Year's End
Summary: A year following the relationship between Raph and Don comes to an end
Pairing: Raph/Don
Prompt: High
Day: December 31
Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.


The year was coming to an end. There was only a small amount of time left and it was fast running out. At the stroke of midnight it would be a new year. It would also mark one year to the day that Raph had found the courage to tell Don how he felt about him.

So much had happened in this past year in their lives. Raph had admitted to Don that he loved him and by some miraculous twist of fate found that love returned. He had been able to call Don his own and pledged himself to Donatello in return in a way that went beyond the ties of family.

Their relationship hadn't been perfect but then again, no one's ever was. They had fought but had also made up. There had been tears but they were tempered by all of the laughter that had been shared. Most of all, the year had been filled with love.

This is why, as midnight drew ever closer, Raph had pulled Don out of the lair and away from the New Year's Eve party that Mikey had orchestrated back home. There would be time later to hang out with their family and friends but right now Raph wanted this time for just the two of them.

They had made their way through the sewers at first before eventually venturing topside. Next they had made their way high above the streets of New York up to the rooftops where they began running and leaping until Raph drew them to a stop at the top of a certain apartment building.

Don looked around with a nostalgic smile on his face as he recognized the surroundings. "This is where you told me you loved me for the first time one a year ago," Don thought out loud.

"This is where we started the year and I thought it would be a good spot to see the end of it," Raph explained.

"And the beginning of a new one," added Don.

"And so many more to come after that," Raph promised.

Reaching out, Raph took Don's hands in his own and drew him close until there was no space left between them. They stood like that within each other's embrace just staring at each other as the last few minutes of the year ticked by. The apartment they were standing above had a window open and they could hear as the last minute's countdown began.

Raph felt his heartbeat increase and his spirit soar as he looked down into Don's soft chocolate eyes. There were times that Raph felt like he could drown in those eyes and times like now when he was sure that he knew why so many people took drugs to get high. If it felt anything like he felt right now with Don than it must be an incredible sensation.

"Five, four, three, two," they whispered together drawing even closer with each number they counted down.

"One."

As cheers and the scream of noisemakers erupted from the apartment below Raph and Don's lips met as they welcomed in the new year. They were sure that they would be faced with new challenges to overcome and hurdles to jump over but as long as they faced the future together, there was nothing that they couldn't accomplish.