AN: Sorry for the delay everyone. So I went to Walmart today to see that special premiere screening for the first moments of Season 3 and...gah, it was so good yet still so heartbreaking. BUT THEY ADDED THE BATHTUB SCENARIO omg! So that made me happy and want to write again. With that said, this chapter takes place after the Kraang invasion and they make it to the farmhouse. Enjoy!

Questions

X.

"I need to ask you a question."

I stopped kissing him to look into Donnie's sad, serious eyes. We were in the basement of my farmhouse and this was the first moment of privacy we've had in months. Ever since the Kraang invasion, Leo's injuries, and our escape from the city, our relationship took a backseat as life became dark and difficult.

Donnie managed to set up a substitute lab in the basement; I was so glad he found space to continue doing his research and creations because I think he would have went insane otherwise.

But I felt like I was going insane without talking to him; touching him; or kissing him. We really only had that one night to explore each other before…before everything happened. So when the opportunity came where Mikey and Casey got occupied with a TV show, and Raph was still upstairs watching over Leo, I snuck down to the basement where Donnie was working.

I was relieved when he melted into me when I wrapped my arms around him from behind and kissed his cheek. I noticed the liquid he was mixing on the table in front of him and asked, "What are you working on?"

"Medicine…to help Leo," he answered quietly.

"You almost done?" My voice was just above a whisper.

He nodded, "Just finished…"

"Good," and that was when I turned his chair sideways just enough for me to scoot in front of him and kiss him. Really kiss him. It set a fire deep inside me when he moaned into my mouth and wrapped his strong arms around me.

We were only like that for a few moments before he spoke.

"Ask." I told him.

Donnie appeared to get nervous in the blink of an eye and, noticing, I shook my head, "Just ask, Donnie…"

"I-I…I was just wondering how—how you felt. About—about me," he stuttered, though I was proud of him for asking so straightforwardly instead of wasting time leading up to it. But I knew he was still holding back.

I grabbed his hands and stood him from his chair so he rose above me. I thought that if he was standing taller than me that it would give him extra courage, "That's not your real question…"

He looked shocked that I even said that, "Well, that…that's basically it."

I smiled and stood up on tip tippy-toes and kissed him again because lord knew I missed it, missed him, missed everything. With our mouths occupied on each other's, I mumbled, "Ask me, Donnie."

His hand ghosted over my cheek and into my hair where he, unintentionally or not, took out my hairband. I felt him tremble and take a step closer to me which pushed me back slightly. I felt my butt press against the desk and it electrified an elation through me.

"Ask me," I told him for the fourth time.

He let out a shaky breath as he broke our kiss, "Do you…" he locked eyes with me, "Do you love me?"

"Yes," I answer immediately. I was anticipating that question and it wasn't until I heard the words slip past his lips that I realized how much I've been wanting to tell him but not knowing when the right time would be, "I love you, Donnie." I pulled him back in for a kiss, and the pressure pushed me harder against the desk so I bounced myself up to sit on it all the while drawing him into me, "I love you."

He moaned into my mouth again as his hands slapped down on the desk on both of my sides as he struggled to maintain control. My kisses grew faster and heavier because my love for him was overwhelming and I should have told him when the Kraang first started their invasion. But it felt like the wrong time…like it would have meant I was giving up hope of survival. If I told Donnie I loved him right before we entered into the biggest battle of our lives, I feared that he would have thought I was only saying it because I was afraid of death. Afraid of the unknown. And I was…oh, we all were. And I didn't want to tell him under those circumstances.

I wanted him to know that I loved him because of who he was, not merely because I was afraid of losing him.

I broke the kiss, breathing hard, trying to catch my breath. I looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes, but his were closed and it almost seemed as though he couldn't keep up with his thoughts as our breaths mingled. His eyes were narrowed in concentration and I wanted him to ease into this with me.

"I love you," I whispered as I reached behind him to untie his mask. Thankfully, this time wasn't quite the challenge the first time was. But I only loosened it enough to bring it down his face to let it rest loosely around his neck. I kissed his eye, "I love you," I told him again because no matter how much I said it, it could never be enough.

He finally opened his eyes to look into my soul, "I love you, April."

Hearing him say it…hearing him say my name with it…got me grinning until it almost turned into a weird frown because the tears that pricked my eyes were causing them to burn as I felt like crying. To think that either of could have died before we got the chance to say that…

To think that it could have been either one of us that was fighting for their life in a bathtub upstairs…

Leo…

Thinking about Donnie's brother and all the circumstances we were going through finally made a couple warm tears slip down my cheeks. Donnie placed his forehead against mine and I could see his struggle to hold back his own tears at this happiness we were finding during this dark and seemingly hopeless time and place.

So I kissed him again, a short peck really, but when he wrapped his arm around my waist and pushed me against him, the fire ignited in me again as I surrendered myself to me.

"Hah…" I gasped as his mouth left mine and trailed down to my jaw and my neck where he buried his face. I felt the wetness from his eyes soak into my sensitive skin but then his lips kissed them away. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and pulled his body flush against mine. I wanted to keep kissing him, but my body was busy doing what it wanted as my head tilted to the side to give him better access.

"I love you," I moaned and I loved the way he responded to it be pressing against me harder so I found myself saying it like a mantra, a prayer, until his lips found the front of my neck. My back arched and my head fell back; I would have collapsed over the desktop if his strong hand wasn't supporting me.

I wanted him. I wanted him to make me forget everything bad even if it would only be for a few moments. Those moments would still be able to last forever with me and it would get me through everything we both needed to overcome.

Then we heard yelling. It made us pause because it was so distant but distinct. It was Raph.

"He's awake! Leo's awake!"

The shock and joy was present in Raph's voice despite hearing him from all the way on the second floor. Donnie and I looked at each other, blinking, before breaking into matching grins.

Leo was awake. Things were going to get better. And Donnie just finished that medicine as well. Always right on time.

"Let's go say hello," I told him softly as we untangled from each other and he fixed his mask.

"To be continued?" He joked with a shy smile as he grabbed the bottle of medicine and headed for the stairs with me following close behind.

"Definitely," I answered. Because although we learned so much about each other through our questions, there was still so much to discover.

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AN: ...Did I just totally set this up for a sequel or what? Haha, I dunno yet, but I suppose if I were to go that route, the story would be called "Discoveries." So...ya know, if you wanted to have something to look forward to (maybe). Would it be rated M? ::shrugs::

Okay, so thank you ALL for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, enjoying, etc. When I first started this story, I didn't expect it to me anything like how it ended so...yay for unexpectedness. I'm sure I'll have a lot more ideas pop up once season 3 gets rolling. Until then...!

-Enula