TMNT: Payphone

(Inspired by the song: Payphone)

(Artist: Maroon5)

(Disclaimers: I own none of TMNT. But it owns me...)

PG-13

Pair: Leo/Raph

(Warning: This contains language! It's also a dark story...)

Authors Note: This is a somewhat sad story that I've dreamed. It may be many chapters if the comments are enough! Also, they are older! In their 20's.)

(Summery: Raphael has been exiled from the lair because his temper towards his brothers. But when he calls one day Leo answers and finds him crying. That's when the calls become more frequent and needy but it's always Leo who answers...)

Raphael stormed out of the lair months ago, not on his own will though; no more like at his father's request. Raphael the day he was exiled had nearly killed Leo in practice over their normal arguments of who was in charge and who wasn't. Raphael as usual that day was stubborn and so things got messy. By the time the fight ended Leo had been beaten and Raph had to be pulled away by Donnie and Mikey.

No, Raphael was not the same. He'd changed throughout his teenage years with his brothers. He'd grown much taller than the rest and so had his temper. A little tap on the shoulder would set him off. He didn't know why? It puzzled him...

Ever since his disappearance thought things had also changed. Mikey was literarily never on his games or in front of the TV. It was Donnie who was usually watching TV. He wasn't doing he projects anymore because there wasn't any annoyance to disturbed him. It was like Donnie and Mikey's roles switched. Mikey was in his room and Donnie was in front of the TV. And as for Leo...

Without Master Splinter around to guide him anymore... And without Raph he was empty and has no reason to fight back anymore because there wasn't a reason to fight. Leo knew he was the leader, but Raphael, Raphael was the one who held them all together. Leo usually wandered Topside like Raph did and fought thugs; Mikey would usually accompany him too.

It was hard without the hot-head there... They missed him... Everyone... There was no denying it either... Even for Leo no matter how much he tried...

As for Raphael himself…

Ever since he'd left his ways changed. His person had calmed. He was more like a leader. But at sight he was horrible. You would say he's a thug. But he wasn't the turtle had changed. He was a lone dark prince who fought out of care for the people, not out of rage. He'd changed but no matter how much he changed he could never see them, hear their voices, see their smiles, and be their brother...

Raphael one night was roaming the rooftops like usual in deep thought of the incident months ago. This is until he spotted a payphone on the side walk near a dark ally. Raphael stopped his midnight run and stared for a long while letting a sad smile slip over his lips. He wanted to hear them...

"What da hey..." He winged it, and then jumped down to the ground from a roof. Using many of the ally's surroundings.

Slowly once down he walked to the entrance of the ally he was in and peered into the empty midnight streets of New York for anyone who might see him. Raph then once it was clear walked over the the payphone across the street and stood in front of it for a moment.

Was he really doing this? Did he really want to take the chance? Did he? Well of course he did! He wanted to hear his baby brothers whines, his techno geek brothers stupid equation stuff, and he wanted to hear the lectures, he wanted to hear Leo...

Raph slowly picked up the phone and put in some change. He listened to the ring... It felt like forever. When finally...

"Hello, ITT Tec here..."

"Donnie-Boy?" Raph frowned. He didn't know the voice...

"No..." The voice sounded sad.

"Mikey that you buddy?" Raph's frowned deepened.

"Still. No." Raph tensed.

Raph knew only one was left. The one he wanted to talk to the most. The one he hurt. The one he couldn't face. The one he loved the most.

"Leo... Hey bro..."

"Hi Raph..." Raph felt his heart drop. Leo wasn't exited or angry. He was sad.

Raph laughed nervously at the awkward silence.

"We miss you." came a sniffle from the phone.

Raph's eyes widened. Was Leo crying? Leo never cry's though! Never! Raph's eyes began to water.

"I miss ya' to bro. I miss ya' too." Raph said in a soothing voice, gripping the side of the booth till his knuckles were white.

"No one's the same... Mikey's always locked away in his room and never downstairs, Don is always watching TV and I'm turning into a rebel... I'm like another Nightwatcher... We're falling apart without you." Raph's eyes dimmed and flooded with sadness, tears burned his cheeks to the point it he couldn't feel them.

"Wish I could Leo, really do. But we both know better." He felt his heart sink, he felt broken.

Leo pulled the phone from his ear as tears soaked through his mask. He let his head fall back as he grit his teeth. He couldn't take it. Leader without a suborn brother was like being nothing at all.

Raphael cried as he heard the sobs through the receiver and hit the Payphone box hard.

"Damn it Fearless, don't cry! You're strong!" Raphael shouted, his voice wavering in a cry as he held back his sobbing.

"Raphie," Raph cried more this time letting them be heard. "Come home." Leo requested again.

"Love ya Leo, bye." Raph whispered as he went to set the phone back but stopped mid way to listens plea.

"Raphie! Please before you go... Thank you for calling." was the last he heard before he hung up.

That night the two brothers cried like never before. They were broken and they knew it. They need each other, badly. The family being broken hurt Raphael more than he ever imagined and Leo having his baby brother gone from his life was a nightmare. Raph cringed, Leo cried in his room.

The next night Raphael hopped roof to roof stopping on the same one to look at the same Payphone. He would've hit himself to just move on but something urged him to talk with his brother once more although he knew it was just going to cause him pain. So Raphael jumped down once more and again checked if the coast was clear. Then he walked over to the Payphone, gritting his teeth for agreeing to the stupid idea before picking up the phone and sliding in some change. There wasn't even a ring and someone had already answered.

"Raph... Thank god." came that voice again.

"Leo?" Raphael's smirk came into play quickly.

"Yeah, I knew you'd call here again." his voice made Raphael smile a rare warm smile.

"Yeah, couldn't resist it. I wanna come home, Leo. 'Since can't though I called... I wanted to hear your voice... 'Know dat sounds stupid ah me but-"

"It's not stupid because I wanted to hear your voice too Raph, it's not stupid." Leo quickly said trying to comfort his brother.

"Damnitall Leo! I can't take it like dis!" Raph suddenly cried, his heart screamed for help as he cried to his brother.

"Come home..." The soothing voice repeated over and over as he cried at the Payphone.

"Fuck! Leo I can't! Damnitall! I miss Mikey, Donnie, and, and I miss you! Ch'yeah it horrible what I did to you and I fucked up real bad dis time fer hurtin' you Leo but it's over and done with! I wanna see everybody! April, Casey, Mikey, Wonder boy Donnie, and, and, and damn it I want to see you! It ain't fair!" Raph cried and punched the payphone feeling his old anger rise once again.

"Come home. We forgive you. Splinter forgave you in a letter when he passed. But you couldn't be here for that because you had been banished. You can come home now brother. Come home..." Raphael's eyes widened and he dropped the phone.

He'd been gone for so long that his father had passed. Forgave him. And wrote him a last request to come home.

"Raph. Come home." Leo smiled at the silence and hung up.

That night Raph wandered the sewers before stopping at the lair door. He wanted to cry once more. He was home...

"I'm home ya' guys... I'm commin' home..." Raph smiled and lifted his hand to the solid door.

With one push, he was home…

End, may be continued...