"What's fun about this?" Leo asked, staring in at the penguins as they slept huddled together.
"They're cuddling. It's cute," Raph said, before dashing off to the next exhibit. "Jeezus, Leo! Come look at this grizzly bear!"
Leo sighed and followed Raph's voice in the darkened Central Park Zoo. Mikey and Woody had apparently snuck in one night and went on and on to Raphael about how great it was. Leo knew it wouldn't be long before Raph dragged him in as well. He knew how much Raph liked animals, but Leo didn't see the point in staring at animals in enclosures. Gave him the creeps.
"He's huge," Raph whispered when Leo reached him. They stared at the sleeping giant. "I always thought it would be cool to see a bear in the woods at the farmhouse."
"And now?" Leo asked, smirking at Raph's look of awe.
"I no longer think it would be cool."
"Good boy. I'm so pleased our date night could also serve as an educational event for you."
"Shaddup," Raph said, swinging his arm around Leo's neck to pull him closer so he could kiss him.
He pulled away and tugged on Leo's hand as they kept walking until they reached the next exhibit. They stood staring inside for a few moments, looking for the creature.
"Holy fuck, Leo," Raph said, whispering again as a leopard came into view.
Leo wasn't sure why Raphael was whispering so much around the caged animals, but he thought it was kind of endearing. He watched as the leopard began sauntering towards where the two turtles stood.
"Look at his eyes. He wants to chew on me."
"I won't let him," Leo said, eyeing the enclosure for its effectiveness, just in case. Raphael always did have a pretty good sense about what wild animals were thinking.
Raph grabbed Leo's hand again and backed away from the enclosure. "Let's keep going. I'm sure there are less deadly animals to see too."
He pulled Leo past the red pandas and into the tropic zone. They glanced at some birds who were labeled as pigeons, although they didn't look like any pigeons they'd seen walking around the city before, and Raph made a joke about finding Pigeon Pete a girlfriend.
Raph bypassed the turtles and Leo knew with their history with Spike not to comment on it.
"Holy shit, poison dart frog," Raph said, eyeing the little blue frog. "This one reminds me of you."
"Because he's blue?" Leo asked, over his shoulder as he headed to the next case.
"He's blue. But he's also sleek and muscular and although he looks unimpressed with a giant turtle staring at him, you know he's taking in every sound and movement around him. He's secretly dangerous. You'd never guess by lookin at him that he's a deadly killer."
Four years together and Raphael still had the ability to make Leo smile like a dork. Maybe the zoo trip was a good idea.
Raph grinned at the dorky smile and then leaned in to look at the frog again.
"I take it back," Raph finally said, straightening from the frog exhibit, "this place is full of deadly animals."
"Maybe you shouldn't come over here where the boa is then," Leo said. "Is it bad to have your skin crawl while looking at what's probably a distant relative?"
They walked on and circled around the sleeping sea lions before Raph spotted the theater.
"What the hell is 4D?" Raph asked, "Should we see a movie? Do you think 4D means the animals themselves jump out at you during the show?"
Leo laughed loudly. "After seeing what we've just seen do you really want these animals jumping out at you?" His laughter was joined by Raph's own rumbling laughter. "Besides, you never behave yourself in the theater."
Raph laughed again, thinking of his and Leo's now almost monthly trips to see a movie on the big screen.
"I think I behave very well," he retorted, pulling Leo towards him again for another kiss.
"Is that all there is to see?" Leo asked when they pulled apart. Raphael had been the one to study the map when they'd first arrived. He ran a hand down the front of Raph's plastron where it was soon captured by one of Raphael's hands.
"One more thing," Raphael said, trying to hide a small smile as he pulled on Leo's hands once more.
They turned a corner and Leo watched Raph pull some food out of a small dispenser before jumping into an enclosure.
"Raph!"
Raph shushed him. "No killin machines in this one. Get in here."
Leo silently followed him, eyeing the inside of the enclosure. He watched Raph enter a small barn and followed him in. His eyes adjusted quickly and he soon found Raphael squatting in front of a small group of tiny goats who were eating out of his hand. Leo had to admit the goats were cute, but Raphael –
"You. Are. Adorable," Leo said.
"Shaddup," Raph said, turning his body so Leo could no longer see his smiling face.
"Stop moving. I'm going to take your picture."
"No. The flash will upset the goats."
"Like they'll stampede?"
Raph's shoulders shook with silent laughter.
The goats finished off the food he had and he scooped one up in his arms and walked around with it, petting its head.
"There's supposed to be pigs, too," he mumbled as he searched around, ignoring Leo's grin.
An hour later, Leo finally convinced Raph that they should let the animals go back to sleep and he was able to get him out of the barn.
"You just want my attention all on you," Raph said, rubbing on some hand sanitizer after Leo pointed it out.
"Yes," Leo said, pulling him close to him. "I certainly do." He slid his hand back down the front of Raph's plastron and was once again stopped by Raph's hand. He looked up questioningly at Raphael and found him staring back into the petting zoo enclosure.
"Some of those goats are babies, Leo."
Leo rolled his eyes dramatically and hid a smile as he pulled on Raph's hand to drag him further into Central Park and out of baby goat vision.
