Apritello

Apritello is the het ship between Donatello and April O'Neil from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fandom.

Canon
April is the most common ally for the turtles across all continuities. Her relationship with Donnie varies from series to series, depending on both of their personalities and interests. In the original 87 cartoon series, they're friends but no closer than April is with any of the other turtles. This remains for all the of the movies, and the original Mirage comics. Although the Mirage continuity still has them team up due to them both being scientists. In the 2003 series, Donnie is the closest to April as they are both scientists and this is what causes them to be friends. April teaming up with Donnie the most often over any other turtle in the series, and April helping Donnie with the science side of the turtles missions. In the 2012 series, April is aged down to be a teenager rather than an adult. Something that extends to the Rise series. Donnie has a crush on April in the 2012 series, that is mostly played for comedy. It's never made clear if April feels the same way back. Rise Donnie and April are very close, April calling Donnie for all help with tech, and reassuring Donnie whenever he feels insecure over his place on the team.

2003=

Season 4
THE TROUBLE WITH AUGGIE

Donnie is looking over some maps when he gets a call from April. She asks him to come over since she needs his opinion on something and he does so. She show him how her computer has been acting weird, having a series of symbols appear on it, and Donnie says that there's something about them that's familiar. He runs it through a translation which comes out with O'Neil. She asks what else it says, and Donnie reads it aloud although there are parts missing. The message is signed by April's Uncle Auggie, and Donnie says that it sounds like he's in trouble. He says that the symbols are dimensional coordinates and April wants to use them to go after Auggie. Donnie refuses to let her go alone, and April takes him with as she sets the coordinates on the artifact and they disappear.

They arrive on an unknown planet, and Donnie immediately goes on the defense when a group of unknown aliens arrive. He says that they come in peace and the aliens welcome them. They then take them to see Auggie, who April is excited to see. She introduces him to Donnie, and Auggie asks how they got there. April and Donnie tell him that they got his distress signal, but Auggie says that things are perfectly fine. That the aliens, known as the Brotherhood, wish to give aid to earth. Donnie asks if he can take a look around and Auggie says that the Brotherhood won't mind. April tells him not to get into trouble and her reminds her that he's the sensible turtle.

Donnie finds out that the Brotherhood wants to eat humanity and runs to tell Auggie and April. April tells Auggie that if somethings going on, then Don is right. She'd stake her life on it. The leader then arrives and has his men attack them, Donnie going on the defensive and telling April to get Auggie out of there.

They're able to escape and find the remains of the previous society, but the Brotherhood catch up with them. They're cornered but Donnie sees an escape. He carries April bridal style to a lower platform, but when she tells Auggie to follow he gets captured. She starts to go after him, but Donnie holds her back. He says they won't hurt Auggie since they need him and that the two of them we'll be able to help him if they're alive.

They watch as the Brotherhood starts to create their invasion force and April asks what they're going to do. Donnie tells her not to worry as he has an idea. They then sneak into where the Brotherhood are keeping Auggie, and Donnie tells him how he plans to destroy the transporter. Auggie says he protected it against such attacks, and April gets an idea. She starts messing with it and Donnie asks what she's doing when they're teleported.

April sees a teleporter just where they left it and Donnie realizes that they're on the wasp world. She tells him to set the charges since this teleporter isn't protected, and he does so before they teleport through. They arrive back at earth and Donnie asks what April's plan was. She says that the Brotherhood will follow them assuming they lead to earth but because they destroyed the transport on the wasp world, they'll be stuck there.

At the beginning of the series, Donatello falls in love with April and considers her the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, although as Raph mentions she's the only girl he's seen. After that, she and her father are kidnapped by the Kraang, to which Donatello and her brothers go to the rescue, but only manage to rescue April.
 * -|2012=

During the season 1, April and Donatello form a strong friendship, although she seems to be totally unaware that he has romantic feelings for her.

In season 2, April and the turtles meet Casey Jones, whom Donatello soon hates because he considers him his rival for April's love. Throughout the season, Casey and Donatello constantly fight over April's love, much to her frustration.

In season 3, Donatello after suffering a bad experience with a big foot that was in love with him, he realizes how possessive and intense he has been with April and decides to give her up. But when he goes to tell her, she kisses him on the mouth, which implies that his crush is not as one-sided as he thought. Since then, April and Donatello have shared certain romantic moments but without actually having a serious relationship.

In the non-canon Ice Cream Kitty (Music Video), Donatello and April end up sharing a romantic kiss.

Moments
The Trouble With Auggie
 * April gives Donnie a hug.
 * April asks what happened to Donnie's leg, and Donnie says it was a "bug bite".
 * Donnie waves April goodbye when the turtles sneak out of her place.
 * Donnie comments to April that the planet is amazing.
 * Donnie smiles at April hugging her uncle.

Fanon
Apriltello is one of the more popular TMNT pairings. While initially it started off rather small, it gained a following starting in the 2003 series. Many liking the two together due them both being scientists and Donnie being the closest among the turtles to April for this reason. Some interpreted their relationship as Donnie having a crush on April. Rumors that this was going to be canon but got shut down by Peter Laird, also added fuel to the ship.

In the 2012's tv series, despite the fact that Donatello's attraction for April was initially only played for comic effects, this ship was not long in sailed. In season 2, the ship started to lose some followers due to the introduction of Casey Jones. Casey is most often April's main love interest in TMNT, and many were not interested in a Love Triangle. The increasingly possessive and jealous attitude of Donatello to the point of stalker, and many fans considered that April was taking advantage of Donatello's feelings. Even so, the 2012 version has managed to maintain a certain level of popularity.

On AO3, Apritello is the most written ship for April and the second most written for Donnie. It is also the fourth most written ship in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 1987) tags and the second most written in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012) tag and the most written in the tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Donatello/April (Ninja Turtles) tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Donatello/April (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Donatello/April (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) tag on FanFiction.Net

FAN ART

TUMBLR

Variations

 * Capritello refers to the ship between Casey Jones, April and Donnie