Here's part two! Oh boy are you guys in for some angst!

This bad boy is inspired by John Mayer's song "You're Gonna Live Forever In Me". Honestly listen to it, it's so perfect for this fic!

Anyway, enjoy xx

New Couple

Until he proposed to April.

The four brothers stared wide eyed at the scene before them.

Casey was down on one knee with a ring box in front of April.

"I've know you for six years Red" Casey was saying, "And I've loved you for all six of 'em. Every second, minute, hour, day… I have done nothing but thought about you. Last year we started dating-"

The brother's eyes widened impossibly further, why hadn't they known about this?

"And it just felt so right y'know?" Casey takes a deep breath, "I know it's crazy but I also know that I love you. There will never be anyone else for me so… what do you say to making us permanent? Will you marry me April?"

The brothers look at Donnie, he blinks, then looks over at April and his heat breaks and jumps all at once.

She's so pale, she looks like she might actually be about to throw up. Part of Donnie hopes she does, it would serve Casey right. She has tears in her eyes and her hands are tying themselves into knots.

"I-I-" She whimpers. Donnie watches her as gentle understanding hits him, she's wants to marry Casey but she's afraid, this has all become too real too quick.

"Uh… April?" Casey is pale now too.

The rooftop falls into awkward silence.

"I don't know" April looks over at Donnie, seemingly asking for help.

Donnie blinks once and April runs away.

"APRIL!" Casey calls after her but doesn't give chase.

The brothers are immediately on Donatello.

"You ok?" Mikey asks sadly. Donnie just nods.

"That didn't go well" Raph cringed, "Maybe you do have a chance Donnie"

"Raph!" Leo scolds before they all turn to face Casey.

"Bet you loved that huh?" Casey snarls at Don, "Fuck you"

Donnie frowns.

"I didn't say anything!" He finally speaks, "You're the one who scared her away!"

Casey growls and storms up to the turtle,

"Shut up dork! At least I had her! She never once even thought about dating you coz you're nothing to her!" He snapped.

Leo and Raph push Casey away.

"Shut it!" Raph growls, "You don't talk to my bro like that!"

"I know you're hurt" Leo begins but Casey is quick to try and get at Donnie again.

"Donnie is not nothing to April" Mikey frowns as he joins his tallest brother's side. "If anything I think April cares about Donnie more than she does any of us"

Donnie frowns and casts down his eyes.

"I don't get why she ran away!" Casey deflates, he kicks the ground angrily. "What did I say wrong?"

The genius couldn't watch this any longer.

He heads in the direction April ran off but is forced to stop when Casey grabbed his wrist.

"Don't. You. Dare" The human snarls. "You don't go anywhere near her y'hear me?"

"Get off Cavemouth" Donnie pushed Casey but he stood his ground.

"No. I won't let you ruin this!"

"You already ruined it yourself"

"SHUT UP!" Casey shouted, Donnie's brothers were at his side. "I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU GO NEAR APRIL! SHE'S MINE DONNIE, NOT YOURS!"

The human pants for a moment but his breath hitches, Donnie watches pityingly as tears shine in his dark eyes,

"Please" He begs. "I love her… I know we'd be happy together and I would take such good care of her… dammit I would giver her everything she wants just… I want her to be my wife"

Donnie watches the usually tough human break down, he eventually releases Donnie and falls to his knees.

Don makes to leave again but catches his baby brother looking at him sadly.

"Don't" The youngest begs, "You're just gonna get someone hurt"

"I know" Donnie nods, "But she's alone… She should never be alone"

And with that Don ran off leaving his family and their friend behind him.

It didn't take long to find April, she was exactly where he knew she'd be.

Curled up under her covers in the darkness of her room, something she did when the world got to be too much to handle.

"April?" He called gently, a soft sob was all the response he got. He sat on her bed. "Hey"

She peaked out and looked at him.

"Is Casey ok?" She asked in a weak voice.

"No" Donnie admitted, "But neither are you"

April crawled out fully and cuddled Don.

"Why didn't I give him an answer? Why did I panic?" She asked wetly as she cried.

"I don't know" Donnie shrugged. "You love him… I would've thought you'd be excited"

April is silent for a moment.

"I do love him…" She agrees. Donnie gulps as her beautiful eyes look into his with such love and trust. "But… there's you"

His heart stops.

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I know you've loved me longer… longer than Casey and longer than any man in this world had loved a woman… You love me Donnie… and I don't want to hurt you" She sniffles. "Somehow it feels like being with Casey is… me betraying you which is ridiculous! We've never dated or or…"

"I do love you April" Donne nods solemnly. "But do you love me?"

"Yes" April answers sincerely. "I do… because you're always there for me and you understand me! You're kind, loving, compassionate and so, so intelligent! We have a connection I've never had with anyone before!"

Donnie nods slowly, trying desperately to stay cool and not break.

"You love both of us?" He asks, "Which do you love more… or, rather, which do you see yourself having a life with… a marriage?"

April hesitates.

"Casey" She whispers. "Casey… He cares for me and protects me in situations you guys never could. With him I can go anywhere and do anything without fear"

"He can be with you out in the light… with me you'd be trapped in the dark" Donatello agrees gently. The two look at each other in sad understanding.

"I'm sorry" April says in a small voice. Her apology is true and genuine, this just hurts Donnie more.

