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blymathin-cove · 3 months ago

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Attempted Execute of Non-Executable Memory - Chapter 22

RotTMNT Michelangelo x Kendra

This is the kind of cuteness you wanna put in a frame and I can't thank @blymathin-cove enough for just totally nailing the concept!

Rated: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings/Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Revenge, Falling In Love, Love, Romance, Dating, Aged-Up Mutant Ninja Turtles, Love Confessions, Human/Turtle Relationships (TMNT), Step-Parents, Neglect, First Kiss, First Generation Immigrant Kids, Acculturation, Loss/Removal of Cultural Identity, Incarceration, Prison Time, I flesh Out Kendra’s Character, Character Exploration, Character Study, I Give Kendra a Backstory, Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Minor Injuries, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Returning Home, Toxic Home Life, Trauma, Childhood Trauma, Unhealthy Relationships, Overcoming Trauma, Healthy Relationships, Happy Ending

Synopsis: Years have passed since Kendra hit the lowest of lows. It only took a couple of prison stints, but she’s carved out a simple existence that keeps her from repeating past mistakes. Plan goes according to boring plan until divine inspiration walks in using the form of one specific orange coded mutant. Kendra only needs to get close enough to him to plant a virus in his infuriating brother’s servers, but will she be infected along the way?

Attention! Bye Week Coming Up!

AENEM will be taking a week off the weekend of June 13-15 as I will be on vacation. For this series that updates on a biweekly basis, I'm not going to mess with the schedule so expect the next chapter on the next upload day: June 28th!

Also available on Ao3

First 🧡 Previous

By Saturday, Raph had hit a groove.

On Monday, the other band members recognized that Kendra had a spot in their not-so-green green room.

It took until Thursday for the waitstaff to start making comments about Kendra’s dress.

She only had the one.

How was that her fault?

She swore she saw one waitress turn her head away when she walked by like there was a smell.

Kendra would have clocked the woman had she not had three more days in this stint.

The dress didn’t stink.

Kendra couldn’t exactly wash it or take it to a dry cleaner like the tag requested, but she disinfected the crap out of it and aired it out appropriately.

She did over a dozen sniff tests each time she put it on.

It was fine.

She was fine.

She was even getting a feel for the music.

There were changes.

The songs were similar, but not always the same or played in the same order.

It seemed to depend a lot on who was feeling what each night and it was interesting enough to pick up on the subtleties.

It did not help Mikey.

Nothing did.

By that fourth night, the offensive Thursday, he was done.

He had been cracking since Saturday and Kendra bet it started that second night she wasn’t present.

He was bored.

The repetition was driving him nuts.

He said none of this, of course.

She gleaned it.

His leg bounced.

He came up with rarer and rarer drinks seemingly just to harass the waitresses.

Not that she minded.

They needed to be put in their places.

He was up the second the show ended and even beat Raph to the green room.

He yearned for anything more than having to stay put through all those similar- sounding songs.

She felt for him.

This was about what she expected.

Mikey didn’t let Raph know, but Kendra couldn’t believe the oldest was none the wiser.

He grew up with Mikey.

She had known him less than a year.

She knew this sort of situation would crush Mikey’s spirit.

Why didn’t Raph?

Another case of using Mikey’s kindness, but she didn’t currently have time for that.

He was fading fast.

She had three more nights to go, but he had four.

The night she wasn’t there, she couldn’t help.

She had three where she could.

As soon as Thursday’s show ended, she went into preparation mode.

She could now write a book.

How to Keep Your ADHD Boyfriend’s Serotonin Levels Up.

She spent her phone battery researching.

It equated to the search term, ‘how not to be boring.’

The content was mostly geared toward kids, which was annoying.

It wasn’t like ADHD went away when you grew up.

The symptoms changed.

Just like people.

She had to be interesting.

That was easy enough.

For whatever reason, Mikey was entertained by her very existence.

