Many thanks to TheWinterMe for her original story "As Long As You Love Me," the story upon which this "mini-series" is based. I appreciate your blessing, feedback, and inspiration!

Wide Awake

Michelangelo was splayed upside down on the beat up floral patterned couch, his legs dangling over the top, his head about an inch from hitting the barren floor. He laughed heartily as he turned the pages in his comic book.

Leonardo hobbled into the living room, favoring his left leg. "Mikey, run upstairs and get Raphael. It's time for training."

"Aw, bro, can't it wait?" Mikey flipped the page, eyes not leaving the book. "I was really getting into this."

Leonardo shook his head, annoyed by his brother's lack of respect. "Donatello's probably in the barn. I'll expect you two out there in five."

April popped her head into the living room. "Training! Cool! Count me in!" She made her way across the dilapidated living room and went to dash upstairs. I'll just go grab my tessen - "

Leonardo extended his arm, halting her in her tracks. "Sorry, April. Turtles only today."

She stuck out her bottom lip in defiance, but Leonardo refused to budge. "Go play with Casey."

"I can't. He went into town to get some parts Donnie requested for that thing they've been building in the garage." She clasped her hands and fluttered her eyelashes pleadingly to convince him to let her join them.

Leonardo refused to yield to her attempt at charm. "I'm not budging on this." With a sidelong glance at Michelangelo, he firmly stated, "Five minutes." He mustered as much strength as he could to leave the room in a less lamely manner.

Exasperated, April threw her hands in the air. 'Fine!" she stated sarcastically. "I guess I'll go do something typically girly, like wash dishes or bake a cake!"

Michelangelo looked up from his comic book. "Ooh! Can you make it chocolate?"

Rolling her eyes, she retreated into the kitchen.

Michelangelo made no effort to move, humming to himself as he thumbed the pages. The creak on the staircase alerted him to his brother trying to sneak downstairs.

"D! Perfect timing. Leo wants you to go upstairs and get Raph for training."

Donatello froze, his hand glued to the old oak bannister. "M-me? Why can't you get him?"

Michelangelo pried his eyes away from the colored paper. "No can do, bro. I got some serious reading going on here." He tapped the page as if to emphasize his point. "Besides, you're closer."

Donatello closed his eyes and sighed, dreading his first words with his brother since the incident. He really did not want to fetch the short tempered turtle, but had no good reason to refuse. "Fine," he relented as he turned to trudge back up the loose floorboards.

"Hey, D, you should totally check this out when I'm done." He righted himself on the couch and rolled the comic, wagging it in Donatello's direction. "These two babes are totes in love with this mega dorky red head. Maybe there's hope for you yet. He's like complete geek-a-rooni and he's got two - two - ladies that want him!"

He cringed at the mischief maker's light hearted teasing. He knew his younger brother didn't mean any harm, but he couldn't know how close to home the reverse love triangle was hitting.

Through the crack of the wooden door, Donatello spied Raphael doing reps. Gawking at bulging muscles as he pushed up on his sais, Donatello couldn't help but subconsciously rub his own lanky limbs. "I need to work out more," he mumbled, voice barely audible.

Raphael stopped mid-air and cocked his head to the side. The sudden noise from the entrance caught his attention. He hadn't been able to make out the words, but his brother was standing before him. "Oh? You're talking to me now?" he sneered.

Donatello nervously ran his hand over his domed head. He tried to speak with assertion, struggled to keep his voice firm and his tone flat. "Leo wants us to come outside to practice. Training time."

Raphael slowly stood up, tucked his sais away, and brushed invisible dust from his body. He widened his stance, placing his hands on his hips. He slowly cracked his neck; first to the left, then to the right, all the while not breaking eye contact with his brother.

Donatello shifted uncomfortably under his brother's unrelenting glare. Despite being taller, he found his brother's puffed up appearance to be intimidating. He turned to leave. "So, um, I guess I'll see you outside."

Raphael cleared his throat, causing Donatello to pause. He knew this tension couldn't continue; it wasn't healthy for them or the team dynamic, but he wasn't quite sure what to say to ease things between them. "Look, we cool?"

Donatello ducked his head, the feelings of shame and guilt flooding through him. "I really don't want to discuss this."

"Hey, we didn't do nothin' wit each other."

Donatello revolved on his heels to meet Raphael's gaze with an incredulous look. How could his brother be so nonchalant? "Didn't we, though?"

Raphael shrugged. "I didn't touch you; you didn't touch me."

"That's not the point!" Donatello felt his anger rising at his brother's inability to see the indiscretion as vile and immoral. "We were both involved in an act that should be reserved for two."