"Yeah… me too" He smiles weakly. "You better go tell Casey you've made up your mind"

April stands but hesitates.

"What about you?"

"Love was never meant for my brothers and I" Donnie shrugs, "We accepted that a long time ago"

April gently takes his hand in hers and coaxes him to his feet, they get close and April kisses him gently. It is over far too soon.

Donnie's heart aches and his throat stings but he closes his eyes against the tears, he still feels her soft lips on his.

"I'm so sorry" April cries. "It's so unfair… so, so unfair"

Donnie can't help but agree. They both knew that if he had been human, they would be the ones getting engaged and living out the rest of their lives together.

But he wasn't and they weren't.

"So unfair" He croaks back as he hugs her fiercely, breathing in her warm scent. "I love you more than anything in this world"

April sobs.

Donatello never wants to let her go. If he could he would freeze time, in this moment, in this embrace and keep them there forever. He wanted to be selfish. For once in his life didn't he deserve to do what made him happy? He could argue with himself forever over this but he knew what he had to do.

After all, isn't there that old saying?

If you love something, let it go.

He was aware that the saying continued but he knew she would never return to him. Maybe that's what made this so hard.

"Which is why I have to let you do this" He sniffs, "Go to him April"

"Will you come with me?" She asks quietly.

Donnie wants to say no. He doesn't want the pain of watching his dreams shatter from a simple yes. He doesn't know if he can bare to watch everything he hoped for crumble in front of everyone.

But love makes you do stupid things.

"Of course" He whispers, "I'll be by your side… I've always been by your side"

That statement couldn't be more true and it made him happy to see April's perfect smile.

"Thank you"

They hold hands as they head back to the rooftop.

Casey is sitting with the three turtles. He's staring miserably at the ground, lost n his lonely little world.

Leo, Raph and Mikey look up as they approach. They smile gently at their entwined hands.

The two pause.

April looks up at Donnie one more time.

Her eyes tell him everything.

In that moment the two live their foolish future together. They get engaged, have a small marriage, move to the countryside together where they wouldn't have to live in fear of being seen, they have kids, grandkids. Every holiday the Hamatos come for a week. Leonardo and Raphael watch as Michelangelo plays with the kids. At night they all sit before a roaring fire as Splinter tells them tales, the kids listening with wide eyes.

Every night, when the kids are tucked up in bed, the two lovers sit out together under the stars. They laugh at old and new memories while sitting as close to each other as possible, skin against skin, no air between them. They share this moment of solace that everything worked out ok, their love was enough to see them through and looking forward to the rest of their life.

They grow old together.

But Donnie pushes April forward and that future fractures and breaks as their hands release allowing cold air to fill the empty space.

With every step April took as she walked away, Donnie saw a piece of their future disappear. No marriage, no home in the country, no kids, no holidays and no nights under the stars.

Donatello watched as April walks passed the confused turtles and kneels by Casey's side. He hears the quiet yes and has to look away as the two embrace and kiss.

Casey is crying with pure joy and relief, April smiles at him but can't help but look back at Donnie.

At what could have been and in that moment, Donatello feels something inside him burn away leaving an empty hole.

"WE'RE ENGAGED!" Casey cheers, April laughs. The couple look around them but their mutant friends are gone.

They hug knowing they've began a new chapter in their lives, one that didn't involve the Hamato family.

…

The boys arrive in the lair in silence, Donatello says nothing as he heads to his lab.

"My sons?" Splinter asks worriedly.

"Casey proposed to April" Leo explained solemnly, "Donnie convinced her to say yes"

The mutants look over at the shut lab door.

Donnie sits in the middle of the floor, his back to the door. He stared blankly ahead of him as he replayed his and April's kiss, their bittersweet moment of tenderness. A harsh sob breaks free at the knowledge he'd never have one of those again.

He bows his head as the sobs continue to rain from him, his heart feels as if it would never be whole again.

Metalhead lets out a little whine as he watches his creator from the side.

The lab door opens and one by one the other Hamatos join Donnie's side, sitting in quiet comfort. Leonardo holds his little brother tightly, Mikey clings to Donnie as he too begins to cry. Raphael pats Mikey's shell as their father hums a soft Japanese lullaby.

When the crying stops there's a moment of silence.

"You could've had her" Raph croaks, "Why did you give her to Casey"

"She was never mine to have" Donnie replies wetly. "I love her too much to condemn her to a life of… this"

He gestures around, the brothers bow their heads.

Leo and Raph share a look, they knew their friendship with Casey and April was over. It hurt but seeing their brother torn apart inside was far more painful.

And so they stayed and comforted their brothers wondering what their future would hold.

And knowing that love was not meant for them.

But that wasn't the last time Donnie saw April.

The night before the wedding, the turtle stood on the rooftop of their apartment. April had texted him asking him to come over one last time, he was still a sucker for her.

He watched the beautiful woman climb up to join him wearing nothing but her night dress, she hugged him.

She played a slow song on her radio and without a word the two slow danced. Taking a moment to enjoy each-others company.

When the song ended the two parted and Donatello left her.

Not a word was spoken in that meeting but there was no words needed, just the company and memory of what had been.

"Life is full of sweet mistakes, and love's an honest one to make." – John Mayer

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