She wasn’t being her usual company because she thought she was supposed to let Raph have his literal spotlight. As her eyes roved, that didn’t seem like the case. While his big numbers stole the show, most of the music was a backdrop. People came here for the ambiance, but more so for the booze. Some people were cruising for a one-night stand and others were on dates.

All were intimately tucked and yelling in each other’s ears because of the music. It seemed like yet another stupid oxymoron, but this wasn’t Kendra’s place. She wouldn’t choose to come here in any other scenario, but she was here now.

Her boyfriend was bored.

She could help with that.

She wanted to.

As much as that last thought disturbed her, each time it came up it became less annoying.

She didn’t even need to keep looking for an excuse.

There was no big scale to balance.

It was just her wanting to do something of her own twisted volition.

Odd, but unimportant.

It was now Friday.

They met at the door as they had four other times.

The commonality was getting Mikey here.

It was the same.

The bouncer checked that he was still VIP even though he had been here, every day, for over a week now.

He and his plus one, her, entered.

She deviated course as soon as they were past the hall. Mikey was on auto-pilot and didn’t notice until he prepared to pull her chair out. She watched affectionately from behind a beam as his head went on the immediate swivel. In a swish of her skirt, she hid and waited. There was a chance he would track her down, but she hoped he would come to some silly conclusion.

She was off to the bathroom or whatever his mind came up with.

She allowed a full three minutes to pass before she checked again. He had sat down and was on his phone. To contact her, for which she patted herself down for her device. It vibrated against her person and she chuckled. She mentally willed him to wait a bit longer and the doors opened.

People trickled in. Couples, groups, and singles all made their way to whatever stations they wanted. She slipped out amongst them and took a prime seat at the bar. Ordered a drink and put it on Mikey’s tab even though the server had seen them together enough to know they were an item. The bartender recognized her with an annoying flick down her body.

She was sick of the judgment this damn dress came with.

It looked nice.

Who gave a shit if she kept wearing it?

Everyone else, she fumed to herself.

A man sat beside her and opened his mouth for a line.

“Stuff it, show’s starting.” She smacked him with a dismissive backhand.

The man presumably slunk away to nurse his wounds, but she didn’t care.

She was staring at Mikey.

For all his obliviousness, there was no way he wouldn’t feel this.

She channeled all her intentions.

Will.

Enough to make lesser peons shudder and cower before they even saw the source.

Mikey looked up the stage curtains and she just knew he felt it.

The bartender offhandedly put her drink down.

She took it without looking.

Brought it right to her lips.

Stared.

Mikey’s head drifted, then turned right in her direction.

She watched on as she sipped boozy liquid.

He didn’t see her, until he did.

She was poised.

On the seat with her legs swung to one side.

Poured over the counter.

A sight in her cute dress.

He puffed with amusement.

She tipped her glass to him coyly.

He pointed to himself.

She sighed as if she had a choice.

He moved to stand.

She frowned deeply and broke her façade.

He watched it in an owlish blink as he was stooped half out of his chair.

He was never good with games and she was never good with being told she had a weakness. Her big idea to keep Mikey busy was one that ended up being a simple enough decision. She decided on something that was interesting enough.

She was going to seduce him.

Prove she could.

Not for some ridiculous reason.

Just ‘cause.

Mikey’s favorite.

She waved him down.

He sat on command.

In that moment, she never wanted to train a man so badly.

He would take to it, she just knew.

She drank a gulp to snuff that train of thought out.

Not the point.

Not the time.

Not the objective.

Though he had done what she wanted, he was also clearly confused.

He waved for her to come over.

She turned her head to object.

She peeked.

His head was tilted now as he thought.

She addressed him a second time.

His gaze narrowed and he made a show of stroking a non-existent beard.

She snorted despite herself.

Into her drink, but she saved a splash by awkwardly spinning to grab the napkin it had come with.

