Yet another installment of the Threesome Universe. This thing has taken on a life of its own. Set after the events of Wide Awake. Also ties into TheWinterMe's story "Daydream." (An excellent read - check it out) And, yes, there is a flashback within a flashback in here. Enjoy!

The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind them as April fell onto a hay bale, the sharp strands pricking the backs of her thighs. She rubbed her wrist and glared at her boyfriend.

"Ok, Raph, you've got some serious explaining to do." Her hands found their way to her hips, as she stared at him indignantly.

"Me?!" Green eyes flashed incredulously at her. "I think you're the one who has "explainin'" to do!" He mirrored her stance.

April rose and stomped her foot, causing a dry puff of soil to rise between them. "I'm not the one who just dragged his girlfriend out to the barn!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not the one who went to Donatello." His voice and her face fell at his brother's name.

"Oh." April, anger deflated, sat back down on the hay bale, eyes avoiding the dejected terrapin before her.

"Why'd ya do it, April?" He knelt before her, placing a hand gently on her knee. White hot anger melted into sorrow. Watery eyes threatened to betray him, but he forced them upon her.

"I … I didn't think you'd mind." April fibbed. "You seemed ok with it."

"Oh, April, " Raphael moaned, finding solace on the rickety stool opposite her, resting his head in his hands.

Raphael lay on his carapace, sinking into a mattress that should have been discarded years ago. Several springs poked uncomfortable coils into him, but the constant jabbing barely registered. All of his focus was on the red-headed girl curled against his left side. He watched in awed reverence as her chest rose and fell with each breath. He marveled at the fact she had chosen him. He had fought hard against his feelings for her, telling himself he didn't actually like her; it was because she had just treated him decently, made him feel more like a person and less like the freak he knew he was. He couldn't have feelings for her - not when his brother and best human friend were both competing for her heart.

Raphael hadn't planned their first kiss. Restraining his emotions was not his strength, but he knew it was a necessity to the point where he believed he was in complete denial. However, when he had seen her that night, hunched over and emotionally broken, rocking on the worn down porch swing, the impenetrable wall he'd built around his heart began to crack. He could have turned away and let her mourn in silence. He should have joined his brothers in the house, not even permitting this to happen, but was drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. Raphael knew he wasn't good with words, so he did the only thing he knew to try to help heal her. Every one knew he acted before he fully thought things out. He could always blame his impulsivity. But April seemed responsive, willing even. It was as if she had a thirst that could only be quenched by his kiss.

Careful not to disturb her, he checked the time on his T-Phone. 4:00 A.M. Leo would be up soon. He'd have to wake her so she could sneak back into her room. They had begrudgingly agreed it was best to keep their blossoming romance a secret for now. April stirred slightly and laid her hand upon his plastron. He smiled at her as the scent of their earlier activities still hung heavy in the air. He could let her rest for a few more moments while he selfishly drank in her beautiful features.

As if she could feel his eyes lingering on her form, April slowly blinked into consciousness. Gasping in alarmed panic, she shot up, "What time is it?"

Raphael covered the hand that was on his plastron and used his other to gently coax her back down. Rubbing her back tenderly, he assured her, "Shhh… Relax. It's just after 4. We've got a few before you need to leave."

Breathing returning to normal, April placed a kiss on Raphael's cheek.

Giving her his trademark smirk, Raphael chided, "Come on, now. Is that the best you can do?"

April stifled her giggle into his chest, teasing circles tracing the protective shell. "Oh?" April cocked an eyebrow at him. "What did you have in mind?"

Green met pink in a soft kiss. "I'm sure we could think of something."

The dreamy look in her eyes was abruptly replaced by thoughtful concern as she chewed on her lower lip.

Raphael's eyes widened in concern at her swift shift in mood. Crap. Had he said the wrong thing? Beating the mess outta bad guys was something he had perfected; flirty pillow talk was something he had not. "Did I … Did I say the wrong thing?" He cast his eyes downward, afraid of her response.

April was suddenly aware how cool her back had become where Raphael had removed his hand. In her concentration, she had stopped caressing his chest. Her hand lingered limply on top of him. "No, not at all. I was just … thinking."

"Ha! Thinking is dangerous. That's why I hardly ever do it." Twinkling eyes winked at her, trying to elicit a smile, but she only gripped the blanket more tightly in response.

Mood broken, Raphael furrowed his brow. "Okay, spill, April. What's on your mind?"

"Donnie."

She said his name flatly, but it shot spikes into Raphael's heart. He felt his breath hitch at his brother's name as if she had punched him with it. April was talking again, but her words fell on deaf ears. With the air knocked from him, all he could hear was rushing wind, like he was caught in the funnel of a tornado.

The gentle shaking of his shoulder helped sharpen his focus. "Raph? What do you think?"

The red-banded turtle licked his lips and tried to swallow. He suddenly felt parched and words were difficult to form. "Huh? About what?"

April rolled her eyes. It hadn't been easy to ask the first time and now he was going to make her say it again. "About inviting Donatello to spend the night with us." She twisted the blanket with her fingers. "Just once."

Raphael crinkled his nose in disgust. "Aw, no way! That's so gross. I ain't into dudes. Plus, he's my brother."

