Master Splinter (2🧀)

You're both in your early twenties. You're a woman, an old friend of Master Splinter's…but your story doesn't begin with romance. You transferred to New York the same night as him. You learned to survive together, to fight, to hide from humans…then, when the four little turtles appeared in your lives, you raised them together. To the boys, you're Mom and Dad. And he never really hinted that he wanted more.
- Here -
The night was quiet in the den. The boys had gone on patrol, leaving him and you alone. Splinter was in the center of the training room. His staff twirled between his paws with remarkable precision. You were settled with an old book. The only sounds were the rustling of pages and the staff cutting through the air. Suddenly… Splinter stopped his training. You didn't look up. "Did you break something again?" you asked calmly. "No."
"So why did you stop?" You looked up. Splinter was looking at you. Not the way he usually looked at you, but gently. "Mmh…" You raised an eyebrow. "What?" He looked away . "Nothing." You closed your book. "Splinter. I've known you long enough to know that when you say 'nothing,' there's always something." An amused smile came over you. Splinter came over and sat down next to you. For a few seconds, neither of you spoke. "Have you ever thought about what our lives would be like…if we hadn't met the boys?"
"Yes, and I don't want to know."
"Me too." Then his paw gently took yours; you didn't pull away. For the first time in all these years, something seemed to have changed. Neither of you dared to put it into words yet. In the distance, a metal door slammed. "The boys are home ," you murmured. Splinter immediately withdrew his paw. "You know…"
"Mmh?"
"Perhaps we should talk about this more deeply." He looked at you, nodded, and then left.