She blotted her lips, messed up her lipstick, and puffed up.

When she checked again Mikey had his hands tented over his beak.

She would pour the drink over his head.

His fingers peeled apart to make a cup.

She thought he might yell and sat a little straighter.

He instead made a stage around his lips as he sent her a knowing smile.

He figured it out.

That she was trying to seduce him.

His catlike grin was one that said she had failed.

Ire filtered through her veins.

She flipped him off.

He outright laughed and she downed her drink.

She slammed it onto the bar and stormed forward.

Her skirt caught someone’s bag and pulled.

She could hear Mikey chortling like some distant laugh box.

“Rip this and you buy it.” Kendra loomed over the woman, who was with a few girlfriends.

They banded together to save her tulle.

She was freed just as the lights came down.

The band introduced themselves.

Mikey probably figured she would return to the table.

Not a chance.

She was hunting now.

She scouted out a spot to the east end of the stage.

Knocked two old men out of the way to claim it.

Leaned against a divider that separated the loiterers from the seated.

Fluffed her skirt and set herself with folded arms.

A new vision.

Mikey clapped through the band’s intro before he searched for her again. He began from her last location and roved around the lounge’s exterior. It gave her the impression that he was skilled in at least some form of surveillance, which made sense. Now that he knew what to look for, he identified her with a quick flick of his pupil. He appraised her openly by sitting back and exaggerating the arch of his brow to ask what she planned to do.

The trumpet player brought the instrument to his lips.

He played.

She began to sway.

Soft with the growing melody.

Not quite a dance, but rhythmic enough.

The two old men felt it. They were watching her and their anger had fallen off in favor of appreciation. She then tossed herself to the side and allowed her hair to fall around her face. It was the stage of her body and the performance was an interpretive one that said, ‘it’s too bad I’m here alone.’

She held innocence for several long seconds before she sent sharp knowledge right at her boyfriend. He looked up to the top corner of his vision and a waitress appeared. She watched him have to drop his persona as he thanked her with that Mikey charm. He got his own drink, which caused him to dig into his jacket. He held up a readied pen when he found it and took his time extracting the condensation-stained napkin that came with his drink. She watched as he jotted something down and held it up.

He had rated her.

Like this was a damn diving competition.

“Four?!” She shouted.

He raised his hands as if it couldn’t be helped.

“Do you think that was a four!?” She turned on the two men.

“S-sorry?”

“What was that?”

“This!” She swept a hand down her body. “Would you give me a fucking four?”

“I d-don’t think…”

“You look lovely.”

“We’d never-”

“Ugh! Ridiculous!” She gagged straight into their faces before she almost hopped the divider.

There was a couple at a table there and they should have thanked her for not stomping down on their cocktails.

She was a storm as she wove around the menagerie to get to Mikey.

He smugly sipped his drink.

“Fuck. You.” She slammed a hand down on the table and towered over him.

“It’s nothing personal. You’re always a ten in my book, but that performance…?” His eyes slid to one side.

“Was way better than a four!!”

“Sit down!!” Someone yelled.

“Eat a dick!!!” Kendra rounded on them.

Mikey pulled her with lightning fast speed into her chair and by his side. “I’m an honest turtle! It’s the best I can give. I can’t go any higher.”

“I’ll do it again! I’ll show you!”

“Kendra.”

“What?!” She frothed in place.

He reached up carefully.

Wary and knowledgeable that she would bite his fingers off if he tried to pull something. He wanted to keep his digits and widened his gaze with a question that asked if what he was doing was okay. She bounced her pupils between his hand and face to obviously say that depended on him.

He lightly brushed her cheek.

She glared.

He slid further, tapping the finer wisps of her sideburns before he reached up to her ear.

She was pouting.

He very obviously pulled a hair free where it had gotten stuck on one of her piercings.

“I can do it.” She admitted despite her entire being not wanting to say those few words.

“I know you want to, but it’s me. I have high standards.”