Raphael continued his look of indifference, as he examined his left hand before stretching. Donatello's infuriation was an added bonus to his day. He enjoyed pushing buttons as a hobby and it was fun to watch his sibling become unnerved. Just because Donatello felt their tryst had been disgusting, he wasn't going to allow himself to feel perverse and wrong about it. He was just a guy doing a favor for his girlfriend.

"You can't tell me that you are honestly okay with that?!" he asked, mouth agape.

Raphael smirked at his taller sibling, crossing his arms defiantly across his broad chest. "Well, maybe I just got a kink."

"Ugh, I think I just regurgitated in my mouth." Raphael stood proud, unwavering in his stance. "Whatever," Donatello waved his arm in defeat. "I informed April I wasn't in for more of your 'adventures'."

The brief flicker of confusion that passed through emerald eyes revealed a startling truth. Donatello didn't know April hadn't approached his brother first. Before Donatello had the opportunity to contemplate what that meant, he noticed the younger turtle had steeled his eyes, trying to conceal his emotions.

"Leave. my girl. alone," he spoke through gritted teeth.

Fear flashed through Donatello as he recognized the brewing anger in his brother, like a volcano prepping to explode. Unsure of how to diffuse this ticking time bomb, Donatello slowly took a step back, arms protectively rising.

"She chose me; not you. Get over it." He punctuated his point by jabbing a finger into Donatello's plastron.

With that taunt, Donatello felt his own short temper start to bubble. How dare he! Had she not come to him to extend the relationship? Besides, April wasn't a prize to be won. She was an idol to be treasured. "She shouldn't have been yours. She wasn't yours for the taking."

"Did you think you were dating her? Because you kissed her a few times?" he scoffed.

"We had an impermeable bond before you weaseled your way betwixt us. April and I correlate on an intellectual level. Your immature mind cannot comprehend the ferocity of cerebral association that we share."

Oh no, his brother was not going to confuse him with his "smart babble." He would go for the jugular. "Listen to you! Do you hear yourself, man? April doesn't want you. She came to me and asked me to do this because she felt sorry for you. She was feeling guilty we hooked up behind your back. It was a pity fuck."

Donatello's eyes glossed over. Air caught in his throat. He felt constricted, breathing an impossible task. He stared slack jawed at his brother, unable to move. Raphael could practically hear his brother's heart cracking. Served him right. Who did he think he was trying to mack it to his girl?

Now for the kill. "You were there. Whose touches made her moan? Whose body did she react more to? Which one of us gave her the most pleasure? You, the virgin, who had no clue what the hell to do - or me, the one she comes crawling into bed with night after night -"

Raphael didn't get to finish his sentence. A thick fist was aimed at his face, but he effortlessly ducked out of the way. He grabbed Donatello's arm, twisting the appendage behind his back. The shorter turtle violently shoved his brother to the ground and sat so forcefully on his chest, the air rushed from his lungs. He leaned in close enough that Donatello could smell last night's dinner on stale breath. "I'm just better than you. In every thing. In every way."

"Raphael! Donatello! What are you two doing?!" Leonardo leaned on the creaky bannister for support. He had been wondering why no one had shown up for training. It wasn't unlike his brothers to disobey his orders, but they'd usually be slightly tardy; not a complete no-show. Upon re-entering the house to investigate the cause of their insubordination, he heard his two siblings scuffling and rushed up the stairs. Now, as his leg throbbed, he was regretting how hastily he had moved up the staircase and for not sending Michelangelo in his place. He winced as he gingerly put pressure on his right leg. Glaring at his brothers, he said with narrow eyes, "We will resolve this later. It's time to go outside and train. Now!"

"Fuck your training!" The red-masked turtle shoved past the leader and sprinted down the staircase, taking the steps two at a time.

Blasting his way into the kitchen, he startled his girlfriend. April nearly dropped the pale pink bowl she had been vigorously stirring. She turned as Raphael entered the kitchen and offered him the spoon, dripping with chocolate cake batter. "Wanna lick?" Her cheerful demeanor quickly turned puzzled when she noticed her boyfriend stomping angrily toward her.

He would have found the spot of powdered sugar on her nose adorable, had he not been so absolutely infuriated with her. Three strong fingers encircled the delicate wrist. The mixing bowl clattered to the floor, shards of glass and cake batter coating the tiled floor. April found herself being pulled clumsily toward the porch. "Wh-where are we going?" she stammered nervously.

"To the barn. We need to talk - NOW!"