like 'dis all the time, 'dere's no way ya'd have dat hot of a body."

Again, Dani blushed and looked away, staring down at the soft, cream-and-brown swirled ice cream. She was used to Raph flirting with her, he'd been doing it since they met. The first few times she'd been so caught off guard, she just blushed and walked away. Then, gradually, she started coming up with comebacks, or she'd flirt right back. It was just harmless fun, something the two friends shared with no one else. However, the past few months Dani'd been reacting similar to when it first started. She'd blush, sometimes stutter over her words, and she'd get this fluttering feeling in her stomach, like butterflies.

A weight plopped down on the couch beside her, making Dani peak out of the corner of her eyes to see Raph seated comfortably beside her, his legs spread out and arms on the back of the couch, one behind her.

"So, what's wit' the pity party, Dan?" he asked knowingly. For some reason he'd taken to calling her 'Dan' on occasion. As if 'Dani' was short enough! At least it was better than Mikey, who started calling her Danno, from the TV show Hawaii Five-O.

She shrugged. "Well, it's Valentine's Day, all my friends have plans, and I have nothing to do."

Raph tilted his head to look over at her. "How do ALL your friends 'ave plans?" he asked doubtfully.

Dani looked at him in confusion. "Um…well, Ellie had to work, Morgan and Kris are out with their boyfriends, and of course April and Casey have a date night which will be finished in their apartment." both teens shuddered at what they knew his best friend and her cousin would be doing later.

Raph looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Ya fergot one." Dani looked at him in confusion once again, her green eyes meeting his amber ones. He shrugged his shoulders. "I ain't doin' nothin'." he admitted quietly, his voice so much different than his usual gruff, tough-guy voice.

Dani blinked a couple times, her cheeks heating up. She swallowed as she turned to face the TV, trying to wet her dry throat.

Suddenly, her TV was off and Raph was standing directly in front of her, the knot of his belt less than a foot from her nose.

"Come on, yer not sittin' in here all night." Raph ordered, his voice back to normal. "I'm takin' ya out, now get off yer butt."

Dani tilted her head and narrowed her eyes up at him. "Where are we going?"

Raph wiggled his eye-ridges teasingly at her. "Dat's for me ta know and for you to find out. But we're takin' the bike, so dress warm." he ordered as he took her hand, yanking her to her feet. "I'll meet ya out front."

Dani sighed, "Fine."

She hurriedly put her snacks away and turned off the TV before practically running down the hall to her bedroom.

She changed into a gray turtleneck sweater, dark navy blue skinny jeans, and red-and-white skater shoes. Then, she took her hair out of its bun, shaking it out so it was in thick waves. Next, she quickly put on a little eyeliner to make her green eyes pop. After looking herself over in the mirror, she deemed herself fit to leave and hurried out of the apartment, grabbing her leather jacket along the way.

When she stepped outside, she found Raph waiting for her, perched on a shining, red motorcycle wearing a brown winter coat and a red helmet as he held a second, matching helmet under his arm.

"Took ya long enough." he joked as he tossed her the second helmet.

"Hey, you showed up out of the blue, it's not my fault I wasn't fit to venture into the outside world." she joked back as she put it on and climbed on the bike behind him, "It doesn't take you any time to get ready, cause you walk around naked!"

"Don't act like ya mind." he joked back, his voice deep and husky, making Dani shiver.

Raph revved his bike loudly, popping a small wheelie before he sped down the street.

Their first stop was a pizza place a few blocks down, the place they usually went for pizza, and they shared a large pepperoni.

After that they went to Coney Island, taking the scenic route through Central Park. Dani couldn't help just resting her cheek on Raph's shell, watching the trees blur by. The park was by far her favorite place in the whole city.

At Coney Island they went on every roller coaster there and played as many games as they could. Dani tried to pay for herself, but Raph wouldn't let her. In one game Raph won a cute, golden brown teddy bear with a red bow, which he gave to Dani.

After Coney Island, at around midnight, they sat together on the nearby docks, overlooking the water and New York skyline.

"I had a really fun time tonight." Dani murmured quietly, looking over at him.

Raph smirked softly and lifted his head to look back at her.

"Me, too. So, uh, ya like yer bear?" he asked, nodding to the teddy bear sitting between them.

Dani grabbed it and cuddled it tightly to her chest as she smiled at Raph. "Yep."

Raph chuckled at her before a silence fell over them. He had a look of concentration on his face, like he was trying to figure out something. Dani didn't say anything, wanting to let him figure it out himself.

Finally, after a couple minutes, Raph rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "So, uh…ya wanna do this again…sometime?" he asked quietly.

Dani smiled shyly, feeling her cheeks flame up with a blush. "Yeah, I'd like that." she whispered.

Raph let out a breath in a huge whoosh, like he'd been holding it in. "Really?" he whispered.

Dani nodded, keeping her eyes glued to the water below them. "Yeah…I really like you Raph." she admitted quietly.

Raph's head snapped up and he stared at her in shock, his eyes wide and mouth open a bit. "You…really? Ya like me? Like-ya mean-"

"I mean, I really, really like you, Raphael." Dani admitted, a bit louder as she turned her head to look him in the eyes.

Raph's mouth hung up as he stared back at her, not believing she was actually saying it. After a while he blinked and looked down at the wood of the dock they were sitting on. "So…what would ya do if I…asked ya out?" he asked quietly, looking up at her near the end.

Dani smiled and her face blushed a tiny bit. "I'd say yes." she whispered.

Raph smiled, not his usual smirk, a genuine smile. "Good. Sooo…is 'dis where I ask ya ta be my Valentine?" he asked smugly.

Dani smirked down at the water, too shy to look up at him. "I don't know. Why don't you find out?"

She squeaked when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his side. His mouth appeared near her ear, his warm breath washing over her face and neck.

"Danielle Marie O'Neil, will you do me the honor of bein' my Valentine?" he whispered in a husky, deep voice that vibrated in his chest.

Dani swallowed nervously as she nodded, forcing herself not to do so like a bobble head.

He squeezed her even tighter against his side, and she turned her head to look up at him.

He was looking down at her, his deep amber eyes looking straight into her soul. He glanced down at her lips before looking back up at her.

"May I?" he whispered again as he leaned down slightly. Dani licked her lips and nodded.

Raph smiled at her again before he gently pressed his warm, soft lips to hers.