“You were all gaga because a pretty girl asked you out.” She turned her head into his hand under the guise of annoyance.

He grazed her cheek. “No pretty girl had ever been that forward with me. No pretty person.”

“What’d you say then?”

“I’m more of the type that gets asked out after people get to know me.”

“Dazzling personality.”

“Your words.” He teased.

She scoffed as she returned her gaze to him. “Your words were about your ‘rugged good looks.’”

“Uh duh.” He adjusted his collar. “This suit ain’t wearing me!”

“No…” She smoothed it out for him. “It’s not.”

He bobbed slightly.

“What?”

“Six.”

It took her a moment. “That’s a six?!”

“I like the straightforward thing!”

“That’s a six.” She growled more to herself.

He chuckled.

“So you’re saying all I have to do is walk up to you, demand a drink, and you’d what? Buy it on the spot?”

“Pretty much.”

She loved that.

It was freeing.

It was easy.

No game.

No bullshit.

No exhaustive ‘will she won’t she’ just so a guy would think she would and do her a favor.

It was Mikey.

“Wouldn’t work on me!” She slumped into him, exaggerating her open mouth.

His arm slung around her chair. “No?”

“Hell no. If you pulled that shit I would say, ‘no thanks, I like to remember my piss poor decisions while sober.’”

Mikey rounded out his lips and made an impressed noise. “That’s a good line!”

She shrugged against him.

“Guess tomorrow is my turn.” He stretched under the guise of actually getting his arm around her.

“Oh, is it?!”

“It is.” He half eyed her as he held a finger up to the waitress to get their second drinks of the night. “I like this. Sounds fun. It’s been awhile since I’ve had to bring out the Love Guru!”

“That is not one of your doctor personas.”

“No, no. The Love Guru reached enlightenment. He’s a total bodhisattva.”

“Doesn’t that mean ditching earthly ties?”

“You think love is an earthly attachment? Oh, Kendra…” He tried to click his tongue, but she snatched it right out of his mouth.

The waitress stuttered on a peppy greeting as she picked right then to make it to the table.

Kendra held tightly to the wet appendage and poured on a grin.

“I’ll have a lemon drop and he’ll have a Bloody Mary.”

Mikey squawked.

“Please and thanks.” Kendra dismissed the woman.

The waitress left before Kendra let go.

“Why!? Bloody Marys are like gazpacho’s worst form!”

“You can’t have too much…” She wiped her fingers on his undershirt. “Need you sharp for Sunday.”

“That’s two days from now!”

“All those veggies…”

“Tomatoes are fruit!”

She seared a manic look right into his eyes. “And maybe those pathetic nutrients will go to your brain and you’ll second guess what you think will be so easy!”

He matched her. “Oh, it’s on.”

Mikey didn’t wait for the VIP check on Sunday.

While both Kendra and the bouncer were gaping, he strode in like he owned the place. When the bouncer called out after him, he only shot the man a look and continued to lead Kendra along with a firm grip on her hand.

He had not exaggerated.

It was most certainly on.

She was definitely not on some ridiculous losing end of whatever this new machismo was.

She hated guys like that.

Bravado was beneath her.

Overrated.

Over-bloated.

Never had anything to back it up.

This.

She wasn’t sure what this was.

Mikey went straight to their table before stopping short of it.

He turned to her like clockwork and startled her with a laugh.

He chuckled into her being to say, “Laugh with me, we need to buy three more minutes as everyone gets ready for the shift prep.”

Wait.

She did know this.

Mikey planned that ridiculous museum break in.

She was going to lose.

She knew it then.

It was further cemented when he gazed up at her through lowered lids and wondered if she would play along.

She was done for.

She barked laughter loud enough to spook a nearby waitress.

It sparked actual amusement in him as he snorted at what he perceived was further proof of her bad acting skills.

Anger dosed her back to a baseline and she tapered off to yank him. “What’s prep look like?”

