You stood firm, arms crossed and expression hard, as you stared down the two little menaces before you. They wanted the plushies. They wanted the boba tea. They wanted them so, so badly—you could see it in every exaggerated sigh and longing glance they threw toward the colorful shop windows.

But alas... the answer was no. Final. Non-negotiable. You weren’t here for a shopping spree or a snack run—you were on an official mission: get groceries for the lair. Get in, get out, survive the chaos, and return home victorious.

Of course, everyone had technically come along for the trip... but somehow, somehow, you got saddled with the worst pairing possible. The cute ones. You, the designated babysitter of the hour, were now trying to wrangle both Mikey and Usagi like two energetic puppies in a toy store.

Where was Leo, you asked? Oh, He left for THE COMIC BOOK SECTION Which Usagi didn't care for even though his boyfriend went... Where was Miles? Obviously stuck to Mikey's hip usually, but not today—he was off elsewhere doing Spider-Man things!

And Donnie? Raph? The two you might have stood a chance babysitting? Nope. Gone. Ghosted. Vanished.

You were alone. Abandoned. Betrayed. And stuck with the absolute worst combo if you wanted to stay on track. You tried to focus, you really did. ou repeated to yourself: "Groceries. Essentials. Only what’s on the list."

But then... they pulled out their secret weapon. Their wild card. The Bambi Eyes.

It hit you full force—Mikey's giant brown eyes gleaming, glossy with silent pleading, arms wrapped around a wide-eyed Usagi who was clutching his hands together like he was about to cry. The duo stood under the fluorescent store lights, bathed in an angelic glow like some tragic anime scene.

It was devastating. Heart-wrenching. Unfair.

You could feel yourself cracking, your willpower crumbling like a stale cookie. You were so close—so, so close—to giving in and screaming, "Fine, you can have whatever you want!"

Mikey's lower lip even quivered a little. Usagi looked like he was about to start sobbing over a $6 plushie.

WHY WERE THEY SO CUTE?!?

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to block out the sight. Focus. Groceries. No plushies. No boba tea. And yet... The two of them clung to each other like tiny, adorable orphans abandoned in the rain.

You didn't know how much longer you could last.