April chewed nervously on her thumbnail. "But I think that's exactly why we need to do this. Because he's your brother. And we need to make some sort of amends for this. I know he knows about us."

Raphael turned his head to stare at the peeling yellow paint on the wall. "Then what's next? Casey? We're gonna hafta "make amends" with him, too?" he spat out, voice tinged with jealousy.

"No!" April defended, a little too quickly. Shifting so she was straddling his hips, she placed her hands on both sides of his face, forcing the emerald green eyes to focus on her. "If it really bothers you, forget I said anything. I just figured we, I mean, I, kinda owed it to Don. You know how he feels about me and this might be his only chance to be intimate with a girl. Besides, I'll do all the, um, work. I just wanted you to be there so it's not like I'm cheating on you."

Raphael wanted to say no. He actually wanted to tell her "No effing way." Entranced by her cerulean eyes, he found it nearly impossible to deny her anything. She did have some solid points, he reasoned, as she peppered his plastron with kisses. He opened his mouth to answer her, when he heard footsteps approaching his bedroom door. He shoved her head down and hastily yanked up the fraying goldenrod blanket to cover the brilliant red hair.

Leonardo peered into the room, his eyes darting around suspiciously.

"Whaddya want, Fearless?" He tried to sound annoyed over the nervous drumming of his heart.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone." Leonardo eyed his brother warily.

"Nope, jus' me in here. Your ears must be working as good as your vocal chords."

Leonardo shook his head as if to shake off the insult. "Well, since you're up, wanna come do some katas with me?"

Raphael felt April squirm between his legs, the suffocating heat making it difficult for her to breathe. Plus, hadn't he promised to be a better brother to Leo if he would just wake up? He cleared his throat and forced enthusiasm. "Sure, Leo, that sounds great. Give me five minutes and I'll be down to join ya."

Leonardo nodded and turned to take his leave. Raphael let out a sigh of relief, but it was too late. A strawberry scent had already wafted into the eldest brother's nostrils.

"It was supposed to be a one shot deal," Raphael glared at her with accusing eyes.

"I, I know," April faltered. She absentmindedly twirled her ponytail between her fingers. "I just, um, thought we all had fun, so why not do it again?" Her voice was more unsure and squeakier than she would have liked.

"F- fun? Pounding the Foot is fun. Going to the movies is fun. I wouldn't call having sex with my brother 'fun'."

"But you didn't - " Raphael silenced her with a large green finger against her pursed, pink lips.

"Technicalities. But in case you forgot, I ain't so good with sharing." He gathered her tiny hands in his. Glancing down, he noticed how small and fragile she looked as his gargantuan mitts completely engulfed her. "I thought …" He abruptly shut his mouth. He felt raw and exposed. He couldn't allow even more vulnerability to break through. Instead, he exhaled slowly. "April, what exactly do you want?"

She removed sweaty palms from his grip and rubbed them on her jean shorts. Gulping loudly, she found it difficult to meet his gaze. Truthfully, she wanted to put Raphael and Donatello into a blender, add a pinch of Casey Jones, and then pour out the perfect puree.

Raphael's anxiety was growing in intensity the longer she kept her silence. Her twitching brow told him she was thinking something, but what, he didn't know. He felt a twisting deep in his gut as he silently pleaded, "Say me," ashamed at how desperate he felt. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out a question he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to.

"Do you wanna be with Don?"

At first her face registered shock from his bluntness. He recognized the way her features were contorting. He knew he wasn't going to like what she had to say and began to regret dragging her to the barn to have this discussion. Why couldn't he have ignored his brother and pretended he didn't know April had approached him? Why had he let his pride cloud his decisions? Just because she asked Donatello to repeat the threesome didn't mean he had to agree to it. April wouldn't have cheated on him. Hadn't she told him that before? And now, by forcing her hand, he was destroying the best thing that had ever happened to him - because that's what he did best, right? Destroy things.

A clammy hand on his shoulder shook him from his thoughts. Sorrowful eyes rose to meet hers.

"I love you, Raph …"

"But?" Why did he have to keep pushing her? Why couldn't he control his mouth for once?

She gave his bicep a squeeze. "But I might have some lingering feelings for Donatello. You're right."

Wide eyes blinked twice before he stood up to leave. He would not cry in front of her, no matter how his heart was shattering. Concealment of underlying emotions was his strength and it was going to take all he had not to reveal how much this mattered to him.

Outside the splintering barn, the olive green terrapin was filled with a completely different emotion. Upon hearing the bowl clatter to the ground, mixed with his brother's legendary temper, Donatello had followed them out to the barn. He was fairly certain his brother wouldn't harm April, but his reputation when he saw red had led a trepidatious Donatello to risk his own well being in case he needed to interfere. He had paused outside, knowing the stronger brother could easily tear apart his limbs. As he tried to calculate his best course of action, he couldn't help but eavesdrop. His emotions had run the gamut from fear to curiosity to a strange sense of satisfaction. She could still want to be with him. He'd have to let time pass and April come to her own decision, but he silently resolved to resume his flirting. He turned from the barn with a spring in his step. Hope.