His attention flamed from her stoking. “The boss barman gives the team a ‘what to expect’ talk over by the bar. We’ll be clear to sneak into the back.”

“Skipping your brother’s show just to woo me? Not very Michelangelo of you, but an interesting ploy for points.”

“I would never sacrifice my family for you!” He turned his beak up before giving her a quick sharp glance. “Seriously, I wouldn’t.”

“Your loss for easy brownie points.” She shrugged.

He was bemused. “We are actually grabbing our place setting from the back. Not wooing related.”

“You need to focus on the goal. I’m giving you a deduction.”

“Am I taking my driver’s test again?” He sneered.

“I knew you didn’t have a license!”

He feigned a gasp with a hand on his chest.

“You didn’t deny it!” She grabbed his hand, but he pulled her.

“Time to move.”

“H-hey-!”

“What was that? We’re moving so fast! It’s hard to hear!” He skipped forward and she struggled to keep up.

He caged her in right before they reached the backdoor.

She watched through his arms as a server exited with a box.

Mikey watched the man.

That meant he wasn’t looking at her and thankfully didn’t see her flush.

“Go.” He flagged her forward. “Now.”

She kept close and tried to remember that she was annoyed.

She had to summon it.

It was the only way she would have the strength to weather this successfully and prove him wrong.

They made it into the back hallways and instead of going the usual route to the green room, Mikey found the first closet and tore into it. He didn’t take her along and she assumed she was the lookout. It was a bad spot. Either way she looked, it was a long hallway with no cover other than ducking into said utility room.

Together.

In the dark.

Squeezed in.

She wasn’t going to make it.

“Here!” Mikey appeared with a black plate in hand.

She rushed for the door. “Yeah, yeah! Hurry up!”

“Huh!? Kendra, wait!”

She saw a clip of him reaching out behind her as her head pivoted forward and the door opened in time.

The employee who had hoisted the box out from back here had returned with its folded carcass to presumably toss it out.

“Hey!” Said man puffed up. “You’re not supposed to be back here! Just because you get an after show invite doesn’t mean-!”

Kendra swore she heard Mikey run up the wall. His movement behind her sounded with two steps to what was clearly the floor before the tenor of his heels went hollow. The sound clunked in a perfection rotation above her head before he appeared on her other side in a rush of warm orange tones. In a downward arch, he caught her. He minded her skirt as he swooped his arm underneath her body and momentum slid them out between the worker’s legs.

The worker shouted something else, but Mikey swept up to his feet like he had made it past home plate with her as the prize winning catch.

“That was close, but we should-!” Her boyfriend chirped as he looked across the lounge.

The first people were filtering in from the normal line.

“Perfect!” He set her down long enough to grab her hands and spun the two of them outward.

“M-mikey!” Her vision twirled and her brain hadn’t caught up with her yet.

He released one hand to slingshot her towards the bar with him in tow.

She stumbled up stairs and only stopped because she slammed into the block of wood where drinks were served.

“Perfect! Everything’s going so perfect!!” Mikey cheered before he realized something. “Oh shit! I dropped the-! Stay here!”

He darted away and she slunk sideways until she collapsed into a bar stool.

With her head down she gathered her wits.

Mikey was too fast.

How had she forgotten such an obvious fact?

She lolled upward.

She had to put up some kind of fight.

Resist temptation.

What was Mikey doing?

She shoved so her stool would spin and she caught a glimpse of him placing a ‘Reserved’ placard on their usual table.

So that’s what he needed from the back. He couldn’t give up his brotherly support spot even for the game. She was a version of impressed by his dedication. Even if it killed him, she guessed, and that was exactly the problem.

What his brothers were doing without saying so specifically.

Why didn’t they watch out for their baby brother better?

Or was it that they had for years and this was recompense?

If that was the case, then it was stupid. She never thought Jase owed her just because she was stuck with him. That was about as logical as a parent wanting dues from their child. There were things that couldn’t be helped. The real world had buffs to overcome. It made more sense to make use of a situation. Kendra felt more like herself when Mikey skipped over and she evaluated him with a cocked brow.

He framed her in his fingers. “Okay, that’s good. I want you to act real casual.”

“Is that all, Mr. Director?” She adjusted her posture. “I feel like we’ve done this before.”

“Something like it.” He winked. “But this time it’s a set-up. A motion picture of you getting hit on and I wanna set the scene. The last time was a documentary!”

“A cooking show.” She corrected. “That’s reality TV.”

He gasped straight out from behind his thumbed camera. “Take that back! Cooking shows are for entertainment and maybe education! That’s it!”

“And those competition shows?” She exaggerated her smug grin.

Mikey floundered on a response.

She waited with a cock of her head.

“No!” He pointed at her. “I’ll accept food reality, but you have to say food before it! It’s its own thing!”

“Semantics? From Michelangelo?” Kendra feigned hiding her horror from behind a hand.

“The things you stoop me to!” He wilted with a pseudo-weary expression before he righted. “Okay, so act real cool. Like you don’t know that someone’s coming up to you and you’re here alone.”

She thought for one second. “Why not do that? We could have done that, but you dragged me inside the moment you saw me.”

“Yeah, I wonder why.” He sniped.

That was some kind of biting sarcasm from him and she gave him a curious stare.

He ignored it as he posed her.

She let him so she could examine whatever that reaction was.

He didn’t blow it off like he had been joking.

Whatever it was clung to him.

Something bugged him.

She wondered what.

“There!” He pulled away and she was casually leaned against the bar with her chin on her hand.

She had to admit she felt a little like an old glamour star that would be served a martini.

She would order one tonight for the sake of it.

She only debated how dirty to make it.

“Okay. I’m gonna make my grand entrance, but you don’t know that! Ready?” He was all shiny teeth.

“Sure. Good luck.” She dismissed him with a dainty flick of her fingers.

He gave her one last seared look of affection before he darted out of sight.

She sighed as if put out and wondered which side he would appear from.

She was clearly positioned to face the right.

“Ahem.” There was a smooth voice behind her.

She lifted her head to execute a turn to look.

She found Mikey sooner than she expected.

He couldn’t have been the source of the voice was he was glaring at someone else.

A man, who Mikey snapped his fingers in the face of as if to get his attention. “Hey! No! Look at me. Mine. You got that! She’s mine!”

Kendra blinked and her arm fell from the bar.

“What the hell man?” The guy pushed Mikey’s hand away. “You guys are role playing, right? I heard you talking. She’s up for grabs.”

“No.” Mikey crowded the guy until he was forced to get off his stool and back away. “She’s not.”

The sleazeball sucked his teeth so sharply that they gave a click. “Whatever man. Y’all are freaks.”

The jackass walked away with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Mikey stared hard after him before turning on Kendra with a drier look. “You were wondering why we didn’t just meet inside?”

He gestured toward where the random jerk who had left.

“That’s why.”

“What…?” She mouthed.

“You were getting looks non-stop yesterday. I had to watch.”

A jitter tickled her spine. “What are you talking about?”

“People! Guys! Staring at you!” He shoved his elbows against the bar beside her.

“That… bugs you…?”

“Yeah.” He looked at her earnestly.

Her chest constricted on contact.

She choked on a single gurgle of laughter.

“Well! That proves my point! I told you I could seduce people!”

“Not people.”

She stared at the liquor shelf behind the bar.

She could feel him watching her.

Waiting.

She squeezed her eyes in an effort to stay strong.

Mikey was too resilient in this way.

She peeked at him, but made sure he knew it was an obvious labor.

He was waiting there with the same weight of truth.

“Me. Not people. Just me.”

“Geez…!” She turned away with burning cheeks.

Who would have thought he of all people was possessive?

She grappled with her very existence.

Mikey cleared his throat.

He had more.

She couldn’t take any more.

She refused a full head turn and only gave him her profile.

“Hey there…” Mikey had put on a deep voice that he likened to something manly.

It immediately shattered her rising affections and she squawked with genuine laughter. “What was that?!”

When she looked at him he was in his own pose where he had even popped his butt out as if to accentuate it.

She laughed in his face. “Stop! Zero! Bad! What are you doing!?”

Mikey dropped his exterior with a pout.

She waved a hand to cool her face and willed herself not to cry and ruin her makeup.

When she caught her breath, he was gone.

She blinked once before she felt a tap to her other side.

She had a feeling and readied herself as she spun around.

“All the good pickup lines are taken, but I see you aren’t.” Mikey’s brow ridge waggled.

She had to cup her face as she furiously shook her head. “How are you not humiliated saying that?!”

“I thought that was a good one!”

“You might as well have pulled the Tennessee one!”

“Should I?”

“No!” She giggled and pulled her palms down to view him.

He had a determined purse of his lips.

“Get how it feels now?”

“How ‘bout a drink?” He turned to her with that serious intent.

Her heart didn’t skip, but it did pick up a slight pace. “You buying?”

“Of course.” He leaned in with a smile.

“This is too obvious though. You’re not using any finesse.”

He tilted his head into her as he flagged the bartender. “True… but that’s what works for you.”

“Something else might.” She looked away.

“What?” Mikey perked up, but the bartender he summoned was there.

“What can I get you two?”

“Uh…” Mikey clearly hadn’t thought this far. “Gin Rickey and…”

‘For the lady,’ was the line he was looking for.

“A dirty martini.” He spoke with finality.

Kendra whipped around towards him. “How did you know that?”

He tempered an explosive smile. “You looked the part.”

“Like a movie star! But how did you know that’s what I was thinking?”

“I didn’t. Felt it.”

“Bullshit.”

“Full shit.”

“What?”

“I have no idea.” He laughed.

She shoved him.

He was a wall and didn’t move as he chuckled more. “Whaddya rate straightforward?”

“Five. Middle of the scale because it’s not creative.”

“Creative…?” His attention piqued.

That felt foreboding.

She wanted to walk it back, but the band did their introductions.

Raph’s sultry voice soon followed and filled the room.

Mikey had a thought.

One clear one.

He offered her his hand.

She looked at it and then his face.

He cocked his head for her to follow.

She slipped her fingers into his.

“Send those to that reserved table!” Mikey called out over his shoulder as he led her away.

He kept looking back.

Checking that she was there.

Never pulling.

He set a slow and careful pace that minded her.

She felt giddy.

A stupid high that she usually only got when a plan came together.

He got them almost to their table before he stopped amongst the lounge tables.

He released her hand in a space that wasn’t really one.

She stood and watched him.

He shook himself out and tilted his head to listen.

To the music.

People around took notice of the odd display.

Mikey’s head swayed slightly.

She wondered if he was going to copy her.

He didn’t.

He ticked, chasing a beat that didn’t have enough rhythm.

There was music, but it wasn’t enough to dance to.

He also wasn’t deterred.

He looked like he was waiting for something.

For what?

She felt compelled to look.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

For a Sunday, there was a decent amount of people here, but it wasn’t packed.

A dart of movement caught her eye.

Weasel.

That wasn’t the man’s name, but that’s always what he seemed like.

He was one of the band member’s managers by trade, but by nature he was a little too inquisitive.

He always had the appearance of sneaking around.

He did so by crawling up the stage to the piano player.

The man kept hitting the keys, but his head turned to listen.

Something was whispered.

The piano man shifted and nodded to the bassist.

Said man leaned away from his instrument while he played to translate something to the sax.

It spread to the trumpet.

Who caught Raph’s attention.

A wildfire followed the spark.

“I hear someone’s feeling it…!” Raph broke the mellow mood.

A few people whooped.

“It may be early, but is it really too early? Oh, what a night, amirite?” Raph nearly kissed the microphone. “This one’s for you to shake it to, baby bro!”

Musical meters clicked for everyone to fall into place before music started up.

Lively music that made the band seem larger.

Music to dance to.

Mikey animated from his stasis swing and caught her.

“Push and pull!” He explained before he lifted on his toes.

She heard ‘equal and opposite.’

With one of her hands in his, he stepped forward.

She stepped back.

He walked further.

She continued her descent.

They wove.

Around tables and with arms that swung on beat.

The music filled her.

Her skirt swayed.

She chanced bobbing forward.

Mikey worked it in and tipped away before he came up to twirl her.

They spun around and the lesser crowd gawked.

When she came around to face him, he caught her other hand.

He brought the pair around in a swerve before glancing down.

He moved with only his feet and she stepped in time.

He added a twist.

She did the same.

A perfect contrast and exactly on time.

Raph’s dulcet tones poured overhead.

Made the scene sweet.

A light found them.

It drowned out the background noise.

It was just them as they danced.

A back and forth.

Never touching more than gripped palms.

She felt the forces between them.

Got to see all of Mikey as he worked.

The sweat dotting his brow.

The crack of his gap-toothed grin.

His praise for each mirrored movement she got right as it danced in his eye.

She didn’t think this was possible.

She wouldn’t say she had two left feet, but she definitely didn’t dance.

No reason to learn.

A gaudy waste of time.

Not now.

This.

Whatever was happening was illustrative.

So much more than what was being demonstrated on the floor.

It was them.

How they played off one another.

The contrast.

The flow.

How they fed one another.

Pushed.

Kept going.

For all to see.

Hadn’t he said that once?

He wanted to see how far she would go.

Their hands were together again.

He directed them in an arch as the song tapered off.

They came together, magnetized by the pull.

Another song might have started, but an explosion of applause smothered it.

Mikey smiled wide with the slightest pant to him from exertion.

She did the same.

She hugged him.

Sweat and all.

The crowd roared.

“Ten.” She told him.

“Ten.” He agreed and squeezed her.

“Tonight's the last night.” Kendra greeted Mikey as he waited just outside the lounge door. “Good job surviving.”

There was a paltry line tonight.

He addressed her by straightening and taking a bow. “I did my duty!”

She hummed with faint amusement. “So I took my turn, then you went, so what’s the plan tonight?”

“Wanna do ‘first date?’” He came up with intent.

“Little late for that.” She reviewed him.

“Never too late. We can have a million of them if we want.” He met her side with a little bump.

She leaned against him. “You don’t have the best track record with redoing dates.”

“No, but I’m nothing if not persistent.”

“Annoying.”

“Stubborn.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Tenacious!”

“Absurd.”

“Yours?” He teased.

Her stomach flipped.

He chuckled and flagged the bouncer. “My good man!”

“Michelangelo and guest.” The man stepped aside without checking.

They strolled in, attached by the hip, and Mikey broke his cooler visage to send her his sheer excitement over tonight, the last night, where he was finally, properly, recognized as a true VIP. She rolled her eyes away with a firm smile.

(Check out behind the scenes for this fic and more on my Patreon. You can follow me there, here, or the tag #AENEMfic for updates)

I'm gonna miss these two so much while I'm on vacation... Oh, do you think I mean, my betas @tmntxthings and @unrestrainedhotsoup ? No, I mean Kendra and Mikey, duh! (joking, love my betas teehee)

#rottmnt #AENEMfic #rise of the tmnt #rise Michelangelo #rise mikey #rise kendra #aaaahhh!!! it was such an honor bringing your vision to life!!! im so glad you liked it!!!#commissioned art #and i hope you enjoy your vacationnn

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